《Realm of Monsters》


 Glossary

    Cover Art:


    Locations:


    Null Realms:


    The Null Realms are the ten Realms that compose the world where the story takes place. Each of the ten Realms is aligned with a chromatic color (See Chromatic Magic tab for more info on the chromatic colors).


    Ebon Realm:


    The Ebon Realm is one of the ten Null Realms. The Realm is aligned with chromatic black. Therefore the Realm produces more black magi then any of the other Realms. It is one of the coldest Realms.


    The Ebon Realm has various small settlements sprawled around the land, with most situated in the Dusk Valley. Four very large cities known as great cities compose the largest populations of the Realm. The great cities are "Hollow Shade" in the Dusk Valley, "Frost Rim" in the Rupture Mountains, "Undergrowth" in the Glimmer Grove, and "Murkton" in the Silent Marshes.


    The Realm is ruled by several oligarchies. The great cities govern the majority of the land around them, in turn the great cities are ruled by a city council consisting of members of named houses (See Named House section for more info).


    Ebon Realm Map:


    Regions:


    Dusk Valley:


    The largest and most expansive region in the Ebon Realm. The region is covered in hills and plains. The valley is covered in tall grass, with a few bushes sprawled about. The Dire River crosses through the middle of the valley, including hundreds of smaller streams.


    The Great City of Hollow Shade resides in the center of Dusk Valley. Several smaller cities and hundreds of villages reside in the region as well. The Valley Tribes also claim Dusk Valley as their home.


    Vulture Woods:


    A forest south of the Ebon Realm. The forest is covered in trees of crimson leaves with grey bark. The forest is known for being one of the most dangerous regions in the Realm. It is sparsely populated by society, with only the sylvan goblin tribes residing within. Various threatening creatures live within the woods, the most common are dire bears and wolves. Dragons are said to inhabit the deeper parts of the forest. It borders another forest, Glimmer Grove and also the Rupture mountains.


    Northern Lands:


    The lands to the North of the Ebon Realm. The region is constantly covered in perpetual winter, with snow and ice all around. It is the native home of vampires and drow from ages past, when the region was not always so cold, and was the richest of lands.


    The Rupture Mountains crosses through the eastern part of the region. Hoarfrost Bay also borders the Northern Lands.


    Rupture Mountains:


    The mountain range of the Ebon Realm. It is home to many creatures, including frost wolves, sereguli, frost giants, and dragons. While the edges of the mountains are fairly safe, the majority of people stay away from the mountains, for risk of encountering one of its more threating residents. The only large settlement with the mountains is Frost Rim.


    The mountains reach into multiple other regions, including Vulture Woods, Glimmer Grow, Dusk Valley, Mortis Grove, and the Northern Lands. The Dire River also crosses below the mountains.


    Hoarfrost Bay:


    A bay to the north of the Northern Lands. It is considered the coldest region in the Realm. Many rare aquatic creatures such as white eels and other resources reside within the bay, which entices many sailors to travel there, despite the risks.


    Sirens are said to swim in the bay''s frozen waters and guard Hoarfrost Island, which resides in the middle of the bay. The island is considered one of the most dangerous areas in the Realm. It is home to various dangerous creatures that despise visitors. The chrome-gate found by Crow resides within the island.


    Glimmer Grove:


    A forest bordering Vulture Woods. Unlike its sister forest, Glimmer Grove does not harbor various dangerous beasts.The Great City of Undergrowth resides within the forest.


    In terms of wild creatures Glimmer Grove is fairly safe, although Undergrowth sends out patrols throughout the forest, who can be pose a threat to any unsuspecting travelers.


    The most inner region of the forest has a unique variety of trees whose petals glow soft purples and pinks at night, giving the forest its name, "Glimmer Grove." The mystical eeriee Shadow Lake resides within the forest as well.


    Silent Marshes:


    The marshlands to the east of the Realm. It is home to many dangerous animals that lurk in the waters, although the region is not considered nearly as dangerous as Vulture Woods or Hoarfrost Bay. The Great City of Murkton resides within the region.


    The land was once home to goblin-kind before they lost the war to orc-kind and were forced to leave their ancestral lands.


    Mortis Grove:


    The smallest region in the Ebon Realm. Mortis Grove is an old forest whose trees have long since died. The forest was home to many vampires of old. The region is fairly empty save for House Mora''s ancestral home, a large castle.


    Dire River:


    The largest river in the Ebon Realm. It crosses throughout Dusk Valley, below the Rupture Mountains and back into the sea.


    Ebon Sea:


    The sea surrounding the Ebon Realm. Many ships from Murkton travel through its waters in order to reach other settlements. Sea serpents can be found within the waters.


    The Four Great Cities:


    The Four Great Cities are the largest and most powerful cities in the Ebon Realm. They act as hubs of rulership over the rest of the Realm. The Great Cities in turn are ruled by powerful individuals, family leaders of Great Houses.


    Hollow Shade:


    Also known as the City of Shades, is one of the four great cities of the Ebon Realm. The city resides in Dusk Valley, next to the Dire River. It is known for its trading ports and ideal trade location in the Realm. But, it is most well known for its iconic black magestone walls that harbor hundreds of shades. The city is divided into 7 districts:


    Commoner District: The majority of the population lives here. It consists of the common people. The district is the nearest to the walls.


    Bourge District: The middle-class, consisting of wealthy merchants and lesser houses, live here.


    Villa District: The high-class live here. The district harbors mansions, expensive restaurants, and elegant stores for the leisure of the rich. Greater houses, powerful magi, high ranking civic and martial officials, and prestigious priests live in the district.


    Scholar District: A district dedicated solely to the four academies of Hollow Shade. The martial, business, civics, and magic academies. It also holds apartment buildings for some of the academies¡¯ staff.


    Trade District: The largest district. The majority of businesses reside here. While many small stalls exist, there are also many high-end stores that cater to the wealthy of Hollow Shade. The harbor residing right outside of the city also conducts most of its trade in this district.


    Night District: The district caters to the darker businesses of the city, including black markets, slave trade, brothels, etc. Many wealthy people visit the district to pursue their hedonistic lifestyles.


    Central District: The smallest district, it resides in the center of the Hollow Shade. The important civic buildings are here, including the courthouse. The city council¡¯s establishment is also here. The most iconic and religious building in all of Hollow Shade, the Ebon Tower, stands in the very middle of the district.


    The Docks: The unoffical 8th district. It resides right outside the city walls and consists of large docks on the Dire River. Trade ships from both Murkton and Frost Rim travel from the river and arrive at the docks to unload shipments that eventaully head to the Trade District.


    Frost Rim:


    The city lies in the Rupture Mountains, bordering the Northern Lands. The city is the main source of magestone within the Ebon Realm. Frost Rim does trade with Hollow Shade via trade ships traveling through the Dire River.


    Murkton:


    The city lies in the far east of the Ebon Realm, in the Silent Marshes. The city was founded by orcs after The Schism, 300 years ago. The city was built over the ruins of an ancient goblin city.


    Murkton still consists of mostly orcs. They are known to have some of the greatest centaurs in the Ebon Realm. The city also has the Crimson Tracks, the greatest and most dangerous racing tracks in the Realm.


    Undergrowth:


    The city was founded by drow when they lost the wars against the vampires in the Northern Lands. The city lies within Glimmer Grove, particularily at the heart of the forest where the trees glow at night. The city is home to the mystical Shadow Lake as well.


    While the Undergrowth once had great relations with Hollow Shade and was their main source of wood (a resource lacking in Dusk Valley), after the Ebon Lords passed, relations between the cities detoriated. House Thorn great influence within the city has contributed to the bad relations with both cities.


    In the present age the relationship between both cities is tenous at best. They have only opened a few trade routes between both cities in recent years, thanks to the efforts of House Noir and House Glaz.


    Cities/Towns/Villages:


    Mellow Bloom:


    A small city in Dusk Valley. The city is ruled by House Azol, a Great House of the Realm.


    A river curls around the city, with half a dozen bridges serving as entrances to the city. They are known for their mead, the Seregulus Hunt, and their Bellflower festival.


    Dull Water:


    A small village in Dusk Valley. It is a poor village, prone to raids.


    Witt, Louise, and Olly were born in the village.


    Valley Tribes:


    Who are the Valley Tribes:


    The Valley Tribes are a nomadic people that live and travel through Dusk Valley. Hollow Shade has hunted them down for centuries and in turn the tribes have raided Hollow Shade''s smaller settlements.


    The tribes are known to take food, gold, animals, and women during their raids. The chieftains of the tribes were a golden band somewhere on their body, usually on their hair or arm.


    The Cairn Tribe:


    A tribe led by the War Lord Marek. The tribe has grown in power in recent years, amassing a large army. Marek continues to try and unite more and more Valley Tribes under his banner.


    Bronze Eagle Tribe:


    A tribe that was subjugated by The Cairn tribe during a night attack after failed negotiations between both tribes. Bronze Eagle''s chieftan was beheaded by Nokuti, right-hand of Marek, chieftan of The Cairn.


    Sylvan Tribes:


    Who are the Sylvan Tribes?:


    The Sylvan Tribes are the goblin tribes that reside within Vulture Woods. They are a war-like people who place great emphasis on strength.They survive the harsh environment of Vulture Woods through their hunters and their teamwork tactics. The Sylvan Tribes are for the most part disconnected from the rest of the Realm, only seeing the occasional traveler who enters Vulture Woods.


    The Sylvan Tribes do not condone the strength of emotions, believing it to create only weakness in individuals.


    The tribes practice the unique customs of Mothers, a group of women who are modeled after their patron diety, Lunae, goddess of the moon, and known as the mother of all goblin-kind.


    Mothers give up their true names when they take up the religious role. Instead they are referred to by a number, with 1st Mother being the leader of the Mothers in a tribe. 1st Mother acts as the matriarch of the tribe, while the chieftan acts as the patriarch. The tribe''s shaman serves as the spiritual leader of the tribe.


    The Mothers are placed in charge of infants when they are born. The Mothers then raise the goblin children as part of the tribe, they do this to eliminate feelings of attachment to the child''s true parents and for the child to see the tribe as their family instead.


    The tribes while often agressive with one another are known to be respectful of thier traditions and meet together every so often under the guidance of the Lunar Elect, the sylvan tribunal.


    Ebon Hollow:


    The youngest of the Sylvan Tribes. Stryg and Feli founded the tribe while in Hollow Shade. The tribe is unique for a few reasons. The first being that the tribe does not reside in Vulture Woods. Secondly, the tribe consists of various species. Thirdly, there is no shaman nor Mothers within the tribe.


    Blood Fang:


    The Blood Fang tribe resides deep in Vulture Woods. Stryg once belonged to this tribe, before he ran away and founded his own tribe.


    Establishments:


    Hollow Shade''s 4 Academies:


    Mage Academy:


    The city''s one and only magic academy. The school trains mageborn novices for three years, at which point they graduate and become adept magi.


    Hollow Shade offers a scholarship for any mageborn to come study at their school so long as they work for the city for 10 years upon graduation.


    The principle of the academy is Lord Elzri of House Noir.


    Martial Academy:


    The city''s premier school of war. Students are taught to be soldiers and are trained in combat and war tactics. Upon graduation students usually enter the military as officers.


    Merchant Academy:


    The city''s largest academy. Students come from all over the Realm to study at the school. They are taught various techiniques of trade throughout their three years. The main goal of students who attend this school is to obtain connections with powerful merchant families for their own future businesses.


    Civics Academy:


    The school teaches young wealthy students to become government officials and to serve powerful Houses in their rulership of Hollow Shade. Civic officials are also sent out to oversee smaller settlements in Dusk Valley and to collect taxes from all the settlements that owe fealty to Hollow Shade.


    Merry Crescent:


    A tavern in the Commoner District of Hollow Shade. It''s sign depcits a femine crescent moon with shapely legs. Feli used to work at the tavern as its local celebrity and barmaid. Carla continues to work there as a barmaid.


    The Merry Crescent is Stryg''s favorite tavern and he often visits, sometimes with his friends. Captain of the Guard, Rorik Polamtal, is also known to frequent the establishment.


    After Stryg''s magical demonstrations at the Merry Crescent, Stryg has become an icon of sorts in the tavern, increasing patronship greatly. Stryg holds great influence over the tavern and is its most respected patron.


    Blue Meadow:


    A wealthy tavern in Mellow Bloom. It has several floors and also serves as a brothel, whose workers are referred to as "flowers." It is Loh Noir''s favorite tavern in the city.


    Swift Winds:


    A centaur establishment in Hollow Shade. They breed and raise high-stock centaurs for the wealthiest of the city. The owner of the store is Karlok, a vampire, and acquaintance of Loh Noir.


    The centaurs Rhiannon (Rhian), Maximus, and Ruby, were born in Swift Winds.


    White Rose Cauldron:


    A top-class alchemy store and brewery in Hollow Shade''s Trade District. Dextrian, an old drow red mage, serves as the owner and chief alchemist. His apprentices assisst him in the creation of the potions.


    Ebon Tower:


    A legendary building in Hollow Shade. It stands at the very center of the city, in the Central District. The ebon lords created the tower at the city''s founding. People to this day are baffled by its unkown material, ineligible writings and strange structure.


    Rumor has it ancient records claim that the tower serves as a monument to the ebon gods and as a promise between them and the ebon lords.


    Singing Willow:


    Is a professional and famous acting and musical troupe led by a woman known as "Captain." The troupe travels around the Ebon Realm peforming in cities. They are famed for their use of actual magic within their performances.


    Characters:


    Ebon Hollow Tribe:


    Stryg:


    A goblin hybrid from the sylvan Blood Fang tribe. He is a manifold mage novice, wielding two chromatic colors, grey and black. He is currently a 2nd year student in the magic academy of Hollow Shade.


    Physical Description: He has cyan skin, short silver hair, and lilac eyes.


    Height: Book 1 - 3''7 (109 cm), Book 2 - 4''4 (132 cm)


    Weight: Book 2 - 340 lbs


    Image:


    Book 1 Spoilers:


    Stryg has founded the Ebon Hollow Tribe and serves as the chief. It is revealed that he is a prime manifold mage with great talent within each color. His physical attributes have increased throughout the year. He has been shown to have enhanced senses, durability, strength, and healing.


    Stryg has perfect night vision, he is able to see clearly even in complete darkness.


    Feli:


    A human barmaid of the Merry Crescent tavern. She is a local tavern celebrity, famed for her voluptuous body and kind demeanor.


    Physical Description: She dyes her hair dark purple. She has chestnut eyes and olive skin.


    Image:


    Book 1 Spoilers:


    She is engaged to Stryg and is the co-founder of the Ebon Hollow tribe. She lives with Stryg in his apartment near the Magic Academy.


    Rhiannon (Rhian):


    She is a centaur born and raised in the Swift Winds establishment. She was bred to be a showhorse and has been trained to be as such. Rhian was the most skilled and talented showhorse among her brothers and sisters which has led her to become very prideful in her looks and abilities. She is currently serving as the steed of Stryg.


    Physical Description: Rhian is noted to be very beautiful even among the other showhorses. Her lower body is lean and muscular with a sleek black coat without any splotches of other colors. Her upper body is pale, with long raven black hair. Her eyes are a pale grey and her nose is decorated with faint freckles. She has thin lips that is often found smiling.


    Rhian is on the smaller side for a centaur, since she was bred for agility and grace. She stands at about 7 feet.


    Image:


    Hollow Shade Residents:


    <ul>


    <li>


    Rorik Polamtal: A drow captain of the guard stationed in the trade district. He is a son of house Polamtal, a martial middle-class family. He occasionally drinks with Stryg.


    </li>


    <li>


    Karen: A goblin commoner. She is a pickpocket and member of the Wild Knives gang. She is the girlfriend of Jax. She was one of the first people Stryg met in Hollow Shade.


    </li>


    <li>Maximus: Is a war-bred centaur, who has excelled in all martial categories. He has a calm demeanor and rarely talks, only when neccessary or if he is surprised. He trains Rhian in how to use her lance.


    He is towering figure even amongst other centaurs, standing 10 feet tall (304 cm). He has long grey shaggy hair and a beard. His body is rippling with muscles and covered in scars. He was born in the Swift Winds establishment. He is the war steed of Loh Noir.</li>


    <li>Ruby: Is a pleasure-bred centaur. She has a quiet demeanor and spends her time taking strolls through the city with her rider, Loh Noir.</li>


    <li>


    Maeve Mora: A vampire high-class woman. She is the daughter of vampire house Mora. Maeve is the paternal cousin of Callum Veres, her mother is the younger sister of Callum¡¯s father. She is a student at Hollow Shade¡¯s merchant academy. Maeve is a beautiful dainty woman, with platinum blonde hair, pale skin and the red eyes of a vampire.


    Image:


    </li>


    <li>


    Celica Skeller: An orc white mage who runs a clinic in the trade district. Her clients mainly include middle class families and Hollow Shade¡¯s guards. While the guards can¡¯t afford her services, the city pays for any injuries they incur on the job.


    </li>


    <li>


    Jax: A goblin commoner. He is the gang leader of the Wild Knives gang. He is the boyfriend of Karen.


    </li>


    <li>


    Leroy: A goblin commoner. A member of the Wild Knives gang and right hand man of Jax.


    </li>


    <li>Sophi: Karen''s younger sister, she is a goblin toddler.</li>


    <li>Shirleen: Is the goblin mother of Karen. After Sophi''s and her own abduction, Shirleen has broken off her relationship with her eldest daughter, Karen. She blames Karen for Sophi almost dying.</li>


    <li>Grolm: Kithina''s father. He is a dwarf with a long dark beard.</li>


    <li>Gidget: Kithina''s mother. She is a dwarf.</li>


    <li>Skobby: Kithina''s younger brother. He is studying to for the civic academy''s entrance exam. He is a dwarf.</li>


    <li>Carla: Is a human barmaid working in the Merry Cescent tavern. She has a bad relationship with Feli since their time working together.</li>


    <li>Gwen: Is a human woman working as a stablehand at Stryg''s apartment complex. Although she is from a merchant family, her family was unable to afford buying Gwen her very own centaur. She works hard in the hopes of one day having her own centaur. She adores Rhian and does whatever she can to make her feel comfortable and happy.</li>


    <li>Lucy: Is a human doctor and white mage working at the merchant academy. She is also the secret therapist of Maeve Mora. She cares greatly for Maeve and hopes the vampiress can one day live a free and happy life.</li>


    <li>Dextrian (Dex): An elderly drow. He is a very skilled high master red mage alchemist. He owns the famous White Rose Cauldron alchemy brewery in Hollow Shade.</li>


    <li>Elm: The head priest of a small temple in Hollow Shade''s Commoner District. He has reacently taken Karen on as his apprentice acolyte.</li>


    <li>Byrel: The front-desk secretary of Hollow Shade''s magic academy. She is a middle-aged drow. She tested Stryg''s magic when he first came to the academy.


    Book 1 Spoilers:</li>


    </ul>


    Byrel sabotaged Stryg''s Duels class'' final exam and unintentionally almost gets him killed. Loh Noir finds out and has her arrested. Loh allows Stryg to pass the verdict on Byrel. Stryg chooses execution by the shades of the wall. After Byrel''s death it is revealed she is the mother of Plum.


    <ul>


    <li>Karlok: A middle-aged vampire. He is a breeder and owner of the Swift Winds establishment. He raised and trained Rhiannon, Maximus, and Ruby.</li>


    </ul>


    Magic Academy Students:


    <ul>


    <li>


    Plum: A drow 3rd year student. She works as a librarian¡¯s assistant. She is a purple mage. After many years of reading in low light rooms, Plum needs to wear glasses. She is considered short for a drow, standing at about 5'' 4 (162 cm).


    Book 1 Spoilers:


    It is revealed after Miss Byrel''s death that she was Plum''s mother. Her death creates a rift in the friendship between Plum and Stryg.


    Image:


    </li>


    <li>


    Kithina: A dwarf 1st year student. She is a yellow mage. Born in a low-class family, Kithina hopes to be able to support her family through a mage¡¯s salary. She loves the idea of becoming a mage, a powerful spell caster traveling the land.


    </li>


    <li>


    Kegrog: An orc 1st year student. He is a brown mage. Standing at 6¡¯5 feet, he is the tallest in his class.


    </li>


    <li>


    John: A human 3rd year student. He performed the chrome-probe exam on Stryg on his arrival to the academy.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Magic Academy Staff:


    <ul>


    <li>


    Gette: A human master black mage. He is a professor at the magic academy of Hollow Shade. He is skilled in both spell forms of black magic, necromancy and shadow. He currently teaches ¡°Intro to Black Magic¡± to Stryg and other 1st years.


    </li>


    <li>


    Ismene: A human high master mage. She is the professor of meditation. Despite being aged, Ismene remains a prominent blue mage, feared and respected among mage circles.


    </li>


    <li>


    Rime: A drow master green mage. He is the professor of Magic Fundamental and other magic theory courses. A strict teacher, who denies the existence of the ebon gods.


    </li>


    </ul>


    House Noir:


    Loh Noir:


    She is a drow manifold high-master mage who wields 3 chromatic colors, black, grey, and orange. She is a scion of the famed magical Noir family. Her grandfather is one of the 7 city lords of Hollow Shade.


    Loh''s astounding spell casting skills coupled with her offensive chromatic colors, have made her one of the most prominent mage duelists in all the Ebon Realm.


    Loh¡¯s background, power, beauty, and infamous rude behavior, has made her a popular controversial topic among the high-class. She currently works as a professor at the magic academy in Hollow Shade. Stryg is her mage apprentice.


    Image:


    Elzri Noir:


    Elzri is considered the most powerful arch mage in Hollow Shade. The leader of one of the seven ruling families of Hollow Shade, Great House Noir, Elzri is feared and respected by many. He holds the titles of mage and city lord, and principal of the magic academy.


    He is the father of Dolores and the grandfather of Loh and Aizel. He is the younger brother of the late Esletha and Aiden Noir. He is the older brother of Una Noir and the son of Alastair.


    Elzri boasts a tall figure with pale grey skin, white hair, and cold grey eyes.


    Dolores Noir:


    She is the daughter of Elzri and mother of Loh and Aizel.She is married to a commoner-turned-Mage Lord. Her husband married into House Noir.


    While tecnhically being a mageborn Dolores has shown very little talent in magic, to the point where she cannot cast even the simplets of spells.


    Aizel Noir:


    He was the older brother of Loh and the grandson of Elzri Noir. Aizel was a latebloomer mageborn, his magical abilities only awakening later in his life. Because of his latent magical abilities and lack of talent, Aizel was passed over for the inheritence of family leadership.


    Loh and Aizel had a tense relationship because Loh was forced to take the role as heir of House Noir, while he was allowed to live a "carefree life." Aizel also became engaged to Loh''s secret love, Tauri Katag.


    Esletha Noir:


    Esletha was a young and talented mage. She was famous for her intelligence, beauty, and her martial and magical prowess. Most people expected her to inherit the mantle of leadership of House Noir, but her father chose Elzri, her younger brother, as heir instead.


    It is said Esletha challenged Elzri to a duel for the inheritance of family leadership. Elzri accepted and surprised everyone by revealing himself to be an archmage. He promptly defeated Esletha and killed thier older brother when he tried to save her. Elzri slit Esletha''s throat soon after.


    Una Noir:


    Una is the younger sister of Elzri, Esletha, and her (unamed) eldest brother. She ran away from Hollow Shade after Elzri killed Esletha and their eldest brother. Her dissapearance solidified Elzri''s leadership over House Noir.


    It is suspected that Una stole the black dagger and book relating to the story of Noir I and the Monster in the Dark.


    Noir I:


    He was the founder of House Noir. He was born into a small merchant family as the 5th son. He later met "Holo The Tall" and became Holo''s apprentice, eventually rising to the rank of arch-mage and the title of mage lord.


    Noir was said to have made a deal with the Monster in the Dark to marry Rose.


    Rose Noir:


    Rose was the wife of Noir I and the mother of the Noir family line. She was known for her great beauty. Rose was married to an Ebon Lady, before she met Noir I.


    Noir I was obssessed with her and was said to have made a deal with the Monster in the Dark to have Rose for himself. Rose''s wife died and their castle burned down. Rose married Noir I soon after. She was later said to have slit her own throat and died during her daughter''s coming of age celebration.


    House Veres:


    Callum Veres:


    A hybrid 1st year mage student. He is half-vampire and half-human. Callum is a manifold mage, wielding red and white magic. He is friends with Stryg and Kithina. His father, Lord Veres IX, is a war and city lord and leader of the family. His paternal cousin is Maeve Mora.


    Image:


    Lord Veres I:


    The Founder of House Veres. He was a genius military tactician born in a small village in the Northern Lands. He served under Ebon Lord Koval and married his daughter. Koval granted Veres the enchanted blade Krikolm as a gift for his loyalty.


    Veres was best friends and rumored lover of Lady Gale I. They fought together in many wars until her untimely death when she sacrificed herself to protect Veres from an ambush. Veres went on to lead Koval''s armies to many victories and the eventual unification of the Ebon Realm under Koval''s leadership.


    A few historians believe Lord Veres I is the true father of Gale''s son.


    Lord Veres IX:


    The current leader of House Gale. He is the father of Callum and the uncle of Maeve Mora.


    Alice Veres:


    Was the late younger sister of Veres IX. She married Lord Mora and had several children, the youngest child is Maeve Mora. She loved her children dearly and is said to have been a very kind woman, compassionate to the commoners and aristocrats alike. She grew sick and passed away when Maeve was still a child.


    House Katag:


    Tauri Katag:


    She is an orc manifold master mage. Tauri wields two chromatic colors, orange and brown. She works as the professor of physical conditioning in the Magic Academy. Tauri is the favored daughter of the famed warrior family, House Katag. Her father is Krall Katag, leader of their House. Tauri is a childhood friend of Loh and Aizel Noir. She was once engaged to Aizel.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Image:


    Krall Katag:


    Krall is the leader of House Katag. He is a war lord and one of the 7 city lords of Hollow Shade. He is a very large orc, towering over others. His martial prowess and skillful tactics have made a prominent general within the Ebon Realm. He is known as a very honorable and serious man. He is friends with fellow city lord, Elzri Noir. Tauri Katag is Krall''s favorite daughter.


    Image:


    House Glaz:


    Vayu Glaz:


    A scion of House Glaz and the second son of the family leader. Vayu is known for his incredible magical talent as a true purple mage, but he is most famous for riding into battle on the back of a fire drake.


    He served as captain and right-hand of Loh Noir during her time as general of House Noir''s northern army. Lord Elzri Noir arranged an engagement between Loh and Vayu during that time.


    Image:


    House Ashe:


    Calantha Ashe:


    Calantha is the family leader of the vampire Ruling Family, Ashe. Her family is in charge of all the religious proceedings of Hollow Shade and as such she holds the highest religious title in the city, High Priestess.


    Calantha is said to have been blessed by the war goddess, Bellum, when she was a baby and that Bellum''s blessing has granted her supernatural capabilities.


    Image:


    House Goldelm:


    Freya Goldelm:


    Freya is the daughter of Lord Goldelm, the family leader of House Goldelm. She is a very talented mageborn and a dual manifold mage. Her chromatic colors are white and orange.


    Freya is an elitist who does not enjoy being in class with commoners. She dated Callum Veres in the past and is still on good terms with him.


    Freya is currently a 2nd year student in Hollow Shade''s magic academy and is one of the seven potential candidates for the mage tourney.


    House Gale:


    Clypeus Gale:


    A vampire 1st year student. He is a manifold mage wielding green and yellow magic. He is a skilled warrior hailing from the vampire House Gale. Tall and broad shouldered, he is the image of a powerful warrior. Clypeus has a strained relationship with Callum Veres, because of his hybrid nature. Clypeus believes him to be unworthy of carrying the Veres name.


    Clypeus wields two gladii blades and is one of the youngest swordmasters in Hollow Shade.


    Gale VIII, Gale:


    She is the heir of House Gale, elder sister of Clypeus, and first-born child of the current family leader, Lord Gale. She is considered a sword and mage prodigy and currently holds the ranks of high-master mage and grand swordmaster.


    Gale is a famed mage and sword duelist who has often times been compared to another mage prodigy, Loh Noir. The two duelists are known to have once fought on equal footing until they reached a stalemate.


    Many people have noted Gale VIII bears a striking resemblance to her family''s founder, with their similar golden hair and dark red eyes.


    Gale instructs Clypeus and Stryg in the renowned "House Gale Swordsmanship" during her free time. She is named after her family''s founder, Gale I, partner of Veres I.


    Gian Gale:


    Gian is an older vampire who serves House Veres as an embassador and sometimes-spy in Frost Rim. He is one of Lord Veres IX most trusted advisors and the lead historian of the Veres Family.


    Gale I:


    She was the founder of House Gale. She was a Mage Lady and the most loyal follower of Lord Veres. Gale was said to be one of the greatest magi of her time, whose power even the Ebon Lords feared.


    Gale is said to have loved Veres I greatly, eventually giving up her life for him. Veres and Gale were orphans from a village in the Northern Lands.


    Blood Fang Tribe:


    First Mother: Leader of the Mothers of the tribe. She threatend Stryg, telling him if he failed on his quest she would kill him.


    Second Mother: Second in command of the Mothers. First Mother sends her to accompany Curvor on his quest.


    Sixth Mother: She is the youngest of the Mothers. She takes great pride in her beauty and often picks on Stryg for looking different.


    Ostroz: Goblin acquaintance of Stryg. He advices Stryg to do anything to get what one desires.


    Cruvor: Goblin Shaman of Stryg¡¯s tribe. He chooses a group of young goblins to accompany him in search of treasure.


    Srixa: She is the strongest of the young goblins, and one of the best hunters in the tribe.


    Bril: She is a skilled hunter and the prettiest of the young goblins, Cruvor has his eye on her.


    Gathi: A goblin gatherer. Stryg challenges her for his first night challenge.


    Cairn Tribe:


    Marek: War lord and leader of the Cairn Tribe. He is a dire human and a tri-manifold high master mage (Chromatic Orange/Yellow/Brown).


    Image:


    Nokuti: A vampiress and right-hand of Marek. She is a manifold high master mage (Chromatic Yellow/Black).


    Crow: Advisor to Marek and historian of the Cairn Tribe.


    Dawn: A vampire-drow hybrid and a manifold arch mage. She is the twin sister of Vaughn.


    Vaughn: A vampire-drow hybrid and a manifold arch mage. He is the twin brother of Dawn.


    Lysaila: A lamia grand blademaster from the Amber Realm.


    Kyriil: An elf and white high master mage from the Ivory Realm.


    Grim: An axlean and water high master mage from the Azure Realm.


    Mythos of the Ebon Gods:


    The ebon gods are the four gods worshiped by the people of the Ebon Realm. While their existence hasn¡¯t been proven, many throughout the years have claimed to have seen them. Some believe that the gods were once powerful magi who have since passed into legend.


    While the description of the gods have varied throughout the years a few traits have been mentioned repeatedly:


    <ul>


    <li>


    Lunae: goddess of the moon, the Watcher (over all), and patron deity of the goblins. Lunae is said to have silver skin and long white hair. She is depicted wearing a black crescent mask and a large white scarf covering her body.


    </li>


    <li>


    Stjerne: god of the stars, the Traveler, patron deity of once dark elves, now humans. He is said to have skin the color of the midnight sky, a chiseled body, and taller than the other gods. He is depicted wearing a two-faced mask, one side black with a smile, the other gold with a frown. He is shown wearing pants made of some form of hide. He is known to carry a silver staff, crackling with power.


    </li>


    <li>


    Bellum: goddess of war, the Guardian (of the Realm), patron deity of vampires. She is said to have hazel skin. She is depicted wearing a black helmet and dressed in a red breast plate and leather skirt. She is known to carry a large blazing sword of ebon flames.


    </li>


    <li>


    Caligo: god of the deep earth, the Mystery, caretaker of the Realm¡¯s secrets, patron of none. He is known as the greatest secret of all. His skin is said to be an assortment of terrene shades and depicted with long silver claws. Unlike the other ebon gods, Caligo isn¡¯t known to wear a mask, but his face is covered with shadows, save for his eyes, which are said to shift through a range of colors. He is also the only ebon god to be depicted without clothes.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Named Houses:


    What is a Named House?


    A Named House is a family with a surname within the Ebon Realm. Those with surnames are considered aristocrats, while those without are considered commoners. Named Houses are a form of aristocracy, but not nobility for three main reasons.


    1.) Nobility requires titles such as king, earl, duke, etc. Named houses have only adopted the general term Lord/Lady to refer to a powerful figure within a House.


    2.) Only a king can grant the status of nobility. There are no monarchs in the Ebon Realm. A person can rise to the status of a Lord/Lady so long as they have sufficient power, whether it be martial, wealth, magic, etc.


    3.) Nobility holds lands and the people in those lands owe fealty to the nobles. Whereas in the Ebon Realm anyone can technically own land, even commoners, so long as they have bought the land or conquered it. The ownership of land can also be exchanged through monetary transactions.


    A House can only be founded by a lord or lady. The House will be named after the founder''s own name. For example, house Gale is named after their vampire founder Lady Gale. Even after the founder dies or if their are no lords/ladies left within the family, the House will still exist, so long as it wields a significant amount of power, whether it be magical, martial, political, or financial.


    If a named House has several lords/ladies within the family after consecutive generations or within the same time, they are considered a Great House. Great Houses are considered the most powerful families within the Realm. If a Great House ceases to produce lords/ladies after several generations or if there are no lords/ladies currently alive then it reverts back into a regular Named House.


    If a House has no lords/ladies or power they are considered a Destitute House, a pariah of society, and are shunned by other Houses.


    Even if a new lord/lady were to appear within a Destitute House, they would be unable to rebuild the House''s standing. Instead the lord/lady would have found a new Named House. This is called a Remnant House. Remnant houses have a difficult time holding any real power within society because of their ancestral background.


    A similar example would be a Legacy House. This is when a lord/lady splits from a regular named house (NOT destitute) and founds their own House. While considered a normal House, society still tends to see them as having the same ties of allies and enemies as their ancestral House.


    Ruling Families:


    Ruling Families are the seven most powerful Great Houses within Hollow Shade. Each of the Ruling Families'' leaders have a seat of the city council.


    House Noir:


    An ancient drow family, tracing their lineage back to the days before the Schism. They are one of the most renowned Great Houses in all the Ebon Realm and one of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families. Their insignia is a black flame.


    They are famed for producing many powerful magi throughout the centuries. Noir magi are known to be as skillful as they are ruthless.They are even feared among the high-class denizens of the city. The family is known to produce magi skilled in orange magic, particularly flame magic.


    They currently have two mage lords within the family, with a third to be expected from Loh Noir, prized scion of the family. House Noir has held great influence within the great city of Hollow Shade ever since its founding. Lord Elzri, the family leader, currently sits on the city council.


    House Katag:


    An orc Great House and the youngest of the 7 ruling families of Hollow Shade. They are a military family with the most powerful armies in the city. House Katag has been known to produce many War Lords throughout the years. Scions of the House are said to be very skilled warriors and powerful magi.


    They are constantly looking for ways to increase their military strength and overall power. Katags regard duty, honor, and family very highly. Most members of the House are well-known generals in the armies of Hollow Shade.


    House Glaz:


    <div>


    A drow Great House and one of 7 ruling families of Hollow Shade. They possess powerful armies and magi. Their family is known for producing talented purple magi, including several true purple magi. Their founder, Glaz, was also a true purple mage.


    In terms of overall wealth, influence, military and magical power, House Glaz is considered the most powerful of the Seven Ruling Families. Their insignia is a purple eagle on a blue sky.


    House Veres:


    One of the oldest vampire families within the Realm. They were loyal servants to the Ebon Lords and migrated from the Northern Lands to Hollow Shade during the city''s first founding years.


    The family is famous for having once united the Ebon Realm under Ebon Lord Koval¡¯s leadership. The family has consistently produced several war lords and even mage lords throughout the centuries. The Veres are known to produce skilled black magi and expert swordsmen.


    The legendary enchanter and smith, Ebon Lord Koval, crafted and gifted the sword Krikolm to Lord Veres I as a reward for his outstanding loyalty and performance as the marshal of his armies.


    Krikolm became House Veres¡¯ ancestral sword and a symbol of their power. The sword was wielded by Veres family leaders until its rumored disappearance. Nonetheless, Krikolm remains one of the most famed weapons within all the Ebon Realm. The red blade of Krikolm is pictured in the banner of House Veres.


    House Goldelm:


    A dwarven Great House and the wealthiest of the 7 ruling families of Hollow Shade. They are known for their enchanting magic. The family tends to have blonde hair and gold irises (a very rare trait among dwarves).


    Originally a minor House within the Great City of Frost Rim, the Goldelms gained prominence when their family leader became an apprentice to the legendary enchanter Ebon Lord Koval. The family has since sired various Mage and Merchant Lords.


    The family is known to produce powerful chromatic brown magi specializing in enchanting magic. The family has become the number one producer of enchanted items within the city, having the most smithies and shops in Hollow Shade. They are also the main supplier of docility collars.


    Oginum, a magical golden hammer, was a gift from Koval to his apprentice Lady Goldelm II. Oginum has since been implemented in the family¡¯s sigil and has been the symbol of leadership within the family, similar to Krikolm for House Veres. In fact, both weapons are often compared to one another.


    House Ashe:


    A vampire Great House and one of 7 ruling families of Hollow Shade. They are a House known for their religious ideals and are in charge of the religious proceedings of Hollow Shade. Like House Helene, the Ashes hold a strong stance of neutrality within the city council. The Ashes have produced many lords and ladies, including merchant, war, and mage lords throughout the generations.


    Hollow Shade¡¯s people revere the family as a sacred House, with Calantha Ashe said to be blessed by Bellum, goddess of war. Because of their sacred reputation among the common folk, House Ashe is the most famous House within Dusk Valley.


    House Helene:


    A human Great House and one of the 7 Ruling Families of Hollow Shade. They are the youngest of the ruling families, coming to prominence after the founding of Hollow Shade. They are known to stay neutral in any disputes within the city council.


    Their founder, Helene, is considered a legendary shrewd figure in the Ebon Realm. She was a woman of great intellect and beauty who had settled in Dusk Valley a few years prior to the Schism. She used her wisdom and wit to establish herself as a prominent leader, and made treaties with the Valley tribes, eventually rising to the title of Merchant Lady.


    When humanity became stranded in the Ebon Realm after the Schism, Helene consolidated her power among the ensuing wars and rose to become the first human Great House of the Realm. With her newfound power she bargained with the Ebon Lords and bought a place for herself within Hollow Shade.


    Great Houses:


    House Mora:


    A vampire family originating in Mortis Grove, a dead forest southeast of the Northern Lands. They are the rulers of the port city Forlost. The family has produced a merchant lord or lady every few generations, eventually allowing the Moras to claim the title of Great House.


    The House rose to prominence through trade between the great cities of Hollow Shade and Frost Rim. Forlost¡¯s port sits on the Dire River, between both great cities, allowing Forlost to act as a mediator between the two.


    House Azol:


    A human merchant family. They are the rulers of the small city of Mellow Bloom. The family focuses on honeymead trade between their city and Hollow Shade. Despite being a Great House, the family has had few lords and ladies in their history and currently only have one Merchant Lady. The House generates most of their income from their budding trade caravans and mead businesses. Azol¡¯s crest is a blue bellflower.


    Named Houses:


    House Polamtal: A drow martial family. The house is considered quite young, existing for only a little over a century. Founder Polamtal was a warlord and general of Hollow Shade. While the founder has passed away and the family hasn''t produced any more lords, House Polamtal has stayed relevant thanks to their scions'' consistent roles within Hollow Shade''s military.


    House Skeller: An orc mage family. Originally from the great city of Murkton, the house moved to Hollow Shade a little over a century ago. While the family currently does not have a mage lord they have many magi within the city. Most of the Skeller magi are either red or white chromatics. They have made a name for themselves within Hollow Shade by setting up clinics and potion brewery stores throughout the trade and bourge districts.


    Magic System:


    What is Magic?


    Magic is the act of transforming ethereal energy (also known as mana) into a corporeal substance. There exists three forms of ethereal energy, chromatic, elemental, and void.


    Mana exists within the natural world, invisible to the naked eye. It is produced by the Null Realms themselves. Some creatures have the innate and passive ability to absorb mana into their body, they are the ones who can use magic. Once mana is absorbed into the body it resides within the heart and flows through one''s veins.


    How to Create Magic:


    There are two ways someone can create magic. The first is called natural magic, also known as innate magic. It comes through a natural act, innate to a species, such as a drake breathing fire. The drake is capable of breathing fire without any practice or focus, it is simply a part of them, like lifting a finger. Natural magic users can control the amount of energy flowing within the body as they are using magic. For example, a drake can control the size and heat of it¡¯s flame while breathing fire.


    The second way to create magic is called spell casting. Someone who uses spell casting is called a mage. A mage cannot naturally use magic or control the amount of energy flowing within while using magic, unlike natural magic users. Instead a mage must imagine a clear specific image of what they wish to create with magic. They must also have an incredible focus to summon the energy from within themselves to match the exact amount required for the magic they imagined. If a mage can do both these actions they can create magic, also known as a spell. If a mage fails to create a clear image or have a mismatched amount of energy, the spell will fail, possibly fizzling or backfiring.


    Elemental Mana:


    Elemental mana is divided into 11 types. Death, Life, Light, Creation, Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Lightning, Dark, and Chaos. Chaos is unique in that no creature can absorb it and that it bonds with no chromatic color. Species that can naturally absorb elemental energy are collectively known as elemental species. Some species are natural magic users, while others are magi. Every member of an elemental species has the natural ability to absorb elemental energy. For example, all drakes can absorb elemental energy and breath fire.


    Chromatic Mana:


    Chromatic mana is divided into ten colors, Black, Grey, White, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. All the species who can absorb chromatic energy are collectively known as chromatic species. Unlike elemental energy, only a few members of chromatic species have the natural ability to absorb chromatic energy. The only exception being dragons, who all have chromatic energy. All users of chromatic magic are magi, there are no natural magic users.


    Chromatic energy is unique in that it does not exist in its pure form in nature. Instead chromatic energy inherently absorbs elemental energy around it. Making chromatic energy always blended. Each color bonds with two different elemental energies. The mixture of energies creates two spell forms within each color of chromatic energy. A third form exists, which consists of pure chromatic energy, this can only be achieved by a true chromatic mage. (*Note* The third spell forms of chromatic magic will not be listed in the glossary due to potential spoilers)


    Void Mana:


    Void mana is purely theoretical and has no actual proof of existence.


    Chromatic Magic:


    Chromatic Pie Art:


    The 10 types of elemental mana are listed in bold lettering and are shared by two chromatic colors each.


    Elemental Mana: Death, Life, Light, Creation, Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Lightning, Dark


    Chromatic Mana: Black, Grey, White, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple.


    The spell forms are listed in between the elements, with each element corresponding to its spell form. For example, "Light - Wards" means the combination of red and light energy creates the "Wards" spell form.


    Manifold Mage:


    A manifold mage is a chromatic mage who has more than one color of mana within themselves. 1 in every 10 chromatic magi is a manifold mage capable of wielding two colors. Any more than 2 colors is very rare, for example a manifold mage who can wield 3 colors is 1 in 100. The more colors a chromatic mage wield the rarer they are.


    Having multiple colors does not equate more power. A mage¡¯s talent varies on each color. Meaning, a mage could be incredibly talented in blue magic, but have subpar talent in green magic. The same applies to both spell forms of each color.


    True Chromatic Mage:


    A true chromatic mage, is a chromatic mage born with the ability to purify the chromatic mana, within themselves. By doing this they are able to split the chromatic from the elemental mana within their bodies. This creates two reactions. The first is that the elemental mana within their bodies is now free and the mage¡¯s body can no longer harbor the energy, causing it to be naturally expelled from the body. The second reaction is that the mage is now able to cast spells with pure chromatic mana. Each pure color creates its own spell form.


    True chromatic magi are incredibly rare. However, there tends to be more true chromatic magi in the same color as the color aligned Realm. For example, the Ebon Realm¡¯s color alignment is black, therefore it generates more black mana, along with more black magi and true black magi.


    A true chromatic mage will never have more than one color and therefore can never be a manifold mage.


    Black Magic:


    Black mana is fused with death and dark elemental energies.


    The fusion of death energy creates necromancy spell form. This form allows a mage to raise and control undead. Necromancy can only control the bodies of the dead, not their souls in any way. The more preserved the corpse the easier it is to control. The longer a mage spends on reanimating a corpse the longer it will last as an undead, before needing to be replenished with mana. Most black magi, at best can only control a few undead at a time. Undead are weakened by light, their bodies become stiff in daylight and are rendered useless. Undead are very useful at night, however. They can perform various tasks, such as patrolling, fighting, carrying, etc.


    The fusion of dark energy creates the shadow spell form. These spells can manipulate one¡¯s own shadows and through it the shadows of others, including objects. Shadow magic tends to be used as a form of camouflage, to help infiltrate or to help in night battles. Very skilled and powerful shadow magi can turn shadows tangible and use them to attack others. While tangible shadows are very flexible and strong, they are brittle and are a poor excuse for defense.


    Pure black mana creates soul magic, the third spell form. Soul magic allows the user to manipulate the souls of others, which normally causes their death. Soul magic is generally not used in combat, because the spells require direct contact and long channeling times. Powerful true black magi can use soul spells to create shades from the souls of others. The more powerful the soul, the more powerful the shade. However, even an arch mage would at best be able to control a few shades at a time.


    Hollow Shade recruits many black magi that focus in necromancy magic, to help bolster their undead warriors. There are far fewer black magi that focus on shadow magic within Hollow Shade, most of whom act as spies or assassins for powerful families. True black magi are revered highly within the entire Ebon Realm, thanks to their magic sharing alignment with the Realm¡¯s color, black.


    Grey Magic:


    Grey mana bonds with the elements of life and death.


    The fusion of life mana and grey mana creates the drain spell form. Drain magic allows the user to drain different forms of energy from others. While this often consists of draining life force or stamina from opponents, the spell can also drain mana. Grey mages can not only drain energy they can also absorb it into themselves. A grey mage can absorb the life force of others into their own bodies in order to heal themselves. A grey mage cannot absorb the mana of others into their own bodies unless they also have the same kind of energy. For example, a grey mage could absorb and use grey mana from another, but while they can drain blue mana they cannot absorb it into themselves.


    The fusion of death energy and grey mana creates curse spells. Curse magic has various effects that all share a common goal, a passive attack on the opponent. Curses can range from making an enemies skin itch, to cramping their muscles, or even blinding them. Majority of curses last for very short periods of time, and have long casting durations. But there are a few curses that can be cast quickly, and even fewer that can last very long, even a whole lifetime.


    Because of the offensive nature of grey spells, grey magi are normally combat oriented. Many serve in military groups as high ranking officials. Along with orange magi, grey magi are generally considered the most deadly of all magi.


    White Magic:


    White mana bonds with the light and life elements.


    White mana has little effect when mixed with the light element, producing the bright spell form. Bright spells are generally used for utility, such as when traveling in darkness, or for blinding enemies in a battle. Though a sufficiently concentrated blast of light can prove lethal, most white magi don''t have the skill to produce a blast of this degree.


    The combination of white mana and life energy creates the healing spell form. Because of the complexity of a living body, healing spells are incredibly difficult to master; with each body part, ailment, and wound requiring extensive knowledge to cure. Most white magi who use healing spells often study to be doctors as well. While there are a few potions that can help accelerate healing, white magic is the dominant curative chromatic magic, without question.


    Healing magic is incredibly sought out in the Ebon Realm. With white magi being paid handsomely for their work. Because of the difficulty of mastering healing spells, it is incredibly expensive to hire a white mage. Middle class families can manage to pay their fees, but only high class families can do so comfortably.


    Red Magic:


    Red mana is fused with two elemental energies, light and creation.


    When combined with light energy, red mana produces the ward spell form. Wards are spells created by sketching symbols, known as spell words, in the air. No one knows the magical language where the symbols originate from only that if the correct symbol is written then the ward will block that representation of the symbol. For example, if the symbol for water is written, the ward spell will create a shield that blocks water. The strength of a ward is based on the skill, knowledge, quantity of mana, and chirography of the caster. Wards only last as long as the caster is focused on them. The moment the caster¡¯s focus is lost the ward spell will break. Wards can be very useful in battle as a form of defense, thanks to their range of protection.


    Red mana mixed with the creation mana creates alchemy-like spells, known as the potion spell form. Although one of the slowest forms of chromatic magic, and requiring ingredients of all sorts, potion brewing offers a vast array of abilities. Ranging from healing, defense, offense, subterfuge, and other uses. Red magi are highly sought after for their potion capabilities.


    The potion business is quite lucrative in the trade city of Hollow Shade; most red magi of the city choose to focus on potion-brewing spells rather than ward spells for this very reason.


    Brown Magic:


    Brown mana is fused with creation and fire mana.


    The fusion of creation and brown energy produces the enchanting spell form. Enchanting can create enchantments by combining a magestone with another physical material and etching spell words to the object. The spell words are the same mysterious language as the ones used in red''s wards spell form. Depending on the spell words and material used, the enchantments create different effects. Enchantments can only be activated if the magestone is charged with mana. Enchantments are one of the most diverse spell forms, because the spell words are compatible with other colors. For example, even if the enchanter cannot use the color green, they can still create an enchantment for green magic and a green mage can charge the magestone for the enchanter.


    The fusion of fire and brown energy produces the vigor spell form. Vigor spells are one of the 3 body enhancement spell forms. The spells allow the user to enhance their own strength greatly. The vigor spells can even mimic orange¡¯s agility spell form, by strengthening one¡¯s own legs to enhance the user¡¯s speed. Vigor spells can¡¯t enhance speed to the extent of agility spells however. Vigor spells do not enhance the users durability. When a vigor spell is cast the user¡¯s skin gains a bronze sheen. Like other body enhancement spell forms, a mage requires having a very fit body to be able to cast the vigor spells properly, otherwise risking grave injury, even death.


    Brown magi who use the vigor spell form often work as warriors in armies. They prefer to act as long range sharpshooters, using their enhanced strength to attack from great distances and with great speed and force.


    Enchanters are wanted throughout all of Hollow Shade for their magecraft. Because of the expensive nature of magestone and other required materials, enchanted objects are incredibly expensive. Enchanters often compete with red magi potion brewers in the market of magical objects.


    Orange Magic:


    Orange mana is fused with fire and air mana.


    Orange mana has little effect on its fusion with fire mana. The fusion creates the flame spell form. Flame spells are able to produce fire to varying degrees of heat and size. The spell form is quite destructive, although even the simplest of flame spells take large amounts of mana, with the more complex spells capable of emptying a mage¡¯s orange mana reserves. Flame spells are also potentially dangerous to its owner; if a mage loses concentration while casting, they could potentially burn themselves to the point of death.


    The fusion of orange and air mana produces the agility spell form. Agility spells enhance the users themselves by granting them extra speed and reflexes, along with making their body lighter, allowing them to jump large distances. While all magic takes a toll on the user¡¯s body, agility spells take a more excessive burden on the body. An orange mage could cast an agility spell through skill, but if their body is not in very good shape the spell would threaten to overwhelm the caster and injure them, if not outright kill them. When agility spells are cast the user¡¯s veins visibly darken for the duration of the spell.


    Most orange magi try to focus on the flame spell form due to its powerful and flamboyant appeal and the difficult body maintenance requirements of the agility spell form. Because orange magic can be very dangerous to its own users, many young orange magi have suffered spell casting accidents and have been forced to retire or have died. Orange magi commonly join military groups and serve as elite warriors or high ranking officials. Orange and grey magi are generally considered the most deadly of all magi.


    Yellow Magic:


    Yellow mana is fused with air and earth elemental energies.


    Yellow mana fused with air energy creates the wind spell form, also known as aeromancy. Wind spells allow the user to manipulate wind around them. Yellow magi are capable of creating powerful gusts to smash into their foes and wind walls to block incoming projectiles. Very powerful yellow magi can even harness the power to consistently manipulate the wind, allowing them to fly.


    Yellow mana fused with earth energy creates the durability spell form. It is one of 3 body enhancement spell forms. It has the ability to increase the defenses of the body, hardening the skin, muscles, and bones, along with increasing one¡¯s own weight significantly. The spell form can even help against extreme temperatures. When active the user¡¯s skin gains a bronze sheen. Sufficiently powerful durability spells can protect one from blades, arrows, and blunt trauma. Like other body enhancement spell forms, a mage requires having a very fit body to be able to cast the spells properly, otherwise risking grave injury, even death.


    Yellow magi who specialize in aeromancy tend to be found near large bodies of water, where they manipulate the wind to aid ally ships or defend against pirates. Magi who specialize in durability spells can be found in armies, where their defenses shine. Yellow magic is said to have the greatest defensive capabilities of the chromatic magics.


    Green Magic:


    Green mana bonds with the water and earth mana.


    Green energy has little effect on earth energy. The combination of the two creates the stone spell form, also known as geomancy. These spells cannot create rock, only manipulate it. Geomancy spells are limited to the manipulation of solid stone and require the user to be touching the earth to spellcast. Nonetheless, the strength of manipulating the earth is highly prized. Geomancy is used in construction as much as it is used in battle.


    The combination of water and green energies creates the flora spell form. Flora magic involves the manipulation of plant life. While the spells can¡¯t create plants, they can control and grow them from all different stages, including seedlings. Flora magic is prominent in forests or areas with very little vegetation.


    Green magi have been known to work as rangers in Glimmer Grove, thanks to their magic being well adapted to the environment. Green magi are also regarded highly in Frost Rim¡¯s mines. They are able to help open up new tunnels, clear debris, and protect others from possible tunnel collapses.


    Blue Magic:


    Blue mana is fused with the water and lightning elements. Blue mana has very little effect on its fusion with either element.


    The combination of water and blue energy creates the torrent spell form. These spells revolve around the creation and manipulation of liquid water. The spell form is limited to the control of water¡¯s liquid state, it has no effect on the solid or gas states. It takes more energy to create water than to control existing water. In combat the spell form tends to be used to create whips or blasts of water to attack one¡¯s opponents, hence the ¡®torrent¡¯ namesake.


    The combination of lightning and blue energy creates the storm spell form. The spell form allows the caster to produce electricity through their own body and discharge it. Storm spells are considered the most destructive spell form of all, however it is notorious for being the most difficult spell form to master. Unlike other spells that use ethereal energy to create a corporeal substance outside the body, electricity is created within the body. Because of its extremely volatile nature, any lack of focus or an imperfect clear image, will cause the electricity to recoil and electrocute the caster, almost always leading to instant death. Only a handful of blue magi are able to cast electric spells, and even less have mastery of the spell form.


    Most blue magi tend to find work in naval regions, such as the Dire River, Hoarfrost Bay, or Ebon Sea. Their ability to manipulate water helps ships have swift travels and protect them from pirates, similar to a yellow mage. The few blue magi who are able to cast electric spells do not normally engage in combat, preferring a more tranquil life. The few magi that have fought in battle are feared throughout the Realm for their devastating prowess.


    Purple Magic:


    Purple mana bonds with dark and lightning mana.


    Purple mana is mixed with the darkness element. The combination creates the illusion spell form. Illusion spells are often used to confound enemies, ranging from espionage to large scale battle tactics. Some purple magi use their illusions as a form of entertainment as well. While illusions may seem ethereal, they do in fact have a physical form, that is almost as faint as air. An illusion that is damaged, even by the slightest touch, can easily crumble. Only skilled purple magi have the ability to sustain their illusions through injury and for long periods of time.


    Purple mana when fused lightning mana creates the mind spell form. Purple magi can use these spells to access the minds of other people, to read their thoughts, search their memories, and even damage their brain.


    Purple magi who specialize in mind spells tend to work as inquisitors and torturers. Because of their unique skill set, they are one of the most feared types of magi.


    Mage Ranks:


    Latent: A latent is a mageborn who is unaware of their magical abilities. A person who has no magical training whatsoever. Their magic can be dangerous to themselves if they accidentally miscast.


    Novice: Is a mageborn who has officially begun their magical training and has therefore become a mage. Students at the magic academy are all considered novices. They have begun to learn how to spellcast but still have not mastered the basics.


    Adept: An adept is a mageborn who has mastered the basics of spellcasting and can reliably cast their spells without any difficulty. The rank of adept is given to a mage student once they graduate from the academy. The vast majority of magi fall under this rank. While adepts are considered full-fledged magi they still struggle casting any powerful or complex spells.


    Master: A master is a mage who has managed to master advanced spells and can reliably multicast at least two spells without any trouble. Only talented magi manage to reach the rank of master. On average it takes between 15-20 years for an adept to become a master. Very talented magi tend to reach the rank more quickly.


    High-Master: A high-master is a mage who has mastered high-tier spells and has vast control over their magic as a whole. Only very talented magi ever reach this rank and only after decades of training. High-master magi are often sought by powerful Houses in an effort to employ them to bolster the power of their Houses.


    Arch Mage: An arch mage is the fabled highest mage rank. No amount of training alone will allow a mage to ascend to this rank. Only a genius has the ability to reach this rank. Arch magi are known to have mastered the most complex and intricate spells. They can manipulate their mana and spells with ease, being able to spell cast for long periods of time.


    There are only a few dozen arch magi in the entire Ebon Realm. Any mage who attains this rank is immediately conferred the title of Mage Lady/Lord. They hold great influence and have the power to even challenge the will of Houses. Few beings in the Realm dare anger an arch mage.


    Other Ranks:


    Martial Ranks:


    Weapon Master: Is a person who has mastered an advanced weapon style, whether it be the sword, spear, bow, etc. There are only around a dozen found within each army.


    Grand Weapon Master: Is a rank of great renown. Only someone who has mastered various advanced weapon styles of their domain and created their own advanced technique is granted the title of grand weapon master (i.e. grand swordmaster). On average less than three dozen of these warriors live within a Realm.


    Bestiary:


    Species Classification:


    A chromatic species has the ability to use chromatic magic.


    An elemental species has ability to use elemental magic.


    A mundane species has no ability to use any kind of magic. (The people of the Ebon Realm refer to as them animals, despite some of these species being sapient.)


    Beastkin are technically a mundan species, although they were created through magic by the Mortem. The people of the Ebon Realm use them as draft animals, steeds, guards, and pets.


    Dire creatures sometimes appear within a species. They are born larger, stronger, and more durable than others of their kind. Dire creatures are more common in some species than others. Due to their abnormally large size, mothers of dire babies tend not to survive child labor.


    Chromatic Species:


    Goblin:


    Features: While not very tall they make up for it with their sharp claws and low light vision. They are also quite lithe and agile, with fast reflexes.


    Physical Description: Goblins have dark hair, often black sometimes brown. Their skin ranges different shades of green. Their irises are yellow with slit pupils. They have grey claws and pointy ears.


    Lifespan: 80 Years


    Homeland: Ebon Realm


    Drow:


    Features: They are faster and more agile than the average human, although they are physically weaker than the average human. Their feritlity rate is also quite low.


    Physical Description: They are tall and have a wiry body form. They have almond shaped eyes, with irises commonly blue; rarely they have grey or teal irises. Their skin ranges from a pale grey to soft grey-blue hues. Their hair ranges from a pale white to dark grey. They have thin pointy ears. They have no facial hair.


    Lifespan: 150 Years


    Homeland: Ebon Realm


    Vampire:


    Features: They are fast and agile. They are also physically stronger than humans and dwarves. They also have good night vision. However, they are weak to sunlight (and light magic), with long or strong exposures to sunlight injuring them. Their eyes are especially sensitive to light in all forms. Their fertility rate is also lower than even the drow.


    Physical Description: Their skin ranges from a pallid white to a dark brown, although their complexion is always pale. Their hair ranges from a pale blonde to dark black. Their irises are always crimson red.


    Lifespan: 200 Years


    Homeland: Ebon Realm


    Human:


    Features: They are humans...


    Physical Description: They are still humans...


    Lifespan: 100 Years


    Homeland: Jade Realm


    Dwarf:


    Features: They are stronger than humans and have a natural resistance to poisons, including alcohol. They are the slowest of the chromatic species in the Ebon Realm however.


    Physical Description: They often have stocky builds. Their irises ranging from blue, green, grey, brown, and a few even have gold irises. Their skin ranges from a pale white to dark brown. Their hair ranges from a pale blonde to dark black.


    Lifespan: 130 Years


    Homeland: Unknown


    Orc:


    Features: They are faster than humans and have greater physical strength than even vampires. On average, they are taller than humans.


    Physical Description: They often have stocky and tall builds. Their skin ranges from a pale red to a dark bright red. They have long canines that are visible when they speak or smile. Their eyes range from a pale yellow to an amber orange. Their hair color ranges from a dark black to a dark black-blue.


    Lifespan: 100 Years


    Homeland: Scarlet Realm


    Dragon:


    Features: Unknown


    Physical Description: Unknown, save that their scales are said to shimmer in different colors of light.


    Lifespan: Unknown


    Homeland: Unkown


    Elf:


    Features: They are faster and more agile than the average human, although they are physically weaker than the average human. Their feritlity rate is also quite low.


    Physical Description: They are tall and have a wiry body form. They have almond shaped eyes, with eyes ranging from blue, green, grey, and brown. Their skin ranges from a pale white to dark brown. Their hair ranges from a pale blonde to dark black. They have thin pointy ears. They have no facial hair.


    Lifespan: 150 Years


    Homeland: Ivory Realm


    Elemental Species:


    Root Bison:


    An innate life elemental species. They travel in large packs throughout Dusk Valley. Their hooves are a pale white and glow with a soft green light and specks of gold, as do their eyes. They stand over 6 feet tall and are stocky animals, with thick brown fur. Their horns are sharp and durable.


    They transmit life magic through their hooves and into the ground around them, bringing life wherever they tread. Each step practically bursting in golden light. They are the main reason as to why Dusk Valley''s grass stays green despite the harsh climate.


    Dire root-bison are quite common and often serve as protectors of the herd, acting as rearguards and vanguards while the herd travels.


    Root-bison are hunted for their fur, meat, and horns. Though, the process can be difficult as they travel in large herds.


    Axlean:


    Axlean''s are a water elemental sapient species native to the Azure Realm. They are a tall hairless grey humanoid species (standing at about 10 feet). Their necks are half a meter long, with their vertebrae being visible rising beneath the skin on the back of their necks. Their sclera are black and their iries are a milky white, with no pupil. They have no noses and are digitigrades.


    Fire Drake:


    An innate fire elemental species. They are quite rare and are only found in caves deep under Rupture Mountains. Despite not having wings, they are feared by many for their ability to breathe scorching hot fire.


    They are covered in orange scales and have long horns. The drakes also have razor sharp claws and fangs. Their height ranges from 12-15 feet on average.


    Fire Drakes are considered very powerful and often require a group of high master magi or an archmage to defeat one safely.


    Sirens:


    An innate water and air elemental spaient species. They are rarely ever seen. They live in Hoarfrost Bay and are said to guard Hoarfrost island from any visitors. Sailors fear them from accounts of sirens eating anyone unlucky enough to fall into their waters.


    Frost Giant:


    A mageborn water elemental sapient species that resides in the northern parts of Rupture Mountains. Despite their fame within the Ebon Realm they remain a mystery to the people of the Realm.


    They are said to have blue skin, white hair, and to stand at a towering height of 10 feet or more.


    White Eel:


    A water and lightning elemental species. They are native to Hoarfrost bay. Their flesh and eggs are considered delicacies in high-class society. Their skin is also used as high quality leather.


    White eels are also used in the mage tourney during the race challenge.


    Beastkin:


    Centaur:


    Are the most common of beastkin within the Ebon Realm. Due to a lack of horses within the Realm, centaurs are bred and used as the main steed for people.


    Lamia:


    A very rare kind of beastkin within the Ebon Realm. They are considered very dangerous and have evaded capture for centuries. Hunters who encounter them almost always end up dead. Nonetheless, their venom is practically priceless, and alchemists from all over are willing to pay exorbitant amounts to have even a few drops worth.


    Lamias have incredibly fast reflexes and are physically quite strong. Their scales are as hard as platemail and their tales have the strength to easily shatter bone. The venom from their fangs can kill even the largest of men with ease. They also have extremely sensitive hearing that allows them to fight even in complete darkness without problem.


    Cat-folk:


    While having quick reflexes, cat-folk are one of the weakest of beastkin. There are few in the Ebon Realm.


    They are considered quite attractive by many for their cat ears and beautiful eyes. As such, they are often taken as pets by wealthy aristocrats. Some cat-folk are also work in high-end brothels in the Night District, catering to wealthy aristocrats.


    Mundane Creatures:


    Sea Serpent: A sapient species. Despite not having magic they are considered incredibly dangerous. They continue to grow throughout their lives, some reaching several hundred feet long and are easily capable of destroying large ships that wander near their waters. Sea serpents live throughout the Ebon Sea. A few ancient sea serpents are worshiped as gods in the Azure Realm.


    Bears: They live throughout Vulture Woods and Glimmer Grove. Dire Bears are quite common especially so in Vulture Woods.


    Wolves: They live in the outskirts of Rupture Mountains. They are also found throughout Vulture Woods and Glimmer Grove.


    Moose: They live in the Northern Lands in large numbers.


    Panther: They live within caves in the Rupture Mountains.


    Mountain Lion: They live in the outskirts of Rupture Mountains and in Dusk Valley''s plains.


    Lore:


    The Mortem:


    They were an order of magi from the Scarlet Realm. They are responsible for the creation of the beastkin 400 years ago.


    Ebon Lords:


    The ebon lords were a group of powerful indivuals who once ruled the Ebon Realm. They were kings and queens in all but name. They are known to have founded the Great City of Hollow Shade and created the city''s magical wall. There are no ebon lords left in the current age.

 Chapter 1: The Odd Goblin

    Chapter 1: The Odd Goblin


    On the Ebon Realm, within the ashen trees of Vulture Woods, an odd child was born to a goblin tribe. He was a goblin, yes, but odd. He was smaller than the rest of the goblins, and where most babies were a shade of chubby forest green, he was a sickly blue. Not sickly because of the color blue - in fact he had a few traces of cyan - but because he came out frail, scrawny even.


    He coughed incessantly the first few nights. The goblin Mothers were annoyed by the baby¡¯s wheezing, saying it only denoted his weakness. Some of the hunters found it odd that the Mothers would find coughing annoying, after all it was their job to raise the children. But when First Mother knocked one hunter out cold, the rest quickly decided to stay quiet.


    Most of the tribe thought the baby wouldn¡¯t survive the first week, but he did, which simply made him more odd. To the bewilderment of the Mothers it took two entire weeks for him to finally open his eyes. Even stranger, while the child had slit pupils like them, he had lilac eyes too. They had never seen a goblin with lilac irises, although they had never seen one with blue skin either. Had he been born albino they would have burned him over the fire pit and had him for dinner; tragically, he was instead born odd. His name was Stryg.


    For the most part the first few years of his life were the same as other younglings, Stryg was raised collectively by the goblin Mothers. They taught him the most important things in life, such as how to hide from wolves prowling the ashen trees of Vulture Woods.


    The cooks showed him how to skin a rabbit or even better, how to skin and cook goblins from rival tribes. Stryg ate enemy flesh like any other upstanding goblin, especially when the tribe managed to get the rare prize, salt.


    Although, if Stryg had to be honest with himself he much preferred eating venison. Sadly, deer wasn¡¯t very common in the area, what with wolves and all. Of course, most goblins hated the taste of venison anyway, so Stryg had learned not to request any from the hunters; that and he wasn¡¯t very popular with them.


    All Stryg wanted was to be strong like the hunters. So, when Sigte, one of the older and more eccentric hunters, offered to give him private training lessons, Stryg couldn¡¯t have been more ecstatic.


    Unfortunately, Stryg hadn¡¯t expected the lessons to be about drawing strange symbols on the ground with a stick. Sigte called it the dangerous technique of words. He said it was a powerful weapon, in the right battle, a different kind of strength. Stryg had a difficult time believing him since the goblin laughed as he spoke about this so-called reading thing.


    Stryg knew there were different kinds of strength though, like Crovor, the tribe¡¯s venerable shaman, who could make fire with his mind. And since Stryg had no other hunter willing to teach him, he gave it his all to learn the strange technique of writing.


    It had taken him over two years to master the skill. But, when he went to proudly present the squiggly symbols he had drawn to the other goblins, they all laughed at him. Stryg had run off in shame, his face a shade of dark blue. He was no longer odd, now he was just weird.


    As for Sigte, he had gone on a hunt one day and came across a dire bear. All the hunters found of the bear mauling was Sigte¡¯s broken bow and left shoe.


    So much for the special technique of words.


    At least the Mothers had taught Stryg important matters. Especially the most important life lesson of all, ¡°The strongest get what they want, so be the strongest.¡± Such a simple yet profound lesson, Stryg mused.


    He was closer to being the weakest, but that didn¡¯t stop him from dreaming. He was grateful to the Mothers for their teachings, even if he was one of the few goblins who didn¡¯t actually view the Mothers as parental figures.


    None of them were actual mothers. Most goblins didn¡¯t know who their parents were. It was almost impossible to tell who a goblin¡¯s father was, since most goblins were polyamorous. As for the women, birth mothers gave their babies to the tribe¡¯s Mothers immediately after birth, so the goblin could be raised not as an individual but as part of a collective, part of the tribe. After all, a lone goblin would get picked off by the wolf packs, but a group of goblins could slay a dire bear.


    Goblins didn¡¯t bother telling the young who their actual birth mothers were. All except for Stryg, he knew about his mom. Some of the Mothers had made it abundantly clear that she had died during his birth, a bad omen sent from Lunae, the moon goddess herself.


    Stryg guessed his mom had been weak, how else could she have died in labour while the rest lived. To be honest, he didn¡¯t really care much for her death, he never knew her. All he knew was that she had passed on her weakness to him. He cursed her for that. As for the bad omen, he knew he looked different from the rest, with his grey hair, and strange skin. He didn¡¯t even want to think about his pale purple eyes, they were practically pink for moon''s sake! He wished he had bright yellow eyes like the rest.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Stryg was now seventeen years old but still quite skinny, not that any goblin was very stocky. But Stryg somehow managed to look wiry besides the other youth, despite being an inch or two shorter. His smaller build had made it harder to follow the hunters on their trails, or even train with them in the village square.


    Stryg always fell behind the more resilient goblins his age, no matter how much he tried. And he did try, he was the first of the young to wake and the last to go to sleep. He practiced the spear and bow for twice as long as the rest.


    Though he had some success with the spear his bow skills left much to desire. He simply didn¡¯t have the strength to properly pull the bow string back. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, Stryg always came last. He had memorized the basic moves, he was even agile enough, but he just didn¡¯t have the suitable strength to take down another goblin. Which of course, caused the others to laugh at him behind his back, some even to his face. Normally, one would fight back, but Stryg had learned early in his life that he wasn¡¯t very strong. So, he simply swallowed his anger and ignored the ridicule.


    One morning, he crawled up from his straw mat and looked around the tent at the fellow goblins, they were all still asleep. Stryg knew he should be sleeping too, after all, he¡¯d need his strength for tonight¡¯s challenge, but he was too excited.


    He quietly crawled around his sleeping brothers and walked out of the tent. The sun was only beginning to peek through the forest¡¯s red canopy.


    Today would be different, Stryg swore to himself.


    The village was quiet for the most part, with the occasional vulture cawing somewhere past the grey trees. The sounds of bodies shifting could be heard from one tent or another. Stryg glanced at some of them as he walked by. He had always wanted his own tent.


    As he was still considered a child he was forced to sleep in the common youth male tent. But that would all change today. Tonight he would turn eighteen and officially be an adult in the tribe¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d be able to have his own tent and finally have his own space. More importantly he would be able to join one of the tribal paths.


    Sadly, Stryg knew he wasn¡¯t very strong compared to most of the goblins. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to join the hunters. Though he could still join the guards, he hoped. Or at least the cooking team. Everyone loved the cooks, and excluding the chieftain, the shaman, and the Mothers, they were the first to eat.


    However, there weren¡¯t many cook positions and it required knowing how to skin and dismember animals quickly and thoroughly, a skill which Stryg wasn¡¯t very confident in. He was really beginning to regret spending his time learning how to draw on the ground.


    Still, so long as he wasn¡¯t placed in with the gatherers or builders he¡¯d be fine. The girls never paid much attention to the builders and the gatherers always went missing in the forest, eaten by wolves, enemy tribes, dire bears, or honestly anything that was larger than a goblin, which was most things in the forest.


    After a few minutes, Stryg finally made his way to an empty patch of blue grass, at the edge of the village. With slow movements he began practicing the hand-to-hand techniques that the Mothers had taught him and the rest of his generation as children.


    Stryg began with a series of punches and transitioned into a few low kicks. After about half-an-hour his hands were resting on his knees and he was taking short breaths, gasping for air. He had practiced for years, but his stamina hadn¡¯t improved much compared to the rest. The others could maintain their breath for over an hour of training and run for several more.


    Stryg wouldn¡¯t complain, no one would care to listen, nor would it help him personally, well, maybe just a little. He knew he needed to get stronger if he ever had any hope of joining the hunters someday. They were one of the most respected of any tribal path, excluding the Mothers, and he was a male so he couldn¡¯t join the Mothers anyway.


    The shaman, Crovor, had the most prestigious tribal path, even the chieftain and First Mother paid their respects to him. But, one needed to have the moon¡¯s blessing of magic to ever become Crovor¡¯s apprentice. Last Stryg checked, no one else in the tribe could summon fire. He could kiss the apprenticeship goodbye.


    All that was left for Stryg was to train more. He forced his arms and legs to go through the fighting motions once again. After another forty minutes he was forced to take a break, his body couldn¡¯t keep going.


    The sun¡¯s light was shining through the blood-red leaves now, breakfast would be starting any minute. He shuffled his tired muscles back to the village.


    As Stryg grew closer he saw the chief walk out of his tent, followed by two goblin women who the chief had personally taken a liking to.


    As the chief eyed him, Stryg made sure to bow deeply. The chieftain of the tribe was the greatest tribal path Stryg could aspire to. Not that Stryg thought he¡¯d ever be strong enough to become chief, he probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to join the hunters. Although, the chief had once been a hunter.


    Still, Stryg had to try to chase his dreams. Tonight would be a good display to everyone on why he could be a great hunter. Stryg nodded to himself and smiled, tonight was his chance to prove everyone that they were wrong about him.


    The chief gazed at the young goblin walking away.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the weird little blue one, what¡¯s his name again?¡± One of the women yawned as she sent the boy a dismissive glance.


    ¡°His name is Stryg and he¡¯s not that little, only an inch or two smaller than you,¡± the chief said.


    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s a guy. He should be like, four feet, not three and a half,¡± she giggled.


    The chief sighed, ¡°That boy trains harder than anyone in this tribe. He has the heart of a true goblin.¡±


    ¡°Too bad he doesn¡¯t have the body of one, not much of a fighter is he?¡± The other woman chimed in.


    The chief shook his head, ¡°Tonight he becomes an adult. We¡¯ll see how well he can fight then.¡±

 Chapter 2: The First Challenge

    Chapter 2: The First Challenge


    Stryg went through his normal routine throughout the day; washing the tribe¡¯s clothes and cleaning the hunter¡¯s tools as was expected of the children. In his free time he trained until he had trouble breathing, then went to watch the few hunters who had stayed that day in the hopes of learning something from their own training exercises.


    As the sun began to set Stryg was called over by Second Mother. While everyone else had tents to sleep in, even the chieftain, the Mothers lived in a log house, as befitted their station.


    Stryg took a deep breath and walked into the house. Several Mothers were waiting inside, each held a small bowl of ceremonial paint.


    First Mother, leader of the Mothers and matriarch of the tribe, stood in front of the others. She was considered a great beauty, even among other sylvan tribes. She had an uncommon button nose and a small round face, framed with black hair and the occasional strand of grey.


    First Mother was the oldest goblin in the tribe, at 38. While goblins could live twice as long, most never made it past their twenties, the dangers of the forest proving too great.


    Like many other species, goblins began to slow down and grow weaker in their thirties. At which point the tribe deemed them too weak and threw them out, leaving them to be food for the wolves and dire bears. The Mothers were the exception, since their job was to raise the children, it was fine if their physical abilities slowed down. Though First Mother still seemed as capable as she was twenty years ago.


    ¡°Shirt off,¡± she said in a stern voice.


    Stryg nodded in obedience.


    First Mother walked around him, looking him over, ¡°Since the day you were born we have watched over you, Stryg. You were always different from our other children.¡±


    ¡°Odd,¡± Sixth Mother coughed.


    At 24, she was the youngest Mother. She had been the prettiest goblin of her generation and had been honored with the role of a Mother early on. The status had only made her arrogant. She also seemed to love poking fun at Stryg, the weird one, whenever she had the chance.


    First Mother looked back, her yellow eyes narrowed, ¡°Anything else you¡¯d like to say? Or should I just punish you now?¡±


    ¡°No, please forgive this foolish one,¡± Sixth Mother blushed and bowed.


    Stryg fought to keep his face passive as he felt a rare moment of satisfaction.


    After a long pause, First Mother slowly turned back around, and dipped her finger into a small pot of red paint, ¡°You are lucky it is Stryg¡¯s birthday. As I was saying, we have watched you grow through these years, Stryg. Despite your struggles, which there have been many, you have never given up pursuing strength. In no small sense, you are the runt of your generation.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure whether to feel happy or sad at her words.


    First Mother smeared the red paint on his forehead and cheeks, ¡°For that I am proud of you, child, many goblins in your place would have given up by now.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but crack a small smile. Such praise was rare, especially from the leader of the Mothers.


    First Mother frowned, ¡°Which is why you must not fail. I know you are smaller and weaker than the others, but you have worked hard. Do not let your countless hours of training fall short during your first night challenge. Our Blood Fang tribe does not need weak goblins.¡±


    Stryg felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine. The threat was real and he worried what she would do if he failed. No, he couldn¡¯t think like that, couldn¡¯t afford to.


    He gulped his saliva down, ¡°I won¡¯t fail you, First Mother.¡±


    She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, ¡°You best not. I will not have one of our children bring shame to me.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t actually consider himself one of the Mothers¡¯ children. She had made that clear ample times throughout his life, but he didn¡¯t think it smart to correct her words.


    First Mother took a step back, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Get him ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, First Mother!¡± The other Mothers spoke in unison.


    They each began to apply paint of different colors over Stryg¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Not you,¡± First Mother pulled Sixth Mother¡¯s hair back.


    Sixth Mother yelped in pain, and dropped her bowl, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, First Mother!¡±


    ¡°Not yet, you¡¯re not. Did you think I¡¯d just let you go?¡± She hissed.


    Another woman silently picked up the fallen bowl. The Mothers continued to paint symbols on Stryg¡¯s body, their backs turned to their sister¡¯s plight. Stryg watched in silence.


    ¡°You keep acting up. I should have punished you long ago,¡± First Mother kicked Sixth Mother¡¯s knees from under her.


    Sixth Mother whimpered in fear. First Mother slapped her face with as much strength as she could muster, letting her claws scrape over the cheek. Sixth Mother screamed in pain and fell over.


    ¡°You''re this pathetic and yet you dare interrupt me!? If you weren¡¯t a Mother I¡¯d have thrown you out as scraps for the wolves,¡± First Mother shouted.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again! I promise!¡± Sixth Mother cried.


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ll make sure it won¡¯t.¡±


    She sucker-punched Sixth Mother. The younger woman gasped and fell to the floor. First Mother smiled, revealing her small fangs.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Say it. Admit you¡¯re weak!¡± First Mother yelled.


    Sixth Mother whimpered quietly. Stryg was surprised at the situation. He knew the Mothers shared an intimate relationship with one another, some more intimate than others. Everyone knew that Sixth adored First. So it was a bit strange seeing First Mother be so cruel to her. Stryg had underestimated her ruthlessness.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Second Mother said quietly.


    The Mothers stepped back from Stryg. Painted symbols of spears, trees, and fangs, covered his whole chest, back, and face.


    First Mother sat on top of Sixth¡¯s back and smiled at Stryg, a dangerous gleam in her eye, ¡°Look closely at her, Stryg. It doesn''t matter who you are, this is what happens when you don¡¯t know your place.¡±


    Stryg nodded with solemn expression. He understood her words clearly. Goblin culture centered around who was stronger. One had to make sure that the rest knew their place among the tribe.


    ¡°First, Stryg¡¯s paint is finished,¡± Second Mother spoke as she bowed her head towards her leader.


    First Mother nodded, ¡°Good. You may go.¡±


    Stryg bowed quickly and turned to leave.


    ¡°Oh, and Stryg, don¡¯t you dare lose your first night challenge. Consider your life forfeit if you do,¡± she warned.


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Yes, First Mother.¡±


    He left the tent with hasty steps, leaving only the whimpers of Sixth behind. Despite the sacred nature of a Mother¡¯s position, no one would come to help Sixth. First was the matriarch of the tribe, not even the chief challenged her authority on matters concerning the Mothers.


    Looking ahead, Stryg saw a large bonfire at the center of the village. The majority of the tribe stood around the fire, except the children. Besides children, the Mothers were the only ones who didn¡¯t participate in the night challenges.


    Stryg took a deep breath, this was it, what he had been training for. Tonight he would become an adult.


    The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon, bathing the village in soft maroon light. Stryg reached the blazing fire pit and waited patiently. He tried ignoring the onlookers, instead he straightened his back, planted his feet apart, and turned towards the chief.


    ¡°I, Stryg, son of the Blood Fang tribe, greet the chieftain,¡± he tried his best to keep his voice from breaking.


    The chief looked him over, noting the painted symbols on his skin.


    ¡°You have come bearing the marks of our tribe,¡± the chief¡¯s voice boomed in a deep tone that belied his size.


    The chief stretched his green arm out, pointing towards Stryg, and looked at the crowd. ¡°The markings, not of a boy, but of an adult. Tonight, Stryg turns eighteen, he is no longer a child. But!¡± He raised a finger and paused, ¡°To truly become an adult Stryg must prove himself as one of us. How?¡±


    ¡°Challenge!¡± The crowd yelled in unison.


    ¡°Challenge, challenge!¡± They all chanted.


    The chief slammed his spear into the ground, ¡°Then a night challenge we shall have!¡±


    The crowd cheered in approval. Various female goblins walked forward forming a line. The rest of the goblins backed away and spread to form a circle around the women, chief, and Stryg.


    Stryg tried to ignore the fear in the pit of his stomach. He had to focus, this was his moment. He couldn¡¯t fail. Like other goblin tribes in Vulture Woods, the Blood Fang tribe followed the tradition of the night challenge.


    Most nights adult goblins would meet around the village fire. They each had the chance to show off their skills in a night challenge, a hand-to-hand battle against another, to prove their worthiness as a potential mate.


    If the challenger lost, they¡¯d be humiliated, and would lose the right to challenge anyone for some time. If they won they would prove to those around that they were a strong goblin, a potential worthy mate. And if they impressed the right person, then perhaps they might win that goblin¡¯s favor.


    The original goal of the night challenges was to breed out the weak from the tribe and only have the strong sire children. Although, through the years it had devolved into trying to impress the most pretty or handsome villager. Still, goblins never wanted to sleep with a weak goblin, only the strong.


    The chief cleared his throat, ¡°The tribe¡¯s shaman, Crovor, should be here to give a blessing for your initiation, Stryg, but he went out early this morning and has yet to return. So, I shall do the blessing in his stead.¡±


    The crowd grunted in affirmation.


    The chief pointed the spear at Stryg, ¡°Honor and glory stand in front of you. Be strong. Be quick. And above all, take what is yours.¡±


    The crowd cheered, eager to see bloodshed. Stryg swallowed and smiled, less certain than he wished.


    The chief patted Stryg¡¯s back and pushed him, ¡°Choose!¡±


    Stryg stumbled and quickly tried to regain his composure. He took a deep breath and looked at the array of ten goblin women in front of him. Stryg was surprised that so many had volunteered. Usually, it¡¯d mean they were all interested in sleeping with him and wanted to test him, see if he was a worthy mate. But Stryg worried that they all simply volunteered because they were interested in the chance to clobber and shame him in front of the tribe.


    The women were all under twenty, so they were his generation. He grew up around them, and none of them had ever shown any interest in him. At least he didn¡¯t have to face any of the older goblins, he supposed.


    This was his first night of adulthood, he was expected to challenge, moreso he couldn¡¯t afford to lose, unless he wanted First Mother to kill him. Stryg had to be careful with his choice.


    On one side stood Srixa, she was as tall as any male goblin, standing at 4¡¯1¡±. She was quite pretty, with smooth skin, and a large bust that most men couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off of. She was also one of the most skillful hunters in the tribe, definitely the best hunter in their generation. But she was also said to have quite the sadistic streak, and that was saying something coming from the Blood Fang tribe, who prided themselves with their ferociousness.


    Srixa was known for challenging the more handsome goblin men, sometimes cute women too. Srixa would then beat the ones who accepted with ease, impressing them and everyone around. By morning the goblins who had slept with her were always covered in bruises and scratches that weren¡¯t even from the night challenge.


    Stryg knew Srixa wasn¡¯t interested in ugly goblins, and while he wasn¡¯t ugly, he was different and that was enough to put him in the ugly category for most goblin women. So, she definitely just wanted to fight him.


    Srixa didn¡¯t even bother glancing at Stryg as he walked down the line of women. They both knew why. She¡¯d beat him bloody if he tried challenging her.


    Stryg looked at another, her name was Bril. With voluptuous small curves, she was undoubtedly the prettiest of the younger generation. She was also quite the skilled huntress and could handle her own against all but the strongest.


    Bril bared her teeth at him, her small fangs glinted in the firelight. Curiously, this only made Stryg want to challenge her more, but he reigned in his lust and pride. Tonight wasn¡¯t about trying to impress the prettiest goblin in the hopes of sleeping with her. Tonight was about proving himself as a strong addition to the tribe, a goblin worthy of respect. He could only gain that respect if he won his challenge.


    The first night challenge was the most important in any goblin¡¯s life, if they failed, then it proved to everyone that they were not worthy to be a member of the tribe. Stryg would not let that happen to him.


    He turned away from Bril and looked at the others. After looking past a few more of the challengers, he made his decision.


    Stryg raised his finger and pointed, ¡°Gathi.¡±


    No one would have called Gathi a beauty, nor particularly strong. She was a gatherer and therefore not a very skilled fighter. There was not much honor or praise to be won by defeating her. However, impressing her, the other women, or the tribe, wasn¡¯t even on Stryg¡¯s mind. All he cared about was having an actual shot at winning. Bril and Srixa would have pummeled him to submission. But, Gathi, there was someone Stryg had a chance against.


    The crowd cheered as Stryg announced his challenge. The other women backed away into the crowd.


    Only Gathi and Stryg stood within the circle now. Gathi crouched, her arms spread to her sides, claws shaking in anticipation.


    She growled, ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to be the weakest?¡±

 Chapter 3: Moon’s Vision

    Chapter 3: Moon¡¯s Vision


    ¡°What? I never said you¡¯re the weakest,¡± Stryg took a step back, his voice rang hollow.


    Gathi began pacing around him, ¡°Everyone knows you¡¯re not a great fighter, even you know it. The other girls and I guessed you¡¯d try to pick the weakest of us to challenge.¡±


    Stryg frowned, what did she expect, he¡¯d challenge Srixa?!


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Stryg. I could expect nothing less from a freak,¡± Gathi mocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a coward!¡± Stryg shouted angrily.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid to fight, he simply had enough intelligence to know when a fight would be lost.


    Stryg remembered all the backhanded comments other goblins had said to him through the years. He shook his head. He wasn¡¯t a coward, he just needed to bide his time, waiting for the right chance.


    Gathi laughed, ¡°Then why do you keep backing away from me?¡±


    Stryg knew she was taunting him. He was simply matching her pacing, making sure she wouldn¡¯t get the jump on him.


    When he didn¡¯t answer, she snarled, ¡°I knew you¡¯d try and challenge someone easy. You thought that was me, huh? I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s the weakest!¡±


    She lunged at him, her claws raked the air as Stryg rolled out of the way. He quickly stood back up. She turned and swiped at his face. He ducked and took a step back.


    Gathi screamed and swung with her other fist. Stryg knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge in time. He raised his right arm to block. The fist collided with his bicep, sending a shock of pain through his arm. But she had overextended. He gritted his teeth, and jabbed with his left hand. Stryg felt the satisfying punch connect with her cheek. Gathi yelled in pain and jumped back.


    He smiled, he could do this, he just had to focus. Gathi put a hand to her lips and held it up. Red blood smeared her fingers.


    ¡°Oh, you are so dead!¡± She shrieked and lunged at him.


    Stryg rolled away, but she kept running at him with full force. He backed up as she charged him again.


    ¡°Stop running, you coward!¡± She shouted.


    Stryg ignored her words and kept back pedalling, trying to look for an opening. His back was close to the crowd. There was nowhere left to go. Gathi rushed at him with a tackle. He needed to finish this fast. Stryg raised his leg in anticipation, he¡¯d aim for her temple, and knock her down in one go.


    ¡°Get in there!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted and pushed him from behind.


    Stryg stumbled forward as Gathi tackled him to the ground. She jumped on his chest and flung a flurry of punches at him. He covered his face to little effect.


    Stryg tried pushing her off, but the force of the blows was too much.


    ¡°Is this too weak for you!¡± Gathi yelled and kept pelting him with her fists.


    Stryg could barely hear her over the punches. He tried rolling out from underneath but she simply locked him down with her legs. He didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Am I too weak now!¡± Gathi screamed.


    The crowd cheered at the thrashing. The blows didn¡¯t stop, Stryg was beginning to lose consciousness. While killing was usually forbidden in a night challenge, beating your opponent to a bloody pulp was not. At this rate he¡¯d be too wounded to recover. He could actually die. He couldn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°I give up,¡± Stryg shouted with the little energy he had left. ¡°I give up!¡±


    The crowd''s cheers drowned out his voice.


    ¡°Stop the fight!¡± yelled the chief.


    Gathi didn¡¯t stop. The chief came over and whacked the butt-end of his spear across her face. She fell over, out cold. The crowd suddenly grew quiet.


    ¡°I give up,¡± Stryg managed to gasp out.


    The chief looked down at him and sighed, ¡°I hoped for more, but expected as much.¡± He turned away, ¡°Your weak blood is not wanted in our tribe.¡±


    The crowd gave Stryg looks of disgust.


    ¡°Freak!¡± he heard someone shout.


    Stryg struggled to get up, but someone kicked him back down. He heard laughter around him. Tears began welling up in his eyes. This was the end for him. He had failed.


    ¡°What is going on here!?¡± First Mother shouted.


    The crowd parted for her as she came through. She looked at Stryg, his body covered in injuries.


    Her yellow eyes practically glowed with anger in the firelight, ¡°You lost?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t have the nerve to answer. He looked away.


    ¡°I was pushed,¡± he mumbled.


    First Mother laughed as she held her head.


    Her shoulders shook in fury, ¡°You¡­ You little shit, you shame me with this sorry excuse of a challenge. Someone give me their spear. I will take this boy to the log house and carve him up right now. He¡¯ll at least be able to serve as a meal for the tribe.¡±


    Shouts of agreement resounded through the tribe. A goblin ran up and passed First Mother his spear.


    Stryg looked at First Mother¡¯s eyes and only found cold hatred. To think she was calling him her child just moments earlier. Of course she didn¡¯t mean it. She was strong, capable, intelligent, and he... he wasn¡¯t any of those things.


    Stryg smiled bitterly. How ridiculous, he couldn''t even beat Gathi. So much for his dreams of greatness.


    ¡°I have returned!¡± Someone shouted.


    The crowd stopped and turned to look at the source. An older goblin appeared from the edge of the crowd.


    Crovor, shaman of the tribe, had finally arrived. He smiled, ¡°I have returned to you all with a great revelation.¡±


    ¡°I, First Mother, daughter of Blood Fang, greets Curvor, the great shaman,¡± she bowed.


    Crovor licked his lips, ¡°Ah, yes. It is great to see you as well.¡±


    She was as beautiful as ever, Crovor thought.


    The shaman craved her, and while she had to respect him, even he couldn¡¯t have his way with First Mother. If he had more power than that would all change and soon he would.


    Stolen story; please report.


    First Mother raised an eyebrow. Crovor realized he had been staring too long, he looked away. His eyes landed on the unconscious Gathi on the ground and the injured Stryg.


    He coughed, ¡°Ah, yes, um, well done, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean well done? He lost the night challenge. I was about to kill this little shit before you arrived, Crovor.¡± First Mother pointed her spear at the silent Stryg.


    Crovor laughed awkwardly, ¡°Of course.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°I mean, I have just come from a spiritual journey, where Lunae, our mother moon, Watcher over all, has shown me a vision.¡±


    First Mother lowered her spear, ¡°What?¡± Her voice softened, ¡°Please, tell us what she said.¡±


    Like all goblin tribes, the Blood Fang goblins revered the mother moon, especially the Mothers whose whole role in life was modeled after the moon goddess, Lunae.


    Crovor¡¯s lips curled, ¡°Well, of course. It is why I have returned in such haste.¡±


    He turned to the crowd who were now all waiting silently, hoping to gleam any amount of wisdom from their shaman.


    ¡°What is happening here?¡± The chieftain returned with a questioning look.


    ¡°Quiet! Our great shaman has just returned with a revelation from the mother moon,¡± First Mother hissed.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, people didn¡¯t speak to the chieftain in such a manner.


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course,¡± The chief looked down, chastised.


    Well, I guess she does, Stryg thought.


    First Mother looked at Crovor, ¡°Please continue, great shaman.¡±


    Crovor smiled, and raised his head a little higher, ¡°*Ahem* As I was saying, while I was out for my daily meditation, the mother moon called out to me. She told me that this one¡¯s failure,¡± he pointed at Stryg, ¡°has cost the tribe enough. And so she has decided to bless us. She showed me a cave, where a fallen treasure lay. A treasure that would raise our Blood Fang tribe to be the greatest sylvan tribe in all of Vulture Woods.¡±


    Stryg shuddered in embarrassment as he wished the ground would swallow him whole. He always knew he had been a bad omen sent by the mother moon, but for it to be so bad, that the moon would intervene directly? No wonder the First Mother wanted to kill him. He felt tears burn across his cheeks, he really was a failure.


    ¡°Then we must go there immediately,¡± the chief spoke urgently.


    Crovor raised a hand, ¡°Let me finish. The mother moon also showed me who should be going on this trip, for it will be filled with great danger. A single wrong choice could lead to utter disaster.¡±


    First Mother looked up towards the moon shining in the sky and whispered a prayer. She bowed her head to Crovor, ¡°Thank you for conveying the message from our goddess, great shaman. Who will be sent on this quest?¡±


    Crovor smiled, ¡°While this quest may be a great burden, the mother moon has deemed me to be the only one strong enough among the tribe to lead us on this journey.¡±


    The chief¡¯s lips thinned to a small line, but he nodded, ¡°As the mother moon commands. The Blood Fang is ready to obey.¡±


    Crovor¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Good. We leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    The shaman looked around and began calling out goblins from among the tribe. After a few minutes he had gathered close to a dozen skilled hunters.


    ¡°Only a few more,¡± Crovor muttered. He waggled his finger, ¡°Srixa.¡±


    The beautiful goblin stepped forward, ¡°Srixa, daughter of the Blood Fang, greets the great shaman.¡±


    Crovor placed his hands on her waist, ¡°You have been chosen to accompany me on this journey.¡± He leaned forward, his face an inch from her own, ¡°Do you accept this role?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, great shaman,¡± she frowned. She tried to take a step back, but Crovor¡¯s fingers held her waist close.


    Srixa swallowed, ¡°I will do whatever I can to help in mother moon¡¯s quest.¡±


    The chief suddenly began feeling uneasy about the quest, but as he turned to the First Mother¡¯s solemn face, he was unsure if he should say anything.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Crovor grinned and let her go. He spun around, ¡°Bril, come forward.¡±


    ¡°Bril, daughter of the Blood Fang, greets the great shaman,¡± she said with a tone of indifference.


    Crovor looked her up and down, his eyes resting on her breasts, ¡°Hmm. Yes, you are one of our greatest hunters.¡±


    Crovor embraced her, ¡°You have been especially chosen to help us on this quest. It will be your duty to help me in my meditation with the mother moon herself.¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t the shaman, Bril would have kicked him in the balls, repeatedly. As it was, she needed to deal with the situation in a respectful manner. With slow motions she firmly pushed Crovor away.


    He glared at her with indignation.


    Bril smiled curtly, ¡°I¡¯m sor-¡±


    Before Bril could finish her sentence she noticed First Mother raise her spear and glare at her. If looks could kill, Bril would be dead already.


    ¡°Be respectful to the great shaman. He has brought important news, I will not let you ruin this sacred quest,¡± First Mother warned.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± Crovor asked Bril with a smirk.


    Bril took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ¡°...I said I will obey the great shaman on this quest.¡±


    He dragged her back into his embrace, ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    Bril gritted her teeth.


    Crovor leaned in and whispered into her ear, ¡°If you disobey me in any way, I will make sure that the First Mother cuts you up real well, and I personally will make the fire we roast you on. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± she muttered quietly.


    ¡°Excuse me, Crovor,¡± the chief cleared his throat.


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Crovor asked, annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that all the goblins you have chosen are young, surely it would be a good idea to take some of the older more experienced hunters on the quest. I¡¯ll even nominate myself to go.¡±


    Crovor shook his head, ¡°No need. Everyone I have chosen has been specifically selected for this quest, the mother moon has given me this knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Only the younger generation? Even with Srixa¡¯s fighting skills that hardly seem practical,¡± the chief frowned.


    The First Mother eyed Crovor thoughtfully, ¡°That does seem a bit strange, great shaman.¡±


    Crovor stopped groping Bril and stepped back, ¡°You misunderstand. This group hasn¡¯t been chosen just for fighting strength, but in the hopes of proving ourselves to the mother moon herself.¡±


    Crovor pointed at Stryg, ¡°Even this failure of a goblin has been chosen.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Stryg mumbled in shock.


    ¡°Him?¡± The chief asked, confused.


    ¡°This sorry excuse of a goblin!?¡± First Mother exclaimed.


    Crovor nodded, ¡°Yes, him. Especially him. He is the bad omen of our tribe and mother moon has chosen him to redeem himself.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± First Mother looked at Stryg with skepticism.


    ¡°Yes, in fact, he will do great things in the future. I was shown this by Lunae herself. Would either of you question our mother moon? Hm?¡± Crovor stuck his head out like a vulture, daring them to contradict him.


    First Mother nodded slowly, ¡°I believe you, great shaman. While I find it hard to believe, I must admit that the mother moon is far wiser than I.¡± She gripped her spear, ¡°And I know you would never dare lie about the mother moon¡¯s visions for your own personal gain, such as using a young huntress for your own pleasure.¡±


    Crovor felt a shiver run through him, but he kept a stoic face, ¡°Of course not. No goblin would ever dare bring shame to the mother moon.¡±


    First Mother stared at him for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad that this quest is in your hands. You are quite wise, great shaman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, Lunae has blessed me thoroughly,¡± Crovor shrugged stiffly.


    First Mother bowed deeply, ¡°Which is why I hope I could send my right hand, Second Mother, with you on your quest, so that she may learn from your great wisdom and be able to share it with us when she returns. Please, let her accompany you.¡±


    Crovor frowned, ¡°...Very well, I shall allow Second Mother to join us on this quest. But, no one else.¡±


    First Mother smiled, ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    One of the older goblin women stepped out from the crowd, ¡°I, Second Mother, daughter of the Blood Fang, will gladly join you on this quest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I will be busy trying to meditate and focus on this journey, so try not to bother me, yes?¡± Crovor didn¡¯t dare touch Second Mother, especially in front of First Mother.


    The Mothers were off limits, at least for now.


    ¡°I will do my best to not be a burden and watch closely from afar,¡± Second Mother smiled coldly.


    ¡°Second, I do hope you pay close attention to the great shaman¡¯s every move. Learn all you can from him,¡± First Mother said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Second Mother nodded.


    ¡°Well, it seems you all have a busy day tomorrow. So, there will be no night challenges this evening, or anything that might follow. Get some sleep everyone,¡± the chief smiled at an annoyed Crovor.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Crovor. He winked at Bril and walked away.


    Bril glared at him and clenched her fist.


    First Mother held Bril¡¯s shoulder and stopped her, ¡°The great shaman has been given a sacred quest by our goddess. I will murder you myself before I let you ruin this quest by attacking our shaman, no matter how he behaves, understood?¡±


    ¡°U-understood,¡± Bril stuttered.


    ¡°That being said,¡± First Mother whispered, ¡°Second Mother will look after you while on the quest. She won¡¯t let anything happen to you. Stay close to her at all times, understood?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Brill nodded.


    First Mother pointed her spear at Stryg, ¡°Let us hope that you can redeem yourself. Or I will gut you like a rabbit. Now get some rest, you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Stryg bowed his aching head, ¡°Yes, First Mother.¡±

 Chapter 4: A Goblin’s Advice

    Chapter 4: A Goblin¡¯s Advice


    Stryg woke up with aches ranging all over his body. Gathi had not held back. He thought he had a chance of beating her.


    No, he shook his head. He definitely could have beaten her, had someone not pushed him from the crowd. That one moment had cost him everything. He groaned in pain as he rolled out of his straw mat. Stryg took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves.


    Everything had gone horribly wrong last night. He had lost his first night challenge, been beaten up, shamed in front of the whole tribe, and worst of all, he had cried in front of everyone. Crying was the sign of the weak. And now everyone knew just how weak he was.


    Stryg forced his injured body to stand. There was still hope. He was still alive and the mother moon herself had chosen him; given him a chance to redeem himself. He may not be strong, but he was special. Maybe not as special as the shaman Crovor, but Stryg too had been chosen by the mother moon.


    This was his chance. He could finally become strong. This wasn¡¯t the time to wallow in self pity. He had gone down that path before, and there was nothing for him there. Only the truly fragile would cry themselves to sleep. And he wasn¡¯t ready to accept such a fate just yet. Today would be the beginning of his change. He picked up his spear and walked out of the tent.


    Several goblins were already waiting in the front of the village. Crovor was speaking with the chief and First Mother. Bril was already there, but she was standing behind some other goblins, keeping her distance from Crovor. As Stryg drew close, other goblins noticed him, and turned away, going so far as walking a dozen feet from him.


    Stryg sighed, it was expected, he admitted grudgingly.


    Ostroz, a young goblin a few months older than Stryg didn¡¯t shy away, in fact, he greeted him, ¡°Hello, Stryg. How are the injuries?¡±


    Stryg was surprised, he hadn¡¯t thought anyone would talk to him. He knew Ostroz was a bit shorter than the other male goblins, but he had still managed to become a decent fighter and hunter.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg spoke with caution.


    Ostroz smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to travel.¡±


    Stryg clenched his teeth, little fangs appearing above his lip, ¡°I¡¯m not as frail as you think.¡±


    Ostroz gave him a quizzical look and laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re frail at all. Here¡¯s your travel sack by the way, some of the cooks got them ready for the group.¡±


    He handed him the sack and walked away.


    Stryg was unsure what to make of him. Goblins weren¡¯t just kind to each other. They only respected the powerful and Stryg hadn¡¯t made a great showing of that trait.


    A few minutes later, the group was ready to leave.


    ¡°Crovor, may the moon bless you on your journey,¡± the chief said solemnly.


    Crovor nodded, ¡°Thank you and may the stars light your path.¡±


    He was ready to leave already, and be out of the prying eyes of the chief and First Mother.


    ¡°Be sure to tell me of everything you see during your travels. Do I make myself clear, Second?¡± First Mother said.


    ¡°Yes, First, I promise you I will,¡± Second Mother bowed.


    The chief cleared his voice, ¡°Oh, and Second, I am well aware that some goblins may try to take advantage of the fact that First and I won¡¯t be joining the quest. If you see any goblin try such a thing be sure to let them know that I will personally punish them on their return. Also, remember to inform everyone that there will be no infighting of any sort while on this journey.¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Second Mother nodded with a smile.


    Crovor cursed under his breath. Those three had it out for him, it would be difficult doing anything drastic while their Second Mother was around. Not that it mattered if all went as planned.


    ¡°Well, we best be off now. Let¡¯s go everyone,¡± Crovor waved them onward.


    The shaman noticed Bril stayed at the back of the group as they began walking.


    Dammit, hiding won¡¯t help you, I¡¯ll have you soon enough, Crovor swore.


    Stryg looked at the village. He had spent his whole life here. He had only gone a few miles away to practice hunting at most. This was the first time he¡¯d be leaving for such a long journey.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    He caught First Mother glaring at him. Stryg quickly turned around. She may hate him now, but someday, he¡¯d come back here and they¡¯d all stand in awe of his prowess. He would become the greatest hunter they had ever seen, he swore to himself.


    Looking at the endless grey trees before him, the sounds of creatures echoing in the distance, Stryg knew he had a long journey ahead.


    ~~~


    The journey turned out longer than expected. The group had to constantly take winding paths through the uncommon trails in order to avoid predators. It was boring to be honest, and Stryg had quickly found himself isolated, with no one bothering to look at him let alone talk with him. He had become a pariah. Even Ostroz, who had spoken to him earlier, had stayed away.


    Ostroz was actually having a long conversation with Crovor. Stryg had never seen that before. A few minutes later, Ostroz left Crovor and walked over toward him.


    Stryg was unsettled, why come over here?


    ¡°Hello, Stryg,¡± Ostroz smiled.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he answered cautiously.


    He didn¡¯t trust Ostroz, but honestly he wanted someone to talk to.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Ostroz asked.


    ¡°Nothing, how about you? I saw you talking to Crovor.¡±


    ¡°Not much. You know, you don¡¯t have to be so wary of me, we may not be close, but I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± Ostroz spread his arms out in mock surrender. ¡°In fact I came here so I could give you some advice.¡±


    Stryg paused, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Great, well where to start. Hm¡­ I went to talk to the great shaman because I saw a problem and I offered my services to help with his little problem.¡±


    ¡°What kind of problem?¡± Now Stryg was worried. Was there some unknown enemy that an accomplished hunter like Ostroz had noticed?


    ¡°Hm, well who do you see walking at the front of our group?¡±


    ¡°Crovor.¡± Obviously, Stryg thought.


    ¡°And who do you see in the back?¡±


    Stryg turned around, ¡°Bril is walking behind Second Mother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see there¡¯s the problem, or should I say two problems.¡± Ostroz raised two fingers. ¡°The first being that the shaman wants Bril to be with him if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Ah... right.¡± Stryg had seen the way Crovor had treated her last night.


    ¡°But, the only way that can happen is if Second Mother leaves him alone. That¡¯s where I come in. You see, I¡¯ve had my eye on Srixa for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What does Srixa have to do with any of this?¡±


    ¡°Great question. Srixa used to beat me the most when I was younger. She always made me bow down to her before letting me go. I want payback, but I also like her. This time I want to defeat her, show her I¡¯m strong, that I¡¯m a worthy mate.¡±


    Stryg laughed, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got a problem there. Even if you do challenge her, I¡¯ve seen her fight, she¡¯d knock your ass to the ground in seconds. Not to mention we are in the middle of traveling on a sacred quest. Second Mother won''t allow any sort of infighting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too small, Stryg. We are in the middle of Vulture Woods. Far from the village, and until we get back, the one in charge, the one acting as commanding chief, is Crovor, our shaman. Not Second Mother.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°Okay, what are you trying to get at.¡±


    Ostroz shook his head, ¡°The chief can call off challenges anytime he wants, like last night.¡±


    Stryg frowned; he didn¡¯t want to think about his own fight that had ended so badly.


    Ostroz continued, ¡°The shaman can also start challenges. He could even go as far as to bypass certain rules.¡±


    ¡°But if he does that the others would rebel.¡±


    Ostroz smirked, ¡°Maybe in the village where the chief and First Mother could object. But do you think anyone here is willing to go against Crovor? Are you?¡±


    Stryg stopped walking, ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t want to die... Why are you telling me all of this?¡±


    Ostroz scratched his head, ¡°Because you remind me of my old self. I was always smaller than the others. They made fun of me too. I hated being at the bottom of the food chain, until I realized something. Do you know why you lost last night?¡±


    ¡°Because I got pushed by someone in the crowd. It gave Gathi a chance to knock me down. I couldn¡¯t get back up,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    Ostroz shook his head, ¡°Wrong. While I admit that getting pushed did hurt your chances, it''s not why you lost. You lost because you gave up.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do!?¡± Stryg exclaimed.


    Ostroz stared at him, ¡°Anything. Everything. If you want something you don¡¯t give up on it. You do anything to achieve that goal, whether it be biting off their face, or stabbing them in the back. That¡¯s how you survive, that¡¯s how you get what you want. Who cares what they think. If they can¡¯t stop you, then they don¡¯t matter. That¡¯s what I learned and that¡¯s my advice to you.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what to say about that. He had always wanted the respect of his tribe... ¡°But, if I do something that goes against our ways, something dishonorable, like backstabbing someone, they¡¯d just call me a coward and hate me.¡±


    Ostroz saw the look of shame on his face, ¡°Stryg most of them already hate you. Look, you don¡¯t have to think so hard about it. It¡¯s simple, you can either be the runt of the tribe, or you can be a giant.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a giant,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Ostroz raised his hand to the evening sky, as if he could grab the moon herself. ¡°Not yet. But, I will be. Just watch me. You¡¯ll see.¡± He turned and walked away.


    Stryg thought of the tribe¡¯s most important lesson.


    ¡°The strongest get what they want, so be the strongest, huh?¡± He muttered.


    Deep down he knew he¡¯d never be the strongest, but maybe he could still get what he wanted, if he followed Ostroz¡¯s track of thinking, just maybe.


    Stryg shook his head, what was he saying? He remembered Crovor¡¯s words. The shaman had said he was chosen by the moon so that he could redeem himself. Stryg smiled, he was chosen, special even. He¡¯d do great things, right? Soon he¡¯d have the respect of the tribe and even become a great hunter. There was no need for him to listen to Ostroz.


    Still, Stryg couldn¡¯t help but watch the goblin walk away, his shadow casted a silhouette larger than the rest.

 Chapter 5: The Ruthlessness of Goblins

    Chapter 5: The Ruthlessness of Goblins


    Crovor raised his hand, signaling the group to stop for the night. The sun had just begun to set. ¡°This spot is pretty safe. Let¡¯s rest here for a while, I need to meditate as well.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little early to rest, great shaman?¡± Second Mother questioned, her head bowed.


    Bril stood behind Second Mother and grinned. It was disrespectful to try and question one¡¯s leader. Second Mother was trying to undermine his authority, while still being polite.


    Crovor glared, ¡°Not at all. We need our rest for the rest of the journey.¡±


    The goblins put down their packs and started a fire. Under normal times, night  challenges would soon begin. Everyone was eager to prove to others that they were worthy of their intimate attention. Srixa looked around, imagining who her potential mate would be. She licked her lips as she imagined beating someone into submission and forcing everyone to see that she was the best among the lot.


    In goblin culture power was everything. Finding a mate was just another battle, some argued the most important, where goblins found out who was most worthy of passing down their legacy. There was no such thing as ¡°making love¡± in goblin tribes, goblins had sex for pleasure and necessity, but never out of such an impotent emotion as love.


    Power, ruthlessness, even sadism and lust, were taught as being of the greatest importance when choosing a mate; endearment and empathy came last or were non-existent. Many species would have found the goblin¡¯s culture revolting, but this was the Ebon Realm, after all, most species held similar beliefs around these lands; although perhaps none were as quite literal and vocal as the sylvan tribes of Vulture Woods.


    Srixa noticed a handsome goblin standing a few feet away, Ragg was his name. The goblin noticed her ogling and swallowed in fear. She had challenged him a few months ago and he was foolish enough to accept. She had won with ease. Awed by her overwhelming skill he had put himself forward as a mate for the evening. Srixa had accepted with a smirk and proceeded to ravage him the rest of the night. She had left him with bruises and claw marks for weeks and not from the night challenge.


    Crovor called out, ¡°Bril come over here, it is time for my meditation and I require your assistance.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Bril had been busy talking with Second Mother all day, she had almost forgotten about the shaman.


    Crovor glowered, but said nothing. Instead he took a deep breath and raised his right hand. After a brief moment a bright orange flame appeared above his right palm. Everyone backed away in fear. Even Second Mother seemed thrown off by the show of power.


    Beads of sweat began to appear on Crovor¡¯s forehead. He was panting from the exertion of the spell, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    Crovor frowned, ¡°Bril, are you refusing to obey me?¡±


    This too was a battle, one of intimidation and to see who would crack first.


    Bril stared at the magical fire. ¡°N-no.¡±


    Of course she cracked first, Stryg thought. Crovor was a damn shaman for Lunae¡¯s sake. Who would dare fight against their tribe¡¯s shaman?


    ¡°Then come over here. Now!¡±Crovor yelled, emboldened by her falter.


    Stryg watched as Bril, a venerable fighter, visibly cowered and ran towards Crovor.


    ¡°Is this how you greet your shaman?¡± Crovor asked as he tapped his foot.


    Bril spoke in a quiet voice, ¡°Bril, daughter of Blood Fang, greets the great shaman.¡±


    Crovor smiled, ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, you will help me with my meditation.¡±


    She gripped her fists but nodded, ¡°Yes, my shaman.¡±


    ¡°Crovor, what do you plan on doing with her exactly?¡± Second Mother asked. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t plan on proposing a night challenge or Lunae forbid, mating. The chief declared that all night challenges will be postponed during our quest.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Ah, I almost forgot,¡± Crovor grinned.


    Ostroz stepped in front of Srixa, ¡°I challenge you.¡±


    Stryg was surprised, did the crazy goblin actually challenge the best fighter of their generation?


    Srixa laughed, ¡°Did you hit your head? Didn¡¯t you just hear Second Mother? You can¡¯t issue a night challenge, not today. And even if you could, do you really think you could beat me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± Crovor said with an authoritative tone.


    Second Mother whipped her head around, ¡°What? You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    Crovor looked around, ¡°I¡¯m the acting chief on this quest, I can allow any challenge as I see fit. Does anyone else disagree?¡±


    The dozen or so goblins stood quiet, no one wanted to speak against the goblin wielding fire. Bril opened her mouth, but as she saw everyone¡¯s faces she realized her one opinion wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Crovor noticed Bril and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, ¡°Do you disagree?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He dug his claws into her arm.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t disagree!¡± she glared at him.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Crovor laughed, ¡°Well, it seems no one disagrees with me as acting chief.¡±


    Ostroz took a battle stance as he faced Srixa.


    Second Mother stared at Crovor grimly, ¡°You will regret this. I will report all of this to First Mother and the chieftain when we get back.¡±


    Crovor ignored her, ¡°Let the challenge continue.¡±


    Srixa smiled sadistically, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll accept. I¡¯ve beaten you up plenty of times Ostroz, it¡¯ll be fun to do it in a night challenge too. But, really, what made you think that a child like you could beat me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, Srixa,¡± Ostroz bared his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a child, boy. Getting manipulated by others at every turn,¡± Srixa mocked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what a man is,¡± Ostroz scowled.


    Srixa laughed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to enjoy this. Don¡¯t worry, after I win I¡¯ll even mate with you, just for fun. Of course, you¡¯ll be crying the entire time as I dig my claws into that soft skin of yours. And when I¡¯ve had my fill, I¡¯ll let you go, but you won¡¯t want me to. Because by then you¡¯ll just be my little bitch.¡±


    Ostroz screamed in anger and swung at her. She ducked and landed two quick jabs on his chest. He coughed in pain and stumbled back a few steps.


    This was too easy, Srixa thought. Goblins like Ostroz were so easy to bait. A few insults here and a few threats there, that was all. She¡¯d enjoy breaking him.


    ¡°So, is this what a man looks like?¡± She taunted.


    He charged her with a rapid set of jabs. She dodged most and blocked the few that connected. Srixa followed up with a palm strike to his face, her claws scratching his cheek. He screamed in pain and swung around wildly.


    Srixa stepped away with a spring in her step, she laughed, ¡°You really thought you could beat me?¡±


    Ostroz scowled and ran at her with an elbow strike, she sidestepped him, and punched him in the ribs. He gasped for breath and collapsed on the ground.


    Srixa yelled a war cry as she jumped on top of him and began raining down punches.


    Stryg had a sickening sense of deja vu as he watched Srixa beat Ostroz.


    ¡°I give up! I give up!¡± Ostroz shouted as he tried covering his face the best he could.


    Srixa landed one more punch before standing up.


    ¡°Pathetic. You¡¯ll never be a man of the Blood Fang tribe,¡± she spat on him.


    Stryg spotted the smile on Srixa¡¯s face. Ostroz lay still on the floor cowering.


    So much for not giving up, Strgy thought in scorn.


    Srixa turned towards a frowning Crovor, ¡°Did you really think this boy could defea-¡±


    With a swift motion Ostroz kicked Srixa¡¯s legs from underneath her. She hit the ground hard. Before she had a chance to recover, Ostroz was on top of her. His punches were a whirl of attacks, all focused at her head.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± Second Mother yelled. Other goblins shouted in agreement. Cries of ¡®coward,¡¯ ¡®cheater¡¯ and other insults were thrown at Ostroz. But he wasn¡¯t listening.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°He doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    Stryg slowly looked around, everyone was focused on how Ostroz had played dirty. For all their insults none of the goblins moved against him. They thought they were shaming him with their words, but none of them understood. Ostroz only cared about one thing, defeating Srixa. Was this what he meant with his advice?


    After a minute, Ostroz stopped his punches.


    He pulled Srixa¡¯s head up by her hair, ¡°Crovor had yet to call the match. You shouldn¡¯t have turned your back on this ¡®boy.¡¯ Give up.¡±


    Blood trickled down Srixa¡¯s face. She spat blood on his face.


    Ostroz flinched and released her hair, her head dropped on the ground with a solid thump. She winced, but said nothing.


    Ostroz glared at her. He flipped her around, placed his right foot on top of her, and pulled both her arms back, ¡°You used to always beat me for the smallest of mistakes or for no reason at all, just cause you felt like it. Not even First Mother was so cruel. But I noticed something from all those beatings. I¡¯ve watched you for a long time and I learned. You¡¯re great at fighting with your hands, but you can¡¯t kick to save your life. So let me just take this arm of yours!¡±


    ¡°Remember when you broke my arm, Srixa? You just laughed at me with the other hunters! Let me return the favor!¡± Ostroz pulled back, stretching her arms behind her as far as possible.


    Srixa groaned in pain.


    ¡°Give up!¡± Ostroz shouted.


    ¡°In your dreams!¡± Srixa said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Oh, now you wanna talk huh!?¡±


    With a loud crack he dislocated her shoulder. Srixa shook her head vehemently and yelled in pain. For the first time that night the crowd of goblins cheered, they loved such violence. In their eyes, such ruthlessness was a virtue.


    Stryg watched in silence, he didn¡¯t enjoy this, Ostroz should have just finished her off.


    ¡°Ready to give up now?¡± Ostroz asked.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Srixa cursed.


    ¡°One more to go then,¡± Ostroz and pulled her other arm.


    Srixa gritted her teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll kill y-¡±


    Ostroz yanked hard, dislocating the shoulder¡¯s joint in an instant. She groaned in agony, tears in her dim eyes.


    Ostroz smiled, he released her dislocated arms and grabbed her face,¡°Oh, are you crying? The great merciless Srixa, crying in front of everyone?¡±


    ¡°F-fuck you,¡± she muttered through ragged breaths.


    Ostroz looked over at the shaman.


    Crovor nodded, ¡°Ostroz is the victor.¡±


    Ostroz stood up in triumph, his hands raised in victory. No one cheered, but neither did they dispute his win.


    Srixa lunged and sank her teeth into his ankle. Ostroz squealed and fell over. Srixa pinned him down with her legs and bashed his face in with her forehead, over and over. The night challenge was over, Ostroz had won. Srixa shouldn¡¯t have attacked, yet no one made a move to stop her.


    Srixa grinned maliciously at the half-conscious goblin, ¡°You damn cheater. Did you really think I¡¯d let you get away with that?¡±


    Ostroz mumbled a few words, but no one could make it out through his broken nose and cracked teeth.


    Srixa bent down and licked his bloodied cheek, ¡°But I kinda liked the initiative. Most men in the tribe are terrified to step into a night challenge with me. How about I show you a real challenge?¡±


    Ostroz blinked blearily, ¡°...Y-you mean?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out if you actually are a man under all that swagger,¡± Srixa licked her lips.


    ¡°Hah¡­ you¡¯re on.¡±


    ¡°You think you can win? I¡¯ll have you whimpering in seconds,¡± Srixa laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s my line,¡± Ostroz grinned, blood still dripping from his mouth.


    ¡°But first you better pop my shoulders back in or I swear I will tear out your throat,¡± Srixa bared her fangs.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ostroz swallowed.


    After a few painful moments, Srixa¡¯s shoulders were back in place, and Ostroz had two new welts on his shoulder.


    The other goblins cheered at Srixa and Ostroz as they disappeared among trees in the dark.


    ¡°Srixa¡¯s gonna eat him alive,¡± a hunter mumbled.


    Another hunter nodded, ¡°Yeah, Ostroz isn¡¯t coming out of this without several more bruises and cuts. Srixa likes to play rough with her prey, why do you think she chose to sleep with him? I bet he won¡¯t last half the night before she gets bored of him.¡±


    Stryg ignored their remarks and looked around the group. Two people were missing. Where had Crovor and Bril gone?

 Chapter 6: The Treasure Cave

    Chapter 6: The Treasure Cave


    Stryg woke up in the early hours of dawn to the sound of rustling leaves. He cracked open his lilac eyes, his pupils wide ovals in the early dawn. Ostroz was curled up by the campfire, he seemed worse for wear. Srixa lay on the other side of camp, a satisfied smile on her sleeping face.


    Stryg spotted a figure emerging from among the trees. It was the huntress, Bril. She looked tired, maybe even angry, Stryg wasn¡¯t sure. She quietly made her way over to Second Mother and huddled next to her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Second Mother whispered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let him, I didn¡¯t let him,¡± Bril whispered. ¡°...He said he is going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Not while I¡¯m here,¡± Second Mother whispered furiously. ¡°Stay close to me the rest of the trip. I won¡¯t let him harm you, even if it costs me my life.¡±


    Bril nodded and hugged her. Second Mother rubbed her back with a comforting touch. Stryg had never seen Bril so scared or Second Mother so kind. It was strange.


    Crovor arrived at camp a few minutes later, bloody claw marks over his cheek. He glared at Bril but said nothing when he noticed Second Mother staring at him with wide, dangerous eyes.


    The shaman shuffled his way to the other side of camp and went to sleep.


    Stryg closed his eyes before anyone took notice of him.


    Stryg was the runt of his generation. If he got on the shaman¡¯s bad side, Stryg would end up dead before nightfall. Second Mother would protect Bril, a skillful huntress, but who knew if she would protect a runt like him from the shaman¡¯s anger?


    An hour later, Stryg quietly got up. He walked a few dozen paces away from camp and began his morning training. While his muscles still ached, he forced his body through the familiar kata. He welcomed the pain as it roused him from his sleepiness and kept his mind from wandering to unsavory thoughts.


    A few hours later the group was fully awake and ready to move out. Despite having clearly been treated roughly by Srixa last night, Ostroz kept trying to talk with her. She turned down all his advances and even threatened to pummel him for good measure. Despite that, Srixa made sure to walk in front of all the men, her lovely hips swaying for all to see, much to Ostroz¡¯s delight.


    Stryg didn¡¯t bother trying to talk to her. Srixa was looking for an exciting, powerful mate, which no one in the group had proven capable of. She definitely wouldn¡¯t be interested in a goblin who couldn¡¯t even beat a simple gatherer like Gathi.


    As for Bril, Crovor had been forced to keep his distance thanks to Second Mother¡¯s visible disapproval and cold demeanor. It really seemed the Mother would attack the shaman if he made a move towards Bril, even if it cost Second Mother her life.


    ~~~


    The next few days passed by without any dangerous encounters. Crovor claimed it was thanks to his meditation and the moon¡¯s blessing.


    One evening during a break, Crovor returned from his meditation.


    He cleared his throat and addressed the group, ¡°We won¡¯t be sleeping tonight. The cave is nearby, and it''s best if we enter at night.¡±


    Stryg felt a sudden rush of fear and excitement. He was excited that they were finally near their destination. They had yet to face any real difficulty and he hadn¡¯t been able to redeem or prove himself in any way.


    Stryg had to prove his skill, bravery, and even ruthlessness in front of the others, otherwise he would be cursed to live in shame for the rest of his life; which would be quite short if First Mother had anything to say about it.


    Stryg felt anxious as the group broke camp. The trees grew closer to each other while they walked. If there had been any moonlight, the red leaves of the ashen trees would have blocked most of it. Unfortunately, it was a new moon, there was no moonlight at all.


    Goblins could see fairly well in the dark, but they could not see in pitch darkness. Crovor was forced to make a small orb of fire with his magic. Had the shaman always known they would travel at night? If so, why hadn¡¯t they brought any torches?


    ¡°You¡¯re lagging behind,¡± Srixa chastised him.


    Stryg realized he had been walking slower than the rest. He hurried to catch up.


    ¡°Why are you talking to him? You should be focused on me,¡± Ostroz wrapped his arm around her shoulder


    ¡°Dream on,¡± Srixa kicked his shin.


    ¡°Ow, dammit!¡± Ostroz whimpered as he hopped on one leg.


    Crovor raised his hand, ¡°Quiet, we¡¯re here.¡±


    The group stopped and raised their spears and bows in anticipation. Crovor pushed past a few more bushes and led them into a small stone clearing.


    Stryg struggled to see what was ahead, he was shorter than most, and being in the back didn¡¯t help. Eventually, the group spread out and Stryg understood what had them so tense. A gaping hole lay on the barren ground, the cavern¡¯s darkness was so deep that not even Crovor¡¯s flame could peer into its depths.


    ¡°You first,¡± Crovor pointed towards Second Mother.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t see down there. Shouldn¡¯t you go first?¡±


    Crovor stumbled a step as if he had been greatly offended, ¡°I can¡¯t go down first. I¡¯ll be in the back so I can cast my magic if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you send Stryg, mother moon has chosen him right? He should be fine,¡± Second Mother argued.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Crovor looked at Stryg. ¡°I almost forgot. Stryg should go first. Lunae, our great mother moon, will protect him.¡±


    Everyone turned towards Strgy expectantly. The young blue goblin eyed the dark chasm, cautiously. He dreaded going down there, but he had to. This was his chance to prove himself.


    He¡¯d be fine, he told himself, after all, Lunae was watching over him. With slow steps Stryg lowered himself into the cave. His claws gripped the unseen jagged stones as he climbed down. Fear crept into his heart as he went deeper into the murky dark.


    Stryg looked down, as if it somehow helped. There was nothing but darkness. He didn¡¯t know where to grab onto. He glanced up and saw a small pinprick of light where Crovor and the rest were waiting at the top. How far had he descended? 50 feet? 100 feet? Stryg wasn¡¯t sure. His arms were tired and as he looked back down he wasn¡¯t sure how much further he had to go.


    All around him was pitch black, until it wasn¡¯t. Stryg didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but the stones around him gradually became visible as the darkness slowly receded. He could somehow see down here, despite no light source.


    ¡°Praise Lunae,¡± Stryg whispered in reverence.


    The mother moon had blessed him with sight when he needed it. The fear that had crept into his heart disappeared as quick as the darkness. He had been chosen for this quest and he would see it through to the end.


    Stryg looked down and realized there was only about ten feet left before reaching a rocky floor. It seemed to be made of a pale white stone, dolomite perhaps?


    Stryg clambered down the last few rock ledges and landed with a soft thud. Two large tunnels sprawled in front of him. He wasn¡¯t sure where to go, but surely Crovor did. Stryg looked up and called out the rest, assuring them it was safe.


    Crovor looked uncertain, but made the others go down one after another. Eventually, he was forced to quench his small fire and climbed down too.


    ¡°Can¡¯t see a damn thing,¡± Crovor cursed under his breath while he climbed down with utmost care.


    After about twenty minutes, Crovor finally reached the cavern floor. Taking a deep breath he refocused his mana and created another orb of flame.


    Crovor wheezed and struggled to keep the flame alight. He avoided letting anyone notice. It was taxing to cast the flame spell once. Casting twice in a small span of time and after a long climb was pushing his body to its limits.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± One of the hunters asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Crovor snapped.


    He waved his makeshift magic torch around to survey the area.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Crovor whispered.


    This wasn¡¯t what he had heard. There were two tunnels.


    Stryg walked up to him, ¡°Great shaman, which tunnel do we take? Right or left?


    Crovor ignored the boy. How the hell was he supposed to know which path was correct? This wasn¡¯t part of the plan. Crovor had assumed this would be quick. He¡¯d go into the cave while they slept, grab the treasure and get out. The shaman began to worry that he had underestimated the difficulty of the situation.


    The rest of the goblins looked at him and voiced the same question, ¡°Which way do we go?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and let me think!¡± Crovor shouted.


    ¡°What does a little goblin have to think about?¡± A voice hissed.


    Stryg turned around, a blur of red passed by the corner of his eye.


    Crovor cried out in pain as his body smashed into the wall, his bones cracking from the force. The small flame in his hand sputtered out of existence, plunging everyone into total darkness. The group of hunters shouted in fear and began swinging their spears blindly, hoping to hit the enemy in the dark.


    ¡°I was sleeping so comfortably too. Did you think you could act so loud in our home? Well, at least you brought food. I do love goblin flesh,¡± the unseen voice mocked.


    The hunters jabbed their spears into the dark and shouted various war cries, most to the affect of ¡®fuck you¡¯ or the like.


    Stryg stood still, however. His voice caught in his throat. He was the only one who could see. The only one who saw the monster creep out from the tunnel. Her long wine-tinted hair draped across her snow pale face. Orbs of jet black framed around her crimson eyes. A long forked tongue flicked out of her mouth, tasting the air. Stryg¡¯s eyes looked down past her naked upper body; a red serpentine tail grew down her waist, and slithered across the floor.


    The lamia smiled as she watched her prey flail in the darkness. She whipped her tail about, smashing two more goblins into the wall. The muscles in her tail practically hummed with strength as she flung it with enough force to shatter bone.


    The lamia circled around the terrified goblins. She smiled with delight and picked one off at a time. She wrapped her tail around one of their feet and yanked, sending a goblin¡¯s head cracking into the floor. She¡¯d dragged another away, sinking her fangs in the huntress¡¯ necks. The lamia loved the way they spasmed as the venom burned their insides.


    Bril screamed as the lamia¡¯s tail latched onto her ankle and pulled her away. Bril stabbed at the monster, but despite her skill, it was almost impossible to hit a target she couldn¡¯t see. The few strikes Bril did manage to land, bounced off the red scales without a scratch.


    The lamia wrapped her serpentine body around the struggling goblin tightly. She smiled as Bril¡¯s bones cracked beneath the pressure. Bril tried to scream, yet only a small gasp escaped her lips. The tail coiled tighter, Bril¡¯s spine snapped with a sickening crunch.


    The lamia uncoiled her tail and threw the dead goblin away. She moved to her next victim, listening to the vibrations resounding off the cave walls. The goblin¡¯s hearts thrummed with fear, she loved it.


    While the rest swung their spears in hysteria, one goblin stood still with fright. The lamia smiled, she loved easy prey. She glided towards him with a silent grace. The lamia couldn¡¯t quite place why, but he seemed a bit different than the rest. Perhaps he tasted better. She unhinged her jaw and opened her gaping maw, venom dripping from her fangs.


    Stryg¡¯s heart raced as he watched the lamia move closer. He had just seen this monster murder half his tribemates with ease. He didn¡¯t stand a chance, but he had one advantage. She hadn¡¯t realized that he could see her.


    Stryg gripped his spear. She moved closer, her unnaturally large mouth slowly reaching towards his neck. Stryg lunged forward with all the force he could muster, his spear plunged right through her throat. She lashed out and stumbled backwards with a gurgling scream. Her body writhed on the ground as she clutched at the spear lodged in her throat.


    Stryg watched in disbelief as the lamia bled out and died.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I did it. I actually killed it!¡± Stryg ran his trembling hands through his hair.


    He had slain the monster! He had redeemed himself. The moon¡¯s blessing had saved him.


    ¡°What!? Is it dead?¡± A hunter called out.


    ¡°Really?¡± Another hunter answered hopefully.


    ¡°Who killed it?¡± Srixa muttered cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± Ostroz shouted.


    Voices called out back and forth in relief and uncertainty, but one voice pierced through the group.


    ¡°Where is the shaman!?¡± Second Mother yelled.

 Chapter 7: A Wish to Live

    Chapter 7: A Wish to Live


    Stryg spotted the shaman lying on the floor a few dozen feet away.


    Stryg ran towards him, ¡°Over here! On the ground.¡±


    ¡°Crovor, can you stand? We need your fire magic to get us out of here,¡± Second Mother called out.


    Crovor coughed up blood. He took a shaky breath, ¡°...It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± asked Second Mother. ¡°We knew this journey would be dangerous, but we succeeded anyway. The monster is dead.¡±


    She reached down and tried to find his shoulder in the dark, ¡°Now get up.¡±


    Crovor tried to laugh but ended up coughing, ¡°It was supposed to be easy. They said it¡¯d be easy. Go in, grab the treasure and get out... I was going to be the strongest.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡± Second Mother frowned.


    Crovor was glad they couldn¡¯t see each other. He didn¡¯t want anyone to see his shame. ¡°I heard a pair of goblins from a nearby tribe talking about a secret treasure they had found in a cave. A treasure that would make any who had it the most powerful in all Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Second Mother asked, she had a bad feeling about this.


    Crovor bit his lip, ¡°They said it was being guarded by a monster during the day. I attacked them while they were off guard. I killed one and made the other tell me where the cave was, before killing him too. My plan was to get the treasure at night and get out. It was so easy.¡±


    ¡°But what about the mother moon?¡± Her eyes widened at the dawning realization, ¡°You lied about everything.¡±


    Crovor coughed, ¡°I needed help getting to the cave. It was the only way to convince you all to come with me, without getting the chief involved.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible!¡± Stryg shouted. ¡°You said the mother moon chose you. That this was a sacred quest. That¡­ That Lunae chose me.¡±


    Crovor laughed, ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t choose you. Are you an idiot? I just said you were chosen to get First Mother¡¯s suspicions off my back. Why would Lunae choose a failure of a goblin like you.¡±


    Stryg fell to his knees. It couldn¡¯t be. It had all been a lie? The mother moon hadn¡¯t chosen him, he really was a failure. He looked at his blood covered hands. No, he wasn¡¯t. He had killed the monster. He had at least done that one thing right.


    ¡°B-but, I killed the beast,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Stop lying boy. You can¡¯t even win a night challenge,¡± Crovor spat.


    ¡°...You bastard, you lied to us¡­ I should kill you where you stand,¡± Second Mother snarled.


    Crovor sighed, ¡°Go ahead. I can¡¯t feel my legs. I¡¯m not getting out of here alive. Nothing matters anymore.¡±


    Stryg looked at Crovor¡¯s legs. They were twisted in the wrong way, he could see a bone sticking out of his thigh. Wait a second. How could he see anything? If the mother moon hadn¡¯t chosen him, then she hadn¡¯t blessed him either. So, why was he the only one who could see in the darkness?


    Crovor cried out in pain as Second Mother blindly stabbed him with her spear. She couldn¡¯t see in the dark, so she kept plunging her spear around, stabbing the shaman over and over.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Srixa spoke up.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Second Mother raised her bloody spear again.


    Srixa shook her head, ¡°No, not that. Didn¡¯t the monster say something?¡±


    ¡°Is that really important right now? After hearing this miserable excuse of a shaman¡¯s confession?¡± Second Mother spat on the dying goblin.


    Srixa shook his head, ¡°She said something. The monster. She said, that we had made a bunch of noise in ¡®our home.¡¯¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Our home?¡± Ostroz furrowed his brow.


    A wretched scream echoed through the cave. Stryg whipped around. Another lamia slithered out from the tunnels. She stared at her fallen sister before fixing her eyes at the goblins.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rip you all apart!¡± the lamia roared.


    Her serpentine tail lunged at one of the goblins, smashing his small body into the floor.


    ¡°There¡¯s another!¡± Ostroz yelled as he raised his spear.


    The others followed suit and gathered in a defensive circle, leaving the dying Crovor alone, defenseless.


    Stryg didn¡¯t join the others, he saw what none of the other goblins did. There were two more lamias in the cavern. One was still crying over his dead sister¡¯s body, while the other lamia sister attacked the goblins.


    It was only a matter of time before both lamias focused on killing all of them. Stryg watched as his tribemates tried to attack their unseen enemy and fail. They stood no chance.


    Ostroz¡¯s advice flashed through his mind, You do anything to achieve your goal.


    Stryg only had one goal in mind, only one wish. He wished to live.


    He ran towards the cave walls. He grabbed the largest stone perch and pulled himself up. Stryg climbed as quickly as he could. The other goblins shouted as they fought the lamia.


    He heard their war cries and their screams of terror. Stryg remembered the last piece of Ostroz¡¯s advice, If they can¡¯t stop you, then they don¡¯t matter.


    If they could see Stryg running away from battle, they would call him a coward, a traitor. Some might even try to kill him. But none of that mattered right now. He wasn¡¯t going to let himself die in this abyss of death. He¡¯d survive no matter the cost. To hell with the shaman and his damn quest.


    Stryg¡¯s fear of death propelled him to climb faster even when his limbs grew tired. It only took him two minutes to arrive at the top. He pulled himself up and over the ledge.


    Stryg sighed with relief, he had never been so glad to see trees in his life. His arms felt like jelly, but he didn¡¯t care. All he needed were his legs.


    He stumbled to his feet and ran into the woods. He wasn¡¯t sure which way he had come, but as he heard the lamia¡¯s cry in the distance, he didn¡¯t care much at the moment.


    All he needed was to get as far away as possible. Stryg kept running. Sounds of fauna rang through the trees. He hoped the screams of the lamia would scare off any nearby predators.


    Stryg ran, he dodged bushes, and jumped past any debris, desperate to escape. He couldn¡¯t hear the lamias anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t very far behind either.


    A bola flew out from behind a tree and slammed into his legs, wrapping itself over them. Stryg crashed to the floor, his skull banged into a tree trunk. He raised his head in a daze.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡±


    A masked man, covered in a cloak of colored blotches walked up to him. Camouflage, a small part of Stryg¡¯s mind noted.


    The man crouched, ¡°You¡¯re a goblin, right? Never seen a blue one before, or is that cyan? I can¡¯t really tell, it''s too dark.¡±


    Stryg tried to say ¡°kill yourself,¡± but it came out as a painful mumble.


    ¡°Can¡¯t talk huh? Figures. Can¡¯t expect much from you savage types. I didn¡¯t even know there were any sylvan tribes near here. I was really only hoping to catch one of the smaller critters on this trip, but today must be my lucky day. Finding a goblin out here by itself is rare. An odd one like you, especially so. You¡¯ll fetch a nice price.¡±


    The poacher dragged Stryg by the feet.


    Stryg wanted to fight back, but he was too hurt and tired. He couldn¡¯t even raise his arms. His injured back flared in pain as it scraped across all the small rocks and twigs that were sprawled over the forest¡¯s floor.


    After a few minutes they stopped walking. Stryg¡¯s fading mind thanked Lunae that the pain was over, he hadn¡¯t been able to focus on much more.


    An enormous creature walked into his view. Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the centaur.


    The lower half of the beast-kin was coated in grey shaggy hair. His upper half was bare-chested, except for two leather straps on his shoulders that were connected to a pair of reins. The centaur was covered in old scars, and his body was gaunt, both upper and lower rib cages were visible underneath the thin skin.


    The centaur¡¯s hair was unkempt as was his unruly beard. His sunken leaf green eyes stared dimly into nothingness. A metal collar was wrapped around his neck.


    A saddle and an assortment of packs covered his lower back. The poacher rummaged through one of the packs and pulled out an apple. He held the fruit up to the centaur who slowly lowered his head and bit into the fruit.


    ¡°Good boy, you waited for me,¡± the poacher patted the centaur¡¯s side.


    What the fuck am I seeing? Stryg squinted. He had never seen a centaur before.


    The poacher turned to the goblin, ¡°Centaur¡¯s old, but he gets the job done. He¡¯s carried me over the entire Ebon Realm for the past twenty years. Old reliable.¡±


    The centaur grunted in approval. The poacher grabbed some rope from another pouch, ¡°Vulture Woods can be quite dangerous, so let¡¯s get out of here quickly, yeah?¡±


    He began tying Stryg up. The goblin tried struggling, but the burst of energy he had when running was nowhere to be found. After tying him, the poacher hauled Stryg up behind the centaur¡¯s saddle, then got up on the saddle himself.


    ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t move too much back there. You¡¯ll fall off,¡± the poacher warned before grabbing the centaur¡¯s reins.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t listening, he was too exhausted to think. He fell asleep without a second thought.

 Chapter 8: City Gates

    Chapter 8: City Gates


    Stryg woke to the smell of burning meat. For a horrifying brief moment he thought the poacher was going to cook him. But his nose picked up on the scent of venison.


    Stryg opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He was lying on the floor. The poacher was sitting next to a small campfire, grilling meat over the open flame. The massive creature he had called a centaur was a few feet away, bent over, grazing on tall grass.


    There was something very wrong here. Stryg could see the blue sky. Not partly covered by rust-red leaves, but the entire sky. He looked all around, there wasn¡¯t a tree in sight.


    ¡°W-where am I?¡± Stryg asked. He tried to move, the ropes held tight.


    ¡°Ah, so you can speak. Good. No point in moving so much, those ropes are made from ivlid weed, not even an orc can break free, much less a goblin.¡±


    The poacher had removed his mask. He had a long narrow jaw, with a thin hook nose. He was bald except for the few grey hairs that stuck out above his ears.


    Stryg stopped struggling as he studied the man. He had his suspicions before based on his height, but now he was certain. This was a human. Stryg had seen one before, though it had been dead. A few hunters had found that human traveling through the forest, before they decided to bring it to the village for dinner.


    ¡°You hit your head pretty bad. You¡¯ve been asleep for two days. The good news is that we¡¯re out of those vile woods and only a day out from Hollow Shade. We¡¯ll be rid of each other soon enough,¡± the poacher said.


    Stryg was silent as he tried to absorb that information. This wasn¡¯t Vulture Woods? He had never been out of the forest, no goblin he knew had. If what the man had said was true, then coupled with the time he had traveled on the quest, he was about nine days of travel from the village.


    How would he get back?


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure if he could make it one day by himself in the woods, let alone nine. He wasn¡¯t even a hunter. To make matters worse he wasn¡¯t sure which direction Vulture Woods was. All he could see was tall grass and hills in the distance all around. The severity of the situation was beginning to settle in. He was irrevocably screwed.


    The poacher got up and rummaged through one of his leather packs. He pulled out a small piece of stale bread and threw it at Stryg. The goblin made no move towards it.


    ¡°Eat up. I need you to look relatively healthy when we get to the city. Can¡¯t have my merchandise looking half-dead,¡± the poacher said.


    ¡°...Merchandise?¡±


    ¡°Accent¡¯s not bad. Clear pronunciation. I bet I could sell you to a family in one of the wealthier districts. Probably an eccentric woman, given that cyan color of yours.¡±


    ¡°Sell me?¡± Stryg was confused. Was the poacher going to sell him to be eaten by another human?


    The man settled back down, ¡°Obviously. Slaves make money. And a man needs to eat.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what, slave? You plan on making me a slave?!¡± Stryg thrashed around as he struggled to break the ropes.


    He needed to get out of here. A pet was one willing to submit to another out of respect to the master, it was a choice. But to be a slave was the greatest shame, it was being forced to submit oneself to another forever.


    You¡¯d never have a chance to fight back for your honor. Stryg had seen other tribes with goblin slaves. They were the bitches of the tribe, to be used in whatever way their masters wished. He wasn¡¯t about to let himself fall to such lows, he¡¯d rather get eaten live by a vulture.


    The poacher laughed, ¡°You still got some energy in you. That¡¯s great.¡±


    Stryg rolled on the ground. The ropes didn¡¯t loosen a bit. He tried tearing them with his claws, but his hands were tied tightly. That didn¡¯t stop him from trying. He toiled for the next hour, yet the ropes proved too durable. He quickly found himself worn out and hungry. So hungry.


    Stryg glanced at the stale bread.


    ¡°Are you done trying to escape? Eat your food and get some rest, we¡¯ll depart in the morning.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun it was only mid afternoon. There were still several hours of daylight left. The poacher noticed his questioning look.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to travel today. We¡¯re too close to the city. I don¡¯t want to be caught that close outside the walls at night. If we start moving in the morning we¡¯ll reach the city a little before sunset. Relax, if I manage to sell you to one of those rich families you¡¯ll have an easy life.¡±


    The poacher shrugged, ¡°Relatively speaking. Now eat, before I make you.¡±


    Stryg recognized the threat, he had been the subject of many like it. The poacher was right, he needed his strength, and a fresh beating wouldn¡¯t help.


    Stryg nibbled on the bread. He hadn¡¯t ever had anything like it. It was hard, without much flavor, but most food he ate was like that. After he finished, he closed his eyes and tried to rest. He would need all the energy he could muster if he was going to escape.


    ~~~


    As night came Stryg opened his eyes to make sure the poacher was asleep. He then began crawling as quietly as possible. His goal was one of the packs the poacher had around him. There had to be a knife in one of them.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± A deep voice said from behind.


    Stryg turned around to see the 7 foot creature.


    The centaur stared down at him, ¡°Master said you are to stay right there.¡±


    Stryg finally understood why the centaur wore the collar. ¡°You¡¯re a slave? Then why aren¡¯t you trying to help me? We can escape together.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The centaur raised one of his front hooves and planted it on top of Stryg, not enough to break a bone, but more than enough to keep him from moving.


    Stryg gasped for breath. The weight was crushing him. Stryg mentally chastised himself.


    The centaur had been with the man for the past twenty years, of course he had already been broken in. Asking for his help had been foolish.


    The centaur¡¯s upper body leaned down, ¡°I am not a slave. I am a beast of burden. I will not be sold off, you will. I matter, you do not.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t respond if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t breathe.


    After a few agonizing moments the centaur lifted his hoof. ¡°Sleep. Now.¡±


    Stryg gasped and sucked in deep breaths of air. His chest felt like it was about to collapse. His lungs burned as they greedily sucked in air. He glared at the strange creature with hate.


    Stryg would kill these two the first chance he got, but first he had to escape. How was he going to get home? What would First Mother and the chief think when they saw him alone without his tribemates and without the cave¡¯s treasure.


    Was there any treasure to begin with? Or had that been another lie from the shaman as well. What could he say to convince the tribe that he was innocent, that it was the shaman¡¯s fault that the others had died. Well, to be fair, Stryg had left them all to die.


    The Blood Fang tribe would call him a coward. They¡¯d exile him at best, eat him at worst. He had to think of a way to convince them otherwise.


    ¡°Sleep,¡± The centaur warned.


    Stryg closed his eyes before another hoof decided to deprive him of air.


    He spent the night trying to move unnoticed, but the centaur and the poacher took shifts watching him. Stryg had failed to do anything by the time the sun rose.


    Stryg sighed, he couldn¡¯t do anything right, as usual. Hell, he hadn¡¯t even been able to run from the cave right. He had been captured so easily and now he was going to be sold as a slave. He always botched everything.


    Stryg shook his head, that wasn¡¯t true. He had killed that snake creature. It was something no other goblin had been capable of. If he could do that, then he could do this, he just had to stay focused. He wouldn¡¯t pity himself. He couldn¡¯t afford to.


    ~~~


    The poacher cleaned up camp in the morning, threw the tied up goblin on the back of his centaur, then rode towards the city.


    Stryg stayed quiet the entire trip, choosing to focus on clawing through the ropes. His fingers were raw and bloody when he finally saw the tall jet black walls in the distance.


    Stryg was dumbstruck, he had never seen such a large structure; the walls stretched past all the way to the horizon. He had heard stories of the Great Cities growing up, but he had never truly grasped their size.


    As they drew closer Stryg noted large symbols drawn into the stone wall.


    The reading was confusing or perhaps it had been written wrong. The words said, ¡°protection of death,¡± not ¡°protection from death.¡±


    A large gate formed at the base of the wall, it didn¡¯t seem carved, but melded into its surface. A statue appeared on either side of the gate. The left statue was of a large skull, while the right depicted the sun with flaming tendrils, both were carved from black marble.


    A crowd of people stood waiting at the gate. The poacher rode up and joined the line. Stryg looked at the strange assortment of creatures nervously. Several centaurs, male and female, waited around with their masters. Some pulled wagons, others carried a single passenger on their back, a pair were even pulling a carriage.


    Many people were on foot, most of them looked human. As for the centaurs¡¯ masters, Stryg had a difficult time recognizing them. Some had slate grey skin, with snow white hair, and blue eyes. They were tall and skinnier for the most part, with sharp ears that pointed upwards, unlike a goblin¡¯s that pointed horizontally.


    Others in line were as short as goblins, with warm beige skin, and dark grey eyes. The men had stocky limbs with long thick beards twisted in elaborate styles and decorated with small shiny stones. The women braided their long hair in a similar style, with silver beads interwoven within. None paid him any mind as they waited to get into the city.


    One centaur caught Stryg¡¯s eyes as she passed him. She had clearly been treated better than the rest. Her long orange hair practically glittered in the setting sun. Her sharp features were covered in expensive makeup and her neck was adorned with the iconic metal collar Stryg had spotted on each centaur, though this collar was attached to a gold necklace that hung beneath it.


    The centaur wore a red embroidered jacket on her upper body that opened wide at the chest, exposing her cleavage. Stryg thought he had seen large breasts before, but centaurs were larger than goblins in all ways, and her bust was clear evidence of that.


    The centaur¡¯s pale skin was unblemished, except for strange pairs of pinprick scars that covered her chest.


    The centaur¡¯s rider was draped in a midnight velvet cloak. Stryg caught sight of twin crimson eyes from beneath the hood. The rider looked down at him and smiled menacingly, revealing two pearl-white fangs. She reached out with pale pudgy hands and pulled on the centaur¡¯s silky hair. The centaur picked up the que and trotted forward.


    The poacher bowed deeply as the wealthy duo trotted by.


    Stryg strangely found himself imagining being in that rider¡¯s place, riding on top of the beautiful creature. Stryg had thought he¡¯d hate all centaurs, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°Show us your name-plate and state your purpose for coming to Hollow Shade.¡±


    The guard¡¯s stoic voice brought Stryg back to reality.


    The guard¡¯s skin was a shade of deep crimson. Coupled with the fangs protruding from his lower lip and orange eyes, Stryg easily recognized what the guard was. He was an orc, an ancient enemy of the goblins.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the poacher nodded.


    He dismounted and pulled out a small rectangular piece of iron, an inch thick. He inserted his name-plate into a small metal cube the guard held.


    The poacher bowed, ¡°I¡¯m here to get my captive a docility collar and hopefully sell him in this wondrous Great City, sir.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face didn¡¯t move a muscle as he stared at the small cube. ¡°Hmm. Your name-plate is in order. The entrance fee is three copper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, sir,¡± the poacher pulled out a few coins from his pocket and handed it to him.


    ¡°Welcome to Hollow Shade, greatest city in the Ebon Realm,¡± the guard said the phrase in a monotone voice. He passed the name-plate back and waved the poacher and his centaur past.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± the poacher bowed to him and the other guards.


    He quickly got back up on his old centaur and went through the gates.


    Stryg watched the entire procession quietly.


    The small blue goblin had thought the walls were amazing, that the crowd outside had seemed as large as his entire tribe, but as he entered Hollow Shade he understood how wrong he had been. Granite buildings lined the streets as far as the eye could see. People of all different shapes and sizes milled through the street, eager to get to their homes after a long day of work.


    ¡°Just a little longer, old boy, we first need to get to the trade district,¡± the poacher patted the tired centaur on the back.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t paying attention to the man''s voice. There were so many people. Most were far taller than him, it¡¯d be easy to get lost among the crowd. He was intimidated at the sheer quantity of city folk, yet he couldn¡¯t let that stop him.


    This was his chance, his last chance to escape. Stryg pulled on the ropes as hard as he could, but they remained firm. His heartbeat quickened, he couldn¡¯t let this be the end. He had so much he wanted to do.


    He had so many dreams; he wanted to be chief of the Blood Fang tribe, he wished to be powerful enough that he¡¯d be respected by all, he wanted to eat delicious food with salt on it and have a tent to call his own. He even wanted those things that the older hunters always muttered about late at night, like dozens of giant barrels of mead, or a bunch of beautiful women, hell maybe even a centaur like the red-head he had just seen. Okay, perhaps the last bit wasn¡¯t as important. But it didn¡¯t matter, more than anything all Stryg wanted was to live.


    He struggled against the bindings. They didn¡¯t budge.


    Stryg was tired of failing, always coming up short no matter what. He pushed his arms apart with all his strength, still the bindings held tight. He screamed in frustration. A surge of heat swept through his arms. The bright yellow rope darkened and frayed.


    The poacher turned around at the sound of the bindings tearing into small threads. It was too late, Stryg had already disappeared within the crowd.

 Chapter 9: The Commoner District

    Chapter 9: The Commoner District


    Stryg twisted between the crowds of Hollow Shade. A few shouted curses at him when he accidentally bumped into them.


    Stryg didn¡¯t care, he didn¡¯t look back, instead he turned a corner whenever he had the chance. He needed to put as much ground between himself and the poacher as possible.


    Stryg paid no mind to the strange beings he passed by, he just kept running. After about half-an-hour he stopped running. He hoped it had been enough, because now his lungs were killing him, and he didn¡¯t think he could run much more.


    Stryg stared at his hands. They felt red-hot, as if someone had lit a fire within them. He expected his skin to melt off at any moment, but they simply looked their ordinary shade of blue, no sign of burn marks, not even a drop of sweat.


    Stryg recalled when the searing sensation had begun. He had been trying to break through the ropes, when they suddenly darkened and broke apart like fragile reeds.


    It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, but here he was. If the mother moon hadn¡¯t blessed him, which she clearly hadn¡¯t based on his strange appearance and weak constitution, then there was only one logical answer. Was it magic? Could he be a shaman? Stryg recalled his ability to see in the dark when he had been in that damned cave. His enhanced sight hadn¡¯t left him ever since. He could still see everything in the dark with perfect clarity.


    It really seemed like magic, though Stryg had to admit he didn¡¯t know much about magic in the first place.


    But, wait, weren¡¯t shaman¡¯s chosen by Lunae herself? There was no way he¡¯d be chosen, especially after he had abandoned his tribemates. He thought of Crovor¡¯s final words, of how he¡¯d taken away Stryg¡¯s last hopes of having a place within the tribe, how his destiny of being the tribe¡¯s champion had been a lie.


    Hell, Stryg was basically an exile at this point.


    He shook his head, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. He had to stay positive, there had to be a way to get back in the good graces of the village. After all, he was a goblin of the Blood Fang tribe. He¡¯d figure out a way to escape this place and get home.


    For now, Stryg was in a new land. He needed to be as sharp as a hunter. He rested his hands on his knees and scanned the area.


    He had been running for quite some time. Unlike the stone houses near the gate, the buildings around here were made of wood.


    While buildings in both places were only a single story tall, the wooden houses here had fared worse, the logs were decrepit. Rain and wind had clearly done their worst, the wood was bleached and small cavities poked out through some. Even the people who milled about seemed to have known better days.


    When Stryg had entered the city he had assumed that most of the inhabitants were covered with layers of lavish clothes and shiny metal trinkets. But the people who walked past him now were dressed in simple woolen spun clothes.


    They must have been the weaker members of their tribes. Gatherers and builders probably, Stryg guessed. From the sorry state of the houses, they seemed to be pretty lousy builders. The Blood Fang¡¯s village mainly consisted of tents, but the few wooden structures they had were made of strong healthy timber and designed to hold against any storm that flew past Vulture Woods.


    The buildings here seemed to have so many cracks riddled all over them that rain would easily get inside. These people were in dire need of goblin carpentry.


    Stryg spotted three humans walking towards him. Two boys and a girl, roughly around his age, he guessed from the stubble growing on the boys.


    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of their age. Male goblins usually had facial hair by the time they reached adulthood, but Stryg¡¯s own face was bereft of hair, another oddity he had among the tribe. Not to mention, he wasn¡¯t sure if humans aged like goblins. For all he knew they could be forty years old or five. Their clothes were even shabbier than the average passerby, with torn holes throughout the fabric. Their hair was also a mess of unkempt mottled browns.


    The first boy sneered, ¡°Who do we have here? A nasty goblin?¡±


    ¡°Ew, I bet he has warts all over,¡± the second boy snickered.


    Stryg glanced at his muddy hide shirt and pants. It was true he hadn¡¯t been able to take a shower in over a week. That wasn¡¯t very strange was it? No one wanted to take baths in cold rivers often. But warts? He had only ever known one goblin with warts and they had killed him before it could spread to the rest. Diseases of any sort were not tolerated in any tribe.


    Stryg was confused. Did they think he was sick?


    ¡°He looks different than others I¡¯ve seen,¡± the girl pointed at him, as if studying a new fascinating animal.


    ¡°You mean ugly,¡± the first boy laughed.


    Ah, insults, Stryg thought.


    He should have expected humans to insult differently. He was in a new land, the terrain may have been different, but it was still like the forest. You had to be quick or else you¡¯d get eaten by the largest predator.


    Stryg was tired, but he couldn¡¯t show weakness in front of an enemy. There were three of them and they were all two feet taller than him. The odds were stacked against him. He needed to act calm and run at the first chance he got.


    The first boy drew closer, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Too dumb to talk?¡±


    The girl pulled on the boy¡¯s tattered sleeve, ¡°Dan, the sun¡¯s setting. Everyone¡¯s already gone into their homes. We should get out of here before we get caught.¡±


    ¡°Relax, Lily, we still have time.¡±


    Stryg bolted away as soon as they looked at each other.


    ¡°Hey get back here, you freak!¡±


    Stryg focused on keeping one foot in front of the other. He had been running too much these past few days, his leg muscles were spasming in pain.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The crowds had dispersed and the streets were empty. There was nowhere for Stryg to hide. He took a turn and glanced behind. The three humans were still chasing him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed under his breath.


    They were fast. Or maybe he was just slowing down, he couldn¡¯t tell. They were gaining on him, only half a dozen feet now. He swung into an alleyway only to be met with a stone wall. A dead end.


    ¡°Where are you going in such a rush?¡± Dan laughed.


    The three of them had blocked the exit and began drawing closer.


    Stryg backed up, his eyes glanced at the houses next to the alley. They were made of wood, similar enough to the trees back home. He could climb them. But could the humans follow? Were they fast enough?


    ¡°Give us any money you got,¡± Dan threatened.


    ¡°Money?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    They didn¡¯t want to kill him? They wanted money? Like the coins the poacher had? What was he supposed to say to humans in this kind of situation?


    The only human Stryg knew was the poacher who had ignored him for the most part, and forced him to eat some food, and then sleep the rest of the time. Not very helpful.


    Stryg had to think quickly. They wanted money, like the brown coins the poacher had given to the guard. Copper was it called? Think! What should he say?


    ¡°...I don¡¯t have any?¡± Stryg smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Liar! Grab his arms!¡±


    And that was clearly the wrong thing to say, Stryg grimaced. He should have said he had money, lots of it. Now they were going to kill him.


    The rattling of chains echoed through the alley. The humans froze, the blood draining from their faces. They turned to run, but two figures stood in the way. They wore black cloaks and their faces were shrouded by solid steel masks with no eye sockets. Their hands, covered in dull grey gauntlets, held a long metal chain that dangled on the floor.


    ¡°I-I t-told you,¡± Lily whispered in fear.


    Dan pushed Lily away and ran past the cloaked figures. The metal chain whipped by, smashing into the back of his head. His neck cracked at the force of the blow. Dan fell to the ground, blood pooling around his head. Lily screamed in terror.


    The other boy tackled one of the cloaked men to the ground.


    Stryg carefully watched from the dark corner of the alley. These new predators were clearly higher up in the food chain.


    The remaining boy punched the masked man, who made no effort to block. Instead, its hands reached out and grabbed the boy''s face. The boy shouted as the metal gauntlets squeezed down into his eye sockets.


    The other cloaked figure flicked his chain across Lily¡¯s hip. An audible crack of bone resounded as she fell to the floor screaming. The masked man slowly turned to the end of the alley. But Stryg had seen enough, he had already climbed to the top of the house and darted away. His perfect night vision aided him as he jumped from one roof tile to another.


    Once he couldn¡¯t hear the cries of Lily anymore he stopped and laid flat on a rooftop. He sucked in deep breaths of air and tried to catch his breath. His body felt heavy and rigid as stone. He wasn¡¯t sure he could get up from here. Honestly, he was surprised he had lasted as long as he had. His stamina was normally never this extensive, then again he normally wasn¡¯t running for his life either. He stared at his arms, they were finally cooling down a bit.


    Stryg heard the rattle of chains in the distance once again. He ducked his head and dragged his body forward until he could barely peer past the roof¡¯s edge. To his dismay he saw dozens of cloaked figures patrolling the empty streets. They each moved in pairs, skulking through the neighborhood for more prey.


    Stryg backed away and waited without making a sound. He hoped they¡¯d leave soon... They didn¡¯t.


    The evening air was frigid. Stryg¡¯s scrapes stung, but his weariness was greater and he fell asleep partway through the night. He woke up before dawn, as usual. The masked men left as the sun began to rise. Stryg wasn¡¯t sure where they went.


    In the morning light people began to leave their houses and mill about the streets once more. They all seemed so busy, filled with purpose. Stryg wondered if they were hunters. He hadn¡¯t noticed any fauna since he had arrived though. Perhaps they were hiding, but there were no trees either.


    Everything was so strange here. Even the few goblins he had spotted seemed strange, which was ridiculous coming from him. Still, Stryg didn¡¯t know any other way to describe it. The goblins he saw were sweeping the streets or doing other menial jobs for others.


    Stryg expected humans to work such jobs and some did. It seemed odd for goblins to do the same. Goblins were a proud warrior species, they weren¡¯t supposed to serve others. Stryg would have thought they were some kind of slaves, but they had no collar. They must be weak, the betas of their tribes, he judged.


    His eyes caught a comfortingly familiar sight, however. A pair of goblins were beating up on a human in an alleyway.


    They must be hunters going in for a kill, he guessed.


    Stryg¡¯s stomach grumbled, he had barely eaten anything in the past few days. He really wasn¡¯t a fan of the taste of human flesh, but at this point he could go for anything.


    Stryg climbed down from the roof. He almost slipped and fell as pain shot through his sore legs. He hadn¡¯t had enough rest. All the more reason why his next course of action was clear.


    Stryg made his way to the goblin pair in the alleyway.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Stryg cleared his throat.


    He stood a respectable few feet behind the goblins. He didn¡¯t want them to think he was going to try to steal their food.


    The goblins stopped kicking the human and reared their yellow eyes towards him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± One of the goblins asked.


    Stryg straightened his back and spoke as firm as his tired voice could muster, ¡°I am Stryg of Blood Fang! And I wish to join your tribe, temporarily. I am skilled in the way of the spear and hand-to-hand combat. I believe I would prove an excellent hunter in your ranks.¡±


    Stryg actually did know how to use the spear. Of course he wasn¡¯t technically excellent hunter material, but he had to embellish. He needed to join their tribe to survive. At least long enough to prepare for the long journey home.


    The goblins stared at him, they wrinkled their brow and tilted their heads.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m also good at reading and writing ¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s voice grew quieter as he spoke, ending in an almost inaudible whisper.


    ¡°I think he wants to join our gang, Jax,¡± said one of the goblins.


    Gang? Is that what they called tribes here?


    ¡°Uh, yes! I would like to join your gang,¡± Stryg adjusted his vocabulary quickly. He was getting good at this.


    Jax glanced at his friend, ¡°What do you think, Leroy? He looks a bit off to me.¡±


    Leroy raised his hands, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the boss. But please, whatever you decide, can we be quick? I don¡¯t want the guards to catch us with this guy.¡±


    Leroy kicked the human on the floor. The man twitched. Stryg was surprised he was still alive.


    Jax rubbed his chin in thought, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a blue one of us, huh¡­ Alright, you can join us, but first you¡¯re gonna have to prove yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Stryg nodded eagerly.


    An initiation challenge was always expected when joining a new tribe. You had to prove your strength, after all.


    Stryg may have failed his first night challenge, but this was different. This wasn¡¯t to impress a girl or to prove his honor, this was survival. If he didn¡¯t manage to win here, he¡¯d never get into their tribe. He would probably end up starving to death quickly.


    Stryg took a deep breath, rolled his neck, and wiggled his shoulders.


    ¡°It is my honor to fight the chieftain himself. I will do my best,¡± Stryg bared his teeth.


    ¡°Wait. What?¡± Jax took a step back.


    Stryg rushed him and swung his fist in a right hook. Jax¡¯s eyes widened as he barely managed to duck, but Stryg was prepared. He slammed his knee into Jax¡¯s waiting face. This chieftain was slower than Stryg had expected.


    ¡°Ah, fuck! Fuck!¡± Jax tumbled to the floor as he held his face, blood dribbling from between his hands.


    ¡°Jax! Are you okay!¡± Leroy grabbed him by the shoulder.


    ¡°The motherfucker broke my nose! Shit, it hurts!¡±


    ¡°You piece of shit, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Leroy turned to Stryg and pulled out a knife.


    ¡°Huh? Eh, eh?¡± Stryg didn¡¯t understand. All he knew was that he really was running away too much.

 Chapter 10: Any other Questions?

    Chapter 10: Any other Questions?


    Karen brushed past an orc as she strode through the streets of the commoner district.


    ¡°Watch it, midget.¡±


    Karen bowed her head in apology and the orc left it at that.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± she muttered and kept walking past the morning crowds.


    The Commoner District was overcrowded by people trying to make a simple living while avoiding the dangers that lurked outside the walls of Hollow Shade. Cost of housing was expensive enough, coupled with the nameplate annual taxing, most commoners were barely making ends meet.


    Everyone was in a rush. The majority were headed towards one job or another, some jobs were in the Commoner District, others in the Trade District. They didn¡¯t have time to spare, most businesses didn¡¯t condone tardiness. After all, there were plenty of others ready to take the employee¡¯s job. Which meant they wouldn¡¯t bother wasting time when bumping into a goblin like Karen.


    She smiled as she jiggled the orc¡¯s coin purse in her hand. Pickpocketing the orc had been too easy. A little bump, a small apology, and none were the wiser of Karen¡¯s theft.


    Unfortunately, the purse only held a few copper coins. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Karen had hoped for a silver coin, but expected as much.


    She dreamed of the day when she could make enough money to enter one of the four prestigious academies. The business academy would be the easiest to get into, since the only requirement was tuition. Karen didn¡¯t have the family connections to get into the civics academy. And like the majority of people, she hadn¡¯t shown the gift of magic, so the mage academy would never be an option. As a goblin, her physical abilities would never be enough to allow entrance into the martial academy either.


    Like dwarves, goblins were short and at a disadvantage in terms of weapon range and speed compared to other species. Unlike dwarves however, goblins weren¡¯t overly strong for their size. In other words, her prospects were slim.


    Karen¡¯s head shot up as a goblin dashed by. She barely managed to catch a glimpse of his silver hair as he passed through the crowd.


    ¡°...Who the hell?¡± Karen murmured.


    She had never seen a goblin run that fast. Another goblin followed in his footsteps a few seconds later.


    ¡°Leroy?¡± Karen questioned.


    ¡°Karen?¡± Leeroy wheezed.


    His face was flushed and he was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Did you see *huff* where that fucker went? Goblin, *huff* bluish skin, grey hair. Oh gods, my legs are killing me.¡±


    ¡°Um, I think he went that way. Are you okay? What¡¯s going on? Who was that?¡± Karen asked.


    Leroy took a few moments to catch his breath before answering, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He had a weird name. Twig, or something. I think he¡¯s from a rival gang. He broke Jax¡¯s nose and then ran.¡±


    ¡°What? Is Jax okay!?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a broken nose, how can he be okay? I was chasing after the bastard who did it, but he¡¯s too fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw. It¡¯s like he was half vampire or something.¡±


    Leroy choked out a laugh, ¡°Have you ever seen a vampire talk to a goblin when it didn¡¯t involve giving them one of us some kind of order? Those conceited bastards would never share a bed with a goblin. Not that I¡¯d want them to either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess not¡­¡±


    ¡°I better get going. I gotta go check on Jax. I¡¯ll look for that Twig bastard later. Keep an eye out for him will you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Karen glanced at the bustling crowd.


    She was curious about the mysterious goblin.


    ~~~


    Stryg surveyed his surroundings. People still milled about the cobblestone road, though there were far fewer than in the morning. He was pretty sure he had finally managed to get away from his attacker.


    ¡°Aghhh, dammit!¡± He ran his hands through his silver hair.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure where he had gone wrong. He thought he had done well in the initiation fight. Maybe the chief was simply angered because he lost? It wasn¡¯t Stryg¡¯s fault that their chief was feeble. If that was the best they had to offer then Stryg had to conclude that city goblins were just too weak. The lack of wolves, dire bears, and other fauna had clearly made them complacent.


    Stryg¡¯s jaw went slack, a chubby goblin walked by. They had fat goblins too! What kind of shoddy training would allow such a thing!? And where the hell did they have enough food to even gain that much weight? As if responding, Stryg¡¯s stomach growled.


    He had gone a long time without food before, but never after expending so much energy repeatedly. He needed to eat something, but there was no food around. He briefly thought of attacking one of the pedestrians and eating them, but he wasn¡¯t much of a fan of eating others. They didn¡¯t taste very good. Not to mention he didn¡¯t have enough energy to run, let alone fight.


    Maybe he could break into one of the houses and grab their food? Though, it was still daylight, onlookers would notice. He sighed, nothing was going as planned.


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe I actually found you. Today really is my lucky day.¡±


    Stryg took a step back as he eyed the cute stranger. She wore a white cotton shirt, a blue skirt, and her black hair was tied in a ponytail.


    She smiled, ¡°My name¡¯s Karen. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°...Stryg. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Just another commoner trying to get by. I saw you running earlier,¡± she pointed a thumb behind her.


    Stryg took two paces back.


    ¡°Hey, how did you get so fast? Why is your hair grey? Are you old? You don¡¯t look old. Woah, your eyes are purple, I¡¯ve never seen that before.¡±


    Who was this girl? Was she an enemy? If so, he was too tired to fight back. Maybe he could scare her? No, he was too skinny and short for that.


    ¡°Not much of a talker huh?¡± Karen asked.


    Stryg¡¯s stomach growled in response.


    She grinned, ¡°Well, how about we make a deal? You answer my questions and I¡¯ll buy you dinner. How does that sound?¡±


    The promise of food was tempting, but he was still cautious. ¡°I only have to answer your questions?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± she nodded. ¡°And follow me.¡±


    ¡°Follow you? Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°How else are we going to get dinner? I can¡¯t buy food here, now can I?¡±


    ¡°Um, no?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± she walked away, not even bothering to check if he was following.


    ¡°Wait. Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The trade district, of course,¡± she kept walking.


    Stryg reluctantly followed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    She glanced at him, her eyes narrowed, ¡°You¡¯re not from around here are you?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m scouting for my tribe.¡± He lied.


    She raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you¡¯re a spy from one of the valley tribes?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m from the Blood Fang tribe.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of them. Are they new to Dusk Valley?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re from Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that place like super dangerous? I didn¡¯t know there were any tribes over there. You must be super far from home, huh?¡±


    Stryg lowered his head, ¡°Not really.¡±


    He felt disheartened as he mumbled the words.


    ¡°How did your parents let you travel so far by yourself?¡± Karen asked.


    Stryg looked at her as if she had bumped her head, ¡°Goblins don¡¯t have parents.¡±


    She returned the look, ¡°Everyone has parents. ...It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, there are a lot of orphans here.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°No, I mean¡­ Ugh, of course I technically have parents, but goblins aren¡¯t raised by their parents.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean they aren¡¯t raised by their parents? Who raises them then? Cats?¡± Karen giggled.


    ¡°No, the Mothers do, of course.¡±


    ¡°I thought you just said you weren¡¯t raised by your parents. Just because you have two moms doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not your parents.¡±


    ¡°What? No. I mean, the Mothers. Mothers of the tribe. You know, the most talented, beautiful, and skilled women chosen from among the tribe to raise the next generation. They don¡¯t ever have children of their own, because they are too busy training the next generation to be warriors¡­ Why are you laughing?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Karen chuckled.


    ¡°Are you seriously telling me you¡¯ve never heard of the Mothers?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone who has ever heard of what you''re talking about. Okay, so let me get this straight. These Mothers of yours, clothed and fed you, raised you, and then taught you how to fight?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t clothe us. The tanners handled making us clothes, while the cooks prepared the food. The builders took care of sheltering us with tents. The Mothers taught us the rules and ways of the tribe, and taught us how to fight. More like beat it into us, actually.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, that¡¯s...those, aren¡¯t parents.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, goblins don¡¯t have parents.¡±


    ¡°Well, all the goblins I know have actual parents, at least at some point in time. I have a mom and dad.¡±


    ¡°Then your tribe is an oddity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a part of a tribe and your tribe is clearly the weird one.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°All the goblin tribes I know have Mothers. Wait, you¡¯re tribeless. An exile?¡±


    She was like him? An exile?


    Karen giggled, ¡°What? I think you¡¯re confused. First of all, the only tribes that exist in Dusk Valley are the valley tribes, led by roaming warlords who raid outside the city and they¡¯re not made up of only one kind of species, like a goblin tribe or whatever. Second of all, no one in the city is in any kind of tribe, although some do belong to powerful aristocratic Houses. Lastly, the only kind of exiles are the ones banished from the city of Hollow Shade and as you can see we¡¯re both still here.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, he had a hard time understanding. ¡°But... I thought the Great Cities were built by tribes making alliances with each other? Isn¡¯t that why all these species aren¡¯t killing each other?¡±


    Stryg pointed his finger at people walking past. They gave him strange looks.


    Karen shook her head, ¡°Maybe it was like that in the other three Great Cities, I don¡¯t know. But here in Hollow Shade we are all trying to get by, every species alike. People still get into fights, of course, sometimes based on their species, but more likely because of money.¡±


    ¡°Money?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    There was the word again. Money¡­ As if it somehow was more important than just being a piece of metal.


    Karen laughed, ¡°Yeah, money. Life here isn¡¯t cheap. Just because we¡¯re safe behind the city¡¯s walls, doesn¡¯t mean life isn¡¯t rough. Well, except for aristocrats, those guys have it good.¡±


    Stryg crossed his arms in thought. So people lived here together without fighting each other, because they just wanted to? What about food? Wouldn¡¯t they fight over food? There surely wasn¡¯t enough to feed everyone, especially since there were no animals in sight.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, the Trade District.¡±


    Karen¡¯s words broke him from his thoughts.


    They stood in front of a tall cobblestone bridge. A large river rushed beneath. Past the bridge lay a sprawl of stalls and shops.


    As he walked over, Stryg noted there were far more guards stationed here. A cacophony of shouts promising the best of one product or another echoed throughout the district.


    He felt overrun by the noise.


    Karen laughed as she saw his face pale. ¡°Come on, I know a great stall that sells amazing chicken dumplings.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what chicken or dumplings were, but he was hungry enough to eat anything at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯ve basically spent half my time answering your questions. You better answer my questions now, if you want me to hold up my end of the deal.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I just turned eighteen a little over a week ago.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re only a little younger than me. I thought you were like fourteen or something.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± He regretted asking as soon as the word left his lips.


    ¡°You know ¡®cause, there isn¡¯t a single hair on your cheek and you¡¯re kind of, um, short for your age?¡± She winced in sympathy.


    There was no need though. He knew what she¡¯d say. He was used to such remarks.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°My skin is also blue, my hair is grey, and I have lilac colored eyes too.¡±


    He laughed, bitterness creeping into his voice, ¡°I know I look different... a freak of nature.¡±


    It was the whole reason why he had landed in this awful predicament in the first place. Had he been like the other goblins, perhaps he could have been in his own tent by now, sleeping next to Bril or somebody. Oh, wait, Bril was dead, the snake lady had seen to that. Definitely someone else then.


    He sighed, ¡°Any other questions?¡±

 Chapter 11: All Alone

    Chapter 11: All Alone


    Karen studied the strange goblin¡¯s features. It was different for sure, but she¡¯d never think it belonged to a freak. In fact, she¡¯d say he was quite handsome, in an exotic kind of way. But it was his eyes that really caught her attention. The lilac irises enveloping the vertical slit pupil. His pupils were always contracted to thin lines, as if prepared to fight at any moment, perhaps he was. But it was something that laid deeper within that drew her attention. It was raw, untainted, pure. It was pain.


    ¡°I like your eyes, I think they¡¯re pretty.¡±


    Stryg''s eyes widened at the compliment. No one had said that before. For a brief moment she saw his pupils form into an oval.


    She looked away, flustered, ¡°You know, like a girl. I mean, you¡¯re as short as a girl, and you have no facial hair. I think you might be able to pull it off.¡±


    His pupils reverted to slits, ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    Did she want to fight, he wondered? Did he have the energy to? His muscles still ached every step he took.


    She pulled her head back, scrunched her eyebrows, and made a half smile, ¡°Relax, it''s just a joke.¡±


    ¡°...Hm.¡± He backed down.


    ¡°I do like your eyes though.¡±


    She reached over to slap his shoulder playfully. But the moment was gone. Stryg stepped away. Karen lowered her hand.


    She opted to change the topic. ¡°Hey, how did you get so fast?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This morning, I saw you running. I¡¯ve never seen a goblin run that fast.¡±


    He gritted his teeth. Fast? Who was she kidding? He was one of the slowest in the entire tribe. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. I saw it for myself. You ran like a vampire, it was pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you saw. Last I checked I got last place in most of my tribe''s races.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. You¡¯re saying that people in your Blood Tooth tribe-¡±


    ¡°Blood Fang tribe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever, you''re saying that your tribe has a lot of people faster than you?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I call bullshit. Unless you guys have some secret magic technique to make you as fast as vampires.¡±


    Vampires? What exactly were they anyway? he thought.


    ¡°Most of them are faster than me and there¡¯s no magic technique,¡± he said. ¡°We just train everyday in order to survive in the forest.¡±


    He looked at the abundance of food on display throughout the stands. ¡°But, I guess you guys don¡¯t need to. You¡¯ve all just gotten fat and slow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, now you¡¯re mocking me,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who thinks I¡¯m fast.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    She doubted he was considered slow among his tribe. Sure, most people here didn¡¯t train everyday in the wilds, after all they lived in a damn city. But even if they had, she¡¯d doubt they could come close to his speed. He was just lying about his agility.


    She suddenly recalled how he had looked when he admitted to being a freak. Perhaps he didn¡¯t see it that way.


    She paused in her steps. ¡°Why were you running anyway?¡±


    ¡°...I failed to join a tribe. Or gang as they called it here. What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Karen was confused. He wanted to join Jax¡¯s gang? Then why did he break his nose? ¡°Gangs are just groups people make up to get some things done is all. You shouldn¡¯t join any¡­ they¡¯re not very good people.¡±


    ¡°Is it because they¡¯re weak?¡±


    She gripped her skirt, ¡°No, it''s because they¡¯re criminals. Sometimes innocent people just get caught up with them, because they have no choice. But gangsters are bad people. They beat others up who are weaker than them and take their belongings. Simply put, they bully the weak. ¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty good to me.¡±


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s literally the meaning of a bad person.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s the right of the strong to take what they want. If someone¡¯s weak they should expect to bow to the strong, anything else would be strange.¡±


    ¡°What in all the Realms are you talking about? So, if you¡¯re weak you should just roll over and be someone else''s bitch?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he looked at his hands, ¡°I¡¯m saying if you¡¯re weak you should strive to get strong. And if you can¡¯t, then you should roll over and be someone else¡¯s bitch.¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone do that?¡±


    ¡°The weak need the strong to survive,¡± he said. ¡°The strong have a right to what they want, that¡¯s just the way it is. The law of nature. If the weak try to resist they simply get crushed.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe that¡¯s the way it is where you came from but here-¡±


    ¡°Is it different here?¡± he asked, surprised.


    So many things were different in the city. Perhaps he¡¯d have a better chance in this place.


    Karen thought of the powerful Houses who lived in the Villa District, the lords and ladies who ruled this city. She thought of the poor populace who had to obey them, lest they be enslaved, or worse, sent outside the walls to become fodder for the shades.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Karen frowned, ¡°...No, I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see¡­¡±


    Stryg nodded to himself, of course things weren¡¯t different. The world was cruel no matter where you went.


    ¡°Even if this place has its problems it doesn¡¯t mean it should,¡± Karen said. ¡°People don¡¯t like the way things are here. Someone has to do something. Someday, someone will, hopefully.¡±


    ¡°Someone once told me that it doesn¡¯t matter what others think, if they can¡¯t stop you, then they don¡¯t matter. You take what you want. Who cares what the weak want.¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds like a tyrant,¡± she said with a stony face.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think of him, or what anyone thinks for that matter. He got what he wanted.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? So, what happened to this powerful tyrant? He become the leader of your tribe or something?¡±


    ¡°No, he died.¡±


    ¡°Nice, ~so powerful~¡± Karen rolled her eyes.


    Stryg ignored her. ¡°But while he was alive he got what he desired, surprisingly. He just wasn¡¯t strong enough, so he got killed. No one was strong enough to survive what we faced...¡±


    Stryg had simply been able to escape. He had left Ostroz and the rest behind to die. Because he had been too weak to help them. He wasn¡¯t the moon¡¯s chosen one. He was just some random goblin who had gotten lucky under the circumstances. He hated the shaman, but the guilt of abandoning the rest still weighed on his mind.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad one more bully is dead. The world could use less of those.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t a bully, but he was cruel and merciless to those he fought. All goblins compete to be the strongest. The goal is to make others submit to you, to make them acknowledge you as the strongest. That is our way.¡±


    ¡°What a charming tribe you got going there,¡± she said sarcastically.


    ¡°Yeah, it was great,¡± he sighed reminiscently.


    He missed home, too bad he was an exile hundreds of miles from the village. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that he had been nice to me when he didn¡¯t have to be. When he wasn¡¯t expected to be.¡±


    Karen blinked, ¡°Oh. He was your friend... I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t my friend. He was a bastard, honorless. He was just a little better than the others, I guess. Besides, goblins don¡¯t have friends. We¡¯re all in a battle to see who is the strongest. To see who rules over the rest. There is no room for friends.¡±


    Stryg frowned. How could she not understand that? The world was cruel and the only way to survive was being crueler. At least, that¡¯s what the Mothers had taught him.


    Karen smiled softly, ¡°Everyone needs a friend. Even a power hungry, possibly sadistic, goblin.¡±


    He stared at her, then shook his head, ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is it,¡± she pointed at a food stall.


    He looked at the small sign hanging above the stall, ¡°Fiery Chicken, huh?¡±


    ¡°How did you know the stall¡¯s name? Wait, you can read!?¡±


    He shrank back, ¡°Yeah, not great I know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean not great? Do you know how many people would kill to get a chance to learn how to read?¡±


    He rolled his eyes, ¡°Yeah, sure. And I¡¯d love to learn how to dance like a vulture.¡±


    What is wrong with this guy? Karen thought, exasperated.


    Stryg glanced at the woman standing behind the stall, ¡°So, what do we do now? Small woman, where is the food?¡±


    There was no food on the stall¡¯s table, only circular wooden boxes.


    ¡°Dwarf,¡± the woman glared at him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a dwarf, you imbecile.¡±


    Stryg hissed. The dwarf raised a wooden spoon.


    Karen stepped in between the two. ¡°Sorry, Agatha. He¡¯s new to Hollow Shade. I don¡¯t think he knows any dwarves.¡±


    Karen dropped a couple of copper coins on the table. ¡°Two servings of chicken dumplings please.¡±


    Agatha eyed the two goblins, but swiped the coins up anyway. ¡°You better teach him some manners, or I¡¯ll whoop him black and more blue then he already is.¡±


    Karen bowed her head, ¡°Sorry, will do.¡±


    Stryg saw her bow of submission. This dwarf was stronger than her. Karen was trying to protect him. He decided to let the insult go, he simply wasn¡¯t sure how strong this dwarf was.


    Agatha opened the wooden box and pulled out a couple of large dumplings. She handed one to each of them. Stryg watched the exchange with great care. So, it was a bartering system, he surmised. The coins were given in exchange for food and entrance to the city. He had heard as much from a few goblins in the tribe, but he was pleased he could now confirm the stories.


    ¡°Thank you Agatha,¡± Karen smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Now be sure to stay out of trouble.¡± She glanced at Stryg, ¡°Especially with that one. Oh, and make sure to say hi to your folks for me.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± Karen was filled with guilt as she nodded. She was dating a gangster and was a pickpocket, it was a little late for staying out of trouble.


    Stryg took a tentative bite from the steaming dumpling. He had never tasted something so good. The flavors practically exploded in his mouth. There was definitely salt in here, but there were so many other flavors as well. What was this incredible delicacy? He scarfed the food down in the blink of an eye. Was this food some kind of magic? He felt like life was returning to his deadened limbs.


    Karen glanced at Stryg, he was salivating at her dumping. She laughed, ¡°You can have it. I can eat something later at my house.¡±


    Stryg grabbed the dumpling before she finished talking.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Karen smirked.


    Stryg devoured the dumpling, ¡°I¡¯ve never had something this good. What is it called again?¡±


    ¡°Chicken dumplings. Yeah, Agatha makes the best dumplings around.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I got a chance to try some. When I didn¡¯t see any food on the stall I thought we might have to eat the small woman.¡±


    Karen chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous you know that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought it¡¯d be hard to kill her with so many people around. I¡¯m happy we didn¡¯t. Now I can go back and eat more of her dumplings later.¡±


    Karen¡¯s smile fell, ¡°What? You¡¯re not serious right?¡±


    He blinked at her innocently. It was a desperate move he admitted. He didn¡¯t like eating goblins anyway, dwarves probably didn¡¯t taste much better.


    Karen laughed awkwardly, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get something to drink at least. There¡¯s a shop right around the corner that sells sweet milk.¡±


    ¡°Sweet milk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know? Milk with some sugar, usually an extra flavor added too. Ring a bell? No? Well, don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    If the dumplings tasted this good, Stryg could only imagine how tasty this milk could be.


    ¡°Karen?¡± A voice called out.


    Karen froze. ¡°Oh no,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg¡¯s thoughts of food vanished as he saw Jax standing in front of them. He wasn¡¯t alone. Leroy and five other goblins stood behind him.


    ¡°You really found him, Karen! Well done,¡± Leroy said.


    Stryg looked at Karen in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple, idiot. My girlfriend found you and brought you to me.¡± Jax tried to smile through his bandaged face, but failed as he winced in pain.


    Karen looked horrified, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I swear I didn¡¯t know they would be here!¡± She tried reaching out for Stryg, but he jumped back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to him,¡± Jax said. ¡°Get behind me Karen. He¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Stryg hissed at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a freak,¡± Jax sneered.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± Karen said. ¡°He¡¯s my friend! Stryg, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.¡±


    Stryg was a moron. How could he have been so trusting? His exhaustion and hunger had clouded his mind. The goblins had already begun to surround him. His back was to a wall, Karen had played him for a fool, and he was the idiot who had fallen for the trap.


    ¡°Leroy,¡± Jax commanded.


    ¡°On it,¡± Leroy grabbed Karen from behind her waist and pulled her away.


    ¡°Let go of me, Leroy! Run, Stryg! Run!¡± Karen cried out as she thrashed around.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, freak,¡± Jax pulled out a knife and pointed it at Stryg. ¡°You¡¯re all alone now, your gang isn¡¯t here to save you.¡±

 Chapter 12: How Fascinating

    Chapter 12: How Fascinating


    Stryg raised his hands and flexed his fingers, flashing his grey claws. He tried taking in the details of his enemies. There were eight goblins total. The one called Leroy was holding a struggling Karen, so that was two down for now. Four others held knives. Strangely, all of them had their claws shaved down. Fools, why get rid of one¡¯s natural weapon?


    They began to close in on him. The food Stryg ate had only replenished a small portion of his energy. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to fight them all. He hoped they were all as skilled as Jax, he might have a small chance of running then.


    The first one screamed as he charged low, knife held in both hands in a thrust. Stryg sidestepped him at the last moment, slamming an elbow into the attacker¡¯s temple. Two others tackled Stryg to the ground, before he had a chance to recover. Stryg raked his claws at their chests as they tried to pin him. They yelled in pain as fresh inch-deep gashes stretched across their skin.


    Stryg kicked them off and scrambled to get up. A knife slashed across his shoulder. He shouted in pain. A fist connected against his jaw. Stryg fell to the ground with a dull thud. Taste of iron filled his mouth as two of the thugs hauled him up and pinned his arms to the wall.


    His vision blurred and his ears were ringing. Karen was shouting something he couldn¡¯t quite make out. Jax stood in front of him.


    ¡°You think you can just walk into my turf, break my nose, and run away scot-free?¡± Jax glared and leaned into Stryg¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, bastard, but once I¡¯m done carving up your face, you¡¯ll be singing like a pig.¡±


    Stryg watched dimly as the serrated edge of Jax¡¯s knife neared his face. Stryg¡¯s head felt stuffy. He was really going to die here. Fear coiled around him, like an old friend.


    He had been a fool for following Karen. Gullible for believing he had been something special, when the shaman had promised him a great destiny. Naive enough to hope he could be strong and win the respect of the tribe. He thought he could be a giant, but he had just been another small goblin, about to be gutted like a fish.


    He was scared. Terror beat at his heart. But it was the anger that boiled within the pit of his stomach that rushed forth. Pure unadulterated hate for the ones he saw. Everyone who had seen him as less, for being different. A freak.


    Stryg¡¯s neck sprung forward, his mouth opened wide and gripped onto Jax¡¯s face. His fangs pierced through the bandages and sunk into Jax¡¯s nose. Stryg bit down with all the force he could muster and ripped away. A hoarse scream escaped Jax¡¯s disfigured face as he recoiled back in agony.


    Stryg spat the remains of the nose into the face of one the goblins who held his arms down. The goblin flinched. It was enough. Stryg pulled his arm from underneath and slashed his claws through the goblin¡¯s open throat. The thug fell to the floor as he clutched his bleeding neck.


    Another swung a knife at Stryg¡¯s chest. He twisted away as best he could, the knife nicking him on the ribs. With his free hand Stryg sank his claws into the face of the next goblin who pinned his other arm. Stryg kicked the wall behind him and threw his body forward, tearing the thug¡¯s face and freeing himself.


    Stryg rolled on the floor just in time to dodge another thug¡¯s punch. Stryg roared in a maddened frenzy as he tackled the thug to the ground. She tried swinging her knife at him, but he caught her hand and slammed the blade into her chest. She gagged on her own blood and weakly tried to clasp the knife¡¯s handle. Stryg ripped the knife from her chest as he wobbled to his feet. The last of the six thugs stood still, his hands shaking.


    ¡°The guards are coming, we gotta go! Help Jax up, quickly!¡± Leroy said to the last thug and pulled Karen away.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Karen yelled in protest.


    Right, those two were still alive, Stryg thought bitterly.


    The other thug helped a writhing Jax to his feet and ran after Leroy and Karen.


    Stryg watched the four thugs fade away into the spectating crowd. The adrenaline in his body began to fade away as the reality of the situation sank in.


    The dagger slipped out of his bloodied hands and his knees crashed into the cobblestone. A small part of his muddled brain told him the guards were coming, that he should escape. But the last scraps of energy had burned in the fire of his anger. His head dropped in exhaustion.


    The guards arrived at the scene of the crime.


    ~~~


    Rorik Polamtal, a Trade District captain of the guard, rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was getting late, he wanted to go home to his wife and kids. But, of course, he was stuck listening to some of his men reporting about a bloody mess a few streets down.


    As a drow born into a martial Minor House, Rorik had been given great opportunities within Hollow Shade. His family had been able to afford sending him to the martial academy, and he had done fairly well, earning himself a spot as captain on graduation.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Problem was, he had been stationed in the Trade District. In some ways it could be argued that the Trade District was the most important district in all of Hollow Shade, as most business occurred here. It was, however, without a shadow of a doubt, the most busy district, which often led to the most incidents.


    Rorik sighed, he wished he had studied more, worked harder in his time at the academy. Perhaps one of the more powerful Houses would have offered him a contract? Who knows? Maybe he might have even risen to the ranks of a warlord like his grandfather. But, no, instead he was in this small office, watching as his lieutenant floundered about with his papers.


    He needed a drink.


    ¡°From the top,¡± Rorik said. ¡°What exactly happened, lieutenant?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, sir,¡± the lieutenant straightened his papers. ¡°It says here that some of our men encountered a gang related incident this afternoon. The Wild Knives gang, composed of goblins from the Commoner District, attacked a lone goblin near a bakery shop. The victim seems to have put up a hell of a fight though. From the accounts of eyewitnesses, there were eight Wild Knives members present during the attack. The victim killed three of them, two of them pretty gruesomely I might add, and knocked another unconscious, before the other four fled as our men arrived.¡±


    Rorik nodded, ¡°So, it was a gang war between a couple of goblins? Let¡¯s put them in cells and be done with it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, not quite, sir. The victim seems to not have any gang tattoos nor any scars that may resemble a gang tattoo. It''s very unlikely he is part of a gang. Judging from the victim¡¯s hide clothes and lack of a name-plate, we think he is an outsider who just got caught up in an attack.¡±


    Rorik¡¯s head shot up, ¡°Wait. The victim seems to be poor, based on his clothes, yes? So, at best, he is from the Commoner District, and at worst, an outsider. The fact that he doesn¡¯t have a name-plate makes this quite easy no matter which of the two groups he belongs to.¡±


    ¡°Sir, do you mean to put him into slavery?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Hollow Shade has strict rules on name-plates and those who don¡¯t wear them. The punishments are especially serious for the commoners and don¡¯t get me started on outsiders. Get some of the men to bring in the victim and then kindly ask Mr. Granby if he could come down from his office.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir.¡± The lieutenant saluted and left.


    A few minutes later he returned with two other guards holding the victim, a blue goblin. He was bloody and looked worn and ragged. He seemed to be struggling to even stand. His eyes looked defeated, he stared at the ground.


    ¡°The victim¡¯s name is Stryg, from the Sylvan tribe of Blood Fang of Vulture Woods, or so he claimed to the men,¡± the lieutenant said.


    ¡°So he is an outsider, good enough for me,¡± Rorik nodded. ¡°Where is Mr. Granby?¡±


    As if on cue, Mr. Granby walked into the office. The resident mage wore his traditional black robes. A silver necklace inlaid with a jasper gem rested on his shoulders, indicating his role as a chromatic brown.


    ¡°Mr. Granby,¡± Rorik said, ¡°thank you for coming and my apologies for the disturbance. I was hoping you could help us.¡±


    Mr. Granby raised his hand, ¡°Yes, yes. I heard. Now let¡¯s get this over with quickly, I¡¯m about to leave for the day.¡±


    Mr. Granby pulled out a docility collar. Strange sigils were etched into the metal collar, a small magestone was embedded in the center.


    ¡°He seems to be bleeding, sir,¡± the lieutenant pointed out.


    ¡°Not now, lieutenant,¡± Rorik said. ¡°One of the guards can patch him up after Mr. Granby is done. Slaves don¡¯t require much medical attention.¡± Rorik bowed his head in deference to the brown mage, ¡°Whenever you are ready Mr. Granby.¡±


    Stryg tried struggling as Mr. Granby approached. But he was too weak, the guards held him securely and pulled his neck up by his hair.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Stryg said weakly.


    He was having trouble staying conscious. He had lost too much blood.


    Mr. Granby paid him no heed and wrapped the collar around Stryg¡¯s neck.


    The mage raised his hand, a soft brown light began to glow from the collar, before sputtering out of existence. Mr. Granby¡¯s eyes narrowed. He raised both his hands. The light returned brighter this time, but sputtered out just the same.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Mr. Granby laughed and stepped back.


    ¡°What happened? Is it done?¡± Rorik asked.


    Mr. Granby removed the collar, ¡°No, the collar¡¯s enchantment failed to activate.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it defective?¡± Rorik had a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mr. Granby said. ¡°As with all ethereal energy, this boy¡¯s mana simply counteracted the collar¡¯s effects.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying he¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°A mageborn, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well... shit,¡± Rorik muttered.


    The guards who held Stryg loosened their grip and looked at the goblin with newfound fear. They didn¡¯t want to be responsible for accidentally hurting a mage.


    Mr. Granby said as he studied Stryg¡¯s appearance, ¡°A goblin mageborn, you don¡¯t see that everyday. How fascinating.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Was this a dream? Was he dead and was this the afterlife? Or was he simply hallucinating before they killed him?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a mage?¡± Stryg managed a whisper.


    ¡°Mageborn to be precise. You¡¯ll have to study for years before you have the right to call yourself a mage,¡± Mr. Granby said. He glanced at Rorik, ¡°The boy seems quite wounded. As per Hollow Shade¡¯s rules, any mageborn has a right to attend the city¡¯s magic academy. As the boy was found under your watch, you are responsible to see that he gets that right fulfilled.¡±


    Mr. Granby glanced back at Stryg, ¡°He barely seems to be standing up. Best if you rush him to Celica¡¯s clinic. Unless you wish to face the consequences of depriving this city of a potential mage.¡±


    Rorik swallowed, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll see to it that the boy gets to the clinic immediately.¡±


    Mr. Granby adjusted his glasses, ¡°Oh, I think he fainted. Best hurry, captain. My job here is finished. Tell me how he fares in the morning. I¡¯m off.¡±


    Mr. Granby began whistling a cheerful tune and left.


    The lieutenant sent Rorik a questioning look. ¡°Sir, your orders?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Rorik said. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get him to Celica¡¯s clinic. Now!¡±


    ¡°Right away sir!¡± the lieutenant saluted.


    The guards carefully lifted up the unconscious Stryg and rushed him out of the room.


    Rorik slumped back into his chair. It was going to be a long night. He sighed, stood up, and walked out to go follow his men. He really needed a drink.

 Chapter 13: They Were Wrong

    Chapter 13: They Were Wrong


    Stryg opened his eyes to a white ceiling. He was lying in the softest cot he had ever known. His body felt weak, but there was no pain. He was wearing different clothes, his hide shirt and pants were gone and had been replaced with a linen tunic and pants.


    Stryg sat up and surveyed his surroundings. It was a large sparse room with several more cots lined down the wall. Sunlight shined through two large windows across the room.


    Where was he? He tried recalling what had happened. He had been talking with that traitor Karen. Then he was attacked. He had been so weak, yet he managed to fight back.


    A small grin crept across his face, despite all odds he had held his own against the group of them. Everything after was a blur. Though, he did remember some guards came and dragged him away.


    Stryg reached for his uncovered neck, someone had tried to put a collar on him. What happened next¡­? Magic? Mage? The voice had said he was a mage. Could it be true, or had he hallucinated the whole thing, in the hopes of escaping his grim fate? He wasn¡¯t sure. Whatever the case was, he needed to get out of this place.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get out of bed just yet if I were you,¡± a woman called out from the doorway.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. Her grey hair was bundled up and she wore a silver necklace with a diamond hanging from the center. Wrinkles danced on her face, as if celebrating life, not the sign of age. But it was the pale red skin and two fangs slightly jutting from her lower lip that caught his attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re an orc,¡± Stryg sneered.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Obvious,¡± Celica said. ¡°But, more importantly I¡¯m a white mage and more relevant to you, I¡¯m the healer who patched you up, so you best listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you healed me?¡±


    ¡°Your wounds, yes. I couldn¡¯t do anything for your daft brain though.¡±


    Stryg frowned, confused. ¡°But, why? Orcs are enemies of goblin-kind.¡±


    Celica raised an eyebrow, ¡°Since, when?¡±


    ¡°Since your people slaughtered my people at the Silent Marshes,¡± he glared at her.


    He should have been scared of this mage, but the previous night¡¯s fight had drained his last bits of self-restraint.


    ¡°That was over 300 years ago. No one is left from that time,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°And yet my tribe and so many others still suffer from what the orcs did.¡±


    ¡°Tribe? You¡­ You¡¯re from Vulture Woods?¡± she asked, surprised.


    Stryg nodded in silence.


    Celica sighed, ¡°It was war. Orcs had been stranded in the cruelest of all Realms, they were fighting for survival.¡±


    He struggled to his feet, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understand. The strong take from the weak. The goblins lost the war. Orcs reaped the spoils of war. I hope you¡¯re as understanding when the same happens to you.¡±


    Celica¡¯s amber eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I treat my patients equally, whether they are orcs or goblins. So long as they have the coin, I¡¯ll patch them up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any coins.¡±


    ¡°The captain covered your medical fees. Didn¡¯t want a mageborn dying under his watch, especially because it¡¯s his job to keep our Trade District safe and all.¡±


    ¡°Mageborn?¡± So, it hadn¡¯t been a dream, Stryg thought. ¡°...I¡¯m a mageborn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now sit down before you hurt yourself. I may have healed your wounds but it took its toll on your body, you lost a lot of blood. You still haven¡¯t fully recovered. Quite frankly, I¡¯m surprised you can even stand.¡±


    Stryg sat down and looked at his shaking hands. Mageborn. The word echoed in his mind. Mageborn.


    It explained the night vision and frayed rope. He thought there was a chance, but he hadn¡¯t held hope. He didn¡¯t dare think he could be more than what he had been told he was.


    All the insults he had endured throughout his life flashed through his mind. That he was a freak, that his existence had amounted to nothing, a shameful blotch on the tribe¡¯s honor. They were wrong. He was more than what he appeared to be. Tears poured from his eyes as his shoulders shook unrestrained. They were wrong about him.


    ¡°You just found out, ey?¡± Celica shook her head and smiled.


    A knock rang at the door.


    ¡°Hope, I¡¯m not interrupting, ma¡¯am,¡± Rorik said. He looked unsure of what exactly was transpiring.


    ¡°Not at all. We just have a crybaby over here.¡± Celica pointed a thumb at Stryg.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t find the energy between the tears and shuddering breaths to hiss at her.


    ¡°Is the patient fit for travel?¡± Rorik asked.


    ¡°He is still weak,¡± Celica said, ¡°but I think with a little help getting up, he can endure a carriage ride. Now, get this ungrateful brat out of here.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± Rorik hurried to the goblin¡¯s side and offered him a hand.


    Stryg reluctantly took it and hobbled across the room. As they reached the doorway, he stopped and looked back at the orc woman. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°The correct way to ask that question is, ¡®may I ask your name, my beautiful savior.¡¯ And the name is Celica of House Skeller. You can call me Celica.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Celica... thank you, for healing me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn welcome,¡± she smirked.


    Stryg wiped away the last of his tears and made a small bow.


    ~~~


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Rorik led Stryg outside to a waiting carriage tied to two harnessed centaurs.


    ¡°Our garrison¡¯s own personal carriage,¡± Rorik said. ¡°Please, get in.¡±


    Stryg looked at the drow. The only reason he hadn¡¯t tried running away already was because Rorik had brought him to Celica to be healed, so he clearly didn¡¯t want Stryg to die. But, last Stryg checked, this Rorik person had ordered him to be enslaved.


    ¡°Where are you taking me? What exactly is going on?¡± Stryg asked cautiously.


    He scratched his head, ¡°Right. I have to catch you up. Stryg, right? I am Rorik of House Polamtal, a captain of the guard in the Trade District.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Rorik cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem, well, Stryg, last night you were found to have broken our city¡¯s laws by trespassing inside our walls without a name-plate. Normally, the punishment for such a crime is to be shackled with a docility collar immediately and be sentenced to slavery.¡±


    Stryg turned to run.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Rorik raised his hands, panicked, ¡°We¡¯re not going to do that. Or anything of the sort. Please, just let me explain!¡±


    Stryg paused. His legs really needed a rest. He hoped he would have the chance. He watched the drow warily.


    Rorik sighed, ¡°Thank you. Last night, when we tried to put the collar on, it failed. Mr. Granby, our garrison¡¯s mage, said it¡¯s because you''re a mageborn. Now, Hollow Shade has very unique rulings regarding mageborns, such as yourself. Our city is eager to have as many magi as they can. Therefore, we will overlook last night¡¯s crime. In fact, the city is willing to pay for your education at our magic academy, so long as you sign a contract to serve as a mage to the city for ten years, after you graduate. You will be paid of course, during your years of service.¡±


    ¡°...So, let me get this straight,¡± Stryg said. ¡°If I work for the city for ten years, I''ll learn to be a mage?¡±


    The offer they made sounded wonderful, almost too good to be true. Shamans were valued greatly by the tribe, Stryg knew this. It made sense why magi were valued similarly here in this place.


    Sure, ten years was a long time, most goblins he knew were killed before the age of thirty. But if he could learn actual magic, then he¡¯d be able to hold his own, he¡¯d have power for the first time in his life.


    Rorik nodded, ¡°That is correct. It¡¯s my job to ask if you are willing to accept the city¡¯s contract. If so, I will personally escort you until you are settled into the academy.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going so far for me?¡± Stryg asked, suspicious.


    Rorik pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°It¡¯s not that I particularly want to. But you are a mageborn and our city puts a lot of importance on making sure it gets as many magi as it can. Since you have no related affiliates and you were found under my watch, as a captain of the guard, it is my duty to make sure you are offered the chance to attend Hollow Shade¡¯s magic academy, and all the implications that entails. So, do you accept this contract?¡±


    Rorik hoped the boy would say no. The captain had stayed at Celica¡¯s clinic all night. He just wanted to go home to his wife and get some sleep.


    ¡°I do.¡± Stryg nodded, his lilac eyes bright with hope.


    Shit, of course you do, Rorik thought glumly. He smiled painfully, and held an arm towards the carriage, ¡°Please, after you.¡±


    Rorik needed to play nice, it was stupid to try to antagonzie a mage for no reason, even a novice such as this. It would be better to win the goblin¡¯s favor in hopes that one day the goblin would pay it back.


    Stryg jumped up the tall steps leading into the carriage. The interior was covered in simple brown leather seats. They were quite soft, though not as soft as the bed from this morning.


    ¡°To the magic academy,¡± Rorik said to the centaurs at the front, before he entered the carriage and sat across from Stryg.


    Stryg marveled at the view from the window, he had never been this high. He had technically climbed taller trees before, but this felt different. His view was constantly shifting as he watched the people pass by beneath him. It was as if he had become a giant towering over the rest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll first get you tested and enrolled at the academy,¡± Rorik said. ¡°Once that¡¯s settled I¡¯ll take you to get your name-plate.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the exact purpose of a name-plate anyway?¡± Stryg asked, though his eyes never left the window.


    Rorik reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a rectangular bronze slab, etched with several sigils. ¡°A name-plate is very important within Hollow Shade. It serves as one¡¯s identity. It¡¯s what lets someone get into the city and wealthier districts, along with being able to shop at high-end exclusive stores, and various other privileges. Speaking of which, how exactly did you get into the city without a name-plate?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°I was captured by a poacher in Vulture Woods. He dragged me to this place. He was planning to make me a slave and sell me. I escaped before he had the chance.¡±


    Rorik laughed. Stryg glared at him.


    Rorik raised his hands, ¡°Sorry, I meant no offense. It''s just that had the poacher actually taken you to get a docility collar, he would have realized you were a mageborn and would have been forced to do what I¡¯m doing right now.¡±


    Stryg sat back, stunned. If he hadn¡¯t tried to escape, he wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer? He wouldn¡¯t have met Karen or her gang. He had just made his own situation worse. He had messed up like always. He sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t beat yourself up about it,¡± Rorik said. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t get caught by the sentinels.¡±


    ¡°Sentinels? What are those?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bad news for someone like you. They are undead raised by the black magi of the city, tasked with keeping the streets safe at night. The sentinels wear steel masks and dark cloaks. But if they find someone without a nameplate in a poorer area like the Commoner District, the sentinels will seize them. People who resist are normally put down.¡±


    ¡°Put down?¡± Stryg frowned. He remembered the monsters with chains that had attacked the first night in the city. He had been lucky to get away. The humans he had been with were not.


    Rorik put his bronze name-plate away, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore though. We¡¯ll get you a name-plate right after registration.¡±


    ¡°What happens if someone doesn¡¯t have a name-plate in one of the wealthier areas?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You said sentinels seize people without name-plates in the poorer areas. What about the wealthier areas?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, if someone doesn¡¯t have their name-plate in places like the Villa or Bourge Districts, the sentinels will simply ignore them. After all, the person probably forgot their name-plate at home.¡±


    ¡°But what about the people in the... Commoner District, who forgot their name-plate at home?¡±


    Rorik shrugged, ¡°The poor can¡¯t afford the same privileges as the rich.¡±


    Stryg nodded grimly. He finally understood. The rich were the strong and the poor were the weak. Or he supposed that they were rich because they were strong. It didn¡¯t make much of a difference, the rules of the wild applied here just the same as they did back home.


    ¡°Rorik, what happens if a rich person forgets their name-plate and is caught at night in the Commoner District by a sentinel?¡±


    ¡°Rich folk don¡¯t have any reason to visit poor areas like the Commoner District. But if for some reason they did, I imagine the sentinels would leave them be, based on their clothing and other affluent items, such as a fancy carriage or something of the like.¡±


    ¡°Is this a fancy carriage?¡±


    Rorik chuckled, ¡°Hardly. This is as simple as it gets.¡±


    Stryg sat in thought for a moment. ¡°What if I forget my name-plate at night while being in the Commoner District?¡±


    ¡°You would just need to cast a spell and the sentinels would recognize you as a mage and probably leave you alone I¡¯d wager. Best not to try and prove that theory though.¡±


    So it came down to power again, Stryg thought. He needed to learn magic as soon as possible.


    ¡°Magi are valued everywhere, especially in Hollow Shade,¡± Rorik said. ¡°Few people in the world are mageborns. With all the savage warlords and their tribes roaming throughout Dusk Valley, we need magi to help keep the trade roads open and safe, along with all the villages that pay tribute to the Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Sounds complicated,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not from around here, but you should know, a lot of people, especially the middle and upper class, the kind of people you¡¯ll meet at the academy¡­ They see goblins as a below average species-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg hadn¡¯t heard of this before. Goblins were a proud species. Sure, they were smaller than most, but they were skilled and fierce. Who¡¯d dare think they were below others?


    ¡°But,¡± Rorik lifted his index finger. ¡°You¡¯re a mageborn. Magi can rise high in this world, no matter their background.¡±


    The carriage stopped. Rorik glanced outside the window, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Rorik opened the carriage door and stepped out. He looked back at Stryg and smiled, ¡°Welcome to the Scholar District and one of our four first-rate schools, Hollow Shade¡¯s prestigious magic academy.¡±

 Chapter 14: Magestone Test

    Chapter 14:


    A tall assortment of pale grey limestone buildings stood behind a large steel gate. Stryg stared in wide-eyed wonder, he had never seen buildings so massive. They reminded him of the city¡¯s towering walls. Rorik spoke with the stationed guard. A moment later the gates opened wide.


    "This way,¡± Rorik motioned him to follow.


    Stryg nodded as he trailed a few feet behind the drow guard. They headed towards the foremost building. It had a dome ceiling with marble pillars standing on each side of the broad ebony wooden doors. Stryg took a deep breath. This was a fresh start, a new beginning for his life. He would try his hardest to succeed in this place. His failures were behind him. Stryg, exile of the Blood Fang tribe would be left behind. Beyond these doors, Stryg the mage would be born. He hoped to return to his village someday, but it would be as a mage, not a failure. He promised himself to make it so.


    They passed by the doors and were met with a middle-aged drow secretary sitting behind a desk.


    The woman looked up as she noticed the two guests. ¡°Good morning, how may I be of help today?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, my name is Rorik Polamtal, I serve as captain of the guard in the trade district. Yesterday, my men came across this young goblin and we discovered he was a mageborn. He has since told me his wish to attend the academy and I am here to fulfill my duty in ensuring he has the chance.¡±


    The woman pushed her flower pot aside and leaned over the desk to see the short goblin. Her eyes were full of doubt, ¡°A goblin? Mageborn?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Granby, our garrison¡¯s mage, assured me. Stryg here is a genuine mageborn.¡± Rorik said in a firm tone. He hadn¡¯t made it this far just to be turned away.


    Stryg smiled awkwardly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, he¡¯ll have to be tested to ensure that he is a mageborn. After which he can sign the proper documents to enter the academy.¡± The secretary leaned back and began rummaging through her desk.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rorik accepted.


    ¡°Follow me then. This won¡¯t take long.¡± The secretary pulled out a ¡°BE BACK SOON¡± sign and hung it from the desk. She led them through a door to the side and through a windowless long grey stone corridor. Torches lined the hallway. Stryg felt nervous, he was going to be tested, a challenge. He never did well in challenges, no matter how much he trained. He didn¡¯t even know what the test was about, let alone prepared for it. He tried taking deep breaths to calm down. This place felt alien to him. He had never been in a stone building before, never walked down a hallway that seemed to go on forever. Dozens of doors flew past them as they strided by.


    Deep breaths, Stryg, deep breaths, he thought to himself.


    The secretary suddenly stopped and opened a door to her right, ¡°Come in. Quickly.¡±


    The room was sparse save for a long table covered in ten small crystalline baubles. A human read a book while leaning against a wall. He wore a grey tunic and pants. He glanced at them, ¡°Ah, Miss Byrel, another applicant?¡±


    ¡°Quite right. Go ahead, John.¡± The secretary folded her hands and stood in the corner, like a vulture waiting for her prey.


    ¡°Right away.¡± John placed the book down and walked to the table. ¡°If you could come here, please.¡± He gestured towards the guard captain.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not being tested.¡± Rorik gave Stryg a gentle push.


    Stryg swallowed as he stepped forward, ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    John frowned and looked at Miss Byrel. She nodded in silence from the corner. He sighed, ¡°Ok, then. The test is easy, even for someone like you.¡±


    Stryg scowled, what was that supposed to mean? Did they think he was dumb? He wanted to say something, but he needed to behave. He didn¡¯t want to mess up his chances while being this close to his new beginning, his chance at learning magic.


    John lifted up one of the crystalline trinkets. It was a clear crystal orb the size of a fist, with two dense metal disks attached to the sides. Symbols were etched to the bottom of each disk. He placed the trinket in front of Stryg, disk-side to the table.


    ¡°This is an enchanted tool we call a chrome-probe,¡± John began to recite. ¡°The clear stone in the middle is called a magestone. It is a mineral with the unique ability to store mana, the energy magi possess. The chrome-probe is enchanted to naturally absorb the mana of whoever touches it. I don¡¯t expect you to understand much of what I said, it''s just protocol. Now, all you need to do is place your hand on the top metal disk.¡±


    Stryg understood perfectly, but let the slight be. He placed his right hand on the metal disk. It was cold to the touch. Nothing seemed to be happening.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Miss Byrel pushed her glasses up, ¡°Captain, the next time you try to waste this academy¡¯s time-¡±


    Stryg felt a trickle of warmth rise from his chest travel through his right arm and into his palm. Black inky light flowed through the magestone until it was fully dyed a jet black.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± John muttered. He looked up in surprise, ¡°Remove your hand, quickly.¡±


    Stryg flung his hand away. The warmth receded back into his chest and disappeared.


    ¡°Your mana was being absorbed for quite a while, how do you feel?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I feel fine.¡± Stryg rubbed his hand, the sensation had felt similar to when he had ripped away from the ropes. Just less strenuous, he assessed. ¡°So, do I pass?¡± He looked at John and Miss Byrel.


    ¡°We still have to do a few more tests if you¡¯re feeling alright,¡± John grabbed another chrome-probe.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Miss Byrel straightened her skirt. ¡°The boy has proven himself to be a mageborn.¡±


    John bowed his head, ¡°Yes, Miss Byrel.¡±


    She opened the door, ¡°You two, follow me back to the front desk. I¡¯ll help you with the rest of the registration.¡±


    The walk back was quiet, but Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile in relief. He had passed. Despite not knowing practically anything about magic he had passed. It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless towards the path of a mage.


    At her desk Miss Byrel pulled out a few documents and an ink pen. ¡°These documents are for your registration as a first year student. This one is for your contract with Hollow Shade city; in summary it states that the city will pay for your tuition during your three years of study at the academy. In turn you will work for Hollow Shade city for ten years after graduation. Sign the contract first.¡± She handed him the contract and pointed at the line on the bottom.


    Stryg picked up the document and stared at it for a few moments.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Miss Byrel asked in annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m reading to make sure everything is right,¡± Stryg said.


    She laughed in anger, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Goblins can¡¯t read. Don¡¯t you dare waste my time with your antics!¡±


    Stryg clenched his teeth and began to read the document outloud. Miss Byrel¡¯s face seemed as if it was about to explode. Rorik simply smiled. For the first time in his life Stryg was grateful that he had spent time learning how to read the symbols on the paper. He wondered if the ability of words was actually valuable.


    ¡°Everything seems like what you said,¡± Stryg whispered to himself. He took the ink pen and signed his name on the right lines and handed them back to the secretary.


    She looked them over, twice, to make sure everything was in order. Finally, nodding to herself she put the papers away. ¡°It¡¯s strange. On the eve of the beginning of the new school year, after everyone else has applied and most failed, including many of our own fellow drow, a goblin appears. Who not only passes the chrome-probe test, but can also read and write with proficiency. How strange, suspicious, one might even say.¡±


    ¡°Anything else, we should know about? I mean something that¡¯s not just your conjecture, but actually relevant to Stryg¡¯s registration?¡± Rorik asked.


    Miss Byrel scowled. She took out two sheets of paper and a key, and slammed it on her desk. ¡°The first year¡¯s curriculum and a map of campus is on this paper. The second paper is the academy¡¯s writ of proof that you are an attending student. Go to the library to pick up the first year textbooks. Here is the key to your dorm room. The room will be ready in a few hours. Clothes will also be prepared for you. Students are expected to wear the appropriate garments during class. Be sure to take a bath before you change. You stink. That will be all.¡± Miss Byrel sat back down and paid them no more attention.


    Stryg went on his tiptoes to reach the paper and key from the high desk. They pair left without another word. The woman was just another person of power who threw their weight around. Stryg had known many. It was best to bide his time. He recalled the poacher and his centaur, like so many others Stryg would wait until he was powerful enough to deal with them.


    As they walked back to the carriage Stryg couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand what you meant by people not liking goblins.¡±


    Rorik scratched his head, ¡°Yeah. There aren¡¯t any wealthy or powerful goblins in Hollow Shade, few in all the Ebon Realm I reckon. That, coupled with goblins¡¯ relatively short and weak physique, and a slew of prejudice against them, has made the species as a whole get the short end of the stick for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you stand up for me back there?¡±


    ¡°Oh that? She was just getting on my nerves, acting all high and mighty.¡±


    ¡°But, she¡¯s a mage. Aren¡¯t you worried she¡¯ll burn you or something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, she isn¡¯t a mage. She wasn¡¯t wearing a mage¡¯s necklace. She just works there. I¡¯m still a captain of the guard. I don¡¯t have to take shit from her.¡± Rorik opened the carriage doors.


    Wait, if she wasn¡¯t a mage, then why was she acting so arrogant? Did she have some other kind of power or was she simply an idiot? Stryg wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Do you hate goblins?¡± Stryg asked.


    Rorik opened his mouth to answer, but paused when he saw Stryg¡¯s intense stare.


    Rorik sighed, ¡°No, but I never really cared about them either. I¡¯m helping you out since it''s my job.¡± That and the hope that you might repay the favor later on.


    Stryg stared for a few more seconds before entering the carriage. Rorik climbed in and they were off.


    ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t we be going to the library to get my books?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few hours for your name to be registered into the academy¡¯s ledgers, including the library. You won¡¯t be able to get your books till then. We might as well get you your nameplate right now.¡±


    Stryg nodded in understanding. ¡°...Do I really stink?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± Rorik laughed. ¡°You should take advantage of the academy baths when you get the chance. The one at the martial academy is quite nice. I bet the magic academy has one just as good if not better. You don¡¯t want to smell like blood and guts when you¡¯re in front of all your classmates, believe me.¡±

 Chapter 15: Names & Drinks

    Chapter 15:


    The carriage stopped in front of a long cobblestone pathway. A crowd of people stood in line waiting for entrance to the u-shaped building surrounding the walkway.


    Rorik stepped out of the carriage, ¡°This is the nameplate office. As you can see it stays pretty busy all year around.¡±


    Stryg agreed. He enjoyed the high view from the window, but as he walked out he turned his gaze to the two centaurs that hauled the carriage. ¡°The centaurs don¡¯t even look tired.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t given it much thought when he was a captive of the poacher, but they really were amazing. They would have been excellent hunters in Vulture Woods.


    ¡°Yes, they are arguably the most useful of the beastkin. They are descended from another beast of burden; an animal called a horse. They are said to be phenomenal creatures,¡± Rorik said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a horse,¡± Stryg murmured in thought. He wasn¡¯t even sure what a beastkin was. He remembered Karen had mentioned something about a minotaur. There was so much he didn¡¯t know about this place.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. They don¡¯t exist in the Ebon Realm. Still, all the centaurs of the Realm have been domesticated for centuries so we get by just fine. If you ask me, the other Realms can keep their horses, I¡¯ll take a centaur any day,¡± Rorik said.


    Stryg turned to the crowd, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a long line.¡± He felt small looking at so many people. They could be here for hours.


    ¡°Not to worry. Being a guard has its perks. A different clerk will see us. Follow me,¡± Rorik grinned.


    He led Stryg away from the crowd and to a door on the other side of the building. Rorik gave a quick series of knocks. A click sounded and the door opened wide. They walked into a spacious room where an orc clerk worked behind a counter and a glass panel. It reminded him of Miss Byrel. Stryg hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to take another test.


    ¡°Good afternoon, welcome to the nameplate office, how can I help?¡± The clerk smiled, her lower canines in clear view.


    Stryg envied her prominent fangs. She managed to look menacing even when she smiled. His fangs were fairly small and were only noticeable when he hissed.


    ¡°My companion would like to register for a nameplate,¡± Rorik said.


    ¡°I understand. I will get an iron nameplate ready, it¡¯ll take around an hour to have our brown mage down here to get it imprinted. That¡¯ll be two gold coins.¡± She opened a small window at the bottom of the glass panel.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, you misunderstand. Stryg, please give her your academy writ,¡± Rorik said.


    Stryg looked at Rorik questioningly but brought out the paper anyway. He slipped it through the small window.


    The clerk took the paper and began to read in a mutter. Her eyes widened and glanced back and forth between the writ and a fidgeting Stryg.


    Rorik had a smug look, it was nice to keep seeing the astonished looks on people¡¯s faces. A goblin mage was quite rare if not outright unbelievable to many.


    The clerk¡¯s eyes reached the end of the document. She cleared her throat, ¡°Stryg is it? Congratulations on entering the magic academy. I will have a silver nameplate ready for you right away. Please, wait a moment while I get our brown mage down here. Excuse me.¡± The clerk bowed and left in a haste.


    ¡°That went well. People really underestimate goblins, though. Gotta be rough,¡± Rorik said absentmindedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Stryg said.


    No one had ever expected anything from Stryg, except failure. It was refreshing to see the clerk¡¯s reaction. ¡°By the way, she mentioned an iron and silver nameplate. Are there different kinds?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Rorik pulled out a bronze nameplate from his pocket. ¡°The nameplate¡¯s material denotes its ranking in society. The more precious the metal the greater the nameplate. The cheapest and most common nameplate is made of iron, the majority of people in the city have one. Bronze like mine are only given to high ranking officials and soldiers, wealthy merchants, or members of named houses. Silver, like the one you are getting, is given to all magi and members of great houses. Gold nameplates are given to only the wealthiest and most powerful individuals, usually a lord or lady. The most valuable of all, are the black orichalcum nameplates. But, you don¡¯t have to worry about those, only the city council has them.¡±


    Stryg paid attention to every word, he needed to learn as much as he could. ¡°...So, silver nameplates are quite good then?¡±


    Rorik laughed, but this time it was like a cheap imitation. ¡°Yeah, you could say that. Most people here spend their lives just trying to get a bronze nameplate. A silver will open many doors for you.¡±


    The clerk returned with a drow mage in tow, ¡°Sorry, for the wait.¡±


    The brown mage held a silver nameplate in his hands. ¡°Ok, so how do you spell the name?¡± He asked the clerk.


    ¡°S-t-r-y-g.¡± Stryg answered first.


    The mage looked at him in surprise, ¡°Okay. One moment then.¡± He placed his finger on the silver rectangular plate. The metal became tinted where his finger passed by, forming the symbols for the goblin¡¯s name.


    ¡°Stryg. Sounds foreign. Are you from Undergrowth by any chance?¡± The mage asked while working.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m from Vulture Woods. The Blood Fang tribe.¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Ah, I see. One of the sylvan tribes deep in the forest, yes?¡± The mage asked.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Have you been there?¡± Stryg asked. Could this man know the way back to the village?


    ¡°No, I doubt most magi would dare travel so far into such dangerous woods. But, I grew up in Undergrowth city, so I¡¯ve heard of the goblins nestled deep in the heart of Vulture Woods. I never expected to meet one though.¡± He finished engraving the name and held his hand over the coin size magestone embedded on the nameplate. The clear gem turned a soft shade of brown.


    ¡°All done. The nameplate is now active.¡± He handed the plate over to Stryg through the small glass window. ¡°Place your hand over the gem for ten seconds.¡±


    Stryg followed his instructions. The plate was lighter than he had imagined.


    ¡°Good, now the plate is officially linked to your person. No one else will be able to use it,¡± the mage stated.


    ¡°Free of charge of course," the clerk interjected. "The city will pay the yearly costs throughout your time as a student too."


    ¡°And when I finish being a student?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Then you will have to pay the nameplate yearly tax, like everyone else. Failure to do so will result in the repossession of your nameplate,¡± the clerk recited. ¡°But, you won¡¯t have to worry about that. A mage¡¯s salary can easily pay the tax.¡±


    ¡°Right. I understand.¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°What if I lose the nameplate?¡±


    ¡°The academy will pay for a new one to be made. But, please, don¡¯t lose it.¡± The clerk spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with today?¡± The clerk asked with a smile.


    ¡°No, that¡¯ll be all.¡± Rorik said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg bowed his head to the clerk and mage before leaving.


    As they walked out Rorik pointed to Stryg¡¯s nameplate, ¡°You should put that away, keep it safe. Just because others can¡¯t use it as their own, doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t melt it down for silver.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Stryg tucked it into his pocket.


    ¡°Now my part is basically done. All you need to do is get your books. But first, let''s get a drink. My treat.¡± Rorik offered.


    ---


    Stryg had never been to a tavern, he hadn¡¯t been to most places. He had never drank any alcohol either. Rorik assured him that it was delicious and everyone loved it. He prattled on and on about the different flavors of spirits and which he enjoyed most on the carriage ride over. Stryg opted to read his class schedule. There seemed to be some kind of bell that would ring at the start and end of classes. He asked Rorik about it and other questions concerning the academy. Rorik answered aptly and went straight back to talking about alcohol. Stryg stayed silent, the promise of drink only served to remind him of Karen''s betrayal.


    They stopped at Rorik¡¯s favorite tavern, ¡°The Merry Crescent.¡± A sign hung from above the tavern¡¯s door. It depicted a crescent moon with shapely feminine legs, chugging down an ale. Stryg felt uncomfortable at the impious sign. Lunae, the mother moon, was meant to be respected, revered. What in all the Realms were these people thinking? Should he even enter this place? He was still technically a follower of the moon, even if she had practically cursed him as the bane of his tribe.


    ¡°It may not be a fancy place, but they serve the best honey mead this side of the commoner district.¡± Rorik ushered him on.


    Stryg smelled something delicious wafting through the door. Then again, the moon had basically cursed him, he thought. As the odd goblin walked into the tavern he was assaulted by an uproar of sound that echoed off the walls and bounced into his sensitive ears. Tables were sprawled all around the wooden establishment. People of all different shades and sizes sat, drinking and eating, but most of all shouting. A multitude of torches hung on the walls, along with a few mounted heads of creatures Stryg didn¡¯t recognize. The whole thing reminded him of his village. He grinned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a table.¡± Rorik led him to a small wooden table that seemed decently clean. Rorik raised his hand as soon as they sat down.


    Stryg scanned the area for threats. He was still on edge after the last time he went out to get a drink with a stranger. He wasn¡¯t about to allow himself to get jumped by a bunch of goblins again. Those thoughts flew out the door when his eyes landed on the most beautiful human he had seen. Her long hair was a dark shade of purple, it reminded him of the berries that grew around his village. He didn¡¯t know humans could have purple hair. She had chestnut colored eyes, a narrow nose, and luscious lips, framed over a small heart shaped face. Her olive skin was covered with a light sheen of sweat. She wore a white apron over a long red skirt. A black corset hugged her waist, which only helped accentuate her busty cleavage that threatened to spill out from her shoulderless white blouse. His heart began to beat faster as he realized she was coming this way.


    ¡°Good afternoon, captain. What can I get you and your friend?¡± The woman asked with a bright smile.


    ¡°Can I get two mugs of your finest honey mead and two plates of whatever the cook has made for dinner.¡± Rorik gave her a few copper coins.


    ¡°Coming right up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rorik said.


    ¡°Uh, t-thanks,¡± Stryg stammered.


    She gave a warm smile of understanding, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Stryg stared at her figure as she left.


    Rorik grinned, ¡°Her name is Feli. She¡¯s the tavern¡¯s local celebrity you could say. People love her around here. She¡¯s drop dead gorgeous, kind, and most importantly single.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean single?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t with anybody.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, he still didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°It means she doesn¡¯t have a sexual partner. She isn¡¯t banging anyone. I mean don¡¯t get me wrong, plenty of people would want to if they got the chance. Some idiots have even offered to pay for a single night with her, though they were beaten up by the tavern master¡¯s wife and banned from the tavern for their troubles. No, Feli seems to be looking for the ¡®right man,¡¯ or so the rumors go. Doubtful, since she has turned down every suitor, and believe me there have been tons,¡± Rorik explained.


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg said. He guessed that folk from Hollow Shade didn¡¯t participate in night challenges.


    ¡°I think half the people come here to see her rather than get something to eat or drink,¡± Rorik whispered.


    Feli returned with two bowls of potato soup and mugs of honey mead. ¡°Here you are. Careful with the soup, it¡¯s quite hot.¡± She rested her hand on Rorik¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Enjoy,¡± she whispered. Her hand slipped away as she shuffled to another table.


    Rorik mourned her departure. He sighed.


    Stryg smirked, ¡°I take it you¡¯re one of those half of people, huh?¡±


    Rorik shook his head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m a married man.¡± He blew another sigh into his mug. ¡°Well, let''s drink shall we? To your new life.¡± He held out his mug.


    Stryg took his own mug, it was a bit too large for his hands, and took a sip. He held back the urge to cough. It burned and the taste was just average. He had drunk worse; boiled dire bear blood was definitely far worse.


    ¡°You''re supposed to clink mugs, but it doesn¡¯t really matter. How¡¯s the taste?¡± Rorik asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Rorik laughed, ¡°Well, just don¡¯t drink too much. Someone of your size can¡¯t handle too much alcohol.¡±


    Stryg was tired of being underestimated for his size. This was the beginning of his new life after all. ¡°Just because I¡¯m small doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t handle some juice.¡±


    ¡°I mean if you were a dwarf I wouldn¡¯t say anything. But goblins aren¡¯t exactly known for being able to hold their alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s because I¡¯m a goblin? I bet I can drink more of this alcohol stuff than you,¡± Stryg challenged the man. He wouldn¡¯t back down, not after his honor had been contested.


    Rorik smiled, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re on.¡± He raised his arm high, ¡°Two shots of Fire Breath please!¡±

 Chapter 16: First Day of Class

    Chapter 16:


    The goblin and drow ate and drank the evening away. After several shots of Fire Breath, the tavern¡¯s most notorious drink, Rorik had been forced to admit defeat. He would have never guessed a goblin could out drink him. Stryg on the other hand had never guessed what it meant to be drunk. His vision swam throughout the room. He vomited in the alleyway behind the tavern. It was a good time. A wasted Rorik barely managed to help him back onto the carriage. He dropped a drunk Stryg off at the academy dorms.


    Stryg stumbled his way to room 11 on the second floor. It took him a few moments to fish out his key and fiddle with the lock. After what seemed like an hour, he finally managed to open the door. For his first time opening a locked door, Stryg considered it a resounding success. The room was quite small, large enough only to fit a bed and a petite storage chest.


    His mind faintly noticed the stack of folded clothes that sat in the open chest. He closed his door and fell into the bed. Beds had to be one of the greatest discoveries Stryg had found in Hollow Shade. He sighed in sweet bliss and fell into a deep sleep.


    Stryg woke up the next morning to the sound of bells ringing. His mind tried to understand what he was hearing. His head felt like it had been split open with an axe. He groaned in pain from the battering sound. What on earth was making that horrible noise? His eyes opened in alarm as he realized the significance of the bell, the sound of classes starting. He lurched to his feet as his bleary eyes searched for clothes in the wooden chest. His pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly in a sporadic cycle. Mornings usually came easy for him, but today he felt like had just been beaten up and thrown off a cliff.


    ¡°Gods above, I hate alcohol,¡± he mumbled.


    ---


    Kithina tried suppressing the butterflies in her stomach. It was the first day of class and she wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect. The classroom was already full of chattering first years, but the professor had yet to arrive. She couldn¡¯t believe she was actually here, it was like she was living in a fairy tale.


    Kithina had turned eighteen in late spring. She recalled the day she visited her dad at work. When the papers in her father¡¯s office had gone flying everywhere, they had both held suspicions. When her parents had her tested, their suspicions had become fact, and eventually hope. Kithina was a mageborn, a being blessed with the power of magic. The prospects of her commoner family had just soared.


    Hollow Shade would pay for her education to study and become a mage. As a mage she¡¯d be able to make enough money to help her family live more comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly nameplate tax.


    Like the majority of people in Hollow Shade, her family arrived at the city in the hopes of avoiding the raids that had claimed the lives of so many others in Dusk Valley. The family had spent all their savings to buy iron nameplates. Kithina had just been a little girl at the time, but she remembered seeing her father toil away at work, trying to make ends meet for his wife and two children. But, above all, like all commoners, making sure he had enough coin to pay the nameplate tax.


    Kithina supposed they had been lucky to be dwarves, humans had a difficult time finding decent work in the city, goblins even more so. Of course, had they been orcs their father probably could have enlisted in one of the garrisons and worked as a low ranked guard. If they had been drow or vampires, they probably would have had connections in the city and gotten by just fine. But, no, instead they struggled to get by.


    Kithina had plenty of memories of cold nights and empty stomachs. They only managed to survive in the callous city thanks to their father being a trained scribe fortunately.


    But now, things would change for the better. Kithina felt the comfortable weight of the nameplate resting in her pocket. It was incredible, just by being a mageborn she had been granted a silver nameplate. By the time she was a mage, she would be able to make enough money to change everything.


    What¡¯s more she would know magic. Actual magic, not some party tricks or sleight of hand. Kithina would join the ranks of the heroes in the stories she grew up hearing. She had spent the summer daydreaming about casting bolts of flame, flying through the sky, healing mortal wounds, and driving off invaders from other Null Realms, like the ebon lords of old.


    First, she would have to do well in class. Kithina had three simple yet clear goals that she was determined to achieve in her time at the magic academy.


    Number one, she needed to excel in all of her classes. She couldn¡¯t afford to fail and be kicked out of the academy, it would be the end of all her dreams.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Number two, she would become a powerful mage. With magic on her side nothing would be impossible.


    Lastly, she had to make strong connections with the elites that attended the school. Having friends in high places would open so many doors for her. Kithina wasn¡¯t confused about the hierarchy of Hollow Shade. The city like the rest of the Ebon Realm was ruled by oligarchies. Making friends with the powerful named houses that ruled that city was the best option, no, the only option for Kithina if she wished to survive academy life.


    She just hoped that they would be good friends, not snobbish nor rude. Who knows, she might even find a handsome mage among the academy. Someone that would become more than just friends. She could just imagine it so clearly. She could go on adventures with him, and they¡¯d fall in love after experiencing difficult trials in the wilds together. They would be by each other¡¯s side forever.


    Kithina glanced around the classroom, trying to gauge her fellow classmates. While they all wore the school issued grey tunics, and black pants or skirts, Kithina could still tell who came from a commoner or elite background. The trick was in the small things. Some people wore golden earrings or rings. Others had silver beads interwoven in their hair, a trait of beauty in dwarven culture, not that Kithina could afford it. She had to settle for small wooden beads.


    The biggest clue was how the students carried themselves. The elites laughed and chatted with their friends, no doubt other rich kids. The few commoners stood quiet in their seats, worried that they might make some mistake and accidentally get kicked out from school before they even had the chance to begin.


    Kithina empathized with the commoners, after all, she was one of them. A loose strand of red hair drifted to her face, she pulled it back. Kithina smiled to herself, but she had one thing that the other commoners did not. She was proficient at reading and writing, more so than probably half the elites in the class. Since little, her father had drilled into her the skills of a scribe.


    The classroom door opened. The chatter died down as a drow in black mage robes entered. A silver necklace embedded with an emerald hung from his neck. His white hair was cropped short. A solemn expression shrouded his face.


    ¡°Good morning first years. Welcome to your first day of your next three years of misery,¡± he said.


    Whispers of uncertainty ran among the students.


    The drow continued in a grave pitch, ¡°Make no mistake, that is exactly what you will be facing here at the academy. Magic is not something that is learned on a whim. It is not a toy to impress your friends with. It is a dedicated craft wrought through sweat and blood. You will suffer in the pursuit of its mastery. Many of you will fail and break. Few will achieve a semblance of skill. But, if you devote all of your being to magic and its mysteries, with the proper guidance, and a significant measure of talent, I¡¯ll make you magi yet. You may call me Professor Rime and this is Magic Fundamentals.¡±


    Kithina could hardly contain her excitement. This was a real mage. A being who exuded power. She would learn magic from him.


    ¡°Now-¡± Rime began.


    The door slammed open. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to stare at the fool who dared to interrupt the master mage. A small goblin stepped in. A goblin? Kithina had never heard of a goblin mage before, but sure enough he was wearing the grey tunic and black pants like the rest of the male students.


    Stryg eyed the class and glanced at his curriculum paper. This seemed to be the right place and clearly he had arrived late. Everyone was watching him and judging by their stares, not with any good intentions. Stryg looked at the drow who stood in the front, he guessed he was the teacher. Stryg bowed his head to Rime and made his way to one of the front seats. He wished he could have hidden in the back, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see past everyone¡¯s shoulders and heads.


    Rime presented Stryg with a magnificent death stare throughout the entire walk. Kithina observed in horror as the goblin sat next to her. He smelled. A rancid scent, mixed with alcohol. Did something die and had the goblin decided to bathe in its guts? Kithina cursed her luck, she didn¡¯t want to sit next to him, didn¡¯t want to be associated with him. Goal number three, make friends with the elite. Elite. Not a back-alley hobo goblin. She needed to put as much distance between herself and the potential threat to her future dreams. But she couldn¡¯t quite well get up and risk angering Rime.


    Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears picked up on his other classmates¡¯ whispers of how he smelled. Stryg cursed in his mind. He had forgotten to bathe. Great, second failure of the day. In record time I might add, Stryg thought to himself glumly.


    ¡°Any other interruptions?¡± Rime asked with a brow raised.


    After a few agonizing long seconds Stryg realized he was talking to him. ¡°Oh, uh, no.¡±


    ¡°You should hope so, otherwise I¡¯ll have you out of my class,¡± Rime admonished.


    Most of the class snickered at Stryg¡¯s predicament. Kithina really hated being next to the laughing stock, it was one step away from being his partner in crime. She tried her best to ignore his existence.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Rime declared. ¡°What is this? I thought I was teaching a class of adults, not children!¡±


    And there it is, partner in crime, Kithina lamented.


    Rime¡¯s domineering voice silenced the class. He adjusted his robes. ¡°Now, today is simply supposed to be an introduction to the academy for you first years, hence why it is the only class you have listed for the day. But, clearly, you all have enough energy and idiocy to require a change of plans. Listen well, you will later be quizzed on what I say next. Your first lecture begins now.¡±

 Chapter 17: What is Magic?

    Chapter 17:


    Rime began to pace around the front of the class, his hands behind his back. ¡°You all have come here to learn magic. Most of you, don¡¯t even know the first inkling of what you are getting yourselves into. So, first and foremost, what is magic? Anyone? No need to raise your hand, just say what you think.¡±


    ¡°Shooting fireballs?¡± A student said.


    ¡°Calling down thunder from the sky?¡± Another pitched.


    ¡°Love potions,¡± a quiet voice peeped from the back.


    Rime sighed.


    ¡°Casting spells?¡±


    Rime looked up, ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°I did, professor.¡± A young man raised a pale hand. His shoulder-length black hair framed his sharp features. His face was clean shaven, save for the stubble on his chin. His red eyes didn¡¯t shy away, but stared straight at the professor.


    Kithina thought he was quite the handsome human. Or vampire, she supposed. She realized she was staring and looked away. Stryg, stared at the man without shame. He had only ever seen one other with red eyes, a woman at the city gates. What is he? Stryg wondered.


    ¡°Name,¡± Rime commanded.


    ¡°Callum Veres,¡± the student answered. Veres? Kithina''s eyes widened in recognition. A surname denoted that the person came from a named house. Wasn¡¯t the leader of house Veres on the city council?


    ¡°Ah, a Veres. I should have guessed. Your answer is wrong of course, but the closest one to the truth.¡± The drow professor continued, ¡°Magic is the act of ethereal energy, turning corporeal. Ethereal energy, also known as mana, is invisible to the naked eye, yet it is very much real. The Realms produce this energy naturally. Some creatures have the innate ability to inherently absorb mana. The beings that can are able to use magic. Many creatures can use magic in one form or another, not just chromatic species, like you and I.¡±


    ¡°Which brings me to my next point. There are three different kinds of ethereal energy.¡± Rime raised three fingers, ¡°First, is elemental energy. Any species who can use this energy are known as elemental species. The majority of magical beings belong to an elemental species. The second type is chromatic energy. Chromatic species are a group of species who can absorb chromatic energy into their bodies, hence the name. The third kind is called void energy, but it is purely theoretical, you won¡¯t cover this topic until you are third-years.¡±


    ¡°Moving on, elemental species all have a magical nature, for example, all sirens have the ability to absorb elemental energy, without exception. This is not the case for chromatic species. The majority of them do not have the ability to absorb chromatic energy. The few that do, we call mageborn, like everyone in this room. You are the ones who have the potential to become chromatic magi.¡±


    ¡°Now, you may be wondering what exactly are magi? There are two kinds of magic users. The first type are magi. They are people who have been trained to use ethereal energies in a very particular manner to create very specific corporeal results, which is known as casting a spell. The second kind are known as natural magic users. They have the ability to use magic from the moment they are born, like a drake being able to breathe fire. There are no natural chromatic magic users, only elemental ones.¡±


    ¡°Chromatic energy, like elemental energy, has different types. The types of elemental energy are divided into eleven elements, while mana is divided into ten colors. The elements are listed in common terms, such as fire, water, light, and death. Chromatics follow a similar pattern, blue, red, green, etc. You will find more details of the types in your textbook.¡±


    Stryg groaned silently. He had forgotten to get his textbooks from the library. Failure number three of the day, nice, Stryg thought.


    Rime persisted with the lecture, ¡°Types of elements can be easy to spot. A drake breathing fire is a clear use of the fire element. Chromatics are far more complex, however. There are two reasons for this. The first is that chromatic energy in its pure form is incredibly difficult to use, with only a few magi in all the Realms capable of casting spells with it. The second is that chromatic energy has a very unique property. In nature, pure chromatic energy absorbs and assimilates elemental energy. Specific colors absorb specific elements. This act taints the chromatic energy. What we chromatic magi inherently absorb into our bodies is tainted chromatic energy mixed with one element or another.¡±


    Rime watched the faces of his students, each engrossed with the information he was sharing. He nodded in approval, ¡°Why is this important, you may be wondering? Because it limits chromatic magi. For one, chromatic magi can¡¯t absorb pure elemental energy, unlike elemental species. We are stuck with tainted chromatic energy. The second limitation is the lack of diversity in our spells. Let me give an example. Frost giants are an elemental species. As such, they all innately absorb elemental energy, specifically, the water element. I reference the frost giants, because unlike most elemental species, like drakes or sirens, frost giants are not natural magic users. Instead they are magi, like us, casters of spells. But remember, as an elemental species, all frost giants can use mana and therefore have the potential to become elemental magi if properly trained.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°The differences between elemental and chromatic magi is significant. A frost giant mage can cast spells to manipulate water in all its different forms, solid, liquid, and gas. Some chromatic magi also have the water element, thanks to chromatic energy absorbing the element. But, remember that energy is tainted, a mixture of different types. Because of this, a chromatic mage¡¯s spells have limits. At best, they can use water in its liquid form, never in its solid or gas state.¡±


    Rime pulled out a jar from his robes. It was filled with dirt and a plant bulb. ¡°Now, having tainted energies is not always a bad thing. Sometimes the mixture of chromatic and elemental energy creates something entirely new. When chromatic green is combined with the water element, it allows a mage to cast spells like this.¡± Rime waved his hand in a slow precise manner. The bulb began to shake. It sprouted a stem, leaves, and in a manner of a few seconds, a lily flower.


    Waves of gasps arose through the class. Kithina beamed in happiness. This was it, this was real magic at work. The impossible becoming reality. She could just imagine the day where she¡¯d walk by the grass and the flowers themselves would rise to greet her.


    Stryg was equally amazed. It was different from the small flames that his tribe¡¯s late shaman, Cruvor, could make, but it was just as grand. Stryg imagined being able to make fruits from trees whenever he wanted, he¡¯d never go hungry again.


    Rime put the jar away. ¡°Magic can create extraordinary marvels. But, it is not unlimited. Even the most powerful archmage can¡¯t defeat an army on their own. No matter how powerful you become, remember this, you are not a god. You are still vulnerable. Which is why you must learn to work together to help cover your weaknesses. To aid you in learning this valuable lesson I will be assigning you a group project. It will be difficult, but you will have all year to complete it. The project will contain three sections. A written essay, a speech, and a practical presentation. Each group will consist of three students. Every student will be expected to play a vital participating role within their group, failure to do so will result in the entire group failing my class. If the project is not on par to the expected standard of excellence of this academy, the group will fail.¡±


    Kithina tried to process the vital information. If a student failed a class the city would stop paying for her tuition. She didn¡¯t have the luxury to fail a class or two like some of the rich students whose parents had paid their school fees. She needed to find classmates who were both well educated and willing to excel in class. The commoners might have the will, but definitely not the education. On the other hand, Kithina had been around wealthy youth before, she knew how arrogant or lazy some of them could be. She could easily imagine them willing to give up on the project, despite their educated upbringing. This wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Rime pulled out a paper, ¡°There will be a mystery prize for the group that achieves the highest score.¡±


    The mention of a prize garnered the attention of the entire class. Kithina sighed in relief, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to find good partners.


    ¡°I have composed the groups at random. I will now read the names of the students who have been assigned to each group,¡± Rime said.


    What?! Kithina thought in horror. She didn¡¯t have a choice who¡¯d she get? As Rime began reading the names from his list, Kithina¡¯s worries began to take a hold of her. Her mind ran through all the horrid scenarios that she could encounter. What if one of her classmates was a mute, or an utter imbecile, or worse, entirely talentless at magic. She¡¯d be done for. That was it, there was nothing she¡¯d be able to do. Her plans for her dream academy life were slipping through her hands.


    ¡°Kithina,¡± Rime said.


    Her head shot up with the mention of her name.


    ¡°You will be paired with Callum Veres,¡± Rime announced.


    Kithina looked at the handsome vampire.


    His pearl white teeth formed a smile, ¡°I will be in your care.¡±


    ¡°Uh, l-likewise,¡± she nodded repeatedly.


    Kithina was lucky enough to be partnered with one of the most educated students. They actually might have a chance at winning first place. Plus he was handsome, not that his appearance had any influence on her, she lied to herself. He was also the son of a powerful family. If she made friends with him she could go far. She couldn¡¯t be luckier. Her mind went so far as to play with the idea of romance with the vampire, maybe even marriage.


    ¡°Stryg will be the last member of your group,¡± Rime finished.


    Kithina looked around the room, her eyes searching for the final mysterious member. No one seemed to look up in recognition.


    ¡°Hello. I will be in your care,¡± Callum said as his face was stuck between a smile and a grimace.


    Kithina slowly turned her head. It couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Hello, I am Stryg,¡± The blue goblin nodded.


    No, no, no! This couldn¡¯t be happening. Kithina witnessed the moment her future died as the goblin looked at her.


    ¡°You must be Kithina. Hello,¡± Stryg tried smiling at the pretty dwarf. But he stopped as he watched the abject horror on her freckled face.


    ¡°Topics for the projects will be assigned next class. Good day,¡± Rime concluded and left the classroom. Students got up and began conversing with their project partners.


    Callum stood, ¡°I have to get going, but we should meet up at some point to talk about our plans for the project. It was nice meeting you both.¡± He placed his hand above his heart and made a small bow, ¡°Good day.¡±


    ¡°May the moon bless you on your journey,¡± Stryg said.


    Callum tilted his head and grinned, ¡°Thank you and may the stars light your path.¡±


    Stryg smiled at the farewell. After the vampire had left, Stryg turned to his other partner. Kithina''s forehead was flat on the desk, her red locks of hair covering her face.


    ¡°May the moon ble-¡± Stryg began.


    ¡°Where do you think you are?¡± Kithina muttered without moving.


    Before Stryg had a chance to answer she went on, ¡°This isn¡¯t some back alley game. We aren¡¯t in the commoner district anymore, this is the magic academy, arguably the most important school in the Realm. And you come in here smelling like shit and alcohol. Late, too. So, I don¡¯t care to hear your weird religious greeting. I want you to get your act together, so we can at least have a miniscule chance of not failing this class.¡±


    Stryg clenched his jaw but remained quiet. She was right, he hadn¡¯t been taking this seriously enough. He must seem like a failure to her, he must seem that way to everyone here, he thought. The weird goblin, a freak amongst the class. He was used to the treatment. The cold familiar feeling of apathy wrapped around him like a snug cloak. He sighed and walked away.

 Chapter 18: The Hybrid

    Chapter 18:


    Stryg left the classroom and went to his dorm room. He ignored the looks of the few he passed by. Once he arrived, he took a few moments to admire the room. It may have been tiny, but it was his. It was the first room that he could call his own. This was still his fresh start no matter what others thought of him. But this time, he wouldn¡¯t strive to gain their approval. This time, he¡¯d work hard for his own benefit. He had no tribe here, he was alone, and it was time he began to act that way. He rummaged through his small trunk, until he found a towel, a bar of soap, and a fresh set of clothes. After reading the map, Stryg tried making his way to the academy baths, it took him over an hour to find it. There were two doors leading to the baths, male and female. A bored dwarf stood in between on a tall podium. The dwarf glanced at Stryg, looked away, and whipped his head back.


    ¡°Woah, a goblin student. You must be new, I¡¯ve never seen you before,¡± the dwarf blurted out.


    ¡°Are there any other goblin students here?¡± Stryg asked.


    The dwarf shook his head, ¡°You are the first I have ever seen or heard of. This place must be pretty strange to a commoner like you. The door to my right is for the males.¡±


    Stryg had already walked past him into the male baths. There had been a sign above the door, it had been obvious. People kept assuming he was a commoner and that he couldn¡¯t read. He guessed most commoners were unable to. Stryg was honestly glad his literacy had become so useful. Back home it had only served as fuel for his mockery. But here, Stryg had been able to use a map to find his way through the maze of buildings that was the magic academy.


    The baths consisted of a large white room with tiled flooring. Small cubicles made of opaque glass lined the walls. A few were occupied, with a faint silhouette appearing through the glass, and steam rising from above. Stryg slowed his steps as he observed the strange room. He had never seen anything like it. The drow captain, Rorik, had praised the baths of the martial academy, saying that no bath quite compared. Stryg hoped these baths were the same.


    Stryg made his way to one of the empty open cubicles. He stepped inside and closed the door behind. A small metal latch locked tight. This whole place already seemed magical to the goblin. A couple of metal hooks hung from the side. Stryg stripped and tried hanging his dirty and new clothes on the hook, but they were too high. He would have thought the academy just wasn¡¯t accustomed to accommodating goblins, but dwarves were just as small and he had seen several roaming through campus, including that redhead dwarf. Stryg had thought she was quite cute, though that didn¡¯t matter much. She had made it clear in no uncertain terms her dislike for him. He shook his head, she didn¡¯t matter, none of them did. All he needed to do was focus on excelling in his classes. He needed to become a mage and that started with taking a bath.


    Stryg jumped to reach the hooks. He overshot by an entire two feet, almost missing the hooks all together. He landed softly on his feet, amazed by his feat. He hadn¡¯t known he was able to jump so high. For the first time in his life Stryg felt that his daily exercises had begun to pay off. To larger beings such as humans or drow, the jump would have seemed mundane, but Stryg couldn¡¯t be happier. That is, until he turned the metal knob on the wall. He had barely turned it before freezing cold water pelted him from above. The shower nozzle sprayed him mercilessly. He felt he was back in the river near his village. The frost water chilled him to the bone. This is why he hated taking showers and rarely made the time for them.


    Stryg grumbled to himself as he scrubbed his whole body with the soap bar. He would have already gotten out under normal circumstances, but he was filthy and reeked. He had decided that he wouldn¡¯t focus his time on making friends, but it didn¡¯t mean he wanted to make unnecessary enemies, well except for that dwarf girl, their dislike for each other was mutual. Being foul smelling definitely hadn¡¯t helped in trying not to stand out. He needed to try to maintain himself clean. He shouted with spirit as he continued scrubbing until his skin was raw. This isn¡¯t enough, more water! Stryg braced himself. He turned the knob all the way, only to have the water warm up. Hot water poured down on him as he shook in frustration.


    Of course the water can become hot, he thought angrily.


    He had seen steam coming out of several other cubicles. He had just been too stupid to put one and two together. The experiences of the past few days rained on his mind, his failures at being unable to adapt to be good enough for those around, weighed on him. He couldn¡¯t even take a shower right.


    After a few minutes his sour mood gave away to the hot water soothing his sore muscles. Had he had water like this back in the village he would have taken showers all the time. Once his skin had begun to wrinkle he reluctantly turned off the water and dried his body. He put his towel on his shoulders and walked out of the cubicle.


    A few men who were coming in and out of the baths stared at him and laughed. Stryg didn¡¯t understand why, until he noticed they were all wearing clothes, even the ones with wet hair. He sighed, it seemed people here put their clothes on right after their baths. They didn¡¯t let their bodies be air dried first, like sensible folk. Dejected, Stryg went back into the cubicle. He had lost count of how many failures he had made today.


    After the whole bath affair, Stryg made his way to the library, which of course was almost as difficult as finding the baths. Of all the places he had visited so far, the library was perhaps the one that gave Stryg most pause. Large polarized windows adorned the high walls, only surpassed by the mahogany shelves that covered the entire domed building. Students appeared from one shelf only to disappear behind another stack of books. The place was a maze of bookshelves. He was lucky that the librarian¡¯s desk was only a few feet from the door. Stryg was afraid that even with the survival skills he had honed throughout his life, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to find her otherwise.


    The old drow smiled as Stryg¡¯s head popped into view from the edge of the towering desk. ¡°Hello there, young one.¡±


    Stryg craned his neck up as far as he could, ¡°Hello. I am a first-year and I was told that I could pick up my text books here¡­ Is this the right place?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Why yes, it is. We still have a few stacks left. They are right over here.¡± The librarian led him to a table only a few paces away. A few tall stacks of books sat on top. ¡°They are all the same, pick whichever you like.¡±


    Stryg thanked her, grabbed one of the stacks, which of course blinded his line of sight, and proceeded to wobble his way back to his dorm. Thankfully, he encountered only a few others on his way back. A few giggled, but most simply ignored him. He threw his books on the bed and sat on the ground, leaning back on the wall. He opened his map of the academy and began to study it. He wouldn¡¯t let himself be lost or late again. He needed to learn where all his classes were by memory. But first, he had to try to figure out where the cafeteria was.


    ---


    Kithina woke early the next morning. Her first day at the academy hadn¡¯t gone very well, but today would be different. She was determined to make the best of her time here. The first class of the day was a physical conditioning course. The curriculum was the same for all first-years, so she needed to try and make a good impression with her classmates. Kithina remembered the way she had treated the young goblin yesterday, a pang of guilt shot through her, but she shook her head and ignored it.


    Focus, she repeated to herself like a mantra.


    She wanted to arrive early to class, fortunately she had already taken a shower last night which helped save her some time. She opened the little trunk the academy had provided and pulled out a small wooden box her mother gifted her for her eighteenth birthday. Inside was a makeup kit. Her mother had worked hard saving enough money to buy it. Kithina wouldn¡¯t let it go to waste. Appearances and first impressions were very important. After applying the makeup, getting her unruly red curls under control, and putting on a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt she headed out.


    Kithina walked onto the green grass of the academy¡¯s field. She was surprised there was such an enormous open field in the city. Then again as a commoner, she had never been allowed into most districts. The sun was barely beginning to creep over the horizon. A tall, pretty orc, wearing a black mage robe, stood alone in the middle of the field. The sunlight glinted off a jasper and amber stone hanging from the woman¡¯s necklace.


    That must be the professor, Kithina thought.


    Kithina jogged over to the wide track sprawled over the field. As she came close, she spotted a small crouched figure behind the orc mage. She halted in her steps as the young cyan goblin looked up at her. Kithina thought she had arrived first, but it had been the goblin instead. It seemed he had taken her advice of taking classes seriously to heart. She wasn¡¯t sure how she should feel about that, or what she should even say. She had been rude to him when he hadn¡¯t been to her. She had overreacted yesterday.


    Kithina sighed, I had better apologize. But, he had already looked away and continued fiddling with his shoes.


    Stryg never had shoes with laces before. When he had heard he needed to bring the pair to several of his classes he didn¡¯t think much of it, until he tried to tie them. They had proven more of a hassle then he had thought. The pretty yet rude dwarf strolled up to him.


    The dwarf stood right next to him, ¡°Hey, about yesterday. I-¡±


    Stryg stood up, turned his back to her and walked away. He didn¡¯t care to listen to more insults. He had experienced enough growing up, thank you very much. He crouched back down a few feet away and tried to figure out the puzzle that was his shoes.


    Kithina scowled at the goblin¡¯s disregard. She supposed in a way she deserved it, but it didn¡¯t make the snub feel any better. The goblin continued messing with his shoes. After a moment she realized he didn¡¯t know how to tie his laces.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you do it,¡± she smirked.


    Stryg dismissed her words. She may have been trying to assert her authority over him with her knowledge of shoe tying but he wouldn¡¯t let her. About 15 minutes later the rest of the class trickled onto the field. Stryg had eventually given up with the laces and had tucked them into his shoes. Thankfully, the dwarf had left him alone and was chatting with the teacher.


    ¡°19, 20, 21. Perfect, all class 1-C is here,¡± The orc mage announced as she looked around the group. Most of the students looked bleary-eyed, not accustomed to waking up this early.


    ¡°My name is Tauri of house Katag. I¡¯m the professor of physical education at the magic academy of Hollow Shade,¡± she announced with a sense of pride. ¡°I will be teaching you all physical conditioning this year. Before I start class I just wanted to let you know to feel free to ask me any questions about the lecture. I¡¯m more than happy to answer,¡± Tauri smiled.


    Everyone nodded in understanding. She was an orc, but she already seemed far kinder than the drow professor from yesterday, Stryg felt.


    ¡°Many of you come from middle or high-class backgrounds, the cushy life you might say. I don¡¯t expect the majority of you have had physically demanding tasks thrust upon you at any point in your lives. Even the ones who come from more humble backgrounds aren¡¯t ordinarily forced to push their bodies to their physical limits. This class will challenge you all physically and mentally.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pointed ears perked up at the Tauri¡¯s mention of a challenge. Stryg would rise to this challenge. He took a deep breath, the time for failures was over, he hoped.


    ¡°Even a vampire won¡¯t have an easy time in this class,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg raised his hand.


    ¡°Yes, you. State your name and feel free to ask your question. Don¡¯t be afraid to speak up,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg frowned, he wasn¡¯t afraid. Clearly he had been wrong about his earlier assessment of this woman. He dismissed the slight and went ahead, ¡°I am Stryg. Prof. Tauri, what exactly are vampires?¡±


    Kithina groaned, that was his question? How ignorant was this goblin?


    ¡°Vampires are a species. Callum is a vampire,¡± Kithina smiled over at the young vampire.


    Callum looked away awkwardly. Kithina¡¯s smile fell.


    Tauri nodded in approval, ¡°Correct. Kithina, right? Vampires are a chromatic species, known for their physical abilities and longevity, among other things.¡±


    ¡°Callum Veres isn¡¯t a vampire though,¡± A tall, broad shouldered student spoke.


    ¡°And you are?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Clypeus of house Gale, an actual vampire.¡± The student bowed, his hand over his heart. ¡°Pleasure to officially meet you. As I was saying, Callum is not a vampire, he¡¯s the mongrel of the Veres family.¡±


    Callum glared at Clypeus, but held his tongue. Kithina looked at him, unsure of what to say.


    Tauri laughed, ¡°Oh, you mean he¡¯s a hybrid. Yeah, we have plenty of them here at the academy. Nothing to bark about. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a vampire, dwarf, orc, or whatever mix. You¡¯re all still going to be hurting by the end of this class.¡±


    Clypeus looked dismayed. Callum smiled. Kithina was worried. Stryg was just frustrated, now he had to figure out what a hybrid was.

 Chapter 19: Didn’t I say?

    Chapter 19:


    ¡°Although there are some theories, we don¡¯t exactly know why the ability to use magic manifests itself in the body at the age of eighteen. While there are some late bloomers, magic never appears at an earlier age,¡± Tauri walked to the starting line on the race track. ¡°My point is that all 21 of you are quite young. Your bodies have the ability to adapt and grow accustomed to intensive physical training.¡±


    A human student raised her hand.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°Name.¡±


    ¡°Nora of house Azol. Professor, while I understand what you''re saying I don¡¯t understand why you are saying it. This isn¡¯t the martial academy, why do we need to train so hard?¡± Norah brushed her hair away from her face.


    ¡°You are one hundred percent correct, Nora. This isn¡¯t the martial academy. While you will have some basic weapons training, you won¡¯t ever be expected to master the sword.¡± Tauri began doing stretches. ¡°But, warriors and magi have something crucial in common. We both rely on our bodies. Whenever we magi cast a spell our bodies use mana. Where does that mana specifically come from, anyone?¡±


    ¡°Our blood,¡± Kithina voiced.


    ¡°Good, someone has done their readings,¡± Tauri smiled. ¡°Our bodies absorb the ambient mana in the environment around us and that mana normally resides in the core of our body, our heart. But when we cast a spell, that mana travels through our blood to the rest of our body. Now, you may not feel mana while it lies dormant in you, but I guarantee that isn¡¯t the case when you''re spellcasting. The act of casting a spell makes the mana within you move, quickly at that. The force of that active energy is very taxing on the body, too much of it will kill you. The energy will also kill you if your body is too feeble.¡±


    Stryg remembered the feeling of heat coursing through his arms when he ripped through the ropes at the city gates. His arms felt like they were on fire.


    Tauri removed her black robe to reveal a similar outfit as the students. She had an athletic build, her body was skinny save for the muscles in her wide thighs. Stryg couldn¡¯t help but stare at her butt as she stretched her legs. Stryg looked away, what was he thinking? She was an orc for Lunae¡¯s sake, the historical enemy of all goblins.


    ¡°Which is why we magi strive to stay in shape. The stronger your body is the more active mana you can handle. In other words, the fitter you are, the greater spells you can cast. The quantity of spells you can cast increases too,¡± Tauri explained.


    Nora seemed miffed but stayed quiet.


    ¡°Quality and quantity,¡± Kithina murmured to herself.


    ¡°Never forget my young magi, your body is a conduit for power. A very fragile conduit. But, if you can master your body and mind,¡± Tauri took a long relaxed breath. Her veins darkened and became perfectly visible on her red skin. ¡°Then you can channel that power to achieve incredible results.¡±


    Before anyone could speak Tauri dashed away in the blink of an eye. Her feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted across the track. Stryg¡¯s mouth hung wide open. Not even the animals in Vulture Woods could compete. Her speed was unnatural. In a dozen seconds she had finished her lap. Students began clapping at her performance.


    Tauri laughed in joy, her veins reverting to normal. ¡°I love a morning run. With enough practice some of you will be able to run like me.¡±


    ¡°Only some of us?¡± Kithina asked with uncertainty.


    Tauri¡¯s cheerful voice took a solemn tone, ¡°Indeed. All spells are relegated to the chromatic color of mana used to cast them. Each color creates different spell forms with different effects. The spell I just used was a high level agility spell. Agility enhancement is an orange spell form and therefore requires orange mana to cast.¡±


    Nora¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Wait, are you saying that we don¡¯t all have orange mana?¡±


    Tauri glanced up at the sky, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°The majority of mages only have one color of mana,¡± Callum, the half-vampire, added.


    ¡°Only about 1 in 10 mages have two colors. Anything beyond that is incredibly rare. Your colors were tested when you came to the academy. The chrome-probes, remember? Whatever color appeared on that magestone is the color of mana you possess.¡± Tauri confirmed.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± Kithina whispered. She had dreamed of casting all different kinds of spells, like professor Rime¡¯s creation of a lily or Tauri¡¯s incredible speed. Now she worried about what spells she was limited to.


    Stryg recalled the magestone test. He had gotten the magestone to turn black. So, I have black mana then? Stryg looked at his hands in contemplation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. You¡¯ll learn more about chromatics in your other classes. I¡¯ll say this though, all colors are balanced, not one is greater than the other. So, don¡¯t worry over what color you may have. Now, my job is to train your bodies. I want everyone to line up,¡± Tauri said.


    The students followed her instructions and walked to the starting line of the track.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it slow today. Normally, I¡¯d say to do a quick jog to get you all warmed up. But, I want to see how fast you are in your natural states. The track is about a quarter mile long. I want everyone to run as fast as they can. I will be timing each and everyone of you,¡± Tauri pulled out a small magical device. ¡°And I expect you all to try your hardest, otherwise I will be giving you a failing score for the day. The faster the better.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Callum and Clypeus smiled at her words. Kithina shook her head, of course the two vampires in class would be happy. They had the advantage over the rest in these kinds of activities. Kithina sighed, she was a dwarf and from what history had shown, her height-challenged species was never known for being swift by any means. So much for excelling in her classes. At least she wouldn¡¯t come in last, she glanced over at the wide-eyed goblin. There were a couple of other dwarves in the class, even if Kithina was slower than them, at least she¡¯d be able to overtake the goblin. Goblins and dwarves were both known to be short, but dwarves at least had stamina and strength on their side.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t paying attention to any of the others. He was too worried about the test. Races were common back in the village. He had always come in last. Too slow and too little energy to sustain a full sprint. Stryg didn¡¯t need to do great, he just didn¡¯t want to fail. The others already looked down on him, he didn¡¯t need to add ¡°slowest of all¡± to the list. Most of his classmates had longer legs than him to boot. Things weren¡¯t looking great. He took deep breaths, he could do this. All he had to do was not come in last. He needed to focus all his energy in one burst. One sprint. Just one lap.


    ¡°3, 2, 1, go, go, go, go!¡± Tauri yelled.


    The students scrambled forward. Some pushed each other, trying to get a few feet ahead. Kithina braced herself as she was shoved out of the way by an orc classmate. Stryg nimbly dodged his competitors, he was used to foul play in races. A few faster students ran ahead. Eventually, the crowd thinned as the swift and slow students were separated.


    Stryg ignored the other runners and focused on himself, it didn¡¯t matter if the others were faster. He just needed to finish before the last straggler. His eyes focused on each step he took. He forced his legs to push him as fast as he could. The wind pushed back as if to deny him. Stryg remembered running away from the snake monster in the caves, the poacher in the city gates, the gangsters in the common district. He had always run away. This time he was running toward victory, he wouldn¡¯t lose. Stryg kept his head down as he charged through the track. His eyes caught the white paint of the starting line as his feet sprang past. He had finished the lap. He slowed his steps and came to a stop. Stryg gasped for breath as he rested his hands on his knees. His legs felt tired, but it wasn¡¯t bad. He had felt much worse.


    ¡°He cheated!¡± A voice cried out. Stryg looked up at a group of students arguing in front of Tauri.


    ¡°I¡¯m a pure vampire, and I wasn¡¯t able to beat him,¡± Clypeus stated.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± Callum spoke softly.


    ¡°He must have used magic!¡± Another student declared.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°I was paying attention. No spell was cast.¡±


    ¡°Then explain how a damn goblin beat us all!¡± An orc pointed an accusing finger at Stryg.


    Stryg stood up in shock. Wait, they¡¯re talking about me?


    He looked around, as if expecting another goblin to appear. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to the other runners. Had he really come in before them? It couldn¡¯t be.


    Tauri scratched her ear, ¡°I don¡¯t get what all of you are flipping out about.¡±


    ¡°Goblins shouldn¡¯t be faster than orcs or vampires, or anyone here for that matter,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I mean, sure, yeah,¡± Tauri shrugged.


    The group of students seemed upset.


    Tauri frowned, ¡°Wait, do you really not get it? Stryg is clearly a hybrid.¡±


    The students gawked at Stryg in shock.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Stryg didn¡¯t understand.


    Tauri stretched her arm out to him, ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious if you just look at him. His skin is more blue than green, he has silver hair, the points of his ears are short, and he¡¯s got no facial hair. I mean come on, his eyes are literally purple for crying out loud.¡±


    ¡°Another hybrid?¡± Callum said slowly, trying to absorb the information.


    Tauri laughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say we have plenty of hybrids at the academy. So, don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t lose to an ¡®ordinary¡¯ goblin. Your fragile masculine pride is intact.¡±


    The group shuffled around in embarrassment.


    ¡°Um, Prof. Tauri. What is a hybrid?¡± Stryg asked with uncertainty. He had felt uncomfortable at how she had pointed out all his odd features.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a hybrid is if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Stryg said impatiently.


    Tauri smiled sadly, ¡°A hybrid is a child born between parents of different species. You are a half-goblin. My guess is your half-drow, too.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Stryg denied, shaken.


    Tauri walked over and patted his shoulder, ¡°It can be a lot to take in. Your parents never told you?¡±


    ¡°My mother died when I was born,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty common in hybrid births. My mother... she passed away when I was born, as well,¡± Callum said, sadness clear in his eyes.


    Tauri nodded in sympathy, ¡°And what about your father Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I... I never knew my father,¡± Stryg said with dawning realization.


    Tauri sighed, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. It seems you get your speed from your dad¡¯s side of the family though. You managed to outpace everyone, even the pure vampire over there.¡±


    Clypeus looked away. ¡°At least it explains why there¡¯s a goblin in the magic academy and how he won the race. He¡¯s not even a goblin,¡± Clypeus grumbled.


    Stryg was still trying to take in the situation. ¡°Wait, I won?¡±


    ¡°Yup. By a long shot. Judging from your muscles I bet you exercise often, unlike any of these rich kids.¡±


    ¡°...But I¡¯ve always lost every race,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Tauri tilted her head, ¡°Did you race against a bunch of other hybrids?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°No, they weren¡¯t freaks like m-¡± He stopped himself. ¡°They were normal.¡±


    ¡°Hm. When was the last time you raced against them?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°A few months ago, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Your body could just be beginning to show signs of your hybrid nature. It¡¯s rare, but some hybrids only develop traits of one parent until the later stages of their life,¡± Callum explained.


    The stragglers finally arrived at the finish line. Kithina was struggling to catch her breath. She looked at Tauri and the others surrounding Stryg. What was going on?


    Tauri grinned, ¡°You¡¯re all finally here. You took longer than I hoped. Not to worry, I¡¯ll have you fit in no time. Do another ten laps, feel free to jog this time.¡±


    Kithina could feel her legs wilting at the cruel sound of the orc¡¯s laughter. Forget flunking and getting kicked out of school, Kithina would die right here on this bloody track.

 Chapter 20: Meditation Class

    Chapter 20:


    Professor Tauri forced the students to jog for the rest of the class. Half the class couldn¡¯t do it, but Tauri forced them to walk laps around the track instead. Kithina trailed at the back, her limbs floundered in the wind as she wheezed for breath. While Kithina had a curvy figure, she was by no means overweight, her family couldn¡¯t afford being overweight even if they had tried. But, she hadn¡¯t done much physical labor either, opting to help as a scribe¡¯s assistant to her dad.


    Kithina didn¡¯t know how much more of this she could take. Her legs felt like lead. The other two dwarves were even walking ahead of her, but not by much. A small figure passed her. What irked her the most was him. The goblin, Stryg. Somehow, he had managed to come in first. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, she would have sworn he would have placed last. Instead she was at the end of the line and he was running circles around her, literally. He was several laps ahead, jogging at a constant speed, never slowing, his eyes to the ground. She didn¡¯t understand how he could keep that pace up.


    Stryg didn¡¯t notice Kithina¡¯s confused glances or the envy shared by some of the others. His mind was somewhere else. He always had the least endurance, been the weakest and slowest. No matter how much he trained he always fell behind the other goblins. He could never keep up with the hunters when they went on their morning runs. Now, he was jogging for almost an hour and he only felt a bit winded. What had happened to him? He remembered how Karen, the goblin traitor, had told him she had seen him running like the wind. Had his body started changing back then? He was so focused on surviving in this city that he hadn¡¯t noticed. He hadn¡¯t realized how much of a freak he really was.


    Stryg always wanted to be a goblin worthy of the name. Now he wasn¡¯t even a goblin. Just an oddity of nature. He knew he was an outcast, an exile of his tribe, but he had always held hope of returning home. Being a mage would definitely help him get back in the good graces of the tribe. But, now, that path was closed. They wouldn¡¯t accept a half-goblin.


    Tauri rang a whistle to motion the group to stop. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve all done great. Especially, you Stryg. You are the only one of your classmates who¡¯s actually in shape, great shape at that. But, don¡¯t expect I¡¯ll go easy on you either,¡± the orc laughed.


    Stryg tried to make himself as small as possible. Everyone was staring at him with mixed expressions. Great, as if he needed to be even more different from everyone else. The bells rang in the distance.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. You should all go get cleaned up before your next class,¡± Tauri advised.


    Everyone split off, heading to their dorms or the baths. Callum walked up to Stryg.


    ¡°Hey, I know you must feel like your whole world is falling apart. And I know we don¡¯t know each other very well, maybe it''s not my place to say anything. But, I¡¯m here if you wanna talk, to answer any questions, or if you just need someone to listen. We hybrids have it hard enough, no need to face the world alone, too,¡± Callum said with sympathy.


    Stryg was surprised at the gesture of kindness. It was rare in the tribe. Not that he was part of a tribe anymore.


    ¡°...Thank you. I appreciate it,¡± Stryg said.


    Callum grinned, ¡°May the moon bless you on your journey.¡±


    ¡°And may the stars light your path,¡± Stryg managed a smile.


    ---


    Stryg had intended to take a quick bath, but the ingenious hot water coupled with his struggling thoughts had left him in the shower for almost an hour. After a swift change of clothes Stryg ran towards a marble dome shaped building. It was different from the rest of the architecture, there were no windows. The dome¡¯s large steel double doors were wide open. Stryg entered just as the bells rang. He had barely made it on time. At least he wasn¡¯t late, he tried convincing himself.


    The building was a single large open room. It was dark and the floor was cold, there were no torches on the walls. Besides the open doors, the only source of light was from a dim magestone on the ceiling. This place really was filled with amazing creations. Stryg¡¯s classmates were all sitting down on large pillows in a circle, centered around a human woman.


    She was quite old. Wrinkles had set over her face, her white hair was tied in one long braid. She wore the black robes that Stryg had learned to identify as belonging to a mage. A silver necklace, with a sapphire, hung from her neck. Stryg had noticed the different color gems before, but he now realized that it probably had to do with the wearer¡¯s color of mana.


    The old woman¡¯s droopy beige eyes watched him, ¡°Young man, please close the doors on your way in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Stryg did as she said. This woman was a mage, he needed to behave well with her.


    Once the doors closed the dome was bathed in darkness. The ceiling¡¯s magestone glowed softly, barely illuminating the silhouettes of everyone. Even a goblin or vampire would have a difficult time seeing anything.


    ¡°Please make your way to one of the open pillows and sit down. Take your time, you don¡¯t want to bump into anyone,¡± The mage asked kindly.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Thanks to his perfect night vision Stryg had no problem finding an empty spot. He let her know when had sat down.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Professor Ismene. I will be leading you all in your journey towards meditation. This building is called a meditation dome. You will find several around campus, albeit at far smaller sizes. We use these domes to help focus our minds by taking away external stimuli. The environment around us can be distracting, but here sound does not travel from outside and vision is limited. A perfect place to focus and meditate.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t agree with her last statement. He could clearly see everyone and the interior marble walls of the bare room. Plus, he remembered how Cruvor, the Blood Fang¡¯s shaman, meditated, by making a girl go down on him. Stryg didn¡¯t know if the old goblin had been doing it right or if he just wanted to get a blowjob. Stryg was leaning towards the latter.


    ¡°The purpose of meditation is to help train the mind. You have already had class with Prof. Tauri. So, you must know how important the body is. The mind is even more so. It is through our mind that we channel our will, our determination and desires. Without it, we are nothing. The mind can be your greatest weapon or weakness. It all depends on how you choose to nurture it. We train our mind through meditation, and by doing so, our magical skills as well.¡±


    ¡°Everyone here is a mageborn. Our bodies naturally absorb the ambient mana around us. Yet, none of you are aware of that mana. You cannot see it, smell it, taste it, hear it or touch it, mana is ethereal. But, I will show you how to sense it within yourselves. First, I need you to take deep breaths and relax. Try to empty your minds of any distracting thoughts,¡± Ismene explained.


    Stryg had a hard time doing so. He had taken the chance to look and study everyone in class without being noticed. No one could see his eyes going from one face to another. His eyes eventually landed on the redhead dwarf. Kithina was her name he recalled. She was mean towards him, no doubt wishing to assert her authority over him. Stryg wouldn¡¯t let her, she didn¡¯t even seem very strong based on the results of the race earlier. But she was pretty. Freckles dotted her cheeks and nose. Her emerald eyes stared intently at the professor, hoping to catch a glimpse of wisdom, despite being completely blind in the dark. Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered below as he looked at her sizable bust and wide hips. He had to retract his earlier thought, she wasn¡¯t pretty, definitely beautiful.


    ¡°It would be easier if one closed their eyes,¡± Ismened added.


    As if admonished, Stryg closed his eyes. He needed to focus, ogling could come later. The room was empty save for the occasional noise of someone moving on their pillow.


    ¡°Professor Ismene?¡± Stryg cracked an eye open.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is there a difference between how a shaman and mage meditate?¡± Stryg couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Professor Ismene smiled, although only Stryg could see. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be, since shamans are magi. Magi have gone by many names in the past, shaman, wizard warlock, and more. Nowadays, most of the Ebon Realm calls us magi. Now, let us focus on letting our minds wander free, let your emotions go.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t understand how to do that but he closed his eyes anyway. Staring at Kithina¡¯s breast probably wasn¡¯t the way to meditate. He had difficulty freeing his mind of thoughts. He kept thinking of his hybrid origins. How had no one in the tribe known? Outsiders weren¡¯t permitted inside the village. So, how could the one who sired him gotten in, much less slept with his birth mother.


    After 20 minutes of silence, Ismene spoke in a whisper, ¡°Without moving I want you to try and feel your heart pulsing. Blood coursing through your body. Look for that feeling and once you find it, don¡¯t let go.¡±


    Stryg tried to focus on finding the beat of his heart. It wasn¡¯t hard. The loud beating of his heart ringing in his ears was commonplace. How many times had he pushed his body to its limits trying to train and compete with the others? How many times had he fought and lost in sparring matches? How many times had he run for his life in Vulture Woods or in Hollow Shade? He was supposed to let go of his emotions, but all he could feel was anger. He was angry at himself for trying so hard to impress those who didn¡¯t care for him. Angry for still wanting to return to the village even if now there was no chance he could. Why was he doing this? Why was he here trying to learn magic? Why did he put up with the students¡¯ mockery, their looks, their insults? What did he really want out of this?


    Something changed within. A feeling, almost as if alive, stirred in him. Stryg could sense it, waiting, begging to be released, as if it was held down by Stryg¡¯s own indecision. A painful pressure began to build in his chest. He gasped for breath. The others turned towards him. Stryg was grateful that none could see his pathetic state. His hands and knees were on the cool marble floor. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tried to breath, it felt as if his lungs had collapsed, only the smallest wisps of air coming in and out.


    ¡°...Meditating can be difficult. Focusing on one¡¯s heart is the first step in controlling the mana within you. It will take some time but with practice you will gain control. I want you all to continue practicing your meditation by clearing your mind and listening to your heartbeat twice a day, once when you wake up and the other before you go to sleep. We will stop here for today. Do be careful on your way out, it is quite dark. Class dismissed,¡± Ismene said.


    The students got up and slowly made their way to the doors. Stryg laid on the ground, his breath returning a little at a time. He couldn¡¯t even speak if he wanted to, let alone move. Ismene grabbed the cane next to her and pushed herself to her feet.


    She made her way to Stryg and whispered, ¡°The ethereal energy we call mana resides in our chests, it is why I said to focus on your heartbeat. But, you went a step further. You found the mana within yourself. Instead of trying to clear your mind you focused on something else, anger and pain, perhaps, judging from the way your body reacted.¡±


    ¡°The reason we meditate is to empty our minds, helping us to focus and achieve our goal of having control over our own mana. While that goal hasn¡¯t changed throughout the years, the way of achieving it has differed in many regards. Emotions can help you find and control your mana just as well as clearing your mind. The stronger the emotion the stronger your focus. You must have suffered many hardships in your life to find your ethereal energy on the first try. But, emotions are volatile, prone to irrational thought. Intent is everything when it comes to magic. The mana within you responded to your will, your pain. Obviously, it reacted negatively and left you in this sorry state.¡±


    Ismene patted his head, ¡°This is why I tell my students to let go of their thoughts during meditation. It may be hard to do and take time to master, but it is the far safer option, and in the long run you will achieve better control over your mana, as well. Our academy is open minded to the practices of magic, so I will not prohibit you from trying to channel your emotions instead of traditional meditation, but you should know the risks that come with such a choice.¡±


    Ismene stood up, ¡°I need not explain those risks. Your body has clearly already done so.¡±


    Ismene hobbled away, leaving Stryg alone in the dark dome.

 Chapter 21: The Duelist

    Chapter 21:


    It took Stryg over an hour to get his breathing under control. His lungs burned, and his breath was still ragged, but he managed to stand. He cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to have known what he had been doing? No one told him to not get angry or feel anything for that matter.


    Well, the professor did say to empty your mind. That means feeling nothing, idiot, a small part of his mind nudged.


    ¡°Just another failure to the list,¡± he sighed.


    Stryg shook his head. He was tired of keeping track. It didn¡¯t matter how many failures he made, so long as he succeeded in the end. So long as he got back up, he hoped. ¡°The strongest get what they want, so be the strongest,¡± he repeated First Mother¡¯s mantra. He needed to be strong¡­ even if he felt weak. For now he just needed to rest. His body was in no shape to be moving around.


    *Ding-dong, Ding-Dong* The school bells rang. It was time for his next class. Fuck.


    Stryg ended up dragging his feet to the next class, stumbling through the door of a large stone courtyard. Brick walls 10 feet tall surrounded the area. They were decorated with magic symbols and red and brown magestones.


    Stryg¡¯s whole class was already inside the courtyard. He was late of course. But, for once he wasn¡¯t the only one. As Stryg looked around he noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the professor?¡± One of the girls in class asked.


    Stryg sighed in relief, maybe he wasn¡¯t late after all. He made his way to the corner of the courtyard and plopped down to the floor. He leaned back and tried to rest while he could.


    ---


    Most of the students just stood around the courtyard waiting. The middle and high-class students conversed with one another, conveniently ignoring the few commoners in the class. Kithina wasn¡¯t about to let that stop her. She made a beeline towards Callum, the handsome half-vampire. She was determined to be friends, and who knows, maybe something more?


    ¡°Good morning, Callum! How have you been?¡± Kithina smiled as bright as she could.


    Callum returned the gesture, albeit less enthusiastically, ¡°Good morning, I¡¯ve been doing fine.¡±


    Kithina waited a moment but Callum said nothing more. That was it? He wasn¡¯t going to ask her how she was doing? ¡°I wonder where the professor is. Shouldn¡¯t they be here by now?¡± Ktihina pushed forward.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Callum said without even looking at her.


    ¡°Um, yeah. Hopefully they get here soon¡­¡± Kithina felt like shouting in frustration. This wasn¡¯t how people had a conversation, dammit!


    ¡°Soooo¡­ How¡¯s the weather been? I, uh, heard that vampires don¡¯t do very well in sunlight.¡± And that surely wasn¡¯t the right thing to say. Kithina knew it the moment she said the words, but her mouth kept moving in panic. ¡°We were out on the track this morning, and,¡± she looked up to the sky, ¡°It looks pretty sunny to me, hehe.¡± Shit, shit, shit. What was she implying? That he shouldn¡¯t be here? A son of a great house? Her, a commoner, insulting him? What was wrong with her? Did she want her family to be singled out and killed? Because that¡¯s how you got your family killed.


    Callum squinted as if trying to guage if she was rude or plain stupid. ¡°It¡¯s true vampires can¡¯t tolerate much sunlight. Too much exposure can cause serious injuries. The sun was only rising this morning at the track. As for right now, a vampire can handle an hour out in the sun just fine. I¡¯m half human, so this is nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± she laughed awkwardly. ¡°Right, cool, cool.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Callum scratched the back of his neck. ¡°You know. You don¡¯t have to tiptoe around it. I¡¯m a hybrid, simple as that.¡±


    Kithina raised her hands in panic, ¡°Oh, no that¡¯s not what I meant! I don¡¯t care what you are! Wait, I mean, I do care. About you. Wait, no, that came out wrong. I mean I care about you as a friend?¡± She smiled with uncertainty.


    Callum stared at her in silence.


    Kithina sighed, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a hybrid or not,¡± she muttered in shame. ¡°Sorry, I just¡­ wanted to get to know my project partner a bit more. Be friends or whatever. Heh, sounds dumb when I say it out loud. Sorry, I, um, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± She turned away.


    ¡°Well, if you want, we can get to know each other over some lunch at the dining hall. I admit I am in need of friends,¡± Callum said.


    Kithina turned back around in surprise.


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I may drink blood, but I eat regular food too,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d never think that you¡¯d-¡± Wait, was he implying that he might drink her blood? Kithina blushed.


    ¡°Ok, kids, stop standing around like a bunch of idiots and line up!¡± A drow woman shouted from the gate.


    She was walking in sandals and wore a tight pair of black pants and a red loose blouse. The drow looked like a daughter of a named house out on an evening stroll through the gardens. But, she wore the same silver necklace as the other professors, save hers had three gems, an amber, a grey moonstone, and an onyx. Kithina assumed she was the teacher. Some of the students looked at the drow questioningly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± A human student asked.


    A dark shadow shot from the drow, grabbed the student and flung him against the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who says bend over and you''re the one who says how low,¡± the drow woman retorted, hands on her hips.


    The other students rushed to form a line, without paying attention to the human laying on the floor unconscious. Stryg staggered to his feet and hurried to line up with the rest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to waste time with you lot. I¡¯m here to ensure you don¡¯t get yourselves killed in the first five minutes of battle. Magi are still people and an arrow to the face kills us just as easy as the next guy. You may call me Loh,¡± the drow said.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Nora, another human, raised her hand. ¡°Professor Loh, is that guy oka-¡±


    ¡°Put your hand down. No questions. And I said call me Loh, not professor. I¡¯m not a fan of the title,¡± Loh snapped.


    Nora looked down in embarrassment, or maybe fear, Stryg wasn¡¯t sure. Kithina thought she was amazing; Loh commanded the room, power in the palm of her hand, and she did it in style.


    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d have you all already dueling one another to sharpen your skills. But, it''s our first session and you haven¡¯t even begun your chromatic classes, I doubt any of you can cast the simplest of spells yet.¡± Loh clapped her hands, ¡°So, I¡¯ll explain some of the basics, then we can begin the duels.¡±


    ¡°Loh? As in Loh Noir? The Loh Noir?¡± Callum whispered in surprise.


    Kithina glanced up at Callum, who stood next to her. ¡°You know her?¡±


    Callum shook his head subtly. ¡°Not personally. I know of a famous mage duelist in Hollow Shade. She¡¯s said to defeat all her opponents with ease and without mercy. Loh of house Noir, greatest mage family in the whole city. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s her, but if I¡¯m right, we may all be in trouble,¡± he whispered.


    Kithina looked at the mage with newfound fear.


    ¡°There are two kinds of magic users. Magi like us and natural magic users like drakes,¡± Loh began. ¡°Natural magic users have two major differences with magi. The first being that they can use magic from birth. The second is their ability to modify the amount of mana they use while simultaneously creating magic. For example, drakes do this while breathing fire. They adjust the amount of fire elemental mana they are streaming through their bodies, allowing them to modify the size and heat of their flame as it comes out of their mouth. Their fire breath is volatile, it can change at a thought. ¡°


    ¡°Magi cannot replicate this feat. We cannot adjust our stream of mana at all while using magic, no matter how much we train. Think of it like throwing a rock and then trying to change the rock for a pebble while it''s in midair. It can¡¯t be done. When a mage creates magic via casting a spell, they send out a single pulse of mana from the core of their body. There is no constant streaming of mana, only a limited stream, just one pulse.¡±


    Loh raised her index finger, ¡°Spell casting in concept is very simple. Only two things are needed to cast a spell. Mana and a visual conceptualization of what you wish to create with that mana. Remember this, mana naturally reacts to the wish of its owner, it does not fulfill that wish. So, for example, say I imagine a clear concise image of shooting a fireball from my hand. And now, say I desperately wish for that fireball to appear. The mana residing within my heart will react to my strong emotions of desperation and it will send a single pulse of its energy to my hand. The problem is because my emotions are all over the place, the amount of mana in the pulse is erratic. It could be a small bit or an enormous cluster.¡±


    ¡°Now the real problem arises. I had a very specific and concise image of the size, shape, and heat of my fireball. That fireball will require an exact amount of mana to cast, anything less or more will result in my spell failing. Whether that failure leads to only a bit of smoke shooting out my hands or my entire arm being blown off, all depends on how much mana that single pulse contained. And since the pulse of mana was erratic, you could say I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    Everyone grew quiet at her warning. Death by magic, even one¡¯s own, seemed too easy. It wasn¡¯t a game, it was incredibly dangerous, Kithina began to realize.


    ¡°But what if my idea of a fireball wasn¡¯t specific? What if the fireball could be any size and shape. Then that single pulse of erratic mana would work right? Wrong. Without a clear and concise image the mana would fail to turn corporeal and the spell would fail just the same. You need to know exactly what you¡¯re creating when casting a spell. The image has to be clear and precise in your mind. As for the mana within you,¡± Loh pointed at her chest, ¡°A powerful and collected will is needed to control one¡¯s mana properly. There is no room for indecisiveness. Emotions oftentimes are unstable and weaken your will, which is why you all are training in meditation. Some of you have accidentally cast spells already. You may think that makes you a talented mageborn. In a way it does, but more than anything it just means you¡¯re lucky. Lucky that your botched spell didn¡¯t get you killed and instead only had some minor effect.¡±


    Kithina recalled the papers that she had accidentally made fly through her father¡¯s office. She thought she had done something incredible. She now realized she was lucky to be alive.


    ¡°However, if one can hold a perfect image and can control their mana properly, then they can cast a true spell.¡± Loh raised her outstretched hand. A blast of fire burst from her palm, the flame roaring as it shot into the sky. The explosion of heat knocked the students to the ground.


    The mage lowered her hand and looked down at her students. ¡°This is what magi are capable of. Someday you may be forced to fight one, for your own sake or the city¡¯s. When that time comes you will need to be able to control your will and mind in the face of your own death. Now get up, it''s time you learn.¡±


    Stryg was the first to stand, despite his injury. The display of fire had been greater than anything the tribe¡¯s shaman, Cruvor, had ever been able to cast. It was power and death. Stryg was accustomed to seeing both, but never like this. While others felt terror in the face of Loh¡¯s magic, Stryg was filled with awe.


    Loh grinned, her blue eyes dancing in delight. ¡°You must be Stryg, the unknown hybrid. Professor Tauri told me about you. Good, let¡¯s start with you. Go stand over there.¡±


    Stryg headed over the open spot of the courtyard without another word. He knew better than to question her.


    Loh looked around the group. She pointed her finger, ¡°You, the orc. No, the other. The tall one. Yes, you. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Kegrog,¡± the orc said.


    ¡°Kegrog, you will fight Stryg. Neither of you can cast spells yet, but fighting in hand-to-hand combat is still a good way to get accustomed to battle. You can¡¯t afford to panic in a real battle. This will be a good exercise,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kegrog nodded solemnly.


    The students glanced between the 6¡¯5 ft Kegrog and 3¡¯7 ft Stryg. This wasn¡¯t a duel. This was a lamb to the slaughter. Even Kithina wanted to say something. She wasn¡¯t too fond of Stryg, but she didn¡¯t want to see him get beaten to a pulp either. But, after seeing what Loh was capable of, no one dared say a word.


    Stryg looked up at the orc and then at Loh. No one would deny she was powerful, but Stryg knew that the powerful got what they wanted. Oftentimes they were cruel, too. Loh obviously didn¡¯t like him, most people didn¡¯t like goblins around here. Stryg was just another goblin to be picked on.


    He sighed, what was new?


    ¡°Begin!¡± Loh shouted.


    ¡°No hard feelings, little man,¡± Kegrog charged with open arms.


    Stryg was ordinarily quick on his feet, but his lungs burned, his body still sluggish. He dodged to the side. He was too slow. Kegrog¡¯s long arm caught Stryg¡¯s shoulder. He hauled Stryg up into a bear hug and squeezed tightly. Stryg gasped, his bones felt as if they were about to splinter into small shards. He tried to scratch at the orc, but his arms were held tight. Stryg kicked the air in futility.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he managed to spit out with the last of his breath.


    His vision began to blur. He was so tired of being singled out for being odd. So what if he was different. He was small, but he wasn¡¯t helpless. Fuck this orc. Stryg wiggled his hands as best he could. He remembered being tied down as he entered this damn city. He needed to break out, like he did with the ropes back then. He recalled the desperation he felt at his own helplessness that day at the city gates. But this time he didn¡¯t feel desperate. This time he reached deep inside for all the anger he felt and he found rage. Heat surged through his veins.


    Kegrog groaned in pain as his skin turned from a dark red to a pale pink. His arms began to shrivel. He fell to his knees. Stryg pushed him off effortlessly. Stryg¡¯s breath was ragged, his whole body felt like it was burning, he¡¯d crumble to the ground at any moment, but he had never felt more alive. He would kill this orc. He swiped his claws at Kegrog¡¯s neck. Loh¡¯s shadow shot out, grabbed Kegrog by the scruff of the neck and yanked him away.


    Stryg looked at the empty spot where the orc had just been. The orc was supposed to have died. Stryg turned to a smiling Loh. She had stolen his kill. Damn her. His legs buckled beneath him, the last of his energy spent.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. The academy¡¯s records say you''re a chromatic black, not grey. Turns out we have three manifold magi in this class. It¡¯s my lucky day,¡± Loh laughed.

 Chapter 22: An Invitation

    Chapter 22:


    Kithina didn¡¯t know what to make of the scene in front of her. Kegrog had grabbed the small Stryg and had him held tight. It seemed as if the little goblin would explode from the pressure. But then Kegrog began to groan in pain. His skin turned pale and he had crashed to the ground. Stryg didn¡¯t look much better, but his lilac eyes were clear, focused. He then tried to kill Kegrog. Not just beat him in the mock duel, Stryg had actually tried to slit the orc¡¯s throat.


    Kithina had thought Stryg was just some random back alley goblin who had gotten lucky to be a mageborn. A person who didn¡¯t take anything in the academy seriously. He couldn¡¯t even tie his own shoes. She had seen him as a hindrance to her group project, an annoyance, nothing more. Then he ran faster than the entire class. Professor Loh had called him a hybrid. It would explain his speed Kithina surmised. But, it shouldn¡¯t have made a difference when he had fought an orc twice his size and weight and yet Stryg had won just the same. He had even attempted cold-blooded murder in front of everyone. He wasn¡¯t just some random goblin. He was dangerous.


    Loh¡¯s shadow pulled Kegrog away right before Stryg¡¯s claws slashed his neck open. Instead of getting angry, reprimanding, or even punishing Stryg, Loh simply laughed and called Stryg a manifold mage. Didn¡¯t she care about the lives of her students? Was it just a joke to her?


    ¡°What just happened? Is Kegrog alright?¡± Nora, one of her classmates, asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, just needs to rest for a while.¡± Loh patted the half-conscious orc. ¡°You did well buddy, not your fault your opponent tried casting a spell without any practice, like I literally just warned you all not to do.¡±


    Loh walked over to Stryg who lay on the ground unmoving. He couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to. His lungs felt as if they were being squeezed shut. It felt like his heart was slamming all over his chest. His whole body burned as if on fire. A few moments ago he had felt filled with energy, now he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger.


    ¡°Well, lucky for all of us we have a perfect demonstration of what not to do. You, see Stryg here was being squeezed to a pulp by Kegrog. He was desperate to get out of the hold. In his desperation the mana within him reacted and he created an unstable grey spell. Which lucky for Stryg, weakened Kegrog and allowed him to win. I say lucky because Stryg is only paralyzed and not dead. This was a best case scenario for our resident goblin idiot. Now, on to the next mock duel,¡± Loh stated.


    ¡°Is Stryg going to be ok?¡± Nora asked with a hand to her mouth. ¡°Will he be paralyzed forever?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t know.¡± Loh shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± Nora pouted with a mutter.


    Callum, the half-vampire, kneeled next to Stryg. ¡°Can you move at all?¡±


    Stryg managed a groan.


    ¡°Loh, he needs immediate medical attention. Let me take him to the infirmary,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Denied,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Please, he looks seriously injured,¡± Callum pleaded.


    ¡°I said no. Now get up, you will be fighting next,¡± Loh said.


    Kithina stepped forward. She was cautious of Stryg, but she didn¡¯t want him to be paralyzed either. ¡°Loh-¡±


    ¡°If one of you says one more word about the goblin, I will make sure that you end up in the infirmary. Am I clear?¡± Loh threatened.


    Kithina took a step back in fear.


    ¡°Now, what exactly did you want to say girl? Hm?¡± Loh asked.


    Kithina glanced at the immobile Stryg and a worried Callum. ¡°Um, you mentioned a manifold mage earlier. What is that?¡±


    Loh narrowed her eyes. ¡°A manifold mage refers to a mage who can use more than one chromatic color. Stryg¡¯s record shows he¡¯s a chromatic black, but he just cast a grey spell. He clearly possesses two chromatic colors. The records must have mistakenly left out the information. Now, no more questions.¡±


    The rest of the class proceeded smoothly. Students were split into pairs and were forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat. Most of it was quite tame, with one of the combatants admitting defeat after being punched once. Kithina had been forced to fight Clypeus, the only vampire in class. She was worried he¡¯d beat her silly, but the fight had lasted only a moment. Clypeus had knocked her feet over with a low kick. She was too slow to react.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Kithina felt her face go red with embarrassment. Instead of mocking her, Clypeus held out his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. We¡¯re all here to learn,¡± he said earnestly.


    Kithina smiled and took his hand. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The session ended without any other serious injuries. Loh slapped awake the human student she had knocked out at the beginning of class. She ordered Clypeus and Callum to help carry Kegrog and the human to the infirmary, but no one was allowed to touch Stryg.


    ---


    Stryg squinted at the sky. The sun was too bright. He was still on the cold stone floor. The autumn winds blew away whatever little heat the sunshine offered. This was the second time today he was left lying on the ground. He was getting tired of it. He was tired of being mistreated. It was to be expected of course. He was an oddity, and despite his newfound speed, compared to the magi, he was still far from powerful. It was common for the strong to lord over the weak. He was tired of being weak, too. In fact, he was just tired. He really wanted to go to his dorm. Small as it was, it had a wonderful bed. It had only been a few days since he got it, but it had quickly become his prized possession.


    The drow mage¡¯s face blocked the sun as she stood over him. ¡°They¡¯re gone, you can get up now,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg¡¯s head lolled to the side. ¡°You stopped me from killing him. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, contrary to what you may think, it¡¯s still my job to keep you idiots alive,¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel alive,¡± Stryg grumbled. His limbs felt numb, but at least they weren¡¯t hurting anymore.


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected, you cast a drain spell without knowledge of how it worked. The fact that you managed to drain the lifeforce of your opponent and not yourself speaks volumes of your talent. Though you did manage to let all that lifeforce go instead of absorbing it.¡±


    ¡°Talent?¡± Stryg asked in confusion.


    ¡°Most mageborn who accidentally cast a spell do it out of sheer desperation, frustration, or fear. The magic is created out of panic. The spell is erratic. The mageborn is unaware of what has even happened, they are terrified. But you weren¡¯t scared were you? You¡¯re clearly not trained, yet you somehow knew what you were doing. At least, you had an idea of it. Otherwise your arms would have been much worse off based on the amount of mana you wasted. You¡¯ve cast that spell before haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg looked away, ¡°Once¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°You had a decent image of what you wished to cast, if not an understanding of what exactly it was. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t able to absorb the lifeforce by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    ¡°Though that¡¯s not what really interests me. Stryg you may not understand, but you just cast an advanced spell, something beyond the average first-year student. The amount of mana it took was larger than any first-year should have. But, it¡¯s the fact that the spell had any success at all that¡¯s surprising. Real focus was needed to cast it, not unstable emotions born out of panic. I highly doubt you cast that spell with a clear mind like professor Ismene teaches.¡± Loh crouched next to him. ¡°So, what did you use as a focus?¡±


    Stryg stared at her inquisitive blue eyes. He hesitated, but the words came out just the same. ¡°Anger.¡±


    ¡°At whom?¡±


    ¡°Everyone.¡±


    ¡°Including yourself?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes. ¡°...Always.¡±


    Loh placed her hand over her mouth. ¡°Anger is very volatile. To have it stay so single-minded, so concentrated. The extent of it is...wow. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met a mage who can cast with anger so well and I¡¯ve met a lot of mages who have relied on anger. Plus, he has two of my three chromatic colors. Coupled with his large source of mana and his hybrid physical abilities, hmm,¡± she muttered to herself.


    Loh sprang to her feet. ¡°That settles it. I, Loh Noir, will take you on as my personal apprentice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg gawked.


    ¡°It means I will teach you magic. Seeing as you¡¯re already going to take ¡°Intro to Black Magic,¡± I can personally teach you about grey magic and tips on black magic too. All you have to do is also be my personal assistant. So, you¡¯ll have to run errands and the like. But, you will get paid quite well. Pretty good deal if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°You? You¡¯re gonna teach me? But, I thought you hated me?¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°Why would I hate you?¡±


    ¡°You made me fight against an orc twice my size and left me here to die.¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. I paired you with the orc to test your physical capabilities. Not that you performed well, mind you, but professor Tauri vouched for you. I knew you¡¯d be fine the moment I looked at you. It also gave us this chance to talk. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t let one of my students just die on the floor like that, my pay would get docked.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Be honored, from now on you may call me master,¡± Loh smiled.


    ¡°I am not your servant and I am definitely not your slave!¡± Stryg lashed out. He should have been scared of her, but at the moment he just didn¡¯t care.


    Loh crossed her arms. ¡°Of course not. If you were I¡¯d have you call me mistress. In this context, the word master refers to ¡®teacher.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not everyday I choose an apprentice. So, are you in or not?¡± Loh tapped her foot.


    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure.¡± This woman was dangerous. Stryg wasn¡¯t sure if he should get involved.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot. The academy offers apartments near campus to teachers¡¯ personal assistants.¡±


    ¡°...Does it have a big bed?¡±


    Loh grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll throw in the largest you¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

 Chapter 23: The Inheritance of Magic

    Chapter 23:


    A blast of savory scents assailed Stryg¡¯s nose as he entered the dining hall. Of all the magical places he had visited in the academy, this had to be the most. The first time he had arrived he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the situation. Long counters were filled with people serving all varieties of food. It reminded Stryg of when he visited the trade district. Stryg had no money to buy any food or anything for that matter. He thought he would go hungry, until he learned that all the food in the dining hall was free for students and staff. Since then, Stryg loved this place.


    His limbs were still numb and his body felt heavy, but it didn¡¯t stop him from hobbling his way to the onion cream soup.


    Ava, an elderly cook, smiled as Stryg walked over. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the goblin gobbler himself. What would you like to eat today?¡±


    The cooks had given him the moniker after he had eaten enough food for five people. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, especially for one of his size, but he had done it easily. It didn¡¯t hurt that the food was amazing. Stryg had never been able to eat so much back in the village, no one had.


    He made a small smile. ¡°Hello, I¡¯ll have some of that soup.¡±


    ¡°Nice choice, I made it myself. I even added my own secret sauce, the trick is in how long you cook the chicken broth.¡± Ava grabbed two bowls and filled them to the brim.


    Stryg¡¯s smile grew wider as he saw both bowls. ¡°Thank you, it smells wonderful.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. Most of the kids here come from wealthy families, many of them named houses. They all pretend that the food here is of ¡®low quality.¡¯ I would be out of a job if it wasn¡¯t for people like you. Especially you, gobbler. You have a genuine passion for food. I admire that,¡± Ava said as she handed him the bowls.


    Stryg was stunned. That had to be one of the nicest things someone had ever said to him. ¡°Uh, thank you,¡± he whispered before rushing off.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg!¡±


    Stryg turned to see Callum waving at him from one of the dining tables. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±


    An irritated Kithina gave Stryg a pleading look. She had just sat down with the half-vampire in hopes of having a one-on-one conversation. She didn¡¯t want Stryg to get in the middle. Stryg, oblivious to her actions, sat at the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re looking better. We were worried that you had been seriously injured.¡± Callum smiled.


    Kithina nodded begrudgingly. It was true, she had been worried for the goblin¡¯s health. But, not more than she would have been for any stranger, she argued to herself.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Callum asked.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve been worse.¡± He saw no reason to mention his past, it wasn¡¯t great anyway.


    Kithina looked at Stryg¡¯s face, he looked pale. Had professor Loh even done anything to help him? Or had Stryg just shuffled his way here? His lilac eyes darted around the hall, looking everywhere but at them. His pupils were shifting from slim ovals to thin slits, it was strange. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. His eyes were weird, yet beautiful, she thought. In fact, the more she looked at him, the more she noted his odd features made him look handsome, in an almost otherworldly manner. She shook her head, what was she thinking? He was the guy who had come into class smelling like booze. He didn¡¯t even know how to tie his shoes. He was an unkempt stupid goblin.


    ¡°Half-goblin,¡± she muttered in correction.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes looked straight at her.


    Kithina¡¯s mouth hung open in horror. Had she said that out loud? She didn¡¯t have to guess what Stryg was thinking, anger was clearly hidden behind those alien eyes.


    ¡°Kithina doesn¡¯t care if we¡¯re hybrids, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Callum stepped in.


    ¡°Ah, uh, yeah. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Kithina silently thanked Callum.


    ¡°Besides, being a hybrid isn¡¯t all bad,¡± Callum went on.


    Stryg looked at Callum in surprise, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, the way I see it, hybrids have unique abilities. For example, even if I¡¯m a half-human I¡¯m still physically stronger than any human could ever hope to be. And while I¡¯m a half-vampire, sunlight doesn¡¯t bother me. I may not know what your parentage may be, but today you ran faster than any goblin can. You were faster than even Clypeus, and he¡¯s a full-blooded vampire.¡± Callum explained.


    Stryg felt like mother moon Lunae was mocking him. He was finally able to keep up with the other tribe¡¯s hunters, maybe even surpass them. Yet, the very thing that allowed him to do so, was what guaranteed he¡¯d never be able to join the tribe again.


    ¡°Best of both worlds, huh?¡± Kithina mused.


    ¡°Not always.¡± Callum went on. ¡°While vampires live around 200 years, humans live at most a hundred. I¡¯ll probably live somewhere around 150 years.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Stryg disagreed with his words. Just because someone¡¯s lifespan could reach a long time, didn¡¯t mean it would. In fact it probably wouldn¡¯t. Goblins could live up to 80 years. Yet, Stryg had never met a goblin over the age of 40.


    ¡°But, overall it¡¯s pretty good, right?¡± Callum grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°You said being a hybrid isn¡¯t all bad. What did you mean? Besides being freaks of nature, is there another problem with us?¡± Stryg asked in a harsh tone.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk to him like that!¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kithina,¡± Callum said in a solemn voice. ¡°I know how you feel Stryg. And yes, besides being freaks, as you put it, there is one other problem¡­ Hybrids are all sterile, without exception.¡±


    Kithina gasped, she hadn¡¯t known.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what sterile is,¡± Stryg said. He was getting tired of not knowing things. He felt like an ignorant babe on top of everything else.


    Callum sighed, ¡°While people of different species can mate and have children, those children cannot have kids of their own, no matter who they mate with. It¡¯s why many people dislike hybrids.¡± Callum bent his index and middle fingers, ¡°It¡¯s why they call us unnatural. So, yeah Stryg, I know how you feel. You¡¯re not the only freak here.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Callum.


    ¡°Is that why Clypeus called you a mongrel this morning?¡± Kithina¡¯s hands turned into fists. ¡°Because, you can¡¯t have kids? That bastard.¡±


    Callum grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Clypeus is from house Gale. They are a family of vampires who have been loyal to my own house, the Veres, for centuries.¡±


    ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t he respect you then?¡± Kithina argued.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not that simple. My father is the head of my family,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Wait, your dad is on the city council? Your dad is a city lord!?¡± Kithina shouted.


    People from across the room turned to glance at their table.


    Kithina blushed and looked down, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. And yes. My father is a city lord. But, I can¡¯t carry down the bloodline. It makes me look weak, and by extension my father and the family. House Gale, the shield of House Veres, can¡¯t have that. So, instead both families make sure to publicly distance me from the rest of the Veres. If others just see me as a¡­ bastard, then perhaps I¡¯ll just look like some random mistake by my father, not a weakness to be exploited.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cruel,¡± Kithina said with teary eyes.


    Perhaps, but Stryg had seen true cruelness, the kind not born from self preservation. The kind of cruelty done simply for its own sake, for the enjoyment of seeing others suffer beneath one¡¯s foot. Stryg had been the target of such cruelty enough to know the difference.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My family still provides for all my needs. Like this.¡± Callum raised his hand. A human woman who had been standing in the corner walked over. She was dressed in a small black outfit with white frills. Stryg thought she looked pretty.


    ¡°Young master,¡± she bowed to Callum.


    ¡°This is one of my attending maids,¡± Callum said.


    The maid removed a bandage around her arm and offered her wrist to Callum.


    ¡°This is a problem with being a half-vampire. I need to eat regular food like a human, but I still need to ingest blood to stay healthy,¡± Callum explained as he bit into his maid¡¯s wrist.


    Kithina watched in obvious discomfort as the maid began to moan. Did she like having her blood sucked? The thought of drinking blood was nauseating to Kithina. Stryg had no problem with the sight and kept eating his food. After a minute Callum lifted his head. The maid dabbed and wiped his bloody mouth with a handkerchief. She then rebandaged her punctured arm.


    ¡°May I help you with anything else, young master?¡± The maid panted.


    ¡°No, that will be all,¡± Callum waved her away. She nodded and went back to the corner.


    Stryg noticed the maid also had bandages wrapped around her thighs. He wondered how many places Callum fed off her. Kithina just stared at Callum, judgement oozing off her.


    Callum coughed, ¡°*Ahem* Stryg, why do you have two bowls of soup?¡±


    ¡°Because, it tastes good.¡±


    ¡°Really? I always thought the food here was subpar,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°One of the cooks says rich kids like you think that way. But, I don¡¯t get it. I love the food here,¡± Stryg said.


    Callum laughed, ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t gone to a real restaurant before.¡±


    ¡°A restaurant?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a place that serves food,¡± Kithina explained, while still staring at Callum.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been to one of those. A tavern I think it was called. Merry Crescent, that was it,¡± Stryg recalled.


    Callum fiddled with his collar, ¡°Taverns are for the lowborn. Um, no offense to either of you. But, you''re both magi now. And a mage would never be caught frequenting such a shoddy establishment. When we get the chance I¡¯ll treat you both to a real restaurant. Not that stuff in the commoner or trade district, but a high-end one in the villa district or the night district. We¡¯re magi now, we should act the part, yes?¡±


    ¡°Appearances are important I guess,¡± Kithina glanced at the maid in the corner.


    Stryg didn¡¯t think food could taste much better than what was served in the dining hall, but he would definitely like to be proven otherwise. He¡¯d have visited a restaurant already if he had the money. It wouldn¡¯t be bad having others pay for his food, Stryg concluded.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Kithina said. ¡°Why are there so many middle and high-class students here? Isn¡¯t being a mageborn rare? I thought there would be more commoners.¡±


    Callum nodded. ¡°Being a mageborn is technically rare, but it¡¯s also hereditary. In a group of a hundred ordinary people you might get lucky and have one mageborn. But children born from mage parents? It¡¯d be highly unlikely not to be a mageborn. That¡¯s why most people here come from more prestigious backgrounds.¡±


    Wow, so the rich do get it all, Kithina thought, dejected.


    The class bell rang, announcing the final class of the day.


    ¡°You know, I normally don¡¯t eat here at the dining hall,¡± Callum began. ¡°But, I¡¯m glad I did today. I got to know my class project partners a bit more and I daresay we¡¯re on a fast track to being friends.¡± He smiled, his teeth still stained red with blood.


    Kithina had heard so many stories of vampires. Of their power and allure, even how they drank blood. She hadn¡¯t been prepared for how weird it actually was. But Callum¡¯s sincerity won her over.


    ¡°Yeah, we should do this more often.¡± She returned the smile.


    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t have friends.¡± Stryg got up and left.

 Chapter 24: Them

    Chapter 24:


    Stryg listened to Rime, professor of Magic Fundamentals, lecture about the finesse in all magic, especially the basics. Overall, the lecture had been informative. Still, Stryg was having a hard time staying awake. His body was exhausted from the strain of casting a spell earlier.


    ¡°Magic is a fickle thing,¡± Rime said. ¡°Few of us are born with the ability to use it, while even fewer can use it properly. The whole thing may seem imbalanced, but I assure you it is not. While I deny the existence of fate, there is an order to the way things work. Equality in nature, you might say. There is a reason why the world has ten Realms, ten chromatic colors and ten elements of mana. The world likes its balance. It''s why the eleventh and final element, chaos, cannot be used by anyone, rejected by all. The Null Realms are in constant change because of the actions of individuals. Yet the Null Realms naturally and continuously account for that change. For example, if half the magi in the world were to die today, the next generation would see an explosive amount of mageborn births. We call this the ethereal balance theory, unseen yet always there.¡±


    ¡°Moving on, do any of you know how the Ebon Realm classifies a species to be an animal or not?¡± Rime asked.


    ¡°Animals are dumb?¡± Someone voiced.


    ¡°Not all animals are dumb. Sea serpents are intelligent enough to hold a conversation and they are classified as animals. Whereas drakes hold about the same amount of intelligence as a dog and yet they are considered magical creatures not animals,¡± Rime said.


    The class was silent. They weren¡¯t sure what the correct answer was.


    Rime shook his head, ¡°Why do I expect anything from you at all. Magic. Magic is what separates animals from the other species. Every dominant species in this Realm has the ability to use magic in one way or another. It is why beastkin for all their physical abilities are considered animals, not fit to stand with other species.¡±


    Kegrog, the orc, raised his hand, ¡°So, beastkin can¡¯t use magic?¡±


    Even after being healed by a white mage at the infirmary, Kegrog still looked haggard. Orcs had a sturdy constitution in general, but whatever spell Stryg had cast left Kegrog worse for wear.


    ¡°That is correct. Although, beastkin are a special case. Beastkin is a blanket term we use to refer to various kinds of species, centaurs, minotaurs, merfolk, etc. All beastkin have one thing in common however. Unlike every other species who were born from one of the Null Realms, beastkin were created by magi, specifically, the infamous group Mortem from the Scarlet Realm, about four centuries ago. No one knows how exactly they managed it, all we do know is that the Mortem combined the blood of animals and magical species to create various different kinds of new creatures, known as beastkin. The Mortem wanted to create an army of magical creatures with the physical strengths of animals. Instead they ended up with creatures who had no magical ability whatsoever.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know about any of this. He thought all creatures were created by the gods.


    Rime continued, ¡°This was about a century before the Schism, so the ten Null Realms were still interconnected. At the time, many people were appalled of what the Mortem had created. The Ivory Realm even demanded to exterminate all the beastkin whom they called abominations. The ebon lords of old saw things differently. They realized that the beastkin were nothing more than animals. They led the Ebon Realm to domesticate the beastkin, treating some as livestock, others as beasts of burden, even a few as pets. Of course, some managed to escape domestication, like the lamia. A lamia¡¯s venom is incredibly poisonous, which made it very difficult to capture. They are said to be beautiful yet deadly, as expected of a serpentine being.¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly in comprehension. Lamias were the creatures that had attacked his tribemates and him when they had visited the cave. Stryg raised his hand.


    Rime raised an eyebrow, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that other species were born from the Realms, but didn¡¯t the gods create us all?¡± Stryg asked.


    Rime narrowed his eyes, ¡°Oh. Them. There are many weak minded individuals who choose to believe in higher powers that guide our world, but it is a fantasy. Whatever thoughts you may have of fate are false. If there is a semblance of order it is because of the ethereal balance theory, or the belief in mere coincidence as a higher power. I understand that as a goblin you may have grown up with such beliefs, but in this academy we are first and foremost magi. We pursue the truth and we are the ones who wield power, there is no need or room to ascribe to the religious beliefs of fools.¡±


    Stryg stopped himself from hissing. He needed to behave in front of these magi, however one thing was insulting him, but to insult the Blood Fang tribe as a whole, it was unacceptable.


    Callum stood up from his chair. ¡°Professor Rime, are you calling those of us who believe in the gods fools? You dare insult my father?¡±


    ¡°Sit down boy, before I have you expelled!¡± Rime shouted.


    Callum glared at the drow, but reluctantly sat down. Kithina worried about him, Rime wasn¡¯t someone you wanted on your bad side.


    Rime took a deep breath, ¡°As I was saying, magi pursue the truth of magic. There are some of us however, that follow the so called gods, out of sake of tradition and culture.¡± That was as far as he would concede.


    The academy bells rang in the distance.


    ¡°Before class ends I will assign each group their topic for their school year¡¯s project.¡± Rime pulled out a list from his pocket. ¡°Callum Veres, Kithina, and Stryg. Seeing as two of you love being vocal in my class I believe your enthusiasm can be used to tackle the hardest topic. Dragons.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Kithina whispered. Why did her partners have a knack for pissing off their teachers.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Stryg¡¯s head shot up with the mention of the legendary creature. Even he knew about them. The Blood Fang tribe told horror stories of the ones that lived in the deepest parts of Vulture Woods. Stryg remembered hearing of one that had attacked a nearby tribe. They had been so utterly destroyed that not even their bones remained.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let my father know how you openly teach and advocate your atheistic beliefs,¡± Callum said, before getting up and leaving class.


    Kithina followed after him. Stryg got up and left, he had promised to meet up with professor Loh after class. The three ended up walking down the same hallway. Stryg cursed silently, the last thing he wanted was to insinuate being friends with these two. Friends were a weakness. He was here to purge his weaknesses, not add to them.


    ¡°Callum wait up!¡± Kithina ran up to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right. All four of Hollow Shade¡¯s academies are supposed to follow free expression of religion. Whether students wish to believe in the gods or not is entirely up to them. Professors are not allowed to have a say in the matter.¡± Callum fumed in anger.


    ¡°Ok, I understand that. But, shouldn¡¯t you have just written a formal complaint to the school,¡± Kithina suggested.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I shouldn¡¯t have said anything? Just stayed quiet?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that you shouldn¡¯t have gone ahead and had a pissing match with the guy who can flunk us!¡±


    Callum stopped walking.


    Kithina blushed, ¡°I mean. Uh. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    Callum laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m glad to see you talk in a more lax manner.¡± He had been surprised but he wasn¡¯t offended.


    Callum turned to Stryg who was walking with his head down a little ways away. ¡°Stryg, what do you think of what happened?¡±


    Dammit. Stryg hoped they wouldn¡¯t notice him. He sighed. ¡°Of course I¡¯m annoyed by what that drow said. But he¡¯s stronger than me, so I decided to stay quiet.¡± For now at least. He would decide what to do when he actually held power.


    ¡°So, you are both in agreement? Maybe I was in the wrong,¡± Callum smiled sadly.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get why Rime doesn¡¯t believe in the gods. What crazy idea is that?¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Drow in general don¡¯t believe in the gods. Neither do orcs for that matter. I don¡¯t know much about what vampires think. The only ones really known for believing in the gods are the goblins and humans. In other words, the weak,¡± Kithina said.


    Stryg hissed in anger.


    Kithina backed away, ¡°No offense. I mean you are only half goblin right?¡±


    ¡°Offense taken,¡± Stryg said. He really didn¡¯t like this girl. He didn¡¯t care if he was tired or if this was the academy, he¡¯d claw her up if she kept insulting him.


    Callum stood between the two of them, ¡°No need to fight amongst friends.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends,¡± Stryg said.


    Kithina stayed silent, she had seen that feral look in his eyes before when he had fought with Kegrog. She didn¡¯t want to get on his bad side, or any side for that matter. It was best not to associate with him.


    ¡°Most vampires are quite religious, though we tend to be less outspoken about it. I guess I got my vocal side from my mother. What about you Kithina?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Some dwarves believe in the gods, others don¡¯t. My family never did. We just saw them more as metaphors.¡± Kithina shrugged.


    ¡°Metaphors? How is the moon a metaphor? Lunae is literally in the sky.¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Well, the goddess Lunae is technically a personification of the moon.¡± Callum corrected.


    ¡°Personification? You¡¯re saying that Lunae, goddess of the moon, mother moon herself, doesn¡¯t actually look like the moon?¡± Stryg asked, confused. This was the first he heard about it.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Callum grinned. He led the two down a few corridors until they reached an archway. A large ornate painting hung from a wall. It depicted four beings, each lightly dressed and faces covered.


    ¡°This is a famous artist¡¯s depiction of the Ebon Realm¡¯s gods. We may not know exactly what they look like, but the artist painted them based on the small bits of descriptions compiled over the centuries of witnesses who claimed to have seen the ebon gods,¡± Callum explained.


    Stryg had never seen such a painting. He stared in awe. They looked almost real. Even Kithina had to admit the painting evoked admiration.


    Callum began to point each one out, ¡°That one¡¯s Lunae, goddess of the moon, patron of the goblins, watcher over all.¡±


    A large white billowing scarf covered Lunae¡¯s silver body. Half her face was covered in a crescent shaped black mask. The other half was covered by her white hair. Moonlight danced around her.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Stryg whispered in reverence. She was the moon incarnate.


    Callum smiled, ¡°And this one is Bellum, goddess of war, patron of vampires, and guardian of the Realm.¡±


    Bellum was dressed in a red breast plate and leather skirt. She held a large blazing sword in her hazel hands. Her face was covered in a jet black helmet, save for her mouth, which was open in a war cry.


    ¡°That one¡¯s Stjerne, god of the stars, the traveler. He was once patron of the drow, but he turned his back on them in favor of the humans. It¡¯s why the drow no longer believe in the gods.¡±


    Stjerne stood tall and away from the rest, as if going on a journey. His face was adorned by a two-faced mask. Half was black with a smile, the other gold with a frown. Save for the mask, he only wore a pair of hide pants. His skin, like the color of the midnight sky, shimmered on his chiseled chest. He held a silver staff in his hand, its top crackled with power.


    ¡°And the last one is Caligo, god of the deep earth, caretaker of the Realm¡¯s secrets. He is the patron of none. They say he is the greatest secret of all. ¡±


    Caligo sat crouched below the others. His face was enshrouded by shadows, except his eyes that seemed to be shifting through a range of colors. His skin was an assortment of terrene shades. He was naked, though a few stones were conveniently placed to cover his privates. His long silver claws glinted in the darkness around him. It looked almost as if the god was smiling through the shadows.


    ¡°This picture is beautiful and all and I¡¯m interested in the gods as much as the next atheist, but could we talk about our project for a sec. Like, how we are going to deal with our project topic, dragons.¡± Kithina ran her hands through her red locks. ¡°I mean there isn¡¯t much information about them in the first place. It¡¯ll be hard to write a report and do a presentation about them. Don¡¯t get me started on the practical part. What are we going to do? Breathe fire? Bring a baby dragon to class!? It''s not like they are one of the rarest and deadliest creatures in the world, right? This should be a piece of cake, hehe.¡± Kithina¡¯s laugh turned into a cry, ¡°We are so screwed aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Callum patted her back, ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Are dragons really that rare?¡± Stryg asked skeptically. From the way the Blood Fang tribe spoke, he had assumed there were many.


    ¡°Seeing as no one has seen one and lived to tell the tale in the past few centuries, then yeah, I¡¯d say they¡¯re pretty damn rare,¡± Kithina said.


    Stryg frowned. ¡°I saw one when I was a child and I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Kithina spat.


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What? When? Where?¡±


    The bells rang again. Stryg was late, Loh had told him not to be. He dashed off without another word.

 Chapter 25: Errands

    Chapter 25:


    Stryg¡¯s numb feet slapped on the pavement as he dashed across the cobblestone walkway. Professor Loh stood in front of a luxurious red carriage, pulled by two well dressed centaurs. Her arms were crossed and she tapped her foot as Stryg ran up to her.


    ¡°I told you to meet me here right after class. I¡¯ve been waiting for 15 minutes. You¡¯re late on the first day as my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I got caught up with-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your excuses nor in your apologies. What I want is for you to follow my orders. Do you understand?¡± Loh glared.


    ¡°I understand...master.¡± Stryg forced the word out. He was uncomfortable with the term. He wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s servant. One of the main points of learning magic was to have others serve him. Yet, he needed to obey. Stryg always wanted a proper teacher ever since he was a child. He had once been stuck with the eccentric goblin Sigte, who had taught him how to read and write. While the skill had become useful, Sigte was dead. He clearly hadn¡¯t been strong enough. This drow was powerful and she was willing to teach him. He couldn¡¯t miss this chance.


    ¡°Good, now get on,¡± Loh commanded and entered the carriage.


    Stryg got in without another word. Once they were both seated, the centaurs started pulling the carriage. Loh took out a small journal and began to write in it. Stryg was exhausted, but it didn¡¯t stop him from looking out the window and watching the people pass by.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Stryg asked in curiosity.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get there,¡± Loh answered without looking up.


    ¡°...Master?¡± Stryg sat back down.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Loh said in a mildly annoyed voice.


    ¡°Today I learned about the gods. Specifically, about how they aren¡¯t real.¡±


    She raised her head, ¡°Who taught you that? Professors aren¡¯t allowed to say anything of the sort.¡±


    ¡°Rime did. But afterwards, a classmate told me that the gods are real, he even showed me a painting about them. I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, are the gods real or not?¡±


    Loh closed her book and sat back in her chair. ¡°What do you believe, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I was raised to believe in the gods, honestly I didn¡¯t know there was any other way until today. I was taught how Lunae watched over all the goblins from up in the night sky. My people told me that I was a bad omen sent by the moon goddess herself. A cursed existence.¡± Stryg looked at his hands. ¡°I was different from the rest. A freak. Everyone believed mother moon hated me. Even I did¡­ I still kind of do. But, then I came here and I found out that I¡¯m a mageborn. The moon is only supposed to bless those she favors with magic, so how can I have magic if she hates me? I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know if the gods are real.¡±


    Loh sat quiet as she watched his expression. ¡°...Stryg, you¡¯re free to believe whatever you wish. If you want to know my theory, not a fact mind you, I think the gods, or the beings we call the gods, did exist at some point. My best guess is they were powerful magi that held great influence during their time. People told stories about them long after they passed from this world, embellishing their heroics and eventually a religion was formed around them. Until the person was forgotten and a myth stood in their place.¡± She blew air from her mouth, pushing a strand of silver hair from her face. ¡°Who knows, maybe the gods are real and the drow are screwed for being a bunch of atheistic assholes. I rather choose to believe in my own theory instead.¡±


    Stryg pondered her words. He looked out the window to the sight of crowds milling about. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me,¡± he whispered.


    The carriage stopped in the middle of the street. ¡°And this spot is good enough for me. You can get out now, Stryg,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg nodded, stepped outside, and looked around, ¡°This is the trade district, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Loh said as she rummaged through her purse.


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing anything. You are going shopping for some items I need. You may be my apprentice, but you¡¯re still my assistant as well. I was going to show you the shop personally, but you were late, and now I have things to do. So, you can go shopping by yourself.¡±


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t know the district very well, or any district for that matter.¡± Stryg frowned in worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out, you¡¯re my apprentice after all.¡± Loh smirked. She threw him two golden coins and a rolled up paper. ¡°There¡¯s the list of what you need to buy and where to find it. The coins should be more than enough. You can keep the change. Get yourself a drink or something. Just make sure to have the stuff on that list on my desk by morning.¡± Loh closed the door and the carriage was off.


    Stryg was left in the middle of the street, picking up the coins and paper from the ground. A few people gave him odd glances as they walked by. He sighed, why did he have to be late for everything.


    Stryg stood up and began wandering through the crowds. Some of the streets were covered in large buildings, with people standing outside promising only the best of goods. Another street was filled with food stalls, like the ones Karen had once shown him. He tried asking an occasional passerby the directions to any of the shops on his list, but they shook their heads and went on their way, some even just ignored him. They all seemed too busy to bother with a stranger. He asked some of the owners of the food stalls if they knew, but they refused to tell him anything unless he bought something first. Their food did smell good, but Stryg wasn¡¯t sure how much money would be left after buying Loh¡¯s items. He couldn¡¯t risk buying something now and coming up short later. He didn¡¯t want to imagine what Loh would do to him if he failed his first official task as her assistant.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    After an hour of roaming the busy streets of the trade district, Stryg came across a road with far fewer pedestrians. The buildings here were all made of stone and each door was blocked by people, mostly orcs, Stryg noted. They didn¡¯t wear the armor that Stryg had come to associate with the guards of Hollow Shade, but they were most definitely some kind of guard, judging by the swords held at their waists.


    ¡°Hey, what are you staring at? If you have nothing better to do, scram,¡± one of the orcs said.


    Stryg realized he had been staring at the orc, perhaps the guard felt intimidated. Or maybe he just didn¡¯t like him, probably the latter. Stryg didn¡¯t have time to waste with the orc. He was about to turn around when he caught sight of the name that hung on the sign of the building, ¡°White Rose Cauldron.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have business here,¡± Stryg stated.


    The guard raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? What sort of business would that be?¡±


    ¡°I have to buy some things on this list. At this place, I think.¡± Stryg glanced between the piece of paper and the building.


    ¡°Uh huh, well, unless you can show me some proper identification you¡¯re not stepping a foot inside,¡± The guard said with skepticism.


    Stryg remembered the slim metal plate in his pants. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver nameplate, ¡°Will this do?¡±


    The guard¡¯s jaw dropped wide open when he saw the silver. ¡°Oh, sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t realize who you were, please come inside.¡± The guard¡¯s back stood rigid as he ushered Stryg through the door.


    Stryg followed in without complaint. He now understood what Rorik had meant about nameplates letting one enter places. Then the scents hit him. If the academy¡¯s dining hall was a blissful haven, then this store was hell worse than the lamia cave. The overflowing odors were disorientating. Stryg could smell a whiff of sickly sweet aromas, while being blasted with something pungent and acrid. His eyes began to water from the overpowering scents. This had to be a trap. The guard had brought him in here to kill him. Stryg turned around to defend himself but the guard had already gone back to his post.


    ¡°Welcome to the White Rose Cauldron, home to the best potions and rare ingredients in all of Hollow Shade,¡± an older drow said, walking out from behind a shelf stocked with labeled glass bottles. ¡°My name is Dextrian, but you can call me Dex. I¡¯m the owner of this fine establishment. How may I be of service?¡±


    Stryg was at a loss for words. He was no longer sure if this was a trap. ¡°I¡¯ve smelled many scents throughout my life, but why does this place smell so horrible?¡±


    ¡°You must have a sensitive nose,¡± Dex laughed. ¡°This place is filled with various potions, each with their own strong smells. Of course you might be smelling whatever is being concocted from the cauldrons in the back. Who knows? However, I assume you didn¡¯t come here for scented candles.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Stryg rubbed his nose. ¡°I came here on an errand.¡±


    ¡°Picking up potions for your master, ey? They must trust you greatly to handle potions of this quality. Your integrity must be of the highest value. An excellent example to all servants. It is my pleasure to do business with one such as you.¡± Dex smiled and bowed his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a servant,¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°I¡¯m her apprentice and assistant too, I guess.¡±


    Dex raised his head in surprise, ¡°Oh, my apologies. Most who come here are magi or servants of wealthy families come to pick up one concoction or another. You said you were an apprentice?¡± Dex sized Stryg up and down. ¡°Ah, of course, I should have noticed from the clothes. A student of the mage academy. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve spoken with a goblin mage. What an interesting day this has turned out to be. Yes, excellent, indeed. It will be my pleasure to do business with a colleague of the craft.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡± Stryg asked. He was uncertain of how to gauge the drow.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Dex pulled out a mage necklace embedded with a ruby form underneath his apron, ¡°Who do you think made these superb potions? My apprentices? Please, they wouldn¡¯t be able to distill the simplest of bottles on just this shelf.¡±


    Stryg looked around the store. Dozens of shelves filled with glass bottles covered the area.


    ¡°So, what can I get for you, Mister... I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch your name.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, from the Bl- No, just Stryg,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you Stryg. How may I be of help?¡± Dex asked.


    Stryg glanced at his list, ¡°Do you have a bottle of lily blight?¡±


    ¡°Why, yes, on this shelf over here. Dangerous stuff. It can give you an extra burst of stamina, even just a few drops more can prove quite disastrous to the body.¡± Dex walked over and handed him a small yellow vial. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ve spoken to a goblin mage before?¡± Stryg asked in curiosity.


    ¡°Yes, although it''s been almost 80 years since then. There were a few back in the academy when I was a student,¡± Dex recalled.


    ¡°Do you know where they are now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid they are no longer around. Some died a long time ago, others left Hollow Shade not long after graduation. Though, like I said it''s been 80 years. A goblin''s lifespan is at best around the same. It is impossible for any of them to be alive today,¡± Dex explained.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Stryg looked down.


    ¡°But, I see that age will not be a big problem for you. I can tell, you''re a hybrid. Judging from your looks I¡¯d say one of your parents was a drow. ¡± Dex rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Why do you think they¡¯d be a drow? Drow have grey skin and are far taller than me.¡± Stryg asked with genuine curiosity. Professor Tuari had made the same conclusion.


    ¡°Your body definitely seemed to have leaned more towards your goblin parent¡¯s height. But, not all drow have grey skin. Like most species, they have different skin tones. A drow¡¯s ranges from pale grey, to soft blue, and even a few hues of purple. Despite having an obviously toned body, your short limbs aren¡¯t stocky in the slightest, more lithe, like a drow. Your hair is also grey like a drow. I suppose you could technically be half-frost giant, they too have blue skin and grey hair, unlikely though. Frost giants are quite hostile to outsiders. I don¡¯t see a goblin ever being with one.¡± Dex drew his head closer, ¡°But your eyes are most unusual. I¡¯ve never seen lilac eyes before, and the way your pupils dilate, extraordinary; most likely a physical mutation based on your hybrid nature,¡± Dex smiled. ¡°So, did I guess right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Stryg rubbed his nose. The scents here were really starting to bug him.


    Dex took a step back as if burned. ¡°Ah. Forgive me for being intrusive, I have overstepped my bounds.¡± Dex bowed his head. ¡°Please, take that bottle of lily blight free of charge. Is there something else you perhaps require?¡±


    Stryg was stunned. Someone actually apologizing to him? Why? As a mage Dex was clearly more powerful than him. There was no need to apologize to someone weaker. After a few moments, he shook his head. This drow was just a strange man. Stryg read his list again. ¡°Do you have¡­ scented blue ore?¡±

 Chapter 26: Feli

    Chapter 26:


    Feli, local celebrity and barmaid of the Merry Crescent, surveyed the crowd of patrons as they milled into the tavern. From the looks on their faces it had clearly been a long day. The autumn harvest was taking place around the entire Dusk Valley, which meant more work for the commoners of Hollow Shade, including Feli. The tavern would no doubt be busy tonight. That meant lots of smiles and charm while trying to kindly turn down the men¡¯s coquetry. She probably wouldn¡¯t get off work until early in the morning, she sighed to herself. At least she lived in a room upstairs. No commoner wanted to travel at night with the undead sentinels prowling about, nameplate or no nameplate.


    In terms of trade skills, Feli was sorely lacking. She had barely managed to get a job in the Merry Crescent thanks to her looks, about two years ago. Since then, Feli had worked hard for two goals. The first was to become a skilled barmaid, someone who could charm others easily. The second goal was a little more complicated. Feli¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t left her older sister or her anything before they threw their lives away.


    After years of carrying their drunk father home from one tavern or another he had gotten too sick to even go work. The family had spent what little savings they had to hire a doctor. It hadn¡¯t helped, he was too far gone, or so the doctor explained. Had a white mage looked at him, then perhaps her father could have lived. But, it was impossible. As if a few simple commoners could ever hope to enlist the help of a mage. Magi were practically gods walking among mortals to the average commoner. Capable of defying the natural world and smiting any who dared oppose them. At least that¡¯s what Feli had heard. She had only caught the rare glimpse of a mage from afar while shopping in the trade district. It''s not as if an actual mage would ever care to visit a tavern in the commoner district.


    After Feli¡¯s father died, her mother couldn¡¯t handle the loss. One night she had left without a word and without her nameplate. Feli and her sister never saw their mother again. Neither of them knew what to do. They were penniless and without a trade to practice. Feli¡¯s older sister chose to stay with her boyfriend, leaving Feli out in the wind. The next few days had been hard for Feli. She had gone from one establishment to another, hoping to find work. She didn¡¯t even bother trying her hand in the trade district; that was a place for family owned businesses, an outsider stood no chance. So, Feli tried applying for any jobs in the commoner district, seeing if someone was willing to take her on as an apprentice. They hadn¡¯t. The only quality anyone seemed interested in was her looks. She was seventeen at the time, but she had already grown into a beautiful woman. Feli could have gotten a job in the brothels, but she knew how long those girls lasted. Hollow Shade didn¡¯t treat prostitutes well, or commoner women for that matter. Most whores would be abused horribly and would end up in the streets, addicted to one drug or another, given by their own previous employers.


    The tavern master of the Merry Crescent had taken her on as a barmaid despite her lack of training, thanks to her beautiful appearance. Lucky for her, the tavern master¡¯s wife had also helped stave off any advances her husband tried to make on Feli. It had been a difficult first year, but Feli worked hard learning and getting to know her customers. Before she knew it she had become the main attraction of the tavern. People loved her. Feli prided herself in her ability to charm the men with ease. It turned out most men were quite simple, only taking the smallest of gestures to win them over, a smile or a brush on the shoulder.


    After her first year at working in the Merry Crescent, Feli had met her sister again, lying on the street. Her sister had been kicked out from her boyfriend¡¯s place after she had been caught cheating. She told Feli it was because her new lover had a better job and more money. She had wanted a more stable life, and her new lover had promised it to her. Of course it had been a lie. Her lover had left her too. Without anywhere to go or a job to help, she had been left with only one choice. The world was a cruel place to a powerless woman. She had joined a brothel. At some point she had gotten pregnant and been kicked out. She lost the baby and was left to wander the streets as an addict of opioids, hoping to forget her past. By the time Feli had found her it was too late. Had they had the help of a white mage, but no, there was no one. Her sister passed shortly after.


    In many ways Feli hated her sister for abandoning her when their parents died. But Feli understood why she had done it. She wanted a better life, away from the shit hole that was a commoner women¡¯s world. Most women were expected to marry someone and support the family from home. If you couldn¡¯t, a job at the brothels was common. You¡¯d have to have strong connections to ever score a job in any of the higher districts. A job like a barmaid wasn¡¯t particularly desirable either. Feli was tired of dodging the hands of gropers and ignoring the catcalling. Feli sympathised with her sister, but she had gone about things in the wrong way. Her sister shouldn¡¯t have slept with just any man who promised her a little better living. She should have gone and found an actually wealthy or powerful man and married him. That way she could have spent her days in the lap of luxury, relaxing and enjoying herself, instead of working herself to death.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Which finally led Feli to create her second goal. Feli didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of her life working amongst all of these idiotic perverted men. Her appearance had brought her far and she would use it to find a rich patron and marry him. Then she could leave this pathetic district and move to a better home than her small rickety room upstairs.


    Feli greeted the customers as they entered the tavern. She wandered about, chatting with one or another. They were all tired after a long day of work and were happy to see her. Feli smirked, people loved her. After working here for two long years she had learned how to manipulate the crowds quite well. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to seduce a rich patron and have him begging to marry her. The problem was that no rich people visited a tavern in the commoner district.


    Feli noticed a small goblin walk in. He headed towards an empty table towards the back. It was hard to forget the exotic looking goblin, Feli recognized him as the one who had outdrank Rorik a few nights prior. Now there was a catch. Rorik was a captain of the guard in the trade district! He was also from house Polamtal, a middle-class martial family. Sure, he wasn¡¯t wealthy compared to a city lord, but compared to any commoner, the guard captain was a king. When Feli had first met him she had set her sights on seducing the drow in the hopes of marrying him and leaving this place. It had been working too, Rorik was definitely head over heels for her. But the guard was in an equality marriage, his wife wouldn¡¯t let him take on a lesser wife no matter how much he may have wanted too. Still, it hadn¡¯t stopped Feli from trying, she¡¯d whisper sweet nothings into his ear when he occasionally dropped by.


    Feli had wondered who the mysterious goblin was when Rorik had brought him. She doubted he was a guard, there were no goblin guards, but she was still curious. She shuffled over in a sultry manner. Feli played with her purple hair and smiled at the goblin, ¡°Welcome back, what brings you here tonight?¡±


    Stryg stared at her breasts with obvious lust. Yet unlike others, he made no move to hide his gaze.


    What a strange man, Feli thought a bit uncomfortably, though she hid it well under her practiced smile.


    After a few moments of ogling he finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯d like a drink.¡± He grimaced, ¡°Do you have anything without alcohol?¡±


    ¡°We do have minotaur milk, brought in fresh this morning,¡± Feli offered.


    The goblin sat in his seat pondering, ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯ll have some of that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they say minotaur milk has energizing properties. You¡¯ll be able to last twice as long on your guard shift, with just a few glasses,¡± Feli proclaimed.


    The goblin tilted his head, ¡°I¡¯m not a guard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I just assumed you were, since you were with captain Rorik the other night. Please forgive me, I thought you had to be a guard with that muscular build,¡± Feli pandered, of course she didn¡¯t confuse a scrawny goblin for a guard, but it was a good way for him to open up. She reached out and grabbed his arm lightly, men loved when she did this, but she faltered. She actually felt taut muscles beneath his sleeve. The goblin pupils widened at her touch. She took a step back in surprise.


    Feli cleared her throat, ¡°You seem tired, can I get you something to warm you up on this cold evening? Maybe our chef¡¯s special, shepherd¡¯s pie?¡±


    ¡°Is it tasty?¡± The goblin asked intensely.


    ¡°Uh, yes. I¡¯d say so.¡± Something was definitely off with this goblin.


    ¡°Then yes.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Great, a wonderful choice in my humble opinion. Long day at work huh?¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say that. My master made me fetch her some strange items. Do you know what scented blue ore smells like? Nothing. It literally smells like nothing. Why would they call it that?¡± The goblin complained.


    Ah, so he was just an errand boy, nothing more. Perhaps he served Rorik¡¯s wife or maybe someone at the guard barracks. Either way it meant he was poor with no prospects and of little influence. A nobody, not worth the effort.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wouldn¡¯t know. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll go grab your order,¡± Feli spoke in a quick manner and left.


    Stryg watched the beautiful barmaid walk away. After a few hours of roaming around lost in the trade district he had succeeded in buying everything on Loh¡¯s list. He was left with a couple of silver coins and had decided to get something to drink. He only knew one tavern, though. It took some time but he managed to find his way here. Of course he could have just gone and asked around for another tavern, but he wanted to see the beautiful barmaid, Feli. He had heard how she wasn¡¯t interested in any suitors, but it didn¡¯t stop him from staring.


    Feli returned with the food and drink, ¡°Here you are.¡± She placed the plate and mug on the table.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Stryg said before taking a tentative taste of the drink.


    It was sweet and refreshing. He remembered how the goblin Karen had gushed about it. He sighed into his mug, at least she hadn¡¯t lied about this.


    ¡°It really is tasty,¡± he muttered.


    Feli was no longer paying attention. Her eyes were scanning the crowd, hoping to find a new customer, one with actual potential. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t see any.

 Chapter 27: A Bloody Lesson

    Chapter 27:


    Stryg waited in a cold classroom. The room was deep underground below the academy. Long metal tables stretched across half the room, the other half was empty. Several drains lined the black stone floor. Unlike the meditation dome, this room was filled with torches hanging on the etched walls. Small brown magestones decorated the etched symbols. Yet, the room was cold enough to see one¡¯s own breath. Stryg looked around at the two dozen other students, most he didn¡¯t recognize. So far all his classes had been shared with the same classmates, class 1-C.


    One of the students raised a shivering hand. ¡°P-professor, why are we down here? Where are the others?¡±


    Professor Gette was a human of indiscernible age. His hair was a set of vibrant brown curls that he tied in a ponytail. He had the gait of a young man, but his face told another story. His grey eyes were sunken. Wrinkles decorated his forehead and sallow cheeks. Leather gloves covered his hands.


    His voice rang clear like glass in the stone chamber, ¡°If you are referring to those of your homeroom class, they are attending their own respective chromatic color course. All of you standing here tested as chromatic black, hence the name of this class, ¡®Intro to Black Magic¡¯, emphasis on the ¡®Intro.¡¯ It is also why I, a master mage of black magic,¡± Gette pointed to the Onyx stone implanted within his silver necklace, ¡°am teaching all of you novices. So, best if you all stay quiet and let me introduce you to finesse of black magic.¡±


    The student lowered his hand and nodded with chattering teeth.


    ¡°Great,¡± Gette nodded. ¡°Black magic classes have about four times as many students compared to the other chromatic courses. The reason for this is quite simple. The Ebon Realm produces more black mana than any other chromatic mana, resulting in the births of more chromatic black mageborn. The same goes for the other Realms. The Scarlet Realm produces more red mana and therefore more chromatic red mageborn. The Azure Realm produces more blue mana, and on and on. You get the idea. Anyway, that¡¯s why there are two dozen of you and why the academy requires someone as skilled as I to teach you novices. But, believe me, your group size does make it harder to instruct one-on-one training. So, try to listen well, I won¡¯t repeat myself.¡±


    The students nodded in understanding while rubbing their arms for heat. Some of them even tried to huddle together. Stryg stepped a few feet away. Sure, he was a little cold, but he was used to enduring cold winters in Vulture Woods. More importantly, he didn¡¯t want to huddle with a bunch of men. There were only a few women in the class.


    The chambers double doors creaked open to reveal several steel-masked figures clad in black cloaks. Stryg felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he recalled the creatures from his first night in Hollow Shade. They had attacked several humans who had been chasing him. He had barely escaped their iron chains himself. Why were the sentinels here?


    ¡°Ah, finally. The sentinels have arrived. Well, come in, hurry up.¡± Gette waved the undead in.


    The sentinels dragged in large cloth bags and placed them on the iron tables. They then turned to Gette in silence, waiting for his orders. The students kept their distance from them as the undead worked. Even if they weren¡¯t hostile, no one wanted to be near Hollow Shade¡¯s nocturnal guards.


    ¡°That will be all for now, you may leave.¡± Gette shooed them away with his hand.


    The sentinels obeyed without a word, closing the door behind them. Gette pulled out a knife from his belt, went over to one of the cloth sacks and tore it open. A scrawny human woman, no older than 35, lay dead on the table. Many of the students backed away in fear. Stryg stood still, watching the body. There were no signs of decay, she had died recently, Stryg noted to himself. He now understood why they were in this frigid chamber.


    ¡°Now the class can finally begin,¡± Gette said. He proceeded to rip off the clothes from the woman and throw them to the side. ¡°Come closer you cowards. You wanted to be magi, yes? Well, this is what it looks like to be a black mage. Best to get used to it quickly. Death will be a constant companion to our kind.¡±


    Most of the students shuffled their feet, but didn¡¯t actually move any closer, preferring to watch from afar. A few, inched their way forward, little by little. Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate to walk up next to the body.


    Gette clapped his hands, ¡°Good, at least one of you has the stomach to stand unafraid. You will all need that sort of resolve when it comes to magic.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s lips turned slightly upwards in a grin. He was finally beginning to prove himself as a worthy student.


    Gette took his knife and stabbed it deep into the dead woman¡¯s chest. He then began to bring the blade lower, cutting her torso open. ¡°As you all should know by now, in nature chromatic mana has the unique trait of absorbing elemental mana. Each color will only absorb specific elements. Every color absorbs two of the ten elements. Black mana absorbs the elements of death and darkness. The combination of death and black mana allows us magi to create necromancy; the spell form of raising and controlling the undead.¡±


    Gette pointed his bloody knife to the door. ¡°The sentinels are undead created by the black magi of Hollow Shade. We created the ones who protect you all while you sleep. Black magi are the backbone of this city¡¯s defense. If you have the determination and courage, perhaps you may be worthy of joining us.¡±


    ¡°Casting a spell is all about a focused will and a clear image. Now through enough practice and meditation you can train your will to be as strong as iron. But having a clear image is a little different.¡± Gette grabbed the corpse¡¯s arm and shook it. ¡°You can imagine as much as you want what it would be like for this arm to move on its own but it''s not that simple. You have to know what it would take to move the arm. The muscles, ligaments, and bones. You must know how a corpse works if you ever wish to control it. That includes knowing how the body deteriorates and how to prevent the process. Preventing rot is normally done through a combination of potions and your own spell casting. Potions can be obtained from red magi, but your spell casting is obtained only through knowledge. You will all need to study your anatomy textbooks extensively in the coming years to gain that comprehension.¡±


    Gette put the knife on the table and stuck his hands inside the women¡¯s chest. He pulled the cavity wide open, leaving her inner organs exposed. ¡°Necromancy is the art of controlling a corpse, and among the forms of chromatic magic, it is one of the most information intensive. The best way to learn is hands on knowledge. The rest of you come closer.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The other students reluctantly drew close to the body, only standing a few feet away. Coincidentally, they all managed to crowd around the table without being too close to either Gette or Stryg. Once they were all still, Gette began pointing to the organs within the woman¡¯s chest, naming each one and their purpose. Once he finished, he started to skin the rest of her body, exposing the muscles beneath. A few of the students vomited at the horrid sight. Gette snapped at them and ordered them to leave the class for the day. They gladly left without a word. Gette continued the lecture as if any of the students could retain the enormous quantity of information he was spewing. Stryg tried to memorize what Gette said, but it proved far too much.


    By the time Gette finished speaking he had already dismantled the woman¡¯s entire body into different sections. Half the class had already vomited, fainted, or left. The other half struggled to focus on anything Gette said. Stryg was the only one focused on the man¡¯s words, but he failed to understand most of what was said.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough for the moment. Now, it''s time for the practical section,¡± Gette said.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the practical part?¡± A student mouthed in horror.


    ¡°Do you think I enjoy doing this? Getting my hands covered in blood and guts of some common wench?¡± Gette asked. ¡°Obviously not. I do this because it''s necessary for you all to learn. A black mage¡¯s work is more gruesome than any other chromatic magi. It is why you must grow desensitized to the work we do. Only then will you be able to focus on what needs to be done.¡±


    Gette understood that most of these students had never seen a body, nor had any seen one treated in such a grim manner. But they needed to grow accustomed to the nature of their work if they ever wished to succeed here. Gette didn¡¯t believe in coddling his students by slowly introducing them to the topic. He believed they needed to be exposed to the truth immediately and learn to accept it. Of course they were all shocked by his teachings, but they would grow to understand and eventually accept them.


    Little did he know, Stryg was the exception. The goblin had grown up seeing others killed, especially his own kind. Stryg had seen many goblin¡¯s bodies mutilated, even more skinned and prepared into food. The more civilized people of Hollow Shade would think Gette¡¯s dismantling of the body brutal. But Stryg saw nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was a human corpse instead of a goblin¡¯s, and that it wasn¡¯t being dismantled to be eaten.


    Gette pointed to the other iron tables with sacks on them. ¡°There are enough tables for each one of you. A carving knife is latched under each table. I want you all to go grab a knife and open your sack. The bodies are very fresh and unharmed for the most part, it¡¯ll make casting our necromancy spells far easier. You won¡¯t need to do as much to control and support the body.¡±


    Stryg and the rest followed his directions.


    ¡°Where did you get so many bodies?¡± A student asked in mild disgust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions and get to your table,¡± Gette ordered.


    Stryg already guessed the answer. He had seen the way the corpse of the woman had looked. Haggard, dirty, and thin. She had probably lived a life of poverty in the streets. Stryg recalled the sentinels who had brought the bodies in. He knew what they did to those without nameplates who resisted being enslaved. So, this is what happened to the bodies of all those unlucky commoners, he thought.


    Stryg found the carving knife under his table and cut his cloth sack open. An elderly dwarf male body resided within. Stryg didn¡¯t know what to feel as he looked at the corpse. More than anything he felt relieved. Relieved he was lucky enough to be a mageborn and not a corpse lying on the cold iron table.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask any of you to raise the body, that is far too complex of a spell for any of you. We¡¯ll start simple. I want you to try to move your corpse¡¯s hand, even a finger will be enough for today. I¡¯ve taught you all that much,¡± Gette explained.


    Stryg took a deep breath, he could do this. He had consciously cast magic once before against the orc, Kegrog. This time had to be easier. He stretched out his fingers and aimed them towards the dwarf¡¯s rigid hand. He imagined the hand moving, willing it to move. But nothing happened.


    ¡°Try to remember professor Ismene¡¯s meditation teachings. Clear your minds and find the mana within,¡± Getted added.


    Stryg frowned. He hadn¡¯t been doing great in Ismene¡¯s classes. He found it difficult to meditate. He¡¯d normally find himself staring at one girl or another in the dark meditation dome. Even when he did try to meditate his mind was always wandering into his own inner thoughts, which only ever led to one conclusion. His inadequacy, his failures, and eventually his anger. The whole process was uncomfortable, and instead of following Ismene¡¯s instructions of meditating in one¡¯s free time, Stryg found himself ignoring meditation all together.


    But his anger, born from his frustration, his pain, that was something Stryg knew very well. It had been with him for so long that he wore it like a second skin, comfortable within its confines. He reached for the anger that lurked right beneath the surface. It greeted him like an old friend. Stryg felt the almost feverish heat of mana course through his veins and flow into his outstretched hand. He stared at the corpse¡¯s hand intently. It would move. He needed it to. He wanted it to. Yet, it remained still.


    Gette began walking around the tables, inspecting each student¡¯s work. Sweat began to form on Stryg¡¯s forehead. His hand began to shake from the increasing heat coursing through his arm. The spell had to work. He couldn¡¯t keep failing like this.


    ¡°Stop, you¡¯re pushing yourself too hard,¡± Gette said.


    But Stryg didn¡¯t. He needed the hand to move, even just a finger. Gette would have slapped Stryg, but he didn¡¯t wish to break the goblin¡¯s focus. A mage distracted in the middle of a spell could have dire consequences.


    ¡°Kid, stop it. Now,¡± Gette ordered.


    Stryg let go of the breath he had been holding and fell to his knees. His entire arm burned in pain. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest. He gasped for breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re the most willing of this entire class, yet you''re reckless and you seem to lack talent with necromancy,¡± Gette sighed.


    Stryg grit his teeth in frustration, but held his tongue.


    ¡°At least you have talent with shadow spells,¡± Gette said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg looked up in surprise.


    ¡°You may have failed to move even a single finger, but you managed to move its shadow at least.¡± Gette pointed to the wriggling shadow of the corpse¡¯s hand.


    Stryg clambered to his feet and took a closer look at the shadow. It moved erratically for a few moments before settling back into its natural state.


    ¡°Black mana is mixed with two elemental energies. The mixture of death creates the necromancy spell form, while the mixture of the dark element creates the shadow spell form. Like the one you just accidentally casted,¡± Gette said.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll be able to grab things with shadows like professor Loh?¡± Stryg asked with excitement.


    Gette laughed, ¡°Of course not. Does it look like shadows can grab things? Shadows are intangible.¡±


    ¡°But, I saw professor Loh¡­¡±


    ¡°Loh is a high master manifold mage, she can do things far beyond the norm. Her whole family is incredibly gifted with magic. You shouldn¡¯t compare yourself to her.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Gette removed his bloody gloves and massaged his own neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the corpse failure. Most magi are only proficient in one of the elements within their color. Not me of course, I am quite skilled with both shadow and necromancy spell forms. Nonetheless, you did good today, kid. We¡¯ll start shadow spell training next class.¡±


    Stryg found himself with a rare genuine smile on his face.

 Chapter 28: Library Mystery

    Chapter 28:


    Kithina limped her way through the academy¡¯s halls. Her body was covered in welts that would no doubt soon become bruises. Her skin would be an assortment of purple and blue blotches at this rate. She thought professor Tauri¡¯s morning jogs were exhausting and professor Loh¡¯s mock duels were brutal, but her ¡°Intro to Yellow Magic¡± course took all her understanding of pain and threw it out the window, literally.


    Yellow mana absorbed air and earth elements. Today¡¯s class had focused on the combination of yellow and earth mana, which expressed itself as the durability spell form. These spells had the ability to enhance the mage¡¯s own body, strengthening their durability.


    Yellow magi, like mother birds, took the teaching approach of do or die. Kithina¡¯s professor was no exception. Her teacher had decided the best way to learn how to cast durability spells was to push her students out the window of the second floor. Because that would surely make the students spontaneously cast magic, right? It''s not like spell casting required a clear and focused mind. And of course falling twenty feet down was the most relaxing activity one could do, yes? No. No, it was not. Kithina¡¯s bruises and several other students¡¯ broken bones testified against such a ridiculous method.


    Kithina¡¯s teacher argued that even if one could not cast a durability spell, then perhaps the wind spell form, the combination of yellow and air mana, could come in the clutch moment where the body was in free fall. Of course, it hadn¡¯t. True flying, Kithina learned, was incredibly difficult, even for master magi. At best Kithina could hope to create a blast of wind to slow her fall. Like the rest of her class, she failed at this too. The ability to control air and have skin that could block arrows sounded great in theory, but achieving it through practice was just a series of impossibilities and a bundle of pain.


    Kithina wanted to go to the infirmary, but she was supposed to meet up with her project partners today. Callum had proposed going to the library to research the rare topic dragons. Despite his penchant to only drink the blood of his beautiful maids, the hybrid vampire was quite charming. Kithina found herself enjoying his company a lot. Of all the friends she had made so far, Callum was definitely the closest. She hoped they could even get closer. Kithina turned the corner and found Callum hugging the wall while biting the neck of his maid underneath him. The maid moaned as Callum drank away.


    Kithina frowned. ¡°Ahem,¡± she coughed.


    Callum looked up in surprise. ¡°Oh, Kithina you¡¯re here early,¡± he said. He stepped away from the maid. She wiped his bloody mouth, then covered her exposed chest.


    ¡°Miss Kithina,¡± the maid bowed politely.


    ¡°I was just having a snack. Can¡¯t study on an empty stomach after all,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Kithina said in a deadpan voice.


    She knew vampires needed to drink blood, but it didn¡¯t bother her any less seeing Callum doing it so casually. It infuriated her how he could be charming while doing it too.


    ¡°How was your class?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± Kithina spread her arms out. Her tunic and short skirt did very little to hide her welts.


    ¡°Oof, I¡¯m sorry. That yellow class is barbaric.¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°Tell me about it. When I found out what yellow magic could do I was excited. Now I wish I could be any other color,¡± Kithina complained. ¡°I wish I was a chromatic red like you.¡±


    ¡°What, so you can breathe in a bunch of fumes all day while trying to make the most simple pain tonics? Or maybe you¡¯d like to try making a potion that helps cure foot fungus?¡±


    ¡°Beats being pushed out of a window. I¡¯ll take potion brewing anytime.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Callum shrugged, ¡°I hear chromatic black students have pretty rough learning conditions too.¡±


    ¡°Not as bad as chromatic yellow students, I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± Stryg said as he arrived.


    And then there was her other hybrid partner. Stryg, the anomaly of class 1-C. Everyone had thought it strange that there was a goblin mageborn in the class. Kithina even believed him to be some uncouth imbecile. She even told him something of the sort the first time they met. But, then the goblin had surprised everyone in class. He turned out to be a hybrid, who not only was the most athletic, but one of the more successful spell casters in class. He was even literate. She hated to admit it but she had been wrong about him. Not that she¡¯d ever tell him.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Stryg was no doubt one of the most talented students in Kithina¡¯s class. But, he was also the strangest student in class. He looked different, not quite a goblin, and not quite anything else. His peculiar face was handsome, but almost alien, especially his striking eyes. She could never tell what he was thinking behind those lilac irises. Stryg always kept to himself, rarely speaking to the other students, unless it was to learn something. Some of the students had tried to approach him, but he had given them the cold shoulder. He didn¡¯t act like a commoner and he didn¡¯t seem to be from a named house either. No one knew where he came from. He was a mystery. The one thing she did know was that he clearly didn¡¯t like her. Not that she blamed him. She had treated him horribly on their first day and had never found the chance to apologize. Of course he had brushed her off on multiple occasions when she had tried to make amends, the little annoying cretin. Through the last few weeks the time for reconciliation had passed, now there was just a strange air between them. Kithina didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    ¡°Wonderful, the three of us are together. How was your class Stryg?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Stryg said curtly.


    ¡°I see. Well, how¡¯s professor Loh been treating you? Being the assistant of that drow woman must be hard, I hear she has quite the temper,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just work. It¡¯s fine,¡± Stryg answered.


    While the students knew that he was Loh¡¯s assistant, no one knew he was also her apprentice. Loh had forbade him from telling anyone.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised she even picked you,¡± Kithina said. She honestly would love to get a teacher¡¯s assistant job. It paid well and the benefits were nice.


    Stryg eyes turned cold as he glared at her. Kithina shut her mouth. She was just trying to tease him. Sometimes she forgot how easy it was to offend him. He was normally so stoic. She remembered how Stryg had almost killed the orc Kegrog on their first day of duels class. He was dangerous. She regretted saying anything.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go visit the library,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Kithina said.


    Stryg stayed quiet and began heading over to the library. Callum smiled wryly and followed behind with his maid. Kithina sighed but followed along, too. Once they arrived in the enormous building they were dismayed to find the librarian¡¯s desk empty.


    ¡°Perfect. The day we finally get some time to study together and there¡¯s no librarian to show us around. This day officially sucks,¡± Kithina said as she held her bruised ribs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. We just have to go find the librarian and then we can ask her about dragons,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°But this place is huge, like bigger than any other building here. There are literally dozens of floors filled with book shelves that neither Stryg and I can see over. We don¡¯t have all day, we still need to go to meditation class with professor Ismene.¡± Kithina argued.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to split up then, cover more ground. We don¡¯t even need to find the librarian. One of her assistants will do,¡± Callum said.


    Before Kithina could say anything more Stryg walked away. She lost sight of him in a manner of seconds. Kithina turned to Callum but he had disappeared too. Only Callum¡¯s maid stood next to her.


    ¡°My master told me to keep an eye out for you in case you get lost,¡± the maid bowed her head.


    Kithina sighed, it was officially the worst day ever.


    ---


    Stryg wandered through the halls of bookshelves. The wooden floor creaked every step he took. Stryg found the sound irritating and went out of his way to try and take quieter steps. The library was truly the largest building he had ever been in. He had barely seen any faces in the past half hour, none of which were the librarian. Stryg tried memorizing the way he had come, but the place was like a maze. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was anymore. All he knew was that he was on the 3rd floor and that his nose was filled with the scent of old paper.


    Besides his sight, Stryg¡¯s other senses had begun to improve in the past few weeks. His sense of hearing was particularly distracting when he walked the streets of Hollow Shade, running one errand or another for master Loh. One would think that having above average hearing would be some sort of advantage in life, but it hadn¡¯t proven useful to Stryg. Had he been in Vulture Woods hunting prey, then perhaps his sensitive ears could have helped, but so far they only proved a nuisance. People were always so loud in the trade district. The library¡¯s silence was a breath of fresh air.


    It was his sense of smell that gave him pause in the library. Normally, all Stryg could smell was old books, unless he was standing a dozen feet from someone. But he was currently picking up a whiff of a peculiar scent. One that was somewhat familiar. The scent had been quite pungent back in his village, after night challenges. Stryg paused his footsteps and looked around the bookshelves. No one was in sight. But the smell was quite clear now. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He picked up on the sound of paper rustling. He opened his eyes yet saw nothing, only a few empty aisles and shelves filled with books.


    Stryg focused his hearing and followed the sound of rustling paper. With as much quiet and stealth as he could muster, he tiptoed past a couple of book shelves, to the source. He came upon a small empty opening where a few aisles met. He was about to give up until he heard heavy breathing. He took a few tentative steps forward. The air shimmered. He narrowed his eyes and walked a couple of more steps. The image of an empty aisle shimmered and faded away. A young drow woman appeared in its place, sitting on the floor, leaning on one of the shelves.


    From her grey tunic and black skirt, she was obviously a student. Her white hair was braided behind her shoulder and a pair of glasses rested on her nose. Her eyes were focused on a book she held in her hand. But it was her other hand that drew Stryg¡¯s attention. Her hand kept moving under her skirt while she moaned quietly.

 Chapter 29: The Librarian’s Assistant

    Chapter 29:


    Stryg glanced at the book cover, ¡°The Maid¡¯s Forbidden Tryst with the Mistress?¡±


    The drow squeaked in fear. The book fell to the floor as she scurried away on her knees, leaving her bottom completely exposed.


    Stryg casually picked up the book. ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±


    The girl paused in her hasty retreat. She slowly turned around, fear and shame clearly on her face. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°What is the book about? The books I¡¯ve read so far I¡¯ve found quite interesting and full of information. But I¡¯ve heard many of my classmates say that books can be very boring. Is this one of those books? Was this one so boring that you had to have sex with yourself to pass the time?¡± Stryg looked at her with genuine curiosity.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The girl said, confused. She looked down at her self and gasped, as if only now recalling what she had been doing. She swiftly pushed her skirt down. Her grey face was flushed blue.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She whispered furiously.


    ¡°I was looking for someone,¡± Stryg said while skimming through the pages of the book.


    ¡°So, what, you found me instead?! How did you even get past my illusion?¡±


    Stryg looked around. ¡°Is that why I couldn¡¯t see you at first? That¡¯s a spell right? I remember I read something about that. What color of mana was it? I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°How did you even find me? How?¡± The girl asked weakly, tears in her eyes.


    Was she going to cry? Why? Because Stryg had seen through her illusion? What sort of weak mage was this? ¡°I heard you. Well, smelled you first actually. I followed the trail and then the air started shaking, it was quite amazing. Then I found you.¡± Stryg summed up the events.


    ¡°How can you smell me? Are you a bloodhound?¡± The drow asked incredulously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is. The smell of sex is quite pungent,¡± Stryg said.


    Her mouth hung in open horror.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already answered your questions. So, answer mine.¡± He narrowed his eyes.


    But the woman wasn¡¯t listening. The lights had gone out of her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she made a weak smile. Was she ignoring him? Someone so feeble as to cry just by looking at his appearance, wanted to ignore him? Stryg had enough of this drow. He walked up to her and kicked her.


    ¡°Ow! What was that for?!¡±


    ¡°Name.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± The woman looked down.


    Stryg followed her line of sight to a small metal name on her shirt. ¡°Plumela?¡±


    ¡°People call me Plum,¡± The girl whispered in resignation.


    ¡°Ok. Plum, what is this book about?¡±


    ¡°Its¡­ an erotic novella,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Erotic? Wait, so you were using the book to have sex with yourself? But there aren¡¯t even any drawings. You find a piece of paper sexy?¡± Stryg combed through the book one more time to make sure.


    ¡°You use your imagination.¡± Plum glared at him.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the story about?¡±


    Plum looked away. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell from the cover? It¡¯s about a couple of lesbians.¡±


    ¡°Huh, interesting.¡± Stryg looked at the book with newfound curiosity.


    Plum laughed half-heartedly. ¡°Yeah, right. Because you find two women having sex, interesting. Joke¡¯s over. You can laugh all you want. I¡¯m disgusting, a freak, say whatever you want, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head. ¡°I mean, yes to the sex thing. But why are you a freak?¡±


    Plum sighed in exasperation, ¡°I¡¯m not playing this game with you.¡±


    Stryg crouched down and met her at eye level. ¡°Why are you a freak?¡±


    Plum looked down and bit her lip, ¡°Some people call me that, because I don¡¯t just like boys.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Stryg stood up.


    ¡°What? What do you mean is that it? How many non-straight people do you know? Probably very few, because the commoners of Hollow Shade hate us. And it''s sooo much worse being bi. So, yeah I know how people see and treat me.¡± Plum gushed.


    ¡°My village had lots of people interested in the same sex. It wasn¡¯t strange at all. And here you are calling yourself a freak.¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t find me weird?¡± Plum asked, with a bit of fear and hope mixed in her voice. She had just been caught masturbating in the library and told him of her bisexual orientation, how could this guy not find her odd at all?


    Stryg looked at her teary face. Crying was looked down upon in his tribe, but it wasn¡¯t weird. ¡°Nope. There are plenty of weak people in the world.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Plum frowned. ¡°I was just mastur- Nevermind.¡± She blushed in embarrassment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why so many of you are so embarrassed about sex. You don¡¯t even like to be naked while taking a bath. You have to wear towels.¡± Stryg complained.


    ¡°Are you a part of a nudist club or are you some kind of pervert?¡± Plum asked with a hint of surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what either of those things are. But, I¡¯m not from a club. I was a part of a tribe. The greatest tribe¡­ Now I¡¯m here.¡±


    Everything in the city was strange to Stryg. Ironically, magic was the only thing Stryg felt comfortable with in this place, that and his new bed Loh had bought him. Best. Bed. Ever. He realized he had been rambling with this girl. What was he thinking? He needed to keep his distance from others. None of them mattered. He needed to focus on magic. He had promised himself that. He tossed the book to her and began walking away.


    ¡°I have to go find someone,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    He stopped and looked at her, ¡°Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Stryg,¡± she nodded to herself and stood up. ¡°Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m looking for the librarian or one of her assistants.¡±


    Plum laughed. ¡°I¡¯m one of her assistants. Hence, the name pin, you know.¡±


    Stryg glanced between the pin and her face. Why was she so weak then? ¡°Oh. Good. I was looking for you. I need your help finding some books.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that, but first, why did you kick me?¡± Plum crossed her arms.


    ¡°Because you were crying just because of what I look like,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What? No. Why in all the Realms would I cry over your face? You think you''re a gift from the gods or something? You''re not that handsome. Get over yourself.¡±


    Now Stryg was confused. ¡°You think I¡¯m handsome? But I¡¯m an actual freak,¡± he pointed to himself. Is that why she needed glasses? Because she was as blind as a bat?


    ¡°Why would you be a freak?¡± Plum asked.


    Stryg spread his arms out and pointed at himself as if it was obvious.


    ¡°...Because you¡¯re a hybrid? That¡¯s not weird at all. Well, my mom thinks it''s weird, but my mom has a lot of messed up beliefs.¡±


    ¡°You think what I look like is normal? No one looks like me.¡± Stryg grit his teeth.


    Plum took out a handkerchief and a small bottle she used to wipe her hands clean, ¡°When I was a kid my dad taught me how people love all sorts of different people, it didn¡¯t matter who or what they were. Love didn¡¯t care, it just existed, without limits. He told me hybrids are the living result of love unbound, I honestly thought it was pretty cool, if a bit cheesy.¡± Plum sighed, ¡°My dad was one of the few people who could see things for what they were.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Stryg frowned.


    This girl was crazy. Stryg highly doubted there was any love between his own parents. Goblins weren¡¯t very prone to love. But for some reason this girl thought his odd existence was somehow cool? Yep, definitely crazy.


    ¡°Hey, before I go help you look for the books, can I ask you a favor? Can you not tell anyone about how you found me or what I was doing?¡± Plum shuffled her feet.


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to help you find your books. That¡¯s how it works, give and take. Besides, you kicked me for no good reason. You owe me.¡± Plum stood her ground.


    ¡°...Fine.¡± Stryg didn¡¯t think he owed her, but her help didn¡¯t cost him practically anything. Who would he tell anyway?


    ¡°You have to promise me,¡± Plum said sternly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Stryg raised his hand. ¡°As Lunae, the mother moon, as my witness, I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone that I saw you reading a book and fucking yourself.¡±


    Plum covered her face in shame, ¡°...It¡¯ll do.¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re friends I¡¯ll help you find those books.¡±


    Stryg scowled, ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±


    Plum looked at him strangely and giggled. ¡°You¡¯re pretty weird. You just made a promise to me. That¡¯s like step 3 of friendship.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about being your friend,¡± Stryg retorted. He didn¡¯t want to be friends with a crazy girl who cried at... actually, why was she crying then? He definitely didn¡¯t want to be her friend. He was afraid her craziness was contagious.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the deal when you make a promise. Plus you saw me naked. There¡¯s no going back now. Lunae as your witness, remember? Now come on, let¡¯s go find your precious books.¡± Plum grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Stryg ripped his hand away and hissed at her.


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Woah, your eyes are awesome. I like the hiss, very savage like.¡±


    Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Now what kind of books were you looking for again?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Uh.¡± What was wrong with this girl? ¡°Information about dragons.¡±


    ¡°Dragons? Damn, that¡¯s a tough one. Alright, then. Challenge accepted. Let¡¯s go,¡± Plum grabbed his hand again and dragged him along.


    ¡°Hey, I said let go of me!¡±


    ---


    Plum led Stryg through the maze of books that was the library. She scoured through different sections trying to find even a single book that mentioned dragons. After a few hours they had managed to find only four books. They were all fairytales that mentioned dragons in the most egregious manner. The dragons were all dumb and monsters that captured princesses. Stryg didn¡¯t need Plum to tell him how useless the books were. Kithina and Callum had no better luck. The entire trip to the library had been a waste. Plum assured them that¡¯d she keep an eye out for any books on the topic, so long as he kept his promise. Stryg was fine with that, so long as she kept her hands off his.


    The next few weeks passed by in routine fashion. Stryg would wake up early in the morning, leave his apartment and head over to the academy¡¯s track for his morning run with the begrudgingly beautiful orc professor Tauri. Stryg wasn¡¯t a fan of orcs in general, Tauri was no exception. But, he had to admit, staring at her curvaceous ass while she ran in front of the class was quite nice.


    Rime¡¯s Magic Fundamentals class was as informative as ever. Stryg would have said it was his favorite class, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the drow had it out for his project group ever since Stryg had mentioned the gods. Stryg learned to keep his head down and stay quiet while in Rime¡¯s class. It wasn¡¯t much different to how he had behaved back in the Blood Fang tribe. Callum, Kithina, and Stryg spent a lot of time in the library trying to research dragons. Plum had even joined them sometimes. But they still hadn¡¯t made much ground on the rare topic. Stryg was frustrated with the whole thing, especially with Plum who had insisted on being the pseudo 4th member of the group. Stryg didn¡¯t want to be a part of this group at all if he could help it.


    Ismene¡¯s class was the most frustrating of all. The old lady continued to encourage the class to meditate within the dark dome. Stryg had continued to fail in the practice. His mind would always wander off when he closed his eyes. When they were open he¡¯d normally stare at an unaware Kithina. He hadn¡¯t made much progress in class.


    ¡°Intro to Black Magic¡± with professor Gete had been going well to a degree. Stryg studied the anatomy books Gete had assigned. Stryg had even written notes down in class, dissected corpses, and more. But, for all his work he could barely move a fresh corpse¡¯s hand. Shadow spells came much easier to Stryg. It was the one place where he felt like he was making progress. Gete told him he was the best shadow spell caster among the first-years. It gave Stryg confidence that he was doing well, that was until he met with his master Loh.


    Loh¡¯s dueling class was brutal for all of her students. When she wasn¡¯t making them fight each other, she was making them run through dangerous obstacle courses while slinging spells at them. Not a single student left unscathed. Loh berated her students for failing to live up to her expectations, especially Stryg. His classmates thought it was because Loh didn¡¯t like goblins, but, in private Loh told him it was because he was her apprentice and she expected more from him than anyone. Which simply translated into harsher one-on-one lessons. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough Loh sent him on random errands all the time. Sometimes for a rare flower in the trade district, other times for a sweetroll in the dining hall. Her demands were nearly endless. Stryg hated her. He would have given up already, but strangely enough despite all the bruises and midnight errands, he was actually learning a thing or two from the damn drow. Stryg licked his wounds and kept training and studying, with a small modicum of success. The days began blending together and before he knew it the autumn leaves had all fallen and winter had arrived.

 Chapter 30: A Resounding No

    Chapter 30:


    Stryg observed the snowflakes tumble through the air with an inaudible nature. For a brief moment he forgot the bustling streets surrounding him and he was once again in Vulture Woods, sitting on an ashen tree branch, enjoying the tranquil snow.


    ¡°Ooh, the first snowfall of the year. It¡¯s pretty. Too bad it¡¯ll get chilly soon. I hate the cold,¡± a cheerful voice said from behind the hybrid¡¯s ear.


    Just like that the moment was ruined and Stryg was back in Hollow Shade. ¡°Remind me why you¡¯re here again?¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It''s a beautiful day and there¡¯s no classes today either,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the matter, or rather problem,¡± Stryg continued walking past the throngs of people. It was getting cold, but it didn¡¯t stop anyone from visiting the trade district.


    ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t wanna go shopping with your best friend?¡± Plum teased with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°I am not your best friend.¡±


    ¡°So, not my best friend, just a regular friend then, huh. Works for me,¡± Plum laughed and skipped on ahead.


    Stryg groaned, he didn¡¯t know how to deal with this drow girl, she refused to leave him alone. He took a few swift steps and quickly caught up to her. ¡°Why are you here anyway?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to buy a few things here and there,¡± Plum said while browsing through a few clothing stalls. ¡°And you¡¯ll pay for them.¡±


    Stryg barked out a chilly laugh, ¡°And here I thought you were just a library pervert, turns out you''re funny too.¡±


    Plum slapped his shoulder, but he dodged. She hated teaching him the word ¡®pervert.¡¯ He always found ways to slip the insult into their conversations. ¡°You will pay, or otherwise I won¡¯t give you the dragon book I found.¡±


    ¡°What? You found a new book?¡±


    ¡°Yep, after searching the archives for weeks, I finally managed to get access to one of the rare book archives and I found one tome that referenced dragons in some detail. It was a lot of work, I¡¯m not gonna lie, but we¡¯re friends right? After all, I would never do this for someone who wasn¡¯t a friend.¡± Plum looked down at Stryg with a malicious grin, ¡°We. Are. Friends. Right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What was that? I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t all have amazing hearing, could you please speak up?¡± Plum held her hand to her ear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Plum smiled smugly. ¡°Relax, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m making you buy a beastkin or something. You won¡¯t spend more than a golden coin or two.¡±


    ¡°Golden coins, are you joking?¡± Stryg had gained a simple understanding of coins and gold was clearly too much for a dress. For that price Stryg could eat at the Merry Crescent tavern for months.


    ¡°Come on, I know you make decent money as professor Loh¡¯s assistant. Take pity on this poor wee ol librarian¡¯s assistant.¡± Plum held her hands between her sizable chest and gave him doe eyes.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Only one coin.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Plum made a small fist bump to the air.


    ¡°And let¡¯s get this done fast, I still need to pick up my master¡¯s package from the White Rose Cauldron, which is all the way across the district. So, be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Plum nodded repeatedly. ¡°Oh look at that, a new perfume shop!¡± She ran into the store.


    ¡°Damn you Plum.¡±


    Plum dragged Stryg to half a dozen shops before she had declared herself finished. Plum used the time to ask him how she looked with one dress or another, but Stryg spent his time ignoring her. Plum pouted as they walked out of the final store.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you settled on the red dress,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait, you actually like it? You didn¡¯t say anything back there.¡± Plum looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t really care. I¡¯m just glad that we¡¯re finally done.¡±


    Plum groaned, ¡°Ugh, you''re useless. How am I supposed to know if people at the ball will like the dress or not? I can¡¯t trust the sales clerk, they only wanna make a profit.¡±


    ¡°What ball?¡±


    ¡°Do you live under a rock? The academy¡¯s winter ball of course. Everyone¡¯s been talking about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with my readings and classes, I didn¡¯t have time to bother with the gossip of others.¡± Stryg spent his time trying to become the most powerful mage he could. He needed to be the strongest among his class. He wouldn¡¯t accept any less. Not anymore. The weak Stryg would be a pastime.


    ¡°And I thought I was a bookworm.¡± Plum shook her head. ¡°Well, when you¡¯re a 3rd year and it¡¯s your chance to participate in the winter ball, I promise you¡¯ll have a different opinion.¡±


    Stryg stopped walking. ¡°Wait, Plum, you¡¯re a 3rd year!¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Yeah, duh. I thought I told you that already.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Why are you such a weak spell caster then?¡±


    ¡°For your information, I¡¯m considered average in my class. Sorry, if we can¡¯t all measure up to overachievers like you. Some of us actually want to enjoy our time at the academy.¡± Plum frowned at the dress folded in her bag. ¡°Gods I hope this one is ok.¡±


    ¡°You looked pretty in the dress, so stop worrying about it, it''s annoying.¡± Stryg said without looking at her.


    Plum smiled, ¡°Oh, is little ol Stryg flirting with me? Playing hard to get?¡±


    ¡°Dream on, pervert.¡±


    ¡°A heart as cold as ice,¡± Plum laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this big sister knows just the place to warm us both up.¡± Plum hooked her arm with his, which felt a bit strange because of the height difference, but Plum was short for a drow so she somehow managed to make it work.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me.¡± Stryg warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Plum said nonchalantly.


    She led him towards a food stand managed by a young man. ¡°Two cups of hot chocolate please.¡±


    ¡°Right away miss, that¡¯ll be two bronze coins, please.¡±


    Plum looked at Stryg expectantly.


    ¡°Wait, you expect me to pay? After I already bought your fancy dress?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t be a miser. Besides, I promise you¡¯ll love this. It¡¯s perfect for the first snowfall of the year,¡± Plum assured him.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Stryg looked at the large pot of hot chocolate on the stand. It did smell nice. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a mug with me.¡± While taverns offered mugs and other cutlery, the food stands did not.


    Plum shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated motion and pulled out a mug from her purse, ¡°What would you do without me?¡±


    ¡°Have more money?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to share my mug with you or not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky it smells good.¡± Stryg tossed a coin to the young man, ¡°Make that only one cup.¡±


    Plum shared the hot drink with Stryg as they walked down the street. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. It warmed him up similar to the time he had drunk the Fire Breath shot at the tavern.


    ¡°So, how is it?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°...It¡¯s ok.¡± Stryg took another sip.


    Plum nudged his arm, ¡°Sure, and that gorgeous woman over there is only ok.¡±


    Stryg glanced at a human woman who had just passed them. Stryg had to admit she was quite beautiful, especially the way her waist shuffled as she quickly walked ahead of them, it reminded him of professor Tauri.


    ¡°She is pretty,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Heh, you have good taste too I see.¡± Plum made a lecherous laugh.


    ¡°If you like her so much why don¡¯t you ask her out to that winter ball.¡±


    Plum¡¯s face suddenly turned a shade darker, ¡°You know I¡¯m not good with talking to strangers.¡±


    ¡°You had no problem talking with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. You literally caught me at the most embarrassing moment of my life aaaand you promised not to talk about it, so let¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Plum ignored him. ¡°Besides, what would I even say?¡±


    ¡°You could just ask her out for a drink. A guard captain I know told me that¡¯s what commoners do.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t even know her. She probably doesn¡¯t even see women like that anyway.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t know unless you try.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Stryg. We may be commoners but we¡¯re magi. Commoner folk like her would be scared to even talk to one of us.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I didn¡¯t know that. I¡¯ve talked to many commoners and none gave me that impression.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell them that you¡¯re a mage?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± The need had never come up.


    ¡°And that if they pissed you off you could kill them and raise them as undead to do your bidding?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see your point.¡± Stryg had never really thought about it. Of course, despite being a black mage he was a failure of a necromancer, but he didn¡¯t see any need to mention that to Plum.


    ¡°Oh, there she goes,¡± Plum said as the young woman turned a corner.


    ¡°And there goes your chance,¡± Stryg added.


    ¡°It¡¯s whatever. I¡¯ll find the right one for me eventually.¡± Plum took another sip of the hot chocolate.


    ¡°Hey, leave some for me,¡± Stryg reached for the mug.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that,¡± Plum smirked and held the mug out of Stryg¡¯s reach.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Stryg said with a straight-face.


    A shriek pierced the air. Stryg and Plum walked past the corner to see the young woman from earlier being mugged by an orc and a human in an alleyway. People glanced at the woman¡¯s predicament but quickly hurried on their way, afraid to get involved. The woman kept screaming for help as the two men began ripping her clothes off.


    ¡°We have to help her!¡± Plum said, dropping the mug.


    Stryg caught the mug with a deft hand. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s in danger, why else!?¡±


    ¡°People get mugged here all the time, survival of the fittest, you know. Just let it be.¡± Stryg took a swig of the hot drink.


    Plum looked at him incredulously, ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    Stryg tilted his head and studied her with his strange lilac eyes, his pupils narrowing into slits, ¡°Why do you want to help her? You don¡¯t even know her. She¡¯s not your tribe member. She¡¯s not your friend. Why in all the Realms would you get involved?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the right thing to do obviously, plus she¡¯s hot. Now are you going to help me or not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be a resounding no on my end.¡± Stryg took another sip while calmly watching the half-naked woman be attacked.


    ¡°Ah, screw this.¡± Plum dropped her dress and purse and rushed into the alleyway.


    A large mountain lion appeared in the alley and roared at the two thugs. They fell to the floor with a shout of fear. Plum dashed under the lion and grabbed the hand of the young woman, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The woman was confused, but she followed Plum anyway. Her free arm accidentally touched the mane of the lion, causing the feline illusion to shimmer and disappear.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± The orc gangster shouted in confusion.


    The orc jumped forward and grabbed the young woman¡¯s hair right before she exited the alleyway. He yanked, the woman¡¯s neck snapped back as she slammed to the ground hard. Plum turned around in shock as the orc¡¯s fist slammed into her gut. She wheezed for breath and crashed to her knees.


    ¡°Where did this bitch come from?¡± The other thug said as he stood up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know what the fuck I just saw. Some animal just appeared and disappeared. I must still be tripping on those shrooms,¡± the orc said. He turned at the two women and grinned. ¡°But, you two aren¡¯t going anywhere are you?¡±


    A small blue figure shot forward and latched onto the orc. Stryg clawed the thug¡¯s face and neck before he had a chance to even scream. The two tumbled to the ground in a bloody mess. Stryg immediately rolled as his body touched the floor and darted towards the remaining enemy. The human drew a knife and swiped at Stryg. But the goblin slid beneath his feet and jabbed the man right in the balls. He screeched in agony as he dropped his knife and fell to his knees. Stryg yanked the man¡¯s head backwards, exposing his neck. His claws tore through the human¡¯s jugular in a flash. Stryg kicked the dying man to the floor. The blood-soaked hybrid took slow deep breaths as he looked around for any more threats.


    After ascertaining their safety, Stryg glanced at Plum who was clutching her stomach and staring at him in shock. ¡°Plum, you¡¯re an idiot.¡±

 Chapter 31: Childhood Friend

    Chapter 31:


    ¡°What were you thinking? If all you could manage was an illusion that would break with the slightest touch, why in all the Realms did you try to fight?¡± Stryg said.


    The young human woman lay on the floor sobbing.


    Plum sat silent on the ground next to her. ¡°Y-you killed them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You killed both of them.¡± Plum repeated.


    ¡°The thugs? Obviously.¡±


    ¡°But they were people. They were alive!¡±


    ¡°And now they are dead. Why are you stating the obvious?¡±


    ¡°Obvious? Obvious? Knowing not to commit murder is obvious!¡±


    Stryg laughed, ¡°Are you actually saying you wanted them to have their way with you and that crying woman?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But you could have just beaten them up, stopped them. If you could beat them that easily I bet you could have just incapacitated them instead. They were people, they had families for all you know. You can¡¯t just go around killing others!¡±


    Stryg flicked away a piece of bloody flesh that had gotten stuck in underneath his claw, ¡°As I said Plum, you¡¯re an idiot,¡± his voice took a dark tone. ¡°What makes you think I wanted to keep them alive? So, they could attack me when I turn my back. I¡¯m glad I killed them.¡± He stepped towards the two women, his hands dripping with blood.


    The young woman yelped in fear and scurried away. Plum caught the human in her arms and held her tight, ¡°It¡¯s ok now. You don¡¯t have anything to worry about. You¡¯re safe now,¡± Plum whispered.


    This was it. The perfect example of weakness. Crying and in the arms of another no less. Plum was even condoning the cowardly behavior. This human was afraid of Stryg, even after he saved her. ¡°You two are a perfect pair for each other.¡±


    Plum stared daggers at him.


    ¡°Halt! Don¡¯t you dare try to run away!¡± A guard shouted in the distance. A group of them rushed over into the alleyway.


    Stryg watched the whole affair with tense muscles. Was he about to fight again? He didn¡¯t have the advantage of surprise this time. His magic wasn¡¯t useful in a fight either. Plum and the human were useless, too. This wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    ¡°Stryg? Is that you?¡± A guard stepped forward.


    ¡°Rorik?¡± Stryg said in recognition.


    Plum glanced between the two in confusion.


    The drow guard captain smiled, ¡°I almost didn¡¯t recognize you with all that blood on you. It¡¯s like that night we first met.¡± Rorik stared at the two dead thugs, ¡°Literally.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my blood this time.¡± Stryg flicked a few flecks of blood from his claws.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rorik asked.


    ¡°Not much. These two attacked those two, and I killed the first two.¡±


    The baffled guards looked at Rorik for answers.


    ¡°...Right.¡± Rorik muttered. ¡°Self-defense, I take it?¡±


    ¡°No, those two crying idiots couldn¡¯t defend themselves at all. I did that.¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Sir?¡± One of the guards, gripped the handle of his sword.


    Stryg hissed, flexing his claws.


    Rorik immediately raised his hand, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Put your sword away, now!¡±


    The guard looked reluctant but he followed the order.


    ¡°Sorry, about that Stryg. He¡¯s new.¡± Rorik slapped the guard on the back of the head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand the sheer stupidity of fighting a mage.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face paled as he understood the implication of what Rorik had said. ¡°U-uh. I-i didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m s-sorry.¡±


    Stryg lowered his hands. ¡°It seems there are a lot of idiots today.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this mess Stryg, I¡¯ll have my men take care of it,¡± Rorik assured him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± Stryg began walking away, not sparing a glance at a bewildered Plum.


    ¡°You should stop by the Merry Crescent, sometime. I haven¡¯t seen you there in at least a week.¡± Rorik added,


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll drop by. People need a drink once in a while,¡± he looked back at Plum pointedly.


    She glanced at the young woman in her arms in understanding.


    ¡°Stryg, wait up,¡± Plum called out.


    But he was gone, lost in the crowd.


    ---


    ¡°Can I join you?¡± Professor Tauri asked with a smile.


    Professor Loh looked up from her cup of tea, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can make the time. I¡¯m pretty busy.¡±


    The orc pulled up a seat next to Loh, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure. Sipping tea in your office really is time consuming. But, I¡¯m sure you can make some time for your childhood friend.¡±


    Oh how Loh hated that word ¡®friend¡¯. She wanted to be so much more with the beautiful orc. Seeing her crimson cheeks make that familiar smile, shot a pang through Loh.


    The drow hid her pain behind a chuckle, ¡°Maybe just a bit. So, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I just wanted to see how you were doing. It¡¯s been a while since I dropped by.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Loh gave her a sidelong glance. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Ok, I may have heard about how you had a disagreement with lord Elzri,¡± Tauri grimaced.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about the old man, he¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll die to a heart attack before I manage to beat the shit out of him, sadly.¡±


    ¡°Loh, he¡¯s your grandfather. After how you broke it off with your parents, you should try to at least be amicable with him.¡±


    Loh groaned, ¡°Did your family put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°The Katag family trying to curry favor with my grandfather, head of the Noir family, seems pretty plausible to me. And who better to do it than the ever loyal miss Tauri Katag herself.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s orange eyes narrowed, ¡°The head of my family is also on the city council, we don¡¯t need to curry favor from anyone.¡± Tauri sighed, ¡°I came here as your friend, I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks.¡± Loh grumbled.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± Tauri stood up to leave.


    Loh grabbed her hand, ¡°No, I mean it, thank you. I¡¯m sorry, I acted like an ass.¡±


    Tauri smiled begrudgingly and sat back down, ¡°So, how are your classes going? Has any student dropped out yet?¡±


    ¡°Heh, not yet. The third years are subpar, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll win the great cities tourney. The second year students are just passable. But a few of the first years have some potential. They might just turn out to be decent magi someday, maybe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s high praise coming from you Loh. Oh, by the way, I heard you got a new assistant?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the last one quit the academy. The load was too strong for her. Pathetic. This new kid is alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s their name?¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡±


    ¡°The goblin hybrid? Well, I guess it makes sense. He runs quite fast in my class. Perfect errand boy for you.¡± Tauri chuckled.


    Loh put her tea down, ¡°I made him my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°What? Really? One thing¡¯s an assistant but you made him your apprentice? I thought you said you¡¯d never take one on. What happened? Is he a genius?¡±


    ¡°Hardly.¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s talented, I¡¯ll give you that, but no prodigy. He¡¯s also a bit clueless, a country bumpkin from what I¡¯ve gathered. Haven¡¯t really asked him much about his past. But, there¡¯s something about him I just can¡¯t quite place. I guess you could say he¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°...So, he¡¯s weird. I could have told you that. The kid doesn¡¯t talk to anyone in my class,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Meh, he doesn¡¯t need to talk much. He just needs to do what I say and be a fast learner. Actually, he should be coming right about now, I have a training session planned.¡±


    Tauri stood back up, ¡°I should get going then.¡±


    ¡°We could go for some drinks later tonight, if you want. Catch up more.¡± Loh invited. She wanted to spend more time with Tauri if she could.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯d love to, but my father asked me to join him for dinner tonight, I can¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Faithful to a fault, huh? Always daddy¡¯s good little girl,¡± Loh mocked. ¡°When are you going to live a little?¡±


    ¡°Being loyal to my family has its benefits, many actually.¡± Tauri justified, ¡°I behave well and my father gets me everything I want, pretty good deal if you ask me. Besides, some of us don¡¯t want to be pariahs in upper society.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, as if anyone would dare mess with me,¡± Loh leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°Perhaps, but it is out of fear, not respect.¡±


    ¡°Did the ebon lords have the people¡¯s love? Nope, but their power inspired fear in all. They demanded respect, and the people gave it more than willingly. Fear worked for them and it works for me.¡±


    A knock rang on the office door. ¡°Master, it¡¯s me,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And that¡¯s my cue.¡± Tauri walked to the door.


    ¡°What happens when your father orders you to do something you don¡¯t want? Like defending the trade ships of Hoarfrost Bay or something,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I am a loyal daughter of the Katag family. I¡¯m not about to lose my honor and let myself get cut off from the family. Of course I¡¯d obey,¡± Tauri said in a solemn voice.


    ¡°The Katag¡¯s honor lives up to its name,¡± Loh made a half-hearted smile.


    Tauri placed a finger on her lips, ¡°Not like my father would ever order me to do something I didn¡¯t want though.¡±


    She opened the door before Loh could respond. Tauri made a quick nod to a waiting Stryg and left, just like that. Stryg and Loh¡¯s eyes both watched Tauri¡¯s ass bounce away.


    ¡°And what are you looking at?¡± Loh asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s butt.¡± Stryg said without hesitation.


    ¡°Shameless, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just find no shame in appreciating the body.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to let Tauri know that before your next class.¡±


    Stryg frowned. He liked Tauri¡¯s figure, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted the orc to know that. Goblins and orcs were still enemies in his mind.


    ¡°So, did you get the potions I asked for?¡± Loh asked.


    Stryg nodded and handed her the bag with the potions. ¡°What are the potions for anyway?¡±


    ¡°Most are to help preserve the bodies of the undead I control. The more decayed a corpse is the more difficult it is to control it. Less muscles, less movement. Your magic ends up having to do more work. Of course, you seem to be unable to raise a corpse anyway.¡±


    ¡°I got into a fight today.¡± Stryg changed the topic.


    ¡°Oh? Against who?¡±


    ¡°A couple of thugs.¡±


    ¡°Did they attack you?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you won.¡±


    ¡°I killed them both.¡±


    Loh laughed, ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you. You don¡¯t hesitate when it comes time to do what is needed. We need more magi like you. What spell did you cast on them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t use magic to kill them. Last I checked intangible shadows aren¡¯t useful in combat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot if you believe that,¡± Loh chastised him. ¡°You don¡¯t need tangible shadows to kill someone.¡±


    Stryg looked as if he had been slapped. He was used to being insulted, but he had never believed himself to be an idiot. Ignorant? Yes. Stupid? No.


    ¡°Master,¡± Stryg paused. ¡°When will you show me how to properly use the grey drain spell form?¡±


    ¡°When I know you¡¯re ready to learn it. You rely too much on instinct and too little on what you¡¯ve been taught. It¡¯s why I still haven¡¯t taught you the other grey spell form.¡±


    ¡°Curse spells? I¡¯ve read about them. Also, quite useful in a fight. The combination of grey and death mana,¡± Stryg recited.


    ¡°Precisely. You have proven incapable of properly using necromancy, which also uses death mana. I doubt you¡¯d fare much better with curses. Being a manifold mage isn¡¯t always great. Having multiple chromatic colors does not equate power. One could have 5 chromatic colors and be terrible at all of them. Luckily, you have shown talent with grey magic, but it''s best if you focus on black magic for now. Once you¡¯ve shown sufficient control over your shadow spells we¡¯ll start training with drain spells.¡±


    ¡°...I understand.¡±


    Loh leaned back in her chair, ¡°Before we address spell casting, we first need to work on your focus. I know your source of focus is anger, which normally would be a problem, but you¡¯ve shown the ability to keep that anger steady, without it running out of control. But now it¡¯s time you begin to learn how to direct that anger.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You told me the source of your anger is your hatred for everyone, even yourself.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly put it like that.¡±


    Loh spoke over him, ¡°That hate fuels your anger, makes it strong, but it''s unrefined. You need to concentrate all your anger, consolidate it. If you do that you¡¯ll be able to cast spells properly, perhaps even necromancy spells.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He had been trying for weeks with no real success.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a problem with a quantity of mana, you have a larger source than any 1st year. Plus, you¡¯ve been studying constantly, so I doubt it¡¯s because of a lack of a clear image. Although, it takes years to properly know the body¡¯s anatomy, which is only made more difficult depending on the species. You don¡¯t have to focus on any of that right now. All you need to do is work on consolidating your anger.¡±


    ¡°And how do I do that?¡±


    Loh grinned, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just think of the person you hate the most in the world.¡±

 Chapter 32: The Wall of Hollow Shade

    Chapter 32:


    Elm knelt before the statue of Stjerne, god of the stars, and prayed to his patron deity. Though Elm was but a mere human, he had risen to the position of head priest of the commoner district¡¯s southern temple. The temple wasn¡¯t much compared to the ones in the wealthier districts, but it was still home to many people of Hollow Shade. Elm prided himself in his temple¡¯s ability to provide for his community. He silently thanked Stjerne for watching over humans like him. After finishing his prayer he turned to the statue of Bellum, goddess of war, and asked her protection for the commoners in these difficult times. Winter had begun and the Valley warlords and their tribes had become restless for lack of food. The doors creaked open.


    ¡°The evening service won¡¯t begin for another hour,¡± Elm spoke with closed eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for the service.¡±


    Elm raised his head and turned to the visitor. A young blue goblin stood at the door. The goblin stood on his heels as if ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°The woman up front said I could find the head priest in the main hall,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And you have found me.¡± Elm stood up. ¡°I am Elm, follower of Stjerne, but priest to all four Ebon gods. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you Stryg. What brings you to our humble temple?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve passed by your temple a few times, while on my way to a nearby tavern.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a visitor of the Merry Crescent.¡±


    ¡°You know it?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who lives in the south side of the district knows it. I quite enjoy their shepherd¡¯s pie. But I interrupted you, please, continue.¡±


    ¡°Well, I noticed your temple and I thought I might stop by.¡± Stryg looked around the main hall. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a temple before, it¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°Never been? I take it you were not raised in a religious household. Have you perhaps come to join our temple?¡± Elm smiled.


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°I grew up being taught to worship the mother moon, Lunae. I¡¯m not so sure about those beliefs anymore. But, I am here to learn more about the gods, especially Lunae.¡±


    ¡°A skeptic, then. I¡¯d be glad to assist you on your journey to find your path once more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lost. I just have questions.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be glad to answer them to the best of my ability. But, first may I ask how you became unsure of your faith in Lunae?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say my shaman wasn¡¯t much of a spiritual leader.¡±


    ¡°A shaman? You¡¯re not from Hollow Shade?¡± The spiritual leaders of Hollow Shade were referred to as priests. Shamans was an antiquated term that was sometimes used for magi as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Vulture Woods,¡± Stryg looked away. ¡°The Blood Fang tribe,¡± he spoke softly.


    ¡°A sylvan tribe from Vulture Woods. Really? Stjerne truly watches over his own.¡± Elm placed his hand over his heart in reverence to his patron deity. After a moment of silence he smiled at Stryg, ¡°I am honored to meet such a warrior.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± Stryg said with suspicion. ¡°Anyway, I wanted to know what you know of fate. Do you believe the gods really control everything? That they control all our fates? My professor at the mage academy says fate isn¡¯t real, only another example of the ethereal balance theory. I was okay accepting that, but it¡¯s been bothering me these past few weeks. I wanted to hear a priest¡¯s side of the story.¡±


    Elm tried to hide his surprise. The boy was a mageborn as well? Elm was beginning to connect the dots. It had to be divine providence that the boy had appeared here tonight. A sylvan child, the first seen in many years, with the power of magic, had come to Hollow Shade; and instead of going to one of the larger temples, had visited a temple of the commoners. His prayer to Bellum had clearly been heard. ¡°You seem unsure of your professor¡¯s words. Why do you think fate isn¡¯t real?¡±


    ¡°Lunae is said to bless her chosen with the gift of magic. Yet, I was born like this,¡± Stryg gestured to himself. ¡°A bad omen sent to my tribe by Lunae herself. And yet, I can still use magic. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Unless the gods weren¡¯t real. If Lunae wasn¡¯t real, then Stryg wasn¡¯t a bad omen. Perhaps, just maybe, he wasn¡¯t a freak after all. A small part of him held onto that hope.


    Elm nodded, ¡°I see. I may not know of this balance theory your professor spoke of. But, I do know something of fate. You see fate isn¡¯t something to be called out so easily. Many times it is impossible to discern until it walks up right in front of you.¡± He stared at Stryg. ¡°For all their power, not even the gods, control fate. You say you''re a bad omen from Lunae? Perhaps you are. But if so, then you are a bad omen sent to the tribe, to remind them of the dark days ahead.¡±


    ¡°...But my tribe said I was at fault. That everything bad was because of me.¡± Stryg¡¯s fingers curled and dug into his palms until he unwittingly drew blood. ¡°They hated me.¡±


    Elm spread out his hands, ¡°You were just the messenger, no fault should be placed on you.¡±


    Stryg looked up in confusion, unable to accept what the priest said.


    ¡°Tell me Stryg, what do you know of the origin of the sylvan tribes?¡±


    ¡°We lost the war against the orcs and were forced to flee to Vulture Woods,¡± Stryg said as he wiped his blood on his pants.


    ¡°Not quite. About 300 years ago the goblins of the Silent Marshes did in fact lose the war to the ancient orc warriors. But they didn¡¯t flee. The orcs had surrounded the few remaining goblin survivors, ready to finish them off. But it is said that Lunae stepped in and saved her children. Nothing of the sort had ever happened before. For the watcher herself to intervene was a testament to the importance she held for those goblins.¡±


    Stryg had never heard any of this before.


    Elm continued, ¡°After saving the goblins, she led them to Vulture Woods. Their descendants became known as the sylvan tribes, and have been kept safe by Lunae to this day, or so the story goes.¡±


    ¡°Protected? I¡¯ve seen plenty of goblins killed in those Woods.¡±


    ¡°Yet, the tribes still live. Do you know of any other non-goblin tribes that live in Vulture Woods?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point. The sylvan tribes are protected by Lunae and from the stories I¡¯ve heard, they have been honing their warrior skills ever since. I don¡¯t believe you were a bad omen Stryg. I believe you were a call to action, a warrior mage sent out of that monstrous forest. Perhaps meant to face the monsters that run rampant all around us. The world is a cruel place Stryg. I am glad you have come to the commoner district.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to join you. I just wanted some answers,¡± Stryg took a step back. He clearly had gotten much more than he bargained for. This priest was crazy, or as much of a liar as the shaman Cruvor had been.


    Elm inclined his head, ¡°I understand.¡± He knew that Stryg, a skeptic, wouldn¡¯t wish to join the temple right away, but Elm needed to try.


    ¡°I need to get going,¡± Stryg walked away.


    ¡°If you ever have more questions, please don¡¯t hesitate to stop by.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t turn around. He left the temple feeling more uncertain than when he had arrived. He shook his head as if to rid the thoughts. He couldn¡¯t listen to that priest. He wasn¡¯t about to fall to lies of grandeur like he had with Cruvor. The sun was beginning to set. He needed to hurry, Loh had asked him to meet her at the city gates.


    After running for twenty minutes he arrived at the meeting spot. Except, he wasn¡¯t the only student. The whole duels class stood around the closed gate.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally here, Stryg,¡± Callum waved him over.


    Stryg nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Loh just told us to meet her here,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°She¡¯s late as usual,¡± Kithina said, walking over while rubbing her arms. ¡°It¡¯s freezing.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Stryg was used to his master¡¯s abrupt nature. This meetup wasn¡¯t much of a surprise to him. Nor was the cold much of a bother, he was content to wait.


    Callum sniffed the air, ¡°What¡¯s that scent? It smells delicious.¡± The half-vampire looked around searching for its source. His eyes finally settled on Stryg¡¯s hands.


    Stryg glanced at his palms. The blood had dried, but it still stained his hands. Kithina looked at Callum in disgust. Stryg took a step back from the vampire and assumed a fighting stance.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t realize it was you,¡± Callum scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m normally not like this. Vampires don¡¯t just freak out at the sight of blood. We can control ourselves. The scent was strong is all. Hybrid blood can be quite...potent sometimes.¡±


    Clypeus, the full blooded vampire, stepped away from the other students and began sniffing the air, too. His head snapped to Stryg. The goblin hissed in warning.


    ¡°Case and point,¡± Callum finished.


    ¡°You¡¯re all here, good.¡± Loh called out. She was riding on the back of a female centaur. Instead of holding reins, Loh¡¯s hands rested around the centaur¡¯s waist. The centaur trotted over to one of the nearby guards.


    The guard bowed his head, ¡°Miss Noir we are ready at your command.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, you may begin.¡± Loh unmounted and patted her centaur on her soft upper belly.


    ¡°All of you, follow the guards up the ladders,¡± Loh said.


    The students looked at the guards who began climbing the tall metal ladders all the way to the top of the jet black wall.


    ¡°That has to be a few dozen feet at least,¡± Kithina muttered in shock.


    ¡°60 feet to be precise,¡± Callum pointed out.


    ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t said that,¡± Kithina swallowed.


    Stryg glanced at the ladders. It was just like climbing a tree back home. Except this one had easy branches to grab a hold of. He made his way up first. The others soon followed. Kithina was the last one in line.


    ¡°No need to worry, they are attached quite firmly, they won¡¯t tip over and fall,¡± A guard patted the ladder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the ladder I¡¯m worried about falling,¡± Kithina said as her feet began to wobble.


    She hated heights, but she feared Loh more. With shaky hands she began to climb up. After a few painstakingly long minutes the dwarf managed her way to the top. She was about to complain about the wretched experience until she saw the view.


    The Dusk Valley¡¯s hills stretched all around. Snow had covered the green hills entirely. The setting sun bathed them in golden light, causing the endless fields to shine like a trove of treasure.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Kithina whispered in awe.


    ¡°Yeah, it really is,¡± Callum agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s bright,¡± Stryg shielded his eyes with a hand.


    ¡°I see everyone is enjoying the sight,¡± Loh said. ¡°Now turn around.¡±


    Stryg was more than happy to look away from the sunny spectacle. The great city of Hollow Shade stood proudly behind. Buildings of all shapes and sizes sprawled all around. One large tower stood out amongst the rest, far in the middle of the city. It was split in two, as if a giant sword had cleaved the building in half. Two half circles formed on the inner side of each side of the tower.


    ¡°Now, I want you all to look straight down. What do you see?¡± Loh asked.


    Nora, a human girl, spoke up, ¡°The wall?¡±


    ¡°If you give me another dumb answer I¡¯ll throw you off the wall,¡± Loh warned.


    Nora¡¯s mouth closed shut in a flash.


    ¡°Magestone,¡± Clypeus stepped in front of Nora. She smiled gratefully.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Loh said.


    Wait? Stryg looked down in surprise. He knelt and touched the cold ebon stone. This was magestone? He had read how difficult it was to work magestone, with the largest pieces only the size of a fist. He looked around the wall that spanned miles. This was impossible.


    ¡°A little over 300 years ago there was nothing in Dusk Valley, but grass.¡± Loh began. ¡°Then one day suddenly, these magestone walls appeared out of the blue. No one knows how they were created, only that the ebon lords were responsible. The walls were situated in an ideal spot for trading and soon people flocked around from the whole Realm. Eventually, these walls surrounded the beginnings of the prosperous great city of Hollow Shade. But, great wealth attracts many dangers. Tribes came from all over to try and pillage this city. Back then the rulers of the city, the ebon lords, were able to drive off any invader with ease. But those times are long gone. Now, we must defend ourselves and our interests.¡±


    Loh walked to the outer edge of the wall and pointed down. The students carefully walked over and looked below. A group of a dozen men and women sat in the snow. Their limbs were tied tight even as they struggled to escape.


    ¡°Down there are prisoners. Some were caught for stealing, others had no nameplates, a couple of them are even raiders from the Valley.¡± Loh went on, ¡°The ebon lords may all be gone, but they left us with their greatest weapon.¡±


    The last wisps of sunlight began to die over the horizon. Stryg looked at the walls with dawning realization. Magestone was inherently clear as water. For it to be the color of obsidian meant it was fully charged with black mana. But how was that possible? Not even an army of black magi could charge half the wall and even if they could, mana leaked out of magestone with time. There couldn¡¯t be any left after 300 years. This whole thing should be impossible.


    ¡°Do you know where this city got its name? The ¡®Hollow¡¯ part came from the city starting with just these walls, the inside was empty, hollow. But ¡®Shade¡¯ comes from them,¡± Loh gestured towards the etched wall.


    Shadowy hands began to emerge from the magestone outer wall. The ethereal hands pulled themselves out to reveal an inky mass of a formless creature. There were no distinctive features save for the faint smoky outline of limbs. They screamed a high pitch inhuman screech. Stryg and the others covered their ears in pain.


    ¡°Shades!¡± Loh shouted over the horrid sound. ¡°The wretched existences created by soul magic, the signature spell form of a true black mage. Yet, no amount of true black magi could create something this horrifying.¡±


    Hundreds of shades emerged from the ebon walls. The prisoners below shouted for help. They doubled their efforts of escape, to no avail. The shades dropped from the walls, tunneling through the air as if swimming in water. The first one to reach a prisoner sunk into the man¡¯s body. He began to convulse, his veins blackened, and his blood vessels burst. Pink froth spilled from his mouth as his body began to break apart. The skin melted away as the muscles slipped off the bone, revealing the monstrous shade within. The shade emerged from the corpse and moved to its next victim, but other shades had already latched onto the rest of the prisoners. In only a few seconds all that was left was a pile of rotting flesh and bone. The shades stopped their inhuman screams and fell silent. Their inky bodies swam up through the air and began drifting around the wall.


    A few of the students vomited at the spectacle, Kithina included. Though, Callum guessed it had somewhat to do with the height for the redhead dwarf.


    ¡°This is why people don¡¯t go near the city at night,¡± Stryg whispered in understanding. No one wanted to die in such a horrifying way.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Loh said. ¡°The shades only come out at night and they stay on the wall¡¯s outer side. It''s why the warlords of the Valley haven¡¯t sieged us with their hordes. But, make no mistake, they are out there. They attack the nearby towns, caravans, and trade routes, including the Dire River. If we lose those trade points, our city cannot sustain itself. The city¡¯s soldiers cannot alone stop the enemy. It¡¯s our job as magi to defend those points of interest. The Dusk Valley¡¯s warlords have become more restless as of late. War will come to the Valley, it¡¯s just a matter of when.¡±


    ¡°I brought you all here to remind you of why you study in the academy. It¡¯s not for wealth, prestige, lust, or power. You study, you train, for your own survival.¡± Loh looked at each one of her students, finally settling her eyes on Stryg. ¡°Remember that.¡±

 Chapter 33: Maeve Mora

    Chapter 33:


    Callum rapped his fingers over the table mantle. They were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. He wondered what was taking Stryg and Kithina so long.


    ¡°More wine sir?¡± The waiter asked.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Callum shook his head.


    The waiter nodded and walked to another table. Callum glanced around the restaurant. All the customers came from one named house or another. Callum spotted the daughter of a civic lord eating with her friends. A merchant lady sat eating with her minor husbands a few tables over. This restaurant catered specifically to the high-class folk of Hollow Shade. Callum chose this restaurant in order to impress Stryg and Kithina.


    Callum was growing up and soon he wouldn¡¯t have his father¡¯s protection anymore. Sure, no commoner would ever dare disrespect him, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the high-class, even his own siblings were a potential threat. They saw him as a stain in house Veres'' reputation. It was made only worse that his father demanded he have a place equal to his siblings.


    After Callum graduated he¡¯d be eligible to be challenged to a mage duel. His siblings wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so and ¡°accidentally¡± kill him in the duel. Death was common enough in duels. Or perhaps they wouldn¡¯t wait that long and they¡¯d send assassins after him. Callum needed allies and he needed them quick. People whom his siblings¡¯ influence couldn¡¯t reach. Powerful individuals unrelated to the affluent families of Hollow Shade. In other words, magi born from commoners.


    Kithina seemed fond of him and was more than willing to become friends. Stryg was very standoffish, Callum had a difficult time gauging his behavior. But, Stryg had shown great potential, in both physical and magical abilities. Despite having a completely different background, Stryg was a kindred soul, a hybrid born into a harsh world. He wanted the rude goblin on his side.


    Callum was willing to do what was needed to befriend the two magi, including treating them to a fancy dinner. If only the two would actually show up. He sighed.


    ¡°Young master, should I go look for Mr. Stryg and Ms. Kithina?¡± His attending maid asked in a polite tone.


    ¡°No, it''s fine. I don¡¯t wish to appear desperate,¡± Callum said.


    As if on cue, Stryg and Kithina walked into the room. Kithina was dressed in a yellow dress that accentuated her red locks. She had gotten her hair and make up done at a salon. It was expensive, but as she looked around the fancy decor and well dressed patrons, she didn¡¯t regret her decision at all. She was nervous, it was her first time in such a fancy place. But, it was one of her dreams to be a part of such a high class gathering. She hoped to the gods that she¡¯d fit in.


    Stryg wore simple black trousers and a loose blue tunic. He surveyed the restaurant with interest. The food did smell good and there were many beautiful women around as well. It passed his judgement.


    Kithina spotted Callum and walked over with Stryg in tow.


    ¡°Kithina you look beautiful, I¡¯m glad you were able to make it.¡± Callum smiled.


    Kithina blushed under the praise, but her face turned sour as she spotted the maid behind Callum.


    Great, another maid, Kithina thought in irritation. She thought she¡¯d be used to the ever present maids by now, but she wasn¡¯t, far from it. Their presence became more annoying as time passed.


    She hid her annoyance behind a thin smile, ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re late. Stryg had trouble getting in.¡±


    ¡°They said there was no way I could have a reservation,¡± Stryg said with a cold tone.


    ¡°I had specifically told them to expect a hybrid goblin when I reserved this table weeks ago. I¡¯m sorry that happened. I¡¯ll have a talk with them,¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°Good.¡± Stryg mumbled and sat down.


    He grabbed the menu and began perusing. Stryg thought he had learned the kinds of food in Hollow Shade after trying dozens of dishes these past months, but he was wrong. He didn¡¯t recognize anything on the menu.


    ¡°If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I¡¯ve come here with my family hundreds of times, growing up. I know everything there is to know about the food here,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kithina smiled sweetly. ¡°This place really is gorgeous.¡±


    She looked around the large red marble pillars that held up the painted ceiling. Ornate chandeliers hung over the entire hall.


    Stryg settled on some sort of fish dish, or so Callum explained. Stryg didn¡¯t care how fancy it was, so long as it was delicious. The dwarf and vampire hybrid made small talk as they waited for their orders to arrive. Stryg waited with closed eyes, trying to do his own form of meditation. Instead of emptying his mind, he tried focusing on his anger, like how Loh had told him to do a week ago. He was still struggling with the whole concept.


    ¡°Here is your caviar, sir,¡±the waiter said.


    Stryg opened his eyes to look at the small orange circles that peppered his plate. ¡°What is this? There¡¯s practically nothing here.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°This is roe, sir. Harvested from dire salmon in Hoarfrost Bay. It is of the highest quality, sir.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth, you should try it,¡± Callum said.


    Stryg looked skeptical at the dish. On the other hand, Kithina loved her stuffed pork tenderloin, devouring it in quick fashion.


    ¡°This is sooo good,¡± she moaned in delight.


    Stryg ate only a bit of the caviar, the flavor wasn¡¯t great and there was so little of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s official. The food here sucks. The academy''s dining hall is so much better,¡± Stryg stated. He didn¡¯t even care to try his glass of wine, afraid that it was just as bad.


    Callum put his fork down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Caviar can be a bit of an acquired taste. You¡¯re welcome to try something else, whatever you like, I suggest any of the steaks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your caviar if you don¡¯t want it,¡± Kithina said as she reached over his plate.


    She ate it greedily before Stryg could even voice his opinion. Not that he cared about the caviar, but he felt uncomfortable with someone taking his food from him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two had gotten so close,¡± Callum laughed.


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± they both said in unison.


    ¡°So Kithina, you normally just eat from a stranger¡¯s plate?¡± Callum questioned.


    Kithina looked at her hands in horror as if she had committed a crime. She was so focused on the luscious food. How could she have eaten from a man¡¯s plate in front of Callum, and from Stryg¡¯s plate no less.


    Stryg ignored Kithina and her existential crisis, ¡°She stole my food. How is that being close? She¡¯s lucky I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Cal is that you?¡± A voice said from behind.


    Callum closed his red eyes and grimaced. He opened them and turned around with a smile, ¡°Hello, Maeve. Having dinner with your friends?¡±


    A vampiress stood in front of a few other girls.


    ¡°I thought that was you,¡± Maeve said.


    She was a young woman, with porcelain skin, dressed in a black frilled dress. She was 5 feet tall, but her tall red heels pushed her up 3 more inches. She was skinny, delicate even, like a glass figurine. Her platinum blonde hair was decorated elaborately under a fancy ribboned hat.


    Her ruby eyes danced over Callum¡¯s table in delight, ¡°Who do we have here?¡±


    Callum aimed his open hand towards his guests, ¡°These are my friends, Kithina and Stryg. This is my paternal cousin, Maeve Mora, she¡¯s a student at the business academy.¡±


    ¡°No need to introduce us. I can already tell what they are,¡± Maeve smirked.


    ¡°Commoners,¡± one of Maeve¡¯s friends spat.


    ¡°That girl may try to dress up nicely, but I can still see the wooden beads in her hair. She can¡¯t even afford silver beads like actual upstanding dwarves? No matter how you adorn one, a pig will still be a pig.¡± Maeve pointed a finger to her lips.


    Kithina realized she had sauce all over her mouth. She swiftly grabbed a napkin to try and clean herself.


    ¡°Look at her face, she¡¯s turning red like a ripe tomato,¡± another of Maeve¡¯s friends laughed.


    Kithina lowered her face to hide the tears forming in her eyes. Callum grit his teeth, but said nothing. He couldn¡¯t afford to antagonize Maeve. She may not technically be a Veres, but they were still cousins. If he made a move against her now, it would be seen as a move against the house and in affront to his siblings. Any sort of truce he may have from being a student would evaporate within an instant. He couldn¡¯t let that happen, he wasn¡¯t ready to face his siblings.


    ¡°And this one¡¯s practically blue,¡± Maeve looked at the goblin hybrid.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try bitch,¡± Stryg said.


    He had been meditating with anger, his food was horrible, and he was still hungry. He didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with this vampire. Callum said she was from the business academy, which meant she wasn¡¯t a mage. Judging from her dainty figure, she wasn¡¯t much of a fighter either. He could take her.


    Maeve looked outraged, ¡°Did he just say what I think he did.¡± She stalked over to him.


    ¡°Oh sweet Bellum,¡± one of her friends whispered, ¡°She¡¯s gonna kill him.¡±


    Maeve raised her hand and slapped Stryg''s face, but he caught her wrist before the slap connected. She tried escaping his grasp and failed in surprise. She may have vampiric strength, but Stryg was just as strong, stronger even.


    ¡°Let go of me! You animal!¡± Maeve screamed.


    Stryg tightened his grip around her wrist, his claws beginning to dig into her pale skin, ¡°I¡¯m not an animal. I¡¯m a chromatic species, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°Stryg stop!¡± Callum shouted.


    Stryg looked at the other hybrid as if he was crazy.


    ¡°Please,¡± Callum said softly.


    Everyone in the restaurant was watching them. Their entire spectacle. Kithina couldn¡¯t handle it anymore and ran out while shielding her face from onlookers. Stryg was reminded of his first night challenge, how they had all mocked him. This time instead of jeering at him, they whispered amongst themselves. He hated it. Stryg released Maeve¡¯s wrist.


    She jumped back, ¡°What is wrong with this commoner!? Does he think I¡¯ll let him get away with attacking me? Callum, you call this thing your friend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Maeve. He¡¯s just drunk and doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you later,¡± Callum said.


    Stryg was confused. Why was Callum lying? Was he siding with his cousin or him?


    ¡°Heh, you think that matters? A commoner just attacked me. I¡¯ll have his head on the chopping block for this,¡± Maeve seethed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t. He¡¯s a mageborn, he can¡¯t just be executed for being drunk,¡± Callum said. It was the closest to a retaliation he could afford.


    Maeve¡¯s eyes narrowed as she glanced between the two men. ¡°I see, now I get it. Why a commoner is your friend.¡± She turned to leave, but her hand slammed into Stryg¡¯s glass, spilling wine all over his pants. ¡°Whoops,¡± Maeve smiled.


    Stryg shot up to his feet and hissed in outrage. He was going to end this girl.


    ¡°Stryg, stop! Please!¡± Callum rushed over and held him by the shoulders.


    ¡°Yeah, listen to your friend. Or should I say master.¡± Maeve said and walked away, the other girls following behind her.


    ¡°This is not the time. There are too many eyes on us. Please, Stryg don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± Callum whispered.


    Stryg struggled against Callum who tried his best to hold him down. Stryg glanced at the waiters who were calling the restaurant''s security. His gaze settled on the vampiress strolling away, giggling with her friends. This wasn¡¯t over. He pushed Callum off him and marched out of the restaurant.

 Chapter 34: Tavern Brawl

    Chapter 34:


    Stryg wandered the dark streets of Hollow Shade. Various people were out for an evening stroll in the villa district. The patrolling sentinels ensured the high-class¡¯ safety. How different the villa and commoner districts were. No one had to worry if they were going to be attacked in these polished streets. He wondered how the rich felt about the warlords that roamed the Valley. They probably didn¡¯t care, confident that their warriors and the commoners would act as a buffer. They probably looked down at the commoners, just like that Maeve vampiress. Stryg would settle the score. His stomach growled in protest. He¡¯d deal with Maeve another day, for now he needed to get something to eat.


    The dining hall in the academy was no doubt closed by now, as were the food stalls in the trade district. That only left a tavern. Looking around at the expensive mansions that decorated this part of the city, Stryg doubted there were any taverns nearby. He needed to head over to the trade or commoner districts if he wanted to eat.


    Stryg¡¯s night vision made it easy for him to navigate through the moonlit night. He walked block after block, eventually making his way to the commoner district. The long walk and cool air helped dry his wine-stained pants and calm his nerves. The stress from his classes, constant studying, and harsh training from Loh, was beginning to add up. He just needed to relax, get something to drink maybe.


    Stryg soon found himself in front of the Merry Crescent and the lewd crescent sign that hung from the roof. Light poured out from the windows. He could hear the loud chattering of common folk eating and drinking their worries away. He could use some of that right now.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd as he walked in. The tavern was completely packed tonight, people of all sorts were laughing and talking with one another. There were a few guards chatting and drinking at one table, but the guard captain, Rorik, was nowhere to be seen. He would be drinking by himself tonight then.


    Stryg looked for an empty table, but there were none. There weren¡¯t even any empty chairs. He¡¯d have to settle for standing, like a few dozen others. Stryg raised his hand and tried to get the attention of one of the barmaids. He easily spotted Feli¡¯s purple hair, a few tables away. But, the tavern celebrity¡¯s eyes passed right over him. He frowned. Was it because he was short and she just didn¡¯t see him, or was it because he was a goblin? She normally didn¡¯t pay much attention to him in the first place, but it would have been nice if she could at least serve him some dinner.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Carla, another barmaid, walked up to him. She tapped her foot while her hands held platters of food.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my food?¡± A patron shouted.


    ¡°One second!¡± Carla shouted behind her. ¡°So, what do you want? Food? Something to drink?¡±


    ¡°Can I get something to eat, I¡¯m quite hungry,¡± Stryg answered.


    Carla nodded, ¡°We only have some soup left. I¡¯ll bring you some in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Can I also get some honey mead?¡±


    But Carla had already left for another table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some myself,¡± Stryg sighed. He began weaving his way between people and headed over to the front counter where the tavern master worked.


    A human abruptly stood up, pushing his chair right into Stryg¡¯s face. The goblin staggered a few steps back from the blow.


    ¡°Watch it, short stuff,¡± the man warned, the scent of alcohol wafting from his mouth.


    ¡°You hit me, you lumbering halfwit,¡± Stryg glared at the human.


    ¡°Giving me lip, huh?¡± The man sneered.


    He pointed to the symbol etched onto his armor breastplate. It was a grey skull with black sun tendrils sprouting from its center. The symbol of Hollow Shade. Stryg looked over the man and the ones he sat with. They were all guards.


    ¡°You¡¯re a guard, so what?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Hey guys, get a load of this goblin. He thinks we¡¯re lightweights. Not important whatsoever,¡± the human bellowed.


    The other guards looked at cyan goblin as if he was the most bizarre thing they had ever seen. They burst into drunken laughter.


    ¡°Teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Kick his ass!¡± ¡°Make him pay our tab!¡± The guards each voiced out.


    The guard turned back to Stryg, ¡°You heard them. You can either pay all our tabs, or we can make you pay them, you might even get lucky enough to spend a night in a cell. Or we can forgo all that and just throw you outside the walls to the shades?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± said a drow guard at the table. He narrowed his eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t that...? Wait. Leave him alone!¡±


    The human guard shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Oh come on. We can¡¯t let people talk to us like that. We have to show them who runs this district.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand what he is!¡± The drow guard shouted.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a goblin. An ugly one at that.¡± The human guard poured the rest of his ale on Stryg¡¯s head. ¡°Now he looks so much bette-¡±


    Stryg tackled the man¡¯s knees sending him to the ground. That was the last straw. All of Stryg¡¯s anger that had just begun to settle beneath the surface exploded.


    Stryg shouted as he began clawing at the man. The guard¡¯s armor took most of the damage. He raised his foot and kicked Stryg with all his might, launching the goblin several feet away. Stryg rolled, landed on all fours and hissed. People began shouting in excitement as the fight began to unfold.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Take it outside,¡± The tavern master shouted.


    Feli saw the guard draw his sword. She sighed in frustration, the guards were picking on some other poor bastard. It would take hours to clean up the bloody mess once they were finished. Maybe she could get Carla to take care of it.


    Feli stiffened as she recognized the goblin fighting. He was one of Rorik¡¯s friends. Why were they fighting? Why wasn¡¯t the captain stopping them? Feli looked around and noticed Rorik was missing. She lamented the fact that the drow captain would soon lose his friend. A goblin didn¡¯t stand a chance against a trained armored guard. Feli let out a shallow breath, such was life in the commoner district. Cruel and short.


    ¡°No, stay back!¡± The human guard raised his hand to his comrades. ¡°This little bastard is mine.¡± He drew his sword, ¡°I¡¯m gonna carve you up until your own mother won¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    Stryg grinned, a savage look in his eyes, his small fangs glinting in the tavern light, ¡°Right back at you.¡±


    Stryg charged the man, but the guard swung his blade in quick short movements. Stryg dashed to the side to avoid the blows. He swerved behind a table as another swing passed by. Stryg tried to find an opening, but his enemy kept his distance, using his sword to cross the gap between the two.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The guard taunted him.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes glanced around, trying to find a weapon. If only he had a spear, he could fight toe-to-toe. He needed to close the distance. The firelight glanced off the guard¡¯s blade as he kept swinging at Stryg. Stryg needed a weapon, fast. Or maybe not?


    Stryg jumped back and took a deep breath, letting the black mana within flood through his veins. It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t make tangible shadows. He didn¡¯t need a weapon, only a distraction. The shadows around him darkened to a pitch black and surged forth. The crowd screamed as the inky tentacles soared over them.


    The guard shouted in panic as he swung his sword against the shadows to no avail. Stryg ran low to the ground, his shadows covering him. He came up from behind the flailing guard and jumped up high onto his shoulders. His claws sunk into the guard¡¯s face. The man shouted in pain as Stryg grabbed hold of his head and threw himself back. Stryg twisted in midair and landed nimbly on his feet. The guard¡¯s head smashed into the wooden floor, his sword clattered to the ground a few feet away.


    Stryg was on top of the man in a flash. His sharp claws dug into the guard¡¯s flesh. He screamed in wretched agony as Stryg clawed his eyes out. Stryg paid no heed to the sound as he ripped the man¡¯s face. In only a matter of seconds he tore apart the man¡¯s skin and muscle. The guard¡¯s weak struggles quickly stopped, but Stryg did not.


    The ebony black shadows slowly receded from across the tavern. People¡¯s panic began to die down as they realized they were unharmed by the spectral limbs. Feli¡¯s screams of fear caught in her throat when she saw the shadows leave her body. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to understand what happened. Everyone warily watched the shadows shrink away. The Merry Crescent fell silent as all the shadows pooled into Stryg¡¯s own.


    The shadows¡¯ disappearance revealed the lone goblin who stood above the guard¡¯s corpse. Stryg¡¯s hands were covered in blood and bits of flesh. Feli¡¯s eyes fell onto the guard¡¯s face. Or rather what once was. Now only a bloody skull remained where his face had been. Collective gasps rose through the stunned crowd.


    Stryg took short heaving breaths as he looked around. His eyes settled on the other guards, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±


    The drow guard stepped forward and fell to his knees, ¡°Sir Stryg, please we don¡¯t wish to fight you. You probably don¡¯t recognize me. We met a week ago, I was with captain Rorik when you ki-, apprehended those thugs. I tried warning the man you just fought, but he didn¡¯t listen. I¡¯ll tell the captain that it was all his fault.¡±


    People whispered among themselves in confusion. Feli shared their sentiment. What had just happened? Why was the guard bowing to the goblin? Shouldn¡¯t he try to avenge his comrade?


    The kneeling guard placed his hands on the floor and bowed his head, ¡°Please, sir. None of us wish to incur the wrath of a mage.¡±


    Feli¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The goblin was a mage? She didn¡¯t even know goblin magi existed. He wasn¡¯t even wearing a mage¡¯s black robes. But there was no denying magic was involved with the shadowy spectacle that had just occurred. She recalled how Rorik behaved so friendly with the goblin.


    Feli glanced at the kneeling guard. Everything was beginning to make sense. But why in all the Realms was a mage at a simple tavern in the commoner district?


    Stryg¡¯s anger began to cool as he looked at the kneeling guard. This was one of Rorik¡¯s men. The captain was one of the few people Stryg actually liked. He would rather not kill his subordinate. He glanced at the corpse beneath him. Then again, perhaps he already had.


    Stryg remembered his master¡¯s words, ¡°focus your anger.¡± He had already defeated his enemy. One of the main reasons he wanted power was to not be pushed around. Of course, that had literally just happened, but at least now the other guards were showing him some respect. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start. There was no need to fight anymore, not tonight. Stryg stared at the guard¡¯s corpse.


    The kneeling guard raised his head, ¡°Please, do not worry about the body. We¡¯ll take care of it immediately.¡±


    Stryg slowly nodded his assent. ¡°I need a drink,¡± he muttered and walked over to the counter.


    The crowd split and made ample room for him. Everyone stared, but no one dared make eye contact.


    Sweat dripped from the tavern master¡¯s forehead. ¡°W-what can I get y-you?¡±


    Stryg leaned his arms on the counter and looked over at all the different bottles that stood behind the tavern master. ¡°Can I have some honey mead?¡±


    ¡°O-of course, right away.¡± The man rushed to obey.


    ¡°Actually, make that a shot of Fire Breath,¡± Stryg changed his mind. He needed something stronger tonight.


    ¡°Uh, of course. I keep those expensive bottles in the back. It¡¯ll take me a few minutes to prepare.¡±


    Stryg tapped his bloody fingers on the counter top, ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡±


    ¡°Someone can bring you the drink when it¡¯s ready,¡± Feli strolled over, ¡°I¡¯ll help you get cleaned up while you wait. There¡¯s a tub upstairs we can use.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Can we get some hot water for our esteemed guest, please?¡± Feli asked the tavern master.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± he nodded vigorously. ¡°Carla! Fetch some hot water for the mage¡¯s bath and make sure it¡¯s not too hot or I¡¯ll have your head!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Carla scurried away.


    ¡°And bring the best soap we have too!¡± The tavern master called out. He clasped his hands and bowed to Stryg, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t have much, but please make yourself at home.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± Stryg wasn¡¯t sure why they were so eager to have him take a bath.


    Sure, he was bloody, but he didn¡¯t smell. A rag would get rid of most of the blood and gore. As for the rest, he could just take a bath once he got home.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll please follow me,¡± Feli said. She grabbed the edge of Stryg¡¯s shirt and gently pulled him towards the stairs.


    Stryg followed, curious to why the normally cold Feli was so interested in him taking a bath.


    Feli didn¡¯t know what magic Stryg had done to kill the guard or why Stryg was visiting this tavern in the first place. All she knew was that he was a bona fide mage, the most important man standing in the room. This was her chance, her shot to escape this lifestyle. He was her greatest opportunity and she wasn¡¯t about to let him slip away from her.


    ¡°Stryg, was it?¡± Feli smiled.

 Chapter 35: Feli’s Chance

    Chapter 35:


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Feli opened the door.


    A large wooden tub and a small bed took most of the space in the cramped room. A single lit candle stood on the windowsill.


    Feli fidgeted with her fingers, ¡°I know it¡¯s not much for someone like you, but it''s the best we have. Sorry.¡±


    Stryg stepped inside and glanced around the tiny room. It was indeed small compared to his apartment. He remembered how he used to live back in the Blood Fang tribe, in a tiny tent with several other goblins. Had it been the Stryg of a few months ago, he would have been ecstatic to have been in a room like this. Now, it just seemed tiny. How quickly his perspectives had changed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Sorry, one second,¡± Feli reached under the bed and pulled out a small wooden box, ¡°We normally carry a medkit for times like this.¡±


    She opened the kit and pulled out a small towel, a roll of gauze, and a small bottle of alcohol. She stared at Stryg¡¯s arms. They were covered in blood and she could even spot bits of flesh hanging from a few of his claws. She resisted the urge to wretch at the grisly sight.


    This goblin was her one true chance to rise above her station. She couldn¡¯t throw it away by vomiting on her future husband. No, she needed to be helpful to him in his time of need. It was the only way her plan of seduction would succeed. Alluring and graceful, not disgusting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to disinfect your wounds first,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not injured,¡± Stryg said.


    Well, not outwardly at least. His arms burned from the spell he cast earlier. He had never cast a spell of such a large scale before. His body wasn¡¯t accustomed to it, and the toll was painfully obvious. He wanted to get a drink to numb the pain. But getting this close to Feli was nice too.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s all the other guy¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not much really when you look at it. The face doesn¡¯t have a large amount of blood. Had I gone for the neck then there¡¯d be a lot.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a lot? Feli didn¡¯t want to know what Stryg considered a lot.


    She made a forced smile, ¡°May I?¡± She held the towel in her hand.


    Stryg slowly nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some blood on your face,¡± Feli bent down more than necessary and began to wipe his cheeks with ginger care.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes were in perfect view of her large breasts, only a few inches away. Her olive skin almost glowed in the firelight. Her long purple hair tickled his nose.


    He tore his eyes away from her chest. ¡°Your hair, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°You like it?¡± Feli smiled. She had dyed her hair to help attract attention. It had worked like a charm, giving her an exotic look.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know humans could have purple hair. Are you a hybrid too?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, no, I¡¯m not. Humans normally don¡¯t have purple hair. I bought a potion from a salon that changed the color of mine. It was pretty expensive, honestly.¡±


    Feli laughed at herself, ¡°Probably, sounds like a waste to a mage though. I bet you could just change the color of your hair whenever you wanted. ¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes went back to her chest. ¡°A lot. Your hair, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I bought it then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes stayed on her jiggling breasts as she finished wiping the last bits of blood from his face. The conversation fell into a small lull as silence threatened to make the moment awkwardly tense.


    Feli¡¯s mind raced, she wasn¡¯t sure what to say to a mage. Stryg seemed content to keep staring at her breasts, which was good, but it seemed she wouldn¡¯t be able to count on him to carry the conversation. She needed to say something fast.


    ¡°...So, you¡¯re a half-goblin?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s weird, I know.¡±


    He was so focused on her beauty that he let slip out one of his more shameful secrets. He supposed it wasn¡¯t much of a secret actually. He was obviously very different from the other goblins.


    Feli¡¯s hands stiffened in panic. His nature was clearly a sore spot for him. She needed to salvage the situation. ¡°I like hybrids.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg opened his eyes and stared at her own chestnut eyes with an unwavering intensity.


    Feli swallowed, ¡°Yeah, I think their unique nature makes them more attractive. Like your eyes, I¡¯ve never seen anything like them.¡±


    Feli stared into his yes, his dilated pupils threatening to overtake the lilac irises completely. She could lose herself in those alien eyes.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± she whispered and was surprised to find she meant it.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A knock on the door broke the spell-like moment. Feli took a step back from Stryg.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she said.


    ¡°Excuse us, sir mage,¡± Carla said.


    The stable hands stood behind Carla.


    ¡°We brought plenty of water for your bath. I also brought you your drink.¡±


    Carla ushered the stable hands in. They quickly and silently began filling the large tub with hot water. They then headed back downstairs to get more buckets of water. Carla placed Stryg¡¯s shot of Fire Breath in the corner.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we would have had the bath already prepared had we known who you were,¡± Carla bowed her head in apology.


    Feli stepped in front of Carla, ¡°Yes, on behalf of the entire Merry Crescent, please excuse our behavior for not recognizing you as the mage you clearly are.¡±


    Feli bowed her head too and held her hands together, using her arms to push her breasts forward.


    Stryg¡¯s attention fell to the woman¡¯s bountiful chest, again.


    Clara stepped away from Feli, ¡°I would have recognized you earlier, but we all thought magi wore black robes.¡±


    ¡°Many do, I¡¯m told its tradition. Some don¡¯t, my master being one of them. She isn¡¯t one for rules in general. I¡¯m still a student at the academy, so I couldn¡¯t wear the robes even if I wanted to.¡±


    Feli¡¯s head snapped up, ¡°You¡¯re a student at the mage academy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How wonderful,¡± Feli smiled, but her mind was racing.


    If he was still a student it meant he wasn¡¯t wealthy or powerful. Well, not yet at least. Her rise to a high-class wife would have to wait a little longer. But, this was a good thing she told herself. It meant he probably hadn¡¯t married anyone yet, which meant she had a better shot of tying the knot with him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m glad to have a chance to learn at the academy,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir mage. The tub is full. We also brought a few extra buckets of water. There¡¯s also some soap and plenty of towels. We won¡¯t take any more of your time,¡± one of the stable hands said before they left.


    Stryg was beginning to enjoy the mage treatment. Why hadn¡¯t he said he was a mageborn earlier?


    ¡°Please, allow me to assist you in your bath,¡± Carla smiled. She played with her blonde hair.


    That was the one thing Stryg didn¡¯t like. Why did they think he needed help to bathe? Sure, he looked a little young for his age, but he wasn¡¯t a child. Nor was he an idiot and his injuries weren¡¯t so far gone that he needed assistance.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright,¡± Stryg said.


    Carla¡¯s smile fell, ¡°Oh, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°How dare you question him,¡± Feli chastised. ¡°Stryg said he was alright, so he¡¯s alright. Thank you for bringing him his drink. You may go now.¡± Feli ushered Carla away before she had a chance to protest.


    Feli closed the door on the miffed barmaid.


    Feli made sure the door was locked before turning around, a seductive flair in her step, ¡°Now, where were we?¡±


    Stryg stretched his stiff limbs, ¡°You want me to take a bath?¡± He looked at his hands, ¡°I guess they are a bit bloody.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll take care of that.¡± Feli grabbed a fresh towel and began washing his gore stained hands with one of the buckets of water.


    ¡°I can do this you know and take a bath too. I don¡¯t need your help, I¡¯m tired, not weak.¡± Stryg protested.


    ¡°I¡¯d never think you''re weak, especially after how you...dealt with that guard. I know you can clean yourself up. I just want to help,¡± Feli leaned forward, ¡°In any way, I can.¡±


    ¡°... Any way?¡±


    ¡°In any way you can imagine,¡± Feli whispered. She finished cleaning his arms. ¡°Let me first help you into the tub.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Stryg gave his assent.


    He was beginning to understand why she had brought him to the room. He stood still while she carefully removed his blood-stained shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to wash your clothes and have them dried by morning,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Feli knelt in front of Stryg and unbuckled his pants, ¡°It''s my¡­ pleasure.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear. She had never been with a man before, but in her line of business, she had seen many naked drunken men flounder about the tavern. Feli was surprised, she had thought his privates would be smaller than a human¡¯s, but it was just the same, if not a tad larger.


    She wondered what it would look like, erect. Or how painful it might be. Her face was only two inches from the twitching appendage. She could smell its musky scent.


    Stryg stared at her frozen expression with mild curiosity.


    ¡°Had she never seen a dick before?¡± He wondered.


    He supposed it was possible, there weren¡¯t any night challenges in Hollow Shade as far as he knew.


    Feli felt her cheeks grow warm. She lowered her head and went to work on his shoes. She paused, puzzled at the sight. His laces weren¡¯t tied, rather tucked into the soles of the shoes. She easily pulled his shoes and socks off and stood up, careful to not look at Stryg¡¯s groin.


    ¡°All done,¡± Feli cleared her throat. ¡°The water is pretty hot, please be careful.¡±


    Stryg stepped into the large tub. He sighed in comfort as he slipped into the hot waters, ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Feli said and began to take off her white apron.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg asked.


    Was she going to take a bath too? The tub was large, but not that large. He didn¡¯t like to share. It¡¯d be cramped. Actually, that might not be bad. He imagined being pressed against her soft body. Yeah, definitely not bad.


    ¡°My clothes will get all wet if I help you bathe, silly,¡± Feli smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not silly,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    Feli raised her hands an alarm, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just teasing you. It was a joke.¡±


    ¡°Where I¡¯m from people call those sort of jokes insults.¡± He already had to endure his master¡¯s insults. He refused to hear them from another.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it won¡¯t happen again,¡± Feli promised.


    Okay, so Stryg didn¡¯t like jokes, at all, she thought. Noted. She needed to avoid upsetting him. Teasing was off the table.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Stryg asked while glancing between Feli and the fallen apron.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Feli unbuttoned her black corset, letting it drop to the ground.


    She shimmied out of her red skirt and slipped out of her shoes and socks. She was only left with her undergarments. Feli was more than used to the stares of men, but she still felt mild discomfort being half-naked. Feli took a deep breath, what was she thinking? This was her future husband, he was going to do much more than just see her naked.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes savored the sight before him. Feli¡¯s unblemished olive skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. A little body fat covered her soft lean belly. Without the corset, her bra did little to contain her large breasts. Stryg watched Feli grab his drink from the corner. She deliberately spread her legs and bent down to grab the beverage, giving him a perfect view of her heart-shaped bottom. While her butt was small compared to Tauri¡¯s, it was just as tight.


    Feli strutted over with a titillating gait, ¡°Your Fire Breath.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Stryg grabbed the drink with a grin.

 Chapter 36: Late Night Bath

    Chapter 36:


    Feli grabbed the soap, dipped it briefly into one of the buckets, and began to lather Stryg¡¯s back. ¡°So, what brings a mage to the Merry Crescent?¡±


    Stryg felt a bit odd having someone wash him as if he were a baby, but he enjoyed being in such close proximity with the beautiful barmaid. ¡°I¡­ had a rough night. I came to get a drink.¡±


    Feli paused. Stryg had just killed a guard because he had a rough day? She didn¡¯t even want to think about what would constitute a rough day for a mage.


    ¡°I thought magi went to fancy bars and restaurants in the night district or someplace,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Well, actually I did come from a restaurant in the villa district, but I much prefer a tavern like this.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Feli giggled while scrubbing his arms. ¡°You like a rickety tavern like this over a modern marble restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Both have annoying people, but the food¡¯s better here.¡± Stryg titled his head back, ¡°And I actually like some people here.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± she whispered into his ear.


    A shock ran up his spine as she kissed his shoulder. He liked it.


    ¡°Did you always prefer tavern food over the fancy stuff?¡± Feli asked, hoping to gather more information.


    ¡°If by always you mean a few months, then yes. I haven¡¯t been in Hollow Shade for very long.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a foreigner? From one of the nearby towns or somewhere further?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Further. Vulture Woods. I was born into the Blood Fang tribe, one of the greatest tribes.¡±


    Feli paused her washing. She had never gotten a formal education, but people talked a lot in taverns, and she had learned to listen. Vulture Woods was one of the most dangerous areas in all the Realm. The only tribes that were said to live there were the savage sylvan tribes. Barbaric goblins who like the other residents of Vulture Woods, killed anything on sight.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t be one of them, could he? His speech was clear, devoid of any brutish accent she would have thought barbarians used. Then again, Stryg had ripped a man¡¯s face off. Feli¡¯s resolve wavered, she was scared. What if she made a mistake and he decided to kill her? He was a mage and she was just a common barmaid, no one would bat an eye. The guards were clearly on his side as well. Her death would go unnoticed.


    ¡°Feli, are you done?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Feli kept washing his back.


    She couldn¡¯t give up over some tavern rumors. Even if Stryg was dangerous, it didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d harm her. All she needed to do was seduce him. Many men had fallen in love with her and she hadn¡¯t even been trying. She could do this. He was still a man like any other.


    ¡°What brought you to Hollow Shade?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°...I was travelling in the Woods and my party and I were attacked by a group of lamias.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Beastkin, half-snake. They killed everyone but me. A poacher managed to catch me in my weakened state.¡± Stryg clenched his fists. ¡°It was my complete failure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that. But, you can¡¯t blame yourself, it sounds like you were ambushed. No one can see something like that coming.¡±


    ¡°I should have seen it. I¡¯m the one with perfect night vision,¡± Stryg had never told that last bit to anyone, not even Plum or his master. But having Feli here, somehow made it easier, if only a little.


    He took a ragged breath, ¡°I should have warned my tribemates. But, I froze and they died.¡± And then he found out the shaman, Cruvor, had lied to him. Stryg didn¡¯t want to talk about that sore part though. That night couldn¡¯t have been worse for him.


    Feli didn¡¯t know what to say. So, instead she leaned forward and hugged him from behind, her large bust squishing onto his back. Feli rested her head on his shoulder and leaned her cheek on his. Stryg loved the soft sensations, he closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the moment. He now understood why someone would want help in a bath. He could get used to this.


    ¡°After the poacher tied me up he brought me to this city. I escaped thanks to my magical abilities. Then I managed to enroll in the magic academy. I promised myself I¡¯d become strong. Strong enough to find that hunter and capture him. I¡¯ll find his damn centaur too, kill it and roast it over a fire. I¡¯ll eat it in front of the damn poacher, then I¡¯ll kill him too.¡±


    ¡°Eat a centaur, hehe. That¡¯s funny.¡±


    Stryg opened his eyes and turned to look at her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re saying you¡¯d actually eat a centaur? I know their animals, but they¡¯re still intelligent. They¡¯re not like chickens,¡± Feli explained as if he hadn¡¯t thought it through.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She heard rumors that some of the upper society ate centaur meat, but she didn¡¯t think it was true.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten other intelligent creatures before. Even a human once,¡± Stryg said.


    Feli took a shaky step back.


    Stryg saw the fear in her eyes. He liked the idea of being feared, but not like this.


    ¡°Does that sound strange to you?¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed there are a lot of things people here find weird that I find normal and vice versa. I try not to talk too much to avoid the attention it draws me. I¡¯m not here to make friends. Not that I see you as one. But, heh¡­ For some reason,¡± His lilac eyes met hers, ¡°I thought it might be different with you. Just another foolish mistake.¡±


    Feli recognized the feelings behind the look on his face. The feeling of rejection and its acceptance after being rejected so many other times. This was bad, she was losing him, because of her own idiotic assumptions. He wasn¡¯t going to kill her. He was all alone in this city, like her.


    How could she not have seen it earlier? The way he had always acted in the tavern. Away from the rest even when they sat next to him. He was alone, but maybe he didn¡¯t want to be. So, what if he had possibly eaten a person? Vampires drank the blood of practically anyone, it didn¡¯t mean they would kill their friends and family. Feli couldn¡¯t afford to shy away from him now.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a fool, far from it. You¡¯re different, but you¡¯re a mage, what mage isn¡¯t?¡± She laughed, and leaned into the tub. ¡°And I like you just the way you are.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± Stryg muttered. His eyes stared at her swaying breasts.


    ¡°You can touch them,¡± Feli said.


    Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate. His hands tore out of the water and grasped her boobs. His fingers sunk into her soft flesh. He could feel her nipples beneath the bra. A smile crept onto his face as he kneaded her tits.


    ¡°They¡¯re so big,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You like them huh?¡± Feli smirked.


    ¡°Mm,¡± He drew his face closer. ¡°How did you come to the Merry Crescent in the first place?¡±


    Feli¡¯s smile fell. She didn¡¯t want to tell him about her past. There was nothing pretty there.


    ¡°I grew up around here and I just picked up the job when I was ready,¡± she said.


    Feli placed her hand on his toned chest, she liked what she saw. Her fingers traced downwards, below the water. Her hand wrapped around his erection.


    It was bigger than she imagined, ¡°It seems you have something ready too.¡±


    Stryg wanted her badly and in his mind she had just issued a challenge. Goblins were always competing, to make others submit, to prove to be on top. He wasn¡¯t going to lose this night challenge. He kissed her red lips with swift deftness. She returned his kiss with a small moan before she stood and took a step back.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Stryg stood up too. Was she trying to back off after all of that?


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t misunderstand. I want to spend the night with you. But,¡± Feli curled her lips, ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before. You see, I¡¯ve been waiting for the perfect one.¡±


    She took off her bra, her bountiful breasts and nipples revealed in all their glory, ¡°I¡¯ll only be with my future husband.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you only want to have sex with your husband? Where is he? Is he the one challenging me?¡±


    Feli turned her head and frowned, ¡°What? No. I want you to be my husband. I¡¯ll only sleep with you if we get married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Feli looked up at the ceiling. She wanted to scream so badly. Feli had waited so long for a suitable middle-class husband, someone who could take her away from the commoner¡¯s life. Instead she found a once in a lifetime potential high-class husband, and he didn¡¯t even know what marriage was. She felt as if her patron god, Stjerne, was playing a trick on her.


    Feli took a deep breath. It was okay, she could do this. It didn¡¯t matter if he was a barbarian, she could teach him. She¡¯d help them both rise above their station.


    ¡°A marriage is when two people decided to become romantic partners for life. They promise themselves to each other and no other.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you are saying that if I marry you, I can¡¯t have sex with anyone else?¡± Stryg asked with skepticism.


    Feli was one of the most beautiful humans he had ever seen, but in his time in Hollow Shade he had seen many other beautiful women. Feli was insane if she thought he¡¯d only sleep with her.


    Feli began to panic as she saw Stryg glancing at the door. ¡°W-well, actually that¡¯s not always the case.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Stryg said with a taut voice.


    ¡°Even if I became your wife, your equal, I wouldn¡¯t mind you visiting brothels and the like if you wish.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as equality. Someone is always greater than the other. And why would I ever need your permission for anything?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes. He wasn¡¯t her slave nor her pet.


    ¡°Um, okay, I see.¡± Feli bit her lower lip. He valued his independence, that was fair, if a bit rude in the way he phrased it.


    Feli didn¡¯t want to mention diverse marriages, but it seemed she had no choice.


    ¡°Most people, well actually, most commoners, tend to enter equality marriages. A marriage where both partners are equal, an equal wife and an equal husband. But, some people, the more well-off individuals, I guess, enter what is called a diverse marriage.¡± She sighed, ¡°It''s where one primary spouse has several minor spouses.¡±


    Feli didn¡¯t want to mention diverse marriages because minor spouses were often subject to the whims of the primary spouse. Feli had hoped to enter an equal marriage so that she may have greater control over her life. She still could. Feli could leave right now and hope to find a potential middle-class husband. She knew if she waited long enough, one would appear. But, if Feli left now, she could say goodbye to ever living in the villa district, to ever grace the high-class lifestyle. Feli knew what she wanted, she made her choice.


    ¡°...I can be your minor wife. All you have to do is sign a little marriage contract,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Stryg didn¡¯t want to enter a contract without looking at it himself.


    Though, the proposition of marriage did seem tempting. It reminded him of the Blood Fang¡¯s chief and his two women.


    Feli took a shaky breath. This goblin was pushing her limits, but she had already chosen him. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t marry her right away. An engagement would suffice. Even just getting pregnant could work. Commoners may abandon their children, but no middle-class, let alone high-class had that luxury. They¡¯d be shunned by upper society.


    If things went well tonight Feli would make Stryg take her as a minor wife, if not take her hand in an equality marriage. Well, probably not the latter, but the former was enough for her. Feli was going to get out of this place, one way or another.


    Feli slipped her thumbs into the sides of her panties and pulled them to the ground.


    She sauntered over to the tub and gently pushed Stryg back down into the water, ¡°Do you like what you see?¡±


    Stryg swallowed his saliva. The game was afoot.

 Chapter 37: A Loveless Deal

    Chapter 37:


    Stryg sat up in the tub, ¡°Are you coming in or do I need to get out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Feli smiled. ¡°Not that complicated either. All we have to do is have some solid commitment, marriage.¡±


    Stryg was quiet for a while in contemplation.


    He sat forward, his arms on his knees, ¡°Someone once told me about different species getting together, because of something as crazy as love. I don¡¯t really understand the concept, but I know it¡¯s some kind of mutual respect born from a long time of being stuck with one another¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at,¡± Feli said. This goblin wasn¡¯t just barbaric, he was weird too.


    ¡°From what you¡¯ve explained a diverse marriage is one of submission to the primary spouse. You don¡¯t love me Feli. I don¡¯t expect you to, but I do understand willingly submitting oneself to another. It wasn¡¯t very uncommon in my tribe. The weak would submit to the strong in order to get something. So, what do you want exactly?¡±


    Feli bit her lip and looked away.


    ¡°You can either tell me or I can leave,¡± Stryg sighed.


    Dammit, this was getting complicated, Feli lamented. He wasn¡¯t giving her much of a choice. ¡°As a mage you have high prospects of achieving great wealth and prestige. If we get married then so will I.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? You did this for money?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Feli glared at him. ¡°But, yeah, if you¡¯re asking, then you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t love you. But if you get me out of this damn district, then it doesn¡¯t really matter how I feel about you, does it?¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What are you trying to get at?¡±


    Feli laughed in scorn, ¡°Clearly, you have no feelings for me either. After all, you only want to fuck me, right?¡±


    Feli grabbed her breasts, ¡°Everyone wants to fuck me. I see how you all look at me. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll ever be seen as in this city, just another pretty face. The doors of opportunity are closed to someone like me. A mage like you has everything. But, me? I have to spend the rest of my life serving men who only see another common wench to be fucked. But, fine, fuck it. If that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll use it to my advantage. I¡¯ll sell myself to the highest bidder. I¡¯ll only serve one and I¡¯ll rise above the rest. And when I¡¯m in the villa district, laying in a bed of silk sheets, sipping on fancy wine, then those very same people who looked down on me will be the ones to serve me. I know you don¡¯t love me, Stryg, just this body. That¡¯s what you want right? Well, you can have it, for a price.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Stryg hadn¡¯t expected her to say so much. She was right, he didn¡¯t understand her. But, he did understand her offer and why she made it to him. ¡°I¡¯m your best bet aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any other magi around here. I¡¯ve noticed, or at least I¡¯ve been told. I¡¯m your best bet to get to the villa district, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°There are a lot of things I don¡¯t understand about this city. Like marriage. I need to read up on it. But, I do know I want you, and not with anyone else, just for myself. So, let¡¯s call this a trial period.¡±


    ¡°So, an engagement. I¡¯m okay with that,¡± Feli nodded.


    This could work for her. It would give her more time to make him fall in love with her. Now that all the cards were on the table she could put all her focus on winning him over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your love,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± Feli didn¡¯t need love to seduce him, just her body.


    ¡°I do demand respect, however.¡±


    Feli nodded, ¡°Done, if you follow through with your end of the deal.¡±


    ¡°If all goes well, I will¡­ marry you.¡± Stryg needed to read into exactly what that entailed.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Feli made a half smile.


    ¡°Then from today on your mine.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal then,¡± Feli stepped towards him.


    Stryg didn¡¯t wait for her. Like a snake he snapped forward in a flash. He grabbed her by her bottom and with alarming strength, lifted her and pulled her into the tub with him. He didn¡¯t hesitate nor waste time. Stryg shivered in pleasure as he entered her.


    Feli cried out softly in pain. She hugged him tightly, her nails digging into his back. Stryg laughed, did Feli think she could make him submit with just a little pain? Stryg¡¯s fingers gripped her butt cheeks firmly and he began to piston his waist back and forth. She arched her back and moaned, her hands gripping his shoulders. Stryg took the opening to suck on her nipple, he had wanted to from the moment he touched her breasts.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re being t-too rough,¡± She groaned.


    What was she saying? Did she really think he was going to go easy on her. You never went easy in a battle. He definitely wasn¡¯t going to in his first battle of sex. His small, yet sharp fangs lightly bit into her as his tongue played with her nipple. Feli yelped in a mix of pleasure and pain. She pushed him away as far as she could in the small wooden tub, but they were still connected.


    ¡°T-take it easy, we have all night,¡± Feli panted.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I won¡¯t surrender that easily,¡± Stryg flipped her around before she could protest.


    He knew women had the advantage in nightly affairs, they could last far longer. It didn¡¯t help that Stryg was inexperienced. His only chance to win was to overwhelm her with stimulation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you win,¡± Stryg gripped her waist and pushed all the way back in.


    Feli gasped at the intrusion, ¡°This isn¡¯t a game.¡±


    Stryg struggled to not climax. He needed to stay focused. His left hand clutched her breast from behind and massaged her nipple. He wrapped her lovely purple hair around his right hand and pulled her head back. He leaned in, licked her ear, and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is a mating challenge. I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    The water began to slosh out of the tub as he began to thrust his waist with twice the speed.


    ¡°You win! I give up!¡± Feli moaned. She wasn¡¯t about to fight him. What was wrong with him?


    Her words coupled with the overwhelming sensation was too much for Stryg to bear. He heaved one last time and came deep inside her. He fell back into the tub and pulled Feli with him. Her butt falling into his lap, his girth still inside. Feli quivered and leaned her head back on his shoulder. Stryg sighed in satisfaction, he had managed to win his first mating challenge, just barely. He needed a lot more practice.


    ¡°Is everything a fight with you?¡± Feli said with a tired breath.


    ¡°Not everything.¡± Stryg nestled his head into her shoulder, giving him a perfect view of her breasts below. ¡°But mating challenges are. Goblins have to show who¡¯s on top. Otherwise, we¡¯ll seem weak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a goblin and we both know you¡¯re not weak.¡± Why was he so weird? She¡¯d need to teach this barbarian some basic etiquette.


    ¡°What are you saying? You don¡¯t want to challenge me?¡±


    ¡°Let me say right here and now, that I, Feli, swear to my patron Stjerne, god of the stars himself, defeat in all future ¡®mating challenges¡¯ we¡¯ll have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you can do that,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Oh, gods, please let me concede at least,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Hmm, only if you let me do this whenever I want,¡± He grabbed her breasts from behind and began playing with them. They were heavier than he had thought. He squeezed and pulled them up high, then let them drop back into the water.


    Feli laughed softly. She already chose to trade her body for a different life. This much was nothing. She felt him hardening inside her again.


    Feli kissed Stryg on the cheek, ¡°Gladly.¡±


    ---


    Carla knocked on the door an hour later. The door creaked open by a small margin.


    Feli¡¯s head peeked out, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Carla scowled at her sassy tone, but said nothing. Carla heard the squeaking bed from across the hall for the past hour, she knew what the two were doing. But, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend the mage by insulting Feli.


    Carla cleared her throat, ¡°I just came to pick up the mage¡¯s clothes and have them cleaned.¡±


    ¡°One second.¡± Feli closed the door abruptly.


    A few moments later the door opened a tad more than before.


    ¡°Here they are, make sure to get the blood stains off,¡± Feli handed her Stryg¡¯s clothes.


    As Carla grabbed the garments Feli¡¯s naked appearance came into view.


    Carla cleared her throat, ¡°You know, I could help assist sir Stryg, too. I think he¡¯d appreciate the extra help.¡±


    Before Feli could decline a cyan hand appeared and grabbed her breast. Feli gasped as she was pulled away. The door slammed shut in Carla¡¯s face. Feli¡¯s laughter could be heard from behind the door. Carla sighed in frustration and picked up the clothes Feli dropped. Feli had managed to get to Stryg first and she wasn¡¯t planning on sharing.


    ¡°That bitch,¡± Carla cursed under her breath.


    ---


    Stryg woke up to the sound of footsteps from downstairs. His eyes squinted at the glaring light shining from the window. Feli was still asleep, her face resting on the crook of his arm. Drool dribbled down from her mouth. Her purple hair was a mess. But Stryg thought she still seemed beautiful. She seemed more real, not unobtainable and far from his grasp. A strange feeling filled his chest. He frowned, something was off.


    Stryg had seen many goblins the morning after a mating challenge. They were supposed to feel triumphant, happy to have defeated their opponent, delighted to have made them submit.


    Stryg had climaxed plenty of times more than Feli, yet she had still said he had won. So, why was it he didn¡¯t feel like a victor? He didn¡¯t feel like he had beaten her. He didn¡¯t even feel like rubbing it in her face, like was commonplace among the Blood Fang tribe. In fact, it was the opposite, he wanted to hug her and hold her tight. He wondered if she had slept well. Stryg shook his head. What in all the Realms was wrong with him? He wasn¡¯t supposed to care about that. Was he a failure of a goblin in this regard too?


    Stryg was supposed to show his dominance in the relationship. She said she¡¯d be his wife, his own woman. A warm feeling crept up inside his heart. He smacked it right back down.


    Feli¡¯s eyes blinked open. Her sleepy face tried to register what was happening. She glanced at the bed covers haphazardly wrapped around them.


    Her lips curled into a grin, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    The warm feeling rammed right back into his cold exterior. It was uncomfortable, he felt vulnerable.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Stryg managed to say, his pupils dilating into large circles, almost completely covering his lilac irises.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He squeezed his eyes shut. Was he going soft? He needed to show he was in command, not ask how she felt.


    Feli pressed her lips on his, ¡°I slept wonderfully, thanks for asking.¡±


    She liked the feeling. Stryg froze at the kiss.


    Feli leaned back and laughed, ¡°You were so wild yesterday, yet now you can¡¯t even return a kiss?¡± She placed a finger on her lips, ¡°You know being rough can actually be nice sometimes. You had this intense look in your eyes, it was scary, but kinda hot.¡±


    What was Feli even saying? He couldn¡¯t tell if she was complimenting or insulting him. Stryg didn¡¯t understand.


    Feli noticed Stryg¡¯s uncertain look. Why did he seem regretful? Everything had gone off without a hitch last night. It seemed she needed to remind him of how lucky he was to have her.


    She looked down at his morning wood, ¡°Let me take care of that for you.¡±


    Feli got on all fours. She winced slightly at the movement. She was still quite sore down there. Stryg hadn¡¯t held back. He clearly enjoyed it rough. She supposed she would need to get used to it.


    As his future wife she needed to take care of his sexual needs and in turn he would take care of her financial needs. For now she¡¯d use her mouth. Feli looked at his erection with hesitance. She had never given a blowjob. She pulled back the blanket, puckered her lips and kissed lightly.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done this before have you?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Have you?¡± Feli smirked.


    ¡°I recall your absolute respect being part of the deal,¡± Stryg raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, please forgive me. Would you grace this ignorant barmaid with your grand blowjob advice?¡± Feli batted her eyes.


    Stryg would need to work on her deference. There could only be one alpha in a pack. One chief in a tribe. Tribe? He wasn¡¯t a part of a tribe anymore.


    He sighed, ¡°Carry on.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Feli took another look at the tall member.


    She could do this. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth wide.


    Any thoughts running through Stryg¡¯s mind evaporated at Feli¡¯s unwitting insistence.

 Chapter 38: Almost Perfect

    Chapter 38:


    Carla knocked on the mage¡¯s door and of course, it was Feli who opened it. Gods, Carla hated miss perfect. She knew what kind of person Feli actually was. Carla believed Feli to be someone who looked down on the other commoners, thinking she was better than the rest. Now Feli had even slept with an actual mage. Damn her.


    ¡°Here are the mage¡¯s clothes. Clean and dried,¡± Carla made a fake smile.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Feli slammed the door closed.


    Feli turned around and looked at Stryg who was doing some sort of funny dance. ¡°May I ask what you are doing?¡±


    ¡°My morning training. I¡¯m following a sequence of combat moves, passed down from my ancestors of the Blood Fang tribe.¡± Stryg swiped the air with his claws.


    Feli had never seen a goblin with claws, they normally shaved them low.


    ¡°I thought you were doing some ritual magic dance, arcane mage stuff,¡± Feli shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any chromatic spell that requires a ritual dance. Or any form of magic at that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a chromatic spell? Is it different from a normal spell?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°The spells you¡¯ve seen magi cast in the city are all chromatic spells. Though there are other kinds of spells.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen one spell. The one you cast last night,¡± Feli admitted.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯d imagine you¡¯d have seen a lot through the city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get out much, most commoners don¡¯t. Normally, I spend my time in the commoner district. Sometimes, I visit the trade district, but most stores there are closed off to commoners.¡±


    ¡°What about outside the city?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never left the city. Besides, where would I go? Raiders prowl the Valley for any vulnerable travelers. It¡¯s dangerous and risky to travel without a caravan. I don¡¯t have any required skills or connections to join a caravan, either, so, I¡¯m just sort of here.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Stryg shifted his feet in slow steps.


    ¡°How could you understand a commoner¡¯s life, mister mage?¡± Feli raised an eyebrow.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I grew up in a village surrounded by one of the Realm¡¯s most hostile regions. There was nowhere I could go without risking my life. Even going out to the river to get water or take a bath was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That... That sounds horrible.¡± At least here Feli was fairly safe within the walls, so long as she didn¡¯t go out at night without her nameplate.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so. I had my tribe to protect me and show me the way of battle.¡±


    ¡°You really love your Blood Fang tribe, huh?¡± He had mentioned them at least a dozen times already.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ The feeling wasn¡¯t mutual.¡± Stryg raised his leg high in the air.


    ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t they like a mage?¡±


    Stryg threw several kicks at an invisible opponent. ¡°I only found out I was a mageborn when I arrived in Hollow Shade. Back in my village¡­ I was weak, it didn¡¯t help that I looked different from everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe you were weak,¡± Feli said as she eyed his lean muscles.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know why he was telling her so much. He hadn¡¯t told anyone before. ¡°My hybrid natural gifts only began to appear when I came here. So, yeah. Even though I trained my hardest, I was still weaker than the rest. I hated it. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m glad to have been born to the Blood Fang tribe. It¡¯s just, I had always hoped to have been greater than what I was. More than just the runt.¡±


    Stryg jabbed the air. ¡°Then I found out that I was and that the whole world was greater than what I could have ever imagined. So, I¡¯m still basically the runt.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a runt to me,¡± Feli stared.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened for a brief moment. He looked away, ¡°You know, we should leave this city sometime. See, what else is out there. I¡¯m supposed to have time off in the summer.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice, but I¡¯m a city girl. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d do well in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Not like you have much of a choice. Your body is mine, right? That was the deal.¡±


    ¡°Right. I almost forgot.¡± Feli rolled her eyes and handed him his clothes, ¡°As much as I like staring at your tight ass dance around, we should get some breakfast.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s switch it up then. How about you shake your ass around while I put on my clothes,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°Oh, most definitely,¡± Stryg sat down on the bed.


    Feli blew out an exasperated breath, ¡°I¡¯m not much of a dancer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll make do.¡±


    Feli shook her head. She walked backwards and positioned her butt 2 feet from Stryg¡¯s face. She spread her legs and began shaking her hips.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really see anything with the skirt,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Feli yelled as Stryg lifted her skirt up. She wore a simple pair of white underwear.


    ¡°Better, now I can change in peace.¡±


    Feli shook her head with a smirk. If this was what her future husband would always be like, then she was going to have a very busy home life.


    Once Stryg finished changing they both headed down stairs. The tavern was fairly empty in the morning. Only the staff sat around the room, having their breakfast.


    Everyone paused when they came down. Their cautious eyes were all focused on Stryg. He didn¡¯t like the attention. He found himself baring his fangs at them. They quickly looked away, with a newfound interest in their food. Feli couldn¡¯t help but giggle as she led Stryg to an empty table. This was how those people would see Feli from now on, not a cute wench, but someone not to be trifled with.


    The tavern master¡¯s wife herself came out from the kitchen and brought them their food, ¡°Good morning sir, I hope you slept well. I brought you both some sauteed potatoes, quail eggs, and lamb stew. The chef made them just for you. Oh, and some pomegranate juice to drink.¡±


    Feli looked at all the food with pleasant surprise. As a staff member, she¡¯d normally only be given a bowl of porridge. Now there was an entire feast for them. Being with a mage definitely had its perks.


    Stryg breathed in the scent of the food, it was wonderful. He hadn¡¯t eaten since noon yesterday. He was starving. He grabbed the plates of food and began wolfing it down.


    The older woman held her hands with anticipation, ¡°Is it okay? Not too salty?¡±


    ¡°Good, very good.¡± Stryg gulped down some juice.


    ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯ll tell the chef right away,¡± she sighed in relief.


    ¡°How much do I owe you,¡± Stryg asked through bites of food.


    ¡°Why it¡¯s on the house, of course. Just having a mage visit our establishment is more than enough compensation.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Most definitely. The amount of publicity we got just from your magic last night, oof, our nights will be packed for months.¡± She turned to Feli, ¡°But, you won¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll make sure to clear your schedule, so that you can attend to our venerable mage.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Feli made an awkward smile.


    She was happy to get out of work, but she wondered how busy she¡¯d be with Stryg.


    ¡°I won¡¯t waste anymore of your time. I¡¯ll leave you two to your breakfast. Please, don¡¯t hesitate to call me for anything you may require, sir.¡± The woman bowed and left.


    Stryg focused on eating for the next few minutes. While Feli ate her food she threw glances at Stryg, studying his features. He was handsome in an almost fae-like way. She hadn¡¯t seen anyone quite like him before.


    ¡°We could always visit the other great cities,¡± Stryg said after finishing his soup.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Feli hummed.


    ¡°You said you don¡¯t like the wilderness. We could visit other great cities instead. Maybe Undergrowth or Frost Rim. I¡¯ve been curious about them for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, being considerate now? I thought this was a loveless engagement?¡± Feli teased.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know why her words annoyed him. He ignored it, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d go by myself, but I''d rather have a beautiful woman warm my bed.¡±


    Feli laughed, ¡°Hopefully, it¡¯ll be a better bed than the one upstairs. It almost broke after just one night.¡±


    ¡°I have a far better one at my place. It''s larger and softer.¡±


    ¡°Is that an invitation?¡± Feli raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hm, yeah, I guess it is. It¡¯ll probably be a few days before I can take you there. I have several exams coming up that I need to devote my full attention to. And I¡¯m smart enough to know that you¡¯re too distracting,¡± Stryg said, eyeing her chest.


    ¡°I guess I can wait.¡± Feli leaned over the table to grab another plate of food. She made sure her breasts were hanging in perfect view for Stryg. ¡°But can you?¡±


    Stryg licked his lips, ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Feli grinned.


    After they finished eating, Stryg got up to leave. Feli made sure to kiss him on the lips in front of the entire staff first. He walked out of the Merry Crescent with a skip to his step. He felt refreshed and ready to face the new day.


    In some ways he had gotten everything he wanted since coming to this city. The power of magic gave him the ability to defeat his enemies, like the one last night. He had also been able to eat tasty food, for free at that. And now he had a beautiful woman to spend his nights with. This had to be the best morning of his life, it was perfect. Until he saw her.


    Karen, the goblin traitor, stood across the street, moving between a crowd. The woman who had led him to an ambush was only a few dozen feet away. Stryg¡¯s mood shattered in an instant and was replaced with the cold fire of bitterness. He slipped into the crowd behind Karen. She wouldn¡¯t escape this time, nor would her friends.


    Stryg kept his distance from Karen and stalked her like a wolf searching for his next meal. He needed to follow her until she led him to the rest of her gang. Then he¡¯d make a plan on how to kill them all.


    The problem was Karen never seemed to meet up with the other gangsters. Instead she spent most of her morning pickpocketing one unaware commoner or another. Stryg was getting annoyed, he was running out of time. Classes would begin soon.


    After a few hours, Karen split off from the crowds and headed to a more residential area. There weren¡¯t as many people, so Stryg had to keep a further distance. Luckily his eyesight, like his other senses, had become very sharp. It wasn¡¯t difficult to keep an eye on her. Eventually, she made her way to a small house. She knocked on the door a few times and waited.


    A few moments later an older goblin opened the door.


    The older woman smiled, ¡°There you are Karen, I was wondering where you went off to so early in the morning.¡±


    Karen hugged the older goblin, ¡°Hey mom. I¡¯m home.¡±


    Stryg cracked a malicious smile as he caught the damning words. He had found her home. This was huge. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t know where the other gangsters were. Karen had nowhere to run and now he knew. Stryg could pressure her for the information on the location of the other gangsters. He left before she had a chance to notice him. Classes were about to start, he needed to hurry.

 Chapter 39: Friendly Sparring

    Chapter 39:


    The snowfall hadn¡¯t stopped professor Tauri from making her students exercise outside. The majority of them despised the cold and were sluggish throughout the class. Most of the students were still running laps around the track. Stryg was one of the few who didn¡¯t mind the cold much and pressed forward. Like every day, Stryg finished first. But, his mind was elsewhere as he walked off his daily run.


    He needed to think of a plan to deal with Karen. Stryg didn¡¯t know much about families, but he had seen how the animals in the forest behaved with their own. How a mother bear would risk everything to keep her family safe. Who knows, Karen might even give up her comrades if her family was threatened.


    After his muscles had cooled down a bit Stryg headed over to the water barrel to get a drink.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg,¡± Callum walked over. ¡°Clypeus and I almost passed you this time.¡±


    The two vampires were always trying to beat one another on the track, but their true goal was to top Stryg¡¯s unbroken 1st place record.


    ¡°I was just a little tired. I ran from the commoner district all the way to the scholar district without stopping,¡± Stryg drank down the water in one go.


    ¡°Seriously? You must have ran for an hour at least.¡± Callum ran his hand through his black hair, ¡°And here I thought we were finally catching up.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Stryg glanced at professor Tauri, who was directing a few academy staff carrying large wooden crates. The orc woman was always the fastest among the class. It was almost infuriating how she always seemed to stay just a few steps ahead of Stryg every time. He suspected the professor used magic, but he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Are you going to get some water?¡± Stryg asked, stepping away from the barrel.


    ¡°No, I just actually had a drink,¡± Callum pointed his thumb to his maid standing a few dozen feet away.


    ¡°I never found blood to be as refreshing as water,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve drunk blood before?¡±


    ¡°A few times. The cooks in my tribe would serve it during full moons, it was normally mixed in with some herbs.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not a half-vampire too?¡± Callum raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg sighed into his cup. Callum was one of the few classmates who wasn¡¯t completely weirded out by Stryg¡¯s off handed comments. Besides Plum, he was the only student he really talked to.


    ¡°Okay, everyone gather around,¡± Tauri called out.


    Stryg and the others made a circle around Tauri and the wooden crates next to her. The snow in the area had been cleared out, leaving dead yellow grass underneath it.


    Kithina was still trying to catch her breath. Running long distances wasn¡¯t easy for a dwarf, but she had at least come to the point where she could finish the daily runs without falling to her knees in lung piercing agony. Tauri kept telling her that the exercise would help make her body stronger and more capable of channelling mana, but Kithina never felt that way.


    ¡°Today we are going to be doing something a bit different,¡± Tauri stated. She opened the crates to reveal an assortment of wooden weapons. ¡°Sparring.¡±


    Nora, a human classmate, groaned, ¡°But we already have magic. Why would we ever use a club over a blast of fire?¡±


    ¡°Well for one, you are not a chromatic orange, so you can¡¯t cast flame spells even if you wanted to. More importantly, while Professor Loh may be training you to be able to cast spells in combat, there will be times you run out of mana or your body is incapable of handling a spell or even worse, your spells are ineffective against your opponent. Weapons can help close that gap,¡± Tauri explained.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the martial academy, so I don¡¯t expect you to be weapon experts by the end of the year. But, I do expect you to be able to handle yourself if the need ever arises,¡± Tauri said.


    She caught the worried glances of Nora and a few others. ¡°Don¡¯t stress too much though, you have three years to learn. Today we¡¯ll take it slow. Stryg, you are the swiftest on your feet in the entire class, actually the entire student body. But how fast are you in an actual fight?¡±


    Stryg became worried, was she challenging him to a fight?


    Tauri waved Stryg over to the weapons crate, ¡°You¡¯ll go first. Pick whatever weapon you want. They''re all wooden and dull, so don¡¯t worry about hurting your opponent.¡±


    Stryg nodded with reluctance and began rummaging through the crate, hoping to find a suitable weapon.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Who got 2nd place today?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± Callum said with a proud smile. Normally, Clypeus or Kegrog would get 2nd, but he had managed to beat them both, barely.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be up against Stryg then. Choose your weapon,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Callum went to another crate and picked up a wooden long sword.


    He felt a little sorry for the goblin. Callum had taken sword classes since he was a child. Besides Clypeus, there weren¡¯t any trained combatants in the class.


    Stryg finally found what he was looking for. He reached deep into the crate and pulled out a quarterstaff. It wasn¡¯t a spear, but it would have to do. The students took several paces back to give the two magi fighting room.


    ¡°The goal is to land three hits on your opponent. Hits to the head or groin are not allowed. We are trying to avoid any serious injuries. At any point you can decide to give up. There is no shame, this is just practice after all,¡± Tauri stated. ¡°Face each other and bow before each bout.¡±


    Stryg bent his neck in a short and quick bow.


    Callum bowed at a 90 degree angle, his hand over his heart, ¡°May the goddess of war, Bellum, watch over us.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know too much about Bellum, but he did know how to fight. The students surrounded them in a circle and Tauri acted as the referee for the match. It reminded Stryg of home back in Vulture Woods, in the village square.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri shouted.


    Callum and Stryg began to circle each other. ¡°No matter how this ends, we¡¯re both hybrids, no grudges right?¡± Callum smiled.


    Stryg hissed in response. Callum frowned.


    Stryg charged forward and made a wide swing at Callum¡¯s chest. The half-vampire raised his sword high to block. Stryg used his own momentum and spun low to the ground, his staff following suit, and smashing into Callum¡¯s exposed shin. Callum crashed to the floor with a shout of pain.


    ¡°1 point to Stryg,¡± Tauri said.


    But, Stryg wasn¡¯t stopping. Callum was pushing himself up when Stryg¡¯s quarterstaff slammed into his back, sending Callum¡¯s face slamming into the grass. The vampire didn¡¯t even have a chance to grab his sword before Stryg had whacked him a third time.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it Stryg!¡± Tauri yelled.


    Stryg paused his assault and looked at her, ¡°I win. Three hits, right?¡±


    Tauri pinched the bridge of her nose, ¡°Not consecutively. You¡¯re supposed to back off after each hit.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that before,¡± Stryg said with an air of innocence.


    ¡°I just assumed it was obvious. You know what, whatever. Now everyone knows. No more excuses. Callum how are you feeling?¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Oh gods, I can¡¯t feel my back,¡± Callum whimpered from the ground.


    ¡°Kegrog, take Callum to the infirmary please and be gentle,¡± Tauri sighed.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Kegrog said. The orc gingerly picked up Callum in a princess carry.


    Kithina winced in sympathy as Callum was taken away.


    Damn, that Stryg, Kithina thought with clenched fists.


    ¡°Seeing as you''re still full of energy, you¡¯ll go another round Stryg,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I volunteer to be his opponent,¡± Clypeus raised his hand.


    ¡°Looks like we have a challenger,¡± Tauri smiled. ¡°Grab a weapon and hit the field.¡±


    Clypeus jogged up to a crate and selected two wooden gladii. He tested the weight of each gladius, before walking over to Stryg.


    ¡°May Bellum protect the worthy,¡± Clypeus bowed, hand to his heart.


    Stryg imitated the bow this time.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri shouted.


    Clypeus dashed at Stryg with surprising speed. He swung his staff at the vampire¡¯s legs, but Clypeus jumped over with a twist and slashed his blades at him. Stryg rolled to dodge, but the gladius clipped his shoulder.


    ¡°1 point to Clypeus,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg frowned. The blade had been faster than he had anticipated. Clypeus kept a stony face and walked back to his starting point.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg rushed forward and performed a flurry of thrusts at Clypeus¡¯ mid-region. Clypeus brandished his gladii with expert skill, blocking each attack with swift deftness. The vampire waited for a break in the attacks and jumped towards Stryg, his blade aimed at the hybrid¡¯s arm. Stryg was waiting for the attack, he jumped backwards out of Clypeus¡¯ reach and slammed the staff into his ribs. Clypeus grit his teeth in pain, but said nothing.


    ¡°1 point to Stryg,¡± Tauri stated.


    The two fighters went back to their starting position.


    ¡°Begin!¡± She shouted.


    They both charged each other immediately. When Stryg was close he drove his staff at Clypeus¡¯ leg. The vampire parried the attack at a downwards angle. He kicked the staff to the ground and vaulted off it, twisting in the air right past Stryg. He slashed at Stryg¡¯s back as he landed. The force of the blow sending Stryg to his knees. He was too slow to react, he hadn¡¯t seen it coming.


    ¡°2 points to Clypeus,¡± Tauri stated.


    Stryg cursed under his breath. Clypeus nodded curtly.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri shouted.


    Stryg and Clypeus began to encircle one another. Each wary of the other¡¯s attack. Stryg focused on Clypeus feet, waiting for a single pause, a moment of distraction.


    Clypeus took a step closer, Stryg swung the quarterstaff as far he could reach. Clypeus ducked underneath and charged him. Stryg gripped the staff at its low point and slammed the butt of the staff at his opponent. The vampire blocked the attack with one blade. Stryg immediately let go of the staff and kicked Clypeus in the face. The other gladius met Stryg¡¯s foot, parried it away, and slashed at him.


    ¡°3 points to Clypeus! That¡¯s it, done!¡± Tauri crossed her arms. ¡°Stryg, at the end you went for an illegal hit to the face. You¡¯re off the field for the day, leave my class!¡±


    Stryg glared at the orc. She raised her eyebrow, daring Stryg to make a move. Instead, he sighed and walked away.


    Tauri shook her head and turned to Clypeus, ¡°Well done. 3 solid hits.¡±


    ¡°As expected of a member of house Gale,¡± Nora smiled at the vampire. ¡°You''re not a warrior family for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Clypeus stared at the cyan goblin in the distance.

 Chapter 40: My Fault

    Chapter 40:


    Stryg left the field in an angry mood. Despite his newfound physical gifts, his hybrid nature, and training, it still wasn''t enough to overcome Clypeus. It annoyed Stryg to no end. He was focusing so much on his magical studies, that he had neglected his physical training. He¡¯d need to make time to rectify the situation.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg! I¡¯m glad I found you,¡± Plum called out from a nearby hallway.


    ¡°Plum? I thought we were supposed to meet up in the library.¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Yeah, but the project meeting can wait. I wanted to talk to you before that.¡± She motioned him into an empty classroom.


    Stryg followed out of curiosity.


    Plum adjusted her glasses and took a deep breath, ¡°I wanted to apologize for the other day at the trade district.¡±


    ¡°Because you were being stupid for charging in to save that woman? No need. I think that thug¡¯s punch to your gut taught you your lesson.¡±


    ¡°No, not that. I don¡¯t regret trying to help her,¡± Plum frowned. ¡°Just hear me out for a moment. I wanted to apologize for what I said to you, about killing those guys. While I still disagree with what you did, I know you were just trying to protect me. Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re welcome,¡± Stryg tilted his head. ¡°But, if you¡¯re happy that I helped, then why do you disagree with what I did? It doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Plum sighed, ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. There is so much I don¡¯t understand in this place, and its people,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Any information you can give would help.¡±


    ¡°My reasons are personal, are you sure you want to know?¡±


    Stryg raised an eyebrow, ¡°I recall someone saying we were friends? Or was that a lie?¡±


    ¡°Oh, someone¡¯s getting smart, shrewd even,¡± Plum smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± She whispered.


    Stryg took a seat at a nearby desk. ¡°I think?¡±


    Plum nodded slowly in consent. She leaned against the wall, ¡°My mother is quite smart, you know. When she was young, despite being discriminated against as a woman, she managed to score a scribe apprenticeship at Undergrowth. She excelled and was the best among her peers, but in her final year of training, I was born. She suddenly decided to quit her apprenticeship and dedicate all her time to me instead. Can you believe it? She gave up her future for an idiot like me.¡±


    ¡°Instead of working for a fancy lord in a fancy house, she spent her time teaching me how to read and write. It¡¯s how I got my love of books. But, there weren''t enough opportunities in Undergrowth for my father to support the three of us. So, my parents decided to move to the great trade city of Hollow Shade,¡± Plum recalled the city¡¯s name in a mocking tone.


    ¡°It was a very difficult transition for all of us. The journey through Dusk Valley was dangerous, filled with bandits and raiders. Luckily, we managed to arrive without harm. But, we weren¡¯t related to any of the drow aristocratic houses that lived in Hollow Shade. Finding work wasn¡¯t easy. My dad was a carpenter by trade, but we were now in Dusk Valley, not many trees around. There weren¡¯t many carpenter shops either and the few that existed weren¡¯t hiring.¡±


    ¡°My dad couldn¡¯t find work, even as a simple laborer. Unlike in Undergrowth, most commoners here are either humans or goblins, and they tend to stick to their own. My mom was able to pick up the occasional clerk job here and there, which helped keep us afloat. But, we still struggled paying the nameplate tax and putting food on the table. It was like that for almost an entire year.¡± Plum turned to him, ¡°Tell me Stryg, do you know about the festival of the gods?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°I guessed as much. Every year, right before summer begins, people of the four great cities hold a large festival to celebrate the gods. Hollow Shade throws the biggest festival of all, right in the central district itself.¡±


    ¡°At the time I was only ten years old. I had heard from other kids of the amazing sweets and toys that were specially imported just for the festival. I wanted to go so badly, I begged my parents. My mom told me we didn¡¯t have the money to afford the entry fees, let alone anything inside. I remember crying to my dad so many nights, pleading to him for a chance to go.¡±


    Plum sniffed and closed her eyes tightly. She took deep slow breaths before continuing, ¡°I thought that if I cried hard enough my dad would let me just go. As if it were that easy, like magic. Instead the only thing I managed to do was make my loving father feel more guilty and insecure that he couldn¡¯t provide for his family. So much so to the point that it made my father, the kindest man you¡¯d ever meet, break down.¡±


    ¡°My family had befriended a goblin during that time. He was kind, if a little rough around the edges. He told my dad of how he had a few shady jobs lined up and that if my dad wanted he could join in. To help pay for the bills and such, he said. My father turned him down. But, with all my incessant begging, my father eventually took him up on the offer. My mom and I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°They were small burglary jobs, here and there. One night my dad and his friend got caught stealing a vase by the tenant. They had been wearing masks, they could have just knocked the guy out. Yet, my dad¡¯s friend killed the witness before they had a chance to alert the authorities. My dad just let it happen, frozen by worries of what might happen if they were caught.¡±


    ¡°After that night my dad gave up thievery. But, without my dad¡¯s help, his friend was caught in another job and failed to escape. He was jailed and interrogated. He told them everything, even my dad¡¯s name.¡± Plum swallowed. ¡°I can clearly remember the night the guards broke into my house and ripped my dad from his bed. They clobbered him so badly before dragging him away. Blood was everywhere, the floor, the walls, on me.¡±


    Tears poured down Plum¡¯s grey face, ¡°Had he just been a thief they would have cut his arm off. However, my father had been implicated in a murder of an innocent man. I remember seeing the dead tenant¡¯s family at the trial. I remember the tears of his children, who couldn¡¯t understand why their father had been taken from them. My father stood no chance, they fed him to the wall¡¯s shades the very next evening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Stryg said in a quiet voice.


    Plum wiped the tears from her face, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°That goblin gave your father¡¯s name up so easily. He is a shame to all goblin-kind. You should never betray your own.¡± Yet, Stryg recalled how he had run away from his own tribemates at the lamia cave. He was a shame to goblins as well.


    ¡°...How can you be friends with me, a goblin, even a hybrid one, after what that goblin did to your father?¡± Stryg would never be friends with an orc after the war centuries ago.


    Plump shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t judge an entire species because of what one person did. Besides, he never technically gave up my father¡¯s name. He was interrogated by a purple mage, like me. I may have focused on learning the fusion of the dark element and purple mana to cast illusion spells, there are many purple magi that focus on the other spell form.¡±


    ¡°Purple mana and the lightning element,¡± Stryg said in dawning realization.


    Plum nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. The mind spell form. The mage used them to read the goblin¡¯s mind. He never gave up my father¡¯s name willingly. My mom doesn¡¯t see it that way though. I think she can¡¯t come to grips with what happened. She can¡¯t stand the sight of goblins anymore. She blamed my dad¡¯s friend for everything that happened.¡±


    She heaved, ¡°But, the true blame for my father¡¯s death lies with a stupid little girl, who couldn¡¯t stop begging her father for some useless toy.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure why, but he felt pity for her. It went against everything he had learned. Crying was weakness, coddling the weak was wrong, and yet, Plum had never seemed stronger than she had at this moment. Stryg dragged a chair over, hopped on it, reached out and gingerly patted her head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Plum mumbled through tears. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like touching people. I¡¯ve always liked that you are different. You don¡¯t have to comfort me like others. You don¡¯t have to say it¡¯s not my fault, either. It doesn¡¯t matter what you say. It won¡¯t change a thing.¡±


    Stryg believed her. He didn¡¯t say a word and just kept patting her. Plum¡¯s shoulders began to shake. She abruptly hugged him tightly and broke down sobbing. Stryg was frozen, unsure what to do. He increased the pace of his head pats, but she wasn¡¯t letting go. Eventually, with slow cautious movement, he opened his arms and returned the embrace. Stryg held her head to his chest and stroked her hair, it seemed oddly familiar.


    They stayed that way for a long time. After her tears had dried, Plum took a shaky breath and let go. Stryg hopped off the chair and took a step back.


    Plum removed her glasses and used her sleeve to wipe her face, ¡°I¡¯m a mess.¡±


    Stryg studied her, ¡°I think you came out alright, all things considered.¡±


    Plum rolled her eyes. ¡°I meant what I look like right now¡­ Financially things did turn out okay, I guess. My mom eventually scored a decent paying job and I was lucky enough to be a mageborn. A real happily ever after, huh?¡± Plum said bitterly.


    ¡°That¡¯s that fairy tale saying, right? Don¡¯t you need some kind of lover and a sunset before you can say that?¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°Something along those lines,¡± Plum chuckled.


    ¡°By the way, how did it ever go with that woman from the alleyway? Did you ever ask her out for drinks?¡± Stryg asked, curious.


    ¡°I-I did,¡± Plum fiddled with her glasses.


    ¡°Oh, that actually worked, wow.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re the one who told me to do it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I just heard someone talk about it. I didn¡¯t actually think it was going to work.¡±


    ¡°Gods, sometimes I just want to smack you,¡± Plum pouted.


    ¡°Not a chance, you¡¯re too slow.¡± Stryg grinned, revealing his small fangs.


    ¡°I thought I was going too fast,¡± Plum smirked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I already asked her to the winter ball.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°She said yes!¡± Plum made a small fist pump.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°It seems my drinks advice was spot on.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you don¡¯t know anything about women.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Stryg went to the door.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Wait, no. Did you sleep with someone? When? Where? How? You gotta tell me all the details.¡±


    ¡°We should get going, Callum and Kithina are probably waiting for us,¡± Stryg opened the door.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Plum grabbed his shoulder. ¡°...Thank you, for listening and everything afterwards. I mean it. I haven¡¯t told that story in a long time. I¡¯ve never had many friends, but I¡¯m glad you''re mine,¡± Plum smiled.


    Stryg never understood families very well, but for a brief moment he considered that this was what it might feel like. ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you blushing?¡± Plum leaned in with wide eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg looked away.


    ¡°Your face is more blue than normal. You¡¯re totally blushing!¡± Plum laughed.


    ¡°Shut up pervert,¡± Stryg left with a quick stride.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡±

 Chapter 41: Book of Dragons

    Chapter 41:


    Stryg and Plum arrived at the library and headed towards their usual study spot, a table situated in a corner of the 2nd floor. Kithina was already there, several papers sprawled around her. Callum was sitting backwards, a leg on each side of the chair, his chest resting on the back rest. His maid had pulled up his shirt and was applying ointment to his back.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Kithina said without looking up from her notes.


    ¡°Plum¡¯s fault,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Not cool,¡± Plum pouted. ¡°Callum what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey guys, not much. Just lost a sparring match is all. I already got treatment from the white magi in the infirmary. This is just my maid being overly cautious,¡± Callum winced as his maid began bandaging him up.


    ¡°Stryg attacked him while he was downed. The cheater,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°You did what!?¡± Plum looked at Stryg in surprise.


    ¡°No one said I couldn¡¯t. In a real fight you¡¯re supposed to attack them while they are downed and at their most vulnerable,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°That was a spar not a fight,¡± Kithina muttered.


    ¡°Did you bring the book?¡± Callum asked, hoping to change the topic.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to get. I had to do a bunch of chores for the head librarian before she gave me a chance to access one of the rare archives and it was only for like 5 minutes! The stingy hag,¡± Plum complained.


    ¡°But you have it then?¡± Kithina asked eagerly.


    ¡°Yup, right here,¡± Plum pulled out an old leather-bound book from her satchel. ¡°I can¡¯t actually lend it to you guys since it''s from the rare archives. Only reason I was able to take it out is because I¡¯m a librarian¡¯s assistant. But, I already translated most of it, so I can pretty much sum up the important bits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a start.¡± Kithina held an ink pen at the ready.


    Kithina¡¯s father was a scribe, and she had learned a lot from him. She had the best penmanship of the group and was unanimously voted to write the essay portion of the project.


    Kithina had nominated Callum to be the speaker for the project, thanks to his charismatic nature. Stryg had agreed, since he didn¡¯t want to talk in front of the whole class. That left the practical aspect of the project in Stryg¡¯s hands. Though, none of them really knew what their roles meant yet, due to a lack of knowledge of dragons.


    Plum cleared her throat, ¡°So, the book is about the son of an ebon lord over four centuries ago. He was a scholar with a rare penchant for adventure. He dedicated most of his life to the pursuit of the study of dragons. He got far, or rather too close. They say a dragon killed him in one of his outings. His apprentice compiled her master¡¯s notes and made this book.¡±


    ¡°Sounds pretty accurate. Dragons kill people, what¡¯s new?¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°A lot actually,¡± Plum began. ¡°You guys know how everyone at this table is a different species, but we are all still chromatic species.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why we¡¯re chromatic magi and not elemental magi, yes?¡± Stryg confirmed.


    ¡°Exactly. Well, it turns out so are dragons. In fact, if the book is to be believed, they are the first of the chromatic species,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°So, there exist chromatic mage dragons then?¡± Callum asked.


    Plum raised her index finger. ¡°See, that¡¯s when things start getting weird. Most members of chromatic species can¡¯t innately absorb mana. But, all dragons can, which would technically make them all mageborn. And this is where it gets even weirder; unlike elemental mana, all forms of chromatic mana require a spell in order to be used. It requires practice to use chromatic magic, it doesn¡¯t come naturally, like say, a baby drake being able to breathe fire.¡±


    ¡°But can¡¯t dragons breathe fire too?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Exactly, which would lend credence to dragons being natural magic users and magi. That or dragons are chromatic and elemental magi. Either way it means they have both chromatic and elemental mana, something that is unheard of within any species,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Stryg asked.


    Plum shook her head, ¡°Normally, it shouldn¡¯t be. I have read of a few exceptions, hybrids born from a union of a chromatic and an elemental species. One in particular was about a drow-siren hybrid. She was a chromatic blue mage and a natural magic user, capable of using the enchanting voice of the sirens.¡±


    Plum continued, ¡°But, chromatic-elemental hybrids are supposed to be incredibly rare. The rate of pregnancy is very low, and miscarriages are very high, which is saying something, since all hybrid pregnancies are quite rare. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, dragons aren¡¯t hybrids, they¡¯re an entire species. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s far more than what we¡¯ve learned so far. I can use this. Maybe pose the essay as a theory of the magical nature of dragons?¡± Kithina began jotting down her ideas.


    ¡°Kithina¡¯s right. Thank you Plum. We would never have gotten this far without you. We probably would have still been stuck with those fairy tale books we found,¡± Callum smiled.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Kithina groaned, ¡°Tell me about it. What would a powerful dragon ever want with some random princess as tribute? In fact, couldn¡¯t a dragon just burn down the castle and then take the princess?¡±


    Kithina enjoyed fairy tales, but those just didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, what is a princess anyway?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a form of royalty. The daughter of a monarch,¡± Callum explained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything of what you said,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Hm, okay,¡± Callum looked up in thought. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to start from the beginning. A monarchy is a system where a single person rules an entire land, that ruler is known as a monarch. Royalty are the family members of the monarch, or the monarch themselves. One kind of monarchy is called the feudal system, which some of the other Realms practice. The monarch in a feudal system is called a king and his daughter a princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a king before either,¡± Stryg sighed.


    He was busy studying magic, but he really needed to make time to read more about the Realm¡¯s culture and history.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Ebon Realm doesn¡¯t have any,¡± Callum said. ¡°We¡¯re an oligarchy instead. It¡¯s when a group of people rule the land together. In this case, the city councils rule the great cities, who in turn rule most of the land within the Realm.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we took the term of lords from the feudal system. Back before the Schism, the Ebon Realm was ruled by a small group of incredibly powerful magi. When they visited other Realms, they were oftentimes called lords, a title referring to the ruler of a land. The name stuck and they came to be known as the ebon lords, rulers of the Ebon Realm. Though the term ¡®lord¡¯ lost its meaning through the years, it still signifies a position of great power and influence within the Ebon Realm,¡± Callum explained.


    ¡°So, like the warlords of the Dusk Valley?¡± Stryg asked.


    Callum frowned, ¡°Yes, technically that is correct. They are men and women who have gathered large armies under them, hence the ¡®war¡¯ part. But, there are other warlords who aren¡¯t our enemies. We have several in Hollow Shade. And they also have large groups of soldiers under their command. In fact, they tend to be incredibly skilled warriors themselves. My father is a warlord, one of the greatest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but isn¡¯t he also a city lord, since he is on the city council? Which, I think, outclasses the warlord title,¡± Kithina voiced.


    ¡°Wait, you can be more than one kind of lord?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, to both of you,¡± Callum nodded. ¡°My father is a city lord, but I prefer his warlord title more. The city council positions are passed down to the leaders of the great houses, generation after generation. My father was no different, but he earned his warlord title on his own through battle.¡±


    ¡°He seems like a powerful warrior,¡± Stryg nodded in approval.


    ¡°He is. I wish to be a lord like him some day,¡± Callum said. ¡°Though, not necessarily a war lord. There are a few different options, mage lord, warlord, merchant lord, city lord, and ebon lord. Of course, there are no more ebon lords. But, the rest of the titles can still be obtained, so long as I acquire the proper form of power. My father is a very powerful mage, but he never obtained the mage lord title. I hope to surpass him in this, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice goal to strive for,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°Believe me, I have so much more I wish to accomplish,¡± Callum scratched his cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m done applying the ointment,¡± Callum¡¯s maid said, pulling his shirt back down.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Callum replied.


    ¡°Plum, is there anything else you can tell us about the dragons?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°There was some mention of a dragon¡¯s scales being fireproof, but not much more than that. Most of the other notes in the book are just ramblings. But, I can try to see what I can find. Figures, the one time a scholar gets to see a dragon up close, it kills him,¡± Plum sighed.


    ¡°Well, there is one other firsthand account, if our young residential scholar is to be believed,¡± Callum looked over at Stryg.


    The goblin had avoided the dragon sighting topic ever since he mentioned it. Whenever Callum had brought it up, Stryg had refused to speak, even so far as getting angry. Eventually, Callum had left it alone, but his curiosity couldn¡¯t help it, and this seemed like a good time to segue into the conversation.


    ¡°Stryg hasn¡¯t seen a dragon before,¡± Plum laughed.


    Stryg stayed silent.


    Plum did a double take, ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t right, Stryg? Why are you looking away from me? Oi! Look at me!¡±


    ¡°...It was a long time ago,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. You can¡¯t just say you¡¯ve seen a dragon and not tell us,¡± Plum poked Stryg¡¯s cheek.


    He snapped at her, Plum pulled her finger away before he could bite it.


    She laughed, ¡°Come on, please?¡±


    ¡°...You owe me,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Plum grinned.


    Callum had made the right decision, bringing up the topic with Plum around. She was the only one Stryg seemed to really open up to. Callum was genuinely curious about Stryg''s dragon claims. Normally, he¡¯d simply dismiss a dragon sighting, but Stryg had lived deep in Vulture Woods, it was possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a great story,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    But, Plum¡¯s eyes were wide with wonder, eager to hear Stryg¡¯s very next words. Even Kithina had put her pen down to listen.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Where to begin?¡±


    ---


    Stryg was ten years old, yet he was much smaller than the other goblin children in the village. He had trouble keeping up with them in simple exercises, let alone training.


    One day, he decided to ask the hunters for help. If anyone knew how to become strong it was them. Of course, they were busy and didn¡¯t have time to train a weak child. He insisted that simply watching them during their training exercises would be enough. They refused and left for a hunt.


    But, Stryg was tenacious, if a bit foolish. That morning when the hunters left, he sneaked out of the village and followed them from afar. Unfortunately, his tracking skills were horrible and he lost the group after only a few minutes. In fact, he lost his way back home too. He was irrevocably lost in the most dangerous forest in all the Ebon Realm.


    Stryg began to panic, afraid of the creatures that lurked behind every tree. The growls of animals called out all around him. A twig snapped from behind. He dashed off into the distance, with all the speed his little feet could carry him. He pushed through the small bushes nearby, scraping his skin. Howls echoed between the woods. His foot caught a tree root. He fell to the floor and tumbled down a steep hill. All he could hear, taste, smell, and feel was pain as his body was battered with rocks.


    When Stryg finally came to, he was at the foot of the hill, in front of a pond. His body ached all over, his arms and legs were covered in bloody scrapes. He tried wobbling to his feet. A sharp pain pierced his foot. He crashed to the floor in another wave of agony. He had sprained his ankle and couldn¡¯t move. He was bleeding, lost, and alone. He was going to die here. His eyes filled with tears at his dismal ending. The goblin child wailed in anguish, his cries reverberating through the canopy.


    The still pond shuddered and the waters parted as a cluster of amethyst scales emerged from below. Stryg¡¯s cries turned into high pitch screams at the sight of the draconic face.

 Chapter 42: Lost in the Woods

    Chapter 42: Lost in the Woods


    The dragon¡¯s head spanned a dozen feet across. The deep purple eyes studied the terrified goblin child.


    Its mouth opened slowly to reveal razor sharp teeth the size of short swords, ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who woke me from my nap.¡±


    Stryg whimpered in fear. The dragon¡¯s body sauntered out of the pond. Its amethyst scales shimmered in various colors.


    Stryg crawled away with what little strength he had. ¡°Help, help me!¡±


    The draconic neck slithered above the goblin, ¡°You are very far from home, child.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s head slowly turned up to the dragon. His eyes widened to saucers, his lip quivered, but no voice came out.


    The dragon¡¯s clawed hand swept the child in a tight hold, ¡°Why are you alone?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s face paled. ¡°H-help,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°No one¡¯s coming,¡± the dragon¡¯s mouth opened wide.


    Its serpentine tongue flicked out and slathered Stryg with its saliva. Stryg shivered at the touch. The dragon¡¯s neck suddenly snapped back and tilted its head. After a long agonizing moment, the dragon lowered the child onto a nearby boulder.


    Its pearl white teeth opened wide in a menacing manner. Stryg pulled back, only to realize the dragon was smiling.


    ¡°You taste horrible,¡± the dragon¡¯s rumbling voice reverberated.


    The indigo wings stretched out, expanding over a hundred feet, water dripping from the membrane edges. Its powerful wings beat the air with a thunderous force, lifting the creature into the sky within moments. The blasts of wind pushed Stryg off the boulder and slammed him into the rocky shore. He groaned in pain as he saw the giant dragon¡¯s silhouette disappear into a speck in the sky.


    ¡°Stryg! What are you doing here?!¡± A hunter shouted from the top of the hill.


    Stryg had never been so happy to see the eccentric goblin in his life. ¡°Sigte!¡±


    ¡°We told you to stay in the village,¡± Sigte ran down the hill with haste.


    Stryg¡¯s fear of the dragon was quickly replaced with the fear of what the hunters would do to him. His fears came true when he noticed the other hunters at the treeline above.


    ¡°I-i¡¯m sorry. I tried following you, but I got lost.¡± Stryg mumbled and hung his head in shame.


    He was a pathetic excuse for a would-be hunter, no wonder they didn¡¯t want him to join them.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky we were nearby. I heard your cries and we rushed right over,¡± Sigte glanced at the sky, then looked around, scanning for any threats. ¡°We should get going. Our trails never cross this area. Get up Stryg.¡±


    Stryg tried and whimpered in pain. Sigte glanced at the child¡¯s quickly swelling ankle.


    ¡°Sigte, we need to go!¡± A hunter shouted from the top of the hill.


    ¡°One second!¡± Sigte shouted back. He crouched and looked over Stryg¡¯s beaten state, ¡°Did you fall down the hill?¡±


    Stryg bit his lip and nodded.


    Sigte turned around, ¡°Get on my back, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    Stryg hesitated.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you hobbling, and slowing us down,¡± Sigte said, ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s small arms wrapped around the older goblin¡¯s neck. Sigte grabbed his legs carefully and stood up. He jogged up the hill with the swift deftness of a hunter.


    ¡°The village isn¡¯t very far from here, I¡¯ll take the boy back. You all go on ahead without me,¡± Sigte said to the other hunters.


    Sigte ran off, before the others had a chance to respond. Stryg was grateful for the quick departure, he worried that the others would punish him severely.


    Stryg stayed quiet on the way back. The rattling of red leaves and Sigte¡¯s quiet footsteps were the only sounds on the trail. Stryg had never been given a piggyback ride before and he was afraid Sigte would push him off if he said anything incriminating.


    ¡°You know the forest is dangerous,¡± Sigte broke the silence. ¡°Why did you leave the village on your own? You could have gotten killed. Even if you didn¡¯t, First Mother might do the job herself. She ordered the children to stay in the village.¡±


    ¡°But...I wanted to show everyone I could track them. I wanted to be a good hunter.¡± Stryg could feel his eyes begin to burn with tears.


    ¡°And how did that go? Do you think you''re good hunter-material now? Or maybe you realized you¡¯re just a fool.¡±


    ¡°I-i just. I just wanted to be strong like you.¡± Stryg buried his face in Sigte¡¯s shoulder.


    Sigte could feel the soft shuddering of the child.


    Sigte sighed, ¡°There are better ways of becoming strong than learning how to track or hunt.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Stryg sniffed.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck. It just so happens I know a very secret method of becoming strong.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. I call it the secret ability of words.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Words? That doesn¡¯t sound very strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to learn that¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! I want to learn. Please, teach me, please.¡±


    ¡°Only if you promise to never venture into the Woods by yourself again.¡±


    ¡°I promise. I super promise with all my heart.¡±


    ¡°All your hearts? That¡¯s a lot of responsibility.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not, I got a small heart.¡±


    Sigte laughed.


    ¡°So, when can we start?¡±


    ---


    ¡°The reading came in useful. Writing too, I guess. I¡¯m not much of a writer though, I could never get the words just right,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? What happened to the dragon? Did you actually get in trouble with your parents? What about Sigte and the other hunters?¡± Plum asked on the edge of her seat. She had to know what happened next.


    ¡°I thought Sigte¡¯s lessons were a joke. Turns out they were quite useful,¡± Stryg glanced at the bookshelves.


    ¡°He sounds like a great guy,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°He was. It¡¯s thanks to him that I even had a chance of being able to learn here. Had I been illiterate I would have been placed in basic literacy classes and I would have fallen behind.¡±


    Stryg ran his hand through his grey hair. ¡°I wish I could have repaid the favor, but a dire bear got him a few years later, ate him up whole... I was his apprentice, but instead of being there to help Sigte when he needed me, I was drawing pictures in the dirt. All because I wasn¡¯t strong enough to go with him. He died alone.¡±


    Stryg chuckled, ¡°And you know what¡¯s funny? No one cared. Not a single person made a fuss, only an off-hand comment of how there was one less mouth to feed. Just me. It was only me. They hit me for every tear I shed that day. Compassion was for the weak, they said. It¡¯s easier not to feel, it makes you stronger, they said. A better warrior¡­ I guess it did.¡±


    ¡°...Stryg, are you okay?¡± Plum touched his shoulder.


    ¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Stryg cleared his throat. ¡°Anyway, to answer your questions, I never saw the dragon again. As for my parents? Well, the tribe¡¯s children are raised by the Mothers. First Mother beat the crap out of me after Sigte carried me back that day. She broke my rib, I deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Kithina sat back.


    ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t deserve that Stryg. Kids run off to play all the time. It¡¯s no excuse for child abuse. She should have never hurt you like that,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Please, I got off lucky if you ask me. Others have been killed for far less. I was a weak little goblin who had no right to go off on his own. I endangered the hunter party by forcing them to go off track and rescue me,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Stryg¡­that¡¯s...¡± Kithina muttered.


    ¡°What are you talking about? To think you called me an idiot. Stryg, you can¡¯t just let some woman who¡¯s not actually your mom hurt you like that. Please, tell me someone dealt with her,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°No, not really, I guess.¡± Stryg clasped his hands. ¡°Actually, she threatened to kill and eat me last time we spoke. I never did return to the village after that¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the dragon just let you live?¡± Callum finally spoke up.


    ¡°...It found me disgusting, a freak. A dragon didn¡¯t want to eat something like that. It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise, we¡¯re oddities of nature, right Callum? Not even fit to pass down our blood.¡± Stryg stood up. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    ¡°Stryg wait up,¡± Plum followed him.


    Callum watched them leave with a look of contemplation. Stryg¡¯s story sounded ridiculous. Perhaps, a dragon¡¯s palette was so refined as to not eat anything that might not seem normal, but it should have at least killed Stryg for interrupting its slumber.


    Callum would have called the whole story a farce if it wasn¡¯t for one little detail. Stryg had said the dragon¡¯s scales shimmered in different colors. Of all the stories folk told of dragons, none mentioned such a feature. But, Callum knew otherwise. His father once told him of a Veres ancestor, who once encountered a dragon. The scales shimmered a variety of colors, as well. Though, the rest of Stryg¡¯s story just didn¡¯t add up. Callum wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    ¡°Killing and eating him? That¡¯s a dumb joke,¡± Kithina laughed.


    Callum was broken away from his thoughts. He glanced at the red-headed dwarf, ¡°Stryg¡¯s from a sylvan tribe, right? I¡¯ve heard stories about them, their fierceness and brutality. They are said to sometimes eat their enemies. If Stryg did something worthy of becoming their enemy, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this ¡®First Mother¡¯ person would follow through with her threat. The very fact that Stryg hasn¡¯t returned to his village and is here instead gives credence to that theory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Kithina gasped.


    In many ways this was good for Callum. It meant Stryg had nowhere to go back to. He could be the friend that Stryg needed, that Stryg would owe.


    The other night had gone well. The Veres family practically owned the restaurant they had visited. It wasn¡¯t hard for Callum to use his family¡¯s influence to check their reservation ledgers. He needed to find a name. Stryg was normally standoffish, unwilling to be friendly to all but Plum. However, if there was one thing Callum could count on was Stryg¡¯s ruthlessness towards his foes. Callum¡¯s tender back was a testament to that.


    Callum needed to find someone who would be Stryg¡¯s enemy. Someone who could divert Stryg¡¯s anger at Callum¡¯s own enemies, yet not implicate Callum himself, not yet at least. Callum found the perfect name. Maeve Mora, his cousin, but not a Veres. A family member who hated him, yet loved his siblings. What¡¯s more, she hated him because of her dislike of hybrids. The icing on the cake was that the cocky Maeve had made Stryg her enemy all on her own. Callum didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger, all he had to do was make his own reservation line up with Maeve¡¯s.


    Things went almost perfectly. Callum had regrettably been forced to step in and stop Stryg from attacking Maeve in the restaurant. At least it seemed like a testament of Callum¡¯s loyalty to family, or at least Maeve would think so. Sure, Maeve was annoyed at Callum for defending Stryg, but, in the end it didn¡¯t matter. Maeve never liked him much to begin with.


    As for Stryg, Callum and him now shared a common enemy, a reason to bond together. To become allies. He¡¯d help Stryg get his revenge, eventually. First, he¡¯d mold him into a powerful blade, sharp and deadly. Callum genuinely liked Stryg and he hoped one day the goblin hybrid would be his dagger in the dark.


    First, Callum needed to deal with his would-be shield in the light. He stared at Kithina. He had counted on Maeve¡¯s loathing for hybrids, but not her hostility towards commoners. The vampiress had made Kithina cry and run away. He was now left to clean up the mess. It wasn¡¯t all bad he told himself. After all, he needed Kithina to become strong, mentally and physically. He had many plans for his two friends. But, like all the greatest plans, his began with small, precise, design.


    ¡°Kithina, I fear I owe you an apology,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°What do you mean? You didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Kithina scrunched her brow.


    ¡°But, I did. I invited you to a restaurant and I was unable to protect you from my horrid cousin. I¡¯m ashamed of myself. I failed to protect your honor,¡± Callum placed his hand over his heart.


    Kithina smiled sadly, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I don¡¯t even care about something like honor. It¡¯s just... It was my first time being in a place like that. It was so elegant, lavish even. Everyone was so well dressed and seemed so important. I had never been to the villa district. I just wish it hadn¡¯t ended like that, you know?¡±


    Callum looked down in shame, ¡°I do.¡± He suddenly shot to his feet, ¡°I may not be able to change the past. But, perhaps, I may be able to change this very moment.¡± He turned to his maid, ¡°Clear my schedule for the day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± the maid nodded.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kithina glanced between them.


    Callum bowed with a flourish and held out his hand, ¡°Miss Kithina, would you honor me by joining me for a night of shopping at some of the villa district¡¯s most elegant, dare I say, lavish, stores. There is a new shop that just opened that sells these little strawberry cakes, I hear they are to die for. My treat of course.¡±


    ¡°I-I, uh,¡± Kithina¡¯s mouth hung open.


    ¡°That is if you want to. I¡¯d hate to inconvenience you,¡± Callum tried to hide the pain in his eyes.


    ¡°Uh, no, no. It¡¯s not an inconvenience at all. I¡¯d love to go,¡± Kithina nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he smiled.

 Chapter 43: What am I Doing?

    Chapter 43:


    Stryg rubbed his hands to gather what little warmth he could. Snowflakes danced around him in a muted gust of wind. He sat perched on the rooftop of an old house in the commoner district. It was late, or rather quite early, the sun would be rising soon. He had been here for the better part of the night, waiting quietly for his opportunity.


    In retrospect, he should have brought blankets from his apartment, but it was too late for that. He wished he could create a fire like his master. Instead he was shivering like a newborn, with only a thin grey cloak to keep him warm.


    The door of the house across the street creaked open. This was it. Stryg¡¯s patience was finally about to pay off. Karen¡¯s mother stepped out from the house, holding a basket.


    Stryg had wondered what would be the best way to make Karen talk. Should he threaten her mother, attack her, or kidnap her? With the mother¡¯s life on the line, Karen would be sure to talk about the whereabouts of the rest of her gang. Despite spending the night on a snow-covered rooftop, Stryg had been unable to make a decision.


    Karen¡¯s mother looked back at the house, ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯ll be late.¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± A small mass of bundled winter clothing waddled out, ¡°Mommy, this is too much. I can barely move.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you catching a cold.¡±


    ¡°Can I just stay home then? It¡¯s freezing out here,¡± the small child complained.


    ¡°Your dad has been working all night and will probably keep working throughout the day. He needs something to eat. I would have sent Karen, but your sister hasn¡¯t come home either. So, I need to go and I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already 8 and 3 quarters, I can handle myself,¡± the child pouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry honey, I can¡¯t leave you by yourself, there could be dangerous people just waiting to catch you!¡± The mother¡¯s fingers launched a tickle assault.


    The child giggled and tried to run away, but her mother caught her in her arms, ¡°Nooo!¡±


    ¡°I got you!¡± The mother kissed her daughter on her chubby green cheek.


    After another bout of laughter she set her daughter down.


    The child pointed at the dark road ahead, where the morning sun¡¯s rays barely reached. ¡°What happens if the dangerous people are over there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you of course, to my dying breath,¡± the mother placed her hand over heart proudly.


    ¡°I don''t want you to die!¡± The child cried out.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an expression, sweetheart. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Come on, let¡¯s get going,¡± the mother held her daughter¡¯s hand tightly.


    Stryg watched the scene unfold with surreal wonder. Was this what other children behaved like? How a mother treated her child? It was foreign, puzzling, raw. The daughter¡¯s eyes were full of curiosity. Had he been like that as a child? Naive and innocent to the dangers that lurked in the shadows? And was he the one who would take it away from her?


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Stryg muttered to himself.


    The world was cruel and without reason, Stryg had learned that at an early age. But, this moment, this action, was his to control. Karen might be guilty, yet these two were innocent. Karen was an enemy, she had to die, and Stryg would be the cause. But, these two didn¡¯t have to be involved, not directly. Stryg sighed and turned to leave. He¡¯d have to find another way.


    A pair of undead sentinels walked around the corner and spotted the mother and child. The cloaked guardians shambled towards them. The little girl hid behind her mother¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay honey. I thought they would be gone by now, but we have our nameplates.¡± The mother patted her child¡¯s head. She reached into her basket and pulled out a small iron nameplate, ¡°Let us pass please.¡±


    The sentinels did not slow their advance, instead they raised their iron chains. The mother¡¯s eyes widened as the blood drained from her jade-green face. Her eyes darted around in panic. She wasn¡¯t sure she could outrun them, her daughter certainly couldn¡¯t. There was only one thing she could do.


    The mother gripped her daughter¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Sophi, you need to run. I¡¯ll distract them.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, I can¡¯t.¡± Sophi¡¯s knees shook.


    ¡°Baby, you have too.¡± She kissed Sophi¡¯s forehead, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, just go. Now!¡±


    The iron whip cracked through the air and slammed into Stryg¡¯s shoulder. The mother pulled her daughter back in surprise at the sudden stranger who appeared from nowhere. Stryg fell to his knees in pain.


    Fuuuck, Stryg groaned silently.


    He had planned to push the daughter away from the oncoming lashing, but had been too slow. The sentinels marched forward. Stryg whipped out his silver nameplate with a madman¡¯s speed, hoping the sentinels¡¯ reaction might differ.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The undead lowered their chains. The mother watched the scene with surprise. She had never seen a goblin with a silver nameplate before.


    ¡°Go, quickly,¡± Stryg said without taking his eyes off the sentinels.


    She didn¡¯t have to be told twice. She grabbed Sophi¡¯s little hand and pulled her away. The sentinels¡¯ steel masks slowly turned towards the two escaping goblins. They raised their chains and began to chase after them. Stryg jumped in between them and raised his nameplate as if it were a ward against the undead. The sentinels stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°Change of plans. Stay close. I¡¯ll take you back to your house. Don¡¯t leave until the sun is high in the sky,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Sophi, come here,¡± The mother pulled Sophi closer.


    Stryg stood between the sentinels and the woman and child as they walked back to the house. The mother struggled to find her keys for a terrifying moment, but she finally managed to open the door and ushered Sophi in quickly.


    The mother glanced at Stryg, ¡°You should come in too. It¡¯s dangerous. Who knows if those sentinels will change their mind and attack you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Just stay inside,¡± Stryg said without turning.


    ¡°Thank you... I will never forget your kindness,¡± she bowed.


    Stryg¡¯s back stiffened at the word. Kindness? He wasn¡¯t trying to be kind. Hell, he was still planning to kill her other daughter. He had simply seen the two in danger and then¡­ Then he wasn¡¯t sure why he acted. He remembered seeing Sophi¡¯s paralyzed legs as she watched the undead monsters coming after her. He had seen the same look reflected in the eyes of the amethyst dragon. The face of a little goblin child afraid to die.


    ¡°Close the door behind you,¡± Stryg said.


    Once he heard the door shut, Stryg began to slowly walk away, keeping the nameplate in his hand. The sentinels ignored him, glanced at the door, and continued on their patrol. He stayed near Karen¡¯s house for a few more minutes, in case they¡¯d turn around.


    Stryg winced at the stinging pain from his back, ¡°What am I doing?¡±


    He shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved. It was survival of the fittest. He didn¡¯t know these goblins, yet he risked his life like a fool, and had been injured for it. He really was an idiot, he deserved to have been injured. Yet, as he glanced at the old clay house, he found himself not regretting his decision. Though, he didn¡¯t agree with Plum¡¯s ideals, this would have to be the one-time exception, he told himself. Stryg suddenly smiled, he had an idea.


    ~~~


    Stryg huffed as he rested on a bench in the cold chamber. Winter had only made the ¡°Intro to Black Magic¡±¡¯s underground classroom colder than ever.


    Stryg watched the shambling bodies of the undead rise to the command of the other mage novices. He glanced at his own corpse. At most the body¡¯s arm wiggled and could even rise if he really put his focus into it. But, that was it. For all his training and meditation he couldn¡¯t control the corpse no matter how much he tried.


    Professor Gette walked over, ¡°Not, much progress, ey?¡±


    Stryg grit his teeth, Gette was right of course.


    But, Stryg decided to change the topic. ¡°Professor, earlier this morning I encountered a pair of sentinels who refused to acknowledge a nameplate.¡±


    ¡°Where? Sentinels rarely fail in that regard, but it has been known to happen. It must be dealt with at once. We can¡¯t have innocent people getting attacked.¡±


    ¡°It was in the commoner district.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Nevermind then,¡± Gette sighed in relief.


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want people to be attacked?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But, there¡¯s no need to rush. There is scheduled maintenance that happens every few weeks for the sentinels. The commoners can afford to wait.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± Stryg understood. The weak were given no importance. It was no surprise.


    ¡°By the way, you shouldn¡¯t try so hard in your spell casting. It¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t have talent for necromancy,¡± Gette noted.


    Stryg chuckled to himself. Growing up he didn¡¯t have talent for anything. But, it never stopped him from trying. He needed to get stronger, it was the only way to achieve his dreams.


    ¡°I managed to make the arm move. It¡¯s a start,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a failure. It has nothing to do with your skill as a mage. It¡¯s talent. Different chromatic colors and their spell forms require different kinds of talent. You¡¯re sorely lacking when it comes to necromancy. I¡¯m surprised that you have been able to do this much already.¡±


    ¡°So, what, I should just give up?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°To be a mage? No. To master the necromancy spell form? Yes. Most definitely. You may not have the talent to master the entire range of black spell forms, but among all the 1st year black magi you have shown the greatest skill. Your recent improvement of the shadow spell form is comparable to late 2nd year students. Believe me, you are better off spending your time focusing on your shadow spells, instead of necromancy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up,¡± Stryg clenched his fists.


    He had given up before, accepted defeat. It didn¡¯t end well. This was his new life, he didn¡¯t want to go through that again.


    ¡°Then you leave me no choice. You are banned from practicing necromancy in this class,¡± Gette stated.


    ¡°What? Why? I thought professors are supposed to help us learn?¡±


    ¡°No, we are supposed to help you become successful magi. Currently your best chance at that is shadow magic. You¡¯ll thank me later.¡± Gette cupped his hands and shouted, ¡°Class dismissed!¡±


    Stryg sighed in frustration. Even his choice was taken from him. He was simply handed the failure. Stryg stayed seated on the bench long after the rest had left. Perhaps Gette was right. His shadow magic had been improving a great deal lately, thanks to his anger-based meditation. Still, the loss stung.


    Stryg stared at the human corpse on the metal table. He recalled the books and their details of the muscles, bones, and sinew that ran across a human¡¯s legs. He brought the image to focus, his will desiring for it to move. Then he remembered his anger, remembered Karen and her gang. How they had ambushed him. The mana within responded to his emotion.


    Black mana began to flow from Stryg¡¯s heart and into his arms. He remembered his tribe and how they had beaten him, time and time again. He remembered First Mother and her cruelty, Cruvor¡¯s fake vision and lies, the poacher who had taken him from his forest.


    Mana surged into his veins in a flood of power. His chest began to burn with the overwhelming ethereal energy. He took quick shallow breaths and focused on the corpse. The legs began to tremble. At an agonizingly slow pace they began to raise one at a time. Stryg fell to his knees in pain, but he kept the spell going. He had to focus, he was so close.


    ¡°Stryg, stop, you¡¯ll kill yourself!¡± Loh shouted from the doorway.


    His master¡¯s voice pierced through his concentration, shattering the spell. The corpse¡¯s legs flopped onto the table. Stryg collapsed in exhaustion.

 Chapter 44: Melantha the Blue

    Chapter 44:


    ¡°This looks familiar. My idiot student, lying on the ground, unable to move a finger, because he did exactly what he wasn¡¯t supposed to,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°What happened to not trying to interrupt a mage when he is casting a spell?¡± Stryg groaned.


    ¡°The worst that could happen in that case would be your death. But, you were clearly already on that path, casting a spell that was obviously too much for you. My choice was crystal clear.¡±


    ¡°Why are you even here? Don¡¯t you have meetings or something better to do?¡±


    Loh kicked Stryg''s leg, ¡°I just saved your life. Be grateful.¡±


    His incapacitated body could do nothing, but flinch.


    She sat on the bench nearby. ¡°Tauri told me that you acted out in her class. She forced me to come check on you, make sure your head was in the right place. Clearly, it''s not.¡±


    ¡°Professor Tauri did? Why?¡± Stryg was surprised. The orc was normally cheerful, but she didn¡¯t seem to care very much for any of her students, including him. So, why would she take a sudden interest in Stryg?


    ¡°Because she knows you''re my apprentice. And she wants to make sure I do a good job, or something. I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t stick around to hear her nagging speech,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    ¡°...Yep.¡±


    The silence lingered in the air between them. Stryg lay on the ground while Loh sat, her back reclined on the bench.


    ¡°What happened in Tauri¡¯s class anyway?¡± Loh finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want Tauri to be nagging me every time you mess up.¡±


    ¡°Nothing really... I just lost a sparring match. I tried hitting another student in the face, but he blocked and I lost anyway.¡±


    ¡°Really? From our training, I gathered you¡¯re quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Who was your opponent?¡±


    ¡°Clypeus Gale, the vampire.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that child of house Gale. That makes more sense. He performs quite well in my class. He¡¯s a manifold mage like you, as well.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Stryg swayed his head to the side. ¡°I thought manifold magi were supposed to be rare.¡±


    ¡°They are. But, the Gale family prides themselves in their martial prowess. They have successfully served the great house Veres for centuries, defeating any foe that might be a threat to the Veres. They have managed the feat through selective breeding. The Gales only choose powerful vampire magi to add to their line. Clypeus is the product of that pedigree.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll beat him someday. I just need to practice more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. House Gale trains their children in martial combat like no other, well except for house Katag I guess.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just train even more,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Stryg¡­ Why were you even trying to cast that spell? I know I¡¯ve taught you better than to attempt such a foolish risk. Necromancy just clearly isn¡¯t in your scope of talent.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet.


    The boy¡¯s stubborn, Loh lamented.


    Loh sighed, ¡°I¡¯m too busy for this. Ugh, dammit all. I order you as your master to tell me what happened, every detail. Otherwise, your apprenticeship is over. Make it quick.¡±


    Stryg grit his teeth and closed his eyes in defeat. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give up, okay? ...When I was younger I failed at everything. I could never keep up with my tribemates.¡±


    ¡°You''re from a tribe?¡± Loh asked, surprised. She had never really cared to look into his background. Honestly, she had never taken time to learn much about Stryg at all.


    ¡°A sylvan tribe from Vulture Woods. They trained us all to be warriors, but I was the weakest of them. The runt, you could say. And no matter how much I tried, I always failed. Eventually, on my 18th birthday there was a challenge. I lost because I gave up. After that I didn¡¯t stop giving up. I ended up losing my tribemates, my honor, my home. Until I came here, and found out I was a mageborn.¡±


    Stryg looked at her, resolve in his eyes, ¡°Ever since then I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t give up, I would become the most powerful mage, no matter the cost.¡±


    Loh felt her throat tighten as she heard those condemning words. How could she have been so blind? She was doing it all over again. He was just like Aizel and she was failing him just the same. How pathetic. She had sworn she¡¯d be different this time, that everything would change. And yet here she was again, at the precipice. As if fate was taunting her with her failures.


    No, she took a deep breath. She would not fail him this time.


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°There are ten chromatic colors, which produce 30 different spell forms, including the true forms.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with any of this?¡± Stryg asked.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Just shut up and listen,¡± Loh snapped.


    Stryg closed his mouth, but his eyes were cold.


    Loh didn¡¯t care, she continued, ¡°No one can use all 30 spell forms, since it¡¯d require being a true chromatic mage and manifold mage, which is impossible. But, there are some manifold magi capable of using all ten colors. They are known as prime magi.¡±


    ¡°Once in the Jade Realm, there was a prime mage who had taken over a castle and was terrorizing the townsfolk nearby. It was a time of great turmoil in the Realm, help seemed impossible. The townsfolk had lost all hope. That was when Melantha the Blue appeared.¡±


    ¡°At the time she was simply known as Melantha, the child of a scullery maid and a baker. She had come to the town only to rest for the night, before resuming her travels in the morning. No one paid her any mind. All they saw was just another woman fleeing from war.¡±


    ¡°But, when Melantha heard of the prime mage who had been tormenting the people, she took a stand. She promised to help them. The townsfolk laughed at the small woman. What could she possibly do? Melantha ignored their words of ridicule. It didn¡¯t matter what others said she couldn¡¯t do. All that mattered was her belief in what she could.¡±


    ¡°That very night Melantha marched into the castle, killing every enemy guard who tried to stop her. Eventually, she made her way to the main hall, where the prime mage waited. The mage was furious with her. She had killed his men and he would have his vengeance.¡±


    ¡°The mage focused all his intent on murdering this seemingly simple woman. Mana of all colors wrapped around his being, his full arsenal ready to be unleashed. Then Melantha raised her hands, blue mana coursing through her veins, and called upon the greatest bolt of lightning in all the Realm. They say the devastation was so great that the castle¡¯s main hall fell apart. Not a speck of dust was left of the prime mage. Melantha had obliterated him in the blink of an eye. In a single night she had changed the course of a kingdom¡¯s entire fate. She would later be hailed as Melantha the Blue, paramount knight of the Jade Realm.¡±


    ¡°Melantha was praised as the greatest blue mage of her era. You see, Melantha understood an important truth. One didn¡¯t need all the chromatic colors or spell forms to be strong. All one needed was one single potent spell form. Nothing else. You don¡¯t need necromancy to become a powerful mage. It¡¯s alright if you can¡¯t use anything but the shadow spell form. It¡¯s even alright if you fail practicing at that.¡±


    Loh stared into Stryg¡¯s eyes, ¡°Failure does not make you a failure. It is simply an opportunity to rise above our faults. To become greater than who we are. The key isn¡¯t in never backing down from a fight. It¡¯s in knowing our limits, taking a break, and then pushing forward.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Stryg, there will never be enough power in the world for you to be satisfied. You can¡¯t become an all-powerful mage, it¡¯s a fallacy. Chasing such a path will only lead you to ruin. Trust me, take it from someone who tried and lost more than you could ever imagine.¡± Loh took a shaky breath, ¡°There is more to this world than strength. I was once blind to that and I¡¯ll never stop regretting it.¡±


    ¡°But, you need power to get the things you want,¡± Stryg argued.


    ¡°Sure, there are times where power is needed. People don¡¯t mess with me because I¡¯ll kill them if they try. But, at the end of the day power is not what any of us really want.¡±


    ¡°And what do we really want then?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Loh ran her hands through her hair, ¡°Damned if I know. Love, I guess? No amount of power can get you that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about love,¡± Stryg said.


    He didn¡¯t need love, not really. Lust he could understand. Having someone¡¯s body, to have them in your hands, the thought was intoxicating. But, love? Love was being vulnerable to another in a way you could never undo. It was said to be the greatest weakness of all.


    What Stryg needed was the power to never be hurt again. Not to lose anything he cared for. To keep it close and make it his. He was tired of always being in pain. Love only promised more of the same. But, magic, that showed him a glimpse of what was actually possible and he wanted so much more.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re too young to understand, or maybe I¡¯m just a fool, heh,¡± Loh chuckled.


    Stryg was stunned to silence. He had never thought his proud master would ever admit to being a fool.


    ¡°...Do you have someone you love?¡± Stryg asked.


    Could someone like her, who had it all, the looks, the power, the wealth, need something like love?


    ¡°...Yes. But, I don¡¯t think they feel the same. A part of me thinks they never will,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Then why love them? It seems as if it will only hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Stryg,¡± Loh smiled sadly. ¡°You can¡¯t control love, even when it hurts horribly. It just happens. Someday you may understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    Loh seemed to be suffering from what Kithina had once referred to as being lovesick.


    ¡°Is there anyone important in your life?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°...Myself?¡±


    ¡°I mean someone you care about, idiot. Romantically.¡±


    ¡°Romantically?¡±


    Loh groaned, ¡°How are you this ignorant? Anyone that makes your heart race when you look into their eyes?¡±


    ¡°Uh..¡±


    ¡°Gods. Seriously? Ok, is there anyone you want to sleep with. Anyone you might be banging?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is this one barmaid.¡±


    ¡°Great, and how do you feel about her?¡±


    ¡°Her boobs feel quite nice.¡±


    ¡°Not physically, you moron,¡± Loh pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, ¡°We¡¯re going to have to work on your communication skills. What I mean Stryg, is how do you feel emotionally when you are around her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing particularly. Except,¡± Stryg paused. ¡°Well, there was this one time, I felt,¡± he paused again, unable to put it into words.


    ¡°Ah, so my cold little apprentice has a heart after all,¡± Loh said in triumph.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Stryg frowned.


    Loh¡¯ stomach growled, ¡°I need to get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, some sweets?¡± Stryg groaned as he forced himself to stand.


    His body ached, he really didn¡¯t want to go on another errand.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s get some real food.¡± Loh stood up as well. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, let''s go. We can talk about your horrid social skills on the way over. You won¡¯t charm any girl as you are now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯re not my type. I¡¯m not into men,¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°Wait, I thought you said you were too busy for any of this. Spending time here with me, I mean. And now you want to go eat together?¡± Stryg was confused. His master was acting very weird today.


    ¡°Stryg, I want you to listen very carefully.¡± Loh placed her hands on his shoulders, ¡°I wasn¡¯t taking my role as your master serious enough. I understand that now. So, let¡¯s make this official. I, Loh of the great house of Noir, promise to not abandon you, Stryg. I will stay by your side to train you in the ways of magic and life, until you are ready or I can no longer.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Stryg whispered. Why would she say such an unwavering promise? It was an enormous burden to bear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. I have my reasons. Just believe me when I say your dumbass is my 2nd top priority right now. The 1st is food, now come on, I¡¯m starving,¡± Loh grinned.

 Chapter 45: A Misunderstanding

    Chapter 45:


    ¡°Stryg what are we doing here?¡± Plum asked while rubbing her freezing arms.


    ¡°We are waiting,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Yes, I got that part. But, why are we waiting in an alleyway with only snow and icicles to keep us company. The least we could have done was gotten hot chocolate.¡±


    Plum was decked in winter clothing, but she was still cold. Stryg wasn¡¯t surprised, Plum wasn¡¯t known for her robust physique.


    ¡°This is the commoner district, they don¡¯t sell that here,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°How do you know? Have you checked every single block for hot chocolate?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but I don¡¯t need any hot chocolate.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do. I¡¯m going to go find some.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Remember, you owe me. We¡¯re going to wait. Once we¡¯re done, then we can go buy some.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re paying,¡± Plum pouted.


    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold with just that light jacket? You don¡¯t even have mittens or a scarf.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Plum. Just worry about your own thermal weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just saying, it¡¯s cold outs-¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Stryg put his finger on her lips.


    Plum froze, her face turned a grey-scarlet.


    ¡°There she is,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum glanced at the lone goblin girl who walked down the snow-covered street. Before Plum had a chance to ask who she was, Stryg had already dashed away. He silently ran up behind Karen and kicked her legs from under her. Stryg caught her as she fell, put her in a chokehold, and dragged her back into the alleway. Karen kicked the snow in a futile struggle to escape.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Plum asked in dread.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not going to kill her. I just need to ask her some questions,¡± Stryg lied.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kill Karen in front of Plum at least. He¡¯d wait until the drow was long gone before he¡¯d end Karen¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t want Plum involved with the goblin¡¯s death, plus he still needed Plum¡¯s help.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Karen managed to gasp out.


    Karen¡¯s hands clawed at Stryg¡¯s arm, but it was useless. Stryg found it strange how all the goblins in Hollow Shade filed their claws to appear like the other species. They had given up their greatest natural weapon and now Karen was paying the price for it.


    ¡°Ask her some questions? You basically just kidnapped this girl. Why did you bring me here?¡± Plum began to panic.


    ¡°Plum, look at me. Everything is going to be fine. Just listen to me,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Please, please, tell me you have a good reason for what you¡¯re doing,¡± Plum pleaded.


    ¡°Fine. This girl here, her name is Karen. She is part of a goblin gang. She once lured me into a trap and I was ambushed by the rest of her gang. I almost died, but the guards managed to intervene in time. Karen and the other gang members managed to escape. I finally found her recently and now Karen is going to tell me where the others are.¡±


    Plum¡¯s nose wrinkled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened to you Stryg, I really am. But, even if Karen did tell you where they were, which I don¡¯t think she literally can. You¡¯re choking her, stop it.¡±


    Stryg released the hold enough for Karen to take short quick breaths.


    Plum continued, ¡°What are you going to do if you find the others?¡±


    ¡°Kill them obviously. They are gangsters, you don¡¯t have to worry about any repercussions. The city will be happy to be rid of them. Plus, I know one of the guard captains, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t be. You can¡¯t just kill people, Stryg! Don¡¯t you remember what happened to my father?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. He got in trouble because an innocent man died. These gangsters aren¡¯t innocent.¡±


    Plum frowned, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the point of that story. My father was considered a criminal, the city thought his death necessary, but it affected his family horribly, my family. The gangsters could have families of their own, innocent people. If they aren¡¯t arrested, but killed how many people will that affect? Life is precious, all of it.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. That might have been the stupidest thing he had ever heard. What about the animals killed for food? Was he supposed to let them live and die of starvation? No, this wasn¡¯t the time to debate Plum¡¯s ideals.


    To be honest, Stryg didn¡¯t care if the gangsters were innocent or not. Stryg only cared that they had attacked him, they were his enemy. The Blood Fang tribe taught him an important rule in life. Kill your enemies before they kill you. But, by Plum¡¯s logic no one should be killed, which was ludicrous. He obviously disagreed with her logic, but Plum¡¯s mind was clearly made and he still needed her help. So, he made a compromise.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t attack them. Once I find out where they are staying I¡¯ll call the guards to arrest them for their crimes.¡±


    ¡°So they can¡¯t hurt others?¡± Plum asked wearily.


    ¡°...Of course,¡± Stryg nodded.


    With the captain Rorik¡¯s help, he could testify against the thugs for attacking a mageborn. They would be swiftly executed. Stryg would rather personally end them, but he¡¯d be willing to let the shades do the job. Either way they would die.


    ¡°Okay, then let her go,¡± Plum said.


    Stryg released Karen from her chokehold and threw her at the wall. Karen coughed in pain as her back smashed into the stone. She slumped to the ground.


    ¡°What was that for?!¡± Plum shouted.


    ¡°I don''t want her running away. She doesn¡¯t deserve your sympathy Plum.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. I don¡¯t.¡± Karen rubbed her neck. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry Stryg. For that day. It should never have happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your lies,¡± Stryg snapped. ¡°Plum, I need your help for this part.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Plum took a step back.


    ¡°You¡¯re a purple mage. I want you to use the mind spell form when I question her.¡±


    Karen looked at the drow in fear. This woman was a mage? Karen thought she was dead the moment Stryg appeared, but after Plum convinced him not to kill the gang, she thought she might have a chance. Now Karen knew she was doomed.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°But, I specialize in illusion spells,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Yes, but from what you told me you can cast at least simple mind spells. All I need you to do is to tell me if she¡¯s lying or not. It¡¯s easy, no one will get hurt,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum looked at Karen with uncertainty. The girl was a gangster, she might have already hurt a lot of people, maybe even killed some. If Plum helped Stryg she could help prevent more death.


    ¡°You owe me, Plum. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here,¡± Stryg reminded.


    Plum sighed, ¡°How did I get myself into this?¡±


    Plum raised her hand and stretched out her fingers. Small strands of purple energy formed around each finger. She flexed her hand and as if one cue the pale tendrils drifted through the air to Karen. Karen¡¯s eyes opened in fear, she tried to swipe the tendrils away, but Stryg held her hands down. The tips of the purple threads landed on Karen¡¯s head and flared with soft light.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, make it quick, I can¡¯t keep the spell up for long. Plus, I don¡¯t like doing this,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Stryg looked at Karen, ¡°Where are the other gang members?¡±


    Karen frowned, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you were hurt, Stryg. I really am.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked,¡± Stryg sneered. He was getting tired of her lies.


    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked. That couldn¡¯t be true. How could someone have empathy for their enemy?


    Karen went on, ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were going to attack you that day. I had seen you running away from the others that morning. They told me to keep an eye out for you. But, I didn¡¯t do it for them. You interested me and when I finally met you, I only grew more curious. I actually had fun that day, you were a breath of fresh air in this wretched city. I wanted to hear about your world, how different your life was compared to the rest of us, compared to my wretched own. I never expected the others to find us. I didn¡¯t want them to.¡±


    ¡°That. T-that can¡¯t be,¡± his forehead furrowed.


    She was supposed to be his enemy. He hated her for all these months, and used that hate in his spell casting. He had anxiously waited for the day he could have his revenge. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.


    ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you help your boyfriend Jax? Why help me instead?¡± Stryg asked.


    Karen wiped the tears forming in her eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I joined the gang because of Jax, he was handsome and he was nice. But, it was a lie. He just wanted a cute face to help steal for him, that and a quick fuck. And I was the stupid girl who fell for it.¡±


    ¡°At first it was just a bit of pickpocketing, I even kept most of the money. But, it¡¯s gotten so much worse, everything is fucked up now. I don¡¯t keep any of the money and the jobs have only escalated. W-we robbed a store in the trade district the other day. The guards have been searching for us. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Plum who nodded silently in confirmation.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone home?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Not since the robbery. I was planning to stop by my house to get some food today though.¡±


    ¡°You said things got so much worse. Is your relationship with this Jax guy okay?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Are you asking if we''re madly in love? No, I hate him.¡± Karen scowled, ¡°Or are you asking if he still fucks me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Plum looked down.


    ¡°Of course they still have sex,¡± Stryg said.


    They were still a couple, right? Why wouldn¡¯t they?


    ¡°It was a rhetorical question, you¡¯re not supposed to answer it,¡± Plum chastised.


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Karen laughed at herself. ¡°Jax does what he wants.¡±


    ¡°You must not have much of a choice in the matter. You''re the beta in the relationship after all,¡± Stryg surmised.


    Stryg was well aware of how tribe hierarchy worked and a gang was supposed to be quite similar. The alpha, or leader, would lead and the betas would follow no matter what.


    ¡°Stryg, just be quiet,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t say it like that, but it doesn¡¯t change the facts,¡± Karen took a shaky breath.


    The purple tendrils flared with light.


    Plum¡¯s mouth hung open in horror, ¡°He¡¯s not the only one.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg was confused.


    ¡°They do it together, ¡®cover all the gaps,¡¯ they like to say,¡± Karen broke into tears.


    Stryg grimaced in comprehension. She wasn¡¯t just the alpha¡¯s woman. She wasn¡¯t a beta, she was the omega of the gang.


    ¡°I just want it all to end. I don¡¯t even care how anymore. You want to know where they are, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. They¡¯re moving around right now because of the guards¡¯ search, but they¡¯ll settle down soon. I¡¯ll tell you where they are the moment they do. After that, you can do whatever you want to me, beat me, imprison me, have this drow woman curse me, kill me yourself, I don¡¯t care anymore. Just make it end,¡± Karen said, the light in her eyes gone.


    This shouldn¡¯t be happening. Stryg had imagined how Karen must have laughed at him countless times for his foolishness in falling into her trap. Maybe she had gotten angry that he had survived. He imagined Karen at Jax¡¯s side, leading the other gangsters in battle. Karen, a proud goblin warrior and trickster. He never pictured her a broken girl. He had hated her for so long, he could feel the anger practically bubbling out. Now it only tasted like ash in his mouth.


    Stryg stood up, ¡°We¡¯re done here, Plum.¡±


    Plum lowered her hand, the purple magic faded from existence, ¡°Please, forgive us, Karen. I promise Stryg and I will help in whatever way we can.¡±


    Stryg said nothing. He wouldn¡¯t promise that, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to. He didn¡¯t know how to feel about Karen anymore. As for the other gangsters, he would deal with them himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, we should get going. Stay inside your house tonight, Karen. Some sentinels have been acting up around these blocks. Let¡¯s go, Plum,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum¡¯s eyes darted between Stryg and Karen. Plum bowed her head to Karen and followed Stryg out of the cold alleyway.


    ¡°Wait! How will I find you?¡± Karen stumbled after them.


    ¡°Go to the magic academy, and ask for me,¡± Stryg turned to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage too?¡± Karen asked with round eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m a novice, but she¡¯ll be a full-fledged adept come spring,¡± Stryg pointed his thumb at Plum. ¡°We can handle those thugs, no problem.¡±


    Plum looked at Stryg in surprise. She knew that Stryg valued her fighting skills very poorly. What was he thinking?


    Karen bit her lip and prostrated in front of the two, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Plum went to pull Karen up, but Stryg held her back. This was a goblin willing to give up her honor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t demean her sacrifice, Plum. There¡¯s nothing more we can do here and she needs to get home before the sun sets,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum followed reluctantly. They left the commoner district in silence.


    Once they passed the bourge district, Plum spoke up, ¡°Poor girl. Hollow Shade is cruel to everyone, but especially the poor and weak. It crushes them with no remorse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not this city. That¡¯s the world, Plum. You¡¯ll find it the same everywhere,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Plum glanced at the evening sky. ¡°Maybe this whole Realm is full of monsters who prey on others. But, I have to hope there is some good in this place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pessimistic you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pragmatic, it¡¯s different.¡±


    Plum shook her head, yet stayed silent.


    Once they neared the scholar district she spoke again, ¡°I think she might like you.¡±


    ¡°Karen?¡± Stryg chuckled. ¡°Are you kidding me? I just slammed her into a wall. I think wanting to be my friend is one of the last things on her mind.¡±


    ¡°I mean, as in romantically,¡± Plum rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Ah, I know that one, not personally, but Loh taught me the concept recently. Still, I don¡¯t think Karen has any romantic idea about me, because again, I slammed her into a wall, oh, and choked her too.¡±


    Besides, Stryg didn¡¯t really think anyone could have romantic feelings for an odd creature like him.


    Plum sighed, ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that she did like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you''re going somewhere with this?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just wondering, how you might feel¡­ about her?¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Plum, I¡¯ve hated her since I arrived in this city. I saw her as an enemy that I looked forward to killing for months. Now I find out she was never my enemy, that she genuinely wanted to help me, and I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what to feel. Romance is definitely not it.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Plum looped her arm into his.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Stop giving me that look of pity,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not pity, I¡¯m just worried about you,¡± Plum gave a lopsided grin.


    Stryg didn''t respond to that, but he didn¡¯t pull away either. Instead he tried changing the topic, ¡°Why the question anyway, is she your type?¡±


    Plum put a finger to her chin, ¡°I mean she¡¯s cute, but I don¡¯t really know her very well.¡±


    ¡°What, so now you need to know someone very well to like them?¡±


    Plum glanced at Stryg, ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ---


    Jax walked down the snow-covered streets. He covered his face with a scarf, not to hide from the guards, but to hide his disfigurement. But, he was tired of hiding from the guards. More importantly he was horny. He went to find Karen in order to fix that. He spotted her from around the corner. To his shock, she was talking to some drow and the damn blue goblin that had bitten his nose off. Instead of attacking him, Karen was kneeling to him, as if he was the goddess Lunae herself.


    ¡°That bitch,¡± Jax cursed.


    The couple turned around and began walking towards him. Jax couldn¡¯t fight the blue goblin on his own. Jax ran away as fast as he could. He¡¯d find a way to deal with this. He¡¯d get his revenge, by the gods he swore he would.

 Chapter 46: A Winter Gift

    Chapter 46:


    Stryg stared at Kithina¡¯s bust with abandon. They were in meditation class within the large dark dome. There was no lit torch nor magestone light, the entire place was bathed in darkness. Professor Ismene and her students sat with crossed knees and closed eyes, deep in meditation, or at least trying to be.


    Except for Stryg. His eyes saw clearly through the dark and he spent most of his time ogling the pretty students, particularly Kithina, who he grudgingly admitted to himself was the fairest in class. His eyes followed the line of her breasts as her chest rose with every breath.


    After studying her meditating body day after day, Stryg had begun to understand the minute expressions that crossed her face as she tried to clear her mind. It normally consisted of some form of a frown or a stupid giggling grin. He didn¡¯t find the knowledge particularly useful, but he found it even more difficult to study in the meditation dome.


    His training with anger-based meditation was progressing well, but he had learned it was easier to meditate alone. He was too easily distracted among his classmates. Of course, they had the benefit of being blind in the dome, so it wasn¡¯t a fair comparison. Then again, nothing ever was.


    The bells rang in the distance, the sound faint through the dome¡¯s walls.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of class for today, remember to keep meditating in the evening before you go to sleep and in the morning when you wake up,¡± Ismene said.


    She waved her hand and the magestone in the center ceiling began to glow softly. After seeing it plenty of times, Stryg noticed the trick lied with the magestone bracelet the old woman wore. It would flicker when she waved her hand, triggering some sort of enchantment that activated the light in the magestone.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯d like to speak with you for a moment,¡± Ismene said as she pushed herself up with her cane.


    ¡°Yes, professor?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you haven¡¯t been meditating in class.¡±


    ¡°How did you-?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re breathing. It¡¯s too calm. The rest have erratic breathing while trying to focus, but you have a steady breathing pattern. Unless you have become a master of meditation in the span of a few months the only logical conclusion is that you aren¡¯t meditating. What is happening, Stryg?¡± Ismene tapped the handle of her cane.


    Kithina watched Stryg speaking to the professor. She wondered if he was okay. Before, she wouldn¡¯t have given him a second thought, thinking him a rude simpleton. But, then she heard a story of his childhood, of the cruel nature of his tribe.


    Kithina had screamed into her pillow that night, mortified. She had thought that she was the one with a rough background, a commoner family trying to make ends meet. Her life was as tame as a sheep compared to Stryg¡¯s. His standoffish attitude wasn¡¯t so strange to her anymore. She could only imagine what he may have gone through. What cruelty had he endured to become someone who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill their own classmate.


    ¡°Kithina, you don¡¯t have to worry, Stryg will be fine. The old lady won¡¯t hurt him,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Right, yeah¡­ yeah, of course,¡± Kithina spoke slowly, as if shaken out of a trance.


    ¡°We should go work on our project,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Kithina turned away and walked out with the rest of the class.


    Stryg glanced at the students. It was now only Ismene and him.


    ¡°So, Stryg, why aren¡¯t you meditating? Is this class a joke to you?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just¡­ I find it hard to concentrate in the dome.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of the dark?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Have you been meditating at all in your free time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Quite a bit, actually.¡±


    Ismene nodded, ¡°Good, good¡­ Are you still practicing anger meditation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg swallowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing Loh told you it was a good idea? That girl¡¯s talent is too great for her own good. It makes her believe shortcuts are the proper way to attain skill and now she is passing it on to her apprentice.¡±


    ¡°I never said I was Loh¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Isemene twisted her lips, ¡°Child, I¡¯m old, not blind. I¡¯ve seen the way you speak to each other. I¡¯ve known Loh since she was a little girl who couldn¡¯t walk on her own two feet. I¡¯d be a fool not to notice the way she treats you compared to the rest.¡±


    ¡°Treats me how?¡± Stryg didn¡¯t think Loh gave him any special treatment.


    ¡°Harshly. She expects more from you than you could possibly give. It¡¯s how she was trained by her grandfather. I¡¯m not going to stop you, but I do hope you take the time to understand that it is never a good idea to take shortcuts with magic. Even if you train with anger-based meditation, you should still learn how to clear your own mind. It could prove quite useful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Stryg lied.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Why do I even bother with you children,¡± Ismene shook her head. ¡°You may go.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He made a short bow and left.


    ---


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you here,¡± Plum smiled, ¡°You¡¯re quickly becoming a bookworm.¡±


    Stryg looked up from the book he was reading, ¡°I¡¯m not any kind of worm. I¡¯m just studying. What brings you to my outpost?¡± Stryg waved his hands around the pile of books surrounding the small table.


    He had been spending more and more time in the library, preparing for his written exams. He had already finished the human professor Gette¡¯s with an excellent score, or so Gette had said. Stryg was currently studying for the prejudiced drow Rime''s exam, which was said to be the worst for the first years. Stryg worried he might fail and he still had to work on Rime¡¯s dragon project to make things worse.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been worse,¡± Stryg muttered, going back to his books.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you with bags under your eyes. It makes your pupils stand out even more,¡± Plum sat next to him.


    ¡°If you''re done with your analysis can you hurry on your way? Some of us have actual work to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s harsh, it¡¯s not my fault the 3rd year''s winter break started already. Besides, I still have to work in the library, so I¡¯m technically not even on break... Hey, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg asked without looking up from his book.


    ¡°Did that girl Karen ever contact you? It¡¯s been half a week already.¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we check up on her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too busy to waste my time.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, come on. You should go check up on her, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Stryg ignored her and kept reading. He¡¯d deal with the gangsters after he dealt with his exams.


    ¡°Come on, Stryg. Stryg. Stryg, Stryyyyg. I¡¯m talking to you,¡± Plum kept poking his arm.


    He sighed in frustration, ¡°Fine. Stop touching me. We¡¯ll go, okay. But, only after I¡¯m done with my tests.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Plum smiled.


    ¡°Now, will you leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Plum rummaged through her satchel.


    Stryg put his book down, ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°One second, I¡¯m looking. Ah, found it!¡± Plum pulled out a purple scarf from her satchel.


    ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± She handed it to Stryg.


    Stryg grabbed the scarf with slow care, ¡°This is¡­ for me?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I noticed you didn¡¯t have much to cover yourself in the cold. Spring is right around the corner but it¡¯ll still be cold for a few months. I picked it out myself. I¡¯m not sure you like the color purple, but I do, so you¡¯ll have to deal with it,¡± Plum grinned.


    Stryg¡¯s hands trembled slightly as he looked over the scarf. Blue snowflakes were knitted into the design. He had never been given a gift before.


    ¡°I like it. Thank you,¡± Stryg smiled.


    Plum¡¯s eyes went round, but she quickly looked away, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Consider it as thanks for saving me from those thugs at the alleyway a while back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, those idiots. I had almost forgotten. By the way, whatever happened with that woman who was attacked? Did you ever go with her to the winter ball?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little late. The ball was last week,¡± Plum slumped into a chair. ¡°But, yeah, we went together.¡±


    ¡°Good, my drinks advice was on point after all. So, did it go well or did you fail at claiming her?¡±


    ¡°There was no claiming happening,¡± Plum shook her head, ¡°But, yes, things went great. We danced, drank, and talked. It was fun.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®and?¡¯¡± Plum raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°After the ball.¡±


    ¡°After the ball, what?¡± Plum smirked.


    ¡°Did you sleep with her? Screw her? Have sex? Am I getting the point across?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I understood what you were saying the first time. I just thought you were being shy about it. Clearly, I was way off point,¡± Plum groaned.


    Then again this was the guy who found her masturbating and didn¡¯t blink an eye. She shouldn¡¯t have expected any less.


    ¡°So? Did you sleep with her or what?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°There are less rude ways of asking that,¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind. Why do you want to know anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m mildly curious.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Plum stared at him.


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°What else is there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I guess,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°And the answer is no. I didn¡¯t sleep with her. She invited me to a nearby inn, but I declined.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you messed up there, huh? She was cute, too,¡± Stryg went back to his book.


    ¡°You know Stryg, sometimes there¡¯s more to being with someone than being cute.¡±


    ¡°What, like power? Money?¡± Stryg chuckled, ¡°Or do you mean idiotic love?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe something like that,¡± Plum stood up from her chair, leaned over and kissed Stryg on the cheek.


    He froze. His muscles tensed, his head slowly craned up, eyes wide, ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That was my thanks for the drinks advice,¡± Plum grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to your studying, see you around.¡±


    Stryg rubbed his cheek as he watched Plum saunter away, ¡°Right¡­¡±

 Chapter 47: New Roommate

    Chapter 47:


    It was early in the afternoon when Stryg opened the doors of the Merry Crescent. He had expected the tavern to be fairly empty at this hour, but it was more packed than he had ever seen it. There wasn¡¯t a single empty chair in sight, dozens of patrons milled around the bar, waiting to get their drinks.


    Stryg glanced between the tables, hoping to find Feli. One of the tavern goers looked at him with surprise. The man turned to his friend next to him and whispered into his ear. They both looked at Stryg and began whispering amongst themselves. Soon enough half the tavern was muttering with each other and staring at Stryg.


    Stryg felt mildly uncomfortable with the situation. He caught whispers of ¡°Is that the guy?¡± ¡°Wait, the rumors are actually true?¡± ¡°He¡¯s smaller than what I thought.¡±


    Stryg wondered if they were looking for a fight.


    He was about to say something when Feli called out to him, ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re here!¡±


    She ran up to him and kissed him on the lips. Many in the crowd groaned and sighed as they confirmed that particular rumor as well.


    Stryg cracked a small grin, ¡°Of course I¡¯m here. I wouldn¡¯t leave what¡¯s mine behind.¡±


    ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± Feli raised a brow. He loved reminding her that she was his. Feli didn¡¯t mind too much, it¡¯d help keep others off her back.


    ¡°I just finished my winter exams, so I thought it¡¯d be a good chance to bring you to my apartment.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I finally get to visit a mage¡¯s home. What¡¯s it like? Do you have a bubbling cauldron or magic candles?¡±


    ¡°What? No. Cauldrons are used by red magi and I don¡¯t even know what a magic candle is.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Feli frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the difference between a red magi is and what you are. I heard all magi have magic candles that glow forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that before,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°Either way, you¡¯re not coming to visit.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought you just invited me? Are you messing with me?¡± Feli¡¯s frown deepened.


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m here to take you to my apartment to stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Like permanently?¡±


    ¡°Permanently,¡± Stryg voiced with conviction. He wanted Feli to be nearby.


    ¡°Let me go get my things, I¡¯ll be back down in a bit,¡± Feli smiled brightly.


    The crowd of tavern-goers were still staring at them. Stryg made sure to slap her bottom as she ran upstairs. Feli rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t look back. He looked pointedly at the crowd, he wanted them to know she was his. The message was clearly received as they all turned away glumly. He admitted he was a bit happy at their response.


    ¡°Mr. Stryg, it¡¯s wonderful to see you!¡± The tavern master came out from behind the bar.


    ¡°I appreciate your hospitality the last time I was here,¡± Stryg said sincerely.


    ¡°It was my pleasure. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come to visit us again. Can I get you something to drink? I recall you liked Fire Breath, yes?¡±


    ¡°No, I rather not drink alcohol right now. But, if you have something sweet I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°I believe we do. Carla! Bring the mage some raspberry juice. Don¡¯t keep him waiting!¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± Carla nodded to the tavern master, bowed to Stryg, and disappeared into the kitchen.


    ¡°Please, have a seat while you wait,¡± the tavern master offered.


    Stryg looked at an occupied chair at the bar. The occupant quickly stood up under Stryg¡¯s gaze. The cyan goblin had a smug look on his face, he could get used to this.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you,¡± Stryg said as he sat down.


    ¡°Whatever you wish to say, I¡¯m all ears,¡± the tavern master said with a wide-smile.


    ¡°I want to take Feli. She¡¯ll be coming to live with me. In other words she won¡¯t be working here anymore.¡±


    The tavern master winced, ¡°We¡¯ll all miss her... but I won¡¯t stop you. I thought something like this would probably happen. I do hope you both can stop by from time to time to say hello, though.¡±


    ¡°Here is your drink,¡± Carla said, handing Stryg a tall mug.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Stryg said and sipped the cold beverage.


    ¡°If there is anything else you want, I¡¯m more than happy to assist you. Anything at all,¡± Carla smiled and leaned in closer, her blonde hair touching Stryg¡¯s shirt.


    Stryg understood what she was doing. Feli had done something similar. In Stryg¡¯s eyes Carla was cute, but she paled in comparison to Feli.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Stryg took another sip.


    ¡°Stryg won¡¯t be needing anything from you,¡± Feli walked up to the bar. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking care of all his needs. So, don¡¯t worry your pretty little head.¡±


    Carla frowned, but didn¡¯t dare say anything else in front of the mage.


    ¡°Are you done packing?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have a lot,¡± Feli held up a large satchel.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg downed the rest of his drink. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Feli bowed her head to the tavern master, ¡°Thank you for letting me work here these past few years. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see each other again. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I like this place,¡± Stryg interrupted. ¡°The drinks and food are good. I already talked to him about quitting your job. But, I¡¯d like to come back to eat once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Feli grimaced.


    She supposed she should have expected it, after all why would Stryg be here in the first place. He was also drinking buds with Rorik. It didn¡¯t mean she liked the situation, though.


    ¡°Well, that settles it. We¡¯ll miss your pretty face Feli, but I hope to see you both soon,¡± the tavern master smiled.


    ¡°I really look forward to your return,¡± Carla beamed at Stryg.


    Feli kissed Stryg on the cheek and glanced at Carla, ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath.¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s get going,¡± Stryg jumped off the seat and headed towards the door.


    ¡°Bye bitch,¡± Feli mouthed silently at Carla before chasing after Stryg.


    It was a sunny day, the brisk air only mildly frigid. The snow was beginning to melt. Spring was around the corner.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°The scholar district. My apartment isn''t too far from the magic academy,¡± Stryg answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the scholar district. What¡¯s it like?¡± Feli caught up to his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s covered in grey stone. The streets, walls, buildings, all of it. It smells a lot better than the commoner district too. The magic academy is full of different kinds of buildings, including this huge library. It¡¯s nice. I don¡¯t know much about the other three academies, they all have high walls so it¡¯s hard to know what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Sounds secretive,¡± Feli nodded.


    It fit right into Feli¡¯s view of what the high-society schools must be like. Closed off to outsiders and filled with incredible mysteries.


    The walk over was long, Feli wasn¡¯t out of shape, but she wasn¡¯t used to carrying a large heavy satchel for over an hour either. Stryg kept a surprisingly fast pace. Feli struggled to match his gait.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me it was so far,¡± Feli complained.


    ¡°It¡¯s normally not, but I¡¯ve slowed down so you can keep up.¡±


    ¡°This is your slow speed? Well, thank you for having mercy on this weak human,¡± Feli groaned.


    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°I would never dream of it, darling,¡± Feli sighed.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Stryg stared at her face, unblinking.


    ¡°Are we close?¡± Feli laughed nervously.


    ¡°...Probably another twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Could you at least help me with this bag?¡± Feli smiled weakly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Stryg grabbed the bag with little effort and hauled it onto his shoulders.


    Feli was surprised. She thought he¡¯d say no, not bothering enough to care. Why else wouldn¡¯t he have helped earlier?


    Feli didn¡¯t understand that Stryg simply hadn¡¯t thought about helping. Back in his village people were expected to carry their own weight and asking for help was normally frowned upon.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem tired at all,¡± Feli pointed out.


    ¡°I exercise a lot, on my own time and in class. Magi are expected to be in fit shape, but you''d be surprised at how many aren¡¯t. My master also makes me run errands all around the trade district often. This little walk here isn¡¯t much.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Feli muttered. Of course magi lived up to different standards.


    Feli knew the moment they left the trade district and entered into the scholar district. Stryg had been right, the floor was covered in pristine cobblestone. Tall limestone walls lined the streets all around. She felt uncomfortable at the people they passed by.


    ¡°They¡¯re all staring,¡± Feli whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it. People have stared at me my entire life,¡± he shrugged rigidly.


    Feli studied Stryg in a new light. She hadn¡¯t thought about it. It must not have been easy being a hybrid growing up. People didn¡¯t like those that were different, especially the commoners. They probably thought Stryg was strange, then again she supposed he was.


    ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be stared at too,¡± Feli linked her arm with his. ¡°I say let them stare,¡± she grinned.


    It was simple, but Stryg found Feli¡¯s actions strangely comforting. They finally arrived in front of a metal gate, where a guard sat in a small building nearby. The guard recognized Stryg, walked out, and opened the metal doors. Feli smiled at the treatment, but her attention was soon lost to the large stone complex in front of them.


    ¡°These apartments are for students who work in one of the academies. Usually, teachers¡¯ assistants or the like. My apartment is on the 3rd floor, come on,¡± Stryg took Feli¡¯s hand and led the way.


    Feli admired the limestone architecture of the halls and stairs. She had never been in a building this posh before.


    ¡°I was impressed when I first came here too. But, the real surprise is inside,¡± Stryg opened the door to his apartment.


    Feli¡¯s eyes danced around everywhere, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    The spacious living room had polished wooden floors, yet was empty save for a blue couch. She¡¯d work on livening up the place later. She strode into the kitchen. A brand-new cast iron pot hung over a stone fireplace. She wondered how complex the chimney system had to be in the complex to have a fireplace on the 3rd floor. There was even a built-in kitchen island table. Feli opened the kitchen oak cabinets, but was disappointed to find no food.


    ¡°They¡¯re empty. Where¡¯s the food?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any. I don¡¯t know how to cook, so I don¡¯t bother stocking the cabinets with food. I normally eat at the academy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to change that. Let¡¯s go grocery shopping when you get the chance. I¡¯m not the best of cooks, but I can still whip up some decent meals.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯d be great,¡± Stryg was elated to have food prepared in his own home, he might even be able to eat in bed. The idea was tempting.


    ¡°Let me show you the bathroom,¡± he said.


    He led her to a large tiled room. A marble toilet sat on one side of the room, while a wide marble tub stood proud at the other end. A copper wash basin sat on a granite counter between the two.


    ¡°You turn this to get water,¡± he pointed to an iron spigot above the tub. ¡°Then take out the plug at the bottom of the tub to drain the water when you¡¯re done. I normally don¡¯t use the tub since the water here is cold.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I guess I¡¯ve gotten used to the warm showers at the academy.¡±


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± Feli screamed in glee.


    Stryg winced at the high pitch sound, but she didn¡¯t notice. Feli had never seen such nice hardware, and for a bathroom no less. Her life really was changing for the better.


    ¡°I can use this whenever I want?¡± Feli asked just to make sure.


    ¡°Yup. I can stay in this apartment until I graduate, which will be around 2 years and a few months from now. At which point I¡¯ll have to find another place to live.¡±


    Feli grinned inwardly. When the time came she¡¯d nudge Stryg to get a house in the villa district. But, for now she loved where she was.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the bedroom?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my favorite room,¡± Stryg smiled proudly.


    Like the other rooms, the bedroom was sparse, save for the largest bed Feli had ever seen. The titanic bed practically took up all the space.


    ¡°My master bought it for me as a bonus to becoming her apprentice. It¡¯s my prized possession,¡± Stryg jumped onto the bed, arms open wide. ¡°It¡¯s so soft. It beats the ground any day.¡±


    Feli smirked and fell on top of Stryg, ¡°Is it softer than me?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s hands began exploring under her blouse, ¡°Why don¡¯t we find out?¡±


    Felli giggled and kissed him.

 Chapter 48: Wild Knives Gang

    Chapter 48:


    ¡°Karen, we need to talk,¡± Shirleen said.


    ¡°Mom, can we¡­ Can we just not? Not today, please,¡± Karen sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for the past week. We can¡¯t ignore this. You were missing for days. Where were you? You¡¯ve been depressed all week. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m fine, okay,¡± Karen stood up from the kitchen table.


    ¡°Karen, you¡¯ve barely said a word to me this week. You don¡¯t even give me a chance to talk,¡± her brows knitted.


    Karen groaned, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ve just been a bit under the weather and I don¡¯t want to bother you with it. That¡¯s it. You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk right now. But, I need to know you¡¯re actually okay. If you¡¯re in trouble it could affect the whole family. I need to know everything is okay. If not, tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mom everything is fine. I¡¯m gonna head out.¡±


    ¡°Karen, are you leaving?¡± Sophi yawned from her room¡¯s doorway.


    ¡°Sorry, did we wake you?¡± Karen apologized to her younger sister.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, she should be up already, anyway. Actually, Karen, if you¡¯re going out, can you take your father¡¯s lunch to him, please. He¡¯s pulling another late shift,¡± Shirleen held out a basket with food.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Karen sighed. She grabbed the basket and opened the front door.


    ¡°We love you, Karen,¡± Shirleen smiled.


    ¡°...Thanks, mom,¡± Karen left.


    It was late morning and the sun basked Hollow Shade in warm light. The snow had finished melting and left the ground a muddy mess. Karen tried stepping on the few cobblestones haphazardly placed on the road. The morning crowds had already left for work, leaving the street with only a few people wandering about.


    For once in Karen¡¯s life she preferred the lack of people. She had been hiding in her home for over a week and she still wasn¡¯t ready to face the world. But, it was time she went looking for Jax and the Wild Knives gang. She wanted it all to end and that would require finding their location. There were a few hideouts she had in mind.


    ¡°Karen, there you are,¡± Jax appeared from the corner.


    His face was covered with a cloth mask but Karen recognized the oily voice anywhere. She tried hiding her surprise and fear.


    ¡°Jax, I was about to go looking for you,¡± Karen forced a strained smile. She had to play nice, otherwise she¡¯d pay the price later.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you say that. I¡¯ve been looking for you for days. I didn¡¯t think you were actually home, since you never came out. But, I¡¯m glad I checked one more time,¡± Jax said as he drew in closer.


    ¡°Yeah, I was staying at home until the coast was clear,¡± Karen took a step away but Jax took another step closer.


    ¡°Yeah, the gang has been having trouble evading the guards. Half of us were already caught by the time we managed to reach the western hideout. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± Jax put his arm around Karen¡¯s waist.


    He squeezed her bottom tightly, ¡°I¡¯ve missed this.¡±


    Karen swallowed, ¡°You seem to have made it out alright.¡±


    Gods how she wished he hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes, but it wasn¡¯t easy. There aren¡¯t many goblins walking around without a nose. I¡¯ve had to keep this mask on everytime I go out. What I¡¯d give to find that bastard who did this to me,¡± Jax sighed.


    He paused in his steps, ¡°Hey, if you ever see him make sure to tell me, alright? You don¡¯t even have to lure him anywhere, just tell me if you see him.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why would I ever do anything else?¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯m glad we have that settled. Let¡¯s head over to hideout, we¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t right now, I have to bring some food to my dad. But, I¡¯ll definitely head over when I¡¯m done,¡± Karen stepped away from Jax.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Jax said as he glanced at the sky.


    ¡°See ya later.¡± She walked away.


    A blinding pain smashed Karen from the back of her head. She dropped to her knees, her elbows slamming into the ground. Her vision blurred and darkened. Tears burned across her cheeks.


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d let you go? After everything you did? You were one of us, Karen. You were mine. Despite this city taking everything from us, I took you in. And how do you repay me?¡±


    Karen forced herself to look up. Jax held a knife in his hand. Had he hit her with butt of the knife? Why? She had done everything he wanted.


    ¡°By talking with that damn blue bastard,¡± Jax eyes blazed with anger.


    Shit. He had seen her with Stryg. He hadn¡¯t just coincidentally found her today, he was waiting for her.


    ¡°I gave you a chance to come clean. I held hope that I might have been wrong. That you were trying to lure him in like last time. Come to think of it, were you even trying to lure him in the first time? Or were you just fucking horny?¡±


    ¡°Please, please stop. I¡¯d never betray you,¡± Karen cried.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I see. Still with the lies, huh?¡± Jax took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I know how to take care of that.¡±


    He raised his knife, ¡°I promise you¡¯ll sing a different tune after you lose a finger or two.¡±


    Karen¡¯s eyes went round with fear. Her heart slammed in her chest. She needed to move. She had to move!


    Karen¡¯s foot rammed straight into Jax¡¯s ankle. He shouted in pain as he tumbled to the ground. Karen forced her shaky legs to get up. Before she knew it she was running away with what little strength she could manage.


    ¡°Run all you want! Go to that damn bastard. I¡¯ll just go get your family instead!¡± Jax screamed.


    Karen turned, but Jax was already gone. What should she do? Jax knew where she lived. She couldn¡¯t go to the guards, they¡¯d throw her into prison with the rest of the gang. They¡¯d accuse her family of harboring a criminal.


    If she tried going home Jax would already be there. Would he be alone? Even if he was, could she face him? Fear held her back. She couldn¡¯t. She had tried once before, and she remembered how that had ended. She had fallen unconscious around the men, but worst of all was waking up naked, cut, bruised. She had stopped fighting after that night. There was no one she could turn to. Her family wouldn¡¯t understand. Now they were in danger, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Jax. But, there were two who could. Plum and Stryg.


    Karen glanced between the paths. She could go home and try to help her family or she could get Stryg¡¯s help. If she left to find Stryg what would Jax do to her family? Her mom and Sophi? Could she help them? Or would they just hurt all of them. She shook with fear, indecision, and hatred of her pathetic self. She was a horrible person, she ran towards the magic academy.


    ~~~


    Miss Byrel, front-desk secretary of Hollow Shade¡¯s prestigious magic academy, sat still, as her hand shook in short movements. She only needed to finish writing a dozen more forms before she was finished for the day.


    The past week had been very busy for her, the semester was ending, and she was in charge of writing the letters to send home to the families. It would be fine if all she had to do was write the scores of the students. The real problem was the professors. So many of them ordered one item or another from the trade district, intent on using them for their exams.


    The issue was that all those packages would arrive at the front desk. Byrel had to approve each one personally and oftentimes deliver them to each classroom. The whole thing was exhausting, but at least she was almost done.


    The front metal doors swung open as a goblin girl ran in. Her feet left mud stains all over the marble floor. Byrel sighed, she¡¯d need to find one of the janitors to clean this mess. One of the entrance guards was behind the goblin, ready to act in case anything went wrong.


    Karen ran up to the frowning drow, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for Stryg. Uh, he¡¯s a student here. Please, it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± Byrel asked.


    ¡°Uh, no.¡±


    ¡°Then leave. I have no time to waste with a goblin commoner.¡±


    The guard took his cue and grabbed Karen by the arm, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, please! Stryg told me to come! He¡¯s a student here. I have an urgent message to deliver, you wouldn¡¯t disobey a mage¡¯s order would you?¡± Karen pleaded.


    The guard paused at her words. He looked at Byrel for direction.


    ¡°Tell me the message, I¡¯ll get it to him, eventually,¡± Byrel sighed.


    ¡°I just said it¡¯s urgent. It has to be now. I have to tell him personally, please. My family is in danger. I¡¯m begging you please.¡±


    Byrel looked at the crying girl with irritation. If she was telling the truth, Byrel could get in trouble for not delivering the message to one of the students. She was about to finish her work as well, dammit.


    Byrel reluctantly stood up, ¡°If you¡¯re lying I¡¯ll have the guards put you in shackles faster than you can say ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Come quick, I don¡¯t have time to waste. Let us find this Stryg.¡±


    The guard released Karen. She looked at Byrel, evident relief on her face, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ~~~


    Byrel glanced between her ledger and the classroom door.


    ¡°This should be the one,¡± she muttered.


    She knocked on the door twice.


    ¡°You may come in,¡± Professor Rime said from the other side.


    Byrel opened the door ajar, ¡°Pardon me, professor.¡±


    ¡°Miss Byrel. To what do I owe the interruption of my class?¡± Rime asked, tapping his foot.


    ¡°My apologies, I have someone who must urgently speak with one of your students, his name is¡­¡± Byrel read the name off her ledger, ¡°Stryg.¡±


    Rime sighed, ¡°Stryg, leave my class. Close the door on your way out and don¡¯t bother coming back for the day. I don¡¯t have time for anymore interruptions.¡±


    Kithina glanced at Stryg who sat next to her.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Stryg responded and stood up from his seat.


    Kithina shook her head, why was he always so difficult?


    Stryg didn¡¯t bother saying anything to Rime, it¡¯d probably just annoy the drow. Stryg had an idea of who might have requested to see him. He walked out of the classroom, into the hallway and spotted the small goblin behind Byrel, confirming his suspicions.


    ¡°Karen, did you find out where they are?¡± Stryg asked.


    Karen eyes shimmered, ¡°Styrg, it¡¯s really bad, the-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that goblin student,¡± Byrel interrupted with a frown. ¡°This is the one you asked me to find? I should have guessed. I should have had you kicked out, girl. Waste of my time,¡± she snapped at Karen.


    Karen bit her lip and looked away. She couldn¡¯t talk back, she was just a commoner.


    ¡°Actually, it is your job,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What?¡± Byrel turned her glare towards him.


    ¡°You are a secretary of this academy. One of your duties is to assist students with messages in and out of the academy. Bringing Karen here is part of that job.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it, boy,¡± Byrel sneered.


    ¡°Or what? Are you, a common secretary, going to attack me? A student mageborn? Please, do try,¡± Stryg smiled but his pupils narrowed into thin slits.


    Byrel lifted her head in disdain, turned on her heel, and walked away. Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears caught Byrel¡¯s quiet muttering, ¡°Damn goblins.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± Karen sighed in relief.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you,¡± Stryg said.


    The drow woman had it coming. She had been the first face he saw when he arrived at the academy and she had made it amply clear that he was not welcome, a sentiment shared by many of the staff, including professor Rime. She was undoubtedly his enemy, but he couldn¡¯t kill her because she worked at the academy. He had to settle with this little bit of payback for now.


    ¡°Did you find the gang¡¯s location?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, but Jax knows I betrayed him. H-he... He took my family. He has my mom and little sister. Please, you have to help them,¡± Karen cried.


    Stryg studied her face. Tears were falling from her sleep deprived eyes. It didn¡¯t seem as if she was lying. He hadn¡¯t believed her before, perhaps this time he should. If so, they¡¯d needed to act quickly.


    ¡°Show me to where they are,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course. But, what about Miss Plum?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be coming.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Change of plans. Don¡¯t ask anymore questions, just show me the way,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum didn¡¯t need to know that Karen had found the gangsters. He¡¯d kill them himself and would just lie to Plum about how Karen had never found them, that they had been caught by the guards.


    Sorry, Plum, Stryg thought. He didn¡¯t wish to lie to his friend, but he wasn¡¯t going to let Plum get in the way of his vengeance.


    ¡°We¡¯re losing daylight. Let¡¯s go,¡± he said grimly.

 Chapter 49: Moonlit Brawl

    Chapter 49:


    ¡°That¡¯s the place,¡± Karen pointed at an old wooden house.


    Stryg and Karen were currently hiding in an alleyway a few dozen feet away. Karen had led Stryg to one of the poorer areas of the commoner district. It had taken them most of the day to arrive and the sun was already beginning to set.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Karen asked. She kept fidgeting, worried for her mother and little sister. Were they alright? Were they hurt? ...Were they alive?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wait until it gets dark, then I¡¯m going to sneak into the house,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°But what about my family? We can¡¯t just wait out here doing nothing!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°If I go in now they¡¯ll see me coming and we aren¡¯t going to do anything. Last I checked, you can¡¯t fight. You¡¯ll just be a hindrance to me. You should leave before it gets dark, don¡¯t trust the sentinels around here. Some have been malfunctioning and I don¡¯t know if they have been fixed yet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any sentinels. All I want is my family to be safe. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens to me.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Karen, if you don¡¯t value your own safety that¡¯s fine. But, if you go there now, you¡¯re putting me at risk. I won¡¯t go in and follow you into a trap. You¡¯ll be out there by yourself. When Jax realizes that, he¡¯ll kill your family if he hasn¡¯t already, then he¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯m your best bet and I¡¯m going out there when the sun falls.¡±


    ¡°I risked my family¡¯s safety to come find you and you¡¯re not willing to do the same for them?¡± Karen accused him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already put myself in danger for strangers and I was injured for it. I¡¯m not taking that risk again, especially when I¡¯m going to need my full strength.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cruel,¡± Karen said with tears in her eyes.


    Stryg hauled Karen up by the collar of her shirt, ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight. I¡¯m here to kill Jax and his crew. I¡¯m not here to save your family and I¡¯m definitely not here to die. Understood?¡±


    Karen¡¯s feet dangled off the ground, as her hands tried prying Stryg¡¯s hand away, but he didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Understood?¡± Stryg pushed her against the wall. He wasn¡¯t about to let her ruin his chances of victory because she was too dumb to understand simple hunting tactics.


    Karen¡¯s shoulders slumped. He was like the rest it seemed. She finally nodded. Stryg let her go. She fell to her knees in defeat. Karen was used to abuse of power, intimidation tactics. She fell into the familiar submissive role before Stryg would hurt her. Stryg was unfair, cruel even. Yet, deep down she believed she deserved much worse, she had abandoned her family.


    Stryg mumbled something under his breath and glanced at Karen.


    He groaned in frustration, ¡°I don¡¯t know if your family is alive. But, if they are, it¡¯s your job to keep them alive,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Karen raised her head in confusion.


    ¡°Once I go in, wait five minutes. After that go through the back door. You''re in charge of getting your family to safety while I deal with the others. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Karen wiped the tears from her eyes. This was her chance at redemption. She wouldn¡¯t fail.


    They waited in the alleyway for the next half hour until the sky darkened and only moonlight graced the empty streets.


    ¡°Is this dark enough for you?¡± Karen asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg pulled out a small dagger. He had bought it from a vendor just for this day.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now you wait,¡± Stryg said.


    He took a deep breath and tried to focus. He remembered how his master Loh had told him that shadow spells didn¡¯t need to be corporeal to be deadly. He had proven this when he fought the guard at the Merry Crescent. He had used the shadows as cover to get close to his enemy. This time he had something similar in mind, but on a smaller scale, more compact and concise.


    Stryg searched within himself for the emotion that called his power forth. The anger was just below the surface of his being. It rose to meet him like an old enemy.


    Tonight, he¡¯d finally get revenge on the bastards that had attacked him all those months ago. He was no longer a lost child of the Blood Fang tribe. He was a manifold mage eager for blood. The shadows around him darkened to different gradients, blending into the murky wall behind him. The shadows enclosed around him like a snug cloak.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Karen¡¯s eyes widened, she took a few steps back. This was real magic. Stryg really was a mage. ¡°Y-you disappeared I can¡¯t see you. There¡¯s only a smudge of shadows.¡±


    ¡°Three minutes Karen,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Karen made a small prayer to Lunae, goddess of the moon, asking her to keep them safe.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t actually invisible; the shadows simply helped to keep him camouflaged in the night. While it didn¡¯t require the same amount of focus to cast the spell, it still took a lot for Stryg to maintain the spell. His mana could hold out, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long his focus could. He needed to be quick. Stryg ran through the dark street as fast as he could. Within a few seconds he was at the old house.


    Loh had recently begun teaching Stryg how to use grey magic¡¯s drain spell form, but he wasn¡¯t very confident in casting any grey spell yet. Stryg looked at his own shadowy figure. It didn¡¯t matter, he didn¡¯t need grey magic. He recalled Melantha the Blue. She only needed a single spell form to deal with her enemies. He¡¯d do the same.


    Stryg crouched low and began walking around the house. He concentrated his hearing, trying to pick out where the goblins inside were. He heard a few voices talking at the front of the house, but he couldn¡¯t hear what they said. A few more to the west side of the house, their voices were a bit clearer. A few muffled cries resounded off the east side. The south was quiet. Stryg headed to the southern window. The latch was worn and he had no difficulty cracking it open with his dagger.


    Stryg paused after the latch broke, listening for anyone who might come check. There were no footsteps. Stryg pushed the windows open, but they creaked loudly as they swung open on rusty hinges. He cursed in silence. He jumped past the window sill and into the house. He rolled as his feet touched the ground and darted behind the closed door.


    He could hear a set of footsteps nearing. The door opened and a young male goblin stepped into the room. The thug looked around, searching for an intruder. He spotted the open window and went to close it. Stryg sprung from behind the door and rammed his knife right into the goblin¡¯s neck. Stryg used his momentum to pull the goblin to the floor. Stryg caught the flailing goblin before he hit the ground. Stryg held him tight as the goblin flailed his limbs, his last breaths becoming gurgles of blood.


    Stryg pulled the dying goblin to the wall, away from view of the door. The thug tried to clutch at his own neck weakly. Stryg pulled the dagger out and stabbed him twice more in the jugular, silencing the goblin.


    Stryg listened for any movement, but there was none. He peeked his head out the door to ensure the hallway was clear. The empty corridor was bathed in light. His shadow-cloaked self would stick out like a sore thumb. He took a deep breath and released the spell. The shadows faded away and revealed Stryg¡¯s form. His hands were covered in blood.


    He was glad he hadn¡¯t brought Plum¡¯s scarf with him. If things went well he¡¯d be drenched red soon enough. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He could hear a few voices coming from the adjacent room. Stryg could hear the muffled cries of a child, Sophi, he guessed.


    ¡°Stop with the crying already. Gods, we already gagged her but she¡¯s still so damn loud,¡± a female voice complained.


    ¡°Please, she¡¯s just a child. Just leave her be,¡± Shirleen pleaded.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make your kid shut up, then I¡¯ll do it,¡± a male voice said.


    ¡°Wait! No, don¡¯t touch her!¡± Shirleen shouted.


    ¡°Back off bitch!¡± The male voice shouted.


    A loud smack resounded as Shirleen cried out. Stryg could hear Sophi screaming through her gagged mouth. Stryg crept up to the door and peeked through the bottom. Karen¡¯s young sister Sophi was on the floor. She made muffled moans of pain as the male gangster kicked her in the gut repeatedly.


    ¡°Leave her alone, please! Do anything you want to me, just please leave my daughter alone!¡± Shirleen yelled.


    The female gangster yanked Shirleen by her hair, ¡°You just don¡¯t get it do you lady? Stop acting like you have any say in this. You¡¯re messing with the wrong people here. Only reason the others haven¡¯t had their way with you yet is because Jax is waiting for little Karen to come back. But, don¡¯t you worry, they¡¯ll fuck you up real well after Karen arrives. Hell, they can even have a mother daughter duo. You keep talking and they might throw little Sophi into the mix too.¡±


    ¡°Finally she¡¯s quiet,¡± the male gangster sneered. Sophi lay unmoving on the floor.


    Shirleen screamed in a wretched hoarse voice, yet no intelligible words came out. Both gangsters turned to the wailing woman. It was more than enough of a diversion for Stryg. He slammed the door open and dashed at the male. The gangster only had time to look at Stryg as his blade sank into the goblin¡¯s eye socket. He was dead before he hit the ground. The female gangster screamed for help, but Shirleen¡¯s cries of agony drowned her out.


    Stryg moved in on her, blade in hand. She fumbled with her own blade, trying to take it out of its sheath. Stryg was already on her when she finally pulled it out. She made a clumsy slash at him. He caught the armed hand and stabbed her in the gut with his own dagger. She gasped in pain, but Stryg didn¡¯t let her make another noise. He pulled out the dagger and kept stabbing in quick succession through the gut as she fell to the ground.


    Shirleen ignored the bloody events as she crawled her way to the Sophi. Shirleen¡¯s hands and feet were bound by rope, yet it didn¡¯t stop her from trying to hold her daughter in her hands. The mother opened her mouth. Only a hollow broken sound whispered out. Her hands shook as she caressed her daughter¡¯s still face.


    ¡°What the hell is going on over there?¡± Leroy shouted from the end of the hallway.


    Stryg recognized the voice of Jax¡¯s right hand man instantly. He pulled the dagger out of the dead goblin and crept to the door.


    ¡°Guys? What¡¯s going on?¡± Leroy called out hesitantly. He walked towards the room slowly. He paused when he got close. A puddle of blood leaked from the doorway.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Leroy shouted as he turned to run.


    Stryg cursed, leapt out of the room and rushed him. Leroy tried running back into the room he came from. Stryg dived to the ground, his hand extended as far as he could reach. His dagger slashed at Leroy¡¯s ankle as the goblin reached the door. Leroy fell to the ground with a shout of pain.


    He clutched his bloodied foot, tears forming in his eyes, ¡°Fuuccck!¡±


    Stryg grabbed his dagger, stood up, and advanced forward, ¡°Fuck you Leroy.¡±


    An iron bolt shot through the air and pierced Stryg¡¯s shoulder, nailing him to the wall. He wheezed in pain and shock. His dagger slipped out of his numb hand.


    ¡°No, fuck you Stryg,¡± Jax said and pulled back his crossbow string.

 Chapter 50: I Know a Doc

    Chapter 50:


    Stryg stared at Jax in surprise. How could he have been so foolish? Of course Jax was still here. How could he have been so stupid to not check his surroundings thoroughly. He had been blinded by his eagerness to kill the damn downed goblin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment ever since that day we first met,¡± Jax said.


    ¡°The feeling¡¯s mutual,¡± Stryg grunted. He tried clawing at the iron bolt with his good arm.


    Jax laughed, ¡°Then today is your lucky day.¡± He glanced at the downed Leroy, ¡°Where¡¯s Karen?¡±


    Leroy shook his head, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. Jax, I¡¯m bleeding here. I need help, please.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. We can take care of that once we¡¯re done here. Safety first, idiot,¡± Jax said. He looked at Stryg and chuckled, ¡°I learned that from you, you know? I learned to keep my distance too. On account of what you did to my face.¡±


    Jax pulled off his cloth mask to reveal his disfigured face. His nose was gone and in its place were two small holes.


    ¡°I had to learn to do a lot of things differently. Like wear a mask every time I go out. I also learned how to shoot a crossbow. This baby was quite expensive I have to admit. Not something a commoner could normally get their hands on. I barely managed to get her off a black market in the night district.¡±


    Jax patted his crossbow affectionately.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me get a closer look?¡± Stryg said through grit teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯d like that wouldn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry, you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together from here on out. I¡¯m going to have fun ripping off bits of you for days.¡± Jax began to reload the crossbow with another bolt.


    The first bolt was lodged deep into Stryg¡¯s shoulder and the wall behind. No matter how much he tried, Stryg couldn¡¯t pull the bolt out. His intangible shadows wouldn¡¯t help him here either. He wasn¡¯t like Melantha the Blue, able to destroy an entire host of enemies by herself. He was just some goblin idiot about to be killed by another goblin idiot.


    The door to the back room creaked open. Jax turned his head to look past the hallway. Karen had tried opening the door slowly to make less noise, but she hadn¡¯t counted on the rusty hinges. She winced in shame at her horrible blunder.


    Stryg cursed silently. She was supposed to be a damn pickpocket, silence was meant to be a given.


    ¡°Karen, is that you? You¡¯re just in time,¡± Jax curled his lips. The lack of a nose made the smile look like a horrid imitation of a person.


    Karen¡¯s eyes widened in fear. She tried pulling the door closed. Jax raised his crossbow at her. Stryg roared in raw frustration. He kicked the wall behind him with all the force he could muster, his shoulder ripping right past the bolt. He didn¡¯t stop and instead used his momentum to rush at Jax.


    Jax swiveled the crossbow at Stryg and fired right as Stryg tackled him. They both slammed into the ground with a crash. Stryg could feel the second bolt lodged into his leg, his nerves firing off in agony. Jax tried to get up, but Stryg used what little strength he had left to slap him in the face, his claws raking across his eye. Jax screamed in pain. He pulled out his own dagger and slammed it at Stryg¡¯s chest. He caught Jax¡¯s arm right before the blade sunk into his flesh.


    Stryg was stronger than him, but he could only hold the dagger back with one arm, whose strength was quickly failing. He groaned in pain as the blade¡¯s edge began to cut through his chest. Jax laughed maniacally, pushing the dagger down with all his might. An iron blade slipped into Jax¡¯s back. He arched backwards and cried out in pain.


    Stryg caught Karen¡¯s silhouette from the corner of his eye. He didn¡¯t question her reasoning for coming back. He didn¡¯t waste time, he lunged forward and sank his teeth into Jax¡¯s exposed jugular. Before Jax could stab him, Stryg ripped away, tearing the gangster¡¯s neck open wide. They both collapsed to the floor.


    Karen watched the scene in shock. She had seen Stryg wrestling with Jax. Stryg was about to be killed, she had been terrified of what that meant for her family and her. For once in her life she couldn¡¯t just stand by. She had stumbled into the room, picked up Stryg¡¯s knife and stabbed Jax in the back. She had actually done it. She had attacked her tormentor, her fear hadn¡¯t gotten the best of her. Karen shook in disbelief at the entire situation. Jax was dead and Stryg, he was...


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Karen rushed to his side. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He lay on the floor with a bloody shoulder and an iron bolt lodged into his leg. He spat out the green flesh in his mouth, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods what do I do? I don¡¯t know what to do!?¡± Karen shouted in panic.


    ¡°Get me closer,¡± Stryg took a weak breath, ¡°to his body.¡±


    Karen looked at Jax¡¯s corpse with doubt, ¡°Stryg, we need to find a doctor. I don¡¯t even know first aid.¡±


    ¡°Closer, dammit,¡± Stryg said through bloody teeth.


    ¡°Uh, right,¡± Karen gingerly helped Stryg to his knees and pulled him closer to Jax¡¯s body.


    He could barely feel his body anymore, the numbness taking over. It was good, it meant the pain was dulled, making the next part easier, that was if he could only stay focused. Stryg touched Jax¡¯s arm with stiff fingers. Jax had only just died, his body was still full of life energy, hypothetically.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not M-melantha,¡± he whispered softly.


    Stryg willed his fading mind to focus with all the meager volition he had left. He needed to survive, the thought consumed everything else. His heart pulsed with power as grey mana flooded into his veins and into the tips of his fingers. His body began slowly, but steadily draining the life energy of Jax and absorbing it into himself.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Stryg could feel the warm lifeforce coursing through him and pooling into his shoulder and leg. His will was depleting, his mind crumbling. He released the drain spell before it could backfire. He felt his body sink through the air. Karen caught him before his face kissed the wooden floor.


    ¡°Stryg are you okay, what just happened? Why does Jax¡¯s body look kind of grey?¡± Karen asked, worry seeping from her voice.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay.¡±


    His mind was tired, but his body felt like it had a bit more energy. He could at least think. ¡°I got the bleeding to stop in my shoulder at least. I¡¯m not sure about my leg. We need to find a doctor. I know one in the trade district.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Karen sighed in relief. Her head shot up, ¡°Wait, where¡¯s my family?¡±


    Stryg looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s Leroy and the others?¡±


    ~~~


    Leroy limped away from the hideout as fast as he could. The moment he saw Stryg tackle Jax to the ground was the moment he decided that Jax was done for.


    Leroy wouldn¡¯t die because of some stupid vendetta. He had crossed paths with Stryg thrice now and each time ended with others in a bloody mess. Leroy didn¡¯t plan on adding to the body count.


    He saw one or two stragglers run out from the house as well. He tried following them, but his cut ankle slowed him down. He shouted for help, but none answered.


    It didn¡¯t matter, none of the others mattered anymore. He¡¯d find a new gang, on a different side of the commoner district. As far away from that blue freak as possible.


    He turned a corner to where the other thugs had gone. A couple of sentinels came into view and shambled towards him, their iron chains clinking across the ground.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Leroy cursed as he fumbled to find his iron nameplate.


    The sentinels drew closer and raised their chains up high.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Leroy cursed.


    Finally, he found it and brandished the nameplate at the sentinels right as they closed in on him. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.


    The sentinels slung their chains at his head. He fell to the ground with a sickening wet crunch. The sentinels raised their chains again and swung them down with a monotonous repetition. They didn¡¯t stop.


    ~~~


    Celica Skeller, white mage of Hollow Shade, prided herself on her quality service. Her ability to heal injuries was well-known in the trade district. People looked up to her, she was respected in the district. A prominent orc amidst the middle-class menagerie of drow and vampire. People wouldn¡¯t dare to disrespect her, much less brazenly bother her. So, why in the world was someone knocking on her door at midnight?


    Celica groaned from her bed upstairs. She was regretting staying the night at her clinic. Her husband had the carriage with him and the walk to her house in the bourge district was a little too far for her taste. Still, she would have gladly taken it had she known she would be woken up at this late hour.


    Celica reluctantly sat up, put on her slippers, and shuffled her way downstairs. She cast a white bright spell and created a small orb of light as a makeshift lamp. All the while the incessant knocking didn¡¯t stop.


    Celica eventually got to the front and peeked through the small hole in the door. She opened the door with a sigh, ¡°What in all the bloody Null Realms are you doing here?¡±


    Stryg stood on two shaky feet, he was heavily leaning on Karen for support.


    ¡°Hello, my beautiful savior,¡± Stryg said with a small grin.


    ¡°Well, at least you remembered how to address me,¡± Celica crossed her arms. ¡°But flattery won¡¯t be enough. Why are you here in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°I would have gotten here earlier, but we were slowed down a bit,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯m closed, come back tomorrow at some godly hour,¡± Celica began closing the door.


    ¡°Wait, please, it¡¯s urgent,¡± Stryg stuck his hand out.


    ¡°What happened? Get jumped by gangsters again?¡± Celica questioned with a raised eyebrow. She noticed his meagerly bandaged leg.


    ¡°Actually, I did the jumping this time,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Huh. Yeah, you don¡¯t look very good at that, still you seem to be hanging in just fine,¡± Celica noted. ¡°Come back tomorrow if you want me to patch up whatever scrapes you got and make sure to bring money. I¡¯m not cheap.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not here for Stryg,¡± Karen interrupted.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Celica asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m no one. But, my sister is everything, please help her,¡± Karen pleaded with tears in her eyes.


    Celica looked past her doorway and noticed a goblin woman holding a small child. Shirleen cradled Sophi in her arms, making small cooing noises. Sophi didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Celica asked, walking up to Shirleen.


    Shirleen ignored her and continued whispering to Sophi.


    ¡°She was badly hurt by some gangsters. It¡¯s faint, but she¡¯s still breathing,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t waste time,¡± Celica reached out to grab Sophi.


    Shirleen gripped her daughter tight and backed away.


    ¡°Mom, please. She¡¯s a white mage, she can heal Sophi. Let her help,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shirleen screamed at the top of her lungs.


    It was the first time she had spoken since Sophi was attacked.


    ¡°This is your fault! I told you! I told you to talk to me. To tell me if something was wrong and you lied. S-sophi. She. S-she¡­¡± Shirleen fell to her knees and rocked her child in her arms, crying over her.


    Karen reached out her hand, but held back. Her mother was right. This was her fault. It was all her fault.


    Celica crouched next to Shirleen, ¡°I know you must be hurting a lot right now. But, if you don¡¯t let me help your daughter at this very moment, I promise you will suffer much worse.¡±


    Shirleen looked away and stared into Sophi¡¯s still face. Shirleen¡¯s tears stained Sophi¡¯s pale cheeks.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Stryg pushed himself away from Karen. He limped over to Shirleen and slapped her across the face.


    Shirleen tipped right over from the blow. Her grip loosened on Sophi.


    ¡°Karen grab your sister, now,¡± Stryg ordered grimly.


    Karen didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She ran up to Sophi and picked her up gently.


    Shirleen grabbed Sophi¡¯s shirt and tried to pull her back, ¡°Let go of her!¡±


    Stryg grabbed Shirleen¡¯s wrist, ¡°Sophi is going to die.¡±


    Shirleen and Karen froze at the morbid implication.


    ¡°Sophi will die,¡± Stryg continued, ¡°You¡¯re powerless to stop it. There¡¯s nothing you can do to prevent her death. Unless, you let her go right now. Let. Her. Go.¡±


    Shirleen¡¯s lip quivered as she looked at her child.


    ¡°Sophi,¡± she murmured. Her grip loosened. Karen pulled Sophi away slowly.


    Stryg turned to Celica, ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your violent methods, but it¡¯ll do. Come inside. I¡¯m charging you extra for the late night visit,¡± Celica motioned them into the clinic.


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll need some patching up after you''re done taking care of the girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s extra,¡± Celica said.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Stryg sighed.

 Chapter 51: A Clinical Conversation

    Chapter 51:


    Shirleen slept in a chair, her upper body lying at the foot of Sophi¡¯s bed. Celica had spent most of the night casting white healing spells over Sophi¡¯s body. After a thorough examination Celica concluded that Sophi had suffered severe internal injuries, ranging from bruises across her entire body, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. Celica said she was lucky to be alive, had they brought her in any later, Sophi would be dead.


    While Celica was an accomplished master mage, her white spells could only do so much. She had managed to heal her lung, but her ribs were still mending as were her contusions. It was up to Sophi¡¯s body to do the rest. The child had yet to awaken, but given a few months she was expected to make a healthy recovery.


    Stryg leaned back in a chair a few beds away from Sophi and her parents. He would have liked to have gotten some sleep like the daughter and mother duo, but he wasn¡¯t going to leave himself vulnerable in a clinic in the middle of the trade district. Sure, he trusted Celica enough to heal him, but the others, like her assistants or other guests, not so much.


    Besides, he was waiting for Rorik to get back to him with an update on the situation. Celica had sent one of her assistants to fetch the guard captain earlier that morning, with news of the gang fight that had transpired. Karen had given her side of the story before she went to bring her dad over. Stryg had filled in the rest, which simply summed up to him breaking into a house and killing people. It sounded fine to him, but the assistant seemed disturbed. Stryg decided he didn¡¯t like the assistants here.


    Karen¡¯s dad stood up from besides Sophi¡¯s bed and walked over.


    Stryg sat up with caution, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, to disturb you. I know you''re probably trying to rest, I know I would after the night you had. I just came over to say thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°Madam Skeller tells me you¡¯re the one who saved my daughter. Both my daughters, actually. My wife too.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my goal, I was just there to kill some thugs.¡±


    The only reason Stryg had even brought them here was because he felt a strange pang of sympathy for the small goblin child. She reminded Stryg of himself as a child, bruised and beaten. It was bad enough that he had gotten help during a battle from Karen, a non-tribemate. It was a shame to his pride as a sylvan goblin. Her father¡¯s gratitude only served to remind him of that failure.


    ¡°I understand,¡± the father nodded. ¡°You know, like many people, I grew up hearing many stories of heroes. Most of the tales were about the powerful and ruthless warriors of the Ebon Realm. But, some stories were about the humble heroes. People who would save others without anything in return, not even a mention of gratitude. I didn¡¯t believe those stories, I mean what sort of powerful being wouldn¡¯t wish to be praised. Even the gods want praise. Those stories seemed farfetched, until now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at,¡± Stryg frowned.


    If this man was implying Stryg was humble then he was the greatest fool in the land. Stryg wasn¡¯t a hero either, far from it.


    Kithina loved gushing about those stupid tales of gallant heroes, coming in to save the day, no matter the cost to themselves. Stryg thought the idea incredibly stupid and a quick way to meet death. He would rather be the strongest of all, the king.


    The kings in the stories were always surrounded by a host of beautiful women, a guard of loyal warriors, and a retinue of loyal vassals, ruling their castles from afar, feared and respected by all. Stryg didn¡¯t wish to be the unassuming idiot on a life-threatening quest for the small chance the princess might give him a second glance.


    Karen¡¯s father looked at Sophi sleeping soundly across the room, ¡°About a week ago my wife told me how Sophi and her were attacked by a pair of sentinels. She thought they were doomed, until a mysterious stranger appeared from the sky and saved them both. He was injured in the encounter. Yet, after he escorted Shirleen and Sophi back home he didn¡¯t ask for a reward. He didn¡¯t ask to be sheltered. He didn¡¯t even state his name. He vanished as quickly as he appeared. A mystery. A hero.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how this has anything to do with the conversation at hand,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Shirleen didn¡¯t know who the stranger was. Only that he had a silver nameplate and a most unique appearance. Ash colored hair, pale purple eyes, and bluish skin. Does it remind you of anyone?¡±


    ¡°A drow maybe?¡±


    Karen¡¯s father smiled, ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know why you saved my family, twice at that, for no hope of a reward. But, to me, you are my hero.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for them,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes. ¡°I just didn¡¯t like the gangsters or the sentinels for that matter. I¡¯m not your damn hero, I¡¯m just a mage who got shot, twice, becuase of my own stupid mistakes, not for your family.¡±


    Karen¡¯s father nodded, ¡°I understand, even still.¡± He knelt on the ground and prostrated himself, his head to floor, ¡°I can never repay you for what you¡¯ve done, but from the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful. I am just a simple brewer, but if there¡¯s anything I can ever do to repay even a fraction of your kindness, please just say the word. Anything at all.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Stryg was frozen by the gesture of submission. This was what he had always wanted, right? To have other goblins bow to him. To have them serve him. For them to respect him, not ridicule him. Yet, ironically the act was born out of a false idea of Stryg¡¯s altruism. The man wasn¡¯t bowing becuase he feared Stryg¡¯s power. Of course, leave it to Stryg, the oddity of nature to not even get this right.


    ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± Rorik asked from the doorway.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Stryg stood up and headed towards the door. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the hall. Did you get the message?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Rorik said. ¡°And I have to say I¡¯m impressed. My men have been looking for the Wild Knives gang for almost two weeks now. We barely caught a few of them and you wipe them all out in one night.¡±


    ¡°Not all of them. At least one escaped, but I cut his leg, he shouldn¡¯t have gotten far.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find him. With most dead, including their leader, I can finally get a good night¡¯s sleep. The gang stole from one of our higher-end shops in the trade district and the owner was livid with me. He threatened to get me fired from my post if I didn¡¯t catch the damn thieves. Thanks to you, I doubt we¡¯ll be seeing the gang again. I can finally put this whole thing to rest.¡± Rorik grinned, ¡°By the way, don¡¯t worry about Celica¡¯s fees, I¡¯ve got it covered.¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my men and I come here whenever we get injured on the job. The city pays for our medical fees since they occurred in the line of duty. Since you finished our job this time around I pulled a few strings to have the garrison cover your fees. Can¡¯t say the same about the little girl, but don¡¯t worry about that either. I personally paid for her medical expenses; my personal thanks to you,¡± Rorik winked.


    Stryg felt a weight lift off his shoulders. ¡°Thanks, I really appreciate it. I didn¡¯t think the fees were going to be so expensive until Celica handed me the bill this morning. I thought my savings were gone.¡±


    ¡°You have savings? Well, look at you, a businessman now,¡± Rorik laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t own a business. My master simply told me I should save some of my wages, for whatever reason she has yet to share with me.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like my wife,¡± Rorik complained.


    ¡°If you are done gossiping Rorik, I¡¯d like to have a word with my patient,¡± Celica popped her head out from her office door.


    ¡°Of course, madam,¡± Rorik feigned a cough and cleared his throat.


    Stryg nodded to Rorik and entered the orc¡¯s office. Celica sat in her chair, tapping her fingers on her desk. Stryg looked at the red-skinned woman with mild curiosity.


    ¡°Close the door,¡± Celica said.


    Stryg did so. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Celica tapped her desk in thought, ¡°Last night when I was casting my healing spells I noticed you were already healing a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I used a drain spell to close my shoulder wound. I hope that didn¡¯t interfere with your spell casting,¡± he said.


    She shook her head, ¡°No, not that. I noticed your grey magic¡¯s work the moment I first glanced at your shoulder. No, I was referring to your natural healing. By the time I tended to your wounds, they were already closing up, the bleeding had already stopped. Healing spells help accelerate the healing process and the greatest of these spells can even reverse some wounds that should be impossible to recover from.¡±


    She stared at her palms, ¡°I hate to admit it, but I¡¯m no arch mage. My magic can only go so far, the body has to do the rest, like with Sophi in the other room. Yet, here you stand, without the limp from yesterday.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°I thought that was because of your spells.¡±


    ¡°My spells helped, sure, but it¡¯s your body that¡¯s the main cause. I know you¡¯re a hybrid and from what you¡¯ve told me you¡¯re not sure which kind. That was fine, your anatomy was close enough to a goblin that my knowledge of healing spells covered whatever gaps I had on the rest of your biology. I was fine not knowing anything more, there was no need. But, now I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Is something wrong?¡± Stryg asked.


    Celica clasped her hands together, ¡°Stryg, this is the second time you¡¯ve come into my clinic with severe injuries. Both times with a large loss of blood. Just like last time I used white magic to heal your wounds. I only did a light checkup on your body on each occasion. One thing I did do both times was check your pulse. It was above average, which is normal when a patient loses a lot of blood. The problem lies in what happened later. I checked your pulse again this morning, after your wounds seemed to have completely recovered.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°...Your heart rate wasn¡¯t just above average. I¡¯m talking about impossible rates above average. You should be dead right where you stand. I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re not. I¡¯ve dealt with a few other hybrids, we read up on them back in the academy as part of a white mage¡¯s training. I¡¯ve even been scanning my medical books, too.¡±


    She sighed in exasperation, ¡°Nothing I¡¯ve seen mentions an absurdly high heart rate like yours. Now, I can¡¯t rule out that you could simply have a unique mutation, but not all mutations are necessarily good. We don¡¯t know the entire ramifications of your pulse or your healing rate. Don¡¯t even get me started on your eyes.¡±


    Celica pointed at her own eyes for demonstration, ¡°Your pupils keep dilating and constricting with no light stimuli, that¡¯s not a good thing. Pupils constrict to prevent large amounts of light from entering your eyes, it''s a defense mechanism in some ways. Your pupils are failing at that completely, it¡¯s bad, Stryg. I think it¡¯d be a good idea if you stayed overnight so I can perform a thorough check up on your body.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to charge me?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, my time is precious. I don¡¯t give it out for free,¡± Celica shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think money should be of your main concern right now.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass,¡± he made a twisted smile.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think this is something you should take lightly, Stryg. Your body could be in danger,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. In fact, these past months have been the best my body has felt in my entire life. I highly doubt there¡¯s something wrong." Besides he wasn¡¯t interested in shelling out money to this greedy orc.


    ¡°You men are so stubborn,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Madam Skeller!¡± Karen¡¯s father shouted from the other room. ¡°She¡¯s awake! Sophi¡¯s awake!¡±

 Chapter 52: Something About Fate

    Chapter 52:


    Celica got up from her desk and rushed over to Sophi¡¯s bed. Stryg followed from a distance. Shirleen was crying over Sophi, hugging her tightly. Sophi blearily looked over to her dad, unsure what to make of the situation.


    ¡°Get off her, you¡¯ll squeeze the poor girl to death!¡± Celica chastised.


    At the mention of death, Shirleen threw herself back, afraid to hurt her daughter. Her husband held her hand in comfort.


    Celica smiled at Sophi and began a short examination over her condition. She placed her hand over Sophi¡¯s ribs. The palm of her hand began to glow a bright white, as if a fire was right beneath. Sophi sighed in relief at the healing spell. Once Celica was done she spoke with the parents for a bit, then walked back to Stryg.


    ¡°Her body seems to be responding well to my healing spells,¡± Celica said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°...So, she¡¯s going to be alright then?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, thank the gods.¡±


    He looked at Celica in surprise, ¡°I thought orcs weren¡¯t religious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a common misconception. Most orcs believe in all the gods. We just don¡¯t worship the ebon gods, after all our ancestors aren¡¯t from the Ebon Realm. We worship the gods from our homeland, the Scarlet Realm.¡±


    ¡°Can they even hear your prayers from all the way over here?¡±


    ¡°We like to think so. Not everyone does though, of course. Most dwarves gave up on their gods a long time ago. The few that didn¡¯t tend to worship the ebon gods instead. Look at the humans, they abandoned their homeland gods in favor of the ebon god Stjerne. Or maybe it was Stjerne who abandoned the Ebon Realm¡¯s native drow in favor of the humans, I¡¯m not sure. All I know for sure is that the orcs have stayed true to the scarlet gods.¡±


    ¡°Wait, humans and dwarves aren¡¯t native to the Ebon Realm either?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Of course not, why do you think they are looked down upon. Drow and Vampires are native to the Ebon Realm, which is why they tend to hold the greatest positions of power all across the Realm. The only reason orcs have a spot at the ¡®high table¡¯ so to speak, is because we fought hard for it, for centuries.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m well aware of the orc wars. Especially the one with my ancestor goblins,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the past now, it doesn¡¯t really matter anymore,¡± Celica looked away.


    ¡°Only the victors ever say that.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she winced.


    ¡°So, what Realm are the goblins from then?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Not even humans get treated as badly as goblin-kind in this city,¡± he said.


    Celica smiled sadly, ¡°Stryg, goblins are native to the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°What? Then why the hell do people look down on us?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Way of the world I guess, various defeats of past wars and such,¡± she shrugged.


    Stryg felt greatly disturbed at the thought that the entire Realm really had been underestimating goblins for centuries.


    ¡°I should get going,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You should really set an appointment to get a thorough checkup,¡± Celica called out.


    ¡°Pass,¡± Stryg said without looking back.


    He bumped into Karen on the way out, along with an unexpected visitor.


    ¡°You¡¯re that priest from the temple,¡± Stryg said in recognition.


    ¡°I am but a humble servant of the gods, Elm, at your service,¡± Elm made a short bow. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, young mage.¡±


    ¡°Feeling isn¡¯t mutual,¡± Stryg said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I brought him,¡± Karen answered. ¡°My family attends his temple. He¡¯s our head priest. I thought I should invite him to visit Sophi after all she¡¯s been through.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m glad she did,¡± Elm smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go inside and visit your sister.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Karen shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, why not? You brought me all the way here just for that, yes?¡± Elm asked.


    Karen bit her trembling lip, ¡°I want you to visit her. But, my mom and I aren¡¯t in the best situation right now. She blames me for what happened to Sophi and she¡¯s right. It¡¯s my fault my sister almost died... My mom disowned me and I honestly don¡¯t blame her. I don¡¯t have the right to be with them. My mom probably won¡¯t let me see Sophi ever again.¡±


    Elm frowned, but said nothing on the matter. He wasn¡¯t going to intervene in private family affairs without being asked. ¡°Do you have a place to stay?¡±


    Karen shook her head, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯ll find one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a bright girl, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do just fine,¡± Elm nodded.


    ¡°Hey, priest. Didn¡¯t you once say something about fate?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°What are you referring to?¡± Elm asked.


    ¡°You said fate was impossible to determine, until it walked right in front of you. Well, here it is,¡± Stryg gestured at Karen.


    ¡°Oh, Stryg, are you finally ready to join us? We have a position open that I¡¯d be more than happy to offer,¡± Elm smiled.


    ¡°Not at all, but Karen is,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Karen asked in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not following,¡± Elm said.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, Karen needs a place to stay. How much more ready can she be? You said you have an open position? Perfect. Karen will take it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°But, Stryg that position is a job. I can¡¯t just freeload at the temple, what would the gods think?¡± Karen said in exasperation.


    ¡°Karen your gang is gone. I saw to that myself. I think you might need a new job. Temple work isn¡¯t for me and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s for you but, that¡¯s how fate works I guess. Sometimes it just appears right in front of you, isn¡¯t that right priest?¡± Stryg raised his brow at Elm. Stryg didn¡¯t believe in the priest''s words, but he was using them to his advantage.


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Karen mumbled.


    ¡°Young mage, I¡¯m not sure about this,¡± Elm said.


    ¡°Are you going against fate then? The gods even, maybe?¡± Stryg asked.


    Elm held his chin, ¡°I see what you¡¯re playing at. I may have room in my temple for a new acolyte. If.¡±


    ¡°If what?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Nothing really. I was just hoping you could accompany me for the festival of the gods at the end of spring. Not the entire time mind you, I assume you have your own plans for the festival. Just for when the temples gather after the yearly ceremony. It¡¯d be nice to show off a bona fide mage from one of the commoner temples,¡± Elm said.


    ¡°...I need to look into it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°But what of fate? Will you turn down this opportunity? Go against fate, the gods even, maybe?¡± Elm smiled.


    Stryg crossed his arms, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go, if Karen gets a spot in your temple, that is.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Elm clapped, ¡°We have a deal, I¡¯ll see you at the festival. I do hope you stop by the temple before then of course.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a pity, but I¡¯ll hold hope nonetheless. Anyway, I must go check on Sophi. Karen, I understand if you don¡¯t wish to go inside. Wait for me out here until I¡¯m done. We have a lot to talk about concerning your new duties at the temple. Young mage Stryg, it¡¯s always a pleasure. May the moon bless you both on your journey.¡±


    Stryg ignored him.


    ¡°Thank you and may the stars light your path,¡± Karen responded.


    Elm bowed his head and walked inside.


    Karen slowly turned to Stryg, ¡°What was that about? Why did you volunteer to go with him, just to help me? I thought you hated me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you Karen, well I did, a lot actually. But, you¡¯re not who I thought you were... I was wrong about you.¡± It was the closest Stryg would get to apologizing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lead you into a trap, but you weren¡¯t wrong about me. I¡¯m a horrible person,¡± Karen looked down.


    ¡°Not to me. You¡¯re the person who showed me around the trade district when I didn¡¯t know anything about this place. You helped me when everyone else just saw an outsider. Consider this my thanks for that day, don¡¯t look too much into it,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek.


    Karen¡¯s eyes began to well up with tears. She had thought herself a failure of a person, someone not worth saving. Everyone else thought the same, even her family. But, Stryg had seen her differently. He had seen a living person, worth sticking up for. The savage had seen the girl among all the horridness. If Stryg could do it, then perhaps there was a chance her family might too. She had a long road ahead of her, but someday, maybe, just maybe.


    Stryg grimaced at the sight of her tears. And to think, he thought Plum cried a lot. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on visiting that temple if I can avoid it. Nor will I be hunting for you anymore. We probably won¡¯t see each other much, if ever.¡±


    ¡°I hope we do,¡± Karen wiped the tears from her face. ¡°Thank you, for everything.¡±


    It was the 3rd time someone thanked him today. It was odd hearing those two words spoken at him. He didn¡¯t know what to make of it. ¡°Goodbye Karen.¡±


    Stryg walked away from the clinic.


    ¡°Stryg!¡±


    He turned around.


    ¡°Rorik? What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I caught you. I just wanted to invite you for some drinks later today. You know, to celebrate the end of this whole gang mess. How does the Merry Crescent sound?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I could go for a drink,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Oh, by the way I heard about that guard incident you had the other night at the tavern.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the man started the fight. I just finished it,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°You mean killed him,¡± Rorik said flatly. He quickly raised his hands, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. He wasn¡¯t one of mine, not really, he was just some transfer from another district. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s gone. Who cares if a human goes missing am I right?¡± Rorik laughed.


    Stryg didn¡¯t find his words particularly amusing, but he didn¡¯t care if a human went missing either, so he just left it at that.


    ¡°Stryg, one last thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I heard some strange rumors about Feli and you. I didn¡¯t think much of it, but I just wanted to make sure. There isn¡¯t anything going on between you two, right?¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°She¡¯s mine if that¡¯s what you''re asking.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean she¡¯s yours? Hey, Stryg, where are you going? Oi! Stryg!¡±


    He left Rorik behind and melded into the bustling crowd.

 Chapter 53: Academy’s Grove

    Chapter 53:


    ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Loh didn¡¯t say, but judging from our direction, I think I have a pretty good idea,¡± Callum answered.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Callum smiled.


    Stryg trailed behind the two, occasionally glancing at the academy buildings around them. He squinted at the harsh light reflecting off the shiny metal bits that decorated the architecture.


    Spring had finally begun in full swing, which meant slightly warmer weather, bouts of rain, and long days of sunshine. Except it had yet to rain and the sunshine was full throttle. Stryg had grown up in a dense forest where the canopy had shaded him from large amounts of direct sunlight. Now he felt exposed, the light felt like daggers stabbing into his eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer Cal,¡± Kithina complained.


    ¡°Well if I¡¯m right, then I haven¡¯t seen the place yet. Though I hear it¡¯s beautiful,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°That¡¯s still not an answer.¡±


    Loh had taken the class away from their usual training courtyard and was leading them somewhere else on campus. After a few minutes they arrived in front of tall stone walls and a large metal gate.


    ¡°I was right,¡± Callum whispered to Kithina.


    ¡°Listen up you lot,¡± Loh said. ¡°Today we will be visiting one of the academy''s more unique landmarks. This is just one example of what magic is capable of. Follow me.¡±


    Loh unlocked the gate and pushed the doors wide open. The open gate revealed an enormous grassy hill beyond. What stood out most of all was the large grove in the center.


    ¡°Woods?¡± Stryg whispered in awe. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he missed trees until he saw them.


    ¡°It really is beautiful,¡± Kithina smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen trees since I was a little girl.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Callum nudged her.


    ¡°This is an exclusive grove made by the chromatic green professors and students of the academy. It took them years to make and green magi still have to maintain the health of the trees, but I think we can all agree that it was worth it. Now follow me, the class has just begun,¡± Loh said.


    The students whispered amongst themselves as Loh led them to the tree line. They were all excited to see actual trees. Hollow Shade didn¡¯t have any trees, except for the few kept by the Great Houses. The closest trees were in nearby towns, which was still a several days trip. Most people rarely ventured beyond Hollow Shade¡¯s safe walls, the students were no exception.


    Stryg¡¯s happiness at seeing the grove was dimmed when he saw Miss Byrel. She was standing near the tree line, holding a small box. A large wooden case, Stryg recognized as their practice weapons from Tauri¡¯s class, sat next to her.


    ¡°Professor Loh, I have brought the items you requested,¡± Byrel bowed to Loh.


    ¡°Great, just sit tight, while I explain the rules to my students,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Excuse me, professor Loh, but I have a lot of other work to do still. Could I just leave the box here?¡± Byrel asked.


    ¡°Your job entails assisting professors in whatever equipment work they need done, yes?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Yes, professor Loh. But-¡±


    ¡°Then shut up and stand still,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Deserved,¡± Stryg mouthed silently at Byrel.


    The drow secretary frowned.


    Loh turned to the rest of her class, ¡°The academic year is soon coming to an end and before your final exam I wanted to give the lot of you a special exercise. And before you ask, yes you will be allowed to enter the grove.¡±


    ¡°First of all, you will all be split into groups of three, based on your Magic Fundamental groups. I have already spoken with professor Rime so don¡¯t try to weasel your way into another group. The whole point of Rime¡¯s exercise is to promote teamwork, which is something you lot could learn more of. Move, quickly. We don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    The students shuffled into teams of three, forming seven teams in total.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what today¡¯s exercise will be, but with you two on my team I think we don¡¯t have anything to worry about,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Stryg muttered.


    He noticed how Clypeus and Kegrog were in a group, along with that human Nora. Having a vampire and an orc together would most likely prove a challenge. He wasn¡¯t too worried about the human Nora.


    ¡°Today¡¯s exercise will be a warm up for your final exam,¡± Loh explained. ¡°Each team will be entering the grove at different points of the tree line. You are allowed to engage each other in combat once past the treeline. The mock final will last 20 minutes. The goal is for your team to last until the very end. If all your members have fallen then it will count as your team¡¯s loss. Each team starts with 10 points. Your team will gain 1 point for each opponent you defeat. The team left standing with the most points will gain 1st place and will be allowed to skip the actual final exam.¡±


    Loh¡¯s final words caught everyone¡¯s attention. They could skip Loh¡¯s exam just like that? She was the harshest teacher they had. Of course they didn¡¯t want to take her exam. Except for Stryg, he honestly didn¡¯t mind taking his master¡¯s exam. She expected him to prove himself and he was more than willing to.


    ¡°Now, for the fine details,¡± Loh began. ¡°Each of you will be given an enchanted necklace. The enchantment is simple and to the point. If you remove an enemy¡¯s necklace from its clasp it will glow a bright red. Hold on to their necklace until the end of the mock final to show that you defeated them.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Attacking someone who has already lost their necklace is forbidden and will count as an immediate loss to your entire team. The same applies to those who have lost their necklace and then try to fight others. Removing your own necklace or those of your teammate does not count as a point towards your team, in fact you will lose a point and be disqualified. Suffice to say killing your opponent is forbidden and will result in an immediate expulsion. The secretary will give you your necklaces now,¡± Loh motioned Byrel forward.


    Miss Byrel opened the small box she carried and began handing out each necklace. She bowed when she got to Callum and Clypeus, scions of Great Houses. When she reached Stryg she ¡®accidentally¡¯ dropped his necklace, but Stryg¡¯s hand shot out and caught in mid-fall.


    ¡°Watch it,¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Byrel ignored him.


    Loh pointed to the weapons crate, ¡°Students will be allowed to use magic within the grove, except for the flame spell form. I¡¯ll personally kill any idiot that tries to start a fire in those trees. Each student whose spell forms aren¡¯t suited for combat in the grove or in general will be allowed to grab a weapon from the box.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any water around, so I guess that means me,¡± Nora frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just remember what I taught you,¡± Clypeus patted her on the back.


    ¡°I think you expect too much from me,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°No, I believe in you. Don¡¯t worry we¡¯ve got this, besides I have a plan,¡± Clypeus cracked a smile.


    ¡°Oh and one last thing,¡± Loh put a finger to her chin, ¡°Every team will be deducted a point for each student left standing at the end of the mock final, including their own teammates. If your points reach zero your team automatically loses.¡±


    ¡°So, you can¡¯t just hide from everyone else during the exam,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kithina asked.


    Callum frowned, ¡°Previously, I thought the best strategy would be to simply hide from your opponents and try to catch a straggler here and there. But there are 21 students in class. Meaning if there is any more than 9 left by the end of the exam, any team without extra points will drop to negative and fail. It means that people have to actively search for enemy teams, if not we all run the risk of failing.¡±


    ¡°Forget first place then, we just need to play safe and make sure not to fail,¡± Kithina said. She was on a scholarship, she couldn¡¯t afford to fail any of her classes.


    Callum nodded, ¡°Precisely, though we¡¯d normally still have to fight. But, I think there may be a way to avoid fighting most of the battles. We also only have 20 minutes to cover a large dense area. It¡¯ll be cutting it close.¡± He took out a small pendant from his pocket.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s an enchanted trinket that helps me keep time. I¡¯ll set it to 20 minutes and start it when the exam begins.¡±


    Figures, the rich kids had fancy enchanted equipment. Commoners really were at a disadvantage, Kithina sighed.


    ¡°How have your yellow magic classes been going?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Besides being thrown off a building? They¡¯ve been going alright, but I can only cast a few spells before running out of mana,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll have to do. What about you Stryg? You¡¯re a manifold mage right? A chromatic black and grey, yes? That means you''re our ace. We¡¯re counting on you,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg said under his breath.


    He wasn¡¯t planning on failing the exam, but he wasn¡¯t interested in whatever passive plan Callum had either. It was shameful to get help from anyone besides your tribemates. He had failed that when Karen helped him. He wouldn¡¯t fail again. After all, he wasn¡¯t nearly as limited. So long as it wasn¡¯t killing, he could use whatever means he wanted. Plus, he had his own claws for weapons. Most importantly, among the trees he had home advantage.


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯m going to grab a mock sword, be right back,¡± Callum said.


    He walked up to where Loh was handing out the weapons.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a long sword, preferably with white eel hide grip if you have any left,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°No,¡± Loh said plainly.


    ¡°What? But, I¡¯m a chromatic red. I specialize in potions and I¡¯ve just barely begun to learn how to use the wards spell form.¡±


    ¡°I said no,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    Callum sighed and walked away.


    Once the students had grabbed their weapons Loh raised a horn, ¡°I¡¯ll sound this horn to announce the beginning of the match. I¡¯ll sound it one more time to declare the end of the match. Now, everyone, follow me.¡±


    Loh led the students around the grove, dropping each team off at different points around the tree line. Clypeus¡¯ team was dropped off first and Callum¡¯s was dropped off fourth, meaning they were furthest from each other. Callum guessed Loh didn¡¯t want the two strongest groups to meet each other early on.


    After they were dropped off, he began explaining his plan to his team, but Stryg wasn¡¯t listening.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t rely on these two. They weren¡¯t tribemates and they were still only novices; Stryg doubted their magic would affect the tide of the battle very much. Not to mention neither of his teammates had proved very effective in professor Tauri¡¯s mock fights. He doubted it¡¯d be any different here.


    ¡°Stryg did you catch that?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg looked at them.


    ¡°Are you serious right now? Callum just spent the last few minutes explaining the plan and you can¡¯t even bother listening? This isn¡¯t a game, we can¡¯t afford to fail here!¡± Kithina chastised him.


    The horn¡¯s blare resounded in the distance. Before Kithina could say anything else Stryg ran into the grove at full speed.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going!? Dammit, Stryg!¡± Kithina yelled.


    She ran after him, but Callum held her back. ¡°Don¡¯t bother Kithina, we both know how fast he is. Neither of us will be able to catch him.¡±


    ¡°So, what, we¡¯re just supposed to fail now because of that stubborn idiot?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? We¡¯re just supposed to give up?¡± Kithina frowned.


    Callum glanced deep into the forest, his mind elsewhere. He checked the time and gripped his necklace. ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg swiveled between the trees with ease. He had almost forgotten what it was like to feel the grass underneath him. The grove¡¯s canopy diffused the sunlight, easing the strain on his eyes. He could finally focus without any distractions. It was time for a rematch.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming for you Clypeus,¡± he muttered.


    He remembered the direction where Clypeus¡¯ team had been dropped off. Stryg made a beeline towards their team.


    After a few minutes he heard the sound of a twig snapping. He slowed his steps and hid behind a tree. He focused on his hearing and sense of smell. Beyond the smell of fresh pine and nearby shrubbery, he caught a whiff of sweat, a human¡¯s, by the scent. He could hear his prey moving towards his right. Stryg shuffled between the trees, drawing closer.


    Stryg shifted closer until he was standing a few feet behind the ignorant man. Stryg dashed at his quarry without a second thought. The man turned his head in time to meet Stryg¡¯s fist. The satisfying sound of bone meeting cartilage sang through Stryg¡¯s ears. The stunned human fell right over. Stryg was on top of him in an instant. He began pummelling his face with abandon, yet he stopped himself after only five or six hits. The human¡¯s face was unrecognizable, his teeth shattered, cheeks cut open. His face was a bloody mess, the swelling already apparent.


    Stryg slapped the human¡¯s face repeatedly, ¡°Oi, you alive?¡±


    A weak groan left the bloodied mouth.


    Stryg sighed in relief. Had he killed the student he would have been expelled. That was something he couldn¡¯t afford. He ripped the human¡¯s necklace off it¡¯s clasp with ease. The pendant¡¯s magestone began to glow a soft red.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± he smiled.


    One point already and it couldn¡¯t have been easier. He stood up and kept running, his time was limited. He needed to find Clypeus fast. It was time for a rematch.

 Chapter 54: Awaited Rematch

    Chapter 54: Awaited Rematch


    Nora heard Loh¡¯s horn sound off in the distance, signaling the beginning of the mock battle. She glanced at Clypeus, ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Both of you follow me,¡± Clypeus said confidently.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kegrog, the orc, responded.


    Clypeus led them into the grove with assured steps. ¡°Do you remember what Loh said about the grove?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll kill us if we burn the trees?¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°Not that part, none of us are chromatic orange anyway,¡± Clypeus shook his head.


    ¡°The grove was created by green magi?¡± Nora said.


    ¡°Yes, and to this day the green magi of the academy take care of this grove,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°That means-¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a chromatic green,¡± Nora interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve taken care of the grove?¡±


    ¡°Plenty of times. I¡¯ve taken the time to learn its structure, where the trees are most dense, where there are open spaces, and most importantly the ideal places for an ambush,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Ambush? We¡¯re not going to search for the enemy?¡± Kegrog asked, confused.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to search. We already have an enemy coming to us, arguably the most dangerous one,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Which team?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Not a team, a single person.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Kegrog asked.


    The orc still felt cold shivers run down his spine every time he remembered that first day of Duels class. How Stryg had drained his life force almost to the point of death. Then the goblin had actually tried to slice his throat. Had Loh not stopped Stryg at the last moment, Kegrog would be dead.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Clypeus nodded. ¡°He was staring at me during Loh¡¯s explanation. I don¡¯t doubt he¡¯s coming after me and therefore our team.¡±


    ¡°But, how would he even find us? He¡¯s not a chromatic green. He doesn¡¯t know this grove,¡± Nora wrinkled her nose.


    Clypeus nodded, ¡°That may be true, but rumor has it Stryg is from Vulture Woods. After seeing the look he had on his face when he stared at the grove, I¡¯m inclined to believe it. Do you think someone who grew up in the most dangerous forest in the Realm doesn¡¯t know how to make his way through a simple grove like this?¡±


    Kegrog and Nora said nothing.


    ¡°What makes it worse is that Stryg is a manifold mage like me,¡± Clypeus continued, ¡°He¡¯s also trained to fight, like me. But, unlike me, Stryg is merciless in a fight. He only holds back because he has to, not because he wants to. Unfortunately, Loh basically took off any restraints for this exam. So, Stryg can do anything he wants, bar killing somebody, and that makes him very, very dangerous.¡±


    Nora gripped her quarterstaff tightly, ¡°S-so, what do we do? He¡¯s just a goblin, but I rather not fight him if we can avoid it.¡±


    Clypeus shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Stryg may look like a goblin, but he¡¯s a hybrid. I¡¯m not sure what his other half may be, but he¡¯s clearly faster than me, a vampire. Don¡¯t underestimate him because of what he looks like. We can¡¯t avoid fighting him, I don¡¯t doubt he¡¯s already looking for us right now. In which case we¡¯ll set up a trap and defeat him in one fell swoop.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of his team? Callum Veres is skilled with a sword,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°And yet Loh refused to give him one,¡± Clypeus pointed out. ¡°Either way we don¡¯t have to worry about that. Stryg has never worked with people in class, he¡¯s a loner. I highly doubt he¡¯s working with others for this exam.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the plan?¡± Kegrog asked.


    ¡°That depends,¡± Clypeus paused in his steps and looked at both his teammates. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°To the very end,¡± Nora smiled.


    Clypeus returned the smile.


    ¡°Do I have much of a choice?¡± Kegrog asked with a grimace.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Clypeus grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll be bait.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Kegrog furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a bright red hulking mass of muscle. There really is no better target,¡± Clypeus shrugged.


    ¡°Uh-huh, uh-huh,¡± Nora nodded sagely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan,¡± Kegrog frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I may not have my swords but I still have my wits,¡± Clypeus stretched. ¡°First, I need to block our scents.¡±


    He closed his eyes and focused. The yellow mana within his heart flowed through his veins and into the tips of his fingers. He could feel the air respond to the energy. A calm gust of wind surrounded Nora and Clypeus.


    ¡°Next, our footprints,¡± he said.


    He placed his hands on the grass and focused on the ground around. Green mana surged into the palm of his hands. The pressed dirt wafted upwards, erasing any signs of their footprints.


    ¡°It really is nice being a manifold mage,¡± Nora sighed in wonder.


    ~~~


    Stryg ran through the trees with ease. He had been looking for Clypeus for a while now with no luck. He combed the area one last time. He stopped in his tracks. It was only a whiff, but he had finally caught the scent of that orc Kegrog, which meant the rest of his team couldn¡¯t be too far behind. He ran towards the scent.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Stryg slowed down when the scent got stronger. He climbed up a nearby tree with ease and jumped to the next with nimble movements. The grove¡¯s trees were far smaller than the enormous ones in Vulture Woods, but they could still easily hold his weight. He jumped from one tree to the next with quiet footsteps.


    Stryg could hear Kegrog a few dozen feet away.. The orc was walking through the woods, whispering out the names of his companions. Stryg looked around for any sign of the other two, but there were none. Had they left Kegrog alone? Or had Kegrog just gotten lost. It didn¡¯t matter; he would dispatch the orc quickly and move on to his main target.


    Kegrog was the tallest of the 1st years and his body was covered in muscles. Stryg would have a difficult time fighting him in hand-to-hand combat. He needed to end this quickly. He hopped to a tree near the orc and waited for him to walk by. When Kegrog stepped right below him Stryg jumped out of the tree and with all the strength he could muster, kicked the orc right in the temple. Kegrog tumbled to the ground with a thud.


    Stryg rolled to his feet as he touched the ground. He got up and made his way to the dazed orc. Stryg¡¯s ear twitched. He ducked right as a stone whistled past his head. Clypeus jumped out of a nearby bush, clearing the entire distance between them with a single leap. Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, he had never seen someone jump that far. The vampire smashed into Stryg. They both fell to the ground in a tumble.


    Clypeus pummeled him with rapid jabs, aiming at his head. Stryg tried covering his head from the blows. He had been here before, during his first and only night challenge. The goblin Gathi had pinned him to the ground and pummeled him into defeat. But, Stryg wasn¡¯t the same goblin anymore.


    He stopped covering his face, Clypeus¡¯ fist smashed into his jaw. Stryg ignored the pain, his hand caught the next incoming fist. Clypeus used his free hand to punch Stryg in the face, hoping to knock him out as soon as possible. He landed another punch before Stryg caught his remaining hand. Their arms quivered as they each wrestled for control. The vampire bellowed with strain. Stryg¡¯s arms stilled, he tilted his head, pupils wide.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak.¡± Stryg squeezed with all his strength.


    Clypeus screamed as his knuckles cracked beneath Stryg¡¯s hands. The goblin¡¯s claws dug into his flesh. A quarterstaff thrust past Clypeus¡¯ shoulder and went for Stryg¡¯s neck. He swerved his head away and kicked the vampire off him. Stryg scrambled to his feet.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Clypeus sighed in relief.


    ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t keep up with your spell jump,¡± Nora said. She stood behind Clypeus, a quarterstaff in her hands.


    Spell jump? Stryg glanced at Clypeus¡¯ exposed skin. There were no black veins nor bronze skin, ruling out any orange agility or brown vigor spells. What color had he used? Stryg couldn¡¯t recall what colors the vampire mage was. He lamented not going out of his way to learn the chromatic colors of his classmates. He had ignored them for the most part, choosing not to involve himself as much as possible.


    Stryg was regretting the whole thing. Had he studied them, as a hunter would his prey, he might have seen this coming. He hadn¡¯t seen a single footprint, smelled any foreign scent. But had he just paid more attention perhaps he may have caught a sign. This whole thing hadn¡¯t been a coincidence. This was an ambush. Whether it was for him or another, Stryg wasn¡¯t sure. All he knew was that he had fallen into the trap like an animal.


    Clypeus rubbed his hands. They were quickly growing numb despite the horrid pain. He could barely move his fingers. Had it not been for yellow durability spells slowing his movement, he would have cast one earlier. Now he regretted his decision. Stryg had gotten the better of him. He had completely underestimated the hybrid.


    Clypeus had expected Stryg to rush Kegrog from the side or maybe the back, but never from above. He had knocked Kegrog down with a single hit. Clypeus had tried attacking Stryg with a green stone spell, sending a rock flying at his head, but the goblin had somehow managed to dodge it.


    Never one to give up, Clypeus had cast a wind spell to propel him forward as he jumped and tackled Stryg. The goal was to strike his head, either knocking him out or causing enough pain to prevent Stryg from casting spells, but Stryg had surpassed his expectations yet again. The damn goblin was unbelievably strong. Stronger than even Kegrog he reckoned.


    Clypeus tried flexing his hand open but failed. This wouldn¡¯t be easy. He caught the sight of Kegrog stirring behind Stryg. They needed to buy time. Stryg hissed at the vampire and human, his claws raised for battle.


    ¡°Bellum help us now,¡± Clypeus whispered a prayer to the goddess of war. He raised his hands, ¡°Nora, just as I taught you.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Nora said from behind.


    Clypeus hoped to the gods that all these private training lessons with Nora hadn¡¯t been in vain. No, he shook his head, he couldn¡¯t think that way. ¡°I trust you Nora.¡±


    ¡°To the very end,¡± Nora replied.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Tauri¡¯s mock combat,¡± Stryg said. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Clypeus took a deep breath and posed a fighting stance, ¡°I am Clypeus of House Gale. I am the shield of the Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Nora of House Azol. Don¡¯t mess with us!¡± She peeped.


    Stryg recognized the meaning behind their words, it was a formal challenge. ¡°I am Stryg, exile of the Blood Fang tribe. I have survived the undead, lamias, and a dragon. I will survive you.¡±


    ¡°Dragon?¡± Nora frowned.


    Stryg didn¡¯t wait any longer, he dashed forward. Clypeus forced his entire will to imagine his body as armor. His yellow mana reacted. A faint yellow outline of scales shimmered onto his skin. Stryg jumped in the air with a roundhouse kick at the vampire¡¯s chest. Clypeus blocked with his arms. The force of the blow knocked him back several feet. Nora shoved her quarterstaff from behind the vampire, but Stryg dropped and swung in a low kick, knocking Clypeus to the ground.


    The vampire cursed, this is why he disliked using the durability spell form. His reactions became too slow. Clypeus braced himself for Stryg¡¯s attack, but Stryg ignored him completely. Stryg jumped over him and went after Nora. She screamed in fright as the goblin rushed her. She swung her quarterstaff at him, but he caught it with a deft hand and yanked it from her hands.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nora mouthed.


    Stryg slammed the quarterstaff into her gut. She wheezed for breath and fell to her knees. Stryg whipped the quarterstaff with all the force he could muster at her head. Clypeus jumped in between. The staff cracked in two as it smashed into his shoulder. Clypeus¡¯ faint scales shattered all around his bruised shoulder. Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate, he grabbed what was left of the quarterstaff and stabbed the jagged end at Clypeus¡¯ face.


    Two bronze arms wrapped around Stryg from the back. Kegrog yanked him back and squeezed him tight. The orc was using a vigor spell to strengthen his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± Kegrog yelled.


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡± Stryg shouted.


    Kegrog¡¯s eyes widened as his arms began to budge. Despite using brown magic to enhance his strength, Stryg was actually pushing back.


    ¡°Hold him tight!¡± Clypeus went for Stryg¡¯s necklace.


    Stryg beat his legs with fervent speed, kicking any attempt Clypeus made.


    Clypeus glanced around. He picked up both broken halves of the quarterstaff. His hand could barely move, but they could still hold a grip. The broken quarterstaff pieces weren¡¯t his gladii but they¡¯d have to do. He took a deep breath and released his durability spell, the yellow scales shimmering out of existence. He advanced on Stryg, blocking the goblin¡¯s feet with trained parries.


    Stryg could feel his bones creak as the orc tried to crush him. This wasn¡¯t going to go like last time. Stryg grit his teeth at the pain and focused his will. Grey mana flooded through him. He didn¡¯t need to worry about trying to absorb lifeforce into his body, all he needed to do was drain the stamina away from the orc.


    Kegrog groaned in pain as his body¡¯s energy was sapped away. His bronze arms were weakening, but he didn¡¯t let go. Stryg struggled to keep his focus while dealing with the pain and battling Clypeus with his legs. A pebble smacked into Stryg¡¯s nose, disrupting his concentration. He could feel himself losing the spell, it began to backfire. Stryg¡¯s body began to weaken as his own stamina was drained instead and released.


    Nora stood up with shaky legs. One hand held her gut, the other another pebble. She grinned. Clypeus smacked Stryg¡¯s legs away. With his makeshift sword he swung at Stryg¡¯s necklace.


    A scream pierced the air. Clypeus tumbled to the grass as a small figure rammed into his side. Kegrog turned in time to see a branch smack into his face. He yelled in pain and dropped Stryg. The goblin scuttled backwards.


    ¡°It took a while to find you. I¡¯m glad we made it on time,¡± Callum grinned. He rested the branch on his shoulder.


    Kithina rolled away from Clypeus and stood up, ¡°Stryg, you dumbass!¡±

 Chapter 55: Rematch’s Conclusion

    Chapter 55:


    Clypeus grabbed his makeshift swords and rose with slow movements. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect the shame of the Veres to appear. At least you¡¯re not a coward.¡±


    ¡°Save the sweet talk for later Cly,¡± Callum grinned.


    Callum tried to take in the situation. Clypeus seemed worse for wear, but was still standing fine. It was to be expected, he had been raised to be an elite warrior his entire life. Callum was just glad he didn¡¯t have his gladii with him, otherwise they¡¯d really be in trouble.


    Still, Clypeus was a dangerous foe not to be underestimated. Yet, Stryg had managed to fight him and was still standing. Not just him, Callum looked around. Kegrog and Nora were here too. Had Stryg really taken on all three of them at once?


    ¡°Why are you both here?¡± Stryg asked. How did his teammates even find him?


    ¡°Because we¡¯re your friends, you idiot,¡± Kithina glared at him.


    Stryg looked at her in surprise. Since when had the angry dwarf been his friend? As for Callum, well Stryg didn¡¯t know what to make of the other hybrid.


    ¡°Stryg, what¡¯s your condition?¡± Callum asked without taking his eyes away from Clypeus.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± Stryg panted. His grey spell had backfired and drained most of his stamina. He wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could stand.


    ¡°Can you fight?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°...Always,¡± Stryg raised his claws, but fell to one knee.


    Callum frowned, this wasn¡¯t good.


    Clypeus smiled. The goblin seemed to be out of the fight.


    ¡°Kegrog, focus on the shame of the Veres. Nora, get Stryg¡¯s necklace. I¡¯ll deal with the dwarf,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nora nodded.


    ¡°On it,¡± Kegrog said, his arms still covered in a bronze sheen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance, big guy.¡± Callum brandished his branch.


    Kithina stood in Nora¡¯s way. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere Miss Azol.¡±


    ¡°Try and stop her,¡± Clypeus confronted the dwarf. ¡°We¡¯re both in the same chromatic yellow class. I know your limits.¡±


    Kithina swallowed, ¡°This isn¡¯t like our first mock duel. You may be the son of some famous martial House and that blue idiot behind me may be ignorant, and definitely the world¡¯s most stubborn goblin, but he¡¯s my friend, and that¡¯s all I need to stop you.¡±


    ¡°Friendship doesn¡¯t make you stronger, though,¡± Stryg voiced.


    ¡°Shut up, Stryg!¡± Kithina shouted back. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re as quiet as the dead whenever I try to talk to you, but you can¡¯t shut your pie hole when you need to. This is my moment, don¡¯t ruin it dammit!¡±


    ¡°Then let''s make your moment bright and short.¡± Clypeus attacked her.


    Kithina closed her eyes and raised her arms. Faint yellow scales covered her body. Clypeus focused his attacks below her ribs, where her spell would be weakest. She grinded her teeth in pain but held strong. She reached out to grab him. He danced away. She charged him, but Clypeus kept back pedalling while attacking her relentlessly. Her scales began to crack.


    ¡°Give up.¡± Clypeus swung at her necklace.


    She covered it with one arm, the other reaching out to grab him. Clypeus jumped into the air and over her.


    ¡°Not today!¡± She bellowed.


    She jumped and the wind followed behind her.


    ¡°Multicast!?¡± Clypeus shouted, eyes wide.


    The wind pushed her up high. Kithina¡¯s head smacked into Clypeus¡¯ chest, knocking the breath out of him. They both tumbled to the ground in a pile of wrestling limbs. She kept smacking her fists into his chest. He grimaced in pain and hugged her by the waist. They sank into the ground slowly, the ground swallowing their limbs.


    ¡°What the blazes?¡± Kithina shouted in bewilderment.


    Neither of them could move. Clypeus took a deep breath, the earth shifted around him and he stood up from the earthen cage.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. I haven¡¯t seen any first-year multicast before,¡± Clypeus said. He dusted himself off, ¡°But you forget I¡¯m a manifold mage. I¡¯m not just a chromatic yellow, I¡¯m a green as well.¡±


    ¡°Get me out of this!¡± Kithina protested. She tried moving but couldn¡¯t get out.


    ¡°This stone spell can¡¯t hold someone as strong as Stryg. A dwarf without any strength enhancement though? Well, that¡¯s a different story,¡± Clypeus smiled.


    He reached down and ripped off Kithina''s necklace. The magestone glowed red. Kithina cursed under her breath.


    ¡°One down, two more to go,¡± Clypeus said.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He glanced over at Kegrog. The orc was pushing Callum back with relative ease. The damn hybrid really was a shame to the Great House of Veres. Clypeus turned his attention to Stryg.


    Nora edged over to the goblin hybrid cautiously. Stryg sat still as he watched her. She threw another pebble at his face. Stryg caught it and threw it back in a flash. The stone zipped through the air, smacking Nora in the forehead. Her head snapped back in a bloody mess. She fell to the ground with a twitch. Clypeus sighed.


    Callum glanced over at his teammates. This wasn¡¯t going well. Kithina was out and Stryg didn¡¯t look much better. Callum stepped away from Kergog and checked his time trinket. They were cutting it close.


    ¡°Stryg, I need you to run!¡± Callum shouted.


    ¡°What? No! I came here to fight,¡± Stryg wobbled to his feet.


    Clypeus closed in on him.


    ¡°One of us needs to get out of here. We can¡¯t beat them. If we lose here it¡¯s over,¡± Callum said as he ducked under Kegrog¡¯s swing.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go? I¡¯ll fight them to the end,¡± Stryg raised his claws.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Callum swiped his branch in wide swing.


    Stryg took a long look at Callum. His leg was covered in blood. Kegrog hadn¡¯t done that. Callum and Kithina must have fought others before coming here. Had Callum run all this way with a wound like that?


    ¡°We¡¯re running on empty, Stryg. You need to go,¡± Callum smiled sadly.


    ¡°Stay still!¡± Kegrog shouted as he charged the hybrid vampire.


    Callum danced to the side despite his injured leg.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg mumbled. He had changed, he wasn¡¯t the goblin who had run away from the cave of lamias. He wasn¡¯t a coward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Kithina¡¯s sacrifice go in vain!¡± Callum yelled.


    ¡°Run you idiot!¡± Kithina groaned from the ground.


    ¡°Fight me!¡± Clypeus swiped at Stryg.


    Stryg blocked the attack with his left arm and pushed the vampire away with his right.


    ¡°Damn you all,¡± Stryg cursed. He turned and ran.


    Stryg¡¯s silhouette disappeared amidst the trees.


    Clypeus turned on Callum, ¡°Kegrog, leave him to me. Go check on Nora.¡±


    Kegrog nodded. His bronze skin returned to its normal bright red. He jogged over to the unconscious Nora.


    ¡°I should have guessed you¡¯d make Stryg run. You ruin anything of honor,¡± Clypeus glared at half-breed vampire.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. I¡¯ll give you a fight you¡¯ll never forget,¡± Callum raised his branch.


    ¡°Still full of yourself as always. Stryg is the only worthy adversary among our class. Compared to him you aren¡¯t worth my time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, don¡¯t underestimate me, Cly,¡± Callum grinned.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I know you for the snake you are,¡± Clypeus raised his broken quarterstaff halves. ¡°You may act innocent, but I know who you really are.¡±


    ¡°Now is that anyway to talk to a Veres, son of House Gale?¡±


    Clypeus frowned, ¡°The Veres demand respect and are given it. But, you don¡¯t deserve it. The other ruling families look down on the Veres because of you. The legendary House of Veres has been humiliated because of you.¡±


    Clypeus shook his head, ¡°But, you don¡¯t care. You actually think you can stand tall among your family, despite your human half. You think you¡¯re strong. Come back to reality, you¡¯re not even a chromatic black, like the other Veres. What power do you bring with sub-par potions? Try all the tricks you want. You will never win without true strength. The Veres are weakened by having you. Your literal existence opens a potential breach to strike against your father. Any Gale worth his salt would know you don¡¯t belong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need my family¡¯s black magic to win. I¡¯ll win on my own accord, with my own strength,¡± Callum clenched his fists.


    ¡°Then show me your strength, bastard.¡± Clypeus glared at him.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± He dropped his branch and ripped off his own necklace. It glowed a soft blue.


    ¡°W-what? What did you do?¡± Clypeus¡¯ eyes widened.


    ¡°I¡¯m winning. Just not against you. Loh never stated it was against the rules to take off your own necklace. Just that I¡¯d be disqualified. My team may lose a point, but you won¡¯t gain any either,¡± Callum grinned.


    ¡°Always with the tricks, snake. I may not be able to attack you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t take whatever necklaces you¡¯ve taken from others. Not against the rules to just grab them either is it?¡±


    Callum took a step back and showed them his time trinket. Loh¡¯s horn resounded in the distance, signaling the end of the match. Clypeus froze.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up. Thanks for monologuing,¡± Callum smiled.


    Kegrog stepped forward. ¡°So, what if time¡¯s up. Clypeus, let¡¯s grab his necklaces anyway. Loh won¡¯t know. It¡¯s his word against ours.¡±


    ¡°Stop Kegrog. It wouldn¡¯t be honorable,¡± Clypeus sighed. ¡°Callum wormed his way out of this fight.¡±


    That and Loh can always find a purple mage to read our minds, Callum thought.


    Clypeus walked over to Kithina. He placed his hands on the ground and closed his eyes. The earth shifted away, freeing Kithina¡¯s body.


    ¡°Well fought,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°...Thanks, you too,¡± she eyed him cautiously.


    Clypeus picked up the unconscious Nora and looked over at Kegrog, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you two. I failed you both.¡±


    The orc shook his head slowly, ¡°Not at all. I have no regrets.¡± He rubbed his head, ¡°Well, except for Stryg kicking me in the temple.¡±


    Clypeus nodded, ¡°Noted.¡±


    Callum stood still and watched the opposing team walk away. The moment they were out of sight he fell over, his last bits of strength gone.


    ¡°Callum!¡± Kithina rushed over to his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, just a little tired. I just need a moment to catch my breath,¡± Callum closed his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault, had you not covered me against the first team you would have never gotten hurt,¡± Kithina cried.


    ¡°I was rushing to find Stryg, I was careless. It¡¯s not your fault. You did great, especially that multicast at the end there, I didn¡¯t know you could do that.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Stryg really has a great team, huh?¡±


    ¡°The best,¡± Callum laughed weakly.


    ¡°He really is an idiot for rushing off like that.¡± She looked in the direction Stryg had run.


    ¡°...Hey, Kithina? Do me a favor. When we see Stryg, don¡¯t try to give him a hard time about this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? He deserves a good scolding and a smack on the head,¡± she wrinkled her nose.


    I don¡¯t think you could hit him on the head if you tried, Callum thought. ¡°He may not look it, but Stryg is one of the proudest people we know. He views his honor as a warrior highly and he was just forced to run away. Right now, I think he¡¯s punishing himself more than we ever could.¡±


    Overall, this was a good chance for Callum. He needed Stryg to feel thankful to them for coming to help him. He didn¡¯t wish for Stryg to feel alienated from him because of Kithina''s potentially vicious words. He needed Stryg to confide in him by his own accord. But, first, he needed to get out of this grove.


    ¡°Kithina, could you give me a hand?¡±

 Chapter 56: First Date

    Chapter 56:


    Loh looked at the group of students. Most were bloodied. A few were injured quite badly. One student¡¯s head had been beaten to a pulp, his face was unrecognizable. Judging from the fearful looks his teammates gave Stryg, Loh could guess who the culprit was.


    ¡°8 out of 21 students left. Four teams have passed. Clypeus, despite your team not losing a single member, you still did not manage to achieve first place,¡± Loh sighed.


    That wasn¡¯t what bugged her. What annoyed her was that neither did Stryg¡¯s team. She had hoped her apprentice would have done better. Instead he was the only one left of his team.


    ¡°I take full responsibility,¡± Clypeus bowed his head. ¡°My teammates performed well. It was my incompetence that cost us the match.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well your excuse doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. You¡¯re still going to have to take the final exam,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    ¡°The same goes for you,¡± Loh looked over at Stryg.


    He didn¡¯t respond. Stryg sat on the grass, head between his knees. Something was wrong. Loh would need to talk with him later.


    ¡°We understand,¡± Callum said. He sat beside Stryg and Kithina.


    ¡°Well, then. Everyone who needs medical attention head over to the infirmary. The white magi there will take care of your injuries. Class dismissed,¡± Loh shooed them away. ¡°Stryg, I need to talk to you.¡±


    But, he was already gone. He had run off the moment Loh had spoken. She frowned. Something was definitely wrong.


    ~~~


    ¡°Stryg? Hey, Stryg? Stryyyg,¡± Feli waved her hand in front of his face.


    Stryg glanced up, ¡°Huh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my question. You¡¯ve been spacing out ever since we left home,¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He grabbed a chicken kebab from a nearby food stall, ¡°Want one?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Feli shook her head.


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    He grabbed another two kebabs and paid the vendor. He devoured them in a matter of a few seconds.


    ¡°I know you can eat a lot, but please try to save some space for actual food,¡± Feli laughed.


    ¡°Actual food? This is all real food. Back in Vulture Woods eating grass because you were being punished, now that was some fake food.¡±


    ¡°They made you eat grass? Why?¡±


    ¡°I was weak. I still am I suppose,¡± he said, downcast.


    This wasn¡¯t going well. Feli planned to use their date in the trade district to seduce Stryg even further, to make him focus more on her. Recently he had been busy with his studies and hadn¡¯t spent much time with her.


    Just the other night he didn''t come home. She had stayed up all night worried about him. He came back the next morning with torn bloodstained clothes. When she asked him about it, he refused to say anything, instead going straight to sleep.


    Today he was even more distant. This was bad. It was time she proved herself to be a capable fiance and future spouse. She needed to show him her good points, that she was helpful, that he could rely on her.


    Feli stopped walking. ¡°Okay, what¡¯s wrong? And don¡¯t tell me ¡®nothing.¡¯ We are on our first official date. I won¡¯t have it be ruined because you¡¯re blue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more of a cyan. There¡¯s still a little green.¡± Stryg looked at his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your skin. I mean how you feel.¡±


    ¡°Since when is a color considered a feeling?¡±


    Feli rolled her eyes, ¡°Feeling blue means you''re sad, depressed, bummed out.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m not sad.¡± He walked away.


    Feli reached out and grabbed his hand, ¡°Yes, you are. It¡¯s all over that adorable face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not adorable,¡± Stryg hissed.


    Feli had grown accustomed to the hissing. Others were scared off by it, for good reason she supposed. Stryg wasn¡¯t a particularly friendly person, quite the opposite. Feli knew that Stryg wouldn¡¯t hurt her, however. In fact, she had learned how to deal with this exact situation. She pulled him in and hugged him tightly, his face cuddled between her breasts. His pupils went as wide as saucers.


    Feli didn¡¯t mind the onlookers that passed by. She didn¡¯t care what commoners thought of her anymore. She had made it big. She was together with a mage, it didn¡¯t matter what any commoner thought, they couldn¡¯t hurt her anymore.


    Stryg closed his eyes and nestled his head deeper.


    ¡°Pervert,¡± Feli whispered with a smile.


    ¡°I can touch what¡¯s mine whenever I want,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°You really are adorable, you know that,¡± Feli teased.


    Stryg pinched her butt hard.


    ¡°Ow!¡± She yelped.


    Stryg pushed her away. ¡°Was that adorable?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pinch me so hard,¡± Feli rubbed her butt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, next time I¡¯ll use my teeth instead. Then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s adorable,¡± Stryg pouted.


    Feli swallowed hard. She knew his fangs were small, but they were incredibly sharp. His love bites were less love and more bite. Still, she didn¡¯t regret her teasing words. She enjoyed seeing his pouty face. His cheeks would puff up like a child. It really was adorable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see indeed,¡± Feli giggled. ¡°Seriously, though, something is clearly bothering you and it¡¯s ruining our date. You might as well tell me. We¡¯re in this together now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean in this together?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°You know, together in life.¡±


    ¡°In life? As in a life and death situation?¡± Stryg glanced around his surroundings.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I mean, technically, I guess if the situation arose. I¡¯d let you handle any bad guys we¡¯d encounter. You can use your magic and fancy dance skills to end them.¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, it¡¯s not dancing. They''re combat stances.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. What I¡¯m trying to get at is that we are together for whatever life brings our way. Battles, dates, cooking, whatever. We¡¯re going to have to face life as a couple. Preferably, from a nice mansion in the villa district. Oh, with nice velvet chairs and some fancy wine. There has to be fancy wine, not the kinda stuff the Merry Crescent carries,¡± Feli placed a finger on her lips.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we have to work together?¡±


    ¡°Yes. With silk sheets and sweet chocolate too,¡± Feli added.


    ¡°Working together, huh? Only tribemates are supposed to work together.¡± He remembered how Kithina and Callum had come and helped in the grove.


    ¡°Well, we are a couple, it¡¯s like a tribe but even closer, like this,¡± Feli wrapped her arm around Stryg¡¯s shoulder. She knew the size difference bothered him, but she made sure her bust was next to his face. He always liked that.


    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re like a tribe then?¡± Stryg asked slowly.


    ¡°Hm. Yeah, I guess we kinda are.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m an exile from my tribe,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Well, screw them. Let¡¯s make a new tribe, just you and me,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re a family after all.¡±


    ¡°I never knew my family. Not that any sylvan goblin really does. But, I wish I knew what they looked like at least. So I could know why I look like this.¡± He stared at his reflection in a nearby puddle. He hated what he saw.


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t miss much. Parents are overrated,¡± Feli sighed.


    Stryg watched her face. There was pain in her chestnut eyes. He hadn¡¯t bothered asking much about her parents. He assumed they were dead, though he didn¡¯t know for certain. Yet, he was glad that he wasn¡¯t the only one who believed parents were unnecessary. He had gotten along just fine being without them.


    Stryg looked up in thought, ¡°I never really thought of making a new tribe. I suppose the gangs around here are quite weak. Maybe a two-person tribe wouldn¡¯t be that strange. Especially, since I¡¯m a mage. How many gangs do you know have a mage?¡±


    ¡°None, darling,¡± Feli buried her sorrow under a smile.


    ¡°Hmm, interesting,¡± Stryg¡¯s hand wrapped around Feli¡¯s waist. ¡°Tribes are about being strong to survive. Since you¡¯re weak, I suppose you¡¯d need me to survive.¡±


    Feli smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯m more interested in living than just surviving. Though, yeah, same point I guess. Together we¡¯re stronger.¡±


    ¡°You may not be a goblin, but we are... a ¡®couple.¡¯ I''ll make an exception this one time. First Mother used to say, ¡®a lone goblin would get picked off by the wolf packs, but a group of goblins could slay a dire bear.¡¯ I¡¯m glad we¡¯re in a loveless partnership. Otherwise, love could weaken our tribe,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    ¡°Yeah. Loveless,¡± Feli bit her lip.


    She had agreed to that when this whole relationship had started months ago. Her body for his future prospects and a stable life away from the cruel fate of commoners. She was okay with those conditions. So, why did she feel a stabbing pain in her chest when he mentioned it now? Sure, she had grown fond of Stryg, she sometimes even enjoyed his bizarre mannerisms. But, it wasn¡¯t love. It couldn¡¯t be.


    Feli cleared her throat, ¡°So, now that we¡¯re a tribe, do you wanna tell me what¡¯s been bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t founded our tribe yet, plus I haven¡¯t thought of a name.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    He slumped his shoulders, ¡°I failed.¡±


    ¡°You failed your exams?¡± Feli asked. Was that what was bothering him?


    ¡°No. Though, I didn¡¯t get 1st place either, but that¡¯s not the point. I used to be weak before I came to Hollow Shade. I know I already mentioned it, but you don¡¯t really understand. I was a failure, no matter how hard I tried I always came up short.¡±


    ¡°When I found out I was a mageborn I truly thought everything would be different. Even if I was a freak, I could use my hybrid nature as a source of strength. For once in my life I could be something, someone. Not just an outcast, an exile.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°There was a mock duel yesterday and I thought I was strong enough to defeat my opponents. I wasn¡¯t. Callum and Kithina had to come help me and then¡­ Then I was forced to run away, abandon my teammates.¡±


    His throat tightened, ¡°... Again. I realized I¡¯m the same weak goblin I was back in that cave in Vulture Woods. I¡¯m a failure.¡±


    Feli stopped in her steps. ¡°Stryg can you wait for a second?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s just your shoes.¡± Feli crouched down.


    His shoelaces were untied and tucked into each shoe. She really needed to teach him how to tie them one of these days. This wasn¡¯t what she had in mind this morning when she was planning her date. Not that she minded helping him tie his shoes, it was kind of funny, actually.


    ¡°Give me a sec to tie them for you,¡± Feli said.


    Stryg glanced at the crowd of people. Some glanced at the beautiful woman tying the young goblin¡¯s shoes. A few laughed. That is until Stryg hissed at them, they quickly went on their way after that.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Almost. There.¡± Feli stood up. ¡°Stryg, do you have any problem with me tying your shoes?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, people sometimes laugh while we¡¯re out in public. They think it¡¯s strange that you don¡¯t do it yourself,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°...People have never liked me. Who cares what these ones think. You¡¯re mine, it¡¯s expected that you take care of something like this.¡±


    Feli ignored his latter words and pressed on. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t do those tasks yourself?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I guess,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Are you weaker now that I tied your shoes?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Sometimes it¡¯s okay to get help from others when you can¡¯t do something yourself. It doesn¡¯t make us weaker, it makes us stronger. These two people, Callum and Kithina was it? Their help didn¡¯t weaken you, it made you stronger. Like that thing you said about goblins taking down a dire bear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I was referring to tribemates when I said that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter. The point still applies. You don¡¯t need someone to be in your tribe to work with them and so what if you had to run away. Maybe you lost the fight, but you didn¡¯t fail the exam, right? Despite having it rough you managed to scrape through. You¡¯ll get another chance, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be stronger for it.¡±


    Feli grabbed his hand, ¡°We all lose once in a while, it¡¯s how we learn. Trust me, I made plenty of mistakes back at the tavern. Thanks to the help of a few coworkers, not Carla mind you, I was able to get better at my job. I think all you need is some time. Time to get better and maybe some time to rest.¡±


    ¡°Like for example, on our date,¡± she winked.


    Stryg closed his eyes in contemplation. It went against what he had learned back in Vulture Woods. Then again, he wasn¡¯t in Vulture Woods anymore, nor was he a part of the Blood Fang tribe.


    He stared at their clasped hands, ¡°Maybe. Just maybe, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Feli smirked. ¡°Now who are Callum and Kithina?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they''re classmates. We¡¯ve been placed in a group for the year as project partners. The professors believe it helps simulate teamwork.¡±


    ¡°They''re just classmates then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Stryg paused, ¡°Actually, no. I guess you could call them¡­ friends.¡±


    ¡°Ah, friends. Got it,¡± she chuckled in relief.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do on a date?¡± Stryg asked, his mood finally lifting a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. First, we¡¯re supposed to take a nice walk through the district, shopping at different stores, and enjoying ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already done that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about buying groceries. This is different. We¡¯re supposed to go to fancy stores. You¡¯re supposed to buy me nice clothes, treat me to some delicious food. Maybe even share a sweet dessert. Probably chocolate, I love chocolate.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve done that before,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°What? No we haven¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Not with you. I¡¯ve done that with Plum before.¡±


    ¡°...Who¡¯s Plum?¡± Feli asked with a crooked smile.


    ¡°A friend of mine. I don¡¯t have many friends, but she¡¯s the first,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°You share chocolate with friends?¡±


    ¡°Just Plum. It was actually hot chocolate, pretty tasty really. I honestly don¡¯t like sharing, but I forgot my mug, so I had to share a mug with Plum. Now that I think about it, she drank most of it,¡± Stryg frowned.


    Feli blinked. ¡°When can I meet her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re both kind of busy with finals coming up. Why the interest?¡±


    ¡°I just want to meet my darling¡¯s friends. Is that too much to ask?¡± Feli frowned sweetly.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, it is. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Come on. How about after your finals?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡± Stryg sniffed the air, he could smell the confectionary store from around the block.


    ¡°I¡¯m craving chocolate, wanna get some?¡± His mouth was already beginning to water.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± she grinned.

 Chapter 57: Last Minute Training

    Chapter 57: Last Minute Training


    ¡°Concentrate,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg clasped his hand around a bundle of flowers. He closed his eyes and took a calm, slow breath. He would normally think of his enemies to elicit the mana within his heart, but this time all he needed was the memory of his failure at the grove. Grey mana pulsed through his veins and into his fingers. Stryg could feel his body absorbing the flowers¡¯ life force. The petals began to wilt and the stem withered in just seconds.


    Stryg looked at Loh expectantly, ¡°How did I do?¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± Loh said in a stern voice.


    Stryg nodded, dropped the dead flowers, and grabbed fresh ones from a nearby basket.


    If Loh was being honest, Stryg casted the simple drain spell perfectly, even managing to absorb the lifeforce into himself as well. She didn¡¯t want the compliment getting to his head, so she kept quiet. Besides, there was something else she needed to discuss with him first.


    ¡°Master Loh?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering why do all magi cast spells from their hands? At least every single magi I¡¯ve seen casts from their hands, including the professors. We don¡¯t have to though, do we?¡±


    ¡°No, not technically.¡± Loh placed a finger on her chin. ¡°There are a few that don¡¯t. It¡¯s just easier to cast spells from the hands. It feels more natural, more comfortable when we do. In general, magi tend to perform better when casting from their hands. I suppose you could channel your mana into your feet or back instead. Though, it would be a lot more difficult to aim the direction of your spell. The whole concept is commonly seen as one of those things you can do, but why would you?¡±


    Stryg finished draining the flowers. Loh nodded in approval.


    ¡°So, there really is no point to it then?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Not exactly. Magi who see combat on a regular basis sometimes train to cast with other parts of their body. That way if their arms are injured in battle they will still be able to cast magic with  relatively decent accuracy.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense. If you can¡¯t move your hands, cast with your legs instead, right?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Tell me, Stryg. What exactly happened in the grove?¡±


    He stiffened, ¡°My team managed to get three enemy necklaces and we ended up losing two of our own to Clypeus¡¯ team. I was the only one left on my team. It was a complete loss.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Did you know I spoke with your teammates? Callum really tried to defend you, saying how you fought bravely against Clypeus¡¯ entire team. Kithina didn¡¯t want to say a word. You have loyal friends. Of course, when I threatened to fail all three of you unless they started talking, Kithina cracked. I knew something was off, I just didn¡¯t realize how much of it was your fault. She told me how you ran off on your own at the very start of the match. Callum and her were forced to try and save you.¡±


    Stryg looked away in shame, ¡°I overestimated my abilities and underestimated my enemies. My team paid the price. I¡¯m ready to accept whatever punishment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to punish you, Stryg,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°At least not this time. I know what it¡¯s like to be confident in one¡¯s own power, how it can blind one to their own follies, and now you do too. That being said, I don¡¯t care if you lie, but never lie to me again. Next time I won¡¯t be so merciful.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Stryg bowed his head. Had this been back in Vulture Woods, First Mother would have beaten him until he was bloody raw.


    ¡°There must be trust between master and apprentice, do you understand?¡± Loh placed her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you do. You don¡¯t really seem to be the trusting type,¡± Loh frowned.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m trying to.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that will do for now,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Have you been saving up a third of your wages as I told you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I still don¡¯t know why though. I don¡¯t really spend much money, but I don¡¯t see the use of hoarding it away either,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get to spend it soon enough,¡± Loh said.


    She glanced at the pile of dead flowers strewn over the floor. ¡°The drain spell was performed adequately. Your grey magic is coming along smoothly. We¡¯ll start practicing grey¡¯s second spell form, curse spells, soon enough.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What about my black magic?¡±


    ¡°Professor Gete is teaching you black magic fairly well. I¡¯ve helped you with your shadow spells too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but when will you teach me how to cast tangible shadows like you?¡±


    ¡°You''re a long ways from that,¡± Loh laughed. ¡°You¡¯d have to at least be a master mage to create tangible shadows and even then you¡¯d have to be very talented in the shadow spell form.¡±


    Her apprentice in fact was talented in shadow magic, but she saw no point in mentioning it right now. The boy was already too confident in his own skills.


    ¡°Well, when will I be a master mage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of time, Stryg. It¡¯s a matter of training, discipline, and skill. The students of this academy are considered mage novices. They all work hard in the hopes of graduating after three years of study just to become mage adepts. At which point they can go out into the world and pursue jobs as magi. Then, only after years of training, often decades, that a mage is skilled enough to be called a master. Even then it normally requires an arduous trial to gain the title.¡±


    ¡°So, I still have a long way to go,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you a high master mage? How long did it take you to become one?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an exception,¡± Loh smirked. ¡°I¡¯m what people call a prodigy. I became a master mage when I was 23. It only took me another 5 years to achieve high master title.¡±


    ¡°Is that impressive?¡±


    Loh¡¯s smile fell, ¡°There are only a few dozen high master magi in the entire city. And at the young age of 30, I am considered the youngest high master in all of Hollow Shade. The only greater honor would be if I were an arch mage and there are only half a dozen of them in the city and they¡¯re all old people.¡±


    ¡°So, you really are important huh?¡± Stryg stared at his master.


    Stryg still didn¡¯t have a complete understanding of the hierarchy of Hollow Shade, save for the fact that the city was ruled by the city council and that the so-called principal ruled the magic academy.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m important, why in all the bloody Realms would you think otherwise?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Oh, I thought powerful magi would spend their time fighting or ruling, not teaching students,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Granted, there are some that teach because they can¡¯t do much more. But, the professors of this academy are all at least master magi. A few others like Ismene and I are high masters. Everyone has their own reasons for being here.¡±


    Loh laughed, ¡°Tauri only teaches because her father would make her go to battle otherwise. She¡¯d hate to be parted from her oh so precious civilization.¡±


    Stryg had heard Tauri was from a powerful martial family, Great House Katag. He could imagine the beautiful orc preferring to lounge about in a mansion instead of camping out in the wilderness.


    ¡°Master, why are you teaching here? You seem like the type who likes battle.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I do. I¡¯ve fought in many battles and hundreds of duels. However, I left House Noir years ago and recently I¡¯ve gotten low on funds. Tauri invited me to come work with her, so here I am, for now.¡±


    Loh noticed the worried look on Stryg¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry even if I leave the academy, I¡¯ll still be your master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Stryg sighed in relief. He really did appreciate her training, albeit a harsh instruction. His spell casting had advanced greatly because of her.


    ¡°I know you wish to cast tangible shadows, but the shadow spell form has so much more to offer. There are spells you can learn to cast long before you can call yourself a master. For example, with some practice you¡¯ll be able to cast a spell that enhances your night vision.¡±


    ¡°I already have night vision,¡± Stryg pointed at his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, goblins may have better night vision than most species, but the spell I¡¯m referring to is better than that. It can even help you see in very low light conditions, you¡¯ll be able to see even on a cloudy night with a new moon.¡±


    ¡°I can already see without any light,¡± Stryg admitted.


    He had only told Feli, who didn¡¯t even really understand what he was talking about. Still, he wanted to try and be more truthful to his teacher. He wanted to try and trust her.


    Loh narrowed her eyes, ¡°What do you mean without any light?¡±


    ¡°Remember how I told you that my hybrid traits only started acting up last year? Well, around the same time something happened to me, to my eyes. It wasn¡¯t a gradual change like my other senses or physical abilities. One night I suddenly could perfectly see in the dark. I don¡¯t know how, but I just can ever since.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± Loh said with skepticism.


    She raised her hands. Her shadow deepened into a solid black matte, it expanded and inked across the courtyard, forming a dome of utter darkness around them. It reminded Stryg of the spell he had cast in the Merry Crescent, except this was on a much larger scale.


    ¡°Now, how many fingers am I holding up?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°On which hand? Your right has three, your left has two. Now your mouth is hanging open. You just lowered your right hand. Your left hand has four fingers up now.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Loh waved her hands. The darkness receded back into her own shadow. She walked up to Stryg.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± she grabbed his face.


    Stryg grimaced, but resisted the urge to push her away. Loh stared into his lilac eyes. His pupils¡¯ size fluctuated.


    ¡°I had noticed there was something off about your eyes, I just thought it had to do with your hybrid nature.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡± Stryg mouthed through squished cheeks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that it does, it¡¯s just a lot weirder than what I had originally thought.¡± She leaned in closer.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils started to expand and contract in rapid succession.


    ¡°Your pupils, are they? It can¡¯t be,¡± Loh frowned.


    She raised her finger and brought it closer to Stryg¡¯s eye, then further away. She did the same with his other eye.


    ¡°Stryg, are you scared?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°...A bit.¡±


    ¡°How about now?¡± Loh lit a small flame above her finger tip. She brought the flame closer to his face.


    He squinted, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s bright, get it out of my face.¡± His irises vibrated.


    ¡°Sure.¡± She doused the flame, but kept staring into his eyes. ¡°Your irises are practically undulating, incredible. Stryg, your pupils aren¡¯t reacting to the light. I think they¡¯re reacting to something else.¡±

 Chapter 58: Last Minute Advice

    Chapter 58:


    ¡°I think your pupils are reacting to your emotional state,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory, but I think your pupils are changing shape based on how you feel, not outer light sources. The more uncomfortable you are the quicker the pupils change. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. The real question is how does the state of your pupils affect your vision. And why can you see in pitch darkness?¡± Loh released him and took a step back. ¡°Have your eyes always been like this?¡±


    Stryg rubbed his face, ¡°They¡¯ve always been pale purple, I don¡¯t know about the pupil thing. Besides the color no one in the Blood Fang tribe ever mentioned something about my eyes being weird.¡±


    ¡°Did you never look at your reflection in a mirror?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have mirrors in Vulture Woods. The only reflection I ever saw was in the river. As you can guess it wasn¡¯t great, not that it mattered, I never liked what I saw in the reflection.¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Loh knew Stryg had self-esteem problems, but she hadn¡¯t really touched on the topic. She really needed to address the issue at some point. Nothing good would come out of it otherwise. Although, for now there was a far more interesting topic at hand.


    ¡°If you really can see perfectly in the dark, which I¡¯m inclined to believe after your little performance, it may be that your eyes don¡¯t need light at all. Actually, wait, you said it was bright. How bright?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Enough that it hurt, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying a small flame like that hurt your eyes? What about other lights? Like lamps or the sun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like any of them. They¡¯re uncomfortable. I preferred the canopy of Vulture Woods.¡± Stryg rubbed his eyes as if to make a point.


    ¡°Interesting. Your eyes have a light sensitivity just like vampires. Vampires don¡¯t have perfect night vision though. Your sight could be some kind of mutation, most likely is. Probably an enhanced version of night vision, maybe from your goblin side? Still, of all the mutations I¡¯ve ever heard of, none have referenced such an amazing ability. Most mutations are actually pretty bad. You must be the luckiest hybrid alive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel that way.¡± Excluding being a mageborn Stryg considered himself to have horrible luck.


    A knock ran on the courtyard¡¯s gate.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Callum voiced from the other side.


    Stryg looked at Loh questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m holding last minute advice sessions for the students before the final exam. I¡¯m always training you so just count this as your session,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Stryg nodded and headed towards the door.


    ¡°Oh and Stryg, I almost forgot. You¡¯ve gotten taller,¡± Loh smiled.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°You told me your body has been changing ever since last year. Is it so crazy to think that you¡¯ve grown in height as well?¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    Stryg looked at himself. He hadn¡¯t noticed. It would explain why his clothes were getting a little tight. He was busy studying and training, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the changes happening within himself.


    He recalled how he had wrestled Clypeus in the grove. Weren¡¯t vampires supposed to be very strong? Stryg recalled how he had struggled against the goblin Jax. And yet by the time he fought Clypeus, he had overpowered the vampire. Perhaps things were changing more than he had ever realized.


    He looked up at Loh, ¡°Am I really taller?¡±


    ¡°You used to barely reach my hip. I¡¯d say you''re about half-a-foot taller now. Regular height for a goblin male, little taller actually. In fact, if you¡¯re half-drow you¡¯ll probably grow much more. I can¡¯t promise facial hair, though. Drow men have none,¡± she smirked.


    Stryg sighed, he always did want a beard like the goblin chief. If he grew any more than he was now, he¡¯d tower over any goblin in the Blood Fang tribe. He would be even more of a freak.


    Stryg stopped in his steps, his lips curled into a smile, he had remembered the goblin Ostroz¡¯s advice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a runt,¡± he whispered.


    ~~~


    ¡°Hello, Stryg. How¡¯ve you been?¡± Callum asked with a smile.


    Stryg walked past him, but stopped at the gateway.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg said without turning around. He went on his way.


    Callum shook his head with a grin. Normally Stryg would just walk by, not caring to answer. At least now he¡¯d answer such simple questions. It was progress. Callum wished for Stryg to confide in him like he did with Plum. It would take time, but Callum was patient.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have all day. Are you just going to stand there?¡± Loh called from across the courtyard.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He turned with a bow, ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Callum walked over, only pausing to stare at the pile of withered flowers on the floor.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± She tapped her foot.


    ¡°None at all. How may I be of service, Miss Loh?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t help me even if you tried, little vampling. Like the others, I called you here to give you advice, in order to help you during the final exam.¡±


    ¡°Does it involve the flowers, perchance?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°You always focus so much on your surroundings and others that you fail to see your own bloody faults.¡±


    She waved her hand. A black tendril shot from her shadow, wrapped around Callum¡¯s ankle, and yanked him to the floor. He cried out in surprise right before the stone-hard floor knocked the air from his lungs.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s your advice?¡± He wheezed.


    ¡°Kithina told me what happened during the match at the grove the other day. Why did you lie?¡± Loh flicked her finger.


    The shadow tendril lifted him up from the ankle, holding him in the air upside down.


    ¡°I may have underplayed Stryg¡¯s fault in the whole manner. He simply suffered a bout of tunnel vision, is all. Happens to everyone. I¡¯d love to tell you more but the blood is rushing to my head,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire, you can handle a little blood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only half vampire. Humans do not do great upside down.¡±


    ¡°Even better, hybrids tend to be quite tenacious,¡± Loh grinned. ¡°Why did you lie about the grove incident?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want Stryg to be in trouble. Everyone in class knows you¡¯re¡­ tough on him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my assistant, I pay him to follow my orders. Should I coddle him instead?¡±


    ¡°Precisely my point. I didn¡¯t want you to fire him,¡± Callum tried nodding.


    The students didn¡¯t know Stryg was actually Loh¡¯s apprentice and she preferred to keep it that way.


    She frowned, ¡°Why did you lie about the grove incident?¡±


    ¡°I just told you, there really was no other reason.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Stryg. Earlier, Kithina told me you tried your best to defend her when you encountered the first opposing team. In the process you injured your leg. Interestingly, neither of you two, or even Stryg for that matter, mentioned you casting a single spell.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect me to do? You know I¡¯m a chromatic red. I¡¯m not very proficient in the ward spell form yet and you didn¡¯t allow us to bring any potions either.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told anyone have you?¡± Loh tilted her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you''re referring to,¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°I think we both know what I¡¯m referring to. I¡¯m a professor at the academy and you¡¯re a student at the academy. I have access to your records, idiot. I know you¡¯re a manifold mage. You¡¯re a chromatic red and white. I also know you¡¯ve taken private lessons with a white mage. So, tell me, why didn¡¯t you cast a single white spell in that fight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not proficient with white magic,¡± Callum grimaced. The blood rushing to his head was really starting to affect him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult my intelligence. You are a son of House Veres. We both know your father wouldn¡¯t have let you show your face in this academy if you were shit at magic.¡±


    ¡°...I was in pain. My leg was bleeding, I couldn¡¯t focus enough to cast a spell.¡±


    ¡°Not even enough to cast a simple healing spell to stop the bleeding? Doubtful. No, I think you didn¡¯t heal yourself because you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I thought you just said I wasn¡¯t shit at magic,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re shit at lying that much is true. Even an idiot would try to stop the bleeding of their own damn leg. So, why didn¡¯t you? Everyone regards healers highly, so why hide it? But, then again, the answer is quite obvious isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Loh flicked her wrist. The black tendrils faded back into her shadow, dropping Callum right back into the floor.


    ¡°I think I might have broken something,¡± he groaned in pain.


    ¡°Then heal it. Oh, that¡¯s right, you can''t, can you? Not because you can¡¯t focus, but, because you¡¯re sorely lacking in talent in the healing spell form. Which begs the question. Why take lessons from a white mage? Why take them in private?¡±


    Callum looked away.


    Loh crouched down, ¡°Because you are talented in the bright spell form, the combination of white and light mana. Talented enough to warrant taking one-on-one lessons. As for having the lessons made private? I can hazard a guess.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out about the private lessons? That¡¯s not in any academy record.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. It¡¯s not quite relevant though, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s relevant to me,¡± he grit his teeth. If Loh knew, then there was no telling how many others might. Had he been sold out?


    ¡°Your secret is safe with me, Callum. Are you so afraid of them? Your own family?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. You¡¯re not a vampire.¡± Callum glared at her, ¡°Vampires hate the sunlight as it is. They despise those who create light even more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a vampire. But, I know the meaning of hate within a Great House. The difference between you and I is that I left my House. But, I¡¯m not telling you to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you telling me? What the hell is the point of all of this!?¡± Callum snapped.


    Loh stood up, ¡°You¡¯re worried that your family will hate you? Well, fuck them. You don¡¯t need their love and I know you certainly don¡¯t have it. You¡¯re a hybrid of the esteemed Veres, a family known for having some of the greatest vampires in history, not orcs, not drow, only vampires. I can imagine what it was like growing up in that family, the bastard born of a human mother. They have probably despised you for a long time. Except, perhaps your father, if the rumors are to be believed.¡±


    Loh shrugged, ¡°None of that really matters though. What matters is that you hate your family too. You only care about them finding out of your magical skills because you worry that it will affect your standing in the family.¡±


    Callum pushed himself to his feet, ¡°I don¡¯t hate my family.¡±


    ¡°Lie to me again and I will break your legs.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t hate all my family.¡±


    She made a half-smile, ¡°Then the rumors are true. At least you have a parent who cares, consider yourself lucky. But, like I said, none of that matters. You want to have a strong standing in your family? Maybe you wish to even rule House Veres someday? You don¡¯t need love to do that, at least not theirs. What you need is power. Enough power for them to respect you. Magic is power. You say they hate the light? Then make them fear you for it. Make them know not to cross you, lest you blind them with the power of the sun.¡±


    ¡°Vampires have never been able to cast bright spells without hurting themselves,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not just a vampire,¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°The other vampires see my human-half as a weakness, a disgrace.¡±


    Loh held out her hand, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you let Hollow Shade know that there is a new power rising in House Veres and if a vampire dares stand in his way, he¡¯ll burn the shit out of them.¡±

 Chapter 59: Friendly Introductions

    Chapter 59:


    ¡°Kitty, stop pacing around everywhere, you are making the dogs go crazy,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t even be in the living room. They should be leashed in the shed,¡± Kithina complained.


    The two black hounds bounced back and forth between Kithina. Their tongues lolled out in excitement. Their large size threatened to tumble Kithina over if she wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡°They are just happy to see you. You¡¯ve been at that dorm for months and you rarely drop by,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°I love them too, but you know how aggressive they are with strangers and my friends will be here any minute now,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Skobby to grab them in a minute,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°He should have leashed them over an hour ago,¡± Kithina grumbled.


    ¡°Give your little brother a break, he¡¯s been studying very hard for the civics entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°You need to do more than just study to get into one of the four academies.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Skobby said, coming out from his room. He crossed his arms, ¡°Go on oh great mage, please shower us with your hard-earned wisdom, that is if you haven¡¯t been too busy daydreaming in your classes.¡±


    Kithina raised three fingers, ¡°Money, connections with one Named House or another, or most importantly, intelligence. I got into my academy with the latter,¡± Kithina grinned.


    ¡°You mean magic, dumbass.¡± Skobby chuckled.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s on pipsqueak,¡± Kithina cracked her knuckles.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you. What are you even doing, Kitty? Your brother is only 14, but you¡¯re an adult now. Start acting like one,¡± Gidget scolded.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m only 18, cut me some slack,¡± Kithina said and closed her eyes.


    A pale outline of yellow scales appeared over her skin. Ktihina opened her eyes and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll let him hit me first.¡±


    ¡°Mom, she¡¯s using magic again!¡± Skobby backed away.


    ¡°Kithina, what did I say about using magic in the house? Last time you broke my favorite vase,¡± Gidget placed her hands on her hips.


    ¡°That was an accident.¡± Kithina sighed, ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± The yellow scales faded away.


    ¡°Where¡¯s dad anyway? He should be here by now.¡±


    ¡°You know he went to pick up some wine for dinner. He¡¯ll be back any minute. Stop worrying, the food is cooked, the table is set, and you¡¯re already dressed in your best. Just relax,¡± Gidget said.


    Kithina grabbed the hem of her red dress. She bit her lip, ¡°How do I look? Be honest.¡±


    ¡°Like a red tomato,¡± Skobby laughed.


    ¡°Quiet! Go put the dogs in your room, now,¡± Gidget ordered.


    ¡°Fiiine,¡± he groaned.


    He grabbed the two hounds¡¯ leashes and wrestled them into the room. There was something strangely amusing of seeing a 3 and a half-foot dwarf trying to pull two playful mastiffs towards him. When their mom wasn¡¯t looking Kithina stuck her tongue out at Skobby as he dragged the dogs away.


    Gidget waited until Skobby was shut in his room. She then turned to Kithina with a smile, ¡°You look beautiful honey, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love it.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh please, you wouldn¡¯t be so worked up if there wasn¡¯t some special boy,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°Mom, please,¡± Kithina frowned.


    Gidget raised her hands in mock surrender, ¡°I get it, you don¡¯t want to talk about him. But, if he¡¯s coming over the least you could do is give us a heads up, that way your father doesn¡¯t end up embarrassing you in front of him, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell dad, he¡¯ll just get all awkward about it,¡± Kithina grimaced.


    ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t. But, I do need to know a little bit if I¡¯m to stop your father from blabbering during dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. Just promise me you won¡¯t freak out,¡± Kithina grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Kitty, I¡¯m on your side. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I promise. Now, what¡¯s his name?¡±


    Kithina froze. If her mom found out that a son of House Veres, one of the most prominent families in the entire city, would be coming to their small home she¡¯d definitely freak out in an instant. Kithina needed to start a little simpler.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to all of them when they arrive. Let¡¯s just say he¡¯s special,¡± Kithina made a crooked smile.


    ¡°What do you mean special? Is he talented?¡± Gidget raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Very much. He¡¯s one of the best students in my class.¡±


    ¡°Wow, impressive. More importantly, how does he treat you?¡±


    ¡°When we first met he was a bit standoffish, but he turned out to be a really nice person. You should definitely give him a chance.¡±


    Gidget narrowed her eyes, ¡°Kitty, what are you not telling me? Spill it.¡±


    Damn, her mom was too perceptive. She needed a diversion.


    Kithina slumped her shoulders, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t freak out... He¡¯s a hybrid.¡±


    Gidget placed her hands on her daughter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Is that all? You shouldn¡¯t be worried about something like that. Love comes in all different shapes and sizes. I¡¯m sorry you ever felt worried to tell me about something like that. And don¡¯t worry too much about the infertility thing, not everyone has children anyway. Not that I¡¯m saying to have children. Don¡¯t have children. You¡¯re too young for that.¡±


    ¡°Got it, thanks mom,¡± Kithina smiled. Crisis averted.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A knock rang on the door.


    She did a double take, ¡°That must be them.¡±


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Go and greet your friends,¡± Gidget nudged Kithina forward.


    ¡°Right.¡± Ktihina ran.


    She halted as she neared the door. She took a deep breath and smiled as brightly as she could, then opened the door, ¡°Good evening, I¡¯m glad you could make it!¡±


    ¡°Hey Kitty, you look nice,¡± Grolm smiled. He held a large cloth bag between his stubby fingers.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you dad.¡± Ktihina¡¯s smile fell flat.


    Grolm frowned, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair. I went all the way to the trade district just to bring you that fancy wine you like. Does your hardworking father not even deserve a welcome-home smile?¡±


    ¡°What took you so long anyway?¡± Kithina crossed her arms.


    ¡°I may have gotten a little carried away, hehe,¡± Grolm grinned.


    ¡°You bought Fire Breath, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Just one bottle. I first bought your wine, but then I noticed there was a sale on the Fire Breath and it¡¯s a limited edition from Frost Rim. You know the dwarves up there make the best spirits. I don¡¯t know what it is about that frozen city, but they always somehow manage to have the most delicious alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t serve that to my friends, it¡¯s too strong for them, it¡¯s even too strong for me.¡±


    ¡°Relax, I still brought your wine bottle, your friends can have that. I¡¯ll just have a bit of the Fire Breath.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you getting drunk while my friends are here,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Dear, just close the door and come here,¡± Gidget waved her husband over.


    Grolm nodded and closed the door. He made sure not to make eye contact with Kithina. ¡°Coming dear.¡±


    ¡°Your beard is a mess,¡± Gidget said.


    She began to fix the weaves and wooden beads in her husband¡¯s dark beard. Kithina grabbed the bag of alcohol and set it on the table, then proceeded to continue her pacing. Grolm looked at his daughter with a warm smile.


    It had only been a few months but she had changed drastically. She was no longer that nervous wide-eyed girl from a year ago. Okay, perhaps she was, but she was confident now too. He still remembered the day that Kithina¡¯s magic awoke. She had just visited his office. She wanted to talk to him, but he was too busy with his scribe work. Suddenly, a wind blew into the office and his papers went flying.


    Kithina and Grolm had both been surprised. Grolm was a simple dwarf from a commoner¡¯s background, but he knew magic when he saw it. Normally, it¡¯d be difficult to have someone take a mageborn test. It required connections and ample money. He didn¡¯t care. He scraped together what little savings he had and spoke with the few meager connections he had made through the years. Finally, after weeks of trying, he managed to get his Kitty into a mageborn test.


    Kithina had been so worried, similar to how she was now. Grolm wasn¡¯t, he never doubted his daughter. She passed the test and was set to attend the magic academy the next autumn. To think a year had passed since that test, how much she had grown. Despite being a commoner, Grolm had a mage daughter. He was so proud.


    ¡°My little mage,¡± Grolm whispered with a smile.


    ¡°Our little mage,¡± Gidget whispered back.


    Another knock rang on the door.


    ¡°That has to be them!¡± Kithina dashed towards the door.


    ¡°There, all better,¡± Gidget said, patting Grolm¡¯s cheek affectionately. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go meet our daughter¡¯s friends.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Grolm nodded.


    ¡°Good evening, I¡¯m glad you could make it!¡± Kithina beamed.


    Stryg, Plum, Callum and one of his maids, stood in the doorway.


    ¡°Good evening, Kithina,¡± Callum bowed. His maid bowed as well.


    ¡°Hey Kithina, thanks for inviting us!¡± Plum waved.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Kitty, invite them inside,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°O-oh, uh, right, of course,¡± Kithina extended her arm, ¡°Right this way. Welcome to my home.¡±


    Kithina led them into the living room. ¡°Please have a seat,¡± she gestured towards the couch.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Callum said. The group sat down, except for the maid, who stood in the back.


    ¡°Well, are you going to introduce us?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kithina stood back up and pointed towards her parents. ¡°This is my mom and dad. These are my friends from the academy.¡±


    ¡°You can do better than that,¡± Grolm complained.


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintances, this is Grolm, my husband, and you can call me Gidget,¡± she smiled. ¡°May I have the honor of knowing your names?¡±


    Gidget glanced around the couch. Four guests. Her daughter had said there would be three. Gidget looked at the maid standing in the back, Kithina probably hadn¡¯t taken the pretty young woman into account.


    The maid stood behind the seated handsome man. He had ruby eyes, pale skin, and dark black hair. He must be a vampire, she guessed. Most vampires were at least middle-class, this one seemed to be wealthy enough to have his own private maid, impressive to say the least.


    ¡°My name is Callum Veres, I¡¯m happy to finally meet Kithina¡¯s mother. I now know where she gets her beautiful red hair,¡± Callum smiled.


    His compliment fell on deaf ears. The last thing Gidget heard was his surname. Her face paled and her smile became rigid.


    ¡°D-did you say V-veres? As in House Veres? One of the Great Houses of Hollow Shade?¡± Grolm asked.


    Callum nodded, ¡°The very same one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, an actual Veres in my home? The boys at the office are never gonna believe this,¡± Grolm laughed out loud and slapped his knee.


    Kithina pinched the bridge of her nose. So much for slowly easing her parents into Callum¡¯s background.


    Gidget cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have a scion of House Veres in our home. We have a modest home and not much to offer, but I humbly ask that you overlook our fault this one time. Our daughter neglected to inform us of your lineage. We would have done more had we known.¡±


    ¡°Please, do not worry about anything of the sort. You have a quaint little home,¡± Callum said. He patted the couch. A thread came loose. ¡°Ehehe, yes. Um, it¡¯s...nice.¡±


    Callum was used to mansions, not an old house in the commoner district. He tried his best to hide his discomfort.


    Gidget gave a sidelong glance of livid anger towards her daughter. Kithina swallowed in fear.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your kind words, I will not forget them,¡± Gidget bowed.


    She¡¯d deal with Kithinia¡¯s idiocy later. For now she needed to be a good hostess. She turned to the pretty bespectacled drow.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Plumela, but you can call me Plum. I may be a mage, and therefore technically middle-class, but I was born a commoner, like you. So, don¡¯t worry about any special formalities,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you Plum,¡± Gidget smiled.


    ¡°Plumela? Like the flower?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes. My mother was trained as a scribe and she loves reading books about botany and anything flower related. So much so that she named me after a flower,¡± Plum chuckled abashedly.


    ¡°What a coincidence, I¡¯m a scribe myself. No wonder you and Kitty are friends,¡± Grolm said.


    ¡°I think we would have been friends anyway, I love Kithina¡¯s or should I say Kitty¡¯s, personality. She has a fiery temper that is always ready to fight.¡± Plum glanced over at Stryg, ¡°Reminds me of someone I know.¡±


    ¡°And what can I call you?¡± Grolm asked Stryg.


    Stryg was slumped on the couch, simply enjoying its comfiness. It had been a long day of personal training with Loh and all he wanted to do was eat and go home to a bed with an awaiting open-armed Feli. He wouldn¡¯t have even come, but Plum dragged him. She insisted that he needed to go since Kithina had been kind enough to invite them all to dinner.


    The sound of barking echoed through the house. Skobby¡¯s bedroom door flung open as the two mastiffs bolted outside and straight into the living room. Kithina stood up in alarm.


    ¡°Get back here!¡± Skobby shouted.


    It was too late, the hounds ran right at a frozen Plum. Stryg lurched forward in between them both. He raised his hands, flexed his claws, and hissed at the dogs. The mastiffs slid on the ground as they tried to backpedal away. They whined and trotted behind Skobby. He grabbed their leashes with haste.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Plum whispered to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Dammit, Skobby, someone could have gotten hurt!¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry everyone, I took my eyes off them for one second and they somehow managed to escape,¡± Skobby bowed his head repeatedly.


    ¡°Those two rascals are always so hostile towards newcomers. But, I¡¯ve never seen them act so terrified before,¡± Grolm said. He slowly looked over to the culprit.


    Stryg stayed silent.


    Plum spoke up, ¡°My best friend isn¡¯t much for words. You can call him Stryg.¡±


    Gidget studied the mysterious stranger. He was slightly taller than the average goblin, but that was only where the differences began. His skin was a shade of blue, a teal perhaps. His hair was a pale grey, shining like silver where the light hit. The points of his ears were muted and his face¡¯s sharp features were uncanny. Yet, it was his lilac eyes that were truly unsettling. They drew in any beholder and froze them with fear and wonder. This was undoubtedly him, the hybrid Kithina spoke of.

 Chapter 60: Family Dinner

    Chapter 60:


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Stryg.¡± Gidget stood up and extended her hand.


    He glanced back and forth between her face and hand. He tilted his head, unsure of what to do. Plum leaned into his ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to shake it,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Gidget remembered that Kithina had said the boy was standoffish when they first met. Gidget supposed he was simply uncomfortable around strangers.


    She lowered her hand and forced a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we head over to the dining table? The food is already set.¡±


    ¡°Great idea, mom,¡± Kithina sighed in relief. She hoped to avoid any conflict with Stryg tonight.


    ¡°That would be lovely, thank you,¡± Callum said.


    The group stood up and went to sit at the dining table. Skobby took the mastiffs back into his room. The scared hounds didn¡¯t resist this time, in fact they seemed eager to get as far away from Stryg as they could.


    The table was lined with Gidget¡¯s best dishes, including potato cream soup, freshly baked cheese bread, and marinated spicy lemon chicken.


    ¡°The food smells delicious,¡± Plum said, practically salivating.


    ¡°It really does,¡± Stryg agreed.


    ¡°Yes, it does look¡­ appetizing,¡± Callum said. He was used to five-course meals made by some of the most skilled chefs in all of Hollow Shade, but he tried hard to be a courteous guest.


    Gidget noticed the maid was standing a few feet away from the table. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Kithina told me only three of her friends were visiting. Give me just a moment to get a chair for you.¡±


    ¡°Please, do not worry about me ma¡¯am. I am simply here to serve my young master to the best of my ability.¡± The maid bowed politely.


    ¡°Nonsense, I insist,¡± Gidget shook her head.


    ¡°Thank you kindly, but I¡¯m afraid I will have to decline. I have already eaten and I must be ready to serve my young master whenever he calls on me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, really. Just pretend she isn¡¯t even here. The maids are trained to be like background scenery. Always present, yet only relevant when called upon,¡± Callum assured.


    ¡°Well, if young sir Veres says so,¡± Gidget nodded reluctantly.


    She didn¡¯t know much about aristocrats, but she assumed they all behaved this way. Honestly, it made her a little uncomfortable.


    Skobby came back from his room and took the last seat, ¡°Again, sorry about the dogs everyone. I¡¯m Skobby, by the way, Kitty¡¯s younger brother.¡±


    ¡°I love that nickname, Kitty, sounds so cute,¡± Plum smiled.


    Kithina looked away with rosy cheeks, ¡°Anyway, I know finals are coming up in a few days, but I just wanted to invite everyone over to dinner as thanks for your help this year. I would have never been able to finish our group project if it hadn¡¯t been for all of you, especially you Plum.¡±


    ¡°I was happy to help, besides I can use the information for my own final¡¯s writings,¡± Plum smiled.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t hold back everyone, help yourselves,¡± Grolm gestured.


    Having a room full of magi was intimidating, but he believed the best way to deal with them was like all people, through tasty food. He grabbed his plate and began to serve himself.


    Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate and served himself as well. The rest soon followed.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good,¡± Plum practically shook with joy. She took another bite of the chicken.


    ¡°I like the soup,¡± Stryg said, already on his second bowl.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys like it, my mom¡¯s a great cook,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice,¡± Callum said with a small wince.


    ¡°So, you guys are all Kitty¡¯s classmates, right? Then you''re all magi too?¡± Skobby asked.


    ¡°Skobby, let my friends eat their food in peace.¡± Kithina glared at him.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying. They probably have cooler magic than you right?¡± Skobby grinned.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not technically Kitty¡¯s classmate,¡± Plum answered. ¡°I¡¯m a 3rd year at the academy and a librarian¡¯s assistant. I only help these three with their group project. While I am a mage, I don¡¯t know if I would say I have cooler magic. Kitty can literally make her skin sword-proof.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not that skilled with durability spells yet,¡± Kithina lamented.


    Callum nodded, ¡°Nonsense, Kithina you have improved greatly with your yellow magic. I also have to agree with Plum on the flamboyance of my magic. I don¡¯t think potions are nearly as flashy as chromatic yellow¡¯s ability to harden one¡¯s skin and bones. My ward spells even less so. I¡¯d say Stryg¡¯s magic is quite impressive though.¡±


    ¡°Right! Stryg¡¯s a manifold mage, he has a larger array of magic,¡± Plum said proudly.


    ¡°What¡¯s a manifold mage?¡± Skobby asked in curiosity. His sister had only told their family a little of the ongoings of chromatic magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s someone who can use more than one kind of chromatic color. Stryg is a chromatic black and grey,¡± Kithina answered.


    ¡°What kind of magic does that entail?¡± Gidget asked, unable to help herself. She wished to know more about her daughter¡¯s love interest.


    Stryg hadn¡¯t said a word, too busy stuffing his mouth with cream soup and cheese bread. He wasn¡¯t really interested in talking very much anyway.


    Luckily, Plum answered for him. ¡°Grey magic allows him to use the drain and curse spell forms. Suffice to say they are both very dangerous spell forms. A lot of battle magi are grey magi. Though, you¡¯re probably more familiar with black magic. You know the sentinels outside patrolling the streets? That¡¯s black magic at work.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Wow, black magi must be quite busy then,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°Yep. Oh, they also can control shadows too,¡± Plum said.


    Grolm froze, spoon halfway towards his mouth. He turned to Stryg slowly, ¡°Wait. You¡¯re that mage, aren¡¯t you? The one from the Merry Crescent. I¡¯ve heard the rumors. A blue goblin, that¡¯s you right?¡±


    Stryg swallowed his food, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Gidget turned to her husband, ¡°What rumors?¡±


    ¡°A bunch of people at my usual pub were talking about it. Do you know the Merry Crescent tavern?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Gidget shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the south side of the district. It¡¯s one of the few taverns that sell true dwarven Fire Breath alcohol,¡± Grolm sighed in reminiscence.


    ¡°Now I see why you know the tavern,¡± Gidget said in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°Hehe, well, my friends at the pub were telling me how a goblin mage had gone to the Merry Crescent. No one knew he was mage, I mean when have you ever seen a goblin mage before? Anyway, the point of the story is that some guard picked a fight with him and the mage called down these shadows from all around. They say the shadows came out of nowhere and devoured the guard¡¯s flesh, like the shades from the wall. Nothing was left of the guard, not even bone,¡± Grolm explained.


    He looked at Stryg, ¡°That¡¯s you right? The one in the rumors? I mean it¡¯s not like there are a bunch of blue goblins walking around through Hollow Shade.¡±


    Gidget saw Stryg in a new light. This mysterious handsome goblin was clearly dangerous. She needed to be careful with her words and so did her big-mouth husband.


    Plum elbowed Stryg lightly, ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Stryg went back to eating.


    Plum frowned, but said nothing.


    Telling Plum wouldn¡¯t prove productive in any form. Still, Stryg was surprised that the rumors had actually spread this far. Not to mention they were overly exaggerated, but it was nice to hear others talk about him in fear. He was finally feeling like a proper goblin chief. He still needed to figure out a name for his tribe though.


    Callum made a mental note to look into the Merry Crescent matter. Kithina knew Stryg was ruthless, she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Stryg had actually killed someone.


    ¡°Did you really kill a guard?¡± Skobby asked with excitement.


    ¡°So, how are classes going?¡± Gidget said, intent on changing the topic.


    ¡°Pretty busy, it¡¯s my final semester, and the tests are a pain,¡± Plum groaned.


    ¡°Yeah, they are pretty hard,¡± Kithina agreed. ¡°Our first exam is with professor Loh Noir. She¡¯s really strict and kind of scary. Honestly, I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Loh is a drow to be reckoned with. Her test will undoubtedly prove challenging. Luckily, we have Stryg on our side. I know he¡¯ll have our back,¡± Callum looked pointedly at Stryg.


    Callum hoped the words would get across to his fellow hybrid. Stryg needed to understand that they needed to work as a team in order to pass Loh¡¯s exam.


    ¡°Are you really strong?¡± Skobby asked Stryg.


    ¡°Not strong enough,¡± Stryg muttered. He gripped his spoon tightly and kept eating.


    ¡°He¡¯s being modest,¡± Callum smiled. ¡°Stryg is an excellent student and without a doubt one of, if not the most capable mage within our year.¡±


    ¡°Woah, you¡¯re some bigshot, huh?¡± Skobby looked at Stryg with starry eyes.


    Gidget smiled to herself. Kithina sure knew how to pick them. Handsome, humble, and talented. Maybe he wasn¡¯t such a dangerous guy after all.


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve had enough solid food,¡± Callum said. He motioned his maid over.


    ¡°Here you are, young master,¡± the maid said.


    She offered her wrist to him. Callum¡¯s fangs sunk in and drank the familiar blood with relieved satisfaction. The maid bit her lip as she held back a moan.


    Skobby watched the exchange with interest. Gidget winced. Kithina sighed. Plum was still miffed at Stryg, who was ignoring the whole affair.


    Grolm laughed, ¡°I heard vampires drink, but I never thought it was like this. Nice.¡±


    Callum pulled away from the maid, ¡°Vampires can eat anything like other species. But, they still need to drink blood to live.¡±


    ¡°It seems like a very intimate affair,¡± Gidget noted.


    ¡°Not really, I mean some vampires see it that way, in a romantic light you could say. This one¡¯s just one of the maids I feed off on a regular basis. Nothing more,¡± Callum said.


    He didn¡¯t see the need to mention that he slept with his maids, however. Gidget seemed uncomfortable enough already.


    ¡°Would you drink the blood of your lover then?¡± Grolm asked.


    Gidget kicked her husband under the table.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Grolm flinched.


    Callum paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer the question. ¡°Actually, my fiance is a vampire, so I wouldn¡¯t drink her blood anyway.¡±


    ¡°You have a fiance?¡± Kithina asked. Her throat felt tight.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Callum smiled sadly.


    ¡°Why do you look so bummed out?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not very close. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not too much of a fan of the engagement. But, alas, it was prearranged at my birth,¡± Callum explained.


    ¡°Of course it was,¡± Kithina looked down at her food.


    She should have known better. He was the son of a powerful aristocratic family. Of course he had a fiance. Kithina never stood a chance.


    ¡°How about you Stryg, is there anyone in your life?¡± Gidget asked.


    Stryg stopped eating, ¡°...As in romantically?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She means is there anyone you love in your life,¡± Plum stared at him as she ate.


    ¡°Oh, no there isn¡¯t,¡± Stryg said and went back to his food.


    ¡°Maybe anyone you like romantically?¡± Plum asked in a strained voice.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Stryg kept eating.


    ¡°I see,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Sounds just like Stryg,¡± Kithina giggled.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°Nope, none at all,¡± Kithina took a sip of water.


    Gidget looked at her daughter in surprise. Kithina was being so direct. She thought her daughter was shy and quite frankly, awkward about romantic interactions.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg, why don¡¯t you try some of the chicken,¡± Plum suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it smells a little off,¡± Stryg looked at the food skeptically.


    ¡°It tastes amazing, you gotta try some,¡± Plum said with doe eyes.


    He shrugged, put some of the lemon chicken on his plate and took a bite. He chewed it for a moment before his pupils widened into ovals. He spat the chicken out.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Stryg shot to his feet. ¡°Is this poison?!¡±


    He had never felt such a wretched taste. His sensitive tongue was burning in agony. It was nothing like the sensation of alcohol.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you the chicken is spicy,¡± Plum smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine kid, just drink some of this.¡± Grolm passed him a glass of wine.


    Stryg ripped the glass out of the dwarf¡¯s hand and chugged it down.


    ¡°It still burns,¡± Stryg wiped his lips.


    ¡°Not bad, you drank that all in one go.¡± Grolm patted his beard.


    Stryg looked at glass, ¡°This is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Could I possibly interest you in some Fire Breath?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°Do you have some?¡±


    ¡°Right here,¡± Grolm pulled out the bottle. ¡°That is, if you can handle it.¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°Is that a challenge?¡±


    Grolm admitted defeat after the eighth shot. Stryg only felt buzzed. The others simply watched the whole challenge go down with laughter. Callum stayed silent, content to drink his maid¡¯s blood. Plum got drunk from the wine. Kithina just had water. Skobby had a little bit of wine, before Gidget stopped him from drinking anymore. The rest of the night proceeded smoothly.


    Once dinner was over and the guests had long gone home, Gidget took her daughter aside.


    She grabbed Kithina¡¯s hands, ¡°I think it went well, besides your father¡¯s excessive drinking. As for your ¡®friend,¡¯ well, he seems like a good guy, if a little rough around the edges.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Kithina groaned.


    ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯re an adult now and you can make your own choices. I¡¯ll respect that. Just remember, even if things don¡¯t work out between you two, you¡¯re a catch Kitty, never forget that.¡±


    Kithina smiled, ¡°Thanks mom.¡±


    ¡°He is pretty handsome, though,¡± Gidget winked.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Kithina laughed.

 Chapter 61: The Calm Morning

    Chapter 61:


    Stryg opened his bleary eyes to the bright morning light. Feli had forgotten to close the bedroom curtains last night. His lilac irises felt like they would rupture from the sun¡¯s burning rays. He stretched and groaned in discomfort. His short limbs sprawled across the large bed.


    Feli cracked one eye open to see what was wrong.


    ¡°Too bright,¡± Stryg muttered.


    She mumbled something inaudible and nestled deeper into his arm. He closed his eyes and threw the sheets over their heads. He was too sleepy to bother with the curtains. He rested his head over Feli¡¯s. Her purple hair smelled sweet, like strawberries. The couple stayed in each other¡¯s warm comfort for a few peaceful moments of silence.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes shot open. He tore the blankets off and sat up. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°Mm, what is it now?¡± Feli groaned.


    Stryg took a moment to appreciate her naked appearance before he jumped off the bed and rushed to the closet. He found a grey shirt and a pair of black pants, the academy¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Today is my Duels class¡¯ final exam. I can¡¯t be late.¡± He shimmied into his pants.


    Feli sat up, her large bust swaying with the motion. She rubbed her eyes, ¡°You forgot your underwear.¡±


    Stryg cursed, took off his pants and grabbed a pair of underwear.


    ¡°Why does everyone insist on using these damn undergarments,¡± he complained.


    ¡°I thought you liked the lingerie I used last night?¡± Feli smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s different, I got to take it off.¡± He finished putting on his clothes and grabbed his nameplate from the counter.


    Feli wrapped herself in a robe and followed him out of the bedroom. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat something before you head out?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time.¡±


    ¡°The academy is only a block away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I have to stop by the main office first. Something about picking up our final exam equipment. I¡¯ll be late as it is if I don¡¯t run over.¡±


    Stryg put his shoes on and tried tying his laces. He was getting better at it. Part of him wished the Blood Fang tribe¡¯s hunters or builders had taught him how to tie knots. Instead he had spent his days learning how to read and write from the eccentric hunter Sigte. Not a bad trade off he supposed.


    ¡°Let me help you with that,¡± Feli said. She kneeled and tied the laces for him.


    Stryg eyes wandered to her bust. Hickey marks covered her chest. ¡°Thanks, Feli.¡±


    Feli grinned, ¡°For the shoes or the nice view?¡±


    ¡°Both, definitely both.¡± Stryg stood up and opened the front door.


    ¡°May Stjerne and Lunae bless you in the exam,¡± Feli said, invoking the names of the patron gods of the humans and goblins.


    Stryg closed the door and turned around. He pulled her in close and kissed her on the lips, his tongue intertwined with hers. Feli¡¯s eyes widened for a moment then closed as she enjoyed the moment. He didn¡¯t let go until she was out of breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need their blessing. I just want yours,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You have it,¡± she said with rosy cheeks.


    ¡°Good,¡± he stepped away.


    Feli watched him from the doorway as he ran off to the academy. She closed the door with a small smile. When they first became a couple her plan was to seduce Stryg, yet now she found herself simply being happy spending more time with him. It was nice to actually have someone see you for who you were, not the appearance you displayed in front of the crowds, and still care for you anyway.


    Of course, there was a chance Stryg only liked her for her body, a small voice whispered in the back of her mind. After all, this whole thing was meant to be a loveless marriage. Not that Feli was in love with Stryg. Feli ignored the little voice in her head. At the end of the day none of it mattered.


    Feli looked around the empty apartment. She blew a sigh of dissatisfaction. In a way she had already achieved her goal. Thanks to Stryg providing for all their material needs, she had no need to work. At most she would clean up the apartment and cook. The majority portion of her days were free. She never realized how boring it could be.


    ¡°Maybe I should take up a hobby?¡± She said out loud.


    Feli strolled into the kitchen. She rummaged through the cabinets, wondering what to cook. She thought of Stryg, running through the streets with an empty stomach. The thought annoyed her. Maybe she could make something for him. She had never been to the magic academy, it would be a good excuse to visit his school.


    She began to busy herself making brunch. It¡¯d take a bit of time, but she was sure Stryg would appreciate a home cooked meal.


    ~~~


    Stryg walked over to the front desk. The first time he arrived he had to stand on his tiptoes to look over the desk. Now his eyes could see past the desk¡¯s counter, just barely. He really had gotten taller.


    Miss Byrel looked down at him from her high chair.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you,¡± she said in disdain.


    The drow woman was clearly still the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to pick up some sort of equipment from professor Loh,¡± Stryg rapped his fingers on the desk, impatience clear on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, not surprising really. The other students already picked up their gear,¡± she said.


    Byrel pulled out a large chest from under her desk and rummaged through it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± he said after a few minutes.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t have time to spend with an upstart goblin, but here we both are,¡± Byrel adjusted her glasses.


    She had wanted to avoid this task altogether, but Loh had commanded her to aid her once again in her class. Byrel couldn¡¯t refuse, but she had at least convinced Loh to allow her to hand out the equipment at the front desk, instead of trudging the large chest all the way to the testing grounds.


    ¡°Here we are, one climbing harness, climbing cable, and a quickdraw to attach the whole ensemble,¡± Byrel grinned.


    She threw the equipment over the desk and went back to working on her paperwork.


    Stryg looked over the climbing equipment. ¡°What¡¯s this all for?¡±


    ¡°Not my concern. Professor Loh simply instructed me to give her students the equipment and tell them to meet her in the Academy¡¯s underground cavern.¡±


    ¡°The academy has a cavern?¡± Stryg asked.


    She threw a sheet of paper into the air.


    ¡°Those are the directions, now shoo, I have actual work to do,¡± Byrel waved Stryg away and didn¡¯t give him another glance.


    Stryg snatched the paper, gave it a once over, crumpled it and threw it over his head at Byrel. The paper ball smacked right into her face.


    ¡°What the blazes?!¡± She flinched.


    ¡°Fuck you Byrel,¡± Stryg said.


    He picked up his climbing gear and left without giving her another glance. She needed to know where they both stood.


    Her whole body quivered as she seethed in anger. She said nothing and only sneered at the goblin¡¯s back.


    ~~~


    Stryg skipped down a long set of winding stone steps. He had been walking for a while now. He wondered how deep this place went. He was currently under one of the academy¡¯s assembly hall. The directions had guided him down a small side entrance and to what Stryg could only assume would be a cavern.


    He eventually made his way to the bottom of steps and was met with a limestone tunnel. The walls and floors had organic ridges. It seemed to be a natural cavern, untouched by mining. He spotted a torchlight at the end of the tunnel. He jogged his way to the light.


    The tunnel opened up to a large open cavern spanning twice the size of the running track in the academy¡¯s field. Torches were stretched out around the edges. What stood out the most was the enormous chasm that covered the entire middle of the cavern. Stryg looked over the edge, it had to be a 70 foot drop easily. Large stone pillars, 7 foot in diameter, rose from the bottom of the chasm and stood almost at eye level. The pillars were spread all over the chasm.


    ¡°Stryg, over here!¡± Kithina waved.


    She stood with the rest of the class, next to a torch a few dozen feet away. Professor Loh was unusually early today. She sat on the only chair in the entire cavern, eyeing the class. A dwarf mage stood next to her. Stryg jogged over.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late, the secretary took her sweet time getting my gear,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for excuses. If you don¡¯t have your gear ready by the time the exam begins then the other team will simply have a head start,¡± Loh said curtly.


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Now listen well you lot, I¡¯ll only explain this once,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Do you know how to put the climbing gear on?¡± Kithina whispered.


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    Callum stepped next to Stryg. ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Stryg was about to refuse, but he held his tongue. Callum wasn¡¯t his tribemate, but he was his friend. It wasn''t a weakness to accept his help, it was okay.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± Callum whispered back.


    He began to strap Stryg into the climbing harness.


    Loh eyed the exchange, but said nothing. ¡°Many of you don¡¯t know, but Hollow Shade¡¯s magestone wall extends underground to form an upside down dome. This cavern is one of the deepest areas in the entire city.¡±


    ¡°Before we begin the final exam I wanted to give you an explanation of why we are down here. The answer is the Magical Academic Youth tournament. Most people just call it the Great Cities Tourney. It is one of the most important competitions within all the Ebon Realm. The tourney is held every year and is hosted by one of the four great cities each year. Many of you will recall that Hollow Shade hosted last year. The great city of Murkton is hosting the tourney this year, in fact this very week.¡±


    ¡°The tourney is a display of the power and prestige of each great city. Every great city has a mage academy and each one sends out a team of their four most capable students to compete against the other schools. It is a chance for the most talented mage youth to show off their skills and potentially make alliances or be recruited by the most powerful Houses in the Realm.¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯ll only be eligible to be drafted onto Hollow Shade¡¯s team when you''re 3rd-years but to be frank, our academy has lost the tourney for the last five years. I don¡¯t doubt that our academy¡¯s team is getting their asses handed to them right at this moment. As such, in the past few weeks the academy has decided to begin to prepare its students for the tourney early.¡±


    ¡°This cavern¡¯s chasm has been modified to imitate the first challenge of the tourney. The goal is simple, get your team across the chasm as quickly as you can. Whichever team finishes first, wins. You can use whatever magic you have at your disposal. Chromatic browns and reds have been allowed to bring their potions and enchanted items that they have personally made from their classes.¡±


    ¡°Let it be known that this exam isn¡¯t a perfect replica of the real tourney for a few reasons. Deaths can and have happened in the real tourney, whereas killing your opponent today will result in failure and expulsion. If you are scared for your life, just shout out that you give up, signaling your defeat.¡±


    ¡°The real tourney grounds are also held under the open sky and are far larger than this cavern. The academy decided to use this small scale replica, instead of Hollow Shade¡¯s actual tourney grounds, because the original is under maintenance. And by that I mean the tourney grounds were destroyed last year during the competition and the city hasn¡¯t bothered to fix them yet. That¡¯s what happens when your own team gets their asses beat year after year.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, today¡¯s teams will be composed of three people instead of the actual four of the tourney. Simply because you have all been working as a three-person team so far. Some of you may have noticed that there is water at the bottom of the chasm. It¡¯s only 2 feet deep, instead of the tourney¡¯s regular 20 feet. Turns out transferring over a hundred thousand gallons of water into an underground cavern is quite difficult, who would have guessed?¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°Damn blue magi and their stupid pride. They boasted they could fill the entire chasm in a week. Yet, even with the help of the undead sentinels and the nearby Dire River, they were only able to fill the chasm with a measly 2 feet. On the plus side, there aren¡¯t any white eels in the water, unlike the real tourney. There is enough water for a blue magi to control, but not enough to cushion your fall if you tumble down one of the stone pillars.¡±


    ¡°So, be grateful that we had the foresight to order some climbing gear for the lot of you. Your climbing rope will be attached to the cavern¡¯s ceiling to ensure your safety. It¡¯s an annoyance, I know. But, the ropes are made of a mixture of iron and ivlid weed, they won¡¯t break, not even against your measly magic, so feel free to go all out.¡±


    Loh stood up from her chair. ¡°Alright, that should sum it all up. Get ready to jump on those pillars, your final exam is about to begin.¡±

 Chapter 62: Duels Final Exam

    Chapter 62:


    ¡°In the grand cities tourney all four teams compete at the same time. But, for the sake of safety and evaluation, only two teams will be competing against each other at a time during this final exam. There are seven teams in total, but the winning team from the mock exam does not have to participate,¡± Loh said.


    Loh spoke the names of the first two groups. Stryg wasn¡¯t a part of either group.


    ¡°The dwarf mage besides me is professor Thonul. He will help you get your climbing ropes latched onto the ceiling,¡± Loh explained.


    Thonul¡¯s mage necklace was embedded with an emerald and a jasper stone, indicating he was a chromatic green and brown. He cast a brown vigor spell to strengthen his arms. A bronze sheen covered his bulging arms.


    Thonul grabbed the climbing ropes of the first two groups and hurled each one to top of the ceiling. Once the rope¡¯s hook latched onto the cavern''s ceiling, the dwarf cast a green stone spell on the limestone around the hooks, merging the stone over the rope to ensure their security.


    The two groups of students jumped on the stone pillar with wobbly steps.


    ¡°You may begin,¡± Loh announced.


    Both groups began to immediately sling spells at each other.


    Loh walked over to Stryg. ¡°Stryg, your group will be next. You¡¯ll be facing off against Clypeus¡¯ team. Get ready. I don¡¯t expect this current match to last very long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mast- I mean, yes Loh.¡± Stryg nodded.


    She raised her brow, but said nothing. She had told Stryg to keep their relationship of master and apprentice private to ensure no suspicion of favoritism in class. Loh did her best to keep the students¡¯ chances equal, which is why she had just assigned the two strongest teams to compete against each other.


    ¡°Okay, Stryg, your climbing harness is properly on, no worries there,¡± Callum said.


    Callum waved his teammates into a huddle. Stryg tried to listen this time, choosing to work with his friends.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be the same as the grove match. There is no space for an ambush and our opponents aren¡¯t handicapped either. Nora may be a human, but she is a chromatic blue and has access to water this time around. Kegrog is a chromatic brown, who doesn¡¯t even need his vigor spells. The orc is tall and strong on his own,¡± Callum explained.


    He glanced at the opposing team, ¡°Then of course there¡¯s Clypeus. He¡¯s the biggest threat. He has the strength and agility of a vampire and the expert martial training of house Gale. He¡¯s one of the youngest sword masters in the city. Worst of all, he¡¯s a manifold mage wielding green and yellow magic, a powerful combination in this cavern chasm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the odds are against us,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Kithina shrugged and glanced at Stryg, ¡°Well, at least we have our own manifold mage.¡±


    Callum recalled Loh¡¯s words. He was a manifold mage as well, a chromatic white and red. But, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready to reveal his second color yet. For now, he would just be a red mage.


    Callum made a small smile, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s enough.¡±


    A student screamed as he fell off a stone pillar. The climbing rope went taut as it yanked him back. His body twitched as it hung in the air. A competing student raised both her hands, a burst of fire shot from her palms and blasted her opponent off another pillar.


    Kithina sighed, her eyes bright with awe. ¡°What I¡¯d give to shoot fire like that. It¡¯d be nice to have someone on the team who could shoot some kind of projectile, it wouldn¡¯t even have to be fire. Hurling rocks or lightning bolts would be great. I¡¯d even settle for blasts of lightrays.¡±


    Callum winced at the latter.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t lightning spells notoriously difficult to cast?¡± Stryg tilted his head. ¡°And aren¡¯t you a chromatic yellow? Can¡¯t you just throw gusts of wind at the enemy, push them off the ledge?¡±


    Kithina frowned, ¡°I¡¯m better at the durability spell form. But, I guess I could try.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we aren¡¯t exactly without projectiles,¡± Callum winked. ¡°Just how Nora has water to cast her torrent spells, I have my potions spells. Loh allowed the chromatic reds to bring up to two potions of their own making.¡±


    Callum pulled out a red spherical bottle from his pocket. ¡°I can assure you this little guy packs a punch.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, that looks cool,¡± Kithina said with a sparkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Stryg mumbled. He wasn¡¯t very sure how useful the little bottle would be in a fight.


    Callum took out another small vial, filled with a lime-green liquid. ¡°This one¡¯s for you Kithina. It doesn¡¯t taste great and it will definitely burn your throat, but it will temporarily strengthen your muscles. It¡¯s not as great as a vigor spell, but it¡¯s the best I got.¡±


    Kithina took the vial with ginger hands. She sniffed it and grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it when the match starts.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ~~~


    Clypeus eyed Callum¡¯s team with caution. He needed to be much more careful this time around.


    ¡°Do you think we can win?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°That depends, do you trust me?¡± Clypeus grinned.


    ¡°To the very end,¡± Nora smiled.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Kegrog asked from behind them.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Clypeus glanced up at the orc. ¡°I won¡¯t fail you this time. I¡¯ll be sure to defeat Callum and the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your word,¡± Kegrog nodded.


    ¡°Honestly, the only real threat is Stryg. Excluding his grey and black magic, he has impressive physical capabilities. He¡¯s not just fast, he¡¯s strong.¡± Clypeus looked at his hands and frowned. ¡°Stronger than me that¡¯s for sure. He even held his own against you Kegrog. At the time you were even using a vigor spell to strengthen your body.¡±


    Kegrog scratched his head, ¡°The vigor spell form isn¡¯t my strong suit.¡±


    ¡°Even still, Stryg is a threat to be reckoned with,¡± he glanced at the blue hybrid. ¡°What in the world is he?¡±


    Kegrog rummaged through his satchel. ¡°I¡¯m better with enchantment spells.¡±


    He pulled out two gladii blades.


    ¡°Are those?¡± Clypeus'' mouth hung wide open.


    ¡°Loh said we could bring two enchanted items that we made. I couldn¡¯t think of a better option than this. The blades have a basic sharpening enchantment on them. It¡¯s not much,¡± Kegrog shrugged.


    ¡°No, believe me, it¡¯s everything,¡± Clypeus grabbed the blades. ¡°We can¡¯t lose now.¡±


    ~~~


    The first match ended. It was Stryg¡¯s turn. The dwarven mage had already latched their climbing ropes to the cavern¡¯s ceiling. Both teams stood in front of the chasm.


    ¡°Remember the plan and who to focus,¡± Callum whispered.


    Kithina held out the potion, ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±


    She downed the small vial in a single gulp. ¡°Ugh.¡± She shivered and coughed as the burning liquid crawled through her throat.


    ¡°Almost as bad as Fire Breath spirits,¡± Kithina wiped her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few moments for it to kick in,¡± Callum winced in empathy.


    Loh waved her hand, signaling the students to get ready to begin.


    ¡°No time to wait,¡± Stryg grabbed Kithina by the waist.


    Kithina looked at him in surprise, ¡°Hey! What are you-¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± He jumped over the ledge and onto one of the stone pillars.


    Kithina yelled as she looked down at the deep chasm. She glanced at the dangling rope from above, suddenly incredibly thankful to have the climbing harness. Once they landed Stryg released her.


    ¡°Not again,¡± Kithina took a shuddering breath.


    Callum jumped and joined them on the pillar. It was a little cramp for three people.


    Clypeus¡¯ team jumped on to their own pillar.


    Loh cupped her hands together, ¡°Begin!¡±


    Kegrog lifted Nora up in his arms and jumped his way towards one of the center pillars. Clypeus followed right behind.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but let¡¯s not wait to find out!¡± Callum shouted.


    Stryg grabbed Kithina by the waist before she could protest. They chased the enemy.


    Clypeus'' team landed on one of the pillars. Kegrog lowered Nora. She raised her hands and closed her eyes. Water at the bottom of the chasm surged upwards and formed an enormous glob above Nora¡¯s head.


    ¡°She can¡¯t hold that large amount of water up for long,¡± Callum noted.


    Clypeus placed his hands on the pillar and cast a green stone spell. The pillar shook as Clypeus ripped out a boulder 3 feet in diameter from the ground. Nora dumped the water into the newfound cavity.


    The boulder was too large to throw, even with Clypeus¡¯ magic. He crushed the rock into fist sized chunks with another spell. They were still too heavy. It didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Kegrog, you¡¯re up,¡± Clypeus said.


    Kegrog cast a vigor spell. His hands turned bronze as his biceps bulged. He grunted as he picked up several rocks in each hand. He winded back his arms and snapped his palms forward, sending the stones zipping through the air.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Callum dropped to the floor.


    ¡°Kithina, durability, now!¡± Stryg shouted. He shifted Kithina in front of him and lowered his head a bit.


    ¡°Wait? What? Shit!¡± Kithina crossed her arms in front of her face.


    She closed her eyes tightly. Pale yellow scales of light formed around her skin as the rocks smashed into her. She winced in pain, the stones scraping through her uniform.


    Callum flinched as the stones flew over his head. For once in his life he envied being short like Stryg.


    When the stones stopped Callum raised his head. ¡°Multicast!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Kithina nodded in affirmation.


    Without releasing her durability spell Kithina pulled back her arm, yellow mana flooding into her hand. She could feel the wind curl around her fist.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Kithina yelled and punched forward, a gale of wind ran past her fist and to Kegrog.


    Clypeus jumped in front of the orc, spread his knees and thrusted his open palms outwards, his own gust of wind forming and blocking Kithina¡¯s attack.


    Stryg didn¡¯t waste time. He dashed past Kithina, intent on reaching Clypeus while he was occupied.


    ¡°Not this time!¡± Nora shouted.


    Two whips of water jumped out of the fresh miniature pool and lashed out at Stryg. He jumped back, ducked, and skidded to the side, dodging each aquatic blow.


    The enemy¡¯s attention was focused on Stryg. Callum pushed himself to his feet and ran at Clypeus¡¯ pillar. He pulled out the red potion and flung it at the base of the enemy¡¯s feet. The small glass bottle shattered, the red frothy liquid inside igniting in a small explosion of magic.


    Clypeus jumped away to another pillar, avoiding the attack. Kegrog shielded Nora from the explosion, taking the brunt of the blast. The orc and human tumbled to the edge of the pillar.


    ¡°Now!¡± Callum yelled.


    Stryg sprinted. Clypeus raised his gladii, prepared to face off against his foe. Stryg jumped, but landed on Kegrog¡¯s and Nora¡¯s pillar platform instead.


    ¡°What?¡± Clypeus muttered. He could have sworn Stryg would attack him first.


    If it was up to Stryg he would have, but he was following Callum¡¯s plan. Clypeus was the strongest opponent. They first needed to defeat Kegrog and Nora as quickly as possible, then focus on Clypeus.


    Callum jumped after Stryg, landing behind him. Clypeus prepared to jump back into the fray to help his teammates.


    Kithina could feel her limbs tingle, the vial was kicking in, improving her strength. She vaulted across the pillars and touched the ground in front of Clypeus.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± she grinned, her emerald eyes wild with energy.

 Chapter 63: A Goblin

    Chapter 63: A Goblin


    Kegrog stood up with shaky feet. He had taken the brunt of the explosion from Callum¡¯s potion. At least he was able to keep Nora safe. The human girl struggled to her feet.


    Nora grabbed Kegrog¡¯s arm, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Kegrog nodded with a small wince. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Are you ok-¡±


    Kegrog turned with a swiftness belying his enormous size and raised his left arm just in time to block Stryg¡¯s fist. Kegrog skidded back from the force of the blow.


    ¡°Tch,¡± Stryg spat.


    Kegrog grimaced in pain. His left arm was bent in the wrong angle, it was clearly broken. Stryg wasn¡¯t a brown mage, yet he wielded strength rivaling Kegrog¡¯s magically enhanced arms.


    If he was only a yellow mage like Clypeus, he would have been able to endure Stryg¡¯s attack. Actually, why wasn¡¯t Stryg¡¯s hand broken from the force of the punch? Was his hand made of iron or something? It would explain why his own arm was broken so easily. It didn¡¯t matter, he couldn¡¯t give up now.


    Kegrog grit his teeth and raised his only good arm, ¡°You won¡¯t get further than this, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the orc, ¡°You won¡¯t get the chance to try.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kegrog frowned.


    Stryg didn¡¯t answer. He attacked the orc with several jabs. Kegrog backed away, intent on trying to buy time for Nora to back him up.


    ¡°Over here, Miss Azol,¡± Callum called out.


    Nora turned towards him, ¡°Mister Veres. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±


    Callum raised his hands, ¡°I¡¯d hope not.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have his long sword, but judging from Nora¡¯s previous performance at the grove, he was confident in winning. After all, he had a trick up his sleeve.


    Callum channelled red mana into his index finger. A small red light dotted the tip of the finger. With precise motions he drew the spell word for ¡°water.¡± So long as the proper spell words were written and the caster could maintain focus and a steady stream of mana, a ward spell would create an energy shield to block whatever the spell word symbolized. In this case, water.


    The water in the miniature pool Clypeus had made began to shiver. Nora flicked her fingers, whips of water flew out from the basin. The tendrils attacked with blinding speed smashing right into Callum. He tried blocking with his arms, but was still pushed to the edge of the pillar. He hadn¡¯t had enough time to finish the ward spell.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just talk for a second?¡± Callum asked, hoping to buy even just a few seconds.


    ¡°Pass,¡± Nora slashed the air with her arm.


    The water whips mimicked the motion towards Callum. He scrambled to his feet, barely dodging the attack.


    Callum grit his teeth, Damn, she¡¯s a fast caster.


    This was different than when she had the quarterstaff. She was actually a formidable mage. It was time to put his vampiric gifts to the test. Callum ran straight at her. Nora flicked her hands, the water whips shot out. He tucked and braced for the impact. The whips slammed him into the ground. His body didn¡¯t move.


    Nora went to help Kegrog. She raised her hands and shot a torrent of water at Stryg. The goblin jumped away, giving the orc a bit of breathing room.


    A red glow appeared from the corner of Nora¡¯s eye. Her whips lashed out and attacked Callum from behind, but the water bounced off. She stepped back and took another look at the vampire hybrid.


    A faint red dome covered Callum¡¯s body. A small magical symbol hovered over him.


    ¡°You should have pushed me off when you had the chance,¡± Callum grinned.


    Nora frowned. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fair.¡±


    The remaining water in the basin surged forward and tried wrapping itself around Callum. The ward¡¯s shield shook from the tension. He could feel the red mana in his body draining fast. There wasn¡¯t time. Callum struggled to his feet. He hoped to his goddess Bellum that the ward shield would hold under movement.


    He charged at Nora. Her eyes widened, she raised her hands, the water shifted in front of her to form a wall. The ward¡¯s red shield pushed the water aside.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Nora voiced, stunned.


    Callum punched her in the gut, pushing her off the ledge. She gasped for breath as she tumbled off the pillar. His ward shield burst, his red mana depleted. Callum sighed in relief. Now he just needed to help Stryg finish off the orc. He glanced over to the next pillar where Kithina fought Clypeus.


    Clypeus¡¯ blades smashed into Kithina¡¯s hardened skin to no effect. The potion Callum had given her would help Kithina hold her own against the sword master. Her own durability spells would protect her from any damage, hopefully. She was the best one to buy time while the others defeated Nora and Kegrog. But, Kithina wouldn¡¯t last long. Callum needed to finish this fast.


    A tendril of water shot from past the edge and latched onto Callum¡¯s ankle.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He yelled, before the aquatic tentacle pulled him off the pillar.


    He fell through the air until the climbing rope pulled taut on his harness and yanked him up. He grunted in pain, his body dangling in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± Nora said, dangling from her own rope.


    ¡°Give up already,¡± Callum groaned.


    ~~~


    Stryg saw Callum and Nora tumble down the pillar. He didn¡¯t expect to see either climb back up in time to help.


    ¡°Where are you looking? Your opponent is over here,¡± Kegrog panted.


    The orc¡¯s left arm flopped at his side. His right arm was barely covered in the lightest sheen of bronze. His body was drenched in sweat. He could hardly stand, but he couldn¡¯t give up. He needed to buy time for his teammates.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do,¡± Stryg glared. ¡°You¡¯re trying not to get caught in a grab, so I can¡¯t drain your energy. Third time would be too much, right?¡±


    Kegrog said nothing and made a fighting stance.


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°But, I don¡¯t have time to waste and I don¡¯t need grey magic to beat you.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shadow darkened and expanded around him into a mass of murkiness. His eyes could still see through the darkness. Kegrog tried to back away, but he was already at the edge. Stryg lunged at him, a pile of obscurity. Kegrog tried to block, yet he didn¡¯t know where Stryg was in the torrent of shadows.


    Stryg kicked the side of the orc¡¯s knee with a satisfying crunch. Kegrog yelled in pain as he dropped to one knee. He swung his right arm out. Stryg ducked and shot a rapid set of jabs at Kegrog¡¯s chest, shattering several ribs. Kegrog fell to the ground. Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate, he punched Kegrog¡¯s face with all the strength he could muster. The orc¡¯s teeth flew out and his jaw cracked. Kegrog¡¯s head sank into the pillar on impact. Blood pooled around his head.


    It was over. Stryg released the shadow spell. He had purposefully avoided the skull in order to not kill Kegrog. Although, he wasn¡¯t sure how much longer the orc would live at this rate. But, Stryg had more important things to worry about.


    ~~~


    ¡°You really are impressive, dwarfling, but this is the end,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Kithina swung with another left hook.


    Clypeus sidestepped and hit her with a flurry of slashes. She winced as the gladii cut through her clothes and even her climbing harness.


    ¡°Like I said, it''s the end. Your harness is in tatters. If you fall now, you¡¯ll die. Give up.¡±


    ¡°You of all people should know the hell our yellow professors put us through. We¡¯re used to being thrown out of buildings, remember?¡± Kithina panted.


    ¡°True, but never from 80 feet high and certainly not when at the verge of our mana being depleted. If you fall now, you won¡¯t get back up. Surrender,¡± Clypeus said.


    Kithing clenched her fists. He was right, she was running out of yellow mana. Even if she wasn''t, her body was at its limit. She could feel her veins burn from the exhaustion of the mana flowing within. Her limbs were beginning to feel numb, evidence of the effects of Callum¡¯s potion wearing off.


    She could barely hold her durability spell as it was. Despite all her work and training her scales were already cracking and would soon shatter. Her family was counting on her and she was about to fail.


    Yet what angered her the most was how Clypeus hadn¡¯t even used any magic against her. He had fought her with only his two blades. It was infuriating how easily he dealt with her attacks. She wasn¡¯t giving up now, not after everything.


    She raised her fists, ¡°Bring it, you hybrid discriminating asshole!¡±


    He frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t despise hybrids.¡±


    He paused and threw himself to the ground, narrowly dodging Stryg¡¯s kick. They both rolled to their feet and faced each other. Clypeus glanced at the other nearby pillar. Kegrog lay on the floor, unmoving. Nora was nowhere to be seen, neither was Callum.


    ¡°Well, I despise you,¡± Stryg hissed, fangs glinting in the torchlight.


    Clypeus froze, then burst into laughter. ¡°And yet you¡¯re the only person I admire in our entire class.¡±


    ¡°You admire me?¡± Stryg muttered in shock.


    ¡°Of course. A mysterious stranger who just happens to appear in Hollow Shade and not only beats a vampire in speed, an orc in strength, but also excels in magic. Despite your size and the way others view your appearance, you have never once let it stop you from showing others what you are. You are a warrior, Stryg. I am honored to fight you.¡± Clypeus bowed his head.


    ¡°This is a fight between the greatest warriors among all the 1st-years,¡± Clypeus raised his swords. He had a better chance fighting one at a time. ¡°I, Clypeus of House Gale, challenge you, Stryg, to a duel.¡±


    Stryg glanced at a worried Kithina. ¡°Before I am a warrior, I am first a goblin.¡± His lilac eyes focused back on Clypeus. ¡°A lone goblin would get picked off by the wolf packs, but a group of goblins could slay a dire bear. Kithina, with me.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kithina nodded.


    ¡°So be it,¡± Clypeus sighed and prepared his stance.


    ¡°You will be my shield,¡± Stryg stared at her yellow scales.


    ¡°Then you will be my sword,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Together then,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Stryg rushed in. Clypeus took a step back and swung his gladii in large flourishing arcs. Stryg ducked and dodged the blades. He tried getting closer, but Clypeus was waiting for him. The vampire stepped forward and stabbed the blade at the goblin¡¯s chest. Kithina stepped in between, the gladius skimmed off her scaled arm. Stryg¡¯s fist appeared from behind her and smashed into Clypeus¡¯ chest.


    The vampire wheezed in pain as his body was sent skidding to the edge of the pillar.


    ¡°Push him off!¡± Kithina yelled.


    Stryg was already on it. He ran at the vampire and kicked him in the chest. Clypeus caught the blow and barely budged an inch.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Clypeus said through grit teeth. Yellow scales of light shimmered over him, enhancing his durability and weight.


    He grabbed his gladii and swiped at Stryg¡¯s leg. Stryg kicked away, but Clypeus pushed inwards, his blades licking the air where Stryg had been. He tried creating some space, but Clypeus anticipated the move. His gladius slashed Stryg¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Kithina shouted weakly. The potion¡¯s effects had worn off. Her body felt numb, she could barely stand.


    Stryg needed her help. She released the durability spell, her scales faded into dust. She gathered what little yellow mana she had left into her right hand. Her vision was beginning to blur, her feet were unsteady. Her hand shook as she aimed at Clypeus.


    ¡°One hit, just one hit,¡± she mumbled.


    The wind curled and condensed around her hand. She fired off the wind spell, the blast of air flew forward.


    Clypeus caught sight of Kithina through his peripherals. He ducked and swung at the goblin with a surprise low kick. Stryg jumped, right into Kithina¡¯s attack, and was blasted off the edge.


    ¡°No!¡± Kithina whimpered.


    Clypeus dashed at her. She tried to recast her scales, but her heart had no more mana to give. She stumbled backwards. Clypeus slashed her legs with one swing, severing the muscles in her thighs. She cried out in pain as her legs gave out.


    He took deep breaths. ¡°I win. Concede.¡±


    ¡°I-in your dreams,¡± she grit her teeth, tears streaming from her eyes. She couldn¡¯t lose, she couldn¡¯t afford to fail.


    Clypeus chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re even more stubborn than Stryg.¡± He brandished his blades, ¡°So be it.¡±

 Chapter 64: A Name

    Chapter 64:


    Kithina¡¯s wind spell blasted Stryg right off the pillar¡¯s edge. He wasn¡¯t sure what happened, only certain of the radiating pain on his side. He spun in the air, his eyes catching a mere glimpse of a victorious Clypeus, before disappearing over the edge.


    Stryg¡¯s uninjured hand shot out and grabbed the rough side of the pillar. His claws dug into the pillar¡¯s wall, carving through the stone as he slid a few feet down. His body jerked to a halt, the force of the stop ramming into his shoulder. He grimaced in pain, certain he had pulled a muscle.


    Stryg took a shaky breath. His other arm had already been cut open by Clypeus and his kidney was pounded by a magical blare of wind.


    He stared down at the chasm pit below. It reminded him of the black pit that served as the entrance to the cave of lamias. The cave where he had run from. The place where he had abandoned what made him a member of the Blood Fang tribe.


    Kithina cried out from above. She was in danger, she needed help. He wouldn¡¯t abandon his teammates, not this time. Stryg grit his teeth, dug his claws deep into the pillar, and threw himself up with all the strength he could manage. His hand shot out and managed to grip the pillar¡¯s edge. With a shaky hand he pulled himself over the edge.


    Kithina lay on the floor at the other side. Her legs were covered in blood.


    Clypeus stood over her, blades pointed at her abdomen. ¡°You won¡¯t die, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll wish you had.¡±


    Stryg stood without another thought.


    Clypeus¡¯ ear twitched, he swerved around, eyes wide. Stryg tackled him in the gut, sending them both over the edge.


    ¡°Stryg!?¡± Kithina shrieked.


    Clypeus and him were in free fall, their bodies careening to the chasm floor. The climbing ropes yanked them back up. Clypeus¡¯ body jerked backwards as the rope dangled him between the pillars. He cursed as one of his gladii slipped out of his hand. He reached to the side of a nearby pillar, trying to regain his balance.


    The rope dragged Stryg upwards before he caught the horrible sound of tearing. His harness slammed him into the side of a pillar. He wheezed for breath. He tried gripping his harness and rope. His eyes turned upwards.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Stryg muttered in horror.


    The dangling lifeline was ripping at the strands, half the rope had already frayed. He glanced at the nearest pillar. It was at least twenty feet to the top. He needed to move fast before gravity did it¡¯s work and smeared him into the chasm floor. He didn¡¯t dare pull on the rope anymore. He gripped the pillar as best he could.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    He lunged at Stryg with his remaining gladius. Stryg kicked off the pillar, evading the attack. The rope¡¯s fibers split even more. Stryg cursed his luck, he couldn¡¯t afford to put pressure on the rope.


    ¡°After pushing us down here, where are you running off to?¡± Clypeus swung himself over at Stryg.


    He wouldn¡¯t let Stryg run away. The moment Stryg had thrown them both off the top of the pillar was the moment the goblin had sealed his fate. Clypeus had the environmental advantage. He still had a bit of yellow mana to spare and a good amount of green.


    Stryg swung around another pillar, hoping to create some space. Clypeus quickly cast a yellow wind spell. The air converged on his back and pushed him forward. He¡¯d wait for a perfect opening to cast a green stone spell to finish the goblin off.


    Kithina couldn''t feel her legs, but it didn¡¯t stop her from dragging her bloodied body to the pillar¡¯s edge. She glanced down, past the pillar¡¯s limits at the ensuing fight.


    ¡°Please, please, be okay,¡± she whispered.


    Stryg was trying to swing away from Clypeus, who kept slashing his gladius at him. The vampire changed his attack pattern, making a high thrust. Stryg ducked, but Clypeus followed up with a swift kick to the head, slamming his skull into a pillar. Stryg dangled from the rope dazed.


    ¡°Stryg, hang on!¡± Callum shouted from afar.


    Callum was dangling from his own rope only a few pillars away.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting to Clypeus!¡± Nora screamed.


    She attacked Callum with a blast of water. He was forced to swing away from his friend¡¯s plight.


    ¡°Dammit, how do you still have any mana left?¡± Callum asked, astonished.


    They had been fighting for the past ten minutes and Nora still had enough blue mana to fling bursts of water at him. He glanced at the weakened Stryg. Something was wrong, the goblin was moving erratically. He hadn¡¯t been trying to fight Clypeus so much as run away from him.


    Callum caught the potent scent of Stryg¡¯s blood. He was bleeding, probably severely injured based on his clumsy movements. Callum dodged another torrent spell. He needed to make room for Stryg to recover, but he was too far to help and Nora wouldn¡¯t let him get closer.


    Red magic couldn¡¯t help Stryg from this distance. Callum clenched his jaw. It was now or never.


    ¡°Burn the shit out of them,¡± he whispered Loh¡¯s words.


    Callum had never cast a bright spell of such a large scale before, but for some reason he wasn¡¯t scared, only nervously excited. He took a deep breath and called forth all the white mana within his heart. The immense flood of ethereal energy surged through his body. His veins felt like they would melt from the heat.


    Callum raised his trembling hands. ¡°Stryg, look away!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± A dazed Stryg looked right at Callum.


    A radiant explosion of white light erupted from Callum¡¯s palms, blinding all within sight. The light bathed Clypeus in a wave of agony, his vampiric nature unable to handle the enormous light purity.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The light burned right into Stryg¡¯s eyes. His vision was bleached white. He screamed in pain, blinded. His eyes felt as if they would split open, the irises shivered as they drank in the brightness. The dark ring around his eyes burst, the irises expanded, their lilac color covering most of the whites of his eyes. The pain disappeared instantly. His vision darkened to a pitch black. Lines of silver appeared in his sight and gave shape to the outlines of his surroundings.


    Stryg tottered his head with an unsteady gaze. He could see a silver silhouette of Callum with outstretched hands. A blanket of white poured out of Callum¡¯s hands and spread all around. With a sluggish daze he realized Callum was casting a bright spell. Yet, the cold light looked almost physical, as if Stryg could reach out and grab it. A nearby silver silhouette of Clypeus screeched.


    The vampire dropped his gladius as he writhed in anguish. His eyes were closed and he spun from his rope. He couldn¡¯t see, he felt as if his body was burning to a cinder. He had to make it stop. Clypeus reached within for whatever green mana he had left. He swung his hand blindly around, ripping the stone out from the pillars around him.


    Shards of rock flew at Stryg. He looked at them for a mere moment as if time had slowed. Some part of his addled mind told him he needed to protect himself. A splatter of orange light twisted around his hand. It was different from Callum¡¯s light, it was warm and felt alive, it was fire. The flames flared and blasted the stone shards away.


    Stryg¡¯s rope snapped from the fiery burst. His body felt weightless as it dived through the air. Loh¡¯s scattered voice echoed in the distance. He should have been terrified, but the obscurity of the dark world around consumed his muddled thoughts.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he murmured.


    Stryg¡¯s body slammed right past the shallow water and cracked on the chasm floor.


    ~~~


    Loh paced back and forth in front of the infirmary room. She was tired, thirsty, and above all worried. It was already nightfall, but there had been no good news.


    A white mage appeared from the end of the hall and walked over. ¡°Miss Noir,¡± he bowed.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Loh asked in a strained voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle he isn¡¯t dead,¡± the white mage sighed. ¡°My fellow doctors and I tried our best. We used our healing spells, medicine, and potions, but it still shouldn¡¯t have been enough.¡±


    Her nose crinkled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have been? Is he stable then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for now. His right arm broke most of the fall. The forearm seemed to have already been cut beforehand, added with the several fractures incurred from the fall, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll ever regain movement in his right arm. As for his left arm, it seems to have sustained severe burns, focused around the fingers, palm, and wrist.¡±


    The doctor continued, ¡°Because of his unknown hybrid nature it has been difficult to ascertain the complete scope of his injuries. His irises were enormous, covering most of the eyes, similar to a dog. However, they seem to have returned to normal. We have also determined that he has four fractured ribs, and a tibia with three separate breaks.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, there didn¡¯t seem to be any serious injuries around his abdomen. We¡¯ll have to do a more thorough examination to determine the state of his organs and to check for internal bleeding. Unfortunately, he seems to have suffered from several concussions, judging from the injuries to the skull... We don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll ever wake up.¡±


    Loh clenched her jaw, the shadows in the hall darkened. The white mage backed away in fear.


    Loh had failed again. Just like with Aziel, she had failed Stryg. She would have never guessed Stryg¡¯s rope would break. They were supposed to have held strong. She should have checked to make sure each rope had been without any faults before the exams had begun. Instead she was helpless and could only watch Stryg fall to his doom.


    Loh stared through the door¡¯s glass and into the room. Stryg lay unmoving on a simple white bed. His body was covered in bandages, a cast on his right arm and leg. He seemed so small and fragile. A young woman sat next to him. Her purple hair concealed her face, but Loh had a pretty good idea how she was feeling. The shadows in the hall returned to normal.


    ¡°I should go tell her the news,¡± Loh sighed.


    She opened the door and walked into the sparse room. ¡°Feli, right?¡±


    Feli looked up with tear-stained eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Loh.¡±


    Feli bowed deeply. ¡°Of house Noir. I know. Stryg talks about you a lot,¡± she smiled weakly.


    Loh was surprised. She hadn¡¯t known. ¡°Did Stryg ever mention the nature of our relationship?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he swore me to secrecy. To everyone else he¡¯s just your assistant. But, I¡¯m guessing you are actually here to check on your apprentice.¡±


    Loh nodded in understanding. She didn¡¯t wish others to know that she was Stryg¡¯s master. She should have been angry that her apprentice disobeyed her. Yet, now, it seemed so trivial.


    ¡°The doctors said that Stryg will make it, though they aren¡¯t sure when or if he¡¯ll awaken,¡± Loh said softly.


    Feli¡¯s bottom lip trembled, ¡°Stryg¡¯s strong. I just saw him this morning. I came to the academy to bring him something to eat. He has to wake up, he has to.¡±


    ¡°I take full responsibility for his injuries. I should have been a better teacher, a better master.¡±


    ¡°I heard it was an accident,¡± Feli clasped her hands together.


    ¡°Nonetheless, it shouldn¡¯t have happened. I¡¯m sorry, your loved one is injured because of my lack of foresight,¡± Loh bowed her head in shame.


    Feli laughed bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s the irony isn¡¯t it? Our whole engagement was set up because we both wanted something from each other, not because we loved each other. We¡¯ve only been together for some months now. It hasn¡¯t been easy. I¡¯ve had to deal with all the antics of that violent little oh-so-ignorant goblin every single day.¡±


    Feli looked at the comatose Stryg, ¡°I¡¯ve watched that adorable face scarf down plate after plate of food, sometimes eating my own food. The latter part was annoying. A lot of things he did were annoying. Some guy tried groping me once. Stryg could have just knocked him out, but he killed him. Blood got everywhere, even on my clothes. It was disgusting.¡±


    Feli chuckled, ¡°This one time Stryg dragged me out on a walk late at night. I couldn''t see anything and I tripped and sprained my ankle. It was horrible¡­ But, then Stryg carried me in his small arms all the way back home. He didn¡¯t complain once, even though I couldn¡¯t stop whining the entire way.¡±


    Feli cleared her throat, ¡°I don¡¯t love him. Affection sure, maybe even attachment, but definitely not love. Because. B-because if I do...¡± A tear fell down her cheek.


    Loh gripped Feli¡¯s shoulder gently, ¡°I can resonate with the feeling.¡± The image of the beautiful Tuari fluttered in her mind¡¯s eye.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t,¡± a soft whisper of a voice muttered.


    Loh and Feli¡¯s faces froze. They both rushed to the bed. Stryg¡¯s eyelids shifted, but didn¡¯t open.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Stryg,¡± Feli smiled in pain. She placed her hand gingerly over his cheek.


    His chapped lips parted, ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t what?¡± Feli leaned closer, hoping to catch his words.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes opened slowly. He blearily looked around. Feli and Loh were at his side. His sight was back to normal, the vision of darkness and silver gone. He couldn¡¯t remember what had happened, only the faint wisp of a dream now gone.


    ¡°Stryg, can you understand me?¡± Loh asked intently.


    ¡°M-master? What happened?¡± He asked weakly.


    His throat felt parched, his head stuffy. He tried shifting, pain shot through his entire body. He grimaced.


    ¡°Try not to move. You¡¯re lucky to be alive. We¡¯re in the infirmary of the academy... You fell, Stryg. During the exam your rope ripped and you fell down the chasm. It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Loh bit her lip.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± he groaned. He remembered the blast of light, the darkened beautiful silver vision of the world. He remembered the fire and falling.


    Feli wiped away her tears. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Feli? I¡¯d feel better in my own bed,¡± he winced.


    ¡°Once the doctors finish healing you up, we¡¯ll go home, I promise,¡± she sniffed.


    Stryg rocked his head to the side, ¡°I finally thought of a name.¡±


    ¡°Eh? For what?¡±


    ¡°A name for our tribe. The Ebon Hollow. What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 65: What Goes Around...

    Chapter 65:


    ¡°The Ebon Hollow?¡± Feli tilted her head. ¡°You told me a tribe¡¯s name is significant. It holds an important meaning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Stryg said weakly. His mouth was dry. ¡°Can you get me some water?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Feli nodded. She got up and went for a nearby pitcher.


    ¡°Ebon Hollow? Like the Realm?¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°Yes, I like it,¡± Stryg¡¯s mouth set in a hard line.


    ¡°Very few claim the name Ebon. Like the Ebon Sea, the Ebon Tower, or Ebon Legion, the name Ebon signifies the power of an entire Realm. Are you sure you want that name? Others may not take too kindly to its use,¡± Loh explained.


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t take very kindly to me anyway. What difference would it make? Besides, a tribe¡¯s name is supposed to inspire fear and power.¡±


    Feli brought him a glass of water, ¡°Here you go.¡±


    He tried moving his arms, but quickly realized his right arm was in a cast, and his left was covered in bandages.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± he cursed. With a groan of pain he forced himself to sit up.


    ¡°Stryg, stop. You need to let your body heal. Let me help you,¡± Feli said.


    She brought the cup to his lips. Stryg took a few tentative sips and leaned back down.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Feli smiled.


    Loh was honestly surprised he could move at all. The white mage who had overseen Stryg¡¯s healing, said that he was severely injured. Even with healing spells he shouldn¡¯t be able to talk, let alone move.


    ¡°So, why Ebon Hollow then?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Well, the ¡®Hollow¡¯ part is because I ended up here in Hollow Shade. This city has changed my life completely. Stryg the sylvan goblin was born in Vulture Woods, but Stryg the mage was made right here in this city. I owe this place a lot. As for the ¡®Ebon¡¯ part, well, my eyes are sensitive to light. During the exam...¡±


    ¡°Callum¡¯s bright spell,¡± Loh winced sympathetically.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he was a chromatic white. Cheeky bastard. But, yeah. The surge of light blinded me. My eyes felt like they were burning and then suddenly they didn¡¯t. Everything turned dark. It was the first time since I gained my night vision. Then something happened. I could see in the strangest way. Everything looked as if it had been drawn with silver outlines, but the world was still dark, it was Ebon, it was beautiful,¡± Stryg finished.


    ¡°Very poetic of you,¡± Loh chuckled. ¡°And now? Does everything still look that way?¡±


    ¡°No. Everything is back to normal. Nothing seems particularly dark, so I suppose I still have my night vision at least. I thought you said my eyes didn¡¯t react to light.¡±


    Loh shook her head, ¡°No, I said your pupils don''t react to light. I still don¡¯t think they do. When you were brought into the infirmary your eyes were wide open. Your irises were larger than normal, but now they look ordinary again. Well, as ordinary as lilac eyes can. My best guess is that your irises reacted to the strong blast of light from Callum¡¯s bright spell.¡±


    ¡°Larger irises?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°Have you ever heard of anything like this before?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of. The library archives may shed some light on your condition.¡±


    ¡°Is he sick? Is it a disease?¡± Feli¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can rest easy on that. It¡¯s most likely just a mutation based on his hybrid nature. An innate defense-mechanism to protect from large exposures of light, perhaps? I know of other species that have similar traits against natural dangers. A mutation for eyesight is quite plausible. But, I have to do more research into the subject,¡± Loh explained.


    The drow brushed her white hair away and turned her blue eyes on the goblin. ¡°There is something else I need to find out about, first. Stryg, at the end of the exam, you cast a flame spell and clearly botched it, as evidenced by your burnt arm. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were a chromatic orange?¡±


    Stryg looked at his bandaged hand. He could feel the burns underneath. He remembered the shards of rock that were flying towards him and how he blew them away with fire.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t know?¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°The same way you knew you were a chromatic black and grey. The chromatic identity examination. You know, the one with the chrome-probes you took at the beginning of the year, like everyone else,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me I was a chromatic grey. Only a chromatic black.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She leaned forward, ¡°Tell me exactly what happened with the identity exam.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and tried to recall. ¡°I was taken to this room with a bunch of these crystal orbs, the chrome-probes. They then told me to place my hand on one orb. The clear crystal turned black and that was it. They said the test was over and that I had passed. I never thought much more about it.¡±


    Loh clenched her fists, ¡°They didn¡¯t let you finish the exam. Stryg, when you first cast a grey drain spell in my class I assumed the academy records had just accidentally mislabeled your chromatic colors, that they had unintentionally left out you¡¯re a chromatic grey as well. But, it seems I was wrong. Someone did this on purpose. Stryg, do you remember who was in charge of your test that day?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I remember those I¡¯m not fond of. Helps with my anger meditation. It was Byrel.¡±


    ¡°The front desk¡¯s secretary?¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Yep, she never liked me. The feeling¡¯s mutual,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that the same drow who sabotaged your chromatic identity exam is the one who gave you your climbing equipment today?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Oh, shit,¡± Stryg said in dawning realization.


    Feli, who had decided to stay quiet amidst the magic-talk, spoke up, ¡°Wait, are you implying that-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been trying to hurt you from the beginning,¡± Loh surmised.


    Loh hadn¡¯t made a mistake with the climbing rope after all. Standing by at this point would be the only mistake she could make.


    Loh strode to the door. ¡°This ends now. Byrel will have wished she had never set eyes upon my apprentice.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Stryg said. He painfully rolled to the edge of the bed and tried to place his feet on the floor.


    ¡°Stryg! You shouldn¡¯t get up!¡± Feli yelled.


    ¡°Stryg, sit down!¡± Loh commanded.


    ¡°If someone has been trying to hurt me behind my back then I¡¯ll sure as hell be there to end it,¡± he argued. ¡°Feli, help me up.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I don¡¯t know if you should,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Feli,¡± he said with clear determination.


    Feli said nothing, but helped him to his feet. His vision swam, the world became blurred. He wobbled and almost lost his balance. Feli stepped in and held him up by the shoulder. His leg practically screamed in agony, but at least with Feli¡¯s help he didn¡¯t need to place any weight on it. He grimaced in pain, he could bear it.


    He took slow labored breaths, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re determined I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Loh admitted. She glanced at the young woman, ¡°Are you sure you want to help him with this? He can barely stand.¡±


    Feli sighed, ¡°If I let go now he¡¯ll just fall and he¡¯s stubborn enough to crawl his way to you.¡±


    The door opened to reveal the resident white mage.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? What do you think you¡¯re doing, human? Put the patient back down. His wounds are incredibly severe!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine and we were about to leave,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Fine? You fell over 60 feet. In what world is that fine!¡± He waved his hands in exasperation.


    ¡°A white mage once told me I heal quicker. I guess she was right. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°Miss Noir, please talk some sense into him,¡± the white mage pleaded.


    Loh stared at Stryg for a moment, ¡°Be honest, can you handle the walk over?¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°If Feli helps me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But, if you fall at any point I¡¯m sending you right back here, do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Stryg swallowed.


    ¡°Miss Noir,¡± the white mage whined.


    ¡°Keep the bed ready, he¡¯ll be back soon enough, one way or another. I won¡¯t take long,¡± Loh pushed the white mage aside.


    ~~~


    Miss Byrel was writing her last document for the day when she heard a dreadful sound.


    ¡°Byrel, you bitch!¡± Loh shouted from a nearby hall.


    The guards at the entrance looked up in surprise.


    Byrel dropped her pen. ¡°P-professor Loh? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Take a guess,¡± she glared.


    Loh stepped aside to reveal a bandaged Stryg leaning on Feli. He hissed with what little strength he could muster.


    Byrel shot up from her chair, ¡°Professor Loh, I don¡¯t understand. What is this about? Is that student okay?¡±


    Loh walked up to the front desk, ¡°Is that right? So, it¡¯s just a coincidence that you were the one in charge of the climbing equipment. And it was also a coincidence that you begged me to allow you to hand out the equipment from your front desk instead of the testing cavern, so that you could get more work done, yes? Or was it just so you could tamper with a climbing rope away from prying eyes?¡±


    Byrel shook her head vigorously, ¡°Professor, I would never do such a thing. I have always regarded the safety of the students of this school highly. If there was a problem with one of the ropes there must have been something faulty with the material. I admit that perhaps I may have not looked at each rope with great care, but I would never tamper with one either!¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I should believe you over him?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Professor, I have served this academy faithfully with all my heart for the past ten years. Why would I lie?¡± Byrel said in exasperation.


    ¡°I see,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see if those words hold once you''re under a purple mage¡¯s mind spell.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Professor, I am not a criminal. You can¡¯t subjugate me to a mind interrogation. It¡¯s against the law.¡±


    ¡°Byrel, you have worked here for so long and yet you fail to realize the power of names. I am Loh of the Great House Noir. Do you know who Lord Elzri Noir is? Do you know what that name means?¡±


    Byrel blanched.


    Loh stepped right up to her. ¡°It means I can do whatever I damn please in this academy, including forcing a commoner into a mind interrogation. I will ask you once and know that if you lie to me, I will place you in a dungeon so deep that not even rats will set foot in. I will have you tortured for the rest of your long and miserable life. The only sounds you will hear are your agonizing cries as your flesh is cut with such perfect precision only to be healed and cut again, over, and over again.¡±


    Loh took a step back and smiled brightly, ¡°Now then, did you tamper with Stryg¡¯s rope?¡±


    Byrel¡¯s mouth gaped like a fish, yet no words came out. She dropped to her knees and placed her head on the floor, ¡°I am so sorry, please forgive this foolish servant!¡±


    Stryg could only watch Loh in admiration. To make another kneel with just words, this was true power.


    Loh clenched her fists, ¡°So, you admit to tampering with the rope.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was just-¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Did you prevent Stryg from finishing his chromatic identity exam back in autumn?¡±


    ¡°...I think so. I don¡¯t remember very well,¡± Byrel admitted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember endangering a student¡¯s life, so much for highly regarding the student¡¯s safety, huh?¡± Loh sneered.


    ¡°I would never injure a student. I just stopped the goblin from wasting time. He had already tested as a chromatic black,¡± Byrel said without looking up.


    ¡°Did it ever occur to you that Stryg was a manifold mage? That his other chromatic colors could accidentally go off, endangering his life? Like the grey magic that briefly paralyzed him or the fire that just today severely burned his hand. It¡¯s why we have the exam in the first place. To make sure the students know their chromatic colors and can learn how to control them safely.¡±


    ¡°I-I could barely believe a goblin could be a mage, let alone a manifold mage. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to endanger him.¡±


    Loh chuckled, ¡°So, like how you didn¡¯t mean for him to fall off his rope and almost kill him?¡±


    Byrel glanced up at Stryg, ¡°Those injuries are from the fall, but how? He was supposed to have fallen into the water.¡±


    ¡°Do you think 3 feet of water can protect someone from a 60 foot drop?!¡± Loh snapped.


    Byrel blinked. ¡°3 feet? I was told the water was 20 feet deep.¡±


    Loh pinched the bridge of her nose, ¡°It was supposed to have been. But, the water magi failed to reach their goal. You would have known this had you actually gone down to the cavern.¡±


    Byrel¡¯s face paled, ¡°Please, forgive me. I never wished to injure a student. I just wanted him to fail. A goblin will only stain the honor of this prestigious academy.¡±


    ¡°A student? A goblin?¡± Loh laughed. She kicked Byrel in the face, sending the woman crashing into her desk. ¡°You almost killed my apprentice!¡±


    Byrel groaned in pain. Her glasses were cracked and her nose was broken. Blood gushed all over her mouth and blouse.


    ¡°You think you can try to kill my apprentice and get away with it!?¡± Loh yelled.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know h-he was your apprentice,¡± Byrel mumbled through broken teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what you knew or thought, you imbecile! You attacked the one under my care. There is no escape for you,¡± Loh seethed. ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re the one she attacked. I¡¯ll let you decide her fate.¡±


    Feli held him tightly, afraid to speak up in the face of Loh¡¯s wrath.


    Byrel crawled on her knees towards Stryg, ¡°I am so very sorry for what happened. I never meant to kill you. Had I known you were her apprentice I would have¡­ I understand your wish for vengeance. I have no excuse. Do with me what you will, fire me, banish me, flog me, but please don¡¯t let them take me to a torture chamber, please, I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    Stryg stared down at her, ¡°We only banish or flog our allies, not our enemies.¡±


    Byrel¡¯s eyes widened in fear.


    ¡°But, we don¡¯t torture our enemies either,¡± he said.


    Byrel bowed, ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡±


    ¡°We kill our enemies,¡± he finished.


    ¡°What? No, please no!¡± Byrel screamed. ¡°I have a d-¡±


    Loh raised her hand, a grey symbol appeared over her palm. Byrel gasped for air and clenched at her throat. Her eyes rolled up, she fell unconscious.


    ¡°Guards, put her in a holding cell,¡± Loh commanded.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Noir!¡± The two guards nearby said in unison.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Stryg asked in wonder at the fading grey symbol.


    ¡°A highly advanced curse spell. I¡¯ll teach it to you when you are ready.¡±


    ¡°What about Byrel?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. I¡¯ll have her fed to the wall''s shades first thing at sunset, tomorrow. You won¡¯t have to see or worry about her ever again. Feli, take him back to bed, he needs to get some rest. He still has a few exams in the upcoming days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Noir,¡± Feli said.


    Loh ruffled Stryg¡¯s hair, ¡°Fate is kind it seems. I¡¯m glad we share all three chromatic colors, Stryg. I¡¯ll be able to teach you everything I know now.¡±


    He frowned at the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡±


    Loh grinned, ¡°No, you¡¯re my apprentice and I don¡¯t care who knows anymore.¡±

 Chapter 66: The Central District

    Chapter 66: The Central District


    Feli linked arms with Stryg as they strolled down the busy streets leading to the central district. The sun¡¯s bright rays shined down on the people of Hollow Shade.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day and the cool breeze is just so perfect isn¡¯t it?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    The white mage doctors had discharged him the very next morning after Miss Byrel had been arrested. Stryg had wanted to go home as soon as possible. He left before the white magi could poke and prod around his body to study the reason as to why his injuries weren¡¯t fatal or why he was doing so well considering his injuries. Stryg knew he was different, but he still hated being stared at like some freak of nature. He wasn¡¯t going to let them experiment on him like some animal.


    Instead, Stryg had gone home and slept like a rock. He only woke up to eat whatever food Feli made him and to use the bathroom.


    He repeated the cycle for several days and would have continued had Feli not begged him to accompany her today. She stated that today was special and that Stryg had already promised his friends that he would come anyway. The latter part wasn¡¯t true, Stryg never promised, he only planned to come. Of course, his plans had changed after the fall. Nonetheless, Feli wanted to go and after incessant pleading and a bit of bed-play, Stryg was begrudgingly convinced.


    His superficial wounds had already completely healed, but his broken right arm was still mending as was his leg. His left arm had been severely burned, luckily it seemed to be growing new skin. The only problem being that it was incredibly painful and tender. He was forced to still cover his left arm in bandages and his right arm in a cast.


    At least he didn¡¯t need a cast for his leg anymore, all he had to do was not put any weight on it. That part was easy, he just needed to lean on Feli¡¯s soft body. Stryg didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Feli, I can¡¯t move my hands. How do you think I feel?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re outside with fresh air. I¡¯ve only gone to the central district a few times. And those were always only to renew my nameplate. It wasn¡¯t very fun.¡±


    ¡°So, remind why we¡¯re going to the central district then?¡±


    He¡¯d rather spend more time in bed with Feli.


    ¡°Because today is the end of Spring. The whole city is celebrating the festival of the gods. Most districts have relatively small parties, however the central district throws the biggest celebration in all the Ebon Realm. I¡¯ve always wanted to go, but the entrance fee has always been a little too expensive. Until now.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see why I needed to tag along. I could have just given you the money and you could have gone by yourself,¡± he said.


    Feli bit her lip. Today was particularly special to her, but Stryg had enough to deal with, it was best if she let it be. ¡°Where would be the fun in that? It¡¯s nice to celebrate with those important to you. Besides, didn¡¯t your friends invite you?¡±


    ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t think it matters too much if I don¡¯t make it,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I hear they have the most delicious food from all over the Realm,¡± she said.


    ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Stryg began to hobble his way down the street.


    Feli giggled and helped him along. The closer they got to the central district the more crowded the streets became. Most of the upper and middle-class had decided to take their centaurs and carriages to the festival, which only helped clog the streets.


    A few commoners gave strange looks to the beautiful purple-haired woman and her blue hybrid partner. That was until Stryg began hissing at them. Feli smirked at the onlookers. The commoners quickly learned to look away. They were smart enough to not trifle with crazy people.


    The central district was blocked off by large ornate slate walls. A steel gate stood as the only entrance to the district. Stryg bypassed the long lines and showed the stationed guards his nameplate and handed them a few coins. After seeing the silver nameplate and being paid, the guards didn¡¯t bother to even check Feli¡¯s nameplate. Instead, they simply waved them by and bid them a good day.


    Feli loved the special treatment. She looked back at the commoners who had to wait in a long line. The sorry bastards would probably be there for hours. She smiled to herself, she wasn¡¯t a part of that wretched world anymore.


    The central district¡¯s street was lined with pristine red bricks. Normally, the district boasted a large wide expanse of space, with only a few buildings in the entire area. Now the entire place was covered in throngs of people and bright colorful stalls. A troupe of dancers and singers paraded down the street.


    ¡°So, where to first?¡± Feli asked with excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, wherever the best food stalls are I guess?¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Stryg! Over here! Stryg!¡± Kithina waved from across the street.


    ¡°Is that redhead dwarf one of your friends?¡± Feli whispered into his ear.


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Kithina.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s Kithina. She¡¯s pretty,¡± Feli smiled wryly.


    The dwarf was admittedly curvy and had a pretty face, but Feli didn¡¯t believe she fell short in comparison.


    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t tell her that,¡± Stryg said before walking over.


    Feli followed along with a skip to her step.


    She placed herself between the dwarf and goblin and smiled brightly, ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Feli, Stryg¡¯s fiance.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Stryg had a fiance.¡±


    ¡°I bet there¡¯s a lot of things you don¡¯t know,¡± Feli¡¯s smile froze for a moment. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I love your hair by the way.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s nose wrinkled, ¡°...Thanks. It¡¯s nice to meet you too. Stryg did mention a girl with purple hair once, but he never said how pretty you were.¡±


    Feli tilted her head, ¡°That¡¯s funny, he never mentioned you.¡±


    Stryg looked at Feli questioningly but said nothing. Kithina¡¯s smile fell just a little. Her face turned bitter when she looked at Stryg¡¯s bandaged state.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m so sorry for what happened that day in the final exam. If I hadn¡¯t missed my yellow spell, you would never have been hit with that blast of wind. You would never have pushed Clypeus out of the way to save me¡­ You would never have fallen. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Kithina clenched her fists and bowed her head, trying to hide her watery eyes.


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re the reason my darling Stryg is in this horrible state?¡± Feli asked with feigned horror.


    Kithina took a step back, ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose. I¡¯m sorry, I should have been a better teammate.¡±


    ¡°Ignore Feli,¡± Stryg pulled Feli back.


    ¡°Tch,¡± Feli muttered and looked away.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°You did fine in the exam, you held your own against that vampire. Besides, Loh gave us a passing grade in the end. You definitely suck at aiming your spells, but you¡¯re not the reason I fell. The person responsible for that is already dead.¡±


    ¡°What? You killed someone?¡± Kithina asked, shocked. Although, some part of her mind told her she shouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°No, the shades at the wall did that,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°I see.¡± Kithina cleared her throat, ¡°I tried visiting, you know. Right after the accident. The doctors said only family members could see you, since you were in critical condition. I spent the whole day worried. The next morning Loh told me that you were going to be alright. I tried visiting again, but they said you had been discharged.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not a fan of infirmaries, clinics, or doctors for that matter,¡± Stryg looked pointedly at his arm¡¯s cast.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Kithina nodded. ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    ¡°Better than they were yesterday.¡±


    Kithina paused. ¡°...Stryg, I don¡¯t mean to be rude. But, are you going to be able to do your part of the project for professor Rime¡¯s class? You were in charge of the practical aspect, which I¡¯m not sure you can do in your current state. If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take care of it somehow, I promise.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll manage. I¡¯m injured, not weak. Besides, it¡¯s a team project. If I don¡¯t participate, we all fail.¡±


    ¡°How did you find us anyway? We just arrived,¡± Feli interjected.


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Kithina scratched her cheek. ¡°We all agreed to meet for the festival today. So, I just waited at the entrance. It¡¯s kind of hard to miss a blue goblin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cyan,¡± he frowned.


    Kithina ignored him, ¡°Anyway, Callum and Plum are running late it seems. I suppose we¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard pass for me. You can wait for them while I get some food,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, you¡¯re just gonna leave me like this?¡± Kithina asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yup,¡± he said nonchalantly.


    Feli did a little twirl with her blue dress, ¡°Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Stryg linked arms with Feli.


    Kithina watched with a frown as the couple melded into the crowd.


    ¡°At least get me something to eat too,¡± Kithina pouted.


    ~~~


    ¡°What is this? It¡¯s spicy, yet sooo good,¡± Feli said between bites.


    ¡°It¡¯s curry chicken with a hint of lime,¡± the food vendor explained.


    ¡°Stryg, you gotta try some of this,¡± Feli brought a spoonful to his mouth.


    He recoiled away, ¡°I¡¯m not putting any poison into my mouth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit of spice, stop being such a baby,¡± Feli teased.


    Stryg hissed at her.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it.¡± Feli raised her hands in surrender.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Stryg looked away, peeved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright,¡± Feli ate another mouthful.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be sorry tonight when we get home. I don¡¯t need my hands to make sure of that,¡± Stryg bared his fangs.


    Feli winced playfully. He had gotten into the bad habit of biting her when they made love. It was his way of payback for her constant teasing or so he said. But, the fact that he only bit her bottom and bust made her think he just liked biting. She was used to their rough play by now, even liked it, though his sharp little fangs still hurt like a bitch.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Stryg. How about we go back to that stall over there? The one with melted cheese you liked.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. But, I¡¯m still going to bite you.¡±


    ¡°Heh, why did I expect anything less,¡± she hung her head in defeat.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± A voice called out.


    Feli turned around, ¡°Are those Plum and Callum? Do they always dress up like that?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°No, Plum normally just wears the academy uniform and Callum likes wearing bright red clothes. Either way, that¡¯s not them.¡±


    Karen, the goblin, stood in front of the couple, wearing a priestess¡¯ white robe. The human priest Elm stood next to her, donning ceremonial regalia.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg, I thought that was you,¡± Karen smiled.


    ¡°Good afternoon, young mage warrior. I¡¯m glad you could make it,¡± Elm bowed his head.

 Chapter 67: Festival of the Gods

    Chapter 67: Festival of the Gods


    ¡°Hello, nice to meet you, I¡¯m Stryg¡¯s fianc¨¦, Feli. Are you priests by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Feli, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Elm smiled. ¡°So, the rumors of your relationship with Stryg are true.¡±


    ¡°Head priest? I didn¡¯t recognize you under all the fancy regalia. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Feli bowed her head.


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, Elm is the head priest of the temple I attended when I was younger back in the commoner district. Although, after I turned seventeen I stopped going,¡± Feli made a half-smile.


    ¡°Nonetheless, it is nice to see you Feli. Like the other priests, I¡¯ve dressed up for the occasion.¡± Elm placed his hand on his acolyte¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You may have met before, but this is Karen, my apprentice. This is Feli, she used to work at the Merry Crescent. Many were sad to see her go, she was quite loved, a local celebrity you might say.¡±


    ¡°You do seem familiar, I guess we probably saw each other around. It¡¯s nice to officially meet you,¡± Karen nodded. ¡°And it¡¯s good to see you too, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°How do you two know each other?¡± Feli glanced at Stryg.


    ¡°She helped me when I first arrived in the city,¡± he said.


    ¡°Stryg is being modest. I didn¡¯t do much. He¡¯s the one who helped me. He saved me from a fate worse than death,¡± Karen smiled.


    ¡°Really? That doesn¡¯t very much sound like Stryg,¡± Feli frowned. Since when had the blue goblin been modest or gallant?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t save you, Karen, we helped each other on different occasions, nothing more,¡± Stryg corrected.


    ¡°And that sounds like Stryg,¡± Feli grinned.


    ¡°Whatever the case may be as to how we all met, I am glad you came and held up the end of your bargain, Stryg,¡± Elm said.


    Stryg blinked. He had completely forgotten he had made a deal to visit the festival with Elm, a few months back.


    ¡°A-ah, right,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°No need to look worried, we¡¯ll just be meeting with some other temple head-priests of the commoner district. Though none of them will be standing next to a mage,¡± Elm smirked.


    ¡°Hm, okay. A deal is a deal,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°May I ask what happened, Stryg? To your arms, I mean.¡± Karen made a small frown.


    ¡°Nothing much, I¡¯ll be fine in a few days,¡± he shrugged.


    Feli held her tongue. She knew how much he had suffered, but she decided to let him keep his secrets. Besides, she was still trying to gauge this Karen person.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you''re healing well,¡± Elm began. ¡°The white magi must have done a wonderful job. Regarding today¡¯s events, the other priests will be gathering soon, right after the high priestess¡¯ celebration speech. In the meantime, why don¡¯t we head over to the front of the parade, where the high priestess will make her appearance.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Stryg gestured.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Elm bowed.


    At this rate, Stryg probably wouldn¡¯t be able to meet back up with Kithina and the rest, but it didn¡¯t really bother him, they would be fine on their own.


    Feli frowned as she came to the same conclusion, though she was a bit disappointed. She had hoped to meet Stryg¡¯s friend Plum. From Stryg¡¯s offhand comments, the drow girl seemed to be quite close to Stryg. Feli wanted to know exactly how close. Was she a potential friend and ally? Or would Plum be a rival for the position of principal wife in the household.


    ¡°So, Stryg, what do you think of the festival so far?¡± Elm asked as they walked.


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of tasty food.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed Hollow Shade imports many delicacies from around the Realm just for today.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    They walked in silence for a few minutes.


    ¡°...Is there anything else you enjoy about the festival?¡± Elm fidgeted.


    ¡°Umm, no?¡± Stryg looked askance.


    Ever since his senses began to improve, Stryg had lost the enjoyment of walking among large crowds. There was so much noise and the scent of most people bothered his nose. It was bearable, but Stryg didn¡¯t enjoy it either. He preferred taking walks at night where few souls wandered about.


    Although, there was something to be said about the many different faces that walked about. Despite the fact that many of their species did not worship the ebon gods, Stryg still saw plenty of drow, orcs, and dwarves roaming the streets. Some common, others beautiful, many haggard, and a few exotic. Stryg could have sworn he spotted a few hybrids. He didn¡¯t know how he felt about the latter.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Karen whispered.


    ¡°I for one am loving the festival,¡± Feli interrupted Stryg¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, pray tell,¡± Elm said in relief.


    ¡°Well, for one, the stalls and decorations are so colorful. I love the vibrant reds and blues, especially the warm yellows. It¡¯s nothing like the trade district¡¯s dull greys. Then there was the parade with the music and dancers. I¡¯ve never seen anything like that! And like Stryg said, the food is amazing as well. You know the first time I came here it looked nothing like this. I thought the district was cold, vacant of any real life. I would never have thought it could be this lively, I love it,¡± Feli recounted with a warm smile on her face.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Elm stroked his beard. ¡°The majority of the year the central district is only used to house the government buildings. Not many people come here. It¡¯s also the smallest district. I can understand why it may seem empty of life outside of festival season. But, the central district is the most important district in the entire city.¡±


    ¡°Because the government buildings?¡± Stryg asked out of genuine curiosity.


    ¡°Well, the city council¡¯s hall is in the district, so in a sense, yes, I suppose,¡± Elm nodded. ¡°But, what I was referring to was something else entirely. The city of Hollow Shade is famous for many reasons, like the trade district or the trade ports directly connected to the Dire River.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told many times,¡± Stryg said.


    The trade district was the largest of the seven districts, everyone knew it was the great city¡¯s main source of income.


    ¡°I believe you, but how much do you know of Hollow Shade¡¯s twin enigmas?¡± Elm asked with a twinkle in his eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with them,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Well, everyone here is familiar with at least one of them. Hollow Shade¡¯s magical wall,¡± Elm pointed to the great black walls in the distance.


    ¡°I learned about it back at the academy. A logic-defying magestone wall, created by the ebon lords over 300 years ago,¡± Stryg recited.


    ¡°Quite right, it¡¯s how our great city got its name. No one knows how the ebon lords created the wall or how it works for that matter. What we do know is that in the city¡¯s early days there was only the wall. There were no districts. No people. But, that didn¡¯t last long,¡± Elm explained.


    ¡°Stryg, did you know that the wall forms a perfect circle? An incredible feat of craftsmanship for such a large structure. At the very center of these walls resides Hollow Shade¡¯s other enigma,¡± Elm pointed upwards.


    Stryg looked up at the large looming structure in the sky. A black tower that rose high above the city. It was shaped like a blade, with curved sharp edges. The tower was split into two sides as if a titanic giant had cleaved the tower in half. Two enormous half-circles dotted each of the inner sides of the tower.


    Stryg had seen the tower from far off in the distance plenty of times during his stay in the city, but he had never seen it from this close up. It was intimidating and emitted an air of prestige and power.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Feli said in awe.


    ¡°Yeah, it really is,¡± Karen agreed.


    ¡°The Ebon Tower,¡± Elm said respectfully. ¡°The second and last structure the ebon lords left behind. The central district was built around the mystical tower. Unlike the wall, the tower isn¡¯t made from magestone. In fact, no one knows what it¡¯s made from and just like the wall, it¡¯s covered in cryptic symbols that not even the magi can read, or so I¡¯m told. The only piece of knowledge we have is from the city¡¯s ancient records.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That the tower represents a nameless promise between the ebon lords and the gods. The tower is a monument of sorts to the ebon gods,¡± Elm explained. ¡°Which is why the festival of the gods is held right here in the central district and it¡¯s why we are making our way to the tower right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see the Ebon Tower up close,¡± Feli said with a skip to her step.


    Once the parade ended, the four of them finished making their way to the tower. A line of heavily armored guards encircled the base of the tower, blocking anyone from coming nearer. A few men and women, most of them priests, judging from their ceremonial regalia, conversed within the circle of guards. Stryg even spotted a few of the others wearing the iconic black robes of magi.


    ¡°Good, we made it just in time,¡± Elm said.


    The crowds began to cheer when an ornate silver carriage rolled up. A tall woman strode out. She was dressed in the most ornate of regalia.


    Her rich brown skin was veiled in a long billowing white robe, with a gold belt, studded in gems. Her wrists were covered in golden bracelets as were her ankles. A necklace of rubies hung from her neck. Her black hair was elaborately weaved within silver strings and pearls.


    Her face was painted a pallid blue and her high cheekbones were marked with a black dot each, as were her forehead and lips. Four black dots, for the four ebon gods. Even through the ceremonial makeup, Stryg could see her elegant beauty.


    Her cold scarlet eyes surveyed the crowd. She smiled with pearly white fangs. The crowd''s cheers soared.


    ¡°She¡¯s a vampire,¡± Stryg muttered in realization.


    ¡°Indeed. She is Calantha of the Great House Ashe. She is famous for being blessed by the goddess Bellum herself. Lady Ashe is a favored child of the gods in the flesh. She sits on the city council as the high priestess, leader of all Hollow Shade¡¯s temples,¡± Elm said reverently.


    Lady Ashe walked up the steps at the base of the tower. She faced the crowd and spoke in a loud clear voice, ¡°Welcome to the festival of the gods! We thank the ebon gods for this magnificent year. It has been a fruitful one for our people, our trade district has bustled with life, and the harvests of the Valley have been plentiful. But! Do not let our successes blind you from the troubles that lay in our future. And make no mistake, there will be troubles to come.¡±


    ¡°The warlords stir in Dusk Valley, eager to plunder what is ours. Yet, we do not fear their pathetic armies. For the ebon gods will protect this city and her people as they have for the last 300 years!¡±


    The crowds cheered with shouts of approval.


    Lady Ashe continued, ¡°This day is a special occasion, for it is said the gods are closer to us today then they are the rest of the year. Now, let us pray to the ebon gods so that their divine essences may touch our lives and bless us in the days to come.¡±


    The crowds bowed their heads in prayer. Stryg watched them with indifference. He was unsure if the gods even existed. He had long stopped praying to goblin-kind¡¯s patron goddess, Lunae, for guidance. Still, he bowed his head, so as to not stand out. He hoped this wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Feli closed her eyes tightly in prayer. She asked for Bellum, goddess of war and guardian of the Realm, to protect Stryg¡¯s life, to keep him safe in the academy. She asked Lunae, watcher of the Realm and goddess of the moon, to watch over them both in the upcoming year.


    She even tentatively asked Caligo, patron of none, to spare Stryg and her from any potential disasters and to bless them with luck. Lastly, she asked her own patron of mankind, Stjerne, the traveler, to grant her the wisdom of his journeys, and to guide her on her own journey forward.


    ¡°Oh great Stjerne, please bless this mere human with your divine essence in the upcoming year,¡± Feli whispered.


    Stryg leaned towards her. ¡°Do you feel any essence yet?¡± He whispered impatiently. His leg was beginning to hurt from standing so long.


    Feli continued, ¡°Even just a small sliver-¡±


    ¡°How long is this whole prayer thing gonna last?¡± Stryg interrupted.


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    ¡°Did you really just shush me?¡±


    She ignored him and continued, ¡°Even just a small sliver of your essence would be enough-¡±


    ¡°How about I give you my essence when we get home,¡± he taunted.


    Feli frowned but kept her eyes closed and silently whispered the rest.


    Stryg sighed and wrapped his arm around Feli¡¯s waist, ¡°You''re not just a mere human.¡±


    Feli opened her eyes, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Earlier you said you were just a mere human. You¡¯re not. Of all the humans I¡¯ve met, I like you the most,¡± Stryg glanced at the crowd.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you like my boobs,¡± Feli grinned wryly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you never once cared that I was a hybrid,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Feli froze at the words. He had never mentioned anything of the sort. He always liked to show a cold and strong appearance in front of others. Feli knew he truly was both these things, but she also knew that he was an emotionally stunted individual, who couldn¡¯t seem to express himself very well.


    Feli wondered how hard it must have been for him to have admitted those words. She kissed his cheek and stepped a little closer, content to be in his company.


    After a few minutes Lady Ashe raised her head and opened her eyes, ¡°Now, I bid you all to enjoy our wonderful city¡¯s festival of the gods!¡±


    The people cheered, the cacophony of loud voices strained Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears.


    He grimaced and turned to Elm, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go meet those other head priests.¡±


    ¡°But the celebrations are just starting.¡±


    ¡°Now or never,¡± Stryg said through grit teeth. The sooner he could leave this echoing courtyard of voices and sit down to rest, the better.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Elm adjusted his robes, ¡°Let¡¯s go show off to those stuck up bastards shall we?¡±

 Chapter 68: ...Comes Around

    Chapter 68: ...Comes Around


    Stryg pushed the study room¡¯s door open with his foot. His arms were taking longer to heal than he had hoped. Kithina and Callum sat around a small table piled with notes. They glanced up at his entrance.


    ¡°Just on time, Stryg. How did your exams go?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Fine, I suppose,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Except for Ismene¡¯s class, she barely let me pass, something about having problematic meditation skills. My chromatic black class was alright. I can¡¯t cast necromancy to save my life, but my shadow spells are top of the class. As for Tauri¡¯s exam, well even though I couldn''t participate because of my injuries, she let me pass on account of having the highest grade in class.¡±


    ¡°And Loh gave us a tie for her exam, since we were all indisposed after your fall,¡± Callum smiled sadly.


    ¡°How are your arms feeling?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Well, as you can clearly see from my cast and bandages, I still can¡¯t use my arms, so not great Kitty, not great,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Who said you can call me Kitty?¡± Kithina frowned.


    ¡°Who said you had to ask me redundant questions? Yet, here we are,¡± Stryg plopped down on a nearby chair.


    Kithina crossed her arms, ¡°I was just worried about you. You don¡¯t have to be such an a-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not fight, shall we?¡± Callum interrupted. ¡°In about an hour we¡¯re going to have to walk into Rime¡¯s class and present our project, as a team. We are going to have to work together if we want any chance of getting the top score and winning that first place prize.¡±


    ¡°Right, teamwork,¡± Kithina nodded. ¡°As in trusting and being honest with each other. Like, I don¡¯t know, telling us you¡¯re a manifold mage.¡±


    Callum winced, ¡°Okay, I understand you¡¯re mad. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you that I was a chromatic red and white. I didn¡¯t want people to know. You see my family is¡­ complicated.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s family is complicated, that doesn¡¯t mean you should keep relevant secrets from your team,¡± Kithina scowled.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care about your family or your secrets,¡± Stryg spoke up. ¡°But, endangering the success of our battles by withholding vital information is bordering on betrayal.¡±


    Callum sighed, he deserved that he supposed.


    ¡°Oh, please. As if you¡¯re one to talk Mr. ¡®I go solo into a grove full of enemies,¡¯¡± Kithina rolled her eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell either of us that you were a tri-manifold mage. We literally had a conversation of how useful fire spells could be right before we fought Clypeus¡¯ team and you said nothing about being a chromatic orange.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°How so?¡± Kithina raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re actually saying you didn¡¯t know you were a chromatic orange?¡± Kithina chuckled.


    ¡°Why do you think I got my hand burned?¡± Stryg raised his bandaged arm.


    ¡°Ooooh,¡± Kithina mouthed.


    He turned to Callum with cold eyes, ¡°And next time you decide to fire off a bright spell, give me more than three words as a heads up. Or I won¡¯t say a word when I come after you.¡±


    Callum swallowed, ¡°Duly noted.¡±


    He would have punched the hybrid vampire straight in the nose had it not been for the fact that Stryg had learned something new about his eyes, of which he still wasn¡¯t sure. That and his hands were indisposed at the moment.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve cleared up all of the fun stuff we can get on to the project? I already have the speech prepared. Kithina are you ready to turn in the essay?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Well, Plum was supposed to have given me her notes on some revisions, a few days ago at the festival, but I still haven¡¯t seen her. I had hoped she would drop by today, but she hasn¡¯t so far. I¡¯ll just have to finish the revisions myself. It won¡¯t be nearly as good as Plum¡¯s, but I can crank something out in the next half-hour.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. That only leaves us with the practical part. Stryg, are you sure you can do this?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°The original plan was for you to use shadow spells to form the shape of a dragon on the wall. How accurate can you cast those shapes without your hands?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have an alternative plan,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Which is?¡± Kithina and Callum asked simultaneously.


    ¡°Something easier than trying to cast shadow shapes without my hands, I think.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, we literally just talked about telling each other important and relevant information to each other,¡± Kithina protested.


    ¡°And you also talked about trust. So, trust me on this,¡± he stared at her.


    He didn¡¯t wish to tell them his plan, because he was worried that they might try to talk him out of it. In concept, his plan could work. He just had never tried it before, nor had anyone he knew. But, he was used to being the odd one.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you Stryg,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°You deserve that much after I kept my own secret. And I think so does she,¡± Callum glanced at Kithina.


    ¡°What have I done?¡± Kithina placed her hand over her chest in.


    ¡°I heard you shot Stryg with a wind spell,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Uh, ehh, um,¡± Kithina glanced between Stryg and Callum. ¡°Oh, gods, fine, but don¡¯t fuck this up for us. I can¡¯t afford to fail,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on failing,¡± Stryg said resolutely.


    ~~~


    Stryg and Kithina stood at the front of professor Rime¡¯s class and watched Callum speak from the podium. Like always, his words were eloquent and his voice soothing. The speech concerned the inherent magical nature of dragons.


    Were the draconic beings a chromatic or elemental species? Callum went on to explain how dragons didn¡¯t simply cast orange flame spells, but actually breathed fire naturally, based on the evidence compiled by an ancient explorer.


    This would suggest the work of natural magic, not a spell. Yet, all natural magic users belonged to elemental species. Therefore, dragons were potentially the only known chromatic and elemental species in all the Realms.


    Callum thanked the drow professor and the entire class for listening. The speech was met with great applause from the students. Based on the looks of the female students, Kithina had a hunch that they weren¡¯t clapping because of Callum¡¯s words, rather his handsome face. Professor Rime simply clapped his hands once.


    ¡°A strange if not unlikely take on the dragon species, Mr. Veres. Still, I suppose it has¡­ originality,¡± Rime said. ¡°Although, if your research is indeed true, couldn¡¯t dragons simply be the first chromatic species to not just be mageborn but also natural magic users? They wouldn¡¯t have to be an elemental species. Their breathing of fire could simply be another use of the chromatic flame spell form.¡±


    Callum opened his arms, ¡°Well, you se-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Stryg spoke up.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Callem turned to Stryg, ¡°...Alright, then.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Kithina whispered.


    Stryg nodded and switched places with Callum at the podium.


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Rime stared at him with pale blue eyes.


    Stryg glanced between the students in front of him and professor Rime behind them. ¡°As Callum said before me, the reason we believe dragons are both chromatic and elemental species is because the evidence we found in ancient records. Those records show that a dragon¡¯s fire varies in color. The fire generated by the chromatic orange flame spell form is, as implied, always orange.


    Stryg continued, ¡°The reason being that flame spells are created by a mixture of fire elemental mana and orange mana. The only way a fire could vary in color is if it was created through pure fire elemental mana, a feat only capable by an elemental species. And another thing. A dragon¡¯s fire breath is said to come from within the dragon¡¯s throat, something that not even an orange mage could accomplish.¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    Spellcasting in concept was simple, an image and a will. Stryg hoped Loh¡¯s words were true now more than ever. He closed his eyes and focused on the image he wished for. The heat, it¡¯s size, and it¡¯s shape. He then thought of Rime¡¯s irritatingly smug face. It was easy to be angry at the prejudiced drow. His will to shock the upstart Rime was enough. Like a long forgotten friend, the orange mana appeared at his call. The energy flowed out of his heart and coursed through his chest, into his neck, and to his mouth.


    Stryg whistled a twist of flame from his lips. The orange fire washed above the students¡¯ heads before evaporating. They all screamed in shock and fear.


    Rime shot up from his seat, ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡±


    Stryg licked his burnt lips. The burns weren¡¯t severe, but it still spoke of his lack of experience with orange magic and casting from his mouth, not his hands. The experiment was painful, but definitely worth the look on Rime¡¯s face.


    ¡°I was simply demonstrating the difference between a dragon¡¯s natural fire and a chromatic mage¡¯s flame spell. My fire was only orange in color and the fire didn¡¯t come from inside me, the mana simply manifested above my lips,¡± Stryg coughed.


    The heat had singed the inside of his mouth too. Perhaps he should have thought this through more.


    Rime narrowed his eyes, ¡°That will be all, you three may take your seats.¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Stryg sighed in relief.


    His mending leg still ached and he rather sit down than stand in front being stared at by all.


    ~~~


    As soon as the academy bells rang, Stryg, Callum, and Kithina walked out of the classroom.


    ¡°No first place prize, huh?¡± Kithina sighed.


    ¡°We passed despite being assigned the most difficult project topic, that''s what¡¯s important,¡± Callum smiled. ¡°Not to mention it was funny seeing the look on Rime¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know if the whole thing was worth it,¡± Stryg grimaced. His lips still stung.


    ¡°You should go to the infirmary for that,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I rather not go to the infirmary if it¡¯s not necessary. Besides, I have some ointment at home.¡±


    Kithina turned to her friends, ¡°Well, we finally did it guys. Our first year is finally over. We¡¯re officially 2nd-years.¡±


    ¡°I thought our 2nd year starts in the autumn, after the summer break, no?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Technically it does. Though, Kithina¡¯s point still stands. We should celebrate,¡± Callum clapped in agreement.


    ¡°That sounds amazing. Now that I¡¯m done with classes I can finally remove my self-imposed sobriety rule,¡± Kithina laughed in joy.


    ¡°I could go for a drink, but I pick the place this time. I don¡¯t want to go to some whack restaurant again,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Callum smiled ruefully.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Plum,¡± Stryg spotted her back from across the hall.


    ¡°Hey, Plum~ We missed you at the festival,¡± Kithina called out.


    The bespectacled drow turned around and froze at the sight of the trio. Her blue eyes were red from lack of sleep or tears, Stryg wasn¡¯t sure which. He hadn¡¯t seen her since before the fall, he guessed she had already heard of the incident from Kithina.


    ¡°Plum, are you okay?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Am I...okay?¡± Plum twitched.


    ¡°I know this doesn¡¯t look too great, but I¡¯m on the mend, no need to worry,¡± Stryg wiggled his bandaged arms.


    She strode up to Stryg, ¡°How can you ask me that? How dare you ask me that!?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    Plum slapped him across the cheek. He hadn¡¯t expected it, not from her. Stryg looked at her as if she was deranged.


    ¡°You wanna know if I¡¯m fucking okay, you bastard!¡± Plum screamed and threw a punch at him.


    Kithina stepped in and blocked her fist, ¡°Plum, relax okay? We both know Stryg can be a handful, but I don¡¯t think violence is the best way to go about dealing with him. Why don¡¯t we calm down first, yeah?¡±


    Plum shook her off, ¡°Calm down? You¡¯re defending him? Kithina, he killed her!¡±


    Callum closed his eyes and cursed under his breath.


    Kithina looked at Stryg questioningly, ¡°What¡¯s she talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve killed at least a dozen people,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°She¡¯s referring to Miss Byrel,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°The secretary?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her, the shades finished her off,¡± Stryg corrected.


    Plum screeched a wretched sound and charged him, but Callum grabbed her from the waist and pulled her back.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± She screamed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that,¡± Callum held her tight.


    ¡°He killed her! He killed her!¡± Plum struggled to escape.


    But Callum was a half-vampire, she couldn¡¯t overpower him. Plum stopped thrashing and gripped Callum¡¯s arms tightly.


    ¡°He killed my mom,¡± Plum whimpered.


    ¡°...What?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Kithina slowly turned to Stryg, ¡°What did she just say?¡±


    ¡°The instigator of Stryg¡¯s ¡®accidental¡¯ fall was Miss Byrel, the front-desk secretary and Plum¡¯s mother. She was sentenced to execution for the attempted murder of a mageborn student,¡± Callum explained.


    ¡°Wait, you already knew?¡± Kithina asked in shock.


    ¡°She was a criminal who tried to kill our friend, her sentence was obvious. There was nothing to be said,¡± Callum admitted.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a criminal! I don¡¯t know what she was thinking, but she wasn¡¯t a criminal. Had I known what she was doing, I would have stopped her,¡± Plum cried. ¡°She was hurt and broken, her mind wasn¡¯t in the right place, but she didn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Stryg said solemnly.


    Callum nodded reluctantly and released Plum from his hold. Plum stumbled to her feet and pushed Callum away.


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was your mother, Plum. And for that I¡¯m¡­ sorry. But, you have to understand she was my enemy, she made that very clear. Even if she hadn¡¯t tried to kill me now, there was no guarantee she wouldn¡¯t later. In fact, it was likely she would. What do you think I should have done? You cannot let your enemies live, that¡¯s an obvious truth of the world.¡±


    Plum looked at Stryg, tears in her eyes. ¡°Obvious truth? You¡¯re saying she deserved to die? I saw what the shades did to her. They killed her just like they killed my dad. Both my parents had the same look of terror when the shades descended upon them... I can still hear their voices screaming in my head. No one deserves to die like that. I heard what actually happened.¡±


    She gripped his shirt, ¡°You had a choice Stryg. You could have spared her life, but you didn¡¯t. You snuffed out her light without a second thought. I thought you were different from the rest. You grew up being punished for being different, you suffered under the hands of cruel people. I thought you were like me. After everything we¡¯ve been through this year, after everything I told you, my secrets, my life. I thought you would understand what it was like for others to live in this wretched Realm. That you hadn¡¯t suffered alone. I thought you would understand even an ounce of empathy.¡±


    Stryg opened his mouth, he wanted to say something, anything. But he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Now I see the only obvious truth,¡± Plum sneered. ¡°You¡¯re more broken than anyone. You can¡¯t understand empathy, because you have none. You don¡¯t have a heart, only an empty void, bereft of love and anything good in this world. No matter how much power and wealth you amass, you¡¯ll never fill that hole. You will never truly be accepted by others. You¡¯ll always just be the odd one out, the freak.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°Plum, stop it.¡±


    She looked down at him, ¡°Or what? You¡¯ll kill me too? Go ahead, show everyone here what you really are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to kill you to shut you up,¡± he warned.


    Plum laughed in derision. ¡°What, do you think you''re being merciful, being my friend? You don¡¯t get it, do you? You always thought the ones around you were the problem, the danger, the threat. But, you are the monster and this cruel Realm deserves you. This whole damn city can burn down with you for all I care. I wish we had never met,¡± Plum shoved him and walked away.


    Kithina grabbed her shoulder.


    Plum slapped her hand away, ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    ¡°Plum,¡± she called out weakly.


    ¡°You sided with him, don¡¯t talk to me ever again,¡± Plum snapped.


    ¡°Let her go, Kithina. We can¡¯t help her,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Kithina frowned.


    ¡°You guys go drink without me. I think I¡¯ll just go home and get some rest,¡± Stryg stumbled away.


    ¡°Stryg, wait,¡± Kithina reached out, but Callum held her hand gently and shook his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go out drinking some other time. We¡¯ll wait for you, Stryg,¡± Callum called out.


    He didn¡¯t respond.

 Chapter 69: I Don’t Understand

    Chapter 69: I Don¡¯t Understand


    Feli heard the front door creak open. She walked out of the bedroom and found Stryg sitting on the floor, his back resting on the wall.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg. How did your last exam go?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°We passed. So, everything is stellar,¡± he said dully.


    Feli¡¯s forehead creased, ¡°Anything else happened by chance?¡±


    ¡°Nothing important, not really,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯d still like to hear about it, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Feli sat down next to him.


    He sighed, ¡°This city is strange, and everyone here thinks I¡¯m strange. The Blood Fang tribe thought I was strange too. At least I knew what mattered in both places. Things were different, sure, but the basic rules were the same everywhere. The strong trample the weak. You need strength to survive. Otherwise, your enemies will eventually kill you. Therefore, kill your enemies first. It¡¯s simple and it¡¯s worked out every time.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always done what is needed to get strong. I have failed many times, but I never gave up. Because I know what it takes to survive,¡± he grit his teeth.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°The secretary, Miss Byrel, the one who almost got me killed. She was my enemy. I had her killed.¡±


    ¡°...I remember.¡±


    ¡°Turns out Byrel was Plum¡¯s mom,¡± Stryg admitted.


    Felis eyes went round, ¡°Oh. Shit. I see. Did you know?¡±


    ¡°No. I once asked Plum about her mom, she seemed embarrassed to talk about her. Plum only told me that she hadn¡¯t told her mom that we were friends. I knew her mom hated goblins, so I didn¡¯t ask Plum about her again. I should have.¡±


    ¡°How did Plum take the news?¡±


    Stryg laughed in derision. ¡°She used to call me her best friend, I never liked the term, but after a while I didn¡¯t care. Now? Well, now Plum hates me for ordering the death of the drow who tried to kill me. I wasn¡¯t wrong to kill Byrel, was I?¡±


    Feli didn¡¯t wish to admit it, but she was somewhat relieved that this Plum person was out of the picture. The drow was no longer a potential threat.


    ¡°Well, Byrel did try murdering you, a mage. Maybe it wasn¡¯t on purpose, but at the end of the day she wanted to hurt you and almost succeeded in killing you. The death penalty made sense,¡± Feli nodded slowly.


    ¡°Right? I didn¡¯t make a mistake, I did what was needed. Plum was wrong, everything she said about me was wrong,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    ¡°Right,¡± Feli agreed.


    Stryg turned to her with glistening eyes, ¡°So, why do I feel like this?¡±


    His bandaged hand gripped his chest, ¡°Why does my chest hurt? My enemy is dead. I should be happy, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not even angry, there¡¯s no enemy left to blame. There¡¯s no one to defeat. I¡¯m just¡­ in pain. I don¡¯t understand. I won, so why do I feel like I lost?¡±


    Feli felt her own guilt wrap around her, choking her. How could she be happy when Stryg was clearly suffering? She remembered what it was like when she lost her family, the unending aching pain of being so alone. But, she wasn¡¯t alone, not anymore.


    Feli gently held his hand, ¡°You just lost someone precious to you, there is no coming back from that. And yeah, it sucks. I honestly don¡¯t think there is anything that can fix that, not even magic. But, I know holding it in will only make it worse. It¡¯s okay to feel sad.¡±


    Stryg sniffed, ¡°I¡¯m not sad, I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t always have to act strong. You have nothing to prove, not to me. I know you¡¯re the strongest goblin around,¡± Feli chuckled.


    Stryg said nothing.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s okay to cry once in a while,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Crying is for the weak,¡± he mumbled.


    Feli wrapped her arms around him, ¡°Then how about we just stay like this.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t respond, but he held Feli tight. His shoulders shook as he heaved quietly. She stayed quiet and stroked his silver hair. She felt pity for the goblin who could not cry.


    ~~~


    A few days later Stryg found himself at the academy, following Loh down a long stone hallway.


    ¡°Master, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re finally done with your exams, we are going to take care of something that you should have done a long time ago.¡± Loh glanced back at him, ¡°What¡¯s the condition of your arms?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I finally took off the cast last night, but I still can¡¯t move my right arm very much. My left arm has completely recovered from the burns.¡± Stryg stretched his left fingers in a show of dexterity.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. What about your lips?¡±


    ¡°Completely recovered.¡± He paused in his steps and winced, ¡°You heard about that, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not everyday someone manages to piss off Rime and get away with it. It was foolish to have cast a flame spell without any prior training or practice, especially without use of your hands,¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I understand. I just wanted to get a little payback for Rime assigning us with the damn dragon project, I won¡¯t be having class with him again anyway,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not always best to antagonize your enemies. You have to learn how to deal with them properly, how far you can push, especially when you have something to lose, like your grade.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve learned.¡± His shoulders slumped.


    Loh gave him a side-long glance. She had noticed he had been feeling depressed these last few days, but she didn¡¯t know why and he didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it either. She preferred to give him his space.


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°Nonetheless, I¡¯m very impressed. You were able to cast a proper flame spell with only your mouth. Sure, you burned your lips, but you haven¡¯t even learned how to use orange magic yet. What with the proper training and an amazing mentor like myself, hmm¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say I might make an amazing mage of you yet.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head, kid.¡± She stopped in front of a door, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad at least one of your hands has recovered, you¡¯ll need it. You may be done with classes, but there¡¯s still one more exam you need to take.¡±


    She opened the door and ushered Stryg inside. The room was empty save for a wooden table and a lit candle in the corner. Ten crystal orbs with silver disks inlaid sat on the table top.


    ¡°This is-¡±


    ¡°Chrome-probes,¡± Loh interjected. ¡°I wanted to give you a proper chromatic identity examination. Without any interruptions this time,¡± she closed the door.


    ¡°But, I¡¯ve already taken the exam and we already know I¡¯m a tri-manifold mage. What difference does it make?¡±


    ¡°You might have taken the exam, but that idiot, Byrel, never let you finish. The exam is more than just letting you know what chromatic colors you have. It may not show you what spell form you¡¯re talented in, but it does show how much innate potential you have for the color.¡±


    Stryg walked over to the table, ¡°How can they tell me my potential?¡±


    ¡°Well, they can¡¯t tell your potential per se. There are many factors that determine a magi¡¯s power. Not just talent, but skill, condition of the body, intelligence, control of one¡¯s will, the ability to maintain focus under any circumstance, and a hundred other factors. Although, some factors are more important than others. One of the most important being your mana limit.¡±


    Loh spread her hands. ¡°Chrome-probes help figuring that out. As mageborn, our bodies absorb the innate chromatic mana in the air. Our body then stores it within our hearts. But, the heart is a muscle and each one is unique. Which means that each mageborn¡¯s heart can hold only a certain amount of mana at once, a limit you could say. Now, like the strength of your muscles, that limit can be increased with training, but only by so much. The larger the original mana limit, the greater the potential limit.¡±


    Loh tapped one of the crystal orbs, ¡°The chrome-probes are enchanted to absorb a specific amount of mana based on the user¡¯s limit. And since people only take the exam when they start out, it¡¯s an easy way to see their limit and gauge their potential limit. The darker the crystal orb becomes, the more mana your heart can hold. You recently told me that one of these orbs turned dark black when you first touched it. That means your heart has great potential for black mana.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°That makes sense. Professor Gette said I¡¯m the most skilled black mage among his class, of course I can¡¯t cast necromancy spells, so I still didn¡¯t score that great.¡±


    ¡°Well, Stryg, let¡¯s have a proper exam this time, to see where all your talents lie,¡± Loh picked up one of the orbs.


    ¡°This orb is set to absorb black mana. I know you¡¯ve already practiced with black magic and have even been tested, but we¡¯re doing the exam thoroughly this time. So, let¡¯s start here,¡± she handed him the chrome-probe.


    Stryg held it in his left hand.


    ¡°Just relax and let the mana flow through,¡± Loh said.


    He nodded and took slow deep breaths. He could feel the mana flow through his heart, through his veins, and into the orb. The clear crystal magestone absorbed the inky black mana and became pitch black.


    ¡°Mana is ethereal energy and therefore normally invisible to the eye. But, through magestones we can see mana¡¯s true beauty,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°It really is pretty.¡± The corners of Stryg¡¯s mouth turned up.


    ¡°Okay, you''re a talented chromatic black, check. Next.¡± Loh handed him another chrome-probe.


    Stryg picked it up and watched as the clear magestone was dyed a dark grey.


    ¡°Dark as well, it¡¯s to be expected. You have been training in grey magic, so it makes sense why your grey mana limits would already be high. Still, you cast an advanced grey drain spell on your first day of class, so I don¡¯t doubt that your original limit was quite high too.¡±


    Stryg placed the orb on the table, ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping I actually have some talent in the other grey spell form.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you curse spells soon enough. Now, for the real fun part, this next one is set to absorb orange mana,¡± she grinned.


    They both stared as the clear magestone transformed into a dark orange.


    ¡°That¡¯s my apprentice, talented in the same three colors as me,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg sighed in relief, he had hoped, yet there was still doubt in his mind.


    ¡°Looks like luck has brought us together, kid. This is worth celebrating. Let¡¯s go out to eat, my treat,¡± Loh smiled.


    ¡°Sounds great, I haven¡¯t gone out to eat in a while,¡± Stryg returned the smile.


    ¡°Okay, but first,¡± she picked up another chrome-probe, ¡°Let¡¯s finish the test. You never know.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he reached out and grabbed the enchanted magestone.


    He never thought he would be lucky enough to be a tri-manifold mage and now he was talented in all three chromatic colors. Despite all the horrid things that had happened, he was grateful for this. Fate, it seemed, had a funny way of doing things.


    His eyes widened as the magestone turned a dark green.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Loh whistled.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg stammered.


    ¡°It just means you are super lucky,¡± Loh grinned.


    She grabbed the chrome-probe and passed him another, ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it. Once in a while a student comes along with four colors, it¡¯s quite uncommon, but not unexpected. Although, their mana limits tend to be quite low.¡±


    Her smile fell, the magestone¡¯s clarity transformed into a dark blue hue.


    ~~~


    Loh tapped her foot incessantly as she sat in the luxurious waiting room.


    The vampiress secretary bowed her head deeply, ¡°The principal is ready for you now.¡±


    ¡°About damn time,¡± Loh stood up, pushed past the vampiress, and swung the principal¡¯s office door open.


    Hollow Shade¡¯s most powerful mage sat at his ornate desk, skimming over a few tomes.


    Mage lord Elzri didn¡¯t bother to look up at the intrusion, ¡°So, you finally decided to come.¡±


    Loh clenched her jaw and stood her ground, ¡°I¡¯m not here for you, grandfather.¡±

 Chapter 70: My Tribe

    Chapter 70: My Tribe


    Mage lord Elzri Noir was 82 years old, yet because of his drow heritage he only looked to be in his 60s. His natural grey hair was long and tied in an intricate ponytail with silver string. Wrinkles danced around his calm grey eyes. He had a thin face and high cheekbones. His grey skin was bereft of hair save for his scalp. He wore an elaborate long white robe reminiscent of a mage¡¯s black robe. An orichalcum black necklace with six different color gemstones hung from his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ve requested your presence many times these past few months, yet this is the first time you actually chose to visit, why?¡± Elzri asked without bothering to glance at his granddaughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m a busy woman, what more do you want me to say?¡± Loh smirked.


    Elzri spoke with a calm cadence, refusing to rise to her jeer, ¡°My secretary tells me that you used the power of our surname to imprison and execute a drow secretary by the name of Byrel. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Since when have you cared about commoners?¡± She crossed her arms.


    ¡°I care about what happens in my academy. I take my position as principal of this prestigious school quite seriously, unlike some child with their teaching position,¡± Elzri said while he continued to read his tome.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me teaching here, then why hire me in the first place?¡± She spat.


    ¡°Tauri Katag begged me to take you on at this academy. Did you think I hired you because of some familial sentiment? Please. I taught you better than that. The only reason I tolerate your presence in this academy is because house Katag now owes me a favor.¡±


    Loh clenched her fists. She hadn¡¯t known what her friend had done. Damn Tauri for not telling her and letting her walk into the dragon¡¯s den unprepared. She needed to say something, anything to rattle this old man¡¯s cold exterior, but she couldn¡¯t think of a single word. The moment slipped by, it was too late.


    ¡°So, is it true, the incident with Byrel?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°What if it was?¡± She began channeling mana through her body.


    ¡°Then I would want to know if the use of our House¡¯s name means you have decided to return to the Noir family.¡±


    She laughed bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s why you called me here? Dream on, old man, I-¡±


    Loh¡¯s words caught in her mouth. She couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Dark shadows curled around her limbs, small grey curse symbols dotted around her entire body, restricting even her breath.


    ¡°You would do well to give me the respect I deserve. Remember that, child,¡± he said, ice clear in his voice. Yet, still he did not look at Loh.


    The black and grey spells disappeared as quickly as they had come. Loh coughed and gasped for breath. How could she not have noticed he was multicasting? And what¡¯s worse he made it seem so easy. In just a span of a few moments he had already shamed her twice for her own ineptitude.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, Loh.¡±


    She hated seeing this monster. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on returning to house Noir. This was a one-time incident. I don¡¯t plan on using your surname if I can help it,¡± she said through grit teeth.


    ¡°Our surname. Ignoring reality doesn¡¯t change reality.¡± He sighed, ¡°I had planned for you to be my successor as head of the family. I had hoped you had changed your mind regarding your self-imposed exile. But, alas foolishness cannot be cured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be foolish than a kin-slayer,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°And yet, somehow, you¡¯ve managed to be both,¡± he remarked.


    The words pierced her like a blade through the gut.


    ¡°Take that back,¡± she said with a shaky voice.


    Elzri ignored her, ¡°No matter your choice on rejoining the family, you shouldn¡¯t have killed that secretary. You are right, I don¡¯t care about a single commoner¡¯s life. I care about what the majority have to offer, the power they can give to this academy, this city, and House Noir. My granddaughter killing one of the school¡¯s staff without any trial has only served to put all the staff, magi included, on edge. It makes them less effective at their job.¡±


    ¡°Byrel would have been convicted at a trial, I didn¡¯t see the point in wasting time. Besides, I had my reasons.¡±


    ¡°And what reasons were those?¡±


    ¡°She tried to kill my apprentice,¡± Loh admitted.


    ¡°Ah, yes. You have an apprentice now, so I¡¯ve heard. A hybrid and an odd one at that. Although, I must admit I am glad that you have embraced the will to truly teach on your own, finally. Still, you should have imprisoned Byrel and consulted me before deciding her fate.¡±


    ¡°Byrel¡¯s fate was decided the moment she tried to harm Stryg. I won¡¯t let anyone endanger the life of my apprentice, not while I still have breath,¡± she said resolutely.


    Elzri¡¯s mouth twisted, ¡°If this is about Aizel then-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say his name!¡± Loh screamed.


    Elzri made a half-smile as he turned a page of his tome. ¡°Are you being serious?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to fucking say his name. Not here, not ever.¡± Anger flared in her shimmering eyes.


    Elzri finally looked at Loh and sized her up, ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°...I came here because my apprentice is special,¡± Loh pursed her lips.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made it amply clear that you care for the hybrid,¡± Elzri tapped his fingers.


    ¡°I do care for him, more than you could have ever cared for me. But, that¡¯s not the point. Stryg is a prime mage.¡±


    ¡°A prime mage? I haven¡¯t seen one of those in quite some time. Well then, he can be added to the other half-dozen prime magi in Hollow Shade. I¡¯m told he already looks different, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll fit right in with the city¡¯s other six benign curiosities.¡± Elzri went back to reading his tome.


    Loh took a deep breath, ¡°Stryg¡¯s not just a prime mage. He is able to cast complex spells far beyond his age, he has proven himself to be a very talented spell caster. But, because that secretary sabotaged Stryg¡¯s entrance exam I didn¡¯t know how talented he really was. I personally gave him the chromatic identity exam this afternoon. It showed that he had great potential within each color.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Elzri stopped his readings. He closed his tome and stared at her, ¡°What are you saying exactly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying Stryg has the potential to be an arch mage. A prime arch mage. You know what that means better than most. What it signifies for your precious academy, for the city of Hollow Shade, for the entire Ebon Realm.¡±


    Elzri clasped his hands together, ¡°And you¡¯ve come to me for help.¡±


    ¡°We both need Stryg¡¯s magical identity to stay secret, he¡¯s still too weak to protect himself. Besides both of us, only Stryg knows, and I¡¯ve sworn him to secrecy. To the outside world he is only a gifted tri-manifold mage, impressive, but not game-changing.¡±


    ¡°Good, we must make sure to keep it that way,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°In the meantime, Stryg needs to learn how to master his gifts. I can only train him in three chromatic colors. I need master magi to train him in the other seven. Magi who will keep Stryg¡¯s chromatic colors utterly secret. Of course, we¡¯ll only show them the extra color they will teach Stryg, not a single one more. No one besides Stryg and the two of us will know the true extent of his abilities,¡± she finished.


    Elzri tapped his fingers on his desk. ¡°I can arrange something of the sort. But, it won¡¯t be easy to find such trustworthy and loyal master magi. It¡¯ll take some time, several weeks, a few months at most.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I had planned to take Stryg on a trip soon. We¡¯ll be back at Hollow Shade by the time you¡¯ve found some teachers.¡±


    ¡°Dusk Valley has become more dangerous these past few years. I hope you won¡¯t endanger our new magical prodigy with this outing.¡±


    Loh pointed a thumb at herself, ¡°You¡¯re the one who trained this magical prodigy. You tell me.¡±


    Elzri grinned, ¡°And I did an amazing job, but in the end I failed you.¡±


    Loh looked at him in surprise. Was he actually regretful?


    ¡°I made the mistake of underestimating how weak you were.¡± Elzri shrugged, ¡°A small, but significant oversight.¡±


    Loh shook her head and went for the door, ¡°Oh and one last thing. No matter how many teachers or who Stryg¡¯s teachers may be, I¡¯ll be the one in charge of his overall training.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I didn¡¯t fail you entirely,¡± he smirked.


    ~~~


    ¡°So, this is the place? It¡¯s...quaint?¡± Callum scrunched his brow.


    ¡°The Merry Crescent? My dad visited once, but I¡¯ve never been,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not great, but Stryg likes this place a lot,¡± Feli shuffled her feet.


    The four of them stood in front of the Merry Crescent tavern on a warm evening.


    When Stryg told Feli she would meet Callum Veres, she assumed they would dine at a fancy restaurant with the young aristocratic vampire, not go back to some common tavern.


    ¡°The drinks are good, so is the food. What more do you need?¡± Stryg stretched, happy to have full control of his limbs again.


    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± Kithina walked up the steps and pushed the doors wide open.


    Stryg easily spotted the blonde hair of the barmaid Carla. He raised his hand to get her attention.


    When she noticed the goblin she ran up to him, ¡°Welcome to the Merry Crescent! I¡¯m so happy you¡¯ve come to visit, are these your friends?¡±


    ¡°They are my classmates, my fellow magi... and yes, they are my friends,¡± Stryg said. ¡°We¡¯d like a table.¡±


    ¡°Other magi?¡± Carla mouthed. ¡°Oh! Um, of course. Pick whichever table you like. Don¡¯t worry if someone is sitting there, we¡¯ll move them immediately and wipe down the table for you.¡±


    ¡°A restaurant with no reservations, huh?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Feli,¡± Carla said in a deadpan voice as the former barmaid walked by.


    ¡°Stay away from Stryg, or else,¡± Feli said nonchalantly.


    Carla frowned.


    ¡°Sshtryyyggu? Ish dat you?¡± Rorik called out.


    Stryg glanced at the drunken guard captain, ¡°Looks like you already beat me to the drinks. Although, you still can¡¯t beat me in drinking.¡±


    ¡°Id doeshent make shense, I shud beet you. I¡¯ma beeggir dan you,¡± Rorik slurred.


    ¡°Dream on, drunk,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Ffeeyyyleee?¡± Rorik¡¯s eyes turned to Feli.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Polamtal, why don¡¯t you go take a seat over at the bar,¡± Feli said curtly.


    ¡°Anyfffing fo you,¡± Rorik saluted haphazardly and stumbled away.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking at us,¡± Kithina muttered.


    ¡°They¡¯re curious to see the people who came in with Stryg. He¡¯s pretty notorious around here,¡± Feli explained.


    ¡°What, did he kill someone or something?¡± Kithina joked.


    ¡°Yes, pretty gruesomely too,¡± Feli noted.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kithina muttered.


    The four of them found a table in the corner away from view. Carla walked over and began to take their orders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some mead and make sure you don¡¯t mess it up, I¡¯ll be sure to share some with Stryg,¡± Feli warned.


    Carla sighed, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°May I have some blackberry mead please,¡± Kithina requested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some regular mead for now,¡± Stryg said.


    Carla nodded and came back with their drinks. She then turned to Callum who was still eyeing the tavern¡¯s food with a look of indecision.


    Carla sidled up next to him. ¡°Are you still having trouble deciding? I can get you anything you want, you know. And I do mean anything,¡± Carla whispered into his ear.


    Callum turned to her with a wide fang-sharp smile, ¡°And here I thought you didn¡¯t have a wide variety of selection. In that case I¡¯ll have some fresh blood, preferably from your shoulder, but I¡¯ll settle with your wrist.¡±


    Carla blanched, ¡°I-I, uh. I¡¯m not sure we have that. Let me go check in the kitchen.¡± She ran off without a second thought.


    Callum frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no.¡± He was already missing having one of his maids nearby.


    Kithina burst into laughter. Feli hid a smile behind her hand. Stryg¡¯s mind was elsewhere.


    Stryg had found out just a few days ago that he was a prime mage. The rarest type of manifold mage. Yet, instead of being happy, Loh had seemed worried, stressed even. She made him promise not to tell anyone about the exam or its results.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what the problem was, but he wasn¡¯t surprised. He had always been odd and somehow always found a way to mess things up. He recalled Plum¡¯s tear-stricken face.


    Even the best of things, Stryg sighed and clasped his clawed hands together tightly.


    Back in Vulture Woods, despite being a child of a sylvan tribe, Stryg never felt as a part of the tribe. He always wanted to be. He always strived to be accepted by them, to be seen as a great warrior. He had failed that dream and had ended up alone, a freak among the rest. His magic was supposed to fix that, but now it even made him more of a freak.


    Plum¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, A Monster.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Feli placed her hand over his.


    Callum cleared his throat, ¡°I can only imagine how stressed you are about the matter with Plum. But, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure things out one way or another. And if you can¡¯t, we¡¯ll always have your back, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Here, here!¡± Kithina and Feli raised their mugs in unison.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered around the table in disbelief at their kind words. For the first time in his life he realized he didn¡¯t feel alone, sitting among these strange people. A shrewd human, an awkward dwarf, and a strange hybrid like himself. He felt oddly at home.


    Something cracked inside him, a weight he hadn¡¯t realized he had been carrying for a very long time.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Feli asked.


    Stryg blinked and touched his cheek, it was wet. His eyes widened in horror. Was he actually crying? He hadn¡¯t cried since his failure in the night challenge, so many moons ago. They¡¯d laugh at him just as they had back then. They¡¯d call him weak and undeserving of life.


    Callum looked away and pretended to not notice. Kithina sipped her drink. Feli smiled warmly and kissed him on the cheek.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for you,¡± Feli whispered.


    ¡°And we¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Kithina spoke into her mug.


    Stryg didn¡¯t understand. They weren¡¯t goblins. They weren¡¯t even warriors. But they stood by him just the same. They were his friends, his tribe.


    Book 1 End


    Stryg Image:

 Book 1 Q&A

    I compiled questions from Royal Road and Discord:


    Title Explanation: I chose the title Realm of Monsters for a few reasons. The simplest reason is that the story is set in the Ebon Realm of the 10 Null Realms. Since I hope to write other stories in the same universe of the Null Realms I wanted the title to allude to that connection.


    A more complex reason is that though the Realm has magical monsters that roam the land, not all monsters look like horrid creatures. People can be monsters as well. The Ebon Realm is an example of a grimdark society that follows many backward practices.


    The cityfolk tend to see Stryg as a barbarian who comes from a savage society, without realizing that behind the fancy clothes and buildings, the cityfolk have just as savage practices. Stryg has to learn that monsters exist everywhere and that while he¡¯s been trained to fight and survive against them, he himself may be viewed as a monster by others.


    ¡°Will Book 2 be continued under this fiction, or will it be listed as it''s own fiction?¡±


    Book 2 and future books will still be listed under this fiction, Realm of Monsters.


    ¡°Will you take a break for some time, or continue book 2 with the usual schedule?¡±


    Book 2 will continue on the usual schedule, there will be no break at this time.


    ¡°How come there are six prime mages? If 1 in a 100 people are mages and then 1 in 100 mages are manifold mages with two colors and so on. The chances would be 1%^10 or 10^-20. That¡¯s one in a hundred quintillion chances of being a prime mage.¡±


    Simple answer, prime mage aren¡¯t as rare as 1%^10. I didn''t state that 1 in 100 people are magi. There is a statement in the glossary that says 1 in 100 magi have 3 chromatic colors, but that is not a pattern for 4 colors, 5 colors, etc. Prime magi are rare, but not infinitesimally rare.


    ¡°Since mana can be manifested outside the body as seen during the aptitude test where you push your mana from within you into the crystal , is it possible then to conjure a layer of mana to cover your body without using the chromatic colours? Not necessarily your whole body.like your hands or something¡±


    No, it is not. The moment mana leaves the body it dissipates into the air, unless it was transformed through a spell, such as orange mana becoming fire through a flame spell. Magestone is unique in that it can absorb mana like a battery.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Is the magic system based on something else? Or how did you come up with it?¡±


    My system isn¡¯t based on anything in particular. I have read, watched, and played various fantasy stories and games throughout my life. I¡¯ve used those experiences and my imagination to create the magic system.


    ¡°why did you hide stryg''s face till now? I imagined him as a cute but definitely goblin character and not this lady killer. You sir have cheated.¡±


    The commission for Stryg was just finished the same day as I released the chapter 70. I¡¯m glad I was able to release it at the end of book 1, it seems a fitting time.


    Stryg¡¯s Portrait:


    A little background on the commission. While the picture is definitely in a handsome/beautiful style, many aspects of Stryg were done as intended.


    Goblins in the story are not intended to look like the stereotypical goblin. One of the main reasons being that goblins are often portrayed as being monsters in stories.


    I think the idea of a monster is more of a psychological aspect, than a physical one. I wanted to reflect that with goblins. While the goblins in the story do have certain traditional features, such as yellow slit eyes, green skin, pointed ears, none of their features are caricatures i.e. they don¡¯t have enormous noses, ears 2 feet long, etc. Goblins are still a species like any other, elves, humans, and so forth.


    I did notice many readers may have forgotten various details regarding Stryg¡¯s appearance. Stryg is mentioned to be handsome throughout the story, as well as looking like a drow. While he does have fangs, they are very small, and so don''t jut out while his mouth is closed.


    A point I wanted to make within the story is that Stryg doesn¡¯t look like a monster but is often treated as one. People see someone who doesn¡¯t look like others or doesn¡¯t quite fit in with them and decide to ostracize that person, as often happens in real life.


    Stryg is very self conscious of what he looks like not because he is ugly, but because he is different. He has been treated so poorly by the Blood Fang tribe for so long that he genuinely believes he is ugly and undeserving. Many people who grow up in abusive homes don''t value themselves and believe that they are ugly and are ashsamed of their appearance. Stryg is no different in this regard.


    An example would be when someone like Plum came around and pointed out his looks (and even thought he was bragging of how handsome he was), Stryg couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe her.


    That all being said, I understand and fully support that everyone has their own idea of what a character may look like, especially when used with common words such as goblin or elf.


    Several readers have asked how much planning and effort I spend for the story:


    I have already plotted out the story as a whole. There are smaller details, such as names, specific descriptions, minor characters, that have not been completely fleshed out for future books past book 1&2, but in general the story is planned.


    I don¡¯t come up with the idea for a chapter on the spot. I plan out in detail all the events that will happen within the book and then try to divide those events into chapters. I must admit that oftentimes the events end up taking longer than I had originally planned, simply because there is more I wish to tell and the story would lose quality if I tried cutting it short.


    As such, aspects like Byrel being Plum¡¯s mother are not a coincidence. The story¡¯s events are very much planned with many little details connecting to future chapters.


    As for how much effort it takes? A lot. It takes a lot of time and planning to try and connect events throughout the story, preventing plot holes, building character relations, creating foreshadowing, etc.


    Thanks for the questions! Had a blast answering them. If you have more questions feel free to drop by the discord!

 Chapter 71: Interlude - Aizel

    Chapter 71: Interlude - Aizel


    7 years ago...


    Aizel woke to the sound of incessant knocking. He wrapped one of his dozen pillows over his ears. One of the two women in bed with him groaned.


    ¡°Come back later!¡± Aizel yelled.


    The knocking did not stop.


    ¡°What kind of servants do you have?¡± The other woman next to him complained.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably new slaves, they haven¡¯t learned that I¡¯m not to be disturbed before noon,¡± Aizel sighed.


    The bedroom door swung open, an elegantly dressed drow stormed inside.


    Aizel rubbed his bleary eyes, ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you doing still asleep?¡± She chastised.


    His mom tore away his silk sheets. The women in bed shouted in protest.


    ¡°I swear if either of you harlots make another noise I will have you fed to the city¡¯s shades by nightfall,¡± she glared at them.


    The women fell utterly silent.


    ¡°Now, get out, before I kill you myself,¡± she threatened.


    The two women scrambled to find their clothes and ran out of the room, not even bothering to put them on.


    ¡°I liked them,¡± Aizel whined.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to bring that common rabble into our home? You are an aristocrat of a proud lineage, you cannot be sleeping with whatever wench that suits your fancy.¡±


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a daughter of this House. I don¡¯t have to piously keep my virginity for some inevitable marriage to some pompous ass for the sake of some pointless intricate alliance with another House,¡± Aizel prattled on while waving his hands.


    His mother raised her brow. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°It is. Now may I ask why my beautiful intelligent mother has deemed to grace me with her presence in this ungodly hour?¡±


    She began rummaging through his ornate dresser, ¡°I am going to assume you have forgotten that House Katag is visiting today for breakfast. As my son you are expected to attend.¡±


    ¡°The Katags are family friends. I¡¯m sure lord Katag won¡¯t mind if I¡¯m late to some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Today isn¡¯t just some breakfast,¡± She sighed in exasperation and threw him some clothes, ¡°Here, just put this on. And since you clearly have nothing better to do, go fetch your sister. She¡¯s undoubtedly still training in the south courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love my little sister, very much. But, don¡¯t we have servants for this kind of thing?¡±


    "Obviously, but you have nothing to do and the servants do. So, get your butt off the bed and bring your sister to the main dining room.¡±


    Aizel jumped off the bed with a twirl, ¡°Your wish is my command dear mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be late,¡± she chuckled.


    He kissed her on the cheek and walked out.


    ¡°Aizel, don¡¯t forget your clothes dammit!¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± he grinned.


    ~~~


    Aziel found his younger sister training just as his mom had said. She sat cross-legged with closed eyes. She was encircled by a ring of flame undulating in a rhythmic pattern. He admired her magical expertise for a few moments before he stepped into the courtyard.


    ¡°Hey, Loh!¡± He called out with a smile.


    ¡°Aizel, what is it?¡± Loh said without bothering to open her eyes.


    ¡°Mom wants us to go have breakfast with the family,¡± he said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy? I¡¯ll go eat later.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much, buuut, the Katag family is visiting,¡± he smirked.


    Her face twitched, ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, just that the beautiful Tauri will be there is all. I can just imagine her now, silky red skin, amazing legs, and don¡¯t get me started on her a-¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I get it. I¡¯ll be there in a bit,¡± she cracked an eye open.


    ¡°Great. Seeing as we have a few minutes until then, I wanted to show you something,¡± he beamed.


    ¡°Aizel, I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    He held out his hands, ¡°Wait, just wait one second. I¡¯ve been looking forward to showing you this for months and now I¡¯m finally ready. I promise you will be impressed.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. The flames around her died out.


    ¡°Okay, perfect.¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°Here I go.¡±


    He put his hands together, palms wide open. A small burst of flame shot out, sizzling a nearby wooden dummy before sputtering out.


    Aizel turned to his sister proudly, ¡°I know it¡¯s not big yet, but I finally got the rotation and heat of the flame spell down. With just a few more weeks I¡¯m confident I can make a proper fireball.¡±


    Loh stood up and dusted off her pants, ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t cast the agility spell form to save your life and you can barely cast the flame spell form. You took months just to learn this? I could create a perfect fireball five times that size after only two weeks. You don¡¯t have talent in either orange spell forms.¡±


    Aizel¡¯s smile fell, ¡°But, I¡¯m only a chromatic orange.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You don¡¯t have talent for magic. So, stop trying to be a mage.¡±


    ¡°I-I just wanted to cast fire like you,¡± Aizel stuttered.


    The ring of flames surged back to life with a roar, ¡°Then stop it! Stop pretending to be like me. You will never be like me. Do you see this fire? The skill it took to cast it didn¡¯t happen overnight.¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°Our Great House needed a successor and you clearly couldn¡¯t handle the pressure. So, I had to step up to cover your faults. I had to be the one to sacrifice. You have no idea how hard I¡¯ve worked, the challenges I¡¯ve been put through. I¡¯ve given up so much to stand next to grandfather. Yet, you pretend that you can replace me with just a bit of training?¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Aziel backed away, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is, even if you didn¡¯t realize it. We are a mage House. Not a martial or merchant House. Our family sustains itself through the power of its mage lords. You think becoming a mage lord is simple? Easy? You¡¯re blind to the amount of blood, sweat, and tears it takes. How much our ancestors have sacrificed to get where we are. But, you couldn''t care less of the ongoings of this House, so long as it provides for your pretty little lifestyle.¡±


    Loh clenched her fist, the fire died. ¡°So, go on, be the favored handsome son of our parents. Go live the dream, travel wherever you wish, buy whatever you want, sleep with any woman willing to jump into bed with you; we both know there are plenty. I¡¯ll go live in the real world, where sacrifice is needed to attain what one desires.¡±


    ¡°The next time you try to show me your magic, I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t forget mine,¡± Loh walked away.


    Aizel felt a lump in his throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never wanted you to suffer. I just wanted¡­¡±


    I just wanted you to be happy.


    ~~~


    ¡°How are the defenses in the trade routes fairing?¡± Elzri Noir asked.


    ¡°More difficult than I¡¯d like to admit. A tribal war lord has recently risen in the southern lands of Dusk Valley. He has managed to evade all our assaults and has returned with a vengeance on many of Hollow Shade¡¯s trade caravans,¡± Krall Katag answered.


    The head of the Great House Katag, war lord Krall, was a tall orc. Standing at 7 feet, he was an imposing figure to all. He had a thick black beard that covered most of his red visage. His orange eyes were set deep in his rigid face. His foreboding figure loomed over the rest at the dining table.


    ¡°Loh, it¡¯s great to see you. How have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you in weeks,¡± Tauri Katag said from across the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been fine, thanks for asking. I really want to catch up, but the situation in the Valley seems dire,¡± Loh lowered her head in an apology and went back to listening to Elzri¡¯s and Krall¡¯s conversation.


    Tauri pouted and chewed her food.


    Aizel silently passed her his dessert. ¡°Loh¡¯s just a bit busy right now, I promise she¡¯s definitely missed you,¡± he whispered.


    Tauri took the strawberry cake with glee, ¡°Thanks Aizel, it¡¯s great to see you too, by the way.¡±


    Aizel and Loh¡¯s father smiled, ¡°That¡¯s my Loh for you. Always focused on what¡¯s most important.¡±


    One of Krall¡¯s wives nodded in agreement, ¡°I¡¯ve heard. She remains undefeated on the dueling grounds I¡¯m told. Quite the impressive mage.¡±


    Loh¡¯s father turned to her, ¡°Did you know that Loh has recently become a master mage? Can you believe it? She¡¯s only 23 years old, but she¡¯s as powerful as magi who have trained for decades!¡±


    Loh¡¯s mother added, ¡°She is a prodigy after all. Though, I do believe even prodigies need a rest. Father, Lord Krall, I know you both sit on the city council, and as city lords I understand how important Hollow Shade¡¯s interests are, but for sake of today¡¯s special announcement may we refrain from talks of battle?¡±


    ¡°What special announcement?¡± Aizel asked.


    Elzri frowned, ¡°Loh is my right hand, she is being groomed to be a powerful mage for our city. Soon, she¡¯ll be out in the very same battles we are discussing. And you wish for us to stop? No, I do not intend to cease simply because you wish to eat your food in sweet ignorance.¡±


    His daughter bowed her head in shame, ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    Elzri sighed, ¡°However, we may as well make the announcement now and then continue the conversation afterwards.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± Krall asked.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Elzri nodded.


    Krall glanced around the table, ¡°Our Great Houses are two of the most powerful Houses in all of Hollow Shade, in all the Ebon Realm in fact. Lord Noir and I have been friends and comrades for many years, which is why we have decided to make it official and unite our Houses through marriage. His grandson and my daughter. Aizel and Tauri are to be engaged and wed in the summer.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aizel mouthed. His body felt rigid, frozen in shock.


    Tauri smiled abashedly, ¡°I just found out yesterday.¡±


    Loh¡¯s fork slipped out of her hand and clamoured on her plate. ¡°Forgive me grandfather, may I be excused?¡±


    ¡°You may go,¡± Elzri waved her away.


    Aizel felt his heart sink as he watched his little sister, head down, walk out of the room. Despite her white hair covering her face, he swore he saw a tear. Aizel stood up.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been excused, Aizel,¡± Elzri said coldly.


    Aizel ignored him and ran after Loh.


    Tauri looked at Krall pleadingly, ¡°Father may I?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Krall nodded.


    Tauri stood up and left as well.


    ¡°Children, all three of them,¡± Elzri shook his head.


    ~~~


    Aizel ran out of the dining room as fast as he could, yet he couldn¡¯t find Loh anywhere. He called out her name, but there was no response.


    He ran his hands through his white hair. ¡°This is so messed up. Everything is wrong,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Aizel, wait up,¡± Tauri called out.


    He turned around to see the beautiful orc jog up to him. ¡°Tauri? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Same as you, looking for Loh. My best guess is she used an agility spell to run away quickly. You won¡¯t be able to find her on regular legs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think my legs are above average, although I¡¯m horrible with the agility spell form,¡± Aizel lamented.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t disagree with anything you just said. Luckily, I¡¯m a manifold mage, and I just so happen to be a chromatic orange too,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°So, you keep on reminding me,¡± he cracked a half-smile. ¡°Look, before we go find my sister, I need to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tauri asked, her amber-orange eyes alight with curiosity.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this whole marriage thing crazy? Hypothetically, if we ever did get married and had children, they would be born hybrids. They would be sterile.¡±


    Tauri wrinkled her nose, ¡°I recently heard rumors about a hybrid who had a child. What people say about hybrids might be wrong. Our society has ostracized them for so long that we just don¡¯t know enough about them. It¡¯s possible that hybrids aren¡¯t sterile after all. Maybe they only have very low fertility rates, or a high chance of miscarraige, or something else.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, either way the Noir family line wouldn¡¯t get very far.¡±


    Tauri scratched her cheek, ¡°Aizel, I don¡¯t think your grandfather plans for you to carry on the family line. Loh is the magical prodigy and his most likely heir. She¡¯ll probably be married to some other genius mage to ensure the Noir bloodline¡¯s magical superiority.¡±


    Aizel fidget with his hands, ¡°Even still, we¡¯re friends Tauri. We¡¯ve been good friends for many years. You¡¯ve always had my back. Even when I found out I couldn¡¯t use magic, Loh and you were there to cheer me up. And when my magic finally manifested you gifted me my very own authentic black mage robe, even though I was still barely a novice. I still don¡¯t know how you got it, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°With a lot of money and some smuggling,¡± Tauri winked.


    ¡°Which brings me to my main point. I appreciate you a lot, you are gorgeous, funny, and all-around amazing. And I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t deserve you. I¡¯m just another useless son of some rich House.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Aizel Noir, you are so much more than that,¡± Tauri said resolutely.


    The words touched him more deeply than he had thought possible.


    He took a shaky breath, ¡°Tauri, our engagement. It can¡¯t happen. My sister, she loves y-¡±


    Tauri placed her finger on his lips, ¡°I know. But, this decision wasn¡¯t made by me. Both leaders of our Houses struck the deal.¡±


    Aziel grabbed her hand, ¡°But, one of them is your father. He adores you, if you beg him he¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Tauri smiled sadly, ¡°My father loves me very much, yes, but he is first and foremost a warrior. As is our House. Duty above all else. He will not change his mind on this, since the engagement will strengthen both of our Houses. As the eldest son you must get married first and your grandfather has decided that I am to be your wife.¡±


    Tauri straightened her back, ¡°Besides, I am a daughter of the Great House Katag. I will obey the family head¡¯s wishes no matter what. I knew I¡¯d be married eventually, I accepted and made peace with the fact long ago.¡±


    ¡°Tauri, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°The way of the Realm, Aizel. I get to enjoy many privileges as a Katag and all my House asks of me is to be honorable. How could I face them if I were to run away from my most important duty of all?¡±


    Aizel lowered his head in defeat, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Tauri squeezed his hand, ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I was a little worried when my father told me I was to be married. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of man he¡¯d be. All I was sure of was that I would fulfill my duty to marry and support him to the end of my days, for the sake of my House and his own.¡±


    Her mouth curved into a smile, ¡°But, when I heard it was you, the silly, idiotic, Aizel, the drow who always made sure that I had the extra piece of cake. The one who took the blame when Loh and I broke my family¡¯s carriage. The one who was always kind to an upstart little orc girl who refused to do anything but fight. Well, when I heard it was that man, I confess I was very happy.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± his face reddened.


    ¡°Well, you could hug me for starters,¡± Tauri stepped close.


    With slow, stiff arms he did just that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you sleeping with other women, but I¡¯ll kill you if you bring them to our marital bed,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°...Right,¡± he swallowed.


    Loh listened from behind the corner. Warm tears stained her face. A wretched pain like she had never known tore at her chest.


    Congratulations, Aizel. You¡¯ve finally taken everything from me.

 Chapter 72: Let Us Begin

    Chapter 72: Let Us Begin


    War lord Marek stared at the wonder that was the chrome gate. The magical structure was unknown to most, a legend to the rest, yet all who saw it would feel its radiating power. The gate was composed of a large circular chrome platform that spanned over twenty feet. Ten chrome spires equally spread apart, rose from the edge of the circle, and curved inwards, like two hands about to touch.


    Despite the passage of centuries, the chrome gate was unblemished, not a single scratch on its metallic surface. Nor was there a single marking or magical rune of any sort on the arcane gate.


    ¡°Truly magnificent,¡± Marek sighed in awe.


    ¡°Yes, my lord. Although, it would be even more magnificent if it would stop snowing,¡± Nokuti shivered.


    The pale woman sat on a nearby frost-covered stone. She was wrapped in a thick fur coat, yet she refused to stuff her hands in her pockets, and instead opted to have her cold fingers wrapped around her double-sided axe.


    ¡°You are a vampire, why does a little bit of snow bother you?¡± Marek asked with curled lips.


    ¡°Aye, but not even vampires would live on a forsaken cursed isle in the middle of the bloody Hoarfrost Bay. Only frost giants would care to live here,¡± Nokuti complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m a human and I can handle it just fine,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°True, but I think all three of us can agree you are no regular human.¡±


    Marek stood almost 7 feet tall. Beneath his fur coat his body was toned with muscles and tempered with scars. His shaggy brown hair reached to his shoulders, but did nothing to hide his piercing cyan eyes. The man was a legend in the Dusk Valley for a very good reason. He had the strength of a valley lion and the magical prowess to match.


    ¡°I have to agree with Nokuti on this. You have certain qualities that have allowed your rise to power in the Valley. It is those same qualities that have made me join your cause,¡± Crow said from a few feet away.


    ¡°And for that I thank Stjerne, above,¡± Marek praised his patron god of the stars. ¡°Although, Crow, you have yet to tell me exactly what those qualities are.¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t realized them by now, then there is no point in me telling you.¡±


    Crow was one of the strangest people Marek had ever met. He wore a black feathered cloak with feathers that were clearly too long to have ever come from a crow. His face was covered in a large bird skull that he always seemed to wear.


    Crow had one day simply appeared in front of Marek¡¯s Valley tribe and offered his services to any who could defeat him. Marek had been the only one to succeed. Crow had been with him ever since. He was an enigma to all the tribe, but Crow always got the job done no matter the difficulty, even if it wasn¡¯t done by his own hand.


    ¡°So long as you continue to guide us to victory then I have no complaints,¡± Marek smiled.


    ¡°I simply guide, you, my lord, are the one who will lead us all to the victories to come,¡± Crow nodded.


    ¡°Speaking of which, how long do we have to wait in this horrible weather?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°Today was the agreed upon rendezvous. The twins should be back any moment now,¡± Crow answered.


    ¡°We have been out here for over an hour,¡± Nokuti groaned.


    ¡°They have been traveling for months, cut them some slack. You¡¯d do well to learn from their tenacity,¡± Marek chastised.


    ¡°My lord, I would kill scores of enemies for you. I would die for you if you just said the words. But, believe me when I say I despise the cold. Even the winters in the Valley are horrible, yet this is colder than any winter I¡¯ve ever experienced and it¡¯s bloody summer! Forget my toes, I can¡¯t even feel my feet,¡± Nokuti raised her legs.


    ¡°Then you were clearly born in the wrong Realm. There are few places colder than the Ebon Realm,¡± Crow noted.


    ¡°Thanks for the wonderful information,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Nokuti, you are standing in front of one of the greatest magical achievements of all time, something that most people don¡¯t even believe exists, and you can¡¯t even be bothered to admire its beauty,¡± Marek gestured at the chrome gate.


    ¡°My lord, I only care about what can serve you best. If this magical gate can do so, then wonderful, but until then I am going to prevent my ass from freezing over,¡± Nokuti huffed.


    Marek shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re the most talented warrior I have. You¡¯d never be my right hand otherwise.¡±


    ¡°No luck there, my lord. Only skill,¡± she grinned.


    The snowfall stopped and the wind suddenly died. The flat surface of the gate rippled. Shivering metal slowly gathered together in the center and formed a metallic orb. The tips of the ten chrome spires began to glow, each one with a separate chromatic color. The metallic orb rose into the air and began to spin. The orb undulated as if about to burst, it grew in size until it threatened to overtake the spires. The light of the spires grew brighter, almost blinding.


    Suddenly, the chrome orb melted away to reveal a group of imposing individuals. The orb¡¯s metallic liquid pooled back into the platform and the spires¡¯ light faded. The chrome gate froze once again as if it hadn¡¯t been touched in centuries.


    Five beings stood atop the gate, the twins in front.


    ¡°Only five?¡± Nokuti whispered.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°The strain of the gate is high. The twins have only begun to open the door between Realms, it will take them some time to master the skill,¡± Crow replied.


    ¡°Dawn, Vaughn, I take it, everything went well,¡± Marek spoke to the twins, before glancing at the three strangers behind them.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Dawn muttered. Vaughn nodded curtly in agreement.


    Neither twin spoke very much. When Crow had guided Marek to a small hut he had been very skeptical. Marek¡¯s skepticism only grew when he saw the twin vampire-drow hybrids inside, eating simple broth soup. Crow nudged him on to invite the twins into his tribe.


    Marek grudgingly did so, only, to his surprise, be refused. It was only after promises of many riches and giving away the two best centaurs in his herd, did the twins accept his invitation.


    Marek thought himself a fool to have given up so much. He blamed Crow for his idiotic guidance. Yet, when the twins showed themselves to not just be magi, but the renowned rank of archmage, Marek had been stunned into silence.


    Not a single tribe in the Valley had an archmage and he had suddenly gained two. Marek had made two promises that day. First, he would make sure to make good on his promises of riches to the twins and second, he would never doubt Crow again.


    He stepped forward, ¡°I am Marek, first of my name, war lord and leader of the Cairn tribe of Dusk Valley. And I am the one who has called you here.¡±


    A blonde young man leaned against one of the spires, ¡°I am here because of the promise of gold. I would never have left the Ivory Realm otherwise.¡±


    ¡°An albino drow?¡± Marek asked. He thought the drow were native to the Ebon Realm.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Crow chuckled.


    The blonde young man frowned and walked up to Marek. He stared right up at the giant of a human, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever confuse me with a drow again or I¡¯ll cut off your balls where you stand.¡±


    The edge of an axe slid right below the young man¡¯s neck. ¡°I will slice off your head before you get the chance,¡± Nokuti sneered.


    ¡°You have a woman fight your battles?¡± The young man mocked without moving.


    Marek smiled, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    His skin turned bronze with darkened veins as he multicasted a vigor and agility spell. Marek¡¯s hand blurred as it smashed into the stranger¡¯s face and sent him flying across the snow.


    ¡°Imbecile,¡± Nokuti spat at the fallen man.


    The blonde man shot up to his feet with little effort. He waved his hand over his bloodied face. White light sunk into his broken nose and healed it.


    ¡°Not bad. Perhaps this Realm has some interesting people after all,¡± he touched his nose gingerly.


    Dawn pointed at the man, ¡°That¡¯s Kyriil. High master mage. Chromatic white.¡±


    ¡°In terms of looks, elves are quite similar to drow. Save that elves¡¯ skin tone ranges from pale white to deep browns. Though they do hate to be compared to the drow,¡± Crow added.


    Marek nodded, ¡°I understand. Forgive me Kyriil for mistaking your species. But, do not take my apology for weakness. If you threaten me again I will end you. Do I make myself understood?¡±


    Kyriil moved his jaw to ensure full movement, ¡°Will you pay me in gold?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of caravans in the Valley that carry gold and my tribe has plundered many of them. But, once we have sacked the great city of Hollow Shade, then you will have all the gold you could ever wish for,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Then I am at your service, my lord,¡± Kyriil bowed with a flourish.


    A beautiful lamia slithered away from the gate and tentatively touched the snow with the tip of her tail. ¡°So, this is the Ebon Realm? It¡¯s colder than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect, the golden deserts of the Aurous Realm? This is the Realm of frost giants, it¡¯d be strange if it wasn¡¯t cold,¡± the last visitor said. He wore a black clock and hunched over.


    ¡°It¡¯s not always this cold,¡± Crow explained. ¡°Well, here it is, but we¡¯re in the north. Our destination, Dusk Valley, has warmer temperatures, especially in summer, which we are currently experiencing. Although, it never gets close to as hot as the Aurous Realm.¡±


    ¡°And you are?¡± Marek asked the lamia.


    She smirked, ¡°As you can obviously see I¡¯m a beastkin and therefore not a mage. But, do not for a moment doubt that I am the most dangerous one amongst everyone on this frozen rock. You may call me Lysaila.¡±


    The lamia had pale skin, her scales were a rich blue that shimmered in the evening sunlight. Her hair matched the tones of her scales, as did her slit pupil eyes. She was dressed very lightly, with only silk straps, a golden necklace, and a large belt covered in purple magestones. The belt was clearly enchanted.


    Who charged the magestones with mana, Marek had no clue. A large enchanted blade hung from her belt. He could hazard a guess that it had tasted the blood of many.


    ¡°I have heard how deadly lamias are, very few have ever lived to tell their tale,¡± Marek eyed her deadly beauty.


    ¡°I hear beastkin are treated as less than people in this Realm. They are seen only as animals. While I couldn¡¯t care less about the weak-willed beastkin of these lands, just make sure you understand I am so much more than any of them. Otherwise, you may not live to regret it,¡± Lysaila licked her lips with a forked tongue.


    The other twin, Vaughn, pointed his finger at her, ¡°Lysaila. Lamia from the Amber Realm. Dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Even the archmage agrees with you. I am glad to have you on our side,¡± Marek laughed.


    He turned to the last stranger, ¡°Who may you be?¡±


    The hunched cloaked stranger removed his hood to reveal a pale grey face. There was no hair on his oily skin, nor a nose. His eyes were black save for his irises that were a milky white, there were no pupils.


    He straightened his back and rose to his full height. His neck was half a meter long, the vertebrae could be seen pushing against the skin in the back. His legs were similar in shape with a lion¡¯s, standing on his toes rather than his feet. He stood a little over ten feet.


    ¡°And I thought you were a monster, Lord Marek,¡± Nokuti whistled.


    ¡°I am an axlean, not a monster,¡± the tall creature frowned.


    Dawn pointed up the axlean, ¡°Grim. From the Azure Realm.¡±


    ¡°Grim is it? My enemies are terrified when they see me on the battlefield. I can¡¯t imagine what they will feel when they see you,¡± Marek grinned.


    ¡°Nothing. They¡¯ll be dead,¡± Grim said curtly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one of your kind. I¡¯m glad the twins were able to find an elemental species to join our cause,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Azure Realm?¡± Grim asked, mildly surprised.


    ¡°Once or twice. I¡¯d love to see your beautiful seas once more, but as you can imagine, travel between Realms is quite difficult,¡± Crow shrugged.


    ¡°Yes, I admit having these two archmagi and their chromatic skills is beyond luck. After the Schism I never thought it would be possible to enter a new Realm. I¡¯m glad these twins proved me wrong,¡± Grim put his hood back on.


    ¡°Indeed, but having you all here is something even greater,¡± Marek stretched his arms out wide. ¡°Your dream of glory and riches has only just begun.¡±


    ¡°And what do you dream of?¡± Kyriil the elf, furrowed his brow.


    ¡°The destruction of the ebon lords¡¯ city, Hollow Shade. Help me end it¡¯s tyrannical reign over Dusk Valley and we will both achieve our dreams,¡± Marek said with taut conviction.


    ¡°Why else do you think we came, silly boy,¡± Lysaila laughed softly.


    Marek turned to the icy water of Hoarfrost Bay off in the distance and imagined Dusk Valley hundreds of miles away. It would take some time to reach home and even more time to subjugate the few remaining opposing Valley tribes, but soon his conquest would truly be alive.


    Marek reached his hand out to the distant horizon as if he could grab the future itself, ¡°My comrades, let us begin.¡±

 Chapter 73: The Unlucky Man

    Chapter 73: The Unlucky Man


    In the Ebon Realm, within Dusk Valley, lay the great city of Hollow Shade. The city was known for many things, its shade-enchanted walls, the Ebon Tower, but the everyday commoner knew it for its wealth. The city was home to the largest markets in all the Realm. The markets ranged from practically anything, food, weapons, arcane items, jewelry, even beastkin and slaves. Caravans flocked from all around, including the other three great cities, to trade. Anything one wished to buy or sell could be found in the City of Shades or so the stories went.


    One unlucky man counted on the stories more than most. He was unlucky, yes, but not because he was poor. Although, he was in fact poor, a commoner of no particularly special repute. He wasn¡¯t unlucky to be born a commoner either. Most people were born commoners, even the ancient lords who founded the powerful Named Houses of the Realm were once commoners.


    Being a commoner was a blessing, for it gave one an honest chance to rise to power on their own efforts, or so the man told himself. And so the unlucky man became foolish as well. But the man wasn¡¯t unlucky because he was poor, a commoner, or a fool, no, the man was unlucky for what was to come in his tragically unassuming life. His name was Witt.


    In olden days, following the Schism, humans were left stranded in the Ebon Realm. They tried making a living for themselves, but it was difficult. The drow in the west drove them away from the Glimmer Grove forest. Humans fled from orcs in the eastern Silent Marshes. Vampires tried to enslave the humans in the frigid Northern Lands.


    Humans didn¡¯t dare enter the Rupture Mountains where ancient creatures such as the frost giants lived. As for Vulture Woods, well, those southern woods weren¡¯t good for anyone really.


    The humans eventually settled into the Dusk Valley, the center of the Ebon Realm. Despite three centuries of constant raiding by valley tribes, the humans, through various settlements, had made a home for themselves within Dusk Valley.


    Witt had grown up in one such settlement, the small town of Dullwater. The town had no special qualities, it was like the other villages. A smith here, a baker there, farmers everywhere, and the frequent raider. Still, the town got by thanks to a small stream that branched off the Dire River. The stream provided fish and water for the crops.


    The town wasn¡¯t much, but it was home, though a lousy home nonetheless. Which is why one inauspicious summer day, the young Witt decided he had enough of the boring town. He didn¡¯t wish to spend the rest of his life as the butcher¡¯s boy. He ¡°borrowed¡± his father¡¯s savings and hitched a ride on the first caravan that stopped at Dullwater.


    Witt prayed to Stjerne, the traveler, god of stars, and patron of humans, to guide him on the path towards the future. Witt didn¡¯t know what he would do in the days to come, all he knew was where he wished to go, Hollow Shade. Unlike his boring town, the great city promised adventure, wealth, and the promise of a better life.


    First, he would need one of those infamous nameplates. An enchanted piece of metal that was required to reside in the city. It was said to be used for everyday life, such as shopping. However, every commoner only cared for its ability to ward off the undead sentinels that were said to wander the city streets at night.


    Witt had never gone farther than a league from his town. He was awestruck when he first set his eyes on the tall dark walls of Hollow Shade. Strange symbols marked the city gates. He paid the guards at the gate a hefty sum for a temporary nameplate, which consisted of a small wooden plank and a few etched words.


    Like most commoners, Witt could not read, and therefore he was unsure if they were magical etched words or if they simply said ¡°please don¡¯t kill me.¡± Either one worked for him. The pseudo nameplate would expire in three days, which should be long enough to go and buy a proper nameplate in the central district, or so the people in the caravan had told him.


    But, first, Witt would need to find a place to stay for the night. He rather not find out if his wooden nameplate would hold up to the sentinels. He wandered through the commoner district for over an hour. Finally, just as the sun was about to set, he found a tavern to stay the night. It looked similar to the one in his town, except it was larger and painted brightly. The smells of delicious food and the sounds of laughter enticed Witt to come inside.


    He looked up at the sign that hung above the tavern door. It depicted a feminine crescent moon with shapely legs. It was clearly an impious portrayal of Lunae, moon goddess and watcher of the Realm. If he was a goblin or a very pious man, perhaps he¡¯d feel uncomfortable visiting the establishment, but all he felt was hungry.


    Witt entered without a second thought and unwittingly sealed his fate. The tavern was crowded with people of all sorts. Humans, dwarves, orcs, and even the occasional drow sat and drank with each other in merry laughter. Witt was stunned, he had never expected to see species mingling so. This truly was a great city.


    The smell of roasted meat wafted into his nostrils. He scanned the crowd for a barmaid to take his order. He spotted a blonde woman dressed in a white apron near the bar. He walked up to the barmaid, eager to rent a room, and have warm food in his belly.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Witt cleared his throat, ¡°Excuse me, miss, I was hoping t-¡±


    ¡°Ugh, wad I do wooong!¡± A redheaded dwarf¡¯s drunken shouts drowned out Witt¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Besides drinking a mug of Fire Breath?¡± An odd looking goblin sat next to the dwarf at the bar.


    Witt found himself staring at the blue goblin. He had only seen a few of the weird creatures known as goblins in his life and none looked like this one.


    ¡°Mm, why doesh Cal not like meee,¡± the dwarf cried.


    The goblin downed his drink, ¡°Probably for the same reason you can¡¯t handle Fire Breath. You¡¯re not strong enough, Kithina.¡±


    ¡°Yesh, I am,¡± Kithina raised a shaky finger. ¡°I can multeeecasssttuh.¡±


    ¡°That is true. You are the only one in our class who can multicast... for now. Hm, I¡¯m not sure then,¡± the goblin frowned.


    Kithina grabbed the goblin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Am I not pwettee enuff?¡±


    The goblin looked her up and down but stayed quiet. Witt would have said she was pretty in a heartbeat. Even with her flushed face, the dwarven girl was a head-turner, as was her petite curvaceous body.


    Witt gathered his courage to say so, when one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen walked by. She had colorful purple hair, soft olive skin, and a large bust that his eyes seemed to be unable to stop glancing at.


    ¡°Yes, Stryg, is she pretty enough?¡± The purple haired woman asked with mocking doe-eyes.


    ¡°Feli? I thought you were still busy with your literacy tutoring?¡± Stryg looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, well, my tutor said I¡¯ve been making excellent progress. She let me out early. I didn¡¯t find you at home and based on the hour I pretty much guessed where you might be. I just didn¡¯t expect you to be with Kithina.¡± Feli eyed the semi-coherent dwarf.


    ¡°She stopped by for a drink and decided to order whatever I was drinking. Not my fault she is such a terrible drunk,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, I daresay you are very pretty,¡± the blonde barmaid interjected.


    ¡°Dat¡¯s wight! I¡¯m supah pwetee!¡± Kithina yelled in victory.


    Witt cursed silently, he had missed his chance to compliment the girl.


    ¡°Here you are, Miss Kithina,¡± the barmaid handed her a steaming plate of food.


    Witt¡¯s mouth watered at the sight of the roasted chicken. He could try his chances with the pretty dwarf later, first he¡¯d get something to eat.


    ¡°Excuse me, barmaid, I¡¯d like to order some food,¡± Witt smiled.


    ¡°My name is Carla and as you can see I¡¯m busy attending our two esteemed guests,¡± she turned her nose up at him.


    He looked at the two beautiful women, ¡°These two ladies? But one just got here and the other seems like she shouldn¡¯t drink anymore.¡±


    ¡°So? I¡¯m here for anything they may need at any point in time. And my guests are Miss Kithina and Mister Stryg, not Feli. Go find another barmaid to get your order,¡± Carla shooed him away.


    Witt¡¯s smile twisted in confusion, ¡°Wait? The goblin? You¡¯d serve some goblin over a human, one of your own kind?!¡±


    The voices of the Merry Crescent died at Witt¡¯s words. Everyone slowly turned to stare over at the bar. Witt took a step back in worry. Stryg sized up the human with cold lilac eyes.


    Feli giggled and sat on Stryg¡¯s lap, ¡°Look, darling, another moron.¡±


    Kithina swiveled her bar stool and looked Witt over, ¡°Yuh gonna diiiee.¡±


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Witt stuttered.


    ¡°You just disrespected the icon of the Merry Crescent tavern,¡± Carla shook her head in disdain.


    Feli smirked, ¡°Judging by your clothes and utter ignorance, I¡¯m gonna guess you¡¯re not from around here. Let me break it down to your country bumpkin mind. This tavern is known for two things, its dwarven imported alcoholic spirits and the tavern where a mage deems to grace his presence on a frequent occasion.¡±


    ¡°A mage?¡± Witt mouthed in fear and awe.


    He had never seen a mage before. He only grew up hearing the stories.


    Feli nodded darkly, ¡°Just his reputation brings business to this place. People gather here to get a glimpse of the mage and his shadowy power. He practically owns the tavern in all but name. So, imagine how everyone feels when you decide to insult him?¡±


    ¡°The goblin?¡± Witt¡¯s eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°Exactly, the goblin,¡± Feli sneered. ¡°And he is going to tear you apart with arcane powers you¡¯ve only glimpsed in your nightmares. His shadows will rip yo-¡±


    With a swift flick, Stryg threw his mug right at Witt¡¯s forehead. The wood-on-skull made a satisfying thunk as the human collapsed to the floor.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish,¡± Feli pouted.


    ¡°You were taking too long. That stupid human was getting on my nerves,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Kithina raised her mug up high, ¡°Deeeaaad!¡±


    The tavern patrons cheered and raised their mugs in agreement.


    Stryg turned to Carla, ¡°Can I get another mug?¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± Carla ran off.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to just throw a mug at the guy. Not after all of my talk about your dreaded magic,¡± Feli complained.


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? You are literally on my lap,¡± Stryg patted her thighs to prove his point.


    ¡°What, you can¡¯t do magic if I¡¯m sitting on you?¡± Feli rolled her eyes.


    Witt fell unconscious amidst the chattering. They didn¡¯t even bother to make sure the pathetic human was dead, which would end up miraculously saving his life.


    Perhaps Witt wasn¡¯t unlucky after all, or perhaps being killed by Stryg would be the least of his worries.

 Chapter 74: First Ride

    Chapter 74: First Ride


    Stryg sat on a bench near the magic academy¡¯s gates. The sky was clear and the sun shined down without mercy. He tried avoiding looking up at the bright annoyance. The heat wasn¡¯t particularly bothering, although it was warmer than what he was used to.


    Most of the students had gone home for the summer, which meant the academy was fairly empty. Stryg¡¯s ¡°home¡± was an apartment only a block away from the school, so not much had changed for him. Loh was still his master and intended to continue training him during the summer, which was why he was sitting on a bench while grumbling about the noon¡¯s sunlight.


    Loh had told him to wait near the gates at about noon. The plan was for her to come by and pick him up. Of course, she was late, as usual. He was debating going to find some shade when his master finally strode up on an elegant centaur.


    ¡°Stryg, good, you¡¯re here,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Master, I thought you were going to bring the carriage,¡± he tilted his head.


    ¡°Not today. I had something better in mind,¡± she grinned. She reached out her hand, ¡°Get on.¡±


    Stryg looked at the large centaur skeptically.


    ¡°She won¡¯t hurt you. Her name¡¯s Ruby. Come on, we have a busy day ahead of us,¡± Loh waved him over.


    Ruby bowed her head, ¡°This one will do her best to ensure you have a peaceful ride, young master.¡±


    Stryg looked Ruby over. Her lower body was a sleek auburn. A saddle of burnished white leather wrapped around her body. She wore a red silk shirt on her upper body. A pair of reins were attached to a leather harness around her abdomen and chest.


    She had pale skin with fiery orange hair. Stryg noticed the slightest hint of freckles behind her makeup. Her jade-green eyes held a warm light as she gazed down at the goblin.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg slowly grabbed Loh¡¯s hand.


    Loh grunted as she tried to pull him up, ¡°Damn, you¡¯re heavy. What are you carrying in that satchel, a couple of steel ingots?¡±


    ¡°Just my savings. You¡¯re the one who told me to bring them,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°For a very good reason,¡± she let go of Stryg¡¯s hand. ¡°You are heavier than you look. Just get up here, yeah?¡±


    Stryg nodded. Ruby¡¯s lower back stood at about 5 feet and a half. Stryg was only a little over 4 feet. He raised his hands, grabbed the saddle, and hauled himself up. Ruby grunted as he sat, but said nothing.


    ¡°You sit in the front,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg settled himself on the saddle, his back to Loh, ¡°What am I supposed to hold onto?¡±


    Loh reached around him and grabbed the reins, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, think of my arms like railings. You¡¯re not gonna fall off. But, if you really feel uncomfortable you can always grab Ruby¡¯s hair.¡±


    The centaur turned her neck to look at him, ¡°Please, don¡¯t hesitate. This one was bred for comfort. Use this one in whatever way makes you feel relaxed.¡±


    ¡°Bred?¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh pulled the reins gently, signaling Ruby. The centaur began trotting down the street, heading towards the trade district.


    Stryg swallowed at the jostling movement and found himself grabbing Ruby¡¯s long red hair.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve never ridden a centaur before, huh?¡± Loh grinned.


    Stryg spoke with a nervous tone, ¡°I have, once. When a poacher caught me from Vulture Woods and brought me to this city. I wasn¡¯t so much riding as being strapped down though. I hated it.¡±


    Loh¡¯s smile fell. Sometimes she forgot how different his life had been to those of an aristocrat or even a commoner for that matter. She could tell from his rigid movements that he was still very much uncomfortable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, you have no enemies here. Not while I¡¯m around. Besides, like Ruby said, she was bred for the comfort of the rider. This will be a smooth ride, so take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the breeze,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous,¡± Stryg cleared his throat.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°A-anyway, what¡¯s this about breeding?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Loh cocked her head in thought, ¡°Centaurs are bred for different kinds of purposes. Some are bred for battle, others for work, etc. Ruby¡¯s line was bred for wealthy individuals who wish to take strolls around the city every now and then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all she does?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    The centaur said nothing at the slight.


    ¡°Nonsense, Ruby does much more than that,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s a great listener and very patient. For example, you¡¯re pulling on her hair quite tightly and she isn¡¯t even making a peep of protest.¡±


    Stryg hadn¡¯t realized how hard he had been pulling. He weakened his grip.


    ¡°Besides that, comfort centaurs are bred to be pretty or handsome. Their upper bodies are very nice for fun times,¡± Loh licked her lips.


    ¡°I see, so centaurs can be used in that way,¡± Stryg nodded to himself. It made sense, Ruby¡¯s face was quite attractive. ¡°So, there are different kinds of slaves.¡±


    ¡°Beastkin aren¡¯t slaves,¡± Loh pointed out.


    ¡°Then why is Ruby wearing a docility collar?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a docility collar, it¡¯s simply a collar she wears as my pet. Like I said, beastkin aren¡¯t slaves, they¡¯d be worked to death quite quickly if they were. Although, there are many beastkin who are forced to wear docility collars, that''s mainly because they are feral or misbehaved. Beastkin are animals and are treated as such.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really see the difference between slaves and pets,¡± he cocked his head.


    ¡°Pets are loved by their owners, slaves are enemies or criminals have been forced into labor,¡± Loh explained.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°But, they both have masters they have to obey, right?¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°Yes, but pets are animals, slaves are not.¡±


    ¡°I remember professor Rime once talked about beastkin being animals and how they have been ¡®domesticated¡¯ because of that. I wasn¡¯t sure I agreed with that logic. After all, aren¡¯t we all animals?¡± Stryg looked back at Loh.


    ¡°Animals are creatures without magic, simple as that. Why would you think we are animals?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, by that logic most people of any chromatic species aren¡¯t mageborn and therefore animals, yes?¡± Stryg looked around at all the civilians passing by on the street.


    Loh furrowed her brow, ¡°In a sense, I suppose you are right. I admit beastkin are similar to slaves in many regards, but so are any draft animals. They must obey our orders or they are punished. Of course, there are certain differences. People aren¡¯t born slaves, they are captured and enslaved for crimes against the city, and their children are born free. However, slaves have no rights. Beastkin on the other hand are bred and are afforded a few amenities, such as being able to enter buildings and the like.¡±


    ¡°So, slaves are the captured enemy, whereas beastkin are more like omegas of a tribe then?¡± He could at least wrap his mind around that concept. Although, he still didn¡¯t see much of a difference between the two.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that. Some of the other Realms were said to disagree with some of our practices, such as slavery or domesticating beastkin. But, who cares what any of them thought. Look at where we are now. Our Realm has prospered on the backs of our enemies. As for beastkin, well, they were created to serve as soldiers for the Mortem, but that was a long time ago. Now, they serve us,¡± Loh patted Ruby¡¯s side. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Ruby?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress. This one is your humble servant, ready to serve you in whatever way you wish,¡± Ruby dipped her head in a quick bow.


    The Ebon Realm was a cruel place, Stryg understood that. He had grown up with such a notion. Yet, for someone to be so submissive was a strange sight to see. How many centuries of cruelty had been driven into the beastkin¡¯s psyche to have a species created for battle be so docile?


    Nonetheless, he understood. The powerful ruled the weak and if the weak didn¡¯t obey they would be culled. That cruel reality wouldn¡¯t change.


    He believed the Realm wouldn¡¯t change either, it wouldn¡¯t spare one little goblin. He needed to become strong to rise and rule above the rest, otherwise he¡¯d end up like the beastkin and commoners, a life of servitude to the powerful.


    ¡°See, Stryg? Ruby is a wonderful companion to talk with. Try and relax. Don¡¯t worry too much about riding, you¡¯ll get more practice soon enough,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°We still have about two months before summer is over. I plan to take us on a trip outside the city walls. It¡¯s time you have a taste of what the world around is like. It will also give me some time to properly train you in orange magic,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg smiled broadly. He¡¯d finally learn how to cast orange spells.


    ¡°But, first, you¡¯ll need a mount. Preferably one bred for battle or long distance travel. Which is why I told you to bring your savings,¡± Loh pointed to a large building in the distance.


    The grey brick building was massive, taking up the entire block.


    ¡°The Swift Winds?¡± Stryg read the name on the large polished steel sign.


    ¡°The store is very exclusive, only aristocrats and high-ranking military officials are allowed entrance. But, the place lives up to its reputation as one of the best beastkin breeders in the city. They specialize in centaurs. They have all different kinds of centaurs, all top notch. I got Ruby here as well. The owner, Karlok, is one of the most skilled breeders you¡¯ll ever meet.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m going to get a centaur?¡± Stryg asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Obviously, why else would we be here? You¡¯ve saved up enough money, you can get whatever centaur you want.¡±


    Several guards at the entrance bowed as Loh strolled up. The double doors slammed wide open as a grey-bearded vampire strode out. His green overcoat did not do much to hide his potbelly.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Loh Noir, resident genius extraordinaire!¡± The vampire laughed with a bright smile.


    ¡°Karlok, I take it you got my message?¡± Loh returned the smile.


    ¡°Of course, I cleared my schedule just for you. Come, let us talk inside, the sun isn¡¯t great for my skin,¡± Karlock waved them inside.


    ¡°Gladly. Come on, Stryg.¡± Loh dismounted.


    Stryg didn¡¯t need to be told twice, he jumped off and nimbly landed on his feet. Ruby trotted over to the side, next to a few carriages. She bowed to her mistress as they walked inside.


    ¡°How has Ruby fared? Are you dissatisfied in any means?¡± Karlok asked.


    ¡°Not at all, she¡¯s been wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to see us,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. It¡¯s been too long my friend. When I heard you were coming I simply had to handle the tour myself,¡± Karlok clapped his hands together. ¡°Now, this must be the apprentice you spoke about in the message, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here today to buy him his first centaur,¡± Loh patted Stryg¡¯s back.


    Stryg slightly inclined his head, ¡°I am Stryg of the Ebon Hollow tribe.¡±


    Karlok twitched at the tribe¡¯s name, but smiled right afterwards, ¡°Well, Mister Stryg, I believe we can find you a centaur suitable for your needs, whatever they may be.¡±


    ¡°We are looking for a centaur suitable for travelling,¡± Loh interjected.


    ¡°What sort of travelling conditions? The Valley? Travelling by boat? Forests, mountains, tundra?¡± Karlock rattled off.


    ¡°Travelling through the Valley, long distance stamina, and some battle potential,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Hmm, Dusk Valley has become more and more dangerous these past few months. Okay, follow me. I¡¯ll show you some of our best stock,¡± Karlok said.


    He led them upstairs to the 4th floor. The floor was covered in pristine wood and iron pens. Centaurs stood in each pen, most standing still, while a few potential buyers walked by.


    ¡°Most of the higher floors are used solely as showrooms to display some of our finest centaurs,¡± Karlok began.


    ¡°None of them are wearing clothes,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°They have no need for clothes, young lad,¡± Karlok chucked. ¡°The vast majority of draft centaurs never wear anything more than a harness. Although, aristocrats do enjoy dressing up some of their own personal pets. Make them look pretty, respectable, or whatnot.¡±


    He walked up to the first pen, ¡°This one here is Maximus. He is one of our best battle centaurs. He was just broken in recently.¡±


    An enormous grey centaur stood quietly, his eyes closed in meditation. His lower back reached over 7 feet. His upper body added another 3 feet. His entire body rippled with muscles, even the orc, Kegrog, looked small in comparison.


    ¡°How are these creatures at the bottom of the food chain?¡± Stryg muttered in wonder.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Karlok cocked his head.


    ¡°Ah, I think he means how did you come about breeding centaurs?¡± Loh explained.


    Karlok stroked his beard, ¡°My family has been in the business since the beginning, almost 400 years ago. The beastkin were roaming the Ebon Realm for a few years at that point. The ebon lords had just decided the beastkin were not only a failed creation of the Mortem, but animals too. Feral creatures that posed a danger to our Realm.¡±


    ¡°The ebon lords commanded that every beastkin be either captured or killed,¡± Loh recalled.


    ¡°Exactly. Most beastkin were defeated, but they didn¡¯t go down without a fight. Many died in the battles against the beastkin. Of course, a few of the beastkin with advantageous traits managed to escape, like the lamias. My forefathers in the Northern Lands managed to acquire some of the captured centaurs,¡± Korlak said.


    He went on, ¡°There were only a few of the creatures known as horses in the Realm at the time and only the ebon lords had them. As you know, the horses in these lands would eventually all die out. But, one of my ancestors was very clever. He realized that centaurs could be the mount our Realm needed and so he entered the breeding business. And as they say, the rest is history.¡±


    ¡°So, Stryg what do you think of Maximus?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Stryg called out to the centaur.


    Maximus kept his eyes closed.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you, Maximus.¡±


    The centaur didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°He can also be a little rough around the edges, but I promise he¡¯ll get the job done,¡± Karlok added.


    ¡°I believe it, I¡¯ve never seen a centaur like him. You¡¯ve really outdone yourself,¡± Loh said. She glanced over at the pen, ¡°Huh? Stryg, what are you doing!¡±


    Stryg pulled out a copper coin and hurled it at Maximus¡¯ forehead. His head jerked back from the impact.


    ¡°Do I have your attention now?¡± Stryg glared.


    The creature opened and narrowed his eyes at the small goblin. Stryg hissed back.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Maximus closed his eyes again.


    ¡°Can we see others?¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    ¡°Most definitely, right this way,¡± Karlok gestured.

 Chapter 75: Rhian

    Chapter 75: Rhian


    ¡°This is Champion, he has been bred specifically for stamina. If you are looking for a centaur that can ride for long distances then look no further,¡± Karlok explained.


    Champion was a skinny centaur compared to the previous Maximus. Yet, by no means was Champion frail. His long legs were taut with muscles. There was not an inch of fat over his body. Unlike Maximus, Champion walked in circles around his pen, prancing about in an effort to show his skills.


    ¡°He looks fast,¡± Stryg said with bright eyes.


    ¡°Stamina and speed are definitely desired traits in any centaur,¡± Loh turned to Karlok. ¡°But, what about weight?¡±


    Karlok scratched his cheek, ¡°Champion can comfortably carry up to 200 pounds, which may not seem ideal for larger beings such as some orcs. But! If we are looking for a centaur for this fine young man, then that is more than adequate.¡±


    Loh sized Stryg up, ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. My apprentice is heavier than he looks.¡±


    Karlok glanced between the goblin and drow. ¡°Are you implying that Champion can¡¯t carry the weight of a goblin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not implying, I¡¯m telling you. Stryg¡¯s weight coupled with his travelling supplies will be too much for Champion,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°Surely, you jest,¡± Karlok barked in laughter.


    ¡°Wanna bet?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t wish to take your money,¡± Karlok shook his head.


    ¡°Mm,¡± she nodded. ¡°Stryg is the one paying today, but if I lose the bet I¡¯ll match the price of whatever centaur he buys. You¡¯ll get double the gold. How does that sound?¡±


    Karlok swallowed, ¡°And if by some horribly unlikely chance I lose?¡±


    ¡°Then Stryg only pays half-price for his centaur. So, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± Karlok grinned.


    ¡°Perfect. Lead us to a balance scale,¡± she gestured.


    ¡°Right this way,¡± Karlok bid them to follow.


    Stryg looked at Loh questioningly. Sure, she had said he weighed more than normal this morning. But, he couldn¡¯t weigh that much. He was only 4 feet tall. He looked at his palms. Then again, his body had changed a lot the past year. He was surprised to realize he wasn¡¯t really sure what the outcome of the bet would be.


    Karlok led them up another flight of stairs. There were only a few pens and trainers here. In the corner lay a scale. It was quite large, spanning about a dozen feet. It was no doubt meant for weighing the centaurs. The flat rectangular plates lay between a fulcrum.


    ¡°Why do they even have this?¡± Stryg asked.


    Karlok smiled, ¡°Excellent question. One of the factors for the price of a centaur is its weight. It¡¯s important to know how much a centaur can weigh when you''re traveling by boat. Ship captain¡¯s often charge their passengers based on space and weight of the cargo, including centaurs.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, why don¡¯t you hand me your satchel and take a stand on the plate,¡± Loh pushed him forward.


    ¡°...Right,¡± Stryg nodded reluctantly.


    He stepped onto the right plate. The plate sank as the left plate shot up high. Karlok called some of the nearby trainers to place weights on the left plate. After several large slabs of metal were laid on the plate it moved down, barely.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Karlok furrowed his brow.


    He motioned his men to put more weights. After a dozen or so more were placed the scale became balanced. Stryg fidgeted, he wanted to get off already.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little over 340 pounds. It can¡¯t be¡­ Is he using a durability spell?¡± Karlok turned to Loh.


    ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t a chromatic yellow and as you can tell there are no yellow scales on him either,¡± she shrugged.


    Karlok ran his hands through his grey hair. He was going to lose a lot of money.


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± Loh chuckled.


    Stryg hopped off the scale, causing the right plate to shoot up.


    ¡°Can we go now?¡± Stryg asked impatiently.


    ¡°Yes, Karlok. I do think we should survey the rest of your stock. Preferably, ones that can carry my apprentice¡¯s weight,¡± she patted Karlok¡¯s shoulder.


    The old vampire sighed, ¡°Right this way.¡±


    Stryg and Loh followed the expert breeder not down to the 4th floor, but up to the 6th floor. The floor was open wide with obstacle courses spread about. A few centaurs walked around with their trainers.


    It only took a few moments for Karlok to regain his enthusiasm.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for carrying potential I have one you might like. Her name is Ann. She¡¯s on the 7th floor.  She may not be as big as Maximus, but she outright beats him in muscle mass.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As they neared the stairs to the 7th floor, a centaur caught Stryg¡¯s eye. The centaur danced around her trainer and ran past each obstacle with ease. Her nimble steps made the other two centaurs seem like bumbling children.


    Her lower body¡¯s coat was a silky jet black. Muscles rippled through her legs as she galloped up and past the log fences. Her wavy ebon hair bounced about, revealing her elfen-like ears with each step. Her skin was a shade of pale pink, which made the freckles on her nose and cheeks stand out. Her stone-grey eyes flitted everywhere, taking in the obstacle course and those around. Yet, all eyes were on her.


    She was 5 feet at the withers and even with her upper body, she only stood 7 feet tall, yet she seemed larger than Maximus. The aura of confidence she exuded made her seem as if she could fight the whole world. It was as if she were waiting for an even greater warrior to ride with her into battle.


    She glanced over at the wide-eyed Stryg. Her thin lips curved, she smirked. A challenge? To see if he was worthy of being her partner?


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Stryg watched in wonder.


    ¡°Her? Bah. You wouldn¡¯t like her,¡± Karlok swatted the air. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go see Ann.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I like her?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Karlok stopped walking and slumped his shoulders, ¡°Well, if you really wish to know, her name is Rhiannon.¡±


    ¡°Rhiannon?¡± Stryg watched the centaur run around the obstacle course.


    ¡°Or Rhian for short. Trust me, you won¡¯t like her. She¡¯s just a showhorse,¡± Karlok said.


    ¡°What¡¯s a showhorse?¡± Stryg asked.


    Karlok cleared his throat, ¡°It¡¯s just an old term from some other Realm. Nowadays we use the word to refer to the most pedigreed of centaurs. Animals bred to awe and inspire an audience with their nimbleness, strength, speed, beauty, and intelligence. Crowds will gather all around just to catch a glimpse of one of them. Rhian is our most promising show horse we currently have.¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s the best then?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The best of the best, you might say,¡± Karlok prattled on.


    ¡°And the most expensive of the lot. Our coming to this floor wasn¡¯t mere coincidence, was it, Karlok?¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    The vampire placed his hand over his heart, ¡°You wound me. I would never try to deceive you. I swear it on Bellum¡¯s name. Let her smite me with her sword of flames if I lie.¡±


    ¡°You were never a pious vampire, but you were always a greedy one,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°The world is a cruel place. We only try to get by,¡± Karlok smiled sadly.


    ¡°You call all of this ¡®just getting by?¡¯¡± Loh gestured all around her.


    ¡°I admit we could be doing worse,¡± he laughed. ¡°Well, I can see you both are only interested in the more mundane sort of centaur. A travelling companion to shoulder your travelling burdens, perhaps? Well, fear not. There are plenty of potential companions upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I want her.¡± Stryg pointed towards Rhiannon.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Karlok beamed.


    ¡°Stryg. She isn¡¯t what you¡¯re looking for,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg cocked his head, ¡°But she¡¯s the best, yes?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not the best warrior, Maximus is. She doesn¡¯t have the best stamina, Champion does. She doesn¡¯t have the best weight limit, Ann does. Do you see what I¡¯m getting at?¡± Loh spread out her hands.


    Stryg glanced at the vampire breeder, ¡°Karlok, can Rhiannon carry my weight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, most definitely. She also has great stamina. She may not be as strong as Maximus, true, but in terms of overall balanced traits, Rhiannon surpasses all others.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him Stryg, he just wants to make up for his losses from the bet. She probably costs twice, if not thrice the price of the others,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°But, she¡¯s the best overall, right? Isn¡¯t she worth it? Why would I not want the best? Besides, she¡¯ll be half the price thanks to the bet,¡± Stryg argued.


    Judging from the way Rhiannon moved she would undoubtedly excel in battle. Her coat was the color ebony, as was her hair. It was almost like fate was bringing her to the Ebon Hollow tribe. Stryg could see it now. Him as chief, riding into battle on a shadowy steed, casting bolts of flame at their enemies. It would be glorious.


    ¡°Stryg¡­ Are you sure that¡¯s the only reason you want her?¡± Loh pursed her lips.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg looked up from his daydreaming.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be because said centaur is prancing about naked with an incredibly large bust bouncing up and down?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    Stryg blinked. ¡°...What? N-no, of course not. Do you really think I would make such a decision based on her breasts? As if a warrior could be distracted by such a petty thing.¡±


    ¡°What about a horny teenager?¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°All our centaurs are willing to serve as comfort companions as well,¡± Karlok interjected. ¡°Most are not bred with that main purpose mind you, but they can fulfill that need. Based on Rhiannon¡¯s upper body I don''t think she would fail in that regard, even compared to Ruby.¡±


    ¡°How am I not surprised,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°Stryg, we¡¯re not here to get you a comfort companion. If that girl, Feli, isn¡¯t satisfying your needs at home, just go to one of the brothels in the Night District. What you need right now is a centaur for travelling, not a show horse. However, I won¡¯t stop you from buying her. It¡¯s your money after all. But, if you do, I believe this experience will ultimately teach you an important lesson.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°To not think with your dick,¡± Loh grinned maliciously.


    ¡°People think with their brain,¡± Stryg pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a saying. Trust me, you¡¯ll understand soon enough,¡± Loh rubbed her temple. ¡°Karlok, we¡¯ll buy her if the price is reasonable. But, I want your guarantee that we can return her if she isn¡¯t what Stryg truly wants.¡±


    ¡°Miss Noir, all sales are final,¡± Karlok chuckled.


    ¡°My warning is final,¡± Loh tapped her mage necklace.


    Karlok cleared his throat, ¡°Did I say final? I meant very much disputable. If you are not satisfied with any of our centaurs I will personally make sure you have your money back guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Loh smiled thinly, ¡°Now, bring that damn centaur over here.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± Karlok walked over to the obstacle course.


    The trainers ceased their routine. Rhiannon paused in her steps. Karlok walked up to her and began talking. After a moment, she chuckled and followed Karlok back over to Loh and Stryg. The centaur stopped a few feet from the mage duo.


    Karlok held out his hand, ¡°May I introduce you to Rhiannon, incredibly talented show horse, and prized centaur of the Swift Winds establishment. This is high master mage Loh of House Noir.¡±


    Rhiannon bent her forelegs and bowed her head, ¡°Miss Noir, it is my utmost pleasure. I cannot honestly say I am surprised to be chosen by a scion of a Great House. Nonetheless, it is the greatest of honors and one that I will strive to live up to.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a cocky one isn¡¯t she? Maybe they are a perfect match,¡± Loh burst into laughter.


    Karlok coughed. Rhiannon gave him a questioning look.


    He signaled his eyes over at the goblin, ¡°And this is Miss Noir¡¯s apprentice, Stryg of the¡­ Ebon Hollow tribe. He is the one who has chosen you and will become your new rider.¡±


    Rhiannon¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Eh?¡±

 Chapter 76: Not What I Expected

    Chapter 76: Not What I Expected


    Rhian easily jumped over the log fences. She had been training for years, the obstacles the trainers had set up were of no challenge to her anymore. She was ready to perform in front of crowds, to awe more than the few spectators that came by the 6th floor.


    The master of Swift Winds appeared from the stairs. Two people followed behind him. For Master Karlok to show people around was very rare, these had to be very important guests. Rhian put more effort and flair into her obstacle run, she wanted to demonstrate to these guests who she was, that she wasn¡¯t just ready for the spotlight, she was the star of the show.


    As Rhian galloped, she kept watch on them from the corner of her eye. One was a drow and the other was... a goblin? That was strange, she had never seen a goblin around here before, she was under the impression they were all quite poor.


    Rhian noticed the drow woman wore a silver necklace with three gems, an amber, a grey moonstone, and an onyx.


    Isn¡¯t that a mage necklace? Rhian thought.


    While not all magi were aristocrats, they were all at least middle class. Even then, they still commanded great prestige within Hollow Shade. At least, that was what Master Karlok had taught her. The drow mage was probably a powerful figure in society, a scion of a Named House, or perhaps maybe she was from a Great Named House. The strange goblin was most likely the drow¡¯s servant.


    Rhian caught the goblin watching her from afar, awe clearly on his face. This was most likely the first time he had ever seen a showhorse. Rhian turned to him and smirked. She would give him a performance he¡¯d never forget. She quickened her pace and jumped past several log fences with ease.


    After a few minutes of doing trick after trick on the obstacle course, Karlok stepped away from the guests and walked over to her. The trainers called Rhian and the other two nearby centaurs to pause their routines.


    Rhian bowed her head, ¡°Master Karlok.¡±


    ¡°Today is your lucky day it seems,¡± Karlok grinned.


    ¡°Then does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you have been chosen.¡±


    ¡°I knew they¡¯d be impressed,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Calm yourself, the purchase has yet to be finalized. That woman over there is Loh of House Noir, respect is of the utmost importance.¡±


    ¡°As in the Great House Noir?¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°The very same one, so behave yourself. Otherwise, I¡¯ll sell them another show horse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. You know I¡¯m the best among the showhorses,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the others. You may be skilled, but so are they. And you have a penchant for hubris. So, do your best to win them over or else they¡¯ll move on.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll win them over. It¡¯ll only take me a few seconds,¡± Rhian smiled coyly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s your ego talking or your willingness,¡± Karlok began walking back to the guests. ¡°Follow me and remember, behave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ~~~


    Karlok signaled towards the goblin, ¡°And this is Miss Noir¡¯s apprentice, Stryg of the¡­ Ebon Hollow tribe. He is the one who has chosen you and will become your new rider.¡±


    Rhiannon¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Eh?¡±


    Loh held her side as she kept laughing, ¡°This is just too perfect. Stryg, have fun with this one.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eye twitched as he watched his master. He turned to the centaur, ¡°Hello. I am Stryg. You will be the 3rd member of our tribe. Luckily, since I chose you, there will be no need for an initiation trial like normal.¡±


    Rhian turned to Karlok, ¡°3rd member?¡±


    What sort of tribe only had two people? Was this goblin high? Actually, what tribe was he talking about? Hollow Shade had no tribes. Could he be a barbarian from one of the Dusk Valley tribes?


    Karlok slapped Rhian across the cheek, ¡°That is not how you address your future master! Miss Noir, Mister Stryg, please ignore this naive centaur¡¯s bout of foolishness. I assure you it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Rhian cleared her throat, ¡°Please forgive this foolish centaur.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be asking for forgiveness,¡± Karlok crossed his arms.


    Rhian bowed towards Stryg, ¡°Please forgive this foolish one. This centaur was simply surprised, she has never seen one quite like you or heard of your tribe.¡±


    Stryg walked up to her, she didn¡¯t dare glance up at him. ¡°I understand your confusion. My tribe is newly founded and there is none like me. So, I¡¯ll say this once. I¡¯m the chief of this tribe and I have chosen you to be my steed. Fail me in this and I will banish you.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Banish?¡± Rhian whispered.


    ¡°It means death, for someone like you,¡± Loh wiped away a tear of mirth. ¡°There is no place in this Realm for untamed beastkin. And believe me when I say Stryg is one who holds true to his threats.¡±


    Rhian grimaced, what sort of barbarian was this goblin? Disobedience would always lead to punishment, but never death. She wasn¡¯t a slave to be culled. She was a damn showhorse for Bellum¡¯s sake!


    Rhian looked at Karlok pleadingly, he ignored her.


    ¡°However, if you choose to ride with me, then I promise we will attain glory the likes of which you¡¯ve only dreamed of,¡± Stryg boasted.


    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure he could make good on that promise. But, he wanted to demonstrate to her that he was a proper chief. He needed to display he had a great vision for the tribe and exude the confidence that could make her believe he could make that vision a reality.


    Rhian looked at him skeptically. This was a goblin. What sort of glory could he promise her? Karlok did say he was Miss Noir¡¯s apprentice. That meant the goblin was a mage. Perhaps, things wouldn¡¯t be as bad as Rhian thought...possibly.


    ¡°This one understands,¡± she mumbled.


    Stryg frowned. She didn¡¯t seem inspired.


    ¡°Are you still sure you want to buy her?¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± he clenched his jaw.


    ¡°Stubborn as always,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°Let us head to the first floor to finalize the purchase then,¡± Karlok made haste to the stairs.


    ¡°Ah, before I forget,¡± Loh raised a hand. ¡°Can we get Maximus, too?¡±


    Karlok paused in his steps and spun around with a smile, ¡°Are you perhaps interested in buying Maximus?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m in need of a proper battle steed myself and you¡¯ve outdone yourself with Maximus. I think he¡¯ll serve as a wonderful travelling companion.¡±


    Karlok clapped his hands, ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll get one of the trainers to bring him down to the front. You won¡¯t be disappointed, I promise you. Both of you.¡±


    Karlok went downstairs ahead of them.


    ¡°You want Maximus?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the idea?¡± Loh asked with a raised eyebrow


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like men.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°You misunderstand. I¡¯m not buying Maximus for pleasure like Ruby. I¡¯m buying him specifically for battle. You need to learn to prioritize and choose the best option. You can¡¯t always have it all. Battle and sex aren¡¯t in the same level of priority.¡±


    ¡°But, isn¡¯t sex just another form of battle?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough,¡± Loh stretched. ¡°Now come on, bring your comfort centaur with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a comfort centaur,¡± Rhian frowned.


    Loh chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a comfort centaur.¡±


    Rhian stood up, a hand to her chest in a posture of indignation. ¡°Are you both blind? I may have been taught the basics in the art of love-making, but I am not a comfort centaur. I am a performer, a showhorse. A centaur to be admired above the rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more open to disrespect when Karlok isn¡¯t around, huh?¡± Loh noted.


    Rhian¡¯s face paled, ¡°This one is very sorry, she didn¡¯t mean any disrespect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Karlok. However, I for one am very much for candidness. You are in the presence of a highborn aristocrat who is also a high master mage, yet you didn¡¯t hesitate to correct me.¡±


    Rhian swallowed, ¡°This one was wro-¡±


    Loh held up a finger, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t speak. You¡¯re a centaur. You don¡¯t have the right to speak in my presence without permission and I have given you none. Do you understand, beastkin?¡±


    Rhian bowed her head low, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, at least you are not dumb.¡± Loh looked the centaur over, ¡°You may have been bred and groomed to be a showhorse and I may have been looking for a travelling centaur, and Stryg may have claimed to have chosen you because of your abilities. But, at the end of the day, I suspect the main purpose he actually chose you is for none of those reasons.¡±


    Loh walked over and gripped Rhian¡¯s throat, ¡°So, when you are giving him a blow job, then you can tell me you''re not a comfort centaur.¡±


    Rhian winced at the drow¡¯s grip, but held her tongue. She knew better to fight back against a chromatic species, let alone a mage.


    ¡°I told you that¡¯s not why I chose her,¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    Loh ignored him and tightened her grip, ¡°As I said, I like being candid, so let me share a few factual truths with you, Rhiannon. I don¡¯t care about you. Not because you¡¯re a beastkin, but because I don¡¯t care about most people. But, do you see that lying little blue fella right over there? I care about him, a lot. So, if it gets into your pretty little head to try and hurt him, I will cut you into little pieces, burn those bits, and feed them to the dogs. Do I make myself clear, harlot?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± Rhian gasped out.


    The centaur was used to pain. Every beastkin in Swift Winds knew pain well, it was how the trainers taught them they had made a mistake. And Rhian knew she had made a very grave mistake. She had acted prideful in front of the drow. Since Loh had laughed and seemed relaxed, Rhian had taken it as fine. Rhian had been very, very wrong. This drow was more dangerous than Karlok, Loh didn¡¯t mind killing her.


    ¡°Good.¡± Loh let her go and headed to the stairs, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Stryg said nothing and simply followed her.


    ¡°Right away,¡± Rhian said meekly.


    When Rhian had called them blind, Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Normally, a chief would discipline any tribe member who spoke out against him. But, Rhian wasn¡¯t technically a part of the tribe yet. If he couldn¡¯t discipline her, then did that mean he had to attack her? Defend his honor? He really rather not attack his future partner.


    Loh¡¯s violent answer sufficed. She had very clearly inspired fear and respect, without actually killing someone. It was the kind of thing a tribe chief could do. He wondered if he should try emulating her method.


    Loh signalled with a wave.


    Stryg jogged over, ¡°Yes?¡±


    Loh whispered, ¡°You are a mage now, Stryg, but people will always judge you for what you look like. And the truth is, most people see goblins as subpar. If you wish to thrive in the upper society of Hollow Shade you need to show that you belong. You have to put people in their place or else they¡¯ll take advantage of you. They¡¯ll take whatever leeway you give them, even a centaur. You can¡¯t show weakness.¡±


    Stryg glanced behind him. Rhian wore a sour expression that quickly disappeared under a face of impassiveness. He didn¡¯t think Rhian was trying to take advantage of him, but she clearly was not happy with their arrangement either.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Stryg nodded.

 Chapter 77: A Centaur’s Debut

    Chapter 77: A Centaur¡¯s Debut


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± Karlok smiled as he took Stryg¡¯s coins.


    Despite only paying half-price for Rhian, Stryg¡¯s coin pouch was almost completely emptied. He didn¡¯t mind very much, he rarely spent large amounts of cash. He had only recently come to grasp the concept of money and though most people seemed obsessed with coins, he didn¡¯t see much use for hoarding it.


    Karlok handed Stryg several documents, a quill and some ink, ¡°All you have to do now is sign here, here, up there, and right at the bottom after that line.¡±


    Stryg skimmed over the documents as Loh paid Karlok for her own new centaur, Maximus.


    ¡°Finished,¡± Stryg said as he signed his name on the final document.


    ¡°Wonderful. On behalf of the Swift Winds establishment, allow me to congratulate you on your first-class centaur. I assure you, she will not disappoint,¡± Karlok placed his hand over his heart.


    Stryg looked Rhian over. ¡°You are a member of Ebon Hollow now,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°This One will do her best to serve, Master,¡± Rhian forced a smile.


    She had believed she would be bought by an aristocrat, after all there weren¡¯t many who could afford such an expensive show horse. While magi were often wealthy, most were part of a Named House and therefore aristocrats. Not to mention proper maintenance for a showhorse was very expensive. The chances of not being bought by a member of the high-class were very low. She would have never imagined finding herself serving a goblin, albeit a mage one.


    ¡°Well, Maximus, I hope Karlok¡¯s recommendation of your battle prowess does not disappoint,¡± Loh looked the enormous centaur over.


    ¡°This One will not fail you,¡± Maximus bowed his head.


    Stryg¡¯s smile fell a bit, ¡°So, he respects you, just not me then, huh?¡±


    ¡°That tends to happen when you throw coins at someone¡¯s face,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°Before you both leave, Swift Winds has complimentary gifts for customers and their new centaurs,¡± Karlok snapped his fingers.


    A couple of workers came running over. They carried over two small chests and presented one each to Stryg and Loh.


    ¡°Inside you will find a docility collar with a fully charged magestone ready to be applied to your centaur if you so wish. While you both were upstairs, I took the liberty to throw in a jacket. We will also deliver a month¡¯s supply of quality centaur feed to your doorstep before the end of the day,¡± Karlok explained.


    Stryg grabbed the simple grey jacket and tossed it at Rhian. ¡°I¡¯m glad we got a jacket.¡±


    ¡°Centaurs are normally naked, it is of no concern for us,¡± Rhian grabbed the jacket.


    ¡°It should be. I would rather you not be naked in front of others,¡± Stryg said sternly.


    ¡°...Understood,¡± Rhian put the jacket on.


    Show horses often wore elaborate clothes during their races and other performances. It seemed her new master at least had some semblance of understanding for what she was.


    ¡°Oh and before I forget.¡± Karlok signaled his workers. ¡°The most important gift of all.¡±


    The workers brought out a pair of harnesses and saddles.


    ¡°For all your riding needs. They are made from the finest leather in Hollow Shade,¡± Karlok said with pride.


    ¡°This is great. It¡¯ll make shopping for our travelling equipment a lot simpler,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Excuse me, I heard you mention something of travelling earlier, but where exactly are we going? The Night District? The Commoner District?¡± Rhian furrowed her brow, ¡°Or do you mean we are travelling to the docks?¡±


    ¡°I thought I told you not to talk unless spoken to,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    Rhian¡¯s eyes widened in fear, ¡°Please forgive me, this One forgot her place.¡±


    Karlok raised his hand to smack her, but paused, ¡°Ah, you are now Mister Stryg¡¯s pet. He will be the one to discipline you.¡±


    She looked over at the goblin, waiting for punishment.


    Stryg scratched his cheek, ¡°Actually, I was wondering the same thing. I know we are heading out of the city, but where exactly are we going?¡±


    ¡°That is for you to find out.¡± Loh walked over and whispered into his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on her just because she¡¯s pretty. She needs to learn her place, otherwise she may be a threat to you later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going easy,¡± Stryg frowned.


    He just didn¡¯t see the need to hit her for asking a simple question. Rhian would learn her place soon enough. She was a beta of the tribe and he was the alpha, the chief. Stryg doubted Rhian would try to challenge him for leadership of the tribe. If she did then he would not hold back.


    Rhian wasn¡¯t paying attention to the exchange. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Outside the city? The goblin had said they would be travelling outside the safety of the walls. That meant potential attacks by bandits or worse, raiders from savage tribes. Even if they didn¡¯t encounter such attacks, she¡¯d still be subjected to muddy roads and grassy plains. Those conditions didn¡¯t suit her, she was meant to stroll down the finest of cobblestone walkways, not trudge through the mud like some common draft horse!


    ¡°My employees will take care of saddling Rhiannon and Maximus,¡± Karlok said.


    The two aides took his cue and proceeded to get started.


    ¡°No need for me, I plan on riding back on Ruby,¡± Loh held out her hand. ¡°I think my apprentice may need some help though.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Right away ma¡¯am,¡± one of the aides said.


    Even if Rhian was 3 feet shorter than Maximus, she was still 3 feet taller than Stryg. The height difference hadn¡¯t been so apparent as it was now, as he stood right next to her, looking straight up.


    A small part of Stryg realized he didn¡¯t like to be reminded that he was smaller than almost everyone around here. Most people underestimated him because of it. If he was back in the Blood Fang tribe, he would probably be the tallest around.


    Karlok¡¯s aides placed the saddle on Rhian and tightened the harness¡¯ straps around her waist and chest.


    ¡°She is ready to ride, sir,¡± an aide bowed her head and stepped away.


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg looked up at Rhian questioningly.


    ¡°Go ahead Stryg, she won¡¯t bite,¡± Loh chuckled.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Right.¡± He jumped, twisted his body, and landed on the saddle. ¡°Easy,¡± he chuckled nervously.


    Rhian¡¯s jerked from the sudden weight on her back. Yet, she was surprised and impressed at the physical feat of one so small, until her new master wobbled on the saddle and almost fell off. She turned her waist as her hand shot out in reflex and grabbed his arm before he tipped over.


    ¡°Are you okay, Master?¡± She asked with a slight hint of concern.


    She couldn¡¯t have her rider falling over, especially on the first day. Her pride as a centaur wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Stryg cursed under his breath.


    ¡°Like I said, Rhian¡¯s the best, just look at those quick reflexes,¡± Karlok smiled from ear to ear.


    Loh ignored the breeder. ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg grit his teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to properly tie these later,¡± Loh strapped Stryg in.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he nodded.


    Loh patted his leg, ¡°Rhian, you will be his first proper mount. He doesn¡¯t have riding experience, so keep him safe and make sure he doesn¡¯t fall off.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s face twitched. Her master had no riding experience!? It was bad enough that her master wasn¡¯t an aristocrat, but that he couldn¡¯t even ride? The gods must have been playing a trick on her.


    ¡°I will try my best,¡± Rhian smiled wryly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to try. I want you to succeed. His safety is paramount.¡± Loh¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Rhian swallowed.


    ¡°Good.¡± Loh looked over at Stryg, ¡°Are you gonna be alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course, this¡¯ll be easy,¡± Stryg laughed anxiously.


    ¡°Confident as always,¡± Loh grinned. She handed the harness and other gifts to Maximus, ¡°Hold this. I have another centaur right outside. You can follow us to the market and carry the gear and whatever else I pick up. I should probably pick up a weapon for you, too. What are you most proficient with?¡±


    ¡°A battle axe, mistress,¡± Maximus bowed.


    ¡°Then let''s find you the largest and sharpest one we can,¡± she pointed at his muscular arms.


    Loh headed towards the large double doors, ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m going to go pick up whatever else we need for the trip. Take Rhian home, your building has some stables near the back. Once you''re there, just let one of the stablehands handle setting her up for the night. I¡¯ll meet you in the morning in front of the academy. Say goodbye to Feli, we head out tomorrow and we¡¯ll be gone for a month or two.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Stryg asked in surprise.


    ¡°A month,¡± Rhian whispered in horror.


    But, Loh was gone and Maximus followed in her steps.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± Karlok handed Stryg the small complimentary chest. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps a bridle? While their purpose is to direct dumb centaurs, I find that many aristocrats enjoy using them on the handsome or pretty centaurs. For aesthetics and pleasure,¡± he winked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    It was bad enough having to learn how to ride properly. He didn¡¯t wish to add any extra equipment into the mix.


    ¡°Well then, have a wonderful day, Mister Stryg. If you ever have any other centaur-needs you know where to find us. I¡¯ll be happy to personally assist you once more. May the moon bless you on your journey,¡± Karlok made a flourishing bow.


    Stryg¡¯s lips curled at the familiar saying. ¡°And may the stars light your path.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to go, Master?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg wrapped his hands around the reins, ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    The aides pulled the double doors wide open. Rhian looked back one last time at the home she had known her entire life. She¡¯d probably miss it, but not anytime soon. Now was the time for a new chapter in her life, her debut as a showhorse was about to begin. She made a quick bow to Karlok and trotted out the doors.


    The sun shined down brightly on the trade district, it was a beautiful day. People walked all around, going about their daily lives. She took a deep breath of fresh air. Stryg squinted at the bright light.


    ¡°Where to? Your home in the Villa District? The Bourge District?¡± Rhian tilted her head back.


    ¡°The Scholar District,¡± Stryg answered.


    Rhian stretched her legs, this was her debut to the world. It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t have an amazing rider behind the saddle. She wouldn¡¯t let that stop her from showing the world how amazing she was.


    ¡°Right away, I¡¯ll ride like the wind,¡± Rhian trembled with excitement.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    She dashed off with all the strength and speed she could muster. Stryg shouted in surprise. People all around yelled in shock as they scurried out of her way. Others watched in wonder as the beautiful centaur sped past in a blur of black and grey.


    Rhian couldn¡¯t hold in her laughter, this was it. The wind on her face, the sun shining down on her glossy ebony coat, the crowds watching her in awe. This was what she was trained for, to dazzle all.


    She gasped and skidded to a halt as her reins were yanked back in full force.


    Stryg held the reins tight and panted heavily. His eyes were wide open, his pupils thin slits. His ash-grey hair was frizzy from the wind. He hunched over the saddle as if to shield him from some invisible force.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian coughed.


    ¡°What. The. Fuck. Was that?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You wanted to get to the Scholar District, yes? My training included a detailed layout of the city¡¯s streets. I assure you this is the correct route.¡±


    ¡°I know where we are going. But, why in all the bloody Realms are you going so damn fast. I almost fell off because of you,¡± Stryg sneered.


    Rhian scrunched her brow, ¡°Do you want me to go slow?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Stryg huffed.


    ¡°But... I am a showhorse. We are meant to go fast. How can I impress anyone if I don¡¯t show them what I am capable of?¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°I don''t care what you were raised for. You are now part of my tribe. That means the only one you need to impress is me. I know you can run fast, I saw you on the obstacle course. I don¡¯t need you to almost throw me off the saddle to demonstrate your speed,¡± Stryg chastised.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Rhian turned away and looked forward, ¡°This One was mistaken.¡±


    How could she have been so foolish? Even if she was groomed to be the finest of centaurs, she was limited by her mundane rider. The world would never know her true talent. The gods had cursed her to a wretched fate indeed.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d win me over in seconds,¡± Stryg looked at the back of her head.


    ¡°What?¡± Rhian didn¡¯t bother to turn around.


    ¡°Back at Swift Winds, you told Karlok you¡¯d win Loh and me over in seconds,¡± Stryg laced his fingers around her dark hair.


    ¡°How did you hear that?¡± Rhian asked, confused. She had been on the other side of the obstacle course when she had whispered that to Karlok. She didn¡¯t recall seeing the goblin use any magic.


    Stryg pulled her hair, her back bent backwards, her face an inch below his own. ¡°If your way of winning me over is not even looking at me while talking then consider yourself a loser.¡±


    Despite the minor pain, Rhian found herself grinning, ¡°I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡±


    Perhaps this rider wasn¡¯t as mundane as she had thought.


    Stryg found himself returning the grin, ¡°Is that right?¡±

 Chapter 78: Stablehand’s Dream

    Chapter 78: Stablehand¡¯s Dream


    Gwen grunted as she heaved the last of the bales of hay into the corner.


    ¡°You okay?¡± One of the other stablehands asked.


    ¡°Yeah, just a little tired,¡± Gwen wiped the sweat from her brow.


    ¡°Well, good job. That was the last of the weekly shipment.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she smiled in relief.


    Being a stablehand was far more strenuous than Gwen had ever imagined. Still, she wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. She wasn¡¯t an aristocrat, but she wasn¡¯t a commoner either. Her family belonged to the middle-class and lived in the Bourge District.


    Her father was a merchant who sold spices for a living. Despite being humans her family had done very well for themselves, they even had contracts with a trade caravan. Still, the family wasn¡¯t very wealthy. Well, not wealthy enough to buy Gwen her own centaur that is.


    She was the 5th child and a woman at that. Her father saw no need to spend money on buying her a steed, even if it was her dream. Nonetheless, Gwen wouldn¡¯t give up, she wanted to have her own centaur since she was a little girl, and nothing was going to stop her.


    As soon as she was old enough she went out looking for a job. As a woman there weren¡¯t many jobs available, but thanks to her father¡¯s connections she managed to land the perfect job in the Scholar District. Being a stablehand gave her the chance to work with centaurs up close. It may not have been as glamorous as she was led to imagine, but she was at least able to interact with centaurs on a daily basis.


    The stables she worked at belonged to a lavish apartment building. The stables were new and the pay was good. Gwen had nothing to complain about. One day she would save up enough money to buy her very own centaur. It wouldn¡¯t be a purebred or a pedigreed centaur, but it would be hers, and that would be enough.


    She could already imagine what it would be like riding through the streets, the wind splashing by in a blast of speed. Just the thought was exhilarating. Maybe she would prove to be a very capable rider and get endorsed to ride in the Crimson Tracks of Murkton. They would give Gwen her very own racing centaur or maybe even a showhorse.


    Gwen sighed, as if she¡¯d ever get a chance to get that close to such expensive centaurs. The best she could hope for was to buy a spot in the stands and watch a race or a show from afar.


    ¡°Why so bummed out, Gwen?¡± An orc stable hand asked. ¡°We¡¯re done with the heavy lifting and most of the apartment¡¯s tenants are gone for the summer. Even the ones who stayed are out in the city right now, as are their centaurs.¡± The orc did a little jig,¡± Which means we have the rest of the afternoon off.¡±


    Another human stablehand shook her head, ¡°Idiot. Gwen works here because she likes centaurs. If it was up to her she¡¯d spend all day with them.¡±


    The orc laughed, ¡°Ah, I forgot. Well, anyway, we¡¯re going on a break to get some lunch. There¡¯s a nice tavern right outside the Scholar District. Wanna join us?¡±


    ¡°Nah, go on without me. I brought my own lunch,¡± Gwen shook her head.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the orc shrugged.


    The other stablehands left, leaving Gwen by herself in the large stables. She went to her nearby satchel and pulled out a loaf of bread and some cheese. She found a comfy bale of hay to sit on and began to eat her simple lunch. It was nice having a bit of solitude and quiet once in a while.


    The sounds of hooves clattering on stone echoed nearby. Gwen looked up in time to see a gorgeous centaur trot down the sidewalk. The centaur gained speed as she drew close. Right as she was about to smash into the stables¡¯ gate, with one swift burst of energy she leaped over and landed with the most graceful of steps.


    Gwen¡¯s bread slipped out of her hand as she stared slack-jawed.


    ¡°And this is just a taste of what I can do,¡± the centaur said proudly.


    ¡°Which part of ¡®almost falling off¡¯ do you not understand?¡± A goblin complained from the saddle.


    ¡°But, I went slow this entire trip. I only accelerated at the very last moment to jump over the gate. Do you have any idea how difficult that is?¡± The centaur turned her head to talk to her rider.


    ¡°Does it matter? You were supposed to go slow,¡± the goblin shook his head and hopped off.


    ¡°Uh, h-hello,¡± Gwen couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off the magnificent centaur. She had never seen the rider or steed before.


    ¡°Hello, I am Stryg of Ebon Hollow. I live in room 305,¡± he showed her his room key. ¡°Are you one of the stable workers?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I am Gwen, a stablehand here,¡± she nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Well, I just bought Rhian today. I¡¯m told this is where I¡¯m supposed to bring her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir. My co-workers went out for lunch, but they¡¯ll be back shortly. Do not worry, I¡¯ll personally take care of all your steed¡¯s needs. I won¡¯t rest until she is comfortable,¡± Gwen said eagerly.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Rhian looked around, ¡°This place isn¡¯t bad. Not amazing, either. But, I like her enthusiasm.¡±


    Gwen cleared her throat, ¡°If I may be so bold as to ask, what sort of centaur are you?¡±


    ¡°The annoying kind,¡± Stryg tried taking off the saddle.


    ¡°He just doesn¡¯t know my true value yet, I¡¯ll give him a day,¡± Rhian smirked.


    ¡°Oh, uh, please let me help with that!¡± Gwen rushed to his side.


    Stryg stepped away and let her remove the stirrups and saddle.


    ¡°I am Rhiannon, a show horse of the Swift Winds,¡± she raised her arms up high, as if to the cheers of an invisible crowd.


    ¡°The Swift Winds?¡± Gwen¡¯s eyes widened to saucers.


    That famous establishment only accepted VIPs. To even buy the cheapest of centaurs there would require connections of powerful Houses. Gwen didn¡¯t think they were lying. After all, only a very expensive breed could have such leg power combined with nimbleness. Gwen glanced at the goblin? How was he able to get his hands on such an incredible centaur? Who was he?


    ¡°Some people from Swift Winds will be dropping off a shipment of food later today,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to receive it, sir. I won¡¯t fail either of you,¡± Gwen swore. This was a dream come true. She was actually able to talk to a showhorse.


    ¡°Alright. Rhian, I¡¯m heading inside, I¡¯ll see you in the morning, let¡¯s hope you can handle a steady gait by then,¡± Stryg went to the gate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯ll make a rider out of you yet!¡± Rhian called out.


    Stryg hissed at her, then left.


    Rhian frowned, ¡°Do goblins normally do that?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Gwen said.


    ~~~


    ¡°Remember how I told you I was thinking of picking up a hobby?¡± Feli said over the dinner table.


    ¡°Yeah, you said you were bored just being in the apartment all day,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°Right, well, I¡¯m thinking of investing in the trade business. I¡¯m not sure what merchandise yet, I¡¯ll have to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°You mean like caravans?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. It¡¯s an expensive venture to invest in, but the rewards are quite lucrative. I think it¡¯s a great way to start building up our wealth. I mean, we are literally in the city of trade. Why not take advantage of it?¡±


    Stryg put his spoon down as he pondered the idea, ¡°You make a good point. We should take advantage of whatever strengths we can. But, I don¡¯t know anything about trading. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but we can always hire a caravan broker to help us with that sort of stuff. Plenty of people go to the merchant academy for that sort of thing. It won¡¯t be hard to find some middle-class graduate to help us.¡±


    The word graduate struck a chord in Stryg¡¯s mind. Plum had just graduated a few weeks ago, but she had explicitly told Kithina for Stryg to not attend. He wondered how Plum was doing. What sort of pain she must be feeling. How much did she hate him? Was she willing to kill him? If so, would he have to be on guard in case she tried? Could he kill her? Plum¡¯s smile flashed in his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    Feli noticed the brooding look begin to overcome her lover.


    ¡°So, how was your day?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Eventful,¡± Stryg said through a mouthful of soup.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I rode on a centaur.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! I¡¯ve always wanted to ride one myself. Where did you ride one?¡± Feli leaned over the table, eager to hear more.


    ¡°Master Loh¡¯s centaur, Ruby. It was a bit uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know why people like to ride them. You can¡¯t even see in front of you, instead you have to trust them to lead the way. I thought the whole thing would be more glorious.¡±


    Feli leaned back in her chair, ¡°Well, maybe if you had your own centaur you¡¯d be able to trust them more.¡±


    ¡°Nope, definitely not.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Feli raised an eyebrow.


    Stryg just kept eating.


    ¡°Stryyyyg, did you buy a centaur?¡±


    He still kept eating.


    ¡°Oh gods, you did, didn¡¯t you?¡± Feli squeaked, ¡°This is great! What¡¯s his name? What is he like? Where is he? The sun¡¯s still out, the three of us should go out for a ride.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Rhiannon, or Rhian for short. She¡¯s in the stables out back. And she¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°...You bought a female centaur?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Any particular reason?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    Stryg stood up, ¡°I¡¯m finished, thanks for the food. I¡¯m going to head to bed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you never go to sleep this early,¡± Feli narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I have to get up early tomorrow. I¡¯m heading on a trip with Master Loh.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°A few weeks, months maybe, I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±


    Feli rubbed her temple, Stryg never failed to surprise her with the most abrupt news.


    ¡°I see, well, I suppose Miss Loh has your best interests at heart,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°...Yes, I think she does. It¡¯s weird to believe it,¡± Stryg chuckled.


    Feli smiled sadly, he still struggled believing others cared for him. She had told him she loved him, but he had not said a word about it.


    Feli got up from her chair and kissed him, ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you, a lot.¡±


    Stryg blinked. He picked her up by the legs and threw her over his shoulder.


    ¡°Help, a fiend is kidnapping me!¡± Feli cried out playfully.


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Stryg spanked her butt.


    Feli giggled as they went to the bedroom.


    ~~~


    After several rounds in bed, Feli admitted defeat, and after several more rounds, Stryg accepted her surrender. They lay in bed exhausted, Feli far more so.


    She found herself playing with Stryg¡¯s grey hair. His hair practically glowed silver in the moonlight. She loved running her fingers through his hair. An hour later, Feli threw on a bathrobe and headed towards the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Stryg yawned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a quick chat with Rhian before you both leave tomorrow. You can head back to sleep, I¡¯ll be back in bed before you know it.¡±


    ¡°If anything happens just scream, I¡¯ll hear you,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Feli jumped back on the bed and kissed him on the cheek, ¡°My hero.¡±


    ¡°A tribe protects their own,¡± he grumbled and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 79: Late Night Visit

    Chapter 79: Late Night Visit


    Feli knocked on the stable gate, ¡°Hello, is anyone there?¡±


    There would normally at least be one person on night duty at the stables.


    A brunette popped out from the back, ¡°Good evening, I¡¯m Gwen. How can I help you?¡±


    She raised her room key, ¡°Hi, my name is Feli, I¡¯m at room 305. I just wanted to check on my fianc¨¦¡¯s centaur, Rhian.¡±


    ¡°You must be Stryg¡¯s fiance, then?¡± Gwen opened the gate.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Right this way, please. I have to say I¡¯ve never seen such a pristine centaur up close, I promise I¡¯ll do my best to take care of her. She¡¯ll have my full undivided attention,¡± Gwen prattled on.


    A few of the nearby centaurs complained. Gwen made quick bows of apology. She felt bad for the others, but Rhian deserved all the attention she could spare.


    They finally arrived at one of the last stalls. Rhian lay on the floor, her back resting on some hay.


    ¡°Sorry, there is only hay, the stable didn¡¯t have anything else left. I promise I¡¯ll bring some proper blankets tomorrow,¡± Gwen fidgeted.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Feli nodded.


    Rhian looked up at the visitors, ¡°Miss Gwen, who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°This is Miss Feli, your master¡¯s fianc¨¦,¡± Gwen opened the stall door.


    Rhian stood and bowed, ¡°Forgive this One for not recognizing you, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Wow, you really are gorgeous, I love your black fur, it''s so sleek,¡± Feli stared with bright eyes.


    ¡°Her hair even more so,¡± Gwen chipped in. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any spots on her coat either. Most centaurs have discoloration in their coat. The fact that all her coat is jet black is a testament to her incredible pedigree.¡±


    Rhian did a little twirl, ¡°Indeed, I have been raised to be the pinnacle of my species.¡±


    Feli¡¯s mouth twisted as she held back a laugh, ¡°I like you.¡±


    Rhian smiled, she knew she could win people over in seconds. Stryg was just an anomaly.


    ¡°Gwen, can you give us some privacy for a bit, please,¡± Feli closed the stall gate behind her.


    ¡°O-of course. I¡¯ll be at the other end of the stable if you need me,¡± Gwen bowed and left.


    Feli¡¯s smile disappeared. She walked around Rhian, eyeing her closely, ¡°I can see why Stryg chose you.¡±


    ¡°Because, I am the best,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°At least in one department, that¡¯s for certain,¡± Feli eyed her enormous bust.


    The jacket did nothing to hide Rhian¡¯s breasts, instead it accentuated them by squeezing them together.


    ¡°May I ask how this One can help you, this evening?¡± Rhian tilted her head. Was the human looking for comfort? She was only prepared to do such activities with her Master, but she didn¡¯t think she could turn down Feli, either.


    ¡°I need you to promise me something,¡± Feli said with a cold voice.


    Rhian swallowed, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you to protect Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Feli clasped her hands behind her back, ¡°Stryg is a prideful individual and he is prone to fighting. I don¡¯t know what you will face outside the city. I know it¡¯s dangerous. ...Stryg almost died once. I can¡¯t let that happen again. But, I¡¯m not strong, I don¡¯t have magic, nor am I a warrior. So, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Mistress¡­¡±


    Feli bowed deeply, ¡°I know it is selfish of me, but please, protect Stryg. Even if it is dangerous, do not let him die. Even if you are scared of death, you must value his life above all others including your own.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s jaw dropped. She had never seen a human bow to a centaur or anyone bow to a centaur for that matter. She was a beastkin, an incredible creature deserving of praise, for certain. But deserving of respect? To this degree? It was unheard of.


    Rhian grabbed Feli¡¯s hand hesitantly, ¡°Mistress, please there is no need to bow. I am afraid you misunderstand. I am not suited for battle, if we ever encounter even the slightest hint of danger you can be sure I¡¯ll run away. No one is as fast as me. I will not let Master be injured. You do not have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Although, I''m not sure Stryg will let you run, please do try to keep him away from danger if you can,¡± Feli rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°You can count on me,¡± Rhian grinned broadly.


    ~~~


    Stryg studied Feli¡¯s sleeping face with intent focus. The sun¡¯s rays were just beginning to peek out above the horizon. He would soon have to leave. He probably wouldn¡¯t see her face for months. The thought bothered him more than he imagined possible. He did not want to leave Feli behind, but he knew he had no choice.


    Someday, he would have enough power to make any choice he wished. He wouldn¡¯t have to give up anything. He¡¯d even erase the aching pain in his chest. He wouldn¡¯t lose anyone again.


    ¡°Someday,¡± he swore.


    Feli¡¯s lips twisted, her eyes opened blearily. Stryg gently brushed away her violet hair and caressed her olive-toned cheek.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Feli mumbled.


    ¡°Time for me to head out,¡± Stryg kissed her on the lips.


    ¡°Already? What about your clothes and gear?¡± She sat up.


    ¡°I already packed my clothes and a few other things. Loh will bring the rest of the gear,¡± he headed towards the door.


    ¡°Stryg, wait a second!¡± Feli ran up to him and hugged him tightly, his head tucked in between her chest. ¡°Take care of yourself and please, don¡¯t be too rash.¡±


    Stryg slowly wrapped his arms around her, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring her scent. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon and more powerful than before.¡±


    ¡°Prioritize your safety first, okay? A mage with a broken arm is as weak as they come.¡± Feli smirked.


    ¡°It was one time,¡± Stryg rolled his eyes. He stepped back, grabbed his backpack, and turned to leave.


    Feli watched from the bedroom as he reached the front door. With the softest of breaths she whispered, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears caught the confession. He paused for a brief moment, but didn¡¯t look back. He turned the knob and left.


    ~~~


    Gwen was busy brushing Rhian¡¯s coat with fervent dedication when Stryg stopped by.


    ¡°Good morning, Master,¡± Rhian smiled brightly.


    ¡°Oh, good morning, Mister Stryg,¡± Gwen made a quick bow. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t ask, but Rhiannon is a very well groomed centaur, so I thought I might as well give her a morning brush. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Gwen sighed in relief.


    ¡°She¡¯s been a wonderful caretaker, a bit of a greenhorn, but she makes up for it with enthusiasm,¡± Rhian judged.


    While others may have taken offense at the critique, Gwen could not be more honored. She smiled, ¡°Will you be taking Rhiannon out for a ride?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get her saddled up right away,¡± Gwen put the brush down and scurried off.


    ¡°I heard Feli went to see you last night, did anything happen?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Just a little chat. She was quite nice, if a little surprising. But, I must say she is quite pretty, a suitable Mistress,¡± Rhian pointed out.


    ¡°Why are you talking about pretty looks? You''re stuck with me as your rider, not her,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°But, Master is quite handsome himself, so it works out either way. Actually, cute would be more of an apt term,¡± Rhian cocked her head.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Just because I¡¯m small doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m cute,¡± Stryg frowned. He hated when people tried making fun of him.


    Rhian studied him with her grey eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s your cheeks, they still have a bit of baby fat. Your button nose completes the ensemble, anyone with eyes could see you''re cute. Actually, how old are you?¡±


    With a nimble step Stryg jumped up in front of Rhian. His other foot landed on her abdomen and his left hand gripped her shoulder for balance. His right hand shot out and wrapped around her throat, his claws pricking at her skin. His face was only an inch from Rhian¡¯s stunned face.


    ¡°Call me cute one more time,¡± Stryg hissed.


    Rhian swallowed. ¡°Is that a threat or a command?¡± Was her Master into sadism play? If so, she was going to have a painful trip.


    Gwen cleared her throat.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped towards the door.


    ¡°Am I interrupting something? I can come back later...¡± Gwen blushed.


    Stryg released Rhian and landed on the floor, ¡°Stay. I need you to get the saddle on as soon as possible, I have a meeting to keep.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gwen nodded and went to work.


    Rhian rubbed her neck and shoulder. Her Master hadn¡¯t broken her skin, from the quick exchange she knew that his sharp claws could have easily torn her flesh. Despite his quick turn to anger it seemed he showed remarkable precision. She stared at Stryg who sat crossed-legged outside the stall, his eyes closed.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gwen whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Rhian tied her hair in a ponytail. Her Master kept surprising her, she was beginning to doubt that was a good thing.


    After a few minutes Gwen was finished. Stryg walked back in and looked Rhian over. The showhorse, accustomed to the treatment, spread her arms out and turned in a circle, so as to give the most optimal viewing.


    Gwen noticed Stryg¡¯s eyes lingered on Rhian¡¯s massive bust. The jacket really did nothing for her modesty. Although, from Rhian¡¯s smirk it seemed she liked the attention.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Rhian bent her legs.


    Stryg reached over and hopped on with ease. The difficult part was trying to stay on the saddle. With slight hesitancy his feet found the stirrups.


    ¡°Are you ready, Master?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Rhian shot to her feet, Stryg cursed silently at the jostling movement. Gwen smiled in sympathy.


    ¡°When should I expect your return? Later this morning or in the afternoon? If the latter, I¡¯ll stop by my house to bring some extra blankets for Rhiannon,¡± Gwen offered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few weeks, probably. Let¡¯s go,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Eh,¡± Gwen¡¯s smile fell.


    Rhian trotted away.


    ~~~


    For once, Loh was on time. She watched Stryg ride up on Rhian, with only a bit of nervousness on his face. He¡¯d get the hang of riding, eventually.


    ¡°You two look well rested,¡± Loh noted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s enough,¡± Stryg said as he gripped the reins.


    Maximus wore platemail over his upper chest and held a long two-sided battle axe in both hands. Stryg could barely make out his eyes through the steel visor. The centaur was one of the most intimidating creatures he had ever seen, it made Stryg uncomfortable if not a tad hostile.


    Maximus had to turn his tall frame in order for Stryg to even see Loh. Rhian walked up next to Maximus so that their riders could speak face to face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we could bring armor,¡± Stryg complained.


    ¡°Relax, I brought some leather armor for Rhian and you, it¡¯s in one of my packs,¡± Loh patted one of the various packs Maximus had tied around him.


    ¡°Why leather armor?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    Loh wagged her finger, ¡°Rhian would struggle travelling long distances while having to carry around your weight and two sets of plate armor, not to mention all your other gear. Besides, magi don¡¯t wear heavy armor, it¡¯s cumbersome, and that¡¯s especially true for orange magi, like us. And don¡¯t even get me started on gauntlets, they meddle with our spell casting more than you¡¯d think.¡±


    ¡°Looking like a true warrior, Max,¡± Rhian tapped his ironclad shoulder. ¡°You know I¡¯m not made for this kind of stuff. I¡¯ll trust you to take care of all that barbaric fighting stuff, while we watch from afar.¡±


    Maximus took Rhian¡¯s arm and pushed it away, ¡°You may not have been born for battle, but it has chosen you just the same. Do not dishonor yourself with cowardice.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Rhian curled her lips.


    "Oh, that reminds me,¡± Loh grabbed the lance hanging from Maximus¡¯ side. ¡°This is for you Rhian. I know you''re not trained in weapons, but I figured it¡¯d be easy enough to use. Just stab them with the sharp end and if you miss just swing and whack them with it.¡±


    Rhian grabbed the lance hesitantly, ¡°Thank you?¡± Did they really expect her to fight?


    Loh reached to Maximus¡¯ other side and grabbed a spear, ¡°And this is for you Stryg. I remembered it¡¯s your preferred weapon of choice.¡±


    Stryg grabbed the spear with care, he looked it over with bright eyes. He had only been practicing with mock spears at the academy, but this was the real thing. How he missed actual spears.


    ¡°The shaft is made of white ash and the spear head is steel. It may look simple, but it¡¯s quality work,¡± Loh explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Stryg said in admiration.


    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s get going,¡± Loh stretched her arms. ¡°Dusk Valley awaits.¡±

 Chapter 80: Outside the Wall

    Chapter 80: Outside the Wall


    Stryg looked over the black gate as Loh spoke with the stationed guards. People of all sorts stood in lines, waiting to leave or enter the great city. Some of the folk wore fancy clothes and rode on centaurs. Others wore tattered clothes with various patchwork and stood on their own two feet.


    The whole exchange reminded Stryg of when he first arrived in Hollow Shade. He had been so terrified, afraid he would be sold off in this unknown place. Now he was a mage novice, apprenticed to one of the most talented magi in all the Realm. How things had changed.


    ¡°Stryg, come on!¡± Loh waved him over.


    The guards ushered others in line to the side to make room for the mage duo. Stryg¡¯s lips curled, being a mage truly had its benefits. He gave one last look back at the city that had become his home. He would return soon enough, hopefully by then Plum would stop avoiding him and give them a chance to talk. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say to her, but he missed her company more than he would like to admit.


    ¡°Come on lover boy, you¡¯ll get to see Feli soon enough. We¡¯re losing daylight, hurry up,¡± Loh called out.


    Stryg frowned. He didn¡¯t know what a lover boy was, but from Loh¡¯s tone he knew he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian tilted her head back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Stryg sighed.


    Rhian trotted over to Maximus and followed him into the black tunnel and through the gate. They emerged on the other side to the sight of a dirt road, tall green grass, and endless hills in the distance.


    The open plains still unnerved Stryg to no end. How could people live in a place so open without any natural defences surrounding them?


    Large crowds walked down the road, heading towards the city. Stryg even saw several clusters of wagons, each holding a flag. He supposed these were the trade caravans he had heard about. It was interesting how he knew what all these people meant now. When he had first arrived they had all just seemed strange and outworldly to him.


    ¡°Let us get off the main road for now. We don¡¯t want a lot of people where we¡¯re going,¡± Loh said. She tugged on the reins lightly, directing Maximus to the Southwest.


    Stryg tried emulating her and tugged on Rhian¡¯s reins, but he accidentally pulled too hard, yanking her neck backwards.


    Stryg cleared his throat. ¡°Uh, forward?¡±


    Her head leaning back, she stared at him upside down, ¡°Yeah, I got that.¡±


    She straightened her back and cantered over to the armored Maximus, away from the crowds of folk surrounding the city gates.


    Stryg looked up at Loh, ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡±


    ¡°Away from people. The less people we see the better.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to show me more of Dusk Valley,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Loh nodded.


    ¡°I thought that meant taking me to some of the towns or villages nearby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll get to that soon enough, although I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like them very much. Let¡¯s just say goblins are treated worse there than they are in the city,¡± Loh pursed her lips.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Stryg¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    Rhian could tell something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t think it was the time to speak up. She wasn¡¯t sure really what would set the two off, sometimes they would smile or laugh and then a second later they would be choking her. The master and apprentice were an enigma to her.


    Loh stretched her arms, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Stryg, you are a mage, you¡¯ll just have to remind the common rabble of what that means. Besides, we aren¡¯t going there just yet. First, we are off to find some root-bison.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh chuckled, ¡°I sometimes forget you grew up in Vulture Woods. Root-bison are an elemental species. They live in large herds across the Valley. They channel their innate life magic through their hooves into the ground as they roam the land. The bison are one of the main reasons the Valley¡¯s grass is still green, despite the cold weather we get most year around.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to hunt them?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°One or two, perhaps. We¡¯ll observe the herds if we can, I¡¯ve always found practical experience better than books. You can learn quite a bit from the root-bison if you pay enough attention.¡±


    ¡°I will not fail you,¡± Stryg swore. He was done with failing.


    ¡°Speaking of learning and failing, it is time you learn how to cast orange magic properly,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes were bright with excitement.


    ¡°Yeah, although I can only teach you so much while riding. You¡¯ll get a chance to practice casting when we make camp for the evening.¡±


    ¡°Understood, master,¡± Stryg could not help but grin.


    Loh looked at the horizon. ¡°It¡¯ll be some time before we get a chance to see a root-bison. For now, let¡¯s start with the basics of orange. Like the other chromatics, orange mana bonds with two elemental mana, in its case, the fire and air element.¡±


    Loh smirked, ¡°You are already quite familiar with the combination of fire and orange mana, the flame spell form. While quite powerful in terms of damage output, flame spells have two major weaknesses. The first is that flame spells are very volatile and can easily be disrupted if you are not focused while casting.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Stryg stared at his hand, he remembered when he first cast a flame spell. His hand was burned for weeks. It was only thanks to healing spells and his own regenerative capabilities that he was able to recover.


    Loh raised her hand¡¯s index and middle fingers, ¡°The second weakness is that flame magic requires enormous amounts of mana even for the smallest spells. And it¡¯s not like you can use other color mana to fuel your orange spells.¡±


    ¡°In other words my magic is a lot more limited than I previously thought,¡± Stryg surmised.


    ¡°Something like that. A large aspect of being a mage is knowing when and which spell to cast to accomplish your goal. For example, say a green mage wishes to kill an incoming enemy. Now, they could use the flora spell form to transform a small seed into a large thorny vine to wrap around their enemy and crush them.¡±


    ¡°Seems fairly simple,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Perhaps in terms of damage, then yes, it is a very simple way to kill an enemy. However, in execution it is anything but simple. The amount of mana and concentration it would take to create such a large vine is immense. The caster¡¯s mind would be fatigued, their body exhausted, and their green mana reserves drained. All for the sake of killing one single enemy.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head, ¡°So, what would you suggest?¡±


    Loh pulled out a coin from her pouch, ¡°The green mage instead could have grabbed a few rocks from the ground, about the size of this coin. Then, using the stone spell form, shoot the rocks at a high speed at the enemy¡¯s head, killing them instantly. Granted, shooting multiple rocks at such speeds requires much more focus and skill, and the amount of mana required to throw the rocks at those speeds is no small feat either. Nonetheless, it would still be far less mana than the vine method.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°Well, what if the green mage can only use one spell form?¡±


    Loh smiled, ¡°Good question. If the mage could only use flora spells, then they could create smaller vines from the ground, tripping and rooting the feet of their enemy. At which point they could attack them from afar, simply by throwing fist-sized rocks at them, no magic needed. If the mage could only use the stone spell form, then the previous method still applies. It¡¯d be best to throw small rocks than one giant rock. Either way a rock through the skull would kill anyone, the only difference is that the smaller rock conserves more mana.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet for a while as he contemplated her words. The crowds of people disappeared in the distance. The sea of grass began to encircle them all around, soon even Hollow Shade disappeared in the horizon.


    Rhian felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw her home vanish. She really didn¡¯t want to travel this far from the great city, from civilization, from safety.


    Stryg turned to Loh, ¡°What if someone has various spell forms at their disposal?¡±


    Loh pointed her finger at him, ¡°You mean a manifold mage, like us? You have a lot more options as a manifold mage.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll have an easier time then,¡± Stryg smiled.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°You would think so, but no. It¡¯s actually far more difficult for a manifold mage to properly use their powers. You have to be able to decide on the spot which color and spell form is most apt for your current predicament. In your case, you may have more leeway for mistakes since you have large reserves of mana in each of your colors, but being a manifold mage means you also have many more chances to make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, being a manifold mage is just great,¡± Stryg groaned.


    Loh laughed, ¡°You have no idea.¡± Her face grew somber, ¡°Especially in your case.¡±


    ¡°So you keep telling me.¡± Stryg sighed, But, you don¡¯t tell me why.


    Rhian glanced between both magi, trying to understand the change of mood, but she failed to pick up on any hidden cues. She looked over at Maximus, hoping he could shed some light, but the serious centaur simply stared on ahead without any particular concern of his companions.


    She looked ahead and rolled her eyes, this would be a long trip indeed.


    ~~~


    The centaurs kept walking until the sun began to dip over the horizon. Loh called for the group to stop once they reached the top of a hill. She ordered Maximus to dig a hole for a fire pit while Rhian gathered grass to burn. Stryg and Loh sat cross-legged next to each other, eyes closed in meditation.


    Rhian grumbled to herself, she wasn¡¯t a workhorse. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be walking about the Valley gathering grass. Not to mention this whole thing would be easier if she had a sickle, which had been conveniently forgotten.


    After setting up the bed rolls and another hole for relieving oneself, camp was declared complete. Rhian sat down on the soft grass and watched Maximus slowly, but methodically remove his armor plates. She was grateful she didn¡¯t have to carry around such heavy equipment, her master was already heavy enough.


    ¡°How is your meditation going?¡± Loh asked with closed eyes.


    ¡°Honestly?¡± Stryg opened his eyes, ¡°Better than ever before. It¡¯s a lot easier to meditate without so much noise everywhere.¡±


    Loh cracked an eye open, ¡°I forgot, your ears are quite sensitive. It must be hard to meditate at home. How well do the rotundas at the academy help?¡±


    ¡°The meditation domes? It¡¯s true they do a nice job of blocking out sound, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    Stryg eye¡¯s flitted over at Rhian¡¯s chest, ¡°Let¡¯s just say they have other distractions.¡±


    Loh stood up and dusted off her pants, ¡°Well, enough meditating for now.¡±


    Stryg rose to his feet, ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°The sun¡¯s light is almost completely gone,¡± Loh reached into one of the packs next to Maximus and pulled out a firelog. She threw the log over the piled grass in the pit the centaur had dug.


    ¡°I want you to light the fire, not with flint. I want you to use a flame spell,¡± Loh finished.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg took a deep breath and crouched next to the pit.


    Rhian watched with curiosity, would she get a chance to see actual magic? Even Maximus looked interested.


    Loh walked up behind Stryg, ¡°Remember what I¡¯ve been telling you these past few hours. What is your goal?¡±


    ¡°To light the fire,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And what exactly do you need to achieve that?¡±


    Stryg looked at his palm, ¡°Only a small flame.¡±


    ¡°Good. I know you haven¡¯t been able to practice much with flame magic, but now is your chance. You have to control the amount of mana flow within your body, you only need a small amount of orange mana.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    He imagined what the spell would look like. The size of the flame, its heat, how it would flicker above his palm. He then thought of the drow professor Rime and his annoyingly stern face. Orange mana began to flood from his heart and into his veins. It was too much. Stryg¡¯s brow furrowed, he needed to lessen the amount, else the spell would fail.


    Stryg¡¯s soft-pointed ears twitched. A soft rumbling echoed in the distance. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t hear anything,¡± Loh arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°I can hear something, it¡¯s like thunder. I¡¯ve never heard anything like it,¡± Stryg tilted his head to the side.


    Rhian and Maximus turned in the same direction.


    ¡°I can hear it too,¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°Same,¡± Maximus agreed.


    After another few moments Loh smiled, ¡°I hear it now.¡±


    She looked over at the horizon, the last rays of the sun were gone, and the full moon was in bloom. It wasn¡¯t much light, but coupled with her shadow spells, it would be enough.


    Loh hopped on Maximus. ¡°Stryg, are you up for some night hunting?¡±


    Stryg grinned.

 Chapter 81: Dire Bison

    Chapter 81: Dire Bison


    The moonlight bathed the darkened hills in silver shades. Stryg and Loh rode up on their centaurs and peaked their heads over a hill, the tall grass serving as cover. A herd of root-bison marched between the hills. Patches of glowing lime light shivered across their dark brown fur in waves. Specks of yellow light traveled through their grey horns and chestnut brown eyes.


    But, it was the root-bisons¡¯ hooves that took Stryg¡¯s breath away. The hooves were a pale white, practically bursting in golden light with each step. The grass soaked up the life mana as the herd tread by, leaving the grass behind more vibrant than before.


    ¡°There are so many of them,¡± Rhian marveled in awe.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know creatures could make such a sound,¡± Stryg muttered at the sight of the rhythmic beating of hooves plodding into the ground.


    ¡°I thought root-bison only moved in the day, why are they active now?¡± Maximus asked.


    ¡°They could be chased by a predator, but they aren¡¯t particularly moving fast, so it¡¯s unlikely.¡± Loh stared up at the sky, ¡°It¡¯s a full moon tonight though, a lot of creatures act differently during nights like this. The root-bison are probably no different.¡±


    ¡°I remember the animals in Vulture Woods would act strange during the full moon too,¡± Stryg nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Still, this is good for us,¡± Loh said. ¡°Root-bison do not have great vision, especially at night. I can enhance my vision with my shadow magic and you have perfect night vision, we have the advantage.¡±


    ¡°Except we don¡¯t have good night vision,¡± Rhian pointed between herself and Maximus.


    ¡°True, but it is a full moon. There should be enough light for you not to trip and fall,¡± Loh grinned. ¡°Just get us close to the root-bison and we¡¯ll do the rest.¡±


    Rhian bit her lower lip, but said nothing. Stryg noticed she was shivering. She was afraid. He knew the feeling well, but tonight was not a night for fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have another advantage,¡± Stryg patted her back.


    ¡°Which is?¡± Rhian looked at him.


    ¡°We have the element of surprise,¡± Stryg smiled wide, his small fangs glinting in the moonlight.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Loh agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll approach from the back of the herd and try to pick off one of the stragglers. Bison meat is quite delicious.¡±


    ¡°What about those large ones?¡± Maximus pointed at a few of root-bison far larger than the rest.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Rhian asked with wide eyes.


    Even if it was his first time seeing the root-bison, Stryg knew what they were immediately. ¡°Dire creatures. They are born larger and stronger than the rest of their kin. They appear in most species, always rare, sometimes extremely rare, depending on the species.¡±


    ¡°Judging from the dozen or so dire root-bison down there I¡¯m gonna say they aren¡¯t that rare in this species,¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    The dire bison stood at about 12 feet tall. They were spread about the herd, most were in the front, but a few trailed in the back, ensuring no stragglers were left behind.


    ¡°We want to avoid the dires. One bison will be more than enough for now. This will serve as good practice for your flame spells,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg looked at her in surprise, ¡°You want me to burn them? I can¡¯t even light a campfire properly.¡±


    Loh shook her head, ¡°You seem to struggle with small precise spells. That¡¯s fine, everyone has their weaknesses. For now we¡¯ll focus on your strengths and take this in parts. Instead of focusing on small and precise, we¡¯ll only focus on precise. I saw how you cast that flame spell during your final exam. I know you have power within you. You just have to channel it properly this time.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t the bison be spooked by the fire?¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh winked, ¡°Relax, I have a plan. So long as we only focus on one root-bison we¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll encircle them in shadows and pull them away from the herd. At which point you¡¯ll cast a large blast of fire. Just try not to burn them too bad, I do not want to eat burnt meat tonight.¡±


    ¡°...Understood, Master,¡± Stryg nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Maximus,¡± Loh ordered, her eyes alight with the hunt.


    ¡°Wait, can we think about this for a second? Like maybe this is a bad idea?¡± Rhian said in a trembling voice.


    ¡°The predator does not show fear,¡± Stryg gripped Rhian¡¯s reins.


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Rhian whined.


    Stryg bit into the soft skin of her nape. His sharp fangs digging in lightly.


    ¡°Ow! What was that for!?¡± Rhian yelled.


    ¡°It means we cannot be afraid tonight, we must endure our fears and our pain. This is a challenge. We are in it together and you are failing us right now,¡± Stryg admonished.


    Loh eyed her apprentice with a mix of pride and uncertainty. On one hand she was happy Stryg was always eager to face any test she gave him. On the other hand, it worried Loh how far he was willing to go to prove himself to her.


    Rhian caught the look on the drow¡¯s face. The centaur took a deep shaky breath, her Master was right, Loh was clearly testing them both. The pain on her neck must have been her Master¡¯s way of reminding her what was important. She needed to treat this like a performance, as if she was on stage in front of a crowd of cheering fans.


    ¡°Thank you for the pep talk, Master,¡± Rhian said earnestly. She may not like the situation, but she would perform remarkably no matter the odds.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Stryg nodded in approval.


    In truth, he had been eyeing Rhian¡¯s uncovered nape for a few hours now and was looking for any excuse to bite her. He licked his lips, he liked the taste. Stryg made a mental note to try and find other reasons to bite her in the future.


    The centaurs ran down the hill with swift steps and circled around to the back of the herd. The root-bison marched with a steady gait and didn¡¯t even seem to notice them.


    Loh singled out one of the slower bison and pointed at the straggling creature. Stryg caught the signal and urged Rhian forward. She shivered as they drew closer and closer to their prey.


    ¡°I wasn''t trained for this,¡± Rhian mumbled under her breath. She held her lance with trembling hands.


    ¡°Quiet, I need to focus,¡± Stryg whispered into Rhian¡¯s ear.


    Rhian rolled her eyes, she hated how he could seemingly hear everything.


    Stryg wrapped the reins around his arms and pulled himself up, slowly sliding his right foot out of the stirrup. He gingerly placed his right foot on the saddle and leaned to the side in order to have a better view of the bison target. The grass beneath him passed in a blur. He swallowed hard, this had seemed like such a good idea when he had thought of it ten seconds ago.


    Loh waved her hands in the air, shadows emerged from her arms and lurched forward, embedding into the bison¡¯s own shadow. The shadow darkened and began to encircle the creature¡¯s legs. Tangible shadows weren¡¯t durable enough to hold against the force of a root-bison¡¯s charge, but it was still enough to cause the creature to trip.


    The bison stumbled on the shadows and began to fall away from the rear of the herd. Before it fell, the bison shrugged the shadow tendrils off, regained its footing and hurried back to its kin.


    Loh cursed, she cast another shadow spell to trip the creature again. But, Stryg was too eager. He raised his hands and imagined burning the bison and slaying it in one blast. Orange mana surged into his veins with adrenaline close behind. Fire burst from his hand in a blare of orange light. The fire was far larger than Stryg had intended, the flames almost licking Rhian¡¯s side.


    She jerked back, taking Stryg with her. The quick movements jostled his hand, the stream of fire running out of control, bathing several bison in a swathe of flame. The burning bison shrieked in agony and rammed into one another. The herd panicked and began to run around in a frenzy.


    One of the dire bison in the back spotted the firestarter creature and charged right at him. Stryg was busy trying not to fall off the saddle, unaware of the impending attack.


    ¡°Shit! Maximus, get me to Stryg, now!¡± Loh shouted.


    Maximus bellowed a warcry and ran towards the goblin. He swung his battle axe in large arcs, slicing apart any bison that stood in his way. Loh cast blasts of fire to her sides, scaring off any bison trying to rush from the rear. A bison ran at Maximus, he raised his forelegs and kicked the bison¡¯s head to the side, nimbly dodging its horns.


    Stryg could feel his left foot slide out of the stirrup. Rhian twisted her upper body as best she could, reached out and caught Stryg by the hood of his cloak.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Rhian yelled. She grit her teeth and tried pulling him up, gods he was heavy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go, dammit!¡± Stryg shouted as he eyed the ground nearing his face.


    Rhian kept running while trying to lift him up. The dire bison pushed away the other bison and made a beeline towards them.


    ¡°Oh gods, I can¡¯t die here!¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes widened, she quickened her gallop.


    The change of pace only made it harder for Stryg to try and lift himself up, ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡±


    Rhian bent her legs and jumped to the left, Stryg flattened himself to her side, dodging the dire bison¡¯s charge by a hair''s breadth. The dire bison circled back for another charge.


    ¡°Coureis des vindur, coureis des vindur!¡± Stryg screamed.


    A jolt ran down Rhian¡¯s spine. They needed to live. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let Stryg die. She groaned and pulled as hard as she could, dragging Stryg up. He got back into the saddle, but he didn¡¯t have a chance to slip his feet into the stirrups.


    Stryg looked back at the dire bison, ¡°It¡¯s gaining on us!¡±


    Rhian was already on it. She focused on her breathing, her heartbeat, and her legs underneath, connecting her to the earth all around. She could feel the vibrations thundering about, she could practically sense the dire bison coming up from behind them. She needed to make space, she pushed her legs harder than ever before.


    The dire bison shook its head in frustration and charged low, its horns aimed at Rhian¡¯s hind legs. The beast was catching up. Stryg raised his hands to cast a flame spell, but to his horror realized he had emptied his orange reserves in the flashy blast of fire earlier.


    Stryg reached for his spear that hung from Rhian¡¯s side. He turned his body to face the incoming bison. The centaur¡¯s jostling movements made it difficult for him to aim. He only had one shot to stab the dire beast in the head. But, could he even pierce that thick skull with his spear? Was the spearhead sharp enough, did he have enough strength?


    An insane idea crossed his mind. He may have been out of orange mana, but he wasn¡¯t out of the other chromatic colors. Black magic wouldn¡¯t help him here, he could not create tangible shadows and necromancy was useless without a corpse and time. Grey¡¯s drain spell required long periods of physical contact and he had no idea how curse magic actually worked.


    What he needed was something else, something simple and direct. He needed unparalleled strength. He reached out for brown mana. The energy flowed into his veins, arms, and back.


    A vigor spell was simple in concept, the reinforcement of one¡¯s muscles to enhance one¡¯s strength. Stryg imagined his arms stronger than ever before, he imagined the mana seeping into his muscles and granting him power. The mana felt warm through his body, he raised his arm up high and aimed at the dire bison''s head.


    The mana fluctuated, Stryg¡¯s body felt hot, his muscles spasmed. He groaned in pain as his arms cramped. The spear slipped out of his hand and fell into the passing grass. He couldn¡¯t stop his stunned body from falling back into the saddle, his head bumping into Rhian¡¯s back.


    She glanced behind for a brief moment. Her master was motionless, in shock perhaps. He was not going to be able to help, she needed to protect him. The choice was obvious. She grabbed her dangling reins and threw them around Stryg¡¯s chest. Hopefully it would be enough to stop him from falling.


    A bolt of flame splashed over dire bison, it screamed in agony. Loh and Maximus approached from behind the creature.


    ¡°Now!¡± Loh yelled.


    Maximus leaped and hurled his axe at the dire bison¡¯s back. The double-sided axe flew through the air and sliced into the beast¡¯s upper hind leg.


    Rhian didn¡¯t waste a moment. Her heartbeat slammed into her chest, her breath was hot on her lips, the world seemed as if it had fallen in water, slowed and blurred. Yet, her focus and target were clear. She spun in a circle, gripped her lance tight, and thrust the steel tip straight into the dire-bison¡¯s skull. The lance tip pierced bone and brain in an instant.


    Rhian pushed the lance downwards, driving the dead bison into the ground. She skidded backwards with agile steps. The other root-bisons scattered off, rejoining the herd now in the distance. Maximus slowed to a halt.


    Loh jumped off and ran to her apprentice, ¡°Stryg, are you alright!?¡±


    ¡°His muscles are troubling him. Perhaps it¡¯s an adverse reaction to the flame magic he used earlier?¡± Rhian voiced in a cold tone. Her eyes scanned the area for any threats.


    Maximus removed his helmet and stared at her. He glanced at the lance stuck into the dire bison¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Rhian... that was a very well placed strike,¡± he furrowed his brow.


    Rhian tilted her head. That was a compliment, yes? From Maximus no less. That centaur rarely spoke and she had never heard him say a compliment to anyone. She should have been happy, proud even, but she felt nothing.


    Loh pulled Stryg¡¯s frozen body off Rhian¡¯s back. The drow checked his pulse and pulled off his shirt. The goblin¡¯s chest was a mixture of a soft cyan and splotches of bronze.


    ¡°How am I not surprised? Stryg will be fine. He just miscast, he¡¯ll be able to move in a while,¡± Loh ruffled his hair.


    Stryg groaned in protest.


    Rhian felt the strength drain from her body. Her legs trembled, she fell to her knees.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she sighed in relief.

 Chapter 82: Frost-Mist

    Chapter 82: Frost-Mist


    Rhian began to set up camp while Maximus butchered the dire bison¡¯s flesh into small slices. Stryg watched from the ground, his body only now beginning to regain movement. Loh sat next to him, surveying the centaurs.


    Rhian glanced over at the other centaur, ¡°Hey, do you remember if my Master said anything strange during the hunt?¡±


    ¡°No, I was too busy fighting. But, that little creature always says strange things. Just go ask him yourself,¡± Maximus shook his head.


    Rhian bit her lip and looked over at the two magi on the other side of camp.


    Loh spat out the strand of grass she had been chewing on,¡°So, care to tell me what exactly happened back there?¡±


    ¡°Rhian and I were being chased by the dire bison,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°I know, I was there. What I want to know is why you''re lying on the ground paralyzed.¡±


    ¡°I ran out of orange mana,¡± he said.


    ¡°Flame spells take massive amounts of mana, it¡¯s understandable how you wasted all your mana after that one huge blowout,¡± Loh nodded slowly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose. I tried being precise, but the flame came out larger than I expected. It almost hit Rhian, who freaked out, dragging me with her¡­ The whole spell went to shit.¡±


    ¡°I gathered as much,¡± Loh stared at the minor burns on his hand.


    While the magi spoke, Rhian left the camp and headed into the tall grass where the dead bison lay. Maximus began stabbing several slabs of meat onto some skewers.


    ¡°You may have botched up the orange spell, but it wasn¡¯t what left you in that paralyzed state,¡± Loh noted.


    Stryg stared up at the night sky for a few moments before he answered, ¡°All I had left was my spear. Grey and black magic wouldn¡¯t help me kill the beast. But, I knew I had other chromatic colors left.¡±


    ¡°So, you decided to cast brown magic, a vigor spell to be precise, judging from the bronze splotches on your skin.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like the best option at the time. I wasn¡¯t sure if the spear would be strong enough to pierce through the dire bison¡¯s thick skull. The added strength of the vigor spell would have ensured I killed it.¡±


    ¡°And instead you were left incapacitated and without a spear,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I felt the brown mana flowing through my body. I was focused, I knew what I wanted. Why did my spell fail?¡± Stryg clenched his jaw.


    Loh watched his frustration with sympathy, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The vigor spell form is one of the three body enhancement spells. It¡¯s not like casting a shadow or flame spell. A simple image of what you wish isn¡¯t enough, you need precise and deep understanding of your body as well. Not to mention enhancement spells place great strain on the body, doubly so if you miscast.¡±


    ¡°I almost got myself killed, got it,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Loh chuckled. She watched Rhian come towards them. ¡°Well, luckily you had your centaur cover for your mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that, what exactly did happen? I was a bit indisposed at the time,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°It was impressive to say the least. I thought Rhian would be more of a coward since she was trained to be a showhorse not a fighter. But, I was wrong. Right as the dire root-bison was about to attack, she spun around and used the momentum of the beast to stab her lance right through its skull. It was quite impressive honestly, I didn¡¯t think she had it in her.¡±


    He quietly listened to Loh''s words of praise. His frustration was slightly relieved by the retelling of his tribemate¡¯s feat.


    Rhian walked up to them, she held Stryg¡¯s spear in her hands. ¡°You dropped it earlier.¡±


    ¡°It seems Maximus is ready to cook. I¡¯ll light the fire,¡± Loh stood up. She patted Rhian¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Not bad today, kid. I may have been wrong about you.¡±


    Rhian couldn¡¯t help but smile as the drow walked away.


    ¡°You can just place the spear right over there,¡± Stryg stared at the weapon.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t have helped dropping it, but its loss still stung. A hunter losing their spear was a shame to his skill. He had already lost his spear once in Vulture Woods as he escaped the lamia cave and now it had happened again. What would the goblins of the Blood Fang tribe have said?


    What would the chief have said? That he was unworthy of the tribe. What would First Mother have said? That he was unworthy of life. Hell, even his late teacher Sigte would have been disappointed. For all his eccentricity, Sigte had never gone anywhere without his spear.


    Stryg closed his eyes tightly. It was best to not dwell on the past. Sigte was dead, and the other two wanted to see Stryg dead. There wasn¡¯t anything left for him in the Blood Fang tribe. All he had now was the Ebon Hollow tribe.


    ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± Rhian asked softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Are you sure? You seemed in pain earlier.¡±


    Stryg flopped his head to the side, away from Rhian, ¡°I said I was fine.¡±


    Rhian tapped the ground with her hoof, ¡°Um, can I ask you something?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°...What is it?¡±


    ¡°Back when we were being chased. What did you say exactly?¡±


    Stryg turned to look at her, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was right after the dire bison charged us. We barely got out unscathed. You shouted something. It was like ¡®Courish something vindu?¡¯ I think. I just wanted to know what it meant,¡± she fidgeted.


    He blinked, ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. How do you not remember?¡± Rhian cocked her head.


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°Oh, I remember almost getting skewered by a giant glowing horn. I just never said whatever you think I did. All I remember saying was ¡®run, faster dammit.¡¯¡±


    ¡°...Are you certain?¡± Rhian furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Stryg threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Oh? I can move my hands. The paralysis is finally wearing off.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s good, I¡¯m glad to hear it. If you¡¯ll excuse me, Master. I¡¯ll go finish setting up camp,¡± she bowed her head and began to walk away.


    ¡°Rhian, wait.¡±


    She paused, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°My flame spell almost hit you. That was a failure on my part. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Rhian smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing this centaur can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°The first meat skewers are ready,¡± Maximus called out.


    ¡°Care to help me get to the food?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll win you over yet,¡± Rhian winked, leaned down, and helped Stryg up.


    His legs still felt stiff, but he could manage to limp over with Rhian¡¯s help. As they drew close to the campfire he paused in his steps.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg stared into the grassy hills behind them, ¡°Something¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? The root-bison already left,¡± Rhian looked around.


    A cold breeze swept past them. The campfire flickered and was snuffed out in an instant.


    ¡°Ah, come on?¡± Loh groaned.


    A thick mist rolled up from below the hill, curling around the campsite. The swaying grass froze over in a sheet of rime. Maximus gradually reached for his battle axe.


    Loh shot to her feet, ¡°Stryg, get over here now!¡±


    ¡°Frost-mist,¡± Stryg muttered in fear.


    Rhian didn¡¯t waste another moment. Her Master may have been heavy, but she could still drag him. He didn¡¯t even fight back as she pulled him to the campfire.


    Rhian¡¯s eyes danced around looking for her lance. Where had she left it? She looked to the far left. Her eyes widened. The lance was still stuck in the dire boar¡¯s skull. Shit.


    ¡°What is this? Some sort of sorcery? A magical attack?¡± Maximus gripped his battle axe tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Be on guard,¡± Loh waved her hands in quick short movements, her fingers drawing in the air. Faint grey arcane symbols began to appear.


    ¡°It¡¯s frost-mist,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You know what this is? Tell us, quick,¡± Loh snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it in person, but I¡¯ve heard the stories,¡± Stryg took a deep breath. ¡°The mist isn¡¯t an attack, but a side effect. Frost-mist always follows one kind of creature alone.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Loh eyed the creeping mist.


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Frost wolves, the fabled harbingers of Lunae. They live up in the mountains. They are said to only leave their home to enforce Lunae¡¯s will. I grew up hearing stories of the occasional goblin hunter seeing a frost wolf come down from the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read about them before in a bestiary. Water elemental creatures, right? Native to Rupture Mountains,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they traveled so far out.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± Stryg said.


    A faint figure passed through the mist, but didn¡¯t step out.


    ¡°Okay, well, how many are there?¡± Loh asked.


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°They are normally solitary creatures, without a pack. But it¡¯s strange. I can¡¯t quite hear what¡¯s happening inside the mist. I think I hear more than one set of footsteps. I¡¯m guessing 2 to 4.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad,¡± Rhian said in relief.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t root-bison. If my memory serves me right, a frost wolf has a high danger rating. A single one could kill a dire bison without much difficulty,¡± Loh eyed the mist cautiously.


    ¡°Well, they are probably here for the bison meat right? There¡¯s plenty of bison meat to go around. They¡¯ll just take it and be on their way,¡± Rhian laughed nervously.


    ¡°Probably, there are a few carcasses lying around. Our bodies offer far less meat,¡± Maximus said.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, they¡¯re supposed to rely on instinct more than anything,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re all wrong,¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils dilated and constricted in rapid succession. ¡°Like I said before, frost wolves are said to be the harbingers of Lunae, you know, goddess of the moon? The Watcher, patron of goblins. Did I ever mention that I¡¯m a bad omen from Lunae?¡±


    ¡°What? So, like, you¡¯re cursed by the goddess or something?¡± Rhian winced.


    ¡°Stryg, we¡¯ve been over this, right? Gods aren¡¯t real,¡± Loh wrote grey sigils in the air.


    ¡°Right. But, if on the off chance they are, then we may all be dead,¡± Stryg tried to steady his shivering hands.


    ¡°Please, stop being so dramatic,¡± Loh rolled her eyes. ¡°Even if there are four wolves, I¡¯m a high-master mage and we have two centaurs with us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, if anything we can run away,¡± Rhian added.


    ¡°Frost wolves are some of the fastest creatures in all the Realm, I doubt we can escape,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t running, Stryg. We hold our ground,¡± Loh stated.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Maximus said sternly.


    A giant black paw stepped out from the mist, followed by a snarling snout, and cold-blue eyes. The frost wolf stood at about 9 feet, its white fangs clear in the moonlight.


    ¡°And of course it''s a dire frost wolf,¡± Rhian whined.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a dire frost wolf,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying they¡¯re all this big?¡± Rhian took a step back.


    As if on cue, frost wolves began to step out from the frost-mist, each the same height. Over two dozen appeared from the frost-mist and surrounded the camp. A few had brown fur, others grey, but most were black. Tendrils of cold mist wrapped around their fur, as if reluctant to leave them.


    ¡°Well, it was an honor,¡± Maximus said curtly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± Rhian whimpered.


    ¡°Not today!¡± Loh clapped her hands together, her curse spell finally completed.


    Glowing grey arcane symbols appeared around her and shot out, enveloping the frost wolves. The wolves growled and snapped as their movements were bound. A single icy howl pierced through the frost-mist. The grey arcane symbols shattered into dust, fading away.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not possible,¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened.


    The frost wolves stepped aside and bowed their heads. A frost wolf stepped out from the mist. It towered over the other wolves, standing at almost twice the size as the rest. Its pristine white fur practically glowed under the moonlight. Its silver eyes glared at the drow mage.


    ¡°And that must be the bloody alpha,¡± Loh gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Um, Master, I thought you said you¡¯ve never heard of dire frost wolves,¡± Rhian whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has lived to tell the tale,¡± Stryg swallowed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up just yet. This fight is far from over,¡± Loh¡¯s veins darkened, flames curled around her palms.


    The alpha frost wolf snarled.

 Chapter 83: Frost Wolves

    Chapter 83: Frost Wolves


    Loh looked around camp, they were surrounded by over two dozen frost wolves. Running away seemed a long shot at best. Fighting was the only viable option, but the odds were against them. Rhian was not trained to fight and Stryg was still recovering. They would be overwhelmed in an instant.


    The frost wolves stood around in a circle, not attacking, but not leaving either. Then there was the alpha. Loh had just spent most of her grey mana on a curse spell that had easily been destroyed. She wasn¡¯t even sure how the alpha had done it, nor what else it was capable of.


    The massive alpha wolf took a step forward and bared its fangs at Loh.


    ¡°The three of you, listen carefully,¡± Loh whispered.


    Stryg, Rhian, and Maximus glanced at her.


    ¡°When I give the signal I need the three of you to get as close as you can to me. You can¡¯t hesitate,¡± Loh whispered.


    This whole thing was a gamble, the strain it would put on her body alone was a danger, not to mention the risk of overheating. But, she had no choice, there were too many enemies, she couldn¡¯t defeat them all. She needed to thin their numbers. Loh took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She summoned all the orange mana within her heart, the immense power rushed through her veins and into her fingertips.


    ¡°Now!¡± Loh yelled.


    Rhian and Maximus dashed next to her. Stryg ignored his limp and dived towards them. A ring of flame blazed around them and surged forward in a blast of fire. The frost wolves turned away in a futile attempt to escape the inferno. But the alpha stood its ground and howled. A silver light formed a wall in front of the wolves as the frost-mist surged forth in a torrent, surrounding the fiery onslaught. The frost-mist shivered as the flames tried to break through to no avail.


    Loh¡¯s arm¡¯s trembled as she held the spell, it needed to work, there was no other way. She screamed in frustration. Rhian and Maximus grimaced from the heat.


    The fiery blaze was too bright for Stryg, he groaned in agony. The outer rings of his irises expanded, until his irises covered most of the eyes. His vision darkened, the world became bathed in black with silver outlines. The pain in his eyes was gone, but he could still feel the suffocating flames.


    Stryg looked at his companions, the heat was encroaching around them. It was becoming hard to breathe. The flames were absorbing all the air. If this kept up they wouldn¡¯t last. He looked at Loh, her body was ebon black with silver linings. Her eyes were wide in distress. He could see silver droplets of sweat covering her brow.


    ¡°Master! You have to stop!¡± Stryg shouted through the roaring flames.


    But, Loh wasn¡¯t listening, her will and focus all given to the spell. She had cast a spell meant to use all her power, all her orange mana placed into one grand attack.


    The frost-mist began to give way, evaporating in the heat. The silver light behind the mist stood strong, its power not crumbling in the slightest. The alpha wolf stared calmly at Loh with silver eyes.


    Loh Noir, high-master mage, screamed one last time. Her arms fell to her side. The flames died out, the last of her mana spent. She dropped to her knees, her body burning from within, the strain of the spell taking its toll. The heat of the flames only served to increase her temperature. Her vision swam, she was overheating.


    ¡°Master!¡± Stryg caught her before she tipped over.


    Loh slowly raised her head, she looked at Rhian with a tired gaze. ¡°Get Stryg out of here, I¡¯ll hold them off for as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Rhian bit her lip.


    ¡°N-no, you can¡¯t do this,¡± Stryg¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°I still have black mana,¡± Loh breathed roughly. Shadows creeped from under and wrapped around her knees.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯re in no condition to fight anymore. We have to escape. Together¡­ I can¡¯t run away, I can¡¯t abandon my allies, not again,¡± Stryg took a shaky breath.


    He could still remember the faces of his tribemates as the lamias attacked. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave Loh in the same circumstance.


    Loh gave him a half-hearted smile, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with regrets. But I told you, Stryg, you¡¯re my 1st priority. You need to live, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°We both do, now get up,¡± Stryg glanced at the frost wolves. They still stood behind the silver light. If they ran now, perhaps they had a chance.


    Loh shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t stand, I don¡¯t have the strength. Maximus, can you help me up for one final ride?¡±


    In response, Maximus scooped her up and placed her in the saddle, ¡°As I said, it was an honor. I could ask for no greater death than to fight against monsters.¡± He raised his battle axe.


    ¡°Our time was short, Maximus, but the honor was mine,¡± Loh grinned weakly. ¡°Rhian, get him out of here now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± Rhian pulled Stryg towards her.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Stryg struggled against her, his body still numb.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make an opening for you two. Don¡¯t look back, Stryg,¡± Loh said.


    Rhian pulled Stryg up in her arms, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Loh looked at her apprentice one last time, You¡¯re going to change this world.


    The silver light around the frost wolves faded away. The alpha wolf advanced. Stryg pushed Rhian away with all the strength he could muster. He fell to the ground and stumbled his way between Loh and the alpha wolf.


    He didn¡¯t want to die, so what was he thinking? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he moved anyway.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Loh screamed.


    Stryg raised his arms wide open, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my friends! I¡¯m the one you want. I¡¯m your goddess¡¯ bad omen. Fight me, but keep them out of this.¡±


    The alpha wolf stepped closer.


    ¡°Maximus, now!¡± Loh flicked her wrist, shadow tendrils firing out.


    Maximus yelled and jumped forward, over Stryg¡¯s head, axe swinging down at the alpha. The alpha howled, a faint silver sheen of wind roared forth, blasting Maximus and Loh away. Rhian¡¯s legs trembled, she couldn¡¯t move.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, he looked up at the alpha. The titanic wolf stared down at him, as if noticing his presence for the first time. It drew closer and walked right past him.


    The alpha wolf¡¯s maw opened wide and bit into the charred carcass of the dire root-bison. The other frost wolves followed suit and bit into the remaining root-bison carcasses lying about. The pack dragged the bison away and left within moments. The alpha gave them one last look and went on its way. Stryg and his companions watched the whole affair with an air of surreality.


    ¡°What... the?¡± Stryg muttered.


    Rhian¡¯s legs collapsed underneath her, she started sobbing.


    ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m alive, oh thank the fates,¡± Loh laughed in relief. ¡°I really thought I was going to die to some damn wolves.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Maximus stared at his battle axe that had landed a few inches from his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? They just left? They just wanted the meat?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Loh nodded sagely. ¡°They probably smelled the meat from miles away and came looking for it. I knew the meat could potentially attract predators, but you were paralyzed and the centaurs were exhausted after trying to save your dumbass. We had to set up camp here.¡±


    Stryg was too confused to note the insult. ¡°But, I was born a bad omen. Frost wolves are the servants of Lunae. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. Gods aren¡¯t real and those were just a bunch of dumb wolves hungry for a meal,¡± Loh stretched.


    ¡°Those dumb wolves dealt with you just fine,¡± Stryg pointed out.


    Loh¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Those are unfair comparisons. I was surrounded by over two dozen of them. I was forced to use large spread out spells to deal with them. Had it been a one versus one situation, I don¡¯t doubt I would have beaten them, even that dire frost wolf.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Stryg asked innocently.


    ¡°Hey, your eyes, they changed again.¡±


    ¡°You can tell?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve got those puppy eyes for some reason. I can barely see the whites, it¡¯s all just purple iris and black pupil,¡± Loh stared. ¡°This must be what the doctors saw after your fall.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense. Everything looks different again. Black and silver,¡± he examined his surroundings.


    ¡°What triggered the change?¡± Loh asked.


    He looked up in thought, ¡°It was really bright when you were casting the flame spell. My eyes hurt one second then they didn¡¯t, my vision had changed.¡±


    ¡°Was it the amount of light that caused the change? Or maybe the large amounts of fire or perhaps the immense exposure to mana?¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, I¡¯m not in pain, so I think it¡¯s fine. Can we talk about what just happened with those frost wolves. Like why are we still alive?¡±


    ¡°What is there to say? They were hungry, they wanted the bison meat, and couldn¡¯t care less about us. End of story,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°But, isn¡¯t that weird? I mean why not kill us? They clearly could have.¡±


    ¡°There was no point. Like you said, we were clearly not a threat and they didn¡¯t want to eat us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still weird,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Creatures behave strangely under full moons. Wolves are especially known to act differently,¡± Loh dusted off her pants.


    ¡°These weren¡¯t just wolves. They were frost wolves.¡±


    ¡°They are still a kind of wolf, aren¡¯t they?¡± Loh shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re trying to find some special reason in a place where there is none. Sometimes shit just happens and sometimes you just get lucky. Tonight was a bit of both.¡±


    Stryg threw his arms up in frustration and laid down on the burnt ground.


    Loh scratched her cheek, ¡°Look, all I know is that first thing tomorrow we are going to a tavern to get some actual rest. That and I burned all our supplies to a crisp.¡±


    ¡°...A soft bed does sound nice,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°First, you need to go check on Rhian,¡± Loh pointed at the crying centaur on the other side of camp.


    Stryg sighed, he really didn¡¯t want to deal with tears right now. Nonetheless, she was his tribemate, so he got back up and walked over. ¡°Rhian, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± Rhian asked, wiping the tears from her own eyes.


    ¡°It happens sometimes, don¡¯t worry about it. How are you holding up?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just need a minute is all. I was trained to perform, not battle. It¡¯ll take some time for me to get used to it. I promise I won¡¯t let you down,¡± she said with a shaky smile.


    Honestly, this whole thing was getting too much for her, but she couldn¡¯t say as much. She had confidently told her Master that she would win him over. But, now she had trouble even keeping a calm face. How could she be the best like this? She wished she had nerves of steel like Maximus. Despite everything, he was sitting down just meditating, although, strangely, he kept staring at his axe.


    Stryg sat down next to Rhian, ¡°...It¡¯s fine if you need a moment to collect yourself after a battle. We all do at some point. Tribemates aren¡¯t meant to work alone. It¡¯s a group effort.¡± Stryg ran his hands through his grey hair, ¡°I guess what I¡¯m saying is, wipe your tears, I¡¯ll cover you till then.¡±


    Rhian looked at him with surprise. She could have sworn he would have been angry. ¡°Master, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not referring to the one you just asked.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Did you mean what you said? Back when you faced the frost wolf.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stryg rested his back on her side.


    ¡°You told the alpha ¡®to not touch your friends.¡¯ Did you mean it? ...Are we friends?¡± Rhian laughed at herself, ¡°Can a centaur even be a friend with a chromatic species?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    Rhian clasped her hands tightly, ¡°But, I¡¯m an animal and you¡¯re not.¡±


    Stryg laughed, ¡°The way I see it, we are all animals. Sure, some of us can use magic, others are smarter. But we all still need to eat, we all still bleed. What difference does it make if at the end of the day we all belong to the same food chain? The greater predator eats the weaker ones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty morbid when you put it like that,¡± Rhian chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s just the way the world is. The strong rule the weak. It¡¯s why you¡¯re here and not performing in some fancy show, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s because you bought me from Swift Winds,¡± Rhian raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°True, but the point still stands. The stronger one gets what they want and I wanted you to be a part of my tribe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess the strong do get what they want,¡± Rhian nodded. ¡°...Do you think this world could ever be different?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure the world can ever change. Those are thoughts for civics people, philosophers or whatever Callum calls them. I¡¯m just a goblin trying not to be a prey.¡± Stryg grabbed her arm, ¡°Don¡¯t let all of this confuse you. You saved me today. Rhian, you are strong. You¡¯re just not as strong as me though, so you¡¯re still mine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you are trying to be flattering or if you are simply greedy,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg released her arm, settled in next to her and closed his eyes. ¡°I meant what I said, you are my friend, as is Loh. Not Maximus though, I don¡¯t like him. More importantly, you are my tribemate.¡±


    ¡°What does that exactly mean?¡±


    ¡°It means you and I are going to do great things someday. Someday,¡± he mumbled as he began to drift into sleep.


    ¡°Ebon Hollow, huh?¡± Rhian whispered, tasting the words on her mouth. ¡°I could get used to that.¡±

 Chapter 84: Dullwater Inn

    Chapter 84: Dullwater Inn


    The next morning Stryg and his companions spent the morning traveling through the grassy hills of Dusk Valley. The ride was mostly spent in silence, with the occasional lecture regarding magic thrown in. The original plan was to stop and break for practical training, but Loh insisted they make as much distance from the frost wolves as possible. Stryg did not disagree.


    They eventually spotted a small river and followed it upstream, hoping to find civilization. As the sun began to set and the orange evening light touched the sky the group arrived near a village. From a distance it didn¡¯t seem like much. A few buildings sprawled around the river. Once they drew closer Stryg realized that the village truly wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°Finally, I thought we wouldn¡¯t reach this village in time,¡± Loh sighed in relief.


    Stryg raised his hood. ¡°You know this place?¡± He asked skeptically.


    ¡°Ah, it seems our great city has distorted your expectations my young apprentice,¡± Loh chuckled. ¡°Most villages out here are quite small, with only farm land and hills around, no fancy shops nor academies. A place like Hollow Shade is an exception within the Valley.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Stryg eyed the wooden signpost at the entrance of the village. ¡°Dullwater?¡±


    ¡°It seems pretty apt, everything looks dreary,¡± Rhian noted.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Maximus grunted in agreement.


    ¡°That it does,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°And to answer your question, Stryg, I don¡¯t know this place. But, I know a lot of places like it. Most towns and villages out in the Valley are the same, just trying to get by, hoping that Hollow Shade¡¯s soldiers defend them from raiders and that the occasional caravan stops by.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they defend themselves?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Oh, please. I doubt they even have a militia. They may technically be independent, but they submit to Hollow Shade. These villagers need the great city¡¯s protection if they hope to survive in the Valley.¡±


    ¡°So, their betas then? Or perhaps even omegas?¡± Stryg tried to compare the relationship with a tribe¡¯s hierarchy.


    ¡°Something like that. All you really have to know is that they respect the people of Hollow Shade, doubly so when you are a mage like us,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, here comes one now,¡± Loh pointed.


    An old man stepped out from a pitiful excuse for a watch tower next to the village signpost. The rickety wooden tower only stood about 6 feet tall, even the centaurs eclipsed the structure. The old man hobbled in front of the dirt road leading to the village square.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡± The old man asked in a scrappy voice.


    ¡°Travelers from Hollow Shade,¡± Loh held up her golden nameplate.


    The old man¡¯s dreary eyes opened wide at the sight, ¡°Welcome to Dullwater, please enjoy your stay.¡±


    He bent his back as low as possible. Too low if the cracking sound and the grimace of pain on his face was any indication.


    Rhian and Maximus tread past him without another word. Stryg looked back at the old watchman, he was still bent in a bow. Stryg wondered if he was just trying to be respectful or if he genuinely could not get back up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know nameplates work in villages,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°They don¡¯t, not really. But, the people out here recognize what it signifies. A resident of Hollow Shade. The last thing most of them want is to offend Hollow Shade and risk losing the city¡¯s protection,¡± Loh explained.


    Stryg heard a groan of pain from afar. He glanced at the watchman at a distance. The old man was on the ground. Well, that answered his curiosity.


    ¡°Dullwater Inn?¡± Stryg read the sign of the simple two story wooden house coming up on their right.


    ¡°Not very creative, huh? I thought they¡¯d have a bit more of flair,¡± Rhian smiled wryly.


    ¡°They only have one inn, there¡¯s no point in giving the place another name. No need to distinguish themselves from other Dullwater inns,¡± Loh said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯d wager this place serves as a pub and brothel as well.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I guess that¡¯s common in small villages?¡± Stryg surmised.


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ll acquire some supplies in the morning, for now let¡¯s get something to eat,¡± Loh dismounted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a bit,¡± Stryg said to Rhian, before he hopped off and followed Loh inside.


    ¡°Enjoy your dinner, Master. Your amazing centaur will await your return,¡± Rhian made a flourishing bow.


    Maximus sidestepped away from her.


    The old inn door creaked open loudly. Over a dozen patrons sat around the few scattered tables. Most sipped their drinks while whispering to each other in low voices. The fireplace was dim, with only a small log smouldering on the grate.


    The place smelled like ash, beer, and piss. An old human stood behind the bar, wiping a cracked mug with a seemingly dirty towel. A barmaid sat on a bar stool, playing with her hair, waiting for the next customer to ask for a drink. It seemed there wasn¡¯t enough business to even keep a single barmaid preoccupied.


    Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears caught the sound of a woman moaning and a man grunting from upstairs. He supposed this place really did serve as a brothel. Perhaps that¡¯s how they managed to stay afloat. Or maybe not. Stryg really didn¡¯t understand how much money it took to keep a place like this open. All he knew was that he didn¡¯t like this inn.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the booze at?¡± Loh removed her hood and called out with open arms.


    Stryg paused in his steps. He assumed they would try to remain in a low profile, to observe for any possible threats. Obviously, he was wrong.


    The barmaid glanced up and scanned their simple grey cloaks. She froze for a second, clearly not recognizing either of them.


    She stood up from her stool and walked over, ¡°Hello, welcome to our inn. What can I get you?¡±


    ¡°For starters, the best mead you¡¯ve got and then some hot food. Oh, we also have our centaurs outside, I¡¯d like for them to be placed in your stables for the night. And on that note my companion and I would like a room,¡± Loh smiled.


    The barmaid smiled apologetically, ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have stables. There aren¡¯t enough centaurs around to warrant them. The best we can offer is the shed in the back of the inn, along with some warm blankets.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Loh sat at an empty table.


    Stryg followed and took a seat beside her. He removed his hood, to the small gasps of the other patrons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll suppose that¡¯ll have to do,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± the barmaid nodded and stood still.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for,¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Payment, of course,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Loh pulled out a few copper coins from her pouch and handed them over.


    The barmaid swiped the coins up with a cat¡¯s grace and scurried away. She spoke with the bartender before heading into the kitchen.


    ¡°Villagers like to have their payment up front. They don¡¯t trust outsiders, which is understandable I guess. That and they tend to be too poor to risk losing any coin,¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg whispered.


    He took the brief respite to study the people of the inn. Most were older men, with gaunt cheeks, and scraggly beards. A few were women, middle-aged by the looks of it. Though they seemed to have much more grey in their hair than their age warranted.


    ¡°They are all human,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°Yep. Most towns and villages around here are. The majority of humans in the Realm have settled here in the Valley,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg leaned towards her, ¡°I can¡¯t tell who they are staring at more, you or me.¡±


    Loh gave a side glance at the other patrons, ¡°Definitely me, I¡¯m the prettier one.¡±


    ¡°You say that as if I¡¯m pretty,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Those cheeks definitely put you more on the cute side,¡± she smirked.


    Before Stryg could respond the barmaid came out from the kitchen, a bowl of steaming soup on each hand.


    ¡°Here you two are, cream carrot soup, fresh off the pot,¡± the barmaid placed the bowls in front of them.


    Loh took a whiff of the soup, ¡°Mm, smells good. Now I just need some ale.¡±


    ¡°Right on it,¡± the barmaid turned.


    ¡°Actually, hold on a sec,¡± Loh raised her hand.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to procure a sleeping companion for the night, once I¡¯m done eating that is.¡±


    The barmaid bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. We don¡¯t have any male night companions here, but I¡¯m certain any of the men here would love to spend the night with you, judging from the stares. You only need to say the word.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about men?¡± Loh made a wry smile.


    The barmaid tilted her head and glanced at Stryg, ¡°If you are looking for someone for your companion, both our establishment¡¯s women are currently upstairs working. I can let them know that there is a potential buyer waiting once they finish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great, but it¡¯s not for my partner. I¡¯m the one buying,¡± Loh grinned.


    The barmaid stopped as if her mind was still processing. A few grumbles were heard from the other patrons. One man even spat out his drink. Loh ignored them, but Stryg did not. He stood up and rolled his shoulders.


    ¡°No need, Stryg. Just sit down and enjoy the food,¡± Loh said without looking at him. Her eyes were staring straight at the barmaid.


    ¡°O-oh, I see,¡± the barmaid said, finally comprehending. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let them know once they finish. But, I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯ll be willing to attend you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. They run a business and I think I¡¯m their best customer yet,¡± Loh pulled out a gold coin.


    The barmaid¡¯s eyes widened. She had never seen an actual gold coin before. Few around here had even seen silver coins.


    Loh studied the surprised girl¡¯s face. She had soft skin, a clear complexion free from any scars. She was young, no more than mid twenties at best. Loh could even tell she had an ample waist under her skirt.


    ¡°On second thought,¡± Loh slid the gold coin across the table. ¡°I¡¯d like to spend the night with you, if you¡¯re willing to offer your services.¡±


    The barmaid blushed, ¡°U-uh.¡±


    One of the older men got off his chair, his face flushed red, ¡°Hey, you queer, we may let you eat here, but don¡¯t you touch our women. We won¡¯t let you infect them, ya hear me!¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The other men shouted and stood up.


    Loh summoned an orb of flame above her hand, ¡°Sit your asses back down before I burn them off! I don¡¯t give a shit if you hear me or not.¡±


    ¡°...Aye¡­¡± The men sat back down and sipped their drinks quietly.


    Loh extinguished the flame and smiled at the barmaid, ¡°Sorry for the interruption. Most barmaids in taverns like this also work at the brothel¡¯s upstairs for the right amount. Am I wrong to assume so?¡±


    ¡°A few barmaids do. I thought about it, but I have yet to do so,¡± the barmaid admitted.


    ¡°Interesting, are you spoken for by any chance?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the barmaid swallowed.


    Loh sighed, ¡°Of course, the best women always are. I¡¯m guessing it was that dimwit who tried to start a bar fight with me.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, my fianc¨¦ ran off. The one who shouted is my uncle,¡± the barmaid mumbled.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦ left the village?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Yes, I would rather not talk about it,¡± she glanced worriedly at the other patrons.


    Loh tapped the table, ¡°Do you like it here?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying do you like this backwater town? Or would you rather go someplace else, someplace more than what Dullwater could ever offer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    Loh pulled out a few more gold coins, ¡°I¡¯m saying with this much money you could hitch a ride in the next caravan and go anywhere you want. Make a life for yourself any place you desire. Even one of the four great cities, Hollow Shade, Undergrowth, Murtkon, or Frost Rim, you decide.¡±


    ¡°A-anywhere?¡± The barmaid gripped her skirt. Her fianc¨¦ had managed to leave town with only a few silver coins. With this much money she could really go anywhere she wanted.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Loh nodded.


    The barmaid looked back at her uncle who was fuming red and staring daggers at her.


    ¡°Someone is jealous,¡± Loh whistled. ¡°Hey, you, man with balls of steel! Yes, you. No matter what your niece decides, if you even lift a single finger to harm her I¡¯ll know and I¡¯ll come back here and burn you to ash. The same goes for the rest of you lot. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°...Aye,¡± the group of men muttered.


    The uncle said nothing, but took another swig of his drink.


    Stryg knew for all his master¡¯s power, omniscience was not one of her gifts. Still, he supposed they would probably come back here at some point. It¡¯d be easy enough to find out then if the barmaid had been hurt.


    ¡°So, miss barmaid, what is it to be? I understand if you''re not interested and I won¡¯t bother you if that¡¯s the case. But, if you decide to accept I promise it''ll be the best night of your life,¡± Loh leaned back in her chair.


    The barmaid glanced at her uncle for a brief moment. She licked her lips, ¡°I am in your care, miss.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Loh grinned and pulled the woman into her lap.


    ¡°What about your drinks?¡± The barmaid laughed softly.


    Loh savored the feeling of the woman¡¯s soft thighs before she spoke, ¡°Your uncle can bring our drinks, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The man grit his teeth, but stayed quiet. He got up and went for their drinks. His face grew redder as he placed their mugs on the table and left the inn.


    ¡°Fucking drow bitch,¡± he whispered in the softest yet harshest of voices as he walked out.


    Why spend so much money on one night with me?¡± The barmaid asked, curiosity piqued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the whys and let¡¯s just enjoy ourselves. Besides, fianc¨¦s are overrated,¡± Loh whispered into her ear.


    ¡°You do realize I have a fianc¨¦e, right?¡± Stryg sipped his drink.


    Loh twisted her lips, ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m having a private conversation with - Actually, I don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    ¡°Louise,¡± the barmaid nodded briefly.


    ¡°Lovely name,¡± Loh smiled.


    Stryg finished his soup and got up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°To get some fresh air, this place stinks,¡± he yawned.


    ¡°You should come back soon, before the women upstairs get new customers,¡± she called out.


    ¡°I prefer not to sleep with those two.¡± Stryg could smell the scents of those women upstairs. They were covered in the sweaty musk of those humans and others. He would rather not spend the night sniffing them.


    ¡°They may not be Feli, but trust me it¡¯s gonna start getting to you once you''re out in the Valley for weeks without any tail. This is your chance to get some relief from all that tension,¡± Loh warned.


    Stryg¡¯s nose twitched, ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances.¡±


    She looked through the window and spotted Rhian chatting one sidedly with Maximus outside.


    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Loh winked.


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you don¡¯t?¡±

 Chapter 85: Evening Chats

    Chapter 85: Evening Chats


    Stryg left the inn, lifted the hood of his grey cloak, and turned the corner. As soon as he was out of sight he jumped, sunk his claws into the wall of the inn, and quickly scrambled up the wooden planks and onto the roof. He ignored the sounds of the lovemaking below and focused his sight on the few villagers walking past.


    One particular villager stumbled his way towards the inn¡¯s shed where Rhian and Maximus were. Stryg could smell the alcohol coming from the villager¡¯s ragged breath.


    ¡°Damn queer and her whack friend,¡± Louise¡¯s uncle grumbled drunkenly. ¡°I¡¯ll show them not to mess with our girls.¡±


    Stryg watched the man draw closer to the centaurs. He held a small knife in his shaky hands. Rhian was still talking to Maximus, who seemed to be uninterested in whatever she had to say. The warrior centaur noticed the drunken villager coming from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Rhian, quiet,¡± Maximus held out a hand.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She frowned.


    Maximus reached for his axe.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop talking,¡± Rhian backed away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Maximus called out.


    A faint figure walked out from the shadow of the inn. It drew closer with a soft shamble. Maximus raised his axe. The figure was suddenly yanked back into the darkness. A small yelp was the only evidence he left.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Rhian stepped behind Maximus.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Maximus shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t hide behind me.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg grabbed the drunken uncle by the throat, dragged him across the grass, and slammed him into a far away building. A soft crack was heard as the man¡¯s back hit the wall. He fell to the ground with a painful thud. The man coughed in pain.


    Stryg lifted him up by the collar, ¡°After your threats at the inn I thought my master was going to kill you, to set an example for the rest not to go against her. Instead, she let you go. You were supposed to walk away, grateful to have encountered an alpha predator and lived. That should have been the end of it.¡±


    Stryg bared his fangs, ¡°But, I know how people are, vengeful. So, I watched, waited to see if you would do anything stupid. And here you are, baring your flat teeth again. If you had simply left, I planned to respect my master¡¯s wishes and leave you be. But, then you had to go and draw a blade at my tribemate.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s claw¡¯s dug into the man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°My tribemate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t kill me. Please, I¡¯ll do anything,¡± the villager whimpered in pain.


    Leaving a threat alive was dangerous. It opened the door to potential risks for the future. Stryg knew this well. So, he dealt with his threats, it was only natural. Byrel¡¯s terrified face flashed in his mind. He could still remember Plum¡¯s tears, her rage. A strange thought crossed his mind. Was he right in killing this man? Was there another way?


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t show your face around here until we leave. And if any of my companions or I spot you, I¡¯ll end you myself.¡±


    ¡°I promise, I promise, please just don¡¯t kill me,¡± the villager cried.


    Stryg released him and walked away.


    The old man stared into the shadows where Stryg had been. He waited a few minutes before trying to move. He rubbed his shoulder and winced as he tried to stretch his back.


    ¡°Damn freak. He¡¯s just like that other creep.¡± He spat into the ground, ¡°We don¡¯t want any more of your kind.¡±


    ¡°Stjerne¡¯s judgement will come over all of you, mark my words,¡± the old man swore to humanity¡¯s patron deity. ¡°He¡¯ll destroy all you monsters. And I¡¯ll help him whatever way I can.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    His jaw went slack as the shadows melted away to reveal Stryg standing only a few feet from him.


    ¡°You plan to help kill me? A monster?¡± Stryg stepped closer.


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he shook his head vigorously. His eyes darted around in the dark, hoping to find his dagger.


    ¡°I was right after all,¡± Stryg held up the old man¡¯s dagger. ¡°You can¡¯t let threats live.¡±


    ¡°Someone, he-!¡±


    Stryg dashed in and slipped the dagger into the man¡¯s jugular. Stryg held the dagger tight as the man¡¯s body shook, his hands spasming. After a few moments the man¡¯s death throes ended. Stryg kept the blade in the corpse¡¯s neck to prevent blood from smearing across the dirt and his clothes.


    ~~~


    Rhian played with her black hair as she walked in circles outside the shed, bored. Normally, she would be training through sets on obstacles courses. The least she could do now was talk to Maximus, but he was a horrible conversational partner.


    The warrior centaur never spoke a word unless it was ¡®shut up¡¯ or some equivalent. He wasn¡¯t even a good listener. He always had this look of annoyance on his face when Rhian tried to start up a conversation, as if her beautiful visage was somehow bothering him. The only time Maximus seemed at peace was when he was meditating, like he was trying to do right now.


    Life out in the boonies really was boring. Not to mention filthy. There was mud everywhere, the roads were literally made of dirt. Not the clean, refined red sands of the Murkton race tracks. No, this was just mud. A ton of mud that would suck in one¡¯s hooves and threaten to not give them back. She missed the pristine cobblestone walkways of Hollow Shade and the company of her fellow showhorses. Instead, she was stuck here with a grumpy musclehead, surrounded by wet dirt and risking her life out in the wilderness.


    ¡°Fuck my life,¡± Rhian groaned.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Why does everyone want to get fucked tonight?¡± Stryg asked from the shadows.


    ¡°Master? You¡¯re back already?¡± Rhian perked up.


    Stryg dragged the old villager¡¯s corpse behind him.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that I need your help disposing of the body.¡±


    Stryg rather his master not find out he took matters into his own hands. His master needed some rest after fighting with the frost wolves and he didn¡¯t plan on bothering her tonight.


    Maximus cracked one eye open.


    ¡°Not a word, Maximus,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    The centaur closed his eye and continued meditating, content to have these two away from him as soon as possible.


    ¡°Um, do we really have to?¡± Rhian smiled wryly.


    ¡°Is that a joke?¡± Stryg blinked.


    Rhian hung her head, ¡°I¡¯ll go grab my saddle.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh sat on the bed as she watched Louise shimmy out of her skirt. They were upstairs in one of the extra rooms. She sipped her mead as she stared at Louise¡¯s plump ass. She was a human and her thick thighs came more from fat than muscle, but Louise still reminded her of a particular woman.


    Louise bit her lip as she took off her blouse, revealing her naked breasts, ¡°Are you going to undress?¡±


    ¡°In a moment, I¡¯m just enjoying the view,¡± Loh¡¯s blue eyes drank in her visage.


    Louise took a deep breath and took off her knickers. She fidgeted a bit as she stood stark naked in the candlelight. Like so many women before her, tonight, Louise would be her replacement.


    ¡°Have you ever been with a woman?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I have never been with anyone,¡± Louise chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°Not even your fianc¨¦?¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    Louise shook her head slightly, ¡°He never really looked at me. Even once we became engaged, his sights were always on the horizon, always looking for adventure. He could hardly sit still. Until one day, he couldn¡¯t. I haven¡¯t seen him since.¡±


    Loh stood up, took off her grey cloak and blue tunic. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not worry about him tonight. Let¡¯s just focus on you and me.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Louise swallowed.


    She shivered as Loh caressed her cheek. The drow¡¯s grey finger slipped below and traced around her nipple. Louise shuddered away.


    Loh saw the fear in her eyes, she sighed and sat on the bed. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°What? Wait, please,¡± Lousie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to put your clothes back on and leave,¡± Loh placed two gold coins next to the candle stand.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand.¡± Louise tried grabbing them, but they slipped out of her trembling hands and clattered on the ground.


    Loh looked at the frightened girl. What could she say to her? That she couldn¡¯t stomach the look in some wench¡¯s eyes? That it only reminded her of the pain of another¡¯s? Of her best friend and love of her life¡¯s rejection? Loh didn¡¯t know what was worse. That she had fucked up everything or that no one knew.


    Loh laughed at herself, tonight was meant to help her forget the mental ordeals that plagued her. She needed this moment of respite from it all, but not like this.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t understand. Just take the money and forget about all of this,¡± Loh chugged down the last of her mead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just nervous. I¡¯ll do better, please just give me a chance,¡± Louise begged.


    ¡°Why do you care? You already got your money,¡± Loh turned her back on her.


    ¡°...more.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It was more,¡± Louise whispered. ¡°You promised me more gold.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that I did,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°But, I expected to have a partner tonight. So, I guess we both don¡¯t get what we want.¡±


    ¡°Please, just give me another chance, I really need the money!¡± Louise fell to her knees and bowed her head.


    Loh had to admit she liked her naked appearance. ¡°...Tell me a story.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Louise looked up.


    ¡°Tell me why you need the money and it¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Louise furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Because misery loves company,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°...Alright,¡± Louise nodded slowly. She went to put her clothes back on.


    ¡°Stop. Tell me the story just as you are. If I¡¯m going to hear your story I at least want to be entertained,¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°...Fair enough,¡± she made a half-hearted smile. ¡°My family is quite poor, even compared to the other families in Dullwater. We rent a plot of land a few miles from here. We¡¯re farmers, like most commoners in the Valley.¡±


    Louise¡¯s lips thinned, ¡°My dad wanted another son to help out with the farm, but instead he got me. There wasn¡¯t too much I could do to help out. So, my dad sent me into the village to work here at the inn. The work can get rough sometimes and the hours were long. The pay isn¡¯t even much, but it was something, not that any of it was mine. However, the job helped me get out of the house for a while.¡±


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t like your family?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Four sisters and one brother. My siblings can get a little much,¡± Louise nodded.


    ¡°I can relate,¡± Loh cracked a grin. ¡°Well, go on then, don¡¯t keep me hanging.¡±


    ¡°Work wasn¡¯t great here and I hoped for more. I always wanted to bake. Not simple stuff like bread. But, fancy foods the caravans would bring during festivals, like chocolate cake. I didn¡¯t think it was going to happen, I could never afford such dreams. Until one day, the village butcher and my father agreed on marrying their children.¡±


    ¡°Not even commoners can escape arranged marriages, huh?¡± Loh chuckled miserably.


    Louise pursed her lips, ¡°I wanted the marriage. I always liked the butcher¡¯s boy. He was cute and kind, albeit a bit daft. Still, the engagement was great. The butcher is one of Dullwater¡¯s most respected and wealthy individuals. It could have been a lot worse. Instead, I would get the chance to spend my life with someone I wanted to be with and I¡¯d be able to make my own family. I¡¯d even be able to bake.¡±


    ¡°Great story,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    ¡°It was,¡± Louise chuckled. ¡°At least I thought it was, until my fianc¨¦ ran away. I couldn¡¯t marry him because he wasn¡¯t here. And I couldn¡¯t break the engagement off, because my father didn¡¯t want to offend the butcher. I¡¯m literally stuck here. They¡¯ve screwed me.¡±


    ¡°Men tend to do that.¡±


    Louise bit her bottom lip, ¡°I am unmarried and unmarriageable. People whisper that my fianc¨¦ ran off because of me. I¡¯m becoming a pariah in this place.¡±


    ¡°And you have no way to escape,¡± Loh concluded. ¡°Which is why you need the money.¡±


    ¡°The gold is a chance for a fresh start somewhere better than this place. Just like my fianc¨¦, I¡¯ll run away and make a better life for myself. If you are willing to help me that is.¡± She looked at the drow with hopeful eyes.


    Loh pulled out a few more gold coins and handed them to her. ¡°This will get you to wherever you wanna go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you,¡± Louise smiled and bowed her head repeatedly.


    ¡°No need to thank me, a deal is a deal.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Louise grabbed her clothes and began to dress herself.


    She took a deep breath, ¡°I am Loh of House Noir, many people have served me throughout my life, including a few master bakers. If you ever find yourself in Hollow Shade, come find me. I can easily pull some strings and get you an apprenticeship with one of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that? Why?¡± Louise paused.


    Loh shrugged.


    ¡°Because misery loves company?¡± Louise giggled.


    ¡°I was going to say because I love your ass,¡± Loh eyed her bottom pointedly.


    Louise stared at the drow¡¯s lithe body. She took off her clothes and walked over to the bed, ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be a good partner, but I¡¯ll try if you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No? But, fuck it, tonight is the end of my old life. I¡¯d rather end it with a bang.¡±


    Loh did not need another word. She grabbed Louise, spun her around and pushed her onto the bed.


    ¡°A little slower maybe?¡± Louise squeaked.


    ¡°No can do,¡± she grinned.


    Loh was too pent up to slow down. She spread Louise¡¯s legs wide open and lowered her face in between, ¡°Just relax.¡±

 Chapter 86: Sleepless in Dullwater

    Chapter 86: Sleepless in Dullwater


    ¡°Is this far enough?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg glanced back at Dullwater, the village was only a small smudge in the distance. ¡°Yeah, this should be good.¡±


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s drop the body and get back quick,¡± Rhian looked around nervously.


    For all they knew there could still be creatures lurking in the tall grass, waiting for their next prey.


    ¡°As appealing as sleep seems, we aren¡¯t done yet,¡± Stryg hopped off the saddle.


    He grabbed the villager¡¯s corpse from behind the saddle, dragged it off Rhian¡¯s back, and pulled the body into the tall grass a few feet away.


    ¡°This should be good enough,¡± he rolled up his sleeves.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, ideally some animal finds this slab of meat and eats it before the villagers find it. If the villagers do find him first, it needs to look like he was mauled,¡± he explained.


    Stryg began tearing away at the man¡¯s chest. His claws easily ripped through the shirt¡¯s fabric and the flesh underneath. Even the bone and sinew seemed to break away with ease. Stryg tilted his head in thought. Mauling always seemed a bit harder before. Either he had gotten stronger or his claws were sharper, perhaps both.


    The moonlight provided a great view of the gruesome spectacle. Rhian watched the whole thing with disgust and a tad of morbid curiosity. The man¡¯s chest cavity was wide open, his organs shredded and tossed about the grass.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Rhian winced at the gruesome sight.


    ¡°Almost, it needs to seem like he put up a fight. A shitty one of course,¡± Stryg pulled the dagger out of the corpse¡¯s neck and placed it a few inches away from the deceased¡¯s hand. He then slashed the neck with his claws, destroying the knife wound entirely.


    ¡°You¡¯re an expert at this, huh?¡± Rhian noted awkwardly.


    ¡°No, this is my first time. This just seemed the right way to go about it, I suppose,¡± he said lightly.


    Rhian wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to ask if he was referring to the disposal or the murder.


    ¡°Can you grab the water skin?¡± He pointed at the saddle.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she reached behind her and grabbed it.


    He held out his hands. She understood. She took off the cap and drizzled the water over his bloodstained arms. He began to scrub his arms clean.


    ¡°This is nice, normally I don¡¯t get a chance to clean my hands right after they get bloody. I admit the bits of flesh under my claws can be a tad annoying,¡± he smiled.


    And that answered Rhian¡¯s question, yet opened the door to so many worse ones.


    ¡°Of course, that makes sense, hehe¡­¡± Rhian strained a smile.


    Stryg waved his hands in the air, flicking the last bits of water away, ¡°Now, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, let¡¯s head back,¡± she sighed in relief.


    The ride back was silent. Rhian was content to stay quiet and focus on galloping through the grass, yet not too quickly, so as to not agitate her rider.


    Stryg spent the time with his eyes closed. He focused on his olfactory sense and all the scents around him. The green grass wavering in the wind, the scent of flowers on the breeze, the dirt underneath them, they all reminded him of Vulture Woods.


    A few strands of Rhian¡¯s jet black hair slipped out of her ponytail and tickled his face. Her scent was a tad strange, yet reminiscent. It reminded him of fresh water running through a cold stream. Her hair smelled almost as nice as the taste of her skin.


    They entered the village through the back, avoiding the old guard¡¯s post entirely. Dullwater was quiet for the most part, its residents sleeping peacefully. Even Maximus was fast asleep in the shed, although he held his battle axe between his arms.


    On the other hand, Loh was wide awake. Stryg could hear Loh and Louise¡¯s moans from the second floor of the inn. While his people were accustomed and very comfortable to the matters of sex, Stryg was not very certain of how he felt listening to high pitch yells of ecstasy right about now. He stood outside the inn and thought the situation over briefly.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way I can sleep to that,¡± Stryg turned around and went straight to the shed.


    Maximus cracked an eye open as the door creaked open. Once he noticed it was Stryg he went back to sleep.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian whispered from the corner of the shed. She had already laid down and wrapped herself with some of the blankets the inn workers had dropped by.


    ¡°Loh¡¯s very loud. It¡¯s distracting,¡± Stryg pointed out the door and towards the inn¡¯s second story window.


    Rhian furrowed her brow in confusion before she remembered her Master¡¯s incredibly sensitive hearing. She lifted the blankets. Stryg took up her invitation. He closed the door, covering the shed in darkness. His night vision made it simple to walk over to Rhian and lay back on her side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to settle for an old shed like this,¡± she lowered the blankets around them both.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I wouldn¡¯t get any rest in the inn. Loh doesn¡¯t shut up. I can still hear her moans from here, albeit not as much. Besides, we slept like this last night.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yes, but that was because we were out in the hills and Mistress Loh had burned all our gear. We needed to keep you warm. People lose body warmth very quickly at night, even in the summertime. The cold breeze shouldn¡¯t be underestimated,¡± Rhian whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get cold easily. You are quite warm though,¡± Stryg yawned.


    ¡°Centaurs produce a lot of body heat,¡± she said proudly. ¡°So long as you don¡¯t miss your bed, I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± she leaned back on the wall, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, I miss my bed, a lot actually. It¡¯s very big and soft. But, I doubt the bed at the inn can even come close,¡± Stryg grumbled. He missed Feli too, but he did not mention her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Master. I miss my old stable and bed of hay, too.¡±


    ¡°Bed of hay? That doesn¡¯t sound very comfortable and I used to sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than what a lot of other beastkin get. I couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    Stryg made a mental note of buying an actual bed for his tribemate. He did not care if the stables normally did not have them. He would make the stablehands install one.


    ¡°Speaking of beds, a pillow would be nice,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I may have an idea,¡± Rhian smirked.


    She could not see anything, but she could clearly feel her Master next to her. She pulled him into an embrace, pushing his head between her chest.


    ¡°Rhian?¡± He considered biting them for a brief moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a pillow, but maybe it¡¯ll help?¡± Rhian asked hopefully.


    ¡°...They¡¯ll do,¡± he swallowed. She was so soft. ¡°Nice pillow,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rhian smiled triumphantly. I told you I¡¯d win you over.


    Stryg could still hear Loh¡¯s lovemaking from afar, but for some reason it did not bother him as much. He fell asleep to the soft rhythmic sound of Rhian¡¯s heartbeat.


    ~~~


    The next morning, Loh left a panting Louise in bed. She tried to ignore the headache from her hangover as she walked downstairs. Stryg was eating breakfast at the corner table by himself. He had his hood up, but she knew it was him. There weren¡¯t any other small figures around.


    ¡°You started without me?¡± Loh took a seat across the table from him.


    ¡°I was planning on waiting, but then you two started fucking again. I didn¡¯t want my food to get cold,¡± Stryg took another bite of shepherd¡¯s pie.


    ¡°You can hear everything in the inn, can¡¯t you?¡± Loh covered her face in shame.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Well, this is pretty awkward,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Meh, maybe for you,¡± he finished the last of his ale.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget you¡¯re a Sylvan goblin,¡± she sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± a barmaid placed a fresh plate of shepherd¡¯s pie on the table and left.


    ¡°At least you ordered for me. My apprentice isn¡¯t as inconsiderate as I thought,¡± Loh licked her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for you,¡± he pulled the plate of food away. ¡°It¡¯s for Rhian.¡±


    ¡°Why does Rhian need people¡¯s food? I need people¡¯s food,¡± Loh whined. ¡°My head is killing me, come on. Just a bite, at least while I wait for the barmaid to take my order.¡±


    ¡°No. Tribemates should eat before outsiders, even masters.¡±


    ¡°Well, fuck you, too.¡± Loh raised her hand, ¡°Barmaid! I¡¯m starving over here.¡±


    ¡°Another ale too!¡± Stryg raised his empty mug.


    ¡°How can you still drink with that hangover?¡± Loh rubbed her temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungover.¡±


    ¡°But, you drank as much as me. What, besides giving you super hearing, do your mutations make you impervious to hangovers, too?¡±


    ¡°No, I just need a lot of alcohol to get drunk and even more to get hungover. This ale might as well be water to me.¡±


    ¡°And I reiterate, fuck you, too.¡±


    Stryg grinned. From anyone else, he would have been enraged by the insults. But, from Loh, it was just another morning. He was beginning to understand when she was actually mad and when she was just annoyed. Unlike Feli, Loh made her discomfort very obvious. He was thankful for Loh¡¯s clear social cues. Society was already hard enough to navigate.


    Stryg was actually kind of happy, although that might have to do with last night¡¯s makeshift pillow and the amusement Loh¡¯s hangover brought him.


    ¡°Hey, master?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°What is it, spawn of evil?¡± Loh squinted.


    ¡°Yesterday, you told me about how most humans in the Realm live in Dusk Valley. I was just curious as to where the majority of drow settled. Are they in the Valley, too?¡±


    ¡°...Will you give me a bite of the pie if I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Stryg cut a piece of the pie and handed it to Loh on a spoon.


    She grabbed the pie and downed it in a flash, ¡°The drow trace back their lineage to the Northern Lands of the Realm, like the vampires. They say our two species use to fight quite a lot. As the legend goes, one day Stjerne, patron of the drow, abandoned the drow and they were forced to retreat from the Northern Lands.¡±


    ¡°Where did the drow go?¡±


    ¡°The Glimmer Grove forest. They¡¯ve been there ever since.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Many Sylvan tribes spoke of the occasional drow crossing between Glimmer Grove and Vulture Woods. It never ended well for the drow,¡± Stryg nodded slowly.


    ¡°I believe it. You Sylvan goblins were never one for mercy,¡± Loh shrugged. ¡°I guess it makes sense based on your origins.¡±


    ¡°Origins?¡± Stryg¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°Oh, you know, last of the warriors and all that.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, actually. What are you talking about?¡±


    Loh¡¯s jaw slackened, ¡°You really don''t know? I mean, it¡¯s your people¡¯s history.¡±


    ¡°My people aren¡¯t very concerned about the past. They are more focused on the present,¡± he crossed his arms.


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± she scratched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not the best person to explain all the details of your past either. All I¡¯ve really read is that the Sylvan tribes of Vulture Woods are descended from the last actual goblin warriors of the Ebon Realm.¡±


    Stryg felt a strange sense of pride hearing those words. The last goblin warriors. ¡°You are wrong. My people are still warriors.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± she smiled.


    He tapped his fingers on the table, ¡°So, what exactly happened with Stjerne and the drow anyway?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really. Literally, nothing happened. The legend goes that one day the god of stars simply left the drow with no rhyme nor reason. The Traveler is said to never stay in one place for long, but the drow never expected he would leave them for good, let alone become the patron of the humans.¡±


    ¡°That sounds horrible,¡± Stryg sank into his chair a bit. He knew what it was like to believe yourself to be abandoned by your patron deity.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°Why? The ebon gods aren¡¯t real. If you ask me, the drow used the whole thing as an excuse. I¡¯ve read about their history. The drow were losing in the Northern Lands, nothing could be done about it. The vampires had the upper hand. Yet, the drow blamed their losses on the fictional idea of Stjerne. That their god had abandoned them, when in reality they were just outmatched.¡±


    He smiled half-heartedly, ¡°The god¡¯s fault, huh? If the gods were real I suppose I wouldn¡¯t be a mage, just some bad omen upon my tribe. In retrospect I¡¯m quite lucky, we would have been eaten by those frost wolves otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± she made a sour face. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish our breakfast and get out of this place. There¡¯s still a lot I need to teach you.¡±

 Chapter 87: Travel Supplies

    Chapter 87: Travel Supplies


    Stryg and Loh finished their meals and put on their cloaks as they left the inn. Rhian and Maximus stood outside waiting.


    ¡°Good morning, Master. How was breakfast?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°Food was great, I brought you some,¡± Stryg held out a slice of shepherd''s pie wrapped in a cloth napkin.


    ¡°Uh, this is for me?¡± Rhian pointed at herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Don¡¯t waste time, take it,¡± Stryg shook his hand.


    Rhian grabbed the pie gingerly.


    ¡°Can she even eat that?¡± Loh asked as she hopped on Maximus¡¯ back.


    ¡°Technically, we can eat anything Mistress can,¡± Maximus said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that we normally aren¡¯t given any,¡± Rhian finished. ¡°Master, are you sure I can have this? I don¡¯t wish to take away from your food. This one is a beastkin.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°I know you''re a beastkin, obviously. What difference does that make?¡±


    ¡°Well, people don¡¯t think beastkin are worthy of such extravagant food¡­¡± Rhian trailed off.


    ¡°Oh. I see,¡± Stryg stretched. ¡°None of that matters. You¡¯re a daughter of Ebon Hollow now and the tribe shares food. You can¡¯t refuse, get used to it. The chief always eats first though, which I already have, so just eat your food already.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Rhian took a small bite. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Of course it is. I told you it was great,¡± Stryg pulled himself up onto the saddle.


    Loh watched her apprentice¡¯s exchange silently. She was not sure if Stryg simply had a soft spot for the centaur, unlikely considering how the goblin was. Or if it was because he just did not care for the conventional ways of society.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go pick up some supplies for the road,¡± Loh said.


    The group made their way to the village¡¯s one and only trading post. Stryg followed Loh into the shop. She took off her hood as they entered, he preferred to keep his on. There were only a few shelves and a single counter inside.


    ¡°This is weird,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a boutique in the Villa District, but it¡¯ll serve our needs,¡± Loh rang a small bell on the counter.


    ¡°What I mean is that this place is small, even though the outside building was much larger,¡± Stryg glanced around.


    ¡°That¡¯s because most of the supplies are stored in the back. The storefront is meant more for everyday things,¡± Loh said.


    The door behind the counter opened, a woman stepped in. ¡°Good morning, what can I get ya-¡± She froze like a rabbit catching sight of a stalking wolf.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± the shopkeep bowed her head. ¡°I was just a little surprised we had visitors is all. I¡¯ve been so busy these past few days, I haven¡¯t caught up with the latest news. Dullwater normally only gets out-of-town folk when caravans stop by or during harvest season. Are you part of an incoming caravan by any chance?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°I am Loh of House Noir and this is my apprentice. We were just in need of resupplying for our journey.¡±


    ¡°An aristocrat?¡± The shopkeep swallowed, ¡°An actual aristocrat?¡±


    ¡°Quite right. Now, I¡¯d like about two weeks worth of dry food for four people. Along with two bedrolls, a few logs of firewood, and a small shovel,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the large order,¡± the shopkeep laughed nervously.


    ¡°And I have quite the money, so if you¡¯d please,¡± Loh raised her coin pouch.


    The shopkeep nodded, ¡°You¡¯re in luck, Miss Noir. We just had a caravan stop by a few days back. We¡¯re still unpacking some of the goods, but I think we should have everything you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± the shopkeep left into the back of the store.


    Stryg could hear her rummaging about with crates and cloth sacks while ordering someone to move a few things. After a few minutes the shopkeep returned, carrying a few sacks in her hands.


    ¡°Here you are, two weeks worth of food for four. I packed in some oats, dried fruit, plenty of hardtack, and of course jerky,¡± the shopkeep winked.


    ¡°I was hoping you had jerky,¡± Loh cracked a grin.


    The door behind the counter opened. A young man stepped out. He was tall, but not in a robust manner, more in a lanky way. His skin was a pale pink, his hair a charcoal black. His amber eyes did not look up at the guests and instead were focused on the shopkeep.


    ¡°M-moma, you f-forgot, forgot, the b-b-b-b-bedrolls¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°What are you doing out here!?¡± The shopkeep yelled.


    Loh would have guessed the young man was an adult based on his height, but his voice cracked as he spoke and his face looked childish.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Nobody, Miss,¡± the shopkeep stood in front of the young man, trying to hide him and failing miserably.


    ¡°I j-just. I just want-t-t-ted to b-bring you t-the. The b-bedrolls,¡± he stuttered.


    ¡°I was going to grab them afterwards, now go on and head back, quickly,¡± the shopkeep tried pushing him through the backdoor.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Stryg asked.


    The shopkeep¡¯s face paled, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about him. He just helps me out sometimes. You know what, you can have the food for free. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your son,¡± Loh said.


    The young man shrank back behind the shopkeep, but he was far taller than her.


    ¡°But, they don¡¯t look alike,¡± Stryg glanced between them. ¡°You¡¯re human and he¡¯s¡­ What is he?¡±


    ¡°A half-orc,¡± Loh noted.


    The shopkeep fell to her knees, ¡°Please, he¡¯s just a boy. Have mercy. Take whatever you want from the store. He is innocent. He wouldn¡¯t harm a fly, I promise. If you want to punish someone, punish me. Just don¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    The young man¡¯s shoulders trembled. He stepped in front of the shopkeep. ¡°D-don¡¯t h-hurt h-her.¡± He swallowed, ¡°I-I w-w-w-won¡¯t let y-y-you hurt h-her.¡±


    Stryg could see the tears forming in the young man¡¯s amber eyes, the fear in his face. But, Stryg saw something else, resolve.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°What are you doing, Olly?! Be quiet, before they think you¡¯re a threat!¡± The shopkeep cried.


    Olly shook his head, ¡°They al-al-already th-think I¡¯m a th-threat. T-to them I¡¯ll al-al-always just b-be a hybr-r-r¡±


    ¡°A hybrid,¡± Stryg finished.


    Loh laughed, mirth ringing clear in her voice.


    The shopkeep grabbed her son¡¯s hand, ¡°Run. Run away as fast you can, don¡¯t look back.¡±


    Olly bit his lip, but held his ground.


    ¡°He won¡¯t leave you,¡± Stryg strode forward. ¡°I understand now, you both are of the same tribe. Just as you are prepared to die for him, he¡¯s prepared to die to save you.¡±


    ¡°G-g-get back,¡± Olly raised his shaking fists.


    ¡°Nature has taken many things from us, but our warrior¡¯s honor is not one,¡± Stryg took off his hood.


    Olly¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Y-you¡¯re a hybr-r-r-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m like you. I won¡¯t kill you, that is if you lower your fists.¡±


    Olly looked at his hands as if they might betray him. He lowered his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re a hybrid, too. Does that mean you won¡¯t hurt Olly?¡± The shopkeep asked, a glimmer of hope in her eye.


    ¡°That¡¯d be correct,¡± Loh picked up an apple from one of the shelves.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods,¡± the shopkeep¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief.


    ¡°Why did you think we would attack you? You haven¡¯t tried to harm us,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Most folk don¡¯t like hybrids. When I heard you were an aristocrat I knew there was nothing I could do to dissuade you from hurting my Olly,¡± the shopkeep bit her lip.


    ¡°Perhaps the human Houses that live nearby might feel that way, but Hollow Shade doesn¡¯t care if someone¡¯s a hybrid.¡± Loh paused, ¡°Well, at least they are not willing to kill them for it, most of the time¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the villagers?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The villagers around here don¡¯t mess with my Olly because I own the only trading post in Dullwater,¡± the shopkeep said proudly.


    ¡°Th-th-they s-s-s-s-still don¡¯t l-l-l-like me,¡± Olly helped his mother to her feet.


    ¡°There are very few people that like us,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°But, we don¡¯t need any of them. We make our own place through our own power.¡±


    ¡°Olly is a sweet boy, he doesn¡¯t like hurting others,¡± the shopkeep wrapped her arm around her son¡¯s.


    ¡°What does liking to hurt others have to do with anything? You must hurt others in order to survive. Your emotions don¡¯t matter, in fact they are almost always a weakness,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°That sounds like a very sad way to live,¡± the shopkeep said softly. ¡°Love for my son is what gets me up every morning. I¡¯m sorry, what am I saying? I did not mean to disagree with you, I meant no offense,¡± she bowed deeply.


    ¡°Emotions aren¡¯t inherently a bad thing, Stryg,¡± Loh stepped in. ¡°Yes, sometimes they blind us to reality. Other times they hurt us to a point we can¡¯t even move.¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point,¡± Stryg said bitterly.


    ¡°But, emotions can also give us strength like nothing else. You use your anger for spellcasting, you should know this,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg grumbled something inaudible. Perhaps he did use his anger, but that didn¡¯t mean his anger was inherently a strength. If he didn¡¯t control it like a tool his magic could backfire. Willpower, weapons, magic, those were strengths.


    ¡°You are magi?¡± The shopkeep¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°And we are quite busy, so if you could get the rest of the supplies that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°Right away, ma¡¯am,¡± the shopkeep hurried to the back.


    Olly followed, but he glanced back at Stryg, ¡°What s-s-s-sorta hyb-b-b-b-brid a-are you?¡±


    ¡°Olly! You¡¯re being rude to the mage,¡± the shopkeep admonished.


    ¡°S-s-sorry,¡± Olly bowed his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s short, has slit pupils, claws and small pointy ears, take a guess,¡± Loh laughed.


    ¡°A g-g-g-oblin?¡± Olly asked hopefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m a goblin. I don¡¯t know what else. I never met my parents,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    The shopkeep smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Olly, never met his father either.¡±


    ¡°Did he die in battle?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d like to think he¡¯s still alive. He was a caravan guard. We only spent one night together. I never saw his caravan again,¡± the shopkeep cleared her throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than being tied up in a marriage. It seems like you¡¯re doing pretty well for yourself, all things considered,¡± Loh took a bite of her apple.


    ¡°Olly, why don¡¯t you go grab the rest of their things. I¡¯ll keep our guests company,¡± the shopkeep said.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you,¡± Olly bowed his head to Stryg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let outsiders hurt you, Olly. The first one who tries, make an example of them. And by that I mean break their arms and legs or just kill them, either one works. Just remember, it doesn¡¯t matter if they hate you if they can¡¯t stop you,¡± Stryg made a fist.


    ¡°Stryg, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the takeaway,¡± Loh snorted.


    Olly gripped his fists, nodded and went to the back storage room.


    ¡°How old is he?¡± Loh asked.


    The shopkeep cleared her throat, ¡°13.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine life has been easy out here for that kid,¡± Loh whistled.


    ¡°Life has never been easy for Olly,¡± the shopkeep sighed.


    ¡°Even with food all around you and lack of various predators in the area, a hybrid kid can still die, huh?¡± Stryg looked at his reflection in the window.


    The shopkeep swallowed, ¡°People can be cruel, even when they don¡¯t lay a finger on someone. They call my innocent child an abomination. I suspect you have experienced similar treatment. Or perhaps not, you are a mage after all.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    He knew a thing or two about cruelty. Though, there were many people that respected him now, most were out of fear. The Merry Crescent was the prime example. But, even at that tavern there were folk who despised him for what he was, they were simply too scared to act on it.


    ¡°Abominations, huh? I forgot humans call hybrids that,¡± Loh took another bite out of the apple.


    The shopkeep looked down in shame, ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s just another bit of culture you humans brought over from the Jade Realm,¡± Loh said between mouthfuls.


    ¡°The reason people hate hybrids is because of the Jade Realm?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°There are plenty of reasons why people hate hybrids, but for humans it is more often than not their cultural belief in species purity,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Feli doesn¡¯t think that way,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And Feli is with someone like you, so I think it¡¯s safe to say she should not be considered as the standard norm,¡± Loh yawned.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, don¡¯t waste your time thinking about why people hate you, they aren¡¯t worth the effort in the first place,¡± Loh patted his shoulder. ¡°This woman didn¡¯t bother wondering why we might hate her son. She just assumed we did, which is why she tried to hide him, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The shopkeep looked away in shame, ¡°Outsiders don¡¯t care if I own the trading post, they¡¯d hurt my Olly if they could.¡±


    ¡°A mother should always try to protect her children from harm. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t break in the face of fear,¡± Loh threw her a gold coin.


    ¡°This is too much. A silver coin would cover the cost of all your supplies,¡± the shopkeep said.


    ¡°The coin is for the apple,¡± Loh rubbed her temple. ¡°By any chance do you sell anything for hangovers?¡±


    The shopkeep smiled, a gold coin for an apple?  ¡°I have a few tonics, non-magical, though.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll do,¡± Loh squinted as the front door opened, flooding the room with light. ¡°Is this what you deal with?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Stryg squinted as well.


    Louise walked in, ¡°Oh, h-hello.¡±


    ¡°Did you miss me already?¡± Loh smiled broadly.


    Louise blushed, ¡°I actually came here looking for my uncle. He was supposed to bring some potatoes over to the inn¡¯s kitchen, but he hasn¡¯t showed up yet. I was wondering if he was still here by any chance.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle hasn¡¯t stopped by today,¡± the shopkeep said as she rummaged through her medicine cabinet.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Louise frowned.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably passed out drunk somewhere. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time,¡± the shopkeep muttered.


    ¡°R-right. Well, I better go find him. It was nice seeing you, Loh. May the gods bless you on your journey,¡± Louise curtsied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in the gods, but I appreciate the sentiment,¡± Loh grinned.


    Louise smiled and left.


    ¡°I have some better tonics in the back, one moment, please,¡± the shopkeep went to the storage room.


    ¡°...Hey, Stryg,¡± Loh tapped her foot.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg suddenly found a wonderful interest in the ceiling.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know where Louise¡¯s uncle is by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say.¡±


    Loh gripped his shoulder, ¡°The world is dangerous, we have to lie sometimes, I get it. But, I have to be able to trust my apprentice. No matter what, you and I need to stick together through all the shit this Realm will throw at us, because it will, your gifts have ensured that. Now, tell me what happened.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°He was going to try and hurt us.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I dealt with the threat,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re leaving after we get our supplies. I rather not have to deal with an angry mob while fighting a hangover.¡±


    ¡°...No matter what, huh?¡± Stryg whispered.

 Chapter 88: Enhancement Spells

    Chapter 88: Enhancement Spells


    Loh cupped her hand over her brow and surveyed the green hills all around them, ¡°This should be a good spot to stop.¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s barely past noon,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to properly teach you. Besides, I think I¡¯m getting nauseous from riding so much, damn hangovers,¡± Loh covered her mouth.


    ¡°This seems like a good spot to defend. We have the high ground advantage against anyone that might try to ambush us from below the hill,¡± Maximus noted.


    ¡°Everything looks the same, it¡¯s all green,¡± Rhian groaned. She wanted to go home and rest in a comfy stable.


    ¡°Maximus, Rhian, why don¡¯t you both start setting up camp,¡± Loh dismounted. ¡°Stryg, follow me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Rhian and Maximus said in unison.


    Stryg hopped off Rhian¡¯s back and followed Loh a few dozen feet away from the centaurs, although they stayed on top of the hill.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, master. I promise I won¡¯t fail you again,¡± Stryg said resolutely. He was eager to wash away his failure at the root-bison hunt.


    ¡°I like the enthusiasm, you¡¯ll need it. Now sit down with me,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg followed her directions and sat down cross-legged across from her.


    ¡°I wanted to continue your training in the flame spell form, but after last night¡¯s bison incident, I think it¡¯s best if we begin practice in orange¡¯s second spell form.¡±


    ¡°Agility magic?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°You tried casting a vigor spell last night and failed.¡±


    Stryg looked away in shame.


    ¡°While you may have miscast, the blame is not entirely on you. I should have explained to you earlier that enhancement spells are different from other spell forms,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Enhancement spells?¡±


    ¡°Body enhancement to be precise. The term refers to three spell forms. Yellow¡¯s durability, orange¡¯s agility, and brown¡¯s vigor spell forms. While most spells transform mana into a corporeal form as it is released from your body, the mana from enhancement spells are never released. The mana instead stays within your body, suffice to say it¡¯s dangerous. The only other spell form that does something similar are storm spells, but those practically kill everyone who uses them, so we¡¯ll table that topic for later.¡±


    Loh opened her hands, ¡°You were taught that when we cast a spell we require two things, a precise image and a will to create magic. While this is true there is more to it. The first is obvious, mana, without it we can¡¯t create any magic. We also need a strong mind to maintain our focus and a strong body to withstand the spellcasting.¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake, Stryg, spellcasting takes a large toll on our bodies. Every time we cast a spell mana flows through our veins. I know you¡¯ve felt it, that energy surging in your veins. It¡¯s exhilarating, but it also puts an enormous strain on our bodies. Think of it like water flowing inside a pipe. If there¡¯s too much water flowing at a time the pipe will burst. Having that sort of energy flowing inside you pushes your body to its limits. Which is why we magi exercise and train our bodies so they can withstand more of that stress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too worried. I may not be big, but I¡¯m confident in my constitution,¡± Stryg patted his chest.


    Loh glanced at his biceps, ¡°Your muscles are toned and you''re quite strong, this is true. You¡¯re also freakishly heavy. Your body can most likely handle more physical strain than most. But, there¡¯s one more caveat.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Even though mana is ethereal it is still a form of energy and that energy gives off heat as it travels throughout our body. The more powerful the spell we cast, the more mana we use, and the more heat we create within ourselves. When we miscast most of the mana we use ends up being wasted as heat, you¡¯ve probably felt your body burning at such times.¡±


    Stryg recalled how his arms burned when he first cast a drain spell to escape the poacher all those moons ago.


    Loh clenched her fists, ¡°No matter how strong your body and will are, or how great your mana reserves are, you will eventually overheat, always.¡±


    ¡°Overheat?¡± Stryg tilted his head, ¡°I¡¯ve endured worse.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand. You will heat up from the inside and if you don¡¯t stop casting before cooling off you will die. Most magi have modest mana reserves and will run out before they reach a stage of overheating. But, someone like you, a prime mage who tested dark in each chromatic color, will definitely overheat way before you empty all your mana reserves.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying even once I master my colors I won¡¯t even be able to use them all?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Not all your mana at once, no. A mage will cool down far quicker than their mana reserves replenish, so technically you can use up all your mana. It¡¯s just unlikely,¡± Loh shrugged.


    ¡°Is there any way to make our bodies cool down quicker? Like jumping into a cold river?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Our bodies are heating up internally. Outside cooling has very little effect. A few red magi tried creating potions to help the internal cooling process, but the rapid change in temperature only served to damage their veins and prevent them from spellcasting all together.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Stryg ran his hands through his hair, ¡°So, we¡¯re screwed then.¡±


    ¡°We have limits. No one is all powerful. Which brings me to my main point. Enhancement spells run mana through your body, not just your veins but your entire body. You can hazard a guess at what kind of extra strain that puts on us. Only the most physically fit magi can use enhancement spells properly and even then it still exhausts them.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s good that I¡¯m in great shape, then?¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, you¡¯re the one who miscast the vigor spell and ended up dangling off Rhian like a corpse,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°Then what am I missing?¡± He scowled.


    ¡°First, we have to go over what you did when you miscast,¡± she raised her index finger. ¡°You told me you tried having the brown mana seep through your muscles. That was the wrong idea. The only place mana should be inert is within your heart, everywhere else it needs to be in constant motion. Like water flowing inside a pipe.¡±


    Loh pulled back her sleeves and tapped her forearm, ¡°You can¡¯t let mana just seep into your muscles and stagnate, it¡¯ll just end up burning your muscles. And if you try to change that stagnant mana into something like say, a vigor spell, you¡¯ll just end up spasming out like last night.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°You need to have that mana flow not just through your veins, not just your muscles, but your entire body. It¡¯s dangerous if you don¡¯t know your ligaments, bones, muscles, and blood properly. If you don¡¯t, you risk spending too much or too little mana, and we both know that¡¯s a disaster for spellcasting. Look, I know it¡¯s a lot to learn, but the upside is that you don¡¯t need to know all of it, just the body parts you plan on casting your spell on. Like this.¡±


    The veins in Loh¡¯s forearm darkened until they were black. Her grey arm looked like marble.


    ¡°Agility magic,¡± Stryg whispered, his pupils widened.


    ¡°Agility spells normally focus on your limbs. It¡¯ll be easier to learn the anatomy of your arms and legs as opposed to your vital organs,¡± Loh clenched and opened her fist repeatedly.


    ¡°I know about anatomy. We learned about it in professor Gete¡¯s class. He made sure we knew the anatomy so that we could succeed in necromancy,¡± Stryg¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I failed in necromancy, but I learned the anatomy at least.¡±


    Loh nodded, ¡°Good. It¡¯s difficult to learn a person¡¯s entire anatomy, but Gette¡¯s instruction should serve well enough for our purposes. When you start learning healing spells you¡¯ll gain an even better understanding of anatomy. But, that¡¯s a talk for another time.¡± Loh stood up, ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Should I try casting an agility or vigor spell? Or both?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. You haven¡¯t been able to successfully multicast once and you¡¯re not going to be able to do it with new magic. Besides, it¡¯s impossible to multicast enhancement spells. The strain is too great on the body.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he recalled the pain he felt last night when he tried casting vigor magic. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°For now let¡¯s just work on a simple agility spell. Your right hand will suffice.¡±


    Stryg nodded and got to his feet. He closed his eyes and tried focusing on his arm. He recalled the muscles and tendons. There were many, it was difficult.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to constantly think of each and every part of your body. You just have to be aware of their existence. Don¡¯t let your body become an obstacle that blocks your mana, instead let the mana move through unimpeded.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± he took deep breaths.


    Stryg imagined what it would be like to have the orange mana change his body, enhance his arm. The mana within his heart reacted and began to flow through his veins and into his arm. He needed to keep the mana moving, constantly changing his arm. He could feel the heat building up within. His hand began to burn. He grit his teeth and tried ignoring the pain.


    The veins began to darken, his hand shook. He groaned as his hand cramped, the muscles locking in place. He released the spell before it could cause more damage.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Stryg cursed.


    His arm felt as if it was burning. He couldn¡¯t move his stiffened hand and was forced to watch his fingers twitch as if in a frenzy.


    ¡°It was a good first try,¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Just give me one more chance,¡± he lifted his left hand and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Stryg, it¡¯s okay. You need to take a break. You can¡¯t force these things, that¡¯s just a recipe for injury.¡±


    ¡°I heal fast.¡±


    Loh¡¯s shadow shot out and pulled his arms aside. ¡°Listen to me, dammit. When I tell you to stop, I mean it. I am your teacher and I know what is best for your training, you do not.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. He could feel the pull of her shadow tendrils. He knew his own strength. He could probably rip away from the shadows if he really wanted to. But, the angry look on Loh¡¯s face warned him otherwise.


    ¡°If we are going to be master and apprentice we need to trust each other. You need to trust that I know what is best for you and will always guide you in the right direction. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°...Understood,¡± he bowed his head.


    ¡°Good,¡± she released the shadows. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the small stuff. Most novices can¡¯t even get their veins to darken at all. You¡¯ll get better at it with practice.¡±


    ¡°Can I at least try casting a vigor spell? Or maybe a durability spell?¡± Stryg asked hopefully.


    Loh shook her head. Her apprentice was too eager to prove himself and too excited to try out his magical abilities. But, more than anything he was too stupid to realize the risks of reckless spellcasting.


    ¡°I am not a chromatic brown or yellow. You shouldn¡¯t practice those spells without the proper teacher,¡± Loh said. ¡°Just get some rest for now, we¡¯ll keep practicing in a bit.¡±


    Stryg sighed and let himself fall backwards, landing on the soft grass.


    Loh laughed, ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m gonna push you harder than any teacher would at the academy. Soon enough, you¡¯ll have wished you were never a mageborn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, the latter, I mean. Don¡¯t worry, I will rise to whatever challenge you give me. Even if I make a mistake I will not give up. I won¡¯t fail you,¡± he swore.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear,¡± Loh grinned.


    Stryg stared up at the sky, ¡°...Master?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to tell others that I¡¯m a prime mage? Is it a bad thing? Or am I just defective? Is that why we¡¯re all the way out here in the middle of nowhere and not Hollow Shade?¡±


    Loh laid down next to him, ¡°You¡¯re not defective, Stryg. We¡¯re out here because you need training and you need to be able to do that without distractions.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg turned his neck and looked at her.


    ¡°Really,¡± Loh placed her hands behind her head, ¡°And don¡¯t worry about your other colors, I¡¯ve spoken with my grandfather to arrange teachers for the rest of your chromatic training.¡±


    Stryg made a mental note to ask about her grandfather later. ¡°...Then why do you want me to keep my chromatic colors a secret?¡±


    Loh glanced at his lilac eyes. His pupils were undulating in rapid motion. His face may have been still, but his eyes gave him away. He was stressed.


    Loh closed her eyes, ¡°There once was an aristocrat, a drow, who had done nothing of note. He wasn¡¯t talented in magic and he wasn¡¯t a great warrior. In fact, despite being from a Great House, he was completely unremarkable. Everyone¡¯s eyes were instead focused on his talented mage sister. No one thought he would accomplish much with his life. His name was Elzri.¡±

 Chapter 89: Elzri

    Chapter 89: Elzri


    Loh recounted the story,


    ¡°Elzri was an inconspicuous drow. He was one of four siblings. His brother, the eldest, was a brave warrior and mage who led his men to victory in countless battles throughout Dusk Valley¡¯s hills and plains.¡±


    ¡°The second eldest, Esletha, dazzled the people with her incredible magic. She was undefeated in the dueling rings. Her magical prowess was only matched by her beauty. Everyone loved her.¡±


    ¡°The youngest was spoiled by her parents and was given anything she desired. She was loved by aristocrats and commoners alike.¡±


    ¡°Elzri was the second youngest. He didn¡¯t have the attention and affection that was afforded to his youngest sister, nor did he command the respect and honor that the eldest did. And of course, no sibling could match Esletha in her prowess, beauty, nor intelligence. Yet, that didn¡¯t bother Elzri. He was simply content to live a comfortable life in the shadows of his siblings.¡±


    ¡°And so he did. His siblings grew in power and prestige as the years went by, while Elzri remained the black sheep of the family. When Elzri was in his late twenties, his father became bedridden from illness. There was no amount of white magic that could heal him. Not even a mage lord could escape death.¡±


    ¡°His children gathered around his deathbed to hear his final words. The eldest was eager to hear his father name him successor and leader of their House. However, rumor had it that his father was going to name Esletha the next family head. After all, she was a powerful mage who was on her way to becoming a Mage Lady.¡±


    ¡°Even the youngest was hopeful. She had been eyeing their southern estate for years and had spoken on countless occasions with her father to inherit the estate.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, Elzri didn¡¯t wish to be there at all. He didn¡¯t have much of a relationship with his father. He only came because his father threatened to cut him off entirely if he didn¡¯t see him one last time. So, it came as a surprise to all when their father named Elzri his successor and the inheritor of all his worldly possessions, leaving the others destitute.¡±


    ¡°At the time, Elzri sat in the corner, quiet and in disbelief of the revelation. The eldest could not comprehend why their father had made such a choice, he stood mute, stunned from the betrayal. The youngest cried and begged her father to not cut her off. Esletha, the second eldest, was livid, she demanded that he rethink his decision.¡±


    ¡°Their father was uncompromising. He gave no reasons as to why he chose Elzri, not even to Elzri himself. Eventually, the children were forced to leave the room as their father¡¯s wives came to attend him.¡±


    ¡°Esletha was not one to give up, however. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to become the next head of the family. She would not let her ignorant little brother take it all from her. The very next day she held a ball in honor of her father and invited all the prominent Houses, including the other six ruling Houses.¡±


    ¡°Esletha even managed to drag the recluse Elzri to the ball. She said she wanted to make peace with her brother and wish him the best in his future leadership. But, when everyone had gathered, Elsetha announced her father¡¯s ridiculous announcement of his heir. The aristocrats laughed at an embarrassed Elzri.¡±


    ¡°Esletha took advantage of the situation and baited Elzri into a duel, where the winner would be the true heir of their father. Everyone watched as she issued the momentous challenge. Elzri had no accomplishments to his name, no way to defend his honor. If Elzri did not accept he would seem weak and unworthy to inherit his father¡¯s position. He had no choice. Elzri reluctantly agreed.¡±


    ¡°A few days later, Hollow Shade¡¯s largest arena was filled to the brim. People gathered from all around to see the mage duel. Elzri the adept versus Esletha the high master. Despite the obvious difference in power, the terms of the duel were technically in Elzri¡¯s favor. He didn¡¯t have to defeat his sister, he only had to stay standing or within the arena¡¯s bounds for ten minutes. Unfortunately, it was more than enough time for Esletha to defeat her little brother into submission.¡±


    ¡°Esletha was a tri-manifold mage, a chromatic orange, brown, and black. Elzri was only a chromatic yellow, he hoped that would be enough. He just had to focus on his durability spells to keep him safe. However, Esletha was counting on it.¡±


    ¡°The horns rang, announcing the match had begun. Esletha held nothing back, she summoned an enormous stream of fire to blast him off the arena. Elzri wasn¡¯t quick enough. The flames engulfed him. The crowd screamed, most in terror, some in shock, a few excited.¡±


    ¡°The crowd''s screams died as the flames evaporated, revealing red arcane symbols surrounding an untouched Elzri. It was an advanced red ward spell. Esletha frowned in confusion. It should not have been possible, Elzri was a chromatic yellow. Yet, there he stood, unharmed. The crowd sat on the edge of their seats, stunned."


    "Elzri stretched out his arms and said, ¡®Finally, it¡¯s my turn.¡¯"


    "Wave after wave of searing flames shot out from his hands. Esletha tried blocking with her own magic, but it was futile. She realized in horror that her unassuming little brother was actually a hexa-manifold archmage. He overpowered her easily. Yet, he didn¡¯t stop there. He cast shadow tendrils to wrap around her limbs and dangle her up in the air, a sorry spectacle to all.¡±


    Loh opened her eyes and looked at Stryg, ¡°You see, Elzri had never been ¡®just a simpleton.¡¯ When he had been tested for magic, it had been made very clear that he was a prodigy. His father took quick action and hid the results from everyone, including his other children. He would not let anyone endanger his son¡¯s future. So, he gathered the best and brightest magi to train his son in secret.¡±


    ¡°Elzri, of course, didn¡¯t like being treated poorly by all those around him, but he knew his place, he knew who he was and the legacy he stood to inherit. So, he stayed quiet and made himself small and unassuming in public. When his father grew sick and weak, he publicly nominated Elzri his heir. Thanks to his mentors, Elzri was prepared to inherit his family¡¯s mantle.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Loh tapped Stryg¡¯s forehead, to his mild annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping your talents a secret, to complete your training without endangering your future. And when you are ready, you will step into the light as a giant among men.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s cheeks darkened a shade, he turned away. ¡°...I trust you.¡±


    ¡°As you should,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°What happened to Elzri and his duel?¡±


    ¡°Elzri went too far,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°He tortured Esletha in front of the crowd. Then something happened no one expected. The eldest brother jumped out from the crowd in an effort to protect Esletha. Elzri burned him to death without hesitance. He then slit Esletha¡¯s throat. Soon after, the youngest sister would renounce any inheritance and claims she had to the House. And so, Elzri became leader of one of the seven ruling families of Hollow Shade... The Great House of Noir.¡±


    ¡°Noir?¡± Stryg sat up, ¡°As in your family?¡±


    Loh nodded reluctantly, ¡°Elzri is my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? I thought families don¡¯t kill each other?¡± Stryg knew tribes would sometimes fight and even kill amongst themselves, but he was under the impression families did not.


    She closed her eyes tightly, ¡°Maybe in commoner families. It¡¯s common enough in powerful Houses. My grandfather¡¯s rule was challenged. While there were many ways he could have dealt with the situation, he wanted to ensure his rulership wouldn''t be riddled with doubt. So, he killed the other claimants, his siblings.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense. A chief cannot allow insubordination. You must deal with your threats, whatever they may be,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°They were his siblings!¡± Loh snapped. ¡°They weren¡¯t just some random strangers. They were his family and he killed them. Do you know what that means? The weight that carries?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I told you, sylvan goblins don¡¯t have siblings. We are all children of the tribe,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°Do you have siblings?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said curtly.


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg slowly nodded. ¡°So¡­ what now?¡±


    Loh stretched over the grass, ¡°Training, lots of training.¡±


    ~~~


    She was the happiest little girl in the whole city. The sun was shining, the sky was bright, and the scent of flowers colored the air. It was the best day of her life. She had just ridden with some of the most amazing centaurs in the Valley and hung out with her best friend. And to top it off, her riding instructor told her she had real talent. She might even be able to compete in the Crimson Tracks someday.


    She skipped all the way from the training tracks to her house. She knew her mother did not like her to track mud into the house, but she was too happy to care. She could plan her future riding career later, for now she needed to get rid of the rumbling in her tummy.


    She sneaked into the kitchen with quiet footsteps, pretending to be some sort of spy infiltrating a top secret fortress. The kitchen staff went about their duties, too busy to notice or maybe too busy to care. She reached the pantry door and wrapped her small hands around the knob.


    ¡°There you are,¡± a stern voice called out from behind her.


    The air turned frigid, the sunlight disappeared, and the room darkened to a shade of icy blue. She could see her own breath, cold white. Her shoulders trembled as she slowly turned around. The kitchen staff were gone. A single looming figure stood in front of her, his form seemed to practically take up the entire room, his presence suffocating.


    She swallowed, ¡°D-daddy?¡±


    Her father¡¯s hand shot out like a viper pouncing on its prey. She did not see the hand so much as felt it crack across her face. The force of the blow sent her careening into one of the cabinets. Her back smacked into the cabinet handle as her head smashed into the hardwood.


    A spike of pain shot up her spine. Her vision swam. She could taste the blood inside her mouth where her teeth had cut her cheek. Warm blood trickled down the back of her head. Tears dribble down her face.


    ¡°What did you do today?¡± her father asked calmly.


    ¡°I went to the training tracks. Mommy said I could go,¡± she tried wiping the tears away, but they kept falling.


    ¡°I do not care what that bitch said. I care about what you did at those tracks,¡± her father drew closer.


    ¡°I just rode on the tracks a few times,¡± she bit her lip.


    Her father¡¯s hand blurred. She expected the strike yet it came as a surprise just the same. Her head slammed into the marble floor. Her ears rang, the world grew quiet, but she could still clearly hear her father¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Do not lie to me! Your maid told me what happened. You did not just ride some stupid animal. You fraternized with that filthy human girl again!¡± He screamed, froth practically coming out of his mouth.


    ¡°We only played for a little bit. Aren¡¯t you friends with her dad?¡± She tried pushing herself up, but her knees failed her.


    ¡°Just because I work with him once in a while, does not make us friends,¡± her father laughed. ¡°We are different from them, they will never be like us, because they can¡¯t. They were born sheep and we were born lions. And we do not make friends with the livestock!¡±


    ¡°But, she¡¯s my best friend,¡± her lip quivered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Commoners, humans, beastkin, hybrids, they are all animals, animals! And all those freaks are beneath us. I¡¯ve put this off for too long. Gods help me, I will not let you shame me for another second,¡± he grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt and slammed her into the wall. ¡°If you won¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll beat it into that dimwitted brain of yours and then maybe I¡¯ll pay a visit to that little human bitch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t play with her again, don¡¯t hurt my friend!¡±


    Her father threw her across the room. Her body skidded across the floor before it banged into the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she curled into a ball.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough,¡± her father took off his jacket and grabbed a nearby frying pan. ¡°Sometimes words aren¡¯t enough to make someone understand. But, pain always gets through. I promise when I¡¯m done, you will never disobey me again.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening, this isn¡¯t real,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Pain is always real, soon you¡¯ll understand. You will finally understand your place in this world,¡± he raised the pan up high.


    ¡°This is a dream, this is a dream,¡± she whispered over and over.


    The iron pan struck her arm, shattering bone. Her wretched scream rattled the windows. She tried to drag herself away, but her father followed her, a skip to his step.


    ¡°Pain is a good thing, dear, trust me,¡± her father smiled kindly.


    ¡°Help, someone help me,¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing,¡± her father slammed the pan down on her shoulder.


    Her screams were eclipsed by a thundering roar up above. A colossal shadow overtook the house. A scaled emerald tail swept past the window.

 Chapter 90: Daily Act

    Chapter 90: Daily Act


    The powerful gales rattled the windows of the manor. She needed to get up before it was too late.


    ¡°What is this? What is happening?¡± Her father took a step back and looked up at the ceiling.


    She winced as she struggled to her feet. Her left shoulder and arm were both broken. She could not give up now, she had to move. She kicked the kitchen door open and made a run for the front porch.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!?¡± Her father reached out and caught her hair.


    She yelled in pain as he dragged her back. She clenched her teeth and threw herself forward, ripping away a chunk of her hair. It hurt, everything hurt, but she needed to run. She could hear her father running behind her, but she didn¡¯t dare look back.


    The front door was open, she could see the porch and the green grass beyond. Her father¡¯s arm stretched out. She shouted and jumped. She missed the grass entirely and fell on the porch steps. Her shoulder practically screamed in agony as she rolled down the steps and landed on the cobblestone pathway.


    Wave after wave of pain assaulted her feeble mind. She hazily looked up at the sky. A titanic creature blotted out the sun covering the world in a shade of green. The emerald dragon dived towards her, it opened its gaping jaw and bathed the manor in searing flames. The explosion of orange fire blasted her away. She tumbled through the air and crash landed on the lawn.


    She groaned in pain, her whole body ached. She could hear her father¡¯s screams from the manor. Her head lolled to the side. A burning figure ran out the door, flailing its arms. Her father¡¯s charcoaled body dropped to the ground, dead. She sobbed in relief, it was finally over. The monster was dead.


    ¡°Sis, are you okay?!¡± One of her brothers shouted.


    He came running out from the garden along with her other siblings. Her mother trailed behind them.


    ¡°Oh honey, what happened? Don¡¯t you worry, everything is going to be okay,¡± she hugged her daughter tightly.


    She cried softly in her mother¡¯s arms, her body shivered from the ordeal.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, mommy. It¡¯s finally over,¡± she whimpered.


    The emerald dragon roared in the sky before it flew away into the horizon and beyond. A distant rumble of thunder echoed through the air. She looked up from her mother¡¯s embrace. What was happening? The trees of the nearby grove trembled in fear.


    ¡°Honey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Her mother smiled.


    ¡°No...no. I don¡¯t know,¡± she hugged her mother tightly.


    The rumbling grew louder and louder. The trees shattered in an explosion of splinters and leaves. A rampaging herd of root-bison rushed at them, their hooves smashing anything in sight. She got to her feet and tried dragging her mother away, but the woman sat still. Her mother suddenly looked gaunt, her bright appearance gone.


    ¡°We have to help mommy!¡± She pleaded to her siblings.


    But, everyone froze as the thundering horde ran into them. The bison slammed everyone to the ground. The hooves crashed all around, yet by some miracle she remained unscathed. She could see her mother¡¯s sick body being trampled by the hooves, her body a splatter over the grass.


    ¡°No!¡± She screamed over and over again as her mother¡¯s body disappeared under the stampede.


    After what seemed an eternity the herd disappeared back into the grove. She struggled to her feet and looked for what remained of her siblings. She did not find a single trace of them.


    She glanced at the foreboding grove. The root-bison must have dragged them away in the stampede. She found herself dragging her feet into the dark grove. There was almost no chance her siblings were alive. But, what else could she do? Where could she go? She was all alone.


    As she ventured into the grove the trees seemed to expand in height. The canopy grew thick, the sunlight disappeared gradually. The rumbling of the bison became faint to the ear. A rustle in the leaves above startled her. A silver owl sat on a branch up high, it hooted before flapping its wings into the murky canopy.


    Suddenly, she could hear the sounds of hundreds of creatures lurking right behind the undergrowth. She was scared, she needed to turn back. But, the woods seemed the same, the trees blurring with one another. She was lost. Something rustled behind the bushes. She ran the other direction.


    The sounds of the creatures nearby grew louder and louder. She pushed past the bramble, trying to ignore the biting stings. She tripped and tumbled down a hill. The forest fell silent. Her body was bruised, bloodied, and broken, but she was alive.


    A soft wet crunching noise rippled through the clearing. She slowly looked up. A root-bison lay on the ground, its brown eyes watched her, the yellow light fading from its weak gaze. A massive panther stood atop the bison. The dreadful predator mauled at the bison¡¯s chest, ripping away the flesh and feasting on the organs.


    A titanic snake slithered from behind and wrapped its black tail around the bison¡¯s legs, the bones cracking beneath the pressure.


    She backed away from the carnage as quietly as she could. A twig cracked beneath her foot. The snake and panther¡¯s heads swiveled towards her. Their green eyes practically glowed in the darkness.


    ¡°Uh, s-stay back,¡± she raised her small hands and tried to appear menacing.


    The snake and panther pounced on her in an instant. She cried out as their fangs sank into her body and tore her apart. The silver owl watched from the canopy, its hooting the last sounds she heard.


    ~~~


    Her eyes shot open as she screamed. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears. Her thin body was burning, she was drenched in sweat and her throat was raw. How long had she been screaming this time? She lay panting in her bed, the crescent moon bathing her room in a gloomy light.


    ¡°It was just a nightmare, it was not real. It was just a nightmare, it was not real,¡± she repeated her mantra quietly to herself.


    A knock rang on her bedroom door.


    ¡°Mistress, are you alright? Mistress?¡± One of her maids called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, go back to sleep,¡± she called out hoarsely.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Very well, Mistress.¡± Her maids knew of her nightly episodes and knew when to not disturb her.


    She sat up with sluggish movements. Her feet felt like lead as she walked over to the mirror. She almost tripped over one of the dozen empty bottles of alcohol littered across the floor.


    Right, she was out of booze. She would need to have one of the maids fetch some in the morning. She lit an oil lamp and looked into the mirror.


    She ignored the faint scars on her elbow and shoulder and examined the rest of her appearance. Her hair was thin and frizzy. Her cheeks were sallow. Her lips were parched and cracked. Her eyes were puffy with dark bags underneath them. Even her slim body was beginning to border on starving. She seemed half-dead.


    ¡°Seems about right,¡± she sighed.


    She reached for the water basin and splashed what little water was left on her face. Her camisole was soaked with sweat. She should probably change into dry clothes and try to get what little sleep she could before the morning. But, the thought of sweet blissful sleep did not seem enticing at the moment, even to an insomniac like her.


    Instead she busied herself with her appearance. She opened her makeup cabinet and began to slowly and methodically go through the motions of her daily act. She needed to appear prim and proper, an elegant woman of the aristocracy. A woman who enjoyed the delights of high society and despised those who did not belong.


    She applied her makeup with an expert touch, then combed and fixed her hair, and put on a gold filigree necklace. She donned a vibrant blue dress that hugged her small waist line and pushed up her small bust.


    She looked at the mirror once more. This time a cold beauty met her gaze. A woman ready to destroy any who opposed her, unfettered by any who might try. At least, that was what others would see. All she could see was a monster, deserving of her fate. She blinked away the oncoming tears and did a little twirl to ensure the dress fit just right.


    ¡°I wonder if you would have approved, mom?¡± She whispered to herself.


    She used her index fingers to push her lips up into a smile. ¡°Heh, probably not.¡±


    She opened her medicine cabinet and scanned her various potions for a pick-me-up that could help her get through the day.


    ¡°...Shit,¡± she muttered. She had several bottles to choose from, but she noticed she was out of magnolia repose, the potion meant to help her sleep. She would need to go see that damn doctor again.


    ~~~


    ¡°This will be enough for about eight weeks, if you use it sparingly,¡± Dr. Lucy placed the bottle on the table.


    ¡°Yeah, we both know that won¡¯t happen. How about you just give me an extra bottle, that way I won¡¯t have to bother you later and we¡¯ll both be happy,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, even for someone of your position, academy policy,¡± Lucy leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, that¡¯s why I come to you,¡± she sighed.


    Her father had employed several people, classmates included, to keep tabs on her and make sure she always acted in a way he deemed suitable.


    She had no doubt her father would bribe any doctor that she might see and force them to spill any secrets they had on her. But, the academy protected their own staff and were strict on their no-bribe policy. Which meant the academy doctor, Lucy, was the only one she could trust on such personal matters.


    She reached out to grab the bottle, but Lucy pulled it away.


    ¡°So, tell me about your night terrors, have there been any improvements?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°And this is why I don¡¯t like coming to you ,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°Everyone else just gives me what I want, no questions asked.¡±


    ¡°And none of them are your secret therapist, nor do any care about your well-being,¡± Lucy stared at her with a steady gaze. ¡°So, night terrors. Any updates?¡±


    She twiddled her thumbs, ¡°They come once every week or so. And they aren¡¯t that bad. Actually, they are a bit different now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, different?¡±


    ¡°The nightmares always start the same; I¡¯m a little kid again and I¡¯m having a great day, I¡¯m actually happy¡­ Then my father finds me and he beats me, over and over again.¡±


    ¡°But, then someone always comes to save you, yes?¡± Lucy added.


    ¡°Save is a strong word. More like they come to kill my father,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Why do you think the one who comes to¡­ kill your father is always of a specific nature?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t they always someone very big? A mythical warrior, a legendary mage, a dragon, an ebon lord, a god, etc. Do you see what I¡¯m getting at?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all powerful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Lucy clasped her hands together. ¡°They are all figures that you would never actually meet. They are all bigger than life, so to speak. As if the only way you could deal with your father would be through some impossible means. As if you can never win.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a way to defeat my father,¡± she gripped her dress tightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. You believe you can¡¯t stop your father from hurting you,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t!¡± She shot to her feet. ¡°I relive that horrible day every single damn night. It may be a dream, but the core event was real. No one was there to help, it was just me, and I couldn¡¯t do anything. So, don¡¯t sit there lecturing me of what I can and cannot do!¡±


    ¡°Night terrors every night, huh?¡± Lucy noted.


    She fell back into her chair, ¡°Whatever, just give me the damn bottle.¡±


    ¡°You said something¡¯s different with the nightmares. What changed?¡±


    ¡°Sweet Bellum, when will you stop?¡± She groaned.


    ¡°When you¡¯re finally happy,¡± Lucy smiled sympathetically.


    She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, ¡°...Normally the nightmare ends when my father dies. But, this time it didn¡¯t.¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°I saw my mom, she was still alive. Then she died, again. Not to disease, but to a stampede of fuck¡¯n root-bison. My siblings were there too. I tried saving them, but I couldn¡¯t. Then to make things worse, I got ripped apart and eaten by a panther and a giant snake.¡±


    ¡°Hm, when did this start?¡±


    ¡°Last night, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you are unworthy of happiness?¡± Lucy asked.


    She felt her muscles stiffen, ¡°Of course not. Why shouldn¡¯t I be happy?¡±


    ¡°Because you feel guilty, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Why would I feel guilty? I¡¯ve done nothing wrong and for your information, I am happy. I am a scion of a Great House. I am young, beautiful, and one of the most popular students in the entire academy. What more could I want? Everyone wants to be me,¡± she snapped.


    Lucy walked around the desk and grabbed the young woman¡¯s trembling hand, ¡°Simply because your father tried to make you just like him, does not mean you are. You are not a child anymore, you are a grown woman. You decide who you want to be, not him... Only you can decide if you wish to be happy.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t beat him,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight him to beat him. Living a happy life, that¡¯s how you win,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Easy for you to say, you don¡¯t have people around every corner spying on your every move.¡±


    ¡°True, but I¡¯m not as intelligent or as strong as you either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the intelligence compliment. I wouldn¡¯t get top scores in class if I was a dumbass. But, have you seen these thin arms? I¡¯m not strong,¡± she chuckled.


    Lucy levelled her gaze, ¡°Anyone who survives what you¡¯ve been through is strong.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Lucy handed her the bottle, ¡°There¡¯s still a little over a month left before summer is over. You shouldn¡¯t waste it cooped up in this city. Get some fresh air away from this dreary place.¡±


    ¡°...Maybe I will,¡± she grabbed the bottle and headed for the door.


    ¡°Do be careful while travelling, I hear the Valley tribes have been restless as of late,¡± Lucy warned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± she opened the door.


    ¡°Oh, one more thing, Maeve,¡± Lucy called out.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You deserve to be happy,¡± Lucy smiled.


    Maeve closed the door behind her.

 Chapter 91: Night Battle

    Chapter 91: Night Battle


    Marek, war lord of the Cairn tribe, sat atop his centaur and waited impatiently for Crow and Nokuti to return from the negotiations. He could barely make out their figures in the dark night, small specks on the horizon.


    ¡°This is taking too long,¡± Kyriil, the elf, groaned from his saddle.


    Marek was glad someone shared his opinion.


    ¡°Eager for blood are we? The elves in my Realm leaned towards pacifism,¡± Lysaila, the lamia, smirked.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, beautiful. Elves have never been pacifists, they all want to slit your throat if you don¡¯t conform to their views. They¡¯re just too polite to say it,¡± Kyriil waggled his finger.


    ¡°Except for you, huh?¡± Grim, the axlean, asked. His tall cloaked figure loomed over the rest, even the centaurs and Marek.


    ¡°I¡¯m what you might call unique,¡± Kyriil smirked. He looked over at the twins, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you two picked me?¡±


    Dawn and Vaughn¡¯s twin amethyst eyes glanced at him for a brief moment, before returning their attention back to the negotiation in the distance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they like you,¡± Lysaila laughed.


    ¡°Meh, everyone likes me, but I like you,¡± Kyriil smiled down at the lamia.


    ¡°And here I thought the Ivory Realm hated beastkin,¡± she raised an eyebrow.


    Kyriil shrugged, ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m unique. Stick with me and I¡¯ll make sure you come out of this battlefield unscathed.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s sapphire tail lifted her body upwards to meet the mounted Kyriil face-to-face. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±


    Kyriil¡¯s eyes widened as he noticed her blade underneath his chin, ¡°How did you-?¡±


    ¡°A girl has her secrets,¡± her serpentine tongue slipped out of her mouth and flicked his cheek, ¡°Mm. You¡¯re definitely not my type.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m everyone¡¯s type, sweetheart,¡± Kyriil grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always found it endearing how your kind are always so full of themselves, it makes it that much more fun to see you fail. I do hope your battle prowess is as great as your ego. Or maybe not, I think it¡¯d be fun either way,¡± Lysaila hissed happily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to disappoint,¡± Kyriil chuckled.


    ¡°Hopefully we won¡¯t have to fight today,¡± Grim craned his long neck downwards to speak to them.


    ¡°If negotiations go well that is. Which of course, they won¡¯t. And when they don¡¯t, I rather stick with you, Grim,¡± Lysaila slithered over towards the axlean.


    ¡°Grim is your type?¡± Kyriil¡¯s jaw went slack.


    The towering axlean ignored the comment.


    ¡°If only. Alas, none of you are interesting enough. Grim can kick your ass, though, so I¡¯ll fight besides him,¡± Lysaila sheathed her blade.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just plain hurtful,¡± Kyriil winced and placed his hand over his heart.


    ¡°They are coming,¡± Grim noted.


    Nokuti and Crow were riding back from the negotiations with the Bronze Eagle tribe.


    ¡°Finally, you will all get to see me in action,¡± Kyriil stretched.


    ¡°Like that time with the white eels a few weeks back?¡± Grim asked.


    ¡°They were underwater, okay? They just caught me by surprise,¡± Kyriil frowned.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about that. You fell off the boat and Grim had to fish you out of the water like some sort of tuna,¡± Lysaila laughed, her voice smooth like silk.


    ¡°We greet you, Lord Marek!¡± Nokuti shouted as she neared.


    ¡°Welcome back, what did they say?¡± Marek finally spoke up, eager to face whatever happened next. Anything would be better than listening to Kyriil¡¯s incessant blabbering.


    ¡°A bunch of useless stuff, pretty boring honestly,¡± Nokuti the vampiress and Marek¡¯s right hand, shrugged.


    ¡°But, what about the treaty? Are they willing to join us? To submit to the Cairn tribe?¡± Marek asked hopefully.


    ¡°Weeeell, they didn¡¯t put it like that per se, it was more of a ¡®no.¡¯¡± Nokuti scratched her cheek.


    ¡°Crow, what did they exactly say?¡± Marek turned to the other negotiator.


    ¡°Their chief said he would rather die than submit to a dire bastard,¡± Crow, his advisor, spoke calmly, his expression hidden behind his bird-skull mask.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fair,¡± Marek nodded solemnly.


    ¡°We await your command, my Lord. I will see to their chief¡¯s death personally,¡± Nokuti bowed.


    Marek looked at his elite comrades, he was glad to have the seven of them here, on this fateful day. He glanced behind at his regiment of warriors, two thousand strong, hidden behind the hill, ready to follow him into battle.


    ¡°Then death we shall give him,¡± Marek raised his spear up high.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Kyriil rolled his eyes.


    ¡°They still only believe there are eight of us. Let¡¯s keep it that way. Grim, lay down some cover,¡± Marek ordered.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± Grim extended his long grey arms.


    The tall grass all around began to shiver. The dew on each blade of grass began to vibrate and gently rise into the air. The droplets evaporated in a matter of seconds, forming a dense fog all around them.


    ¡°I have to admit, actual water magic is incredible,¡± Nokuti sighed in amazement. She could not even see five feet in front of her.


    ¡°Can you cover the entire army like this?¡± Marek asked.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too large of a scope,¡± Grim said.


    ¡°So much for being amazing,¡± Kyriil muttered.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I want you to focus the fog in front of us. Keep the enemy blind to our true numbers,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Consider it done.¡± Grim waved his hands, the fog began to slowly move forward.


    ¡°Lysaila, when the fog reaches their encampment, break their front line,¡± Marek ordered.


    ¡°Oh, how exciting. We¡¯ll have to postpone our partnership for another time, Grim,¡± Lysaila drew her enchanted blade.


    ¡°What a pity,¡± Grim¡¯s eyes passed over her body.


    ¡°Crow, I want you to command our army from the back,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°My Lord, I can fight just as well as any of these Realm travelers,¡± Crow objected.


    ¡°I know you can, old friend,¡± Marek grabbed Crow¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, I can¡¯t afford to lose you. Your wisdom and knowledge are too important to risk in a night battle. Your skills will be needed in the war effort to come.¡±


    Crow lowered his head, ¡°I will do as you command. But, what of you, my Lord?¡±


    ¡°I will go straight for the Bronze Eagle¡¯s chief. If their tribe sees their leader fall, they will most likely surrender. Or perhaps our army will persuade them, either way works for me,¡± Marek shrugged his massive shoulders.


    ¡°My Lord, you are the only one we truly cannot afford to lose. Without you, our dream of liberating the Valley will die,¡± Crow argued.


    ¡°If I do not fight at the front, how can I expect others to follow me? Besides, Nokuti will have my back as always,¡± Marek grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Crow. I¡¯ll keep our suicidal chief safe,¡± Nokuti cracked her neck.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it like that,¡± Marek smiled wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, really. Nokuti and I are high master magi, we¡¯ll be fine. And Stjerne forbid, but if something were to happen, the twins can always step in.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Dawn shook her head subtly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Vaughn added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan,¡± Crow crossed his arms.


    ¡°...It¡¯ll be fine, trust me,¡± Marek cleared his throat. ¡°Grim, begin the advancement.¡±


    The axlean marched forward, the others followed closely behind. Crow groaned, but went to rally the two thousand warriors hiding at the bottom of the hill.


    ~~~


    As the thick fog reached the Bronze Eagle¡¯s encampment, the night guards stood up from around their campfire. The fog seemed ominous as it curled around them. The five men pulled out their swords.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right, alert the chief,¡± one of the guards said.


    Lysaila sprang out from the fog, right at the guards. Her body spun over the campfire, her blade dancing around her, slicing flesh with each wave. She landed past the fire and dashed forward, straight into the nearest group of tents. The guards¡¯ bodies fell apart in bloody slabs.


    Lysaila sliced through the tent and slithered inside. A feminine scream was cut short as blood splattered on the walls. Lysaila slipped into the next tent and left it in another pool of blood. Panicked shouts began to spread through the encampment as several hundred men and women began pouring out of their tents. Most did not have time to put on their armor and simply settled with their weapons of choice.


    ¡°What happened!?¡± The chief yelled angrily.


    His men pointed to the bloody tents at the corner of the encampment. One tent kept shaking quietly. The morbid squelch of death resounding from within.


    ¡°Fire!¡± the chief shouted.


    A group of archers notched their arrows and let loose into the tent. Dozens of arrows pierced through the thin leather walls. The bloody tent stood still. A blade sliced through the wall.


    Four lamias slithered out, each identical to the other. They were covered in blood yet were unscathed. Their magestone belts glowed a soft purple. The Lysailas licked their lips and lifted their curved swords. Their serpentine tongues flicked out and tasted the blood on their blades.


    ¡°More, please,¡± the Lysailas giggled.


    ¡°Kill the demons!¡± The chief cast a fireball and launched it at them.


    The Lysailas curled around the fire, dodging the orange spell with ease. They moved in rhythmic motions and jumped into the fray of enemies. The warriors hacked at the lamias, but they danced away with nimble movements. The few blades that found their mark sank through the lamias and out the other side without a single drop of blood.


    The Lysailas¡¯ blades sliced all around them, most passing harmlessly through their enemies. Yet, many others found their heads severed from their bodies in quick fashion. The lamias¡¯ tails whipped about, shattering bones here and there. The fog began to thicken all around them.


    ¡°Get away from my girl!¡± Kyriil shouted through the fog.


    A ray of searing light pierced the enemies nearest the lamias, burning the tribe mens'' flesh. The bright light made a clear target for the archers. They fired their arrows straight at the mounted elf.


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± Kyriil threw himself to the ground as his centaur was riddled with arrowheads.


    Kyriil hid behind his centaur¡¯s corpse, the arrows still raining down. He laughed maniacally as he pulled out an arrow from his own leg. He covered the wound with the palm of his hand. Soft white light surrounded the injury. The wound began to heal at a rapid pace. He poked his head out from behind the dead centaur and fired off a few blasts of light to hold off the warriors that began encroaching on him.


    A javelin of ice flew through the mist and pierced the neck of one the enemies. They turned just in time to see Grim let loose several more icy javelins, the enormous icicles puncturing their unarmored bodies with ease.


    ¡°Get up, elf.¡± Water formed around Grim¡¯s hands and froze into another javelin.


    ¡°As if they could keep me down,¡± Kyriil jumped to his feet and fired off another ray of light.


    Marek shouted a war cry as his centaur and him jumped into the fray. He multicast an agility and vigor spell throughout his entire body. His veins darkened and his skin turned bronze. Marek¡¯s hands were a blur as he thrust his spear through several enemies in a single charge.


    An enemy rider smashed into Marek, stabbing his centaur in the chest with a lance. His dying centaur fell over, pinning Marek to the ground. The enemy rider turned around for another charge.


    Marek¡¯s vigor-enhanced dire strength easily lifted the dead centaur up. He yelled as he grabbed his centaur and flung him like a disc at the charging rider. A sickening crunch resounded as the rider¡¯s steed smashed and folded inwards, tumbling to the ground in a bloody mess.


    Marek ran up to the dismounted rider as he staggered away from the crash. Marek dodged his floundering punch, grabbed the man¡¯s neck, and pulled, ripping the neck from the body in one swift movement.


    An enemy dwarf dashed forward and swung his axe low at Marek¡¯s knees. Nokuti leaped off her centaur and blocked the attack with her own double-sided axe, and swiftly decapitated the dwarf.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡± Nokuti swung her axe at another oncoming foe.


    Marek grabbed his spear from the ground and stretched his arm out in a long swinging arc. His spear practically sang in a steely warcry as it flew above Nokuti¡¯s head and sliced the necks of the enemies behind her.


    ¡°Right back at you,¡± Marek flourished his spear.


    ¡°Archers!¡± Nokuti yelled. She jumped, grabbed Marek¡¯s shoulder, twisted around, and hugged his broad back, covering him with her small frame.


    Arrows slammed into her body and shattered as her durability spell¡¯s scales wrapped around her skin.


    Marek released his agility magic and cast his own durability spell. His darkened veins faded away and the faint outline of yellow scales appeared all over his skin. Nokuti noticed the change and jumped off him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s their chief?¡± Marek asked, eyeing the throng of incoming enemies.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there¡¯s too many of them. And we¡¯ll never get to their chief if we don¡¯t stop those archers,¡± Nokuti pointed her axe to the cluster of archers on the other side of the battlefield.


    One of the archers¡¯ arms turned bronze as he pulled his large bow back and aimed at them.


    ¡°Vigorized archer! Dodge!¡± Nokuti pushed Marek aside.


    Before the arrow could fire, a bolt of lightning struck the brown mage archer, evaporating his shoulders and head. The other archers fell back in surprise. The earth erupted beneath them, sending the dozens of archers flying in the air. A massive stream of fire scorched their bodies before they even touched the ground. Nokuti glanced at the ones responsible.


    The twin archmagi, Dawn and Vaughn, waved their hands in precise movements, a flow of magic bursting forth with each gesture. Dark tendrils emerged from Dawn¡¯s shadow and pulled enemies towards her. With one hand Vaughn burned them with flame, the other hand roasted them with blinding light. Lightning crackled and shot out from Dawn¡¯s palms at the ones who tried to run, eviscerating them.


    The twins walked side by side, a swirl of red arcane wards surrounding them. They were a storm of magic sweeping upon the enemy in wave after wave of destruction.


    ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡± The Bronze Eagle¡¯s chief yelled from amidst the carnage.


    A horn resounded through the fog. Marek¡¯s army charged forth, cutting off the enemy from the back. Crow led the archers in a volley from the rear, clearing a path towards the enemy leader.


    ¡°There¡¯s the chief,¡± Marek gripped his spear.

 Chapter 92: The Heart of Dusk

    Chapter 92: The Heart of Dusk


    Marek waded through the swarm of enemies, flourishing his spear in swift strokes. Nokuti covered his back, entangling enemies in shadow tendrils before slicing them in two with her axe. The enemy warriors began to panic as Crow and the Cairn Tribe¡¯s army flanked their rear.


    The Bronze Eagle¡¯s chief attempted rallying his men and women, but it was too late. The army closing in on them, coupled with the storm of magic the twin archmagi unleashed, broke their courage. The enemy lines fell into disarray as they tried to escape death. The ensuing chaos opened a path for Marek to draw closer to their leader.


    The chief¡¯s eyes met Marek¡¯s, ¡°You sly bastard!¡±


    He thrust his hand forward and showered Marek with a stream of fire. Marek closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms. He groaned as the yellow light of his scales began to crack under the intense heat.


    Nokuti flung her axe low at the chief¡¯s legs. The chief cursed as he jumped out of the way, forcefully releasing his flame spell. Nokuti yelled a war cry as she charged at him, her yellow scales flaring brightly. He shot another stream of fire at her, but Nokuti did not slow. His eyes widened as she rammed into him, knocking him to the ground.


    Within an instant she was on top of him and pummeling his face with her magically hardened fists. The chief¡¯s men rushed in to save him. Marek jumped in between, blasting the warriors away with his own stream of flames.


    Nokuti stood up and dragged the chief by his top knot. His face was bloodied to a pulp, his nose smashed beyond repair. Bits of flesh hung from his cheeks, bone was protruding from his forehead. Most of his teeth had either been punched out or cracked.


    Nokuti threw him at the feet of Marek.


    ¡°My lord,¡± she made a quick bow, grabbed her axe and went to keep the rest of the warriors at bay.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want this to happen, believe me,¡± Marek looked down at the battered chief. ¡°You can still surrender. Your men respect you. They will follow your command.¡±


    ¡°I pray Caligo curses my tribe and soul before letting a treacherous scoundrel like you lead the Bronze Eagles. We¡¯ll fight you to the last woman and child,¡± the chief spat.


    Marek beat his own chest, ¡°I am not your enemy. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± He pointed off to the horizon, ¡°The true enemy lies behind the wall of shades! Neither our sister tribes nor us will ever know true peace as long as the lords and ladies of Hollow Shade rule Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk about the tribes. You broke tradition and attacked us in the middle of the night. You have no honor. You spit on all our ancestral ways,¡± the chief coughed up blood.


    ¡°Hollow Shade hunts us like dogs and all you can think of is tradition! Open your eyes, old man. The Valley people will not survive if we continue squabbling amongst each other. Join me and help free our people once and for all,¡± Marek held out his hand.


    ¡°I would rather die a dog¡¯s death than ride side-by-side with a dire imbecile who breaks away from all we hold dear,¡± the chief smacked his hand away.


    Nokuti spun around and sliced the chief¡¯s head off.


    ¡°What was that for!?¡± Marek yelled.


    ¡°Negotiations have failed. We must end this before there is nothing left to save of their tribe,¡± she said with a steely voice.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Marek sighed.


    He grabbed the chief¡¯s head and held it up high, his dire size making it easy for all to see. ¡°The battle is over!¡±


    The chief¡¯s face had been beaten past the point of recognition, but the golden band wrapped around his top knot was clear to all. Many of the enemy warriors cried out in shock at the sight of the golden band, the symbol of tribe chieftain. They rushed in to avenge their leader.


    ¡°Do not die here in vain!¡± Marek bellowed.


    As if to reiterate the point, a titanic wave of wind surged forth from archmage Dawn, practically knocking everyone in a hundred feet, to the ground. Marek was suddenly very glad he was wrapped in a durability spell, increasing his weight, otherwise he would be flat on his ass like the rest.


    ¡°Your chief is dead and I believe you do not wish to join him,¡± Marek shouted.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± A Bronze Eagle warrior shot to his feet and charged him.


    An ice javelin impaled the warrior¡¯s chest. The man sucked in a short breath as he dropped to his knees. A powerful beam of light seared his face. Grim narrowed his eyes at Kyriil.


    ¡°What? Now he¡¯s definitely dead,¡± the elf shrugged.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Nokuti muttered.


    Lysaila giggled off in the distance amidst a pile of bodies.


    Dawn and Vaughn raised their hands, magic swirling around them. The threat of ignoring Marek¡¯s words was not just real, but quite obvious.


    Marek cleared his throat, ¡°I do not ask for you to end this fighting lightly. Nor do I ask for you to forget the lives lost tonight.¡±


    Marek dropped the chief¡¯s head, ¡°Instead I ask you to remember the deaths within your tribe throughout the years. Your brothers, sisters, parents, spouses, and children! Those are the ones we have all lost! And it was not because of tribal battles, but because of Hollow Shade! That cursed city has taken everything from us, our land, our homes... our people.¡±


    Marek held up a clenched fist, ¡°Still, we survive! For we are strong. We are of the Valley and we have been here since the dawn of the Dusk.¡±


    Marek looked all around him. The eyes of the Bronze Eagle tribe were on him, pride and pain mixed within their faces of mistrust.


    ¡°Yet, even with the Ebon Lords gone, the monsters of the walls still exist. They still come out in droves into our Valley and kill our loved ones. Or worse, they enslave them! And then they hide behind the safety of their walls, while we face the deadly winters, stripped of all we have.¡±


    ¡°Tribal battles may not be responsible for the loss of our people, but they will be the end of our people. For each year that passes the City of Shades grows stronger while the Valley people grow weaker. Soon, there will be nothing left to remember us. We will be nothing but a memory blown away by the winter storms.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°When did we stop being the Keepers of the Dawn and become animals fighting for scraps that the city dwellers left? Why have we become so content with our fate? Tradition? Tradition has only held us back. The pacts of tribes have grown old and obsolete. Your chief believed in those traditions. But, if we honor the customs of our ancestors like he did, we will only continue fighting amongst each other. It will be the end of us all.¡±


    Marek struck his spear into the ground, ¡°I say no more! I say we are more than tradition. I say that the Valley people have not forgotten who we truly are! We are mighty, together we are the Heart of Dusk. And we will not quietly die in our home while the snow sets on our graves.¡±


    The sun began to rise on the horizon. Marek stood tall, his towering height an imposing figure to all. The light of dawn struck him, the morning light bathed his skin gold, his blonde hair gleamed white in the wind. The green hills of the Valley shined behind him. It was as if a hero of old had appeared before them, a last hope to their dying will.


    ¡°I do not ask your leaders nor your ancestors. I call you, each and every single one of you, to fight. Not for scraps, not for tradition, and certainly not for a chieftain. I call you to fight for our people, to take back the right to live in our own home.¡±


    ¡°Because when we stand together, the world will not see squabbling tribes. They will see the Keepers of the Dawn, the Heart of Dusk, the people of the Valley!¡±


    Marek grabbed his spear and held it high, ¡°So, stand! Stand with me now, my brothers and sisters! Stand and let us remind the City of Shades that we are still here and we will not be forgotten!¡±


    Nokuti felt only pride at Marek¡¯s words. She watched as one after another begin to stand. They stood slowly at first, chanting quietly.


    But as their chants grew louder, they stood quicker, until a surge passed through the crowds, and they were all on their feet yelling, ¡°Stand! Stand! Stand!¡±


    ¡°Incredible isn¡¯t it?¡± Crow walked up next to Nokuti.


    ¡°Is this what you saw in Marek when you first met? Is this why you chose to follow him?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Something like that. Of course, it helps when you have an army and two arch magi at your back when convincing a crowd. However, I do believe Marek is beginning to finally become the leader all the Valley people need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, it¡¯ll help our cause,¡± she nodded to herself.


    ¡°Yes, word will spread among the tribes, his legend is only beginning to grow. Soon, the whole Realm will have their eyes on Marek.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be there to protect him no matter who blocks his path,¡± she swore.


    Crow glanced at her worried face, ¡°Why do you follow him?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons,¡± she stared at Marek¡¯s back.


    ¡°Heh, now you¡¯re getting the hang of it,¡± Crow chuckled.


    ~~~


    Marek and Nokuti stood in their war tent, discussing their next plans. A wooden table sat in the middle of the tent, a map pinned on top. Markings were etched all across the map of the Valley. They had been talking for hours, the sun was going to set soon. All she wanted was to go get a few drinks, blood or alcohol, she didn¡¯t care which.


    She pointed at Hollow Shade on the map, ¡°My Lord, I know last night¡¯s battle was a success and that the Bronze Eagle¡¯s have joined our cause and with the way things are going, I could see many other tribes joining us. But, even with all the people of the Valley united, I don¡¯t see how we could ever hope to breach the walls of Hollow Shade. Their defenses are strong and come night, our people would be massacred by the shades.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but I have a plan,¡± Marek tapped the map.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically our resident archivist has the plan.¡±


    ¡°Crow? What¡¯s the plan then?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still working on it,¡± he smiled wryly.


    ¡°Oh gods,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Crow knows what he¡¯s doing. He just needs a little more time. Trust me. He¡¯s a little rough around the edges, but he¡¯s always pulled through.¡± Marek began putting away the bottles of ink and pins, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night. We¡¯ve had a long day, you should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± Nokuti yawned. ¡°But, first, I¡¯m gonna get a drink.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later tonight?¡± Marek asked hopefully.


    She glanced at the tent entrance and made sure no one was watching. ¡°Take a guess,¡± she pulled him down by the shirt, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.


    Marek licked his lips with a smile as she sauntered outside.


    Nokuti only had to wander a few tents away to find her elite squad members sitting around a fire pit, with none other than a crate full of booze.


    ¡°Did you save some for me?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t plan to, but luckily we¡¯ve only just started,¡± Kyriil laughed with flushed cheeks.


    ¡°We only finished our duties a little while ago, however Kyriil already started drinking this morning,¡± Grim noted.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Nokuti took a seat on the grass next to them.


    ¡°Drink up darling, you deserve it,¡± Lysaila handed her an unopened bottle.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nokuti cracked the bottle open and took a long swig.


    ¡°As I was saying, you should have seen the way Kyriil jumped into the fray. He was like some kind of idiot white knight. It was hilarious, even more so when he got riddled with arrows,¡± Lysaila laughed.


    ¡°Oh come on, everyone was getting shot at. It¡¯s not my fault my centaur couldn¡¯t dodge. Gods, I wish I just had a regular horse. It¡¯s weird having a steed talk back to you,¡± Kyriil groaned.


    ¡°Beastkin shouldn¡¯t be ridden in the first place,¡± Lysaila stretched.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still this coherent, Kyriil,¡± Nokuti noticed the two empty bottles next to the elf.


    ¡°Maybe with his words. He says it is thanks to his healing magic, but between you and me I do not think he has ever been too coherent,¡± Grim whispered.


    Nokuti laughed.


    Lysaila grabbed another fresh bottle from the crate and handed it towards the twins, ¡°No one deserves this more than our two magical geniuses.¡±


    ¡°Here, here!¡± Nokuti held up her bottle. Grim and Kyriil cheered.


    ¡°No,¡± Vaughn slightly shook his head.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Dawn gently pushed the bottle aside.


    Lysiala¡¯s smile cracked for a brief moment before she smoothed it away, ¡°If either of you change your mind there¡¯s more wine in the crate.¡±


    The twins nodded silently. Dawn laid her head on her brother¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes to rest. Vaughn simply stared into the fire. Lysaila glanced around at the looks on everyone else¡¯s faces. They all thought the twins were a bit strange, but no one dared voice their opinion against the archmagi.


    ¡°Crow, what could you possibly be doing that¡¯s more important than sharing a bottle of spirits with your companions?¡± Lysaila held up a bottle.


    Crow sat on the other side of fire, reading an old book. At least she thought he was reading, it was hard to tell with the skull mask covering his head.


    He glanced up for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the answer.¡±


    ¡°That sounds oddly suspicious,¡± Lysaila slithered behind him, looked over his head and at the book. ¡°Huh, interesting, I still can¡¯t read,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Crow. Why don¡¯t you just take off that creepy mask and have a drink with us,¡± Kyriil dangled a bottle in front of him.


    ¡°You all know Crow drinks alone. He doesn¡¯t wish to show us his face. Nor does he seem to wish to share his readings. So, just let it go you two,¡± Grim admonished.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, let the old man keep his secrets,¡± Nokuti agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not old,¡± Crow grumbled.


    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think any of us care to read about erotic literature,¡± Nokuti added.


    Kyriil and Lysaila burst into laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots,¡± Crow sighed.


    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re just having a little fun,¡± Nokuti smiled.


    ¡°And while you all drink and be merry, I am looking for the answer to our little wall problem,¡± Crow turned a page of his book.


    ¡°How is that going?¡± Nokuti leaned in with interest.


    ¡°More difficult than finding the chrome gate.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Nokuti winced.


    ¡°Yes, but I seem to be making some progress, albeit slowly.¡±


    ¡°And once you find this fabled answer, then what?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°Then we will finally have a weapon capable of destroying the City of Shades.¡±

 Chapter 93: Sticks and Stones

    Chapter 93: Sticks and Stones


    Stryg spread his legs out and reached for his toes, one foot at a time. He bent backwards then forwards, three times both ways. He hopped and let his body drop, sticking out his right palm to catch his fall at the last moment. He breathed in slowly as he got in a plank position and began his planche push-ups.


    ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have all day,¡± Loh glanced up at the noon sun.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done warming up,¡± Stryg switched to his left hand and continued his daily routine.


    Rhian leaned her head near Maximus, ¡°It¡¯s crazy how he can do that right? There¡¯s no magic either, it¡¯s just his arm strength. I mean, isn¡¯t it weird how someone so small is so physically strong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think is weird about him?¡± Maximus raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so small, you¡¯re just chunky big,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Yeah, the hissing is definitely weird,¡± Maximus grunted.


    ¡°Ahahah, sorry Master, I meant to say you¡¯re a lovely size, just right,¡± Rhian laughed. ¡°Did he just call me chunky?¡± She muttered under her breath.


    ¡°I did,¡± Stryg stood up and wiped his hands together.


    ¡°Gods, I shouldn¡¯t have taught him that word,¡± Rhian rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Enough talk, training starts now,¡± Loh clapped. ¡°Max, you¡¯re up.¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Maximus cradled a pile of fist-sized rocks in his left arm.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He could feel his body grow warm as orange mana began to flow through him. The veins in his entire body began to darken. He opened his lilac eyes, determination clear in his gaze.


    ¡°Oh, a full body enhancement, ey? Someone¡¯s being daring today,¡± Loh grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, Max.¡±


    ¡°I never planned to.¡± Maximus grabbed a rock with his right hand, pulled back his arm, and flung the stone with all his titanic strength. The rock was a blur as it sped through the air.


    Stryg could see the stone clearly as it flew towards his chest. He moved his torso to the side with an agile twist, the rock sinking into the nearby grass in a cloud of dust. Maximus threw another two stones in quick succession. Stryg ducked under one and raised his leg above the other.


    ¡°Not yet!¡± Maximus began throwing all the rocks in an endless barrage.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes moved in rapid motion, taking in the assault. His feet shuffled in swift short steps. A stone soared past his arm, another sailed over his head. Two more shot right between his legs. He jumped in the air with a twist as four more rocks flew all around him.


    Stryg¡¯s left foot flared in heat and pain, the spell overwhelming him. His foot cramped as he landed. His body suddenly felt sluggish against the stony onslaught. He bent his torso low, a stone grazed his shoulder. He pushed away with his right foot, a rock glanced his thigh.


    Stryg saw the final stone punch through the air towards his face. His body was too slow. He could not dodge this. His hand shot out and caught the stone, an inch from impact.


    ¡°Not bad, kid,¡± Loh whistled.


    ¡°I really thought it¡¯d hit his face,¡± Maximus grumbled.


    ¡°I still wasn¡¯t fast enough,¡± Stryg panted.


    ¡°Yes, but it was still better than last time,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°You mean when the rock socked him right across the jaw?¡± Rhian giggled.


    ¡°That was a pretty good throw,¡± Maximus¡¯s lips curled up just slightly.


    ¡°Someday I¡¯m gonna break both of your guys¡¯ legs, all eight of them,¡± Stryg plopped down on the grass.


    ¡°I look forward to our showdown,¡± Maximus bowed his head.


    ¡°Wait, what did I do?¡± Rhian frowned. ¡°Come on, you wouldn¡¯t really want to break these priceless pristine legs. How will you ride across the Valley with a broken-legged centaur? You like riding right? Right?¡± She twirled in a circle, kicking out one sleek black hoof at a time.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go fetch us some water,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Maximus bowed.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Rhian nodded.


    They grabbed their water skins and left for the nearby stream.


    Loh glanced at her apprentice, ¡°It was the left leg, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still difficult to maintain a full body agility spell for more than a few seconds,¡± Stryg began massaging the cramped leg.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. You can¡¯t expect to be able to master a full body enhancement in just two months. Even if it¡¯s only a simple agility spell,¡± she smiled wryly.


    ¡°I should at least be able to handle it for a few seconds,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Cut yourself some slack, most novices wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a single arm for more than three breaths, let alone the whole body for a dozen breaths.¡±


    ¡°You told me you managed a stable full-body spell in two months.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that was different. I was training in meditation and practical knowledge way before my magical abilities even awakened.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I should be better than this. I¡¯m a prime mage,¡± he clenched his fists.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you all powerful, you know.¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Prideful as ever,¡± Loh shook her head.


    She stared at the rock he had caught. Agility magic was one thing, but visual perception and acuity was another. Orange magic had nothing to do with Stryg¡¯s visual prowess. Despite being incapacitated, Stryg was still able to accurately see the stone coming and catch it without trouble.


    What¡¯s more, Maximus was the most physically capable centaur she had ever met and he had not held back. Stryg should have at least been directly hit by a few of the stones, no matter the basic spell¡¯s effectiveness.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Stryg was only using a novice-level spell, yet his dexterity and quickness were off the charts. Even a skilled adept would not be as agile. She had surmised Stryg¡¯s abnormal physical abilities reinforced the effectiveness of enhancement magic.


    Loh wondered to what extent vigor and durability magic would affect his body. She looked at the small goblin bending his cramped leg back and forth. No one was all powerful, but perhaps Stryg would be unstoppable, one day, maybe.


    ¡°Can you manage some target practice?¡± Loh asked.


    Stryg pushed himself to his feet, ¡°Of course, I can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± she smiled.


    He walked over and into the circle of sticks planted on the ground. The circle was about fifteen feet in diameter, with each stick placed about one foot apart.


    ¡°You may begin,¡± Loh watched from afar.


    Stryg summoned forth orange mana once more, the familiar heat coursing through his arms. He pictured the sticks as the faces of the dead Wild Knives gang. He pointed towards the stick directly in front of him.


    ¡°Focus,¡± he whispered to himself.


    A plume of flame blasted from his palm and scorched the stick and the two next to it. They crumbled to charcoal and ash in mere seconds.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Only three sticks this time, not bad,¡± Loh rubbed her chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Better than last week, though.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a good standard to go by.¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is burning three sticks is better than burning half in one go.¡±


    ¡°Why am I so bad at this?¡± He groaned.


    ¡°No one¡¯s saying you are bad. You may struggle with centering your flame spells, but you have the explosive power behind them. In other words, you have the talent, all you need is practice. A lot more practice. Again.¡±


    Stryg sighed and raised his hands. After a few minutes all the sticks were burned to a crisp as was all the surrounding grass. His body was beginning to feel hot from the spellcasting and fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of orange mana,¡± he wiped his forehead.


    ¡°Flame spells consume mana quickly. It¡¯ll be easier once you learn more control and can limit the amount of fire you create. How¡¯s your temperature?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± he took off his shirt.


    ¡°Ew, no one wants to see your sweaty body,¡± she stuck out her tongue in mock disgust.


    ¡°I know I look weird,¡± he fidgeted under her eyes.


    Loh immediately regretted her words. She sometimes forgot how easily comments on his appearance could unsettle him. Despite what Stryg believed, he was in fact good-looking. Well, more beautiful than handsome, yet attractive nonetheless. An exotic beauty she would say.


    Sure, he was short, but there were many who liked that sort of thing. Loh wondered how many women would be interested in having a tumble with the little guy. The lucky bastard.


    ¡°Unfortunately for you, I¡¯m immune to your rugged charms,¡± she winked.


    ¡°What?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Time to practice your drain magic. You can practice on the grass that isn¡¯t burnt.¡±


    Stryg nodded and walked out of the torched circle. He stiffened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Strangers at the river. Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I need more details.¡±


    His eyes widened, ¡°Rhian.¡±


    He dashed towards their bundle of supplies. He pushed their bags away and grabbed his spear.


    ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re already tired and you have no orange mana left,¡± she frowned.


    Stryg paused, ¡°Good point.¡± He grabbed Maximus¡¯ double-sided axe.


    Loh couldn¡¯t help but grin. It was comical seeing the 4¡¯ 4¡± goblin carrying the 6 ft battle axe.


    ~~~


    ¡°What are a couple of centaurs doing out here all by your lonesome?¡± A young man asked.


    A group of seven men and women approached Maximus and Rhian from downstream. They wore simple leather clothes and hide wrappings. A few plates of metal hung from their torsos and limbs, a pitiful excuse for armor.


    ¡°I mean, Max and I are here together, so we¡¯re not actually lonesome, more like bored? Uninterested? Hm, how would you describe us, Max?¡± Rhian placed a finger on her lips in thought.


    ¡°Rhian, I think they¡¯re raiders,¡± Maximus muttered under his breath.


    ¡°They can speak,¡± a male raider noted in mock surprise.


    ¡°And judging from the fact that they aren¡¯t wearing any equipment or saddles, I¡¯d say they are runaways,¡± a female raider added.


    ¡°They are too well groomed. They must have just run away from their Masters a few days ago. I¡¯ve never met two such high quality centaurs, perhaps they were owned by a tribe leader or maybe¡­ they¡¯re from Hollow Shade,¡± the first raider and leader of the group, concluded.


    Rhian dangled her filled water skins, ¡°Aaanyway we already got our water, so we¡¯ll just be on our way, buh-bye.¡±


    ¡°I rather you not,¡± their leader lifted a clenched fist.


    One of the women pulled out a bow and notched an arrow. Rhian froze in panic.


    Maximus observed them calmly, ¡°If I had to guess, judging from the fact that you only have one bow and that sorry excuse you call armor I¡¯d say you bunch are the runaways. Deserters, are you?¡±


    While the raiders had been talking, Maximus had been examining the seven of them, taking stock of their weapons. A small group of raiders would normally roam the Valley plains on the backs of centaurs. Yet, they had none. Rhian and him would easily be able to run away if it wasn¡¯t for that single bow.


    Maximus needed to get rid of the archer and her bow. But, he didn¡¯t have his axe, nor his plate armor. All he had was a water skin, it would have to do.


    ¡°Deserters?¡± The leader laughed. ¡°More like the last true warriors of our tribe. But, those are matters too complex for an animal. Now, how about you two get on your knees and stay still.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a mare as pretty as her before. Do you mind if I play with her for a bit,¡± another male raider smacked his lips together.


    ¡°Maybe later, just wrap their necks with makeshift reins for now. We¡¯ll need centaurs to get as far away as we can. The stallion should be able carry four or five people easily,¡± the leader said.


    Rhian cleared her throat, ¡°While I may in fact be a paramount specimen and perhaps the most beautiful centaur you have ever laid your eyes on, I am afraid I must decline. I¡¯m already spoken for.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for the beastkin¡¯s chit-chat. Shoot her in the arm, that¡¯ll make her shut up,¡± the leader commanded.


    ¡°But, don¡¯t we need them?¡± The archer asked.


    ¡°We only need her legs, shoot her already,¡± the leader ordered.


    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s think about this for a moment, I can be very quiet! I promise!¡± Rhian held up her hands, she glanced at Maximus.


    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± the archer smiled and pulled back her bow.


    Maximus clenched the water skin and flexed his arm. A spear plunged through the archer¡¯s chest and sank straight into the stream''s rocky shore. The bowstring snapped forward, the arrow flew askew, missing Rhian.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± A raider yelled.


    Maximus did not waste a moment. He threw the water skin at the face of the nearest raider, knocking them to the ground. He bellowed angrily as he smashed his hooves over the raider¡¯s chest in a bloody splattering.


    The other raiders jumped back and pulled out their weapons. One of them pointed towards a nearby hill. Loh sprinted down the hill with graceful steps, her feet barely touching the grass beneath her. Stryg skipped in large bounds behind her, Maximus¡¯s enormous axe bouncing behind him.


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± A raider squinted at the sight of the goblin.


    ¡°Get away from Rhian!¡± Stryg roared.


    He vaulted seven feet up in the air, spun, and swung the axe in a low arc, slicing the raider¡¯s head clean off. Streams of fire curled out from Loh¡¯s palms and roasted another two raiders in an instant.


    The lead raider lashed out his rope dart at Loh¡¯s chest. She swerved around the fluid attacks easily. Her agility enhanced body was almost a blur as she dashed towards him. He swung with a high kick, she ducked beneath, grabbed his leg and used the momentum to throw him to the ground. She pinned him down and used grey magic to drain his lifeforce in a manner of seconds.


    The last raider saw the carnage unfold and ran away in panic.


    ¡°You think you can have your way with Rhian?!¡± Stryg raised his axe and aimed at the man¡¯s back.


    ¡°Capture the last one alive!¡± Loh yelled.


    Stryg¡¯s fingers slipped, the axe flew awry, and sliced off the raider¡¯s leg instead. The raider shrieked in agony, but with his last strength he threw himself into the water. The rushing stream carried him away.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away, you bastard!¡± Stryg screamed in rage.


    The water shuddered as the stream began to flow backwards. A sudden wave surged out and washed the raider ashore. Stryg¡¯s vision swam, he dropped to his knees.

 Chapter 94: A Traitor’s Tale

    Chapter 94: A Traitor¡¯s Tale


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Loh yelled as her apprentice careened towards the ground.


    Rhian rushed to his side and scooped him up in an embrace before his face touched the shore. She groaned at the weight, nonetheless she carried him over to the drow mage.


    Loh glanced between the washed up raider and her apprentice, ¡°Max, go and try to stop the raider¡¯s bleeding. Whatever you do, make sure he stays conscious.¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± Maximus hurried over to the one-legged raider.


    Loh touched Stryg¡¯s cheek tentatively, he was burning up. His face was a darker shade of blue, his eyes were closed, and his breath was ragged.


    ¡°Stryg, what did you do?¡± Loh frowned in concern.


    ¡°He¡­ was getting away¡­ I just wanted¡­ to stop him,¡± he panted weakly.


    ¡°So, you cast a spell to do just that,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ try to.¡±


    Loh stared at the stream, its natural current had returned to normal. So, it was not like when Stryg had tried casting a vigor spell with the root-bison, Loh surmised. This was born out of natural desire and strong emotions, there was no intent nor control.


    Her apprentice seemed to have cast the torrent spell from instinct, like a new mageborn unaware of their power. It was dangerous to the spellcaster, more than anyone. This was exactly why he needed proper teachers in each of the chromatic colors.


    ¡°Your body is suffering backlash from improper spellcasting, it seems worse than last time,¡± Loh stroked his hair. She pointed at the stream, ¡°Rhian, lower him into the water up to his neck. It won¡¯t do much, but it¡¯ll help cool him down a bit.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Rhian nodded. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Master,¡± she cooed.


    Rhian walked into the stream until her lower body was completely submerged. She then lowered Stryg in gradually. His body shivered at the touch of the ice-cold water.


    He opened his eyes faintly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line. I would have been shot by that crazy woman had you not chucked that spear at her,¡± she glanced at the dead archer still hanging from Stryg¡¯s spear.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going¡­ to let them¡­ hurt you,¡± Stryg mumbled weakly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to go so far. I may be the greatest centaur you¡¯ve ever set your eyes on, but... I¡¯m just a beastkin. You¡¯re a mageborn, you shouldn¡¯t risk your life for mine,¡± she chuckled bitterly.


    Stryg curled his fingers around her silky black hair and studied her face, noting each feature at a time. The faint, barely visible freckles that dotted her cheeks. The way her nose wiggled when she was excited or how her thin lips trembled when she was afraid. But, most of all Stryg stared at her stone-grey eyes that watched him intently. Rhian¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Within her worried look the answer seemed clear to Stryg.


    ¡°You are a daughter¡­. of Ebon Hollow¡­ I will risk... my life¡­without question,¡± he spoke slowly but resolutely.


    Rhian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg slowly tapped his chest, then tapped Rhian¡¯s forehead, ¡°The tribe... protects their own¡­ always.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh crouched next to the injured raider, ¡°Talk, before my centaur crushes your balls.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, city whore,¡± the raider spat.


    ¡°Max,¡± Loh snapped her fingers.


    Maximus placed his hoof on top of the raider¡¯s groin and began pressing down. The raider screamed in agony and tried thrashing away, but Maximus placed another hoof on his chest.


    ¡°You have five seconds to convince me to stop Max from making a paste out of your little friends down there. Do you understand?¡± Loh asked in a deadpan voice.


    The raider nodded vigorously. She raised her hand. Maximus stopped pushing down, but he did not lift his hooves either.


    ¡°Please, just kill me. We both know I¡¯m not getting out of here, please, just finish it,¡± the raider sobbed.


    Loh snapped her fingers.


    ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    ¡°What tribe are you from, why did you run away, and why are you out here?¡± Loh asked.


    The raider swallowed, ¡°I am from Bronze Eagle. My tribe was attacked two nights ago. They killed many of us, including our chief. The rest of my people submitted to that whoreson, but not me and mine. We ran away the first chance we got. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Who attacked your tribe?¡±


    ¡°The Cairn tribe.¡±


    Loh stiffened. ¡°Who was their leader?¡±


    The raider licked his chapped lips, ¡°Chieftain Marek.¡±


    ¡°What direction was your tribe seen last?¡±


    ¡°South-West.¡±


    Loh stood up and dusted off her pants, ¡°You¡¯ve convinced me.¡±


    Maximus stepped away.


    The raider sighed in relief.


    Loh kicked down on the man¡¯s balls with all the force she could muster. A high-pitch squeal escaped the raider¡¯s throat as he convulsed. Loh kicked him again, over and over. Froth dripped from his mouth as he twitched uncontrollably.


    ¡°Fucking raiders,¡± Loh spat on the dying man¡¯s face and walked away.


    Maximus had been extensively trained for battle, hardened to the harsh realities of death, yet he could not help but wince at his Mistress¡¯ attack.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Go pack our things, we move out in ten,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress, right away,¡± he ran up the hill with a newfound vigor and appreciation for life.


    ¡°Rhian! Get Stryg out of the water. We may be in danger here, we need to get out of this area as soon as possible,¡± Loh called out.


    ¡°Danger!?¡± Rhian swivelled her head around.


    ¡°Move, now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± she bobbed her head.


    ~~~


    Loh glanced at the setting sun, ¡°We should be fine for today. But, we¡¯ll have to get up early and keep moving.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have the camp packed before sunrise,¡± Maximus said as he finished setting up the logs for the campfire.


    Loh created a small orb of fire and shot it into the dry logs. The wood burst into flames, giving off a soft warm light. Rhian tucked her legs underneath her and rested by the fire. Stryg sat next to her, his head resting on her chest.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Better. I can feel my toes again, so that¡¯s nice,¡± Stryg wiggled his feet.


    ¡°Casting without knowledge is dangerous, I¡¯m glad you pulled through alright.¡± Loh sat down on her bedroll.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being indisposed¡­ again. Thanks for picking up my slack, everyone,¡± Stryg made a short bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you caught the last raider before he escaped,¡± Maximus said. ¡°It¡¯s good to know we have a blue mage in our party. We won¡¯t have to worry about dehydration while in the Valley.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t know Master could control the water,¡± Rhian said excitedly.


    ¡°And no one else should. Stryg¡¯s blue magic will stay a secret between the four of us. The world will only see Stryg as a tri-manifold mage, nothing more,¡± Loh said sternly.


    Luckily, only their centaurs witnessed Stryg¡¯s magical feat. It would not be difficult to keep his magical talents a secret, for now. Loh would have to be more careful with Stryg in the future.


    Loh grabbed a twig and stoked the fire, ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll head towards Mellow Bloom. It¡¯s the largest city nearby. It may not be one of the Four Great Cities, but they still have a decent population of about 10,000. We should be safe within their borders.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t wish for me to train near many people? At least not until we arrive back at Hollow Shade,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to postpone training for a few days. The Cairn tribe is nearby and I would rather not risk facing an entire tribe with only the four of us.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ Who exactly are the Cairn tribe?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°I noticed you froze when that raider spoke their name.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Loh snapped. She sometimes hated his acute senses.


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten myself in plenty of dangers this past year. You¡¯ve helped me many times and asked for nothing in return. If you do not wish to tell me of our enemy, then so be it. I trust you.¡±


    Loh¡¯s shoulders sagged, she hung her head, and clasped her hands. Since when had it become our enemy?


    ¡°Sooo, who wants to tell a story tonight?¡± Rhian asked with bright eyes. The nightly storytelling was her favorite part of their journey. ¡°I told the story last night, so it¡¯s gotta be someone else,¡± she looked around the group.


    No one spoke up.


    She glanced down at Stryg and tapped his shoulder, ¡°Can you tell us another story of the Blood Fang tribe?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re interested in stories about blood and gore now?¡± Maximus raised an eyebrow.


    Rhian scratched her nose, ¡°Not exactly. To be honest, I grew up hearing scary stories of the Sylvan Tribes. But, it was only today that I realized how selfless they are.¡± She smiled at Stryg, ¡°The Blood Fang tribe must have cared for you a lot. I can see why you miss them.¡±


    The tribe comes first, always. The tribe protects their own, always. The tribe is strong together, always, First Mother¡¯s teachings echoed through Stryg¡¯s mind.


    And yet he had been the outlier in every regard. Back in Blood Fang what strength had he known? What protection had he been given? Had he actually placed the tribe first he would never have abandoned his tribemates in that cave.


    You are a disgrace to our people, he could practically hear First Mother whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, the magic took a lot out of me,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Eh, does that mean no story?¡± Rhian pouted.


    ¡°Not from me. I¡¯m just gonna rest my eyes for a bit,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    ¡°Rest eyes¡­¡± Loh muttered. ¡°Hey, Stryg, I just thought of a crazy idea. Well, I¡¯ve had the idea for a while now, I just wasn¡¯t sure if I should say anything. But, screw it, can you do me a crazy favor?¡±


    ¡°I think we have different definitions of crazy,¡± Stryg opened his eyes.


    ¡°Do you see the setting sun over there? I want you to stare at it,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°What? You know my eyes are sensitive to light,¡± his slit pupils narrowed.


    ¡°I know, it strains your eyes, right? But, you said you trust me, so trust me now,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    Stryg mumbled something under his breath. He turned his head and looked straight into the sun. He squinted at the harsh brightness.


    ¡°How long do I have to do this?¡± He winced.


    ¡°Just for a little longer,¡± Loh drew closer to him until she was right next to his face. Stryg¡¯s lilac irises were shivering.


    ¡°How much lon-¡± The outer ring of his irises broke and expanded until they completely covered the whites of his eyes.


    Stryg¡¯s world darkened to a shade of black. The sun turned a soft white, its setting rays like ribbons in the ebon sky. He glanced at Loh, her face was framed in silver outlines, especially near her cheeks. She was smiling.


    ¡°I was right! I had a theory, but I was right! Your eyes change when exposed to very bright light. Now that we are certain of the trigger to the transition we can study how exactly your eyes are affected,¡± Loh laughed.


    ¡°Wooaah, your eyes did change,¡± Rhian said in awe.


    Maximus added another point to his mental list of the goblin¡¯s strange traits.


    Stryg looked all around him, taking in the sights. The campfire looked like orange paint strokes shifting in the dark world. He noticed something odd.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see the smoke. Actually, I can¡¯t see the clouds either,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Can you not see them at all or are they just hard to see?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see them at all, the clouds are just gone, same with the smoke.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll have to start taking notes,¡± Loh pulled out a small journal.


    ¡°What if you were wrong?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°What if your theory about my eyes had been wrong?¡± Stryg¡¯s slit pupils were still.


    ¡°Well, based on the sensitivity of your eyes, you would have most likely suffered some visual impairment for a while. It¡¯s why I never suggested it earlier. But, just now it hit me, you heal faster than normal. So, what was to stop your eyes from healing too? Besides we¡¯ll be resting in Mellow Bloom soon enough,¡± Loh shrugged.


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°We definitely have different definitions of crazy,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Everyone grew quiet as they stared at the goblin.


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Stryg asked skeptically.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just... I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever heard you laugh before,¡± Loh said in wonder.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Best campfire ever,¡± Rhian whispered.


    Loh looked at her companions, nostalgia striking her. She opened her last bottle of wine, ¡°The Cairn is a Valley tribe. They¡¯re a bunch of damn raiders led by Marek, a war lord.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°Do you know this Marek?¡±


    ¡°Not personally,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°But, all raiders are the same, just a bunch of unhinged savages. Marek is... he¡¯s the one who killed my brother.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t have siblings,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, not anymore. It was a long time ago,¡± she took a sip of wine. ¡°I was a general back then.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a general?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The highest military command besides Marshal of the Armies. I did not know I had the honor of travelling with such a distinguished warrior,¡± Maximus bowed.


    Loh swished the bottle around, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. Not really. House Noir may not be able to match the military strength of some of the other Seven Ruling Families, but our armies still hold their own. I was given the command of House Noir¡¯s northern army.¡±


    Loh took a long swig, ¡°I was busy leading a thousand soldiers in a military expedition, when my grandfather, Lord Elzri himself, decided to pay me an unexpected visit.¡±

 Chapter 95: Yes, Grandfather

    Chapter 95: Yes, Grandfather


    6 years ago...


    Loh was meditating in her tent when she heard a call from outside.


    ¡°General Noir, Marshal Noir has arrived at the encampment,¡± a messenger announced from right outside.


    ¡°My grandfather?¡± Loh whispered to herself. She stood up, ¡°How far is the marshal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already here,¡± Elzri opened the tent flap and walked in.


    The regalia of war suited the mage lord. Elzri¡¯s lean figure was adorned in white armor with silver accents. His grey hair was tied in a simple topknot. His black orichalcum mage necklace sat proud on his chest, a testament to his power as a mage and city lord. The ensemble was completed by a black fur cape that reached to his knees.


    ¡°Marshal Noir,¡± Loh saluted.


    ¡°I would have prepared a far more suitable reception had I known you would be joining us. Regrettably, my messenger seems to be inadequate.¡±


    She stared daggers at the petrified messenger standing outside the tent. The messenger managed a shaky bow before scurrying away.


    ¡°My reports tell me you have been succeeding in your extermination of our raider pests,¡± Elzri said as he walked around the tent. His grey eyes surveyed her living quarters calmly.


    ¡°Indeed. Soon, we¡¯ll finally be able to establish a more stabilized trade route between Hollow Shade and Undergrowth.¡±


    Elzri paused in front of Loh¡¯s armor stand. Her black leather armor hung from the wooden poles, a black flame emblazoned on the breastplate, the crest of House Noir.


    ¡°As expected of my heir, you have not failed me,¡± Elzri traced his finger over the symbol.


    ¡°You honor me,¡± Loh could not help but smile. Despite the losses in her personal life, she was excelling as one of the youngest generals of Hollow Shade.


    ¡°Tell me, how has Vayu Glaz been serving?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Vayu¡¯s reconnaissance capabilities have proved invaluable. His battle prowess and bravery has also inspired many of the soldiers. You should have seen Vayu charge in against the last raiders we encountered. They all ran away from the drow and his fire drake,¡± Loh chuckled. She cleared her throat, ¡°What I mean to say is, he has been the greatest captain a general could ask for¡­ and a good friend.¡±


    Elzri spun around and placed his hands on her shoulders, ¡°Wonderful. Then it¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll have the engagement papers written up.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Her throat tightened. The world seemed to sway.


    ¡°Well, it is quite simple. Vayu is already a high master and yet he is only two years older than you, which speaks to his incredible talent and training. And of course, he is a drow and a scion of House Glaz, the most powerful of the Seven Ruling Families.¡±


    ¡°But, grandfather, I don-¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother was originally from House Glaz. After her death, our marriage alliance with their House faded away. We need to rectify that problem. Vayu is House Glaz¡¯s second son, which means there will be no issue with him marrying into our family. It¡¯s perfect really, the marriage will recreate a powerful alliance and ideally give you a gifted heir.¡±


    ¡°But, grandfather, I don¡¯t love him!¡± She heaved, her face flushed.


    Elzri lifted her chin, ¡°Since, when did love dictate our duty? We aristocrats are not born free. We are born with privilege that comes with an enormous obligation to our family and the Realm. Our House needs powerful allies in order to maintain our position and presence within the city. The marriages of Aizel and you will create alliances with both House Katag and House Glaz. Don¡¯t you understand? It will be an alliance consisting of three Ruling Families, what more could we want?¡±


    ¡°Let me marry Tauri, please,¡± her eyes watered.


    Elzri turned away and sighed, ¡°You are not listening. We¡¯ve been over this. But, fine, I will humor you one last time. Tauri Katag may be your best friend and the love of your life, yet she is a woman. Even if she wasn¡¯t an orc, you would still be unable to produce a child with her. As my heir and future leader of our House, you will need to sire children, that is an irrefutable fact.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just let Aizel have children with some random broad and have one of them be my heir,¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Elzri snapped. ¡°Are you even listening to yourself? The leaders of our family have always been and must always be powerful magi. The only reason our House has survived this long is because of our magic. Aizel does not have a talented bone in his body, his only purpose in this life is to create a new alliance through marriage.¡±


    Elzri caressed her cheek, ¡°But, you, my granddaughter, you are truly gifted. You are my heir. If Tauri was anyone else I would not care what others thought and I would simply let you marry her as a secondary wife. However, she is the prized daughter of Lord Krall Katag, he will not allow her to be married off as a lesser spouse.¡±


    Loh swallowed, ¡°Well, what if I marry Vayu Glaz as my secondary husband and marry Tauri as my principal wife?¡±


    ¡°I commend your willingness to compromise,¡± Elzri flicked her forehead. ¡°Still, none of the Ruling Families would allow their children to become lesser spouses, the dishonour would be too great. Why do you think alliances between the Ruling Families are so difficult to begin with?¡±


    Loh winced, ¡°There has to be a way to change their mind.¡±


    ¡°There is none. Now stop with these idiocies, you will marry Vayu and that will be the end of this. Do I make myself clear?¡± Elzri narrowed his eyes.


    Loh stared at her feet, ¡°...Yes, Marshal Noir.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Now, tell me, where is Vayu now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s currently scouting, I¡¯ll escort you to him,¡± Loh donned her black cloak.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Loh opened the tent flap, but paused. ¡°Vayu is from an incredibly powerful family, which controls their own armies, larger than our own. So, how did he end up as my right-hand soldier and not the general of his own army? Did you arrange all of this from the beginning?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Do you really need to ask such a foolish question?¡± Elzri walked past her.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Loh smiled ruefully.


    Elzri followed her through the throng of tents that was the encampment. The soldiers saluted and bowed as the Noirs walked past.


    Eventually, they came upon an open clearing. An enormous orange lizard larger than a centaur, rested on the grass. The fire drake¡¯s horned head turned, her amber eyes observed the guests. The drake¡¯s long serpentine tail curled loosely around a lone drow between her legs.


    The drow sat cross-legged. He was shirtless, revealing the gleaming purple runes on his grey skin. The arcane symbols started at the base of his spine and reached all the way to his neck and temple.


    His eyes were closed. ¡°Marshal Noir, general Noir, it is good to see you both.¡±


    ¡°Where are you seeing us from exactly?¡± Elzri glanced at the fire drake.


    ¡°Not from her,¡± Vayu patted the drake¡¯s large leg. He pointed up, ¡°From him.¡±


    A hawk swooped down from the sky and landed on one of the fire drake¡¯s horns. Purple runes flared about the hawk¡¯s wings. The bird¡¯s eyes glowed a soft purple. It watched Loh and Elzri with an odd gleam of intelligence.


    ¡°Show off,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    ¡°So, what does our captain have to report?¡± Elzri asked.


    The purple runes faded away from the hawk and drow. Vayu opened his teal eyes and pushed himself to his feet.


    ¡°There are no enemies hiding near our current position, but I found some centaur tracks a dozen miles up north. Most likely a scouting group from one of the Valley tribes,¡± Vayu saluted.


    ¡°Good work, captain,¡± Loh nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, general. Oh, and marshal, a carriage bearing your personal insignia just arrived a few minutes ago,¡± Vayu added.


    ¡°Just in time,¡± Elzri clapped.


    ¡°Other carriage?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± A voice echoed through the camp.


    Loh grit her teeth at the annoying sound.


    ¡°Here he comes now,¡± Elzri said.


    Aizel waved excitedly as he ran towards them. He bumped into a soldier, stumbled and almost fell. Loh groaned at the sight. Aizel quickly apologized and jogged the last few steps towards them.


    He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and saluted, ¡°Aizel of House Noir, reporting for duty!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it,¡± Elzri nodded.


    ¡°Hello, I am Vayu of House Glaz, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± he extended his hand.


    ¡°Oh, I heard of you! You¡¯re that true purple mage who can use binding magic, right? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Aizel shook his hand eagerly.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Loh rubbed her temple.


    ¡°Aizel has come for battle, of course. Captain Glaz, if you would excuse us, I need to speak with my family in private,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°As you command,¡± Vayu bowed. He winked at Loh and mouthed ¡°good luck¡± before he left the clearing. The fire drake lumbered to her feet and followed him, the hawk sitting content on its horn.


    Elzri looked his grandson over, ¡°Aizel¡¯s wedding will be in a few weeks. I thought it prudent if he attained some battle experience before he marries a daughter of the greatest military family in all of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. As if Aizel knows the first thing of battle,¡± Loh shook her head.


    Aizel¡¯s smile fell, ¡°I¡¯ve been training how to use the sword. I¡¯ve also been reading a lot about military tactics, every single day.¡±


    ¡°No, your sister is right, Aizel. You know nothing of battle. Which is why Loh will guide you,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°What!?¡± Loh yelled in anger.


    ¡°Do not worry, you do not have to give Aizel any special command. Just keep an eye on him and let him fight a battle or two. Who knows, maybe he will actually kill a raider,¡± Elzri patted her shoulder.


    ¡°I can do more than that,¡± Aizel grabbed her hand. ¡°I can help you, Loh. I want to help you. I¡¯ve been working hard this past year to do just that. I may not be a powerful mage, I won¡¯t try to compare myself to you, but I can still be a capable soldier, Tauri¡¯s been teaching me. I¡¯m not the same useless big bro you¡¯ve always known.¡± He smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Loh slapped his hand away, ¡°You worked hard? For once in your life? Congratulations. You think that¡¯ll make you worthy of Tauri?¡± She laughed bitterly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many times you swing a wooden sword or how many books you read. You¡¯ll never be worthy of her, you imbecile.¡±


    Aizel frowned, ¡°I did not choose this marriage, I never asked for it, nor can I cancel it. But, that won¡¯t stop me from trying my hardest to be worthy of Tauri and make her happy. I won¡¯t hurt her, I promise you.¡±


    Elzri raised his hand in front of Loh¡¯s face before she could retort.


    He stared down at his grandson, ¡°No, Aizel, you''re confused. Tauri is more than just a great beauty, she is a trained warrior, a talented mage, and she has a willingness and sense of duty second to none. While, you are a talentless, spoiled lecher, who my equally talentless daughter dotes over. You will never be worthy of someone like Tauri. The only reason you are marrying her is because you were lucky enough to bear my name. Which is the same reason why I¡¯m wasting my time talking to you. Do you understand?¡±


    Aizel opened his mouth, but said nothing. He swallowed, ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Loh is your commanding officer and you will heed her command. No matter what that may be, even if that means digging latrines all day long. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandfather,¡± he bowed his head.


    Elzri grabbed Aizel by his collar and pulled him close, ¡°Do not mock the sacrifice of others by rubbing your happiness in their face. Try to imagine, if you can, the future, where I am long-dead and Loh is now the family leader. Do you really want to live in a future where the person who has control over your life, despises you? If not, then I suggest you shut your damn mouth and gratefully take what is given to you. Do you understand?¡±


    Aizel glanced at his younger sister, her face expressionless, ¡°...Yes, grandfather.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Master?¡± Stryg poked her leg with a stick.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Loh glanced up at him.


    ¡°You sort of drifted away, are you alright?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, where was I?¡± She took another swig of the wine.


    ¡°You said Lord Elzri paid you an unexpected visit at the encampment,¡± Rhian recited.


    ¡°Ah, right. Well, he visited my encampment to place my brother in my care. We both hated it, but we listened to our grandfather. At least, I did. Aizel was in it for the glory, he wanted to impress his fianc¨¦, show that he was worthy of her. One day, Aizel disobeyed my command and broke off from the army to protect a stray caravan. He got caught in an ambush by enemy raiders...¡± Loh drifted off.


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Rhian whispered with wide eyes.


    Loh finished drinking the rest of the wine. ¡°The raiders burned the whole caravan, wagons, merchandise, people... everyone and everything.¡±


    ¡°And your brother?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°They all died, Marek and The Cairn tribe burned them all,¡± she muttered in a hollow voice.


    Maximus sent a silent prayer to Bellum, goddess of war.


    ¡°The end,¡± Loh cleared her throat.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s horrible,¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes welled with tears.


    ¡°We should get some sleep, we head out early. Mellow Bloom, here we come!¡± Loh shimmied into her bed roll and turned her back to the others.


    Rhian wiped her eyes and laid down to rest. Maximus grabbed his axe and prepared to stand watch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the first shift,¡± Stryg said.


    Maximus nodded.


    Stryg sat still as he watched the others fall asleep to the sound of the crackling fire. He wondered what it must have been like to have lost family, Loh¡¯s brother, Plum¡¯s mother. What sort of pain would it cause? What sort of anger would it create deep within?


    Stryg remembered how he felt when the raiders just threatened Rhian earlier that day. How much worse would he feel if someone hurt Rhian or Feli?


    He was not supposed to feel such things, the Blood Fang tribe trained him not to. And yet, all he could think of was the endless pain that such a loss would spark. He remembered Sigte, his eccentric goblin teacher. That pain still echoed in his heart. Stryg did not want to lose anyone else.


    ¡°Not again. Not ever again,¡± he whispered.


    He stood up and began silently practicing his battle stances and forms.

 Chapter 96: Mellow Bloom

    Chapter 96: Mellow Bloom


    Rhian and Maximus climbed the last hill towards their destination. The city of Mellow Bloom lay below among the grassy plains of Dusk Valley. A river curled around the city, with bridges connecting all around.


    ¡°Ah, Mellow Bloom, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Loh sighed in satisfaction. ¡°It may not be one of the four Great Cities, but I¡¯d still count it as one of my favorite places.¡±


    Stryg poked his head around Rhian¡¯s waist and looked down at the city. He counted dozens upon dozens of buildings sprawled about the small city, there were too many to count. The buildings near the border were spaced out, while most buildings were concentrated towards the center of the city. It was different from Hollow Shade, where the Central District was mostly empty save for the Ebon Tower and a few official buildings.


    ¡°We¡¯re not there yet, let¡¯s go,¡± Loh called out from atop of Maximus.


    Maximus nodded and ran down the hill with swift strides.


    ¡°It¡¯s a race then, ey?¡± Rhian smiled confidently. She paused and looked back, ¡°Master, is it alright if I run?¡±


    She knew he was not a fan of being jostled around and almost falling off the saddle on various occasions.


    Stryg took a deep breath and gripped the reins. ¡°Ebon Hollow does not run away from a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± she grinned.


    Rhian breathed in deeply, tensed her muscles, and shot off the ground, launching herself into the air. Stryg shouted in surprise, she laughed as they careened through the air and down the hill. She landed on her feet with a soft shock before bursting away in a bundle of energy. Her hooves swept past the grass as if she surfed on an ocean of green.


    Loh noticed Rhian coming up behind her and chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back,¡± Loh whispered into her own centaur¡¯s ear.


    Maximus furrowed his brow and lowered his upper body in a charge. His bulging muscles tightened as he rushed down the hill. Despite Rhian¡¯s sweeping gait, the distance between the centaurs widened.


    ¡°We won¡¯t make it at this rate,¡± Rhian said between breaths.


    ¡°What are we waiting for then?¡± Stryg managed to say through the jostling motions.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Run faster, Rhian!¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    She grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the city below. She ignored the strain in her legs and pushed forward. She galloped past grass and stray stone, her body barrelling through the oncoming wind. The hill¡¯s slope only served to quicken her pace.


    Maximus caught sight of her from the corner of his eye. He bellowed and pushed his enormous body further, increasing the gap between them.


    The wind blasted Stryg¡¯s eyes, he strained to keep them open. ¡°Run, Rhiannon, run!¡±


    Liquid thunder flooded Rhian¡¯s veins, the rushing wind in her ears softened to a whisper, her vision focused on the task ahead. Her heart beat loudly at the thrum of his voice. She screamed, her hooves crushed the ground beneath, she sprinted away, a blur in the wind.


    ~~~


    A pair of Mellow Bloom¡¯s guards stood at their station in front of one of the half-a-dozen bridges leading into the city. It had been a fairly busy day thanks to the ongoing festivities. Still, it had finally seemed to quiet down for a moment.


    One of the guards squinted her eyes and cupped her hand over her brow, ¡°Hey, what is that? On the hill over there.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± The other guard scratched his beard.


    ¡°That,¡± she pointed at the base of the hill.


    Two figures were hurtling towards them at breathtaking speeds.


    The guard craned his neck forward and narrowed his eyes, ¡°What the-?¡±


    ¡°For Ebon Holloooooow!¡± Rhian screamed and vaulted over the stunned guards.


    The guards fell over in surprise. Maximus came close behind, skidding to a halt at the base of the bridge, in front of the guards.


    ¡°We won! What am I saying? Of course, we won! I¡¯m the best!¡± Rhian did a little dance and twirl.


    Stryg stood up on the saddle and threw his hands up, ¡°Victoryyyy!¡±


    ¡°Damn, they got us,¡± Loh smiled lopsidedly.


    ¡°I am wearing a full suit of armor and carrying most of our supplies,¡± Maximus huffed.


    ¡°Oh, Maxxy, I didn¡¯t expect you of all people to be a sore loser,¡± Rhian wagged her finger.


    ¡°Permission to duel the showhorse?¡± Maximus hefted his battle axe.


    ¡°Denied,¡± Loh laughed.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you people!?¡± The male guard yelled.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice you two. I am Loh of House Noir of Hollow Shade and these are my companions. We have come to rest our weary bodies in your city for a few days.¡± She pulled out her gold nameplate.


    The guard¡¯s jaw went slack at the name and gold.


    The female guard elbowed her partner, ¡°Please, forgive this idiot, he drinks too much. What he meant to say is welcome to Mellow Bloom, where the mead is sweet and flowers are always in bloom!¡±


    ¡°*Cough* Yes *cough* that¡¯s what I meant,¡± he wheezed.


    ¡°Wonderful, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve visited. I hope your mead is as good as ever,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Oh, most definitely! In fact, we have several more selections thanks to the local Bellflower Festival,¡± she nodded profusely.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You guys are having a festival right now?¡± Loh beamed.


    ¡°The biggest festival in Mellow Bloom! Excluding the Festival of the Gods, of course.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Loh urged.


    ¡°Eh... right,¡± the guard cleared her throat and spread her arms wide open. ¡°We¡¯ve got spirits of all kinds, ranging from sweet meads to burning dwarven alcohols. We also have all sorts of games, flower shows, and even the famous Singing Willow troupe is performing! To top it all off we¡¯ve got the annual Seregulus Hunt.¡±


    ¡°Do they also have tasty food!?¡± Stryg asked with wide eyes, his pupils round as saucers.


    The guard frowned at the strange goblin, ¡°Um, it is a festival. So, we do have plenty of food stalls.¡±


    ¡°How about venison?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Veni-what now?¡±


    ¡°Venison, you know, deer meat. I¡¯ve been craving it for a while now. Honestly, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s alive or not. I¡¯ll eat it either way at this point,¡± Stryg licked his small fangs.


    ¡°Uhhhh, I¡¯m not sure we have that,¡± she forced a smile. ¡°Deer don¡¯t live in Dusk Valley to my knowledge. But, who knows, maybe one of the travelling vendors brought some.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Stryg sulked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then,¡± Loh patted Maximus¡¯ back.


    Maximus pushed past the guards and crossed the bridge, Rhian followed next to him. The guards curiously watched them disappear in the menagerie of buildings and people.


    ¡°What was wrong with those people?¡± The guard asked his partner.


    ¡°Who knows? Aristocrats are all crazy people,¡± she shrugged.


    ~~~


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched at the guard¡¯s words. He pulled the reins and turned Rhian around.


    ¡°Master?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°One of those guards insulted you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about that,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°About guards insulting you? Does this happen often? But, you¡¯re strong and they are not. Why would they risk offending you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they wouldn¡¯t insult me to my face, no sane person would. However, it isn¡¯t strange for commoners to insult aristocrats behind their back, it¡¯s just a part of life. It doesn¡¯t really matter. We always put them in their place every now and then, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then let it be now,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about. You can¡¯t go about picking a fight with people here. We are going to be staying in Mellow Bloom for a few days and I rather not have to deal with the locals, nor House Azol, who basically runs this city.¡±


    ¡°House Azol?¡± Stryg tilted his head. The name sounded familiar to him.


    ¡°They are a merchant family that runs several caravans between Mellow Bloom and Hollow Shade, mostly delivering mead. While they may be a Great House, truth be told, they aren¡¯t a very influential family, but they still rule this city. So, let¡¯s not antagonize their people.¡±


    Stryg nodded in understanding, although he still really did not know much regarding Houses. He would have to look into it at some point.


    Loh reached over and grabbed his shoulder, ¡°The Cairn tribe may be prowling nearby. But, Valley tribes only have a few hundred raiders at best. No tribe would dare attack a city. We¡¯ll be safe here, so just relax and stay out of trouble for a few days, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he looked away.


    ¡°I mean it, Stryg. No fights while we¡¯re here. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± he mumbled.


    He didn¡¯t like it, but he very well understood the concept of not attacking those who disrespected him. It was just that he really only stayed quiet when stronger foes disrespected him. Although, he could somewhat see the light in Loh¡¯s words. Attacking an omega of a tribe could lead to the alpha attacking you, he supposed.


    ¡°Good,¡± Loh nodded, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m going to get us some rooms in The Blue Meadow, it¡¯s my favorite tavern in this city. You wanna come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by later,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check out the food stalls.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, let¡¯s go Max.¡±


    Maximus trotted off, leaving Stryg and Rhian alone in the bustling street.


    ¡°Should we ask for directions, Master?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No need,¡± Stryg closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.


    He could smell an overflowing amount of delicious aromas coming from the east. It had to be the food stalls.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over here,¡± Stryg pointed to the east.


    Rhian glanced at the direction and began making her way down the street.


    After a few minutes Rhian spoke up, ¡°Hey, Master?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to eat venison? I¡¯ve never heard you mention it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ It was my favorite food growing up.¡±


    ¡°Back in Blood Fang?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He sighed.


    ¡°You must miss your tribe a lot, huh?¡±


    Stryg recalled the red canopy of Vulture Woods, running through the ashen grey trees and breathing in the sweet scent of sap. He could practically hear the sounds of the rushing river near his village. He remembered the great hunters of his tribe, how they moved about the underbrush, silent as a wolf, ready to pounce on their prey.


    But, most of all, he remembered the faces of his tribe. Of how they stared at him, at his odd features and his small lanky form. Of how First Mother was always so hard on him for his failings, which were many. Of how the chief held hope in his eyes as he watched Stryg, only to be disappointed time and time again.


    How Stryg dreamed of making them proud, showing the Mothers and hunters that he was worthy of their respect. Despite all the pain and shame, all he wanted was to show them that he was worthy. Worthy of being accepted by his tribe. That they had been wrong about him. Just for once, he wanted to not be the odd goblin.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian craned her neck back and crinkled her eyes in worry.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess I miss them,¡± Stryg sniffed and rubbed his nose. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of food here, we should try as much as we can.¡±


    ¡°That sounds delicious,¡± Rhian smiled.


    Stryg stopped by each food stall he could find, buying bits of pastries, fried meats, and all manner of spirits. Rhian took hesitant bites of each one, before devouring them within an instant. The festivities reminded him of the times he went out to eat with Feli.


    Stryg wondered how Feli was doing. He missed so much about her, her scent, her coquettish laugh, her purple hair, her smile, her confidence, even how she sometimes tried cooking him spicy food. Stryg suddenly had a wonderful idea.


    He sniffed out the few food stalls serving spicy dishes. He bought the food and began to feed them all to Rhian. After a few bite fulls Rhian¡¯s face reddened. She declined having any more.


    ¡°Um, is this one spicy too?¡± Rhian eyed the food suspiciously.


    ¡°Who knows? Now open your mouth,¡± Stryg handed her a skewered piece of chicken dipped in a red glaze.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m full,¡± she played with her black hair.


    ¡°I already bought it,¡± Stryg pushed the food towards her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle anymore, my tongue is on fire,¡± she whined.


    ¡°I thought you were the best centaur? The best can handle anything, right? Or maybe you aren¡¯t the best after all?¡± Stryg asked innocently.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she scowled. ¡°Alright, fine, dammit. Ahh,¡± she opened her mouth wide.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Stryg grinned and fed her the chicken kebab.


    Rhian winced at the flavor.


    ¡°So, how is it? Is it tasty?¡±


    ¡°Ish hawwwt!¡± Rhian mumbled as she chewed with teary eyes.


    ¡°Remember, Ebon Hollow is strong. You may not be a goblin, but you are still part of this Sylvan tribe. We¡¯re not supposed to cry over something like food. As chief, I¡¯ll have to punish you if you do,¡± Stryg admonished.


    Rhian grimaced as she swallowed, ¡°My mouth is burning!¡±


    A tear trailed down her cheek.


    ¡°What did I say? No crying allowed. Bad tear!¡± Stryg licked the tear and proceeded to bite the offending cheek.


    ¡°Agh, what the hell, Master! Not the face!¡± Rhian flailed around in a circle.


    People scurried out of the way of the thrashing centaur and the goblin latched onto her back.


    ¡°Is that who I think it is?¡± A woman furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± A voice called out.


    The goblin unclenched his jaw and released his iron grip on the centaur. He glanced up at the two bystanders that remained in the street. The first was a pretty woman wearing a lovely blue dress. Stryg recognized her from the mage academy, but he could not recall her name. She was holding hands with a handsome young man in a fashionable dark green tunic and black plants.


    ¡°Clypeus Gale?¡±

 Chapter 97: Named Houses

    Chapter 97: Named Houses


    ¡°I thought that was you, Stryg,¡± Clypeus bowed his head.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked.


    The woman beside Clypeus raised an eyebrow, ¡°We could ask you the same thing.¡±


    Rhian cupped her hand over her mouth and leaned towards Stryg, ¡°Do you know these people, Master?¡±


    Stryg pointed his finger at the vampire, ¡°That¡¯s Clypeus Gale, my classmate, he¡¯s quite strong. I have yet to beat him outright in a fight.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s like your rival?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°Meh, I guess you could say that,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°I am honored by such words,¡± Clypeus smiled.


    ¡°Cly is the strongest in our class, everyone wants to be his rival,¡± the woman crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°And who is that?¡± Rhian whispered.


    ¡°I don''t know who that woman is,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    The woman¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Eh? We¡¯re in the same class! You threw a rock straight at my forehead. I had a concussion for weeks! How can you not remember me!?¡±


    Clypeus patted his partner¡¯s back, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go somewhere a bit more private?¡±


    Stryg glanced around at the emptied street, most of the pedestrians were watching them from behind the food stalls.


    ¡°Oh! I know a great restaurant that just opened up, they even have outdoor seating so the centaur can come too,¡± the woman said excitedly.


    ¡°Alright, but if you invite someone out you have to pay, Kithina taught me that,¡± Stryg said confidently.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Clypeus smiled wryly.


    ¡°Please gods, don¡¯t let it be spicy food,¡± Rhian mumbled.


    The woman led them through the streets of Mellow Bloom and it¡¯s white-stone houses. After a few minutes they reached their destination. A large one-story restaurant with dozens of tables sprawled right outside its entrance.


    A waiter came out and showed them to an empty table that was under some shade for Clypeus¡¯ vampiric convenience. The waiter then promptly took their orders. He was surprised when Stryg ordered food for Rhian as well, but said nothing, instead he opted to write down the order and left for the kitchen.


    Clypeus cleared his throat, ¡°Okay, I believe proper introductions are needed. I am Clypeus of House Gale, a Great House residing in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°I am Stryg, chief of the Ebon Hollow tribe.¡±


    ¡°And I am Rhiannon, daughter of Ebon Hollow, and showhorse extraordinaire,¡± she stood up on her hindlegs and did a flourishing twirl around the table, without touching the table even once.


    Clypeus¡¯ partner laughed and clapped in delight, ¡°That¡¯s incredible! I¡¯ve never seen a centaur with such dexterity and grace before.¡±


    ¡°And you never will again,¡± Rhian smirked.


    ¡°Who is this human anyway?¡± Stryg asked.


    Her eye twitched, ¡°I am Nora, your classmate. We had four classes together last year, four!¡±


    ¡°Noraaa?¡± Stryg tested the name. It sounded a tad familiar.


    She groaned, ¡°Nora of House Azol? I¡¯m a chromatic blue. We were teamed against you during professor Loh¡¯s final exam.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I remember, Callum knocked you off the pillar right before you dragged him down with you,¡± Stryg nodded in recognition.


    ¡°Not how I would remember someone, but yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Nora pointed at her face.


    ¡°Regarding that day, I am sorry for your fall,¡± Clypeus said solemnly. ¡°I heard of how that wretched secretary sabotaged your climbing harness. Had I realized at the time, I would have never continued attacking you. My deepest apologies.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°The fault partly lays with me, but I truly am grateful for your willingness to overlook such a matter,¡± he bowed deeply.


    ¡°I keep telling you Cly, you can¡¯t blame yourself. It was that damn drow¡¯s fault. I¡¯m glad that crazy bitch got what she deserved,¡± Nora clenched her fists.


    ¡°Yeah, me too¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Agreed. And for what it¡¯s worth, our battle that day was the greatest I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Clypeus placed his hand over his chest.


    ¡°Mine as well. I look forward to our next bout. I¡¯ve been training quite a bit. I¡¯ll be the decisive victor this time,¡± Stryg grinned confidently.


    ¡°So have I,¡± Clypeus returned the grin.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, buuuuut, did I hear you say Nora of House Azol?¡± Rhian did not wish to interrupt the conversation of aristocrats, but she was too curious.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nora smiled proudly.


    ¡°Wow, so your family, like, owns this city, right?¡± Rhian asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say it exactly like that,¡± Nora played with her brown hair. ¡°The Azol family is a merchant House and a Great House at that. So, we have many investments in Mellow Bloom. In fact, most of the city¡¯s growth is thanks to my family.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°In other words her family owns the majority of the businesses in Mellow Bloom, including the city¡¯s main source of income, the breweries. As such, House Azol¡¯s influence is very strong in Mellow Bloom,¡± Clypeus explained.


    ¡°I guess that basically sums it up, albeit not in a very charming manner,¡± Nora twisted her lips.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Clypeus winced.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know your family was so renowned.¡± Stryg looked Nora over in a new light.


    Nora laughed abashedly, ¡°Thanks. It feels that way while we¡¯re here in Mellow Bloom. But, whenever I¡¯m in Hollow Shade I¡¯m reminded of how small my House really is. I mean, just look at Cly, he¡¯s a Gale!¡±


    ¡°Nora over exaggerates,¡± Clypeus scratched his nose.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Cly is just humble,¡± Nora crossed her arms resolutely.


    ¡°Is House Gale special or something?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Exactly how much do you know about Houses?¡± Nora asked skeptically.


    ¡°They are kinda like tribes, right?¡±


    ¡°So, not much,¡± she sighed. ¡°Let me break it down for you. Named Houses, commonly referred to as Houses, are the most powerful families in the Ebon Realm. Each one was founded by a Lord or Lady, which the House is named after, hence the term Named House.¡±


    ¡°For example, my House was founded by Merchant Lady Azol, therefore I am from House Azol. Most Houses follow the path of their founder, mine is no different. We are still merchants to this day, I am the exception since I was coincidentally born a mageborn.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you¡¯re at the mage academy instead of the merchant academy?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nora nodded. ¡°My siblings were sent to the merchant academy and I honestly thought I would go there too, but turns out I¡¯ve got magic, so here we are. Not that I¡¯m complaining, I love being a mage and it gave me a chance to meet Cly.¡±


    Nora reached over and held Clypeus¡¯ hand.


    ¡°That is interesting,¡± Stryg noted. ¡°But, there is one thing that I fail to understand. Clypeus, I thought you hated Callum because he was half-human. Yet, here you are with a human partner. So, wouldn¡¯t your future children be vampire-human hybrids like Callum, the thing you so despise? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Clypeus clenched his jaw. ¡°It isn¡¯t what you think. I do not dislike Callum Veres because he is half-human, but because that human nature makes him weak. Had he been born with powerful mutations, perhaps things would be different. As it stands, Callum¡¯s human half weakens him and makes him unsuitable to be the Veres family leader. The Great House of Veres carries a legacy of great strength, it cannot be allowed to be tarnished by someone like Callum.¡±


    Nora released his hand, ¡°Humans can be strong, Cly. Look at House Helene, they are human and they are one of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families.¡±


    ¡°Humans can be, but on average they are weaker than vampires. As for the Helenes, they only became a Ruling Family through trickery and betrayal, the same kind of tactics Callum would resort to. Just remember the grove training exercise, where he pretended to fight us only to destroy his own necklace instead. That¡¯s not the kind of person who should lead House Veres.¡±


    Nora frowned, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand, Clypeus. You only care about the strength of the individual, not what they particularly are,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    Clypeus nodded, ¡°When it comes to the leader of House Veres, yes. My family has served and protected the Veres for centuries. To achieve success in our duties we marry only the strong and tirelessly train our scions. We gladly give up so much for the Veres, because they are deserving of that sacrifice. Yet, Callum is unworthy of that devotion.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, so what happens if your human-vampire child is born without any powerful mutations? What if your child is simply born weak?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Every month Nora drinks a special tea made by red magi that prevents her from getting pregnant. While I plan to marry Nora after graduation, I¡¯ll also marry a talented vampiress who will bear my children. It¡¯s a fairly common practice among aristocrats. Marry one wife for duty and the other for love.¡±


    Nora looked down, her hair covered her expression. ¡°You might find the whole thing strange, but we¡¯re happy.¡±


    ¡°I find most things strange,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    And most people find you strange, Rhian thought.


    ¡°Here is your food,¡± the waiter returned with a small cart stacked with dishes.


    Everyone was quiet as the waiter put plate after plate of food on the table.


    ¡°It looks so good and none of it is covered in red sauce,¡± Rhian salivated.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all,¡± Nora said quietly. She shook her head and smiled, ¡°Where was I? Right, Named Houses. Once a House loses their founder or source of power, they may fall into a Destitute House, an impoverished weak shadow of what they once were and eventually they die off. However, if they can still maintain their power, they do not become a Destitute House and instead continue to live on.¡±


    ¡°The majority of Houses fall in the latter category,¡± Clypeus added.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nora agreed. ¡°Conversely, if a powerful House has many Lords and Ladies at once or if there are many Lords and Ladies throughout the generations then they become known as a Great House, like my family or Cly¡¯s. The seven most powerful Great Houses are known as the Ruling Families. They each hold a seat on Hollow Shade¡¯s city council.¡±


    ¡°Ruling Families?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You already know at least three, House Veres, House Katag, and House Noir,¡± Clypeus explained.


    ¡°Callum Veres, professor Tauri...Katag, and Loh Noir,¡± Stryg muttered from memory.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Nora sipped her wine. ¡°The Ruling Families have long famed histories of incredible feats their members have accomplished. Only a few other Great Houses have reputations that can compare, House Gale is one.¡±


    ¡°Your family must have been pretty great then, huh? Were they warriors?¡± Stryg took a bite of his pie.


    ¡°My family is the Shield of House Veres, we have always fought beside them,¡± Clypeus placed his hand over his heart.


    ¡°Actually, this is perfect timing. There¡¯s this famous troupe performing the play The Unfaltering Shield later this afternoon. You should totally come,¡± Nora smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I was supposed to meet up with Loh later today,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be fun. The play is one of the most popular in the entire Realm. I guarantee you¡¯ll love it. My friend is coming too, so the more the merrier,¡± Nora said.


    Stryg did not know what a play or troupe was, but they did sound intriguing. ¡°Okay, Rhian and I will go.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    After they finished eating they made their way to the center of the city, where buildings were packed next to each other. The common folk bowed as Nora walked by. She waved at them from time to time.


    Eventually, the group found themselves in front of an amphitheater. The wealthy merchants of the city were already gathered. They proudly wore their best garments and waited for the amphitheater to open its doors.


    Nora glanced about the crowd looking for her friend. She caught a small hand waving from among them.


    ¡°There¡¯s the friend I told you about,¡± Nora pointed.


    ¡°Where?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The one with the red cloak. Oh, look, she¡¯s coming over,¡± Nora said.


    The disguised beauty made her way to them with slow steps, but practically jumped when she reached Nora and gave her a hug.


    ¡°Nora, it¡¯s so good to see you. You wouldn¡¯t believe how hard it was to lose my maids,¡± she beamed.


    Nora giggled, ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, too! I¡¯m sorry we haven¡¯t been able to hang out much this year, but I¡¯m really glad you came to visit. The mage academy is pretty intense, I haven¡¯t found much free time until now. But, enough of that, let me introduce you to my fianc¨¦ and friends.¡±


    Nora grabbed her lover¡¯s hand, ¡°This is Clypeus of House Gale, you two have probably met.¡±


    ¡°We have. It¡¯s good to see you Clypeus,¡± she curtsied.


    ¡°You as well,¡± he bowed.


    Nora went on, ¡°And these are my friends, Stryg of Ebon Hollow and his remarkable centaur Rhiannon.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to make both of your acquaintances,¡± she curtsied.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, miss, whose name I have yet to have the grace of knowing,¡± Rhian bent her forelegs in a bow.


    Nora chuckled, ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s in disguise right now, so her name¡¯s a bit of secret. Stryg, Rhiannon, this is my best friend, you can just call her Jenny.¡±


    ¡°Jenny, is it? I thought it was Maeve Mora,¡± Stryg smiled, his pupils narrowed to thin slits.

 Chapter 98: I Remember

    Chapter 98: I Remember


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you two knew each other. I guess there¡¯s no reason to use a pseudonym then,¡± Nora glanced between the two.


    ¡°You¡¯re shorter than I remember,¡± Stryg looked Maeve over.


    The vampiress was only a little over 5 feet. He barely had to crane his neck to look at her.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t remember you at all. I think you may have me confused,¡± Maeve smiled wryly.


    She was panicking on the inside. She had finally gotten away from her father¡¯s influence for a few minutes and now she met someone from her public life. Who was he? Was he sent as a spy from her father? How could she have forgotten someone with such a unique appearance?


    ¡°I¡¯m not confused,¡± Stryg tapped his temple. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of you on a daily basis.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Maeve raised an eyebrow.


    She was relieved, he seemed to only be one of her many admirers. In which case, she had nothing to worry about with Clypeus nearby.


    ¡°Oooh, someone has a fan. I gotta admit I never took you for the type, Stryg,¡± Nora laughed.


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Clypeus chuckled.


    Rhian stayed quiet as she stared at Stryg. Normally, his eyes would dart all around, surveying his surroundings, especially when they were in a crowd. But, his eyes were still, his body unmoving.


    ¡°I still remember the night we met,¡± Stryg spoke softly.


    ¡°A pity I don¡¯t,¡± Maeve sighed dramatically.


    ¡°I play that night over and over during my meditation.¡±


    ¡°Meditation? Like a mage?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°Indeed. After all, why else could I possibly be friends with Callum Veres?¡± Stryg smiled widely.


    Maeve furrowed her brow, ¡°What?¡± Her face paled. ¡°The hybr-¡±


    Stryg dashed in before anyone could react. His hand shot out and wrapped around Maeve¡¯s slim neck. She gasped for breath, but Stryg only tightened his grip. Her feet dangled off the ground as he lifted her up with ease.


    ¡°Maeve!¡± Nora screamed.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Clypeus shouted.


    Stryg looked at the panicked couple. The answer had never felt so natural. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± Rhian stepped behind the goblin.


    Maeve tried prying his hand away, but to no avail. His grip was like iron. His claws dug into her pale skin, drawing blood. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to draw breath.


    ¡°Stryg, I don¡¯t know what bad blood you have with Maeve and I know she can sometimes be rude, maybe even cruel, but her mother was a Veres. I cannot stand by and watch you hurt her. Let. Her. Go,¡± Clypeus grabbed the hilts of his two gladii.


    ¡°I will rip her throat out long before you unsheath your blades,¡± Stryg said without even glancing at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a swordmaster, you underestimate my speed,¡± Clypeus narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Wanna bet,¡± Stryg grinned. His veins darkened.


    ¡°Agility magic,¡± Nora muttered in shock.


    ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter,¡± Clypeus recited the pledge. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Stryg. Please, don¡¯t make me do this.¡±


    Stryg stared at the vampiress flopping like a fish in his grip. Maeve¡¯s eyes were beginning to roll up. She was out of air and out of time. Stryg squeezed.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Rhian yelled.


    ¡°Now is not the best time,¡± Stryg said. He could feel Maeve¡¯s heartbeat quicken under his fingertips. Soon, it would be still.


    ¡°You promised Mistress Loh that you wouldn¡¯t fight anyone while we are in Mellow Bloom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You promised.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pupils contracted and expanded in rapid succession. He groaned, ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± He flung Maeve right at Clypeus.


    He caught her and eased her to the ground. She sucked in deep precious breaths of air. Her eyes were bloodshot. She gripped Clypeus¡¯ shoulder with trembling fingers. Nora ran up to her and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright, Maeve. You¡¯re alright,¡± Nora cooed.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much blood,¡± Clypeus sighed in relief.


    Nora ripped off a piece of her skirt and pushed it on the wound, ¡°We¡¯ll need to get her to a white mage as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Maeve Mora,¡± Stryg bared his fangs.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you!?¡± Nora screamed at him. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this. I¡¯ll have the guards arrest you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Maeve wheezed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± Nora frowned.


    Maeve sat up weakly, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. This hybrid is an asshole, but he had reason to be angry.¡±


    ¡°Enough reason to kill you?¡± Nora bit her lip.


    ¡°No, but people have died for a lot less. Just leave it be. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ve had much worse,¡± Maeve swallowed. She glanced at the hostile goblin, ¡°Consider us even.¡±


    Stryg hissed.


    She sighed, ¡°I understand you hate me. But, I¡¯m not the person you think I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the person who tried attacking me?¡± Stryg snapped.


    ¡°Okay, I am the person you think I am. I¡¯ve done horrible things, but there is more to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re also the one who threw wine at me.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I get it. You hate me, I don¡¯t blame you. I¡¯ll probably end up being an ass to you again if we ever meet in Hollow Shade. But, for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Maeve tried bowing, but ended up coughing.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Your apology is worth shit.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she winced.


    ¡°Maeve, ignore this prick. Let¡¯s get you to a doctor,¡± Nora helped her to her feet.


    ¡°How about a drink instead?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°In your dreams,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°Thank you for sparing her life,¡± Clypeus bowed to Stryg, before heading off to help Maeve.


    Stryg finally got a good look around. All the bystanders had scattered away. Most had gone into the amphitheater. He turned his attention back at Maeve. With Nora¡¯s help she limped her away across the street, until they disappeared around the corner.


    Stryg wondered at the strange behavior of the vampiress. Why would Maeve try to protect her enemy from the guards?


    ¡°What an idiot,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who you¡¯re referring to, but anywaaaay, what now, Master?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg scratched his head and sighed, ¡°...We¡¯re already here and the play is about to begin. Might as well see what this is all about.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you still have blood on your hand,¡± Rhian pointed at his fingertips.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be late if I waste time washing it,¡± he licked the blood off his fingers. ¡°There, all better.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± she forced a strained smile.


    They made their way into the amphitheater.


    An usher stood behind the front door. ¡°Good evening, the show¡¯s entrance fee is seven bronze coins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for both of us,¡± Stryg threw him a silver coin.


    ¡°Uhm, sir, centaurs aren¡¯t allowed in the amphitheater.¡±


    ¡°I am having a horrible night, so I¡¯ll say this only once,¡± Stryg cracked a smile. ¡°Get the fuck out of my way.¡±


    The usher noticed the spear hanging from the centaur¡¯s side.


    ¡°They don¡¯t pay me enough for this,¡± he muttered. The usher nodded curtly and stepped aside.


    Stryg walked past without another word.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Rhian whispered to the usher as she trotted by.


    The rest of the audience gave them strange looks as they entered. A few even complained as Rhian walked over several rows. One man tried pushing her. Stryg slapped him. Everyone suddenly grew very quiet at the sight of the unconscious bludgeoned man.


    Stryg and Rhian eventually found their seats near the front row and waited for the show to begin. After a few minutes, a woman dressed in a grey tight fitting one-piece suit stepped out from behind the curtain and danced her way to the front of the stage. Her face was covered in a simple smiling white mask.


    ¡°Welcome one and all, I will be your narrator and guide through this unforgettable night of love, war, loss, triumph, and most of all, magic!¡± She waved her hand, a burst of flame sparked above the crowd.


    The audience shouted in delight.


    ¡°She¡¯s an orange mage,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Our brilliant Singing Willow troupe is proud to present the legendary tale of valor and honor, The Unfaltering Shield!¡±


    Music began playing from backstage. A chorus sung softly to the rhythm of drum beats. A symphony of strings rose with the pitch of the voices. The audience clapped and cheered. Rhian cheered the loudest. Stryg stayed quiet, intent on finding out more.


    The narrator danced her way to the edge of the stage. ¡°Our story begins long ago, in the frigid Northern Lands.¡±


    A grey cloud appeared above the stage and began to snow. The snowflakes disappeared before they reached the ground. Stryg realized it was not snow at all, but an illusion spell. There had to have been a purple mage casting from behind the curtain.


    ¡°Amidst the frozen rivers and frost-covered hills laid a small nameless village.¡±


    The curtains pulled back to reveal wooden props in the forms of small huts and log houses.


    ¡°The village had once been prosperous, making their wealth through the hunting of moose. Unfortunately the wars of the Ebon Lords had cut through the land and bled into their small nook of the world.¡±


    The cloud suddenly turned red, bathing the stage in scarlet light. The pace of the music quickened. Men and women dressed in armor and carrying swords ran past the makeshift village screaming obscenities and death threats.


    ¡°Most villages were not spared from the wrath of the traveling armies. They were pillaged, their men killed, their woman violated and taken. The children were left to die alone in the bloodsoaked snow.¡±


    ¡°Even the villages that managed to evade detection suffered. The traveling armies had killed most of the nearby wild animals and scared off the rest. There was practically no food to eat, nor any to grow in the deadly winter. To make matters worse, orphaned children were trickling into the villages hoping to find respite from the bitter cold.¡±


    The cloud returned to its grey form and continued to snow. A little girl hobbled onto the stage. The music dimmed to a soft melody.


    ¡°And so begins our fabled journey. An orphaned vampiress had barely managed to escape her burning village. She trudged dozens of miles through icy winds and hail to find a haven from the war, even if only for a moment. Instead, she only found the callous backs of adults in this nameless ramshackle of a village.¡±


    Shabby looking villagers pushed the little girl to the floor before walking into their hovels.


    ¡°She was a petite girl, even for other children her age. She was malnourished and weakened from her journey. She quickly learned that the only way she would survive was if she fought for herself, no one else would. So, with what limited strength she had, our heroine scavenged the streets for even a scrap of food.¡±


    The little girl crawled about the stage, desperately looking for something to eat. A few other children appeared and began attacking her.


    ¡°It was not easy, for there were many orphans in the village and none of them wanted to share with an outsider. Still, our vampiress fought hard to earn her place, eating what little she could find.¡±


    The girl fought the other children off until they ran away.


    ¡°One day, after months of silence from the outside world, a new orphan came to the village. He was a vampire too, a child smaller than even our heroine. He asked for food from the villagers, but they all ignored him as did the orphans.¡±


    The boy walked up to the girl and asked for food, only to be struck down by her fist. The beats of the drums echoed loudly through the audience. Stryg found it all too familiar, the weak were always trampled on.


    ¡°It was only a few days later that disaster struck the village. One of the nearby armies had found them. They attacked the villagers without mercy, killing even the children.¡±


    The chorus sang in tune with the march of war. Armed warriors flooded the stage and began cutting down the villagers. Stryg had to admit it was impressive how they made the blood splash from their sides. Still, his keen sense of smell told him no actual blood had been spilt.


    ¡°The bloodthirsty soldiers cut down any they could find. One of them even chased our heroine. She tried running through the village, hiding wherever she could, but the soldier found her anyway. She was stricken by fear and faltered in her steps.¡±


    The girl crashed to the ground. She tried scrambling away, yet the soldier had cornered her. He raised his sword and swung down. A small figure tackled the soldier to the ground before he could strike.


    ¡°Yet, amidst the carnage, it was none other than the new village orphan who came to her aide! Despite his insignificant size, he fought the soldier with the fierceness of a dragon!¡±


    The boy scratched at the soldier¡¯s face with abandon. He even managed to grab the soldier¡¯s dagger before the man kicked him away. They encircled each other, a child versus a trained warrior. The man swung his blade in a wide arch. The boy rolled away and charged the soldier.


    He thrusted his blade right at the boy, but the child did not run. He met the blade straight on, barely moving from its path as it skimmed past his shoulder. The boy sunk his dagger straight into the soldier¡¯s kidney. The man dropped his blade and screamed in agony.


    The boy did not stop, he stabbed the man over and over until the soldier toppled to the ground, unmoving. Only then, did the boy drop his dagger. He turned around and looked at the girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°But, all was not well,¡± the narrator whispered.


    The drum beats disappeared, the strings turned into a foreboding melody. The boy fell to the floor, blood seeping from his shoulder. The girl rushed to his side.


    ¡°Our heroine dragged the boy into a small enclosure below one of the village hovels. They hid there silently as the army roamed above. She bandaged his wound as best she could, luckily the cut was not too deep. After several hours, the screaming above stopped. The other villagers had died and the army had left.¡±


    The girl helped the boy to his feet and out of their hiding spot. He stumbled, she caught him.


    ¡°What kind of crazy are you? You should have just run, not fight an enemy soldier,¡± the girl frowned.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± the boy said weakly. ¡°He would have killed you.¡±


    ¡°...And? Look around you, everyone is dead. That¡¯s what happens. If you don¡¯t look after yourself you¡¯ll get killed too!¡± She stepped away.


    He fell to his knees, too weak to stand on his own. ¡°...You¡¯re right, everyone is dead. I know what happens to kids like us.¡± He swallowed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, but if today is my day, then I rather die on my own two feet protecting my friend.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked I smacked you in the face when you tried to take my food. We¡¯re not friends.¡±


    ¡°We could be. I think I¡¯m in rather need of a friend,¡± he chuckled softly.


    She sighed and turned away from him. Yet, she stuck out her hand towards him, ¡°If you wanna die, then don¡¯t do it on your knees.¡±


    He smiled and grabbed her hand, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Gale, don¡¯t you forget it,¡± she pulled him to his feet.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. My name is Veres.¡±

 Chapter 99: The Unfaltering Shield

    Chapter 99: The Unfaltering Shield


    ¡°And so, the destined friendship was formed,¡± the narrator echoed across the amphitheatre.


    Gale and Veres walked through the rubble of their village, hoping to find another survivor. There were none.


    ¡°The children scavenged through the homes of the villagers and gathered what little food they could find.¡±


    Gale tore apart a few pieces of wood from one of the hovels and started a small fire. Unlike the flame magic the narrator had cast, Stryg noticed this fire was fake. The actress was too young to be a mage and she had used no flint. There had to be another purple mage casting an illusion spell from backstage.


    ¡°Oh sweet Bellum, it¡¯s cold,¡± Veres shivered.


    ¡°Come over here, you idiot,¡± Gale waved him over.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Veres nodded and sat besides her next to the fire.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We have enough wood from these houses to stay warm for at least a year, I think.¡±


    ¡°Gale, the winter storms will be coming soon, we can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? There¡¯s finally no one to stop us from eating more than just scraps. We can finally warm ourselves next to a fire and sleep under an actual roof. Why in all the bloody Realms would we leave?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t survive in this place. There may be a lot of food here, but the blood will go bad soon. We don¡¯t know how to hunt either. In a few weeks the snow storms will hit and we¡¯ll be trapped here. We¡¯ll slowly starve.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do, Mr. Genius?¡± Gale huffed.


    ¡°We need to keep going to other villages, until we find one that isn¡¯t destroyed and willing to tolerate us, for now.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Everyone hates us. Don¡¯t you realize that? We¡¯re just orphans.¡±


    ¡°The war won¡¯t last forever. We just need to survive until it¡¯s over,¡± Veres rested his head on Gale¡¯s shoulder.


    At first, she tensed at the gesture, but then she relaxed her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll never be accepted no matter where we go.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll make a place for ourselves. A place where no one can afford to turn their back on us ever again,¡± he swore.


    ¡°Heh, it better have moose meat filled with lots of juicy blood.¡±


    He closed his eyes, ¡°As much as you¡¯ll ever want.¡±


    The light faded away from the stage until all was dark, except for the narrator. Stryg could still see the props and actors scurrying across the stage, but he switched his attention to the narrator.


    ¡°Gale and Veres gathered all the food they could carry and set off into the cold wilderness in search of a different village. As fate would have it, they would find a new village to wait out the winter storms.¡±


    The drums began beating softly, the chorus and strings in sync.


    ¡°Veres had even been right about the war. It ended not long after spring came around.¡±


    The drums began beating louder and louder, the chorus¡¯ voices became more foreboding, the strings played at a shrill pace.


    ¡°Yet, another war began soon after. Our orphaned heroes were forced to move from place to place, trying to survive in the war-torn Northern Lands. Yet, no matter the hardships they faced, they stood together.¡±


    ¡°When they grew old enough, Veres enlisted as a soldier in one of the warring armies. He had promised Gale a better life and he was intent on keeping his word.¡±


    An older Veres appeared on the stage. He was dressed in armor and holding a sword. An enemy soldier appeared from the shadows and attacked. Veres parried the blow and pushed him back. Another enemy came from the rear and swung his axe.


    Gale jumped into the light and blocked the axe with her shield and stabbed her blade straight into the man¡¯s gut. Veres turned around in surprise.


    ¡°Gale had made a promise as well. She was not going to let Veres fight alone, no matter the enemy,¡± the narrator smiled.


    The stage darkened once more.


    ¡°While Veres was a talented swordsman, his true talents laid in his military strategy. The young vampire proved to be a genius tactician on the battlefield. He quickly made a name for himself among the soldiers and was given his own command.¡±


    Emerald light dyed the stage green. Veres was atop a small cliff, leading his soldiers into battle against a battalion of drow. The green light slowly shifted towards the center of the stage.


    ¡°There was one under his command who had shown great promise, a prodigy mage whose skills were only matched by Veres¡¯ own wit,¡± the narrator remarked.


    The earth exploded in a thunder shattering roar, blasting the drow away. Gale rose from among the rubble, blasting the few that remained with green and yellow bolts of power.


    The crowd roared in excitement. Stryg knew there was no such spell for magical bolts and that it was nothing but illusions, but he found himself smiling as he watched Gale and Veres tear into their enemies.


    ¡°With Gale¡¯s magical prowess, Veres was able to implement the most daring of plans and succeed again and again. In just a few years, Veres¡¯ name began spreading through the ranks, a fearless commander who brought victory wherever he went. His fame grew so great that he even caught the eye of the legendary Ebon Lord Koval.¡±


    The music grew to a crescendo as a tall figure obscured in a black cloak appeared on center stage. Veres kneeled in front of the man and offered his sword.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Veres pledged his service to Lord Koval without a second thought. The Ebon Lord asked how Veres had succeeded in all his battles, no matter the odds. Veres admitted the truth without hesitance.¡±


    ¡°My most trusted soldier, Gale, is the reason,¡± Veres looked over at his best friend. ¡°I just plan the strategy, she is the one who never fails to execute it.¡±


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Koval reached out with a pale hand.


    Gale was dragged forward by an unseen force. Her face landed in the clutch of the Ebon Lord.


    ¡°Hm, yes, I see it. She is truly gifted, a soon to be archmage,¡± Koval surmised. He released her and disappeared into the shadows.


    The narrator¡¯s voice rang out through the music, ¡°Lord Koval did not just accept Veres¡¯ pledge, he bestowed upon Veres the title of War Lord and Gale the title of Mage Lady. He then made Veres the general of one of his greatest armies.¡±


    ¡°Lord Veres and Lady Gale did not disappoint. They defeated Lord Koval¡¯s enemies with ruthless swift tactics,¡± the narrator exclaimed.


    Snippets of battles passed through the stage. Veres and Gale ran through the battlefields, striking down all who crossed their paths.


    ¡°They were so successful that Lord Koval made Lord Veres the marshal, commander of all his armies. Veres and Gale were no longer simple orphan children in an abandoned village. No longer would anyone dare turn their backs on the renowned vampires. With his new found power Veres fulfilled his promise and went on to have a large castle built for Gale as a token of their friendship.¡±


    A beautiful woman in a red dress appeared on stage.


    ¡°Yet, with all the power and fame they attained, came a woman Gale did not predict. Veres had forged an alliance with Lord Koval by marrying his daughter.¡±


    Veres appeared and took his stunning bride into his arms and spun her around. They laughed and kissed. Gale stood in the corner, a tear falling down her cheek.


    ¡°Lady Gale had fallen in love with Veres so long ago, but she had stayed quiet of her feelings,¡± The narrator bowed her head. ¡°It was those same feelings that brought her to stand side by side Veres and defeat whomever threatened him. And so, with a heavy heart, Lady Gale wished her best friend and the love of her life, a wonderful and happy marriage.¡±


    The drum beats rose in power. The amphitheatre was dyed a soft gold. Illusionary flames curled around the stage. Ebon Lord Koval stepped out from the fire.


    ¡°Lord Koval, the greatest enchanter and smith in all the Realm, forged a magical sword as a wedding gift for his new son-in-law. A weapon so great that its name would echo through the centuries,¡± the narrator said.


    She danced her way to the front of the audience and placed her hand next to her ear.


    ¡°Krikolm!¡± The crowd shouted in unison.


    Stryg looked at Rhian in surprise, ¡°You know this story?¡±


    ¡°Some of it, but everyone knows Kriklom and Oginum,¡± Rhian shrugged.


    ¡°Oginum?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know, Krikolm and Oginum. The most famous weapons in Hollow Shade?¡± Rhian whispered.


    Stryg did not, but he made a mental note to learn more about it later. For now, he focused his attention on the play.


    Lord Koval pulled out a longsword from underneath his cloak. Its blade was blood red with a black crossguard and a white grip. The black pommel was engraved with twin gems, a grey and white stone.


    ¡°Veres, I offer you my masterpiece. Let it be bound by blood to your House for all generations that it may guide your heirs to victory in all wars to come,¡± Lord Koval handed him the crimson blade.


    Veres held Kirkolm up high with a warcry. The crowd cheered.


    ¡°And more wars did come,¡± the narrator said. ¡°Lord Veres and Lady Gale faced them all, defeating their opponents with diverse strategies and relentless martial and magical prowess. They were unstoppable, until one day¡­¡±


    The scenery changed. Gale and Veres were walking through a forest, a few guards followed behind.


    ¡°Our heroes had just defeated the armies of the Ivory Realm and were heading home from the war.¡±


    Hidden warriors jumped out from the trees and rushed Gale and Veres from all sides. ¡°Death to Veres!¡± They screamed.


    ¡°They were ambushed by the army of another Ebon Lord. Veres and Gale had already left their own army behind and were traveling with only a small retinue of guards,¡± the narrator said softly.


    Gale blasted the enemy soldiers away with bolts of arcane energy. Krikolm practically sang in bloody glory as Veres cut down beasts and drow. The two vampires stood back to back, facing off against their foes.


    The enemy general rode into the fray on the back of a dire bear. He signaled his men to stop fighting.


    ¡°We only want Veres. Surrender, Lady Gale, and pledge your loyalty, and we will spare your life,¡± the general called out.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded,¡± Gale muttered.


    Veres¡¯ shoulders shook, ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Gale looked at his bloodied face with tears in her eyes. ¡°There is no time.¡±


    She grabbed Veres and kissed him on the lips. Gale pushed him away and into the arms of one of their last remaining guards.


    ¡°Get him out of here!¡± She commanded.


    ¡°Yes, my Lady!¡± The guards shouted in unison and dragged Veres away.


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± Veres pushed them back. ¡°Gale, what are you doing!?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? There are too many of them, we won¡¯t survive this.¡±


    ¡°There has to be a way, I¡¯ll find a way! I always find a way!¡±


    Gale shook her head, ¡°Not this time. I don¡¯t want to die, but if today is my day, then I rather die on my own two feet protecting my friend.¡±


    His eyes widened, ¡°Gale¡­¡±


    ¡°Death it is!¡± The enemy general ordered his army to attack.


    Gale spun around and faced the onslaught of enemies. ¡°You want Veres?! You can¡¯t have him!¡±


    She clapped her hands together, a blast of red ward symbols shot forth and formed a magical wall behind her, cutting off Gale and the army from Veres.


    ¡°Are you insane? You may be an archmage, but you are only one person, you cannot fight us all,¡± the general sneered.


    ¡°Wrong!¡± Gale yelled. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter!¡±


    The enemy charged her. She flung them away in emerald blasts of power. The enemy shot arrows and magic at the ward wall, it held without a crack. They swarmed Gale with countless soldiers. A few attacks managed to wound her, but none pierced the wards.


    ¡°The enemy general could not understand how she remained standing despite her injuries. Lady Gale continued to fight no matter how many attacked!¡± The narrator shouted with pride.


    Wave after wave of enemies charged and still, Gale held her ground. The crowd cheered, tears in their eyes. An arrow pierced her leg, a blade slashed arm, a hammer cracked her ribs, still she fought. Eventually, a mountain of bodies formed around her.


    Gale dragged her feet forward. ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t¡­ get past¡­¡± Her head sank, yet she stood tall.


    The red wall of wards crumbled to dust behind her.


    ¡°No matter the enemy, no matter the wounds, Gale did not falter. She fought to the very end,¡± the narrator cried out.


    The light of the stage faded away until it centered on the motionless figure of Gale.


    ¡°Mage Lady Gale managed to hold off the entire army long enough for Lord Veres to escape. Veres eventually returned with his own armies and destroyed those that had ambushed them to the very last man. Veres went on to fight countless more battles and supported Lord Koval in the unification of the Ebon Realm.¡±


    The light faded away.


    The narrator¡¯s voice rang out in the darkness, ¡°Lady Gale¡¯s sacrifice paved the way to a stabilized Ebon Realm. No matter how many lords and ladies have come since, The Realm will always remember the one who faced an entire army alone. Of how she stood proud and unafraid in the face of insurmountable odds. The Unfaltering Shield of her best friend to the very end.¡±

 Chapter 100: Backstage

    Chapter 100: Backstage


    The entire crowd stood up and applauded the performance with thunderous cheer. Stryg was the only one who sat in his chair quietly. He grimaced at the clamoring noise assaulting his sensitive ears. Had he known this was going to happen at the end he would have left early.


    The actors came out from backstage and formed a line. They held hands and bowed several times to the crowd. Stryg clambered up on Rhian to get a good look at them. Several had not appeared during the play, Stryg wondered if some were the purple magi who had cast the illusion spells.


    After what seemed an eternity the curtains closed and the actors disappeared backstage. The incessant clapping finally stopped and the crowd began to dissipate.


    ¡°That was incredible! I never knew a play was so flashy. We showhorses definitely have to take a page out of their book for our own performances,¡± Rhian sighed in admiration.


    ¡°It was¡­ enlightening, to say the least,¡± Stryg eyed the stage curtains.


    ¡°Masteeeer, you have that weird look in your eyes. I mean, your eyes always look weird, what with the purple eyes and shifting pupil stuff going on. Though, right now you have that look that says, ¡®I¡¯m going to do something that everyone clearly doesn¡¯t like, but I don¡¯t care.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Stryg raised an eyebrow.


    Rhian laughed, ¡°Are you serious? Do you know how many looks you¡¯ve got? I¡¯ve been counting. I even got names for them. There¡¯s the ¡®I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡¯ look, the ¡®I don¡¯t care to understand¡¯ side glance, the ¡®I¡¯m going to kill that person¡¯ glare, or my fav-¡±


    Stryg hopped off Rhian and made his way to the front of the stage. People that were taller than him tried getting past him, eager to get to the exit. Unfortunately, everyone was taller than him. Unfortunately for them, at least. Stryg pushed them away with what he considered a light tap, but he ended up unwittingly shoving them into several bystanders behind.


    A dwarf noticed what was happening and stepped aside for Stryg as he walked by. Stryg reached the front and vaulted over the 6 ft stage with ease. He ignored the shouts from the crowd behind. He pushed the curtain aside and slipped backstage.


    Most of the actors had already left, but several stage workers were still moving about equipment and props. A few of the musicians were packing their instruments. They all froze as they stared at the sudden intruder.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be back here,¡± a brawny stagehand called out.


    The orc placed down the equipment he was carrying and walked over to the goblin, ¡°I said you can¡¯t be back here, kid.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask about the magical display during the performance,¡± Stryg didn¡¯t bother to look at the orc. He glanced around, looking for any who might seem to be a mage.


    ¡°Sorry, kid. Every fan wants to go backstage, doesn¡¯t mean you can,¡± the orc stepped in and blocked his view.


    ¡°Backstage? Is that what this is called? I guess it makes sense,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    ¡°Okay, time to scram. We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± he grabbed the goblin¡¯s shoulder.


    Stryg¡¯s hand shot out reflexively, grabbed the offending wrist and squeezed. The orc screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. The other workers backed away in fear.


    ¡°Excuse me, would you release my stagehand, please?¡±


    Stryg turned to the familiar voice. A masked woman wearing a tight grey costume stood in front of him, smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re the narrator,¡± he said in recognition.


    She removed her mask. A bundle of black curls fell down framing her oval face. Her face was unblemished, save for the wrinkles at the edge of her eyes. ¡°I do have a name, but everyone back here just calls me captain,¡± she winked.


    ¡°I have some questions,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to help answer them, but I¡¯m a bit preoccupied with the whimpering of my stagehand,¡± she stared pointedly at the orc.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Stryg released the man¡¯s wrist.


    The orc scurried away.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the captain nodded to Stryg. She waved another worker over, ¡°Take him to the doctor to get his hand checked.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± the worker nodded. He helped the stagehand up and took him through a door at the left side of the backstage.


    ¡°Carry on, everyone,¡± the captain clapped.


    The other crew members mumbled under their breaths, but went on with their duties.


    ¡°So, Mister Fan, how can the Singing Willow troupe help you on this fine evening?¡± The captain asked.


    ¡°I have questions regarding the play.¡±


    ¡°Interested in our performance, ey?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Then we have a common goal,¡± she placed her hand on her chin. ¡°You see, I¡¯m always on the lookout for interesting stories and you practically scream ¡®interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interesting?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Darling, please. You are the most interesting thing I¡¯ve seen ever since we arrived in this city.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± He narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s plenty. Your unique appearance for one. Or what about how a 4 foot youth broke my stagehand¡¯s wrist with such ease. I could go on, however I think you could enlighten me with even more fascinating answers. So, how about it, I answer your questions and you answer mine?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s shake on it,¡± she stuck out her gloved hand.


    Stryg stared at the hand with a questioning look.


    ¡°I won¡¯t bite. This is how everyone conducts transactions in our line of business. Our word is everything,¡± she said.


    Stryg grabbed her hand, his small fingers barely wrapped around her palms. They shook three times.


    ¡°Ooo, sharp claws you got there,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°All goblins do. I just don¡¯t shave mine down,¡± Stryg released her hand. He curled his fingers inwards and admired his grey claws.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. Goblins don¡¯t like appearing barbaric to the other species, or something like that, yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, if that¡¯s the reason then they are idiots.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to learn that people in cities don¡¯t like barbarians. Which means goblins shave their claws in the hopes of not being disliked.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then goblins are failing.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because most people hate us anyway. You can see it in the way they look at us. They judge us before we even speak a single word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do see how that could pose a problem,¡± she tapped her lips.


    ¡°Not much of a problem. Most people don¡¯t like me even after speaking with me,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Then I am happy to say I am in the minority.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Stryg studied her face.


    ¡°Indeed. Now, about your questions?¡±


    ¡°The magic during the play, I wanted to know more.¡±


    ¡°Impressed, huh? Our troupe boasts one of the best magical displays in the entire Realm. Don¡¯t you worry, I know all the answers. Fans always want to know about our magic. The rich ones always pay extra to meet the actors. You could say we¡¯ve gotten used to it. So, what would you like to know? The strength behind Gale¡¯s earth blast when she fights the drow? Or maybe the yellow bolts she fires at her last stand.¡±


    ¡°I want to know how many purple magi were required to constantly cast illusion spells throughout an hour long performance.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m even more interested,¡± she smiled. ¡°...We employ a dozen purple magi to cast throughout the show.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot. They must only be adepts if you have to employ that many. How did you get so many magi to work for you?¡±


    ¡°To explain that I¡¯d first have to correct you on one point. My magi aren¡¯t technically adepts. None of them have been formally trained by a magic academy. You see, their talent was deemed too little to be accepted into such prestigious schools.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying exactly?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°There are more mageborn than most people think, still relatively small compared to the entire population, but enough that many fall through the cracks. When some mageborn are tested by chrome-probes their talent is shown to be lacking. The magic academies reject them, but people like me are more than happy to take them in.¡±


    She went on, ¡°I see the talent that the great cities refuse to. I help train the discarded mageborn and help them reach their full potential. The academies said they could never accomplish anything, even a simple spell, and yet through years of hard work and effort someone like you can confuse their spells for those of an adept¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were mageborn that were rejected,¡± Stryg muttered.


    He assumed that Hollow Shade wanted all the magi they could get their hands on, why else would they be willing to pay for the schooling of so many mageborn, himself included.


    The Captain shook her head, ¡°Why do you think you haven¡¯t heard of any goblin magi? Do you really think there aren¡¯t any goblin mageborn out there? Or that none of them are talented enough to be accepted by a mage academy?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I never thought¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t think about what''s possible. Not even magi themselves. Most believe that once they graduate from their fancy academies that they will serve a city, or powerful Houses and Lords and Ladies.¡±


    She gestured to the stage around her, ¡°When in fact they can have different lives, free from all the politics and dangers that come with the role of being a city mage. They can choose to be happy and pursue a different lifestyle. Such as bringing wonder to the eyes of others.¡±


    ¡°By performing a play?¡±


    ¡°Well, not just any play,¡± she twirled about and ended with a striking pose. ¡°The best plays in all the Realm.¡±


    Stryg found himself grinning, ¡°Was it all true? The Unfaltering Shield.¡±


    ¡°We may have dramatized a few scenes,¡± she tapped the tip of her nose. ¡°But the story for the most part is true, especially the end. Countless soldiers witnessed Lady Gale¡¯s last stand and her final words.¡±


    ¡°So, Gale holding off an entire army by herself, Veres being undefeated, the Ebon Lord making that magic sword, that was all real then?¡±


    ¡°From what we¡¯ve learned from the history books and passed on oral accounts, yes, it was. The only part that would normally be difficult to ascertain would be anything regarding the Ebon Lords. The ancient rulers of our Realm have always been shrouded in mystery.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know if the Ebon Lord¡¯s part of the story was real?¡±


    ¡°Most folk barely know anything about the Ebon Lords. The only people who might know more are the ancient and powerful Houses of the Realm. Fortunately, Ebon Lord Koval was very famous, and we know about him a bit more than the others.¡±


    ¡°So, that part was true, then?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Indeed. Lord Koval was most famous for two things, being an unparalleled mage smith and unifying the Ebon Realm. Though, the Realm fell back into war after his death.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised,¡± Stryg sighed. Tribes always suffered when they lost powerful leaders.


    ¡°His unification may be gone, but his enchanted works still exist. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many Houses go about flaunting how they obtained a bonafide work of Lord Koval. Even though most are just simple objects like a hairbrush, ugh,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    Stryg pictured a wealthy woman parading about the streets holding up a golden hair brush. It did seem a tad odd.


    ¡°So, Koval¡¯s magical smithing skills really weren¡¯t that great,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°No, they were. That hairbrush I told you about has to be hundreds of years old yet it¡¯s still in perfect condition. The woman who owns it is said to have beautiful black curly hair thanks to it,¡± The narrator played with her own hair.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes in suspicion.


    She laughed, ¡°Of course, the best examples of Lord Koval¡¯s skills are Krikolm and Oginum.¡±


    ¡°I just actually heard about those. Are those two weapons really that amazing?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes were alight, his pupils wide with interest.


    She scratched her cheek, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t personally seen Oginum in action. Yet, whenever the leaders of House Goldelm wielded Oginum into battle they smashed apart their opponents with ease, but that might just be over-exaggeration on their part.¡±


    ¡°Hm. What about Krikolm? Was it like the play?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what they say. Then again, House Veres lost the sword almost three hundred some odd years ago, so who knows.¡± She leaned closer, ¡°Rumor has it Krikolm was never lost, but actually destroyed. House Veres is just too embarrassed to say it. Or maybe they are just too scared to say who destroyed it.¡±


    ¡°So, the weapons really weren¡¯t that great,¡± he sighed. That was one of his favorite parts of the play.


    ¡°Meh, who knows. It¡¯s just a rumor anyway,¡± she stepped back.


    Luckily, Stryg was a friend with a Veres. He would have to make sure to ask Callum about the rumors later.


    ¡°Wanna hear something even more interesting?¡± She smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± he perked up.


    ¡°Before Lady Gale¡¯s untimely demise she had a son with an unknown father. After she died, Lord Veres took the child in. Veres trained and raised him to be the proper leader of House Gale. The Gales have been loyal to House Veres ever since. But, there are a few who believe that Veres was in fact the unknown father.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would Veres be the unknown father? If Veres was sleeping with Gale then why didn¡¯t he just say so?¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Koval was an Ebon Lord. His pride would never have allowed Veres to have another lover besides his own daughter.¡±


    ¡°Which makes the whole story even less likely. Why would Veres risk sleeping with Gale if Koval would kill him if they were ever found out?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Love,¡± she winked.


    Stryg frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve answered your questions, now it¡¯s my turn,¡± she clapped.


    ¡°Cap¡¯n, the next show starts in 5 minutes!¡± One of the stagehands called out.


    ¡°Dammit, I forgot we had an extra showing tonight,¡± she groaned. She placed her mask back on, ¡°Before I go, let me ask you this. Did you enjoy the show?¡±


    ¡°I did. I enjoyed seeing Veres and Gale strike down their enemies¡­ and also the bond they shared,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear it,¡± she bowed eloquently. ¡°If you want, you can watch the show again from backstage or from the front, your pick. We can talk afterwards, too. You can even meet the rest of the cast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I have to meet up with someone. But, I¡¯ll definitely come back some other time to answer your questions, I swear it,¡± Stryg pounded his fist over his chest.


    ¡°That sounds great. We¡¯ll be performing throughout the week in Mellow Bloom. Drop by whenever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, except tomorrow,¡± she winced. ¡°We aren¡¯t performing tomorrow on account of the Seregulus Hunt.¡±


    ¡°I heard that hunt mentioned when I first arrived. What¡¯s it about exactly?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s some sort of yearly event where people gather from around the city to prove who is the best hunter.¡±


    ¡°Best hunter?¡±

 Chapter 101: The Blue Meadow

    Chapter 101: The Blue Meadow


    ¡°What do you mean best hunter? Is the best hunter of the land already here? Are they being challenged? When will the challenge be? What are the rules?¡± Stryg asked in quick succession.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know the answer to any of those questions and I have to get ready for my next performance. But, before I do, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?¡± The captain asked.


    ¡°I am Stryg of the Ebon Hollow tribe,¡± he placed his hand over his heart.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± The captain tilted her head with a small smile. ¡°Well, it was wonderful meeting you. If you go through the door on your right and down the hall, you¡¯ll end up outside at the back of the amphitheater.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Stryg headed for the door.


    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± she called out. ¡°If you wish to know more about the Seregulus Hunt just head on over there. They are supposed to be gathering tomorrow at sunrise past the southern hills.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Until we meet again, son of Ebon Holo.¡±


    Stryg paused for a moment, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    He left through the back door and went down the hall. After a few moments he found himself outside at the back of the amphitheater. It was dark outside, but unlike Hollow Shade, people were strolling in the streets in large crowds. Red lanterns decorated the sides of each building, illuminating the streets with a soft cherry light.


    Stryg closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He caught Rhian¡¯s scent within a moment. He shuffled between the crowds and made his way to the centaur. She was standing at the front of the entrance of the amphitheater. She had a concerned face as she glanced about.


    ¡°Rhian,¡± Stryg called out from below.


    She looked down with surprise. ¡°Master! There you are. I was getting worried,¡± she sighed in relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I doubt any of these merchants could harm me anyway,¡± He hopped up into her saddle.


    ¡°So, what did you do backstage anyway?¡±


    ¡°I had an enlightening conversation with the narrator of the play.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you actually talked to one of the actors!? What was she like? Tell me everything,¡± Rhian whipped her head back.


    ¡°Sure, but, first, let¡¯s head back to the tavern.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye,¡± Rhian smiled.


    ~~~


    ¡°This must be it,¡± Stryg guessed.


    Rhian and him stood in front of a blue building. The tavern was at least thrice as large as any other nearby, as was the amount of sound coming from its double doors. A silver sign hung from above the doors with the words, Blue Meadow.


    ¡°You wanna get a drink?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass. I don¡¯t think I could stomach anything else tonight, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re alright after all the beer you drunk,¡± she grimaced.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± he jumped off.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head to the stables and call it a night. Enjoy your evening, Master,¡± she bowed.


    ¡°Get some rest, we have an early morning ahead of us,¡± Stryg waved.


    He raised the hood of his cloak and pushed the towering doors open. Dozens upon dozens of elegant tables were sprawled about the place. Each table was filled with fancily dressed drunken men and women eating or playing one game or another. There was even a balcony serving as a second floor with more booze and food.


    Stryg noticed that there were also plenty of women and men scantily clad who laughed and smirked as drunk customers fondled their bodies. He assumed they were the so-called high-end prostitutes, or ¡°flowers¡± as Loh told him they were often called.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir, may I help you find a table this fine evening?¡± A barmaid walked up to him with a smile on her face. Her hair was dyed a soft shade of pink.


    For a brief moment Stryg was reminded of Feli.


    ¡°...No, I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°Very well. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to let us know,¡± she bowed her head and walked away.


    It was not difficult to locate Loh. Stryg could hear her laughter from the balcony. He shifted between the crowded staircase and quietly walked his way to her. He found his mentor in a private room at the corner of the balcony.


    Loh sat on a red sofa around a long table. A dozen plates of food were lined up on her table, along with three different bottles of alcohol placed near a couple of pristine silver goblets. Two pretty orc women with their tops off rested by Loh¡¯s side, one on each arm. The women softly giggled into Loh¡¯s ears as they curled their fingers around her body.


    ¡°Hello, master,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally come. I was beginning to wonder if you got yourself into a fight,¡± Loh grinned.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he pulled up a chair.


    ¡°Well, as you can see I have already ordered enough food for both of us, unlike an ungrateful apprentice I know,¡± she wagged her finger.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± Stryg took a slice of bread and ham from the table. ¡°By the way, I thought only poor and small taverns doubled as a brothel.¡±


    ¡°High-end taverns do the same, simply because they can. This tavern is my favorite since they have a nice selection of flowers. I just finished with another couple a few minutes ago and the tavern master brought me these two fresh ones,¡± she kissed one of the orcs.


    The orc women giggled. They gently grabbed Loh¡¯s hands and rubbed them all over their breasts. Stryg served himself one of the bottles, a clear liquid that smelled purely of alcohol. It was not fire-breath, but it had to be a dwarven brew, the scent of alcohol was too strong. He strangely liked it. Stryg watched Loh and the flowers as he downed a few more glasses.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Loh smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t find this whole thing interesting, but I¡¯m not into orcs,¡± Stryg said.


    The left flower glared at him. ¡°Do you have a problem with my kind, dwarf?¡±


    Stryg removed his hood and revealed his ash grey hair, soft blue skin, and pointy ears. His lilac eyes stared coldly at the orc. ¡°I¡¯m not a dwarf and yes, I do have a problem, orc.¡±


    The right flower giggled, ¡°Be careful, my friend is a bit naughty. She bites when she gets upset.¡±


    The left flower licked her lips, ¡°So, what was that again? You¡¯ve got a problem with orcs? Are you going to do something about it? I¡¯m right here if you¡¯d like to share your thoughts, just come a little closer.¡±


    Stryg leaned forward. ¡°My current thoughts are quite simple. You work as a so-called flower. Which means you do not have enough standing to have your own flowers. In other words, you do not have the martial nor magical prowess, nor the wealth, to challenge me.¡±


    ¡°...What? What are you talking about? You don¡¯t know me,¡± She frowned.


    ¡°True, but I think my observation will suffice,¡± Stryg looked her over.


    The orc felt a shiver run down her spine as his alien eyes inspected her like a predator would his prey. She glanced at Loh for help. The drow was busy fondling the right flower.


    The left flower laughed shakily, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re getting at, but I¡¯ll play along. I may not be rich, but I¡¯m still an orc. What can a little guy like you do to me?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Stryg flicked out a clawed finger. ¡°My plan is also quite simple. I¡¯d first throw a fast jab at your throat, crushing your windpipe. While you¡¯re gasping for breath I would grab you by the sides of your head and squeeze really hard, you know, until your skull cracked.¡±


    The orc swallowed, ¡°Y-you¡¯re lying. You wouldn¡¯t kill me. N-not to mention, people can¡¯t skull cracks with their hands.¡±


    Loh turned to her, ¡°Oh, my sweet, sweet flower. My apprentice has no compunctions when it comes to killing those he feels threatened by, so I suggest you play nice.¡±


    Stryg squeezed the goblet in his hand and crushed it. The left flower¡¯s face paled in fear.


    ¡°And Stryg, what did I say about fighting while we¡¯re here. This isn¡¯t Hollow Shade where you can just kill commoners without a second thought,¡± Loh warned.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything,¡± Stryg grabbed another cup.


    Loh stared at him.


    ¡°...Yet,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Loh stood up, ¡°Look, I think you¡¯re just stressed from all the training these past two months. I get it, we all can get a bit pent up and sometimes go a little crazy. In your case, it¡¯s a bit of a murder-craze, but that¡¯s okay. You just need to relax and take it easy for a night.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®take it easy?¡¯¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh stood up and walked to the room¡¯s entrance. ¡°It means you need to get laid and shit-faced drunk. I see you¡¯ve already got the drunk part under way. As for the other, well, I haven¡¯t done anything with these flowers except a little kissing. How about you have them for the night?¡±


    ¡°What? But, I don¡¯t like orcs,¡± Stryg shot to his feet. The world wobbled, perhaps he had drunk too much.


    ¡°Says the man whose eyes have been staring at an orc¡¯s tits for the past few minutes,¡± Loh opened the door. ¡°Just relax,¡± she closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Did she actually just leave me here?¡± Stryg tried to steady himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make it worthwhile. Please, forgive my friend for her sharp attitude. I promise we both can be very fun,¡± the right flower smiled and kneeled in front of Stryg.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg grabbed her head and pointed her face up to him.


    ¡°Helping you relax?¡± She eyed him curiously.


    ¡°Is this your first time?¡± The left flower found her voice once more.


    ¡°What? No,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± the right flower unbuttoned his pants with only her teeth. Her eyes widened.


    The left flower drew closer, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect someone of his height to be so¡­¡±


    Stryg took a step back. He knew he looked different overall, but he still felt uncomfortable having both women staring at his dick.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± the right flower finished.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    His eyes widened as she began licking his member with fervor.


    The left flower walked behind him and took off his cloak, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier. I assure you I won¡¯t bite, at least not tonight.¡±


    ¡°I promise you that if you two continue I will bite you both, a lot. And I bite much harder,¡± Stryg bared his teeth.


    The left flower shivered as she stared at his small, but sharp fangs. ¡°That¡¯s so hot. I want you to bite me so hard.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg blinked.


    The right flower lifted her head up, ¡°Don¡¯t forget me, too. I want you to bite my ass so hard that I won¡¯t be able to sit for a week.¡±


    He glanced between both women¡¯s expressions. ¡°You¡¯re both serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Duh,¡± she went back to licking.


    ¡°So... I can bite you as much as I want?¡± He asked slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that very much,¡± the left flower whispered into his ear.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Stryg? Their orcs, your people¡¯s ancient enemy,¡± he muttered to himself. He twitched as the right flower buried her face in his crotch. ¡°On the other hand¡­ No, get a grip, Stryg, you¡¯re just a bit drunk,¡± he shook his head.


    The left flower spread her tall legs and stood over her colleague. She then leaned forward and rubbed her breasts over Stryg¡¯s face. He reached for the dwarven bottle on the table and drank it all down in one go.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± he threw the bottle at the wall, it shattered on impact.


    Stryg pushed both women off.


    ¡°Hey, what gives?!¡± The right flower pouted.


    He grabbed them both by their legs and lifted them up, sitting them on one of his shoulders each, their long legs dangling below. The women screamed in delight.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest bed?¡± Stryg kicked the door open.


    The orcs giggled.

 Chapter 102: A Disorienting Morning

    Chapter 102: A Disorienting Morning


    Stryg woke to the chirping of birds sitting above the tavern. His eyes shot open, his pupils constricted and expanded erratically. His head felt stuffy and his mouth was dry. He could feel the warmth of the two naked bodies wrapped around him. He slowly craned his head to look at the women.


    ¡°What have I done?¡± Stryg swallowed.


    Had he actually slept with two orcs? Sylvan tribes did not care much for the past, but if there was one thing they remembered it was the betrayal of the orcs. The goblins¡¯ enmity towards them had not faded in the slightest the past 300 years. And yet, Stryg had just slept with not one, but two of them.


    What had he been thinking? Sure, they were beautiful, their crimson skin was soft and they smelled nice. Or maybe he had too much to drink. Still, there was no excuse for his actions. He felt as if he had betrayed his ancestors.


    ¡°Gods, I¡¯m an idiot,¡± he rubbed his temple.


    Stryg sat up in bed and glanced at the ¡°flowers¡± sleeping next to him. He should have stopped himself last night, but the women were eager to challenge him in bed. He was not about to surrender in a night challenge.


    Stryg noticed the dozen empty bottles scattered across the floor of the room. Had he drank them all? The last thing he remembered was drinking his fifth bottle, while he clambered on top of one of the women and rode her for what felt like forever. After that, everything was a blur.


    He studied the remains of last night¡¯s activities. The pillows were nowhere to be seen, the blankets were torn to shreds, there was even blood on the bed.


    ¡°What¡­ the fuck?¡±


    Was that his blood? Stryg threw off the shredded blankets. He was uninjured, but both orcs were covered in scratches and bite marks. One of them had especially deep bites on her butt cheeks. There were half a dozen small pinpricks where Stryg¡¯s small fangs had chowed down on the soft flesh. Specks of dried blood covered her bottom in evidence of last night¡¯s rough activities.


    Stryg frowned, he never bit Feli this hard during sex. Was he more aggressive while drunk? He wasn¡¯t sure. One thing was for certain, the orc would not be able to sit on her bum for weeks. That and she would now have plenty of tiny scars on her butt cheeks. A small voice in Stryg¡¯s head told him he should feel bad for the incident, but another, louder voice, told him he should feel proud, he had won the night challenge against two 6 foot orcs.


    Memories of last night¡¯s incident started coming back to him. The woman had been yelling, ¡°harder!¡± Stryg had obliged and sank his teeth in deeper. Some part of his mind remembered the woman started crying out in pain or ecstasy. He wasn¡¯t sure which, maybe it was both. That explained the blood at least.


    For some inexplicable reason Stryg began caressing her butt. She mumbled something, half-asleep. Stryg pulled his hand back. What was he doing? They were his people¡¯s ancient enemy, dammit. He needed to control himself. He glanced at the other orc, she was pale and unmoving. Was she dead?


    ¡°...Shit.¡±


    Stryg focused his hearing. No. She was alive, her heart was still beating, but her breathing was weak. Why? He blearily tried recalling last night¡¯s events. She had clamped her legs around his face in some form of attack he assumed. He had refused to give up.


    Stryg remembered gripping her thighs and feeling her stamina slip away as her eyes rolled up. Had he drained her stamina? Had he actually managed to cast a grey drain spell while being utterly drunk?


    The first morning rays of light crept through the window.


    The hunt, he remembered.


    He slipped out of bed and rummaged around for his clothes. His body felt horrible. He could not recall that last time he had been hungover. Now he understood why. It was awful. He found his clothes and put them on as quick as his addled mind could.


    Stryg closed the tavern door behind him and rushed downstairs. He debated telling Loh about the Seregulus Hunt, but it would take too long. Not to mention, she might not let him go if she thought it was too dangerous.


    Stryg ignored the bewildered glances of the few customers that were awake and left them to finish their morning meals. He pushed past the front door and jogged to the stables. Rhian was already awake. She was right outside the stables, practicing her lance skills under the guidance of Maximus.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Rhian smiled at the sight of Stryg. She frowned, ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look too good, no offense.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be better. We¡¯ll have to postpone your training for now. We have somewhere to be,¡± Stryg squinted. The morning sun was brighter than he had hoped.


    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯ll go get my saddle,¡± Rhian nodded in understanding. She hurried back into the stables.


    ¡°Where might you two be headed?¡± Maximus asked skeptically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Tell my master I¡¯ll be back later this afternoon¡­ I think,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Rhian came back. Her saddle and harness were already attached.


    ¡°Great,¡± Stryg pulled himself up onto the saddle. He grit his teeth as his vision swam for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said under his breath.


    ¡°See ya later, Max. Thanks for the tips,¡± Rhian waved and trotted away.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Maximus called out. He shook his head as they disappeared from view, ¡°Who am I kidding? Those idiots will probably get in a fight before noon.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Rhian turned her head back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯s just been a disorienting morning,¡± Stryg lifted the hood of his cloak to shield his eyes from the sun.


    ¡°If only it was a cloudy day,¡± Rhian said in sympathy.


    Stryg suddenly had a wonderful and painful idea. He took off his hood, opened his eyes wide and stared straight at the sun. His eyes burned at the painful light for a brief moment. The world darkened to a pitch black with silver outlines. The pain in his eyes disappeared completely.


    ¡°Better,¡± he sighed in relief.


    ¡°Your irises, they¡¯re big,¡± Rhian said in surprise.


    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± he nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the hills south of the city.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Time for hunting, huh?¡± She smiled wryly. While she had been practicing her combat skills, she would rather not fight if it could be helped.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ~~~


    Rhian galloped through the dark streets, the light of dawn slowly creeping upon Mellow Bloom. Blue and purple flowers hung from practically every building they ran past, a reminder of the ongoing Bellflower Festival. Stryg never knew how much he appreciated flowers until now.


    The flowers permeated the air with a simple yet sweet smell. It was a welcome change from the usual scent of sweat and dirt people trailed about.


    Rhian reached the city¡¯s southern bridge twenty minutes later. The guards did not bother to stop and question them. After all, the cloaked stranger was riding a highbred centaur, a privilege only for the wealthy.


    As Stryg crossed into the green hills of Dusk Valley it struck him that he had forgotten to ask anyone about the Seregulus Hunt. He should have asked the orc women about the special event. They were residents of the city and would most likely know all the details.


    Stryg sighed, it was another oversight on his part.


    ¡°Hey, Master, there are some people up there,¡± Rhian pointed to the top of one of the hills.


    To Stryg, they all seemed like a bundle of silver outlines in a background of black. Nonetheless, he was beginning to be able to differentiate people within this strange vision. There was one particular person Stryg recognized.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head up there,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scale the hill in twenty seconds flat,¡± Rhian wiggled her nose. ¡°Hold on.¡±


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Stryg muttered. He gripped her reins.


    Rhian yelled a warcry and charged up the hill as if she was leading a last stand against a horde of monsters. She thrust her lance in front of her, piercing imaginary enemies. She swerved around the grass, dodging invisible arrows. Stryg found himself grinning from her enthusiasm.


    The men and women on the hill turned in curiosity at the sound of rumbling hooves. Rhian burst forth from the tall grass and skidded to a halt at the top.


    ¡°Victory!¡± Rhian trodded in a circle, her arms held high.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Stryg smiled. He imitated Loh¡¯s annoying habit and patted Rhian¡¯s head.


    She laughed brightly, ¡°Yes! Recognize my greatness!¡±


    ¡°Rhiannon? Stryg?¡± Clypeus asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°I thought that was you.¡± Stryg hopped off Rhian¡¯s back and walked up to the vampire.


    ¡°What are you doing here? What happened to your eyes?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°My eyes are fine, don¡¯t ask any more about it. Is this not the meeting place for the Seregulus Hunt?¡±


    ¡°It is. I just didn¡¯t expect to see you here. To be honest, I¡¯m glad you are,¡± Clypeus walked up to him. ¡°I hope you are not angry with me after yesterday¡¯s incident.¡±


    ¡°Angry? I was angry with Maeve, not you. I thought you would be angry with me. I did try to kill one of your special ¡®Veres¡¯ people,¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Maeve is not a Veres, but her mother, Alice, was. I rather not let her come to harm if I can help it,¡± Clypeus explained. ¡°So, are you and I alright then?¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡± At some point these past few months, Stryg¡¯s feelings of dislike for the uptight vampire had begun to melt away. Now he saw Clypeus as a rival mage more than anything.


    ¡°Great,¡± Clypeus sighed in relief. ¡°Because I was hoping we could team up for the hunt.¡±


    ¡°Team up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean... You do know how the hunt works, right?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Clypeus chuckled. ¡°I can give you the quick run down.¡±


    ¡°If you please,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Alright, where to start? Hmm. Well, first, let¡¯s start with what this is all actually about. The Seregulus Hunt is a yearly event held during the Bellflower Festival in Mellow Bloom. Hunters gather from around the city in the hopes of hunting the deadly seregulus.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is a seregulus?¡± Rhian asked as she walked behind Stryg.


    ¡°Seregulusi are magical beasts native to the Rupture Mountains. They only come down to Dusk Valley during their mating season, which is at the end of summer. In other words, right about now. They¡¯re hard to miss, seregulusi have the lower bodies of an enormous snake. They channel earth magic through their tail. It allows them to slither silently through the ground at incredible speeds. Their black scales are also as tough as steel. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, their upper bodies are of a large feline cat, with long venomous fangs.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s dangerous, what¡¯s new,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Dangerous is an understatement,¡± Clypeus shook his head.


    ¡°Then why are you guys trying to hunt it?¡± Rhian furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Well, the seregulusi are incredibly aggressive during their mating season. They tend to kill a lot of travelers who are coming and going from Mellow Bloom. House Azol started the hunt in order to lessen their numbers in the area. The family will grant a small sack of gold and the title of ¡®Supreme Hunter of Mellow Bloom¡¯ to any team that manages to kill a seregulus.¡±


    ¡°Supreme Hunter, huh,¡± Stryg rubbed his chin.


    ¡°As nice as a sack of gold sounds, it doesn¡¯t really seem worth dying over,¡± Rhian twisted her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not, but there are a lot of commoners who could use that gold to better their lives. They¡¯re willing to take the risk. Of course, I¡¯m not in such a predicament. I¡¯m only here for Nora,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Wait. You mentioned teams?¡± Stryg glanced at the men and women standing a dozen feet from them.


    They were all wearing green cloaks to blend in with the tall grass. Stryg spotted bows and spears they held beneath their cloaks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clypeus nodded. ¡°Since seregulusi are so dangerous, a rule was made that states hunters must move in at least pairs of two. Of course, most hunters still move in larger groups, like the ones behind us.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you want to group up with me?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve personally never fought a seregulus myself, but Nora insisted that we join the hunt. She says now that she¡¯s a mage it¡¯s her duty to help her House with their seregulusi problem.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s loyal to her tribe, that¡¯s good,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Nora is honorable, a trait that¡¯s becoming rarer and rarer these days. Still, that¡¯s not our current problem. The hunt is, it¡¯s dangerous. Which is why I made sure Nora brought a retinue of Azol¡¯s guards with her,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Where is Nora anway?¡± Stryg looked around.


    ¡°She went on ahead, she¡¯s just past the next hill over there, as is my own centaur,¡± Clypeus pointed to a nearby hill.


    ¡°Then what are you still doing over here?¡± Stryg asked.


    Clypeus scratched his head, ¡°Funny story, a coincidence really. My older sister, Gale, happened to be visiting Mellow Bloom.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your sister¡¯s name is Gale? So, her full name is Gale Gale?¡± Rhian tried not to laugh.


    ¡°Gale of House Gale, but yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°As you can guess, she was named after our founder, Lady Gale I. It¡¯s a common practice among aristocrats to name their children after previous lords and ladies of the family, especially their founder. The current leader of House Veres is Lord Veres IX. And one day, when my sister becomes leader of my family, she will be known as Lady Gale VIII.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds annoying,¡± Stryg said.


    He was thankful the Blood Fang Mothers had given him a unique name and not some repeat name with a number tacked on at the end.


    ¡°The real annoyance is my sister¡¯s personality. She is quite skilled and she never forgets to point out my own inadequacies,¡± Clypeus sighed. ¡°Anyway, Gale and I met yesterday and she heard that we were participating in the hunt. She said that I couldn¡¯t protect Nora with my pitiful skills even with the guards to help and insisted that she come with us. So, here I am at the hunter¡¯s meeting point, waiting for her to arrive.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck with that,¡± Stryg turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait! If we team up then I can make up the excuse that the best mage in my class joined up with me and I had no reason to wait for her.¡±


    ¡°Best mage?¡± Stryg paused in his steps. He liked the sound of that.


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll tell her. But, we can talk about the small details later,¡± Clypeus shrugged.


    ¡°It sounds like you just wanna ditch your nagging sister,¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°Details, small details,¡± Clypeus waved his hand. He glanced at the rising sun, ¡°Damn, and here I was hoping it would be a cloudy day.¡±


    Clypeus lifted his hood. Stryg noticed a design etched into the vampire¡¯s green cloak. It depicted a woman, head bowed, holding an immense shield.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Stryg pointed at the woman.


    ¡°That¡¯s my House¡¯s crest. It¡¯s a depiction of our founder, Lady Gale I, The Unfaltering Shield,¡± Clypeus smiled proudly. ¡°So, are you with me?¡±


    Stryg looked up at the sun. To him it seemed like a ball of white paint bleeding across the black sky. It was a good day to hunt.


    Stryg jumped onto his saddle, ¡°Let¡¯s go find us a seregulus.¡±

 Chapter 103: Stampede

    Chapter 103: Stampede


    Maeve fiddled with her cloak as she tried to cover her face from the harsh sun. The cloak¡¯s fabric was weaved from a special thick wool that blocked sunlight, a useful garment for any vampire, not to mention expensive. Such luxury clothes were usually etched with a family¡¯s crest, Maeve¡¯s were no different. Which is why she left her cloak back in the city, lest she attract attention.


    It was already difficult enough to escape her maids the past few mornings she had been in Mellow Bloom, she did not want to give them any clear evidence that she was spending time with Nora.


    Clypeus had been kind enough to lend Maeve one of his own cloaks. While Maeve did not mind wearing the honorable House Gale¡¯s crest on her back, it annoyed her that the cloak was too long. Clypeus was a little over 6 feet tall, while she was barely 5 feet. The cloak dragged beneath her feet and the hood blocked half her face, blinding her from everything but her saddle.


    She kept trying to adjust the cloak to no avail. ¡°Dammit,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nora smiled softly.


    ¡°Of course, I am. I always travel to the middle of nowhere to actively hunt a man-eating predator,¡± Maeve glared at her, but the cloak blocked her angry expression.


    Nora scratched her nose, ¡°Yeah, about that. I know you probably didn¡¯t expect to be hunting a seregulus when I asked you to hang out with me today. But, I really am grateful you finally came to visit my hometown. By the way, I meant are you okay after last night?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you talking about that Stryg guy?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Nora nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you two met, but I know enough about Stryg. There are rumors swirling about him at school. They say he¡¯s from a sylvan tribe in Vulture Woods and that he¡¯s ruthless to all that cross his path. I even heard that he eats the hearts of his enemies. I may have not seen him eat anyone, but I once saw him bite a classmate during sparring. Stryg ripped a chunk of the guy¡¯s shoulder off.¡±


    ¡°Gods, that sounds horrible,¡± Maeve winced.


    ¡°Yeah, it was, but the guy deserved it. He had groped this dwarf girl¡¯s butt during class. The dwarf was about to fight him, but Stryg beat her to it. That¡¯s my point, Stryg can be very impulsive and vindictive. Last night was just more proof of that. Believe me, it¡¯s alright if you¡¯re not okay. You can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m fine. The white mage we went to last night healed me up without a hitch. If I were you I wouldn¡¯t worry about some crazy savage and instead focus on the damn monster hunt you dragged us to. We¡¯re literally surrounded by tall grass and a bunch of bushes, seregulusi could pop out at any moment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nora chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re still quite a few miles away from where they were spotted last night. Besides, look around us, I brought my family¡¯s guards.¡±


    Maeve glanced at the dozen mounted soldiers surrounding them. Each of them had the image of a blue bellflower emblazoned on their chest plates, the crest of House Azol.


    ¡°A few of them are magi, too. Plus, you¡¯ve got me, your blue mage best friend to look after you,¡± Nora smirked.


    ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t you only a first-year?¡± Maeve raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I already finished my first year at the academy,¡± Nora pouted.


    ¡°That¡¯s so much better,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, Miss Cynic, Cly will be looking after you too, and he¡¯s a swordmaster. He¡¯s all die-hard about protecting you Veres vampires, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I respect the dedication of Clypeus and House Gale, but first of all, I¡¯m not an actual Veres. And second of all, Clypeus is still technically a novice mage.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Cly, he¡¯s far more powerful than any of my classmates, well, except for Stryg, though I bet Cly could still beat him. But, if Cly still isn¡¯t good enough for you, his older sister, Gale, is joining us, too.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you serious? I¡¯ve never gotten a chance to meet her, but I¡¯ve heard so much about her! She¡¯s one of the youngest high-master magi in all of Hollow Shade. I heard she even once dueled the genius Loh Noir herself and still managed to hold her own!¡± Maeve gushed excitedly.


    ¡°I sometimes forget how much aristocrats gossip,¡± Nora pursed her lips and shook her head.


    ¡°Oh please, everyone loves watching mage duels. You and I used to talk about magi all the time. Just because you¡¯re a mageborn now, don¡¯t think you¡¯re better than the rest of us,¡± Maeve crossed her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯d never think that,¡± Nora raised her hands in surrender. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, magic is amazing. It¡¯s just that you start seeing things a little differently when you start actually spellcasting. You start realizing how dangerous it can be, especially to yourself.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be as bad as the one getting attacked by your magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d still take my chances if I were in your shoes.¡±


    ¡°Meh, fair point,¡± Nora shrugged. She looked up at the top of the nearby hill. ¡°Hey, you hear something?¡±


    ¡°You mean the faint sound of hooves? You do realize I have better hearing than humans, right?¡± Maeve smirked. For some reason the cadence of hooves sounded somewhat familiar.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Some centaur must be dancing around up there, probably Cly¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Clypeus¡¯ centaur right next to us?¡±


    The rumbling grew louder and louder until it sounded like a storm thundering throughout the sky.


    Maeve¡¯s face paled as she recognized the sound. ¡°It can¡¯t be... Nora, we have to run, now!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± She frowned.


    The earth shook, the tall grass shivered in waves. Hundreds of root-bison poured out above the hill and charged down towards them.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Stampede!¡± One of the guards yelled.


    The centaurs panicked and tried to outrun the root-bison, but the bison herd was too fast, the hill¡¯s slope quickening their rampage. One of the magi guards raised her hands and traced red arcane symbols in the air. A crimson ward wall appeared around the group.


    The wall shook as the first root-bisons slammed into it. The wards cracked as more and more root bison knocked into the wall from all sides.


    The red mage¡¯s arms trembled, ¡°I can¡¯t hold it!¡±


    Nora gripped Maeve¡¯s hand and smiled shakily, ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    The wards shattered, the root-bison broke through. One bison charged straight at Maeve. Nora cast a torrent spell and created a sphere of water above her head. She blasted it straight down on the creature. The bison slammed into ground and tipped over, its hind legs smacked Maeve off her centaur.


    Maeve hit the ground with a soft thud. She looked up in time to see Nora be swept away by the rest of root-bison.


    ¡°Nora!¡± She screamed.


    The bison ran all around Maeve, the sounds of hooves drowning out her screams. The bison that Nora had attacked tried to rise but kept being driven deeper into the ground by its kin. The dying bison became a barrier for Maeve, blocking the other frenzied creatures.


    Maeve¡¯s centaur stood up only to be pierced by the horns of a charging bison. The centaur yelled in pain before she was struck down by another bison. Maeve watched in horror as the centaur was pummeled to a bloody paste by the onslaught of glowing hooves. Maeve curled and tried to make herself as small as possible, hoping the raging bison would miss her.


    Maeve did not know how long she hid behind the downed bison. It seemed like an eternity before the stampede of root-bison passed through. The trampled grass began to glow a soft yellow from the root-bison¡¯s lingering life magic. After a few moments the tall grass lifted back up to their original height, hiding the carnage left behind. Only small flecks of blood staining the grass were left as evidence of the herd¡¯s passing.


    ¡°N-nora?¡± Maeve called out softly.


    Her throat felt tight. This could not be happening.


    ¡°Please, Bellum, please, let this be a dream,¡± she prayed softly to her patron goddess.


    Maeve pushed herself to her feet. Her legs felt stiff. She wiped away her tears and dragged her feet away from the centaur and bison corpses.


    ¡°Nora? Nora? Anyone!?¡± Maeve shouted in panic.


    A bush at the edge of her vision shook.


    ¡°Nora, is that you? Please, answer me,¡± she cried out hoarsely.


    She pushed her way through the tall grass and past the bush. She froze, her heart dropped. Maeve¡¯s eyes widened in terror at the sight in front of her.


    A black seregulus sat atop a dying root-bison. The creature''s paws gripped the bison tightly. Its long scaled tail wrapped around the bison¡¯s legs, preventing the bison¡¯s last attempt at escape.


    Two large puncture wounds were staked at the bison¡¯s neck. The seregulus¡¯ venom had already burned through the bison¡¯s veins and was slowly, but surely and painfully killing it. The root-bison groaned weakly, it¡¯s brown eyes watched the terror-stricken vampiress hidden amidst the bush. A tear trickled down the bison¡¯s eye, the soft golden lights of its eyes disappeared.


    The seregulus tore out the bison¡¯s flesh with sharp golden claws. Its fangs sank into the bison¡¯s chest and ripped apart muscle and sinew with ease. Maeve could hear the bison¡¯s bones crack beneath the seregulus¡¯ jaw.


    Maeve needed to move, she needed to run away. She tried taking a step back, her foot caught on the hem of her cloak. She tripped over, the hood falling on her head, obscuring her sight.


    The seregulus¡¯ feline head swerved up, it¡¯s jade-green eyes locking onto their new prey. All Maeve saw were two black paws step in front of her. A shiver ran down her spine.


    There was no way she could outrun this beast. She was going to die here. This was her end, yet for once in her life she was not afraid in the face of a monster. She only felt relief.


    It seemed only fitting that fate would send a monster to end her own monstrous existence. She had done so many wrongs, hurt too many people. Bellum would not spare her life today. A soft voice echoed in the distance. Maeve closed her eyes, nothing mattered anymore. At last she would be freed from her father¡¯s influence.


    ~~~


    Stryg was riding next to Clypeus when he heard it.


    He looked up at the noise, ¡°Root-bison, a lot of them. They are coming this way.¡±


    ¡°What? Root-bison don¡¯t wander near large settlements or small ones for that matter,¡± Clypeus frowned.


    Stryg ignored him and closed his eyes in concentration. ¡°It¡¯s getting louder. Too fast. There¡¯s too many, too quickly.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re running,¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes widened.


    Clypeus took a moment to absorb the information. He cupped his hands together and screamed, ¡°Stampede! Root-bison stampede!¡±


    The other hunters looked at each other in alarm. None of them had centaurs with them. The commoners looked at Stryg and Rhian with a crazy light in their eyes.


    ¡°Not today,¡± Stryg tugged on Rhian¡¯s reins.


    She understood immediately and ran away.


    ¡°Aw, come on, don¡¯t leave me too!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    The vampire could finally hear the thundering stampede approaching. He kneeled and stuck his hands into the dirt. He channeled green mana though his arms and into the earth around him. The grass gave way as the ground rose up and formed a wall in front of him. The other hunters huddled with him behind the wall.


    Clypeus released the stone spell and switched to yellow mana. He cast a durability spell all over his body, yellow scales formed around his skin. He hoped it would be enough to endure the stampede.


    ~~~


    Rhian kept running without looking back. Stryg noticed something was off.


    ¡°Rhian, are you slower than before?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course not. I only ran up a tall steep hill like two minutes ago, carrying about 400 pounds, most of which is my rider. How could I be getting slower? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a bit tired,¡± she huffed.


    ¡°I thought the best didn¡¯t get tired.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams, maybe. Just give me a few minutes, I¡¯ll be faster by then.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have that time,¡± Stryg looked behind him. ¡°Rhian run!¡±


    The stampede rushed towards them.


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± She shouted.


    Rhian pushed her legs onwards and tried ignoring the burning pain in her lungs.


    ¡°Faster! They¡¯re catching up! Run, Rhian, run, ru-eis! Coureis! Coureis, Coureis!¡±


    Rhian¡¯s ears twitched at Stryg¡¯s voice. The sounds of the stampede faded away. The world seemed to grow small, all that mattered was escaping the bison herd. They needed to survive, Stryg needed to survive.


    Her muscles tightened, strength flooded through her veins. She grit her teeth and surged forward. The root-bison bellowed in anger as they tried to overtake them, but Rhian stayed ahead, her legs galloping through the sea of grass in a blur of black and blue.


    The ground rumbled. Another herd gushed over from the hill above them. Several dire root-bison led the charge. There was no escape, Rhian would be blocked off from both sides and they would be crushed in between the herds. She made up her mind in an instant.


    ¡°We go up!¡± She shouted out in cold determination.


    ¡°Seu, kevlos!? Rhian, kevlos!¡± Stryg screamed.


    She pulled out her lance and sprinted straight into the frontline of dire bison. One dire beast lowered its head and aimed its horns at Rhian¡¯s soft underbelly. She waited until the creature was close, its horns practically touching her. Rhian jumped, ramming her hooves into the bison¡¯s face. She kicked off the creature¡¯s head and trampled over the beast¡¯s enormous body.


    Rhian jumped off the back end of the bison and pushed forward. She needed to reach the top of the hill, past the downwards momentum of the herd. She sank her lance into a bison that tried ramming them. Stryg stabbed his spear into one that came from her flank.


    Another dire bison appeared from amidst the herd. It roared in anger and bolted right at them. Rhian did not have enough space to dodge. As the dire bison attacked, she threw herself to the side, scraping right past the charge.


    ¡°Rhian!¡±


    She looked up to see Stryg being dragged away, his cloak catching on the dire bison¡¯s horn.


    ¡°Master!¡± Rhian screeched.

 Chapter 104: Seregulus Hunt

    Chapter 104: Seregulus Hunt


    ¡°Rhian!¡± Stryg screamed.


    He could only watch as the dire root-bison pulled him away from Rhian. He lost sight of her as the herd of bison ran down the hill, dragging Stryg with them. The dire bison¡¯s horn had stabbed right through the hood of his cloak, hauling him by the cloak¡¯s clasp and cord.


    Stryg gripped the cord in an effort to stop it from choking him. If he pulled hard enough he would rip the clasp¡¯s cord, but he would fall into the rest of the stampede. Their hooves would trample him to death. But, if he did nothing he would be choked to death.


    Stryg slipped his right hand between the clasp¡¯s cord and his neck to give him some space to breathe. With his left hand he gripped the dire bison¡¯s fur. He closed his eyes and tried focusing amidst the cacophony. He imagined the spell he needed, it would be larger than any spell he had ever cast before. Fortunately, the anger for the focus was already there.


    ¡°Fuck you, bison!¡±


    Grey mana rose from his heart and surged through his veins, into his left hand, and into the dire bison¡¯s body. Stryg focused all his attention into the advanced grey spell. It was meant to drain stamina, one of the easiest energies to drain, still the size of the target made the spell complex. Stryg did not even try to absorb the stamina into himself, there was no need to make the spell more difficult. Instead, all he needed was to exhaust the dire root-bison.


    Stryg grit his teeth as he felt the weight of the advanced drain magic. The amount of mana flowing through his arm was overwhelming. He shouted in defiance, refusing to release the spell.


    The titanic beast groaned as its breath became laboured, its gait slower. The dire root-bison shook its head in an effort to get rid of Stryg, but the goblin held on tightly, his entangled cloak helping him to stay on.


    The dire bison¡¯s legs wobbled, it tripped over itself, and tumbled to the ground. Stryg ripped off the cloak¡¯s cord and used the momentum of the tumbling bison to throw himself on top of the dire creature. He thrust his fingers into the bison¡¯s back, his claws stabbing through its hide and into its flesh.


    The dire bison moaned in pain, but it was too tired to shake him off. The other bison smashed into their dire kin, but the animal was too large and heavy to be pushed away. Though, it did not stop the rest of the bisons¡¯ horns from slicing across the dire beast. The creature¡¯s sides were torn to shred as the rest of the herd ran past, their horns dragging away bits of muscles and organs with them.


    Stryg stayed above the dying creature, holding on for dear life as the stampede rushed past. His ears rang with the blaring noise. Stryg squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried to endure the pain. Eventually, the sounds of hooves lessened until they were eclipsed by the high pitch ringing sound in his ears.


    He opened his eyes to a sight of black and silver. The grass was outlined with thin silver lines, but they were mixed in with soft brushes of gold. Life energy, left behind by the bison, touched each blade of grass, healing its trampled form and raising the entire field of grass back to its original shape.


    Stryg finally understood how the root-bison were responsible for keeping Dusk Valley¡¯s hills and plains green. He looked down at the dead dire root-bison below him. Save for its back, the rest of the creature had been torn and trampled to shreds. Its corpse was a mixture of pulverized meat and bone.


    Stryg tried ignoring the bloody smell and looked around for Rhian, but she was nowhere in sight. He tried listening for her voice, yet the ringing in his ears was too loud. The scent of dead bison filled his nostrils, he would be unable to sniff her out either.


    He cupped his hands around his mouth, ¡°Rhian! Where are you!? Rhian!¡±


    Stryg looked around, hoping his eyes might find her. He caught sight of someone shifting through the grass down-hill. Save for colors of light, everything else seemed black in this world. He couldn¡¯t make out the color of the cloak nor the obscured face of the individual, but he recognized the crest etched on the back.


    ¡°Clypeus?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    He had assumed the vampire was still at the top of the hill behind him. Stryg followed the direction of the cloaked figure. Clypeus was running towards a bush. Stryg¡¯s eyes widened as he saw what lay behind the bush, a feasting monster. It was a serpentine-feline creature 12 feet long.


    ¡°Seregulus,¡± Stryg muttered in shock. ¡°Clypeus, get away from there! Run!¡±


    Clypeus could not hear him, he was too far. The vampire walked right into the seregulus¡¯ feeding ground.


    Out of sheer luck, the creature had yet to notice Clypeus, though it would only be a manner of time. To Stryg¡¯s surprise, the vampire did not run away. Instead Clypeus stood still, frozen from fear. The vampire was doomed. Stryg should just walk away, it was probably too late...


    ¡°Ah, shit! Shit, shit, SHIT!¡± Stryg jumped off the bison carcass.


    The long grass¡¯ height obstructed his view, but he had a general idea where Clypeus was. Stryg pushed through the grass and ran towards him.


    ¡°Clypeus. Clypeus, get out of there!¡± He whispered as loud as he could.


    Stryg hoped the vampire¡¯s ears were decent enough to hear him and that the seregulus¡¯ ears were poor enough to not.


    He ran past the bush and came upon the clearing. The cloaked Clypeus was on the ground, the seregulus above him, its mouth salivating over its stunned prey.


    Stryg did not hesitate. He jumped at the seregulus and kicked its feline skull with all his strength. The beast recoiled in pain, swiping its heavy paw out in retaliation. The sharp claws narrowly missed his leg. Stryg rolled and landed next to Clypeus. He grabbed the vampire by the cloak and dragged him up, catching Clypeus in his arms.


    Something seemed off, but Stryg had no time to reconsider the situation. The seregulus hissed and pounced at them. Orange mana flooded Stryg¡¯s body, his veins darkened, agility magic taking hold. He kicked backwards, dodging the beast¡¯s attack.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Stryg turned around and ran, the agility spell hastening his sprint. He did not bother looking back, he could clearly hear the grass shake as the beast slithered silently through the ground.


    Stryg glanced down at the vampire in his arms. ¡°I could really use your green magic right about now. Stone or flora spells, I don¡¯t care which. I just need you to focus, dammit!¡±


    The cloak¡¯s hood slipped off. Maeve¡¯s wide eyes stared back at him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not a mage,¡± Maeve stammered.


    ¡°What the fu-¡±


    The seregulus¡¯ tail whipped out and smacked Stryg in the back, sending him flying in the air. His pain-stricken body watched as Maeve slipped out of his arms mid-air. Out of sheer reflex he reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her towards him. He spun around, caught her in his arms, and landed on both feet.


    Pain flared in his right leg, the muscles beginning to cramp from the spell¡¯s duration. He was not ready to handle the full-body agility spell for long periods.


    Maeve took deep short breaths in fright, ¡°Thank y-¡±


    Stryg dropped her with a hard thud. His hands shot out and caught the seregulus¡¯ teeth right as it tried snapping his arms off. The weight and force of the beast slammed him to the ground. Its claws tried swiping at his torso, but his agility enhancement held. He scrambled on the ground, dodging the attacks as best he could, while holding down the seregulus¡¯ wide open mouth.


    Stryg screamed in strain as the seregulus¡¯ jaw started to close on his fingers. Its green eyes stared at him hungrily. Its twin long fangs dripped with venom, eager to sink into his flesh. The seregulus¡¯ long serpentine tongue flicked out and slathered his face.


    Stryg released the agility spell, grimacing as the claws cut at his torso. He sucked in a deep breath and sent orange mana into his mouth. Bright flames whistled past his lips and spiraled into the seregulus¡¯ open maw and down its throat, searing the beast¡¯s innards.


    The seregulus threw itself to the ground and thrashed about, scratching at its own throat. It spun on the floor for a few moments, before laying still. Wisps of smoke wafted up from its slack-jawed maw.


    Stryg stood up shakily, his shirt and cloak were torn to shreds. The seregulus¡¯ golden claws had managed to dig into his sides. The pain echoed in a dim part of his mind. His vision blurred, his consciousness fading. His legs buckled beneath him. Two small pale hands caught him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Maeve whispered.


    He weakly lifted his head, ¡°...you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, your injuries are extensive,¡± Maeve gently lowered him to the ground.


    Maeve bit her lip. The scent of a hybrid¡¯s blood was strong to a vampire, even intoxicating if drunk. She shook her head and tried to focus.


    ¡°We have to slow the bleeding,¡± she said.


    ¡°G-get¡­ away,¡± he muttered.


    Maeve sighed, ¡°Fine, I guess we¡¯re really doing this. Good to see you again, asshole hybrid, remember me? I¡¯m the bitch vampiress. There, now that we¡¯ve got that out of the way, let me help you.¡±


    Maeve pulled out her dagger and cut the edge of her cloak in small strips. She paused and stared at her dagger. Nora had gifted her the blade this morning. For the hunt, Nora had said with that foolish grin on her face.


    ¡°How in all the bloody Realms was this supposed to help me kill that monster?¡± Maeve glanced at the enormous beast lying dead next to them.


    Was Nora just stupid or had she never actually seen a seregulus before? Either answer did not seem appealing. She just hoped Nora was okay. Maeve ignored the idioitic gift and brought her attention back to the task at hand.


    Stryg hissed softly as she brought the dagger towards him.


    ¡°I need to remove your shirt so I can bandage you up,¡± Maeve frowned.


    Stryg raised his trembling hand and brought his claws towards her neck.


    Maeve ignored the threat and grabbed his hand, ¡°Your hand is bleeding. Actually, both your hands are. We¡¯ll need to wrap them too. Did they touch the venom?¡±


    Stryg grumbled something under his breath.


    ¡°...I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter. I can¡¯t do anything to help if you were envenomed. You¡¯ll just die in a few minutes. So, I might as well bandage you up and hope for the best, hehe¡­¡± Maeve winced, What am I saying? ¡°I mean you''re going to be just fine.¡±


    Stryg groaned in protest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die. You¡¯ll be just fine. Let me stop the bleeding first,¡± Maeve nodded repeatedly.


    Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes stared at her as she bandaged his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done this a lot, you know, bandaging I mean, not the whole almost-get-killed by a cat-serpent part,¡± she chuckled weakly. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fair share of cuts and bruises throughout my life, you¡¯d be surprised. Anyway, after getting fixed up by the nurses enough times, I picked up a thing or two.¡±


    Maeve finished wrapping both his hands. She grabbed her dagger and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Now, can I help you with your chest?¡±


    Stryg nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°Great,¡± she grinned.


    Maeve slowly and carefully cut Stryg¡¯s torn shirt away. Her eyes were briefly drawn to his chiseled muscles before they widened at the sight of his ribs. Deep gashes ran across his rib cage. Dark red blood was pooling underneath him.


    ¡°No¡­¡± She paled.


    Maeve cut more strips of cloth and tried her best to stop the bleeding. Stryg silently watched her as she worked.


    Even after she finished Maeve could still see the blood seeping through the makeshift bandages. She sat next to Stryg¡¯s prone form and grabbed his hand tenderly.


    Maeve swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, no matter what happens, I¡¯m not going to leave you. You won¡¯t be alone, I promise.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pupils widened to ovals as he saw the tears in her eyes.


    The grass shook. A deep hiss resounded in the stale air. A seregulus stepped into the clearing. It glanced at its kin¡¯s corpse before turning its cold gaze at Maeve and Stryg. A second seregulus jumped out from the grass behind them.


    ¡°Oh, Bellum, protect us,¡± Maeve whispered.


    The seregulusi encircled them, sniffing the air. Their long serpentine tails swished about eagerly.


    ¡°Run,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Maeve smiled shakily, ¡°Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t. No one should die alone, especially not someone who just saved my life.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool.¡±


    ¡°I rather be a fool than a monster.¡±


    ¡°...Help me up.¡±


    Maeve furrowed her brow and nodded slowly. She grabbed him gingerly by the shoulders. She groaned in effort as she pushed his surprisingly heavy body to an upright position.


    The sereguli growled at the movement. Stryg hissed back at them.


    ¡°Gods, please, protect us,¡± Maeve closed her eyes in prayer.


    ¡°The gods aren¡¯t real, they can¡¯t help anyone,¡± Stryg coughed. He could taste his own blood in his mouth.


    ¡°I believe,¡± Maeve said resolutely.


    One of the seregulusi roared and jumped at them, its claws extended. A red figure burst from the grass, silver blade gleaming in hand. The longsword sliced through the seregulus¡¯ neck in one clean cut. The beast¡¯s corpse slammed to the ground, its head rolling next to it. The other seregulus roared in anger.


    The stranger landed softly on the ground. A crest adorned the back of their red cloak, a depiction of a woman, head bowed, holding a titanic shield.


    ¡°Clypeus?¡± Maeve called out hesitantly.


    The figure turned their head. A woman with lustrous golden hair and crimson eyes looked back at them.


    ¡°Good job holding out, kiddo,¡± Gale smiled.

 Chapter 105: An Embellishing Story

    Chapter 105: An Embellishing Story


    ¡°Gale!?¡± Maeve cried out in relief.


    Clypeus¡¯ renowned elder sister stood between Stryg and Maeve and the enraged seregulus.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I made it in time,¡± Gale brandished her blade in swift twirls.


    She glanced at the dead seregulus, smoke still rising from its maw, ¡°Although, it seems you two have already dealt with one of the beasts.¡±


    The last standing seregulus roared and pounced at Gale. She raised her hand, blue energy crackled around her fingers. A bolt of lightning surged forth, fracturing as it struck the seregulus, streaming through its body and searing it from within.


    The seregulus was sent flying from the blast and landed in a painful crash. A charred black hole had been burned through its rib cage. Fried hot-glowing veins were visible throughout its entire abdomen. Its serpentine tail twitched about.


    Gale walked over towards the beast and sank her longsword straight through its skull. The seregulus spasmed one last time before it lay unmoving. Gale pulled out her sword and pointed a finger at the blade. A small stream of water appeared over her finger tip and washed away the blood.


    She rested the flat of the blade on her shoulder and turned to the silent teenagers. ¡°Are there anymore sereguli nearby?¡±


    ¡°...We don¡¯t know. These were the only three we¡¯ve seen,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m a huge fan,¡± Maeve swallowed.


    ¡°You must be Maeve Mora. Cly mentioned you were wearing our family¡¯s cloak,¡± Gwen said.


    ¡°And you must be Gale, Clypeus¡¯ sister,¡± Stryg said between haggard breaths.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to admit that I¡¯m related to that dimwit, but yes, Cly is my younger brother. Who exactly might you be?¡± Gale stretched her hand out.


    Stryg grabbed her hand. He winced as she pulled him up to his feet. ¡°Stryg of Ebon Hollow,¡± he wheezed painfully.


    ¡°Oh, so you are the hybrid Clypeus talked about,¡± Gale smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard great things. Were you the one who killed the first seregulus?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Stryg wanted to stand tall and shout the answer out proudly, but instead he barely managed a whisper.


    ¡°That explains the injuries,¡± Gale looked him over. ¡°A single novice mage is no match for a seregulus. Then again, from what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re not just some novice.¡±


    ¡°You should have seen him. He wrestled the seregulus with his bare hands then blew fire into its own maw, like some sort of dragon!¡± Maeve said excitedly.


    ¡°Impressive, we may have a young hero in the making. Still, even heroes have to rest and even with the bandages those injuries look serious. I don¡¯t think you can make it back to Mellow Bloom on your own,¡± Gale said.


    Maeve¡¯s smile died. The excitement of meeting one of her heroes extinguished from the harsh reality of death and blood. ¡°How are you even standing, Stryg? Your ribs, they were¡­ Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± Stryg muttered. He felt his legs buckle and he faltered in his steps.


    ¡°No need,¡± Gale crouched and caught him before he face-planted.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg frowned. He would have pushed her away had he had the strength.


    She groaned as she tried lifting him up, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re heavy.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± Stryg coughed. His vision was beginning to blur.


    His ribs ached and he could taste blood in his mouth.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Gale grinned.


    Her pale skin gained a bright bronze sheen. She lifted him up with ease and carried him with one arm.


    ¡°Vigor magic!¡± Maeve said in recognition.


    ¡°If we have any chance of saving this kid we need to get him to a white mage as soon as possible,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Right!¡± Maeve nodded.


    Stryg closed his eyes, too exhausted to express his indignation of being carried like a baby. Nor did he have enough energy to listen to Maeve¡¯s bombardment of questions towards Gale. He fell asleep in a span of a few heartbeats.


    ¡°He must have been holding on through sheer will,¡± Gale stared at Stryg¡¯s sleeping face.


    ¡°He was injured pretty badly, trying to save my life. I thought he wouldn¡¯t make it,¡± Maeve bit her lip.


    ¡°Then we best not waste any time,¡± Gale said.


    ~~~


    ¡°Master!¡± Rhian screamed.


    She rushed down the hill to Gale and Maeve.


    ¡°Is this your rider?¡± Gale asked.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re hurt!¡± Rhian ignored Gale and stared frantically at the small goblin in her arms.


    ¡°He can¡¯t hear you, he¡¯s asleep. Maeve over here explained the situation to me. It seems he was hurt pretty badly. Although, not as bad as we originally thought, since he¡¯s still breathing given the circumstances. If we get him to a healer soon I think he¡¯ll pull through. You can take him if you like,¡± Gale offered Stryg to her.


    Rhian gently reached out and picked Stryg up. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She fell to her knees and began to cry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to cry. We need to move him now,¡± Gale admonished.


    Rhian nodded weakly and began heading down the other side of the hill to the city of Mellow Bloom below.


    Nora trailed a few steps behind. ¡°Maeve? You¡¯re alright!¡±


    She rushed over to her friend and hugged her tightly.


    Maeve returned the embrace and tried to hold back her tears, ¡°Me? I thought I lost you in the stampede.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you it¡¯ll be okay? The guards protected me,¡± Nora chuckled in relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Maeve giggled softly, relief at the ordeal finally over. ¡°And who the hell gives someone a little dagger to fight a seregulus?¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh, that was just to make you feel better. It¡¯s not like you were going to actually fight a seregulus,¡± Nora said.


    Maeve frowned and crossed her arms.


    Nora¡¯s face paled. ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t actually see a seregulus did you?¡±


    ¡°See one? I almost got killed by three!¡±


    ¡°I think the seregulus might have instigated the stampede in the first place. They probably chased the root-bison. The problem is I¡¯m not sure why a root-bison herd would have been so close to a city in the first place. They never wander near a settlement. Something must have spooked them, something big, a battle perhaps?¡± Gale surmised.


    ¡°Wait, so what happened. Are you okay?¡± Nora furrowed her brow in worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Maeve glanced over at the sleeping goblin, ¡°He protected me.¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Nora¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°He¡¯s bleeding. Is he alright?¡± Clypeus ran up to them from down the hill.


    Rhian pulled Stryg away from Clypeus. ¡°Stay back!¡± She wiped her tears and tried to imitate Stryg¡¯s hiss.


    ¡°Leave those two be for now, Cly. If the kiddo¡¯s managed to hold out this long, he¡¯ll make it to the white mage for healing, so long as we keep moving,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Can you explain to me how the goblin that tried killing you yesterday, somehow saved your life?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know actually. He sorta just did. I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask him why,¡± Maeve gripped her fists. She felt a pain in her chest. ¡°He managed to take down a seregulus by himself. Then the other two came, but thank Bellum, Gale showed up just in time.¡±


    ¡°I would have been too late had it not been for that brave goblin.¡± Gale smacked Clypeus¡¯ head, ¡°Of course, none of this would have happened had my dumbass brother listened to me and waited for me back in the city. Instead of I don¡¯t know, coming out here and letting Nora and Maeve out of his sights near seregulusi territory!¡±


    Clypeus fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°Can you not hit me when you have enhanced strength?¡± he groaned.


    Gale released her vigor spell. Her skin returned to its usual pale tone. She kicked Clypeus¡¯ butt, ¡°Is that better, huh!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay, what do you want me to say?¡± Clypeus whined.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say. I¡¯m just interested in what Father has to say after he hears you put the daughter of the late Alice Veres in mortal danger,¡± Gale walked away.


    ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t tell Father!¡± Clypeus chased after her.


    ~~~


    As they arrived at the city¡¯s bridge the group stopped to try and figure out their next plan of action.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the centaur and Stryg to the healer. Everyone else can go home and rest. Clypeus, escort Maeve back to her accommodations,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Yes, sister,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    Maeve grabbed Nora¡¯s hands, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this will be goodbye.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to Hollow Shade first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°But, I thought you said you were going to stay for the week?¡±


    ¡°I did and I was, but-¡±


    ¡°If this is about the Hunt, I¡¯m so sorry. I realize now I should have never taken you along. Please, forgive me,¡± Nora pleaded.


    ¡°While I agree that you¡¯re crazy for trying to hunt down one of those monsters, that¡¯s not what this is about. Something happened today that I can¡¯t explain, something that should not have been possible.¡± Maeve took a deep breath, ¡°I need answers and I¡¯m going to find them. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t explain more.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, maybe we can hang out more when I get back to Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Maeve smiled.


    ~~~


    Stryg woke to the sound of laughter and the clinking of mugs. He could smell the whiff of alcohol in the air. He cracked his eyes open.


    An old man with a scraggly beard stared back at him, ¡°Ah, you are finally awake.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Stryg croaked. His throat was terribly dry.


    ¡°Your attending doctor and healer.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a white mage?¡±


    ¡°Quite right. I¡¯ve already finished casting all the heal spells you required. All you need now is some rest and a bit of food in your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Stryg leaned his head to the side.


    ¡°The finest tavern in all of Mellow Bloom, The Blue Meadow. I would have preferred to have you on a bed, but your injuries seemed serious. They put you on a table as soon as you got here and I began spellcasting.¡±


    Stryg weakly looked around the place. They were at a table in the corner of the tavern. Most of the other tables were filled with folk drinking and eating. Even when Stryg had come in last night, the place hadn¡¯t been this packed. The narrator of the Singing Willow troupe, the captain, stood on top of one of the tables, recounting some story that had most of the tavern-goers enraptured.


    What is she even doing here? Stryg wondered. ¡°How did I get here?¡±


    ¡°A centaur by the name of Rhiannon carried you here,¡± the mage said.


    A weight Stryg hadn¡¯t realized he had been carrying was suddenly lifted. Rhian was alright. That was all that mattered right now.


    ¡°And then with the softest of tones the seregulus turned it¡¯s horrific maw towards the vampiress,¡± the captain declaimed. ¡°Her ankle was broken and her arm had been torn open by a root-bison horn during the stampede. She was without escape. The scent of her blood only enticed the beast.¡±


    Stryg stood up, his vision swam for a brief moment. ¡°I need something to drink,¡± he winced.


    ¡°Before you do, I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you,¡± the old mage blocked his path. ¡°While I was healing your ribs, I noticed that the bleeding had already stopped and that your body was slowly, but surely healing itself. Did you by chance, use a potion? If so, which one? I did not notice any symptoms of potion-intoxication.¡±


    The captain¡¯s voice rang clearly throughout the tavern hall, ¡°The seregulus¡¯ fangs dripped with venom as it salivated for the damsel. It pounced at her, vile claws extended. When the smallest and unlikeliest of heroes appeared and stood in the monster¡¯s way. Our hero dashed past the monster¡¯s claws and pierced the creature with his sword, straight through the chest.¡±


    The crowd cheered loudly, mugs raised high. Stryg took the distraction to slip away from the annoying white mage and head to the bar. All the stools were occupied and the bar¡¯s table was too high for Stryg. There wasn¡¯t even room for Stryg to squeeze by and tell the bartender what he wanted.


    He tapped one of the men sitting on a stool, ¡°Excuse me, I need to order.¡±


    ¡°Then find a ladder short-stuff,¡± the human waved him away.


    Stryg grabbed the stool from under him and pulled it. The man slipped and fell, his head banging into the bar¡¯s table. He rolled to the ground, unconscious. Stryg pushed him away with his foot. He put the stool back near the table and sat on top.


    The woman sitting next to him gave him a questioning look, but thought better of it. She sipped her drink and stayed quiet.


    ¡°So, what can I get you?¡± The bartender asked.


    ¡°Water would be nice,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°The sword was not enough, the voracious beast broke the blade in half!¡± The captain yelled, ¡°But! Our hero was not deterred, he would not allow the damsel behind him to be killed. He ran up to the seregulus and wrestled with the beast, fang and claw! The monster roared, and tore at our hero¡¯s torso, but still our hero held his ground!¡±


    The crowd grew quiet as they listened to the tale. Stryg turned to watch, it sounded similar to today¡¯s events, but they were slightly different. He wondered who she spoke of.


    ¡°The monster¡¯s jaw unhinged and opened wide, eager to devour our hero. When at the last moment, our hero took a deep breath and prayed to the gods for strength. Suddenly, ash and cinder filled his lungs. His veins flowed with liquid fire and his eyes burned with embers. And when he spoke, his voice sang flames. Like a dragon roaring in defiance in the eye of a storm. The raging blaze consumed the seregulus¡¯ body whole.¡±


    The captain summoned an orb of flame in the palm of her hand, it exploded in a burst of sparks above the crowd. They clapped and cheered in excitement.


    ¡°Yet, all was not well,¡± the captain whispered. ¡°Our hero collapsed in exhaustion. The damsel rushed to his side and helped him stand. The grass around them shuddered as four more sereguli slithered into the clearing.¡±


    The crowd gasped.


    ¡°All hope seemed lost. Until, a daughter of the Unfaltering Shield flew down from the sky and faced off against the monsters. She was outnumbered, any one of the beasts could rip her to shreds. But, Gale was not just a mage, she was a grand swordmaster!¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, this was clearly a retelling of today¡¯s events, albeit mixed in with some lies. He wondered if Gale really was a grand swordmaster though, he had heard those people were incredibly dangerous.


    ¡°Stryg!¡±


    He looked for the source of the voice. ¡°Master,¡± he smiled.


    Loh marched over to him, ¡°What in all the damned Realms were you doing today!?¡±


    Stryg stared at her angry face, his smile disappeared as comprehension dawned on him, ¡°Oh, um...shit.¡±

 Chapter 106: Tavern Talk

    Chapter 106: Tavern Talk


    ¡°What were you thinking going out to hunt sereguli! You didn¡¯t even try to tell me about any of this! You could have been killed!¡± Loh yelled.


    ¡°You seemed busy, I didn¡¯t want to bother you,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me! You just knew I would have said no!¡± Loh slapped him across the face.


    Stryg let her hand hit him. He thought it best if he did not try to dodge. He remembered what it had been like when he had run from First Mother¡¯s punishment. She would always find him, drag him in front of the other children, pull his pants down and spank him for all to see.


    Loh thought she was punishing him, but the joke was on her, Stryg thought. She did not have claws, there would be no bloody marks left over.


    ¡°Dammit, why is your head so hard!¡± Loh nursed her fingers.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    She had been the one to hit him, so why was she the one complaining?


    ¡°Oh, you think this is amusing? Let me make this crystal clear. You¡¯re grounded. You¡¯re not allowed to leave this tavern until we¡¯re ready to leave the entire damn city. Is that getting through your thick skull?¡± Loh poked his forehead several times.


    ¡°But, what about the festival and all their food?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do with tavern food and I¡¯ll make sure they only send the basic stuff to your room.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ um¡­ what about Rhian? Yeah, Rhian. She needs exercise, right? Didn¡¯t you tell me beastkin aren¡¯t allowed to travel on their own. Who will take her out on a stroll if I¡¯m stranded in this place?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯ll manage just fine. We¡¯ll only be here a week, she can think of it as a vacation.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, fine,¡± Stryg nodded. He would just agree with her for now and when she was off screwing some flowers he would slip out and get some actual food.


    ¡°Good. And if I hear that you were seen outside the tavern I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the captain stepped up between them both at the bar.


    ¡°Amazing storytelling, Miss. What can I get ya? It¡¯s on the house,¡± the bartender said.


    ¡°Oh, why thank you. I¡¯ll have whatever this lovely dark elf next to me is drinking,¡± the captain played with her dark curly hair.


    ¡°Right away,¡± the bartender nodded.


    Loh blinked, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°That is the golden question is it not?¡± The captain smiled brightly. ¡°Even the simplest of answers is a litany of names that may as well comprise several lifetimes worth of experiences. But, to be honest, I¡¯d much rather get to know your name.¡±


    The bartender came back and handed the captain a mug, ¡°Here you are, blue-bell cider.¡±


    ¡°I am Loh of House Noir, one of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families. And your name?¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone by many. Being an actor requires these things you see, but you may simply call me Captain, leader of the Singing Willow Troupe.¡± She grabbed Loh¡¯s hand and kissed her fingers, ¡°Wonderful to meet you Loh the Renounced.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Renounced? What are you talking about?¡±


    The captain giggled, ¡°I find names carry great meaning, it is the exposed part of who we truly are that we show to the world. Yours is fake. You called yourself of House Noir, yet you renounced that family long ago. So, why bother clinging to a name you walked away from?¡±


    ¡°You pretend to know me? Do you know what happens to someone who tries to bother me?¡± Loh opened her hand, an orb of flame blossomed above her palm.


    ¡°I have a vivid imagination, I¡¯m sure I can hazard a guess. Only thing is,¡± the captain reached out, grabbed the orb of flame and snuffed it with ease. ¡°I¡¯m not just ¡®someone.¡¯¡±


    Stryg sipped his mug of water and silently watched the entire exchange with interest.


    ¡°What are you trying to get at?¡± Loh stared at the captain¡¯s clenched hand.


    ¡°I suppose what I¡¯m truly trying to say is, would you like to dance?¡± She uncurled her fingers, they were unblemished. She offered Loh her hand.


    ¡°...Okay,¡± Loh said cautiously.


    ¡°Marvelous,¡± she grabbed Loh¡¯s hand and pulled her into the dancing crowd.


    Stryg sighed in relief. At least Loh would be off his back for a while.


    ¡°Thanks, Cap,¡± Stryg whispered into his mug.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Stryg¡¯s ears twitched at the unexpected response. He looked up and scanned the crowd. The captain held Loh in her arms on the other side of the tavern. They danced to the songs of the minstrels. The captain caught Stryg¡¯s gaze, she winked.


    Gale walked up to the bar, ¡°Wow, you really are up and moving. Even with healing spells most people wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for days after your kind of injuries.¡±


    ¡°Gale¡­¡± Stryg glanced back at the dancing crowd, he had lost sight of Loh and the captain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me hanging, kid,¡± Gale put down her empty mug.


    The bartender took the mug and began to refill it without a word.


    ¡°Ah, right. I just wanted to say¡­ Thank you, for saving me. I could have died today had it not been for you,¡± Stryg bowed his head. I was too weak.


    ¡°You can pay me back later,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°I swear I will, I don¡¯t like debts,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Good man. I knew I couldn¡¯t just let you die defending a descendant of Veres.¡±


    ¡°You people really are all about the Veres, huh?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°The Veres give us purpose, they are the best of the vampires. Under Ebon Lord Koval they helped unify this Realm and bring peace once. Even if the Ebon Lords are gone I believe the Veres can do it again.¡±


    ¡°I think you may have overestimated the capabilities of those Veres.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you believe that?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Stryg shrugged. ¡°Except that I easily defeated Callum Veres in mock practice, several times, like, so many times I can¡¯t even recall. Your brother Clypeus could easily beat Callum, too.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, Callum. He is a strange one. Clypeus only sees him for what he is, not for who he is. Callum knows he isn¡¯t as talented as his siblings, yet, he works hard anyway. He doesn¡¯t give up, despite the odds. If that¡¯s not a trait of a leader then what is?¡±


    ¡°Working hard isn¡¯t enough.¡± Stryg remembered how hard he trained back in Blood Fang, yet he lost his first night challenge anyway. He failed, despite working harder than everyone else.


    ¡°Hm, maybe,¡± Gale grabbed her refilled mug. ¡°Or maybe you haven¡¯t met the right Veres. You never know, they may just surprise you. There are quite a few, Callum has siblings, his eldest sister is especially impressive. Not to mention their father, Lord Veres IX. He is an incredible vampire and family leader.¡±


    Stryg tapped the table, ¡°Tell me, if this Lord Veres IX was horribly weak, would you still follow him?¡±


    Gale laughed, ¡°House Gale is sworn to protect House Veres, but we serve the rightful leader of the Veres family above all. Lord Veres IX would never have inherited the mantle of leadership from his mother had he not been chosen.¡±


    ¡°And what determines if someone is chosen?¡±


    Gale tapped her foot, ¡°That¡¯s a great question. One that was once easy to answer. Like most Houses, heirs are chosen based on their skills, wisdom, and temperament. However, House Veres had a certain way to keep the line of succession clear.¡±


    She went on, ¡°Krikolm, the Veres ancestral sword, was the symbol of leadership within the family. The blade was bonded to the direct descendant and heir of the Veres. In other words, once the leader gave the sword to their elected heir there was no chance claimants could contest the heir.¡±


    ¡°But, the sword was destroyed, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°It was lost,¡± Gale narrowed her eyes. ¡°...Krikolm¡¯s disappearance did however make things more difficult. There was no way to indicate clear succession without dispute. Like other Houses, the Veres leaders now announce their heir and hope that the rest of their children respect their decision after they pass away.¡±


    ¡°And do the children respect their decisions?¡±


    Gale grinned, ¡°Fortunately, that¡¯s where we come in. I told you, House Gale is loyal to the rightful Veres family leader. With our House behind the Veres heir none of the others dare challenge them.¡±


    ¡°Selection for leadership seems fairly peaceful then,¡± Stryg noted. In sylvan tribes, goblins would fight to the death to see who would don the title of chieftain.


    Gale took a long swig of her drink, ¡°Hardly. So long as the heir isn¡¯t chosen, the Veres children are allowed to challenge each other, it can get messy.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡±


    Gale leaned in, ¡°I suggest you do not get too close to Callum if you do not wish to get embroiled in their battles.¡±


    Stryg paused as he tried absorbing the information. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind... Do you think Callum stands a shot at winning?¡±


    If not, would that not mean Callum would be killed?


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Gale shrugged. ¡°I heard Callum turned out to be a very talented white mage. The Veres are known for black magic and bright spells aren¡¯t exactly looked upon well among vampires.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s already lost,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. It''s not for me to say. My job is simply to watch and wait for Lord Veres to name his heir and to protect them. Beyond that, their politics do not concern me.¡±


    In other words, unless Callum is named heir, he has no protection against his siblings, Stryg surmised. ¡°What if Lord Veres chooses the wrong heir?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But, if he does, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I would serve the true heir of House Veres, not a pretender who hasn¡¯t been chosen,¡± Gale finished her drink. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing alright. Clypeus was right about your resilience. I¡¯d really hate to see an up-and-coming prodigy mage destroyed over one mistake.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Stryg gripped his mug.


    ¡°It means it¡¯d be best if children do not try to interfere in matters they cannot handle, lest they end up food for monsters,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°...Are you really a grand swordmaster?¡± He eyed the longsword at her side.


    ¡°You best believe it,¡± she smirked. ¡°On account of being Cly¡¯s friend I¡¯m telling you this. No academy is as safe as you might think, be careful,¡± she left her mug and walked away.


    Stryg finished his water, ¡°I need something stronger.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± the bartender nodded.


    Loh came back, her face was flushed. ¡°Damn, that woman can dance. And have you seen her thighs?¡±


    ¡°Yes? You do know I just saw her a few minutes ago?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, never mind,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°Where did Captain go anyway,¡± Stryg looked around.


    ¡°I wish I knew. She said she had to leave. I was hoping to have a fun night with her,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°That woman seems off to me,¡± Stryg scanned the crowd.


    ¡°Everyone seems off to you, you''re literally from a village full of savages.¡±


    ¡°The sylvan tribes aren¡¯t savages. We just don¡¯t have the same compunctions as everyone else seems to. It¡¯s why we¡¯re better warriors.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well that¡¯s a debate for another time. Anyway, you best get used to that Captain, because I managed to get us a spot on the Singing Willow caravan. They are leaving Mellow Bloom at the end of the week. Luckily, for us, they are heading to Hollow Shade next. So, we¡¯ll be hitching a ride back with them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going home?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some good news,¡± he sighed in relief.


    He missed his large bed, the delicious endless kinds of food, but most of all, he missed two particular women.

 Chapter 107: Singing Willow Troupe

    Chapter 107: Singing Willow Troupe


    The sun was beginning to settle as the Singing Willow¡¯s caravan halted to a stop for the day. A cool breeze blew past the Valley¡¯s hills and plains and swept through the caravan¡¯s encampment.


    Stryg stretched his short limbs and yawned. The last two weeks had been longer than he had expected. The first week had been spent inside his tavern room. All he had to eat was fresh bread and some water. Loh believed she was punishing him by grounding him and feeding him simple food.


    While the circumstances were not ideal, even a tad annoying, Stryg did not really see it as a punishment. Being stuck in his room without fresh air was a pain, but he did manage to have some alone time to train his sylvan kata and meditate.


    As for the food, Stryg had grown up eating far simpler sustenance. His war-like people were accustomed to tough food and although he much preferred delicious lamb chops, he was still more than happy to eat fresh-baked bread.


    The only part of his punishment that truly bugged him was the fact that he was unable to spend much time with Rhian. She seemed to share his sentiment if the second week¡¯s constant chatter was any indication.


    The second week had started off interesting. They had finally left Mellow Bloom and began traveling with the Singing Willow troupe. It was his first time joining a caravan.


    Stryg had spent much of the time studying each of the wagons the troupe used. He did not understand how they managed to stuff so much stage equipment and props into the tiny wagons and still have space for themselves.


    The captain had said it all had to do with one¡¯s skill as a traveler. The more one traveled, the more they learned how to stash objects into the nooks and crannies of a wagon. Rhian had told him that the captain was simply describing to him the tricks of a smuggler. The captain had proudly said she was one of the best. When Stryg asked her if she was referring to being a traveler or smuggler she refused to answer, only giving him a wink.


    Despite the weird antics of the captain and Loh¡¯s continuous failings to sleep with her, Stryg thought the journey to Hollow Shade had been fairly peaceful. They had spent the days leisurely traveling through the Valley while talking with many of the actors. Rhian especially loved conversing with the actress who had played the adult character of Lady Gale I.


    Stryg spent his time talking with the purple magi who worked behind the scenes. He tried to learn as much as he could from their spell casting and meditation methods. While he did not know much regarding the actual casting of purple magic, he thought it was still a great chance to gain a better foundation for the chromatic color.


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re done walking,¡± Rhian rolled her shoulder blades and twisted her torso.


    ¡°I thought you liked walking,¡± Stryg said from the saddle.


    ¡°No, I like running, there¡¯s a difference. I like running on tracks especially, where the ground itself is made for running. What centaur in their right mind would like to walk on grass?¡±


    ¡°Every centaur,¡± Maximus said as he trotted up to them.


    ¡°I just said I don¡¯t like walking on grass,¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°My point exactly,¡± Maximus walked away.


    ¡°Hey, what are you trying to imply? Oi! Get back here!¡± Rhian yelled.


    Stryg jumped off her back and made his way through the caravan. He stepped past the men and women of the troupe who were beginning to unpack tonight¡¯s camping equipment. Instead, he made his way to the cook¡¯s wagon.


    Stryg found the head-cook unloading a large crate from the wagon, his arms were shaking from the effort.


    ¡°Let me help with that.¡± Stryg stepped under the crate and placed his hands on the bottom.


    ¡°Oh, Stryg, hello. You¡¯re earlier than usual. You don¡¯t have to worry about this, it¡¯s really heavy. It¡¯s hard enough for me and you¡¯re much smaller than me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ignore that.¡± Stryg hopped and pushed the box up and out of the head-cook¡¯s grasp. Stryg landed with a soft thud and carried the box away.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re just full of surprises,¡± he whistled.


    ¡°The more stuff you have to carry the longer it takes you to cook our dinner and the longer it takes for me to eat that dinner,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I hear ya, I¡¯ll start cooking right away,¡± he laughed.


    The head-cook walked over to a small opening where a few piles of wood had been stacked.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll do the honors,¡± he gestured at the goblin.


    Stryg raised his hand and concentrated. A small wisp of flame streamlined from his palm to a small crevice just beneath the logs. The wood ignited in an instant, the soft scent of charcoal coloring the air.


    Stryg smiled inwardly, he was finally getting a hang of small precise flame spells. The head-cook thanked him and began to set his pot over the fire. Stryg walked around the campsite and lit a few more fire pits. Some of the fires were for the cooks and the rest were simply for the enjoyment of the troupe.


    As night settled, everyone lined up for dinner. Captain always got her food first, but the head-cook always made sure to serve Stryg an extra portion as thanks for his help. Once the food was served the troupe divided into smaller groups and gathered around their own campfires.


    Stryg found his spot near Rhian. He sat next to her and rested his back on her lower torso, the sound of her heartbeat had become soothing to his ears the past few months. The actress who played Gale was also at their campfire, chatting with Rhian.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Loh had eaten her food and was making her way through her second bottle of wine, all while trying to do her evening meditation. She had suggested Stryg meditate as well, but he found it difficult to meditate with so many stimuli influencing his senses.


    Maximus preferred to eat alone, but Loh had insisted he eat with them, and so they made a compromise. The enormous battle centaur sat on the other side of their campfire by himself.


    The captain appeared after a few minutes, ¡°Mind if I join you all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± the actress bowed her head.


    ¡°The more the merrier,¡± Rhian smiled.


    Stryg stayed quiet. Loh cracked an eye open. Maximus was too busy eating his stew to be bothered.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed your stay with the Singing Willow,¡± the captain sat next to Stryg.


    ¡°I have, it¡¯s been very informative,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Wonderful. You¡¯ve been quite informative too, if I might add. All those stories of Vulture Woods you told me about have been marvelous. I think I have the beginning workings of my next play.¡±


    ¡°I must say having a real sylvan goblin in our midsts has been so exciting,¡± the actress added with a cheery voice.


    ¡°Yes, I hear some of the women have begun to wake up especially early to see Stryg train shirtless,¡± the captain raised an eyebrow.


    The actress blushed and looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed, but it¡¯s foolish. They won¡¯t be able to copy my techniques just by looking at my kata, it¡¯s much more complicated than that,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek.


    The captain stared at him for a moment before she burst out in laughter, ¡°That¡¯s why I like you, Stryg. Your senses pick up on so much, yet you turn a blind eye anyway.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    Rhian covered her mouth, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Captain. My Master can be a tad dense when it comes to understanding how women might actually like him, or friends for that matter, or just people¡­ well, he might be more than a tad dense.¡±


    ¡°I will bite you,¡± Stryg warned.


    ¡°Ha, you already bit me today,¡± Rhian stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bite you again.¡±


    ¡°Wha-? But, you already bit me. That¡¯s not fair¡­¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°Since when has anything been fair?¡± Stryg asked.


    Maximus glanced at Rhian¡¯s panicked face. ¡°Idiot,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I think Stryg¡¯s teething,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to see somebody maul a centaur I¡¯d much rather hear a story,¡± the captain interjected.


    ¡°Great idea!¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°Fantastic and since tonight is our last night together why don¡¯t we make this interesting,¡± the captain pulled out a gold coin. ¡°Whoever tells the most interesting story will win a shiny prize.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, this sounds fun,¡± the actress clapped.


    ¡°Wait, Master, if I win can I keep the coin? Or does it go to the tribe?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°To you obviously, you¡¯re the one who won it,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do this!¡± Rhian made a fist bump in the air.


    Loh closed her eyes. She couldn''t care less about a single coin.


    ¡°So, who will begin our evening¡¯s adventure?¡± The captain glanced around the campfire.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to,¡± the actress raised her hand.


    The captain nodded in assent.


    The actress cleared her throat, ¡°Okay, as you all know I am a vampiress who plays the role of one of the most famous vampires in all of history, Lady Gale I.¡±


    ¡°This is boring,¡± Maximus called out.


    The actress glared at him. She smoothed her features and continued, ¡°But, tonight I want to tell the story of one the most famous living vampires, Lady Calantha Ashe.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s the leader of House Ashe and the high priestess of Hollow Shade,¡± Rhian whispered.


    ¡°Oh, I sa-¡±


    ¡°No, interrupting,¡± the actress frowned.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± the captain put a finger to her lips.


    Stryg reluctantly closed his mouth. He didn¡¯t recall her name, but he did remember seeing the high priestess during the Festival of the Gods.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± the actress cleared her throat. ¡°House Ashe is the most famous of the Great Houses among the common folk of Dusk Valley. We all know they are incredibly devout to the ebon gods and have invested into the prosperity of our religion throughout the land.¡±


    ¡°Still boring,¡± Maximus said.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it!¡± The actress closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ¡°Anyways, like many Houses, the Ashes have always been very religious. But, how many Houses were touched by the gods themselves?¡±


    ¡°Are we supposed to answer that? Because I thought we weren¡¯t supposed to speak,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Ugh, forget it. Moving on,¡± the actress grumbled. ¡°When Lady Calantha was born she struggled to breathe. Her fangs had yet to grow in, which is a bad sign for any infant vampire. The doctors and healers tried everything to help baby Calantha, but nothing helped.¡±


    ¡°As the days went by, Calantha¡¯s health deteriorated. Her parents prayed to Bellum, patron goddess of vampires, to heal their child. Yet, Calantha still continued to grow more sickly. Nonetheless, her parents did not give up hope in their goddess. They prayed to her diligently.¡±


    ¡°One evening, news came from a messenger. He carried a letter stating that there was a healer staying in Undergrowth who could possibly help Calantha. Her parents were ecstatic, their prayers had been answered. They didn¡¯t care that the journey to Undergrowth was long, nor that Hollow Shade had a tenuous relation with her sister Great City. So long as Calantha lived no hardship was too great.¡±


    ¡°The Ashes grabbed their baby daughter and assembled their carriage and a small retinue as quickly as possible. They rushed out that same evening. They traveled without rest, switching between steeds throughout day and night.¡±


    ¡°When they finally reached the Glimmer Grove forest everyone was exhausted. Even baby Calantha had grown weaker, her shallow breaths were barely audible. Still, the family persevered on their journey. Suddenly, arrows flew through the trees.¡±


    ¡°The Ashe''s guards were taken down in a matter of seconds. To their dismay, they realized that they had been tricked. The messenger had been part of an intricate plan to ambush Lord Ashe. His anger flared to life, he flew out of the carriage in a rage of death and fury.¡±


    ¡°Enemy after enemy fell to his magic and fangs, yet more kept coming. Lady Ashe came out of the carriage to aid her husband. Calantha rested in her arms as she casted ward spells all around the family. When they began to finally overtake the enemy, a drow archmage appeared from among the trees.¡±


    ¡°The archmage overwhelmed Lord Ashe and struck him to the ground. His wife tried protecting him with her ward spells, but it was not enough. The archmage destroyed her defenses easily. She looked around in despair, dozens of enemies began to enclose on them. Baby Calantha cried in her arms.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ashe couldn¡¯t help but cry as well, hope for her daughter vanishing before her very eyes. She begged Bellum to save them. Suddenly, the wind died. The forest grew quiet. Hundreds of silhouettes swept through the underbrush and cut down the enemy soldiers in seconds.¡±


    ¡°The enemy screamed in fear as one by one they were slaughtered by the cloaked warriors. Lady Ashe¡¯s tears became tears of joy. The Ebon Order, the mythical army of Bellum, had arrived.¡±


    ¡°Yet the archmage refused to surrender. He raised his hands, lightning crackling above him. A giant shadow flew down from the trees. Her dark helmet shrouded her face, yet the ebon flames burning on her blade were unmistakable. The archmage cowered in fear in front of Bellum, goddess of war.¡±

 Chapter 108: Campfire Stories

    Chapter 108: Campfire Stories


    ¡°Bellum¡¯s figure was a blur as she charged through the enemies, each falling to her blade. The enemy archmage tried fighting back, he shot a bolt of lightning at the goddess. The black flames of Bellum¡¯s blade greedily gobbled up the storm spell and devoured the archmage whole.¡±


    The actress continued, ¡°The Ashe family cried out in joy at the miracle. Lady Ashe placed baby Calantha at Bellum¡¯s feet and bowed down to her goddess, grateful for her intervention. Bellum, moved by their devotion, bent down and touched baby Calantha¡¯s forehead, granting the child her blessing. When the parents lifted their heads, Bellum and the Ebon Order were gone. And Calantha? She was no longer ill and even became stronger than the average vampire. She now rules House Ashe in Bellum¡¯s name.¡±


    Rhian clapped in delight. Stryg thought the story was entertaining. He especially liked the part with the flaming sword chopping people in half.


    ¡°Everyone knows that story,¡± Maximus yawned.


    ¡°You know, for someone who likes to eat alone you sure have a lot to say about my story,¡± the actress glared at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying it wasn¡¯t satisfying,¡± Maximus shrugged.


    ¡°And it was a lie,¡± Loh added.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The actress turned to the meditating dark elf.


    Loh opened her eyes, ¡°Your story is a lie. Sure, you might believe in it, but it never happened. It was just some story House Ashe made up to boost their popularity with the commoners and it clearly worked.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s rich coming from a Noir. Your House¡¯s crest is literally a black flame! Your House might as well say they¡¯re Bellum¡¯s biggest fan,¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Black flames are not real. Ask any orange mage, hell, ask your captain,¡± Loh said.


    The actress glanced at the troupe¡¯s leader.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, there¡¯s no official record of any black flames existing,¡± The captain nodded.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Loh grinned. ¡°My House uses the black flame as a symbol. We are known for our flame magic and we are one of the oldest families in the Ebon Realm. And another thing, I¡¯ve met Calantha, several times. Sure, she¡¯s a powerful mage, but she isn¡¯t physically stronger than any other vampire out there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a non-believer like all the other dark elves!¡± the actress spat.


    ¡°Hah, if you mean I¡¯m not a fool, then I¡¯m all for disbelief in the gods,¡± Loh laughed in disdain. ¡°As for the dark elf that ambushed the Ashes? There was no record of their existence. Sure, people might not have known about some rogue archers, but an archmage? Do you know how few of them exist? There¡¯s no way nobody knew about him. But, sure, go ahead and keep believing in your fantasies.¡±


    ¡°Take that back!¡± The actress shot up to her feet, her fists were clenched.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± the captain waved. ¡°You may be under my protection, but Loh is still a high-master mage. It¡¯d be best if you do not pick a fight with her. Loh, please do not provoke my colleagues.¡±


    ¡°I was simply sharing my opinion,¡± Loh said innocently.


    The actress shook her head. ¡°Cap, you believe me, right?¡±


    The captain stared into the campfire, ¡°Truth be told, for all my travels I¡¯ve never seen any evidence that gods of any sort exist. But, if there really is one out there, I¡¯d like to ask them how this world became so broken.¡±


    Everyone grew quiet at her words.


    ¡°...Anyone else have a story?¡± Maximus asked between bites of food.


    The actress groaned.


    ¡°Ooh! Ooh! I have one!¡± Rhian raised her hand.


    ¡°This, I¡¯ve gotta hear,¡± the captain smiled.


    ¡°Okay, my story is about Mirror Springs,¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°Everyone knows that story, too,¡± Maximus muttered.


    ¡°No interrupting. I¡¯ll have Master bite the next person who does!¡± Rhian warned.


    ¡°Stryg wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Loh chuckled.


    Stryg opened his mouth, his small but sharp fangs glinted in the firelight.


    ¡°I stand corrected,¡± Loh blinked.


    ¡°Rhian, please continue,¡± the captain said.


    ¡°Okay, where was I? Oh, right, Mirror Springs. Many years ago, I think, there lived a young dark elf up in the Northern Lands. He had a large gambling debt and he didn¡¯t have the money to pay. So, when the collectors showed up in his village, he ran for his life.¡±


    ¡°They chased him throughout the Northern Lands. No matter where he hid, the collectors would find him. Eventually, the dark elf was forced to run into Rupture Mountains in hopes of losing his pursuers. It worked, no one followed him inside, after all only a fool would venture into the deadly mountains.¡±


    ¡°I like the story already,¡± Stryg curled up next to her and closed his eyes.


    Rhian was about to chastise him for interrupting, but she was stunned at the sight of the small goblin¡¯s cozy face.


    ¡°A-as I was saying,¡± Rhian cleared her throat. ¡°The dark elf had escaped the collectors, yet now he was lost in the mountains. He tried to escape, but the snowy trees all looked the same. The more he wandered, the deeper into the mountains he went.¡±


    ¡°He was hungry, weak, and scared. Everyone knew only dangerous beasts lived up in the Rupture Mountains. The only civilized creatures that roamed the frozen terrain were the frost giants and they killed anyone who they came across.¡±


    ¡°After a few days of wandering the dark elf thought he was going to die of starvation. Then something crazy happened, frost giants appeared! Only, instead of killing him they took him to their village, Mirror Springs, and welcomed him with open arms.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°The only condition the frost giants had was that he had to leave his old life behind him, for the people of the Ebon Realm were cruel and wicked. The dark elf gratefully accepted and he spent the rest of his life trying to make amends for his ways. The giants¡¯ home was a paradise amidst the frozen peaks. They had hot springs with magical water that could heal people!¡±


    ¡°After living with the dark elf, the frost giants affirmed that outsiders could be good. So, sometimes when a traveler became lost in the Rupture Mountains, the frost giants would bring them to their village and give them a chance to give up their old lives and live a peaceful life in their village. A few did and they lived happily, but others could not give up their old lives and were guided back down the mountain by the giants.¡±


    ¡°The ones that left returned to their families and told them about the wonders of the frost giant village. They say that if someone is willing to leave their old lives behind and is willing to brave the dangers of the Rupture Mountains, they can still find Mirror Springs. They can live a happy life, free from any worries and hardships. The end,¡± Rhian smiled triumphantly.


    ¡°If you ever find that village let me know, I¡¯d love to visit a spa,¡± Loh stretched.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always loved that story. Maybe someday I¡¯ll go looking for my paradise village too,¡± the actress smiled.


    Stryg stayed quiet, all he could think of was how he ran away from his own village. He wondered if anyone in the Blood Fang tribe talked about him? Did the Mothers care? The Chief?


    ¡°That was a good one, short, but sweet,¡± the captain played with her dark hair. ¡°I have another version, a less well-known one.¡±


    ¡°Do tell,¡± Loh scooted a little closer.


    The captain stood up and began walking around the campfire. ¡°Well, the beginning of the story is the same. Our young dark elf had run away from the debt collectors and had escaped into the Rupture Mountains...¡±


    ~~~


    But, he hadn¡¯t run away by himself. He had his pregnant wife with him. The debt collectors had threatened to enslave her if he wouldn¡¯t pay his debts. And so, the young couple found themselves hungry, weak, and alone in the frozen wilderness.


    On their fourth night, the frost giants appeared. Instead of showing the couple kindness the giants attacked. The young dark elf barely managed to escape. His wife had not been so lucky, she was crushed to death by large shards of ice.


    The dark elf ran away into an oncoming snow storm. The bitter winds blew through his clothes and chilled him to the bone. The snow swam through the air all around. He fell to his knees, his body numb from the cold. He wailed in agony at his loss and accepted his death gladly. His senses grew dim, the loud thrumming of his heartbeat the only sound he heard.


    He was at death¡¯s door when it appeared. From amidst the falling snow appeared an old man with bushy brows and a beard so large that you could barely discern it was a man at all. He found the dark elf on the ground, slipping away from life.


    The old man said, ¡°Youngling, why do you sleep in the snow?¡±


    The dark elf mumbled a weak response, ¡°My wife and unborn child are dead, it¡¯s my fault. I just want to die and see them again.¡±


    The old man tilted its head, ¡°But, where you¡¯re going you¡¯ll never see them.¡±


    The dark elf whimpered in defeat, ¡°Then just let me die and leave this wretched life behind.¡±


    ¡°I could, but would you like a second chance instead? A new life?¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I can, for a price.¡±


    ¡°Name it, anything,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°I will, in due time.¡± The old man bent down and stretched out his hand, ¡°Do we have a deal?¡±


    The dark elf took the hand without hesitance. Suddenly, the howling winds died and the snow stopped falling. The dark elf looked around. They were on a small cliff overlooking a dozen hot springs.


    ¡°These are the Mirror Springs, they are my secret, for the spring¡¯s water is special. It will heal your wounds and rejuvenate you. The springs are my gift to you. Rest easy and make your new home here¡±


    The dark elf did not have to be told twice. He hobbled down the cliff and threw himself into one of the hot springs. As soon as he touched the soothing warm waters his body began to heal and his aches disappeared. He sighed in relief.


    The dark elf cried out in surprise as he looked down at his reflection in the water. He did not see his ordinary skinny self, but a taller more brawny version of himself.


    ¡°I-is that me?¡± The dark elf asked.


    The old man laughed from atop the cliff, ¡°Not yet. The Mirror Springs reflect who you truly are. Right now, you may be injured and weak, but someday if you continue to bathe in the springs you will become just like your reflection.¡±


    And so the dark elf stayed at the Mirror Springs, day after day, year after year. The old man brought more lost travelers to the springs and allowed the dark elf to decide if they could stay or not. The dark elf accepted all whom he found pleasing and shared with them the magic of the springs. Everyone who stayed fell in love with their wonderful reflections, the promise of a better future-self.


    Soon enough, the dark elf remarried, and started a new family. The lost travelers became villagers of their new home, which they named after their magical springs. Our young dark elf became the village leader and he led his people with a firm hand. Despite the passage of time, he hadn¡¯t grown old, instead he became the ideal person he had seen in his reflection all these years.


    Everything was perfect, the village flourished, children were born, and life seemed a paradise. Until, one day, the old man returned to the village, but this time there were no lost travelers with him.


    Instead, the old man went to our dark elf and said, ¡°I have a name.¡±


    ¡°A name?¡± The dark elf asked.


    ¡°A name for my price. Surely, you have not forgotten.¡±


    The dark elf nodded in understanding, ¡°Of course not. I am grateful for everything you have done. Name your price, I will more than gladly pay it.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I want all the children born in the village, including your own.¡±


    The dark elf was stunned, ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°The price will be paid.¡±


    Instead of leaving the village, the old man walked towards the springs.


    ¡°The wind howled, a blizzard descended upon the village. The ground began to rumble, the houses fell apart. Dark inky shadows slinked through the earth, whispering agonizing cries. All the villagers but the dark elf and the children were dragged away by the shadows.¡±


    ¡°The children cried in despair for their parents. Our dark elf chased the old man to the springs, hoping to plead with him. When he got to the springs he froze. His reflection was no longer that of a young powerful man.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± The dark elf muttered.


    ¡°Why it¡¯s who you really are, of course,¡± the old man came up from behind him.


    ¡°But, why does my reflection look so different?¡±


    ¡°Your reflection never changed, it has always been the same. You just never wished to see the truth... until now.¡±


    The dark elf¡¯s reflection was that of an old withered man, with sunken eyes and sallow cheeks. His body was a husk of his former self, a few bones held together by stretched scarred skin. He looked at his own shaky hands and realized he looked the same as his reflection. The dark elf screamed in horror. He threw himself into the spring, hoping the water would heal his raggard form, but nothing changed.


    ¡°What have you done to me?¡± He whimpered.


    ¡°Not a single thing. You did this all on your own,¡± The old man stepped into the springs.


    The dark elf¡¯s eyes grew wide with fear as he saw the old man¡¯s reflection in the springs for the first time. Gone was the old man and white beard and in his place was a horrifying creature.


    The dark elf backed away, ¡°W-what are you?¡±


    ¡°Now, you finally see. You loathsome creatures are always so slow to see the truth.¡±


    ¡°Who are you!?¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°The end,¡± the captain whispered.

 Chapter 109: What is Your Name?

    Chapter 109: What is Your Name?


    Rhian crossed her arms, ¡°That is by far the worst story I have ever heard, like ever. Like, not even Maxy¡¯s boring prattling of military tactics disguised as a sorry excuse for a story were that bad."


    ¡°...I, for one liked it,¡± Maximus nodded.


    ¡°Of course you liked it,¡± Rhian stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°Not all stories are meant to be entertaining, some are simply meant to teach a lesson,¡± the captain smiled softly.


    ¡°Welp, I think I¡¯ve had enough nightmare fuel for one night,¡± the actress said.


    ¡°Same. Cap, would you like to join me on a late night stroll?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Sorry, I have some business to attend to,¡± the captain bowed.


    ¡°Was worth a shot, I guess,¡± Loh yawned.


    Everyone slowly got up and began to head for their own tents.


    ¡°Huh, what about the game?¡± Rhian looked around.


    ¡°Meh,¡± Loh waved her hand.


    ¡°Aw, come on,¡± Rhian frowned. ¡°Master, are you going to play?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯m fine. Why don¡¯t you go head to bed, I¡¯ll meet you in a bit,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Fiiiine,¡± Rhian sighed. She bowed to the captain, ¡°Good night.¡±


    Stryg poked at the fire with a stick as one by one everyone left, until only the captain and him sat alone.


    She glanced at Stryg in the dim firelight, ¡°What did you think of my story?¡±


    Stryg scratched his head and sighed in frustration, ¡°It was¡­ aggravating? The drow lost everything. And what exactly was the lesson supposed to be? Not to trust complete strangers in the middle of a storm? To fulfill your promises? I learned those lessons long ago.¡±


    She laughed, ¡°Perhaps others may take away such lessons. But, I thought the story might serve as a final piece for our introduction. To let you know that I am on your side.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She cleared her throat, ¡°We have been traveling together for some time. I had hoped you would eventually open up to me, but I understand your reluctance. The story was my way of letting you know I am not your enemy. I truly hope you are not mine.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± He tilted his head.


    ¡°Before we continue I think it is time we have proper introductions. We¡¯ll keep it simple, I will tell you my name and you tell me yours, although I believe we both already know the answers,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I do not refer to the name you give others, but the one you hide from them, the piece of yourself you do not wish for them to see. There is no need to hide from me. You need not be alone, not anymore,¡± she reached out and grabbed his hand.


    He glanced between her intrusive hand and her smiling face, ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°A proper introduction for starters.¡±


    ¡°My name is Stryg and it¡¯s the only name I have ever had. I don¡¯t understand why you are asking me,¡± he furrowed his brow.


    She stared into his lilac eyes and let his hand go. ¡°Maybe you do not. Or maybe you just do not remember?¡±


    ¡°...What? Are you seriously implying I don¡¯t remember my own name?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Honestly? I highly doubt it, but, I also doubt you do not know your own name. Which probably means you are simply lying to me. I had pictured tonight¡¯s events very differently. I thought¡­ I had hoped for¡­ Never mind,¡± she sighed. ¡°Maybe someday you will be ready to tell me the truth. Good night, Stryg,¡± she stood up and walked away.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    The captain paused in her steps, ¡°Oh, before I forget.¡± She tossed him a small object.


    He caught it before it dropped on the grass.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± He stared at the small black coin.


    ¡°Whoever told the best story wins a coin, remember?¡±


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t tell a story,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Stryg, you are the most interesting story I have heard in a long time,¡± she winked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a gold coin...¡±


    ~~~


    Rhian shivered as the wind blew past her thin jacket. The last days of summer were behind them, autumn had seemed to arrive. Stryg made a mental note to buy her some warm clothing. It did not matter if centaurs had an overall warmer temperature, he was not going to risk her getting sick.


    Stryg watched Hollow Shade¡¯s glossy black walls grow in the distance as they neared the Great City. He remembered what it had been like the first time he had come, how terrified he had felt of what lay beyond the walls, or how useless he felt for being unable to escape the ropes the poacher had tied him with.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Come to think of it, that was the first time he had used magic. It had been grey magic, a small drain spell to be precise. Things were different back then, life seemed simpler, albeit more difficult. A year ago all he had to focus on was his own survival.


    Stryg glanced at the back of Rhian¡¯s head, a few strands of jet-black hair had slipped out of her ponytail and tickled his face. Life was more complicated now. There were people he had to look after, other than his own. It was difficult.


    ¡°Master, you okay? You¡¯ve been pretty quiet,¡± Rhian asked without glancing back at him.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t as difficult as he imagined, there were people looking after him as well.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, just happy to be home,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I know, right! I¡¯m sooo relieved. I could use some proper polish for my hooves. They¡¯ve been through too much these past few months. Oh and a nice stable all for myself.¡±


    ¡°How about we get you a large bed too?¡±


    Rhian¡¯s head whipped back, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I am. You deserve to sleep in a bed like the rest of us. You weren¡¯t able to in the taverns, but now that we¡¯re home, I¡¯ll make sure you have one,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Rhian faced forward, hiding her expression. ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. This should have been done before we left, we¡¯re tribemates after all, we take care of each other.¡±


    As they grew closer to the city, Stryg spotted a crowd of people of all sorts forming a long line at the gate. The large gate seemed to meld into the wall, there was no evidence of it being built so much as created.


    Stryg read the words above the gate, ¡°The Protection of Death.¡±


    The first time he had arrived in the city he failed to understand the meaning. After learning about the shades that lurked within the magestone walls he understood exactly what the words meant. As for the two statues, one on each side of the gate, he still did not have a clear grasp on their significance.


    One statue was a black skull, the other a black sun. Unlike the glossy walls, the statues were not built of magestone, but a matte-black substance, without any reflection. He knew a black skull above a black sun was the heraldic symbol of Hollow Shade, but he still did not know why. It was just one more thing on his long list of things he was still ignorant of. He sighed.


    The caravan paused at the back of the line, waiting for their turn to arrive. Maximus trotted to the front of the caravan, Loh on his back. She spoke to the captain, their words too far for anyone to hear. However, Stryg had no problem listening from such a distance nor did he have any compunction against eavesdropping.


    ¡°Let me take care of this, just have the troupe¡¯s wagons follow me,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± the captain smiled.


    Maximus cut through the line. Loh pulled out her nameplate and began waving it through the air. The captain ordered the troupe¡¯s wagons to follow behind Maximus. Some people complained as the enormous centaur pushed them aside, but after they saw Loh¡¯s golden nameplate they all grew quiet and made ample room for the caravan to pass.


    The guards at the gate bowed as they noticed Loh¡¯s nameplate, ¡°Welcome home Miss Noir.¡±


    ¡°Glad to be back. These are my companions, let them through,¡± she said.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the guards nodded in unison.


    The Singing Willow¡¯s wagons passed through the gate without any trouble. Stryg looked around as he entered the gate¡¯s tunnel. His life had changed when he first entered this city, he wondered if things would stay the same this time around.


    As he came out the other side he was greeted with hundreds of people walking through the streets, going about their daily lives. Some wore fancy clothes, others rode centaurs, but most were commoners with simple clothing.


    Loh took a deep breath and sighed with relief, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good to be back.¡±


    ¡°The air isn¡¯t nearly as fresh,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Stryg jumped off Rhian¡¯s saddle. He wanted to walk on his own two feet for a while.


    ¡°Thank you for the help Loh, my troupe appreciates the smooth entry,¡± the captain said.


    ¡°My pleasure. Could I interest you in some dinner by chance? I¡¯d love to give you a tour of the city,¡± Loh said.


    The captain chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve been to Hollow Shade more times than I can count. I suspect I know this city¡¯s ins and outs more than you. And as tempting as dinner sounds, I must go and help my troupe settle in before our next performance.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to stop by and watch your play then,¡± Loh stroked her chin.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± the captain grinned. She walked over to Stryg, ¡°I am afraid this is where we must part ways. My troupe will only be in Hollow Shade for a few days. I do not know if we will get a chance to see each other before the troupe leaves.¡±


    ¡°Then why do I get the feeling we¡¯ll see each other again?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Oh, darling, I have no doubt we will meet again, no matter where life takes us. Until then,¡± she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Goodbye, little one.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Loh glanced between them both.


    The captain winked, ¡°Hold on to that coin for me.¡±


    Stryg rubbed his cheek as he watched her disappear into the crowd.


    ¡°Stryg, as your mentor and teacher I demand you tell me what¡¯s been going on between you two,¡± Loh jumped off Maximus.


    ¡°She was just talking about last night¡¯s game. She gave me a coin as the winner,¡± Stryg pulled out the plain black coin from his pocket.


    Rhian hovered above him, ¡°Aw, you didn¡¯t even tell a story. I wanted a gold coin, too. Wait, that¡¯s not even gold.¡±


    Stryg pulled out two gold coins and handed them above to Rhian, ¡°Here you are.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?!¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I liked your story,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Nice! Easy money,¡± she grabbed the coins and did a little jig.


    He shook his head with a small smile.


    ¡°Stryg, Rhian¡¯s right, that coin in your hand isn¡¯t gold, it¡¯s orichalculm,¡± Loh said quietly.


    ¡°Orichalculm? Isn¡¯t that sorta rare?¡± He asked.


    Loh pointed at the coin, ¡°It¡¯s one of the rarest metals in all the Null Realms and probably the rarest in the Ebon Realm. It may not have magical effects like magestone, but its durability and beauty makes it incredibly valuable.¡±


    Loh gently closed Stryg¡¯s fingers over the coin, ¡°Keep it hidden, you don¡¯t want some pickpocket to try and steal it. Even the city lords only have a little orichalculm and most of the time it¡¯s only on their nameplates. The captain gave you a very valuable gift, take care of it.¡±


    Stryg stared at the plain coin in his palm. It had no mint markings nor any other kind of symbol etched on either side. It seemed odd that such a little coin was worth so much.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe,¡± he pocketed the coin.


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll part ways here for now. I need to go and see my grandfather.¡± Loh ruffled Stryg¡¯s hair, ¡°Your magical skills have grown considerably these past few months, you¡¯ve done well. The academy starts back up in a few days, try and relax a bit before then.¡±


    Stryg twisted his lips at the hair-touching gesture, but decided to let it slide. ¡°Thank you for your mentorship, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my apprentice. You¡¯re one in a million, kid,¡± Loh laughed and hopped on Maximus¡¯ saddle.


    The centaur nodded curtly to Stryg and Rhian before he headed towards the scholar district.


    ¡°I for one have seen enough of the city gates for today. Should we start heading home? Go see Mistress Feli, perhaps?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Stryg nodded.


    He grabbed Rhian¡¯s saddle and was about to pull himself up when he caught a familiar scent amongst the crowd. He froze.


    Stryg slowly turned around, ¡°Plum?¡±

 Chapter 110: This isn’t Goodbye

    Chapter 110: This isn¡¯t Goodbye


    ¡°Plum?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Master? Are you hungry? I¡¯m sure we could find some plums in the trade district if you really want some,¡± Rhian said.


    Stryg ignored her and made his way through the crowd. He pushed aside anyone in his way, ducked under a carriage, and kept moving, keen on finding the source of the scent. His breath quickened, his heartbeat thrummed in his chest.


    He jumped over a small wagon and saw her standing in the distance. Plum was wearing a soft blue cloak, but he knew it was her. She was carrying a small suitcase and looking about while waiting in line at the gate.


    Plum¡¯s eyes passed by Stryg, she did a double-take, her eyes met his, they both froze. The world seemed to grow small, Stryg¡¯s hearing dimmed until all he could hear was her small short breaths. His feet dragged him forward, his eyes never left her face.


    Plum stared at him with an array of emotions, none of which seemed happy. Her face was pale and he noticed she had dark bags under her blue eyes. She took a step back as he drew near. He paused where he was, about six feet from her.


    He swallowed, ¡°Hi, Plum.¡± His voice cracked, it sounded like a child¡¯s whining. He cursed inwardly.


    ¡°...What are you doing here, Stryg?¡± She narrowed her eyes.


    Stryg scratched behind his ear, ¡°I was out in the Valley training the past few months. It was difficult but incredible, I learned a lot. You wouldn¡¯t believe some of the things I saw. There were these frost wolves¡­ but, you probably don¡¯t want to hear about that.¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°What I mean to say is, I just got back.¡±


    ¡°Just got back?¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s so funny?¡± He tilted his head.


    She raised her suitcase, ¡°Just that we wouldn¡¯t have met had you come only an hour later. It seems fate has a cruel sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°Are you going somewhere? But, the academic year is about to start.¡± Stryg winced, ¡°Right, you graduated. I missed the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted you to be there,¡± she said curtly.


    ¡°Of course, why would you,¡± his eyes stared at her feet.


    ¡°...I applied for a research position in Undergrowth¡¯s magic academy. I got the acceptance letter a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. W-when are you¡­ um¡­ When are you leaving?¡±


    She tapped her suitcase, ¡°With the academic year beginning they want me to start as soon as possible. ...I have nothing tying me to Hollow Shade anymore, so I might as well go to back Undergrowth. I¡¯ll get to see my grandparents again and Undergrowth has a better magic academy anyways.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? I probably won¡¯t see you for a while then, huh? I, uh, I wanted to talk to you¡­¡±


    ¡°And now you have,¡± Plum walked away.


    Stryg reached out a hand, ¡°I wanted to see you! I just wanted to see you.¡±


    Plum paused, fidgeted with her glasses, and sighed. She looked back at him, ¡°Is this what you wanted?¡±


    Stryg lowered his hand, he gripped his chest, ¡°No... I. I missed you and it hurt. I just wanted to see my best friend. I knew she was hurting and I wanted to be there. But, I couldn¡¯t, because it was my fault she was in so much pain. Now that I finally get to see you, a chance to try and make things right, I can¡¯t... Seeing you just hurts so much more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always about you, huh? Your suffering, your mistakes, your regrets. There¡¯s nothing you can do to make things right. My mother is gone. As you said, you¡¯re not the only one hurting. You don¡¯t deserve my sympathy.¡±


    He tried swallowing the lump in his throat, ¡°I know I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t deserve a second chance, I get that. You hate me, you probably even want to kill me, I can¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Stryg. I won¡¯t try to kill others in revenge,¡± she spat.


    He nodded, ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense, you always thought differently.¡±


    He looked around the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ve thought a lot about that day, the last time we saw each other. You said this cruel Realm deserves me. Maybe you were right, I think I am suited to survive in this place. But, this Realm and city do not deserve you. You¡¯re too kind for this place.¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°So, if you believe leaving Hollow Shade and going to Undergrowth for the school year will help you clear your mind, then I understand.¡±


    Plum bit her lip, ¡°...My mom was wrong. I heard what happened the day she was arrested. She should have never hurt you, I know that. But, she should have never been punished the way she was, no one should. Still, she was wrong. Stryg, you almost died because of her.¡±


    She wiped the tears around her eyes, ¡°My mom almost killed my best friend. I should have been so angry at her, but when I thought of her all I could think of was her agonizing screams as the shades murdered her¡­ I still do. I was angry at Loh Noir and you. You both ordered her death. Loh is the daughter of a ruling family, going against them in Hollow Shade is suicidal, I knew that, my mind could comprehend it.¡±


    She stepped up to Stryg. ¡°But, you were my best friend. It hurt so much more coming from you. I was so angry with you,¡± she cried.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Byrel was your mother,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    She stepped back, ¡°...More than anyone I was angry at myself. I hate myself for not telling her about you. My mom hated goblins. I didn¡¯t think she would ever approve of our friendship. But, maybe, if I had tried... Maybe there may have been a chance this would never have happened.¡±


    Stryg looked her straight in the eyes, ¡°I would have taken it back. Had I known she was your mother, I would not have let her die. Even if she had tried to kill me, even if she was my enemy. For you, I would have spared anyone.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± she sighed. ¡°I was wrong about you, Stryg. You¡¯re not a monster, but you are broken. My mother was a victim of loss and she used her pain to become another cog in this Realm¡¯s wheel of hatred. I refuse to be a part of this cycle of revenge. I won¡¯t be a monster.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Stryg. When I look at you all I feel is dull pain. I feel stretched thin, hollow inside. Things can never be the way they once were. After everything that¡¯s happened, I don¡¯t think we can be friends, but I choose to not be your enemy... I¡¯m not coming back next year. I don¡¯t plan on ever returning to Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This is goodbye,¡± Plum smiled bitterly.


    The three words wounded him more than any blade or claw ever had.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll come to visit you in Undergrowth,¡± he said weakly.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± she shook her head and began walking away.


    ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t end like this, I don¡¯t want it to.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He smiled half-heartedly. He felt a horrible pain in his chest, rising to the surface, like venom about to burst in his veins.


    ¡°Just because you want something, doesn¡¯t mean the world will bend over backward for you,¡± Plum said bitterly.


    That voice, that gaze of disdain, Stryg knew it too well. He despised it.


    ¡°Well, it should!¡± Stryg screamed. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll be more powerful than you can ever imagine. Then it won¡¯t matter what anyone says, the world will have to listen! I won¡¯t lose anyone ever again. I¡¯ll make them mine. They won¡¯t leave me¡­ not again.¡±


    ¡°You sound like a tyrant.¡±


    ¡°And what if I do, what difference does that make!?¡±


    She scowled, ¡°Tyrants are some of the worst kinds of monsters. Why do you think this Realm is so broken in the first place?¡±


    Stryg laughed bitterly, ¡°The world has always been broken, Plum, that¡¯s nature. I¡¯m tired of you saying otherwise! Your idealistic world isn¡¯t real. The reality is countless people die every single day.¡±


    He pointed a finger at her face, ¡°The world doesn¡¯t care and it never will. If you don¡¯t defend yourself, you¡¯ll just end up being devoured by the strong! Don¡¯t you see? The goal is to be on top of the food chain and only monsters live there.¡±


    He clenched his fist, ¡°We all have pain, but unlike you, I have the conviction to see this to the end. I¡¯ll become whatever monster I need to be to make my tribe the greatest in the Realm. I¡¯ll destroy any who stand in Ebon Hollow¡¯s path.¡±


    He offered his hand, ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to stain your hands with blood to survive, I¡¯ll do it all, so just come with me. Someday, no one will ever try to hurt us again, they won¡¯t even dare to imagine the thought. I won¡¯t leave you to fend for yourself, so, please don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes were full of tears, ¡°I loved you, but you truly are broken if you believe happiness lies through the destruction of others. You may have the will to make your nightmare a reality, but you don¡¯t have the talent. You are no prodigy and I for one am glad for it. The Realm would be worse off with someone like you in power.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that,¡± his voice was raw, his eyes burned in pain.


    Plum looked him straight in the eyes, ¡°I do. Goodbye, Stryg.¡±


    He could do nothing but watch as she left. He felt like the same small goblin that would stand by the Blood Fang¡¯s village entrance every morning, watching the hunters head into the forest, but knowing he would never join them.


    He felt like the life he had begun to build, the idea of what the world could be for him, came crashing down. He was reminded of what it was like to be suddenly so very alone in the dark.


    Rhian trotted up from behind him. ¡°There you are, Master. I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. You suddenly disappeared, I was beginning to wonder if you had ditched me,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg¡¯s ears didn¡¯t register her voice. His focus was entirely on Plum¡¯s blue cloak drifting away. ¡°This isn¡¯t goodbye, I swear it,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Master, were you crying?¡± Rhian asked worriedly.


    Stryg blinked, finally noticing her presence. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he rubbed his eyes.


    Like a spell, the two words wrapped his exposed pain in the familiar shroud of apathy and indifference.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She bent down and studied his pale face.


    ¡°I just want to go home,¡± he sighed.


    Rhian nodded. ¡°We can do that,¡± she said softly.


    She helped him into the saddle and carried him away. She kept looking back at him but stayed quiet. They passed by familiar shops and stalls, the scents of food filled the air, yet none of it seemed to matter to Stryg.


    Once they arrived in the scholar district Rhian made a beeline towards their apartment complex and the stables behind the building. She would normally skip or gallop into the stables with a shout of pride. This time she walked in with a slow, steady canter.


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± Rhian said.


    Gwen, the stablehand, popped out from one of the pens, ¡°Rhian! You¡¯re back! Oh, and Mister Stryg, too, hehe. Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s my favorite stablehand doing?¡± Rhian smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m your favorite?¡± Gwen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m doing great now that you¡¯re here! How can I help?¡±


    Gwen walked around Rhian, inspecting her, ¡°Your coat¡¯s lost some of its shine? Has no one been brushing it? And your hooves, what happened to your beautiful hooves!?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Rhian rolled her eyes.


    Stryg jumped off the saddle, he handed a few gold coins to Gwen, ¡°Please, arrange for a custom bed to be built for Rhian. I want it to be as large and comfortable as possible. Use the rest of the money to get whatever she needs.¡±


    ¡°I swear to Stjerne himself, that it will be done. You can count on it,¡± Gwen placed her hand over her heart.


    ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it,¡± Stryg said coolly. ¡°Rhian, I¡¯ll leave you in Gwen¡¯s care for now. I¡¯m going to head up to the apartment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, call me if anything. I¡¯ll be here if you need me,¡± Rhian gripped his shoulder.


    ¡°Always?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Duh, I¡¯m the centaur extraordinaire,¡± she winked.


    It felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders.


    He managed a weary smile, ¡°Thank you, Rhiannon.¡±


    Stryg left the stables and went up to his apartment. He rummaged through his pocket for his keys. After a moment, he slid the key into the doorknob and pushed. The hinges creaked loudly as the door opened with a sluggish motion.


    Feli was sitting on a chair next to the living room table, writing something down in her journal. Her bright purple hair was tied in a ponytail immaculately, not a single strand astray.


    She looked up at the sound of his entrance, ¡°Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he said quietly.


    Feli dropped her ink pen and rushed towards him. He stood still as she embraced him tightly. Her warmth enveloped him, her hair tickled his face, the familiar scent of strawberries flooded his nostrils. It was as if a bright voice was calling the small goblin out of the darkness.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± She cried out teary-eyed.


    She kissed him on the lips and cheeks. He didn¡¯t move, his body felt numb, slow to react. Feli stepped back to have a good look at him.


    She smiled from ear to ear, ¡°It¡¯s been so boring without you. I have to admit, I even missed your weird antics. How was the trip? You have to tell me everything.¡±


    Her smile fell, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. What happened?¡±


    It only took the four words, the cadence of concern, the trace of love in Feli¡¯s voice, to dispel the shroud of apathy around him. Stryg shivered, he buried his head in her chest and slowly wrapped his arms around her. His shoulders began to shake, he took long ragged breaths. Feli could feel his hot tears smear her chest.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, not anymore.¡±


    She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face into his ashen-grey hair, ¡°Welcome home.¡±

 Chapter 111: The Seven Potentials

    Chapter 111: The Seven Potentials


    Loh barged into the principal¡¯s reception room. She glanced at the vampiress secretary sitting behind her desk. ¡°Is he here?¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Professor Noir. Lord Noir is in his office.¡± The secretary bowed her head and pointed to the door beside her desk.


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Loh pushed the door open with her foot and strode into her grandfather¡¯s office. He was sitting at his desk, sifting through some documents.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally returned, took you long enough,¡± he said without glancing at her.


    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± he looked up. ¡°You are the only one who dares enter my office without knocking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s not afraid of an old man,¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Doubtful.¡± Elzri swiped his finger in the air. The door slammed shut behind her.


    ¡°Neat parlor trick. Do you use it to scare people every time they visit your office?¡±


    ¡°I have no need to scare you. You¡¯re already afraid, it¡¯s why you keep talking rubbish.¡±


    Loh¡¯s lips formed a thin line, but she stayed quiet.


    ¡°Now, if you are quite done with your drivel, tell me why you are here. Otherwise, leave my office, I am busy.¡±


    Loh chuckled, ¡°Ah, right, the new school year starts in a few days. You must be swamped with paperwork. But, then again I¡¯ve always known you to be methodical and practical. You wouldn¡¯t have left so much work for the end. So, what are you really up to?¡±


    Elzri tapped his finger on the desk, ¡°Work. I¡¯m evaluating the incoming 2nd year students. We have lost every single Great Cities Tourney for the past 6 years including this spring¡¯s fiasco. Our constant and complete defeat at the tourney does not just reflect this academy¡¯s failings, but House Noir¡¯s as well. We cannot afford to continue looking weak in front of the entire Realm.¡±


    ¡°And by we, I assume you mean House Noir, not the academy,¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°By we I mean Hollow Shade. If the academy and one of the seven Ruling Families seems weak, then it shows Hollow Shade may not be as impenetrable as she seems. It opens the possibility for dissent within the Realm. We already have the least magi among the Four Great Cities and our relation with Undergrowth is tenuous at best. Imagine what would happen if Frost Rim and Murkton felt the same? How many countless people would suffer if war broke out?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really worried about this aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, these are the sort of worries that a wise family leader must have if they are to lead the people of Hollow Shade. You would do well to learn.¡±


    Loh found herself reluctantly nodding. She cleared her throat, ¡°So, what is the plan then? Train the 3rd-years more thoroughly for the tourney?¡±


    ¡°If only. They¡¯re already a lost cause, their skills are dismally average. The four magi the Great Cities send to the tourney are expected to be the best of their generation, true talents whose abilities surpass all those around them. Our 3rd-years are nothing of the sort. If we had more time, then perhaps we might have come up with something, but it¡¯s too late for them.¡±


    Loh sat down on a chair in front of Elzri¡¯s desk. ¡°So, what? We¡¯re just expected to lose the tourney again?¡±


    Elzri leaned back in his own chair, ¡°Basically, yes. We¡¯ll be sending them into the dragon''s den so-to-speak.¡±


    ¡°Wow, great plan, gramps.¡±


    ¡°My plan threw the 3rd-years out of the equation long ago. Our focus must now be on the 2nd-years. A few of them have shown promise and we still have time. We¡¯ll single out the best among their year, then we¡¯ll place the chosen few in the same class and give them more training and attention. Ideally, they will be ready to obtain victory by the end of their third year.¡±


    ¡°The plan seems solid enough. Have you managed to figure out which students to focus on?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°So far I have singled out seven students among the 2nd-year class. Strangely, six of them seem to have been in the same class last year, class 1-C.¡± Elzri pointed to the sheets of paper on the desk.


    ¡°That¡¯s Stryg¡¯s class.¡±


    ¡°Yes, an odd coincidence to say the least. Or perhaps fate has her hand in our affairs.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go down that route. I¡¯m not up for a philosophical debate,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Neither am I.¡± He lifted the first sheet, ¡°The first of the potentials is a brown mage, an orc by the name of Kegrog. In terms of magic he is the least promising of the group, but we have little to work with.¡±


    ¡°I remember him, big fella. I don¡¯t recall being impressed by his magic at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it isn¡¯t. He has done well in his classes and his spellcasting has improved, but it''s nothing out of the ordinary. Still, barring dires, he is one of the largest orcs I¡¯ve ever seen. Only Lord Katag is larger and that man may as well be a dire orc. Kegrog¡¯s size coupled with chromatic brown¡¯s vigor spell-form will prove a useful combination in battle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s if he can actually put that strength to use. Last I checked, he simply relied on his brute strength in hand-to-hand combat, there was no real semblance of martial arts.¡±


    Elzri smiled, ¡°Kegrog takes a few archery classes in the martial academy during his spare time. I wondered how he managed to afford this while only being a commoner. It turns out he has a scholarship with them. The martial academy really wanted him as one of their students. You see, Kegrog was the only participant in the last twenty years to score a perfect 10 in their archery examination.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± Loh whistled.


    ¡°We have been training Kegrog wrong. Starting this year we will have him focus more on ranged combat, not melee. We¡¯ll also help him improve his vigor spell-form over his enchanting. Lastly, Kegrog will be allowed to continue to attend his archery classes in the martial academy.¡±


    ¡°In other words, we¡¯re raising one of the most potentially dangerous snipers in all the Ebon Realm, perfect.¡±


    Elzri raised his index finger, ¡°He¡¯s only the first of our potentials. The next two are scions from Ruling Families. Freya Goldelm and Callum Veres. Freya wasn¡¯t born with the Goldelm¡¯s iconic brown magic, but she is a dual manifold mage. Her orange and white magic is among the top of her classes.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ezlri handed Loh a few of the student profiles, ¡°Callum also does not have his family¡¯s iconic black magic, nor has the hybrid vampire shown any notable mutations. Even his red magic did not seem particularly promising. Fortunately, Callum¡¯s talent in white magic rivals Freya¡¯s. With the proper training he could prove to be a powerful mage.¡±


    ¡°I guess we lucked out in having two children from the Ruling Families,¡± Loh read over their profiles.


    ¡°Our luck does not end with the aristocrats. We have a very peculiar commoner, a dwarf by the name of Kithina. At first glance she seems to be a simple chromatic yellow. To her credit, her spellcasting is well above the average, just not as skilled as Freya. However, Kithina has shown a very interesting trait. She is able to multicast two spells at once.¡±


    ¡°I remember. When I first saw her multicast, I was stunned,¡± Loh nodded.


    ¡°Only magi who have attained the rank of master can reliably multicast and this girl isn¡¯t even an adept yet. I have high hopes for her.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Any other uniquely talented magi I should know about?¡±


    ¡°You tell me. What is your opinion on the human Nora Azol?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Well, she is horrid in combat. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s yet to win a single one-on-one duel in any of my classes. Though, in group battles, when her teammates were placed in danger, she showed a remarkable level of prowess and sheer will. Her torrent spells would suddenly rise in power, one time she even managed to create water, not simply manipulate it.¡±


    ¡°No small feat for a novice blue mage,¡± Elzri wrote something down in his ledger.


    ¡°That leaves two people. I think I can guess who you had in mind,¡± she smiled wryly.


    Elzri clasped his hands, ¡°The Gale family¡¯s renown is understated in my opinion. Clypeus is only 19, yet he is already a swordmaster. He is also at the top of every single one of his classes and his green and yellow magical skills are well beyond the rest of his classmates. Clypeus Gale is without a doubt a true talent, a future mage lord in the making.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Clypeus has great potential. I don¡¯t doubt he¡¯ll be leading our tourney¡¯s chosen four next year.¡± Loh sifted through the sheets, ¡°There is only one 2nd year whose skill rival¡¯s Clypeus¡¯ own.¡±


    Elzri pulled the last sheet among his stack of papers, ¡°You mean our secret prodigy? I¡¯ve been meaning to discuss that matter with you. After reviewing Stryg¡¯s records I came to a few conclusions. The first being, despite his obvious magical talent, he is not skilled in every spell-form, as evidenced in his abysmal necromancy scores.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he struggled with that,¡± Loh admitted.


    ¡°Yet he managed to still score top grades in the class thanks to his overwhelming skill with the shadow spell-form. From what you¡¯ve told me he also excelled in drain spells. Have you begun training him in the other grey spell-form?¡±


    ¡°No. I decided to wait until we got back to the academy before teaching him curse spells. Our library has ample information regarding the arcane language. It¡¯ll take some time learning and writing the arcane words, but I have no doubt that Stryg will manage.¡±


    ¡°What of his orange magic?¡±


    Loh shrugged, ¡°Honestly? The kid¡¯s talent shows, he is a natural. More than that, I don¡¯t think there is any 2nd-year chromatic orange who can challenge him. Hell, I¡¯m not sure there are any 3rd-years who can.¡±


    Elzri tapped his fingers on the table in thought, ¡°We already knew he scored dark in each chromatic color, but it is good to hear he has shown proficient aptitude nonetheless. From what you¡¯ve told me, the goblin hybrid has several powerful mutations, ranging from physical strength to heightened senses and durability, and even rapid healing. I¡¯ve never seen a hybrid with so many mutations. It¡¯s already very rare to see a hybrid with a single mutation, let alone half a dozen.¡±


    ¡°True. Stryg¡¯s magical and physical traits could make him one of the most powerful magi in the Realm, maybe even stronger than you,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what worries me, Loh. That boy has gifts beyond exceptional. That¡¯s why I read every single note his professors remarked about him and my conclusions were not promising. Stryg has shown time after time aggressive tendencies, an inability to work with others, and a lack of empathy bordering on sociopathic inclinations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Stryg is not a sociopath,¡± Loh laughed. ¡°He¡¯s from a Sylvan tribe, the most war-like people in the Realm... From the stories he¡¯s told me it sounds like he was abused and neglected growing up and Stryg doesn¡¯t even realize it! He isn¡¯t a monster, he¡¯s just... damaged and maybe a bit awkward.¡±


    ¡°Do not let your own feelings of the past cloud your opinion of the boy. Childhood damage can warp people in ways one would not expect, we both know this to be true.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Stryg one day could hold great influence and power within this Realm. You asked for my help because you wish for that power to not endanger our people. But, if Stryg turns out unwittingly to be a danger to the Realm, how would you stop him?¡±


    ¡°Stryg would never be a threat to us.¡±


    ¡°Loh, consider all the possibilities.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. ¡°For sake of argument, if a person with Stryg¡¯s abilities were to become our enemy, then we¡¯d handle him the same way anyone handles a more powerful opponent, in large numbers.¡±


    ¡°You forget what his power signifies. Who is to say he won¡¯t have powerful allies willing to protect him? To use him for their own gain?¡±


    Loh shook her head, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s assume everything we do from this point on fails spectacularly and Stryg becomes a threat to Hollow Shade. Even if all else fails, he would eventually be defeated the same way every powerful mage who wasn¡¯t killed by his enemies were. Time. No one is immortal, give them two hundred years at best and they die like anyone else.¡±


    ¡°That is a defeatist mentality, Loh. I taught you better than that.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just not paranoid enough to believe my own apprentice wants to kill us all. He¡¯s a good kid at heart... unlike most of us.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. But, good people can break like any other. Also, you did not consider Stryg¡¯s incredibly rare healing mutation. That alone will most likely grant him a longer lifespan than any of us. Who knows how long he could live, 300 years, 400?¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your point?¡± She furrowed her brow.


    ¡°My point is we need to be careful on how we proceed with your apprentice. Stryg should stay hidden until he is ready to face the world¡¯s dangers, I¡¯m not sure the tourney is the best place for him. Sending him to Undergrowth for the tourney next year may not be very prudent. The last thing we want is war with the other Great Cities.¡±


    Loh shook her head, ¡°Stryg is more than capable of staying out of trouble when he wants to. I trust Stryg and I believe in him. If you trust me then trust him. In other words, do me a favor and stop worrying so much. What¡¯s more important right now is finding him suitable teachers to train him in his other chromatic colors. Without proper control he risks exposing his abilities by accident.¡±


    ¡°Finding the right teachers has proven a more difficult task than I previously believed. Still, I have managed to find three. I would have had four, there was one promising high-master green mage in Undergrowth, but House Thorn got in my way and got to her first.¡±


    ¡°Figures, the Thorns are always getting in the way,¡± Loh grumbled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame them, Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families did take their rightful legacy. Not that it matters, I think all seven Ruling Families would agree they would do it again if given the chance.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Loh laughed. ¡°Did you even find any promising teachers who can keep a secret and are actually loyal?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Elzri waved his hand, the door swung open. ¡°You can bring him in now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± the secretary nodded from her desk. She got up and left.


    ¡°You knew I was coming?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I had some watchers placed at the major gates of the city, so yes, I did,¡± he smiled.


    The secretary returned a moment later. She stood next to the doorway and bowed, ¡°I have brought him as requested.¡±


    A handsome drow dressed in a dark purple jacket walked in, ¡°Good afternoon, Lord Elzri.¡± He glanced over, ¡°Hello, Loh, you¡¯re as beautiful as ever.¡±


    She slowly turned to her smiling grandfather, Bastard.


    Loh took a deep breath and stood up, ¡°Hello, Vayu.¡±


    ~~~


    Feli slipped under the blankets and found Stryg¡¯s sleeping face next to her. She poked him in the cheek. His closed eyes scrunched up, his brow furrowed, and his mouth twisted.


    Feli giggled, ¡°Wake up, sleepyhead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± he mumbled.


    Stryg pulled the naked Feli closer and nestled his head between her breasts.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay like this forever, you know,¡± she played with his long hair.


    ¡°Why not? I like it here.¡±


    ¡°Because there is something I need to tell you.¡±


    He cracked one lilac eye open, ¡°Which is?¡±


    Her lips curled, ¡°Happy Birthday, Stryg.¡±

 Chapter 112: Out in the City

    Chapter 112: Out in the City


    ¡°Birthday?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    He had forgotten. So much had happened the past year, his age had not been much of a concern. In fact, after seeing Plum a few days ago all he wanted to do was forget about the past. He rather focus on what was in front of him, in this case, a purple haired beauty.


    ¡°Yeah, you told me you were born on the new moon of the ninth lunar cycle of the year. Most people just use a calendar to keep track, but the point is it¡¯s your birthday. I figured we should go out and celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Celebrate? What are you talking about?¡± Stryg nestled closer to her, enjoying her warmth.


    ¡°Do Sylvan folk not celebrate birthdays?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Not really. We simply keep track of our age. When someone becomes 18 we welcome them into the tribe as an adult and place them in their first night challenge.¡±


    ¡°Challenge? As in a fight? You guys celebrate with a fight? Why would I expect anything else,¡± Feli sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just fighting. If the challenger wins the duel their opponent will usually find them worthy and mate with them.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s fighting and kinky rough sex, got it. That¡¯s so much better,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°Well, what do humans do for birthdays?¡± Stryg¡¯s hands began to wander about.


    ¡°You mean what does everyone else besides Sylvan folk do? I¡¯m so glad you asked, because I have the whole day planned out.¡± She scooched deeper under the covers until her face was between Stryg¡¯s legs.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just leave it all to me, I¡¯ll take care of everything. All you have to do today is relax and enjoy,¡± she smirked.


    Stryg¡¯s last traces of sleep slipped away as Feli dove right in.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem too difficult,¡± he ran his fingers through her hair.


    ~~~


    They spent the morning in bed exploring each other¡¯s body. They knew the details well, but after so long apart the couple was more than happy to become reacquainted. As usual, Stryg was rough in bed, but Feli noticed there was a tenderness, a faint trace of openness and vulnerability that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    Once Feli surrendered to exhaustion they took a bath together, in which Stryg refused her surrender and continued where they had left off. After an hour in the bathtub, they eventually declared themselves clean. They dressed each other, with Stryg taking a suspiciously long time putting on Feli¡¯s lingerie.


    Afterwards, Feli took him by the hand and led him to the stables. Gwen was there, directing a few men carrying an enormous bed. Rhian stood nearby watching them with an air of judgement.


    ¡°How about over there?¡± Gwen asked.


    ¡°Hmm, not quite,¡± Rhian shook her head.


    ¡°Of course, what was I thinking, silly me,¡± Gwen laughed at herself. She turned to the workers, ¡°Try a little more to the left. Remember, this has to be perfect.¡±


    The workers nodded and moved the bed to the left.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Feli whispered.


    ¡°What I asked,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Rhian, good morning,¡± he waved.


    ¡°Good morning you two!¡± Rhian trotted over with a happy bounce to her step.


    ¡°I see Gwen did not waste any time. That¡¯s good. How do you like the bed?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I love it! Turns out there¡¯s this shop in the Night District that specializes in custom beds. This bed was originally commissioned for some woman¡¯s paramours I think, but she ended up commissioning an even larger one. Which left this bed open for sale just waiting for the perfect centaur, me.¡± Rhian dramatically dusted off her shoulders.


    ¡°I can tell,¡± Feli giggled.


    ¡°Now if they could only get the bed in the right angle it would all be perfect. Anyway, how are you two doing?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been worse, but I¡¯m doing better,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°What he means to say is it¡¯s his birthday,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Really!? Happy Birthday!¡± Rhian reached down and hugged a surprised Stryg.


    ¡°Thanks?¡± His voice came out muffled, his head squashed between her colossal bust.


    ¡°I was hoping you could take us into the Trade District, get some lunch and do a bit of shopping?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Finally, something that doesn¡¯t require risking my life in battle. I¡¯m in,¡± Rhian released Stryg and turned to her personal stablehand. ¡°Gwen! I¡¯m heading out, prepare my saddle.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Rhiannon!¡± Gwen dashed away without a second thought.


    The workers frowned as they were left holding the large bed.


    Gwen rushed back within a moment and began saddling Rhian with an expert¡¯s hand. She fussed over each strap and asked if the centaur was comfortable. The whole affair looked bothersome to Stryg, but Rhian seemed to enjoy it.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, well done, Gwen,¡± Rhian patted her shoulder.


    ¡°U-uh, um, t-thank you so much. I promise to even work harder, you won¡¯t be disappointed!¡± Gwen blushed.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you,¡± Rhian winked. ¡°Okay, my dear riders, I¡¯m ready to go.¡±


    ¡°About that, this will be my first time actually riding a centaur. I¡¯m a little nervous. And are you sure we won¡¯t be too heavy for you? You and I both know Stryg may not look it, but he¡¯s quite heavy,¡± Feli pointed out.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I know right! He¡¯s so small, but he¡¯s so fat,¡± Rhian groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fat,¡± Stryg said indignantly. He pulled up his shirt and pointed to his lean abdomen.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how hard it is to sleep,¡± Feli groaned dramatically. ¡°Sometimes, while he¡¯s asleep, Stryg will crawl on top of me. It¡¯s like having a bear on my chest. Other times he¡¯ll wrap his arms around me and hold me tight. His arms won¡¯t budge at all, I can barely breathe, let alone move.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it, one time he bit my waist while he was sleeping next to me! I mean who does that!? His teeth literally sank right through my jacket. I had a mark for weeks,¡± Rhian shook her head.


    ¡°Girl, you wouldn¡¯t believe how many hickies I have under my clothes right now,¡± Feli wrapped her arms around herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fat,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t worry about the weight. I¡¯ve grown used to carrying Master and I don¡¯t doubt you weigh less than our usual traveling supplies. Hop on,¡± Rhian kneeled in front of them.


    Stryg stepped up onto one of the stirrups. He turned around and grabbed Feli by the waist. She gasped softly as he lifted her up with ease and placed her in the saddle. He sat in front of her and tilted his head back. His head resting on her chest, his eyes looked up straight into her face.


    ¡°Are you comfortable?¡± He asked.


    Feli wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head down, her face barely an inch from his own. ¡°Now I am.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Okay, lovebirds, off we go,¡± Rhian stood up and cantered away.


    Feli yelled in delight as she ran past the stable. ¡°She¡¯s so fast!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going slow,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Hehe, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet,¡± Rhian stretched her arms and cracked her neck.


    ¡°Gods, please no,¡± Stryg gripped Feli¡¯s arms tightly.


    Feli furrowed her brow, ¡°Huh, what do you me-¡±


    She screamed as Rhian charged down the street, leaping past the apartment gate entirely.


    ~~~


    ¡°So, what exactly are we doing here?¡± Stryg took a step back.


    ¡°Relax. Your hair has grown a bit unruly,¡± Feli massaged his shoulders from behind.


    Rhian sipped her hot cocoa, ¡°What she means is that your hair looks like a stack of white hay after a tornado flew past. It¡¯s ugly. That¡¯s what I''m trying to get at. It¡¯s ugly... Uh-uh, I don¡¯t like that face, Master. That¡¯s the bite you face. I didn¡¯t do anything, I just relayed what Mistress was saying.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me, Feli. We¡¯re family after all,¡± she smiled.


    Rhian¡¯s eyes widened, there might have even been a tear in the corner. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s so sweet.¡± Rhian pointed at her face, ¡°It¡¯s all Feli¡¯s fault, bite her!¡±


    ¡°Not the response I expected,¡± Feli pursed her lips.


    ¡°Why does your hair look nice and mine looks bad? We both were traveling together these past few months,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    Rhian whipped her raven-black hair through the air, ¡°That¡¯s because I care about my appearance. That and I went to a spa with Gwen yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Is that what spas do? Fix up your hair? Is my hair really that bad? Should I go to a spa?¡± Stryg grabbed a few strands of his hair.


    ¡°You look fine, honey. I just wanted to give you the premium care you deserve for your birthday,¡± Feli kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Is that why we¡¯re in front of this¡­ Salon?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Bingo, now, come on,¡± Feli pushed him inside.


    A young human with one of the most eloquent beards Stryg had ever seen sat a table nearby, polishing his equipment.


    He looked up as the group entered, ¡°Hey, Feli, darling! Are you here for a touch up on your roots? We just got a new shipment of potion dyes from the White Rose Cauldron.¡±


    ¡°Not today. I¡¯m actually here for my fianc¨¦. I want you to meet, Stryg,¡± Feli stepped aside.


    ¡°Oh, so this is the famous mystery man. I¡¯ve heard so much about you. You¡¯re a hotshot mage, right?¡± The human walked over.


    ¡°Who are you and why do you call Feli darling? She¡¯s mine,¡± Stryg pulled her close to him.


    ¡°Stryg, he¡¯s my hair stylist and one of the best in the business. He¡¯s also a good friend, so please, play nice,¡± Feli whispered.


    The man smiled, ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Mister Stryg. I¡¯m not interested in women. Now, why don¡¯t you take a seat over here and let us see exactly what we¡¯re working with.¡±


    ¡°I thought humans disliked people with such interests?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Is he always this straight forward?¡± The hair stylist asked.


    ¡°To a fault,¡± Feli admitted.


    ¡°He can be pretty rude too,¡± Rhian said through the doorway.


    Stryg made a mental note to bite Rhian when they got home. He would take his sweet time choosing where.


    The hair stylist¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. Please, come in Miss.¡±


    Rhian ducked under the doorway and stepped inside, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Your hair, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± he walked up to the centaur.


    ¡°Thank you, I did just go to a spa,¡± she fluttered her eyes and posed.


    ¡°No potion could make one¡¯s hair this silky smooth. This is the work of your natural hair,¡± the hair stylist said in awe.


    ¡°Well, I have been told I am the best,¡± Rhian laughed whole-heartedly.


    ¡°She is my centaur after all,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°You''re encouraging this?¡± Feli asked.


    The hair stylist stepped away from Rhian, ¡°Well, to answer your question, Mister Stryg. Many humans judge me for whom I choose to love, but none of them can deny my skills with the scissors. Hence, why I¡¯m still in business. I don¡¯t mind what others think, so long as the ones I care about accept me for who I am.¡±


    ¡°Those you care about? I never thought of it that way,¡± Stryg said slowly.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you take a seat, and I can regale you with more of my fascinating life as a commoner,¡± he laughed.


    Stryg followed the suggestion and sat down, ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now we take a look at what we¡¯re working with,¡± the hair stylist gently pulled strands of Stryg¡¯s hair here and there.


    Stryg felt uncomfortable at a stranger touching his hair, but Feli held his hand, which strangely made him feel better.


    ¡°Huh, I see the issue. Your hair has grown entangled. Not to worry, I can take care of that fairly easily. Fascinating, is the color natural?¡± The hair stylist asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like a dark elf¡¯s hair,¡± Feli took a seat next to Stryg.


    ¡°Mm, this is more optimal. I¡¯ve worked with plenty of dark elves. Their hair is pale or dark grey. Mister Stryg¡¯s hair is similar, but the shades are different, which of course is to be expected. Still, if you look closely, do you see how the light catches within the strands? His hair shines like silver, a metallic sheen almost.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Stryg asked.


    The hair stylist spoke as he worked, ¡°Not at all. If anything I¡¯d say your hair is what most dark elves try to achieve. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many dark elves come in asking for your kind of hair.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Master¡¯s hair is wonderful,¡± Rhian grinned.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± Feli said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Stryg glanced at her.


    ¡°Well, you told me you don¡¯t see Rhian as a pet, but as part of our tribe, yes?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°So, why does she still call you Master?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°I don¡¯t know, because it sounds nice?¡±


    ¡°Kinky maid play, I like it,¡± the hair stylist laughed.


    ¡°Ugh, should have guessed,¡± Feli rolled her eyes.


    Rhian looked herself over, ¡°How would I look in maid clothes? Hmm. Master, can we go buy some maid clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg said without hesitance.


    ¡°Do you even know what maids are?¡± Feli crossed her arms.


    ¡°No, but from everyone¡¯s reactions I get the feeling I¡¯ll like them,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done disentangling. Time to actually cut some hair,¡± the hair stylist said.


    ¡°Cut?¡± Stryg frowned.


    The hair stylist pulled out a pair of scissors.


    Stryg stared at the sharp foreign object, ¡°...What the fuck is that?¡±

 Chapter 113: Happy Birthday!

    Chapter 113: Happy Birthday!


    Stryg got on all fours on top of the chair and hissed at the hair stylist. The human backed away in fear.


    ¡°Calm down, honey! He¡¯s just trying to make your hair look nice,¡± Feli opened her arms wide and stepped in between them.


    ¡°With those weird looking blades?! They didn¡¯t cut Rhian¡¯s hair to make her hair look nice,¡± Stryg glanced at the centaur.


    ¡°True, but you¡¯re different¡­.¡± Feli trailed off.


    ¡°Why, because I¡¯m a goblin? A hybrid?¡± Stryg glared at her.


    Feli crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, ¡°I was going to say because you¡¯re a guy. Most men like their hair at shoulder length at most. But, I just realized I¡¯m not quite sure how long you like your¡¯s.¡±


    Stryg sat back on his haunches, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Can you just trust me for a bit? We¡¯ll make it easy. How about we just do a bit of a trim,¡± Feli grabbed his hand.


    ¡°...I do trust you,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°I just don¡¯t trust this other human.¡± He pulled a dagger from under his sleeve and tossed it to Rhian, ¡°If the hair stylist looks like he is going to maim me even a slightest bit, I want you to slit his throat.¡±


    Rhian fumbled with the dagger and tried catching it.


    ¡°This is an official order from your chief, there can be no hesitance,¡± Stryg said sternly.


    ¡°I shall not fail you!¡± Rhian stood at attention and saluted. Her eyes darkened as she stared at the hair stylist with killer intent.


    The man swallowed in fear.


    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Feli bit her lip and looked away.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. I always assumed magi lived differently to us. I guess I wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± the hair stylist tried forcing a smile.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Stryg sat back on the chair.


    The hair stylist walked back to Stryg, scissors in hand. Rhian stepped up right behind him, dagger pointed right at the stylist¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Just a trim then?¡± The stylist¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯d be fine,¡± Feli sighed.


    ~~~


    Stryg took a deep breath of relief as he stepped out of the salon. The whole experience had been stressful. Having a complete stranger hold a sharp blade near his head and facing his back no less. There was literally no better way to backstab someone.


    Back in the Blood Fang village the Mothers would cut the hair of the tribe members, with a thin sharp blade. First Mother always insisted on cutting his hair, which would have been nice, since she had the steadiest hand of all. However, it simply turned out she just didn¡¯t want the other Mothers to be infected with his misfortune and bad omen-hood.


    During each haircut First Mother would question him about his daily life, as if hoping he would incriminate himself from some blunder he had done. Which, to be fair, he had, the first few times. That woman had been merciless in her beatings. Stryg learned very quickly to be very careful with his words around the Mothers, especially the First.


    Stryg sighed, not that it did him any good in the long run. He was still exiled and First Mother wanted his head.


    ¡°Cheer up, Master. I think your hair looks nice,¡± Rhian bumped his shoulder with one of her legs.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, thanks,¡± Stryg smiled weakly.


    His grey hair had been trimmed to a little below his ear. It shined a soft silver in the sunlight. The back of the hair had been tied in a small ponytail with a bright blue ribbon.


    Feli hugged from behind, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just too cute!¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, I¡¯m not cute,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯ll never be enough,¡± Feli nudged his ear.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°Shopping of course! We need to get Stryg something nice to wear and you need an entire new wardrobe,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Me!?¡± Rhian pointed at herself in shock.


    ¡°Duh. Stryg may be a bit of a bumpkin when it comes to fashion and so many other things, but I¡¯m not. I refuse to let you keep walking around with only a simple grey jacket.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Rhian blinked.


    ¡°What¡¯s a bumpkin?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a pumpkin,¡± Feli skipped down the street.


    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± He chased after her.


    ~~~


    They spent the rest of the afternoon visiting different shops in the trade district. Feli took Rhian to several stores that specialized in centaur clothes. They bought Rhian various sets of clothing, ranging from travel wear, to long fancy dresses that fell to her ankles. When Rhian spotted the maid accessory store she insisted on getting her own maid set. Feli wasn¡¯t very keen on the idea, but Stryg bought three sets without any hesitance.


    Rhian put on one pair as soon as Stryg paid. The black dress and white apron with endless frills was completely impractical. He could see no way that the dress would serve well in battle. Still, the way the dress pushed up and cupped Rhian¡¯s bust was a sight he could get used to.


    His next decision was born out of pure curiosity, or so he said. He bought Feli her own set of maid attire. She didn¡¯t wish to put it on at the time, but she promised she would wear it when they were alone at home. It was enough for him.


    As for Stryg, Feli picked out a long white jacket with silver finishings. She also bought him a silk blue shirt and a tight fitting pair of grey pants, tied with a wide black belt and a silver buckle. She finished the ensemble off with a pair of tall black boots. She insisted Stryg wear his new clothes right away, to which he reluctantly agreed after she kissed him repeatedly.


    The sun was beginning to set by the time they finished shopping.


    ¡°Time to head home,¡± Stryg stretched.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one more stop,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Feli led the trio down through the streets until they found themselves in front of the Merry Crescent tavern. Strangely, no light was coming from the windows, nor was there any of the usual bustling of laughter coming from inside. Stryg tilted his head, he could clearly hear the breathing of dozens of people inside.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Feli grabbed his hand.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Rhian followed behind.


    Feli paused right before they entered. ¡°Oh and please, whatever happens, don¡¯t freak out and attack people, okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just trust me,¡± Feli smiled.


    She pulled him along. As soon as Stryg walked into the tavern a group of people jumped out from behind the tables. The candles were uncovered, illuminating the entire tavern in an instant.


    ¡°Happy Birthday!¡± The group shouted in unison.


    Stryg was stunned. He looked around the group as they began singing a cheery tune. Rorik the drow captain of the guard held his mug up high as he hollered Stryg¡¯s name over and over again. The barmaid Carla held up a sign that said Happy Birthday! in common tongue. Stryg wondered briefly how she had written it, since commoners couldn¡¯t actually read or write in common tongue.


    The mystery was quickly resolved when he spotted Callum Veres in the crowd holding a paintbrush, still wet with blue paint. Nora Azol and Clypeus Gale were here as well, clapping to the rhythm of the music. As the song reached its crescendo the crowd parted in the middle. The goblin acolyte Karen and Stryg¡¯s dwarf classmate Kithina carried a large cake between their hands. Nineteen lit candles sat shining brightly on the cake.


    ¡°Surprise!¡± Feli laughed giddily.


    ¡°What.. W-what is all of this?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°I told you this morning, I¡¯d take care of everything,¡± Feli kissed him.


    Stryg stared at the cake and fidgeted about. No one had ever done something like this for him before. A rush of strange emotions swam through his chest. Everyone was looking at him expectantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to blow on it. Make sure to put out all the candles at once,¡± Rhian leaned down and whispered.


    ¡°O-oh.¡± Stryg took a deep breath and blew out the candles as hard as he could.


    A small blast of wind extinguished the candle flames and went on to blow some of the cake¡¯s frosting right into Karen¡¯s and Kithina¡¯s faces. The crowd laughed, Kithina groaned, Clypeus furrowed his brow.


    Stryg¡¯s throat burned, he could feel the aftershock of the miscast run through his body. Had he just accidentally cast a minor wind spell? He felt light-headed.


    ¡°Master, you okay?¡± Rhian placed a hand on his shoulder.


    He was grateful, it was the only thing keeping him from tipping over like an idiot in front of everyone.


    ¡°I just need to sit down for a bit,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Say no more.¡±


    Rhian helped him to a seat. Feli sat next to him. Carla brought mugs filled to the brim and an assortment of hot dishes. The tavern goers took the barmaid¡¯s actions as a sign for the festivities to truly begin. Everyone cheered and began to drink in full.


    Karen joined them at the table, ¡°Happy Birthday! How¡¯s life been treating you these past few months, Stryg?¡±


    He pointedly looked around, ¡°Not bad. You?¡±


    Karen sighed into her mug, ¡°My parents still don¡¯t talk to me.¡± She shook her head, ¡°But, it¡¯s not all bad. I got a chance to talk to my lil sis, Sophi. She¡¯s doing well, thanks to you. In other news, I found this dumb human wandering the streets at night. My temple picked him up before the sentinels found him. He¡¯s doing odd jobs around the temple for us now in exchange for room and board. Which means I¡¯ve got less work now, so that¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°Your temple tribe seems to be growing,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Meh, something like that,¡± Karen chuckled.


    Callum sat across from Stryg, ¡°Happy birthday my fellow hybrid and welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s good to be back,¡± he found himself smiling.


    Kithina wiped her face with a towel before taking a seat next to Callum. ¡°You just couldn¡¯t hold back, could ya, Stryg? What kind of steel lungs do you have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I would like to know,¡± Clypeus sat down. He made a brief nod to Callum and turned back to Stryg. ¡°So, what¡¯s your secret?¡±


    ¡°I ask myself the same thing everyday,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Good evening, thanks for the invite,¡± Nora sat down. ¡°I¡¯m glad I came. I realized I never got a chance to apologize and thank you.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°...I insulted you and questioned your honor back in Mellow Bloom. I thought you cruel and dangerous. Yet, you risked your life to save Maeve¡¯s when I couldn¡¯t. For that I¡¯ll forever be grateful,¡± Nora bowed deeply.


    ¡°I thought Maeve was Clypeus,¡± Stryg took a sip of ale.


    Clypeus laughed, ¡°Then you have my gratitude as well. I still can¡¯t believe you managed to take down a seregulus by yourself, especially with your bare hands.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? What exactly happened during your trip?¡± Callum kept glancing between them.


    ¡°You did what now?¡± Feli frowned.


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°Clypeus, Nora, how did you two even hear about this? You¡¯ve never met Feli before.¡±


    ¡°The most wonderful of centaurs told us about your birthday party,¡± Nora smiled brightly.


    ¡°Rhiannon invited us,¡± Clypeus said.


    Stryg glanced at Rhian dancing around the tavern with two mugs in hand. She laughed brightly as people watched in delight. Maybe Stryg wouldn¡¯t bite her tonight, after all. Her chest bounced up and down as she danced. Then again...


    ¡°Can we get back to the part about killing an extremely dangerous predator with your bare hands?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s Stryg we¡¯re talking about. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he just bit the thing to death,¡± Kithina shook her head.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to know what happened, too,¡± Feli said in a cold tone.


    ¡°Um¡­ you see¡­ How about a toast, yeah?¡± Stryg raised his mug.


    ¡°How about no?¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°Three cheers for the Merry Crescent¡¯s premier mage!¡± Rorik strolled over and clinked mugs with Stryg.


    The whole tavern shouted in unison, mugs held high. Feli grumbled under her breath.


    Stryg grabbed her hand, ¡°So, you set this all up for me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Feli looked into his eyes, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know how to respond. He had always felt inadequate, never enough for those around. Even with his magic, he was never enough, he felt like he was always failing Loh.


    Stryg would never have thought someone would go out of their way like this for him. Never would he have believed he was enough. Yet, the way Feli stared at him made him feel, that perhaps, just maybe, he was.


    ¡°When is your birthday, anyway?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. It already past this year,¡± Feli waved her hand, as if to dispel the entire conversation.


    ¡°What? When? Tell me.¡±


    Feli played with her purple hair, ¡°Well, it was the day of the Festival of the Gods. You were still recovering from your injuries from the fall and you were dealing with a lot. I didn¡¯t want to complicate things. Since you were already going to the festival, I thought I might as well tag along, keep things on the simple side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you two were alone that day,¡± Kithina said in realization.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you wanted to go out so badly,¡± Stryg muttered. You just wanted to spend some time with me on your birthday.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter like that,¡± Feli shrugged.


    Stryg looked at Feli, truly looked at her. Not the curves and face that people fell for, but the woman sitting next to him. Of what she must have lost these past years living in this city that was cruel to the small and weak. Of all the things she must have compromised, she had chosen Stryg, a complete stranger as her fianc¨¦, after all.


    Feli had given up her body and time to him in exchange for survival in a city that would have eventually swallowed her whole, not a trace of her existence left behind. She should have hated him or at best be apathetic towards his struggles. They were essentially just in an arranged marriage.


    And yet, she went out of her way to spend time with him, cared for him when he was at his lowest. She had always been a loyal friend and caring partner no matter his antics or confusions. Before he had left, she even opened herself up and told him she loved him.


    Stryg realized three things at the moment. The first was that he was incredibly lucky to have found Feli in this city of hundreds of thousands. Two broken people who somehow managed to find one another and find that their cracks somehow fit.


    The second realization was that he didn¡¯t deserve Feli. Many others would have found Stryg¡¯s behavior not simply unusual, but repulsive. Feli had embraced him and learned to accept each aspect she discovered. It was strange, but Feli did not turn away from him. Plum had, but Stryg had this strange certainty in his gut that Feli would stand by him to the end.


    The last realization was the most profound yet simplest of all. He didn¡¯t quite understand it, but he knew it to be true. How had he not seen it before?


    Stryg clasped Feli¡¯s hands, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Callum whistled. Karen smiled. Clypeus grinned. Nora screamed in a high-pitch voice and clapped her hands. Kithina was still busy cleaning frosting off her face.


    Feli¡¯s face reddened, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to confess in front of everyone like this.¡±


    ¡°Marry me,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°...You really mean it this time don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Feli leaned in and kissed him.


    The table erupted in shouts of congratulations.


    ¡°As a priestess of the four ebon gods, I give you my blessing,¡± Karen patted both their shoulders.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get married in a tavern, though,¡± Feli giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a date that works for both of you. Although, technically I¡¯m still an acolyte so I can¡¯t actually officiate the wedding,¡± Karen smiled wryly.


    Rorik wiped a tear.


    ¡°Are you crying, Rorik?!¡± Carla asked.


    ¡°Shuddap!¡± The captain sniffed. ¡°Three cheers for Stryg and our beloved Feli!¡±


    The tavern¡¯s voices rang out in cheers.

 Chapter 114: Back to School

    Chapter 114: Back to School


    Tauri, daughter of House Katag, manifold master mage, and professor of Hollow Shade¡¯s magic academy, found herself waiting on one of her students on the first day of class. Someone in her position would normally have people waiting hand and foot for whatever she desired and yet here Tauri was, waiting for Loh¡¯s apprentice.


    Tauri glanced around at class 2-A. There were about two dozen students in class. Everyone stood around the academy¡¯s track, waiting for class to begin. It was already a little past eight in the morning, Stryg should have been here by now. Tauri would have started without him, but the principal had given her specific instructions. Seven of the students in class 2-A were ¡°special¡±. They were candidates meant to be given special attention, trained to be the best they could.


    ¡°And Stryg just happened to be one,¡± Tauri sighed.


    The students all stood about, talking with one another as they waited for Tauri¡¯s instructions. Kithina fidgeted a bit as she looked around. Callum was busy speaking with one of his ever-faithful maids. Despite seeing the rotation of maids throughout the past year, Kithina still could not get used to the women. She would rather not go over and talk with Callum until the maids walked away.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Kithina turned to the owner of the soft voice. She was an elegant dwarf with bright blonde hair and piercing golden eyes. Kithina noticed the intricate braids in the woman¡¯s hair and the gold and diamond beads throughout her blonde locks. Only the wealthiest of dwarves could afford such apparel. Kithina was suddenly very conscious of her own simple wooden beads in her plain orange hair.


    ¡°H-hello,¡± Kithina bowed her head slightly.


    ¡°Hello, are you by chance Kithina?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes?¡±


    ¡°The Kithina? I can¡¯t believe it,¡± the woman smiled.


    She laughed awkwardly, ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. Nice to meet you, miss¡­?¡±


    ¡°Goldelm. Freya Goldelm. The pleasure is mine,¡± she curtsied as if she was wearing a dress.


    Kithina¡¯s eyes widened. Goldelm? As in one of The Seven Ruling Families? The most powerful dwarven family and wealthiest House in all of Hollow Shade? That Goldelm?


    ¡°You¡¯re the Freya. Wow, I¡¯ve heard so much about you! I mean, well, we weren¡¯t in the same class last year, but you were the top female student of last year¡¯s 1st-years, many say the top overall,¡± Kithina gushed.


    ¡°Yes, well, we never were able to ascertain the top student since Clypeus Gale and I were never in the same class. Of course, that will all change now,¡± Freya glanced over at Clypeus who was talking with Nora and Kegrog.


    ¡° I¡¯ve heard your magical skills are incredible. Honestly, you¡¯re one of my greatest inspirations,¡± Kithina admitted.


    ¡°Really?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? A dwarven woman showing up all these vampires and dark elves? When I think of you it reminds me of what¡¯s possible. What a dwarf can do in the Ebon Realm. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually in the same class!¡±


    ¡°Yes, neither can I. Kithina, the one who believes she can stand next to a Ruling Family¡¯s scion, is talking to me as if we were equals,¡± Freya smiled coldly.


    ¡°What?¡± Kithina¡¯s smile slipped.


    ¡°Callum¡¯s older brother told me about you. He told me of how he once saw Callum spending time with a commoner. That in of itself is nothing surprising, an aristocrat taking pity on one of your kind. But, to think you actually talked to him as an equal? Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Callum¡¯s my friend. I don¡¯t see what the problem is,¡± Kithina frowned.


    ¡°Yes, you do. It doesn¡¯t matter if he is half-human. He is still from The Ruling Families,¡± Freya stepped closer. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are a mageborn, when you graduate from this place you will find yourself serving a Named House. If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll manage to serve one of the Ruling Families. Don¡¯t you get it? At the end of the day, you will always be a servant.¡±


    ¡°I could create my own House,¡± Kithina stepped back.


    ¡°You? How? By being a Mage Lady? An archmage? Do you know how few people achieve either title? Only the most talented and greatest magi. And you, a commoner without a magical background whatsoever, will simply claim that title? How arrogant,¡± Freya spat.


    ¡°Our Kitty here would surprise you.¡± Callum came up from behind and wrapped his arm around Kithina.


    ¡°Cal?¡± Kithina swallowed. She could smell Callum, he smelled like fresh mint. She couldn¡¯t recall if she had worn perfume this morning. Gods she hoped she didn¡¯t smell bad.


    ¡°Good morning, Callum. How have you been? Did you sleep well?¡± Freya smiled brightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, thank you. And you look exquisite, how do you manage it every day without fail?¡± Callum asked.


    Freya laughed, ¡°Always the charmer, that¡¯s why I like you so very much. Which is why I¡¯m trying to get this leech off your side.¡±


    ¡°Kitty is not a leech. I am friends with her because I choose to. Once you get to know her, I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯ll see how wonderful she is,¡± Callum said.


    Freya wrapped her fingers around Callum¡¯s, ¡°We¡¯re not like the others. We were born from the greatest of lineages, destined for more than simply flattery. Stop playing ¡®friends¡¯ with the commoners and spend some time with your own kind.¡±


    Callum lowered his head, Freya stepped on her tiptoes. Kithina¡¯s face paled. She wasn¡¯t sure who engaged the kiss, but they both shared lips without hesitance.


    After a few breathless seconds, Callum raised his head, ¡°Thank you for the invitation, but I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±


    He slipped his fingers away from Freya and pulled Kithina to the side. She glanced back at Freya¡¯s red face. She couldn¡¯t tell if Freya was flushed from the kiss or she was just angered that he had stepped back.


    ¡°What was all that?¡± Kithina whispered.


    ¡°I was just trying to help out,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°That was you helping out? Next time please don¡¯t. I can handle myself,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he winced. ¡°It¡¯s just that Freya can be problematic, I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, Freya means well. She¡¯s just simply a firm believer in hierarchies and it comes out as overprotectiveness.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Is that why you kissed her?¡± Kithina bit her lip.


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s just you know, normal¡­ Okay, I can see you¡¯re upset about Freya¡¯s insults. But don¡¯t let Freya¡¯s words get to you. You¡¯re more than anyone gives you credit for.¡±


    That¡¯s not why I¡¯m angry. Kithina glanced at Callum¡¯s arm on her shoulder. What did he even think of her? Did Callum like her? Or was he with Freya? What exactly was their relationship anyway? As far as she knew Callum wasn¡¯t engaged to her. Still, they had to have some kind of intimacy for that behavior.


    Kithina wanted to ask, but she didn¡¯t want to seem clingy either. She didn¡¯t know what to think.


    ¡°I think Freya hates me,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you. What she hates is a preconceived image of who you are. In other words, she simply judged you by the cover. Prove her wrong,¡± Callum grinned, his fangs glinted in the morning light.


    Kithina was suddenly reminded of last year¡¯s first day of class. Of how she had met Stryg. She had taken one look at him and believed she knew everything there was to know about him, a barbarian, a fool, a pariah. Kithina grimaced in shame. Now she knew what it felt like. First day of school sucked, again.


    ¡°Okay, class, enough waiting. I want you all to give me 10 laps. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Tauri yelled.


    ~~~


    Stryg walked onto the grassy field with a slight skip to his step. Today was a good day. Feli and he had dabbled making breakfast together. Afterward, they had proceeded to go back to bed for some ¡°quality time.¡± It was nice, relaxing even. The last week had been actually relaxing for Stryg, a feeling he was not very familiar with. Yet, he found himself liking the concept.


    As he neared the track he noticed plenty of new faces. Most students were still running. Professor Tauri was at the finish line, counting each student¡¯s record. Callum was sitting on the grass, resting. Kegrog and Clypeus sat nearby, no doubt already finished as well.


    Callum noticed Stryg and waved him over, ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead. Do you plan on making being tardy to the first day of class a tradition?¡±


    ¡°Feli hold you up?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Stryg yawned.


    ¡°You should probably get running before Tauri gets angry,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°Meh, we already know what the outcome will be,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s like that is it?¡± Clypeus crossed his arms.


    ¡°Not like any of you three can beat me in a race,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Oof, that¡¯s harsh,¡± Clypeus winced playfully.


    ¡°Can¡¯t deny it though,¡± Kegrog¡¯s shoulders slumped and he sighed.


    ¡°Oh, there goes Kithina,¡± Callum noted.


    Kithina gasped for breath as she reached the finish line. Freya stood to the side, having already finished several minutes earlier.


    ¡°We¡¯re from different worlds, Kithina. Best to not try and reach too high, you¡¯ll just end up getting hurt,¡± Freya smiled brightly.


    ¡°I regret ever looking up to you,¡± Kithina rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Careful, you wouldn¡¯t want to get on a bad side of a Ruling House. You might be safe in the academy, but best to think of your future after graduation. The Goldelms are the wealthiest family for a reason,¡± Freya sauntered away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that dwarf?¡± Stryg asked from a distance.


    ¡°Is this love at first sight I hear? What would Feli say?¡± Callum smirked.


    ¡°Callum seems to like her, too,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°Meh, we¡¯ve gone on a few dates here and there. We¡¯re both pretty flexible people,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°Her name is Freya Goldelm. I¡¯d be careful with that one, Stryg. But, I do understand the attraction,¡± Clypeus stared at Freya¡¯s butt as she walked.


    Stryg¡¯s gaze was somewhere else. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen golden irises before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very rare trait among dwarves, albeit common among the Goldelms,¡± Callum explained while also staring at her ass.


    ¡°Stryg! Get over here!¡± Tauri shouted. Her hands were on her wide hips as she glared at the goblin.


    Stryg jogged up to the beautiful orc, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any concept of the word late? I¡¯d hope so since you¡¯re Loh¡¯s apprentice.¡± Tauri froze for a moment before groaning, ¡°Actually, it makes sense why you are late. That woman can never get on time for anything nowadays.¡±


    ¡°So, do you want me to hit the track? 10 laps? 20?¡± Stryg began to stretch.


    Tauri¡¯s lips formed a thin line, ¡°I¡¯d make it 40, but everyone¡¯s done running. I won¡¯t waste any more time waiting on you. I have a better plan.¡±


    Tauri cupped her hands around her mouth, ¡°Everyone, gather up!¡±


    The two dozen students formed a line in front of her.


    ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s warmed up we¡¯ll be getting into a bit of sparring. Hand-to-hand. Since Stryg here has arrived late he¡¯ll start us off.¡± Tauri grinned, ¡°And he won¡¯t get a break until he is knocked down.¡±


    Tauri knew all her students were cocky, one way or another. Prideful in their magic or background, it did not matter. She needed to take away that pride and help them actually learn what it meant to be a mage. Stryg was the most problematic in many ways, hence she would tire him out by fighting as many as he could. Even he would break down eventually and would be forced to accept his limits.


    As for Stryg, the small blue fellow stepped forward and turned to face the others, his face a pool of impassivity.


    ¡°So, who wants to go first?¡± Tauri asked.


    The students shuffled around quietly. Kithina winced, she felt bad for any who would go up against the ruthless goblin. Freya noticed the look on her face and mistook it as a sign of fear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Freya raised her hand.


    ¡°Perfect, come on up,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you how large the difference between our kinds really is,¡± Freya whispered.


    Kithina furrowed her brow, unable to comprehend the woman¡¯s decision. Freya stepped up to Stryg.


    ¡°Before we begin, does anyone have any objection. Anyone wish to take Freya¡¯s place?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Kegrog grimaced.


    ¡°Gods, no,¡± Callum rubbed his back, the memory of being beaten by Stryg still fresh in his mind.


    ¡°I like being conscious, thank you very much,¡± Nora shivered.


    ¡°I respectfully decline,¡± Clypeus bowed.


    ¡°Freya¡¯s got this,¡± Kithina gave two thumbs up.


    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s begin,¡± Tauri nodded.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Freya looked between the students and Tauri. ¡°Why does no one wanna fight?¡±


    ¡°Oh and Stryg, no maiming, please,¡± Tauri added.


    ¡°What do you mean no maiming, what the fuck?¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everyone else just doesn''t want to go first,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what it sounded like! Not even Clypeus Gale wanted to fight this guy!¡± Freya pointed at the goblin.


    Stryg cracked his neck and stretched his back, ¡°I¡¯m ready, gold-eyes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Freya,¡± she frowned.


    Freya had heard a rumor or two about the goblin mage before. An uncouth barbarian from Dusk Valley, Vulture Woods, or Rupture Mountains, she wasn¡¯t sure which. All she knew was that the goblin was a tri-manifold mage who almost got himself killed during last year¡¯s final exam.


    In other words, an idiot. A country bumpkin, nothing more. She didn¡¯t need to be afraid. Even if he had some semblance of control over his magic, she was confident in her spellcasting and sparring banned any use of magic anyway. He was a goblin, a fairly quick but fragile species. She was a Goldelm and had been trained in martial arts since little. She would be fine.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri¡¯s voice rang out.


    Freya yelled a war cry. She dashed forward and swung with a right hook. Stryg sidestepped away. She twisted her body around and threw out a high kick. He ducked with ease and stepped forward right into her face. He simply stared. She gasped in surprise and punched point-blank. Her jaw went slack as he somehow managed to dodge at such a close distance.


    Freya jumped backward and made some space between them.


    ¡°Huh, your eyes really are gold. Interesting,¡± Stryg leaned back.


    ¡°Are you mocking me!?¡± She snapped.


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°Why would I do that? There¡¯s no reason to try and throw you off. I¡¯m quite certain you¡¯re already too slow to hit me.¡±


    Freya jumped at him with a flurry of punches. Stryg¡¯s eyes followed her fists as he dodged each one. She could hear Kithina laughing from the sidelines. Callum held a look of pity.


    Freya screamed in frustration and charged Stryg with a tackle. He did not dodge and instead let her slam into him. Freya felt like she hit a wooden wall. His shirt barely cushioned the backlash of the charge. She grimaced in pain, the weight of the tackle hadn¡¯t even pushed him back at all.


    Before she could retreat, Stryg wrapped his arms around her torso and threw himself backward. The entire class grimaced simultaneously as Stryg suplexed Freya. The dwarf¡¯s eyes rolled upwards as her limp body fell over in a strange sprawled angle.


    ¡°Dammit, I should really set up better rules for this,¡± Tauri sighed.

 Chapter 115: New Teacher

    Chapter 115: New Teacher


    After Stryg had defeated Freya not a single student wanted to spar with him. Even when Tauri threatened them with academic probation no one stepped forward. Tauri had to reluctantly let Stryg go with just the one sparring match. Instead, she made him take the unconscious Freya to the infirmary.


    Stryg accepted the task without any impertinence. It was fairly easy for him, the dwarf barely weighed a 100 lbs. He carried her without much effort, though students in the hallways gave him strange looks with the Goldelm girl in his arms. But, he was used to such looks and he ignored them as usual.


    Once he arrived at the infirmary he gave Freya over to one of the white magi on duty and went on his way. Class was no doubt over by now, so he decided to head on over to the library to study.


    ¡°Stryg, there you are,¡± Loh called out.


    ¡°Master,¡± he bowed his head. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Lots of things actually. Walk with me,¡± she turned around and strode down the hall.


    He hurried up and caught up with her, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We found you a teacher for personal training.¡±


    Stryg glanced around the hall to make sure it was empty, ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s time to begin to expand your training. I was busy setting up the specifics these past few days, which is why I ended up missing your birthday party.¡± Loh stopped walking, faced Stryg, and placed her hand on his shoulder, ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°Oh. You don¡¯t have to apologize. There are far more important things than a party. And you spent that time preparing my training. I should be thanking you.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± she grinned. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bracelet. ¡°Happy late Birthday.¡±


    ¡°This is for me?¡± He slowled grabbed the bracelet.


    He turned it over with his fingers, admiring its design. The bracelet consisted of small silver links connected by a platinum lock engraved with an amethyst.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured I might as well pick you up a present, since I missed the party,¡± Loh shrugged.


    His face broke into a large smile, his pupils widened to ovals, and his cheeks were dyed a dark shade of blue, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Loh found herself staring at the rare expression. She couldn¡¯t recall seeing Stryg display his emotions so openly before. It was oddly a nice change of pace from the usual wary Stryg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I didn¡¯t really go out of my way. I was actually buying one for myself when I thought of your birthday and decided to get you one too¡­¡±


    Stryg tilted his head.


    Loh raised her arm. A silver bracelet with a sapphire hung snugly on her wrist. ¡°Matching set,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Stryg stepped closer and examined her bracelet. ¡°Hehe, they¡¯re shiny, I like them.¡±


    Did he just laugh? He never laughs, Loh eyes widened.


    A faint memory touched her mind. She was a small child running through the gardens. They were playing. Aizel had found her. She had lost, but he still gifted her a candy that he had sneaked from the kitchens. She couldn¡¯t stop laughing with giddy delight as she ran through the flower beds, sugar rushing through her veins.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m just still a little new to all this master-stuff.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s get going,¡± she nodded to herself and kept walking down the hall.


    Stryg wrapped the bracelet around his wrist and followed without another word. Loh led them to the principal¡¯s office. Stryg looked around the spacious reception area with a curious eye. He had never been here, in fact he didn¡¯t know any student who had ever visited the principal before.


    A vampiress sat at her desk, working as the secretary and receptionist. She looked up as they entered, ¡°Lord Noir is waiting for you in his office.¡±


    ¡°Follow me, Stryg,¡± Loh said.


    She pushed the door open and strode inside, Stryg followed right behind her, his head peeked out from behind her waist. Elzri stood looking out his window to the academy below.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± Loh said curtly.


    Elzri turned to look at them, ¡°So, you have finally brought him, our resident prime mage. Why do you hide, Stryg of Ebon Hollow? I do not bite, on the contrary I am told you do.¡±


    Stryg took a hesitant step away from Loh, ¡°You¡¯re the strongest, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be a little more specific,¡± Elzri stepped forward.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Stryg stared at the dark elf in his pallid white robes and pale grey skin, it was almost as if he was hovering between life and death, a spectre. Yet, there was power behind his wrinkles and steel-grey eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re the strongest mage in the Realm,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Elzri raised a finger, ¡°Hm, not quite. I am considered the most powerful mage within the Great City of Hollow Shade, although Mage Lady Glaz would beg to differ. As for all of the Ebon Realm, perhaps I am, but there are around three dozen arch magi in the Realm. It is difficult to gauge which one of us is most powerful.¡±


    Elzri loomed above Stryg, ¡°But, for what may concern you, yes, I am the apex predator in this hierarchy of a city.¡±


    ¡°And for what it may concern you, Stryg is my apprentice, not yours,¡± Loh stepped between them.


    Elzri¡¯s lips curled slightly, ¡°True, but I am his teacher.¡±


    ¡°Teacher?¡± Stryg asked.


    Loh sighed, ¡°He is a six-fold manifold arch mage, there aren¡¯t many as qualified as him to teach you the other colors. Plus, he can be trusted, I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, if I wanted to harm either of you, you would both be dead,¡± Elzri waved his arm in a shooing-motion.


    ¡°That¡¯s comforting,¡± Stryg nodded sincerely.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Loh said with a deadpan voice.


    Stryg tilted his head. The sunlight spilled from the window and reflected off the intricate pattern of silver string wrapped around Elzri¡¯s hair. A rare orichalculm mage necklace with six gemstones hung around his neck. But, there was one other object that caught Stryg¡¯s attention. A silver bracelet with a diamond locket wrapped around the elder dark elf¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°That bracelet, it¡¯s like mine,¡± Stryg pointed.


    Loh grimaced.


    ¡°Hm, why yes it is,¡± Elzri said softly. The dark elf looked over at his granddaughter''s wrist and noted a similar bracelet. ¡°It is tradition among dark elves to gift their apprentice a matching silver bracelet as a show of solidarity and a physical representation of the sacred bond between student and master.¡±


    ¡°Can we move this along now,¡± Loh huffed.


    ¡°You threw your bracelet away. I am glad you have found a new one,¡± Elzri said quietly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Clearly.¡±


    ¡°So, um, what chromatic colors will you be teaching me?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I possess the same three as Loh, but I will leave those to her. For now I will focus on teaching you one of my other chromatic colors, red magic,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Okay, when do we start?¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand, I will not be teaching you today. That job will be left to the second of your three new teachers.¡± Elzri flicked his finger and waved the door open. ¡°Is he here yet?¡± he called out.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord, he just arrived,¡± the secretary answered.


    A drow wearing the traditional black robes of a mage walked in, ¡°Hello, everyone. Sorry I¡¯m late, I¡¯m still getting used to my class schedule.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet Vayu of House Glaz, a high-master purple mage and your new teacher,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Stryg of Ebon Hollow. I just took up a job as a professor at the academy, so you¡¯ll probably be seeing me around. But, I¡¯ll also be teaching you privately. I hear you scored very highly in chromatic purple during your chrome-probe test, I look forward to seeing what you¡¯re capable of,¡± Vayu held out his hand.


    Stryg reached out tentatively and shook it. ¡°You¡¯re Vayu? As in the captain who used to work with my master during her military days?¡± Stryg glanced at Loh.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s talked about me,¡± Vayu smiled.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Loh grumbled.


    ¡°Well, then allow me to elaborate,¡± Vayu laughed. ¡°I am Loh¡¯s long time friend and admirer. Coincidentally, I¡¯m also her long time fianc¨¦.¡± Vayu cupped his hand over one side of his mouth, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me when the wedding date is, we¡¯re still working on it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting with Vayu three times a week, right after your morning class with Tauri,¡± Loh explained.


    ¡°We can worry about the small details later, love. Why don¡¯t Stryg and I just dive right into the good stuff now,¡± Vayu signaled Stryg to follow him.


    ¡°Master?¡± Stryg asked Loh for permission.


    ¡°Go on, Vayu is a good albeit persistent guy,¡± Loh sighed.


    Loh waited until the pair left before turning on her grandfather, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°And Vayu loves you still, despite all the time you¡¯ve stayed away and everything you¡¯ve put him through. I consider that very fortunate,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Of course you do. An alliance with House Glaz is all you ever wanted. You never considered my feelings,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°As usual, you can never see beyond your own needs. I did consider your emotions and desires, and I weighed them accordingly. Deep down you know more than anyone that there is no chance of a life for Tauri and you. You made sure of that. All I¡¯m trying to do now is make sure you have a life at all.¡±


    ¡°How heroic of you,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    Elzri sighed, ¡°I suggest you do not squander this chance with Vayu. You may not believe it, but you still have a future, Loh. You can still be happy. Take it from someone who lost that opportunity, do not let your chance slip by.¡±


    Loh had never seen him look so weary before. It was... odd.


    ¡°I¡¯m not attracted to men, you know that. How can I ever have a life with Vayu?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Contrary to popular belief, a relationship does not require sexual intimacy to survive. Vayu does not care if you have sexual relations with other women.¡±


    ¡°You mean like that vampiress sitting outside? I¡¯ve seen the way she looks at you. How long have you been fucking her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she attends to me in bed, end of the subject. We are talking about you, do not try to deflect. No one is an emotional fortress. We all need someone to weather the hardships of life with, Vayu can be that person for you.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, I don¡¯t need anyone! I don¡¯t care if Vayu is fine with me sleeping with others. I¡¯m not looking to find some other woman to fall in love with. All you want is for me to marry Vayu for your dumb alliance!¡±


    ¡°You must marry a male aristocrat either way, it is the price we pay for being born in House Noir. We must sacrifice for the good of the family. At least with Vayu you have a chance at happiness.¡±


    ¡°You pretend to know what I need, but you¡¯d never understand what it¡¯s like to be me!¡± Loh yelled.


    Her eyes welled with tears, ¡°I wake up every day and see the woman I love pass me by. Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like to know you are the cause of the pain behind her eyes every time she hides behind a smile. You just want to hold her tight and tell her everything is going to be okay. But you can¡¯t, because you don¡¯t deserve to.¡±


    Loh swallowed, ¡°You think I care about this family? My parents never cared about me. They only ever loved my brother and he¡¯s dead. And you? You only ever cared about your stupid legacy!¡±


    Her shoulders heaved as she wiped her tears away, ¡°...And I¡¯m just as bad as the rest of you. I don¡¯t deserve whatever fantasy you¡¯re trying to sell me. So, stop pretending you understand an ounce of who I am or what I am going through, you cold-hearted old man.¡±


    Elzri stood quietly as Loh slammed the door behind her. He sat down and hunched over, his body a husk of the demeanor he¡¯d shown. ¡°This will be more difficult than I anticipated.¡±

 Chapter 116: Illusion Training

    Chapter 116: Illusion Training


    Stryg followed Vayu to the tallest building on the east side of campus. They passed by several floors until they reached the highest floor with a simple hallway and only two doors.


    Vayu showed him to the door on the left, ¡°This is where we will be training.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the right door for?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s for yellow mageborns and their wind magic. They like to jump off buildings, crazy shit, really. Nothing for people like us to worry about.¡± Vayu opened the left door, ¡°After you.¡±


    Stryg paused in wonder the moment he stepped inside. The room was twice as long as it was wide. One of the walls wasn¡¯t really a wall at all, but a set of sliding doors made from almost translucent paper.


    What truly caught Stryg¡¯s attention were the tall wind chimes hanging from the ceiling throughout the entire room. Each chime was about 8 feet long and 1 foot wide, and made of polished redwood.


    The floor was carpeted save for a small wooden pathway that began at the doorway and led straight to the middle of the room. The pathway ended at the center of the room to form a circular wooden platform with a spiral pattern. Several arcane sigils had been carved throughout the platform with a pair of magestones engraved at the very center. The wind chimes covered the entire room save for where the wooden pathway and platform lay.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Stryg pointed at the large wooden hollowed pipes.


    ¡°Wind chimes, they make different sounds when the wind passes through them. We use them for training.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said the other room was for wind spell training?¡±


    ¡°It is. This room is designed for a very specific exercise that every purple mageborn must master if they wish to be called a mage.¡±


    Vayu stepped past Stryg and walked on the pathway to the center of the room. He took a seat on the platform and beckoned Stryg to join him. He followed the drow all the while staring at the large wind chimes.


    Stryg finally took a seat across from his new teacher. He studied his features briefly, some were the common traits he had learned to recognize from the dark elves, pale grey hair, pointed ears that curved upwards. But, there were some differences. His grey skin had a slight hint of blue within its hue. His eyes were also not the common blue, but a soft teal.


    ¡°So, you are Vayu Glaz,¡± Stryg said thoughtfully.


    ¡°That I am. Lord Noir tells me you are from the Sylvan Ebon Hollow tribe. I¡¯m going to assume you are still fairly new to the inner workings of this city and her people.¡± He leaned in a bit. ¡°How much do you know about me? Ah, let me rephrase that. How much has Loh told you?¡±


    ¡°She told me you were a captain serving as her right-hand, back when she was a general. And that you¡¯re from a really powerful House. Oh and you¡¯re a true mage, though I¡¯m still not sure what that means,¡± he admitted with a slight frown.


    ¡°Seems you got the basic gist about me,¡± Vayu nodded. ¡°I come from House Glaz, which is considered the most powerful of the Ruling Families, but I hope that doesn¡¯t make you uncomfortable. You have nothing to fear from me, you can think of me like an uncle, the young and dashing kind. Besides, I would never hurt Loh¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    ¡°You must like her a lot then, that or no one¡¯s really told you much about me.¡±


    Vayu laughed, a bright almost metallic sound, ¡°I am proud to be in love, yes. But, truth be told even if I wasn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t harm you. ...None of us ever thought Loh would ever have another apprentice.¡±


    ¡°My master had another apprentice?¡± Stryg blinked. She had never told him.


    Vayu¡¯s eyes dimmed as if he was watching a distant memory. ¡°Her late elder brother, Aizel. It was a brief apprenticeship, during Aizel¡¯s time in the army with us¡­ It did not end very well. She closed herself off after that. None of us thought she would ever take an apprentice again.¡±


    Vayu¡¯s eyes focused on Stryg, ¡°But, here you are. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s finally found someone to connect with. Someone who has reminded her how to smile once more and for that, you have my eternal gratitude.¡±


    Stryg found his kind words offsetting. People normally didn¡¯t need Stryg, nor did they want him around. But, this powerful mage was actually expressing his appreciation and thankfulness towards him. It was odd but perhaps nice.


    ¡°...My master¡¯s helped me more than you know. If it wasn¡¯t for her and a few others, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today. I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here talking to a powerful mage from the most powerful tribe in all of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Woah, I¡¯m not that important,¡± Vayu chuckled.


    ¡°But, don¡¯t you have true magic? That makes you strong, right?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°True magic is just another spell-form. Having various spell-forms doesn¡¯t make one mage stronger than another. Remember, the mage who has mastered a single spell-form to its utmost is far more dangerous than a prime mage who has learned twenty.¡±


    ¡°Like Melantha the Blue,¡± he nodded.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Vayu turned his head, ¡°Yes, actually. Did Loh tell you that story?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right after I botched up a necromancy spell,¡± he wrinkled his nose.


    ¡°Heh, she told me that story back when we were in the military.¡±


    Stryg looked at his hands, ¡°So, true magic is just another spell-form like the rest?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly. Listen well, it¡¯s time for your first lesson. The spell-forms magi are used to casting are the combination of chromatic and elemental mana. Two per each chromatic color.¡±


    Vayu opened his palms and raised his hands. A small illusionary figure of a hawk flew above his left palm, while thin purple mind tendrils curled out from his right fingertips.


    ¡°In my case, illusion and mind spells,¡± Vayu said.


    Stryg leaned forward, eyes glued to the magic literally at hand.


    Vayu continued, ¡°Every mageborn innately absorbs mana within the atmosphere and stores it within their hearts. Now, chromatic mana naturally bonds with elemental mana, it''s what creates the basic twenty spell-forms. However, a true mageborn is someone who can filter the mana within their heart.¡±


    ¡°I can separate the elemental and chromatic mana within myself,¡± Vayu pointed to his chest.


    ¡°But, you¡¯re a chromatic mage. What happens to the elemental mana?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Good question. Our bodies can¡¯t hold pure elemental mana and so our body ejects the mana instantly. However, chromatic pure mana allows us to cast chromatic magic as it was always meant to be.¡±


    Vayu released the illusion and mind spells. Faint purple lines began to form around his hands in the shape of arcane sigils. They grew in hue and brightness until they glowed a brilliant purple.


    ¡°We call it binding magic, the true purple spell-form,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Stryg said slowly. He looked up in excitement, ¡°Can you teach me that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Vayu¡¯s magic faded away. ¡°You¡¯re not a true mage.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? Everyone used to think I was a dual manifold, turns out I¡¯m a quadra manifold,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re a manifold mage you can¡¯t learn binding magic.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought having more chromatic colors was a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a bad thing. The thing is, all true magi only have one chromatic color. Now, I admit when a mage starts out they might not know if they are a true mage. But, seeing as you have multiple colors I can guarantee this is one spell-form you will never learn.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± Stryg hung his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, you have eight spell-forms to learn ahead of you.¡±


    Stryg had utterly failed at learning necromancy, so it was actually only seven spell-forms. Then again, he was technically a prime mage, so that means he had 19 spell-forms to master, if he had talent with them that is. Stryg thought it best not to mention any of this, though.


    ¡°Mind spells are sensitive magic to practice since you technically require living targets. Most of the time you will spend practicing on animals. But, we will leave that for another day. Today we are starting here in the wind chimes room. This is where you will learn the illusion spell-form,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°How much do you know of illusion magic?¡±


    Every student had learned the bare minimum of the basic twenty spell-forms. Stryg had learned some from the off-handed comments of Plum and from the conversation with the purple magi of the Singing Willow troupe.


    Stryg gathered his thoughts and tried to summarize, ¡°Illusion magic is the spell-form fueled by chromatic purple and elemental dark mana. They can make all different kinds of shapes and even sounds. Most people including magi think illusions are simply fake, like a trick of light, but they¡¯re not. They have substance.¡±


    ¡°Exactly and there is the key. Illusions have actual shapes and forms. They have a very low density and are very fragile. A single strike from an opponent can shatter the illusion, like glass. But, with proper training, illusions have various wonderful applications.¡±


    Vayu created a small golden orb above his palm, ¡°Now the key to illusions is a mage¡¯s focus. Other spell-forms allow a mage to simply create or manipulate an object, then fire it off.¡±


    ¡°Like a fireball?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. An orange mage doesn¡¯t have to worry about what happens to the fireball once it has left their hand. Purple magi do have to worry about their illusions at all times. A single lapse of focus can destroy the illusion.¡±


    The golden orb cracked and shattered into a thousand small purple fragments. The spell faded away as quickly as it had appeared.


    ¡°When creating an illusion you must take care to focus on each aspect of it. The more complex the illusion the more difficult. For example, if you create an illusion of a person, you must take into account not just how they look, but their voice, their subtle movements, gestures, etc. Failure to do so will result in an illusion that seems fake or worse, simply falls apart.¡±


    ¡°And I thought necromancy was hard,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m told you were Professor Gette¡¯s top student when it came to shadow spells. Illusion and shadow magic both use dark mana. You should have an easier time learning this than you think,¡± Vayu smiled.


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with something simple, try creating a plain grey orb. Cup your hands together and imagine your mana flowing within your palms and forming a perfect grey sphere.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and focused. He recalled the image of the seregulus he had killed as his spark to draw power. Purple mana flowed softly through his veins and into his fingertips and palms. He willed the mana to curl and spin inwardly to create a grey sphere.


    He opened his eyes and stared at his work. A splotched grey oval with several lumps and indentation stared back at him. ¡°What the-?¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s normal. No one gets their orb perfect on the first try or the hundredth for that matter,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Stryg twisted his lips.


    Vayu¡¯s words should have made him feel better, but it only served to make him feel worse. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be just anybody. He was a magical prodigy, Loh and Elzri had told him as much. If he was just like the rest, then what did he have? Who was he, but an odd goblin?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t mind the shape too much. What we need to focus on is mobility. Try mentally commanding the orb to move towards one of the chimes,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg nodded.


    He looked at a chime next to him and willed the misshapen orb to go towards it. The orb wobbled in the air for a moment before shattering into small clear purple fragments. Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled.


    ¡°Moving an illusion has always been difficult,¡± Vayu said.


    Stryg grit his teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not finished. Let¡¯s go again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear,¡± Vayu grinned.

 Chapter 117: The Wind Chimes Room

    Chapter 117: The Wind Chimes Room


    Stryg focused the purple mana to pool into his cupped hands. A small misshapen grey orb formed between his palms. Calling it an orb was generous. There were bumps and indents all over the discolored orb. Stryg took short strained breaths and tried to move the orb towards the wind chimes. The orb lifted a few inches from his hands and wobbled forward. When it was about a foot away from him the orb began to shake uncontrollably and collapsed into dust.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± he sighed in frustration.


    ¡°That was better than the last fifteen tries. You¡¯re improving,¡± Vayu noted. ¡°How are your purple mana reserves? Do you need to rest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can keep going,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Lord Noir wasn¡¯t joking when he said you had tested a dark purple on the chrome-probe. Then again, he really isn¡¯t the joking type,¡± Vayu shrugged. ¡°Continue whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Stryg imagined the grey orb within his mind. He glanced at the wind chimes a few feet away and had an idea. He aimed his hands at one of the chimes and imagined the orb forming next to the hollow wooden tube. The grey orb began to blur into existence before collapsing into dust. He frowned.


    ¡°The further you create an illusion the more difficult it is to control. It¡¯s why I told you to create the illusion between your hands, where you have the most control,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s no easy way to do this,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Like the best things in life, stable spell casting requires lots of time and effort.¡±


    ¡°I have both in spades,¡± Stryg clasped his hands together.


    He would not give up until he collapsed from mental exhaustion or overheating. After another hour of practice, Stryg finally managed a stable misshapen orb. It may not have been pretty to look at and it wobbled as it moved, but it did not shatter.


    Stryg laughed quietly, ¡°Finally.¡± He hadn¡¯t failed, not completely, not this time.


    ¡°Well done. Now, try to navigate your orb through the wind chimes.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    He waved his arm and directed the small orb towards two chimes. It wobbled as it chugged through the air with a slow current. The further the orb was from him the more it began to shake. He narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the spell with all his will. The orb¡¯s vibrations did not slow and started to become erratic. The orb bumped into one of the chimes.


    Stryg could only watch helplessly as his spell collapsed into purple dust.


    ¡°That was an impressive attempt. And only after less than two hours of practice,¡± Vayu clapped.


    ¡°Impressive? I barely created an orb and it still collapsed from the slightest touch.¡± Stryg clasped his hands and tried reforming the illusion.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Vayu held up a hand. ¡°What do you think is the purpose of this exercise?¡±


    ¡°To create a stable illusion?¡±


    ¡°That is partly correct. As purple magi, we wish to be able to spellcast properly like any other mage. In our case, it has to do with illusions. But, why do you think we are in this room, exactly?¡±


    Stryg glanced around the wind-chime-filled room. ¡°The chimes serve as obstacles to dodge?¡±


    ¡°The chimes do serve as obstacles, but it is not their main purpose.¡±


    Vayu placed his hand over the brown magestone embedded on the wooden platform. It glowed a soft bronze before the light extended to the arcane words carved within the platform. The wall consisting of sliding doors slid open, leaving the room open to the vista. Stryg could even see the academy buildings far below.


    The cold wind blew through the open room and circulated all around. The wind chimes shuddered to life and began to sing their soft tune. The still room had become a maze of shiting wind chimes and a blaring song. Stryg winced as his ears were overwhelmed by the sounds.


    Vayu pointed at the side of his head, ¡°Lord Noir told me your ears were a tad sensitive. This room will make it more difficult for you to focus. That¡¯s good. You¡¯ll be able to practice your focus, a required skill for any mage in battle.¡±


    ¡°I can focus just fine,¡± Stryg tried covering his ears.


    ¡°Not enough, clearly. I was told you have difficulty with meditation, but that is not a lesson for here or now. Pay close attention,¡± Vayu raised his index finger.


    A perfect grey orb spun into existence at the tip of his finger and floated down towards one of the chimes. The chime swung back down right at the orb. The illusion shifted away at the last moment and flew past another chime. The orb kept weaving through the moving chimes with ease.


    ¡°The goal isn¡¯t to make your orb fast, nor durable,¡± Vayu said.


    One of the chimes nicked the orb, it shivered, small purple cracks spanned throughout, and it shattered into a small puff of purple smoke. Instead of turning into dust it reformed itself into a perfect orb and continued to weave through the chimes.


    ¡°The goal of this exercise, of this room, is to create an illusion that can be mended with quick precision. Illusions were never durable. While you could technically strengthen their form it would be minimal and a waste of mana even for an archmage. Instead, we purple magi create illusions that will keep reappearing, overwhelming the enemy with sheer unstoppable numbers.¡±


    Vayu spread his arms wide, a dozen grey orbs formed around him and shot forth. They maneuvered throughout the room with a rapid cadence, stopping and changing directions in jarring movements, dodging the chimes completely.


    ¡°This is what precision looks like, Stryg. You will learn these techniques, with proper training and enough time. Some things you can¡¯t rush, sometimes the mind just needs time to rest and learn. Do not chastise yourself for being unable to spell cast on your first couple of tries. Understood?¡±


    Vayu¡¯s words reminded him of Loh. He supposed it made sense, they had both worked together. Stryg nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ~~~


    ¡°You¡¯re late, your food is cold,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°I just got caught up with some studying,¡± Stryg sat down next to them in the dining hall.


    He had spent a little too long training with Vayu and had missed their group¡¯s agreed-upon time for lunch.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright? You look tired,¡± Callum pointed at his face with a fork.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little hot.¡± Stryg grabbed the plate of food Kithina had saved for him and began to eat.


    ¡°How are you hot? It¡¯s already autumn,¡± Kithina shook her head. ¡°You can have my ice cream, it¡¯ll help,¡± she pushed her plate over.


    ¡°Thanks, Kitty,¡± Stryg¡¯s lips curled.


    Kithina always had a sharp tongue with him, but he knew she had his back and that was more than enough for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kithina¡­ You know what? Whatever,¡± she took a sip of her lemonade.


    ¡°Oh, this is new. What¡¯s with the change of attitude?¡± Callum grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not every day I get to see a Goldelm get knocked out. For once, I appreciate Stryg¡¯s savage bluntness,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°I was actually referring to Stryg,¡± Callum said. ¡°You seem nicer than usual.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re my friends, what more is there to say?¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, the sylvan goblin has a heart after all?¡± Nora asked.


    Stryg glanced up. Nora, Kegrog, and Clypeus stood with their own plates of food. They sat down next to Stryg¡¯s group.


    ¡°And what brings you three to our humble abode?¡± Callum raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be the third wheel in a table with just these two,¡± Kegrog pointed his thumb at Nora and Clypeus.


    Kithina had to scoot over to accommodate Kegrog¡¯s large form.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to enjoy lunch with Cly,¡± Nora hooked arms with her fianc¨¦.


    ¡°I came to see how my friend, Stryg, was doing. Will that be a problem, Veres?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m always happy to have a Gale with us,¡± Callum smiled broadly.


    ¡°Knock it off, Cly, we¡¯re trying to have lunch here, not a passive aggressive standoff,¡± Nora pushed his shoulder.


    ¡°Of course. Despite our differences in opinion, Callum is still a Veres. I will respect him as such,¡± Clypeus bowed his head.


    ¡°It is an honor to have you sit with us,¡± Callum bowed in return.


    ¡°So, how are you feeling after whooping that stuck-up Freya?¡± Nora asked excitedly.


    ¡°Huh? Stuck-up?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Oh, right you weren¡¯t there for that part. Freya was talking a bunch of smack at Kithina.¡± Nora smirked, ¡°And then Callum kissed her.¡±


    ¡°You kissed Kitty?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°No, he kissed Freya,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°Oh, she is quite pretty,¡± Stryg nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m not?¡± Kithina gripped her fork tightly.


    Stryg stared at her face, ¡°Would you like to know my opinion?¡±


    ¡°Careful, Stryg, she might just stab you,¡± Clypeus tried holding back his laughter.


    Callum interrupted, ¡°I only wanted to avoid angering Freya. I¡¯ve known her for a long time and if there is one thing I¡¯m sure of, it¡¯s that she holds grudges.¡±


    ¡°I heard she woke up screaming in the infirmary,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°I wish I had seen that,¡± Kithina beamed.


    ¡°I mean to be fair, no one in our class can actually beat Stryg in a spar,¡± Callum winced at the memory of Stryg attacking his back over and over.


    ¡°Cly could take him,¡± Nora objected.


    ¡°With my swords, sure. But, I¡¯d never want to fight Stryg in hand-to-hand combat. Or technically claw-to-hand combat,¡± Clypeus admitted.


    ¡°But, you know plenty of martial arts,¡± Nora pressed.


    ¡°Which doesn¡¯t mean a lot when you¡¯ve got a guy who can literally break my bones with just his grip,¡± Clypeus said.


    Stryg found himself smiling. There was at least one thing he could count on, his body. ¡°And yet you still manage to hold your own against me. It¡¯s those blades.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a swordmaster for you,¡± Callum stared pointedly at the gladii hanging from Clypeus¡¯ sheaths.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the hang of your attacks eventually. Then it won¡¯t matter how many swords you¡¯ve got,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Well, if you want, you can always join me in my sword training,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Callum choked on his food.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Kithina patted Callum¡¯s back.


    ¡°Gale sword training is renowned throughout the Realm. Aristocrats from the most prestigious Houses try to study under them and are turned away. Yet, you¡¯re offering Stryg training just like that?¡± Callum said in shock.


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t really be proper training. I¡¯ll just give him a few pointers so he can learn how to fight against swords,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg clenched his fist over his heart. ¡°Swords aren¡¯t my weapon of choice, but I¡¯ll take whatever knowledge I can get if it means beating you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Clypeus smirked.


    ¡°Speaking about seeing, look who it is,¡± Kegrog gestured over to his left.


    Freya stood at the edge of the dining hall. Her head whipped back and forth as she scanned the crowd of tables. She spotted their table and marched her way over.


    ¡°Here she comes,¡± Kithina muttered under her breath.


    Stryg noticed Freya¡¯s gait was off. Her legs wobbled a tad with each step. It seemed the doctor¡¯s healing magic wasn¡¯t enough to deal with her concussion.


    ¡°Hey, Freya. How do you feel?¡± Callum asked.


    Freya ignored him and pointed her finger straight at Stryg, ¡°I admit I lost this last fight. I let my anger get ahead of me and I rushed in like a fool. That was on me. Don¡¯t think for a second that you won for any other reason, I¡¯m the one who made a mistake. It won¡¯t happen again. I am a Goldelm and I promise you I will not lose next time.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Oginum before?¡± Stryg asked between bites of food.


    ¡°What?¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s this magical hammer made b-¡±


    ¡°I know what Oginum is!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so have you seen it before?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s my father¡¯s weapon,¡± Freya rolled her eyes.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like? Is it really as strong as the stories say?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything? I¡¯m talking about our sparring match.¡±


    ¡°So, it isn¡¯t that strong, huh? I figured as much,¡± Stryg sighed with disappointment.


    ¡°What rubbish are you saying? Oginum is the greatest weapon in all the Realm, you halfwit!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to take the word of a weakling who claims to be strong seriously. Maybe I should just check the library,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Freya¡¯s face grew beet red, her lips twisted in a snarl, ¡°Just you wait until we have an actual magic duel. I¡¯ll see you then, imbecile.¡±


    Freya spun around and walked away.


    ¡°What a bitch,¡± Kithina spat.


    ¡°Pretty hot though,¡± Kegrog added.


    ¡°Kegrog,¡± Nora frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t attack her right then and there, after she insulted you like that, Stryg,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I find fighting is not always the answer,¡± Stryg went back to eating.


    ¡°Am I the only one who thinks he just wanted to finish his food first?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°No doubt, no doubt,¡± Nora nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to hold back in their next duel, right?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± the group said in unison.


    Stryg kept eating.

 Chapter 118: Lesson in History

    Chapter 118: Lesson in History


    Stryg walked into the enormous library intent on finding an interesting book to read on a rainy afternoon. He had been practicing his illusion spells all week and would have continued had it not been for Feli¡¯s insistence that he take a break. So, he decided to pick up a book or two to read on the couch for the evening.


    It was a Sunday and most of the students had opted to do anything besides spending their time in the library. Stryg noted only a few faces throughout the stacks and shelves of books. He wandered about looking for anything that might catch his eye.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    Stryg turned around at the soft voice. ¡°Oh, hello,¡± he bowed his head.


    An elderly drow wearing thick-rimmed glasses stood in front of him, holding a few books in hand. The head librarian smiled, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Stryg. How are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°You know my name?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I do, though I suppose we haven¡¯t officially made acquaintances. I¡¯m Gladys, most people simply know me as the old lady who helps them find one book or another,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Right, I can see how that may be annoying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all. I¡¯m more than happy to help others in the pursuit of knowledge. Although, it is quite annoying when they forget to return the books they borrowed. I memorize each one of those troublemakers¡¯ names.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you know my name?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No. You haven¡¯t been late on any of your returns, I would know. I know your name thanks to Plum.¡±


    ¡°Plum?¡± He swallowed.


    ¡°She had a sharp tongue, but she was a great assistant and an even better person. I was sad to see her go, I¡¯ll miss her,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Of course, she used to work for you,¡± he nodded slowly.


    ¡°Yes, she was quite helpful. You just arrived about a year ago, so you wouldn¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve actually only been the head librarian for two-and-a-half years. The previous head librarian had been fired after we had a break-in at the library¡¯s rare archives.¡±


    Those books were off-limits to most, even Plum had difficulty accessing them. ¡°Was anything stolen?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Why do you think the head librarian was fired?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, I suppose. Librarians are meant to protect their books and all. I can see how failure to do so would result in being burned alive.¡±


    ¡°What? Burned alive?¡±


    ¡°Well, you said they were fired.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    Stryg glanced around, ¡°My question is how did the thief even manage to steal from the rare archives right in front of an entire school of magi.¡±


    Gladys shrugged, ¡°Lack of caution on the previous head librarian¡¯s part. Although, one of the guards managed to wound the thief across their face before they escaped.¡±


    ¡°So an ordinary guard was able to injure the thief, but not a single mage was able to stop them?¡±


    ¡°Not the academy¡¯s proudest moment,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Clearly. What did they end up stealing anyway?¡±


    ¡°They only managed to escape with one book, The Anthology of Recorded Dragon Histories. But, it was still a great loss to this library. There is little verified information regarding dragons,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I remember, Plum told me something similar.¡±


    ¡°Plum always was interested in dragons, way before your group started that dragon project of yours. Plum loved reading about the secrets and mysteries of this world. I¡¯m glad she finally got a chance to explore the world around her.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about those words. He cared about Plum, but every time her departure was mentioned all he could feel was bitterness.


    ¡°Plum¡¯s gone, why even talk about her,¡± he grumbled.


    Gladys placed one of the books she was holding on the shelf next to Stryg. ¡°What happened between you two was a tragedy. Sometimes things happen that no one can foresee.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°After the previous head librarian was fired I was given the job. They only elected me mainly because of my long years of service. I never expected to be landed in such a position. I think you can relate to that.¡±


    Stryg glanced around the library, a place of books and reading and learning. Had someone told him he¡¯d find himself here a year ago he would have never believed them.


    ¡°I can relate,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°...At the time I was scrambling to find assistants to help with my newfound duties. Plum volunteered. She was a quiet girl who mainly kept to herself, which is why I hired her. She worked harder than any of my other assistants, even if her mind wandered off now and again.¡±


    Stryg found himself smiling, ¡°Yeah, she had a habit of doing that.¡±


    ¡°And she had had a habit of talking about you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°You. Plum would always talk about her best friend, an actual Sylvan warrior, Stryg. She was so proud of that title, you know. No one has seen a Sylvan goblin outside Vulture Woods in centuries, some people think your people don¡¯t even exist. You were a bonafide myth come to life to her. A warrior straight out of old folk tales.¡±


    ¡°I. I-I didn¡¯t know Plum talked about me.¡±


    ¡°Incessantly so,¡± she groaned dramatically. ¡°But, I always enjoyed listening to her. Plum had such energy in her voice when she spoke about you, it was the only time she really seemed alive in this place... I was so sorry to hear about Plum¡¯s loss.¡±


    ¡°So you do know about that,¡± Stryg bit his lip.


    ¡°The whole school knows about secretary Byrel trying to kill one of the students. Most people simply said Byrel had gone crazy. That rumor followed Plum during her last few days in the academy. I think it¡¯s one of the main reasons she decided to leave.¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t know,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    Gladys patted his back, ¡°Best not to dwell on it. So, what kind of book can I help you find today? A book dealing with spell casting focus? It¡¯s a pretty large topic for 2nd years.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m interested in reading anything magic-related today. Do you have anything to do with goblins?¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the largest library in all of Hollow Shade, you bet we do. What sort of goblin books are you interested in? Anatomy? Culture? Military tactics?¡±


    ¡°Military tactics? You have books on goblin military tactics?¡± Now he was interested.


    ¡°Yes, from back during the Lunis Republic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    The head librarian¡¯s shoulders slumped, ¡°Yes, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t have. Many of Hollow Shade¡¯s officials have elected to not teach the new generations anything of the sort. I just thought since you were from a Sylvan tribe it would be different.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°What exactly is the Lunis Republic?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Gladys led him up to the 4th floor to a small section of five shelves in a low-lit corner. The books were covered with dust, none of them had been opened in years.


    ¡°This shelf contains all our books about the history of the Lunis Republic,¡± she pointed to the shelf in the middle.


    Stryg pulled out one of the books and skimmed through the contents. A detailed illustration caught his attention. It was a depiction of a beautiful city, with shiny blue rooftops decorated all about.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That was in the Silent Marshes. The picture is of the Great City Lunis, the Sapphire of the East.¡±


    ¡°Great City? But, there are only four and I¡¯ve never heard of Lunis nor a Republic.¡±


    Gladys took a seat at a nearby table, Stryg followed her.


    ¡°What is the Lunis Republic?¡± He stood in front of her and looked her in the eye.


    She avoided his gaze, ¡°...It was a sovereign nation of the Ebon Realm that existed right up until the Schism 300 years ago. The Lunis Republic was founded by goblins.¡±


    Stryg felt as if the air had grown thin and difficult to breathe. He swallowed, ¡°Are you saying there was an entire nation of goblins? Just roaming about?¡±


    Gladys crinkled her eyes, ¡°Not exactly roaming about. They were an established people, the most advanced of the entire Realm. While the dark elves and vampires were busy fighting and destroying each other in endless wars in the Northern Lands, goblins were busy learning, building, even creating. They founded the first Great City, Lunis.¡±


    Stryg grabbed her wrist, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any of this. Where is Lunis? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°If you let go of my hand I¡¯d be glad to tell you more.¡±


    Stryg let her go, ¡°...Right.¡±


    It was best to not antagonize the head librarian in her own library. He was being foolish. He needed to take a deep breath and try and calm himself.


    Gladys rattled the table with long bony fingers, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard of Lunis because the city was razed to the ground 300 some years ago. The orcs built the Great City of Murkton above its ruins.¡±


    ¡°Orcs,¡± venom dripped from his voice.


    The Sylvan tribes did not care much for the past, they didn¡¯t bother to record most of their history. But, there was an exception. Every Sylvan goblin child was taught to hate the orcs, that they were their enemy. Orcs could not be trusted. Here was just another example of orcish crimes against goblin-kind.


    Stryg froze. 300 years ago?


    ¡°The Sylvan tribes fought against the orcs 300 years ago,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°The people of Lunis fought against the orcs.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± He frowned.


    Gladys smiled in sympathy, ¡°You really don¡¯t know do you?¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t I know? Tell me exactly what I¡¯m missing here? Who were the Lunis people? Did they fight alongside the Sylvan tribes?¡±


    Gladys leaned back in her chair, ¡°Before the Schism, people from different Realms traveled throughout all ten of the Null Realms, including our own Ebon Realm. Some came in search of fame, wealth, even power, but most came seeking a new life. The three largest groups that came to our Realm were the orcs, humans, and dwarves. The orcs were primarily settled around the Silent Marshes.¡±


    ¡°And they still live there. I¡¯ve heard all of this from my classes. What does this have to do with Lunis?¡±


    Gladys pursed her lips, ¡°Patience, child, I¡¯m getting there.¡±


    Stryg groaned and took a seat next to her.


    Gladys waited until he sat quietly before she continued. ¡°Once the Schism occurred the Realms were cut off from each other. There was no more traveling between them. Many people were only visiting, but now they found themselves stranded.¡±


    Stryg nodded quietly, he knew all of this.


    Gladys continued, ¡°The orcs decided that if they were going to stay they wanted more than just a few plots of land to call home, they wanted the entire Silent Marshes.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. You said Lunis was in the Marshes. You¡¯re saying they fought each other?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°And an entire Great City and her people, lost? Against some stranded orcs?¡±


    ¡°Correct, yet again,¡± she pushed her glasses up.


    He frowned and shook his head, ¡°How?¡±


    Gladys opened her arms wide and pointed all around, ¡°Take a guess.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°Hollow Shade was a young city at the time, but the ebon lords who ruled the city were anything but weak. They betrayed their allies, the Republic of Lunis. Instead, the ebon lords backed the orcs and aided them in the war between the orcs and Lunis. The armies of Lunis fought bravely and fought hard, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The power of the ebon lords proved too great.¡±


    ¡°They lost,¡± Stryg¡¯s jaw went slack.


    ¡°The ebon lords destroyed the City of Lunis and gave her people an ultimatum. Disband their armies and submit to Hollow Shade and be given asylum or face annihilation. Lunis¡¯ council, the Lunar-¡±


    ¡°-Elect. The Lunar Elect,¡± Stryg mumbled in realization.


    ¡°So, you do know some of this story,¡± Gladys said with sympathy.


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°The Lunar Elect is the name of the council that rules over all the Sylvan tribes.¡±


    ¡°I did not know that. I suppose it makes sense they would make their own council with the same name,¡± Gladys placed a hand on her chin.


    ¡°They?¡±


    ¡°The armies of Lunis. You see, Lunis¡¯ Lunar Elect decided to surrender to the ebon lords. They chose to disband their armies, but the Lunis generals refused. The armies would not submit to their enemy. And so, the Lunar Elect led their own armies into an ambush.¡±


    ¡°What!? The fucking cowards! The damn council betrayed their own people!¡± Stryg seethed.


    ¡°The Lunar Elect had been promised special privileges if they surrendered. They did not care what happened to the people of Lunis nor her armies, so long as they could continue with their lifestyles.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Lunis¡¯ armies?¡± Stryg asked with clenched fists.


    ¡°The ebon lords, Hollow Shade¡¯s armies, and the orc militia ambushed them. All seemed lost for the Lunis armies. What happened next, well, some say it was a stroke of genius by one of the Lunis generals, others say it was divine intervention by Lunae herself.¡±


    Stryg remembered the words of the temple¡¯s head-priest, Elm. It was as if the final piece had suddenly fallen into place. ¡°Lunae saved her children. She led them to Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°And the armies of Lunis have stayed there ever since. The world has forgotten them, even their own name... Hollow Shade prefers to keep it that way.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°How have I never heard any of this? How has no one in this damn city told me about any of this!?¡±


    Gladys placed a finger to her lips, ¡°We are still in a library, I expect you to keep a quiet tone.¡±


    ¡°Quiet? You want me to be quiet after what you just told me? What happened to the rest of the Lunis? Were they slaughtered after they lost their armies? Do any of them still exist?¡±


    Gladys lowered her head, ¡°The ebon lords wanted for the world to forget them. The Lunar Elect was betrayed and executed by the ebon lords. As for the rest of the people? Their homes were burned and their wealth was taken. Little by little they too lost whatever was left, including their own name.¡±


    She pointed at Stryg¡¯s nails, ¡°They were even taught to be ashamed of who they were. Why do you think people look at a goblin¡¯s claws with such disdain? Do you think that opinion spawned out of nowhere? That goblins just shave down their claws for no reason?¡±


    ¡°The goblins of Hollow Shade¡­ They are the descendants of Lunis,¡± he trembled.


    Gladys placed her hand on Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The goblins of this city have grown up believing they were unintelligent, powerless, deserving of being below the rest because Hollow Shade wants them to believe they are. You may be the only goblin mageborn in this academy, but I promise you, you are not the only goblin mageborn in this city.¡±


    ¡°...None of them have taken the mageborn test. They don¡¯t have the money nor the connections to even find out if they are mageborn,¡± Stryg said slowly in understanding.


    Gladys pointed at the old dusty shelf, ¡°You¡¯ll find the histories of the people of Lunis here. It isn¡¯t a happy read, mind you, but I think it¡¯s one you deserve to know.¡±


    Stryg stared at the old shelf with mixed emotions, his mind still processing what he had learned.


    Gladys pushed herself to her feet, ¡°I best get back, you¡¯re not the only student in need of my help.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Stryg blocked her path. ¡°Thank you,¡± he bowed.


    Her old eyes gleamed, ¡°Goblins have forgotten who they are. The least I can do is share my knowledge with one." Gladys lifted his chin, "Just remember, Stryg, this city is a cruel and dangerous place, be careful.¡±

 Chapter 119: The Frost Pool Chamber

    Chapter 119: The Frost Pool Chamber


    Stryg followed Lord Elzri Noir into an underground chamber beneath one of the academy¡¯s meditation domes. It was finally time to meet his third and last private teacher. He had yet to train with Elzri, but that time would come later.


    Stryg¡¯s training with Vayu had been going smoothly. The dark elf was far more patient than Loh had ever been and whenever Stryg made a mistake Vayu did not chastise him, but simply showed him how to improve. After two weeks, Stryg was finally beginning to create a stable illusion spell. A small feat, sure, but one Stryg was proud of.


    The duo walked down a long winding set of stone steps until they reached an iron door.


    Elzri paused and looked back at him, ¡°The teacher you are about to meet will be the most difficult you have encountered. Whatever happens next, remember to keep your emotions in check. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly clear,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Elzri placed his hand over some of the arcane markings on the metal, the magestones embedded on the hinges flared to life and swung open. Stryg¡¯s eyes darted around surveying the chamber as they entered.


    It was a large round room with a dome ceiling like the building above. The chamber was also low-lit, with mage stones embedded between stone bricks on the wall, glowing a soft blue. That was where the similarities ended. The entire floor of the chamber was covered in perforated stainless steel plates. Stryg could see rushing water flowing underneath the plates.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The Frost Pool Chamber.¡± A black-cloaked figure sat at the other end of the chamber.


    ¡°That voice, I know you,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    The stranger removed the hood and glanced at Elzri, ¡°I see you haven¡¯t told the boy anything about our training, Riri?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, about that. I thought it best if you explained it to him,¡± Elzri smiled wryly.


    ¡°Professor Ismene?¡± Stryg cocked his head.


    His meditation professor from his first year? The old human lady sat cross-legged, just like every class he had ever taken with her. The familiar wooden cane rested above her legs. Her grey hair was tied in a long braid wrapped around the top of her head and held by a long silver hair stick.


    ¡°My new teacher is Ismene? Isn¡¯t she more fit for¡­ I don¡¯t know, meditating or something? She can¡¯t even stand on her own,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°The physical state of a mage¡¯s body can hinder their spell-casting, that much is true. So, take a moment to think why despite having such a handicap, Ismene was chosen as your teacher. Once you have figured that out, then take another moment to notice how clearly sound bounces off these walls,¡± Elzri said calmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh, she can hear me, can¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± Ismene pursed her lips.


    Stryg cleared his throat and bowed his head, ¡°I look forward to your teachings, master Ismene.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say the same about teaching you,¡± her beige eyes looked him up and down.


    Stryg frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Let me make this clear. You were a terrible student. You failed spectacularly with meditation and you barely passed my class. I would never want to train you, I still don¡¯t. The only reason I am here is that I owe Riri a favor,¡± Isemene said coldly.


    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Elzri shrugged with a smile. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll let you two get acquainted. Always a pleasure, Ismene.¡±


    The principal closed the iron door behind him, leaving Stryg and Ismene alone.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for, child? Take off your shoes and get over here, let me get a good look at you,¡± she waved him over.


    Stryg nodded and removed his boots and socks. He wiggled his toes, happy to be able to feel the ground beneath him. He stepped off the brick entrance and took his first step onto the steel plates. They were cold to the touch and a tad humid. To his relief, they were quite sturdy and did not move in the slightest under his above average weight.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± Ismene tapped her cane on the metal floor, the harsh sound echoing clearly throughout the chamber.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg jogged over.


    A torrent of water surged from beneath his feet and blasted him ten feet off the ground.


    ~~~


    Elzri was humming a faint tune when his granddaughter came running.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Loh asked with bated breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re too old for this. When opening a conversation with a question do not use a pronoun, otherwise, how will the recipient party have any idea who you are referring to?¡± Elzri walked past her.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    She turned around and kept pace with him, ¡°You know who I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, I do not.¡±


    She groaned, ¡°Where is my apprentice? Where is Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that who you were referring to? Stryg is with his new chromatic blue teacher, Ismene, of course.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you left him with Ismene?¡±


    ¡°Is that not what I just said?¡±


    ¡°You left him alone? On his first day?¡±


    ¡°Ismene is his new teacher, they are bound to spend plenty of time alone. What difference does it make if it happens on the first day or the second? As I recall, you had no problem with Vayu training Stryg without any supervision.¡±


    ¡°Vayu isn¡¯t the fucking Tempest Archmage!¡±


    ¡°Technically, neither is Ismene. She turned down the title of archmage.¡±


    ¡°You think that makes her any less powerful!?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not. That would be ridiculous.¡±


    Loh groaned, ¡°What is wrong with you? This isn¡¯t some first-year meditation course. Ismene is actually training him. She won¡¯t hold back. Gods, she¡¯ll eat him alive.¡±


    Loh turned around.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Ismene hates being interrupted. Do you really want to anger her?¡± Elzri asked.


    Loh paled at the thought. If there was one person she feared more than her grandfather it was Ismene.


    Loh looked over at the meditation dome in the distance, ¡°Please, be safe.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg¡¯s body slammed to the floor with a wet slap. His body was soaked and freezing cold. The water beneath the steel plates was far below freezing. No wonder the water was kept in rushing motion.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± he moaned.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Stop lying on the ground like a vagabond,¡± Ismene called out with a slight cheer to her voice.


    Stryg glared at the old woman. This had to be some sort of test. With one swift motion, he kicked himself to his feet and dashed towards her. A large wave of water rose from the floor and swept him away, knocking him into the wall.


    ¡°Is that really your best attempt at getting over here? Pathetic,¡± Ismene said from across the room.


    Stryg shook his head, water droplets flying all about. ¡°Not even close.¡±


    He took a deep breath and called forth orange mana from within his heart. His veins darkened as his muscles constricted. He kicked off the wall and ran at Ismene. As expected another large wave rose to meet him. Stryg darted to the right, circumventing the wave entirely. A small whip of water shot out from beneath him and slammed into his ankles.


    Stryg shouted in surprise as he face-planted into the steel plates. Another rush of water blasted him away back towards the door.


    ¡°I see Loh has been teaching you agility magic. Clearly, she has been wasting her time on you. Pity,¡± Ismene shook her head.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Stryg slammed his hands together, his shadow darkened and wrapped around him. Black tendrils warped away from him and began to crawl through the walls engulfing half the chamber in darkness.


    Ismene raised an eyebrow as the shadows threatened to overtake the entire chamber. A wave of water erupted from all around her and tore away at the fragile shadows. She flicked her hand, the aquatic wall pushed forward and struck at Stryg¡¯s direction.


    The shadows died in an instant, revealing Stryg within, standing with open palms thrusting forward. He shouted in anger, a blaze of fire responded from his hands. The pillar of fire shot out and evaporated a hole through the aquatic wall. Ismene raised her hand, a spiraling torrent of water surged around her to meet the attack.


    The flames and water collided in an explosion of magic. The spells curved through the chamber. The entire room was alight with an orange glow. The cold water screeched as it vaporized into the air. The flames roared a deep guttural sound as they sputtered out of existence.


    Stryg could feel the orange mana quickly burn through his veins, his arms felt like they were blistering from the inside. He groaned from the effort of the spell, his whole beginning to tremble from the strain. The orange mana within his heart fizzled out, the last of his reserves gone. The flame spell died in front of his eyes, the pillar of water falling down right on him. His body crashed into the metal plates.


    Stryg coughed up water, too exhausted and in pain to get up. The harsh sound of Ismene¡¯s cane hitting the steel plates rang through the chamber.


    ¡°Get up, child, I don¡¯t have all day. I have classes to teach, with students far more important than you.¡±


    Stryg stayed on the ground, trying to think of something, anything, that might help. His body temperature had dropped from the constant attacks of freezing water. He shivered, the cold beginning to set into his bones. The only heat he felt was from the burning of his mana.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. So this is what Loh¡¯s apprentice amounts to? A sputtering idiot who can¡¯t even stand on his own two feet. We still have half an hour. I suggest you get up before I spend the rest of the time smacking your sorry ass around.¡±


    Stryg groaned but couldn¡¯t find the strength to get up. His whole body ached and refused to answer his commands. His mind was exhausted from the spell-casting, his will reduced to a small ember. He couldn¡¯t win this.


    ¡°So be it,¡± Ismene said light-heartedly.


    A large arm of water rose from beneath Stryg and wrapped around him. He tried struggling but the giant fingers closed tightly. It lifted him up high towards the ceiling before flinging him to the ground. His vision blacked out for a moment as his head smashed into the steel plates, leaving an indent.


    The arm dissolved into a rain of cold water above him. He blinked over and over, trying to see, but the gushing water did not stop, it pushed down on him, keeping him from moving. He barely managed a groan as his face was driven into the metal plate.


    He couldn¡¯t stop this, Isemene was too powerful. He couldn¡¯t even stand let alone spell-cast. He had failed, again. That was all he ever amounted to, a constant failure. And now he was going to drown.


    His blurred vision caught sight of the silver bracelet wrapped around his wrist. The amethyst shook as the cold water pelted down on him.


    It was Loh¡¯s gift to him, the representation of their bond as apprentice and master. She had believed in him when others had not.


    You¡¯re one in a million, kid, Loh¡¯s words echoed in his mind.


    It didn¡¯t matter if his spells or skills weren¡¯t enough. It didn¡¯t matter if the Blood Fang believed he was odd. It didn¡¯t matter if Ismene believed he was useless. It didn¡¯t even matter that he didn¡¯t believe in himself. Loh believed in him. And for that brief moment, it was enough.


    His will roared to life, the embers of resolve burned bright. Blue mana coursed through his arms and into his cold fingertips. He welcomed the painful heat, it gave him a feeling in his numb body.


    Stryg screamed a hoarse shout in defiance. The pelting water shivered, the torrent of water shook in waves as the droplets began to go against one another. The droplets of water rose until it formed a small dome above him, blocking the torrent above.


    His arms shook from the exertion, his breath was short, his vision faint. Some addled part of his mind registered footsteps drawing close.


    Ismene looked down at him, a curious gleam in her eyes, ¡°Finally, you spell-cast without anger, still emotion-based, but I suppose it is a start.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s vision darkened and his mind fell into sweet oblivion.

 Chapter 120: The Tempest Archmage

    Chapter 120: The Tempest Archmage


    Stryg woke to the smell of jasmine tea. He opened his eyes and was met with a grey domed ceiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, good,¡± Ismene said.


    She sat next to him, drinking a steaming cup of tea. He was lying on the steel metal plates, the sound of rushing water right beneath him.


    Stryg groaned in pain as he pushed himself up, ¡°I¡¯m still here? What happened?¡±


    Ismene took another sip of tea before answering, ¡°Our lesson is not over, where else would you possibly be?¡±


    Stryg grimaced at the pain radiating from his skull, ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°About two hours. I would have taken you to a white mage, but I wanted to see if Riri was right about your healing capabilities. It seems he was, otherwise, you¡¯d probably be in a coma.¡±


    ¡°Two hours?¡± Stryg rubbed his temple. ¡°I missed my next class.¡±


    ¡°So did I, yet here we still are.¡± She handed him a cup of tea, ¡°Drink up, it¡¯ll help soothe your muscles and warm your body.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks,¡± he said cautiously. He stared at the cup without moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s not poison. If I wanted to harm you we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Tea? I¡¯m simply being courteous.¡± Ismene placed her cup down, ¡°I suppose I should clarify a few things.¡±


    ¡°Like why did you attack me? It was a test right?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°And I failed,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop your torrent spells,¡± he looked over his own soaked clothes.


    ¡°The test was not to see if you were strong enough to stop my attacks. I am one of the most powerful magi in this city and you are just a novice. The outcome of that fight would be obvious to anyone. But, yes, you did fail.¡±


    Stryg grit his teeth, despite all his strength he was still failing. He bowed his head, ¡°I apologize for my failure. I will not fail you again.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize and yes, you will fail again, I have no doubt of that.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s face grew a shade darker. ¡°W-what was the test then?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re asking the right questions. The test was simple. I wanted to see if you could spell-cast properly. You could not. You still use anger as a crutch for your will and focus.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So you attacked me over and over, to see what the source for my focus was? You could have just asked.¡±


    Ismene poked him in the arm with her cane, ¡°Wrong again. Asking you would not have helped either of us. I needed to show you that your anger was not enough. Even when I goaded you into a rage your anger was not sufficient. Your spells were all force, no finesse. Blue magic has always been about control, not random bouts of rage.¡±


    She lifted his arm with her cane and pushed the tea cup towards his mouth, ¡°And I needed to see if your heart was capable of more than just anger. Fortunately for you, it was.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He furrowed his brow but took a sip of the prompted tea.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember casting a torrent spell at the end of our little test?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely? I was in a lot of pain,¡± he massaged his bruised shoulder.


    She sipped her tea, ¡°You didn¡¯t rely on your anger. The torrent spell you cast was artless and crude, a novice¡¯s spell no doubt, but it came from a raw place deep within. It was born from frustration and it was a manifestation of pure determination.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯ll accept you as my student.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good thing,¡± he swallowed.


    He had never seen such powerful torrent spells before, that much was true. But no one had ever beaten him to such a degree either. He had no idea Ismene was such a powerful mage. Learning from her would be an honor and yet terrifying all at once.


    Ismene¡¯s lips curled slightly, ¡°We¡¯ll start by getting rid of that stupid crutch of yours. Loh decided to give you the easy route for spell-casting. Anger may grant you a powerful focus for spell-casting, but it will never be as reliable as what I will teach you.¡±


    ¡°You mean regular meditation?¡±


    She smacked his wrist with the cane.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He winced in pain.


    ¡°You are young so I will overlook your ignorance just this once. Elzri Noir is a very wise man, he would not have sent you my way if you did not have true potential. It is time you begin acting like it.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hm, good,¡± Ismene nodded. She pushed herself to her feet, ¡°True meditation is simply a way for us to find ourselves. An act of defiance. Taking a stand to not run away from the monsters that plague our thoughts.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The cane clattered to the floor, ¡°It is when you find your true self that you will know if you have the strength to face that individual. Because, if you can, then you will learn you have the strength to face the world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°You will, in time. No one can teach you this, not really.¡±


    Her body began to glow a soft blue. The air popped with static power. Ismene closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened her arms wide, ¡°It must come from within you!¡±


    Blue streaks of lightning burst forth from within her. Stryg fell back as the lightning crackled all around him, curving about the chamber, looking for somewhere to escape.


    Ismene¡¯s grey hair rose in the air, her black robes billowed around her, the sapphire of her mage necklace glowed brightly. Her beige eyes were hard with resolve. Gone was the frail old woman and in her place was a terrifying avatar of storm magic.


    Ismene held her palm open wide, the lightning streaking across the chamber screeched in response and curled around her hand, condensing into a small glowing orb. She clasped her hand shut, the dense orb of power sputtered and spun erratically before settling into a spear of electric energy.


    Ismene slowly turned to Stryg and offered him her free hand, ¡°Are you ready to learn?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in awe, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then we have a long road ahead of us, apprentice,¡± Ismene grinned.


    The lightning fizzled and the blue light faded away. Her hair fell down around her face, concealing the Tempest Archmage and leaving an old woman in her place. Ismene bent down and grabbed her cane. She hobbled back over to her cup of tea and sat down with a tired sigh.


    ¡°Stryg, you have used your anger to ignore your problems and lash out at the world with magic. Effective, yes. But, limiting. You are depriving yourself of knowing how truly powerful you are. It is time we begin to rectify that.¡±


    ¡°If I do what you say will I be able to create lightning like that? Can you teach me that storm spell, the one with the spear? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± Stryg scooted closer to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. There is a reason why most blue magi can only cast the torrent spell-form. Mastery of storm magic requires complete lack of emotion, total focus, precise control, and an unbreakable will. You have none of these qualities.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll only be teaching me torrent magic?¡± His shoulders slumped.


    Ismene laughed, ¡°Please, you¡¯re not ready to learn any spells. If you are to reach your true potential we must start from the beginning, your foundations. Until I deem you ready, we will spend our sessions training in meditation and breathing control.¡±


    Stryg blinked, Fuck.


    ¡°This time there will be no beautiful dwarves to distract you,¡± she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Elzri explained to me your physical capabilities, including your enhanced night vision. After that, it was quite easy to conclude why a teenage boy failed in my class. Now, close your eyes and let us begin.¡±


    ¡°...Understood, master,¡± he hung his head.


    ~~~


    Stryg stood in front of a large mansion enshrouded by pale white walls. He showed the guards at the front gate his nameplate and announced his reason for visiting. The guards discussed between themselves and nodded. One of them said they understood and to please wait a moment, while the other guard ran off into the mansion.


    Stryg balanced on the heels of his feet and glanced around the street while he waited. The Villa District definitely lived up to its name. Mansions ran across almost every street. The few areas without mansions were filled with high-end stores catering to the rich. The cobblestone streets themselves were polished and impeccable. He wondered how many cleaners passed by every night to keep it so.


    The streets were fairly empty compared to the Trade District. There were no bustling of crowds nor shouts of sales. Instead, well-groomed centaurs trotted about with their wealthy riders. Every so often a carriage would pass by, a small face peeping out the window.


    The silver gates behind Stryg swung open. The guards stepped aside as a young man ran over.


    ¡°Stryg! You made it,¡± Clypeus laughed with a wide smile.


    ¡°Thank you again for the invitation,¡± he bowed slightly.


    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯ve been needing a training partner.¡± Clypeus placed a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Come in, come in.¡±


    Stryg stepped into the courtyard and slowly gazed over the villa. There were several white stone buildings of varying sizes connected to each other through large halls. Green grass covered most of the ground save for the winding brick stone pathways spreading throughout the courtyard. Flowers and shrubbery decorated the edges of each courtyard, with even a few trees growing here and there.


    Stryg found himself smiling, he hadn¡¯t seen trees ever since his training exercise in the academy¡¯s grove. He missed the familiar plants.


    ¡°So, this is your home?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s House Gale¡¯s main residence within the city. My family has many lodgings. I¡¯m currently staying here, but I consider my real home a manor up north, away from the city, it¡¯s where I grew up. A little confusing, I know.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I understand. I share a similar sentiment, just in reverse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Well, our training ground is in the back. Let me show you,¡± Clypeus pointed with his thumb.


    ¡°I¡¯m right behind you,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°So, how have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you around campus much these past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy training, haven¡¯t had much free time.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve come to train with me,¡± Clypeus chuckled. ¡°Always the hard worker, huh? I bet your magical skills have improved a lot.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± he mumbled.


    Stryg was still only able to create simple shapes from his illusion spells and he was unable to retain their shape whenever they were struck by one of the wind chimes. Vayu said he was making good progress, but he didn¡¯t feel that way. As for Ismene, he was stuck doing meditation practices that he was still utterly failing. Sure, he didn¡¯t have Kithina to distract him, now he just had a terrifying mage staring at him.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Clypeus nudged his shoulder.


    Stryg looked up to see a large pond with smooth stepping stones chequered across its clear surface. A woman in loose white robes danced over the stones, her body a blur of rhythmic patterns. Her silver sword swiveled in her palm, each stroke glancing the pond¡¯s surface, sending water droplets flying in fluid arcs.


    Stryg lost himself in the beautiful dance, his eyes mesmerized by the seamless sword strokes. The end came abruptly, the woman¡¯s movements froze, one leg held bent in the air, her blade in mid-thrust. She slowly looked over at him.


    ¡°Cly, this is the one you brought for a training partner?¡± Gale asked calmly.


    ¡°Yup. You remember Stryg, right? He was at Mellow Bloom during the Seregulus Hunt,¡± Clypeus patted the young goblin¡¯s back.


    ¡°Hello, again,¡± Stryg placed his hand over his heart and bowed.


    ¡°I remember you, but as I recall you were a mage, not a swordmaster,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Actually, I came hoping to pick up on a few ways to counter sword attacks,¡± Stryg said.


    Gale skipped across the pond, her feet barely touching each stepping stone. She landed softly on the grass in front of them.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance. I just don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ll actually be able to learn. But, if you really wish to be Cly¡¯s partner and train against me then I have no objections,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Thank you for your acceptance,¡± Clypeus bowed deeply.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick, it¡¯s almost dinner time,¡± Gale raised her blade.


    Stryg glanced between them, ¡°Wait, what?¡±

 Chapter 121: Just A Dream

    Chapter 121: Just A Dream


    Maeve was a child again. She had gone home after spending the day with Nora in the training tracks. Maeve had arrived with a ravenous hunger that would only be sated by strawberry frosted cupcakes. Her mother was in the kitchen baking a fresh batch.


    Alice Veres smiled as her daughter tackled her legs. ¡°You''re getting mud all over the floor.¡±


    Maeve buried her small face in Alice¡¯s apron before looking up with a wide grin, ¡°Hi, mommy!¡±


    Alice stroked her cheek, ¡°Hello to you too. How was your day?¡±


    ¡°It was awesome! Nora and I rode with centaurs all day. They were all so beautiful and kind and fast. I wanna be like them when I grow up.¡±


    Alice kneeled and met her daughter face-to-face, ¡°And someday you will be, I promise.¡±


    Maeve giggled, ¡°Then we can go riding together!¡±


    Alice¡¯s smile fell, ¡°Yes¡­ When mommy is feeling better we¡¯ll go out riding together, just you and me, buttercup.¡±


    Maeve rested her head into the crook of Alice¡¯s neck and whispered into her ear, ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡± Alice abruptly picked up her daughter and spun her around.


    Maeve laughed in delight.


    The room¡¯s warmth was suddenly swept away by a frigid cold. The yellow lit room was dyed an icy blue. The kitchen staff all suddenly disappeared, leaving Maeve and Alice alone with him. Lord Mora stood in the doorway, his shoulders heaving from rage.


    ¡°Maeve, what did I tell you about spending time with that little bitch?¡± He stomped over.


    Alice placed her daughter down and stepped in front of her. ¡°Maeve was just having fun. There was no harm in it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses for her,¡± he spat.


    Maeve trembled behind Alice. She did not dare poke her head out to meet her father¡¯s angry gaze.


    ¡°She¡¯s a child,¡± Alice raised her arms and blocked her husband¡¯s path.


    ¡°Move out of the way, woman!¡± Lord Mora yelled.


    He slapped Alice across the face sending her careening to the floor.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Maeve screamed.


    She ran towards Alice, but her father stepped in between.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere,¡± he sneered.


    He reached out with a large gloved hand. Maeve¡¯s face paled in fright. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to escape, he was going to hurt her again.


    Maeve closed her eyes tight and flinched. ¡°This is a dream, this a dream. It¡¯s all just a dream.¡±


    Lord Mora¡¯s hand wrapped around her neck. She gulped in a breath of air before he got a chance to squeeze her windpipe shut. But, the choking grip never came. She cracked an eye open hesitantly. Her father¡¯s face was still, his gaze unmoving.


    Maeve glanced at her mother. Alice was on the ground, her body was frozen, practically lifeless, not even a single strand of her hair moved.


    What was going on? This was not how her dreams were supposed to be. Her father had yet to beat her into a bloody mess. Instead, both her parents were still, as if time had frozen all around her.


    Maeve stepped away from her father and looked around. The sunlight did not seep through the window. When had it become night? Gone were the candlelight and stove fires. Shadows reached all across the room, bathing the kitchen in a dreary darkness.


    ¡°You are right. This is just a dream, a nightmare really. Although, one you seem to experience over and over. A prison of your own unconscious design. How splendidly ironic.¡±


    Maeve slowly turned around. In a corner of the kitchen, where not a single strand of light pierced, came a smooth silk voice.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± Maeve squeaked.


    ¡°I am but a mere passerby in your nightmarish dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Are you here to kill my father?¡±


    ¡°No. That job is for another, whom I believe your mind has yet to conjure in this¡­ dream. That is what you called it, yes? A dream? Not much of a dream if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Why is my father not moving?¡±


    ¡°You mean why is he not attacking you? Beating you? Maiming you? Trying to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Maeve swallowed.


    ¡°That little bit was me. Of course, I can let this little world of yours resume, if you¡¯d like. Just say the word.¡±


    ¡°No! I-I mean. Please, no. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on anymore. You¡¯re different from what I normally dream... But, that¡¯s not a bad thing. I¡¯m tired of being hurt. I¡¯m tired of being in pain. I just want this all to end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She sniffed.


    ¡°This place, this nightmare of yours, is a prison cell and you are its creator, warden, and prisoner. You are tied to this place as are all the creatures your mind has created to torment you. You have made a prison without a key and you have locked yourself inside. You will never escape this place¡­ not alone.¡±


    ¡°But you can?¡±


    ¡°Sweet child, I need no keys. There is no lock I cannot break, no dungeon I cannot find, no cell that can hold me. So really, the only question, the only one that truly matters, is if you wish for this nightmare to end? A new life beyond this place.¡±


    A faint familiar echo swept past the window.


    ¡°You can help me? You can stop my nightmares?¡± Maeve took a step closer towards the voice.


    ¡°I can, for a price.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Maeve took another step closer.


    ¡°Patience, child. I will name a price, in due time.¡±


    Maeve paused, ¡°But, can you help me now?¡±


    The echo sounded louder now, but she could still not make out the noise. The window rattled. Maeve glanced outside, but there was nothing. The hair on the back of her neck stood taut. She slowly looked back at her visitor. She could not see into the darkness, but she felt as if the speaker on the other end was smiling.


    ¡°Of course, I can free you from this nightmare. All you have to do is say yes. Do we have a deal?¡± A long winding hand stretched out of the dark corner, it was wrapped in inky shadows, almost as if it was darkness itself.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Maeve reached out her hand, ¡°...Ye-¡±


    The window shattered with a brilliant screech. A large silver owl dove through the broken glass in a blast of fresh air. It flew right at Maeve and sank its claws into her shoulders.


    Maeve screamed in agony as the sharp claws drew blood.


    ¡°This does not concern you, trespasser.¡± The shadowy hand shot forward and grabbed Maeve by the hem of her shirt. The hand dragged her towards the dark corner.


    The owl hooted in anger and bit at the arm with a relentless rage. The hand released Maeve and retreated back into the darkness.


    The voice cackled, ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Two shadowy arms reached out.


    Maeve shrieked in fear and pain. The owl¡¯s eyes flared bright, it opened its wings to their full magnificent size. The silver feathers shivered with excitement and flung forward. The owl beat its wings with a wave of sheer power, blasting itself backward, dragging Maeve with it.


    The owl tucked its wings in a barrel and shot out through the window, taking Maeve up into the night sky. Her vision blurred with blood and tears, the world grew small.


    ~~~


    Maeve screamed and flailed around her bed in a hysteric fit. Her body was covered in sweat and her blankets were strewn about the floor. The sun¡¯s first rays were barely peeking through the windows. She swallowed and gasped for breath, her eyes twitched and glanced all around her room.


    It was just a dream, only a dream, she repeated in her mind over and over.


    A knock rang on her bedroom door.


    ¡°Young Mistress, are you alright?¡± One of her maids asked from behind the door.


    Maeve cleared her throat.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t come in,¡± she managed to croak out in a raspy voice.


    ¡°...If you say so, Young Mistress. Please, let us know if you are in need of anything.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Maeve let out a sigh when the maid¡¯s footsteps faded away. Eventually, she managed to roll her way out of bed and dragged her feet towards the mirror.


    Her eyes widened in terror, ¡°No.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Hello, Maeve, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Doctor Lucy smiled.


    ¡°Same,¡± Maeve plopped down on a chair across from her.


    ¡°As much as I love our talks, I am a tad curious.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Maeve sighed.


    ¡°Well, for starters, you hate our talks and much prefer I simply give you some medication and potions. The amount I gave you last time should not have run out yet and seeing as our next appointment isn¡¯t until Monday, I am wondering what happened to make you visit my office this early in the morning.¡±


    Maeve clasped her hands together tightly. ¡°I have been having these dreams.¡±


    ¡°Different from your previous nightmares?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    Lucy put down her pen, ¡°I¡¯m going to need more than that.¡±


    Maeve groaned, ¡°The dreams were the same for the most part. I¡¯m a little kid again and I¡¯m in my old family home. Everything¡¯s going well for one reason or another, until my father shows up and¡­ And...¡±


    ¡°He hurts you,¡± Lucy said softly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she swallowed. ¡°But, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Maeve, I¡¯ve told you before. Ignoring your past will not help you overcome your current problems.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to ignore the past, dammit!¡± She sighed, ¡°Look, do you remember I told you about my weird dream right before I left the city?¡±


    ¡°You mean the one in which you died?¡± Lucy skimmed through her notes, ¡°To that large snake and panther?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly! Except it wasn¡¯t actually a snake and panther.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you were lying?¡± Lucy raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No, not at all. I told you exactly what I dreamed. The only thing is it isn¡¯t what actually happened.¡±


    ¡°You lost me, Maeve.¡±


    She rubbed her temple, ¡°Look, I know this will sound crazy, I feel like I might be going crazy, but I¡¯m not. So please, just please, hear me out... When I went to Mellow Bloom a few weeks back, they were holding this special hunting competition, The Seregulus Hunt. Have you ever heard of seregulusi before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read about them in scholarly journals at the mage academy,¡± Lucy nodded.


    ¡°Then you know they look like a cross between a giant snake and a big cat.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, the one I found or more accurately found me, had black fur and green eyes. Just like the panther in my dream.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m glad you managed to make it out alright. Sereguli can be incredibly dangerous,¡± Lucy smiled.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t. The seregulus attacked me, tried eating me, like in my dream.¡±


    ¡°An odd coincidence and a terrifying experience I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. You don¡¯t get it. It wasn¡¯t just like my dream, it was my dream. Everything about it was the same.¡±


    ¡°Were you suddenly turned into a little girl like in your dreams?¡±


    Maeve licked her lips, ¡°No, but I was chased down by a herd of root bison like my dream. My centaur died in the stampede. I watched her get trampled to death, just like how I saw my family get trampled in my dream. Everything odd that happened in that specific dream, somehow came true in a weird way.¡±


    ¡°Except the part that you died.¡±


    ¡°Of course not that part,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°And the dragon?¡±


    ¡°No dragon...¡±


    Lucy grabbed her hand, ¡°Maeve, I think you experienced a terrifying event and your mind is trying to cope with it in whatever way it can. In this case, you believe you somehow saw what was going to happen and you failed to prevent it anyway.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it!¡± Maeve pulled her hand away.


    ¡°You have to stop blaming yourself for every bad thing that¡¯s happened to you. Believe it or not, you are not the architect of all your misfortune.¡±


    ¡°But, I am my own warden and prisoner,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± Lucy frowned.


    ¡°Look, I know what I saw in my dream and what I saw out on that hill. I¡¯m telling you it was the same.¡±


    Lucy leaned back, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s suppose that you are correct. That what you saw in your dream, the root-bison, the panther, the snake, the owl, all of it, was all real, then wh-¡±


    ¡°The owl,¡± Maeve shot to her feet.


    She had forgotten. That¡¯s why the sound was so familiar. The owl had been there the last time something strange had occurred in her dream.


    ¡°What happened? Did you actually see an owl?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°No, not in real life,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°I guessed as much. Owls are native to the Rupture Mountains and even then they are incredibly rare. Most people have only ever seen them in drawings.¡±


    ¡°But, I saw that owl last night in my dream¡­ What does it mean?¡± Maeve paced around the room.


    ¡°Some part of your mind trying to make sense of the world around you?¡±


    ¡°Please, doc, work with me. Just this once, try to see things as I do,¡± Maeve pleaded.


    Lucy sighed, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. Owls are very rare and almost no one ever sees them. They are also nocturnal. Hm, what else?¡±


    ¡°The silver owl in my dreams only ever appeared in the dark,¡± Maeve nodded.


    ¡°Ah, I just remembered.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I once read an old book about ancient traditions and rituals, that kind of stuff. The book mentioned something about owls being some sort of omen.¡±


    ¡°What sort of omen?¡±


    Lucy placed a finger to her chin and narrowed her eyes, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m trying to remember. Was it a good harvest? No, that¡¯s not right. Danger? No, not that either.¡±


    ¡°Please, try harder,¡± Maeve implored.


    Lucy snapped her fingers, ¡°I remember now. Owls are an omen of death¡­ How often have you seen owls in your dreams?¡±


    Maeve sat back down in her chair. ¡°Death?¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Maeve.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah. I¡¯ve seen the owl twice now, both times in the dreams that were different from the usual.¡±


    ¡°Was it the same owl?¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡±


    Lucy tapped her fingers on her lap, ¡°Do you feel like you are dying by any chance? Are you having suicidal thoughts?¡±


    Maeve bit her lip, ¡°No... But, there is something that scares me more than death.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Maeve unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it down below her shoulders.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lucy gasped.


    Maeve¡¯s shoulders were covered in bloody bandages.


    ¡°Last night I dreamed that the owl dug its claws into my shoulders and when I woke up it was like this.¡± She removed the bandages. Her shoulders were covered in deep bloody gashes.


    ¡°Oh, Maeve, you did this while you slept,¡± Lucy¡¯s eyes welled with tears.


    ¡°Do these look like scratch marks? Last time I checked vampires don¡¯t have claws, let alone talons half a foot long,¡± Maeve frowned.


    Lucy leaned forward and took a closer look. Maeve was right, the wounds were made by an animal, that much was for sure. Was the girl lying about how she got them? Had she let herself be maimed by a monster? No, it wasn¡¯t like Maeve to do such a thing. Was this the work of the seregulus that had attacked her? No, the wounds were too fresh.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Lucy furrowed her brow.


    ¡°What is happening to me? I¡¯m scared,¡± Maeve trembled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure... But, we are going to get to the bottom of this. I am not going to let you go through this on your own, I promise,¡± Lucy gripped her hands tightly.


    Maeve sighed in relief, ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 122: Failures

    Chapter 122: Failures


    ¡°Now remember, Stryg, my grandfather can be a very strict and even brutal teacher. There will not be room for error with him, understood?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve spent the last two weeks getting beat up by Gale, I think I can handle whatever the principal has to offer. Besides, I was raised in harsh conditions without much room for error, this is nothing new to me. Well, except for the ¡®being trained by an archmage¡¯ kind of thing. Actually, no. Isn¡¯t Ismene an archmage?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Something like that. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m confident in your abilities, but I¡¯m going to stick around for your first lesson, just in case my grandfather does something unexpected,¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    ¡°...Okay,¡± he nodded. Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what she meant, but he respected her decision.


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go,¡± Loh pushed the door open.


    Elzri stood in the corner of a small stone room. It was empty save for an arcane-etched steel door on the other side of the room and a large wooden crate. Elzri rested his back on the crate while he twiddled his silver bracelet.


    ¡°You¡¯re both late,¡± Elzri said coolly.


    ¡°We were a bit busy,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°Sorry, principal,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°When we are in private, refer to me as master. From today onwards I will be teaching you chromatic red magic,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to make sure everything goes smoothly,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Yes, I gathered that by your unnecessary presence,¡± Elzri stepped forward.


    ¡°Of course you did,¡± she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Stryg, did you go over the readings I assigned you?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Uh, yes. The ones regarding alchemical ingredients, right?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Elzri raised his hands.


    Pitch black shadows shot out from his left hand and separated Loh from Stryg. Elzri¡¯s right hand formed a fist save for his index finger that pointed right at the goblin¡¯s face. Before Stryg could react a flash of light burst from the tip of Elzri¡¯s finger, blinding him.


    Stryg shouted in pain and surprise. His vision went white only to suddenly be dyed black. The world came back into focus in the form of silver outlines. He could see the silver shape of Elzri staring at him with a steel gaze.


    The shadows that had formed around Loh had been vaporized from the blast of light. She stepped in front of Stryg.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Loh shouted with clenched fists.


    ¡°Before we begin our lesson I wanted to confirm a matter regarding one of your apprentice¡¯s peculiar mutations,¡± Elzri said calmly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just cast magic on us whenever it suits your fancy! I¡¯m not a child anymore and he isn¡¯t yours to do with for whatever you please,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Your apprentice, not mine. Understood. Now move out of the way,¡± Elzri waved her away.


    ¡°...I¡¯m watching you,¡± Loh slowly stepped away.


    ¡°You should be watching your apprentice,¡± Elzri stared into the goblin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Stryg, what do you see right now? Describe it to me in detail.¡±


    Stryg rubbed his eyes, the shock from his eyes shifting visions was still quite jarring. He glanced between Loh and Elzri, trying to put into words what exactly he saw.


    ¡°Everything is dark, which is a little weird since I normally can see perfectly in the dark. I can¡¯t really see the very small details anymore, like the texture of the grain on the wooden planks on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Elzri nodded.


    ¡°What I can see is a very faint silver outline, almost grey, around each plank. As if someone had drawn the floor with a pencil and piece of paper. I see you and Loh likewise, except your outlines shimmer brightly every time you move, which is constantly, since you''re breathing and all.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°I already told you about Stryg¡¯s bizarre vision, what¡¯s the point of this?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished. Stryg, besides silver and black, do you see any other colors?¡±


    ¡°Hm, no. But, I have before,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, Loh told me as much.¡± Elzri raised his hand, his veins darkened to a dark grey, ¡°Do you see any other color now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°How about now?¡± A small wisp of a flame sparked to life above Elzri¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yes. There is an oil-like orange smudge above your palm,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And how about now?¡± Elzri extinguished the flame and created a small pale orb of light.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a soft white. It keeps moving a little bit.¡±


    Elzri opened the large crate and pulled out two freshly minted torches. He lit each with a small spark from a flame spell. One torch burst into an ordinary orange flame, while the other ignited with green flames.


    ¡°What do you see this time?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°You have two sticks in hand. The tip of one is wrapped around an orange smudge like before. The other is wrapped in a green smudge,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Elzri pulled out a jar from the crate and doused the torches inside. ¡°Loh, I won¡¯t shield your eyes with my shadow spell this time, so I suggest you turn around unless you want to be blind for the next few days.¡±


    Loh turned around reluctantly, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    ¡°I would never dream of it. Now, Stryg, tell me when it starts to hurt,¡± Elzri cupped his hands together and looked away.


    An orb of light spun into existence in between his palms and began to grow in brightness.


    ¡°I want you to stare right at the orb,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg said.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The orb seemed like a spinning ball of white paint, with streams curling away from it and dyeing the walls. The orb continued to spin and grow until it overtook Elzri¡¯s hands and the whole room was painted white. A large whirring noise came from the orb, bothering Stryg¡¯s ears just a tad.


    ¡°Any pain?¡± Elzri yelled.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°A white orb in your hands? The room looks white too. Everything else seems the same. Both of you are just standing there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all for now.¡±


    The orb disappeared with a small pop. The white paint melted away leaving Stryg in a dark world once again.


    ¡°Wanna tell us what that was all about?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I did your job for you,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°My job? Oh, please enlighten me, great elderly one,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    Elzri pointed to his temple, ¡°Stryg¡¯s eyes, Loh. It¡¯s his eyes. There are many recorded different forms of vision among species throughout the Null Realms. Yet, there are very few that record transitional sight. We need to learn exactly how Stryg¡¯s vision works and I have already ruled out several possibilities.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Elzri¡¯s lips curled up slightly.


    Loh sighed, ¡°Well, go on, we¡¯re listening.¡±


    ¡°From the descriptions you told me, Loh, it sounded almost as if Stryg¡¯s sight behaved like clarity magic.¡±


    ¡°Clarity magic? What¡¯s that?¡± Stryg asked.


    Elzri pointed to his eyes, ¡°Chromatic blue¡¯s true spell-form. It¡¯s very rare and you are a prime mage, so that already confirms you are no true blue mage. However, I am now sure your eyes do not act like clarity magic at all.¡±


    Elzri went on, ¡°Mana in its natural state is invisible to the naked eye. However, a clarity mage can see mana in all its forms. They can see mana flowing through the air, coursing through your veins, and stored within your heart. You clearly cannot.¡±


    Stryg looked about the room, everything still seemed black and grey, ¡°Seems about right.¡±


    ¡°I circulated mana throughout my body and I also cast an agility spell, your eyes did not react to either. But, when I cast a simple flame spell and bright spell you saw them in different colors. The same thing happened when I lit both torches, neither was magical in nature, yet your eyes reacted just the same.¡±


    ¡°In other words,¡± Elzri created a bright spell orb in the palm of his hand. ¡°Your eyes react to light. Normally, your vision can see each and every detail in complete darkness, which of course creates an incredible sensitivity to light. But, when your eyes are exposed to damaging amounts of light, your irises widen, and your vision changes.¡±


    ¡°It is too soon to confirm, but I believe your second form of sight in a way acts like a failsafe. You may have lost the ability to clearly see in the dark, but you just took incredible amounts of light to your retinas without any visible discomfort. Not to mention you were able to see us though you should have been completely blinded by the light.¡±


    ¡°A failsafe?¡± Stryg looked at his silver-lined palms.


    Elzri glanced at Loh, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Let¡¯s get to the magic lesson, already,¡± Loh yawned.


    ¡°You still have no patience I see. I hope your apprentice has more self-control. Follow me.¡± Elzri opened the steel etched door and walked into another room.


    Stryg¡¯s nose twitched the moment the door was opened. A thousand different scents assaulted his sensitive nostrils. He stumbled for a moment and grimaced.


    ¡°You okay? I knew it. That light was too much,¡± Loh gripped his shoulder.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Tell me if any of this gets too much, okay?¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he rubbed his nose.


    The next room over was filled with over a dozen shelves, each stocked with bottles of different alchemical ingredients. Two large cauldrons sat above a fire pit. Elzri was already pulling out different items from the shelves and placing them on a small table nearby.


    ¡°I just ordered a complete restock of components from the White Rose Cauldron, so there will be more than enough stock for training purposes. As you can see and from your readings, it should be quite obvious that we are practicing the potion spell-form today.¡±


    ¡°Does it always smell this bad?¡± Stryg winced.


    Elzri paused, ¡°No. The scents often get worse, becoming putrid and rancid once the components begin to react to your magic in the cauldron. But, I suppose the scents are already quite tough on your olfactory sense.¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit,¡± he swallowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the job as a potion brewer, get used to it. We will begin with any of the three recipes I sent you to study. I¡¯ll let you pick which you wish to begin with."


    Stryg pulled out his notes from his satchel and glanced at the recipes. He recognized one of the ingredients. ¡°How about the Blueberry Scented Mist?¡±


    ¡°A simple good aromatic for homes and wagons, good choice. Go grab whatever you need from the shelves,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°On it,¡± Stryg went over to the shelves and picked out what he needed.


    Some of the ingredients were on a high shelf. He simply jumped and grabbed them with ease. After a few minutes, he found the last piece and the only one he knew well. Loh had asked him to pick it up for her on various occasions for her necromancy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that scented blue ore?¡± Loh furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Yup,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Stryg, I don¡¯t think tha-¡±


    ¡°No more interruptions. It is time we begin the lesson,¡± Elzri cut her off.


    He flicked his hand, a small stream of fire flared out and lit the wood beneath the cauldrons. Loh leaned back in the corner and watched Elzri with a sharp eye.


    Elzri began, ¡°Creating potions takes a long time, ranging from a few hours to a week. Some of the time can be shaved off with the proper equipment, ingredients, and skill. But, at the end of the day potion brewing is a long and arduous process that requires constant focus. A single slip-up, a lapse of focus, will ruin the potion. The only benefit is that you will not be casting while under attack.¡±


    ¡°Seems easy enough,¡± Stryg nodded.


    He was used to spellcasting under pressure, but this should be a nice change of pace. Of course, he was quite horrible at focusing for long periods if meditation was any indicator. He tried not dwelling on that last part.


    ¡°Red magic has always been about precision, no matter the spell-form. Any mistake can severely hinder if not outright collapse your red spells, remember that. You must have the exact components and measure them precisely if you wish to make a proper potion,¡± Elzri said.


    The drow archmage opened a few bottles filled with various liquids, herbs, and even a few stones. He pulled out several vials and measuring equipment.


    ¡°These tools will be your best friends during your potion spell-casting. Never cast a potion spell without them. This brings me to the second most important aspect of red magic. Knowledge. Both ward and potion spells require extensive amounts of knowledge. Luckily, in potion casting, you can refer to notes. Hence, the recipes.¡±


    Elzri pointed to Stryg¡¯s note.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± he nodded.


    Stryg put all his ingredients on the table and followed Elzri¡¯s example. He also grabbed the same equipment from a cupboard.


    Once he was finished Elzri continued, ¡°Make sure you separate and measure each component exactly. Once you¡¯ve done so, go over it again, and then again.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg started.


    He cut the few herbs to the amount specified in his recipe. He placed the herbs in a small stone bowl. He unstoppered a small bottle and poured out a yellow liquid into a small measuring cup. Then he poured the right amount into the bowl. He measured each component three times exactly.


    Finally, he cut off a small piece of scented blue ore. The stone was quite soft and malleable and it came off with ease. Stryg particularly liked it because, despite its name, the ore had no scent whatsoever. Once he had his small chunk he shaved it down to a small pile of dust. Overall the whole process was easy if a little tedious.


    ¡°Now we really can begin,¡± Elzri walked over to the cauldron.


    ¡°All potions require a base, a liquid of sorts, to begin with. Luckily, many bases are the same and so most brewing stations keep some in stock. You will need 2 liters of Soft Rwond,¡± he took out a bottle from a cupboard and poured the right amount.


    He handed it to Stryg, ¡°The cauldrons have already been warmed by the fire. These are high-end cauldrons, magical equipment, etched with arcane words that control the maximum temperature of the metal itself. You will not have to worry about accidentally burning your potion, of course, it will still burn if left too long in the cauldron.¡±


    ¡°Right, makes sense,¡± Stryg cleared his throat.


    ¡°...Have you ever cooked before?¡±


    ¡°Not really, no.¡±


    Elzri blinked, ¡°Right, let¡¯s crack on shall we? Pour the Soft Rwond in the cauldron. Not too much at once, you want to pour it in a drizzle.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Stryg poured the blue liquid.


    His finger slipped and he poured the entire bottle in at once, it sizzled and splashed, a few drops hitting his face and nose. Stryg sneezed uncontrollably and stepped back as he shook his head over and over. His elbow bumped into his table and pushed off his small bowl of herbs. The bowl clambered on the floor and rolled a few feet away, spilling out all the contents.


    Elzri pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse.¡±

 Chapter 123: Wait, What?

    Chapter 123: Wait, What?


    Elzri tapped his foot and waited for Stryg to reassemble his potion components, the herbs, and smelly liquids.


    Once he was finished, Stryg grabbed the bowl and smiled awkwardly at Elzri, ¡°I¡¯m ready?¡±


    ¡°First, pour in the Soft Rwond. Carefully,¡± Elzri sighed.


    ¡°Right, of course,¡± Stryg nodded several times. ¡°No problem, I got this,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    Stryg poured in the thick brown liquid carefully this time. It sizzled as it touched the bottom of the cauldron, but thankfully none of it splashed out. After a few minutes, when the Soft Rwond was boiling, Elzri ordered him to pour in the herb bowl¡¯s mixture.


    ¡°Mixing ingredients is very important for a red mage. As I said before, the Soft Rwond is a base for this potion, the reason being is that it acts as a dissolving agent. Once the ingredients are melted together it is easier for us to change the components¡¯ properties with our magic,¡± Elzri explained.


    ¡°Change its properties? Can we do that? Really?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That is the whole nature of the potion spell-form. While the process is incredibly slow and can only be cast on very malleable components such as the mixture in the cauldron, potion brewing can be very powerful.¡± Elzri raised a finger, ¡°If done properly.¡±


    ¡°In this case, you need not stress too much. You may add the mixture slowly, when you do, I want you to try and imagine the components cooling and bonding with one another.¡±


    ¡°Cooling?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Yes, it may seem counterintuitive, what with the heat of the cauldron, but magic often does. Each potion has different components whose properties must be affected in a certain manner to achieve the desired result. In this case, the mixture must be rapidly cooled while being under constant heat for about an hour.¡±


    Stryg stared at the bowl with an air of skepticism, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make much sense. How does one even know this is the right amount or the right mix anyway?¡±


    ¡°By centuries of trial and error through rigorous testing. Now, pour in the mixture and do what I said.¡±


    Stryg poured in the mixture as he was told. The blend created a pungent acrid smell that burned his nostrils. His eyes stung and he could feel his eyes water. He closed his eyes to prevent himself from tearing up in front of the most powerful archmage in Hollow Shade.


    ¡°Open your eyes and focus,¡± Elzri said sternly.


    ¡°Trying,¡± Stryg opened his eyes blearily.


    ¡°Once you begin spell casting you cannot stop, lest the potion be ruined. When you are ready, begin spell casting, do not start a second early.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he coughed.


    Stryg hovered his hands over the cauldron. He imagined what it would be like for the boiling yellowish slop to cool down, he thought of the frozen icicles that would form on the branches of the ashen trees of Vulture Woods during late autumn. The red mana within his heart resonated and flowed through his veins and into his fingertips.


    The boiling mixture¡¯s bubbles began to slowly disappear for a brief moment. The wretched scent grew stronger. Stryg¡¯s focus broke, all he could think of was the horrible stench. He stepped back in a coughing fit.


    Elzri tapped his foot, ¡°The potion¡¯s ruined. Again, from the beginning.¡±


    ~~~


    After a dozen more coughing fits, stinging watery eyes, and six more herb bowls, Stryg finally managed a semi-stable cauldron mixture, for about two minutes. The moment he sprinkled scented blue ore dust into the cauldron, Stryg cried out in pain. If the smell before was bad then this was death incarnate. He fell to his knees with nausea.


    ¡°Okay, we need to stop this.¡± Loh rushed over to Stryg and rubbed his back. ¡°His sense of smell is clearly way too sensitive for this potion.¡±


    ¡°Just the same, I was about to call the lesson off. For all his talent, the boy clearly cannot manage a simple potion. If this mildly troublesome smell caused him this much trouble, then he has no future in potion brewing,¡± Elzri shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s his first day. Everyone struggles their first day,¡± Loh scowled.


    ¡°Then you can find him another potion teacher for his second day. I am far too busy to coddle anyone on such a futile venture,¡± Elzri walked out.


    Loh stuck her middle finger at her grandfather¡¯s back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Stryg, you¡¯ll be okay. Let¡¯s get you out of here,¡± Loh helped him to his feet.


    He groaned softly.


    ~~~


    Loh brought Stryg to her office. She let him rest in a chair and brought out some tea from one of her cupboards. She heated her kettle with a simple flame spell and served the tea with a quick routine hand.


    ¡°Drink up, it¡¯ll help you feel better,¡± she handed him a steaming cup.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Stryg managed a small smile.


    He sipped the tea and grimaced, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Ginger tea. Bit strong, I know. But, it¡¯ll help you with the nausea,¡± Loh said sympathetically.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Stryg swallowed nervously.


    They sat in silence for half an hour, the only sounds were Stryg¡¯s small sips and his occasional cough. Loh wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He was clearly in a sad mood, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to approach the topic. Normally, she would simply leave him alone, yet this time it seemed almost wrong to ignore him. Thankfully, he spoke first.


    ¡°I always wondered why it was called scented blue ore, now I know. It¡¯s the worst scent in the world. I mean, how in all the bloody Realms do you get a blueberry scented potion from that evil cauldron?¡± Stryg shivered.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Red magi have a weird way of being able to change things,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I can say goodbye to that future. So much for being a prime mage,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, you know. No one manages a spell perfectly on their first day, let alone their first try. I taught you that with grey and orange magic.¡±


    ¡°This was different. Whenever I cast an orange or grey spell I understood when I was doing something wrong. I knew I could fix it. But, this? I couldn¡¯t do anything, no matter how hard I tried. I was utterly useless. I failed you.¡±


    He hung his head in shame.


    Loh grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Hey look at me, you are not useless and you have certainly not failed me. Remember Melantha the Blue? She was only a blue mage, yet she managed to defeat a prime arch mage and his entire guard escort. You don¡¯t have to know every spell-form to be powerful. You only need to know one. And you already know four, in my book you¡¯ve already succeeded.¡±


    Stryg stared at her, ¡°You¡¯re not lying?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Duh. I¡¯m your master. Like I told you back in Dusk Valley. We must have trust between master and apprentice. So, trust me now. You have not failed me, so don¡¯t fail yourself by giving up now.¡±


    His lips curled up just a bit, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Loh patted his shoulder and stood up.


    ¡°So, what now? Do we need to get a new potions teacher?¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Mm, no, I think we should hold off on the potions for a while. They clearly don¡¯t suit you very well.¡±


    ¡°But, I thought you just said I shouldn¡¯t give up?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t giving up, we¡¯re just shifting focus. Chromatic red magic is more than just potions. Remember your chromatic black magic class? Your necromancy?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± Stryg covered his face.


    ¡°Exactly, the necromancy spell-form wasn¡¯t your thing. Yet, you excelled in the shadow spell-form. You scored at the top of your black magic class, Professor Gette was proud. The same can happen here. Next time you meet with my grandfather I¡¯ll have him teach you red¡¯s other spell-form.¡±


    ¡°Ward magic?¡± Stryg looked up.


    ¡°Yup and I guarantee it won¡¯t be smelly this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Loh glanced at her bookshelf, ¡°Actually, now that we¡¯re on the topic, this is as good a time as any to teach you grey¡¯s second spell-form, too.¡±


    ¡°Curse spells? Are you serious?¡± Stryg said excitedly.


    Loh pulled out a few books from the shelf and placed them on the desk, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been putting it off for too long. I already borrowed some books regarding the arcane language from the library, so consider this your first lesson.¡±


    ¡°Great! Wait, arcane language? I thought that was more of a ward thing?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°How much do you know about the arcane language?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Not much,¡± he admitted. ¡°Just that Callum says it''s a pain to use in his ward spells.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. Ward spells are composed of arcane symbols, a very complex language. Curse spells are the same. Which is why it¡¯s time you learn.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready. Where do we start?¡± Stryg scooted his chair closer.


    ¡°I guess we should start at the beginning. The Ebon Realm speaks two languages, well one now, I guess. Most of us used to speak the Ebon language, also known as the Olden Tongue. Very few people know it still, mostly just scholars.¡±


    ¡°One sec. I just wanna make sure I have this right. Languages are kinda like accents, right? People talk weirdly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°So, what are we using now?¡±


    ¡°You should really know that part,¡± her lips bunched to the side.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Common. We all speak Common Tongue nowadays. We have since a little before the Schism 300 years ago. It was a language that was a common ground between all the Realms, hence the name.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Stryg tapped his temple.


    ¡°Each Realm has its own personal language, some have several, but you don¡¯t have to remember any of those. The only other language you should know about is the arcane language. It¡¯s old, I¡¯m not sure how old. All we do know is that it¡¯s used in multiple spell-forms and that the magi of the ten Null Realms have collected bits and pieces of the language.¡±


    ¡°Bits and pieces?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, the arcane language is old. Most of it has been forgotten. Magi all across the Realms gathered what parts they could throughout the years and have formed a lexicon we use to cast our spells. It¡¯s not complete, but still quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°That is impressive¡­ What¡¯s a lexicon?¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Think of it as a dictionary and you¡¯re gonna learn it.¡±


    ¡°I have to learn how to speak a new language?¡± His smile fell.


    ¡°Not speak it, just how to read and write it. Simple enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can already read and write,¡± Stryg said proudly. ¡°Watch.¡±


    He grabbed a pen and a loose sheet of paper from her desk and scribbled a few words down.


    He held the paper up to her and read it slowly, ¡°It says Loh Noir.¡±


    Loh blinked at the childish squiggly lines, ¡°Stryg, that¡¯s Common Tongue... You do know there are different kinds of written languages, right? Right?¡±


    ¡°What? B-but, why? Writing is already so hard. You have to remember so much. Why make it even more confusing?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Oh gods, this will be harder than I thought,¡± she closed her eyes tightly and grimaced.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I have to learn how to write again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Oh. Shit.¡± His shoulders slumped.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    Stryg made a deadpan face. ¡°I was never good at writing in the first place. I could never get the words right no matter how many times I wrote them on the dirt.¡±


    Loh glanced at his childish handwriting, ¡°Yeah, I can see that.¡±


    ¡°So much for not failing,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°Look, it''s fine. Everyone has their weaknesses. I¡¯ve known people who get letters mixed up whenever they read and write. Something about their eyes confusing words, I think. If they can manage to write well, then so can you. Now come on, we¡¯ll start off with something simple.¡±


    Loh opened one of the arcane books and skimmed through the first few pages, ¡°Here, how about this. The words are water and fire. Easy.¡±


    Stryg looked at the words, ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡±


    He grabbed the pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Loh held his hand. ¡°Not on paper. We¡¯re practicing magic now. I want you to write in the air using mana.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Stryg dropped the pen reluctantly.


    ¡°All you have to do is let your grey mana flow into your fingertip and just write with it in the air.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem too hard.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is one more thing,¡± Loh winced a bit.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Unlike writing on paper, where all you have to do is get the right curvature of the lines, when writing in the air you have to take into account the depth of the lines. A tad confusing, I know.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°Drawing squiggly lines and expecting them to mean something was always confusing to me. But, here we are.¡±


    Stryg focused on the words he wanted to write, fire and water. He recalled the fresh pain and anger from his recent potion failure. Grey mana streamed into his hand with a warm touch. He focused the mana on his index¡¯s fingertip and began to draw the symbols.


    ¡°Take your time, Stryg. Don¡¯t rush, you don¡¯t want to injure your hand¡­¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes widened as Stryg flicked his finger through the air in quick swipes, the grey arcane symbols glowing softly in the air.


    ¡°Done,¡± he said after a second.


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Loh pointed at the arcane words.


    Stryg glanced between the words and her, ¡°It¡¯s um¡­ Fire and water?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that. What I don¡¯t know is how you wrote them perfectly.¡±


    Stryg walked around the words, checking their curves and depths, ¡°Huh. They do look good, don¡¯t they? Weird, I guess there¡¯s a first time for everything.¡±


    ¡°Good?! They''re perfect, Stryg! How? It doesn¡¯t make sense. How does a novice mage write perfectly in the air, I can¡¯t even write the words that well!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like you said, they were pretty easy words. It wasn¡¯t hard, I¡¯ve written them more times than I can count,¡± he shrugged.


    Loh froze, ¡°Wait. You wrote those words. Those exact words thousands of times?¡±


    ¡°I mean, yeah. Not on the air, of course. On the dirt, when I was a kid. Why are you looking at me like that? I know it wasn¡¯t as nice as paper and pen, but I made do.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, are you telling me you learned how to write the arcane language as a kid?¡±


    ¡°Arcane language? No. I just wrote regular words.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what did you just write in the air?¡± Loh pointed to the fading grey words.


    ¡°Fire and water?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but in what language?¡±


    ¡°In regular words? Oh, wait, no. You called it Common, yeah that was it, the correct name is Common Tongue.¡±


    Loh rubbed her temple, ¡°Stryg¡­ Those words you wrote on the paper are Common Tongue. They¡¯re not the same as the ones you wrote on the air.¡±


    Stryg stared at her for a second, before his eyes widened, ¡°Ooh. I get it. You¡¯re confused. Yeah, I just wrote them in both forms is all. I didn¡¯t know how to write your name in the second form, so I just wrote it in the first form.¡±


    ¡°Forms? What are you talking about?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, you know, the two forms for writing words? Ugh, writing is so much more confusing than talking, especially when you start getting into the flow, width, and of course like you said the depth. I don¡¯t even wanna think of how hard it¡¯s going to be learning arcane writing.¡±


    Loh shook her head and ran her hands through her white hair. She slapped her own cheeks and took deep breaths. ¡°Stryg, are you saying that you think there are two different ways to write a word?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think, I know, everyone does,¡± he chuckled.


    She bit her lip, ¡°Mm, you see, no. No, they don¡¯t. A different form of writing a word is called a different language. In this case, you were writing in the arcane language.¡±


    ¡°What? No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. The words all sound the same, look, the words in the air and the ones on the book both say fire and water. See, they don¡¯t sound different.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°The arcane language is so old, no one knows what it¡¯s supposed to sound like, so we just pronounce it in our own tongue, Common.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get what you¡¯re saying, but this is still different. I don¡¯t know how to write any arcane language. I didn¡¯t even really know about it until you told me, today.¡±


    Loh slapped her hands together and placed them right in front of her mouth, ¡°Stryg, what do you call your written word forms?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, the Small Form. ¡®Cause the words are smaller I guess? I don¡¯t really know. I didn¡¯t come up with the names.¡±


    ¡°And the other form?¡±


    ¡°The Arcana Form, ¡®caus- Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh. Wait, what?¡±

 Chapter 124: All of Them?

    Chapter 124: All of Them?


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. You were taught two languages,¡± Loh leaned back in her chair. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure why. How old were you when you learned to write?¡±


    ¡°About 10, I think?¡±


    ¡°You were too young to be recognized as a mageborn¡­ Why would someone teach you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he took pity on me, I guess,¡± Stryg looked away.


    ¡°He? Who taught you how to write exactly?¡±


    The memory of the eccentric goblin crossed his mind. His loss still pained Stryg more than he had realized. ¡°...He was one of the older hunters in the village. His name was Sigte.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡±


    ¡°He died. Dire bear mauling.¡± Stryg swallowed and cleared his throat, ¡°Most of the tribe didn¡¯t like him, he was an outcast like me. Although Sigte was a strong hunter, so people respected him. He didn¡¯t have to be nice to a disobedient little kid like me, but he was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Loh said quietly. ¡°What mage rank was Sigte? Master? High-Master?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Sigte wasn¡¯t even a mageborn. He was really good with a spear and was a pretty decent shot with a bow too.¡±


    Loh furrowed her brow, ¡°Are you telling me that a savage hunter without any magical background had an extensive knowledge of the arcane language?¡±


    ¡°Sigte was not a savage, none of us are!¡± Stryg yelled.


    The pain from the past had been dredged up to the surface and all it took was Loh¡¯s words to ignite it all ablaze.


    ¡°Everyone here thinks the Sylvan tribes are a bunch of feral beasts that can¡¯t control themselves! My people are ruthless and unrelenting because it¡¯s the only way to survive in Vulture Woods. We¡¯ve simply learned to adapt to our environment. We have rules and structure just like Hollow Shade, but that doesn¡¯t matter to any of you.¡±


    Stryg looked down, ¡°I can hear the other magi whisper amongst themselves when I walk by. What they think of my kind and me. All of them believe they¡¯re better than me just because I¡¯m a Sylvan goblin.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I didn-¡±


    Stryg shot to his feet, ¡°Well, they¡¯re not! None of you are! Hollow Shade sacrifices those who go against them to a bunch of monsters at the wall and enslave the rest. Undead sentinels hunt down Hollow Shade¡¯s own people at night, simply because they forgot their damn nameplates at home. And you call us the savages!?¡±


    Loh watched quietly as Stryg heaved.


    She waited until he caught his breath, ¡°Stryg¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was not careful with my words. I admit I always saw some of your mannerisms as strange, but I never thought you might see us the same. Heh, maybe even worse.¡±


    Stryg stared at her, the anger slowly deflating from his face. He plopped down on his chair and refused to meet her gaze.


    ¡°None of it matters, not anymore,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°It does matter. What you think matters to me. I care about us,¡± Loh raised her silver bracelet and pointed at Stryg¡¯s matching set. ¡°This represents a lifetime bond. You¡¯re my apprentice¡­ And how you feel concerns me as a mage and as a friend.¡±


    Stryg met her eyes with a spent gaze, ¡°Lunis is gone, her people forgotten, and I¡¯m one of the few goblins in this entire city who knows. So, what am I supposed to do? Can someone as weak as me do anything?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what¡¯s Lunis?¡± Loh scrunched her nose.


    ¡°...Nothing, never mind,¡± he squeezed his eyes shut.


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°You wanted to know about Sigte, right? I don¡¯t really know much of his past. Sigte wasn¡¯t originally from the Blood Fang tribe. He was from another tribe, they were nameless.¡±


    ¡°Nameless? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When one of the Sylvan tribes is found guilty of the vilest of crimes, they are condemned by the Lunar Elect and are stripped of their tribe name.¡±


    ¡°Are the Lunar Elect powerful?¡±


    ¡°They are the council that oversees all the Sylvan people. Their word is the law.¡±


    ¡°I see, that doesn¡¯t sound promising for the nameless. What crime did Sigte¡¯s tribe commit exactly?¡±


    Stryg traced his finger over the silver links in his bracelet, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was pretty young when the whole thing happened and the tribes don¡¯t like to talk about those kinds of things. All I do know is that they were convicted of committing a crime against the goddess Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that couldn¡¯t have ended well,¡± she winced.


    ¡°By order of the Lunar Elect, various tribes attacked the nameless. The Blood Fang tribe was one of the attackers. A few of the nameless¡¯ people who were deemed innocent and skillful were spared and accepted into the other tribes. Sigte was a strong hunter, so he was given a new life in Blood Fang.¡±


    ¡°Lucky him,¡± Loh smiled.


    ¡°I guess. But, the stigma of being from a nameless tribe never left him. The other tribe members always kept their distance. Maybe that¡¯s why he took me on as his apprentice? I was an outcast who was eager to learn from anyone. Even if I was a bad omen from Lunae, his tribe had gone against Lunae, so Sigte probably didn¡¯t mind teaching someone like me.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Or maybe he saw you were just a lonely kid who needed somebody to look after them, like every child deserves,¡± Loh reached out and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± he muttered.


    She let him go and began to pace around the room, ¡°So, why did Sigte know about the arcane language? Was there a powerful mage in the nameless tribe who taught him perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°Were there any other nameless people who joined your old tribe?¡±


    ¡°There was one, she got lucky. First Mother chose her to serve as the newest Mother. It is the most prestigious of all roles in the tribe, so she accepted the role gladly. She gave up her old name and became Sixth Mother, the youngest of the Mothers.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she might know about the arcane language?¡±


    ¡°Dunno, but that woman hated me and always made sure to make my life more difficult wherever she could. I doubt she¡¯d tell us anything. Especially since the Blood Fang tribe would probably kill me on sight.¡±


    Loh clapped her hands together, ¡°Let¡¯s not think about this for now. Why don¡¯t we keep practicing your arcane writing?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Feel free to write what you want, just don¡¯t push yourself too hard. I want to see what you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Stryg stood up.


    He let the grey mana flow into his fingertip and began writing the sigils in the air. The mana followed his design with ease, his hand moved in quick strokes, covering the air in front of him with grey sigils. Every stroke grew more difficult to write, the pressure of the mana building up, but he knew what he wanted to write and he kept at it until he was finished.


    After about thirty seconds he was finished, he took a step back and admired his work, ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s so clean and precise,¡± Loh looked all around the sigils, checking their design from every angle. ¡°It¡¯s like you were taught to write specifically in the air.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I was,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Whenever I used to write in the dirt I couldn¡¯t get the words just right, the pressure and the angle were always off. It was even worse when it came to paper and ink. But, when I write in the air, everything I learned, each position for a stroke, the pressure, the angle, the volume, I don¡¯t know, it all comes together somehow.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Wait. Stryg, the third sigil on the second row, I don¡¯t recognize it. Or that one,¡± Loh pointed. ¡°Or this one here. Wait, is this a complete sentence?¡±


    ¡°Yes? You told me to write whatever I wanted, so I did,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you can write complete sentences in the arcane language?¡±


    ¡°In the Arcana form, yes.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Hollow Shade¡¯s lexicons are limited, we can only form small phrases at best. It limits the complexity of our curse, enchanting, and ward spell-forms. But, you,¡± she looked at him. ¡°You wrote a complete sentence. Stryg, how much of the arcane lan- the second form, Arcana, do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a bunch of new Common words since coming to Hollow Shade, I don¡¯t know any of those in Arcana.¡±


    ¡°And what about the rest of the words? How many of those do you know in Arcana?¡±


    ¡°All of them, I guess? Well, except for names, there¡¯s no second form for those.¡±


    Loh felt the strength leave her legs, she grabbed onto her desk for support, ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    She gave him a strange look, ¡°Your knowledge just became one of the most valuable assets in the entire city, maybe the Realm. You have no idea what magi could be capable of if they had full access to the arcane language.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± he grinned lopsidedly.


    ¡°No, it really isn¡¯t. It¡¯s very dangerous. You may as well be sitting defenseless on top of a mountain of gold in the middle of Dusk Valley. People would come after you if they knew about your complete arcane lexicon.¡±


    ¡°Oh... I¡¯m fucked,¡± his eyelids drooped.


    She grabbed his shoulders, ¡°Not if we keep it secret. This stays between you and me, Stryg. So long as we don¡¯t reveal the true extent of your knowledge we¡¯ll be fine. I think.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can do that. Secret. Got it. I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Stryg nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Good, and that includes Feli. I know you trust her, but there¡¯s no reason she needs to know. We can¡¯t risk this getting out.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she nodded. ¡°On that note, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to show off some of your skills.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Today we will be practicing red magic¡¯s ward spell-form. For your sake, I hope you have at least an inkling of talent for ward magic.¡± Elzri sat on a chair in a stone courtyard.


    ¡°Stryg is more talented than you give him credit for,¡± Loh patted his back.


    Stryg nodded silently.


    Loh had convinced Elzri to give Stryg another lesson the next day, but this time in ward magic. Elzri had reluctantly agreed. He had led the trio to his private courtyard on the academy grounds.


    ¡°Loh tells me she has taught you about arcane sigils when it comes to curse spells, yes?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Good, ward spells are similar. They too require writing sigils in the air and creating a specific effect. The difference being that ward spells form shields around the caster. The more complex the ward the more powerful the shield, the more mana efficient, and more adaptive. But complexity also comes with a cost, it creates a greater mental strain to maintain the shield.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean adaptive?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Wards are very specific. The more specific you can make them the stronger they are. On the other hand, certain attacks may get through if your sigils did not cover them in the ward spell. Simply put, the more complex your sigils the more powerful your ward. The difficulty for a red mage is the amount of time it takes to write a ward mid-battle. A single mistake in a sigil will cause the entire ward to collapse. Not to mention every time a ward stops an attack it drains mana. So, the more kinds of attacks the ward blocks the quicker your mana reserves will be drained.¡±


    ¡°Complex wards are difficult, got it,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Elzri paused and stared at him with a steely gaze, ¡°...Yes, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, enough talking, why don¡¯t you start already?¡± Loh smiled wide.


    Elzri narrowed his eyes and glanced between the two, ¡°...Very well. Since your master is so eager to interfere in my teaching method, why don¡¯t we just begin? Start with a fire ward. Or did your master not teach you the arcane word for fire?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t bother to respond and instead began to write. Red mana came easier to him today than it did yesterday. For once he felt very confident in his magical abilities and his mana reacted to the feeling.


    Stryg drew the sigil for fire but continued beyond it. His focus condensed into one singular task. Today, he would not fail.


    Stryg drew a complex pattern of words composed into a defense of flame, light, and heat. He wrote several auxiliary words to enhance the overall strength of the ward. He included ways of heat dispersion around the shield and light diffusion, he even wrote a few words regarding wind in order to block the smoke and fumes.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know how long he was writing, only that his arms burned with the after-effects of large influxes of mana. Sweat dripped off his brow, he was out of breath, but he felt alive. A bright red shield covered in floating sigils formed around him.


    Stryg glanced at Elzri, ¡°Is that good enough?¡±


    The archmage¡¯s eyes were round, his forehead creased, mouth slightly hanging open. ¡°...That will do, yes, that will do.¡±


    Stryg smiled in relief.


    Elzri looked him over, ¡°It seems you are finally living up to your potential as a prodigy. I can work with this. You have hope yet, Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Loh stood behind Elzri, the largest smile Stryg had ever seen stretched across her face.

 Chapter 125: The Veres Vault

    Chapter 125: The Veres Vault


    Callum walked through the lavish hallways, the high ceilings only serving to remind him how small he felt inside the Veres mansion. He had left home years ago, his siblings had made it unbearable to live in this place. But, his father, head of the family, had just returned from his expedition in Dusk Valley.


    A messenger had arrived at Callum¡¯s apartments, with a letter from his father, inviting Callum to meet with him at the family¡¯s home in the Villa District. Callum had no choice but to accept. And so he found himself walking through the familiar halls of the Veres mansion.


    Servants passed by with quiet steps, they bowed to him, before going on with their work. His own personal maid had gone on ahead to prepare his room for the night. As he looked at the decor he noted that the mansion hadn¡¯t changed an ounce since he had left. He wondered if the same could be said about the people.


    Callum glanced outside a nearby window to the courtyard below. His younger sister was training her sword kata under the supervision of a Gale who served as her sword instructor and bodyguard. Callum¡¯s sister was the youngest of the five Veres children, only seventeen years old. Her magic had yet to awaken. So, she spent all her time training her sword technique in hopes of winning their father¡¯s approval.


    From the looks of it, she had succeeded. Her sword skills seemed to have improved beyond any of the siblings. She really was talented.


    ¡°Some things never change,¡± Callum smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°I was about to say the same thing,¡± a familiar voice called out from behind.


    Callum closed his eyes tightly. After a moment he opened them, plastered a smile over his face, and turned to meet the second eldest of his siblings. ¡°Hello, Feryd. How are you, brother?¡±


    Feryd sneered, ¡°That¡¯s elder brother to you. If you must know, I am doing wonderful, my magical abilities have been making leaps and bounds. I¡¯d ask about you, but everyone knows how you had the gall to disgrace the Veres name with your bright spells. I really didn¡¯t think you could sink any lower, but clearly, I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well, some of us aren¡¯t born as gifted as you. We have to make do with what we got,¡± Callum bared his small fangs in a grin.


    Dark shadows poured out from Feryd¡¯s silhouette and lashed at Callum, trapping him to the wall. Callum had been too slow to react. He tried moving, but the shadows were wrapped tight around him.


    Feryd calmly walked up and looked down at his brother, ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me. You think because Father likes you, that somehow makes you immune? I am also his son. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hurt you, even inside these walls.¡±


    ¡°Feryd, what are you doing?¡± A cold voice rang out.


    Feryd didn¡¯t bother to turn to the speaker, ¡°That¡¯s elder brother to you, Elise. Don¡¯t interfere, this has been a long time coming. Someone needs to teach Cal a lesson of respect. The Veres name will not be shamed by him any longer.¡±


    Elise, 3rd eldest, looked Feryd over with a hint of disdain in her crimson eyes, ¡°It¡¯s funny you mention that. Carmilla, our eldest sibling, has just arrived home from her expedition with Father and she wishes to speak with you. I wonder what sort of lesson she might teach you if you''re late?¡±


    Feryd¡¯s head snapped towards Elise, his jaw slack in surprise.


    ¡°Go on then, teach Cal a lesson. I¡¯ll be happy to let Carmilla know you wasted her time,¡± Elise smiled.


    Feryd cursed under his breath. His shadows faded away, releasing Callum.


    ¡°Thank the divine Bellum for your damn luck, you won¡¯t be as fortunate next time,¡± Feryd sneered.


    ¡°Buh-bye,¡± Elise wiggled her fingers.


    Feryd frowned, but said nothing and walked away.


    Callum pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his clothes, ¡°Thanks, sis.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, that¡¯s what big sisters are for,¡± her eyes gleamed.


    Callum¡¯s smile slipped, ¡°Not in our family.¡±


    ¡°Always distrustful, ey, Cal?¡±


    ¡°You taught me that.¡±


    Elise placed a finger to her lips and looked up in thought, ¡°As I recall, I told you to not trust our siblings, but you can always trust me.¡±


    ¡°And why would you be the exception?¡±


    ¡°Because, Cal. You know you have no chance of defeating all our siblings in succession for leadership of the family. If one of our three siblings becomes the next family leader your fate will be sealed, death.¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Callum admitted.


    ¡°You mean inevitable, unless I become the family leader. If I¡¯m in power, you can continue doing whatever it is that you spend your lonely days on.¡±


    Callum crossed his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s say I do join you, who''s to say I won¡¯t just fight you for leadership?¡±


    Elise laughed, ¡°Who was the one who looked after you when you didn¡¯t even know how to walk? Who taught you how to read when the tutors had given up on you because of your reading disability? Who taught you the dangers of high society?¡±


    Callum bit his lip, ¡°...You.¡±


    She caressed his cheek, ¡°That¡¯s right, I know everything about you, because I raised you. I know you''re cocky enough to try and challenge me, but you''re also smart enough to know you¡¯ll lose.¡±


    She slapped his cheek, ¡°So, don¡¯t come to me with empty threats.¡±


    ¡°I always hated this place,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I know. But, you¡¯ll still listen anyway. Tell me, have you made friends in the mage academy as I told you to?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, they will serve as great stepping stones for your rise as a mage in high society. We¡¯ll need your strength, bright spells and all, if we are going to ever have a chance of defeating Carmilla.¡±


    ¡°My friends don¡¯t have to be a part of that,¡± Callum said quietly.


    Elise cocked her head to the side, her black hair slipped over the side of her face, barely hiding her smile and exposed fangs, ¡°Oh, my sweet innocent Cal. Do you actually care for your little friends?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? They have nothing to do with our family¡¯s succession,¡± he swallowed.


    ¡°No, but you do. Let me make it clear since you have clearly forgotten, we are at war with our siblings. It doesn¡¯t matter what Father thinks, the day he passes away our siblings will kill us if we lose the succession. Nothing can stop that, not you, not me, and definitely not some random friends you¡¯ve made along the way. We need to win this, Cal. You are going to need those magi to help bolster your reputation and influence in this city, even at the cost of their lives if necessary.¡±


    ¡°I can do this on my own, I don¡¯t need my friends to succeed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± she gave him a deadpan stare.


    ¡°You underestimate me,¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°No, everyone else does. I see you for who you are, it¡¯s time you do the same.¡±


    ¡°Callum!¡± Lord Veres IX called out from the end of the hall. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and short dark hair. He was still dressed in his black and red armor. The symbol of House Veres, the sword Krikolm stabbing down into a skull with shadows writhing around, was emblazoned on his chest plate.


    ¡°Father,¡± Callum and Elise bowed together.


    ¡°There you are, I¡¯ve been looking for you,¡± Lord Veres smiled and opened his arms wide.


    Callum hugged his father and took a soft shuddering breath, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to have worried you. The Valley expedition took longer than I expected.¡± he patted his son¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in good health, Father. I¡¯ll let you two catch up,¡± Elise said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner, Elise?¡± Her father called out.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± she bowed and left.


    Lord Veres wrapped his arm around Callum''s shoulder, ¡°We have a lot to talk about, son. Walk with me.¡±


    ¡°How was the expedition?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Besides being two seasons too long? Difficult, frustrating even. The Valley tribes have been behaving erratically, I¡¯m not sure why. Our armies have been keeping tabs on them, but something seems off recently. There are rumors of an alliance among the tribes. Our scouts are still trying to gather intel, but hopefully we¡¯ll find out the truth soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. The Valley tribes can be ruthless,¡± Callum¡¯s jaw tightened.


    ¡°Enough about them, let¡¯s talk about you. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯ve been fine. I passed all my classes last year and the new year hasn¡¯t been too difficult,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°How has Clypeus been? You both are in the same class, yes?¡±


    ¡°He hates me, but he hides it under a thin veneer of mild respect. The feeling is mutual,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Clypeus does not hate you, he is ignorant and underestimates you, but that is not a sufficient reason to hate him. He is a Gale and he deserves respect, true respect.¡±


    ¡°Father, you don¡¯t know him. You don¡¯t see how he acts towards me,¡± Callum frowned.


    Veres paused in his steps, they stood in front of a large vault at the end of the hall. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, son. I¡¯ve placed this conversation off for too long.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°You are an adult now, you have the right to enter our family¡¯s ancestral vault. It¡¯s time you learn.¡±


    Veres placed his hand on the enchanted vault door. The magestones embedded throughout the door glowed softly, the handles spun around, the locks slid away, and the door creaked open.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Veres said.


    Callum nodded quietly and entered the vault. He had always passed by the vault as a child and wondered what it might look like on the inside. A mountain of gold with statues of his ancestors? Ancient powerful weapons? Perhaps forbidden magical grimoires?


    To his surprise, the vault was more than he could imagine. It wasn¡¯t a small room, but a large chamber with several rooms strewn about. Weapons of all sorts and other valuable artifacts sat on top of marble pedestals. Suits of armor were set on display behind glass caskets.


    ¡°Sweet Bellum, this is incredible!¡± Callum beamed.


    He ran from one marble pedestal to another, admiring each artifact, like a small child seeing a candy store for the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like our family¡¯s treasures, but the true importance of this place lies in the walls,¡± Lord Veres pointed up.


    Callum¡¯s eyes looked up. Large oil paintings hung from every single decorated wall, depicting men and women each holding a familiar crimson blade.


    Callum recognized some of them. ¡°Are those our ancestors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, those are the portraits of each family leader of House Veres. Come over here,¡± he waved his son over.


    Callum walked to the end of the chamber. Only one painting hung on this wall, and it was larger than all the rest. A warrior dressed in black armor stood tall, shoulders spread, hands resting on a black pommel, the red blade digging into the ground.


    Callum expected the warrior to be wearing a stern gaze like the other portraits, but instead, he was smiling at the woman standing next to him. She was dressed in brilliant crimson robes. She was smiling at the armored warrior, her golden hair framing around her pale face and ruby eyes. Her smile was vibrant, contagious even.


    ¡°Are those who I think they are?¡± Callum whispered.


    ¡°Veres I and Gale I, the founders of both Great Houses. This painting hasn¡¯t been shown to anyone, but our families. When people think of the founders, they always imagine a powerful warlord and mage lady. But, the founders wanted to be remembered like this, two star-crossed lovers.¡±


    ¡°They were actually lovers?¡± Callum¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, Ebon Lord Koval disagreed with the union. Gale I was a more powerful mage than the stories gave her credit. Even Lord Koval saw her as a threat. So, he set out to kill her.¡±


    ¡°What? But, she was loyal to Lord Koval. Why would he try to kill his most powerful mage?¡±


    ¡°No. Gale was loyal to Veres. Koval knew this and worried there was a chance she might try to overthrow Koval for Veres¡¯ sake. Koval wasn¡¯t going to take any chances.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Callum whispered.


    ¡°Koval almost succeeded in killing Gale I, but Veres I intervened. He begged the ebon lord to stop. Veres was willing to do anything to prove his loyalty. Koval and he came to an agreement. Veres would break up with Gale and marry Koval¡¯s daughter, solidifying their alliance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very different story from what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Callum narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°History often is. Veres I and Gale I took this painting after the whole incident. They wanted to be remembered for their love. They never stopped seeing each other, even in secret behind Lord Koval¡¯s back. Two years before Gale died, she gave birth to Veres¡¯ son.¡±


    Callum felt out of breath, ¡°Are you saying the Gales are descendants of Veres? That¡¯s not possible. Gale was said to have taken a lover after her heart was broken when Veres married another.¡±


    His father shook his head, ¡°She never did. Gale and Veres loved each other to their deaths. After Gale died, Veres raised their son and told him of his lineage, but he could never publicly acknowledge him as his own, otherwise Lord Koval would kill them both. So, Veres¡¯ son took Gale as his surname, and thus the lineage of House Gale was born.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me any of this before?¡±


    ¡°It is a very closely guarded secret. I¡¯m only telling you now because you are my son and finally an adult.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°There is more, Callum. When Veres I had a son with Lord Koval¡¯s daughter, that child became heir to House Veres. Instead of feeling envious, Gale¡¯s son loved his little brother and swore to protect him forever.¡±


    Lord Veres looked at Callum, ¡°House Gale has protected us for the last thousand years because of familial love. Even now, they still protect us. We owe the Gales everything, never forget that. Say what you wish about Clypeus, but he would put his life on the line for you if push came to shove, can you say the same?¡±


    Callum looked away in shame.

 Chapter 126: Krikolm

    Chapter 126: Krikolm


    Callum did not know how to answer his father¡¯s question. He knew that Clypeus did not like him, but he also knew Clypeus was honorable. Callum was not sure he could say the same about himself. The vault chamber grew quiet, his father let the question be and simply admired the painting of Veres I and Gale I.


    Callum¡¯s eye caught the empty sword pedestal standing below the founder¡¯s portrait. He glanced up at the red blade depicted in the painting.


    ¡°Father, what happened to Krikolm? Was our ancestral sword really lost? Or did House Thorn destroy it?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Bah! The Thorns? Destroying Krikolm? What idiot told you that?¡± Lord Veres IX laughed.


    ¡°Feryd told me,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything your brother tells you. That boy doesn¡¯t even know what Krikolm means and he pretends to know the fate of our House¡¯s sword? I should really have a talk with him one of these days,¡± Lord Veres shook his head.


    ¡°Wait, so what actually happened to the sword?¡±


    ¡°...Follow me,¡± Veres sighed.


    He took Callum to a small corner of the chamber. There were no pedestals nor treasures here, only a single small portrait. It depicted a warrior clad in azure armor from head to toe. The heroic warrior held Krikolm in hand, waving it in a wide slashing arc.


    ¡°The people knew her as The Blue Rose. She was as deadly as she was beautiful, and there were none in Hollow Shade more beautiful,¡± Lord Veres said quietly.


    ¡°Pity her face is covered by a helmet then,¡± Callum chuckled.


    ¡°The Blue Rose didn¡¯t care for high society nor its beauty standards, she wanted to be remembered as a warrior. She was brave, powerful, and dedicated to House Veres. She was one of our greatest family leaders and the last wielder of Krikolm.¡±


    ¡°Last wielder?¡± Callum swallowed.


    He had always wanted to know about the last wielder of Krikolm, but no one knew who they were, House Veres had gone to great lengths to erase that information from the public.


    ¡°You are old enough to know the truth, but remember that this information stays within our family, understood?¡± Lord Veres said sternly.


    ¡°I understand, father,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± He stared at the painting, ¡°Many people underestimated the Blue Rose and she proved them all wrong. She did not simply become the family leader. She earned the title, despite all the obstacles against her.¡±


    ¡°Obstacles?¡±


    ¡°She was a hybrid vampire, like you.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Hybrid?¡±


    There was a hybrid family leader before? If that was true, if she could accomplish it, then couldn¡¯t he?


    Lord Veres nodded, ¡°Yes. You see, the Blue Rose was born with powerful mutations and outstanding talent in chromatic magic. She rose above her siblings with ease and yet she had a determination to succeed like no other. Her mother saw her greatness and gave her Krikolm and named her the successor of the family.¡±


    ¡°She actually did it then, the Blue Rose succeeded,¡± Callum smiled at the painting of the armored warrior.


    ¡°Hollow Shade was young back then, the ebon lords had just formed their alliance. Many do not know this, but the city flourished under the ebon lords¡¯ reign despite the wars raging about the Realm, largely thanks to House Veres. At the time, the Blue Rose was the grand marshal, commander of all the armies of Hollow Shade. She led them all to victory, time and time again. The future of our House seemed bright, until something happened to our family leader.¡±


    ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Blue Rose saw something. We don¡¯t know what, she refused to tell anyone. All we know is that the Blue Rose said she had discovered something that would change the world as we knew it. She was determined to find whatever it was that she saw, despite her family advising otherwise. She left the city by herself that same night. She didn¡¯t tell anyone where she was going... No one ever saw the Blue Rose or Krikolm ever again.¡±


    ¡°T-that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would she go by herself? Why didn¡¯t she tell anyone?¡± Callum shook his head.


    ¡°Nobody knows. But her siblings all went after her, trying to find her and Krikolm. They spent fortunes and armies in the endeavor. Each and every single one of them failed and died in their pursuit. In the end, a distant cousin, your great-great grandfather, inherited the Veres mantle of leadership.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... disheartening,¡± Callum¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    Lord Veres frowned, ¡°Our family leader was lost and the entire direct line of the Veres died out. Our ancestral sword, the symbol of our power, disappeared. And to make matters worse, our House suffered great financial and military losses. Disheartening is a gross understatement.¡±


    Callum winced.


    Lord Veres placed his hand on his son¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Look, Callum, the past is the past. What matters now is the future. I believe you have a part to play in our House¡¯s future. It doesn¡¯t matter what others say about your hybrid nature, you are greater for it, not less, remember that always. Just as how the Blue Rose became the family leader, I believe you have that same potential.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Callum smiled, ¡°Thank you, Father. That means more to me than you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°But, you must remember to listen to the advice of your family, do not be blinded by the pursuit of glory like the Blue Rose. I know you cast bright spells during your final exam. Many vampires may look down on it, but I do not. It is a powerful weapon, we all know, just be careful and do not let your abilities blind your judgement. Understood?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°On that note, I have a job for you,¡± Lord Veres patted his back.


    ¡°Name it and it shall be done,¡± he placed his hand over his heart.


    ¡°I need you to go in my place to Lord Mora¡¯s 100th birthday celebration.¡±


    ¡°Mora? But, that vampire is known to despise hybrids,¡± Callum furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Yes, he is an idiot. But, I was the greater idiot when I allowed my late sister, Alice, to marry that monster. ...It is my greatest regret in life. The only reason I do not dedicate my time and energy in destroying the entire Mora House is for the sake of Alice¡¯s children.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you want me to go to his party?¡±


    ¡°Because he wants a Veres to attend so that he can show us off to his other guests and trade partners.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re gonna send me, a hybrid, to embarrass him,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you because I trust you and believe you can represent my values and wishes properly. You being half-human is just an upside,¡± he smiled.


    Callum nodded reluctantly, ¡°When do I leave?¡±


    ¡°In about a week. The celebration will be held at Mora''s ancestral home up North in the Mortis Grove region. The first snowfall will soon be here, so it¡¯s best if you take the Dire River to get there. Lord Mora¡¯s invitation was for three, so feel free to bring two companions with you, maybe your fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that last part, but rest assured I shall attend the celebration,¡± Callum bowed. ¡°If I may be excused?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Lord Veres nodded.


    Callum turned to leave, but paused. ¡°Father, you said Feryd doesn¡¯t know the meaning of Krikolm. What did you mean?¡±


    Lord Veres glanced at the empty sword pedestal beneath the founder¡¯s portrait, ¡°The word Krikolm is from the Olden language, the Ebon Tongue. Back when Krikolm was forged the Ebon Tongue was the language the entire Realm spoke. You see, Krikolm was forged by the vampire Ebon Lord Koval as a peace offering to his most skilled general, Veres I. It was Koval''s masterpiece, an enchanted sword made to rip and tear apart all of Veres¡¯ enemies in bloody carnage. In the Common Tongue Krikolm means Bloodfang.¡±


    ~~~


    Gale parried her younger brother¡¯s slashes with ease. Clypeus lunged forward in an attempt at a quick thrust, but Gale pushed the gladius aside with her long sword and swept her blade up in a flourishing arc. Had the blades been real Clypeus would have been bisected, instead the wooden blade scraped all across his chest and bashed him under his chin.


    Stryg watched surreally as Clypeus flew backwards. The vampire slammed into the sandy courtyard and bounced off the dirt several times before rolling on the ground motionlessly.


    Gale blew away a strand of blonde hair that had strayed from her ponytail, ¡°You need to be more focused on your defense, Cly. You¡¯re leaving too many openings.¡±


    Clypeus only managed a groan in response.


    Gale turned her gaze on the young goblin, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re up next.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. He glanced at the pitiful excuse for a short sword in his hand, ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    Gale dashed at him in a blur of gold and silver. Stryg raised his blade just in time to parry the quick thrust. She took a quick step back and slashed at him. Stryg dropped low, doding the blow. He pushed his legs forward with all the strength he could muster, flying like an arrow straight at Gale¡¯s knee.


    The vampiress jumped above the attack, twisted in the air, and landed safely on the other side. Stryg skipped across the ground in a clumsy roll. He pushed himself to his feet to face his opponent, but Gale was already on him, her blade coming down on his head.


    Orange mana flooded his legs, the veins darkened, agility magic coming to life. He kicked away, barely evading the attack. He tried to put space between them, but Gale stayed on him, her blade a flurry of blinding attacks. Stryg¡¯s eyes followed each stroke, but he could not react in time. Compared to her, Stryg felt as if he was moving underwater, his body sluggish.


    The wooden blades scratched off each other, his innate strength winning over. Gale¡¯s blade twisted instantly and slashed below, smacking into his ribs. Stryg winced in pain and tried counterattacking. Gale was already serving another two strikes at his forearm and hip. His stance was broken and he stumbled. She finished with a long swipe across his legs. His vision swam and he suddenly found himself staring at the evening sky.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. What did I tell you about using magic during training?¡± Gale shook her head.


    Stryg stayed quiet, content to stay still. His aching muscles agreed.


    Gale glanced between both her students¡¯ prone bodies, ¡°Come on guys, get up. You can¡¯t stay on the ground forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d beg to differ,¡± Clypeus grumbled.


    Stryg said nothing.


    ¡°Neither of you plan on getting up, do you?¡± Gale crossed her arms.


    ¡°I prefer going to sleep with only a half a dozen bruises, thank you very much,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Ugh, lazy brat,¡± Gale groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, I can¡¯t even dodge properly with an agility spell. I mean you didn¡¯t even use magic, how does that make sense?¡± Stryg muttered to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s called skill. Swordplay, to be precise. Y¡¯know, the thing I¡¯ve been trying to teach you two for the past few months?¡± She said.


    Stryg glanced at his wooden shortsword, ¡°I want my spear, not this little flat stick.¡±


    Gale looked over her own blade, checking for any imperfections. ¡°A long sword is too big for you and it¡¯s a lot harder to learn to use two blades at once. It took Clypeus years before he finally managed to dual wield his gladii.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want a sword. All I wanted was to learn how to dodge a sword, not fight with one,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t want an ungrateful brat as a student, but here we are,¡± Gale snapped. ¡°You want to learn how to defend against a sword properly? Then learn how to use one. Honestly, you should count yourself lucky. Do you know how many people would kill just to have a chance at learning under a Gale sword master, let alone a grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°Lucky me,¡± Stryg groaned in pain.


    ¡°Why do I even waste my time with you lazy nitwits? I should be like my uncle and teach one of the Veres children instead. At least they listen,¡± Gale threw her blade on the ground and walked away. ¡°Be sure to be here before dawn. I¡¯ll make sure to teach you how to dodge a sword then, even if I have to beat it into you.¡±


    ¡°...Shit,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    Clypeus looked over from across the ground, ¡°It gets easier, you know.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

 Chapter 127: A Friendly Duel

    Chapter 127: A Friendly Duel


    Stryg stretched his legs and arms in the cold morning air. His duel would be coming up in a few minutes and he wanted to be limber for whatever came at him. Most of the others in class seemed reluctant to duel, but Stryg was eager to test his skills, although he was prohibited by Loh to reveal his newfound magical abilities. He was strictly limited to chromatic orange, grey, and black magic. Stryg smiled to himself, that was enough for him.


    ¡°Ugh, I hate duels,¡± Nora Azol muttered.


    ¡°You know, if professor Loh was our instructor this year we would have already fought dozens of duels,¡± Clypeus Gale said.


    ¡°Thank Stjerne. You don¡¯t know how happy I am that our first actual duel is at the end of the quarter. I¡¯m all for duels being treated like a midterm or something. I don¡¯t think I could stomach duel after duel like last year,¡± Nora shivered.


    Clypeus draped his cloak over her shoulders, ¡°You¡¯re too modest. Most students in this class wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against you.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just lazy,¡± Nora giggled. ¡°...You think Freya stands a chance at winning today?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s one of the three most skilled magi among all the 2nd years. But, so is Stryg, and he¡¯s got something she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Sheer bloody tenacity.¡±


    ~~~


    Like the other students, Callum Veres stood outside in the dueling courtyard. Before today, they were all studying indoors, pouring over several books depicting the theory of magical dueling. That was all about to change. Today was the first official match of duels. Most of the class was preoccupied with preparing for their own matches, but his mind was elsewhere.


    Callum stared at Stryg stretching at the other end of the courtyard. He was the only goblin in class and he preferred to do most of his training alone, even after class.


    Sylvan, Callum corrected himself. Stryg was a Sylvan goblin. Stryg wasn¡¯t from around here. He used to be a part of a tribe, the Blood Fang tribe to be precise. And that name had created a question that had haunted Callum¡¯s mind endlessly the past few days, Why does your tribe have the same name?


    Callum¡¯s father had told him the meaning of the Veres ancestral sword, their family¡¯s legacy. Krikolm¡¯s true name was Bloodfang. Callum had been stunned, though he had stayed quiet. He wouldn¡¯t say anything, not until he figured out what it meant, if anything.


    The past few days Callum had tried looking on his own for more information regarding the Blue Rose and Krikolm¡¯s disappearance, but he came up empty. And so, the question still hung in his mind. Why did Stryg¡¯s old tribe, Blood Fang, share the same name as the Veres sword?


    Callum groaned in frustration. It had to be a coincidence, there was no other explanation. The Blue Rose nor Krikolm could have had anything to do with Stryg nor his tribe.


    Names were a fickle thing, they didn¡¯t really matter, not really. What sort of name was Blue Rose anyway? It was strange, silly even. Every text he had looked for in the Veres personal library only mentioned her as the Blue Rose or Lady Veres, never by her first name. It didn¡¯t make any sense, everyone shared the same surname, how was anyone supposed to tell her apart from the others?


    It was already hard enough to find any small mention of Blue Rose. Callum had spent sleepless nights trying to find out more about her and he couldn¡¯t even figure out her first name.


    Callum sighed, what a waste of time.


    All he knew of Lady Veres was her damn moniker, the Blue Rose. How was that supposed to help?


    Wait, Blue? The Blue Rose? Why was that her moniker anyway? Sure, names weren¡¯t important, but they had to have come from somewhere, right?


    He had assumed that the Blue from her name came from the fact that she wore blue armor. But, House Veres¡¯ colors were crimson and black. So, why would the family leader choose to wear blue armor? Wearing a different color scheme would be considered defiant and disrespectful to the House.


    The Blue Rose was the family leader and a great one at that or so Callum¡¯s father had said. In which case, she would have never disrespected the House in such a manner. So, why would she change the color of her armor? Was she trying to stand out? No, that didn¡¯t make sense, she already had it all, the brains, the looks, the magic. There was no need for her to try and stand out, she already did.


    Callum cocked his head in thought. Or maybe it was because she already stood out? Maybe it was something that she couldn¡¯t hide, something that others might see as a weakness. House Veres always tried to hide their weaknesses and faults. But, what if she couldn¡¯t? So, instead of hiding it, she embraced it? It had to be something too obvious to ignore. Something like a missing limb, or a wretched facial scar, perhaps? No, the Blue Rose was said to be a beauty. Maybe it was something like...


    Callum froze, he slowly turned to Stryg. The morning sun had begun to peak above the horizon. The light bathed the goblin¡¯s skin a warm blue.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°Oi, Stryg! You ready?¡± Kithina ran past Callum and jogged up to the goblin.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, hey, Kitty. Yeah, I¡¯m pretty much ready,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Great! Take your sweet time out there, okay? I want it to hurt,¡± Kithina laughed maliciously.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re not supposed to waste time on fights. You''re supposed to win as efficiently as possible, not play with your prey,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Kithina pouted. ¡°Where¡¯s the Stryg who went overboard and would beat people half to death?¡±


    ¡°Efficiency is key,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Ooh, scary. Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Her eyes gleamed brightly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, she¡¯s just excited is all,¡± Callum walked up to them.


    ¡°Cal, do you have any intel?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°What? Intel, what are you talking about?¡± Callum swallowed.


    ¡°Intel on gold-eyes? Anything I should know about?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, of course,¡± he laughed awkwardly. ¡°Uhm, yeah. Ahem. Freya¡¯s one of the most talented mages I¡¯ve seen in the academy. She¡¯s a dual manifold mage, a chromatic orange and white. You may have a strong body, but her magic is impressive. You should be very careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, especially with her white magic. You don¡¯t want to get flashed with a bright spell again like last year¡¯s final exam,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Right, I almost forgot. Cal shot a blast of light straight into my eyes,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Sorry, about that,¡± Callum raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hit you, honestly. I was trying to help you against Clypeus. I was trying to stun him. You see, vampires may have good night vision, but their eyes are sensitive to light. I just didn¡¯t expect your eyes to be sensitive¡­ too.¡±


    ¡°Cal, you alright? You look like you just saw a shade?¡± Kithina grabbed his arm.


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine,¡± Callum nodded slowly.


    He stared into Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes, their slit pupils undulating in a strange pattern. Coincidence, it had to be a coincidence, Callum shook his head.


    ¡°First challengers, up on the dueling ring, now!¡± The professor called out.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m up.¡± Stryg headed to the platform.


    ¡°May Lunae give you strength!¡± Kithina called out.


    Stryg looked back at her. He knew she didn¡¯t believe in the gods, but he appreciated the gesture.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he smiled wryly.


    ~~~


    Stryg hopped up onto the dueling ring. There were no rungs or walls of any sort to prevent someone from falling off. The platform stood a few feet above ground and was about forty feet in diameter. It paled in comparison to the arenas where magi actually dueled in front of cheering crowds, but the academy platform still had plenty of room for mock duels.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting too long for this,¡± Freya smiled cheerfully from the other side of the ring.


    ¡°Why, gold-eyes? Do you like to lose?¡± Stryg tilted his head to the side.


    Freya chuckled, ¡°I get it. The arrogance. You won last time, it only makes sense. But, this time we aren¡¯t just using our fists. This is a magical duel. Things won¡¯t play out the way you think.¡±


    Stryg smiled, his small fangs gleaming in the sunlight, ¡°Show me.¡±


    The professor climbed up a nearby 10 ft wooden tower and sat down, looking down at the entire ring and the duelists. The rest of the class stood around the platform, eagerly awaiting the match.


    The professor cleared his throat, ¡°The match will only end when a duelist concedes, is knocked off the platform, or is knocked unconscious. Spells are allowed, killing is not. Any death that ensues from the match will lead to the expulsion of the duelist responsible. A white mage healer will be standing by in case of any injuries. Attacking anyone besides your opponent is prohibited. Failure to abide by any of these rules will lead to expulsion. Understood!?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Stryg and Freya said in unison.


    ¡°Begin!¡± The professor yelled.


    Freya did not hesitate. She thrusted her palms forward, two fireballs blasted forth, one after the other. Stryg felt his orange mana flow into his hand. He stuck his palm out and spread his fingers, a stream of fire blew forth and met the fireballs in a clash of heat and flame.


    The brightness irritated his eyes, but not enough to trigger the change in his vision. The flames died out as quick as they appeared. The ring was suddenly filled with black smoke.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, the smoke shifted to the left. He ducked his head in time to dodge a double kick from Freya. She vaulted over him, spun in the air, and delivered another kick to his back.


    He rolled away and managed to come out with only a scrape. Freya landed softly on her feet. The agility magic coursing through her body lessened her weight. Her entire body was covered with dark veins, a full-body agility spell, Stryg noted.


    ¡°Why are you running away?¡± She smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only chromatic orange, two can play that game,¡± Stryg sucked in a deep breath and dashed at her.


    Freya jumped in the air and threw a spin kick. He swept his feet to the side, evaded the blow, and followed up with a hook to her abdomen. Her hand caught his wrist and pushed away. Her body spun through the air and landed with a single elegant step.


    She grinned, ¡°Not fast eno-¡±


    Stryg punched her sternum, she barely managed to jump back in time. His fist ended up merely glancing her shoulder, but the force was enough to send her skidding to the ground. He jumped up high and aimed his feet right down at her face. Her eyes widened, she curled into a fetal position, her head slipping right past the downward kick. The ring shuddered from the force of his landing.


    Freya pushed herself to her feet and tried putting as much distance from Stryg as she could. He turned to face her, his lilac eyes cold, pupils as thin as blades. Her shoulder was swelling with pain, but she was far from done. She placed her hand over the injury, soft white light covered the area, the healing spell mended the injured muscles in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Stryg flexed his claws.


    Freya wiped her mouth, ¡°We¡¯re not done yet.¡±


    He ran at her, she ran right back at him. He threw a quick jab, she swerved her head around the strike and threw two swift jabs. Stryg dodged them both and went to counterattack, but Freya was swinging in with several more strikes.


    She assailed him with a variety of punches and kicks, all at different angles with incredible speed. Wherever she saw an opening, she¡¯d strike with all the strength she could muster. Stryg tried attacking back, but he couldn¡¯t find a chance. His entire focus was on trying to dodge each blow. Little by little she began pushing him to the edge of the ring.


    Stryg glanced back at the grass beneath the platform. The moment of distraction was all Freya needed, she jumped and kicked him in the chest. He blocked her foot with his forearm. The force of the blow pushed him back, but not off the platform.


    Freya landed a few feet away. ¡°You¡¯re heavier than I thought,¡± she glared.


    ¡°You got this, Stryg!¡± Kithina yelled from the crowd.


    He ignored the students¡¯ voices and focused on his fight.


    ¡°Stryg may be naturally fast, but they¡¯re both casting agility magic and Freya¡¯s spell is more powerful. The margin is small, but she¡¯s faster,¡± Nora noted quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a close match,¡± Callum nodded.


    Clypeus shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Do none of you see it?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Callum narrowed his eyes.


    Clypeus pointed at the goblin, ¡°Look closely at his skin.¡±


    Stryg cracked his neck, wrung his hand, and glanced at Freya, ¡°I thought that would hurt more. I don¡¯t know why I spent so much time dodging. Well, whatever.¡±


    Nora took a sharp breath, ¡°Stryg¡¯s veins. I can¡¯t see his veins.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Then that means-¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been using agility magic,¡± Clypeus finished.


    ¡°Cocky as ever. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you your place. The place where all goblins belong, the ground beneath my feet,¡± Freya sneered.


    Stryg stopped moving, his lips formed a thin line, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, did I hurt your little feelings?¡± Freya winced mockingly.


    Stryg stood silent. She took his lack of a response as a chink in his armor. She had finally gotten to him. Freya smiled and pressed on.


    ¡°Sorry, to burst your imaginary bubble, but here¡¯s a reality check, you shouldn¡¯t be here. Or did you really think you deserved to be in this academy? You, a goblin?¡± Freya laughed. ¡°This place is meant for the elite, the best Hollow Shade has to offer, not some savage. You should be out with the rest of your kind, cleaning the stables and cooking our food.¡±


    ¡°...Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Stryg bent his knees and leaned forward on the balls of his feet. He crouched low and let the orange mana flow through him. His veins darkened from his agility spell.


    ¡°Bring it,¡± Freya grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll make su-¡±


    He dashed to her far right, her eyes lost sight of him. Freya whipped her head to the side. She felt the punch before she saw it. She gasped as the air was forced out of her lungs, her ribs breaking on impact. Her vision swam as her body flew through the air. She smacked into the ground with a loud thud. Her limp body skipped on the platform, like a stone in a pond.


    The crowd of students gasped and winced as they watched Freya skid all the way to the opposite edge of the ring. She tried getting up but only managed to cough up splatters of blood.


    Freya drew panicked shallow breaths, her eyes flitted about. She looked down at her broken ribs and whimpered in pain. She reached out with trembling hands. A faint white light glowed from her palms. Stryg ran over in a burst of speed.


    Freya looked up in terror, ¡°I conce-¡±


    Stryg smashed his fist over her jaw. Her mandible cracked, her cheek split open, and her teeth flew out in a bloody mess, dyeing her face a bright red.


    Freya¡¯s head smacked into the ground, but there was still anger in her bloodshot eyes. She threw her hand over Stryg¡¯s face and summoned the most powerful bright spell she could manage. Rays of white light exploded across Stryg¡¯s face. The ring of his irises broke and expanded, his vision darkened to a world of black and silver.


    Ribbons of white spread over his body, it irritated, but the light wasn¡¯t strong enough to sear his skin. Stryg reached out and entwined his fingers with Freya¡¯s own, his claws digging into the back of her hand. Grey mana vibrated within his arm and he spellcast the complex drain spell with singular intent. He began to leech the white mana from Freya¡¯s body into his own.


    Freya groaned helplessly. He watched with emotionless eyes as her mana was drained. Her bright spell began to flicker, the ribbons of white light wavering and breaking apart, until they disappeared completely.


    Stryg took a long deep breath, he could feel the white mana flowing through his veins and beginning to settle within his heart. Freya¡¯s head lolled on the floor, her white mana drained, her orange mana spent.


    Freya whimpered weakly and with her uninjured arm, pulled herself over the edge. Stryg¡¯s hand shot out, caught her blonde locks, and yanked her up before her body touched the grass below.


    The crowd watched in stunned silence as Stryg dragged the exhausted Freya away from the edge.

 Chapter 128: As Our Elders

    Chapter 128: As Our Elders


    Stryg dragged Freya by her golden hair. Her face scraped on the floor, her broken jaw hung open and left a trail of smeared blood across the dueling ring. When they reached the center of the ring he released his iron grip and flipped her over with a kick to her kidney.


    Freya sputtered in pain, her broken ribs shifting in agony. She tried speaking through her broken teeth, but her lungs struggled to take a breath. She could barely manage a wheeze.


    Stryg looked down at her with cold lilac eyes, ¡°You said you would teach me my place. The place of all goblins. Beneath your feet? Isn¡¯t that what you said?¡±


    Stryg placed his foot over her sternum and pressed down lightly, pushing the little air out of her lungs. She gasped for breath, but none came.


    ¡°Tell me, where do my people belong? Tell me, Gold-eyes,¡± Stryg hissed.


    He pushed down with all his heavy weight. Her sternum began to creak, Freya¡¯s bloodshot eyes rolled up, her body trembled and spasmed.


    ¡°Stop!¡± A voice yelled in the distance.


    Stryg ignored the voice and pushed his foot down harder, Freya¡¯s sternum cracked. A swift kick blurred in his peripherals. He raised his arm in time to block the blow. His eyes widened from the force as his body was sent skittering across the ring. He twisted and sank his claws into the ground, skidding to a halt on all fours.


    He hissed at the attacker, ¡°Orc.¡±


    ¡°Enemy, if you don¡¯t stop,¡± Tauri corrected.


    She stood between Freya and him.


    ¡°I told you to stop, but you didn¡¯t listen. If you try to attack Freya again I will not hesitate to stop you,¡± Tauri glared.


    Dark veins appeared all over her bright red skin, orange mana coursing through her veins. Her amber eyes were locked onto Stryg, waiting for his reaction.


    Stryg sighed, the anger slowly sank underneath the surface, but still lurked nearby. Tauri was a master mage, he had no hope of beating her.


    ¡°What are you even doing here?¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Stopping your reckless dumbass, obviously. I just heard from a colleague that the duels instructor was beginning actual duels today.¡± Tauri looked at the bloodied Freya, ¡°I thought something like this might happen. I came to warn the instructor. I was too late, it seems.¡±


    Tauri looked up at the duel instructor sitting on his short wooden tower, ¡°And what the fuck have you been doing? Why haven¡¯t you called the duel? Is a half-dead girl not enough to decide the victor?¡±


    ¡°The rules state a duel is only over when someone concedes, is unconscious, or falls off the ring. None of these have happened yet,¡± the instructor said sheepishly.


    ¡°Gods, give me strength,¡± Tauri rubbed her temple.


    ¡°Technically the duel isn¡¯t over. You are violating the rules by attacking one of the duelists and standing in the ring,¡± the instructor added quietly.


    Tauri¡¯s nostrils flared, ¡°Get out of my sight before I break you.¡±


    ¡°What? Who do yo-¡±


    Tauri stomped towards him.


    The instructor scrambled off the tower. He slipped and fell down a dozen or so feet to the ground. He groaned and rubbed his back. When he noticed Tauri was still coming, he shakily pushed himself to his feet and limped away as fast as he could.


    Tauri turned to the two white magi standing by, ¡°Well, what are you two waiting for? Go take Freya to the infirmary. Now!¡±


    The healers nodded vehemently and hurried over. Freya was wheezing weakly between labored breaths. The healers gingerly picked her up and placed her on a stretcher. The class watched quietly as the white magi carried Freya away.


    ¡°And what are all you brats looking at? Duels class is cancelled until I have a talk with the principal to replace that idiot of an instructor. Class dismissed,¡± Tauri said.


    The students slowly nodded and began to disperse.


    Tauri turned to Stryg, ¡°As for you, we need to talk about holding ba-¡±


    He was already gone.


    Tauri sighed, ¡°Someone really has to talk to that kid. Ugh, whatever, I¡¯ll let Loh handle him.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg rested his bloody hands on the stone edge of a fountain. He looked at his own reflection in the water. He was faced with a goblin who didn¡¯t quite look like a goblin, nor like anyone else. An odd goblin. A strange face, yet never a stranger to him.


    He remembered Freya¡¯s words, A freak. His mind echoed the words with the voices of all the people who had told him the same kinds of phrases his entire life. Blood dripped from his fingertips and seeped into the fountain. Wisps of red floated into his reflection.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    You¡¯re broken, Stryg, Plum¡¯s voice whispered in his ear.


    Stryg should have felt glad to have stood up to Freya, to have beaten her for her words. But, all he felt was bitterness and anger. He splashed his reflection away. He busied himself with cleaning his hands rather than give the whole situation another thought.


    ¡°So, this is where you were.¡± Clypeus Gale leaned his shoulder on a nearby statue.


    ¡°I told you he¡¯d be here,¡± Kithina said proudly. ¡°I noticed he doesn¡¯t like to keep his hands bloody.¡±


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Stryg asked coldly.


    ¡°Checking up on you, jerk,¡± Kithina smirked.


    ¡°We just wanted to make sure you were alright,¡± Clypeus said softly.


    Kithina nodded, ¡°I mean, oof, you beat Freya to a pulp! No matter how many healing spells she gets, that girl is out of commission. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be back to school for a while.¡±


    Clypeus glanced at her, ¡°Kithina, I don¡¯t think now is the best time to talk about tha-¡±


    ¡°At first I thought the fight was pretty even. But, then we realized you weren¡¯t using your agility magic. And when you did, bam! One hit and Freya was sent flying,¡± Kithina pointed to the sky.


    Clypeus cleared his throat, ¡°Kithi-¡±


    She went on, ¡°I mean how strong are you, Stryg? Like, one punch and done. But, you didn¡¯t stop there.  No, you went all savage on her and punched the shit out of her face. You must have knocked out at least six or seven teeth, easy.¡±


    Kithina shivered, ¡°Ugh, that was brutal to watch.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted!¡± Stryg snapped. ¡°You wanted me to hurt her! You wanted me to take my sweet time, isn¡¯t that right!? Well, I did, so shut the fuck up about it!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to be so mean. I¡¯m on your side,¡± Kithina frowned.


    Stryg laughed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m being mean? You asked me to beat the shit out of some girl and I¡¯m the mean one? That¡¯s all I am to all of you, right? The crazy savage? The freak!?¡±


    Kithina paled, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    Clypeus stepped in front of her, ¡°Kithina wasn¡¯t careful with her words. Cut her some slack, we can sometimes all be like that. But, I promise we don¡¯t see you that way, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Just leave me alone,¡± Stryg¡¯s shoulders slumped. He turned his back on them and kept scrubbing his hands in the fountain¡¯s water.


    ¡°No can do,¡± Clypeus placed his hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m your friend and I¡¯m not leaving until I know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kithina nodded and sat at the fountain¡¯s edge next to them.


    Stryg stayed quiet and kept washing his hands.


    ¡°...Freya didn¡¯t manage to land a good punch on you, but there are other ways people can hurt you. I saw the look on your face when Freya spoke. I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± Clypeus said quietly.


    ¡°And when was that?¡± Stryg asked without looking up.


    ¡°When your mock sword broke against my sister during our sword practice,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°...Heh, I couldn¡¯t move for over an hour with all the welts I had. The only compensation was that you were right on the ground next to me with your own welts to match,¡± Stryg smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°And just like then, I am here by your side¡­ You don¡¯t have to go through the pain alone.¡±


    Kithina pulled out a small bar of soap from her satchel and handed it to Stryg, ¡°I bought it yesterday, I thought you might need it.¡±


    Stryg hesitantly reached for it. Kithina¡¯s other hand slipped and her satchel fell on the ground, spilling all its other contents, gauze, ointments, and even an expensive-looking potion.


    ¡°I bought these thinking you might need these too. I guess I was wrong,¡± Kithina laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°...Thank you, both of you,¡± Stryg smiled warmly.


    ¡°There you two are,¡± Callum said from around the corner. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for both of you.¡± He paused, ¡°Oh, Clypeus, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem, Mister Veres?¡± Clypeus raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Uh, no, not all. I was just looking for my friends. I didn¡¯t expect you to be with them,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°Stryg is my best friend, I think I have the right to check up on him,¡± Clypeus crossed his arms.


    ¡°Best friend?¡± Stryg glanced up at the vampire, his pupils wide as saucers.


    ¡°My training takes up most of my time. I don¡¯t have too many friends,¡± Clypeus admitted.


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Clypeus narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, nothing,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up, Cal? You said you were looking for us?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°I was invited to attend the 100th birthday celebration of Lord Mora, leader of the Great House Mora, in about a week. It¡¯s not a Ruling Family party, but it¡¯s still pretty fancy. I can bring two guests with me. Since our school break starts tomorrow, I wanted to invite Stryg and you.¡±


    ¡°You said Mora? As in your cousin Maeve¡¯s family?¡± Kithina grimaced.


    ¡°The very same,¡± Callum winced. ¡°I was hoping you might overlook the incident at the restaurant with Maeve last year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go, really, but the winter ball is happening next week, I¡¯d hate to miss it,¡± Kithina looked downcast.


    ¡°The winter ball is in two weeks and it¡¯s for 3rd years,¡± Clypeus said.


    Kithina glared at him.


    ¡°Will Maeve be there?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Callum said reluctantly.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot, it¡¯s my brother Skobby¡¯s birthday next week. Sorry, I can¡¯t make it,¡± Kithina bowed her head in an apology.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    ¡°What? Really? You know you can''t attack Maeve in her own castle, right? The guards would never allow it,¡± Callum furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I know. When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Uh, tomorrow,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Okay, sounds good. Since Kitty isn¡¯t coming, do you want to come instead, Cly?¡± Stryg asked.


    Callum coughed.


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t want to impose,¡± Clypeus shook his head.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem. Callum needs someone to go anyway. I don¡¯t think he has many friends either,¡± Stryg whispered the last few words.


    Callum frowned.


    ¡°Well, if Mister Veres is alright with it,¡± Clypeus smiled.


    Callum forced a smile, ¡°Of course. It would be an honor to have a Gale as my travel companion. I can see it now, Gale and Veres, best of friends, as our elders before us.¡±


    ¡°Respectfully, Stryg is my best friend, not you,¡± Clypeus¡¯ smile cracked.


    ¡°Uhh, what¡¯s going on between those two?¡± Kithina muttered.


    ¡°Although they are both smiling, I believe it¡¯s some sort of staring contest. A sacred battle between two wills. Whoever breaks off first, loses,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Ah, dick-measuring contest, got it,¡± Kithina nodded.


    Stryg shook his head and blinked, ¡°Dick what?¡±

 Chapter 129: Necklace Keepsake

    Chapter 129: Necklace Keepsake


    The Warlord Marek grumbled under his breath and kept his eyes shut tight. He moved from side to side in his bed of furs. He hugged the sleeping Nokuti close to him for a while, snuggled his face into her dark curls, caressed her soft brown skin, and breathed in her comforting faint scent. But, his vampire lover could not help. No matter what he did, blissful sleep evaded him.


    Marek had an army to lead, men and women who looked up to him, he needed his rest to function well. Not that his body was cooperating. Five hours and still not even a wink of rest. It seemed sleep would not be in his fate tonight.


    He sighed, opened his eyes, and sat up. The silver chain around his neck shifted and dangled the small golden medallion across his bare chest. A creature with a long neck and snout with flowing hair was engraved on the medallion.


    It¡¯s called a horse, he recalled his mother¡¯s words. If he closed his eyes and focused he could almost hear her laughter.


    Marek brushed the small medallion between his fingers. That was another time¡­


    ~~~


    Marek was a lanky teenager. His blonde hair fell across his face like a strewn bundle of hay. His body had decided to grow tall as a tree, but as wide as a blade of grass. While being born a dire did grant him a tall stature it did not suddenly grant him bulging muscles.


    People always looked at him funny, as if he didn¡¯t belong in their view of the world around them. It didn¡¯t help that he was one of the few humans in a tribe full of vampires and dark elves. And there was one last problem...


    ¡°Look who it is. The dire freak of the tribe, the shame of our chief, Marek himself,¡± one of the boys of the tribe laughed.


    Marek sighed but didn¡¯t turn to look at the group of teens.


    ¡°Oh, come on, is the chief¡¯s son too good for us?¡± Another boy called out.


    ¡°Beansprout Marek doesn¡¯t have time to waste on unimportant people like us,¡± a boy mocked.


    The boy was right, Marek didn¡¯t have time to spend on being ridiculed. He had an important job to do. One of the hunters had asked him to carry several bundles of arrow shafts to the fletcher to be fletched and readied for battle.


    It was one of the few times a hunter had actually asked him for help. Marek was so excited and swore he wouldn¡¯t fail. In an effort to impress, he carried as many bundles he could manage, which was several dozen. He held most of them on his back and the rest between his arms. If there was one thing he was grateful for in his odd body, it was his abnormal strength. Despite having the muscle mass of an infant, he could already lift more tent poles than any of the adults.


    Not that it helped his popularity, it just made all the other kids see him as more of a freak. Well, at least most kids.


    ¡°Where you going, Marek?¡± A boy teased. ¡°Off to beg daddy for a spot as a hunter? Or maybe a warrior?¡±


    ¡°Nah, Marek is too scared for any of that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if he¡¯s not careful a strong wind might just blow by and tumble him right to the ground.¡±


    The group of boys laughed at their own stupid jokes.


    Marek gritted his teeth and turned to face them, ¡°I¡¯m working today. Can¡¯t you just leave me alone for once? I haven¡¯t done anything to any of you.¡±


    A boy placed his hand on his cheeks, ¡°Oh no, did we hurt your lil wee feelings? Whatever shall we do?¡±


    Marek shook his head and walked away.


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t walk away from us!¡±


    Marek ignored them.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re talking to you!¡± One of the boys picked up a stone and threw it across the back of Marek¡¯s head.


    Marek¡¯s vision went black for a moment. He fell to the ground, the bundles of arrows falling underneath him. He heard a horrible crack.


    Oh no. Please, no.


    ¡°And there he goes. It really is true, the bigger they are the harder they fall,¡± one of the boys smiled.


    They all broke into laughter.


    But, Marek wasn¡¯t listening to their jeers. He shakily pushed himself to his knees and stared at the broken arrow shafts. The hunter had given him only one job. His first actual duty. And he had just failed. He wanted to prove himself and now the hunters would seem as incapable.


    Let¡¯s face it, they already do, a small voice in his head mocked.


    Marek¡¯s eyes began to water. For once he was grateful to have long hair, at least it would hide his shameful tears.


    ¡°Oh, is the skinny giant crying?¡± A boy pointed.


    Or maybe not.


    ¡°Just leave me alone,¡± Marek mumbled.


    The boys surrounded him.


    ¡°Or what? What are you going to do? Hit me? Please, I dare you,¡± the leader of the boys sneered.


    Marek curled his fists, but bowed his head and stayed quiet.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. You¡¯re too chicken shit to do anything,¡± the boy spat on Marek¡¯s head.


    ¡°At least he can take a hit,¡± a voice growled from behind them.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The boy turned around and was met with a fist to the face.


    He cried out in pain and fell to the ground with a satisfying thud.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next, bitches?¡± Nokuti grinned, her red eyes alight with anger.


    ¡°You¡¯re the bitch!¡± One of the boys yelled and swung a wide punch.


    Nokuti ducked and threw two jabs at his face, breaking his nose and lip.


    Nokuti was already jumping on the other three boys before the second fell to the ground. She kicked the third in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. She blocked the punch of the fourth with her forearm and slammed her forehead into his own, dropping him to the grass. The last boy tried to attack her from the back, but she spun and punched him in the throat.


    Nokuti ignored the choking brat and planted her knee on the first boy, their leader, who was still lying on the ground.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s honorable to pick on one kid versus five? You must be really brave? Well, let me give you some more courage,¡± Nokuti glared.


    ¡°W-wait,¡± he mumbled.


    Nokuti slammed her fist across his face. The boy gasped for a half-second before Nokuti¡¯s other fist smacked into the other half of his face. She pelted him until her hands were covered in blood and his face was swollen as a ripe tomato.


    ¡°Next time you try to mess with Marek, remember this day,¡± Nokuti spat on his face.


    The body didn¡¯t respond, he was already unconscious. Nokuti turned to face the others, but they had all run away. Only Marek was left, still on his knees, slowly picking up the broken arrows.


    ¡°And what are you doing, just sitting there?¡± Nokuti stood up and dusted off her pants.


    Marek stayed quiet and kept grabbing the arrows.


    ¡°This is why they pick on you,¡± Nokuti groaned. ¡°You never stand up for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I had one job,¡± Marek muttered. ¡°And I messed up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, who cares about a few broken arrows,¡± Nokuti rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I do! I care! While you''re off learning how to fight I¡¯m stuck in my tent learning battle strategies that none of the Valley Tribes will ever use. ...I only do it because my dad knows I can¡¯t fight. No one takes me seriously. I had this one chance to prove myself and I blew it.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°The chief doesn¡¯t think you can¡¯t fight, he just thinks you won¡¯t fight. And he¡¯s right. You¡¯ve got the strength of a freaking dire and yet you refuse to swing a single punch,¡± Nokuti crossed her arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone,¡± Marek stared at his trembling hands. I don¡¯t want to accidentally kill anyone.


    ¡°The world doesn¡¯t work that way. Hollow Shade¡¯s patrols won¡¯t hold back if they find us. They¡¯ll kill us all, kids included.¡±


    ¡°Why do we all have to fight? Can¡¯t we just come to a truce?¡± Marek sniffed.


    ¡°Hollow Shade took our land, enslaved our friends, and has been destroying the rest of us little by little. Unless you wanna us to end up like Lunis, then there is no going back, not for any of the Valley Tribes.¡±


    ¡°I wish there was something we could do to stop all the fighting,¡± Marek sighed.


    Nokuti placed her hands on his shoulders, ¡°You¡¯re too nice.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re too brutal,¡± Marek glanced at the unconscious boy beside them.


    ¡°Meh, that¡¯s up for debate,¡± Nokuti winked.


    ¡°... I need to get going, the fletcher is still waiting for me,¡± Marek stood up.


    ¡°Let me help you. I¡¯ll explain to him what happened,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°No, I have to do this on my own,¡± Marek shook his head.


    ¡°Take it from your best friend, you¡¯re not a coward for not fighting. Sure, you¡¯re dumb, like really dumb... but brave.¡±


    ¡°Best friend? You¡¯re my only friend,¡± Marek smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°My point still stands,¡± Nokuti grinned.


    After dropping off the arrow bundles, Marek gave no excuse for the damage and stood quietly as the fletcher yelled at him. Once the shameful scolding had ended, he made his way back to his family¡¯s tent. Hopefully, his father had already left for the evening hunt. Hopefully.


    Marek pushed back the tent flap and was met with his father looking up at him. Today was just not his day.


    Even if Marek was over a foot taller than his father, under the chief¡¯s glare, Marek felt like a small child.


    ¡°Hello, father,¡± he smiled shakily.


    ¡°Out of the way, boy. If you have time to talk, you have time to learn how to fight. Maybe then you won¡¯t get your ass beat by a couple of stupid teens.¡±


    ¡°There were five of them. What was I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my son! The son of the chief! You were supposed to command their respect, not be beaten like a baby lamb. Fight back for once, dammit! How do you think this reflects on me, huh? Did that thought ever cross your mind?¡± His father tapped Marek¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, father,¡± Marek bowed his head.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± he looked at his son with aversion. ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    The chief pushed Marek aside and left without another word.


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re bleeding,¡± Tamora ran up to Marek and touched his cheek.


    He hadn¡¯t even noticed. Blood had trickled from the back of his head, down his cheek and neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, you did nothing wrong,¡± Tamora looked at him with worried eyes. ¡°Lower your head for me.¡±


    Marek was 7 ft tall and his mother was fairly small, barely standing at 5 ft. Marek crouched low and bowed his head. Tamora placed her hand over him, her hand glowed a soft white, the healing spell mending the cut.


    ¡°Thanks, mom... I¡¯m sorry for being so useless,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not useless, you¡¯re kind. It¡¯s a virtue the Cairn tribe has seemed to have forgotten. Don¡¯t worry about your father, he is simply worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    Tamora ran her fingers through his hair, ¡°Your father is a cold-hearted man, but do not doubt his love for you, his only child. He is the first human chief of the Cairn Tribe and that comes with a lot of doubt from the elders. He needs to prove himself at every turn.¡±


    ¡°Father is strong, the elders cannot deny that.¡±


    ¡°True, but they can still try and that¡¯s what worries him. You know your father won his position as chief through a duel with the previous chief. Once your father is gone, you will inherit his position as chief. Your father and I worry you will be challenged when that time comes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll lose,¡± Marek bit his lip.


    Tamora smiled sadly, ¡°You must learn how to fight for yourself or it could cost you everything.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could just inherit your white magic. At least that way I could be a healer instead,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Maybe you will, your 18th birthday is only a few weeks away, you never know. But, that still won¡¯t solve your problems as future chief.¡±


    ¡°I wish Hollow Shade could just stop hunting us and we could live our lives freely,¡± Marek grumbled.


    ¡°Maybe they can¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tamora reached behind her back and unclasped her necklace. She held it up in front of him, ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    Marek stared at the golden medallion, ¡°Your necklace?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but do you know what animal it depicts?¡±


    He furrowed his brow, ¡°A really weird dog?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a horse. They aren¡¯t from this Realm and I doubt there are any left in the Ebon Realm. My ancestors... our ancestors, brought them over from the Jade Realm. The horse is the symbol of my House.¡±


    ¡°House?¡± Marek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You''re from a Named House?¡±


    He knew his mother wasn¡¯t from the Cairn Tribe, he just wasn¡¯t sure from where.


    Tamora nodded, ¡°I am. Your father captured me when I was traveling the countryside. My twin sister told me I should take more guards with me before I left, but I was careless. Coupled with the fact that I can only cast the healing spell-form and well, you can imagine the rest.¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t know father captured you, I always just assumed you were from another tribe,¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°Your father liked to keep my surname a secret, only the elders know the truth¡­ Your father then made me his wife, it was his crowning achievement, and I have been here ever since,¡± Tamora wiped a tear from her eye.


    ¡°You¡¯re his prisoner,¡± Marek said in horror.


    ¡°The daughter of House Helene is a difficult prize to give up,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Helene?¡± The name sounded familiar.


    She brushed his cheek, ¡°My son, your full name is Marek Helene, son of the Great Named House Helene. We are one of the Seven Ruling Families of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°W-what? I d-don¡¯t understand,¡± Marek mumbled.


    ¡°It means you have a very important legacy. I am Tamora Helene, heir to House Helene and as my only son, you are my heir. I¡¯m only telling you all of this now because you will soon be an adult... One day I will escape this place and if you come with me to Hollow Shade, I will show you how great your legacy truly is.¡±


    ¡°Why would I go to Hollow Shade? They hate the Valley people.¡±


    ¡°You are not just a Valley tribesman. You are an aristocrat and the future family leader of our House. Our founder, Lady Helene, was known to have brokered many truces with the Valley tribes. One day, as leader of our House, you can do the same. You could put an end to the conflict between Hollow Shade and the Valley people once and for all.¡±


    ¡°The fighting could end?¡± Marek swallowed. Life could be different, things would be different.


    Tamora placed the necklace in his palm and pushed his fingers closed around it, ¡°This is yours now, my son. May it help you remember where you come from, always.¡±


    ~~~


    Marek looked down at the necklace with a mixture of pain and regret. ¡°I am not an aristocrat. I am a child of the Valley, now and always.¡±


    Nokuti murmured sleepily beside him. He smiled warmly at her. He thanked the gods she had been by his side even after all this time. He didn¡¯t wish to wake her, so he got up and walked out of the tent.


    The night crisp air filled his lungs. The Valley was beginning to freeze, the first snow of winter would be upon them any day now.


    ¡°Long night?¡±


    Marek whipped around to find Crow sitting on a rock nearby the tent.


    ¡°What are you doing here so late?¡± Marek narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait. But, as usual, I came prepared to wait,¡± Crow took a sip of tea. His mask was slightly tilted up to reveal his smiling lips.


    Marek glanced at his own bare chest and necklace briefly. ¡°Give me a moment, let me get a shirt on and we can discuss what was so important that you had to come here in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide your Helene necklace from me.¡±


    Marek froze, ¡°You know what this is?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t be in charge of information gathering if I didn¡¯t recognize the crest of one of the Ruling Families. And I also know what it means for you to be wearing that specific necklace, Lord Helene.¡±


    Marek¡¯s eyes darted around, searching to see if anyone else was here. Thankfully, they were not.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in sharing the secrets of others,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°You knew who I was and you still followed me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re afraid of what might happen if your people knew that you weren¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°I am one of them,¡± Marek growled.


    ¡°Not in their eyes, at least if they knew the truth about your bloodline. I am of a different view, however.¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When the day comes that Hollow Shade¡¯s armies are defeated and you have conquered the city, how do you think the rest of the Realm will see us?¡±


    ¡°As the people who finally toppled the City of Shades.¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Crow said calmly. ¡°They will see us as a bunch of savages who are a threat to their way of life. The other Great Cities will most likely attack us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only telling me this now? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t relevant. You see, if a savage didn¡¯t conquer Hollow Shade, but instead an heir of one of the Ruling Families did,¡± Crow pointed at him. ¡°Then the Realm would see you as a family leader seizing power. The man who managed to control and unite the Valley tribes. A feat none have ever managed. You¡¯d be hailed as one of the greatest Lords in history.¡±


    ¡°I would be throwing away my pride as a son of the Valley,¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°We all make sacrifices,¡± Crow shrugged.


    ¡°Marek, are you talking to someone?¡± Nokuti called out sleepily from within the tent.


    Marek¡¯s eyes widened, he glanced at Crow.


    ¡°I know of her too and for the life of me, I do not understand why you insist on keeping your relationship a secret. Half the camp already thinks you''re sleeping together,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Why did you come?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°I found it,¡± Crow lifted a book from within his feathered cloak.


    ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°The location of the weapon to destroy Hollow Shade.¡±


    Marek smiled, ¡°Finally.¡±


    Crow stood up, ¡°Grab your coat and assemble the crew. It¡¯s time we find the fabled village of Mirror Springs.¡±

 Chapter 130: Veres

    Chapter 130: Veres


    Stryg could hear Rhian¡¯s bright laughter from across the stable. He pushed the stable gates open and walked inside. Gwen, the stablehand, popped her head out from one of the stalls. She wore two large brushes strapped on each hand.


    ¡°Mr. Stryg?¡± Gwen asked.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Rhian poked her head out.


    ¡°Hi, Rhiannon,¡± he waved.


    Before he finished talking she was already running towards him. Rhian hugged him tight, rested her forehead on his own, and closed her eyes in comfort.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t come to see you sooner.¡±


    Gwen squealed quietly at the adorable moment.


    Rhian raised her head and took a step back, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, I know you¡¯ve been busy working hard with your training. Besides, every day Feli¡¯s been going out with me in your place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad Feli and you are getting along.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s finally getting used to my galloping speed, wait till she sees me run at my best,¡± Rhian laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯d like to see.¡± Stryg smiled bitterly, ¡°...Someday you won¡¯t need anyone to accompany you when you go out.¡±


    ¡°No beastkin can go out on the streets alone, they¡¯d get arrested or worse. That¡¯s just the way it is, you don¡¯t have to wear that sad face,¡± Rhian shrugged.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that way for you at least, I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Stryg swore.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Mr. Stryg,¡± Gwen bowed. ¡°Are you going out by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was the plan,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get Rhian saddled up as quickly as possible,¡± Gwen nodded and rushed off.


    ¡°So, what have you two been up to?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Gwen was brushing my coat, the brushes tickle my legs though,¡± Rhian lifted her sleek ebon leg to prove her point.


    Gwen came back a moment later and began to place the saddle and straps on Rhian.


    ¡°She¡¯s been doing a great job with my coat,¡± Rhian smiled.


    Gwen blushed at the compliment, ¡°That means a lot coming from you.¡±


    ¡°Of course it does, you won¡¯t find a centaur like me ever again,¡± Rhian winked.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Feli stood at the stable gate. She was dressed in a long blue coat with a fluffy fur collar.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°Just to the Trade District to eat some food and spend some time together,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Stryg was invited by Callum Veres to a fancy party up north,¡± Feli said excitedly.


    ¡°Veres? That¡¯s one of the Ruling Families, the one Nora and Clypeus were talking about,¡± Rhian recalled.


    ¡°The very same,¡± Feli nodded.


    ¡°Wait. Does that mean you¡¯re going to be gone for a while?¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, but so will you,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying I¡¯m coming with?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was going to leave the best centaur behind, did you?¡± Stryg hopped onto the saddle.


    Rhian turned back at him, her grey eyes filled with mirth, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    Feli raised her hands, Stryg reached down and pulled her up with ease. She sat behind him and rested her arms around his waist.


    ¡°Thank you for the ride, Rhian,¡± Feli bowed.


    ¡°Anytime.¡± She paused at the gate, ¡°Gwen, thanks for everything!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been my honor,¡± Gwen curtsied as best as she could.


    Rhian¡¯s thin lips twisted to the side, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll work on that bow later.¡±


    Gwen paled, mortified. Rhian cantered away.


    ~~~


    The first flakes of snow began to fall as they held steaming mugs of hot cocoa. Most people were too busy going about their daily lives to notice the snow. Stryg, Rhian, and Feli stood in the middle of a bustling street in one of the many marketplaces in the Trade District.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to blow on it a few times before taking a sip, otherwise you¡¯ll burn your tongue,¡± Feli warned.


    ¡°But, he¡¯s just drinking the whole thing at once,¡± Rhian pointed.


    Stryg drank down his mug of hot cocoa, before ordering another right afterward.


    ¡°Stryg should not be the standard for anyone to gauge themselves by on anything,¡± Feli shook her head. ¡°Plus, he¡¯s a greedy little glutton.¡±


    He moved the mug aside and took a playful bite out of Feli¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Feli yelped. ¡°Dammit, your teeth are sharp.¡±


    Stryg hissed into his mug and kept drinking.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m not wasting time, no more blowing or whistling or whatever.¡± Rhian drank the hot cocoa.


    She spat the drink in a spray and screamed in pain. Her mug slipped out of her hands. Stryg skipped a step closer and caught the mug before it spilled.


    ¡°Ish hawt, ish hawt!¡± Rhian had her tongue out and waved her hands frantically.


    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Feli quickly ordered a mug of cold milk and handed it to Rhian.


    She gulped it in an instant and sighed in relief. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem, next time please listen to reason,¡± Feli sighed.


    ¡°Right, don¡¯t drink it all at once,¡± Rhian nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Rhian turned to Stryg, ¡°Thanks for saving my drink. Time for round two.¡±


    Stryg lifted her mug and drank it all.


    ¡°E-eh? Ah, wait! Wait, dammit!¡± Rhian yelled.


    She grabbed Stryg by the shoulders and shook him, but to no avail.


    Stryg licked his lips, ¡°Ahhh, much better.¡±


    ¡°How could you?¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes watered.


    ¡°One more hot cocoa, please,¡± Feli shook her head.


    ¡°Right away, miss,¡± the vendor nodded.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing,¡± Stryg looked up at the grey sky.


    ¡°Which is why Rhian and I brought coats. It¡¯s been getting pretty cold these last few weeks. That thin jacket isn¡¯t enough, love. You should really take care of yourself better,¡± Feli frowned.


    Stryg hugged her tight, ¡°Why do I need a coat when I¡¯ve got you?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just stick to me all the time,¡± Feli raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Watch me,¡± Stryg buried his head in her chest.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Rhian grabbed her mug of hot cocoa.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Feli played with his hair.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed.


    Stryg stepped back and pulled out a purple scarf with a blue snowflake pattern from his satchel. He wrapped the scarf haphazardly around his neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s new. I didn¡¯t buy that for you and you never go out of your way to buy yourself clothes,¡± Feli stared at the scarf.


    Stryg rubbed the end of the scarf between his fingers. ¡°It was a winter gift from a friend,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Feli hooked her arm with his, ¡°Well, let¡¯s do a bit of sightseeing before we call it a day, we still need to decide on where we should hold our wedding reception.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t that wait? The wedding¡¯s in spring,¡± he said.


    ¡°We are not leaving our wedding plans until the last minute,¡± Feli¡¯s face darkened.


    Stryg stopped, he wasn¡¯t sure he had ever seen her look so angry. ¡°Uh, okay.¡±


    Her demeanor changed instantly, her lips curled up in a smile, ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°So, which road are we taking tomorrow, Master? The North or East Gate?¡± Rhian asked as she sipped her drink.


    ¡°Neither, we¡¯ll be going by the West Gate,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait, but that leads to the docks. Are you saying we¡¯re going by ship?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ve never been, but I hear their fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun? How about a recipe for vomiting all afternoon, ugh,¡± Rhian groaned.


    ¡°Are ships that bad?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Not inherently,¡± Feli put a finger to her lips. ¡°Although, I do hear a lot of people get seasick while on the Dire River.¡±


    ¡°Seasick?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°It basically means getting very nauseous. Back when I worked at the Merry Crescent I used to hear sailors tell stories about people throwing up all the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about this ship thing anymore,¡± Stryg grimaced.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, there are certain teas that help with nausea we can pick up. Actually, I guess this is a good time to bring it up,¡± Feli took a deep breath.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Remember I told you I wanted to invest into a caravan so that we could begin making a profit instead of just letting our money sit there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Well, my reading lessons have been going pretty well and I can finally look at the public reports with a detailed eye. In fact, I¡¯ve been looking into them pretty extensively the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± he smiled. ¡°Did you figure out where we should invest?¡±


    He didn¡¯t really understand how investments worked or caravans for that matter, but he trusted Feli and that was enough for him.


    ¡°Not exactly. I haven¡¯t figured out a specific caravan, but I realized that it¡¯s actually better if we invest in a trade ship instead. Whole groups of caravans have been recently disappearing in Dusk Valley, hurting merchants'' profits enormously.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I spent years listening to sailor chatter at the Merry Crescent tavern and I paid attention. I know enough about the ships and their crew to have a good idea of which to invest in. All we really need is a merchant who knows the maritime business to help us set up some trade deals.¡±


    ¡°And where do we get one of those mari-whatever people?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The higher-end sectors of the Trade District,¡± Rhian spoke up. ¡°Karlok, the vampire who owns the Swift Winds where I grew up, used to work with several maritime merchants.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll look into it,¡± Feli clapped her hands together. ¡°Now, time to find some wedding sites!¡±


    ¡°But I still want more hot chocolate,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come back later, come on,¡± Feli pulled him by his hand.


    Stryg glanced at Rhian¡¯s half-filled mug. He licked his lips.


    Rhian took a step back, ¡°Eh, n-no. No. Not again, no! Noooo!¡±


    ~~~


    Callum Veres ran down the hall of his family¡¯s mansion, ignoring the strange looks of the servants. This was his one chance to meet with Gian Gale. He¡¯d be damned if he lost it because he tried walking with the grace of an aristocrat.


    Gian was the great uncle of the current Lord Gale and one of the oldest and most loyal vampire retainers of House Veres, Callum¡¯s father trusted him explicitly. The only thing Gian was known for more than his loyalty was his vast knowledge of the Veres family. If anyone knew about the Blue Rose, it was Gian.


    The old vampire had spent most of the past year away on a mission given by Lord Veres IX, but he had just returned to Hollow Shade for a few days. This was Callum¡¯s one chance for the answers he had been desperately searching for. He pushed past door after door until he ran into a tea room.


    A long table sat in the center of the room with several dishes of food. A glass of fresh blood sat on each end of the table. The chair at the head of the table was empty. But, an elderly vampire sat at the foot of the table. Gian¡¯s grey beard was immaculately groomed as usual. His hands were covered in wrinkles and spots, but they were steady and did not tremble. His bright crimson eyes were filled with a life that belied his true age.


    Callum froze in his steps, he placed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply, ¡°Forgive me for the intrusion, Gian, sir.¡±


    ¡°Little Cal, is that you? My, you have grown these past few years,¡± Gian bowed.


    ¡°It has been quite some time,¡± Callum chuckled.


    ¡°I wish I had gotten a chance to see you grow more into the man you have become. You left the mansion at such an early age. As for me, I have been gone this past year, but I am glad Bellum has blessed me with the chance for us to meet. You look strong and healthy. Of all your father¡¯s children, you look like him the most.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened. He bowed deeply, ¡°You honor me.¡±


    ¡°The honor is mine, Little Cal or should I just say Cal, now?¡±


    ¡°From you? I¡¯d be honored by either,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°You are too kind,¡± Gian laughed. ¡°So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?¡±


    ¡°I spoke with my father recently and I learned some interesting details about House Veres. I had some questions about my family history and I was hoping you could shed some light on them.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you came to the right place. Ask away.¡±


    ¡°I wished to know more regarding Lady Veres, owner of Krikolm.¡±


    ¡°There have been many Lady Veres who have wielded Krikolm, you have to be a little more specific.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, of course,¡± Callum cleared his throat. ¡°Do you know anything about Lady Veres, the Blue Rose?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Lady Stryga Veres.¡±


    The room suddenly felt very small, as if the walls were collapsing on top of him. Callum could hardly breathe.


    ¡°Stryga?¡± He choked out.


    Gian nodded, ¡°Quite right. She was born a little over three centuries ago. Stryga was one of the most powerful family leaders House Veres had ever seen and indeed a wielder of Krikolm, the last wielder to be precise. Had she not been lost she would have brought House Veres to an age of prosperity. A true tragedy what happened to her and the Veres family.¡±


    Callum stayed quiet, his body felt cold.


    ¡°Little Cal, are you alright?¡± Gian leaned over.


    He cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just fine... By any chance, do you know why she was called the Blue Rose?¡±


    Gian lifted his glass and stared at the blood within, ¡°She was an exotic beauty by most standards. Her father was a dark elf from the Northern Lands. The dark elves up there tend to have more of a blue shade of skin rather than grey. Stryga inherited her father¡¯s blue skin and white hair.¡±


    ¡°Blue skin, hah¡­.¡± Callum ran a trembling hand through his hair.


    ¡°If she didn¡¯t smile and reveal her fangs, Stryga could have passed for a dark elf. But, there was one unique trait that made her stand out among all the beauties of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Callum swallowed.


    Gian pointed at his eye, ¡°She was said to have enchanting violet eyes.¡±


    ¡°Violet? W-was it a mutation?¡±


    ¡°No. It was just an incomplete dominant trait.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Callum frowned.


    Gian leaned back in his chair, ¡°Normally, a child inherits one physical trait from one parent or another. For example, if a man has blue eyes and his wife brown, their child will either have blue or brown eyes. Now, rarely, a child is born with a mixture of both traits. In Stryga¡¯s case, she inherited a mixture of the blue eyes from her dark elf father and the crimson eyes of her vampire mother.¡±


    ¡°That must be very rare, almost impossible to replicate,¡± Callum muttered to himself.


    Gian chuckled, ¡°I suspect you may be right, there aren¡¯t many dark elf-vampire hybrids after all.¡±


    ¡°I have another question, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course, fire away.¡±


    ¡°...Hybrids can¡¯t have children, right?¡±


    Gian smiled sadly, ¡°If I¡¯m being completely honest, that¡¯s a difficult one. We can¡¯t actually prove that hybrids can¡¯t. The correct answer would be hybrids don¡¯t have children. At least, none that we know of. The problem is there aren¡¯t many hybrids in the first place. But, I don¡¯t wish to give you false hope. It is very unlikely you will ever have children.¡±


    Gian placed his hand on Callum¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little Cal.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping for a more reassuring answer,¡± he trembled.


    ¡°What are you doing here, little brother?¡±


    Callum turned to the door and was faced with a tall dark-haired beauty, her crimson eyes staring down at him.


    ¡°Hello, Carmilla. It¡¯s good to see you," Callum bowed.


    ¡°Mm, likewise. Now, why are you interrupting my dinner? Gian has important intel reports on Frost Rim to disclose. It is not for the ears of a child,¡± she walked over and took a seat at the head of the table.


    ¡°Carmilla, always focused on duty. You should rest and try to enjoy yourself once in a while. You are only young once,¡± Gian chuckled.


    ¡°I am the eldest and heir to my father and this House. Fun is not a luxury I can afford,¡± Carmilla swished her glass of wine around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were coming, sister. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll leave you both to your dinner,¡± Callum bowed.


    ¡°You may go,¡± Carmilla waved him away.


    Callum left without another word. He had hoped Gian would give him the answers he needed. Now he had a thousand more questions and he dreaded each answer.

 Chapter 131: City Docks

    Chapter 131: City Docks


    Stryg left Hollow Shade¡¯s East Gate and was met with a long bustling dirt road. Wagons carrying large amounts of supplies walked past him, as did the occasional carriage. People milled all around Rhian and him, but, despite his vantage point from the saddle, he could not see any ships.


    ¡°Where are the boats? I thought the docks were supposed to have ships,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°The docks start all the way up the road. You see those buildings up there?¡± Rhian pointed at the hill in the distance.


    ¡°Hm, yeah. But, why is it so far away? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for all these people to carry their stuff if the buildings were closer by?¡±


    Rhian began making her way through the crowds. Most people moved out of the way, no one wanted to be accidentally trampled by a centaur.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question and your centaur extraordinaire knows the answers,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Answers? There¡¯s more than one?¡±


    ¡°Three to be exact. The first is that the Dire River doesn¡¯t run through the city, it¡¯d take way too much space. The river passes by the hill, so the docks are built around there. The warehouses where the goods are stored are too big to be built out here, they¡¯d be too close to the walls.¡±


    Stryg turned back and looked up at the looming ebon walls, ¡°The shades.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, no one wants to be eaten by shades, come dark. Hence, the warehouses are inside the walls and why people travel down this long dirt road.¡± Rhian groaned, ¡° Gods why couldn¡¯t they just make it cobblestone, my poor shiny hooves.¡±


    ¡°The whole thing does seem a bit much,¡± he said.


    Stryg glanced at the hundreds of commoners who could not afford a wagon and were forced to carry large sacks on their backs. No one even bothered to look up at Rhian¡¯s beautiful appearance, they were all too busy trying to finish their jobs.


    As they reached the top of the hill Stryg was met with buildings all around, each with a large sign promising the best of one product or another. The place was more crowded than the East Gate. The scent of fish immediately assaulted Stryg¡¯s nostrils. He winced from the strong scent.


    ¡°Welcome to the docks, Hollow Shade¡¯s direct line of trade with the Great City of Frost Rim,¡± Rhian said proudly.


    But Stryg wasn¡¯t listening to her. His eyes were focused on the dozens of ships down below at the edge of the hill and the large blue expanse that spanned across the horizon.


    ¡°That¡¯s the¡­ river?¡± Stryg muttered in awe.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Rhian glanced back at him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wearing that super surprised face, like when we saw those frost wolves.¡±


    ¡°How is that a river? It¡¯s so big,¡± Stryg said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t call it the Dire River for nothing,¡± Rhian chuckled.


    Stryg didn¡¯t say another word and simply stared at the blue giant of water. There was something about the way the sun¡¯s light hit the water that evoked something in him. A sense of wonder he hadn¡¯t ever cared to notice.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The small voice broke Stryg away from his thoughts. He glanced down at a little human girl, her stubby finger was pointed straight at his face.


    ¡°Shh, be quiet,¡± the mother grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand and dragged her away.


    ¡°But, it looks so weiiird,¡± the daughter kept pointing.


    The mother froze in her steps.


    Judging from her shabby clothes and patched skirt, Stryg guessed she was a commoner. The poor folk of the city knew what it meant for someone to be riding a centaur, especially one as elegant as Rhian. The rider had to be rich, powerful, or an aristocrat, possibly all three.


    Most commoners understood what happened when they disrespected a centaur rider, even if that commoner was just a child.


    The mother¡¯s eyes widened in fear, she looked up at Stryg, ¡°I-I¡¯m so s-sorry. Please, forgive my daughter, she¡¯s only five. She does not know to whom she speaks.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s face was impassive, his eyes cold.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± The little girl bit her lip.


    The woman threw herself to the floor, ¡°Please, punish me, just let my daughter go, please.¡±


    The crowd around kept their faces down and made sure to give them ample room as they walked past. No one wanted to get involved.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± The little girl began to cry.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian whispered, her forehead wrinkled with worry.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°...Let¡¯s go, Rhian,¡± Stryg said.


    Rhian cantered onward, pushing past the crowd. Stryg raised the cloak of his hood. He didn¡¯t want Rhian to see his face and determine what he felt or perhaps he simply didn¡¯t want others to see how different he really looked.


    He sighed, his body shrank inward, his head bowed low.


    Even a child knows it, he thought bitterly.


    From the wealthiest of aristocrats like Freya to the poorest of children, they all had the same thought when they looked at him. A freak.


    Stryg suddenly felt very tired, all he wanted was to go home, crawl in bed, and feel the warmth of Feli sleeping next to him.


    Stryg rested his head on the back of Rhian. He closed his eyes and tried to let the chirping of the birds flying over the docks carry his mind away.


    The sounds of the occasional whistles directed at Rhian broke his attention. He hated it but did nothing. His fighting spirit burned low, for once all he wanted was to be left alone.


    Stryg smiled wryly, the Blood Fang tribe would be ashamed. What had happened to him? He had grown soft, he was letting his emotions get the better of him. Gods, he hated feeling this way.


    As for Rhian, she was smiling pridefully. She strutted down the docks with her head held high. She drew the eye of merchants and commoners alike, her raven hair and high cheekbones an uncommon sight among centaurs.


    ¡°Why are you prancing about like an idiot?¡± Maximus called out.


    He stood at the corner of the street, his arms crossed, and his grey eyes full of judgment.


    ¡°Good to see you too, Maxy,¡± Rhian frowned. ¡°And it¡¯s called a catwalk. It¡¯s quite sophisticated, not that I¡¯d expect you war-types to know anything about such things.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t concern ourselves with the mysterious ways of how to walk like a clown,¡± Maximus shook his head.


    ¡°Maximus?¡± Stryg raised his head.


    Loh dismounted from behind Maximus, his large brawny frame had eclipsed his rider completely. Stryg jumped down from his saddle and walked up to Loh.


    ¡°Master,¡± he bowed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing here? That¡¯s what I should be asking you,¡± Loh looked him up and down.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg cocked his head.


    ¡°Tauri told me of what happened with Freya Goldelm yesterday. I went to your apartment this morning looking for you, but you weren¡¯t there. Feli told me you had gone to the Mortis Grove for a party at the Mora castle?!¡±


    ¡°Birthday party,¡± Stryg corrected.


    Loh groaned, ¡°Do you not understand what the problem here is?¡±


    ¡°No? The academy is on break, so I won¡¯t be missing any of my lessons.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go outside the city on your own without telling me,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I needed your permission to go where I pleased,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°When it comes to leaving the city you do! The Ebon Realm can be very dangerous, you don¡¯t know what could happen outside the walls. I need you to stay safe.¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, master, I wasn¡¯t born in Hollow Shade. I know exactly the kind of dangers that lurk outside the walls.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t some random wolf or dumb hunter. There are magi out there who could kill you if you disrespect them,¡± Loh shook her head.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Do you think my people are dumb? That the Sylvan tribes don¡¯t have magi? That we all just run around naked through the trees hoping we don¡¯t get randomly eaten?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you don¡¯t understand the dangers that you might face and you need to let me know before you leave the city.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever faced a dragon?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever faced a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not. No one survives an encounter with a dragon,¡± Loh furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I have,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°I think I know very clearly what the dangers outside are like. And if you believe for one moment that Vulture Woods, my birthplace, the place I grew up, is somehow safer than Hollow Shade, then I suggest you never leave these walls.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Loh''s eyes twitched in anger. ¡°What makes you think you can talk to me like that? That¡¯s your problem, you just don¡¯t think sometimes. If I was any other high master I would have kicked your ass!¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, but his pupils were as thin as blades.


    ¡°And don¡¯t get me started on Freya. You almost killed her. She¡¯s in serious condition because of your antics.¡±


    ¡°She insulted all goblins, she thinks she¡¯s better than us just because of who we are,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she thinks. She¡¯s a daughter of House Goldelm, a Ruling Family. They are dangerous! You might be safe now in the academy, but what about when you graduate. They could prove a serious threat.¡±


    ¡°So, I should just let her disrespect go? Say nothing? Do nothing?¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Exactly. Who cares what she says about goblins. Plenty of people talk shit about goblins, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Stryg grit his teeth, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. It does matter.¡±


    ¡°No, it really doesn¡¯t,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°Would you say that if the whole city thought dark elves were worthless? If they were treated as undeserving of the simplest gestures of respect? That not a single one can even become a merchant, let alone an aristocrat? That your whole people were destroyed and forgotten. Would you stand here and tell me that none of it mattered?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what the hell are you talking about? You can become whatever you want, you are a mage, a talented one at that.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s small shoulders trembled. He took a deep breath, ¡°As requested, I am letting you know that I am leaving Hollow Shade and will be back in about two weeks. Excuse me, but I have a ship to catch.¡±


    ¡°I have my own ship we can take, no need to leave just yet,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming?¡± Stryg took a step back.


    ¡°Lord Mora invites all the Ruling Families to his parties, I just decided to accept for once. I can¡¯t let my dumbass apprentice get into trouble while I¡¯m gone,¡± Loh ruffled his hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already made plans with Callum Veres and Clypeus Gale. I¡¯ll travel on the Veres ship. We¡¯ll meet up at the castle. I promise I¡¯ll try not to get into trouble on the way. Goodbye,¡± Stryg bowed and walked away.


    ¡°Nice seeing you both,¡± Rhian made a hasty bow before she trotted away.


    Loh frowned, ¡°What the hell is wrong with that boy? I thought he¡¯d be glad I was coming. Not to mention his attitude. He never acts that way.¡±


    Maximus stared at the tiny back of the goblin off in the distance. He understood what Stryg felt, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury of voicing his opinion. ¡°Perhaps Stryg is just in an irritable mood? Happens to us all.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Loh muttered.


    She didn¡¯t want to lose her apprentice, not again.

 Chapter 132: First Voyage

    Chapter 132: First Voyage


    6 years ago...


    Loh sat in her tent skimming over one of her scout¡¯s reports. Vayu Glaz stood next to her, discussing their next plan of action. Aizel marched into the tent, his face a darker shade of grey than usual.


    ¡°Sis, you know I love you, but I refuse to keep digging latrine pits all day,¡± Aizel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s general or master to you, apprentice,¡± Loh said without glancing up. ¡°You march into your superior¡¯s tent unannounced and expect me to give in to your demands? Don¡¯t waste my time, get out.¡±


    ¡°Loh, I think you should hear him out at least, he¡¯s been working hard,¡± Vayu said.


    Aizel nodded and whispered a thank you to Vayu. The captain winked in return.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°What do you want, Aizel?¡±


    ¡°Grandfather made me your apprentice when he left. But, so far you haven¡¯t taught me anything, whether it be spells or battle tactics,¡± Aizel said.


    ¡°I was busy, I couldn¡¯t spare you any time, we were trying to catch the enemy raiders off guard,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°That was three weeks ago,¡± Aizel said.


    ¡°Well, maybe if you hadn¡¯t been so stupid as to fight in the front lines in that damn battle I wouldn¡¯t have had to place you on latrine duty.¡±


    ¡°Our men were under attack. I saw one of our soldiers get shot in the leg by a stray arrow. The rest of the soldiers were retreating, I couldn¡¯t just leave him there!¡±


    ¡°You could have gotten yourself killed, grandfather would have been furious!¡± Loh stood up.


    Aizel took a step back, ¡°That¡¯s all you cared about? Grandfather getting angry at you? Not that I risked my life?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Aizel. I don¡¯t have time for your word games,¡± Loh sighed.


    Aizel clenched his fists, ¡°Well, then let me be very clear. I was sent here because I am going to marry Tauri. Not you, but me. It sucks, I get it, and you hate me for it. I understand, I do. But, this is more than either of us now. It concerns our family. If I don¡¯t gain military accolades while I am out here I will still marry Tauri. But, it will put a strain on the Katag and Noir families¡¯ relationship. We can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. Since when have you cared about the well-being of House Noir? You gave up being heir long before I became a mage. You couldn¡¯t handle the pressure of being useless and left me to pick up the pieces. And now you wanna pretend that you care? All you care about is leaving a good impression on Lord Krall Katag, being a good son-in-law, and all that bullshit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that and you know it,¡± Aizel frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know shit! I¡¯ve been too busy training for the last eight years to be the leader that this family needs. So, don¡¯t try coming here pretending like you give a damn about this family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Aizel¡¯s shoulders trembled.


    Loh walked up to his face, ¡°Let me tell you something I do know. You will never be worthy of Tauri. You wanna be some kind of hero? Well, you¡¯re not and you never will be. You pretend like you care, but everything you do is just for yourself, that¡¯s just who you are. It¡¯s who you have always been and nothing will change that.¡±


    Aizel leaned forward until his forehead butted with her own, ¡°I refuse to even acknowledge such an outrageous insult to my honor. If you weren¡¯t my sister, I would challenge you to a duel right here and now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d lose,¡± Loh growled.


    Aizel stared into her blue eyes, ¡°All you¡¯ve done since I arrived at the Northern Army is insult and belittle me. Still, all I wanted was to fight against the Valley raiders, together as a family. But, I will win military recognition, with or without your help. I¡¯ll send a message to grandfather explaining my wishes to transfer to another army.¡±


    ¡°Be my guest. You¡¯re dismissed, soldier,¡± Loh smirked and went back to reading her reports.


    Aizel nodded to Vayu, ¡°Always a pleasure. You are the only friend I''ve had in my time here, I will miss you.¡±


    ¡°And I will miss your cheerful optimism, Aizel. Are we still down for drinks later tonight?¡± Vayu asked.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± Aizel grinned.


    ¡°I said you''re dismissed, get out of my sight,¡± Loh snapped.


    Aizel turned to leave, but paused, ¡°I don¡¯t know much, Loh. I¡¯ve wasted too many years partying. I tried to forget my guilt of leaving you in the hands of our grandfather and the pressure that came with being heir. That burden should never have been yours. For that, I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apologies. Get out before I put you in the stocks for insubordination,¡± Loh seethed.


    ¡°Let me tell you something that I do know. I love Tauri and I will make her happy in a way you never could.¡± Aizel closed the tent flap behind him.


    Loh screamed, the reports burned to ashes in her hands.


    ~~~


    Stryg and Rhian had gone down to the harbor and walked next to the pier, eyeing each docked ship. Stryg raised his hood to avoid drawing attention. But, he kept his lilac eyes on the odd wooden structures. He had never seen such large ships, he was accustomed to longboats that could carry two dozen goblins at most.


    The trading ships at the docks were giants in comparison, spanning 150 ft. The ships were made of different kinds of wood, some were chestnut brown, others a russet brown, a few were even pale like sand. Most of them had three masts, but the few larger ones were different.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The larger ships had four masts, with Named Houses'' crests emblazoned on their sails. The hulls were painted in all sorts of colors in line with their House¡¯s colors, or so Rhian had explained. These were not trading ships but the personal sea-faring vessels of aristocrats.


    Stryg eyed them all with bright curiosity, happy to distract his mind from his conversation with Loh. Sailors carried large crates and bundles of supplies down from the ships and loaded them into awaiting wagons that, once full, were carted off to the Trade District.


    Rhian suddenly paused in her steps, ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what is it?¡± Stryg turned his head in her direction.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Woah, is that it?¡± He asked with a slack jaw.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she nodded slowly.


    A colossal ship rested at the end of the harbor. Its black hull spanned 400 ft and rose high above the water as if looking down on all the rest. Six masts stood proud on the deck. Their black masts were emblazoned with the image of Krikolm piercing a skull with shadows curling around its pale, bony edges.


    The Veres ship¡¯s shadow eclipsed all the boats docked nearby. If this was not a sea vessel of a Ruling Family, Stryg did not wish to ask what was. Two long extending lifts latched from the deck of this ship down to the pier below. Sailors, dressed in black and red, hauled crates off one of the lifts while the other lift carried supplies up to the deck.


    Rhian made her way down the pier, making sure she didn¡¯t walk too close to either edge of the cold water swishing below. Clypeus stood near the lifts, glancing around the crowd of sailors. His crimson eyes caught sight of the beautiful centaur.


    He smiled and waved his arm up high, ¡°Over here!¡±


    Rhian waved back and trotted over with a happy bounce to her step.


    ¡°Good morning, Clypeus of House Gale,¡± she bowed.


    Clypeus returned the bow without missing a beat, ¡°Good morning, Rhiannon, daughter of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Rhian broke into a grin, ¡°How have the training sessions been going?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you told her about our constant losses?¡± Clypeus winced.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking, he doesn¡¯t want to tell me anything about it,¡± Rhian pointed her thumb back at her rider.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Stryg hopped off the saddle but kept his hood on.


    ¡°Oh, come on. You can¡¯t expect me not to be curious about the sword battles of the Gales. They¡¯re the most famous sword practitioners in all of Hollow Shade. Everyone wants to know about their battles, ¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t battles, just training,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°More like getting our asses beat by my sister,¡± Clypeus laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Where¡¯s Cal anyway?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Callum¡¯s already up on the deck talking with the ship¡¯s captain,¡± Clypeus pointed to the sky. ¡°I was waiting for you to arrive before going up myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then,¡± Stryg nodded.


    The sailors moved out of the way as the trio stepped onto one of the lifts. After a few seconds, the chains began to rattle and raised the lift. Stryg looked down from the edge as the world below grew small. It reminded him of when he had stood atop Hollow Shade¡¯s wall. Rhian placed her hand on his shoulder. If it was to help keep her balance or to prevent Stryg from falling off, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    The lift stopped at the top. Stryg turned away from the edge and faced the deck. Sailors walked all about, each step filled with purpose. Not a single person lazed about, the sailors were all busy carrying one thing or another. Others were tying ropes here and there. A few shouted orders to others.


    Stryg hopped onto the deck. He liked the atmosphere the sailors gave off, it reminded him of the Blood Fang tribe. The Sylvan goblins did not waste time. When something needed to be accomplished they all worked together to achieve their goal, no exceptions.


    As for Rhian, she stepped onto the polished deck with hesitant steps. Stryg spotted Callum talking to a bearded vampire with a long black jacket.


    ¡°Master, wait for me!¡± Rhian whined.


    Stryg was already swerving past sailors.


    ¡°Hey, Cal,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Oh, hey. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you with the hood. It¡¯s good to see you¡­ Stryg,¡± Callum smiled weakly.


    The goblin¡¯s small stature made it impossible for anyone on deck to look straight into his face. His features were indiscernible under the black hood and cloak. But, Callum would never forget that soft yet deadly voice.


    The bearded vampire raised his hand to his forehead in a salute, ¡°Welcome aboard to the Dread Shadow. I am the captain of this vessel.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I am Stryg, son of Ebon Hollow. I am a friend of Callum. You have an incredible ship, captain. I have never seen anything of the like. It must have destroyed thousands of enemies.¡±


    The captain nodded, ¡°Indeed she has. It is my honor to be the captain of House Veres¡¯ flagship. I¡¯ll leave you two be, but if you need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you for dinner, yes?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Of course! I await the young master and your guests with excitement,¡± The captain bowed and left.


    ¡°Damn this boat!¡± Rhian yelled.


    She had finally managed to make her way over. Clypeus was holding her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re not going to fall, Rhian,¡± Clypeus smiled wryly.


    ¡°The floor is slippery!¡± She furrowed her brow in concentration.


    ¡°I suggest you find something more sturdy to hold onto before the ship sets sail. I don¡¯t think Clypeus is strong enough to catch you if you fall,¡± Callum winked.


    Rhian practically bounced at the sight of the vampire, ¡°You¡¯re Callum Veres! Wow, I¡¯ve heard so much about your family and you! Like, you¡¯re an actual member of House Veres!¡±


    ¡°That I am. I regret that we haven¡¯t had the chance to properly make acquaintances,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°You know me?¡± Her grey eyes widened.


    ¡°I noticed you at Stryg¡¯s birthday. Your impressive bre-... balance as you danced on top of the tables made quite the impression,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you noticed my skills,¡± Rhian posed with her head held high.


    ¡°Yes, something like that,¡± Callum¡¯s eyes were focused below her face.


    Stryg stepped in front of Callum. He said nothing, nor could Callum see his face below the hood, but the vampire felt a shiver run down his spine.


    Callum cleared his throat and looked away, ¡°Glad you made it, Clypeus.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so am I,¡± he made a short bow.


    ¡°Wow, this is incredible!¡± Rhian squealed.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg turned around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see it? It¡¯s just like the play we watched back in Mellow Bloom, The Unfaltering Shield! We¡¯re standing in front of an actual Veres and Gale. They¡¯re just like their Houses¡¯ founders. I bet they¡¯re best friends and fight against enemies of Hollow Shade all the time!¡± Rhian shook with excitement.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Except Callum and I are not best friends. Stryg and I are. So, it¡¯s not quite like our ancestors¡¯ story,¡± Clypeus corrected her.


    Rhian frowned and pulled Stryg towards herself, ¡°I¡¯m his best friend. Who can a rider trust more than his glorious steed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, not quite like the stories¡­¡± Callum swallowed.


    A Veres and a Gale, best of friends, Callum thought bitterly as he stared at Stryg and Clypeus. He felt as if fate was playing a cruel trick on him.


    The deck shuddered as the Dread Shadow¡¯s last ropes broke away and the ship departed from the port.


    Rhian placed her hands over her mouth, ¡°...I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡±

 Chapter 133: Mirror Springs

    Chapter 133: Mirror Springs


    ¡°The village should be right over this ridge,¡± Crow looked down at his map.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for hours. Are you sure we¡¯re going the right way?¡± Kyriil the elf complained.


    ¡°It¡¯s freezing, is the damn snow ever gonna stop?¡± Nokuti the vampiress groaned.


    ¡°Right? I really wish you all had just left me back with the battalions at the bottom of the mountain,¡± Lysaila the lamia shivered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the cold, but is there any chance that we have gone off the trail?¡± Grim the axlean craned his long neck over Crow¡¯s map.


    Crow tucked the map in his feathered cloak, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have brought us all the way out to the Rupture Mountains if I hadn¡¯t done my research.¡±


    ¡°I know we¡¯re all cold, but we¡¯re almost there. A little faith and patience can go a long way,¡± Lord Marek Helene nodded to Crow.


    ¡°So, what, you want us to be like the dead-silent twins?¡± Kyriil pointed his slim arm at the archmage twins.


    Dawn and Vaughn¡¯s violet eyes glanced at the elf, but the hybrids stayed quiet.


    ¡°You see what I mean? They don¡¯t say anything,¡± Kyriil rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Honestly, I wish you were like them,¡± Lysaila giggled.


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Kyriil¡¯s stopped marching in the deep snow.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Crow stood at the top of the ridge and pointed down.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Nokuti sighed in relief.


    Everyone¡¯s tired legs suddenly found one more burst of energy. They pushed through the snow towards the top of the ridge. Lysaila slithered her indigo tail past the rest and joined Crow first.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Lysaila narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°...We shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Nokuti said breathlessly.


    Down below the snowy ridge laid the remains of what once must have been a village. The old houses were in cold decay, most of the roofs and walls had collapsed. Large, jagged, broken pillars of ice protruded from several of the homes.


    ¡°Welcome to Mirror Springs,¡± Crow said triumphantly.


    ¡°This place looks like shit,¡± Kyriil turned away in disgust.


    ¡°For once I agree with Kyriil,¡± Grim nodded.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I had imagined,¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°What did you expect? A paradise utopia where everyone can just forget their worries? This isn¡¯t a fairytale,¡± Crow shook his head.


    Nokuti grabbed Marek¡¯s forearm, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here. I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this place.¡±


    ¡°I never took you as a superstitious type. I thought Marek was the devotee,¡± Crow made his way down to the village.


    ¡°I am as devout a believer of Bellum as the next vampire and I don¡¯t believe the goddess of war would approve of scavenging a ruined village,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t here to scavenge. We are looking for a cave entrance, nothing more,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Marek,¡± Nokuti pleaded with her eyes.


    Marek took a deep breath, ¡°Nokuti is right, Bellum would not want us rummaging around a ruined village¡­ But, Stjerne the Traveler looks kindly upon all adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Should have guessed,¡± Nokuti sighed.


    ¡°What happened here? I thought this was supposed to be some pretty village or something?¡± Kyriil poked his head into one of the broken-down homes.


    ¡°Mirror Springs was said to be a frost giant village and a paradise to all who are weary of the wars of the Ebon Realm,¡± Nokuti recited.


    ¡°A fool¡¯s tale,¡± Crow chuckled.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Nokuti raised her ax.


    Crow opened his palms in surrender, ¡°All I¡¯m saying is we shouldn¡¯t put our beliefs on the hearsay of idiots. Until today all you ever heard of Mirror Springs were folktales, the hopeful dreams of a trodden people. But to me, it seems like this village was destroyed by frost giants.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with your assessment, but I take the words of atheists with a grain of salt,¡± Nokuti crossed her arms.


    ¡°Not all of us have the luxury of believing in the unseen. Instead of waiting for a figment of a god to help me I rather take my fate into my own hands,¡± Crow shrugged.


    ¡°Whatever the truth may be, the village is clearly in ruins. Let¡¯s not spend more time than needed here. We should split up and look for this cave,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°As the war lord commands it shall be done,¡± Crow bowed.


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Nokuti walked away.


    Everyone began to slowly wander about the empty streets.


    ~~~


    Grim lifted a wooden beam from a broken doorway. He poked his long grey neck into the house.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Kyriil yawned.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Grim¡¯s milky-white irises stared at the elf.


    ¡°I¡¯m too cold for that, besides I got you. Your people live underwater, right? A little bit of cold is nothing to you,¡± Kyriil shrugged. ¡°So, find anything?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like what I didn¡¯t find,¡± Grim said quietly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely certain about Crow¡¯s deduction, but one thing is for sure, this place was definitely attacked. There are markings of a struggle all around these houses.¡±


    ¡°So, it was frost giants then. I¡¯ve never seen them before, but they sound like dangerous people,¡± Kyriil shivered.


    ¡°You see, that¡¯s just it. I¡¯ve read up on the frost giants. They are a very aggressive elemental species, they don¡¯t like anyone intruding on their territory. Which is why I found the story of Mirror Springs, a peaceful frost giant village, to be so strange.¡±


    ¡°Not very strange anymore I imagine,¡± Kyriil kicked one of the giant ice pillars.


    ¡°No, it is. As I said, frost giants are said to be aggressive, they like to make examples of their enemies.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your point?¡±


    Grim tapped the door frame, ¡°My point is where are the giants¡¯ defeated enemies? We haven¡¯t found a single corpse or skeleton anywhere. What happened to the people who lived here?¡±


    ~~~


    Lysaila closed her blue eyes and calmed her breathing. Contrary to popular belief, lamias did not have incredible night vision, in fact, their night vision was worse than most. What lamias had was very sensitive and precise hearing. It allowed them to have a clear view of their surroundings even when blinded in darkness.


    Finding a hidden cave entrance? Should be easy enough, Lysaila smiled.


    She could hear the heartbeats of all seven of her companions. One could learn a lot from a person¡¯s heartbeat, the changes of pace and cadence were as important as their facial expression.


    After the past few months, Lysaila had learned to identify the heartbeat rhythms of her companions. She could tell Kyriil was far off to her left from the sound of his unstable heartbeat. One second the elf would be calm, the next he''d be spooked by the simplest of noises.


    Lysaila could also tell Grim was standing next to Kyriil. The axlean''s heartbeat was very slow, beating only once every few seconds. She always wondered how strong Grim¡¯s heart must be to pump blood through such a large body and long limbs.


    Marek¡¯s heartbeat was a tad slower than most humans, a common trait among dire creatures. Nokuti¡¯s heartbeat rang an angry tone. The vampiress was clearly upset that the group was here, yet Nokuti¡¯s sound never strayed very far from Marek¡¯s. She truly cared for the dire human¡¯s safety, even when she was upset. Lysaila smiled, true loyalty was an admirable trait.


    Crow¡¯s heartbeat was calm and steady. In all the months Lysaila had known him, his heart never once diverged in cadence. The twin archmagi¡¯s heartbeats were calm as well, until now. Ever since they had arrived at Mirror Springs, the twins¡¯ hearts fell out of order. Vaughn¡¯s heart was thrumming loudly and Dawn¡¯s heart practically pounded at her rib cage.


    Something was off with them and Lysaila was too curious to ignore it. Lysaila opened her eyes and began following the twins from afar, careful to stay unnoticed. Unlike the others, the twins stayed together always, even now.


    While the others wandered about the village, the twins made a straight beeline to the northeast of the village. The hybrids ignored the rubble and broken down homes and kept trudging through the snow without a single word.


    As they moved, Dawn¡¯s heartbeat began to increase until Lysaila thought it might explode. Eventually, the twins stopped walking and stood in front of the largest house in the village. The building had fallen apart almost completely, with only a few wooden beams and bricks as a sign of what once was.


    Dawn waded through the debris until she paused in what once could only have been a bedroom. She bent down and pulled something small from the snow. She dusted the snow off and held it close to her chest.


    A doll? Lysaila frowned.


    Dawn¡¯s shoulders began to shake and she fell to her knees. The sound of her quiet sobbing echoed in Lysaila¡¯s ears. Vaughn kneeled next to his sister and wrapped his arms around her, a faint tear slipped down his cheek.


    ¡°Guys! Hey guys, Nokuti found the cave entrance! Hey, are any of you there!?¡± Kyriil called out from a distance.


    The twins stood up and wiped away their tears. Dawn quickly hid the doll in her backpack. They raised their hoods and took one last look at the ruined home before quietly making their way towards the loud elf. Lysaila slipped away before anyone noticed.


    ~~~


    ¡°So, is this what we''re looking for? It seems¡­ simple,¡± Lysaila said as she slithered up to the group.


    The cave entrance was nothing more than a small hole under a mound of snow. Mist floated up from the pools of water nearby.


    ¡°So, those are the fabled Mirror Springs? I wouldn¡¯t mind dipping in those hot springs and getting away from this damn cold for a bit,¡± Kyriil scratched his pointy ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to join you,¡± Lysaila nodded. She despised the cold, her body would always get sluggish and unresponsive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Those waters are said to have special healing properties. But after seeing the truth of this place, I wouldn¡¯t trust it,¡± Nokuti warned.


    ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯ll just go take a peek. Maybe they really do perfectly reflect your appearance like mirrors?¡± Kyriil grinned.


    ¡°Nokuti is right. We aren¡¯t here for a bath. We are on a mission, let¡¯s stick to it,¡± Marek ordered.


    Lysaila puffed up her cheeks, ¡°You¡¯re no fun, silly boy.¡±


    The elf groaned and pulled at his blonde hair, ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this.¡±


    Crow poked at the cave entrance suspiciously, ¡°I think this is it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dawn, you¡¯re finally here. Mind helping with the entrance?¡± Marek asked.


    Dawn nodded silently.


    Crow stood aside, ¡°Grim, Dawn, if you please.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem.¡± Grim raised his arms and channeled elemental water mana into his hands.


    The snow shuddered away from the hole, leaving the floor barren with rock. Dawn stepped forward, planted her palms on the ground, and channeled chromatic green mana into the earth. The stone spell rang through the ground and pushed the rock and dirt away, widening the entrance of the cave until it was ten feet in diameter.


    ¡°Well done, you two,¡± Marek nodded. He glanced at Crow, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°That this is the right cave? Yes. That the weapon we seek is the best solution? Not at all. But, honestly, what choice do we have?¡± Crow walked into the cave.


    Marek sighed, ¡°Kyriil, Vaughn, light up the tunnel.¡±


    Vaughn and Kyriil channeled white mana and cast bright spells, creating large orbs of light above the group¡¯s heads. The twins and Kyriil walked in after Crow, with Lysaila and Grim close behind.


    Nokuti grabbed Marek¡¯s arm, ¡°I really think this is a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°So you keep telling me,¡± Marek smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°Marek.¡±


    He reluctantly pulled away and stepped into the tunnel. He looked back, ¡°You coming?¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t, who will protect your dumbass?¡± She shook her head.


    ~~~


    They had been walking in the tunnel for over an hour with no end in sight. The tunnel walls were etched with unfamiliar grooves from the floor to the ceiling. Marek had never seen anything like it. He paused for a moment and scratched at the wall.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at these tunnel walls. They haven¡¯t changed in appearance a single bit in all the time we¡¯ve been walking. Does that look natural to you?¡± Marek rubbed the piece of rock between his fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s because this tunnel was not formed, it was made,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°By whom?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. I would worry about what else might still lurk in these tunnels,¡± Crow kept walking.


    ¡°And what the hell might that be, mask-man?¡± Kyriil blocked his path.


    Crow cocked his head, ¡°Skolguls. Even a high-master like you should be wary. They are incredibly dangerous elemental beasts that will not hesitate to rip us all to shreds. The few frost giants that have ever managed to slay a skolgul have worn its carapace face as a mask, the highest symbol of martial prowess among their people.¡±


    Crow leaned his avian-skull-mask right up to Kyriil¡¯s elfen face, ¡°That is what we should worry about. So, if you could kindly move out of the way, we may just get what we came for and not see a single one of those arthropod monsters.¡±


    ¡°...Welp, I can¡¯t argue with that logic,¡± Kyriil stepped aside.

 Chapter 134: Skolguls

    Chapter 134: Skolguls


    As the group walked down the tunnel, Nokuti bowed her head and whispered a prayer.


    ¡°You keep doing that, who are you praying to?¡± Grim asked.


    Nokuti smiled up at the 10 ft axlean, ¡°I was just praying to Stjerne. But, I have been praying to all four of my gods while we¡¯ve been down here.¡±


    ¡°The ebon gods?¡± Grim lowered his head.


    Nokuti proudly lifted up her bracelet with four small dangling talismans, ¡°The star talisman represents the god of stars, the Traveler, Stjerne, patron of dark elves. He blesses the brave who venture out on dangerous quests.¡±


    She pointed at the next talisman, ¡°The crescent represents the goddess of the moon, the Watcher, Lunae, patron of goblins. She watches over us all. I pray to her so that she may guide us on the right path.¡±


    ¡°The eye talisman represents the god of the deep earth, the Mystery, Caligo. He is the patron deity of none, but I pray to him anyway because he blesses those who seek unresolved mysteries and the unknown.¡±


    She grabbed the last talisman gently, ¡°This is the sword talisman, it represents the patron deity of all vampires. The goddess of war, the Guardian, Bellum. She will protect us.¡±


    ¡°And you believe they will help us?¡± Grim asked calmly.


    Nokuti smiled wryly, ¡°You doubt their power? I thought you were a devout follower of the gods, too?¡±


    ¡°I believe in the azure gods, not the ebon gods,¡± Grim said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Gods are gods.¡±


    ¡°Just as Nokuti said, gods are gods. They¡¯re all imaginary assholes who, if they existed, don''t deserve anyone¡¯s worship,¡± Lysaila shook her head.


    ¡°The difference is Grim¡¯s gods are actually tangible. Not that you¡¯d ever wish to get that close to them,¡± Crow shivered dramatically.


    ¡°What?¡± Nokuti furrowed her brow.


    ¡°The axlean people worship giant sea serpents,¡± Crow opened his arms wide.


    ¡°You worship snakes?¡± Nokuti frowned.


    ¡°Sapient snakes,¡± Crow added.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with snakes, vampire?¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying sea serpents aren¡¯t divine beings. They aren¡¯t even magical,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°Oh, and your unseen ebon gods are more worthy of divinity?¡± Lysaila pointed at the vampiress¡¯ talismans.


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult my gods,¡± Nokuti gripped her ax.


    ¡°You¡¯ll lose,¡± Lysaila lifted her long sword.


    ¡°Oh, this I¡¯ve gotta see,¡± Kyriil grinned.


    ¡°I have to agree with Nokuti here. While there are a few sea serpents out in the deeper parts of the Ebon Sea, none are worshiped as gods,¡± Marek stepped in between the lamia and vampire.


    Grim placed his hand on Lysaila¡¯s shoulder, ¡°There is no need to shed friendly blood over this.¡±


    Lysaila hissed and bared her fangs, ¡°Fine.¡± She turned away without another word.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Marek smiled.


    Grim ignored him and looked at Nokuti, ¡°People worship gods not because of who they are, but what they represent, power. Unreachable heights of power. The power to save the doomed. The power to destroy the unbreakable. You speak of your ebon gods as if they hold true power. Perhaps they do, but I am certain that mine do.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°Make no mistake, the sea serpents you have in this Realm, as divine as their blood may be, are not the same as the ones on the Azure Realm. Yours are young and while the Azure Realm has young sea serpents as well, my gods are nothing of the sort. The azure gods are as ancient as the Realms themselves. Did you know that sea serpents never stop growing?¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t,¡± Nokuti swallowed.


    ¡°How large do you think my gods have grown? The azure gods have destroyed entire fleets, sunken cities, and even wiped an entire island from existence. That is power. True power. Can you say the same about your gods?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your little divinity squabble, but as one of the few atheists in this group I feel I should say something,¡± Crow placed his head to the cold tunnel wall.


    ¡°As a fellow atheist, I agree,¡± Lysaila chuckled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nokuti groaned.


    ¡°Lysaila, you may do the honors,¡± Crow nodded but kept his attention on the wall.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming, I can hear it,¡± Lysaila closed her eyes.


    ¡°What!?¡± Kyriil screamed.


    ¡°Shut up, Kyriil. Everyone, battle formation!¡± Marek lifted his spear.


    Everyone huddled together, weapons drawn, their backs all faced the center.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve gotta be kidding me,¡± Crow grumbled.


    He was the only one who stood in the center.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows where the weapon is. We can¡¯t afford to lose you here,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Plus, you¡¯re the weakest of the bunch,¡± Nokuti winked.


    ¡°Why do I even bother?¡± Crow sighed.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Vaughn¡¯s hands glowed red and he began to write in the air. Red sigils appeared around them and formed into a ward spell in the shape of a red dome.


    ¡°Grim, you¡¯ve got my back?¡± Lysaila drew her blade and eyed the stone walls beyond the ward shield.


    ¡°There is no water down here. I can only create so much water before my mana is depleted,¡± Grim said quietly.


    ¡°Looks like you''re not as useful as we thought,¡± Kyriil laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Lysaila yelled.


    Marek narrowed his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t see anythi-¡±


    A wide armored black tail smashed into the red shield. The wards flared bright at impact. A tail smashed above them, another behind them. The wards shook, but held strong. The tails rattled away and blended back into the darkness.


    ¡°They¡¯re still here, careful,¡± Lysaila warned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see them!¡± Kyriil scanned around.


    ¡°They¡¯re using elemental dark magic to hide themselves,¡± Crow warned.


    A long elongated body slithered from the bottom of the dome and began curling itself around the entire dome. The skolgul¡¯s underbelly was burnished gold. Its body was segmented into dozens of parts, each with a pair of sharp-bladed legs. Red compound eyes enshrouded a black carapace face stared down at them from above.


    ¡°What the fuck is that thing?¡± Nokuti muttered.


    ¡°A predator,¡± Crow said.


    The skolgul¡¯s body tightened around the dome, the wards burned bright.


    ¡°Shit, what do we do?¡± Kyriil asked.


    ¡°My wards will hold,¡± Vaughn said calmly.


    ¡°Then we wait,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°I can slice its underside from right here. It¡¯ll be one clean-cut,¡± Lysaila¡¯s tongue slipped out and tasted the air.


    ¡°No. If you attack from within the dome you¡¯ll destroy the ward spell entirely,¡± Dawn said.


    The skolgul¡¯s fangs opened wide, a glowing blue slime dripped down on the dome, and began to sizzle. The wards shined bright and began to grow fuzzy.


    ¡°Is that supposed to happen?¡± Nokuti tightened the grip around her ax.


    Vaughn frowned.


    ¡°No, no it¡¯s not,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Get ready to fight,¡± Marek raised his spear.


    The ground underneath the group shuddered and broke apart. Two other skolguls sprang from the earth and shot the blue toxin at the wards. The red dome collapsed. Before Marek could yell for them to move, the group had already dispersed.


    Vaughn¡¯s arm shot out, grabbed Crow¡¯s feathered cloak, and pulled him away. Lysaila¡¯s blade sliced at the skolgul¡¯s underbelly. The golden carapace screeched as the blade scraped across, but failed to pierce. The skolgul¡¯s head snapped out and bit at the lamia. Lysaila bent low and dodged with the swiftness of a snake. Grim created a massive ice club and smashed it across the beast, pushing it back.


    The two other skolguls closed in on them. Marek spellcast an agility and vigor spell through his entire body. His veins grew dark and his skin shined a faint bronze. He dodged the skolgul¡¯s toxin and stabbed his spear with the force of dozens of men. The skolgul moved with blinding speed and curled around the shaft, the spearhead cracking the ground behind it.


    Nokuti screamed a war cry, jumped above the beast, and swung down with her ax right at its face. The ax sank deep into the skolgul¡¯s eye. It screeched and spat its blue toxin at Nokuti¡¯s torso. She shouted in pain and slammed into the hard rock floor.


    ¡°Nokuti!¡± Marek ran towards her.


    She laid limp on the ground. He pulled her into his arms. The armor around her stomach had corroded away. Yellow scales glowed softly on her skin, but the blue toxin still burned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Nokuti grimaced.


    The third skolgul rose from the shadows behind them and opened its maw wide. Arcs of lightning blasted the beast away. Blue electricity curled around Dawn¡¯s arms. The skolgul stood up, its carapace smoked, but it seemed fairly unharmed. The other two skolgul crawled up next to it.


    ¡°Eat shit!¡± Kyriil hollered.


    A massive orb of light burst above everyone. The skolguls screeched, the inky shadows around them melted away. They chittered angrily and burrowed away into the ground.


    ¡°I knew it! Those monsters are sensitive to light,¡± Kyriil laughed.


    The elf¡¯s hands were raised high almost as if he was physically carrying the orb of light above him.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Marek sighed in relief.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect their shell to be so strong,¡± Lysaila skimmed her finger at the edge of her blade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself over it, not even the archmage¡¯s storm spell could break through,¡± Grim said.


    ¡°Not yet at least,¡± Dawn said. She pulled off her boots and socks and rubbed her bare feet on the cold earth.


    ¡°How long can you hold that bright spell up, Kyriil?¡± Crow eyed the ground.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kyriil tilted his head.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not gone,¡± Crow said.


    The earth shattered, a stone spear swam through the air and tore away at Kyriil¡¯s torso. The elf¡¯s body spun on impact and skidded on the floor in a bloody mess.


    ¡°They can use earth magic!¡± Crow shouted.


    A skolgul sprang from beneath Crow and dragged him away. He tried struggling, but the beast¡¯s sharp legs tightened around his body.


    Vaughn¡¯s veins darkened, his agility spell flared to life. The archmage moved in a blur. The skolgul swiped at him, but he jumped up high above. Vaughn kicked off the ceiling and landed on the skolgul¡¯s head. His hands slapped at the creature¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Die,¡± Vaughn whispered.


    A blinding light pierced the cavern, illuminating the tunnel. Kyriil¡¯s orb seemed like a small ember in front of the searing storm light that flared around them. Everyone closed their eyes and looked away, still their eyes burned. Yet just as quick as the light came it disappeared.


    The skolgul¡¯s head was gone, in its place was a charred stump. Its golden legs went limp and the body tumbled over. Crow rolled from underneath before he was crushed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Vaughn asked.


    ¡°Lucky for me, my cloak is sturdier than most,¡± Crow dusted himself off.


    Another skolgul appeared from behind Lysaila. The lamia ducked under a spray of its blue toxin and slashed her sword out. The skolgul¡¯s legs blocked the blow and counterattacked. Lysaila blocked each swipe from the dozens of sharp legs. The purple magestone in her belt glowed bright and her body blurred for a moment. Three identical copies of Lysaila appeared next to her and attacked.


    Marek watched with wide eyes at the sword grandmaster¡¯s battle against the skolgul, ¡°Remind me to never anger Lysaila.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Nokuti coughed weakly.


    The blue toxin was still burning her skin.


    ¡°Vaughn, Nokuti needs healing!¡± Marek screamed.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t heal Kyriil now he¡¯ll die,¡± Vaughn said. He placed his hands over the unconscious elf.


    The third skolgul, one eye blind from Nokuti¡¯s ax, rose from the earth and sprang at the vampiress and warlord. Marek grabbed his spear. A bolt of lightning struck the skolgul into the wall. It shook its head and clicked and buzzed its fangs at the hybrid archmage.


    Dawn narrowed her eyes, lightning coursing through her hands. The skolgul¡¯s dozens of legs slammed into the ground, the earth shuddered, and a stone spear flew at her. Dawn¡¯s foot turned, green mana flowed into the earth. A stone wall rose in front of her, blocking the spear.


    The skolgul screeched. Another blast of lightning struck it. Lightning curled around Dawn and condensed into her hand, forming a spear. The skolgul backed away and burrowed itself into the ground.


    Dawn kicked the floor, the earth burst open, and pushed the skolgul out into the air. Dawn arched her back, lunged forward, and threw the lightning spear. The spear shrieked through the air and exploded on impact, obliterating the skolgul¡¯s neck. The skolgul¡¯s body fell, still twitching from the electricity.


    ¡°Now!¡± Lysaila lunged at the final skolgul.


    Grim¡¯s hands shot forward, a surge of ice wrapped itself around the beast. It struggled to break free, the ice cracked. But, Lysaila only needed a moment. The four lamias stabbed at the skolgul¡¯s head, but only one blade hit the monster. The true Lysaila¡¯s sword sank through its eye and into the brain. The skolgul tensed for a moment, then lay still. Blue toxin dripped from its open mouth.


    Lyaila took a deep breath and looked around, ¡°That should be the last of them.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Nokuti finally closed her eyes to rest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help,¡± Marek caressed Nokuti¡¯s warm cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one,¡± Crow grumbled. He sat down and rested his back on the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad my friends can handle themselves,¡± Marek smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°You got that damn right,¡± Lysaila winked.

 Chapter 135: Just Forgotten

    Chapter 135: Just Forgotten


    Once Vaughn healed Kyriil and Nokuti with white magic, the group continued deeper into the tunnel. Kyriil was still unconscious, so Marek carried him. It was the least he could do, he hadn¡¯t been able to help in the battle earlier.


    After another hour of walking and several turns, they spotted a pale white light emanating from the distance. The nearer they drew, the more the atmosphere changed. The air turned frigid and thick, they could practically taste the flavor or iron on their tongues.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°So, what exactly is this weapon, anyway?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Amber Realm, right? You must have encountered plenty of dangerous monsters in your life,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°I have,¡± the lamia nodded slowly.


    ¡°Is there any particular monster that is known to terrorize the jungles of your homeland more than the rest?¡±


    Lysaila stopped in front of Crow, ¡°You know what it is, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°We have them here too, albeit in far smaller groups, thankfully.¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°...Dragons,¡± Crow sidestepped the lamia and kept walking.


    ¡°The dragons hunt the Amber people for sport. It doesn¡¯t matter if you''re beastkin or not, all die just the same,¡± Lysaila clenched her fists.


    ¡°Yes, dragons are apex predators wherever they go. Understandably, your people couldn¡¯t do much to stop them,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°...I found it, over ten years ago. I was reading an old passage from a discarded tome. The book spoke of a time when dragons were not the hunters, but the hunted,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°What?¡± Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What sort of person could hunt a dragon?¡± Grim asked.


    ¡°Not a person, an entire species. A void species,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Void species? As in void mana? But, I thought void mana wasn¡¯t real, only theoretical?¡± Nokuti frowned.


    Crow shook his head, ¡°Not theoretical, just forgotten.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re down here,¡± Marek said.


    Crow turned to the group, ¡°We are here for the Unildyr, the predator of dragons.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying there is a creature down here that hunts dragons and you want to find them? I don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Grim stopped walking.


    ¡°Relax, you two, the Unildyr died out millennia ago,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Then what exactly are we doing here?¡± Grim asked.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Crow waved them on.


    Marek walked next to Crow, Lysaila a few feet behind. Nokuti grumbled under her breath but followed along. The twins pushed past the tall axlean and kept walking quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice, do I?¡± Grim sighed.


    As the group neared the white light, the air grew colder. Suddenly the tunnel¡¯s walls widened and they found themselves in a large cavern. A glowing pool sat at the bottom of the chasm, pale mist rising from its still waters. The bones of a long-dead creature rested near the edge of the pool.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like what I read all those years ago,¡± Crow said fervently.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here. This doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± Nokuti took a step back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come this far, we can¡¯t turn back,¡± Marek said resolutely.


    Lysaila wandered down to the pool and the bones nearby. She slithered close to the gigantic skull amidst the skeletal remains. The skull had two large horns, each longer than her upper body. Two tusks the size of short swords jutted from its bottom jaw.


    ¡°Is this?¡± Lysaila pointed at the skull.


    ¡°An Unildyr, yes. Or at least what¡¯s left of one,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°That skull is a little over 3 ft. The creature must have been at least 20 ft tall,¡± Grim swallowed.


    ¡°Most dragons don¡¯t stand that tall,¡± Lysaila bit her lip.


    Crow glanced at the skull, ¡°That¡¯s a juvenile.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Lysaila¡¯s jaw went slack.


    Crow walked down to the pool below. Marek placed the sleeping Kyriil on the ground and followed Crow down.


    ¡°The skolguls wouldn¡¯t dare come down here, the scent these waters give off would scare any predator away,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°I thought you told me this pool is like the Mirror Springs above?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Compositionally? Yes, it is. But, this pool is alive. Unlike the waters above, you can¡¯t see your reflection here, this pool is already full of souls,¡± Crow said.


    Marek could see faint white silhouettes squirm within the surface of the pool.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Nourishment for the ones beneath,¡± Crow pointed at the pool.


    Below the surface of the pale water sat a bundle of silver eggs.


    ¡°They have been dormant all these years, the last of the Unildyr,¡± Crow whispered. ¡°The time has come for the true apex predator to return to this world.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you want to hatch those things, you can¡¯t be serious!?¡± Nokuti yelled from up above.


    ¡°The Unildyr are the only ones capable of destroying the walls of Hollow Shade,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°I believe you, but who is to say they won¡¯t destroy us first?¡± Nokuti gripped her talismans.


    ¡°They will be imprinted to us once they hatch, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Are you really sure about that? Are you one hundred percent certain they won¡¯t try to kill us? Because if you are wrong, we could all die,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°Small chance,¡± Crow squished his index finger and thumb together.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Oh my gods! Marek, we can¡¯t do this! We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re even unleashing into this world!¡± Nokuti yelled.


    ¡°We need the Unildyr. They will be our greatest weapon in the war to come,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Damn you, Marek!¡± Nokuti spun around and walked away.


    ¡°Nokuti, wait!¡±


    Crow grabbed Marek¡¯s arm and shook his head, ¡°She¡¯ll come around.¡±


    ¡°...What now?¡± Marek sighed.


    ¡°Once we take the eggs out of the pool the incubation process will begin to end and the Unildyr will hatch soon after. The hatchlings will need to eat. Not just meat, but souls. Preferably dragon souls, but a mage¡¯s soul will do. In which case, we¡¯ll need lots of them, at least a dozen.¡±


    ¡°And where exactly are we supposed to find those souls?¡±


    ¡°Several of our battalions wait at the base of the mountain.¡±


    Marek grabbed Crow¡¯s shoulders, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. I will not sacrifice my own people.¡±


    ¡°I never said we should. Mortis Grove lies close to this mountain. House Mora¡¯s ancestral home lies in that dead forest. The castle will have plenty of magi. With our army, we could easily take the castle and capture the magi within.¡±


    Marek frowned, ¡°House Mora may not be a part of Hollow Shade, but they control the main trade port between Hollow Shade and Frost Rim. We¡¯d be declaring war against Hollow Shade at best, and declaring war against both Great Cities at worst.¡±


    Crow pointed at the dark hollow sockets of his skull-mask, ¡°My Lord, don¡¯t you see? The valley tribes have been at war for centuries. Even if we destroy Castle Mora, Frost Rim¡¯s armies won¡¯t come down from their mountain to attack us, Dusk Valley is too far away.¡±


    Crow pointed at the pool, ¡°Now is not the time to hesitate. We finally have a weapon powerful enough to strike back at Hollow Shade. The only question left is, are you brave enough to deliver the first blow?¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg walked up the stairs and up to the deck. The moon was already high in the sky and the cold breeze was a refreshing respite from the stale air in his cabin. Dinner had ended over an hour ago and Stryg had left Callum and Clypeus to get some rest. But it was difficult to fall asleep with the constant swaying of the ship.


    In the end, Stryg had decided to go find Rhian and sleep next to her. It had been a while since they had gotten a chance to talk just between themselves. He suddenly found himself missing his days traveling in Dusk Valley. He wondered how Loh and Maximus were doing on the Noir ship.


    Most of the crew of the Dread Shadow were human and already below deck. The rest of the crew were vampires, and they were wide awake and going about their daily duties throughout the deck. Stryg raised his hood to not garner attention and made his way towards the quarterdeck where the centaurs were staying.


    For sake of practice, Stryg created a shadow spell around his body. The inky shadows wrapped around his small form and hid him from even the night vision of a vampire. He quietly stepped by the patrolling guards and climbed his way up to the quarterdeck.


    The quarterdeck was empty save for the familiar figure of Callum near the railings. The hybrid vampire¡¯s shoulders were slumped and he swayed with the rhythm of the ship. His legs wobbled and he held a bottle with a flimsy grip.


    Is he drunk? Stryg wondered.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know much about ships, but he had a pretty good idea of what would probably happen if a drunk stood too close to the edge of one. He glanced between the stables and Callum.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± he sighed.


    Stryg released his shadow spell and dragged his feet over to Callum. ¡°Do you want to take a dip in freezing waters?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Callum slowly turned his head. ¡°Oh gods!¡± He stumbled backward and tipped over the railing.


    Stryg caught his leg and casually threw him back on the deck. Callum hit the wooden floor with a thud. His bottle rolled away from his trembling fingers.


    ¡°And this is exactly what I meant,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°S-Stryg? Is that you?¡± Callum groaned.


    Stryg looked down at him with a frown, ¡°Do you know anyone else with purple eyes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°...I thought you were an assassin.¡±


    ¡°Assassin?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing a black cloak and your face is hidden under a hood. And that little threat of throwing me into the Dire River didn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°I was being sarcastic. I¡¯m still not very good at it,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°Ugh, just help me up will ya?¡± Callum lifted his arm.


    Stryg pushed the arm away, grabbed Callum by the waist, and lifted his whole body up above him with ease.


    ¡°Let me down, please,¡± Callum wheezed.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Stryg dropped him on his feet.


    Callum stumbled over to the railing and took deep breaths. ¡°...Thanks.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you doing up here anyway? I thought you were drunk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get drunk,¡± Callum picked up his bottle.


    Stryg sniffed the air, ¡°Are you drinking blood? What happened to your maids?¡±


    ¡°I left them behind. The captain thinks it best to not drink any blood straight from the source while on the ship, it makes the human crew members uncomfortable. The last thing you want is an angry crew while stuck on a ship. He¡¯s my father¡¯s best naval captain, so I just agreed. Now I¡¯m regretting it.¡±


    ¡°I understand, your maids are quite pretty,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Wait, if you¡¯re trying to get drunk why are you drinking blood?¡±


    ¡°Vampires can get drunk off blood, though it¡¯s much harder than alcohol,¡± Callum took a swig. ¡°But, it tastes a whole hella lot better.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s head did not reach above the railing, so he was forced to rest his chin between the rope railings. He looked down at the large waves crashing against the hull. He had never seen such large waves before, the Dire River indeed.


    Callum bit his lip, ¡°I forgot, you¡¯ve tasted blood before, right? Back in your tribe?¡±


    ¡°A couple of times. It was a ceremonial drink. The cooks always served it mixed in with these herbs. They said the herbs would make it taste better, but the whole thing was nasty if you ask me. The only bright side was that we only had to drink very little,¡± Stryg grimaced.


    ¡°...Herbs, huh? That¡¯s the wrong way to go about it,¡± Callum smiled wryly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ask any vampire and they will all tell you blood tastes best pure, nothing added.¡±


    ¡°I somehow doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Taste for yourself,¡± Callum offered him the bottle.


    Stryg reluctantly grabbed it and took a hesitant sip.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought you¡¯d say that,¡± Callum muttered.


    Stryg handed the bottle back. ¡°Hey, Cal?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Why did you think I was an assassin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m an aristocrat. It¡¯s an occasional threat. Falling into the Dire River is always dangerous and at this time of the year it basically spells death.¡±


    Stryg glanced at him, ¡°Are you worried about your siblings trying to kill you?¡±


    The bottle slipped from Callum¡¯s hands and fell into the crashing waters below.


    ¡°What?¡± He swallowed.


    ¡°I talked to Clypeus¡¯ older sister, Gale. She told me of the battles for succession that will probably happen between your siblings and you. Assassins don¡¯t seem far-fetched,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Gale was exaggerating. Killing my siblings? That would be ludicrous,¡± he laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh? It didn¡¯t seem that way to me. Having to kill people to become chief of a tribe? Ruthless? Yes. Necessary? Most definitely. People in power never give it up. It¡¯s just the way it is.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°If you stand in the way of someone obtaining power? Well, then it¡¯s a hunt or be hunted situation. And if it were me, I¡¯d always choose to be the hunter.¡±


    Callum gripped the rope railings, ¡°Are you saying I should kill my siblings to become the leader of my family?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m saying that when the time comes when it¡¯s you or them, I will be there to make sure they don¡¯t kill you first.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Callum swallowed.


    Stryg scratched his nose, ¡°You¡¯re my friend.¡±


    Callum¡¯s throat felt tight. This wasn¡¯t how he thought things would go. He wasn¡¯t ready to tell Stryg and Kithina about his family¡¯s internal affairs. And he never thought Stryg would act this way after learning the truth.


    The truth? Callum grimaced.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how, but if Stryg shared Stryga Veres¡¯ blood, then he was a child of the direct line. Callum stared at the small unassuming goblin.


    You¡¯d be the last direct descendant of Veres I. The heir apparent of House Veres, Callum thought bitterly.


    Callum chuckled to himself, not that his family would ever agree to letting some stranger rule the family, let alone a goblin. His siblings would kill Stryg first.


    Callum felt ashamed that the thought had crossed his own mind. Stryg was a potential danger greater than even his eldest sister, Carmilla. And yet, the goblin had just promised to protect Callum from all of them.


    Everything was so blurred, Callum didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. He ran his hands through his black hair and sighed.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±

 Chapter 136: My Father Hates Many Things

    Chapter 136: My Father Hates Many Things


    Maeve Mora hurried down the looming hallway with quiet steps. Her siblings and she had arrived at the castle almost a week ago, but her father had yet to summon them, until now.


    Maeve had been busy directing the cooks and organizing the dinner plans for Lord Mora¡¯s birthday celebration when a servant had informed her of Lord Mora¡¯s summons. Her father hated many things, tardiness was one.


    Maeve stopped in front of her father¡¯s study room and took a deep calming breath. She patted down her dress and made sure there were no unwanted crinkles in the fabric. Her father hated many things, an unkempt appearance was one.


    Maeve cleared her throat and rapped her fist on the door twice, ¡°Maeve Mora, requesting permission to enter.¡±


    ¡°...Enter,¡± a cold voice echoed from behind the door.


    Maeve pushed the door open softly and walked inside. The study room was very large, easily the largest room in the entire south wing. Her father hated many things, but history was not one. In fact, Lord Mora prided himself as a collector of antiques and student of history.


    Lord Mora¡¯s study room reflected his passion. Large caskets of glass, lined every wall, each displaying one rare artifact or another. No doubt each piece was worth more than Maeve¡¯s father would ever spend on his children. Her father hated many things, his children were one.


    Lord Mora sat in his chair, his elbows resting on the desk, his fingers clasped together. His brown beard was immaculately combed and oiled. His blue cape was without a speck of dirt and his clothes practically shined. But, there were dark rings under his eyes, he hadn¡¯t slept well in days.


    ¡°I expected you to be here five minutes ago,¡± Lord Mora said coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father. I was busy helping with the dinner plans,¡± Maeve bowed low.


    ¡°I do not care for your excuses.¡±


    She swallowed and bit her tongue, ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m sorry, father.¡±


    Maeve kept her head down and stepped in line with her brothers and sisters. Her siblings had arrived before her, typical. No matter what she tried, when it came to their father, Maeve always seemed to fall short of her siblings.


    Perhaps it was because they were all older than Maeve and somehow learned tricks to avoid her father¡¯s wrath that she had yet to discover. Perhaps it was because Maeve was said to be the spitting image of her late mother, Alice Veres, and the sight of her face angered Lord Mora. But, Maeve suspected the real reason was simply that she was the only child who had not inherited the magical talents of her mother.


    Lord Mora had married Alice in the hopes of achieving political power within Hollow Shade. Since Alice had passed away, the only connection Lord Mora had to the Veres Ruling Family was his children. The Veres¡¯ trademark was their magical prowess, yet Maeve was not a mageborn. If it was not for the fact that Maeve looked like her mother, people might have questioned her legitimacy.


    As it stood, Lord Mora saw Maeve as defective. A blot of shame on his otherwise prideful reputation. Her father hated many things, imperfection was one.


    ¡°Do any of you know what tomorrow is?¡± Lord Mora asked.


    The eldest son raised his hand tentatively, ¡°Your birthday, father.¡±


    ¡°My 100th birthday. Most vampires don¡¯t make it past their 180s, few reach 200. And I assure you all I do plan to be one of those few. Therefore, this is the exact middle of my life. And this celebration of my time in this world will be the most important moment in all of your lives. So, does anyone care to explain to me why the celebration preparations are yet to be complete?¡± Lord Mora glared at each of his children.


    ¡°There were unforeseen circumstances,¡± the middle sister peeped.


    ¡°Unforeseen? Lord Veres has decided to accept my invitation this year. A family leader of one of the most powerful Houses in all of Holo Shade, nay the entire Ebon Realm, will be arriving today. I will not tolerate unforeseen bloody circumstances!¡± Lord Mora slammed his fist into his desk.


    Maeve was ashamed that she flinched at the noise. She was supposed to be better than this. Dr. Lucy had told her she could be free from her father. But, all it took was a few moments being back in his presence and she was already cowering.


    If only mom could see me now, Maeve bit her lip.


    ¡°Why are you so quiet? Out with it! What unforeseen mishap did you all fuck up this time?¡± Lord Mora snapped.


    ¡°We had a last-minute invitation acceptance. We needed to prepare more accommodations,¡± the middle sister wrung her hands together.


    ¡°No, you do not. Lord Veres is coming to my castle, everything must be perfect. If some idiot thinks he can have the gall to accept my invitation at the last minute, then he can march back to where he bloody came from.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, father, but I¡¯m not sure that would be the wisest idea,¡± the eldest sister spoke up.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lord Mora chuckled, ¡°You think you are wiser than me? Please, do tell, this should be interesting.¡±


    The middle sister looked up at her eldest sister with a pleading gaze.


    The eldest sister took a deep breath, ¡°Because the one who accepted the invitation was House Noir.¡±


    Lord Mora¡¯s face turned dark, he stood up slowly and walked over to his eldest daughter, ¡°Are you telling me that another Ruling Family is coming and you didn¡¯t bother to say anything until now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn-¡±


    Lord Mora punched his eldest daughter in the gut. She gasped and fell to her knees. She tried to speak but all she could manage was a quiet wheeze.


    Lord Mora¡¯s hand turned a shade of bronze, brown vigor magic running through his arm. He gripped his daughter by the throat and lifted her up until her feet dangled off the ground.


    ¡°You are lucky I need you to look presentable. Otherwise, I¡¯d break that idiotic face you dare flaunter in front of me,¡± Lord Mora sneered.


    He threw her at the door with a loud bang. Maeve didn¡¯t dare look away from her father and glance at her unmoving sister. No one here was a stranger to this sort of act.


    ¡°As per tradition, we will all head over to the docks as a family to welcome Lord Veres and Lord Noir to Mortis Grove. I shall then personally guide them to Mora Castle. I will not have any of you embarrass me in front of either of them, do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± the siblings said in unison, all except for their eldest sister. Maeve did not think she would be saying anything for some time.


    ¡°The docks are over an hour away. Make your preparations quick. We head out in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± the siblings nodded.


    ¡°Oh, and Maeve. Make sure your sister puts on a scarf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Maeve finally glanced at her unconscious eldest sister. She stared at the finger marks curled around her sister¡¯s throat.


    ~~~


    It was a cloudy day, the perfect kind of day for any vampire. The sun¡¯s harsh rays did not beat down on the vampire¡¯s skin or eyes. The docks were more busy than usual. Lord Mora had recalled all his major trade ships back home to seem more impressive when the guests arrived.


    Maeve thought it was a dumb business practice and it would cost them potential earnings, but she would not voice her opinion to her psychotic father.


    Instead, Maeve found herself in line with her siblings once more. Lord Mora and his children stood at the edge of the pier and looked out to the waters in the distance. Two ships sailed towards the docks, their colossal size becoming more and more evident as they drew closer.


    ¡°Is that them?¡± Maeve whispered to her brother.


    He nodded, ¡°Do you see the ship with the dark black hull? That¡¯s the Dread Shadow, the flagship of House Veres. The one with the pale white hull and white sails is the Ghost Flame, the flagship of House Noir.¡±


    ¡°So, the family leaders really did come,¡± Maeve made an ¡°o¡± with her lips.


    As the ships grew closer, Maeve could make out the black flames weaved into the Ghost Flame¡¯s sails, the Noir¡¯s family crest. House Veres¡¯ crest, Krikolm stabbing into a skull with writhing shadows, was weaved into the sails of the Dread Shadow.


    Large waves splashed onto the pier as the two ships docked. The Dread Shadow lowered down a lift with three cloaked passengers and an array of guards dressed in black and red armor behind them.


    Several other invited guests from nearby ships walked up behind the Moras, eager to get a glance at the powerful lords of the Ruling Families.


    ¡°Everyone is watching. I will not have any of you botch this. Remember to bow after me,¡± Lord Mora whispered to his children.


    The passengers stepped off the lift and walked over to the Moras. Lord Mora stepped forward and made a flourishing bow, his cape billowing in the wind. The children bowed together right after.


    ¡°Lord Veres, I am glad you have arrived safely. As Lord of House Mora, allow me to personally welcome you to Mortis Grove. I am humbled that you have chosen to accept my invitation. I assure you, this year¡¯s extravaganza will be the greatest you have seen in decades.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do hope so, otherwise this trip would have been a waste,¡± the young man removed the hood of his cloak.


    Lord Mora grimaced as if he had been stabbed in the heart, ¡°C-Callum?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered you recognize a hybrid such as myself,¡± Callum winked.


    Lord Mora closed his eyes, swallowed, and breathed in deeply, ¡°May I ask what you are doing here? I was under the impression that Lord Veres accepted my invitation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my father did. But, he wouldn¡¯t be caught dead being seen at one of your shabby little¡­ gatherings. Oh, what did you call it?¡± Callum chuckled, ¡°Extravaganza? And you wonder why my father didn¡¯t come.¡±


    ¡°Is this a joke?¡± Lord Mora turned a bright shade of red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is all official. I am here as the representative of my father, Lord Veres IX. Anything I say or do will be considered his will.¡± Callum patted Mora¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That being said, anything said or done to me will be the same as if it had been to my father.¡±


    Lord Mora¡¯s eye twitched. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.


    Callum took a step back and placed his hand over his mouth, ¡°Oh, was I speaking too fast? I know you country bumpkins can be a tad slow.¡±


    Maeve and her siblings watched the conversation with wide eyes. No one spoke to their father like that. But, Callum was currently representing the family leader of House Veres, even her father could not disrespect him.


    Maeve glanced behind. From the whispers of the other guests watching, it seemed they knew it too.


    The second cloaked figure removed his hood and stepped forward, ¡°Lord Mora, on behalf of House Gale, thank you for the invitation. I am certain your party will be one to remember.¡±


    The moment Lord Mora noticed the crest on the stranger¡¯s cloak¡¯s clasp, he smoothed his features and smiled, ¡°I was not made aware a Gale scion was attending. I am honored you are here. May I ask your name?¡±


    ¡°Clypeus of House Gale,¡± he made a short bow.


    ¡°Clypeus, welcome to Mortis Grove,¡± Lord Mora bowed in return. ¡°May I inquire about your other companion? Perhaps another prominent scion?¡±


    The third cloaked figure stayed quiet. They were smaller than the rest, a child maybe. Or a small woman? A dwarf? Maeve was not sure.


    ¡°There is no need to be shy. I assure you, there is nothing to fear from me,¡± Lord Mora smiled.


    The cloaked figure walked past the vampire lord and made his way past each of the Mora siblings until he reached Maeve. Lord Mora stared daggers at Maeve, but she was just as confused. She looked down at the black hood with genuine curiosity.


    ¡°You¡¯re shorter than I remember,¡± the figure looked up at her.


    Pale lilac eyes peeked out from below the hood.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Maeve furrowed her brow.

 Chapter 137: Mora Castle

    Chapter 137: Mora Castle


    ¡°I¡¯m shorter? That¡¯s what you said last time,¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are,¡± Stryg stepped right up to her, his face a few inches below her own.


    Some part of Maeve¡¯s mind told her she should step away from the hybrid, but she lost herself in his mesmerizing lilac eyes. His slit pupils undulated from almost perfect spheres to razor-thin blades. They seemed almost alien, yet strangely familiar.


    ¡°Maeve, who is that?¡± Lord Mora asked coldly.


    Her father¡¯s voice broke her focus. Maeve took a step back and shook her head slightly. Before she could respond, Stryg removed his hood and turned to her father.


    ¡°I am Stryg of Ebon Hollow,¡± he said without missing a beat.


    ¡°...What are you?¡± Lord Mora narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°The one in a million.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Ebon Hollow,¡± Lord Mora crossed his arms.


    ¡°You will.¡±


    Callum stepped in front of Stryg, ¡°He¡¯s my friend. I expect you to treat him with the respect a friend of Lord Veres deserves.¡±


    ¡°But, you are not Lord Veres. He is your friend, nothing more,¡± Lord Mora chuckled.


    ¡°I am still a Veres,¡± Callum gritted his teeth.


    ¡°A hybrid, not the lord of the House, yet one I must tolerate. But, I will not have a mongrel from gods-know-where soil my docks!¡± Lord Mora yelled.


    ¡°This is not the welcoming I pictured,¡± Loh called out as she walked down the docks.


    Lord Mora froze, ¡°Miss Noir? Ahem, forgive me. I did not know you were coming.¡±


    ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t see the giant ship behind me?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Ah, um, yes. I assumed your grandfather was coming.¡±


    ¡°I am the one who accepted your invitation. Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Lord Mora shook his head. ¡°I am honored to have the heiress of the Noir family visit.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it. Do you not even know when to bow to the Ruling Families? Quite brave of you, Mora,¡± Loh smiled coldly.


    Lord Mora swallowed. He bowed low and glared at his children. Maeve and her siblings hurried to bow.


    ¡°A bit late, don¡¯t you think?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Forgive me, I was simply preoccupied dealing with an unforeseen incident,¡± Lord Mora glanced at the goblin hybrid.


    ¡°Oh, Stryg, there you are. How was the trip?¡± Loh walked up to Stryg and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.


    Lord Mora and his children watched in stunned silence as Hollow Shade¡¯s most notorious mage duelist hugged a nobody.


    ¡°It was fine. Rhian kept vomiting all night, every night. We ended up giving her some medicine to fall asleep. She¡¯s still resting on the ship,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Next time, sail with me. The Ghost Flame is far more steady, even in these winter storms. She¡¯ll have an easier time,¡± Loh said.


    Lord Mora¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°You know each other?¡±


    ¡°Are you really asking me if I know my own apprentice?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Maeve, what is your relationship with this¡­ Stryg?¡± Lord Mora asked.


    ¡°We have none. I¡¯ve only met him once when I was at dinner. He was eating with Callum and some dwarf commoner. Quite frankly, he was an eyesore. He still is an eyesore,¡± Maeve looked Stryg up and down with disdain.


    Her father smiled in approval, ¡°Understandable.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Does the Mora family have a problem with my apprentice?¡± Loh smiled coldly.


    ¡°Not at all. We have the utmost respect for House Noir. In fact, I applaud your generosity. Adopting a stray into your home is no small feat,¡± Lord Mora widened his smile.


    Loh glanced at the crowd of onlookers, ¡°Mora, you don¡¯t know me personally, so let me be blunt. I¡¯m not like you or the other snobs you surround yourself with. I don¡¯t adopt those beneath me just to make myself feel better or to have a laugh. As of today, House Noir, its associates, and the magic academy of Hollow Shade, will no longer be doing any business with House Mora.¡±


    ¡°W-what? Surely there is some kind of misunderstanding. I meant no offense.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. Yet, you believe that since your foolish words got you into this situation they can get you out. They can¡¯t. There will be no more business between our Houses and their associates.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that! You¡¯re not in charge of your House nor the academy!¡± Lord Mora yelled.


    Loh sneered, ¡°No, my grandfather is and I am his sole heir. How much influence do you think I wield? You are but a little man in a little boat you deem to call a House, sailing in the vast ocean that is this Realm. And yet you think you have the strength to even question the power of the sea monster that is House Noir?¡±


    Lord Mora swallowed, ¡°I apologize, I did not mean to question you. I just believe we can come to an arrangement that involves the continuation of both our Houses¡¯ prosperity.¡±


    Loh picked off a piece of lint from Lord Mora¡¯s jacket, ¡°That does sound nice doesn¡¯t it? You have until tomorrow to prove to me you are not as incompetent as you have led me to believe. Otherwise, I will have the Merchant Great House Mora wiped from the history books. Do I make myself clear, little man?¡±


    Lord Mora glanced at the crowd of guests watching with quiet whispers. ¡°...Crystal clear,¡± he nodded stiffly.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I thought so.¡± Loh patted his shoulder and smiled, ¡°Try to insult my apprentice again and I will strike you down where you stand you fucking imbecile.¡±


    Lord Mora tried his best to stay still, but Stryg still noticed the slight tremble in his hand.


    ¡°Stryg, let¡¯s go, the carriage is ready,¡± Loh walked away.


    ¡°But, I was planning on going with Cly-¡±


    ¡°Now, Stryg!¡±


    ¡°Yep, coming,¡± Stryg nodded ardently. He jogged over and fell in line behind her.


    Callum walked past Lord Mora and cupped his hands over his mouth, ¡°Daaamn.¡± He winked, ¡°Best of luck to you.¡±


    Clypeus bowed to the Moras before following Callum to the Veres carriage. The other guests quickly dispersed and left for their own carriages. The Mora children were left standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to say.


    The eldest son spoke up first, ¡°Fathe-¡±


    ¡°Not a word! Not. A. Single. Damn. Word,¡± Lord Mora seethed through gritted teeth.


    Maeve sighed, this was going to be a very long weekend.


    ~~~


    ¡°What about Rhian?¡± Stryg asked as he hopped into the Noir carriage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some of the servants bring her to the castle later,¡± Loh leaned back in one of the carriage¡¯s velvet chairs and closed her eyes.


    ¡°...Thanks for speaking up for me back there,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Families like Mora only became Named Houses because of their wealth and businesses. While money is a form of power, it doesn¡¯t hold against actual power. That stupid vampire needed to be reminded of that.¡±


    Loh stretched her legs across the aisle and shifted herself into the corner of the carriage for a nap.


    ¡°About the other day at Hollow Shade¡¯s docks and how I left the conversation,¡± Stryg began.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°...Nothing, never mind,¡± Stryg smiled half-heartedly.


    He fiddled with his silver bracelet and the amethyst embedded in the locket to pass the time. As the carriage left the docks, they rode into an eerie forest. The trees were all a pale white with gnarled branches that casted thin shadows.


    Winter was in full swing up here in the North. The snow covered every single inch of ground as far as the eye could see. There were no sounds in the woods, it was utterly quiet as if the land had died long ago. In a sense, he supposed it had. Stryg felt as if he had left the Ebon Realm and entered an entirely new world.


    ¡°So, this is Mortis Grove?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    While they were traveling on the Dread Shadow, Callum had told Stryg the small forest was filled with trees that had succumbed to a blight centuries ago. Yet, the dead trees still loomed over its inhabitants. Unlike Vulture Woods, Mortis Grove was fairly small and only had one tribe as far as Stryg knew, House Mora.


    The snow made the ride longer than he expected and they arrived at the castle after the sun had dropped below the horizon. Stryg poked his head out the window and stared at the castle¡¯s walls. Two tall towers stood on both sides of a small portcullis. The walls were made of a dark grey stone that encircled several larger structures within.


    Stryg tried to recall the little Callum had told him of this place. Mora Castle was an old structure, dating to before House Mora even existed. It had once been a fortress for a vampire army in the ancient wars waged in the Northern Lands not too far from here.


    As the portcullis was raised Stryg stuck his head back in the carriage and closed the window before the cold breeze swept through. Whatever sort of battle fortress the castle may have been in the past, it had been clearly reborn. Dozens of tents were sprawled out inside the walls. Entertainers of all sorts performed a show for the guests as they arrived.


    Stryg wondered how the entertainers could dance so well in the freezing cold, but judging from the women¡¯s thin dresses, men¡¯s shirtless chests, and their rosy cheeks, he guessed they were just grinning and bearing it.


    A Mora maid waited outside the carriage as it slowed to a stop. She bowed as the doors opened, ¡°Welcome to Mora Castle, Miss Noir.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Great stuff. I¡¯m tired, where are our rooms?¡± Loh yawned as she stepped out.


    ¡°If you will just follow me I will take you to your rooms right away,¡± the maid bowed once more.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll talk more tomorrow, Stryg. Don¡¯t get yourself into trouble while I¡¯m gone,¡± Loh stretched.


    ¡°Right. I guess we¡¯ll see each other at the party,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Loh began to leave, but stopped in her tracks, ¡°Oh, and Stryg. I noticed the way you looked at the Mora girl. I know she¡¯s pretty, but try not to involve yourself with the Moras too much. I really am going to fuck up their businesses in Hollow Shade. I don¡¯t want you to be stuck in between this mess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have anything to worry about. Maeve said I was an eyesore, nothing more, and the feeling is mutual,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Uh-huh. I think I always have to worry about you. Normally when I take my eyes off you, someone ends up dead,¡± Loh twisted her lips.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Stryg blinked innocently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Loh chuckled.


    ~~~


    After an hour of light drinking, hot food, and watching half-naked women dance across a stage, Stryg, Callum, and Clypeus decided to call it a day. They bid each other goodnight and headed to their rooms.


    Stryg¡¯s room was quite spacious, albeit cold. The room was twice as large as his bedroom back in Hollow Shade. There was a fireplace across from the bed, but the embers burned low. Stryg threw a couple of logs on it and slipped under the covers.


    He glanced out the window and into the cloudy sky above. Only the faintest silver sliver shined in the night sky. Tomorrow would be the start of the new moon. The Blood Fang¡¯s Mothers always said to beware the new moon, dreadful things always happened in utter darkness.


    Stryg grimaced at the thought. I was born under a new moon.


    He supposed it explained his bad luck and why he got exiled from his tribe. Or maybe he was just overthinking all of it.


    Stryg closed his eyes, there was no point dwelling on it now.


    ~~~


    The faint sound of footsteps woke Stryg up. His eyes shot open and he jumped out of bed, landing on all fours. His lilac eyes glowed softly in the dark. The fire had died out, but the sun had yet to rise.


    Everyone was supposed to be asleep. Perhaps a few of the servants were still awake, busy preparing for tomorrow¡¯s celebration? So, why did he hear footsteps in front of his door?


    Stryg tried focusing on the noise outside the room, in hopes of finding out how many were out there, but he couldn¡¯t quite make out a heartbeat. The door must have been too thick. He suddenly regretted not bringing his spear. Hell, he would have even settled for a sword.


    Stryg crawled over to the door. He dug his claws into the soft granite wall and climbed up and above the door. He could feel the strain of his weight coming down on his hands and feet, but he could hold himself up for at least a few minutes without issue. If someone wanted to ambush him in his sleep they were about to experience a reality check.


    Stryg waited above the doorway with bated breath, he could hear the footsteps right outside the door, but the doorknob did not move. Suddenly the sound of footsteps disappeared. He placed his ear to the wall, yet he could not hear anything.


    Stryg slowly turned the doorknob and peeked out from above the door. No one was there. The torches out in the hallway were extinguished. He hopped off the wall and went to close the door when he heard a faint giggling. He jumped out into the hallway and caught sight of a small figure running right past the corridor.


    Stryg tilted his head in curiosity and walked up to the corridor cautiously. He peeked out the corner, but the figure was already running down the next hall. He barely saw their feet disappear around the corner.


    Stryg was becoming peeved. He let orange mana flow through his body and spell-casted an agility spell centered around his legs. He ignored the burning of his muscles from the exertion and dashed down the hall.


    When he turned the corner he froze. A little girl in a simple white dress stood in the middle of the hall, staring at him. Her pale cheeks were bunched in a bright smile. Her blonde hair fell down to her knees and blew around her. Her crimson eyes were right on Stryg, yet she wasn¡¯t looking at him. She seemed oddly familiar.


    The girl laughed and ran around the corner. Stryg took a long agonizing moment to decide if he should give chase. His instincts told him to run away, but his curiosity won over. He ran after her, but when he turned the corner she was gone.


    Stryg glanced at the walls of the hall. There were no open windows. So why was her hair blowing in the wind? He took a deep breath. There was no scent in the air.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He muttered.


    The sound of giggling echoed through the hall.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Nope, uh-uh. This isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    He turned around and walked back to his room.

 Chapter 138: Vampire Party

    Chapter 138: Vampire Party


    Stryg grumbled to himself as he fidgeted with his shirt, ¡°Why does only my shirt have so many damn frills?¡±


    ¡°Blame Callum, he¡¯s the one who picked it out,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I thought it looked nice, flashy, dazzling even,¡± Callum looked Stryg over.


    ¡°And the sleeves?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°It matches with your eyes,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°My eyes are purple! The sleeves are pink!¡±


    ¡°Your eyes are a lilac, they''re as close to pink as they are to purple,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Say that again and I swear I¡¯ll bite you,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Careful, he¡¯s serious,¡± Loh stood at the doorway.


    The three boys froze, their eyes stuck on the tight-fitting white dress that hugged Loh¡¯s natural curves. Her hair was tied up with silver threads in an intricate pattern. She wore only the faintest hints of makeup, save for her blue lipstick that matched effortlessly with her azure eyes.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Clypeus muttered.


    ¡°Miss Loh, you truly are an enchanting vision, I thank Bellum I am fortunate enough to lay my eyes on you this auspicious night,¡± Callum smiled wide.


    ¡°Enough with the flattery, it¡¯ll get you nowhere, Veres,¡± Loh¡¯s lips formed a very thin line.


    ¡°Forgive me, your beauty moved me,¡± Callum bowed.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± Loh asked, annoyed.


    ¡°The dress suits you very well, master,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t clean up so bad yourself,¡± Loh laughed.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that flattery?¡± Callum mumbled.


    ¡°Shut up, before Stryg actually bites you,¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°So, are you all ready for this party?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°You mean ready to be swarmed by small family leaders eager to introduce their daughters to me? How could I not?¡± Clypeus rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really been out of aristocratic circles for a while, huh? Clypeus is from a famous Great House, but you and I are from Ruling Families. If you think Clypeus will have it bad, then we might as well both be utterly and certainly doomed,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Stop exaggerating, we¡¯ll be fine. Oh and Stryg, remember not to get into any fights tonight,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°See, the night is already going off to a great start,¡± Loh smiled.


    ~~~


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Callum raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Loh frowned.


    Over two dozen aristocrats surrounded them and pushed against each other just to have a moment to speak to the scions of House Veres and Noir. Even Clypeus had been swept away by several young women and their fathers. Stryg watched the entire spectacle from the corner of the room.


    The moment the four of them had entered the ballroom, a man in tight pants and a golden speaking-trumpet, announced Loh, Callum, and Clypeus to the party. It took only a matter of seconds before they swarmed the group. For once, Stryg was thankful for his small stature. He was easily able to slip past the chaotic crowd and walked over to a table in the corner filled with bottles of champagne.


    Stryg wished Rhian had been able to come, but she was still resting off her nausea from yesterday. Callum said it was probably for the best, Lord Mora was not much of a fan of centaurs or any beastkin for that matter.


    Stryg cracked a bottle open and poured himself a drink. He surveyed the room as he sipped the sweet alcohol. The ballroom was large, occupying most of the west wing. The floor was a beige marble with silver lines etched into the ground in a web-like pattern. Brass torches burned brightly on the marble pillars and a golden chandelier the size of Rhian hung from the ceiling, illuminating the hundreds of guests below.


    Everyone was dressed in overly complicated clothing that Callum liked to call fashion. Stryg thought it seemed difficult to move around in, especially the dresses that squeezed the women¡¯s waists tight.


    The only ones who seemed to be dressed in comfortable clothing were the pretty humans standing near another corner of the room. They only wore a simple grey skirt, nothing more. Whenever one of the vampire guests wandered by, the humans would offer them their necks. From the looks of it, the humans¡¯ blood was very tasty, since the vampires kept coming back to drink until the humans dropped, dead probably.


    The majority of the guests moved in pairs and danced to the rhythm of the music in the center of the ballroom, whispering and laughing with each other. Stryg was suddenly reminded of the Blood Fang¡¯s dances around the village¡¯s bonfire during full moons. It was one of the few times the Sylvan tribe could relax, enjoy themselves, and forget about the dangers that lurked in the forest around them. The ballroom no longer felt loud or full of people. It felt quiet and dark. He felt very alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve recovered so well. I was worried that the seregulus might have left you crippled.¡±


    A petite vampiress in a vivid red dress stood behind him. Her pale blonde hair fell over her strapless shoulders. Maeve held a glass of champagne in her crimson-gloved hand. Her bright red lips curled upwards.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°This is my family¡¯s castle and it¡¯s my father¡¯s birthday, where else would I be?¡± Maeve smiled.


    ¡°I mean here, literally. Why aren¡¯t you over there dancing with the others? Why are you standing so annoyingly close to me? Do you plan on spilling wine on me again?¡±


    ¡°I really am sorry about that. I know it wasn¡¯t a great first impression,¡± Maeve winced.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You do realize I¡¯m standing like 4 feet from you, right? Yesterday, you walked right up to my face, with no regard for my personal space whatsoever. If anything, I should be the one who is annoyed.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an alcoholic and I sorely needed a drink,¡± she winked.


    ¡°You? You don¡¯t look like a stumbling drunk.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how well some of us can hide it,¡± she grinned. ¡°My siblings and I set this whole party up, you know? It can be quite stressful meeting my father¡¯s demands for perfection, but we manage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you needed a drink?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Maeve grabbed a bottle and poured two cups for herself.


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re here. Servants are handing out drinks everywhere, plus those humans over there are offering their blood to whoever wants it.¡±


    ¡°My, you¡¯re obstinate. I¡¯m here for the same reason you are,¡± Maeve sighed dramatically.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°As an unmarried daughter of a wealthy merchant House, I usually draw lots of attention. People of all sorts watch me, some are my servants, others are rivals of my family, and a few are searching for a way to do business with my father. At the end of the day, they all are watching me, hoping to see if I make a mistake, a weakness to exploit. But at this party, the more important aristocrats are the center of attention.¡±


    Maeve grabbed the second glass, ¡°At least here I can drink quietly away from all the prying eyes. I suspect you¡¯re doing the same.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to drink with those who find me an eyesore,¡± Stryg walked away.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Maeve raised her hand. ¡°Please. I¡¯m sorry for what I said yesterday, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Stryg paused and turned halfway, ¡°Then why did you say it?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ Because¡­¡± Maeve sighed, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Stryg chuckled to himself, ¡°You know, after almost dying with you against those sereguli, I really thought that I may have misjudged you. That maybe you weren¡¯t the asshole that went out of her way to harm my friends and I. Guess I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just the horrible person who would go out of her way to hurt a couple of commoners who had done nothing wrong. I get why you don¡¯t want me around,¡± Maeve bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She raised her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone who would insult themselves like you,¡± he tilted his head. ¡°You really are a weird vampire.¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking, Mr. Blue Goblin,¡± Maeve smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m cyan.¡±


    ¡°Keep telling yourself that.¡±


    Stryg ignored her and finished his drink. ¡°Do you have anything that tastes better than this?¡±


    Maeve put a finger to her lips, ¡°You know, I think I may have just the perfect thing.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Why are we here?¡± Stryg looked around the empty hallway.


    She had led him out the ballroom and through a myriad of halls.


    ¡°Shh, we don¡¯t want anyone to hear us,¡± Maeve whispered.


    ¡°No one¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that,¡± Maeve fidgeted with the wall¡¯s sconce.


    ¡°I am sure. If someone was coming over here, I¡¯d hear them,¡± he pointed at his small pointed ears.


    ¡°You¡¯re just full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡± Maeve smiled. ¡°Got it.¡±


    The sconce made a clicking noise and dipped low, the torch barely held in place. The wall rumbled and cracked open in the shape of a wide door. Maeve pushed it open, revealing a long, winding tunnel.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one with surprises it seems,¡± Stryg whistled.


    ¡°A girl needs her secrets.¡± Maeve grabbed the torch on the sconce and stepped inside the tunnel, ¡°You coming?¡±


    ¡°Are there any spooky little girls in there?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not. The tunnel leads to my father¡¯s secret wine cellar,¡± Maeve laughed.


    ¡°Oh, okay then,¡± Stryg hopped inside the tunnel.


    Maeve pushed the door behind them closed and raised her torch to the darkness in front of them, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡±


    Being in the front was always more dangerous, it was more difficult to react to incoming threats. He preferred letting Maeve lead.


    ¡°Why do you have a tunnel in your home?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°There are actually dozens of tunnels in this place. The castle was here long before my family moved in. It was originally built in the times of the Northern Wars between the ebon lords of old. The tunnels were created as a way to get around safely and quietly during times of siege. We rarely use them at all nowadays.¡±


    Stryg nodded to himself. He would add siege to his list of new words to learn.


    ¡°So, what is Ebon Hollow? I¡¯ve never heard of it. Is it a town in Dusk Valley or maybe Glimmer Grove?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tribe... I founded it myself,¡± Stryg said somewhat sheepishly.


    ¡°You made a tribe for yourself? Really? Just you?¡± Maeve said with a tone of genuine curiosity.


    ¡°No. There are three of us so far. It would be larger, but I¡¯m only interested in accepting the best of the best into the tribe.¡±


    ¡°Huh, sounds a bit lonely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Not really... You¡¯d be surprised how lonely one can feel in a large tribe.¡±


    ¡°I think I know what you mean,¡± Maeve kicked a pebble on the ground. ¡°So, why the name?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why Ebon Hollow?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Ebon¡¯ part comes from my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Your eyes?¡± Maeve glanced back at him.


    ¡°I have a peculiar kind of vision,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that. I don¡¯t know anyone else with lilac eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s something like that,¡± he scratched his cheek.


    ¡°So, what about the ¡®Hollow¡¯ part of the name?¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°It comes from Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°I guessed as much. You must like the City of Shades a lot.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why did you name your tribe after the city then?¡±


    Stryg ran his hands through his grey hair, ¡°Well, I do like the city. I mean I did. Ugh, I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    Maeve stayed quiet and kept walking.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not gonna ask why?¡± Stryg stared at her small bare back.


    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly. I just expected you to, since we¡¯re exchanging questions.¡±


    ¡°Some questions are personal, I didn¡¯t want to put you in an uncomfortable spot.¡±


    ¡°Too late for that.¡±


    Maeve spun around with a smile, ¡°Well, in that case.¡±


    Stryg chuckled sourly, ¡°I had nothing when I came to Hollow Shade. Then I discovered I was a mageborn. Everything changed.¡±


    ¡°The mage academy scholarship,¡± Maeve nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. I was grateful to the city for sponsoring my training and studies. I felt I owed a lot to Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°The scholarship isn¡¯t free. You have to work for Hollow Shade for like ten years to pay off the debt, right? Or pay an exorbitant amount of gold to break the contract. Either one doesn¡¯t seem very appealing.¡±


    ¡°A small price to pay if it meant becoming a mage.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ So, what changed your mind about the city?¡±


    ¡°Hollow Shade may have helped me become a mage, but they are the reason my people¡¯s city was destroyed in the first place,¡± he said bitterly.


    ¡°The tragedy of Lunis,¡± Maeve nodded.


    Stryg stopped walking, ¡°You know about Lunis?¡±


    ¡°My father is a really big history buff. You should see his antiques collection, he has an entire room filled with old stuff. Growing up he made sure my siblings and I learned about the history of our Realm. Lunis was too large a part of history to ignore, even if Hollow Shade tried to hide it.¡±


    Stryg found himself smiling. He never would have guessed how happy he would feel to meet someone who actually knew of his people¡¯s past.


    ¡°I completely understand why you have mixed feelings about Hollow Shade. I would too if they destroyed my city, took my ancestors¡¯ wealth, gave my people¡¯s land to others and forced my ancestors to work as their servants, or worse their slaves,¡± Maeve shivered.


    ¡°Most of what you said is true, except my ancestors didn¡¯t work for Hollow Shade. The Lunisian armies escaped into Vulture Woods.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Wait. Are you saying you''re not from Dusk Valley? Are you one of the Sylvan folk?¡±


    ¡°I was born in Vulture Woods,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe it, you¡¯re an actual Sylvan goblin! This is amazing! Actually, it explains why you founded a tribe. I assumed you were emulating the Valley tribes, but you were just following the way of your people¡­ Wait, why did you found your own tribe? What happened with your old tribe? Why is a Sylvan goblin all the way out here?¡±


    Stryg clenched his fists and looked away, ¡°...Ever heard of exile?¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Maeve said quietly.


    They kept walking in silence until they came across a round door. Maeve lifted the latch and pushed on the door, it opened slowly with a loud creak, revealing a small cellar. Dozens of dusty old bottles rested snugly in small wooden cupboards.


    Maeve curtsied with a wide exaggerated flourish, ¡°On behalf of House Mora, I would like to welcome the Sylvan tribes¡¯ ambassador, Stryg of Ebon Hollow, to the secret wine cellar, meeting place of the Realm¡¯s most important matters, such as drinking your worries away.¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡±

 Chapter 139: Drinking in Solidarity

    Chapter 139: Drinking in Solidarity


    Stryg walked around the secret wine cellar, eyeing each bottle with interest. ¡°Will you get in trouble for showing me any of this?¡±


    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t say anything. I know the wine is not much, but I really am grateful,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°Grateful?¡±


    ¡°You saved my life from that seregulus that day in Mellow Bloom. You were seriously injured and you almost died, because of me¡­ I never thanked you for what you did. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Maeve¡­¡±


    She bowed very low, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, I hope to one day have the chance to repay my debt.¡±


    Stryg scratched the tip of his nose and looked away, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I was bleeding out on the field and you patched me up. I would have died had it not been for you. Consider us even.¡±


    Maeve raised her head slowly, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But, I wonder, why would you patch me up, bring me to this cellar, or talk to me at all, if you see me as an eyesore,¡± Stryg stared into her eyes.


    She broke away from his gaze, ¡°I¡­ You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of things I don¡¯t understand, but I¡¯m a quick study.¡±


    Maeve sighed and pulled out a bottle from one of the cupboards. She grabbed two silver chalices from a nearby glass casket and poured them both drinks.


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Maeve handed him one of the cups.


    ¡°What else do I have to do down here but drink and listen?¡± Stryg sipped the wine.


    Maeve swished the chalice in her hand and stared into her murky reflection. ¡°My father isn¡¯t just a history buff. He follows many of the old traditions of an ancient vampire clan from the Northern Lands. The clan is long dead, but he still adheres to their beliefs.¡±


    ¡°What beliefs?¡±


    Maeve took a deep breath, ¡°Vampire supremacy. He believes that since vampires tend to have greater physical capabilities than some of the other chromatic species, that vampires are somehow better than the rest, then vampires deserve to rule. Of the three native Ebon species, he thinks vampires are the only ones truly worthy of leading the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°So, he doesn¡¯t care too much for goblins or dark elves, then?¡±


    ¡°Yup, but oh, will he hide his feelings on the matter if it suits him, like in business trades. He messed up when it came to you though, he didn¡¯t realize your master was Loh Noir, nor how she would behave. Neither did I, but my gods, did it feel good to see Loh embarrass him at the docks like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it did. But from the way you talk it seems you don¡¯t agree with his traditions?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. My father is a horrible old man with stupid beliefs, clinging to a glorious past that never existed. Vampires were never the apex species of the Realm, nor do they deserve to rule more than anyone else.¡±


    Stryg finished his wine and served himself more, ¡°I understand why your father would hate goblins, but what about you? I¡¯m having a difficult time reconciling the Maeve I see in front of me with the one from yesterday at the docks.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°My father doesn¡¯t just hate goblins and dark elves. He sees the non-native species, such as orcs and dwarves, as an affront to his own existence as a vampire. Hybrids are worse, since they represent people of different species getting along.¡±


    Maeve drank down her wine, ¡°My best friend is Nora Azol, you know her of course. She¡¯s a human, but I never cared about anything like that. We¡¯ve been friends since we were children and that¡¯s all that mattered. But, my father hated the fact that I was friends with a human. He found it embarrassing and a shame to his honor.¡±


    Maeve took a shaky breath, ¡°...He beat me for it. Broke several of my bones. I eventually stopped hanging out with Nora, but he didn¡¯t stop beating me. My father has tried to hide my scars by ordering his white magi to heal me, but I still have scars, I just hide them well.¡±


    Maeve twisted her arm behind her and dusted away the makeup on her shoulder blade, revealing a faint silvery scar.


    Stryg traced his finger over the old wound, ¡°He cut you?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. He would beat me with whatever he could find at hand. He thought the pain would teach me, make me a better daughter. I was never good enough for him, no matter what I did. But, I learned that he would beat me less if I acted like him. You see, he expected me to adhere to his stupid beliefs. He even placed spies to work as my maids to always make sure that I did.¡±


    ¡°Then at the docks yesterday?¡±


    Maeve nodded reluctantly, ¡°I never stopped hanging out with Nora. We just got better at hiding it. But, in the public eye, I acted like my father¡¯s perfect daughter. A vampire who hates commoners, hybrids, and anyone who is not a vampire themselves. It was the only way to avoid the beatings.¡±


    ¡°...I see. Then at the restaurant when we first met,¡± Stryg took a step back.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I was having dinner with a few classmates, daughters of wealthy merchants who work with my father. When I saw Callum that night, I got up to leave, but one of the girls recognized him and pointed my cousin out. I had to go over and say hello. When I noticed you and that dwarf girl were there I had no choice but to act in a¡­ displeasing manner. Otherwise, the little posse of vampires would have told their merchant parents and it would have eventually gotten back to my father.¡±


    ¡°So, instead you humiliated Kithina and dumped wine on me,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    Maeve bit her lip, ¡°I know what I¡¯ve done is wrong. You don¡¯t think I regret it? I haven¡¯t had a single good night of sleep in years. I may not have my father¡¯s beliefs, but I have acted the same as he would have¡­ I¡¯ve hurt people, I am just as guilty.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.


    ¡°I am just like him, a monster,¡± her voice cracked.


    She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I just want it all to end,¡± she muttered softly.


    Stryg perused through the shelves, ¡°What¡¯s the strongest thing you¡¯ve got here?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get drunk for once and none of this stuff is doing it for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why do you wanna get drunk? Is my past too uncomfortable?¡± She chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°I was trying to get drunk with you, actually. My people call it solidarity. Judging on your size and the number of cups you had, you¡¯ll probably be drunk soon enough.¡±


    ¡°You should be drunker than me, you¡¯re smaller,¡± Maeve sniffed.


    ¡°Yes, but my constitution is far greater. I need something a lot stronger than this wine to get drunk.¡±


    Maeve wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so instead, she pointed to a cabinet at the bottom shelf, ¡°The strongest dwarven brews are in there. Careful, a single cup can make people woozy.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, I like the dwarven brews,¡± Stryg pulled out a bottle. He uncorked the cap with his claw and brought the bottle to his lips.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± Maeve ran to stop him, but he downed the entire bottle before she could grab the bottle.


    He hiccuped once and patted his chest, ¡°Better.¡±


    ¡°What have you done? Do you have any idea how much alcohol you just drank? You need to throw up, now. You¡¯ll get alcohol poisoning if you don¡¯t,¡± Maeve said in a panicked voice.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a monster like your father, Maeve. The fact that you regret what you did is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Maeve furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Sometimes we have to do things we are not proud of in order to survive. Maybe it¡¯s wrong, but I rather live and be wrong than be right and dead.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Vulture Woods is a very dangerous place. There isn¡¯t much food and dangerous predators lurk everywhere. Only the most skilled goblins with expert teamwork can survive the harsh conditions. But goblins get old and they become less effective, they can¡¯t do their jobs and they become a liability... There isn¡¯t enough food to go around. Most tribes can¡¯t support the old folk and the younglings as well.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Maeve covered her mouth in dawning realization.


    ¡°It was a difficult decision. One we had to make. Most of the time the older goblins understand and choose to leave willingly. But, that doesn¡¯t make it any better. Everyone knows that when those goblins walk out into the woods alone, we are sending them to their deaths. We send our own loyal tribesman to die. It¡¯s wrong, but we do it to survive.¡±


    Maeve swallowed, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Shitty circumstances. Either we send them out or our people would starve. Someone has to die either way. Our leaders had to make the difficult choice in order to keep the tribe alive. No one is proud of it. We shouldn¡¯t be. But, I¡¯m still happy to be alive.¡±


    Stryg put the bottle down and looked at her, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the right answer is, Maeve. But, I¡¯m glad you survived your father¡¯s wrath.¡±


    She smiled weakly, ¡°A fitting response from a Sylvan goblin.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± He raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Is it true that your people eat others?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, there wasn¡¯t enough food. Sometimes it was necessary, but we only ever ate the enemies of our tribe.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why everyone finds it so strange. We¡¯re all animals and we eat other animals all the time.¡±


    ¡°Even if that were true, we don¡¯t eat other sapient animals.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you vampires drink people¡¯s blood? I could have sworn I saw some of those human women drop dead in the ballroom.¡±


    Maeve shuffled awkwardly, ¡°I admit it happens sometimes. Some vampires end up drinking too much. But, it¡¯s not the same as¡­ huh.¡± She blinked, ¡°Well, fuck me.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better I was never very fond of eating goblin flesh,¡± Stryg grabbed another bottle.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±


    He filled her cup and his own, then raised his cup in a toast, ¡°To surviving.¡±


    She raised her own cup, ¡°To different ways of life.¡±


    They clinked their cups in a metallic ring, then drank down the dwarven brew in one go. Maeve winced, she could still taste the faint flavor of wild blackberries over the burning sensation. It reminded her of her mother.


    ¡°My mom and I used to collect berries in our garden,¡± Maeve whispered quietly.


    Stryg¡¯s sensitive ears picked up her voice with no problem.


    ¡°My mom was always sick and most of the time she was bedridden. I was the youngest of my siblings and I didn¡¯t understand why, not really. I just thought it was unfair that I couldn¡¯t play with her more. So, my mom would always make time for me, even when it was difficult for her. She was amazing like that.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a strong person,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°She was, even when her body was failing her, she fought on till the very end.¡±


    ¡°You said you were the youngest?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Do you have any younger cousins or something in the castle?¡±


    ¡°Besides Callum? No. I don¡¯t have any paternal cousins either. My father was an only child. Why?¡±


    ¡°I was curious, is all. I saw this little girl stalking my door last night. She looked a lot like you, but smaller.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± Her vision was getting blurred, she definitely had too much to drink.


    ¡°She was wearing this white dress with this flower pattern and a green bracelet made of some kind of vine or stems I think?¡±


    Maeve rested her shoulder on the wall to steady herself. It couldn¡¯t be. Stryg¡¯s description. It was the same. It was the clothes she wore every night in her dreams.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine,¡± she forced a smile. ¡°So, what about your parents? What were they like?¡±

 Chapter 140: Dream of Fire

    Chapter 140: Dream of Fire


    Stryg mulled over Maeve¡¯s question, who were his parents indeed?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know my parents. Sylvan goblins usually don¡¯t. My people tend to have very unrestricted sex lives. It can be difficult to be certain who is the father of a child.¡±


    He went on, ¡°Whenever a child is born they are given to the Mothers to be raised. The Mothers are the priestesses of Lunae and the matriarchs of our tribes. They also are forbidden to bear any children of their own to prevent any form of favoritism among the children. That way we all grow up as one unit, a unified tribe.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty weird,¡± Maeve chuckled.


    ¡°I guess it does to outsiders,¡± he blinked repeatedly. His pupils began to dilate and contract in unstable patterns. The alcohol was getting to him.


    Stryg took another drink, ¡°I used to think everyone else was weird for not having Mothers. But after reading about Lunis in these old books at the library, I learned that the Sylvan tribes might be different. My people are more similar to the Lunisian armies than I thought.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I read that the Lunisian military valued equality in their soldiers, there was no favoritism. They valued teamwork immensely and didn¡¯t put much value in emotions since emotions hindered a soldier¡¯s ability to fight effectively.¡±


    ¡°And so do the Sylvan tribes,¡± she guessed.


    He nodded, ¡°All the Sylvan younglings are trained in combat. After talking with my friends at the magic academy, I learned that children in Hollow Shade are not raised that way. Well, excluding Clypeus, but his family isn¡¯t normal, or so I hear, I¡¯m really not sure what normal means anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Gales are indeed exceptional, no one denies that,¡± Maeve nodded. ¡°So, what about your mom?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You said you don¡¯t know your dad, surely you must at least know who your mom was.¡±


    Stryg drank another cup before speaking, ¡°She died when I was born. The Mothers normally don¡¯t say who a child¡¯s birth mother is, nor do the birth mothers themselves speak out. But, the Mothers made sure to tell me. They wanted me to know I was a bad omen since birth.¡±


    ¡°Bad omen?¡±


    ¡°A curse sent by Lunae or so some of the hunters said,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Stryg stared at his grey claws, ¡°...You know, growing up, I resented my birth mother. I blamed her for my weak body and my inability to keep up with the rest of my peers. I thought that if she was weak like me, then it would explain why she died giving birth to me. That way, maybe I wasn¡¯t such a bad omen, that it wasn¡¯t my fault she died. I blamed her because it was easier than facing the truth.¡±


    Stryg laughed bitterly, ¡°Turns out I¡¯m a hybrid and the mothers of hybrids tend not to survive labor. I really was the reason she died¡­ I sometimes wonder if things would have been different had she lived.¡±


    Maeve slid down to the floor, ¡°...My mother died when I was a little girl. The doctors said she could have lived several more years had she not pushed herself so hard. She pushed herself so she could spend time with me... She died for me. My siblings hate me for that... And truth be told, so do I.¡±


    Maeve sighed, ¡°I also wonder if my life would have been different had my mom lived.¡±


    Stryg sat on the floor next to her, ¡°Seems we have some things in common.¡±


    ¡°A Sylvan goblin mage and a vampire aristocrat? Hardly,¡± Maeve said jokingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m a lot stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°Meh, debatable, have you seen these babies,¡± Maeve pointed at her small biceps.


    Stryg stared at her with intense focus, ¡°I have.¡±


    Maeve blushed and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m glad you at least had those Mothers to look after you growing up.¡±


    ¡°Look after me? More like beat me whenever I made a mistake. I have had my own share of bruises and broken bones,¡± Stryg smiled wryly.


    ¡°Maybe we aren¡¯t so different after all,¡± she bumped his shoulder.


    Maeve looked at him, she hadn¡¯t noticed how close they were, she could hear his quiet breathing. His irises seemed to be sputtering out of control, shaking, dilating, and contracting all at once, it was fascinating. She could lose herself in that ocular marvel.


    Maeve wasn¡¯t sure if it was the wine getting to her head or the fact that she had found a kindred spirit, but she suddenly found herself saying out loud the words that she only dared whisper in her mind.


    ¡°Your eyes are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not adorable,¡± he grumbled drunkenly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Just¡­ beautiful.¡± She kissed him.


    ~~~


    Maeve was a small child once more. She had just come home after spending the day at the racing tracks with Nora Azol. There was mud on her shoes, but Maeve was too hungry to care. She ran through the halls and slipped into the kitchen, hoping to surprise her mother.


    Alice Veres was not standing over one of the stone cooking fires. Nor was she standing near one of the chopping boards. Maeve looked around with the eagerness of a child, but to her disappointment, her mother was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was no one in the kitchen besides her.


    The fires were crackling and the pots were boiling, yet the kitchen was empty of life. Maeve walked around the large kitchen, dragging mud on the tile floor.


    ¡°Mom? Anybody? Hello?¡± She whispered.


    As if in response the fires flared and rose in a burst of heat and light. She screamed as she was blasted back. The flames caught the walls and greedily ate up the wood. The fire quickly spread over the walls and ceiling, turning the kitchen into a scorching oven.


    Her lungs burned from the sweltering heat. She pushed herself to her feet and ran towards the kitchen exit with wobbly steps. She pushed the door open and gasped. Everywhere she looked the flames had scorched. Her entire home was on fire. The flames curled around the halls forming tunnels of orange infernos.


    She needed to get out of here. She needed to find her mom and siblings. Maeve covered her face, stared at her feet, and ran through the blazing hallway. The heat was sweltering and her skin began to burn as if the sun¡¯s rays had all focused on her. The smoke filled her lungs and her eyes watered.


    She caught sight of a limp arm lying on the ground at the corner of the hall. She ran towards the person and turned the corner. The arm belonged to one of the butlers. His throat had been slit and the blood had pooled around his corpse.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t real,¡± Maeve swallowed.


    *Hssss* The sound arose from within the flames.


    Maeve slowly turned around. An enormous snake slithered out of the blaze. Its scales were blue and they flickered a shade of indigo in the firelight. The snake¡¯s azure eyes drank in the burning sights and settled its gaze on Maeve.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Maeve stepped back and bumped into something jagged. She jumped away and turned around. A skeleton covered in writhing shadows stood behind her. In one bony hand, it held the handle of a sword, but there was no blade. In the other hand it held a massive tower shield.


    The snake¡¯s silver fangs dripped with black venom and its tongue salivated. The snake swiveled from side to side, its head shot out in a blinding blur, and smashed into the tower shield, sending the skeleton crashing into the wall. Maeve screamed and scrambled back.


    The window shattered, a great owl burst through, its grey talons raked across the snake¡¯s scales. The snake hissed with indignation, its blue tail smashed around the walls. The owl¡¯s wings opened wide and pushed the serpent back. The serpent hissed angrily, the owl screeched with fury. The walls began to crumble from the heat of the flames and the destruction of their ongoing battle.


    Maeve stared, dumbfounded. She recognized the owl¡¯s large wings and silver feathers. It was the same owl that had sunk its talons into her shoulders. She crawled away with dread while the two titanic beasts clashed.


    Maeve pushed past the hallway and found herself in her father¡¯s study. Lord Mora was chained to the wall, his head hung weakly, his chin rested on his chest. When his eyes met Maeve¡¯s, he screamed, but no sound came out.


    She glanced at the corner of the room. A sphere of nothingness floated at the edge of the study. It was as if the world had begun to crumble away and be sucked into the orb. The glass caskets, the bookshelves, the rugs, and the tables, all began to disintegrate and were absorbed by the orb. The more objects that turned to dust the larger the orb grew and the quicker it ate away at reality.


    Lord Mora tried to break away from his chains, but it was no use. His hands hung on the shackles without response. The orb of emptiness encroached nearer and began to eat away at him. Maeve had never seen her father so helpless. She thought she would be happy, relieved, yet all she felt was terror as her father turned to dust.


    The orb began to draw closer to her. She could feel its pull close around her. Maeve scrambled to turn the doorknob and dashed out. The hallway was no longer there. She was in the ballroom. Corpses of dozens of guests were strewn about the floor in a grisly mockery of a dance.


    Maeve shook her head in fear and backed away. The door behind her was gone, consumed by the blazing inferno. The flames ate at the walls of the ballroom and the world began to shake. Maeve coughed, smoke filled the air, and threatened to drown the ballroom in toxic fumes. She collapsed on the marble floor, her limbs felt weak and her vision began to blur.


    The raging fire scorched the ceiling and melted the chandelier chains hanging above. The chandelier broke away and fell down on Maeve. She watched in frozen panic as death came for her. The owl burst into the ballroom in an explosion of flame and shower of light. It swooped under the chandelier at the very last moment, the gigantic ornament cracked, the chandelier¡¯s golden arms bent, and the crystal prisms shattered on the owl¡¯s silver wings.


    The owl screeched in pain and crashed to the ground. Maeve watched in stunned silence. The creature had just saved her. She had thought it meant her harm, but now she was not so sure.


    The owl was still, its body unmoving on the marble floor. The roaring fires drew closer, suffocating the little air left.


    Maeve dragged herself over to the beast, ¡°Please, please don¡¯t be dead.¡±


    The silver head shifted slightly. It hooted weakly. Maeve¡¯s fingers reached out and managed to brush its silver feathers. The owl stared down at her with large alien eyes.


    Maeve froze in recognition, ¡°Your eyes¡­¡±


    The owl¡¯s lilac eyes watched her with a curious inner light. It opened its large wings and covered Maeve¡¯s small body. The ceiling collapsed with a clap of thunder. Fire and plaster showered down. The owl bowed its head and closed its eyes as the world fell apart around them.


    ~~~


    Maeve woke with a gasp. Her throat felt tight and her mouth was dry. Her body was burning up and she was drenched in sweat. She sat up weakly and touched her face. She was alive, she wasn¡¯t on fire.


    ¡°It was just a dream,¡± she sighed in relief.


    Maeve frowned, her hand was stained with blood. She glanced at her body and felt the air slip out her lungs. She was naked. Why? There were scratch marks over her hips. Why? There was blood between her thighs. Why!?


    ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s wrong,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Maeve spun around and found Stryg lying naked next to her. She stood up in a flash and backed away, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where are we?¡±


    Stryg sat up and rubbed his temples, ¡°Dammit, I may have drunk too much.¡±


    ¡°Are you listening to me?!¡± Maeve yelled.


    ¡°Seeing as you''re the one who woke me up with your screaming, then yes, I am listening, regrettably so.¡±


    Maeve grabbed her red dress from across the room, or what was left of it. The dress had been torn across the waist and the skirt had been shredded to bits. She held it in front of her and tried to cover herself as best she could.


    Her red eyes darted around, ¡°We¡¯re in the wine cellar. We¡¯re still in the wine cellar?¡±


    ¡°Where else would we be?¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°Damn, my head hurts.¡±


    ¡°Your head hurts? My body hurts! It hurts between my fucking legs!¡± Maeve exhaled shakily, ¡°Did we¡­ Did we sleep together?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°What?¡±


    Maeve swallowed, dreading the answer, ¡°Did we have sex?¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Oh Bellum, no, no, no,¡± Maeve covered her face and slid to the ground.


    Stryg stood up and yawned groggily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong exactly?¡±


    ¡°How did this happen? Bellum, help me,¡± Maeve whimpered.


    Stryg picked up his clothes and shambled into his pants.


    ¡°Well, as I recall you called me beautiful, which is strange by the way, who calls a man beautiful? Anyway, then you kissed me and began to take off my shirt. I think I sort of just rolled with it, I can¡¯t quite remember all the details,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°I kissed you? Oh, gods I did,¡± Maeve¡¯s eyes widened.


    The memories flooded back to her. She had drunk too much and her inhibitions had deserted her. She had said and done exactly what was on her mind, and she enjoyed it. She glanced at Stryg and blushed.


    What had she been thinking? She was a young unmarried aristocrat, a woman in her position could not sleep with whoever caught her fancy. If anyone were to find out, her prospects of a respectable marriage would vanish into thin air. Her father would kill her.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself,¡± Maeve shook her head and slapped her cheeks.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stryg crouched down next to her and brushed her cheek.


    Maeve shivered at the touch. She thought she would jerk away, but his cool fingers on her warm cheek were soothing. Maeve stared into his lilac eyes, she somehow felt calm looking into his eyes. There was something about his eyes that reminded her of her dream but she couldn¡¯t quite recall what.


    ¡°Did I really call you beautiful?¡± Maeve whispered.


    ¡°And some other things. Although, you¡¯re the beautiful one among the two of us.¡±


    Maeve inhaled deeply, ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I just thought you would be a lot less cooperative. Like you¡¯d want to brag to your friends or something. I know a lot of men who do.¡±


    ¡°If I bragged to anyone, wouldn¡¯t it be you? Since I¡¯m the one who won.¡±


    ¡°Won?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, during sex. I managed to make you submit first, I think?¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Submit?¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°Climax. Orgasm. Whatever word vampires call it.¡±


    Maeve squeezed her eyes tight, ¡°Can we not talk about that?¡±


    ¡°We can talk about it later, I guess,¡± Stryg slipped his shirt on.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± Maeve shook her head. She flinched in pain, ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg stepped near her and looked around for a threat.


    ¡°My neck hurts.¡± Maeve rubbed her throat, her fingertips came away with flakes of dried blood.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. The same thing happened the last time I was drunk and had sex, though it was with two girls and I bit their asses. I should probably stop having drunk sex,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    Maeve¡¯s eyes widened. She could feel two little pinpricks on her neck. ¡°...Did you bite me?¡±


    ¡°I think? It¡¯s all a little fuzzy,¡± Stryg grabbed her dress and helped her put it on.


    Maeve was too stunned to react.


    ¡°Hm, looks pretty good,¡± Stryg smiled.


    She looked down at herself. Her torn dress barely covered her privates, ¡°I look like a slut.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a slut?¡±


    ¡°I need to get out of here,¡± she groaned.


    ~~~


    Stryg followed Maeve through the castle¡¯s tunnels and to the hidden door in the hallway.


    Before she opened the door she glanced at Stryg, ¡°We can¡¯t be seen together like this, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a goblin,¡± he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m unmarried,¡± Maeve rolled her eyes. ¡°And yes, because you are a goblin. My father would kill me, literally.¡±


    ¡°...Fair enough. Survival first and foremost,¡± he sighed.


    She pushed the door open slightly and peeked out into the hall, ¡°The coast is clear. The left hall should be empty, the servants should be busy serving the guests breakfast in the main dining room past the right hallway. You go to the right, I¡¯ll go to the left.¡±


    She pushed the hidden door open and stepped out into the hall, Stryg walked right behind her.


    ¡°Stryg? Maeve!?¡±


    They both slowly turned to the right. A figure stood staring at them with a slack jaw.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Cly,¡± Stryg waved.

 Chapter 141: Morning Disruption

    Chapter 141: Morning Disruption


    ¡°What are you two doing!? I thought you hated each other?!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    ¡°Shh, quiet!¡± Maeve whispered angrily.


    Clypeus glanced between Stryg and Maeve several times, his jaw moved up and down, but only a confused grunt came out.


    ¡°How was breakfast? Anything good?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I...uh¡­ haven¡¯t gone... yet.¡± He raised his hand and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°Well, first, we had some wine an-¡±


    ¡°Ah, bababa,¡± Maeve placed her finger over Stryg¡¯s lips. She turned to Clypeus, ¡°Nothing happened, okay? That¡¯s the end of it. Forget what you think you saw or think you know.¡±


    ¡°Really, ¡®cause it seems you two just spent the night together. Wow, I can¡¯t believe I just said that. I don¡¯t know how I should feel about any of this,¡± Clypeus placed a hand on his temple.


    ¡°Nothing! You shouldn¡¯t feel anything, because nothing happe- Ow!¡± Maeve flinched.


    Stryg had bit down on her finger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep your finger on my mouth,¡± he narrowed his eyes and licked his lips.


    ¡°Yeah, you really shouldn¡¯t. He does in fact bite, like a lot,¡± Clypeus nodded sympathetically.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve noticed,¡± Maeve nursed her finger.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cal? I don¡¯t hear him coming,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Oh, he went to talk to Lord Mora. Turns out the lord of the castle decided to skip breakfast and talk with his children at his study instead,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°My father probably wanted to chastise my siblings and me for not meeting his party expectations, again,¡± Maeve sighed.


    Her eyes widened in fear. The fact that she wasn¡¯t there with her brothers and sisters would infuriate her father. Worse, his study room was on the way to her own bedroom. Her father would spot her before she got a chance to change.


    ¡°I¡¯m doomed,¡± Maeve banged her face into the wall.


    ¡°Did I miss something?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Besides that Clypeus already caught us? My father is going to kill me,¡± Maeve mumbled.


    ¡°Rest assured, Miss Maeve, I will not speak a word of this, I swear it on the Gale family¡¯s name,¡± Clypeus placed his hand over his heart.


    ¡°You can trust him,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Maeve sighed, ¡°...I know I can.¡± Doesn¡¯t make this any less embarrassing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you walk around half-naked, lest the guests believe something happened, which it did of course, but still,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Not helping,¡± Maeve grumbled.


    ¡°This will,¡± Clypeus offered her his jacket.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Maeve whispered.


    For a rare moment in her life, she was happy to be so small. Clypeus was quite tall as was his jacket. The hem of his jacket fell down to her knees, obscuring any mark from the previous night.


    ¡°So, where are you going?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I was going to find you actually. I haven''t seen you since last night. But, I guess you had your reasons. ¡± Clypeus cleared his throat, ¡°Anyway, where are you heading, Miss Maeve?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure anymore, I can¡¯t go to my room. Perhaps the servant quarters?¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°And where is that?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s close to the main dining room.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems we¡¯ll be walking with each other for a bit,¡± Clypeus smiled politely.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s get going, I¡¯m starving,¡± Stryg walked down the hall.


    ¡°Is he always this aloof?¡± Maeve asked.


    Clypeus stared at the goblin¡¯s back, ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. Sometimes it¡¯s like all that matters is what¡¯s in front of him, an interesting book, a new magical lesson, or just breakfast. Other times, he has this dark look on his face. He doesn¡¯t see anything or anyone, his mind is somewhere else, somewhere very bleak.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Maeve said slowly.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°They must be cooking a lot, I can smell the smoke clearly from here,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Really? I can¡¯t smell anything,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Instead of talking about the cooking, can we try to be quiet and make sure no one is coming this way,¡± Maeve whispered.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. There isn¡¯t anyone walking in this hallway or the next,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Maeve raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Stryg has really good hearing, smell as well, it seems,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I thought Stryg was joking when he told me that last night.¡± Maeve stopped walking, ¡°Wait. Stryg, does that mean you heard Clypeus coming down the hallway and you didn¡¯t say anything!?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°...You said the coast was clear?¡±


    ¡°I hate you so much right now,¡± she pinched her eyes shut.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. You just let me walk out like that as if it were another day at the park,¡± Maeve snapped.


    Stryg grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a close embrace. She was forced to bend her knees as he tucked her head right under his neck.


    She blushed.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Maeve said indignantly. ¡°Get off me.¡±


    ¡°Miss Maeve,¡± Clypeus whispered and placed a finger to his lips.


    Maeve frowned in confusion, but stayed quiet.


    ¡°What is it, Stryg?¡± Clypeus asked in a hush tone.


    ¡°Blood is in the air. Lots of it. And it¡¯s faint, but I think I hear the sound of someone crying out in pain,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°You think? You¡¯re not sure?¡± Clypeus reached for his twin swords and unsheathed them quietly.


    ¡°This castle has too many hallways and paths. The sounds echo everywhere, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Stryg admitted.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Maeve pushed him away, ¡°What are you saying exactly? Someone got hurt? Are they dead?¡±


    Stryg stayed silent in thought.


    ¡°We need to move now,¡± Clypeus said.


    The three of them crept down the hallway and headed for the dining room. Maeve wanted to ask more, but Stryg and Clypeus kept silent. When they reached the following hall, they spotted smoke wafting from the next corner. A limp arm lay on the corner floor.


    Maeve ran towards the arm frantically.


    ¡°Miss Maeve!¡± Clypeus whispered.


    Stryg ran past her and guarded the corner, looking for any threats. Maeve pushed past him and froze. The arm belonged to one of her family¡¯s butlers, he laid dead on the cold floor. The servant¡¯s throat had been cut wide open. Blood had soaked through his shirt and jacket and had pooled beneath his corpse.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± Maeve took a shaky step back.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clypeus ran up to them.


    ¡°The enemy killed one of the scouts. We¡¯re under attack,¡± Stryg said grimly.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening all over again,¡± Maeve hyperventilated.


    Clypeus grabbed her shoulders, ¡°Calm down, Maeve. It¡¯s going to be okay, you just have to breathe slowly, alright?¡±


    ¡°This scout was killed by a slash to the throat. They didn¡¯t want him making any noise. Which means this attack isn¡¯t random, it was planned.¡± Stryg chuckled to himself, ¡°And they chose to attack after a party when everyone is drunk or hungover.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, the guards will handle this, it was just probably one assassin,¡± Clypeus said.


    He pointed upwards, ¡°The smoke would say otherwise. It¡¯s morning too, the sun is out. Vampires will have a difficult time fighting in this environment. It really is the perfect setup for an ambush. Whoever planned this is a first-rate hunter.¡±


    ¡°They must be here for Lord Mora,¡± Clypeus guessed.


    Maeve¡¯s face paled, ¡°My siblings are with my father.¡±


    She broke away and ran down the hall.


    ¡°Miss Maeve, wait, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Clypeus¡¯ voice caught in his throat, ¡°Callum is with Lord Mora. Ah, shit. Maeve, wait, I¡¯m coming with you!¡±


    Stryg crouched and stared at the corpse. His mind tried to understand the enemy¡¯s thought process. If they were here for an ambush on Lord Mora¡¯s head then they would have to escape right afterward. Which meant the enemy wouldn¡¯t want to be followed. And the only way to accomplish that would be to prevent the castle¡¯s mobility.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The stables.¡±


    His pupils turned to small slits, ¡°Rhian.¡±


    ~~~


    The centaurs were resting leisurely in their pens when they heard the first screams at the stable entrance. Soldiers covered in leather armor and holding swords and spears suddenly appeared from the morning mist. They cut down the stable hands without mercy and began opening each pen one by one, killing the centaurs inside.


    These beastkin had been raised for elegance and beauty, the personal steeds of the wealthy merchants and aristocrats. They were not trained for battle and they froze as the enemy came into their pens. When they saw their sisters and brothers cut down the rest of the centaurs bucked and rammed their pen gates with panic.


    Some managed to break through and ran to the exit of the other side of the pen, but to their horror, more enemy soldiers were waiting for them. Some of the raiders were even on their own centaurs.


    ¡°Sorry, none of you pampered pets are going anywhere,¡± a raider sneered.


    The centaurs retreated to the corner of the stables frozen with fear. One centaur pushed their way to the front of the pack, straightened her back, and stared at them fearlessly.


    ¡°You won¡¯t touch any of them, not while I breathe,¡± Rhian said firmly. Her grey eyes were like steel as she stared down at the enemy centaurs and riders.


    ¡°She talks so nice and those breasts, damn. You gotta give it to these aristocrats, they sure know how to make ¡®em,¡± a raider curled his lips in a broken smile, a few teeth missing.


    Rhian pulled out a small knife Stryg had given her in case a stablehand got handsy. ¡°Bring it, you ugly fucker!¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± the raider laughed and raised his sword.


    The stable walls shattered in an explosion of wood and splinters. Maximus burst through the wall with a war cry. The raider flinched, his centaur turned his shield over to protect his rider. Maximus swung his double-sided ax in a large arc and cleaved the raider and steed in one swipe, shield and all.


    The other raiders and centaurs backed away in panic. Maximus charged them with relentless fury. He waded through the enemies as if they were reeds under his ax. They tried blocking the giant centaur¡¯s swings, but his ax came down on them with an unstoppable force, cleaving their shields, armor, and flesh just the same.


    After only a few moments Maximus found himself surrounded by corpses. He heaved quietly, his body covered in blood, his ax tight within his grip. He pushed his long grey hair aside and glanced at the stable centaurs. They cried out in fear and shuddered away.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods, I really thought I was going to have to bring a dagger to a sword fight,¡± Rhian wiped her brow.


    Maximus reached down, grabbed one of the dead raider¡¯s spears, and threw it at Rhian. She caught it with a deft swipe.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Rhian laughed jokingly.


    ¡°There¡¯s still some left,¡± Maximus nodded to the raiders at the other side of the stables.


    The raiders took one look at Maximus, turned around, and ran towards the front gate. A small figure stepped in front of the gate. The raiders didn¡¯t slow down and charged the goblin.


    Stryg raised his hands, a burst of flame swirled forth and covered the dozen men in scorching fire. They screamed in agony as they ran helplessly into each other. One raider dropped to the ground and began rolling around in an effort to quench the flames. Stryg raised his foot and slammed down on the raider¡¯s head with all his strength. His skull cracked and shattered, sending bits of brain flying.


    Stryg turned to the stable centaurs, they screamed in high pitch squeals.


    ¡°Oh, shut up already,¡± Rhian rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Rhiannon, are you alright!¡± Stryg ran up to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Master,¡± she bent down to let him inspect her for injuries.


    He caressed her cheek and laughed in relief, ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±


    Rhian felt a shiver crawl up her spine at the very rare sight of Stryg¡¯s laughter.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg glanced around for any threats.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ I had never seen you make that face before,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What face?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Aaand it¡¯s gone,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Well done with those soldiers. There had to have been a dozen of them,¡± Maximus trotted over.


    Stryg glanced at the burning corpses on the ground, ¡°They made it easy for me. They all grouped up and got real close. It was a perfect shot for a fireball.¡±


    ¡°Are we safe?¡± One of the stable centaurs spoke up.


    ¡°Relatively so,¡± Maximus nodded.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched. ¡°No¡­ none of us are.¡±


    He ran to the gate and poked his head out.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Maximus asked.


    Stryg stared out at the treeline near the castle, ¡°I thought the enemy wanted to kill all the castle¡¯s centaurs to stop us from giving chase once they escaped. I was wrong. They wanted to kill all the centaurs to stop us from escaping.¡±


    Hundreds of soldiers emerged from the dead forest and marched towards the castle gate. One of the stable centaurs fainted and fell over.


    ¡°We need to get out of here before they overwhelm us,¡± Maximus said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Take the centaurs to the other side of the forest. They should be fast enough to escape the enemy since they aren¡¯t carrying any riders,¡± Stryg said.


    Maximus nodded and gathered the others.


    ¡°And you?¡± Rhian asked anxiously.


    ¡°My friends are still in the castle, I can¡¯t let them die,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t! It¡¯s too dangerous. We need to get out of here now. Loh is a high-master mage, she¡¯ll be able to get out on her own.¡±


    ¡°I know she can. But, I¡¯m not sure about the others.¡±


    ¡°Leave them! I made a promise to Feli to keep you safe and I intend to keep it,¡± she grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Rhian,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°What!? What is so important that we can¡¯t just leave right damn now?!¡±


    ¡°...I abandoned my comrades and left them to die in the past. Please, don¡¯t make me that person again.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Rhian whispered.


    He stepped away, ¡°Go with Maximus, I¡¯ll find you later.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it without you,¡± her voice cracked.


    ¡°Yes, you can. You¡¯re stronger than you know, Rhiannon.¡± He grabbed her trembling hand and looked up at her, ¡°You are a daughter of Ebon Hollow, never forget that.¡±


    Stryg turned around and ran off.


    ~~~


    Maeve burst into her father¡¯s study. She ignored the fancy gallery of antiques and scanned the room for her family. Her siblings sat quietly on a sofa. Lord Mora was at his desk, talking with Callum who sat across from him.


    ¡°Maeve, where have you been? And what are you wearing? What have you done, girl?¡± Lord Mora seethed.


    ¡°I-I, uh,¡± Maeve swallowed.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± Clypeus stepped in behind her.


    ¡°Clypeus? What is the meaning of this? What have you done with my daughter?¡± Lord Mora stood up.


    ¡°Clypeus, did you sleep with my cousin!?¡± Callum¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand by this, even if you are a Gale. There is a proper order to these things. You have to pay me a dower before you can bed my whore of a daughter. And I assure you, the price has just doubled,¡± Lord Mora stomped over.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not what happened,¡± Maeve stammered.


    ¡°Silence, girl! This is the last time you have embarrassed me!¡± Lord Mora screamed.


    ¡°Listen to her! There are more important things at stake,¡± Clypeus stepped in between them.


    ¡°And you, boy. I¡¯m not through with you,¡± Lord Mora snarled.


    ¡°You stupid old man, you just don¡¯t get it,¡± Clypeus glared at him.


    ¡°Oh, he will,¡± a feminine voice giggled from behind them.


    Clypeus spun around.


    A lamia with brilliant blue scales slithered into the room. She calmly whirled a long enchanted blade in the palm of her hand. Her bright blue hair obscured her eyes, but not her predatory smile.


    ¡°I promise you, he will,¡± Lysaila licked her lips.

 Chapter 142: Who Are You?

    Chapter 142: Who Are You?


    Lysaila twirled her blade through the air in calm strokes.


    ¡°I take it the old man is Lord Mora? And the little blonde brats must be his children. So, who are you two?¡± Lysaila pointed her blade at Callum and Clypeus.


    ¡°An actual lamia?¡± Lord Mora shook his head and cleared his throat, ¡°Who let you into my home?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll get to you soon enough,¡± Lysaila smiled, black venom dripping from her two long fangs.


    Lord Mora stepped back and swallowed.


    Callum raised his hands, ¡°Let¡¯s just slow this all down for a moment. I am Callum of House Veres. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve come, but surely you don¡¯t wish to anger my House. I believe we can come to some sort of arrangement here, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°House Veres? One of the Ruling Families of Hollow Shade?¡± Lysaila cocked her head to the side.


    He nodded, ¡°Precisely. I am the son of the family leader, Lord Veres IX. I am quite certain we can come to an arrangement. Whatever your masters sent you here for, I can help you acquire it without the need for bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°I have no master,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    Before Callum could respond, Lysaila¡¯s tail snapped behind her and pushed her body forward. Her blade swung in a wide arc at the young vampire. Clypeus jumped in between, his twin blades flashed and blocked the lamia¡¯s attack.


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Lysaila moved back, her tail curling in a smooth pattern.


    Clypeus raised his gladii, ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter!¡±


    ¡°I am neither monster nor man,¡± Lysaila smiled.


    Her blade whirled in a silver blur, slashing at Clypeus from several angles. He spun his blades in small arcs, blocking each blow with a blast of sparks. The lamia did not stop, her slashes were endless and the longer Clypeus blocked the faster her blade became. He winced in pain, her blade sliced small bits of flesh across his limbs.


    ¡°A swordmaster and so young too. What a pity to lose,¡± Lysaila licked her lips.


    Clypeus tried counterattacking but her blade was overwhelming, pushing him back with each blow. The tip of Lysaila¡¯s tail flung forward and smacked his shins. He fell to his knees, his blade slipped out of his hand. She pushed past his other gladius and sank her blade into his neck. Sparks flew as her blade glanced off his throat. A faint yellow outline of scales glowed around his neck.


    Lysaila drew back and narrowed her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re a yellow mage. I wondered why your shins didn¡¯t break.¡±


    Clypeus pushed himself to his feet, ¡°It just took me some time to cast my durability spell. Your attacks are truly incredible, but I suggest you concede now.¡±


    ¡°After that durability spell made your whole body slower? I¡¯d rather not,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°This is why you don¡¯t compliment your enemy,¡± Callum began writing red ward symbols in the air.


    ¡°It is customary to respect our elders,¡± Clypeus panted. He was already tired from only a few exchanges with her blade.


    ¡°Elders?¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°There is no doubt in mind, this lamia is a grand swordmaster,¡± Clypeus wiped the sweat off his brow.


    Callum¡¯s hands trembled, the ward spell shattered before it was completed.


    ¡°Callum, focus!¡± Clypeus yelled without looking back at him.


    Clypeus knew he couldn¡¯t fight her alone. Her speed and strength alone were overwhelming. Her sword skills were something else entirely, she reminded him of his sister of Gale, that insurmountable feeling.


    The durability spell could protect Clypeus against a few more hits, but the lamia was right. The spell made him heavier and therefore slower. There was no way he would be able to dodge her attacks.


    ¡°You are both magi? That doesn¡¯t seem very fair,¡± Lysaila made puppy eyes. ¡°Let me even the odds.¡±


    The runes on the lamia¡¯s metallic belt began to glow. The belt¡¯s purple magestones flared to life. Lysaila¡¯s image blurred and spread apart until there were four identical copies of Lysaila standing before them.


    ¡°Magic? On a beastkin?¡± Callum muttered in shock.


    ¡°Uh, Lord Mora, we need your help!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    Lord Mora was in the other corner of the study. He had pushed aside a bookshelf and had opened a secret door behind it. He didn¡¯t bother glancing at their battle. Instead, Lord Mora walked into the secret tunnel, his children right behind him. Maeve followed them, her father smacked her across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground.


    ¡°I told you, you have shamed me for the last time,¡± Lord Mora sneered.


    ¡°W-wait, don¡¯t leave us!¡± Maeve pushed herself to her feet.


    Lord Mora slammed the door closed behind him. Maeve banged on the door with her fists, it would not budge.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She cried softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find him soon. We¡¯ll find them all soon,¡± the four Lysailas said in unison.


    ¡°Callum, ward magic, now!¡± Clypeus raised his swords.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±


    Callum¡¯s hands wrote the red arcane symbols in the air, but they all blurred and became a jumble in his eyes. He already had difficulty writing simple wards, anything complex was impossible to read for him. His sister, Elise, had taught him how to read when the tutors could not, but this was different. The arcane language was far more complex than a simple book.


    ¡°Callum!¡± Clypeus screamed.


    The Lysailas surrounded the Gale swordsman and assailed him with quick strikes. He tried blocking an attack, but the blade simply blurred like a puff of smoke as it clashed with his gladius, reforming as it came out the other side. Another blade struck his torso, his yellow scales flared bright from the force of impact. He kept retreating behind the study¡¯s glass caskets to try and make some space. The lamias sliced the caskets and the artifacts within without a second thought and kept attacking relentlessly.


    Clypeus yelled and stabbed his gladii into a Lysaila¡¯s torso. The blades sank in harmlessly. Her stomach gave off a faint purple smoke for a moment, before healing itself. The other three Lysaila¡¯s attacked in unison, Clypeus tried blocking. The lamias¡¯ swords streaked across his body. The real sword struck the back of his knees and crooks of his elbows, where the durability spell was weakest. His yellow scales cracked.


    ¡°Ah, fuck it!¡± Callum released the ward spell, the red sigils fading into dust.


    ¡°Clypeus, eyes!¡± Callum brought his hands together and aimed at the lamias. A beam of light blasted forth, illuminating the entire room.


    Clypeus covered his eyes just in time to avoid the brunt of the bright spell, but his skin still burned from the intense light. Maeve had no such luck, she cried in agony and dropped to the floor, blinded. The Lysailas all winced in pain, shaking their heads with clenched eyes. Three of the lamias flickered purple for a moment before regaining their shape.


    Callum and Clypeus shared a glance and nudged their heads towards the real lamia. The blinded Lysailas swiped their blades through the air around them in a quick routine pattern.


    Clypeus threw one of his gladii to Callum. They walked silently around the real Lysaila, surrounding her from the front and back. They nodded to one another and dashed in.


    Lysaila smirked. Her tail whipped around her, faster than her blades had ever been. Clypeus¡¯ eyes widened in surprise, he slashed at the incoming tail, but his blade bounced off the scales. The tail smashed into both vampires and sent them crashing into the walls. Clypeus and Callum fell over, their bodies stock-still.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°You actually made me get a little serious at the end there,¡± Lysaila¡¯s forked tongue licked her smiling lips, her eyes still closed.


    Lysaila had been having fun playing with the interesting prey. The swordsman actually showed some promise, but his skills were too immature and he was too slow to keep up with her serpentine reflexes and strength.


    The Veres child was smart in trying to blind her senses. Unfortunately for him, he was ignorant. Lamias didn¡¯t rely on their sight, but their hearing. Lysaila could hear their two pounding heartbeats as they surrounded her. All it took was for her to move at her full speed for a single moment, one strike was enough.


    ¡°Oh, sweet prey, you both never stood a chance,¡± she cooed. ¡°So long as you have a heartbeat I¡¯ll know where you are. You can¡¯t run away from me and if you can¡¯t run, then I¡¯ve already won.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, you pretty little thing?¡± Lysaila swiveled over to the prone Maeve. ¡°You may be keeping still, but I can hear your heartbeat. Its quick rhythm tells me you are still awake and simply pretending. I don¡¯t mind. I like the taste of fear.¡±


    Maeve tried keeping still, her body could not stop trembling. Her vision was still blurry and her skin burned from the intense light of Callum¡¯s bright spell. She needed to get out of here. She needed to think. She needed time.


    The four Lyasaila¡¯s turned their head to the door, the fire had already crept through the entire hallway and threatened to invade the room.


    ¡°It seems two more prey are coming to play, how wonderful,¡± the Lysailas giggled.


    The lamias frowned, ¡°Wait, no. There¡¯s only¡­ one?¡±


    The fire exploded across the door and blew the lamias away, destroying all three illusions. Stryg jumped into the room in a burst of speed. He vaulted over the glass caskets and landed on all fours on top of Maeve. He covered her body with his own and hissed.


    Maeve blinked, surely her eyes were still damaged by the bright spell. The whites of Stryg¡¯s eyes were gone, his lilac irises spanned across the entire eye. His slit pupils were razor thin and glanced all about the room.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stryg asked without looking down at her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve been better,¡± Maeve nodded from underneath him. ¡°Clypeus and Callum they ar-¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alive. I can still hear their breathing,¡± Stryg muttered under his breath.


    Maeve swallowed, ¡°What happened to your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Too much fire, too bright,¡± he said.


    Lysaila laid on the ground, her eyes staring at the new prey. He looked kind of like the twins, but there was something else. She couldn¡¯t quite tell why, but there was something different about this one.


    Lysaila¡¯s tail coiled and pushed herself up. She dusted the ash off her skirt, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that flame spell, the explosion caught me off guard. You really are just full of surprises.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen your wretched kind,¡± Stryg gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You know, you kind of remind me of someone I know too. Well, two people actually, twins, except they were a lot less talkative. I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, I don¡¯t like you,¡± Lysaila placed a finger to her lip.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen anyone like me,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Right back at you,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    Stryg threw a flame bolt right at the lamia, she curved to the side, dodging the blast entirely.


    ¡°The same move won¡¯t work twice,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t listening, he had already dashed over to Clypeus and grabbed his gladius. He rushed low and thrust the short sword at the beastkin¡¯s soft belly. Her blade flashed out, smacked his sword away, and struck with a riposte. Stryg bent his back, dodging her blade by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    He pushed himself back and thrusted his gladius. Lysaila blocked the stab with graceful precision and slashed back with deadly accuracy. Stryg tried blocking, her blade sliced through his shirt and into his shoulder. He winced in pain and jumped back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not nearly as skilled as the other boy. Pity, I was hoping we¡¯d have more fun,¡± Lysaila sighed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to gut you.¡±


    Stryg roared and leaped at her, his blade swung down above her head. She blocked the attack with a quick swipe, pushing him back. He twisted in the air, letting the momentum of the block turn him, and threw the sword at her face. She ducked below the blade.


    Stryg sneered as he fell in mid-air, he had hoped she would dodge, her face was now close. He kicked her jaw with all the strength he could muster. The flat of her blade came up and blocked his foot. Lysaila grunted as she was pushed back to the wall from the force of the blow.


    Stryg landed, his mouth open in shock. How could she block at such a close distance?


    Lysaila rolled her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one so small yet so strong. Alas. You. Are. Just. Too¡­ Slow!¡±


    Her blue tail whipped out with blinding speed, slamming him into the wall, cracking the stone bricks. He fell to his knees.


    Stryg coughed painfully and scraped the blood off his lips.


    ¡°Still conscious? Aw, too bad,¡± Lysaila giggled.


    ¡°Maeve¡­¡± Stryg huffed. ¡°Run.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Maeve¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I can win¡­ Run¡­ while you can¡­ Run!¡±


    Maeve nodded reluctantly. She got up with shaky steps and ran towards the door.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let you just go,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    Her tail changed direction and pushed her over to the door. Maeve froze, Lysaila slashed her blade down. A blue blur entered the corner of Lysaila¡¯s vision. She curled to the side and barely dodged Stryg¡¯s fist. His body slammed into the wall, shaking the floor.


    ¡°Run!¡± Stryg roared.


    Maeve ran out of the room and disappeared into the burning hallway. Lysaila hissed and chased after her. Stryg dug his claws into the wall, dug out a chunk of the stone brick, and flung it at the lamia. Lysaila twisted her body to the side and evaded, the stone chunk punched a hole in the window behind her with blinding speed.


    Stryg blocked the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m not... done with you,¡± he panted.


    ¡°You¡¯re faster,¡± Lysaila narrowed her eyes. ¡°Those dark veins around your legs, agility magic? Oh, little prey, it doesn¡¯t matter how fast your magic makes you. Lamias are quicker than any orange mage.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath. He flexed his claws and crouched low, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯ve never seen anyone like me.¡±


    As they spoke, Stryg¡¯s mind quickly ran through his options. He didn¡¯t have enough training with purple magic to reliably create illusions. The same applied to his blue magic¡¯s torrent spell-form, there was no water here and he definitely wasn¡¯t capable of creating any. He knew lamias could fight in pitch darkness, so shadow spells were out of the question too.


    Grey magic¡¯s drain spell-form required long hand-to-hand contact, the lamia would cut him to ribbons before he got the chance. Grey¡¯s curse spell-form and red¡¯s ward spell-form were the same. They all required time. The lamia wouldn¡¯t give him any.


    The lamia was already expecting his flame spell-form. He didn¡¯t have any good options. The only option left was simple and obvious.


    He let the orange mana flow through his entire body, his veins darkening from head to toe. He forced all his orange mana to surge through. His body burned and ached from the exertion of the advanced agility spell, it wouldn¡¯t be able to hold. But he didn¡¯t need it to. He just needed a few moments.


    Stryg kicked the ground, the wood cracked underneath his feet. He shot at her like an arrow. Lysaila¡¯s blade swept out with blinding speed. Stryg dropped under the attack and was met with her blue tail. He dug his claws into her tail as it smacked him into Lord Mora¡¯s desk.


    He groaned and pushed himself up. Lysaila hissed angrily and retreated to the corner. She glanced at her cracked scales and bleeding tail.


    ¡°How did your claws hurt me?¡± Her face darkened.


    The purple magestone on her belt shined brightly, her image blurred and spread apart, forming four Lysailas.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this,¡± the Lysailas hissed.


    Stryg tilted his head to the side. His altered eyes saw the world in pitch black with silver outlines. The flames coming from the hallway appeared as orange ribbons fluttering in the air. The smoke they gave off seemed translucent to him, he could barely make out their faint outline.


    Yet, when he looked at the lamias, three of them were like smoke. Translucent, with only a faint purple outline. Illusions?


    The lamias rushed and swung their blades at him. He ignored the illusionary attacks, their swords blurred and swept past him. The true Lysaila frowned and stabbed him. He sidestepped the thrust and clawed at her neck. She bent backward and avoided the strike. She twisted behind him and swung her blade. Stryg jumped away.


    ¡°You can see through my illusions?¡± Lysaila looked him over once more. ¡°You really are different. Yet you¡¯re still too weak.¡±


    Before Stryg could move she was on him, her blade a storm of silver all around him. He dodged the attacks and tried jumping back but she followed, her blade never moving far away. He blocked her sword with his claws the best he could. Her strikes were overwhelming, he couldn¡¯t follow her blade.


    His body burned, the last of his orange mana evaporated. His body suddenly felt sluggish and heavy. Lysaila¡¯s tail swept underneath him and knocked him to the ground. His back hit the wooden floor with a crack. Her tail curled around him and coiled tight. She looked down at him from above.


    ¡°I told you, little prey. I am not letting any of you go,¡± Lysaila smiled.


    Stryg tried desperately to move, her serpentine grip was as strong as steel. She opened her jaw wide, black venom dripping from her twin fangs. She licked his neck and sank her fangs into his delicious-looking throat. Or at least she tried. Her jaw hung over his neck, her mouth salivating. But, try as she might, she could not bite down. Her body shook from the exertion, yet her jaw did not clamp shut.


    Lysaila pulled back and stared at the strange blue prey. He was still struggling in her tail¡¯s grip to no avail. She frowned.


    She raised her sword and slashed down. Her blade froze right before it touched his neck. She tried pushing down on the sword, her arms trembled, the blade held still.


    Lysaila furrowed her brow as she gripped the sword¡¯s handle tightly. Her fingers trembled and her face grew red, ¡°Why won¡¯t you die?¡±


    Stryg looked up at her, his eyes full of anger and panic.


    ¡°L-let¡­ go¡­ of me,¡± he gasped.


    His words sent shivers down her spine. Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened. She needed to release him. He needed to live. Nothing else mattered. She dropped her sword, her tail uncoiled, and gently lowered him to the ground.


    Lysaila shook her head, what was wrong with her? Why did she release this little prey? Why did she not kill him? On the contrary, why did she want to save him? What the fuck was wrong with her!? Unless¡­ It couldn¡¯t be.


    Lysaila stared at him with a mixture of fear and loathing, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Stryg kicked her in the chest, sending her flying out the window.


    He collapsed on the floor.


    ¡°Damn snake lady,¡± he wheezed.

 Chapter 143: The Owl

    Chapter 143: The Owl


    Stryg rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees. He took in short labored breaths and tried to keep his balance. He had pushed himself too hard with the advanced agility spell. Worse, he had cast it over his entire body. He never understood why people said he weighed a lot, until now. His body felt heavier than stone and it was taking much of his energy to not tip over.


    The fire from the hall was beginning to spread throughout the room. The paint on the walls was beginning to melt and the tapestries were burning up in flames. Black smoke filled the air with soot and ash.


    A weak cough caught Stryg¡¯s attention. He glanced to his left, Clypeus groaned. Stryg gritted his teeth and forced his legs to stand. He limped over to the vampire lying on the ground.


    ¡°Cly, are you alright?¡± Stryg wiped the sweat from his brow.


    ¡°Ugh, what happened,¡± Clypeus grimaced. His eyes shot open and he gripped Stryg¡¯s hand, ¡°Where¡¯s the lamia!?¡±


    ¡°Gone,¡± he pointed to the window.


    ¡°...Huh¡­ well, damn,¡± Clypeus closed his eyes and laid his head back down.


    ¡°We can¡¯t rest here, the castle¡¯s on fire. Can you move?¡±


    ¡°I think? The lamia broke my yellow durability spell, but I managed to save my ribs from breaking,¡± Clypeus sat up. He winced, ¡°Damn, she hit hard, I¡¯m gonna have bruises all over.¡±


    ¡°Who cares, you¡¯re alive,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± he smiled weakly. ¡°Where¡¯s Callum!?¡±


    They both hobbled their way over to the unconscious vampire.


    Clypeus checked Callum¡¯s pulse and sighed with relief, ¡°He¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°But, he¡¯s not waking up,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°His ribs look broken, we¡¯ll need to take him to a doctor.¡±


    ¡°And where are we supposed to find one?¡±


    ¡°Normally, there would be several in the castle. But, with everything that¡¯s going on, our best bet is to head back to the Dread Shadow. The ship will have several medics on board.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°I sent the centaurs at the stables into the forest to the East. If you head over now, you might still catch them. I¡¯m sure one of the centaurs will take you both to the Veres ship.¡±


    ¡°What about you? This place isn¡¯t safe anymore and Lord Mora has clearly abandoned any idea of helping us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need to find Maeve, she¡¯s still in danger,¡± Stryg wiped his brow.


    ¡°You really need to tell me what happened between you two,¡± Clypeus hefted Callum onto his back.


    ¡°Not much. She¡¯s just not the person I thought she was,¡± Stryg swallowed. His throat was parched.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Stryg smiled half-heartedly.


    He covered his face with his arms and prepared to walk out.


    ¡°Stryg! We¡¯ll talk more about all of this later. So, please, stay alive,¡± Clypeus stared at him, worry clear in his eyes.


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Maeve stumbled through the burning corridor. Callum¡¯s bright spell had left her partially blinded. Her vision was slowly returning, but everything still seemed a blur. Her skin burned and stung. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the fires roiling around her or the aftereffects of the bright spell¡¯s potent light.


    The air was dry and her throat was parched. The air felt thin and it was difficult to breathe. She tried inhaling deeply and only managed to have a coughing fit. All she tasted was ash and smoke.


    She sent a quick mental prayer to her goddess, Bellum. Maeve dragged her feet through the smoking halls, merely holding on to her consciousness. She was barely managing to avoid the flames licking the walls, let alone trying to navigate through the castle. She had run out of her father¡¯s study in a hurry. The lamia was going to kill them all. Stryg had bought her time to escape. Stryg had sacrificed himself for her¡­


    How useless could she be? Sure, she wasn¡¯t a warrior nor a mage, but she had an advantage no one else had. She had seen this already within her dreams, she knew the possibility of her home being attacked. And yet, she was unable to prevent any of it. She was still just that same little helpless girl.


    Maeve shook her head, Not anymore.


    She wouldn¡¯t leave Stryg to his fate. She would find help and come back for him. Lord Mora employed hundreds of guards and dozens of magi. There had to be some still nearby.


    Maeve turned around, but her feet stopped. Smoke and flames shrouded the corridor behind her. There was no way to go back the way she came. Maeve glanced around, she wasn¡¯t even sure where she was. The fire had burned away the walls, every hallway was an inferno of cinder and ash.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Maeve swallowed.


    She could not give up now. Stryg needed her help. He wouldn¡¯t hold out forever. Eventually, he would lose and they would all die. Her cousin, Callum. Her friend, Clypeus. And Stryg, her¡­ She didn¡¯t even know what they were. A one-night-stand? An unlikely friend?


    Sure, she found Stryg attractive, but they weren¡¯t in a relationship, nor was she interested in getting married to anyone. Her father was enough, being tied down to another man was something she would rather avoid at all costs. Romance was out of the question, even with a beautiful hybrid. But there was something about his lilac eyes, something that gave her pause. There was a clarity in those eyes that reminded Maeve of her dream, but she couldn¡¯t quite recall what.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A burning beam fell behind her. She yelled in surprise and backed away. Her air-deprived mind had begun to wander. She needed to focus. She hauled her aching body forward.


    The world around was falling apart, the wooden beams coming apart, leaving only the stone framework behind. She needed to get out of the smoke, they would kill her before any fire did. She frantically looked about for a room to seek shelter in, every door was covered in flames.


    Maeve spotted a large open doorway at the end of the next hall. The doors seemed to have burned away and although smoke filled the hall, she spotted light filtering through the doorway.


    ¡°Windows,¡± she mumbled.


    If there were windows then there was fresh air and possibly an escape from this burning deathtrap. If she could get out, she could find help. The choice was clear. She hobbled her way over with what little energy she had left.


    Maeve pushed past the doorway with a final burst of energy. She looked around the burning chamber and found herself in the ballroom. The sight touched some part of her memory, she was too tired to remember what. All she could think of was that the ballroom was on the 1st floor. She could jump out of the windows without any risk of death. The large glass windows of the ballroom stood across the dance floor only a few dozen feet away.


    As soon as she took her first step on the dance floor, she heard a high pitch screech over her head. She glanced up in time to see the large ornate chandelier¡¯s chain melt and snap off the ceiling. Her legs buckled underneath her, she raised her arms up in a hopeless act of defense.


    ¡°Maeve!¡± Stryg burst from the hallway and pushed her away.


    The chandelier cracked over his body and he crashed on the floor with a resounding boom. Maeve¡¯s voice caught in her throat, her eyes widened in horror. The chandelier lay broken on top of Stryg¡¯s small body. He did not move.


    Maeve crawled over. Tears streamed down her face and evaporated from the heat.


    ¡°Stryg, please be alive, please,¡± Maeve cried.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Gods, not like this, it can¡¯t end like this,¡± Maeve whispered.


    She grabbed the chandelier and flinched, the metal was burning hot. She grabbed Stryg¡¯s arm and tried pulling him from under. He didn¡¯t budge, he was too heavy. She groaned and pulled, summoning every last bit of life and strength she had in her. He moved a few inches. The weight of the chandelier shifted and bore down on his back. Maeve¡¯s hands slipped and she fell backward, her chin smashed into the marble floor. Her vision went blank from the blinding pain.


    After a few stunned moments, she scrambled her way to him. She brushed Stryg¡¯s silver hair from his face and touched his cheek, his skin was cool to the touch. Her mind wandered to the morning of the seregulus hunt.


    ¡°You saved me back then, too,¡± Maeve smiled, her body trembled.


    But this time, there would be no Gale to save them both.


    ¡°You won¡¯t die alone, not today,¡± Maeve rested her forehead on his own.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg grumbled softly.


    His eyes opened slowly.


    ¡°Maeve?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! Can you move?¡± Maeve wiped her eyes.


    ¡°Not really,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°...Thank you¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saving me, again,¡± she swallowed.


    Stryg licked his parched lips, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m regretting it.¡±


    ¡°Ha, no take-backs,¡± Maeve grinned weakly.


    ¡°Damn,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°How did you even get here? Did you actually defeat that lamia?¡±


    He looked up at her, his pupils dilating, ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    ¡°I fell, it¡¯s nothing compared to your injuries¡­ Your eyes, you have lilac irises!¡± Maeve froze. The memory of her dream came crashing down on her.


    ¡°So I have been told,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You''re the owl?!¡± She yelled in recognition.


    ¡°Uh, what now?¡±


    ¡°Stryyyyg! Stryg, where are you!?¡± A voice shouted in the distance.


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°Master?¡±


    Maeve caught on quickly. She cupped her hands together and yelled from the top of her lungs, ¡°Over here! Stryg and I are over here!¡±


    The floor began to rattle. Maximus ran into the hall, flames tearing around him, Loh riding on his back. Rhian charged in after them, spear in hand, her eyes darting about. Loh raised her hands, the fires around the ballroom shook and were blasted away, leaving only soft embers burning on the walls.


    ¡°Master!¡± Rhian spotted Stryg.


    Rhian ran over to them and kicked the chandelier off him.


    ¡°Ah, hey!¡± Maeve yelled as Rhian pushed her away.


    Rhian scooped Stryg up and cradled her in his arms, ignoring his heavy weight, ¡°Talk to me, Master. Say anything. One word is enough. Just let me know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, why did you two come back?¡± Stryg tried squirming out of her embrace.


    ¡°We saw Clypeus Gale and Callum Veres. Clypeus told us that you were weakened and in danger. I needed to find my mistress anyway and Rhian insisted we come to get you,¡± Maximus said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let you burn up in this stale castle,¡± Rhian smiled down at Stryg.


    The centaur¡¯s black hair fell all over him, tickling his face.


    This is not the pose a proud warrior is supposed to make, Stryg thought glumly.


    Loh hopped off Maximus¡¯s back and walked over to her apprentice, ¡°It¡¯s been a hectic morning for all of us. I woke up to the screaming of the guests staying in the next room over. After killing a few raiders I met up with Maximus and Rhian. It took me some time getting to you, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening out there? What¡¯s going on?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It seems one of the valley tribes has gone crazy. They¡¯ve traveled all the way up North, just to attack Mora Castle? Something doesn¡¯t add up. Unless¡­ The docks. They¡¯re trying to cripple the river trade routes,¡± Loh clenched her fists.


    ¡°But, that¡¯s basically declaring war on Hollow Shade. A single tribe versus a Great City? What tribe is crazy enough to try and do that?¡± Maeve¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure which valley tribe, but there are hundreds of warriors outside. We need to get out of here fast,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I thought I heard voices from over here,¡± someone laughed from the doorway.


    Loh spun around, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ an elf?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re quite the beauty, lucky me,¡± the elf winked.


    ¡°Kyriil, focus. We¡¯re here for a purpose,¡± Grim walked in behind him. He had to duck under the doorway to avoid hitting his head.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Kill and capture. But, damn I¡¯ve never seen such nice tatas on a centaur before. They are huuuuge!¡± Kyriil opened his arms wide to illustrate.


    Rhian cocked her head in confusion, unsure if she should be proud or creeped out by the stranger¡¯s comment. Stryg growled at the intruders. Maeve bit her lip, unsure of what to make of the situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with. I hate all this fire, it dries up my skin,¡± Grim grumbled.


    Loh¡¯s jaw went slack at the sight of the grey looming figure, ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°What, never seen an axlean before,¡± Kyriil patted Grim¡¯s arm before.


    ¡°Understandably so,¡± Grim said.


    ¡°Mistress, shall I dispose of them?¡± Maximus hefted his battle ax.


    ¡°Oh, it seems there¡¯s been a misunderstanding, big guy,¡± Kyriil waggled his finger. ¡°We aren¡¯t some chaff to be thrown out. We are magi and these are our warriors.¡±


    Kyriil snapped his fingers. Two dozen men and women clad in armor and weapons, rushed in behind them, and blocked off the doorway.


    ¡°So, unless you wish to face the might of two high-master magi and our cold-hearted warriors, I suggest you all come with us, quietly,¡± Kyriil said.


    ¡°Is that right? I do love a challenge,¡± Loh raised her hands and shifted her feet into a battle stance.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d resist,¡± Kyriil smiled wide.

 Chapter 144: Black Amber

    Chapter 144: Black Amber


    ¡°Rhian, get Stryg and the Mora girl out of here. Maximus, you¡¯re with me,¡± Loh shifted her feet and entered her battle stance.


    ¡°Understood, Mistress,¡± Maximus gripped his ax tight and glared at the two dozen valley warriors.


    ¡°Master, wait, what are you doing?!¡± Stryg asked in panic.


    The two strange warriors had said they were high-master magi, the same rank as Loh. She was at a complete disadvantage. They all needed to run away. Stryg tried squirming out of Rhian¡¯s embrace, but he could barely feel his limbs, let alone move them.


    ¡°You heard Loh, we need to get you out here. There¡¯s no time to waste,¡± Rhian threw Stryg behind her and unto the saddle.


    Rhian ignored his futile struggling and strapped his legs tightly on the saddle. She then kneeled next to Maeve and motioned her to hop on.


    Maeve looked around, fear and confusion crawling all over her face. She hadn¡¯t dreamed of any of this. What was happening?


    ¡°My siblings, they¡¯re still here. They might be in danger,¡± Maeve mumbled.


    ¡°Sorry, Miss, but I¡¯m here for Stryg. We are leaving with or without you. Are you getting on or not?¡± Rhian stared at her with hard steel-grey eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Maeve opened her mouth, but the words did not come out.


    She nodded glumly and got behind Stryg on the saddle. The goblin was lurching to one side, she wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled him upright.


    ¡°And where do you all think you might be going?¡± The elf, Kyriil, stretched his arms.


    ¡°Funny you should ask,¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    Kyriil thrusted his palms forward, white mana condensed in his hands, the bright spell flared to life, light bursted in a wave of magic. Loh¡¯s arms swiped to her sides, a dome of shadows wrapped around her group. The ardent light tore away at the dome, cutting the darkness into ribbons.


    Kyriil smiled, his bright spell had overwhelmed the shadow spell. He frowned as his light spell faded away, the dark elf and her friends were unharmed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it, the dark elf is a high-master mage,¡± the axlean, Grim, muttered to his elf comrade.


    ¡°I never did like dark elves. As if they were somehow related to elves, We¡¯re nothing alike,¡± Kyriil sneered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll subdue her quickly,¡± Grim stepped forward.


    ¡°Rhian, this is the 1st floor. Jump, now.¡± Loh kept her eyes on the enemy, yet she pointed to the large glass panels behind her.


    Rhian nodded in understanding. She hurled her spear at the window, the steel-head shattered the glass and flew to the courtyard outside.


    ¡°Maximus, you deal with the warriors, I¡¯ll deal with the magi,¡± Loh said sharply.


    ¡°Gladly!¡± Maximus charged the valley raiders without hesitation.


    ¡°Master, we need to run!¡± Stryg yelled weakly.


    Loh smiled sadly at her apprentice, ¡°Keep him safe, Rhian.¡±


    Loh ran at the two enemy magi.


    Stryg watched Loh¡¯s back disappear into the fray as Rhian jumped through the window. He felt as if the world slowed down as Rhian vaulted, the stone window-sill came up past his vision and cut off his sight of the battle. Rhian landed on the courtyard with a crack of thunder. She pushed off the cobblestone and sprinted onwards.


    Maximus dived at the valley raiders with a fury of a dozen men. He swung his large ax in a wide arc, slicing two raiders in half. The others ducked under the attack, one threw her spear at the centaur, grazing his chest, tearing the skin in a splatter of blood.


    Maximus grimaced, his lack of armor had made this far more difficult. He roared in anger and kicked the raider in the face, smashing her head into a pulp.


    Water appeared and condensed around Grim¡¯s arm and froze into two feet long razor-sharp needles. With a flick of Grim¡¯s wrist, the frost needles shot forth with a screech of wind. Loh snapped her hand out, a roaring vortex of flame blasted out and evaporated the frost needles before they reached the exposed Maximus.


    Loh twisted her lips, the tall axlean mage was willing to attack his own men if it meant killing Maximus and her.


    Kyriil cupped his hands together, a blazing orb of light grew in between his hands. A laser materialized from the orb and zipped out, burning a hole into the marble floor. Kyriil shifted his hands above the orb and angled the direction of the laser. The bright beam seared the floors and marble pillars and went straight at Loh.


    She casted an orange agility spell into her legs, her veins turned a dark grey, granting her enhanced speed. She bolted away from the laser, yet the beam kept up with her with ease. Loh jumped in the air, the laser cut upwards, she twisted at the last moment, the beam missed her by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    As Loh fell through the air she glanced at Maximus, he was covered in cuts. The elite raiders fought as a team, bringing their shields together to block Maximus¡¯ attacks and counterattacking with quick precision and unity. Maximus was being pushed back into the corner by the enemy.


    Loh landed softly and flexed her hands, orange mana crackling at her fingertips. The air grew hot and blurred. An inferno blazed into existence around her and scourged the floor, forming a cyclone of flame that reached the ceiling. Maximus had made it easy for her. By being pushed into the corner he wouldn¡¯t be caught in her attack.


    Loh could feel the high-master class spell consume her orange mana at a rapid pace. But this wouldn¡¯t be the same as when she faced off against the frost wolves. She wouldn¡¯t allow the spell to burn for long, instead, she would make it burn far hotter for a single moment. One moment would be enough.


    Kyriil¡¯s eyes widened in fear, he tried bringing his orb¡¯s laser down on her, but it was too late.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Loh smiled viciously, Infernal Cyclone.


    The orange flames howled and blazed through the ballroom, scorching the ground and consuming all within sight. The wooden beams were burnt to charcoal and the metal chandeliers warped and melted. The valley warriors did not have a chance to scream before their bodies were roasted to the bone. Maximus covered his face, but he could feel his hair being seared from the intense heat.


    The cyclone of flame disappeared as quickly as it had destroyed the ballroom, leaving only black-scorched floors and pillars in a rain of ash. Maximus collapsed, exhausted.


    ¡°...No,¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened.


    A dome of silver-ice wrapped around the doorway. Cold mist floated around the dome, cooling the burning embers outside. Layers of crystalized ice crumbled off the dome, its structure barely holding, but the ones inside were unharmed. A large chunk of ice trembled and fell off the dome, the last chink in its armor. The silver-ice dome collapsed around its caster.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, to think that my greatest defensive water spell barely held. You truly are incredible, dark elf,¡± Grim said solemnly.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to be saved by you. Don¡¯t tell Lysaila,¡± Kyriil stepped out from behind him


    He ignored the elf and looked at Loh, ¡°I am Grim, a proud axlean of the Azure Realm, servant of the Azure gods, and an elemental high-master water mage. May I have the honor of knowing your name?¡±


    ¡°...Loh of House Noir,¡± she wiped the sweat from her brow.


    ¡°What are you doing? Our identities are confidential,¡± Kyriil admonished angrily.


    Grim glanced at the burnt skeletons of the raiders, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to protect our warriors. You torched them too quickly, Loh of House Noir.¡±


    ¡°As if you ever cared for any of them,¡± Loh panted and rested her hands on her knees. She could feel her insides overheating from her spell-casting.


    ¡°Cared? I try to avoid getting emotionally attached to people who will most likely die. That does not mean I did not value the lives of our warriors. They were loyal and useful to our lord. Their deaths will not go in vain,¡± Grim said.


    Kyriil created his orb of light once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, pretty dark elf, we won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve honored me with your greatest spell, Loh of House Noir. Allow me to honor you with mine,¡± Grim raised his hands above his head.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not supposed to kill her!¡± Kyriil yelled.


    But Grim¡¯s milky eyes were set on Loh. Dozens upon dozens of silver-ice shards formed around him. Water mana condensed into droplets of water mid-air and began to spin, growing with each moment, until waves of water rose above them. The waves weaved together, the silver-ice shards seeping into its flow until the water spell formed the shape of a large snake.


    Loh looked up at the titanic serpent helplessly, there was nowhere to run.


    Grim yelled, ¡°In the name of the Azure gods and Lord Marek -¡±


    ¡°Grim, stop it!¡± Kyriil tried shaking the axlean water mage.


    ¡°I sentence you to death!¡± Grim swung his hands down.


    Loh felt her muscles tighten, Marek?


    The water serpent hissed, a crackling of silver-ice scratching on each other within a torrent of rushing water.


    The faces of Loh¡¯s love, Tauri, and her brother, Aizel, flashed in her mind. Her guilt felt like a weight keeping her in place.


    Loh sighed, I guess you were wrong, grandfather.


    The serpent sprang down on her in a torrent of water and magic.


    ~~~


    6 years ago¡­


    Loh fell to her knees. She could barely feel her legs, her lungs burned, and her arms felt like stone. She could taste fresh blood on her tongue.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Elzri Noir said coldly.


    ¡°I can¡­ hardly breathe,¡± Loh gasped.


    ¡°Do you think that changes anything? Do you think your enemy will wait for you to catch your breath?¡± Elzri walked around her.


    He flicked his finger, a gust of wind blasted her away. She bounced painfully on the stone floor several times before a tree painfully stopped her momentum.


    She coughed up blood and lay still. Elzri walked up to her. She tried standing, she couldn¡¯t even manage to sit up.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak, Loh. I taught you better than this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you doing this?¡± She looked up at him with one eye, the other had closed up from the swelling.


    ¡°Because you need to learn.¡±


    ¡°Learn what? That you are stronger than me? That I can¡¯t beat you?¡± Loh cried.


    ¡°No, you already know that. The simple truth is you can¡¯t defeat a mage more powerful than you. That¡¯s the way the world is.¡± Elzri crouched down, ¡°The question is, what are you going to do when you find yourself in the same situation out there in the real world, not in a training courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Die?¡±


    Elzri slapped her, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that again. You are a Noir and my heir. Act like it.¡±


    Loh spat out a glob of blood and spit. She took a moment to try and think of his question. ¡°...Fight harder?¡±


    ¡°No. Fight smarter. Survival is most important, Loh. You must survive, no matter how powerful your opponent may be. Your goal is to live. That¡¯s how you win, not by defeating your opponent, but by surviving to fight another day. Do whatever it takes.¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°But what if I can¡¯t? What if my opponent is so powerful that no matter what strategies I use, I can¡¯t defeat them or escape? I mean, look at you. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to get away from an archmage.¡±


    ¡°You would be surprised. There are ways to survive even against an archmage. Granted, most of them require great power and tenacity, but I believe you will be able to achieve such feats someday.¡±


    ¡°And what if I can¡¯t?¡±


    Elzri gripped her wrist and pointed at her silver bracelet, ¡°You see this? It¡¯s the same as the one I wear. It represents the sacred bond between master and apprentice. And that means I believe in you. You are my pride and legacy, Loh. So long as you have the desire to live another day and are willing to push yourself to the point of sacrifice, then no matter who you face, you will win.¡±


    ~~~


    You were wrong, grandfather, Loh thought as she watched the titanic water serpent crash down on her. I don¡¯t care to live another day¡­


    Loh felt orange mana flood through her arteries, filling her entire body with power. Her veins darkened to a pitch-black as the agility spell took hold. Her body disappeared from sight, the water serpent crashed down on an empty floor.


    Kyriil¡¯s head shot up. Loh hung high above them, her shadow formed tendrils that gripped onto the ceiling.


    She had quickly multi-casted the shadow tendril spell to latch on to the ceiling after her jump. The familiar shadow spell had been easy enough. However, she could already feel the backlash of her other spell. Her muscles screamed in pain and her blood felt like it was boiling, her body was breaking down. The blood vessels in her eyes popped, tears of blood ran down her cheeks.


    Loh took a deep shaky breath, so long as she could kill Marek and his damn magi, she didn''t care what she sacrificed. Arch-mage agility spell, Black Amber.


    ¡°Up there!¡± Kyriil pointed at the ceiling.


    Grim threw his hands upwards, the water serpent sprang at Loh. She kicked off the ceiling, her figure flashed.


    Kyriil¡¯s ear twitched, a soft breeze tickled his nape. From the corner of his eye he saw Loh¡¯s foot smash down on Grim¡¯s spine.


    The 10-foot axlean flew through the air, his body smacked into a pillar, spun, and crashed into the wall. The water serpent broke apart and rained down on the ballroom. Loh stumbled, her shadow tendrils pushed off the floor and kept her standing. She raised her head slowly and turned to the stunned elf, as if a spider watching her prey, shadowy limbs trembling with rage.


    Loh¡¯s silhouette disappeared.

 Chapter 145: The Brave One

    Chapter 145: The Brave One


    Loh dashed to Kyriil¡¯s side. The Black Amber spell granted her incredible bursts of speed and reflexes. But the arch-mage spell had its price. Her bones creaked, her muscles spasmed in pain, and her vision was beginning to blur, yet her will was unbroken.


    She kicked the ground underneath her and propelled her body forward, like an arrow cutting through the wind. Kyriil threw himself to the ground. He was too slow. Loh swung her fist at his neck. A wave of light echoed out of the elf¡¯s body. Loh flinched, her fist missed its target, and caught Kyriil¡¯s shoulder instead.


    The speed of impact still pushed Kyriil several feet away. He landed on his back, he rolled and quickly got back on his feet. With his good arm, he spell-casted healing magic over his injured shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,¡± Kyriil grinned. Beads of sweat ran down his face.


    Loh wasn¡¯t listening, her body was refusing to answer her. Her knees buckled beneath her. Shadow tendrils shot out from her body and kept her from falling. She wouldn¡¯t last at this rate.


    Kyriil finished healing his shoulder and opened his arms wide. Two orbs of light formed above his palms, twin beams of light shot out. Loh jumped up high, her body flew up to the ceiling of the ballroom. The twin beams followed behind her.


    Loh¡¯s shadow tendrils whipped out and latched onto Kyriil below. The elf flung his arms around, the orbs¡¯ beams shifted and seared through the shadow tendrils. But, Loh only needed a moment of respite. She kicked down from the ceiling, twirled in the air, and came down with a dropkick to Kyriil¡¯s head.


    He jumped away and moved the light orbs to intercept. Loh was a blur, her foot landed on his shoulder with a satisfying crack. The elf screamed in pain, before his face smashed into the floor.


    Loh tried writing a cantrip, a quick single-symbol curse spell, but her hands couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Kyriil tried rolling over with a painful grunt. Loh¡¯s shadow tendrils wrapped around his body and held him tight.


    ¡°Wait, a sec-¡± Kyriil gasped.


    Loh¡¯s hands curled around his throat. She couldn¡¯t put any strength behind her grip, but she didn¡¯t need to. Grey mana flowed into her hands. She casted a drain spell, specifically aimed at not just draining, but absorbing his life force.


    Loh grinned maniacally, she could feel his life energy flow into her body and begin to mend the menagerie of wounds that ailed her. A single body would be far from enough to heal her injuries, but it would be enough to keep her standing a little longer. Kyriil¡¯s skin began to grow pale, his body shook and his eyes rolled up.


    ¡°Let go of him,¡± a strong yet quiet voice resounded throughout the ballroom.


    Loh sighed, she wasn¡¯t finished draining the elf. Her body¡¯s heat levels were reaching their limits fast. She would die of internal overheating if she didn¡¯t end this quickly.


    Loh released her hands from around the unconscious elf¡¯s neck. Her shadow tendrils faded away. She pushed herself to her feet and turned to face the new intruder. Her muscles tightened and her eyes widened.


    A tall blue-skinned man, wrapped in white robes, stood in front of her. His grey hair was short and fell right above his purple eyes. His features were rugged, his pointed ears did not droop in the slightest, his irises were dark, not pale, and his pupils were round without any undulation, but the resemblance was nonetheless uncanny. He reminded her of Stryg.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Vaughn said calmly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like one of Mora¡¯s men,¡± she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Neither do you.¡±


    Loh bolted past Vaughn¡¯s line of vision and attacked with a high kick to his temple. His arm shot out and caught her foot. Pitch-black veins covered his body. She gasped.


    ¡°You are not the only one who can cast Black Amber,¡± Vaughn pushed her foot away.


    She jumped back and raised her hands in a battle stance.


    Vaughn shook his wrist. ¡°That agility spell is quite powerful. Few are capable of casting it. You are not one of them. Your body cannot keep up with the arch-mage magic and is breaking down. Your spell is imperfect, it makes you slower than me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fast enough,¡± she sneered.


    His figure blurred. Loh wheezed in shock and pain. The world spun around her. Her cheek smashed into the marble floor as her body skidded across the ground like a skipping stone. Her vision was a smudge of black and red, her left eye began swelling shut.


    Vaughn stood above her. ¡°No, you are not.¡±


    Loh tried to breathe, every breath felt like a dagger was being driven into her chest.


    She looked up at him with her one good eye. Arch-mage.


    Loh had only seen him for a moment. He had been a flicker in her sight. Before she realized it, he had punched her in the ribs, breaking several on impact.


    ¡°Hm, your Black Amber spell was released. Or were you just incapable of holding it any longer? No matter, it seems your body is already failing,¡± Vaughn placed his foot on her neck.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Loh tried to take a breath, she only managed to choke on her own blood. Vaughn¡¯s black veins returned back to normal as he looked her over.


    ¡°Ruptured veins all throughout the body and severe damage to the internal organs. Not to mention the broken bones and punctured lung I just gave you. It¡¯s a wonder you are still conscious,¡± he tilted his head.


    Vaughn¡¯s arm snapped up and caught Maximus¡¯ ax in mid-swing. The arch-mage¡¯s arm had gained a bronze sheen in the blink of an eye. Maximus gritted his teeth and tried pulling the ax away, but Vaughn¡¯s vigor-spell-enhanced arm held on with ease.


    Vaughn turned his neck back to look at the centaur, ¡°Why?¡±


    Maximus released the ax and kicked the hybrid¡¯s back with both front feet. A red ward sigil appeared behind the arch-mage, blocking the hooves with a resounding clang. Maximus yelled and swung his fists down on Vaughn¡¯s head.


    The arch-mage flicked his hand, a firebolt smashed into Maximus¡¯ arms and sent him careening backward.


    Vaughn raised his hand, a dozen purple tendrils manifested around his arm, curling around in a spiral pattern. Yet he did not move, his foot stayed on Loh¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Why, centaur? You could have simply stayed quiet and pretended to still be unconscious. Instead, you attempted a futile sneak attack. And for what? To save your rider, your master? Really? I would think you would be happy to be rid of her.¡±


    Maximus grimaced at his burnt arms, the charred flesh still sizzling. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to,¡± Vaughn tossed the ax over at the centaur¡¯s feet.


    Maximus took a deep breath, ¡°They have taken almost everything from my people. Our freedom, our lives, our children¡­ But, they cannot take away my honor. If I stand here and cower in silence while you kill her, I would be nothing more than a coward. Then I would truly have lost everything.¡±


    Maximus reached down and grabbed the ax, ¡°I would rather die.¡±


    Vaughn smiled bitterly, ¡°Then you are braver than me.¡±


    Maximus roared and charged him. Vaughn¡¯s purple tendrils whipped out and latched onto Maximus. He froze, the ax slipped from his grip, and his eyes grew dim.


    ¡°Forgive me, brave one. Your mind is one I would rather not invade. If only you were not my enemy,¡± Vaughn said with a pained voice.


    Loh tried to move. All she could feel was pain, her muscles refused to respond to her wishes.


    The purple mind tendrils flared, Vaughn¡¯s eyes widened. He glanced down at her, ¡°You are Loh Noir?¡±


    He shifted his foot off her throat and took a step back. She coughed up blood and tried gasping for air. Vaughn straightened his hand into an open palm, the purple tendrils faded away. Maximus collapsed, unconscious.


    Vaughn kneeled down next to Loh and placed his hands over her broken ribs. A soft white light enveloped her body in a cocoon of pure healing magic. The white mana soothed her tensed muscles and began mending her ruptured veins and injured organs.  She managed to inhale a breath of fresh air, albeit a weak one. In only a few seconds, her body was coming back from the brink of death.


    Loh¡¯s bloodshot blue eyes squinted at the arch-mage, she was unsure of what to think of him.


    Vaughn lowered his head next to her ear and whispered softly, ¡°I know you cannot speak yet, and you may not understand any of this, but I need you to listen very closely, Loh. The entire Ebon Realm is in grave danger. The Unildyr have been found and I cannot stop the events that will soon transpire.¡±


    ¡°Marek and everyone around him thinks they can use the Unildyr for their own agendas. Not a single one of them understands what the Unildyr truly are. They believe the Unildyr were simply discovered, that we were lucky to have found the book passage containing the whereabouts of the eggs. But It wanted the Unildyr to be found. It allowed us to find the eggs. Your grandfather must be warned as soon as possible.¡±


    Vaughn sighed bitterly, ¡°Not that it will matter at this point. Elzri Noir will not be powerful enough to prevent the current course of events, let alone stop It. You¡¯ll need to find Holo. Tell Holo the Unildyr will soon awaken and It knows where the key is hidden. If we are lucky, Holo may know a way out of all this. There is no time left, you must hurry Loh, for all our sakes. War is coming to the Realm. We may already be too late to save all our people.¡±


    Vaughn lifted his hands, the soft white light faded away, ¡°You should be healthy enough to ride now. Your body is already beginning to overheat from all your magic, avoid casting any more spells in the meantime.¡±


    Vaughn turned to Maximus and started healing his charred arms and the cuts over his body.


    ¡°W-why?¡± Loh murmured a raspy voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time to explain, nor could I if I wanted to. Your grandfather should have all the answers you seek. Most importantly, he should know where to find Holo.¡±


    Loh swallowed, she could still taste blood in her mouth. ¡°Who is Holo?¡±


    ¡°A friend or so I hope,¡± Vaugh whispered.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t even know!?¡± Loh tried standing, but she stumbled and fell to her knees.


    ¡°Many years have passed, much information has been lost. I only hope your family has not shirked its duties.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of this means,¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°That is what worries me.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t an arch-mage I would hit you for your god damn confusing message,¡± Loh clenched her fists.


    ¡°I was told you Noirs had fire in you. Good, you¡¯ll need it,¡± Vaughn nodded to himself.


    Vaughn released the healing spell, ¡°Done, your companion should be strong enough to make the journey to the docks. Be wary of enemies along the way. Lord Marek has sent many of his warriors to burn down the ships.¡±


    He placed his index and middle finger on Maximus¡¯ forehead. Vaughn¡¯s fingers glowed purple for a moment. He stepped back as the centaur began to wake up.


    ¡°W-where? W-what happened?¡± Maximus pushed himself to his feet.


    ¡°You live another day, brave one,¡± Vaughn smiled.


    Maximus looked around for his ax. He found it, grabbed it, and took a battle stance.


    ¡°Stop, Max,¡± Loh held his arm. ¡°We need to get out of here now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re okay? How?¡± Maximus furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Ask him,¡± Loh shook her head and tried to get on the saddle.


    Maximus helped her up. He glanced at Vaughn but said nothing.


    ¡°Do not mention anything we spoke of to anyone else, for both our sakes, understood? It has many ears and many eyes throughout the Realm,¡± Vaughn said sternly.


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°Who is this ¡®It¡¯ you keep talking about?¡±


    ¡°...The Monster in the Dark,¡± Vaughn whispered.


    Loh felt a shiver crawl up her spine, ¡°What? Who are you?¡±


    Vaughn stared at his own hands, ¡°Someone trying to be brave for once.¡±


    ¡°I hear people coming this way,¡± Maximus glanced at the doorway.


    Vaughn turned towards the door, ¡°You need to get out of here, quickly. Find Holo, no matter the cost.¡±


    Loh surveyed the ruined ballroom one last time. She would find Marek, one day. For now, she needed answers. She needed to find her grandfather.


    ¡°Run, Max,¡± she said.


    Maximus jumped out the shattered windows and onto the snowy courtyard beyond.

 Chapter 146: Under Fire & Water

    Chapter 146: Under Fire & Water


    A winter storm began to brew over the Dire River, the wind howled, snow swirled throughout the Mora harbor. Sailors and dock workers hurried inside taverns for shelter. The few that stayed outside only did so because they were working. A single rider ran through the streets with a clear purpose.


    Clypeus held on to the reins tightly as his centaur galloped through the harbor. Callum sat in front of him, still unconscious from the battle with the lamia. Sailors and other workers shouted in annoyance as they barrelled past them.


    Clypeus glanced behind him at the Mortis Grove forest behind the docks. No one was following them. The other centaurs had split the moment they realized their masters wouldn¡¯t be coming back. He briefly wondered where they would go, but he returned his attention to the task at hand, getting Callum to safety.


    The enemy army was close by and he didn¡¯t want to stick around long enough to see what would happen if they came this way.


    ¡°Castle Mora was attacked! Castle Mora was attacked!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    He needed to warn people that the enemy was nearby. The few sailors and dock workers that still walked the streets looked up at him with brief confusion then returned back to work. They were clearly too accustomed to the crazy and drunk ramblings of disheveled folk, even ones on centaurs.


    Clypeus frowned, no one was listening. The ships needed to disembark their cargo to make room for more passengers. The sailors needed to get ready to set sail as soon as possible. Yet Clypeus didn¡¯t have time to waste and explain the situation to them.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Clypeus pointed to the Dread Shadow in the distance.


    The centaur veered to the right and headed straight towards the enormous Veres flagship. Dozens of soldiers equipped with black and red armor stood near the Dread Shadow¡¯s lift. None of the commoners nor sailors dared near the ship for fear of being cut down by the Veres guards.


    The guards raised their swords and shields at the sight of the centaur. The beastkin pulled up a dozen feet from the armed soldiers and stared uncertainly at the Veres retinue.


    ¡°I need help! Callum is injured, we need a medic!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    The guards quickly recognized the speaker and their young master whom he carried. They ran towards the young men without hesitance. The centaur kneeled so the soldiers could carry Callum off and to the lift. Clypeus dismounted as well and walked next to Callum, never taking his eyes off his ward.


    The group hopped on the lift and waited as the lift¡¯s chains were hauled up. As the lift was raised towards the ship¡¯s deck Clypeus glanced out to docks below.


    ¡°Dear gods help us,¡± he whispered.


    Hundreds of warriors poured out of the Mortis Grove tree line and charged at the docks. Even in the morning light, it was clear what they all held in their hands, torches. They didn¡¯t plan on seizing the docks, they were going to burn it down.


    The lift¡¯s chains rattled to a halt as they reached the deck. Sailors rushed towards them, asking a cacophony of questions.


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± the ship¡¯s captain pushed the sailors aside. He stopped in his tracks as he spotted the army closing in on the docks.


    ¡°Callum was badly injured, he needs medical attention asap,¡± Clypeus panted, exhaustion clear in his voice.


    The captain shook his head, ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll have the ship¡¯s white magi look after him immediately. Thank you, young master Gale, for protecting him. You don¡¯t look very well yourself, you should go down to the med bay as well.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    The captain was no longer listening, instead he was shouting orders to his men and women. ¡°Get ready to sail off now! Move your asses, there is no time to waste!¡±


    The sailors and guards nodded in assent and quickly ran off to their duties.


    Clypeus grabbed the captain¡¯s arm, ¡°Excuse me, captain. We can¡¯t leave yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master Gale. You can explain to me what the fuck is going on later. We have to get off these docks before those damn torch men arrive.¡±


    ¡°Captain, my friend is still back there! Callum¡¯s friend. He came with us on this ship. We can¡¯t leave without him.¡±


    The captain placed his hand on the young vampire¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Young master Veres is our top priority. We have to make sure he makes it out of here alive. As a Gale, you must surely understand.¡±


    The captain didn¡¯t wait for his response. He walked off towards the helm of the ship, shouting commands at his sailors every step of the way.


    Clypeus looked out to the Mortis Grove forest on the horizon.


    ¡°Stryg, please hurry,¡± he whispered.


    ~~~


    ¡°Stryg, how are you feeling?¡± Maeve whispered into his ear.


    His body started slipping off the saddle in response. Maeve wrapped her arms around his torso and steadied him.


    ¡°Damn, you''re heavy!¡± She groaned.


    ¡°Master, are you alright!?¡± Rhian slowed down and twisted her back to look at them.


    Stryg¡¯s breathing was rough, despite being out in the snow and cold, his shirt was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°...I¡¯m okay. I just need¡­ to rest,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    Maeve placed her hand over his forehead, ¡°He¡¯s burning up.¡±


    ¡°We need to get him to a healer,¡± Rhian bit her lip.


    She looked around their surroundings. Tall, pale dead trees spanned across their entire scope of vision. Snow, two feet tall, covered the forest floor. Each step was a difficult cold trudge.


    ¡°How are we going to make it in this cold?¡± Maeve shivered.


    Her usually pale skin was bright red from the cold. She was only wearing her torn dress from last night and Clypeus¡¯ jacket. Maeve could feel the cold wind blow through her jacket and chill her body to the bone.


    It had taken about an hour on the main road to reach Castle Mora from the docks. Unlike the other centaurs that had been able to escape earlier, they had been forced to stay off the main road for fear of being caught by the enemy.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Rhian wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take them to get to the docks from here, nor how long she could keep running through the tall snow before she succumbed to the cold herself.


    Rhian stared at Stryg¡¯s small blue face. His soft almost-baby-like cheeks had turned a dark blue, from the heat or the cold, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    Stryg always seemed like a lion prowling through the streets to Rhian. He never wavered, he fought for what he wanted, and when it came to his pack, he protected them with wild ferocity. Now, all she could think was how small he looked, like a newborn cub, helpless. How could such a small thing wake up every morning and have the strength to decide to be a lion?


    Rhian wanted to protect that brave little creature. She wanted to protect the smile that rarely crossed his face, the lilac eyes that carried the weight of a thousand scars, and the laugh that rang clear even in the loudest of rooms.


    Even if Rhian didn¡¯t know how, she was going to protect him. A shiver ran down her spine, liquid thunder rushed through her veins. The world quieted, her purpose was clear. She would protect him at all costs, she swore it.


    Rhian laughed unsteadily, ¡°What choice do we have? Let him rest, Maeve. I¡¯ll get us there.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg felt tired, so very tired. Some small part of his mind realized he was in the water. His body floating just barely above the surface. Raindrops pelted his skin incessantly, drenching his clothes, pushing him ever so slowly below the surface. The water covered his ears, closing the echoes of the world to him.


    He couldn¡¯t remember how he got here, but he was too tired to care. He closed his eyes, he just wanted to sleep...


    ~~~


    ¡°No! My family¡¯s docks,¡± Maeve gasped.


    Rhian stood behind the tree line, her grey eyes stared hard at the burning docks in the distance. The ships at the harbor were on fire, their decks consumed by the scorching heat.


    Rhian had been running across the forest for over an hour. Her lungs burned, the cold air stung with every breath. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs anymore. The rest of her body felt sluggish, numb.


    ¡°All of my family¡¯s ships are on those docks. Rhian, what do we do?¡± Maeve¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°...Are there any other docks nearby?¡±


    ¡°No, the nearest docks are 40 leagues from here. It would take a fast centaur several hours to get there and that¡¯s in good conditions! With this storm and all the snow on the ground, and you''ve been running non-stop¡­¡±


    Rhian squinted and pointed her finger to the docks, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Beyond the raging inferno and the black smoke, Maeve spotted a large white silhouette near the harbor.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°That¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°The Ghost Flame, House Noir¡¯s flagship,¡± Rhian finished.


    ¡°They¡¯re still here. When I didn¡¯t see the Dread Shadow I assumed the Ghost Flame had also left.¡±


    ¡°We still have a chance. They¡¯re probably waiting on Loh. They¡¯ll definitely let her apprentice on board,¡± Rhian said, hope creeping into her voice.


    Maeve frowned, ¡°The Ghost Flame, it¡¯s not docked. It looks like they¡¯re staying nearby for Loh Noir, but they aren¡¯t actually docked!¡±


    ¡°They probably don¡¯t want their ship to be burned down by those valley warriors,¡± Rhian wiped the sweat off her brow.


    ¡°Yes, but how are we supposed to get there? Even if the harbor wasn¡¯t infested with a bunch of enemy soldiers, the ship isn¡¯t docked, we have no way of getting on the lift.¡±


    Rhian stared at the shore a little ways away. ¡°I¡¯ll swim there. We can circumvent the dock and the enemy entirely. I¡¯ll swim directly to the Ghost Flame.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane? The Dire River¡¯s current is incredibly strong and it¡¯s always cold. In the winter, it¡¯s freezing. Not to mention this storm, it is suicidal! Dozens of sailors die every year in those rushing waters. The waves can be over ten feet tall! We won¡¯t make it!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t make it if we just stay here and wait for the enemy to find us,¡± Rhian said sternly.


    ¡°Even on a good summer day it¡¯d be almost impossible,¡± Maeve muttered.


    ¡°All my life I trained for moments like this. To do what others deemed impossible. What¡¯s more impossible than this?¡± Rhian chuckled shakily.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t some performance,¡± Maeve frowned.


    Rhian glanced back at the sleeping Stryg, ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t fall off.¡±


    ¡°Rhian, wait, please, think this over!¡±


    Rhian remembered Stryg¡¯s words before he had rushed off to Castle Mora. She breathed in deeply, the chilling air rushing through her nostrils, ¡°I am proud to be a daughter of Ebon Hollow!¡±


    Rhian ran at the shoreline. The snow billowed past her in a wave of white, her black hair and coat in stark contrast. Maeve screamed behind her and gripped onto Stryg tightly. Rhian leaped high, they fell into the icy waters with a crash. Rhian sank underwater, the cold paralyzing her. She gritted her teeth and kicked the water beneath. Her head bobbed up above the surface, Maeve and Stryg soon followed.


    Maeve¡¯s teeth chattered, she couldn¡¯t even form words, but she held onto Stryg tightly. Rhian shook her head and kept paddling with her long legs. The water was nothing like the wind, the cold stabbed into her muscles like a thousand little needles.


    The Dire River¡¯s waters weaved erratically throughout the river, pushing Rhian back and forth. Maeve screamed. Rhian took quick breaths and swam onward. She could see the Ghost Flame in the distance, a small white blot in her blurred vision.


    Their heads bobbed above and below the surface as the water pushed them under. Rhian pushed herself and gasped for breath. She was already exhausted from the run through the forest and the freezing waters sapped what little energy she had left.


    ¡°Not¡­ yet!¡± Rhian screamed in defiance.


    A massive wave blotted out the sky and crashed down on them.


    ~~~


    Stryg was tired, the rain was pouring and the waters closed around him. He just wanted to stay here and rest. His body sank below the surface. It felt nice, the warm waters soothed his aching muscles.


    A hand reached into the water and brushed his forehead, the cold fingers brought a faint shock to his skin. He opened his eyes blearily underwater, a figure stood over him, the water blurred their face.


    ¡°Stryg, you cannot stay here.¡±


    The voice was clear and soothing to his ears. He knew that voice, it sounded so familiar yet he couldn¡¯t quite place it.


    ¡°You came back,¡± Stryg mumbled and closed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who chose to leave,¡± the voice sounded annoyed.


    ¡°You always leave,¡± Stryg murmured.


    ¡°...We don¡¯t have much time, you need to wake up. Your friends are in danger, you are in danger.¡±


    The hand slipped away, the blurred figure stepped away, their voice growing distant.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave,¡± Stryg reached out.


    ¡°Wake up, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave. Please, don¡¯t. Please, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Wake up!¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped open. Cold water splashed on his face. His pupils narrowed to thin slits. His clothes were drenched and the lower half of his body was submerged in freezing waters. He glanced around, they were surrounded by rushing water. Rhian¡¯s head popped up from below the surface.


    ¡°Rhian!? Where are we!?¡± Stryg yelled over the raging currents.


    Rhian didn¡¯t hear him, the little that was left of her consciousness focused on paddling.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    He turned around, ¡°Maeve? What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    Maeve pointed a shivering finger to the Ghost Flame in the distance.


    Stryg looked at the treeline far off in the distance. He glanced at Rhian, had she run through the entire forest and then swam here? How?


    Rhian¡¯s paddling kept slowing, her body sinking a little more with each stroke. Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, they were going to sink.


    A faint memory whispered in his mind. Someone had told him his friends and he were in danger. He couldn¡¯t recall when or who had said it, but the words reverberated in his head.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t let it happen. He needed to help. Not for anger nor revenge, he wanted to save them out of sheer desperation to survive. He wanted to live, he wanted them all to live!


    Blue mana flooded his body, he threw his hands apart from each other. The water shook beneath them. A large wave surged behind them and pushed them forward. Stryg shouted in surprise, but he kept his focus sharp. Maeve screamed and held on tight to his shirt.


    The wave barreled through the water and hurdled them towards the hull of the Ghost Flame. Rhian slammed into the hull, her head hung loosely on her shoulders, her eyes dull, but her fingers clung to the hull.


    Stryg raised his hand up high, he concentrated and pulled out whatever orange mana had replenished in his body. The mana curled around his fingers, a small bright fireball shot up past the deck.


    He heard shouts from above. Several sailors looked down from the deck.


    ¡°I am Stryg, Loh Noir¡¯s apprentice! Help us, dammit!¡±


    ¡°Man overboard!¡± A sailor yelled.

 Chapter 147: I Dare You

    Chapter 147: I Dare You


    A sailor offered Stryg a towel to warm himself. Stryg grabbed it, pushed past the other sailors on the deck, and threw the towel over a shivering Rhian. She laid on the cold stable floor in one of the Ghost Flame¡¯s pens.


    She had lost consciousness by the time the sailors had brought the lift up from the water, but her face still grimaced in pain. Small bits of hoarfrost had formed around the tips of her black hair and hooves. Her skin was deathly pale and her lips were an icy blue.


    ¡°Get me more towels! We need to warm her up or she¡¯ll freeze to death,¡± Stryg¡¯s voice cracked.


    The sailors crowding the stables made room for the ship¡¯s drow captain as he walked in.


    The captain knocked on a wooden beam, ¡°Sir, the storm isn¡¯t letting up, you should head under the deck and warm yourself up. I¡¯ll have my men take care of the centaur.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Stryg kept his back to the captain and wrapped the towel more closely around Rhian¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Sir, you were just in freezing water. Your body is clearly in shock, you need to get yourself warm. The beastkin lass did an incredible job getting you here. However, there is nothing you can do here for her. You need to get war-¡±


    Stryg spun around, grabbed the captain¡¯s shirt, and pulled him down, face-to-face, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what you think! You don¡¯t understand anything! Incredible job? Rhian did the impossible! I will not get cozy and go to sleep while she is fighting for her life!¡±


    The captain glanced at the unconscious centaur and back at his young mistress¡¯ apprentice, particularly Stryg¡¯s sharp teeth that were bared inches from his own neck.


    ¡°I see,¡± the captain said calmly.


    ¡°Get me more towels,¡± Stryg hissed and shoved him back.


    The captain fell back a few steps before he regained his footing. He straightened his jacket, and cleared his throat, ¡°Men, ensure our esteemed guest gets whatever he requires; towels, warm water, healers, anything he asks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain!¡± The sailors yelled in unison and ran off quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nearby if you need me, sir. Good night,¡± the captain bowed and left.


    Stryg ignored him and returned his attention back to Rhian. He stared at her pale face, her body shivered incessantly.


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled and his knees buckled beneath him. He gripped her hand and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. Warm tears rolled down his cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry. I should have been awake, I should have been there for you,¡± he cried.


    His pointy ears twitched. Soft footsteps walked up behind him. He turned his head halfway, his lilac eyes cold, pupils sharp.


    Maeve took a step back and raised her hands, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±


    Stryg wiped his tears away.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He heaved angrily.


    ¡°I wanted to check on Rhian,¡± she shuffled her feet.


    Stryg turned his back to her and said nothing. Maeve took it as a sign to come into the pen. She walked in and sat next to him on the floor.


    ¡°Rhian was amazing today,¡± Maeve said quietly.


    ¡°... She¡¯s always amazing,¡± he muttered.


    Maeve laughed to herself, ¡°Tell me about it. You should have seen it. I was so scared. There were enemies all around us, you were unconscious, and we were in the middle of the forest, knee-deep in snow. I thought we would freeze to death, not to mention the sun was beginning to hurt my skin. But none of that stopped Rhian. She ran faster than most track centaurs I¡¯ve ever seen and we made it out of the forest in no time.¡±


    Stryg stared at the cracks on Rhian¡¯s hooves. He swallowed.


    Maeve gripped her cloak and spoke quietly, ¡°Then we saw the docks burning from the distance. I could see the army of raiders pillaging the taverns and other shops from the tree line. I was so scared and Rhian was so brave. She had just carried two people throughout an entire forest, but that didn¡¯t stop her. She took one look at the rushing river and made up her mind.¡±


    ¡°I remember her words clearly, she said -¡± Maeve cleared her throat and tried impersonating Rhian¡¯s voice, ¡°-I am proud to be a daughter of Ebon Hollow!¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°She said that?¡± He whispered.


    Maeve nodded, ¡°Then she jumped straight into the Dire River like a hero from old, facing down an entire horde of enemies by herself. A legendary moment worthy of its own ballad.¡±


    Stryg bit his lip and buried his face in Rhian¡¯s hair. Maeve raised her hand to comfort him. She hesitated and pulled her hand away.


    Maeve took a deep breath, ¡°You know, I finally understand what you meant that night at the party; You only pick the best of the best to be a part of your Ebon Hollow tribe. Rhian is the best centaur I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°She really is; the bravest of the Ebon Hollow,¡± Stryg trembled. ¡°...I¡¯m a horrible chief.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I should have been there for her. She should have never fought alone.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. You already fought that scary lamia to save Clypeus, Callum, and me. You did enough.¡±


    ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t. Rhian is part of my tribe. I was supposed to protect her. I failed Rhian when she needed me.¡±


    Maeve shook her head, ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Rhian can handle herself and you can¡¯t do everything on your own. She understood that. That¡¯s why she fought so hard for you. She is proud to be a part of Ebon Hollow, that¡¯s why she¡¯s still fighting.¡±


    Maeve placed her hand over his own and Rhian¡¯s, ¡°So, you can¡¯t be weak now. You have to be strong for her, so when she wakes up she can see you¡¯re safe and sound, and know her fight was worth it.¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll be a better chief, Rhian. I¡¯ll be the person you need me to be. I swear it.¡±


    Maeve forced herself to smile. She wanted to feel happy, relieved that they had made it out alive. Yet, all she could think of was of her family back at the castle. Her father had shoved her away while the rest of her family escaped through one of the castle¡¯s secret tunnels.


    Although Maeve hated her father, and even if her siblings didn¡¯t like her, Maeve loved her brothers and sisters dearly. She prayed to Bellum that they would make it out safely.


    ~~~


    Lord Mora walked through his castle¡¯s secret passageways with an unsteady gait. He kept muttering to himself, trying to figure out why his castle was under attack. At first, he thought a rival merchant lord had sent a lamia assassin after him. As unlikely as it would be for someone to capture a live lamia, let alone have one serve as an assassin, he could at least wrap his mind around the concept.


    Then he heard the screams. Even as his children and he walked through the passages between the walls, he could still hear his guests and servants screaming as they were cut down by what he could only assume were enemy soldiers.


    This wasn¡¯t an assassination attempt. This was an all-out skirmish. If it had only been himself under attack he would understand, there was always some minor lady or lord who took offense to a Merchant House¡¯s dealings. But to attack a castle filled with aristocrats from Hollow Shade and Frost Rim?


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Something else is happening,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t recognize this path, where are we going?¡± His eldest son asked.


    Lord Mora gripped the torch in his hand and debated if he should beat his idiot son with it. He chose not to, he needed to save his strength.


    ¡°That lamia must have captured your whore of a sister by now. She¡¯ll no doubt squeal everything she knows about the tunnels the moment the lamia threatens her life. We¡¯re taking a different route that only I know,¡± Lord Mora explained. ¡°Now, shut up and follow.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that,¡± a voice rang out from the dark passageway ahead.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± Lord Mora raised his torch and tried peering into the dark.


    ¡°I told you, didn''t I, Dawn? Nokuti didn¡¯t think I could do it, but I knew the tunnels were simple enough to figure out,¡± the cheerful voice grew louder. A man wearing a large pale bird-skull mask and a black feathered cloak stepped out of the dark and into the torchlight.


    ¡°Yes, yes, well done,¡± Dawn yawned from behind him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lord Mora yelled before he stepped behind his startled children.


    Crow cocked his head to the side, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? We are your enemy, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can take us all?¡± Lord Mora snarled. He summoned forth his brown mana and casted a vigor spell, his arms turned a shade of bronze.


    His children raised their hands and began to spell-cast their own chromatic magics.


    ¡°Me, take you all on? Please, I¡¯m not even a mage,¡± Crow laughed. He stepped aside for Dawn, ¡°But she can.¡±


    ~~~


    War Lord Marek Helene squirmed around in his chair. ¡°Why are all the chairs in this castle so bloody small?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just too large, you big oaf,¡± the vampiress, Nokuti, shook her head.


    One of their lieutenants entered the dining room they had commandeered as their base of operations.


    The soldier knelt down in front of their leader, ¡°My Lord.¡±


    Marek pushed the tiny chair aside and stood up to his full towering height, ¡°Report.¡±


    ¡°We have secured the castle¡¯s west and south wings. The east wing has already fallen and will soon be under our control. The north wing is being invaded by our soldiers as we speak. A battalion was also sent to the docks as you instructed.¡±


    ¡°Very good. What about the castle¡¯s occupants?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°As ordered, we have taken no survivors from the castle servants. The magi serving the Mora family and the invited guests have been captured and are being held in a makeshift prison awaiting your judgment.¡±


    ¡°Just our luck that the day we attacked they were having a damn party,¡± Nokuti muttered.


    Marek clenched his fists. There would definitely be repercussions from some of the aristocrats¡¯ Houses. House Mora was no longer the only family directly affected by their invasion of the castle. No matter, he would deal with it all in strides.


    ¡°What of the Mora family?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°There are still no reports of their sightings, my lord,¡± the lieutenant said.


    ¡°Keep looking,¡± he ordered sternly.


    ¡°As you command, my lord.¡± The lieutenant got up and went to the door. He paused, turned around, and bowed to Nokuti, ¡°General?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to add, you may go,¡± Nokuti nodded.


    The lieutenant left without another word.


    ¡°Dammit, where could they be hiding?¡± Marek cursed.


    Nokuti rested her back on the wall, ¡°We¡¯ll find the Moras, eventually. I¡¯m more interested in finding that Noir woman. The reports said soldiers saw her fleeing from the ballroom on the back of the largest centaur they had ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she could be a problem,¡± Marek nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Could be? She is a problem. She beat Grim and Kyriil half to death. We¡¯re lucky Vaughn found them before it was too late.¡±


    ¡°...If only Vaughn had found the Noir woman before she escaped, then none of this would be a problem,¡± Marek muttered.


    He shook his head, he couldn¡¯t think that way. He needed to focus on the present and figure out the best plan of action.


    The lamia, Lysaila, pushed the door open without a word. Marek and Nokuti silently watched Lysaila as she pulled the mantle off the dining table, slithered into the corner of the room, curled herself into a ball, and laid back on her tail.


    Nokuti stared at the scrapes all over Lysaila¡¯s skin. She was surprised to see even some of her steel-hard blue scales were cracked and broken.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°I found Lord Mora and his brats. Then I fell,¡± Lysaila grumbled.


    ¡°You fell?¡± Nokuti raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Out a 3rd story window,¡± Lysaila used the dining mantle as a makeshift blanket and wrapped it around herself.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marek asked in surprise.


    ¡°I fell,¡± Lysaila closed her eyes and said nothing more.


    ¡°There goes the Mora family,¡± Nokuti sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nokuti. Despite your misgivings, we have returned with victory,¡± Crow walked into the room.


    ¡°Crow? You mean?¡± Marek asked hopefully.


    ¡°I give you the proud Lord Mora,¡± Crow bowed with a flourish.


    Dawn stepped through the doorway, dragging a beaten, gagged, middle-aged vampire on his knees. She tossed Lord Mora on the floor with a hard thud.


    Marek kneeled and stared into the vampire¡¯s terrified face, ¡°So, this is Lord Mora? Thank you for having us in your home, I hope you don¡¯t mind if we made ourselves comfortable.¡±


    ¡°We found Lord Mora and his children hiding in one of the castle''s secret passageways. Despite being magi, they were no match for our arch-mage,¡± Crow motioned to Dawn.


    ¡°The youngest Mora daughter is still missing,¡± Dawn murmured.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the soldiers keep an eye out for her,¡± Nokuti said.


    Lord Mora rolled on the floor and tried to rip away his bindings.


    ¡°He¡¯s a brown mage. His vigor spells could prove a problem, which is why Dawn broke his arms,¡± Crow added.


    Lord Mora screamed, his voice came out muffled from underneath the cloth gag.


    ¡°Take off the gag, I want to hear what he is saying,¡± Marek pointed to his ear.


    Crow pulled out the gag and pushed the vampire to an upright sitting position.


    Lord Mora gulped in deep breaths of air, his body relaxed for a moment, before his eyes turned cold, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Marek tilted his head.


    ¡°Clearly you came here for a purpose. I¡¯m a wealthy man, I can get you whatever you need. So, what do you want? Just name it and I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± Lord Mora strained a smile.


    Marek smiled back, ¡°That¡¯s so generous of you. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t give me what I want. Unless you can turn back 300 years of attacks on my people that is.¡±


    Lord Mora¡¯s smile died. ¡°You don¡¯t plan on letting us go, do you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not hostages and I¡¯m not looking for any ransom,¡± Marek¡¯s smile turned frigid.


    ¡°Then, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°The destruction of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Lord Mora stared at him with wide eyes. He chuckled under his breath, then burst into laughter.


    ¡°I thought you wanted money, perhaps revenge. Turns out you are just a fool,¡± Lord Mora cackled.


    ¡°You think we are on a fool¡¯s quest. Understandable. No one¡¯s managed to breach Hollow Shade¡¯s walls before. No Dusk Valley tribe has ever managed to take this castle before, either. Yet, here we are.¡±


    Lord Mora rolled his eyes, ¡°The City of Shades isn¡¯t a castle in the middle of a dead forest. You wish for the destruction of the most well-protected seat of power in the entire Realm? That isn¡¯t uncommon. Many have shared your wish, but none have had the audacity to believe they can actually accomplish it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we can,¡± Marek grinned.


    ¡°That city was founded by an alliance between all the ebon lords. It was built with ancient powerful magic that we still don¡¯t understand. And you, a barbarian who doesn¡¯t even know the city¡¯s proper name, thinks he can destroy it? I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. What more can you expect from a lowly human,¡± Lord Mora sneered.


    Nokuti pulled out a dagger, ¡°Insult Marek again, I dare you.¡±


    ¡°Proper name?¡± Marek asked.


    Lord Mora glanced at Nokuti¡¯s dagger and her angry glare. He cleared his throat and turned to Marek, ¡°Holo Shade.¡±


    ¡°Holo?¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°You know nothing of the city you¡¯re going up against,¡± Lord Mora shook his head.


    ¡°Actually, we do,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Elaborate,¡± Marek said calmly.


    ¡°Mora is referring to the city¡¯s original name. Most people nowadays think the city is called Hollow Shade since the city¡¯s walls were the first part of the city to appear, the inside of the city was ¡®hollow.¡¯ While that¡¯s technically true, ¡®Hollow¡¯ was a nickname that eventually just stuck,¡± Crow explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as dumb as you look,¡± Lord Mora narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as smart as you think. Anyone can pick up and read a history book,¡± Crow flicked the vampire¡¯s forehead. ¡°Oh, and by the way, you are wrong. The city¡¯s actual name is Holo¡¯s Shade, not that anyone cares. Holo¡¯s Shade or Hollow Shade, it doesn¡¯t matter. At the end of the day, the city will fall just the same.¡±


    Lord Mora scowled, ¡°You think a little history trivia will help you win the war you just ignited? You attacked a castle with the children of Ruling Families inside! They will hunt all you animals down, I swea-¡±


    Nokuti smacked him across the face. Lord Mora fell to the ground, dazed. She stuck her fingers into his mouth, yanked his tongue out, and sliced it off with one quick swipe of her dagger. Lord Mora squealed in agony, his body spasmed, blood gushed out of his mouth, and salty tears sprinkled across the floor.


    ¡°Nokuti,¡± Marek glared.


    ¡°I warned him not to insult you again,¡± Nokuti shrugged and wiped her dagger on the vampire lord¡¯s cape.


    ¡°Remind me not to get on your bad side,¡± Crow shivered dramatically.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Dawn nodded in agreement.


    Marek shook his head and stood up, ¡°Nokuti, get a few of the men to help prepare the Moras for the feeding.¡±


    Nokuti sheathed her dagger, ¡°Gladly.¡±

 Chapter 148: The Mortem

    Chapter 148: The Mortem


    Marek and Nokuti had left the dining room and had gone to oversee the final preparations for the Unildyr hatching and subsequent feeding. Crow, Lysaila, and Dawn had decided to stay and rest in the dining room after a long day of battling.


    Large sections of Castle Mora had burned down, luckily the pantries and storages of food were not among the burnt. One of the Carin tribe¡¯s cooks brought several plates of hot-steaming food for dinner.


    Dawn ate her soup and salted meat in silence. Lysaila wasn¡¯t hungry and stayed in the corner of the room, wrapped in her make-shift blanket, the table mantle. Crow asked for his food to be taken to his room and instead busied himself with reading one of his books near the fireplace.


    After Dawn finished eating, she silently got up and left to find her twin brother, Vaughn. Lysaila¡¯s face kept switching between expressions of anger and frustration for the past hour. Eventually, she sighed out loud, threw her blanket aside, and slithered over to the fireplace.


    ¡°Can I talk to you for a sec?¡± Lysaila asked.


    Crow looked up from his book, ¡°This is unexpected. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the historian of the tribe, right? Like, you know a lot of stuff, right?¡±


    ¡°I am in charge of information gathering, yes.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s eyes darted around furtively.


    ¡°How much do you know about the Mortem?¡± She asked.


    Crow closed his book. ¡°As in the Order?¡±


    Lysaila nodded.


    Crow tapped his fingers over his book in a rhythmic pattern, ¡°Let me think. Well, the Mortem was an order of magi founded in the Scarlet Realm over 400 years ago. They are most famous or infamous, depending on how you look at it, for the creation of, well¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°All of the beast-kins,¡± Lysaila nodded grimly.


    Crow sighed in wonder. ¡°Yes, truly a remarkable accomplishment. Mixing the blood of all sorts of different species to create entirely new life forms. To this day no one knows how they did it. At the time, everyone admired and feared the Mortem for their magical feat.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s indigo eyes narrowed and she hissed menacingly.


    Crow cleared his throat, ¡°Of course, the Mortem failed in creating their magical army since beast-kin have no mageborns. The Order collapsed soon after.¡±


    ¡°They created us to be their warrior-slaves. It only serves them right that they failed,¡± Lysaila seethed quietly.


    ¡°Yes, well, why the inquiries over the creators of your species?¡±


    Lysaila bit her bottom lip, ¡°...Do you know anything regarding Prime Edict?¡±


    Crow leaned forward in his chair, ¡°We¡¯re entering the territory of myth now.¡±


    ¡°So, you do know about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, hard to say, there is no concrete proof,¡± Crow shrugged. ¡°But I have read snippets of such things in old books.¡±


    ¡°My people mentioned it in hushed whispers, horror stories,¡± Lysaila stared into the fire. ¡°I need to know more, tell me everything you¡¯ve read.¡±


    ¡°For all I know, none of it is true.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want to know.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. The Prime Edict was said to be an assortment of spells, of what kind I honestly have no idea. What I do know is that the Mortem were said to have created the Prime Edict and interweaved the spells into the blood of all beast-kin during their original inception and that the Prime Edict was then passed down through the blood, from parent to child.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°Well, the stories differ at this point. Some say the Prime Edict was a passive form of magic that made all beast-kin loyal to their creators. Others say that the Prime Edict was a dormant magic that only activated when one of the Mortem were in danger, causing the beast-kin to protect their creators. A few even said¡­ well, I don¡¯t think it matters...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Lysaila glared at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the Prime Edict couldn¡¯t have existed, otherwise how did the beast-kin turn on their creators and masters? How did the beast-kin abandon the Mortem? The Order fell because the beast-kin ran away from the Scarlet Realm. How could that have happened if the Prime Edict existed? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for your conjectures, bird-man. All I want is your knowledge. What else did you read about the Prime Edict?¡± Lysaila hissed.


    Crow sighed, ¡°A few books said that the Prime Edict allowed the Mortem to directly control the beast-kin. With a single word the Mortem could make the beast-kin do whatever they wanted, even kill themselves.¡±


    Lysaila took a shaky breath, ¡°...My mother once told me of the sovereign tongue. That we would know when a Mortem was near. For when a Mortem would speak, ordinary folk would simply hear a man. But beast-kin would hear something entirely else, a language of power that burned through our very being. We would be helpless against the sovereign tongue. My mother told me to hide if I ever even heard a whisper of that cursed language.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this sovereign tongue,¡± Crow said curiously.


    Lysaila chuckled bitterly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I never heard even a whisper of the language when I met him.¡±


    ¡°Met whom? Lysaila, what are you saying?¡±


    She stared at her hands, there was a slight tremble, she hated it. ¡°...I think I met a Mortem today.¡±


    ¡°What? The Mortem Order was destroyed in its entirety over 300 years ago. Even if somehow one of the creators of the beast-kin survived the destruction of their order, they would still be long dead by now.¡±


    ¡°I know what I saw and I know how I felt,¡± she snapped.


    He raised his hands, ¡°Okay, say I believe you. How do you know it was a Mortem?¡±


    Lysaila clenched her fists, ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill him, even when I had my blade next to his neck.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What if the Prime Edict was real? And what if just like how the Prime Edict is passed down through blood, the Mortem¡¯s control is also passed down through blood or some other means.¡±


    Crow leaned back in his chair, ¡°It would explain how this person was able to control you, but the whole thing seems a bit far-fetched, no? If the Mortem could do that wouldn¡¯t they have restarted their Order? Why haven¡¯t we heard of them in 300 years? And why would one of them be in the Ebon Realm of all places?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself, the Mortem Order was destroyed completely. What if only a few survived? Or even just one. What if that mage passed down their power and the inheritors have been biding their time all along, hiding here in the Ebon Realm, waiting for the moment to strike.¡±


    ¡°And you think that moment is now?¡±


    Lysaila shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is I¡¯m going to find that son of a bitch and I¡¯m going make him squeal until he tells me everything he knows. Then I¡¯m going to take revenge for all lamias.¡±


    ¡°Assuming all of this is real and you are actually correct, how do you propose to even catch him if you are under the Prime Edict yourself?¡±


    Lysaila licked her lips, ¡°...I¡¯m not sure how strong the Prime Edict is. I was fighting him just fine until the very end, I hurt him. I think the stories exaggerate the Prime Edict¡¯s power. How else did the first beast-kin betray and abandon the Mortem? I didn¡¯t even hear him speak the sovereign tongue. Clearly, the stories of the Prime Edict are not what they seem.¡±


    Lysaila gripped the handle of her sword, ¡°Whatever the case may be, my comrades aren¡¯t beast-kin. I¡¯m sure I can get Kyriil or Grim to help me out, maybe even one of the twins. None of them need to know the details, so long as they know that man is my enemy.¡±


    ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t include me in that group of comrades,¡± Crow pointed at himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a mage.¡±


    ¡°Neither are you.¡±


    ¡°I can still fight.¡±


    ¡°So can I.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a grand swordmaster and my species was literally created for war. Are you?¡±


    ¡°...Point taken. So, how do you plan on finding this Mortem mage?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still working on that. He looked fairly unique, so that¡¯s a start.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what did he look like?¡±


    ¡°He was very young and he looked like the twins, but it was different. For starters, he was really small. He also had really sharp grey claws. His skin was blue, but a different shade than the twins, it was paler. His ears were pointy, but they pointed downwards. His eyes were lilac and had slit pupils.¡±


    ¡°...Interesting. If it wasn¡¯t for the color description, I would assume you were talking about a goblin,¡± he said.


    ¡°Goblin?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, you haven¡¯t seen one yet. They are a chromatic species native to the Realm. They mostly live in Hollow Shade or in Vulture Woods, either place is dangerous for us to visit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± she swore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your help,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°It was my pleasure, our conversation has been most enlightening. And rest assured the details of our conversation will stay between you and me.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the discretion,¡± she smiled. ¡°Speaking of details, I forgot to mention one last thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what is it?¡±


    ¡°The Mortem, he had two heartbeats. I¡¯ve never heard anything quite like it.¡±


    Crow clasped his hands together, ¡°...Lysaila, have you ever considered other possibilities?¡±


    ¡°I know what I saw, he was a Mortem,¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Yes, but what kind of Mortem? You see, until now you have been talking about this person as if they were some young child. But have you considered that perhaps a creature with two hearts is something else entirely? What if what you saw was not some descendant or apprentice of the Mortem. What if what you saw was an actual founding member of the Order or perhaps some monstrous creature they created.¡±


    ¡°...That sounds unlikely.¡±


    Crow gestured to her tail then her body, ¡°Stranger things have happened.¡±


    ¡°Then how was I able to almost kill him?¡±


    ¡°Did you almost kill him? Or did he make you believe that?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Yes, because playing with one¡¯s prey is unthinkable, right? I mean, what sort of predator would do such a thing?¡±


    Lysaila furrowed her brow.


    Crow stood up and patted her shoulder, ¡°Just food for thought.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    ¡°Now, we should probably go find Lord Marek, the hatching will be starting soon.¡±

 Chapter 149: Silver Eggs

    Chapter 149: Silver Eggs


    Crow pushed the door open to the dungeons beneath the castle. Marek and the others stood looking over a large pit, an ancient rudimentary, albeit effective, prison cell.


    ¡°Looks like we made it,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lysaila nodded behind him.


    They walked over to the edge of the pit, next to Marek and the others.


    ¡°Just in time. Our men finished chaining up the Mora family a few moments ago,¡± Marek pointed at the soldiers climbing the rope at the side of the pit.


    ¡°The little Moras?¡± Lysaila glanced down at the pit.


    Lord Mora and his family were chained to the walls by both their hands. A bundle of over a dozen silver eggs the size of a small dog sat snug in the center of the pit floor.


    ¡°Yes, Nokuti found it poetic that the Moras are sacrificed first in their own castle. Death given for new life. I agreed with her,¡± Marek nodded.


    ¡°Bit dramatic,¡± Crow shrugged.


    ¡°I think it fits perfectly. We are witnessing the end of an age,¡± Dawn said solemnly.


    ¡°End of an age? Now that¡¯s dramatic,¡± Crow laughed.


    ¡°My sister was just being poetic,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°Your sister can be as poetic as she likes, so long as I can keep hearing her beautiful voice,¡± Kyriil winked.


    ¡°Elves,¡± Dawn rolled her violet eyes in disgust.


    Kyriil frowned and gripped his chest, ¡°That hurts, more than getting beat up by that dark elf woman ever did.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s dramatic now?¡± Nokuti shook her head.


    ¡°Look, the eggs are shaking!¡± The axlean, Grim, pointed.


    Everyone stopped talking and stared down into the pit. The silver eggs were beginning to move, at first, it was a small twitch, then a wobble, and then full-on lurching from side to side.


    ¡°What are those!?¡± The eldest Mora son yelled.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the damn eggs!?¡± The eldest Mora daughter screamed.


    ¡°Please, help us!¡± The youngest Mora son cried.


    Lord Mora tried to yell, but only a gurgle came out from his tongueless mouth.


    One of the eggs fell over and rolled away from the rest. It kept rolling until it stopped a few feet from the eldest daughter. She tried backing away, there was nowhere to go. The silver egg cracked, a piece of shell broke off the top. A small pale grey snout poked out. The little mouth opened partially and took quick shallow breaths.


    Everyone grew very quiet. The egg suddenly cracked down the middle and fell apart in two halves. A small hatchling fell to the ground in a mess of egg fluids. It banged its jaw on the cold stone floor and cried in surprise, its tail flinging around wildly.


    The baby Unildyr was only 6 inches long. At a further inspection, Marek noticed the hatchling¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t pale grey but a smoky translucent with grey muscles underneath. Two little black nubs for horns sat atop its tiny skull. Five sharp translucent claws protruded out of each small chubby paw. The hatchling licked one of its paws with a long black tongue.


    The hatchling¡¯s eyes were two ebon black orbs, an inner clear eyelid swept past the dark eyes similar to a lizard. It glanced at its surroundings for a moment, before it sat down on its haunches and yawned, revealing a row of sharp petite fangs. Mora¡¯s eldest daughter tried moving her hands, but the manacles held tight. The hatchling ignored her, its attention occupied with licking itself clean.


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s kinda cute,¡± Kyriil cocked his head to the side.


    The Mora daughter narrowed her eyes and channeled orange mana into her legs. She kicked the air, a plume of flame burst out and engulfed the unaware hatchling. The fire diffused around the hatchling¡¯s body, waves of orange light swept across its translucent skin before being absorbed into its body. Two faint specks of white light formed at the center of its black eyes.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°It¡­ absorbed the flame spell. It''s as if the hatchling was using an advanced grey drain spell-form,¡± Grim muttered.


    ¡°No, drain spells require direct contact and can only absorb mana in its natural pure state. Drain magic cannot absorb spells. This is something entirely else,¡± Vaughn shook his head.


    The Mora daughter threw out another flame spell, the flames diffused over the hatchling again. The baby Unildyr turned its head towards the woman. It pounced at her with blinding speed and sank its fangs into her neck. The vampiress screamed a hollow sound as the hatchling ate away at her throat.


    Blood pooled over her body as she spasmed uncontrollably. The hatchling¡¯s translucent claws sank through her flesh and bone with ease and ripped open her chest cavity. The Unildyr buried its head inside and began devouring her heart. The eldest Mora daughter¡¯s head fell limp as her body was ravaged.


    ¡°Oh gods, what the fuck!? Not cute, not cute at all!¡± Kyriil yelled.


    ¡°What have we released into this world?¡± Nokuti covered her mouth in shock.


    The other Mora children screamed in terror and tried their best to fling whatever magic they could at the small creature. The hatchling¡¯s translucent skin shined brightly in all sorts of colors as the spells dispersed on its skin. The baby was unaware it was even being attacked as it kept eating the internal organs of the woman.


    One Mora son managed to create a sharp jagged rock by spell-casting a stone spell with his foot. He launched the projectile at the hatchling¡¯s back. The sharp edge glanced off the baby¡¯s skin harmlessly before crumbling to dust, the green mana absorbed effortlessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s durable,¡± Marek¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I doubt even Lysaila¡¯s enchanted blade could manage to scratch an Unildyr¡¯s skin,¡± Crow noted.


    The other eggs began to crack open, small hatchlings falling out. Most of them looked around and were busy exploring their own claws and tail. One of the babies ran straight to Lord Mora and shredded his chest with its sharp translucent claws.


    Lord Mora screamed a hoarse wretched noise. Two other hatchlings looked over and ran to join their sibling in the feast. One of them jumped on top of Lord Mora¡¯s face and bit out his eyes, the other raked its claws over his torso. Marek watched in surprise at the speed they devoured the vampire lord, devouring his innards in just mere moments.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°All my instincts are screaming at me to run away and not look back,¡± Lysaila swallowed.


    ¡°And these are just babies?¡± Kyriil asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re incredible, they could destroy Hollow Shade,¡± Marek said in awe.


    ¡°They¡¯re horrifying,¡± Nokuti grimaced.


    ¡°Just wait until they grow wings,¡± Dawn murmured.


    ¡°How did the dragons ever manage to defeat such monsters?¡± Grim asked quietly.


    Crow stared at the hatchlings as they devoured the magi. ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡±


    ~~~


    Maeve sat on a bale of hay, wrapped in a warm blanket, inside the Ghost Flame¡¯s stables. The ship was still near the docks, waiting, hoping, for their mistress, Loh Noir, to arrive safely.


    Maeve glanced at Stryg, he was still sitting on the floor next to Rhian. It had been almost two hours and he hadn¡¯t moved once.


    The sailors had brought blankets and a new set of clothes for Rhian. A white mage healer had even come by, but she said that white healing spells could do nothing to warm up a cold body, the most she could do was mend Rhian¡¯s bruises and cuts.


    Chromatic orange¡¯s flame spell-form wouldn¡¯t be of much use either, its capabilities were too narrow. They needed a fire elemental caster. Elemental magic was far more diverse and could manipulate something as precise as heat. The problem was they were in the Ebon Realm, fire elemental magic was scarce; there were no fire elemental magi and the only innate magic users were the rare and dangerous fire drakes who lived deep in the Rupture Mountains.


    Still, Rhian seemed to be improving, albeit slowly.


    Maeve cleared her throat, ¡°Um, Stryg?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Stryg?¡±


    His head slowly craned up, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about something, ever since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± His eyes never left Rhian.


    Maeve twiddled her thumbs, ¡°Do you, um, are you, uh, an owl?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Stryg glanced at her with a tired gaze.


    ¡°Oh, ahaha, I mean¡­ Ahem, do you know anything about owls?¡±


    ¡°Like the bird?¡±


    ¡°Yes, like the bird,¡± she nodded vigorously.


    ¡°A bit, some of the Sylvan goblins would occasionally spot them flying around the Rupture Mountains.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Rupture Mountains? Isn¡¯t that really dangerous?¡± She rubbed her arms, ¡°And cold?¡±


    Stryg stared at his claws, ¡°Only the deep parts of the mountains are really dangerous and Vulture Woods can be just as dangerous. But, no, I haven¡¯t been. The mountains span across the eastern side of the Realm and Vulture Woods borders the southern tip of the mountain range where the mountains aren¡¯t nearly as cold. When the Sylvan tribes gather at Moon Fang mountain they sometimes see an owl, but owls are more common up north past Vulture Woods and Glimmer Grove.¡±


    ¡°Why would Sylvan goblins go into the Rupture Mountains on purpose?¡±


    Stryg scratched the floor with his claw, carving out a small crevice in the wood. ¡°Moon Fang mountain has served as the meeting place of the Sylvan tribes since the beginning of our people. The great Sylvan tribunal, the Lunar Elect, also resides there. More importantly, our most sacred temple to Lunae sits at the very top of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°The tribes gather at the mountain once a year to pay their respects to Lunae and to have the Lunar Elect settle any tribal disputes. I would have gone too, once I became an adult, but things didn¡¯t work out.¡±


    ¡°Exile, right?¡± Maeve winced.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point with all these questions?¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Sorry, I got sidetracked. What I want to ask is¡­ Ah, well, heh, I don¡¯t know how to say this¡­¡± Maeve clapped her own cheeks and took a deep breath, ¡°Okay, here goes. I have dreams, not regular dreams, we all have that, right? Hehe.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    Maeve winced, ¡°What I mean is, I have special dreams. Well, more like nightmares. I always have nightmares, but sometimes mine are special. Sometimes, the things I see in my dreams, later happen in real life.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you can see the future?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­ I guess? Sometimes? I¡¯m not really sure how any of this works¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, okay,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Maeve frowned, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to question me? Call me crazy?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Because I told you something impossible, insane even!¡±


    He stared into her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve seen many things I thought impossible since coming to Hollow Shade. I don¡¯t see why this is any different. More importantly, I trust you.¡±


    Maeve felt her cheeks grow warm, her eyes began to burn.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Stryg asked, a trace of concern in his tired voice.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s ever ever told me that,¡± she laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he blinked.


    She sniffed and stared at the ceiling, ¡°Anyway, in every dream that came true, there were always a few common factors. One of them was an owl. I didn¡¯t know what to think of it, mostly because I have a hard time remembering my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can never remember my dreams either,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°The owl in my dreams, it had lilac eyes like yours¡­ I think you are the owl in my dreams.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bird.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I know that. I didn¡¯t mean literally. I think the owl represents you, kinda? I¡¯m not sure how any of this works. I had one of these dreams last night. My house was burning and people died. There was this giant blue snake and the owl fought it. The ballroom¡¯s prime chandelier fell on me and the owl saved me. Ring any bells?¡±


    ¡°My back still hurts from the chandelier falling on me,¡± Stryg rolled his shoulders painfully.


    ¡°I told you, you should let the white mage take a look at your back,¡± Maeve crossed her arms.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be fine. Come morning there won¡¯t even be a bruise,¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s unexpected. Stryg¡­ there was something weird about one of my dreams,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I had one dream that was different from all others. Everything just froze and there was this weird¡­ thing, that talked to me. I couldn¡¯t see it, the room was too dark. It knew I was dreaming and acted as if it wasn¡¯t part of my dream. That¡¯s when the owl came, grabbed me by the shoulders, and flew me out of my house,¡± she bit her lip.


    ¡°I clearly never did that.¡±


    ¡°Right, but I woke up that night with claw marks on my shoulders from where the owl grabbed me.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°You were hurt?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think my dreams could hurt me. I didn¡¯t think they could affect the real world, I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. Then you told me about the small girl you saw in the castle. The description you told me, it was me, when I was a little girl. Whenever I dream I¡¯m always that little girl again.¡±


    Maeve hopped off the bundle of hay and sat down next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but I think maybe we''re somehow connected?¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, mulling over her words. ¡°So, what now? Are we in danger?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t know anything, that is what is so frustrating,¡± she clenched her fists.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched. ¡°Maximus?¡±


    He shot to his feet and ran out the stable doors. Maeve called out after him, he ignored her and kept running past the sailors walking outside. His feet smacked the deck loudly with each step. He ran to the edge of the ship and searched the waters of the raging Dire River.


    He could barely hear it, but it was there, a faint voice past the storm¡¯s howling winds.


    ~~~


    Maximus kicked the freezing waters underneath him and pushed water past him with his burly arms. A giant wave slammed into them, sending Loh and him deep into the water. He gritted his teeth and pushed his numb body upwards, each stroke getting him closer to the surface. Loh gripped onto his back and held on for dear life.


    The water roared in his ears and the cold felt like needles stabbing into his skin. Maximus burst through the water with a wild roar of his own. He glanced around, the burning docks and the Ghost Flame were no longer in sight, all he could see were waves circling all around him.


    Maximus took a deep shivering breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Stryg! If you¡¯re out there, we need help! Stryg!¡±

 Chapter 150: Time Will Tell

    Chapter 150: Time Will Tell


    Maximus pushed his frozen limbs onward, each stroke through the cold water felt like trudging through wet sand. The snowstorm worsened, the wind howled around them, sending large waves crashing over them.


    ¡°T-this w-was a horrib-ble idea!¡± Loh yelled through chattering teeth.


    ¡°Just hold on,¡± Maximus gritted his teeth. ¡°Stryg! We need help, dammit!¡±


    ¡°He c-can¡¯t h-hear us.¡± Her hands were too cold and numb to grab anything, instead, she wrapped her arms around Maximus and held on for dear life.


    A large wave rose towards them. Maximus cursed under his breath and braced himself for impact. The wave crashed over them, yet did not hit them, as if an invisible shield covered Loh and Maximus.


    Maximus¡¯ jaw went slack, baffled as the water flowed over him.


    ¡°There they are!¡± Stryg¡¯s voice carried over the water.


    The wave dispersed into the sea. Relief flooded Maximus as he spotted a lifeboat sailing towards him. Stryg stood at the bow of the ship, pointing his finger towards Maximus and Loh. Two sailors in blue navy jackets stood behind Stryg, they waved their hands in the air in coinciding gestures. The water curled around the lifeboat and propelled it forward at breakneck speeds.


    ¡°Blue magi,¡± Maximus laughed. ¡°He brought blue magi!¡±


    ¡°H-he a-actually did it,¡± Loh closed her eyes in relief.


    One of the blue magi pulled his arms back, the water shuddered and stopped the lifeboat next to them. The other blue mage casted a torrent spell that formed two enormous arms of water from the raging river. The aquatic arms encircled Maximus and Loh, picked them up, and swept them onto the lifeboat. The duo fell over with grunts of pain.


    ¡°Young Mistress, are you alright!?¡± One of the blue magi yelled over the howling winds.


    ¡°Y-you could have b-been easier with the landing,¡± Loh grimaced.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I found you in time.¡± Stryg walked over and threw some blankets over Maximus and her.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Loh shivered.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Maximus groaned.


    The centaur stayed on the wooden floor, content to just rest his limbs for a moment. He could already feel his beard beginning to freeze over and the warmth from the exertion of the swim began to fade away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually heard this crazy guy over the storm,¡± Loh shook her head with a smile.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t. Max¡¯s voice was very low and the storm¡¯s winds were very loud,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°Luckily the Ghost Flame was nearby. I got the captain to lower down the lifeboat immediately and I set off with these two blue magi.¡±


    ¡°Lucky us,¡± Maximus coughed up water.


    ¡°Thank you, all of you,¡± Loh said.


    The blue magi simply nodded and focused on casting torrent spells to turn the lifeboat around and back to the Ghost Flame.


    ¡°I honestly thought we were done for when Maximus jumped into the water. We had no choice, the docks were on fire and enemy soldiers were right at our backs,¡± Loh rubbed her arms for warmth.


    ¡°Well, you made it, that¡¯s all that matters now,¡± Stryg grabbed her grey hair gently and wrung out the water.


    Loh nodded her thanks. ¡°I gotta admit though, I never thought there would be someone crazy enough to jump into the Dire River in the middle of winter, much less a storm. You¡¯re one of a kind, Maximus. No other centaur would have been able to make that swim.¡±


    Maximus smiled tiredly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Well, not the only centaur,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Loh and Maximus said.


    ~~~


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, she really did it,¡± Loh stared at a sleeping Rhian.


    ¡°I helped a bit, but she made it all the way to the Ghost Flame. She didn¡¯t stop swimming until the very end,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Maximus shook his head, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been possible. I was bred to be the strongest of centaurs and I struggled just to keep my head above water while only carrying Loh. Rhian is a show horse. How did she manage to carry the heaviest goblin alive, along with a second rider, and still make it all the way to the ship?¡±


    Stryg smiled weakly, ¡°Like Rhian always says, she¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she is,¡± Loh whistled.


    Maximus furrowed his brow. ¡°At what exactly? Perhaps being the most eye-catching centaur in the room, that¡¯s what she was bred for; to be glamorous and nimble, but she has half my muscle mass. She was not bred for stamina, speed, nor weight. If she made that swim it wasn¡¯t because of her physical attributes, but her mental fortitude.¡±


    ¡°Her body has clearly paid the toll,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°...Yeah, she has, and it¡¯s my fault,¡± Stryg stared at his feet.


    ¡°Stryg, you can¡¯t blame yourself for this,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me. You and Maximus should go rest. The ship¡¯s captain says the ride back to Hollow Shade will be rough.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Loh asked.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna stay with Rhian until she wakes up. That¡¯s what a good chief would do.¡± Stryg sat next to the sleeping centaur and rested his head on her forelegs.


    ¡°Okay. Well, I¡¯m gonna get some much-needed rest and have one of those pretty concubines the captain prepared for me sent to my room,¡± Loh stretched her arms.


    ¡°What sort of rest is that?¡±


    ¡°The best kind,¡± she winked and walked out of the stables.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the pen across from you, Stryg. Call me if you need me,¡± Maximus turned to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to hear me, but thank you for coming to save us when I called.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Maximus sighed, ¡°I am a centaur, a war steed of House Noir. You are the Young Mistress¡¯ esteemed apprentice. Forgive me, but we cannot be friends, not really.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Because we will never be equals.¡±


    ¡°We both know no one is truly equal,¡± Stryg chuckled.


    ¡°Many would disagree. The thing is, for people to be friends they must be treated and seen as equals.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    Maximus raised his hand, ¡°Please, do not take my next words as an offense. You come from a warlike people and have grown up in one of the Realm¡¯s most hostile environments. You know as well as I how dangerous this world can be. Our lives revolve around a food chain, where the strong prey on the weak.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°I have seen many things in my life, Stryg. I was trained and taught to expect and recognize all sorts of threats and dangers. I know what I see. I know that most of the people I have ever met are harmless fish at the bottom of the food chain, swimming about a lake, looking to survive till the next day.¡±


    Maximus spread his hands apart, ¡°Then there are bigger fish, the gifted. They are trying to get ahead of the pack, swimming a tad faster than the others. Finally, there are sharks, the ones who encircle the fish. When the sharks grow hungry they devour whichever fish they desire and no one can stop them. That¡¯s just the way it is. Sharks and fish cannot be friends, prey and predator can never be friends, no matter how much you wish. It is in all our natures to consume. We cannot escape this truth.¡±


    ¡°So, in this scenario, Hollow Shade is the lake, you are a big fish, and I am a shark?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    Maximus smiled bitterly, ¡°Everyone on this ship from the captain to the sailors, to even Rhian and I, we are all fish, only trying to survive. Loh Noir is the shark we must obey if we don¡¯t wish to be eaten. You, Stryg, are a sea serpent. Small as you may be, one day you will grow larger than any shark. Someday, you may just swallow us all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Perhaps. Time will tell. Nonetheless, I am grateful for your help today. Feel free to call on me if you need my help,¡± Maximus bowed and left.


    ~~~


    Rhian felt warm, comfortable. She could smell the earthy tones of river water wafting up to her nostrils. The world felt as if it was rocking back and forth, and would tip over at any moment, and she would simply fall off into the unknown.


    Rhian opened her eyes in a tired haze. She glanced around her surroundings, her dulled mind tried to make sense of what she saw. There were bushels of hay all around her, which were enclosed by tall wooden beams. After a few moments she realized she was in a stable pen, not one she recognized.


    Her body was covered in wool-spun blankets. She tried getting up, but she noticed a small grey tuft of hair sticking out from one of the blankets near her legs.


    Rhian pulled the blanket aside.


    Stryg was curled up next to her, his eyes closed, his breathing silent. Rhian stopped moving and simply took a moment to enjoy the sight. Stryg always seemed to have something on his mind. No matter how hard he trained, it was never good enough for him. He always fell short of some invisible standard he always held himself to.


    It was only when he was asleep that he seemed to finally relax. She could watch him like this all day. Rhian smiled, she loved his sleeping face, he looked so innocent. Who would guess it was the face of a goblin who had no problem tearing another man¡¯s face off if push came to shove.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go¡­ Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Master?¡± Rhian poked his soft cheek.


    His eyes shot open and his mouth clamped down on reflex. Rhian yelled in pain as his teeth bit down on her finger.


    Stryg opened his mouth slowly, ¡°Rhiannon?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, why did you have to bite so hard?¡± Rhian muttered while she nursed her finger.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? You¡¯re awake!¡± Stryg hopped on top of her, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and squeezed tightly.


    Rhian gasped for breath as she was knocked backward. ¡°Too tight, release, please.¡±


    Stryg lessened his grip but did not let go. He laughed brightly, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just happy.¡±


    He nuzzled his face against her cheek, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s muscles went rigid, he was acting odd, well, odd for Stryg. She quite liked it.


    ¡°Sooo, I take it we managed to get on the Ghost Flame?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg sat up on top of her and grinned, ¡°Yeah, you were great.¡±


    ¡°...I knew it,¡± Rhian sighed in relief. ¡°It was so cold, I thought we were going to die at the end there, but we made it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have done more,¡± Stryg¡¯s smile fell.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s mean,¡± she grinded her teeth.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You told me to never forget that I was a daughter of Ebon Hollow. I believed you. If you really consider me a part of the tribe, then you need to trust me to pull my own weight.¡±


    ¡°But you literally just said you thought we were going to die.¡±


    ¡°Forget what I said! Listen to what I am saying now. Like how Feli always reminds us, we are in this together. Don¡¯t go moping around just because I managed to get us back to the ship without you holding my hand every step of the way, gods know you already mope around enough.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Stryg said hesitantly.


    Rhian crossed her arms under her sizable chest and nodded, ¡°Good. And what do you have to say to me, the most exquisite of all steeds?¡±


    ¡°Thank you?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite catch that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°One more time, a little louder, please.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡­ you,¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered off to her large breasts right in front of him.


    Rhian caught his look and smirked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Stryg blinked.


    She hugged him close, his face fell between her bust.


    Rhian looked down at him with a wide smile. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Feli always hugs you like this, it¡¯s my turn,¡± Rhian winked.


    ¡°What are you saying? You hug me like this every time you try to fall asleep, I¡¯m not a pillow,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not. Pillows don¡¯t bite your chest every time you look away,¡± she glared at him.


    Stryg froze, his open mouth hung over her breasts, his teeth an inch from her skin.


    He looked up at her sheepishly, ¡°I like biting them, they are quite soft, and I like the taste of your skin.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like you''re going to eat me,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Never, but now that you mention it, I saw a bunch of vampire riders drinking blood from their centaurs at Castle Mora. Does centaur blood taste good?¡±


    ¡°Not at all?¡± Rhian said hopefully.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very certain. It would be easy to find out, I just have to bite down a little harder than usual,¡± Stryg licked his lips.


    She groaned, ¡°All I wanted was to hug you for a while. Is that so much to ask?¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡± Stryg closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the warmth of Rhian.


    He would taste her blood later.

 Chapter 151: The Noir Family

    Chapter 151: The Noir Family


    The guards shifted their feet and sighed. It had been a long night in the cold. For all the magic House Noir boasted, no spell seemed to stop the winter storms from showering the guards with endless snow. The storm was already in full bloom when they had started their shift last night and it was still going strong way into the early hours of dawn.


    The two guards were stationed at the Noir mansion¡¯s front gate. They wrapped their cloaks around themselves tightly, not that it helped. The cold seeped into their metal plate armor all the same. It had been hours since they last felt their toes or fingers.


    Usually, they would have standing torches next to the gate to keep them warm. However, they had been caught drinking one night by one of Lord Noir¡¯s messengers. Their lord had been surprisingly forgiving, that is, he didn¡¯t outright kill them. Instead, Elzri Noir decided to keep his guards cold and miserable for the rest of winter.


    The guards leaned on their spears and glanced down the empty snowy street. No one was out this early in the morning, especially not in a storm. Who were they supposed to guard against? The wind?


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s cold,¡± one of the guards shivered.


    ¡°At least we¡¯re almost done,¡± yawned the other guard.


    He glanced to his left, the street was empty. He did a double-take. A figure cloaked in white, sitting on a beautiful centaur stood in front of him. The guards jumped back in surprise and raised their spears. Despite their cold hands, they were still expert warriors and they would die before letting an intruder inside the mansion.


    ¡°Stand back!¡±


    The centaur glanced up at her rider. ¡°Mistress?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Stay where you are,¡± the rider patted her centaur¡¯s back. The white hood swerved over to the guards, ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Dismount and show yourself,¡± the guard gripped his spear tight.


    ¡°If you make me stay out here in this bloody snow for one more second I promise you the cold will be the least of your worries.¡± The figure raised their hood.


    The guards immediately dropped their spears and kneeled. ¡°Young Mistress, welcome home.¡±


    ¡°Open the gate,¡± Loh shooed them away.


    The guards quickly got up and pushed the gate open.


    Loh stared at the large white and black mansion sitting on the hill in the distance, House Noir¡¯s main residence in Hollow Shade. She had grown up in that obscenely large house. How many years had it been since she had lived there? How many hundreds of galas had her mother thrown since she left?


    Loh had been too busy to attend even two or three parties a year back when she was training under her grandfather. In those days, her mother, Dolores, held back on throwing parties since they would ¡°distract¡± Loh from her studies. And still, Dolores would throw parties almost every other weekend. It was a wonder Loh¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t died of alcohol poisoning by now.


    The Noir mansion was one of the largest and most extravagant homes in all of Hollow Shade. Aristocrats from all over the city would kill for an invitation to a party thrown by Dolores Noir.


    Loh¡¯s grandfather, Elzri, had once told her that the Noir residence and all its lavish belongings would one day be hers. That one day, everyone¡¯s eyes would be only on her. Loh hated this place.


    She grumbled a curse under her breath.


    ¡°Mistress?¡± Ruby glanced questioningly.


    It had been some time since Loh had taken her for a ride. Ruby noticed Loh wasn¡¯t her usual self ever since she had returned to Hollow Shade last night.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Loh sighed.


    ~~~


    ¡°Young Mistress, the lord is still sleeping,¡± the maid barred the luxurious doors with her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my grandfather is an early riser,¡± Loh winked.


    ¡°Please, forgive my impudence. The Master asked not to be disturbed,¡± the maid bowed profusely.


    ¡°I see, I see,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°Too bad I don¡¯t care.¡±


    She flicked her hand, black tendrils shot out from her shadow, grabbed the maid, and threw her aside. The servant screamed in surprise as she was flung away.


    ¡°Rise and shine, old man,¡± Loh kicked the door open.


    Contrary to the lavish doors, Elzri¡¯s bedroom was sparsely decorated. Save for the large bed, there was only a small table and a single wardrobe in the room. The room was dark, there were no candles lit. Red curtains covered two tall windows that overlooked a balcony. Morning light spilled from a crack in the tall curtains.


    Elzri laid on his bed, a beautiful vampiress rested on his pale grey chest. A silk blanket haphazardly covered their legs. To Loh¡¯s dismay, both of them were naked.


    Loh¡¯s mouth opened and closed like a fish.


    ¡°Loh,¡± Elzri said calmly. ¡°You appear uninjured, good.¡±


    He stood up and walked leisurely over to his wardrobe. Loh stared dumbfounded at her lithe naked grandfather for a brief shocking moment. She looked away in horror.


    The vampiress drew the blanket close and did her best to cover herself. She bowed gently, ¡°Good morning, Miss Loh.¡±


    ¡°You''re his secretary aren¡¯t you?¡± Loh said in recognition. ¡°Wow, I thought you were just a random fling. But you¡¯re still actually sleeping with the old man. How much does that secretary job pay exactly?¡±


    The vampiress bit her lip, ¡°I was his lover before I became his secretary.¡±


    Loh crossed her arms, ¡°How much is he paying you? Or is he blackmailing you? Does he have your family?¡±


    ¡°No such thing. I am with Lord Noir because I want to be,¡± she smiled.


    Loh shook her head in disbelief, ¡°Sure you are. Because a beauty like you would definitely be with a dark elf 60 years older than herself.¡±


    ¡°Elzri is more than meets the eye,¡± she said in a quiet yet resolute voice.


    ¡°Enlighten me,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I am certain you would not understand.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°Loh,¡± Elzri said softly.


    Loh raised her hand to her face to cover her grandfather¡¯s half-naked appearance before turning to him, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    The words were simple and short, yet they cut through Loh¡¯s ego like a cold serrated blade. Loh stayed silent as Elzri finished dressing. The vampiress sauntered up from the bed with the blanket wrapped around herself like a toga. She walked over to the wardrobe and helped put a white jacket over Elzri¡¯s shoulders. The Noir¡¯s insignia, a black flame, sat snugly on the jacket¡¯s back.


    ¡°Thank you, Lily,¡± Elzri said smoothly.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she smiled brightly.


    Uh, um, what the fuck is this? Loh thought incredulously.


    ¡°Shall I have the maids prepare breakfast for three?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t plan on staying that long,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°Three will be perfect and make sure to add extra sugar in the third teacup,¡± Elzri tied his grey hair in a simple ponytail.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lily nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like a lot of sugar in my tea,¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Elzri walked out into the hall.


    Loh glanced at Lily for a brief moment, then chased after her grandfather.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Loh caught up to him.


    ¡°Obviously, why else would you visit after all this time? I assume it has something to do with the attack on Mora Castle.¡±


    ¡°How did you know about the attack? We just arrived at the docks last night.¡±


    ¡°Sailors have loose tongues and my spies have astute ears. Now, stop wasting my time with useless questions.¡±


    Loh jogged forward and blocked his path. ¡°Here¡¯s a question for you. Who the hell is Holo?¡±


    Elzri sidestepped her and kept walking, ¡°How should I know?¡±


    Loh stared at him as he walked by, ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You come here and throw out a random name and expect me to give you some relevant explanation? Please, stop wasting my time already.¡±


    Loh ran after him, ¡°I fought an arch-mage and I alm-¡±


    Elzri gripped her arm tightly, ¡°A Valley tribe has an arch-mage?¡±


    ¡°And a large army. I saw several hundred raiders at least,¡± Loh nodded.


    ¡°It is unheard of for a Valley tribe to have so many warriors, let alone an arch-mage,¡± Elzri knitted his eyebrows in thought.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just any tribe, it was the Cairn Tribe. I heard one of the raiders say, Lord Marek,¡± Loh gritted her teeth.


    ¡°The ones who killed your brother. This just became more complicated,¡± Elzri sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. The arch-mage almost killed me, but he didn¡¯t. When he realized who I was, he healed all my injuries. Then he told me to find Holo at all costs. The arch-mage said you would know and explain everything. So who is this Holo person?¡±


    Elzri stared out one of the hallway windows and into the snowy courtyard beyond. ¡°The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can¡¯t recall where it came from.¡±


    ¡°How do you not know? You¡¯re an arch-mage for crying out loud. Where¡¯s the brilliant mind that memorized every orange spell in the magic academy? How can you not remember someone¡¯s name?¡± Loh groaned.


    ¡°I only remember what is important and clearly this Holo person is not,¡± Elzri said coldly.


    ¡°Figures, I can¡¯t believe I expected more from you,¡± Loh turned away.


    ¡°Why did the arch-mage want you to find Holo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly. Something about Unildyr and some monster finding something. It was pretty vague stuff.¡±


    ¡°Unildyr? I am unfamiliar with that name. What of this monster? Did it have a name?¡±


    Loh squinted, ¡°Ugh, something about a monster in the shadows, I think? Or the night? Darkness, maybe?¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah, that was it. Wait, you know about it?¡±


    Elzri mumbled quietly to himself.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Holo...¡± he tasted the word on his tongue. ¡°Holo The Tall. I remember now.¡±


    ¡°You know who Holo is?¡± Loh asked excitedly.


    ¡°Are you certain this arch-mage said Holo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And this arch-mage saved you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he helped me escape from the castle.¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Elzri walked quickly through the hall.


    Loh hurried to catch up, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you know Holo or not?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. When I was a child my father used to read stories to my siblings and me by the fireplace after dinner. Most were fanciful tales about the heroics of one mage or another. All the stories had one thing in common, they all ended with the heroine or hero saving the day. Every story was the same, all except for one.¡±


    ¡°And which one was that?¡±


    ¡°The tale of our founder, Noir.¡±


    ¡°Noir? Didn¡¯t he die a horrible drunk? Fell off a balcony? I mean what kind of arch-mage goes out like that?¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°So the records say. But that was 700 years ago, history has a funny way of changing the further you look back,¡± he said grimly.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°My father told me a different story about our founder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Loh said resolutely.


    ¡°Noir was the 5th son of a small merchant family. He had no prospects and he was set to inherit nothing. His life didn¡¯t seem promising. Until one day, a tall mysterious figure approached him. They called themselves, Holo.¡±


    ¡°They? Wait, Holo is a character from 700 years ago? Is there more than one Holo? Is it a title?¡±


    ¡°My father often told stories from memory instead of reading it from a book. He also drank a lot. He often mixed the pronouns in his story. I can¡¯t remember if Holo was supposed to actually be a man or a woman. Perhaps Holo was a title or rank? Possibly something else, I¡¯m not sure. Which is why we¡¯re heading to our family¡¯s personal library to get the story book and find out the exact details.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So, anything else you can tell me about our founder¡¯s story?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°My memory of the story is a tad hazy, but I remember the story fairly well for the most part. Holo told Noir that he was a mageborn and he had great talent for magic. Noir wasn¡¯t sure what to believe, he had never seen Holo before, nor anyone as tall as Holo, but since he had nothing to lose he became Holo¡¯s apprentice. It was said that Holo taught Noir the secrets of the Realms and he became a mage so powerful that even the ebon lords were wary of him.¡±


    ¡°And so Noir founded our Named House?¡± Loh guessed.


    ¡°Yes. Noir was quite the powerful mage, but he still did not rival the power of an ebon lord in other ways, politically, financially, or in military numbers. Yet Noir was in love with one of the wives of an Ebon Lady.¡±


    ¡°Wife? She loved women?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Noir was in love with a woman who could never return his affections. Still, Noir craved her. Sound Familiar?¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°Just get on with the story.¡±


    ¡°Well, for all Noir¡¯s power he could not have the woman of his dreams, Rose. Holo told him to forget Rose and to find someone else to spend his life with. But Noir was obsessed, he could not let Rose go. And so enters the villain of our story, the Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°What kind of monster is it anyway?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It took many different forms, from a dog to an old lady. It could disguise itself with ease with no one the wiser. The Monster appeared to Noir as a powerful frost giant. After a friendly conversation, It promised Noir that It could help him win Rose¡¯s affection. All Noir had to do was help the Monster with an unseen favor when the time came. Noir, not knowing of the Monster¡¯s true identity, agreed.¡±


    Loh nodded, ¡°I heard a similar story back when I was traveling in Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°You heard of the Monster in the Dark?¡± Elzri asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, we were exchanging stories around the fire. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time. It doesn¡¯t really matter. Please, continue.¡±


    Elzri stared at her for a moment in silence, ¡°...We¡¯ll talk more about that later. After Noir¡¯s agreement, the Monster disappeared. A day later the ebon lady died and her castle was burned down. Her widow, Rose, was nowhere to be found.¡±


    Elzri continued, ¡°Noir found Rose knocking at his door a few nights later, in the middle of a storm. Rose had walked the entire way from her burned-down castle to Noir¡¯s home, barefoot. With teary eyes, she told him that she loved him and that she would die if she wasn¡¯t with him. Now, how truthful her words were, Noir did not know, nor did he care. All he cared about was that he now had the woman of his dreams in his arms.¡±


    ¡°Rose Noir, I remember. The mother of the Noir family line,¡± Loh placed a finger to her lips. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t she...?¡±


    Elzri nodded, ¡°I told you, this story doesn¡¯t end well.¡±

 Chapter 152: Family Reunion

    Chapter 152: Family Reunion


    Elzri Noir walked down the hall at a brisk pace, Loh followed beside him.


    Elzri recalled the words his father told him as a child, ¡°Our founder, Noir I, lived happily with his wife, Rose. When Holo found out about his strange bargain with the Monster in the Dark, Holo chastised Noir for his foolish decision. After that, Noir pushed Holo away from his life, he said he no longer had a need for a master.¡±


    ¡°Noir spent the next two decades in blissful ignorance of the bargain he had struck. One day, as Noir was throwing a party for his daughter¡¯s coming of age ceremony, the Monster returned. It had come in the shape of the familiar friendly frost giant, a figure that easily stood out among the crowd of guests.¡±


    ¡°The Monster had come to collect on its side of the bargain?¡± Loh guessed.


    ¡°Indeed. I don¡¯t know what the Monster asked for, my father never told us. All I know is that Noir refused. The Monster left without another word. Noir did not think much of it, until his wife, Rose, got on top of a table in front of all the guests. She called for everyone¡¯s attention.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°Tears streamed down Rose¡¯s cheeks. She looked straight into Noir¡¯s eyes and said, ¡®Why couldn¡¯t you keep your promise? You did this.¡¯ Rose then slit her own throat with a black knife. Everyone screamed in shock. Noir ran to his wife and tried to heal her with white magic. But no matter how many spells he casted, her wound would not close. She died in Noir¡¯s arms, in front of all the guests and her family, at her own daughter¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°I remembered she committed suicide, but I thought she had hung herself,¡± Loh said quietly.


    ¡°Maybe she did. As I told you, this story differs from what is normally taught in our family. I thought my father told me this story to teach his children important life lessons. I never thought it was real. I am still inclined not to, but something strange is happening in our Realm, and I am going to find out what that is.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened to Noir after his wife¡¯s death?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°He was heartbroken, of course. Unbridled rage filled his soul. He ran out of his castle and searched for the frost giant. Yet, the Monster was nowhere to be seen. Noir spent the next decade looking for revenge, he never found it. With each day that passed Noir fell deeper into despair. He turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows. Eventually, he ceased being the powerful arch-mage, the respected mage lord, the strong leader of his family, and simply became the old drunk.¡±


    ¡°Holo came to him then, when Noir was at his lowest. Noir hadn¡¯t seen his master in over 30 years, yet Holo looked the same, tall and youthful as ever. Holo took pity on their apprentice who had wasted away. Holo pleaded with Noir to remember that although his wife was gone, he still had children who loved him, he still had a life to live and a part to play in the Realm. Noir was happy to see his master, but nothing would change his mind, he had given up on life. Holo left soon after... Noir spent the rest of his days locked up in his castle, drinking his life away.¡±


    ¡°He fell off a balcony and died a wretched drunk,¡± Loh recalled glumly.


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not what my father told me... One day, one of Noir¡¯s servants told him of a rumor, a whisper really. It was not much, but it was the first lead on the Monster he had gotten in over 40 years. Noir left his castle and chased after the rumor. After weeks of traveling, he found himself on the outskirts of a remote village.¡±


    ¡°He spotted a few children playing outside with some rocks and twigs. One of the children, a little girl, offered Noir a flower. Others would have found the gesture adorable, but Noir could never forget those vile eyes filled with hate.¡±


    ¡°¡®I have found you,¡¯ Noir seethed in anger."


    "In his hand, he held the black dagger Rose had used to kill herself.¡±


    ¡°¡®Hello, Oathbreaker,¡¯ the girl smiled coldly.¡±


    Elzri reached the library doors of his mansion.


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Loh asked impatiently.


    ¡°One moment,¡± Elzri pulled out a key from his pocket and slipped it into the door¡¯s lock.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Several arcane runes flared to life on the doors. The latch opened with a light click. Elzri pushed the double doors wide open and stepped inside. A large library, three floors high, greeted them.


    ¡°The book should be somewhere on the 3rd floor, towards the back,¡± Elzri headed for the stairs.


    ¡°What happened to Noir and the Monster?¡± Loh asked restlessly.


    ¡°Oh, Noir fought the Monster,¡± Elzri said casually.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Noir lost and was mortally wounded.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? He just died?!¡±


    ¡°Not entirely. The Monster was going to kill him, but Holo suddenly appeared, grabbed Noir, and managed to escape. Noir¡¯s daughter had gone after her father and brought Holo along. She waited for them a few leagues from the village. It was only when Noir saw his daughter that he realized he had failed his family and master entirely. He should have cared more for his family and duty.¡±


    Elzri skimmed through the books on the shelves, ¡°With his dying breaths Noir gave the black dagger to his master and relinquished his revenge. He asked his daughter for forgiveness and closed his eyes one last time.¡±


    ¡°The end,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Not quite. Noir¡¯s daughter thanked Holo for bringing her father back to her after so many years. She believed he was finally back to his true self at the end. She promised she would repay Holo no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Holo gave the black dagger to Noir¡¯s daughter as a symbol of the bond between House Noir and themself. In return, House Noir would serve as sentinels, keeping watch, and alerting Holo if the Monster would ever return to our lands. The end.¡±


    Loh chuckled to herself and then broke out into angry laughter, ¡°And you never thought any of this was important to tell me? Like ever?!¡±


    ¡°The story is supposedly 700 years old. Even if the Monster in the Dark was real, I assumed it was long dead by now. There was no point in dwelling on such matters,¡± Elzri shrugged.


    ¡°Except now I¡¯m hearing about this Monster and we¡¯re supposed to have some duty? How can we even contact this Holo person?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the whole thing is a tad concerning. Of course, chances are the story is full of holes and we are simply jumping to conclusions. Even if there was a Monster or if Holo was ever real, it has been too long. It is highly improbable they are the same ones that arch-mage was referring to. It is more likely that the arch-mage was wrong or simply lying to you. Or he is crazy, it happens more often than you¡¯d think.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, just get the book,¡± Loh grumbled.


    Elzri stopped skimming through the bookshelves, ¡°It isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The book isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Besides the vault, isn¡¯t this library the most well-guarded room in the mansion?¡±


    Elzri closed his eyes, ¡°Yes, no one but a Noir should have been able to enter this library. And there¡¯s only one person besides me who knew about the book.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°My little sister, Una.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°You mean the only one of your siblings you didn¡¯t kill? The sister who ran away from Hollow Shade when you ascended as the leader of House Noir? The sister who no doubt utterly hates you? That little sister?¡±


    Elzri nodded reluctantly, ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Ah, fuck me.¡± Loh pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, ¡°Okay, so we don¡¯t have the book. Let¡¯s at least try to contact Holo. If that works then we know there is more truth to this than we thought. If it doesn¡¯t work maybe we can just put this all behind us.¡±


    ¡°If the story is true we¡¯ll need the dagger to contact Holo.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and where is the dagger?¡±


    ¡°If the dagger is real, it will probably be in the family¡¯s vault. Hm, I guess that finally makes sense,¡± Elzri rubbed his chin.


    ¡°What makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Right before Una left, she robbed the vault. Our treasurer noted that all she took with her was a couple bags of gold and an old dagger. I always found it strange how she stole a dagger. She never learned how to fight with knives. Seeing as this book is missing, I am fairly certain of what dagger she may have stolen.¡±


    Loh banged her head on the wall, ¡°I hate this place.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve told me,¡± Elzri started walking back downstairs.


    ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Elzri kept walking.


    ¡°All we have to do is find Una and make her give us back the dagger and book. Should be fairly easy with your resources and power.¡±


    ¡°Except I don¡¯t know where Una is.¡±


    Loh laughed, ¡°Oh, please. As if you don¡¯t have a dozen spies watching every one of your family members. Are you seriously trying to tell me you haven¡¯t kept a single eye on your little sister in the past 60 years?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Loh frowned.


    Elzri paused in his footsteps but kept his back to Loh. ¡°...I didn¡¯t want to kill another one of my family.¡±


    Loh held her tongue. She followed Elzri down the stairs.


    ¡°... So, we don¡¯t have any leads then,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°No, not currently.¡±


    ¡°Could this day get any worse?¡±


    ¡°Loh? Is that you, darling?¡± Dolores stood breathlessly at the door.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened.

 Chapter 153: Dolores Noir

    Chapter 153: Dolores Noir


    Dolores ran to Loh and embraced her tightly. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, your father and I have been worried sick.¡±


    Elzri sidestepped the reunion and went to have breakfast with his vampire lover, Lily.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Loh said impassively.


    Dolores released her and took a step back. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°Hehe, sorry. One of the maids told me you were here and I ran over as fast as I could. Your father is still sleeping, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be ecstatic to see you.¡±


    Save the wrinkles around the edge of her eyes, Dolores looked the same, a beautiful elegant dark elf. Her white hair and high cheekbones were the same as her father¡¯s, Elzri. Yet, Dolores¡¯ eyes were not a cold grey like his, they were a warm blue like her daughter¡¯s. Loh hated her mother¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying,¡± Loh turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait, surely you must stay for breakfast at least. We have so much to catch up on,¡± Dolores hurried after her.


    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from a woman who never cared what happened in my life.¡±


    Dolores frowned, ¡°How can you say that? Of course, I cared about what happened to you. You have no idea how many sleepless nights I¡¯ve had ever since you left home.¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s a little late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, child?¡± Dolores placed her hands on her hips.


    Loh groaned and spun around to face her, ¡°I was already a master mage when I left home. I didn¡¯t need protection from anyone and certainly not the worries of a woman who spent half her days drunk.¡±


    Dolores¡¯ lip grew thin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I didn¡¯t give you enough attention after Aizel¡­ passed. You have no idea the pain that a mother endures when she loses her child.¡±


    Loh laughed bitterly, ¡°Oh, please. Attention? You never even looked at me long before Aizel died. Tell me, do you remember my 15th birthday?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course, I remember.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, where was I that night?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Dolores furrowed her brow, ¡°You were at your birthday party, obviously.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a party,¡± Loh snarled.


    ¡°What?¡± Dolores¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°I was training with Grandfather. He shackled me with iron manacles and threw me in a cave in utter darkness, with no food, no water,¡± Loh took a long shuddering breath. ¡°It was the hardest thing I had ever done. I didn¡¯t have any magic. All I had was my wit and will. But I fought hard to escape because Grandfather said my birthday was coming in two days. I didn¡¯t want to miss my birthday party.¡±


    Loh swallowed, ¡°Because it was the only day you and dad weren¡¯t looking at Aizel. It was the only day you ever looked at me. So, for two days I struggled in that cave. My wrists were chaffed and bloody from the shackles, my throat was raw from screaming, and my elbows and knees were bruised and bleeding from all the times I tripped and fell.¡±


    Dolores covered her mouth in horror.


    Loh bit her lip, ¡° I didn¡¯t stop though, and eventually, I managed to escape. I found a carriage waiting for me outside the cave. It was already dark by the time I arrived home. I could see the party was already going strong from outside the window. I could see guests dancing inside the ballroom. You were there in this beautiful red dress, you lit up the room as you walked by¡­ I wanted to be like you, I wanted you to see me the way everyone saw you, the center of their attention. Then I noticed it. Everyone was raising their cups in honor of Aizel.¡±


    Loh clenched her fists, ¡°It turned out Aizel had finally managed to cast his first proper spell and you decided to celebrate it with an enormous party, on my birthday. None of you remembered it was my birthday, none of you even noticed I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    Dolores¡¯ eyes teared, ¡°Loh, I didn-¡±


    Loh pointed out the window, ¡°I stood out there in the dark all night long, watching everyone dance and drink merrily. Grandfather was the only one who came out to sit with me, he stayed there all night. Yet, he only said two words the entire time, ¡®Happy Birthday.¡¯ Then he gave me a silver bracelet with a sapphire on it, the dark elf symbol of the bond between master and apprentice.¡±


    Loh rubbed her wrist and touched her new silver bracelet, the one she had gotten for Stryg and herself. She sighed, ¡°That¡¯s what I got for my birthday, a reminder that all I was good for was being the great Elzri Noir¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    Dolores brought her hands over her heart, ¡°Honey, I swear to you I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Who cares if you didn¡¯t know! You didn¡¯t care to begin with!¡± Loh screamed.


    Dolores looked away in shame, ¡°...When I turned eighteen my father took me to be tested for magical talent. Everyone expected great things from me, the daughter of Elzri Noir, the most powerful arch-mage in all of Hollow Shade. Come to find out, I had no talent for magic, I was barely even a mageborn.¡±


    Dolores¡¯ small shoulders trembled, ¡°I was the greatest embarrassment of my father and of House Noir. I thought I was going to be thrown out of the family, but I was my father¡¯s sole child and my aunt, Una, had left years before I was born. My mother was only ever able to give my father one child before she passed. My father had no other heir besides me. He blamed me for the dire predicament my family was in.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Loh¡¯s voice caught in her throat.


    Dolores smiled bitterly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the mage apprentice House Noir deserved. I should have been more and my father made sure to always remind me of that. He shunned me, ridiculed me, and shamed me in public, all in the hopes that it would somehow make me a better mage. I have never managed to cast a simple spell.¡±


    Dolores opened her arms wide, ¡°This mansion became my prison where I hid from the world and your grandfather was my warden. He was desperate to hide me from the world, the shame of House Noir. Until one day, he managed to arrange a marriage for me.¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡± Loh mumbled.


    Dolores nodded, ¡°Your father came from a commoner family. He had no wealth and no political power. Truth be told, he was also a bit of an airhead. But he was a very talented mageborn and that was all your grandfather cared about. I married your father and he married into our family, he adopted the surname Noir. Eventually, with the help of your grandfather, your father rose to the rank of arch-mage and the future of House Noir seemed secured when I became pregnant.¡±


    Dolores¡¯ tears fell down her face unabashedly, ¡°I was so happy that my son would not suffer the way I did. That he would make my father proud like I never could. Except, when Aizel became eighteen it was discovered he had inherited my woeful lack of talent. I had failed my son and your grandfather would punish him the same way I had been.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Dolores clenched her fists and took a deep breath, ¡°I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I wouldn¡¯t let Aizel grow up feeling like his life was meaningless, that he did not matter. I dedicated my time to making sure he felt valued and not alone. When Aizel managed to cast his first proper spell, even if it was a small accomplishment, I was so proud of him. I threw him a huge party to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°I remember well,¡± Loh said sourly.


    Dolores stared at her feet, ¡°...I failed to realize that by focusing so much on Aizel, I hadn¡¯t noticed you needed me too. You were always so smart, so bright. I didn¡¯t think you needed someone as useless as me to hold your hand. I thought you were going to change the world, I still do. I didn¡¯t want to hold you back. So, I let your grandfather take over.¡±


    Loh¡¯s throat felt tight. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡±


    Dolores smiled weakly, ¡°You may have suffered by my father¡¯s hand, but you have never had his hate. You, Loh, have always been his greatest pride and joy. I thought that was enough. I see now I was wrong. Even if you were strong, I should have been there for you. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± Loh¡¯s eyes shimmered. ¡°I was only fifteen, mom. You thought I was strong? I was just a kid. I needed you and you left me. Did you ever even give me a second thought when you handed me over to Grandfather? You knew what he was!¡±


    ¡°He was going to make you a powerful mage,¡± Dolores¡¯ voice cracked.


    ¡°Well, thank the damn bloody gods! Grandfather made me into a powerful mage just like you wanted and my life has been worse off ever since,¡± Loh seethed.


    ¡°Loh,¡± Dolores hugged her.


    Loh shoved her away, ¡°I needed you when it mattered, not anymore. You say I have no idea the pain a mother feels when she loses a child? Good, you best get used to it, because you lost me long ago.¡±


    Loh walked away. She heard the soft echoes of her mother¡¯s cries as she left. Loh didn¡¯t look back.


    ~~~


    Stryg sipped his drink quietly. The captain of the guard, Rorik, sat across the table and was telling some story, but Stryg was not paying attention, his mind was elsewhere. He had landed at the docks only hours ago. Maeve had left quickly and without a word, Stryg guessed she didn¡¯t want to be seen with him. He understood her reasons, but it stung nonetheless.


    Stryg had decided to take Rhian to the Merry Crescent tavern for a few drinks. Judging from her dancing and the audience of tavern goers she had garnered, Stryg thought she seemed happy.


    Of course, he had stopped by home and picked up Feli before going to the tavern. She sat to his right, reading a book regarding maritime trade. She had picked up reading fast and now she spent much of her time pouring over books.


    Stryg had to admit it was nice just seeing her after the last few chaotic days. The way her purple hair fell over her face was a familiar sight and somehow comforting. He stared at her warm hand curled around his own. Well, this was fine.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg, when did you get back?¡± Kithina asked.


    Stryg glanced behind him to find the red-headed dwarf standing with a full mug on each hand. She hopped onto the stool next to his left.


    ¡°Kitty, what are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Drinking, same as everyone else,¡± Kithina took a sip from one of her mugs.


    ¡°Miss Kithina has become a regular here. I already told you that. Are you even listening to me?¡± Rorik frowned.


    Stryg ignored the drow captain and turned to his dwarf classmate, ¡°Is that second mug for me?¡±


    ¡°Pssh, please,¡± Kithina sipped her second mug.


    ¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°So, how was the trip?¡± Kithina asked.


    Images of swords, the blue lamia, and a burning mansion flashed through his mind.


    ¡°...It was alright,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Well, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he mumbled.


    Stryg was surprised to realize his words were the truth. Everything was fine, just fine. It was strange, he had grown up in endless hardships, all he had ever wanted was just fine. Now he wanted so much more. What had happened to him? Had he changed so much?


    ¡°Hm, you never were much of a talker,¡± Kithina furrowed her brow. ¡°Still, Cal and I barely see you anymore. What sort of private classes does professor Loh have you taking anyway?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Oh, you know, boring history and language classes,¡± he lied.


    ¡°I guess being an aristocrat¡¯s mage apprentice is harder than it seems,¡± she nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck, the spring semester starts up in a few days. Here¡¯s to hoping you have more free time to hang out,¡± Kithina raised her mug.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Stryg sighed.


    Loh¡¯s plan was to have him train twice as much in his chromatic colors during the spring.


    ¡°So, how is Cal? Did he say anything about me while you guys were gone?¡± Kithina asked eagerly.


    ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t remember?¡± Kithina bunched her lips to the side.


    ¡°The trip was hectic.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean hectic? Is Cal okay?¡±


    Stryg scratched his pointy ear, ¡°Last I saw him he was unconscious.¡±


    ¡°What!? Unconscious!?¡± Kithina shot to her feet. The stool was too tall, her feet landed on the ground with a loud thud, and her chin smacked the edge of the table.


    ¡°Ah, motherfucking human tables!¡± Kithina squirmed around in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Feli looked up from her book.


    ¡°They throw her off buildings as part of her yellow mage training, she¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stryg sipped his drink.


    ¡°Ahem, may I sit with you all?¡± Clypeus asked with a strained smile.


    ¡°Sir Gale, it is an honor!¡± Rorik stood from his seat and saluted.


    Every soldier in Hollow Shade knew of House Gale and their military exploits. Rorik had once had the honor of seeing a Gale on the battlefield fighting alongside a Veres general. He had watched in awe as the Gale swordswoman had decimated a band of enemy raiders single-handedly.


    Clypeus nodded with a silent thanks. Stryg said nothing. Clypeus sat next to Rorik and fiddled with his mug as he stared at Stryg.


    ¡°So, how are you, Stryg?¡± Clypeus asked.


    Stryg stared at him in silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Mister Clypeus Gale,¡± Feli smiled politely.


    ¡°Please, just Clypeus is fine,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°So, what brings a son of the renowned House Gale to our humble tavern?¡± Feli asked.


    Carla, the barmaid, brought Clypeus a mug full of mead, bowed, and left as quickly as she had appeared.


    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± Clypeus called out.


    Carla laughed happily and sashayed away.


    Clypeus swallowed and cleared his throat. ¡°I came to apologize to Stryg.¡±


    ¡°You hurt, Stryg? How?¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Clypeus said quietly.


    ¡°No, I mean, literally. Stryg¡¯s skin is tough, like I can¡¯t scratch him if I wanted to. He is the literal definition of thick-skinned,¡± Feli laughed.


    Stryg grumbled under his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m just teasing,¡± Feli kissed him on the cheek and winked.


    She turned to Clypeus and mouthed silently, ¡°He¡¯s not thick-skinned at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, what happened?¡± Kithina hopped back on her stool, she was still rubbing her chin.


    ¡°When I got Callum on the Dread Shadow ship, the captain had us set sail immediately. We left you behind,¡± Clypeus admitted.


    ¡°You mean you abandoned Rhian and me,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Believe me, I didn¡¯t want to, but you have to understand, everyone on that ship was loyal to House Veres. We have sworn to protect the Veres, the Gales are the shield of the Veres. I must put the life of a Veres before my own, even if that means leaving my best friend behind. Nonetheless, I urged the captain to wait for you, he did not listen.¡±


    ¡°Tribemates don¡¯t abandon each other. Friends don¡¯t abandon each other,¡± Stryg hissed.


    Clypeus walked over to Stryg and bowed low. Rorik gasped, Feli¡¯s jaw went slack, Kithina coughed on her drink. The tavern grew quiet at the sight of a son of House Gale bowing to a commoner, albeit a mage commoner.


    Clypeus kept his head down, ¡°I am sorry that we abandoned you. I understand if you wish to end our friendship. Just say the word and I will leave, and I will not bother you again. But, if you let me stay, I promise I will not let you down again.¡±


    Stryg recalled the dark lamia cave from Vulture Woods. It had seemed so long ago, yet he could still hear the dying screams of his tribemates.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Get up, it¡¯s time I beat you in drinks.¡±


    Clypeus broke out in a grin, ¡°You¡¯re on.¡±


    ¡°Boys,¡± Feli rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Drinking contest!¡± Kithina jumped on the table and yelled.


    ¡°Woot, woot!¡± Rorik raised his mug.


    The Merry Crescent tavern broke out in cheers.

 Chapter 154: Unexpected Visitor

    Chapter 154: Unexpected Visitor


    Two quick rasps of knuckles rang on Maeve¡¯s bedroom door.


    ¡°Young Mistress,¡± a maid spoke from behind the door.


    Maeve stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was still in the middle of doing her makeup.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Maeve called out.


    ¡°You have a visitor.¡±


    Maeve rolled her eyes, she wished the maids would be a little more helpful and direct. Then again, they were technically her father¡¯s maids, and they answered to him. She could expect nothing less from the spies her father had placed to keep an eye on her.


    ¡°Who is the visitor?¡±


    ¡°He said he works with Lord Mora.¡±


    Maeve sighed. ¡°Tell him my father isn¡¯t home.¡±


    It had been a week since the attack on Castle Mora. The news of the Valley tribe attack had already spread like wildfire in Hollow Shade. Merchants were afraid and the aristocrats demanded swift vengeance. As for the Mora family, excluding Maeve, none of them had visited their family residence in Hollow Shade. In fact, no one really knew much of the aftermath at Castle Mora.


    There were whispers, of course, every commoner spoke one new tidbit of information or another every night at the taverns. Most if not all were rumors.


    If there was one thing Maeve knew, it was that aristocrats had the vilest of tongues. She dreaded returning back to the merchant academy and having to listen to the snide comments of those spoiled aristocrat brats. Still, she had already missed several days of school, she had put this off for far too long.


    The maid cleared her throat, ¡°Young Mistress, he says he is not here to talk to your father¡­ He is here to talk with you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Maeve whispered to herself. She leaned towards the door, ¡°Have him wait at the east wing parlor. I¡¯ll be down in a bit.¡±


    ~~~


    Maeve pushed the parlor door wide open, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    An elder vampire sipped tea and sat in a blue velvet chair. He had an immaculate grey beard. A pair of thick-rimmed glasses rested on his nose. A varnished wooden box sat next to his chair.


    He placed the teacup down on the small table in front of him. ¡°Not at all, thank you for having me, madam.¡±


    Maeve was a small, thin woman, but she walked with the confidence of a giant. She would not be pressured by any merchant.


    Maeve took a seat across from him, folded her legs, and clasped her hands together, ¡°I do hope we can make this quick, my academy lecture starts in half an hour. And before you ask, no, I do not know the whereabouts of my father. You are not the first one of my father¡¯s business partners who has come trying to draw out information from me.¡±


    The vampire adjusted his collar, ¡°Ah, yes, about that. I suppose proper introductions are in order. I am not one of Lord Mora¡¯s business partners. I worked for him, I am in charge of all of his business accounts situated in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the chief accountant? I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±


    ¡°I was the chief accountant for the Hollow Shade branch. Well, that was until this morning.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maeve furrowed her brow.


    The accountant cleared his throat and leaned forward, ¡°Madam, I would not have come to disturb you in your own home this early in the morning if it was not urgent.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Her crimson eyes narrowed.


    ¡°At dawn, I became the chief accountant for all the Mora branches.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Maeve¡¯s voice grew cold.


    ¡°Late last night, my fellow associates and I received word from the squadron of covert magi we had sent to rescue Lord Mora. One of the magi we sent was a purple mage. She managed to capture an enemy guard and interrogate him with a mind spell. Although neither our magi nor the captured guard saw the event, they were able to confirm that your family was caught by the enemy and sentenced to be executed promptly¡­ The message had been sent over a week ago.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s face paled, her body grew rigid, ¡°Are¡­ Are you saying my family is dead?¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry for your loss,¡± he bowed his head.


    Maeve sat still. Her family was dead. Her brothers and sisters were dead. Her father was dead. She had dreamed of her father¡¯s death for years, she had even dreamed of her siblings dying on occasion.


    Yet, Maeve had never expected this feeling. She had always felt shock and wretched pain every time she dreamed of the death of her siblings. Her father was different. She had not only dreamed but wished for her father¡¯s death for so many years. She thought she would feel relief, happiness, maybe even guilt at his death.


    But Maeve did not feel anything, for any of them. All she felt was hollow inside as if the words she had just heard were not real, or perhaps she already believed them to be dead, and this was simply the final nail in the coffin.


    The accountant adjusted his glasses, ¡°Excluding myself, every chief accountant of the other branches was at Lord Mora¡¯s party. I would have gone too had I not been so busy here. Their deaths have also been confirmed. As such, I have been placed in charge of all Lord Mora¡¯s accounts. And it falls to me to serve as the executor of your father¡¯s last will and testimony.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Maeve blinked hard and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    The accountant grabbed the wooden box next to him and placed it on the table. He flicked open the locks and pulled out a bottle of ink, a pen, and several written forms.


    The accountant handed her the forms, ¡°The late Lord Mora had designated at the time of his death that his eldest daughter and son fight each other in a mage duel to the death. The victor would inherit all his belongings. However, his eldest son and daughter have also died. In fact, you are the only surviving Mora. Therefore, all of Lord Mora¡¯s estates and assets are bequeathed unto you.¡±


    ¡°What are these papers? I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happening,¡± Maeve swallowed and brushed her pale blonde hair aside.


    ¡°I know this is a lot to process, but House Mora needs a leader in this hour of crisis. Over a thousand people serve and work for House Mora, they rely on your family to provide for them and keep them safe. With the death of the family leader, everything is in disarray. The people, your people, need a leader they can turn to. You are the only one left capable of fulfilling that role, madam.¡±


    He pointed to the papers, ¡°Those are the transference forms of all of Lord Mora¡¯s titles and accounts. Once you sign your name, you will be the owner of all House Mora¡¯s assets. Madam, you will join the ranks of the Merchant Lords.¡±


    Ironic.


    Maeve couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She laughed loud and bright, without care for the strange look the accountant gave her. She laughed for no one, not even herself. The feeling came from deep within and couldn¡¯t stop bubbling forth.


    Ironic.


    Maeve cried tears of happiness and bitterness. Anger and rage sang through her. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs and she felt like locking herself in her room and hiding away forever.


    Ironic.


    The last words her father had told her were, ¡°You have shamed me for the last time.¡±


    Lord Mora had disowned her at the end, yet she was the one who would inherit his seat of power. And no one would ever know.


    Maeve never wanted the family leadership, she had never asked for it. And now it was being thrust on her. She did not know if she should feel happy or outraged.


    ¡°Madam.¡± The accountant held the pen in one hand and the ink bottle in the other hand.


    Maeve rubbed her cheeks, her makeup was ruined. She had always tried to maintain appearances wherever she went. It suddenly all seemed so trivial.


    ¡°Right,¡± she nodded.


    Maeve grabbed the pen, dipped it into the ink bottle, skimmed through the documents and signed her name at the bottom. She handed the accountant the pen and forms. He carefully placed them back in the wooden box and sealed it shut.


    ¡°What now?¡± Maeve asked.


    The accountant pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she nodded politely.


    He bowed low, ¡°A pleasure to serve, my Lady. Now that you are officially head of House Mora, we can discuss the complete and utter catastrophe your father has left us in.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Lady Mora, your father called home the vast majority of his trade ships to the Mortis Grove docks for his birthday celebration. All those ships were burned down during the sacking of Castle Mora. As you may know, most of our profits were made through trade on the Dire River. Now that both the docks and the ships have been burned down, we are in a financial crisis. If we do not act soon our coffers will be emptied.¡±


    Maeve rubbed her temples, ¡°Has the accountant team come up with any prevention plans?¡±


    ¡°Several, but we cannot move forward without your Ladyship¡¯s approval.¡±


    Maeve looked out the window, the sun was beginning to rise above the looming ebon walls in the distance.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go back to school, will I?¡± She said quietly.


    ¡°Improbable, my Lady.¡±


    Maeve sighed, ¡°Show me the plans.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg cupped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart. A grey orb floated in between his hands. The orb was not misshapen nor did it wobble. It stood tall with pride, floating for all to see.


    ¡°I did it. I did it!¡± Stryg yelled excitedly.


    ¡°A stable illusion without any defects, well done,¡± Vayu Glaz smiled.


    The true purple high-master mage sat cross-legged across from his student. They were in the wind-chimes room, high up in one of the mage academy¡¯s buildings.


    Vayu placed his hand down on the small wooden platform they sat on. Arcane symbols flared to life across the platform. The wall, consisting of sliding doors, opened wide. The wind blew into the room, throwing the large wooden chimes into disarray.


    The chimes sang their chaotic melodic tune as the wind flowed through them. The sounds echoed through Stryg¡¯s ears and made it hard for him to focus. He squinted and took deep breaths. The grey orb did not wane.


    ¡°The illusion isn¡¯t breaking,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°It is a start,¡± Vayu smiled knowingly. ¡°Now, try to get the orb across the room.¡±


    Stryg slowly raised his hands, the orb swam through the air and floated towards the chimes.


    ¡°Remember, Stryg, the goal of the exercise is not about strengthening the illusion. Illusions have innately weak infrastructure, no amount of reinforcement will keep it from breaking against a strong object.¡±


    ¡°The orb will break the moment a chime hits it, no matter what. I remember,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Precisely, which is why you must focus on restoring the orb every time it is damaged. Only then will you manage to get the orb across the room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not very good at restoring my illusions, even a simple one like this,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°Yes, I know. It takes years of practice to be able to restore illusions quickly and perfectly. We are just practicing. So long as you keep trying you will eventually manage a proper illusion restoration.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Easy for you to say.¡±


    The grey orb slowly flew into the chimes area. The illusion floated between two swaying chimes. Stryg narrowed his eyes and focused, he carefully kept the orb moving still and away from the chimes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t focus so much on trying to avoid getting hit,¡± the dark elf added.


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t, the chime will hit the orb and it will shatter,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point. Illusion restoration,¡± Vayu smiled wryly.


    A gust of wind swept past the room, the chimes howled loudly and slammed into each other. A chime knocked right towards the orb. Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. His fingers flexed and flicked to the left. The orb dashed to the left and dodged the chime. Another chime came right behind it. Stryg curled his fingers inward. The orb dropped low.


    Vayu¡¯s teal eyes widened as Stryg¡¯s hands began moving erratically. The grey orb vibrated with energy as it jumped, avoided, and ducked between several chimes with quick precise evasion. Beads of sweat formed on Stryg¡¯s brow. His lilac eyes stayed on the orb, never blinking.


    After a minute, Stryg lowered his hands and gasped for breath. ¡°D-done.¡±


    The grey orb floated gently on the other side of the room.


    Vayu rubbed his chin, ¡°The goal was to restore your illusion when it was damaged by the chimes. Instead, you evaded damage entirely.¡±


    ¡°That counts as something, right?¡± Stryg asked hopefully between breaths.


    ¡°It¡¯s something, alright,¡± he muttered.


    Vayu stared at the strange little goblin. The kid had managed to move his illusion with an expert deftness Vayu hadn¡¯t even seen in purple mage adepts. It was odd. The boy couldn¡¯t even manage a single proper restoration spell, yet he had just managed to pass his illusion through the wind-chimes room unscathed.


    The dark elf wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the whole situation. The goblin boy was running before he even knew how to walk.


    Vayu only knew one thing for certain as he stared at Stryg lying on the ground, gulping deep breaths of fresh air.


    The boy is talented.

 Chapter 155: Enchanted Objects

    Chapter 155: Enchanted Objects


    ¡°Stryg, you still need to practice your illusion restoration spells,¡± Vayu nodded to himself. ¡°I have to admit though, your illusion spells have advanced quite fast. I think it soon may be time to begin teaching you mind spells.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m done with the wind-chime room and all these annoying illusions?¡± Stryg sat up excitedly.


    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± Vayu laughed. ¡°No, you are nowhere near mastering illusions. When I deem you ready you will begin training mind spells alongside  your illusion spells.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg sighed. He shook his head and sat upright, ¡°I will not fail you. Tell me what to do and I¡¯ll have it done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Vayu smiled.


    Stryg glanced past the open sliding doors and to the city spread across the horizon. It was difficult to truly grasp how enormous Hollow Shade was until you saw it from up high. Thousands of buildings sprawled across his view. He could tell which district the buildings belonged to based on their size and design. The Trade District was the largest of the city¡¯s sectors, followed by the poor Commoner District, then the middle-class Bourge District where merchants and lesser Named Houses lived.


    With a plethora of dark interests such as brothels, slave markets, and beast-kin breeders, many folks visited the infamous Night District.


    Stryg turned his gaze further beyond, he could clearly see the large mansions of the Villa District from here, it was where the most powerful of Great Houses lived, including the Seven Ruling Families.


    The Central District was located at the center of Hollow Shade, it was easy to spot thanks to the looming Ebon Tower that stood proud at the very center of the city. The only more iconic structure of Hollow Shade was the Ebon Wall. Stryg still had no inkling of how the Ebon Lords had managed to create the titanic magestone wall, nor how they managed to place thousands of shades within its eerie dark stone.


    Stryg glanced down below at the mage academy¡¯s campus. Dozens of buildings surrounded him. He spotted a variety of students rushing across the cobblestone paths, trying to get to their next class. The Scholar District encompassed Hollow Shade¡¯s four prestigious schools, the magic, martial, merchant, and civics academies.


    ¡°This place really is incredible,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± Vayu asked.


    ¡°Professor Glaz, I have some questions,¡± Stryg looked up at the sky and stared at the sun.


    ¡°Fire away,¡± the dark elf said.


    Stryg glanced over at him, his lilac irises had widened and spanned entirely across his eyes.


    ¡°Your eyes,¡± Vayu leaned forward with interest.


    ¡°My master told me it¡¯s an ocular mutation. It allows my eyes to handle large exposures of light, I¡¯m not sure of its limits. What I do know is that I see light differently when my eyes are like this. Light appears to me as soft almost physical substances, like paint or ribbons.¡± Stryg sighed, ¡°This probably doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±


    ¡°No, please go on. I¡¯m listening,¡± Vayu nodded vigorously.


    Stryg cupped his hands together, pooled purple mana into his palms, and casted a small illusory grey orb.


    ¡°When I was at Castle Mora I encountered some illusions. The thing was, I could clearly see they were illusions, they were purple. I know mana is a form of energy and therefore ethereal and invisible in its natural state. I also know my mutation doesn¡¯t allow me to see mana. So, why did those illusions at the castle appear purple? Why does this illusory grey orb in my hands look purple right now?¡±


    Vayu laughed giddily, ¡°This is fascinating stuff, really. House Glaz takes pride in being considered the most powerful Ruling Family and having extensive magical knowledge, especially regarding purple magic. Our founder was a true purple mage, you know.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°Sorry, I digress. My point is, I have never heard of anything like this before. Sure, ocular mutations have been recorded in the past, but not one quite like yours. And to see illusions as purple, it is sort of like clarity magic.¡±


    ¡°Clarity magic?¡± Stryg had heard Lord Elzri Noir mention it before.


    ¡°Yes, the true blue spell-form. Clarity spells have several capabilities, the most famous is being able to see mana in all forms, whether that be floating in the air in its natural state, being transformed into a spell, or even lying dormant within a mage¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t see mana,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Exactly! Which begs the question, why do you see illusions as purple?¡± Vayu leaned back and rubbed his chin, ¡°Illusions are composed of matter, albeit very little. Perhaps that matter interacts with light differently? Or maybe the illusions themselves also give off some level of light that your eyes detect?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping for a more concrete answer,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°This is new territory, jumping to conclusions so quickly could be very detrimental. If there is anything else you could tell me about the incident at Mora Castle, it would be very helpful. Such as what sort of illusions did you see.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Stryg closed his eyes in thought. ¡°Well, there were three illusions that all looked identical to the original, a lamia.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°You encountered a lamia? I¡¯m surprised you got out with your life,¡± Vayu rubbed his neck.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Anyway, the illusory lamias moved in sync with the original. Whenever one of the illusions were damaged they would regenerate almost instantly.¡±


    ¡°Illusion restoration,¡± Vayu nodded. ¡°The purple mage who cast the spell must have been very skilled.¡±


    ¡°There was no mage, just the lamia.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean? Beast-kin have no magic, whether it be elemental or chromatic,¡± Vayu¡¯s forehead creased.


    ¡°She was wearing this golden belt with purple magestones embedded on it. I¡¯m guessing it was an enchanted belt since it had a bunch of arcane symbols engraved on its surface,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Vayu said in awe.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Enchantments are difficult spells to create, especially complex ones. While they are normally limited to the abilities of brown mana, if the enchanter is a manifold mage they could hypothetically create an enchanted object that mimics a spell from a different chromatic color.¡±


    ¡°So, this one was enchanted by a purple-brown mage?¡±


    Vayu stood up, ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t understand the importance of this. It is incredibly difficult for enchantments to mimic spells from a different color. Even creating a staff that could shoot a basic orange fireball spell would take a powerful high-master mage a year to make and perfect. And that¡¯s only one spell. Trying to enchant an object with several spells, ones so advanced to be able to perfectly copy a lamia three times?¡±


    Vayu ran his hands through his short grey hair, ¡°That would require years of work and the craftsmanship of an extremely skilled arch-mage enchanter. I know of no living manifold arch-mage enchanter who wields both purple and brown mana. Nor can I recall any in recent history. Even if there had been, an enchanted object of that level would be famous.¡±


    ¡°So, how did something so valuable end up in the hands of a lamia?¡± Stryg asked.


    Vayu¡¯s lips grew thin, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have two possible theories, neither is promising for us.¡±


    ¡°At least tell me,¡± Stryg complained.


    ¡°Well, one possibility is that the enchanter came from a different Realm, which would explain how such a powerful enchanted object has gone unnoticed. It would also mean that our enemy, the Cairn Tribe, has the backing of another Realm. How they managed to contact another Realm after the Schism leads to implications I don¡¯t even wish to entertain.¡±


    Stryg was surprised. What could get a high-master mage like Vayu scared? ¡°Okay, so what is the other possibility?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That there is a powerful arch-mage in the Cairn Tribe. I¡¯ve never heard of one of the Valley tribes having an arch-mage. The thought of an enemy arch-mage is unsettling, but certainly preferable to the previous theory.¡±


    Stryg stood up and bowed his head, ¡°Thank you for the info. I should get going to my next class. My teacher will get angry at me if I¡¯m late.¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve held you up too long,¡± Vayu smiled wryly. ¡°Oh, before I forget. The enchanted belt, you said it had several magestones? How many and how large?¡±


    ¡°Three, I think? They were a little larger than my hand. Why?¡±


    ¡°The more powerful the enchantment the more mana they use. Judging from the amount and size of the magestones I would guess they were a high-grade cut.¡±


    ¡°High-grade cut?¡±


    ¡°Not all magestones are equal. Some can absorb and hold more mana than others. Either way, that enchanted belt would consume its mana reserves fairly quickly. There has to be a powerful mage who is constantly recharging the magestones.¡±


    ¡°So, they do have an arch-mage enchanter on their side?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°The possibility is becoming more and more likely,¡± Vayu sighed.


    ~~~


    Stryg ran down the stone steps and burst into the Frost Pool Chamber with a slam of the iron door. Ismene sat on a large pillow at the other end of the chamber. Next to her was a gold filigree teapot and two cups of steaming tea.


    Ismene¡¯s beige eyes looked him over. Her wrinkled hands grabbed a teacup with a calm elegance Stryg had tried to emulate but always failed.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Ismene sipped her tea.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got caught up with an interesting conversation about magic,¡± Stryg bowed repeatedly.


    ¡°Everything about magic is interesting to you.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°When it blinds you to your priorities, yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg swallowed.


    He glanced at the metal grate flooring, hoarfrost had formed at its edges. He could see the water beneath the grate slosh around with an all too familiar rage. Stryg tried to think quickly before the Tempest Arch-Mage doused him with freezing water.


    ¡°It had to do with the Mora Castle attack,¡± Stryg spouted.


    Ismene stared at her tea, ¡°You have been through a lot these past few days.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Stryg nodded vehemently.


    His eyes never left the water beneath him.


    ¡°Coming late to your first day of the semester may set a bad precedent. A blue mage must always be in control of themselves, they have to take their training seriously,¡± Ismene murmured.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be late again!¡± Stryg swore.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ In that case, I will make an exception for today.¡± Ismene patted the pillow next to her, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Get over here and tell me about your travels.¡±


    The cold metal floor vibrated as Stryg ran across. He took a seat on the pillow and grabbed his cup of tea graciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Ismene smiled warmly.


    The elder human seemed like a benevolent loving grandmother-like figure. No one would think that she was in fact the fearsome Tempest Arch-Mage, who had single-handedly slain countless valley raiders and river pirates. The tribes of Dusk Valley feared her more than Elzri or any other mage.


    Stryg¡¯s worries of the Cairn Tribe¡¯s arch-mage suddenly melted away.


    He smiled and grabbed his teacup, ¡°I managed to cast a torrent spell.¡±


    Ismene raised an eyebrow, ¡°I thought we were holding off casting blue spells until you managed to stop relying on your anger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing! I mean, sure, I normally rely on my emotions to spellcast. But this time was different. We were in the Dire River in the middle of a storm.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ve been there, not fun,¡± she said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made it if my centaur hadn¡¯t saved us. Still, it was close. We were going to drown and all I could think of was how I didn''t want Rhian and Maeve to die.¡±


    ¡°Your companions I assume?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Right. I wanted us to live, that¡¯s all I wanted. And my blue mana responded to that. I was able to cast a torrent spell that created a wave to carry us to our ship.¡±


    Ismene sipped her tea quietly. ¡°Using the will to live as your mental focus for spell-casting is very powerful, but ultimately unstable. Still, it is a start. Your meditation skills have made some progress as well¡­ Perhaps it is time I begin teaching you torrent spells.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m tired of just sitting here and talking all the time,¡± Stryg sighed in relief.


    Ismene stared at him.


    ¡°*Ahem* I mean, I am deeply grateful for this honor, professor Ismene,¡± he bowed deeply.

 Chapter 156: The Unlucky Man’s Plea

    Chapter 156: The Unlucky Man¡¯s Plea


    The unlucky man found himself mopping the floors of a minor temple in the Commoner District. When Witt had decided to abandon his old life in Dullwater and travel to Hollow Shade he had expected to find a life full of adventure.


    ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t expect this,¡± Witt sighed.


    The grey shale floor seemed clean enough, but the head priest, Elm, wanted to see every hair on his beard¡¯s reflection before he would be satisfied with Witt¡¯s work.


    Witt had already finished mopping the hallways and the minor rooms, all that was left was finishing up the main worship room, which was, of course, the largest room.


    ¡°Fuuuuck,¡± Witt whined.


    He had been mopping this stupid floor for over two hours. He dropped the mop and walked up the central steps to the temple¡¯s altar. He plopped down on the ground and rested his back on the stone altar.


    A marble statue sat in each of the room¡¯s four corners. Each statue depicted one of the four ebon gods. Witt glanced at the tall statue of his patron deity, Stjerne, the Traveler, god of human-kind.


    ¡°What did I ever do to deserve this?¡± Witt asked.


    The statue said nothing.


    Witt raised an eyebrow, ¡°No, nothing? Not gonna send me a sign? Something like, ¡®Witt, get up, you are my chosen, destined hero of Dusk Valley.¡¯ Maybe? Okay, I can see you might be busy traveling or whatever else you gods get up to. I¡¯ll settle with only a bag of money.¡±


    The statue said nothing.


    "Figures,¡± Witt sighed.


    He glanced at another corner, at the armored statue of the goddess of war, the patron deity of vampires, the Guardian, Bellum. ¡°Any chance you could send me like a magic sword? It doesn¡¯t have to be as cool as yours with black flames and all that. I¡¯d settle with a sword that just makes me a master swordsman, yeah, that would be pretty cool.¡±


    The statue stood still, yet Witt felt like Bellum was looking down on him with disdain.


    Witt raised his hands, ¡°Okay, I get it, I do. You want me to prove myself a great hero first. Believe me, I¡¯d love to. I¡¯ve been waiting for my chance, but so far¡­¡±


    Witt hung his head, ¡°No one¡¯s given me a chance.¡±


    He turned his head to the statue of the Watcher, patron deity of goblins, Lunae. Her crescent mask failed to cover the smirk the sculptor had added to her chiseled face.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, I shouldn¡¯t have hated on goblins,¡± Witt rolled his eyes.


    Everything had started that night he had arrived in Hollow Shade. He had visited a rambunctious tavern. The place was so lively and filled with the scent of delicious food and exotic drinks. Everything was great. It was supposed to be the day Witt¡¯s life of adventure started.


    Instead, Witt had accidentally insulted a goblin¡­ mage. Everything had gone downhill from there. He had been knocked unconscious by, well, he couldn¡¯t recall. He assumed the mage had casted some mystic arcane spell that had caused him to blackout.


    All Witt knew was that he had woken up in the middle of the night, stripped of all his belongings in an empty street. That damn evil mage.


    ¡°And my damn big mouth,¡± Witt groaned.


    ¡°Witt, what are you doing? The children will be here soon for their daily lesson,¡± a young goblin acolyte stood next to the doorway, arms crossed.


    ¡°Oh, Karen, hey, I was just praying to the gods for guidance,¡± Witt smiled coyishly.


    ¡°Do that on your own time, you know how Elm gets when you don¡¯t clean the floors properly.¡±


    Witt raised his index finger, ¡°Ah, but you see, the head priest is off attending that annual temple thingamajiggy with all the other temples¡¯ head priests. Elm won¡¯t be back until the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a priestly gathering and that doesn¡¯t give you an excuse to shirk your duties,¡± Karen frowned.


    ¡°It does if you don¡¯t tell Elm,¡± Witt winked.


    ¡°Nah, I think I will,¡± she said calmly.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Witt threw himself to the floor and bowed, his forehead to the floor, ¡°Please, please, please, don¡¯t tell Elm.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re unbelievable, you know that?¡± Karen shook her head.


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna cook my breakfast for the next two weeks.¡±


    Witt looked up and smiled, ¡°Deal.¡±


    If there was one thing Witt was confident in beside his handsome looks it was his cooking skills.


    ¡°You better or Elm¡¯s gonna kick you to the curb. And put away the mop at least. I¡¯m gonna grab my scrolls before the kids get here,¡± she turned to leave.


    ¡°Sure thing, Karen. And thanks, for everything,¡± Witt grinned.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Karen yawned and walked away.


    Well, at least not all goblins were bad. That was something Witt had learned. Karen had been the one who had found him naked that first night after the tavern incident. She had saved him from the wandering undead sentinels and had brought him to her temple.


    Witt had somehow managed to beg the head priest to let him stay in exchange for his skills and services, which amounted to cooking and cleaning mainly. At first Elm was going to reject him, but Karen had stood up for him.


    She was the only person who had been kind to Witt since he had arrived. When he had first met her, all he could see was a goblin, a strange green creature. He had grown up hearing stories of how dumb and barbaric goblins were. Karen was nothing of the sort.


    As the days went by Witt¡¯s opinion of the goblin began to change. Karen seemed more sophisticated than anyone back in Dullwater. She had what people here called ¡°street-smarts.¡±


    Karen was the opposite of a dumb loud brute. She was quiet and deft with her hands. Witt had lost track of the number of times she had beaten him in cards.


    More than anything, Witt came to realize that Karen was his friend, perhaps the first true friend he ever had. Which made everything more difficult when Witt realized he liked her more than a friend.


    Not that it mattered, Karen only saw him as a dumb country bumpkin. She also called him an ugly human on many occasions, but she thought all human men were ugly, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Despite her off-ish countenance Witt didn¡¯t stop stealing glances at her.


    Sometimes Witt swore he saw a horrible sadness overtake Karen¡¯s yellow eyes for a brief moment, then she was back to her usual self. He wanted her to be happy, he wanted to help, but he didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡°Not that she would ever accept my help,¡± he muttered.


    Witt picked up his mop and looked at the last statue, the Mystery, patron of none, Caligo.


    ¡°You bless people who chase after mysteries and try to solve puzzles, right? Well, could you lend me a little help? I swear I¡¯m good for it. I just need a chance to prove to Karen, prove to everyone, that I¡¯m not¡­ useless. I wish I was something, I guess? Ugh, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Witt leaned on his mop, ¡°I just need a chance, just one.¡±


    The front door of the temple creaked open. Thirty-some children ran into the main worship room. The majority of the kids were around the age of 10, the eldest was 16, while the youngest was barely over 6.


    Most of the kids were goblins and humans, yet there were a few dwarves and dark elves, and even a vampire child. Several of the children ran past Witt and began poking at the feet of the statues.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch those, I just finished cleaning them,¡± Witt called out.


    The kids ignored him and posed next to Bellum, pretending to be an elite warrior in the goddess¡¯ mythical Ebon Order.


    A few goblin children stood quietly off to the side, shivering from the cold they had just left. Their clothes were torn and dirty and they shied away from the other kids. Witt recognized the orphaned goblins, the temple would usually offer food and a place to stay the night for the orphans of the neighborhood, which were many.


    A human woman walked in, holding the hand of her young son. The boy hid behind his mother¡¯s skirt while the mother looked at the room of running children with mild disgust.


    The mother caught sight of Witt and sighed with exaggerated relief, ¡°Oh good, a human acolyte. Excuse me, my family and I just moved to Hollow Shade from a village in Dusk Valley. We were told this was the temple that served our neighborhood. Clearly, there must have been a mistake. There are so many other species here.¡±


    The few children that heard the woman said nothing and looked away. One little goblin girl walked up to the woman and placed her tiny hands on her hips.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± The small girl tilted her head to the side.


    The child looked mildly familiar to Witt, though he could have sworn he had never seen her before.


    The mother held her palm out, ¡°Stay back! Keep your grubby little hands away from me and my son. Acolyte, you are a servant of Stjerne, yes? Please remove these heathens from our sacred temple.¡±


    The little girl bit her bottom lip, her eyes began to water.


    ¡°And I thought the Dullwater people were bad,¡± Witt muttered.


    ¡°What was that?¡± The woman frowned.


    Witt crossed his arms, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I think you have me confused. I¡¯m not an acolyte, I just work here. And I don¡¯t know what sort of backwater village you come from, but Hollow Shade is a place where races of all sorts live. Our temple isn¡¯t only dedicated to Stjerne, we worship all four ebon gods, and we provide services to all the races in the neighborhood, get used to it, or go find another temple.¡±


    The mother¡¯s face grew red, ¡°What sort of nonsense is that!? I demand to speak with an actual acolyte!¡±


    ¡°That would be me,¡± Karen called out from the doorway.


    ¡°You!?¡± The mother froze between an expression of disbelief and horror.


    The goblin acolyte held a bundle of scrolls in her arms. When the children saw Karen they all stopped running and quickly gathered into a line.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Karen,¡± the children said in unison.


    All except for one child.


    The little goblin girl slowly turned to Karen, ¡°Sis?¡±


    ¡°Sophi?¡± Karen¡¯s voice cracked.

 Chapter 157: Temple Visit

    Chapter 157: Temple Visit


    Karen dropped the scrolls and ran over to her little sister. She scooped Sophi up in a tight embrace and laughed brightly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s really you!¡±


    ¡°You have a sister?¡± Witt¡¯s jaw went slack. Karen had never told him.


    ¡°You¡¯re squeezing too hard,¡± Sophi squirmed.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Karen put her down. ¡°How did you get here? I thought mom didn¡¯t want you to see me.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡¯s still angry with you, I think. But dad said I could come visit you so long as I didn¡¯t tell mom,¡± Sophi grinned broadly.


    ¡°Heh, that works for me,¡± Karen kissed her on the forehead.


    Sophi laughed warmly.


    ¡°Excuse me, what is all of this? Are you actually an acolyte?¡± The human mother asked in disdain.


    ¡°Do you not see my white robes?¡± Karen pointed to herself and the necklace of the four ebon gods she wore.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The mother frowned.


    ¡°Karen,¡± another acolyte walked into the main hall. ¡°There are people here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Can it wait?¡± Karen asked.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s! That¡¯s a human acolyte! I want to talk to her!¡± The mother pointed at the other acolyte.


    The acolyte ignored the strange mother, ¡°I really don¡¯t think they¡¯ll wait, Karen.¡±


    Karen squeezed Sophi¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Sorry, Sophi. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± Sophi nodded.


    ¡°We will talk about our temple¡¯s views afterward, ma¡¯am. Make yourself comfortable until then,¡± Karen said to the mother. She turned to Witt, ¡°Make sure everything stays sane until I get back.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me,¡± Witt made a fist in the air.


    Karen stared at him with a lack of confidence, ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯m not so sure anymore.¡±


    ¡°Karen, we can¡¯t keep them waiting,¡± the other acolyte said.


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯m coming,¡± Karen nodded and left.


    The moment the acolytes were gone the kids began playing around the room again. The human mother looked exasperated, though she did not leave. Her 7-year-old son gripped her skirt tightly.


    Sophi smiled at the boy and offered her hand, ¡°Do you wanna play with us?¡±


    ¡°I said get your little grubby hands away from us!¡± The mother raised her hand and swung down.


    The eldest orphan goblin, a young teenage boy, stepped in, and took the mother¡¯s slap. Blood trickled down his lip. The kids stopped playing and grew quiet.


    ¡°And where did you come from?¡± The mother took out a handkerchief and wiped her hand.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sophi grabbed the boy¡¯s hand and asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the orphan boy nodded. ¡°Your big sis always takes care of us, it was the least I could do.¡±


    Witt stepped between the children and the mother, ¡°Okay, this stops now. You don¡¯t get to come in here and hurt the kids. Especially not Karen¡¯s baby sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d choose these goblins over your own kind?¡± The mother snarled.


    Witt was surprised the words came so easily to him, ¡°Choose the kids over you? In a heartbeat.¡±


    ¡°Goblins? Unbelievable,¡± the mother shook her head.


    ¡°We have names,¡± the orphan boy gritted his teeth.


    ¡°No one cares,¡± the mother sneered.


    ¡°Get out,¡± Witt raised his mop. ¡°Or else.¡±


    The mother pushed her son behind her, ¡°I was the captain of the watch in my village. And you come at me with a mop?¡±


    ¡°Leave, now,¡± Witt pointed his mop at her.


    The mother grabbed the mop¡¯s handle and yanked it out of Witt¡¯s hand. He tried to grab it back, she spun it around and knocked his feet right from under him.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Witt groaned.


    The mother smacked him on his arm.


    ¡°Ah, shit, dammit, stop it!¡± Witt raised his hands.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were alight with anger, she smacked him across his body over and over. In a matter of seconds, his body was bruised and bloodied. Witt curled into a small ball and tried to avoid getting hit in the face.


    ¡°Leave him alone!¡± The orphan boy ran at the woman.


    She swiped the mop at his head, it smacked right into his forehead. The orphan boy fell backward. The other orphans ran over to him and shielded him with their own bodies.


    ¡°All of you dishonor the great god Stjerne in his very own temple! Playing with the statues of the deities and running about! All of you get out!¡± The mother pointed the mop at the children.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The orphans huddled close and stayed quiet, they didn¡¯t dare look up at the woman. The other children backed away from the angry woman.


    Sophi ran in front of the orphans and raised her arms up high, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them!¡±


    ¡°I told you to keep your damn grubby hands away from me!¡± The mother raised the mop.


    The room darkened, dark shadows curled around the ceiling and walls. The mother took a step back and looked around in fear. The children¡¯s faces paled with dread.


    ¡°Karen, who is this human woman?¡± A young blue goblin asked coldly.


    Karen and the other acolyte stood behind Stryg and Feli at the doorway.


    ¡°Witt!¡± Karen¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the injured man. ¡°Sophi? What happened?¡±


    Tears fell down Sophi¡¯s chubby green cheeks. She ran to Karen and buried her face in her older sister¡¯s chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sophi, everything is going to be okay,¡± Karen caressed her head.


    ¡°Did you hurt Sophi?¡± Stryg asked the human woman quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± The mother furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why is it so dark? Is Stjerne angry with you all?!¡±


    ¡°No, but I have been told I am a goddess¡¯ bad omen,¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed.


    ¡°There goes our wedding planning for the day,¡± Feli sighed.


    ¡°Stryg, this is a temple, please don¡¯t do this here. She has a child,¡± Karen pleaded.


    ¡°Goblins are not supposed to cry. So why is Sophi crying?¡± Stryg slowly walked up to the mother.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± She swung the mop at him.


    Stryg¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed the mop¡¯s shaft. He ripped it out of her hand and broke it in two with ease.


    The mother¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°H-how?¡±


    Stryg bared his fangs, ¡°You have no idea the injuries that little girl has endured. You have no idea what I¡¯ve done to the people that have hurt her.¡±


    The mother jumped backward and pulled her son close.


    Stryg glanced at the little boy, ¡°Remember this well, the world is a dangerous place where monsters lurk everywhere.¡±


    Stryg raised his hand, an orb of fire materialized above his palm. ¡°Your mother poked her head in the wrong den.¡±


    The mother fell to her knees, she trembled in fear at the sight of his magic.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill them!¡± Sophi yelled.


    Stryg glanced at the little girl and slowly lowered his hand.


    ¡°...You¡¯re lucky this is Karen¡¯s temple and the young one has begged for your life,¡± Stryg muttered under his breath.


    The fire died as quickly as it had appeared. Stryg leaned towards the woman.


    ¡°Do not come here again. If you do, I will find you, I will rip out your heart, and I will leave your corpse in the street for the undead sentinels,¡± he whispered.


    She swallowed, ¡°I -¡±


    Stryg slapped her face into the floor. The woman¡¯s head bounced on the floor painfully. Her eyes rolled. The little boy screamed a high-pitch squeal. Stryg softly hit his nape and knocked him unconscious.


    Stryg glanced at the human acolyte, ¡°Throw these two out.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± the acolyte nodded quickly and hurried over to complete the task.


    Karen ran over to Witt and checked his pulse.


    ¡°Oh, thank Lunae, he¡¯s alive,¡± she sighed in relief.


    ¡°Gods, who beats someone up with a mop?¡± Witt groaned.


    ¡°If you can talk, stop pretending to be dead, you big dummy,¡± Karen laughed and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I could have had her, she just caught me by surprise,¡± Witt pushed himself up to a sitting position. He kept a hand on his swollen ribcage.


    Witt winced, ¡°I think I might have broken something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to patch you up then, come on,¡± Karen offered her hand.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Witt grabbed her hand with a gracious smile.


    Stryg glanced at the interaction, ¡°Are you two together?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Karen¡¯s grip loosened.


    Witt fell backward, ¡°Ow.¡±


    Stryg nodded to himself, ¡°He may be weak but he seems to have fought in the defense of Sophi. Besides, Karen, you can handle yourself if something happens. Hm, alright. I approve of this relationship.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I don¡¯t need your approval to whom I date, and I am not dating this dummy. We¡¯re just friends,¡± Karen chuckled to herself.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stryg cocked his head. ¡°Well, in either case, I may not know you, human, but Karen is my friend. If you hurt her, death will be the least of your worries. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    Witt furrowed his brow, ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. Stryg doesn¡¯t remember most people,¡± Feli walked up to the blue goblin and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that makes me lucky or not,¡± Witt rubbed his head conspicuously.


    Sophi ran up to Stryg and hugged him. ¡°Thank you for not killing them,¡± she sniffed.


    ¡°...Sure thing, kid,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    The orphan boy stepped away from the other orphans and bowed to Stryg, ¡°Thank you for saving my friends and me.¡±


    ¡°I heard your voice from the hall, you stepped up for the others. Well done. What¡¯s your name?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Mel,¡± the boy shuffled his feet.


    The other orphans opened their mouths wide. The rest of the children quickly huddled around Stryg but stayed a healthy distance away.


    Stryg eyed them all curiously.


    ¡°They are all just a little shy. They¡¯ve never seen a goblin mage before,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°So you really are a mage?¡± Mel asked excitedly.


    ¡°The one and only,¡± Feli laughed proudly.


    ¡°I may be the only goblin mage in the city, but I¡¯m not the only goblin mageborn,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mel cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°It means that for all we know some of you could have the potential to be magi,¡± Stryg said.


    The children gasped.


    ¡°I thought goblins weren¡¯t gifted with magic. We¡¯re not good at anything anyway...¡± Mel stared at his feet.


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Stryg asked, a trace of anger in his voice.


    Mel glanced out the window, ¡°Everyone.¡±


    Stryg clenched his jaw, ¡°None of those people know anything. Goblins aren¡¯t good at anything? We were the first ones to build a Great City.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mel¡¯s eyes widened.


    Karen, Sophi, and the others all looked at him with surprise.


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°A long time ago, the goblins of this Realm founded the first Great City, Lunis, the Sapphire of the East. Our people were great at many things and we had many magi.¡±


    ¡°Why have I never heard of Lunis before then?¡± Karen asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Because Hollow Shade wants to bury the past. I only know what I do thanks to a few ancient books I came across in my academy¡¯s library,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Where is Lunis?¡± Mel asked hesitantly.


    ¡°It was destroyed, razed to the ground. The attack was led by Hollow Shade¡¯s grand marshall, leader of all the city¡¯s armies, the Blue Rose.¡±


    ¡°I like roses, was she really that bad?¡± One of the smaller human children frowned.


    ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know much about her, all I do know is that she was Hollow Shade¡¯s most ruthless general. She killed countless of us,¡± Stryg said bitterly.


    The goblin children shuddered in fear.


    Stryg smiled wryly, ¡°You must all think Lunis was weak. It wasn¡¯t, we were just betrayed. But I should probably start at the beginning. A long time ago¡­¡±


    The other kids drew closer and sat down around Stryg as he spoke.


    Karen glanced at the scrolls in her hands and back at Stryg. ¡°There goes today¡¯s lesson,¡± she smiled softly.

 Chapter 158: The Council of City Lords

    Chapter 158: The Council of City Lords


    Elzri Noir, leader of the Great House of Noir of the Seven Ruling Families, famed mage lord, and greatest arch-mage in Hollow Shade, hesitated as he stood in front of the tall adorned golden doors. Before any of his other titles he was first and foremost one of Hollow Shade¡¯s seven city lords.


    Behind these doors stood the six other most influential men and women in all of Hollow Shade, the leaders of the Seven Ruling Families, the city lords and ladies.


    Winter had ended, spring was already in the air, flowers were beginning to bloom, and still the city council had yet to properly discuss the attack on Castle Mora. Politics, business, and personal matters had stopped one city lord or another from attending the council, until now.


    Everything surrounding the attack on Castle Mora was strange, and Elzri himself was still trying to deduce what should be done. Yet the time for personal deliberation was over.


    Elzri sighed, ¡°Here we go.¡±


    He placed his orichalculm nameplate on the doors. Several arcane sigils lit up around the doorway, heavy gears rumbled from within the walls, the door¡¯s locks opened. Elzri pushed the golden doors wide open and strode into the council room.


    The pristine black marble floor contrasted with the white marble high-ceilings. There were no windows, enchanted gold-plate lanterns hung over pale white pillars, and illuminated the room in a soft blue. Dozens of elite mage-guards stood silently besides the pillars and the golden entrance. They were cloaked in black armor with the sigil of Hollow Shade emblazoned on their breastplate, a skull surrounded by the tendrils of a black sun.


    The room was obscenely large, yet there was only one fixture inside, a long ebony wooden table in the shape of a ¡°¡É.¡± The room itself was shaped in a ¡°¡É,¡± the outer ring was built high, with over a dozen marble steps needed to reach the top where the council¡¯s table sat. The inner ring and the entrance of the room was built a dozen feet below, so that visitors would be forced to look up to the council above.


    Seven ornate chairs sat on the outer ring of the table, where the city lords would sit and judge the one standing below them. Six of the chairs were already filled. The other city lords turned their heads at Elzri¡¯s entrance.


    Lady Glaz, head of the city council and the leader of the most powerful Ruling Family, House Glaz, sat at the center chair of the table.


    ¡°Uncle Elz, took you long enough,¡± Lady Glaz yawned dramatically.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting,¡± Elzri made his way up the black marble steps.


    Glaz¡¯s eyes never left him as he walked. Elzri never broke eye contact with the elegant dark elf woman either. Besides being a City Lady, Glaz was a Mage Lady and arguably the only arch-mage capable of going toe-to-toe against Elzri in a battle. The last thing Elzri wanted was to show a sign of weakness in front of such a dangerous foe.


    Life was often strange. Elzri had been married to her father¡¯s cousin. Lady Glaz had grown up admiring Elzri. But after the death of his wife, the relationship between House Glaz and House Noir became tenuous. Eventually, Lady Glaz became the leader of her family and her admiration turned into rivalry; she wanted to prove herself to her hero, even if it meant in a mage duel, something Elzri avoided for the sake of both Houses.


    Lady Glaz was in her forties now, Elzri was 30 years her senior and still she was eager as ever to challenge him. He wished that her second son, Vayu, would marry Loh already. The two Ruling Houses could enter a formal alliance once more and be done with these contests of power.


    Elzri took his seat on the right side of the table, between Lord Krall Katag and Lady Helene. He took a brief moment to admire Helene¡¯s beauty before sitting down.


    The lovely Merchant Lady Helene was dressed in a bright green dress, a golden necklace in the shape of a horse rested between her pronounced bust. Her iconic vibrant red hair curled softly around her chiseled face. Elzri had to admit that for a human in her 50s Helene¡¯s looks rivaled beauties half her age.


    Lady Helene smiled warmly, ¡°You look tired, Lord Noir, you really need to take better care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°And you look as radiant as ever, how do you do it?¡± Elzri smiled courteously.


    ¡°A woman never reveals her secrets, not even to the renowned arch-mage,¡± she winked.


    ¡°How is the family?¡± Krall asked quietly from Elzri¡¯s left, at the end of the table.


    Despite not being a dire, Krall was one of the largest orcs Elzri had ever met, as expected of the warriors of House Katag, the greatest military family in all of Hollow Shade. The orc¡¯s blue jacket did nothing to hide his crimson rippling muscles, Elzri wondered if Krall¡¯s buttons would burst at the seams once again.


    Elzri shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Dolores this depressed since my grandson passed. Her husband is staying by her side, making sure she doesn¡¯t drink herself to death. Loh is, well, Loh. So the family is fine, I suppose.¡±


    Krall nodded sympathetically, ¡°Tauri suggested we invite you all over to our house for dinner like the old days. I agree with her. My other children would like to see Loh as well, it¡¯s been too long since they¡¯ve all been together.¡±


    ¡°Those days are long behind us now, old friend. Loh isn¡¯t keen on stepping back into the aristocratic life. She recently visited our family mansion for the first time in years and even that was a struggle for her,¡± Elzri whispered.


    ¡°So, there is still hope?¡± Krall asked.


    ¡°Doubtful, Loh stormed out after talking with her mother,¡± Elzri shook his head.


    Lady Glaz cleared her throat and stood, ¡°Now that the seven of us have gathered we can officially begin today¡¯s meeting.¡±


    Her voice echoed across the room and reached everyone¡¯s ears clearly. The six other city lords and ladies raised their right hands in agreement.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lady Glaz sat down. ¡°Lord Goldelm, you called for this meeting, so why don¡¯t you begin.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lord Goldelm nodded from the other end of the table.


    Despite having a raised chair, the dwarf stood so that he could appear more prominent among his peers. As the family name denoted, the Goldelms were known for their golden irises and being the wealthiest House in Hollow Shade. Their family leader celebrated those facts more than anyone.


    Lord Goldelm¡¯s blonde hair and beard were both braided in golden bands and his fingers were each covered in golden rings studded with all different kinds of precious gems. Even gold filigree covered his orange silk jacket.


    Nobody in the council chamber could deny Lord Goldelm was a handsome man, although Elzri thought it would be difficult to notice since the dwarf dressed up like a golden peacock.


    Lord Goldelm cleared his throat, ¡°My fellow lords and ladies, I think we all know why I called this meeting. One of our city¡¯s Great Houses was attacked by savage raiders.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The council members nodded in acknowledgement.


    ¡°House Mora¡¯s ancestral home was destroyed, their docks burned to the ground, and the family and servants slaughtered. Yet we haven¡¯t responded. We, the most powerful council in the entire Ebon Realm, haven''t done anything. It¡¯s been almost a month and we haven¡¯t done anything!¡± Lord Goldelm slammed his fist down into the ebony wood table.


    ¡°Enough with the theatrics, Goldelm,¡± Lady Helene rolled her eyes. ¡°House Mora wasn¡¯t even a part of Hollow Shade, they were simply our allies, a useful one, certainly, but nothing more. Besides, House Mora still lives, I hear their young heiress, Lady Maeve, now leads the family.¡±


    Goldelm snarled, ¡°You forget, House Mora owned the largest docks on the Dire River that served as the main trade port between the Great Cities of Hollow Shade and Frost Rim. Those docks are but ash and cinder now. Yet Hollow Shade still relies on trade for its prosperity. Our city has suffered tremendous damage over this tragedy.¡±


    Helene clasped her hands together, ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s economy may have taken a hit due to the newfound difficulty in the river trade with Frost Rim, but we will manage. However, it would be a pity if, say, a particularly wealthy merchant lord had recently invested large amounts of coin into the river trade. Such an investment would fall to ruin, I''d wager.¡±


    Goldelm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°You are not the only Merchant House here. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t keep a close eye on all the major businesses in this city? I think we both know why you are really angry,¡± Helene smirked.


    Goldelm¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I am not the only lord who has been directly affected by the attack on House Mora. My friend, Lord Veres, has just lost his brother-in-law and his nephews and nieces. Have some respect for the dead,¡± Goldelm gestured to Lord Veres on his left.


    ¡°My deepest condolences for your family, Lord Veres,¡± Helene bowed from across the table.


    Veres IX nodded solemnly, ¡°I appreciate it... Truth be told, I hated Lord Mora and I am glad he is dead. Nonetheless, I cared greatly for my nieces and nephews.¡±


    Veres tapped the table, ¡°The raiders who attacked the castle have been identified as belonging to Dusk Valley¡¯s Cairn Tribe. I agree with Lord Goldelm that something must be done about these savages. House Veres will avenge the deaths of my late sister¡¯s children, no matter what this council decides.¡±


    ¡°You are not alone in this, Veres. Hollow Shade must appear unified in our response to this situation,¡± Lady Calantha Ashe¡¯s voice echoed gently yet with a strength that no one could refuse.


    All eyes turned towards the vampiress. Lady Calantha sat between Lord Veres and Lady Glaz. The council waited silently for her to speak.


    House Ashe was in charge of the religious ongoings of the city and Calantha served as the high priestess of Hollow Shade. The Ashe family itself was the most popular Named House in all of Dusk Valley, especially among the common folk. Calantha was undoubtedly the most beloved daughter of the City of Shades.


    One look at the vampiress was enough to understand why. Even Lady Helene had difficulty competing with Calantha. Lady Ashe¡¯s pale white dress matched flawlessly with her dark brown skin. Her soft curves only enhanced her graceful appearance.


    Calantha¡¯s dark curls fell above her piercing crimson eyes that watched each council member calmly. Many had told stories of those blood-red eyes, that they could see even into one¡¯s soul. Elzri knew there was nothing magical about Calantha¡¯s eyes, yet there was a great intelligence hidden behind them, one that even Elzri was wary of. If he was religious, he would undoubtedly believe the stories of how Calantha had been blessed by the war goddess Bellum herself.


    Elzri was always amazed at how easily Calantha managed to command a room. Lady Ashe was more than priestess, she was a powerful mage, with the knowledge and wisdom of spells even Elzri did not know.


    ¡°Fear has crept into the hearts of all our people, from the lowliest commoner to wealthiest aristocrats. We must reassure the people of Hollow Shade that we are in control of the situation and they have nothing to fear from the savages beyond the walls,¡± Calantha said.


    ¡°What do you suggest, Lady Ashe?¡± Lady Glaz asked.


    ¡°We must first acknowledge the loss of House Mora, otherwise we risk appearing as if we are trying to run and hide from the problem. We should have a city-wide memorial service for House Mora and then follow it up quickly with a celebration for the end of the long bitter winter. Perhaps a parade. We¡¯ll have several battalions of our soldiers march throughout the streets,¡± Calantha explained.


    ¡°A display of power to show that we are not weak to help reassure and calm the people,¡± Veres nodded.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Calantha nodded.


    ¡°And beyond that?¡± Krall asked. ¡°I hate to agree with the little Goldelm dwarf, but we must retaliate against the raider scum. We cannot let the Cairn Tribe go unpunished for their crimes. If we do, we risk the other Valley tribes thinking they can do the same. Dusk Valley could become a very dangerous place for all of us to live in.¡±


    Elzri spoke up, ¡°Agreed, we cannot forget that Hollow Shade relies on the food that the farms of Dusk Valley¡¯s villages provide. Those villages rely on our protection from the Valley tribes¡¯ raiders. We should gather all our armies, no matter the financial costs, and eradicate our enemy to the last man. The Valley tribes may each be small, but they can be spread out and difficult to track. We should not take this threat lightly. It does not matter how many months or years it may take, these savages cannot be allowed to wreak havoc in Dusk Valley any longer.¡±


    Lady Glaz took a deep breath, ¡°Uncle Elz, you are a pragmatic individual, which is why I hate to ask, is your push for an all-out-attack rooted in the fact that the Cairn Tribe was responsible for the death of your grandson?¡±


    Elzri¡¯s voice grew cold, ¡°You have studied my past to great detail, Lady Glaz. So I think you should know exactly where my priorities lie and what I have sacrificed to keep this city safe.¡±


    Lady Glaz nodded, ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear.¡±


    ¡°All that being said, I believe we should take care in how we approach our enemy. I have reason to believe they have an arch-mage among them,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem,¡± Lady Glaz blinked.


    ¡°Fucking savages,¡± Krall growled.


    Everyone paused for a moment, their attention drawn to the large red looming figure of Krall Katag. They were all very aware of Krall¡¯s reputation as a true brown mage. There were dozens of horror stories about Krall¡¯s berserk frenzies and the countless bodies he left behind.


    Lady Glaz cleared her throat, ¡°I believe it is time we call for a vote on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± the others, besides Krall, said eagerly.


    ¡°The options are simple. We can choose a full-scale war effort against the enemy. Or a smaller attack force, comprised of several battalions to root out the Cairn tribe. Or we can send our scout forces out to investigate more about our enemy to ascertain their complete military strength. Lastly, we can simply choose to wait and see how the situation develops,¡± Lady Glaz explained.


    Everyone nodded in understanding.


    ¡°All in favor of a full-scale war effort towards the Cairn Tribe?¡± Lady Glaz asked.


    Lord Krall Katag, Lord Elzri Noir, and Lord Veres raised their hands in favor. Lady Glaz, Lord Goldelm, and Lady Calantha Ashe voted against the proposal. Lady Helene abstained from the vote altogether.


    ¡°I thought you were eager to retaliate, Goldelm?¡± Krall narrowed his amber eyes.


    Lord Goldelm shifted his jacket¡¯s collar, ¡°Employing all my armies would be an expensive waste. We don¡¯t need so many soldiers to defeat one small Valley tribe.¡±


    ¡°Typical coward,¡± Krall shook his head.


    ¡°I prefer the term practical,¡± Goldelm crossed his arms calmly.


    ¡°The vote is a tie, on to the next proposal,¡± Lady Glaz said.


    They went through each proposal and after half an hour the council ended up voting in agreement for the scouts proposal.


    ¡°I think this is the best option for now. If they really do have an arch-mage it would be best to learn their full capabilities before we sacrifice our own soldiers. I will pray to the gods for wisdom on what our next course of action should be. Perhaps they will show us a way out of this situation,¡± Lady Calantha Ashe said solemnly.


    Lord Goldelm pointed his stubby finger at Lady Helene, ¡°You abstained from each vote.¡±


    ¡°And? I have yet to decide on what the best course of action for my House and this city should be. Is that a crime?¡± Lady Helene placed a finger on her red lips.


    ¡°Typical House Helene, your family always stays neutral until it serves you best. Just like when your family betrayed House Thorn during Hollow Shade¡¯s war,¡± Goldelm jeered.


    ¡°This again,¡± Lady Helene muttered. ¡°That was over two centuries ago and as I recall, none of the families in this room would have survived had my family not defected to your side.¡±


    ¡°Aye, your family broke the stalemate. But don¡¯t pretend your family did it out of some innate kindness. House Helene would never have been a Ruling Family if they hadn¡¯t defected when they did,¡± Goldelm said.


    ¡°The Ruling Families would not have existed at all had my House not helped you win the civil war. Your Houses would have all just been stuck serving the last ebon lord and his family,¡± Helene¡¯s lips grew thin.


    ¡°Ebon Lord Thorn had already passed away, we had a shot at winning with or without House Helene!¡± Goldelm yelled.


    ¡°I need a drink,¡± Elzri sighed.

 Chapter 159: Wrong Finger

    Chapter 159: Wrong Finger


    Stryg squirmed in his exorbitant clothes. He had lost track of how many layers, sashes, and belts Loh¡¯s servants had placed on him. He would have preferred the simpler regalia of Sylvan tribes, but Loh insisted he wear the traditional clothing of an aristocrat.


    Stryg had argued that despite being a mage he wasn¡¯t an aristocrat. Loh had argued that he was her apprentice and therefore she had somewhat adopted him into House Noir. Stryg had argued that was not how adoption worked, Loh had threatened to shut him up with a curse spell. Stryg gave up the argument.


    He craned his neck behind to look at the black flame crest emblazoned on his white jacket, the symbol of House Noir.


    ¡°I¡¯m uncomfortable with this,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°You should be honored to have been given the privilege to wear the colors and crest of a Ruling Family,¡± Elm said.


    The high-priest stood a few stony steps above Stryg.


    ¡°I just wanna get out of these stuffy clothes already,¡± Stryg pulled at his absurdly long sleeve. He couldn¡¯t even see his hands for Lunae¡¯s sake!


    ¡°Just relax and try to enjoy the moment. This is your big day after all,¡± Clypeus whispered from beside him.


    Stryg glanced at the stony steps under him. He sighed quietly and looked up at the empty aisle. Elm had arranged several rows of chairs to be placed on each side of the aisle. Stryg thought it excessive, he hadn¡¯t thought many people would come.


    Clearly, he had been wrong. Each chair was occupied, there were even people standing in the back. Feli¡¯s side of the aisle was filled with mostly unfamiliar faces. Stryg hadn¡¯t realized how many of Feli¡¯s friends he didn¡¯t know.


    Stryg knew he was busy with school and training, but he hadn¡¯t noticed there was such a large part of Feli¡¯s life he wasn¡¯t acquainted with. He should probably make an effort to rectify that at some point.


    As for his own side of the aisle, well, Stryg had surprised himself.


    ¡°There are so many people who came,¡± Stryg mumbled to Clypeus.


    The vampire stood beside Stryg and patted his back, ¡°They all came out for you.¡±


    Callum Veres sat in the front row with the red-headed dwarf, Kithina.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Stryg is actually doing this,¡± Kithina whispered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°I never really took Stryg for the settling-down-kind-of-guy, ya know?¡± Kithina admitted.


    ¡°Believe me, there can be a lot more to people than meets the eye. If you don¡¯t look closely, they may just surprise you,¡± Callum stared at the blue goblin.


    ¡°Meh, I mean I guess you¡¯re right, Cal. But Stryg always seemed more of a non-commitment kind of guy. I mean, just the other day I caught him ogling a bunch of women when we were at the tavern.¡±


    ¡°Well, who¡¯s to say Stryg won¡¯t see other people? From what I understand, Sylvan folk are quite sexually liberal.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, so much for romance,¡± Kithina rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Not necessarily. Whether it be for politics, business alliances, magical pedigree, or simple lust, at least half of aristocrats engage in polygamy. Although, I admit it takes a special kind of couple to have romance be the center of that sort of relationship. Then again, they may just be that couple.¡±


    ¡°Or Feli ends up hating him and Stryg gets kicked out of the house,¡± Kithina shrugged.


    Callum chuckled, ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right.¡±


    Loh sat a few seats away, right next to the aisle. She wanted to have the closest seat and view to her apprentice, it only felt right.


    She glanced back at the temple entrance. What¡¯s taking so long?


    Loh was dressed in a white and black form-fitting dress. Her dark-elf beauty and elegant dress drew the eye of every man in the temple. Yet there was one woman who didn¡¯t seem to notice, the one who sat next to her.


    Loh took a moment to drink in the sight of the lovely Tauri Katag. How her stunning amber eyes glanced inquisitively at the temple¡¯s statues. How Tauri¡¯s silky black hair fell perfectly over her crimson cheek.


    Tauri¡¯s graceful body was wrapped in a high-cut orange dress, much to Loh¡¯s appreciation. Loh¡¯s eyes wandered over at Tauri¡¯s breasts, they weren¡¯t noticeably large, some might even call them small, but Loh couldn¡¯t help but stare. To Loh, she was perfect.


    Loh leaned over, ¡°Thanks for coming on such short notice. I didn¡¯t know who else to invite as my plus-one.¡±


    She used the chance to stare at Tauri¡¯s shapely legs for half a second, before leaning back.


    Tauri turned her attention to Loh with a smile, ¡°Anytime. That¡¯s what friends are for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re my friend,¡± Loh smiled painfully.


    Tauri stared at Stryg¡¯s eyes that kept glancing all around the temple, ¡°Stryg looks nervous. I¡¯ve never seen him like that, crazy sure, but not nervous.¡±


    ¡°I guess love changes people,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°...I wonder if Aizel would have been that nervous,¡± Tauri mumbled.


    Loh¡¯s smile died as she noticed the pain that flashed through the orc¡¯s amber eyes. The look of pain was gone as quick as it had appeared, but there was no denying it was there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought you here. I didn¡¯t mean to bring back bad memories,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Oh, please, that was over six years ago, I¡¯m fine. I was just reminiscing about the past for a bit,¡± Tauri smiled calmly. ¡°Also, I was wondering what kind of dress I would have worn. Believe me, whichever dress it had been, I would have killed it.¡±


    ¡°Everyone would have swooned at the sight of you,¡± Loh chuckled.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Damn right, I¡¯m a national treasure,¡± Tauri winked playfully.


    ¡°Careful, you don¡¯t want to make Feli jealous.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Why else do you think I came?¡± Tauri giggled.


    Loh smiled weakly. You¡¯re laughing, but I know you¡¯re forcing yourself. I know you¡¯re in pain, Tauri.


    Captain of the guard, Rorik Polamtal, sat in the middle row, with several of the other regular tavern goers. His shoulders shook as he cried softly.


    ¡°Oh my god, are you really crying right now? Over the barmaid?¡± Mrs. Polamtal stared at her husband in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying over a barmaid. I¡¯m just a little emotional is all,¡± Rorik sniffed.


    ¡°Well, be emotional somewhere else, or I swear to the gods I will give you something to really cry about,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°...Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Rorik nodded.


    Witt tapped his foot impatiently from the last row in the back.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Karen pinched his thigh.


    ¡°Ow, dammit that stings,¡± Witt winced.


    ¡°Then stop moving so much, you¡¯re being rude. We are still in the temple of the ebon gods,¡± Karen chastised.


    ¡°I¡¯m just hungry and we¡¯ve been waiting for over an hour,¡± Witt grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s her big day, I think she can afford to be running a little late,¡± Karen whispered.


    ¡°A little?¡± Witt looked staggered.


    ¡°Oh, get over it,¡± Karen shook her head. ¡°You¡¯d do well to learn from the kids.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± little Sophi laughed.


    Witt glanced down the row of chairs at Sophi and the orphan goblins who all sat still and patient. He was surprised that Stryg had invited them all. The cold goblin mage seemed to have taken a liking to the orphans and they to him.


    For the past month, Stryg would stop by once a week at the temple and tell the children about the fabled city of Lunis. The children would sit wide-eyed and listen with eager attention. Witt didn¡¯t know what surprised him more, that Stryg actually cared about some orphan kids or that he had been invited to the wedding.


    Witt¡¯s stomach growled, he hung his head in defeat.


    The temple¡¯s front doors were kicked open with a loud bang. Bright sunlight flooded the large room. The sounds of trumpets blared across the temple. Rhian strutted inside, arms held high, a perpetual smirk on her face.


    Rhian was dressed in a long black dress that matched her black coat, with a purple ribbon tied into her hair. A woman in an elaborate white dress and veil sat sidesaddle on the centaur¡¯s back.


    Rhian kicked her feet up to the beat of the trumpets. She slowly and proudly walked down the aisle, her body swaying with the music. Maximus came up from behind her, a perpetual peeved expression on his gruff face. He held a basket of flowers in his hand.


    With a quiet grumble Maximus tossed the flowers across both sides of the aisle, most of the flowers went flying high and past the aisle and fell onto the guests. The musicians followed behind the centaurs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they all supposed to come in before the bride?¡± Clypeus whispered to Stryg.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Stryg mumbled. His attention was focused on the woman who sat on Rhian¡¯s saddle.


    Rhian reached the end of the aisle and trotted up the last few steps to Stryg and Clypeus. The music died down and the retinue dispersed to the sides.


    Rhian curled her forelegs inward and bent down in a flourishing bow, ¡°Rhiannon of Ebon Hollow greets her chieftain. It is my great and distinguished honor to present to you, your bride.¡±


    The bride slipped down the saddle, Stryg reached out and caught her and gently lowered her to the ground. The bride lowered her head so Stryg could remove the veil. Feli¡¯s chestnut eyes awaited him. He always thought Feli was beautiful, but today that word fell short.


    Feli¡¯s olive skin seemed to glow with an inner light. Her lips had been painted a soft purple like her eyeshadow. Her familiar scent of strawberries filled his nostrils. A lock of Feli¡¯s deep purple hair brushed Stryg¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Feli smiled warmly.


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils widened to ovals.


    Clypeus nudged his best friend¡¯s shoulder.


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Uh, I mean, hi, h-hello, how are you?¡±


    Feli giggled softly, ¡°I¡¯m doing well, thanks for asking.¡±


    The high-priest Elm cleared his throat. ¡°We are gathered here today in the temple of our great ebon gods to bear witness to the union of Stryg of the Sylvan tribe of Ebon Hollow and Feli of the Sylvan tribe of Ebon Hollow. If anyone wishes to speak against this union, speak now or forever hold your silence.¡±


    Rorik stood up, his wife smacked his groin, he keeled over without a word.


    ¡°...Yes, well, moving on.¡± Elm raised his hands, ¡°What is marriage? What is love? These are the questions we have come here to answe-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s skip all of that,¡± Stryg said without breaking eye contact with Feli.


    Elm sighed, ¡°Ahem, very well. The groom may speak his vows first.¡±


    ¡°Vows?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    Feli¡¯s eye twitched.


    ¡°Please for the love of Stjerne, tell me you wrote your vows down,¡± she whispered angrily with a strained smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to,¡± Stryg blinked. ¡°They are simple enough, I always remember them.¡±


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Feli raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I will keep you safe from the enemies of our tribe. I will make our tribe the greatest in the Realm so that no one will ever try to harm you or anyone else in Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Stryg grabbed her hand, ¡°I will stand by your side no matter what monster comes into our lives. I will be here, right next to you, until the end. This I vow with my life.¡±


    Stryg stared up into her eyes, ¡°Human from the City of Shades, beauty from the Merry Crescent, girl who makes me smile, Feli... I love you.¡±


    The crowd sat in stunned silence. The orc, Kegrog, wiped a tear from his eye, Nora Azol looked at him in surprise. Kithina was slack-jawed, she had never expected to hear such words from the blue goblin. Callum felt genuinely happy for Stryg. Loh found herself smiling from ear to ear. Karen was proud of her friend and how far he had come from the wary goblin she had met on the street over a year and a half ago.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d I do?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Not as long as I had hoped, but it¡¯ll do,¡± Feli smiled and gripped his small hands tightly.


    ¡°The bride may now say her vows,¡± Elm nodded to her.


    Feli laughed, ¡°Where do I begin? It¡¯s been a crazy year, things have changed a lot from when we first met, Stryg. We got together because we both wanted something from each other, we weren¡¯t interested in anything more. But then I got to know you and everything changed, I fell in love, and -¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for me,¡± Stryg cut her off.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Feli furrowed her brow.


    ¡°You love me, right?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Feli rested her forehead on his.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll stand by my side?¡±


    ¡°Like I told you before, we are in this together. I¡¯ll stand by your side to the end, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s enough for me,¡± Stryg said firmly.


    Elm sighed to himself, ¡°The ring please.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Clypeus checked his pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a large amethyst.


    He handed it to Stryg and stepped back.


    Feli offered Stryg her hand, he slipped the finger on her pinky.


    ¡°Wrong finger,¡± Feli whispered.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The finger next to it.¡±


    ¡°Sylvan goblins don¡¯t even use rings,¡± Stryg grumbled and slipped the ring on the other finger.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Feli winked.


    Elm opened his arms wide, ¡°By the power vested in me by our great ebon gods, Stjerne, Bellum, Caligo, and Lunae, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride, buuut, you already are¡­¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. He pulled Feli down and kissed her the moment Elm started talking. The crowd cheered and clapped.


    Feli yelled in surprise as Stryg picked her up into his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine forever now, I won¡¯t let you go,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± Feli smirked.


    Rhian knelt down without a word, Stryg hopped on her saddle.


    Rhian made a valiant pose and pointed her finger to the temple doorway, ¡°To the Merry Crescent tavern!¡±

 Chapter 160: Past Mistakes

    Chapter 160: Past Mistakes


    The wedding guests left the small temple and went to the reception at the Merry Crescent tavern. The tavern¡¯s tables were already covered in all sorts of different foods and various imported alcoholic drinks, courtesy of Nora Azol and her House¡¯s breweries.


    Feli had hired one of her favorite minstrel groups to play music. Rhian led the whole band with her melodic voice. The band had already gathered a crowd, with Rhian¡¯s stablehand Gwen at the very front.


    Stryg sat at a table in the center of the tavern, drinking against the vampire Clypeus Gale and the tall orc Kegrog. Several regular tavern patrons shouted in cheers, eager to see if the undefeated Stryg would finally lose in a drinking match.


    Feli sat next to her husband speaking with several of the guests who came by to give their congratulations and offer their wedding gifts.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, sir Veres,¡± Feli bowed politely.


    ¡°Please, just Callum or Cal if you prefer,¡± he bowed his head. ¡°Stryg is a lucky man to have such a wonderful bride. I wish you both the best.¡±


    ¡°To be complemented by a Veres, I am honored,¡± Feli smiled wide.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± Callum smiled wryly.


    Callum stepped aside for two of his maids, one carried a chest, the other a bouquet of flowers.


    Callum gestured at the objects, ¡°Just a few gifts for the newly married couple. Inside the chest, you will find a set of tableware crafted by one of Hollow Shade¡¯s greatest artisans, along with a selection of exquisite wines.¡±


    The maid opened the chest and revealed the golden-lined chalices and plates with intricate designs.


    ¡°Wow, this is incredible! I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Feli¡¯s chestnut eyes widened in awe.


    ¡°And this one is just for you,¡± Callum presented her with the flowers. ¡°A bouquet of blue roses from the Northern Lands.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful, thank you,¡± Feli closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the flowers.


    ¡°My pleasure, anything for family,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°Family?¡± Feli cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°Stryg is practically like a brother to me, that makes us family does it not?¡± Callum placed a finger to his chin.


    ¡°Ah, I suppose it does,¡± Feli laughed awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you two were so close.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think Stryg does either,¡± Callum winked.


    Feli glanced at Stryg taunting Clypeus from across the table. ¡°It¡¯s still a little hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Stryg is close with aristocrats of Great Houses, let alone Ruling Families like Noir and Veres.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Callum said.


    From the bar Loh watched her small apprentice chug down mug after mug of expensive alcohol.


    ¡°He seems to be having fun,¡± Loh smiled softly.


    ¡°Yeah, it reminds me of your mom¡¯s parties,¡± Tauri Katag sat next to her.


    ¡°Did you just compare this little Commoner District tavern to the grand mansion of House Noir?¡± Loh raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Not the place, obviously. I meant the vibe, it feels like one of Dolores Noir¡¯s parties. Everyone is happy, plus there is alcohol everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds like my mom,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°I remember this one-time Aizel challenged my dad to a drinking contest,¡± Tauri smiled in reminiscence.


    ¡°Aizel challenged Lord Krall to a drinking match?¡± Loh¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t much of a match. Aizel stood no chance, but damn did he give the people a show. The way he talked with such swagger,¡± Tauri laughed. ¡°Aizel knew he couldn¡¯t win, but he did it anyway. He wanted to entertain, make others happy.¡±


    Or he just wanted to be the center of attention, Loh thought bitterly.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t get around to many parties back then,¡± Loh muttered.


    Tauri winced, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to sound inconsiderate. I know your life wasn¡¯t easy back then. I can only imagine what hellish training your grandfather put you through.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°Besides, Aizel used to drink every night with Vayu Glaz back when we were in the army. I got to see Aizel puke his guts more than enough times.¡±


    ¡°He really was bad with alcohol,¡± Tauri giggled.


    ¡°Aizel was bad with a lot of things,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    ¡°But he was the kindest aristocrat I have ever met. I wonder what that says about our people,¡± Tauri sipped her drink.


    Loh stared at her hands, ¡°Yeah, me too¡­¡±


    ~~~


    6 years ago¡­


    Aizel Noir sat next to the other military officers around the stratagem table inside the general¡¯s tent. His younger sister Loh, general and commander of House Noir¡¯s northern army, sat at the head of the table rattling off commands.


    ¡°Our soldiers will rendezvous with the southern army over here,¡± Loh pointed to a map of Dusk Valley laid out on the table. ¡°Together, we will be able to secure a safe route for the diplomats of Undergrowth and Hollow Shade. If all goes well, the two Great Cities will finally reestablish the trade treaties.¡±


    ¡°We could recreate a functioning trade route,¡± Captain Vayu Glaz, second in command, nodded.


    ¡°Hollow Shade has been sorely lacking Undergrowth¡¯s resources. Imagine if we could actually have a steady supply of timber again?¡± A lieutenant said with a hopeful tone.


    Aizel nodded in agreement.


    After Hollow Shade¡¯s civil war two centuries ago, the city¡¯s sole ruling family, House Thorn, had been forced to flee Hollow Shade in defeat. The family went back to their roots in Undergrowth. Once there House Thorn managed to destroy whatever treaties the two Great Cities had left.


    The loss of those treaties was evident. Hollow Shade¡¯s Commoner District had originally been built with wood from Glimmer Grove, the forest surrounding Undergrowth. Now the Commoner District was in pitiful conditions, with many houses falling apart. There was no wood to repair the buildings, nor did the commoners have enough money to build houses out of stone.


    ¡°The commoners will be very happy,¡± Aizel said.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Commoners? We aren¡¯t doing this for them,¡± the lieutenant laughed.


    Several of the officers joined in laughter.


    Aizel felt his cheeks grow hot.


    Loh sighed, ¡°Have some class, you¡¯re soldiers, not children.¡±


    The laughter died instantly and the officers sat up straight.


    Aizel sent a small smile to Loh as thanks. She ignored him.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°It¡¯s doubtful Undergrowth will agree to large shipments of timber from the get-go. It¡¯ll probably take decades before timber becomes prevalent enough that commoners will be able to afford any.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Aizel muttered.


    ¡°Nonetheless, it is imperative that we secure the route for the diplomats. The Valley tribes have caught news of the potential treaty. The savages are trying to stop it no matter the cost. These past few weeks the tribes have been raiding whatever caravans come across this entire area,¡± Loh ran her hand across the map.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to move soon if we wish to arrive at the rendezvous on time,¡± Vayu added.


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ll have the men start packing their tents immediately, we¡¯ll head out when the sun sets,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Sunset? But, it¡¯ll be dark? Isn¡¯t that more dangerous? Plus, the men will be tired. Shouldn¡¯t we wait until morning?¡± Aizel asked.


    ¡°Gods, you really don¡¯t know anything,¡± Loh muttered under her breath.


    ¡°The Valley tribes hold the sun sacred, they do not launch any attacks at night. It¡¯s true our men will be tired, but it is much safer to move in the dark,¡± Vayu explained politely.


    ¡°I see,¡± Aizel nodded. ¡°Sorry, general. I¡¯ll try to keep up.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°Officers, you all know your roles, I expect you to have the camp cleared by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, general!¡± The officers said in unison.


    A messenger barged into the tent. He saluted, ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Our scouts have just returned. They spotted a caravan, ten leagues north of here.¡±


    ¡°Is it armed?¡±


    ¡°Negative. It seems to be a small caravan consisting of only a few wagons. Our best guess is they are families from a nearby village trying to escape the ongoing raids,¡± the scout explained.


    Loh tapped the table in thought, ¡°Hmm, are they headed this way?¡±


    ¡°It does not seem so,¡± the scout shook his head.


    ¡°So long as they don¡¯t come this way we¡¯ll ignore them,¡± Loh decided.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re just going to leave them? But aren¡¯t we moving the army?¡± Aizel asked.


    ¡°I fail to see your point,¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there hundreds of raiders among the nearby hills? The only reason those raiders haven¡¯t come close is because our army is here. The moment we leave, the raiders will swarm back here. That caravan and those people will be in danger,¡± Aizel said.


    ¡°And? They aren¡¯t a part of Hollow Shade. Their safety is not our concern,¡± Loh said coldly.


    ¡°Perhaps, but the villages of Dusk Valley give tribute to Hollow Shade so that when the time comes we protect them. If we leave now we are basically letting innocent villagers die,¡± Aizel argued.


    Loh frowned.


    ¡°Aizel, what would you have us do?¡± Vayu asked calmly.


    ¡°Send the scouts back out and bring the caravan here. There are only a few wagons, it shouldn¡¯t be very difficult. We¡¯ll put them under our protection and they can travel with us until we are near a safer location.¡±


    ¡°Ignoring the fact that this caravan could be a trap, bringing the caravan here would take precious time. There are only a few hours before nightfall, we need to move quickly if we are to reach the rendezvous with the southern army. A bunch of villagers and their wagons won¡¯t be able to keep up with our quick pace, nor can we wait for them,¡± Vayu said.


    Aizel furrowed his brow, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Well, couldn''t we leave one of our battalions behind to keep the caravan safe then?¡±


    ¡°You want us to split our army? Weaken our battle potential? Risk the failure of our mission? Over a couple of random villagers?¡± Loh said incredulously.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Aizel¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°Everyone out, I have words to share with my brother,¡± Loh glared at him.


    The officers and the scout nodded and got up to leave.


    ¡°Not you, Vayu. You stay,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°...Yes, general,¡± Vayu nodded and sat back down.


    Aizel swallowed, the tent suddenly felt very small.


    Loh clasped her hands together, ¡°You wanted to leave this army because I wasn¡¯t teaching you the way our military works, I wasn¡¯t giving you enough responsibility. I also wanted you to go. But our mutual friend, Vayu, here, advised me against it. He wanted me to give you a chance. So, I let you into my war council, and all you can do is disagree with my plans on the basis of ignorant foolery.¡±


    Vayu winced, but stayed quiet.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so damn ignorant if you took a bit of time to teach me how this all worked like grandfather wanted,¡± Aizel frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy here, I¡¯m your brother, I only want to help.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to teach you! Your job was just to stay quiet and listen to the war council. I know you¡¯re used to parties back at home where you¡¯re the center of attention, but here you could do to learn how to shut the fuck up once in a while!¡± Loh slammed her fist on the table.


    ¡°...I only wanted to help those villagers,¡± Aizel whispered.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Aizel wants to be the hero again? Save the day, huh?¡± Loh mocked.


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to let innocents die.¡±


    Loh laughed bitterly, ¡°Grow up, Aizel! Innocent people die all the time. Maybe you were too blind to see that back in the Villa District with all your pampered friends, but the real world is different.¡±


    Aizel clenched his fists.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°If I may?¡±


    Loh sighed and nodded.


    Vayu grabbed Aizel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I understand where you are coming from, Aizel, I do. I don¡¯t want those villagers to be killed either. But we have an obligation to the soldiers who have placed their lives in our hands. We cannot risk the lives of our soldiers over the lives of strangers. It¡¯s awful, I know, but our army and mission come first.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± Aizel gritted his teeth.


    Vayu¡¯s teal eyes stared at him, ¡°I know, but if our mission succeeds it will help improve the lives of thousands of people in Hollow Shade, including innocent commoner families. I know many aristocrats like to pretend it doesn¡¯t exist, but we have a duty to help our people, and that duty comes before our personal feelings. Your grandfather knows that well.¡±


    Aizel took a long shuddering breath, ¡°I understand. May I be excused, general?¡±


    ¡°You''re dismissed,¡± Loh ordered.


    Aizel got up and left without another word.


    ¡°You¡¯re too soft on him, he¡¯ll never learn how to be a leader like that,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°You could have been easier on him too, you know,¡± Vayu said.


    Loh burst into angry laughter, ¡°Aizel only has to be out in the field for a few weeks. Soon he¡¯ll go back to his luxurious mansion, a loving family, and a beautiful bride. He doesn¡¯t have my sympathies.¡±


    ¡°...He has your envy,¡± Vayu said softly.


    Loh rolled her eyes, ¡°As if I would ever want to be a talentless halfwit.¡±


    ¡°What about having the affection of Tauri Katag?¡±


    Loh felt a shiver run down her spine. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Loh, we may have become engaged recently, but I have cared about you for far longer. Like you, I had to go to all those aristocrats¡¯ parties. I saw you, truly looked at you for who you were, even if you never cared to pass a glance at me.¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°Vayu, you¡¯re one of my greatest friends, but I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do. I¡¯m not attracted to-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Vayu smiled weakly. ¡°As I said, I¡¯ve cared about you for a long time. I was always drawn to you at those parties. The only reason I never made my intentions clear was because I saw the way you looked at her.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You knew?¡±


    Vayu stood up and dusted off his pants, ¡°Believe me, I understand what it¡¯s like to have the love of your life love another. To not be able to change your own feelings for another no matter how much you try, I know how painful it is.¡±


    ¡°Vayu¡­¡± Loh bit her lip.


    He grabbed her hand, ¡°I know your heart belongs to Tauri and that will never change. You think that somehow dooms you, dooms us. It doesn¡¯t have to. I know your grandfather will force you to marry a man to continue the family line.¡±


    He licked his lips, ¡°So why not marry the one person who knows the truth and doesn¡¯t care if you love another? Why not marry the one person who will stand by your side and love you no matter what?¡±


    Vayu¡¯s voice grew taut, ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me your heart. I give you mine out of my own free will. I rather stand by your side as your friend for as long as I live, than lose you forever.¡±


    He gripped her hand tight, ¡°You may think you are alone in all this, but I promise you, Loh Noir, you are not. I will not abandon you.¡±


    Vayu took a deep breath, ¡°If you could find it in yourself to spare a glance at a captain of the northern army, a son of House Glaz, a guy who occasionally talks to animals... If you could truly see me, the way I see you, if only for a moment, that would be enough.¡±


    Loh stared at their hands, ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Vayu let her hand go and stepped back, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know where I stand. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I will begin getting my fire drake ready for travel.¡±


    ¡°...You''re dismissed,¡± Loh said quietly.


    Vayu bowed and left.

 Chapter 161: The Gambit

    Chapter 161: The Gambit


    6 years ago¡­


    The sun began to set over the northern army¡¯s encampment. Soldiers marched back and forth, carrying supplies into their wagons and harnessing the centaurs. Loh stood watch over the soldiers, barking out orders to her messengers as they came.


    ¡°I want the supply wagons to be in front of the rear guard and set two battalions to protect them. There may be no raiders at night, but there are still other predators this near Glimmer Grove forest,¡± Loh ordered.


    ¡°Yes, general,¡± a messenger saluted and jogged away.


    Another messenger ran through the crowd of soldiers and wagons. She hurried to a stop in front of Loh.


    ¡°General,¡± she saluted between heavy breaths.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s your brother.¡±


    ¡°What did he do this time?¡±


    ¡°Aizel is missing. He managed to slip past the guards you had stationed in front of his tent.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The messenger¡¯s face paled, ¡°Uh, um. What are your orders, general? Should I gather the scouts?¡±


    Loh took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. ¡°Fuck my life!¡±


    The messenger took a fearful step back.


    Loh sighed, ¡°The scouts have already been sent ahead of us to the south to ensure the army¡¯s movement. Bringing them back now would take too long. Besides, I have a pretty good idea of where my idiot brother is.¡±


    ¡°General?¡±


    ¡°Make sure those guards are given thirty lashings each. I need to find Vayu,¡± she stomped off.


    ~~~


    Loh found Vayu in his usual open clearing. His fire drake had been equipped with her battle armor and ready to travel or fight, whichever came first. His hawk rested on one of the drake¡¯s large horns. Vayu was already saddled when he caught the look of rage on Loh¡¯s face from a distance.


    ¡°Loh? What happened?¡± Vayu hopped off the large wingless lizard.


    ¡°My idiot brother,¡± she seethed.


    ¡°Aizel?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fucking gone! That¡¯s what happened!¡±


    ¡°What? No, that can¡¯t be. We were supposed to have a drink before the army headed out.¡±


    ¡°Vayu, he clearly doesn¡¯t care as much about your nightly drinking as you think.¡±


    She pinched the bridge of her nose and clenched her eyes shut. ¡°I think he went to go get those stupid villagers.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. The camp won¡¯t be here by the time he gets back,¡± Vayu shook his head.


    ¡°Normally it wouldn¡¯t. The problem is, the little prick knows his importance. My grandfather explicitly ordered me to keep him safe.¡±


    ¡°He knows you will halt the army to get him back,¡± Vayu said with dawning realization.


    ¡°He is a scion of House Noir. His safety comes before the mission,¡± she sighed. ¡°Can you just help me?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± he nodded.


    Vayu sat cross legged on the ground and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll need some quiet and time to focus. It¡¯ll probably take a while to find him.¡±


    Loh glanced around the open clearing, ¡°Should be easy enough. None of the soldiers dare get close to your drake.¡±


    ¡°Right then, I¡¯ll try to make this quick,¡± he closed his eyes.


    Purple runes began to glow around Vayu¡¯s grey skin, starting from the skull¡¯s temple all the way to the base of his spine. Vayu¡¯s hawk shuddered, its eyes flashed a bright purple. The hawk flapped its wings and shot up into the night sky.


    Loh didn¡¯t have time to be impressed by Vayu¡¯s binding magic, chromatic purple¡¯s true spell-form. She was too busy thinking of the repercussions of Aizel¡¯s idiocy.


    She would have to at least send two battalions to ensure his safety, in case the caravan were a bunch of raiders in disguise. She would probably have to lead the battalions herself. She would send Vayu on ahead with the rest of the army to the rendezvous. Hopefully two-thirds of the northern army would be enough to protect the diplomats.


    That egotistical, self-righteous ass thought I would save those villagers just because I had to save him? Loh thought angrily.


    Aizel had no idea, she would kill those villagers herself if it meant saving the mission. She would get Aizel then leave the caravan and the damn villagers behind.


    Loh cursed under her breath.


    It was always like Aizel to fuck up her life. First, it was becoming grandfather¡¯s heir and apprentice. Loh¡¯s future had looked bright before Aizel failed to do his job as heir. Then Aizel had taken the love of their parents all to himself.


    Finally, Aizel had taken the love of the woman she loved. And now, when all she had left was her position, her army, he sought to make himself the center of attention once more. He was going to ruin her mission all so that he could go home with a story of how he bravely saved a bunch of commoners from Valley raiders.


    She clenched her fists until they drew blood.


    ¡°I found Aizel, he¡¯s on a centaur leading the caravan of villagers towards our camp,¡± Vayu said.


    She sighed in relief, ¡°At least we found him quick. Maybe our mission isn¡¯t completely fucked yet. How far is he?¡±


    ¡°About eight leagues still. The villagers'' wagons are quite slow.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. I swear I¡¯m going to make that attention whore pay for running away.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I see something,¡± Vayu¡¯s eyes shifted under his eyelids.


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°I think... oh gods, raiders. At least a hundred of them are slowly closing in on the caravan.¡±


    ¡°What? How? It¡¯s already dark. Valley tribes don¡¯t initiate attacks at night,¡± she wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°Well, these ones do. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it... Wait, Loh, I don¡¯t think the raiders have seen the caravan yet. We still have a chance of getting to Aizel first, but we need to move now,¡± his muscles tensed.


    ¡°Dammit, we¡¯ll need to have our centaurs run as fast as they can. They¡¯ll be tired by the time we arrive. The battle will be difficult. We¡¯ll need three battalions at the very least to ensure minimum casualties,¡± Loh rattled off her thoughts.


    She started running back up the hill towards the rest of the encampment. Loh swore that when she found Aizel she was going to make him regret running away.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A whisper of an idea slipped into her mind. Loh froze, the world fell deathly silent, she could hear her heartbeat thrumming loudly in her ears. The idea was insanity, yet the more Loh thought of it the more rational it sounded, the more sure of herself she became.


    Vayu cracked an eye open, ¡°Loh? We''re running out of time.¡±


    She slowly turned and walked back down the hill, ¡°What if we don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t go? What if I don¡¯t rally the soldiers?¡± She said shakily.


    ¡°Then the raiders will kill Aizel! Loh, I¡¯m not kidding, we have to move now!¡±


    Loh swallowed and looked him in the eyes, ¡°And if I don¡¯t give the order?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Our mission comes first. If I send half our army to protect Aizel we risk failing to secure the route and the safety of the diplomats.¡±


    Vayu opened both eyes, ¡°Loh, this isn¡¯t some random commoner we would be forsaking. This is Aizel, your brother.¡±


    ¡°Our mission comes first,¡± she nodded to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit and you know it! You said his safety comes first!¡±


    ¡°Aizel made his choice.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? Loh, this isn¡¯t a joke, Aizel¡¯s life is in danger!¡±


    ¡°So, what? So fucking what!? All he has ever done is ruined my life! I¡¯ve lost everything because of him.¡±


    ¡°Loh¡­¡± Vayu¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I-If¡­ If Aizel were to disappear, things would change. Yeah, they would change,¡± She ran a trembling hand through her grey hair. ¡°My parents would stop looking at him. Tauri would stop looking at him... She wouldn¡¯t marry him.¡±


    Vayu stood up and slowly raised his hands, ¡°Loh, this won¡¯t play out how you think. Aizel is a person, not some thing you just lose and forget about.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that! Huh!? My family treated me like a thing! I was just a convenient tool to be used whenever they needed me! Why is Aizel different!?¡±


    Tears ran down her face, ¡°Why is Aizel the one they care about? I¡¯m the one who gave up everything to make them proud. He did nothing.¡±


    She fell to her knees and burst into tears, ¡°Why does he get all their love? Why am I alone?¡±


    Vayu wrapped his arms around her, ¡°Loh¡­¡±


    She wiped her tears, ¡°Not anymore. I¡¯m gonna change the narrative.¡±


    ¡°Loh, you can¡¯t do this,¡± he whispered.


    She pushed him away, ¡°Why not? Everyone thinks Aizel ran away from the camp. No one knows we already found him. If we wait, only for a little bit, we¡¯ll be too late. We can say we were too late to save Aizel and the caravan. No one will ever know.¡±


    ¡°I will know,¡± Vayu bit his lip.


    ¡°You? You would tell people? Vayu, the man who said he would always stay by my side? You would betray me now? For him, for Aizel,¡± she snarled. ¡°I should have guessed, everyone always chooses him over me.¡±


    ¡°Loh, it¡¯s not like that. I love you, but he¡¯s my friend,¡± Vayu gripped his chest.


    Shadows wrapped around her body. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice. It¡¯s time you make yours.¡±


    Vayu threw himself at her feet, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t do this. He¡¯s my friend. Don¡¯t make me a part of this, please.¡±


    ¡°Are you with me or are you my enemy?¡± Loh whispered apathetically.


    Vayu looked up at her, tears fell down his pale grey face. His lips trembled. Vayu¡¯s body slumped over, an empty shell.


    ¡°I am so sorry... Aizel,¡± he whispered.


    She turned away, ¡°Keep an eye on Aizel with your hawk. Tell me when the raiders have done their work. I¡¯ll send in a battalion afterwards.¡±


    Vayu gripped his hands and tried to stop them from trembling, ¡°You have no idea what being a kinslayer does to someone.¡±


    Loh laughed maniacally, ¡°Kinslayer? Do you have any idea how many aristocrats kill each other for a chance at ruling their Houses? My own grandfather, the great Elzri Noir, killed not one, but two of his siblings!¡±


    Vayu stared at her weakly, yet with determination, ¡°You don¡¯t think that affects people? I am a purple mage. I have read the minds of prisoners who have done horrible things. I have seen the guilt eat them up from the inside until they are a hollow shell of their former selves.¡±


    Loh looked at him coldly, ¡°You speak as if I have guilt.¡±


    ~~~


    Present Day¡­


    Loh stared at the wine in her mug, at the reflection of the woman she despised staring back at her.


    You were right, Vayu.


    The guilt had eventually found her and it struck her like a dagger to the back, its cold edge biting into her very soul. But by then it was too late, Aizel was gone and Loh had lost everything.


    She gripped her mug. If I could take back that night, I would have given anything. But I can¡¯t. You win, Aizel.


    A warm hand touched her shoulder.


    ¡°Loh, are you okay?¡± A gentle voice said.


    Tauri¡¯s voice broke Loh from the memory. The sounds of the wedding reception returned in all their rowdy galore.


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Loh forced her lips to smile.


    Tauri poked her grey forehead, ¡°What goes on in that brooding head of yours?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about an old gambit,¡± Loh shrugged.


    ¡°Oh? What happened?¡±


    Loh downed her wine in one swig. She slammed the mug on the bar counter. ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s hard to believe. The magical genius of House Noir, losing? Nay, impossible!¡± Tauri yelled dramatically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like much of a genius right now¡­ Only an idiot,¡± Loh sighed.


    Tauri¡¯s face grew solemn. She bumped shoulders with Loh, ¡°Well, technically you¡¯re a prodigy, not a genius. You¡¯re allowed to be stupid sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Loh grinned wryly.


    ¡°Definitely. If you can¡¯t act stupid, then what hope do us ordinary folk have?¡±


    ¡°Tauri, I could describe you with a thousand words, ordinary would never have crossed my mind as one.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I never took you as a poet, please regale me with one of your ballads,¡± she batted her amber eyes.


    Loh laughed, ¡°Stop or maybe I really will.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Tauri raised her hands in surrender. She glanced down the bar, ¡°Oi, two of the strongest stuff you got!¡±


    ¡°Right away, miss,¡± the bartender nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Are you trying to get us wasted?¡± Loh raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t get drunk at a wedding party then I see no point in living,¡± Tauri winked.


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Loh fidgeted with her mug.


    ¡°Damn right,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for what happened to Aizel,¡± Loh whispered.


    Tauri¡¯s smile died. She reached out and grabbed her best friend¡¯s hand, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Loh. No one expected Valley raiders to attack at night. You and Vayu rode as fast as you could to save Aizel. You can¡¯t blame yourself for what happened.¡±


    Tauri took a long deep breath, ¡°You know, I used to think what would have happened had you guys been able to get there just a few minutes faster. If only one of the soldiers noticed Aizel had left the camp a few minutes earlier. If only Vayu¡¯s hawk had been able to locate Aizel before the raiders attacked. How different could things have been?¡±


    ¡°...What changed?¡±


    ¡°One day I came to the realization that Bellum had decided it was Aizel¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°You think the goddess of war let Aizel die?¡± Loh¡¯s hands trembled.


    ¡°Well, not exactly. I don¡¯t pretend to know the minds of the gods. But I have to believe Aizel died for a reason. Because if not¡­ Well, no point dwelling on that,¡± Tauri swallowed.


    Loh felt the pain constrict around her heart, it was difficult to breathe.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Tauri patted her back.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I was just thinking it''s weird how your family worships the ebon gods.¡±


    ¡°What, do you want me to be a staunch atheist like you?¡± Tauri chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe? Well, what about the scarlet gods? Do you ever whisper a prayer to them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°Many orcs still do, especially in the city of Murkton. But the way my family sees it, we left the Scarlet Realm centuries ago. If House Katag is to rule over the Ebon Realm¡¯s people, we should worship their gods too.¡±


    ¡°And you really believe that?¡±


    ¡°I do. After all, why would a scarlet god listen to the prayer of an orc in a faraway Realm? But an ebon god listening to an orc of a Ruling Family of Hollow Shade? Well, that¡¯s a different story.¡±


    ¡°If the gods are real,¡± Loh added.


    ¡°Careful, Bellum might smite you,¡± Tauri winked.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m more worried Lunae might smite us both. We are literally in a tavern that has a sign outside with a drawing of the moon with two shapely legs in high heels.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Tauri conceded.


    ¡°Here you are, miss,¡± the bartender placed two full mugs in front of them.


    Tauri grabbed one and passed the other to Loh.


    ¡°I win!¡± Stryg yelled triumphantly from across the room.


    Clypeus and Kegrog fell over next to him, empty mugs all around. The crowd cheered the winner of the drinking contest.


    ¡°I always thought Stryg was a strange one and nothing I¡¯ve seen today has changed my mind,¡± Tauri chuckled.


    Loh grinned, she raised her mug high, ¡°To the newlyweds!¡±


    ¡°To the newlyweds!¡±

 Chapter 162: Newlyweds Date

    Chapter 162: Newlyweds Date


    Hollow Shade¡¯s bells tolled throughout the morning in solidarity for the grave losses of House Mora and the other families. On the behest of Lady Calantha Ashe, every temple held a memorial service for the deaths of the Moras and the ones who were at Castle Mora. Commoners, merchants, magi, and aristocrats alike all visited the ebon gods¡¯ temples to pay their respects and acknowledge the valley tribe¡¯s attack.


    Lady Ashe, the high priestess of Hollow Shade, led the memorial at the city¡¯s principal temple in the Central District. It was said that Lady Maeve Mora herself was in attendance. Stryg had no idea, he hadn¡¯t spoken with Maeve since the attack on the castle, nor had he attended the service at the principal temple.


    Instead, Stryg had gone to a small temple in the south region of the Commoner District. Karen had assisted the temple head-priest Elm in the memorial service. None of the attendees besides Stryg knew the Moras and Stryg didn¡¯t bother bringing up his acquaintance with the family.


    The service passed by quickly, with many fearful whispers of what might happen if the savage raiders from Dusk Valley would turn their sights on Hollow Shade.


    The service ended a little before noon, with a prayer to the gods, led by Elm. Stryg was simply glad it was over and made his way towards the temple doors.


    Elm spoke up, ¡°Ah, before I forget, everyone. I have been instructed by the priests at the principal temple to remind you all that Hollow Shade will be holding a city-wide celebration for the end of winter, commencing this very afternoon.¡±


    ¡°As if anyone forgot,¡± Feli said under her breath.


    ¡°What? Celebration? Like a festival? Today?¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils shrunk.


    ¡°Yeah, I told you about it last night. How did you forget?¡±


    ¡°Um. Was this before I took off your clothes or after?¡±


    ¡°After,¡± she said suspiciously.


    ¡°Yeah, I was too busy by that point,¡± Stryg stared pointedly at her shapely butt.


    Feli rolled her eyes, ¡°Sometimes it feels like you''re not listening at all.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What?¡± Stryg looked up at her.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± she said with puffed cheeks.


    Feli walked out of the temple at a brisk pace. Stryg was smaller than most people, he always had to walk faster to keep up with them. Feli was no exception, he was forced to jog to stay at the same pace with his wife.


    ¡°Sooo, I was thinking of going back to the academy to train with Loh,¡± Stryg said.


    Feli jerked to a halt, ¡°What? We just got married and the first thing you want to do is go out to train?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she marched off.


    Stryg reached out and grabbed her arm, ¡°Did I do something wrong? Why are you angry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just, I had a whole date planned out for us today, and you didn¡¯t even remember, nor do you really seem to care.¡±


    ¡°...Sorry, this is all new to me. My people don¡¯t really have dates. We don¡¯t have marriages either,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°An apology from you? That¡¯s rare. You usually just bite me,¡± Feli interlaced her fingers with his own.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like to sink my teeth into your soft skin,¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils widened.


    ¡°Stooop~¡± She giggled and pushed him away playfully.


    He smiled, ¡°Forget about the training. Where do you want to go?¡±


    Feli placed a finger on her red lips, ¡°Hm¡­ A bunch of vendors are setting up shops in the Central District for the parade, let¡¯s go there first.¡±


    ¡°The Central District is pretty far,¡± he said thoughtfully.


    ¡°But there is an entrance fee, so I think if we hurry there will still be space. Maybe we should stop by home and have Rhian take us?¡±


    ¡°Nah, Rhian went to the spa with her stablehand Gwen. They probably won¡¯t be back till dark. Besides, I¡¯ve got a better idea.¡±


    Stryg stepped behind Feli.


    ¡°What are you doi- ah!¡± Feli squealed with delight.


    Stryg slipped his head between her legs and lifted her up onto his shoulders.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Stryg grinned up at her.


    Feli was suddenly very glad she wore pants instead of a skirt today.


    ¡°What, do you really think to carry me all the way to the Central District?¡± Feli blushed.


    Stryg rubbed his cheek on her thigh, ¡°If I can keep your legs between my face? Definitely.¡±


    ¡°Pervert,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg spell-casted a basic agility spell. Orange mana flowed into his legs, the veins in his lower half darkened.


    ¡°Hold on tight,¡± he crouched.


    ¡°To what?¡±


    Stryg kicked off the ground and dashed away. Feli screamed.


    ~~~


    The run over to the district was tumultuous at best. Thankfully, after several bumpy turns, Feli managed to get a steady grip on Stryg¡¯s arms that wrapped around her legs. People looked up at the strange couple in surprise as they dashed by. Feli was too busy to care, her purple hair blew in the wind as Stryg ran across the streets with an unexpected gracefulness.


    By the time they reached the Central District they were both out of breath.


    ¡°All things considered, that was pretty quick,¡± Stryg lowered her to the ground.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually ran the whole way,¡± Feli panted.


    ¡°I may be small, but I¡¯m quite fast,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even that small anymore. You reach up to my shoulder now,¡± Feli stood next to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not tall though,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°That hurts coming from a goblin.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but my original point still stands. Have you ever seen a goblin over 4 feet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    ¡°Well, you look a little over 4 feet and a half now. That makes you the tallest goblin you have ever met.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s an odd thought,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek.


    Most of the people he knew were taller than him, he had never thought of himself as tall.


    ¡°Must be that hybrid blood kicking in. I remember when we first met you were around 3 feet and a half. You barely used to reach my waist,¡± she pointed at her own hips.


    ¡°Have I really grown that much?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t buy your own clothes. Do you have any idea how often I have to get you new pants?¡± Feli crossed her arms.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I guess I never really cared about my clothes that much...¡±


    ¡°You also don¡¯t care about fashion,¡± she sighed. ¡°Luckily, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± he smiled wryly.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s the parade.¡± Feli grabbed his hand and hurried towards the edge of the street.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    A group of dancers and minstrels lead the parade. The crowd clapped as they frolicked past. The ground began to shake as a hundred heavily armored centaurs trotted behind them. Their riders held their swords, axes, and spears high, as if they were about to head into battle. Hundreds of armed soldiers followed in a steady march.


    ¡°Looks like those valley tribes better watch out!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted.


    ¡°Hollow Shade is out for revenge!¡± Another person yelled.


    The crowd clapped and cheered.


    ¡°It¡¯s great and all that Hollow Shade is going to stop that wretched Cairn Tribe, but I feel bad for Lady Mora. To have your whole family slaughtered by savage raiders and your home burned down all in one night? Ugh, I don¡¯t want to imagine,¡± Feli shivered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Maeve is stronger than you think. She¡¯ll pull through.¡±


    Feli pulled Stryg away from the crowd, ¡°Wait, you know Lady Maeve Mora?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s been talking about her since the castle attack, everyone wants to know what really happened, all the details. I wanted to know what happened to you when you were there. And you never once thought to mention actually meeting Maeve freaking Mora until now? Why?¡±


    ¡°You never asked,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m asking now. Tell me all the juicy details. How did you two meet?¡±


    ¡°It was about a year and a half ago, actually. She insulted my friends and me. Then she threw wine on me. Honestly, I was going to rip her throat out. But her cousin, Callum Veres, you know him, stopped me. Now that I think about it, that was the same night you and I really talked for the first time.¡±


    ¡°So you two are enemies?¡± Feli asked worriedly.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re friends, I think? I¡¯m not quite sure, she left without saying anything.¡±


    ¡°What did you two talk about?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± Stryg stared at the clouds.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Feli looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°I told her I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°...Do you like her?¡± Feli put a finger to his lips, ¡°And before you answer, I don¡¯t mean like as you like hot chocolate or how you like Clypeus as a friend. I mean are you having or interested in having a romantic relationship with her?¡±


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°You seem bothered?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m bothered! My husband might be seeing some vampire!¡±


    ¡°I am not in a romantic relationship with Maeve, I haven¡¯t even seen her since the attack on the castle,¡± Stryg said.


    After all, romance wasn¡¯t something he clearly grasped and Feli was the only person he was certain he romantically cared about.


    ¡°I see,¡± Feli sighed in relief. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Feli, when we got together I thought I told you my views on relationships,¡± Stryg said.


    Feli closed her eyes tight, ¡°Look, I know you come from a people who treat sex and relationships very openly, but here, people don¡¯t want to listen about how their spouse slept with some bitch. I am not one of the Sylvan folk.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his button nose, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Things have changed since the agreement we made that night we met. I fell in love with you... Look, I know, you might sleep with others, yada yada. You¡¯ll probably end up marrying some mage or aristocrat at some point. It¡¯s common practice in Hollow Shade for aristocrats and powerful magi to have multiple spouses. I get all of that, I do. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Feli wiped her eyes.


    ¡°I had no plans on marrying Maeve and I know she definitely doesn¡¯t,¡± he said quietly.


    Feli didn¡¯t respond.


    Stryg pointed to a stall in the distance, ¡°Look, there¡¯s a vendor selling those sweet puffs you really like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, I heard your stomach growling on our way here,¡± Stryg poked her soft belly.


    She slapped his hand away and blushed, ¡°Why were you listening to that?¡±


    ¡°I have great hearing.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you have to listen to my body, let alone my stomach.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I like listening to your heartbeat, it¡¯s comforting.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just listen to your own heartbeat?¡± Feli muttered.


    ¡°Mine¡¯s weird, doctor Celica Skeller said my heart rate is too fast. I don¡¯t know, I feel fine,¡± he placed his hand over his chest.


    She sighed and grabbed his hand, ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    His pupils widened to ovals, ¡°Is it weird I want to bite you right now?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg and Feli bought some food to eat and kept wandering through the stalls afterward. Feli was eager to check out some of the more exotic and rare merchandise that the vendors had brought out for the festival.


    The newlyweds stopped by a pink stall with flashy trinkets on display.


    ¡°Hello, dear guests, please have a look around!¡± The vendor, an older human with an immaculately trimmed beard smiled, revealing his silver teeth.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Feli smiled and glanced at his wares.


    ¡°Not at all, fellow humans and¡­ whatever splendid being you might be, are always welcome at my store,¡± the vendor grinned.


    Stryg ignored the jewelry, his attention was drawn to the stone necklaces hanging at the end of the stall. Each stone was marked with an arcane symbol, albeit incorrectly. Even if it was correct, without a magestone to serve as the mana storage, the enchantment was useless. He doubted an enchanter even made these necklaces.


    ¡°My talismans caught your eye, ey?¡± The vendor walked over, grabbed one of the stone necklaces, and showed it to Stryg.


    ¡°Talismans? What are they for?¡± The blue goblin stood on his toes for a closer look.


    ¡°To ward off against misfortune, of course.¡±


    ¡°Misfortune?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know, like when you see a pale white raven.¡± The vendor leaned forward, ¡°Or worse, when one of those queers walks by you. I promise you this talisman will ward off against any misfortune they might bring to you and your lovely companion.¡±


    ¡°You think gay people bring misfortune?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Well, yes, obviously,¡± the vendor chuckled. ¡°Perhaps your lovely companion can enlighten you.¡±


    ¡°Not every human shares your backward beliefs old man,¡± Feli glared at him. ¡°Stryg, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Stryg nodded.


    As they walked away, Stryg glanced at Feli, her face was flushed with anger.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°Just some another stupid man clinging to the past,¡± Feli fumed.


    ¡°Explain, please.¡±


    Feli sighed, ¡°Humans aren¡¯t originally from the Ebon Realm. My people came from the Jade Realm. I don¡¯t know much about that Realm, what I do know is that humans over there worshipped the jade gods. One of their religious beliefs was that people who loved those of the same sex had something innately wrong with them, that they were wicked, even brought misfortune to others just by being around them.¡±


    ¡°Hence, the talismans,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Feli clenched her jaw, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just that. I used to hear stories of people kicking them out of villages or even killing them on sight. It was so messed up. Even if the Schism cut off humans from the Jade Realm, even if most humans worship the ebon god Stjerne now, there are still many humans who have passed down their prejudice and stupid superstitions.¡±


    ¡°My master once told me how humans brought their prejudice over from the Jade Realm, I guess it makes sense now,¡± Stryg muttered.


    He recalled how humans made up the largest portion of the commoners in Dusk Valley.


    ¡°How much have those human beliefs affected the people around here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Some more than others, especially around Hollow Shade,¡± Feli admitted.


    Stryg thought of Plum and her worries about how others might treat her. Her decision to leave for Undergrowth was beginning to make more sense.


    ¡°Not all of us humans are like that, you know. Some of the younger folk are breaking away from those ridiculous beliefs,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Like you?¡±


    ¡°I was raised to understand that love comes in all different sizes and shapes,¡± she kissed his cheek.


    Stryg felt his cheek grow warm.


    ¡°Are you blushing?¡± Feli laughed.


    ¡°No,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another jewelry stall, wanna check it out?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mr. Blueberry.¡±


    ¡°Blueberry?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Because your round cheeks get dark blue whenever you blush,¡± Feli whispered.


    Stryg went to bite her but she had already run off to the stall.


    After a few minutes, Feli had already picked out a bracelet. Stryg was still perusing the wares, but he pulled out his coin pouch and went to pay.


    He haphazardly searched his small leather bag for the right amount of coin while he glanced at the stall¡¯s shiny wares. A small black coin slipped out of his pouch and fell on the table. The vendor¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. Feli snatched it up in a heartbeat.


    She dropped the bracelet and grabbed Stryg¡¯s wrist, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Stryg whined as she pulled him away.


    ¡°Why do you have an orichalcum coin lying around in your pocket!¡± Feli whispered furiously.


    ¡°You know what that is?¡± Stryg asked in surprise.


    ¡°Anyone with an eyeball knows what orichalcum is. Everyone in the tavern always talks about what they would do if they even got a sliver of the stuff. Do you have any idea how much this is worth?¡±


    ¡°A lot?¡±


    Feli rolled her eyes, ¡°Ugh, yes a lot. So why do you have it and why is it in your pocket of all places? You should keep it somewhere safe, not in a place a pickpocket will check.¡±


    ¡°It was a gift. She told me to hold on to it, so I did,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Who is this she?¡±


    ¡°The captain of the Singing Willow troupe. I told you about them, remember? Rhian and I watched their play, The Unfaltering Shield.¡±


    ¡°I remember, you liked the battle scenes... What does this Captain look like?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Black curly hair, olive eyes, brown skin, a few inches taller than you, a little older looking, but quite pretty,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°And she just randomly gave you an orichalcum coin?¡± Feli narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I won a game.¡±


    ¡°What game and how?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±


    ¡°Did she pay you to sleep with her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm¡­ Well, whatever happened, you should put the coin somewhere safe before you lose it.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anywhere safer than having it with me.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°You know vaults exist, right?¡±


    Stryg made a peeved face and hissed.


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± Feli raised her hands. ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep it on you, you should at least not have it in your coin pouch.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 163: I Don’t Know!

    Chapter 163: I Don¡¯t Know!


    Maeve knocked on her doctor¡¯s office door, she glanced at the empty hallway and pulled her auburn hood a tad lower. It had been months since she had last visited the merchant academy. At first, Maeve had wanted to go back to school, until the seven city lords had decided to make the loss of her family a political scheme and a bloody festival.


    Now Maeve was glad she hadn¡¯t come back here, till today. She could have gone to another doctor, even one who was also a white mage, but Maeve dreaded meeting a new doctor and having them pry into her life.


    Maeve already knew the academy¡¯s resident doctor, Lucy, and  much preferred talking with her, even if it meant coming back to the merchant academy.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking her so long?¡± Maeve sighed.


    She went to knock again when the door creaked open.


    Dr. Lucy¡¯s face peered out from the crack in the door, her eyes widened at the sight of the young vampiress.


    ¡°Hi, doc, it¡¯s been a while,¡± she smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°You¡­ Have you been followed?¡± Lucy whispered and glanced at the hallway.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°I think so? I mean, I don¡¯t think anyone noticed me visiting the academy, I took one of the back gates,¡± she shrugged.


    Lucy grabbed Maeve¡¯s arm, yanked her inside the room, and slammed the door closed.


    Maeve stumbled but managed to catch her footing, ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be too careful,¡± Lucy fiddled with the seven locks on her door.


    ¡°When did you get so many locks?¡± Maeve raised an eyebrow. Her jaw dropped when she noticed the state of the office.


    Books were strewn about Lucy¡¯s desk and the floor. Several empty bottles of wine laid in the corner. The windows were covered in thick curtains, obscuring the sun, leaving only a couple of dwindling candles to illuminate the room. Even Lucy looked worse for wear, her usual tidy hair was frayed and she had dark bags under her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Maeve said slowly.


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s good, I¡¯m glad you still have a sense of humor, at least one of us does,¡± Lucy ran over to the window and peered through the edge.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Checking to see if anyone followed you,¡± Lucy whispered.


    ¡°I came alone. Look, I know my family is the gossip of the city right now, but I don¡¯t think it merits this level of caution.¡±


    Lucy spun around, ¡°What? Do you think this is about your family? This has nothing to do with the dead.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lucy stuck her finger out, ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°What? Me? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard, but I promise I¡¯m not here to bring you any trouble,¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°Trouble?¡± Lucy laughed. She ran a trembling hand through her hair, ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of this is anymore. I just need answers, I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    Lucy opened her desk¡¯s drawer and brought out a clear crystal orb. Silver spirals curled around the orb from the bottom up.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Maeve took a step back.


    ¡°A chromatic mana orb analyzer or what most people simply call, a chrome-probe. This particular one is of very high quality, crafted from an extremely pure cut of magestone,¡± Lucy placed the orb gently on the desk.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one of these since¡­¡± Maeve¡¯s voice caught in her throat.


    ¡°Since you failed your mageborn exam three years ago, I remember, you told me all about it in one of our sessions,¡± Lucy nodded.


    Maeve bit her lip, they weren¡¯t very good memories.


    ¡°How did you even get one of these? I thought they were really expensive.¡±


    ¡°I may not be a very powerful mage, but I am still a white mage. Everyone pays healers well enough, especially the merchant academy.¡±


    ¡°Sooo, you bought one of these, why exactly?¡± Maeve stared at the orb doubtfully.


    ¡°I need you to place your hand on the orb.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? You know I failed the mageborn exam, do you want me to humiliate myself again?¡± Maeve snapped at her.


    Lucy stared at her with a steely gaze, ¡°Not every mageborn¡¯s mana manifests at eighteen. Sometimes their hearts take a while to fully mature and develop, and begin to absorb mana from the surrounding ambience. We call them late bloomers.¡±


    Maeve stared at the crystal orb, she remembered that day three years ago. How the crystal had stayed clear without the slightest hint of color. Of the shame and humiliation she had felt from being born inadequate, of not being able to live up to her siblings¡¯ or father¡¯s expectations, or worse, her mother¡¯s.


    She couldn¡¯t bear that disappointment, not again.


    Maeve¡¯s shoulders trembled, she turned away, ¡°I don¡¯t need any of this.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just wait. All you need to do is place your hand on the orb, it¡¯s that simple,¡± Lucy strained a smile.


    ¡°Look, I just came to get a refill on my sleeping potions, okay? I¡¯ve had a few servants buy me some potions, but none are as good as the ones you prescribed¡­ I¡¯m not having nightmares anymore after my family¡­ left. But now I can¡¯t even fall asleep half the time. And trust me, I need my sleep now more than ever, House Mora¡¯s businesses need my attention.¡±


    Lucy began pacing around the room, ¡°Can¡¯t fall asleep? No sleep... no sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, if you¡¯re too busy right now I can always come back later,¡± Maeve pointed her thumb at the door.


    ¡°No!¡± Lucy grabbed her shoulders, ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to think about anything else these past few weeks. I need to know the truth. I¡¯m begging you, place your hand on the orb, please. If you do, I¡¯ll have my red mage business contact brew as many potions as you want.¡±


    ¡°As many as I want?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Lucy stepped back.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Maeve took a deep breath, she slowly traced her fingertips over the crystal sphere and gently lowered her palm. The orb was cool to the touch.


    Lucy held her breath.


    Maeve¡¯s shoulders slumped, ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed.¡±


    ¡°Wait for it,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Maeve¡¯s chest began to burn, the heat scorched from her heart and through her arm. Her muscles tensed and locked into place, she couldn¡¯t move. Her body began to spasm uncontrollably. Inky tendrils sunk into the clear orb and dyed it pitch black.


    ¡°Maeve!¡± Lucy wrapped her arms around the small vampiress¡¯ waist and pulled her away. She gently lowered the young woman to the floor, ¡°Maeve, are you okay? Talk to me!¡±


    Maeve coughed painfully, ¡°Oh, gods, my insides burn, what the hell was that?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect your body to react like that.¡± Lucy swallowed,¡± I¡¯ve never seen anyone have such a strong reaction¡­¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes caught sight of mage-probe, ¡°The orb, it¡¯s black. It changed color. That means, I¡¯m¡­ a mage!?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a good thing, child,¡± Lucy stood up and dusted off her robes.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean this isn''t a good thing? This is amazing, I¡¯m a chromatic black mageborn!¡±


    ¡°Chrome-probes are crafted and enchanted to only test a single color each.¡±


    ¡°Okay? And?¡±


    ¡°This orb was not enchanted to test black mana.¡±


    ¡°What? But the orb is black.¡±


    Lucy rubbed her temples, ¡°No, it is not. Take a closer look.¡±


    Maeve pushed herself to her feet with a painful grimace. She walked over to the desk and cautiously leaned towards the black orb. She grabbed a nearby candle and shined it above the chrome-probe.


    Maeve narrowed her eyes. There was something there, something faint, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ red?¡±


    Lucy slumped down in her chair, ¡°The orbs absorb chromatic mana from the mageborn touching it. The more innate magical talent the mage has the darker the orb¡¯s color becomes. Yours is so dark it looks black.¡±


    Maeve took a deep breath, ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Lucy took off her glasses and placed them on the table with ginger care, ¡°It means you are probably the most talented red mage to have ever been born in Hollow Shade.¡±


    Maeve felt her legs grow weak. She sat down, ¡°Uh, t-that¡¯s¡­ good, right?¡±


    ¡°Remarkable, really. Except, it confirms my suspicions,¡± Lucy sighed.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember that morning you came to me with those claw marks on your shoulders?¡±


    ¡°Of course, how could I forget? I was terrified.¡±


    ¡°Not enough, child. I believed your story that day. I took it upon myself to figure out what was going on with you. Your wounds did not seem to have come from any blade, so it was doubtful an assassin was involved. It was more probable to be some sort of beast. As for how it got into your room? Or why a beast simply didn¡¯t kill you? Well, that was a conundrum.¡±


    Lucy patted one of the books on her desk, ¡°So, I took a different approach. I visited my alma mater, Hollow Shade¡¯s magic academy. I went to the school¡¯s library and began searching their archives for whatever I could find regarding magical dreams.¡±


    ¡°...What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing about dreams anyway. What I did find was mentions of an old spell-form, a magic so rare that most magi have forgotten what it even does, the synchrony spell-form, true chromatic magic. Guess which color synchrony magic belongs to.¡±


    Maeve glanced at the orb, ¡°Red.¡±


    ¡°Correct. True mageborns are very rare. They may only be able to wield a single chromatic color like ordinary mono-color magi, but their ability to purify and expel the elemental mana within their bodies allows them to wield pure chromatic mana. It allows them to cast true chromatic spells. True reds are the rarest of all the true magi, even in the Scarlet Realm there were said to only be few.¡±


    ¡°So, my power is very rare?¡± Maeve nodded stiffly. ¡°Which means¡­ it¡¯s very valuable.¡±


    Lucy chuckled, ¡°Valuable? Still thinking like a merchant I see. Supply and demand. No, you¡¯re thinking too small.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not following,¡± Maeve wrinkled her nose.


    Lucy raised one hand and lowered the other, ¡°Being a true mage doesn¡¯t mean you are talented. More gifted in one¡¯s own chromatic color than the average mage, sure, but it doesn¡¯t mean you''re actually talented. Someone can be born a prime mage and still be unable to cast the simplest of spells. Hollow Shade literally has half a dozen prime magi and none of them have been able to ascend beyond the rank of adept.¡±


    Lucy gestured at the dark red orb and then at Maeve, ¡°You¡¯re not valuable, child. You are invaluable.¡±


    Maeve smiled to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s ever told me that. Actually, my father told me the opposite, many, many times.¡±


    ¡°You still misunderstand. This is not a good thing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her smile fell.


    ¡°Synchrony magic expands the consciousness of the caster, allowing them to project themselves into different places and gather information. Think of it as an invisible projection, an ethereal ghost able to travel across long distances. The more powerful the mage, the wider the cast range and the more details they can gather.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so we¡¯re like super stalkers then? Great,¡± Maeve rolled her eyes.


    ¡°More like terrifying scouts and spies. Imagine being able to hear and see the conversations of your sworn enemies. How could one use that information against them?¡±


    ¡°So, true red magi are dangerous,¡± Maeve clasped her hands together.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t get the full picture. Some magi¡¯s abilities surpass their peers, their talents so great that it allows them to do things others thought impossible.¡±


    Lucy pulled out a few pages of notes from her drawer, ¡°I came across an old book in one of the academy¡¯s rare archives, entailing a story of a powerful true red arch-mage from the Scarlet Realm. It was said that his synchrony magic was so powerful, so vast, that his mind could innately garner all the details around him and predict an outcome based on those details. A well-predicted guess, you could say.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± Maeve glanced at the notes.


    Lucy pointed at one of the pages, ¡°The arch-mage¡¯s predictions almost always came true perfectly. Sure, the predictions were limited to only a few days, perhaps a week or two, at best. And sure, sometimes there were some minor flaws with the prediction, instead of a lady wearing a blue blouse, she wore a red dress. But in the end, no one could deny that this arch-mage could accurately predict the future. Just like you.¡±


    Maeve''s throat felt tight, ¡°It¡¯s real. I was right, I wasn¡¯t crazy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were,¡± Lucy nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Wait, but I¡¯m not an arch-mage, I¡¯m not even a mage. I¡¯ve never cast a spell in my life.¡±


    ¡°...Very talented, untrained mageborn often cast spells by accident. They can¡¯t help it. Their emotions get the better of them and the mana within their bodies react, then boom.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever casting a spell,¡± Maeve shook her head.


    ¡°Tell me, Maeve, when are your emotions the strongest? When do you feel as if you are about to die?¡±


    Her eyes widened, ¡°My nightmares.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been having nightmares for years, but your mageborn abilities have only recently awakened. Your mind went through a traumatic event every single night and sometimes your mana reacted to it. You exhibited all the signs of an accidental spell cast, a pounding heart, your body burning from the mana flowing through you, sweat covering you from the exertion. Everything was there, I just didn¡¯t see it for what it was, an infant mageborn.¡±


    Maeve skimmed through the notes, trying to comprehend what was happening, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re saying I was casting spells?¡±


    ¡°My best guess is your synchrony magic was mixing in with the psyche of your sleeping mind. Your nightmares were mingling with your predictions, blurring the actual future you saw.¡±


    ¡°B-but, I¡¯m not an archmage like the man in the story. And I¡¯ve never cast any other kind of magic either even when I have literally been in life and death situations.¡±


    ¡°Chromatic red¡¯s ordinary spell-forms are alchemy and wards. Neither of which you¡¯d be able to cast without the proper equipment or arcane linguistic knowledge. As for being an arch-mage, I can only guess that synchrony¡¯s ability to predict the future has nothing to do with your magical skill, rather your overwhelming magical talent. If you train your skills, I imagine you¡¯d be able to harness your abilities and predict the future far more clearly.¡±


    ¡°So, if I go to the magic academy I can learn how to control my abilities?¡± Maeve asked eagerly.


    ¡°NO!¡± Lucy screamed.


    Maeve jumped back in fear.


    The doctor pulled her hands back, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you really don¡¯t understand the implications of all of this. You probably think you¡¯ll use your abilities to predict the next big trade offer, perhaps snag a few thousand gold coins with a good deal.¡±


    ¡°The thought crossed my mind,¡± Maeve admitted.


    Lucy peered out the window, ¡°The powerful lords and ladies of this Realm will see something else entirely. Imagine the power you could offer them, the ability to predict their enemy¡¯s every single move. Don¡¯t you see? Your existence itself changes everything. You have just become the Realm¡¯s most invaluable strategic weapon. Not only Hollow Shade, but Frost Rim, Undergrowth, and Murkton, every single Great City, every single being with an ounce of power will be after you.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s face paled.


    Lucy grabbed her hand gently, ¡°If people were to find out about you, they will never stop chasing after you. They will capture you and they will put you in a cage, forever. You can''t train at the magic academy, it will be your undoing.¡±


    Maeve swallowed, ¡°What am I supposed to do then? How do I learn how to use magic and avoid being found out?¡±


    Lucy¡¯s hand trembled, ¡°That¡¯s the whole problem, isn¡¯t it? Someone¡¯s already found you.¡±


    ¡°What? Who?¡±


    ¡°I scoured through hundreds of books regarding dreams, Maeve, hundreds. I never found anything about dream magic. Tell me, what sort of being is capable of entering your dreams and hurting you? What sort of power do they possess to have known about you? Who exactly is looking for you?¡±


    Maeve recalled the enticing voice in the dark corner of her nightmare, the hand that stretched out from the shadows, the cold fear that reached into her soul. Some part of her knew it hadn¡¯t just been a dream nor a vision of the future. Something had happened that night, something she could not explain.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Lucy, I don¡¯t know!¡± Maeve¡¯s voice grew shrill.


    Lucy grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine, ¡°Me neither.¡±


    ¡°Lucy.¡±


    The doctor downed a few gulps and wiped her face, ¡°We need time to think up a solution. I promised you I wouldn¡¯t let you go through this alone and I won¡¯t. Have you had any weird dreams since you stopped having nightmares?¡±


    ¡°No, not a single one,¡± Maeve shook her head.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a start. Perhaps whatever is chasing you in your dreams can¡¯t reach you so long as you don¡¯t have nightmares, or maybe it''s when you cast synchrony spells, I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°I need some air, I can¡¯t breathe,¡± Maeve gasped for breath.


    Lucy gripped her hand tight, ¡°Calm down, Maeve, it¡¯s going to be okay. We just have to stay quiet about all of this and keep your secret safe. So long as no one else knows about you we can still figure something out.¡±


    Maeve licked her lips, ¡°Um.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Please, please, for the love of gods, tell me you didn¡¯t tell anyone else about this.¡±


    ¡°...There is one.¡±

 Chapter 164: Cantrips

    Chapter 164: Cantrips


    Stryg rolled the silver locket between his hands. Feli had picked it out for him, she said it matched his silvery hair. Stryg did not particularly share her reasoning, he simply liked how it shined under the moonlight.


    Stryg opened the locket and admired the ebon coin inside. He had to admit it was not the most well-hidden of places for an expensive ebon coin, but if someone wanted to steal it they would have to rip it off his corpse.


    ¡°Stryg, eyes off the shiny necklace,¡± Loh tapped her foot.


    ¡°Sorry, master,¡± he placed the locket over his neck.


    His eye caught sight of the silver bracelet on his wrist; an amethyst infixed right at the center of chain links. The bracelet was a birthday gift from Loh, it was common practice among drow magi, it symbolized the bond between a master and her apprentice.


    Stryg sat up straight in his chair, ¡°I¡¯m ready and listening.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Loh nodded.


    She glanced at the empty classroom she had arranged for their training session.


    ¡°Stryg, I know this can all get a little dry after a few hours of lecturing, but trust me, you¡¯ll need to learn all of this if you ever wish to be a competent grey mage. Curse spells aren¡¯t like ward spells, the arrangement of the arcane words are incredibly important, as is the intent.¡±


    He raised his hand, ¡°I get having to write the words in the correct order, but what do you mean by intent?¡±


    ¡°Imagine you casted red spell, a wall of wards meant to fend off against water. Now, no matter what sort of water hits that wall it will be stopped. It doesn¡¯t matter if it was rain, a blue torrent spell, or a glass of water, the ward spell will block all of it.¡±


    ¡°Unless I run out of red mana or the ward is overwhelmed,¡± Stryg added.


    ¡°Quite right. Curses are different, say you cast a curse that stops someone from breathing entirely.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me that!?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. You¡¯re still a novice, not even an adept, let alone a master, which is what you¡¯ll need to be to learn that spell.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just like the shadow tendrils spell,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Yes, now stop interrupting,¡± Loh flicked his forehead. ¡°As I was saying, imagine you cast an asphyxiation curse, how does the curse know which person to target. Unlike the ward spell that simply stops all water, the asphyxiation curse won¡¯t attack every person.¡±


    ¡°Um, you throw the curse spell at them?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, but that isn¡¯t the point right now. Intent is how you target your opponent with a curse. As you write every single arcane word you have to keep in mind the exact intent of your spell and who it will target, otherwise the curse spell will simply fizzle and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°That seems time-consuming, difficult even, especially in the middle of battle,¡± Stryg noted to himself.


    ¡°Indeed. There are several spell-forms that have long cast times, wards, curses, alchemy, and of course, enchanting. In general, the more time a spell requires to cast the longer it will last. Most spells take a second to cast and fade away just as fast, like a flame bolt. Some spells, like curses and wards, can take up to a few minutes to cast, but they can also last several minutes. Whereas an enchantment can take months or even years to finish, yet an enchanted object can last for centuries under the right circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see how that helps me while I¡¯m under attack,¡± Stryg said doubtfully.


    Loh shrugged, ¡°Fair enough. You are already quite skilled at writing the arcane language, so I don¡¯t think it would take you that long to write and cast a curse spell. Oftentimes grey magi will stay in the back of a battle until they can finish casting their curses. Nonetheless, grey magi found a way to be effective in battle even without preparation. Cantrips.¡±


    ¡°Cantrips?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Yep. A cantrip is a single-word curse spell. While the effects are weaker than a regular curse, they can be cast very quickly.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Master¡­ What about the opposite?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Can we make our curses last longer if we take more time writing them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not usually how it works. Although, there exist a few curses that can last years.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me those?¡± Stryg asked eagerly.


    ¡°No, they are very advanced spells, even for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I can teach you the three basic cantrips right now though,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Really!?¡± Stryg¡¯s slit pupils went round.


    ¡°Stand up and let''s begin,¡± she clapped.


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg alternated between the three cantrips, writing each one with a deft hand. There were no live targets for the curses, so he simply had to use his imagination.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Try the rigidity cantrip,¡± Loh ordered.


    Stryg let the grey mana flow into the tips of his fingers and began writing the arcane word in the air. A soft glowing grey sigil slowly formed.


    ¡°Usually curses can be cast from a mid-range distance and still affect their target. Cantrips need to be cast from fairly close, once cast the curse will latch itself onto the victim.¡± Loh pointed to the grey sigil, ¡°This particular cantrip stiffens the muscles of its victim. The stronger version of this curse can even freeze their muscles altogether.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing I won¡¯t be learning the stronger version.¡±


    ¡°You still have a long way to go,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°I''ll train harder then. I¡¯ll become the mage you wish me to be, I won¡¯t let you down, I promise,¡± Stryg swore.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear,¡± she grinned. ¡°Now, cast the vertigo cantrip.¡±


    Stryg released the rigidity cantrip, the grey sigil faded into dust.


    ¡°I wish I could write both spells at once, I can write with both hands simultaneously you know,¡± he said.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve made it very clear in your ward training, a feat that still surprises my grandfather,¡± Loh¡¯s lips curled into a cocky smile. ¡°Still, unless you can suddenly multicast, one spell will be your limit.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    No matter how hard he tried he always failed to multicast two spells. The moment he would start casting the second spell the first would collapse and fizzle away. The more spells one tried to cast at once the more difficult it would be, yet even casting two spells simultaneously was a feat for master magi.


    So how did the red-headed dwarf Kithina manage it? He would have to ask her at some point.


    Stryg finished casting the curse, ¡°Done.¡±


    Loh inspected the sigil from side to side, ¡°Perfectly written, as usual. This particular cantrip is more useful when fighting an armed warrior, not a mage. The curse causes the victim to lose their sense of balance and feel as if their world is spinning. Quite useful in a sword fight, I once casted a similar curse when fighting Gale in a duel.¡±


    ¡°You fought Gale? Clypeus¡¯ elder sister?¡± Stryg asked in surprise.


    ¡°Back in the day. She was strong, I have to admit. But what made her the most annoying was her stupid name. Gale of House Gale? Dumb aristocrats and their penchant for naming their children after their family¡¯s founder,¡± Loh shook her head.


    ¡°She¡¯s technically Gale VIII.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still dumb.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ did you win?¡±


    Loh stared at her open palm, ¡°It was a draw.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Stryg had a difficult time imagining either woman losing in a battle.


    ¡°Show me the last basic cantrip,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right,¡± he nodded.


    Stryg released the vertigo curse and began writing the last spell he had learned.


    ¡°I finished the needle cantrip,¡± he stepped back.


    Loh stared at the sigil, ¡°Well done. Honestly, your chirography is better than my own.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Now the needle cantrip is quite useless against an ordinary warrior. All the curse does is cause the opponent to feel as if a needle was stabbing their back. Most warriors would shrug off the pain and keep fighting. But that kind of surprise pain could break the concentration of a mage and cause them to miscast.¡±


    ¡°That seems quite useful,¡± he said.


    Loh raised a finger, ¡°Indeed, just remember that these curse sigils are tangible. When you cast them onto your enemy make sure to place it somewhere hard to reach, like their foot. Then push your advantage.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise,¡± Loh slashed her finger through the cantrip¡¯s sigil. The arcane word burst into grey dust and faded away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize curses were so fragile,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Not all of them are, cantrips are some of the most fragile.¡±


    A knock rang on the classroom door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Loh called out.


    The door swung open, a dark elf stepped inside. He was carrying a large cage.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Vayu smiled.


    Stryg bowed his head, ¡°Good afternoon, Professor Glaz.¡±


    ¡°Did you bring what I asked for?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Right here,¡± Vayu pointed at the cage.


    Inside the cage were a dozen white mice with beady red eyes. Loh grabbed the cage and placed it on one of the desks.


    She gave a side glance to Vayu, ¡°...Thanks.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± he smiled brightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s all of this for?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I thought it best if you had an actual target for your curses. I asked Vayu to grab some mice from the purple magi¡¯s department,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°My department carries lots of different kinds of small animals, the students use them as practice targets for their mind spells,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m guessing I¡¯ll be using one of these for mind spells sooner or later, then?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Sooner than you think,¡± Vayu winked.


    ¡°For today we¡¯ll be focusing on cantrips,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Cantrips? Loh, you¡¯re teaching Stryg cantrips?¡± Vayu said, startled.


    ¡°They are single sigil spells,¡± she said lightheartedly.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make them easier to cast.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re basic cantrips,¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Even basic cantrips are considered adept ranked spells.¡± Vayu leaned towards Loh¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I know Stryg¡¯s talented, but you''re setting him up for disappointment.¡±


    ¡°I can still hear you,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Vayu scratched the back of his head.


    Stryg ignored his teachers and opened the cage.


    ¡°Careful, they might bite,¡± Loh raised her arm in warning.


    ¡°They¡¯re just mice,¡± Stryg reached his hand inside the cage.


    The mice scampered backward, one jumped forward and nibbled at his blue finger, but his skin was too tough to leave a mark. The goblin¡¯s clawed fingers curled around the mouse and lifted it up. Stryg pulled his hand out and closed the cage. The mouse squirmed in his hand futilely.


    With his other hand, Stryg began writing the rigidity cantrip. He placed the mouse on the table and casted the curse. The grey sigil shot out and snapped onto the mouse¡¯s white fur. The rodent squealed and fell over stiff, its tail gave an odd twitch every few seconds.


    ¡°I did it,¡± Stryg smiled excitedly.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Loh patted his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Vayu muttered.


    Loh wrapped her arm around her apprentice and grinned, ¡°Stryg may not be an adept yet, but I¡¯ll shape him up to be one before the mage tourney next year. He¡¯ll sweep the competition, I swear it.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s cheeks turned a shade darker. She believed in him, he wouldn¡¯t let her down.


    ¡°Talented in both purple and grey magic. I¡¯m starting to understand what you see in him,¡± Vayu smiled.


    ~~~


    The guards at the apartment¡¯s front gate recognized Stryg and stepped aside for him. The young goblin stretched his arms behind his back and sighed in contentment. It had been a long yet satisfying day of training. He felt like he was finally making some real progress as a prime mage; he was beginning to have a grasp over his chromatic colors.


    Stryg began making his way over to the stables to see Rhian when he spotted a luxurious carriage parked at the back of the apartment building. It was strange, such carriages would usually display House crests, yet this one had none. What was even odder was that he recognized the scent of the person inside the carriage.


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°Maeve?¡±

 Chapter 165: Awkward Dinner

    Chapter 165: Awkward Dinner


    Stryg stared at the carriage. Why was Maeve here? He walked up to the carriage and looked up at the coach driver. The vampire¡¯s face was covered with a hood, though he immediately noticed the blue goblin. The driver lightly knocked on the window behind him. The carriage¡¯s door creaked open halfway, Maeve¡¯s pale face appeared from within.


    ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re actually here, good. I wasn¡¯t sure my servants had gotten the right address,¡± she glanced both ways, searching for any pedestrians walking by.


    There were none.


    ¡°What are you doing outside my home?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    Maeve¡¯s face scrunched up with indecision, ¡°It¡¯s a little complicated. Why don¡¯t you hop in the carriage? We¡¯ll take a ride about the city and talk about it. Maybe catch some dinner?¡±


    ¡°Actually, Feli already cooked. She¡¯s waiting for me upstairs,¡± Stryg pointed his thumb back at his apartment building.


    Maeve nodded slowly, ¡°Oh, I see. Is Feli your servant?¡±


    ¡°She is a part of my tribe. We co-founded Ebon Hollow, actually.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the unnamed 3rd tribemate, I remember. This is probably a bad time then, but I really need to talk to you. I can come back later tonight if that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    Stryg scratched his cheek with a clawed finger, ¡°Do you wanna join us for dinner?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Stryg turned to leave.


    ¡°Ah, b-but, if you insist, I¡¯ll humbly accept,¡± her cheeks reddened.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± he offered his hand.


    Maeve wrapped her gloved fingers around his blue palm and stepped out of the carriage with an aristocrat¡¯s grace. She looked around furtively and kept her red hood low.


    ¡°Are you in danger, is someone hunting you?¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed.


    He pulled Maeve close to his chest and bared his fangs at the surroundings. The coach driver coughed.


    Maeve swallowed, ¡°Um, not at this moment, I think. I¡¯m just trying to stay unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°In a carriage? You really need to work on your stealthiness,¡± Stryg shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, what would you suggest?¡± Maeve pouted.


    ¡°A dark grey cloak, move in the cover of darkness, and climb over the apartment¡¯s wall. Kill the watchman in the eastern corner, then move your way to your target.¡±


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯ve really thought about this.¡±


    ¡°Once or twice.¡±


    ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Maeve smiled wryly.


    Stryg lifted his arm and stepped away from her, ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t stay too close. You don¡¯t want to be seen with a goblin, hence the cloak and all, right?¡±


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Maeve bit her lip.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I get it,¡± Stryg walked towards the apartment complex. ¡°We should head upstairs, the food is probably getting cold.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± she sighed.


    ~~~


    Stryg slipped his keys into the lock, turned the knob, and pushed the door open.


    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± he called out.


    Feli sat at the dining table, reading a book. She glanced up with a smile, ¡°Welcome back! I was waiting for you before I ate¡­ Who is this?¡±


    Maeve stepped up from behind the goblin. She removed her hood and curtsied, ¡°Good evening, I am Maeve of the Great House of Mora.¡±


    ¡°L-Lady Mora!?¡± Feli¡¯s eyes widened. She shot to her feet and bowed low, ¡°It is an honor to have a merchant lady in our humble home.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Maeve, and thank you for having me,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Right, yes, my pleasure,¡± Feli straightened her skirt and fiddled with her violet hair. ¡°I would have freshened this place up if my husband had told me a Lady was coming over.¡±


    ¡°Husband?¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°The place looks fine.¡± Stryg walked up to Feli, grabbed her hand, and pulled her down for a kiss.


    ¡°You¡¯re married!?¡± Maeve yelled.


    ¡°Uh, I think so?¡± Stryg glanced at the wedding ring on his wife¡¯s hand. ¡°This means we¡¯re married, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling, it does. I wonder why Lady Mora seems so surprised. Did you fail to mention that important detail to her?¡± Feli narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, ahaha, I¡¯m just really happy for my good ol¡¯ friend, Stryg,¡± Maeve fidgeted with her cloak.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two were so close,¡± Feli pulled Stryg¡¯s head onto her sizable bust.


    ¡°Yes, well, you know how these things go. You meet someone, they try to kill you, then they end up saving your life. Life is crazy, am I right?¡± Maeve laughed nervously.


    ¡°Stryg tried to kill you?¡± Feli¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Twice, actually, but who¡¯s counting?¡± Maeve shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I am,¡± Stryg said lightly.


    Feli bowed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that he tried to kill you, please don¡¯t take it personally. Stryg tries to kill lots of people, actually, he kills lots of people. Ahem, anyway, let¡¯s eat shall we?¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Maeve sighed in relief.


    ~~~


    Dinner went by quietly. Stryg was focused on devouring his food. Feli ate her food slowly, all the while staring at Maeve with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. Maeve tried her best to ignore her predicament and tried eating with an aristocrat¡¯s refined demeanor.


    ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have blood to drink,¡± Feli said with sincerity.


    ¡°No worries, I had some earlier from one of my maids. Well, they aren¡¯t my maids. I mean they were, but they weren¡¯t very good. They worked as spies for my late father, so you can imagine how that feels,¡± Maeve chuckled. ¡°Anyway, once I became Lady of the House I threatened to send them to Hollow Shade¡¯s prison for espionage. They didn¡¯t want to end up food for the shades of the Ebon Wall, so now they serve as my exclusive blood reserves. Sweet, delicious irony, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Feli¡¯s mouth hung open in shock.


    Maeve fiddled with her dress¡¯ collar, ¡°Is it just me or is it hot in here? I feel like I¡¯m talking too much. Am I talking too much? I¡¯m probably talking too much. So, uh, when did you two get married?¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°A few weeks ago,¡± Stryg said between bites of food.


    Feli took a sip of wine, ¡°...Around the middle of spring.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it was quite recent,¡± Maeve nodded to herself. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I would have invited you, but Stryg never mentioned your shared acquaintance until after the wedding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I was busy with the reorganization of my House anyway. Being a merchant lady is harder than it seems,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°Of course, everyone heard about what happened. I am so sorry for your loss, I know what it¡¯s like to lose your whole family,¡± Feli said softly.


    Maeve gripped her fork tightly, ¡°...Does it ever get easier?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. I spent years thinking of how my life would have been had my parents and sister lived. Then I met Stryg and things slowly changed. Now I have a new family, Ebon Hollow,¡± Feli grabbed Stryg¡¯s hand.


    Maeve raised her glass, ¡°To new family then.¡±


    ¡°To new family,¡± Feli clinked their glasses together.


    They both froze and slowly turned to Stryg, he was smiling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him smile,¡± Maeve whispered.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen often,¡± Feli whispered back.


    Stryg frowned and went back to eating.


    ¡°Aw, he¡¯s shy,¡± Maeve giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bite you,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°You¡¯d like that wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Maeve smirked.


    Feli glanced between the two of them, ¡°...You¡¯re different than what I imagined, Lady Mora.¡±


    Maeve blinked, ¡°How did you imagine me?¡±


    ¡°This ice-cold vampiress who ruled her House with the sheer ruthlessness deserving of the leader of a Great House. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard about you at least,¡± Feli admitted.


    ¡°Oh, I am those things when I need to be,¡± Maeve nodded. ¡°You have to be if you want to rebuild an entire fleet of trade ships. You would be surprised how many merchants and ship captains are a bunch of grouchy old men. It¡¯s all rather exhausting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rebuilding your fleet?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Mhm. Unfortunately, my family¡¯s fleet was destroyed during the attack on my ancestral home. You wouldn¡¯t believe how difficult it can be to garner sailors¡¯ trust after your father let all the ships get burned down in what can only be the worst maritime debacle of the century.¡±


    ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± Feli said sympathetically.


    ¡°Meh, not as bad as the investors. Stingy bastards.¡±


    ¡°Investors? You¡¯re looking for investors?¡± Feli had a glint in her eye.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would you possibly be interested in a small but reliable investor?¡± Feli leaned across the table.


    ¡°Um, so long as the gold is good and they don¡¯t have a shady history with past dealings, then yes?¡± Maeve slowly leaned back.


    Feli smiled wide, ¡°Great! Let me go find my notes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you? You¡¯re the investor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been managing our funds quite well and we¡¯ve saved up enough for a decent investment, I just haven¡¯t found the right connections yet. Until you, Lady Mora,¡± Feli said.


    Maeve finished her glass of wine, ¡°Splendid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Feli got up and left.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be here,¡± Maeve smiled.


    The moment Feli closed the bedroom door behind her Maeve pushed the plates of food aside.


    ¡°Stryg, we need to talk,¡± Maeve whispered urgently.


    ¡°...That was my food,¡± Stryg glanced at the bowl of seared meat no longer in his reach.


    ¡°This is more important than your hunger. Stryg, did you tell anyone about my secret?¡±


    ¡°Secret?¡±


    ¡°...My dreams.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not at all,¡± Stryg shook his head and reached for the bowl of food.


    Maeve pushed the bowl further away, ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t take away a Sylvan¡¯s food,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Stryg, please, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°So am I. And no, I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡±


    Maeve leaned back and sighed with relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You look paler than usual and that¡¯s saying a lot.¡±


    Maeve bit her lip, ¡°...I found out why I could see the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening."


    ¡°Turns out I am a late bloomer mageborn. A true red mageborn to be exact.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a true mage?¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils widened. ¡°Interesting, I¡¯ve only met one other.¡±


    ¡°Were they a red mage?¡±


    ¡°No, he is a purple mage and a professor at my academy. He can use binding magic, I don¡¯t know much about it, but I think it lets him control animals. What about you? What¡¯s your true magic?¡±


    ¡°The synchrony spell-form. It¡¯s the rarest true magic. I don¡¯t really know how it works, but I know a lot of people would want me for it if they found out I was a true red mage. Especially because I¡¯m incredibly talented or at least that¡¯s what my doctor says.¡±


    Stryg suddenly had a strong sense of deja vu. It was as if he was back in that testing room with Loh a year ago. They had just found out he was a prime mage. Loh had sworn him to secrecy for his own safety. Maeve was the same as him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about your magical capabilities, you have my word.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Maeve smiled. ¡°The problem is, I think someone already knows. Remember that dream I told you about? The one where my shoulders were bleeding when I woke up.¡±


    ¡°Because the owl, I remember. Except, I never clawed your shoulders,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°Yes, but what if it wasn''t a dream of the future? What if that actually happened while I was dreaming? What if it all was real?¡±


    ¡°I still never clawed your shoulders, I think I would remember something like that.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Because it¡¯s difficult for me to remember all the details in my dreams and you told me you have a hard time remembering your dreams too.¡±


    ¡°Maeve, why would I try to claw out your shoulders?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve tried to kill me twice.¡±


    ¡°...Good point.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Maeve shook her head. ¡°I think you were trying to help me. From the other thing that was in my dream.¡±


    ¡°You did mention something like that. You couldn¡¯t see what it was, it was too dark, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the creepy thing in the dark,¡± Maeve nodded.


    Stryg tilted his head, ¡°The Monster in the Dark?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing, I was just remembering a campfire story, not important,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Oh, okay, well, I came here to make sure you hadn¡¯t told anyone. I¡¯m already in enough danger as it is, I don¡¯t want to attract more unnecessary problems.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case you should go to the magic academy as soon as you can. An untrained mageborn can accidentally miscast when their emotions run strong, especially talented mageborns. The results can be quite painful and possibly life-threatening, trust me,¡± Stryg grimaced.


    ¡°Gods, I didn¡¯t know that.¡± A shiver ran down her spine. She clenched her frilled skirt, ¡°I can¡¯t go though. If I go to the academy I will be forced to take magical tests and sooner or later someone will find out I am a true mage.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The red magi in service to House Mora were loyal to my father, I can¡¯t trust them. I¡¯ll have to figure something out,¡± Maeve wrinkled her button nose.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils undulated, growing wide and thin in rapid succession. Eventually, they settled into thin ovals.


    He sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about synchrony magic, but I can teach you the basics of red mana and the ward spell-form. Hopefully it will be enough to prevent any accidental miscasts.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a red mage,¡± Maeve said in surprise.


    ¡°Nobody does. It needs to stay that way. I¡¯m entrusting you with my secret,¡± Stryg stared at her.


    ¡°...Thank you for trusting me, I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Maeve nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Good. Like you, I¡¯m pretty busy, but I can make some time to meet here once a week.¡±


    ¡°That works great, thank you,¡± Maeve pulled out a few gold coins and handed them to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Stryg glanced at the money.


    ¡°If you are going to be teaching me at least let me pay you.¡±


    Stryg stood up, ¡°That makes sense. But I don¡¯t want your gold.¡±


    ¡°H-huh?¡± Maeve took a step back.


    Stryg reached out and grabbed a lock of her platinum hair.


    ¡°W-what d-did you have in mind?¡± Maeve swallowed.


    ¡°I warned you, didn''t I?¡± Stryg smiled, his small fangs glinted in the candlelight.


    ~~~


    Feli opened the bedroom door, ¡°Sorry I took so long. I was trying to organize my note-¡± The papers slipped out of her hand.


    Stryg held Maeve in his arms, his right hand curled around her soft waist, while his left hand gripped her small bust. Maeve¡¯s knees were limp, Stryg was holding up her entire weight. Maeve¡¯s face was flushed, her eyes were closed, and she panted softly.


    Stryg¡¯s fangs were sunk in Maeve¡¯s shoulder, blood trickled down her dress¡¯ deep neckline.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± Feli screamed.


    Stryg looked up at her, his pupils were wide as saucers. He opened his mouth and licked his red-stained lips, ¡°I thought the species that usually drinks blood would end up having very tasty blood of their own. I was right.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes opened up blearily, ¡°S-sorry, it¡­ sort of¡­ just happened.¡±


    Maeve wanted to stand up and say more, but she felt tired and oddly comfortable. This wasn¡¯t good, a small part of her mind warned. She was becoming like her maids and the other humans when their blood was being drunk. That blurred dull state of mind humans entered, they simply sat there like a bunch of idiots and happily let the vampires drain them.


    Feli simply stared at the pair in disbelief. She took a deep breath, ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t have time for your weird kinky blood stuff, Stryg. I¡¯m gonna go hang out with Rhian.¡±


    ¡°W-wait,¡± Maeve mumbled.


    Feli walked out and slammed the door behind her.


    Stryg brushed the pale blonde hair away from Maeve¡¯s neck, ¡°Where were we?¡±


    Maeve closed her eyes. What was she saying? She couldn¡¯t remember. Maeve leaned back into Stryg¡¯s chest and offered him her other shoulder.


    Stryg¡¯s teeth sank into her soft flesh.

 Chapter 166: True Chromatic Magic

    Chapter 166: True Chromatic Magic


    Stryg opened his eyes in the light of early dawn. He lay comfortably in bed and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin that leaked through the crack in the curtains. Feli had pulled the blanket away from him; she lay at the edge of the bed as far as possible.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Stryg said with a relaxed tone.


    Feli grumbled something under her breath, even his enhanced hearing could not make up her garble.


    ¡°What was that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I said fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ As in you want to fuck?¡±


    Feli laughed in derision, ¡°You wish. Besides aren¡¯t you tired after fucking your vampire princess last night?¡±


    ¡°Maeve isn¡¯t a princess, at least I don¡¯t think she is. Either way, I didn¡¯t have sex with her yesterday. I only drank some of her blood.¡±


    ¡°You conveniently forgot the part where you fondled her pretty little body.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m starting to get the feeling you''re not happy with me.¡±


    ¡°What could have possibly given you that idea,¡± Feli rolled her eyes and turned her back to him.


    Stryg scooted across the long bed and nestled his face over her shoulder, ¡°Are you angry with me because I was with Maeve?¡±


    ¡°Take a guess?¡±


    Stryg dug his hand under her body and pulled her close to him.


    "Let go of me,¡± Feli mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still angry with you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°...Do you plan on marrying Lady Mora?¡±


    ¡°No. Maeve made it clear last night she is not interested in marriage or anything of the like. She was under a man¡¯s influence long enough, she does not want to be under another man¡¯s control ever again.¡±


    ¡°She values her freedom, smart girl,¡± Feli nodded to herself.


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Do you consider yourself free?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re literally holding me against my will.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Stryg let her go.


    Feli sat up and kept her back to him, ¡°I do consider myself free, I chose this life. At the same time, my life is entwined with yours, we¡¯re married after all.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to get married, we¡¯re in this together forever, right? Those were your words.¡±


    ¡°And I meant them. I knew what I was getting into when I met you, but so much has changed. I tell myself I¡¯ll be okay with it, so many spouses of aristocrats and magi are in the same boat as me, but after seeing you last night with her¡­ It just hurt. A lot.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what to say. He had sworn to keep Feli safe from harm, no matter who tried to hurt her. He never imagined he would be the cause of her pain.


    Feli sighed, ¡°I guess I should have seen this coming, Sylvan folk view relationships differently. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t try to stop you from seeing her... I¡¯ll just look away next time.¡±


    Feli walked away from the bed and closed the door behind her. Stryg reached his hand out, but she was gone.


    ~~~


    ¡°You look terrible, are you alright?¡± Vayu asked.


    Stryg sent him a tired glance, ¡°Have you ever been beaten up by a grand swordmaster?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had the luxury,¡± the dark elf smiled wryly.


    Stryg had met with Clypeus and his sister Gale for early morning sword training. Unfortunately, his mind wasn¡¯t in the right place. Gale noticed immediately and proceeded to chastise Stryg for not focusing, which amounted to dozens of welts.


    ¡°I guarantee you today¡¯s lesson will be a change of pace,¡± Vayu led Stryg through the cobblestone pathway behind the chromatic purple¡¯s department.


    ¡°Wait, do you mean?¡±


    Vayu nodded, ¡°Today we will begin your mind spell-form training.¡±


    The dark elf pointed to the large shed behind the granite department building. ¡°We keep most of our practice animals here.¡±


    Stryg could hear the rustling of animals from within their cages. There had to be hundreds.


    ¡°What do you mean by practice animals?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The animals serve as targets for practicing purple magi¡¯s mind spells. I got the mice for your cantrip training from here.¡±


    Vayu knocked on the door.


    A middle-aged orc stepped out, ¡°Professor Glaz?¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Vayu smiled.


    The orc bowed his head low, ¡°It is an honor! What can this humble handler do for you today?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you could lend us a few rabbits for training.¡±


    ¡°Of course! It would be my pleasure, how many do you need?¡±


    ¡°Three should suffice.¡±


    ¡°One moment please, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± the orc ran back inside the shed.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Stryg asked.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°He¡¯s the handler in charge of the animals, a good man,¡± Vayu said.


    The word ¡®good¡¯ would never have crossed Stryg¡¯s mind when thinking about orcs, but he supposed others didn¡¯t hold the same grudges against orc-kin as the Sylvan folk.


    The handler returned with a large cage, three rabbits inside. ¡°Here you are, Professor Glaz. Anything else you might need? I¡¯m happy to grab more.¡±


    ¡°No, three will suffice, thank you.¡±


    The orc¡¯s amber eyes widened as he caught sight of the goblin, ¡°You¡¯re Stryg.¡±


    ¡°You know me?¡± Stryg frowned.


    The handler nodded shakily, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the school¡¯s rumors. The wild blue goblin of Vulture Woods. A tri-manifold mage worthy of being apprenticed to the prodigy Loh Noir. You''re taller than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°Rumors? Wild?¡±


    The handler swallowed, ¡°I heard you beat Freya Goldelm half to death for looking at you wrong and that you tore another kid¡¯s face off in a mock exam. Wait, I didn¡¯t know you were a purple mage?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t, these rabbits are for his curse training. I¡¯m just doing a favor for Professor Noir,¡± Vayu interceded. ¡°Come on, Stryg, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Stryg walked away.


    He glanced back at the shed, the handler was still staring at him.


    ¡°There are rumors about me?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°When you¡¯re apprenticed to a mage from one of the Seven Ruling Families, let alone the heiress of House Noir, the most renowned mage family in Hollow Shade, then yeah, you can bet there are gonna be rumors in the academy floating around about you,¡± Vayu chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, I guess I never thought about it like that,¡± Stryg muttered.


    To him, Loh was a powerful mage worthy of admiration and awe. Loh wasn¡¯t the heiress of House Noir, she was just Loh, the person who believed in him when no one else did, and that was enough for Stryg.


    ¡°It¡¯s insane how ridiculous rumors can get, am I right? I mean, ripping a kid¡¯s face off? What idiot came up with that?¡± Vayu laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know right,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Sure, the bones in his face were broken and you could see the muscles underneath, and yeah, maybe there was a little skin torn off on the cheeks, but his face was still there. If I had really ripped off his face he would be dead and that was against the rules.¡±


    Vayu stopped walking, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°...N-nevermind.¡±


    ~~~


    Vayu led Stryg to an empty meditation room he had rented out for personal use on the academy grounds. Vayu placed the cage filled with rabbits on the ground. They sat down across from each other.


    Vayu spread his arms, ¡°Starting today we will be splitting our purple magic training time in two, half the time for  illusions, the other half will for mind spells. You will need to learn both spell-forms if you wish to be a proper purple mage.¡±


    ¡°Spell-forms¡­¡± Stryg murmured.


    He was reminded of Maeve and her status as a true red mage.


    ¡°Professor Glaz, you are a true mage, correct?¡±


    ¡°I am a true chromatic mage as my grandmother before me,¡± Vayu nodded.


    ¡°What does that exactly mean? What¡¯s the difference between a true mage and a true chromatic mage?¡±


    Vayu laughed awkwardly, ¡°Nothing actually, the terms are used interchangeably. There is no such thing as an elemental true mage or I suppose a more apt description would be that all elemental magi are true magi.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Explain. Please.¡±


    ¡°Well, mana is the ethereal energy that flows all around, yes? The Realms themselves generate all mana throughout the land. Chromatic mana is said to constantly bond with elemental mana as they both flow through the air. A magical creature, such as each member of an elemental species or the mageborns within a chromatic species, are capable of innately absorbing the mana in the air.¡±


    ¡°I remember, Professor Rime taught me about that back in Magic Fundamentals class,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Great, so you already know the basic principle. Now, when an elemental species absorbs mana, whether they are innate magical users or magi, their bodies inherently purify the mixture of mana and expel the chromatic mana, leaving them with pure elemental mana. In other words true elemental magic.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so elemental species only use elemental mana?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Whereas chromatic magi use a mixture of both chromatic and elemental mana. Each chromatic color mana bonds to two elemental mana types, which in turn creates the chromatic color¡¯s two spell-forms. For example, purple¡¯s illusion spell-form is bonded with elemental dark mana, and the mind spell-form is bonded with elemental lightning mana.¡±


    ¡°So where do true chromatic magi fit in exactly?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°True magi are chromatic mageborns with the ability to purify the mixture of mana within their bodies, similar to an elemental species. There are two main differences though. The first is that true magi don¡¯t usually purify mana innately, it is a learned skill that takes training. Secondly, instead of expelling chromatic mana, a true chromatic mage expels elemental mana, leaving their body with only pure chromatic mana, allowing them to cast a true spell-form.¡±


    ¡°Like synchrony magic,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Synchrony magic? Red¡¯s true form?¡± Vayu wrinkled his nose.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Stryg cleared his throat. ¡°What about purple¡¯s true spell-form?¡±


    ¡°Binding magic?¡± Vayu closed his eyes, purple arcane symbols began to glow around his temples.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils widened, ¡°That¡¯s binding magic?¡±


    ¡°A little bit. Binding magic allows the caster to bind their minds with those of another, allowing mental communication between the two over vast distances; we can even share our senses.¡±


    ¡°...How much influence do you have over the binded person?¡± Stryg asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Great question and one that has made true purple magi feared for a long time,¡± Vayu tapped his own head. ¡°With enough power I could hypothetically exert my influence over the mind of the binded, allowing me to control not only their body but their thoughts. It''s very difficult to perform, especially against powerful magic users.¡±


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s unsettling,¡± Stryg stared at his own hands.


    Stryg dreaded to imagine what would happen if someone took over his body.


    Vayu¡¯s purple arcane symbols faded away. ¡°Binding magic only lasts until I stop casting, so I don¡¯t try to control my binded. Instead, I work with them. It also helps to bind those of lesser intelligence, like say a cat, or in my case a hawk and a fire drake.¡±


    ¡°You have a fire drake!?¡± Stryg jumped to his feet. ¡°Where!? Can I see it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some other time, she usually likes to sleep in the afternoons, I keep her in my House¡¯s grounds,¡± Vayu laughed.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Stryg nodded eagerly and sat back down.


    ¡°Okay, enough of that. Let¡¯s focus on what we came for,¡± Vayu spread his hand out.


    A thin glowing purple tendril curled out from each of the dark elf¡¯s fingers. Stryg stared at the tendrils, it reminded him of Plum¡¯s mind magic. Her bright smile flashed through his memory. The familiar pain rose to the surface and festered in his chest. Stryg shook his head to try and dispel the memories, it didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Some chromatic spell-forms take after one of their parent mana types, for example, orange¡¯s flame spell-form share¡¯s many similarities with fire elemental magic.


    Other chromatic spell-forms create an entirely new form of magic, based on the combination of their parent mana types, like illusion spells. Mind spells fall in the former category since they resemble true purple¡¯s attributes,¡± Vayu explained.


    ¡°I see.¡± Stryg pointed at the tendrils, ¡°A mind mage can read people¡¯s thoughts, right? Make sure if they are telling the truth or not.¡±


    ¡°If the tendrils touch a person¡¯s body, preferably the head, then yes. But mind spells can do so much more. With the right training, a purple mage can affect a person¡¯s senses or cause them incredible agony, even make their target lose consciousness. You can even enter a person¡¯s mental-scape, their subconscious world, and sabotage their mind, an arch-mage could even destroy their victim¡¯s mind entirely.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a slow way to go,¡± Stryg leaned away from the purple tendrils.


    ¡°The victim¡¯s body does survive their mind¡¯s destruction, so yes, it is a very slow way to die,¡± Vayu nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try casting?¡±


    ¡°...Understood,¡± Stryg took a deep breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to casting an illusion. The mind tendrils are quite fragile as well, keep that in mind when trying to form the tendrils. They have to be flexible otherwise the tendrils will be brittle and break,¡± Vayu wiggled his fingers.


    ¡°Like illusions, got it,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    ¡°Try to only create one tendril for now. It¡¯s going to break on the first few casts. That¡¯s normal, it¡¯ll take some time getting used to creating the right consistency. The key is knowing how not to create the mind tendrils.¡±


    Stryg tried to drown out the sounds from the world around him, the meditation dome helped greatly. He focused on the beat of his heart thrumming in his ears. He imagined a string of glowing amethyst curling out from his index finger. The dormant mana in his heart began to stir. An odd yet familiar warmth echoed from his heart as the purple mana flowed through his chest and into his arm.


    ¡°Damn, I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised by now,¡± Vayu said softly.


    Stryg opened his eyes, a purple tendril wiggled around his finger.

 Chapter 167: Mock Escort

    Chapter 167: Mock Escort


    Tauri Katag leaned on the tower balcony¡¯s railings with an impatient groan, ¡°This is boring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t have to do any of the work,¡± Loh yawned.


    ¡°The principal gave me the order to create the raiders barely a week ago. I had to stay up every single bloody night just to raise enough corpses for today¡¯s mock escort,¡± Professor Gete grumbled.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Loh stared at his bizarre appearance.


    Somehow the black magic professor¡¯s usual gaunt cheeks looked even more sallow. Large dark bags rested under Gete¡¯s eyes. The man clearly hadn¡¯t slept in days.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Miss Loh, I am an incredible necromancer, one of the best in this academy, I can do the job. And I am honored to help Lord Noir whenever I can. I only wish he put more realistic deadlines for his staff,¡± Gete rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°My grandfather has always been a talented mage and ever since I¡¯ve known him he has always expected others to keep up with his magical abilities,¡± Loh nodded in sympathy.


    ¡°You¡¯re not much different, Loh. I remember how you used to complain back when we were students,¡± Tauri chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the professors back then were only teaching us the most basic lessons, it was so boring I wanted to kill myself,¡± Loh rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You called the students boring too,¡± Tauri raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Remember that kid from House Skeller that tried making you take your words back?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, the orc with the mustache, right? Didn¡¯t he challenge me to a duel?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°And you literally burned his ass, two charred butt cheeks,¡± Tauri laughed. ¡°He was lucky his family was a bunch of white mage healers.¡±


    ¡°Meh, not my fault a kid from some minor family thought he could challenge me,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Ah yes, they were all incapable of being worthy to sit next to the great Loh Noir in the prestigious and most difficult class that was magic theory 101,¡± Tauri said in a mocking tone.


    ¡°Shut up, I wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Loh pushed her shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, you totally were,¡± Tauri giggled. ¡°You should have seen it, Gete. Loh used to be super brooding and gave off this apathetic vibe that basically said, ¡®You¡¯re all beneath my level, get good or don¡¯t talk to me.¡¯ I don¡¯t think she would have hung out with me at all if we hadn¡¯t been childhood friends.¡±


    ¡°I would have still hung out with you,¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Does that mean the rest was true?¡± Gete asked.


    ¡°The other students were all idiots who kept trying to ask me about my family,¡± Loh grumbled.


    ¡°Well, not all of them,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°She was an exception, an annoying exception,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°Who?¡± Gete asked.


    ¡°The sword and mage prodigy, Gale VIII. She was the only one who could keep up with Loh in class. Those two practically won the Great Cities Mage Tourney on their own, I was only on the team for the ride,¡± Tauri¡¯s red lips curled up in a smile.


    Gete snapped his fingers, ¡°Oh, I remember hearing about that! Miss Loh and Miss Gale dueled in the last match of the tourney. The match ended in a tie, right?¡±


    ¡°It was the first time the tourney ever had two winners,¡± Tauri nodded. ¡°The judges only allowed it since both finalists came from the same city. In other words, Hollow Shade had already won.¡±


    ¡°Man, I wish I could have seen that fight, it must have been incredible,¡± Gete sighed in wonder.


    ¡°Meh, it was whatever. I¡¯m much more interested in seeing today¡¯s mock escort,¡± Loh looked out from the balcony.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything from up here,¡± Tauri glanced down at the grove that surrounded them.


    Loh turned to the dark elf that sat on the only chair on the balcony, ¡°How is it going so far?¡±


    ¡°It would be easier to tell if you all could stop talking so much,¡± Vayu Glaz muttered.


    His eyes were closed and purple arcane sigils glowed across his temple and down his neck.


    ¡°Just tell us if your hawk can see the students or not,¡± Loh kicked his foot.


    ¡°Stop, you¡¯ll break my concentration,¡± Vayu frowned.


    ¡°Are the students anywhere near reaching us?¡± Tauri asked, hope practically dripping from her voice.


    ¡°How many of my undead batches have attacked them?¡± Gete asked.


    ¡°How many did you make?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Four, about a dozen undead orcs and humans each,¡± Gete said.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been an hour. I bet they¡¯ve already cleared them all. They¡¯re probably facing my undead trolls by now,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°You managed to raise trolls!? A single troll can take weeks. How did you find the time?¡± Gete asked in confusion.


    ¡°Oh, I had some free time yesterday afternoon. There were two troll corpses stored in one of the academy''s underground cold chambers, so I decided to spice up today¡¯s exam,¡± Loh said lightly.


    ¡°...You made two undead trolls in a single afternoon?¡± Gete¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°Yeah, it was no big deal,¡± Loh shrugged.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°No big deal?¡± Gete squeaked.


    Tauri patted his shoulder, ¡°Join the club.¡±


    ¡°So, how are the students?¡± Loh asked.


    Vayu sighed, ¡°They haven¡¯t even gotten past the first undead attack.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± Loh wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°My undead are quite capable that¡¯s how,¡± Gete nodded repeatedly, a bit of pride returned to his voice.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. The students are simply awful,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m never gonna leave this damn tower,¡± Tauri groaned dramatically.


    ¡°Oh, one of the undead just took down the last orange mage, kicked the boy right in the balls, that¡¯s gotta hurt,¡± Vayu winced.


    Tauri raised an eyebrow to Gete.


    ¡°What? The principal told me to make the undead non-lethal, he never said anything about avoiding nut shots. Plus, you can¡¯t really make undead non-lethal,¡± Gete shrugged.


    ¡°The volunteer passengers are now being taken out of the wagon and carried away by the undead raiders. The few students left guarding the wagon do not seem capable of catching up to them. Oh, one of the students tripped on a tree root and twisted her ankle,¡± Vayu narrated.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Vayu. Call back your hawk, this exam is over,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Yes, general. Ah, sorry, force of habit. I mean, Professor Noir,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°No need for formalities, I hate being called professor, Loh is fine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I stayed up working on all of these undead, I should have stopped after the first dozen,¡± Gete slumped his shoulders. ¡°So much precious sleep lost.¡±


    Tauri sighed, ¡°Gods, we''re never going to win next year¡¯s tourney. I heard our team already got knocked out over in Frost Rim at this year¡¯s tourney. I guess we can kiss that shiny trophy goodbye forever.¡±


    ¡°Our team may have lost this year¡¯s tourney, but those are our 3rd-years. Don''t give up on all our 2nd-year students just yet, we still have a chance. Send in the next class,¡± Loh said.


    Gete laid on the balcony floor, took off his mage robe, and used the soft black fabric as a pillow. ¡°We¡¯ve been through all the 2nd-year classes, but this one. I doubt they¡¯ll be any different.¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Isn¡¯t your apprentice in that class, Loh?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Yeah, along with the other top six potential candidates for next year¡¯s mage tourney,¡± Loh nodded.


    ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯ll finally get to see the academy¡¯s notorious goblin in action,¡± Vayu grinned.


    Gete opened his dreary eyes, ¡°Ah, I remember him. Stryg was his name, yes? I taught him black magic last year. Great at shadow spells. Horrible at necromancy, like absolutely horrendous, never let that boy near a corpse.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not his forte,¡± Loh admitted.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t great with people either,¡± Tauri added.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, didn¡¯t he beat up that Goldelm girl?¡± Gete recalled.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Tauri shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s got his good points, you¡¯ll see,¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    ~~~


    ¡°I wanna go home,¡± Stryg complained.


    ¡°What? But we haven¡¯t even started yet,¡± Callum Veres looked at him funny.


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. We¡¯ve been sitting here for hours. I¡¯m hungry and Feli is making venison stew tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Stryg is right. We¡¯ve been out here for hours, watching each class go into the tree grove with their wagons, but none of them have come back,¡± Nora Azol eyed the tree line suspiciously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Just because the other classes probably failed doesn¡¯t mean we will. All the green magi students have to tend to the academy¡¯s grove as part of our curriculum. After two years I know these trees quite well,¡± Clypeus Gale rubbed Nora¡¯s back.


    ¡°Clypeus makes a good point. All we have to do is escort the volunteers inside the wagon and to the small tower in the middle of the forest, it shouldn''t be difficult,¡± Callum said.


    The wagon sat behind them, attached to four centaurs in harnesses. The tall orc Kegrog and the red-head dwarf Kithina sat on the driver¡¯s seat. Kegrog had spent some time taking classes in the military academy and had learned about wagon driving, a skill he was trying to impart to Kithina.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg, heads up, Freya Goldelm is leaving her posse of friends and heading over here,¡± Kithina called out from her driver¡¯s seat vantage point.


    ¡°This should be interesting,¡± Nora whispered.


    ¡°She came back to school a few days ago, honestly I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t come sooner,¡± Clypeus admitted.


    Callum sighed, ¡°Freya and I are old friends, I¡¯ll mediate this conversation. Stryg, please no fighting.¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± Stryg curled his clawed fingers one by one.


    The blonde dwarf walked up to the group and looked at each of them, finally settling her golden eyes on the blue goblin.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Freya nodded curtly.


    ¡°Hey, Freya, before you say anything more, please remember we are in the middle of an exam,¡± Callum placed his hand on her shoulder.


    Freya slapped his hand away, ¡°I am not a child to be handled, Cal. I came here to speak with the goblin.¡±


    Stryg stepped past Callum and walked up to Freya until they could feel each other''s breath. The last time Stryg had seen her they were around the same height, now he was clearly taller, if only by an inch or two.


    Stryg stared at Freya¡¯s face, he noticed the faint freckles beneath her makeup, but there was not a single hint of scarring from their previous bout. The white mage healers had clearly done their job well.


    ¡°What do you want, Gold-Eyes?¡± Stryg asked.


    Freya¡¯s eyes twitched. She took a deep breath, ¡°Many things, believe me. But I am capable of putting my feelings aside and focusing on the task at hand. For the duration of this exam, I wanted you to know you have nothing to fear from me. I will do my part as a member of this class. Can I count on you to do the same or should I expect a dagger in the back?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed to black needles before relaxing into narrow ovals. He slowly raised his hand towards their faces. Freya¡¯s eyes widened as the back of his claws brushed her face. His hand settled in the air between their faces.


    ¡°If I were to stab you, I promise it will not be with a dagger to your back, but with my claws in your chest. That being said, my master expects me to pass this exam, so I will excel.¡±


    Stryg opened his hand wide, ¡°I will fight beside you, I swear it by the honor of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Freya grabbed his open palm, ¡°Then we are in this together, goblin.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Gold-Eyes,¡± Stryg said solemnly.


    Freya nodded at the others, ¡°Everyone.¡±


    She turned away and walked back to her friends.


    ¡°I expected that to go differently,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°You and I both,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re all too hard on Freya,¡± Callum rubbed his hand.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s pretty hot,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°Kegrog, that is not what he meant,¡± Nora rolled her eyes.


    Stryg glanced at the grove¡¯s gate behind them, ¡°Here they come.¡±


    The hooded volunteers walked eagerly towards the students. They greeted the students politely before climbing up and into the back of the wagon. Stryg caught a familiar scent within the group of volunteers.


    ¡°I guess it makes sense,¡± he grinned half-heartedly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s Professor Glaz¡¯s hawk, that¡¯s the signal,¡± Nora pointed at the large bird flying overhead.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, it¡¯s go-time!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    The other students got off the ground, brushed the grass off their clothes, and gathered around the wagon.


    Clypeus pulled out one of his gladii from his waist and pointed the blade to the sky, ¡°Since I am the most familiar with the academy¡¯s grove I will move with the vanguard and guide the wagon to the tower at the other end of the grove. You all know your roles and positions, I expect you to act with honor and bravery as you protect the wagon and the people inside. Are we clear!?¡±


    The students yelled back in agreement.


    Stryg stared at the trees in the distance. The last time he had been here he had gone off on his own and was ambushed by Clypeus¡¯ team. This time things would be different. This time he wouldn¡¯t run away.


    Stryg pulled his spear out from the ground and brandished it in a familiar twirl, ¡°Here we go.¡±

 Chapter 168: Escort Test

    Chapter 168: Escort Test


    Loh Noir paced around the balcony, she wrung her hands every few paces. She even stepped on Gete who was lying on the floor.


    ¡°Ow,¡± he winced. Gete turned his back to the group and tried to get what little sleep he could.


    ¡°How are they doing?¡± Loh glanced at Vayu Glaz.


    ¡°The same as they have the last five times you asked me. The wagon and the students have barely entered the grove, none of the undead raiders have attacked,¡± Vayu said through closed eyes.


    Vayu¡¯s hawk flew over the academy¡¯s grove and mentally communicated the ongoings of the students¡¯ exam back to him.


    ¡°Loh, you gotta relax. Everything is going to be fine. Stryg can handle himself, and Freya and Clypeus are excellent students,¡± Tauri patted her best friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°There are four waves of undead though, a dozen each, and I made them quite sturdy,¡± Gete said.


    ¡°Not helping,¡± Tauri said through clenched teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what he said, Loh. Remember, the goal of this exam is for the students to get the wagon and its occupants to safety at this tower. They aren¡¯t supposed to fight the undead so much as defend against them and retreat to the tower. Plus, we secretly placed another professor inside the wagon in case things went bad. Everyone will be fine. Well, except for me, I might die of boredom up here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°The first group of undead is approaching the students,¡± Vayu said.


    Loh stared out at the trees below the tower and beyond, ¡°You can do this, Stryg.¡±


    ~~~


    There were around two dozen students in the class. Clypeus Gale had split them into three groups to protect the wagon, a vanguard, a center guard, and a rear guard. Callum Veres and Nora Azol sat at the back of the wagon, next to the hooded volunteers they were tasked to keep safe.


    Callum was busy counting the potions inside his satchel. The professors had allowed Nora to bring a large water barrel onto the wagon, it sloshed with every bump on the grassy grove.


    Kegrog sat atop the wagon, his long green cloak covered the large bow in his arms. The orc notched an arrow and warily glanced at the trees all around. The red-head dwarf Kithina grumbled curses to herself as she was left to drive the wagon. The four centaurs pulling the wagon didn¡¯t seem to mind her inexperience and silently kept trotting ahead.


    Stryg, Clypeus, and Freya Goldelm walked at the very front of the vanguard, weapons gripped tightly in hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet, where are the animals?¡± One of the vanguard students asked.


    ¡°This grove was created through green¡¯s flora magic, there aren¡¯t many animals around,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Idiots, if you don¡¯t know that much don¡¯t even bother taking the exam,¡± Freya shook her head.


    The vanguard student looked away in shame and took a few steps back.


    ¡°Freya, being ignorant does not equate idiocy,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°In dangerous situations it does,¡± she said.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Stryg raised his hand.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°I smell the dead.¡± Stryg crouched low and placed his pointed ear to the ground, ¡°They¡¯re surrounding us.¡±


    ¡°We need to get out of here before they catch the wagon,¡± Freya raised her shield and hammer.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Stryg gripped his spear and dashed forward.


    ¡°Ah, dammit,¡± Clypeus cursed.


    Stryg ran through the trees. He jumped high, his claws sank into the bark of a trunk. He flexed his arms and threw himself upwards and into a high branch. Stryg leaped through the canopy, the branches creaking under his weight. The goblin moved quickly. His legs remembered the feeling of climbing the ashen trees of Vulture Woods.


    After a few moments he spotted three undead below him. They were covered in light armor, an assortment of leather. Each one held a sword and shield in hand, two of them were clearly made from the corpses of orcs, their red, albeit now pale pink, skin gave them away. The last was difficult to tell, its pale grey skin could have been that of a drow or simply that of a dead man.


    Stryg didn¡¯t care, he vaulted off the branch and hurled his spear. The sharp steel-head pierced the orc¡¯s helmet and skull with a loud crack. The spear swam through the skull, out the other side, and sank into the grass in a gory mess. The orc crumpled to the floor as Stryg landed.


    The other two undead charged Stryg with surprising speed. He pulled the spear out of grass and ducked low, dodging the swing of the undead¡¯s blade. The goblin spun the spear behind him, the steel-head sliced through the ankle of the other orc, toppling it to the ground. Stryg flicked the pole shaft up, the spear¡¯s blunt end smacked the last undead¡¯s jaw, its body stumbled backward with a satisfying crack of bone.


    The orc pushed itself up with one good leg and swung its blade. Stryg jumped back, the iron sword missed, and sunk deep into the ground. Stryg¡¯s body fell into a familiar set of stances as his body stepped forward. His spear sliced the orc¡¯s hand off, spun back, and slipped under the orc¡¯s jaw and into the brain.


    The last undead hopped to its feet and rushed at him. Stryg pulled his spear out, took a step back, and raised his spear. It swung with heavy strikes, Stryg parried each blow, the spear glancing off the sword and angling the blade away. It kept pushing forward, the goblin kept his distance, the long-range of the spear giving him the reach he needed.


    The undead lunged at him. The tip of Stryg¡¯s slid off the creature¡¯s blade and drove the sword into the ground. Stryg jumped back and stabbed the spear into the enemy¡¯s chest. He flipped the pole shaft, the steel-head flicked up and cleaved the undead in two.


    He pulled the spear out, twirled it in his hands, and rested the pole shaft on his shoulders.


    ¡°Simple enough,¡± Stryg smiled.


    Three more undead soldiers shambled out of the bushes, a human, an orc, and definitely a drow if the half ripped off pointed ear was any indicator. They spotted the goblin immediately and ran at him with more sheer strength than speed.


    Stryg curled his fingers around the spear and took a defensive stance. A hammer flew above him and slammed into the human corpse, crushing its face. Stryg turned in time to see Freya vault over him with a war cry. She raised her shield and blocked an oncoming swing.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Freya landed in a roll, her agility-enhanced legs propelled her forward. She smashed the edge of her shield into the orc¡¯s leg, breaking the shin. The orc fell to one knee and tried grabbing her.


    Freya swiftly raised her shield and bashed the orc¡¯s face. She kicked the orc backward, jumped on top of it, and slammed the edge of her shield down on its face like a blunt blade over and over, until its pale brains were scattered over the grass.


    The undead drow ignored her and ran at Stryg. Freya turned and threw her shield with accurate precision, it smacked into the corpse¡¯s legs. The drow tumbled to the ground, the sword fell out of its grip. It reached out for the blade, but Stryg tossed the sword away with his spear.


    Freya ran over to the broken undead human and quickly grabbed her hammer. She jumped high in the air, the agility spell reducing her weight. Freya released the spell as she began to fall and spun in the air. The hammer slammed down on the drow¡¯s skull with all the force she could muster.


    Stryg stared at Freya in surprise, ¡°...I didn¡¯t know you were so useful with a hammer. Or a shield for that matter.¡±


    Freya wiped the splattered blood off her cheek. ¡°I am a daughter of House Goldelm. What did you expect from the inheritors of Oginum?¡±


    Now Stryg really wondered what the fabled hammer was truly capable of, did it even look like Freya¡¯s weapon, or was it something far greater?


    Clypeus ran into the clearing, both short swords in hand. He glanced at the carnage around. He sheathed his blades.


    ¡°I was too late, I couldn¡¯t keep up,¡± Clypeus sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not an orange mage, we didn¡¯t expect you to,¡± Freya picked up her shield.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched, ¡°The other undead have reached the wagon.¡±


    ¡°We need to move,¡± Freya threw her shield on her back. ¡°We can¡¯t wait for this slow vampire.¡±


    Clypeus gritted his teeth, ¡°She¡¯s right. You two need to go, I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    Freya didn¡¯t wait for Stryg¡¯s answer, she dashed off into the woods.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, you¡¯re too slow on your feet,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Get on my back.¡±


    ¡°What? What the hell are you saying?¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°Hold on to my spear for me,¡± Stryg tossed his weapon.


    Clypeus caught the spear with a deft hand, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than I look,¡± Stryg crouched low.


    ¡°But our height difference is a bit¡­ much,¡± Clypeus looked at him skeptically.


    ¡°Just tuck in your feet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this.¡±


    ¡°Cly, we don¡¯t have time to waste. Our friends need us. Nora needs you.¡±


    ¡°Agh, dammit,¡± Clypeus slowly got on the goblin¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t mention this to anyone.¡±


    ¡°I really couldn¡¯t care less,¡± Stryg stood up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I heavy?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I once lifted Rhian to see if I could, it was hard but possible. You''re nothing in comparison.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t I slow you down though?¡±


    ¡°Not really, besides, I haven¡¯t casted any spells yet,¡± Stryg bent his knees and took a deep breath.


    The mana residing in his heart fluttered to life, orange mana flooded into his limbs. His veins darkened to a deep grey as the agility spell took hold.


    Stryg bolted away in a blur of speed.


    ~~~


    Callum and Nora sat at the back of the wagon, nervous yet unwilling to admit it to anyone, especially not the volunteers sitting next to them. Callum¡¯s eyes widened, undead soldiers poured out of the trees and charged the wagon.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Callum pointed.


    ¡°Kegrog, Kitty, we¡¯re under attack! Behind us!¡± Nora yelled.


    ¡°Ah, fuck my life!¡± Kithina screamed and hurried the centaurs onward.


    Kegrog turned around from atop the wagon, ¡°I see them. Five total.¡±


    The undead sprinted at them.


    A bronze sheen covered Kegrog¡¯s arms as brown mana flowed through him. The vigor spell began at his hands and spanned all the way up to his shoulders. Kegrog notched an arrow and pulled the incredibly taut bowstring back, the bow¡¯s arc creaked from the force. His arms remained still despite the wagon¡¯s tremors.


    Kegrog narrowed his amber eyes, ¡°Four total.¡±


    He let the arrow fly, the bow snapped with a loud crack. The arrow screeched through the air and blew through the undead¡¯s throat, severing the neck entirely. The undead¡¯s body flew backward from the blow.


    The prodigy archer notched another arrow, ¡°Three total.¡±


    The wind screeched as another undead fell over, headless.


    Callum grabbed several potions from his satchel and threw them out. The bottles smashed into the ground and splattered their glowing contents. The grass turned a sickly purple. The undead stepped on the grass and found their boots adhering to the alchemy-affected ground.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Callum threw his hands up in victory. ¡°I knew potion magic wasn¡¯t useless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! How many of those do you have left?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Oh, um, I threw all of them¡­¡± Callum said sheepishly.


    One of the undead pulled its arm back and tossed its ax at the wagon. Nora raised her hands, blue mana coursed through her hands. The water barrel shook as a water whip shot out and smacked the ax away at the last moment. The ax¡¯s blade sank into the wagon¡¯s wooden frame next to Callum.


    ¡°Not today!¡± Callum cupped his hands together.


    White mana curled into the palm of his hands and formed a bright spell.


    ¡°Close your eyes everyone!¡± He shouted.


    Nora looked away, the volunteers covered their faces with their hoods. A blast of light shot out and slammed into the undead.


    Nora opened her eyes and stared at the unharmed enemies. ¡°What the fuck was that supposed to do?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it usually works!¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t vampires nor do they feel pain! Blinding them doesn¡¯t do anything. What were you thinking?¡± Nora shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bloody master, I can¡¯t shoot concentrated light rays yet!¡±


    ¡°Well, do something else, more of them are coming! I¡¯ll try to deal with them with my torrent magic, but I only have so much blue mana,¡± Nora maneuvered the water whip around the wagon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep us safe from any projectiles, just keep the corpses out of arm''s reach,¡± Callum began writing red arcane sigils in the air, forming a ward spell around them.


    Two undead orcs ran to the front of the wagan, at the centaurs, one on each side. The centaurs shouted in fear and tried running away, but their harnesses were attached to the wagon.


    Kithina threw her hands out to both sides and focused her yellow mana into two spells at once. Twin powerful gusts whirled out of her palms and blasted the orcs away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep this up forever, wind spells are horrible for dealing with undead!¡± Kithina yelled up at Kegrog.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little busy back here,¡± Kegrog fired off another arrow. ¡°Just hold on a little longer!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about me, it¡¯s them!¡± Kithina pointed to the other students.


    Dozens of undead rushed out of the woods. The rest of the students tried fighting back, but their simple spells proved useless.


    ¡°Why are they all so bad, dammit!¡± Kithina screamed.


    The students cried out in horror as the undead cut one boy¡¯s arm off. The novice magi all quickly pulled out their necklaces and twisted the green gem from its socket. The gems turned red, indicating their owner¡¯s resignation and failure of the exam. The undead ignored the ones with the red necklaces and chased after the wagon.


    The boy who had lost his arm lay on the floor, bleeding out, unable to pull out his necklace. One undead soldier shambled over to him and raised its blade. A bolt of lightning snapped out of the wagon¡¯s wall and burned the undead soldier to ash.


    Callum stared at Nora in shock.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me,¡± Nora swallowed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any students who can cast storm spells,¡± Kegrog muttered.


    Nora stared suspiciously at the hooded volunteers in the wagon.


    Clypeus ran out of the trees and picked up the wounded student. The vampire dashed through the undead, fighting them off with one hand until he reached the wagon. He tossed the injured young man inside.


    ¡°Take care of him!¡± Clypeus ran back into the fray without waiting for a reply.


    Callum released his ward spell and turned his attention to the student¡¯s bleeding stump. The young man whimpered weakly.


    ¡°Can you heal him?¡± Nora asked worriedly.


    ¡°I can try to stop the bleeding, the master magi can heal the rest later,¡± Callum hovered his hands over the wound. A soft white glow covered the bloody stump.


    Another two undead rushed the centaurs. Kithina raised her hands to defend. A spear flew out of the woods and punctured the first undead¡¯s chest and drove it to the ground. Freya jumped at the other undead and bashed its back with her hammer.


    Stryg came out of the trees, pulled out his spear, and ran next to Kithina. ¡°Is everyone alright!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re holding on,¡± she nodded. ¡°Took you all long enough.¡±


    A dozen more undead poured out of the fore trees.


    ¡°Freya, with me!¡± Stryg ran ahead.


    ¡°I know already!¡±

 Chapter 169: The One In A Million

    Chapter 169: The One In A Million


    Vayu Glaz sat with his eyes closed on the tower¡¯s balcony, he saw the students battling in the grove below through the eyes of his hawk.


    Tauri balanced her sword between her index finger to pass the time. Gete slept on the balcony¡¯s floor. Loh watched them all restlessly.


    ¡°So, how are they holding up against the undead soldiers? Have they defeated the second wave?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Please,¡± Gete chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll give them credit for defeating the first wave of my undead creations. But they would be quickly overwhelmed if they kept fighting. At best I¡¯d say the students started running away the moment they got the chance, as they are supposed to.¡±


    ¡°An important lesson of the exam is to know when to retreat and focus on the objective, in this case delivering the wagon and its occupants to the tower,¡± Tauri Katag nodded.


    Vayu shook his head a bit, ¡°You may be right, however, the students have no need to retreat. While half the students have already been defeated or surrendered, the rest have managed to hold their own, especially the seven tourney candidates.¡±


    ¡°They defeated the second wave?¡± Gete sat up.


    ¡°They defeated all four waves,¡± Vayu admitted.


    ¡°Wha?¡± Gete¡¯s jaw went slack.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy,¡± Loh smiled with pride.


    ¡°I guess your undead weren¡¯t all they were worked up to be, ey, Gete?¡± Tauri laughed.


    Gete laid down without a word and turned his back to his peers.


    ¡°Ah, come on, don¡¯t be all sour now. Maybe next time,¡± Tauri kicked his leg playfully.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be celebrating just yet. The trolls are entering the fray,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sort of regretting reanimating those two brutes,¡± Loh sighed.


    Tauri slapped her back, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Think of it this way, the exam will be a success; they will learn the importance and necessity of retreating.¡±


    ~~~


    Clypeus Gale wiped his blades on the grass. ¡°Who knew undead could have so much blood?¡±


    ¡°Most undead don¡¯t, no matter how much care the necromancers give to preserve them. These undead were made recently,¡± Stryg noted as he stared at the carnage around the wagon.


    ¡°Where did they get the bodies?¡± Kithina asked from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Are you really that slow? What do you think happens with all the people the city¡¯s sentinels catch at night without their nameplates?¡± Freya Goldelm shook her head.


    Kithina¡¯s face twisted in anger before it quickly turned to abject horror at the realization.


    ¡°We should get moving, I have a guy without an arm back here. I healed his mangled stump and managed to stop the bleeding, but he needs a proper healer,¡± Callum Veres called out.


    ¡°I second that, our classmate doesn¡¯t look too good,¡± Nora Azol nodded.


    Both Callum and Nora sat at the back of the wagon, guarding the rear.


    ¡°They¡¯re right, we need to get moving,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°On it,¡± Kithina grabbed the wagon¡¯s reins.


    The harnessed centaurs moved without a word. The few remaining students hurried close to the wagon, never taking their eyes off the last of the vanguard, Stryg, Clypeus, and Freya.


    ¡°Well done back there,¡± Clypeus nudged Stryg¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± The blue goblin glanced at the blonde dwarf marching ahead of them, ¡°You were pretty good too, Freya.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your compliments,¡± she said without looking back.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes and raised his spear.


    ¡°Hey, we can¡¯t fight each other,¡± Clypeus stepped in front of him.


    ¡°Move out of the way, Cly. Something is hiding in the trees,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± The vampire frowned.


    ¡°Kegrog, eyes over here,¡± Stryg pointed.


    The large orc aimed his bow at the trees from his vantage point atop the wagon, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched, ¡°Freya, move now!¡±


    Freya glanced back at him. The trees exploded in a blast of splinters and leaves, a trunk burst through the grove straight at Freya. She raised her shield, her body was blasted away on impact.


    Two 15 ft tall giants, covered in pale white fur and scars, strode into the grassy opening. Both beasts held tree trunks between their stubby hands. Their beady red eyes slowly focused on the wagon¡¯s centaurs. The undead giants made a guttural noise and lumbered towards the beast-kin.


    ¡°Trolls!¡± Clypeus shouted.


    The other students screamed in panic and ran away. Stryg did not hesitate, he raised his hands, orange mana surging through his palms, and casted a flame bolt. The flames splashed on the troll''s face and sizzled away.


    ¡°Trolls are incredibly resistant to fire!¡± Clypeus warned.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that sooner!?¡± Stryg yelled.


    The troll slammed its make-shift giant club at Clypeus. He rolled to the side, avoiding the strike, and dashed forward. Bright yellow scales surrounded the vampire¡¯s body. Clypeus slashed at the troll¡¯s ankle, his blade barely dug into the tough hide. The troll¡¯s ankle shifted and kicked him. Clypeus¡¯ yellow scales cracked, his body flew through the air and crashed past the wagon.


    ¡°...Help...¡± he groaned.


    Kegrog pulled his bow back, a brown vigor spell coursing through his arms, and let loose an arrow. The wind screeched as the arrow tore through the air and pierced the troll¡¯s throat. The creature did not flinch and kept moving forward.


    ¡°They are undead, that arrow won¡¯t do anything if you can¡¯t sever its head!¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°Then what the hell am I supposed to do!?¡± Kegrog fired another arrow.


    ¡°We need to run!¡± Kithina shouted.


    ¡°No, we can do this!¡± Stryg charged the trolls.


    The small goblin ducked underneath the troll¡¯s swing. He casted an agility spell into his legs, sprinted at one of the trolls, and jumped up on its shoulder. The troll¡¯s head turned towards him with a large salivating open jaw. Stryg released the agility spell and flung a flame bolt into the troll¡¯s throat. The grey giant slapped the goblin away.


    Stryg¡¯s body smashed into the ground, he tried tucking into a roll, but failed.


    ¡°Are you okay!?¡± Clypeus yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just got¡­ wind knocked out of me,¡± Stryg wheezed.


    ¡°Your flames would have worked on a living troll, but burnt insides don¡¯t do much against an undead giant,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Stryg sighed painfully.


    ~~~


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Callum jumped out from the back of the wagon, ¡°Nora, take care of the volunteers.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Nora nodded earnestly.


    Callum ran towards the front where Stryg and Clypeus fought.


    Nora turned to the hooded volunteers sitting quietly in the wagon.


    ¡°Professor Ismene, you¡¯re in here, aren¡¯t you?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ismene lowered her hood.


    ¡°I knew it was you the moment I saw that lightning bolt. You saved our classmate,¡± Nora pointed to the unconscious boy next to her.


    ¡°I did,¡± Ismene said calmly.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to keep us safe, right? We were told we¡¯d encounter the equivalents of bandits during this exam. So why in all the bloody Realms are we fighting trolls!?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. I did not create this exam, blame Riri for that.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The principal.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You know what, whatever,¡± Nora shook her head. ¡°You have to stop this before someone else gets seriously hurt.¡±


    Ismene lifted her hood back up, ¡°My job is to make sure the students do not die, nothing more. What happens to the other volunteers or the centaurs is completely up to you.¡±


    ¡°People might die if you don¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°You will find no help from me, child.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable,¡± Nora frowned.


    ¡°Am I? For choosing to believe in you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Nora, I singled you out and trained you for the past two years because I knew something about you that you don¡¯t seem to realize. Don¡¯t make me regret my decision.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Nora swallowed.


    ¡°Best to focus on your exam.¡±


    ~~~


    Callum stuck his hand out and fired off a bright spell. The blast of light seared across the trolls, burning their fur. The trolls stepped back and covered their faces.


    Clypeus fell to the ground in pain, the flash of light burning his retinas.


    ¡°I knew it! Trolls are more sensitive to light than even vampires!¡± Callum yelled in triumph.


    ¡°Dammit, Callum, I can¡¯t see shit! Stop doing that without warning us!¡± Clypeus swiped his blade around haphazardly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Stryg blinked, his lilac irises widened to the edges of his eyes.


    ¡°Cly, watch out!¡± Kithina yelled.


    A troll swung down with their club.


    ¡°Not today!¡± Callum blasted the troll with another white flash of light.


    The troll stumbled back.


    ¡°Agh, fuck, it hurts!¡± Clypeus rolled on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry,¡± Callum winced.


    An arrow stabbed the eye of the other troll. It shook with irritation.


    ¡°The trolls are moving slower, I have a better shot. The bright spells are working!¡± Kegrog shouted.


    The trolls charged the wagon.


    Callum jumped between them, ¡°I¡¯ve got this!¡±


    The vampire hybrid threw his hands up, nothing happened. There was no white mana in his heart.


    The healing spell from earlier, Callum¡¯s eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°I have no mana left!¡± Callum jumped away.


    The troll¡¯s club glanced his shoulder and sent him crashing into the ground. Callum¡¯s body rolled on the floor like a ragdoll. The other troll stomped its foot down at the vampire hybrid. Kithina blasted Callum away with a gust of wind, pushing the vampire out of harm''s way.


    Stryg vaulted onto the back of the troll and dug his claws into its fur and hide. The troll tried grabbing the goblin, but he ducked around its hands. Grey mana flowed into Stryg¡¯s blue arms.


    The troll may not have had any life force, but the undead creature was charged with black mana. Stryg casted a drain spell aimed at the troll¡¯s mana, it slowly leaked away from the giant. Stryg¡¯s arms burned, there was too much black mana. He couldn¡¯t drain and absorb it all at once. The troll¡¯s hand caught his shirt and flung him away.


    Stryg smashed into a tree and fell over with a groan. He watched in a daze as the trolls went for the terrified centaurs. Kithina blasted the undead giants with wind spells, but they did not budge.


    A troll swung his club low right at the centaurs. Kithina jumped in front of the beast-kin. Yellow scales flared to life on her skin. The club smacked right into the dwarf¡¯s small body.


    ¡°Fuuuuuck!¡± Kithina screamed as her body went flying past the canopy.


    ¡°Oi! You fugly giant imbeciles!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    The trolls slowly turned to the vampire lying on the ground.


    He slowly stood up through ragged breaths. One hand nursed his ribs, the other pointed a blade at the trolls with a shaky grip. ¡°Keep your eyes over here, you ugly bastards.¡±


    The trolls raised their massive clubs.


    Clypeus took a stance, ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter!¡±


    He spun low, dodging the clubs. He kicked off the ground, green mana flowed through him. A troll charged him. Vines curled out of the ground and grabbed its ankle, the flora spell taking hold. The troll groaned in frustration.


    Clypeus shouted in defiance and sliced at its calves, while shifting away from the troll¡¯s grasps.


    The second troll did not hesitate, it raised its club, prepared to crush both the vampire and its fellow undead¡¯s foot. Clypeus¡¯ eyes widened, he threw himself to the side as the club slammed down. The troll¡¯s entangled leg was barely damaged, but the vines had been ripped to shreds.


    Both trolls turned their beady eyes at the downed vampire.


    A water whip lashed at a troll¡¯s back, it turned around. Nora stood in front of the giant.


    ¡°Nora, get out of here! What are you thinking!? Your water barrel is back at the wagon, you can¡¯t cast torrent spells from here! Run!¡± Clypeus screamed.


    ¡°No one else. I won¡¯t let you hurt a single person,¡± Nora glared at the trolls.


    Four water whips formed in the air around the small human.


    ¡°She created water?¡± Clypeus muttered in shock.


    The giants swung their clubs at her. Nora flicked her hands, the water whips blurred. They latched onto the giants¡¯ hands and yanked them away. The trolls stumbled backwards. Nora raised her hands, blue mana condensed into thousands droplets of water around her. A towering wave roared into existence and swept the trolls into the trees.


    Clypeus stared at Nora with wide eyes. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Kegrog, back me up!¡± Nora yelled and ran past the stunned vampire.


    ¡°On it!¡± Kegrog pulled out another arrow.


    Clypeus shook his head, pushed himself to his feet, and ran after his fianc¨¦.


    Ismene smiled from the wagon, Nora, you always underestimate yourself, limiting your own abilities. But when you fight for others, your true potential reveals itself.


    Stryg stared at his friends as they battled the undead giants. Nora¡¯s blue magic was overwhelming, her torrent spells kept knocking the trolls down. They undead giants couldn¡¯t stop her. Yet Stryg realized the bitter truth. The torrent spells were doing very little in terms of damage.


    Soon Nora would run out of blue mana. Clypeus was a master swordsman but his blades could not cut deep enough. Kegrog¡¯s arrows did little to no effect either.


    The only thing that seemed to damage the trolls was...


    ¡°Bright spells,¡± Stryg muttered.


    He pushed himself to his feet and ran. He had never seen a troll before, nor did he know what it was capable of. None of that mattered right now. Stryg ran at the fallen tree in the distance, where an enchanted shield was all that kept Freya from being crushed underneath the trunk¡¯s weight.


    Stryg threw his spear aside and slid next to the pinned Freya, ¡°Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t move,¡± she gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re conscious. That shield really is impressive,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t reach my necklace. Twist the gem until it turns red, then leave me, please.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be disqualified,¡± he frowned.


    Freya gasped as the tree¡¯s weight pushed her deeper into the ground.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything like this. At least the trolls won¡¯t focus me if my necklace is red,¡± she grimaced.


    Stryg glanced at his classmates fighting off the trolls in the distance. ¡°We need your help. You¡¯re the only mage left capable of casting bright spells.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? I can¡¯t move, you stupid goblin,¡± Freya winced in pain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you either, Gold-Eyes, but we still need your help. Hold on.¡±


    Stryg slipped his fingers between her shield and the tree. He groaned with strained effort as he tried lifting up. His claws dug into the bark, yet the trunk barely moved an inch. Stryg wheezed and slowly dropped the trunk back down, the edge of the shield sank deeper into the ground.


    His feet collapsed underneath him. ¡°It¡¯s heavy,¡± he huffed.


    ¡°No shit,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Help me with my necklace already.¡±


    He wiped his face with his forearm, ¡°Not a chance,¡±


    He reached his hands under the trunk once more.


    She frowned, ¡°What are you doing? The trunk¡¯s too heavy, you¡¯ll break your back. Stop it, you stupid goblin! Are you crazy?!¡±


    People usually didn¡¯t believe in him, ever since he was a child back in the Blood Fang tribe. He was used to it. But there was one who believed in him when no one else did, his master. And for Loh he wouldn¡¯t give up, for her he would pass any test, no matter the odds. Stryg swore he would one day be worthy of the words she often said to him.


    The goblin looked down at Freya with a wide grin, ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, I¡¯m the one in a million.¡±


    Stryg gritted his teeth, his muscles tensed, and his legs dug into the ground. He lifted with all the strength his body could summon. The tree creaked and slowly rose an inch, then another.


    Stryg grimaced, his fingers trembled, sweat dripped off his brow, the trunk slowly sank back down.


    ¡°You need to let go!¡± Freya yelled.


    ¡°Not...yet,¡± Stryg seethed through clenched teeth.


    The trunk hovered two inches above the shield, Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled. He wouldn¡¯t let go, not yet. All he needed was a little more strength, only a little more.


    The air vibrated, the grass blades bent flat, Freya¡¯s golden hair curled into the air. An inner light leaked from his lilac eyes.


    Stryg roared in unyielding determination. The bark cracked between his fingers. He lifted the trunk in one smooth motion and threw it aside. The trunk flew a dozen feet away, bounced on the grass, and rolled into another tree.


    Stryg fell to his knees, he felt cold as if all the blood had drained from his body.


    Freya stared at him in disbelief. ¡°W-wha¡­ What was that?¡±


    Stryg stared at her, only the faintest of glows left in his eyes, ¡°We need your help.¡±


    Freya glanced at the tree. She swallowed, ¡°Do you?¡±

 Chapter 170: Scent of Vanilla

    Chapter 170: Scent of Vanilla


    Freya Goldelm lay on the ground and stared at the two undead trolls as Nora Azol held them off, while Kegrog fired arrows from atop the wagon. Clypeus Gale was slicing at the trolls¡¯ hide with his blades to little effect. Callum Veres was doing his best to support Nora with ward spells, yet the undead giants shattered the wards easily. The stalwart Kithina had been launched away at the end of a troll¡¯s makeshift-tree-club, no one had seen her since.


    The few other students that remained had run off to hide behind the trees. The situation seemed dire.


    Freya glanced up at the most bizarre student in her class, the blue goblin standing next to her. ¡°How are we supposed to win this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a manifold mage, right? A chromatic white and orange?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡±


    ¡°We need chromatic white¡¯s bright spells. Strong exposures of light seem to harm the trolls immensely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a master mage. The Light Ray spell is master rank magic.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need concentrated blasts, only constant exposure. I don¡¯t have time to explain, come on,¡± Stryg offered her his hand.


    Freya nodded slowly. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up.


    ~~~


    Nora lashed a water whip at a troll¡¯s ankle, it fell to one knee. The other troll swiped its club at her. Callum raised his hands and quickly wrote a red sigil in the air, a simple ward shield formed around Nora. The ward cracked on impact with the club and shattered a moment after. Nora ducked and dodged by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you make those wards stronger!?¡± She screamed.


    ¡°You try to stop a thousand-pound tree with apprentice ward spells!¡± Callum rolled past the troll¡¯s grasp.


    Clypeus jumped away from a troll¡¯s attack. He stumbled back a step.


    ¡°Cly, are you alright?¡± Kegrog called out.


    ¡°My vision is still a little blurred, but I¡¯ll manage. I can¡¯t let Nora and Callum fight those monsters alone,¡± Clypeus shook his head.


    ¡°Nora, hold them down! Do it now!¡± Freya yelled as she ran towards the trolls, Stryg right beside her.


    Nora flung her four water whips out, they wrapped tightly around the limbs of the first troll. ¡°I can¡¯t hold them both!¡±


    The second troll charged her.


    Clypeus took a deep breath and summoned all the green mana within his body. It surged forth and burned through his arms. He slammed his palms into the ground, the green mana cascaded into the earth, the grass shivered as the stone spell swelled through the soil. The ground rumbled and parted underneath the second troll, swallowing the giant¡¯s feet into the earth.


    ¡°Clypeus, take cover!¡± Freya threw her hands in the air.


    The vampire frantically jumped behind Nora.


    White light radiated out from Freya¡¯s hands and seared the trolls¡¯ hides. The first troll struggled with its water bindings, Nora held them tight with a defiant scream.


    The second troll dropped its club and started pushing itself out from the ground. Stryg vaulted into the air and smashed a hammer into the troll¡¯s head, its neck snapped downwards with a crack. Stryg gripped the white fur on its face and refused to let go. He bashed the troll¡¯s skull with the hammer over and over.


    It didn¡¯t matter if the troll¡¯s hide was too thick to pierce. He could still crack its skull. The hammer struck down. Bone fractured and splintered underneath the blows.


    Freya¡¯s bright spell burned through the undead hide and quickly incinerated the muscles underneath. Freya¡¯s hands trembled from the exertion of holding the spell for so long, her legs buckled underneath her. Callum caught her shoulders and stopped her from tipping over.


    The bright spell blazed on until the undead bones were nothing but charred husks. The spell died as Freya¡¯s arms fell limply at her sides.


    ¡°Well done, you were amazing.¡± Callum gently lowered her to the ground.


    ¡°When am I not?¡± She smiled weakly.


    The students collapsed on the grass in utter exhaustion. The scent of smoke filled the air and the sound of metal on bone echoed through the grove.


    Stryg smashed the charred skeletons with the hammer, shattering the little that was left of the trolls.


    ¡°What are you doing? They¡¯re already dead,¡± Clypeus furrowed his brow.


    ¡°They were always dead, they¡¯re reanimated corpses. A good hunter makes sure his prey is well and truly dead,¡± Stryg raised the hammer once more.


    ~~~


    The four professors waited at the tower¡¯s balcony in the middle of the academy¡¯s grove. The black mage Gete was still trying to sleep. Vayu Glaz¡¯s eyes were closed, his focus on his hawk in the distance.


    Tauri Katag was doing one-arm handstand push-ups. Loh Noir was worried for Stryg, but her eyes kept drifting to the orc¡¯s shapely bottom in those small shorts as it jiggled a smidgen every time Tauri moved.


    Loh swallowed and looked away, ¡°So, did the students manage to escape the trolls unharmed?¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The dwarf Kithina was the only one who seemed to wish to escape to safety and she was smacked away by a troll,¡± Vayu noted.


    ¡°They still haven¡¯t learned the exam¡¯s lesson then,¡± Tauri said through labored breath.


    ¡°What about the other students?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°The few that haven¡¯t given up seemed to have run from the trolls the moment they appeared. Well, except for the seven potential tourney candidates,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for sending undead trolls at mage novices. Even adepts would not want to fight that,¡± Gete said.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t supposed to fight the trolls, they are supposed to retreat and understand the priority is to get the wagon to safety. This is supposed to be an escort mission, not a skirmish. Clearly, they failed to understand that,¡± Loh grumbled.


    ¡°My best guess is those seven students seem to share a bond, they stood by each other¡¯s side while all the others ran. Even Kithina chose to stay. Perhaps they were invigorated by their victory against the undead raiders from earlier?¡± Vayu guessed.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ What¡¯s happening now?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, the Goldelm girl casted a large bright spell, impressive at her age. Unfortunately, it blinded my hawk. Give me a few moments,¡± Vayu said.


    Loh stared out over the trees, wishing she could see beyond. Her blue eyes gradually drifted back to Tauri. The beautiful orc was now stretching, bending over, and reaching her toes with the tips of her fingers.


    ¡°My gods, I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Vayu muttered.


    ¡°Huh? Wha?¡± Loh stood up straight and looked everywhere except at Tauri.


    ¡°The students. They managed to defeat the trolls,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°H-how!? What the hell is with that group of kids?¡± Gete exclaimed with a frown.


    ¡°Then that means?¡± Tauri slowly smiled.


    Loh sighed, ¡°You¡¯re up, Tauri.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re sending a master mage against students!?¡± Gete yelled in exasperation.


    ¡°My grandfather¡¯s idea,¡± Loh admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m limbered up and ready to go, just say the word, boss,¡± Tauri grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them too badly,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°~No promiseeees~¡± Tauri jumped off the balcony.


    ¡°...In retrospect, I probably should have sent Gete instead,¡± Loh winced.


    ¡°You think?¡± Vayu shook his head.


    ~~~


    The centaurs pulled the wagon onward with a steady rhythm. Clypeus and Nora had their arms wrapped around each other, they walked beside the wagon.


    ¡°You were incredible out there. I didn¡¯t know your blue magic was so powerful, why didn¡¯t you ever tell me?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Honestly? Neither did I. It sort of just happened,¡± she shrugged.


    Clypeus smiled wide.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nora chuckled.


    ¡°I think it''s pretty cool my fianc¨¦ is a blue adept already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t even know how I managed to cast those spells. And until we graduate we¡¯re all still technically novices.¡±


    ¡°Meh, maybe in terms of rank, but in power, you¡¯re an adept. You could probably beat Stryg in a duel,¡± he laughed.


    Nora¡¯s face paled. She rubbed her forehead, the sting of the stone Stryg had flung at her last year still felt fresh.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You¡¯re better off fighting him. I mean, you''re a swordmaster. You could probably take on an adept with your blades alone.¡±


    Clypeus rubbed his chin, ¡°Hmm. Depends on the adept¡¯s chromatic color and if I caught them off guard. The element of surprise can be incredibly powerful.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Kegrog looked down at them from the wagon¡¯s roof.


    ¡°Were you listening to our conversation?¡± Clypeus raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°A bit,¡± the orc pinched his index finger and thumb together. ¡°I still remember the first time Loh made Stryg and me fight each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, didn¡¯t he drain your life force? Made your skin turn pink?¡± Clypeus chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me, I couldn¡¯t get out of bed for days. The white magi said it would take me weeks to fully recover,¡± Kegrog shivered.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I don¡¯t wanna fight Stryg,¡± Nora crossed her arms.


    Clypeus stared at the blue goblin a dozen steps ahead of them, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me borrow it,¡± Stryg passed the ash-stained hammer back to Freya.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you were going to do with it¡­¡± Freya glanced back at what little remained of the trolls, ¡°I see I made the right decision.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad everyone is alright,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not alright. I literally went flying, flying,¡± Kithina grumbled.


    ¡°You came back to us in one piece, I count that as a win,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t yellow magi able to fly on their own? Why are you complaining so much, Freckles?¡± Freya smirked.


    ¡°My name is Kithina. And only masters can cast a flight spell, even then it''s more of floating, not flying.¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like all the cool spells are limited to the rank of masters and above,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°More importantly, why did those cowards come back here?¡± Stryg glared at a couple of students trailing behind the wagon.


    ¡°Come on, cut them some slack. They didn¡¯t want to get eaten by undead trolls, can you really blame them?¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Yes and I do,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Freya nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight next to people who will turn and abandon us the first moment they get.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re finally done,¡± Callum stared at the tower through the canopy in the distance.


    They were almost there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to take a bath, the smell of burnt trolls is everywhere,¡± Kithina said in disgust.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Kitty, I practically can¡¯t smell anything else,¡± Stryg scrunched his nose.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Callum rubbed his nose. ¡°I¡¯ll have my maids scrub my body clean and rub ointments on my skin until I smell like mint and pine.¡±


    Kithina rolled her eyes.


    ¡°So long as you don¡¯t smell like raspberries again. It didn¡¯t suit you when we dated and it still doesn¡¯t,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Really? I quite liked it,¡± Callum frowned. ¡°Maybe if we go on another date I can prove you wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Freya chuckled.


    ¡°On the date or the raspberries?¡±


    ¡°That depends,¡± Freya winked.


    Stryg tilted his head up and sniffed the air, ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°I just caught the scents of our professors coming from the direction of the tower. They must be outside.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so odd about that? They are supposed to be waiting for us.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m starting to pick up a whiff of vanilla from behind us.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and?¡± Kithina cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°Professor Tauri smells like vanilla.¡±


    A high pitch squeal broke out behind them. Everyone turned back. The students at the back of the wagon were nowhere to be seen, Tauri stood alone in the clearing.


    ¡°Aw, and here I was hoping to surprise you all,¡± she smiled.

 Chapter 171: The Shield And Spear Paradox

    Chapter 171: The Shield And Spear Paradox


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Clypeus Gale pulled out his short swords.


    The students all turned to Tauri Katag with panic-ridden faces.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Clypeus!¡± The beautiful professor laughed.


    A tremble ran through Nora Azol¡¯s body. She had practically exhausted all of her blue mana and the excessive spell-casting had raised her temperature, she was already in danger of heatstroke.


    Still, Nora stood by Clypeus and raised her hands in a casting stance.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Always,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Oh, shit! We need to run!¡± Kithina snapped the centaurs¡¯ reins.


    The centaurs did not need another alert, they charged ahead.


    ¡°No! We fight!¡± Stryg yelled.


    But the wagon was already moving. Kegrog jumped off the roof and loosed an arrow. The arrow screeched through the air, Tauri sidestepped the projectile.


    ¡°You''re fast, Kegrog, but if I can see your attack then it¡¯s futile,¡± Tauri wiggled her finger.


    Clypeus closed the distance between Tauri in an instant. He stabbed his blades in quick thrusts. Her feet shuffled away, evading each blade with ease.


    ¡°Great technique, but you¡¯re too slow!¡± Tauri grinned.


    Clypeus felt her red fist smash into his cheek before he saw it. His body spun from the force, dazed. A thin whip of water snapped at the orc. Tauri destroyed it with a plume of flame.


    Nora fell to her knees. Her cheeks were flushed and her vision was blurred.


    Tauri clicked her tongue, ¡°What pathetic excuse for a torrent spell was that? You¡¯ve already pushed yourself to the limit, Nora. Yet you still foolishly try to spell-cast?¡±


    Freya vaulted over Nora and swung down with her hammer at the orc mage. Tauri sucker-punched the dwarf in the stomach mid-air. Freya gasped in pain, her eyes rolled up, and she fell over unconscious.


    ¡°Jumping in the air leaves you too open,¡± Tauri shook her head.


    ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just too strong,¡± Callum stared pointedly at the orc¡¯s bronze arms, the sign of chromatic brown¡¯s vigor magic.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve come to face me too, young Veres?¡± Tauri glanced at the longsword in Callum¡¯s hand. ¡°And you didn¡¯t come alone.¡±


    Stryg circled around Tauri¡¯s back, spear in hand.


    ¡°What did you expect? I¡¯d fight a master mage alone?¡± Callum chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Oh dear, I don¡¯t like my odds,¡± Tauri said fearfully and batted her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Cal, that orc is a dual manifold master mage. She was using agility spells earlier,¡± Stryg warned.


    ¡°Duly noted,¡± Callum smiled wryly.


    ¡°Oh, what gave me away?¡± Tauri fiddled with her silver mage necklace, its twin gemstones, a jasper and amber, glittered in the light of the setting sun.


    Callum stepped forward and swung his blade in a long arc. Tauri¡¯s bronze skin disappeared and her veins darkened in an instant, agility magic taking hold. Her body dropped low, the longsword passed harmlessly above her. Stryg¡¯s spear stabbed low, Tauri kicked off the ground and spun in the air. Her foot shot out in a blur, Callum raised his sword but was too slow. Her foot smacked into his neck and sent him crashing into the ground.


    Tauri¡¯s hand snapped up and caught an arrow in a flash. ¡°What did I say, Kegrog?¡±


    Stryg opened his palm, an orange flame bolt flew out. Tauri flicked her wrist, a wall of flame rose between them. Her agility magic¡¯s darkened veins disappeared and a bronze sheen covered her body once more. She kicked Freya¡¯s hammer up, snatched it, and flung it.


    The hammer whizzed through the air and shattered Kegrog¡¯s bow. He fell back in shock, his prized weapon lying broken at his feet.


    Stryg jumped high above the flame wall with a war cry.


    Tauri kicked Callum¡¯s longsword up, grabbed it with a spin of the wrist, and stabbed up at Stryg. ¡°How many times do I have to say it? You¡¯re too open!¡±


    Stryg flung his spear downwards, she parried it away. He rolled on the ground and immediately kicked the ground. He dashed at Tauri and dodged her forward thrust. Stryg kept his distance close, aware of how exposed he would be against a longsword if given enough space.


    His claws slashed at Tauri¡¯s legs with unbridled ferocity, she danced away from each attack by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, little goblin,¡± Tauri shifted back into her agility spell.


    ¡°Just not fast enough,¡± she jumped back with a quick step.


    Stryg filled his body with orange mana, his veins darkened as he casted his own agility spell. His legs kicked the grass away as he darted at her in a blur. Her eyes widened at the unexpected speed. She swung her longsword, but Stryg had already closed the gap.


    Tauri dropped the sword instantly and raised her hand to block his punch. She grimaced in pain as she was spun away from the incredible force. Her other hand struck out and released a blast of flame. Stryg rolled back, the heat singed his clothes.


    Tauri took a few steps and made some distance between them.


    ¡°I heard it, that sweet breaking sound,¡± Stryg grinned fiercely.


    Tauri glanced at her arm, it was already swelling. His fist had shattered her radius and ulna bones.


    Tauri stared pensively at the grinning blue goblin, He¡¯s fast. Far faster than a novice or even adept agility spell should allow. And how is he so strong without vigor spells?


    ¡°So, Loh has been busy making a little monster, huh?¡± Tauri sighed.


    Stryg bared his fangs and hissed at her.


    ¡°I underestimated you. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± she narrowed her eyes.


    Tauri took a deep breath and casted her most powerful agility spell, orange mana burned through her constricting muscles. She sprinted at Stryg without hesitation. He slashed at her with his claws. She lifted her leg up high and kicked his temple. Stryg¡¯s head snapped to the side in pain, Tauri spun and slammed her other leg into his skull again.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Stryg stumbled, but Tauri didn¡¯t let up. Her good arm moved in a blur as she punched his abdomen over and over. He tried to raise his hands in defense, but her leg swept low and struck his ankles. Stryg fell backward, he twisted in midair and kicked out. Tauri blocked his foot and kicked him away.


    Stryg¡¯s small body rolled on the ground several times before slowing to a halt against a tree. He coughed up blood and bile with a painful groan.


    Tauri panted with quick breaths. She glanced at her bloody fist, the skin around her knuckles had been torn away, and she could tell that she had broken at least two fingers.


    How sturdy is that ridiculous body of his?


    Stryg pushed himself up with a grimace.


    ¡°Round three then,¡± Tauri rolled her shoulders.


    Clypeus stepped in front of Stryg and raised his twin gladii in a battle stance.


    ¡°Clypeus? I know I didn¡¯t knock you out, but why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be protecting your precious Veres?¡± Tauri tilted her head.


    Stryg coughed with a wince, ¡°...What about Nora?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. I told you, Stryg, I wouldn¡¯t let you down again,¡± Clypeus kept his eyes on Tauri.


    Stryg glanced back, Kegrog was carrying Nora on his back, and Freya and Callum in one arm each.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, even Gales seem to be battle-hungry,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Stryg, but Tauri¡¯s right. This is a test, she could attack us at any point, but she isn¡¯t. That¡¯s not a coincidence, we should run away while we have the chance,¡± Clypeus whispered.


    Stryg wiped the blood from his mouth, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t win, Stryg. We can¡¯t even slow her down, let alone stop her,¡± Clypeus whispered sharply.


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯m not running. My master is counting on me, I won¡¯t fail,¡± Stryg picked up his spear. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve faced someone far worse than this orc.¡±


    Clypeus groaned, ¡°Ah, dammit, are we really going to do this?¡±


    ¡°I understand Stryg¡¯s penchant for violence, but I thought you were smarter than this Clypeus. Ooohh, I get it. Are you emulating your House¡¯s founder? When Lady Gale stood against an army to let Lord Veres escape with his guards? Poetic, I like it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the play?¡± Clypeus asked with surprise.


    Tauri laughed, ¡°Pssh. Have I seen one of the most popular ballads in the Realm? Over half a dozen times. The Unfaltering Shield is my favorite. I cried when Lady Gale sacrificed herself, she was such a badass.¡±


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°Of course, what you¡¯re doing right now is nothing like her and beyond stupid.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°Figure that out yourself,¡± she picked up Callum¡¯s longsword.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on us dying here,¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°No one ever does,¡± Tauri winked.


    Clypeus cleared his throat, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, but if today is my day, I would rather die on my own two feet protecting my friend.¡±


    ¡°Lady Gale¡¯s words before her final battle, act 2, scene 6 of The Unfaltering Shield,¡± Tauri¡¯s eyes twinkled.


    ¡°Spot on,¡± Clypeus¡¯ eyebrows went up.


    ¡°~I know~ Goodbye, you two,¡± Tauri crouched low and aimed the longsword at them.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Stryg hid behind the vampire¡¯s tall frame.


    ¡°Just like practice?¡± Yellow scales covered Clypeus¡¯ pale skin.


    ¡°Just like practice,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Tauri dashed at them with blinding speed, her sword slashed a dozen times in a flash. Despite Clypeus¡¯ sword skills, the durability spell slowed his movements, he barely managed to block half the attacks. His yellow scales flared brightly as her longsword scraped across his skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re too slow to block me, how do you ever expect to hit me!?¡± Tauri¡¯s agility-enhanced arm sliced down on Clypeus¡¯ scaled shoulder.


    A spear whizzed below the vampire¡¯s arm and stabbed at Tauri¡¯s leg. She jumped back a step. The spear thrust forward again, Tauri batted it away. She swung her blade in a wide arc at Stryg. The goblin crouched, Clypeus stepped in the way and blocked the sword.


    Tauri skipped back a few steps. She twirled the longsword¡¯s grip in her palm and chuckled, ¡°Interesting formation. Let¡¯s dance, shall we?¡±


    Tauri¡¯s sword disappeared in silver flashes as she slashed and stabbed at Clypeus. The vampire¡¯s eyes shifted erratically as his gladii rose to parry her attacks with precise efficiency. Stryg kept moving in tandem with Clypeus¡¯ footwork, making sure he kept his smaller frame behind the vampire. Stryg¡¯s arms may have been short, but with a spear, he could close the distance between his prey.


    Stryg jabbed the spear at Tauri¡¯s thigh, her blade whipped out in a swift riposte slicing across Clypeus¡¯ skin, cracking the yellow scales. Clypeus caught her longsword between his gladii and pushed her blade down.


    Stryg jumped on the vampire¡¯s shoulders and swung his spear in a wide arc. Tauri tried raising her sword, but Clypeus held the blade down with his own short swords.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened. She bent her back at a ninety-degree angle as the spear flew overhead. She ripped her longsword back and slashed at the exposed Stryg. The goblin threw himself back, the vampire rolled over him, blocked Tauri¡¯s blade, and followed up with his own rapid slash.


    Tauri sidestepped the attack and quickly made some space between them. She stared at the strange duo with consternation. How were these two still holding their own against her?


    Tauri may not have been trying to actually kill them, and sure, Clypeus was a fellow weapon-master, but she was still trying to win. Something was different about these two, their coordination between attacks was beyond any teamwork she had ever seen among students. It was almost as if they had fought against her hundreds of times.


    Tauri rested the flat of the longsword on her shoulder. ¡°You two have done this before, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re referring to,¡± Clypeus panted, out of breath.


    ¡°Mm, why don¡¯t I believe you?¡±


    ¡°Can you shut up already? We don¡¯t have all day,¡± Stryg called out from behind the vampire.


    ¡°Cocky aren¡¯t you?¡± Tauri chuckled.


    She advanced on them in a blink of an eye, her blade stabbed down past Clypeus¡¯ defenses.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes narrowed, she couldn¡¯t see Stryg¡¯s darkened veins. Had he released his agility spell? Then that means!?


    A dome of shadows wrapped around them, obscuring all vision. Yet Stryg could still see perfectly. Tauri had backpedaled immediately, trying to escape the dome. Stryg gritted his teeth, he wouldn¡¯t let this chance go, a surprise attack only came once. He flung his spear, it slashed across her calf. Tauri grimaced in pain, her legs faltered. Stryg closed in the distance and released the shadow spell. His fingers carved the air in quick gestures. A grey sigil formed as the shadows disappeared.


    Stryg pushed the curse cantrip at Tauri¡¯s ankle. She opened her palm wide, an orb of flame breathed to life and exploded in a splash of light and heat. Stryg and Clypeus were blasted away and slammed into the ground with a hard thud.


    ¡°I was trying to avoid using flame spells on students, but you forced my hand. It¡¯s my fault for underestimating you both,¡± Tauri sighed.


    Clypeus¡¯ yellow scales crumbled to dust.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of yellow mana,¡± he groaned sorely.


    Stryg coughed in pain, ¡°How about green mana?¡±


    ¡°I used it all against the trolls. You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost completely out of orange, my grey and black are still relatively fine, but I¡¯m starting to overheat,¡± Stryg admitted under his breath.


    Stryg could only handle using a full-body agility spell for a few minutes. He was already way past that and the strain on his body was showing.


    Stryg clenched his fists in anger, if only he had managed to land the curse spell, he might have been able to prevent the orc¡¯s flame spell.


    ¡°Have you two finally given up?¡± Tauri pointed the longsword at them.


    Stryg stood with an unsteady gait, he kept his eyes on the orc but offered his hand to his friend, ¡°You¡¯re not done yet, are you?¡±


    Clypeus winced, ¡°Are you kidding me? My sister is far worse than Tauri.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    The vampire grabbed the goblin¡¯s hand and pulled himself up.


    ¡°I really am going to have to beat you two senseless, aren¡¯t I?¡± Tauri smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad on our account,¡± Clypeus grinned half-heartedly.


    A large hawk swooped down into the clearing. Its wide wings beat the air in thrumming waves. Purple arcane sigils covered its brown feathers, shifting ever so slightly. The hawk clutched a green ribbon in its sharp talons.


    Tauri dropped the longsword and walked away, ¡°...Well, I guess that¡¯s that. Your wagon made it to the tower. The test is over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank Bellum,¡± Clypeus swayed and fell over.


    Stryg fell down on the grass next to him. His wounds and aches suddenly felt ten times worse. ¡°We technically won, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°...So why do I feel like we lost?¡±


    Clypeus looked over at his friend, ¡°Maybe because we got our asses handed to us?¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

 Chapter 172: A Brutally Honest Observation

    Chapter 172: A Brutally Honest Observation


    Loh Noir tapped her fingers on the balcony¡¯s railing incessantly. The wagon and the volunteers inside had arrived at the base of the tower a few minutes ago, along with the students escorting them. Vayu Glaz was already down below talking to the students.


    ¡°They are taking too long,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°They will be here soon,¡± Professor Gete yawned.


    Loh caught sight of Stryg and Clypeus Gale limping their way from the tree line and into the grassy clearing below. Loh stepped past Gete and ran down the tower''s stairs. She slammed the door open and was met with the most beautiful, annoyed face in the world.


    ¡°Tauri?¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Tauri pushed her way inside and closed the door shut.


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This,¡± Tauri pointed at her broken arm. ¡°And this,¡± she raised her other hand, two fingers were broken and the skin had been torn from her knuckles.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Loh grabbed Tauri¡¯s shoulders, worry seeped from her voice.


    ¡°Your little blue monster happened. I knew Stryg was more physically capable than his classmates, but what I saw out there, that, that wasn¡¯t normal. So explain to me why that kid¡¯s agility spell surpasses those of an adept¡¯s or why his body is as tough as a tree?¡±


    Loh rubbed the back of her neck, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say really. I¡¯m not entirely sure why Stryg¡¯s physical abilities are so¡­ abnormal. Stryg was clearly gifted with various mutations, something unprecedented, or so my grandfather said.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec. Are you saying that Elzri is involved in all of this?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Loh winced.


    ¡°I thought you and him were still not on the best of terms. I didn¡¯t think you would be okay having him involved with your apprentice.¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not, not really. But I don¡¯t have much of a choice either, Stryg needs the best training possible.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t give him that?¡± Tauri laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a tri-manifold high-master and you share the same three chromatic colors as Stryg. That kid is lucky to have you, what more could he need?¡±


    ¡°I guess you''re right,¡± Loh smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°I know I am. Now, I¡¯m gonna go find a white mage to heal me.¡±


    ¡°Please do. That looks really painful,¡± Loh said sympathetically.


    ¡°Oh, it''s excruciating, I was just really trying to hold it together in front of the students,¡± Tauri winced.


    ¡°Hurry to the healer¡¯s ward then!¡±


    ¡°Fine, but when I get back we¡¯re finishing this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± Loh opened the door for her.


    Tauri walked out and paused in her steps, ¡°Ah, one last thing. Is it me or does Stryg really not like me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, I don¡¯t think he likes any orcs.¡±


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯m not much of a fan of the little blue savage anyway,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Tauri.¡±


    ¡°I had to say it. There¡¯s something off about that kid.¡±


    ¡°Tauri.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s glaring at you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tauri glanced over at the wagon.


    Stryg stood apart from the rest of the students at the clearing. Vayu was talking to them, yet Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes were watching Tauri.


    ¡°...Tell me, Loh, by any chance, does Stryg have a particularly good ear?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°As in can he tell one musical note apart from another? No. Stryg can¡¯t sing to save his life. Or did you mean can Stryg hear people whispering from across the street like a fucking bat? Then yes, very much so.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tauri blinked. ¡°~In that case~¡± She turned to Stryg and stuck out her tongue.


    Stryg frowned. Loh burst into laughter.


    ¡°Go get yourself to a healer,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes lingered on Tauri¡¯s large bottom as the orc jogged into the trees. Eventually, she forced herself to look away and walk over to the students.


    ¡°And that is why you all failed. Except for Kithina, she was the only one who seemed to want to get the wagon and its occupants to safety. The rest of you were behaving like damn warmongers,¡± Vayu chastised.


    His words didn¡¯t seem to reach most of the students, since half of them were still unconscious. Kithina was one of the few students who seemed very eager to listen.


    ¡°But we got the wagon to safety at least. The other students literally ran away,¡± Kegrog pointed out.


    ¡°So they failed as well. Doesn¡¯t change the fact that you all failed to focus on the priority, protecting the wagon,¡± Vayu said.


    Loh joined him in front of the students, ¡°Professor Glaz is right. You may think you all succeeded in defending the wagon, but remember this exercise was meant to simulate your final exam, and one of the three challenges at The Great Cities Tourney next year. I promise you the enemies you will encounter at the tourney will be far more dangerous. You won¡¯t get a chance to simply fight them, they will kill you. You all have to learn when to fight and when to retreat. Am I clear?¡±


    The students nodded glumly and muttered in agreement, even Kithina¡¯s smug smile disappeared.


    ¡°I think that will be all for today, try to get some rest while you can. The final exam will be in a week, prepare yourselves. You¡¯re dismissed,¡± Vayu clapped his hands.


    Everyone broke off and began making their way back to their dorms and the academy¡¯s healing ward. Only one student lingered behind, his head hung low, and his shoulders shook.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master... I failed you. I tried my best, I didn¡¯t give up, I kept fighting, but I still failed... It¡¯s so frustrating,¡± Stryg clenched his fists.


    Loh patted his silver head of hair, ¡°No, you did not. You may have failed this exam, sure, but you never failed me. Remember that, always.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll try harder,¡± he sniffed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to try harder,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°Look, I know what it¡¯s like to feel as if you¡¯re not good enough. You may even think that if you push yourself a little more, if you reach that next milestone, then maybe, just maybe, you¡¯ll be good enough. But all you will end up doing is pushing yourself until you break.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t break so easily.¡±


    ¡°We all break eventually. Listen to what I am saying; You don¡¯t have to prove yourself to me, Stryg. I already know you¡¯re one in a million and that¡¯s enough for me. I hope it¡¯s enough for you.¡±


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, while you figure it out let¡¯s go get something to eat. Or do you need to go to the healer¡¯s ward too?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll heal,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Atta boy,¡± Loh patted his back. ¡°I was in the mood for some steak in the Villa District, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Do they have venison steak?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, let¡¯s find out.¡±


    ¡°Can we invite Feli?¡±


    ¡°Meh, why not.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Despite Callum Veres¡¯ anxious behavior he managed to protect the wagon with his red wards and healed a student who had been severely injured. He also helped fight off one of the trolls with bright spells, but he ran out of chromatic white mana mid-battle,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°I see, he still has a long way to go,¡± Elzri wrote a few words down in his journal. ¡°What of your apprentice, Nora Azol?¡±


    Ismene narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t patronize me. You¡¯re giving the girl private lessons on academy grounds, how was I not supposed to find out,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°You are always so keen on the smallest details, Riri. Yet when it really counts you are as blind as a newborn,¡± Ismene smacked her cane into his desk.


    ¡°So you love to remind me,¡± he sighed. ¡°So, Nora?¡±


    ¡°...She¡¯s wonderful,¡± Ismene admitted. ¡°Nora could rival an adept if she knew how to control her powers. Unfortunately, her true abilities only seem to reveal themselves when she is trying to protect others.¡±


    ¡°A true hero then.¡±


    ¡°More like a foolish girl too afraid of her own magical abilities.¡±


    ¡°And they call me callous,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Riri, I know you didn¡¯t call me into your office to talk about my apprentice or the other students. Ask the question.¡±


    ¡°What question?¡±


    Ismene twisted her lips into a brutal smile, ¡°Please, don¡¯t patronize me. You ask me to personally teach a goblin child how to cast blue spells and then swear me to secrecy, why?¡±


    ¡°He is my granddaughter¡¯s apprentice. I was simply doing a favor for Loh.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. They call you callous for a reason. That boy is more special than you wish to let on, I¡¯m simply trying to determine how special.¡±


    Elzri leaned back in his chair, ¡°You are as keen as always, even when it counts.¡±


    ¡°One of us has to be. Otherwise, you would have burned this whole academy to the ground by now,¡± Ismene smirked.


    ¡°We used to say that, didn''t we?¡± Elzri chuckled.


    ¡°Different times, different lives,¡± she glanced out the window.


    ¡°...Yes, yes they were.¡± Elzri cleared his throat, ¡°How is Stryg? Not only in today¡¯s exam, but in general. You have been speaking with him often, correct?¡±


    Ismene curled her fingers around her cane over and over in thought, ¡°Stryg is¡­ a work in progress. I talk to him before and after each meditation session. The boy¡¯s culture is different from our own and while he has learned to adjust in many ways, there are still several glaring points that could lead him into trouble.¡±


    Elzri tapped his pen on the desk, ¡°He is from a Sylvan tribe, I expected as much. I¡¯ve seen him struggle to understand certain basic concepts, but he is a brilliant child, I cannot deny that. He has already mastered various basic segments of the arcane language.¡±


    ¡°Impressive, especially for a second-year student. Loh must be having a blast teaching him curse spells,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°But Stryg¡¯s issues never came from his magical talents. You wanted to know more of how he is progressing mentally, emotionally.¡±


    ¡°It would be helpful, yes.¡±


    ¡°...Stryg is a child with many scars and traumas, I don¡¯t even know how deep most of them run. What I do know is that the boy suffers from low self-esteem and it affects his decisions immensely.¡±


    Elzri furrowed his brow, ¡°Self-esteem? Heh, that goblin is one of the most prideful students on campus. I¡¯ve had several reports from teachers complaining about how Stryg beat up another student for insulting him. If he wasn¡¯t the apprentice of House Noir¡¯s heiress I don¡¯t doubt there would be several minor Houses going after the boy.¡±


    ¡°Always blind when it counts,¡± Ismene shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s because Stryg is self-conscious of his own worth that he reacts so violently when others demean him. I believe part of it stems from the fact that he is the only goblin in the academy and how Hollow Shade played an integral part in the destruction of Lunis.¡±


    ¡°He knows about Lunis? I suppose it makes sense. That could be an issue,¡± Elzri jotted a few words in his journal.


    ¡°I think the larger issue comes from his past. Stryg has refused to tell me almost anything of his time in Vulture Woods and the Blood Fang tribe. From what I¡¯ve gathered, he was abused and tormented far beyond what a child should ever endure. Yet he still craves the tribe¡¯s approval. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly. I don¡¯t have many personal chats with the boy.¡±


    Ismene rolled her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s because he never had approval. Growing up, I don¡¯t think Stryg ever had anyone who ever told him he was valued no matter how hard he worked, in fact, I think it was the very opposite. Stryg clearly cares for his people, he is proud to be a Sylvan goblin, yet he doesn¡¯t believe he is worthy of them. And that pain, coupled with his upbringing, has led to a very cold young man with very dangerous abilities.¡±


    ¡°You mean a sociopath?¡±


    ¡°No, Stryg is not so far gone. He cares for people, the problem is his limit of empathy extends very little. He seems to view everything and everyone from a tribal perspective. If you are in his small circle of friends then he will fight fang and claw for you, but he couldn''t care less if you were anyone else.¡±


    ¡°He would kill others then?¡±


    ¡°Most definitely. I¡¯m quite certain he already has,¡± Ismene nodded. ¡°On the plus side, his friends seem to have helped him open up and maybe even begin to believe in himself a bit.¡±


    ¡°What about his wife? The common wench he married a couple of months back?¡±


    Ismene frowned, ¡°Her name is Feli. She is good for Stryg. She seems to truly love him and he loves her. The problem is she condones all of his actions, no matter their brutality.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see how that would make it difficult to change him.¡±


    ¡°Change him? What makes you think you can change him? Growth comes from within, don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. I believe anyone can be changed given the right push.¡±


    ¡°That change isn¡¯t always good, is it, Riri?¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± Elzri narrowed his cold grey eyes.


    ¡°I think you know exactly what I am saying. Or perhaps you never did change, perhaps you were always the cold-blooded man in front of me.¡±


    Elzri stared at her in silence, she met his steely gaze calmly.


    ¡°...Is there anything else I should be aware of regarding Stryg?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Yes, your granddaughter. Stryg is very attached to Loh. He craves her approval more than anyone else¡¯s. She seems to be the first real emotional connection Stryg made in Hollow Shade, perhaps even the most important one. Stryg relies on Loh. I think you know why that might be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Loh¡¯s unstable mental state,¡± Elzri said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    A knock rang on the door.


    Elzri¡¯s vampiress secretary, Lily, pushed the door open, ¡°Sorry to intrude. Professor Loh Noir is here to see you, Lord Noir. She is in the waiting room. Should I bring her in?¡±


    ¡°You expected this?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°I had a hunch,¡± Elzri shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then, don¡¯t be too harsh with the girl, Loh has been through enough,¡± Ismene gripped her cane and pushed herself to her feet.


    ¡°Let me help you, ma¡¯am,¡± Lily offered.


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± Ismene smacked Lily¡¯s shin with her cane.


    The vampiress squeaked in pain and fell to her knees.


    ¡°Does it look like I need your help to bloody walk?¡± Ismene didn¡¯t wait for an answer. She shut the door behind her.


    ¡°Lily, I don¡¯t think the Tempest Archmage needs anyone¡¯s help, nor do I think she wants your help,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Duly noted, my lord,¡± Lily winced.

 Chapter 173: Without Question

    Chapter 173: Without Question


    Loh walked into Elzri¡¯s office with a spring in her step. She sat in the chair across from him and propped her feet on top of his desk.


    ¡°Good evening, old man,¡± Loh grinned.


    Elzri flicked his finger, a gust of wind pushed her feet off the desk. ¡°You seem cheerful, odd.¡±


    ¡°Eating a delicious steak will do that to you. So what¡¯s all the fuss about? Did you finally decide on the backup team for the final exam?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will be in charge of the team of ten magi, all masters, excluding high-master Vayu. He personally requested to be a part of your team.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡±


    ¡°You disagree?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It couldn¡¯t hurt to have a fellow high-master in the team. Besides, Vayu and I have always worked well together.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I am glad you two are getting along.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to marry him.¡±


    ¡°So you say.¡±


    Loh rolled her eyes, ¡°Whatever. Did you take care of my personal request?¡±


    ¡°I added Tauri Katag to your team, yes.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you. Tauri is an excellent dual-manifold mage and a weapon-master of the flail. I would have placed her in the team with or without your opinion.¡±


    ¡°You really have a beautiful way with words don¡¯t you?¡±


    Elzri slid a large sheet of paper across the desk, ¡°Here is a map of the trail the students will be taking. You will take your team and move ahead of the students, ensuring their safety.¡±


    Loh looked over the map with a frown, ¡°This leads to Widow¡¯s Crag along the Dire River. Why are we going down South? I thought we were heading to the East?¡±


    ¡°Change of plans. Hollow Shade¡¯s soldiers have had various encounters with savage tribes recently. Dusk Valley is not as safe as it once was. It is best if the students travel closer to the Dire River. The valley raiders tend to stay away from the river on account of the extra soldiers patrolling the maritime towns.¡±


    ¡°You really are being cautious about all of this. Is that why you assigned ten master magi to this mission?¡±


    ¡°It may seem excessive and it most likely is, but I am not taking any chances. There are too many promising young magi in that class, including your apprentice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep Stryg safe, even if it means giving up my life,¡± Loh said in a somber voice.


    ¡°...Yes, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about that,¡± Elzri clasped his hands together.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She sent him a skeptic glare.


    ¡°After Aizel died-¡±


    Loh shot to her feet, ¡°Don¡¯t fucking say his name! Someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve to say his name¡­ Neither of us do.¡±


    ¡°You may not like to be reminded of the past, but when it affects your future, our future, then you will sit down and listen.¡±


    ¡°...Fuck you, old man,¡± Loh went for the door.


    ¡°If you leave now I will tell Tauri exactly what happened that night six years ago.¡±


    Loh spun around her, face alight with anger, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Try me, child. Unlike you, my will is unwavering, I won¡¯t hesitate. Now. Sit. Down.¡±


    Loh took her hand off the doorknob and slowly walked back to her seat. She sat down with stiff movements, all the while glaring at her grandfather.


    Elzri met her gaze without hesitation, ¡°As I was saying, after you abandoned your brother to die, you ran away from everything; the army, Vayu, Tauri, even this family. Despite the colossal mess you created, I let you go because I understood you needed time to reconcile your mind with what you had done. That time is past and here you are sitting in front of me. There is only one problem.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Loh asked coldly.


    ¡°You believe you can make amends.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the word amend means? It means to correct something, righting a wrong. What you have failed to understand is that death is immutable. Listen very carefully to me, Aizel is dead. Nothing you do or say will bring him back. You cannot absolve yourself of his death.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Loh¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°...I know that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do. It seems to me that you are still trying to make amends. In the past year, you have almost died twice. Both times were deliberately instigated by you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Loh swallowed.


    ¡°The night when the frost wolves attacked.¡±


    ¡°Stryg was in danger, there was no escape.¡±


    ¡°Really? Did you try to escape? Did you run out of options? Or did you simply throw your life away for your apprentice?¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°...I was trying to save Stryg.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. Sacrificing yourself for your apprentice, instead of sacrificing your apprentice for yourself, how noble.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just making conjectures,¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°What about the attack on Castle Mora?¡±


    ¡°Stryg was in danger, again.¡±


    ¡°You could have run away with him. You had your own centaur with you, did you not? You are a high-master mage with access to shadow and curse spells. Do you really expect me to believe you had no possible way to slow down your enemies long enough to escape?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t there, you don¡¯t know what happened,¡± Loh seethed.


    ¡°But I know you. I know what you''re capable of. The old Loh would have fought till her very last breath to survive. I have placed you in countless tests where success seemed impossible and still you persevered. What happened to that woman, that dauntless drow?¡±


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    Elzri¡¯s lips grew thin, ¡°...We all must accept the weight of the lives we have taken, not go seek a glorious death in the hopes that it will somehow redeem us.¡±


    Loh closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. ¡°The day I returned to Hollow Shade after my brother¡¯s death I thought things would change. I thought that the people around me would finally see me. Instead, I was forgotten. Tauri shut herself in her home for months. My mother suffered a mental break and my father spent all his time drinking and whoring.¡±


    Loh¡¯s hands began to tremble, ¡°It was then that I realized what I had actually done. I hadn¡¯t fixed anything... I had murdered my brother. I destroyed everyone¡¯s lives. I came to you, alone and guilt-ridden. Of course, you immediately realized what had actually happened that night in Dusk Valley. Do you remember what happened next?¡±


    ¡°You tossed away the silver bracelet I gifted you on your 15th birthday and renounced the name of Noir. It was quite the tantrum, one I did not expect from my prot¨¦g¨¦,¡± Elzri said calmly.


    Loh chuckled wryly, ¡°Heh, no. That came a bit after. No, what happened next was what you did. You looked me straight in the eyes and with the most tired voice I had ever heard from the Great Elzri Noir, you said, ¡®Dammit.¡¯¡±


    Loh leaned forward in her chair, ¡°A single word, that was it. That was all you had to say when you realized your granddaughter had killed your grandson. Then you turned your back and began muttering about how you would cover up my crime, bribe any soldiers that asked questions, and murder the ones who refused to look the other away.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes burned, tears slipped down her grey cheeks, ¡°I respected you more than anyone, I wanted to be like you, but you didn¡¯t care that my brother was dead. All you cared about was protecting the family¡¯s name. Protecting your legacy, protecting me, not because you cared about me, but because I was your precious link to the future of this House.¡±


    Loh stood to her feet, ¡°I left this family because I didn¡¯t want to become like you. A cold frigid old man who didn¡¯t care about anyone, only a name. If that is Noir¡¯s legacy then I want nothing of it.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Loh-¡±


    ¡°And yeah, I can¡¯t change the past. I will have to live knowing for the rest of my life that the reason Aizel isn¡¯t here is because of me. But I will try to make things right. I will be the master to Stryg that I failed to be with Aizel. I will find the warlord Marek and the rest of his Cairn Tribe and burn them all to the ground, no matter the cost.¡±


    ¡°Even if it costs you your life?¡± Elzri asked quietly.


    Loh looked him in the eyes, ¡°...If you could go back, change the past, would you have still killed your siblings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, without question.¡±


    She nodded stiffly, ¡°I thought you might have understood an inkling of what I was going through. Clearly, I was wrong.¡±


    She left without another word.


    Elzri leaned back in his chair and sighed.


    ~~~


    Blue mana coursed through Stryg¡¯s veins as he pulled a glob of cold water from below the steel grates of the Frost Pool Chamber. The water hovered below his left hand.


    Ismene sat on a large pillow a few paces away. ¡°Very good, now cast a second torrent spell, Simple Water Whip.¡±


    Stryg nodded and curled the fingers of his right hand inward. He stared past his feet and at the rushing water underneath. He willed the water to take shape and form a whip. The water shivered and began to float. The water ball in his left hand burst.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Stryg threw his hands apart.


    ¡°Anger will not help you achieve your goal,¡± Ismene took a sip of tea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing wrong. We¡¯ve been at this for weeks. Every time I try to cast a second spell, the first one collapses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is the difficulty of multicasting.¡±


    ¡°I should be better than this,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°For someone who believes himself to be so talented, you sure have a funny way of showing it.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°If someone is born the most talented runner in the world, does that mean they will be able to outrun everyone as a baby?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. That baby needs to grow and train before they ever have a chance at competing against the best runners out there. Because the undeniable truth is that talent is nothing without practice.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Multicasting is no easy feat, boy. Even casting two spells at once is considered a great accomplishment for a master mage. While there may be exceptions, it usually takes a vast amount of training before even the most talented of magi can manage their first dual spellcast.¡±


    Ismene continued, ¡°When you asked me to teach you how to multicast, I did not agree because it would be easy, I agreed because I believed in your talent and your sheer determination to achieve beyond the limits others had set for you. That¡¯s why we¡¯re down here. To train, not to listen to you complain like a spoiled noble brat.¡±


    Stryg bowed his head, ¡°Yes, Professor.¡±


    ¡°Look at me, boy.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the old woman. She wore the usual black robes of a mage, with a sapphire hanging from her silver necklace, the mark of a blue mage. She wore her grey hair in a single braid that rested over her shoulder.


    The wrinkles on her skin did nothing to hide her piercing beige eyes. The human known as Ismene had clearly been touched by the passage of time, yet she still seemed full of life and power, one could easily forget she needed the cane beside her.


    Ismene pointed a gnarled finger at him, ¡°You and I come from no prestigious background, we have no long legacy of heroes, generals, or arch-magi. Even if we have been given the chance to train at this academy of magic, we are not seen as equals, we do not have access to the same resources as the children of Houses. What we have, all we have ever had, is ourselves. And that is the greatest opportunity of all, the ability to mold oneself into whatever we choose, free from the influence of a family leader.¡±


    ¡°Whatever I choose?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°Yes. You could choose, for instance, to hide in the shadow of the lie the people of this city have told you, that you don¡¯t belong. I suspect the people of the Blood Fang Tribe told you something similar.¡±


    Stryg bit his lip and looked away in shame. Ismene grabbed her cane and pushed herself to her feet.


    She walked over to Stryg and raised his chin, ¡°Or you can ignore those petty voices that make all those people so very small and choose to believe in yourself. You want to be strong? Then choose to be. Don¡¯t let the words of others decide your worth. Only you get to decide that.¡±


    Stryg felt his eyes burn, he swallowed and rubbed his eyes.


    Ismene smiled gently, ¡°So, what is your choice, Stryg of Ebon Hollow?¡±


    Stryg stared at his hands, ¡°...I choose to be strong.¡±


    ¡°Then show me the torrent spell, Simple Water Whip.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Yes, Professor!¡±

 Chapter 174: A Siren’s Call

    Chapter 174: A Siren¡¯s Call


    The sun rose above the looming hills of Dusk Valley where the Cairn Tribe made their camp. Warlord Marek Helene sat outside the wooden fence and stared inside the enclosure at the creatures forgotten by history. The Unildyr lazed about the grass, munching on the bones of yesterday¡¯s feeding. Their pitch-black eyes stared at Marek with a curious look that denoted some level of intelligence. The problem was, Marek didn¡¯t know how intelligent.


    ¡°They¡¯ve grown,¡± Nokuti muttered.


    ¡°Yes, they are about the size of a large dog, I think?¡± Crow guessed.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster than what I thought it would be,¡± Marek admitted.


    ¡°If my ancient texts are any indication, they will only begin to grow more quickly from here on out,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnerving,¡± Nokuti shivered.


    ¡°You simply don¡¯t like them because the hatchlings hate you,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°They hate you too, Crow,¡± Nokuti gloated.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still trying to figure out why,¡± Crow sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re the smartest guy I know, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Marek patted his back.


    ¡°At least they like you, my Lord,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Not as much as they like Grim,¡± Marek shook his head. ¡°They actually tolerate the axlean. I think Grim even managed to get as close as five feet to one of the hatchlings before they started growling at him. It was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they can tell he is from a different Realm?¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°Doubtful. Kyriil is from the Ivory Realm and he loves the Unildyr, yet they bare their sharp little teeth every time he tries to get close,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°What about Lysaila?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s refused to even get near the pen. Something about her lamia instincts screaming at her to stay away,¡± Marek shrugged.


    ¡°I envy her. The only reason I¡¯m here is to make sure Marek is safe,¡± Nokuti sighed.


    ¡°What about Vaughn and Dawn?¡± Crow asked.


    ¡°Our twin archmagi have not visited the pens once, they said they have better things to do, whatever that means,¡± Marek grumbled.


    An Unildyr hatchling raised his pale grey head and made a low-pitch cry. His brothers and sisters soon followed. Their tails waved slowly in a circular pattern.


    ¡°Looks like they are hungry,¡± Marek raised his hand.


    The nearby warriors nodded at the signal. They grabbed the tied-up enemy scouts and tossed them into the pen. The Unildyr moved in a silver blur. Their long translucent claws shredded the helpless scouts in seconds.


    Nokuti looked away in disgust, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you actually brought those monsters with us.¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t just leave them in that cave,¡± Marek smiled wryly.


    ¡°Besides, imagine if we learn how to control them properly. The Realm could be ours,¡± Crow said.


    Nokuti threw her hands up in the air, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your ifs. Hollow Shade¡¯s scouting parties are becoming more relentless every day. They will find us if this keeps up. We can¡¯t fight all the armies of Hollow Shade when they do. Even if we gathered the armies we have amassed throughout Dusk Valley, we are still too small.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Marek nodded. ¡°Which is why we need the help of the Adder Tribe.¡±


    ¡°The most influential of the Valley Tribes? A splendid idea. Should I start gathering intel on their elders? How do we plan on subjugating them?¡± Crow asked.


    Marek shook his head, ¡°We aren¡¯t, not this time. They are too respected throughout the valley. Attacking them would mark us as enemies of all the other tribes. We can¡¯t fight the Valley Tribes and Hollow Shade. But if we strike an alliance with the Adder people, then other tribes might follow us in our battle against the City of Shades.¡±


    ¡°The Cairn and Adder tribes have never been close. How do you plan on establishing an alliance?¡± Nokuti asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll personally meet with their chief. I have already called a meeting,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? There is no way in hell I¡¯m going to let you go there yourself. The Adder Tribe is steeped in tradition. They already see you as a radical. If you go into their den, you won¡¯t come out alive,¡± Nokuti said sternly.


    ¡°If the Cairn¡¯s chief doesn¡¯t go, how will we garner their respect? How will we convince them of joining our cause?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Send an Unildyr hatchling to the meeting. Show the Adder elders what we are capable of, that the Valley people have a chance to win this war if they stand with us,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too dangerous, for both parties,¡± Nokuti warned.


    ¡°We can manage. The Unildyr are fine with a cage so long as it is spacious enough, has plenty of food, and the ride is short. Oh, and don¡¯t forget there can¡¯t be too many bumps. The last man in charge of the wagon didn¡¯t fare so well... All in all, fairly easy to accomplish,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°He makes a viable point,¡± Marek nodded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Nokuti groaned.


    ¡°We still need someone to guard the hatchling. The twins?¡± Crow asked.


    ¡°No, they said they were busy, remember? I don¡¯t think they will be much help any time soon. Maybe Grim,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°No, the axlean already makes our people uncomfortable. Having him at the negotiations is too risky. Same goes for Lysaila. The Adder people revere snakes. Having a lamia there would only tempt them to capture her, who knows what they would do with her?¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Nokuti?¡± Marek looked at her with a glimmer in his eye.


    ¡°No way in hell will I guard one of those murderous babies. Nor will I leave your side, I am here to keep you from getting killed,¡± Nokuti kicked him lightly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Marek smiled wryly.


    ¡°That only leaves Kyriil. He loves the Unildyr, he no doubt will take the job. The elf is eccentric, but he is still a powerful chromatic white high-master,¡± Crow surmised.


    ¡°You forgot the part where Kyriil is an idiot and a lecherous pig. We can¡¯t leave him in charge of any Unildyr nor have him talk to any of the Adder elders,¡± Nokuti frowned.


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll have Crow go with Kyriil to keep him in line,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Nokuti¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I was already planning on taking Crow with me to the negotiations. I think this works well. Kyriil will keep the Unildyr safe during transport and Crow will act as my representative during the negotiations,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°As you wish, my Lord,¡± Crow bowed.


    ¡°Uh, no. You can¡¯t trust Crow with something this important. He is an outsider,¡± Nokuti crossed her arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s hurtful,¡± Crow mumbled.


    ¡°Crow may not have been born in the Cairn Tribe, but he has been with us longer than any of the others in our team. He has proven himself over and over. I trust him with my life, as should you. Crow will be my representative. That is final,¡± Marek placed his hand on the smaller man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you for your trust, my Lord. I will not fail you,¡± Crow swore.


    Nokuti stared daggers at the masked man. She bowed to Marek, ¡°Very well, my Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± Marek smiled. He turned to Crow, ¡°You¡¯ll leave in a few days. The meeting place will be at Widow¡¯s Crag at dawn.¡±


    ¡°Widow¡¯s Crag is close to the river towns, how is that safe?¡± Nokuti said in exasperation.


    ¡°There may be many soldiers at the river towns, but none of them stray too close to the crags on account of how dangerous they can be during flood season. More importantly, none of Hollow Shade¡¯s scouts will think to look there,¡± Marek explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s still dangerous,¡± Nokuti warned.


    ¡°It will only be for one day. Crow, you can handle that, right?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°I will try my best,¡± Crow nodded.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Now, I need to go check on our own scout reports,¡± Marek walked away.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, general Nokuti, I have to go scrounge up whatever information we have on the Adder Tribe,¡± Crow bowed.


    Nokuti glared at Crow¡¯s back as the man walked away.


    ~~~


    Nokuti pushed the tent flap aside and marched inside. Crow sat on his bedroll, his black cloak of feathers wrapped around him like a cozy blanket. He held an open book between his gloved hands.


    Crow¡¯s avian-skull mask rose at her entrance, ¡°Nokuti, what a lovely surprise. What brings the venerable general to my humble tent at this late hour?¡±


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Nokuti said.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Wonderful, please take a seat,¡± Crow pointed to the only chair in the corner of the tent.


    ¡°I rather stand,¡± she crossed her arms.


    Crow closed his book and put it aside, ¡°Whatever makes you comfortable. I have to admit, I am quite happy that you have finally come to me for counsel. I have noticed you have been growing increasingly stressed as of late. I think I may be able to help; I have served Marek well as his advisor and I have no doubt I can do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for your advice,¡± she snarled.


    ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s awkward. Ahem, how can I help you, general?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, Crow.¡±


    ¡°And yet you came into my tent in the middle of the night. That seems a bit contradictory, no?¡±


    Nokuti crouched in front of Crow, face-to-face, ¡°My mother used to tell me that the true character of a person could be discerned by the fear in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a wonderful person. I heard she passed away several years ago. My deepest condolences.¡±


    ¡°Hm. My mother was a wise person. She knew many things and I paid attention when she spoke. So you must understand why I feel so uncomfortable that this giant skull hides your face, even your eyes,¡± she tapped his bone-mask.


    ¡°That is a dilemma.¡±


    ¡°One that is easy to fix,¡± she wrapped her hands around Crow¡¯s mask.


    ¡°I rather you not.¡±


    Nokuti smirked, ¡°Oh, why is that? Are you shy?¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡±


    Nokuti glanced at Crow¡¯s hands, they rested at his sides without struggle. ¡°You¡¯re not even going to stop me from taking off your mask?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to even if I tried.¡±


    Nokuti glared at Crow and his calm demeanor. She released him and stepped away, ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Splendid, so where were we?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insufferable, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I have been called worse. Ah, I remember, you were saying you don¡¯t trust me. I¡¯m going to take a guess and say you don¡¯t believe I can handle the negotiations with the Adder Tribe.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to gamble the fate of the entire Cairn on a man whom I can¡¯t even see his face?¡±


    ¡°What about a man who has done nothing but helped and advised Lord Marek?¡±


    ¡°Only helped? What about the Unildyr?¡± Nokuti sneered.


    ¡°The Unildyr are the only means we have to shatter the Ebon Wall of Hollow Shade. If you have some other idea I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Nokuti frowned, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the Unildyr can destroy the walls. The problem is will they? Because what I saw today did not seem like a cooperative bunch of friendly beasts.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be the first one to admit that there may have been some unexpected results. The Unildyr are not as receptive to our care as I had hoped. But let¡¯s be realistic. We actually managed to bring back an ancient species. All in all, I think we have done a splendid job so far.¡±


    ¡°And what guarantee do we have that the Unildyr won¡¯t turn around one day and try to eat us instead?¡± Nokuti poked his chest.


    ¡°Have you heard of sirens?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard of the creature known as a siren?¡±


    ¡°...Once or twice. I think I overheard some of the sailors back in Hoarfrost Bay talking about them. Why?¡±


    ¡°Sirens are known to reside in Hoarfrost Bay. Luckily, we never encountered one when we sailed to the chrome gate last year.¡±


    ¡°I think I can handle any sea creature that might have attacked our ship,¡± Nokuti said confidently.


    ¡°I have no doubt. Do you know why a siren is dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly, but I¡¯m guessing you do.¡±


    Crow nodded, ¡°Many people fear a siren¡¯s voice. You see, sirens are elemental creatures, they possess both water and air mana. Together, a siren can create a melodic voice that can trick their victim¡¯s mind and lure them into the sea. But the true danger of a siren is not their magic, it¡¯s their sadism.¡±


    ¡°Sadism?¡± Nokuti furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Usually a predator hunts when they are hungry and they stop when they are full. Make no mistake, sirens are predators. The moment a victim falls into the water the siren drags them deep into the sea and feasts on their prey. Yet there are records of sirens luring sailors into the water and simply watching them struggle to swim in the freezing bay.¡±


    ¡°The sirens don¡¯t kill the sailors, they don¡¯t drag them underwater, they simply watch the sailors swim. Each time a sailor gets near their ship, the siren calls out with their voice, entrancing the sailor¡¯s mind and bringing them back into the water. The sirens continue this until the sailor runs out of energy and drowns. The sirens then drag their prize away, not to eat, but to simply admire.¡±


    Crow pointed to his skull-mask, ¡°They usually take the skull of their prey as a trophy, just like frost giants. The difference being sirens will do this by the hundreds. They will decimate entire ship crews, not out of hunger, but because the simple matter of fact is, they are bored. And like many predators, sirens enjoy playing with their prey.¡±


    ¡°Great story, any point to this all?¡± Nokuti yawned dramatically.


    ¡°Sirens lure their victims with a mystical voice. The prey is unaware that they are being lured into a trap. All the while the siren sits back and watches, content to simply wait until their prey is ripe. My point is, if we don¡¯t want to be unwary prey for the Unildyr then there is only one thing to do.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Keep them pleased. Don¡¯t let them get bored. A bored sadistic predator is the most dangerous of all. And believe me, neither of us wants to be food for an Unildyr.¡±


    Nokuti raised her eyebrow, ¡°I know you told me that story to convince me how the Unildyr aren¡¯t a threat, but you¡¯ve only succeeded in the opposite. Honestly, I trust you less now.¡±


    Crow sighed, ¡°Okay, fine. Then what about this? If I was so untrustworthy, why haven¡¯t I told anyone that Marek is a son of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Family, House Helene?¡±


    Nokuti pounced on Crow and threw him to the ground. She hissed, and hovered her fangs over his throat, ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t rip your throat out right now.¡±


    ¡°Marek hasn¡¯t killed me despite my knowledge,¡± he whispered into her ear.


    Nokuti shoved him away, ¡°Marek knows?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, I told him. I am loyal to our lord, same as you.¡±


    ¡°Marek only ever told me his secret. How do you know about it?¡± Nokuti narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I am literally our tribe''s spymaster, in charge of information gathering. I wouldn¡¯t be very good at my job if I didn¡¯t even know the name of the man I followed,¡± Crow dusted off his feathered cloak.


    ¡°And yet you still follow Marek, an aristocrat, a son of one of the families responsible for the attacks on our people for the last three centuries. Why?¡± Nokuti muttered.


    ¡°I believe Marek can change this Realm for the better.¡±


    She sat down on the ground, ¡°Even if it means plunging the entire Dusk Valley into war?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you having misgivings? You? Nokuti, the great vampire general, fearless mage of the Cairn Tribe? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you would,¡± she laughed bitterly.


    ¡°Maybe if you explained. I find a friendly ear always helps.¡±


    ¡°As if you could be any help.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± Crow sat next to her.


    ¡°...It has to do with Marek, I can¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°I know he is a Helene. How much worse can it get?¡±


    Nokuti bit her lip.


    ¡°You may not trust me, but Marek does. And you trust Marek, no? Besides, you can always kill me if I ever talk. Who better to voice your thoughts to?¡±


    Nokuti sighed, ¡°You really are insufferable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°...It was 16 years ago. Marek¡¯s mother¡¯s name was Tamora Helene, heir to House Helene. She had been kidnapped years earlier and had been forcefully married to Marek¡¯s father, the previous tribe chief. But Tamora finally managed to get word out to her twin sister via a traveling merchant.¡±


    ¡°I see, things are beginning to make more sense¡­¡± Crow nodded slowly.


    Nokuti wiped her eyes, ¡°House Helene had sent a secret squad of soldiers to rescue Tamora. She wanted Marek to come with her, but he chose to stay with me. The morning the soldiers arrived, Tamora was waiting for them. Except it wasn¡¯t just a squad. It was an entire battalion, they rushed our tribe¡¯s tents, killing everyone in sight. ...They killed my parents.¡±


    Nokuti cleared her throat, ¡°When Tamora announced who she was, the soldiers cut off her head. I still remember Marek¡¯s hoarse screams. The gentle giant I had always known died that day, all that was left was a vengeful son. Marek killed dozens of soldiers with his bare hands. I protected him with my magic. Our warriors fought off the enemy, but by the time we had won, half our tribe was dead, including our chief.¡±


    ¡°Marek doesn¡¯t want revenge against Hollow Shade. He wants revenge against House Helene¡­¡± Crow muttered.


    ¡°And he¡¯ll stop at nothing to get it. It¡¯s consuming him. How many more innocents will have to die? How many more children will have to grow up without their parents. All because of this war Marek started. The war you helped him start¡­ The one I helped him start. Ugh, I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m telling you this.¡±


    ¡°I suspect you have been wanting to tell someone for a very long time. No one else knows Marek is a Helene. I was the only option, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Crow said quietly.


    ¡°I never thought I would be telling you any of this,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°Well, I do have one of those faces I suppose, wink, wink. Get it? I said wink because you can¡¯t see my face.¡±


    Nokuti rolled her eyes.


    Crow cleared his throat, ¡°So, let me get this straight. Everyone else thinks the Cairn Tribe was simply unlucky and attacked by another army sent by Hollow Shade to exterminate the Valley Tribes. No one knows their families died because of Marek¡¯s mother. That would really change their leader¡¯s narrative wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If you tell anyone,¡± Nokuti glared at him, her fangs glinting in the candlelight.


    Crow raised his hands in surrender, ¡°My lips are sealed. My only question is, why did House Helene betray Tamora?¡±


    Nokuti clenched her fists, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Tamora¡¯s twin sister wanted the Helene throne. Everyone already thought Tamora had died years ago. She just made sure it was the truth. Luckily, Tamora never mentioned Marek. Otherwise, they would have sent more soldiers.¡±


    Crow chuckled to himself.


    Nokuti frowned, ¡°A-are you laughing? Are you actually fucking laughing!?¡±


    ¡°A bit, yes.¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong with you? How can you find any of this funny!?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡± he shrugged.


    She shot to her feet, ¡°This was a mistake. I should have never told an insolent ass anything.¡±


    Crow stood up slowly, ¡°Oh, Nokuti, that''s what I love about you. I mean there are so many things I find endearing about you; Your loyalty to Marek, your devotion to the Cairn Tribe, and let¡¯s not forget your magical prowess or that fierce yet beautiful expression, like the one you¡¯re wearing right now.¡±


    Nokuti pulled out her dagger, ¡°Are you really hitting on me you cad!¡±


    Crow snapped his fingers, ¡°And there it is! What I love about you most, your anger. That prideful anger that tricks you into believing you can do anything. That is your curse, you were unlucky enough to be born with a taste of power. The prodigy of the Cairn, life must have been easy for you. You probably thought you could shape your future in whatever way you wished, fate was yours to control.¡±


    Nokuti placed the tip of the dagger under his jaw, ¡°Be quiet before I slit your throat and drain you dry.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Except that perfect little ideal world was ruined the moment your precious tribe was attacked. You realized that you couldn¡¯t stop your parents from dying, because contrary to your belief, you were not actually powerful, you had no control. It¡¯s the same realization you are having now. You can¡¯t kill me, because we both know Marek instructed you not to touch me. And you are oh so loyal to him, aren¡¯t you?¡± Crow pushed the dagger away.


    She clenched her jaw but said nothing.


    ¡°You are angry, Nokuti, though not at me. You wish you could stop Marek and end this war before it even really begins. But you can¡¯t, can you? Because at the end of the day, you know deep inside, you don¡¯t have the resolve to stop the one you love. You hate that about yourself. A pawn beholden to her own feelings.¡±


    ¡°I am no one¡¯s pawn,¡± she growled.


    ¡°Of course not. You simply came into my tent to lash out your anger and frustrations because it was the only logical and reasonable conclusion. No?¡±


    ¡°I am going to kill you someday,¡± Nokuti snarled.


    ¡°I really do love that anger in those scarlet eyes,¡± Crow said tenderly.


    ¡°...What are you really after?¡±


    Crow placed a finger on his chin in thought, ¡°Hm. Would it be too straightforward if I said, ¡®You?¡¯¡±


    Her brown cheeks flushed red with anger. She clenched her dagger with a white-knuckle grip.


    ¡°Someday,¡± she muttered and turned to leave.


    ¡°Have a lovely evening, general.¡±


    ¡°You truly are insufferable.¡±


    Crow sat down and picked up his book, ¡°Noted.¡±

 Chapter 175: Sleepover

    Chapter 175: Sleepover


    Callum Veres smiled wryly at the blue goblin devouring his plate of steaming food.


    Callum glanced at the red-headed dwarf sitting on his other side, ¡°Thank you again, Kitty, for inviting us.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted the three of us to get together and relax a little before the final exam. I¡¯m glad you were able to make it,¡± Kithina smiled brightly.


    ¡°So am I.¡± Callum glanced across the table, ¡°And thank you, Madam Gidget, for hosting us in your lovely home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my pleasure to host a son of Veres in our humble home. I only hope the food turned out well,¡± Kithina¡¯s mother bowed her head.


    ¡°It did. Very well,¡± Stryg said between bites of food.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear that, please help yourself to more,¡± Gidget nudged another plate of savory meat to the goblin.


    Stryg pulled the slab of meat onto his own plate without hesitation, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys got actual venison.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you like it?¡± Gidget asked with innocent eyes.


    ¡°I love it. Venison is my favorite, but there aren¡¯t any deers in Dusk Valley, so it¡¯s hard to come by,¡± Stryg took another bite.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad we had some. By the way, Kithina helped me make it,¡± Gidget said with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg looked over at Kithina.


    ¡°...Yes?¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious! Back in my old tribe, they would have unanimously named you head cook,¡± Stryg said enthusiastically.


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Kithina nodded.


    Gidget held in her victory laugh. The plan was working well. Kitty was too slow to act in her romance, so as her mother, she would help her daughter¡¯s love life.


    Gidget had asked Kitty what Stryg''s favorite food was and called a favor from a friend at the market to acquire the rare venison. She then made Kitty help her prepare it. At first, Kitty seemed reluctant but as she cooked she became more eager to share the food with her friends.


    Gidget glanced at her daughter, Kitty may have been a slow learner, but at least she was finally taking some action.


    ¡°And I brought a couple bottles of Fire Breath to wash the food down,¡± Kithina¡¯s father, Grolm, shook with deep laughter.


    ¡°Honey, save that for after dinner and not too much either. We don¡¯t want our guests getting drunk when they have a big exam tomorrow. And Skobby, book off the table, now. You¡¯re being rude,¡± Gidget pinched her son¡¯s hand.


    Skobby winced, ¡°Mom, they aren¡¯t the only ones who have a final exam coming up. The Civics Academy has this big final in a few days. The other first-years say it will be the most brutal test by far. If I don¡¯t study as much as I can now then I won¡¯t get a chance to hang out with my friends at the Festival of the Gods.¡±


    ¡°At least you will be here for the festival. My class and I are going to be gone for over a week. By the time we¡¯re back the festival will be over,¡± Kithina grumbled.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m proud that both of my children are in Hollow Shade¡¯s prestigious academies, but that doesn¡¯t excuse reading at the dinner table. Put the book away, Skobby,¡± Gidget said with a firm glare.


    Skobby begrudgingly closed the book, then tossed a couple of pieces of meat at the two large dogs waiting beneath the table.


    Gidget turned back to her guests, ¡°Time sure has flown by, summer is already around the corner. It¡¯s already been a year since you both visited. You should come by more often.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll have us,¡± Callum smiled politely.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a pretty drow with you guys last time? What was her name again?¡± Grolm asked.


    Callum and Kithina stiffened. Stryg¡¯s fork paused, his expression darkened. The dogs whined in fear.


    Gidget noticed the change in mood immediately. She gripped her husband¡¯s arm, ¡°Dear, why don¡¯t we talk about something else?¡±


    ¡°One sec, honey. I¡¯m trying to remember. I think it had something to do with fruits, maybe? Peach, was it? No, that''s not right,¡± Grolm shook his head.


    ¡°Plumela... Her name is Plumela... Most people just call her Plum,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Ah, that was it, Plumela, like the flower!¡± Grolm snapped his fingers. ¡°Whatever happened to that girl?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t respond, he simply stared at his food.


    ¡°She graduated and left for Undergrowth to pursue an occupation as a researcher,¡± Callum interjected.


    Grolm¡¯s smile fell, ¡°Oh, what a shame. I mean, good for her. I just meant it¡¯s always sad to say goodbye to a friend.¡±


    The room fell uncomfortably quiet.


    Kithina cleared her throat, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s have those drinks now.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°Uh, okay. Sounds good to me,¡± Grolm laughed.


    ¡°Honey, why don¡¯t we head over to the living room, have the drinks next to the fireplace,¡± Gidget suggested.


    ¡°Great idea,¡± Grolm got up from the table and hurried away with the dwarven bottles.


    Everyone, save Stryg, stood and began making their way to the living room.


    ¡°Kitty, can I talk to you for a second,¡± Stryg muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, sure,¡± she nodded.


    Skobby glanced at the two with curiosity. Gidget pushed her son through the door and left Stryg and Kithina alone.


    ¡°Real quick, before you say anything, how do I look?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple question, do I look good or not?¡± Kithina slowly spun around in her red dress.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered towards her chest, ¡°You look¡­ good.¡±


    ¡°As in the pretty girl next door or the sexy woman that walked into the room?¡±


    ¡°Neither?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. I need your help here as a friend. I didn¡¯t catch Callum secretly looking my way even once through dinner. I have to figure out what went wrong.¡±


    ¡°Why am I part of this? I need to actually talk to you,¡± Stryg sighed.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yeah, no worries, we¡¯ll get to that. Does this dress make me give off more of the pretty or sexy vibe?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Neither, really. When I look at you, all I see is you, Kitty. That¡¯s the vibe you give off.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really are of no help.¡±


    Stryg flicked her nose.


    ¡°Ow, shit! Why the nose!?¡± Kithina stumbled backward.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how beautiful you look, I don¡¯t think Callum will stare at you.¡±


    ¡°I knew it, it''s my freckles isn¡¯t it,¡± Kithina rubbed her bright red nose.


    ¡°What? No. It¡¯s because you''re short.¡±


    Kithina frowned, ¡°Excuse me? I may be a few inches shorter than you now, but we are both small!¡±


    ¡°True, but Callum¡¯s maids aren¡¯t. They¡¯re all tall. Even the silent one waiting over in the living room is tall. You think it¡¯s a coincidence that he surrounds himself with tall, beautiful women?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but, he dated Freya Goldelm before, didn''t he? She is a dwarf, like me,¡± Kithina bit her lip.


    Stryg cleaned a piece of meat from his teeth with a clawed finger, ¡°...How did Feli say it? Oh yea, having a preference doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t like someone outside of that scope. Personally, I like really curvy women.¡±


    ¡°I know, you¡¯re always staring at women¡¯s asses when we go drinking.¡±


    Stryg held a finger up, ¡°But, recently I find myself liking a petite vampiress.¡±


    Kithina furrowed her brow, ¡°Ignoring the fact that you¡¯re married, what made you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°A lot of things I guess... At first, I hated her, I was going to kill her, really. Then I found out she wasn¡¯t the person I thought she was. Turns out she and I had a lot more in common than I thought. Meh, what am I even saying? I¡¯m not cut out for these kinds of talks,¡± Stryg scratched his head.


    ¡°No, go on, I¡¯m listening,¡± Kithina sat next to him.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°...I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that sometimes getting to know a person changes the way you see them. Then it doesn¡¯t really matter what they look like... even if everyone else thinks they look strange, you might see them as beautiful.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re not just talking about how you saw her, are you?¡±


    Stryg stared at his own blue hands, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Kithina clicked her tongue, ¡°Right, well, thanks for shattering my self-confidence, I guess. So, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training a lot recently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we barely see you anymore outside of class. I¡¯m honestly surprised you managed to make it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Your mom is a good cook. Anyway, I¡¯ve been training a lot, but I haven¡¯t managed to multicast once.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ You know multicasting isn¡¯t meant for adepts, much less novices.¡±


    ¡°And yet you can cast two spells at once. How?¡±


    ¡°The professors say I¡¯m an exception, one in a thousand magi or something like that,¡± Kithina shrugged.


    ¡°Yes, but how? How do you manage to multicast?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how multicasting works?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°You split your focus and will simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°Close. You don¡¯t split them in half, it¡¯s more like you make a second copy in your mind.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°In practical terms? Yes. But remember, we are talking about the mind, anything is possible there,¡± Kithina tapped her head. ¡°The concept is important. Instead of imagining cutting your will in half, try imagining doubling your will.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s just what I know. The rest comes naturally to me,¡± Kithina grinned.


    ¡°...Never become a teacher, you suck at it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who asked me for advice. I told you what works for me, you have to figure out what works for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Let¡¯s go get drunk,¡± Stryg hopped off the chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get drunk tonight, we have to head out to the valley in the morning. And I don¡¯t think my family has enough alcohol in this house to get you drunk,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°It has increasingly become more difficult,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°...Hey, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re friends. I don¡¯t think you look strange, I think you are strange and that¡¯s a personality quirk, not a physical trait,¡± she winked.


    Stryg found himself smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about your freckles, I think they look nice,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°That might be the nicest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me,¡± Kitty blinked.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Stryg walked out the door.


    ~~~


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can drink anymore,¡± Callum groaned.


    His maid sat on his lap, her limp body rested in his arms.


    ¡°M-master,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she can handle any more of my drinking either,¡± Callum licked his bloody lips.


    ¡°Haha! Stuuupeeed biiiaaatch!¡± Kithina pointed a shaky finger at the half-conscious maid.


    ¡°Kitty, get off the table!¡± Gidget yelled.


    ¡°NEVVAHH!¡± Kithina jumped off the table and fell flat on her face.


    ¡°So much for not getting drunk,¡± Stryg said dryly.


    ¡°Another?¡± Grolm raised the bottle.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Stryg raised his empty cup.


    A knock rang on the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Skobby ran to the door.


    An armored vampire in a green cloak stood in the doorway, an emblem of a woman holding a large shield in front of her was etched across the vampire¡¯s breastplate.


    Skobby¡¯s eyes widened in recognition, ¡°Y-you¡¯re a Gale.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And I have come to pick up young master Veres,¡± he nodded.


    Callum sighed, ¡°It seems I have stayed too long. Madam Gidget, thank you again for everything, the food was incredible. Mister Grolm, always a pleasure. Skobby, good luck with your exam. Stryg, Kitty, I¡¯ll see you both in the morning.¡±


    The Gale warrior lifted Callum¡¯s maid into his arms, ¡°The carriage is waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°Farewell, everyone,¡± Callum stumbled.


    ¡°Careful, young master,¡± the Gale warrior steadied him.


    ¡°I may have had a bit too much to drink,¡± Callum laughed.


    ¡°So it seems, let¡¯s get you home.¡±


    ¡°Have a good night,¡± Gidget and Grolm bowed together.


    The door closed behind them.


    ¡°I should get going too. The walk back should clear up my buzz,¡± Stryg placed his cup down and stretched his arms.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t plan on actually walking back, do you? After drinking so much? At this late hour? With all the sentinels patrolling the area? You have no idea how dangerous the Commoner District can be at night,¡± Gidget said.


    ¡°I¡¯m a mage, the undead sentinels won¡¯t touch me if I have my silver nameplate with me, which I do. Besides, I¡¯m not drunk,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Nonsense, you drank more than anyone else here. Stay here the night, you can leave in the morning when you are well-rested. I insist,¡± Gidget placed her hands on her hips.


    ¡°...Do you have any more venison?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You bet,¡± Gidget smiled.


    ~~~


    Stryg blinked his bleary eyes. The sun¡¯s rays were peaking through the window. It was already morning. He sat up on the couch, ¡°Kitty, we need to leave!¡±


    He could hear Kithina groan in pain from her bedroom. As her body began to come to from the hangover, her mind processed Stryg¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± She screamed.


    After a few minutes of running around the house, Kithina got ready and went to the door. Gidget handed Stryg and her a simple sandwich of bread and cheese.


    ¡°Stay safe out there, you two,¡± Gidget smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, mom,¡± Kithina hugged her.


    ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± Stryg said before he left.


    ¡°Why is it so bright?¡± Kithina squinted as she stepped out of the house.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the sun, I hate it too,¡± Stryg walked down the street.


    Kithina stumbled behind him, ¡°My head is killing me. How much did I drink?¡±


    ¡°Not really the issue right now,¡± he pointed at the main street.


    The street was packed with people trying to get to one place or another.


    ¡°Ugh, everyone is busy preparing for the Festival of the Gods. We are so getting late,¡± Kithina groaned.


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Stryg began channeling orange mana through his veins.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Those people aren¡¯t just going to make room for us to pass.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to. Get on my back.¡±


    ¡°Is this gonna be like last year¡¯s final exam?¡±


    ¡°Probably, but faster. Hurry up and get on or I¡¯m leaving you,¡± Stryg crouched.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m too hungover to think about this clearly,¡± Kithina clambered onto his back.


    Stryg wrapped his arms around her legs and held tight. His agility spell flared to life, the veins in his body darkened. He flexed his legs and vaulted into the air. Kithina screamed as they flew up over a dozen feet. Stryg landed on the roof of the nearby house. He glanced down at the busy street below then at the next roof.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± he took a deep breath.


    Stryg jumped.

 Chapter 176: Unheeded Warning

    Chapter 176: Unheeded Warning


    Loh Noir stood under the hot sun and waited by the south gate of the ebon wall. She watched over the commoners as they placed their meager belongings into the three wagons. The fourth and last wagon were already packed with supplies for the students during the mission. As for the students themselves, the twenty-some children were gathered at the back of the small caravan, all except for two.


    The elected leader of the commoners, a middle-aged human, broke off from the rest and walked up to Loh. He bowed deeply, ¡°I cannot thank you enough for your generosity, Miss Noir. Our families are forever grateful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The magic academy has chosen several small caravans to escort through Dusk Valley. We aren¡¯t doing it out of generosity, we simply are testing our students to see if they are adequate enough to guard a few wagons. If I were you I would be worried that the students aren¡¯t as skilled as they think themselves to be.¡±


    The man smiled, ¡°None of the three families you see here have the coin to afford to hire a single guard, let alone a proper escort. I rather have a retinue of young magi escorting us than none at all.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Loh shrugged.


    A high-pitch scream caught their attention. A small blur fell off a nearby rooftop and landed in a sprawl of limbs in the middle of the street. The gate¡¯s guards pulled out their swords and rushed the intruders.


    ¡°Stop! Those two idiots are mine,¡± Loh called out.


    The guards looked at Loh with surprise, but quickly lowered their swords. They knew better than to argue with a mage, much less a daughter of a Ruling Family.


    Loh pushed past the guards and stared at the two instigators with a look of shame, ¡°Do I even want to know?¡±


    Kithina rubbed her head, ¡°I have literally been pushed off of buildings for yellow training hundreds of times. And yet this was somehow so much worse. I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±


    Stryg dusted off his pants with a calm demeanor, ¡°Oh, hi, master. The roads were blocked by a bunch of people.¡±


    ¡°So you decided to jump from one rooftop to another?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to get late,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°We are in the Commoner District, the houses around here are old, their roofs are old. It didn¡¯t cross your mind of how dangerous that could be?¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°No? It was fine,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°The roof collapsed under us and we fell into someone¡¯s house. Twice,¡± Kithina frowned.


    ¡°But we weren¡¯t in danger,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And that makes it so much better,¡± Kithina rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, you left two houses with broken roofs back there?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Kitty made me throw a few gold coins at them for repairs.¡±


    ¡°It was the least we could do, those little kids are gonna have nightmares for years,¡± Kithina grimaced.


    ¡°Kids?¡± Loh raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°We fell into a kid¡¯s bedroom, no one got hurt,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Loh sighed, ¡°Kithina, go join the others. I need to have a word with my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± Kithina got up and left.


    Stryg raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Look, before you say anything, I just want to let you know I was trying to practice my magic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care why you were jumping off rooftops. I need to talk to you real quick before you leave.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Oh, in that case, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Loh glanced around to make sure no one was listening, ¡°Look, everyone knows that your class¡¯ final is to go out into Dusk Valley and escort this caravan. A real escort mission, with no one to look after you. You all will be out on your own.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m very grateful for the trust you have placed in us, in me. I know this mission is simple, but I will try my hardest. I promise I won¡¯t fail you, master,¡± Stryg said with an earnest smile.


    She swallowed, ¡°Um, yeah, you see, the thing is¡­ I wanted to tell you¡­ We actually have a secret team of master magi at the ready to protect your class.¡±


    His smile died, the light in his eyes dimmed, ¡°You don¡¯t think we can succeed? When it really counts, you don¡¯t think I can succeed¡­¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. This is just in case something goes wrong. There are several promising students in your class, including you. My grandfather doesn¡¯t want anything bad happening to any of you.¡±


    ¡°Lord Noir is in charge of protecting us?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Well, no. Actually, I am in charge of the team¡­¡±


    ¡°So you really don¡¯t believe in me,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Stryg, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just¡­ Ugh, look none of that matters right now. We don¡¯t have time to waste, everyone is waiting for us. I¡¯ll try to be brief. My team is already outside the city, hiding in the hills. Once you leave with the caravan I will join my team and we will follow you from a distance. Normally, if something were to go wrong we could intervene immediately.¡±


    ¡°You mean if we fail and can¡¯t handle a few bandits,¡± Stryg bit his lip.


    ¡°Shut up and listen to me. You¡¯re all going to be traveling through the Widow¡¯s Crag. The area is made up of fells and sharp peaks that overlook the Dire River. It can be easy to get lost if you don¡¯t stick to the river. My point is, the terrain makes it hard to track you. Once the caravan enters the area we may not be able to find you. Now, Vayu will be coming with my team, so tracking you all should not be a problem thanks to Vayu¡¯s hawk. But just in case, I think we should have a designated meeting spot for emergencies.¡±


    Loh raised her index fingers, ¡°There are two particularly sharp cliffs towards the end of Widow¡¯s Crag. They are easy to spot, you won¡¯t miss them. If something goes wrong, go to the first sharp cliff. I¡¯ll be there. The two sharp cliffs are quite a distance away from each other, so remember, go to the first cliff, not the second. Okay? Stryg, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m listening,¡± his eyes were downcast. ¡°Sharp cliff¡­ got it.¡±


    Loh¡¯s chest felt tight. She had seen many of Stryg¡¯s expressions. His anger and frustration were common, as was his confusion. She was used to them, even his rare smile was becoming more common. But she never expected the gut-wrenching feeling tearing at her insides from the sight of Stryg¡¯s utter dejection.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Hundreds of words flew through her mind at once. She wanted to tell him that despite his antics and erratic behavior she had come to admire his undying loyalty and had grown to care for him deeply. She wanted to tell him that he was like the younger brother she never had. That she had volunteered to be in charge of the backup team because she didn¡¯t trust anyone else with his safety.


    She wanted Stryg to know that she saw herself in him, the struggles, the pain, the desire to be seen as enough. Loh wanted to say this and so much more, yet when she opened her mouth not a single word slipped out.


    When she tried to express her feelings, her heart clenched. She had been guarded for so long, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°My class is waiting for me, I should go... I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t good enough,¡± Stryg bowed his head and walked away.


    ~~~


    The caravan had been traveling for several days and had stopped for the night near a cliff in Widow¡¯s Crag. The commoners had built their fires a few dozen paces away from the mageborn students.


    Stryg sat next to his classmates around one campfire. While the class had several campfires, Stryg¡¯s group stayed away from the rest. The group remembered how the other students had run away in the mock escort test. Stryg and the others didn¡¯t want anything to do with those cowards.


    Despite being escorted by the magi, the commoners didn¡¯t converse with them at all, save for their leader. Most of Stryg¡¯s classmates came from middle-class or upper-class society; they weren¡¯t accustomed to talking to common folk. Stryg wasn¡¯t interested in speaking with them either. The humans kept giving him strange looks every time they thought he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Although, if Stryg was being honest with himself, he wasn¡¯t interested in talking with anyone.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that Hollow Shade¡¯s flag could be a bit more friendly,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Our city is surrounded by a wall infested with shades, literal flesh-eating monsters,¡± Callum Veres frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my point! People are terrified of us and having a flag depicting a black sun with a skull at the center doesn¡¯t help inspire good relations with the outside world.¡±


    ¡°My family¡¯s crest is a skull being stabbed by Krikolm,¡± Callum furrowed his brow.


    ¡°And people are terrified of House Veres too. Do you see what I¡¯m getting at? If our city¡¯s flag was at least more friendly-looking then maybe they wouldn¡¯t be so scared of us.¡±


    ¡°I think this dwarf commoner is missing the point entirely,¡± Freya Goldelm shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, just because I was born a commoner I can¡¯t have an opinion, huh, Gold-Eyes!?¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°Who the fuck said you could call me that!¡± Freya shot to her feet.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s been calling you that, not my fault you aren¡¯t paying attention,¡± Kithina stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Freya, most of the 2nd-years have been calling you that behind your back,¡± Callum admitted.


    ¡°Wha?¡± Freya¡¯s face turned beet red.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute,¡± Nora Azol smiled.


    ¡°I hate all of you,¡± Freya spat.


    ¡°Kegrog, how much longer for the food?¡± Clypeus Gale asked.


    ¡°Well, if any of you could actually help me cook it¡¯d already be done,¡± the tall orc grumbled as he stirred the pot above the fire.


    ¡°None of us really know how to cook though,¡± Nora shrugged.


    ¡°Useless, all of you,¡± Kegrog muttered.


    Freya¡¯s stomach growled.


    Kegrog cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯ll have the food ready in a bit.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks,¡± Freya mumbled.


    As everyone spoke with one another, Stryg simply enjoyed the cool evening breeze that blew through the camp, sending the smoke high into the air.


    His eyes spotted something purple in the grass near the cliff¡¯s edge. He quietly got up and left. As he neared the edge he noticed a couple of flowers growing amidst the rocky terrain. Purple petals with gold streaks curled out from the stem and revealed a bright red center.


    ¡°I never took you as a flower kind of guy,¡± Clypeus stood a few feet behind him.


    Stryg glanced at the vampire, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you back there with the others?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing. You¡¯ve been distant throughout the entire trip. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine. These flowers caught my eye,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Clypeus crouched next to him and admired the flower, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you saw it from all the way back there. Even my eyes can¡¯t see that well in the dark.¡±


    ¡°You know my senses are sharper than most.¡±


    ¡°Still, impressive.¡± Clypeus brushed one of the petals, ¡°This flower is pretty special, you know?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for a flower kind of guy,¡± Stryg grinned half-heartedly.


    ¡°Meh, I dabble. Most green magi do,¡± Clypeus shrugged.


    ¡°So what¡¯s so special about this flower?¡±


    ¡°Its incredible resiliency. Have you noticed that the only flora around this rocky region is the grass? And even that only exists because the root-bison herds infuse life into this place when they pass.¡±


    ¡°But this flower is still here?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s the only flower you will find around these parts. Despite the rocky soil and lack of nutrients, the plant manages to push past all of that and still grow tall. Its beauty is a testament to its resiliency.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I just came here because I thought the flower looked nice. I didn¡¯t want a whole speech,¡± Stryg chuckled.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who asked.¡±


    ¡°...Feli¡¯s favorite color is purple,¡± Stryg picked one of the flowers and tucked it safely away in his jacket pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯d pick one too, but Nora already has enough flowers. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, her family¡¯s crest is literally a bellflower,¡± Clypeus laughed.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched, ¡°Sounds like the food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back down then, I¡¯m starving,¡± Clypeus stood up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name anyway?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°The flower''s name.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re called plumelas.¡±


    Stryg paused in his steps, ¡°...Is that right?¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg and Clypeus made their way back to the campfire and grabbed a bowl of stew each.


    ¡°Look who finally decided to show. Did our team captain get cold feet?¡± Freya asked snidely.


    ¡°Yep, I was ready to jump right off the edge of the cliff. But then I decided to just piss off the edge. Quite liberating actually,¡± Clypeus grinned.


    Freya mumbled something under her breath and kept eating.


    ¡°Welcome back, you guys. We were just talking about what we were going to do after the exam. As for me, I¡¯m gonna take a looong bath,¡± Kithina said in a reminiscent tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go visit my family in Meadow Bloom for the summer,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°A nice vacation in one of the prettiest towns in Dusk Valley, I¡¯m envious,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d come with, but I¡¯m going to be busy training this summer,¡± Clypeus sighed.


    ¡°Same, my master has training lessons set up for me all summer long,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to relax a bit. Believe me, it¡¯ll help your mental state in the long run. Or not, it would be pretty funny seeing you all collapse in exhaustion,¡± Freya smiled.


    ¡°Speaking of exhaustion, my legs are killing me,¡± Kithina grimaced. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the teachers let us use centaurs or even bring our own supplies? Had we been riding centaurs we would have already been back now.¡±


    ¡°They wanted to give us the authentic experience of a caravan guard,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°They are trying to prepare us for whatever trials Undergrowth has at next year¡¯s mage tourney,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Except only four students of our entire year will be chosen to go. We don¡¯t all have to be put under this stress,¡± Nora groaned.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Kithina nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re all too soft,¡± Stryg scowled.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Freya nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s a first,¡± Callum noted.


    Stryg looked at each one of their faces in the firelight, ¡°You all simply want to finish this exam and go home, while ignoring the whole reason we are out here, to become powerful magi. I for one am not here to do the bare minimum. I am here to become the most powerful mage among you. I will qualify for next year¡¯s tourney and I will be the one to win it all.¡±


    Clypeus cleared his throat and pointed at Stryg, ¡°What he said.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something I can drink to,¡± Callum raised his mug.


    They all cheered and raised their mugs. Nora spat out her drink and wretched. She vomited on the grass as she heaved painfully. Kegrog dropped his food, quickly got behind Nora, held her hair up, and rubbed her back.


    ¡°Cly, get over here,¡± Kegrog called out.


    Clypeus stood stock still, his mouth gaping open like a fish.


    After a few long painful moments, Nora¡¯s stomach was empty.


    ¡°...Nora, are you?¡± Kithina whispered.


    Nora paled as she noticed Clypeus¡¯ shocked expression.


    Nora pushed herself to her feet and walked off into the dark. Everyone¡¯s eyes slowly turned to Clypeus.


    Kithina raised her mug, ¡°Um, congratulations?¡±

 Chapter 177: Evening Surprise

    Chapter 177: Evening Surprise


    Clypeus chased after Nora into the dark. The full moon¡¯s silver light made it easy for his vampiric night vision to spot her. She hadn¡¯t gone very far, she was crouched behind a rock, with her head between her knees. The grass helped camouflage her, but her brown hair, flowing in the breeze, gave her away.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Clypeus sighed in relief.


    He sat down in front of her amidst the tall grass and smiled. Nora glared at him and turned her back.


    ¡°You¡¯re angry at me?¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°You just stood there, Cly, you just stood there! You think it wasn¡¯t embarrassing for me? Vomiting my guts out while everyone stared and my fianc¨¦ watching with his mouth hanging open like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? I didn¡¯t know!¡±


    Tears filled her eyes. ¡°Neither did Kegrog, but that didn¡¯t stop him from helping me!¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. Kegrog is a good friend. I should have helped,¡± Clypeus sighed.


    Nora wiped her eyes.


    ¡°I thought this couldn¡¯t happen with you drinking the tea.¡±


    ¡°The red spell isn¡¯t perfect. Sometimes the tea fails,¡± Nora¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    ¡°...How long have you known?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°There were signs, I had suspicions, but I wasn¡¯t sure until a few minutes ago,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°You found out with everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± she sniffed.


    He winced, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?¡±


    ¡°Because of you and your family! You always talk about how the Gales have bred their lineage solely for the purpose of strength. You literally planned on taking a vampiress as your second wife, a woman you don¡¯t even know, just so you could breed perfect little children with her.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were okay with that? You knew I was a Gale. My family has responsibilities as the Shield of Veres. We must have a strong line of magi to serve the Veres family and keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I¡¯m fine with you having children with others. You¡¯re not the only one from a Great House. I have several half-siblings too, most aristocrats do. But did you ever once think how humiliating it was for me to constantly hear you tell others how I wasn¡¯t good enough? That because I was a human I would never equal your vampire bride?¡±


    Clypeus wrinkled his brow, ¡°Vampires are physically stronger and faster than humans. We even live longer. That¡¯s a fact. I don¡¯t know why that would bother you.¡±


    ¡°You really are an idiot,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an IDIOT! You think being stronger and faster somehow makes a person better than another? We all have our strengths. You just never even bothered to look at them. The Tempest Archmage chose me as her apprentice. Me. Not some vampire, not a drow, not an orc, she chose me, a human. Not that any of that mattered to you. You always thought humans were inadequate, inferior.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, you did, even if you didn¡¯t realize it. I didn¡¯t want our child to grow up believing they weren''t good enough for their father.¡±


    Clypeus took a deep breath, ¡°I never thought you weak, Nora. And if we do¡­ have a child, I will be proud to be their father¡­ Although, if we have a child, they will inherit the responsibility of the Gales. They will have to dedicate their lives to House Veres, you understand don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have our child inherit the Azol family name. I won¡¯t have them grow up being subject to your family¡¯s beliefs.¡±


    Clypeus shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know if my family would be okay with that. This situation is more complex than you think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out, with or without you,¡± Nora bit her lip.


    Clypeus grabbed her hand, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Nora¡­ I¡¯m just afraid of losing you. Many mothers of hybrids don¡¯t survive labor. Look at Stryg and Callum, neither of them grew up with their mothers. That isn¡¯t a coincidence, that¡¯s a mortality rate.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Nora shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve thought this over a lot more than you realize. I¡¯ve looked into hybrid births. Almost none of the births are well recorded. That¡¯s when I realized something. Of course they aren¡¯t recorded, because hybrids are shunned by most societies. Stryg once mentioned how he was shunned in his own tribe for how he looked. The only reason Callum has a semblance of a normal life is that he is the son of Lord Veres and even then people talk behind his back.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying people don¡¯t know much about hybrids because people don¡¯t want to. Hybrids have always lived at the edge of society, pariahs, alone. Last I checked, the chance of any mother¡¯s survival is greatly increased if she has people looking after her and has proper medical attention. Do you think a woman giving birth to a hybrid has a midwife? A white mage healer? Even a family to look after her? No. Because most women are thrown out by their families when they are found to be pregnant with a hybrid.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the reason hybrid mothers die more often in labor is that they didn¡¯t have proper medical care? Then what about Callum¡¯s mother?¡±


    Nora swallowed, ¡°Callum¡¯s mother was one of the many lesser wives of Lord Veres.¡±


    ¡°And? Lord Veres would not have let her die. He loved her.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Lord Veres loved a human woman. How do you think that would have made the other wives feel? I talked to Callum, I asked him if his father was there when he was born. Callum said no. Lord Veres was out in Dusk Valley, fighting tribal raiders.¡±


    Clypeus felt a shiver run up his spine, ¡°...I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°When the Lord of a House is gone, who wields power in his absence? His siblings? They all died during the battle for succession. So who takes power next? His children? They were all still very young. So who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°The primary wife¡­¡±


    ¡°A vampiress aristocrat from Frost Rim known for her pride and beauty. Do you think a woman like her would stand by and do nothing when her husband¡¯s love was focused on another? Did she not have the power to keep the healers away from Callum¡¯s mother? Could she not have covered up her tracks?¡±


    ¡°Nora, be careful with your words. What you are suggesting is close to treason against the Veres family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. No one would dare question the primary wife of the powerful Lord Veres.¡±


    Clypeus shook his head, ¡°Even still, a Gale surely would have been placed to guard Callum¡¯s mother during labor. They would have made sure to keep her alive.¡±


    ¡°Would they? Because last I checked the Gales only protect the Veres, they don¡¯t care about others. Callum is a Veres, not his mother.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re implying one of my family members looked the other way while his charge was left to die. I won¡¯t tolerate such dishonor to the Gale name,¡± Clypeus scowled.


    Nora glared at him, ¡°I¡¯m just saying the whole thing is suspicious. I don¡¯t plan on being left in the same position as Callum''s mother. I will give birth in House Azol¡¯s mansion among Azol servants.¡±


    ¡°Nora¡­¡±


    ¡°You always ask me if I trust you. And I always say yes. I¡¯m asking you to trust me now.¡±


    ¡°I trust you¡­ but, this is¡­¡±


    Nora¡¯s small shoulders trembled, she bit her lip, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We are in the middle of an exam. We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we should talk about this now.¡±


    Nora shifted away from him and walked back to the camp without another word. Clypeus watched her go, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, he frowned.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m guessing you heard all of that. Can you come here, please?¡±


    A few moments later the tall grass shook and parted to reveal a sheepish blue face.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to listen. I was eating my food next to the others, but everyone was quiet, and Nora and you were really loud,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± Clypeus sighed. ¡°So, what do you think about all of this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know very much about the hierarchy between the primary wife and the other wives. Not that it¡¯s very relevant, but back in Bloodfang, I once saw First Mother kill a hunter who groped the ass of Second Mother. No one ever dared grope one of the Mothers again.¡±


    ¡°As interesting as that sounds I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very helpful in this situation,¡± Clypeus rubbed his face.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Clypeus groaned, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Stryg sat next to him and plucked out a few blades of grass, ¡°... I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to have actual parents. Sylvan goblins don¡¯t know their parents. The Mothers say it¡¯s for the best. Maybe they''re right. Although, sometimes I think, maybe it would have been nice to have known them. Kitty once told me parents are people who love you without you having to do anything to earn it. I know that doesn¡¯t sound very realistic, but it sounds nice.¡±


    Clypeus stared at him in surprise.


    Stryg tilted his head to the side. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ You can be very wise sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stryg blinked.


    Clypeus laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m stressing out so much. I thin-¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Stryg raised his hand.


    He shut his mouth and glanced at the surrounding grass with a sharp eye.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°Footsteps, a lot of them,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Where are they coming from?¡±


    ¡°Everywhere.¡±


    Clypeus¡¯ eyes widened, ¡°They¡¯re surrounding us. Nora.¡±


    The vampire dashed away without a second thought.


    Stryg closed his eyes and let black mana flow from his heart and into his veins. Shadows curled around his body. He took off his shoes and let his toes feel the rock and dirt underneath. Stryg darted through the tall grass, obscured from sight.


    ~~~


    A man in a cloak of mottled green slowly made his way through the cliffside towards the campfires in the near distance. He heard a soft rustling behind him. He looked back. Five sharp claws dug into his neck and slashed his throat. The man toppled over, clutching at his throat as the blood spurted out. A shadowy figure loomed over him, obscuring the sight of the moon. All the man saw were two cold lilac eyes staring back at him.


    An explosion of fire and thunder roared in the distance. Stryg¡¯s eyes shot up, dozens of cloaked warriors rushed the campsite. Countless screams echoed through his ears.

 Chapter 178: Twin Gambit

    Chapter 178: Twin Gambit


    The beating heart felt warm in Stryg¡¯s hand. He wrapped his fingers around the organ and ripped his hand out from between the woman¡¯s ribs. She choked on her own blood and collapsed at his feet. Stryg threw the heart aside and surveyed the carnage.


    The campsite had fallen into utter chaos. The ambushers had managed to cause massive casualties before Stryg and the other magi students were able to finish them off.


    The wagons had been badly damaged or burned down altogether. The centaurs had fared no better, they all lay dead, several arrows and spear sticking out of them. Over half the humans they were escorting had been murdered. Spouses hugged their dead loved ones and shook in silence. Mothers wailed in utter misery as they held their dead children. Toddlers cried for their parents that would never respond.


    Stryg had never seen anything like this. He was no stranger to violence and death. But the pain in all of those anguished voices was something he wasn¡¯t accustomed to. It bothered him.


    ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Kegrog. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Clypeus was wounded, but he¡¯ll be fine. Freya and Callum are healing him now.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The orc held his bow with a shaky grip, ¡°There was so much going on, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Stryg ran past the tall archer and searched for his best friend.


    Clypeus was sitting down on a barrel, shirtless. Bright red scorch marks streaked across his chest. Nora held his hand, her eyes were puffy. Freya and Callum stood next to Clypeus, infusing the injured vampire with healing spells.


    Stryg gritted his teeth, ¡°Cly, what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey, Stryg. Didn¡¯t notice you,¡± Clypeus grimaced.


    ¡°Stay still, healing a wound like this isn¡¯t easy,¡± Frey glared at him.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Nora, what happened to him?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...There was a blue mage hidden among the enemy. He could cast storm spells,¡± Nora said with a sore voice.


    ¡°He was going for Callum. I tried pushing Callum out of the way, but I got hit instead,¡± Clypeus winced.


    ¡°I said stay still,¡± Freya warned.


    ¡°Clypeus would be dead if it hadn¡¯t been for his yellow durability spell,¡± Callum said quietly.


    ¡°The scales weren¡¯t able to handle the full brunt of the blow,¡± Nora bit her lip.


    Stryg stared at the burns on the vampire¡¯s chest, ¡°I see... Where is the blue mage?¡±


    ¡°Kitty killed the bastard. She blasted him away with a wind spell, he got impaled on a wooden spike from one of the broken wagons. Serves him well,¡± venom dripped from Nora¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Kitty seems shaken up about it, I think it may have been her first kill,¡± Clypeus noted.


    Stryg spotted Kithina, she sat hunched over by herself in the distance.


    ¡°I said stop moving, dammit! We aren¡¯t professional healers!¡± Freya yelled. She pinched Clypeus¡¯ cheek.


    ¡°Ow! Shit, alright, I get it,¡± Clypeus winced.


    The spokesperson of the human families stomped over to them.


    ¡°What happened!? What in all the damn Null Realms is happening?¡± The man screamed.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect this, same as you,¡± Nora sighed.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he the leader here?¡± The man pointed at Clypeus. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you prepared for this? Wasn¡¯t this your job? Your only job?!¡±


    ¡°We were ambushed, clearly,¡± Stryg stepped in front of Clypeus. ¡°If you have something else to say, say it to me and we can deal with this one-on-one.¡±


    The man¡¯s snarl broke apart and he fell to his knees in tears, ¡°They killed my son... He was only 4, he was just a child!¡±


    The anger in Stryg¡¯s chest died away, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°We need to get out of here, before more come,¡± Clypeus muttered.


    ¡°There are more of those murderers?¡± The man said anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why we have to move,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Where do we go? The wagons and centaurs are gone, half the families are dead, and we¡¯ve lost five classmates. We aren¡¯t in great conditions to keep fighting,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°We should head back,¡± Callum suggested.


    Freya shook her head, ¡°No, we¡¯re far closer to our destination. We should reach the town by morning if we travel through the night. It¡¯s a full moon, there¡¯s enough light to stay on the trail.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if the enemies were working alone. For all we know they may be part of a Valley tribe, one that¡¯s taken over Widow¡¯s Crag. Going deeper into this region could be more dangerous,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it going to be, Cly?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°You both make good points, I¡¯ll need to think about it,¡± Clypeus admitted.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to think. What if more enemies come? We need to move now!¡± The commoners¡¯ leader yelled.


    Clypeus narrowed his eyes, ¡°Look around. Do you see any master magi? Any armies? No? I am truly sorry for your loss, but let me make it clear to you, we are alone out here. And if we don''t assess this situation properly, we may all die out here. You still have other family members, think of them first.¡±


    His face was filled with pain, but he nodded, ¡°...I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good man. I need you to go rally your people and prepare them for travel,¡± Clypeus said.


    He left without another word.


    ¡°We really are fucked aren¡¯t we?¡± Kegrog walked over.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Clypeus sighed.


    ¡°...There may be another way,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My master told me, before we left, that she had assembled a team of magi to follow us from afar, in case something went wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so we aren¡¯t actually alone out here? Oh, thank the gods,¡± Freya said in relief.


    ¡°Then where are they? Why didn¡¯t they show up when we were under attack?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us any of this sooner?¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°Because¡­ Because I didn¡¯t want their help.¡± Stryg inhaled deeply, ¡°But now people are in danger and I¡¯m not sure we can defend them. My master told me of a rendezvous point at the end of Widow¡¯s Crag. There are two sharp cliffs, we¡¯re supposed to go to the first one, I think.¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°You think?¡± Freya said incredulously.


    ¡°I think it was the first cliff. She might have said the second¡­¡±


    ¡°Stryg, we need to know for sure. We can¡¯t take any chances. If you''re wrong, we could all be in danger,¡± Clypeus said sternly.


    Stryg nodded. He wished he had paid more attention to Loh. ¡°...It¡¯s the first cliff, it has to be.¡±


    Clypeus nodded ¡°...Okay, I trust you. We¡¯ll go to the rendezvous.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Cal. I think we¡¯ve done good enough,¡± Freya lowered her hands and released the healing spell. ¡°Cly, you¡¯ll have some burn scars, but you should have full movement of your arms and chest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Clypeus stood up and rolled his shoulders.


    ¡°...Thank you for saving me, Cly,¡± Callum swallowed.


    Clypeus patted his shoulder, ¡°I am a Gale, you are a Veres. Enough said.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Callum smiled bitterly.


    ¡°We should get moving,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, let¡¯s go,¡± Clypeus said.


    The others nodded.


    ~~~


    Loh Noir walked past the scorched corpses strewn about her. She ignored the scent of burnt flesh and focused on the tall grass surrounding her group.


    ¡°Are there any more of them?¡±


    Tauri Katag walked up beside her, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, not in this scouting group at least. Vayu tells me he¡¯s spotted several other scouting parties in the surrounding areas.¡±


    The orc¡¯s flail hung at her hip, the spiked metal orb at the chain¡¯s end was covered in blood.


    Loh stared at the smoke rising from the south, ¡°We need to keep moving. That fire is from Stryg¡¯s camp.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Vayu¡¯s hawk already confirmed Stryg and the others managed to deal with the enemy scout group that ambushed them. They took some losses, but Stryg and the other six tourney candidates seem to be fine.¡±


    ¡°For now, but there are dozens of tribal scouting parties out here. It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Loh said grimly.


    ¡°And we¡¯ve eliminated each group that has come towards the students, well, except for the first one. But the students handled themselves,¡± Tauri raised her hand and clenched her fist.


    ¡°Fighting all these other enemies has cost us precious time. We should have been with the students by now. We need to move already.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on Vayu. And I think Gete is reanimating some corpses,¡± Tauri.


    Vayu Glaz was crouched over the last remaining tribal scout. The wounded raider had been tied up and was helpless as Vayu¡¯s purple mind tendrils wrapped around her head.


    After a few more minutes Vayu released the mind spell and opened his eyes.


    ¡°So, did you find anything out? Why are there so many raiders out here?¡± Loh asked impatiently.


    Vayu wrung his hands, ¡°The woman and all her teammates are from the Cairn Tribe.¡±


    ¡°Cairn Tribe? What are they doing this south in the Valley?¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I should have made these bastards¡¯ deaths far more painful,¡± Tauri snarled.


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°The scout does not know very much. It seems her orders were kept fairly vague. All she knows is that her captain along with every other scout team¡¯s captain were given orders to scour the surrounding areas to ensure the safety of the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Meeting? What is that about?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, the woman clearly doesn¡¯t know, I searched her memories. All she knows is that there is a meeting with the Adder Tribe and it takes place at dawn,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°The Adder Tribe? Aren¡¯t they one of the most powerful of the Dusk Valley Tribes?¡± Tauri recalled.


    ¡°They are,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°Vayu, has your hawk spotted anything?¡±


    Vayu closed his eyes, purple arcane sigils flared across his neck and temple, the symbol of binding magic, ¡°There are dozens of scouting parties crawling all over Widow¡¯s Crag. None of them seem to be going near the students.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we killed the ones that tried,¡± Tauri grinned maliciously.


    ¡°Yes, although the problem is that the students seem to be moving off the trail. They are still moving towards the Dire River, but not towards the town,¡± Vayu furrowed his brow.


    ¡°They are going to the 1st sharp cliff at the end of Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Because I told Stryg to. In case anything went wrong he was supposed to meet up with us there. Good lad, he listened,¡± Loh smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad plan, the students are actually moving away from the scouting parties. They should be fairly safe. The problem is they are moving away from us too. We¡¯ll probably have to fight a few enemies before we reach them,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving,¡± Tauri grabbed her flail.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°Vayu, how fast can your hawk get back to Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fast one, it should only take a few hours,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Good. I want you to write a note, attach it to your hawk, and send him back to my grandfather,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°The distance is far. My binding spell will be broken,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°No. My hawk is trained, he¡¯ll get the message to Hollow Shade. I just won¡¯t be able to communicate with him until he¡¯s back,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough. We need to inform my grandfather of the current situation. Something doesn¡¯t feel right, there are too many Cairn scouts in the area,¡± Loh said.


    Vayu¡¯s back tensed. His jaw went slack.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°My hawk spotted a lone wagon in the distance. I think the person inside is heading to meet the Adder Tribe,¡± Vayu muttered.


    ¡°In a wagon? That seems odd. Aren¡¯t meetings between tribes usually done on centaur-back?¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Why do you think the wagon is going to be meeting with the Adder Tribe?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°...Because the wagon has a white and black flag on it,¡± Vayu admitted.


    A shiver ran up Loh¡¯s spine, ¡°That¡¯s not just a random meeting. It¡¯s a negotiation between two chiefs.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Lord Marek is on that wagon?¡± Tauri trembled with fury.


    Vayu nodded slowly, ¡°The white and black flag represents a negotiation of the utmost importance to the Valley people. Usually, only a tribe¡¯s chief would lead such a meeting. If Lord Marek is in the wagon, it would explain why there are so many Cairn warriors out here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here to protect their lord,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°We should go kill him right now,¡± Tauri gripped her flail tight.


    ¡°No. Our sole mission is to protect the students,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°You said it yourself, the students are running away from the enemy, they will be fine,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Even still, we can¡¯t attack the wagon. Lord Marek may have an arch-mage on his side. Who knows what other enemies could be hiding in that wagon? It¡¯s too risky,¡± Vayu shook his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth the risk? Killing the head of the Cairn Tribe right here and now, while he is exposed?¡± Tauri argued.


    ¡°No. It is not. We are not simply aristocrats in the city, right now we are soldiers at war, and our mission¡¯s sole goal is the protection of the students. Tauri, you are a daughter of House Katag, the greatest warrior family in all of Hollow Shade. You of all people should understand the significance of duty,¡± Vayu said sternly.


    Tauri grimaced in shame. She straightened her back and saluted, ¡°Forgive me, captain Glaz. I spoke out of turn and let my emotions get the better of me. I will cease my foolish behavior and obey my commanding officers.¡±


    Vayu nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°...Tauri has a point,¡± Loh mumbled.


    Vayu did a double-take, ¡°What?¡±


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°Widow¡¯s Crag is not under the influence of any Valley Tribe. This is neutral land. The Cairn and Adder tribes are meeting at dawn. Tomorrow is the summer solstice, a sacred day for the Valley people. Which means Lord Marek and the Adder Tribe are following the old ways of the Valley Tribes. This is a sacred negotiation, each leader is only allowed one bodyguard. Nothing more. At best Marek is with one arch-mage.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about Valley tribal customs?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve studied my enemy extensively.¡±


    ¡°Loh, even still, we have our mission,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°...Including the three of us, our fighting force comprises eight master magi and two high-masters, along with ten centaurs. We could most likely overwhelm an arch-mage and Lord Marek,¡± Loh muttered.


    Vayu grabbed her arm, ¡°Think of our past mistakes, think of what they¡¯ve cost us.¡±


    ¡°...I am,¡± Loh swallowed.


    ¡°Then you know what the right choice is,¡± Vayu whispered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Commander!¡± The black mage Gete called out. ¡°I finished reanimating the few corpses I could, the rest were too burnt. We¡¯re all ready to go, just say the word.¡±


    Vayu¡¯s fire drake lumbered over behind him. The giant lizard stared at Loh curiously. Vayu nodded to Loh.


    Tauri bowed her head, ¡°Commander Noir, what are your orders?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Is this illusion barrier really necessary?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vaughn said curtly. His hands flared with purple magic as he maneuvered the illusionary bubble around them while they walked.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a strange hawk flying overhead. It just left but I still don¡¯t trust this area,¡± Dawn observed.


    ¡°Your safety is our priority, I think the twins have the right idea. The illusion hides our presence from any potential threats,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°We have our scouts out there and we haven¡¯t spotted anyone, I think we¡¯re all just a little stressed out about the Adder meeting. Crow and Kyriil will be fine,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even going to talk about that idiot elf nor the bird-man. What about the scouts that haven¡¯t reported back yet? That doesn¡¯t seem fine to me,¡± Nokuti crossed her arms.


    ¡°Fair point. Lysaila, Grim, take a few men and go find out what happened,¡± Marek ordered.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± the tall axlean bowed.


    ¡°This is why you don¡¯t send humans to do a night mission. Come on, Grim. Let¡¯s go pick out some vampires. I bet those human scouts fell asleep,¡± Lysaila slithered away.


    ¡°The night is young, we still have many hours till morning. I suggest you get some rest, Marek, while you can. I''ll stand watch,¡± Nokuti said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t wish to sleep while everyone else is working. We¡¯ve only just begun.¡±

 Chapter 179: A Brief Moment of Bliss

    Chapter 179: A Brief Moment of Bliss


    The young drow walked down the busy streets of the Commoner District with a spring to his step. The sun was shining bright and a cool wind passed through the crowds. He munched on a roasted fish he had bought at one of the markets. His family didn¡¯t care much for the commoner food stalls, but he quite liked it.


    A young woman ran through the crowds.


    He turned just in time to hear her yell, ¡°Surprise!¡±


    She jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly. He stumbled, his feet tottered to the side, but he managed to find his footing.


    ¡°That was dangerous,¡± he sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Riri. What¡¯s life without a bit of surprise?¡± Ismene nestled her jaw above his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see with your hair in my face,¡± Elzri smiled wryly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to see. All you need to do is give me a piggyback ride. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Onward, my loyal steed!¡± Ismene pointed her index finger to the sky.


    ¡°Yes, oh brave mage!¡± Elzri laughed.


    ¡°Gods, I love it when you do what I say,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he rolled his eyes and smirked. ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Wherever we want.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, I need to stop by my house to pick up a few things.¡±


    ¡°That drafty mansion? You really don¡¯t know how to take a girl out on a romantic date,¡± she pouted.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to take my lovely girlfriend out on a date, there are still a few things I need to take care of before we leave Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait? I haven¡¯t eaten breakfast and I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Elzri passed her his roasted fish. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already put it off for too long.¡±


    ¡°We still have two weeks before our ship sets sail. What is so important that it can¡¯t wait for a bit of breakfast?¡± Ismene said between bites.


    ¡°...I need to tell my father about our plans.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told him yet!? Riri,¡± Ismene flicked his pointy ear.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, I messed up. But you know how he can be,¡± Elzri sighed.


    ¡°Look, no matter how cold or scary Lord Noir seems, he is your father, and he loves you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand if you explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Welp, I was wrong. You clearly don¡¯t know how he can be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ignore that. What about your mom? Can¡¯t she put in a good word for you?¡±


    ¡°Hah! My father¡¯s wives only take his side, it¡¯s that simple.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe you can ask your siblings for help?¡±


    ¡°Aiden and Esletha are too busy competing against each other in everything. Little Una would usually help, but she doesn¡¯t want me to leave.¡±


    ¡°I really hate seeing Aiden and Esletha fight,¡± Ismene whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Elzri sighed.


    ¡°You know, you should really stop calling Una little, she¡¯s already 18.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my baby sister and she¡¯s still short. I¡¯ll call her little till I die,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°Or until she beats your ass with magic. I heard she tested very high in the chromatic identity test.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll beat me with magic,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Riri, I love you, you know I do. But let¡¯s face the facts. You''re already 28 and you''re still an adept.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that¡¯s completely normal among magi.¡±


    ¡°True, though not among Noir magi. Una will whoop your ass for sure,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°You really think so? I think Una likes me too much.¡±


    ¡°If you keep calling her little she definitely will. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ll keep you safe from all the big bad magi,¡± Ismene kissed his cheek.


    ¡°My hero,¡± Elzri smiled.


    She hopped off his back, ¡°I should get going, I gotta do a bit of studying at the library.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not coming with me?¡±


    ¡°To talk to Lord Noir? Gods, no. I¡¯m not family, he¡¯ll eat me alive. I¡¯ll pray to Stjerne to give you luck though,¡± she winked.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t believe in the gods,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°I know,¡± she kissed him and ran off.


    ¡°Not family, huh?¡± Elzri muttered.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden ring, ¡°Hopefully not for long.¡±


    ~~~


    Elzri knocked on the door of his father¡¯s study, ¡°May I come in?¡±


    ¡°Enter,¡± came a deep voice from the other side.


    Elzri pushed the door open and bowed, ¡°Hello, father. I wanted to tal- Una?¡±


    Lord Alastair Noir sat at his ornate desk as usual. Una sat across from him, wearing the traditional grey blouse and black skirt of the mage academy students.


    ¡°Hi, Riri. How do I look?¡± Una stood up and spun in a circle.


    ¡°The same as the last time I saw you with that uniform, this morning¡­¡±


    ¡°The lighting is different in this room. I have to make sure it still works. Daddy doesn¡¯t want to tell me,¡± Una placed her hands on her hips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste with your childish games, Una. Leave,¡± Alastair said in a cold tone.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯m going,¡± Una groaned dramatically.


    ¡°You look great,¡± Elzri whispered with a smile as she passed by him.


    Una¡¯s blue eyes lit up with happiness, ¡°I knew it! Oh, that reminds me, I¡¯m officially starting school on Monday. Could you give my friends and me a personal tour of the campus?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know, Una. I¡¯m going to be busy these next few days and I would rather set the magic academy on fire than step back on its campus,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Come on, please? My friends would be super impressed if I brought a full-fledged Noir mage to give us a tour,¡± Una said.


    ¡°Then ask Aiden or Esletha, they are far more impressive than me.¡±


    ¡°I did, but they both refused. You¡¯re my last hope, Riri. Please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Please, please, please? Pretty please!?¡± Una puffed her grey cheeks and stuck out her bottom quivering lip.


    ¡°Ah, not this again. I won¡¯t be broken, not this time. Wait, don¡¯t make those puppy eyes. I said stop. Stooop it. Stop it. Sto- Ugh, fine,¡± Elzri sighed.


    ¡°Thank you, Riri!¡± Una stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    Elzri pinched her grey cheeks and pulled them, ¡°Just promise me to study hard at the academy, okay?¡±


    ¡°I pwoomiishh.¡±


    A knock rang on the door. ¡°I have brought the tea.¡±


    ¡°Enter,¡± Alastair said.


    Elzri released Una as the door creaked open. A maid pushed in a cart with trays of snacks and tea.


    ¡°~Oooh, chocolate~¡± Una swiped up a couple of sweets from the tray.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Would you like some tea with those, young mistress?¡± The maid asked politely.


    ¡°Nah, I hate that bitter stuff. I¡¯m off, see ya later,¡± Una waved her goodbyes and skipped away in a bundle of energy.


    Elzri found himself smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re too soft on her,¡± Alastair noted.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a kid. She deserves to have it easy for a little while longer,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°You really are too soft. It will be the death of you,¡± Alastair said.


    ¡°Not this again,¡± Elzri sighed.


    Alastair patiently refrained from speaking as the maid served him tea.


    ¡°Young master, would you like some too?¡± She asked, teapot in hand.


    ¡°No, thank you. I already ate. I appreciate it though,¡± Elzri smiled.


    She blushed, ¡°You are very welcome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all, leave us,¡± Alastair narrowed his eyes.


    The maid quickly bowed and left the room.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why everyone is scared of you,¡± Elzri shook his head. ¡°Tell me, does it ever get lonely? Everyone being terrified of you?¡±


    ¡°Someday you will find fear is a very important tool to have in one¡¯s arsenal. And yes¡­ Being a Ruling House¡¯s leader comes at great personal costs. Solitude is one of the easier ones.¡±


    Elzri sat in the chair across from his father, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯ve been slacking off running around with that commoner girl, the state of the Realm has been deteriorating. There are whispers of House Thorn raising armies in Undergrowth for war against Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°What? War? When did this happen?¡± Elzri frowned.


    ¡°You have been gone for too long, your sight has shifted away from what is important,¡± Alastair sipped his tea.


    ¡°Father, I am grateful for everything you have done for me, truly, but I will not upend my life over some rumors.¡±


    Alastair slammed his fist on the desk, ¡°They are not rumors! House Glaz¡¯s spies have confirmed Thorn¡¯s armies. War is on the horizon. We must act very carefully if we are to avoid endless bloodshed. The rest of the city council and I have been discussing our choices. It¡¯s chaos, half of the city lords already wish to go to war without considering how many of our own people we will lose.¡±


    Elzri swallowed, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Alastair stared into his son¡¯s grey eyes, ¡°Do you remember what happened 10 years ago, the day you took your chromatic identity test? I do. It was the day everything changed. We both discovered your true potential. I wanted to hail you as a prodigy. I wanted to name you my heir, right then and there, but you refused. You begged me to keep your talent a secret.¡±


    Elzri bit his lip, ¡°Esletha and Aiden were already at each other¡¯s throats trying to prove themselves to you, trying to prove who was more worthy of being your heir. I didn¡¯t want to be a part of that.¡±


    ¡°And yet neither of them possess even half your talent. Someone like you hasn¡¯t appeared in the Noir family for centuries.¡±


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°I already told you, I have no interest in becoming your heir. This may come as a surprise to you, but I quite like having my siblings not hate me. If anyone knew of my abilities it would ruin everything I¡¯ve worked so hard to keep secret.¡±


    ¡°I know... That¡¯s why I have kept your secret all these years. I even hired master magi of all your chromatic colors to train you in secret, because I believed in you.¡±


    Elzri frowned, ¡°And I held up my end of the bargain. I mastered everything they had to teach. I passed every test they threw at me, no matter how cruel or dangerous they were.¡±


    ¡°And you became the powerful mage I knew you could be, my greatest pride,¡± Alastair smiled.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    Alastair¡¯s smile turned into a snarl, ¡°But then you allowed all those third-rate magi to ridicule you and call you a talentless nitwit in public! I know why you hate the mage academy. I know how those students treated you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how any of this matters anymore,¡± Elzri said quietly.


    Alastair shot to his feet, ¡°You could have ended all of those bumbling idiots who dared mock you. Yet you didn¡¯t. You kept your head down and pretended to be weak. Not because you were worried about what your siblings might think. No, you did it because you¡¯re soft. Well, no longer! Our family and this city are in danger. I need you by my side, my son. I need you to be the arch-mage you try so hard to hide.¡±


    Elzri took a deep breath, ¡°Father¡­ I am leaving Hollow Shade.¡±


    Alastair froze, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°In two weeks. I¡¯m boarding a ship on the Dire River.¡±


    Alastair chuckled, yet there was no mirth in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s that human girl, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Ismene and I plan on marrying her, father.¡±


    Alastair gritted his teeth, ¡°The only reason I tolerated you spending time with that wench is because she is a talented mage. I thought she might serve as an ally to House Noir in the future. I didn¡¯t think you would actually marry her! Have you forgotten your engagement with Glaz¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in marrying some posh aristocrat. I love the commoner girl who is brave and isn¡¯t afraid to speak her mind, no matter who is in the room. I love Ismene.¡±


    ¡°Elzri, she is a human. There is no future between you two.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to have children to be happy.¡±


    ¡°You need to have drow children to continue the family line!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you already I am not your heir. Make up your mind already and choose Aiden or Esletha as your successor. Let them continue the family line.¡±


    Alastair glared at him, ¡°You really are set on turning your back on this family. Maybe I should name Una my heir? Perhaps she would serve me better than your siblings.¡±


    Elzri stood up in a flash, shadows crawled over the walls, the room darkened. His eyes turned cold, ¡°Una is innocent. She does not want the Noir throne, nor should she be burdened with its cruel obligations. Keep her out of this or I swear I will do horrible things you never thought possible.¡±


    Alastair smiled, ¡°There is the man I need. Good, perhaps there is hope for you after all.¡±


    The shadows disappeared as quickly as they came.


    ¡°I am done with this conversation,¡± Elzri scowled and walked to the door.


    ¡°You have no idea what you are doing, you stupid boy! If we go to war, the docks will be closed, and Hollow Shade will draft magi into its army. Do you think a commoner-born mage will be able to escape? Your precious Ismene will be thrown into the front lines and she will be killed along with all the rest.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elzri stopped in front of the door.


    ¡°How many thousands of innocents do you think will die if war breaks out between our two Great Cities? It is our responsibility as members of House Noir to keep the people safe from horrors like war. That responsibility comes above all else. You cannot run from reality, nor from your responsibility. I am working tirelessly to prevent this war, but I need your help if I am to sucee-¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Elzri turned back.


    Alastair clutched at his throat, blood trickled down his nose. He collapsed to the floor.


    ¡°Father!¡± Elzri ran across the room.


    He pulled Alastair into his arms and began casting healing spells over him, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Father, what happened?!¡±


    Alastair glanced up at the desk, ¡°T-the¡­ tea.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s face paled, ¡°Poison.¡±


    Alastair coughed up blood.


    ¡°Somebody help! Lord Noir has fallen! Somebody, please help!¡± Elzri screamed.


    Alastair¡¯s eyes rolled up.


    ¡°N-no, father! Stay with me, father!¡±


    The healing spells seeped into Alastair¡¯s chest, his body did not seem to respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go!¡± Elzri cried.


    White light flared across Elzri¡¯s hands, Alastair grimaced, but he did not regain consciousness.


    ¡°No, stay with me, please!¡± Elzri wailed.


    His father began to convulse.


    ~~~


    The middle-aged drow sat on the bench, legs crossed. His tired grey eyes observed the flowers and trees in the courtyard with an expert¡¯s eye. When had been the last time he had worked on his own garden? He couldn¡¯t recall.


    The cold evening wind blew through the nearby administration¡¯s arches and past the courtyard. Elzri closed his eyes and breathed in the frosty air.


    The sharp sound of metal rasping against stone rattled through the garden. An elderly woman hobbled on the cobblestone path, ebony cane in hand.


    ¡°This is a pleasant surprise, what brings you here?¡± Elzri smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing, Riri,¡± Ismene muttered.


    She walked up to the bench and lightly smacked his legs. He scooted aside and made room for her. With a visible effort, she slowly sat down and sighed in relief.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep either, huh?¡± Ismene said quietly.


    ¡°Not at all, I simply wanted to get some fresh air. It¡¯s a beautiful night,¡± Elzri looked up at the full moon in all its glory.


    ¡°You are a terrible liar,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep because you¡¯re worried about the children too, eh?¡±


    ¡°...Is it that obvious?¡± He sighed.


    ¡°To me? Yes. To little Loh? Never.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it that way,¡± Elzri closed his eyes and leaned back.


    ¡°Plan on sleeping? Here?¡±


    ¡°Why not? With you watching my back I have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t children anymore, we always have things to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but I didn¡¯t let you sit here so you could regale me with the bitter truth.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Lord Noir. Should I read you a bedtime story?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice, yes.¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Ismene chuckled.


    Elzri¡¯s lips curled.


    ¡°Oh, look, everyone, he can smile.¡±


    Elzri kept his eyes closed, but his voice grew solemn, ¡°...Do you ever wonder what might have happened if I had gone on that ship with you all those years ago?¡±


    ¡°...Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, me neither.¡±


    She nudged his arm, ¡°Look, it¡¯s that prissy, little vampire of yours coming this way.¡±


    Elzri cracked an eye open. His secretary, Lily, sprinted down the cobblestone steps while holding a slip of paper.


    ¡°She¡¯s running quite fast with those high heels, how does she do it? Maybe it¡¯s all the ¡®exercise¡¯ she does for you?¡± Ismene guessed.


    ¡°Please, be nice,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ismene smiled.


    Lily stumbled to a stop in front of them. Her face was bright red and she panted excessively. She bowed to Elzri, ¡°My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Lily,¡± he nodded.


    She bowed deeply to Ismene, ¡°Tempest Arch-mage.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Ismene shooed her away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding,¡± Lily said breathlessly. ¡°But Professor Vayu Glaz¡¯s hawk flew to your office window¡¯s sill a few moments ago. This note was wrapped around the bird¡¯s leg. The outer inscription says it is for your eyes alone.¡±


    Lily handed Elzri the slip of paper. He unfolded the message and read its contents. His expression grew dark, the paper slipped out of his hands. He stood up and walked a few steps away.


    ¡°Riri? What happened?¡± Ismene asked.


    Elzri tilted his head up. The cold breeze suddenly turned violent and the winds howled through the courtyard. A powerful gale wrapped around Elzri, he shot up into the sky and disappeared among the clouds.


    Lily¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Lord Noir could fly like that. I didn¡¯t know anyone could fly like that.¡±


    ¡°I said fuck off.¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Lily bowed repeatedly and ran off.


    Ismene picked up the fallen note and skimmed through it. She crumpled the paper in her hands, ¡°Dammit.¡±

 Chapter 180: Prime Edict

    Chapter 180: Prime Edict


    Stryg and his companions traveled in the dark through the rocky fells of Widow¡¯s Crag. They had been walking for a few hours since the ambush on their camp. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t met any other enemies. Soon they would reach the first sharp cliff, the rendezvous point Loh had given him.


    Stryg glanced back at the others, the students were tired, exhausted from the battle. Many of them muttered under their breath of how none of this was supposed to happen; they were aristocrats, they were meant to be in castles, not trudging through the wilderness.


    The innocent families the students were meant to escort were quiet, save for their crying. They had lost many of their loved ones in the ambush and none of them seemed to wish to speak of it.


    Callum Veres seemed to be talking with Kithina about the man she had killed to save Clypeus. It was odd how one kill had left her so disturbed. If they were in the Bloodfang Tribe, she would have been ridiculed and shamed for such weakness.


    ¡°How much farther?¡± Clypeus asked.


    Nora held up the map, ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to read anything in the dark, even with a full moon.¡±


    Stryg glanced over. The darkness did nothing to hinder his sight. ¡°Not very far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, my feet are killing me,¡± Nora groaned.


    Stryg stopped in his footsteps, he raised a flat open palm.


    ¡°Stop,¡± he whispered.


    Clypeus drew out his gladii blades and fell into a defensive stance. The others soon followed. The commoner families hurried behind them, along with a few of the students who shook in fear.


    Stryg ignored their noises and stared at the shifting grasses.


    ¡°Enemies? How many?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°...It can¡¯t be,¡± Stryg muttered.


    The tall grass parted, two pale indigo eyes stared out of the darkness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, maybe there is a god after all,¡± a sultry voice giggled.


    Clypeus¡¯ eyes widened, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°Bellum, help us,¡± Callum trembled.


    Lysaila slithered out of the grass, her blue scales shined with a faint purple sheen under the silver moonlight. She brandished her curved longsword in the palm of her hand with the ease of a grandmaster.


    Several students screamed at her appearance and ran away.


    Nora felt her legs grow numb, ¡°I-is that an actual lamia?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Clypeus nodded grimly.


    ¡°Like the very venomous, notoriously deadly beast-kin?¡± Kegrog swallowed.


    ¡°Except this one is a bloody sword grandmaster too,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who almost killed us all back in winter during the attack on Mora Castle. She''s from the Cairn Tribe,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to die,¡± Kithina whimpered.


    Lysaila¡¯s forked tongue slipped out, she smiled, ¡°It seems my reputation precedes me. How wonderful.¡±


    ¡°We can do this, this isn¡¯t like last time. We¡¯re all together. Stryg beat her once, we can do it again,¡± Clypeus stepped forward and brandished his blades.


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what happened,¡± Stryg said reluctantly.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d put up a fight,¡± Lysaila licked her lips.


    A towering shadow loomed behind her. The grey axlean Grim stepped up from behind her. His white milky eyes looked over the students.


    Grim¡¯s long neck bent down and whispered into the lamia¡¯s ear, ¡°They all look like teenagers. I don¡¯t think these are the ones who dealt with our scouts. We should finish this quickly and keep searching.¡±


    ¡°The short boy standing next to the vampire with the blades, that¡¯s him. The one who kicked me out the window,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°...I see, in that case,¡± Grim made a small gesture with his hand.


    A dozen warriors rose from the tall grass behind him.


    Clypeus took a step back. He glanced at his love, Nora¡¯s expression was bleak. He glanced at his sworn ward, Callum; the hybrid vampire looked terrified, but he tried his best to hide it.


    Clypeus turned to Stryg, the goblin¡¯s face was impassive, but his pupils kept undulating, emotions wild.


    Stryg glanced back at his best friend and nodded.


    Clypeus nodded in return. He took a deep breath and crossed his blades in front of his chest, ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter!¡±


    The Cairn¡¯s warriors shifted in their stance, they began whispering amongst each other.


    ¡°Brave words from a boy whose heart is beating incessantly with fear,¡± Lysaila smirked.


    Droplets of water began crystalizing around Grim¡¯s hands, ¡°That boy is a Gale, we should not underestimate him, especially if there is a Veres nearby.¡±


    Lysaila stabbed her sword into the ground and started clapping, ¡°Would you look at that? It seems the men know who you are, young swordmaster. Even Grim, an axlean from another realm, knows your name.¡±


    ¡°Another realm?¡± Clypeus furrowed his brow.


    Lysaila¡¯s lips curled. Her indigo eyes shifted away from the vampire and settled on the blue goblin, ¡°I on the other hand know about you. Even if you don¡¯t announce yourself, even if you try to hide, I know what you are, Mortem. And I know you don¡¯t belong in this realm either.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what is she talking about?¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Is that your name? Stryg? Well then, Stryg, tell me, how many Mortem magi are left? Where are all of you hiding? In Hollow Shade?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°Look, crazy snake lady, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you. But I have no interest in answering your nonsense,¡± Stryg pointed his spear at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Lysaila chuckled. ¡°I wanted to ask you the same thing. Truth be told, I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t answer. It¡¯ll make it that much better when I have the men slice bits of you off and force you to... speak.¡±


    He hissed, ¡°I am Stryg of Ebon Hollow. I have killed your kind before and I¡¯ll gladly do it again!¡±


    She hissed, ¡°I am Lysaila of the Amber Realm, the last true blade of my people and I will avenge them!¡±


    The captain of the Cairn warriors walked up next to his two superiors, ¡°Commander Grim, what are your orders?¡±


    Grim cracked his long neck from side to side, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Lysaila? Kill them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander!¡± The soldiers yelled in unison.


    The words echoed through Lysaila¡¯s sensitive ears. The sound of the wind swimming through the grass died. The heartbeats of everyone around her faded away until all she could hear were the twin heartbeats of the prey in front of her, the one she had dreamed of slaying for so long.


    The boy¡¯s lilac eyes darted around and for a brief moment, his eyes met hers. Liquid thunder coursed through her veins. They were going to kill him. Her muscles tensed. He was going to die. Her slit pupils constricted. They dared lay a finger on him!


    Lysaila grasped her sword in one swift motion and sliced off the captain¡¯s head. The world slowed to a halt. Everyone stared at the lamia in utter shock. Grim was the first to react, he pointed his outstretched palm at her, ice shards condensing in his hand.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Lysaila¡¯s tail swept under his feet, Grim stumbled. Her blade swept up in a blur and chopped off his hand. The axlean roared in agony. The sound broke the other Cairn warriors from their daze. They raised their hands, mana pooling through their bodies and forming deadly spells.


    ¡°They¡¯re all magi!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    Lysaila snapped her tail at a nearby mage, her steel-hard scales cracked his chest and sent him flying. Another mage slammed their hands into the ground, green mana seeped into the earth. The rocky ground shifted, sharp jagged stone spears shot out straight at the lamia.


    Lysaila¡¯s body curled around the flying spears and her sword blocked the ones she couldn¡¯t dodge. A shower of flame rained down on her. She threw herself to the side, the heat of the flames seared past her. A pillar of water and ice rammed into her from behind. The lamia¡¯s body bounced off the ground like a rag doll. She slammed into the rocky soil with a loud crash.


    Lysaila gasped in pain, blood dripping from scrapes all over her skin. She gritted her teeth and picked up her longsword.


    Lysaila¡¯s tail shifted and pulled her back to an upright position. She brandished her blade at the dozen Cairn magi. Grim lurched to his feet, he wrapped his bleeding arm in his cloak.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, Lysaila. You left me no choice. Why have you done this?!¡± Grim yelled angrily.


    Lysaila pointed her blade at the axlean. Her indigo eyes were calm and her voice steadfast, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I will not let you near him.¡±


    Grim narrowed his eyes, ¡°...Kill the lamia.¡±


    The Cairn magi closed in on her.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Stryg muttered with wide eyes.


    ¡°W-we¡­ We have to help her,¡± Clypeus gripped his swords.


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°No!¡± Lysaila screamed. ¡°Run as far as you can, Stryg! You must live!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, we need to go now!¡± Callum dragged Stryg and Clypeus back.


    ¡°N-no, something is wrong,¡± Stryg faltered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time! If we stay, we¡¯ll die with her! Those aren¡¯t novices she¡¯s fighting, those are battle-trained magi. We need to run!¡± Callum pulled him away.


    Stryg watched as Lysaila danced around the spells whizzing past her. Her body shimmered and four illusions of the lamia appeared. They all screamed in defiance and attacked the Cairn magi.


    Stryg looked back one last time, he didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Why was she helping them? She was an enemy, a lamia, a member of the species that murdered a dozen Blood Fang hunters. So why did he care? Why did he feel pain in his chest as he watched her battle for her life?


    Callum and Clypeus pulled him away from the magical onslaught. Stryg ran and followed his companions into the dark, explosions of flame and ice roaring behind them.


    ~~~


    Stryg trudged through the tall grass with the rest of the students. It was still dark and the sun was still hours from rising. The commoner families and even most of the students struggled to keep up with Stryg and the other skilled novices. Clypeus and Kegrog stayed at the rear, ensuring no stragglers were left behind.


    Stryg didn¡¯t blame the stragglers. Everyone had walked all day and now had been forced to walk throughout the night. He was surprised that so many of them hadn¡¯t dropped from exhaustion. He supposed it had to deal with the desire to live or perhaps the fear of death.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Stryg climbed up past the final rocky hill.


    His lilac eyes widened, ¡°There it is¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank Bellum,¡± Callum sighed in relief.


    The vampire climbed the last few steps up the hill, behind Stryg. The sharp cliff lay in front of them, the Dire River rushing down below. The grassy cliff was bare.


    Callum swallowed, ¡°Where is everyone? Where are Loh and the other magi?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not here,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Callum said with uncertainty.


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled, his voice shook, ¡°It means this isn¡¯t the right cliff. My master must have said to meet at the second sharp cliff¡­ It means I led us to the wrong spot.¡±


    ~~~


    Crow turned the page of his book, eager to lose himself in its words. The only alternative was to continue listening to the lecherous, brazen elf.


    Kyriil sat next to him on the wagon¡¯s driver¡¯s bench. Whereas Crow was busy reading, the elf was busy driving the wagon. At least, Kyriil was supposed to be driving. He had put the reins aside and had been using his hands to illustrate his stories. Luckily, the centaurs pulling the wagon did not need a driver.


    Kyriil cupped his hands in front of his hips and began rocking his waist back and forth, ¡°So there I was, just pounding away at this woman¡¯s ass. She is panting and squealing in that sexy voice, you know which one I¡¯m talking about, right? Yeah, of course you know, you look like the kinda guy that fucks.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Crow turned another page of his book.


    ¡°Anyway, I was completely focused on cracking her ass open like a walnut, hehe, you know what I¡¯m saying,¡± Kyriil winked. ¡°When all of a sudden this big orc walks in, ugly fucker I tell ya. I mean, all men are pretty ugly compared to me, no offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken.¡±


    ¡°Well, this orc walks into the tent. He snarls and his face gets even redder than it already is somehow. Turns out the dwarf I¡¯m banging is actually in a ¡®relationship¡¯ with the orc. What do you think happened next?¡±


    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re a high-master mage and sitting here, regaling me with your oh so interesting exploits, I¡¯m going to take a wild guess and say you killed him before he killed you.¡±


    ¡°Oof, close, but nah, no, that¡¯s not what happened at all. So there I was, butt naked, balls deep, on top of this dwarf gal. The orc was like, ¡®You son of a whore!¡¯ Then he pulled out his sword. I was like, ¡®Oh, hell no!¡¯ I raised my hand to burn a light beam right into his face, but then the dwarf screams in this stuttering kinda voice - I haven¡¯t stopped fucking her you see - she screams, ¡®Stop! He¡¯s one of Lord Marek¡¯s elite!¡¯¡±


    ¡°How unexpected,¡± Crow turned to another page.


    ¡°I know right!? I bet you can¡¯t expect what happened next?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue.¡±


    ¡°The orc drops his sword, just like that. His face gets real pale and he falls to his knees, begging me not to kill him and his family, who were also part of our tribe. Turns out Lord Marek instructed every single member of the Cairn and all the other tribes that have joined us or we¡¯ve subjugated, to not mess with his elite team. In other words, us,¡± Kyriil nudged Crow¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°How fascinating,¡± Crow turned to another page.


    ¡°Suffice to say, I kicked the orc out of the tent and told him to never come back. The dwarf gal then admits to me that the only reason she is sucking my dick - she started sucking my dick at this point - is because I am one of Marek¡¯s elite. She even acted all scared when she said it. I didn¡¯t believe her, after all, who could refuse the beguiling looks of an elf, ya know? That¡¯s when I realized she was trying to get some coin out of me.¡±


    ¡°Clearly. What other possible explanation could there be?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So, I told her, ¡®I¡¯m not going to give you a single bloody coin! And if you try to stop sucking me off, I¡¯ll let Marek know you tried extorting me.¡¯ And what do you think she did? Nothing! She just shut up and kept sucking my dick. Then I went round two on her ass. That was over two months ago. I¡¯ve been going around the camps ever since, looking for the women I like best.¡±


    ¡°Your irreproachable proclivities are worthy of admiration,¡± Crow turned to another page.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but thanks. Anyway, after two months I came to realize that the best women aren¡¯t drow, orcs, nor humans. It¡¯s dwarves. They¡¯re so tiny, which makes them that much tighter, hehe. Nowadays I usually sleep with at least two of them. Every night is a party if you know what I mean,¡± Kyriil laughed.


    ¡°Totally.¡±


    Kyriil groaned, ¡°But tonight, there is no party. The only company I have are a bunch of weird horse people pulling our wagon and you, a man. Oh and the little guy sleeping in the cage at the back of the wagon. You know, the deadly monster baby that would happily rip off our faces if we got too close.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, make sure the wagon doesn¡¯t hit any bumps. The Unildyr hatchling hates bumpy rides.¡±


    ¡±Believe me, I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± Kyriil sighed, ¡°I miss my dwarf girls. Marek told me I couldn¡¯t bring any of them with me to the negotiations.¡±


    ¡°How tragic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it really is. Dwarf women are amazing. Although, if I¡¯m being honest, the ones I really want to bang are the girls in our group. Though, I think Lysaila would probably crush my lil guy if I tried with her.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Where was I? Ah, right, then there¡¯s also Dawn; that hybrid thing she¡¯s got going is pretty sexy in an exotic way. But I think she¡¯s fucking her twin, Vaughn. How else do you explain the creepy way they are almost always together?¡±


    ¡°Now it all makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Right? And I saved the best for last, our vampire queen bee, Nokuti. What¡¯s not to love? Her fit hourglass figure, that soft brown skin, and that stern demeanor¡­ oof,¡± Kyriil shivered energetically.


    ¡°...¡± Crow turned to another page.


    ¡°Whenever I see Nokuti all I can think of is wanting to tap that ripe ass. I bet she is tighter than any dwarf. But I have to admit, weirdly enough Nokuti has refused all my advances. I think it¡¯s because she might be Lord Marek¡¯s girl. Which means I might as well kiss my chances with her goodbye,¡± the elf¡¯s shoulders drooped.


    Crow closed his book, ¡°Actually, Nokuti is single.¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Kyriil perked up.


    ¡°Most definitely, I am the spymaster of the Cairn Tribe. I know these sorts of things.¡±


    Kyriil nodded, ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. But what about Lord Marek? What¡¯s his deal with Nokuti?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re childhood friends, practically siblings, no attraction for one another whatsoever. In fact, you should go talk to Lord Marek about your feelings for Nokuti. Tell him you want to fuck Nokuti right in her tight ass. I bet he would be more than happy to help you do just that.¡±


    ¡°Really? Wow, thanks, Crow. I always thought you were a little weird, what with that bird-mask and feather cloak thing going on, but turns out you are really a solid friend,¡± Kyriil patted his back.


    ¡°You flatter me.¡±


    A wave of fire erupted in front of them, searing the grass and scorching their centaurs in an explosion of searing heat.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Kyriil jumped back.


    Crow stayed completely still in his seat, practically frozen in time.


    ¡°Marek, you foul scourge, death has come for you! You are surrounded! Surrender and I¡¯ll let you die like a man!¡± A feminine voice called out angrily from the darkness.


    ¡°Did she say Marek?¡± Kyriil whispered.


    Ten shadowy figures emerged from the tall grass and surrounded the wagon. Each one wore a black cloak with heavy hoods.


    One figure stood a few dozen paces directly in front of the wagon. She threw off her cloak and spread her arms wide, orbs of orange flame igniting above her palms, ¡°Get off the wagon, Marek, you cowardly bastard! Let me give you the same mercy you showed my brother!¡±


    Kyriil raised a shaky finger, ¡°T-that¡¯s the woman, the one who attacked Grim and me at Mora Castle. That¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°Loh of the Great House of Noir,¡± Crow said softly.

 Chapter 181: I Don’t Want to Die, But

    Chapter 181: I Don¡¯t Want to Die, But


    ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have followed Stryg,¡± Freya Goldelm groaned.


    ¡°What would you have suggested!?¡± Kithina crossed her arms.


    ¡°Not going to a bloody cliff!¡± Freya yelled.


    The two dwarves walked into each other¡¯s personal space and glared at one another. Kithina was slightly taller than Freya, but Freya¡¯s piercing golden eyes and extravagant jewelry made her countenance seem larger.


    ¡°Had we gone straight to the river town we probably would have made it by now,¡± Kegrog sighed.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Freya nodded.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that,¡± Callum Veres shook his head. ¡°Have you all forgotten what happened an hour ago? We literally came across a murderous lamia and whatever the hell that grey creature was. Who is to say we wouldn¡¯t have encountered something worse had we tried going to the town?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯ve now gone deeper into Widow¡¯s Crag. There aren¡¯t any river towns for half a dozen leagues in any direction,¡± Nora Azol said.


    ¡°Everyone is exhausted, I don¡¯t think the commoners can keep walking through the night. Especially the children,¡± Kithina admitted.


    ¡°None of this would have happened had we not followed Stryg. And is no one going to talk about why the fuck the deadly lamia tried protecting Stryg? Is he hiding something?¡± Freya pointed at the blue goblin.


    Stryg sat in the grass far away from the others, but his sensitive ears caught every word. He kept his head down and pretended to not hear them.


    Clypeus Gale clapped his hands loudly, ¡°Enough with the accusations. It doesn¡¯t help our situation. If you are all looking for someone to blame, then blame me. I am the team leader, I was placed in charge of this mission, and I was the one who chose to follow Stryg¡¯s plan. The blame lies with me alone. If someone has something to say, say it now and be done with it.¡±


    Freya bit her bottom lip and turned away with a scowl. Kegrog sighed, but said nothing. Kithina and Nora simply nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s our next move?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°...Kitty is right, everyone is tired. This cliff is far enough from the trail, we should be safe here, for a while at least. We¡¯ll rest for a few hours,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Then what?¡± Freya asked, her voice dripped with skepticism.


    ¡°Once we¡¯ve had some sleep, we¡¯ll re-examine our situation and decide on our next move,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Freya grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll relay the message to the other students,¡± Callum jogged away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the families, they¡¯ll be happy to have a chance to sleep,¡± Kithina walked over to the commoners.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the first watch,¡± Kegrog pulled out his bow and sat down on a particularly large rock.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone,¡± Clypeus bowed his head as they all left.


    Only Nora stayed behind. She grabbed his hand, ¡°Well done calming them down.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing. How are you feeling?¡± Clypeus wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, but I can¡¯t complain. Those commoners have been carrying their children throughout the entire night. I¡¯m surprised they can even stand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ How¡¯s our child?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°Cly, it¡¯s too early to tell, but I think we¡¯re fine,¡± Nora smiled wryly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re both okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. Stop worrying so much about us and go check up on the uncle, yeah? He hasn¡¯t said a word to anyone since we got here, at this rate he might throw himself off the cliff.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    He kissed Nora and made his way to Stryg. The goblin didn¡¯t even bother looking up at him. Stryg¡¯s pointy ears seemed to be drooping more than usual. Clypeus sighed and sat right next to him, bumping shoulders.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s going to get some sleep while they can. But you already knew that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Clypeus flicked the goblin¡¯s ear.


    Stryg snapped at him and bared his teeth. The vampire stared at him calmly.


    Clypeus broke into a grin, ¡°There¡¯s the deadly goblin I know.¡±


    Stryg slowly closed his mouth and sighed, ¡°...I messed up. I should have never told any of you about this cliff.¡±


    ¡°So you forgot that Loh told you to go to the second cliff, not the first. Big whoop. We all forget sometimes, it happens. At least now we know where to go next,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying we¡¯re actually going to the second cliff? You¡¯re still listening to my plan?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the best shot we¡¯ve got at this point, we¡¯re too far from the trail. I¡¯ll wait until everyone has slept some before telling them though,¡± he winked.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, those kids we¡¯re telling the truth,¡± a voice muttered from a distance.


    ¡°Someone is here. Several of them,¡± Stryg picked up his spear and stood up.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Clypeus pulled out his twin short swords and ran off to alert the others.


    Stryg hid among the tall grass and waited for the threat. Four figures riding centaurs emerged from the darkness. He didn¡¯t recognize any of them. The one at the forefront was a vampiress, judging from her crimson eyes.


    Two cloaked figures rode beside her, Stryg couldn¡¯t make out their faces. He quickly forgot them when he spotted the one at the back.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    It was the tallest man Stryg had ever seen. The brawny giant loomed over his centaur, the man had to be at least 7 ft tall. He had shaggy long hair, yet his beard was immaculate, with a few beads hanging from the end. A golden band tied his loose hair into a top knot.


    Stryg felt his stomach drop, he recognized the golden band. He had heard the stories from the Mothers of Bloodfang. The golden band was worn by certain people of the Dusk Valley Tribes. Particularly one person in each tribe, the chieftain.


    The other students rushed into the clearing at the base of the cliff to face the strangers. Stryg slowly emerged from the grass and joined them, careful to stay out of view. The four strangers dismounted from their centaurs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take a step further,¡± Clypeus pointed his swords at them. ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    ¡°You dare point your blades at my lord!?¡± The vampiress whipped out her two-handed ax.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Nokuti,¡± the giant man placed his hand on her shoulder. He stepped in front of her and smiled at Clypeus, ¡°It may be dark, but a sophisticated vampire like you should be able to discern our identity from our apparel, no?¡±


    Clypeus looked over the strangers¡¯ clothes. The giant man and vampiress were clothed in dark brown leather and furs, while the other two wore grey cloaks.


    Clypeus narrowed his crimson eyes, ¡°You¡¯re valley savages.¡±


    The giant man sighed, ¡°Is this what we should expect from the youth of Hollow Shade? Ignorance?¡±


    ¡°We have no time for your games,¡± Clypeus frowned.


    ¡°Games? Games? Contrary to your city¡¯s beliefs, our lives are not of so little value as to be hunted for sport,¡± the giant man growled. He stabbed his steel spear into the ground, ¡°We are of the Valley and we have been here long before your ebon lords arrived in our lands. We have stood vigilant since the dawn of the Dusk. We are the Heart of Dusk! The Keepers of Dawn! And we will not let city scum run rampant in this valley.¡±


    Freya stepped forward, hammer and shield in hand, ¡°And what are you going to do about it? Do you think we are afraid of a bunch of barbarians? Think again, you freak of nature!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill this bitch,¡± Nokuti muttered.


    The giant man reached into his satchel, ¡°Your friends were afraid of me. I wonder, will you be too?¡±


    Marek tossed a couple of bleeding heads at Freya¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Ugh! What the fuck!¡± She jumped back in revulsion.


    ¡°...I know those faces. They were our classmates, they ran when we encountered the lamia,¡± Kegrog swallowed numbly.


    ¡°We found them running and screaming in the dark. At first they didn¡¯t want to say anything, but with a little persuasion, well, they told us where we could find the rest of you,¡± the giant said.


    Clypeus shook with fury, ¡°You bastards! Who do you think you are!?¡±


    ¡°I am Marek, leader of the Cairn Tribe. I have come to repay an ounce of the kindness Hollow Shade has shown my people.¡±


    Clypeus¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The warlord?!¡± Nora gasped.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Callum said.


    Freya¡¯s arms trembled, she took a shaky step forward, ¡°Y-you think w-we¡¯re af-fraid of you!? B-bring¡­ bring it!¡±


    ¡°Please, let me kill this bitch already,¡± Nokuti groaned.


    Marek shook his head slightly, ¡°Not yet. We are not savages, let them first make peace with the gods.¡±


    Clypeus took a deep breath, he glanced at Callum and Nora. ¡°Kegrog, get everyone away from here. I¡¯ll buy you time.¡±


    ¡°No...¡± Callum mumbled.


    ¡°What? What are you saying, we all have to run!¡± Nora grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Nora, Do you trust me?¡± Clypeus asked.


    She frowned, ¡°...To the very end, but now¡¯s not the time-¡±


    Clypeus gripped her hand, ¡°Then leave, Nora, please. We cannot win this battle. Callum is a Veres, I am sworn to keep him safe. And you¡­ I can¡¯t stand by and watch you die.¡±


    ¡°Neither will I! We run together!¡± Nora shouted.


    Stryg hit the soft back of her neck. Nora¡¯s eyes rolled up, she fell over unconscious. Stryg caught her with a soft touch and passed her to Kegrog. Clypeus¡¯ mouth hung open in surprise.


    ¡°What did you do?! She¡¯s one of the strongest magi we¡¯ve got!¡± Freya yelled.


    Stryg grabbed Freya¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re in charge now. Keep them safe for us. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Freya swallowed, ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Clypeus furrowed his brow.


    Stryg nodded to Freya and turned to the others, ¡°Kegrog, gather the commoners and leave as quickly as you can. Callum, take the other students and go.¡±


    ¡°...Understood,¡± Kegrog shouldered Nora and ran.


    ¡°Stryg, Cly, we can¡¯t leave you,¡± Kithina said worriedly.


    ¡°Kitty, we need to go,¡± Callum gently grabbed her shoulder.


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head vehemently.


    ¡°Kitty, leave or I will knock you out and have Cal carry you,¡± Stryg said sharply.


    Kithina took a step back, tears stained her freckled cheeks, ¡°...Damn you both!¡±


    She turned and ran. Callum followed her.


    ¡°Stryg, what do you think you are doing?¡± Clypeus asked, confusion in his eyes.


    Stryg glanced at their enemies, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, but if today is my day, then I rather die on my own two feet protecting my friend.¡±


    ¡°The Unfaltering Shield, huh? You stole my line,¡± Clypeus smiled to himself.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Stryg grinned half-heartedly.


    Callum looked back at them and faltered in his steps. For a brief moment he was reminded of the Veres vault and the large portrait of the founders hanging at the end of the room, Veres I and Gale I smiling at one another. An overwhelming guilt suddenly swept over him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Callum grimaced.


    He turned his back and kept running.


    Marek watched the students retreat into the dark, ¡°They won¡¯t get far, you know.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Stryg gripped his spear.


    ¡°Dawn, Vaughn, chase down the ones who ran away. Leave at least one alive for questioning,¡± Marek said.


    The two cloaked figures nodded silently.


    ¡°Wait a sec. Look at that... goblin? His grey hair and blue skin, even his eyes somewhat... He looks a lot like the twins,¡± Nokuti pointed her ax at Stryg.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark, but I think I see it. The resemblance is uncanny. What do you two think?¡± Marek asked.


    The twin arch-magi lowered their grey hoods and stared at Stryg¡¯s pale lilac eyes. Stryg stared back at them and their dark purple eyes. They did sort of look like him. Stryg didn¡¯t know what to make of it. He hissed at the twins.


    ¡°He is¡­ not really like us,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Dawn nodded.


    Vaughn narrowed his eyes, ¡°He almost seems¡­¡±


    Dawn¡¯s eyes widened, she spun around, ¡°Marek, we need to get out of here now!¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Marek frowned.


    Nokuti crossed her arms, ¡°Are you serious? We just found these Hollow Shade novices and you expect us to leave? They are the next generation of enemy magi! We need to kill them.¡±


    ¡°Forget that! If we stay here we will all die!¡± Dawn shouted.


    ¡°Why?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Just listen to her!¡± Vaughn yelled.


    ¡°Marek, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen either of them so¡­ spirited,¡± Nokuti muttered.


    Marek clenched his jaw, ¡°I swore on my mother¡¯s grave I wasn¡¯t going to let any spawns of Hollow Shade escape, I¡¯m not going to start now. Dawn, Vaughn, you have your orders. Go hunt down the others.¡±


    ¡°You imbecile,¡± Dawn glared at him.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Marek did a double take.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, if you insult Lord Marek again, I will kill you,¡± Nokuti pointed her ax at the arch-mage.


    ¡°Threaten me again,¡± Dawn said coldly. Blue lightning crackled around her hand.


    Vaughn grabbed her arm, ¡°Don¡¯t, sister, please.¡±


    Dawn glanced at her brother and sighed. The lightning faded away.


    The twins left towards the direction the students had gone.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t even taking the centaurs,¡± Nokuti noted.


    ¡°Leave them be, no one knows what the twins are ever really thinking. They have never failed a mission, they won¡¯t start now,¡± Marek said.


    He turned to the two teenagers that had been oddly quiet, ¡°Have you finished making your peace?¡±


    ¡°Remember the plan,¡± Clypeus whispered.


    Stryg nodded.


    ¡°It seems you have,¡± Marek raised his spear.

 Chapter 182: The Shield

    Chapter 182: The Shield


    Marek hefted the steel spear over his shoulder and glanced at the two youths, ¡°We¡¯ll make this quick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the tall one,¡± Nokuti pointed her ax at Clypeus.


    He brandished his swords in return, ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter!¡±


    ¡°You are a Gale?¡± Marek said in surprise.


    ¡°You know of my House?¡±


    ¡°Of course, House Gale¡¯s ancient legacy is famed throughout all the Ebon Realm. It is an honor to fight one of its warriors,¡± Marek bowed his head.


    ¡°There is no honor in two powerful magi slaughtering two novices,¡± Clypeus said grimly.


    Marek nodded, ¡°...You¡¯re right. Then let me make it more even. I will face you both myself.¡±


    Nokuti blinked, ¡°Marek, wha-¡±


    Marek raised his hand, ¡°They are only novices, still they face us alone while their friends try to escape. Bravery is a trait rarely seen in Hollow Shade¡¯s people, yet one our people value highly. Tomorrow is the summer solstice. I will not stain the most glorious dawn of the year with cowardice and dishonor.¡±


    Nokuti bit her lip, ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡±


    ¡°May Bellum bless you, young Gale,¡± Marek said. Brown mana flowed through him, the vigor spell arose through his body, a bronze sheen darkened over his skin.


    ¡°And may Bellum damn all of you!¡± Stryg stepped behind Clypeus.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Clypeus grinned shakily.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Marek bent his legs and kicked off the ground, tearing the grass behind him.


    The young vampire paled as the hulking warrior charged them. Durability scales of yellow light wrapped around Clypeus¡¯ body as he raised his swords to block. Marek swung his steel spear like a polearm. Clypeus¡¯ blades were pushed back at the force of the strike, the spear¡¯s shaft smacked into his chest.


    The vampire gasped in pain, his yellow scales cracked, unable to withstand the blow. Stryg caught his friend from the back and steadied him.


    Marek didn¡¯t give them a reprieve. He swung his spear¡¯s shaft down on the vampire¡¯s head. Another spear stabbed out from below at Marek¡¯s thigh. He jumped back, narrowly dodging the surprisingly swift attack.


    The spear disappeared once more behind Clypeus. The warlord noticed the little goblin¡¯s piercing eyes staring at him from behind the vampire.


    Marek laughed, ¡°A shield and spear formation, interesting.¡±


    ¡°Unlike mine, his spear is entirely made of metal, the force behind his strikes will be much heavier,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many more hit¡¯s my scales can take before I run out of mana,¡± Clypeus muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Remember the plan. I¡¯ll keep him off you, just keep backing to the cliff edge,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Are you sure you can swim?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Stryg didn¡¯t know how to swim, but he was a blue mage, that was enough.


    Marek dashed at them and thrust his spear in quick jabs. Clypeus¡¯ blades flashed, he caught the spear¡¯s edge and turned it away. He went for a low lunge, the vampire sidestepped the attack and retreated back a step.


    Marek frowned, how is he blocking all my attacks?


    ¡°The Gale is a swordmaster! He¡¯s reading your moves!¡± Nokuti called out.


    ¡°Heh, a master at his age? I haven''t even managed that. You Gales really are something,¡± Marek whistled. ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t need refined attacks.¡±


    He spun his spear like a staff and swung a wide arc at Clypeus. The vampire cursed, he couldn¡¯t divert a horizontal strike so easily. The steel pole smashed into his shoulder, Clypeus stumbled in pain.


    Marek closed the distance and swung again. Stryg¡¯s spear stabbed up high in a blur, slicing across Marek¡¯s shoulder. The Cairn chief gritted his teeth and backed off.


    Marek narrowed his eyes, the goblin can use agility magic.


    ¡°Gods, Marek, stop fucking around and kill them already!¡± Nokuti yelled.


    He smiled wryly, ¡°Where is your sense of excitement?¡±


    ¡°It died when I was forced to take care of you, now end this already!¡± She scowled.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Marek sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Clypeus whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, keep your eyes open,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Yellow scales wrapped over Marek¡¯s bronze skin, he smiled.


    ¡°Double enhancement spells? That¡¯s not possible,¡± Clypeus said in shock.


    Marek ran at them. Stryg stabbed at him, the spearhead bounced off the dire human¡¯s scales.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Stryg cursed.


    Marek vaulted into the air and landed between them and the cliff. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to escape. It won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Plan B,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s Plan B?!¡± Clypeus yelled.


    ¡°Kill this fucker!¡± Stryg snapped.


    Marek swung his spear like a club at the vampire. He tried dodging, but the attack was too fast. Stryg kicked Clypeus¡¯ feet from under him, he dropped low, the steel spear flew overhead.


    ¡°Work together,¡± Stryg pulled him back to his feet.


    ¡°And kill this fucker,¡± Clypeus nodded.


    They ran at the giant human. Stryg stabbed his spear at his thigh, it bounced off the yellow scales. Marek flung his spear in a circle, the duo split up, ducked underneath the swing, and attacked him from both sides.


    Marek tried stabbing at them, but they were too close. He swung his spear in wide, the vampire read his attacks and dodged the swings. The goblin¡¯s skills were not as keen but his agility-enhanced movements were incredibly fast. The durability spell made Marek too slow.


    Clypeus slashed at Marek¡¯s scales with short swords. Stryg dropped his spear and started slashing at the human¡¯s scales with his claws.


    The durability spell quickly began to drain away at Marek¡¯s yellow mana. The scales began to crack little by little. He roared in frustration, orange flames burst from his hands in a wide ring around him. Stryg jumped behind Clypeus as the vampire¡¯s own scales took the brunt of the heat. They kept backing from Marek, but he didn¡¯t release his flame spell. The torrent of fire breathed down on Clypeus.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Aghh, I can¡¯t hold this!¡± Clypeus screamed in pain.


    Stryg released his agility spell and threw his arms under the vampire¡¯s shoulders. Flames poured out of Stryg¡¯s palms and spun in an explosion of heat as they clashed with Marek¡¯s flames. Clypeus ducked under Stryg¡¯s arms and rolled out of the way. The torrents of flames rose up as they twirled around each other, illuminating the dark cliff.


    Stryg groaned in strain, his orange mana quickly evaporating. Marek stared at the goblin thoughtfully and released the flame spell. Stryg collapsed to his knees and gasped for breath, the last of his orange mana gone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a novice casting adept-ranked flame spells, who are you?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Now you wanna know?¡± Stryg wiped the sweat from his brow.


    Clypeus wrapped his arm under Stryg¡¯s shoulder and pulled him up.


    Stryg panted, but quickly calmed his breathing, ¡°I am Stryg, sylvan chief of the Ebon Hollow Tribe.¡±


    ¡°A fellow chieftain? Forgive me for not recognizing you. I am glad I cancelled my flame spell in time, I would have regretted burning the chief of my sister tribe from Vulture Woods,¡± Marek nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die than be a sister tribe to the fucking Cairn,¡± Stryg spat.


    ¡°Do not spit on the name of my people!¡±


    Marek released his durability spell, the yellow scales faded away. Orange mana flowed through him, his veins darkened, agility magic taking hold. Marek dashed at them.


    ¡°Move!¡± Clypeus pushed Stryg away.


    Marek punched the ground where Stryg had just been, it shattered and cracked underneath his hand.


    ¡°I wanted to honor you! Give the brave a respectable death! And you spat on my face! I will make your deaths long and painful,¡± Marek seethed. ¡°I am far faster than either of you now. Tell me, how will you dodge my attacks now?¡±


    Marek¡¯s foot smashed into Stryg¡¯s chest, he went flying into the air. His body crashed a dozen feet away.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Marek snarled.


    The warlord took a step and grimaced. Marek glanced at the foot he had kicked the goblin with, several of his toes were broken and his foot was already beginning to swell. ¡°What the...?¡±


    Clypeus ran over to his friend. Stryg was curled in a ball, his hands underneath him.


    Clypeus grabbed his shoulders, ¡°You need to get up, Stryg! The crazy dire man is going to kill us!¡±


    ¡°...Not yet,¡± Stryg grimaced.


    Marek bolted at them in a blur of speed, his steel spear swung down on the vampire¡¯s skull. Red wards flared to life, the spear bounced off the magic shield. Stryg raised his hands from underneath him, his fingertips glowed with red light.


    ¡°Wards?¡± Clypeus muttered with wide eyes.


    Marek scowled and punched the red dome, the wards flared bright but did not budge. He blasted it with scorching fire, the wards shined, yet did not crack.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Clypeus mumbled.


    ¡°A decade of writing in the dirt finally paying off,¡± Stryg grinned wildly.


    ¡°What sort of advanced red magic is that?¡± Nokuti muttered from a distance.


    ¡°The dome won¡¯t hold forever!¡± Marek smashed the wards with his spear.


    The red dome shook. Marek struck it again and again.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, my wards won¡¯t hold forever, I¡¯ll soon run out of red mana at this rate,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± Clypeus said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Stryg grimaced. ¡°But I can¡¯t hold this for long.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try something that¡¯s never worked.¡±


    ¡°And if it works?¡± Clypeus asked.


    ¡°It was your idea, remember? We talked about it after our fight with Tauri. No matter how powerful a mage is, they are still flesh and blood. A stray arrow through the neck kills an arch-mage just the same as it kills a commoner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I see, got it. Surprise has always been our greatest weapon, arrogance and lack of caution have always been their greatest weaknesses,¡± Clypeus whispered.


    He released his durability spell and placed his hands on the ground, channeling green mana into the earth.


    Stryg recalled Kithina¡¯s words; it wasn¡¯t about splitting one¡¯s will or focus. It was about trying to double it, the rest was on you. Stryg didn¡¯t understand what she meant then and he still didn¡¯t now. All he knew was what he needed right now, it was simple yet the most important desire of all, survival. A single multicast was all he needed.


    Stryg stared at Marek and his constant attacks. The red dome flared each time he struck with his spear. This dire human, no matter how large, strong, and fast he was, he wasn¡¯t a spear-master. If Stryg focused, he would be able to see it, a moment, a lapse in Marek¡¯s attack pattern. An opening.


    Marek raised his spear high, prepared to stab down on the red dome. Stryg released his ward spell as the spear reached its highest point. Marek froze for a brief moment, shocked at the sudden disappearance of the wards. Stryg¡¯s shadow erupted in a burst of black mana, surrounding the three of them in darkness.


    Marek kicked back and tried jumping outside the shadowy dome. As he tried backing further away, vines suddenly appeared under his injured foot and held him tight. His upper body was outside the shadows, but his lower body was stuck inside. He was exposed.


    Marek panicked, he quickly released his brown vigor spell and casted yellow durability scales over his body again. Enhanced by his orange agility, Marek swung his spear in front of him in extreme rapid arcs.


    Stryg emerged from the shadows with a burst of speed, his body crouched low, under Marek¡¯s spear. He shouted angrily and stabbed down at Stryg. The goblin¡¯s body exploded in a blast of purple dust.


    Marek¡¯s eyes widened, Illusion!?


    The real Stryg pierced the shadows from above and landed on Marek¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Try putting scales on your eyes, fucker!¡± Stryg clawed at Marek¡¯s face and dug his fingers into the human¡¯s eye sockets.


    Marek screamed and squeezed his eyes shut. He dropped his spear and tried ripping Stryg off, but the goblin held tight. Stryg released the shadow spell behind him and summoned forth his grey mana. He casted the drain spell over Marek and focused solely on draining the human¡¯s yellow mana.


    Marek tottered back and forth. His focus entirely on the sharp claws trying to dig into his eyes, his spells wavered. Marek yelled in frustration and threw all his will and focus into casting stronger durability scales over his face.


    ¡°Now!¡± Stryg yelled.


    Clypeus dashed silently behind the struggling Marek and raised his blades. Nokuti¡¯s ax swung down and cut deep into Clypeus¡¯ ribs. He sucked in a breath of pain and coughed out blood. The swords slipped out of Clypeus¡¯ hands, he fell over, blood pooling beneath him.


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d let you kill Marek?¡± Nokuti hefted her ax.


    Stryg¡¯s world fell deaf as he saw Clypeus¡¯ body collapse. The painful screams of Marek faded away. Nokuti¡¯s smug voice stifled into silence. The breeze was choked to a mute whisper. The soft rasp of Clypeus¡¯ lungs as they filled with blood was all that echoed in Stryg¡¯s ears.


    Stryg felt numb, his body stiffened. The vines under Marek loosened as Clypeus¡¯s flora spell collapsed. Marek pushed the stunned goblin off him and stumbled away. Stryg fell down motionless, his head banged into the stone with a hard thud. Stryg didn¡¯t notice, all he saw was Clypeus¡¯ pale face. Blood stained his lips. His eyes darted in panic. His breath was short as his lungs drowned in his own blood.


    Nokuti stood over Clypeus and lifted her ax once more.


    The air vibrated in a deep echo. The tall grass flattened all around them. Strands of Clypeus¡¯ hair curled towards the sky. The blood pooled around him rippled, bright red droplets rising into the air. An inner light leaked from Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes.


    The world felt slow as if time had forgotten to run. Stryg¡¯s mind noted the ax that was slowly coming down on Clypeus. He tried grasping at what it meant... Death. Unbridled rage. Pure seething fury. Sound sang into his ears, time rushed back into the world.


    Stryg¡¯s scream pierced the air with a vindictive shriek of agony. Nokuti grimaced in pain, her ax missed, and struck stone. Stryg threw himself atop Nokuti with blinding speed. She fell over with a gasp and covered her body in durability scales. Stryg slashed his hands over her chest, his claws sliced through her yellow scales with ease and carved open her rib cage.


    Nokuti cried out in pain. Stryg hated her voice, he had never hated something so much. He opened his mouth wide and clamped down on her neck. The yellow scales shattered underneath his teeth. He ripped out her throat in a bloody splatter.


    A sudden pain pierced Stryg¡¯s back, his body lifted into the air, spun, and landed in a tumble of limbs. He tried to stand but stumbled. He looked down, a steel spearhead protruded from his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± Marek roared.


    Stryg knew he needed to move, to fight back, but his body refused. The strength in his limbs drained away as blood poured over his shirt.


    Marek grabbed Nokuti¡¯s ax and swung it down on Stryg. Clypeus dove between them. Yellow scales wrapped around the vampire¡¯s arms. The ax slammed down on his forearm, the scales cracked but did not shatter. He fell to his knees.


    Stryg pupils went wide, ¡°...Cly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive!?¡± Marek pulled the ax back for another swing.


    Clypeus¡¯ eyes were dull, his body swayed. His head lolled to the side and caught sight of Stryg behind him. Faint recognition crossed his crimson eyes, he smiled, teeth bloodstained.


    Clypeus looked up at Marek, ¡°¡­I¡­¡±


    The warlord held the ax high above him, yet the look in the vampire¡¯s eyes gave him pause.


    Clypeus breathed heavily, he swallowed a mouthful of blood, ¡°¡­I am¡­ the Shield¡­ of¡­ my friend.¡±


    Clypeus released the durability spell. The last of the yellow mana flowed into his hand. He pointed his trembling fingers at Stryg, a gust of wind slammed into the goblin and pushed him towards the cliff edge.


    ¡°No!¡± Marek screamed.


    Stryg watched the grass pass underneath him in a daze, nothing seemed real. Clypeus knelt in the distance, his arms hung limp, and his head sank down to his chest.


    The world blurred by, the wind howled in his ears, Stryg tumbled off the cliff.

 Chapter 183: Underneath the Mask

    Chapter 183: Underneath the Mask


    Beads of sweat dripped down Kyriil¡¯s face. The elf couldn¡¯t understand how this had happened. One second he was sitting on the wagon regaling stories of his carnal conquests to Crow, the next second they found themselves surrounded by black-cloaked magi, with that damned drow at the forefront.


    ¡°Get off the wagon, Marek, or I¡¯ll burn it down with you!¡± Orange flames crackled in Loh¡¯s palms.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded,¡± Kyriil muttered under his breath.


    ¡°I count ten,¡± Crow nodded furtively.


    ¡°That bitch thinks Lord Marek is in here,¡± Kyriil¡¯s eyes darted at the back of the wagon where the Unildyr hatchling rested.


    ¡°They¡¯re closing in on us,¡± Crow whispered.


    ¡°How fast are you?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in decent shape, why?¡±


    Kyriil swallowed, ¡°...On my signal I want you to run as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°And get incinerated by a fucking fireball? Are you kidding me!?¡± Crow whispered anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract them, you just run and don¡¯t look back. Get to Lord Marek and tell him what happened.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an impressive mage, no one¡¯s doubting that. But didn¡¯t Loh Noir defeat Grim and you? This time she has nine others on her side and Grim isn¡¯t even here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on defeating her. Once you¡¯re far enough I¡¯m gonna release the hatchling.¡±


    ¡°That hatchling will kill you the moment you do,¡± Crow warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead anyway. At least I can take some of them out with me,¡± Kyriil smiled shakily.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± Loh summoned a giant flame orb above her head.


    ¡°Now!¡± Kyriil threw his hands up in the air, white mana flooding into his palms.


    Crow covered his face.


    A brilliant flash of light illuminated the grassy clearing. Loh and the others flinched away at the elf¡¯s bright spell. Crow grabbed his book and jumped off the wagon. His legs hit the grass with a soft thud, he kicked off the ground and ran for his life.


    The ten magi blinked hard and clenched their eyes in pain. One of the human magi forced her eyes open and caught sight of Crow escaping.


    ¡°Stop!¡± She yelled and slapped her hands on the ground.


    The grass gleamed a bright green, it hardened and whipped around Crow¡¯s legs. He tripped and crashed, his book fell out of his grasp.


    The woman smiled, ¡°You¡¯re not going anyw- Agh!¡±


    A beam of white light seared across her face, she rolled over in agony. The grass around Crow¡¯s legs withered away. He glanced back at the wagon.


    ¡°Go!¡± Kyriil yelled and shot another light beam at an incoming mage.


    Crow picked up his book and ran. He passed by the blinded magi and charged into the darkness. A torrent of red flame splashed in front of Crow, he fell back with a shout of surprise. A giant scaled face peered through the flames. Vayu¡¯s fire drake hissed and blocked off his escape.


    Gette¡¯s undead warriors marched in behind the elemental lizard and surrounded Crow. War cries sounded in the distance, ten centaurs ran into the clearing, Maximus in the lead with a giant battle ax in hand.


    ¡°Did you really think you could escape, tribal scum?¡± A voice taunted behind Crow.


    He slowly turned around. Tauri stood clad in battle armor, a perpetual scowl on her crimson face. She held her flail in a tight grip, a large spiked metal ball hung from the chain attached to a short iron stick.


    ¡°Get on your knees,¡± she growled.


    ¡°¡­Tauri.¡± The book slipped out of Crow¡¯s hands.


    ~~~


    ¡°Shit!¡± Kyriil spotted Crow in the distance, surrounded by enemy reinforcements.


    The elf ran into the wagon and he grabbed the blanket covering the Unildyr¡¯s cage. Shadow tendrils wrapped around his arms and yanked him back.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!?¡± Loh shifted her hands, the shadow tendrils pulled taut and flung Kyriil into the ground.


    ¡°Get these off me!¡± Kyriil summoned an orb of light above him. A beam of light burned through the shadowy bindings.


    A mage ran at the elf and tossed a red potion at his face. It shattered in a puff of sickly green smoke. Kyriil coughed over and over as the potion ravaged his lungs.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Now, Thonul!¡± Loh ordered.


    ¡°On it!¡± The dwarven master mage dug his hands into the soil, sending waves of green mana in the ground.


    The earth shifted under Kyriil as the stone spell took hold. His body sunk into the ground until only his head was visible. He wheezed with a painful grimace.


    ¡°I need a yellow mage to get rid of the toxin!¡± Loh ordered.


    One of the magi walked over and casted a wind spell at Kyriil. The air curled around the elf and carried the toxic gas into a faraway breeze.


    ¡°Why is the bastard still coughing?¡± Loh furrowed her brow.


    The red mage that had thrown the potion bowed his head to Loh, ¡°The toxin''s effect will last for a few hours. It won¡¯t kill him, but he¡¯ll wish he was dead with the pain burning in his lungs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Now, where¡¯s Marek?¡± Loh glanced around the clearing.


    Vayu crouched down next to the captured prisoner, ¡°...This man is an elf. There haven¡¯t been reports of elves in the Ebon Realm for at least a century. If this elf wasn¡¯t simply hiding in these lands, if he came here recently, then that means someone found a chrome gate and opened it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too short¡­¡± Loh mumbled.


    Vayu looked up at her, ¡°Are you listening to me? The enemy might be working with the Ivory Realm¡¯s elves!¡±


    Loh pointed at Crow in the distance, ¡°That man in the feathered cloak is too short, he isn¡¯t even six feet. Marek is said to be a dire human. He should be around 7 feet tall. Which means that isn¡¯t Marek.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vayu asked.


    Loh clenched her jaw, ¡°Tomorrow is the summer solstice, a sacred day for the valley tribes. Any tribal negotiations done on that day are special, only two people are allowed on each side. Marek should have been here, he is the Cairn¡¯s chief, the upcoming dawn is sacred to his people... So where the fuck is he!?¡±


    ~~~


    Crow stared at the screaming drow in the distance, ¡°Loh doesn¡¯t seem very happy.¡±


    Tauri frowned, ¡°How do you know our names?¡±


    ¡°I know all of you, Tauri. Including Vayu Glaz over there.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She narrowed her amber eyes.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Take off the avian-skull.¡±


    Crow straightened his back, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request,¡± she said coldly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this, Tauri. Trust me. You should forget what happened tonight and just leave.¡±


    ¡°Forget? I will never forget what you people did six years ago. You people killed the man I loved... He was innocent and you burned him to ash!¡± Tauri spun her flail, the metal spiked ball tore through the air menacingly.


    Crow glanced at the spinning metal orb of destruction, ¡°You won¡¯t get me to talk through threats.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to, that¡¯s why we have Vayu,¡± Tauri pointed at the drow with her other hand.


    ~~~


    ¡°Find out what you can from the elf,¡± Loh ordered.


    ¡°I''m trying, but his mind is in too much pain, I can¡¯t read anything,¡± Vayu twisted his lips.


    Purple mind tendrils, the width of string, curled out from his fingers and brushed Kyriil¡¯s skull.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to knock him out,¡± Vayu flexed his fingers.


    The purple tendrils flared bright, Kyriil¡¯s eyes rolled up.


    Vayu smiled, ¡°That¡¯s better. It¡¯ll take me a few minutes to delve deep into his mind and sift through it.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Loh nodded. ¡°While you do that I¡¯m going to check out the wagon.¡±


    ~~~


    Crow watched Loh make her way to the back of the wagon, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go there if I were her.¡±


    ¡°Why? Afraid of what we¡¯ll find?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Marek?¡±


    ¡°How do you know you¡¯re not looking at him?¡±


    ¡°Marek is a warlord and chieftain of the Cairn Tribe. He may be a scumbag of the lowest regard, but he isn¡¯t a coward who hides behind a mask.¡±


    ¡°Oh Tauri, our reasons may differ, but we all hide behind masks.¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m wearing a fucking mask?¡± She growled.


    ¡°Not a physical one, but you are using anger to mask the pain underneath.¡±


    Tauri laughed, her flail spun faster, ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy crushing that skull mask of yours. I wonder how much pain I¡¯ll find underneath that?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t like what you find.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that very much.¡±


    ¡°Agree to disagree then.¡±


    ¡°...Who are you exactly? You don¡¯t look like a mage.¡±


    ¡°I am Crow, spymaster of the Cairn Tribe.¡±


    ¡°Spymaster? You¡¯re telling me this now? Why?¡± Tauri tilted her head.


    ¡°Because I wanted to. That and the fact that Vayu will figure it out soon enough when he reads my mind,¡± Crow shrugged.


    Tauri glanced at the ground, ¡°What¡¯s with the book?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    ~~~


    Loh pulled the wagon cover off the back and peered inside. A thick blanket covered what seemed to be a large crate.


    ¡°Gifts for the negotiation?¡± She guessed.


    The crate rattled.


    Loh frowned, ¡°What the...?¡±


    She reached out and grabbed the edge of the blanket.


    ~~~


    ¡°I asked you a question,¡± Tauri raised her flail above her head, the spin of the spiked metal ball whirred in the air.


    Crow glanced between the flail and the book on the ground. He raised his hands in surrender, ¡°It¡¯s quite old¡­ As is most of my collection. Books are quite useful, you see. This particular one details precious information that if I manage to decipher will help the Cairn greatly. So, if you¡¯d please not throw my book away I¡¯d very much appreciate it.¡±


    Tauri blinked, ¡°Wow, thank you for your honesty. I won¡¯t throw your precious book away.¡±


    With her open hand, Tauri pointed at the book. A bolt of flame ignited at her fingertip and burned the book to ash.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Crow stiffened.


    ¡°Whoops, did you need that book?¡± Her lips curved into a vicious smile.


    ¡°...Why?¡± Crow¡¯s shoulders sagged.


    ¡°For the same reason I¡¯m about to crack that shitty little mask of yours,¡± she pulled back her flail.


    He lowered his arms and sighed, ¡°Honestly, I never needed the book, but I did find the read enjoyable.¡±


    Tauri flung her flail at him. Crow¡¯s hand shot out in a deft flash and caught the spiked orb in the palm of his hand. Her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You, on the other hand, I find absolutely uninteresting,¡± Crow clicked his tongue.


    The metal flail crumbled to dust in his hand.

 Chapter 184: We Meet At Last

    Chapter 184: We Meet At Last


    Crow lowered his arms and sighed, ¡°Honestly, I never needed the book, but I did find the read enjoyable.¡±


    Tauri flung her flail at him. Crow¡¯s hand shot out in a deft flash and caught the spiked orb in the palm of his hand. Her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You, on the other hand, I find absolutely uninteresting,¡± Crow clicked his tongue.


    The metal flail crumbled to dust in his hand.


    ¡°W-wha!?¡± Tauri jumped back in bewilderment.


    ¡°You people make everything so awfully tedious. I would rather end this quickly.¡±


    Gete¡¯s freshly reanimated undead rushed Crow, swinging their swords and axes. Three grey tails emerged from within Crow¡¯s black cloak and moved with blinding speed. The sound of whip-like cracks echoed in quick succession, the undead¡¯s bodies exploded in bursts of blood and viscera.


    Tauri and the other magi stood stock still, their faces pale. They hadn¡¯t seen it. Not a single one of them had seen the unnatural tails move, it had all been a blur. Maximus'' legs trembled, his instincts screamed at him to run for his life. The other centaurs behind him whimpered.


    Crow stood at the center of the pool of blood, his skull mask and black-feathered cloak drenched red. His grey tails gradually shriveled and disappeared underneath his cloak.


    ¡°Ah, there it is, the fear underneath your masks of anger and hubris,¡± chuckled Crow.


    The fire-drake¡¯s chest widened as she took a deep breath. She roared and let loose a torrent of red flame on Crow, the ground exploded in a blast of scorching heat. Loh looked up at the sound of the savage roar. She let go of the wagon¡¯s blanket and ran towards Tauri.


    The red blaze rose high into the night sky, incinerating the ground and the undead corpses within. Loh could feel the heat even from a dozen paces away.


    She reached Tauri and grabbed her arm, ¡°What happened!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ possible,¡± Tauri mumbled and pointed a shaky finger into the flames.


    A stark figure stood in the scarlet inferno. The blood evaporated off his skull-mask in wisps of red. The bloodstained feathers of his cloak burned away into ash and dust, leaving behind the onyx scales underneath. The dark scaled cloak shined brilliantly in the fire, small tints of color rippling through each scale.


    ¡°What is that?¡± said Loh, aghast.


    ¡°She can¡¯t hold the flame much longer!¡± Vayu ran towards them.


    The drake¡¯s flame slowly died out in her jaws, puffs of smoke rising from between her sharp teeth.


    Crow stood unharmed among the ashes.


    ¡°You burned the feathers, pity,¡± Crow wiped a smudge of soot from his shoulder.


    The black mage Gete flung his hand out, shadow vines whipped out at Crow and wrapped around him tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡± yelled Gete.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him go!¡± Loh began writing grey curse sigils in the air.


    The other chromatic black magi raised their hands and casted Shadow Tendrils, the shadow whips coiled around Crow.


    ¡°Is this the power of Holo¡¯s Shade¡¯s magi?¡±


    Loh finished writing the complex curse spell and aimed it at Crow. The grey arcane sigils flew out and enveloped him. Suddenly, the sigils fluttered and began to blur.


    ¡°No¡­ what¡¯s... happening?!¡± Loh gritted her teeth.


    Crow slowly swiveled his head towards her. The curse spell shattered into dust. He raised his arms, the shadow tendrils fell apart like spider webs in the wind.


    ¡°My turn.¡±


    The whispers of hundreds of wailing voices echoed in the clearing. Inky black shadows rose from the ground all around. Ink-like hands reached out from the darkness and grabbed the ankles of the magi and centaurs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you!¡± Loh burned the shadows around her with her orange flames.


    Thonul grunted in surprise as the shadows yanked him down to the ground. He tried casting a stone spell, but shadowy fingers wrapped around his body and held him down. The dark hands wrapped around his mouth and nose, choking him as they whispered quietly into his ears.


    ¡°Thonul!¡± Gete flung his shadow tendrils at the dwarf.


    His shadow tendrils melted away as they touched the wailing ink-like shadows.


    Crow¡¯s figure disappeared in a gust of speed and appeared in front of Gete. The black mage choked and coughed blood. He looked down, Crow¡¯s hand was in his chest. Crow pulled his hand out, Gete¡¯s heart in his clawed fingers. The black mage tipped over, dead.


    ¡°Bastaaard!¡± Tauri charged him.


    Orange agility magic flooded into the orc¡¯s body.


    ¡°Tauri, no!¡± Loh ran after her.


    Tauri lobbed a flame bolt at Crow¡¯s face to blind him, then followed up with several rapid jabs to his chest. He did not dodge nor did he flinch. Her fists cracked and broke on the onyx scales of his cloak. She grimaced in pain and backed away.


    Crow stepped forward, his hand reaching out past Tauri¡¯s face and beyond, at Loh who was running in behind her. He flicked his finger at Loh¡¯s shoulder. She gasped in pain as her bones snapped and she was hurled back.


    The fire-drake roared and barreled into Crow. He raised his hand and caught the drake¡¯s snout, stopping it in its tracks. The drake kicked the grown with her paws and roared, but Crow¡¯s grip held tight.


    ¡°You deserved better than these loathsome creatures.¡±


    Jade lightning crackled around his fingers. The drake¡¯s body stiffened, her voice went taut. The sickly sound of bones fracturing rang through her body. She exploded in a ripple of blood, sinew, and lightning.


    A wretched hoarse wail escaped Vayu¡¯s lips. He heaved dozens of purple mind tendrils at Crow. The tendrils fizzled away as they neared Crow, not a single one reaching him. Vayu didn¡¯t care, he didn¡¯t stop, he casted more and more. None of them reached.


    ~~~


    Tauri ran towards Loh, ¡°You need to get up!¡±


    Loh groaned and opened her eyes. Inky black hands were reaching out for the drow. A large battle-ax sliced them away. Maximus stood in front of her.


    ¡°They keep coming back!¡± Maximus cut down another pair of inky tendrils.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Loh, get up!¡± Tauri yelled.


    Loh frowned, ¡°Tauri, your hands.¡±


    ¡°That bastard¡¯s cloak is harder than steel,¡± Tauri grimaced. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, if we don¡¯t do something soon, Vayu¡¯s going to die!¡±


    Loh looked beyond the chaos of the eerie wails of shadows and the screaming voices of her comrades being dragged away and suffocated. Vayu and a blue mage fought Crow in close combat. The blue mage casted a storm spell; a bolt of lightning struck Crow, the energy crackled and hissed to no effect. Crow¡¯s claws tore off the mage¡¯s head with one quick swipe. He turned to Vayu next.


    Loh took a deep breath, her left shoulder was filled with shattered bone. She would have to make do without it. Orange mana burned through her system, the arch-mage agility spell, Black Amber, took hold. Her bones creaked in pain, her muscles spasmed, and her veins darkened to a jet black.


    ~~~


    Vayu¡¯s appearance went hazy for a moment, six illusions of himself rippled out. They each ran in a different direction.


    ¡°I can still smell you.¡±


    Crow jumped in front of the real Vayu and kicked his knees. The drow screamed in agony as his knees bent backward at an impossible angle. He collapsed in a sprawl.


    ¡°Get off him!¡± Tauri jumped over Vayu and kicked out a torrent of flame.


    Crow ignored the flames, caught her foot, and twisted it the wrong way. She shrieked as her ankle snapped. Tauri¡¯s body tumbled to the ground, but Crow didn¡¯t let go.


    Loh dashed in behind him. She was grateful for Tauri¡¯s distraction. The man¡¯s back was turned, this was her one chance. If his cloak¡¯s defense was too great, then she would strike where he was exposed. She high-kicked his neck with all the force she could muster. Her shin was crushed on impact and bent around his neck; the returning force sent Loh spinning into the ground. She cried out in wretched pain. Crow¡¯s body hadn¡¯t moved an inch from her attack.


    ¡°You actually did it, you kicked me. I wasn¡¯t sure if you were stupid enough, but I hoped. My body is more resilient than my cloak, imbecile.¡±


    Crow¡¯s body shifted and grew twice in height. Tauri screamed in pain as he dragged her up by the ankle. Loh tried reaching for Tauri¡¯s hand, but she was too far.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t hurt her!¡± Loh cried.


    Crow ignored her.


    ¡°I know what you are!¡±


    ¡°...Oh?¡±


    Loh grimaced, her body was drenched in sweat and blood. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit up. ¡°¡­I know who you are. The one in those tragic stories¡­ The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    Crow slowly bent down, his neck twisted and elongated until his mask hovered above her face, ¡°We meet at last, daughter of Noir.¡±


    ¡°Y-you know me?¡± Loh swallowed.


    ¡°How could I not? You reek of your family. I spotted your scent long before you ambushed the wagon. Ambush? I suppose it is not really an ambush if they know you¡¯re coming, hm? Semantics, not really what you came for is it?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°No, little Noir, you came for revenge against Marek. It¡¯s unwarranted of course, idiotic even. But so are most pursuits you petty creatures dedicate your lives to. You will find no revenge here.¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°...How are you still alive after all these years?¡±


    Crow¡¯s mask shook, a deep sound slipping through. Loh realized the Monster was laughing.


    ¡°Alive? What do you know of life, you whose mere existence should not be?¡±


    ¡°What? I¡­ I don¡¯t understand?¡± Loh wrinkled her brow.


    Crow¡¯s extended neck curled around Loh¡¯s shoulder. His head rested next to her own, and he whispered into her ear, ¡°Where is my dagger?¡±


    ¡°D-dagger?¡± Loh shivered.


    Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She remembered the words of her grandfather, the story of the black dagger Rose Noir had owned. The dagger Holo had entrusted to Rose and Noir I¡¯s daughter. The one Elzri¡¯s younger sister, Una, had stolen.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have my dagger. It would have returned to my side. The fact that it hasn¡¯t means it isn¡¯t anywhere in Widow¡¯s Crag. Does Elzri have it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know where your dagger is. I¡¯m not lying, I swear,¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± Crow¡¯s head rose, his neck contracting to its original length.


    Tauri muttered something under her breath. Her body still hung by the Monster¡¯s grip. Crow tightened the grip. She screamed in pain, her eyes were red with tears.


    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    Loh clenched her jaw, but stayed quiet. She couldn¡¯t let her anger get the best of her, not now. Tauri¡¯s life was in danger, she needed to save her. She needed to think.


    ¡°I was told Tauri of the House of Katag was a great beauty, with an inner light that practically bubbled with charisma and happiness. Yet all I have seen is a petty orcling who cannot even run away when I told her to. She is quite predictable and so, so very stupid. Nothing like how Aizel described.¡±


    Loh felt her mind go blank, ¡°...What? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°You, Loh, on the other hand, are exactly how Aizel described. I see loneliness and revenge have only made you that much sweeter.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about Aizel!?¡± Loh¡¯s voice broke.


    ¡°Aizel did get one thing wrong about you. You failed to save him.¡±


    Loh¡¯s throat grew tight, her mouth dry.


    ¡°Y-you were there. That night Aizel died. You were with the raiders,¡± said Tauri through gritted teeth.


    Crow released Tauri¡¯s ankle and snatched her up by the throat. She kicked her legs in the air to no avail. With his other hand Crow brushed the black hair from her face.


    ¡°I see intelligence is not one of your few gifts, orcling. I wasn¡¯t simply with the raiders that night, I led them. I had caught the scent of Noir blood in the air and I went after the source.¡±


    ¡°You... killed... Aizel!¡± Tauri gasped.


    ¡°No, I devoured him.¡±


    Crow¡¯s hand tightened around Tauri¡¯s throat. Her body started spasming, her veins darkened to a deep green, and her eyes rolled up.


    ¡°S-stop! What are you doing!?¡± Loh cried.


    Tauri¡¯s body suddenly went limp, her jaw went slack, and a white wisp slowly rose from her lips. The Monster¡¯s skull-mask creaked open, its jaws loomed over her.


    ¡°Stop! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Loh sobbed.


    A deep rumbling howl pierced the air.


    The Monster stiffened. It looked up at the sky, ¡°...Marek.¡±


    The Monster abruptly dropped Tauri, her body collapsed on the ground. The white wisp snapped back into her body and her veins slowly returned to normal.


    ¡°Tauri!¡± Loh dragged herself to the orc.


    Crow walked past the corpses of magi and made his way to Kyriil. The unconscious elf was buried in the ground, save for his head. As Crow neared, the earth shifted and spat the elf out. He grabbed Kyriil by the collar and dragged him away.


    Crow opened his mouth, an outlandish, thick guttural noise echoed from his throat. The nearby wagon shook uncontrollably. A small, pale grey creature ripped through the wagon¡¯s covering and landed on all fours. Its glassy black eyes darted around until it spotted Crow. The Unildyr hatchling dashed at him, clambered up his leg and onto his back. The hatchling nestled its head on the Monster¡¯s shoulder and purred.


    Loh watched in utter confusion, trying to grasp what was happening. The inky shadows warped around the Monster until his visage disappeared in the dark. The shadows dissipated and the wailing whispers faded. The clearing fell utterly silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gone?¡± Loh whispered.


    Tauri coughed weakly, her eyes dimly opened, ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Tauri!¡± Loh hugged her tight.


    Vayu hyperventilated and clutched at his chest, ¡°I couldn¡¯t... breathe... the shadows¡­ were suffocating me.¡±


    ¡°Vayu, you¡¯re alive,¡± Loh cried in relief.


    She looked around the ravaged clearing. The bodies of her comrades were strewn about the bloodied grass in broken sprawls. A single shuddering cry escaped from Maximus¡¯s lips. His body was covered in scrapes, blood seeped from a dozen cuts, but his eyes were fixated on the nine centaur corpses around him. He fell to his knees over the bodies of his fellow beast-kin.


    Loh turned away bitterly. She wanted to console Maximus, but there was nothing to say. She couldn¡¯t even walk over and place a comforting hand on his shoulder, her own shoulder and leg were shattered.


    ¡°Everyone is dead,¡± Tauri whimpered.


    ¡°I know,¡± Loh mumbled through tears.


    ¡°W-wha¡­ What is that?¡± Vayu pointed a shaky finger upwards.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Loh glanced up at the sky.


    The full moon¡¯s silver light was gone.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The moon it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Red,¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Vayu trembled.


    ¡°The goddess is angry,¡± Maximus said grimly.


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°N-no, that can¡¯t be. Gods aren¡¯t real, right? Right?¡±


    ¡°Then explain that!¡± Maximus pointed at the sky.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s¡­¡± Vayu stared blankly at the crimson moon.


    Tauri moved her broken body with a grimace. She prostrated herself on the grass and began whispering prayers to the moon goddess.


    ¡°Lunae isn¡¯t real, she can¡¯t be,¡± Loh swallowed.


    Maximus sighed, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what any of us believe. The moon is red. Something is horribly wrong.¡±


    Vayu nodded, ¡°We need to find the students.¡±

 Announcement/Art

    <u>


    Setting (Minor Spoilers):</u>


    This picture actually takes place at the end of summer, as Stryg''s 3rd and final year of school at Hollow Shade''s magic academy is about to begin. This is technically a spoiler, since the story is currently at the end of Stryg''s 2nd year at the academy. So, surprise, Stryg and Feli are still alive by the end of summer XD The picture is of the couple running through the Trade District with the Ebon Tower looming in the background. Feli is pulling a distracted Stryg through the streets. As for why he is distracted, who knows? ;)


    <u>Behind the Scenes:</u>


    I commissioned this art piece to depict a picture of our resident blue hybrid. In terms of what I pictured, it isn''t exactly what I had in mind. But, I think the image still manages to convey the essence of what I planned.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.As for the 2nd image, this was the sketch of the art, which is more in line in what I envisioned Stryg to look like.


    I''ll eventually get other commissions of Stryg in the future, but I hope this gives readers a bit more of a clearer image of our protagonist.


    Stryg & Feli Art


    Stryg Sketch

 Side Chapter: So, It’s A Date

    Side Chapter: So, It¡¯s A Date


    The day before the Festival of the Gods...


    Gwen nibbled on her sandwich as she ran through the early morning streets of Hollow Shade. It was a simple meal, a chunk of cheese jammed in between a sliced loaf of bread. Her mother insisted that she should eat more, but that would require Gwen to wait for breakfast. The family cook never served breakfast until Gwen¡¯s father got out of bed, which was always past sunrise, far too late for Gwen.


    It was fine, really. She didn¡¯t need much to eat if it meant she could get to work before sunrise. The trade-off was worth it.


    Gwen arrived at the front gate, pulled out her name-plate, and presented it to the on-duty guard. He glanced at the bronze name-plate, nodded, and let her through.


    Gwen dashed past him without a word and made her way to the stables at the back of the apartments. She slipped under the stable fence and tiptoed her way to the final stall in the stable.


    Unlike the others, this stall had enclosed walls and an actual door instead of a flimsy fence and latch. Gwen paused in front of the door. She brushed off any crumbs left on her trousers, patted down her frayed hair, and breathed into the palm of her to check her breath.


    It didn¡¯t matter that Gwen had to wake up before dawn, nor that she skipped breakfast. She¡¯d gladly pay the price. After all, she had the best job in the world.


    Gwen cleared her throat and knocked on the door, ¡°Rhiannon, may I come in?¡±


    ¡°...Uh-huh,¡± came a muffled voice from behind the door.


    Gwen opened the door and smiled brightly, ¡°Good morning, Rhiannon!¡±


    Rhian was sprawled over her enormous bed, a silk blanket haphazardly wrapped around her four legs. Her sleek black hair covered half her face, including the freckles Gwen was so fond of. The centaur had clearly only woken up, which wasn¡¯t unusual, in fact, quite the opposite.


    ¡°...Mornin¡­¡± Rhian yawned.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Gwen quickly busied herself with cleaning the clothes and toys strewn about the floor.


    Rhian¡¯s master was a scary mage who hissed at strangers and bit the ones he disliked, which were many. But he was very kind to his centaur, buying her whatever she wanted. He even paid to have two stalls be completely remodeled into an ornate room for Rhian, equipped with a full-body mirror, two dressers, and the largest bed Gwen had ever seen. This place was even nicer than her father¡¯s bedroom.


    Such large spending was not uncommon among high society. Many aristocrats spent lavish amounts of gold to dress up their beast-kin pets. But what made Rhian¡¯s master odd was that he spent so much time at the stables. He usually sat next to her and read one book or another until the late hours of the night. He seemed to genuinely care for his centaur, not as a pet, but as a person, something rarely seen in any rider.


    Despite his standoffish attitude, Gwen begrudgingly respected him for that. As for Rhian, well, she adored the mage known as Stryg.


    Gwen was a bit envious of their close bond, but she¡¯d never dare voice her opinion.


    ¡°Hey, Gwen?¡±


    She jumped, startled from her thoughts. ¡°Huh? Ah, yes, Rhiannon?¡±


    Rhian¡¯s thin lips curled into a smile, ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± said Gwen without hesitance.


    Rhian glanced around as if someone might be listening.


    ¡°My master entrusted me with a secret mission,¡± Rhian whispered.


    Gwen ran to the door, opened it a tad, and peeked out to make sure no one was eavesdropping. None of the other stablehands had yet to arrive, which made sense since all their shifts technically started in a few hours.


    Gwen closed the door, locked it, and nodded with confidence, ¡°The coast is clear.¡±


    ¡°Well done, soldier,¡± said Rhian seriously.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am. I do what I can, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so, Feli¡¯s birthday is coming up soon.¡±


    ¡°Your rider¡¯s wife?¡± Gwen asked.


    She had seen the purple-haired beauty in the stables more recently. Since Stryg left on his trip, Feli would usually take Rhian on a ride every day. Gwen envied Feli for this too, but she¡¯d never admit her thoughts in front of Rhian.


    Rhian nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. My master already bought her a gift, some fancy book I think, but he wanted to get her something with more style too. He doesn¡¯t know a lick about fashion, which is why he placed me in charge of getting her something nice.¡±


    Gwen nodded and rubbed her chin, ¡°I see, it makes sense. You are a show-horse, bred to be in the limelight. You probably had classes in fashion and the like since you were young.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I just don¡¯t know where to go. There are so many stores in the Trade District, I¡¯m not sure which are the best. I was hoping you could show me around.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to,¡± Gwen smiled. ¡°The only question is how large is your budget?¡±


    ¡°Right, um, one sec,¡± Rhian rummaged through one of her drawers. ¡°Ah, here we are,¡± she pulled out a small leather pouch, it jingled with the clack of coins.


    ¡°How much is that?¡± Gwen asked curiously.


    Rhian opened the pouch and mumbled under her breath as she counted its contents, ¡°Um, 20 gold coins, is that enough?¡±


    Gwen choked, ¡°Pardon?¡±


    20 gold coins were enough to buy a small house in the Bourge District!


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough? Damn it, I should have asked him for more,¡± Rhian clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s more than enough money,¡± Gwen shook her head vehemently.


    ¡°Really?¡± Rhian¡¯s grey eyes brightened.


    ¡°Definitely. Although, with that kind of coin, we¡¯re better off going to the high-end stores in the Villa District. I¡¯ve never gone inside any of those places, but I hear it¡¯s where all the rich folk go to buy their clothes and jewelry.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that sounds exciting,¡± Rhian stood up.


    ¡°The visiting crowds for the festival should be gone in a few days, our best bet is going sometime after that.¡±


    ¡°But Feli¡¯s birthday is on the same day as the festival.¡±


    ¡°The Festival of the Gods? That¡¯s tomorrow! Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Oh¡­ I forgot, hehe,¡± Rhian bonked her own head playfully.


    Gwen sighed, ¡°We won¡¯t have much time, the streets have only been getting more crowded, it¡¯ll only be worse tomorrow. We need to leave now if we have any chance to beat the crowds.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, it¡¯s a date then,¡± Rhian nodded.


    ¡°...Date?¡±


    Gwen¡¯s face turned beet-red. Did Rhian mean date as in friends hanging out? Of course, that¡¯s what she meant. Someone as wonderful as Rhian wouldn¡¯t be interested in the 5th daughter of a small-time merchant. Who was Gwen kidding? But¡­ But, what if Rhian wasn¡¯t, what if she actually did mean a date in a romantic sense?


    Gwen felt her stomach twist into knots.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be like when we went to the spa. That was a lot of fun!¡± Rhian smiled.


    ¡°Right¡­ the spa,¡± she sighed.


    The spa trip was one of Gwen¡¯s best memories. She got to spend the day relaxing inside an indoor hot spring while getting to stare at Rhian¡¯s beautiful, naked bo-


    She shook her head. Focus, Gwen.


    Now was not the time to be daydreaming. Besides, that spa trip had nothing romantic about it. Rhian played in the water the entire time and kept dancing around naked in front of the other guests.


    ¡°Shall we get going then?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, let me brush your coat and hair first.¡±


    ¡°Kay, but only if I get to do your hair.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but nothing too extravagant like last time.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ~~~


    Gwen laughed in delight. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze brush her skin. This was pure bliss, nothing was greater. If there was an afterlife, she prayed to Stjerne that it would be this.


    Rhian galloped through the streets of the Villa District, Gwen sat on the saddle and held her waist tight. All her life Gwen had dreamed of riding, she adored centaurs, and wanted to even be one. It was the whole reason she had decided to become a stablehand in the first place, that and she was the 5th child of her family. Her father would never give her any money for riding lessons.


    None of that mattered anymore, Gwen got to spend her time with the best centaur in the world.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Rhian slowed down, her hooves click-clacking on the cobblestone with each step.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡±


    Gwen opened her eyes and was met with a scarlet-red building with pink accents.


    She jumped off the saddle, ¡°Yeah, this is it. The Scarlet Whisper, one of the biggest boutiques in the district. They import rare goods from across the Ebon Realm. If there is an amazing gift to be found, it¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°Great, then what are we waiting for,¡± Rhian walked up to the store and pushed the crystal glass door open.


    Gwen swallowed, ¡°Right behind you.¡±


    A young vampiress dressed in a scarlet maid uniform greeted them with a small bow, ¡°Welcome to the Scarlet Whisper, is there anything, in particular, I might help you find? We just got a new shipment of beautiful stones from the mines of Frost Rim. Or perhaps you are interested in some of our dresses, we have the latest styles from Undergrowth.¡±


    Gwen smiled politely, ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯d like to just take a look around for now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, please let me know if you need any assistance,¡± the maid nodded and walked away.


    Rhian blinked, ¡°Huh, I thought they would give me some trouble. Usually, people don¡¯t like beast-kin entering stores, especially ones as big as me.¡±


    Gwen patted her arm sympathetically, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about any of that here. Aristocrats usually like to take their beast-kin pets with them everywhere. These high-end stores have no problem with centaurs.¡±


    Rhian glanced around the expansive room and the dozen doors and hallways leading to other sections of the store. ¡°So where do we go first?¡±


    Gwen grabbed her by the hand and led her down a hallway, ¡°How about this way? I hear they just brought in clothes from Undergrowth''s summer collection. That city might be in the middle of the woods, but those people really know how to make beautiful clothes.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Gwen, I thought you said you¡¯ve never been here. How do you know so much about this place?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°My dad is a merchant, he does a lot of business with some of the wealthier merchants of Hollow Shade. My family and I usually go to these large dinner parties the merchants hold. I¡¯m expected to hang out with the daughters of other merchants while I¡¯m there. And I do, but most of those girls aren¡¯t like me. They come from really rich backgrounds and they like to flaunt it. They only want people like me around to remind themselves how above they are from the rest of us...¡±


    ¡°Those bitches,¡± Rhian frowned.


    Gwen giggled, ¡°It¡¯s not always bad. Sometimes my family is invited to an actual Lesser House¡¯s party, they¡¯re amazing. Now those people have money, aristocrats are far richer than any regular merchant family. Those merchants¡¯ daughters can only hold their tongues in front of aristocrats.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I went to one of those. Well, it was technically a Great House¡¯s party.¡±


    Gwen did a double-take, ¡°You¡¯ve been to a Great House¡¯s party!?¡±


    Rhian cocked her head to the side, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°W-well, what was it like? Tell me everything,¡± Gwen asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Um, it was fine, lots of performers, but I personally feel like I could have done a better job than any of them. Food was nice, so was the music. Everything was going well until we got attacked.¡±


    ¡°You got attacked?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was ba- Ooh, what¡¯s that?¡± Rhian walked over to a shiny pendant on display.


    ¡°That¡¯s a sapphire and I think the rest is made of silver? Maybe platinum, I¡¯m not sure. Hey, um, what about the attack on the party?¡±


    ¡°I mean not much to tell, it was pretty straightforward. I almost died, my rider almost died, everyone almost died. I jumped into the Dire River, we almost all drowned. Then I swam to a boat and ended up saving my rider. Oh, and Maeve too.¡±


    Gwen furrowed her brow, ¡°Maeve¡­? Wait. Do you mean Maeve of House Mora?¡±


    Gwen gasped, ¡°You were at House Mora¡¯s party!? You were actually there when Mora Castle was attacked by the valley savages?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Rhian glanced at another piece of jewelry on display behind a glass cabinet.


    Gwen ran her hands through her hair, ¡°This is incredible! I mean the implications alone¡­ Rhiannon, right now we are actually insid-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll talk more about Mora stuff later. I¡¯m gonna go look at some of the other jewelry pieces in the next room over,¡± Rhian said nonchalantly.


    Gwen sighed, ¡°Got it. Birthday gift first. I''ll go check on the clothes section, see if there is anything that catches my eye.¡±


    ¡°See ya in a bit,¡± Rhian grinned.


    ¡°See ya in a bit,¡± she smiled.


    Gwen turned around and wandered over to one of the many clothing rooms. After a few minutes, she found herself in the summer collection section. One particular dress caught her attention, a bright yellow knee-length dress with faint hues of orange. It stood at the center of the room in a glass casket, the main attraction to the summer fashion she supposed.


    ¡°Gwen, is that you?¡±


    She turned around, her heart dropped at the sight of the three women.


    Gwen forced a smile, ¡°Hey, Jenna, nice to see you.¡±


    The drow shook her head and laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Gwen, you¡¯re actually here.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this place a little out of your family¡¯s reach?¡± a vampiress put a finger to her lips in thought.


    ¡°Right! I was thinking the same thing, Kate.¡± Jenna nodded. She giggled, ¡°But we all make mistakes. Where have you been recently? I haven¡¯t seen you.¡±


    Gwen clenched her teeth but kept smiling, ¡°Oh, you know, I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°Oof, yeah, you have to work. I forgot about that. 5th child and all,¡± Jenna winced.


    ¡°I¡¯m the 8th child and I don¡¯t have to work,¡± said the last girl.


    ¡°Yeah, Mia, but your family has a trade deal with Lesser House Skeller, that¡¯s different,¡± Jenna shook her head.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Mia smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, were you the one who talked to a son of the House Goldelm?¡± Jenna grinned.


    Mia rolled her eyes, ¡°He wasn¡¯t even from the main family and you barely talked to him for a minute.¡±


    ¡°Still, he was a Goldelm,¡± Jenna smiled proudly.


    ¡°Whatever, lucky bitch,¡± Mia rolled her eyes.


    Jenna stuck out her tongue.


    Gwen quietly tried escaping from the conversation, but Kate noticed.


    ¡°So, what are you doing here, Gwen?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°You know, I was about to ask you the same thing,¡± Gwen laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for the summer collection, duh. The Festival is tomorrow. The Head of House Polamtal is throwing a party and our families were invited. We¡¯re going to that party in style,¡± Jenna winked.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question,¡± Kate crossed her arms.


    Gwen swallowed, ¡°I¡¯m actually here to help a friend buy a gift for another friend.¡±


    ¡°And here I was wondering how you could afford this place,¡± Mia nodded.


    ¡°Good ol¡¯ Gwen, she may not be the prettiest, but there is none with a bigger heart, am I right,¡± Jenna laughed.


    Mia nodded with a smile. Gwen frowned.


    ¡°So, where is this friend of yours?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the jewelry section. Actually, I should probably go find her, so if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Gwen nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny, because we just came from there and we didn¡¯t see anyone,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°What?¡± Gwen wrinkled her brow.


    ¡°Are we sure this isn¡¯t an imaginary friend?¡± Mia whispered loudly.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s real. Her name is Rhiannon and she is a centaur,¡± Gwen gripped the edge of her hem.


    ¡°A centaur?¡± Jenna snorted.


    ¡°Your friend is a work-horse? Now it makes sense,¡± Mia nodded.


    Gwen glared at them, ¡°No, uh-uh. Say what you want about me, but you don¡¯t get to laugh at her. Rhiannon is amazing. She isn¡¯t a work-horse, she was trained from little to be a show-horse and she¡¯s one of the best performers out there. And she¡¯s beautiful, talented, funny, and an outright badass. She even fought in the defense of Castle Mora.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she seems almost too good to be true, if you know what I mean,¡± Mia chuckled.


    ¡°Gwen, honey, no one is judging you. You don¡¯t need to lie. It¡¯s okay,¡± Jenna said with a cooing voice.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Kate muttered and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± Gwen frowned. Her bottom lip quivered.


    ¡°Oh no, I think she¡¯s about to cry,¡± Mia gasped dramatically.


    A maid burst through the door.


    ¡°Ah, perfect. I was hoping to buy the dress on display,¡± Jenna smiled and pointed at the glass casket.


    The maid pushed Jenna aside without hesitation.


    ¡°Ow! What was that for!?¡± Jenna scowled.


    The maid ignored her, pulled out a feather duster, and wiped away any smudge on the glass casket display.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Jenna yelled.


    Two more maids walked into the room and stepped aside, one on each side of the door. All three maids bowed down to their waist and stood still.


    ¡°...What¡¯s going on?¡± Kate asked uncertainly.


    As if on cue a young vampiress walked into the room. Everyone gasped a hollow breath. The woman was dressed in an eloquent black dress with a pale red lining. She wore a hat with a wide brim and a crimson feather, yet there was no mistaking the beauty hiding underneath the hat¡¯s shadow.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± Kate¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°The merchant princess,¡± Mia mumbled.


    ¡°L-lady Mora,¡± Jenna stuttered.


    Maeve glanced around the room, ¡°Yes, this room should have something promising.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Rhian walked in behind her. ¡°Hey, thanks again for showing me around.¡±


    ¡°You saved my life from the Cairn, this is the least I can do,¡± Maeve said calmly as she perused the clothes lined throughout the shelves.


    Rhian smiled wide, ¡°Gwen! There you are. I bumped into Maeve, it turns out she is last-minute shopping for the Festival too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing an inspection of the new merchandise,¡± Maeve corrected.


    Rhian nodded, ¡°Anyways, she offered to show me around, with the both of you helping, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a great gift!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Gwen smiled and wiped her eyes.


    ¡°C-centaur,¡± Kate pointed with a shaky finger.


    ¡°Gwen, were you crying? What happened?¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Gwen shook her head.


    Rhian looked over at the three young women in the room. They shuffled their feet and looked away under her gaze.


    ¡°Ah! You must be those bitches!¡± Rhian yelled.


    Gwen coughed.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Kate¡¯s jaw went slack.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Mia frowned.


    ¡°Have these three caused a problem?¡± Maeve asked coldly.


    ¡°Yep. Give me a spear and I¡¯ll make it disappear,¡± Rhian growled.


    ¡°Wait, I think there¡¯s been some kind of horrible misunderstanding,¡± Jenna raised her hands.


    ¡°Dream on, you cow. No one messes with my Gwen! So what if she isn¡¯t rich? That doesn¡¯t give you the right to mess with her! Gwen gives it her all every day, she works harder than any of you could ever dream of! I am Rhiannon of Ebon Hollow and I¡¯ll be damned before letting a friend of mine get attacked right in front of me!¡±


    Rhian stood up on her two hind legs and prepared to pummel and crush the women underneath her hooves. The three women screamed and fell back, crumbling to the floor in terror.


    Maeve cleared her throat, ¡°Ahem, Rhian, as much as I admire your zeal, I¡¯d prefer it if you don¡¯t splatter blood and gore all over my establishment¡¯s floors.¡±


    Rhian clicked her tongue and slammed her forelegs on the floor, cracking the wood panels in front of Jenna.


    ¡°Make Gwen cry again and I will come find you and I won¡¯t be alone,¡± Rhian seethed.


    Jenna¡¯s face paled, a small puddle formed underneath her.


    Maeve snapped her fingers, ¡°Get these three women out of here, they are hence banned from this establishment. Also, get someone to clean and fix these floors.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lady,¡± the three maids said in unison.


    They quickly ran over, grabbed Jenna, Kate, and Mia, and dragged them away.


    ¡°Sorry about breaking the floor,¡± Rhian winced.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I got used to it thanks to a particular goblin,¡± Maeve¡¯s lips curled up a tad. She glanced at Gwen, ¡°I hope this event will not discourage you from returning to the Scarlet Whisper.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, my Lady,¡± Gwen bowed deeply.


    ¡°Wonderful, as a token of appreciation, please have the dress on display,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°What? But¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Gwen mumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been eyeing that dress since I walked in. Any friend of Rhian is a friend of mine. Think of this as a bribe of friendship,¡± Maeve winked.


    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± Gwen blinked.


    ¡°Come, you two, let me show you our perfumes,¡± Maeve walked away.


    Rhian nodded, ¡°Sounds great. Hey, Gwen, after this can we get something to eat?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Definitely.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter that Gwen had to wake up before dawn, nor that she skipped breakfast. It didn¡¯t even matter that she had to deal with cruel people. She¡¯d gladly pay the price. After all, she had the best job in the world.

 Chapter 185: Escape From Widow’s Crag

    Chapter 185: Escape From Widow¡¯s Crag


    Callum Veres ran with what little energy he had left in his exhausted body. They had been moving since early morning, now it was dark and they were running for their lives. His classmates and the commoner families they were escorting, should have all been resting in their tents by now. This should have been a simple final exam. No one was supposed to get hurt.


    Callum looked behind him at the cliff in the distance where Stryg and Clypeus Gale had stayed behind. Callum wanted to kick himself. Here he was complaining to himself of his legs aching, while those two were fighting tooth and nail to save everyone.


    Callum glanced at the others; Kithina¡¯s freckled cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were puffy, she hadn¡¯t said anything since they had run away. Kegrog¡¯s eyes were dull, he carried the unconscious Nora Azol in his sturdy arms. The few other students that remained kept muttering to themselves, some prayed to the gods for salvation, others cursed everyone for their situation.


    Callum couldn¡¯t blame them. Half the students and commoners were already dead and the rest were at the brink of collapsing.


    Defending against the evening ambush had used up practically all of their energy. And now, as if the universe was spitting on their misfortune, the infamous War Lord Marek had attacked them.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir? Sir? Sir!?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Callum looked up.


    A middle-aged human stood in front of him, Callum recalled the man had been nominated by the other commoners to be their spokesperson.


    ¡°My people can¡¯t go on, two of them have already fainted from exhaustion. If we keep this going I¡¯m afraid of what will happen.¡±


    Callum¡¯s shoulders shook with anger, ¡°If we don¡¯t keep moving, we¡¯ll die. Don¡¯t you understand what my friends did back there!? They are going to die! They are dying so that we can have a chance to escape. And now you want to stop!?¡±


    The man looked down, ¡°...I know, I understand, I really do, and I¡¯m truly sorry for your loss. But my people will be left behind if we keep up this pace and then they will die too. You¡¯re all magi, yes? I noticed some of you healing wounds earlier. Could you, perhaps, I don¡¯t know, renew our stamina somehow?¡±


    Callum sighed, ¡°Chromatic healing spells don¡¯t work that way. Maybe if we had an actual elemental life mage¡­ But, we don¡¯t. We are alone. Our best bet is trying to reach the second sharp cliff a few leagues from here. Our professors should be waiting for us there, hopefully¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s face fell into dismay, ¡°A few leagues? We have children with us and older folk. They won¡¯t make it that far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there is nothing else we can do. Tell your families to hold on a little longer. For now, let¡¯s just focus on climbing up this hill, we¡¯ll figure out the rest afterward,¡± Callum said bitterly.


    The man opened his mouth to retort, but he stopped. He understood he couldn¡¯t argue against a mage, let alone an aristocrat. He nodded glumly and walked back to his family.


    The world exploded in a roar of flame. Callum¡¯s body was blown away, he tumbled to the ground in a chain of painful crashes as he rolled down the hill. His ears rang in a high-pitch squeal. Horrid screams echoed dimly all around. He blinked several times, trying to dispel the disorientating haze. Something warm dripped down his cheek. He recognized the scent of blood, but there were other scents in the air.


    Callum sat up with a painful grimace. A volatile swathe of flame burned at the bottom of the hill. His dazed mind slowly began to comprehend the horrid noise. A dozen people screamed within the flames, their bodies burned and crumpled, till only charred bone was left.


    ¡°Cal, get up!¡± Kithina ran over and pulled his arm.


    ¡°T-the commoners,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead! So are most of our classmates. We need to move if we don¡¯t want to end up like them!¡± Kegrog yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be happening,¡± a voice called from above.


    The few remaining students looked up at the top of the hill. Two figures shrouded in grey cloaks stared down at them.


    ¡°They were way behind us, how did they get up there?¡± Kegrog whispered with dread.


    The hybrid twins strolled down the hill.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry you were all caught up in this, but we cannot allow you to leave,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°Surrender quietly and we will take the few of you left as prisoners. Otherwise, you will die,¡± Dawn said.


    Callum glanced between the enormous fire and the twins. The flame spell had been far greater than he had ever seen. These people weren¡¯t simple magi. They were powerful.


    ¡°Cal, we need to run!¡± Kithina tried pulling him away.


    His feet didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point, Kitty... We can¡¯t escape, we can¡¯t even fight back,¡± Callum¡¯s voice cracked. He fell to his knees and bowed his head in defeat.


    ¡°Cal¡­¡± Kithina bit her quivering lip.


    A lone figure walked past them, ¡°Stand, Callum. You are a Veres. You should never yield to adversity.¡±


    Callum slowly looked up and stared in wonder. A lone dwarf stepped in front of the others, she held a hammer and shield in her hands. Her legs were spread wide in a battle stance. The orange light of the blazing fire, bathed her golden bright. Her small figure seemed different, almost larger than life.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Dawn¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest.


    The dwarf pointed her hammer at the twins, ¡°I am Freya of the House of Goldelm! I will not run nor will I cower in front of you damn savages!¡±


    ¡°Hm, your death will be far from painless, little girl,¡± Dawn¡¯s fingers crackled with lightning.


    Freya swallowed, she stared up at her enemies with an iron resolve. ¡°Kegrog, you may not be an aristocrat, but I¡¯m placing my trust in you. Keep the others safe, you¡¯re in charge now.¡±


    ¡°...Understood,¡± Kegrog nodded.


    He put Nora over his shoulder, grabbed Callum¡¯s shirt, and threw him over his other shoulder. Callum didn¡¯t resist, his mind felt numb. What was Freya doing?


    The dwarf banged her hammer against her shield, ¡°What are you waiting for, you purple-eyed freaks!?¡±


    ¡°I see House Goldelm¡¯s hubris lives up to its name,¡± Dawn curled her blue lips in an amused smile.


    Vaughn stared at Freya¡¯s trembling legs, ¡°Despite all your boasting, you are afraid, Goldelm. Yet you still taunt us? Are you a fool?¡±


    Freya smiled shakily, ¡°Never. I just rather die protecting them than be your bitch.¡±


    Dawn opened her hand, blue lighting surged across her palm and formed a crackling spear, ¡°I have no time for your quips and we really only need one prisoner. The rest of you can die here.¡±


    Freya¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°You can still change your mind, surrender, and let us end this quickly,¡± Vaughn offered.


    Freya¡¯s breath quickened. She shook her head, ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t let you past me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to,¡± Dawn stomped her foot.


    A wall of stone rose from the ground and blocked off Kegrog and the others from escaping.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Maybe if you run now you might have a chance to escape?¡± Dawn taunted.


    Freya licked her dry lips and grinned half-heartedly, ¡°Do you see me running?¡±


    ¡°You would die? For a hopeless attempt to protect those cowards who were about to leave you to die? Why?¡± Vaughn cocked his head to the side.


    Stryg¡¯s final words echoed through Freya¡¯s mind. She gripped her hammer, ¡°I made a promise.¡±


    ¡°So have we,¡± Dawn pulled her arm back and hurled the lightning spear.


    The spear whistled through the air, Freya raised her shield and closed her eyes tight. The wind howled down on her, the spear splintered in a blast of sizzling light.


    ¡°Well done, Freya. House Goldelm would be proud.¡±


    Freya opened her eyes hesitantly. A wall of red ward sigils swirled in the air. She slowly turned around. A drow in a white robe stood behind, a crest of black flames emblazoned on his chest.


    ¡°Ah¡­!?¡± Freya¡¯s legs buckled underneath her. ¡°Lord Noir!¡± She cried in relief.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, go rest with the others,¡± Elzri stepped past her.


    ¡°Elzri Noir?¡± Vaughn whispered. He glanced up at the night sky, ¡°Quite an entrance.¡±


    ¡°The great arch-mage of Hollow Shade. How unexpected,¡± Dawn cracked her neck from side to side.


    ¡°Leave before I end you both,¡± Elzri said calmly.


    ¡°Did you really fly all the way here? From the City of Shades?¡± Vaughn asked.


    Dawn clicked her tongue, ¡°You must be exhausted, your yellow mana depleted. Your body itself must be overheating from such a prolonged spell. Pity, I had hoped to one day face you at your strongest.¡±


    ¡°You saw my sister¡¯s storm spear, you know she is an arch-mage, yet you still wish to fight? You should be the one leaving while you can, Lord Noir,¡± Vaughn warned.


    Elzri said nothing and simply stared.


    ¡°...Very well, you¡¯ve made your choice,¡± Vaughn sighed.


    Dawn summoned a second storm spear and hurled it at Elzri. The spear shattered over his red dome in an explosion of thunder.


    ¡°Your wards blocked it twice, impressive. Let¡¯s try again,¡± Dawn casted two more spears, one in each hand, and threw them at the red shield.


    Lightning splintered across the wards, burning the ground all around. Elzri watched from inside the dome, unfazed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep this up, Noir,¡± Dawn sneered.


    ¡°Neither can you.¡±


    ¡°Then let me help,¡± Vaughn spread his arms wide. Two massive spheres of white light spun into existence over his palms.


    ¡°Lux orbs?¡± Elzri furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Did you think I was the only arch-mage?¡± Dawn created two more storm spears.


    The red dome faded away.


    Elzri lifted his hand, ¡°Frankly, yes.¡± He snapped his fingers, five lux orbs formed above him.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Dawn took a step back.


    The five lux orbs flared, beams of searing light firing out. Dawn threw her storm spears, the lightning splashed into two beams in a dazzling explosion. Vaughn fired off his own lux orbs, the light beams splintering against another two beams.


    Elzri¡¯s last light beam went straight at Dawn. Vaughn¡¯s fingers shined with red light, he scribbled in the air with one swift motion. A ward wall appeared between his sister and the beam.


    Elzri flicked his fingers, the light beam curved around the ward wall and smashed into Dawn. She crashed back into the steep hill, the light beam bore a deep hole into the hill, leaving behind a crater filled with smoke.


    Elzri narrowed his eyes.


    Dawn dusted herself off and stepped out of the crater. Yellow durability scales crawled over her skin. Her robes were in tatters, but she seemed unharmed. She grimaced and stumbled a step.


    ¡°...Not bad,¡± Dawn wiped the blood off her lips.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Vaughn¡¯s face contorted in anger at the sight of Dawn. He sent an icy glare at Elzri, ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Vaughn threw his hands together and summoned forth all his orange mana. Fire curled around his body and concentrated above him in a scorching helix. The orange flames exploded in an immense wave of blazing heat and rolled down the hill.


    Elzri raised his hand, the air screeched as a seed of azure flame flourished in his palm.


    Dawn¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°GET DOWN!¡±


    She tackled her brother to the ground and formed a stone sphere around them.


    The azure flame blossomed into an infernal flood of fire. It crashed into the orange flames and devoured them. The azure inferno roared and swept across the entire hill, cleansing the area of any life, and charring the ground black.


    The students screamed in fear, the sweltering heat of the far away flames reaching even them. Elzri threw a ward wall over them, without glancing. His eyes were focused on the scorched hill.


    ¡°...Dammit,¡± he sighed.


    The charred earth shifted, a cracked dome of wards hid underneath. The wards fell apart, unable to hold any longer. The twins stood up shakily from within the crater.


    ¡°So the stories were true, a drow who wields a flame spell surpassing all others¡­ the Azure Flower,¡± Dawn muttered.


    ¡°House Noir and its king live up to their name. This won¡¯t be easy,¡± Vaughn took off his cloak and threw it over his sister.


    ¡°I know,¡± she nodded.


    A dozen shadow tendrils curled out of Elzri¡¯s silhouette, each one picked up sharp, jagged rocks.


    Freya¡¯s scream broke behind them.


    ¡°What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°Gods help us,¡± Kegrog muttered.


    ¡°Sweet Bellum,¡± Callum trembled.


    Vaughn glanced at the sky, ¡°Oh no.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Dawn whispered grimly.


    Elzri looked up, ¡°...What?¡±


    The silver full moon flew high in the evening sky, yet the impossible was unfolding in front of them. A crimson light crept over the edge of the moon, bathing its silver face in a wave of blood-red.


    A deep dreadful howl rumbled across the air in shattering waves. Its echoes dug sharply into everyone¡¯s eardrums. The students cried out in pain, the twins covered each other''s ears, Elzri winced and held his head.


    Four centaurs ran at a breakneck speed across the fells from a distance. A lone rider led them. As they neared, Elzri noticed the rider¡¯s abnormally large size and the bloodied woman he carried.


    ¡°Vaughn! Vaughn!¡± Marek called out from his saddle.


    ¡°Marek?¡± Vaughn tilted his head.


    ¡°Marek, you dumb fuck! What did you do?!¡± Dawn marched towards him, lightning crackling in her hands.


    ¡°What?! It¡¯s Nokuti! She¡¯s dying! I tried to stop the bleeding but there¡¯s so much blood... Vaughn, you need to save her! Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Marek cried out in panic.


    ¡°Let her die,¡± Dawn spat.


    ¡°No, the master wouldn¡¯t want that,¡± Vaughn sighed.


    ¡°Goddammit,¡± Dawn grumbled.


    ¡°Marek¡­?¡± Elzri stood still.


    This was him. This was the man who killed his only grandson. The monster who had burned him to death. War Lord Marek was right in front of him. Elzri slowly clenched his fist.


    Vaughn ran up to unconscious Nokuti and laid his hands over her. A soft white glow seeped into her body. Dawn kept a wary eye on Elzri.


    ¡°Nokuti¡¯s injuries are critical and she¡¯s lost a lot of blood. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still alive. This won¡¯t be easy,¡± Vaughn frowned.


    ¡°Can you save her?¡± Marek¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Vaughn nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re Marek, chieftain of the Cairn Tribe,¡± Elzri said quietly.


    Marek glanced at him, ¡°What? Who is the middle-aged drow?¡±


    ¡°Elzri of the House of Noir,¡± Dawn said.


    Marek cleared his throat, ¡°...Lord Noir, I have heard terrifying stories of you. But the woman I love is dying, I don¡¯t have time for you. You want to capture me? In front of both my arch-magi? Good luck, you¡¯ll lose, horribly.¡±


    Dawn coughed, ¡°Shut up, Marek.¡±


    ¡°You killed my grandson,¡± Elzir¡¯s voice dripped with rage.


    Marek frowned, ¡°Grandson? I have never met your grandson.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, human. I will end your existence if it¡¯s the last thing I do,¡± Elzri snarled.


    ¡°Lord Noir¡­?¡± Freya whispered.


    Elzri turned around and was met with the few students left; they looked haggard and worn, but most of all they looked terrified.


    Elzri paused. If he fought here to the death, what would happen to these children caught in the crossfire?


    He slowly unclenched his fists.


    ¡°...Take your people and go, human. The next time I see you will be your last,¡± Elzri muttered.


    Marek bowed his head, ¡°You are a man of honor.¡±


    Dawn didn¡¯t wait for a response, she hopped onto one of the centaurs. Vaughn saddled up on another centaur. Marek gingerly placed Nokuti in front of Vaughn¡¯s saddle as the arch-mage continued healing her.


    Marek clambered up on his saddle and sent one final glance at Elzri, ¡°The young Gale warrior¡¯s body is up on the cliff¡­ He fought bravely until the end, he died with honor. He should be given a proper burial.¡±


    Marek and the others galloped away without another word.


    ¡°Gale¡­ Clypeus is dead?¡± Kegrog muttered.


    ¡°No!¡± Kithina cried.


    Callum crumpled to the ground and slammed his fist into the dirt. ¡°Dammit, I¡¯m useless!¡± he screamed through tears.


    Nora lay on the ground, unconscious still.


    ¡°...Where is the student known as Stryg?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°He¡­ He was with Clypeus, they stayed behind so we could escape,¡± Freya mumbled.


    ¡°...Fuck,¡± Elzri sighed.


    He glanced up at the red moon. He had no idea what was happening. He needed answers and fast. But first, he needed to save these children.


    ¡°We need to reach the nearest river town as quickly as possible,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°We can barely move, we¡¯ve been running all night,¡± Freya said hesitantly.


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Elzri slowly sat down, closed his eyes, and focused on his accelerated heartbeat. That woman arch-mage was right. He had pushed himself greatly just to fly all the way over here. He was already nearing his limits before he even arrived.


    ¡°We¡¯ll rest for a bit,¡± Elzri nodded.

 Chapter 186: The Dark Fringe

    Chapter 186: The Dark Fringe


    Stryg floated in a pool of utter darkness. He felt numb, even with his night vision he could see nothing. There was no sensation of touch nor sound. He drifted in emptiness, unaware of how he had come to be. Why was he here? What had happened? He couldn¡¯t remember¡­


    Water droplets echoed amidst the sound of faint footsteps. A small figure trudged through the darkness, its faint visage became clearer as it neared.


    The figure stepped next to Stryg and looked down at his prone form.


    ¡°There you are,¡± the voice said.


    Stryg slowly looked up, ¡°You¡¯re¡­?¡±


    The small stranger was dressed in rough hide garments. Her black hair was short and fell down to her slim shoulders. Her green pointy ears twitched every few seconds to some unheard noise and her yellow slitted eyes stared inquisitively at Stryg.


    She smiled, revealing sharp teeth, ¡°Nice to meet you, abomination.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a goblin?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Mhm. That¡¯s good, this place hasn¡¯t completely robbed your senses yet.¡±


    His throat felt parched, he licked his dry lips, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Ann. I mean you no harm.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m Stryg. I think? I can¡¯t remember very well.¡±


    ¡°Hm, makes sense,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means instead of asking who I am, you should be asking where you are.¡±


    ¡°...Where am I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked!¡± Ann sat down next to his prone body and flipped him over, face up.


    Stryg groaned in protest, but he couldn¡¯t bring his limbs to move on their own.


    ¡°Better?¡± She grinned.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Great!¡± Ann looked around the pitch darkness as if surveying a beautiful landscape, ¡°In case you didn¡¯t notice, this isn¡¯t the Ebon Realm. Technically, we aren¡¯t even here, at least our bodies aren¡¯t. Our souls, on the other hand, are very much here.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°...Am I dead?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, no. I found you in time.¡±


    ¡°Where are we exactly?¡±


    ¡°A place between the Infinite Null and the Ten Realms. We are in the Dreamscape, specifically in its outermost edge, the Dark Fringe.¡±


    ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°Many in the past have used dreams to enter the Dreamscape. I suspect you have done the same, but not today. No, today, what you are, child, is dying.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Ann patted his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Now, where was I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying?¡±


    ¡°No, not that part. Ah, yes, the Dreamscape. In simple terms, I guess you could see it as another realm, except far larger and without its natural boundaries. Things here are never what they seem. The Dreamscape is chaotic, unpredictable. Thoughts and ideas often take physical form.¡±


    ¡°Physical, like they¡¯re real?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much. Even symbols affect reality here,¡± she plucked a silver feather from his shoulder.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Stryg stared at the feather.


    The feather withered away and crumbled to dust.


    ¡°That right there is our cue to leave. We¡¯ve been here too long.¡±


    Panic leaked into his voice, ¡°We¡¯re in danger?¡±


    ¡°A bit, yes. The Dreamscape as a whole isn¡¯t inherently dangerous, but the Dark Fringe is. This place is the boundary between the Null and the Dreamscape. Were too close to the Infinite Null, its power erodes everything it touches, including us. Normally, no one would ever dare near the Dark Fringe.¡±


    ¡°So why are we here?¡±


    Ann slipped her arms under Stryg and lifted him up into her embrace, ¡°Excellent question. My best guess is that you were wounded terribly, mentally and physically. Your mind, in an effort to escape such pain, rejected reality and threw itself into the Dreamscape. The problem is, you were too desperate, you fell too deep, and landed all the way down here in the Dark Fringe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember being hurt,¡± Stryg bit his lip.


    ¡°The Null¡¯s presence is affecting your mind, including your memories. If we stay here, we will both eventually cease to exist.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    She blinked, ¡°For you, of course. I came to find you, Stryg. I couldn¡¯t simply let you die here. Luckily, I found you, and believe me, that is no small feat in such a large place.¡±


    Stryg felt the air shift around them, their bodies began to rise amidst the darkness.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Truth be told, if I didn¡¯t save you, someone very dangerous would be very angry.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    A small crack of light pierced high above the darkness.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± she said.


    Ann kicked off the darkness itself and quickened their ascent. The light grew brighter and colder as they neared. The wind howled through the spatial crack. Stryg squeezed his eyes shut and winced. He felt as if the cold torrent would freeze his blood and tear his body to shreds, but Ann held him close and shielded him.


    Suddenly, the wind died and Stryg felt warmth once more.


    ¡°You can open your eyes now,¡± Ann whispered.


    Stryg slowly cracked his eyes open. They were surrounded by an indigo sea, the water was still with only a single ripple echoing from where Ann stood. The sky was a clear shade of grey, yet there was no sun nor moon.


    Ann gently lowered him down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim!¡± Stryg flailed his limbs around.


    ¡°No need,¡± she winked.


    His body fell into the water and sank. He felt his legs touch the soft sand, the water barely reached below his knees.


    ¡°It¡¯s not deep? Wait, I can stand,¡± Stryg stumbled up to his feet.


    ¡°We are no longer in the Dark Fringe, you should begin regaining your strength and memories fairly quickly.¡±


    Stryg kicked the water with child-like innocence. He laughed brightly, ¡°I¡¯m alive. We¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± Ann nodded. ¡°Now, if you could tell me what exactly happened between you and the dire human Marek, I¡¯d very much appreciate it.¡±


    Stryg faltered in his steps, ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Marek, the war lord, chieftain of the Cairn Tribe. What happened between you two?¡±


    Stryg held his head, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Try to remember soon,¡± she smiled coldly.


    ¡°I was¡­ ugh,¡± he grimaced.


    The simple locket around his neck began to shake.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ann narrowed her eyes. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°What, why?¡± He took a step back.


    A silver feather squeezed out of the locket¡¯s lid. The necklace began to rattle uncontrollably. The locket shattered, a thousand silver feathers burst forth in a storm of light. He recoiled and covered his face. The ebon coin that had been hidden inside the locket floated above him.


    A soft touch rested on Stryg¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you held on to the coin.¡±


    Stryg turned around, a familiar face looked back at him. Her curly black hair fell over olive-toned cheeks. Her thin lips formed a warm smile. He knew this face, he was certain he knew this person. What was her name?


    ¡°...Captain?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Nice to see you too, little one,¡± she winked.


    ¡°~Who would dare have the audacity to come here, I wonder?~¡±


    ¡°Hello, you fucking Monster,¡± Captain glared at Ann.


    Ann placed a finger to her chin, ¡°Hello, Captain. Captain¡­ Captain? Captain. Hm, is that really the name you¡¯re going with now, ¡®Captain?¡¯ It¡¯s quite stale. Oh no, please, for the love of gods, tell me you haven¡¯t become boring with old age, Holo.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Holo stepped in front of him, ¡°Stay behind me, little one.¡±


    The Monster looked Holo up and down, ¡°Well, at least your current appearance is soft on the eyes.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say the same, yet no matter what form you take, whenever I look at you all I want to do is vomit,¡± Holo sneered.


    ¡°It seems time hasn¡¯t dulled your sharp tongue after all, good. I always liked you over the other mishaps.¡±


    ¡±We both know I¡¯m not a mishap,¡± Holo tilted her head.


    ¡°Darling, to me, none of you should have ever even been born.¡±


    Holo shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I once actually admired you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, you¡¯ve made many horrible decisions in your life.¡±


    ¡°This is not one of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what is this, exactly?¡±


    ¡°The first step. The beginning of my vengeance,¡± she said somberly.


    Ann laughed, ¡°Really? Revenge? Is that what this is about? What, do you think there is some epic grudge between us?¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes.


    Ann clicked her tongue, ¡°Why is it, do you think, I simply haven¡¯t hunted you down and ended your miserable existence? I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t care about you.¡±


    ¡°You are insignificant at your worst and a minor nuisance at your best. History will not sing your deeds, the world will not remember you, even your own city has forgotten your name. Because the stark reality is you are nothing, Holo. And you are so very alone.¡±


    She smiled wryly, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, maybe nothing I do here will ever really matter¡­ But let¡¯s give it a try anyway.¡±


    Holo snatched the floating coin from the air and wrapped her arm around Stryg, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Ann¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Ann¡¯s goblin hand shifted and stretched into a long winding limb of shadowy fingers, clawing towards Stryg. He flinched. The world erupted in a roar of orange light.


    Stryg opened his eyes. The scenery had changed. He was no longer in the middle of the sea. He was in a forest, with lush greenery all around. Pink bubbles rained down from the sky. One popped on his nose, it smelled like laughter. Stryg frowned, how did laughter have a smell, and why did he know what it was?


    Holo stepped back from him and leaned on a tree. She took a deep breath and whistled.


    ¡°That was terrifying, ey?¡± She laughed shakily.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°W-what just happened? That goblin lady wasn¡¯t a goblin? She was a monster?¡±


    ¡°I thought you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°...How the fuck would I know that? I have so many questions. What is happening?¡±


    Holo sighed, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know how much of this stuff you¡¯ve already been told about. I want to trust you, but you won¡¯t even tell me your name. Which makes me think¡­ nevermind.¡±


    ¡°My name is Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Listen to me, you¡¯re still too young and inexperienced to remember what transpires in the Dreamscape. When you wake up you won¡¯t remember any of this.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Holo placed the black coin in his hand, ¡°There is no time to explain, the mana I infused in the orichalcum coin is running out. Once it does our connection will be severed. The coin could only store enough mana for one charge, it was a last resort to keep you safe. I won¡¯t be able to find you again in the Dreamscape. You¡¯ll be on your own.¡±


    Stryg stared at the coin, ¡°It¡¯s like a magestone? If it runs out of mana it¡¯s useless?¡±


    ¡°Orichalcum is never useless. Worst case scenario you can always sell it for funds. Ah, shit, none of this is important right now. Listen closely, it doesn¡¯t matter if you forget everything else, but please try to remember these next words.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Stryg said hesitantly.


    ¡°Tell Maeve Mora to stay out of the Dreamscape. Her synchrony magic is like a beacon to the Monster and many others. I barely managed to save her from Its grasp last time. I probably won¡¯t manage to do it again.¡±


    Holo¡¯s form shimmered, the edges of her body began to fade away.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of time, Stryg. The Monster has eyes and influence even in Hollow Shade. Now that the Monster knows I¡¯ve interfered, It will be keeping an eye out and trying to stop anything I do, but you still might have a chance to act outside of Its sway.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Who¡¯s Maeve?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you wake. Just know you might be the only one left who can keep her safe. Remember Stryg, remember to warn Maeve. Promise me!¡±


    ¡°...I promise,¡± Stryg nodded.


    She smiled, ¡°Very good. Stay strong, little one.¡±


    Holo¡¯s form dissipated into the air.

 Chapter 187: They Don’t Deserve You

    Chapter 187: They Don¡¯t Deserve You


    Vayu surveyed the fells and cliffs of Widow¡¯s Crag through the eyes of his hawk. It had taken some time for the hawk to return to Widow¡¯s Crag from Hollow Shade, but once he had, Vayu''s true purple binding magic was able to link with his hawk¡¯s senses. It was difficult to spell cast through the pain, but Vayu didn¡¯t give up.


    As the predatory bird flew through the night sky Vayu sat leagues away with his comrades. Maximus rested on the grass, his multiple cuts and bruises finally beginning to settle in. Loh sat a few paces away, she tried focusing on wrapping bandages around Tauri¡¯s broken fingers, but her mind kept wandering back to the students.


    ¡°Anything yet?¡± Loh asked for the tenth time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any of the students, no,¡± Vayu sighed.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Tauri winced.


    ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Loh grimaced. She had made the bandages too tight.


    ¡°You were never very good at this, ever since we were kids,¡± Tauri chuckled painfully.


    ¡°Yeah, Aizel was always better at the ¡®patching up¡¯ part,¡± Loh said with a tone of reminiscence.


    ¡°And that thing killed him¡­¡± Tauri¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°It acted like it knew you. And you called it something,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark,¡± Loh admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, honestly. I¡¯ve heard some stories about the creature, I never thought they were true.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if someone told me about what happened tonight I wouldn¡¯t believe them either,¡± Tauri nodded bitterly. ¡°Still, now that we know it¡¯s real, I feel like it¡¯s time to tell us what you know. We can¡¯t fight an enemy we know nothing about.¡±


    ¡°Tauri, I really don¡¯t know much. But if the stories are true and I¡¯m inclined to believe that they are, then it''s best if we stay away from that Monster.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? Loh, we just got our asses handed to us. Our entire elite squad of magi is dead. My ankle and hands are broken, your shoulder and leg are shattered, and Vayu¡¯s knees are literally bent the wrong way! If we don¡¯t get magical medical attention soon none of us may be able to walk again!¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point! We should stay away from that Monster at all costs!¡±


    ¡°Wrong! That Monster has taken too much from us. If anyone deserves our vengeance it¡¯s that bastard!¡± Tauri yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    Loh stared down at the ground, ¡°That¡¯s just it, revenge was my mistake. I should have never led us here¡­ I was selfish and everyone is dead because of my actions.¡±


    ¡°You were trying to avenge your brother, no one will fault you for that,¡± Tauri sniffed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I know the stories of the Monster in the Dark. My family¡¯s founder, Noir I, encountered it. He died seeking revenge against the Monster.¡±


    ¡°Founder? But that was like seven centuries ago,¡± Tauri wrinkled her brow.


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯re dealing with a creature that¡¯s been around for more than half a millennium.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Tauri shook her head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think a single person defeating a group of powerful magi with ease was possible either, but here we are. Here we are¡­¡± Loh pointed at their surroundings and the corpses strewn about.


    ¡°My hawk is flying over the designated rendezvous,¡± Vayu spoke up.


    ¡°Are Stryg and the others there?!¡± Loh asked anxiously.


    ¡°...No. There¡¯s only a single body on the cliff. They¡¯re face down, I can¡¯t see the face. But the hair is dark brown, it¡¯s not Stryg,¡± he said.


    Loh sighed, she wasn¡¯t sure if she should be relieved or more worried.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°Um, there¡¯s something else. There are markings on the cliff, markings of a recent battle. I see bloodstains too. I think the students were here.¡±


    Loh felt a sharp pain clutch at her chest. What had she done? She should have never come here. Stryg had been waiting for her, the students were counting on her, but she wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Please keep looking,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vayu nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine, Loh. Those kids are the best of their generation, they can handle themselves,¡± Tauri gingerly placed her broken hand on her best friend¡¯s shoulder.


    Loh didn¡¯t respond. Her mind was running through the possible outcomes of what might have happened to the students.


    ¡°Wait, I think I see something.¡± The purple sigils around Vayu¡¯s neck and head flared. ¡°About a league from the cliff. There is a hill, it¡¯s been scorched pitch black.¡±


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Yeah, a few people. They¡¯re¡­ students! I can¡¯t believe it, Lord Noir is down there with them too. We have nothing to worry about,¡± Vayu grinned broadly.


    ¡°Is Stryg with them?¡± Loh asked, hope dripping from her voice.


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, he¡¯s not,¡± Vayu shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a chance he¡¯s out there,¡± Tauri said reassuringly. ¡°Vayu, keep looking.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    ¡°Vayu, how many students are with my grandfather?¡± Loh asked quietly.


    ¡°Less than ten¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they are dead,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°It probably does,¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Vayu furrowed his brow.


    ¡°What is it? What do you see?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°My hawk¡¯s flying over the Dire River next to the cliffs. There is this weird fog near the shoreline.¡±


    ¡°How is it weird?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Well, usually it wouldn¡¯t be. Fog naturally appears over the river, especially on warm nights, like tonight. The weird thing is this fog is concentrated on only one area near the river¡¯s shoreline. I¡¯m having my hawk fly lower for a closer look. Huh, maybe I¡¯m seeing things but the water near the fog seems to be¡­ freezing?¡±


    Loh¡¯s face paled, ¡°That¡¯s not fog¡­ It¡¯s frost-mist. Vayu, get your hawk out of there now!¡±


    Vayu screamed and fell over.


    ¡°Vayu!¡± Loh limped to him and shook his shoulder.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Tauri asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I think something happened to his hawk,¡± Loh bit her lip.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Vayu grimaced.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re alright. Can you hear me?¡± Loh asked.


    Vayu opened his eyes with a wince, ¡°Loh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re okay,¡± she smiled, relieved.


    ¡°What happened, Vayu?¡± Tauri asked.


    Vayu¡¯s voice went taut, ¡°I¡­ I was with my hawk¡­ They got him. He died.¡±


    ¡°What got him?¡± Tauri frowned.


    Loh stayed quiet, but she had an awful inkling.


    Vayu swallowed, ¡°...My hawk was flying near the fog. That¡¯s when I saw it. The fog parted for a brief moment. I saw these giant wolves, at first I thought they were dire wolves. But there was one¡­ It had snow-white fur and it was big, bigger than the rest of them. And it saw me, it saw my hawk¡­¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What did it do?¡± Loh asked, but she already knew the answer.


    ¡°It howled, but it wasn¡¯t so much a howl as it was a roar of pure power directed at my hawk. I could feel his wings break, his feathers turn to shreds¡­ He¡¯s gone,¡± Vayu broke down in tears.


    Loh looked away and gritted her teeth, ¡°Dammit.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I encountered them once before. They¡¯re called frost-wolves. I wasn¡¯t certain it was the same pack until you mentioned the big one. That¡¯s the alpha, a powerful dire by the looks of it. Their species is native to the Rupture Mountains,¡± Loh admitted.


    ¡°Then what are they doing in Dusk Valley?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I asked myself the same question,¡± she sighed.


    Loh stiffened, she felt a shiver run up her spine. Her blue eyes slowly looked up at the blood-red moon. Stryg¡¯s words from that night echoed in her mind, ¡°Frost wolves, the fabled harbingers of Lunae¡­ they only leave their home to enforce Lunae¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ can¡¯t be,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Loh, there was something else,¡± Vayu brushed away his tears. ¡°I saw something else in the fog, amidst the frost-wolves. I saw him. I saw Stryg.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Loh spun around and grabbed his shoulders.


    ¡°His eyes were closed, there was a lot of blood on his shirt, but I noticed his chest move, if only slightly. He was lying on the sandy shore.¡±


    ¡°He was there? Stryg was there? With the frost-wolves? Were they hurting him? ...Were they trying to eat him?¡± Loh¡¯s voice cracked.


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°No, they were just all standing around him, almost like¡­ I don¡¯t know, it was strange.¡±


    ¡°Welp, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Are you sure you saw the little blue goblin?¡± Tauri crossed her arms.


    ¡°I know what I saw,¡± Vayu frowned.


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s right,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°See, she gets it,¡± Tauri nodded.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. Stryg once told me he was a bad omen from Lunae,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Lunae?¡± Tauri swallowed.


    ¡°Then the red moon?¡± Vayu glanced at the night sky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But Stryg is in danger,¡± Loh clenched her fists. ¡°Maximus!¡±


    The centaur pushed himself to his feet. ¡°I heard. I¡¯m ready to go when you are.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You¡¯re leaving? To go get Stryg?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Loh nodded.


    Maximus picked up the lithe drow and placed her on his back.


    ¡°If my grandfather is in Widow¡¯s Crag, then that means he got my message. In other words, there should be several squadrons of magi on their way to help us. I don¡¯t doubt they will soon find you two and bring you back to Hollow Shade safe and sound. Stay here and rest until then,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°This is crazy, you can¡¯t just leave. You don¡¯t even know if Stryg is with the frost-wolves. For all we know Vayu saw wrong,¡± Tauri tried getting up. She winced and stumbled, her broken ankle made it impossible to stand.


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s right. Even if Stryg is there, you¡¯re walking into a death trap. You¡¯re exhausted and badly injured. Even if you somehow manage to grab Stryg, you won¡¯t be able to fight back against the entire pack,¡± Vayu warned.


    Loh smiled half-heartedly, ¡°I still have to try. I can¡¯t abandon him, not again. This mission¡¯s utter failure is my fault entirely. So many people have died... I won¡¯t let Stryg be another casualty. Maximus, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Loh, wait!¡± Tauri yelled.


    Maximus galloped away.


    ~~~


    Maximus climbed the last rocky hill and looked down at the Dire River¡¯s shore. Or at least, he tried looking at the shore, the entire area was covered in thick frost-mist.


    ¡°So, what exactly is the plan? Or is the more of a suicide note kinda thing?¡± Maximus asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the latter?¡± Loh smiled wryly.


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference to me¡­ I died a long time ago,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯d ask, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d tell me more,¡± Loh said quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯d be right¡­ So, do you have a plan?¡±


    ¡°Kinda, it really depends on them,¡± she pointed at the frost-mist.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If what Vayu saw was true, then the frost wolves didn¡¯t kill Stryg yet. Which means, at the very least, they have a certain level of intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Or, counter argument, Stryg was right and he is a bad omen. In which case the frost wolves are being controlled by Lunae and are waiting to sacrifice him or something.¡±


    ¡°I really doubt that. There has to be an explanation for all of this. But whatever the case may be, we won¡¯t find anything out if we simply stand here,¡± Loh said.


    Maximus nodded and trotted down the hill. Loh winced with every step he took, even while on the saddle her shattered shin screamed in agony at the slightest movement. She gritted her teeth and tried to endure it.


    The frost-mist parted when Maximus and Loh neared. The magical fog curled around them and blocked off their retreat. In a handful of seconds, they were surrounded by the frost-mist. The temperature dropped, Loh could see her own breath slip out of her mouth in white wisps. Maximus and she began shivering, out of sheer cold or fear she wasn¡¯t sure.


    Icy blue eyes appeared in front of them, then behind, and to the side. Suddenly they were surrounded by pairs of blue eyes watching them. A dozen frost wolves growled through the mist. Maximus gripped his double-sided ax tightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan again?¡± He whispered.


    The frost-mist stirred and retreated from Maximus and Loh until they found themselves in a small clearing amidst the mist as if they were in the eye of a storm. Almost two dozen frost wolves, each larger than Maximus, surrounded them. Frost-mist rose from the wolves¡¯ bodies, curling about their black and grey fur.


    A small unmoving body lay at the edge of the frost-mist. Stryg¡¯s shirt was dyed with dried blood and his body seemed to be covered in scrapes and bruises. He was soaked wet, yet the mist did not freeze over him. His eyes were closed, but his face contorted in pain.


    ¡°There!¡± Loh pointed.


    A large white paw stepped in front of the blue goblin. A snarling wolf stood above Stryg, its fur was snow-white, and its long claws dripped with blood. The wolf was larger than the rest by far, standing at almost twice the size of the others. Its blood-red eyes stared at the two intruders. The alpha growled in a low rumble. The other frost-wolves bowed their heads and took a step back.


    ¡°You have a lot of gall to show your presence here, drow,¡± the alpha snarled.


    ¡°You can talk!?¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh¡­ shit,¡± Maximus muttered.


    ¡°What idiotic idea possessed you to face us again?¡± The alpha¡¯s voice rang deep in their ears.


    Loh was stunned, she didn¡¯t know what to say, she had expected some level of intelligence, but not sapience. Her eyes wandered over to her apprentice, who lay unconscious underneath the alpha.


    Loh clenched her fists, cleared her throat, and looked up at the alpha¡¯s looming figure, ¡°I have come to save my apprentice.¡±


    The alpha bared its fangs, ¡°Save? If it wasn¡¯t for you he wouldn¡¯t need any saving. He would have drowned in the Dire River if we hadn¡¯t come. Stryg isn¡¯t going anywhere with you.¡±


    ¡°...I never told you his name,¡± Loh whispered.


    The alpha cocked its head to the side, ¡°His name? You think you know Stryg better than I?¡±


    Loh knitted her eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to hurt him¡­ You¡¯re trying to protect him?¡±


    The alpha spoke in a deep rumble, ¡°I was worried more than anyone when Stryg left Vulture Woods. The first moment he stepped out of Holo¡¯s Shade we came to kill all of you and bring him back home. But Stryg refused, in fact, he made it very clear he would rather fight us and keep his ¡®friends¡¯ safe. Stryg wanted to stay in Holo¡¯s Shade¡­. And I let him. Now, look at what has happened because of that choice. Stryg is going home now.¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°To Vulture Woods? T-that isn¡¯t his home! That place only ever brought pain to Stryg. If you actually knew him, you would know that! Stryg has people who care for him back in Hollow Shade. He¡¯s even married.¡±


    ¡°Why should any of those people matter?¡± The alpha curled its black lips in a sneer.


    ¡°What?¡± Loh shook her head, ¡°It matters because Stryg cares for them all too! Stryg wants to stay in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Stryg is a baby, he is too young to protect himself, let alone understand what he truly wants.¡±


    Loh took a shaky breath, ¡°That¡¯s not true. Otherwise, I¡¯d already be dead, right? You haven¡¯t killed us yet because you know Stryg cares about me.¡±


    ¡°Do not push your luck, drow,¡± the alpha glared at her.


    The other frost wolves growled in agreement.


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°I care for Stryg, too. You¡¯re right, he is young and sometimes he bites off more than he can chew. But, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to make sure he stays safe until he¡¯s old enough to protect himself.¡±


    ¡°Then why weren¡¯t you there when Stryg needed you? You¡¯re his teacher, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re supposed to protect your apprentice. So where were you when he was impaled with a spear through the heart? Where were you!?¡± The alpha roared.


    Loh and Maximus grimaced in pain at the blaring noise.


    Loh looked down at the ground, ¡°I messed up, badly. Stryg placed his trust in me and I failed him. Countless people are dead because of my decision. I have no excuse.¡±


    Loh slipped off the saddle and jumped to the ground. She tried not to land on her broken leg, but it still brushed on the ground. She winced and fell on the sandy shore. Her elbows and knees cracked the thin layer of ice that had formed above the wet sand.


    Loh pushed herself to her feet with a shaky gait and limped towards the alpha. ¡°Stryg deserves better than me, I know that. That¡¯s why from now on, I won¡¯t let anyone else, including me, take precedence over my apprentice. I will stop running from my problems and I will face them head-on. I won¡¯t abandon Stryg again, no matter the consequences, I swear it on Lunae¡¯s name.¡±


    The alpha growled and opened its maw and moved towards Loh.


    She smiled half-heartedly, ¡°So take my life, but please give Stryg one more chance. Let him return to Hollow Shade and find happiness.¡±


    The alpha stopped, its fangs hovering right above Loh. She could feel the wolf¡¯s cold breath on her face.


    The alpha slowly closed its mouth and stared at Stryg below. ¡°...I believe you, little drow. Stryg doesn¡¯t want to go home, he wants to go back to Holo¡¯s Shade¡­ I¡¯ll give him one last chance to pursue his ¡®dreams.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll let him go?¡±


    ¡°He will need a teacher to guide him. Perhaps your time in this world isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    Loh fell to her knees, unable to stand any longer. She cried in relief, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The alpha narrowed its blood-red eyes, ¡°But mark my words, if Stryg is ever left in a situation like this again, I will find you and eat you alive while I make you watch as I murder your family and every single person you hold dear. I will not fail in this, I swear it.¡±


    Loh swallowed, ¡°...U-understood.¡±


    ¡°Get Stryg to a healer, now,¡± the alpha turned away and faded back into the mist.


    ¡°Right,¡± Loh nodded.


    ~~~


    The frost wolves peered through the frost-mist at Maximus as he carried Loh and Stryg up the nearby rocky hill. The alpha wolf¡¯s form shimmered with pale light, the fur and fangs faded away, and in its wake stood a woman. She towered over the wolves, the tallest of them barely reached below her shoulder. Her lustrous snow-white hair fell across her back and sashayed above her ankles. Her flawless silver skin was bare, without a single shred of cloth to defile it.


    Lunae pursed her grey lips. Her blood-red eyes narrowed in thought, ¡°What do you see in those people, Stryg? They don¡¯t deserve you¡­¡±

 Chapter 188: Summer Solstice

    Chapter 188: Summer Solstice


    Crow slipped back unnoticed into the Cairn Tribe¡¯s camp at the crack of dawn. He grabbed the Unildyr hatchling on his shoulder and gently lowered her into her pen. The hatchling licked his hand with a long black tongue before scurrying away to play with her siblings.


    After making sure the Unildyr were accounted for, Crow dragged the unconscious Kyriil to the nearest tent and threw him in front of the tent flap. He didn¡¯t bother waking its occupants, they would find the elf eventually.


    Crow made his way to the war tent, where the usual meetings took place. There were no guards posted outside, Dawn stood alone, pacing in front of the dark red tent.


    She spotted him from a distance, ¡°Crow!¡±


    Dawn walked up to him with a quick pace that seemed to denote some level of urgency. He glanced up at the blood-red moon, he wasn¡¯t surprised by her attitude. Marek popped his head out of the tent flap at the sound of Crow¡¯s name.


    The war lord''s eyes were puffy, bloodshot veins streaked through the whites of his eyes. Crow wondered if he had been crying all night long.


    ¡°Crow, it¡¯s an emergency! Nokti¡¯s been wounded, severely,¡± Marek said anxiously.


    ¡°Also, the lamia betrayed us and attacked Grim from the back. Fortunately, he survived and is currently resting in one of the healer tents, but he lost an arm in the battle,¡± Dawn said.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Crow muttered. ¡°Marek, what happened?¡±


    Marek tried steadying his shaking hands, ¡°Nokti¡¯s throat was torn and her chest was slashed several times. Vaughn is healing her, but her injuries don¡¯t seem to be recovering... He doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll make it at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about Nokti. I was referring to that,¡± Crow pointed a finger up at the moon.


    ¡°The moon? I don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± Marek frowned.


    Dawn cleared her throat, ¡°Master, I warned Marek not to, but he engaged in a battle he should never have stepped in. Nokti was one of the casualties.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Crow poked Marek in the chest, ¡°You are the chief of the Cairn, and I usually sit back and let you handle things the way you see fit. However, I have told you countless times, when I am not here the twins will keep you safe.¡±


    Marek nodded, ¡°I know, bu-¡±


    ¡°And if the twins interfere in your leadership they would only do so under the most stringent of situations. You¡¯re supposed to listen to them, for your own safety.¡±


    ¡°...I understand that, but now is not the time for any of this,¡± Marek clenched his jaw.


    Crow sighed and turned away, ¡°I have left the twins with you on countless occasions, I have been gone for months at a time. And every time I was gone you were always the greatest chief the Cairn could ask for. But the one time, the one time, you decide to ignore the twins¡¯ advice, is the one bloody time you should have never ignored them.¡±


    Marek seethed, ¡°Nokti is dying, don¡¯t you get that!? I messed up, fine. Regale me with your pretentious lectures later. Do you know how to save Nokti or not?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Crow cocked his head to the side.


    Marek bit his lip, ¡°You¡¯re powerful, right? The twins listen to you. Can you help save Nokti or not?¡±


    Dawn rubbed her temples, ¡°Master, forgive me for asking, but how much exactly have you told him?¡±


    ¡°Only what he needed to hear,¡± Crow said calmly.


    ¡°Then enlighten me, ¡®oh great spymaster.¡¯ If I am to lead the Cairn, I need to know exactly what is going on here,¡± Marek frowned.


    Crow shook his head, ¡°After all these years you still don¡¯t understand. Every action someone in your position takes has repercussions.¡±


    ¡°Um, master,¡± Dawn mumbled.


    ¡°...I see it,¡± Crow said grimly.


    A thick cloud of fog encroached around the edge of the camp, it crept closer and closer with an unnatural speed.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Marek narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Repercussions,¡± Crow muttered. ¡°Tell me, how many warriors did you dispatch into Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    ¡°After a few of the scouting parties didn¡¯t return I sent a battalion of 200 warriors to scourge the area for any threats, why?¡± Marek asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother waiting for any of them to return. They¡¯re all already dead,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Dead? How? Who is attacking us?¡± Marek furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Dawn, keep everyone away from the frost-mist, especially Marek,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Dawn nodded.


    Crow left without another word.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Marek called out.


    Crow ignored him and made his way to the edge of camp. The frost-mist floated in front of him, its cold tendrils practically taunting him to enter.


    He sighed and stepped inside. The air was frigid and the grass had frozen beneath his feet. The frost-mist was so thick he could barely see his own hands. A deep growl rumbled above him.


    Crow tilted his head up. A massive white wolf snarled down at him, her blood-red eyes gleamed with anger.


    Crow wrapped his hands around his head and slowly took off the avian skull-mask. His ever-changing irises stared right at the goddess. ¡°Hello, Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Move aside, Caligo. The Cairn dies today,¡± she growled.


    ¡°I think, perhaps, there has been a grave misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°What misunderstanding? Your dire mongrel stabbed a spear into a baby¡¯s chest. Retribution is inevitable. I will snap that mongrel¡¯s spine under my paw and crush his head between my fangs.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Marek was unaware of the full grasp of his actions. He should have never touched Stryg, I¡¯ll be the first to admit that. But if you noticed, I pulled Stryg out of the Dark Fringe, his mind is resting somewhere in the Dreamscape now.¡±


    ¡°I noticed. It¡¯s the only reason why I¡¯m speaking to you now, instead of murdering you with the rest of them,¡± Lunae snapped her jaws a few inches from his face.


    Caligo formed a tight-lipped smile, ¡°Well¡­ I appreciate that. As for Marek, I promise he¡¯ll never go near the boy again.¡±


    ¡°Not good enough, that mongrel... hurt Stryg. MY Stryg!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can see you love the boy dearly. But-¡±


    Lunae snarled, ¡°What do you know of love? You are incapable of empathy.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully. Though I did care for someone once, it wasn¡¯t love, but I cared. He was my friend¡­ And they took him from us, Lunae.¡±


    ¡°...Solis is gone. Why mention him now?¡± Lunae muttered.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Because my brother is dead.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you let Lunis fall? Solis and you founded the City of Lunis together, yes? Now that he¡¯s gone, you just don¡¯t care for any of it? Is that it?¡±


    Lunae growled, ¡°Be careful how you speak to me, young one. You¡¯d do well not to pretend to know my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°My mistake,¡± Caligo bowed his head.


    Lunae looked past the frost-mist, at the camp in the distance, ¡°...Solis never cared much for Lunis, he was always more focused on his Keepers of the Dawn, the valley tribes.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I am here?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°The Keepers of the Dawn have forgotten much, but they have not forgotten their enmity for Holo¡¯s Shade. I have begun gathering all the valley tribes under one banner. Soon I will have the largest army the Ebon Realm has seen in centuries. I will destroy Holo¡¯s Shade and avenge Solis.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gathering an army?¡±


    ¡°As I told you the last time we met, you have been in Vulture Woods for too long, Lunae. But that¡¯s okay, I understand. You need not stress about the minor details of this war, just sit back and relax. I will take care of everything.¡±


    Lunae narrowed her blood-red eyes, ¡°You have been busy, Caligo. There are things you do that even the moon cannot see. What are you hiding in the shadows?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about. As for Marek, he is a necessary part of my plan. I will help him achieve his dream, as he will help me achieve mine. So if you could spare him, I¡¯d very much appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°...You will destroy Holo¡¯s Shade then?¡±


    ¡°Shatter its walls, pillage its districts, and raze its tower to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Stryg lives in Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°I promise you, Stryg will be left unharmed. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Will you kill Holo?¡±


    ¡°If you so desire.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then it shall be done.¡±


    Lunae nodded, ¡°...I will spare your mongrel this one time, on the condition you punish him. However, if any of your people so much as glare at Stryg, I swear I will slaughter them all, your plans be damned.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal, then?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°Splendid.¡±


    ¡°Always so confident. Your hubris could land you in more trouble than you think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can handle it,¡± Caligo smiled wryly.


    ¡°This is why Bellum hates you.¡±


    ¡°Bellum has a stick up her ass, no one cares what she thinks.¡±


    Lunae chuckled, a deep rumble from her chest.


    The light of the morning sun pierced the edge of the frost-mist. A new dawn had arrived.


    Caligo closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin, ¡°It¡¯s the summer solstice today.¡±


    ¡°...I know, today was his day.¡±


    ¡°Some of the mortals renamed it a few centuries back, now it¡¯s our day. The Festival of the Gods they call it.¡±


    ¡°Imbeciles.¡±


    ¡°And they wonder why I kill them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always killed people, Caligo. Remember the terms of our deal, I¡¯ll be watching,¡± Lunae faded back into the frost-mist.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lunae.¡±


    Caligo placed his skull-mask back on, hiding his eyes, and walked out of the receding mist with thoughtful strides. The morning sunlight refracted on the onyx scales of his cloak, reflecting a faint chromatic pattern.


    Marek waited for him at the edge of camp.


    ¡°I thought I told you all to stay away from the area,¡± Crow noted.


    ¡°I want to make another deal,¡± Marek said solemnly.


    ¡°Oh? Of what nature?¡±


    ¡°Saving Nokti¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Even if I could save her life, that¡¯s not how any of this works. We already have struck a deal, you cannot make another,¡± Crow walked past him.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Marek blocked his path.


    Crow looked up at him and chuckled, ¡°Because I have still yet to collect your end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t even named what you want yet.¡±


    ¡°In time I will. There are more pressing matters at the moment, our wagon bound for the Adder Tribe negotiation was ambushed. You¡¯ll have to set up a new meeting in a more secure area.¡±


    Marek scowled, ¡°Dammit... Did Kyriil make it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll live. For now, you should perform your sacred duties as chieftain. The sun is already rising, the summer solstice is here. Your people will be excited to celebrate, show them you''re still one of them. We can talk about Nokti afterward.¡±


    Marek cursed under his breath and walked away.


    ~~~


    Crow pushed past the Cairn¡¯s eager morning revelers and made his way to the area prohibited for all but the elite. He walked up to Nokti¡¯s tent, pulled aside the tent flap, and stepped inside.


    Nokti lay in a large cot in the corner. Her breathing was weak, but her crimson eyes were alert. Nokti¡¯s shirt had been stripped, bloody bandages covered her chest and neck. She held her cherished bracelet of the ebon gods tightly around her fingers.


    Vaughn sat next to her, a soft white glow emanating from his outstretched hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s Nokti¡¯s condition?¡± Crow asked.


    ¡°She was practically dead when I first saw her, completely comatose. Fortunately, her brain hadn¡¯t fallen into organ failure yet. Vampires require less air to function, I suppose that¡¯s why she managed to cling to life for a few more critical minutes.¡±


    ¡°Lucky her,¡± Crow nodded.


    Vaughn nodded in agreement, ¡°Nokti is stable for now. My healing spells have managed to stop the bleeding, but her deeper injuries don¡¯t seem to close no matter what I do. To make matters worse, her wounds keep opening and bleeding every few minutes. I can¡¯t maintain my healing spells forever, I don¡¯t have much white mana left.¡±


    ¡°Not so lucky then,¡± Crow said.


    ¡°...No¡­¡± Nokti wheezed out in a raspy voice. She squeezed her bracelet with a shaky grip.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Crow said.


    Vaughn bowed, stood up, and left the tent.


    Nokti watched, bewildered, at the arch-mage¡¯s departure.


    Crow took Vaughn¡¯s empty seat with a nonchalant air about him. He stretched his limbs with a satisfied groan.


    Crow crossed his legs, and slowly rested his elbow on his knee, and his chin on his palm.


    ¡°Hello, Nokti.¡±

 Chapter 189: A Chat With A Deity

    Chapter 189: A Chat With A Deity


    Nokti had many titles; deadly vampiress, mage prodigy, right-hand of the chieftain, commanding general of the Cairn¡¯s armies, and more. These were the names she had attained through her own abilities.


    Nokti never felt uncomfortable with the titles, because she knew she had worked hard for them. She was proud of her titles, they carried a certain weight to them, a reassurance of how far she had come, of what she was capable of.


    Yet none of that mattered when a small blue freak had defied reality. His claws and fangs had somehow crushed through her yellow durability scales as if it were dry grass. All she felt was confusion, pain, and above all terror, as she laid there, blood spewing out of her torn neck. The world grew dark.


    Nokti¡¯s last thoughts were not of the Cairn she had sworn to fight for, nor of her parents she had sworn to avenge, it wasn¡¯t even of her beloved chieftain she had sworn to protect. The only thought swarming her mind was, ¡°Am I really going to die?¡±


    Everyone feared death, Nokti was no exception, but she was a warrior, she had come to grips with the possibility of her own death long ago. It wasn¡¯t death itself that terrified her, it was the feeling of unfulfillment. Had she made the right choice? Should she have dedicated her life to the Cairn, even if she disagreed with this war? She wasn¡¯t sure and the thought of that uncertainty soured her last breaths.


    The world quieted around her. Her body felt numb and her vision blurred. Nokti felt afraid and so very alone. She didn¡¯t want to die, not like this. Her mind cried out to the gods, Bellum, Caligo, Stjerne, and Lunae. She begged them to save her, to give her one last chance; she would do anything if they gave her just one more chance. She pleaded to Bellum, the goddess of war and patron deity of vampires, to spare her life.


    Nokti¡¯s mind went dark, she knew no more.


    ~~~


    Nokti opened her eyes, she found herself in a warm cot, in her own tent no less. Vaughn, the arch-mage hybrid, stood over her. A soft white glow emanated from his hands and seeped into her body.


    Healing magic? Nokti thought numbly.


    Did that mean she was alive? Had she made it?


    She looked down, her upper body was naked, save for the bloodied bandages wrapped tightly around her.


    She tried to sit up and grimaced, pain shot through her entire body.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t move just yet if I were you. Your wounds are still quite serious,¡± Vaughn said without emotion.


    As soon as he said the words, Nokti felt them, the injuries. Her chest and stomach burned as if someone was roasting her on a spit over a fire. Her neck felt constricted like a million tiny spiderlings were scratching at her throat.


    With slow, cautious movements, she brushed her fingers across her throat. She could feel the bandages wrapped around her neck from where the blue monster had bit her.


    Nokti took a slow, deep breath, it stung, but she was alive. She glanced at the bracelet hanging from her wrist, four small talismans dangled from the stone beads. The star, crescent, eye, and sword, the symbols of the four ebon gods. They had listened to her prayers. Bellum had saved her.


    Nokti gripped the bracelet in her hand and smiled with relief, a tear slipped down her cheek. She wasn¡¯t alone, the gods had spared her life, they did care.


    The tent flap pulled open. A man she had never expected to see in her own tent, walked in. The insufferable Crow sauntered over and looked down at her immobile body. Nokti couldn¡¯t see his eyes, let alone his face behind that mask, but she knew deep down that he was smirking. What she would give to smack that mask off him right then and there.


    ¡°What¡¯s Nokti¡¯s condition?¡± Crow asked.


    Vaughn proceeded to explain her injuries. Nokti grew angry when Crow mentioned she had survived through luck. It wasn¡¯t luck, it was the will of the gods. But her anger quickly turned into panic when she heard Vaughn admit that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to save her.


    Crow ordered Vaughn to leave and much to Nokti¡¯s surprise, the arch-mage listened. Suddenly, she found herself in the tent alone with the person she least wanted in her tent.


    Crow sat down in the chair in front of her. He crossed his legs, rested his elbow on his knee, and his chin on his palm.


    ¡°Hello, Nokti.¡±


    She stayed quiet and stared at him suspiciously. Why was he here? To gloat?


    ¡°Why all the staring?¡± Crow chuckled. ¡°Oh, it must be my cloak. Without all the feathers it looks quite different, doesn¡¯t it? Although, I suppose the scales have their own flair, no?¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, she did notice his cloak was different. Gone were the black feathers, in its place were shiny onyx scales. It looked very expensive. She briefly wondered how he got it.


    He probably stole it, she guessed.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Crow lifted the edge of the cloak, ¡°A bit too flashy for my taste. I¡¯ll have to get new feathers knitted over the scales again.¡±


    Nokti glared at him. Why was this idiot trying to waste her time?


    ¡°Come on, say something. You know I¡¯m a good listener. Besides, I can be quite persuasive when I want to be,¡± he tapped his head.


    ¡°...What do you want, Crow?¡± She whispered in a raspy voice.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems Vaughn was unable to heal your throat fully. Although I guess you should count yourself lucky you can speak at all. Even with the bandages, your injuries look pretty bad. And to think it was a simple student who did this to you. Tsk, tsk, you should have never let your guard down like that, big mistake on your part.¡±


    Nokti bared her fangs, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your antics. So kindly fuck off.¡±


    Crow pointed a gloved finger at her clenched hand, ¡°I see you''re still carrying around those talismans. Even after almost dying so horribly, you still believe in your precious gods, huh?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m still alive? When I was dying, I cried out to the gods to save me, and they did. My faith is stronger than ever.¡±


    ¡°That sounds more like sheer luck, not divine providence.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°Right, because I should listen to the words of an atheist and ignore divine intervention.¡±


    ¡°Right, because we all should be fervent servants of the gods like you, is that it?¡± Crow chuckled.


    ¡°You think you insult me? Unlike you, who hides behind a mask, I am not ashamed of who I am. I am proud to be a servant of the gods.¡±


    ¡°Hm, doesn¡¯t it get boring? The whole ¡®praise the ebon gods¡¯ act? I honestly don¡¯t know how you do it.¡±


    ¡°Pretty easy when it''s not an act, you should try it sometime.¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    Nokti smiled, ¡°I¡¯d say I miss your atheistic views, but I don¡¯t. You¡¯re an ass, Crow.¡±


    ¡°Well, forgive me for wanting to choose my own destiny, instead of believing in some unseen god to do it for me,¡± he shrugged.


    She shook her head, ¡°You really have no faith in that miserable little heart of yours.¡±


    ¡°I believe in myself, does that count?¡±


    ¡°There is no true strength behind only believing in ourselves, we are all simple mortals. Even Vaughn, an arch-mage, as powerful as he may be, cannot heal me. If I live through this day it will be because the gods willed it.¡±


    Crow glanced up, ¡°Well, I suppose if there was any day to pray to the gods for help it would be today, The Festival of the Gods. Perhaps Marek could pray with you if he wasn¡¯t so busy conducting the summer solstice rituals. The price of being chieftain I suppose.¡±


    Nokti held the sword talisman between her fingers, ¡°Marek can¡¯t help me in this. Only Bellum¡¯s grace will save me.¡±


    Crow¡¯s shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh, ¡°Bellum? Do you think she will help you? If the goddess really exists I doubt she even knows your name and if she did, saving you would probably be the last thing on her mind.¡±


    Nokti scowled, ¡°You really are a presumptuous ass. What would an atheist know of the gods?¡±


    Crow pointed a finger at himself, ¡°Me? Nothing, not a single thing. But I know people and if Bellum was a person, instead of just some religious figment¡­ Well, I really don¡¯t think Bellum would care about one small, tiny vampiress in the middle of Dusk Valley, who, by the way, has really not accomplished anything of importance or significance. Do you believe the goddess of war herself would care if you lived? Hah, and you called me presumptuous.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you here?¡± Nokti asked bitterly.


    Crow tilted his head to the side, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m terribly bored.¡±


    Nokti wrinkled her nose. She recalled the story of the sirens he told her the week prior. There was a particular phrase he had used, a warning.


    ¡°...A bored sadistic predator is the most dangerous of all,¡± she recited.


    Crow clapped his hands leisurely, ¡°So you do remember our little late-night chat.¡±


    Nokti smirked, ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯m not afraid of you. You¡¯re an ass, maybe a sadistic one, but you¡¯re no scary predator.¡±


    Crow yawned, ¡°Scary predator, hm? I have been called much worse, some have even called me a monster.¡±


    Nokti glanced around the empty tent warily, she wondered when Vaughn was coming back. ¡°You¡¯re too weak to face me on regular terms, so you waited until I was bed-ridden to come face me? Have you forgotten the rules, idiot? Just like how I¡¯m not allowed to hurt you, Marek won¡¯t allow you to lay a finger on me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nokti, why would I want to hurt you?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°What do you want exactly?¡±


    ¡°You asked me the same question last time. When you stopped by my tent, remember? I gave you my answer then and it still hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Crow leaned towards her, ¡°I want you, Nokti. I want your loyalty, your devotion, your body, your mind, your love, your soul, I want every single part of you, and I want it all for myself.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s brown cheeks turned a shade of bright red, anger practically oozing off her. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you, you pig!¡±


    She gritted her teeth and tried sitting up. Pain rang through her body, but she didn¡¯t care. She was going to rip this man¡¯s mask off and beat him to death with it, damned be the consequences.


    Crow sat back and laughed, ¡°That insatiable anger truly is your greatest quality, I really do love that most about you.¡±


    ¡°You cocky bastard, who do you think you are?¡± Nokti sneered.


    Crow snapped his fingers, ¡°Excellent question, but I already know exactly what I am. The question you should be asking, the only question that truly matters right now is, do you know who you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with your stupid questions and your stupid games!¡±


    Crow raised his index finger, ¡°Many things in life are a game, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re not always the player. And the question still stands.¡±


    He pointed his finger at her, ¡°Who are you, Nokti? Are you a brave Cairn warrior, fighting for her people? Or are you in it for the one and only Nokti? Are you hoping you can prove yourself worthy to the gods, maybe have Bellum shower her grace upon you? Or maybe you are just a coward, a vampire who would abandon her loyalty the moment she was truly tested?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you trying to insinuate, you bastard?¡± Nokti growled.


    ¡°I am simply asking a question and I want to know your honest answer. Hmm, perhaps this is too personal for you. Allow me to start over in a more interpersonal manner.¡±


    Crow slipped his thumbs underneath the jaw of his mask and lifted the mask up. Nokti¡¯s eyes grew wide, she stiffened and fell back on the cot. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at the impossible sitting in front of her.

 Chapter 190: Who Are You, Nokti?

    Chapter 190: Who Are You, Nokti?


    Crow slipped his thumbs underneath the jaw of his mask and lifted the mask up. Nokti¡¯s eyes grew wide, she stiffened and fell back on the cot. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at the impossible sitting in front of her.


    Despite Crow¡¯s calm, collected voice, his appearance was oddly youthful, almost effeminate, and child-like in nature. His hair fell loosely down to his shoulders in a bundle of silver strands, each lock ending with a single small curl. He had no facial hair, his soft brown skin was clear of any marks, not a single scar.


    Anyone who saw Crow would wonder why he hid such a handsome, or rather, beautiful face underneath a mask. Yet it wasn¡¯t his hair nor his face that sent shivers down Nokti¡¯s spine. It was his eyes, those overwhelming, staggering eyes. Underneath his long silver eyelashes lay something impossible, blots of all different colors shifted through his irises in an unforeseeable pattern of magnificence.


    There was only one person, one being, who had such divine eyes. No one knew his face nor what he looked like, but they knew his eyes. Suddenly the mask in Crow¡¯s hands made sense to her. Legends said that gods wore ebon masks to hide their divinity.


    Nokti¡¯s mouth felt dry, her tongue stiff. She tried speaking, but it barely came out as a mumble, ¡°C-ca¡­¡±


    Caligo smiled, ¡°Hello, Nokti.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s face paled. Her wide eyes kept glancing back and forth between his face and the skull-mask.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Caligo raised the avian skull, ¡°This is more of a souvenir, really. You must be wondering why it¡¯s color isn¡¯t ebon black. The answer is simple, it''s a skull, they don¡¯t come in different colors. Although, I suppose you must think of it as quite special. Ironically, while I¡¯m the only one typically not depicted with a mask, I¡¯m actually the only one who uses a mask.¡±


    Caligo shook his head, ¡°Artists and their interpretations, am I right?¡±


    Nokti opened her mouth, no coherent words came out.


    He nodded, ¡°You¡¯re confused, understandable. Let me start over. I have many names, but you may simply call me Caligo, or Crow when out in public.¡±


    Nokti swallowed.


    He pushed his chair aside and stood up, ¡°Thanks to extenuating circumstances, like a deal with an angry moon goddess and my boredom, I can kill two birds with one stone. In other words, today is your lucky day. Just for today, I am going to offer you a deal like no other, because I will tell you exactly what I want from you. And as a token of goodwill, I¡¯ll even take care of these nasty wounds.¡±


    Caligo took off his black glove, revealing a long silver claw on each finger. He placed his index finger right between Nokti¡¯s collarbones, at the base of her neck. She gasped a sharp breath, a deep cold rushed through her body. The pain biting at her throat and chest abruptly disappeared.


    Caligo lifted his hand away and took a step back.


    Nokti slowly sat up. There was no pain. She stood up on her own two feet, still, there was no pain. She unfurled the bandages around her neck, there were no bloodied wounds, not even a scratch. She gingerly touched her bandaged ribs, there was no pain either.


    Nokti didn¡¯t need to remove the bandages around her chest to know that she had been healed. The truth was obvious. Crow had healed all her wounds in an instant, he had done the impossible. Which meant¡­


    She looked up at the man staring down at her with a curious gleam in his ever-changing eyes.


    This man is actually Caligo.


    Which meant¡­


    Nokti trembled in abject horror. Had he been testing her this entire time? She had insulted an ebon god straight to his face, multiple times. In fact, she even threatened to kill him.


    Caligo sighed in contentment and smiled warmly, ¡°Ah, there it is, that sweet look of fear. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing such proud anger like yours crumble apart, that look of complete despair is... wonderful.¡±


    Nokti whimpered in terror and backed into the corner of the tent. There was nowhere to run, she was doomed. Her legs buckled underneath her and she fell on her bottom. She gripped her bracelet tightly, the four talismans of the gods shook with her trembling.


    Caligo sauntered over, reached down, and plucked the sword talisman from her bracelet, ¡°Oh, Nokti, Bellum doesn¡¯t care about you, if she even knew of your existence, she would probably kill you for being a disgrace.¡±


    He then plucked off the crescent talisman, ¡°Lunae actually does want to kill you, so I doubt you¡¯ll find any haven there.¡±


    Lastly, he plucked off the star talisman, ¡°Stjerne abandoned the drow in favor of the humans, do you really think he cares what happens to a vampire?¡±


    Caligo crushed the three talismans in his palm and tossed away the crumbs.


    Nokti broke down in tears, her voice taut in her throat, the reality of the situation finally settling in. The gods didn¡¯t care if she lived. She was insignificant, her life and death meant nothing to them. Her prayers didn¡¯t matter, because she didn¡¯t matter. She was going to die and nothing she did could stop it, nothing she did mattered.


    Caligo crouched down in front of her and pointed at the final remaining talisman, a sliver of metal in the shape of an eye.


    ¡°...I am the only one who sees you, Nokti. Not the facade you display in front of others, but the one you so desperately try to hide, your true self. I am the only one who hears the prayers you whisper in the night as you curl into a ball under the blankets. I am the only one who hears you cry out for your parents in your nightmares on those dark nights. I know who you are because I am the only one who was ever truly looking at you.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s cries grew quiet. She stared into his iridescent eyes, they were cold and unfathomable, yet she could see no lies within them. Suddenly, she felt a warmth blossom deep within her misery. This being, a god, actually saw her for who she was; Nokti, a simple common-born vampire from a small tribe in Dusk Valley. He had singled her out from all the rest. Why?


    Caligo stood up, ¡°This is my gift to you, a choice. Fortunately, you have been given a second chance at life, so the choice is simple. You can choose to walk out of this tent, grab a centaur, and run far away from the Cairn. Forget about this war and live your life. You need not worry about Marek Helene either, I will make certain we win this war, and when the time comes you will be reunited with him, and spend the rest of your lives together until you both grow grey and old.¡±


    Nokti smiled hesitantly. The offer seemed pretty nice, all things considered. She hated this war and with Caligo by Marek¡¯s side, she knew Marek would be safe.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Caligo lifted a clawed finger, ¡°Simply put, if you walk out of this tent right now, you will live out your peaceful mediocre existence to the fullest. And I will never deem to look at you again.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s smile died on her lips. Caligo, the Mystery of the Realm, the god of the deep earth himself, would cease to look at her? She would cease to matter to a god? The only god who ever cared for her? And in return, she could live out an ordinary life, like any other mortal?


    ¡°Or,¡± Caligo lifted a second finger. ¡°You can accept my deal; Choose to stay by my side and witness the rebirth of not just Dusk Valley, but of the entire Ebon Realm itself. I will show you what this world can truly be and I will take your soul to heights you never dreamed possible. You will live a life far beyond that of any mortal and in death, you will have eternal bliss.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s crimson eyes brightened with awe.


    Caligo opened his hand wide, ¡°In exchange, all I ask from you, is, you.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡± she mumbled.


    He smirked, ¡°It¡¯s simple, I want everything that encompasses your existence. I want your mind, your body, your love, your devotion, and when death comes for you I will take your soul as well. Some mortals might find that fate cruel, but then again, there are worse ways to live and die. It really depends on your point of view. Spend your life among the rabble or let your life be spent by a god, the choice is yours.¡±


    Caligo clapped his hands together, ¡°Which leads us back to the only question that truly matters at this very moment. Who are you, Nokti? Are you Nokti the Brave? Nokti of the Cairn? Nokti the Powerful? Or are you the one who gave everything, including her soul, to a god?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°...Could you not take my soul by force if you wanted to? Who am I to stop you?¡±


    Caligo clicked his tongue, ¡°Now where would be the fun in that? Your choice is what makes this interesting.¡±


    She looked away, unable to keep her gaze on those piercing eyes.


    Caligo stepped aside and pointed at the tent flap, ¡°The peaceful life you wanted is right outside there. Feel free to take it.¡±


    After a quiet moment, Nokti pushed herself to her feet. She rummaged in one of her wooden chests for a thick cloak and threw it over her shoulders to protect her eyes and skin from the morning sun. She then grabbed a few other basic items and stuffed them in a satchel, all the while making sure she didn¡¯t make eye contact with Caligo.


    After a tense minute, she was ready to travel. She dragged her feet to the entrance. She stopped as she reached the tent flap. Her shoulders trembled. Nokti took a deep shuddering breath.


    How often was a mortal chosen by a god? Practically never.


    Offerings to the gods were common, even sacrifices weren¡¯t that rare. It was considered an honor in most places even. But for someone to spend their life with a god? That was unheard of.


    How many times had she dreamed of being noticed by the gods, even a simple sign that they were listening, that they actually cared? When she was at death¡¯s door she begged the gods to save her. She hoped Bellum would listen. To Nokti¡¯s dismay, it seemed Bellum never cared about her, the goddess didn¡¯t even know her name.


    And now when Caligo himself came to her tent and saved her from death, she was going to run away?


    Nokti kept her eyes on the ground. She dropped her satchel, threw off her cloak, and walked over to Caligo. She bent down on one knee and bowed her head.


    Nokti licked her lips and swallowed nervously, ¡°...I''d rather dedicate my life to a god that sees me, a god that chose a mortal like me, than live a hundred lives out there knowing that no god cares, that my life is ultimately meaningless.¡±


    Caligo lifted her chin, she met his gaze hesitantly.


    ¡°There is no going back, Nokti. If you accept, the Cairn will no longer have a place in your heart. Your life will be mine and mine alone.¡±


    ¡°...Will you be there?¡±


    ¡°Until you breathe your last.¡±


    A single tear fell down her cheek, ¡°I will not fail you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°I swear it,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Prove it. Show me where your loyalties lie.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what I must do,¡± she nodded.


    He brushed away her tear, ¡°Marek has disobeyed my command and caused irreparable damage in ways you cannot begin to fathom. He must pay for his actions. Tell me, are you fond of acting?¡±


    Nokti swallowed.


    ~~~


    Marek sat on a large wooden throne, carved by several drow artisans from one of the valley tribes that had joined their cause. The sun had finally set. The summer solstice had ended, as had his sacred duties for the day. As chieftain of the Cairn, he had performed the solar rituals the entire morning and afternoon. Now he had a chance to celebrate the festivities with his people.


    Most of the tribe was dancing, eating, and drinking merrily, simply enjoying the day. They had yet to find out about the battalion that had fallen inside the frost-mist last night. Marek decided it was best to break that news tomorrow.


    For now, he spent his time wandering through the crowds of his people, simply enjoying the warm atmosphere. He spotted a familiar face standing at the corner of the festivities.


    ¡°Nokti?¡± Marek whispered.


    Her eyes met his, she turned away and left. He frowned. He ran towards her, his large dire arms pushed aside anyone that stood in his path with ease.


    ¡°Nokti, wait, where are you going!?¡±


    She stopped walking and looked at him.


    He smiled wide, ¡°You¡¯re standing on your own two feet, that¡¯s great! Did Vaughn manage to fully heal you?¡±


    Marek opened his arms and tried embracing her, but she stepped back. His smile froze as he noticed the grim expression on her face.


    ¡°Nokti? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°...I came here to tell you that it¡¯s over between us,¡± she said curtly.


    He frowned, ¡°W-wha? Uh¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ What are you saying exactly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Marek. She will still serve as the commanding general of the Cairn''s military forces. She simply won¡¯t be sharing your bed or anything else with you for that matter,¡± Crow stepped out from behind a nearby tent.


    ¡°Crow? What is the meaning of this?¡± Marek asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I made a deal.¡± Crow raised his arm.


    Nokti stepped next to Crow without hesitation. He wrapped his arm and cloak around her and pulled her in close. She nestled her head between his neck and mask.


    Marek snarled, ¡°Crow, you bastard! Nokti, what did he do to you? Get away from him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marek,¡± Nokti said bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice.¡±


    ¡°Why!? I don¡¯t understand! This isn¡¯t like you,¡± Marek yelled.


    ¡°...I will prove myself worthy,¡± Nokti looked away.


    ¡°Please, tell me, why are you doing this?¡± Marek pleaded.


    Crow patted her curved bum, ¡°That¡¯ll be all for now, Nokti. You may go.¡±


    She nodded and left without another word.


    ¡°Crow, what have you done?¡± Marek clenched his fists.


    ¡°I told you, Marek. Your actions have repercussions. I told you to listen to the twins while I was gone. You chose not to. These are the repercussions from your choice,¡± he said coldly.


    Marek grabbed Crow by his shirt and lifted him up, ¡°So, you think you can just make Nokti break up with me and feel her up? Is that it, you sick fuck?!¡±


    Crow grabbed Marek¡¯s wrist and squeezed. The warlord screamed in pain and fell to his knees as the bones in his wrist were shattered and crushed.


    Crow released the mangled wrist and brushed off his shirt, ¡°I like you, Marek. I think you have the potential to rule all the valley tribes. But touch me again and I will not hesitate to disembowel you and find another to take your place.¡±


    Marek glared at him, ¡°Bastard.¡±


    Crow nodded, ¡°You¡¯re angry, good. We¡¯ll need that anger for the war. Oh, and by the way, I won¡¯t just touch Nokti¡¯s ass. I¡¯m going to do all sorts of things with her beautiful body you never even thought possible. She will be the perfect toy to pass the time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, you cold-hearted monster!¡±


    Crow chuckled, ¡°You have no idea, little man. Whenever you have any thoughts about disobeying me again, I want you to remember this moment. I want you to know you lost her because you did not listen to me.¡±


    Marek stared daggers into his back as Crow walked away.


    Crow ignored him and glanced up at the silver moon.


    ¡°Are you satisfied, Lunae?¡± muttered Caligo.

 Chapter 191: The Damning Lie

    Chapter 191: The Damning Lie


    Loh Noir stood in front of a door on the second floor at the largest tavern the meager river town could afford. She had arrived with Stryg and Maximus half an hour ago. Elzri had already brought the other students a few hours earlier. They were all resting now in some of the tavern¡¯s other rooms.


    The local guards had already been dispatched to find Tauri Katag and Vayu Glaz and bring them safely here. Whether Hollow Shade¡¯s own soldiers rescued Loh¡¯s friends first was uncertain. Either way, Tauri and Vayu would be safe.


    All that Loh needed to worry about was the person behind the door. She dreaded the confrontation, but there was no escaping it now.


    ¡°Might as well get it over with,¡± she muttered.


    Loh knocked on the door with two rasps of her knuckles.


    ¡°Enter,¡± came a cold voice from the other side.


    Loh pushed open the door and walked into the small room. It was an ordinary bedroom from an ordinary tavern, simple but clean. It was a far cry from Lord Elzri Noir¡¯s usual office, though she did notice several red ward sigils floating around the walls, protection against eavesdropping no doubt.


    Elzri sat behind a small desk that some of the tavern hands had brought up to his room. It wasn¡¯t much, but Elzri seemed as daunting as ever.


    The door closed behind Loh with a lazy creak.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, good. We have a lot to talk about,¡± he said without a hint of emotion behind his grey eyes.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°Are the students okay?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°Are you referring to the handful that survived? They are shaken up, bruised, and exhausted. Some are even suffering from mana overheating, but yes, they are as you so eloquently put it, okay.¡±


    Loh winced, ¡°Look, I know I should have been there with them. I made a horrible mistake, I won¡¯t make any excuses for myself.¡±


    ¡°Mistake, is that what you think this is? A mistake? No, a mistake would have been keeping the students in Widow¡¯s Crag instead of bringing them to the nearest river town. A mistake would have been splitting your squad and only sending some of your forces to protect the students. No, what you proceeded to do was a complete and utter clusterfuck, that only by sheer luck has not cost us this entire generation of mageborn talent.¡±


    ¡°...How many did we lose?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Of the two dozen students only seven survived. Among the dead is Clypeus of House Gale. His body is being recovered as we speak. As for the four commoner families the students were escorting, they¡¯re all dead to the very last child.¡±


    Loh took a shaky breath and tried to steady her feet. She felt as if she would fall over any moment.


    ¡°Clypeus was a good kid, the bravest of the bunch. And he was Stryg¡¯s best friend¡­ House Gale will be furious,¡± she admitted bitterly.


    ¡°As will the Ruling Family, House Veres. They will blame not only the academy, but House Noir for the loss of Gale¡¯s son.¡±


    Loh turned away in shame.


    ¡°I thought we lost Stryg as well, but it seems you managed to salvage one shred of this debacle,¡± he said.


    Loh swallowed, ¡°...How is Stryg?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll live, surprisingly. After you brought him in I spent what was left of my white mana to heal the boy¡¯s injuries, which there were many. He had several bruises and scrapes. Judging from his soaked clothes and where the students had seen him last, I think it¡¯s safe to assume Stryg fell off the cliff and into the Dire River.¡±


    Elzri clasped his hands together, ¡°A difficult fall to survive for certain, but what really surprised me, was the wound in his chest. Stryg¡¯s heart had been pierced, most likely by a spear. There was a literal gaping hole in his chest¡­ In my time, I¡¯ve seen a few soldiers survive such fatal wounds, but only when they had immediate healing given by some of the most powerful white magi in Hollow Shade.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°But I found Stryg after several hours.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, even with his enhanced regeneration, that boy should be dead. I thought he was. Until I noticed something, remarkable or dreadful, I¡¯m not quite certain. Loh, there should have been no blood flow in his body, his organs should have given out. That¡¯s when I saw it or rather, I felt it. A beat in his chest. The boy has a second heart; it circulated blood through his body, keeping his organs functioning while his first heart slowly regenerated.¡±


    Loh¡¯s blue eyes widened in shock, ¡°That¡¯s... incredible.¡±


    Elzri nodded, ¡°Yes, the boy keeps surprising us. And to think we would have lost him, all because you decided to abandon your singular duty of protecting the students. Had I not flown to find the students the moment I received your letter, they would have all died.¡±


    She bit her lip and clenched her trembling hands, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t accept your apology. You abandoned your apprentice all so you could chase down Marek, who by the way, was the one who attacked the students.¡±


    She grimaced, ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. You were too preoccupied chasing down revenge or redemption, or whatever you want to call it. You do understand that none of that will bring Aizel back, yes?¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    He glared at her, ¡°You say that, but you still disobeyed my orders and went after that wagon.¡±


    Loh took a deep breath, ¡°I was trying to right my wrongs. Had I succeeded we would have ended the warlord Marek¡¯s tyranny in Dusk Valley. I never meant for any of the students to be hurt. At the time, my decision had merit, but now I understand I was wrong. I should not have abandoned my duty.¡±


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°You should have realized that before you chased after Marek¡­ Do you know why I gave you your name?¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter right now?¡±


    ¡°Do you know?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Because you knew I would hate it? It¡¯s as stupid as Gale of House Gale. Why do you think I make everyone call me Loh instead?¡±


    Elzri smiled to himself, ¡°...I remember it as if it were yesterday. You were sleeping in your mother¡¯s arms. You were so small, smaller than any baby I had seen. But then you opened your eyes and you looked at me, and at that moment I knew, I knew, you would make our family proud; you would carry our legacy with honor and dignity. That is why I named you Elohnoir. Yet all I have seen these past few years is a mage incapable of seeing beyond her own needs. You have brought dishonor to this family.¡±


    Loh glared at him, ¡°Well, excuse me for not being a cold-hearted bastard like you! I never meant for the students to be hurt. They were supposed to be safe, the enemy was nowhere near them. You want to talk about selfish desires? Then how about the man who killed his brother and sister, all so he could inherit the Noir throne?!¡±


    ¡°Careful with your words, Loh.¡±


    ¡°Or what? Afraid you¡¯ll feel a hint of remorse? You killed your siblings and got exactly what you wanted, the leadership of House Noir!¡±


    Elzri slammed his fist on the table with a resounding crash, ¡°I never got what I wanted! My personal desires never mattered, all that mattered, all that has ever mattered, was our responsibility! Our duty, to protect House Noir¡¯s legacy and this Realm¡¯s safety. And you have placed all of that in jeopardy, again!¡±


    Loh took a step back, ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    She had never seen her grandfather angry, not like this. He had always been a cold and calm individual, his every action carefully thought out.


    Elzri glanced at the crack in the desk and the blood dripping from his fist. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off his fingers.


    He sat back down, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, ¡°Fortunately, none of the students are aware of your mistake. They all believe Stryg led them to a wrong cliff and that is why you weren¡¯t there to save them.¡±


    Loh covered her face in shame, ¡°Oh gods, I told Stryg to meet me at the first sharp cliff. He must think I meant the second cliff.¡±


    ¡°And we will make him continue to believe that lie.¡±


    ¡°What? No, we can''t!¡±


    ¡°We almost lost Stryg today. If we tell him the truth, we will lose him. That is not a question of ¡®if¡¯, it is a guarantee. If there is anything I have learned about that boy is that he is incredibly vindictive. How do you think he will feel when he finds out you are responsible for the death of his best friend?¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°The only people who know what actually happened are my secretary, possibly Ismene, your team, you, and me. My secretary is loyal, she will not say anything. As for Ismene, I¡¯ll talk to her. That leaves your team. I¡¯ve spoken a bit with your centaur, he is loyal and discreet. He refuses to say anything about what happened to you, except that only Tauri and Vayu survived.¡±


    Elzri raised two fingers, ¡°Tauri and Vayu are close friends of House Noir, they won¡¯t say anything if I request it of them. So long as you and I keep quiet, then everything should be fine. We won¡¯t have a war between House Veres, House Gale, and House Noir.¡±


    Loh¡¯s voice felt tight, a heavy lump rested in her throat, ¡°...You are asking me to lie to Stryg. He will blame himself for all of this; for the death of the students, for the death of his best friend, all of it!¡±


    ¡°And in return Hollow Shade will not suffer a civil war. House Gale is honorable, they may end up hating Stryg, but he is a student, they will not try to kill him. This is the best solution given the circumstances.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, there has to be a better way.¡±


    ¡°There is not. Stryg is still asleep, he will be for the next few hours, until his body recovers. When he wakes, I want you to lie to him about the true nature of last night¡¯s events.¡±


    ¡°...Stryg will be devastated,¡± she swallowed bitterly.


    ¡°Then we will manage the situation accordingly. Give him whatever he needs to help soothe the pain, it¡¯s the best we can do.¡±


    ¡°I hate this plan,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°And I hate how you ignored my original plan and got almost everyone killed, but here we are. Now, tell me why only Tauri and Vayu are all that¡¯s left of the magi team I assigned you.¡±


    Loh clenched her eyes tight, just the memory of the encounter terrified her. ¡°...I saw it, the Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you certain?¡± Elzri furrowed his brow.


    She laughed frostily, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m certain. It killed everyone. We couldn¡¯t stop It, let alone slow It down. And It knew me, by my scent, that thing knew I was a Noir. It wanted Its black dagger back, the one my grand aunt stole.¡±


    ¡°Una¡­¡± he whispered.


    Loh rubbed her eyes, ¡°6 years ago¡­ Marek didn¡¯t kill Aizel, the Monster did.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Look, I can tell you more about this later. I¡¯m going to go check on Stryg, he shouldn¡¯t be alone right now,¡± Loh turned away.


    ¡°Agreed. Stryg should see a friendly face when he wakes,¡± Elzri nodded.


    Her shoulders slumped, ¡°A friendly face that is about to lie to him and break his heart.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    She wrapped her shaking fingers around the doorknob and turned it with a click.


    ¡°Loh, wait,¡± he called out.


    She looked back at him, anger clear in her eyes, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for putting so much on your shoulders, I truly am. I will be here if you need me.¡±


    Loh blinked, she had never heard her grandfather apologize to anyone.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked, a trace of worry in her voice.


    Elzri smiled wryly, ¡°Always.¡±

 Chapter 192: Living Nightmare

    Chapter 192: Living Nightmare


    Loh sat next to Stryg¡¯s bed as the blue goblin slept. He had been injured horribly, even Elzri was amazed he had survived. Despite all the healing spells Elzri had casted over him, Stryg¡¯s body was still recovering.


    Sweat dripped off his body and soaked into the blankets. Loh had already changed the wet towel on his forehead several times, but his fever did not seem to be receding. She was grimly reminded of when Stryg had fallen last year during his Duels Class¡¯ final exam.


    Loh glanced at the half dozen bottles and vials on the nightstand. The town¡¯s resident red mage had come in earlier and brought several magical tonics for when Stryg awakened. Loh wondered if she should give him one now.


    She glanced out the window, the sun¡¯s light was already fading on the horizon. The moon flew high in the night sky, gone was last night¡¯s blood-red face, the moon''s bright silver sheen had returned.


    This year¡¯s Festival of the Gods was over, not that Loh had even bothered walking through the river town during the festivities. Loh had been preoccupied. She looked away from the window and back at Stryg.


    Why had the frost wolves kept Stryg safe? If it hadn¡¯t been for them he would have drowned in the Dire River. Those wolves weren¡¯t supposed to be friendly, the bestiaries classified them as very dangerous. And since when could they talk? Loh had never read any text mentioning that particular ability.


    In either case, it still didn¡¯t make any sense why they spared Stryg¡¯s life or hers. More importantly, how did the alpha frost wolf know about Stryg? Her apprentice had never mentioned meeting any frost wolves while growing up, in fact, if he was to be believed, last summer was the first time Stryg had seen a frost wolf.


    So why did the frost wolves care so much for Stryg?


    Loh clenched her fists and bit her bottom lip.


    Could it actually have to do with Lunae? After all, Stryg said the frost wolves were the moon goddess¡¯ harbingers. But if the ebon gods were real, then wasn¡¯t Stryg supposed to be some kind of bad omen? Why would Lunae send her frost wolves to save him?


    Loh shook her head.


    No, what was she even thinking? The ebon gods weren¡¯t real, they couldn¡¯t be. She refused to believe that everyone¡¯s lives were dictated by some four invisible beings floating in the sky. There had to be some logical explanation for all of this. She just had to figure out what it was.


    Loh stared at Stryg¡¯s sleeping face with curiosity.


    ¡°...Who are you, Stryg?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± a soft mumble escaped Stryg¡¯s lips.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°Stryg?¡±


    She reached out and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Loh furrowed her brow, the words were the same. He had mumbled the same exact words when he had been unconscious after his fall last year.


    Stryg grimaced, his body tensed with discomfort.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave¡­ me¡­¡±


    ¡°Stryg, can you hear me? It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here,¡± Loh whispered soothingly.


    His eyelids shot open, his wide pupils constricted into thin slits. Loh jumped back in surprise.


    A puzzled look crossed his face, ¡°...Master?¡±


    She sighed, her tense muscles relaxed with relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she smiled.


    Stryg looked around the small room, his eyes darting everywhere.


    ¡°W-where am I?¡± he asked weakly.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a room we commandeered at a tavern, second floor. We¡¯re in one of the river towns near Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    Stryg sat up and grimaced with pain. He staggered and fell back.


    ¡°Careful, your body is still healing. You shouldn¡¯t move around a lot, you need to rest,¡± she said sympathetically.


    He groaned, ¡°Ugh, what happened? Why are we here?¡±


    She swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°Um¡­ Your classmates and you were escorting a few human families across Dusk Valley. But when you reached Widow¡¯s Crag you were ambushed by the Cairn Valley Tribe. My own squad suffered heavy casualties as well. In the end, we were able to save a few of the students, including you, but the families you were escorting all died.¡±


    ¡°Died¡­?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, memories of last night flooded back to him.


    He sat up in a flash of shock, ¡°Clypeus! Clypeus¡­¡±


    Stryg slowly turned to Loh, tears forming at the corner of his bloodshot eyes. ¡°D-did he¡­?¡±


    He let the question fall into silence, unable to finish his words of fear.


    Loh licked her lips and nodded, ¡°...Clypeus Gale was reported to have perished in the defense of his comrades. Guards were sent out to recover his body, they should be back soon.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s blue face paled, his lips trembled, and his pupils widened until only the faintest lilac ring could be seen at the edge of the irises.


    ¡°Uh... uh... uh¡­¡± he gasped in short mutterings.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Loh grabbed his hand. ¡°...It¡¯s not your fault. I¡­ I-¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    He pulled his hand away and bent over with clenched teeth. He gripped his chest tight, his claws dug through the bandages and opened the wounds underneath.


    ¡°Stryg, stop! You¡¯re hurting yourself!¡± Loh threw her arms around him and held him tight.


    He screamed, a hoarse voice escaped his throat with a shrieking sound of pain and agony. He rocked back and forth and cried with a wretched dissonance.


    Tears slipped down Loh¡¯s cheeks. She knew. She knew this was the result of her choice. The true immensity of her failure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she whispered over and over.


    Loh held him close, his anguished cries reverberated through the walls. A bitter howl echoed in the far-off distance. She looked up with suspicious dread. To her relief, the moon was still its usual silver.


    Loh sighed quietly. She was just being paranoid. Last night¡¯s red moon was a coincidence, it had to be. Because if it wasn¡¯t¡­ She dreaded imagining the possibilities.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll kill them, Cly. The ones responsible. All of them¡­ Marek¡­ the Cairn... they¡¯ll all pay,¡± his voice grew cold with the sting of hatred.


    ¡°Stryg, I know how you feel, but-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill each and every single one of those bastards,¡± he snarled through tears and spit.


    The bottles on the nightstand began to tremble.


    ¡°Um, Stryg¡­¡±


    He laughed with derision, ¡°There will be no children left to spread the stories of the horror I will inflict on their people.¡±


    Small droplets rose within the bottles and vibrated.


    Stryg¡¯s laugh turned to unhinged rage as his body shook uncontrollably, ¡°And Marek. I will leave him for last, he will see his people scream out for help, but there will be none! I swear to you, Cly, they will all DIE!¡±


    The bottles shattered, their fluids spilled over the nightstand and dripped to the floor. The room grew quiet. The rage in his voice crumbled into soft whimpers.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Loh hesitantly touched his back.


    ¡°...It¡¯s all my fault,¡± he cried with a broken voice. ¡°You told me I couldn¡¯t handle the exam on my own. You told me to listen¡­ but I didn¡¯t. I led my friends to the wrong cliff¡­ Cly is dead because of me.¡±


    Loh¡¯s hands trembled, ¡°...Stryg, this isn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t understand. I should have done more. I should have nev-¡±


    A scream of anguish echoed from downstairs. His ears twitched.


    ¡°Nora,¡± he mumbled.


    Stryg pulled away from Loh and stumbled to his feet.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go down there,¡± she called out.


    Her voice fell on deaf ears. Stryg pushed the door open and limped past the dark empty hall. He gripped onto the stair railings and hopped down the steps. He stumbled every few steps, but he didn¡¯t stop and kept walking.


    Stryg reached the final step and froze.


    Several people stood in the bar. Nora was on the floor, crying over Clypeus¡¯ body. The vampire¡¯s pale complexion hadn¡¯t changed much, he seemed almost asleep. But the dried blood on his lips and the large dark red stain on his shirt were unmistakable.


    None of it seemed real to Stryg. It was as if he was in a horrible nightmare, begging to wake up.


    Clypeus¡¯ twin short swords laid next to him. Those two bloodied blades made the grim reality sink in. The memories of the battle against Marek drowned Stryg¡¯s mind.


    Clypeus was gone.


    Nora caught sight of Stryg from the corner of her eye.


    She glared at him, ¡°Clypeus should have run away with us! Why did you stop me? WHY!?¡±


    Stryg was at a loss for words. What could he say that would make any of this right?


    Nora stood up and marched over to him. ¡°Tell me, Stryg!¡±


    Kegrog wrapped his burly arms around her small frame and held her back.


    Nora screamed, ¡°Tell me, Stryg! Tell me!¡±


    Nora fell to her knees and cried, ¡°Why did he have to die?¡±


    Stryg trembled, a large lump in his throat, ¡°...I¡­¡±


    He turned and ran. His legs spasmed with pain, but he didn¡¯t care. He pushed open the tavern¡¯s front doors and fled from the tavern. His bare feet slammed into the dirt street with painful steps as he ran. The cool night air blew away his burning tears.


    His leg suddenly cramped. His ankle twisted, and he tripped, and fell face-first into the dirt. His jaw slammed into the ground, one of the sharp canine teeth sliced into his inner cheek.


    Stryg rolled over and spat out a glob of blood and saliva. Pain wracked his body, he could hardly breathe.


    He didn¡¯t bother trying to get up. He simply lay on the dirt.


    Where would he go? Where could he hide that would shelter him from the pain in his chest?


    He stared up at the silver moon hanging in the night sky.


    Blood Fang¡¯s Mothers were right about him. He really was a bad omen.


    Loh¡¯s face came into view and blocked his sight of the moon.


    ¡°There you are, it took me a while to find you,¡± she grinned half-heartedly.


    Stryg frowned, she was resting on a crutch. He looked down and finally noticed her leg, it was bandaged and in a splint.


    ¡°What happened to your leg?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll heal. More importantly, you shouldn¡¯t run off like that, people around here aren¡¯t the nicest to strangers, especially to hybrids and goblins. You being both definitely doesn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Time to get up.¡± She threw him a handkerchief, ¡°Use that to clean your face.¡±


    Stryg blinked, he hadn''t even noticed. He pushed himself to his feet and wiped the snot, blood, and tears from his face.


    ¡°Goblins aren¡¯t supposed to cry, it''s a sign of weakness,¡± he mumbled.


    It seemed fitting, he supposed. He couldn¡¯t save anyone.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, crying is a sign that you care. You cared greatly for Clypeus, there is no shame in that.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet and clenched the handkerchief tight.


    Loh wrapped her free arm around his shoulder, ¡°I know it hurts... But you aren¡¯t alone in this. I¡¯m here with you and I promise, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg mumbled glumly.


    Loh¡¯s face trembled, her eyes watered, and her expression seemed as if it was about to break. She took a deep breath and forced a strained smile, ¡°...Now come on, I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m starving. Help your weak, old master back to the tavern.¡±


    Stryg reluctantly nodded, ¡°...Master?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You may be old, but you''re not weak.¡±


    ¡°I was joking,¡± she chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ That makes sense, you know you¡¯re strong.¡±


    She wrinkled her nose, ¡°What exactly do you consider old?¡±


    ¡°Anyone past 30. Most goblins in Blood Fang never made it that far.¡±


    ¡°Well, for your information the rest of the Realm considers drow my age to be very young, practically teenagers. Do you see any wrinkles on this gorgeous face, huh? I think not.¡±


    ¡°...How do I face Nora? How do I face any of them?¡± he mumbled quietly.


    Loh sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to, not right now. Everyone¡¯s emotions are running high. It¡¯s best if we stay away from Nora and the others for a while. I¡¯ll have our food brought to our rooms. Once you¡¯ve had some time to rest, there are some things we should talk about.¡±


    As they walked back to the tavern Stryg caught several familiar scents wafting from a nearby building.


    ¡°What is that place?¡± he pointed.


    Loh¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°The town¡¯s garrison. Why?¡±


    ¡°I smell someone who shouldn¡¯t be in that place,¡± he walked off.


    ¡°Stryg, wait, where are you going?!¡±


    ¡°I have to know,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why is that lamia here?¡±

 Chapter 193: The Enemy of My Enemy

    Chapter 193: The Enemy of My Enemy


    Elzri Noir stood in the corner of the basement, his eyes never left sight of the lamia behind the iron bars. She sat on the cold stone floor, her tail uncoiled and spread around the small cell. Her blue scales were scratched, a few dented, but most were stained with dried blood. The lamia¡¯s upper body was covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises, and even more blood. Iron shackles wrapped around her wrists and throat.


    Most prisoners would usually act scared or angry in such predicaments, yet she was expressionless. The lamia¡¯s indigo eyes were dull and she seemed to stare into nothingness.


    The local white mage healer had stated that most of the blood wasn¡¯t her own, which did nothing to reassure Elzri. She may seem like a damsel in distress, but she was a monster, and all monsters were dangerous.


    ¡°Has she said anything yet?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Not a word since she arrived,¡± the human on-duty guard admitted.


    Elzri glanced at the only other drow in the room. Vayu Glaz sat on a chair, his bandaged leg was in a splint.


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°Docility collars didn¡¯t work on the lamia, brown magic is useless here. The same goes for my purple magic, neither my mind spells nor my true binding magic work on her. I don¡¯t know how, but assuming this lamia is not an anomaly, all lamias seem to be immune to any kind of mental control. I suppose it¡¯s one of the reasons why lamias are so difficult to capture.¡±


    ¡°Along with the fact that they are deadly predators,¡± Elzri said calmly. ¡°I heard this one was found unconscious next to a pile of corpses.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The lamia woke up a few hours ago, but she has barely moved an inch,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Does she have any major wounds? Perhaps trauma to the head?¡±


    ¡°No head injuries and the healer attended to her serious wounds while she slept. I don¡¯t know why she seems so¡­ distant.¡±


    ¡°Keep her alive. The lamia could prove to be a valuable font of information. There are other means of getting someone to talk.¡±


    The basement door slammed open. A small blue figure barged in and glanced around the room.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be down here!¡± the guard yelled.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Elzri said curtly.


    ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re awake,¡± Vayu smiled.


    Stryg glanced between the lamia in the cell and back at the two drow magi, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is she in a cage?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be?¡± Elzri asked coldly. ¡°Lamias are dangerous, most are wild. This one is even worse, she worked for the Cairn, our enemy.¡±


    ¡°But she betrayed them, she protected my class,¡± Stryg frowned.


    Elzri nodded, ¡°So I heard and now I want to know why. As you can see, she has not been very cooperative.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Vayu, ¡°Can¡¯t you read her mind or something?¡±


    ¡°Already tried, it doesn¡¯t work,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Stryg! Dammit, stop running!¡± a femenine voice called out from atop the stairs.


    Elzri recognized the voice instantly.


    Loh hobbled down the stairs with her crutch, surprise crossed her face as she spotted Elzri. ¡°Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°And I was wondering why Stryg was down here,¡± Elzri said with a slight frown. ¡°He should be recovering in bed, not visiting the garrison.¡±


    Loh scowled, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring him down here, he smelled you or someone, I don¡¯t know. The kid has heightened senses.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s attention was focused on the lamia. She didn¡¯t move, her head hung low and she stared into space.


    ¡°...What are you going to do with her?¡± Stryg muttered.


    Elzri looked at the boy thoughtfully, ¡°The lamia is being uncooperative. Since magic seems to have failed, we will resort to more traditional methods.¡±


    Stryg kept his eyes on the lamia, ¡°Which are?¡±


    ¡°She will be taken to Hollow Shade with the other prisoners we managed to capture tonight. Once there, I will have experts torture the lamia until she breaks. Then we will extract whatever little bit of information is left in her muddled mind.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Elzri said without a hint of emotion.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°The lamia is a threat, she is a member of the Cairn Tribe. The only logical choice is execution; sacrifice her to the shade wall, as is custom when executing enemies of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Loh grabbed his shoulder, ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy, I thought you hated lamias?¡±


    Stryg tore his eyes away from the lamia and glanced at the keys dangling from Vayu¡¯s waist, ¡°Professor, may I see the keys to the cell, please.¡±


    Vayu laughed, ¡°What? No, of course not.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t waste another second. He walked over to the cell.


    ¡°~Stryg~ Kiddo, what are you doing?¡± Loh asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Stay away from the cage, boy,¡± Elzri warned.


    He ignored their voices. The lamia sat still, her eyes vacant.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Stryg, back away slowly, that lamia is wounded, not incapacitated,¡± Vayu whispered.


    Stryg curled his hands around the cell¡¯s iron bars. He gritted his teeth and pulled his arms apart. His hands shook with effort, yet the iron bars did not budge.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Loh yelled. ¡°You¡¯re badly injured. You¡¯ll open your wounds!¡±


    Stryg groaned as his muscles were stretched painfully, ¡°She fought her allies because of me. She fought to protect me! I won¡¯t let someone else die because of me, not again!¡±


    ¡°She protected you?¡± Elzri whispered.


    Stryg spread his legs apart, gripped the bars tightly, and pulled with a hoarse scream of anger. The iron bars creaked. Lysaila slowly looked up at him. A flash of recognition crossed her indigo eyes. A petrified wail escaped her lips, she scuttled back, and curled herself into a ball in the corner of the cell.


    Stryg¡¯s strength gave out. His knees buckled underneath him, his arms slipped from the bars, and his head fell forward, bumping into an iron bar. Bright red blood seeped over his shirt.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Loh hobbled to him. ¡°I told you to stop. Fuck, you opened your wounds. We need to get you back to your bed.¡±


    Stryg panted feebly and swallowed.


    ¡°Vayu, give me the key,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vayu mumbled.


    Elzri didn¡¯t bother to respond. He ripped the keys from Vayu¡¯s waist and unlocked the cell door.


    ¡°Grandfather, what are you doing?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Listening,¡± Elzri said. ¡°Stryg, you may go in. I¡¯ll be watching in case of anything.¡±


    He nodded weakly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No, this is insane!¡± Loh shouted.


    ¡°Loh, do you remember what we talked about a few hours ago? Whatever soothes the pain?¡± Elzri asked.


    She froze, the memory still painfully fresh in her mind.


    Her grandfather¡¯s words echoed in her mind, ¡°Give him whatever he needs to help soothe the pain, it¡¯s the best we can do.¡±


    Was this what her grandfather meant? Or did he have something else in mind? Loh wasn¡¯t sure.


    Stryg stumbled to his feet and dragged himself into the iron cell. Lysaila hissed at him from the corner of the cell.


    Stryg grimaced in pain and gripped his bleeding chest, ¡°...I¡¯m not here to fight. I don¡¯t know who you are, but I won¡¯t let them kill you.¡±


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Lysaila bared her fangs.


    With slow careful movements, Stryg lowered himself to the floor. His body hurt all over, pain pulsated through his sore muscles and broken bones.


    He sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t like you, lamia. I actually dislike you very much. You attacked my friends back in Castle Mora, you almost killed them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you either, you fucking monster,¡± she glared at him.


    Stryg flexed his fingers, his claws bright in the torchlight.


    He hissed, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re enemies, you damn snake... So why save me last night, huh? Why?¡±


    She spat on the ground, ¡°As if you don¡¯t know.¡±


    He lowered his hand, ¡°Last night¡­ When you were fighting¡­ I felt something. I don¡¯t know what or why, but I felt something. I looked into your eyes and I knew for a split moment, I knew, you felt it too. What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    Lysaila twisted her lips, ¡°...You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°You think I would waste my time asking you, if I did?¡±


    She laughed in scorn, ¡°So the Mortem child turns out to be as ignorant as the rest of us? Wonderful.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Mortem?¡±


    The name sounded familiar, where had he heard it?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the old drow over there? He seems to be far more interested in this than either of us,¡± Lysaila smiled mockingly, black venom dripping from her fangs.


    Elzri stayed silent, but he kept watching them from a distance, his expression indiscernible.


    Stryg sighed, this was getting nowhere.


    With painful motions, he pushed himself to his feet, ¡°A favor for a favor. You saved my friends and me last night. I won¡¯t let them kill you. Consider my debt repaid.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of death.¡±


    He paused and looked at her, ¡°Then what are you afraid of?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°Losing myself¡­ again.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°Stryg, we don¡¯t have to kill her, but we can¡¯t let her go free either. She is a threat to all of us. Hell, just being in the cell with her is dangerous.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Lysaila won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    The lamia shivered with fear.


    Stryg blinked, ¡°...Lysaila? That¡¯s your name, isn¡¯t it? Why do I know that?¡±


    Her face paled.


    His eyes widened, ¡°...You can¡¯t hurt me, can you?¡±


    He stepped closer to her. Lysaila tried backing away, there was nowhere to go.


    Stryg didn¡¯t understand why, but something was different. He slowly reached out and placed his hand between her breasts, his fingers resting above her beating heart. Her skin felt cold to the touch. He could feel her heart thrum with a rapid, terrified pounding. Suddenly it quieted, the heartbeat slowing to a calm rhythm. Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened, her breath grew quiet.


    Silver sigils stemmed out from her chest and across her skin. More silver sigils gradually began appearing all over her body as if they had always been there.


    Stryg swallowed and looked into her vacant eyes, ¡°...What are you?¡±


    ¡°...A weapon, sovereign,¡± she mumbled blankly.


    Stryg stumbled backwards, confused. Lysaila fell over, the silver sigils faded as quickly as they had appeared.


    Elzri flicked his fingers, yellow mana coursing through him. A powerful gust of wind smashed the prison guard into the wall. His head smashed into the stone bricks with a splatter of blood. The guard collapsed to the ground, dead.


    ¡°What the fuck!? You didn¡¯t need to kill him!¡± Loh yelled.


    ¡°Do you know what just happened with Stryg?¡± Elzri asked quietly.


    Loh glanced at Stryg, he sat at the opposite corner of the cell, holding his trembling hand. His eyes stared at Lysaila cautiously. As for the lamia, her body was on the floor, unable to move, yet her eyes glared at him with pure rage.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think anyone understands what just happened,¡± Loh gulped.


    ¡°Exactly, we cannot risk this getting out,¡± Elzri said grimly. ¡°Vayu, arrange for this to be cleaned up. If anyone asks, tell them that the guard disrespected me, a city lord of Hollow Shade. They won¡¯t ask anything else after that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Noir,¡± Vayu bowed.


    Elzri pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ¡°Congratulations, Stryg. You¡¯ve gotten your wish. The lamia will be released once we arrive in Hollow Shade, on several conditions that we will discuss later.¡±


    ¡°This is crazy, you can¡¯t just let her free,¡± Loh said exasperatedly.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t up for debate,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t understand why you are doing this,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°If my theory is right,¡± Elzri said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯d rather not keep a budding Mortem mage away from his beast-kin. Everyone, pack your things, we leave for Hollow Shade at first light.¡±


    ~~~


    A Few Days Later¡­


    Stryg glanced out the carriage window, the ebon black walls of Hollow Shade loomed above him. The city¡¯s banners hung from above the wall, depicting a black sun and a skull at the center.


    As they neared the gate, Stryg spotted the familiar arcane words, ¡°Protection of Death¡± etched into the black magestone above the gate.


    He felt a painful pit grow in his stomach as he noted a large procession at the gate. The crowd was formed of several armored warriors along with various men and women dressed in black cloaks. At the front of the procession stood two men, Lord Gale and Lord Veres IX.

 Chapter 194: Midnight Funeral

    Chapter 194: Midnight Funeral


    Elzri glanced out the carriage¡¯s window and sighed, ¡°It seems the messenger carrying news of Clypeus Gale¡¯s death arrived safely.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°Are those people outside his family?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Elzri said. ¡°Both House Veres and House Gale are at the gate. This is a funeral procession. They are here to take Clypeus¡¯ body home.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably bury him at midnight,¡± Loh guessed. ¡°It¡¯s the custom for vampire funerals.¡±


    ¡°You two, stay in the carriage. I¡¯ll go talk with them,¡± Elzri opened the door and walked out of the carriage without waiting for a response.


    A look of uncertainty crossed Stryg¡¯s face.


    ¡°They sound angry,¡± he mumbled.


    Loh rubbed his back, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. They aren¡¯t here to fight us. They just want their son¡¯s body.¡±


    Stryg clenched his eyes shut, ¡°I can hear Cly¡¯s sister. Her voice is cracking, she¡¯s trying not to cry, but she¡¯s clearly in pain.¡±


    Loh sighed wearily, ¡°Everyone has to cry once in a while. Gale VIII is one of the strongest people I know, she¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    ¡°Nora is outside. She¡¯s crying too. They¡¯re all crying because of me...¡±


    ¡°You''re not the one who killed Clypeus, that was the warlord Marek.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled, ¡°But I led everyone to him. Had I just remembered the right cliff, none of this would have happened.¡±


    Loh grimaced, ¡°...You shouldn¡¯t be listening to any of that stuff outside. Cover your ears.¡±


    He slowly raised his arms and cupped his hands over his ears. Loh wrapped her arms around him and nestled her face into his silver hair. She sang a mellow tune to blot out the noise.


    Stryg still heard their cries¡­


    ~~~


    Lord Elzri Noir respectfully gave Clypeus¡¯ body over to Lord Gale and Lord Veres. Gale warriors gently placed Clypeus into an obsidian coffin with silver trimmings and carried him away. Soldiers carrying the banner of House Gale and House Veres followed in their footsteps, the rest of the procession followed closely behind.


    Summer had arrived and despite the late hour the sun still loomed at the edge of the horizon. The vampires were forced to wear thick dark cloaks to block the irritating sunlight.


    The commoners milling through the streets scurried away at the sight of the dark procession. The roads in the surrounding area quickly became empty. The world fell quiet save for the cries of the bereaved.


    Like all of Hollow Shade¡¯s Great Houses, House Veres¡¯ estate was located in the Villa District. The opulent mansion stood next to House Gale¡¯s own estate, with a large garden maze seated in between both estates. At the center of the maze lay the shared cemetery of both Houses.


    By the time the funeral procession had walked through the city¡¯s outer districts and arrived at the Villa District, the sun had set.


    House Veres¡¯ servants rushed to prepare the final arrangements for the burial that would take place later in the evening.


    The funeral would be a private affair, with only family and close friends invited. While the invitations had been sent abruptly, not a single invitee failed to show up. Each carriage arrived an hour before midnight and lined down the street patiently, waiting their turn to reach the Veres front gate and be allowed inside the estate.


    Stryg hid around the corner, wrapped in a dark cloak and a mantle of chromatic black shadows. The spell placed a heavy strain on his injured heart, but he stayed quiet and bided his time, searching for the right guest. After half an hour he spotted the luxurious carriage.


    Stryg stayed low to the ground and ran to the carriage with quiet footsteps. He hopped onto one of the carriage¡¯s stairs and knocked on the door.


    The curtain behind the door¡¯s window shifted, a small pale face peeked out. Her red eyes widened with surprise at the sight of the blue goblin.


    The driver and guards sitting at the front turned at the noise. They jumped off and made their way to Stryg.


    One of the guards drew his sword. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡±


    Maeve swung the carriage door open, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Go back and sit with the coachman upfront, that¡¯s an order.¡±


    The guards nodded reluctantly and left.


    Maeve glanced around the street before she ushered Stryg inside. He nodded his thanks and climbed inside the carriage. Maeve closed the door and locked it with a latch. Stryg released the shadow spell and breathed a sigh of relief.


    He smiled weakly, ¡°Hello, Lady Mora. You look nice.¡±


    Maeve wore a black frilled dress with a high collar and a low-cut that ended right above her flat stomach.


    She crossed her thin arms, ¡°Take a seat and tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Stryg nodded and sat across from her. ¡°I heard that the funeral is only by invitation. I¡¯m clearly not invited, so I was hoping you might help me get in.¡±


    Maeve rubbed her temple and groaned, ¡°Stryg, this isn¡¯t some random aristocrat¡¯s party. You shouldn¡¯t be trying to sneak in. Clypeus Gale has died.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I know¡­¡± He clenched his fists tightly and smiled bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s why I need to go.¡±


    Maeve wrinkled her brow, she sniffed the air. It was faint, but the intoxicating scent was there, hybrid¡¯s blood. She leaned across the small aisle and sniffed Stryg. He looked at her curiously.


    Maeve pushed his cloak aside and lifted his shirt. His chest was covered in bandages, a few spots of blood stained the cotton.


    She frowned, ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    He pulled his shirt down, ¡°I¡¯m still healing, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Maeve sat back, ¡°I heard Cly¡¯s class got lost while out in Dusk Valley. In the end, they were attacked by the Cairn Tribe. Stryg, were you in that class?¡±


    He looked away in shame, ¡°...I was one of the few that actually survived. I wasn¡¯t able to keep Cly among that number.¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°There are rumors¡­ That someone led the class and got them all lost. Stryg, are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°Can you get me inside the estate or not?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can,¡± she sighed. ¡°The Veres guards will only check my invitation, they won¡¯t look inside the carriage. Once we¡¯re inside what are you going to do? If you attend the funeral people will see you and I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but you kind of stand out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my hood on and I¡¯ll watch from afar. I don¡¯t need to talk with anyone there, I just want to pay my respects, even if it''s from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Is that normal in Sylvan culture?¡±


    ¡°No... but Cly wasn¡¯t Sylvan.¡±


    Maeve nodded reluctantly, ¡°Right.¡±


    ~~~


    The burial happened at midnight. The downcast attendees watched solemnly as the obsidian coffin was buried next to deceased Gale ancestors. Most of the attendees gathered were of the Gale family, whose numbers ranged in the dozens. Each member of the Veres family was here as well, although excluding Lord Veres IX¡¯s wives, there were only six living members of the Ruling Family.


    Stryg watched the funeral proceedings from inside one of the garden¡¯s hedges. Once inside the estate, Stryg and Maeve had waited until all the other guests had gone to the cemetery. Maeve then guided Stryg through the garden maze. Right before they reached the cemetery, Stryg had left her side and hid in a nearby hedge.


    Many people spoke during the funeral, including Lord Veres and Lord Gale. Most of the ones who spoke were Clypeus¡¯ family, his cousins, uncles, aunts, and older sister, Gale.


    Stryg felt a needle of pain dig into his chest after each one spoke, by the end, he could hardly breathe. It was as if he was witnessing the physical manifestation of his failures, of his inability to have succeeded the one time his best friend had needed him.


    Clypeus¡¯ mother spoke last or at least she tried to. Her voice was a bundle of shattered love, pain oozed out of her mumbling as she broke down in tears.


    Stryg wanted to run over, he wanted to apologize for his failure, he wanted to say that Clypeus had been the best of friends, he wanted to say all of this and so much more, but he wouldn¡¯t get the chance. There was no way they¡¯d let him through once they realized who he was.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Sylvan goblins were not meant to cry and even if they could, Stryg did not deserve the chance. He may not have killed Clypeus, but to him, Clypeus¡¯ death was still his fault. He deserved to suffer alone.


    As the burial ceremony ended, the guests wandered about the cemetery. Some walked over to Clypeus¡¯ grave and simply stood there, holding each other in their arms as they cried. Others visited the graves of past Gales and Vereses. Most spoke to one another in small hushed whispers, exchanging greetings and condolences.


    Gale approached Nora and gave a short nod, ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping to get a chance to talk to you.¡±


    Nora¡¯s lips formed a strained smile, ¡°Is this about what I told your mother this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± she nodded. ¡°I¡¯d rather have my mother talk to you about this, gods know she is better at these sorts of emotional things than I, but as you can see she is currently... distraught.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?¡± Nora wiped the tears from her face.


    Gale cleared her throat, ¡°...Yes, but I am a Shield of Veres. We¡¯re taught to hide these things well and to function until we have a chance for respite. This is not the time to rest, as House Gale¡¯s heir I must be strong for my family.¡±


    ¡°Always a paragon of strength, huh? Cly used to say that about you,¡± Nora smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Cly overestimated me,¡± Gale wrung her hands together, her voice cracked. ¡°...Nora, my brother left you when you needed him most. On behalf of my family, I want you to know that we will take care of you and the baby in whatever way you need.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I appreciate it, I really do, but I have everything I need. With all due respect, I will raise my child as a member of House Azol; they will grow up away from the influence of House Gale¡¯s legacy.¡±


    ¡°My brother is that child¡¯s father,¡± Gale frowned. ¡°Your child is a Gale, whether you want them to be or not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what tradition dictates,¡± Nora scowled. ¡°My child will not sacrifice their life to be a Shield of Veres.¡±


    Gale stared at her, voice quiet. She nodded solemnly, ¡°I understand. As heir of my House, I will relay your message to my lord. But as the aunt of your child, I want you to know I will be there for both of you whenever and wherever you need me, this I swear on Clypeus¡¯ name.¡±


    Nora blinked, ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    Stryg found himself smiling, Nora seemed to have her own tribe in the shape of House Azol, and with the help of Gale, he was sure she and the baby would be okay.


    Stryg spotted Callum standing next to a gravestone away from all the other guests. A young woman walked over to him. She had jet black hair and the same beguiling scarlet eyes as Callum. Stryg guessed they were related.


    Elise wrapped her arm around Callum¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We should head inside, little brother. Father has arranged a feast for the guests, most of them are already beginning to make their way there now.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Callum mumbled.


    She gently bumped his head with her own, ¡°...You probably haven¡¯t gotten a chance to get some proper rest since you left on that awful trip. I bet you a hot bath, a couple of beautiful women and their delicious blood will help you relax. Should I send some of the prettiest maids up to your room?¡±


    Callum brushed his fingers over the gravestone.


    ¡°When my mother died I was just a newborn,¡± he whispered quietly. ¡°I had no control, I couldn¡¯t prevent her death. And I hated it, I hated how she was gone because of me and there was nothing I could have done to save her.¡±


    He chuckled weakly, ¡°When I was a kid I used to spend afternoons standing here, in front of my mother¡¯s grave.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Elise smiled reminiscently. ¡°I had to drag you back inside on rainy days so you wouldn¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    He swallowed, ¡°...I used to stand here and dream, believe, that one day, I would be powerful enough to save the ones I cared about. Yet, here I am. Cly is dead and I am still useless.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like Clypeus? I¡¯m certain he didn¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t really friends if that¡¯s what you mean. But he was honorable and a good man, and an even better warrior. He stayed behind to keep my classmates and me safe.¡±


    Elise shook her head, ¡°Clypeus was a Gale, they are the Shields of Veres. His death was unexpected, true, but it should not have been a surprise to you. It was bound to happen one day or another, such is life for House Gale.¡±


    Callum stepped away and frowned, ¡°How can you be so dismissive about his death? The Gales put their lives on the line for us each and every day. They don¡¯t have to, but they choose to, that¡¯s the reality. The least we can do is show some bloody respect.¡±


    Elise rolled her eyes, ¡°Fine, you want to talk about reality? Clypeus¡¯ duty was to protect you and you alone. The moment the Cairn showed up, he should have thrown the lives of your classmates out of the equation. His only priority should have been to your safety. Instead he chose, chose, to stay behind to protect all of your class and a bunch of commoners.¡±


    Callum glared at her, ¡°He was trying to keep us safe. He died keeping us safe.¡±


    Elise poked him in the chest, ¡°No, Lord Noir kept you safe. Clypeus should have gotten someone else to stay behind. He should have stayed by your side, as was his obligation as the Shield of Veres. Had he done that he would still be alive with the rest of you. The reality is Clypeus failed at the one thing he had been trained for his entire life, to be a Shield of Veres. He was a failure, that is why he died.¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker!¡± Stryg roared.


    He ran out of the bush and charged at a surprised Elise. Callum jumped in between them and grabbed him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Callum whispered angrily. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous! You need to leave!¡±


    Stryg glared at Elise, ¡°Clypeus Gale was the bravest warrior I have ever known! He held back the warlord Marek until his dying breath. He gave his classmates, including Cal, the precious few moments they needed for Lord Noir to arrive. Had it not been for Cly we would have all died. He protected us! If you can¡¯t see how great of a Shield of Veres Clypeus Gale was then you don¡¯t deserve to fucking utter his name!¡±


    Elise smiled wryly, ¡°And who might you be, intruder? Why don¡¯t you take off that hood? I¡¯d love to get to know the man brave enough to insult me.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here, dammit!¡± Callum whispered into Stryg¡¯s ears.


    Stryg shoved him aside and hissed.


    He understood why Callum didn¡¯t want him here. They all blamed him for Clypeus¡¯ death, but it still hurt to hear Callum say so.


    An elder vampire ambled over to them. He sported a well-groomed grey beard and despite his clear age, he walked with a straight back. The crow¡¯s feet around his cheeks wrinkled as he narrowed his scarlet eyes.


    Gian Gale held his hands clasped behind his back and bowed to Elise and Callum, ¡°Is there a problem here, little Cal? Is this hooded stranger causing you trouble?¡±


    Callum¡¯s face paled, ¡°Um, wel-¡±


    ¡°Yes, the intruder has threatened me,¡± Elise interjected. ¡°I¡¯d like him apprehended immediately,¡±


    Gian nodded politely, ¡°As you wish, Elise.¡± He blinked, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a fast one, isn¡¯t he? Gone already. Not to worry, he won¡¯t get far.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Gian, don¡¯t worry about him. It¡¯s fine, really,¡± Callum said frantically.


    ¡°Do not stress, little Cal,¡± said Gian. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the intruder.¡±


    The elder vampire dashed into the maze before Callum could say anything else.


    ~~~


    Stryg had run away the moment Gian had opened his mouth. He didn¡¯t need to hear what the vampire had to say. From just one look, Stryg knew this old man was dangerous.


    Stryg dived through a hedge wall, closed his eyes as the branches scratched at his skin, and rolled out on the other side. He pushed himself to his feet and ran down the maze paths. His heart pulsed with pain, the spear wound in his chest had torn open. He didn¡¯t have time to check his condition, he needed to get out of here as quickly as possible.


    He turned the corner and froze in his steps. The old vampire stood in his path, sword in hand.


    Gian brandished the blade in a light twirl, ¡°I advise you not to run, trespasser.¡±


    Stryg glanced around, there was nowhere to escape. His wound had opened and his heart was still healing. It had taken everything he had to cast the shadow spell earlier. His body couldn¡¯t handle another spell in his condition.


    Stryg cursed under his breath. He had been stupid to jump out of the hedge and expose himself. Now he was in danger and he was helpless. He really was a failure.


    Gian pointed his sword at him, ¡°This evening has been a very difficult night for my family, we do not have time to deal with upstart intruders like you. Remove your hood and come with me quietly if you do not wish to die.¡±


    Stryg licked his lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for trespassing. I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect your family.¡±


    ¡°Take off the hood, I won¡¯t ask again.¡±


    Stryg sighed. With reluctant movements, he raised his hands and pulled his hood down. The moonlight bathed his grey hair in a silver glow.


    Stryg watched the elder vampire wearily.


    Gian stood stock-still, he stared at the goblin with wide-open eyes. His sword trembled in his hand. He slowly lowered the blade and opened his mouth, yet no sound came out.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes burned, he couldn¡¯t afford to show tears in front of an enemy. He sniffed and brushed his forearm across his face, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect House Gale or bring your family any more trouble. I only wanted to say goodbye... to Cly.¡±


    ¡°I, uh... I understand,¡± Gian slid his blade back into its sheath.


    Stryg watched him cautiously, he wasn¡¯t certain if the vampire had decided to kill him or not.


    Gian swallowed, ¡°Did¡­ Did you know Clypeus well?¡±


    Stryg nodded bitterly.


    ¡°Were you two friends?¡±


    ¡°...The best of friends,¡± he whispered.


    The vampire narrowed his eyes, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Gian¡¯s eyes widened and his throat tightened, ¡°...Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°...Where are you from, Stryg?¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, wary of the vampire¡¯s strange demeanor.


    Gian took a step back and nodded to himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to pry. I simply wanted to know where my nephew''s best friend hails from.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Cly¡¯s uncle?¡±


    ¡°Technically, I am his great, great uncle, but yes, Clypeus was my nephew.¡±


    He nodded reluctantly, ¡°I was born in Vulture Woods, to the Sylvan tribe of Blood Fang.¡±


    ¡°...Bloodfang?¡±


    Gian suddenly recalled his conversation with Callum several months prior. The young man had asked various questions regarding the Blue Rose, Lady Stryga Veres. Callum had seemed so uncertain back then. And now he had tried stopping Gian from chasing the intruder.


    Gian stroked his beard in deep thought. ¡°...I see,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg wrinkled his button nose.


    ¡°May I ask one last question, Stryg? Were you the one who was with Clypeus when he fell?¡±


    He bit his lower lip, his eyes full of regret. ¡°...Yes, it was my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gian closed his eyes tight and took a shaky breath. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and smiled ruefully, ¡°No matter what anyone else tells you, what happened to Clypeus was not your fault.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Why would you say that? I got us lost, we were caught by the Cairn Tribe because of me. You should hate me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Clypeus was the best of us, of that, there is no doubt. He lived and died the same way as our founder, as an Unfaltering Shield. That is something to be proud of, not ashamed.¡±


    Cly¡¯s last words echoed in Stryg¡¯s mind, I am the Shield of my friend.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes burned, but he tried his best not to cry. He swallowed the lump in his throat and rubbed his eyes.


    Gian knelt in front of Stryg and looked up at him, ¡°You may not truly grasp the full extent of my words, but one day, when it is safe, when you are ready, I will explain. Until then, I will be there when you need me and even when you don''t, I swear to you on my life.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Why? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Gian smiled half-heartedly, ¡°I know. For now, let¡¯s get you out of here without anyone else noticing.¡±

 Chapter 195: Sleeping Together

    Chapter 195: Sleeping Together


    Nokti tiptoed through the Cairn camp with slow covert steps. The cloudy midnight sky made it difficult to see, but Nokti was a vampire and a chromatic black. Her eyes granted her improved vision in the dark and coupled with a powerful shadow spell, she had no trouble finding her way around the camp.


    There were plenty of guards roaming around the tents of the tribe¡¯s council and elders. Her own tent had several guards patrolling about.


    Nokti had been forced to use magic to escape unnoticed. She had summoned the black mana within her heart and casted a cloak of shadows to hide her presence. So long as she didn¡¯t make any loud movements the guards wouldn¡¯t notice as she slipped past them.


    There were several brown enchantments placed on the tents of any of the tribe¡¯s important figures, alerting everyone in the vicinity if an intruder had appeared. Fortunately, Nokti was not an intruder and the enchantments did not activate as she walked past. Which was good, since if anyone saw her they might notice that she only had on a negligee underneath her fur cloak.


    Her new patron god, Caligo, had kept his usual distant attitude with her while out in public. She didn¡¯t blame him, he walked among mortals as the mysterious spymaster, Crow. As for why he did this, instead of revealing his divine nature, Nokti did not know. She had so many questions and had been unable to ask any of them.


    After the night Caligo had revealed himself to her, they had not seen each other in private since. Until tonight. After a meeting with the tribe¡¯s elders, Caligo had told her to meet him at his tent tonight in secret. She accepted without hesitance, but when she asked what for, he had simply said, ¡°to sleep with me, of course.¡±


    Nokti had been surprised, flattered, daunted, and a bit excited. To make love to a god? What sort of strange dream was this? Who would believe her? The whole concept was difficult to wrap her mind around.


    Nokti still had feelings for Marek, but Caligo had nonetheless forced them to break up. Caligo had made Nokti pretend to be in a relationship with Crow to punish Marek. Hurting Marek was one of the last things Nokti wanted, but she went along with Caligo¡¯s scheme anyway in order to prove her loyalty to him.


    Although, now it seemed that Caligo was actually interested in sleeping with her. If that was actually the case, she wasn¡¯t certain how to feel about it. She cared for Marek, yes, but to be wanted by a god? The god she had sworn to give everything to? How was she supposed to react?


    Nokti struggled with the idea the entire day. Finally, she had decided to put on her negligee, grab her cloak, and go find Caligo. What she would do when saw Caligo, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    Nokti found herself standing in front of her god¡¯s tent, unsure of what to say. How would she introduce herself? She had to show her respect to a deity, lest he think she wasn¡¯t a devout follower. Would she prostrate herself? Or was that too much for a romantic encounter? Perhaps kneeling and a heartfelt prayer would suffice?


    ¡°Stop fidgeting and come in,¡± a muffled voice said from inside.


    Nokti stiffened with shame. Her face felt hot and her stomach twisted in knots. She took a deep breath, mustered the biggest smile she could, pulled the tent flap aside, and walked in. Her smile died on her lips.


    Despite the large size of the tent, it was fairly sparse. A lone chair stood in one corner, a cot on the opposite corner, and a gigantic chest sat at the very center. Books of all sorts of shapes and colors were stacked high in several columns around the floor. Caligo¡¯s onyx scaled cloak hung on the wall, several black feathers had been stitched to its edges.


    It was not the sparsity of the tent, nor the strange amount of books that shocked Nokti, it was the people inside. Dawn sat cross-legged on the floor, long white hair shrouded her pale blue face. From her calm breathing, she seemed to be meditating, here, in Caligo¡¯s tent.


    And if that wasn¡¯t odd enough, Vaughn sat in the chair in the corner. A small woman, as tall as a dwarf and as lithe as a drow, sat on his lap. Her bright blue hair fell over her shoulders in large curls. Vaughn held a book in front of the strange woman as she read from the comfort of his lap.


    ¡°What in all the bloody realms are you doing here!?¡± Nokti yelled angrily.


    Dawn cracked an eye open, but otherwise sat still. Vaughn simply turned a page of the book.


    ¡°Nokti, you¡¯re finally here, good,¡± said the strange woman.


    "And who the hell are you?¡± Nokti snapped.


    The strange woman pushed aside the book in Vaughn¡¯s hands and looked at Nokti with a slight tilt of her head. Her iridescent eyes shifted through different colors as she looked the vampiress up and down.


    Nokti¡¯s face paled as she noticed the woman¡¯s unique eyes. ¡°...Lord Caligo?¡±


    The strange woman yawned, ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡±


    Nokti threw herself to the ground in reverence, ¡°Lord Caligo! I-I didn¡¯t realize it was you. Please forgive my insolence, I beg you!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Caligo mumbled as she wrote down a small marking in her book.


    ¡°You can get up now, Nokti, unless you want to keep showing us all your naked body,¡± said Dawn.


    Nokti slowly looked down at herself. Her fur cloak had shifted open, revealing the thin negligee underneath.


    ¡°...Ah!¡± Nokti gasped and wrapped the cloak tightly around herself.


    ¡°Why the red face? I saw nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I¡¯m beginning to see why the men are always talking about you,¡± Dawn smirked.


    Nokti glared at the mocking arch-mage.


    ¡°Be nice, sister,¡± Vaughn sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nokti, everyone is surprised at first.¡±


    ¡°Um, surprised?¡± Nokti asked hesitantly.


    ¡°About her,¡± Vaughn glanced at the small blue-haired woman in his lap.


    Caligo finished scribbling down a few notes on the book and handed the feather to Vaughn. She hopped off his lap, grabbed the book from the hybrid¡¯s hands, and placed it back with the other stacks of books.


    ¡°So many books¡­¡± Nokti whispered.


    Caligo didn¡¯t bother glancing at her, ¡°Did you think I became known as the god of secrets because I sat on my butt and twiddled my thumbs all day?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not, Lord Caligo? I mean, Lady Caligo? Um, I¡¯m not sure how to address you,¡± Nokti admitted.


    ¡°Call me by whichever title you prefer,¡± said Caligo.


    ¡°We find it easier to call the Master by the form she is currently in,¡± said Vaughn.


    Nokti was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the twins knew about Caligo. Or that Caligo could change his appearance. She supposed she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised about the latter. He was a god, he probably had an endless amount of abilities she could not begin to comprehend.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Nokti shook her head, ¡°Sorry, I was just a little confused. I thought you were a man, I mean, not like a human. I meant, male, um, yeah, male. Not, uh, a woman.¡±


    Caligo looked at her, ¡°Who said I was a woman?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a man?¡±


    ¡°I can assume whatever form I desire. The concept of being a man, woman, or anything else of that nature holds no real significance to me.¡±


    Nokti nodded cautiously, ¡°So, the form you showed me when you took off your mask a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the usual form I take when I walk about as Crow,¡± Caligo nodded.


    ¡°And your current form?¡±


    Caligo played with her own blue hair, ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable moving around in a smaller body while inside my tent. This particular species is native to the Ivory Realm. They all have bright blue hair and large green eyes, a charming lot.¡±


    ¡°...Green eyes? But your eyes aren¡¯t green, well, sometimes they are. They¡¯re always changing color.¡±


    Caligo sighed with a smile, ¡°Quite right. My eyes are the one trait that is immutable. It¡¯s why I wear a mask. It used to be a lot easier to move around, a long time ago, before I became so¡­ famous.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Nokti bit her lip.


    ¡°You still have questions, I can tell. I don¡¯t have time to answer them all.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to pry,¡± Nokti bowed.


    Caligo sat down on the cot, ¡°You get one more question.¡±


    Nokti panicked. One question? She cleared her throat, ¡°The other night, you asked me to put up an act in front of Marek to punish him. You told me to break up with him. Was that an act too?¡±


    Caligo smiled coldly, ¡°The goal of that evening was to simply have Marek suffer for his mistakes. So to answer your question, yes and at the same time no. It was an act. But when you swore yourself to me, you pledged to me your love as well, and I don¡¯t like to share.¡±


    Nokti swallowed.


    Caligo clapped her hands, ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, let us begin the meeting.¡±


    Nokti and the twins nodded.


    ¡°Vaughn,¡± Caligo said. ¡°Your... ¡®failure¡¯ to capture Maeve Mora at Mora Castle was a setback.¡±


    Vaughn kept his composure, but his trembling finger gave him away.


    Caligo pulled out a map of Dusk Valley and placed it in front of them, ¡°Nonetheless, the true red mage will join me in due time, I will make certain of that. Until then, we will reinforce our stance in Dusk Valley.¡±


    Caligo pointed at Vaughn, ¡°You will go to the Adder Tribe and try to rebuild some goodwill with them. They are still the most influential tribe in the Valley, we will need their support. Dawn, you will be in charge on keeping an eye on Marek and making sure he stays safe and doesn¡¯t do anything else stupid.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re splitting us?¡± Dawn paled.


    ¡°Will that be a problem?¡± Caligo cocked her head to the side, it turned until it was almost upside down.


    ¡°N-not at all,¡± Vaughn shook his head.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Dawn nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Caligo smiled brightly, but the warmth did not reach her eyes. ¡°Nokti, I need you to go check up on Grim and Kyriil. Make sure those two aren¡¯t having any second thoughts about the Cairn. Lysaila¡¯s desertion can breed more desertion if left unchecked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord. Consider it done,¡± Nokti bowed low.


    ¡°Excellent, that will be all for tonight. You two may go,¡± Caligo waved the twins away.


    Vaughn bowed low and left without a word.


    Dawn grabbed Nokti¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, we¡¯ll be alternating our nights with each other.¡±


    ¡°Alternating?¡± asked Nokti.


    ¡°I usually sleep with the Master every night, but now you and I will be taking turns.¡±


    ¡°You sleep with Lady Caligo every night?¡± Nokti swallowed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°I said you¡¯re dismissed,¡± Caligo yawned.


    Dawn leaned down and kissed her hand, ¡°Forgive me, Master.¡±


    Caligo patted her cheek with heavy slaps, ¡°Yes, yes, now leave, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Dawn¡¯s blue cheek began to swell red, yet she forced herself to smile through the pain, ¡°Sleep well, Master.¡±


    Dawn bowed low to the goddess of secrets and left.


    ¡°That one always thinks she is the smartest in the room. It¡¯s what I like about her,¡± Caligo said as she took off her own clothes.


    Nokti¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the naked young woman. Did she expect her to get naked too?


    Caligo jumped into the cot and closed her eyes. ¡°Join me.¡±


    Nokti nodded hesitantly. She unhooked the clasp of her cloak and let it tumble to the floor.


    Nokti slipped out of her undergarments with stiff movements. Suddenly, she felt very cold, despite it being summer.


    Nokti laid down in the cot and slipped under the blankets. Caligo¡¯s eyes stayed closed and she made no advancement on Nokti. She guessed Caligo was waiting for her to make the first move.


    Nokti licked her lips, her heart thumped in her chest, it felt as if it would explode any moment. She leaned over and kissed Caligo. The god¡¯s lips felt ice-cold to the touch, Nokti shivered at the contact.


    Caligo opened her eyes, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Uh... kissing you?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Nokti leaned back, her face was a bundle of confusion, ¡°I thought¡­ I, um. You said you wanted to sleep with me.¡±


    Caligo glanced under the blankets at Nokti¡¯s ample curves, ¡°Yes, I thought you¡¯d be a soft warm body to sleep next to.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, you¡­ just wanted to sleep?¡±


    Caligo nodded, ¡°Mm. I don¡¯t like sleeping alone.¡±


    Nokti''s face grew redder and redder, ¡°B-but, you took off your clothes.¡±


    ¡°I like to sleep naked,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, it gets cold. I hate the col-¡±


    ¡°So you just wanted to have sex?¡±


    Nokti turned her back to Caligo in shame, ¡°...I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    The vampiress sat up and reached for her clothes. Caligo pulled her back down with ease and flipped Nokti on top of her. Nokti¡¯s eyes widened as she found her legs wrapped around her goddess and her face hanging inches from her Caligo¡¯s.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t like to sleep alone,¡± Caligo said coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she swallowed.


    ¡°But.¡± Caligo leaned up, ¡°I don¡¯t mind playing with you either.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Caligo opened her mouth wide, revealing a row of sharp fangs. Nokti yelped in pain as the goddess bit down on her neck, her fangs puncturing the vampiress¡¯ flesh deeply. Nokti flinched and jerked away, but Caligo held onto her tight, her jaw latched onto Nokti¡¯s neck. Caligo slurped up the blood, then threw the vampiress down on the cot and got on top of her.


    Caligo opened her mouth, leaned back, and simply sat down on Nokti¡¯s abdomen. She smiled. ¡°Now, isn¡¯t that better?¡±


    Nokti¡¯s torn flesh had healed, a dark green sigil remained in its wake. She couldn¡¯t see the mark on her neck, but she felt it. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Protection and a bit of fun,¡± Caligo slipped back under the blankets next to her.


    Nokti breathed heavily, her body felt hot, ¡°Um, my Lor-¡±


    ¡°Stop talking. Sleep, now,¡± she mumbled.


    Nokti nodded stiffly. With slow hesitance she wrapped her long legs around her goddess and closed her eyes.


    ~~~


    Nokti woke up to the sounds of warriors running drills in the distance. She opened her eyes and froze. A small snow-white white fox laid curled around on her chest.


    ¡°Lady Caligo?¡± Nokti whispered.


    The fox yawned and stretched, a bushy tail rising from her back.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve met Lin Lu,¡± a voice said from behind them.


    Nokti moved, startled. A tall man with dark green skin and absurdly long spindly fingers sat on the lone chair. He held the obsidian scaled cloak in one hand and a needle and a black feather in the other hand.


    Nokti noticed the tall stranger¡¯s colorful eyes immediately, ¡°...Lord Caligo?¡±


    Caligo nodded, ¡°Lin Lu, this is my newest toy, the vampiress, Nokti. Nokti, this is Lin Lu; she usually doesn¡¯t like to show herself in front of others, the fact that you can see her means that she approves of your presence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored,¡± Nokti smiled.


    Lin Lu rolled her amber eyes and jumped off Nokti¡¯s chest. The small fox trotted over to Caligo, clambered up his leg and onto his lap. Lin Lu curled her bushy tail around herself and went back to sleep.


    Nokti pulled the blankets up, ¡°Um, Lord Cali-¡±


    ¡°Where is that anger of yours?¡± asked Caligo. ¡°It used to follow you everywhere, you would breathe it in and spit out to all those around.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t very well be angry in front of a god,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°On the contrary, I was hoping you would be.¡±


    Nokti felt a shiver run down her spine, ¡°...Right. I¡¯ll do my best?¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. But your anger is a part of you, it¡¯ll come out sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°...What now?¡±


    Caligo brushed the scales of his cloak, ¡°War.¡±


    ¡°My lord, you are the patron god of none. You owe the valley tribes nothing. If I may ask, why do you want this war?¡±


    Caligo smiled.

 Chapter 196: Everything Was Perfect

    Chapter 196: Everything Was Perfect


    Stryg wandered in the dark streets of Hollow Shade. The cobblestone roads were quiet, save for the occasional rattling of chains from the undead sentinels that walked past. Stryg reached into his pocket and pulled out his silver nameplate. At the sight of the magical thin metal bar, the sentinels shambled away.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°...What are those things?¡± Lysaila whispered.


    ¡°Undead guards created through black magic, they protect Hollow Shade and her people at night. At least they¡¯re supposed to,¡± Stryg sighed.


    Lysaila nodded quietly to herself. She had barely spoken a word since Elzri had released her to Stryg¡¯s custody two hours ago. Neither of them were in the mood for talking, which suited them both just fine.


    Elzri had thrown a large cloak over Lysaila in the hopes of concealing her identity. Not even the wealthiest aristocrats were used to seeing the notoriously deadly lamia kind, let alone the common folk of the city. Unfortunately, no size of cloak could ever hide her long scaled tail.


    Still, the hour was late, few people dared wander through the streets of Hollow Shade at night. Stryg was one of the few who didn¡¯t mind too much. He felt comfortable in the dark, quiet streets. He had wandered through the Scholar District for the past hour, not caring for where he went. Lysaila followed behind him silently, her eyes glancing about everywhere.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, her face varied from an expression of impassivity to an expression of bitter rage. He rather not have her with him, but it was either this or torture and execution for the lamia. She had saved his life, so here she was, following him like a silent predator stalking her prey.


    Stryg didn¡¯t have time to think about the dangerous lamia. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the funeral from earlier tonight. The elder vampire known as Gian Gale had helped him escape the garden maze. Why the vampire had helped, Stryg had no idea. All that Gian said was that he would be in touch, then he promised Stryg he would never be alone.


    Stryg glanced at the lamia behind him. He supposed he technically wasn¡¯t alone, but he very much felt alone.


    As the early rays of sunlight slipped past the horizon, Stryg found himself at the front gate of his apartment residence. The gate¡¯s guard recognized the goblin¡¯s unique features immediately, but he jumped back in startlement as he noticed the blue tail slithering underneath Lysaila¡¯s cloak.


    The guard opened his mouth to speak, but he saw Stryg¡¯s cold, tired expression. The guard bowed his head, opened the gate, and stepped aside.


    Stryg headed for his apartment, but he caught Feli¡¯s scent coming from somewhere else. Stryg walked past the building and made his way to the stables. He pushed open the fence gate and stepped inside the large stables.


    Gwen sat on a bench, polishing Rhian¡¯s saddle with a devoted focus to excellence. She looked up with surprise at the sound of his entrance.


    Gwen carefully placed the saddle aside, stood up, and bowed her head, ¡°Mr. Stryg? I didn¡¯t know you were back. I haven¡¯t gotten Rhiannon up yet, she is still probably slee- ...!¡±


    Gwen¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of Lysaila.


    ¡°Um, ahem, sorry, I didn¡¯t know you had¡­ company?¡± Gwen laughed awkwardly.


    Stryg ignored her and walked over to Rhian¡¯s room. He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and paused. He took a shaky breath and rubbed his face.


    He could do this, he knew he could.


    Stryg forced himself to smile and pushed the door open with a click of the knob. The candle¡¯s burned dim, but he had no problem seeing. Rhian lay sprawled on her large bed as usual. Feli slept next to her, an open book lay next to them. It seemed she had fallen asleep reading a story to Rhian.


    Feli opened her eyes blearily at the sound of the door opening.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°Oh my gods, Stryg!¡± Feli stumbled to her feet and hugged him.


    He closed his eyes and breathed in her comforting scent.


    Feli kissed his cheeks playfully, ¡°I missed your cute little blue face!¡±


    Stryg sighed, he would let go of the horrid insult this one time.


    ¡°Master, welcome back! Rhiannon of Ebon Hollow has kept Feli safe as ordered,¡± Rhian pushed herself to her feet and saluted.


    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re the best,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hehe, I know,¡± Rhian smiled and scooped them both up in a tight embrace.


    Feli laughed. Stryg released his tense muscles, and allowed himself to relax for a brief moment, and simply enjoy the warmth of his tribe.


    Rhian frowned and put him down, ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Feli¡¯s face paled at the sight of the monster standing in the doorway. Lysaila did not speak, she just stared at them with cold indigo eyes.


    ¡°...Her name is Lysaila, she¡¯s a lamia,¡± Stryg said begrudgingly.


    The end of Lysaila¡¯s tail dragged across the door, removing any doubt of Stryg¡¯s words.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be staying with us for a while until Lord Noir can figure out what to do with her,¡± Stryg said.


    Feli grabbed his arm, ¡°...Um, honey, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s such a great ide-¡±


    ¡°Wow! An actual lamia!¡± Rhian exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about lamias! You''re like one of the most deadly beast-kin out there! How did you meet my master?¡±


    Lysaila hissed at Rhian as she drew close. She drew back from the lamia with quick steps.


    ¡°Not much for words, understood,¡± Rhian smiled weakly.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Stryg tried changing the topic, ¡°So, Rhian, did you get the gift for Feli?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Gwen and Maeve helped me pick it out,¡± she nodded.


    He cocked his head to the side, ¡°Maeve?¡±


    Feli kissed his lips, ¡°Rhian got me this gorgeous necklace, I love it. Although honestly, I¡¯m surprised you asked them to get me a gift. You already bought me a gift before you left.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Yeah, well, I wasn¡¯t going to be here for your birthday, so I wanted to make it up to you. That reminds me.¡±


    He opened his satchel and rummaged through its contents.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Rhian asked excitedly.


    ¡°Ah, here it is,¡± Stryg pulled out a pair of flowers.


    He stiffened.


    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ve never seen these flowers before, what are they called?¡± Feli asked as she admired them.


    Stryg stared at the flowers numbly, ¡°...They¡¯re called¡­ Plumelas.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name,¡± said Rhian.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess it is. Someone told me their beauty is a testament to their resiliency,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Feli furrowed her brow, ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    Stryg blinked, his eyes burned. He cleared his throat and tried smiling, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    The purple petals seemed perfect with their golden streaks stemming from the center. All except one. Two flecks of dried blood stained one of the petals.


    ¡°The flower is ruined. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered weakly.


    Feli shook her head, ¡°Oh, no, don¡¯t worry about it. I love the flower. Besides, it¡¯s just a bit of¡­ blood? It¡¯s fine, really.¡±


    The flowers quivered in his grip, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Everything was perfect and now it¡¯s not. I could have prevented this. I should have done more, I should have been better... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    The flowers slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.


    Stryg bit his trembling lip and smiled weakly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine,¡± Feli rubbed his back. She stared at him worriedly.


    Rhian picked up the flower and offered it to him, ¡°See? It looks great, no need to beat yourself over it.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t hold the smile any longer. He collapsed to his knees and fell over, his forehead hitting the floor. He clawed at his chest and screamed in agony. Tears poured over his face, feelings of anguish and guilt suffocating him.


    Feli and Rhian rushed to his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Stryg, we¡¯re here for you,¡± Feli whispered and held him tight.


    ¡°And neither of us are leaving,¡± Rhian rubbed her face into his hair.


    Stryg cried in shame. They didn¡¯t understand. They weren¡¯t there. They hadn¡¯t seen him fail. If they had¡­ Would they still stand by him? His friends? His tribe? Or would they reject him like so many others had?


    ~~~


    Holo walked up the pristine stony steps with a heavy gait. She looked out at the golden clouds floating in the distance and the emerald sea miles below. Rivers of light flowed above her in random streams. Among the places she had visited in the Dreamscape, this was still one of the most beautiful.


    It would be so easy to relax and forget the problems of the Ebon Realm when you were surrounded by such grandeur. Holo shook her head grimly. How long had the Realms suffered over that kind of negligence?


    She reached the top of the steps and surveyed the crowd. Dozens of men and women danced around the open courtyard party, deep in their revelries without a care for the world.


    Holo rolled her eyes and groaned quietly at the sight. She suddenly remembered why she hated this place. The sooner she was out of here the better.


    Holo walked past the revelers and made her way to the one who sat on his prismatic throne at the center of the courtyard.


    As she drew close to the throne, an armored warrior stepped in and blocked her path. ¡°Not one step further, Holo.¡±


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± she said. ¡°I came here to talk to the one in charge, not his lackey.¡±


    The man glared at her. He flexed his fingers, long ruby talons stretched forth. ¡°Have you forgotten? If you ever showed your face here again, we¡¯d kill you.¡±


    Holo nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Your power is great, Reldros. No one doubts that. If you wanted to kill me you could, right?¡±


    Holo opened her arms wide and closed her eyes, ¡°So what are you waiting for?¡±


    Reldros laughed, a clear, beautiful sound, ¡°Thank you for making this easy.¡±


    He pulled his hand back to strike true.


    ¡°STOP!¡± a voice boomed from above the throne.


    Reldros grimaced. He lowered his arm and stepped aside.


    ¡°Oh, right, that¡¯s why,¡± Holo winked. ¡°Your father won¡¯t allow you to kill me.¡±


    Holo sauntered past the resentful man and walked up to the prismatic throne. She bowed her head, ¡°Lord Kaleidrog.¡±


    Kaleidrog sat on the prismatic throne, his silver cape resting easily over his golden shimmering armor. The man¡¯s appearance was glorious, intimidating. But Holo knew people¡¯s appearances seemed different in the Dreamscape. The real Kaleidrog was far more terrifying.


    Kaleidrog looked down at her with sapphire eyes that seemed to pierce right through her very soul, ¡°Holo, only a fool would come here after being threatened with death. Yet I know you are not a fool. So, tell me what was so urgent that you dared risk death to come here? And believe me, if your reasons do not suffice, I shall stand by my words, your life will end right here.¡±


    Holo smiled and looked out at the partygoers, ¡°Every single person here is feared by so many. Not even an arch-mage would dare disrespect anyone of these silly dancers.¡±


    ¡°Did you really come here to mock our dancing?¡± Kaleidrog asked, annoyed.


    ¡°No, that would be foolish. As I said, every single person here is feared by so, so many people. Especially you, Lord Kaleidrog, the wisest and eldest of this court, your court.¡± Holo laughed, ¡°Who would ever dare challenge you?¡±


    Holo glanced up at the prismatic throne, ¡°And yet, for all your power, I promise you, every single person here will soon be trembling in fear at what has come to the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Kaleidrog asked.


    Holo shrugged, ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know. I have yet to find a single record depicting their existence. All I have managed to gather is that they are from a time before memory. They are called the Unildyr.¡±


    Kaleidrog shot to his feet, ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes, ¡°You know what they are, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Kaleidrog slammed his fist into the throne, the crystal splintering splintering in a thundering blast of power. ¡°Are you certain!? Unildyr?¡±


    Holo nodded, ¡°Yes, one of my spies confirmed it.¡±


    Kaleidrog sat down back in his chair, ¡°So, they have returned¡­¡±


    ¡°What are they?¡± Holo asked.


    ¡°...How did they arrive in the Ebon Realm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. All I know is that Caligo had something to do with it.¡±


    Kaleidrog sighed and ran his hand through his hair, ¡°...Caligo, huh?¡±


    ¡°You have been asleep for too long, Lord Kaleidrog. The Ebon Realm is in danger, we are all in danger. If you do nothin-¡±


    ¡°Leave us, now. Go, before I change my mind.¡±


    Holo sighed and walked away, ¡°You cannot afford to stand idly by any longer.¡±


    ~~~


    Kaleidrog opened his eyes. His body was in the heart of the mountain, just as he remembered. He pushed his towering body up and lumbered over to the cliff¡¯s edge. He glanced down, the dark chasm below hadn¡¯t changed. The Ebon Realm felt the same as always. Nothing seemed to have changed, but it had. The Unildyr had returned.


    Kaleidrog stretched his sapphire wings out to the brim and took a deep, powerful breath. The dragon lord roared a bellowing war cry into the chasm. The stone tunnels shook from the echoing force.


    Kaleidrog waited as the echoes died among the stone. The world stood still for a brief single moment. Suddenly a cacophony of roars rang through the chasm once more. His court had answered the call.


    The dragons were going to war.


    Book 2 End

 Chapter 197: Prologue ~ Dying Wish

    Chapter 197: Prologue ~ Dying Wish


    Elzri Noir slumped forward, his arms resting on his knees, exhausted. He sat in a chair in the corner of his father¡¯s lavish bedroom. Usually, Elzri¡¯s interest would be caught on one of the dozens of relics lying about the room, mementos of his father¡¯s many journeys as an adventurer in his youth.


    Elzri wanted to be like his father, Alastair, exploring the Ebon Realm, fighting monsters, finding treasures, and helping people. He was going to do all of that and more together with Ismene.


    Now, all Elzri could think, all he could hear, was his little sister¡¯s broken voice as she cried over their father. Una kneeled next to Alastair¡¯s bed. Her ragged voice echoed through the room in cracked gasps. The poison had left Alastair weak, he couldn¡¯t even stand. Instead, he simply ran his hand through Una¡¯s white hair.


    Aiden burst through the doors and skidded to a halt. He wore battle armor and was covered in sweat. His grey face was flushed several shades darker. Elzri recalled that his older brother had left this morning with the western army for an expedition near Glimmer Grove Forest. The messenger must have found Aiden outside the city¡¯s shade walls. Had Aiden ridden back without stopping?


    Aiden¡¯s face paled as he took in the sight of the room and his father. The usually powerful and commanding Alastair was gaunt and feeble, a hollow shell of his former self.


    Aiden ran over to his father¡¯s side, across from Una, and grabbed Alastair¡¯s other hand.


    Aiden¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, his voice cracked, ¡°I came as soon as I heard. Are you alright? How are you feeling?¡±


    Alastair wrinkled his brow, ¡°...Why are you here? You¡¯re supposed to be leading our western army.¡±


    Aiden laughed, a painful, fractured noise, ¡°It¡¯s always duty first with you, dad. The army will be fine, they can handle themselves. Right now, there are bigger things to worry about. Who did this to you?¡±


    ¡°It was one of the maids,¡± Elzri muttered.


    Aiden looked up in surprise, ¡°Elz? Why are you all the way in the corner? You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter. Tell me more about this maid.¡±


    ¡°She was new,¡± Elzri said. ¡°She had only been working at the mansion for a little over a year. This morning she served us tea and snacks in dad¡¯s office. The tea was laced with poison.¡±


    Aiden frowned, ¡°Us? You were there?¡±


    Elzri nodded, ¡°So was Una, briefly. Fortunately, neither of us drank the tea. Only dad...¡±


    ¡°I should have stayed. I shouldn¡¯t have left daddy and Riri alone,¡± Una mumbled through her tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Una,¡± Aiden shook his head. ¡°Where is the maid now, Elz? Captured? Tell me she didn¡¯t escape.¡±


    Elzri sighed, ¡°Worse, she¡¯s dead. The guards found her body in one of the halls. Our white, black, and red magi examined her corpse. They all concluded that she died from the same poison she administered this morning.¡±


    ¡°Suicide?¡± Aiden muttered. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to be captured and tortured? Or maybe someone didn¡¯t want her to talk?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to believe the latter,¡± Elzri said grimly. ¡°Our red mage alchemists inspected the poison. It¡¯s like nothing they have ever seen. It doesn¡¯t appear in any of their records. The poison is very powerful and also full of red mana. There¡¯s no way an ordinary maid could have afforded it. Someone wanted to kill our father and possibly the rest of us.¡±


    Aiden clenched his jaw, ¡°House Noir is in danger. We need to fortify our defenses. I want every person who has been in the mansion in the past two weeks to be questioned. Don¡¯t allow any servant or personnel who came this morning to leave until I say so. If the mastermind behind this left any trace of their assassination attempt, we will find it.¡±


    The sound of heels click-clacking on the stone floor echoed in the hall. Elzri and Aiden turned to the doorway. Their sister, Esletha, walked in. She was dressed in a form-fitting black dress, with white trimming. She glanced about the room with a calm demeanour, worthy of an aristocrat.


    Aiden glared at her, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Esletha shuddered mockingly, ¡°Oh, sorry, big brother, where else was I supposed to be? Playing soldier like you?¡±


    Aiden pointed an accusing finger at her, ¡°I meant what are you doing here now? Dad was poisoned! I was outside of the city and I still managed to get here before you. Where were you? Tell us what was so important that you couldn¡¯t get here earlier!?¡±


    Esletha crossed her arms, ¡°I was training in my private quarters. Unlike the rest of you, I actually have the talent to become an arch-mage like our father. I always tell my servants to not interrupt me while I¡¯m training. Obviously, this incident should have been an exception, the butlers and maids on duty today will be punished accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Incident?¡± Aiden spat. ¡°That¡¯s what you call this? As if it was just some small ordinary occurrence? Our father, Lord Alastair Noir, arch-mage and leader of our House, was poisoned! Someone tried to kill our father!¡±


    Esletha rolled her eyes, ¡°Get a grip. Dad will be fine. Once he recuperates we can conduct a thorough cleansing of the mansion and weed out any accomplices. House Noir will have its revenge and we will show the world why no one should ever fuck with us.¡±


    Elzri covered his face in shame, ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Esletha glared at him, ¡°What? Do you think us weak? Cowardly? Just because you lack talent and will, I assure you we do not. This assassination attempt will not go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s not it. The poison...¡± Elzri took a deep breath. He couldn¡¯t bear to look at his siblings. ¡°The poison was unknown and very potent, the white mage healers had never seen anything like it. They couldn¡¯t tell how the poison worked. No matter what they tried, they were unable to cleanse the poison from dad¡¯s body entirely until it was too late.¡±


    Esletha swallowed, ¡°Wh-what are you saying?¡±


    Elzri broke down in tears, ¡°...They tried their best, they really did, but the healing spells weren¡¯t enough. Dad¡¯s internal organs were damaged beyond repair... He is dying and there¡¯s nothing we can do to stop it.¡±


    Esletha¡¯s eyes widened in shock, she stumbled back. Una buried her face in Alastair¡¯s chest and cried.


    Aiden gripped Alastair¡¯s hand, ¡°They¡¯re wrong, dad. All those healers were wrong. We¡¯ll find more healers, better ones. We¡¯ll find a white arch-mage, they¡¯ll surely be able to heal you. Don¡¯t worry, dad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, my son,¡± Alastair said faintly. ¡°I can feel it. I am not long for this world.¡±


    Aiden forced himself to smile through his tears, ¡°You¡¯re being pessimistic. We¡¯re here with you now, just focus on getting through this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, I couldn¡¯t heal you,¡± Elzri cried bitterly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Elz,¡± Aiden said. ¡°You¡¯re only an adept and the results of your white probe-testing were so faint, you''re barely considered a chromatic white at all. You couldn¡¯t have done anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy Riri was there with daddy when it happened,¡± Una sniffed.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Aiden nodded.


    Elzri bit his lip and stayed quiet.


    Esletha cleared her throat, ¡°Dad¡­ Who will lead us when you are gone?¡±


    Aiden shot to his feet, ¡°What the fuck, Esletha! Do you really want to do this now? Our father is dying and you want to talk about succession!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because he is dying that we must talk about it!¡± Esletha yelled. ¡°If he leaves without telling us his will, then this House will fall into chaos. No one wants that!¡±


    Aiden glared at her, ¡°You heartless bitch!¡±


    ¡°Both of you stop,¡± Alastair sighed. ¡°Aiden, your sister is right. It is time I put my affairs in order once and for all.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Aiden mumbled.


    Alastair caressed Una¡¯s wet cheek, ¡°My youngest and brightest child. You are full of hope and life. Please, no matter what happens, do not lose that inner light.¡±


    Una cried and hugged him tight.


    ¡°To Una,¡± Alastair said. ¡°I grant our southern estate in the hills of Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t accept it,¡± Una cried. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die!¡±


    ¡°Una,¡± Alastair smiled weakly. ¡°I know you used to love visiting the apple orchards and playing in the flower beds in the southern estate. Let it be a place of respite from all the darkness of this city. Please, take it.¡±


    Una sniffed and nodded glumly.


    ¡°Thank you. Aiden, come closer,¡± Alastair said.


    ¡°Yes, father.¡± Aiden grabbed his hand and leaned in close.


    ¡°My eldest and bravest child, I am so proud of the man you have become. You have conducted yourself with honor and courage. I can see no one better to take up the mantle of-¡±


    ¡°Father, wait!¡± Esletha yelled. ¡°He is only a master mage! House Noir is and has always been a Mage House. We are the blood of Mage Lords and Ladies. Aiden will never hold that title of Mage Lord, he doesn¡¯t have the talent, but I do! I should be your successor!¡±


    Aiden raised an eyebrow, ¡°I thought this is what you wanted, Esletha, to hear our father¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°For once in your life, will you two stop fighting!¡± Una screamed. ¡°Our dad is in pain. He¡¯s dying and all you two can do is bicker about the family leadership. Just shut the fuck up!¡±


    Aiden and Esletha stopped, stunned. They had never seen Una so angry.


    Alastair chuckled softly, ¡°As I was saying. Aiden, I can see no one better to take up the mantle of commanding general of all of House Noir¡¯s armies.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Esletha smiled wide, ¡°I could not agree more, father. Aiden has proven himself a capable general. His skills will be best put to use as commanding general, protecting House Noir and its family leader.¡±


    ¡°Dad, please, think about this,¡± Aiden pleaded.


    ¡°I have spoken,¡± Alastair said curtly. ¡°Elzri, get off that chair and come here.¡±


    Elzri shambled over with dragging steps. He reached his father¡¯s bedside, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at him, ¡°Father, pleas-¡±


    Alastair gripped his hand tight, ¡°Elzri, my 2nd youngest and most stubborn child. I am not angry with you, nor am I disappointed, I am grateful to you. And I am filled with sorrow because you will carry the heaviest burden of all and for that, I am truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t,¡± Elzri whispered.


    Alastair clasped both his hands around Elzri¡¯s, ¡°Your journey will be difficult and there will be times you will want to give up, but you mustn''t no matter the cost to yourself. It is up to you now, my son. You must protect our legacy, our family, and our people.¡±


    ¡°Father, what are you saying exactly?¡± Esletha asked uncertainly.


    ¡°I, Alastair Noir, name you Elzri Noir, to be my successor as leader of this family, and guardian of House Noir.¡±


    Elzri closed his eyes tight in defeat.


    Una gasped.


    ¡°My gods,¡± Aiden chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Esletha laughed hysterically. ¡°You must be joking! Father, Elzri is the least talented among us. He isn¡¯t a mage duelist, nor does he have military training. He doesn¡¯t even know the politics of the aristocrats, let alone the concealed inner workings of the Ruling Families!¡±


    ¡°Which is why I am appointing you as his chief advisor,¡± Alastair said resolutely. ¡°As his right hand you will advise and guide him through the treacherous high society of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why Elzri!¡± Elsetha screamed.


    ¡°I have spoken. Leave, now. I am tired,¡± Alastair leaned back and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Come, Esletha, our father has spoken,¡± Aiden smirked.


    Una bowed to Elzri, ¡°Congratulations, Riri.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that,¡± Elzri grimaced.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Esletha pointed an accusing finger at Elzri. ¡°What did you do to our father!¡±


    Elzri raised his hands in surrender, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    The doors opened, Alastair¡¯s three wives came in. Esletha¡¯s mother grabbed her daughter and pulled her away. Aiden helped drag his screaming sister out of the room. Aiden¡¯s own mother rushed to her husband¡¯s bedside and sat with him.


    Elzri stared at his father with a mixture of guilt and pain. He didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Alastair opened his eyes and looked at him, ¡°Protect them, Elzri. Protect all of them.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s mother gently grabbed him by the arm, ¡°Come now, Riri, your father needs his rest.¡±


    ¡°Our mom is right, Riri,¡± Una nodded. ¡°We should let him rest.¡±


    Elzri reluctantly turned away and walked out of the bedroom with Una by his side. The doors closed behind them.


    It was the last time Elzri saw his father. Alastair Noir passed away in his sleep that night.

 Chapter 198: The Naive Hybrid

    Chapter 198: The Naive Hybrid


    On the Ebon Realm, within the looming hills of Dusk Valley, lay the Great City of Hollow Shade. The city was known for many things, being the largest trading hub in the realm, its shade-enchanted walls, and the mysterious Ebon Tower, but one little hybrid girl simply knew it as forbidden. To be fair, practically everything was forbidden to her, as per her parents¡¯ orders. But that was all about to change, sort of.


    Our little hybrid was little no longer. She had grown up and become an adult, a naive adult. And she was determined to visit the City of Shades. At this point, many might simply write her off as foolish, like a particularly unlucky man, but they would be wrong. She was naive, yes, but not because she was stupid. She had simply been exposed to practically nothing. Her name was Sylvie. Or at least, that was the new name she had decided on this morning.


    Growing up, her parents had kept her away from the world, for fear of the dangers that lurked in the dark corners of the realm.


    Sylvie had technically lived in a variety of different places, from the beautiful Glimmer Grove Forest to the misty Silent Marshes. Yet she had never gone outside. No, instead her parents had locked her away in one castle or another, forbidding her from ever leaving the castle grounds unless it was to move to another castle in some other place she would never get to really see.


    That all ended last week when Sylvie had liberated herself. During one of her transfers from one castle to another, she had escaped her guards and ran off. She bought passage from a nearby ship with some of the coins she had stolen from her father¡¯s treasure chamber. It only took a few days for the boat to reach the docks of Hollow Shade.


    Sylvie landed in the city with a happy bounce to her step.


    Today, everything was going to change. Sylvie¡¯s parents didn¡¯t believe she was ready for the real world, they didn¡¯t think she had what it took to survive. Today, she was going to prove them wrong.


    Sylvie walked through the streets of Hollow Shade with wide eyes, excited at the new sights, and oblivious to the dozens of stares being sent her way. She asked several people for directions and they were all kind enough to point her the right way. At least, she thought they were kind. Completely terrified of being murdered by the 7 ft tall wide-eyed vampiress would have been the more apt description. But Sylvie did not notice the fear etched across the commoners¡¯ faces.


    Eventually, after a few hours, Sylvie found her way to the front gate of Hollow Shade¡¯s Academy of Magic. The guards at the gate immediately noticed her expensive cloak and garments. They didn¡¯t even bother asking to see her name-plate and simply let her through.


    Sylvie nodded her thanks and jogged up the many marble steps to the looming building in front of her. She took a deep breath and pushed the double doors open. Several more guards waited inside, though they stood still next to the walls. A young human sat behind a desk too big for her.


    Sylvie strode over to the secretary and smiled bright, ¡°Hi! My name is, um... Sylvie, yeah! I¡¯d like to apply for a chromatic identity exam. Please.¡±


    The secretary craned her neck up to look at Sylvie¡¯s scarlet eyes, ¡°Well, Miss Sylvie, do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°Uh, appointment?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We only accept aristocrats as walk-ins. Seeing as you did not introduce yourself with a surname, I am going to assume you are of common birth. So, do you have an appointment or not?¡±


    Sylvie wrinkled her brow, ¡°Well, no, you see I just arrived in the city this morning.¡±


    ¡°Then there is nothing I can do for you, good day,¡± the secretary picked up a few documents and went back to her work.


    ¡°W-wait, I have a surname!¡± Sylvie raised her hands.


    The secretary pulled out a feather pen, ¡°May I ask from which Named House?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Sylvie clenched her fists and sighed, ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    The secretary narrowed her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here, are you?¡±


    ¡°Wha? No, of course, I am. Hahahaaa¡­ Please, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    The secretary stared at her clothes and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your type before. Rich kids who are too afraid to take the chromatic exam with their parents watching. They are so worried about letting their families down. I had at least a dozen kids come in like you last year.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Sylvie winced wryly.


    The secretary glanced around and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Slip me five gold coins and I¡¯ll let you take the test.¡±


    ¡°Really?! Only five? Deal!¡± Sylvie smiled.


    She pulled out her fat pouch of coins and handed her the gold.


    The secretary shook her head at the amount of gold peeking out of the pouch.


    ¡°Rich kids,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Huh, what was that?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Come on, let me take you to the back.¡±


    Sylvie followed her down several winding corridors. Eventually, she found herself in a small well-lit room. A single table stood in the middle of the room, ten magestone chromatic orbs sat on top. A young orc in student clothes sat on a chair behind the table. She stood up as Sylvie and the secretary entered.


    The orc adjusted her large, wide-rimmed glasses and looked Sylve up and down, ¡°Woah, you¡¯re so tall.¡±


    ¡°Perks of being a dire,¡± Sylvie shrugged with a smile.


    ¡°Poppy, this is Sylvie, she¡¯ll be taking the exam now,¡± said the secretary.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Please step this way,¡± Poppy ushered her towards the table.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Sylvie walked over with a small smile, it had been a few years since she had last seen these kinds of orbs.


    Poppy cleared her throat and began to explain the nature of the test, ¡°Okay, so¡­¡±


    ~~~


    The three women stared at the chromatic orbs and the results of Sylvie¡¯s testing.


    The secretary¡¯s jaw went slack, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    ¡°Five colors!? And they¡¯re all a dark shade!¡± Poppy exclaimed.


    ¡°Pretty lucky I guess,¡± Sylvie smiled abashedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± the secretary muttered. ¡°Okay, Poppy, exams are over for the day. Why don¡¯t you give our dear new student a tour of the campus? I¡¯ll go speak with the principal about these results.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Poppy saluted proudly.


    ¡°If you need anything, Sylvie, just let me know. I¡¯m at the front desk most of the time. Fortunately, you are just in time for the start of the autumn semester. I¡¯ll arrange for you to start your classes tomorrow. I do hope you enjoy your stay here, have a wonderful afternoon,¡± the secretary bowed her head and left.


    ¡°Huh... I don¡¯t remember her being so nice,¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow.


    ¡°That¡¯s because she didn¡¯t know she was talking to the newest and greatest prodigy of the academy,¡± Poppy smiled.


    ¡°Prodigy?¡± Sylvie cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, are you kidding me? You just scored the highest results of anyone since, well, I don¡¯t know, a long ass time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Um, okay?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been testing for a whole year now, I¡¯ve seen all different kinds of different chromatic tints. Most students'' chromatic orbs end up with a light shade color, some get a medium shade color, but very few ever have a dark shade. The ones that do are almost all monochromatic mageborns. I¡¯ve never seen a mage with two dark shades, let alone five! You¡¯re a once-in-a-generation-talent!¡±


    Sylvie felt her face grow warm, she grinned, ¡°Hehe, thanks.¡±


    It was nice to be complimented once in a while, albeit a little embarrassing.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Poppy of House Skeller, nice to formally meet you,¡± she stuck out her hand.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sylvie, just Sylvie, nice to meet you too,¡± she smiled and shook her hand.


    ¡°Well, just Sylvie, let me show you around campus,¡± Poppy pulled her hand and led her out into the halls.


    ~~~


    Poppy spent the next hour showing Sylvie around several of the academy¡¯s buildings, including the library. Sylvie was amazed by all of it. Most of the students were in class, but that was fine. Sylvie was more than happy to just look around. Everything was new to her and she loved every second.


    As they walked out of the library, Poppy frowned.


    ¡°Uh oh, the clouds are gone,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Sylvie blinked.


    ¡°Well, the sun. Aren¡¯t vampires sensitive to sunlight? You get sunburned real easily and your eyes don¡¯t work very well or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± Sylvie nodded.


    ¡°...Sooo, shouldn¡¯t you put up your hood at least?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh! No, I¡¯m half-human. The sun doesn¡¯t bother me, actually, I quite like it,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a hybrid?¡± Poppy stopped walking.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sylvie opened her mouth and curled back her lip, revealing her teeth. ¡°See how my two fangs are smaller than usual?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I don¡¯t think anything about a dire is smaller than usual.¡±


    Sylvie closed her mouth, ¡°Hm, well, when I was younger it was easier to tell.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Poppy sighed in wonderment, ¡°So, you¡¯re a penta-manifold mageborn, a dire, and a hybrid? Damn, talk about hoarding the talent.¡±


    ¡°Am I really that unusual?¡± Sylvie frowned.


    ¡°Duh. But being unique isn¡¯t a bad thing. Everyone wants to be special.¡±


    ¡°I never really thought of my magical abilities as being unique or special¡­ My dad used to say I was talented, but my mom always said I shouldn¡¯t be vain with my abilities.¡±


    ¡°Your mom sounds like my aunt Celica. Always scolding me for using my magic to impress people at parties. I say screw ¡®em. Who cares if we use our magic, it¡¯s our magic. We can do whatever we want with it. Wait a sec, you knew about your magic before today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve had some training too,¡± Sylvie admitted with a wry smile.


    ¡°Then why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been training for the past couple of years at home. I mean, it¡¯s fine, but I always wanted to go to a real magic academy, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, home life sucks. You gotta act all pretty and polite when guests come over and the next thing you know they¡¯re trying to marry you off,¡± Poppy grimaced.


    ¡°That sounds horrible.¡±


    ¡°Meh, that¡¯s how it usually goes, arranged marriages are pretty common around here. But who cares, we¡¯re magi now! And while I can¡¯t say you¡¯ve joined the best magic academy in the Ebon Realm, I can say you¡¯ve joined the wealthiest. Which means tons of amenities. Just wait until you try out our new in-door hot springs.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, that sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you have no idea,¡± Poppy laughed. ¡°And, Sylvie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about being different. Soon enough every student is going to talk about you. Hollow Shade¡¯s academy¡¯s own prodigy. Trust me, word gets around fast at school.¡±


    ¡°How is that supposed to make me not worry? Now I just feel more worried,¡± Sylvie swallowed.


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re not the only vampire-human hybrid either.¡±


    ¡°There are more?¡± Sylvie asked excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah, Callum of House Veres.¡±


    ¡°As in the Ruling Family?¡±


    ¡°The one and only! He¡¯s smart, talented, rich, and he¡¯s a hottie too, what¡¯s not to like?¡± Poppy grinned.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Um, not exactly. We¡¯re both 3rd years, but we¡¯ve never been in the same class. But I¡¯ve seen him around. He should be at the academy¡¯s field right now.¡±


    ¡°Why do you know where he is?¡±


    Poppy laughed awkwardly, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. There are only four 3rd year classes. And his class is like the VIP class, all the best students are in there. Anyways, it¡¯s pretty easy to keep track of a class¡¯ communal courses if you check the class schedules, in this case, physical education.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, can we go see them?¡±


    Poppy smirked, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be interested in the hottie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just wanna see the academy¡¯s field.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you do.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Poppy put a finger to her lips and winked, ¡°Do you wanna hear the gossip of the class or not?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡±


    ¡°Great! Okay, remember I said that class is special?¡±


    ¡°Those weren¡¯t your exact words¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever, you know what I mean. Get this, Callum Veres isn¡¯t the only Ruling Family member in that class. They¡¯ve got Freya of House Goldelm too! You¡¯ve probably heard of her, she is the most popular girl in school. She¡¯s super pretty, smart, and one of the most powerful students. All the boys adore her and so do a lot of the girls. Freya is literally like the golden standard for the girls here, pun intended. Rumor has it that she and Callum used to be an item.¡±


    ¡±An item?¡± Sylvie frowned.


    ¡°A couple, dating, and whatever term country bumpkins use. Where are you from again?¡±


    ¡°Um, a lot of places. It¡¯s pretty boring really. Ahem, so are there any other interesting people in that class?¡±


    Poppy smirked, ¡°You have no idea.¡±

 Chapter 199: School Rumors

    Chapter 199: School Rumors


    Sylvie followed the energetic orc, Poppy Skeller, past the campus¡¯ cobblestone paths and to the large grassy open field. A large track was etched across the center of the field. Around two dozen students stretched and did simple exercises near the track¡¯s starting line.


    ¡°We¡¯re in luck, we¡¯re early,¡± Poppy said. ¡°If we go sit at the stands and stay quiet, Professor Tauri won¡¯t mind us watching.¡±


    Sylvie nodded and followed. Although, as she took the first step onto the stand¡¯s wooden planks she suddenly felt doubtful. The planks creaked loudly underneath her weight, Sylvie worried they might break and she¡¯d fall flat on her ass.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure this is a good idea. I think I¡¯ll just stand,¡± Sylvie mumbled.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. You may be big, but I¡¯ve seen bigger,¡± she smiled confidently.


    ¡°Really? Because I¡¯m a 7 foot dire.¡±


    ¡°Okay, maybe I haven¡¯t seen bigger, but it¡¯s fine, trust me,¡± Poppy beckoned her on.


    Sylvie took a deep breath and placed both feet on the bench and to her surprise, the wooden stands did not shatter. She sighed with relief.


    ¡°Told ya,¡± Poppy grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s sit over here.¡±


    Poppy pointed at a couple of seats on the lowest bench, the furthest spot possible from the only other person sitting at the stands.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit with her? She seems fun,¡± Sylvie pointed at the woman sitting on the stands all the way at the top.


    ¡°Don¡¯t point! She might think we¡¯re rude,¡± Poppy waved her hands exasperatedly.


    ¡°She already thinks that. We¡¯re sitting away from her. I¡¯m sure if we talked to her we could clear up any misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Not a good idea. Besides, she doesn¡¯t think we are being rude, she thinks we are being respectful. Can¡¯t you see her uniform? She¡¯s a maid.¡±


    Sylvie stared at the black dress and white apron skeptically, ¡°A maid? The maids I grew up around wore a very different uniform.¡±


    ¡°Maids in Hollow Shade dress like that. Maids represent their masters when out in public. So, if you accidentally disrespect one of them, you disrespect their master. Best if we stay away.¡±


    ¡°So who is her master?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Stop staring at her. I don¡¯t know who her master is. A bunch of aristocratic kids walk around the school with their servants. Which is why it¡¯s best if we stay away, you don¡¯t want to offend the wrong merchant or worse, the wrong House.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, I guess¡­¡± Sylvie nodded glumly.


    Poppy patted her shoulder, ¡°This academy, no, this city can be dangerous. If you remember to stay sharp you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the advice. I gotta admit, I¡¯m pretty new to all of this.¡±


    ¡°Well, if anyone can survive in this academy of powerful, rich kids I¡¯d say a dire hybrid mageborn prodigy can do it,¡± Poppy winked.


    Sylvie smiled wide, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°~Ooh~ look, you see that tall, husky orc over there?¡±


    ¡°Husky?¡± Sylvie glanced at the track.


    ¡°The really muscular one. Come on, Sylvie keep up,¡± Poppy nudged her shoulder.


    ¡°Right, sorry. Yeah, I see him, his shirt seems a bit too small for him. Isn¡¯t that uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°Come on, as if you haven¡¯t worn something a little tight for looks before,¡± Poppy laughed.


    ¡°Um, yeah, totally¡­¡± Sylvie mumbled.


    She had always been taught to favor comfortability and practicality when it came to clothes. Hollow Shade really was different. She supposed this was like the fashion stuff the maids back home talked about.


    ¡°Kegrog is a mage,¡± Poppy said. ¡°But he also takes classes at the martial academy. He¡¯s some kind of archer genius.¡±


    ¡°Archer? He uses a bow? Really? I would have guessed something bigger, like a giant hammer.¡±


    ¡°He can use that too. Kegrog is a chromatic brown. He does a lot of enchantment work at the academy¡¯s forge for practice.¡±


    Sylvie sent her a questioning look, ¡°It sounds like you know a lot about him.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen him without his shirt working at the forge?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m new, remember?¡±


    ¡°It was rhetorical.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not,¡± Poppy said. ¡°There are always at least a couple of girls who visit the forge just to watch him work. I mean, who could blame them? All those sweaty, bulging muscles and that red skin practically glowing in the firelight¡­ Ahem, the point is, he¡¯s popular, but he¡¯s still single. Some think he¡¯s shy, others say he¡¯s completely devoted to mastering his craft, and some think he¡¯s gay.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not gay.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I notice these things.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I once saw him staring at Freya Goldelm¡¯s boobs.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Actually, she is right over there on the track. The one at the center of the other girls. The blonde one with the very thin golden chains in her hair.¡±


    ¡°The one doing the jumping jacks?¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡±


    Sylvie blinked, ¡°Oh. Oh damn. I¡¯m not gay and I could stare at those boobs bounce up and down all day.¡±


    Poppy laughed, ¡°I know right! That¡¯s our queen bee for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯s the redhead girl?¡± Sylvie asked. ¡°The one who just stuck out her tongue at Freya. Look at that, Freya just gave her the middle finger.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the fearsome Kithina. Popular and feared, not an easy feat to achieve.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d she do it then?¡±


    ¡°Well, the popular part was easy. She¡¯s got that studious-adorable look going for her. She¡¯s also the top chromatic yellow in school and the only novice mage capable of multicasting.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°She can multicast!?¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°And to top it off, she¡¯s part of the popular kids¡¯ circle.¡±


    Sylvie stared at Kithina with admiration, ¡°I get why they call her fearsome, she¡¯s gotta be the most powerful mage in the school.¡±


    ¡°Actually, they call her fearsome because she got drunk at a school party once and beat up every guy that went to hit on her, and there were a lot of guys, some girls too.¡±


    Sylvie shrugged, ¡°I get it, the powerful are always picky with their partners.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s why she beat them up,¡± Poppy smiled wryly. ¡°I heard she¡¯s just a really violent drunk. But Kithina is powerful. Rumor has it that¡¯s the reason why Freya and Kithina are frenemies.¡±


    ¡°Frenemies?¡±


    ¡°They both always hang out with the other popular students, but everyone always sees them fighting each other. No one really knows why, people have a bunch of theories. The most popular theory is that the two of them are trying to determine who is the most powerful female mage in the academy.¡±


    ¡°Huh, interesting.¡±


    ¡°I disagree with that theory though, because of Nora Azol.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Nora Azol?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a chromatic blue and the most powerful female student. You weren¡¯t here last week when classes started, but on the first day, every 3rd-year student took an evaluation exam so the teachers could gauge our abilities for the upcoming Great Cities Tourney. When Nora took the exam it turned out she was far more advanced than the rest of us. They say she¡¯s as powerful as an adept.¡±


    Sylvie whistled, ¡°Damn, I¡¯m impressed. So which one is she?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t find her on the track,¡± Poppy shook her head. ¡°After the evaluation, Nora went on a break. No one knows why. But someone that powerful doesn¡¯t really need to go to school if you ask me. She could literally just show up on graduation day, have the principal bestow her a mage necklace, and officially be granted the title of adept. Simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But you would be missing out on all the fun of going to school,¡± Sylvie frowned.


    ¡°Fun? You do realize this academy¡¯s classes are difficult, right? Students sometimes die. Hey, are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the woman talking at the front of the class?¡±


    Poppy sighed in defeat, ¡°That¡¯s Professor Tauri Katag.¡±


    ¡°Katag? As in the martial Great House?¡±


    Poppy straightened her back, ¡°Yup, the only orc House among the Seven Ruling Families. Most of their members serve in the military, but Professor Tauri likes teaching, or at least she doesn¡¯t like the military, I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±


    ¡°I thought full-fledged magi wore black robes,¡± Sylvie wrinkled her brow.


    ¡°Traditionally. Most of the professors here do wear black robes. But Professor Tauri and Professor Loh don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Professor Loh?¡±


    Poppy looked at her as if she was crazy, ¡°Loh Noir, granddaughter of our principal, the most powerful mage in all of Hollow Shade, the great Elzri Noir. Ever heard of him? Wait, don¡¯t answer that. It was rhetorical. Where was I? Right. Loh and Tauri are sorta like the twin princesses of our school.¡±


    ¡°Because they are the daughters of Ruling Families?¡± Sylvies surmised.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Everyone admires them. Although, if you ask me, both of them can be a bit arrogant when dealing with students, but I guess that comes with being aristocrats. No offense, I¡¯m one too, just like you.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m an aristocrat?¡± Sylvie asked.


    Poppy gave her a deadpan stare, ¡°You¡¯re wearing the most expensive cloak I have ever seen, a silk blouse and pants of who knows what kind of fancy leather. You also mentioned growing up around maids. Plus, your outstanding magical pedigree... let¡¯s just say it wasn''t hard to guess.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Sylvie said, downhearted.


    ¡°So, the twin princesses. People love them. The boys especially love Professor Tauri.¡±


    Sylvie laughed, ¡°Why? Is she cooler than Professor Loh or something?¡±


    ¡°Meh, debatable. But as some of the boys would put it...¡± Poppy cleared her throat and shifted her voice to a deeper tone, ¡°Tauri¡¯s got the best ass.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Oh... never mind,¡± Sylvie watched Tauri bend down to stretch, her tight shorts left very little to the imagination.


    ¡°And now you know why the boys love P.E. class,¡± Poppy shook her head.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Sylvie laughed. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that coming this way?¡±


    Poppy stiffened, ¡°Oh, shit, play it cool, stay calm.¡±


    A dark-haired vampire with bright red eyes walked over to them with a charming smile.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± said Callum. ¡°Tauri noticed you two watching our class and wanted to know if you cared to join us for a run.¡±


    ¡°Uuuhhhh¡­¡± Poppy¡¯s jaw went slack.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯d love to!¡± Sylvie hopped to her feet.


    Callum¡¯s eyes went round as Sylvie towered to her full height.


    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous...¡± the words slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to think.


    Sylvie blinked, ¡°Oh, um, thanks? You''re a¡­ a handsome guy, too?¡±


    Callum cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was rude of me. I should, er, yeah, I¡¯ll um, get going. Nice to meet you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sylvie, my name¡¯s Sylvie.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Sylvie,¡± Callum bowed with an elegant flourish. He turned around and jogged back to the track.


    Sylvie frowned, ¡°Skittish little guy. He didn¡¯t even tell me his name.¡±


    Poppy looked at her as if she was crazy, ¡°First of all, he¡¯s 6 ft. Secondly, that was Callum freaking Veres! And he called you gorgeous! I mean, you are, but still!¡±


    Sylvie played with her dark red hair, ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Duh, you look like one of those curvy marble statues.¡± Poppy ran her hand through her hair, ¡°Oh my gods, I still can¡¯t believe Callum called you gorgeous! Maybe he¡¯ll ask you out on a date.¡±


    ¡°He was pretty cute, in a roguish kinda way,¡± Sylvie said thoughtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. Come on, let¡¯s not keep them waiting,¡± Poppy jumped off the stands.


    As they walked down to the track Sylvie noticed another figure coming from a distance.


    Sylvie nudged Poppy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I guess we¡¯re not the only ones joining the class for a run, ey?¡±


    Poppy glanced at the figure and did a double-take. Her face paled, she stepped behind Sylvie.


    ¡°Poppy? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...D-do you remember how I said Nora Azol was the most powerful female student?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought you phrased that a little weird.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of him.¡±


    Sylvie squinted, ¡°You mean that pretty boy drow all the way over there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah and he¡¯s a goblin-drow,¡± Poppy muttered. ¡°He¡¯s called Stryg. He¡¯s technically one of the popular kids, but he¡¯s like that one kid who doesn¡¯t try to be popular, he just sorta is. Do you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°No idea, I didn¡¯t grow up around a lot of kids.¡±


    ¡°Okay, all you gotta know is that he¡¯s bad news. You should stay away from him.¡±


    Sylvie frowned, ¡°Why? The little guy looks harmless.¡±


    ¡°Well that little guy got the highest score in the evaluation exam, he¡¯s an adept-class mage like Nora. But unlike Nora, he¡¯s a tri-manifold mage, and he¡¯s the apprentice of Professor Loh Noir.¡±


    ¡°Having more than one chromatic color doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you''re more powerful,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Yeah, but it usually does. A friend of a friend of mine once asked Nora who would win in a fight, Stryg or Nora? Do you know what Nora said?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no?¡±


    ¡°She said that Stryg would win.¡±


    ¡°That information seems a bit unreliable,¡± Sylvie said skeptically.


    ¡°Look, all I¡¯m trying to say is that there are a lot of bad rumors running around about Stryg. He may hang out with the popular kids and he may look like one of the popular kids, but he isn¡¯t like any of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finding that hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°People say Stryg is from Vulture Woods,¡± Poppy said darkly. ¡°And we all know the only things that lurk in those ashen trees are monsters.¡±


    ¡°Come on, he can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Sylvie shook her head.


    ¡°Stryg bit one kid¡¯s cheek off because he tried to take his muffin at the dining hall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is bad,¡± Sylvie winced.


    ¡°Yeah, poor Johnny was new to the school. He thought he could bully the small kid. Johnny didn¡¯t know who he was messing with. Don¡¯t be like stupid Johnny,¡± Poppy whispered as they stepped onto the track.


    Stryg stood across from them. His lilac eyes darted around the track, evaluating the surroundings. When his eyes met Sylvie she smiled and waved. He hissed at her. Sylvie cocked her head to the side, confused.


    ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re late, again,¡± Tauri crossed her arms.


    ¡°Noted,¡± he said indifferently.


    ¡°Bellum, give me strength, or I¡¯m going to choke this boy one day,¡± Tauri muttered.


    Sylvie couldn¡¯t tell if she was being serious or joking, either way, she found it funny. She chuckled quietly or at least she thought she did. Everyone turned and stared at her. Sylvie swallowed nervously.


    ¡°Poppy, who is your new friend?¡± Tauri glanced up at the dire hybrid.


    She bowed low, ¡°Good afternoon, Professor. This is Sylvie, she just started here. I was giving her a tour of the campus.¡±


    Sylvie bowed her head, ¡°Nice to meet you, Professor Tauri.¡±


    ¡°Please, just Tauri. Like most orcs here, Poppy doesn¡¯t dare call me by my first name out of sheer respect for my family. You don¡¯t have to worry about such formalities.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, thanks,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    Tauri grinned, ¡°So, Sylvie. Are you up for a run?¡±

 Chapter 200: Aurum Aegis

    Chapter 200: Aurum Aegis


    Tauri Katag walked across the track¡¯s starting line and surveyed the runners, ¡°Since we have a visitor, we¡¯ll take it easy today. I want only five laps from all of you.¡±


    The runners nodded and muttered their agreements. Kithina and Freya sent angry glares at each other. Without Freya¡¯s agility spells, Kithina had an actual chance at beating her in a race. So far they had kept about an even score.


    Poppy glanced over at Sylvie. ¡°Good luck,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Thanks, you too!¡± Sylvie turned to her left and grinned at the blue goblin hybrid, ¡°Good luck!¡±


    Stryg ignored her and kept his eyes forward. He didn¡¯t have the patience to talk to some giddy vampire.


    Sylvie frowned a bit. She cleared her throat and muttered to herself, ¡°Why thanks Sylvie, good luck, to you too! I look forward to our afternoon run. So do I! It¡¯s really cool meeting another hybrid like you, Stryg! Wow, I was thinking the same thing, Sylvie!¡±


    Stryg did his best to ignore the strange girl and her stupid voices. Why was she trying to act all friendly with him? They didn¡¯t know each other and he thought he made it clear he wasn¡¯t interested in getting to know her.


    Tauri finished inspecting the runners and stepped outside the track. She took a deep breath and yelled, ¡°Begin!¡±


    Stryg dashed ahead of the class with ease. The farther he got from his class the better. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk with anyone, he didn¡¯t even want to be here. The class didn¡¯t provide him with anything of note.


    The only reason he took this class was because it was required. In terms of physical condition, he was more fit than any of his classmates. Most of these kids were aristocrats who hadn¡¯t lifted a single finger for work their entire lives. The few that did exercise outside of what was required, like Callum, still wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with his own training regiment. Well, except for Kegrog and Clyp-


    ...It didn¡¯t matter. Stryg had to take the class and that was that. The sooner he finished here, the quicker he could get back to what really mattered, magic training.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty fast!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    The bright voice broke him out of his thoughts. Stryg looked up and stared at the stupidly tall hybrid in shock.


    Sylvie ran next to him, her giant strides matching pace with his several shorter steps. Stryg didn¡¯t understand. Most students were taller than him and none of them even came close to matching his speed. Sure, none of them were 7 ft vampire hybrids, but still! Kegrog was almost as tall and he was over two dozen paces away, struggling to stay in front of the other students.


    ¡°Do you run often?¡± Sylvie asked.


    Stryg hissed at her and quickened his pace. He ran past her and focused on the track in front of him. The sooner he finished this race, the quicker he could get out of here.


    ¡°I personally like to run every morning at sunrise. Helps get the blood flowing, you know what I mean?¡± Sylvie said nonchalantly.


    Stryg looked up at her, confused. She ran next to him, her long limbs moving in a smooth symmetrical flow.


    Stryg frowned. How was this happy-go-lucky vampire actually keeping up with him!?


    Sylvie glanced behind her, ¡°Huh, it looks like everyone is falling behind. Not much for competition, huh?¡±


    He needed to get away from this girl. Stryg gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder.


    ¡°Oh, I see! A race! Let¡¯s do it!¡± Sylvie smiled and chased after him.


    The ground shook behind him as her heavy footsteps slammed the ground behind him. Stryg didn¡¯t bother looking behind, he could practically feel her breathing down his back.


    ¡°Argh!¡± He screamed in frustration.


    He kicked the ground and ran faster and faster. The other students slowed down and simply watched as Stryg and Sylvie ran past them, lap after lap.


    As they reached the end of the final lap, Stryg caught the sound of Sylvie¡¯s mutterings over the winds blowing past.


    ¡°Not yet, not yet, NOT YET!!!¡± Sylvie¡¯s voice grew louder and louder.


    She scrunched her face and twisted her lips. Her scarlet eyes were alight with excitement. With a final burst of energy, she sprinted past Stryg and crossed the finish line.


    ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± Sylvie threw her hands up in the air.


    Stryg staggered to a halt. Had he just lost?


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, the newbie just beat Stryg,¡± Freya said with wide eyes.


    ¡°After more than two years¡­.¡± Kithina mumbled.


    ¡°YES! Finally!¡± Tauri screamed. ¡°Ahem, I mean, well done, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, Sylvie,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    Her olive skin was flushed and her forehead was covered, but no one could deny that she seemed more energetic than any of them.


    ¡°So, is that speed natural, or were you taking some potions on the side,¡± Freya placed a finger to her chin.


    ¡°Freya,¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s an honest question,¡± she said innocently.


    Sylvie crouched down and met Freya face to face. She smiled wide, ¡°I don¡¯t mind the question, really. Lots of my speed is natural, I¡¯m a dire, so I¡¯m physically larger and stronger than any of you. But I¡¯ve also trained a lot to get faster and stronger.¡±


    ¡°Great, now can you get out of my face? I¡¯m not really much a fan of condescending assholes who crouch down to talk to a dwarf like we¡¯re some stupid children,¡± Freya said coldly.


    Sylvie blinked, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to offend.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you didn¡¯t,¡± Kithina rolled her eyes.


    ¡°For once, we agree,¡± said Freya.


    ¡°No, really. I didn¡¯t realize¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sylvie bowed her head.


    ¡°Come on, cut her some slack, you two,¡± said Callum.


    Stryg watched the exchange from afar. It finally made sense. He didn¡¯t like Sylvie from the first moment he laid eyes on her. Now he knew why. She was a bloody dire like the warlord Marek.


    Kegrog walked up to Stryg and patted his back, ¡°2nd place isn¡¯t so bad. Trust me, I know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your sympathies,¡± Stryg slapped the red hand away and walked off the track.


    Tauri clapped her hands, ¡°Okay, everyone! Gather up! Time for some friendly sparring!¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ~~~


    Tauri¡¯s students stood on the grassy field around a dirt rectangle with white painted boundary lines.


    Tauri spoke clearly, ¡°Most of you know how our sparring works, but for our transfer students, I¡¯ll explain again. The rules are simple. One-on-one hand-to-hand combat, no magic. Each hit you land on your opponent counts as 1 point. The first to 3 points wins. If you''re pushed out of bounds you lose. No hits to the face or groin and no maiming. Oh and no biting or scratching either. Am I missing something¡­? Hm, I don¡¯t think so¡­ Okay, that¡¯s it. Does everyone understand the rules?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said the class collectively.


    ¡°Great. As per usual, Stryg came late to class today,¡± Tauri grumbled. ¡°So, he has no choice but to go first.¡±


    Stryg walked into the dirt rectangle and waited with closed eyes in quiet meditation.


    ¡°Do we have any volunteers to spar against Stryg?¡± Tauri asked.


    A young man raised his hand, but another classmate slapped his hand down. Everyone else suddenly gained an interest in the ground or sky, none of them met Tauri¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I see,¡± Tauri sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll pick one of you randomly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll spar against him!¡± Sylvie raised her hand.


    ¡°Sylvie, no!¡± Poppy whispered, panicked.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve sparred countless times, I know how it feels to not be picked. It sucks,¡± Sylvie said sympathetically.


    Callum coughed conspicuously, ¡°Um, Sylvie, that¡¯s not why people aren¡¯t volunteering.¡±


    ¡°I gotta agree with this, you shouldn''t do this, dire girl,¡± Freya admitted.


    ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t get it,¡± Sylvie tilted her head.


    ¡°Sylvie, do you want to spar, yes or no? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll spar,¡± Sylvie walked over to the dirt rectangle.


    Stryg opened his eyes and twitched. Of course, he would be faced with this annoying vampire.


    ¡°Are both competitors ready?¡± asked Tauri.


    ¡°Go easy on me, yeah?¡± Sylvie winked.


    ¡°...Do you know what the purpose of sparring is?¡± asked Stryg quietly.


    ¡°Hm?¡± mumbled Sylvie.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Tauri yelled.


    Stryg took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles. ¡°The purpose of sparring is to prepare for actual battle.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­?¡± Sylvie nodded.


    ¡°Do you think your enemy will go easy on you in an actual battle?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t wait for an answer. He dashed at her, intent on getting past her long reach. Sylvie shifted her stand and kicked in a low sweep. Stryg jumped over and aimed his fist at her stomach. Sylvie didn¡¯t hesitate, she dropped to the ground and dodged his attack.


    She pulled her other leg back and kicked up. Stryg gasped in pain as her foot slammed into his side and sent him flying up. He crashed a few paces away. He sucked in his breath and pushed himself up to a crouched position.


    ¡°One point for Sylvie,¡± Tauri announced.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Stryg, we shouldn¡¯t hesitate,¡± Sylvie said quietly.


    Her scarlet eyes grew cold, bereft of their usual warmth, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is going to hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± Stryg snarled.


    He dashed at her and stayed low to the ground, making himself as small a target as he could. Sylvie dug her foot into the ground and kicked the dirt up at Stryg¡¯s face. He flinched and covered his eyes. Sylvie used the momentum of her kick, and raised her leg up high, and struck down with a high kick at his head.


    Stryg opened his arms wide and shifted his feet. Her foot smashed into his left shoulder with a painful bash.


    ¡°Another point for Sylvie!¡± Tauri called out.


    Stryg opened his lilac eyes, his pupils were thin as blades.


    He smiled viciously, ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    His left hand grabbed Sylvie¡¯s ankle. She tried jumping back, but he held tight. Stryg raised his right hand. His muscles bulged as they flexed tightly. He smashed down on her shin with all the strength he could muster.


    Small bronze spheres of light flared to life, condensed above Sylvie¡¯s shin, and blocked Stryg¡¯s attack. He released her ankle and jumped back in surprise. The bronze spheres dissipated and faded away. The students looked at Sylvie in shock.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°Ah, shit, sorry. I forgot about this,¡± Sylvie winced.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Tauri narrowed her eyes.


    Sylvie reached underneath the collar of her blouse and pulled out a necklace. A golden medallion hung from a silver chain. Several thick golden discs comprised the outer body of the medallion. Each ring held hundreds of tiny, almost invisible, arcane sigils. At the center of the medallion sat a perfect spherical brown magestone encased in golden wiring, rising from the edges.


    Freya shot to her feet, ¡°No way, is that an actual a-¡±


    ¡°Aegis. I had my suspicions when I saw the bronze light, but still. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing an aurum aegis,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I forgot to take it off before the match,¡± Sylvie hung her head in shame.


    Poppy raised her hand, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can someone enlighten us on what¡¯s so special about that necklace?¡±


    Tauri nodded, ¡°Of course. This is a great teaching moment. So, listen up everyone, and look closely at the necklace in Sylvie¡¯s hand, you¡¯ll probably never see one of its like again.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s face grew red with all the attention. She fidgeted and tried not to look at anyone.


    Tauri pointed at the necklace, ¡°That talisman is considered one of the greatest enchantment accomplishments in all the Ten Null Realms. We call them aegises.¡±


    ¡°So, what do they do exactly?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°They protect their user from any form of damage through the use of incredibly complex enchantments. So long as the aegis¡¯ magestone has brown mana, it will continue to shield its user. The defense spell activates on its own, even while the user is asleep, something unheard of in almost any enchanted object.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t an aegis more powerful than ward spells then?¡± Callum frowned.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°In some regards, sure. An aegis¡¯ magical shield is very powerful, but it still has a limit. A powerful enough attack can still break the shield. Whereas a red mage could hypothetically create an even more powerful ward. Also, wards aren¡¯t always used as a shield, they are more versatile than an aegis¡¯s shield.¡±


    ¡°And an aegis can only protect its owner,¡± Sylvie added quietly.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°Yes. Nonetheless, I think you can all agree on the incredible capabilities of an aegis.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned aegises using brown mana. Do they only require brown mana to work?¡± Kegrog asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°So, why haven¡¯t we heard of these before? They sound like everyone should have one?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Idiot, which part of this sounds easy to make?¡± Freya shook her head.


    Poppy¡¯s face grew beet red. ¡°S-sorry,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t insult my friend,¡± Sylvie frowned.


    Tauri cleared her throat loudly, ¡°To answer your question, Poppy, only a brown arch-mage could ever hope to craft an aegis. And even then, the resources to make one are incredibly rare and scarce. Not to mention the incredible amount of knowledge in the arcane language one would need to craft an aegis, is, well, unobtainable at this point.¡±


    Tauri glanced at Sylvie, ¡°Like many powerful enchanted artifacts, all aegis are very old, nor are they created equally. My father, Lord Krall Katag, owns a simple cuprum aegis, and it¡¯s priceless. He wouldn¡¯t sell it for a mountain of gold. So how did you come across a powerful aurum aegis?¡±


    ¡°Ancient family heirloom. My parents wanted to keep me safe, from everything,¡± Sylvie sighed.


    ¡°And who is your family, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, just some small family in Frost Rim. No one of importance,¡± Sylvie shrugged.


    Tauri raised an eyebrow, ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Sylvie swallowed.


    ¡°So, the aegis protects its owner from any attack?¡± Stryg spoke up.


    ¡°Huh, ah, yes. Sorry, I should have taken it off before we fought. I forgot,¡± Sylvie bowed her head.


    Stryg raised his hand, a torrent of orange flame shot out and engulfed Sylvie. She yelped in surprise and covered her face. Tiny bronze spheres of light wrapped around her body and shielded her from the flames.


    Stryg didn¡¯t release the flame spell and instead poured more fire over Sylvie¡¯s body as he walked up to her. When he reached her side, he released the spell. The flames and bronze shield faded instantly.


    Sylvie opened her eyes in a mixture of surprise and irritation, ¡°What was that fo-¡±


    Stryg grabbed her by the hips, heaved her up and above him, and flung her. Sylvie flew through the air and crashed into the grass with a painful cough.


    ¡°So grabbing you and falling don¡¯t count as attacks,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Good to know.¡±


    ¡°Stryg! The rules state you can¡¯t use magic,¡± Tauri crossed her arms.


    ¡°She first broke that rule the moment she walked in with that aegis.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, he¡¯s right,¡± Tauri sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let this one go. Sylvie, you''re out of bounds, you lose.¡±


    Stryg nodded and walked away from the class without another word.


    Sylvie pushed herself up with a grimace, ¡°Damn, I lost.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one¡¯s beaten Stryg in a spar since his 1st year and even then it was only once, the rest were ties at best,¡± Callum said sympathetically.


    ¡°Who beat him? I¡¯d like to get some pointers,¡± Sylvie dusted off her pants.


    ¡°The same person who tied with him in all those spars,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°And who might that be?¡± asked Sylvie.


    ¡°None of your business,¡± Kithina said curtly.


    Sylvie wrinkled her brow, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Sooo, you wanna join us for dinner after class?¡± asked Callum.


    Sylvie smiled, ¡°Yeah, that sounds nice.¡±

 Chapter 201: What Is A Genius?

    Chapter 201: What Is A Genius?


    Cornelius Rotrusk sat at his crystalline table at the back of his ornate house in the Villa District. He picked up his beautiful ceramic teacup with an elegant grace befitting his family¡¯s style and sipped the rare Royal Ebon Bloom tea, shipped all the way from his home, the Great City of Frost Rim.


    Cornelius surveyed his lush garden, dozens of exquisite flowers curled around a small pond. Such flowers would never be seen outdoors in the frigid cold of Frost Rim. The flowers were just one more benefit of accepting this job in Hollow Shade.


    Cornelius took a deep whiff of his outrageously expensive tea and sighed in comfort. This was the life, a quiet afternoon, a beautiful vista, and his delicious tea. This was the life worthy of a genius like himself.


    ¡°Oi! You in here, you dull dwarf?¡± The voice echoed through the house like a meteor shattering his peaceful afternoon into oblivion.


    Cornelius pinched his eyes closed and took a quiet breath. Perhaps if he stayed very quiet the wretched intruder would simply leave?


    The door to the deck slammed open and banged into the wall with a dismal familiarity.


    ¡°There you are, I thought as much. I could smell that foul tea from your front gate.¡±


    Cornelius sighed, defeated, ¡°What do you want, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°To train of course,¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°Did you think I came here to drink tea with you or something?¡±


    ¡°...One can hope.¡±


    ¡°Alright, come on, the training courtyard is half an hour away. If we hurry we can squeeze in some extra time to practice flora spells.¡± Stryg walked away without waiting for a response.


    Cornelius sighed with a grim expression. Is this what his lofty life had been reduced to? Being dragged around like some child? What sort of genius would allow himself to endure such hardships?


    He placed his teacup down and picked up his handheld mirror, a favored item he never went anywhere without. He sighed once more, this time from the simple yet all-encompassing misery that Stryg had on his life.


    Even now Cornelius¡¯ complexion was beginning to lose some of its healthy glow. The curls of his well-oiled mustache were beginning to droop. There were even some indignant grey hairs in his goatee for gods¡¯ sake!


    It was certain now, there could be no doubt. The stress of this job was slowly eating away at his pristine self. What sort of genius could not handle the stress of such a challenge? This one. This unlucky damned dwarf.


    Cornelius sighed. He had once been a genius. A true genius. The kind that left even the most skilled magi speechless and in shock. Those were the days. He thought he was a true genius. Oh, how naive he had been.


    ~~~


    3 months ago¡­


    Cornelius sauntered into the waiting room like a lion eyeing his prey, yet choosing not to attack just yet, knowing full well the prey could not escape his grasp. Today was his day, everyone would witness his greatness, and no one would be able to look away.


    Lily glanced up from her desk, ¡°Good morning, do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°Appointment?¡± Cornelius chuckled, ¡°I have more than that. I have a direct invitation from the legendary Lord Elzri Noir himself. I am Cornelius of the Great House of Rotrusk of Frost Rim! I¡¯m sure Lord Noir will be ecstatic to see me. Now, be a good girl and go fetch him.¡±


    Lily''s lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in her scarlet eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see if my lord has a moment to spare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, hurry up. I don¡¯t have all day,¡± Cornelius shooed her away.


    Lily nodded stiffly. She stood up and strolled down the hall to Elzri¡¯s office.


    Cornelius watched as she walked in her high heels, his eyes drinking in the sight of her beautiful figure. A well-chosen secretary, he thought. Elzri Noir¡¯s tastes did not disappoint, how could they? Elzri was a genius like him.


    Cornelius busied himself with inspecting the furniture in the room. Just as he thought, the furniture was of the highest grade, not only in expense but of talent as well. Elzri truly was a man worthy of admiration.


    ¡°Cornelius, I hope the trip from Frost Rim wasn¡¯t too harrowing?¡±


    Cornelis turned, Elzri stood at the doorway with a stoic expression, his steel-grey eyes betraying nothing of what lay in such a powerful mind. The vampire secretary stood behind him, her face matching her boss¡¯ expression.


    Cornelius smiled wide, ¡°Lord Noir, it is an honor to meet you once again. And the trip was harrowing for certain, when is traveling on the Dire River not? But it was nothing a high-mage such as myself could not handle.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, I take it you have found our arrangement satisfying?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Quite, yes. The amount of gold you mentioned in our letters was very generous, even for a genius such as myself. Not that I¡¯m complaining.¡±


    ¡°Hm, your talents in chromatic green and brown magic are desired for this job. But the main reason I chose you was because of your discretion. I hear the only thing a Rotrusk values more than their magic is their dignity.¡±


    Cornelius straightened his back with pride, ¡°Of course, my family is the most honorable in all of Frost Rim. When we give our word, we keep it at all costs. You did well in searching for me.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, so you will accept being subjected to mind spells every three days, yes?¡±


    ¡°Uh, pardon?¡± Cornelius wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Not to worry, we will not be probing into your brain. We will simply use the mind spells to make certain you are telling us the truth. A safety measure to ensure the confidential nature of your job here stays confidential. You understand, yes?¡±


    Cornelius shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, ¡°I think I now understand why you¡¯re paying me so much... Alright, I accept your conditions.¡±


    ¡°Good. Follow me,¡± Elzri walked out of the room.


    Cornelius glanced at Lily, she had already sat back down at her desk. He turned around and hurried to keep up with Elzri. The drow arch-mage did not wait for the dwarf, instead, he kept walking at his usual pace.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Cornelius found the drow¡¯s disregard for etiquette vexing, but he hid it from his face. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To meet your one and only student,¡± said Elzri.


    ¡°Wait, like now? Already? But I¡¯ve only just arrived in Hollow Shade this morning. I haven¡¯t had time to prepare a proper lesson and more importantly, I haven¡¯t had any time to rest!¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re a genius, yes? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Cornelius puffed his chest. Elzri was right. He was a genius. This would be easy. He would impress and overwhelm the student with his magical knowledge and have them scrambling to keep up. He¡¯d be back in his rooms at the nearby tavern before dinner.


    Cornelius cleared his throat, ¡°You know, your letters regarding my job here were quite bare, I must say.¡±


    ¡°In what way? You were told that you would be instructing a single youth in chromatic green and brown spells.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but which youth? What¡¯s their name? What is their temperament? What is their mage rank? Are they talented, rich, or simply lucky? Why am I teaching them?¡±


    ¡°Your curiosity will be satisfied soon enough,¡± Elzri said.


    Cornelius reluctantly stayed quiet and waited to meet this so-called new student of his.


    After a few minutes, they reached a private training courtyard at the edge of campus, away from the classrooms and dormitories. Elzri fished out his orichalcum nameplate and opened the gate.


    Cornelius inspected the enchantments placed all around the gate and walls. He had to admit, they were quite impressive. Not even a high-master would easily be able to get in here.


    As they walked in, Cornelius spotted a youth meditating at the center of the courtyard. Cornelius furrowed his brow. The boy¡¯s appearance was a bit odd. His skin had a blue shade similar to that of the drow in the Northern Lands and Frost Rim. His hair was a pale silver, similar enough to the dark grey or pale white hair of the drow. But that was where all similarities ended.


    The boy¡¯s ears were a tad longer than any drow he had seen, and they drooped somewhat downwards instead of pointing up. What was truly odd was when the boy opened his eyes at the sound of their entrance. Thin slit pupils encased in lilac irises met them with a curious gaze.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Master Noir, who is this?¡±


    Elzri gestured to Cornelius, ¡°Stryg, I want you to meet your newest teacher. This is Cornelius Rotrusk from Frost Rim. His family is one of the most talented Mage Houses in our sister Great City. Cornelius himself is a bi-manifold high-master mage, proficient in chromatic brown and green magic. Your first lesson with him shall begin right away.¡±


    Stryg nodded and stood up with lithe grace. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Cornelius looked the boy up and down thoughtfully. There was a dark look in the boy¡¯s eyes. Something was off about him. It didn¡¯t matter though, he would soon be on his knees begging Cornelius to teach him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a bi-manifold like me, huh? Lucky you,¡± Cornelius smiled pridefully.


    Stryg glanced questioningly at Elzri, who stood at the corner of the courtyard.


    ¡°Stryg is a penta-manifold mage,¡± Elzri said. ¡°He has been training these past two years in his first three colors, orange, black, and grey. Knowledge of his brown and green will stay secret between us.¡±


    Cornelius blinked and shook his head, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just a little confused. The fact that you hired me to teach the boy led me to believe he has some degree of talent in green and brown magic. So why wait so long before teaching him the two colors?¡±


    ¡°Because the boy was training in his other colors,¡± Elzri said as if it was obvious.


    Cornelius laughed, ¡°That makes it sound as if the boy is talented in the other three colors too. Are you actually implying the boy is talented in all five of his chromatic colors?¡±


    Elzri stared at him silently, but his cold eyes conveyed enough.


    Cornelius cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem, right, moving on.¡± He turned to the boy, ¡°We¡¯ll first begin with chromatic brown magic. Brown mana naturally bonds with two elemental mana types, fire and creation mana. The combination with fire mana creates the vigor spell-form, whereas the combination with creation mana creates the enchantment spell-form. Are you with me so far?¡±


    Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± Cornelius said. ¡°For now, we will focus on the enchanting spell-form. Now, obviously, we have no proper equipment to enchant with. But! You are nowhere near ready to actually cast any enchantment spells. You must first learn the arcana language and believe me this will be no easy task. You will hav-¡±


    ¡°I already know it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What? Boy, I do not have time to waste with your frivolous games.¡±


    ¡°Stryg speaks the truth,¡± Elzri said. ¡°His primary master, my granddaughter, has done an excellent job in teaching the boy vast amounts of the known arcane sigils for his grey magic, curse spells.¡±


    Cornelius nodded skeptically, ¡°Yes, well, learning a sigil is not the same as mastering it. You must write your sigils perfectly otherwise they will not work properly. Unlike curse spells, where if you mess up you can simply start over, enchantments take hours, days, weeks, sometimes even years to finish. A single mistake can ruin the whole enchanted piece.¡± Cornelis narrowed his eyes, ¡°W-what? What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°I believe he is writing the 100 basic arcane sigils,¡± Elzri said. ¡°They are the sigils required for all chromatic brown, red, and grey novices to learn before graduating from the academy and attaining the rank of adept.¡±


    Stryg used both his hands to write on the dirt floor, sketching exact replicas of the 100 arcane sigils.


    Cornelius watched him work with mounting surprise. The boy is using both hands at once to write different sigils?! And they¡¯re perfect! he thought.


    Less than two minutes later Stryg had finished. He looked up at the dwarf mage with a calm yet distant demeanor, ¡°Is that enough?¡±


    Cornelius licked his lips, ¡°Uh, yes, that¡¯ll be all for now... Let¡¯s focus on vigor spells next. Ahem, vigor spells are considered one of the three body enhancement spell-forms, along with the agility and durability spell-forms. Vigor spells allow the user to strengthen their own muscles to reach unnatural levels of strength. Such as th-¡±


    ¡°About that, I¡¯ve been giving it some thought,¡± Stryg said. ¡°I once tried casting a vigor spell and it failed. At the time I knew nothing about brown magic, since then I¡¯ve read a few books on the nature of vigor spells.¡±


    Cornelius rolled his eyes, ¡°Good for you, now I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t interrupt me while I¡¯m speaki-¡±


    ¡°I think it would go something like this, no?¡± Stryg lifted his arm and flexed the muscles. A bronze sheen slowly appeared and covered his forearm and hand. He clenched his fist and opened his palm several times to ensure mobility.


    ¡°I think I figured it out,¡± Stryg said. ¡°While all mana flows through the veins, agility spells focus especially on reinforcing the veins with orange mana that eventually seeps into the rest of the body. But vigor spells seem to focus on reinforcing the muscles and tendons. I ignored the latter when I first tried casting a vigor spell, that was my mistake.¡±


    Cornelius frowned at the ease the boy had cast the spell. ¡°You¡¯ve had a previous teacher in brown spells?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg said bluntly.


    ¡°Stryg, have you tried this spell before?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°No. Master Loh told me not to practice brown spells until I was ready to learn with a proper teacher. This seemed like the right time to try.¡±


    ¡°...First time?¡± Cornelius felt his body grow cold at the implication of the boy¡¯s feat.


    Even he, a genius mage of House Rotrusk, could not properly cast a simple vigor spell until several days of practice. This shouldn¡¯t be possible, it couldn¡¯t be! Yet something in the dark look of the boy¡¯s expression told him it was true.


    Stryg walked up to Cornelius and stared him in the eyes, ¡°I have little time and a goal that requires a level of dedication second to none. I have no time for these simple novice lessons. What I need is a mage who can teach me complex spell patterns and magic capable of eliminating anyone who steps into my path. I have plans, plans I intend to achieve at all costs. Cornelius of the Rotrusk tribe, can you help me or not?¡±


    Elzri hid the proud smirk that formed on his lips.


    Cornelius swallowed, ¡°Um, where was I?¡±


    ~~~


    Today¡­


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re losing daylight!¡± Stryg called out.


    Cornelius stood up from his chair. He had once been a genius. A true genius. Oh, how naive he had been. Now he was wiser. Now he was simply a dwarf, caught in the tide of a being whose sheer talent and conviction Cornelius envied and yet stood in awe of. Here was a being whose genius was undeniable and whose thirst for power seemed implacable.


    Back when he had first met Stryg he had so many questions, yet the dwarf was never given any answers. Now, there was only one question left that rattled in his mind.


    Cornelius sighed, What sort of monster am I helping create?

 Chapter 202: Amends

    Chapter 202: Amends


    Jen shuffled through cold morning streets. Her hands were chaffed from pulling the small vegetable cart behind her every day, but that didn¡¯t stop her.


    The sun had yet to rise. The autumn wind carried a frigid bite that sank through her clothes and ripped away the warmth.


    Jen shivered and pulled her frayed cloak around herself. She wished she was home, sleeping in like so many others. But the vegetable stall wouldn¡¯t run itself. If she worked from the crack of dawn to sunset for the next few weeks, each and every single day, she might just make enough to cover the family¡¯s costs.


    The house was in disrepair, the old wooden roof had several holes. They had managed through the summer, but autumn¡¯s rains would be devastating. The yearly name-plate renewal was also coming up. If she couldn¡¯t afford to pay for the iron name-plates for her children and herself then Hollow Shade would consider them outsiders and the undead sentinels would find them and¡­ It was best not to think of such things.


    Jen spotted her stall in the distance. The old wooden beams swayed in the wind. Things had been different a long time ago. She was a simple commoner, but through hard work and her parents¡¯ savings, they managed to put her through the merchant academy.


    A year after she graduated she married. Her husband and she had decided to open up the vegetable stall, in the hopes that one day they would be able to open up their own tavern. Things were going well until her husband died somewhere out in Dusk Valley. His commanding officer had told Jen that her husband had deserted the army and been caught by savage raiders. His body was never recovered.


    After that, the bills had begun to pile up. Now Jen was barely managing to keep her head above water. Her hopes and dreams of putting the children into one of the city¡¯s four academies had died with her husband.


    Now all Jen had left was the simple stall. It would have to be enough, she wouldn¡¯t let her children starve, no matter how hard she had to work.


    Jen arrived at the market, and pulled the cart next to her stall, and began to unload the vegetables. She stopped, her eyes caught sight of a small wooden chest underneath the stall. She stooped down and with slow hesitance opened it. Inside was a leather pouch and a note.


    She carefully unfolded the slip of paper and read its contents quietly.


    ¡°Jen, I¡¯m sorry this came so late. Your husband was a brave soldier. No matter what anyone says, he died with his honor intact, please remember that. I know this isn¡¯t much, but I hope it helps you and your family.¡±


    Jen peered inside the leather pouch and gasped, dozens of gold coins rested comfortably inside. She broke down in tears and hugged the letter tight.


    Loh watched her from a distant corner and smiled ruefully.


    ~~~


    Loh opened her office door and dragged her feet inside. She glanced out the window. It was already late afternoon. She had managed to cross one more name off her mental list since this morning, it was progress.


    She yawned, unclasped her cloak¡¯s pendant, and let the cloak slip to the floor. When had she become so tired? The past few weeks had been a blur. Sleep had been difficult, she barely slept a few hours each night.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Loh jumped back, startled. Vayu sat in a leather chair in the corner of the room.


    Loh sighed, ¡°Worse, now that you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± Vayu winced.


    Loh plopped down on her desk¡¯s chair and stretched, ¡°I¡¯m not scared, just annoyed. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Checking up on you. You¡¯ve missed the several past academy meetings. Meetings Lord Noir explicitly told us both to attend. He¡¯s been asking about you, he seemed worried.¡±


    ¡°Hah, hardly. That old man is only ever worried about his own interests. If he keeps asking you questions you can just tell him that I¡¯ve been off drinking and spending all my time in brothels in the Night District.¡±


    ¡°We both know that isn¡¯t true.¡±


    Loh raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh? How would you know?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t smell a whiff of alcohol on you. And I highly doubt you would leave the warm bed of a beautiful woman just to come into work in the middle of the day.¡±


    Loh slumped in her chair and sighed, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°The truth is always nice.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The truth hurts, it breaks people.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. But you and I are different. I know you, Loh, the real you. Even if nothing ever happens between us, I am still one of your closest friends, and I care about your well-being. You can tell me what¡¯s going on, you know that right?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve been trying to make amends,¡± she admitted.


    Vayu furrowed his brow, ¡°To whom?¡±


    ¡°To all the innocent people who have suffered because of my mistakes. These past few days I¡¯ve been tracking down the families of the soldiers who my grandfather ordered killed to ensure no one found out what really happened to Aizel.¡±


    Vayu nodded slowly, ¡°And once you find them?¡±


    Loh shrugged, ¡°I help them in what ways I can. You¡¯d be surprised how many could use some help. Many of them need proper medical care. Others need a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°Have any of them asked you why you¡¯re doing this?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve kept myself anonymous. I¡¯m not doing this for their gratitude. I¡¯m doing it because it¡¯s the right thing to do. I am trying my best to right my wrongs, one by one¡­ Someday I¡¯ll even tell Tauri the truth.¡±


    Vayu frowned, ¡°Loh, you can¡¯t do that! I understand your sentiments, I do. But telling Tauri that we let Aizel die won¡¯t end with just you. She¡¯ll tell everyone what happened. And besides, that¡­ Monster killed Aizel. Even if we had gone to try and save your brother, we would have all been killed with him.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said quietly, ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t change what I did. I tried to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Even so, we cannot tell anyone the truth.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Loh placed a finger to her lips. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡±


    Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.


    The office door swung open, Tauri walked in. ¡°Hey, Loh! Oh? Vayu, you¡¯re here too? Am I interrupting something?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Vayu smiled.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Tauri looked at them suspiciously. ¡°Loh looks stressed, really stressed. Wait, were you two talking about Stryg?¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°You caught us.¡±


    Tauri threw her hands up, ¡°I knew it! That kid is a handful for anyone. Shame he¡¯s your apprentice, I pity you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± she said resolutely.


    Tauri sat in the chair across from Loh¡¯s desk and crossed her legs, ¡°Let me guess, you two were talking about telling Stryg the truth?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°Bad idea,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°I feel bad for him, but I¡¯ve seen what it¡¯s like when Stryg gets angry, if he knew the truth he would despise you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying,¡± Vayu nodded.


    ¡°Great. So Stryg won¡¯t hate me, instead he hates himself,¡± Loh said bitterly.


    Tauri scratched her cheek, ¡°Have you thought about telling him a half-truth?¡±


    ¡°I tried that,¡± Loh said. ¡°I told him that he had gone to the right cliff, but when my team and I went to meet up with the students we were attacked by several Cairn warriors and our team was wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s basically what happened,¡± Tauri nodded.


    ¡°Except Stryg didn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Stryg didn¡¯t think an entire team comprised of master magi and two high-masters could be defeated by a couple of Cairn warriors.¡±


    ¡°But what about your broken leg? He knew we were all injured badly that night!¡±


    ¡°He thinks there had to have been at least a battalion of warriors or a large group of enemy magi to have stopped us,¡± Loh said. ¡°And if that¡¯s the case, then he would have noticed the battle¡¯s commotion from atop the cliff, after all, we were supposed to be nearby.¡±


    ¡°Except, we weren¡¯t actually anywhere nearby,¡± Vayu added. ¡°Which in turn confirmed Stryg¡¯s suspicions. He had chosen the wrong cliff.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Tauri cursed. ¡°So what happened?¡±


    ¡°I tried amending my story,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°But Stryg didn¡¯t believe anything else I told him about that night. He said I didn¡¯t need to protect him from the truth. He knew it was his fault and he¡¯d bear those consequences.¡±


    ¡°Fuuuuck,¡± Tauri groaned.


    ¡°...Yup,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we at least tell him about the so-called ¡®Monster in the Dark¡¯ then?¡± Tauri asked. ¡°If Stryg knew that he would understan-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Loh said sternly. ¡°That Monster is a curse on my family. It¡¯s more dangerous than anything we have encountered. I¡¯ve already hurt my apprentice enough, I won¡¯t bring Stryg into any more peril. My job is to keep him safe. I¡¯ll find some other way to help Stryg with the events of that night.¡±


    Vayu nodded, ¡°I agree. Even if we told Stryg the truth, he has no reason to believe us. I mean, who would? It¡¯s the same reason we haven¡¯t even told our parents.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone because Lord Noir asked me to, as a soldier on that mission I respected the chain of command,¡± Tauri crossed her arms. ¡°But if I told my dad he would believe me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Vayu said. ¡°Maybe Lord Krall Katag would believe you. But what would happen if he told the rest of the city council? That some ancient, possibly immortal, evil Monster has been lurking in the shadows and is now helping the Cairn tribe of all people? They¡¯d laugh at him.¡±


    ¡°Not if Lord Noir backed up my father¡¯s claim.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯d think House Noir and House Katag were working together for some secret scheme,¡± Vayu said. ¡°The friendship between both your families¡¯ leaders is no secret.¡±


    ¡°Guys, we almost died!¡± Tauri glared at them. ¡°It''s been three months and Lord Noir still expects us to just sit tight and twiddle our thumbs. Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Until we figure out more about that Monster, yes,¡± Vayu said.


    ¡°Fuck our lives,¡± Tauri grumbled.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°On the plus side, Stryg¡¯s mage abilities seem to have progressed by astounding leaps and bounds these past 3 months.¡± Vayu glanced at Tauri, ¡°Or so I heard, from Lord Noir that is.¡±


    ¡°Really, is that what that blue brat has been up to this summer?¡± Tauri asked. ¡°I thought he was taking classes on how to be a disrespectful ass. That kid is never on time to class anymore and he¡¯s always so damn disdainful about even being there. I swear if he wasn¡¯t your apprentice, Loh, I would have kicked his ass ten times over by now.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your self-control,¡± Loh smiled wryly. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m worried about Stryg. All he does nowadays is train. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, my grandfather has taken a special interest in his training recently and has been spending a lot of time with him.¡±


    ¡°I guess it makes sense,¡± Tauri nodded. ¡°Stryg does share the same three chromatic colors as Lord Noir. Though, why a secta-manifold archmage wants to train a cocky kid like Stryg is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Stryg?¡± Vayu chuckled. ¡°The kid is talented.¡±


    ¡°Sure, he¡¯s talented, but he¡¯s no genius. Unlike that new girl,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°New girl?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I came to talk to you about,¡± Tauri said. ¡°Her name¡¯s Sylvie. She was in my class this afternoon and she¡¯s hella strong, she¡¯s a dire, so it¡¯s expected.¡±


    ¡°A dire mage, like Lord Marek,¡± Vayu noted.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°Yeah, but get this. I just talked with Lily, Lord Noir¡¯s personal secretary. She said that Sylvie passed the chrome-probe test with five colors! And she tested dark in all five.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s talented in all five colors?¡± Vayu¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Incredibly talented! A straight-up genius!¡± Tauri grinned. ¡°Lily says Sylvie already has had some mage training and since she¡¯s already 20 years old, Lord Noir is placing her in the 3rd year elite class. We actually have a shot at winning this year¡¯s tourney!¡±


    ¡°This is amazing!¡± Vayu smiled brightly. ¡°Right, Loh? Loh?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah, that¡¯s nice,¡± Loh forced a smile.


    Tauri twisted her lips, worried, ¡°Hey, this is a moment to celebrate. Why don¡¯t I fix us a drink?¡±


    Tauri got up and grabbed a decanter from Loh¡¯s shelf. She picked up a couple of glasses and began pouring.


    ¡°Make that two for me,¡± Loh said.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°You got it. Vayu?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Vayu said. ¡°I don¡¯t drink anymore, ever since¡­ Well, it doesn''t matter really.¡±


    Ever since Aizel died, Loh thought glumly.


    ¡°Are you sure? Loh only buys the good stuff,¡± Tauri winked.


    ¡°Positive,¡± he smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Loh said. ¡°He¡¯s a horrible drunk anyway.¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I should get going, I¡¯ve got a class to teach.¡±


    Vayu stood up and headed for the door.


    ¡°Take care,¡± Tauri raised a glass.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Vayu said. ¡°And Loh, best if you keep the details of what occurred that night between us. It¡¯s already bad enough as it is,¡± he closed the door behind him.


    Loh stared at her glass of alcohol, her mind judging the weight of his words. She downed the glass.

 Chapter 203: A Friendly Dinner Chat

    Chapter 203: A Friendly Dinner Chat


    Stryg arrived at his home in the Scholar District near sunset. His training session with Cornelius Rotrusk had lasted longer than expected. On the bright side, he had been able to practice his green magic. His flora and stone spells were advancing steadily, but it was still too slow for his liking.


    The first thing he did when he got home was to head over to the stables and check on Rhian. To his mild surprise, she was asleep; taking a ¡°beauty nap¡± or so the stablehand Gwen had said.


    Stryg walked quietly over to Rhian¡¯s bed and wrapped her silk blanket over her. She stirred and mumbled something about a siren, before going back to sleep. Stryg sat next to her for a few minutes, he stroked her dark hair, and simply enjoyed the unpolished silence.


    ¡°Goodnight, Rhiannon,¡± he whispered.


    Stryg stood up and left the stables, careful to not make any loud noise. He thanked Gwen for caring for Rhian, then headed over to his apartment.


    He could smell the potato beef stew before he even opened the door. Stryg stepped inside the apartment and took a deep breath.


    This smells nice, he thought. Strange, but nice.


    ¡°Feli?¡± he called out.


    ¡°In here,¡± she said.


    Stryg walked over to the kitchen and found Feli sitting at the dinner table. Several open books, dozens of papers, and a couple of ink bottles were strewn about the table.


    Feli looked up from her work, brushed her purple hair aside, and smiled, ¡°Hey, you. How was your day?¡±


    Stryg recalled his loss to the new girl at the race track. ¡°Uneventful.¡±


    He glanced over at the stew pot hanging over the brick stove. ¡°Did you buy the stew?¡±


    Feli twisted her lips in a mock scowl, ¡°What makes you think I didn¡¯t cook it myself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t smell any of your usual herbs in the air.¡±


    She sighed dramatically, ¡°Fine, you caught me. I was hoping to pass it off as my own and impress you with my new and improved cooking skills.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°But I already like your cooking.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you like everyone¡¯s cooking. So long as it isn¡¯t spicy you¡¯ll eat anything. Your culinary opinion isn¡¯t - how should I say? - accurate.¡±


    Stryg served himself a bowl of soup and sat across from his wife. ¡°Back when I was growing up we rarely ate this well.¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡± she asked.


    He ate a spoonful and savored the aftertaste, ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°...I like it?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, whatever. One of Lady Maeve Mora¡¯s couriers brought it over. The stew was made by her personal chef. She also sent a letter along with the food. Something about not wanting me to go hungry since I¡¯ve been so busy organizing the new shipments from Frost Rim.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s nice of her.¡±


    Feli rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah, the vampiress sleeping with my husband is a swell gal.¡±


    He suspected there was an insult hidden somewhere in her tone, but he couldn¡¯t find where.


    Feli glanced at her ledger and groaned, ¡°Lady Mora is a talented businesswoman, I¡¯ll give her that. I don¡¯t know how she manages to keep track of everything. I¡¯ve learned a lot from her these past few months.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you two are getting along.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he smiled wryly. ¡°By the way, I really appreciate you taking the time out to read to Rhian every night, I know I haven''t been able to these last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Someone had to. Rhian would have flipped out if she didn¡¯t find out what happened to the prince and his beloved siren,¡± Feli laughed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m happy to spend time with Rhian. Her books are also a nice reprieve from all the numbers I have to read all day. She really does love those dramatic fairy tales.¡±


    Stryg smiled fondly, ¡°Yeah, especially the ones with a lot of action. Who knows, someday they might write a story about her, Rhiannon of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Feli chuckled, ¡°Yeah, I can see it now. Rhiannon the brave, slayer of Dusk Valley¡¯s savages, and loyal companion to her rider¡­? Hm, what would they call you? Stryg the Ferocious? The rider who bites?¡±


    The rider who failed to save his best friend, he thought.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Feli whispered. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Never better.¡±


    Feli stared at him, worried. She reached out and grabbed his hand. ¡°I know these last few months have been hard. And I know you¡¯ve thrown all your time and energy into your training. I understand not wanting to think about what happened and I¡¯ll give you all the space you need. But you know you can talk to me, right? About anything?¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Stryg nibbled her hand playfully and forced himself to smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡±


    Feli shook her head, ¡°I guess I should be getting used to this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Feli glanced pointedly at the second bedroom door, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who pretends to be fine.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°She hasn¡¯t eaten?¡±


    ¡°More like she refuses to.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°Since the last time you came home early.¡±


    ¡°That was a week ago,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Lysaila!¡± he called out.


    The bedroom door creaked open, an indigo eye peeked out. The snake-like pupil glanced about until it settled on Stryg.


    ¡°...Is there something you need?¡± asked Lysaila coldly.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Then let me die in peace.¡± She slammed the door shut.


    I don¡¯t have the energy for this, Stryg thought, annoyed. ¡°Sit down and eat with us.¡±


    The command echoed across the door and reverberated in the lamia¡¯s very being. She gritted her teeth and tried to resist, but she was helpless. Her body and mind moved on their own.


    Lysaila found herself slithering across the apartment. She grabbed a bowl of stew and sat next to her wretched master and the human.


    ¡°Does this make you happy, master?¡± Lysaila spat the title as if it was venom on her tongue. ¡°To see me forced to do your bidding?¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not your master.¡±


    ¡°I am literally magically compelled to obey your every command,¡± Lysaila scowled. ¡°You won¡¯t let me leave, nor will you even let me die. If I am not a slave then what am I?¡±


    ¡°A prisoner of Hollow Shade,¡± Stryg said. ¡°And for some reason, Lord Noir has chosen me to be your warden.¡±


    ¡°We both know what that reason is, you Mortem filth,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know anything about that!¡± Stryg yelled. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s true, maybe it isn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know. All I know is that there is some kind of arcane bond between us, and I don¡¯t know how deep its effects run, or how it will affect us. Which is why I won¡¯t let you die, even if you want to.¡±


    ¡°How generous of you,¡± Lysaila glared at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not generous. If I was, I would have helped you escape this city. Not that there would be anywhere for you to go. You betrayed your Cairn tribe. No tribe worth their salt would take in a traitor.¡±


    ¡°You made me betray them!¡± Lysaila roared. ¡°I had no choice but to kill them to protect you!¡±


    Feli jumped out of her chair, afraid of what the deadly lamia might do.


    Stryg stood up and walked over to Lysaila. She backed away as he neared.


    ¡°Just the same,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°You betrayed the Cairn. You have no place left in Dusk Valley but here.¡±


    Lysaila trembled, anger and fear raging inside her, ¡°...For how long?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°How long will I be here until Lord Noir or some other high-up decides I¡¯m no longer valuable?¡± Lysaila asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t given them any information since I¡¯ve arrived. I don¡¯t think Lord Noir is the kind of person who would keep around a useless prisoner.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°No one¡¯s going to execute you if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because I made sure of it, Lord Noir gave me his word. As I said, I don¡¯t know the full effects of our bond. I¡¯d be an idiot to let them feed you to the wall¡¯s shades. It¡¯s also why no one has taken you away for torture. No one will be able to force information out of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly true, is it?¡± she muttered. ¡°If you wanted to know anything about me, all you would need to do is ask. I¡¯d be compelled to answer.¡±


    Stryg looked away, ¡°...I¡¯m already busy enough making you eat and ordering you not to kill anyone here. Your mind and its secrets are your own.¡±


    Lysaila laughed bitterly, ¡°Say what you want but I can¡¯t even go to sleep without making sure you¡¯re safe in bed. Do you have any idea what that¡¯s like? For your own mind to be overridden by an overwhelming compulsion to protect your enemy?¡±


    She stared at her trembling hands, ¡°You act like you somehow care about my well-being, but the truth is Lysaila of the Amber Realm died last winter the moment she met you. You killed her. The person in front of you is just a husk, a shadow of the woman who was proud to be a lamia. Every day I feel a piece of myself slowly slip away, my anger turning into devotion for a being I know I despise. Soon, I will be reduced to a mere weapon, unable to escape the dictations of her sovereign. And it will all be because of you. You, Stryg of Ebon Hollow, will kill the last remnants of who I am as an individual.¡±


    He swallowed, ¡°You don¡¯t know that. And I¡¯m not here to dictate your life.¡±


    ¡°Yet, you force me to eat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d starve otherwise.¡±


    ¡°My death should be my choice, not yours.¡±


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re this city¡¯s prisoner.¡±


    Lysaila smiled ruefully, ¡°I wonder how long you will tell yourself that lie? How long before you choose to use your abilities? That purple true mage friend of yours uses his magic to control his pets and no one cares, in fact, they applaud him for his abilities. After all, that¡¯s what a mage does. They use their powers to exert their will on the world, no matter the costs. Beast-kin have always been on the receiving end, we didn¡¯t ask to be born, to be made weapons for your battles.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t create your kind,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°But your kind created mine. I¡¯ve walked the streets of Hollow Shade, I¡¯ve seen how beast-kin are treated, at worst we¡¯re treated like cattle, at best we¡¯re treated as pets. Let me make it clear now, before I lose my sense of self, I want you to know, I hate all of you. From the youngest baby born in the slums of the Commoner District to the eldest aristocrat sleeping comfortably in his mansion. I wish you¡¯d all be fed to shades of the wall you all so admire.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°...Are you done?¡±


    Lysaila sighed deeply, the rage of her body slipping away, ¡°I know my time is short. My ancestors have passed down stories of how the prime edict spells take their course. One day, whatever is left of my existence will devote its entire life to you. What will you do then? What will you say to the broken person I¡¯ve become? Will you reject my existence or use it for the purpose the Mortem created me for?¡±


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Lysaila leaned towards him, ¡°Death is my only escape from that cursed fate. So, please. Let. Me. Die.¡±


    Stryg turned away, ¡°I don¡¯t know what might happen if you die, how our bond might physically or mentally affect me¡­ I cannot give you what you want.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d damn me instead?¡± Lysaila snarled.


    Stryg spun around, his lilac eyes cold, ¡°Would I let an enemy be damned to protect myself and my tribe? In a heartbeat, without a second thought.¡±


    Lysaila hissed, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Feli cleared her throat, ¡°So, um, who wants wine?¡±

 Chapter 204: Tastes of Jade

    Chapter 204: Tastes of Jade


    Sylvie sat at a round table at the corner of the so-called ¡°Tastes of Jade¡± bakery. Though this was her first time here, based on the polished floors and dozens of sweet delights portrayed behind the glass panels, Sylvie decided this was definitely a high-end bakery. Then again, she had never been to any bakery before today, so who was she to judge?


    ¡°Thanks for letting me tag along!¡± Poppy gushed to the group of ¡°popular kids.¡±


    ¡°The more the merrier,¡± Kegrog raised his porcelain cup of tea as if it were a mug of ale.


    ¡°So, Sylvie, what are your first impressions?¡± Callum asked with a charming smile.


    ¡°It looks really nice, I love the bright green and white tiles,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯re easy to impress,¡± Freya chuckled.


    Callum sent an annoyed glare at the dwarf.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be here,¡± Sylvie admitted. ¡°My parents usually never let me out. Seeing a place like this, it¡¯s¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°Nice.¡±


    Freya tried to pat Sylvie¡¯s shoulder, but she couldn¡¯t reach, instead, Freya settled on patting her forearm. ¡°I know what you mean. My dad used to never let me go anywhere. Then when I turned 16, I grabbed one of his wallets and I ran away from home for a week. I spent the entire time at a spa, but my parents got so worried that when I came home they decided to give me some ¡®space¡¯ aka freedom. Worked like a charm, hehe.¡±


    I¡¯d be lucky if my parents didn¡¯t lock me away for life, Sylvie thought.


    ¡°Is everyone ready to order?¡± Kithina asked impatiently.


    The group nodded.


    Except for Sylvie, ¡°Oh, uh, sorry. I didn¡¯t really look at the menu.¡± She glanced at the wooden sign hanging from above the front counter.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised,¡± Kithina muttered.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Sylvie bowed, embarrassed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Callum smiled. ¡°I¡¯d find it hard to choose if it was my first time here too. Tell you what, why don¡¯t I just order one of everything? That way you can try each one and find out what you like.¡±


    Sylvie shook her head, ¡°Thanks, but you don¡¯t have to do tha-¡±


    Poppy grabbed her hand, ¡°She¡¯d love that, thanks!¡±


    ¡°Great, then one of everything it is,¡± Callum nodded.


    Sylvie glanced at Poppy with a questioning look.


    ¡°Just go with it,¡± Poppy whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s such a great idea, Cal,¡± Kithina said. ¡°The owner and head chef of this place is a human. She based most of her food on old human recipes from the Jade Realm. I don¡¯t think a vampire like Sylvie would be interested in human food.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, Sylvie,¡± Callum winced. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think that you might have a particular taste in food. Ugh, and I know a bakery may not be your ideal image of dinner. It¡¯s just that my friends and I usually eat here often. Dammit, I just realized this place doesn¡¯t even sell blood wine. I¡¯m sorry, we can go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Weeell, I don''t know about that last part,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m half-human,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°I¡¯m more than comfortable eating food from the Jade Realm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re half-human?¡± Callum''s eyes went wide. He smiled warmly, ¡°So you¡¯re like me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I am,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    Freya leaned over to Kithina. ¡°Wow, those two really are a match. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have much of a chance,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Shut up, Gold-Eyes,¡± Kithina snapped.


    After a few minutes, the waiter came back and brought them their food. Dozens of plates lined the large table, each with a different pastry. Sylvie breathed in the scent of delicious sweetness and licked her lips.


    Before anyone else had started, Sylvie had grabbed her fork and dived into the food eagerly. Everyone watched in awed silence as she devoured plate after plate with no sign of finishing.


    Sylvie noticed their round eyes staring at her and stopped, her fork halfway to her mouth.


    She chewed and swallowed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing,¡± Poppy mumbled.


    Sylvie¡¯s olive cheeks turned rosy. She grinned sheepishly, ¡°I sorta have a sweet tooth.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Kithina noted snidely.


    ¡°I knew dires had a big appetite but damn, you know how to eat! I love it!¡± Freya pounded the table.


    ¡°So do I,¡± Callum pounded the table in agreement.


    ¡°...¡± Kithina glanced at her half-finished slice of cake. She liked food as much as the next person, but she tried to hold back while in front of Callum.. She didn¡¯t want to appear less feminine. Had she been wrong?


    Sylvie scratched her cheek, ¡°My parents seldom let me have sugar growing up.¡±


    ¡°Your parents seem like real prunes if you ask me,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Sometimes it felt like that,¡± Sylvie sighed.


    ¡°Well, the way I see it, you can have all the sweets you want now,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°I guess you''re right,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°Thanks, guys, for everything. I don¡¯t really have a lot of friends, but I¡¯m really happy you guys invited me.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Glad to have you, Sylvie. It¡¯s nice to have someone taller than me in the room,¡± Kegrog laughed.


    Sylvie looked over at Freya and Kithina, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier today, Freya. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I really didn¡¯t mean any disrespect towards dwarves. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯ll forgive you this one time,¡± she shrugged. ¡°So long as you pay for drinks next time we hit up a tavern.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    Kithina felt shame creep over her back. Perhaps she had misjudged this tall stranger? The dire hybrid actually seemed¡­ nice.


    ¡°So, Sylvie,¡± Freya said. ¡°We know you¡¯re a mageborn and we know you''re not from around here.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Sylvie nodded nervously.


    ¡°But what I really want to know is what chromatic color are you? I wonder if we¡¯ll have any classes together?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, maybe,¡± Sylvie shrugged. ¡°I have 5 colors, so who knows?¡±


    Callum choked on his tea, ¡°F-five!?¡±


    Everyone stopped eating and stared at Sylvie, again.


    She wondered if this was going to become a habit. ¡°Um, yeah. I¡¯m a chromatic green, black, grey, brown, and, um, blue... Why are you all looking at me like that?¡±


    Poppy burst into laughter and elbowed Sylvie¡¯s arm, ¡°My girl¡¯s a real genius.¡±


    ¡°Having multiple colors doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a genius,¡± Freya wrinkled her nose. ¡°There are plenty of mages with six, seven, or even eight colors in our academy. And most of them can¡¯t even cast a proper spell in two colors, let alone five.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Sylvie tested dark in all of her colors,¡± Poppy said proudly.


    ¡°All of them?¡± Kithina mouthed, stunned.


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± Kegrog muttered.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Sylvie laughed awkwardly. She really wasn¡¯t used to so much attention.


    Callum stared at Sylvie¡¯s scarlet eyes. She really is incredible, he thought.


    A waiter walked over to them, a platter in hand, ¡°Excuse me. Miss Goldelm, the owner wanted to extend her appreciation for your patronage.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Freya said.


    The waiter lifted up the silver cloche and revealed a three-layered raspberry cake with chocolate syrup drizzling from atop. ¡°A new pastry she¡¯s been working on.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± Freya smiled. ¡°Please send the owner my compliments.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Miss Goldelm,¡± the waiter nodded and walked away.


    ¡°Wow, you must be really popular for even the chef to know you,¡± Sylvie said, impressed.


    ¡°I am, but the owner of this bakery works for my House. So that helps,¡± Freya winked.


    ¡°Those are the Goldelms for you, the richest family in Hollow Shade,¡± Poppy whispered in admiration.


    Freya grabbed a slice of the cake and ate a bite. She chewed for a few moments, judging the taste. She swallowed, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not bad. Your chocolate cake is better, Keg, just barely though.¡±


    Kegrog smiled wide, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to try harder then. How about I bring a new cake over to your place tomorrow?¡±


    Freya sighed loudly, ¡°Fine, if you insist. I suppose I can take some time out of my busy schedule.¡±


    ¡°O-o-o-h, I didn¡¯t know you two were so close,¡± Kithina smirked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Freya crossed her arms. ¡°Despite Kegrog being of common birth, he just so happens to be a decent cook. And he so happens to need someone to try out his food, make sure it¡¯s alright and all. I¡¯m just being a good friend. Honestly, he should thank me.¡±


    ¡°What a good friend indeed,¡± Kithina grinned slyly.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Freya nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Freya, you¡¯re blushing,¡± Callum noted.


    ¡°Shut up, Cal,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Ahem, would you like to try some?¡± Callum cut a slice of the cake and offered it to Sylvie.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± she nodded happily and dug in. ¡°Mm, it''s good!¡±


    Kithina grabbed a slice and nodded in agreement. ¡°...I wish we all could have had some.¡±


    Callum nodded, his face solemn. ¡°...Yeah. It¡¯s like Kegrog said, the more the merrier. But lately, I feel like our friends keep drifting away.¡±


    Sylvie recalled the drow hybrid from earlier. ¡°Are you talking about Stryg?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess you did meet him,¡± Callum said wryly.


    ¡°He¡¯d usually lighten up the room, even when he didn¡¯t mean to, which was always,¡± Freya chuckled.


    ¡°Really?¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow. ¡°¡®Cause he doesn¡¯t seem very nice¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Callum began. He frowned, ¡°Actually, hm. Well, Stryg isn¡¯t a nice person, per se, not really. But he isn¡¯t a bad person either.¡±


    ¡°Stryg cares about his friends,¡± Kithina nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯ll still beat the shit out of you in a sparring match though,¡± Kegrog muttered grimly.


    ¡°No one¡¯s perfect,¡± Kithina shrugged.


    ¡°You only say that because you haven¡¯t sparred with him yourself,¡± Kegrog said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason there are a bunch of rumors about Stryg,¡± Poppy grimaced.


    ¡°If you did spar with him, I guarantee you wouldn¡¯t want to spar with him again,¡± Callum chuckled.


    ¡°I do,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°I had a lot of fun in today¡¯s sparring match. And if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t really like to lose.¡±


    ¡°I like your spirit, dire girl,¡± Freya grinned. ¡°I too didn¡¯t give up after sparring with Stryg. I fought him a second time in an all-out duel.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that must have been incredible,¡± Sylvie said excitedly.


    Freya nodded proudly, ¡°Mhm, it was. I had Stryg on the defensive almost the entire match. I overwhelmed him with my attacks. The crowd screamed and cheered as I fought.¡±


    Kithina looked at her with a dead-pan stare, ¡°Then we saw Stryg knock you unconscious.¡±


    ¡°And almost kill you,¡± Callum added.


    ¡°Stryg would have, if Tauri hadn¡¯t stopped the fight,¡± Kegrog added.


    Freya¡¯s pale cheeks turned as bright red as a tomato. She glared at Kegrog.


    ¡°...Sorry,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Sooo, Stryg doesn¡¯t hold back, huh?¡± Sylvie guessed.


    ¡°Yeah, holding back isn¡¯t really a concept he grasps,¡± Kithina admitted.


    This Stryg guy really didn¡¯t seem like a good friend, Sylvie thought.


    ¡°Oh, Callum, you have a bit of um, you know,¡± Sylvie pointed at her cheek.


    Callum blinked, ¡°Right, thanks.¡± He grabbed a cloth napkin and wiped a bit of icing off his cheek. ¡°Is it gone?¡±


    Sylvie nodded, ¡°Yup. Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Callum asked.


    Sylvie tilted her head, ¡°On a closer look, you¡¯re actually cuter than I thought. Huh, weird.¡±


    Callum stiffened.


    The naive Sylvie went back to eating her food, failing to recognize the true implications of her words.


    Kithina glared at the vampiress. Poppy smiled from ear to ear. Freya burst into laughter and pointed a shaky finger at Kithina.


    ¡°Hey, guys, I don¡¯t mean to be a downer, but we probably shouldn¡¯t stay up too late,¡± Kegrog said. ¡°We¡¯ve got class with Professor Rime early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°That strict asshole,¡± Kithina groaned. ¡°I hated him when he taught us magic theory our first year and I still hate him now.¡±


    ¡°Everyone does, it¡¯s Professor Rime,¡± Poppy nodded sympathetically.


    ¡°Is he really that bad?¡± Sylvie asked, worried.


    ¡°Not if you know your shit,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Except that tomorrow he¡¯s supposed to be teaching us about the theory of void mana and no one know¡¯s shit about that,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°By the way, did anyone else do the readings he assigned over the summer?¡± Kithina asked. ¡°I had some questions about the material I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time, I was busy learning about managing my family¡¯s businesses all summer,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°I skimmed through it a bit. I didn¡¯t understand much,¡± Callum admitted.


    ¡°There was a reading?¡± Kegrog asked.


    Kithina sighed, ¡°We¡¯re fucked aren¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 205: Purely Hypothetical, Of Course

    Chapter 205: Purely Hypothetical, Of Course


    Stryg walked into the classroom one minute before class began. His classmates were already seated. Back in his 1st year, there were always a couple of students who came in late, others didn¡¯t come in at all. Today, there was not a single student missing. Perhaps it was because he was now in the so-called ¡°elite class,¡± the 3rd-years with the most potential. Or, perhaps it was because no one wanted to get on Professor Rime¡¯s bad side.


    The memory of Callum arguing with Rime in their 1st year resonated clearly in Stryg¡¯s mind, as was the punishment Rime had given them; a presentation project on dragons. Fortunately, back then they had Plum¡¯s help for the project. This time Stryg was the 3rd-year and as he looked at the faces across the room, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever find someone like Plum again.


    Not that it mattered, Stryg rarely spent time with any of these people, even his few friends. While the other students attended large classes, most of Stryg¡¯s classes were individual lectures with his private teachers. Stryg preferred it that way, he didn¡¯t have time to spend with his friends, let alone time to make new ones.


    Stryg glanced around the desks, looking for an empty seat. There was one seat left open on the second row. Kithina sat on one side, reading her notes with a furious conviction. Stryg sighed as he noticed the other neighbor, the new girl.


    Stryg made his way over to the desk and took his seat. He kept his eyes on his book and did his best to ignore the dire vampire sitting next to him.


    Sylvie smiled at him and waved her hand, ¡°~G-o-o-o-d Morning!~ How are you?¡±


    Stryg kept reading his book.


    Sylvie leaned over, ¡°I¡¯m Sylvie by the way. I said that yesterday, but you probably don¡¯t remember. You¡¯re Stryg, right? I hear you''re like the top student in Tauri¡¯s class. I guess it shows, after our match yesterday I mean.¡±


    Stryg closed his book and looked at her, peeved.


    Sylvie cleared her throat, ¡°Um, what I¡¯m trying to say is, good fight yesterday. I had fun... Look, I don¡¯t really know anyone here. Your friends seemed really nice though. I like them. I think they want to be friends with me too. Sooo, I was hoping, maybe, you¡¯d wanna be friends too?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said coldly.


    Sylvie¡¯s smile died, ¡°Oh, yeah, gotcha... Sorry, I, uh, that was pretty weird, huh? I¡¯m not very good at this. Yeah, um¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll let you get back to studying.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Stryg opened his book and went back to reading. Or at least pretended to. He had read the summer readings, twice. There was nothing in the book he needed to particularly go over again, he understood the material fairly well.


    Stryg glanced at Sylvie from the corner of his eye, her scarlet eyes were downcast and she seemed¡­ sad? Disappointed? Bored? He wasn¡¯t sure. It didn¡¯t matter in the end.


    You don¡¯t want to be my friend. I can¡¯t protect my friends, I only end up hurting them, Stryg thought bitterly.


    Sylvie flipped the pages of her book, barely glancing at the words. She had tried, badly, but she had tried to be friendly. She tried to ignore the rumors, but perhaps the rumors weren¡¯t wrong.


    Maybe this Stryg guy really is just a bad person? Sylvie thought.


    Stryg looked at Kithina. Her finger ran across each line of her notes as she whispered to herself. Could it be? Did she not understand the readings?


    Maybe I can help? Stryg thought.


    ¡°Hey, Kitty,¡± he whispered. ¡°Do you need hel-¡±


    ¡°Can we talk later? I¡¯m trying to cram study here,¡± Kithina said without even a glance.


    ¡°...Understood,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Nevermind. Best if I just keep to myself, he thought.


    The door creaked open, Professor Rime walked in. The drow mage surveyed the students with a cold countenance and a hint of disdain.


    ¡°Close your books,¡± Rime said. ¡°If you still haven¡¯t managed to learn the assignment, you won¡¯t learn it in the next measly few minutes.¡±


    Several groans and mutterings echoed through the class as the students closed their books.


    ¡°I will be handing out a test over the summer readings, you will have half an hour to complete it.¡± Rime glanced at the worried faces of several students. A spark of pity flashed across his drow-blue eyes. Maybe he''d give them a bit of a practice run first?


    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll start with the lecture,¡± Rime said.


    The class stared at him, stunned. The professor always started with his exams.


    ¡°Red-headed dwarf at the front, what is mana?¡± Rime asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kithina blinked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again,¡± he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, uh, mana is ethereal energy. Invisible to the naked eye.¡±


    ¡°Orc girl in the back. What is a magical creature?¡± Rime asked.


    ¡°A person who can use mana to cast spells?¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Rime said curtly. ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Sylvie raised her hand, ¡°A person born with the ability to convert the mana in their body into a physical manifestation which we call magic.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Rime nodded. ¡°And what is the difference between a spell and magic?¡±


    ¡°Spells are a kind of magic. But there is another kind of magic, innate magic,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°And what¡¯s the difference between spells and innate magic?¡±


    ¡°Spells are learned and cast by mages. Innate magic is done naturally by the user, no learning is needed. They say it¡¯s like moving an arm, you just know how to do it.¡±


    ¡°And who can use innate magic?¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right, sorry,¡± Sylvie cleared her throat. ¡°Only elemental species can use innate magic, like sirens or white eels. Some elemental species are mageborns too, like frost giants. However, there are no innate magic users in any of the chromatic species, only mageborns. And more importantly, only some people born in a chromatic species have the potential for magic, whereas every single member of an elemental species has the potential for magic.¡±


    Rime nodded, ¡°Very good, a thorough answer. It seems the new student is more well informed than half of you. I say this because despite this information being rudimentary, half of you failed to answer correctly in the recap section of the exam last week.¡±


    The students looked everywhere besides Rime¡¯s frigid glare.


    ¡°Now,¡± Rime began, ¡°Can someone else explain to me the finer nature of mana?¡±


    Callum raised his hand and sent a smile towards Sylvie.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting, son of Veres,¡± Rime frowned.


    Callum stood up and cleared his throat, ¡°Mana is an ethereal energy. It exists all around us. Mage researchers say that the Ten Null Realms create mana naturally from deep below the surface. The mana then rises up from the ground and floats around in the air. As mageborns, our bodies naturally absorb the mana types we are attuned to and store it within our hearts.¡±


    Callum finished and sat down.


    ¡°You failed to explain the differences between mana,¡± Rime shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t stand back up. I¡¯ve wasted enough time with your idiocy. Anyone else?¡±


    Stryg raised his hand, ¡°As the names imply, chromatic mana is used by chromatic species. Elemental mana is used by elemental species. Chromatic mana has the unique trait of mixing with elemental mana. Each of the ten chromatic colors bonds with two of the ten elemental types. Therefore it is impossible to find pure chromatic mana naturally occurring within an environment.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Rime said. ¡°But you also failed to mentio-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done,¡± Stryg interrupted. ¡°There is an eleventh elemental mana type, chaos mana. It does not bond with any chromatic mana, nor are there any elemental creatures who harbor chaos mana within themselves. This is of course all rudimentary knowledge, the basics we learned as 1st-years. So if you could stop wasting our time and get to the point of this lecture, if you can even call it that, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    Rime smiled, yet the warmth did not reach his eyes, ¡°Stryg. Yours is one name I have not forgotten. Your penchant for drama is almost as great as your hubris. Do you plan on breathing fire over the class again?¡±


    Fire? Maybe he really is bad news, Sylvie thought.


    ¡°Do you want me to?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Kithina whispered cautiously.


    No one wanted to get on Rime¡¯s bad side. Let alone like this.


    ¡°Oh, I hope you do, Stryg,¡± Rime grinned coldly. ¡°So I can get you expelled right here and now.¡±


    Stryg crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, ¡°You¡¯re a powerful master mage and a respected teacher. I¡¯d even say you¡¯re a skilled scholar, from what I¡¯ve read of your research on flora spells. But we both know if I was to cast a spell in this class and you were to stop me, I wouldn¡¯t be the one getting kicked out of the academy.¡±


    Rime glared at him, ¡°Are you threatening me, boy? Simply because you have the principal¡¯s backing? Are you daft?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m just sick of you being an ass to my friends and me. You want to throw around your status in front of us, threaten us with expulsion? Great. Let me do the same. I am Stryg of Ebon Hollow, godson of Elzri Noir. If you want to attack me go right ahead. Lord Noir will return the favor ten-fold.¡±


    The class stared at Stryg in stunned silence.


    ¡°Godchild?¡± Callum whispered, shocked.


    ¡°Get out of my class,¡± Rime seethed.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Stryg stood up. He had already read the summer readings anyway. He wouldn¡¯t be missing out on anything.


    Stryg reached the doorway and stopped, ¡°Oh, and if you try to give shit to any of my friends I¡¯ll get you expelled myself.¡±


    ¡°GET OUT!¡± Rime screamed.


    Stryg turned and walked away without another word.


    Sylvie stared at the empty doorway and cocked her head to the side. Did Stryg just try to protect his friends? Maybe he isn¡¯t as bad as I thought? Sylvie shrugged, Then again, he just threatened our teacher, so what do I know?


    Rime picked up the stack of papers from his desk, ¡°Exam, now.¡±


    The class groaned.


    ~~~


    As Stryg walked down the hallways of the academy he thought about what he had said in the classroom. He didn¡¯t like to throw the name of Elzri around like that, but he was tired of all these professors and their waste-of-time classes. At least now he could go practice his swordplay with Gian Gale.


    As for the lecture on void mana, well there wasn¡¯t much to it from what he read in the library. There was barely any information on the theory known as ¡°Void Mana.¡± It was an unexplained phenomenon with little actual evidence to point to any real causes.


    ~~~


    Centuries ago, long before the Schism, an elf mage had come across a mysterious pond hidden deep inside a forest in the Ivory Realm. The pond was barely a dozen feet wide, but its waters were a silvery hue, with a clear reflection like a mirror.


    The elf did not know what to make of the strange waters, so she brought some of her colleagues to help investigate, including a prominent true blue mage, Estelle Oakenheart. When Estelle had reached the pond she had used blue¡¯s true spell-form, clarity magic, to enhance her vision, allowing her to even see ethereal energy.


    Oddly enough, there was no mana circling around the pond. Mana of both types existed everywhere, in the air, in the water, and in the ground. Yet there was not a single spec of mana near the pond.


    At first, Estelle believed the pond was creating some sort of barrier to prevent mana from getting close. But that theory fell apart when she stepped into the pond. The water was shallow, barely reaching her knees. The moment she stood over the silvery water she felt the mana in her heart ripped away. She watched, fascinated, as her blue mana was pulled into the air and devoured by something she could not see, invisible particulates even to her own magical sight.


    Estelle theorized that perhaps there was a different kind of mana. Similar to how chromatic mana is absorbed elemental mana, perhaps there was a third type that simply absorbed mana as a whole. She dubbed this third type void mana.


    If her theory was true it could possibly explain why her clarity-sight did not allow her to see it, for the void mana was absorbing any chromatic mana in its surroundings. The problem was there was no way to prove her theory. But that did not stop Estelle and her colleagues from trying. They stated that perhaps this pond acted as a haven to void mana in a similar function as did Shadow Lake to chaos mana, the mysterious body of water near the city of Undergrowth in the Ebon Realm.


    Unfortunately, when visitors from other Realms came to see Estelle¡¯s pond they were greatly disappointed. The silver waters that she claimed existed in the pond had disappeared. The waters had returned to normal and the void phenomena was long gone. Magi from all across the Realms ridiculed Estelle and ruined her reputation as a mage and a scholar.


    Yet strangely enough, long after Estelle¡¯s death, there were several accounts regarding the findings of other silvery ponds across the Ten Null Realms, all of which seemed to disappear after a few months at best. The theory of void mana began to grow in the mage communities, yet no one was ever able to prove Estelle¡¯s theory.


    ~~~


    Stryg had found the book interesting, yet the ending was disappointing. Another mystery with no explanation. The concept of void mana was fascinating, albeit unlikely. Either way, Stryg supposed it was best if void mana did not exist. If for nothing else, then simply for Estelle¡¯s most important entry of all.


    ¡°Many of my fellow mages call me a liar, a fraud. I do not believe that I am, but I do hope I am. Void mana is the most aggressive ethereal energy I have ever encountered. It does not absorb and mix with other energy like chromatic mana does. Void energy rips apart everything in its wake, leaving nothing behind. I have found that simply standing in the silver pond for a few minutes has left my body weakened, beyond the loss of my mana.¡±


    ¡°I feel as if my life is being slowly drained the longer I stay here. My colleagues feel the same. The trees and grass around are all dead, there is no life near the pond. This is not like death mana. Elemental death mana congregates around the dead, it does not take life, it only follows the departure of it. Void mana however takes life and gives nothing back, not even death mana surrounds this area. These facts all lead me to believe void mana is incredibly dangerous and I¡¯d even go so far as to say unnatural.¡±


    ¡°My research is all purely hypothetical, of course. But, if by any chance, there existed a creature born of void mana, I shudder to think of what its existence could entail for the Null Realms. I do sincerely hope I am wrong.¡±


    ~Estelle Oakenheart

 Chapter 206: Diverse Training

    Chapter 206: Diverse Training


    The sounds of steel clashing and the scuffle of dirt rang through the training courtyard. Stryg swung his sword in a wide arc at Gian Gale¡¯s legs. The elder vampire danced away with little effort, evading the swing altogether. Stryg refused to let up, he dashed at the vampire and attacked with three quick thrusts. Gian raised his longsword and batted the blade away with the edge of his sword.


    Stryg vaulted in the air and sliced his blade down at Gian¡¯s shoulder. The vampire spun around, Stryg¡¯s blade cutting only air. He landed in a roll, kicked off the ground and turned to face Gian. The flat of the vampire¡¯s sword smacked his shoulders, Stryg stumbled over and fell to his knees.


    ¡°Your footwork is still lacking,¡± Gian noted. ¡°Before you try and attack your enemy, make sure you don¡¯t leave yourself open for a counter-attack.¡±


    Stryg dusted off his pants, picked up his sword, and stood up. ¡°What if I just kill my opponent in one hit?¡±


    ¡°That is wishful thinking. In war you must always consider the worst possible outcomes, only then can you prepare against them. Always be prepared for the worst, no matter your opponent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just too fast,¡± Stryg muttered. If only I was a bit stronger, I could close the gap, he thought.


    Stryg recalled the extraordinary strength he had mustered when he threw the log off Freya during their mock escort exam or when he attacked the vampiress who had backstabbed Clypeus.


    That strength was gone now and Stryg wasn¡¯t sure how he had done it. If he could just remember that feeling of strength, perhaps he might regain it. Maybe then he might be able to beat this old man.


    ¡°Physical strength isn¡¯t your problem,¡± Gian said as if he read his mind.


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The reason you can¡¯t land a hit on me; it isn¡¯t for lack of strength nor speed. It¡¯s because of your form. You rely too much on your own physical abilities and too little on your actual technique. You always focus on the attack, never on your defense. Now that may work against some bandits, but it makes you predictable to any well-trained swordsman.¡±


    ¡°So what do you suggest?¡± Stryg sighed.


    Gian raised his index finger, ¡°When it comes to training, the quick way is often the path to failure. Stop trying to force yourself to become better. Instead, focus on mastering the basics of your sword form; when you¡¯ve managed to do that, your muscles will follow through with your technique. Then you will be ready.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Ready for what?¡±


    Gian brandished his longsword in an unfamiliar pattern, the blade flitted through the air with blinding speed. Stryg tried to keep track of Gian¡¯s sword, but he lost sight of the blade in the flourish of steel. That was when he saw it, a faint blue shimmer circling around Gian.


    Gian suddenly stopped still in his movements, his longsword aimed downwards, the tip hovering two inches above the dirt floor. The sword had not touched the ground, yet there was a clear cut left on the dirt.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Stryg yelled excitedly. He crouched on the floor and studied the sliced soil. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a spell like that! Was that some kind of wind spell?¡±


    ¡°I am not a chromatic yellow,¡± Gian smirked.


    ¡°Then what spell-form was that?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a spell.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Not all power comes from chromatic mana or mana at all. Your sheer abnormal strength is a testament to that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Gian sheathed his blade, ¡°Tell me, what is chromatic mana exactly?¡±


    ¡°Ethereal energy?¡±


    ¡°And is the term chromatic mana and ethereal energy interchangeable?¡±


    ¡°Well, no.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because there are kinds of ethereal energy. Like elemental mana.¡±


    Gian snapped his fingers, ¡°Precisely.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What are you saying exactly? You just used some other kind of mana?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing so unprecedented,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re a chromatic grey, right?¡±


    ¡°Among others, yes,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Besides trying to absorb mana through a drain spell, what does a grey mage mainly try to absorb?¡±


    ¡°...Lifeforce?¡±


    Gian smiled, ¡°Such an interesting term, lifeforce. Tell me, can you see lifeforce?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°And yet it flows through our bodies, just like mana.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes widened, ¡°It¡¯s ethereal energy.¡±


    ¡°One that every living creature has,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying everyone can cast lifeforce spells?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± Gian scratched his beard. ¡°For one thing, they aren¡¯t spells. A spell is an act of transforming mana, an ethereal energy, into a physical manifestation.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not a spell, but it¡¯s still a kind of magic?¡±


    ¡°In a way, though no one really calls it magic.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Magic is the act of transforming ethereal energy into a new physical substance, like transforming orange mana into fire. What I just did right now instead was give lifeforce physical properties, it is still an ethereal energy.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Stryg¡¯s pupil¡¯s widened with interest.


    ¡°Well, you see, unlike mana, lifeforce, if used properly, can gain physical properties. Lifeforce energy can become as tough as steel or as sharp as a blade. Some individuals can even use their lifeforce to help extend their own lifespan. It¡¯s not eternal longevity, not even close, but it does help.¡±


    Stryg stared at the elder vampire with newfound curiosity, ¡°Gian¡­ are you?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The elder vampire winked, ¡°I¡¯m a bit older than I look.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of any of this lifeforce stuff before?¡±


    ¡°Because manipulating one¡¯s lifeforce is incredibly difficult. Not to mention the knowledge and techniques required to manipulate lifeforce energy are very rare. Fortunately, Gale Style Swordsmanship has learned and created several lifeforce techniques throughout the last thousand years.¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand why people from all around the Ebon Realm try so desperately to learn swordsmanship from House Gale.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gian laughed. ¡°Though they almost all get rejected.¡±


    ¡°But you accepted me. Why?¡±


    Gian smiled half-heartedly, ¡°You¡¯re a special case. Let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡±


    Stryg twisted his lips, but nodded reluctantly. ¡°So, can all Gales use these lifeforce spells?¡±


    ¡°We call them techniques and no, they can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You refuse to teach your own tribe members?¡±


    ¡°First of all, I rarely teach anyone. I usually leave the training to my family¡¯s younger masters. Secondly, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t teach them, it¡¯s just that lifeforce manipulation is very difficult. You¡¯d have to be a swordmaster before you can begin training in such techniques.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°So Cly was able to use those techniques? He never told me.¡±


    Gian sighed, ¡°Clypeus was a bit of an exception. The boy was a sword prodigy. He became a swordmaster when he was only 17. Most swordsmen train their whole lives for that title and still don¡¯t achieve it.¡±


    Gian smiled bitterly, ¡°Little Cly really was brilliant. But he didn¡¯t use lifeforce techniques.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Stryg tilted his head. ¡°It seems like a skill any warrior would want.¡±


    ¡°Although Cly learned the foundations of the Gale Style, he diverged from the master sword-forms.¡± Gale pulled out his sword, ¡°Our style focuses on using a longsword in a defensive manner. Cly always preferred a more aggressive fighting style.¡±


    ¡°He fought with two short swords¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Yes, he wanted to carve out his own path, his own style. I understand why you two got along so well,¡± Gian smiled. ¡°Still, I suggest you stick to my teachings and try not to diverge into your own sword style. It takes dozens of years to develop a proper fighting style and that¡¯s for a sword genius.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a sword genius?¡± Stryg smiled wryly.


    ¡°No,¡± he smirked. ¡°You are talented, however. With enough practice and patience, you may one day just become a great swordsman.¡±


    ¡°And learn lifeforce spells?¡±


    ¡°Techniques. And yes. But first, you must master the basic forms. If you can do that then we can talk more about such techniques.¡±


    Stryg nodded. His frustration was gone, now he was just excited to learn. ¡°Give me a few months, I¡¯ll master the basic forms. Then you can teach me the important stuff.¡±


    ¡°Try more like a few years,¡± Gian chuckled. ¡°And the basic forms are important.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Stryg said lightly. He lifted his sword and went through the motions of the first basic form.


    Gian walked around Stryg, inspecting the goblin¡¯s form, ¡°Remember, swordsmanship cannot replace your mage training. Though if you manage to implement both into your arsenal, your opponents will truly fear you.¡±


    The training courtyard¡¯s gate creaked open. Elzri Noir walked in, his white robes immaculate as ever.


    ¡°Stryg, it¡¯s time for your orange training,¡± Elzri called out.


    ¡°It seems we have run out of time for today,¡± Gian said to Stryg. ¡°Keep practicing on your own whenever you have a break. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, teacher,¡± Stryg bowed low.


    Gian walked past the drow arch-mage and nodded, ¡°Lord Noir.¡±


    ¡°Lord Gale,¡± Elzri nodded. He watched cautiously as Gian left the courtyard.


    And right there is another reason why it was a good decision to lie about last year¡¯s incident, Elzri thought.


    Stryg walked over, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Gian was a lord.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not. He refused both the war and mage lord titles years ago,¡± Elzri said. But that doesn¡¯t make him any less dangerous, he thought. ¡°I simply call him lord out of respect.¡±


    ¡°Huh, he¡¯s stronger than I thought,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    Strong? Gian Gale? The most deadly individual in House Gale? The main reason no one dares threaten House Veres? ¡°Strong¡± was the understatement of the year. Elzri shrugged, ¡°Yes, Lord Gian prefers to stay in the background. He tends to stay to himself.


    Which is why it unnerved Elzri that Gian Gale had offered to train Stryg. Did the elder vampire perhaps know that something was off with about last year¡¯s incident? Did he suspect foul play? Was he here to look more into the death of Clypeus Gale? Elzri wasn¡¯t sure, but he needed to be careful.


    ¡°Master Loh is the one who teaches me orange magic. So what am I really learning today?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I was thinking of teaching you red magic,¡± Elzri said, ¡°but your potion spells are horrendous, and your ward spells seem to be progressing very well even with very little instruction from me. So I think we¡¯ll practice yellow magic today.¡±


    ¡°The wind spell-form?¡± Stryg asked, excited.


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s start with your durability spells for now. The usual routine, full-body durability scales for two minutes, then rotate and focus on hardening the scales on one area at a time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he nodded with a sigh.


    Stryg sat down on the dirt cross-legged and closed his eyes. Yellow mana flowed from his heart and coursed through his body. The burn of the body-enhancement magic itched through his muscles. A faint outline of yellow scales flared to life over his skin.


    Elzri watched over him. ¡°Now keep it up for two minutes.¡±


    Stryg nodded subtly.


    The boy really was a genius mage, Elzri admitted to himself. He had taken to yellow and white magic like a fish to water. Stryg¡¯s magical skills had continued to grow at a rapid pace these past few months. The boy had a thirst to improve that was second to none.


    It was remarkable, really. Elzri would push the boy harder and Stryg would meet each challenge with furious determination. Stryg didn¡¯t break, nor did he complain. All Stryg asked for was to learn more and Elzri obliged.


    Recently, Stryg had been obsessed with learning how to fly after he heard of Elzri¡¯s own flight capabilities. Unfortunately, flight magic was part of yellow¡¯s wind spell-form, and only master mages were capable of it. Stryg was growing in power, but he was not a master. Worse, if Stryg were a master he¡¯d still be unable to cast a flight spell.


    Elzri had recently weighed Stryg and the boy¡¯s weight was ludicrous, measuring at about 420 pounds. A master yellow mage could barely lift themselves up, let alone carry the weight of three people. Stryg would have to at least be a high-master to achieve that feat and that was only if he stopped growing. Elzri had no idea when the boy¡¯s growth spurt would end.


    For now, Elzri simply deemed it best not to say anything about flight magic to Stryg.


    The courtyard door slammed open. Loh stormed in, her face livid with anger.


    ¡°Your training time with Stryg is in an hour,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°What¡¯s with this bullshit about godparents?¡± Loh snarled.


    I was wondering when you¡¯d finally hear about that, Elzri thought.


    ¡°Master?¡± Stryg opened his eyes.


    ¡°Stryg is training, let¡¯s not bother him,¡± Elzri said. A faint red glow surrounded his fingertips. He wrote a quick ward spell of silence around himself and Loh.


    ¡°There, now what we say will stay between us,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Loh crossed her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bullshit as you so eloquently put it, I named Stryg my godson a few weeks ago,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°What the fuck?! Are you kidding me!¡± Loh screamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the title is honorary,¡± Elzri said. ¡°You are still my heir, that will not change.¡±


    She laughed angrily, ¡°You think that¡¯s what I care about? Being your heir? I won¡¯t let you mold Stryg into some weapon for your agenda. He doesn¡¯t deserve the treatment you put me through as your apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Stryg is molding himself. He wants to be the most powerful mage he can be and I am simply giving him the tools. As for treatment? Stryg has excelled in every test I¡¯ve given him, there have been no complaints, even when he ended up bruised bloody. All because he understands what is at stake, power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you poison his mind,¡± she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t your son.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I told you it¡¯s honorary. We need Stryg to be bonded to House Noir as much as possible. I would have arranged a marriage between you both if he wasn¡¯t a hybrid.¡±


    ¡°You fucker!¡± Loh snapped.


    Elzri raised his hand, ¡°But I also understand you don¡¯t have feelings for him. I respect that, as hard as that may be for you to believe. You two seem closer to siblings than anything. That¡¯s why I named Stryg my godson instead. Him being an honorary son of House Noir will help all of us in the future, including Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± she frowned.


    ¡°You know exactly why,¡± he said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m doing what¡¯s best for Stryg and this family.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Loh turned around and walked outside the silence wards.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Elzri muttered to himself. ¡°So long as they¡¯re all safe.¡±

 Chapter 207: The Girl from Dullwater

    Chapter 207: The Girl from Dullwater


    The sun was beginning to set when Loh finally made her way back to the Scholar District. She had spent the entire day in the Trade and Commoner Districts, helping the families of soldiers who had been quietly discarded by Elzri to keep the true cause of Loh''s brother¡¯s death secret.


    It was exhausting trying to keep her identity secret while helping the commoner families, but so far she had managed. There weren¡¯t many families left on her mental list, soon she¡¯d at least be able to bring them some peace and resolution for their fallen loved ones.


    As Loh reached the Academy of Magic¡¯s front gate, she spotted a young woman standing there. The human girl held a basket between her hands.


    Loh squinted, ¡°Louise?¡±


    The young woman brushed her sandy hair aside and looked over, ¡°Miss Loh!¡±


    ¡°I thought that was you,¡± Loh grinned. ¡°Why are you standing out here? It gets cold in the evening.¡±


    Louise glanced at the gate¡¯s guards, ¡°I came to see you, but the guards didn¡¯t let me through. So I waited for you.¡±


    Loh glared at the guards who withered under her stare, ¡°I instructed all the guards to let a ¡®Louise from Dullwater¡¯ through if she ever came by.¡±


    ¡°S-she¡¯s dressed in simple commoner clothing,¡± one of the guards stuttered. ¡°We didn¡¯t think sh-¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll deal with you two later,¡± Loh snapped. ¡°Louise, I¡¯m sorry about them. How long have you been waiting out here?¡±


    Louise scratched her cold rosy cheeks, ¡°Um, since around noon, I think?¡±


    Oh, the horrible things I will do to you two, Loh thought as she stared at the trembling guards.


    Loh turned to Louise and noticed her shivering red fingers, ¡°You must be freezing. Let¡¯s go inside, I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I can¡¯t stay for long,¡± Louise shook her head.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯ve been out here all this time, sorry,¡± Loh said bitterly. ¡°So, what brings you all the way to Hollow Shade? Have you finally decided to try your hand at professional baking? I can help you find an apprenticeship as I promised.¡±


    Louise grinned, ¡°Actually, I already found an apprenticeship. She may not be the best baker in Hollow Shade, but she¡¯s kind and she knows what she¡¯s doing. The best part is I found and got the apprenticeship all by myself.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Loh blinked. ¡°Well, congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I just came here to let you know that I did it. I¡¯m pursuing my dream. I wanted to say thank you, for helping give me the courage to get out of Dullwater once and for all.¡± Louise winked, ¡°The gold helped of course.¡±


    You didn¡¯t need my help. You would have gotten out of that place one way or another, Loh thought. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but you earned that gold fair and square, you''re an amazing storyteller.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that last part,¡± Louise chuckled. ¡°Oh! I forgot, there was one other reason I came here.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Louise reached into her basket and pulled out a blueberry muffin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much,¡± Louise said nervously. ¡°I bet you can find a hundred better kinds of muffins in the Villa District¡¯s bakeries. I made this one myself... my teacher thought it tasted good.¡±


    Loh didn¡¯t need to hear another word, she grabbed the muffin and bit into it without a second thought.


    Louise winced, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s cold. It was warm when I came here, but, well it''s been a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s good,¡± Loh closed her eyes and savored each bite.


    ¡°Really?¡± Louise asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Miss Noir, you shouldn¡¯t eat that!¡± one of the guards yelled.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s poisonous!?¡± the other guard panicked.


    ¡°Get a grip,¡± Loh rolled her eyes. ¡°I trust this woman, she wouldn¡¯t try to hurt me. I¡¯m getting tired of you two though. Go find your replacements for the next shift.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Miss Noir,¡± the guards bowed and ran off.


    ¡°I¡¯d never try to poison you,¡± Louise said, frightened.


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Loh said between bites. You¡¯re too kind to ever poison someone. And my grandfather has helped build up my resistance to poisons ever since I was a child, but no need to bring that up, she thought.


    Loh finished the muffin and licked her fingers, ¡°Mm, now I¡¯m hungry. Do you wanna go catch some dinner?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I should get going,¡± Louise bowed. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Undead sentinels will be crawling through the streets soon. Even with an iron name-plate I still don¡¯t feel very safe.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about sentinels when you¡¯re with me, I promise,¡± Loh smiled confidently.


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Louise looked up at the setting sun with uncertainty.


    ¡°How much of Hollow Shade have you seen so far?¡± Loh asked. ¡°There are tons of different restaurants, with all kinds of different cuisine that will blow you away. I guarantee you¡¯ll love it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll even let you pick, and believe me I don¡¯t do that often,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°...Why?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Louise looked her in the eyes, ¡°Tell me why you want me to come with you and I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Loh laughed and shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, why else? I mean, I have to admit it¡¯s nice to eat with a pretty girl. And I think that goes for both of us, am I right?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Thank you, but I should get going.¡±


    Louise turned and walked away.


    Loh raised her hand, ¡°Wait! Just wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Loh bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat alone.¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She slowly walked back and wrapped Loh¡¯s arm around her own. ¡°...Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Loh sighed with relief. ¡°Great,¡± she whispered.


    ~~~


    The streets grew more crowded as they neared the Villa District. Various merchants and aristocrats, ranging from humble Houses to wealthy Great Houses, walked down the night streets.


    ¡°It¡¯s so lively at night,¡± Louise said. ¡°The Commoner District is so different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, people around here don¡¯t really have any need to worry about sentinels here,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± she muttered in wonderment.


    ¡°~Sooo~ What have you been up to? Besides baking of course.¡±


    ¡°Well, after you left Dullwater, the villagers and I went looking for my uncle. He had disappeared, you see.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Right, I forgot about that?¡± Loh swallowed. ¡°So, where was he anyway?¡±


    Louise rubbed her eyes, ¡°It took two days, but we found his body out in one of the fields. His body had been torn to shreds by some animals, we think maybe a valley lion got him. He probably wandered off into fields in one of his drunken moments... There wasn¡¯t much left when we found him, but we buried what we could.¡±


    Dammit, Stryg, you brilliant fucking savage, Loh thought wryly. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be angry that Stryg killed Louise¡¯s uncle or happy that he was so good at hiding it.


    Loh cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, from what I remember you hated him, threatened to kill him even,¡± she said bitterly.


    ¡°Nonetheless, I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± she squeezed Louise¡¯s hand.


    ¡°...Thanks,¡± she wiped her eyes. ¡°After my uncle died I stayed with my aunt for a while, to make sure she was okay. Once I thought she¡¯d be alright I made my way here, to the City of Shades.¡±


    ¡°Must have been quite the change,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°It was and it was also difficult. When I first arrived I tried looking for my ex-fiance, Witt. You know, I think his parents knew he was dumb so they named him Witt in the hopes that it might change his fate.¡±


    ¡°Well, seeing as he left you, it clearly didn¡¯t.¡±


    Louise chuckled, ¡°Yeah, I guess not. I eventually gave up looking for him, the city is too big. Now I¡¯m just focused on becoming a master baker. One day I hope to open up my own shop.¡±


    ¡°Please, let me know when you do. I¡¯ll be your first customer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Louise smiled.


    As they chatted and walked through the busy streets, the people froze at the sight of Loh. They bowed repeatedly and quickly moved out of her way. It was as if an invisible shield protected the two of them from the crowds.


    ¡°Okay, I know you¡¯re an aristocrat and all, but why is everyone acting this way?¡± Louise asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s my cloak,¡± Loh lifted the edge of her white cloak. ¡°You see the sigil on the back?¡±


    ¡°You mean those black flames?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the symbol of House Noir, one of the Seven Ruling Houses of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Ruling House?¡± Louise¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So you¡¯re actually a really important scary aristocrat?¡±


    ¡°Only when I want to be,¡± she winked.


    Louise bumped her shoulder with her own, ¡°If they only knew you, they¡¯d know you¡¯re not scary at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Loh batted her eyes. ¡°Then what am I?¡±


    Louise stopped in her steps, turned, and looked at Loh, really looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re quick to anger, impatient, and a bit of a drunk.¡±


    ¡°No, please, tell me what you really think,¡± Loh smirked.


    Louise stepped close until their faces were merely an inch apart, ¡°...You¡¯re confident. You have this air about you like you¡¯d command whatever room you¡¯d enter with ease. People must admire the brave, dashing person you put on display.¡±


    Louise smiled ruefully, ¡°But you¡¯re lonely. And even though you¡¯re hurting, you won¡¯t ever admit it, to anyone, will you?¡±


    Loh swallowed and licked her lips, ¡°...You got all that from just a look?¡±


    Louise stepped away and glanced at the crowds, going about their evenings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Loh, I¡¯ll keep you company, at least for tonight.¡±


    Loh reached out for the young woman¡¯s hand, hesitated, and faltered. ¡°And after that?¡± she asked quietly.


    Louise breathed out heavily, ¡°Who knows? That¡¯s for us to find out.¡± She didn¡¯t look back at Loh, but she reached out anyway and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Loh smiled.


    ~~~


    Doctor and mage adept, Lucy, knocked on the door with the tip of her foot.


    ¡°Come in,¡± came the voice from the other side.


    Lucy fiddled with the doorknob as best she could, both her hands were busy carrying half a dozen books each. After a few fumbling tries, the knob¡¯s lock clicked and the door swung open.


    Maeve stood at the center of the room, her fingertips glowing with a soft red light. Red ward sigils floated around her in a half-formed spell.


    ¡°Good evening, Lady Mora,¡± Lucy bowed her head.


    ¡°Hey, Dr. Lucy, just in time, I needed a break,¡± Maeve smiled with relief.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Your sigils¡¯ end strokes are still too long and half your beginning strokes have curls for some reason.¡±


    The women turned to the owner of the lecturing voice; a young man sat at Maeve¡¯s desk reading a book. His blue skin suggested a northern drow, but his slit pupil eyes and strange color irises suggested otherwise.


    Lucy still didn¡¯t know what to make of him. All she knew was that he was a talented 3rd-year at the Academy of Magic. He wasn¡¯t a chromatic red, but he seemed incredibly knowledgeable in the arcane language, a necessary skill in red¡¯s ward spells.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Stryg,¡± Maeve groaned. ¡°I¡¯ve been writing these stupid sigils for two hours non-stop. My fingertips are burning.¡±


    ¡°Signs of overheating from excessive use of mana,¡± Lucy inferred.


    ¡°She can go a little longer,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think I can,¡± Maeve wiggled her fingers in the air.


    ¡°Stop being a baby,¡± he said.


    ¡°A little rest can¡¯t hurt,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°You should listen to her, she¡¯s a doctor,¡± Maeve nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Maeve fist-pumped the air. ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    She walked over to her desk, grabbed her decanter, and poured out a glass of wine. She nudged Stryg¡¯s arm away and sat down on his lap.


    Maeve sipped her glass and sighed in satisfaction, ¡°Much better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever, you lazy vampire,¡± Stryg rested his chin on her shoulder and went back to reading his book.


    ¡°Lazy!?¡± Maeve pouted. ¡°I literally work all day, managing my House¡¯s businesses and keeping my workers safe. Then I come home and I gotta practice the stupid arcane language for hours each night.¡±


    ¡°And you still haven¡¯t improved much,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Easy for you to say, you¡¯re just reading a book.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m studying for my exam next week. Professor Rime is an ass, but he won¡¯t bother me if I ace all his assignments and exams. Which I am and will.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who that is,¡± Maeve muttered.


    ¡°Just another stone to be stepped on and past.¡±


    ¡°You really have a beautiful way with words don¡¯t you?¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Says the girl who can¡¯t even spell a single word correctly.¡±


    ¡°In the arcane language! And it¡¯s not my fault this language is so damn difficult.¡±


    ¡°Stop making excuses for your ineptitude.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°You already did that, multiple times.¡±


    Maeve leaned back and looked at him, ¡°You know, sometimes I just want to bite that stupid calm expression off your face.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± he licked her lips and kept reading indifferently.


    Maeve rolled her eyes and took another swig of her drink.


    Lucy found herself staring at the petite vampiress sitting in the hybrid¡¯s lap. She had never seen Maeve so vexed, yet so relaxed. What an odd sight.


    Lucy put her books down on a nearby table and glanced at the duo. She wasn¡¯t certain why this Stryg person was helping Maeve, though the two clearly shared an intimate bond. To what extent? Lucy didn¡¯t know. She had asked Maeve, but the merchant princess refused to answer the exact nature of her relationship with the blue hybrid.


    ¡°I brought the books regarding chromatic red¡¯s potions you had asked for, Lady Mora,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll need them,¡± Maeve said. ¡°For all his talk, this guy doesn¡¯t know anything about potion spells. I guess I¡¯m not the only inept one here.¡±


    Stryg stiffened. He closed his book and put it aside.


    ¡°You know,¡± Stryg wrapped his arms around Maeve and nestled his mouth over the crook of her neck. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have a drink now too.¡±


    ¡°You really are a greedy one aren¡¯t you?¡± Maeve rolled her eyes.


    Lucy backed away to the door, ¡°I just remembered I had something to do, yeah, um, I¡¯ll come back later, yup, so, uh, bye.¡±


    Lucy slammed the door shut.

 Chapter 208: Secrets And Goals

    Chapter 208: Secrets And Goals


    Stryg gasped and opened his eyes. He threw himself forward and sat up. His blue skin was covered in sweat and chills ran through his back. He was in bed, naked, save for the silver bracelet that Loh had gifted him. The moonlight drifted into the room with a soft silver fade.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, good,¡± Maeve said. ¡°I was beginning to get worried.¡±


    Maeve sat in a tall red velvet chair, reading a book.


    Stryg clenched his eyes shut and took a slow breath, ¡°...We¡¯re in your room?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think you were having a nightmare,¡± she said reluctantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you, on account that you might accidentally claw me open or something.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°...You wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°The nightmare. Only if you want to, of course. I know how bad nightmares can be,¡± she said sympathetically.


    The sight of Clypeus¡¯ bloodied body crumpled on the ground flashed through Stryg¡¯s mind. He smiled ruefully, ¡°Just old memories, nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. I¡¯m here if you ever want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    Stryg got up and looked around for his clothes, they were strewn about the floor. He shimmied into his underwear and pants.


    ¡°Have you seen my shirt?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping it,¡± Maeve said casually.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I like the smell,¡± she shrugged.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°You like the smell of a piece of cloth?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± she smiled wryly.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he threw his jacket on. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a vampire, we generally prefer to sleep during the day. When I went to the Academy of Merchants I had to wake up at dawn. Not the case anymore.¡± Maeve grinned, ¡°Being a Merchant Lady has its perks.¡±


    Stryg walked over to her


    ¡°So what is the beautiful Lady Mora reading tonight?¡±


    ¡°Just some boring trade logs about one of my ships¡¯ latest cargo,¡± she groaned. ¡°Being a Merchant Lady also has its setbacks.¡±


    Stryg leaned on the armchair and hovered over her, ¡°Your neck...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to drink more blood, you¡¯re gonna bleed me dry,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Not that,¡± Stryg removed the bandages around her neck.


    Two red pinpricks stained her otherwise unblemished skin.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked with a hint of suspicion and curiosity.


    ¡°Hold still for a sec,¡± he raised his hand.


    A soft white light poured out of his fingertips and blended over her neck. The two pinpricks slowly disappeared, leaving the skin spotless of any injuries.


    Stryg stepped back, ¡°Better?¡±


    Maeve rubbed her neck and stared at him, wide-eyed, ¡°...You¡¯re a white mage?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret I prefer to keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Maeve? I need you to keep this between us.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, for sure. Sorry, it¡¯s just I¡¯m still trying to get my head around the fact that you¡¯re a penta-manifold mage. The more I learn about you the more I¡¯m beginning to understand why you''re the famed Loh Noir¡¯s apprentice.¡± Maeve raised her thin eyebrow, ¡°Are you hiding any other secrets from me that I should know about?¡±


    I¡¯m actually a prime mage. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. You really like Loh, huh?¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Maeve winced with a bashful grin.


    ¡°You talk about her often, along with Gale and a few others.¡±


    ¡°I mean yeah, they¡¯re some of the best mage duelists out there. Or at least Loh was, she¡¯s retired now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, she spends most of her time training me or teaching the 1st-years nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Maybe one day you can introduce us?¡± Maeve batted her eyes playfully.


    ¡°I thought you two already met, back at Mora Castle?¡±


    Her shoulders slumped, ¡°Not much of an introduction. My father antagonized you and Loh threatened to kill my entire family.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I forgot about that.¡±


    Maeve closed her book, ¡°You¡¯ve never been to one of the dueling matches have you?¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°I never found the time. I would rather train than watch others fight for sport.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so boring. As per the rules of the friendship code of honor it is my duty to help you get out of those stuffy academy grounds once in a while. When you¡¯ve got some time I¡¯ll take you to one of the dueling matches, a few are coming up soon.¡± Maeve clapped her hands, ¡°You should see the stadium! When all the crowds are there, chanting the duelist¡¯s name, it¡¯s one of the most incredible things you¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    ¡°Sounds annoying,¡± Stryg muttered and pointed at his ears.


    ¡°Oh, right. Sensitive hearing,¡± she winced. ¡°Maybe some other time then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be busy for a while.¡±


    ¡°Lemme guess, training? Why are you training so much anyway?¡±


    Stryg clenched and opened his fist, ¡°I have plans, goals.¡±


    Maeve walked to her bedside table and poured herself a drink, ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°One of my simpler goals is to qualify for the Great Cities Tourney,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°You want to be one of Hollow Shade¡¯s four contestants!?¡± Maeve yelled.


    ¡°...Yes?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that, well, Hollow Shade has lost for the past seven years,¡± she grimaced. ¡°Your chances don¡¯t look very great.¡±


    ¡°Time to break the cycle then,¡± he said adamantly.


    ¡°Why do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, besides being outright extremely dangerous, students participate in the tourney for two possible reasons. If you¡¯re an aristocrat, you go because you¡¯re representing your House, and if you win you bring honor and glory to your family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an aristocrat though,¡± he said.


    ¡°Exactly.. Which leads me to the second most common reason. Mages of common birth attend the tourney to show their skills off. Lords and ladies from all four Great Cities will be in the audience, watching the contestants, hoping to scout any promising young mages. But you¡¯re already Loh Noir¡¯s apprentice. You don¡¯t need to be scouted by anyone. So why do you want to go?¡±


    Stryg scratched the tip of his button nose, ¡°Isn¡¯t there some kind of prize for the winners?¡±


    ¡°I mean yeah, but we don''t know what that is. Every year¡¯s prize is different; the host city offers up the prize. No one will know until the tourney begins.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Maeve narrowed her eyes, ¡°Why do you want to go to the tourney?¡±


    Stryg looked out the window and stared up at the silver crescent moon, ¡°...I want to prove, no, I need to know that I¡¯m capable of standing at the top.¡±


    ¡°...Is being powerful that important to you?¡±


    Stryg turned and faced her, ¡°If it means I can protect the ones close to me, if it means I can keep them close, then yes.¡±


    Maeve grabbed his hand, ¡°Stryg¡­ Power doesn¡¯t work that way. My father was a merchant lord and he still lost everything.¡±


    ¡°Your father was weak,¡± he said coldly. ¡°All his power came from others. When it came time for him to stand alone, he lost. I won¡¯t be the same.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Maeve said sadly. ¡°But even the gods have followers. No one can stand on their own, not really. We all need help sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    ¡°As your friend, a close friend at that,¡± Maeve smirked. ¡°I suggest you find yourself a hobby, something outside of magic. Clear your head a bit.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°Come on, you know I¡¯m right. It¡¯s pretty sad that your only reason to attend the tourney is to beat up a bunch of 20-year-olds. Although, if you do, I will definitely be there to watch it happen,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason I¡¯m going,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone over there I want to meet, I haven¡¯t seen them in a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°Over there?¡± Maeve furrowed her brow. ¡°The tourney is being held in Undergrowth this year, right? Who do you know in the City of Thorns?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter, I guess,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Is this ¡®someone¡¯ a girl by any chance?¡± she asked smugly.


    ¡°Why does that matter?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°~Oh nothing~ Nothing at all,¡± Maeve skipped away. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some breakfast, you coming?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± he broke into a grin.


    ~~~


    Stryg sat cross-legged in his private mediation dome on campus. Perhaps private wasn¡¯t the right word. More like every student who came in would leave once they noticed Stryg was there. It seemed he had inadvertently created a reputation of fear among the students throughout the years. Not that he minded, fear was a form of power, and one he would gladly use.


    Last night with Maeve had been a welcomed respite, but today had been a long day of training with the dwarf Cornelius Rotrusk, his chromatic brown and green teacher. Stryg closed his eyes and walked through the training regiment in his mind.


    Cornelius had explained that chromatic colors were a mix of dominant and recessive spell-forms. Brown had two dominant spell-forms, while green had a dominant and a recessive. Recessive spell-forms were when the bonded elemental mana superseded the chromatic mana, such as elemental fire mana creating orange¡¯s flame magic. A dominant spell-form was the opposite, wherein the chromatic mana superseded the effects of the elemental mana, such as orange¡¯s agility magic.


    Way back at the beginning of summer, Cornelius had offered to train Stryg in enchantment spells, since Stryg was already so advanced in the arcane language. Enchantment spells were the fusion of elemental creation mana and chromatic brown mana, a very lucrative spell-form from what Freya Goldelm had told him.


    Stryg was excited to learn, but he quickly refused when he learned that crafting enchanted objects usually took days to months, sometimes even years. He didn¡¯t have that kind of time to waste, he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Enchantment spells would have to wait.


    Instead, Cornelius had trained Stryg in brown¡¯s other spell-form, the combination of brown and fire mana, vigor magic. While the progress of his vigor spells was steadily increasing, today Stryg had focused on practicing green¡¯s stone and flora spells.


    Unlike vigor spells, both green spell-forms came very easily to Stryg. He had no problem casting either one. Stone spells shared the earth mana type with yellow¡¯s durability spells and flora spells shared the water mana type with blue¡¯s torrent spells. Since he was already skilled in durability and torrent magic, he wondered if that was why green¡¯s magic came more easily to him?


    Then again, he could cast grey¡¯s curse spells, but he couldn¡¯t cast the simplest of black¡¯s necromancy spells, despite them both sharing death mana. It bothered him how he didn¡¯t understand how any of this truly worked. But as Professor Isemene always said, ¡°That¡¯s why we have meditation domes. To ponder our thoughts and let them run their course.¡±


    Stryg still couldn¡¯t succeed in that particular exercise but here he was, meditating. He¡¯d do whatever it took to achieve his potential.


    The dome¡¯s heavy door swung open with a loud bang. Stryg opened his eyes and was faced with the one person he really didn¡¯t want to see. Sylvie¡¯s tall form loomed over the doorway.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Stryg!¡± she waved. ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, I can join you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t mind if I join you?¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    She grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s heavy footsteps walked across the marble floor until she stood next to him. She sat down, cross-legged, right in front of him. Stryg glanced around the large empty dome pointedly. Sylvie smiled and closed her eyes.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said, annoyed. ¡°There are over a dozen domes like this around campus, some even bigger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard. This academy is awesome!¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Why are you in this dome?¡±


    ¡°Because this is the only dome that has one gruff, blue hybrid,¡± she smiled wide.


    He sighed, ¡°What do you want?¡±

 Chapter 209: To Be Your Friend

    Chapter 209: To Be Your Friend


    Stryg sighed, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°To be your friend,¡± Sylvie admitted.


    He narrowed his lilac eyes, ¡°I thought I already made it clear, I don¡¯t want to be your friend.¡±


    ¡°I know, bu-¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    Sylvie bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯ve been hanging out a lot with your friends recently. They¡¯re all really fun to hang out with, even Freya, and she¡¯s mean half the time. When I¡¯m with them I think to myself, ¡®Wow. This is what it must be like to have friends, to be a part of something bigger than myself...¡¯ I really like this school and I really like our friends.¡±


    ¡°Good for you, now leave me alone,¡± Stryg closed his eyes.


    She smiled weakly, ¡°The thing is, it feels like something is missing. Whenever the gang is hanging out there¡¯s always a dark spot in the room, something that is left unsaid, but everyone understands and keeps quiet, everyone but me. I didn¡¯t get it. Until I realized the missing piece was you.¡±


    No, I¡¯m not the one they¡¯re missing, Stryg thought miserably.


    ¡°I heard from Kitty,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°That you used to drink with her at some tavern all the time, but now she rarely sees you. The others have similar stories, no one really sees you anymore. I didn¡¯t want to bother you, I know your business isn¡¯t my own.¡±


    Then why do you keep bothering me? he thought.


    ¡°But we share the same friends now,¡± she said. ¡°All I want is for everyone to be happy. What I¡¯m trying to say is, I think they¡¯re all worried about you, except maybe Freya, I don¡¯t think she worries about anyone.¡±


    You¡¯re wrong. They¡¯re not worried about me, he thought.


    ¡°So, I, uh, wanted to see if there¡¯s anything I can help with. How¡¯s the saying go? ¡®The friend of my friend is my friend?¡¯¡± Sylvie winked. ¡°Callum told me you¡¯re training for the Great Cities Tourney. I could help you train? I¡¯m actually well versed in duels, my parents made me practice a lot when I was a kid. I¡¯m also a grey mage like you, so we can swap spells and give each other pointers too... I just want to help, if you want me to.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you doing all of this? I doubt the others asked you to,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± she admitted. ¡°But growing up I wish I had someone who would have been there for me when I was struggling. So many people in the academy say to stay away from you, that you¡¯re a bad person, but I think maybe they''re wrong. I think hybrids are misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstood?¡±


    Memories of his childhood flashed in his mind, the names, the ridicules, the beatings he had suffered, all because he was different, the odd goblin.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sylvie nodded. ¡°I know we look different than others. You have no idea how many times I wish I was smaller, not the freakishly tall girl, even when I was a kid. I would have given anything to be small. But I can¡¯t. We¡¯re stuck with who we are and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a bad thing, not really, because we get to choose who we want to be.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet and kept his eyes closed.


    Sylvie cleared her throat, ¡°I didn¡¯t have friends growing up. I didn¡¯t have siblings either. I was alone. But I¡¯m not anymore and that¡¯s my choice. So I¡¯m putting myself out here, asking you, from one vampire-human hybrid to a drow-goblin hybrid, do you want to be my friend?¡±


    ¡°Drow hybrid¡­?¡± he mumbled with a frown.


    ¡°I know we don¡¯t really know each other, but isn¡¯t that how all friendships start?¡± Sylvie laughed awkwardly. ¡°Kitty told me that you used to fight with another friend of yours often, but then you two became best friends. I was hoping maybe we could be like that or something?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes shot open, his fist lashed out. Sylvie¡¯s aurum aegis flared to life, bronze light particles condensing around the attack and shielding her from danger.


    Sylvie jumped back, surprised, ¡°What was that for!?¡±


    Stryg sauntered to his feet, ¡°You think you can just walk into this academy with your idiotic giddy personality and replace Clypeus!? That we will all simply accept you as his replacement?!¡±


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant at all,¡± Sylvie shook her head, panicked.


    ¡°You will NEVER replace Clypeus!¡± Stryg roared. ¡°Clypeus was the best of us.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± Sylvie stiffened. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know he¡­¡±


    Stryg held back his tears and glared at her, ¡°He was a true friend, he didn¡¯t try to force his friendship on others just to feel good about himself.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m trying to do,¡± Sylvie¡¯s voice cracked.


    Stryg stuck out his finger and pointed at her face, ¡°No, you¡¯re just some stupid dire girl, with her head stuck so high up in the clouds that she can¡¯t even see no one fucking wants you! Kegrog is simply friendly to everyone. Freya doesn¡¯t like anyone. And Callum likes to fuck tall women, that¡¯s it, he doesn''t actually care about who you are. But Kitty loves Callum, which means she probably hates you! And if I wasn¡¯t clear enough before, I do not want to be your damn friend!¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s bottom lip trembled, tears slipped down her brown cheeks. She wiped away her tears and swallowed hard, ¡°...I guess the rumors were right, I shouldn¡¯t have come here.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I care about what they think?¡± Stryg snarled. ¡°Do you think I care about what any of those cowards think!?¡±


    A knock rang on the door. Feli¡¯s purple hair popped out through the doorway.


    ¡°Um, am I interrupting something?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Feli? What are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    Feli frowned, ¡°Are you serious? Have you really forgotten?¡±


    ¡°Forgotten what?¡±


    ¡°This is exactly why I came to get you,¡± Feli groaned. ¡°Today¡¯s the new moon, remember? We¡¯re going to celebrate at the Merry Crescent tavern.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, sorry about that,¡± he winced.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this by the way? New friend?¡± Feli asked. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re tall.¡±


    Sylvie sniffed, ¡°I was just leaving, actually. Excuse me.¡±


    Feli stepped aside, the dire hybrid walked by and left.


    ¡°Sooo, should I ask what that was about?¡± Feli said.


    ¡°I rather you didn¡¯t,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ~~~


    ¡°32, 33¡­ 34,¡± Rhian mumbled.


    Lysaila pulled her hood tighter over her head. She really didn¡¯t want to be out here in front of this stupid gate with this stupid centaur and all these stupid students walking by.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Rhian nudged her shoulder. ¡°Do you wanna know what I¡¯m counting?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lysaila muttered.


    ¡°Come on, aren¡¯t you a little bit curious?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you anyway,¡± Rhian said. ¡°I¡¯m counting the number of times people walking by notice your tail hanging out from below your cloak, freak out, and run away.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me this, why exactly?¡± Lysaila grumbled.


    ¡°You know, I bet if you just took off that hood people wouldn¡¯t be so scared of you. You¡¯re really pretty. You could just win them all over with a smile.¡±


    ¡°Why in all the bloody realms would I want to win over any of these idiots?¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s better to have people like you rather than be scared of you?¡±


    ¡°Wrong. Fear is always the stronger tool for leadership. History has proven rulers who are feared reign longer and are attacked less often by rival kingdoms.¡±


    Rhian cocked her head to the side, ¡°Who said anything about rulers? I was talking about friends.¡±


    Lysaila wished the amber gods would just send a lightning bolt to put her out of her misery already. ¡°You think these people, these chromatic species, are your friends?¡±


    ¡°Well, not all of them. But I¡¯ve made a few friends, it was hard, but I did it all by myself,¡± Rhian smiled proudly.


    ¡°I knew you were stupid, I just didn¡¯t realize you were this stupid,¡± Lysaila rolled her indigo eyes.


    Rhian frowned, ¡°I know I¡¯m not the smartest centaur in the world, but I¡¯m not stupid. Everyone needs friends, even someone as tough as you. If people are scared of you, they don¡¯t want to be your friend. I know you don¡¯t like me, I don¡¯t think you like anyone really, but I like you. As far as I¡¯m concerned you¡¯re a part of Ebon Hollow, just like me. So even if you hate me, I¡¯ll have your back lil sis.¡±


    Lysaila looked up at the centaur, confused. She always thought this centaur was just a goofy idiot. Now she realized she was incredibly naive and an idiot.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m younger than you?¡± Lysaila raised an eyebrow. ¡°How old are you anyway? 22, 23?¡±


    Rhian lifted her fingers and began counting quietly to herself, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯m, uh... 18. Yup, that¡¯s right, 18 and three quarters.¡±


    Lysaila glanced at the centaur¡¯s large bust, ¡°You¡¯re only 18?¡±


    ¡°And three quarters.¡± Rhian lifted Lysaila¡¯s hood, ¡°Hmm, let me guess, you¡¯re 16?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 38.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? You¡¯re older than Maximus! But you look younger than me?¡±


    ¡°Lamias have a longer lifespan than centaurs,¡± Lysaila said. ¡°We stay youthful for a longer period of time, all for the sake of fighting efficiency.¡±


    ¡°Fighting efficiency?¡± Rhian furrowed her brow.


    ¡°We were all made for war, Rhiannon,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°All of us were created to serve our masters the Mortem in any way they desired. Don¡¯t you get that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some stories,¡± Rhian mumbled. ¡°But just because beast-kin were made for battle, doesn¡¯t mean we have to follow that order. I¡¯m a show-horse, I like to entertain people, not fight them.¡±


    Lysaila laughed darkly, ¡°Right because that¡¯s what beast-kin escaped the Scarlet Realm for, to live freely in whatever way they want. All beast-kin must be living in paradise by now. Oh, wait, that¡¯s not what happened, you¡¯re kind was captured and enslaved. You may not wear a collar, but you have an owner like all the others.¡±


    Rhian shook her head, ¡°Beast-kin in the Ebon Realm aren¡¯t slaves. We are pets, or oftentimes beasts of burden, sometimes soldiers, but we are not slaves.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gods! Do you hear yourself? Pets? You¡¯re not an animal Rhian.¡±


    ¡°Stryg says we¡¯re all animals.¡±


    ¡°Of course the Mortem would say something so ridiculous. They¡¯re all monsters! The truth is... you''re just Stryg¡¯s slave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Stryg¡¯s slave,¡± Rhian said sternly.


    ¡°Then why do you call him master?¡±


    Rhian tilted her head, ¡°All beast-kin are trained to call the one who buys them ¡®master.¡¯ Stryg told me at some point that I don¡¯t have to call him that though.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you still call him master?¡±


    ¡°Out of habit, I guess¡­ A lot of people call others ¡®master.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Maybe when that person is their teacher or their lord. Stryg is neither to you.¡±


    ¡°Stryg is the chieftain of Ebon Hollow, he might as well be the master of our House,¡± Rhian crossed her arms.


    ¡°Then tell me this. If you wanted to leave Ebon Hollow, Hollow Shade, Dusk Valley itself, right now, would Stryg let you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Rhian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m free to do what I want, Stryg respects my choice whatever that may be. I don¡¯t want to leave, though.¡±


    ¡°Really? And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, because I like my life here. Stryg and Feli are my family, I love them. Why would I want to leave the people I love?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you must have it all figured out, huh?¡± Lysaila nodded. ¡°Except one little thing. We¡¯re beast-kin, we¡¯re not free. Our ancestors thought they could be free when they left the Scarlet Realm, but the truth is none of us are ever free. We aren¡¯t like any of the people walking by. We were born cursed, our sole purpose of existence is to serve. We might as well be puppets of flesh and bone.¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really morbid sometimes. You should relax,¡± Rhian patted her back. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a drink when we get to the tavern.¡±


    ¡°You little¡­¡± Lysaila stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°Tell me, did Stryg ever tell you to stay? That he wanted you to not leave him?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess? I am part of his tribe after all. Plus, I think he has some abandonment issues,¡± Rhian admitted. ¡°But if I really wanted to leave he¡¯d respect my decision.¡±


    ¡°Would he? Then why don¡¯t you leave?¡±


    ¡°I told you already, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Or does Stryg not want you to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying your thoughts aren¡¯t your own,¡± Lysaila pointed at her head. ¡°Stryg is a Mortem mage. He can influence our thoughts, control our very mind and body with a single word. If he doesn¡¯t want you to leave, then you wouldn¡¯t want to either. You have no choice in the matter, you¡¯re just a reflection of his desires and you don¡¯t even realize it.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true! Unlike you, my mind is my own. Stryg¡¯s words don¡¯t have any compulsion over me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you never felt anything weird when Stryg talked to you? Never? Not even once?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± Rhian faltered.


    ¡°And there it is,¡± Lysaila scoffed.


    Rhian shook her head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. Stryg was in danger and I -¡±


    ¡°You felt a need to protect him, no matter the cost?¡±


    Rhian paled, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The Prime Edict are a set of spells entwined into our very being by the Mortem Order. One of the Edict¡¯s main purposes is to ensure the protection of the Mortem. The moment Stryg was placed in danger the Prime Edict within you activated and you went into a hyper-focused state of mind in order to protect your master.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what happened,¡± Rhian mumbled uncertainly.


    Lysaila pointed at her chest, ¡°You think you love Stryg? You don¡¯t. Love cannot be bought, it cannot be taken, it can only be freely given. And you, Rhiannon, are not free.¡±


    Tears welled in the corner of Rhian¡¯s eyes, she glared at Lysaila, ¡°Yes. I. Am.¡±


    The twin heartbeats rang in Lysaila¡¯s ears. The unique sound was easy for her to pick up even in a crowd. Lysaila turned to the front gate. Stryg walked out, Feli right behind him.


    ¡°Rhian? Why is everyone crying today?¡± Feli asked, exasperated.


    Stryg glanced at Rhian¡¯s sad expression and at Lysaila, ¡°What did you do to Rhiannon?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lysaila sneered.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils shrunk to thin blades, ¡°Down.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s body dropped to the floor with a hard thud. She grimaced and tried to stand, to no avail.


    ¡°What did you do to Rhiannon?¡± Stryg asked, his voice hard as steel. Whatever trace of warmth in his countenance was gone.


    Lysaila glanced up at him from the cobblestone floor. ¡°Nothing, you bastard,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Stop breathing,¡± Stryg said apathetically.


    Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened as her lungs exhaled and her throat constricted tight. She clutched at her neck, gasping helplessly.


    ¡°I tolerate you because of our strange bond,¡± Stryg placed his foot over Lysaila¡¯s chest. ¡°But if you fucking lay a finger on my Rhiannon I will not hesitate to protect my tribe.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s face grew red, her eyes darted around wildly. Stryg leaned forward and put pressure on his foot, Lysaila¡¯s sternum creaked with strain. She sputtered wordlessly.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡± Rhian screamed.


    Stryg looked up at her, surprised. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Get off her, now!¡± Rhian stomped the floor.


    Stryg stepped back, an expression of confusion etched on his face. ¡°Breathe,¡± he muttered.


    Lysaila gasped weakly and took a sharp breath. Rhian rushed to her side and helped her up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Rhian mumbled. ¡°Lysaila didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°I thought she made you cry,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t hurt me! And you almost killed her!¡± Rhian cried.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°I... told you, Rhian¡­¡± Lysaila coughed and rubbed her neck. ¡°...They¡¯re all monsters.¡±


    Feli stepped in between them, ¡°It was a mistake, Rhian, a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°No, this was a mistake,¡± Stryg said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have come here. I¡¯m going back to the dome. I need to train.¡±


    ¡°But what about your birthday?¡± Feli bit her lip.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t celebrate my birthday for 18 years. My 20th doesn¡¯t have to be any different.¡± Stryg walked away.


    ¡°But I worked so hard on planning it,¡± Feli whispered.


    Rhian rubbed her eyes and stood up tall, ¡°...Then we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Stryyyg!¡± Rhian screamed. ¡°Are you a Sylvan folk or not!?¡±


    Stryg stopped walking, turned back, and glared at her, ¡°What it that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You told me Sylvan folk are honorable!¡± Rhian galloped up to him. ¡°Feli set up your birthday for you. And you were going to leave anyway? Where is the honor in that? Are you a monster or are you the chieftain of Ebon Hollow?¡±


    Stryg blinked and glanced at Feli, she smiled weakly.


    He looked away, ¡°Sorry, Feli... and thank you, for everything.¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± Feli smiled wryly.


    ¡°So are you coming or not?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°I could use a break¡­¡± He sighed with a smile, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Rhian smiled and nodded to herself. I know you¡¯re not the monster Lysaila says you are. I¡¯ll prove it, no matter what.

 Chapter 210: A Drunk Party

    Chapter 210: A Drunk Party


    The stars in the night sky shone alone among the clouds, the moon was nowhere to be seen. New moons were often dangerous times and some cultures even believed a new moon was a sign of ill-fortune.


    With no moon to shine down on Dusk Valley, the cobblestone streets of Hollow Shade were bereft of light. The average commoner would never dare tread out into the night on a new moon for fear of the undead sentinels lurking in the dark corners.


    Yet the Merry Crescent tavern bustled with drink and laughter on the chilly autumn evening. The smell of various assortments of food and alcohol wafted through the air. The tavern felt alive, warmth reverberated from the dancing party-goers as they cheered their greatest dancer of all; Rhian stood on her hind legs on top of a table. She danced to the music of the minstrels and jumped from one table to another with such ease and grace that one might think she wasn¡¯t a centaur, but a gleeful spirit who had come to visit and bless them with good fortune.


    Captain Rorik Polamtal cheered from the crowds, eager to see Rhian perform another dance. His fellow guards echoed the sentiment and chanted Rhian¡¯s name over and over. Rhian laughed, a light, happy sound, and obliged.


    The warm atmosphere was intoxicating and it spread throughout the tavern, save for a single corner. A cold chill had settled over the private booth, choking whatever warmth had once been there. Few people neared the corner, unconsciously afraid of being pulled into its frigid orbit. At its cold center sat a young man, who had grown so accustomed to the gloom he hadn¡¯t even realized it was his.


    His name was Stryg.


    Stryg watched the party goers with a despondent gaze as he sipped his ale. He searched the crowds for a face that was nowhere to be seen. He had asked Maeve to invite Nora Azol to the party. He knew Maeve couldn¡¯t make it because of work, but he had really hoped Nora would.


    Stryg hadn¡¯t seen her since spring. He heard she had come to the academy once since the incident, on the first day of their 3rd year, a few weeks ago. Nora had gone through her mage evaluation exam and had left right after. Stryg hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to talk to her, to ask her the one question he wanted and the only one he knew she¡¯d never answer.


    Can you ever forgive me?


    ¡°There¡¯s the birthday boy!¡± Loh called out. ¡°What are you doing all the way over here?¡±


    Stryg found himself smiling, a rare occurrence on any day, ¡°Master, you made it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I made it. It¡¯s your birthday.¡± Loh plopped her mug down on the table and sat down with him.


    ¡°Thanks for coming, I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t mention it,¡± she waved her hand. ¡°Hey, Rhian seems to be having fun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°The tables used to break under her weight, so I had to make sure to reinforce all of them with iron bars.¡±


    He stared at Rhian happily dancing across the tavern, ¡°Definitely worth it.¡±


    Loh smiled at the trace of warmth peeking out of his eyes, ¡°...So, how are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    She nudged his shoulder, ¡°How is Stryg of Ebon Hollow holding up?¡±


    ¡°Oh... Training has been hard, I guess, but rewarding. I¡¯m making steady progress.¡±


    Loh twisted her lips in disapproval, ¡°I know that already, I literally train you.¡±


    And steady progress is a gross understatement, she thought.


    ¡°What I meant was, how are you holding up, personally,¡± she asked.


    ¡°...Fine, I suppose. I haven¡¯t been sleeping very well these past few months, but it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± she nodded glumly. ¡°Oh! Before I forget, I brought you a present.¡±


    ¡°Present?¡±


    ¡°One sec,¡± Loh rummaged inside her satchel. ¡°Here it is!¡±


    She pulled out a folded cloth and handed it to Stryg.


    He cocked his head to the side, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you find out for yourself,¡± she grinned.


    He unfolded the gift. In his hands he held a dark blue cloak. A black crescent moon, with grey trees and crimson leaves, on a silver background, had been etched into the back.


    ¡°I noticed you still didn¡¯t have a crest for your tribe,¡± Loh said. ¡°The crest doesn¡¯t have to be permanent though, you can always change it. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure if Sylvan tribes even use crests like Named Houses, but I went ahead with it anyway. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Stryg stared at the cloak and crest, wide-eyed. ¡°These trees¡­ They¡¯re the ashen trees of Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°I hope the seamstress got them right.¡±


    ¡°She did¡­¡± He smiled warmly, the cold icy expression finally breaking apart. ¡°Thank you, I love it.¡±


    Stryg threw the cloak around his shoulders, ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Like a chieftain,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Did you get a cloak too?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°To match with our bracelets,¡± Stryg pointed at his wrist and the silver bracelet inlaid with an amethyst.


    Loh glanced at her own matching bracelet and shook her head with a smile, ¡°No, this is unique. Each drow master gives her apprentice a matching silver bracelet. It symbolizes our bond.¡±


    Stryg pulled the cloak tighter around himself, ¡°Well, I like both gifts. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    ¡°I do have one question.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How did you know to get ashen trees on the cloak? I never told you much about them.¡±


    Loh grinned, ¡°That part was easy. Vulture Woods is infamous for being dangerous and deadly to all who travel there. They say the leaves turn red from all the blood they¡¯ve soaked up from the forest¡¯s victims. Those ashen trees are almost as well-known as Glimmer Grove¡¯s rosen trees.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I was never a fan of our sister forest¡¯s trees,¡± he groaned. ¡°Do you know how easy it is to spot someone in the dark when all the leaves around you are bioluminescent? I still can¡¯t believe there are people stupid enough to live in Glimmer Grove.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore the part where you just called the majority of drow stupid,¡± Loh said wryly. ¡°Besides, not all of Glimmer Grove¡¯s forest is made up of rosen trees.¡±


    ¡°Enough of them are. My people hate Gimmer Grove and its ugly trees.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve heard the stories. Too many Sylvan goblins have strayed too far from Vulture Woods and found themselves in Glimmer Grove. No one ever saw them again. That place is cursed.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know. I quite like it. The rosen trees at night are beautiful, it¡¯s like the sky is glowing with all different hues of pinks, blues, and purples.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Most people I¡¯ve talked to love it.¡±


    ¡°Most people are crazy.¡±


    ¡°Most people would call you crazy.¡±


    Stryg sipped his ale, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll figure it out for myself when I visit Undergrowth.¡±


    He was well aware that the Great City of Undergrowth lay deep in the Glimmer Grove forest. The fact that the Great Cities Tourney was being held in that damned forest bothered him more than he¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll love it. The City of Thorns is beautiful at night,¡± Loh sighed in reminiscence.


    ¡°If you like it so much why don¡¯t you live there?¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°Undergrowth may have their upper society of aristocrats, like here; but in Undergrowth, there is one family that clearly rules over all the rest. The ancient drow family, House Thorn.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°Wait, as in the City of Thorns?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Now you¡¯re beginning to understand the family¡¯s renown. And let¡¯s just say that House Thorn hates all of Hollow Shade¡¯s ruling families.¡±


    Loh shivered, ¡°One thing is visiting, but living there? As a Noir? Too dangerous.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Why does House Thorn hate your family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Loh took a swig of her ale.


    Stryg glanced pointedly around his empty table, ¡°I have time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday party, shouldn¡¯t you be out there mingling with your guests?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like the kind of guy who mingles?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, you don¡¯t look like anyone I know.¡±


    ¡°My point exactly. So?¡±


    Loh leaned back and sighed, ¡°...The last ebon lord was a Thorn. Hollow Shade was founded by the ebon lords, since Lord Thorn was the last one, he essentially ruled all of Hollow Shade. House Thorn was basically the royal family of the city, for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    ¡°Like all the other ebon lords, Lord Thorn died. House Thorn scrambled to remain in power, after all, they were still the most powerful House in the city and they had many loyal subordinate Houses. But six Great Houses led a rebellion. And so began the civil war of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Stryg nodded to himself, ¡°I read a little bit about the civil war in some history books.¡±


    ¡°Then you should know that House Noir and its fellow five Houses were losing,¡± Loh laughed. ¡°We were going to be wiped out. But the human family, House Helene, betrayed House Thorn, and so we managed to drive the Thorns out of the city. House Thorn was forced to flee back to their ancestral home, the Great City of Undergrowth. The Thorns have been there ever since, consolidating their power and recuperating their strength.¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been over 250 years, yet House Thorn hasn''t forgotten what the Seven Ruling Families of Hollow Shade did to them. I don¡¯t think they ever will.¡±


    Stryg stared at his clawed fingers. He understood a grudge, even one that could last through the generations. The orcs had destroyed Lunis 300 years ago and his people had never forgiven them.


    ¡°Master?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Whatever happened to the ebon lords? I¡¯ve barely found any information about them in the academy¡¯s library.¡±


    Loh took another swig of her ale, ¡°They died.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Like everyone else, alone. Best not to question it.¡±


    ¡°...Fine,¡± he conceded.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°So, where¡¯s Feli?¡±


    Stryg glanced at the crowd, ¡°I think she¡¯s arguing with one of the cooks, they got one of the dishes wrong, even though she specifically told them not to make it spicy. I didn¡¯t complain, but Feli knows I don¡¯t like spicy food much.¡±


    ¡°That girl is really incredible,¡± Loh smiled. ¡°She has some nice curves too.¡±


    Stryg stared at his master suspiciously.


    Loh noticed his look and raised her hands in surrender, ¡°Not that I¡¯d ever think of flirting with her. Honest.¡±


    He nodded, satisfied. ¡°How¡¯s that Dullwater girl doing?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Loh¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°That girl you slept with back in Dullwater. I can smell her scent all over you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really creepy you can do that, you know,¡± she narrowed her eyes.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Best not to question it.¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦, little fucker.¡±


    ¡°So, wanna tell me why she¡¯s in Hollow Shade or why you¡¯ve been hanging out with her for the past week?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve known for that long and you didn¡¯t say anything?¡±


    ¡°I usually never do, I don¡¯t really care to.¡±


    ¡°Then why the sudden interest? Hm?¡±


    ¡°I killed her uncle,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Ugh, right, I almost forgot about that,¡± Loh grimaced. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Louise. It seems you did a good job covering up your tracks. She doesn¡¯t suspect anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said.


    Loh stared at him, ¡°You know, I can¡¯t explain it, I really like this girl. But if I told her the truth about what happened to her uncle, she¡¯d probably hate me, she¡¯d definitely hate you.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t lie to her, but if I told her the truth about what happened... on that night, I¡¯d ruin our relationship.¡± Loh swallowed, ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°If you really like this girl, isn''t it obvious?¡± Stryg looked into her eyes, ¡°Lie to Louise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be betraying her trust. The trust of someone who believes in me completely.¡±


    ¡°You already did that the moment you slept with her after she came to the city. What difference does it make now?¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Loh muttered. ¡°But what about doing the right thing?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Right thing for whom?¡±


    Karen walked over to the table, Witt was behind her, ¡°Happy birthday, Stryg!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Karen, how¡¯s the food and drink?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Amazhhing!¡± Witt lifted his mug with an unsteady hand. ¡°Da food here iz sooo much bedder than Dullwadah!¡±


    ¡°Dullwater?¡± Loh frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s had a bit too much to drink,¡± Karen chuckled.


    ¡°...Clearly,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met. I¡¯m Karen, I work as an acolyte at the nearby temple, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Just a friend of the birthday boy,¡± Loh smiled. She preferred not to be the center of attention, especially at her apprentice¡¯s party.


    ¡°Oh, well, nice to meet you,¡± Karen bowed.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Loh said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get another drink, I¡¯ll talk to you later, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°So, Stryg, I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°About what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The temple,¡± Karen said. ¡°The children really look forward to your visits. The orphans have especially taken a liking to you. They all want to hear more stories about Lunis. And I do mean all of them, the goblin children and the others.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg blinked, surprised. He didn¡¯t really think anyone would look forward to his visits.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karen nodded. ¡°They¡¯re really bummed out that you haven¡¯t come to see them recently.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he winced. ¡°I¡¯ve been really busy these past few weeks since the new school year started. But I¡¯ll try to make some time soon and visit the temple.¡±


    ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll see you there,¡± Karen smiled. ¡°Come on, Witt. I think you¡¯ve had enough to drink for one night.¡±


    ¡°~Nooo~¡± Witt whined as Karen dragged him away.


    ~~~


    Kithina sat at the bar and watched Kegrog and Freya dance together. Despite the height difference, Freya danced with a confidence that the fumbling Kegrog seemed to lack.


    Kithina envied them. She wished she could dance like that with Callum, but after he heard Sylvie wasn¡¯t here at the party, he left early to go check on her. Kithina thought tonight would have been a good chance to dance with Callum. It¡¯d help her build up her confidence to ask him out for the winter ball in a few months.


    Instead, Kithina found herself drinking alone at the bar. She spent the next hour drinking mug after mug of ale. People walked up to her and tried flirting with the pretty red-headed dwarf, but the drunken Kithina threatened to crack open their faces with her mug. After she busted one handsy man¡¯s forehead, no one else talked to her. She preferred it that way.


    Lysaila slithered over to the empty bar. People constantly eyed the lamia beauty, but no one dared approach her, much less talk to her.


    Lysaila tapped the bar table, ¡°Give me the strongest stuff you got.¡±


    ¡°Right away, miss,¡± the barkeep nodded nervously.


    Kithina glanced over the empty bar and noticed the blue-haired lamia, ¡°Who da fuk ar you?¡±


    ¡°Someone who will bite your head off if you talk to me,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°Heh, bite head offuh,¡± Kithina chuckled. ¡°I wanna see dat.¡±


    ¡°Gods, I hate these people,¡± Lysaila muttered.


    Kithina pointed at a random passerby, ¡°~Ooh, ooh~ bite dat guy¡¯s head ooffuh!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lysaila tilted her head. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Kithina shrugged.


    ¡°...And you want me to bite his head off anyway?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Fuk dese people!¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°These people? You want them to die?¡±


    Kithina pointed at the crowd, ¡°Fuk aaaall dese people!¡±


    Lysaila blinked, ¡°Huh. You¡¯re not half bad, dwarf.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m da best, biatch!¡± Kithina waved her hands around.


    The barkeep handed the lamia her drink with a shaky hand, then he backed away slowly.


    Lysaila raised her mug to Kithina, ¡°To all these people dying.¡±


    ¡°~Yesh, fuk ¡®em all!~¡±

 Chapter 211: Noir Ball

    Chapter 211: Noir Ball


    56 years ago...


    The early light of dawn crept on the horizon. Elzri sat on his bed, he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep. A servant had informed him of his father¡¯s passing last night. Esletha was already busy preparing the memorial service that would be held later this afternoon.


    He was grateful to her, as the family leader the responsibility should have fallen on him. But, he couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to get out of bed, let alone arrange a memorial.


    Just another reason why I shouldn¡¯t be the family leader, he thought.


    His father Alastair may have wanted him to inherit the Noir throne, but the last thing Elzri wanted was to be the family leader. He needed to pass on that position to one of his siblings. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t sure which one.


    His older brother Aiden had proven himself to be a competent leader as general of the Noir armies. Unfortunately, Aiden¡¯s magical talent was lacking compared to his siblings. Despite being the eldest, he was still only a master mage.


    Worse, Aiden was too rigid in his ways, too focused on his honor, and too blind to distinguish the subtle greys of a situation, preferring to see everything in white and black. Such inflexible leadership would prove problematic.


    Elzri¡¯s older sister Esletha, on the other hand, showed great magical promise; a high-master well on her way to the rank of arch-mage. In terms of magic, she would be a suitable leader for House Noir. She was also popular among the aristocrats and a skilled diplomat when she wanted to be. But Esletha could be petty and had a vindictive streak that often caused great harm to others. A family leader couldn¡¯t afford to make enemies recklessly.


    Then there was the youngest, Una, Elzri¡¯s only full-blood sibling. But no, he refused to consider her for family leadership. He would never let his sister take on such a heavy life-long burden. He wanted her to live her life freely, away from the confines of this aristocracy.


    The door burst open and slammed into the wall.


    Elzri looked up in surprise, ¡°Ismene?¡±


    His lover stood in front of the doorway, breathless. Tears had formed at the edge of her beige eyes.


    Ismene ran to him and hugged him tight, ¡°I came as soon as I heard! Are you okay? I mean, I know you''re not. I¡¯m just¡­ How are you holding up?¡±


    Elzri closed his eyes and enjoyed the comforting warmth of her body pressed to his, ¡°A little better now.¡±


    She sat next to him in bed and gripped his hand tight, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send a messenger to me earlier?¡±


    Messenger? Elzri blinked, ¡°Sorry, I was just busy¡­ processing.¡±


    ¡°Gods, you don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± she winced. ¡°I just hope you know I¡¯m here for you, you don¡¯t have to go through this alone. We tell each other everything, remember? Una is really worried about you.¡±


    Una? Elzri thought. So that¡¯s who sent the messenger.


    ¡°Losing your father,¡± Ismene muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what that''s like.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I. None of this seems real,¡± he said ruefully.


    ¡°...How did it happen?¡± she whispered.


    Elzri recalled the cover story his siblings and he had put together. If people knew the truth of Lord Alastair Noir¡¯s demise, it would make House Noir appear weak, and more vulnerable to attacks than it already was.


    Elzri swallowed, ¡°My father was sick, he had been for quite some time. The doctors and white mages couldn¡¯t find a cure. My father kept his illness quiet and kept serving as the family leader as long as he could. Last night the illness became a lot worse, his body¡­ couldn¡¯t keep up.¡±


    Ismene rested her head on his shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    He swallowed hard, ¡°The funeral is later this afternoon. I know it¡¯s very last minute, but it would mean a lot if you could be there.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she gripped his hand tight. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m so tired,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Then sleep, I¡¯ll watch over you. I promise I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°My hero,¡± he smiled and closed his eyes.


    ~~~


    ¡°Is this normal?¡± Ismene whispered. ¡°For drow? Or aristocrats?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the funeral or the wake?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°I mean is the wake always this fancy?¡±


    ¡°Not usually, but Esletha seems to be going all out,¡± he whispered.


    Elzri, Ismene, and Una stood in a waiting room, behind the Noir mansion¡¯s ballroom. Alastair¡¯s funeral had been a solemn affair, with aristocrats from all over the city attending, including a family representative from each of the other Seven Ruling Houses.


    It had been difficult for Elzri, he had barely been able to get through the funeral without breaking down. Every time someone mentioned his father, all he could think of was how he had failed to save him.


    Once the funeral had ended, Elzri thought he could finally seclude himself in his rooms. To his bitter surprise, Esletha had organized a large wake in the form of a ball in their home in memory of Alastair.


    The last thing Elzri wanted to do was attend, but he¡¯d seem like a horrible son if he didn¡¯t. So instead he found himself here, next to Ismene, who wore the most beautiful blue dress he had ever seen or perhaps her wearing it made the dress beautiful? He was inclined to believe the latter.


    ¡°Miss Una Noir, daughter of the Great House of Noir!¡± yelled the master of ceremonies from behind the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Una glanced back at Elzri and Ismene, she tried to put on a smile, ¡°Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Elzri and Ismene said.


    The double doors swung wide open. Una walked right out to the balcony and waved down at the guests on the ballroom floor. They clapped and cheered for the Noir princess as she made her way down the stairs to join them.


    The master of ceremonies stood upright and glanced at his scroll, ¡°Sir Elzri Noir, son of the Great House of Noir, and Miss Ismene!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before,¡± Ismene said nervously from behind the doors.


    Elzri wrapped his arm around her own, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Just follow my lead.¡±


    ¡°I trust you,¡± she nodded with a smile.


    The double doors swung wide open once more. Elzri walked out with Ismene and stepped up to the balcony. Before they had a chance to wave at the crowd, Esletha pushed the master of ceremonies aside.


    ¡°Excuse me?! Can I have your attention,¡± Esletha called out.


    What is she doing? Elzri frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry folks, our announcer got it wrong,¡± Esletha said. ¡°Allow me to reintroduce to you the lovely Miss Ismene and my brother, Lord Elzri Noir, leader of the Great House of Noir.¡±


    Elzri stiffened, no fucking way she¡¯s doing this here.


    The guests laughed.


    Ismene glanced at Elzri and gripped his arm. ¡°What is your sister talking about?¡± she whispered, panic rising in her voice.


    Esletha shook her head, ¡°This is not a joke, my fellow aristocrats. My sick and ailing father named Elzri his heir at his deathbed. So, please, a toast to our newest Lord Noir!¡±


    The guests looked at each other uncertainly, before slowly raising their cups.


    Elzri held back his scowl and tried to appear unfazed. He glanced at Elsetha, a calculating smile was plastered over her cold expression.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    So this was your plan, Elzri thought. To catch me off guard in front of all our peers. To call our father sick, practically incapable of making a proper decision when he chose me as heir. You want them all to think our father made the wrong choice.


    Esletha thought she was getting back at him. She didn¡¯t understand, as embarrassing as this was, he agreed with her, their father had made the wrong decision.


    Elzri suddenly noticed the trembling in Ismene¡¯s arm. ¡°Follow me,¡± he whispered.


    The couple walked past the balcony and down the stairs with slow steps. Elzri tried walking faster, but Ismene¡¯s legs had gone rigid. The crowd of guests clapped without rhythm, most of them whispered amongst themselves, a few even outright looked at Elzri with pity.


    Aiden clapped his hands loudly above his head, ¡°Thank you, little sister, for your untimely announcement. Always appreciated. Now, on to what really matters; Tonight is about remembering my father and celebrating his life. Musicians, if you please.¡±


    The lead musician nodded and ordered her group of minstrels to begin playing. The guests began to spread out and find their partners on the dance floor.


    Esletha rolled her eyes at Aiden and went off to find her fianc¨¦, a young man of House Glaz, Hollow Shade¡¯s most powerful family.


    Aiden walked over to Elzri and Ismene and bowed his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my sister¡¯s conduct, Ismene.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± her lips curled in a strained smile.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks, brother,¡± Elzri bowed his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you,¡± Aiden said. ¡°If it messes with whatever Esletha has planned, I¡¯m all for it. If you¡¯ll excuse me, the dance is about to begin.¡±


    Aiden bowed curtly and walked off into the crowd.


    Elzri sighed, just two days ago he had been joking around with both his older siblings. Now it seemed that they both hated him. He should have announced his successor immediately before anyone on the outside had found out. Thanks to Esletha such a plan would no longer work.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± Ismene said quietly.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Elzri looked at her.


    ¡°Are you actually a lord now?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, no. I¡¯m not a mage lord, I¡¯d have to be an arch-mage. And I still haven¡¯t been inducted into the city¡¯s council, so I¡¯m not a city lord either.¡±


    ¡°But you are the leader of House Noir?!¡± she whispered.


    ¡°...Yes, for now,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°What does that even mean!? Did you ever plan on telling me? Or were you just going to conveniently forget about our plans to leave this city and travel the world in a few days?¡±


    ¡°Ismene, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°I thought we were in this together, we tell each other everything,¡± she bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a drink.¡±


    ¡°Ismene, wait!¡± he reached out to grab her hand, but she slipped away into the crowd.


    The guests wrapped their arms around their partners and began to dance to the rhythm of the music. Elzri looked around for Ismene. He spotted Esletha dancing with her Glaz fianc¨¦ and Una dancing with their brother, Aiden. Ismene was nowhere in sight.


    The thought that he was alone on the dance floor suddenly struck him. Elzri stood still, awkward and uncomfortable, as hundreds of eyes stared at him, standing at the center of the dance floor.


    A light touch tapped his shoulder. He turned around. A beautiful vampiress in a scarlet dress met him with a smile. Her dark hair fell down in silky waves that shimmered in the light and framed her pale face in a stunning image.


    She curtsied and offered her hand, ¡°May I have this dance?¡±


    Elzri swallowed and hoped the warm feeling in his cheeks wasn¡¯t showing.


    He reached out and grabbed her hand, ¡°...Yes, thank you,.¡±


    She suddenly pulled him in close, placed his arm around her small waist, and began to sway to the sound of the music.


    The crowd¡¯s gaze slowly shifted away from him and moved to the gorgeous vampiress in his arms. He was grateful for the reprieve of the spotlight.


    The vampiress danced with a lithe grace that made his own dancing seem like a child fumbling in the dark. Elzri tried to look everywhere but at her low cut dress and her ample cleavage.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°It just occurred to me, I don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    The vampiress said nothing, her scarlet eyes simply watched him as her body danced to the rhythm of the music.


    Elzri narrowed his steel-grey eyes, ¡°Why did you ask me to dance with you?¡±


    Her red lips curled into a smile, but she did not answer.


    ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. ¡°You¡¯re here to find out if my sister¡¯s announcement was true. Well, get a good look at the simple adept mage, the mundane Elzri Noir himself. Now you have a story to tell all your friends.¡±


    ¡°...So, this is how Lord Noir conducts himself?¡± she said with a quizzical look.


    ¡°You actually believed my sister¡¯s lie?¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not the leader of this family.¡±


    ¡°Odd, none of your siblings were introduced as Lord or Lady Noir,¡± she pulled in close enough that Elzri could feel her breath on his lips. ¡°Just you.¡±


    He swallowed, ¡°...An elaborate prank by my sister.¡±


    She stepped back, but kept Elzri¡¯s hand around her waist, their bodies dancing in the music¡¯s flow.


    ¡°I¡¯m Holly,¡± she said.


    He tilted his head, ¡°Just Holly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have many names, but Holly will have to suffice for tonight.¡±


    He smiled wryly, ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Holly¡­ Veres? Ashe? Gale? I¡¯m still trying to decide which House you belong to. I¡¯m leaning towards Veres.¡±


    ¡°Alastair Noir was known as a shrewd man. If he chose you as his heir, I doubt it was based on the spur of the moment.¡±


    This again? Elzri thought. ¡°Which is exactly why I¡¯m clearly not his heir. I¡¯m an adept, I¡¯m not fit to rule the most prominent mage Great House of Hollow Shade. As I said, a prank by my sister.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°Is that really a question? Now I¡¯m beginning to think you¡¯re an Ashe.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± she shrugged. ¡°You are only an adept, it¡¯d be very strange if you took over the Great House of Noir.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°The leader of House Noir, such a heavy responsibility,¡± Holly whistled, ¡°Daunting at best, impossible at worst. It couldn¡¯t be you.¡±


    ¡°Your belief in my abilities is truly inspiring,¡± Elzri said wryly.


    ¡°Have you ever heard the story of Melantha the Blue?¡±


    ¡°Hm? I can¡¯t say that I have. Is it long?¡±


    ¡°That depends.¡±


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°How good of a listener you are.¡±


    ¡°Point taken,¡± he conceded with a smile.


    Holly smirked, ¡°Melantha was a commoner born in the Jade Realm centuries ago. She was also a mage, a very talented chromatic true-blue at that. But Melantha was shy, she worried what her abilities meant for the lives of her family and herself. One day, a prime arch-mage came to the city where she lived. He was powerful, yes, but more than that he was charming, and the people loved him for his charm. So, Melantha, confident in the arch-mage¡¯s powers to protect her city and people, left to explore the rest of the kingdom and enjoy her youth.¡±


    Holly glanced at the other dancers, ¡°War eventually reared its ugly head at the kingdom. The people were scared for their lives. The land became torn by armies and magic. It was no longer safe to travel the countryside for an adventurer, so Melantha decided to go back home to her family.¡±


    Holly smiled sadly, ¡°But when she got there, she found out that the charming arch-mage had been exploiting the people during the war. When the people had looked to the arch-mage for help the most, he had stolen from them; their lands, their wealth, even their lives.¡±


    ¡°Melantha had failed her people, she hadn''t been able to protect them, not even her own family. Distraught, she decided to take a stand, to defend her people once and for all. Her own people laughed at her, they didn¡¯t think a simple, mundane commoner girl could lead them, protect them. But you know what? Melantha ignored their words of ridicule. Because it didn''t matter what others said she couldn¡¯t do. All that mattered was her own belief in what she could do.¡±


    ¡°...What happened to Melantha?¡± Elzri asked.


    Holly smirked, ¡°She walked into the charming arch-mage¡¯s castle and killed everyone, guards and arch-mage alike. She went on to save not just her city but her entire kingdom. She became Melantha the Blue, Paramount Knight of the Jade Realm.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this story?¡± he said softly.


    Holly stared into his eyes, ¡°Melantha ran from her responsibility because she feared what it might cost her. She was right, the cost would indeed be great. As were the thousands of lives lost because she ran away in the first place. People in your position always have to make a choice, a sacrifice even, whether they want to or not.¡±


    Elzri frowned, ¡°I told you already, I¡¯m not the family leader.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course not,¡± Holly smiled. ¡°If I had to guess, the actual leader of House Noir is your elder sister, Esletha. She fits the role nicely, a powerful mage and a popular aristocrat, I¡¯d even say she¡¯s quite charming.¡±


    The music ended with a last resounding note. Elzri¡¯s movements had turned stiff long before the song was over.


    Holly took a few steps back and curtsied, ¡°Thank you for the dance, Lord Noir.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ My pleasure,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Riri!¡± Una strolled over. She passed by her brother and grabbed the vampiress¡¯ arm instead. Una grinned wide, ¡°I see you¡¯ve already met my friend.¡±


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Elzri glanced between them.


    ¡°Yeah, we met last year,¡± Una nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Hey, Holly, may I have the next dance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, Una,¡± Holly smiled. ¡°Lord Noir, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, um, goodbye,¡± he bowed stiffly.


    Esletha sauntered over, two glasses of wine in hand. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Una¡¯s,¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Una to find out how that vampire keeps her hair so fabulous, probably some secret red magic potion.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, sister?¡± he sighed.


    Esletha gasped dramatically, ¡°Oh, brother, you sound almost as if you¡¯re angry with me. And here I was, bringing you a drink.¡±


    Elzri snatched the offered glass and glared at her, ¡°It¡¯s pretty common for someone to be angry when you embarrass them.¡±


    ¡°Embarrass you? Elz, I was trying to honor you, the chosen heir of our father. I should be the one who¡¯s angry, you took my birthright. You on the other hand should be happy, you won everything.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t win anything,¡± Elzri shook his head.


    Esletha placed a finger to her grey lips, ¡°Then again, I can understand why you¡¯re embarrassed. I¡¯d be too if I had to walk into the ball with a wretched commoner.¡±


    He clenched his jaw, ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I mean she¡¯s nice, pretty face too, but at the end of the day, her blood is as common as it comes. Not to mention she¡¯s human, most of them are quite stupid,¡± she laughed. ¡°I mean, Ismene is so dull that she still thinks I actually like her. Oh, I pity her.¡±


    Elzri threw his glass of wine at his sister¡¯s face. The dancers all stopped moving and the room suddenly grew quiet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever insult her again, she deserves better than your backhanded remarks,¡± Elzri snarled.


    Esletha clenched her eyes shut and opened them with disbelief. She wiped her face and glanced at her ruined dress.


    ¡°You arrogant son of a bitch!¡± Esletha screamed. ¡°You strike at me?! Today of all days!? You dare disrespect our father¡¯s memorial!? I won¡¯t let you dishonor our father¡¯s memory! I will see you on the dueling grounds!¡±


    Elzri blinked, ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 212: Orphan Goblins

    Chapter 212: Orphan Goblins


    Ismene sat on her large burgundy pillow at the edge of the Frost Pool Chamber and watched as her student practiced his torrent spells.


    Stryg channeled the blue mana from his heart and into his arms. Tendrils of water rose from under the grate flooring and flicked out with quick lashes.


    ¡°Release,¡± Ismene ordered.


    Stryg released the spell with a simple thought. He relaxed his muscles and took a deep breath. The excess heat created by the spells was marginal, he barely felt the warmth rising within his muscles.


    Ismene watched him with a thoughtful eye.


    He¡¯s improved. Again, she thought. It¡¯s only been a week and there¡¯s already a noticeable increase in his speed of casting and the force behind his spells.


    ¡°Master?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°Should I cast another water whip?¡±


    ¡°...No, let¡¯s take a ten minute break.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even close to sweating, I can keep going.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, but taking a break isn¡¯t always about giving your body respite, your mind needs to rest too.¡± She patted the pillow next to her, ¡°Come, warm yourself up with some tea.¡±


    Stryg walked over with reluctance and sat down on the large pillow. His body sank into the pillow, his weight flattening the feathers inside. Ismene hid her small smile and served him a steaming cup of tea.


    The hot drink didn¡¯t bother his tongue, but he drank the tea with slow sips anyway. Ismene had told him on several occasions that simply because something could be done quickly did not mean it should.


    Stryg glanced at the old woman, she sat hunched over, a cane rested next to her. Most people would never guess this was the renowned Tempest Arch-Mage. Ismene was usually so calm and serene, but there was great power hidden behind those peaceful beige eyes.


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°Um, Master?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°...How is Nora? I mean, is she¡­ alright?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Nora?¡± Ismene put her cup of tea aside.


    ¡°You¡¯re her personal master, right? Have you seen her? I mean, the school year started two months ago, but she hasn¡¯t come to any classes. Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Nora¡¯s mage studies are improving just fine, I¡¯ve made sure of that. You have no need to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ that¡¯s good,¡± he sipped his tea.


    Ismene smiled sympathetically, ¡°She¡¯s doing okay. Most days she has morning sickness, but either than that she¡¯s hanging in there. Her mother has come to Hollow Shade to stay with her at their manor these next few months.¡±


    ¡°Family? That¡¯s good,¡± Stryg smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯m glad she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± she grabbed her cup of tea. ¡°Now, about your training. You¡¯re relying too much on emotions, instead of keeping calm and collected while casting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not relying solely on anger like before.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Emotions are volatile, they can change, and the last thing you want when casting a spell is for it to change and fizzle, or worse, backfire.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°My emotions help me remember why I¡¯m here, why I¡¯m doing all of this. They remind me of my goals, my purpose.¡± He clenched his hands tight, ¡°And that pain helps me cast any spell.¡±


    ¡°That may be the case, but that sort of spell-casting isn¡¯t healthy for your mental state, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said resolutely. ¡°I¡¯m too weak as it is. I need power, real power, and I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to achieve that¡­ I won¡¯t lose anyone else.¡±


    Ismene reached out and grabbed his hand gently, ¡°I understand you¡¯re hurting, believe me I do. I know what it¡¯s like to be unable to protect the ones close to you, no matter how hard you try. But this, what you¡¯re doing now? This isn¡¯t healthy, and it certainly isn¡¯t how one obtains true power.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Stryg pulled his hand away and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve been training hard these past few months, harder than ever. And I can do things now that I never could before.¡±


    ¡°Even still, that doesn¡¯t mea-¡±


    ¡°I can even reliably multicast two spells at once!¡±


    Stryg raised his hands. A stream of water rose from the pool beneath the grate flooring and curled around his hand. An orb of orange fire blazed to life above his other hand.


    ¡°How many magi my age can multicast?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, that isn¡¯t the point.¡±


    ¡°Two! Only two! Kitty was a natural, but I had to learn this on my own. If this isn¡¯t power, then what is?¡±


    Ismene shook her head, ¡°You will never learn blue¡¯s storm spells like this. Storm magic is all about control and right now you are letting your emotions and pain control you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need storm magic,¡± he frowned. ¡°There are other sources of power, I have plenty of other chromatic colors.¡±


    Ismene wondered if she should end her lessons with Stryg. She began training him because she saw the potential inside him to be a mage who could do so much good for the Realm. That potential seemed gone now, robbed by death and a war the young generation had never asked for.


    If I reject him now, what will become of him in the future? Ismene thought bitterly.


    Stryg released his dual spells and stared at his hands, ¡°I¡¯m not improving fast enough, I¡¯m still not strong enough to protect them... If you had to protect the ones you loved, what would you do in my position?¡±


    ¡°The power you seek may do more harm than good,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Possibly. It¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take.¡±


    Ismene sighed, ¡°I must be a fool.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    For taking a risk on you. She waved him away, ¡°Break¡¯s over. Get back to training.¡±


    Stryg nodded and began casting a torrent spell. Ismene watched him with a thoughtful eye.


    ~~~


    The noon sun was shining high in the sky, its warmth was tempered by the chilly winds that blew through the Commoner District. Mel rested his back on the alley wall and watched the other orphans play with small wooden toys on the street.


    The temple priestess Karen had bought the orphan children the toys last week and the children had been captivated by them ever since. Each goblin child had been gifted a toy, several sets of new clothing, and a place to stay at night in the temple, along with three meals a day.


    Such generosity was very unusual, most temples in the Commoner District didn¡¯t have enough money to spend on orphans, especially goblin orphans. But the temple on the southside, near the Merry Crescent, was different. It seemed that an anonymous benefactor had donated a large sum of money to the temple, on the condition that money would only be used to help support the goblin children of the area, including the orphans such as Mel and his friends.


    While the anonymous benefactor had never revealed themselves, the children had already guessed who it was. The mysterious mage, Stryg of Ebon Hollow. Mel still remembered the first time he had seen him almost as if it was yesterday.


    They had been at the temple. Mel had tried to defend Karen¡¯s little sister, Sophi, from a mean human woman. Unfortunately, she was much stronger than him. Mel had seen the rage in the woman¡¯s eyes and had feared for his life.


    That was when he appeared, the mage, the blue goblin, Stryg. He protected them and defeated the human with ease. Mel had been amazed, he had never seen a goblin mage before, he didn¡¯t think it was even possible. But then Stryg did something no one had ever done before, he showed the orphans a future beyond the slum, beyond the ridicule and shame that Mel had always known.


    Stryg had taught them about the first Great City, Lunis, the Sapphire of the East. Nothing was the same after that. Mel learned what it meant to be a goblin, that it was not something to be ashamed of, despite what so many had told him.


    Stryg had visited the temple every week after that and the children were always eager to see him and listen to his stories. Mel was older than the rest, he was 16, almost 17 now, but he was crestfallen all the same when Stryg¡¯s visits became less and less frequent.


    Still, Stryg continued to donate money to the temple, and for that, Mel was ever grateful.


    ¡°Oi! You brats, get off the street! You''re blocking business!¡±


    Mel glanced at the owner of the voice, a young man with grey skin and even darker hair, a drow. But what really caught Mel¡¯s attention was the tattoo on his neck, a swirling orange snake.


    The Rat Snake gang, Mel thought. Odd, the drow gang usually didn¡¯t operate in this part of the district.


    The younger orphans glanced at the gangster, then looked up at Mel. Fear was clear in the children¡¯s eyes.


    Mel pushed off the alley wall and stepped in between the children and the drow, ¡°This is a residential area. There aren¡¯t any businesses over here and the street is practically empty.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we got a smart one over here?¡± the drow grinned maliciously.


    We? Mel frowned.


    Three more men walked out from behind the corner, each bearing the Rat Snake tattoo on their necks. One of them stepped forward and pulled out a long knife.


    ¡°Maybe we should teach this smartass a lesson, ey?¡±


    The first drow shook his head, ¡°Now, now. It¡¯s not his fault, he doesn¡¯t understand.¡± He pointed his finger at Mel, ¡°I¡¯ll be brief, our gang, the Rat Snakes are taking over this territory starting today. Best if those kids leave before they see something that¡¯ll give ¡®em nightmares for the rest of their short lives.¡±


    Mel swallowed, he kept his eyes on the gangsters, and spoke to the other orphans behind him, ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s time to leave. Grab your toys and move, quickly.¡±


    The drow raised his finger, ¡°Oh, not you, smartass. You stay. We¡¯re new here, we gotta make an example out of one of you at least. We wouldn¡¯t want people thinking we¡¯ve gone soft now, would we?¡±


    ¡°Mel!¡± one of the smaller children cried out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Just go, now,¡± he said shakily.


    ¡°Atta, boy, you really are smart,¡± the drow chuckled.


    ¡°Hey, Mel, who are these guys?¡±


    The gangsters slowly turned around. A young human stood in front of them, an easy-going smile plastered over his face.


    ¡°Witt?¡± Mel wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°I came to help,¡± Witt grinned.


    ¡°Um, no thanks,¡± Mel said flatly.


    ¡°What?¡± Witt frowned.


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± one of the drow asked.


    ¡°Someone who is in love,¡± Witt pulled out a short dagger. ¡°And the love of my life will get very angry if any of those kids were to ever get hurt. So if you¡¯re looking for a fight, then fight me!¡±


    The gangsters looked at each other and shrugged, ¡°Alright.¡±


    They all pulled out their daggers and advanced on Witt.


    Witt¡¯s face paled, ¡°Wait a sec. You¡¯re all going to fight me at once? Where¡¯s the honor in that?!¡±


    The first drow winked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make this quick, I swear on my whore of a mother. I¡¯ll carve you up right next to that goblin trash.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not goblin trash!¡± The words escaped Mel¡¯s lips before he even realized it.


    The gangsters burst into laughter.


    Mel held his ground and straightened his back, ¡°I am not trash.¡±


    ¡°Then what the fuck are you, ey? Shit?¡± the drow sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡­ I am Mel, a child of Lunis and I¡¯m proud to be a goblin,¡± Mel¡¯s voice grew stronger and more confident with each word he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. I am a Lunisian. You and your thugs can¡¯t take that from us, no one can.¡±


    ¡°Are all the people in this part of town batshit crazy?¡± the drow asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± another drow shrugged. ¡°But the boss gave us our orders. Make as many examples as we need.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± the drow brandished his dagger.


    ¡°What the fuck are you all doing!?¡± Karen screamed as she ran down the street.


    ¡°Oh, thank gods,¡± Witt sighed in relief.


    ¡°And who¡¯s this bitch?¡± the first drow groaned.


    ¡°W-wait, look at her clothes,¡± the second drow backed away. ¡°She¡¯s a priestess.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The boss says she doesn¡¯t want us messing with the temples. The last thing she wants is to have the gods angry with us,¡± a third drow chimed in.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± the first drow groaned. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here for now.¡±


    Mel watched in stunned silence as the drow gangsters jogged away. Karen reached Witt and him a few moments later.


    She slapped Witt on the back with a resounding crack, ¡°You had one job, dammit! And the first thing you do is get into a fight with some gangsters!?¡±


    ¡°They were threatening Mel,¡± Witt winced.


    ¡°And so you decided to fight them!?¡± Karen yelled. ¡°You really are an idiot! Do you have any idea how dangerous they can be?!¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do?¡± Witt mumbled.


    ¡°You help Mel run, get some help, or anything besides fight. You are terrible at fighting,¡± Karen snapped.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been practicing the dagger moves you taught me. I can handle myself.¡±


    Karen slapped the dagger out of his hand.


    Witt blinked, stunned, ¡°Uh, I wasn¡¯t ready?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Miss Karen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what are you both doing here anyway?¡± Mel asked.


    ¡°I sent Witt to invite you all to the temple,¡± Karen said. ¡°But then I thought about it and realized I couldn¡¯t trust him to wander the streets alone. So I came too and damn I¡¯m glad I did.¡±


    ¡°Are you allowed to say damn?¡± Witt muttered.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she said.


    One of the orphan children ran up to her, ¡°Miss Karen? You wanted us to come to the temple? Is Sophi there?¡±


    Karen smiled, ¡°Yes, but so is someone else. Stryg came to visit.¡±


    The children¡¯s eyes widened with happiness.


    ¡°Stryg is at the temple?!¡± Mel asked excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s there right now,¡± she nodded.


    The children ran off before she had finished speaking.


    ¡°Why do they all like that crazy guy?¡± Witt frowned. ¡°What does he have that I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Witt,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you don¡¯t want the answer to.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I think I cut my finger when you slapped the dagger out of my hand.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, come on. Let¡¯s get you patched up.¡±

 Chapter 213: A Broken Promise

    Chapter 213: A Broken Promise


    Gigi ran through the stone hallways, sidestepping past servants and ducking underneath the hands of his history instructor.


    ¡°Get back here, boy!¡± the instructor screamed in frustration.


    Gigi stuck his tongue out, ¡°Can¡¯t catch me!¡±


    Gigi giggled to himself, serves you right!


    All these instructors his father had hired were too slow, worse, they were all so boring. He missed his master, she was the only teacher who could keep up with him, but she was gone, busy with her work.


    Gigi turned the corridor and stumbled to a halt. A man in black robes, wearing a silver necklace with an onyx stone, stood in the middle of the hall. Gigi¡¯s mathematics instructor stood beside him.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to stop running, Gigi,¡± the black mage said in a serious tone.


    The boy glared at the servants, ¡°You all couldn¡¯t catch me yourselves, so you called in one of our House¡¯s mages? You must really be desperate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already wasted away the morning, child. I won¡¯t have you waste another second more. Stop this foolishness at once!¡± the mathematics instructor admonished. ¡°What would your father say if he saw your insubordinate attitude?¡±


    ¡°How should I know!? Dad is never home!¡± Gigi yelled.


    He glanced behind him, half a dozen servants stood at the other end of the corridor. He was trapped and they knew it.


    ¡°I refuse to sit down for one more stupid lecture,¡± Gigi took a step back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try it,¡± the black mage raised his hands, shadow tendrils rose around him.


    Gigi¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t actually use magic on a 10-year-old?¡±


    ¡°When they refuse to listen to their elders?¡± The black mage smiled, ¡°Gladly.¡±


    Gigi sighed and bowed his head in defeat.


    ¡°Take him,¡± the instructor ordered.


    The servants nodded and walked over to the boy with manacles at the ready.


    Gigi smirked. ¡°As if!¡± he yelled and dashed at the window.


    ¡°Stop, it¡¯s the 3rd floor!¡± the instructor screamed, panicked.


    ¡°I warned you!¡± the black mage flung the shadow tendrils at the boy.


    Gigi drew his practice sword, a dull wooden blade. It didn¡¯t matter, he refused to be stopped here. Lifeforce energy surged through his arm and into the sword, covering the blade in a sharp edge. He shifted his feet and fell into the cascade stance. His blade and body moved simultaneously, flowing around the shadow attacks with fluid motions and slicing the tendrils in a dozen small, quick cuts.


    The servants yelled and fell back in surprise. The black mage¡¯s mouth went slack, dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t believe it, a mere child had destroyed his spell. Gigi didn¡¯t waste a second, he jumped out the window without hesitation.


    The wind howled in his ears as the ground rushed to him. Gigi closed his eyes, relaxed his muscles, and let himself fall head-first. The lifeforce energy streamed into his legs and vibrated in undulating waves as the dust stance took hold.


    He flipped his body over at the last moment and landed on the ground with a light, silent step.


    ¡°Gigi!¡± the instructor called out from the window.


    ¡°Try to keep up!¡± Gigi laughed and ran off.


    ¡°And what do we have here?¡±


    The whimsical voice broke the boy from his revelry. He froze in his steps and slowly turned around. A young woman with startling eyes watched him from underneath a yew tree at the center of the garden.


    ¡°Master! You¡¯re back!¡± Gigi yelled happily and ran up to her. He went down on one knee and presented her with his sword.


    She laughed, a beautiful resonant sound, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far.¡±


    Gigi tilted his head up, ¡°But isn¡¯t this the formal greeting for-¡±


    ¡°Maybe for the servants, but not for my little brother.¡±


    Gigi felt his cheeks grow warm, he smiled, ¡°Hehe.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with all the commotion?¡± she asked as several servants ran up to them.


    An instructor stepped forward and bowed his head deeply, ¡°My Lady, please forgive us. We did not mean to ever show you such an unsightly display.¡±


    Gigi¡¯s sister looked at him with a raised eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± the boy stared at the ground and shuffled his feet.


    ¡°He has refused to attend any of his private lessons and has run around the mansion causing havoc all morning!¡± the instructor explained.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that!¡± Gigi yelled.


    ¡°Oh, what was it like then?¡± his sister crossed her arms.


    ¡°Uh, well,¡± he scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I went to my morning sword practice¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡± she tapped her foot.


    ¡°Well, it was too easy, okay?¡± Gigi admitted. ¡°My blade instructor couldn¡¯t land a hit on me. I just spent all the time poking him with my sword.¡±


    ¡°You ran away from your other classes because sword practice was too easy?¡± she asked skeptically.


    ¡°It got boring,¡± Gigi puffed his cheeks. ¡°If you¡¯d been here, maybe things wouldn¡¯t have been so boring¡­¡± he muttered.


    His sister sighed and shook her head, ¡°The rest of you may go, I need to have a chat with this stubborn child.¡±


    The instructor and servants bowed and left without a word.


    Gigi¡¯s sister knelt on one knee and met him face-to-face, ¡°What am I going to do with you, you silly boy?¡±


    He sniffed, ¡°You could take me with you.¡±


    She ruffled his hair and smiled, ¡°I wish, but Dusk Valley is very dangerous right now. A few remnants of the Lunisian armies are prowling the valley as we speak. It is no place for a child.¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself! I¡¯ve gotten a lot better with my sword. I¡¯ve even learned all five nature stances!¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°And I¡¯m so proud of you. Your abilities have developed faster than anyone I¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± she smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know any other 10-year-old who can defeat their swordmaster blade instructor.¡±


    Gigi¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Then you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I still can¡¯t let you come with me to the front lines. Magic is very dangerous, even for the most experienced swordsman.¡±


    ¡°But I can help!¡± tears welled up in his red eyes.


    ¡°I know you can,¡± she kissed his forehead. ¡°But I won¡¯t risk your life out there, especially after today.¡±


    Gigi rubbed his forehead with a bashful grin. He frowned, ¡°Wait. After today? What happened?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ don¡¯t worry about it. How¡¯s your dad?¡±


    He looked away and mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡¯s always busy with his duties as the family leader. You probably see him more than I do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± she grimaced. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve mastered all five nature stances, huh? Wanna show me?¡±


    ¡°Mastered might be a l-i-i-i-ittle bit of a stretch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Where did all that genius-bravado go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not great with the whirlwind stance,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Maybe if you train me this afternoon I could master it with your help!¡±


    ¡°I wish I could, bud,¡± she smiled sadly. ¡°I can¡¯t stay that long, there¡¯s something I need to do.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help me then I guess I¡¯ll never learn,¡± he said dramatically.


    ¡°Nice try, but I really can¡¯t stay. Besides, you and I both know your swordsmanship will one day surpass everyone, even your father¡¯s sword.¡± She patted the black pommel of her sheathed blade, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d like to leave Krikolm to you one day.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a Veres like you,¡± Gigi shook his head.


    ¡°Yes, but our mother is. That should be enough,¡± she sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about it later. I have to get going, I just wanted to stop by and let you know, well¡­ better if I show you.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    She pulled Gigi close and hugged him tight, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we have different fathers or surnames, I will always be your big sister. I will be there when you need me and even when you do not. I love you, Gian, with all my heart.¡±


    Gigi furrowed his brow, ¡°Stryga, is everything okay?¡±


    She clenched her eyes tight and took a deep breath, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re squeezing too hard,¡± he gasped.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry." Stryga stood up and dusted off her pants,¡°I should get going and you should go to your history class, your instructor must be furious.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, why does it matter?¡± Gigi groaned. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m even going to be the next head of House Gale, my annoying brothers can take all the history lessons for me. I never want to be a stupid family leader, no offense.¡±


    Stryga smiled wryly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯ll be the next family leader for House Gale or House Veres, history is important either way, you¡¯d do well to remember that.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered.


    Stryga laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. You behave well and attend your classes while I¡¯m gone and when I get back, we¡¯ll meet up here at this tree. I¡¯ll take you to that favorite bakery you love so much and we¡¯ll get all the cake we can eat.¡±


    ¡°Promise!?¡± Gigi¡¯s eyes widened to saucers.


    Stryga lifted her pinky finger, ¡°I pinky promise. So do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Gigi shook her pinky with his own.


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± she ruffled his hair and walked away.


    ¡°See you later!¡± Gigi waved at Stryga¡¯s back, her silhouette disappeared beyond the yew tree.


    ~~~


    Three centuries later...


    Gale left the warm comforts of her family¡¯s mansion and stepped out into the chilling breeze of the moonlit night. She shivered and wrapped her cloak closely around herself. The warmth of summer was long gone and wisps of winter were beginning to creep in.


    Gale made her way to the back of the mansion, to the empty garden. A lone yew tree stood at the center of the garden. Its pine needles had not withered away amidst the cold waning days. She spotted Gian sitting below the tree, as expected. She¡¯d usually find him at the yew tree whenever he was at home. She walked over and noticed he was staring at his pinky finger with a numb expression.


    Gale bowed deeply, ¡°Uncle Gian, you wanted to see me?¡±


    Gian slowly raised his head and looked at her, he seemed tired, ¡°...Gale?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I interrupt your meditation?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure to be of assistance.¡±


    ¡°...I asked you here because I wanted to talk to you about Stryg.¡±


    Gale bit her lip and tried to conceal her anger, ¡°I heard you''re teaching that boy our swordsmanship style.¡±


    Gian smiled, ¡°You disapprove? Were you not the one who began his training?¡±


    ¡°I was doing a favor for Cly and that was before Cly d-...¡± She took a deep shuddering breath and tempered her anger, ¡°You know what happened.¡±


    Gian stroked his grey goatee, ¡°Gale, you have always been strong. You could always take more blows than the boys and still remain standing. I am so proud of you.¡±


    ¡°To hear you say those words, I am truly honored,¡± she bowed respectfully. ¡°But you overestimate me.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡± Gian brushed away her blonde hair aside and lifted her chin, ¡°I need you to stand up once more, my brave warrior. I need you to continue as Stryg¡¯s blade instructor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gale¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why!?¡±


    Gian stared at his pinky finger, ¡°I won¡¯t always be here to teach the boy. I have already lived well beyond the ordinary lifespan of a vampire. I don¡¯t have many years left, not nearly enough for what needs to be done. You will have to see it through.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, please don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Gale shook her head vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re the foundation of this family, you¡¯ve kept House Gale and House Veres safe for centuries! Without you, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯d do.¡±


    Gian smiled, ¡°Your father is a good family leader, but you will be an amazing family leader. I will rest easy knowing that our family is in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Gale bit her trembling lip.


    Gian stretched his arms, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not dying just yet. I¡¯m only trying to pave the path for the future. For that to happen, I need you to return as Stryg¡¯s blade instructor.¡±


    Gale clenched her fists, ¡°Cly is gone because of him.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Stryg practically led his class into an ambush, the fault seems pretty clear to me.¡±


    ¡°Even if that was the case, Stryg did not kill Cly, the warlord Marek did. You don¡¯t understand. You haven¡¯t seen Stryg since the incident. You haven¡¯t seen how that boy tortures himself over what happened. He loved Cly like a brother and Cly did the same. Stryg is suffering just like us.¡±


    Gale wiped her eyes, ¡°Is that why you want me to teach him?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re also House Gale¡¯s only sword grandmaster. I think Stryg would be lucky to have such an excellent teacher.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°You taught me everything I know and last I checked, you¡¯re the only Sword Paragon in all the Ebon Realm. He¡¯s better off with you.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t always be here to look after him. Gale, Stryg is important, he needs to be watched over.¡±


    She wrinkled her brow, ¡°Important? How?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t tell you until I¡¯m certain where your loyalties truly lie, Gian thought.


    ¡°For now, I just need you to trust me,¡± he said. ¡°One day I will tell you everything.¡±


    Gale hung her head and sighed.


    ~~~


    Stryg swung his practice longsword with quick repetitive bursts at the wooden dummy. The dummy rattled on the pole but stood standing.


    Stryg wiped the sweat off his brow and cursed under his breath. It wasn¡¯t the same. He had seen Gian crack the wooden dummy on several points with a dull practice sword. No lifeforce energy, just pure skill.


    Stryg didn¡¯t understand how he did it. Physically, he should be much stronger than the elder vampire, but every time Stryg tried to crack the dummy with brute strength, his practice sword would shatter to splinters before the dummy ever would.


    Stryg stared at his blistered hands, they stung with pain. It angered him how he couldn¡¯t develop calluses like the rest, his body would heal too quickly, by morning there wouldn¡¯t even be a mark left on his skin. He glanced up at the waning crescent moon. Perhaps it was time to stop? It was late, Feli probably fell asleep waiting for him.


    No, he shook his head. He couldn¡¯t stop, not until he learned how to land a sword strike properly. Stryg pulled back the longsword and prepared for another flurry of attacks.


    The gate creaked open. Stryg glanced up in curiosity. This was his private courtyard in the academy, few could enter, and no one he knew would stop by at this late hour.


    Gale stepped out from behind the gate and met his eyes. They stared at each other, unmoving. She walked over to him quietly. Stryg swallowed, he hadn¡¯t seen her since the funeral, and she hadn¡¯t seen him since before he left Hollow Shade with Clypeus.


    What could he say? I¡¯m sorry? As if that could encapsulate the horrible pain he had unwittingly inflicted on her family.


    Before he could come up with an adequate response she stepped right in front of him. Stryg opened his mouth, but no words came out.


    Gale looked over his body and methodically pushed his stiff limbs in different directions, correcting his stance. She stepped back, crossed her arms, and looked pointedly at the wooden dummy.


    Stryg nodded hesitantly and struck the dummy once more.

 Chapter 214: Stryg, I Need Your Help

    Chapter 214: Stryg, I Need Your Help


    Sophi walked down the streets of the Commoner District on a cold afternoon. More specifically, Sophi was carried on Mel¡¯s back as he walked down the streets. The wind was chilly and the sun was obscured by grey clouds, but none of this stopped Sophi from singing a happy tune that her older sister, Karen, had taught her.


    Sophi¡¯s cheerful attitude was infectious. Mel soon found himself whistling along, the other orphan goblins walking behind him quickly joined in the song, adding their clapping, whistles, voices, and any other noise they could come up with.


    Witt watched the children sing and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Today was turning out better than he had ever hoped for. The temple¡¯s head priest, Elm, had recently promoted Karen to chief acolyte, which had come with several new responsibilities. One was to manage the food supply of the temple. And thanks to the large donations of an anonymous blue goblin, that also included feeding the orphans.


    Since Witt was by far the best cook at the temple, Karen had placed him in charge of acquiring whatever ingredients he needed from the Trade District¡¯s markets. Fortunately, Mel and the other orphans had volunteered to help carry the sacks of food back to the temple. Unfortunately, Karen didn¡¯t trust Witt to do any job right besides cooking, so she had sent Sophi to supervise Witt¡¯s spending.


    Sophi may have only been 10 years old, but she was sharper than most. She¡¯d notice if Witt would spend any of the temple¡¯s money wastefully and she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tell Karen. Witt didn¡¯t mind too much, he enjoyed spending time with the children, even if it meant not being able to get a drink at a nearby tavern.


    As they made their way to the Trade District, Witt noticed a familiar face standing at the end of the street.


    He frowned, ¡°Hey, Mel, isn¡¯t that one of those guys from the other day?¡±


    Mel stiffened and stopped in his tracks, ¡°The Rat Snake gang¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Sophi asked.


    Mel glanced back, another four drows, each with the gang¡¯s tattoo, stood at the other end of the street.


    ¡°We¡¯re blocked off,¡± Mel muttered.


    ¡°Um, maybe we can negotiate with them?¡± Witt voiced hopefully. ¡°I sort of forgot my dagger at home¡­¡±


    Mel gently lowered Sophi off his back and turned to the other orphans, ¡°This is it, everyone.¡±


    ¡°No, Mel, please, no!¡± one of the younger orphan boys cried.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You know what you have to do,¡± Mel forced a brave smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sophi asked, worried.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the plan exactly?¡± Witt swallowed, ¡°How are we getting out of this?¡±


    ¡°You and I aren¡¯t, Witt,¡± Mel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± he blinked.


    Mel ignored the human and grabbed Sophi¡¯s shoulders, ¡°When I give the signal Witt and I will charge the four gangsters behind us. There¡¯s only one gangster in front of us. The rest of you will run at him, most of you should get away. Don¡¯t worry, the others will make sure to keep you safe, Sophi. Once you''re past the gangster, they¡¯ll take you back to the temple.¡±


    ¡°We know all the streets and shortcuts around here,¡± one of the orphan girls patted Sophi¡¯s back. ¡°You can count on us.¡±


    ¡°B-but, what will happen to you two?¡± Sophi trembled.


    ¡°Yeah, please explain that part,¡± Witt said anxiously.


    Mel glanced at the second eldest orphan, a 15-year-old girl, ¡°Take Sophi and get ready to run, don¡¯t look back no matter what.¡±


    ¡°No, wait! Why are you doing this?¡± Sophi cried.


    Mel took a deep breath and straightened his back, ¡°We are Lunisian, we protect our own. A lone goblin will be picked off by the wolf packs-¡±


    ¡°But a pack of goblins can slay a dire bear,¡± the orphans finished the Sylvan saying.


    ¡°Um, I still don¡¯t have a dagger,¡± Witt said.


    Mel pulled out a small dagger from his pocket and handed it to Witt, ¡°Take mine.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But what about you?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    Mel stared at his fingers. He had stopped filing his nails down and had let his natural claws grow out. The other orphans had done the same. Stryg had told them to never be ashamed of who they were.


    Mel bent his legs, ready to sprint, ¡°Remember this moment, everyone. This is the moment the Lunisians of the Southside Temple stood up for themselves.¡±


    The orphans swallowed nervously and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I always wanted to die a hero,¡± Witt grinned shakily.


    ¡°They probably won¡¯t kill us,¡± Mel said.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably capture us, bring us to their boss, torture us, and then kill us,¡± Mel finished.


    ¡°A-awesome,¡± Witt¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°On my count, you all run,¡± Mel whispered.


    The orphans nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go get help, I promise,¡± Sophi clenched her small hands tight.


    Mel licked his lips, ¡°3, 2, 1¡­ NOW!¡±


    ~~~


    Callum glanced up at Sylvie¡¯s lovely face and tried not to stare. Callum was a Veres; he had grown up around beautiful women, from pretty maids to elegant aristocrats. His older sister, Elise, had trained him how to stay calm in high-stakes situations, even when it meant his life was in danger. Callum had even experienced a close encounter with death only a few months back. Yet, nothing could prepare him for the feelings that welled up inside him whenever Sylvie entered the room.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She was different than anyone he had ever known. Sure, she was drop-dead gorgeous, with a tall curvaceous body that would even put Lady Helene to shame, but Sylvie was so much more than her beauty.


    So it came as a shock when Sylvie looked him in the eyes and said, ¡°Do you want to sleep with me?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected such a direct approach. His tongue felt dry and too large for his mouth.


    ¡°Uhhh, I¡¯m, um, I¡¯m sorry, can you repeat the question?¡± he asked.


    Sylvie glanced out the window, storm clouds were beginning to form, it was going to rain soon.


    ¡°I hate the rain,¡± she muttered. ¡°It¡¯s cold and you always end up soaked, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Um, yes, rain can be bothersome¡­ What was that last part? Before your thoughts on the weather?¡±


    Sylvie looked back at him, ¡°Are we only friends because you want to sleep with me? If it¡¯s true, that¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not angry. I just want to know where we stand.¡±


    Callum looked around the restaurant, he had gotten a private table at one of the nicest places in the Night District. Luckily there was no one in earshot.


    ¡°Is it because of the restaurant? Am I making you feel uncomfortable? I¡¯m sorry,¡± Callum spoke quickly, his nervousness seeped into his voice at full throttle.


    ¡°No, this place looks nice,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s the first time you invited me out to eat, just the two of us. This is a date, right?¡±


    Gods I hope so, he thought. ¡°Do you want it to be?¡±


    Sylvie sipped her wine and looked up in thought, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you accept?¡± he asked softly. Callum winced, he regretted the words the moment they came out.


    Sylvie shrugged, ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know. I was curious, I guess. I¡¯ve never been on a date before.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Callum mumbled.


    He remembered Sylvie¡¯s parents had kept her sheltered for a long time. Her nonchalant attitude probably stemmed from her curiosity.


    I should have expected this, Callum thought. He needed to play this with a calm approach; try to diffuse the mountingly awkward situation.


    And yet the questions stirring inside him bubbled forth. ¡°So you didn¡¯t come because you were interested in me?¡±


    Sylvie took another sip of her wine, ¡°I like you as a person, you¡¯re always so charming with everyone. But romantically? I don¡¯t know. Sure, you¡¯re cute, but so are a lot of guys.¡±


    And no one is as beautiful as you, he thought. How could I ever hope to be your partner?


    ¡°You know, growing up I had a lot of people who were really nice to me,¡± she smiled softly. ¡°They always cared about what I said and they always wanted me to be happy. Then one day I realized the difference between us. They were servants and I was their young mistress. We weren¡¯t friends. They didn¡¯t like me, they were just afraid for their lives, that if I wasn¡¯t happy, my parents would order their deaths.¡±


    She chuckled ruefully, ¡°It was at that moment I realized I didn¡¯t have any friends. It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? To be surrounded by people waiting on you hand and foot, yet to feel so remarkably alone? You must find it ridiculous.¡±


    ...No, I don¡¯t, he thought.


    ¡°Which is why I want to know why we¡¯re here,¡± she said. ¡°Do you just want to sleep with me?.¡±


    So you can know if we¡¯re actually friends, Callum thought bitterly.


    He sighed, ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the most lovely being I have ever laid eyes on. Do I want to spend the night with you? One hundred times yes. But do I want to spend the rest of my life with you? To walk down the street, arm in arm with you on a cold rainy night? I¡¯d give anything for just a chance.¡±


    Sylvie laughed, ¡°What a weird thing to say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t find it ridiculous. To feel so alone, even when you¡¯re surrounded by so many others.¡±


    ¡°But you actually have siblings, four of them right?¡± she furrowed her brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any, brother or sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I have a brother and three sisters. And each and every one of them is vying for my father¡¯s throne. Some of them aren¡¯t even afraid to use violence. By the time my father passes away, there will probably be one or two of us left at best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± she gasped.


    Callum tried to steady his trembling hands, ¡°I hated growing up in that big mansion. I¡­ I couldn¡¯t read properly when I was young, I still can¡¯t if we¡¯re being honest. Most people gave up on me, even the servants didn¡¯t very much care about what I thought. No one thought I could be the Veres heir, after all, I¡¯m half-human¡­ I felt so small, so unseen among my ¡®perfect¡¯ vampire family.¡±


    Callum smiled wryly, ¡°Then my older half-sister, Elise, dragged me away from all the instructors who had given up on my studies. She sat me down next to a book and didn¡¯t let me go until I read her one single sentence right.¡±


    ¡°Your sister sounds mean,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°On the contrary, I loved her all the more for it. Elise was the only one who believed I could do it. The only one who thought I could actually read, that I wasn¡¯t just some imbecile. I read a whole sentence for the first time that day, all thanks to her. Elise meant the whole world to me...¡±


    ¡°Meant? Did she?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s alive and well, and she still dotes on me whenever she can,¡± Callum smiled half-heartedly. ¡°But now she wants me to help her with my House¡¯s succession. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason she helped me when I was a child was because she wanted to use me as a weapon for her plans.¡±


    Sylvie bit her lip.


    Callum cleared his throat, ¡°So yeah, I know what it¡¯s like to feel alone even when people around say they care. When I first saw you, I was stunned, your beauty, your smile. But when I heard you talk about yourself, that¡¯s when it happened. I felt seen, I felt like, here¡¯s a person who actually understands me.¡±


    Sylvie smiled to herself, ¡°Stryg was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°He said you were only my friend because you wanted to sleep with me.¡±


    I guess I deserve that, Callum thought. ¡°For any other girl he might have been right,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°So I¡¯m different?¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Are you just realizing that now? I¡¯ve never met anyone like you.¡±


    She leaned in with a grin, ¡°And what¡¯s so different about me?¡±


    ¡°Besides being a dire vampire-human hybrid prodigy mage?¡±


    ¡°Besides that.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°For starters, you¡¯re so¡­ free. It¡¯s like nothing fazes you. I could never be like that.¡±


    Sylvie laughed, ¡°I guess that makes me the opposite of your friend, Stryg. It seems like everything pisses him off.¡±


    Callum shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Stryg. He¡¯s a good friend and he doesn¡¯t deserve to be mocked. He is the bravest among us. When he puts his mind to something, there¡¯s nothing that can stop him.¡±


    Sylvie tilted her head, ¡°Why is it that Stryg acts like a complete ass to everyone, but you all seem to respect him more than anyone in class? What did he ever do to deserve that kind of treatment?¡±


    Callum closed his eyes. He could still hear the screaming as Kithina cried. The smell of blood in the air. His own beating heart pumping frantically as he ran away like a coward. The sight of Stryg and Clypeus¡¯ back as they faced off against Dusk Valley¡¯s most dangerous warlord. Everything was still crystal clear in Callum¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some other time,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°...Okay,¡± Sylvie nodded carefully. ¡°So, don¡¯t mess with Stryg, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s some solid advice.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg sat in an overly large velvet chair in a private room in the library, courtesy of Lord Elzri Noir. He held two books, one in each hand, the first depicted detailed observations and explanations of Orange¡¯s agility spells, while the second was a series of long essays regarding Brown¡¯s vigor spells. He glanced between the two books while frequently taking notes.


    A knock rang on the door.


    Stryg looked up, his focus disrupted.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he called out.


    The door creaked open, the front desk¡¯s secretary poked her head out from the doorway.


    She bowed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the intrusion. You have a guest. She says she knows you and that she needs to talk with you. It''s of the utmost importance, she says.¡±


    Karen pushed past the secretary and rushed inside. She was covered in sweat and her breathing was heavy.


    ¡°Stryg, I need your help!¡± Karen gasped between breaths.


    He nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Stryg pushed the books aside, and stood up. ¡°Who do we need to kill?¡±

 Chapter 215: The Rat Snake’s Misfortune

    Chapter 215: The Rat Snake¡¯s Misfortune


    The gangster¡¯s fist smashed into Mel¡¯s face, splitting his lip once more, and slicing the inner cheek across his sharp teeth. Mel¡¯s head lolled to the side as he reeled from the pain. His instincts told him to run, escape the pain, but a small coherent part of his mind told him there was no escape.


    Mel and Witt were tied to chairs back-to-back and blindfolded. Their hands and feet had been bound with rope made from ivlid weed, a common yet tough plant from the Silent Marshes. The Rat Snake gang had ambushed them a few hours ago, yet it felt as if an eternity had gone by.


    The drow gangsters had tied them up, then they had left Mel and Witt with a sadistic couple, Gina and Dan, who got off on beating them senseless for hours. Mel¡¯s leg and arms had long gone numb from the thrashings, but the pain in his stomach and chest burned with throbbing agony. He dimly wondered why they even blindfolded him, his eyes were so swollen he wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything anyway.


    Mel knew this was the end of his short life. While his life hadn¡¯t amounted to much, he was grateful that he had found purpose in the end. He was no longer just the trash and rabble of Hollow Shade, an orphan drifting through the streets begging for scraps. No, he was now a child of Lunis. He was proud that his life held meaning, his sacrifice had saved his fellow brothers and sisters, and Sophi. He had made a difference, that should have been enough, but he still couldn¡¯t stop the trembling running through him at the thought of his looming death.


    ¡°Enough with the punches, honey,¡± Gina complained.


    ¡°Aw, why, it was just getting good,¡± Dan groaned.


    ¡°Yeah, but let¡¯s try something new,¡± she giggled.


    Mel could hear the click of a chest opening and the sounds of metal objects bumping into each other from inside.


    ¡°O-o-oh, let¡¯s try the carving knife!¡± Gina said happily. ¡°I bet I could skin the goblin¡¯s legs off in under 10 minutes!¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re on. Oh, wait, look! The little goblin shit just peed himself,¡± Dan laughed.


    ¡°Hey, leave the kid alone, you sick fucks!¡± Witt muttered through swollen cheeks.


    Gina walked over to Witt and grinned, ¡°Trying to play the hero?¡±


    ¡°Bah! As if that human has a single brave bone in his body,¡± Dan sneered.


    Witt licked his bloody lips, ¡°I¡¯m not brave. You¡¯re just a bunch of cowards. It¡¯s pretty easy hurting people when they¡¯re tied up. Why don¡¯t you untie me and see who the coward really is?¡±


    ¡°I could take this stupid shit with only one hand,¡± Dan spat on Witt¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then try me, you son of a bitch!¡± Witt snapped.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m snipping your balls first!¡± Dan grabbed a pair of shears.


    The door swung open.


    ¡°I told you not to rough them up too much. It seems someone needs to learn respect,¡± a feminine voice said coldly.


    Dan and Gina lowered their heads and stepped back.


    ¡°Sorry, boss,¡± the couple said together.


    ¡°Both of you get out,¡± she ordered with a calm voice that held faint yet clear tones of anger.


    Witt heard the footsteps of Dan and Gina run out of the room and the door close behind them. A lighter set of steps walked around Witt and Mel. The footsteps stopped, Witt heard the sounds of a chair being dragged in front of him.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a bit better,¡± the woman sighed and leaned back in the chair. ¡°Here, let me get that for you.¡±


    Witt blinked his eyes blearily as his blindfold was removed. His swollen jaw went slack at the sight of the woman sitting across from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Donna, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°W-Witt¡­ You¡¯re the boss?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect a woman?¡± she smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect an orc,¡± he frowned.


    The orc shrugged, ¡°Our gang may consist mostly of drows, but its membership isn¡¯t exclusive to any one species.¡±


    Witt looked the woman up and down, she was skinny, almost frail-like; her black leather clothes hung a tad loose over her body, this didn¡¯t seem like the rumored feared leader of the Rat Snake gang.


    ¡°All those guys listen to¡­ you?¡± Witt asked with a skeptic tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you''re the one who founded the gang,¡± she smirked. ¡°Looks like Dan and Gina aren¡¯t the only two who need to be taught respect.¡±


    ¡°Hard to respect someone when you¡¯re tied up in a chair,¡± Witt tried moving to no avail.


    ¡°You are a little cocky one aren¡¯t you? But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little late for that now. You see, local residents noticed you and the little goblin behind you disrespecting my men the other day. We are new to this territory, we can¡¯t afford such a display of dissent.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll just kill us like animals!?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°No, Gina and Dan went overboard. I was hoping to simply gut you in the middle of the streets. Your death would be horribly painful, but quick. Unlike this whole little torture session.¡±


    ¡°W-why?¡± Witt shook with anger or fear, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Hm, you¡¯re not too bright are you? We need to show the folks around here that we¡¯re the new gang in charge. They need to know that they have to listen to us. With the gods¡¯ grace, we¡¯ll have the entire five blocks around here under our influence by the end of next month.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to kill us, no matter what,¡± Witt squeezed his eyes tight, tears slipping down anyways.


    ¡°Quite right, I do apologize for dragging this one out. I¡¯ll have the men take you down the street and finish this in the morning.¡± Donna stood up and headed for the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re religious?¡± Mel called out.


    ¡°Only a fool would not believe in the gods,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°Most drows aren¡¯t religious. You really think the gods are going to bless your little atheist gang?¡±


    ¡°My drows follow my orders,¡± she glared. ¡°Why do you think they didn¡¯t take you in last time? Your little acolyte friend saved you. The Rat Snakes respect the temple¡¯s own.¡±


    Mel broke into a cackling fit, his bloody mouth grinning from side to side.


    Donna pulled out her dagger and pointed at the blindfolded goblin, ¡°What¡¯s so funny little man?¡±


    ¡°You say you respect the temple¡¯s own. But you just had one of them tortured,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Do you really expect me to believe your little street rat ass works for a holy temple?¡± Donna raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Nope, but he does,¡± Mel threw his head back.


    ¡°This human idiot? A priest?¡± Donna laughed.


    ¡°Not a priest, he¡¯s the temple¡¯s cook,¡± Mel sneered. ¡°And you just attacked us as he was on a trip to buy food for the temple.¡±


    Donna¡¯s smile slipped away.


    ¡°Do you really think the gods will bless your little gang now?¡± Mel chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°Well, shit. I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Donna threw her hands up in the air. ¡°In that case, Dan! Gina! Get back in here, you still have some work to do with these two.¡±


    Mel stiffened with fear.


    Donna tapped her foot, ¡°Dan!? Gina!? Get your asses over here, now!¡±


    A thunderous crash resounded outside the room. Several screams echoed through the house.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Donna muttered.


    ~~~


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the orphan girl nodded repeatedly.


    Stryg, Karen, and the orphan stood in an alleyway, watching a large house down the street. Candlelight glowed from the windows, various figures passed by the curtain routinely. The Rat Snake¡¯s base was far from empty.


    ¡°Good,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, you go to the barracks on the eastern side of the Trade District. There you¡¯ll find Captain Rorik Polamtal. Tell him I sent you, and that I want him and his men here for a bit of cleanup. He¡¯ll understand.¡±


    The orphan opened her mouth to object, but hesitated, and lowered her head. Tears formed at the edge of her yellow eyes, ¡°...Mel, he¡­ we need him. He can¡¯t die¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise his safety,¡± Stryg said. ¡°But I¡¯ll do my best to save your leader.¡±


    ¡°Mel believes in you, more than any of us,¡± she swallowed. ¡°Please don¡¯t let him down now.¡±


    Before Stryg could respond she ran off.


    ¡°Poor girl, Mel is her family,¡± Karen bit her lip. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to have your family taken by a gang.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t like last time,¡± Stryg said.


    Karen looked around the alleyway dubiously, ¡°This feels exactly like last time. Except it¡¯s already dark, I guess. We don¡¯t have to wait for nightfall.¡±


    ¡°The dark is always nice in a fight.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? You sneak in through the back again? Then I¡¯ll come in as backup?¡± Karen gripped her dagger tight.


    ¡°No, you stay here. I¡¯ll handle this,¡± Stryg stepped out of the alleyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said last time! And you would have died without my help!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, last time was different.¡±


    ¡°How!?¡±


    ¡°Last time I fought like a hunter. But truth be told, I never did manage to join the hunters,¡± he admitted. ¡°This time I fight as a mage.¡±


    ¡°Then why the sword!?¡± Karen called out from the alleyway.


    Stryg unsheathed the longsword from behind his back and brandished the blade with a flourish. ¡°Because it¡¯s better than a dagger.¡±


    Karen¡¯s eyes widened as she noticed his direction, ¡°Wait, where are you going!? They¡¯ll see you!¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± he whispered to himself.


    Stryg walked down the street and headed to the Rat Snake¡¯s front door, it was made of iron, an expected defense for their main base of operations. They were definitely wealthier than the Wild Knives gang and larger if the dozens of scents coming from inside were any indicator.


    As he neared, he could hear the sounds of whispers from inside the house. Heavy footsteps ran to the front door. Stryg guessed there were two, maybe three, waiting for him behind the door.


    Stryg smiled maliciously. Brown mana coursed through his lower body, a faint bronze sheen covered his legs as the spell took hold. Vigor magic enhanced the caster¡¯s base strength, but his base strength was far above normal.


    Stryg¡¯s muscles flexed tight. He raised his leg and kicked the door with a resounding boom. The iron door bent under the pressure, ripped off its hinges, and flew back into the wall, smashing the two drows behind into a bloody pulp.


    Screams of horror and confusion echoed through the house. Stryg released the vigor spell and channeled yellow mana over his body. A dim outline of yellow scales surged across his skin.


    Three drows ran out of another room, daggers, and swords in hand. They stared at the intruder in surprise for a brief moment, before charging him in an all-out attack. Stryg took a step back and entered a defensive stance of the Gale Style.


    He may have been taller than other goblins, but his reach was still shorter than any average drow. Like the spear, the longsword eliminated that weakness. Stryg narrowed his eyes as the enemies rushed him.


    Durability scales were heavy, they usually weighed down their caster and slowed their movements noticeably. But he weighed more than others, his body was used to carrying around a little extra weight.


    Stryg waited, his muscles tightened. His enemies were now a mere few feet from him. They raised their weapons, ready to attack. Stryg dashed in and closed the gap in the blink of an eye. His longsword flitted through the air in one swift silver strike. The three gangsters fell apart, their bodies buckling in half at the waist.


    Stryg didn¡¯t waste time to glance at their bodies and jogged over to the living room. A crossbow bolt smashed into his shoulder, his durability scales flaring bright yellow where they blocked the attack. Stryg ignored the futile attack and surveyed the living room.


    The room¡¯s furniture had been flipped over and being used as cover by the gangsters. Two of them stayed at the very back, bolts notched in their crossbows. Another dozen gangsters held spears, swords, and axes at the ready.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Gina raised her crossbow.


    Dan fired off his crossbow again, Gina¡¯s bolt flew right behind. The iron bolts broke on his blue skin and clattered to the ground harmlessly. His body had barely been pushed back from the force. Dan and Gian trembled in utter shock. Stryg stared at them, annoyed.


    A human snuck up from behind and swung his ax down at Stryg. The goblin¡¯s right leg spread out and his body ducked low in a smooth sweep. His feet shifted and he spun around the human, his longsword swinging in a wide arc in a coinciding motion. The human¡¯s head rolled off the neck and the man collapsed in a heap of blood.


    ¡°Luca, no!¡± a dire drow screamed in fury from across a hallway.


    The dire gripped her hammer tight and charged.


    Stryg flicked his open hand, a funnel of orange flame blasted the dire back into the hall in a vortex of fire. She thrashed on the ground as the fire consumed her flesh and seared her bones.


    Stryg glanced at the dozen pale-faced drows in the living room. He hefted the longsword over his shoulder and bared his small fangs, ¡°I really hate snakes.¡±

 Chapter 216: I Don’t See A Coward

    Chapter 216: I Don¡¯t See A Coward


    Donna¡¯s stomach churned with anxiety. Screams and cries of her comrades echoed through the house. Sounds of shattered glass and splintered wood reverberated from behind the door.


    What in Bellum¡¯s name is happening!? she thought, panic seeping into her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Witt asked. He tried looking back at the door, but the ropes stopped him from moving from the chair.


    ¡°The guards?¡± Mel asked, hope slipping into his voice.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Donna whispered angrily.


    She pulled Witt¡¯s blindfold back up to match Mel¡¯s.


    ¡°If either one of you says one more word I won¡¯t hesitate to stab you both a couple of times, am I clear?¡± Donna snarled.


    Mel and Witt clenched their jaws, no words slipped out.


    ¡°Good,¡± Donna said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to go walk outside of this room, and when I get back if I find any of you had moved a single fucking inch you can say goodbye to your toes.¡±


    The sounds from outside suddenly died out with a single and final gurgling scream.


    The wood planks in the hall outside creaked as a single pair of footsteps walked towards them. Donna cursed under her breath and pulled out two daggers. She brought their sharp edges to Mel and Witt¡¯s necks.


    ¡°Get the fuck back!¡± she yelled. ¡°I have hostages! If you take another step I¡¯ll slit their throats!¡±


    The footsteps stopped, the house fell silent save for Donna¡¯s own ragged breath and the pitter-patter of the rain. Her heartbeat thrummed loudly in her ears as if her heart was about to explode. She swallowed hard and stared at the door.


    ¡°You have one chance!¡± she yelled. ¡°If you leave now I¡¯ll let one of the hostages go!¡±


    Dark shadows crept from underneath the door, from its sides, and above, like ink spreading on a white canvas. The shadows quickly encroached over the walls and threatened to overtake the room.


    ¡°W-what is this!?¡± Donna screamed hysterically.


    She backed away from the shadows and dragged Mel and Witt towards the window. Black tendrils emerged from the darkness and edged towards her.


    ¡°GET BACK! I¡¯ll fucking kill them!¡± Donna raised her dagger and aimed at Mel¡¯s heart.


    She gasped a hollow sound as a longsword slipped into her stomach and lifted her up in the air. She choked on dark red blood and wheezed for a single breath. Her daggers clattered to the ground and she tried to grasp the longsword¡¯s edge with trembling fingers.


    A pair of lilac eyes looked up at her from within the darkness, its slit pupils as thin as blades.


    ¡°An orc, I should have guessed,¡± a cold voice growled.


    The longsword moved in the dark and dragged Donna through the air. The sword pierced the wall, leaving her body hanging like a skewered pig on a spit.


    She tried mumblin, ¡°...P-pleas-¡±


    A hand shot out and gripped her jaw closed, clawed fingers tearing into her skin. The hand jerked her head to the side and exposed her neck. Donna winced in pain, small teeth sank into her throat. Her amber eyes widened, she could feel an unsettling warmth taking over her body. Her mind went numb and she lost consciousness.


    ~~~


    Stryg drank down the orc¡¯s blood with quick gulps. The orc hung still from the longsword, save for the occasional spasm. He had forgone dinner today to come to Karen¡¯s aid. The dying orc seemed like a good enough snack to pass the time. He begrudgingly admitted that the orc¡¯s blood was tastier than most.


    Her body slowly grew cold, the blood drained from her veins. Stryg clamped his jaw tighter around her neck until his teeth sank straight through. He pulled back and tore away, chunks of flesh ripping apart. The orc¡¯s head dangled off her shoulders, the rest of the body fell forward on the longsword, limp.


    Stryg spat out the flesh and licked his bloody lips. His lilac eyes looked through the darkness as if it was a bright sunny afternoon. Mel and Witt were tied up to a pair of chairs. They were blindfolded and covered in bruises and small cuts, they looked terrified. A small puddle of urine pooled below Mel¡¯s chair.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Stryg gritted his teeth, he should have killed those damn Rat Snakes much more slowly. He waved his hands in a subtle motion and released the shadow dome spell. The shadows receded from the room and fell back into his silhouette.


    Stryg pulled out his longsword, Donna''s body collapsed on the floor in a sprawl of limbs. He flicked his blade with small, precise cuts, slicing apart the ivlid weed bindings of Witt and Mel with ease.


    Stryg recognized the bindings, the same material had been used by the poacher who had captured and brought him to Hollow Shade two years ago. The ivlid weed had seemed unbreakable back then. Stryg looked at his longsword with a newfound appreciation, Gian had truly gifted him a wonderful weapon.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt us!¡± Witt flinched.


    Mel trembled but tried to put on a brave face.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed, Stryg realized. ¡°I just cut your bindings. It¡¯s alright, the Rat Snakes are all dead.¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Mel called out hesitantly.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Witt frowned in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re here? How?¡±


    ¡°A child of Lunis was in danger,¡± Stryg said. ¡°What other reason did I need?¡±


    Mel¡¯s small body shivered and heaved as he gasped and sputtered in tears. He broke down and cried, relief washing over him.


    Stryg looked at the small goblin boy and felt a pang of sympathy, he was reminded of the little blue runt that had tried so hard to survive in the Blood Fang tribe.


    ¡°How bad are your injuries?¡± Stryg asked softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse,¡± Witt lied with a grin. ¡°The boy took the worst of it¡­ They didn¡¯t stop beating him...¡±


    Stryg¡¯s grip tightened around the sword. ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°I think I can,¡± Witt stumbled to his feet.


    Mel tried to stand, but his feet gave out. Stryg caught him by the shoulders before he fell in his own piss.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mel mumbled in shame.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Stryg said sternly. He didn¡¯t need to hear another word. ¡°Witt, go outside. Karen is waiting, she¡¯ll patch you up and take you to Celica Skeller¡¯s clinic. Celica¡¯s an orc, one of the few I trust, and she¡¯s a good healer. You¡¯ll be in good hands. Go quickly, this building is on fire.¡±


    For once Witt didn¡¯t open his mouth. He simply nodded and limped his way out of the room.


    Stryg ignored Mel¡¯s wet pants, picked the boy up in his arms and carried him to a corner. He gently lowered Mel to the ground and pulled off his blindfold.


    Mel looked up at him with trembling lips and wide yellow eyes, his slit pupils round as saucers. The boy¡¯s eyes were red from tears, though there was still life in them. But there was also shame. Stryg recognized it clearly, the shame of being so exposed, your weaknesses as bright as day; the shame of feeling so unworthy.


    Mel looked at his piss-stained clothes and the yellow wet spot on Stryg¡¯s jacket, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Stryg felt his throat grow tight. ¡°I told you, don¡¯t apologize.¡±


    He stared back at his stained pants, ¡°I tried to be like the heroes of Lunis you told us about. I tried, but I couldn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not a Lunisian hero... I¡¯m just a coward.¡±


    Stryg said nothing, he simply placed his outstretched hand over Mel¡¯s chest. A soft white glow emanated from his palm and filtered into the boy¡¯s body.


    Mel gasped sharply, ¡°It¡­! It doesn¡¯t hurt as much?¡±


    ¡°...Do you know how I found you?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°It was one of your friends, a brave young girl a little younger than you. She risked her life and followed the gang to their hideout. She did it for you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just kind,¡± Mel mumbled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s more than that. She¡¯s loyal. Every single one of those orphan children is loyal to you because they know you¡¯d do anything to keep them safe. That kind of bravery inspires loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Bravery?¡± Mel asked softly, hesitance dripping from his voice.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°When the Snakes ambushed you all, you didn¡¯t run, you didn¡¯t abandon your tribemates and leave them for dead¡­ No, you charged in first. When I look at you, I don¡¯t see a coward. I see a chief willing to do whatever it takes to protect his tribe. And that, Mel, is heroic.¡±


    Mel rubbed his eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but cry. A small smile crept over his lips.


    Stryg released the healing spell and offered Mel his hand, ¡°Can you stand, chieftain?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Rorik Polamtal shouted at his men.


    The captain of the guard and his men ran down the dark streets of Hollow Shade.


    ¡°Sir, why are we running? Didn¡¯t the goblin child say Mister Stryg needed us for clean-up?¡± his lieutenant asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Whenever Stryg is involved, things are bound to get out of control,¡± Rorik shook his head.


    ¡°Captain, there¡¯s smoke coming from over there!¡± one of the guards pointed to the distance.


    ¡°We¡¯re too late, we need to hurry!¡± Rorik yelled.


    They crossed several more streets, the local sentinels shambling out of their way at the sight of the guard uniform.


    Rorik and his men stumbled to a halt in front of a burning house. The guards stared at the scene with utter confusion. A dozen small goblin children were crying and huddling around a teenage goblin boy who was crying yet smiling. The temple acolyte, Karen, was tending to the wounds of a human wearing a stupid grin. Stryg stood away from the crowd, unharmed as usual Rorik suspected.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± the lieutenant frowned.


    ~~~


    Stryg watched the orphans hugging and crying with a bittersweet smile. He closed his eyes and let himself simply feel the wind brush over his skin. He found himself sorely missing the ashen trees of Vulture Woods.


    For the first time in a very long time, he wished to see the Blood Fang tribe. He knew they must think him dead like the others he had abandoned in the lamia cave. If they only knew he was alive, what would they think? He was a mage now, but he was also an exile. Would they hate him? Shun him? Or perhaps, just maybe, they might finally accept him.


    ¡°As if,¡± he sighed bitterly.

 Chapter 217: A Cautionary Tale

    Chapter 217: A Cautionary Tale


    The dark clouds of the night sky concealed the two hooded figures roaming through the Veres and Gale estates¡¯ maze garden. Stryg followed close behind Gian, intent on not getting lost in the enormous labyrinth of hedges.


    They walked in silence, intent on staying hidden from the occasional guard patrolling the area. Gian seemed to hold great influence among both House Gale and Veres, but he still insisted on moving covertly. He didn¡¯t tell Stryg why. In fact, Gian hadn¡¯t told him anything really.


    All Stryg knew was that Gian had asked to meet him at the front gate of the Gale estate at midnight. Once Stryg had arrived, Gian had thrown a hooded cloak over him and led him into the maze, out of sight from the guards. Stryg didn¡¯t understand any of this, but he trusted the elder vampire.


    ¡°How have you been, Stryg?¡± Gian whispered as they walked.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, I¡¯ve been fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Gian glanced back at him, ¡°I can smell various scents of blood on you.¡±


    Stryg rubbed a few silver strands of his hair and sighed, ¡°I got in a fight yesterday. I still haven¡¯t been able to wash the scent of their blood off my hair.¡±


    ¡°Who did you fight?¡± Gian asked, a hint of worry in his voice.


    ¡°Some gangsters who attacked a group of children I know.¡±


    ¡°You fought them alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There were a few dozen of them, but I managed.¡±


    ¡°You should have told me, I would have helped you. It¡¯s dangerous to fight a group of enemies by yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The longsword you gave me was more than enough help. I promise I will repay you.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, the sword was a gift, it was my pleasure,¡± Gian smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but please, don¡¯t call me master, it¡¯s too formal.¡±


    ¡°My bad, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Gian¡­ or uncle, if you prefer.¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t that word used for family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sometimes used as a name for an older friend, a mentor. You¡¯re my apprentice after all,¡± he shrugged.


    Stryg was confused, he was beginning to understand why Gale had referred to her esteemed great-grand uncle as eccentric. Still, Stryg knew there were others who didn¡¯t prefer their usual titles. Loh hated being called ¡®professor.¡¯ Stryg himself had no interest whatsoever in calling Elzri his god-father nor did Elzri wish to call him god-son; the arrangement had only been made to benefit each other¡¯s positions. How Elzri benefited, Stryg still had no idea, but that drow was more secretive than most.


    ¡°So, you like the longsword, huh?¡± Gian grinned.


    ¡°Very much, its cuts are clean, and the weight feels natural in my hands,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I had the longsword commissioned just for you by House Gale¡¯s personal blacksmith; she is a powerful brown mage and one of the best enchanters in all of Hollow Shade. She imbued your sword with various enchantments, enhancing the blade¡¯s durability, sharpness, and a few other things.¡±


    ¡°That explains the sigils on the blade,¡± Stryg nodded. He had guessed there was some enchantment on the weapon, but he hadn¡¯t realized how extensive it really was.


    ¡°That sword must have taken a long time to make,¡± Stryg muttered. Not to mention expensive.


    ¡°Which is why I commissioned it at the beginning of summer,¡± Gian tapped his head and smiled.


    ¡°You commissioned it all the way back then? But you barely knew me,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°I knew all I needed to.¡± Gian pulled out his own longsword, the blade had a soft gold sheen to it and was covered in arcane sigils. ¡°Now, your sword may not be as good as my Primoria, but it¡¯ll get the job done, I guarantee it.¡±


    A guard walked by and stiffened at the sight of the two cloaked figures. Gian dashed behind the guard in one fluid motion and smacked him across the back of the head with Primoria¡¯s pommel. Gian caught the guard before he fell over and stuffed him in one of the hedges.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Gian apologized quietly to the unconscious guard. He turned to Stryg, ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly and kept his eyes on Gian¡¯s sword. The elder vampire would usually use a practice weapon when sparring with him. It was rare for Stryg to see Gian¡¯s actual sword, but he knew it well. Clypeus had told him about Primoria many times, the ancestral sword of House Gale.


    Gian caught his staring and smiled, ¡°What will you name your sword?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°It''s a common tradition to name your enchanted weapon.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Gian patted Primoria¡¯s handle,¡°If you¡¯re lucky, your weapon might become famous one day and get its own ballad.¡±


    ¡°Like Oginum or Krikolm?¡±


    ¡°There are many enchanted artifacts of powerful Great Houses that are known throughout songs and tales.¡± Gian raised his fingers and began ticking some of them off, ¡°House Morrigan¡¯s greatsword Feather, House Thorn¡¯s ancestral bow Rose, and yes, House Veres¡¯ sword Krikolm, and House Goldelm¡¯s warhammer Oginum.¡±


    ¡°I see, there¡¯s a lot of names¡­¡± Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°What do I name my sword?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s usually up to its creator, but in your case, the blacksmith left your blade unnamed. It¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the iron pommel of his sword and nodded to himself, ¡°Nameless.¡±


    Gian¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°You¡¯re calling it Nameless?¡±


    ¡°Do you not like it?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine I suppose,¡± he grinned wryly.


    ¡°Nameless it is then,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Gian stopped walking and stepped aside.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, the cemetery of House Gale and Veres lay in front of him. Gale sat a few paces away on the grass, her longsword on her lap.


    Stryg swallowed hard, ¡°W-why did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Gian patted his back.


    Gale noticed their presence, stood up, and walked over. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be of service, uncle,¡± Gale bowed deeply. She glanced at Stryg, a variety of expressions crossed her face, ranging from anger to sadness. ¡°...You deserve a chance to be here,¡± she turned away and stood over the cemetery¡¯s entrance.


    Before Stryg could answer Gian pulled him deeper into the cemetery. They passed by dozens of graves until they came across a freshly-cut marble slab.


    Stryg froze at the sight of the name on the tombstone. Clypeus Gale.


    Gian took a few steps back and stared at the grave with a solemn look in his scarlet eyes, ¡°You never got a chance to say a proper farewell to your best friend. I¡¯m sorry it took so long to bring you here.¡±


    The vampire¡¯s words fell on deaf ears. Stryg stared at the grave, a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind. Three simple words broke through the dissonance.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Stryg mumbled. His throat felt sore. He had wanted to stand here so many times. Now that he was here, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t draw his eyes away from the tombstone. Somehow seeing Clypeus Gale on the marble stone made the reality of his death so painfully clear.


    Gian cleared his throat, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind the epitaph. I had it altered. I thought it more fitting to Clypeus¡¯ legacy.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened at the words below the name.


    Here lies a great warrior of Gale, one of our greatest. His spark was smothered too soon, but his strength will be remembered forever. He was a Shield of his friend to the end.


    Stryg knees buckled under him, he fell to the ground and clutched his chest tight. He clenched his eyes closed and tried to muffle his cries.


    Gian stood over him and said not a word. He simply stood next to the boy in solidarity. The boy¡¯s shoulders shook with every breath, he cried and cried, until his eyes were puffy and his voice was hoarse. After what seemed an eternity, Stryg slowly staggered to his feet.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°It was my honor,¡± Gian bowed his head. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can arrange for you to come visit again next week.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg shook his head. He glanced at the gravestone, ¡°I don¡¯t plan on coming back here, not until I have avenged him. I made a promise. I won¡¯t stop until there isn¡¯t a single one of those Cairn bastards left.¡±


    ¡°That task may be more difficult than you think,¡± Gian said softly.


    ¡°For Clypeus¡¯ sake? I don¡¯t care how difficult it¡¯d be, I¡¯ll burn down all of Dusk Valley if I have to,¡± he said angrily.


    Gian looked up at the dark sky and sighed, ¡°...Have you ever heard the story of Veres I?¡±


    Stryg nodded with uncertainty, ¡°I saw the play, The Unfaltering Shield, back in Mellow Bloom.¡±


    ¡°Then you know what happened to Gale I?¡±


    ¡°She died saving Veres I?¡±


    ¡°From his enemies, yes. And Veres I swore revenge for Gale¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°He defeated his enemies and helped the ebon lord, Koval, unite the Ebon Realm, right?¡±


    Gian chuckled bitterly, ¡°Right¡­ The first and only unification of the entire Ebon Realm to have existed. You see, that¡¯s what everyone always talks about, how Lord Koval united the Realm, even if that unification crumbled apart after his death. No one really talks about what happened for Koval to reach that point.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Koval wouldn¡¯t have been able to unify the Realm if it wasn¡¯t for Veres I¡¯s help. You see, Veres was distraught, so broken from Gale¡¯s death that he scoured the land, not just of his enemies, but everyone who stood in his path¡­ The countless bodies his army cut down soaked the Ebon Realm in so much blood, it allowed Koval to achieve his so-called ¡®unification.¡¯ Veres I was consumed by his anger and pain until his last breath and the entire Realm paid for it.


    ¡°Koval said it was all worth it, for the sake of peace.¡± Gian opened his arms wide and pointed at the gravestones, ¡°Look around you. Do you see peace?¡±


    Stryg bit his lip and glanced at Cly¡¯s grave, ¡°What are you saying? That I shouldn¡¯t seek revenge for what happened to Cly? That the Cairn deserves to live!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I understand your pain, but please listen to me when I say, don¡¯t let your pain consume you. Don¡¯t let your anger hold the innocent people of this realm hostage. You are more than your scars, Stryg. Remember that.¡±


    Stryg laughed ruefully, ¡°I am only here because of my scars. Where were all the innocent people of the Realm when Lunis burned to the ground?! Where were they when I was dragged across Dusk Valley and brought to Hollow Shade to be sold as a slave!? There are no innocents, only people who would rather turn a blind eye and protect themselves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Gian whispered.


    Stryg straightened his jacket and wiped his tears, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on killing them all like some bloodthirsty monster. I won¡¯t lose myself like Veres I. I have people who rely on me, I won¡¯t let them down.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do? When you finally achieve the power you so desperately seek?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll change this Realm so that it can never hurt my tribe again.¡±


    Hurt your tribe or hurt you? Gian thought. ¡°...No matter the costs?¡±


    ¡°Why do you look so worried? I¡¯m not planning on starting a whole blown-out war.¡± Stryg shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m Veres I or even a Veres at that.¡±


    Gian forced himself to smile, ¡°Yes, of course¡­ My mistake.¡±

 Chapter 218: Disturbing Report

    Chapter 218: Disturbing Report


    Lord Marek¡¯s council had gathered in the command tent to discuss the recent ongoings of Dusk Valley and to receive the latest reports of the scouts who had only arrived this morning.


    Nokti glanced at the men and women sitting across the table from her. Marek seemed tired, dark bags hung under his eyes. It had been a long autumn for the tribe, and the first winter snows had only made everything worse. She felt a pang in her heart, a part of her wanted to hug Marek and comfort him. But she buried that piece of her deep inside, she had a purpose now, a duty; the safety of the Ebon Realm was more important than her feelings for a past love.


    Grim seemed... well, grim she supposed. After the axlean had lost an arm to the lamia traitor, the elemental mage had never been the same. Grim had always been a bit of recluse, but now any hint of warmth was gone from his milky-white eyes.


    The elf, Kyriil seemed bored. He fiddled with his fingers as they waited for the scout to arrive. Dawn and Vaughn were expressionless as always, Nokti still felt unnerved by the creepy twins every time she looked at them.


    Caligo, or Crow, as the others knew him, sat next to her, sleeping it seemed. His avian skull mask covered his entire head, hiding his silver hair and child-like face. No one could see what he was ever thinking, but then again, even without the mask Nokti doubted anyone knew what he was thinking except for, perhaps, Lin Lu. The snow-white fox was curled up in Crow¡¯s lap, sleeping peacefully. The fact that no one else could see the fox still boggled Nokti.


    The tent flaps flipped open, a woman dressed in a pale green garment ran into the tent and stumbled to a halt in front of the council.


    She immediately turned to Marek and bowed low, ¡°My lord. Captain Mabel reporting for duty!¡±


    ¡°Forget the formalities,¡± Marek waved his hand weakly.


    He¡¯s more tired than I thought, Nokti noted to herself.


    ¡°You are in charge of all our scouts in the North and West of Dusk Valley, yes?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Mabel nodded. ¡°I came as soon as I gathered all the reports from my scouts.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? On with it,¡± Marek tapped the table.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Mabel pulled out a long roll of paper and laid it flat across the table.


    Nokti stared at the map of Dusk Valley with wide eyes. ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    Mabel nodded glumly, ¡°The yellow markings are where the armies of Hollow Shade attacked a Valley tribe. The orange markings are where they attacked outposts of our own Cairn Tribe.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, the entire West and North sections are covered in orange and yellow!¡± Kyriil exclaimed.


    ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s armies have tripled since spring and they are only growing by the day,¡± Mabel said.


    Marek ran his hands through his golden hair, ¡°Dammit¡­¡±


    Grim pointed a long grey finger at the dozens of red circles on the map. ¡°What are the red markings?¡±


    Mabel took a shaky breath, ¡°The red circles are where a Valley tribe¡¯s outpost was completely wiped out, no survivors¡­¡±


    Dawn whistled, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°A lot of dead,¡± Vaughn muttered.


    ¡°Several of the Northern Valley tribes have already been wiped out,¡± Mabel said quietly.


    ¡°Our Valley has been plunged into a bloodbath,¡± Nokti clenched her teeth.


    ¡°We need to group up, all the tribes,¡± Marek said. ¡°It¡¯s the only chance we have to survive Hollow Shade¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°Except none of the other chieftains want to meet with us,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable,¡± Nokti sighed. ¡°They blame us for this entire war. I wouldn¡¯t want to meet with us either.¡±


    ¡°Stingy bastards,¡± Kyriil cursed.


    ¡°Why do we need to parley with them in the first place?¡± Grim asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we just keep attacking the tribes into submission? Absorb their remnants into our own army? We¡¯re already the strongest tribe in the Valley.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Marek shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t fight the other tribes and Hollow Shade both. We¡¯ll lose. We need the tribes to join us willingly.¡±


    ¡°And how are we supposed to do that?¡± Grim asked.


    ¡°We need the Adder Tribe,¡± Dawn said. ¡°They are the most respected of the tribes. If we get their endorsement the other tribes will rally to us. If all the Valley tribes gather together, we¡¯ll have the largest army in the entire Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Except the Adder Tribe refuses to meet with us,¡± Marek sighed. ¡°After we failed to show up and meet with them on the Summer Solstice, they have cut off all communication with us. No envoys, no messenger birds, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Right, I almost forgot,¡± Grim glanced at Kyriil and the sleeping Crow, ¡°You two fucked up the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we got fucking attacked by a group of master mages!¡± Kyriil yelled. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t get my ass whooped by one snake girl!¡±


    ¡°You piece of shit!¡± Grim roared and stood to his feet. He towered over the rest by several feet.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Vaughn raised his voice.


    Grim and Kyriil froze. The hybrid arch-mage never shouted. Grim sat down and mumbled something under his breath.


    ¡°My lord, any thoughts?¡± Vaughn asked.


    Marek stayed quiet for a moment before answering, ¡°We can¡¯t fight the Adder people, they are the only tribe with an army large enough to oppose us. We need to find a diplomatic solution.¡±


    ¡°Says the man who hatched a bunch of monster babies and started a war with a fucking Great City,¡± Kyriil muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re more than happy enough to fuck the woman of our tribe, huh?¡± Nokti sneered.


    ¡°An elf needs his comforts, okay? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Kyriil shrugged.


    ¡°Does he need his balls too?¡± Nokti asked. ¡°Because if you don¡¯t stop talking I¡¯m going to rip them right off between those skinny legs!¡±


    ¡°Gods I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with this right now,¡± Marek groaned.


    Mabel coughed and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Is there something you want to add?¡± Marek raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Um, my lord. There was one more detail regarding my report. Although, it doesn¡¯t seem very important in retrospect¡­ It¡¯s most likely nothing.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Out with it, we don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± Marek said.


    Mabel shuffled her feet and stared at the floor, ¡°One of my scouts came across a village far out to the west, it was closer to the Rupture Mountains than Dusk Valley really.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°The village was utterly destroyed,¡± Mabel said. ¡°Not a single building was left standing. There was only one survivor, a farmer who lived on the village outskirts. When our scout talked to the farmer, he seemed shocked, he could barely speak. Our scout managed to get one word out of the farmer, just one.¡±


    Mabel swallowed, ¡°Dragons.¡±


    Kyriil burst into laughter, ¡°Huh? You think dragons burned down some random village? What is this? The Amber Realm?¡±


    ¡°I hate to admit it, but the stupid elf has a point,¡± Nokti sighed.


    Marek frowned, ¡°Captain Mabel, you said this happened in the far west? It couldn¡¯t have been one of the Valley tribes, they would have no reason to raid, let alone destroy an entire innocent village that pays no tribute to Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you actually think it was dragons!?¡± Kyrill yelled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Marek rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s try to be productive for a moment, yeah?¡±


    ¡°It was in the far west, it could have been one of Undergrowth¡¯s armies,¡± Dawn said.


    ¡°True, but Undergrowth usually doesn¡¯t send its forces out of Glimmer Grove forest,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°If that village was near the Rupture Mountains, depending on how far North, it could have been one of Frost Rim¡¯s battalions.¡±


    ¡°Or it could have been a frost giant tribe coming down from the mountains,¡± Grim said. ¡°I hear they are sometimes sighted at the border between Dusky Valley and the Rupture Mountains.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Nokti nodded.


    ¡°Where was this village exactly?¡± Crow asked.


    Everyone turned to the spymaster, it was the first time he had spoken all day.


    ¡°Um, right about here,¡± Mabel pointed at the map.


    Crow stared at the map for a moment. He nodded to himself and stood up. Lin Lu jumped off his lap and clambered up to his shoulder.


    ¡°And where are you going?¡± Kyriil asked.


    Crow ignored the elf and walked out.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Grim asked.


    ¡°I honestly couldn¡¯t care less right now,¡± Marek muttered.


    Nokti glanced at the twins. Dawn and Vaughn seemed just as confused.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Nokti stood up and hurried out of the tent.


    Marek glared at her retreating figure with a mixture of pain and bitterness. He sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s continue shall we?¡±


    ~~~


    Crow was gone by the time Nokti had left the meeting. She searched for him throughout the camp and eventually found him in his tent.


    She cleared her throat and bowed, ¡°May I come in?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Crow mumbled.


    Nokti stepped inside his tent and glanced around. She spotted a packed leather bag resting beside his cot. Crow still wore his black-feather cloak, but his skull-mask was on the floor. Lin Lun sat on his head, nestled between his long silver hair.


    Crow didn¡¯t bother to look up at Nokti as she walked in. Instead, he was rummaging through the single chest that sat at the center of his tent.


    ¡°Um, Lord Caligo? Did something happen?¡± Nokti asked.


    She had never seen him so distracted, nor had she ever seen him open the gigantic chest before.


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Caligo chuckled to himself. ¡°Something interesting, I hope.¡±


    Lin Lu squeaked a little angry noise.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, best not to get my hopes up,¡± Caligo said.


    Nokti glanced behind her, ¡°Does it have something to do with the meeting? The scouting reports about, uh, dragons?¡±


    ¡°Ah, here we are, just as perfect as ever,¡± Caligo smiled.


    He reached into the chest and pulled out a giant sword. The blade was a pure glossy black, almost like glass. The hilt was wrapped in silver string and its pommel capped with a diamond. A single sigil was etched into the base of the blade.


    Nokti¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is that whole sword orichalcum?¡±


    Caligo ran his hand across the sharp, fine edge, ¡°Yes. Its name is Honorem and it is not a sword.¡±


    Nokti marveled at the beautiful weapon. How could anyone afford that much orichalcum? She remembered the stories of Bellum¡¯s flaming ebon sword. It made sense now, she supposed; if anyone could afford a weapon of pure orichalcum it would be the gods.


    She furrowed her brow. ¡°Wait. What do you mean not a sword?¡±


    ¡°Honorem is a twin dagger,¡± Caligo sheathed the blade over his back.


    ¡°A dagger? For whom? A giant?¡± she asked skeptically.


    ¡°Everything must seem so gigantic in the eyes of your little species,¡± he teased.


    Nokti simply nodded, she was getting used to him saying things that made no sense.


    ¡°You said Honorem was a twin dagger?¡± she glanced at the large wooden chest.


    ¡°Votum isn¡¯t in that chest.¡± Caligo picked up the leather pack and threw it over his other shoulder.


    ¡°Are you leaving the camp?¡± she asked anxiously.


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°To find your other swo- dagger?¡±


    ¡°No. That will have to wait for some other time.¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°When will you be back? The tribe will be in danger if you¡¯re not here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made arrangements, the tribe will survive. I¡¯ll be back before anything momentously stupid happens.¡±


    ¡°Can I come with you?¡± she whispered.


    Caligo looked up at the fox on his head.


    Lin Lu squeaked. Caligo nodded.


    ¡°She says you don¡¯t look heavy, so that¡¯s a yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nokti blinked. ¡°Great?¡±


    Caligo pulled back the tent¡¯s flap, stopped, and looked back at Nokti, ¡°A word of caution. If you come along, I may not be able to keep you safe.¡±


    Nokti felt a shiver run down her spine. What¡¯s so dangerous that a god can¡¯t keep someone safe? Dragons? Really? She suddenly felt a lot less certain about this trip.


    She shook her head, straightened her back, and nodded, ¡°I can handle myself.¡±


    ¡°...Follow me,¡± Caligo threw his hood over his head and Lin Lu, then walked out.


    ~~~


    Nokti trailed behind the snowy footsteps of Caligo until they reached the outskirts of the camp. Unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to stop by her tent, she didn¡¯t even have a change of clothes, let alone her favorite fur cloak.


    Nokti sighed, she could see her warm breath turn into a cold wisp in the evening moonlight.


    Caligo looked up, a small sliver of the moon floated in the night sky. He smirked, ¡°We¡¯re in luck, it¡¯s a waxing crescent.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It means Lunae¡¯s visual prowess is very weak right now. Once the new moon arrives, she¡¯ll have no way of finding us.¡±


    Nokti glanced up at the moon and simply nodded. She was really getting used to Caligo saying things that made little sense.


    Dawn and Vaughn stood waiting for them beyond a hill nearby the camp. Nokti sighed in relief, Dawn held a traveling pack and a fur cloak in her hands. She handed them to Nokti without a word.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nokti smiled.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Dawn said curtly. She turned to Caligo and kneeled in the snow, ¡°We will keep the tribe safe while you are gone, Master.¡±


    ¡°That job will be left to only you,¡± Caligo said. ¡°Vaughn, I have a different task for you.¡±


    ¡°Just say the word, Master,¡± Vaughn kneeled.


    ¡°Go to the Adder Tribe, ensure that a meeting between the Cairn and the Adder happens. Feel free to use whatever means necessary.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Master,¡± Vaughn said.


    Lin Lu jumped out from under Caligo¡¯s hood and fell into the deep snow. Her white fur and body disappeared among the snow.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Nokti asked, a tad worried.


    The snow shifted apart, an enormous snow-white fox rose from the ground, reaching thrice the height of any centaur Nokti had ever seen.


    ¡°She can grow big!?¡± Nokti gasped.


    Lin Lu looked down at the small people beneath her, her amber eyes alight with smugness.


    ¡°Lady Lin Lu is a shapeshifter,¡± Dawn said respectfully.


    ¡°So she¡¯s like Lord Caligo?¡± Nokti glanced between the two of them.


    ¡°Not even close,¡± Caligo winked.


    ¡°Our Master is unique,¡± Dawn glared at the vampiress.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nokti winced. Dammit, that was stupid of me. He¡¯s a god. Of course he isn¡¯t like others.


    Lin Lu¡¯s black lips curled back in a high pitch chuckle.


    ¡°I hear you, let¡¯s get going,¡± Caligo smiled half-heartedly.


    He wrapped his arm around Nokti¡¯s waist and jumped a dozen feet in the air. They landed softly on Lin Lu¡¯s back. Caligo nestled himself between the giant fox¡¯s shoulders, Nokti sat behind him.


    She wrapped her arms around Caligo. ¡°I¡¯m ready¡­ I think?¡±


    Lin Lu bent her legs and narrowed her amber eyes. In one fluid motion, she vaulted off the ground and soared a hundred feet up. Small puffs of clouds formed beneath Lin Lu¡¯s paws and crystalized, shattering into dust as she kicked off them and flew higher into the sky in a whirlwind of speed. Nokti screamed, Lin Lu laughed.

 Chapter 219: Ask Me Nicely

    Chapter 219: Ask Me Nicely


    Stryg closed his eyes and held his breath. He shifted his legs into a wide stance and held his arms out in a broad angle. Orange mana seeped from his heart into his body in cascading waves. His veins grew dark, taking the iconic shade of grey that marked an agility spell.


    ¡°Great, you¡¯ve achieved a perfect full-body agility spell,¡± Cornelius Rotrusk, his dwarf teacher said. ¡°A smooth spell-cast, no constriction of the muscles, and no delay either. Well done, very well done. I think we can call it a day with that.¡±


    ¡°If I wanted an opinion about my orange spells I would have gone to Loh,¡± Stryg rolled his eyes, though his eyelids were closed.


    ¡°Excellent point,¡± Cornelius nodded vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m a master of brown and green magic. I¡¯m not qualified to teach you orange magic, which is just another reason why you really shouldn¡¯t be doing this.¡±


    ¡°None of my teachers would even let me talk about this, let alone try it,¡± Stryg shifted his stance and flexed his muscles taut.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s crazy,¡± Cornelius muttered.


    Stryg could feel the orange mana coursing through his body, the agility spell was stable. A year ago he could barely manage to hold a full-body enhancement for a few seconds. Now he could hold for several minutes with little strain.


    He smiled, I can do this.


    Without releasing the spell he called forth brown mana from within his heart. The brown shivered in contrast to the orange''s smooth flow. He hadn¡¯t even formed the spell yet, but he could already feel his body begin to overheat.


    He smiled shakily, I can do this¡­


    Stryg relaxed his muscles in one quick breath and focused on the image of the spell. The brown mana warped and transformed within his body, like liquid metal pouring into a mold. The vigor spell came to life in a bronze sheen that covered his blue skin. For one brief moment, Stryg felt it, he could practically see it, a balanced flow of orange and brown. Then it shattered like a thousand shards of glass.


    Stryg roared in pain, but his throat shut tight, only a broken whine slipped out. He fell over in a spasm of muscles.


    ¡°Oh, shit, shit!¡± Cornelius screamed.


    He dashed over to Stryg and stumbled to a halt. He carefully walked around Stryg, avoiding the goblin¡¯s claws as he thrashed about. Cornelius slipped off his sleek black leather boots and cashmere socks. He wiggled his toes into the dirt and channeled green mana into the ground. The earth cracked and broke under Stryg and swallowed his whole body save for his face.


    Cornelius'' eyes widened, blood dribbled down the boy¡¯s blue lips.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be dead,¡± Cornelius pleaded.


    As if on cue Stryg¡¯s body stiffened to a halt, his head lolled to the side.


    ¡°Oh gods, Lord Noir is going to kill me,¡± Cornelius cried. ¡°I¡¯ll never drink tea again, I¡¯ll never sleep in my silk sheets again, dammit I won¡¯t even get the chance to sleep with an orc! Ah fuck, I¡¯m too young to die!¡±


    ¡°...Ughhh¡­.¡± Stryg groaned.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive!?¡± Cornelius gasped.


    He cracked open his lilac eyes and glared at the dwarf, ¡°Get me outta here.¡±


    Cornelius blinked, ¡°Ah, right, as you wish.¡± He waved his hand, the green mana flowed down to his feet and into the ground. The earth shifted and lifted Stryg¡¯s body out from within.


    He sat up with stiff muscles and grimaced, ¡°That could have gone worse.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Cornelius threw his hands up. ¡°Which is why we never speak about this again, Lord Noir will definitely dock my pay if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Stryg said wryly.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got blood all over your face.¡±


    ¡°I accidentally bit my tongue, that¡¯s all.¡± Stryg stuck his tongue out, dark red blood dripped down its tip.


    ¡°That¡¯s all¡­? You almost died! Dead, gone, your finite existence over!¡±


    Stryg stood up and stretched his stiff limbs, ¡°I gotta admit I was worried for a sec. I couldn¡¯t control my body¡¯s movements, it made it impossible to release either spell. But once you buried me I was able to control my trapped body just enough to release the spells. This time I¡¯ll have you bury me beforehand, it should be easier that way.¡±


    ¡°This time? Are you kidding me?¡± Cornelius¡¯ eyes practically bulged out of his face. ¡°Kid, you almost died with all your weird little seizures. Worse, I almost died! And you think you¡¯re going to try this again!? Fuck no.¡±


    He turned around and walked away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Elzri to double your wage,¡± Stryg called out.


    Cornelius hesitated in his steps. He shook his head, ¡°No, no¡­ no. I see what you¡¯re trying to do. But there isn¡¯t any point in money if you¡¯re dead, because I¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    ¡°I told you it was fine,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Did it hurt? Sure. But I¡¯m fine, maybe thirsty, a little dehydrated and tired, but still fine.¡±


    Cornelius looked back at him, ¡°You really have no idea what just happened, do you? There is a reason why no mage ever attempts casting two body spells at once.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve been reading about it.¡±


    ¡°Clearly not enough. When you cast one of three body enhancement spells it changes the mana inside your body, it operates differently from other mana, like oil and water. And when you throw in a second enhancement spell you might as well be throwing fire into the mix. A mage¡¯s veins and arteries rupture, you bleed out from the inside. I¡¯m not going to let you make me sit by and watch you die.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so scared then why did you go along with this in the first place?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Because you blackmailed me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.¡±


    Cornelius glared at him, ¡°If I didn¡¯t help you, you threatened to tell Lord Noir that I flirted with his secretary. That¡¯s why I helped you!¡±


    Tried flirting, Lily threatened to slap you. ¡°In all fairness, Lily is going to tell Elzri anyway. They¡¯re a couple.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Cornelius pulled at his silky hair and screamed in frustration. Stryg waited quietly as the dwarf kicked the floor in a tantrum.


    After a few minutes Stryg spoke up, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Cornelius smiled ruefully, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done. With all of this.¡±


    ¡°...Marek of the Cairn could multicast enhancement spells.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he frowned. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. If such a thing was possible House Rotrusk would have discovered it by now¡­ unless,¡± the dwarf¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They say the lord of the Cairn Tribe is a dire human... If that¡¯s the case, then perhaps his dire constitution allowed his body to handle multicasting enhancement magic?¡±


    ¡°This is incredible, I mean if it¡¯s true,¡± Cornelius muttered. ¡°Are you certain of this?¡±


    Stryg nodded. ¡°I saw Marek do it, several times, right before he impaled me with his spear,¡± he pointed at his chest.


    ¡°And you survived?¡± Cornelius furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I heal faster than most,¡± Stryg stuck out his tongue. The bleeding had already stopped.


    Cornelius stared at the tongue with a hint of disgust, ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know how that works.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t know. What I do know is that if Marek can multicast enhancement magic, then so can I.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a dire, kid.¡±


    ¡°And yet my body is tougher than one.¡±


    ¡°Sure it is,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Punch me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Punch m-¡±


    Cornelius punched him in the face. The dwarf¡¯s fingers cracked as they slammed across his jaw.


    ¡°Ah! What the fuck!?¡± Cornelius reeled backward. He looked at his crooked index finger with shock.


    Stryg scratched his cheek, ¡°You didn¡¯t hesitate to punch me. Honestly? I¡¯m a bit surprised..¡±


    ¡°I need to see a doctor,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why couldn''t I have just tutored some random rich asshole¡¯s kid¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a doctor, it¡¯s just dislocated.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do y- Agh, goddammit!¡± Cornelius screamed.


    With a quick swipe, Stryg had grabbed his finger and set it back in place.


    ¡°There, better. Now, can you help me or not?¡± Stryg asked.


    He nursed his finger and stared daggers at the goblin, ¡°Why do you even need my help? You can just bury yourself in the ground, I taught you the stone spell.¡±


    ¡°I need you in case anything goes wrong, I¡¯m not too keen on dying. And like I said, none of my other teachers would go along with this,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Cornelius sighed, ¡°Triple my pay.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°And no more barging into my house and dragging me out of bed for training.¡±


    ¡°No deal.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not asking for a lot here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to Tauri Katag.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Stryg stuck out his pinky finger, ¡°Let¡¯s shake on it.¡±


    Cornelius glanced at the pinky skeptically, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why with the pinky?¡±


    ¡°Where I¡¯m from the pinky finger is very important. Shaking it shows a sign of sincerity, it¡¯s only used for the most important of deals or promises. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you don¡¯t know about it. Feli didn¡¯t want me to put the wedding ring on her pinky either...¡±


    Cornelius pulled at his mustache with a thoughtful expression. He shrugged, ¡°Meh, why not?¡±


    He stuck out his pinky and shook Stryg¡¯s own.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal, kid. But when you introduce me to Miss Tauri I want you to do it with a flair,¡± Cornelius grinned.


    ¡°Flare¡­? Okay, I can do that,¡± Stryg nodded to himself. An odd request for sure, but he supposed everyone had different customs than his own. He had heard of how cold Frost Rim could get high up in the snowy peaks of the Rupture Mountains. Perhaps they shared fire with each other as a form of greeting?


    ¡°Alright, time to train,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Alright, so do you want me to bury you now or¡­?¡±


    ¡°~Stryyyyg~¡± a melodic voice with clear undertones of anger called out.


    ¡°Fuck my life,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Cornelius asked.


    ¡°My wife.¡±


    The gates of the private courtyard swung open. Feli sashayed in with a smile, though the warmth did not reach her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s your wife?¡± Cornelius glanced between the two of them. ¡°I have so many questions, the most important being, how?¡±


    Stryg smiled weakly at Feli, ¡°Hi, what a surprise!¡±


    ¡°What happened, darling?¡± Feli asked coyishly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I forgot about our lunch plans,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget,¡± Feli¡¯s voice turned frigid. ¡°You decided to ignore them so you could have more time for training.¡±


    Stryg blinked repeatedly, ¡°Uuuhhh, no I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll get back to your sorry excuse for a lie later,¡± she said wryly. ¡°As I came over here I bumped into Kithina, we chatted for a bit, and do you know what I found out?¡±


    ¡°That Kitty¡¯s a lot more fun drunk than sober?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, yes, but not the point. She told me that the winter ball is in a week, a single week! And you didn¡¯t tell me! Let alone ask me out!¡±


    ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t think it was important,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Hehe, no. You don¡¯t get to skip out of this one.¡±


    ¡°I need more time to train,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Not for this you don¡¯t, you little blue shit!¡± Feli snapped.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Cornelius gaped. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone talk to him like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because no one else can,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Except Loh,¡± she shook her head, ¡°Not the point, again. Dammit, Stryg, you¡¯ve left us with so little time to prepare. Where am I supposed to find a seamstress worth her salt that can make me a dress with only one week left? And do you know how hard it is for someone to measure you when you¡¯re always trying to bite them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people try to stab me,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°They¡¯re called pins and no one is trying to stab you,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Fine, look, I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ll go out and buy whatever we need, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Gods, you really expect me to do everything every time,¡± she sighed. ¡°Ask me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ask me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I think the missus wants you to ask her to the ball as your date,¡± Cornelius suggested.


    Stryg nodded. He looked at Feli, ¡°Will you go with me to the ball?¡±


    ¡°Hell no.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s not how it¡¯s supposed to work.¡±


    ¡°Then ask me nicely,¡± Feli tapped her foot.


    Stryg stepped up right next to her, face-to-face, he was barely an inch or two shorter than her now. ¡°My love, the reason I wake up every morning and push myself harder than the day before. Will you do me the great honor of going with me to the academy¡¯s winter ball?¡±


    ¡°No, you suck at dancing.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on!¡±


    ¡°You need some serious dance practice before I¡¯ll step onto the dance floor with you,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°I can dance just fine,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Show us then,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, sweet Bellum, protect my eyes, it burns!¡± Cornelius cringed.


    ¡°What? I just started,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Feli nodded. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a lot of work.¡±


    Cornelius played with his mustache, ¡°Fortunately, you have one of the greatest dancers in all of the Ebon Realm standing right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°You are an incredible dancer,¡± Stryg smiled at Feli, his eyes wandered down to her shapely bottom.


    ¡°Not that kind of dancing, Stryg,¡± Feli said. ¡°So, Mr¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Cornelius of House Rotrusk at your service, madam,¡± he bowed with a flourish. ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve heard of me.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she said flatly. ¡°But you¡¯re an aristocrat, right? Can you teach my husband how to dance like an aristocrat?¡±


    ¡°From what I just saw?¡± Cornelius looked Stryg up and down with horror, ¡°It would take a genius to teach this walking disaster.¡± He smirked, ¡°Lucky you.¡±

 Chapter 220: Not Listening

    Chapter 220: Not Listening


    Kithina walked down the academy¡¯s halls with brisk strides. Today she had a mission, a goal, and she would not fail no matter what. The last month had been stressful, her mind occupied with the question, waiting for the question, hoping for the question¡­ but the question never came.


    The winter snows had arrived weeks ago, the Winter Ball was almost here. Kithina had been looking forward to the academy¡¯s premier dance ever since she was a 1st-year. Like many others, she had dreamed of walking into the ballroom under the eyes of Hollow Shade¡¯s high society and awing them with her elegance and grace.


    As the days leading up to the Winter Ball grew shorter, the conversations about the dance only grew more frequent. It seemed almost as if every day a girl gushing about how she had been asked to the dance in such a romantic style. Kithina had personally witnessed a drow pack an entire classroom with roses before he asked. It was tacky but sweet.


    Kithina had wondered how Callum might ask. While it may not have been said, it had been pretty obvious that he would ask her. She was his closest friend; they had spent the past summer together, supporting each other after the tragedy on Widow¡¯s Crag. Freya and Callum might have once been a couple, but that time was long past and gone. The most popular girl in school clearly only had eyes for the orc Kegrog, even if she denied it.


    There was no one else Callum might possibly ask to the ball¡­ until she showed up. Sylvie had been spending more and more time with their group of friends and a lot of alone time with Callum. Kithina had been worried, but Callum had assured her that Sylvie was only a friend. Sylvie herself had said she wasn¡¯t interested in going to the ball. Even still, Callum hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about the Winter Ball. The dance was in a few days and he had yet to say anything.


    Kithina hoped that the dance might be the first step into finally solidifying her relationship with Callum, that they could be more than just friends. Now she wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d be asked. But that was all about to change.


    Kithina quickened her pace and hurried down the hall. A few days ago she had met Feli on the academy grounds. They had spoken for a while and she admitted her worries to the pretty human. Feli had told her that men were sometimes slow, even dumb, but that shouldn¡¯t let her be slow too. If she wanted something she should go and get it.


    And she was right, Kithina thought.


    She had had enough of listening to others talk about the dance and who was going with whom. It was all anyone was talking about. Well, almost everyone, there was one particular blue goblin who didn¡¯t seem interested in the dance. It seemed as if he wasn¡¯t interested in anything these days, he usually kept to himself and declined to spend time with his friends if it had anything to do outside of academics.


    Stryg had been a bit of a dark spot these past few months, no one could blame him. But seeing him like that only reminded Kithina and her friends what they had lost, whom they had lost.


    Kithina stopped in front of the study room¡¯s closed door and lightly slapped her cheeks.


    None of that matters right now, she thought.


    It was best not to think about Stryg or any depressing memories right now. She had a mission, a goal to achieve. She steadied her nerves and twisted the doorknob.


    ~~~


    ¡°Not like that,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°The tail and descender of the sigil are wrong.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Callum wrinkled his brow. The glowing red sigil floating in the air seemed fine to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re looking at it from only one direction. Come over,¡± Stryg pulled him around to the other side of the table.


    Callum stared at the backside of the sigil, his shoulder slumped, ¡°Oooohh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too flat, the sigil¡¯s tail needs to have more of an ellipse. You aren¡¯t writing on paper with ink, you¡¯re using magic to write on air, it¡¯s three-dimensional. You have to take into account each side.¡±


    ¡°Right, thanks,¡± Callum nodded sincerely.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Stryg hopped back into his chair. ¡°Again.¡±


    ¡°No, really, thanks, Stryg. I¡¯m doing great in my white magic classes, but red classes have been really difficult this year. I was born¡­ different. I have trouble reading sometimes, the words sort of blur together. You can imagine how hard it is to be a red mage. I sometimes misread the labels on potions, mixing up the wrong ingredients. And as for wards?¡± Callum gestured to the misshapen ward in the air, ¡°There¡¯s your proof of my glorious skill. So from the bottom of my heart, thanks for helping.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about something anyway.¡± That and I¡¯m hiding from Feli, she knows where I usually train.


    ¡°Either way I appreciate it deeply. You really must be excelling in your curse training if you can teach someone as bad as me,¡± Callum laughed. ¡°Loh¡¯s a great teacher.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Except she never taught me a single arcane sigil, not that anyone else did in this academy. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I mean she is a great teacher, but the arcane language is the same; it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re casting red wards, grey curses, or brown¡¯s enchantments. They all use the same sigils.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m lucky you¡¯re just a natural at teaching,¡± Callum smiled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve just had some practice tutoring someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Callum cleared his throat, ¡°So, what did you want to talk to me about?¡±


    Stryg sighed, he had been putting this off for so long he didn¡¯t know where to begin. ¡°Back in Widow¡¯s Crag, before we were ambushed by the Cairn. I overheard Clypeus and Nora talking.¡±


    ¡°Clypeus?¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Nora was talking to him about a lot of things. She also mentioned the day you were born.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°The day you were born your father wasn¡¯t in the city. I spoke to Gian and confirmed it. I really didn¡¯t know what to make of any of this, but Gian helped me put it all together.¡±


    ¡°Gian Gale?¡± Callum suddenly felt worried. What had Gian said to Stryg? Did Stryg know? Did he know he was a Veres? No, that couldn¡¯t be. There wasn¡¯t any proof.


    ¡°Gian was on a mission in Frost Rim, he wasn¡¯t in the city either. Neither was Lord Gale, he was accompanying your father in Dusk Valley,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Okay¡­? And?¡± He felt relieved. Maybe this wasn¡¯t about Stryg¡¯s heritage after all.


    ¡°One of Lord Veres¡¯ wives was left in charge of your House that day¡­¡±


    Carmilla¡¯s mother, Regina, the primary wife, Callum thought. ¡°Yeah, my three older siblings were still too young to rule while my father was away. What¡¯s your point?¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I talked to Gian, I asked him for a favor, to look into that day. He found out something strange. A vampire named Marcus Gale was in charge of protecting your mother while your father, Lord Veres was gone. Have you ever heard of him?¡±


    Callum frowned, something didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°...No. There are dozens of Gales, but I know them all. Are you sure his name was Marcus?¡±


    ¡°Gian told me that one of the other Gales spotted Marcus running through the gardens that night, carrying something in his hands. Why would the Gale in charge of protecting your mother leave her side when she was at her most vulnerable?¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t¡­unless,¡± his eyes widened. ¡°He was ordered.¡±


    ¡°Who could order him to leave his duty? Lord Veres and Lord Gale weren¡¯t there, neither was Gian.¡±


    ¡°Regina, my father¡¯s first and primary wife,¡± he uttered the words slowly.


    ¡°Marcus Gale was there to protect a Veres, you, not your mother. Marcus left your mother¡¯s bedroom, carrying you in his hands.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Callum shook his head. ¡°Gales are honorable, Marcus wouldn¡¯t have just abandoned his charge.¡±


    ¡°Unless he was coerced somehow. Gian told me that shortly after your birth Marcus Gale was found dead in a brothel. Stabbed by a whore they say. House Gale burned down the brothel with all the women still inside. Lord Gale didn¡¯t want to bring shame to House Gale. He also scrubbed the name Marcus Gale off any records, he didn¡¯t get a proper burial at your family¡¯s joint cemetery. Marcus was essentially erased.¡±


    This can¡¯t be real, Callum thought horrified. But he remembered how well his family was at burying the past.


    ¡°Like you, I¡¯ve trained with the Gales, they¡¯re some of the best warriors in the entire realm,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m wrong, but they don¡¯t look like the kind of warriors to die in bed.¡±


    Callum laughed bitterly, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying he was killed? To cover up my mother¡¯s murder at the hands of Regina?¡±


    ¡°Nora said your father loved your mother, a human. We both know what it¡¯s like to be despised for what we are.¡± Stryg shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about your family¡¯s affairs, like I said, Gian helped me put it all together. He wanted me to keep this all to myself, but I thought you should know. That¡¯s what friends are for, right? We have each other¡¯s back.¡±


    Callum bent over and planted his forehead on the table, he didn¡¯t want anyone to see him right now, the anguish his face betrayed. His sister Elise was right, they needed to kill the eldest, Carmilla. And now he would kill her mother Regina too.


    The doorknob clicked open, Kithina walked into the study room. She glanced at Stryg, he looked grim.


    Nothing new there, she thought.


    Callum¡¯s head was planted on the table, he seemed tired. That was odd, he was usually so cheerful.


    ¡°What are you two up to?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We, uh, were practicing magic,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Pretty busy right now, Kitty.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not a great time,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°O-okay, I¡¯ll, uh, come back later,¡± she turned back, then stopped. ¡°No. I¡¯m not putting this off any longer. Cal!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Callum grunted, he didn¡¯t bother looking up.


    She clenched the edge of her shirt tight, ¡°Will you¡­ go to the Winter Ball with me!?¡±


    Callum said nothing, he didn¡¯t move.


    Kithina¡¯s face grew pale, she bit her lip, ¡°Um¡­ Cal?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, sure,¡± he muttered.


    Kithina¡¯s expression turned bright, ¡°Great! I mean, c-cool. I¡¯ll, um, let you get back to your magic and stuff. We can talk more later. Good luck studying!¡±


    She slammed the door shut and ran off. Stryg could hear her hollering in triumph down the hall.


    He turned to Callum, ¡°Were you paying attention to what Kitty said? Cal? Cal¡­?¡±


    Callum looked up, his eyes red with tears, ¡°Does it really matter? Does any of this really matter?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t care much for the dance, but he remembered how worried Plum had been about the whole affair two years ago. ¡°I think it mattered to Kitty.¡±


    ¡°Whatever she wanted I can find out later,¡± Callum sniffed and rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°I think you might want to talk to her about it now?¡±


    Callum sighed angrily, ¡°Really? What was so important that she wanted to tell me? Hm?¡±


    Stryg hesitated. Feli had seemed to really care about the way the Winter Ball question had to be asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you hear it from her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her later, okay? Is there anything else Gian told you? About the day I was born?¡±


    Stryg shrugged, Callum would speak with her later, it¡¯d be fine he supposed. ¡°Yeah, there were a few more details I left out¡­¡±

 Chapter 221: Last Minute Dating Advice

    Chapter 221: Last Minute Dating Advice


    Sylvie munched on her ice cream and groaned, ¡°Ugh, this sucks!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t try to eat it like it¡¯s a potato?¡± Poppy Skeller said wryly.


    ¡°Hm? No, not the ice cream. This stuff is amazing.¡± As if to prove her point, Sylvie bit off another large chunk of the cold dessert.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Poppy asked.


    Sylvie grumbled something under her breath and moved onto the chocolate cake she had bought.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in a bad mood ever since this morning.¡± Poppy slammed the table and pointed at the rest of the restaurant, ¡°This is already our fifth sweets shop!¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked sweets too?¡±


    ¡°I do, but unlike you, I don¡¯t have an abyss for a stomach.¡± Poppy adjusted her glasses, ¡°And I don¡¯t really like eating while I¡¯m being stared at.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie glanced at the other customers.


    Every single man, woman, and child at the store was staring at the dire hybrid and the orc.


    ¡°Why are they all looking at us like that?¡± Sylvie whispered awkwardly.


    ¡°They¡¯re staring at you, not me. Maybe they¡¯ve never seen a dire hybrid like you before.¡± Poppy shrugged, ¡°Or, I don¡¯t know, maybe they haven¡¯t seen a person ever devour three entire cakes by herself, but hey, that¡¯s just a random guess. Totally not plausible.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being sarcastic aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No? Me?¡± Poppy batted her eyelashes.


    ¡°I eat when I¡¯m stressed, okay?¡± Sylvie frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Poppy glanced at Sylvie¡¯s well-rounded curves and lean muscles. ¡°Seeing as you have an incredible body despite your horrible eating habits, I should be asking you for your exercise routine. But I think there¡¯s something more important we need to talk about. So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°...I got in trouble,¡± Sylvie muttered.


    ¡°Trouble? With whom?¡±


    ¡°Tauri.¡±


    ¡°Tauri Katag¡­? You got in trouble with the daughter of a Ruling House?¡± Poppy covered her face with her hands and groaned, ¡°Please tell me they haven¡¯t sent assassins after us.¡±


    ¡°Worse,¡± she grimaced. ¡°She banned me from the sparring ring.¡±


    Poppy blinked, ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Sylvie crossed her arms, ¡°Tauri said I couldn¡¯t enter the sparring ring anymore because I always get too aggressive, pssh, whatever that means. I mean come one, it¡¯s a sparring ring, what are you supposed to do? Drink tea?¡±


    Poppy sighed, ¡°This has to do with Stryg doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I was this close to knocking his blue ass out of the ring. This close! But then Tauri called the fight off. She said it looked like we were both about to kill each other. Can you believe that nonsense!? Me? Die to that little drow? Are you kidding me!?¡±


    ¡°I forget, what¡¯s your guys¡¯ score right now?¡± Poppy asked calmly.


    ¡°18-19, he¡¯s got one win on me. If Tauri wouldn¡¯t have stopped the match I would have made it even,¡± Sylvie puffed her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t like to lose, huh?¡±


    ¡°Why be a loser when you can be a winner? Now I¡¯ll never get the chance to prove I¡¯m the best fighter in class,¡± Sylvie grumbled.


    ¡°...You know they¡¯re called sparring matches because they¡¯re only practice, right?¡±


    Sylvie stiffened, then burst into laughter, ¡°You¡¯re right! Why am I getting so stressed out? I¡¯d beat Stryg in a real match no problem. No more holding back, just a solid easy win.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think Stryg is holding back too?¡± Poppy said skeptically.


    ¡°Meh, not as much as me I bet,¡± she grinned and flexed her bicep.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°This is why no one¡¯s asked you out to the dance yet. You¡¯re too intimidating.¡±


    Sylvie tilted her head to the side, ¡°Me? Intimidating?¡±


    Poppy looked at her as if she was on fire. ¡°Are you kidding me? You''re a drop-dead gorgeous giant! And a prodigy mage to boot! Everyone is intimidated by you.¡±


    ¡°Are you intimidated by me?¡± Sylvie asked curiously.


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s because I know how silly you are.¡±


    ¡°I am not shillee,¡± she frowned.


    Poppy smirked, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to take you seriously when you look like a chipmunk with all that cake in your mouth.¡±


    Sylvie swallowed and licked her lips. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on it,¡± Poppy said wryly. ¡°Anyways, we have to work on a game plan for the dance.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I already got a date. Today is about you.¡± Poppy rubbed her chin, ¡°I would have thought Callum Veres would have asked you by now¡­ You two have gone on several dates already, yeah?¡±


    ¡°He tried to kiss me last time,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Tried?¡± Poppy raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, we went to this fancy bar and we got super wasted on drow blood. He¡¯s usually so shy, but when he got drunk he tried to kiss me.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t reach,¡± Sylvie laughed.


    Poppy frowned, ¡°But you do like him don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess? This is all kind of new to me,¡± she blushed.


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you kiss him?¡±


    ¡°I wanted the moment to be right,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Oh sweet Lunae, she¡¯s a romantic,¡± Poppy threw her arms up in mock disgust. ¡°This, this right here, is why Callum hasn¡¯t asked you to the dance yet. You gotta be more proactive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on going to the dance.¡±


    Poppy froze, ¡°...What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was never a fan of dancing. My dancing instructor used to hit me with a stick whenever I missed a step. I never really grew fond of dancing after that.¡±


    ¡°The Winter Ball isn¡¯t just about dancing! It¡¯s about having fun, expressing how you feel, and so much more! Ugh, I¡¯m not gonna get into all the details right now. Just please, please, tell me you didn¡¯t tell Callum you weren¡¯t going.¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t tell Callum.¡±


    ¡°...You told him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yep. First one.¡±


    ¡°Gah, you¡¯re killing me, Sylvie!¡± Poppy groaned loudly. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. You and I are going to get out of this place, go to the Scarlet Whisper and get you the sexiest dress we can find. If you¡¯re going to stand out at the Ball anyway, you might as well stand out as the best.¡±


    ¡°But even if I were to go-¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    ¡°No questions asked. You owe me this much.¡±


    Sylvie played with her dark red hair and sighed, ¡°Fine. But I still don¡¯t have a date.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweet child, don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head about that,¡± Poppy grinned.


    ~~~


    Callum sat at the edge of a fountain in the academy¡¯s gardens. Winter had already arrived in full, the grounds were covered in snow, and the fountain had already frozen over. No one wanted to be out in the cold weather. It seemed like the perfect place for some peace and quiet. Or so he thought.


    A couple of 1st-year girls stood twenty paces away, giggling to themselves and trying to point at him discreetly, but utterly failing. He sighed to himself, pulled out a book from his satchel, and tried to read. Or at least pretend to read. His mind was elsewhere entirely.


    He thought back on this morning¡¯s encounter. He had gone to visit his older sister, Elise, the only sibling who actually gave a damn about him. Of everyone in that damn mansion, Elise had played the biggest part in raising him. She had taught him to read and write when everyone else had given up. She had carried him on his back when he broke his leg. She had tucked him into bed when he had nightmares as a child. And she had taught him that the only way to survive the Veres succession was to use others and kill their eldest sibling, Carmilla.


    He never wanted to hurt his sister, Carmilla had never been mean to him, distant yes, but never mean. Of his four siblings, Carmilla was his second favorite, right behind Elise.


    Things were different now. Today he had spoken to Elise¡­


    ~~~


    ¡°Bloody Bellum, it fucking makes sense,¡± Elise cursed.


    ¡°So you really think Regina killed my mom?¡± Callum swallowed.


    Elise reached out and grabbed his hand, ¡°I remember the day your mom said she was pregnant. I was only 7, but I remember. Dad looked so happy, he picked her up and spun her around in excitement. He didn¡¯t see Regina¡¯s face¡­ The anger in her eyes.¡±


    Callum clenched his jaw and tried to calm his breath. He worried his white mana would react to his boiling anger and lash out as a bright spell, hurting Elise.


    ¡°Dad didn¡¯t have anything to gain by marrying your mother,¡± Elise said. ¡°She wasn¡¯t an aristocrat, she wasn¡¯t from a wealthy merchant family, and she wasn¡¯t a mage. She was human, she couldn¡¯t even pass down the bloodline. Dad married her because he loved her. Regina couldn¡¯t stand that.¡±


    Callum recalled the countless times Regina had whispered snide remarks his way. She had always looked at him in disgust as if he was too ugly to lay eyes on. He had only been a child, but she made her abhorrence clear. The worst part was that he had believed he somehow deserved it.


    ¡°I am going to kill that fucking monster,¡± he seethed.


    ¡°I want to kill that bitch too, but Carmilla would die before letting anything happen to her mother,¡± Elise said.


    ¡°...What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯ve always said, if we want to survive the succession of this House ¨Cthe damn blight of this family¨C we need to kill Carmilla. She is the strongest and eldest of us. I can handle our older brother Feryd and our younger sister Ava, but I need your help to deal with Carmilla.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill my sister or my other siblings,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Carmilla wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill you if it meant securing the Veres throne.¡±


    Callum stared into Elise¡¯s eyes, ¡°...Would you?¡±


    He searched her crimson eyes, hoping desperately to not see a hint of malice.


    ¡°I¡¯d never hurt you, Cal,¡± Elise said without hesitance. She squeezed his hand, ¡°You¡¯re the only person left in this family I care about. My mom¡¯s gone too, remember? We only have each other, the moment we start doubting that is the moment the others kill us. Believe me, they¡¯re just waiting for the chance. Even Ava is just biding her time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill Ava. Or Feryd, even if he is a dick.¡±


    Elise laughed, ¡°We won¡¯t have to. Once Carmilla is dead I can assert my position over the throne. Feryd is loathed to admit it, but he knows I¡¯m much stronger than him. Ava and Feryd will back down, especially with you at my back.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± he asked skeptically.


    ¡°Nothing about this is simple, but I¡¯ll take care of the hard part. I always have, little brother. I just need to know I can count on you,¡± she said in a serious tone.


    He nodded, ¡°You can. Always.¡±


    Elise stared at him in silence, she smiled, ¡°Good. My plans are still in the making, but soon enough we will find our opening. Once Carmilla is dead, I will personally deliver Regina to you. You can kill her, torture her, whatever you like. After Regina¡¯s gone, you can go back to that carefree school life you seem so fond of.¡±


    ¡°...Speaking about school, I should get back. I have classes this afternoon,¡± Callum kissed her cheek and stood up to leave.


    Elise grabbed his arm, ¡°Oh, and Cal. Remember not to get too close to those ¡®friends¡¯ of yours. You made those friends for a purpose, don¡¯t forget that. Someday you may need to sacrifice them for our own survival.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he whispered reluctantly.


    ~~~


    Callum didn¡¯t know what to tell Elise. How could he explain that he actually grew to care about his friends and he had no intention of sacrificing them? She¡¯d think he wasn¡¯t committed to the cause, to their own survival in the Veres succession.


    He sighed, ¡°What do I do¡­ Cly? You were always the honorable one. What would you say if you were here now?¡± Callum laughed bitterly, ¡°You¡¯d probably call me a stupid coward¡­ you¡¯d be right.¡±


    ¡°Watcha doin?¡±


    Callum looked up. Sylvie stood in front of him, she was bent over, her face inches from his own.


    He felt his face grow hot in the frigid air, ¡°S-Sylvie? H-hey, w-what are you¡­? Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    He glanced around the garden, ¡°So, um, wha-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me to the Winter Ball?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sylvie stepped back and shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not how Poppy said it,¡± she muttered to herself. She cleared her throat and looked straight at Callum, ¡°You are coming with me to the Winter Ball.¡±


    ¡°Um-¡±


    ¡°No questions. That¡¯s final,¡± Sylvie nodded repeatedly.


    Callum broke out in laughter, the anger and guilt suffocating him suddenly felt lighter. He smiled warmly, ¡°Sounds good, I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Sylvie grinned.

 Chapter 222: May I Have This Dance?

    Chapter 222: May I Have This Dance?


    The snow fell down on the guests in light wisps, there was no wind tonight. The ballroom was much larger than Stryg had anticipated, well, at least the outside building was. He hadn¡¯t walked inside the large ornate double doors yet. Dozens of guests passed by him, dressed in fancy gowns and tunics. He much preferred to wait outside in the cold and snow, next to the carriage Loh had lent them for the evening.


    In fact, there would be plenty of places he would rather be right now, like training in his private courtyard, or in bed, not in this tight white tunic and pants. His hair had been combed, swept-back, and doused with some potions Feli had gotten for him.


    ¡°Stryg, a little help please?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, right, sorry,¡± he reached out and grabbed her hand.


    With one hand she held his own tight and with the other hand she held the edge of her blue dress. She walked down the carriage steps with an unsteady gait, careful to not let her dress touch the wet ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a carriage before,¡± she said.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± Stryg asked. He recalled the first time he had been in one. Captain Rorik Polamtal had given him a ride to Hollow Shade¡¯s academy of magic. Stryg had been so nervous that day, much like tonight.


    ¡°We definitely need to get our own,¡± she grinned. ¡°If I keep playing my cards right with our investments I think we could own one of these by next year.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to find a new place too. I¡¯ll have graduated by then, I can¡¯t stay in the academy¡¯s apartments; they¡¯re only for students and teachers.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll figure it out,¡± she winked. ¡°Now come on.¡±


    Feli pulled him along towards the doors. Vayu stood at the entrance, next to the guards. He was dressed in a tight black tunic that fit his lithe body well.


    The handsome drow smiled, ¡°Good evening, Stryg. Good evening, Miss. You must be Feli, Stryg¡¯s told me about your beauty. Clearly, it was an understatement.¡±


    Feli giggled and curtsied, ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Mister¡­?¡±


    ¡°Vayu Glaz,¡± he bowed with a flourish.


    Feli¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°G-Glaz? H-House Glaz?¡± The most powerful House in Hollow Shade!?


    ¡°What are you doing out here, anyway?¡± Stryg asked.


    Feli slapped his arm, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to a Glaz like that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Vayu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m used to Stryg¡¯s mannerisms. And to answer your question, I¡¯m actually the one who coordinated the entire event this year.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    ¡°Trust me, this is nothing compared to organizing an entire army of grumpy men,¡± Vayu chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just out here for a bit, making sure everything is going well. I¡¯ll be inside soon, why don¡¯t you two go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Gladly, thank you so much, we¡¯re so happy to be here,¡± Feli bowed repeatedly and dragged Stryg away.


    They walked together into the ballroom, Feli gasped with delight, Stryg winced. For a brief moment, the bright light of the dozens of chandeliers threatened to overwhelm his lilac eyes and force them to transition into his other sight, bereft of colors except the usual black and silver.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Feli said in awe.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he said dryly.


    The ballroom looked even larger inside. The high arched-ceiling spanned a hundred paces tall. Pale beige walls were decorated with elaborate gold designs that reached the ceiling. The floors were covered in polished black marble, jade veins stretching across.


    Hundreds of people danced to the music of the troubadours singing and playing their instruments at the end of the expansive hall.


    ¡°...So many people,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Oh come on, stop being a little coward. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t dance,¡± Feli grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a coward,¡± he frowned. ¡°Cornelius taught me well enough.¡±


    ¡°Then show me,¡± she said smugly.


    Stryg didn¡¯t need another hint. He pulled her into the throng of dancers, placed his arm around her thin waist, and tried to move his feet to the rhythm of the music.


    ¡°Okay, not bad,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    His eyes wandered down Feli¡¯s open low-cut dress, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at her breasts, the olive skin, their large size, and the way they jiggled as she moved. He stumbled, Feli caught him, and they kept dancing.


    ¡°Eyes up here,¡± she smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t think your mind can focus on the correct footing and my boobs.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He glanced at her chest and back up, ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    She leaned into him, her breasts hugging his chest, ¡°Is this better?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her violet hair, ¡°Much.¡±


    ¡°Heh. This place really is beautiful,¡± she whispered. ¡°I heard House Helene built it.¡±


    ¡°You sound proud?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. They¡¯re one of the only few human Great Houses in Hollow Shade and the only human one among the Seven Ruling Families..¡±


    Stryg thought briefly on the fact that there was not a single goblin Lesser House, let alone a Great House in Hollow Shade or any Great City for that matter. Then his mind was brought back to the soft and warm woman in his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we came,¡± she said.


    ¡°You really like this place, huh?¡± he smiled.


    Feli pulled back and looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m here with you. You¡¯ve been distant recently. Your nightmares have gotten worse, don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll save you the trouble of lying.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°...I hear you cry in your sleep, I¡¯m worried, so is Rhian,¡± she wrapped her arms around him and nestled her face in his neck. ¡°You don¡¯t open up to me anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he kissed her neck. ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­ distracted. I know things are very different than when we first met. But you¡¯re one of the few bright spots in my life. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect you.¡±


    ¡°You can be so dumb sometimes.¡± Feli shook her head and patted his cheek, ¡°If you''re so focused on keeping your family safe that you lock us out, then who will protect you?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    The song ended on a happy note. The dancers clapped in appreciation of the musicians and headed to the refreshments tables before the next song. Stryg spotted Tauri standing near a pillar, drink in hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, I need to settle my debt with Cornelius,¡± he said.


    Feli swallowed and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll go grab us some drinks.¡±


    Tauri sipped her glass and surveyed the crowd with a side glance. She loved balls and galas, but tonight seemed as if it would be somewhat annoying. She had decided to arrive in a narrow black dress, in the hopes of not sticking out among the other more colorfully dressed women. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Dozens of eyes stared at the crimson beauty in the dark gown.


    ¡°Tauri?¡± Loh asked from behind.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She turned and smiled at her best friend, ¡°Wow, you look amazing!¡±


    Loh was dressed in a silver gown, embroidered black flames reaching up from the edges, a testament to her family¡¯s crest.


    ¡°And who¡¯s this?¡± Tauri asked with a wider smile.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Louise,¡± she curtsied awkwardly.


    It was clear that the girl wasn¡¯t used to wearing dresses, especially not a silk dress.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just¡­¡± Louise fidgeted with the fabric.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, you look fantastic,¡± Tauri assured her.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, let me introduce you two,¡± Loh said. ¡°This is my co-worker and best friend, Tauri of House Katag and this is my lovely and wonderful date, Louise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Louise,¡± Tauri smiled. ¡°Have you two just arrived?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m still trying to get used to seeing so many aristocrats all in one place,¡± Louise mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with Loh at your side I don¡¯t think anyone will dare hurt you,¡± Taui winked.


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± Loh looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s your date?¡±


    ¡°No date! Thank the gods!¡± Tauri raised her glass in a cheer. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m exhausted. My parents have kept setting me up on dates with different potential suitors. I hate it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of women complaining about not finding a suitor, I¡¯ve never heard of one complaining about having too many,¡± Louise giggled.


    ¡°Well, it gets tiring real quick when they can barely speak a single intelligible word before staring below my face,¡± Tauri groaned. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to find one guy who doesn¡¯t stare at my tits once in a whole conversation.¡±


    That¡¯d be hard, Loh thought. Tauri¡¯s breasts were a little smaller than average, but they looked perf-


    Shit, I¡¯m staring, Loh forced her eyes to look up at the ceiling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame them, you¡¯re gorgeous,¡± Louise smiled politely. ¡°Isn¡¯t she, Loh? Loh¡­?¡±


    A brief flash of panic crossed Tauri¡¯s amber eyes. Loh missed it, she was too focused on the ceiling.


    Loh swallowed and looked back down, ¡°Um, y-yeah. Tauri is gorgeous.¡±


    Louise stared at her with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°Professor Tauri,¡± a familiar voice called out.


    ¡°Stryg? What is it?¡± Tauri raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I wanted you to meet someone.¡± The blue goblin cleared his throat and stepped aside, ¡°Let me introduce you to the talented and skilled mage, Cornelius.¡±


    The dwarf stood behind Stryg, his mustache curled and oiled.


    ¡°Cornelius¡­?¡± Tauri said skeptically.


    The dwarf bowed low and threw back his green cloak, ¡°Cornelius of the Great House of Rotrusk of Frost Rim, at your service Miss Tauri.¡±


    ¡°The powerful mage family?¡± she muttered.


    Cornelius smiled wide, ¡°Yes, indeed. I spotted you from across the ballroom and I noticed you didn¡¯t have a dance partner. I was wonderi-¡±


    Stryg raised his hand and shot a bright plume of orange flames into the air. The guests nearby staggered back, some screamed.


    ¡°Dammit, Stryg! Are you trying to burn us!?¡± Tauri yelled angrily.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± Cornelius glared at him.


    ¡°What? You told me to introduce you. With a flare, right?¡± Stryg said, confused.


    ¡°You told him to do this!?¡± Tauri snarled.


    ¡°Me? No, no, I¡¯d nev- Flair¡­?¡± Cornelius shook his head and looked at Stryg, ¡°Flare? You thought I meant flare?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really not making sense right now,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    Loh grabbed Louise¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go dance, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± she nodded.


    Once they had made some distance with the odd yet familiar apprentice, Louise gripped her lover¡¯s hand tight, ¡°...Hey, Loh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°That was her, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Loh stopped in her steps. Louise is too kind to say it. She sighed, ¡°Yeah¡­ That was her.¡±


    ¡°Loh, there you are,¡± Elzri called out. Lily, his vampiress secretary, stood behind him, as usual.


    Shit, you always have the best timing, Loh bit her tongue. ¡°Good evening, grandfather.¡±


    Louise¡¯s eyes widened, she glanced between the drows, the resemblance was clear.


    ¡°And who is this?¡± Elzri asked.


    Loh stepped in front of Louise, ¡°This is my date, Louise, and yes, before you ask, she is human. If you have any complaints with that, save your breath.¡±


    ¡°No complaints,¡± Elzri said slowly.


    ¡°What?¡± Loh mumbled in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never disapproved of who you love, only who you marry,¡± he said.


    Before Loh could retort, a voice broke the cold atmosphere.


    ¡°Little Elohnoir?¡± Ismene walked over, each other step balanced by her cane.


    ¡°You know I hate that name,¡± Loh scowled.


    ¡°And yet, I love it,¡± Ismene said, amused.


    ¡°Elohnoir?¡± Louise whispered with a grin.


    ¡°Not now,¡± she whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Ismene.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she patted Loh¡¯s arm. ¡°Seeing you happy brings life back into these old bones. Now, tell me if Riri is giving you any problems and I¡¯ll sort them out real quick.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elzri said, taken aback.


    ¡°Lord Noir, sorry to interrupt,¡± Vayu walked over. ¡°It¡¯s time for your welcoming speech.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Elzri sighed. ¡°Ismene, Loh, Louise, a pleasure.¡±


    He followed Vayu into the crowd and disappeared.


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± Loh whispered to Lousie. ¡°Have a wonderful night, Ismene.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Elohnoir,¡± Ismene smiled.


    ¡°Farewell, Miss Noir,¡± Lily bowed. She suddenly found herself alone with the Tempest Arch-Mage. Lily cleared her throat, ¡°Miss Ismene, good evening.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, what do you want, secretary?¡± Ismene said, annoyed.


    ¡°Um, I was hoping to make amends, or peace, so to speak,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your enemy.¡±


    ¡°Enemies?¡± Ismene asked with an aloof smile.


    ¡°Ah! N-no, not enemies!¡± she stuttered in panic. ¡°I just meant, well, I hold nothing against you. I don¡¯t want you to hate me either¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, child. I¡¯m annoyed.¡±


    Lily nodded sympathetically, ¡°I understand. Seeing me with Lord Noir can be¡­ troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Gods, you really are stupid,¡± Ismene groaned. ¡°No. I don¡¯t care who Riri sleeps with. I¡¯m annoyed whenever I look at you. A bright, talented girl, but stupid and naive. You think you¡¯re in love with a man of honor who sacrificed everything for the greater good, but you¡¯re not. You¡¯re just in love with an old bitter monster who is chained to his past. That is what annoys me. Every time I lay eyes on you, I am reminded of the naive stupidity of youth.¡±


    Lily stared at her, speechless.


    Ismene¡¯s cane shot out and stopped a tall orc from tripping and spilling the glasses in his hands.


    ¡°Careful where you walk, Kegrog,¡± Ismene warned without even looking at him.


    ¡°Sorry, professor, and thank you. Excuse me,¡± Kegrog bowed and left. He made his way through the crowd towards a pillar near the ballroom¡¯s double doors.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± Kegrog offered a glass of wine to Freya.


    ¡°Took you long enough, you big-lug,¡± the beautiful dwarf grabbed her glass and downed it in one swig. She wiped her lips, ¡°The next song is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you didn¡¯t want to dance,¡± Kegrog cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Not with that bloody attitude I won¡¯t,¡± she scowled.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he grimaced. ¡°Ah! That one was¡­ mine.¡±


    Freya grabbed the other glass of wine and ignored his small voice. ¡°Go get some more.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll be back,¡± Kegrog sighed and walked away.


    Freya handed the glass of wine to the nervous girl standing next to her. ¡°You need this more than I do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kithina smiled gratefully.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s reaaaally  running late, huh?¡± Freya said smugly.


    ¡°Cal will be here, I know he will. Something must have happened. Maybe his carriage¡¯s wheel broke?¡± Kithina said weakly.


    ¡°Yeah, cause that totally happens all the time,¡± Freya rolled her eyes.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Kitty, he stood you up,¡± Freya said. ¡°Cal isn¡¯t coming. He can be charming, but when it gets real, he breaks down under the pressure. Why do you think we broke up? Cal can¡¯t handle an actual relationship. Well,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Not that you two are in an actual relationship.¡±


    ¡°Can you shut up for a second? Look, I get it, Cal and I are just friends. Stop trying to rub it in. But he said he¡¯d come with me to the dance. I bought this dress with my savings and I went to that hairstylist you recommended. Everything will be fine, I¡¯m sure it will.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that or yourself?¡± Freya asked wryly.


    The double doors swung open. Callum walked in. He was dressed in a red tunic and black pants, the colors of his House.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Kithina¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°I guess a Goldelm can be wrong once in a while,¡± Freya shrugged.


    Kithina stiffened.


    A tall beauty walked in, her lovely brown skin contrasted perfectly with her blood-red hair and scarlet dress. The long skirt trailed behind her in a wave of crimson. A hundred faces turned towards Sylvie¡¯s entrance and the dangerous elegance that practically ebbed off her every step.


    Callum held Sylvie¡¯s hand and the crowd parted as they walked onto the dance floor together.


    Kithina tried to swallow, but her throat felt tight, sore. Her body was cold, her face pale, her eyes burned. A sour pain twisted in her stomach.


    ¡°Oh¡­ shit,¡± Freya whispered. ¡°I never really liked you Kitty, but this just sucks.¡±


    The musician¡¯s song played light and happy, oblivious of the pain that had slipped over Kithina. A few of her classmates nearby noticed her expression, they looked at one another and began to whisper.


    Kithina gripped her skirt and sucked in a shaky breath. She stared at the floor and bit her trembling lip, bright orange strands of hair fell over her face. Tears slipped down her cheeks.


    A hand tapped Kithina¡¯s shoulder. She turned around.


    Stryg bowed his head and offered her his hand, ¡°May I have this dance?¡±

 Chapter 223: Broken Friendship

    Chapter 223: Broken Friendship


    A hand tapped Kithina¡¯s shoulder. She turned around.


    Stryg bowed his head and offered his hand, ¡°May I have this dance?¡±


    Kithina wiped her tears and sniffed, ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.


    The hundreds of dancers fell into the rhythm of the music as the musicians played a soft, almost melancholic tune. Kithina spotted Sylvie and Callum in the crowd, her heart clenched up in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at them, Kitty. Eyes on me,¡± Stryg shifted his feet and blocked Kithina¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡­¡± her lips trembled, she tried to smile and fell into a quiet sob.


    Stryg gently pulled her into his shoulder and hid her broken expression from wandering eyes. ¡°You¡¯re okay, deep breaths,¡± he whispered.


    She wheezed a few shaky breaths and clenched her eyes tight. Her body felt cold, numb, almost as if she couldn¡¯t move. But Stryg danced and pulled her along, step by step, moment by moment.


    ¡°...What are you doing here?¡± she mumbled into his shoulder.


    Stryg looked past her shoulder, past the onlookers, and stared at Callum dancing happily with Sylvie in her crimson dress. ¡°...When a tribemate is injured, you cover their back until they can stand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not part of your tribe,¡± she smiled bitterly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re my friend. And friends cover each other¡¯s backs too¡­ Cly taught me that.¡±


    Kithina bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. This is my fault, when you asked Cal to the dance a few days ago, I noticed he didn¡¯t hear you. I told him to talk to you, but I should have pushed the matter.¡±


    She laughed bitterly, ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s mine¡­ it¡¯s always been mine.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    She looked up at him, eyes red from tears, and smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Thanks for covering my back. I¡¯ll return the favor someday.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the dancers all around. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Kithina bit her lip and traced her fingers across his chest, ¡°...They stabbed you right here. And they killed Clypeus¡­ You must have been in so much pain. But we all looked away, we were too focused on our own wounds. I had never killed someone before that night, and then I saw so many people die¡­ I was shocked, scared, but we should have never let you carry all the guilt on your own. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°I led us to that cliff. The guilt is mine alone.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have left you alone. We¡¯re your friends, we should have been there for you.¡±


    He closed his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    The music died, the song¡¯s final note fell, the dancers slowed to a stop.


    Stryg stepped back, ¡°I should get going, Feli¡¯s probably wondering where I¡¯ve gone.¡±


    Kithina smiled, ¡°Thank you for the dance. I¡¯m gonna head over to the balcony, get some fresh air and a bit of peace.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he nodded. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    Stryg turned and walked away.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Kithina called out.


    He paused and glanced back at her, a questioning look on his face.


    She looked him straight in the eye, ¡°Plum was wrong about you. You¡¯re not a monster, this Realm doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    He smiled ruefully, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    The music picked back up, the dancers swung back into their rhythm, Stryg disappeared into the crowd.


    He made his way through the dancers, glancing at each face he passed by, looking for Feli; until he spotted Callum and Sylvie, dancing happily. Stryg gritted his teeth, his pupils shrank to thin blades.


    ~~~


    Feli sipped her glass of wine and surveyed the crowd, hoping to spot the 5¡¯ 3 in blue hybrid.


    She puffed her cheeks, ¡°¡®Be right back¡¯ my ass.¡±


    The air suddenly felt tight, as if it was vibrating in place, trying to break out. Feli looked down at her glass and frowned in confusion. Droplets of wine floated into the air like snow falling up into the sky.


    ¡°Oi, Cal!¡± the shout echoed through the ballroom.


    Feli recognized that voice from anywhere. ¡°Oh no,¡± she whispered.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Callum stopped in the middle of the dance, Sylvie in his arms.


    Stryg marched over to them, anger clear in his eyes.


    Callum looked at him, confused, ¡°Stryg?¡±


    Stryg snatched the vampire¡¯s red collar and lifted him up. Callum¡¯s eyes widened in panic, he kicked the air helplessly.


    ¡°I warned you, but you hurt our friend anyway,¡± Stryg said coldly. ¡°Fix things with Kitty.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Callum choked out.


    ¡°Hey what are you doing!?¡± Sylvie yelled angrily.


    ¡°Fix. Things. With. Kitty. You owe her that much.¡± Stryg let go, Callum fell and landed on his back with a hard thud.


    Callum groaned and rubbed his lower back. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± he winced.


    ¡°Good,¡± Stryg nodded and walked away.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± Sylvie reached out and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t just get to beat up my date and walk away!¡±


    Stryg snarled, ¡°Get your hand off me, this doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    She bared her fangs, ¡°If you don- Agh!¡±


    Stryg gripped her wrist and squeezed, her bones cracked with a sickening crunch. Sylvie screamed and fell to her knees.


    Loh pushed through the crowd, ¡°Stryg! Let go of her, now!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Stryg released Sylvie¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°How many times do we have to talk about this,¡± Loh said. ¡°You can¡¯t just keep hurting people for no good reason!¡±


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°No, not fine,¡± Loh crossed her arms. ¡°Sylvie, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯m alright,¡± she rubbed her wrist and glanced at Stryg. Since when was his grip so strong?


    Vayu clapped his hands loudly. ¡°Musicians, where is the music? Do we need to discuss your pay?¡±


    The lead musician nodded nervously and began to play, the others soon followed.


    Elzri walked over next to Loh. ¡°Is this an incident that needs taking care of?¡± he whispered calmly.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Loh shook her head.


    Feli ran over and wrapped her arm around Stryg, ¡°Come on, darling, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    Stryg glared at Sylvie. He turned around and let himself get dragged away by his wife.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    ~~~


    Kithina stared out the window, it was a beautiful winter morning. The sun¡¯s rays blanketed the academy¡¯s snowy grounds in a wave of golden light. She watched the peaceful sight from one of her favorite spots; a small table in the corner of the 2nd floor of the library. Plum had once shown her and their friends this spot. They used to study here a lot back when they were working on their dragon project. Things were so different back then.


    Callum used to laugh often and would always bring them snacks from one of his favorite bakeries. Plum was witty and had a way of making the stubborn Stryg open up; no one had ever managed to recreate that feat, not even Feli. And Stryg was¡­ well, he was still stubborn. But now there was a weight over him, like an impenetrable wall that stopped their words from reaching him. Kithina felt as if Stryg drifted away from them more and more every single day.


    She sighed bitterly.


    Her closest friends seemed to be drifting away. Plum was already long gone. Kithina rarely saw Stryg, he didn¡¯t even visit the Merry Crescent anymore. And Callum¡­


    ¡°There you are. I thought I might find you here.¡±


    Kithina looked up in surprise. ¡°Cal?¡±


    Callum smiled wryly, ¡°Hey, Kitty. Mind if I sit?¡±


    ¡°...Sure,¡± she said reluctantly.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he pulled up a chair across from her and sat down with a satisfied groan. ¡°My back still hurts from last night, I should probably get it checked out by a white mage. I¡¯d heal it myself, but I¡¯m better at bright spells than healing spells.¡±


    Kithina furrowed her brow, ¡°Last night? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess you weren¡¯t there,¡± Callum nodded to himself. ¡°I was at the Winter Ball, everything was going well. Then Stryg suddenly showed up, picked me up like a child - not very flattering mind you - and then he told me to talk to you. And then he dropped me on my ass.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Stryg, he¡¯s always going way too far,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I was going to do the same. But Sylvie beat me to it.¡± Callum winced. ¡°And then Stryg got violent real fast, luckily Loh stopped the whole thing before it went too far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Stryg listens to her at least.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Anyhoo, after making sure Sylvie was okay, I went looking for you. After a while, I realized you weren¡¯t at the ball.¡±


    ¡°I left early,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Which is why I came looking for you this morning and I¡¯m glad I found you. So, what¡¯s up? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Kithina laughed weakly, ¡°No, nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Because Stryg seemed pretty confident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Stryg¡¯s anger is misplaced.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Kithina shrunk back into her chair, ¡°...Do you remember when I stopped by when you and Stryg were studying last week?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Oh! Yeah, I was a bit busy back then. Some family matters¡­¡± he finished quietly.


    Kithina swallowed hard, ¡°I had asked you to the Winter Ball and you said yes.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, he reached out and grabbed her hand, ¡°Kitty, I¡¯m so sorry. I was out of it that day, I had just found out about something¡­ terrible.¡±


    Kithina pulled her hand back, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really, I get it. Miscommunication, it happens.¡± She took a deep shaky breath, ¡°But when I saw you with Sylvie last night, it finally hit me.¡±


    Callum¡¯s face paled, ¡°You were there? Last night? ¡­You were waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°None of this is your fault, Cal. Please don¡¯t feel bad. It¡¯s just,¡± she wiped her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve had a crush on you ever since we met and I¡¯ve always tried so desperately to have you like me back. And I thought you did, we¡¯d go out together often, just you and me. You¡¯d tell me about your family and your struggles, and I¡¯d listen happily.¡±


    ¡°Kitty, look I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Cal. I should have seen it before,¡± Kitty shook her head. ¡°...You never really wanted to be with me, did you?¡±


    Callum held his tongue and looked away in shame.


    Kitty smiled, but there was pain in her eyes. ¡°I think some part of me always knew. I just hoped¡­ I just hoped-¡± She bit her lip and sighed. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯m happy for you, Cal. You have Sylvie now, that¡¯s good. She can listen to your struggles now, because I don¡¯t think I can do that anymore. I can¡¯t be there for you whenever you need me. I can¡¯t keep hoping that you¡¯ll someday see me.¡±


    Callum held his hands together in a white-knuckle grip. His chest felt tight, a shiver ran down his spine. ¡°What are you saying exactly?¡±


    She looked him in the eyes and smiled sadly, ¡°I¡¯m saying I want to be a mage who goes on adventures and travels the world. And you¡­ you want the Veres throne. I¡¯m saying this is goodbye.¡±


    Callum licked his lips and squeezed his eyes shut, ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s uh¡­ Yeah¡­¡±


    Kithina got up from her chair and bowed her head, ¡°Take care of yourself, Callum Veres.¡±


    She left without another word.

 Chapter 224: Duel of the Noirs Part 1

    Chapter 224: Duel of the Noirs Part 1


    56 years ago¡­


    Elzri tried to tie the laces of his boots tight, but his fingers shook. If it was from the roaring crowds above the training room or from his own nervousness, he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Ismene said, a tone of worry clear in her voice.


    Elzri looked over at Ismene and his little sister Una who sat on a bench across from him.


    ¡°I do,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°How is having to fight your sister in a magical duel necessary?¡± Ismene frowned.


    ¡°Riri is right,¡± Una nodded reluctantly. ¡°He embarrassed Esletha at our father¡¯s funeral wake. Even if she goaded him.¡±


    ¡°Which she did,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Which no one noticed,¡± Una said. ¡°What everyone did notice was you throwing wine in Esletha¡¯s face. She¡¯ll want recompensation.¡±


    ¡°So what? She¡¯ll just try to hurt Riri?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°More like she wants to embarrass me in front of a large audience where everyone can see,¡± Elzri pointed up at the colosseum above them. ¡°She wants to discredit me as the Lord of House Noir. If I¡¯m defeated easily by her, it¡¯ll help strengthen her claim to the Noir throne.¡±


    ¡°Which she will, beat you, I mean,¡± Ismene said. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he smiled, strained. ¡°I don¡¯t want the throne anyway. I promised you, we¡¯re going to travel the world. Besides, Esletha is the best candidate to take my father¡¯s place. I¡¯ll let her rough me up a bit, she¡¯ll be satisfied. Then I¡¯ll give her the Noir throne.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just give her the throne now?¡± Ismene crossed her arms.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand our sister,¡± Una¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°She¡¯s very prideful. She won¡¯t just accept the throne, not like this, not after Riri embarrassed her.¡±


    ¡°This is stupid, you should just concede!¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°I wish I could,¡± Elzri said. ¡°But Esletha wouldn¡¯t be satisfied. I rather have no bad blood with the woman who is about to become the head of my family.¡±


    Elzri noticed the worried look on Ismene¡¯s face. He tried putting on a brave face, ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad. This isn¡¯t a regular duel, the rules have been changed in my favor. I just have to last ten minutes on the stage and the stage is like 300 some paces large! It¡¯ll be hard to fall off.¡±


    ¡°Riri, you¡¯re an adept. Esletha is a high-master. It doesn¡¯t matter if it was ten minutes or one minute. You¡¯d still lose,¡± Ismene bit her lip.


    ¡°Plus Esletha is a tri-manifold,¡± Una added. ¡°And you¡¯re just a yellow, Riri. You¡¯re not even an orange, you can¡¯t use our family¡¯s signature flame spells.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping, Una,¡± Elzri said dryly.


    The trumpets blared loudly outside.


    Elzri pushed himself up to his feet, ¡°This is it.¡±


    Una threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, ¡°Good luck, try not to get too beat up. I love you Riri.¡±


    Ismene grumbled under her breath, but she got up anyway and kissed him on the lips, ¡°We¡¯ll watch from the stands. When the match starts use your durability scales immediately. If you¡¯re lucky Esletha will just hit you a couple of times and get bored.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± he smiled.


    ~~~


    The herald looked down at the crowd from his tower¡¯s vantage point. The Announcement Tower was built right into the side of the colosseum, above the southern gate. The tower was directly across from the seven Regal Boxes, which sat above the northern gate, and served as the private stands for the Seven Ruling Families.


    The herald noted to little surprise that the colosseum¡¯s thousands of seats were filled to the brim. Even the seven Regal Boxes were each filled with powerful lords and ladies of the Ruling Houses. Today was going to be a dramatic spectacle, a duel between siblings, Noir siblings no less. The last time the herald had seen such crowds was when Hollow Shade had hosted the Great Cities Tourney.


    A procession of men and women marched across the edge of the colosseum¡¯s arena and blew their trumpets loud, their music ringing clear through the crowds. It was time.


    The herald walked up to his massive speaking-trumpet, an enchanted instrument 10 ft tall, that amplified the speaker¡¯s voice several folds.


    He cleared his throat and yelled into the speaking-trumpet, ¡°Welcome lords and ladies, aristocrats, merchants, and all you commoners who¡¯d skip their work to see this incredible duel! Today we witness a battle worthy of a ballad. A drama so great that we have not seen its like in decades!¡±


    The crowds cheered in delight, their roars shaking the ground itself.


    ¡°From the northern gate! A drow who has kept himself hidden away in the shadows of the aristocracy. A man who has surprised us all by rising to the title of Lord of HOUSE NOIR itself! ~Elzriiiiiiii Noooooooiiiiir!~¡±


    The northern gate swung open, Elzri dragged his feet across the ground and waved at the crowds. Boos and insults echoed through the crowds, their displeasure clear to all.


    Elzri sighed and hung his head.


    ¡°Oof, the crowds are not kind today!¡± the herald exclaimed. ¡°It seems that in large enough numbers of anonymity, even a mere commoner can find the courage to insult a Ruling Family¡¯s leader. I hope our Lord Noir can turn their opinions around! But he may find that difficult because facing him today folks is one of your favorites, the beautiful, the deadly, the POWERFUL, ~Eslethaaaaa Noooooooiiiiir!~¡±


    The southern gate opened to the sounds of cheers and applause. Esletha strolled out with a confident gait. She smiled and waved at the crowds. To Elzri¡¯s surprise the crowd¡¯s cheers rose to even greater heights.


    ¡°Esletha, Esletha, Esletha!¡± the crowds chanted her name over and over.


    ¡°It seems the young lord Elzri Noir may be in for a difficult run, folks. Can the mere adept last ten minutes in the ring against one of Hollow Shade¡¯s greatest duelists?¡± the herald asked grandly. ¡°May the Watcher Lunae watch over our duelists and show them her favor. May the Mystery Caligo enlighten our duelists with the secrets of magic. May the Traveler Stjerne show our duelists their path to victory. And may the Guardian Bellum protect our duelists in this battle of glory.¡±


    The herald raised his hands high, ¡°By the power invested in me as Herald of Duels, this match is officially¡­ BEGUN!¡±


    ~~~


    The crowd¡¯s endless cheering vibrated through the ground underneath Elzri¡¯s feet.


    They really want me to lose? he thought grimly.


    Not that he had any intention of winning. Still, a little show of compassion might have been nice.


    Elzri looked across the enormous field, Esletha was only a small figure in the distance, but he knew she was getting closer, preparing to land him flat on his ass.


    Elzri walked towards her, his feet feeling heavier with each step. After what seemed an eternity he found himself a dozen paces from her.


    He bowed his head, ¡°Hello, elder sister.¡±


    ¡°Proper etiquette?¡± she tilted her head. ¡°A bit late, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s no reason you have to pretend to be polite. None of those people can hear us from all the way up there. It¡¯s just you and me.¡± She sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡±


    Elzri sighed. ¡°Look, we both know that you want the throne. And I plan on giving it to you, sometime after this match. So, if you could make this quick, preferably harmless,¡± he winced dramatically. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it very much.¡±


    ¡°A coward to the end, huh?¡± Esletha scoffed. ¡°You really are just a little snake. How in all the bloody Realms did you ever manage to worm your way into father¡¯s ear?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that, Esletha,¡± he said weakly.


    She pointed an accusing finger at him, ¡°Why did he choose you? I spent my whole life trying to prove myself to him, trying to prove that I was worthy, but you? You never did anything, always the bare minimum, and yet he gave you everything! You¡¯re weak, lazy, and afraid. So why did he choose you!?¡±


    ¡°I really wish he hadn¡¯t¡­¡±

 Chapter 225: Duel of the Noirs Part 2

    Chapter 225: Duel of the Noirs Part 2


    The coliseum¡¯s crowd watched the two Noir siblings meet face-to-face down in the arena. The crowd could not hear their words, but they cheered nonetheless, eager to see one of their favorite duelists lash out in righteous anger at the young upstart lord who had disrespected her at their father¡¯s funeral.


    Ismene watched with Una and Aiden from inside the Noir¡¯s Regal Box, one of the seven best viewing boxes in the coliseum.


    Una held Ismene¡¯s hand tight, ¡°Riri we¡¯ll be okay, right? Esletha won¡¯t hurt him too bad.¡± It seemed as if she said the words to reassure herself more than anyone else.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ismene tried to smile. ¡°Riri¡¯s probably trying to talk her down right now. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll probably smack him around once or twice and then call it a day.¡±


    Aiden shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen my sister this angry. Esletha might do more than just smack him once or twice. My best guess? Elzri probably won¡¯t be walking for a few weeks.¡±


    Ismene found herself trembling. She whispered a soft prayer to her patron god, ¡°Please, Stjerne, keep him safe.¡±


    ~~~


    Esletha pointed an accusing finger at Elzri, ¡°Why did Father choose you? I spent my whole life trying to prove myself to him, trying to prove that I was worthy, but you? You never did anything, always the bare minimum, and yet he gave you everything! You¡¯re weak, lazy, and afraid. So why did he choose you!?¡±


    ¡°I really wish he hadn¡¯t¡­¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to give me?¡± she scoffed. ¡°No real answer? Just some more whining? That pity-shit won¡¯t work on me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your pity,¡± he frowned. ¡°I¡¯m saying I really rather not fight. You¡¯re my sister, I¡¯m your brother. Take the throne, I don¡¯t care. Why can¡¯t we just leave it at that?¡±


    ¡°My gods, you really have no respect for the monumental position our Father left in your hands, do you? This. This right here. This is why you don¡¯t deserve to be Lord of House Noir, you self-centered, spoiled child! You always had it easy. You were just some talentless half-wit. Father never expected anything from you!¡± Esletha pointed an accusing finger at Elzri. ¡°But I was born talented, I had to work harder than any of you, I had to meet his every expectation to be perfect¡­ So imagine my surprise when you were chosen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the throne? Why are you so angry?¡± Elzri furrowed his brow.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± she laughed bitterly. ¡°...Our Father didn¡¯t choose me. To the very end, he never thought I was worthy.¡±


    ¡°Esletha,¡± he swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Things are¡­ complicated. But our Father loved you, even if he rarely showed it. He loved all of us.¡±


    Esletha glared at him, ¡°Clearly Father had his favorite.¡±


    ¡°Listen, it wasn¡¯t like tha-¡±


    Esletha flicked her hand up, her shadow darkened, a black tendril shot out, and whacked across Elzri¡¯s chest with a resounding crack. He flew back and crashed into the ground, his body skipping like a stone over water. The crowd cheered with a thundering boom.


    Elzri rolled over, dazed. He gasped for breath, a sharp pain stabbed into his ribs. Something was broken. He gingerly touched his ribs and grimaced, Yeah, definitely broken.


    Esletha sauntered towards him, ¡°I am going to show everyone why he was wrong, about you, and about me. I am the only one worthy of the Noir leadership.¡±


    Elzri sighed with a wince. He pushed himself to his feet, a hand over his ribs. Esletha was more skilled than he thought. A master black mage could create corporeal shadow tendrils, but the shadows were brittle. He had never seen an arch-mage create a shadow tendril that could hit so hard, let alone a high-master like Esletha.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made your point,¡± Elzri wheezed. ¡°I surrender.¡±


    Esletha¡¯s expression grew cold. She raised her hands high, a dozen shadow tendrils sprawled out from her silhouette.


    Elzri cursed under his breath and raised his arms. Yellow mana flowed through his body and seeped into his skin. Faint yellow outlines of scales wrapped around his body.


    The shadow tendrils snapped through the air in a blur and whipped Elzri¡¯s body with incessant fury. His durability scales flared a bright yellow every time they were struck. He practically glowed like a yellow candle.


    Elzri gritted his teeth and bared the blows in silence. His sister wasn¡¯t holding back her shadow spells, if he hadn¡¯t been using an advanced durability spell his scales would have already shattered and his body would have been broken.


    ¡°C-c-calm down!¡± Elzri managed to yell through the attacks.


    The shadow attacks halted.


    Elzri breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The shadow tendrils suddenly wrapped around his body tight. He screamed in shock as the shadows lifted him up high in the air and flung him down with tremendous force. His body smashed into the ground in a pile of dirt and stone.


    Elzri coughed and groaned. His yellow scales cracked and finally fell apart.


    What the fuck is she thinking? he thought angrily. That could have killed me!


    He tried to stand, but the shadow tendrils held him tight on the ground.


    Elzri squinted in pain and looked over at his sister. Esletha¡¯s face was devoid of expression, but her grey eyes were filled with anger.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Elzri tried to yell, but it came out like a broken plea.


    Esletha threw her arms apart. The air shimmered around in a sudden wave of heat. A ring of orange flames rose to life around her.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Elzri¡¯s eyes widened, he recognized one of House Noir¡¯s most powerful and key spells.


    The flames grew and ate through the air in a roar of power, a cyclone of fire curling around Esletha. Elzri could already feel the heat begin to burn his skin from a dozen feet away. He tried to run, but the shadow tendrils held tight.


    ¡°S-stop,¡± Elzri mumbled. He chuckled nervously, ¡°I¡¯ll die. Don¡¯t you get that? S-so, stop¡­ Please, Eslehta. I¡¯m begging you, please stop! Esletha!¡±


    She looked at her brother, the anger in her eyes suddenly turned frigid, ¡°Infernal Cyclone.¡±


    The raging cyclone exploded and engulfed Elzri in a storm of fire. The crowd gasped, stunned. A pair of high pitch screams from the Noir¡¯s Regal Box pierced the silence.


    Elzri heard nothing from within the roaring flames. A small dome of wind blew at the heart of the inferno. Small streaks of yellow light circled around the dome, tying the powerful gales into coils of protection. The Air Dome was one of the most powerful wind spells Elzri knew and yet the heat was still unbearable.


    A new set of durability scales shimmered over his body, protecting him from being burned alive.


    She really is trying to kill me¡­ Me, her younger brother.


    A tear slipped down his grey cheek, sizzled, and evaporated instantly.


    A cold pain seeped into his chest, no wound had ever cut so deep, not even his father¡¯s passing. He wanted to cry, curl into a ball, and disappear.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ~~~


    Esletha watched the flaming inferno with a sickening realization. Her shadow tendrils had burned under the heat, there was nothing left of her shadow spell¡­ there was nothing left of Elzri¡­


    Esletha¡¯s fingers trembled, a cold sweat dripped down her back. She was so angry¡­ at her Father, at Elzri¡­ what had she just done?


    ¡°N-no.¡± She stumbled back, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    ¡°It seems the battle has been decided¡­¡± the Herald of Duels called out solemnly from above his tower. ¡°May the gods guide the young lord¡¯s soul to rest¡­¡±


    Esletha turned away, she couldn¡¯t look at the flames any longer. She released the spell and fell to her knees.


    The crowd yelled in surprise and began to jabber without stopping. Esletha looked up at them in confusion, she turned around and stiffened to a halt.


    A menagerie of red wards flowed in a sphere at the center of the scorched ground. Elzri stood at the center, his chest and shoulders heaved with anger.


    ¡°Red magic¡­?¡± Esletha mumbled. It couldn¡¯t be. Her younger brother wasn¡¯t a manifold mage, he was a mere yellow adept.


    ¡°ESLETHA!¡± Elzri screamed.


    The red wards disappeared. Elzri aimed his open hand at her, a torrent of flame screeched out from his palm and burned towards her. Esletha¡¯s eyes widened. Out of reflex she threw her arms up and casted. A wall of fire rose in front of her and collided with Elzri¡¯s attack in a torrent of sparks and flame.


    Esletha¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re a tri-manifold like me!? You lied to us!¡±


    Black tendrils emerged from her shadow and lashed out.


    Elzri cupped his hands together, a giant sphere of white light spun into existence between his fingers. A searing ray of light streamed out from the sphere and vaporized the shadow tendrils in a single stroke.


    ¡°Lux Orb!?¡± Esletha screamed in shock.


    To even summon a single orb of such power required a high-master white mage. It couldn¡¯t be, her brother was supposed to be an adept.


    ¡°WHY!?¡± Elzri roared. A dozen shadow tendrils flew out of his silhouette and twined over Esletha¡¯s body.


    She snarled and poured brown mana into her body. A bronze sheen enveloped her grey skin, the vigor spell taking hold. Her muscles surged with strength, she flung her arms apart and tore away at the brittle tendrils.


    Elzri¡¯s dashed close, his veins dark from agility magic. Esletha crouched, raised her arms, and covered her vital organs and face. He hit her arms and legs with open palms, the strikes weaker than she had expected.


    ¡°WHY!?¡± Elzri screamed.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Esletha swung her fist in a quick jab.


    But Elzri was faster, he easily ducked beneath her arm and struck her sternum. She jumped back and summoned a bolt of fire in her hand.


    Elzri stood still, his arms fell to his side. His fingertips glowed a faint grey.


    ¡°No!¡± she gasped and looked down at where he had hit her. Half a dozen curses swam over her skin.


    He snapped his fingers. The grey sigils flared to life, Esletha¡¯s body went rigid, she collapsed to the ground. Her spells evaporated, her muscles felt numb, she could hardly breathe.


    Elzri looked over her body, his expression shifting between pain and anger. ¡°WHY!?¡± His voice broke, a tear slipped down his cheek and fell on her forehead. ¡°W-why¡­ Why would you try to kill me¡­?¡±


    She bit her trembling lip, ¡°...I didn¡¯t mean to let it go so far.¡± Elsetha broke down in tears, ¡°Father always loved you most. Now I know why he chose you.¡±


    ¡°I never wanted to lead this family! ¡­I just wanted to be a part of it¡­¡± Elzri fell to his knees. ¡°What¡¯s happened to us?¡±


    ¡°Elzri¡­ I¡¯m so sor-¡±


    ¡°Congratulations little brother!¡± a too-familiar voice called out.


    Elzri turned around, a young handsome mage in military attire stood behind them. ¡°Aiden?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have won your first duel and against Esletha no less!¡± Aiden said cheerfully. ¡°I am impressed. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d last two minutes against her, but I¡¯m quite happy to have been proven wrong¡­ And sad, you were the only one I really cared about.¡±


    ¡°Aiden, what are you doing down here?¡± Elzri wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Oh? Well, I just made up some lie to Ismene and Una, something about you hiding your abilities and trying to kill our lovely sister, Esletha. So, being the eldest, I came down here to sort things out.¡±


    ¡°She was the one trying to kill me!¡± Elzri yelled angrily.


    Aiden raised his hands, ¡°Hey, easy now. There¡¯s no reason to shout. It¡¯s just us three, none of those idiots can hear us from up there. And besides, I already told Una and Ismene that Esletha and I knew about your abilities. Esletha was just trying to defend herself.¡±


    ¡°But, that¡¯s not what happened¡­¡± Elzri frowned.


    ¡°Aiden, what the fuck are you doing?¡± Esletha growled.


    ¡°Enjoying seeing you on the dirt for once, sister. What else?¡± Aiden chuckled to himself. ¡°You were always a bitch when we sparred. Glad to finally see you take a loss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you came down here? To gloat?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Hm? No, I came to thank you,¡± Aiden smiled. ¡°That was one hell of a battle. You look terribly exhausted, little brother. Understandably so, those high-ranked spells would take their toll on anyone. But you actually did it, you defeated our sister. And for that, you have my eternal gratitude.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elzri frowned.


    ¡°Aiden is just being an ass, like always,¡± Esletha snapped. ¡°I¡¯m gonna break his legs when I get out of these stupid curses.¡±


    Aiden shook his head, ¡°And that¡¯s why I avoided a frontal confrontation. You¡¯re too strong for your own good, Esletha. To be quite frank, I really didn¡¯t know how I was going to deal with you. I already used up all the poison I had.¡±


    Elzri felt a shiver run up his spine, the world quieted to a whisper, he could hear his own heart beat loudly in his ears. ¡°...What did you just say?¡±


    Esletha¡¯s face grew pale, ¡°No¡­ you didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Aiden sighed, ¡°Believe me I really didn¡¯t want to, I loved our Father just as much you both did.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill our Father, you piece of shit!¡± Esletha screeched.


    ¡°No,¡± Elzri fell back. ¡°No, you¡­ Please, tell me you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Aiden shook his head. ¡°War is coming, Undergrowth plans to attack us.¡±


    ¡°I know, Father told me. I saw the latest reports just yesterday¡­¡± Elzri¡¯s voice shook. ¡°Father wanted to stop the war! He wanted to save all of us!¡±


    ¡°Alastair Noir was a naive and foolish man,¡± Aiden said angrily. ¡°Do you really think House Thorn has forgiven Hollow Shade¡¯s 7 Ruling Families? Do you really think House Thorn wouldn¡¯t lead the armies of Undergrowth into our city and slaughter every one of us if given the chance? Instead of trying to negotiate for peace, we need to rally and prepare our own armies and burn Undergrowth to the ground and end this threat, just like Lunis.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!?¡± Elzri yelled.


    ¡°Our city¡¯s armies are too weak from the Great Houses infighting,¡± Esletha said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to win a war against Undergrowth. Hollow Shade would fall, you damn fool!¡±


    ¡°You both sound like Father,¡± Aiden narrowed his eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to listen either. Our city will fall if we do nothing, that much is for certain. I begged our Father to listen, I pleaded with him over and over. He was never going to listen¡­ So I made a deal.¡±


    ¡°...With whom?¡± Esletha asked warily.


    ¡°I found a powerful ally, one willing to do what needs to be done,¡± Aiden said. ¡°He understood my wish to protect this city, to protect our House. He wanted me to lead our House to an actual future, where we don¡¯t just stagnate and fall behind the rest.¡±


    ¡°He made you kill our Father,¡± Elzri whispered.


    A tear fell down Aiden¡¯s cheek, ¡°I didn¡¯t want Father to die, but he¡¯d never listen. Don¡¯t you see? Our father abandoned us!¡±


    ¡°You fucking idiot!¡± Esletha said. ¡°Who did you make a deal with!?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Aiden smiled.


    ¡°He¡¯s fucked with your mind, can¡¯t you see that!?¡± Esletha yelled.


    ¡°Wrong, he¡¯s the only one who''s ever listened,¡± Aiden said. ¡°The only one who shares my vision for a better Hollow Shade. He¡¯s helped me. He gave me a bottle of poison like none other. A poison so powerful and secret that no healer would be able to save the one who drank it. The whole thing was supposed to be quick. With father gone and his heir unnamed, as the eldest I would have taken charge. I would have saved all of us!¡±


    Aiden looked at Elzri, ¡°But father lived, long enough to name you his heir. I didn¡¯t understand how, but now I do. You were there that day, you healed him, or at least tried, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ve made everything so much more complicated¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡± Elzri mumbled and swallowed hard. ¡°You tried to poison us?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Aiden shook his head vehemently. ¡°I never meant to poison you. You weren¡¯t supposed to be there that morning. You have always been my favorite, Elz. You were always kind, you never posed a threat¡­ but now things are different. I didn¡¯t know you were so powerful. Seeing you and Esletha weakened like this¡­ I can¡¯t let this chance go, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Elzri, he plans on killing us! Run!¡± Esletha screamed.


    ¡°N-no, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Elzri laughed weakly, he ran his hands through his white hair. ¡°This is a joke, right? This is all some kind of fucked up joke. Please, tell me this is a joke!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aiden bowed his head. ¡°But if it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯ll make Una¡¯s death quick. I know you two have always been very close, Elz. I won¡¯t let her suffer. You two will be together again soon enough.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Una may be weak, but she¡¯s incredibly talented,¡± Aiden sighed. ¡°If I let her go, she¡¯ll eventually become a threat. It¡¯s why I sent that maid to poison Father and her.¡±


    ¡°Una didn¡¯t drink the tea¡­¡± Elzri whispered.


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately,¡± Aiden said.


    ¡°...You tried to kill Una¡­¡± Elzri mumbled.


    ¡°Believe me, I didn¡¯t want to. But I have to hold up my end of the deal,¡± Aiden said solemnly.


    ¡°Elzri, he¡¯s too far gone,¡± Esletha urged quietly. ¡°You need to get out of here, save yourself!¡±


    ¡°...You tried to kill Una¡­¡± Elzri whispered. A thousand memories of his little sister flooded his mind, from the day she was born and he carried her in his small arms, to the late-night where she stood next to him at their father¡¯s deathbed. She meant the world to him and Aiden tried to kill her¡­ he was going to kill her.


    Elzri looked up at his brother¡¯s cold eyes. Something broke inside Elzri, anger could not begin to capture the feelings. Anger was small and petty, it was swallowed up by the mountain of fury that consumed him. No, this wasn¡¯t fury, this was pure, primal, unbridled rage. And the orange mana within him answered.


    Azure flames erupted from Elzri¡¯s body, an infernal flood sweeping through the arena in a blaze of all-consuming fire. The crowds screamed and flinched back from the heat. The azure flames bloomed into the shape of an enormous half-formed flower before imploding and sputtering out of existence.


    As the smoke settled the crowd stared in shocked silence. Amidst the scorched black ground of the arena sat one man.


    Elzri staggered to his feet. The sheer magnitude of energy caused by the accidental spell should have killed him, somehow he had survived. Elzri could barely breathe, his body felt as if it was burning from the inside. He felt drained, he couldn¡¯t think straight, but there he stood, alone.


    A single petrified scream pierced the silence. Elzri looked up, half-dazed. From the Regal Box, Una stared down at him, horror etched across her pale face.

 Chapter 226: A Dangerous Proposal

    Chapter 226: A Dangerous Proposal


    With a wince, the warlord Marek Helene bent his aching legs and sat down on the snow. He inhaled in a cold-biting breath of air, mixed in with the scents of blood and smoke. The battlefield was riddled with bodies, soldiers of Hollow Shade and the Cairn Tribe lay dead across the bloodied snow in a horrific show of death.


    There were only a few survivors of his battalion. They sat on the snow, shivering. Many cried quietly and mourned the fall of their loved ones. How many more battalions would he lose before this war ended? How many more lives of his people would he sacrifice?


    Marek stared at the broken spear that lay at his feet. The wooden shaft had shattered in the middle of battle, like the other half-dozen spears before. He sorely missed the enchanted steel spear that was his father¡¯s and the previous Cairn Tribe leaders¡¯. But the enchanted weapon had been lost, it had fallen off a cliff at Widow¡¯s Crag, along with that cursed blue goblin.


    Now that Marek thought about it, everything had gone downhill after that night. He had lost not only his most prized weapon, but the love of his life, Nokti. She had left him and had suddenly given her loyalty and love to another, Crow¡­ that damn bastard.


    As if that hadn¡¯t been enough, Crow had failed to reach a meeting with the Adder Tribe that night. And now the armies of Hollow Shade had begun to roam the hills of Dusk Valley with a size and fury that had not been seen in decades.


    Crow and Nokti had suddenly left on an unknown trip a few weeks back. Where they went or why? No one knew. All Marek knew was that his spy and scout¡¯s networks had suffered greatly after Crow¡¯s disappearance. The Cairn had already encountered Hollow Shade¡¯s armies several times.


    Fortunately, his people had only faced off against small scouting battalions from the enemy. But if the Cairn ever found themselves against an entire legion of well-armored soldiers led by skilled generals and powerful mages, well¡­ Marek hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that.


    He needed the Unildyr. They were still too young, but the void creatures were growing at a rapid pace. The young Unildyr already reached the height of a full-grown man while sitting on their haunches. Their glassy black eyes and the way they stared at everyone as if eyeing prey was unsettling. Their pale grey, almost-translucent skin did little to hide the powerful white muscles underneath.


    Every time Marek watched the Unildyr feed on a person, he was reminded of how dangerous these monsters really were. Their long black talons ripped through steel-plate armor, muscle, and bone as if ripping a sheet of paper. But it was the look in an Unildyr¡¯s eye when they fed that truly gave Marek pause. The way an inner light shined in those dark unfeeling eyes; in those moments Marek wondered if awakening these monsters had been the right choice.


    ¡°Lord Marek,¡± Dawn called out.


    Marek didn¡¯t bother to answer, but he heard her footsteps crunch the snow as she neared. Like her twin, the mysterious hybrid arch-mage rarely deemed to speak. When either twin did, it was often short and grim. And more often than not, Dawn¡¯s words came with an insult.


    Dawn stopped next to him and looked over his ragged appearance. ¡°You look tired, young lord.¡±


    And there it is. He sighed, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Dawn clicked her tongue, ¡°The war is taking its toll on you and your people.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage. We always have,¡± he said curtly.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dawn dug her hand under the snow, touched the grass underneath, and channeled green mana into the ground. A large vine sprouted five paces long and two paces wide. Dawn sat down on the make-shift bench and patted the area of vine next to her. ¡°Come on, it may not be a soft bed, but it beats the cold wet snow.¡±


    Marek hung his head in defeat and sighed. He begrudgingly stood up from the snow and sat down on the vine, next to her. ¡°...Thank you,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, young lord,¡± Dawn smirked. ¡°I only wish I had my brother¡¯s gift in the Orange; I¡¯d conjure up a dozen fires and melt all this snow away.¡±


    Marek held out his arm, an orb of fire flickered to life in front of them. He lowered his hand, yet the flame spell continued to hover in the air, thawing their cold bodies.


    Dawn smiled and held out her hands for warmth, ¡°Well, it seems we both might be able to help each other.¡±


    ¡°What is it you want?¡± he asked. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the company.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? My brother is on a mission to try and improve our relations with the Adder Tribe. Perhaps I am bored and just want a conversation.¡±


    ¡°Says the woman who rarely speaks a word. If there is one thing I know about Vaughn and you is that you both never speak unless it¡¯s necessary. So, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Persistent and straight to the point, good. The Cairn people need a man of focus.¡± Dawn gestured at the corpses strewn across the battlefield, ¡°But, how do you plan to save your people from all of this?¡±


    ¡°We won didn¡¯t we?¡± he shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I asked.¡±


    Marek looked at her. Dawn¡¯s dark violet eyes stared at him intently. He fidgeted underneath her stare and finally broke his gaze away. ¡°...I awoke the Unildyr for a reason, didn¡¯t I? When grown they will be our ultimate weapon and protection against Hollow Shade and its forces.¡±


    Dawn nodded slowly, ¡°Except you didn¡¯t awaken the Unildyr. You and Crow did that.¡±


    Marek gritted his teeth. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Crow serves me.¡±


    ¡°Crow seems to know much more about the Unildyr than any of us, including you, young lord. How do you plan to control the Unildyr once they¡¯re fully grown, without Crow interfering?¡±


    Marek laughed, ¡°The Unildyr hate Crow more than anyone. Any time they spot his black-feather cloak they begin hissing and extending their talons.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but that man knows more about those void monsters than anyone. How long until he figures out a way to make them listen to him? What happens then, when he no longer needs you?¡±


    ¡°Crow may be an aloof ass, but we have a deal. He will help me conquer Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°And after that? What then, young warlord of Dusk Valley? What happens when Hollow Shade lies in ruins at the feet of the Unildyr? Who will control them then? You? Or him?¡±


    Marek narrowed his eyes, ¡°You act as if Crow is my enemy?¡±


    She placed a finger under her chin and cocked her head to the side, ¡°Isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he frowned.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°He took Nokti from you,¡± she whispered. ¡°The love of your life, in the arms of another, all solely for the sake of spiting you. I wouldn¡¯t call that much of an ally.¡±


    ¡°Careful with your next words,¡± Marek snarled.


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°Calm yourself, young lord. If I wanted to harm you, I¡¯d have simply killed you.¡±


    ¡°Then why the fuck are you even here?¡± he shot up to his feet.


    She smiled sadly, ¡°To help you¡­ and help me.¡±


    Marek furrowed his brow, he had never seen such raw emotion on her blue face before. He slowly sat back down, ¡°How exactly?¡±


    ¡°In theory, it¡¯s simple, really. But in practice? Almost impossible. Almost.¡± She took a shaky breath and gathered herself up, ¡°I want you to help me kill Crow.¡±


    Marek looked at her as if she had gone crazy, ¡°What¡­? Why?¡±


    ¡°Why the look of shock? I know you despise him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he is still useful to the war effort.¡±


    ¡°Really? Last I checked Crow and Nokti haven¡¯t been seen in weeks.¡±


    ¡°Why are you even asking me about this? I thought you were loyal to that bird fucker.¡±


    Dawn clasped her hands tight in a white-knuckle grip. ¡°...I¡­ I am not like your people. My brother and I did not choose to follow our master. We didn¡¯t have much of a choice at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, you both are arch-mages. If anyone has a choice in this fucked up world, it¡¯s you two.¡±


    ¡°My father had a choice. He made a deal with a monster. My father was a fool,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°When the time came, he refused to hold up his end of the bargain¡­ My entire village paid the price¡­ We are still paying the price.¡±


    Marek¡¯s anger died in the pit of his stomach, smothered by shame¡­ and sympathy. He knew what it was like to have a parent trust someone they shouldn¡¯t have and to have your entire village pay the price.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, lady Dawn,¡± he whispered.


    She shrugged and pulled her grey cloak close; the glimpse of the person underneath her cold exterior disappeared. ¡°You say Crow is useful to the war effort, but how useful will you be to him once this war is over? If there is one thing I know about the man behind that mask, it is that he only cares for one other person, and that person is none of us, not you, not me, not my brother, and certainly not Nokti.¡±


    ¡°Why does that not surprise me?¡± he said sourly.


    Dawn grabbed his hand, ¡°We can still save the ones we love, Marek.¡±


    He looked into her violet eyes, beyond the piercing cold stare was a hint of warmth, ¡°...How?¡±


    ¡°We kill Crow.¡±


    He pulled his hand back and sighed, ¡°This again? If he¡¯s such a problem, why don¡¯t you kill him yourself? You¡¯re the arch-mage.¡±


    Dawn laughed ruefully, ¡°Even if my brother and I fought Crow with everything we had, we¡¯d probably put up a good fight, but we¡¯d lose in the end, that much is certain. However, if it was the three of us, we may stand an actual chance of killing Crow.¡±


    ¡°And how is that?¡± Marek asked skeptically. ¡°I¡¯m a high-master, others may think I¡¯m powerful, but compared to you? In a battle of arch-mages? I might as well step aside and try no to get hit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you for your magic, not really.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Even if he pretends to be weak, Crow is powerful. His magic is like nothing I have ever seen. However, his greatest strength is his body itself. I don¡¯t know how, but he¡¯s¡­ durable, more than anything I¡¯ve ever witnessed. I know no spell that could ever land a fatal blow on Crow, neither does my brother.¡±


    ¡°...If what you say is true, which already seems difficult to believe, how would I make any difference?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, not on your own at least.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening.¡± Dawn looked out at the horizon, ¡°There exist weapons¡­ from the Age of Titans.¡±


    ¡°Age of Titans? I¡¯ve never heard of such an age.¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t think you had. Most haven¡¯t. It is an age lost to time, older than the gods themselves.¡±


    ¡°Older than Lunae and¡­ Solis?¡± he whispered in reverence the final word, the name of his people¡¯s fallen patron deity.


    Dawn nodded, ¡°Yes, far older than the eldest of the ebon gods. Truth be told, not much is known about the Age of Titans. There is very little left from that time.¡±


    ¡°Like the weapons you just mentioned?¡±


    Dawn looked at him grimly, ¡°Like the Unildyr.¡±


    He swallowed, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Unildyr¡­ For something to have survived so long, to have weathered the passage of eons, they must have great power within them.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much?¡±


    Dawn shrugged, ¡°I listen and I learn. I have stood beside Crow for a long time and I have learned snippets of the mysteries he has uncovered. For example, I know of a vault, one of his secret treasure caches. Inside, resides a weapon from the Age of Titans Crow found not too long ago. A weapon, I believe, capable of killing that monster.¡±


    ¡°...Even if you¡¯re right, why do you need me?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what orichalcum is?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s one of the rarest and most precious metals in all the ten Null Realms.¡±


    Dawn nodded, ¡°And one of the most coveted materials for magic.¡±


    ¡°For magic?¡± he frowned. ¡°I mean sure, orichalcum is incredibly durable, you could probably make a very nice suit of armor if you ever found enough of the black metal. But, magic? I thought orichalcum couldn¡¯t conduct mana? In terms of enchanting, you could never do anything with it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right. However, it is believed that in the Age of Titans they discovered a way to create magical artifacts from orichalcum. The art of crafting such artifacts may have been lost, but some people have learned the secrets of how to wield orichalcum¡¯s magic.¡±


    ¡°Like Crow?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°And a few others, that I know of at least. From what I understand, orichalcum artifacts are incredibly difficult to use, the larger and more powerful ones especially. They take a toll on the body that few can withstand.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, that weapon in Crow¡¯s vault is made of orichalcum?¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m a vampire-drow hybrid. I could probably wield such a weapon, for a little while, before my body gives out and breaks down.¡± She gave him a side-glance, ¡°But a dire? Well, maybe that¡¯s another story.¡±


    Marek nodded slowly, ¡°And I¡¯m the most powerful dire around.¡±


    Dawn poked his chest with her fore finger, ¡°The dire trait is said to be a remnant, a whisper in the blood of an age long forgotten.¡±


    His eyes widened, ¡°The Age of Titans¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps your body can withstand what mine cannot.¡± Dawn stood up and looked up at him. Even sitting down, he was still taller than her. She smiled, ¡°I hear you are in need of a new weapon, young lord.¡±


    Marek stared at her, silent and expressionless. He thought of Crow and Nokti, of all that he had lost, and what he could still lose. He nodded solemnly, ¡°That I am.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± Dawn smirked. ¡°It seems we have a deal.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Feli¡¯s voice called out in the distance. ¡°Stryg, wake up. Wake up!¡±


    Stryg screamed and sat up in bed. His body was covered in sweat, but he felt cold. He clenched his fists and tried to calm his breathing.


    Feli rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s over now. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± he sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.¡±


    She pursed her lips wryly and looked at him with an expression of love and pity, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. How bad was it?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes, the memory of the dream was clear. He could still see Clypeus on Widow¡¯s Crag. Stryg couldn¡¯t do anything but stand still, frozen. He watched as Clypeus was stabbed over and over, a look of surprise on his face as he looked straight at Stryg.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Feli, honest.¡± Stryg swallowed, his throat felt dry.


    Feli bit her lip, ¡°They¡¯ve been getting worse haven¡¯t they?¡±


    He glanced out the window, it was still dark outside, though sunrise wasn¡¯t far off. He pulled back the blankets and got up. ¡°I¡¯m pretty thirsty. I¡¯m going to get something to drink.¡±


    Feli reached out her hand, she hesitated and let him go. ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ if you ever need to talk. You''re not alone, Stryg. I¡¯m here and so is Rhian. Your family is here for you.¡±


    Stryg stopped at the door and looked back at her. ¡°I know,¡± he smiled weakly and closed the door behind him.


    He walked past the kitchen and made his way to the front door. He grabbed his longsword, Nameless, and slipped on his shoes.


    Stryg walked out quietly and tiptoed his way down the building¡¯s stairs and made his way to the street below. The few undead sentinels rambling the Scholar District¡¯s roads sensed the gold nameplate in his pocket and ignored him.


    The gold was a nice upgrade from his silver nameplate, he no longer needed to show each sentinel he passed by the slab of enchanted metal. The gold nameplate had been one of the nicer gifts Elzri gave him when he had officially become his ¡®godparent.¡¯


    The undead sentinels didn¡¯t bother Stryg as he made his way to the training courtyards. The sentinels however failed to notice the lamia that followed the goblin silently from the shadows.

 Chapter 227: The Shield & Snake

    Chapter 227: The Shield & Snake


    Stryg walked through the empty streets of the Scholar District in the early hours of morning. He made his way to the private training courtyard Elzri had arranged for him. Gian and Gale would usually arrive at dawn for sword training, which meant he still had about an hour.


    Stryg unlocked the courtyard¡¯s gate, stepped onto the polished slate tiles, and took a deep breath of fresh air. It had been a difficult night, sleep kept eluding him, and nightmares seemed to plague him every time he laid down to rest.


    He unsheathed Nameless and readied himself for his morning sword routine. The courtyard¡¯s gate creaked open. Stryg spun around and pointed his blade at the gate.


    A look of surprise crossed his face. He lowered Nameless, ¡°Lysaila?¡±


    The lamia stood in the gateway. A long black cloak hid her features well, but it did nothing to hide the long azure tail that slithered underneath.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked.


    Lysaila looked around, at the black tiled floor, the dark sky, the brick walls, everywhere but at Stryg. ¡°...I was¡­ making sure you weren¡¯t dead,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What? What is that supposed to mean?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be in bed than here,¡± she hissed. ¡°...But you were screaming, a lot more than usual. You sounded in pain¡­¡±


    The nightmares? Stryg thought. He suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious.


    ¡°Then you told Feli you were going to get some water, but you didn¡¯t. You left with your sword.¡± Lysaila groaned, ¡°I thought you might be in danger, so I followed you.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I forget I¡¯m not the only one at home with sensitive hearing,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Believe me, if it was up to me I would have ignored all this shit and gone back to sleep,¡± she crossed her arms. ¡°But the Prime Edict wouldn¡¯t let me fall asleep without making sure your dumbass was okay.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°You fu-¡±


    ¡°So are you okay or not?¡±


    He blinked, ¡°...What?¡±


    She sighed loudly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...No one¡¯s coming to kill me if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m here. But are you okay?¡± She pointed at her ears, ¡°You¡¯re not the first person I¡¯ve heard scream like that when they sleep. In the Amber Realm, there are many dragons in the jungle my people live in¡­ The dragons are cruel, they hunt us for sport. It doesn¡¯t matter what we look like, beast-kin or not, everyone dies just the same. We know what it is like to lose the ones we love. You are not alone in this pain.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± he asked carefully.


    For a brief moment, there was compassion in her eyes, then it was smothered away. ¡°Because I want to go to sleep! So next time you have a stupid nightmare, how about you don¡¯t go off in the middle of the night with your sword!¡±


    Lysaila looked out at the streaks of light coming over the horizon, ¡°¡­If you need to talk and you''re afraid of opening up to the purple-haired one, you can vent to me. I won¡¯t coddle you or try to help, but at least I won¡¯t judge you for your weaknesses and insecurities. Plus, it¡¯s not like I can tell anyone about your embarrassing secrets.¡± She pointed at her heart, ¡°The Prime Edict and all. Or you know, you can just stop screaming and let the rest of us get some sleep for once.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Stryg nodded slowly.


    The lamia seemed nicer than usual, which was strange because she was never nice. At least not to him. He grimly wondered if the Prime Edict¡¯s effects were growing.


    ¡°So are you okay then?¡± Lysaila asked, annoyance clear in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± He pointed at Nameless, ¡°I¡¯m just here for some morning sword practice.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going back to bed then¡­¡± she yawned and turned to the gate. Lysaila suddenly stiffened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve left the apartments. I don¡¯t know the way back¡­¡± she said sheepishly.


    ¡°...I understand,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°When I first arrived in Hollow Shade I had a difficult time finding anything, even just in the academy grounds. When I became Loh¡¯s apprentice she used to send me on errands all the time, I got lost often.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this city really sucks,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°...Do you miss the jungles of your Realm?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, not at all. I miss the people.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± he muttered. He wondered if the Blood Fang Tribe missed him. ¡°After practice, I can show you the way back.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye sleep,¡± she mumbled and hung her head.


    Stryg chuckled under his breath and fell into a basic sword stance. He spread his legs apart and swung his blade in quick thrust and followed up with short swings.


    Lysaila rolled her shoulders, threw off her cloak, and pulled out her curved single-edged longsword.


    ¡°You brought your sword?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I thought you were in danger. What? Did you want me to protect you with a stick?¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Hm. Fair enough,¡± he shrugged.


    Lysaila narrowed her eyes and swung her sword in the air in a rapid pattern. Stryg stopped mid-way in his sword-forms and simply stared. Her blade was a shimmer in the morning light. Her entire body moved with each attack, the azure tail lunging back and forth, extending her reach in swift fluid motions.


    Lysaila caught Stryg staring and paused, ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going to practice too?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Stryg shook his head and cleared his throat, ¡°Um, it¡¯s just¡­ I never really noticed your sword-forms before. It¡¯s different from what I¡¯m used to. The Gale style is about a strong, precise defense and sometimes offense. But yours felt almost¡­ alive, I guess?¡±


    Lysaila ran her finger across the dull-edge of her blade. ¡°The sword style was originally created for lamia-kind by the Mortem Order. After all, we were conceived to be warriors; soldiers for the Mortem¡¯s army. That¡¯s all we ever were to you people, weapons¡­¡±


    The courtyard¡¯s gate swung open with a loud creak. Stryg and Lysaila turned simultaneously. Gale and Gian stood at the gate, staring at Lysaila.


    Gale drew her longsword, ¡°Stryg! Why the hell is there a lamia holding a sword in front of me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, little vampire? Afraid?¡± Lysaila licked her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you afraid!¡± Gale gripped her hilt.


    Stryg raised his hands and stepped in between them, ¡°Wait! I can explain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± Gian smiled softly. ¡°This must be the lamia you¡¯ve mentioned?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Yes. This is Lysaila, my roommate.¡±


    ¡°Magically compelled servant,¡± Lysaila corrected angrily.


    ¡°Prisoner,¡± Stryg said. ¡°She is a prisoner of Hollow Shade. And Lord Elzri made me her warden, until further notice.¡±


    ¡°I am Gian of House Gale. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young one.¡±


    ¡°I am Gale VIII of House Gale.¡± She sheathed her blade, ¡°So you¡¯re the one we captured from the Cairn Tribe? I¡¯ve never seen a lamia in person before.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve never seen a girl who has two names but really only one,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°It is an honor to be named after my House¡¯s founder,¡± Gale glared.


    ¡°Oh? Is someone angry?¡± Lysaila batted her eyelashes.


    ¡°What is she doing here, Stryg?¡± Gale asked, peeved.


    ¡°Um, she came to check up on me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is that why you have your sword out?¡± Gale asked. ¡°I thought your kind was more of a fang and venom type?¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Lysaila bared her fangs, a drop of black venom dripping from each.


    ¡°Lamia venom is very potent and very rare. Best to be careful, Gale,¡± Gian said serenely.


    ¡°You should listen to the old man,¡± Lysaila smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call him old,¡± Gale drew her blade once more.


    ¡°What are you going to do? Attack me?¡± Lysaila said eagerly.


    ¡°Gale is a grand swordmaster,¡± Stryg warned.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Lysaila said.


    Gale chuckled, ¡°Somehow I doubt that very much, Cairn savage.¡±


    ¡°Savage, is it?¡± Lysaila clicked her tongue.


    Gian clapped his hands, ¡°Let¡¯s make a spar of it then.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Positive. This will be an excellent chance for Gale to demonstrate our style¡¯s Nature Stances,¡± Gian said. ¡°Oh, and Gale, no magic allowed.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Gale shrugged.


    Stryg glanced at the blue lamia, ¡°No venom. And don¡¯t use your illusion artifact.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Lysaila smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had fun.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re not having any today.¡± Gale dashed forward and channeled her lifeforce into a single thrust, the steel stance.


    Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened, her instincts screamed to dodge, not block. Her tail sprang like a coil, she dashed to the side, avoiding the thrust. Gale¡¯s sword pierced the ground, the slate tile shattered in a perfect circle, 3 inches wide and twice as deep.


    Gale pulled her sword out from the ground, but Lysaila was already behind her. The lamia swung her blade at Gale¡¯s shoulder without hesitation.


    Gale channeled her lifeforce into her sword¡¯s edge and fell into the flame stance. She flipped her blade up in a backswing and clashed with the lamia¡¯s sword. Sparks exploded from Gale¡¯s sword in a flare of heat, but there was no fire.


    Lysaila¡¯s tail lashed out, Gale swung down, the azure scales reverberated, and did not crack. Gale¡¯s sword slid right off the scales to her surprise. The tail cracked back and slammed into Gale¡¯s ribs. The vampire flew up in the air and landed with a crash on the other side of the courtyard. Gale held her broken ribs with a groan.


    Gian grabbed Stryg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look closely,¡± he whispered. ¡°Gale made a mistake. The moment the fight started she went on the offense. Our sword style is primarily meant for defense, we wait for our enemies to attack us first.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s tail coiled and jumped like a spring. She flew through the air in a spin, her blade spiraling out with death. Gale gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet and entered the cascade stance. Her blade met the lamia¡¯s slash for slash, blocking each of the beast-kin¡¯s attacks and countering with her own. Lysaila¡¯s tail blocked each strike, her scales reverberating with each blow.


    ¡°It seems Gale¡¯s finally falling into a defensive rhythm, good,¡± Gian nodded.


    Stryg watched the fight with rising interest, ¡°Lysaila¡¯s stronger than I remembered. Her tail is like another sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes, stronger even,¡± Gian nodded. ¡°She¡¯s strengthening her scales with lifeforce. Gale can¡¯t cut her tail, not even with an enchanted blade and a lifeforce-enhanced edge.¡±


    Stryg frowned and stared at his hands. ¡°Back at Castle Mora, I cracked her scales with my claws.¡±


    ¡°Your claws aren¡¯t as sharp as Gale¡¯s enchanted blade,¡± Gian noted.


    ¡°Then how did I¡­?¡±


    ¡°It seems someone was holding back,¡± Gian said. ¡°Although not anymore.¡±


    Gale jumped back from Lysaila and eyed her warily. The lamia slithered around her opponent. Gale pulled her blade back and closed her eyes, the air began to shimmer around her.


    ¡°Is that a Nature Stance?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s something much more advanced,¡± Gian said watchfully.


    ¡°You think that will stop me, little vampiress?¡± Lysaila hissed. A dark purple sheen swam down her blade and pulled around the curled edge.


    Gian clapped his hands loudly, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough sparring for now you two.¡±


    Gale opened her eyes, a soft blue glow echoed around her entire being. She glared at Lysaila, ¡°I am the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter.¡±


    Lysaila dashed in, her dark sword swinging down in a wide arc. Gale raised her blade above her shoulders.


    Gian gripped the handle of his sword.


    ~~~


    Lysaila opened her eyes blearily. She was on the ground, her sword a few paces from her. Her head throbbed in pain.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she groaned.


    ¡°I told you two to stop,¡± Gian said.


    Lysaila pushed herself up and looked at the elder vampire, he sat on a bench at the edge of the courtyard. She glanced around the courtyard and froze, Gale lay on the ground a dozen paces away, unconscious.


    Lysaila stared at Gian suspiciously, ¡°You did this, old man?¡±


    Gian shrugged, ¡°You might have a concussion for a few days, but you¡¯ll be fine. It was a good fight. It¡¯s been a long time since my niece has had a challenge in the sparring ring. You¡¯re quite skilled, Lysaila. I think you could be better; with the right sparring partner and a bit of practice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lysaila furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Just think about it,¡± Gian smiled.


    Stryg watched the elder vampire speak with newfound fear. He had barely seen Gian move. One moment the vampire was next to him, the next he was already between Gale and Lysaila. The faint golden blade of Primoria flashed only once, yet Gale and Lysaila had collapsed. There was no blocking, no riposte, no evasion. It was instant defeat.


    Had the elder vampire used magic? Some secret lifeforce technique? Stryg didn¡¯t know. It had happened too fast.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but no thanks,¡± Lysaila shook her head.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Gian asked. ¡°Gale could use the sparring partner. And while Stryg is already learning a swordsmanship style, he could definitely learn a few things from watching you fight?¡±


    ¡°I get to fight Stryg?¡± Lysaila¡¯s eyes widened.


    Gian nodded, ¡°Yes. For his training.¡±


    ¡°I can beat him up?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not the main objective, but if he falters and fails to block, I suppose,¡± Gian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Lysaila smiled wide.

 Chapter 228: Not Enough

    Chapter 228: Not Enough


    The air was thick with snowfall, Rhian could only see a few paces ahead. The sun wouldn¡¯t rise for another few hours. The lanterns lined down the streets did little to light the way. Still, Rhian marched through the snow with clear certainty, she had gone down this street many times.


    Feli shivered from atop the saddle.


    Rhian glanced back at her, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± she smiled weakly.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Rhian turned back and quickened her pace. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°...Not really, no. But if we don¡¯t do anything he¡¯s just going to keep getting worse.¡±


    ¡°How long has he been sneaking out?¡± Rhian asked hesitantly.


    ¡°A few months now,¡± Feli admitted. ¡°He barely sleeps.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?¡±


    ¡°Stryg didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it,¡± Feli whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants us to know¡­ But he¡¯s hurting. His nightmares have only gotten worse.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡± Rhian stood in front of the private courtyard¡¯s gate.


    Feli clambered down the centaur¡¯s saddle and trudged over to the gate. She pulled out the key her husband had given her and unlocked the gate. The runes engraved on the gateway flared to life briefly. The locks¡¯ hinges gave way and the gate swung open.


    Stryg and Lysaila stood a dozen paces away at the center of the courtyard, where the snow had been cleared out in a small ring. He ducked under Lysaila¡¯s sword and swung Nameless at her. The lamia pulled back and evaded the attack with ease. Stryg¡¯s ear twitched, he stumbled to a halt and turned to the gateway.


    ¡°Feli? Rhiannon?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±


    ¡°Looking for you,¡± Lysaila sheathed her sword.


    Stryg did a double-take, ¡°Wait. You knew they were coming?¡±


    ¡°I could hear Rhian¡¯s heartbeat over the blizzard,¡± Lysaila shrugged.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t say anything?¡± Stryg asked, annoyed.


    ¡°Why would a ¡®prisoner¡¯ help her jailer?¡± Lysaila smirked.


    ¡°Stryg, we need to talk,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Can this wait until morning? I¡¯m a bit busy with sword practice,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it can,¡± Feli said firmly.


    He sighed and threw Nameless on the snow a few paces away. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping we could talk more privately,¡± Feli stared pointedly at the lamia.


    ¡°Lysaila has better hearing than even me,¡± Stryg said. ¡°She¡¯ll hear whatever you have to say, even if she wants to or not.¡±


    ¡°Ooo! Can I stay then too?¡± Rhian asked excitedly.


    Feli sighed and looked Stryg in the eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve been distant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy,¡± he said curtly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me¡­ us,¡± Feli stepped closer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ that¡¯s called running from your problems.¡±


    He sighed loudly, ¡°Like most people I have many problems, but unlike them, mine can all be solved with a single solution. That¡¯s why I¡¯m training. To get strong enough to get rid of all of our problems.¡±


    ¡°Is it really?¡± Feli asked softly.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    Feli stepped closer, ¡°I know you have nightmares every night. I know you came here to not think of what happened that night at Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    Stryg stiffened at the mention of the cliffs in the south of Dusk Valley. For a moment, there was pain in his eyes, then it was gone. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You mumble in your sleep, you scream in your nightmares,¡± Feli reached his side and grabbed his hand. ¡°I know you think what happened that night was your fault. But it wasn¡¯t. You were caught in the middle of an ambush, it could have happened to anyone.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes tightly, ¡°...But it happened to me. I was the one who failed to keep them safe. They didn¡¯t deserve to die and everyone knows it. Callum, Kegrog, Freya, Kitty, Gale, they all stay quiet.¡± He smiled bitterly, ¡°But I know they blame me.¡±


    ¡°No one blames you for what happened to Clypeus,¡± Feli shook her head.


    ¡°Tell that to Nora,¡± Stryg stepped away and turned his back.


    ¡°I know you''re scared, dammit, so am I! I almost lost you, Stryg!¡± Feli yelled. ¡°You have no idea how it feels to watch you lying unconscious and bloodied in an infirmary. I know what it¡¯s like to feel powerless¡­ To know there is nothing that I can do to help the love of my life as he fights for his life.¡±


    Stryg slowly looked back at her.


    Feli held his cheeks in her hands and smiled, ¡°But we¡¯re not powerless. You are not powerless. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Mel and that dumb cook would have been lynched by that gang. You saved them. You are strong, strong enough to protect the ones close to you. But what you¡¯re doing now, pushing yourself beyond your limits, closing yourself off, trying to ignore your feelings¡­ It¡¯s hurting you.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°If hurting myself is the price to grow stronger, then it is a small price, and one I will gladly pay.¡±


    Feli looked at him in disbelief, ¡°Why do you want power so badly? Why do you train so desperately?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What couldn¡¯t I possibly understand?¡± she laughed incredulously.


    ¡°This is a waste of time,¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°No, tell me! What can¡¯t I understand?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Stryg tried walking away, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, ¡°Don¡¯t try to run from this. What are you hiding? What are you so afraid of telling me!¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯m worthless!¡± the words burst deep from his throat.


    Feli pulled her hand back and frowned, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Rhian gasped and stumbled back a step. Lysaila narrowed her eyes, but kept silent.


    Stryg looked away, he couldn¡¯t bear to look at Feli. ¡°...Only the competent are allowed in the Sylvan Tribes, because they understand what it takes to survive in this Realm... The Blood Fang Tribe took one look at me and they knew, they knew, I wasn¡¯t worthy.¡± He took a shaky breath, ¡°But I thought, I hoped, that they were wrong, that I could change. So I worked hard, harder than any other of my tribemates¡­ No matter how hard I tried, I was never enough. They all knew I was worthless¡­ and so did I.¡±


    Stryg conjured a small flame over his palm, ¡°When I discovered I was a mage, I thought things would be different. So I started training again. I believed, no, I hoped I wasn¡¯t that weak goblin anymore. I thought I was strong¡­ but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just the same worthless goblin that failed the Blood Fang.¡±


    He closed his palm and smothered the flame, ¡°And someday you¡¯ll all realize it too. Just like my friends did. Just like the Blood Fang did¡­ If I can¡¯t become strong, if I can¡¯t protect you, then what use do I have to any of you?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you think I¡¯m here because you¡¯re strong?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°You married me because you thought I could provide you with a rich lifestyle,¡± he shrugged glumly.


    ¡°No, I started dating you because I wanted to escape the slums of the Commoner District.¡± Feli glared at him, ¡°But I stayed with you because I love you. If I just wanted to live like some rich housewife I could have married any wealthy merchant that stopped by the Merry Crescent and there were many, believe me. You were different and funny in the strangest of ways, you still are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Feli grabbed him by the shoulders, ¡°I chose you. Not your magic. I chose you, the blue goblin of Vulture Woods. The Blood Fang tribe was wrong about you. I know their words hurt you deeply and they still haunt you, but believe me when I say you don¡¯t need their acceptance, you don''t need their approval.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Rhian said.


    Feli smiled, ¡°Look around you, Stryg. Rhian and I are here for you because you are our family. And we¡¯re your family. You don¡¯t need to be the most powerful mage in the Realm to have a place to belong, to have people who see you are worthy of their love. You already have it. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Stryg bit his lip and closed his eyes. He could still see Clypeus, on his knees, a bloody hole in his chest. Feli and Rhain were next to Clypeus, their bodies broken and covered in blood. Anger flared in his chest.


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Feli whispered.


    He opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t let that happen, he wouldn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. I¡¯m not giving up, not now. Trust me, I will become powerful and when I am, I will make our tribe strong.¡± Stryg gripped his chest, ¡°I won¡¯t lose anyone else. I will take back what I¡¯ve lost. I¡¯ll make them acknowledge me, the Blood Fang, Plum, everyone!¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Feli bit her lip. ¡°So we¡¯re still not enough for you¡­ huh?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change how you feel,¡± Feli took a step back and sniffed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Stryg!?¡± Rhian yelled angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve always backed you up, but this time you¡¯re wrong! You¡¯re hurting Feli!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Rhian,¡± Feli smiled bitterly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t mean to. He just has different priorities than us.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Families put each other first,¡± Feli said. ¡°We open up to each other.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean? I am putting us first!¡± Stryg yelled.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, you idiot!¡± Rhian slapped his shoulder.


    The moment her fingers brushed his arm, her hand seized up and she collapsed on the floor. She scratched at her throat, unable to breathe.


    ¡°Rhian!¡± Stryg ran over to her.


    ¡°The Prime Edict¡­¡± Lysaila muttered darkly.


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t do this!¡± Stryg shook his head, panicked.


    Feli sat down and pulled Rhian¡¯s upper body over her legs. ¡°Breathe, sweetie. Just breathe. It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s grey eyes darted around, she wheezed feebly.


    Stryg brushed Rhian¡¯s black hair aside, ¡°Please, be okay. Please, I need you.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s lips parted wide open, she gasped.


    ¡°She¡¯s breathing! She¡¯s okay!¡± Feli cried out in relief.


    Rhian looked at Stryg, bewilderment in her eyes. ¡°...W-what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I swear I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Your powers are growing, Mortem Child, it¡¯s only reasonable that your control over the beast-kin has grown too,¡± Lysaila hissed. ¡°I told you, Rhinanon. He¡¯s controlling you, he always has, even if he doesn¡¯t realize it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg backed away. ¡°No, this has never happened before. I don¡¯t know what I just did, but we¡¯ll figure this out, Rhian. We always do.¡±


    Rhian nodded hesitantly, ¡°I believe you, Stryg¡­ I just¡­ I¡¯m tired. I think I¡¯m going back to the stables and get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Count me in,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with too,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°No. We¡¯ve already taken enough time from your training, Stryg,¡± Feli said sternly. ¡°When you want to focus on this family more than your magic, let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Feli, that¡¯s not what I meant! Rhian, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Stryg yelled weakly.


    Feli didn¡¯t bother to respond. Rhian, Lysaila, and her walked out and closed the gate behind them. Stryg stood alone in the empty courtyard.


    ¡°Fucking shit, dammit!¡± he screamed in frustration and flung a fireball into the wall.


    The orange spell exploded in a blast of sparks and flames. He threw another and then another. Numerous colors of mana surged through his veins, answering his cries of anger. He hurled shards of stone at the dummy targets. A small whirlwind blew around him, throwing the snow high up into the air.


    He casted spell after spell, throwing all his emotions into the magic. His breath quickened and his heart rate sped up. A small part of his mind warned him that his body was overheating from excessive casting, but he didn¡¯t care. He kept casting until his arms ached and his lungs burned. He felt dizzy, his legs gave underneath him. Stryg collapsed on the slate-tiled floor, the snow did little to soften the fall.


    The snowflakes tumbled down the sky in a slow, almost nonchalant manner. He wished things were so simple, that he could move through the world without a worry.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes burned, his vision blurred. He opened his eyes and stared up at the dark sky and the snowflakes falling down. Somehow, this seemed familiar. The faintest of whispers scratched at a forgotten memory¡­¡­

 Chapter 229: A Memory of Snow

    Chapter 229: A Memory of Snow


    9 years ago¡­


    The winter snows had fallen down from the Rupture Mountains and had reached the ashen trees of Vulture Woods. Fowl and the other small creatures of the forest were scarce, hiding from the cold and the larger beasts lurking in the dark.


    The hunters of the Blood Fang Tribe had been forced to go further out from the usual hunting grounds in the search of prey. Some of the younglings had tagged along on the hunting trip. The knowledge of a winter hunt was invaluable to any young aspiring hunter. Unfortunately, Stryg hadn¡¯t been allowed to come along¡­ as usual.


    The hunters didn¡¯t want anyone who couldn¡¯t keep up with the rigorous cold and waist-high snow trails. It didn¡¯t help that Stryg was smaller and weaker than the other younglings. Not even his teacher, the hunter Sigte, wanted Stryg along for the hunt. Instead, Sigte had ordered him to practice his sigil writing like always.


    Stryg wanted to listen, he did¡­ honest. But it was getting tiresome trying to write sigils in the corner while the other children practiced sparring with the Mothers or learned how to cook or craft spears and bows from the builders and cooks.


    He rather be with Srixa, Bril, and the other children traveling with the hunters. In fact, he rather be anywhere else than the communal log house, listening to little Gathi debate which berry or nut was tastier.


    So Stryg did the only reasonable thing his mind could come up with. He got up and left the warmth of the log house. He clambered up the tribe¡¯s wooden walls and headed out to his favorite spot, a small clearing near the village.


    The winter storms had made the usually short hike into what seemed an impossible trek. Stryg didn¡¯t slow down. He trudged through the snow with puffed cheeks and the stubborn determination of a child. After what seemed an eternity, he found himself at the clearing, covered with snow and ice.


    ¡°Hah!¡± he threw his shivering small hands up in the air. ¡°I knew I could do it! Can¡¯t keep up my butt!¡±


    He huffed and basked in his glorious triumph for a brief moment, before it finally dawned on him that he hadn¡¯t brought a proper fur cloak. The sun was beginning to set and the cold breeze was only picking up.


    Stryg looked around and quickly realized he¡¯d freeze out here if he didn¡¯t hurry back to the village. He turned around and hurried back to the tribe as fast as his little legs could carry him.


    The blizzard struck before he was even half-way back. Stryg squinted through the pelting snow and tried to search for the path back home. The familiar signs of trees and bushes were gone, hidden by the blanket of snow.


    The sun had dipped under the horizon, the darkness swept over the forest with frightening speed. Stryg felt heavy, he couldn¡¯t feel his toes or fingers. He stumbled and fell face-down. He spat out wet snow and flipped himself over with what little energy he had left.


    Some part of his mind was panicking, screaming at him to get up before the cold took him. But he was tired, so tired. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. His vision blurred and his breath slowed. He stared up past the crimson canopy at the faint silver moon hanging in the night sky.


    A hazy silhouette blotted out the moon. Someone stood next to him, looking down with a smile. He couldn¡¯t recognize their face, yet it seemed oddly familiar, their features seemed to almost blur and change.


    Stryg tried to focus his vision, but he was exhausted, he could barely keep his eyes open.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you practicing your writing?¡± an amused voice asked.


    Stryg blinked slowly, ¡°...Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°And didn¡¯t the Mothers tell you to stay inside the log house? It¡¯s too cold outside.¡±


    The voice had a feminine cadence, exotic yet hauntingly familiar.


    ¡°As I recall,¡± she said. ¡°First Mother explicitly forbid you from going outside the village walls by yourself.¡±


    Stryg tried to think of an excuse. His tongue felt dry and thick, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sor¡­¡±


    The hazy silhouette crouched next to him and brushed his grey hair aside, ¡°I know. But these woods can be dangerous, especially in a winter storm. This is no place for a baby. You should be home, practicing your writing, especially your loops and descender sigils, we both know they¡¯re quite lacking.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡­the tribe¡­¡± Stryg mumbled softly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to prove yourself to the tribe, not a single one of them.¡± She smiled, ¡°You¡¯re already enough.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes, too tired to keep them open.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back home and next to a fire,¡± she said.


    A pair of hands reached under his back and legs, and hoisted him up. She carried him in her arms and walked down the trail with ease, the snow barely reached her ankles.


    ¡°Get some rest, Stryg,¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°You¡¯ll be home soon. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let First Mother punish you.¡±


    Her words were comforting. Stryg felt warm in her embrace, his body began drifting into sleep. ¡°Will you¡­ come back?¡± he mumbled.


    She chuckled, a whimsical sound, ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°...Promise?¡±


    ¡°With all my heart, little one.¡±


    ~~~


    Marek ran through the Cairn¡¯s encampment and headed for the private tent he had set up at the far edge of the camp. A scout had just given him the news. After several weeks the mysterious arch-mage had returned.


    Marek pushed the tent flap aside and walked inside. Dawn sat cross-legged on top of a large wooden crate. She opened her eyes at the sound of his entrance.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Marek said anxiously. ¡°Did you¡­?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°It was difficult, but I managed to retrieve the object.¡±


    Dawn hopped off the crate. She slipped her fingers under the crate¡¯s lid and gently lifted off. An ebon black spear lay in a bundle of straw inside. The spear¡¯s shaft and blade were made of the same material, there were no markings of where the pieces were joined. The weapon seemed to have been forged from a single lump of orichalcum.


    The spear had a glossy finish to it under the torchlight, a well-known characteristic of orichalcum. A sole sigil was engraved on the spear¡¯s head. Marek had never seen such a sigil before, it wasn¡¯t the arcane nor ebon language.


    He stared at the weapon with quiet awe, it almost seemed like a piece of art, a decoration, not a weapon forged for war.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Dawn asked proudly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me it was a spear¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I would have agreed more quickly.¡± He reached out for the spear.


    ¡°Careful. Remember, this is an ancient weapon from the Age of Titans. It was never meant to be wielded by human hands. Don¡¯t underestimate its power nor the strain that comes with wielding such a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Marek nodded solemnly. He carefully wrapped his fingers around the spear¡¯s shaft and hoisted it up with a quiet groan. ¡°It¡¯s heavier than I thought,¡± he grimaced. ¡°A lot heavier.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Dawn asked attentively.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I mean this thing has to weigh several hundred pounds, but I¡¯m alright.¡± Marek grabbed the spear with both hands and tried a simple swing in the air.


    ¡°Nothing else? No pain?¡±


    ¡°Should there be?¡± he asked wearily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted. ¡°We are dealing with a very ancient object. The bits of information I do know I learned from Crow.¡±


    ¡°And we can¡¯t ask him about this,¡± Marek sighed. He jabbed the spear at imaginary enemies. ¡°Well, I can probably swing this for a couple of minutes at best before my arms give out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a tri-manifold mage. Use vigor magic to strengthen your muscles.¡±


    He nodded and channeled brown mana into his arms and back, a bronze sheen covered his skin. The spear felt lighter, but still heavy.


    ¡°It helps somewhat,¡± Marek spun the spear around and began to practice his spear stances. ¡°It¡¯s going to take some time getting used to the weight. I won¡¯t really be throwing it much either.¡±


    ¡°With enough practice, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage,¡± Dawn smiled. ¡°This is going better than I expected. I could have sworn the spear would hav-¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡± Marek flinched. A surge of energy rippled from the spear as if it had just awoken from a long hibernation. His muscles¡¯ spasmed and his arm cramped. The spear fell point-forward and sank half-way into the ground.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Marek grimaced.


    Dawn ran up to him and grabbed his arm, ¡°What happened? Tell me exactly.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I was swinging the spear and then it suddenly changed. It woke up¡­¡± He looked at her, confused. ¡°Why do I feel like a weapon woke up?¡±


    Dawn stared at the ebon spear, ¡°Because it¡¯s alive.¡±


    Marek took a step back, ¡°Wait? That thing is alive!? Like it has a soul!?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like us, it doesn¡¯t have emotions, it doesn¡¯t have desires, but it is alive.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to mention any of this until now?¡± Marek glared at her.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a need until now.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like there is more you¡¯re ¡®conveniently¡¯ not telling me?¡±


    ¡°There will always be things I don¡¯t tell you and most of them have nothing to do with you,¡± she said curtly. ¡°But right now, in this endeavor, we are allies. So I will help you as much as I can. Fair enough?¡±


    Marek sighed, annoyed. ¡°What now?¡±


    She pointed at the weapon, ¡°Call the spear to you.¡±


    Marek cocked his head to the side, ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Call the spear to you.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Call it by its name.¡±


    Marek looked around and then back at her, ¡°...What¡¯s the spear¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would know,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°How the hell would I know the creepy spear¡¯s name?¡± he crossed his arms.


    ¡°I was afraid this would happen,¡± she sighed. ¡°You felt the spear awaken, it connected with you, if only briefly. I had hoped it shared its name with you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me its name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it,¡± she sighed. ¡°Even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. The name must be given by the weapon to its wielder. Only then can you call it to you.¡±


    Marek glanced at the ebon spear, ¡°So that thing can move towards me just by calling its name? No need for channeling mana into it?¡±


    ¡°As you said before, you can¡¯t channel mana into orichalcum,¡± Dawn shrugged. ¡°How does it have magic of its own? I don¡¯t know, but it can do more than just move towards you. You¡¯ll be able to have it attack others with just a flick of the finger, no need to hold the spear.¡±


    ¡°Any other abilities I should know about?¡± he asked wryly.


    ¡°Probably, but I¡¯m not aware of them. You¡¯ll have to find that out on your own.¡±


    He sighed, reached out, and picked up the spear, ¡°Here we go then.¡± Pain ran through his arm, Marek gritted his teeth. It felt as if the spear was draining his essence itself.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Dawn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging in there,¡± he said through panted breaths. ¡°Is it always going to feel like this?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I told you, most people would be unable to use the spear, but being a dire will help you last longer than any of them. Still, try to avoid using the spear for consecutive long periods.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t,¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young lord. In time, you will learn the spear¡¯s name. In time, you will have a weapon capable of cutting down any magic or beast.¡±


    ~~~


    A knock rang on Maeve¡¯s office door.


    The young merchant lady glanced up from her work, ¡°Come in.¡±


    A maid gently opened the door and bowed, ¡°Good evening, Lady Mora. You have a guest.¡±


    ¡°At this hour?¡± Maeve raised a blonde eyebrow.


    Stryg stepped out from behind the doorway and walked into the office. ¡°Hey, Maeve.¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Maeve stood up. She glanced at her maid, ¡°Close the door on your way out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± the maid bowed low and closed the door behind her.


    Maeve stepped out from behind her ornate desk and looked Stryg up and down. ¡°You look like shit. And why do I smell ash and smoke on you?¡±


    ¡°I was¡­ practicing a bit at my training courtyard,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll order the maids to prepare a bath. I don''t want you stinking up my office.¡±


    ¡°How generous of you,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like your usual scent,¡± she smirked. ¡°...But I¡¯m not a fan of smoke, not after last year.¡± She walked over to her wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. ¡°Care for a drink?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be nice,¡± he nodded and sat down heavily in one of her chairs.


    Maeve wrinkled her brow, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°You could say that,¡± he sighed. ¡°I just recalled the strangest memory, I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? And here I thought you were having marriage problems. I was prepared to open up my dad¡¯s old cellar. Bummer, that cellar has some of the best vintages.¡±


    Stryg slumped back in the chair, ¡°About that, I was hoping I could stay here for a few days¡­ I don¡¯t want to go home, not right now.¡±


    Maeve nodded knowingly, ¡°Old cellar it is.¡±

 Chapter 230: Kamilo

    Chapter 230: Kamilo


    The door slammed open with an abrupt screech. Stryg groaned and covered his face with a pillow. Maeve walked into the room, the sound of her heels clicking on the wooden floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, Stryg,¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early,¡± he mumbled from underneath the pillow.


    Maeve crossed her arms, ¡°It¡¯s already past noon. All you¡¯ve done this week is train, mope around, and sleep. No more! It¡¯s time you and I got out and did something besides work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather spend the day in bed with you.¡±


    ¡°Hard pass.¡± Maeve pulled the curtains open and tossed Stryg¡¯s pillow away.


    He yelled in shock and turned away from the windows.


    ¡°Oh come on, you big baby,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°My eyes are sensitive,¡± he glared at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m the vampire here. My eyes and skin are sensitive, but you don¡¯t see me complaining.¡±


    ¡°But you weren¡¯t just sleeping in a dark room.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she batted her eyelashes. ¡°I¡¯m also not the one who faced off against a seregulus all by himself or fought off a deadly lamia in a burning castle. Someone so brave, so strong, would never be afraid of a little sunlight, right? Right?¡±


    ¡°...Damn you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± she smirked. ¡°Now come on, open those eyes and get a good look. It¡¯ll make things go faster.¡±


    Stryg sighed. He sat up and jumped off the large bed. ¡°Why do I listen to you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m just too pretty,¡± she kissed his cheek and pushed him to the windows.


    Stryg squinted and stared up at the sun. His eyes burned in the harsh light. The lilac irises shivered and expanded, covering the whites of his eyes completely. His world was suddenly bathed in darkness and silver outlines. He sighed in relief, the pain from the light gone. It would take an hour or so before his eyes returned to normal.


    ¡°There, that wasn¡¯t so bad was it?¡± she nudged his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± he yawned.


    ¡°I already made lunch plans for us, come on.¡± She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door, ¡°I also had my servants prepare some clothes for you.¡±


    Stryg hung his head back and groaned.


    ~~~


    The carriage dropped them off at a small mansion with blue pillars. Despite the cold, a pair of maids waited at the front door.


    Maeve hopped off the carriage, a light step to her gait. Stryg followed behind with a watchful eye.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this still the residential area?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°The restaurants are on the other side of the Villa District aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maeve admitted. ¡°But! I guarantee you¡¯ll love the food here. The head cook makes the most amazing roast beef you¡¯ll ever taste.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± he nodded reluctantly.


    The maids welcomed them with a deep bow and showed them inside. They led Stryg and Maeve down a hallway and into a spacious waiting room.


    ¡°Our mistress will be with you shortly, Lady Mora,¡± the maids said in a practiced tone. They bowed once more and left without another word.


    ¡°Mistress?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Ooh, look! There¡¯s tea,¡± Maeve pointed.


    A pot of steaming tea and a pair of cups sat on a small table, next to a vase of blue bellflowers.


    Stryg ignored the tea and studied the room. ¡°Why are we here, Maeve?¡±


    ¡°For lunch of course,¡± she smiled with a twitch.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°You know I trust you, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust people easily.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed weakly.


    ¡°So why are we here?¡±


    ¡°To eat lunch¡­ and see a friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend? What friend?¡±


    The door creaked open softly, an elegant woman in a vibrant blue dress strode in. Her brown hair hung down her shoulder, a bellflower rested on her ear. She glanced at Maeve, then settled her gaze on Stryg. Her deep blue eyes betrayed no emotion, her expression was indeterminable.


    Stryg stiffened. His throat felt tight. He swallowed and uttered a single word, ¡°Nora¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for bringing him, Maeve,¡± Nora Azol said with a tight-lipped smile.


    Stryg spun around and looked at the vampiress in shock, ¡°You did this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was the only way you¡¯d come,¡± Maeve winced.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± Stryg mumbled, stunned.


    ¡°Never,¡± Mave shook her head and grabbed his hand.


    He pulled away and stepped back. ¡°...Why?¡±


    Maeve bit her lip, her face paler than usual. ¡°You don¡¯t unders-¡±


    ¡°I asked her to. If you need to be angry, be angry at me,¡± Nora said coldly.


    Stryg looked away, he couldn¡¯t meet Nora¡¯s eyes, not after what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°Maeve promised lunch, yes?¡± Nora said. ¡°My cooks are preparing it as we speak, it won¡¯t be ready for another half-hour or so.¡± She gestured towards the hall, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a walk? Just you and me, Stryg.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Maeve, his eyes filled with anger and pain. He sighed quietly, turned around, and followed Nora down the hall.


    They walked in silence, passing by room after room, window after window. Stryg didn¡¯t notice or perhaps he didn¡¯t care to look. He walked next to Nora, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look her in the eye. Instead, he focused on his feet, one step at a time.


    ¡°I wanted to kill you, you know,¡± Nora broke the silence.


    Stryg glanced at her hands and focused on any small movement, any indicator of a spell about to be cast.


    ¡°But then I thought, ¡®No, that¡¯s too quick, too painless,¡¯¡± Nora said. ¡°That¡¯s when I realized I didn¡¯t want to kill you. What I wanted was to hurt you, to make you feel the pain that I felt. The pain that kept me awake at night and stabbed at my chest every time I remembered.¡±


    Stryg said nothing and stared back at his feet. If she wanted to hurt him, he deserved it.


    ¡°I wanted to hurt you so badly,¡± Nora said bitterly. ¡°I wanted you to pay for stopping me that night at Widow¡¯s Crag, for taking my choice away. I was so angry I could hardly breathe. But I knew you were strong, dangerous. I needed a plan. I needed time.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡± he asked reluctantly.


    ¡°I became preoccupied,¡± she said wryly. ¡°As time passed, attacking you became too great of a risk. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose anyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he whispered.


    Nora stopped in front of a doorway and shrugged. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Stryg looked at her warily and slowly opened the door. The room was large but fairly empty. A vine of flowers hung from the ceiling above an ornate crib.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, he gasped quietly. His legs felt as heavy as iron, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move. He simply stared.


    Nora walked past him and made her way to the crib. She looked down at the sleeping baby and smiled. ¡°His name is Kamilo. Kamilo of House Azol¡­ and House Gale.¡±


    ¡°H-he¡¯s¡­¡± Stryg swallowed. ¡°He¡¯s your¡­?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my son,¡± Nora nodded with a proud smile. ¡°He¡¯s Clypeus¡¯ son.¡±


    The name of his best friend sapped away what little happiness had formed in his chest. Stryg bowed his head in shame. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Nora bit her lip, ¡°It was hard¡­ Carrying the child of the one you love and knowing your baby will never get to see him. I don¡¯t think I would have gotten through it all without my mother and master Ismene.¡± She stared at Kamilo, sleeping peacefully in his blankets. ¡°The night Kamilo was born, the moment I saw him, I understood. I finally understood.¡±


    Stryg looked up, confused.


    Nora took a deep breath, ¡°I would never have heard Kamilo¡¯s first cries, seen his wonderful little smile and beautiful eyes¡­ I never would have seen my son if I had stayed on that cliff.¡±


    She wiped her eyes, ¡°I thought a lot about that night on Widow¡¯s Crag. I wanted you to feel the pain that I felt¡­¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°It took me too long to understand that you already did. You punished yourself for Clypeus¡¯ death more than anyone, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg bit his lip, ¡°I led us to the wrong cliff.¡±


    ¡°What difference would it have made? The enemy was crawling through Widow¡¯s Crag. We would have been found either way.¡±


    ¡°If we had been on the right cliff we could have met up with Loh and the others,¡± he trembled. ¡°Clypeus could have been saved!¡±


    ¡°Do you think Loh and the others could have beaten two arch-mages and several high-masters?¡±


    Stryg stiffened, ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°The Cairn Tribe would have killed us all. Lord Noir barely managed to arrive in time because they were going easy on us and that only happened because we were a bunch of novices. The truth is whether we had been on the right cliff or not, we would have been attacked.¡±


    Nora walked up to him and placed her hands on his trembling shoulders, ¡°You may have led us to the wrong cliff. But the outcome would have been the same, people would have died, and Clypeus would have done anything to protect them. He was like that, honorable to a fault.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I couldn¡¯t save him,¡± Stryg choked out.


    ¡°I know,¡± she whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anything would have changed had I been there fighting beside you both. But what I do know is that my son and I are alive because two people stayed behind on that cliff and faced an insurmountable enemy with no expectations of survival.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve heard the things the other students whisper about you and Widow¡¯s Crag. It got me thinking that you probably never heard the one thing you deserved to.¡± Nora bowed her head, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His eyes welled with tears, ¡°...I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Nora bowed deeper, ¡°Thank you for giving me a chance to see my son. Thank you for fighting next to Clypeus to his last breath. Thank you for what you did on Widow¡¯s Crag. Thank you.¡±


    Stryg fell to his knees and broke into tears. He buried his face in the floor and whimpered quietly. He cried for the loss of Clypeus. He cried for the hole that had been left in Kamilo¡¯s life. But most of all, he cried for the little blue goblin child who had never been enough.


    For the first time, Stryg felt that he wasn¡¯t the failure he had always been told he was. For the first time, Stryg believed that maybe, just maybe, he was enough. The guilt he had been holding on to ever since that spring night slowly fell apart.


    Kamilo woke up and began to cry.


    Nora offered Stryg her hand, ¡°I think it¡¯s due time Kamilo meets his uncle.¡±


    Stryg reached out hesitantly and grabbed her hand, ¡°...Okay.¡±


    He rubbed his face with the sleeve of his jacket as she pulled him towards the crib.


    Kamilo shook his pudgy hands and wailed as loud as he could for his mother. Nora chuckled and picked him up in her arms. His tiny face was scrunched tight and bright red.


    ¡°There, there,¡± Nora cooed softly. She grinned at Stryg, ¡°He¡¯s pretty grumpy when he wakes up.¡±


    Stryg nodded tentatively. He extended a finger, careful not to scratch the baby with his claw, and touched the somewhat-pale pudgy hand.


    Kamilo grabbed the finger reflexively and opened his eyes. He looked at the intrusive blue finger for a split second then looked up at the strange blue face. Kamilo¡¯s eyes widened, his small mouth made an ¡®o¡¯ shape.


    Stryg froze, ¡°...His eyes.¡±


    Kamilo¡¯s dark purple eyes watched him curiously.


    ¡°Yeah, one of our healers called it incomplete dominance, it happens in hybrids sometimes,¡± Nora smiled. ¡°Something about my blue irises and Clypeus¡¯ scarlet irises mixing into a new color. My mother thinks his eyes are strange, but I think they¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, they are,¡± Stryg whispered.


    He pulled back his finger and offered Kamilo his pinky. The baby reached out and grabbed it. Stryg simply stared at Kamilo, at Clypeus¡¯ legacy, and he realized he already loved the child in a way he had never thought possible.


    Stryg smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t bring back your father. But I promise you, you won¡¯t grow up in a world where people call you strange, you won¡¯t be the odd hybrid. I¡¯ll change this world. I¡¯ll destroy and rebuild this Realm if I must.¡± Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°You won¡¯t be alone, no matter what¡­ You will have your mother and you will have me. I swear I will never abandon you.¡±


    Kamilo giggled and laid his head on his mom¡¯s chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big promise,¡± Nora whispered.


    Stryg nodded solemnly, ¡°It has to be, he¡¯s family. You both are.¡±


    A knock rang on the wall.


    Maeve stood in the doorway, ¡°Hope I¡¯m not interrupting?¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had laughed. ¡°Not at all. Thank you, Maeve, for bringing me here. I¡¯m sorry I doubted you.¡±


    Maeve ran over and wrapped her thin arms around them. She smiled wide, ¡°What are friends for?¡±

 Chapter 231: A God Walks Into A Tavern

    Chapter 231: A God Walks Into A Tavern


    Nokti kicked open the old wooden door with a bang. Crow followed in behind her, careful to keep his feathered cloak low, obscuring his iridescent eyes. The blizzard howled behind them, the cold winds rushed into the tavern, snuffing out the little warmth inside. The usual tavern patrons glared at the newcomers with a mixture of hostility and suspicion.


    One particularly large fellow sauntered over to Nokti and Crow. The man¡¯s cheeks were red and he wobbled just a bit; the whiff of alcohol oozed from his mouth.


    ¡°Who¡¯s da preddy lass?¡± he smiled, a lecherous look in his eyes.


    Nokti bared her fangs and reached for the ax hidden beneath her cloak.


    ¡°She is quite beautiful isn¡¯t she?¡± Crow said lightheartedly.


    ¡°An who arr¡­ you?¡± the drunk slurred. ¡°Hushband, eh? Ya gonna shtop me?¡±


    ¡°I would never dream of it,¡± Crow lifted his hands up in surrender. ¡°That¡¯s more of her thing.¡±


    ¡°Filthy drunk,¡± Nokti sneered.


    ¡°What¡¯d ya say!?¡± the drunk yelled.


    ¡°Stop it right now, Eustace!¡± the barmaid screamed and marched towards them.


    The drunk frowned, ¡°But Ma -¡±


    ¡°But nothing! I swear if you harass one more of my customers I¡¯ll ban you from my tavern!¡± The barmaid pointed at the door, ¡°Now unless you want to start getting your drinks in the next village over I suggest you leave now.¡±


    The drunk¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Wai-¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± she slammed her foot on the wooden floor.


    The drunk hung his head, dragged his feet to the door, and left without another word.


    The barmaid turned to Nokti and Crow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of that. Eustace is usually quite polite, but when he gets deep into his cups he becomes an ass. It¡¯s been a long and difficult winter for all of us. Sometimes drinking is all we can do to forget.¡± She looked pointedly at Nokti, ¡°We aren¡¯t filthy, at least most of us aren¡¯t. I hope that won¡¯t be a problem for you?¡±


    Nokti blinked, ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°What my companion means to say is that we¡¯d love a room and a hot meal,¡± Crow pulled out a silver coin.


    The barmaid snatched the coin and smiled wide, ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so? The name¡¯s Janet, but everyone around here calls me Ma, on account of me owning and running the only tavern in half a dozen leagues.¡±


    Nokti pointed her thumb back at the door, ¡°So that drunk wasn¡¯t your¡­?¡±


    ¡°Son? Gods forbid, girl. Do I look that old to you?¡± Ma frowned.


    Nokti froze, unsure of what to say. She thought the barmaid looked to be in her mid-forties, the conclusion hadn¡¯t seemed so far-fetched.


    Crow chuckled, ¡°Sorry, Ma. My companion has a difficult time gauging the age of humans like us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, vampires, I understand,¡± Ma nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to judge who enters my tavern so long as they behave and pay.¡± She turned around and headed towards the kitchen. ¡°Have a seat wherever you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ma,¡± Crow said happily.


    ¡°She¡¯s old enough to have kids, right?¡± Nokti whispered.


    ¡°Obviously, but best not to make others feel old,¡± Crow whispered.


    The tavern was mostly full, and many wandering eyes stared at the beautiful vampire and her hooded companion. Crow and Nokti took a seat at one of the few empty tables. Lin Lu stuck her small head out from Crow¡¯s shirt and looked around.


    Nokti stared at the snow-white fox with fascination. Just an hour ago, Lin Lu had been as large as a small house, flying through the air on literal clouds of ice. Now she could fit in the palm of Crow¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I like this place,¡± Crow sighed in satisfaction. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Nokti glanced around the old tavern with skepticism. ¡°Maybe¡­? A lot of people are staring at us.¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, does it not bother you?¡±


    ¡°No. You get used to it,¡± he shook his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s the scent of cedar.¡±


    ¡°Cedar? What?¡±


    ¡°This tavern is built from cedar wood, you can smell it in the air. It¡¯s nice, I quite like it,¡± he said thoughtfully.


    Ma returned with two bowls of stew and two mugs of ale. ¡°Here you are, it¡¯s not much, but winter has been hard in the Valley this year. The snows of the Rupture Mountains have fallen on us much harder than usual.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any blood wine?¡± Nokti asked off-handedly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t serve blood around here,¡± Ma frowned. ¡°And none of us are going to give up our own either.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you to,¡± Nokti narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for the food, this is lovely,¡± Crow gave her another silver coin. ¡°For your troubles.¡±


    Ma bowed with an exaggerated flourish, ¡°Thank you for your patronage. If you need any more drinks, just head over to the bar.¡±


    ¡°You know I will,¡± Crow laughed.


    ¡°Enjoy your stay,¡± Ma grinned and walked away.


    Crow dug into his food without hesitation. Nokti stared at him anxiously, uncertain. Lin Lu jumped out of his shirt and onto the table. She lapped up the stew from the bowl, while Crow sipped his ale.


    He glanced at Nokti¡¯s untouched bowl and then her. ¡°You¡¯ve been wanting to say something? What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she shook her head politely and grabbed her bowl.


    ¡°No need to hold back, Nokti. I thought you knew that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I have questions. Like a lot of questions. I didn¡¯t want to bother you¡­¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Crow leaned back and sipped his ale, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°...We¡¯ve been traveling for weeks, searching village after village, spot after spot, hoping to find any sign of a dragon. We haven¡¯t found anything¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain there is a question somewhere in this.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nokti bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s just that every time we failed to find anything, you seemed to get more¡­ I don¡¯t know, upset, I guess? So my question is, why do you seem so happy all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an easy one,¡± he winked. ¡°I¡¯m in a nice tavern, I have tasty food, a place to sleep tonight, and a beautiful woman to warm my bed. Why shouldn¡¯t I be happy?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I guess,¡± she muttered.


    Crow sipped his ale, ¡°When you live as long as me, you learn to enjoy the small things in life. Otherwise, life becomes very dull, very quickly.¡±


    Lin Lu squeaked in agreement.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Nokti glanced between the fox and her god pensively. ¡°Why did you leave your mask back at the Cairn Tribe? Aren¡¯t you afraid someone will see your eyes?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Crow¡¯s voice carried a tone of finality yet calmness that no one would dare question. ¡°My skull-mask is somewhat iconic at the moment. Hollow Shade¡¯s spies know Lord Marek has an advisor who wears such a mask. I prefer to travel less conspicuously.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the cloak?¡± Nokti pointed to his black-feathered cloak.


    ¡°A bit conspicuous,¡± he said wryly. ¡°But I would rather not travel without it. A bit of sentimental value you see.¡±


    Lin Lu rubbed her back on the feathered cloak.


    ¡°And Lin Lu seems to like it,¡± Crow added.


    ¡°What is she?¡± Nokti asked quietly, a hint of awe in her voice.


    ¡°Lin Lu?¡±


    Nokti nodded carefully, ¡°She¡¯s invisible to everyone around us, even if she looks like an ordinary fox. One second she¡¯s small and the next she¡¯s flying through the air. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like her.¡±


    Lin Lu strutted about the table proudly, her tail sashaying through the air.


    Crow smiled softly, ¡°I suppose you could say Lin Lu is a goddess.¡±


    ¡°A goddess!?¡± Nokti¡¯s jaw went slack.


    The other tavern goers looked over, mildly surprised at the outburst. Nokti blushed, she raised her hood and turned away, but she made sure to bow her head to the snow-white fox.


    Lin Lu squeaked in approval and jumped on Crow¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lin Lu is a goddess?¡± Nokti whispered reverently.


    ¡°She was worshiped as a goddess in the Violet Realm,¡± Crow petted Lin Lu¡¯s head. ¡°As was her mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ but¡­ you¡¯re both gods,¡± Nokti shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised, you two look so different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we are. I¡¯d doubt you¡¯d ever find someone like me,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re an ebon god and she¡¯s a violet goddess,¡± Nokti whistled. ¡°I would never have guessed.¡±


    Crow stroked Lin-Lu¡¯s head as she purred, ¡°The nature of gods has become muddled through time with tales of myth, secrecy, and nonsensical lies. You call us gods, but that is more of a title, a way people see us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow¡­¡± Nokti admitted.


    ¡°Do you remember what Grim said?¡± Crow asked. ¡°The axlean made a very good point back in the tunnels beneath Mirror Springs. The people of the Azure Realm worship giant sea snakes that can drown entire islands and some people worship beings that they have never heard or seen. Some gods are purely myth, others are not. But the one trait all gods share, the only true nature of a god, is power.¡±


    ¡°Power¡­?¡±


    ¡°When an ant looks at you, does it see you as an equal?¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not.¡±


    ¡°My point exactly. To an ant, you are a giant with practically unlimited power, capable of reshaping the world as the ant knows it. You were here before the ant came into existence and you will be here long after it is gone. Your nature is unfathomable to such a small creature. This world is yours, the ant simply lives in it. Whether it be a vampire, a centaur, or a root-bison, you are all gods in the eyes of an ant.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you see us? As ants¡­?¡± Nokti whispered anxiously.


    Caligo leaned in close, his iridescent eyes peeking from underneath the edge of his hood, ¡°Oh, little one, I see so much more.¡±


    Nokti felt her muscles stiffen, she couldn¡¯t move, she couldn¡¯t breathe. Caligo leaned back and the air suddenly became light again. The intimidating god was gone and in his place was the charming man she knew as Crow. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to hide her nervousness.


    Crow sipped his ale, ¡°Contrary to popular belief, gods are not all-powerful. We all have our limits.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is that why you need an army?¡±


    ¡°In a way Hollow Shade has proven to be a limit of sorts, for now,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Can you not ask the other ebon gods for help?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Why?¡± Nokti furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Many complex reasons like, I just don¡¯t want to. Or simpler reasons like, well¡­ where should I begin? Stjerne always has his head up in the clouds, he cares little for anything that goes on outside of his own thoughts and desires. Bellum is a stickler for rules she made up in the hopes of ¡®protecting¡¯ her precious Ebon Realm, rules that I care little for. And Lunae is, hm, more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Complicated?¡±


    ¡°Lunae is, well¡­ Let¡¯s just say we all trade in lies, the trick is finding out the truth,¡± he whispered.


    Nokti wondered briefly if Crow had lied to her? Was he lying to her now? She trusted him, but did he trust her? She wasn¡¯t certain. Nokti shook her head and buried the thought. She¡¯d prove her loyalty, no matter what. Crow had given her life a sacred purpose, a chance to make the Ebon Realm a better place. She would rise to be worthy of that purpose.


    She recalled a lesson from her religious teachings as a child, ¡°You¡¯re the youngest and Lunae is the eldest of the ebon gods, right? So, she¡¯s like your elder sister?¡±


    Crow burst into laughter, a light-hearted sound. ¡°Do you see the Ebon Pantheon as some sort of family? I suppose in a certain twisted tragic way we are. But if you wish to talk about the eldest, then you''re way off the mark.¡±


    ¡°...Do you mean Solis?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Crow chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me, are you?¡±


    Crow smiled and sipped his ale.


    ¡°God of Secrets indeed,¡± Nokti muttered. ¡°Or should I call you The Mystery?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had many names, Crow will suffice for now.¡±


    Nokti fidgeted and looked around conspicuously, ¡°...I have one more question.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll indulge you with one more secret,¡± he winked.


    ¡°Why do you want to destroy Hollow Shade?¡±


    Crow swallowed his drink and put his mug aside, ¡°...I don¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t care less what happens to that pitiful city built by cowards. Although, I admit, seeing it burn and crumble to the ground would bring me some level of satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± she frowned.


    ¡°I only want what¡¯s hidden past those shade walls.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s hidden inside the city?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°...The key.¡±


    ¡°The key to what?¡±


    ¡°Salvation, perhaps?¡± he mused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Nokti said, fear creeping into her voice.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you will.¡±


    Lin Lu yawned, a small high-pitch sound.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, you¡¯re tired,¡± Crow stood up. ¡°We¡¯re heading to bed.¡±


    ¡°...I think I will too,¡± Nokti stretched. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the meal, Ma!¡± Crow called out.


    ¡°Anytime!¡± Ma smiled from behind the bar.


    ~~~


    Nokti woke up the next morning to the sound of cold winds rattling the window in their room. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and turned in bed. Lin Lu slept, curled on top of a pillow. Crow was gone.


    Nokti sat up, worried. She dressed quickly, grabbed her ax, and ran downstairs. She stepped into the dining room and froze. Crow sat at the bar, his hood down, a plate of steaming warm food in front of him.


    He noticed Nokti¡¯s entrance and smiled, his eyes shifting in colors constantly, ¡°Come, join me for breakfast.¡±


    Nokti nodded slowly. She walked towards the bar, careful not to step on the pools of blood that spread across the floor. She sat down next to Crow and tried her best not to stare at the blood smeared over his feathered cloak, nor at the dozens of horribly disfigured bodies strewn across the tavern floor and walls.


    Crow pointed behind the bar, ¡°I noticed you haven¡¯t drunk blood in some time. She should suffice.¡±


    Ma¡¯s body lay on the floor behind the bar. There were no outward wounds, save for her neck that was bent at an odd angle.


    ¡°Mm, these potatoes are delicious,¡± Crow sighed in delight.


    Nokti swallowed nervously. ¡°D-did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±


    She looked around the tavern, ¡°Why did you¡­ kill them¡­?¡±


    Crow tilted his head until his face turned upside down, ¡°Why indeed?¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked this place¡­ I thought you liked Ma¡¯s cooking.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ never mind,¡± she mumbled.


    Crow smiled eerily and kept eating.

 Chapter 232: Preliminaries Part 1

    Chapter 232: Preliminaries Part 1


    Stryg opened his apartment door and walked in with a cautious step.


    ¡°Hello¡­?¡± he called out carefully.


    Feli sat at the kitchen table, reading a merchant ledger. She noticed his entrance but didn¡¯t bother to respond.


    Stryg sighed and walked over. He sat across the table from her and simply watched her work. She said nothing, only read and occasionally scribbled a note in the ledger. They sat in silence, the light of the afternoon sun fading in the window.


    He enjoyed watching her work, enjoyed seeing the hints of concentrated thought flowing behind her chestnut eyes. He knew he could not let this moment fall out of reach. He knew he had to speak.


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been away this past week.¡±


    Feli jotted down another line on the ledger.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been distant,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You deserved better.¡±


    Feli¡¯s hand froze, she dropped the feather pen, and looked up at him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    He chuckled sadly, but there was genuine mirth in his lilac eyes. ¡°A friend reminded me of what was important. I¡¯m sorry it took me so long.¡±


    She fiddled with her purple hair and stared at him, uncertain.


    Stryg reached out and grabbed her hand, ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Feli sighed in defeat, a small smile crept over her lips, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh stared out the office window, the snow was melting from the academy¡¯s grounds. Soon, spring would arrive. The Great Cities Tourney was nearing.


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°Ready to give a simple speech to a bunch of twenty-year-olds? I quake with fear,¡± Elzri said in a sarcastic tone.


    Loh turned around and stared at her grandfather sitting at his desk, surrounded by tomes and papers. ¡°Are you ready to tell Stryg he isn¡¯t allowed to go to the tourney?¡±


    Elzri tapped his fingers on the desk, deep in thought. ¡°There are too many risks. It¡¯s too dangerous for the boy. He¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Loh barked with laughter, ¡°Yeah, right. For being his so-called ¡®god parent¡¯ you sure know very little about him.¡±


    Elzri narrowed his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a ceremonial title. I don¡¯t have to share a close relationship with the boy to know that his mental health has degraded since the Widow¡¯s Crag incident. If the boy has a meltdown at the tourney it¡¯d prove very problematic for all of us.¡±


    ¡°House Thorn,¡± Loh said darkly as if to confirm his worries.


    ¡°We needed more time,¡± Elzri muttered. ¡°Stryg needs more training, more time to heal. Undergrowth is hosting the tourney this year. House Thorn¡¯s influence over Undergrowth is practically unbreakable. We don¡¯t want that kind of threat near Stryg.¡±


    ¡°House Thorn hasn¡¯t been very vocal of their hate towards Hollow Shade. It may not be as bad as we think.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elzri shook his head. ¡°House Thorn is simply biding their time, waiting for an opportune moment to deal a deadly blow. Not to mention, dozens of the most powerful Houses from across the Ebon Realm will be there, watching each tourney¡¯s participant closely. Whatever children we send will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to send Stryg. He can handle himself. Besides, he seems happier recently. I don¡¯t know how to put it, something¡¯s changed, he seems more¡­ confident?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Stryg is very advanced compared to his mage peers. But we have other potential candidates for our academy¡¯s team. The dire hybrid is very promising, she alone could very well carry our team to victory.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Loh shrugged. ¡°In terms of 3rd-years, Sylvie is quite powerful, and from what I¡¯ve heard, Ismene has trained Nora into a force to be reckoned with too. They wouldn¡¯t even need their other two teammates, Nora and Sylvie alone could probably destroy everyone at the tourney. I¡¯d bet a lot of money on them if it wasn¡¯t for an enormous issue that you seem to be conveniently ignoring.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring, I¡¯m simply contemplating an apt solution,¡± he said.


    Loh rolled her eyes, ¡°Well please tell me how you plan to deal with Sylvie and Nora¡¯s competitors. Because from what I¡¯ve heard, Frost Rim is sending another scion of House Lilith to compete.¡±


    ¡°Kalliste Lilith,¡± Elzri said grimly.


    Loh nodded, ¡°House Lilith is as old if not older than House Thorn and just as powerful. I don¡¯t think I need to remind you that Kalliste¡¯s older sister won last year¡¯s tourney. Rumor has it, Kalliste is just as talented as her sister.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ve asked House Veres for information on Kalliste¡¯s exact magical capabilities. Unfortunately, Lord Veres¡¯ wife, Regina n¨¦e Lilith, still holds more love for her original House than she does for this city.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve got nothing, then?¡±


    ¡°Working on it,¡± Elzri said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.


    ¡°What about the Great City of Murkton, hm? The Grand Warlord¡¯s son is a 3rd-year, we both know he is going to be among Murkton¡¯s four chosen.¡± Loh shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m just gonna take a wild guess and say that the son of Murkton¡¯s most powerful mage is not a foe to be taken lightly.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Look at your mother,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°Stop deflecting,¡± Loh glared at him. ¡°Everyone knows the importance House Morrigan places on power. The Grand Warlord wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to kill his own son if he had been found powerless.¡±


    ¡°Tenacious orcs, indeed,¡± Elzri muttered.


    Loh threw her hands up in the air, ¡°As if all that wasn¡¯t bad enough, House Thorn has produced the greatest prodigy their lineage has seen since Ebon Lord fucking Thorn. This has to be the most difficult tourney in decades!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point exactly?¡±


    ¡°My point is Hollow Shade has lost the Great Cities Tourney seven years in a row! Our great city looks weak, our academy looks weak, House Noir looks weak. You know as well as I that if the other three great cities think we¡¯ve grown soft, that our new generations are filled with nothing but mediocrity, then Murkton, Undergrowth, and Frost Rim won¡¯t hesitate to turn their backs on us.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m well aware.¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is that we try not to make this the eighth loss, yeah? Put Stryg on the roster. With Stryg, Sylvie, and Nora on our team the chances of winning will be increased dramatically.¡±


    Elzri pushed his chair back and stood up, ¡°...Very well. I¡¯ll administer the exam, as usual, no special treatment. We¡¯ll see who comes out on top.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg glanced around the crowded assembly hall. The entire 3rd-year student body had been gathered, half a dozen classes. The professors had only told them to meet here and wait. It had already been fifteen minutes. Stryg was beginning to get annoyed, he rather be off with Feli and Rhian, or training, or really anything else.


    The large double-doors swung open, Elzri strode in, his silver-white robes billowing in the cold wind behind him. The students stiffened and quieted at the sight of the arch-mage, whether it was out of fear or respect, Stryg wasn¡¯t certain.


    Lord Noir walked over to the podium at the front of the hall and looked out at the students who watched him with anticipation.


    ¡°You''ve all been gathered here today for a singular purpose,¡± Elzri began. ¡°The Great Cities Tourney is near. This year¡¯s tourney will be held in the Undergrowth. As you most likely know, four 3rd-year students from each of the four academies will be selected to compete.


    ¡°All of you will participate in a short series of magical duels, the top four students will be selected as the chosen who will represent our academy at the Great Cities Tourney. Before the tourney begins, the chosen will be given a series of exclusive training during the spring trimester in preparation for the tourney and be exempt from all other classes.¡±


    The students broke out into whispers, many of them eager to skip out on one class or another.


    Elzri raised his hand for silence and continued, ¡°Today¡¯s duels will count as your winter final exam, as such failure to participate will result in a failing grade. Just like the last two practical final exams you had during the spring of your 1st and 2nd years, this exam will mirror one of the challenges you will face at the tourney. Your best is expected, hold nothing back.


    ¡°Being chosen is a great honor. You will have a chance to display your abilities in one of the largest arenas in the entire Realm, under the eyes of some of the most powerful and influential leaders alive. I do not doubt there will be many offers of wealth, power, and prestige waiting for you, with only more to come if you achieve victory. Simply put, your status as one of your generation¡¯s most powerful mages will be solidified forever.¡±


    ¡°Let me fight already!¡± a student yelled from among the crowd.


    The students cheered in response.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Elzri smiled.


    Stryg looked at the students around him, at the competitors surrounding him, at the unknowing prey who cheered. He grinned maliciously, ¡°Finally.¡±

 Chapter 233: Preliminaries Part 2

    Chapter 233: Preliminaries Part 2


    The crowd of 3rd-years winced in sympathy as the drow collapsed unceremoniously, his complexion paler than usual. Every student knew how a grey mage¡¯s drain spells worked, but it was something else entirely to see the lifeforce of a fellow classmate be drained right in front of them. Only a single student clapped from among the crowd, an orc with glasses and a wide smile.


    ¡°Wooh! You go, Sylvie!¡± Poppy yelled cheerfully.


    Sylvie grinned bashfully from atop the arena stage. She glanced over at the duel¡¯s proctors; Vayu and Loh stood on a small platform to the side of the stage.


    Vayu cleared his throat and raised his arm high, ¡°Sylvie wins her first match and will advance to the next bracket.¡±


    The crowd finally broke out into cheers, although many still seemed sick from the ghastly defeat of their classmate.


    ¡°Talk about a one-sided beating,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s our academy¡¯s ace for you,¡± Vayu shrugged.


    Sylvie jogged over to Callum and Poppy. ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡±


    Callum said wryly, ¡°Um, you literally strangled him like a ragdoll while you drained his lifeforce sooo¡­ Good, I guess?¡±


    ¡°You were AMAZING!¡± Poppy jumped up and down and hugged Sylvie.


    ¡°Thanks! I tried,¡± Sylvie laughed happily.


    ¡°Darwin and Poppy Skeller to the arena, please,¡± Vayu called out.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m up,¡± Poppy wrung her hands. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m nervous. I don¡¯t know if I can do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the first match, nothing to worry about,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be great,¡± Sylvie patted her back and pushed her forward. ¡°You¡¯re a badass, remember that.¡±


    Poppy nodded to herself, ¡°Y-yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± She puffed up her chest, ¡°I can do this! I¡¯m Poppy fucking Skeller, dammit!¡± She walked up onto the stage and held her hands at her side, ready to spell-cast.


    Darwin, a lanky human boy with shaggy blonde hair stumbled onto the other side of the stage. He fidgeted and looked around nervously.


    ¡°On the count of three the match will start,¡± Vayu said. ¡°One, two- ¡­huh?¡±


    ¡°What kind of proctor are you?¡± Loh whispered and shook her head.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Vayu frowned.


    ¡°Read the bloody names,¡± Loh smacked his arm and pointed at the stack of papers he held in his hand.


    Vayu narrowed his eyes and brought the papers close. ¡°Oh!¡± he chuckled, ¡°Sorry, everyone, I misread a contestant¡¯s name. Darwin, your match isn¡¯t until after this one. You may rejoin your classmates.¡±


    Darwin sighed in relief and hurried down the stage. His friends patted his shoulder and welcomed him back.


    Vayu nodded and cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem, Stryg of Ebon Hollow to the arena please.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s voice suddenly died. Stryg emerged from among them and leaped up onto the stage with a single step. The crowd¡¯s gaze slowly shifted from him to Poppy and back.


    Stryg spread his legs apart and crouched low, his grey claws clear under the sunny sky. He bared his teeth and hissed.


    Poppy stood still and just stared at Stryg. ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯m out,¡± she turned around and walked down the stage.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Miss Skeller, if you concede now, you¡¯ll fail the exam. Are you certain?¡± Vayu asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back on my account,¡± Poppy shook her head.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Sylvie yelled from the crowd. ¡°The fight hasn¡¯t even started yet, don¡¯t give up now!¡±


    ¡°Nah, fuck this,¡± Poppy threw her hands up. ¡°I¡¯d like to live till I¡¯m old and grey, not die young and quadriplegic.¡±


    Several students nodded and murmured in agreement.


    Sylvie crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in frustration.


    Stryg sighed and hopped off the stage.


    A quiet voice echoed in his ears, ¡°You won without having to lift a finger, I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    Stryg looked up, ¡°Nora¡­?¡± He spotted her in the distance, sitting on a bench at the edge of the grassy field.


    ¡°Wow, your ears really are sensitive,¡± she whispered with a smile.


    Stryg ran across the field and sat down next to her. He grinned, ¡°I¡¯m glad you came! Wait¡­ What about Kamilo!?¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Nora chuckled. ¡°Kamilo is fine. He is with my mom and his nursemaids. And they all love doting on him. If I¡¯m not careful he¡¯ll be a spoiled brat someday.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Oh, that sounds nice,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°How is being a spoiled brat a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Not that. The ¡®they all love doting on him¡¯ part. To have people that love you even though you haven¡¯t done anything to earn it?¡± He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Nora sighed, ¡°Sometimes all I see when I look at you is this intimidating mage and I forget how difficult growing up must have been for you.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m fine,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she nudged his shoulder. ¡°Now you¡¯ve got friends who care about you.¡±


    ¡°Darwin and Nora Azol to the arena, please!¡± Callum shouted.


    Darwin shivered at the name of his opponent. His friends patted him on the back and gave their condolences.


    Nora stood up from the bench and winked, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m up. Wish me luck.¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°You won¡¯t need it.¡±


    ~~~


    The cold sunny afternoon passed by quickly. 3rd-year students sparred against one other round after round. Most rounds lasted a dozen or so minutes, each mage flinging whatever spells they could muster until their mana reserves ran out or their bodies overheated from excessive spell-casting.


    There were several talented mages among the 3rd-years Loh hadn¡¯t noticed before. For their age, they were fairly skilled and capable of casting advanced spells. Had they been a part of last year¡¯s class or the upcoming class, Loh guessed they probably would have been the top students in their entire year. Unfortunately, they were overshadowed by a few extraordinary individuals.


    The yellow mage Kithina had awed her classmates with her dual multicasting, an almost impossible feat for any adept, let alone a novice. Match after match she casted wind and durability spells simultaneously and defeated her opponents with ease.


    The brown mage Kegrog had fared just as well. What he lacked in magical talent, he made up for in sheer brute strength. The orc might not have been as tall or as strong as a dire, but he fought with just as much might. His vigor spells strengthened his already bulging muscles to an astonishing degree. Several of his opponents had already been tossed off the stage.


    While not unexpected, the scions of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families, Freya Goldelm and Callum Veres, continued to impress. Both were dual-manifolds and both held larger mana reserves than the average mage. While the sparring matches had slowly eaten away at the mana reserves of almost every student, Freya and Callum were still fresh after half a dozen fights.


    The only mage who was less spent was Stryg. To Loh¡¯s amusement and Vayu¡¯s surprise, every opponent Stryg had faced conceded before the match had even begun. It was almost as if Poppy¡¯s resignation had caused a cascade effect among the morale of Stryg¡¯s competitors. That or everyone really was terrified of the blue pretty boy who sulked at the edge of the grassy field because no one wanted to fight him.


    Then, of course, there were the two magi who everyone expected to do well and were still surprised. Nora of House Azol and the dire hybrid Sylvie. Both women had destroyed their competition relentlessly. Nora had thrown powerful torrents of water at her opponents until they collapsed; she had even swept one of her opponents off the stage with a miniature tidal wave.


    Sylvie had been much more merciless, bordering on cruel. She had drained her opponents, broken their bones, cursed them, and had even almost drowned a girl in a giant sphere of water.


    Honestly, why people surrendered against Stryg and not the crazed dire hybrid, Loh had no idea.


    Vayu glanced at the setting sun and yawned, ¡°Only four more matches to go.¡±


    ¡°More like three,¡± Loh said dryly.


    Sylvie stood on the stage, her hand raised high, fingers curled in a grip. Giant green vines protruded from the arena¡¯s slate tiles and wrapped tightly around her opponent, a young drow.


    ¡°Do you concede?¡± Sylvie asked sternly.


    The drow squealed and tried to move to no avail.


    Sylvie clenched her hand closed, the vines tightened around the drow. He cried and squealed at an even higher pitch.


    ¡°I think the boy is panicking too much to even talk,¡± Vayu winced.


    ¡°Yes, after Sylvie blocked all his flame bolts I think it was pretty much a done deal,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Shall we then?¡± Vayu asked.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Loh nodded.


    Vayu cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, ¡°The match is over! Cease all attacks! I declare Sylvie the winner!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sylvie fist-pumped the air and released the green flora spell. The giant vines withered and crumbled apart. The drow fell on the floor and curled into a fetal position. He shivered and cried quietly.


    Vayu looked at the young drow with sympathy before he turned his attention to Sylvie. ¡°Come here, please.¡±


    Sylvie nodded and jogged over, ¡°Yes, Professor Glaz?¡±


    Even standing on a small platform, Vayu was still shorter than Sylvie. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Loh if her smirk was anything to go off of.


    Vayu blatantly ignored his co-worker, and handed Sylvie a written slip of paper with Lord Noir¡¯s seal, ¡°Congratulations, Sylvie! As one of our last standing mages, you have earned yourself a spot among our academy¡¯s four chosen contestants for the tourney.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Sylvie smiled wide, her scarlet eyes brightened with delight. She grabbed her slip of paper and ran off to her friends.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of an ace,¡± Vayu whistled. ¡°She¡¯ll destroy the competition in Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Loh nodded. She glanced at the line-up for the final three matches; the winners would represent Hollow Shade in the Great Cities Tourney.


    Nora Azol vs. Callum Veres


    Stryg of Ebon Hollow vs. Kegrog


    Kithina vs. Freya Goldelm


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Loh muttered.


    ~~~


    Callum walked onto the now-familiar stage and looked around. The majority of the slate tiles had been cracked or outright shattered. The new dwarf professor, Cornelius Rotrusk, had stopped by and casted a stone spell to fill in the giant holes that Sylvie¡¯s vines had made.


    ¡°Sylvie really is incredible,¡± Callum smiled to himself.


    As if on cue, Sylvie¡¯s voice broke out from among the crowd¡¯s cheers, ¡°You can do it! Show her the strength of hybrids!¡±


    Nora glanced at Sylvie from across the stage. ¡°So, that¡¯s the dire hybrid Kegrog has been telling me about. Pity we didn¡¯t get a chance to fight.¡±


    Callum wrinkled his brow, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Nora. You seem¡­ different.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that usually happens when your fianc¨¦ dies,¡± Nora said frostily. ¡°Not that you would know. You¡¯ve had a fianc¨¦ since the day you were born, yet here you are happily dating this obsessively-cheerful girl.¡±


    Callum stiffened.


    Nora narrowed her eyes, ¡°Oh? You haven¡¯t told her, have you? Wow, you must really like this girl. I¡¯m impressed that Stryg or Kitty never said anything. I mean, Stryg I understand, the importance of things like that usually go right over his head. But Kitty? You really lucked out with her. She must have really cared about you to not let the little bit of info slip out, huh? Maybe I should tell Sylvie myself, hm?¡±


    Callum frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your loss, I really am. But how does any of this help either one of us?¡±


    ¡°...Clypeus never liked you, I never understood why.¡± Nora straightened her back, ¡°But after Kegrog told me what happened at the Winter Ball, I think I have a pretty good idea.¡±


    Callum sighed, ¡°...You used to be so timid around me, you would never have threatened a Veres.¡±


    Nora stretched her arms and took a battle stance, ¡°Lucky for me, I¡¯m not a Gale.¡±

 Chapter 234: Preliminaries Part 3

    Chapter 234: Preliminaries Part 3


    Callum surveyed his surroundings, the arena was about two dozen paces long on each side, it was small, much smaller than the one in Undergrowth would be. In this situation, it might just serve in his favor.


    After the 3rd year¡¯s evaluation exam, Nora Azol had become known as one of the most powerful students. Her abilities were equal to that of a powerful adept mage or so the rumors went.


    Fortunately, Callum knew more about Nora than simple rumors. She was a powerful mage, yes, talented beyond her peers, but she was not skilled in close-range combat. The fact that she had not brought a weapon to the stage only confirmed the fact.


    Callum gripped the handle of his sheathed longsword.


    Nora was also only human, if he could get close enough he could overwhelm her. She stood at the opposite side of the arena, her hands at her side, no doubt ready to cast at the slightest sign of danger.


    A pair of large water troughs sat to the right and left of the arena, for the use of any blue mage and their torrent spells. Creating water was very difficult and consuming for a blue mage, it was much easier to manipulate already existing sources of water. He would have to pay attention to any movement in the troughs, he would only have a few seconds to react.


    Still, Callum had witnessed firsthand Nora¡¯s ability to create water. She had single-handedly overwhelmed an undead giant last spring. Nora didn¡¯t need the troughs to mount an attack. Getting close to her would be difficult.


    Callum took a deep breath. He had one advantage however, novices and even adepts could not multicast. Barring the peculiarity of Kithina, every student here was limited to one spell.


    Nora would only be able to cast a single spell at a time, whether it would be for an attack or defense¡­ Callum would force her to react. He couldn¡¯t multicast like Kithina, but he had his own trick up his sleeve.


    Vayu cleared his throat, ¡°Contestants, victory is simple, knock your opponent off the arena or render them unable to fight. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Professor Glaz,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Nora nodded without taking her eyes off Callum.


    Vayu raised his hand, ¡°You may¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    Nora raised her arms high, each hand moving in different motions. The water in troughs rippled. Callum wouldn¡¯t give her the chance.


    House Veres were renowned for their talent in shadows spells, a gift he had never had. He wasn¡¯t a black mage like the rest of his family, but he still had their talent.


    Callum channeled white mana into his fingertips and flicked his wrist. The bright spell flared to life in a powerful flash of light. Nora flinched back, blinded from the attack.


    Bright magic traveled much faster than torrent spells, the first strike advantage was always his.


    ¡°Aagh! Motherfucker!¡± Stryg¡¯s painful yell echoed dimly in Callum¡¯s ears.


    He ignored the voice and dashed at Nora.


    Nora clenched her eyes shut, but threw her right hand in front of her, fingers outstretched. The troughs¡¯ water surged onto the arena and formed a protective dome around her.


    As expected, even blinded you still managed to spell-cast, impressive, Callum thought, but he didn¡¯t slow down.


    White¡¯s bright magic had one overwhelming weakness compared to Blue¡¯s torrent magic. It was impossible to cast a concentrated beam of light until one reached the rank of master, in other words, a novice and adept¡¯s bright spells were very limited in combat.


    All Nora had to do was shield herself until she regained vision, he would be unable to harm her from within the water dome.


    But it won¡¯t be enough.


    Callum casted another bright spell, a flash of white light. He wouldn¡¯t let her open her eyes, no matter what.


    He had worked countless nights to perfect his Red skills for this moment. Callum reached into his jacket and pulled out a vial with a glowing pink liquid. He flicked the cork open with his thumb and threw the liquid over the dome. The pink substance flowed and mixed into the dome in the blink of an eye. The water dome began to bubble and evaporate at a rapid pace, its structure collapsing.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nora kept her eyes closed, but frowned. She flung her right hand down in a stiff motion. The dome fell apart at her sides, not a single drop of the polluted water touching her.


    Callum threw his hands up and casted another bright spell, he wouldn¡¯t let Nora have a chance to react. Even with her eyes shut tight, the bright light pierced her eyes. She clenched her teeth and staggered back.


    Callum drew his sword and raised it high. Nora moved her stock-still left hand, she snapped her fingers.


    A massive torrent slammed into the stadium from above. Callum¡¯s body crashed into the ground in a deluge of water. His face smashed into the stone tiles with a painful crunch. The longsword skittered out of his palm and out of reach.


    He tried gasping for breath, but the water poured down on him with the might of a falling tree. He tried moving to no avail, the rushing water felt endless. His lungs burned for air, but there was none.


    Finally, the ferocious torrential downpour ended. Callum groaned in pain, his arms shook as he tried pushing himself up by the elbows. A pair of heel-boots crossed his vision. Callum slowly looked up with a grimace.


    Nora stared down at him, her blue eyes cold with indifference. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Callum panted and glanced around, the arena was doused, the water still pouring off the edges.


    ¡°H-how¡­?¡± he muttered.


    Nora raised her left hand, ¡°...The moment the match started I created countless droplets of water and began gathering them above the arena until I had a sphere of water larger than the arena itself. You were so focused on me, you never even once thought your own life was in danger.¡±


    Callum shook his head weakly, ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You casted a water dome.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°But that would mean ¨C¡±


    Nora crossed her arms, ¡°Kithina¡¯s not the only one who can multicast, not anymore.¡±


    Callum frowned, ¡°How the hell¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Cal.¡±


    ¡°I underestimated you,¡± he gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake.¡±


    Nora narrowed her eyes, ¡°I said it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still standing.¡± Callum reached into his pocket for another bottle.


    ¡°It. Is. Over.¡± Nora held her arm out to her side, electricity crackled over her fingers, and formed a ring of lightning over her hand.


    The crowd gasped in shock.


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How?¡± he mumbled numbly.


    ¡°Stay down Callum Veres,¡± Nora said coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back this time.¡±


    Callum fell to his knees and hung his head in defeat.


    Vayu clapped his hands, ¡°Callum is unable to continue, I declare Nora the wi-¡±


    ¡°I concede,¡± Nora said and released the storm spell.


    ¡°What!?¡± Vayu almost fell off his chair.


    Callum looked up at Nora, confused.


    Nora wiped her hands with an exaggerated motion, ¡°As per the rules, Callum wins.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is unexpected,¡± Vayu muttered.


    ¡°Such is life,¡± Nora shrugged.


    Loh burst into laughter, ¡°This girl¡¯s crazy, I love it.¡±


    ¡°...Why?¡± Callum whispered weakly.


    Nora looked out past the arena and the crowd of students, her eyes stared at something beyond the academy¡¯s buildings. ¡°My life is no longer just my own. I have a duty to raise my son and keep him safe. I won¡¯t risk my life needlessly in some stupid tournament to prove myself to a bunch of pompous lords and ladies.¡± She turned her back and walked away.


    Callum nursed his ribs and grimaced, ¡°If you were planning on conceding from the start then why fight in the first place!¡±


    Nora stopped in her steps, ¡°I wanted you to know.¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± he frowned.


    She looked back at him, ¡°I wanted you to know that you are not worthy of the honor that is the name ¡®House of Veres¡¯ and you are certainly not worthy of the loyalty of the Shield of Veres.¡±


    Callum sat back, stunned. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, there were no words that came to his tongue.


    ~~~


    Stryg pushed through the crowd of students and ran over to Nora who was already at the edge of the grassy field.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I ¨C¡± Nora cocked her head to the side. ¡°What happened to your eyes? Your irises are¡­ huge?¡±


    ¡°It happens,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°You look like a cat,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°So Feli tells me,¡± he scowled.


    ¡°I bet. Well, I need to get going, Kamilo is waiting for me, or at least I hope he is,¡± she said wryly.


    ¡°...Not a day goes by that I don¡¯t think about Cly too, you know,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°My mind always goes back to that night.¡±


    She smiled sympathetically, ¡°Try to think about the good days, those are the memories that will carry you through the bad days, trust me.¡±


    He nodded weakly, ¡°...I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°I know you will. Cly once told me you had endless conviction.¡± Nora patted his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t prove him wrong.¡±


    Stryg smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Before I forget, try not to go too hard on Kegrog in the next match. He¡¯s a good friend and the backbone of our group. And he¡¯s worked hard to get this far, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s just conceding.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s smile only widened, the large lilac eyes made the smile seem eerie, almost sinister. He walked away without another word.


    ¡°And there¡¯s the other bit Cly always talked about,¡± Nora winced. ¡°Stryg is fucking ruthless.¡±

 Chapter 235: Preliminaries Part 4

    Chapter 235: Preliminaries Part 4


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to the infirmary and check on Callum?¡± Poppy asked.


    Sylvie shook her head, ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m giving him some space. Cal said he¡¯d rather be alone right now and rest. Besides, I want to watch this match.¡±


    ¡°Hm. You know,¡± Poppy nudged her arm. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know who those two were and someone asked me who would win the match, I¡¯d definitely say the brawny giant orc.¡±


    Sylvie nodded, but her eyes stayed focused on the arena, ¡°...Yeah, Stryg doesn¡¯t really cut much of an intimidating figure, especially compared to Kegrog.¡±


    ¡°And yet¡­¡± Poppy sighed loudly.


    ¡°And yet, the match is already decided.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg stared at the orc standing across the arena. Kegrog was taller than most orcs, or most people for that matter. He spent much of his free time in the academy¡¯s forge, practicing his smithing skills and enchantment spells. He was already broad-shouldered before, but now it was impossible not to notice the rippling muscles underneath his black shirt.


    The match had yet to begin, but Stryg was already eager to battle. Every opponent he had faced today had conceded before Professor Vayu could commence the match. Stryg hoped this time would be different.


    Kegrog lifted up his bow, a powerful enchanted weapon, gifted to him by some of the higher-ups at the martial academy. Stryg knew Kegrog was a skillful archer, he had witnessed on many occasions.


    Stryg had grown up training with the spear and bow, he had seen hunters wield the bow with great skill. Which is why he knew that Kegrog was in a class all of his own. The orc was a prodigy and if Stryg gave Kegrog the chance, he was certain he¡¯d find himself with an arrow in his leg.


    Kegrog chuckled to himself, ¡°It¡¯s funny, you know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg asked as he stretched his limbs.


    ¡°The first time I ever fought in this academy was the day I met you. Professor Noir had arrived late to class. She walked like a queen, she commanded everyone¡¯s attention with just a glance. I was smitten¡­¡± Kegrog smiled wryly, ¡°Until what happened next. Do you remember?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°She ordered us to fight.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be easy, I pitied you honestly. I didn¡¯t want to hurt this tiny, frail goblin who looked like he hadn¡¯t eaten in weeks.¡± Kegrog straightened his back, ¡°And then you casted a drain spell on me and I almost died.¡±


    ¡°Loh wouldn¡¯t have let you die. She would have stopped the fight. She did stop the fight.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change what happened,¡± Kegrog said quietly. ¡°...I was terrified of you after that, because I knew you wouldn¡¯t have stopped on your own. I remember the look in your eye, there was no fear, no remorse¡­ All I saw was rage. I knew at that moment that I was going to die.¡±


    ¡°Yet here you are,¡± Stryg said.


    He smiled half-heartedly, ¡°And yet here I am, about to face off against the school¡¯s most powerful mage, and a tri-manifold at that. Heh, I must be crazy.¡±


    Stryg smiled wide, ¡°Thanks for not running away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should take that,¡± Kegrog said dryly. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest with myself I¡¯m here because a very special blonde is watching this fight.¡±


    Stryg looked through the crowd and spotted Freya Goldelm. When he caught her eye, she tried to seem disinterested, but the worry in her eyes betrayed her.


    ¡°Freya wants you to win¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    He shrugged, ¡°...I know I can¡¯t win, but I don¡¯t want to give up either.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, a curious look in his lilac eyes. ¡°There¡¯s always a chance to seize victory in any battle.¡±


    Kegrog grinned, ¡°Then let¡¯s hope this is my day.¡±


    Vayu stood up from his chair on a small stage next to the arena, ¡°Contestants, victory is simple, knock your opponent off the arena or render them unable to fight. Understood?¡±


    Kegrog nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Stryg nodded, but looked at Kegrog, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the greatest weakness of Brown¡¯s vigor spell-form?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m listening,¡± Kegrog said warily.


    ¡°The answer is the same reason why brown mages, like you, don¡¯t fight in the front lines, but prefer to use a bow despite all their supernatural strength.¡±


    Kegrog narrowed his eyes.


    Stryg raised his finger. ¡°Brown''s vigor spells are created by mixing elemental fire mana with your chromatic mana, same goes with orange''s flame spells. Like fire itself, flame and vigor spells both have bursts of power behind them.¡±


    Vayu raised his hand up high, ¡°You may¡­¡±


    Stryg bent his knees and leaned forward, ¡°But just like fire, neither flame nor vigor magic have any real substance¡­ they have no durability.¡±


    Vayu threw his hand down, ¡°BEGIN!¡±


    Kegrog quickly channeled brown mana into his arms and shoulders, and notched an arrow. The enchanted bow creaked loudly as he pulled back the taut bowstring and aimed at ¨C


    Kegrog screamed in pain, his legs buckled underneath him. His thighs were covered in large gashes, dark red blood seeping into his pants.


    Stryg stood over him, claws stained red. Kegrog grimaced and looked up in fear, there was no anger in Stryg¡¯s eyes, there was nothing but cold determination.


    Kegrog gritted his teeth and flung the bow at Stryg with all the strength he had. The goblin avoided the attack with unnatural speed and slammed his foot in the orc¡¯s face. Kegrog¡¯s head smacked into the stone tile with a loud crack, his amber eyes rolled up, and his body went slack.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy!¡± Loh fist-pumped the air.


    Vayu stared at the instantaneous defeat with sympathy, ¡°...Kegrog is unable to continue. The victory goes to Stryg¡­¡±


    Freya sprinted over to the stage before Vayu finished speaking.


    She cradled Kegrog¡¯s head and patted his cheek softly, ¡°Wake up, please wake up¡­¡± She swallowed the lump in her throat and casted a healing spell over his head, ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Stryg gently pushed her aside, picked up Kegrog, and threw him on his small back.


    Freya frowned, ¡°Stryg, what are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him to the infirmary, myself,¡± he said.


    Freya dusted off her pants and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t, Gold-Eyes.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C!¡±


    ¡°Your match is up next. Unless you want to forfeit your chance at going to the tourney, you need to stay.¡±


    Freya nodded reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ll come as soon as I can.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°...He didn¡¯t give up, even when he knew he was about to lose.¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°He should have just given up from the start. His bow is severely hindered in this small arena. There was no chance he was going to beat an orange mage¡¯s agility spell.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of you.¡±


    Freya''s eyes widened, she reached up and grabbed Kegrog¡¯s hand. ¡°You big oaf¡­ What am I going to do with you?¡± she muttered with a half-smile.


    ¡°...You know he can¡¯t hear you, right?¡± Stryg said.


    Freya rolled her eyes, ¡°Just get Kegrog to the infirmary already.¡±


    Stryg hopped off the stage and jogged down the grassy field. He struck an odd figure, from a distance it seemed as if a child was carrying an adult. Usually, some student would make an off-handed remark, oblivious to the fact that Stryg could hear them. But the crowd stared at him in silence¡­ and fear.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?!¡± Poppy muttered in shock. ¡°Stryg was on one side of the arena and then bam! He was on Kegrog!¡±


    ¡°Agility magic makes your body light and enhances your natural speed,¡± Sylvie said thoughtfully. ¡°Stryg is already incredibly fast without any spell. Still¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°He¡¯s gotten stronger.¡±


    ~~~


    Kithina walked up the stairs and to the edge of the arena stage. Freya already stood on the other side, her usual bright, albeit cocky countenance was nowhere to be seen.


    She sympathized with Freya and Kegrog¡¯s defeat, but now was not the time to have empathy.


    Kithina took a deep breath and raised her arms, ready to cast. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡±


    The brooding expression washed over Freya and she chuckled, ¡°Have you? I didn¡¯t peg you for a masochist, but in retrospect it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°You always were cocky, always so certain you were better than us.¡±


    ¡°You act like I was wrong,¡± Freya smirked. ¡°Once in a while you find a talented commoner like Stryg, but the reality is the scions of Great Houses have always been better than the commoners of this land. It¡¯s a fact, not an insult. Hard as it may be for you to believe, I do have some respect for you, Kitty. I¡¯d even call you a friend, maybe.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you,¡± Kithina said sarcastically.


    Vayu raised his hand high. ¡°Contestants, victory is simple, knock your opponent off the arena or render them unable to fight. Understood?¡±


    Freya gripped her hammer tight, ¡°But I¡¯m still gonna knock you down right on your ass.¡±


    Kithina smiled, ¡°May the best dwarf win.¡±


    ¡°BEGIN!¡±

 Chapter 236: Preliminaries Part 5

    Chapter 236: Preliminaries Part 5


    The crowd of students stared in anticipation for the final match of the preliminaries. The golden beauty, daughter of House Goldelm, against the tough redhead, the gifted of the Commoner District.


    ¡°Who do you think is gonna win?¡± Sylvie asked excitedly.


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Poppy muttered. ¡°Freya Goldelm is a bi-manifold orange and white mage, while Kithina is only a yellow mage. Still, chromatic colors aren¡¯t everything. I personally haven¡¯t seen Kithina go all out, but rumor has it she can multicast; it¡¯s a huge advantage in any fight, however Freya has the power of the Goldelms running through her veins.¡± Poppy scratched her head, ¡°Hmm¡­ it really is hard to tell.¡±


    ¡°So no answer,¡± Sylvie sighed with an exaggerated pout.


    Poppy smiled wryly, ¡°If I had to guess, Freya will have to be on the defensive until she can find an opening. If she can bide her time, she might find a chink in Kithina¡¯s defense.¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh,¡± Sylvie shook her head.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Poppy asked.


    Sylvie stared at the blonde dwarf on stage, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t known Freya for long, but I do know she isn¡¯t one to back down from a fight.¡±


    ¡°BEGIN!¡± Vayu shouted.


    Freya didn¡¯t waste a moment. She raised her hammer and channeled orange mana into her veins. The veins in her arms and legs grew dark and grey, the agility spell taking hold.


    Freya dashed forward with a light step, her small figure a blur. Kithina threw her hand forward, a blast of wind exploded from her palm. Freya stabbed the butt of her hammer into the ground, its steel sharp point sank into the stone floor with ease. The blonde dwarf crouched and held the hammer tight. The wind raised her legs off the ground, but the hammer stood resolute.


    Before the gust had completely died down, Freya pulled out the hammer and sprinted. She swung the hammer with all the force she could muster straight at Kithina¡¯s hip. Kithina gritted her teeth and dropped low; yellow scales covered her left arm and blocked the hammer. The scales cracked underneath the blow but held.


    Freya yelled a warcry and raised her hammer for another blow. Kithina tackled her, Freya stumbled but held her ground. Kithina refused to let go and wrapped her arms around the Goldelm¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Freya screamed and slammed her elbow down on Kithina¡¯s shoulder. Freya grimaced, a sharp pain ran through her elbow; yellow scales shined brightly underneath Kithina¡¯s shirt.


    Kithina slackened her grip and smiled, ¡°Boom.¡± A gust of wind burst from her lips and shoved Freya away.


    The blonde dwarf¡¯s body skidded on the ground across half the stage. She coughed painfully and staggered to her feet with a scowl.


    Kithina wiggled her hands, ¡°I took a page out of Stryg¡¯s book. Casting with my mouth may be less accurate and powerful, but at point-blank range it¡¯s hard to miss.¡±


    ¡°That easy, huh?¡± Freya narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Well, it helps when your weight is reduced thanks to that precious little agility spell of yours,¡± she smiled.


    Freya closed her eyes for a brief moment, her grey veins faded away. She opened her eyes and sneered, ¡°How about now?¡± She raised her arms up high and cupped her hands together, a massive orb of fire spun to life above her.


    Kithina could feel the heat from across the stage. Her eyes widened in shock, she had never seen a 3rd year cast such a powerful flame spell.


    ¡°Ready to give up?¡± Freya smiled wide.


    ¡°Never.¡± Kitty took a nervous deep breath and increased the durability scales over her skin until her whole body glowed with yellow light.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Freya screamed and threw the giant fireball. Kithina slammed her hands together in front of her, a gale of wind whirled around her and formed a barrier. The fireball collided into the wind spell in a roar. The flames surged forward and began to consume the barrier.


    Kithina howled in pain, her yellow scales flaring bright, their defense cracking under the intense heat. She closed her eyes tight and covered her face, waiting desperately for the fireball to dissipate. After what felt like an eternity, the flames suddenly died, and her vision was ash and smoke. She coughed heavily from the fumes and stumbled back a step.


    Freya¡¯s hammer appeared from the smoke and smashed into her chest. Kithina crashed into the ground and gasped for breath. Her weakened durability scales shattered over her chest and abdomen.


    Freya appeared from the smoke, her veins darkened once more by agility magic. Before Kithina could raise her hand, the hammer swung back down and smashed her left wrist. An agonizing scream burst from Kithina¡¯s throat as her back arched in shock.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you cast with your mouth now!¡± Freya swung her hammer.


    Kithina¡¯s eyes darted up in a panic, she forced her mind to focus through the pain and try to spell-cast. A half-formed set of yellow scales crawled over her chest and absorbed the hammer blow. She shivered from the impact, her injured body unable to handle the enhancement magic any longer. All the durability scales burst into yellow light and faded away.


    Freya raised her hammer once more.


    Kithina bit her lip angrily, her tooth drawing blood. Everything seemed to slow to a crawl as the hammer swung down. Kithina¡¯s mind flitted through her memories of school, of her friends, of Callum, of her family. But all she could focus on were the golden beads in Freya¡¯s blonde hair, billowing in the cold wind.


    How many times had Freya pointed out the simple wooden beads in her red hair, of her poverty, of her humble origins? Kithina had lost count. She was tired of being reminded of being a commoner, she was tired of people like Freya making it seem as if she was lesser because she was born in a small house and not a gilded mansion.


    She was tired of aristocrats taking one look at her clothes and dismissing her existence. In fact, she was just tired of all the damn aristocrats.


    Kithina screamed in rage and thrust her right hand out. A powerful tunnel of wind erupted and launched Freya high into the air. Freya gasped and squirmed.


    Kithina lifted her head and glared at Freya dangling in the air. ¡°What comes up¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Must come down!¡± Kithina slammed her right hand into the ground.


    The wind howled from up high and smashed into Freya, her small body shot down like an arrow and crashed into the stage with a sickening crunch. Freya lay face-down, both her right arm and leg were bent at unnatural angles. Her body didn¡¯t move, save for the twitch in her left arm.


    Kithina cradled her broken wrist and stood up slowly. The crowd watched with stunned faces and slack jaws, but Kithina did not notice, nor did she care. She dragged her feet to Freya and flipped the aristocrat¡¯s body over with a kick.


    Freya¡¯s nose was broken, blood covered her face, and her eyes already seemed to be swelling. Kithina coughed weakly, but her green irises were bright with determination.


    She placed her foot over Freya¡¯s bosom and sneered, ¡°I am not weak. Aristocrats, Great Houses, Ruling Families¡­ none of you are better than us!¡±


    Freya¡¯s golden eyes shot open. She shoved her hand into Kithina¡¯s face and fired off a bright spell. The white light burned straight into Kithina¡¯s eyes, she screamed and staggered back, blinded.


    Freya moaned, gritted her teeth, and used the hammer to push herself up. Her vision was blurred with blood, she couldn¡¯t feel her right arm or leg, and the rest of her body throbbed painfully. Even her good leg wobbled and threatened to buckle underneath her.


    Kithina yelled angrily, a shrill of panic in her voice. She swung her right hand all around her in a fit of panic, weak blasts of wind sweeping across the arena. Frail yellow scales covered her skin in random splotches. She blinked over and over, her sight still gone.


    Freya wheezed faintly and swallowed her blood and spit. White mana flowed into her palm and transformed into a healing spell that seeped into her good left leg. The pain slowly receded away, just enough to manage a hobble.


    She limped over to a thrashing, blind Kithina. Freya ducked beneath stray blasts of wind, stumbled, and kept limping until she stood in front of her.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not weak,¡± Freya whispered.


    Kithina stiffened at the sound. She flung her arm and pointed straight at the blonde dwarf. Freya dropped low, barely escaping a lash of wind. With a last burst of strength, she gripped her hammer and struck Kithina¡¯s temple, shattering the yellow scales.


    Kithina stumbled, her body wobbled, her knees buckled, and she toppled over face-forward. What little remained of her scales faded away.


    Freya felt herself falling, she leaned on her hammer and managed a feeble stance.


    The crowd clapped and cheered, but there were tears among many of them.


    Vayu nodded solemnly and raised his hand, ¡°Kithina is unable to continue, I declare Freya Goldelm the victor.¡±


    Freya closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Her head sank forward and she collapsed unceremoniously.

 Chapter 237: Council of War

    Chapter 237: Council of War


    Elzri Noir sat in the Hall of the City Lords and looked around the table at his six fellow councilors. It had been a few weeks since they had last convened and none of them seemed better than before. Here sat the most powerful and influential people in Hollow Shade, the wealthiest Great City in the Ebon Realm, and yet, all Elzri could think was that they all looked tired.


    Lady Glaz, leader of the most powerful House of the Seven Ruling Families, and the head of the city council, stood up from her chair and spoke in an authoritative tone, ¡°Lord Katag, as the elected commander in chief of Hollow Shade¡¯s defenses, what can you report to this council of the threats in our Valley.¡±


    Elzri glanced at the enormous burly orc that sat next to him, his scarlet skin littered with small scars that ran over his arms and neck. Lord Krall Katag, leader of the greatest martial House in the city, stood up to his full height. His 7 ft hardened figure cut a striking image among anyone, even this council.


    ¡°As we discussed before,¡± Lord Katag said. ¡°I have sent dozens of battalions to scour the plains of Dusk Valley. Our scouts have found several tribal settlements and our armies have burned them all to the ground, including anyone we found.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, then our problems should be solved very soon,¡± Lady Helene brushed back her orange fiery hair. ¡°Except every week that passes, less and less of my caravans return to the city unharmed. More of my people and merchandise are being lost to those valley savages. Care to explain to the council why?¡±


    Merchant lady Helene was a small human, Lord Katag could probably crush her head in the palm of his hand without breaking a sweat. Yet there was no fear in her eyes. She was already in her 50¡¯s, past her prime some might say, but the shrewd smirk that graced her beautiful lips hinted otherwise.


    Lord Katag¡¯s hard stare did nothing to break Lady Helene¡¯s poise. He grunted and looked at the rest of the council, ¡°It seems that with our most recent attacks, the valley tribes have become emboldened. They have increased their raids by at least tenfold. The valley tribes usually only raided for what they needed, food, clothes, supplies¡­ But now they are raiding the villages under our protection, innocent caravans, farmers, and they do not leave any survivors. They are killing our people.¡±


    ¡°How many villages have been lost?¡± Lady Ashe asked quietly.


    Everyone turned to the head priestess of Hollow Shade. Lady Calantha Ashe was said to be the chosen of Bellum, the goddess of war. Calantha¡¯s beauty and power were believed to have been blessings from Bellum herself. Lady Ashe¡¯s luscious lips, soft brown skin, and bright crimson eyes were often the focus of many a poet. Among the seven city lords, Calantha was without a doubt the most beloved among the common folk.


    ¡°13 villages have been burned to the ground,¡± Lord Katag said, regret clear in his voice.


    ¡°No!¡± Lady Ashe gasped.


    Lady Helene rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh please, save us the drama. You don¡¯t really care what happens to any of them, you¡¯ve never even met them.¡±


    ¡°I do not need to meet someone to have compassion within my heart,¡± Lady Ashe glared. ¡°It was our duty to keep those villages safe. They give us tribute and we protect them, that is how vassalage works. Or have you forgotten? Our people are dead because of our failure.¡±


    ¡°They are not our people,¡± Lady Helene shook her head. ¡°They are just a bunch of villages who have sworn themselves to the greatest power in Dusk Valley, us. They use us as we use them, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Loud words from a woman whose family came from among those villages not so long ago,¡± Lady Ashe narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Lord Goldelm burst into laughter, ¡°I could not agree more, Lady Ashe. This human doesn¡¯t deserve to sit on this council.¡±


    ¡°300 years is more than long enough,¡± Lady Helene said calmly and clasped her hands. ¡°Every single founder of each of your families was a commoner at some point. That is what makes us special, our families rose from among the common rabble. You may not accept me, Lord Goldelm, but my family has earned this seat as much as any of you.¡± She smiled, ¡°House Helene will continue to do what we¡¯ve done best for the last three centuries, protecting the interests of this city.¡±


    ¡°Does that include your own businesses?¡± Lady Ashe asked.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Lady Helene said. ¡°Along with the prosperity of all your businesses.¡±


    Lord Goldelm sighed, ¡°I hate to admit it, but the Helene woman is right. We must protect our trade routes.¡±


    ¡°Says the dwarf dressed in gold and jewels,¡± Lady Glaz shook her head. ¡°Your House is the richest in Hollow Shade, if not all the Ebon Realm. I think you can afford to lose a bit of merchandise. These aggressive actions from the valley savages mean they are desperate. If we hold out and keep pushing our military advantages we will win.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t necessarily the case,¡± Lord Katag said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we will win?¡± Lady Glaz asked incredulously.


    ¡°No, of course, we will, head councilor,¡± Lord Katag shook his head. ¡°Hollow Shade has more funds, soldiers, and mages, including the two most powerful mages in all of Dusk Valley,¡± he glanced pointedly at Lady Glaz and Lord Noir. ¡°I hate those fucking savages as much as any of you, probably more. But I also know what war does to the land, to the people¡­ We must approach the situation with great care.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°The valley tribes are small, yes. But if we keep pushing them into a corner without a proper plan, who is to say they won¡¯t group up?¡± Lord Katag asked.


    ¡°Are you saying those savages will actually band together into some kind of gigantic army? Are you joking?¡± Lord Veres IX spoke for the first time all day. The vampire lord was clearly in a bad mood.


    ¡°No,¡± Lord Katag said. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, they don¡¯t have the organization. But a few tribes? Working together? With enough anger and hate, they could do it. It wouldn¡¯t take an enormous army to attack one of the small cities under our protection, like Meadow Bloom.¡±


    ¡°Losing one of the small cities would be a devastating blow,¡± Lady Helene admitted.


    ¡°Yes, but these attacks on the villages won¡¯t stop at this point,¡± Lord Veres said. ¡°Those savages want vengeance, that much is clear. If it¡¯s up to us or them, I think the answer is obvious.¡±


    ¡°The loss of those villages makes Hollow Shade look weak,¡± Lady Glaz said. ¡°If we can¡¯t protect our own vassal towns, how can we protect the trade interests of the other three Great Cities? We cannot afford to look any weaker amongst the Great Cities, our relationships with them are already tenuous at best.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could invite diplomats from the other Great Cities here for a festival,¡± Lady Ashe said. ¡°Improve our relationships with some of the Great Houses in the Realm, yes? We will show them that we are still in control of Dusk Valley, we are still the kings of trade.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Ashe, but that won¡¯t be possible anytime soon,¡± Lord Goldelm sighed. ¡°The roads to Frost Rim are blocked by ice and snow. The snow won¡¯t melt in the Rupture Mountains until the middle of spring. I highly doubt anyone of importance would risk traveling in such inclement weather.¡±


    ¡°Improving our image will have to wait,¡± Lady Glaz said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that we¡¯ve lost the Great Cities Tourney seven years in a row,¡± Lady Helene remarked.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that this year,¡± Lord Goldelm smiled proudly. ¡°My daughter will be among our city¡¯s chosen this year. So has Lord Veres¡¯ son. Together they will flatten those cocky brats from the other academies with ease. Isn¡¯t that right, Veres?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Lord Veres nodded, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.


    ¡°What do you think, Lord Noir?¡± Lady Glaz asked. ¡°As the one in charge of our magic academy, do you think we will win this tournament? I would rather our city not have to pay tribute to the victors for the eighth year in a row.¡±


    Lord Noir leaned back in his chair, ¡°For many years now, our mage students have been¡­ less than adequate. But as Lord Goldelm said, this year will be different. The new generation seems promising.¡±


    Lady Glaz nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, Uncle Elz.¡±


    ¡°This year¡¯s tourney is shaping up to be quite interesting,¡± Lord Katag grinned. ¡°The Grand Warlord¡¯s son is said to be among one of Murkton¡¯s chosen. I¡¯m eager to see what sort of monster the Grand Warlord has raised.¡±


    Lord Veres slammed his fist on the table, ¡°Why are we discussing a stupid tournament!? Our lands are under attack by damn savages and you all sit around here talking about plans months from now? We are the fucking leaders of Hollow Shade. You¡¯re worried about looking weak? This right here, talking and doing nothing, this is weakness.¡±


    ¡°You dare call us weak?¡± Lord Katag glared.


    ¡°What do you think, berserker boy?¡± Lord Veres said coldly. ¡°I have lived longer than any of you, I have seen more death than any of you. And I have seen as your Houses have all grown complacent behind these ebon walls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have a point with all of this, besides angering the most powerful men and women in Dusk Valley?¡± Elzri raised an eyebrow.


    Lord Veres stood up from his chair, ¡°Do not underestimate the valley tribes, they are savages, yes, but they are ruthless and they are cunning. If we wish to stop this threat once and for all, we must end them once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Mass genocide?¡± Lady Helene whispered.


    ¡°It is either us or them,¡± Lord Veres said. ¡°Many will die at this point, nothing will change that. What we can change is who will live. I propose we gather all our armies and scour through every single hill and plain in Dusk Valley, and burn out the savage scourge down to the root. Who will join me?¡±


    ¡°I despise the savages, but my duty is to protect this city,¡± Lord Katag said. ¡°I will rip apart any savage who dares try to step into these walls, but I will not go chase endless death needlessly.¡±


    ¡°I hoped for more from the leader of Hollow Shade¡¯s greatest military House, but I expected as much,¡± Lord Veres said.


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°The monstrous bloodthirst that has plagued your family since its founding is clear in your eyes, Veres. A thousand years ago your House¡¯s founder plunged this land into chaos and bloodshed; I will not be a part of such an endeavor today.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Lady Helene nodded.


    ¡°Really? You? Helene?¡± Lord Veres scowled. ¡°I¡¯d think the woman whose twin sister was murdered by those savages would wish to see them pay for their crimes. How many more loved ones must we lose before you decide enough is enough?¡±


    Lady Helene crossed her legs and stared at him coolly, ¡°Unlike you, I am willing to look past my own pain and see the needs of my House and this city.¡±


    Lord Veres scoffed and looked around, ¡°Does she speak for the rest of you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no!¡± Lord Goldelm jumped off his chair. ¡°House Goldelm has stood by House Veres for a thousand years, brothers-in-arms since the reign of Ebon Lord Koval. I will not let my brother charge into battle alone. The Great Warhammer of Oginum shall sing once more with the blood of our enemies, Veres!¡±


    Lord Veres smiled, ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±


    ¡°I am the head priestess of Hollow Shade, I cannot abandon my duties to the gods.¡± Lady Ashe stood to her feet, ¡°But that does not mean I will allow my fellow vampire lord to ride into battle alone. House Ashe¡¯s armies will aid you in this war. All I ask in return is that you protect our people, all our people.¡±


    Lord Veres placed his hand over his heart, ¡°You have my word, Calantha.¡±


    Lady Glaz nodded and stood, ¡°Our city and her people¡¯s safety come first. If we allow the savages to continue to run rampant in Dusk Valley, we leave ourselves open for potential attacks from other Great Cities. I will not allow Hollow Shade to appear weak in the eyes of the world one day longer. My armies and I will join you on the battlefield until Dusk Valley is rid of this scourge once and for all, this I swear as leader of House Glaz and the Council of City Lords.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful to have the most powerful arch-mage in Hollow Shade at my side,¡± Lord Veres bowed his head.


    ¡°Four out of seven councilors,¡± Elzri muttered under his breath. ¡°You¡¯ve got your wish, Veres. Dusk Valley will be drenched in blood once again.¡±

 Chapter 238: The Sunken Temple

    Chapter 238: The Sunken Temple


    Veronica Sientia ran through the woodlands on the outskirts of Undergrowth, her feet brushing past the verdant flowers with each step. The wind blew through Glimmer Grove forest with a deep howl and splashed into her back with a soft breeze. The sunshine peeked through the tall canopy in random bursts of light here and there.


    Veronica laughed with delight, happy to be outside with fresh air. She was finally done with those stuffy rooms of the academy. Today, all classes had officially ended at noon and not a second too soon. She had sprinted out of the academy grounds the moment the bell tower had rung.


    After almost an hour of running, Veronica had found herself standing in Undergrowth¡¯s outskirts, a couple dozen paces from Shadow Lake¡¯s shore. She could see her father¡¯s excavation site from here, the makeshift pier spanning out from the shoreline and into the lake¡¯s dark waters.


    Most of the archeological sites in Undergrowth were discovered inside the city, in old ruins left behind by the ancient tribes who had lived here long before House Thorn had founded Undergrowth almost a millennia ago.


    No one would usually bother visiting the eerie Shadow Lake that bordered the city¡¯s outskirts, until recently. The lake that had stood still for as long as Undergrowth¡¯s residents could remember, had begun to shift. The black waters had receded little by little in the past year.


    It was an idiot who had discovered the ruins. A mage student who had been dared to take a swim in the lake¡¯s pitch-dark waters. Though the student had almost drowned after wading only a few feet in, he had noticed a slab of stone poking out from below the water.


    Two days later House Thorn had commissioned the renowned archeologist Lord Sientia to oversee the excavation project. Now, almost a year later, House Sientia had managed to excavate the first floor of the ruins that had now been dubbed ¡®The Sunken Temple.¡¯


    Veronica stared out from the shore at the sunken ruins. The majority of the stone building was still underwater, but there was already plenty of scaffolding around the Temple. She could see small figures in the distance, dozens of workers each focused on completing their task.


    Veronica glanced nervously at the make-shift docks, gently swaying in the dark waters.


    ¡°Might as well get this over with,¡± she gulped.


    She slipped off her boots and socks, and dug her feet into the shore¡¯s black sands. The wet sand was cool to the touch, not nearly as frigid as the water only a few paces away.


    She took a few tentative steps forward, a sudden chill ran up her spine. Her stomach churned as nausea hit her like a hammer in the gut. She stumbled back a step and gagged. The flow of mana within her heart went awry and spilled into her veins in a disarray.


    Veronica swallowed back the bile surging up from her throat and closed her eyes tight. She took quick breaths and tried to ignore the inky feeling choking her as the chaos mana in the air shattered whatever semblance of mana flow she had.


    Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the inky feeling disappeared. She sighed deeply with relief and stared at her hands. Her grey skin seemed paler than usual, her fingers shook with a slight tremble. She could feel the mana within her body, its flow muddled and her magic rendered useless, but she could still feel the ethereal energy.


    ¡°Fucking chaos,¡± she spat.


    Veronica walked onto the makeshift pier with slow steps and tightly held to the guard rails, careful not to fall into the lake. A mageborn falling into the black waters was said to be a death sentence. Shadow Lake practically oozed with chaos mana, the air itself flowed with chaos. Simply breathing in was nauseating for any mage, but the waters were charged with so much chaos mana, that a mage would be rendered disoriented if they fell in; they would drown long before reaching shore.


    Veronica slowly made her way through the pier and to the Temple¡¯s scaffolding. Several workers looked up, confused at her sudden arrival, but they quickly went back to work when they noticed her tome-shaped necklace, the sigil of House Sientia.


    The Sunken Temple had an earthy scent wafting from deep within, moss and flowers grew at the corners and edges of the long winding stone halls. Arcane and ancient ebon language markings were engraved on the ruin¡¯s walls. Veronica glanced at them as she made her way inside.


    Half a dozen archeologists crouched on the floor, dusting off one piece of stone or another while scribbling down notes in their journals. Veronica glanced at each of their faces, hoping to find her father, to no avail. She wandered through the enormous temple, careful not to touch anything that seemed important.


    Eventually, after what seemed an eternity, she spotted her father¡¯s personal assistant at one of the temple¡¯s larger chambers, giving orders to several excavators. Veronica smiled and ran over.


    The assistant turned at the noise, Veronica tackled her with a hug and giggled, ¡°Plum! I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    The assistant smiled wryly at the young woman clinging to her, ¡°Missed me? You saw me last night at dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but dad couldn¡¯t stop gushing on about you, the ¡®golden child,¡¯¡± Veronica sighed exaggeratedly. ¡°Plum is so smart this. Plum is so diligent that. Why can¡¯t you be more like Plum, Veronica? Ugh, he¡¯s always so overbearing.¡±


    ¡°He was just being nice,¡± Plum took a step back and adjusted her glasses. ¡°And you¡¯re the one who invited me to dinner anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because I wanted to hang out with my best friend, not sit through another one of my dad¡¯s lectures,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Since when were we best friends? And don¡¯t you have friends your own age?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hurtful,¡± Veronica pouted. ¡°And for your information, I¡¯m one of the most popular, smartest, and uh¡­ oh yeah, powerful students in the academy!¡±


    ¡°Are you now?¡± Plum smirked.


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Veronica nodded repeatedly. ¡°And just so you know, I have plenty of friends. None of them are nearly as interesting as you, though.¡± She put a finger to her lips in thought, ¡°Well except Calex Thorn, but he¡¯s always so aloof and distant. You¡¯re much more fun!¡±


    ¡°Is that why you came? To have fun?¡± Plum raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°~Weeell~ We didn¡¯t get a chance to catch up yesterday.¡±


    ¡°And we won¡¯t today either. As you can see I¡¯m busy working right now,¡± Plum raised her journal. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go play with that uppity, preppy girl who''s always talking about boys and getting high with those weird tea leaves.¡±


    ¡°You mean Heather? I¡¯m already going out to dinner with her later tonight. Ooh! You should come with us!¡±


    ¡°Pass, I''d rather jump into the lake than listen to that arrogant bimbo blabber on about her fancy pedigree and why Calex should be the one in love with her.¡±


    Veronica threw her hands up, ¡°I mean¡­ Can you really blame her? Everyone wants to marry Undergrowth¡¯s beloved prodigy.¡±


    ¡°Not me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but your gay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bi,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Veronica blinked, ¡°And you still don¡¯t like him!?¡± She suddenly sidled up to Plum and batted her white eyelashes, ¡°Then are you, perhaps, interested in lil ol¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°...Well,¡± Plum leaned forward and brushed her thumb over Veronica¡¯s lips.


    Veronica¡¯s blue eyes widened, her face turned a shade darker.


    ¡°...You¡¯re a little too rich for my blood,¡± Plum smirked and gently pushed her away.


    Veronica stumbled back and sputtered wordlessly.


    ¡°You should get going before you start throwing up, Shadow Lake¡¯s effects only get worse with time,¡± Plum walked away.


    Veronica shook her head and caught up with her, ¡°How do you deal with it? I mean you¡¯re a mage too. How can you stay here all day long, every day?¡±


    ¡°I guess the same way Lord Sientia does,¡± Plum shrugged. ¡°Breathing in chaos mana gets worse the more chromatic colors you have. Your father and I both only have one color, so we only get a bit nauseous. Tri-manifolds like you have it much worse.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Veronica crossed her arms and frowned, ¡°Lucky me.¡±


    ¡°Meh, you¡¯ll be alright after an hour or two away from this place.¡±


    ¡°Ooh! That reminds me! My dad invited me to stop by, he said he wanted to show me something he discovered.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re really here.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Veronica said coyly.


    ¡°Pfft, you really overestimate yourself,¡± Plum chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s so mean! You¡¯re going to destroy this beautiful young woman¡¯s confidence!¡± Veronica whined.


    ¡°Sometimes I really wonder how you qualified for the tourney.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy! I got gumption!¡± she grinned.


    Plum couldn''t help but smile, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you to your father.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Veronica¡¯s mouth widened in the shape of an ¡®o¡¯ as she gazed in awe at the gilded giant doorway towering over her.


    ¡°We found this place behind several feet of overgrown vines a few days ago. It took the men quite a bit of work to clear the vines out,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty,¡± Veronica mumbled.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the cool part,¡± she grinned. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Plum led her past the gilded doorway and into a round-shaped room. Thousands of sigils were carved into the wall¡¯s every brick. A dome hung over the room, a massive painting etched across the ceiling. Veronica stared up at the painting, wide-eyed.


    Lord Sientia sat in the middle of the room, dozens of scrolls strewn on the floor around him. The right side of his grey face was covered in burn scars, but he held a smile on his lips. ¡°Ah, Plum. Thank you for bringing my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, my lord,¡± she bowed her head.


    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t, big sis Plum is the best guide in all of Undergrowth,¡± Veronica smiled wide.


    ¡°Big sis?¡± Plum cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°I always wanted an older sister. Besides, my dad¡¯s practically adopted you already,¡± Veronica winked.


    ¡°Ugh, this girl and her childish games,¡± Lord Sientia muttered. ¡°Listen here, Veronica. Plum is a very hard-working young scholar. She has no time for your foolishness. And if you keep up those antics, I will adopt her and disown you.¡±


    ¡°Tch, neither of you are fun,¡± Veronica pouted.


    Plum patted her head, ¡°There, there. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes brightened and she smiled warmly.


    Lord Sientia gestured towards his daughter, ¡°Come here, child.¡± He pointed at the domed ceiling, ¡°Let me show you a wonder from a time long ago.¡±


    Veronica looked up at the ceiling and furrowed her brow, ¡°Wait, are those¡­ gems?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded. ¡°Some of the mural was made with bright colored stones and paint, but most of it was made with precious gems. Beautiful is it not?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± Plum said in admiration.


    ¡°More like expensive,¡± Veronica muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Lord Sientia spoke softly. ¡°Many people think of the ancient drow tribes that lived in Glimmer Grove as savages, much like the Sylvan Tribes that live in our sister forest now. But the ancient tribes were nothing of the sort, they were intelligent, they had their own written language, and they recorded their history. This art piece is a testament to that knowledge and their beliefs.¡±


    The domed ceiling depicted two massive rings intertwined with one another, one black and one prismatic. The sun hovered over and the moon hovered below the rings. A white wolf ran on the rings and chased the moon, while directly across at the other side, a black wolf chased the sun. At the center of the art piece, within the rings, sat a pair of verdant green hills, and at the very core was a black gem in the shape of a spiral.


    Veronica studied each section closely, ¡°What does it all mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still trying to figure that out,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°I still have no idea what this has to do with Glimmer Grove forest or the ancient drow tribes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t,¡± Lord Sientia said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Plum wrinkled her nose. ¡°What do you mean? I thought this was supposed to be some kind of recording of their history.¡±


    ¡°It is a recording of history, yes, but not the ancient tribes¡¯ history,¡± he said. ¡°Or at least, not directly. I don¡¯t think they saw themselves as a singular entity, cut off from the rest of the world. I think they saw themselves as a whole, connected to the rest of the Ebon Realm. This art is just that, a memory of the Realm.¡±


    ¡°As for the meaning? Well¡­¡± Lord Sientia pointed at the ceiling, ¡°The sun and moon are obvious, the wolves chasing them a little less so. That is, until I remembered a piece of script I once read regarding the Sylvan Tribes of Vulture Woods. You see, they believe that frost wolves are the hera-¡±


    ¡°Heralds of Lunae,¡± Plum¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Lord Sientia raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Um, someone I once knew told me about it, back in Hollow Shade,¡± Plum muttered and looked away.


    ¡°...Hm, interesting,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Well, using that bit of information, I thought that perhaps the mural could be depicting frost wolves. But then I noticed the eye color was off. The white wolf has silver eyes and the black wolf has golden eyes, but frost wolves are said to have ice-blue irises.¡±


    He snapped his fingers, ¡°Then it hit me, maybe the wolves in the painting weren¡¯t heralds of Lunae or of any other god. Maybe the wolves were the gods. If that was the case, then it all made sense. The wolf chasing the moon must be Lunae.¡±


    ¡°And the black wolf?¡± Plum tilted her head.


    Lord Sientia smiled, ¡°That my dear, is the god of the sun, Solis.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Solis,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m not too surprised,¡± he said. ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade has always tried to hide the past from the new generations, hoping that it somehow will erase what has happened. But the past can never truly be forgotten, this place is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of Solis until now then?¡± Plum asked. ¡°I was born in Undergrowth and though I was away for a long time, I¡¯ve been back two years already and no one¡¯s mentioned this ¡®Solis¡¯ before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Lord Sientia nodded glumly. ¡°Many drows have lost their faith in the ebon gods, they believe that the gods are all simply myth. I suppose it is easier to believe that than to believe Stjerne abandoned our people for the humans.¡±


    ¡°I meant no disrespect to your beliefs, my lord,¡± Plum bowed.


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± he said whimsically. ¡°As for Solis? We don¡¯t hear much about him anymore. Some say he abandoned his people, like Stjerne, others say he sleeps waiting for the right day to return, a few even say he died¡­ Only the Keepers of the Dawn, the Valley Tribes, hold his memory alive.¡±


    ¡°So Solis has been forgotten,¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°As I said, no one is truly ever forgotten,¡± Lord Sientia smiled. ¡°They live within us all, influencing us for generations to come. The people who once lived in these lands are still influencing us now.¡±


    Plum nodded slowly and looked up at the mural, ¡°...If the wolves are supposed to be the gods, then where are the other gods? Caligo? Bellum? Stjerne?¡±


    ¡°This temple is ancient. It must have been built around two thousand years ago at least. Back then, Solis and Lunae were the only ebon gods.¡± Lord Sientia pointed at the wolves, ¡°The god of the sun and the goddess of the moon, circling around one another, always close yet always far, and at its center ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the center of the mural, is it?¡± Veronica muttered suddenly.


    Lord Sientia smiled, ¡°Precisely. Well done, my child.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Plum glanced between them. ¡°What does she mean?¡±


    Veronica held a thoughtful gaze as she stared at the mural, ¡°It¡¯s like you said, dad, the painting is a memory of the realm. Two rings intertwined, one prismatic, one black. The black ring is the Ebon Realm and the prismatic ring represents the other nine Null Realms, am I right?¡±


    Lord Sientia nodded, ¡°We are of the Ebon Realm, but we are always connected to the other Null Realms.¡±


    ¡°If the rings represent the Ebon Realm and our connection to the other realms, then what do the green hills in the mural mean?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Veronica grinned and nudged Plum, ¡°What lies at the center of our realm?¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°...Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Lord Sientia clapped. ¡°Dusk, the valley that is always between the sun and the moon. You may not share our beliefs, Plum, but this land belonged to Solis and Lunae long before we arrived. The ancient tribes of Glimmer Grove knew that, and it¡¯d be wise for us not to forget.¡±


    Plum nodded slowly, ¡°...What about the black spiral?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Plum pointed at the black gem at the center of the green hills, ¡°What does the black spiral in Dusk Valley mean?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I¡¯m still not certain about that one,¡± Lord Sientia admitted. ¡°A bit of a work in progress.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s stomach rumbled, she grimaced, ¡°Ugh, I think I¡¯m gonna be sick.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here too long, let¡¯s get you back to shore,¡± Plum patted her shoulder.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t wanna join Heather and me for dinner?¡± Veronica asked. ¡°We¡¯re going to this super fancy pub that just opened up. I bet there will be a lot of cute guys!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass, I still have a lot of work to do here,¡± Plum chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s no fun!¡± Veronica whined. ¡°Don¡¯t you wanna meet someone who makes your life more interesting than just staring at a bunch of ruins all day?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lord Sientia frowned.


    ¡°No one¡¯s talking to you, dad,¡± she stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°Children,¡± Lord Sientia shook his head and went back to reading his scrolls.


    ¡°I like dedicating my time to my work,¡± Plum smiled.


    ¡°Why do you gotta be so boring?¡± Veronica groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t you just relax for a little, let loose a bit? You never know, maybe we¡¯ll both get lucky and find the guys of our dreams.¡±


    ¡°Not interested,¡± Plum laughed, ¡°And don¡¯t you already have a guy who is head over heels for you?¡±


    ¡°Damian?¡± Veronica rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s cute I guess, but he¡¯s not the guy of my dreams. Honestly, he¡¯s a bit boring and super clingy. Even if he wasn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Plum asked wryly.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± Veronica pointed her index finger up high, ¡°I¡¯m on a quest in search of the perfect guy! Someone better than even Calex Thorn! Someone super hot with dreamy eyes and the perfect smile. Someone who doesn¡¯t care about following the stupid social norms of the boring aristocracy! Someone who isn¡¯t afraid of anyone or anything! I want someone who will FIGHT FOR ME! Oh and he¡¯s gotta be like a prince in disguise or something, you know, make it dramatic and all.¡±


    Plum stared at her in a mix of shame and pity, ¡°...Yeah, I should really stop lending you those romance novels.¡±


    ¡°~Nooo!~¡±

 Chapter 239: Cinder Brood

    Chapter 239: Cinder Brood


    ¡°And that is how the hunters managed to slay the behemoth,¡± Stryg said in a dramatic whisper. ¡°Even now, a hundred years later, no other Sylvan tribe wishes to mess with the hunters of the Frost Whisper Tribe.¡±


    The orphan children sat on the floor and stared wide-eyed at Stryg in enraptured silence.


    Stryg cleared his throat and sat back, ¡°The end¡­¡±


    ¡°WOOAAH!¡± a small child screamed.


    ¡°They killed the behemoth!¡± Another child yelled.


    ¡°I wanna kill a behemoth!¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, you could never kill a behemoth!¡±


    A few of the children jumped to their feet and began to punch and kick the air, reenacting the slaying of the beast.


    Stryg smiled, content to watch the eager children run around the room.


    One of the older children, a girl about 13 years old, tugged Stryg¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Um, how big is a behemoth?¡±


    Stryg spread his arms wide, ¡°Bigger than this entire temple.¡±


    She bit her lip and furrowed her brow, ¡°Then how did the hunters win?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening to the story?¡± Stryg said, amused. ¡°The hunters worked together, some even sacrificed themselves, but they managed to win in the end.¡±


    ¡°That seems really hard¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Well, remember, it was a baby behemoth,¡± Stryg winked. ¡°So it was probably only as big as this room. If you ever see an adult behemoth, the best you can do is run.¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened eerily and he grabbed her shoulders, ¡°Run for your life and don¡¯t look back.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°But you could kill the behemoth, right?¡±


    ¡°I think you all seriously overestimate my abilities,¡± he said wryly. ¡°A single behemoth has wiped out entire tribes before. They are the apex predators of Vulture Woods. If there ever comes a day where we must fight a behemoth, then we must do it together as Lunisians, only then do we stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I still think you¡¯d win,¡± she said without a hint of doubt.


    ¡°...Thanks,¡± Stryg sighed in defeat with a warm smile.


    The little girl giggled and ran off to play with her friends.


    Karen and Witt appeared at the doorway and gave a thumbs up, the signal.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re ready,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Okay, everyone, follow me.¡±


    The children all stopped running immediately and lined up behind Stryg. They followed him outside without a single peep of a whisper.


    ¡°They never listen to me like that,¡± Witt grumbled.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay,¡± Karen patted his arm. ¡°They just don¡¯t respect you is all.¡±


    ¡°...Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± Witt frowned.


    Stryg led them to the small garden behind the temple. A pair of large wooden crates sat on the dirt floor.


    ¡°Um, sir, what are those?¡± the eldest orphan, Mel, asked.


    ¡°Just a small gift for all of you before I leave,¡± Stryg said. He pried the first crate open and threw off the wooden lid.


    The children watched in anticipation as he reached inside.


    ¡°I began my weapons training when I could barely walk. It¡¯s due time you all begin your own,¡± Stryg pulled out a spear from the crate.


    The orphans gasped in surprise and ran over, their little hands reaching out to touch the weapon they had heard so much about in his stories.


    ¡°Calm down, I made sure to buy enough spears for everyone,¡± Stryg chuckled. ¡°Along with enough of these,¡± he opened the next crate and pulled out a bow.


    The children screamed, their excitement practically oozing off them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taught Karen the Sylvan basics of wielding the spear and bow,¡± Stryg said. ¡°She¡¯ll teach you how to train in these weapons while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Karen raised her finger, ¡°I only accepted this job because I don¡¯t want any of you running around with spears behind my back, and yes, that includes you, Witt. If any of you are going to learn how to use these dangerous weapons then you must promise me that you will be responsible with them and you will only use them under the most extreme of circumstances and only for self-defense. Is that understood?¡±


    Mel nodded excitedly, ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t that right, guys?¡±


    The children nodded and voiced their agreements loudly.


    ¡°Do I have to, though?¡± Witt said reluctantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one I¡¯m the most worried about,¡± Karen narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, worried, eh? Well, in that case, count me in,¡± Witt grinned.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Karen rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, kids, gather around and we¡¯ll start the first lesson; weapon maintenance.¡±


    Stryg watched the kids sit around Karen and listened to her speak for a few minutes before he got up and left quietly. Mel noticed his departure and chased after him.


    ¡°Mister Stryg!¡± he called out.


    Stryg paused in his steps, ¡°Mel? What is it?¡±


    The boy gripped his pants tightly and stared at his feet, ¡°Are you really leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The Great Cities Tourney is about a week away. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± he mumbled.


    Stryg patted the boy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon enough, in about a month or so.¡±


    Mel straightened his back, ¡°I finally came up with a name! Well, we all did, the other kids and I.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Mel swallowed, ¡°Our tribe¡¯s name is¡­ Cinder Brood.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Cinder Brood?¡±


    ¡°Well, um, the ¡®Brood¡¯ part is because we¡¯re all sort of young¡­¡±


    ¡°Most Sylvan goblins never live to be old,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°What about ¡®Cinder?¡¯¡±


    ¡°And the Cinder part is, well, um ¡­When you saved me from the Rattlesnake gang while their base burned down around us.¡± Mel looked him in the eye, determination clear in his voice, ¡°You taught me what it meant to be a leader, to be a Lunisian¡­ I¡¯ll never forget that.¡±


    ¡°Well, chieftain Mel, you are now the leader of a Lunisian tribe.¡± Stryg said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to keep our people and this temple safe.¡±


    Mel placed his hand over his heart and nodded earnestly, ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t let you down, sir.¡±


    Stryg turned around and walked away, ¡°I know.¡±


    ~~~


    Gale found Gian sitting under the shade of his favorite yew tree in their mansion¡¯s garden.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± she bowed her head. ¡°You wanted to see me, uncle?¡±


    ¡°Come, sit,¡± he smiled peacefully. ¡°Tea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She grabbed the offered cup and sipped. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s a little more bitter than usual.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my preferred brew, but it seems Frost Rim¡¯s tea shipments are behind schedule this month.¡±


    ¡°They probably sent the majority of their shipments to Undergrowth for the Great Cities Tourney. Ladies and lords from around the realm will be attending, and they always demand the best.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guessed as much,¡± Gian sighed. ¡°A pity I won¡¯t be able to taste some of the more exotic delicacies this year. I quite like Murkton¡¯s honey custard pies.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going?¡± Gale furrowed her brow. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a fan of the tourney. And your apprentice is one of the chosen this year.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d love to go. But Lord Veres has left the city and is leading his armies in the valley. Carmilla has also joined her father in the war effort against the valley tribes. With Lord Veres and his heir apparent away from the city, I must stay here and ensure the safety of our two Houses.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± she muttered. ¡°Maybe I should have gone with Lord Veres instead of Carmilla.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, Carmilla wishes to show her father that she is a capable general. This is a good opportunity for her. No need to spoil that with your presence on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°A Veres should always have a Gale at their side, you taught me that.¡±


    ¡°Which is why your father is with Lord Veres. And unlike you, Lord Gale knows how to show restraint. He will give Carmilla a chance to shine.¡±


    ¡°Carmilla doesn¡¯t need it. Everyone knows she is the strongest of the Veres children.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has always excelled in her training, whether it be in magic or swordplay. She reminds me of Stryg in that sense.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Gale shrugged. ¡°Except Carmilla also excelled in politics. I don¡¯t think Stryg could last one day in a room full of aristocrats without punching someone.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Still, you must admit that his sword training has been improving at a much more rapid pace than what we expected.¡±


    ¡°Lysaila definitely had a hand in that. I knew lamias were deadly, but seeing her in action¡­¡± Gale whistled. ¡°Now there¡¯s a sword prodigy.¡±


    Gian nodded, ¡°Yes, Lysaila is truly remarkable. Which is why I find Stryg¡¯s improvement so strange.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve trained Stryg longer than I, you know better than anyone that Stryg is not a genius with the blade. Talented? Sure. Prodigy? No.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­? What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Lysaila and you have been mainly teaching Stryg swordplay, from forms to tactics. And while his sword form has improved, it¡¯s his life force that has seen significant improvements.¡±


    Gale placed her tea aside, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The flow of Stryg¡¯s life force has become less erratic, more constant. He doesn¡¯t even realize it. Usually, we only see such precise flow control once a student has trained their body and reached a certain threshold. In other words, once their body has reached the stage of a swordmaster.¡±


    ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t a swordmaster¡­¡± Gale frowned.


    ¡°Exactly, he¡¯s skilled, yes, but he is no swordmaster.¡±


    ¡°He is a chromatic grey though,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Mages with experience in drain magic tend to have a bit of an easier time developing their own life force thanks to being exposed to the life force of others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this is far more than just a small advantage,¡± Gian shook his head. ¡°Stryg¡¯s body is circulating life force energy very efficiently.¡±


    ¡°Well, the kid already knew how to fight with a spear. Maybe he was already training in some kind of Sylvan style flow control before we met?¡±


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Even if he had been, every style uses different flow control techniques. If anything, Stryg¡¯s body would have had a harder time reconciling his old techniques with the new. His flow would have become more erratic.¡±


    Gale sighed and sipped her tea, ¡°I don¡¯t know then. Maybe the kid is just really good at flow control, maybe he¡¯s just weird like that. He¡¯s a hybrid, you should expect the occasional odd quirk when it comes to hybrids.¡±


    Gian clicked his tongue, ¡°Hybrid mutations don¡¯t change the flow of someone¡¯s life force. No, Stryg¡¯s flow clearly uses the Gale Style and it¡¯s quite highly developed, almost as if he¡¯s been training in our style¡¯s flow techniques since he was¡­¡± Gian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°...since he was a child.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine,¡± Gian smiled to himself. ¡°Anyways, I asked you here because I have a task for you.¡±


    Gale stared at him suspiciously, ¡°Does it have to do with Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. I want you to go with him to Undergrowth for the tourney.¡±


    She grimaced, ¡°Uncle, you know I am loyal to our House and I will do as you say, but this seems unnecessary. And you know I hate going to the tourneys. Every time there are always a bunch of pompous assholes who think they know better than everyone else. And they''re always trying to get me to take one of their children on as a sword apprentice, it¡¯s annoying as hell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to go to Undergrowth to mingle with the aristocrats. I¡¯m asking you to act as Stryg¡¯s personal instructor during each of the tourney¡¯s matches.¡±


    ¡°The academy is already sending four professors to the tourney; they''ll be acting as the chosen¡¯s instructors.¡±


    ¡°True, but they will only be able to advise the chosen on magical matters. Stryg isn¡¯t just a mage, he is a swordsman, he could use the insights of a grand swordmaster like you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t Lysaila help? She¡¯s already made it clear that she¡¯s not going to let Stryg leave her behind in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°She can, but Stryg needs the help of a Gale swordmaster too. Plus, you would mostly be working from under the stadium, in Hollow Shade¡¯s training room; only the students and teachers are allowed in there. You wouldn¡¯t have to listen to any annoying aristocrats.¡±


    Gale opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak.


    Gian grabbed her hand gently, ¡°Please, I¡¯m asking you this as a personal favor. Accompany Stryg to Undergrowth, keep him safe.¡±


    ¡°Safe from what?¡± Gale cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure. Anything that might hurt him. Stryg is important, more than you know. Undergrowth is a very dangerous place for Hollow Shade¡¯s chosen.¡±


    ¡°Why is he so important to you? Why are you sending me to act as his bodyguard?¡±


    Gian smiled weakly, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to trust me. I¡¯ll explain everything soon, I promise.¡±


    Gale sighed and nodded reluctantly, ¡°You know I trust you, I always have... I¡¯ll keep Stryg safe if that¡¯s what you wish.¡±


    Gian poured her another cup of tea, ¡°Thank you, it means a lot.¡±


    ~~~


    Elzri tapped his desk with the tips of his fingers. He stared at the five teachers and three students who had been called into his office.


    Vayu Glaz kept a polite posture and bowed to Elzri; House Glaz¡¯s manners were as scrupulous as usual. Tauri Katag stood at attention, arms at her side, her eyes looking straight ahead. The dwarf, Cornelius Rotrusk stood a few paces away, stealing the occasional glance at Tauri.


    Loh, well, Loh was her usual self, lounging in a chair in the corner. Ismene stood next to the window and rested her weight on her steel-tipped cane.


    Sylvie and Callum Veres stood in the other corner, talking to each other in small whispers as they passed the time. Freya Goldelm fiddled with one of her bracelets, a sapphire-studded golden band.


    The door swung open and Stryg burst into the office, out of breath. He quickly took in the room, spotting each individual. His lilac eyes settled on Elzri and his dour expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Elzri said curtly.


    ¡°I was at a temple in the Commoner District and¡­ Sorry, I lost track of time,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°...It¡¯s fine.¡± Elzri reached into one of the desk¡¯s drawers and pulled out a map, ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, we can begin to discuss the plans for your journey to Undergrowth.


    ¡°The rumors you¡¯ve no doubt heard are true, the valley tribes have become much more aggressive these last few months. However, your parents,¡± Elzri stared pointedly at Freya, Callum, and Vayu, ¡°are leading their armies in Dusk Valley as we speak. The roads are fairly safe thanks to their efforts. And to ensure that there will be no repeat of last year¡¯s¡­ unfortunate events, I have asked Professor Ismene to join you on this journey. She will lead your party as you travel to Undergrowth and you will all listen to her instruction, is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Noir,¡± the students and teachers said in unison, all except for one.


    Elzri looked at the anxious Loh expectantly, ¡°Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, um, yes, of course.¡± Loh cleared her throat, ¡°Yes, grandfather. There will be no repeat of last year¡¯s events. I¡¯ll make sure of it, no matter the cost.¡±


    ¡°Lighten up, Elohnoir, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ismene winked.


    Loh frowned, but said nothing.


    ¡°Professor Ismene is right,¡± Elzri said. ¡°I expect you will all be fine traveling the roads of Dusk Valley, but your journey will not end there. The Great City of Undergrowth is situated deep in Glimmer Grove forest. Glimmer Grove may not be nearly as dangerous as Vulture Woods, but it is still dangerous. The paths are winding and beasts are lurking in the trees. Many foreign travelers lose their way each year.¡±


    Elzri raised his index finger, ¡°Which is why I have hired the Hunters Guild. Some of their hunters will be waiting for you a few leagues outside the forest. They will act as your guides in Glimmer Grove and lead you to Undergrowth safely.¡±


    ¡°Now, on to my next point.¡± Elzri pointed at the four chosen students, ¡°As you all are aware, the tourney will be starting a few weeks late this year, due to the snow in Frost Rim¡¯s mountain path thawing late. Because of this delay, the academic year has ended before the tourney has begun. Technically speaking, you should have graduated with the rest of your class last week and been granted the rank of adept. However, since the tourney is for 3rd-year students, your graduation ceremony will be postponed until the end of the tourney and will be held in Undergrowth with the other cities¡¯ chosen.¡±


    Elzri pointed at the orichalcum amulet around his neck, ¡°You will also be given a silver mage amulet adorned with a gem for each of your chromatic colors. The amulet represents your status as a mage, the culmination of your coming of age ceremony so to speak. You may not have your amulet just yet, but make no mistake, the four of you are mages now in full. You are no longer novices, whether in experience or skill. You are adepts in all but name, remember that when you represent this academy and this city in Undergrowth¡¯s stadium.¡±


    Stryg, Freya, Callum, and Sylvie nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Which leads us to our last order of business,¡± Elzri said. ¡°The choosing of a team captain.¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elzri nodded. ¡°Every team at the tourney will have one. The captain will be in charge of receiving orders from the judges and relaying them to their team, keeping the team organized and morale high. The captains are also in charge of giving their team¡¯s opening speech.¡±


    Elzri reached into his white robes and pulled out a golden ring with the insignia of Hollow Shade, a black sun with a skull at its center. ¡°Based on everything I¡¯ve just said, Stryg and Sylvie are clearly ruled out.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Stryg glared.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Sylvie frowned.


    Elzri stared at them indifferently, ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re too aggressive. Even when you are calm, it doesn¡¯t take much to set you off. Sylvie, from what your teachers have told me, you often do not take matters seriously. You are also unable to connect with Stryg, a team captain must be able to communicate clearly with each of their teammates. Not to mention neither of you is good at dealing with high-stakes political situations. Shall I continue?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Sylvie smiled with a wince.


    Stryg sighed and bowed his head, ¡°Understood, Lord Noir.¡±


    Elzri looked at Callum, ¡°You have the most experience in the political spectrum of aristocratic society. You would be the best candidate to represent Hollow Shade at the tourney.¡±


    Callum smiled and bowed deeply, ¡°Thank you, Lord Noir. I am honore-¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Elzri spoke over him. ¡°The nature of your acceptance into this team is questionable. Had it not been for Nora Azol¡¯s sudden resignation in your final match, you would not have been one of our four chosen. Therefore, I will not award you the title of captain over your teammates.¡±


    Callum swallowed hard, ¡°...I understand.¡±


    Sylvie looked at Callum with sympathy.


    ¡°Freya, step forward,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± she said respectfully.


    ¡°Hold out your hand,¡± Elzri said.


    Freya raised her hand and tried hard not to smile in excitement.


    ¡°You have been trained in the art of politics since little and you have excelled in your mage classes since your first year at the academy. It is clear to me that you, Freya of the Great House of Goldelm, are worthy of the title of captain.¡± Elzri slipped the golden ring over her middle finger. ¡°Carry our city¡¯s name with honor and hold your team together when the enemy threatens to tear them apart. Make Hollow Shade proud, captain.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Freya smiled wide.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Elzri sat back in his chair and glanced at everyone in the room, ¡°Any questions?¡±

 Chapter 240: Dark Secrets

    Chapter 240: Dark Secrets


    Hollow Shade¡¯s four chosen students stepped out of the academy¡¯s administrative building and sighed in relief.


    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s over,¡± Sylvie stretched her arms and yawned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard Lord Noir talk so much in one sitting, let alone in my three years here,¡± Callum said dryly.


    ¡°We had to cover our travel route. We don¡¯t want to get lost,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be traveling alone, thank the gods,¡± Freya said. ¡°There¡¯ll be several wagons and carriages with us, along with a dozen centaurs and everyone else it takes to keep our little caravan running smoothly.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know more about our journey than any of us, captain,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    Freya smiled abashedly, ¡°Yeah, well, my dad taught me since little what it takes to run a caravan. I¡¯ll try to put my knowledge to the best of use for the team.¡± Freya ran in front of her friends and took a deep breath, ¡°I want you guys to know that I take the rank of team captain very seriously. If you guys need anything, I¡¯ll be there to help. You can count on me, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°Hard pass,¡± Stryg stepped around her.


    Anger briefly flashed in Freya¡¯s eyes, but it was quickly replaced with disappointment. ¡°If you change your mind, I¡¯ll still be here, I guess,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you''re team captain, you¡¯ll do great,¡± Callum forced himself to smile.


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh, uh, thanks. I really appreciate that coming from you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you,¡± Sylvie patted her shoulder and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to head to my dorm room and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. See ya all later!¡±


    ¡°Take care,¡± Freya waved.


    ¡°Good night, Sylvie,¡± Callum smiled.


    Stryg grumbled a response and kept walking.


    As soon as Sylvie was out of sight, Callum clapped his hands and bowed his head to Freya, ¡°I need your help, captain.¡±


    ¡°That was a little faster than I expected¡­ But I¡¯m ready to help,¡± she beamed.


    ¡°Sylvie¡¯s birthday is in a few days and I still don¡¯t know what to get her. I was hoping you might be able to help,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Hehe, you came to the right person,¡± Freya said proudly.


    Stryg groaned, sometimes he really hated his sensitive hearing.


    ~~~


    Sylvie arrived at the dorms and giggled brightly, ¡°He remembered!¡±


    A basket sat on the floor in front of her door. It was filled with scarlet roses, a bottle of expensive-looking wine, and a small gilded note:


    To the most beautiful woman in the world,


    Happy Birthday, Sylvie.


    ~Callum Veres


    Sylvie swooped up the basket, unlocked the door, and walked inside her dorm room with a skip to her step. The room was empty, save for a simple bed and a small dresser. It was a far cry from the bedrooms she had grown up with, but here she was free and no amount of lavish rooms could ever compare.


    Sylvie slipped off her boots and jumped on her bed.


    She picked up the wine bottle and pulled out the cork. A faint whiff of blood and grapes wafted up. She licked her lips and drank down a few gulps. The flavor was strong, it reminded her of a bottle she had tasted from her father¡¯s collection, but this one was a tad sweeter, and there was something else, a flavor she couldn¡¯t quite place.


    The room suddenly started to spin, her body felt numb. The bottle slipped from her fingers and rolled on the ground, the bright red liquid spilled over the floor. Sylvie opened her mouth to scream, but her throat felt tight. A horrible weariness began to overtake her.


    The door creaked open, a stranger dressed in a dark cloak walked in.


    Sylvie¡¯s vision darkened and blurred. Her mind panicked, desperately searching for a way out. She tried to move, but her body didn¡¯t respond. All she could think of was¡­ was¡­


    The cloaked stranger watched and waited as the poison overtook the vampiress. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t fight it. It¡¯s okay, just enjoy the dream,¡± he whispered.


    Sylvie¡¯s ragged breaths fell into a quiet rhythm.


    ¡°There, now that wasn¡¯t so hard was it?¡± the stranger said softly. He reached down and carefully tossed aside the aurum aegis from her neck. ¡°Even better,¡± he chuckled.


    The stranger pulled off his glove and hovered his hand over Sylvie¡¯s forehead. Weaves of purple light seeped from his fingertips and curled around her skull. The mind tendrils flared bright wherever they touched her skin.


    He smirked, ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what secrets you¡¯re hiding.¡±


    ~~~


    Sylvie kicked her bedsheets and blew out a sigh of frustration. The winds howled and rattled her windows as the storm raged outside. There was no way she could sleep like this, but her parents had already sent her to bed. She had tried pleading to her big brothers and sisters to convince their parents otherwise, but they simply chuckled and ruffled her scarlet hair.


    Sylvie hated being treated like a kid. Just because she was the youngest didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t handle herself. Sure, she was only eight, but she was already as tall as the maids and some of them were over seventy.


    The windowsill shook at the sound of the thunder. Rain pelted the windows like a constant drumbeat.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Sylvie groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t do this!¡±


    She threw her bedsheets aside and jumped out of bed. Surely her siblings wouldn¡¯t mind if she went down to the kitchen for a midnight snack. They were probably a dozen drinks in by now, their mood would be much more mellow. Maybe they¡¯d even let her taste a bit of wine this time. After all, tonight was a celebration.


    Sylvie couldn¡¯t remember the last time all her brothers and sisters had gathered together in the castle. She wasn¡¯t about to let the opportunity to play with them slip by.


    Mom and Dad were probably already asleep anyway, they wouldn¡¯t notice if she was out of bed.


    Sylvie cracked her door open as slowly and quietly as she could muster. After a few tensive and painfully boring moments, the door was open wide enough to slip by. She tiptoed down the tower¡¯s long winding stairs and made her way towards the kitchen.


    As she neared the kitchen Sylvie stopped in her steps, she could hear her siblings¡¯ voices coming down from the main dining hall. She changed her direction and snuck silently to the dining hall¡¯s door. Her siblings¡¯ voices grew louder and louder. Sylvie frowned, they didn¡¯t seem to be laughing, it sounded almost as if they were arguing.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The sound of glass shattering and chairs being thrown back echoed from behind the door. Sylvie trembled, what was going on?


    Then she heard it, another voice. It was quiet, yet it cut through every other voice in the room. The voice was muffled, its cadence strange. Sylvie placed her ear next to the door and tried to listen in on the conversation.


    Her siblings sounded angry about something. She didn¡¯t know what, but she had never heard them angry before¡­ or scared. Then the stranger spoke and the room grew uncomfortably quiet.


    A wretched scream pierced the silence. A hard thump hit the floor.


    ¡°Aria!¡± her brother James screamed.


    Sylvie frowned, Aria?


    Had something happened to her big sister?


    ¡°Bastard!¡± her sister Lea screamed.


    The sound of wood cracking and fire roaring exploded in the dining hall. Sylvie shuddered back and fell on her butt. Half a dozen voices yelled in anger, her siblings'' voices grew louder as their rage overtook them.


    The crackle of thunder boomed behind the door. A broken voice howled in agony.


    ¡°Lea, NO!¡± her brother Jasper cried out.


    A second boom of thunder struck behind the door. The castle¡¯s walls shook from the blast.


    Sylvie cried in terror. She didn¡¯t know what was happening, but she felt the pain in their voices, the horrible pain.


    A third clap of thunder resounded behind the door. Bits of rock and dust fell from the ceiling all around. The dining hall fell silent.


    The sound of glass crunched under a pair of footsteps echoed quietly.


    Sylvie swallowed the lump in her throat and crawled to the door. She reached out hesitantly and with a trembling hand turned the knob. The door creaked open just an inch, Sylvie peered inside. She froze and stifled a cry.


    Splatters of blood bathed the room in red. The broken bodies of her brothers and sisters were sprawled over the scorched floor. A woman in a tattered blue dress stood alone in what little was left of the dining hall.


    The woman¡¯s neck snapped backward, her head lolled to the side, and her lips slowly curled up into a smile. Her bloodied mouth stretched further than what seemed possible, revealing a row of sharp black teeth.


    Sylvie¡¯s voice caught in her throat, she wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. Her body felt numb, she couldn¡¯t move, she could only stare into the monstrous woman¡¯s iridescent eyes as she shambled towards the open door.


    Caligo smiled wide, ¡°Hello, little girl.¡±


    ~~~


    Sylvie gasped, her eyes opened wide.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± the cloaked stranger frowned. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    The stranger flexed his hand, several more mind tendrils curled out and injected themselves into her skull. Sylvie groaned in agony. Her eyes darted to the window, it was still dark.


    She cursed to herself and tried to move her sluggish body to no avail. She called out to her magic, tried to form whatever spell she could muster, but her mana didn¡¯t respond. Something was wrong with her body.


    Poison, she recalled dimly through the mental pain.


    Her clothes were drenched in sweat and she could barely feel her fingertips, but still, she tried to spell-cast.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to hurt, you just have to stop resisting,¡± the stranger grinned maliciously. The mind tendrils flared brighter.


    Sylvie gritted her teeth and whimpered in agony.


    Move, she screamed in her mind. Move, MOVE!


    The door slammed open.


    ¡°Get away from her!¡± Poppy shouted.


    The stranger spun around, ¡°What the-¡±


    A flash of white light exploded from Poppy¡¯s palm. The stranger yelled and staggered back. Poppy drew a dagger from her sleeve and charged. A sudden gust of wind slammed her into the wall. A second cloaked stranger stepped out from behind the curtains.


    The first stranger stood and rubbed his eyes, ¡°A little friend, come to save the day, huh? Fancy yourself a hero?¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± the second stranger scowled.


    The men drew long thin swords and advanced on the young orc woman.


    Poppy pushed herself to her feet and stared at the two men, cold determination in her eyes. She tossed her glasses aside and rolled her shoulders, ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    The strangers swung their swords in wide arcs, Poppy ducked under their blades with deft movements and dashed at them. Her dagger flashed in quick precise strikes, aiming for her enemies¡¯ vitals. The strangers quickly fell back as Poppy overwhelmed them in a flurry of steel.


    Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Was this really her best friend? The girl who could barely hold a sword without cutting herself? The girl who was terrified to step into the practice arena? Was this really Poppy?


    The second stranger casted a durability spell over his skin in an effort to stop Poppy¡¯s attacks. With her open hand, Poppy gripped his face and generated a small bright spell in his eyes. He screamed, blinded; his focus lost, the yellow scales shattered to dust. Before he could recover, Poppy dug her fingers into his left eye. The man cried in agony and dropped his sword.


    ¡°Stop or I¡¯ll kill her!¡± the first stranger yelled. He held his sword at Sylvie¡¯s neck.


    Poppy froze at the sight, her eyes filled with worry. She suddenly grimaced and spat a mouthful of blood. The tip of a sword poked out from her stomach. Poppy stumbled and toppled over.


    The second stranger staggered to his feet, his left eye bleeding profusely, ¡°Fucking bitch!¡±


    Sylvie paled, a broken hoarse cry escaped her lips. She stared at Poppy¡¯s body as blood pooled underneath her gut. Sylvie groaned with strain and forced her body to roll off the bed. She dragged herself to Poppy with what little strength had returned to her numb limbs.


    ¡°We need to go before someone else comes,¡± the first stranger whispered harshly.


    ¡°Not without the target,¡± the half-blinded man said grimly.


    Sylvie ignored their voices and focused her all on reaching her fallen friend.


    Poppy dimly noticed her approach. She smiled weakly, ¡°...Syl¡­¡± Her amber eyes slowly glazed over and her breathing fell quiet.


    Sylvie shuddered, a wretched pain stabbed at her chest. Her scarlet eyes burned with rage. She roared a thunderous howl, golden flames erupted from her voice and devoured the men in a flash of searing heat and light.


    ~~~


    Stryg sprinted across the campus grounds. He ignored Callum¡¯s and Freya¡¯s shouts of confusion. None of that mattered right now. He had heard it, an agonizing cry from someone who he never expected. Stryg channeled orange mana into his veins and casted an agility spell.


    He ran up the dorm¡¯s stairs in a blur. The scent of smoke filled his nostrils. He spotted an open burnt door, barely hanging by its hinges. He drew Nameless from his sheath and ran into the room without hesitation.


    Stryg stiffened to a halt. The room had been scorched to ash and cinder, the walls had been blackened, and the windows had been melted apart. Sylvie¡¯s aurum aegis lay amidst ash next to a pair of blackened broken bones. Sylvie sat on her knees in the middle of the room; she sobbed and cradled Poppy in her arms.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°T-they killed her,¡± Sylvie whimpered.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°...She¡¯s not dead yet.¡±


    ¡°W-wha¡­?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear that?¡± Stryg dropped Nameless and ran over to them. ¡°It¡¯s weak, but Poppy¡¯s still breathing. We have to hurry to the infirmary, now.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s eyes brightened with hope, ¡°She¡¯s alive?¡±


    Stryg frowned as he saw the extent of Poppy¡¯s wound, ¡°Not for long.¡±


    ¡°N-no!¡± Sylvie cried and held Poppy tight.


    Stryg sighed and ran his hands through his silver hair, ¡°...What am I doing?¡± He glanced at the open door, ¡°¡­Agh, god dammit! Move your arms, Sylvie.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, move your arms!¡±


    Sylvie nodded numbly and gently laid Poppy on the ground. Stryg ripped open Poppy¡¯s shirt and channeled white mana into his hands. A soft white light flowed into her red skin.


    ¡°Healing magic,¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re a white mage?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone,¡± he muttered.


    She shook her head, ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯re a quadra-manifold and you didn¡¯t tell anyone? Why not?¡±


    ¡°The same reason you didn¡¯t tell anyone you¡¯re a chromatic orange, Miss Hexa-Manifold.¡±


    ¡°Hexa? What? I¡¯m not an Orange.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, and this room burned to a crisp by itself too, huh?¡±


    Sylvie bit her lip and looked away, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°We all have our secrets, let¡¯s keep them that way.¡± Stryg pulled his hands back and gently picked Poppy up. ¡°I¡¯ve closed the wound in her stomach. It¡¯s not perfect, but it should hold long enough for us to get her to the infirmary. The master healers will take it from there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sylvie said warmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Stryg shook his head and headed for the door, Poppy in his arms.


    ¡°You just saved Poppy¡¯s life, that¡¯s more than nothing.¡±


    Stryg stopped at the doorway, but he didn¡¯t look back, ¡°...She¡¯s your best friend, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    Stryg breathed out shakily and cleared his throat, ¡°Just don¡¯t tell anyone about my magic and I won¡¯t tell anyone about yours.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a deal,¡± Sylvie smiled softly.


    Stryg nodded stiffly and carried Poppy down the stairs without another word.

 Chapter 241: Realizations

    Chapter 241: Realizations


    The sweet acrid scent of potions filled the air. The candles burned dim, the wax pooled around what little remained. Faint rays of sunlight crept over the horizon and bled into the shuttered windows.


    Poppy grimaced and opened her eyes blearily. She lay in a long narrow bed. Frowning at the distinct feeling of the linen blanket over her body, she glanced underneath the covers and confirmed her fears.


    ¡°The white mages had to strip off your clothes to properly heal your wounds,¡± a voice whispered from the corner of the room.


    Poppy stiffened at the sound and smiled weakly, ¡°Ah, Sylvie, you startled me... I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Sylvie nodded slowly. She sat in a chair, half-hidden in the shadows.


    ¡°Are you okay? What happened to those cloaked men?¡± Poppy sat up quickly and grimaced.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move. You were hurt pretty badly, the mages did their best to heal you, but your body will have to do the rest¡­¡±


    Poppy nodded and carefully laid back down, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sylvie shrugged. ¡°And those men that were in my room are dead¡­ Do you have any idea who they were?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Poppy frowned. ¡°I was just walking by when I saw them rush into your room. I came as soon as I could.¡± She smiled wryly, ¡°In retrospect, I should have called for some help. How did you escape anyway?¡±


    Sylvie smiled coldly, ¡°...I just got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, I¡¯m glad you''re safe.¡± Poppy chuckled nervously, ¡°Um, do you know where my clothes are? I feel a little awkward just laying here naked.¡±


    Sylvie leaned forward, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one noticed your tattoo¡­ Except for me. Not that any else would have known what it meant.¡±


    Poppy¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Really? The little black ink etched on your inner thigh? Are you saying it just magically appeared? That one day you woke up and boom, it was just there? Is that how you suddenly became a weapons expert?¡±


    Poppy swallowed, ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ I didn¡¯t mean for you to find out like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Like this? Or you didn¡¯t mean for me to find out at all?¡±


    Poppy looked away in shame.


    Sylvie laughed scornfully, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. So was this all bullshit from the start? Did my parents put you up to this?¡±


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know who your parents are.¡±


    Sylvie stood to her full height, her shadow darkening the room. She stalked over to the bed and bared her fangs in Poppy¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m done with your damn charades. I swear if you lie to me again I will drain every single drop of blood until your pretty red skin turns fucking pink!¡±


    Poppy went pale with fear, she swallowed and tried to control her trembling.


    ¡°Now answer me,¡± Sylvie growled. ¡°Did my parents have you follow me here? Is your name even Poppy Skeller?¡±


    She licked her quivering red lips and spoke slowly, ¡°My name is Poppy of the House of Skeller. I was recruited when I was fifteen, no one in my family knows.¡±


    ¡°...Go on.¡±


    Poppy nodded stiffly, ¡°Two years ago, one of my superiors managed to place me in charge of chromatic magic testing at the academy; for the new incoming students. I was ordered to take note of anyone who might have the potential to join our cause¡­ Then one day I got a message. A very important individual was coming to the academy. My new task was to make contact with said individual, watch over her and keep her safe, without my identity being discovered. I was your secret guardian.¡± She smiled sadly, ¡°Clearly, I failed.¡±


    ¡°...Dammit,¡± Sylvie sighed deeply and slumped back in her chair. ¡°So I never really got away. My parents always knew I was here¡­¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know who your parents are, I swear.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about me? What did your superiors tell you?¡±


    Poppy glanced away, ¡°Just that you''re very important, I should keep you safe during your stay at the academy¡­ And that your name isn¡¯t really Sylvie, but I don¡¯t know your real name either.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so you walked into all of this blind too, huh?¡± Sylvie chuckled bitterly. ¡°I guess we¡¯re both a couple of chumps.¡±


    Poppy swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°This past year wasn¡¯t a lie, not to me. I don¡¯t know why your parents or whoever, ordered me to be your guardian, but I¡¯m more than that. I don¡¯t care what your real name is, I¡¯m your friend, Sylvie. If you need help to disappear from all of this, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Sylvie shook her head, ¡°...How can I ever trust you again?¡±


    Poppy chuckled and pointed to herself, ¡°Do you see anyone else willing to take a sword in the gut for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your job, isn¡¯t it?¡± she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°No, my job was to keep you safe and hidden. Sure, they didn¡¯t care if you joined the academy, but they didn¡¯t want you to stand out,¡± Poppy grinned, ¡°at least not too much. But you were never supposed to go to the Great Cities Tourney. I was supposed to dissuade you from even thinking of becoming one of the academy¡¯s four competitors.¡±


    ¡°...Then why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Poppy smiled, ¡°Because I got to know you, because I became your friend. You told me stories of how you grew up, alone, without anyone but servants who were afraid of you¡­ I know what it¡¯s like growing up in a family that doesn¡¯t let you do anything, a family that expects you to only act a certain way. I don¡¯t know why your family locked you up from the world or why they kept moving you from one place to another, but I definitely understand why you ran away.¡±


    Poppy grimaced and pushed herself to an upright position. ¡°If you really want to escape your parents¡¯ influence, I can help. ¡­ If you don¡¯t want to be a part of all of this, I won¡¯t let you get dragged back into it.¡±


    Sylvie smiled grimly, ¡°Thanks¡­ but I¡¯m done running away. There is no escaping this for me. Our world may have monsters that lurk in the dark, but I refuse to live hidden away in fear any longer.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Sylvie walked over to the window and gazed at the rising dawn, ¡°...I¡¯m different, but you can still get out, you know. It doesn¡¯t matter what anyone else says; you were born free, don¡¯t be so quick to give that up.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Poppy bit her lip, ¡°Syl-¡±


    The infirmary door slammed open.


    ¡°My baby, what have they done to you!?¡± a middle-aged orc screamed from the doorway and rushed over to the bed.


    ¡°Auntie? Agh, it hurts!¡± Poppy squirmed as the orc woman squeezed her tight.


    ¡°What sort of shitty healing treatment is this?¡± Celica frowned and looked Poppy¡¯s wounds over. ¡°I swear these academy white mages wouldn¡¯t know a proper healing spell if it bit them in the ass!¡±


    Sylvie smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll let you two catch up.¡± She turned and headed for the door, ¡°Oh, and Poppy, if your superiors ask, tell them I¡¯m heading to that tournament. I don¡¯t care what my parents or anyone else thinks.¡±


    ~~~


    Lysaila ignored the startled looks of the crowd waiting at the city¡¯s gate. The gate had been closed for the night and sunrise was still a few minutes away. Nonetheless, the merchants had already gathered with their wares and caravans eager to make a profit as quickly as possible. Their greed for money did nothing to stop them from staring at the beautiful blue lamia, in fact, Lysiala could already see in their eyes how the merchants were trying to find a way to make a profit with her.


    ¡°Wow, looks like one of them is actually coming,¡± Kithina whispered to Lysaila.


    One of the merchants, a tall drow, sauntered over with a wide smile and a golden tooth. He made a short bow to Kithina, ¡°Good morning, miss. The gates are about to open, so I¡¯ll make this brief. How much for this exquisite exotic pet?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t mine,¡± Kithina chuckled.


    In a flash, Lysaila drew her blade and held its edge under the merchant¡¯s chin. ¡°I am no one¡¯s pet,¡± she hissed. ¡°Now be a good boy and tell your little friends to stay away from us or I will cut out your guts and use them to strangle the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ you¡¯re threatening me!?¡± the merchant sputtered indignantly. ¡°If you don¡¯t stand down the guards will take notice, they¡¯ll arrest you and your owner!¡±


    The lamia¡¯s azure tail flicked out and swiped his feet from under him. The merchant cried out in surprise and fell on his bottom with a hard thud. He grimaced and scrambled to his feet.


    Lysaila glared at him, ¡°Leave now, you piece of sh-¡±


    The merchant squealed as a sudden gale of wind swooped him up and launched him into one of his wagons a dozen paces away. The other merchants quickly realized the use of magic and hurried to distance themselves from the fallen merchant.


    Lysaila slowly turned to the smiling dwarf next to her, ¡°Kitty?¡±


    ¡°What? He was being an ass,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Lysaila smiled half-heartedly. ¡°...I¡¯m gonna miss you. You¡¯re the only person in this damned city who isn¡¯t half-bad.¡±


    Kithina blinked, ¡°Wow, I think that might be the nicest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. We occasionally drink together, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re friends too,¡± Kithina smiled warmly. ¡°And I see you at the Merry Crescent almost every evening, that¡¯s more than the occasional drinking buddy, just saying.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Lysaila muttered with an annoyed tone, but there was a slight curl to her lips.


    A large black carriage with crimson wheels and a large banner strolled down the street. The merchants noticed the banner and quickly moved their wagons out of the way. The black carriage passed by and reached the front gate without difficulty.


    Kithina stared at the carriage¡¯s banner, a skull writhing in shadows impaled by a crimson blade. A range of emotions passed by her face, but she settled for an impassive expression.


    Lysaila noticed her change in demeanor, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m not too much of a fan of House Veres right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®cause that Callum guy, right?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kithina sighed.


    Lysaila clicked her tongue, ¡°It¡¯s fucked up that he managed to get into the tourney but you didn¡¯t, you¡¯re clearly the stronger one.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that,¡± she shook her head. ¡°And that has nothing to do with my problems with Callum.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that I know. You¡¯ve cried on my shoulders so many times while drunk,¡± Lysaila shivered. ¡°Callum this, Callum that. I thought you had gotten over him when you started crying about your loss against that gold bitch, but I guess I was wrong.¡±


    Kithina hid her bright-red face in shame, ¡°...Am I really like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you''re definitely an angry, sad drunk.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Kithina muttered, peeved. ¡°Things really change, huh?¡± she sighed, and to Lysaila¡¯s surprise, she laughed.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lysaila asked.


    Kithina smiled in reminiscence, ¡°When I first came to the academy, I was so excited. More than anything, I wanted to be a mage and go on adventures like the stories I always heard growing up. The school was intimidating; I had never spoken to an aristocrat before and suddenly there were dozens of them walking by me in the hallways. I desperately wanted to fit in¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? So you can act like all the other pompous assholes?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kithina frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just, I wanted to be liked, you know? I wanted to stand among the greats like the stories¡­ a bit silly, I know.¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Lysaila said quietly.


    Kithina chuckled wryly, ¡°I¡¯ll never forget my first day of class, I was so nervous. This blue goblin ended up sitting next to me, you know the one. He was really skittish and he smelled like booze. Honestly, I wished he had sat anywhere else. Then Professor Rime put us together for a group project, and that¡¯s when I really started to panic, but Rime also put a vampire aristocrat in our group.¡± She smiled weakly, ¡°Callum Veres¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds magical,¡± Lysaila rolled her eyes.


    Kithina laughed, ¡°Look, you¡¯re not from around here, so you don¡¯t understand how big of a deal it was, but this was a freaking Veres. They aren¡¯t just one of the city¡¯s Ruling Families, they¡¯re one of the oldest and most powerful Houses in all the Ebon Realm! Then there was me, a commoner with no magical background. Me, simple ol¡¯ Kithina, was going to hang out with a Veres! It was unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing simple about you, Kitty,¡± Lysaila said in a serious tone.


    Kithina scoffed weakly, ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t really feel particularly special these days.¡±


    Lysaila licked her lips and nodded, ¡°Okay then, so what was so special about this Callum person, hm?¡±


    ¡°He was a Veres?¡± Kithina cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°Yeah, but isn¡¯t he like the 4th or 5th child? He¡¯s not even the heir to the Veres throne. I¡¯m having a hard time picturing why you were so enamored by this guy. Did he have anything besides a name?¡±


    ¡°W-well, Callum has a lot of good points,¡± Kithina said abashedly. ¡°He¡¯s handsome, smart, charming, and he¡¯s talented at magic ¨Cactually, he hid his white magic back when we first met, so I didn¡¯t know that about him at the time. And he can¡¯t read very well, so his red ward spells we¡¯re pretty bad, they still kinda are¨C B-but! Callum is also a hybrid vampire-human, which is pretty cool¡­ Oh! He¡¯s also pretty athletic, he always got 2nd or 3rd place in Tauri¡¯s classes.¡±


    ¡°Why not 1st?¡± Lysaila raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Stryg or Sylvie always get 1st place,¡± she admitted. ¡°No one beats those two, so they don¡¯t really count.¡±


    ¡°Sylvie¡­ that¡¯s the dire girl, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she joined the academy last autumn,¡± Kithina said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°Hmm. So what about before last autumn? Did Callum never once beat Stryg?¡± Lysaila muttered the goblin¡¯s name as if it was poison on her lips.


    Kithina shook her head, ¡°Not in athletics class, no. Stryg has always been a cut above the rest of the class, I mean seriously, it was pretty frustrating. Stryg always won in everything; running, push-ups, sit-ups, even sparring.¡± She furrowed her brow, ¡°Which in retrospect is kinda surprising since Cal practices the renowned Gale Style. Oh, that¡¯s another cool thing about Cal by the way. Have you ever heard of Gale Style swordsmanship? It¡¯s considered one of the best in the entire Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar,¡± Lysaila said dryly. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Kithina scratched her cheek, ¡°Actually, there was this one time Stryg beat Cal up so bad that he had back pain for weeks, it was really sad- Ahem.¡± Kithina stopped when she caught the look of irritation on the lamia¡¯s face. She winced, ¡°Yeah, not what you meant, I can see that now. Anyways, Callum was also good at other things like¡­ like¡­ Huh. I guess that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°...Well, this Callum guy sounds really swell,¡± Lysaila batted her eyelashes and pretended to swoon.


    ¡°~Stop~¡± Kithina laughed.


    Lysaila shrugged, ¡°Look, this Veres boy sounds alright, maybe one day he¡¯ll even be great, but don¡¯t underestimate yourself either. Stop searching for greatness within others, look at a mirror once in a while.¡±


    Kithina smiled, ¡°You know, sometimes I forget you¡¯re this super deadly killer who wants everyone in the city to die horribly.¡±


    ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t want you to die,¡± Lysaila flicked out her forked tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± she chuckled.

 Chapter 242: Departure

    Chapter 242: Departure


    Callum Veres stared out the carriage window at the ebon wall and city gates. He slumped back in the chair and sighed.


    ¡°Cal, are you okay? You¡¯ve seemed out of it since this morning,¡± Elise Veres said worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, just a little tired, I guess,¡± Callum forced himself to smile.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. You¡¯ve never been able to lie to me,¡± Elise pulled his cheeks.


    He tried not to chuckle but failed.


    ¡°Now be honest, what is this about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°...Sylvie was attacked last night.¡±


    Elise narrowed her eyes, ¡°That big girlfriend of yours? Attacked by whom?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. She¡¯s okay though. The academy is looking into how the assassins even managed to get inside the school grounds. Lord Noir thinks Sylvie will be safe once we¡¯re out of the city, Ismene and the other professors will be watching over us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have our spies look into the incident. We can¡¯t have that dire hybrid dying on us. She could be a very powerful pawn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dating her because I want to use her,¡± Callum frowned.


    Elise cocked her head to the side, ¡°So you¡¯re saying you''re dating her because what? You want to marry her? Even though you¡¯re already engaged to one of the most powerful Houses in the Realm? How do you think that¡¯s going to play out?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of ladies and lords with multiple spouses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they only marry a single spouse from a powerful Great House. Why do you think all of dad¡¯s wives are from minor Houses, except for Regina Lilith. You know, the mother of Carmilla, the heir to the Veres Throne? Do you think that¡¯s all some magical coincidence?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°But Sylvie isn¡¯t from a Great House.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please,¡± Elise rolled her eyes. ¡°That girl has elite pedigree written all over her. I just haven¡¯t found out which Great House she¡¯s from yet. I seriously doubt your fianc¨¦ would take to this Sylvie kindly.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what she thinks,¡± Callum scowled.


    ¡°And what about Sylvie? How does she feel about this?¡±


    Callum bit his lip and looked away.


    ¡°No,¡± Elise¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You haven¡¯t told her?¡± She laughed, ¡°Okay, you really don¡¯t know what you''re doing, do you?¡±


    ¡°I know enough.¡±


    Elise shook her head with a smile, ¡°Cal, my sweet little Cal, I know you like to pretend everything is okay and that you can just run around playing mage student with your friends, but our lives aren¡¯t so simple. Carmilla won¡¯t let you play anything if she becomes the next family leader. You and I need to work together. It¡¯s always been that way, it¡¯s always been us versus them, don¡¯t forget that. Remember why you made those friends.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just have friends!?¡± Callum snapped. ¡°I like my friends, okay!? Is that so hard for you to understand? I actually like them. I don¡¯t want to use them¡­ I¡¯ve already lost enough friends.¡±


    Elise blinked hard, ¡°Are you an idiot? Do you really think any of them would care about you if they knew the real you? You are a Veres. They only care about you because of your family name. The moment Carmilla ascends the Veres Throne you won¡¯t have our House¡¯s backing anymore, it¡¯ll just be you. Do you really think your friends will stand by your side then?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know...¡± He took a deep breath and stared into his sister¡¯s eyes, ¡°All I know is that I don¡¯t want to end up like you. I don¡¯t want to be a part of this anymore. I just¡­ I want to live my life on my own terms.¡±


    Elise nodded stiffly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be like me¡­?¡±


    Callum grimaced, ¡°That came out wrong.¡±


    Elise wiped her eyes, ¡°I have always had your back, I have always taken care of you. I always took our siblings¡¯ beatings in your place, because it was always us, Callum! It was always us versus the world! And¡­¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°And you don¡¯t want to be like me? Well, guess what, kiddo, I¡¯m the only one who ever truly loved you, I¡¯m the only one who still loves you.¡±


    ¡°Elise,¡± he grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Get out,¡± she said curtly. ¡°Go to that damn tourney with those ¡®friends¡¯ of yours. Let¡¯s see how many of them are left by the end.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Elise,¡± Callum sighed. He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened the carriage door. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I said get out.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Stryg? Stryg¡­? Stryyyyg?¡± Feli poked his cheek.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg blinked, his pointed ears twitched.


    ¡°Were you eavesdropping again?¡± Feli crossed her arms.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg glanced at the Veres carriage, then back at his wife. ¡°Uh, no. Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Sure you weren¡¯t,¡± she said skeptically. ¡°So what was I saying then?¡±


    ¡°...Something about people¡¯s clothes?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I was saying you haven¡¯t grown taller the last few months, it looks like your growth spurt is finally over, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Is it? I never noticed,¡± Stryg looked himself over.


    ¡°I did. I¡¯m the one who always has to buy you new clothes every few weeks,¡± Feli twisted her lips. ¡°Anyway, you won¡¯t need new clothes while you¡¯re in Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°You know you could always come with?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already talked about this,¡± she grabbed his hands. ¡°Maeve needs my help organizing and overseeing the backed up shipment trades from all of Dusk Valley¡¯s towns and villages. The war and winter have made it difficult for merchants and their caravans.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I know.¡±


    Feli smiled sympathetically and kissed his cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely visit you in Undergrowth when I finish with work.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Rhian trotted over and placed her hand on Feli¡¯s slim shoulder, ¡°And when she does I¡¯ll keep her safe through the valley. No root-bison or valley tribesman will touch her.¡±


    ¡°There is no one I trust more with Feli¡¯s life,¡± Stryg said sincerely.


    ¡°Hah, I know,¡± Rhian winked.


    A white carriage with a blue bellflower emblazoned on the sides strolled towards them.


    Feli narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is that¡­ House Azol?¡±


    The carriage slowed to a halt and the doors swung open, Nora stepped out, baby Kamilo in her arms.


    Stryg smiled, ¡°Nora, hey-¡±


    Feli pushed him aside and rushed Nora. ¡°Oh my gods, he''s so cute!¡±


    Kamilo stared at the purple-haired woman with annoyed contempt, he slapped Feli¡¯s hands as they drew close. Feli didn¡¯t mind, she kept cooing at him while making silly faces.


    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s just a little grumpy,¡± Nora winced. ¡°He is usually asleep around this time.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for coming.¡± Stryg walked over to them.


    ¡°Of course, we couldn¡¯t let you leave without wishing you good luck,¡± Nora smiled.


    The moment Kamilo spotted Stryg he stretched his tiny arms out.


    ¡°Ba!¡± Kamilo babbled. ¡°A-ba!¡±


    ¡°Looks like we know who¡¯s his favorite,¡± Rhian chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! Stryg visits him more often,¡± Feli pouted.


    ¡°The baby made his choice,¡± Stryg grinned slyly. He gently picked up Kamilo from Nora¡¯s arms, ¡°How¡¯ve you been? Hm?¡±


    ¡°Buuu, a-ba,¡± Kamilo giggled and grabbed Stryg¡¯s button nose.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°The gates are opening,¡± Rhian pointed at the crowd of merchants clamoring to get through the ebon wall.


    ¡°I should get going,¡± Stryg handed Kamilo back to his mother.


    ¡°A-ba!¡± Kamilo cried, his chubby cheeks trembling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, I promise,¡± Stryg said affectionately. He took a moment to look at Feli, Rhian, Nora, and Kamilo. He wanted to remember this moment and hold it close for years to come. He swallowed, ¡°...I want you all to know, you¡¯re part of Ebon Hollow¡­ you¡¯re my family.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Feli winked.


    ¡°Now go win that tournament,¡± Nora lifted Kamilo¡¯s little arm up in a cheer.


    ¡°For Ebon Hollow!¡± Rhian cheered.


    Stryg smiled warmly, ¡°For Ebon Hollow.¡±


    He took one last look at his family, then jogged over to the gate. The rest of his teammates were already on the other side, waiting for him.


    Stryg stepped past the gate and into the small tunnel underneath the ebon wall. The eerie tunnel was pitch-black, but he could still make out the shades swimming inside the magestone. He stopped a few paces shy from the exit and stared at the dirt road right outside the tunnel.


    The last time he had left the city was with Clypeus. So many things had changed since last spring. Stryg had changed. Clypeus was gone.


    ¡°I wish you were here,¡± he whispered. He took a shaky breath, ¡°...I won¡¯t forget, I¡¯ll never forget. I¡¯ll make our dreams a reality.¡±


    Stryg stepped out of the ebon wall and into the sunrise.


    ~~~


    The day was a tad too warm for Loh, summer was almost here. They had only left Hollow Shade two days ago, but she found herself desperately missing Louise and their soft bed.


    Loh dragged her feet up the grassy hill and sighed, ¡°Remind me why we¡¯re not traveling on any of the main roads?¡±


    Tauri chuckled and marched up the hill with ease, ¡°The nearest roads were recently attacked by the valley savages. This is the fastest route to the next main road.¡±


    ¡°But why can¡¯t we just wait in the carriage with Ismene? The centaurs can climb up the hill for us,¡± Loh pointed at the dozen wagons and the pair of carriages behind them.


    ¡°Our team needs the exercise,¡± Tauri gestured at the four students climbing ahead of them.


    Stryg and Sylvie were already at the top of the hill. Callum wasn¡¯t far behind. Freya was last, she grumbled to herself that it wasn¡¯t fair she couldn¡¯t use agility magic. Tauri had forbidden them from using magic for their daily exercises.


    ¡°We need them to stay sharp for the tournament,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t see why we are out here too,¡± Loh pointed to Tauri and herself. ¡°Last I checked, we already did our part in the tourney over 10 years ago. Why can¡¯t we just relax in the carriage?¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to keep an eye out on the students.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what Vayu is doing?¡± Loh threw her thumb back and pointed at the drow riding a dire bear behind them. ¡°And he¡¯s not even walking!¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I just don¡¯t want to stay in the stuffy carriage all day,¡± Tauri shivered.


    Loh clicked her tongue, ¡°So you rather get all sweaty out here without a single bath in a dozen leagues from here?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. And you don¡¯t have to be out here, you know,¡± Tauri laughed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to walk alone,¡± Loh nudged her shoulder.


    ¡°~My hero~¡± Tauri smirked.


    Loh smiled half-heartedly and took a deep breath, ¡°We¡¯ve been really busy these last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Finals in the academy usually are.¡±


    ¡°Exactly and now we have to travel all the way to Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°Whatever shall we do?¡± Tauri gasped loudly.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that we deserve a bit of a break.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of this really nice restaurant I once went to. When we arrive at the city we could let the others settle into the tavern while we go out and have a nice dinner and try all of Undergrowth¡¯s best cuisine. I¡¯ve also wanted to talk to you about something really important to me¡­¡± Loh coughed and smiled brightly, ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    Tauri glanced away and licked her lips, ¡°Um, that sounds amazing, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the time¡­ Uh, my parents will be at Undergrowth too. My dad is a big fan of the tournament, he goes every year.¡±


    Loh furrowed her brow, ¡°Yeah, I know, but how does that-¡±


    ¡°My mom has been fussing about me not spending enough time with them these days. So I don''t know if I''ll be able to make it to dinner, sorry,¡± Tauri winced.


    ¡°...Oh¡­ That¡¯s okay,¡± Loh forced herself to smile.


    ¡°General Noir!¡± A guard called out from a distance. ¡°Lady Ismene requests your presence in the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Duty calls,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll guess we¡¯ll talk later?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± Tauri nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Okay, well, see ya¡­¡± she said weakly, then walked down the hill.


    After Loh was a good distance away Tauri sighed to herself.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Tauri muttered.


    A large dire bear clambered up the hill and walked over to Tauri. Vayu jumped off the bear¡¯s saddle and straightened his jacket.


    ¡°Vayu?¡± Tauri cocked her head to the side.


    Vayu looked her in the eye coldly, ¡°Miss Katag, we need to talk.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh walked down the hill with a dour expression. She was really hoping to get a chance to talk to Tauri about Louise. The human girl from the small village of Dullwater had made the past year the best Loh had ever had.


    It hadn¡¯t seemed possible, but when she was with Louise, she was actually happy, something she hadn¡¯t been in a very long time. Loh didn¡¯t want to let Louise go, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.


    Loh reached into her pocket and felt the golden ring inside.


    She wanted to tell Tauri everything, about how serious she was for Louise and that she wanted Tauri to be her best woman for the wedding.


    Maybe I should just tell Tauri now¡­ Loh thought.


    The carriage door opened in front of her.


    ¡°Come in, Elohnoir,¡± Ismene said.


    Loh sighed, ¡°You know I hate it when you call me that.¡± Still, she climbed inside the carriage and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°It is your name and I find it quite beautiful,¡± Ismene said as if it was the most obvious statement in the world.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± Loh asked tiredly.


    ¡°...Last night one of our scouts spotted a large blanket of fog encroaching on us from the south. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t think much of it. But when morning came, the fog was still there. It¡¯s been following us ever since, keeping its distance just right out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Frost-mist,¡± Loh uttered quietly.


    ¡°I read your report from last spring¡¯s incident at Widow¡¯s Crag. Vayu and you mentioned frost-mist in the report, but there was very little said, just a mention of a frost wolf pack. Is there anything you¡¯d like to share about that night? I need to know if we have to deal with this threat before it gets any closer to the children.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Loh yelled. She bit her tongue and leaned back, ¡°I mean¡­ No, I don¡¯t think the frost wolves are here to hurt us.¡±


    Ismene narrowed her beige eyes, ¡°Frost wolves are never seen outside of Rupture Mountains and Vulture Woods, and now, not only once, but twice they have appeared in Dusk Valley. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. But I don''t think they''ll act first. If we don¡¯t antagonize the pack, they¡¯ll keep their distance.¡±


    ¡°You seem very certain,¡± Ismene said suspiciously.


    ¡°Just a hunch,¡± Loh shrugged. ¡°All I know for certain is that if we fight that frost wolf pack, people will die.¡±


    Ismene tapped her cane in thought. ¡°...Very well. We won¡¯t act, yet. Hopefully, the wolves lose interest soon and go on their way.¡±


    Somehow I doubt that, Loh thought grimly.

 Chapter 243: Confrontations

    Chapter 243: Confrontations


    Vayu looked the beautiful orc in the eye, ¡°Miss Katag, we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°Vayu? What is it?¡± Tauri asked curiously. She glanced at the large dire bear next to him and whistled, ¡°Pretty amazing beast by the way. Where did you find it?¡±


    ¡°...The Hunter¡¯s Guild acquired him deep in Glimmer Grove Forest, near Vulture Woods. My family bought him from the guild after I lost¡­ my fire drake and hawk.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± she said softly. ¡°I sometimes have nightmares about that night.¡±


    ¡°We all do,¡± Vayu sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t know when that Monster might appear again. Or if we¡¯ll even survive another encounter¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± she chuckled anxiously.


    ¡°We have to try and enjoy each day we have,¡± he nodded slowly. ¡°Which is why I find it strange why you would torture Loh.¡±


    ¡°Torture?¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°I¡¯d never hurt Loh, she¡¯s my best friend.¡±


    ¡°I overheard your conversation with Loh a few minutes ago,¡± Vayu patted his dire bear¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You cast a binding spell and eavesdropped on us through your bear!?¡± Tauri snarled.


    ¡°I was training my bear, helping him get used to my true magic. I didn¡¯t mean to listen to your conversation with Loh, but it happened¡­ And I saw it.¡±


    ¡°Saw what, asshole?¡± she glared at him.


    ¡°I saw you shy away from Loh the moment she tried to express herself, I saw the look on your face.¡±


    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I ask ¡®what are you talking about¡¯ if I knew what you were sayi-¡±


    ¡°You know Loh is in love with you.¡±


    Tauri stiffened to a halt.


    Vayu narrowed his eyes, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°Tell me this. Do you love her?¡±


    ¡°...This has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°So, let me get this straight. You know Loh loves you, but instead of turning her down, you let her pine over you? Instead of confronting the situation, you ignore her feelings and pretend they don¡¯t exist. All the while she is by your side, desperately hoping that you might one day see her for her.¡±


    Tauri raised her eyebrow, ¡°Says the man desperately in love with Loh.¡±


    ¡°I told her how I feel! I expressed myself and where I stood with my feelings. ¡­She turned me down and I respected her decision. I still love Loh, but I refuse to hold her back because when you love someone you put them first. But you, what have you done for your best friend? You just ignored her feelings? You think that¡¯s some form of kindness?¡±


    Tauri bit her lip, ¡°...I didn¡¯t want us to lose our friendship, I didn¡¯t want to lose Loh.¡±


    ¡°How long have you known about Loh¡¯s feelings for you?¡±


    Tauri sighed abashedly, ¡°...Since we were students back at the academy.¡±


    Vayu burst into laughter, a bitter, painful sound. ¡°You¡­ Do you have any idea what she¡¯s gone through because of your indifference!? Had you just told her how you felt, she wouldn¡¯t have held those feelings in all those years. She wouldn¡¯t have felt so resentful! She wouldn¡¯t have let her br-¡± Vayu snapped his mouth shut. ¡°¡­She wouldn¡¯t have let her broken heart dictate the next several years of her life.¡±


    Tauri swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°I¡­ I never meant to hurt her. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her, that¡¯s why I never said anything!¡±


    ¡°My gods, you really are a coward,¡± he said in disgust. ¡°A good friend would have talked to her, turned her down, let her move on with her life! A best friend wouldn¡¯t have tried to change the topic every time Loh tried to share her feelings!¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to say?! That I was in love with Aizel?¡± Tauri laughed bitterly. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! You weren¡¯t there! Loh and Aizel didn¡¯t get along, at all. Loh only became more withdrawn when I got engaged!¡± Tauri clenched her chest, ¡°...So I pretended that I wasn¡¯t excited to get married, that it was just some kind of forced engagement by our parents. Had Loh known that I actually loved Aizel she probably would have hated both of us! I didn¡¯t want to lose my best friend!¡±


    A look of pity crossed Vayu¡¯s teal eyes, he swallowed hard, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¡­ Excuse me.¡± He bowed his head, climbed back on his dire bear¡¯s saddle, and made his way to the back of the caravan.


    As soon as he left Tauri groaned in frustration, ¡°Fuck, fuck, FUCK!¡±


    She tried shaking off the emotions rising in her chest, the feelings she had buried deep down years ago. She groaned and tried to focus on marching up the hill, one step at a time. Tauri spotted Stryg staring at her, wide-eyed, from atop the hill.


    ¡°What are you looking at!?¡± she yelled out angrily.


    ¡°Um¡­ Nothing,¡± Stryg mumbled and turned around.


    ~~~


    The warm spring day passed by quickly. Ismene was grateful for a lack of valley savages, but she was still wary of what might lurk in the dark. As night fell she had guards posted on each side of camp.


    Dinner was a small affair, the guards and the other few servants ate around their own fires away from the mages. Etiquette dictated that they were not worthy of sharing a meal with mages, a concept Stryg had difficulty understanding. Back in the Blood Fang tribe the Mothers, the chief, and the shaman would get their food first, but everyone would still eat together. That is what it meant to be a tribe, solidarity. Yet, Stryg very little of that in the encampment.


    The professors sat around a fire and ate in what Ismene had dubbed ¡®a comfortable silence.¡¯ Which was a fancy way of saying she didn¡¯t like people talking while eating. Gale joined their fire, if simply only because she also shared Isemene¡¯s tastes in dinner talk.


    Tauri ate by herself, she had created a small campfire with a simple orange spell a few dozen paces from camp. The dwarf, Cornelius Rotrusk, had tried to sit with her and strike up a conversation, but Tauri had simply given him a death stare. Cornelius smiled awkwardly and left.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The four students, Hollow Shade¡¯s chosen competitors, sat around their own fire. Freya and Sylvie chatted over dinner, while Stryg simply listened and devoured several portions of dried meat and bread.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Callum stood up. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go on a walk, clear my head.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯ve barely touched your food,¡± Sylvie said with a concerned tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry,¡± Callum smiled weakly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wander off too far, Veres,¡± Freya warned. ¡°You never know who might be hiding in the grass. Remember last time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Callum nodded solemnly and walked into the darkness.


    ¡°Last time?¡± Sylvie wrinkled her brow.


    Stryg put his plate aside and stood up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sylvie asked curiously.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t concern you, so back off,¡± Stryg snapped and walked into the dark.


    ¡°I was just asking, no need to be so damn rude,¡± Sylvie muttered.


    ~~~


    Stryg found Callum a few hills away from where they had camped. The vampire hybrid was huddled over, his shoulders shook with a slight tremble. Stryg plopped down next to him without a word.


    Callum flinched back. He reached for his sword that had been left at the camp. He frantically began channeling white mana into his hands but stopped when he noticed the silver hair and lilac eyes under the moonlight.


    ¡°Stryg? Ah, gods, you startled me,¡± Callum rubbed his puffy eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve really gotta stop sneaking up on me like that.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t bother glancing at him, instead he stared up at the silver half-moon floating in the clear night sky. ¡°I didn¡¯t grow up with a family. I don¡¯t know who my father is and my mother died in labor. The Mothers raised me, they raised all the goblins in the tribe. The Sylvan people believe that if a birth mother would raise her own child, it would create a bond between the child and her, a bond valued more highly than others. I think the Sylvan people are right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Callum sniffed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so either until I first saw Kamilo¡­ When I saw his purple eyes and that small chubby face, I knew I would do anything to keep him safe. And I¡¯m not even his father,¡± Stryg smiled wryly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°The Sylvan people didn¡¯t want bonds formed between parent and child because the tribe is meant to work together as a whole; we put the tribe over our own personal needs. At least we strive to, I don¡¯t know how many of us really achieve it. The Blood Fang¡¯s shaman certainly didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Stryg brushed his fingers across the silver bracelet on his wrist, the symbol of the bond between apprentice and master. Loh had gifted him the bracelet on his 19th birthday. He had never taken it off since.


    ¡°The Sylvan people thought personal bonds would make us weak. My people weren¡¯t wrong, of course,¡± Stryg shrugged. ¡°A baby is a huge liability in any battle.¡±


    Callum couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You never change.¡±


    ¡°I think I have,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up the bonds I¡¯ve made, even if they are a liability. But I understand if you do. If she wasn¡¯t your sister, I would have probably already killed Elise.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡­ You heard my conversation with my sister?¡±


    ¡°She insulted Clypeus at his own funeral,¡± Stryg¡¯s voice grew frigid. ¡°I will never forgive her for that.¡±


    Callum swallowed, ¡°Did you¡­? Did you hear what she said¡­ in the carriage?¡±


    ¡°About trying to use your friends? Yes.¡±


    Callum felt a shiver run down his spine, he was suddenly very aware that he was alone in the dark with a man who had razor-sharp claws.


    ¡°But I also heard what you said,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Cal, not in this. You haven¡¯t lost me.¡± He rested his hand on Callum¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We are going to win this tournament and you are going to prove your family wrong.¡±


    Callum¡¯s bottom lip quivered. ¡°...Thanks,¡± he mumbled quietly and looked away.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Stryg gazed at the stars and pretended to not notice the tears in the vampire¡¯s eyes.


    ~~~


    Sylvie sighed loudly, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Stryg back yet?¡±


    ¡°Who ever knows what Stryg is thinking?¡± Freya shrugged.


    ¡°What about Cal? He¡¯s been gone too long.¡±


    ¡°Callum might just be taking a long walk. Relax.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Sylvie frowned. ¡°What if Stryg is hurting him?¡±


    ¡°Why would Stryg hurt his friend?¡± Freya raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ? Why did he hurt Cal during the Winter Ball!?¡±


    ¡°Mm, point taken. Still, I wouldn¡¯t worry about Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Sylvie groaned in frustration. ¡°Why is it that you¡¯re all so trusting of that rude drow!? Like, one second he¡¯s nice and the other he¡¯s literally biting a kid¡¯s cheek off!¡±


    ¡°Goblin.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Stryg is a goblin hybrid. He probably is half-drow, but we don¡¯t know for certain.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know?¡± Sylvie blinked.


    ¡°No, Stryg never met his parents. He¡¯s from Vulture Woods.¡±


    Sylvie choked on her food, ¡°V-vulture Woods!? He¡¯s a Sylvan goblin? ¡­I didn¡¯t know any of them had ever left the forest.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of things you don¡¯t know about Stryg,¡± Freya said quietly.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°...Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t matter? Stryg always acts angry and every one of you is always tip-toeing around it, pretending everything is fine. Why?¡±


    Freya warmed her hands above the fire, ¡°...Not really a great dinner topic.¡±


    Sylvie crossed her arms, ¡°Captain, you told us you would do whatever it takes to help this team. How can a team function when there is no clear communication between its members?¡±


    ¡°...You really want to know¡­?¡± Freya sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ We lost someone... Clypeus Gale.¡±


    ¡°Clypeus¡­? I remember Stryg mentioned the name once, but he never explained¡­ What happened?¡±


    Freya smiled bitterly, ¡°We were attacked, last spring, in the south region of Dusk Valley, at Widow¡¯s Crag. It was one of the first attacks by the savage valley tribes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said we? You were there?¡±


    ¡°Our whole class was; Clypeus, Kitty, Nora, Kegrog, Stryg, and many others¡­ Not that you¡¯d know them, almost everyone died that night.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie¡¯s voice cracked.


    Freya closed her eyes tight as she recalled the painful memory, ¡°It was an ambush late at night, we were caught off from the professors. It was just us novices versus Lord Marek of the Cairn and his elite group of magi.¡±


    ¡°You met Marek!? The Marek? The warlord who ransacked Castle Mora?¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Freya nodded numbly.


    ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    ¡°Most of us didn¡¯t. Marek had us cornered on a cliff,¡± Freya said shakily. ¡°Only a few of us managed to escape and it was only thanks to Clypeus Gale. He stayed behind and held off Marek and his mages¡­ Clypeus died on that cliff.¡±


    Sylvie swallowed hard, ¡°Stryg said ¡®Clypeus was the best of us.¡¯ ¡­I think I finally understand what he meant.¡± She furrowed her brow, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me any of this sooner? Clypeus was a hero.¡±


    ¡°...Because we were ashamed,¡± Freya whispered.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Clypeus did not fight alone on that cliff¡­ His best friend fought by his side. Stryg fought by his side.¡± Freya clenched her hands tight, ¡°Stryg and Clypeus stayed behind to protect us. While they fought for their lives¡­ we ran away. We abandoned them¡­ I abandoned them.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Sylvie mumbled, tears in her eyes.


    Freya looked away, unable to meet her gaze. ¡°Stryg barely survived and he suffered horrible injuries. Yet everyone blamed him for the ambush, they blamed Stryg for the deaths of the entire class. And I¡­ I just licked my wounds and hid while the academy ridiculed him.¡±


    Freya stood up and dusted off her pants, ¡°You wanted to know why Stryg always seems mad? That¡¯s why. You wanted to know why I trust that rude goblin with my life? Because when everyone was about to die Stryg was one of the few who stood up to fight.¡±


    Sylvie opened her mouth, but there were no words she could find. She bit her lip and lowered her head in shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna head to sleep. You should get some rest while you can,¡± Freya picked up her cloak and left.


    Sylvie sat alone in silence and stared numbly at the crackling flames.

 Chapter 244: The Hunters Guild

    Chapter 244: The Hunters Guild


    Stryg had counted thirty people in their small caravan. Nine of them were from the academy, five professors, and four students, including himself. Gale and Lysaila were two last-minute additions, but very much welcomed by their caravan leader, Ismene, the Tempest Arch-Mage. Ismene preferred to have as much combat potential on her team as possible. Stryg wholeheartedly agreed, war had come to Dusk Valley, and one never knew where it might strike next.


    There were ten guards, who took shifts guarding the caravan and their camp at night. None of them were mage-borns, but they were soldiers from House Katag; they were well equipped and the best-trained soldiers in Hollow Shade.


    There were six wagon and carriage drivers, along with a cook and his assistant, and a pair of laborers, who helped set up camp and carry crates and whatever else the caravaneers might need. Stryg didn¡¯t speak much with any of them, not that he particularly tried to, but they shied away from the mages save for the occasional polite greeting.


    Instead, Stryg spent his mornings training his sword forms with Gale and Lysaila, and spent his evenings meditating with Ismene and his three teammates. The rest of the day was mostly spent walking or riding in the carriage as they traveled down the dirt roads to Undergrowth.


    The week passed by in a blur of hills and tall grass. By the end of the fifth day, the green trees of Glimmer Grove forest spanned across the horizon.


    Freya stuck her head out of the carriage window and pointed at the tree line. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re so close!¡± she cried out in relief. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to take a bath soon!¡±


    ¡°Actually we still have around two days before we reach Undergrowth,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Thanks for killing my hopes,¡± Freya scowled and sat back in her chair with a pout.


    ¡°I just want to eat something besides dried meat and bread,¡± Stryg groaned. ¡°A nice cold mug of ale would be nice too, or some wine. I could go for some dwarven brews too.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gods, you¡¯re still thinking about drinking!¡± Freya yelled. ¡°You literally finished all the booze we had!¡±


    ¡°That was two days ago and I¡¯m not the one who started the drinking challenge,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°I do mildly regret that,¡± Callum said wryly.


    ¡°I should never have bet so much money on Sylvie,¡± Freya whispered remorsefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not her fault, she doesn¡¯t like to drink, right, Sylvie?¡± Callum asked the dire woman sitting next to him. ¡°Sylvie?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Sylvie looked up, startled.


    Callum furrowed his brow, ¡°You¡¯ve been pretty out of it these past few days, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Sylvie¡¯s scarlet eyes glanced at Stryg and then quickly glanced back to Callum. ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just a bit nervous about the tournament I guess.¡±


    Callum slipped his fingers between hers and smiled, ¡°So am I.¡±


    Freya pointed out the window, ¡°Hey guys, look! I think that¡¯s the Hunters Guild¡¯s camp over there!¡±


    A dozen or so green tents blended into the tall grass in the distance. It would have been difficult to spot if not for the two dozen centaurs standing nearby. A lone centaur and his rider rode out from the camp and hailed the caravan.


    ~~~


    The students¡¯ carriage door swung open, Loh stood at the doorway, her face filled with cold determination.


    ¡°Can we get out now?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°When are we going into the forest?¡± Stryg asked eagerly. He had missed the trees, more than he cared to admit. They were already at the forest¡¯s edge, he could almost smell the scent of leaves in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe to travel in the dark, we¡¯ll head out first thing in the morning,¡± Loh said. ¡°We¡¯ll camp out here with the hunters tonight.¡±


    ¡°So can we leave the stuffy carriage already?¡± Freya asked impatiently.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Loh said sternly. ¡°We need to have a quick chat before I let any of you outside.¡±


    ¡°Understood, master,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re listening,¡± Callum said respectfully.


    ¡°Good,¡± Loh said. ¡°Since my grandfather personally requested the Guild¡¯s help, it seems they have sent their leader to assist us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, their guild leader is here?¡± Freya asked, surprised.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Loh sighed. ¡°Hollow Shade does a lot of business with the Hunter¡¯s Guild, we don¡¯t want to lose our business relationship with them. In other words, I need you all to be on your best behavior around their guild leader, am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Callum smiled. ¡°We won¡¯t cause any issues.¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t, I¡¯m talking about Miss Clueless Dire over here and my stubborn apprentice,¡± Loh said.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°What? I won¡¯t do anything,¡± Sylvie raised her hands in surrender.


    ¡°Uh-huh, like when you broke our guard¡¯s wrist in an arm-wrestling match two nights ago?¡± Loh said dryly.


    ¡°T-that was an accident! I was only trying to win¡­¡± Sylvie mumbled abashedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to see any accidents these next few days, okay?¡± Loh looked at her pointedly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sylvie muttered quietly.


    ¡°And Stryg, I don¡¯t want you causing any problems either,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know this guild leader, why would I cause a problem?¡± Stryg tilted his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Loh glanced at the carriage in front of them. ¡°The Hunters Guild sometimes act as guides, but their main profession is hunting, their main interest lies in rare kinds of beasts and monsters. I don¡¯t doubt many of them might get a little¡­ ecstatic to see a lamia.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°They¡¯re going to try to kill Lysaila?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯d most likely try to capture and enslave her,¡± Callum said grimly.


    ¡°Lamias are incredibly rare. Selling a living one would make anyone rich,¡± Freya added.


    Stryg gripped Nameless¡¯ handle and stood to his feet, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone touch Lysaila.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Stryg,¡± Loh said. ¡°Lysaila is stronger than you. She can handle herself, she doesn¡¯t need your protection. Nor are we trying to start an incident with the Hunters Guild.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m just going to stand by and let them attack her,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Stryg, the hunters won¡¯t be doing anything,¡± Loh said. ¡°Well, they may mutter some things and stare greedily at Lysaila, but they won¡¯t act on their desires. Not as long as Ismene is here. The Tempest Arch-Mage¡¯s reputation is quite strong in Dusk Valley. No one would dare anger her unnecessarily. So long as you keep your calm, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°...What about Lysaila?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Please, she knows how to deal with men who try to get handsy,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°...Okay,¡± Stryg let go of his sword¡¯s handle.


    Loh stepped aside, ¡°Now come on, let¡¯s introduce you four to their guild leader. Ismene is talking to her right now.¡±


    Loh led the students through the encampment, they passed by several tents, and a few men and women dressed in long cloaks covered in leaves and twigs. The hunters stared at them unabashedly, observing their black pants and sleek boots, and the Hollow Shade sigil emblazoned on the back of their white jackets.


    ¡°Hi, hello, nice to meet you,¡± Sylvie smiled and waved at each hunter they passed by.


    ¡°They¡¯re staring a lot,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°I bet they¡¯ve probably never seen a Goldelm before,¡± Freya whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why¡­¡± Stryg whispered. He stared at each hunter in return, searching for any potential weapons hidden underneath their cloaks.


    At the center of the camp stood two women, Ismene resting comfortably on her cane, and a woman with bright red curls.


    The guild leader had a wiry frame, she stood tall, even compared to men. She spoke in a quiet voice, but her hands moved constantly. She spotted Loh and the others,  and smiled, her eyes filled with a stilled calm.


    ¡°Welcome to our humble encampment, Miss Noir. I am Astrid, leader of the Hunters Guild. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance,¡± she bowed low.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± Loh smiled politely. ¡°I appreciate you personally coming to guide us through Glimmer Grove.¡±


    ¡°Well, when the great Lord Noir himself requests a guide for his academy¡¯s finest, how could I not?¡± Astrid said. She glanced at the four students behind Loh and smiled wide, ¡°Hello, you must be the future champions of Hollow Shade, it is very nice to meet you. I am Astrid of the Hunters Guild, may I have the honor of knowing your names?¡±


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sylvie,¡± the dire hybrid grinned.


    ¡°Good evening, Miss Astrid, I am Callum of the Great House of Veres,¡± he bowed with a flourish.


    Freya brushed her blonde hair aside, the golden beads in her braids shining brightly in the sunset, ¡°I am Freya of the Great House of Goldelm, but you may call me Miss Goldelm.¡±


    Astrid¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I knew the Tempest Arch-Mage would be traveling with a scion of House Noir, but this is unprecedented. Scions of Great Houses? Not just Noir, but Katag, Glaz, Goldelm, and Veres! Here? In my encampment?¡± She went down on one knee and bowed her head, ¡°I am deeply honored to be your guide.¡±


    Ismene nodded, ¡°And we are grateful for your guidance. Stryg, why don¡¯t you introduce yourself too? Stryg¡­?¡±


    Stryg stood stock still, his pupils thin as a blade¡¯s edge. His muscles were taut and he stared out into nothingness. The tall grass all around them suddenly fell flat and the air began to vibrate quietly. Strands of hair slowly rose from their scalps.


    The group looked around in surprise and confusion. Only Freya seemed a little less confused; she turned and looked for Stryg, but he was gone.


    Stryg had walked away without even glancing at Loh or the others. He ignored the voices of his friends calling out to him. His legs moved as if almost in a trance. He strode past the tents and made his way to a small campfire where a few hunters and their centaurs ate their dinner.


    With a casual gait Stryg drew Nameless from its sheath. He stepped forward and swung his blade in a wide upward arc, slicing off the forelegs of a grey centaur in one clean swipe.


    The centaur screamed in agony and fell forward, unable to hold his own weight. The hunters and other centaurs jumped back in shock at the gruesome sight. Stryg ignored their cries and placed his foot on the grey centaur¡¯s neck and collar. The old centaur tried pushing Stryg away but he barely managed a sputtering gasp as the collar bent under the sudden force.


    Stryg leaned forward and shifted all his weight onto the helpless beastkin¡¯s throat. He stared down at the centaur, cold indifference in his lilac eyes, ¡°Having trouble breathing? Maybe you should just sleep.¡±


    The centaur¡¯s panicked eyes widened with recognition.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°No? Can¡¯t sleep? Let me help you.¡±


    Stryg raised his foot and kicked down with all the force of his rage. The ground shuddered and cracked underneath the blow, the metal collar shattered, and the centaur¡¯s neck snapped in a splatter of blood and bone.


    The other centaurs screamed and galloped away as fast they could, abandoning their riders. The hunters scrambled to their feet and ran to the tents. Stryg hurled Nameless in the air in a blur of steel. The blade struck a hunter in the calf and pierced through his shin. The hunter cried out in pain and collapsed on the bloodied grass.


    Stryg stared at the whimpering man; he was bald save for the grey hairs above his ears¡­ he hadn¡¯t changed.


    Stryg sauntered towards him, ¡°It¡¯s been almost three years, a lifetime for some. Do you remember me, poacher?¡± He smiled eerily, ¡°I never forgot you.¡±


    A shiver ran down the hunter¡¯s spine, he trembled uncontrollably and raised his hands as if to somehow ward away the monster that stood over him. ¡°W-who a-are you!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, accent¡¯s not bad, but horrible pronunciation. I doubt I could sell you for very much.¡±


    ¡°S-sell me?¡± the hunter frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Obviously. Slaves make money. And a man needs to eat. Isn¡¯t that what you said?¡±


    The hunter furrowed his brow, a faint memory scratching at his mind. He stared at Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes and gasped in horror. ¡°...Y-you! Y-you¡¯re t-the¡­¡±


    ¡°The goblin of Vulture Woods.¡±

 Chapter 245: The Hunters Standoff

    Chapter 245: The Hunters Standoff


    The poacher furrowed his brow, a faint memory scratching at his mind. He stared at Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes and gasped in horror. ¡°...Y-you! Y-you¡¯re t-the¡­¡±


    ¡°The goblin of Vulture Woods,¡± Stryg said coldly. He dug Nameless¡¯ blade deeper into the poacher¡¯s shin.


    The man cried out in terrible pain. ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry! Spare me, p-please!¡± he whimpered.


    ¡°I made a promise to myself the day I met you¡­¡± Stryg spawned an orange flame above his palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, you bastard!¡± Astrid yelled angrily. She rushed into the clearing with a dozen of her hunters behind her.


    Stryg watched calmly as they surrounded him and aimed their bows at his chest.


    ¡°C-commander Astrid!¡± the poacher cried out in relief.


    ¡°Edwin, it¡¯ll be alright!¡± Astrid smiled worriedly.


    Stryg glanced at each of his newfound enemies, his mind running through half a dozen methods of attack. Without the hunters¡¯ notice, he quietly channeled yellow mana into his veins and created durability scales underneath his clothes.


    Astrid notched an arrow and pointed her bow at Stryg, ¡°Step away from Edwin or my guild members and I will fill you with arrowheads.¡±


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Stryg said coolly.


    A blurred figure vaulted over the hunters from behind and landed next to Stryg.


    ¡°Master?¡± he asked, mildly surprised.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Loh whispered and quickly stepped in front of him.


    ¡°Miss Noir, please step aside. This man is a threat,¡± Astrid warned.


    Loh shook her head and raised her hands, ¡°Wait, please, this has to be some kind of misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°No misunderstanding, I am going to kill this poacher,¡± Stryg said with ease.


    ¡°Stryg, shut up!¡± Loh whispered harshly.


    ¡°Loh!¡± Tauri yelled from the campsite in the distance.


    ¡°Miss Katag, don¡¯t go!¡± Cornelius shouted.


    Tauri ignored the dwarf¡¯s worries, she rushed past the hunters, and made her stand next to Loh. ¡°If you want to hurt my best friend, you¡¯ll have to kill me first!¡±


    ¡°Tauri¡­¡± Loh smiled softly.


    ¡°Ah, fuck it!¡± Cornelius cursed under his breath. He slammed his hands down and channeled green mana into the earth. A pair of giant stone hands rose from the ground and hovered menacingly over the group of stunned hunters.


    ¡°If any of you dare strike those beautiful damsels, I, the Magnificent Cornelius of the Great House of Rotrusk himself, shall crush your flimsy bodies until there is nothing left of you but a memory of blood and bone!¡±


    Tauri stared at the dwarf with mild disbelief, ¡°...Where did we find this weirdo?¡±


    ¡°Ask my grandfather,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Hold the line!¡± Astrid yelled to her shaken hunters. ¡°An arrow to the chest kills a mage just as easily as any man.¡±


    The hunters nodded and raised their bows once more.


    ¡°Where are the other students?¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°Vayu took them back to the carriage, he¡¯ll keep them safe,¡± Tauri whispered. She glanced back at Stryg and the wounded poacher. ¡°Mind telling me what the fuck is this about?¡±


    ¡°Fuck if I know,¡± Loh sighed.


    ¡°Miss Noir, Miss Katag, please step aside,¡± Astrid said. ¡°I¡¯d really prefer not to fight either of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that,¡± Loh said. ¡°But if you lower your weapons I¡¯m sure we can find a peaceful solution to all of this.¡±


    ¡°After I kill this human,¡± Stryg added.


    ¡°Dammit, Stryg, shut the fuck up already!¡± Loh yelled.


    Astrid pulled her bowstring back taut, ¡°It is my duty to protect our Guild¡­ even in the face of Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families.¡±


    ¡°I think you will find that difficult,¡± Gale said from the edge of the clearing. She drew her longsword and crouched low, ready to sprint.


    Astrid stared at the sigil on the longsword¡¯s pommel. ¡°A scion of House Gale¡­¡±


    ¡°C-commander?¡± a hunter glanced at Astrid nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it easy for you all,¡± a voice hissed in the shadows. Lysaila emerged from the tall grass and rose to her full towering height. ¡°Lower your bows or I kill every single one of you ugly mongrels.¡±


    The hunters gasped.


    ¡°A lamia,¡± Astrid whispered in awe. She glanced at Lysaila¡¯s bare neck and frowned in confusion, ¡°No collar¡­? Then why?¡±


    ¡°I was about to ask the same question,¡± Ismene called out. She hobbled down the grassy hill and into the clearing with slow but certain steps. ¡°Why? That¡¯s the great question, isn¡¯t it? Like, why are we threatening each other? Were we not just having a nice conversation mere moments ago?¡±


    ¡°Tempest Arch-Mage,¡± Astrid bowed her head hesitantly. ¡°We don¡¯t want trouble, really¡­ but I cannot in good conscience abandon one of my own.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°An honorable sentiment,¡± Ismene nodded thoughtfully and looked around the clearing. She calmly noted the dead centaur, his blood soaking the dirt beneath Stryg¡¯s feet. She then spotted the wounded poacher whimpering quietly behind him.


    ¡°Is that the man you speak of? One of your own?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°Y-yes, his name is Edwin,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been with the Guild for over three decades.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Ismene sighed. ¡°Stryg, pull your sword out of that poor man¡¯s leg and give him back to them.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said bluntly.


    ¡°Stryg! This isn¡¯t the time to be stubborn!¡± Loh snapped.


    ¡°There has never been a more perfect time,¡± Stryg said softly, but there was a deep anger underneath his voice.


    Ismene stared at him for a long moment, her expression indeterminable. ¡°...Stryg, you are a smart child, if a bit impulsive at times. You know that killing this¡­ Edwin, will cause problems between Hollow Shade and the Hunters Guild. And yet you still have your sword in his leg. Why?¡±


    Stryg met Ismene¡¯s gaze without shame, ¡°He tried to sell me to slavery.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Edwin shook his head desperately.


    Stryg hissed, the small flame in his hand flared brightly.


    ¡°No, wait! Edwin¡¯s right,¡± Astrid said. ¡°The Hunters Guild may capture wild and runaway beast-kin, we even sell them in the markets, but we would never sell anyone from the chromatic races. It is against our guild¡¯s code.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ve never seen this goblin in my life!¡± Edwin cried.


    ¡°Goblin?¡± Ismene tilted her head to the side. ¡°Miss Astrid, does that boy look like a goblin to you?¡±


    Astrid glanced at Stryg and frowned, ¡°W-well, no. Not really.¡±


    ¡°What does he look like?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°His ears are pointed downwards, a very curious trait,¡± Astrid muttered. ¡°His irises are a light shade of purple, almost pink, even rarer¡­ Still, his blue skin, pale grey hair, and pointy ears are clear indications of a drow.¡±


    ¡°Curious then that this Edwin called him a goblin, no?¡± Ismene raised an eyebrow.


    Astrid looked at her hunter questioningly.


    Edwin licked his lips and pointed at Stryg¡¯s face, ¡°H-he called himself a goblin! And look at his eyes! He has slit pupils! Only goblins have slit pupils among our realm¡¯s chromatic races! What else could he be?!¡±


    ¡°A hybrid,¡± Ismene said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t call him a hybrid. You simply called him a goblin...¡± She glanced at Stryg, ¡°Explain.¡±


    Stryg slumped his shoulders and sighed, ¡°...It was almost three years ago, near the beginning of autumn. I was running through Vulture Woods, running for my life¡­ When this poacher blindsided me and struck me from behind. The next thing I knew I was tied up and on my way to Hollow Shade to be sold off.¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± Edwin yelled hysterically. ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡±


    ¡°Three years ago¡­?¡± Astrid muttered quietly. She suddenly glared at Edwin, anger burning in her eyes, ¡°You bloody traitor!¡±


    Edwin¡¯s face paled, ¡°N-no, I¡¯d never betray you, betray our people.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, you greedy, dishonorable piece of shit!¡± Astrid screamed.


    ¡°So it is true?¡± Ismene asked quietly.


    Astrid lowered her bow, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But I think so¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a little more context, if you please,¡± Ismene tapped her cane impatiently.


    ¡°The time frame matches,¡± Astrid sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that night¡­ Three years ago, a very wealthy client approached my guild for a very peculiar job. The client requested dozens of our best hunters to be sent to Vulture Woods. At first, I was going to decline, but then I noticed the exact job description. We were not being sent to hunt some rare quarry or slay a monster, no, it was an extraction mission. All the client wanted was for us to be on the lookout for anyone we might come across. If we found anyone, anyone at all, we were supposed to bring them back to the client unharmed. That was it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Our guild usually never travels to Vulture Woods, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Astrid said. ¡°But the client paid a very hefty sum upfront. The job seemed fairly simple; we were given a relatively small area to search and it was only for one night. The night of the new moon.¡±


    ¡°New moon?¡± Stryg swallowed.


    Astrid shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the timing mattered, but our client was very insistent. Like I said, the job was very peculiar. The pay was the best we had ever had, so I didn¡¯t question it.¡± She glanced at her fellow hunters, ¡°My people and I searched that entire night¡­ We never found anyone. Or at least, I thought we hadn¡¯t.¡±


    Astrid glared at Edwin, ¡°One of our men disappeared on us that night. We thought he was dead, but after a few days he came back to the guild. He told us he had gotten lost in the forest. I believed him. I was just glad he was alive. But it looks like he did find someone that night and he decided to break our code. You tried to make a double profit on the slave markets, didn¡¯t you, Edwin?¡±


    Edwin cowered under her glare. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I had a debt with one of the lesser Houses. I wasn¡¯t trying to be greedy, I was just trying to save myself. But I was wrong, I know that now.¡±


    ¡°You could have come to me,¡± Astrid shook her head. ¡°Instead you turned your back on everything we stood for. You sullied the name of our guild! The name our brothers and sisters have shed their blood and gave their lives for!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I truly am!¡± Edwin whimpered. ¡°I beg you for forgiveness!¡±


    ¡°You''re three years too fucking late!¡± Astrid yelled.


    ¡°Gods, Astrid, please! He¡¯ll kill me!¡± Edwin cried. ¡°Please don¡¯t let him kill me!¡±


    Astrid spat in Edwin¡¯s direction, ¡°Your name shall be stripped from our records. Pray to Stjerne that he shows you mercy in death. You will find none with the guild.¡±


    ¡°N-no, no, no! NO!¡± Edwin screamed.


    ¡°Quiet, you piece of shit,¡± Loh flicked her hands and wrote a short curse spell.


    The grey sigils flew at Edwin¡¯s mouth and clamped his jaw shut tight. Edwin tried squirming away in panic, but Nameless¡¯ blade kept his leg pinned to the ground. Stryg didn¡¯t notice, his eyes dull with confusion.


    Astrid nodded her thanks to Loh. She then turned and bowed to Stryg, ¡°On behalf of the Hunters Guild, please accept our deepest apologies. If you wish to kill this traitor, none of us will stop you. Edwin was meant to rescue you, instead he betrayed all of us. I am truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stryg stumbled back a step. ¡°Rescue? Extraction mission? I wasn¡¯t your rescue target. I was already home. Vulture Woods is my home. I don¡¯t know who you were looking for but it wasn¡¯t me. I never wanted to be a part of your mission!¡±


    ¡°Then I am sorry you were wrapped up in our guild¡¯s troubles,¡± Astrid bowed again.


    Loh narrowed her eyes, ¡°...Who was your client?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t divulge our client¡¯s information,¡± Astrid said.


    ¡°Who was your client?¡± Loh said coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t ask again.¡±


    Ismene smiled, ¡°She¡¯s quite serious, Commander. If I were you I¡¯d try to stay on her good side.¡±


    Astrid glanced between the two women and sighed in defeat, ¡°...I never learned the client¡¯s name. It was a woman, but she always kept her face hidden under a cloak.¡±


    ¡°You took a job and you didn¡¯t even know your client¡¯s name!?¡± Loh yelled in disbelief.


    Astrid shrugged, ¡°She paid up front. It was a lot of gold, more than I had ever seen. I didn¡¯t ask questions.¡±


    Ismene tapped the ground with her cane, ¡°Loh, the only question you should be asking is why would someone pay so much gold for our young goblin, hm?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Loh furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I already told you, I wasn¡¯t their target,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°No!¡± Lysaila suddenly gasped, her eyes wide.


    Ismene jerked back and turned to the lamia, ¡°What is it, child? What do you hear?¡±


    ¡°...It can¡¯t be,¡± Lysaila trembled.


    ¡°What?¡± Ismene asked curtly. ¡°Out with it, child!¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. He frowned, ¡°She¡¯s terrified. I can feel it. I¡¯ve never seen Lysaila like this.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched. He stiffened. It was faint, but he could hear it. It had been over ten years, but he had never forgotten the sound. The sound of wing beats.


    A roar echoed from above.


    Stryg looked up at the night sky, ¡°Dragon¡­!¡±

 Chapter 246: Pillar of Light

    Chapter 246: Pillar of Light


    A roar echoed from above. The hunters and mages looked up at the night sky, startled. A crimson dragon swooped down, the gust of its wingbeats shoved them to the ground.


    The dragon flew past the small clearing and craned its long neck at the mass of hunters still milling about the encampment. The colossal beast¡¯s chest swelled and it roared fire. The flames burned in a multitude of colors, it swam through the tents and hunters alike. The men and women screamed and floundered in agony as the flames consumed their bodies.


    The ones lucky enough to have not been doused in flames watched in horror as a dozen of their guild brothers and sisters fell to the dragon¡¯s magic. The chromatic flames burned what was left of them, leaving only charred bones. The grass had also burned to ash, yet the dead¡¯s apparel and the nearby tents had remained perfectly intact.


    The dragon flew up into the sky and turned back around, diving towards the encampment once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming back!¡± Loh shouted.


    Ismene pointed at the treeline in the distance, ¡°Loh, Tauri! Get Stryg and the others to the forest, it¡¯s our best chance at losing that monster!¡±


    Before anyone could act, Stryg pulled Nameless out of Edwin¡¯s leg and stabbed the poacher in the gut with three quick thrusts.


    ¡°Uagh!¡± Edwin spasmed in pain and coughed up a splatter of blood.


    Loh grabbed Stryg¡¯s hand and pulled him away, ¡°Stop! We need to go!¡±


    Gale and Lysaila glanced at each other, nodded, and hurried after Stryg.


    ¡°Vayu and the other students are still in the carriages!¡± Tauri yelled.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?! Get them and hurry to the forest, now!¡± Ismene yelled.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Tauri ran off.


    ¡°Miss Tauri, wait for me!¡± Cornelius yelled and ran after her in a panic.


    Astrid, leader of the Hunters Guild, stared at the burned bodies of her fellow brothers and sisters. Her face twisted with anger and grief. She screamed a war cry and aimed her bow at the dragon, ¡°Hunters, with me! Kill the fucking beast!¡±


    Her guildmates echoed her cry of battle and fired their bows with an expert¡¯s precision. Dozens of arrows screeched through the sky and struck the dragon true, yet the arrowheads shattered on its ruby scales harmlessly.


    The dragon ignored the archers and focused its attention on the few remaining hunters left in the encampment. The dragon¡¯s chest swelled and it spewed chromatic flames over the terrified prey. They fell in a mass of pitiful screams and smoke. The dragon roared in satisfaction and flew up once more.


    Loh stared in dread as the dragon came around for a third pass. She suddenly stopped in her steps and turned back.


    ¡°Master, what are you doing!?¡± Stryg yelled.


    ¡°...Their arrows are meaningless, they won¡¯t get past the dragon¡¯s scales,¡± Loh muttered. ¡°It¡¯ll kill everyone in the clearing and then us¡­ I need to slow it down.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!? We need to run!¡± Stryg shouted.


    Loh smiled sadly back at him, ¡°I can¡¯t do that, not again. Tauri, get them all to safety.¡±


    Tauri opened her mouth to object, but stopped herself. She nodded grimly, ¡°I¡¯ll come back for you.¡±


    ¡°May Bellum bless you in battle, Miss Noir,¡± Cornelius whispered quickly, before he sprinted away without hesitation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Stryg shook his head vehemently. ¡°We¡¯ll fight together! Master!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and move!¡± Lysaila picked Stryg up and threw him over her shoulder.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Stryg yelled angrily.


    His words flowed over the lamia, strange silver sigils flared over her skin. The light in her indigo eyes dimmed. ¡°No. Your survival comes first.¡±


    Lysaila ignored Stryg¡¯s shouts and slithered towards the tree-line, bypassing the encampment and carriages altogether.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the others,¡± Tauri ran off to the carriages.


    Gale didn¡¯t follow after Tauri or Lysaila. Instead, she walked up next to Loh, ¡°You¡¯re braver than you look, Noir.¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°You¡¯re staying?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯d run and let my old rival slay a dragon before me? You wish,¡± she smirked shakily.


    The dragon bellowed a deep growl and swooped down low.


    ¡°Now or never, Noir!¡± Gale yelled.


    ¡°Fuck it!¡± Loh raised her hands high and channeled orange mana. A burning orb of flames sputtered into existence above her palms and began to spin and grow in size until its diameter reached ten paces wide.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Gale pulled her arm back, blue electricity crackled on her fingertips, and extended out into a giant two-pronged lightning whip. She stepped forward and threw her arm out in one fluid motion. The Twin Storm Whip flew out in a shriek of thunder and wrapped around the scarlet dragon, holding it in place.


    The dragon roared with indignation and pulled its pale leathery wings back; the lightning strands began to break apart.


    Gale¡¯s arms shook with strain, she grimaced, ¡°I can¡¯t hold it much longer!¡±


    Loh clapped her hands together, her Infernal Sphere slammed into the dragon and exploded in a searing flare of orange light. The hunters flinched back from the overwhelming heat, a cloud of smoke covered the encampment.


    As the smoke cleared a resonant chuckle echoed from above.


    ¡°Pathetic tiny mages dare challenge Tandride The Scarlet Glory?¡± the dragon laughed in a rumbling masculine voice. There was not a scratch nor burn on the dragon¡¯s ruby scales.


    ¡°No damage?¡± Loh¡¯s face paled. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not possible.¡±


    Tandride stretched his wings wide open, a grey halo of energy coalesced in front of him.


    Gale gritted her teeth and quickly began writing red ward symbols in the air, ¡°Get behind me!¡±


    Loh jumped behind her without hesitation.


    Tandride snapped his wings together, the grey halo fell to the earth in a silent whisper. It shattered and expanded in an explosion of energy, a nimbus of power echoing outwards, destroying hunters and structures alike.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop this!¡± Gale screamed, her ward dome shook and cracked from the echoing force.


    Loh channeled orange mana into her limbs in a panic. The agility magic dyed her veins grey and lessened her weight. She wrapped her arms around Gale¡¯s waist and kicked backward as the ward dome burst in a cloud of red dust. The remnants of the halo¡¯s blast slammed into them, tearing at their clothes and skin. Loh and Gale crashed into the ground hard.


    Gale moaned weakly and tried to stand. Loh lay a dozen paces away, unconscious; her body was covered in a dozen small cuts and bruises.


    ¡°Still alive?¡± Tandride¡¯s serpentine jaw pulled back in a malicious grin. He stretched his wings wide, a second grey halo began to form around his clawed hands.


    A clap of thunder pealed in the night. The Storm Spear shattered the half-formed grey halo and struck the dragon in his chest. Tandride¡¯s head flung back and he roared in pain. A cluster of his ruby scales had been burned and cracked.


    Ismene lowered her hand, flecks of electricity still coursing through her fingers. ¡°Miss Astrid, this creature is beyond you and your guild. Take whatever hunters you have left and head for the trees, my people will need your guidance through Glimmer Grove.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± Astrid nodded tentatively. She turned to her guildmates, ¡°You heard the Tempest Arch-Mage! To the forest, now!¡±


    Tandride reared his head down at the clearing where only Ismene now stood. ¡°A small¡­human? You struck me..?¡±


    ¡°It seems I have,¡± Ismene said softly and dropped her cane. As her knee buckled beneath her, a funnel of water manifested around her waist and raised her to the sky.


    Tandride laughed, a deep rumbling sound, ¡°A child with actual power? Wonderful! Entertain me, small human!¡±


    Ismene closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ¡°Then let it be so.¡±


    Lightning sputtered and crackled from her body and merged into a spear in the palm of her hand. She flicked her hand forward, the spear resounded in a rapid boom and flew at Tandride.


    A sphere of light bloomed around the dragon and absorbed the Storm Spear in a burst of yellow energy.


    ¡°The same trick won¡¯t work twice,¡± Tandride sneered.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Ismene raised her hand up, palm open wide. Three cyclones of water flowed down from the sky and gyrated towards the dragon.


    The yellow sphere flared brightly, the cyclones smashing into it with immense force, yet the sphere did not crack nor shake.


    ¡°Is that all!?¡± Tandride opened his wings, a grey halo forming above him.


    ¡°Not even close.¡± Ismene raised both her arms up, a dozen more aquatic cyclones poured down from the sky and struck the yellow sphere from every direction.


    The tremendous surge of water spun and tore around the dragon¡¯s sphere in a miniature hurricane of pure magical force. The yellow sphere grew brighter and brighter as the cyclones bore down on it. The sphere shook and bent inward, but it did not shatter.


    ¡°Torrent magic is as weak as I expected!¡± Tandride taunted from deep within the waves of water, safe in his sphere of protection.


    Ismene ignored the words of derision. Her eyes were closed and she sat cross-legged above her funnel of water. Seven Storm Spears orbited around her body, each crackling with an arch-mage¡¯s will.


    Ismene¡¯s eyes snapped wide open, ¡°Die, you goddamned monster!¡±


    The seven spears collapsed into one another. The night sky flashed white. The air burned with magic. The sapphire thunderbolt hurtled into the raging hurricane and blazed a rippling azure across the clouds. A thunderclap echoed what had already transpired.


    Gone was the hurricane, evaporated the instant lightning met water. The dragon¡¯s sphere floated in tatters and patches of yellow light. Charred splotches riddled the dragon¡¯s ruby scales where his magic had been pierced. The broken sphere flared yellow once more, it slowly regenerated and returned to its whole.


    Ismene panted faintly, her body¡¯s temperature had risen drastically from the overuse of magic. She stared at the dragon grimly, ¡°...Fuck.¡±


    ¡°You tried to kill me!? ME?!¡± Tandride laughed in derision. A grey halo formed between his scarlet wings and flew out at Ismene.


    She groaned weakly and summoned the last reserves of her blue mana. Tendrils of water swirled and twisted in front of her, and formed an enormous wall. The grey halo exploded and expanded in a ring of ruin, obliterating the aquatic barrier.


    The funnel beneath Ismene collapsed from the extending blast. She used what little remained of her magic and tried to slow her fall. She slammed into the dirt with a hard thud. The old woman lay still, her body soaked in water and blood.


    Tandride flew a circle around her and laughed in contempt. He turned his sight to the forest¡¯s edge and flew towards the remaining survivors, a few hunters and mages. Tandride opened his wings wide, a grey halo forming above him.


    An ear-piercing howl reverberated through the sky and shook the hills below.


    A towering pillar of moonlight burned through the clouds and pierced Tandride in all-consuming luminescence. The silver pillar obliterated the dragon¡¯s sphere of protection and scorched him in glacial light. Tandride cried out in agony, but his shriek ended abruptly, his scaled body frozen in a blinding flash.


    The pillar of light disappeared as quickly as it had struck. The frozen dragon tumbled down from the sky and crashed into the ground, shattering into countless ruby shards.


    Gale watched the dragon¡¯s fall in utter shock and confusion. It didn¡¯t make sense, what had killed him? Still, she needed to move quickly, time for questions would come later. She would not wait to see what had made the pillar of light.


    Gale grimaced and pushed herself to her feet. She stumbled a step, but steadied herself. She limped over to Loh, picked her up, and threw the drow over her shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty light, Noir,¡± Gale grinned weakly.


    Loh didn¡¯t open her eyes, but she mumbled something indeterminable.


    Gale made her way to the small clearing where the Tempest-Archmage lay still in a small pool of water and blood.


    Gale swallowed the lump in her throat and reached down to check the old woman¡¯s pulse. Nothing¡­ then a beat, faint, but a heartbeat nonetheless.


    ¡°Oh thank Bellum,¡± Gale sighed in relief. She ignored the pain wracking her body and gently picked Ismene up in her arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ismene. We¡¯ll get you some help, just hold on,¡± Gale whispered softly. ¡°Just hold on, please.¡±

 Chapter 247: A Dark Beginning Part 1

    Chapter 247: A Dark Beginning Part 1


    Deep in the Violet Realm, in the Duality Mountains, ash and fragments of rock rained down from the darkened sky as Mt. Mov roared in a deep rumble of magma and smoke. Half the Eastern Forest had already burned to cinders and the runoff lava seemed nowhere close to stopping.


    There had been no hint of Mount Mov¡¯s eruption, not even a whisper in the earth. No one had seen the disaster coming, not the soothsayers, not the nobles, not even the gods themselves, but it was the mountain folk who paid the price. The Florains had abandoned their burning mountain villages and rushed down the mountains, hoping to escape what followed behind them.


    One woman did not run down the mountains, nor did she try to avoid the lava that crept down the rocky slopes.


    Yara ran through the forest with flitting strides, each step imbued with agility magic. The orange mana coursing through her veins halved her body¡¯s weight and enhanced her nimbleness. She jumped from branch to branch with ease, avoiding the lava altogether.


    She stopped and rested on the branch of a particularly tall tree that had yet to be touched by the lava. Even here, away from the fiery destruction, the air was thick with smoke.


    ¡°Just my luck,¡± she sighed.


    The trip to the Violet Realm was meant to be easier than her regular undertakings. It was supposed to be a nice and quiet respite really. All she needed to do was visit the Eastern Forest, study the rare flowers that grew on the eastern side of the mountain range, and speak to some of the villages¡¯ soothsayers about the local fauna. She could spend the rest of her stay whatever way she pleased.


    She had never expected the largest peak of Duality Mountains¡¯ to explode in an infernal storm that made the Bronze Realm¡¯s volcanoes seem like a mild breeze. As if the destruction of the Eastern Forest wasn¡¯t bad enough, Silverderin Keep had been built on Mount Mov.


    The fortress¡¯ impenetrable magical barrier had kept the dark monsters of the Western Forest on their side of the mountains since the Sundering Age. For thousands of years, Silverderin Keep and its legendary warriors had protected these mountains and the lands to the East.


    Mount Mov¡¯s eruption had ripped half the mountain apart and obliterated anything in a two-league radius. In a single instant, everything had been lost. Silverderin Keep was no more, not a single white brick left. The Silverderin Paladins were no more, their bodies nothing but ash in the wind. The magical barrier was no more, the dark creatures of the Western Forest were free to step into the East for the first time in thousands of years.


    The few villages that had survived the eruption¡¯s initial explosions were now overrun with monsters. When Yara had arrived in one of the last remaining villages, the soothsayers and warriors were busy fighting off half a dozen monsters.


    Yara by chance met a small group of survivors, running down with what little they could carry on their backs. She planned to stay hidden up in the trees until they passed, but she recognized the old woman leading the group.


    Yara jumped down the trees and landed on the ground with a quiet soft step. The survivors stumbled backward, fear and anxiety clear in their eyes. Instead of glancing away to reassure them she was not a threat, Yara found herself staring into the white pupils of the Florain people. It was an uncommon trait, even she had rarely encountered it in her travels.


    ¡°Everyone calm down, she is a friend,¡± the old woman stepped forward. ¡°I cannot tell if it is fortune or an omen that you have arrived at this tragic hour. Tell me, are you still a friend to my people?¡±


    ¡°As you once told me, a fellow mage is always a friend in these mountains. May the mountain goddess bless you, soothsayer,¡± Yara bowed in the customary greeting. She lifted her index and middle fingers and touched the sides of her head, where a Florain¡¯s horns would be.


    The soothsayer looked haggard, but she forced herself to smile anyway. She brushed her burnished orange hair back and touched her silver horns. ¡°Thank you for the kind gesture, but I¡¯m afraid that will no longer be possible.¡±


    Yara sent her a questioning look, ¡°This is a tragic day that will not be forgotten, but you can always rebuild, the story of you and your people does not end today.¡±


    ¡°Big words from an outsider who has never cared to lift a finger for us,¡± the soothsayer said bitterly.


    ¡°I am but a simple observer, nothing more,¡± Yara said politely.


    ¡°Spare me your lies,¡± the soothsayer shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t care, like everyone else. There will be no help for my people here, the mountains are lost. Silverderin has fallen.¡±


    ¡°I saw,¡± Yara stared at the smoking and burning remains of Mount Mov in the far-off distance. ¡°The volcano¡¯s eruption can be seen far down the mountains I reckon. The kingdoms will send their armies to quell the monsters from the west.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no they won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The queens and kings can be a stingy bunch of assholes, but even they will not ignore the calls of the mountain. They will answer.¡±


    The soothsayer closed her eyes painfully, ¡°Not if the mountain goddess is dead.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!? How?¡± Yara frowned in confusion. ¡°Was she caught in the eruption?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know she is dead? There is nothing in these mountains that could ever harm her. And even if there was, she could always fly away.¡±


    ¡°...I saw her body,¡± the soothsayer mumbled. ¡°Our goddess died in those trees,¡± she pointed a shaky finger to the mountain across from them.


    ¡°How?¡± Yara whispered.


    ¡°She was defending our people¡­ I did not see what happened, but a few hunters from another village said they saw a great ape-like monster emerge from the west. The goddess defended our people¡­ and that monster killed her.¡± The soothsayer closed her eyes, but the tears slipped down her cheeks anyway. ¡°...So you see, no king nor queen will send their armies here. There is no hope left on these mountains.¡±


    ¡°...Where will you go?¡±


    ¡°Some of the other villages, what is left of them at least, are hoping to find refuge in the plains. However, we and a few other villages are trying to reach the Duality¡¯s central river. The waters will keep us safe from the lava and hopefully whatever monsters lurk in these trees.¡±


    ¡°But the mountain river leads away from the plains?¡± Yara furrowed her brow.


    The soothsayer smiled, ¡°We are not going to the plains. We are wise enough to know we will not be welcomed down there. The rest of the realm finds our horns unsettling, our yellow skin strange¡­ It is time we strike out on a new path. The elders and I know of a realm bridge.¡±


    ¡°Realm bridge?¡± Yara¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is a risky plan, even for you. Those paths are more dangerous than you think.¡±


    ¡°...The realm bridges are the only way to travel to another realm, far from the politics of these lands,¡± the old woman said. ¡°A few other soothsayers have crossed the bridge before. We have friends in the Azure Realm; there is a town on a small island, protected by a sea guardian. They will take us in.¡±


    ¡°Even still, this isn¡¯t a good idea. Crossing a realm bridge is anything but safe,¡± Yara shook her head. ¡°It is a fragment of land and raw magic twisted in space and time. If you are not careful it will close around you, your people would be lost to the Null forever¡­¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°You speak as if you are terrified of them. Yet did you not cross such a bridge to arrive in our Violet Realm?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same and you know it. I¡¯ve learned to navigate through the bridges. How many of your people can say the same?¡±


    The soothsayer bit her lip, ¡°...You could come with us, help guide us through the realm bridge¡­ We could really use your help.¡±


    Yara made a reluctant face and took a step back, ¡°Unfortunately, I have more pressing matters.¡±


    ¡°I should have guessed,¡± the old woman sighed. ¡°Outsiders are all the same, no matter how often they proclaim to be our people¡¯s friends.¡± The soothsayer stepped around Yara and kept walking down the mountain.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Yara called out. ¡°Please.¡±


    The soothsayer glanced back at her, a small glimmer of hope in her white pupils, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°This monster, the one that killed the mountain goddess¡­ where can I find it?¡±


    The soothsayer¡¯s expression turned to disgust, ¡°That is what you care about? The monster from the dark side of the mountain? Nothing good comes out of the Western Forest!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Yara swallowed. ¡°A monster capable of killing a goddess? Don¡¯t you see? I mean, think of the possibilities!¡± Her eyes widened with excitement, ¡°What sort of creature is this? With that sort of power, it could very well be a beast from the Age of Memory! If I could just even get a glimpse of such a creature, it would be a tremendous learning experience.¡±


    ¡°...What is wrong with you? That thing killed our goddess, it killed my brothers and sisters! And you want to what? Play with it!?¡±


    ¡°Study it, preferably. Learn from it if I can,¡± Yara said earnestly.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t care about any of us, do you?¡± the soothsayer turned her back and kept walking.


    ¡°Wait! Which way did the monster go?¡± Yara called out.


    ¡°No one knows, it ran back into the forest, it could be anywhere,¡± the soothsayer muttered angrily.


    ¡°...Right,¡± Yara nodded to herself. ¡°Thank you and good luck!¡±


    The soothsayer didn¡¯t bother to answer. The rest of the villagers followed behind her and occasionally sent Yara looks of disdain.


    It didn¡¯t bother Yara, the mountain folk could keep their opinions. There was something far more interesting wandering through these mountains and she was determined to see it for herself.


    Yara leaped up to a nearby branch and made her way through the Eastern Forest, jumping from one branch to another. The fire had yet to reach this far out, but it was only a matter of time. She needed to find the creature soon. There were only so many places it could hide, the forest was growing smaller with each minute.


    After an hour of fruitless searching, Yara noticed a pair of bulky beasts lumbering down the mountain. She hid among the leaves and observed them.


    Their bodies were covered in a bright blue shell that reminded her of a species of beetles she had seen in the Aurous Realm, but that was where the similarities ended. Long tendril-like tongues slithered out from the beasts¡¯ mouths, gliding on the ground with erratic movements. Their bulbous yellow eyes moved separately, each pupil staring at something different.


    The repulsive creatures were clearly from the Western Forest, yet they did not seem aggressive as was often the nature of such beasts. No, their movements were shaky, almost guarded.


    Yara narrowed her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re scared,¡± she muttered.


    The beasts¡¯ heads snapped up at the noise, their long tongues shot out at the tree where Yara hid. The branches shattered into a rain of splinters, but Yara was gone, only a few flecks of orange light among the branches remained.


    Above the ash-covered canopy, the air crackled as Yara¡¯s body was pulled back into existence in an explosion of orange sparks. She landed on top of a tree with an unsteady stance. Her head stomach churned and she resisted the urge to vomit.


    Even now, after years of practice, casting a flicker spell still made her nauseous. Among the true chromatic magics, flicker magic was said to be the most dangerous to cast. But Yara didn¡¯t care, she refused to part with the ability to slip through space itself.


    Instead, she recalled her training and focused her breathing. The nausea and lightheadedness quickly dissipated a few breaths later. Before she could take a moment to recollect her thoughts, she spotted a peculiar sight in the distance. The forest groaned as tree after tree toppled over in a straight path away from the inferno that was left of Mount Mov. Something big was moving through the woods and it was moving fast, running from the raging forest fire.


    Yara tried to get a better look from her vantage point, but she was too far, the ash and smoke too thick. Still, she had a pretty good idea of what it could be.


    Yara smiled, ¡°I found you.¡±


    She bent her legs and stood back up in a quick series of stretches. It would take several flickers to reach what she hoped was the god-slayer beast. The strain on her body would be troublesome, but worth it, if the soothsayer¡¯s story was to be believed.


    As Yara channeled orange mana into her body she stiffened to a halt. The fallen trees, the path being made by the creature¡­ it was headed towards the river.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± she swallowed.


    ~~~


    Yara ran through the forest, flickering through the trees as quickly as she could. She reached the edge of the river faster than she had hoped. There was no sign of the creature yet. The villagers were packing what little they had into a few dozen canoes.


    Yara waved her arms frantically, ¡°H-hey! You need to get out here, NOW!¡±


    A few of the villagers turned around at the sound of her voice. They furrowed their brows and called out in a questioning manner.


    ¡°Ah shit,¡± Yara frowned and tried to steady herself. The backlash of the magic was getting to her. Her vision blurred and her senses grew dull. She slowed her breathing and tried to focus on not puking.


    A deep roar bellowed across the river. The villagers yelled in fear and looked at each other in panic. The treeline suddenly burst, giant chunks of wood flew out and crashed into the water. A colossal monstrosity emerged from the woods in a rush of strength and speed.


    The beast towered over thirty feet. Its body resembled an ape, but its face was feline. Silver stripes stretched across the thick white fur that covered its body save for the arms. Deep purple scales coated the beast¡¯s arms and clawed fingers.


    The monster roared and leaped into the river, smashing apart half a dozen canoes and the men and women inside. The other villagers screamed in terror and jumped out of the canoes. The monster swiped into the water like a bear catching fish, and tore apart their bodies with its sharp claws.


    The village soothsayers and warriors yelled in defiance and stood in between the monster and their families. Yara turned around and flickered into the trees and out of sight. The warriors threw their spears and fired their arrows, yet the weapons glanced off the beast¡¯s fur without harm.


    Yara had expected no less, this creature had held its own against the mountain goddess. While she lamented the fact that the villagers had to find out this way, she was nonetheless interested in seeing how the beast fared against magic.


    But as the soothsayers raised their hands and channeled their spells, Yara¡¯s face paled with fear. The purple scales over the monster¡¯s arms shivered and darkened. The soothsayers¡¯ spells were forcibly pulled towards the monster¡¯s arms. The scales flashed bright and reflected the spells back at the soothsayers. The magic tore at the villagers in a storm of blood and water.


    The monster didn¡¯t feast on the corpses or even bother with what was left of them. Instead, it waded through the river and made its way down the mountain, anger, and excitement clear in its eyes.


    Yara watched in silent horror. She had been wrong. She had been so terribly wrong. This creature wasn¡¯t a beast from the Age of Memory. No, this monstrosity had lurked in the Western Forest long before that. This thing was why Silverderin Keep had been built in the first place, to protect the realm from the horrors few dared whisper. This was a dark god from the Sundering Age.


    ¡°I need to leave,¡± Yara whispered.


    This was way above her capabilities. She needed to get home as soon as possible. She had to let the others know what she had witnessed.


    As Yara turned to leave, a faint whisper drifted into her ear, ¡°...help¡­ em.¡±


    Yara frowned and looked back at the river. A young woman lay broken at the rocky shore. Her legs were mangled and a shard of rock jutted out of her stomach, but the Florain woman was still alive.


    Yara sighed to herself. Leaving the woman alone would be unnecessarily cruel, the least she could do was put her out of her misery.


    Yara looked around carefully and made sure the dark god had left before she made her way back down to the river. She walked over to the dying woman and drew the dagger from her waist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick, I promise,¡± Yara whispered gently.


    The Florain woman swallowed a mouthful of blood, ¡°Help¡­ them¡­¡±


    Yara glanced around plainly, ¡°There is no one left. You can rest now, you¡¯ll be with your family soon.¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ the children¡­¡±


    ¡°Children?¡± Yara frowned. Now that the woman mentioned it, Yara hadn¡¯t recalled seeing any children on the canoes. ¡°...Why do I have a bad feeling about this,¡± she muttered.


    Yara didn¡¯t want to ask, this wasn¡¯t her problem, but some small part of her couldn¡¯t help but utter the words. ¡°Where are the children?¡±


    The dying woman weakly glanced down the river.


    Yara shook her head without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you. There is nothing on this mountain that can stop that ancient monster. Your children are as good as dead.¡± She turned around and walked away. She stopped in her steps and glanced back. ¡°...Dammit.¡±

 Chapter 248: A Dark Beginning Part 2

    Chapter 248: A Dark Beginning Part 2


    The rainforest was bathed in a blanket of ash as the flames of Mount Mov¡¯s eruption billowed across the mountainside. Ash rained down from the darkened sky and drifted down into the rushing river.


    Six canoes filled with children floated down the river. They had been down the river before, but never without the adults. The elders and soothsayers had told them to go on ahead, that they would catch up eventually. But as the flames began to overtake the trees near the shore, Aqila worried that the adults might have gotten caught in the fire.


    Aqila tried her best to paddle the canoe down the river while trying to appear like she knew what she was doing. She had never steered a canoe before, there had never been a need. But she was fifteen and the eldest among the children, which meant the soothsayers had placed her in charge of watching over the other children.


    Aqila glanced back at the other five canoes behind her and the haggard children huddled together, most of them crying. How could she ever hope to watch over this? In just a single morning they had lost their villages, many of them their families. Aqila was one of the lucky few who still had both her parents, but they were still back up the river, coming soon, hopefully.


    Please come soon, Aqila whispered a silent prayer.


    She couldn¡¯t lead these kids, she was just a kid herself. She just wanted to go home¡­ but there was no home, not anymore. She closed her eyes tight and tried her best not to cry, she needed to be strong right now, if not for herself then for the other three children in her canoe.


    Duncan sat with his knees up and his arm around his little sister, Emma. Duncan was thirteen, his silver horns had barely begun to grow in. Emma was nine or eight, Aqila couldn¡¯t recall. The little girl had always been running around their village giggling with her friends. Emma¡¯s smile was gone now, her eyes filled with tears. Their parents hadn¡¯t been seen at the rendezvous point upriver. No one has seen them since this morning. Still, Duncan and Emma held hope, albeit wrapped around a bundle of fear and worry.


    ¡°Duncan¡­ I need your help paddling,¡± Aqila said.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah¡­¡± he nodded and grabbed the other paddle.


    ¡°Aqila, where is everyone else?¡± Emma asked with a small voice.


    ¡°Like I told you, they''re coming,¡± Aqila tried to smile.


    ¡°Mom and dad too, right?¡± Emma bit her lip.


    Aqila swallowed and nodded weakly, ¡°Yeah, definitely.¡±


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Emma smiled in relief. ¡°I knew they would come. I bet your parents are coming too,¡± she glanced at the last child in their canoe.


    He was a small boy, about as old as Emma. He was from one of the neighboring villages. They had seen him once or twice in the occasional festivals, but they didn¡¯t even know his name. The other canoes were full, so he had simply been put in with the three of them.


    The small boy hadn¡¯t said a single word. The moment he had stepped into the canoe, he had gone into the other end of the boat and huddled there by himself. There were no tears in his green eyes, but they were dull, almost lifeless. He held something close to his chest, but he kept it hidden underneath his ragged cloak.


    Aqila was the granddaughter of one of the village soothsayers. She had helped her grandmother with funeral rites before, she had seen death before¡­ Aqila knew what pain and loss looked like, the feeling of rejection and disbelief one felt at the death of a loved one. But the look in the boy¡¯s eyes was neither anger nor disbelief, it was grim acceptance.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m Emma. This is my big brother, Duncan. What¡¯s your name?¡± Emma asked restlessly.


    The small boy ignored Emma¡¯s words and simply stared out into the rushing waters.


    ¡°Hey, my sister is talking to you, the least you can do is tell us your name,¡± Duncan glared at him.


    The small boy slowly looked up at Duncan, as if registering his voice for the first time.


    ¡°Leave him alone, Dunc. If he doesn¡¯t want to talk, he doesn¡¯t have to,¡± Aqila said.


    Duncan frowned, ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No buts, keep paddling,¡± Aqila snapped. Her expression grew soft, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, not today.¡±


    Duncan nodded silently and kept paddling.


    Emma stared at the small boy with the unending curiosity of a child. ¡°Hi,¡± she waved her tiny hand.


    ¡°...Hi?¡± the boy said hesitantly.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Emma craned her neck and tried to peer past his ragged cloak.


    The boy raised his arms as if to protect himself and curled up at the edge of the canoe.


    Aqila clicked her tongue, ¡°Emma, I said leave him be-¡±


    A shivering roar echoed across the river. The dark god burst from the edge of the river behind them. Its ape-like legs waded through the water as it beat its chest with crystalline-scaled arms. The god¡¯s violet eyes settled on the six canoes in the distance and its feline mouth pulled back in a vicious smile.


    The children cried out in terror and panic at the sight of the thirty-foot monstrosity. A few of the children jumped out of their canoes and tried swimming to shore, but were washed away by the river.


    Emma screamed, a painful ear-throbbing screech. The small boy whimpered quietly and curled into a fetal position.


    ¡°Keep paddling! Dunc!¡± Aqila yelled at the top of her lungs.


    The paddle slipped out of Duncan¡¯s trembling hands. He turned to Aqila, desperate for some sort of hope.


    The dark god leaped into the sky and crashed down into the canoes. The river exploded in a wave of destruction, the water rippling out in giant waves, sweeping out a hundred paces. The children¡¯s screams died, their voices silenced beneath the waters. Shards of wood the size of an arm drifted across the river in a mixture of blood and sand.


    In the span of a breath the canoes had all been destroyed, save for the one at the front. The crashing wave had propelled the canoe forward. Miraculously the canoe hadn¡¯t capsized under the ensuing onslaught of raging waves. It had taken every ounce of strength Aqila had to hold Emma and Duncan from falling overboard.


    The small boy cried out in surprise as the waters slammed into him and swept him away. His ragged cloak caught on the canoe¡¯s bow. The boy clung to the boat¡¯s hull desperately.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Aqila yelled.


    ¡°I got her! Go!¡± Duncan shouted and held his little sister tight.


    Aqila gripped the wooden beams between the canoe and pulled herself towards the other end of the canoe. The small boat spun and swayed as the water pelted down and around them. Aqila gritted her teeth and squinted, trying to see through the water. She spotted the little boy dangling at the edge of the canoe and reached out with her arm.


    Aqila¡¯s fingers wrapped around his wrist. ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± she yelled. ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± She threw back her weight and slammed down into the canoe, pulling the boy with her. They stayed on the floor of the canoe as it rocked back and forth until the waters settled back down.


    ¡°...Are you okay,¡± Aqila huffed tiredly.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°...Mm,¡± the boy nodded faintly.


    The dark god¡¯s eyes widened in mild surprise at the sight of the surviving canoe. It charged at them, bounding through the river with ease.


    ¡°Oh, gods! Aqila, it¡¯s coming back!¡± Duncan cried desperately.


    A javelin of flames splashed on the god¡¯s back. Not a single hair on its white fur had been burnt, but the monster roared in indignation and spun around searching for the attacker.


    Yara flickered onto the canoe in a burst of orange sparks. The children cried out in shock and stumbled back.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m here to save your sorry asses!¡± Yara snapped.


    ¡°W-who are you!¡± Duncan asked fearfully and pulled Emma close.


    Aqila¡¯s eyes widened with recognition, ¡°You¡¯re that tall woman who was talking to my nana this morning.¡±


    Yara stared at Aqila¡¯s face and silver horns, ¡°I can see the similarities... Your grandmother was a brave one.¡±


    ¡°Was¡­?¡± Aqila¡¯s voice cracked.


    The dark god bellowed in a deep guttural language, its words lost to them, but the intent was clear, it wanted them dead.


    ¡°Help us!¡± Duncan yelled desperately. ¡°Kill it with magic!¡±


    ¡°Pft! Are you kidding me!? I can¡¯t beat that!¡± Yara laughed.


    The dark god roared in agreement and ran at them on all fours.


    ¡°Save us!¡± Emma cried.


    Yara¡¯s shoulders slumped, ¡°Honestly, what am I even doing here? I can¡¯t beat this thing.¡± She looked into the fearful eyes of the children and swallowed. Her lips curled in a shaky smile, ¡°But let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ¡°I just invented a new spell the other day¡­ Maybe that might work,¡± Yara laughed nervously.


    ¡°Maybe!?¡± Aqila yelled anxiously.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it is to create a new spell!?¡± Yara channeled orange mana into her hands, pouring as much mana as she could manage into her fingertips. She aimed her open palms towards the dark god, a seed of blue flames screeched into existence between her hands. ¡°Azure Flower!¡±


    The seed exploded in a flood of sapphire light, the flames devoured the water and air. The river erupted in a bloom of steam all around the canoe. The burning forest paled amidst the raging azure inferno.


    The dark god raised its arms, the violet scales darkened and shivered with power. The azure flames flowed around the dark god and coalesced into a blue seed above its scaled arms. The dark god turned to Yara and laughed darkly.


    Yara¡¯s eyes widened in panic, ¡°Oh shit, I was wrong. I was very wrong!¡±


    The dark god lunged and flung the flame spell back at its caster.


    Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Yara watched the flood of flames burn towards them. The ancient monster could manipulate a mage¡¯s spells, she had never stood a chance. It was time to admit she was in over her head and flicker away.


    Yara turned her neck and glanced back at the children¡¯s terrified faces. They would die, be consumed in a single instance of heat and magic. Their pain would be over quickly. She had seen life extinguished in such a manner plenty of times before, this was no different. Life moved on, at least, hers did.


    So why¡­ Why couldn¡¯t she just run?


    What was she doing? The size alone¡­ She¡¯d be drained, escape would be impossible. But she couldn¡¯t¡­ she couldn¡¯t just sit by¡­ not again¡­


    ¡°Not one more fucking time!¡± Yara screamed. She threw her arms out and grabbed both sides of the canoe¡¯s hull.


    Orange light suddenly consumed the boat and exploded in a burst of sparks. Azure flames burned through the empty river. The dark god narrowed its eyes and roared in frustration.


    The canoe flickered into existence several dozen paces away below a few unburnt trees near the shore. The hull slammed into the ground sending Yara and the children careening out. Yara spun in the air and landed on her two feet softly. The children hadn¡¯t fared as well, they had slammed and crashed into the hard-packed earth with a solid thud.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Yara called out. She suddenly grimaced, as a sharp pain stabbed into her head. She had never flickered such a large volume before and the backlash was hitting her harder than ever. Her vision began to darken and she fell to one knee.


    The children groaned in pain, their first flicker taking a toll on their young bodies. Emma vomited and Duncan followed a second after. Aqila held her ribs and coughed weakly.


    The small boy swayed unsteadily to his feet and patted his ragged cloak. His eyes widened with fear and he looked around frantically. ¡°W-where are you!?¡± he mumbled desperately.


    ¡°Get up, all of you!¡± Yara said between labored breaths. ¡°We need to go before that monster finds us!¡±


    Aqila grimaced, but she clenched her hands and pushed herself up. ¡°Duncan, Emma, get up, please,¡± she pleaded.


    Duncan wiped the vomit from his mouth and helped his little sister to her feet, ¡°Come on, Emma, we have to go find mom and dad.¡±


    Emma nodded weakly, but tears still streamed down her golden-yellow cheeks.


    ¡°There you are!¡± The small boy spotted something tiny below a nearby bush and stumbled his way to it.


    A loud roar reverberated above them. The dark god crashed down from the canopy and smashed into the ground, sending chunks of dirt and stone flying. The children screamed and floundered their way to Yara.


    Yara wrapped her arms around the children and took a deep breath. She wasn¡¯t sure she could manage another flicker spell, but she had to try. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± she said in a bleak whisper.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Aqila cried out and pointed to a nearby bush.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Yara¡¯s face paled. She hadn¡¯t noticed, one child was missing.


    The small boy was a dozen paces away, crouched under a bush, his hands rummaging underneath. The dark god¡¯s attention had been on Yara and the others, but at Aqila¡¯s panicked voice, it shifted its violet eyes towards the ignorant boy.


    Yara didn¡¯t hesitate. She jumped past the other children and flickered herself to the small boy. She appeared above him in a burst of orange sparks. With one swift motion Yara wrapped her arms around the boy and flickered. But the spell failed. She cried out in pain as her muscles clenched and spasmed from the backlash.


    Work, dammit work! Yara thought furiously.


    The dark god raised his arms and slammed them down with a loud bash of violet light.


    Yara opened her eyes hesitantly. She wasn¡¯t dead. The flicker spell had worked? But where was she? All she could see was a red membrane-like dome around her. She turned around and frowned in confusion. The bush was still right next to her.


    The flicker spell hadn¡¯t worked?


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Yara muttered and looked down at the small boy in her arms.


    He cradled something tiny in his arms that Yara couldn¡¯t quite make out.


    The small boy¡¯s green eyes were still dull but there was a faint smile on his face. ¡°I found you,¡± he whispered into his arms.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Yara stepped back uncertainly. ¡°And what the fuck is on your back!?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± the small boy looked up and tilted his head back. ¡°Oh¡­?¡±


    A red wing protruded from between his shoulders and stretched around them like a domed shield. As soon as the boy noticed, the wing unfurled and shriveled away.


    The dark god stood above them, a look of surprise across its feline features. It growled angrily and slammed its arm down on them.


    ¡°Kid, move!¡± Yara screamed.


    The small boy stared curiously at the giant scaled-arm falling above him. He placed one foot behind him, pulled his arm back, and swung. A boom of sound echoed as his fist collided into the giant arm. The purple scales shattered in an explosion of blood and bone. The dark god went flying back, its body crashing into dozens of trees.


    Yara¡¯s jaw went slack at the impossible sight.


    The small boy¡¯s face was expressionless, his green eyes almost lifeless, but he moved with determination. His legs shifted and transformed, the golden-yellow skin around his legs turned dark blue as his ankles shifted up and his knees jutted backward like a cat¡¯s. Before Yara could speak, the small boy had disappeared in a blinding flash of speed that made her agility magic seem like a mere parlor trick.


    The small boy appeared in front of the dark god and simply stared at it. ¡°Why are you trying to kill us?¡±


    The god bared its fangs and spoke in a deep unfamiliar language.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re angry?¡± The boy tilted his head to the side, ¡°That¡¯s not a very good answer. I mean, I don¡¯t really mind, I guess¡­? But you killed someone you weren¡¯t supposed to, I think.¡±


    The dark god cradled its shattered arm and roared in defiance.


    Two grey tails slipped out of the boy¡¯s back, each with a sharp blade-like black tip. The dark god jumped back to escape, but the boy¡¯s tails snapped forward and the wind cracked with a boom. The dark god¡¯s body fell apart in a dozen slabs of flesh and bone, black blood raining down all around.


    The small boy¡¯s tails shriveled away and his legs returned to normal. He turned away from the enormous corpse and casually walked back to the other children. He scratched his cheek and nodded, ¡°Um, I¡¯m ready to go now.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you!?¡± Aqila stumbled backward.


    Duncan quickly picked up Emma in his arms and hid behind Aqila.


    The small boy looked around nervously, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Yara gushed. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! I mean, how did you do that!? I¡¯ve seen shapeshifters before, but never one with such dexterity and range! And the power, the POWER! How did you do that!?¡±


    ¡°...Um, I don¡¯t know?¡± the small boy smiled uncertainly.


    ¡°You gotta tell me everything!¡± Yara said excitedly.


    ¡°How are you okay with any of this?¡± Aqila whispered.


    ¡°How are you not!?¡± Yara shook her head incredulously.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get out of here?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°Yeah, probably. This place will be covered in flames and lava soon enough,¡± Yara said off-handedly. ¡°Oh! Wait just a sec.¡± She turned around and ran all the way back to the corpse of the dark god. She picked up a chunk of the god¡¯s scaled arm, wrapped it carefully in a piece of cloth, and placed it in her backpack.


    Yara smiled and glanced back at the boy in the distance, ¡°Now, what might your story be?¡±

 Chapter 249: A Dark Beginning Part 3

    Chapter 249: A Dark Beginning Part 3


    A single canoe and its passengers floated quietly down the mountain river as the forest burned behind them. The sun had already set, but the glow of Mount Mov¡¯s burning remains lit the sky a dark red.


    Emma, Duncan, and Aqila sat on one end of the canoe, staring at the small boy who sat huddled as usual at the other end of the canoe. Yara sat in the middle with a frown.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Yara twisted her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    The small boy nodded reluctantly, ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Not even your name?¡± Yara asked.


    ¡°Uh uh,¡± he said.


    ¡°Damn, and here I thought you¡¯d be a wealth of knowledge,¡± Yara sighed. ¡°What do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Um, waking up this morning?¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°And how did that happen?¡±


    The boy closed his eyes, ¡°...It was dark, I couldn¡¯t move, I think I was sleeping¡­? Then there was this really loud sound, like the earth itself was screaming out in pain¡­ I opened my eyes and saw fire and molten rock.¡±


    ¡°Mount Mov¡¯s eruption,¡± Aqila whispered. ¡°Were you on the volcano when it erupted?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± The small boy shrugged.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Yara said. ¡°The eruption tore everything apart in a league-wide radius, nothing could have survived a direct blast. But maybe you were quite near? Anyone else would have died even from that distance, but you survived, probably incurring a lot of damage in the process. It would explain the memory loss.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± the small boy nodded.


    ¡°Does that mean he¡¯s from the dark side of the mountains?¡± Aqila narrowed her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s a monster from the Western Forest!? He¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, can you stop with all of that nonsense,¡± Yara rolled her eyes. ¡°If the kid wanted us dead I doubt there is anything we could have done to stop him. Isn¡¯t that right, kid?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­?¡± the small boy cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°If you were so strong, why didn¡¯t you kill that monster from the start?¡± Aqila asked, anger dripping from her voice.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know¡­ Better to be underestimated, than to be feared? Or something? I don¡¯t remember how the saying goes,¡± the small boy admitted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yara leaned forward with a grin, ¡°What I really want to know is what are you? You''re probably really old, right? Definitely from the Sundering Age or maybe even from the Age of Titans?¡± Yara shook her head, ¡°I know the latter is doubtful, but one can hope, right?¡±


    ¡°How is he old? He looks younger than me,¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°Shapeshifters can mask one¡¯s true appearance and some live longer than others,¡± Yara said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know anyone who can shapeshift like this kid though.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± the small boy pointed up.


    A flock of butterflies slowly descended around them. Their black and purple wings grazed the water before they flew up and back down in a spiraling pattern around the canoe.


    ¡°Butterflies!¡± Emma said happily.


    ¡°A rare variant of owl butterfly to be precise. They¡¯re native to the Duality Mountains,¡± Yara said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many at once,¡± Duncan muttered.


    ¡°They must be fleeing the fires,¡± Aqila said.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± the small boy said in awe.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Yara smiled thoughtfully.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re beautiful too! Oh, my name¡¯s Emma by the way.¡±


    Aqila cleared her throat, ¡°...Right, we haven¡¯t properly introduced ourselves. I¡¯m Aqila, this is Emma and her big brother Duncan.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you all,¡± Yara nodded with a grin.


    The small boy smiled, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m, uh¡­ I don¡¯t remember my name¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, well that won¡¯t do,¡± Yara placed a finger to her lips. ¡°How about¡­ Caligo?¡±


    ¡°Caligo?¡± the small boy said tentatively.


    ¡°Yeah, after the butterfly,¡± Yara pointed at the butterflies flitting around them. ¡°How about we call you Caligo? Until you remember your own name that is.¡±


    ¡°Caligo¡­ Caligo,¡± the small boy mumbled. ¡°What do you think, Lin-lu?¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    A small white fox poked her head out from his ragged cloak and squeaked in approval.


    ¡°The mountain goddess!?¡± Aqila whispered in shock. ¡°She¡¯s alive!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just full of surprises, aren¡¯t you kid?¡± Yara laughed.


    ¡°Huh? Goddess?¡± Caligo blinked.


    Lin-lu squeaked a mournful sound.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Caligo nodded. ¡°She says that she isn¡¯t the mountain goddess. That was her mother.¡±


    ¡°Her mother?¡± Yara asked.


    Caligo rubbed Lin-lu¡¯s head affectionately, ¡°...After I woke up this morning, I walked through the mountains, looking for anybody¡­ I found Lin-lu crying next to her mother¡¯s body. It seems Vanara had killed her.¡±


    ¡°Vanara?¡±


    ¡°The one you called a dark god,¡± Caligo said. ¡°He introduced himself, several times really. Were none of you listening?¡±


    ¡°All I heard was a lot of roaring and snarling,¡± Yara sighed. ¡°I really wish I had been able to understand Vanara. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have had to die.¡±


    ¡°No, I would certainly have killed him,¡± Caligo said calmly. ¡°He killed Lin-lu¡¯s mother. She¡¯s just a cub, but she saw her mother fall. Vanara had to die. A life for a life.¡±


    ¡°No hesitation, huh?¡± Yara said wryly.


    ¡°Are you the goddess¡¯ protector now?¡± Aqila asked.


    ¡°I am her¡­ friend? That is what she calls me,¡± Caligo said. ¡°Lin-lu is still too young to look after herself. So I took her with me. We found a ruined village. There were a lot of bodies, most were mangled, but I found the body of a boy that was relatively unscathed. I copied his form to blend in and kept making my way through the mountains. One of your kind found me and led me to the river.¡±


    ¡°And the rest is history,¡± Yara nodded. ¡°So, what do you really look like, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ huh¡­ I actually don¡¯t know,¡± Caligo admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember how to transform back. I guess only Lin-lu really knows¡­ What do I look like, Lin-lu?¡±


    The little fox trembled and buried her face in his chest.


    ¡°Is that good or bad?¡± Caligo wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m even more curious,¡± Yara smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Caligo suddenly asked. ¡°Lin-lu wishes to know.¡±


    ¡°...I want to introduce you to some people, but before that, I¡¯m taking the children to the Azure Realm, to a village on a small island,¡± Yara said. ¡°A sea guardian is said to live there and I think I have a pretty good idea of who it is.¡±


    ¡°And mommy and daddy will be there?¡± Emma asked hopefully.


    Aqila bit her lip.


    ¡°Um, no, sorry kid,¡± Yara said bluntly. ¡°They are all d-¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t there yet, Emma,¡± Aqila interrupted. ¡°They are a bit late, but before I left, the soothsayers told me that if they are a little late they¡¯ll just meet up with us at the island.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ but I want to see them now,¡± Emma¡¯s lip trembled.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see them soon, Emma,¡± Duncan smiled weakly. He shared a silent glance with Aqila and swallowed hard. ¡°...We¡¯ll get through this, Emma, I promise.¡±


    Lin-lu squeaked a small noise in Caligo¡¯s ear.


    ¡°A sea guardian, I see,¡± Caligo murmured. ¡°This sea guardian is said to be wise?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Yara shrugged.


    ¡°Do you think this mighty guardian will be able to help me regain my memories?¡± Caligo asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try,¡± Yara smiled.


    ¡°Okay then, to the Azure Realm it is,¡± Caligo nodded. ¡°Question. What is the Azure Realm?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even remember the Azure Realm?¡± Yara frowned. ¡°It¡¯s one of the ten Null Realms.¡±


    ¡°Null Realms¡­?¡± Caligo mumbled.


    Lin-lu squeaked.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Violet Realm? Fascinating,¡± Caligo patted the fox¡¯s head. He glanced up at Yara, ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing this Azure Realm, Miss¡­? Actually, I don¡¯t think I know your name. What is your name, Miss?¡±


    Yara smiled, ¡°You can call me¡­¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°...Holo¡­ Lady Holo¡­¡±


    Holo blinked and shook her head, ¡°Hm? Gregor?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, my lady?¡± Lord Sientia asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just thinking about the past,¡± she smiled reminiscently.


    ¡°Was it a good memory?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s a very old memory. Things were so different back then,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°I was so young, so eager to prove myself, so unconcerned about the consequences of my actions¡­ I was so stupid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, my lady. We all do foolish things in search of knowledge.¡±


    She smiled sadly, ¡°Oh, Gregor, your scars may be visible, but we all carry the weight of our mistakes.¡±


    He ran his hand across the burns on his cheek and shrugged, ¡°I do not regret sneaking into your city¡¯s library, even if I was¡­ injured.¡± He smiled, ¡°I got to meet you and believe me when I say, you changed everything, my lady.¡±


    ¡°A true scholar to the end,¡± Holo smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll need that dedication soon enough.¡± She looked out at Shadow Lake, the silver moon reflecting off its black waters.


    ¡°...House Thorn has been growing more curious and impatient, they wish to know of my findings in the sunken temple,¡± Lord Sientia muttered. ¡°But not to worry, I haven¡¯t told Lady Thorn anything regarding the true nature of our findings.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly have your findings been progressing?¡±


    ¡°I have been making excellent progress with the temple¡¯s engravings and murals, as you requested, my lady. Soon I¡¯ll have decoded all the upper floors.¡±


    ¡°Have you managed to open the innermost chamber yet?¡±


    ¡°...Not yet, but I have my best people working on it. I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll have it open soon.¡±


    ¡°We must hurry. I¡¯m afraid we are running out of time,¡± Holo said grimly.


    ¡°Because of the war brewing in Dusk Valley?¡± Lord Sientia asked worriedly.


    Holo shook her head, ¡°No. I think this war is just a distraction, a ploy at something larger. I don¡¯t know what yet, but I fear Caligo will go to any lengths to achieve his goals. The Ebon Realm may not recover from this¡­¡±


    Lord Sientia furrowed his brow, ¡°Surely the other ebon gods would intervene and stop the Monster in the Dark?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Holo said bitterly. ¡°The gods underestimate Caligo and he likes it that way. But I¡¯ve seen what that monster can do, the destruction he leaves in his wake. And now there are whispers of these so-called Unildyr creatures¡­ Gregor, we need to reach the temple¡¯s innermost chamber.¡±


    Lord Sientia licked his lips nervously, ¡°If I may be so bold, what exactly is in the chamber, my lady?¡±


    Holo stared out at the half-sunken stone structure protruding from the lake, ¡°...The temple was built in the Age of Memory, a time when people strove to remember what was forgotten at the Sundering and the age that followed. The people that built this temple were particularly more dedicated to history than most and it is said their greatest lessons were recorded in the innermost chamber. In other words, answers, Gregor, that is what lies in the innermost chamber. Hopefully, the right answers. And we need answers, now more than ever.¡±

 Chapter 250: Glimmer Grove

    Chapter 250: Glimmer Grove


    The trees of Glimmer Grove were quite different from those of Vulture Woods. Stryg was accustomed to gnarled trees of ashen bark and crimson leaves that dyed the world red when the sun shined above them.


    Here the trees were straight and their canopies reached a hundred feet high, dozens of large branches spanning from their brown bark. Their leaves were a mixture of greens with flecks of fluorescence that glowed soft in the night, nothing like his forest home.


    The sounds also differed. There were always noises lurking in the dark in Vulture Woods. Growls of beasts skulking in the underbrush, howls of wolf packs roaming through the land, and the impatient squawks of enormous vultures waiting on their gnarled branches for their next meal to drop dead.


    Stryg hadn¡¯t seen a single animal larger than a fox roaming through Glimmer Grove and he only heard the occasional rustle of a squirrel skittering through the trees. He understood that the hunters were leading them down a safe trail, but still. This all seemed too¡­ harmless? He wondered if this was why Plum came to this place. She had never cared much for conflict.


    Walking under a forest canopy, feeling the grass brush past his feet, being surrounded by trees, Stryg had thought all these things would make him feel comfortable, as if he was back in Vulture Woods. But instead it only made him long to see the red canopy of Vulture Woods even more than usual.


    He was beginning to grasp why Glimmer Grove and Vulture Woods were considered different forests, despite bordering each other.


    What am I complaining about? I¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t I? he sighed to himself. He leaned back on the tough bark of a tree and glanced about the makeshift camp.


    A couple of bedrolls and a small fire were all they had. The group of hunters and mages had left the majority of their supplies back at the edge of the forest. Not that there was much left in that campsite either, the dragon had destroyed practically everything and everyone there.


    Few had gotten out completely unscathed. Less than a dozen hunters had made it out at all. Their centaurs had all scattered at the dragon¡¯s attack and none had returned. Fortunately, Stryg¡¯s classmates and professors had all come out alive. Gale and Loh had suffered some injuries, but they were doing fine now.


    However, Ismene was still unconscious; she rested on one of the bedrolls near the fire. Callum and Freya took turns casting healing spells over her, trying to keep her stable long enough for them to reach some proper healers in Undergrowth. Stryg wished he could help, but Loh stopped him from interfering, assuring him that Ismene would make it.


    The sight of the stern, but kind old woman lying unconscious bothered Stryg more than he liked to admit.


    Loh walked over to him and rested her hand over his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand all broody over here, you¡¯ll scare the hunters. Let¡¯s get you warmed up. Maybe a bit of food too.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Stryg nodded numbly and let Loh drag him next to the fire.


    Food was scarce, the hunters had managed to kill only a single deer in the woods. They were skinning and preparing it now to cook over the fire. Stryg would have thought the hunters¡¯ inability to gather more food spoke tremendously to their incompetence, but after the loss of their tribe, or guild as they called it, he refrained from voicing his opinion.


    Astrid, leader of the hunters, stoked the campfire while she occasionally glanced at the camp''s surroundings. Tauri sat around the fire, her knees huddled close to her chest. Vayu and Cornelius sat on a stone bench the dwarf had made with his green magic. Lysaila and Gale polished their blades with rhythmic measured strokes in the firelight.


    Sylvie held her hands out in front of the fire for warmth and twisted her lips with a sigh, ¡°Summer is almost here and it¡¯s still so damn cold.¡±


    Cornelius chuckled, his breath a white wisp in the frigid night, ¡°This is nothing. You should visit Frost Rim someday. Even on the summer solstice you can¡¯t walk about the city without wearing a thick fur cloak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to Frost Rim and all I can say is that I understand why you left,¡± Sylvie shivered.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s cold, but it¡¯s home,¡± Cornelius smiled half-heartedly. ¡°I miss it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but is no one going to talk about what we saw out there?¡± Callum spoke up. ¡°I mean, that was a dragon, right? We saw an actual real life dragon, not four hours ago! When was the last time a dragon was spotted in Dusk Valley?¡±


    Vayu sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing rumors of dragon sightings in the valley, more so than the usual¡­ I never thought they might be true.¡±


    ¡°We should probably write down everything we saw and send a report to Hollow Shade,¡± Tauri said. ¡°The city council and military need to know what is happening,¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Gale muttered. ¡°The dragon came, we couldn¡¯t stop it, and it killed most of us¡­¡±


    ¡°And then something killed that monster,¡± Astrid said grimly.


    The group suddenly grew very quiet, the crackle of fire the only noise amidst the silence.


    ¡°It happened so fast. I thought the dragon was going to kill us,¡± Cornelius swallowed. ¡°And then, bam, a flash of light, and the dragon was dead.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Freya mumbled.


    ¡°Whatever it was, I¡¯m just glad we¡¯re alive,¡± Sylvie rubbed her arms.


    Stryg pulled his black cloak taut over his shoulders, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a ¡®whatever.¡¯ ...It was Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Lunae? The goddess?!¡± Cornelius burst into laughter. ¡°Kid, even if the gods are real, which is doubtful, what makes you think they would ever come to save us, huh?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A consensus of grunts and nods rang through the campfire.


    Stryg fidgeted, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I really don¡¯t know. I¡¯m the last person Lunae would ever want to help¡­ But I know what I saw. The pillar of light¡­ it came from the moon.¡±


    ¡°I saw it too,¡± Tauri nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know why or how, but Lunae saved us, all of us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure the gods are even out there,¡± Vayu sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t really have a better explanation either.¡±


    Freya shook her head, ¡°Like anyone¡¯s gonna believe that we saw a dragon. What are we gonna tell people? That we just so happened not to get eaten by a dragon after it killed everyone else, and that Lunae also just so happened to strike down the dragon from the sky like some fucking fairy tale?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what saved us, but we got lucky¡­¡± Lysaila said darkly. ¡°That dragon was young, a few centuries at best.¡±


    ¡°What? How would you know?¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    Lysaila drew her fingers across her blade in a slow manner, ¡°I grew up in the jungles of the Amber Realm. Dragons flew across the sky, terrorizing the lands and its people below.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Beautiful, but I call bullshit,¡± Cornelius chuckled. ¡°Either you''re over 300 years old, in which case you¡¯re the oldest youngest-looking lamia to ever grace existence, or you¡¯re not from the Amber Realm.¡± Cornelius looked around the fire, ¡°Am I right?¡±


    The hunters looked away, none dared aggravate the deadly lamia. Vayu, Tauri, and Loh shared a glance of uncertainty. Sylvie turned quizzically to Callum and Freya for answers, but they both just shrugged.


    ¡°I believe her,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    Lysaila''s tail stiffened at his voice, but she kept a calm expression.


    Cornelius shook his head, ¡°Kid, the Schism happened three centuries ago. The realm bridges were lost, all of them. We lost contact with the other realms. Who knows if they even still exist?¡±


    ¡°The realms are doing just fine, I¡¯ve seen them,¡± Lysaila said.


    Cornelius laughed under his breath, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say for a second that you¡¯re telling the truth. How did you see all of this? The realm bridges are gone.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s lips curled back in a thin line, ¡°There are other ways to travel between the Realms.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°...The chrome gates.¡±


    ¡°The fabled chrome gates,¡± Cornelius conceded with a nod, ¡°Okay, it''s technically possible. Except there were only a few gates ever built on the Ebon Realm and they were all destroyed. Even if one somehow had survived, it wouldn¡¯t work. Not anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°One did, I traveled through it,¡± Lysaila smirked.


    ¡°Yeah, righ-¡±


    ¡°Cornelius, close your mouth,¡± Loh snapped. ¡°We¡¯re not here to argue like children. Lysaila, you said the dragon was young? Why?¡±


    Lysaila tightly gripped the handle of her longsword and stared out into the darkness with a wary gaze, ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen it¡­ an entire dragon brood. I¡¯ve seen hatchlings, juveniles, adults, even elders, and I saw her¡­¡± She shivered, ¡°...I saw a dragon lord.¡±


    Gale stared at Lysaila, baffled. She had never seen the deadly lamia so terrified, ¡°...What happened?¡±


    ¡°...What always happens when a dragon takes to the sky,¡± Lysaila¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°The dragon we saw tonight was small compared to their elders. If it had been an elder dragon, none of us would have escaped.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡± Sylvie swallowed.


    ¡°Elder dragon or no, if Lunae really did save us tonight, then no beast or monster would have hurt us,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°In the Amber Realm, dragons are seen as divine creatures, dragon lords are worshiped as gods,¡± Lysaila said. ¡°Are you still so certain your precious moon goddess would have saved us?¡±


    ¡°I believe,¡± Tauri said resolutely.


    Lysaila¡¯s forked tongue slipped out and tasted the air, ¡°So this orc is crazy, got it.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re a Sylvan goblin, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Tauri kicked his foot.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°She¡¯s your patron goddess, right? For once act like a good student and back me up here,¡± Tauri clicked her tongue.


    Loh smiled to herself knowingly, but said nothing.


    ¡°I was born under a moonless night, my tribe said I was a bad omen,¡± Stryg said wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lunae cares what I say or think.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least be a little pious? Defend the goddess¡¯ name when people insult her, dammit!¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Not really my problem,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Lunae saved us, it is your problem. You owe her that much and more,¡± Tuari said, annoyance clear in her voice.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°If Lunae really did save us, then I was just caught up in the rescue, a small byproduct of her divine intervention. I¡¯m grateful to be alive, but I haven¡¯t forgotten the past. I know what Lunae thinks of me and it isn¡¯t worth much.¡±


    ¡°You all really are a bunch of heathens,¡± Tauri groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Callum said, offended. ¡°When we get to Undergrowth I¡¯ll make sure to stop by an ebon temple and make an offering to Lunae and the rest of the pantheon.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tauri nodded with a proud smile.


    ¡°We still have a few days before we get to Undergrowth,¡± Astrid said. ¡°I suggest we rest while we can. We don¡¯t know if there are more dragons roaming the area.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Loh nodded. She glanced at her companions, ¡°After we eat, get some sleep, I¡¯ll take the first watch with some of the hunters.¡±


    Stryg and his classmates nodded without a word.


    ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll gladly take you up on your offer,¡± Cornelius smiled.


    ¡°My dire bear and I will take the first watch, Loh,¡± Vayu said softly. ¡°You¡¯re still injured, we need our general in top shape.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not your commanding officer anymore,¡± Loh said begrudgingly, but she laid down on her bedroll and closed her eyes.


    ~~~


    The hunters did not sleep that night; they held a vigil in honor of their fallen brothers and sisters, whispering silent prayers for the lives lost. Tauri joined them and led a war prayer in Bellum¡¯s name as the daughter of the martial Great House Katag.


    In the morning, the group packed up their few belongings and began their trek through the woodlands. As the days passed by and they traveled deeper into Glimmer Grove, the forest¡¯s green leaves began to change into dark shades of purples and pinks. At night the leaves glowed with soft pink and purple luminescence.


    Sylvie and Freya loved the mystical atmosphere of the forest. Callum had even claimed to have seen a fairy flitting through the trees, though only Sylvie believed him.


    As for Stryg, he hated all of it. The forest was too bright at night, it bothered his eyes. The others said they enjoyed the bioluminescence, it illuminated the dark woods and made it easier to travel at night. Stryg disagreed, he could already perfectly see in the dark. And now there was nowhere to hide. Worse, they were all perfectly visible to any predator that might blend into the surroundings, just waiting for an unsuspecting prey.


    On the fourth day, the small group of travelers broke through the tree line and reached a large grassy clearing. In the distance stood a menagerie of buildings sprawled around large and small trees alike.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side deep in thought. The city was still a few miles away, but even from here it seemed very different than Hollow Shade. The City of Shades had been built in the precise, methodical strokes of the ebon lords. But the City of Thorns seemed as if it had grown out of the ground itself, like saplings sprouting out from the tall grass, vying against each other for sunlight.


    ¡°So this is Undergrowth¡­?¡± Stryg muttered.


    Loh laughed and pulled his arm, ¡°Come on, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡±

 Chapter 251: The Melodic Moment Alehouse

    Chapter 251: The Melodic Moment Alehouse


    The small group of hunters and Hollow Shade mages neared the edge of Undergrowth with ease. There were no walls surrounding the city, only log houses here and there. The streets were filled with bustling drows running about. An outpost stood on the main road, a few dozen paces beyond the houses. A few guards patrolled the road, walking from the outpost down to the nearest house and back.


    Stryg assumed the outpost served as some sort of checkpoint for new arrivals, but as he looked around the large open space all around them, he began to seriously doubt the security of this city.


    Astrid walked up to Loh and bowed deeply, ¡°This is where we must leave you. My guildmates and I need to regroup with the rest of my guild and hold a proper funeral for our fallen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance through Glimmer Grove,¡± Loh bowed her head. ¡°My people and I are grateful.¡± She took out a pouch of coins and handed it to the redheaded woman, ¡°For the families of the lost.¡±


    Astrid smiled warmly, ¡°Thank you, my lady. Your kindness will not be forgotten.¡± She bowed once more, ¡°Safe travels, my lady. I pray you find victory at the tourney.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Take care of yourselves, the world is growing more dangerous each day,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°We will try our best,¡± Astrid nodded. She made a short bow to the rest of the mages before she gathered her hunters and marched back into the forest, their bodies fading into the treeline.


    ¡°They¡¯re good folk,¡± Loh muttered. She glanced back at Stryg, ¡°So what¡¯s your first impression of Undergrowth?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have walls?¡± Stryg twisted his lips.


    ¡°Hollow Shade is the only Great City that does,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°How do they protect themselves from threats?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Against armies? They rely on their natural defenses. Frost Rim is surrounded by the Rupture Mountains, Murkton has the Silent Marshes, and Undergrowth has Glimmer Grove,¡± Loh pointed at the enormous forest surrounding the city.


    ¡°And what about smaller threats? Like a group of assassins who just run into the city? How are they supposed to stop that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they have guards,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg glanced at the outpost, ¡°Yeah¡­ They don¡¯t seem very reliable,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about them,¡± Loh smiled. She nudged his shoulder and pointed at one of the nearby trees.


    Stryg glanced between the tree and Loh questioningly, until he caught a slight hint of movement among the tree¡¯s purple leaves.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    ¡°The rangers of Undergrowth are stealthy and quite effective, best remember that,¡± Loh patted his back before she walked down to the outpost.


    After a few moments she walked back to them, a stack of papers in her hands.


    ¡°Okay everyone, gather up,¡± Loh called out.


    The mages shambled their way towards her and stood around in a haphazard circle. Vayu and Tauri carried Ismene in a stretcher and stood a few paces away.


    ¡°Did everything work out?¡± Vayu asked in a hopeful tone.


    Loh nodded, ¡°Yeah, the guards accepted our travel permits. Here, each of you take one of these,¡± she passed out the slips of paper to each one of them. ¡°Undergrowth¡¯s travel laws are quite lax compared to Hollow Shade. Still, these papers prove that you are mages here for the tourney. They should keep you out of trouble if anything comes up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Freya grabbed her slip with a wide smile. ¡°I can finally get into a nice tavern and soak in a long hot bath.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that does sound nice!¡± Sylvie said with delight.


    ¡°And on that note, my grandfather has already prearranged some rooms for us in one of the city¡¯s most luxurious taverns,¡± Loh grinned.


    ¡°Thank the gods Lord Noir spares no expense,¡± Callum sighed with relief.


    ¡°Indeed, I look forward to tasting Undergrowth¡¯s finest teas,¡± Cornelius twisted the curled edges of his mustache.


    ¡°I have to go to the city¡¯s magic academy and confirm our arrival and get the tourney¡¯s itinerary,¡± Loh said. ¡°In the meantime, Tauri, do you mind getting all our rooms set up for us at the tavern?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me twice,¡± Tauri smiled.


    ¡°Is there anywhere to get a drink?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Many. The real question is, are any of them good,¡± Callum winked.


    ¡°My brother told me of this really nice alehouse he went to last time he visited Undergrowth on one of his business trips,¡± Freya said. ¡°We could go now if you¡¯re all up for it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great, it¡¯s been too many days since I last drank blood,¡± Callum licked his lips.


    ¡°~Same~¡± Sylvie rubbed her stomach dramatically.


    ¡°Freya, I thought you wanted to go soak in a bath?¡± Stryg asked.


    Freya shrugged, ¡°Well, as team captain it¡¯s my job to make sure our team has their needs met¡­ Aaand I also like to have a nice bottle of spirits with me whenever I take a bath.¡±


    ¡°No judgment here,¡± Callum chuckled.


    ¡°A fresh drink does sound nice,¡± Cornelius muttered. ¡°Miss Katag, would you like to join us?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I still have to get all our rooms ready,¡± Tauri shook her head.


    ¡°Ah, of course. In that case, I will join you,¡± Cornelius nodded.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t need to do that¡­¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°No, I insist,¡± Cornelius smiled. ¡°I will ensure we get the best possible rooms for the entire group, just leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­?¡± Tauri said wryly.


    ¡°Master Vayu, are you coming?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t drink anymore,¡± Vayu said. ¡°Besides, I need to take Lady Ismene to the Pale Lotus.¡±


    ¡°Pale Lotus?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re a white mage guild based in Undergrowth,¡± Vayu said. ¡°They boast the best healers in the city. A few days with them and Lady Ismene will be back to her usual self.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Stryg smiled tiredly. He felt as if a weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders.


    ¡°Oi, Stryg!¡± Loh placed her hands on her hips, ¡°Tourney contestants are forbidden from using magic outside of the tourney. So don¡¯t go causing any trouble while we¡¯re here, understood?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    ~~~


    The Melodic Moment was the greatest alehouse in Undergrowth or at least it was the most flamboyant. A dozen alabaster statues dotted the elaborate niches on the ebony wooden walls. Streams of bright-colored silks hung from the ceiling lanterns. The lanterns themselves were enchanted and inlaid with small magestones, fueled with white mana. The soft blue light they gave off granted the alehouse its iconic aloof atmosphere.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    A famous songstress sang from a small balcony that rose from the wall seamlessly as if it was just another branch sprouting from a tree. A small, but well-equipped group of minstrels played a soothing tune from underneath the balcony, accompanying the bards¡¯ voices flawlessly.


    Behind the long polished bar stood half a dozen shelves filled with a practically endless amount of expensive and rare bottles of alcohol.


    Expensive.


    That was the word Veronica realized.


    Expensive.


    This whole place screamed of expensive as if it was all it was trying to achieve, as if there was nothing more that mattered. Gods forbid someone actually might have fun here. Of course, in retrospect, expensive was probably the only reason Heather had chosen this alehouse.


    The Great House of Navis had acquired copious amounts of wealth in the past few generations and Heather was determined to flaunt her family¡¯s money in whatever ways she could find.


    Usually, Veronica didn¡¯t mind. Their social circle was filled with children of affluent Houses, spending gold was second nature to them. Unfortunately, Damian Parvus was with them today. The Great House of Parvus was the richest family in Undergrowth, second only to the legendary Great House of Thorn. Which meant Heather had to take them to the most expensive alehouse in the entire city, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow anything less.


    Veronica disliked the aloof, cold ambiance of places like this. She preferred the more lively taverns in the lower stratas of the city. So long as she dressed with some of her servant¡¯s clothes, no one in those taverns would ever know she was an aristocrat, let alone the daughter of a Great House. She could act whatever way she wanted in those taverns, free from the expectations of society.


    But here, in this expensive Melodic Moment alehouse, people were expected to act with a certain air of ¡®elegance.¡¯ Everyone here was probably either a wealthy merchant or some aristocrat, the only thing for certain was that they were all a bunch of gossips. If Veronica acted out in any way her parents would know every detail of the entire incident before dinner time.


    Worse, Heather had announced herself and her friends the moment they walked in. Everyone¡¯s eyes had gone wide at the sight of the three scions of Great Houses. The guests had all quickly dispersed from the bar and made their way to the tables at the far corners of the alehouse, yet their attention stayed on Veronica and her friends as they sat down at the bar.


    ¡°They¡¯re staring at us,¡± Veronica muttered, peeved.


    ¡°Do you want to go somewhere else?¡± Damian asked kindly.


    ¡°Let them stare,¡± Heather said smugly and brushed her white hair back.


    ¡°Welcome back, Miss Navis,¡± the barkeep bowed and offered her a glass of blue wine.


    ¡°You come here often?¡± Veronica raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Once in a while,¡± Heather sipped her drink. ¡°You must admit it¡¯s nice to have such a nice bar all to ourselves, hm?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to drink alone I could do it at home, without strangers staring at me,¡± Veronica grumbled.


    ¡°Then how about you drink with me?¡± Damian smiled lightly. He glanced at the barkeep, ¡°Two of your best glasses.


    "Right away, Mister Parvus,¡± the barkeep nodded eagerly.


    ¡°You come here too?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Damian shrugged.


    Veronica wondered why Damian sat on the stool between Heather and herself. Heather always sat in the middle of any gathering, she always loved to be the center of attention. So why¡­?


    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Veronica narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did you two set this up? Is this some kind of blind date? Is that why we¡¯re at this empty bar?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d hardly call it blind, per se. We¡¯re all on the same team after all,¡± Heather said wryly.


    Damian blushed, ¡°I-It was supposed to be a double date.¡±


    Veronica glanced at the empty chair next to Heather, ¡°Someone stood you up? You? Our academy¡¯s Miss Beautiful three years in a row? Who woul- Oooh¡­¡± She smirked, ¡°You asked out Calex, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Heather clicked her tongue, ¡°He was supposed to be here. He promised.¡±


    ¡°That sounds unlikely,¡± Veronica said dryly. ¡°What did he say exactly?¡±


    ¡°W-well, I told him we¡¯d be having drinks tonight,¡± Heather stuttered.


    ¡°Uh-huh, and then what happened?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Calex, um, he¡­ and walked away,¡± Heather whispered.


    ¡°He what now? Speak up,¡± Veronica asked.


    Heather bit her lip, ¡°He nodded and walked away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Damian winced sympathetically.


    ¡°Hah, I knew it!¡± Veronica burst into laughter. ¡°Calex Thorn isn¡¯t the kind of man to just casually accept a date.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Thorn, they¡¯re different from the rest of us,¡± Damian nodded.


    ¡°More like indifferent. Calex doesn¡¯t care about anyone but his family and their legacy,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s his charm, he¡¯s just above it all,¡± Heather smiled longingly.


    ¡°~Yeah~¡± Veronica sighed wistfully.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m right here too, you know,¡± Damian said, displeased.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be so intimidated, Parvus,¡± Heather patted his shoulder. ¡°Calex is in a league of his own, no one¡¯s comparing you two.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± Damian frowned.


    ¡°I mean, yeah,¡± Veronica giggled sympathetically. ¡°You know you¡¯re pretty cute.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Damian¡¯s eyes brightened.


    ¡°But, Calex has this glass-like beauty, you know?¡± Veronica shrugged. ¡°Like perfectly chiseled, a work of art. It¡¯s just how it is. Everyone admires the Thorns from afar, that doesn¡¯t mean you matter any less though. You¡¯re still a catch.¡± Veronica raised her hands and leaned back, ¡°Just not my catch.¡±


    Damian hung his head in bitter rejection.


    ¡°Hey, I thought you weren¡¯t interested in Calex,¡± Heather said suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, not like that at least,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°Unlike you, I know what¡¯s possible and what¡¯s not. Calex won¡¯t date anyone his mother doesn¡¯t approve of and we all know Lady Thorn doesn¡¯t think anyone is good enough for her son.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s still a chance?¡± Damian looked up with a cocky grin.


    Veronica shook her head, ¡°You really don¡¯t know when to give up, huh?¡±


    ¡°My family didn¡¯t rise to greatness through idleness,¡± Damian said.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Maybe you have a little Calex in you after all,¡± Veronica smiled coyly.


    ¡°Ugh, this is boring,¡± Heather groaned. ¡°Without Calex here what¡¯s the point? Maybe we should just leave, Veronica?¡±


    ¡°We could stay a little longer,¡± Damian said. ¡°Barkeep, you must hear all sorts of interesting rumors. Anything salacious to entertain our friend?¡±


    The barkeep nodded and closed his eyes in thought, ¡°Hmm¡­ One of House Talon¡¯s maids went to clean one of their mansion¡¯s extra bedrooms, but when she opened the door she caught Lord Talon¡¯s wife being rammed in from behind by a-¡±


    ¡°Centaur, yeah, that¡¯s last week¡¯s news,¡± Heather sighed. ¡°I heard Lord Talon slit the centaur¡¯s balls off and made him eat it. Then he gutted the centaur in front of the stables.¡±


    ¡°...What happened to his wife?¡± Veronica asked weakly.


    ¡°Disappeared or so the story goes,¡± Heather said eerily.


    ¡°...So she¡¯s dead,¡± Veronica guessed.


    ¡°Obviously, she was just some commoner before she married into House Talon,¡± Heather said. ¡°No one important will miss her.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Veronica swallowed uneasily.


    Heather tapped the bar table, ¡°Anything else? Something new?¡±


    The barkeep furrowed his brow, ¡°Um¡­ Oh! I got one. One of the merchants came in this morning. He claims that one of his caravans was traveling near the edge of Glimmer Grove and accidentally wandered into Vulture Woods¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? What happened?¡± Heather leaned forward.


    ¡°They say some of the caravan guards saw a pair of sylvan goblins,¡± the barkeep said.


    ¡°Sylvan folk, really?¡± Heather¡¯s blue eyes widened with interest.


    ¡°But get this,¡± the barkeep whispered. ¡°The goblins were riding wolves.¡±


    ¡°Wolves? Bullshit,¡± Heather shook her head. ¡°No one can ride a wolf, it¡¯d bite your leg off first.¡±


    The barkeep shrugged, ¡°Forgive me, Miss Navis. I don¡¯t come up with the stories.¡±


    ¡°Goblins riding wolves, huh?¡± Veronica mused. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not as crazy as those dragon rumors.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is as crazy as that,¡± Damian chuckled.


    The Melodic Moment¡¯s door slammed open with a loud bang. The songstress and minstrels stopped mid-song at the abrupt noise. The alehouse¡¯s patrons'' heads snapped towards the door, their eyes widened in surprise.


    Damian furrowed his brow, ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    A voluptuous dire ducked her head under the doorway and stepped inside the wide room. She glanced around the alehouse with an excited grin. ¡°Oooh, I like the blue lights, nice touch,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Vampire¡­?¡± Veronica muttered.


    It was rare to see any non-drow frequenting any well-established alehouse, let alone one as expensive as this. Not that anyone seemed to be complaining, both men and women alike stared wide-eyed at the gorgeous vampiress.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything, move your big ass,¡± a voice complained from behind the dire vampiress.


    ¡°Oops, my bad,¡± Sylvie laughed lightly and stepped aside from the doorway.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Freya rolled her eyes and walked in. ¡°Huh, well what do you know? This place isn¡¯t half bad.¡±


    Heather narrowed her eyes, ¡°A dwarf¡­ Golden hair and eyes? And those elaborate hair beads¡­ Is she a Goldelm?¡±


    ¡°A Hollow-Shader?¡± Veronica¡¯s face lit with interest.


    Callum walked in behind Freya and glanced at the stacked shelves behind the bar. He sighed with relief, ¡°Finally, some decent bottles of blood wine.¡±


    ¡°Another vampire?¡± Damian whispered.


    ¡°Just some more visitors here to watch the tourney,¡± Heather smirked. ¡°Looks like they all came to see their city¡¯s team lose.¡±


    A fourth figure walked into the Melodic Moment, he wore a black cloak and kept his face hidden beneath the hood. He was shorter than the vampires but taller than the dwarf. Yet unlike the rest, this visitor did not speak. Instead, he pushed past the other three and made his way straight to the bar. He pulled back a stool a few seats away from Veronica and sat down. The stool creaked underneath his weight.


    Stryg slammed his palm over the bar and turned to the barkeep, ¡°Two bottles of your best dwarven Fire-Breath.¡±

 Chapter 252: Fight For Me

    Chapter 252: Fight For Me


    A fourth figure walked into the Melodic Moment, he wore a black cloak and kept his face hidden beneath the hood. He was shorter than the vampires and taller than the dwarf. Yet unlike the rest, this visitor did not speak. Instead, he pushed past the other three and made his way straight to the bar. He pulled back a stool a few seats to the left of Veronica and sat down, the stool creaked underneath his weight.


    Stryg slammed his palm over the bar and turned to the barkeep, ¡°Two bottles of your best dwarven Fire-Breath.¡±


    The barkeep glanced at the three other guests behind Stryg, ¡°Would you like four glasses with that?¡±


    ¡°Nope, just the bottles,¡± he said.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the barkeep nodded hesitantly. ¡°Two bottles of Fire-Breath coming right up.¡±


    Heather leaned past Damian and Veronica and glanced at the hooded visitor from across the bar. Her grey lips formed a haughty grin, ¡°Actually, I want a glass of frost-mint vodka. Now.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± the barkeep nodded and hurried to make her drink.


    ¡°Hey, barman, I asked for my drink first,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Please wait a moment, sir,¡± the barkeep said and kept pouring Heather¡¯s drink into a crystalline glass.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg said icily.


    Heather giggled, a soft charming sound, ¡°Aw, you look new, so I¡¯m going to give you a bit of advice.¡± She pointed her finger at the other guests sitting at the tables at the edges of the alehouse, ¡°You see how everyone else isn¡¯t sitting at the bar? That¡¯s what you call respect. They know how to respect Undergrowth¡¯s hierarchy.¡±


    The barkeep bowed his head and handed Heather her drink.


    She smiled and sipped the blue liquid, ¡°I suggest you learn some respect and do it quick.¡±


    Damian tapped the bar table, ¡°What my friend means to say is, this bar is reserved. Best if you get your drinks over somewhere else, yeah?¡±


    Stryg flexed his fingers, his claws pierced the tips of his gloves.


    ¡°Hard pass,¡± Freya hopped on the chair to the right of Stryg. ¡°I¡¯ll have a mug of mead with a spritz of red lime.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll have a glass of blood wine,¡± Callum smiled calmly and sat next to the dwarf.


    Sylvie plopped down next to Callum and clapped her hands loudly, ¡°I¡¯ll take a glass of blood wine too, please. Oh, I¡¯d also love some chocolate cake, if you have any.¡±


    ¡°Uh, miss, we¡¯re an alehouse, not a bakery,¡± the barkeep said dryly.


    ¡°Tch, so much for being a fancy bar,¡± Sylvie muttered with puffed cheeks.


    Heather clicked her tongue, and raised her half-empty glass, ¡°I want another frost-mint vodka, please. Actually, make it two.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Miss Navis,¡± the barkeep nodded.


    Freya grabbed Stryg¡¯s shoulder and shook her head subtly. ¡°Not here,¡± she whispered.


    Veronica lightly slapped Heather¡¯s arm, ¡°Cancel that order. Make the guests their drinks first.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± the barkeep glanced between Heather and Veronica uncertainly.


    ¡°Must I repeat myself?¡± Veronica raised an eyebrow to the barkeep.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Veronica,¡± Heather rolled her blue eyes. ¡°Cancel my order¡­ for now.¡±


    The barkeep sighed in relief and quickly began to make the guests¡¯ drinks. The two women singing on the small make-shift balcony at the corner of the alehouse slowly but surely began to sing once more. The other minstrels followed their lead and played their instruments to a soft, sleepy tune.


    Veronica turned to the hooded Stryg and smiled apologetically, ¡°Sorry about all of that. My friends aren¡¯t big fans of outsiders. They were just doing a bit of grandstanding is all. No harm done, really.¡± She pulled out a few silver coins and tossed them to the barkeep, ¡°For our new friends.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the barkeep nodded. He scooped up the coins with a deft hand and passed out the drinks.


    Damian nodded reluctantly, but followed Veronica¡¯s lead. He raised his glass, ¡°To our new friends.¡±


    ¡°To new friends!¡± Sylvie smiled and raised her glass of blood wine.


    Callum smiled politely, though his scarlet eyes were cold, ¡°To new friends.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I could make acquaintances with a Goldelm,¡± Heather sighed dramatically, but raised her glass.


    Freya furrowed her brow, ¡°How did you-?¡±


    ¡°Oh please, those golden eyes are quite famous,¡± Heather smirked.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Everyone calls her Gold-Eyes back in Hollow Shade,¡± Sylvie nodded with a grin.


    Freya glared at an oblivious Sylvie.


    ¡°So you are from Hollow Shade,¡± Veronica¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a Hollow Shader!¡±


    ¡°And you are?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Veronica of the Great House of Sientia, at your service,¡± she bowed with a small flourish. ¡°The drow beauty sizing you all up is Heather of the Great House of Navis.¡± Veronica pointed her thumb back at Damian, ¡°And the drow who I believe is no doubt trying to pull off an intimidating scowl is Damian of the Great House of Parvus.¡±


    Damian¡¯s scowl melted apart like ice on a warm summer day. ¡°Veronica,¡± he whispered, exasperated.


    ¡°I am Freya of the Great House of Goldelm, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Sientia,¡± she bowed her head in the customary tradition. ¡°Your House¡¯s extensive knowledge of ancient languages is quite famous. Just last year I read an arcane morphology tome written by one of your House¡¯s scholars.¡±


    Veronica smiled, ¡°Thank you, my family is particularly proud of our studies in the arcane language. But if we are speaking of fame then the Goldelm name far precedes my family¡¯s own.¡± She gestured grandly to Freya, ¡°The first Dwarven House in all the Ebon Realm. Your founder, Goldelm I, was apprenticed to the legendary great conqueror himself, Ebon Lord Koval! And who could forget, you are the proud wielders of the Great Warhammer Oginum! Tell me, is it true what they say about Oginum? That when all hope seems lost, the golden hammer shines brightest to light the way towards victory?¡±


    ¡°So the legend goes,¡± Freya said proudly.


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯d love to see it one day,¡± Veronica¡¯s face lit with interest. ¡°Not the ¡®all hope seems lost¡¯ part, but you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to suck up to the Goldelm, Veronica,¡± Heather said disdainfully. ¡°She is, at the end of the day, just a dwarf, an outsider in our Realm.¡± She looked pointedly down at Freya, ¡°This is Undergrowth and we drows were here long before your ancestors wandered into these lands.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Freya smiled, amused, ¡°Heather Navis, was it? It¡¯s interesting really, I find myself surrounded by the scions of Great Houses, lineages steeped in feats of legend.¡± She glanced at Veronica, ¡°House Sientia¡¯s founder gambled with dragons and won safe passage through the Rupture Mountains for her people.¡± She glanced at Damian, ¡°House Parvus¡¯ founder single-handedly slew the Viperidae Queen deep in the heart of Glimmer Grove forest.¡±


    Freya pointed her mug at Heather, ¡°And yet¡­ For all my extensive knowledge of the Great Houses of the Ebon Realm, I cannot for the life of me recall a single feat of this, what did you call it? House Navis?¡± Freya shrugged and sipped her mug, ¡°I understand, of course, I really do. Yours must be a fairly recent House, founded by some lucky commoner whose insignificant feats are so unworthy that the historians did not bother to write them down.¡±


    Heather¡¯s face grew hot with anger and embarrassment, ¡°You little-¡±


    Callum coughed loudly, ¡°Ahem, I think what my friends mean to say is, that we¡¯d love to get to know you all better. Perhaps with another round of drinks, on me?¡± He tossed a few coins on the bar counter.


    Heather¡¯s cold blue eyes slowly shifted towards the handsome hybrid, ¡°...And you are?¡±


    ¡°Callum. Callum of the Great House of Veres,¡± he placed his hand over his heart and bowed.


    ¡°House Veres?¡± Heather stiffened. She quickly glanced about, searching for the famed Gale protectors. Her eyes settled on the hooded stranger sipping quietly on a bottle of dwarven Fire-Breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the stories!¡± Veronica yelled excitedly. ¡°A Veres and Goldelm, brothers-in-arms, fighting side by side! Well, I guess it¡¯s more like brother-and-sister in-arms, traveling side by side, but you get the gist.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cool, right!¡± Sylvie nodded earnestly. ¡°I just watched a play about them last month!¡±


    Heather, Veronica, and Damian slowly looked up at the scarlet-haired beauty.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Sylvie by the way, just Sylvie. No fancy aristocrat surname. Just good ol¡¯ Sylvie,¡± she laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ tall,¡± Damian looked her up and down.


    ¡°Being a dire does that,¡± Callum said defensively.


    ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Sylvie. You can call me Veronica, just Veronica,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Charmed,¡± Heather said dryly.


    Veronica glanced at the hooded guest, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I caught your name. Who might you be?¡±


    Stryg ignored her question and kept drinking.


    Freya shared a wary glance with Sylvie and Callum, and shook her head subtly.


    ¡°Two whole bottles of Fire-Breath?¡± Veronica whistled. ¡°That stuff is really strong, are you sure you can finish even one of them?¡±


    Stryg just shrugged and kept drinking.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t much of a talker,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, are you all here for the Great Cities Tourney?¡± Veronica asked.


    Freya furrowed her brow, ¡°How did you-?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious, people are coming from all over to watch the tourney,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°You all wanna know a secret?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all ears,¡± Freya said cautiously.


    ¡°First you gotta tell me your name, ~Mister Mysterious~¡± Veronica wiggled her finger and pointed at Stryg. ¡°Care to take off the hood? Are you shy? Do you have a scar? I bet it¡¯s a really cool scar.¡±


    Stryg kept drinking in silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude manners to keep a lady waiting,¡± Damian said, anger dripping in his tone.


    ¡°Calm down, Damian, we¡¯re just having a chat,¡± Veronica shook her head.


    ¡°No. First, they insult Heather and now they dare insult you!? Who do these outsiders think they are?¡± Damian stood up.


    ¡°Here we go again,¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°Damian does this every time I talk with a guy. This is why I don¡¯t like going out with him, Heather.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to defend you, isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± Damian frowned. ¡°Someone to fight for you?¡±


    ¡°Not like this, dimwit!¡± Veronica crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be spontaneous, romantic, and to actually protect me, not your ego!¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t awkward,¡± Callum muttered under his breath.


    ¡°What was that? You got something to say, vampire?¡± Damian snarled.


    ¡°Careful, Damian, I think the hooded one is a Gale,¡± Heather whispered.


    Stryg stiffened, his bottle halfway to his lips.


    ¡°G-Gale?¡± Damian took a step back.


    ¡°Oh! Of course! How could I forget the Shield of Veres!¡± Veronica snapped her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re all broody and quiet, huh? You must be the ¡®silent protector¡¯ type!¡±


    ¡°...He¡¯s not a Gale,¡± Freya said softly.


    Damian cleared his throat and walked up to Stryg, ¡°My apologies.¡± He glanced at Veronica for approval, then back at Stryg, ¡°It seems my intervention was unnecessary.¡±


    Stryg brought the bottle back to his lips and kept drinking.


    Damian flushed with anger, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. The least you can do is look at someone when they are apologizing to you! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a filthy rich Goldelm, a sarcastic Veres, or some stupid Gale!¡±


    Freya and Callum winced at the drow¡¯s final words.


    ¡°Oh my gods, Damian,¡± Veronica groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t you just be nice for once?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to be nice, but this outsider can¡¯t just be allowed to act like that in our own damn alehouse!¡± Damian crossed his arms.


    Stryg leaned back and raised his bottle up high, finishing what was left of the drink. He then placed the bottle on the counter and exhaled quietly. With a casual grip, he flipped the bottle around and tested its weight.


    Damian frowned, ¡°What are you-?¡±


    Stryg flicked his wrist in a quick flash and slammed the bottle in Damian¡¯s face. The bottle shattered into a dozen glass shards, Damian tumbled back and collapsed on the floor out cold. Several small gashes bled over his face from where slivers of glass had cut him.


    Heather yelled in shock and called for the guards. The minstrels'' music died instantly. Someone in the crowd screamed, ¡°Holy shit!¡±


    ¡°Goddammit!¡± Freya yelled.


    Veronica watched in stunned silence as Stryg nonchalantly took off his cloak and wiped off what little glass had fallen on it. She had never seen a northern drow like him. His features were outlandish, his button nose and round cheeks seemed child-like, but his eyes¡­ his lilac eyes seemed old, full of quiet anger and a still frigid calm.


    ¡°Feel better now?¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°Yes, very much,¡± Stryg smiled.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Beautiful. That smile¡­ there was no other word that came into her mind but beautiful. Yet instinctively some part of her knew there was something else lurking inside that perfect smile, something monstrous.


    A retinue of guards burst into the alehouse, swords and spears in hands.


    ¡°That northern drow attacked Damian Parvus!¡± Heather pointed an accusing finger at Stryg.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t move!¡± the captain of the guards yelled and pointed his blade at Stryg and his companions.


    Stryg stared at the guards calmly, but his hand reached for Nameless¡¯ hilt.


    ¡°Damn, we¡¯re really doing this, huh?¡± Sylvie sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to start my day like this, but okay,¡± she cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. Sylvie rose to her full height and strode towards the guards, her crimson eyes full of bloodlust.


    The guards stepped back, their faces pale with fear.


    ¡°Wait, Sylvie!¡± Callum called out, panicked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie glanced back at him.


    Freya didn¡¯t hesitate, she pulled out a slip of paper and showed it to the captain of the guards, ¡°We can explain. We¡¯re honored guests of Undergrowth. We just stopped by for a drink and things got a little out of control. Here¡¯s our writ to prove it.¡±


    The captain of the guard grabbed the slip of paper tentatively. His blue eyes widened as he read the note and glanced at the four strangers. ¡°Hm¡­ By order of House Noir and House Thorn¡­ I see¡­ I understand.¡± He glanced at his men, ¡°Stand down and call in some healers from the Pale Lotus.¡±


    The guards looked at their captain as if he was crazy, but they quickly lowered their weapons under his glare.


    The captain looked at Damian with sympathy, he turned to Freya, ¡°If another incident like this happens I¡¯m afraid I will be forced to arrest the instigators, royal writs be damned.¡±


    ¡°I understand. On behalf of my team, I thank you for your discretion,¡± Freya bowed her head.


    The captain nodded and handed Freya back her writ, ¡°I know you are all eager to fight it out, but please wait until the tourney officially starts. Both your teams will have an equal chance to compete then.¡±


    ¡°Both our teams?¡± Freya furrowed her brow. She glanced at Damian and the others, ¡°Then you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Hollow Shade¡¯s chosen?¡± Heather¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the competition,¡± Freya noted sourly.


    ¡°O-ho-ho-ho shit!¡± Sylvie grinned. ¡°Now I¡¯m really excited.¡±


    ¡°Not much to be excited for¡­¡± Callum stared at Damian.


    ¡°Your crazy friend attacked him without warning!¡± Heather snapped. ¡°In an actual match, with magic? None of you would stand a chance!¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± Sylvie said lightly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Freya laughed smugly.


    Callum patted Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Come on, we should get going before you bite someone.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Freya and Sylvie quickly followed behind them.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Veronica called out, but they had already left. She sighed, ¡°I never got your name¡­¡±


    ¡°Cheating fucks,¡± Heather glared at the empty doorway. ¡°Who just hits someone with a bottle in the middle of a conversation!? Wait until I tell Calex about these assholes.¡±

 Chapter 253: Ancient Mural

    Chapter 253: Ancient Mural


    The sun settled below the horizon as night stretched across Glimmer Grove forest. Soft fluorescent lights glowed in hues of pinks, blues, and greens over the leaves of the canopy, casting an almost ethereal luminescence over Undergrowth. But there was no light over Shadow Lake, its black waters were as dark as the infamous shade wall.


    It seemed eerie to the drows of Undergrowth that such a lake, only a league from the city, could hold an atmosphere of its own; a dark gloom that wrapped around itself and threatened to pull anyone into its cold depths.


    The sunken temple that had risen from its black waters had only spurred more rumors of the lake. Common folk feared the temple was filled with the spirits of the dead, hungry to curse any who might cross their path. Merchants were eager to search the temple¡¯s ancient rooms for lost treasure. And Aristocrats desired whatever powerful magical secrets of old the temple might hold. Yet none of them dared visit the half-submerged ruins in the waters of chaos.


    Few dared wander near the black shores of Shadow Lake, fewer dared visit the lake at night. The elite guards of House Thorn preferred to stand watch on the shore at night, a healthy distance from the temple. Even the archeologists who spent their days studying the ancient ruins of the temple refused to stay past sunset.


    Yet there was one drow who had gone inside the temple at night or more accurately he hadn¡¯t left the temple in over two days.


    Lord Gregor Sientia stood alone in the deepest recess of the sunken temple. He was thirsty, hungry, and so tired. Yet he waited all the same¡­


    Gregor wrung his hand anxiously as he glanced back and forth between the old stone doorway behind and the dark hallway in front of him.


    Suddenly, a burst of orange sparks scattered in the darkness, startling the tired scholar.


    Gregor took a hesitant step back and licked his dry lips, ¡°W-who¡¯s there¡­?¡±


    ¡°Relax, my friend, you are safe,¡± said a powerful but gentle voice.


    A cloaked figure emerged from the dark hall. She pulled back the hood and her hair fell across her back in a bundle of dark curls. Two dimples formed in her brown cheeks as her red lips smiled wide.


    Gregor fell down on one knee and bowed his head low, ¡°Lady Holo, you made it!¡±


    ¡°Did you think Lady Thorn¡¯s watchdogs would stop me from coming?¡± Holo said, an amused glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Never,¡± Gregor smiled. ¡°The guards are just Lady Thorn¡¯s way of displaying her power, but the real problem is she wants to know what lies inside the temple, and she always gets what she wants.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but not here. If Lady Thorn tries to exert her will over this temple or your family, she will only find bitter disappointment, you have my word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lady!¡± Gregor tried to stand, but stumbled.


    Holo reached down, grabbed his shoulders, and lifted him up with ease. ¡°You look exhausted. What happened?¡± she asked, genuine concern in her voice.


    Gregor smiled weakly and adjusted his glasses, ¡°You need not worry for me, my lady. A good night of sleep and I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± She glanced behind him, ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°The door to the innermost chamber, yes. My personal assistant found the entrance two days ago, but only I¡¯ve ever been inside.¡±


    Holo walked past the stone doorway with slow, careful steps, ¡°Does anyone else know about this place?¡±


    Gregor followed a few steps behind, ¡°Just my assistant, but she knows nothing about the chamber. No one else has even been down to this floor.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Holo mumbled as she looked around.


    The chamber was shaped in a curving tunnel. Murals and strange sigils decorated the walls, ceiling, and floor. Depictions of giant monsters, powerful spells, and complex structures were the subject of many of the murals.


    Holo surveyed each one carefully, searching for anything that might give her a sign of the knowledge she needed. ¡°Have you managed to decipher any of this?¡±


    Gregor nodded earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m quite proud to say that I have, my lady. And truth be told, it was no small feat. I spent most of my time on a particular mural, one I think might be relevant to your inquiries.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Gregor slowly walked in front of Holo, careful to not scrape his boots across the murals on the floor. ¡°This way, my lady.¡±


    Holo nodded and followed him down the winding tunnel all the way to the end of the chamber, where a large wall sat. Only a single mural was depicted on the wall, the artwork stretched from the floor all the way to the ceiling.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Holo muttered, wide-eyed.


    The mural was composed of gem shards, faded paint, and cracked engravings that depicted a large open field of grass cloaked in a sky of dark storm-ridden clouds.


    A lustrous golden dragon flew upwards into the sky with outstretched wings and a woman clad in black armor rode atop the dragon¡¯s shoulders. Only the woman¡¯s face was uncovered, revealing long jade hair billowing around. She had a narrow jaw and a long rigid nose, with dark lips outstretched in a warcry. Her bronze skin and silver eyes practically glowed in the torchlight.


    Holo traced her fingers across the dragon and rider, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen her before¡­ that woman.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Gregor asked, surprised.


    ¡°When I was young, I saw her in a very ancient painting. Queen Ananta¡­¡±


    ¡°The last queen of the fabled Vesir queendom,¡± Gregor nodded. ¡°And her dragon, Vismarya. Or so the mural says.¡±


    Holo pulled back her hand and marveled at the image, ¡°Vesir¡­ the queendom of eternity and mortality¡­ Someone once told me stories of the legendary queendom lost in the Sundering. Tales of a place where titans walked among mortals, one in blood and fate¡­¡±


    Holo spun around and looked at Gregor excitedly, ¡°Do you know what this means?!¡±


    ¡°Um, maybe?¡± he said hesitantly.


    Holo laughed, a bright brilliant sound, ¡°The lost queendom of Vesir existed in the Age of Titans. This temple was built in the Age of Memory, thousands of years later. I never thought I¡¯d see such a clear depiction of the Age of Titans here! This is incredible!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can hardly believe it myself,¡± Gregor broke into a smile.


    ¡°Tell me more of this mural,¡± Holo said eagerly.


    Gregor checked his journal, ¡°Well, from my translations, it seems the mural is depicting some sort of battle or war, it¡¯s a bit vague in nature. Queen Ananta seems to be leading an army of¡­¡± Gregor pointed down at the bottom of the wall, ¡°Them.¡±


    The bottom corner of the mural depicted a vast array of soldiers. They all wore silver armor but that was where the similarities ended. Every soldier was different, from their height, to their color, and even shape.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°As you can see the soldiers all seem to be of different species.¡± Gregor raised his index finger, ¡°But they are all wearing the same silver armor, which coincides with the bit of engraved script right over here on the tile below. It roughly translates to, ¡®Queen Ananta rallied all the people of the land to face off against the ruthless scourge.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming ¡®the ruthless scourge¡¯ is the army coming up behind the Vesir army?¡± Holo pointed at another spot in the mural.


    The soldiers of the second army were organized in large battalions, each battalion clad in armor and weapons different from the rest. Unlike the first army, the soldiers here seemed to be of the same species, at least within their own battalions.


    ¡°Actually, I think they both are a part of Queen Ananta¡¯s army. Both armies may not march as one, but they are flying the same flag,¡± Gregor said. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s all a bit confusing.¡±


    Holo slowly glanced between both armies and smiled to herself, ¡°Actually, I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important,¡± Holo said apologetically. ¡°So, if both armies are allies, then who are they fighting? Where is this ¡®ruthless scourge¡¯?¡±


    Gregor walked to the left side of the wall, where the mural¡¯s grassy field met a blood-red field covered in bones. ¡°I think this is what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°The dead¡­? No, dead dragons¡­!¡± Holo furrowed her brow. She glanced above the grave of bones and stiffened.


    A horde of pale grey monsters flew above the scarlet field. Leathery black-taloned wings stretched out from the backs of the snarling beasts. A pair of curved black horns sprouted above a wide forehead, and a long jaw jutted out below their flattened snout where thick tusks protruded from a mouth filled with dozens of fangs.


    The mural portrayed a scene of death, the monsters were tearing apart dragons with ease like snapping a pair of twigs. They feasted on the dragons¡¯ flesh and souls in a bath of blood that rained down on the graveyard of bones below.


    ¡°The ruthless scourge¡­¡± Holo whispered.


    Gregor nodded grimly, ¡°...The scourge of Unildyr.¡±


    ¡°This is what Lord Kaleidrog feared¡­¡± Holo mumbled. ¡°These are the Unildyr.¡±


    Gregor cleared his throat, ¡°Um, forgive me, my lady, I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Holo wrinkled her brow.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t Unildyr. These are, uh¡­¡± Gregor glanced at his journal and compared his notes to the sigils inlaid in the tiles, ¡°Ah, here we are. These monsters are called Kalden Obitus - I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m reading that right - ahem, anyway, in the common tongue they simply translate to Dragonbane.¡±


    Holo frowned and shook her head, ¡°Wait, these aren¡¯t Unildyr? Then where are the Unildyr?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Gregor scratched the burn scars across his cheek, a habit he did when anxious.


    Holo grabbed his shoulder reassuringly, ¡°What is it? You can tell me.¡±


    ¡°W-well, according to the mural¡¯s text, Queen Ananta and her forces did fight against the scourge of Unildyr, the Dragonbane. And the Dragonbane were created by Unildyr. But,¡± Gregor pointed to the ceiling, ¡°That is Unildyr.¡±


    Holo slowly looked up, past the Dragonbane, past the armies, and past Queen Ananta. Her eyes settled on the dark clouds forming above the mural¡¯s battlefield. She hadn¡¯t noticed it before. The clouds formed an indistinct face, a face of anger and rage, screaming down on the armies below.


    Holo¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Unildyr¡­ is a person¡­?¡±


    ¡°More like an unfathomable being. Even the builders of this temple didn¡¯t understand Unildyr¡¯s existence very well. The mural depiction of him is simply a conjecture, who knows if Unildyr was even a he or if such a word could be applied to such a being... However, if these writings are correct,¡± Gregor wrung his hands nervously, ¡°Then Unildyr is not from the ten realms, he is a creature of the Null itself, a dark visitor in our world.¡±


    Holo stared at the image of Queen Ananta and her dragon charging into the sky, into the clouds¡­ ¡°Ananta and Vismarya fought this thing? They fought Unildyr?¡±


    ¡°Insane, I know,¡± Gregor winced.


    ¡°...Who won?¡±


    ¡°Queen Ananta, but only barely.¡± Gregor glanced back at his notes, ¡°The translation is pretty rough, but it seems the Vesir queendom was on the losing side, until they used something called¡­ ¡®The Sword of the Vesir¡¯? Queen Ananta wielded the sword to turn the tide of the war and eventually defeat Unildyr.¡±


    Holo stared at the wall with a frown, ¡°The queen isn¡¯t wielding any sword in the mural. Do you have any other notes on the sword? What it looked like? How it worked? Its last whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my lady,¡± Gregor admitted. ¡°All I know is that the sword helped kill the Dragonbane and defeat Unildyr.¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes, ¡°You keep saying defeat Unildyr. Why?¡±


    Gregor wrinkled his brow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand the question.¡±


    ¡°You just said they killed the Dragonbane, but defeated Unildyr. Are you saying they didn¡¯t kill Unildyr? Are you saying Unildyr didn¡¯t die?"


    Gregor shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m simply repeating the words I translated from the mural¡¯s sigils. I suppose the mural never used the word ¡®kill¡¯ when referring to Unildyr. But I think we can safely assume he is dead, yes? ¡­Yes? ¡­Lady Holo?¡±


    Holo¡¯s face had grown pale, a faint tremble ran through her hands. ¡°...Few things from the Age of Titans have survived the test of time. But someone like this¡­ someone who could spawn dragon killers¡­? They could survive.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t really make sense, right?¡± Gregor laughed nervously. ¡°There are too many holes, too many questions. If this Unildyr being was still alive, why have we never heard of him before? Why are dragons still alive? Why aren¡¯t there any of these Dragonbane monsters flying about terrorizing the land?¡±


    Holo swallowed hard, but said nothing.


    Gregor cleared his throat, ¡°And if by some ridiculous chance Unildyr did survive all this time, perhaps he simply left the realms and went back to the Null?¡±


    Holo¡¯s eyes widened in dawning horror, ¡°Or perhaps he was trapped under a mountain for the last three ages¡­ Until the mountain erupted and a stupid girl found him 900 years ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Gregor frowned.


    ¡°Lord Sientia, are you there?¡± a voice called out hesitantly.


    ¡°Someone is coming!¡± Holo whispered.


    Gregor raised his hands, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s -!¡±


    But Holo¡¯s form had already disappeared in a burst of orange sparks.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Gregor yelled.


    He sprinted back up the chamber¡¯s tunnel, wincing each time he stepped over a mural tile. He reached the chamber¡¯s doorway in a matter of seconds, but he was too late. Holo held a young woman by the throat and had her pinned to the wall. The woman gasped for breath and kicked feebly, trying to escape to no avail.


    ¡°Wait, please!¡± Gregor screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her! She¡¯s my assistant!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s seen us,¡± Holo said coldly.


    Plum¡¯s face darkened a shade of blue as she wheezed. With shaky hands she gripped Holo¡¯s wrist and channeled purple mana. Slim mind tendrils of purple light emerged from her hands and attached themselves to Holo¡¯s arm.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, kid,¡± Holo smirked and tightened her grip.


    Plum¡¯s mouth gaped open like a fish, but there was no sound, no gasp of air left. The glasses slipped from her nose and fell with a crack. Her arms and legs went limp and her eyes rolled up.


    ¡°Wait, my lady! Plum is loyal, she will not say anything!¡± Gregor fell to his knees and bowed his head to the floor, ¡°Please, my lady. She has a bright future ahead of her, please don¡¯t take that from her! Please.¡±


    Holo looked at Gregor with a mixture of regret and pity. After a few tense moments she sighed, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± and released her grip.


    Plum collapsed to the floor with a hard thud. She wheezed weakly and tried her best to scramble away from Holo. Gregor ran to Plum and helped her up to a sitting position.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay,¡± Gregor said in a soothing voice. ¡°What are you doing here? I told you to stay on the upper floors.¡±


    Plum rubbed her throat and glanced fearfully at Holo. ¡°...Your wife was getting worried about you, my lord,¡± she said in a raspy voice. ¡°It¡¯s been two days since anyone last saw you. Lady Sientia pleaded with me to come find you. I-I didn¡¯t know you were¡­ I won¡¯t tell anyone about your mistress¡­¡±


    ¡°Mistress¡­?¡± Gregor asked.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Holo laughed, ¡°Gregor is a good man, but I¡¯m nobody¡¯s mistress.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you¡­?¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask anyone questions, child,¡± Gregor said sternly. ¡°You saw nothing tonight. And as far as you¡¯re concerned, this chamber, no, this entire floor does not exist. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°...I understand,¡± Plum nodded slowly.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Gregor smiled and handed Plum her broken glasses. ¡°Now go home and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, my lord,¡± Plum bowed her head and with a painful grimace she pushed herself to her feet. She glanced nervously at Holo, before she walked away with an unsteady gait.


    ¡°I really hope you¡¯re right, Gregor,¡± Holo said quietly.


    Gregor sighed, ¡°Plum is a sensible, level-headed young woman. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±

 Chapter 254: The Welcome Party Part 1

    Chapter 254: The Welcome Party Part 1


    With slow, tired steps Plum walked back home. Her small house was in one of the more affluent neighborhoods of Undergrowth, a perk of being a personal assistant to the lord of a Great House. She had counted herself lucky to have found a job with House Sientia, but now, as she rubbed the bruises on her neck and stared at the cracks in her glasses, she wondered if she had any luck at all.


    The night streets of Undergrowth were lit with the fluorescent leaves of the trees hanging above. Which made it difficult for any burglar to sneak into one''s home and very easy to spot any intruder trying to climb into a window.


    Plum stared at the young woman scaling up the wall of her house like a drunk spider unable to keep a steady grip.


    ¡°Veronica, what are you doing?¡± Plum asked, annoyed.


    ¡°Eh!?¡± Veronica screamed in surprise. Her hand slipped off the wall and she fell flat on her ass. ¡°Ow¡­¡± she groaned.


    Plum looked down at Veronica, disappointment clear in her dour expression, ¡°Why are you trying to break into my house?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault¡­¡± Veronica rubbed her butt and grimaced. ¡°I knocked on the door a dozen times. You didn¡¯t answer.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I wasn¡¯t at my house,¡± she clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Or because you were sleeping,¡± Veronica smiled knowingly.


    ¡°So you tried to climb into my window?¡± Plum raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Obviously. I¡¯m not allowed to use magic until the tourney starts. What else was I supposed to do?¡±


    Plum shook her head and sighed, ¡°How have you made it this far in life?¡±


    ¡°My cute charm and gumption!¡± Veronica batted her eyelashes and smiled wide.


    ¡°So, what is it?¡± Plum crossed her arms.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What did you want to tell me so desperately that you tried to break into my house?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ aren¡¯t you going to invite me in first? Have a chat over a cup of tea? Or wine, if you have any that is. I¡¯d really prefer a cup of wine right now or something stronger. My butt really hurts. I think I need to lie down. Mind if I crash with you tonight? I don¡¯t really wanna walk all the way home.¡±


    ¡°Not my problem. Talk, quick.¡±


    ¡°Aw, why do you gotta be so cold?¡±


    ¡°Talk.¡±


    Veronica groaned, ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± She laid down on the grass and stared up at the night sky.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not in the mood for your antics, tonight. If you¡¯re just gonna lie there all night I¡¯m leaving,¡± Plum turned to walk away.


    ¡°...I met him.¡±


    Plum paused and turned her head, ¡°Met whom?¡±


    ¡°The perfect guy,¡± she sighed longingly.


    ¡°Eh¡­? The perfect what now?¡±


    ¡°Okay, well maybe not perfect, he did knock out Damian, but he was so handsome. It was like he came out of a fairy tale! You should have seen it, he walked into the alehouse all mysterious, cloak and all. And his smile, heart-wrenching!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what heart-wrenching means¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you don¡¯t understand! You didn¡¯t see him. He had this¡­ panache? It was the confidence he carried himself with, he didn¡¯t seem scared of anything! I¡¯ve never seen another drow like him.¡± Veronica giggled, ¡°I¡¯m gonna make him mine, even if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s this dreamy drow¡¯s name?¡± Plum smiled, amused.


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t actually get his name,¡± Veronica winced.


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t,¡± Plum rolled her eyes. ¡°You came all this way to tell me about some guy and you don¡¯t even know his name? Good luck scoring a date.¡±


    Veronica sat up with a frown, ¡°I may not know his name, but I know where to find him.¡±


    ¡°You stalked him? Veronica, you can¡¯t just go around breaking the law wherever you go. It¡¯s already bad enough you tried breaking into my house.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± she frowned. ¡°He¡¯s from Hollow Shade.¡±


    Plum¡¯s blue eyes lit with interest. ¡°Hollow Shade?¡±


    Veronica smiled slyly, ¡°Hehe, not just Hollow Shade. He¡¯s part of Hollow Shade¡¯s tourney team.¡±


    ¡°Y-you met their tourney team!?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it at first. House Noir spread a bunch of misleading rumors about Hollow Shade¡¯s team this year, so no one really knew who¡¯d be coming.¡± Veronica shrugged, ¡°Not that it matters, they always come in last place anyway. And yeah, they''re the enemy I know. But, isn¡¯t that the best kind of love? Forbidden, star-crossed lovers. It¡¯s just like the stories!¡±


    Plum reached down and gripped Veronica¡¯s shoulders tight. ¡°I need you to focus. Did you see their entire team? ...Was there a goblin with them? A blue goblin?¡±


    ¡°Woah, calm down,¡± Veronica leaned back uneasily. ¡°I did meet the rest of their team, a bunch of assholes if you ask me. What else can you expect from a city surrounded by a wall of murderous shades, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Veronica.¡±


    ¡°T-there was no goblin with them, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d notice a tiny blue dude drinking next to me. Hell, I think anyone would remember meeting a blue goblin.¡±


    ¡°...Right, I see,¡± Plum sighed and stepped back.


    ¡°Is that a sigh of disappointment or relief?¡± Veronica asked curiously.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this blue goblin? I¡¯ve never seen a blue goblin before. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen any other kind besides the green ones. Does Hollow Shade have a lot of blue goblins?¡±


    Plum sighed weakly, ¡°Please¡­ just¡­ stop.¡±


    Veronica held her tongue and looked at her friend worriedly, ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just tired.¡±


    ¡°...My dad told me you used to live in Hollow Shade before you came here. But I¡¯ve never heard you talk about the City of Shades, not even once¡­ Did¡­ did something happen back there?¡±


    Plum smiled bitterly, ¡°Everything, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Good or bad?¡±


    ¡°Good and bad.¡± Plum sat down next to Veronica, ¡°It¡¯s complicated like that. That¡¯s why I came back here. A fresh start. A simple, clean slate.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice, a clean slate I mean,¡± Veronica said wistfully. ¡°Everyone here knows me as the genius daughter of House Sientia. They expect so much from me¡­¡±


    ¡°So instead you pretend to be the fool,¡± Plum said softly.


    ¡°At least if I¡¯m a fool, it won¡¯t look so bad when I fail to achieve greatness,¡± she said faintly. ¡°It¡¯s like you said, how did I ever manage to get this far? I¡¯m not really cut out for any of this.¡±


    Plum chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Veronica frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, you remind me of someone I once knew. He had this dream of becoming the greatest mage in all the Realm and using that power to destroy anyone in his path.¡±


    ¡°He sounds crazy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he was?¡± Plum mused. ¡°But the reality is he set these unrealistic expectations for himself. He was talented, but he wasn¡¯t a genius mage like you, and yet he worked harder than anyone I know, always trying to achieve these impossible standards he set for himself. And when he would fail, he blamed himself, over and over again. I saw how it tore him up inside, ate at his psyche little by little¡­¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Plum wrapped her arm around Veronica, ¡°So you see, it¡¯s okay if you want to pretend to be the fool. Don¡¯t let the pressures of your family and society dictate your value. You¡¯re great, just the way you are.¡±


    ¡°You really mean it,¡± Veronica whispered.


    ¡°Eh, maybe,¡± Plum winked playfully.


    ¡°Why are you so mean!?¡± Veronica whined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Plum laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Then come with me to the party tomorrow night!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What party?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re having a welcome party at the Thorn¡¯s castle for all the important guests who have come for the tourney. You should come!¡±


    ¡°Eehh, I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m not really great with crowds¡­¡±


    ¡°Aw come on, don¡¯t leave me to fend against all those aristocrats by myself. Oh! There¡¯ll be all sorts of delicious food too!¡±


    ¡°Delicious food?¡± Plum swallowed.


    ¡°Cuisine from all over the Realm, made by the greatest chefs in the city. A once in a year experience,¡± Veronica grinned.


    ¡°...Will I have to talk to anyone while I¡¯m there?¡±


    ¡°Just me,¡± Veronica¡¯s grin widened.


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Plum groaned.


    ¡°Noice!¡± Veronica fist-pumped the air. ¡°We¡¯ll go shopping for dresses in the morning,¡± she jumped to her feet.


    ¡°Wait? Dresses!? I take it back, I don¡¯t want to go!¡±


    ¡°Too late, you already said yes!¡± Veronica yelled and ran down the street.


    ~~~


    Hollow Shade¡¯s team of young mages walked into the castle¡¯s ballroom with large confident strides. Long black dresses of silk wrapped around Freya and Sylvie with an artist¡¯s touch. Several guests stopped their conversations and drinks and simply stared at the beauties, mesmerized.


    Stryg and Callum were dressed in dark black tunics and pants. They wore a pair of ornate white jackets that ended above their knees and had Hollow Shade¡¯s crest emblazoned on the back. Their attire was finished with a pair of sleek black shoes.


    Stryg cursed under his breath and fiddled with his collar.


    ¡°Stryg, stop it, you¡¯re making us look bad,¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s too fucking tight,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Just unbutton the collar,¡± Callum whispered.


    ¡°Ah, I broke it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Freya sighed.


    ¡°At least you have a button,¡± Sylvie fidgeted. ¡°This damn dress is too tight.¡±


    ¡°I think it looks fine,¡± Callum stared above Sylvie¡¯s tight corset, at her breasts that seemed as if they were about to spill out.


    ¡°Why do we even have to wear these stupid clothes?¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°We represent Hollow Shade, whether we want to or not, people will see us that way,¡± Freya said. ¡°Black and white are the colors of our city, best if we act the part, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Quite right,¡± Cornelius walked in behind them. He was decked in a velvet green jacket and a flamboyant yellow silk tunic. His dark beard and hair had been braided in various golden beads, as was the tradition among wealthy dwarves.


    ¡°Mr. Rotrusk?¡± Freya asked. ¡°I thought you were with the other professors.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was supposed to be,¡± Cornelius nodded bleakly. ¡°But I was ordered to look after you four on account of what happened yesterday at that fancy alehouse.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re here to keep an eye on us?¡± Callum raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°The correct term is ¡®babysit.¡¯¡± Cornelius said. ¡°While Miss Tauri and the others drink, dance, and socialize with the other refined guests, I¡¯ll be here¡­ with the children. The horror¡­¡± he moaned.


    ¡°We¡¯re not kids,¡± Stryg glared.


    ¡°You whacked a guy with a bottle and the rest of you just watched. If that shit ain¡¯t childish, then I¡¯m a goddamn giant,¡± Cornelius rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Fine, so what now?¡± Freya sighed.


    Cornelius laughed, ¡°Are you really asking me what to do in a ballroom filled with powerful mages, wealthy merchants, and dignified aristocrats?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m regretting it now,¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, darling,¡± Cornelius grinned smugly. ¡°You mingle. Except you, Stryg. You try not to talk to anyone or hit anyone with a chalice.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Yeah, this is going to be a long night. I¡¯m gonna go get a drink, anyone wanna join me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± Sylvie raised her hand.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t split up!¡± Cornelius said.


    ¡°Uncle?¡± a young woman called out.


    Cornelius froze and turned around. His eyes widened at the sight of the dark-haired dwarf woman. Faint freckles covered her cheeks and small nose.


    Her brown eyes lit in recognition. She smiled brightly and ran over, ¡°It is you!¡±


    ¡°Cordelia?¡± Cornelius mumbled.


    ¡°Uncle Cornelius!¡± She slammed into him and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. ¡°It''s been so long! What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing,¡± he smiled. ¡°I can hardly believe my sister let you travel this far from home.¡±


    ¡°It was for a special occasion,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Um, who is this?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°Can¡¯t we just get a drink?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right, ahem,¡± Cornelius cleared his throat. ¡°This prodigious young woman is my favorite niece, Cordelia of the Great House of Rotrusk.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Freya narrowed her eyes.


    Callum bowed with a flourish, ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Cordelia. I am Callum of the Great House of Veres.¡±


    ¡°Hi, a pleasure to make your acquan-¡± Cordelia furrowed her brow. ¡°Wait, your clothes.¡± She glanced between Stryg, Callum, Freya, and Sylvie. ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s colors? Are you Hollow Shade¡¯s chosen team?¡± She turned to Cornelius, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re working for the enemy!?¡±


    ¡°Enemy is a strong word, we¡¯re all friends here,¡± Cornelius smiled awkwardly. ¡°And I¡¯m just here as a temporary teacher. Part of a very lucrative one-time job, you understand, don¡¯t you, dear?¡±


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± Cordelia crossed her arms angrily. ¡°You¡¯d go against your own niece? Your own family!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never!¡± Cornelius yelled indignantly.


    ¡°I knew it, she¡¯s a part of Frost Rim¡¯s team,¡± Freya scowled. ¡°Why else would she be here? Look at her dress, it¡¯s blue and white even! Frost Rim colors.¡±


    ¡°The enemy?¡± Stryg¡¯s ears perked up. He suddenly stared at the Frost Rim dwarf with great interest.


    ¡°I found her!¡± a feminine voice yelled.


    Everyone turned at the sound. It was easy to spot the speaker. She stood out among the crowd. Her dark black hair contrasted well with her bright blue skin and pale grey eyes. She stood eight feet tall, towering over all the other guests. Yet it was the large sword she dragged on her back in the middle of the party that gave everyone pause.


    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°A frost giant? Here?¡± Callum said hesitantly.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little too short,¡± Sylvie noted. ¡°And her ears aren¡¯t round, they have a bit of a point to them¡­ A hybrid?¡±


    The frost giant woman pushed through the crowd of gawkers with ease and reached the Hollow Shaders in half a dozen wide steps. She ignored them and looked straight down at Cordelia, ¡°Captain¡¯s been looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Lynn,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°I spotted my uncle in the crowd¡­ I got so happy I just ran over here.¡± She clicked her tongue, ¡°But now I¡¯m regretting it.¡±


    ¡°Cordelia, I¡¯m not your enemy,¡± Cornelius said weakly. ¡°I swear to all the gods above I¡¯d never betray our family.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t tell them our secrets? My magical skills?¡± Cordelia asked warily.


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Stryg asked coldly.


    ¡°My uncle already told you. I¡¯m Cordelia Rotrusk,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Not you,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Her.¡± He pointed at the frost giant.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m uh, Lynn. I¡¯m not an aristocrat,¡± she smiled down at him. ¡°So you can just call me Lynn.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, but I wasn¡¯t talking about you,¡± Stryg craned his neck to the side. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the drow girl behind you who is sending me death glares.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Lynn turned around and took a step back.


    A small drow woman stood silently right behind her. Unlike the rest of the guests, she wore no dress or fancy jacket. Instead, she wore a pair of white leather breeches and a form-fitting black jacket. She was thin, lithe, a small shadow compared to the brawny frost giant. Long grey bangs hovered right above her blue eyes, but it was clear from her posture that she was looking straight at Stryg.


    ¡°And you are?¡± Stryg smiled icily.


    The drow stayed silent and simply kept staring.


    ¡°She¡¯s like this sometimes,¡± Lynn chuckled apologetically.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Stryg flexed his fingers.


    ¡°This is not the time for a fight, Stryg,¡± Freya warned. ¡°Even if there is a creepy chick looking at you.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Callum said. ¡°Best if we retreat for now. No need to deal with Frost Rimmers tonight. We¡¯re at a party, why don¡¯t we take it easy, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself, Callum,¡± a pale beauty said. A brilliant scarlet dress hugged her sensual curves tight as she strutted towards them. Her crimson eyes glanced playfully around, taking in everyone¡¯s appearance.


    Lynn and Cordelia bowed respectfully to the vampiress. ¡°Captain,¡± they said in unison.


    Callum nodded stiffly, ¡°Kalliste, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, we both know that isn¡¯t true,¡± Kalliste smirked. ¡°But I must admit, I really didn¡¯t expect to see you here. A Veres without the Veres¡¯ iconic black magic? Here? To compete in the most prestigious tourney in the Ebon Realm? I don¡¯t think anyone would believe it.¡±


    ¡°Kalliste?¡± Freya paled. ¡°Kalliste Lilith?¡±


    ¡°The younger sister of last year¡¯s tourney champion and the greatest talent of this generation,¡± Cordelia nodded proudly.


    ¡°Guilty,¡± Kalliste licked her red lips and smiled.


    Freya shook her head and laughed, ¡°In other words, you¡¯re just a girl living in her big sis¡¯ shadow. How cute.¡±


    ¡°And you must be the Goldelm child. Cocky as expected,¡± Kalliste said. ¡°I was originally going to go easy on you, on account of your family¡¯s origin in Frost Rim. But now? Hm,¡± she bared her fangs. ¡°Who knows what might happen to that cute little face?¡±


    Freya swallowed, but tried to put up a brave expression.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it,¡± Sylvie stepped in between them. ¡°First you insult Callum and now you threaten Freya? No one hurts my friends!¡±


    ¡°My you are a big one,¡± Kalliste looked her up and down. ¡°Still smaller than our Lynn. Actually, now that I look at you¡­ Are three of you hybrids? Couldn¡¯t find any proper mages, huh?¡±


    Lynn lowered her head and hid her expression.


    ¡°You have a hybrid on your own team, but you still insult hybrids?¡± Sylvie growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care what family you come from, you¡¯re just a piece of shit!¡±


    ¡°Lynn knows where she stands. It¡¯s time you learn too,¡± Kalliste said.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s just all calm down. Save the fighting for the tournament,¡± Cornelius raised his hands.


    ¡°Wise words, I¡¯d hate to get a hybrid¡¯s blood over my dress,¡± Kalliste said. ¡°And I very much doubt Callum would be happy if I hurt one of his friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you suddenly care what Callum thinks?¡± Sylvie snarled.


    ¡°Quite the opposite, but it¡¯s my duty to pretend at the very least,¡± Kalliste smiled.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie frowned.


    Kalliste glanced at Callum, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them? You¡¯re just a crafty little thing aren¡¯t you, darling?¡±


    ¡°Please, stop,¡± Callum said weakly.


    ¡°Whaaaat is she talking about?¡± Sylvie asked suspiciously.


    Kalliste wiggled her finger at Callum, ¡°This failure of a Veres is my dear fianc¨¦, obviously.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s mouth went slack with shock. She slowly turned to Callum, crazed anger in her scarlet eyes.


    Callum stepped back fearfully, ¡°I can explain.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but nudge Freya¡¯s arm, ¡°And you were all worried I¡¯d attack someone.¡±

 Chapter 255: The Welcome Party Part 2

    Chapter 255: The Welcome Party Part 2


    Sylvie stomped towards a terrified Callum, but she suddenly stopped. She closed her eyes tight and took a shaky breath.


    ¡°S-Sylvie¡­?¡± Callum whispered hesitantly.


    Sylvie clenched her teeth and wiped the tear at the corner of her eye. She turned around and walked off into the crowd.


    ¡°Wait, Sylvie!¡± Callum yelled and ran after her.


    Kalliste Lilith watched the whole exchange with a smug smile. ¡°You know, I really didn¡¯t expect that to be so¡­ satisfying.¡±


    Freya glared at her, ¡°I always heard people talk of House Lilith¡¯s great beauty and power, but it looks like they forgot to mention your bitchiness.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Kalliste looked taken aback. She giggled, a husky sound. ¡°I¡¯m the victim in all of this. It seems my fianc¨¦ has been cheating on me. And now he leaves me here to pick up all the pieces. Whatever shall I do?¡±


    The dark-haired dwarf, Cordelia Rotrusk, raised her forefinger as if an idea had struck her, ¡°Break Callum Veres¡¯ legs?¡±


    Kalliste smiled, ¡°To keep him from running again? How Poetic. I love it.¡± She glanced up at the frost giant woman towering over them, ¡°What do you think, Lynn?¡±


    ¡°Whatever the captain wishes, I shall follow,¡± Lynn bowed.


    ¡°I knew I could always count on your loyalty,¡± Kalliste smirked.


    Stryg bared his small fangs at Kalliste, ¡°This is a party, so I¡¯ll say it once. Back off.¡±


    The silent drow who had been eyeing Stryg stepped in between him and Kalliste. The cold gaze in her frigid blue eyes gave Stryg pause. There was something off about her.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, she¡¯s dangerous.


    Kalliste placed her pale hand over her red lips, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid Nalla here has different thoughts. I think it best if you back off, hm?¡±


    Freya grabbed Stryg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t the place¡­¡± she whispered.


    Stryg shook her hand off and looked past the silent drow. His lilac eyes settled on the smiling Kalliste, ¡°If you think for one second I¡¯ll simply stand by and watch you hurt my friends, I¡¯ll-¡±


    The surrounding crowds suddenly began clapping. Their loud cheers drowned out Stryg¡¯s words. He turned to the grand gates at the end of the ballroom. The ornate gate swirled open slowly in a mixture of enchanted locks and hinges. A stunning pair of drows strolled into the ballroom.


    The young man wore a pale silver jacket over a white silk shirt that loosely hung over his dark blue breeches. His hair tumbled down his shoulders in fine curls of white.


    A silver gown wrapped tightly around the woman¡¯s torso and bust. The gown¡¯s skirt split right below the hips, revealing her long slender legs. The skirt trailed behind her, black vines of fabric stretching out from the edges.


    The drow couple was dressed in a matching set of silver attire, rich in design and fabric. Yet it was their looks that captivated the crowd. The couple had an almost otherworldly beauty. A refined, almost fragile look that seemed as if it would disappear if one stepped too close. Even their grey skin seemed to almost glow under the chandeliers¡¯ magestone light.


    The drow woman sashayed down the ballroom, her each step accentuating the curves of her hips. The young man followed a step behind her. He smiled serenely at the crowd, while she didn¡¯t even bother to glance at them.


    ¡°The Thorns have finally made their grand appearance,¡± Kalliste mused.


    ¡°Those are the Thorns?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The power behind Undergrowth, Lady Ophelia Thorn herself,¡± Kalliste said grimly.


    ¡°That¡¯s her husband?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°You two really are ignorant,¡± Kalliste shook her head. ¡°No, that''s the prince charming himself, Lady Thorn¡¯s son and her greatest pride¡­ and our greatest enemy, Calex Thorn.¡±


    ¡°Greatest enemy?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Calex is representing Undergrowth in this year¡¯s tourney,¡± Freya said grimly.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not as ignorant as you look,¡± Kalliste said.


    ¡°I¡¯m really getting tired of this vampire,¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°Same,¡± Freya sneered.


    The quiet drow Nalla shifted her feet and took a subtle battle stance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Goldelm,¡± Kalliste smiled wide, revealing her long fangs. ¡°There will be plenty of time to settle our disputes at the tourney.¡±


    ¡°Until then, enjoy the party,¡± Kalliste turned around and left back into the crowd.


    ¡°It was nice to meet all of you,¡± Lynn bowed her head and followed behind Kalliste.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Take care of yourself, uncle,¡± Cordelia said curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell Mother of your involvement with Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to,¡± Cornelius winced. ¡°I¡¯m sure my sister has better things to do.¡±


    Cordelia ignored him and hurried after Kalliste.


    The silent drow, Nalla, took one last look at Stryg and walked away.


    ¡°...So that was team Frost Rim, huh?¡± Freya muttered. ¡°This will be harder than I thought.¡±


    Stryg glanced at his dwarf teacher, Cornelius, ¡°Were you just going to stand back and watch us fight in silence?¡±


    ¡°Cordelia is my niece, there is no way in hell I¡¯m going to wade into a fight against her,¡± Cornelius barked with laughter. ¡°...Seriously, her mother would kill me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Freya rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, Stryg, let¡¯s go find Callum and Sylvie before either of them do something terribly stupid.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t split up!¡± Cornelius yelled.


    They ignored the dwarf and left him behind. Cornelius chased after them for a brief moment, then stopped when he spotted a pretty drow walk by.


    Cornelius shook his head, ¡°Eh¡­ They¡¯ll be fine for a little bit.¡± He patted his beard, swept back his hair, and introduced himself to the pretty drow.


    ~~~


    Plum sipped her wine and glanced about uneasily. ¡°I hate places like this¡­¡±


    ¡°You hate being in the largest and most luxurious castle in all of Undergrowth?¡± Veronica gasped loudly, ¡°The horror!"


    "Shut up, you know what I mean,¡± Plum adjusted her glasses. ¡°Look at all these people¡­ they¡¯re all¡­¡±


    ¡°Dressed in clothes worth more than your salary?¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°No. Well, yes. But they¡¯re all¡­ important. I mean if I¡¯m not careful I could accidentally bump into a powerful leader of a Great House from Murkton or something. This whole place is like a dragon¡¯s den.¡±


    ¡°Relax, no one¡¯s gonna hurt you, not while I¡¯m here,¡± Veronica grinned.


    ¡°...Yeah, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I¡¯m more worried about you getting into trouble,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°Hah! As if,¡± Veronica laughed. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Damian,¡± she pointed to her teammate on the other side of the ballroom. ¡°Huh, he looks¡­ kinda angry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he sorta does. Wait, where is he going?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like Damian¡¯s talking to someone, I can¡¯t see them very well from all the way over here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now it looks like he¡¯s shouting,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Probably to some waiter who got his drink wrong. Wait, is that¡­?¡± Veronica groaned, ¡°Dammit, that idiot!¡± She hiked up her dress and sprinted across the ballroom.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going!¡± Plum yelled and glanced around anxiously at the aristocrats and merchants staring. ¡°This is why I hate parties,¡± she grumbled and ran after Veronica.


    ~~~


    ¡°It¡¯s you! Stop where you are, bastard!¡± Damian yelled angrily.


    Stryg¡¯s ear twitched at the noise. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with the belligerent drow.


    Freya cursed under her breath. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this right now.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be here,¡± Damian sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Freya questioningly, ¡°...Who is this guy?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Damian stuttered. ¡°What do you mean ¡®who is this guy¡¯!? You attacked me yesterday!¡±


    Freya covered her mouth and tried to hold back her laughter.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Attack¡­?¡±


    Freya took a deep breath and collected herself. ¡°He¡¯s Damian of the Great House of Parvus.¡±


    ¡°His face doesn¡¯t look familiar¡­ I can¡¯t place his scent either,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke!?¡± Damian screamed.


    The nearby guests stared at his uproar and began whispering amongst themselves.


    Freya coughed, ¡°You hit him with a bottle on the head.¡±


    ¡°Oooh!¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes lit with recognition. ¡°You¡¯re that annoying drunk who couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t drunk, you bastard!¡± Damian yelled. His face had grown flushed with anger. ¡°I won¡¯t just let you run away this time. Not after you snuck an attack when I wasn¡¯t even looking!¡±


    Stryg blinked and cocked his head to the side, ¡°I¡¯m a little confused. Are you talking about when you fell unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°Oh, then you¡¯re wrong, I didn¡¯t attack you, I simply shut you up,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Nor I was being sneaky, I looked right into your eyes when I smashed that bottle over your face. It was quite satisfying.¡± Stryg¡¯s voice grew cold, ¡°If I had actually attacked, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here tonight.¡±


    Damian furrowed his brow. ¡°You¡­ What sort of crazy fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°The kind who won¡¯t stop on his own,¡± Freya muttered. ¡°Now, please move. We don¡¯t have time to waste-¡±


    ¡°~Hellooo!~¡± Veronica jumped in and shoved Damian aside.


    ¡°H-hey!¡± Damian yelled indignantly.


    ¡°Sorry about that, friends. Don¡¯t mind Damian, he gets angry over the smallest things,¡± Veronica laughed cheerfully.


    ¡°He hit me with a damn bottle,¡± Damian glared.


    ¡°And the white mages healed you up perfectly,¡± Veronica said. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a scar on that handsome face, so stop complaining.¡±


    ¡°Handsome?¡± Damian blushed.


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s all you got from that?¡± Veronica shook her head. She turned to Stryg and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it, did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are,¡± Stryg said in a puzzled voice.


    ¡°Uh, what now?¡± Veronica blinked.


    ¡°How do you not remember any of them?¡± Freya asked, surprised. ¡°She was at the alehouse yesterday, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to remember people by their scent,¡± Stryg admitted quietly. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to smell anything when you have a bottle of alcohol on your lips.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kinda weird, Mister,¡± Veronica wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°Believe me, no one has ever disputed that fact,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°But I like it,¡± Veronica smiled. ¡°Since you don¡¯t remember, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Veronica of the Great House of Sientia, nice to m-¡±


    ¡°Veronica, don¡¯t just run off like that!¡± Plum called out as she ran over to them.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of her. Plum wore a simple, yet elegant red dress. A warm feeling bubbled in his chest. He had only seen it once, but he recognized the dress. He had bought it for her.


    Plum met his gaze and stiffened to a halt. Her face went pale, she opened her mouth, but no words came out.


    ¡°This is one of my best friends,¡± Veronica patted Plum¡¯s rigid shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s a little shy, but don¡¯t underestimate her. She¡¯s the smartest person I know. She''s gotten me out of more trouble than I¡¯d like to admit,¡± Veronica laughed.


    Freya looked Plum up and down suspiciously, ¡°And what do we call this ¡®super smart¡¯ friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Veronica snapped her fingers. ¡°Ahem, Miss Freya and Mister Mysterious - who still has yet to tell me your name - I¡¯d like you to meet Pl-¡±


    ¡°Plumela¡­¡± Stryg said quietly. He straightened his back and steeled his gaze, ¡°Plumela of Ebon Hollow.¡±

 Chapter 256: The Welcome Party Part 3

    Chapter 256: The Welcome Party Part 3


    Freya looked Plum up and down suspiciously, ¡°And what do we call this super smart friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Veronica Sientia snapped her fingers. ¡°Ahem, Miss Freya and Mister Mysterious - who still has yet to tell me your name - I¡¯d like you to meet Pl-¡±


    ¡°Plumela¡­¡± Stryg said quietly. He straightened his back and steeled his gaze, ¡°Plumela of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Veronica glanced between Plum and Stryg, ¡°Wait, do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± Plum bit her lip. She slowly looked Stryg over and adjusted her glasses. ¡°Is that¡­ you? Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, who else would it be?¡± Stryg said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ changed,¡± Plum mumbled with wide eyes. She shook her head, ¡°Wait, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Stryyyyg, who is this chick?¡± Freya muttered uneasily.


    ¡°Plum, are you friends with this guy?¡± Veronica smiled.


    ¡°...¡± Plum stared at Stryg, unsure of what to make of who the blue goblin had become.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Ebon Hollow, what region does it lie in?¡± Damian asked Plum.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a part of Ebon Hollow,¡± Plum said sternly.


    ¡°Then why are you wearing that dress?¡± Stryg asked.


    Plum looked down and laughed scornfully, ¡°It¡¯s the only bit of fancy fabric I had to wear for this stupid party. And what makes you think you can just claim me because of a stupid dress?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Stryg winced. ¡°I just meant¡­ there will always be a place for you in Ebon Hollow¡­ if you want it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± Plum said resolutely. ¡°I left all of that behind the day I left Hollow Shade.¡±


    A glint of pain flashed through Stryg¡¯s eyes, but it was quickly smothered away with a cold countenance. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed¡­¡±


    ¡°If you mean that I still don¡¯t want to join a tribe of murderers, than you¡¯d be right,¡± Plum scowled. ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡±


    ¡°You still think you can ignore the rest of the world, huh?¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°Live by your own rules, as if the rules of this world will simply bow to your wishes.¡±


    Plum glared at him, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I-¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Stryg snapped. ¡°...I know I hurt you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about right and wrong?¡± Plum said angrily.


    Stryg ran a trembling hand through his silver hair and laughed bitterly, ¡°I told you, Plum, we all have pain. But unlike you, I have the conviction to see this to the end. I¡¯m not going to look away and pretend the outside world doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°I will look my enemy straight in the eye and I will not hesitate. I will destroy any who stand in Ebon Hollow¡¯s path and I will protect the ones close to me, no matter the cost.¡±


    Plum¡¯s face paled. She had never been afraid of Stryg, not from the first day since she had met him. But as she stared at the stranger he had become a shiver ran down her spine.


    Damian stepped in between them, ¡°Look, asshole, Plum said she wasn¡¯t interested. What part of that do you not understand?¡±


    Stryg looked up at him, his pupils thin as razor blades. ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    Damian laughed, ¡°Do you really think you can just waltz into this castle and just threaten whoever you like? Who the fuck do you think you are!?¡±


    ¡°Someone who is going to remember your face,¡± Stryg said in a quiet, cold voice.


    The mirth and swagger in Damian¡¯s expression were suddenly marred with a hint of doubt.


    ¡°Why is this Parvus runt screaming like a deranged puppy in my home?¡± a powerful voice broke through the conversation.


    The crowd of guests quickly parted as Lady Ophelia Thorn stepped forward. Her son, Calex, walked next to her. He held his hands behind his back and looked at the others with a pleasant smile. His mother held no such warmth in her icy blue eyes.


    ¡°I asked you a question, boy,¡± Ophelia clicked her tongue.


    Damian blanched, he tried to speak but he couldn¡¯t form a coherent word.


    Veronica cleared her throat and bowed deeply, ¡°My deepest apologies, Lady Thorn. Damian has had too much to drink, he didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°Silence, girl,¡± Ophelia said calmly, yet the word struck Veronica as if it had been a spell to the chest.


    Veronica bowed meekly and took a step back.


    ¡°Tonight, you both have brought shame to your Great Houses with your stupid loud mouths,¡± Ophelia smiled malevontly. ¡°And in front of our Hollow Shade guests, no less.¡± She narrowed her eyes at the sight of Stryg and Freya, ¡°So this is Elzri¡¯s best?¡±


    Freya swallowed hard, but tried to keep a straight posture. ¡°I am F-¡±


    ¡°I know who you are,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°I¡¯m not blind. Your gold eyes and hair are clear to see. As is your tacky flamboyant attire.¡± She turned to Plum, ¡°Speaking of tacky, who is this? I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    Plum felt her legs grow weak at the sight of Lady Thorn. Plum had heard the rumors; of the many who had misspoken in front of the Queen of Undergrowth. None of them had been seen again. No one dared cross Lady Thorn, much less in her own castle.


    Veronica bowed deeply, ¡°She¡¯s my friend, I invite-¡±


    ¡°I said silence, girl. Are you too stupid to understand such a simple command?¡± Ophelia snapped.


    Veronica bit her tongue and kept her eyes to the floor in shame.


    Ophelia turned her eyes on Plum, ¡°Who are you? And what are you doing in my castle?¡±


    Plum swallowed what little spit was left in her dry mouth, ¡°...I¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s of no concern to you,¡± Stryg stepped in front of Plum and stared straight into Ophelia¡¯s eyes.


    Ophelia smiled, bemused, ¡°Do you know who I am, Hollow Shader?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Stryg said without missing a beat.


    Ophelia''s smile turned cold, ¡°And yet here you stand. A child versus a queen.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°There are no kings and queens in the Ebon Realm,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°The blood of the Last Ebon Lord flows through my veins,¡± Ophelia leaned forward, an intimidating smile on her red lips, ¡°I am the only queen you will ever know.¡±


    Stryg swallowed his fear and straightened his back, ¡°...Noted.¡±


    Ophelia chuckled and leaned away, ¡°So¡­ You are Elzri¡¯s gifted child.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°Oh, I know about you,¡± Ophelia said slyly. ¡°My spies have told me of the mysterious hybrid prodigy of Hollow Shade¡¯s academy. Reckless, withdrawn, and hostile. Yet, even with all your faults the Great Elzri Noir himself adopted you. Strange, is it not?¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Elzri should have never let his foolish child come here alone,¡± Ophelia said darkly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Oh, child, you are so very alone,¡± Ophelia smirked. ¡°No one will help you here.¡±


    ¡°Lady Thorn!¡± an orc called out.


    The orc was tall, almost as tall as Sylvie. He was dressed in fine red silk and a black embroidered jacket, yet his corded muscles were easily seen beneath his clothes. His long black hair was swept back and tied in a ponytail and his strong jaw was open in laughter.


    ¡°There you are, Lady Thorn,¡± the orc grinned.


    ¡°...Gilgard Morrigan?¡± Ophelia said dryly.


    ¡°Oh!? You recognize me? After so many years? I¡¯m honored,¡± Gilgard bowed with an over-the-top flourish.


    Ophelia raised her eyebrow, ¡°Last I saw you, you were just a toddler¡­ But I¡¯d be remiss to forget the son of the Grand Warlord of the East.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me, my father sends his regards and well wishes,¡± Gilgard said.


    ¡°Thank you, please convey to Lord Morrigan my gratitude,¡± Lady Thorn said in a practiced tone. ¡°I do hope both our Great Cities can continue their peaceful relationship.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course,¡± Gilgard nodded casually.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lady Thorn said, annoyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Gilgard,¡± Calex Thorn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are doing well. How has life in Murkton been?¡±


    ¡°Better than here I wager,¡± Gilgard said. He glanced behind the Thorns and pointed at Stryg and Freya¡¯s black and white garments. His amber eyes widened, ¡°Ah, Hollow Shaders! You must be my rivals. More importantly, you¡¯re my cousin¡¯s students.¡±


    ¡°Cousin?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Why Tauri Katag, of course,¡± Gilgard said.


    ¡°House Katag and House Morrigan¡¯s founders were siblings,¡± Freya nodded to herself.


    ¡°You know your history well,¡± Gilgard smiled. ¡°So, what are Tauri¡¯s students up to? Hopefully nothing too troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we were just leaving,¡± Freya grabbed Stryg¡¯s arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Stryg took one last glance at a stunned Plum, then let Freya drag him away.


    ¡°Enjoy the party!¡± Gilgard waved.


    ¡°You have your father¡¯s confidence, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Ophelia noted.


    ¡°Coming from you, I¡¯m honored, Lady Thorn,¡± Gilgard said.


    ¡°I do hope you have his strength too or tomorrow will be a sad day for the city of Murtkon,¡± Lady Thorn spun around and strutted away.


    ¡°Have a good night, Gilgard,¡± Calex bowed smoothly and followed after his mother.


    ¡°...Phew,¡± Gilgard whistled. ¡°It really is true what they say. Lady Thorn is just like a viperidae. Beautiful to look at, but deadly if you get too close. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Veronica frowned.


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Damian muttered.


    ¡°...Of course not,¡± Gilgard winked. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m off to get drunk,¡± He bowed his head and walked away.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get a drink too,¡± Damian sighed. ¡°You two wanna come?¡±


    ¡°Maybe in a bit,¡± Veronica smiled weakly.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Damian nodded and left.


    After he had gone, Veronica rubbed Plum¡¯s back, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Plum chuckled. ¡°I met the Queen of Undergrowth and almost died, but yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°...And Mister Mysterious? Stryg, was it?¡± Veronica asked quietly.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Plum sighed.


    ¡°Was that guy your ex?¡±


    ¡°Hah, no. Not even close.¡±


    ¡°Then who was he?¡±


    ¡°...My best friend, once.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Veronica pointedly looked Plum up and down, ¡°The only dress you had for the party, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told you that yesterday,¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°I remember. And I offered you to pick out any of my dresses instead.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°You still went with that red dress.¡±


    ¡°And? I don¡¯t like taking handouts from others, you included.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Veronica smiled half-heartedly.


    ~~~


    Gilgard rested his shoulder on a pillar in the corner of the ballroom. He sipped a glass of wine and surveyed the crowd of hundreds of guests.


    A young orc woman stepped out from the crowd and silently walked up next to him. She bowed low, ¡°Captain.¡±


    ¡°Beatrix, what did you see?¡± Gilgard asked.


    The woman brushed the long black hair from her face, flecks of blue light swam in her amber eyes. ¡°I have found and examined every single member of our rival teams. I also spotted several of your family members at the party tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already spoken to Tauri.¡±


    ¡°Lord Katag is here as well, along with several of his wives, including Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Family is important,¡± Gilgard nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll give my respect to my uncle and aunts in a little while. For now, report.¡±


    ¡°Lady Thorn is as powerful as we suspected,¡± Beatrix said. ¡°The chromatic colors flowing through her body are strong, stronger than most. There are few mages capable of contesting her might.¡±


    ¡°Like Father?¡±


    ¡°Lord Morrigan is the strongest mage in all the Ebon Realm, there is none who could stand against him,¡± Beatrix said resolutely.


    ¡°Oh spare me your zeal,¡± Gilgard shook his head. ¡°Father is powerful, no one doubts that. But it¡¯d be stupid to think there are no arch-mages powerful enough to challenge him.¡±


    ¡°Even still-¡±


    ¡°There are many threats in our Realm,¡± Gilgard grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m relying on you and your clarity magic to give me accurate and unbiased information.¡±


    Beatrix reluctantly nodded, ¡°...I believe Lady Thorn¡¯s power rivals Lord Morrigan¡¯s own.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°And her son, Calex?¡±


    ¡°The rumors are unfortunately true. I confirmed it with my own eyes, I saw the mana flowing within him. Calex Thorn is a hexa-manifold mage. And judging from the strength and control of the flow of his mana, I am certain he is a master mage.¡±


    ¡°Damn, so it¡¯s true, Calex is the next Elzri Noir,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°There is more. Kalliste Lilith seems to be just as, if not more, talented than her older sister, last year¡¯s champion. Kalliste may not have the mana flow-control of a master mage yet, but she is a threat, do not take her lightly. If you face her in the tourney, use Feather without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re worried about me?¡± Gilgard smiled.


    ¡°I am loyal to your father-¡±


    ¡°Our father. Just because your mother wasn¡¯t one of his wives does not make you any less his daughter, nor my sister,¡± Gilgard said strongly. ¡°Even he can¡¯t take that away from you, no one can.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Beatrix sighed, but there was a hint of warmth in her amber eyes. ¡°I am loyal to¡­ our father. And he would be very displeased if anything happened to you.¡±


    ¡°More like he¡¯d be displeased if I failed to win,¡± Gilgard said wryly. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I have every intention of winning this tournament.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡± she nodded.


    ¡°What is it? What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the dire vampire we spotted earlier?¡±


    ¡°How could I not? She was taller than me,¡± Gilgard laughed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t read her mana.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There was some sort of bronze barrier around her. Not even my clarity spells could see through it. I¡¯ve seen something similar on Lord Morrigan.¡±


    ¡°An aegis,¡± Gilgard guessed. ¡°Looks like I will need Feather after all. Dammit.¡±


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Beatrix whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s drow hybrid. The blue one with pale purple eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what about him?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see his mana either.¡±


    ¡°He has an aegis too?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Beatrix bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s something else. Every time I tried to use my clarity magic to look into the drow hybrid my vision became blurred¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± Beatrix glanced out at the crowd warily, ¡°All I know is that he¡¯s dangerous, maybe more than anyone else in the tournament.¡±

 Chapter 257: The Rose Throne

    Chapter 257: The Rose Throne


    Freya found Callum slumped on a chair next to the fire in the tavern¡¯s lounge. The Thorn¡¯s party had ended hours ago, everyone had gone to bed, yet Callum still sat next to the fire, alone.


    Freya sighed to herself and walked over to him. ¡°What are you doing still up?¡±


    Callum didn¡¯t bother to look up. ¡°...Vampires are nocturnal.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Freya pulled up a chair. ¡°But you¡¯re still half human. Last I checked, humans sleep at night.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked, dwarves sleep at night too. So why are you here? Don¡¯t you need your beauty rest?¡±


    ¡°Hah, nice try. I¡¯m already beautiful, nothing can take that from me,¡± Freya smirked. Her voice grew quiet, ¡°I came to check on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really taking that captain role seriously,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°I am,¡± Freya nodded defensively. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to represent my city. But I¡¯m also your friend. So I¡¯m here checking up on your dumbass, got that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Good.¡± Freya patted her thighs and looked around, ¡°Sooo, Sylvie was really quiet when Stryg and I found her¡­ Are you two okay?¡±


    ¡°Besides our relationship being ruined?¡± Callum smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve never been better.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that mad?¡± Freya winced.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know. She refused to speak to me or anyone for that matter,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°The moment we got back from the party, Sylvie went upstairs and locked herself in her room.¡±


    ¡°Look at the bright side, at least Sylvie hasn¡¯t beaten the shit out of you, which we both know she very well could.¡±


    ¡°Great, I feel so much better,¡± he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Glad I could help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible at this.¡±


    ¡°...I know,¡± she grumbled. ¡°So Kalliste and you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting surprised, you knew I was engaged back when we dated.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I thought you were engaged to some low-class random broad, not a fucking Lilith.¡±


    Callum shrugged, ¡°Our two families have had a close relationship for a long time. A Veres usually marries a Lilith every generation. My engagement to Kalliste was decided at our births. We didn¡¯t have much of a choice.¡±


    ¡°And it seems Kalliste isn¡¯t a fan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly.¡±


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Fuck if I know,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°...The four of us need to work together as a team if we¡¯re gonna have any chance of winning the tournament.¡±


    ¡°I doubt Sylvie wants to do anything with me,¡± Callum admitted.


    He prodded the burning logs with a fire poker. Freya stared into the crackling flames, unsure of how to proceed.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, captain, I¡¯m sure Stryg and you will figure out a way to win,¡± Callum smiled weakly. ¡°You just gotta get Stryg and Sylvie to work together, then our team will be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Freya mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Stryg is at his best right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°While Stryg and I were chasing after your lover¡¯s spat we bumped into some old friend of Stryg¡¯s. Or his ex. I¡¯m not quite sure which.¡±


    Callum narrowed his eyes, ¡°What was her name?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what was it again? Stryg said it¡­ Oh! Yeah, Plumela.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Callum groaned.


    ¡°You know her too? Who is she? And why was Stryg acting weird around her?¡±


    Callum reached down for the bottle of wine next to his chair. He popped it open and took a long swig. ¡°This has just gotten complicated.¡±


    ¡°And it wasn¡¯t before?¡± Freya said skeptically.


    ¡°It was different. I can control myself. The fact that Sylvie didn¡¯t break my jaw tonight also proves that she can control herself. But Stryg? He¡¯s volatile, always has been.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that when Stryg almost killed me,¡± Freya rolled her eyes. ¡°What I want to know is who this Plum chick is.¡±


    ¡°...Plum was Stryg¡¯s best friend. They were close, really close.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Like¡­?¡± Freya stuck her finger in and out of one of her rings.


    ¡°Maybe? It was hard to tell.¡±


    ¡°So what happened?¡±


    ¡°...Do you remember that incident with the academy¡¯s secretary a few years back?¡±


    Freya snapped her fingers, ¡°Oh, yeah! That crazy bitchass secretary who tried to kill one of the students, right? Didn¡¯t she get executed or something?¡±


    Callum winced and took another swig of his bottle. ¡°Well, that secretary was Plum¡¯s mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh damn.¡±


    ¡°And the student she tried to kill was Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Ooohhh¡­ shit.¡±


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s complicated,¡± Callum shrugged. ¡°Plum had no idea of what happened until her mom was executed by shade feeding. After her mom died, Plum blamed Stryg for her death. Plum left Hollow Shade soon after. I never thought we¡¯d see her here.¡±


    ¡°So, are Stryg and this Plum girl enemies?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Who knows? All I know is that Stryg was hurt after she left. A lot. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯ve seen Stryg in pain. I¡¯ve seen him angry. And that is not a place I¡¯d like to be near. Bad things happen.¡±


    Freya bit her lip, ¡°Like when he killed that hunter a few days back and then we got attacked by a fucking dragon?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Callum nodded and took another swig.


    ¡°...¡± Freya sighed, ¡°Pass me that bottle.¡±


    ~~~


    Lerdea Thorn stared at the ornately gilded doors.


    Odd, no guards, this late at night? she thought.


    There was no one posted at the entrance of the royal chamber, which could only mean her mother wanted this to be a private audience.


    Lerdea took a deep breath and knocked on the gilded doors twice.


    ¡°Enter,¡± said a poised voice from the other side.


    Lerdea quietly pushed the doors open and stepped inside the royal chamber. She held her hands behind her back and bowed her head. ¡°Good evening, Mother.¡±


    Ophelia sat on the Rose Throne, the ancient seat of House Thorn. The throne was made of ebony wood that dated back to the founding of the castle and Undergrowth itself. Master artisans had carved the dark wood into thick thorny vines that spanned upwards like a pair of outstretched wings.


    The Rose Throne was as foreboding as it was beautiful and Ophelia was the flower that bloomed at its center. A perfect coalescence of power and majesty.


    No matter how many times Lerdea saw her mother on the throne, she always found herself marveling at the breathtaking sight.


    Ophelia glanced up from a tome she was reading and looked down at her daughter. ¡°You seem tired, did everything fare well?¡±


    ¡°That depends on what you mean,¡± Lerdea admitted. ¡°I followed up on the reports from the southeastern garrison as you requested.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the reports were true. It seems a brood of viperidae have wandered from the deep recesses of the forest. The monsters have eaten and killed over three dozen of our soldiers already. The southeastern garrison''s commander suspects the brood may be led by a Dark Blood.¡±


    ¡°A child of the Viperidae Queen,¡± Ophelia leaned forward with interest. ¡°A Dark Blood hasn¡¯t been seen outside the heart of Glimmer Grove in over a century.¡±


    Lerdea nodded grimly, ¡°The southeastern garrison¡¯s soldiers are dwindling. Their commander is desperately requesting reinforcements; several master mages and at least two battalions of elite soldiers.¡±


    Ophelia leaned back, ¡°Don¡¯t send anyone.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Lerdea stuttered. ¡°Mother, with all due respect if we do nothing the garrison will fall. The viperidae brood will make their way to the southern borders of Undergrowth!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ophelia smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Lerdea frowned. ¡°Our citizens would be placed in danger. They could die.¡±


    ¡°A small price to pay.¡±


    ¡°To pay for what?¡±


    ¡°You really are incapable of seeing the greater picture,¡± Ophelia shook her head.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Lerdea bowed her head in shame.


    Ophelia clicked her tongue, ¡°The tournament will begin in a few days time. By then the viperidae brood should have reached our city¡¯s outskirts. We will hold the Guardian Challenge first.¡±


    ¡°But the Guardian Challenge is supposed to be the second of the Three Challenges.¡±


    ¡°True, it will be unusual, but not unprecedented,¡± Ophelia smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll send the four teams to the south.¡±


    ¡°But the viperidae are attracted to fairies¡­¡± Lerdea¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Calex!¡±


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯d never let Calex be placed in mortal danger,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°I have a plan to keep him safe. Besides, that Parvus boy knows the woods around the city down to every sapling. He¡¯ll guide Calex¡¯s team through the Challenge just fine.¡±


    ¡°And what of the other three teams?¡±


    Ophelia smiled, ¡°Casualties most likely. Death is no uncommon visitor in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they suspect foul play when our team comes out unscathed?¡±


    ¡°Everyone always suspects the city that is hosting the tournament,¡± Ophelia shrugged. ¡°But they won¡¯t be able to prove anything. After all, we didn¡¯t know the viperidae brood was encroaching upon our city. Our garrison was wiped out before they could send us word of the threat.¡± Ophelia covered her mouth and pretended to stifle a cry, ¡°Even worse, some of our own citizens were brutally killed by those monstrous snakes when they wandered too close to the city¡¯s outskirts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d sacrifice our own people?¡± Lerdea muttered in horror.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand, child?!¡± Ophelia shot to her feet. ¡°We are the descendants of The Last Ebon Lord. The blood of Atreus Thorn runs through our veins! This Realm belongs to us, they all owe us their allegiance.¡±


    Ophelia snarled, ¡°But the seven traitorous families stole Hollow Shade, our legacy, from us. They struck us down while the other two Great Cities just watched! But House Thorn has not forgotten what was lost, we have not forgotten what is ours. We have bided our time and we have grown stronger in the shadows. So, yes, I would sacrifice the common rabble and I would do so much more if it meant bringing us one step closer to our former glory.¡±


    Lerdea knelt down and bowed her head, ¡°...Forgive me, mother. I spoke out of place.¡±


    Ophelia looked at her daughter with disgust, ¡°This is why you will never sit on the throne. You lack the resolve to do what is necessary. Instead, you just bow and plead for forgiveness. Calex may be soft-hearted, but unlike you, he would not hesitate to do what is needed. That¡¯s what separates you and him. Not his magic, you both are talented, albeit him more so.¡±


    Lerdea closed her eyes tight and tried to stop her tears from falling. She took a shaky deep breath and kept her head bowed low. ¡°I am sorry I am not like my brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for your apologies,¡± Ophelia snapped. ¡°Tell me, child, more than anything, what is it you want?¡±


    My family¡¯s approval. Lerdea swallowed, ¡°To restore the Great House of Thorn to its former glory.¡±


    ¡°Then go and silence the messenger who first brought the reports of the viperidae sightings.¡±


    Lerdea slowly stood to her feet, but she kept her head bowed, ¡°...As you wish, mother.¡±

 Chapter 258: What A Silly Thing To Say

    Chapter 258: What A Silly Thing To Say


    The two drow siblings of the minor House of Stemme looked over each other¡¯s flamboyant apparel. Their bright silk clothes had to be visible to the crowds below in the coliseum, nothing less was acceptable. Mark and Jane had waited four years for this moment. Today was the day.


    Mark nodded in satisfaction at his sister¡¯s bright yellow dress, ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Jane walked around Mark, eyeing his pink jacket and silk white pants, ¡°It¡¯ll do for today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never good enough for you,¡± Mark rolled his eyes.


    Jane smirked and kissed him on the cheek, ¡°Satisfaction is the first sign of a dreary mundane life.¡±


    Dammit, she¡¯s right, Mark thought.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go show the world what they¡¯re missing,¡± Jane patted his back and walked down the hall.


    Mark rolled his shoulders, cleared his throat, and followed her. They reached the hall¡¯s end and stepped out into the Announcement Tower¡¯s balcony. The coliseum¡¯s crowd cheered at the sight of them. Many of the merchants and commoners alike held up banners of Undergrowth and waved them in the air.


    Mark leaned over and whispered into his sister¡¯s ear, ¡°They love us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep them waiting,¡± Jane smiled and walked over to the speaking-trumpet that rested at the edge of the balcony.


    The enchanted 20 ft trumpet curled around the grey tower and leaned out to the crowds a hundred feet below. The magical instrument amplified the speaker¡¯s voice and allowed even the farthest away guests to hear a herald¡¯s showy voice.


    Jane took a deep breath and yelled into the speaking-trumpet, ¡°Dearest guests, after four long years, welcome back to the 277th annual Great Cities Tourney!¡±


    The crowd roared in approval, their voices echoing across the titanic coliseum.


    ¡°I am Jane and this is my brother Mark-¡±


    ¡°And together we are the extraordinary siblings of House Stemme!¡± Mark yelled. ¡°Ready and willing to dedicate our all to be your Heralds for this epic day!¡±


    Jane wrapped her arm around her brother¡¯s shoulder and waved to the crowds, ¡°The Great City of Undergrowth is honored to host this year¡¯s tournament! Many of you have traveled from all over the realm for this momentous occasion, eager to support your city¡¯s team, to watch the greatest talents of this young generation battle in a series of magical challenges, or maybe you¡¯re just here for the amazing food and wonderful entertainment!¡±


    ¡°Whichever the case may be, you are in good hands, for the City of Thorns has it all!¡± Mark spread his arms wide. ¡°So, without further ado, allow us to introduce our brave and talented contestants! From the Western Gate, the sons and daughters of our Great City, the spearhead leading the next generation of magic, ~Teeaaam Undergrowth!~¡±


    The Western Gate rose open to the rumbling of cheering voices echoing the city¡¯s name over and over. Calex Thorn stepped out into the warm sandy arena and waved politely to the adoring fans. Veronica Sientia and Damian Parvus followed close behind, smiling wide and waving with both hands. Heather Navis stepped into the arena last, she strutted on the sand with the pride and nimbleness of a cat. Heather held her head up high and simply soaked in the admiration of her cheering fans.


    ¡°And from the Northern Gate!¡± Jane yelled. ¡°All the way from the icy Rupture Mountains, give it up for the champions of last year¡¯s tourney, ~Teeaaam Frost Rim!~¡±


    ~~~


    Hollow Shade¡¯s team waited below the coliseum, in a private training room. Vayu, Cornelius, and Tauri had already gone up to their viewing box to watch the tourney in the lap of luxury with the other aristocrats. Loh and Ismene had stayed behind with the students to coach them one last time before their first Challenge.


    Despite the healing spells and treatment, Ismene¡¯s body hadn¡¯t healed fully. Her age and the wounds suffered from the dragon attack had taken a toll on her body. She rested on a chair and let Loh go over the tactics with the team, only speaking up when she deemed it necessary.


    As Loh spoke Freya furiously wrote down her words on a small notebook she carried around in her pocket. Callum asked a few questions about one tactic or another and Sylvie simply listened with a large smile on her face. Stryg heard none of it, his attention lay above them.


    Stryg could hear the crowds cheering from the coliseum above. They chanted the names of Frost Rim with fervor while others chanted for Undergrowth. He had never heard so many people in one place, not even in Hollow Shade¡¯s Festival of the Gods. It was unnerving. He subconsciously reached for the hilt of his sword, Nameless.


    ¡°Nervous?¡± Gale asked.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg blinked and looked up at the vampiress.


    ¡°First time in a coliseum?¡± Gale said sympathetically.


    ¡°Yeah, no big deal though,¡± Stryg tried to shrug indifferently.


    ¡°Hah! He¡¯s lying,¡± Lysaila grinned. ¡°His heartbeats have gotten faster ever since we got here.¡±


    Stryg hissed at her. Lysaila hissed back.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d say seeing you two like this gets old after a while, but it really doesn¡¯t,¡± Gale said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Remind me why you two are down here?¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be¡­ I don¡¯t know, eating some meat pies or honey cakes up there with the rest of them?¡±


    ¡°That does actually sound tasty,¡± Lysaila licked her lips.


    ¡°We are down here to make sure you¡¯re doing okay,¡± Gale nudged Stryg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My uncle asked me to keep an eye on you while we¡¯re in Undergrowth. And after that incident in the alehouse, I¡¯m starting to understand why.¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone keep bringing that up? I only knocked out one guy,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Only one, huh?¡± Gale smirked. She sat down next to him on the bench and stared up at the ceiling that shook just so slightly. ¡°...I never liked big crowds either. Back when I was 20 the tourney was held right here in Undergrowth. I sat just like this before the opening ceremony. I remember walking out and seeing those crowds¡­¡±


    Gale chuckled, ¡°Everyone I knew was watching from those stands. I was so nervous¡­ I was scared.¡±


    ¡°You, scared?¡± Stryg had a hard time picturing such an image. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Gale smiled softly, her scarlet eyes filled with reminiscence. ¡°I looked at the viewing box where my family sat. My parents were so proud of me, they cheered my name. My uncle seemed nonchalant about the whole thing. Uncle Gian was confident I would win¡­ But my little brother, he looked scared. Clypeus was only 8, he was terrified I¡¯d be hurt or worse.¡±


    Gale gripped her hands together tight, ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to be scared. I didn¡¯t want him to feel like he could lose me. So I made a promise to myself that day. No matter what monsters I¡¯d face in that tournament, I wouldn¡¯t back down, I wouldn¡¯t give up. I¡¯d fight on, I¡¯d survive, for the ones who mattered most in my life.¡±


    Stryg stared at his feet, ¡°...Cly is gone.¡±


    Gale grabbed his shoulder, ¡°But your family isn¡¯t. They¡¯re still out there. Feli, Nora, Kamilo¡­ And I bet they¡¯re worried about you too.¡± She pointed to Nameless, ¡°You see, Stryg, when you walk out there, you are going to have to ask yourself why you carry that blade, why you chose to come here, why you chose to fight against the best and most dangerous.¡±


    Gale stood up and looked him in the eye, ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask yourself the most difficult question of all, the question that burdens every person who dared dream of greatness.¡± She pointed at his chest, ¡°Who. Am. I? Because that person, Stryg, will have to do what no one else thinks they can.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°And what¡¯s that¡­?¡±


    Gale smiled, ¡°Win.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all for now. Any more questions?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°No, thanks, I¡¯m good,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°I think I got everything,¡± Freya glanced at her booklet.


    ¡°Actually, I had a few,¡± Callum raised his hand half-way up.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk over here while those two get ready,¡± Loh motioned Callum to the other side of the room.


    Callum briefly glanced at Sylvie, before nodding and following Loh. Sylvie hadn¡¯t even seemed to notice, she was too busy tying her black boots and strapping an ax to her back.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Freya coughed.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Sylvie glanced at her. ¡°What¡¯s up, cap¡¯n?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ W-well¡­ Gods, I hate doing this stuff¡­¡± Freya trailed off.


    ¡°Uhh, cap¡¯n? You okay?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I¡¯m totally fine. Actually, I just wanted to see if you¡¯re fine. You know, after all that happened¡­ It¡¯s best if we all have a clear head before walking out there.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Sylvie nodded.


    ¡°Sooo¡­ are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    Freya rolled her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe cuz you found out your boyfriend had a fianc¨¦, who also turns out to be Frost Rim¡¯s team captain!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, that did suck,¡± Sylvie admitted. She smiled wide, ¡°But I¡¯m fine now, really. I don¡¯t let stuff like that faze me, especially before going into a battle, that¡¯s just plain stupid. Like you said, we gotta be focused.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ really mature of you actually,¡± Freya said, surprised.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your secret?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯d beat the shit out of my boyfriend if he did something like that to me. How can you manage to stay so calm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy,¡± Sylvie said cheerfully. ¡°I have this really great technique, it works with everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t leave me hanging, what is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple really. Every time I feel bad, sad, angry, or anything like that; I just take all those feelings and shove them really deep, deep down, and ignore them.¡±


    ¡°....I¡¯m sorry, what now?¡±


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Sylvie chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be hard trying to ignore all that stuff. But actually, it¡¯s not. All you gotta do is be happy.¡±


    Freya narrowed her eyes, ¡°Um, how can you be happy when you¡¯re mad?¡±


    ¡°Easy, just smile and laugh whenever you feel bad. The key is pretending to be happy. The longer you pretend, the easier it becomes and someday you¡¯ll wake up and realize you really are happy.¡±


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°...But-¡±


    ¡°Hey, the heralds just announced the Murktonians, we¡¯re up next!¡± Loh announced.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± Sylvie jumped to her feet and headed for the door.


    ¡°Um¡­ Sylvie¡­¡± Freya bit her lip.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Sylvie glanced back at her.


    ¡°Ever since I met you¡­ You¡¯re always smiling and laughing,¡± Freya mumbled. ¡°Are you¡­ Are you actually happy? A-are you okay¡­?¡±


    Sylvie cocked her head to the side and slowly smiled wide, ¡°Obviously. What a silly thing to say.¡±

 Chapter 259: Opening Ceremony

    Chapter 259: Opening Ceremony


    The heralds, Jane and her brother Mark, charmed the crowds from their tower that stood at the edge of the coliseum. They had already introduced three teams into the arena and had come to the last.


    Mark glanced at his sister. ¡°Do you want this one?¡±


    ¡°No, by all means, you go ahead,¡± Jane smiled.


    ¡°Dammit, alright,¡± he muttered. Mark took a deep breath and yelled into the enchanted speaking-trumpet, ¡°Thank you for your patience, dear guests! Last but not least comes a team that has not claimed victory in the tourney for the last seven years but continues to come back with a tremendous fighting spirit! Give it up for the most tenacious group of them all, ~TEEEAAAM HOLLOW SHADE~!!¡±


    The coliseum¡¯s Southern Gate lifted up with the sounds of clinking chains. Even before the gate had lifted completely the crowds began to boo and throw out names of ridicule. The visitors from Hollow Shade seemed to be the smallest group among the thousands of spectators and their dim cheers were easily drowned out by the overwhelming majority.


    Freya emerged from the dark tunnel and stepped proudly into the sunlight of the arena. She ignored the jeers and taunts and made her way straight to the erected stage at the center of the arena. Sylvie and Callum walked right behind her and tried their best to not appear daunted.


    Stryg walked out last. He took slow steps and looked out at the throngs of people in the coliseum¡¯s stands. He searched for a familiar face to no avail. Even if he couldn¡¯t see her, Stryg knew Plum was among the crowds, watching all of them.


    What do you think of us now? Are you cheering? Or are you booing? Stryg wondered.


    ¡°Wow, what a warm reception,¡± Sylvie said dryly.


    ¡°It¡¯s to be expected, most of these people are from Undergrowth,¡± Callum said. ¡°Hollow Shade hasn¡¯t had good relations with this city for the last 200 some years.¡±


    ¡°So what? Fuck these people,¡± Freya muttered. ¡°When we win this tournament we¡¯ll see who¡¯s laughing.¡±


    Stryg stared at his sword Nameless that hung from his hip.


    Win.


    The one thing no one thought they could do.


    Win.


    Gale had told him before they had entered the arena that there were questions he would be faced with. Questions that needed to be answered. Why was he here? Why was he fighting? Was it for himself? Was it to prove Plum wrong? To show the world the strength of Ebon Hollow and Hollow Shade? To fulfill a promise to Clypeus?


    Why did he fight? Why was he here?


    Dozens of questions echoed in his mind, but one lingered deep in his thoughts.


    Who. Am. I?


    Gale had told him it was the most important question of all. Was he a Sylvan goblin? Was he a mage of Hollow Shade? Was he the chief of Ebon Hollow? Was he the scared little boy who had gotten lost in the woods? Or was he a brave warrior who had faced off against a warlord?


    Stryg felt like all of them and yet none.


    His thoughts were cut short when his team arrived in front of the wooden stage. The three other teams were already there, staring and sizing up each other like a pack of wolves. Only Calex Thorn seemed at peace, he didn¡¯t bother looking at any of them, and instead closed his eyes with a serene expression.


    ¡°If I could have your attention!¡± Jane¡¯s voice echoed across the coliseum.


    The crowds¡¯ voices died down, albeit slowly. Stryg and the other competitors looked up at the herald¡¯s tower.


    ¡°Our four spectacular teams have finally arrived, but!¡± Jane yelled. ¡°We are still missing the most important person of all, this year¡¯s tourney hostess! It is with the utmost pleasure that I welcome the greatest arch-mage in the realm, the blood of The Last Ebon Lord, the queen of the City of Thorns, ~LADY OPHELIA THORN~!!¡±


    The crowds broke into an uproar that shook the ground itself. From high above a pale figure descended from the sky. Ophelia was wrapped in a cloak of white petals that stretched out around her as she slowly floated down to the arena¡¯s stage. She landed with a soft almost ethereal step, which only served to excite the crowds¡¯ cheers even more. Ophelia thin¡¯s lips curled up in a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Blossom?¡± Freya whispered in wonder.


    ¡°I think it is,¡± Callum mumbled, eyes wide.


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Come on, even I know about Blossom,¡± Sylvie nodded her head towards Ophelia. ¡°House Thorn¡¯s family artifact, the Snow Petal Cloak, Blossom.¡±


    ¡°Blossom¡­?¡± Stryg looked at the white cloak with newfound interest. He suddenly frowned, ¡°Wait, I thought House Thorn¡¯s artifact was a bow?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Callum nodded. ¡°Rose and Blossom are both House Thorn¡¯s artifacts. They have three in total.¡±


    ¡°Being the most powerful family in Undergrowth has its perks,¡± Freya said.


    Ophelia raised her slim arm for silence and the crowd quieted almost instantly. She smiled down at the four teams standing in front of the stage, ¡°Welcome to the 277th Great Cities Tourney. Before we begin today¡¯s events I¡¯d like to leave a single idea in your mind. Be proud.¡±


    Ophelia pointedly looked at each member of the four teams, her eyes settling on her son, Calex. ¡°Be proud, for each one of you has gone through countless trials and difficulties to be where you are today. You have beaten the odds to stand among the greatest of generations past. I want you all to know that no matter how today play¡¯s out, you have all achieved what many have tried, but few have succeeded.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Calex smiled and bowed his head. Veronica, Heather, and Damian glanced at each other and quickly followed his lead and bowed.


    Ophelia raised her arms, ¡°Now, for what all of you have been waiting for, this year¡¯s Trinity Prizes!¡±


    At her cue, the Northern Gate opened. A dozen wagons filled with lumber rolled out into the arena, followed by an armored group of guards carrying a large chest.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s up with all the lumber?¡± Stryg asked skeptically.


    ¡°It looks like one of the Trinity Prizes, probably the city¡¯s,¡± Freya guessed.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°...You didn¡¯t read the notes Loh gave us last night, did you?¡± Freya sighed.


    ¡°I was busy¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°With what?¡± Freya asked, annoyed.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve all had a rough couple of days,¡± Callum said. He leaned towards Stryg¡¯s ear, ¡°The Trinity Prizes are the three rewards given to the victors of the tourney. One prize is for the winning city, another for the winning team, and the last is for the tourney¡¯s sole champion.¡±


    ¡°So Undergrowth is offering¡­ wood?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯s ordinary wood,¡± Freya said. ¡°The host city is in charge of offering the Trinity Prizes, while the other three cities have to pay the host city gold equivalent to the prizes. That way the host city never cheaps out on the rewards.¡±


    As if in response, Ophelia pointed towards the wagons, ¡°For the champion¡¯s city we offer our finest set of ebony lumber cut from the heart of Glimmer Grove forest.¡±


    The crowd cheered in response.


    ¡°And there it is, ebony is very expensive,¡± Freya said. ¡°Wood, in general, is expensive outside of the forests, especially in Dusk Valley. Something as strong and rare as ebony has to be worth several thousands of gold coins at least.¡±


    ¡°Still seems a bit underwhelming,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Sylvie crossed her arms. ¡°I was hoping for something a bit more flashy.¡±


    The armored guards lugged the steel chest to the stage and dropped it gently next to Ophelia. The guards bowed to their mistress and stepped back.


    Ophelia whispered a few words under her breath and placed her hand over the chest. The lock clicked open and the steel lid pulled back open. Inside lay four crystal clear gems each the size of a child¡¯s fist.


    Ophelia picked up one of the magestones and lifted it high, ¡°To our victorious team we offer four magestones of the highest grade, cut from a rare crystal vein in the heart of the Rupture Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, now we¡¯re talking,¡± Sylvie stared at the magestone greedily. ¡°I could make myself a really nice ax with that.¡±


    ¡°Or a really nice hammer,¡± Freya grinned.


    Ophelia surveyed the waves of cheering fans and smirked, ¡°I have left the best prize for last, of course! Last year, Frost Rim offered its champion an entire bar of pure orichalcum! I ask all of you, how does one top such a prize?¡±


    The crowds looked at each other and muttered in curiosity.


    Ophelia looked at Calex and smiled, ¡°To the valiant champion of this year¡¯s tourney I offer my family¡¯s best. I offer my cloak, Blossom.¡±


    The crowds yelled in excitement and chanted ¡®Thorn¡¯ over and over, their voices growing with each chant. Stryg winced at the deafening noise.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why would she risk her family¡¯s heirloom?¡±


    ¡°Lady Thorn doesn¡¯t believe that she is,¡± Freya said grimly. ¡°She thinks Undergrowth¡¯s team will win it all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rub on the other Great Cities,¡± Callum noted. ¡°She is trying to show how much greater her son, her team, and her city really are. Worst of all, she¡¯s going to make all the other cities pay for it.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Blossom priceless?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Callum narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who knows how many chests of gold the other cities will have to pay as tribute for this little stunt of a Trinity Prize.¡±


    ¡°Fucking Thorns,¡± Freya spat.


    ¡°Meh, who cares about them. We¡¯ll just have to win all the prizes ourselves,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    ¡°For once, I agree with you,¡± Stryg said resolutely.


    Ophelia placed the magestone back into the chest and turned to address the four teams, ¡°Brave mages, you have seen the rewards that await and you are no doubt eager to taste the glory of victory. But fear not, I will not hold you back any longer.¡±


    Ophelia smiled, ¡°It is time for you to prove yourselves. It is time for your 1st Challenge.¡± She spreads her arms wide open, ¡°The Challenge of Fae & Flower!¡±


    The Western Gate creaked open, four drow dressed in forest-green cloaks marched out, each carrying a black lantern. The cloaked drow made their way to the stage and held the black lanterns between their hands.


    ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight.


    A small creature flitted about inside the lantern, its tiny wings flickering with pink light.


    ¡°The Challenge is simple in concept but difficult in nature,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°In each of these lanterns lies an elusive fairy, captured by our best hunters. The fairies are very receptive to a very special plant, the Silverbright Flower. Your job is to retrieve one such flower, unharmed and bring it back to this stage.¡±


    Ophelia pointed at the lanterns, ¡°The fairies will act as your guides as you venture into the southern edge of Glimmer Grove. Keep your fairy safe and she will lead you to the flower. But be careful, do not let the lantern come to any harm, lest your fairy escape.¡±


    Ophelia stepped aside and gestured to the four teams, ¡°Captains, come up and collect your lantern.¡±


    Freya took a deep breath, ¡°Here we go.¡±


    She walked up the stage alongside the other three captains and gingerly grabbed her black lantern.


    Ophelia turned to the captains, a glimmer of excitement in her blue eyes, ¡°Calex Thorn of Undergrowth, Kalliste Lilith of Frost Rim, Gilgard Morrigan of Murkton, and Freya Goldelm of Hollow Shade, lead your teams well. Victory is in your grasp if you fight for it. You have until sunset to return. I wish you all the best of luck, may the gods smile favorably upon each one of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, mother,¡± Calex bowed with a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll return long before sunset,¡± Kalliste spun away and walked down the stage.


    ¡°A wonderful speech, I look forward to wearing your cloak,¡± Gilgard winked.


    ¡°Lady Thorn,¡± Freya bowed and made her way back down the stage.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Ophelia smiled eerily.


    As soon as the four captains returned to their teams, the Southern Gate opened.


    Freya looked at her friends uncertainly. She shook her head and made up her mind, ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the crowds then back at the gate. He nodded, ¡°Gladly.¡±


    As the four teams walked into the Southern Gate, the Eastern Gate opened up behind them.


    ¡°Do not fret, dear guests!¡± the herald Mark called out. ¡°While we wait for our competitors to return, we have brought the best entertainers in all the Ebon Realm to perform just for you!¡±


    ¡°Please give a warm welcome to the illustrious Singing Willow Troupe!¡± Jane yelled.


    The crowds cheered as a band of brightly dressed minstrels and actors ran out from the Eastern Gate.


    ¡°Singing Willow?¡± Stryg looked back.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I saw one of their plays back in Hollow Shade, they¡¯re quite good,¡± Callum said. ¡°Have you ever gone?¡±


    ¡°...Once,¡± Stryg gripped his necklace. The orichalcum coin the Captain had given him felt heavy around his neck.


    A woman in a flamboyant yellow dress skipped out of the Eastern Gate with dance-like steps, her movements light and full of energy. She wore a white mask with a large smile etched across its cheeks.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t see her face, but he knew who it was.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Stryg whispered.


    The woman¡¯s steps stopped in mid-dance. Her white mask slowly turned and stared across the arena to the Southern Gate.


    ¡°Hello, little one,¡± her voice echoed softly in Stryg¡¯s ears.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How did you-?¡±


    The Southern Gate suddenly shut closed.

 Chapter 260: The Fae & Flower Part 1

    Chapter 260: The Fae & Flower Part 1


    The carriage driver commanded his centaurs to halt at the forest¡¯s tree line and no closer. He quickly hopped off the driver¡¯s seat and pulled the carriage door wide open. Stryg jumped out, Nameless in hand. He glanced at his surroundings searching for any enemies, but the area was empty. In the far-off horizon, he spotted a small white speck, another carriage filled with his competitors no doubt.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± Stryg called out.


    ¡°We know that, we haven¡¯t even entered the forest,¡± Freya complained as she walked out of the carriage.


    ¡°The 1st Challenge started the moment we left the arena, as far as I¡¯m concerned there could be threats all around us,¡± Stryg stared at the tree line with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Freya conceded and looked down at the black steel lantern in her hands.


    Callum stepped out of the carriage and offered his hand to Sylvie. She ignored him and walked out by herself.


    ¡°So what now?¡± Sylvie asked the carriage driver.


    The old drow bowed his head, ¡°My job was only to drive you to the edge of Glimmer Grove, just like the other three drivers and their teams. The rest of the journey is left to the four of you.¡±


    ¡°Does that include the return to Undergrowth after we retrieve the flower?¡± Callum asked. ¡°Like, are you returning to pick us up, or are we walking?¡±


    ¡°As I said, the rest of the journey is up to you,¡± the driver hopped back on the carriage and snapped his reins.


    The centaurs didn¡¯t wait for another command, they galloped back to the city, leaving the four young mages behind.


    ¡°So that¡¯d be walking I guess,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°Look at the bright side, Professor Tauri¡¯s relentless training regimens are finally gonna pay off,¡± Freya smirked.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°What are we just standing around for?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°The other teams have probably already set out.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡¯s right, we should move,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°The Undergrowth team has an overwhelming advantage in this challenge. They know the terrain far better than any of us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to tread carefully, we don¡¯t know what creatures lurk out there,¡± Stryg said cautiously.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, we didn¡¯t see anything dangerous on our way to Undergrowth,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°We had hunters guiding us back then,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Never take a forest lightly. We have to move as a team, it¡¯s the safest and most efficient option. A lone goblin gets picked off by the wolf packs, but a group of goblins can slay a dire bear.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Stryg, we can¡¯t be too cautious,¡± Callum nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re not goblins, but I think I get the idea,¡± Freya said wryly. She gingerly lifted the black lantern and stared at the small pink creature inside. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re up. Lead us to the Silverbright flowers.¡±


    The fairy yelled some inaudible words and turned her back to Freya.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not how this is supposed to work,¡± Freya frowned. ¡°...Is it?¡±


    ¡°She seems angry,¡± Callum noted.


    The fairy yelled once more, but the lantern blocked off any noise from within. She yelled again and again, her tiny face growing purple with anger.


    ¡°Anyone have any ideas?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen a fairy before today,¡± Callum said. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some sort of mistake with this one, right? I thought they¡¯d be more cooperative?¡±


    Stryg growled at the lantern and bared his teeth, ¡°If you don¡¯t show us to the damn Silverbright flowers I¡¯ll fucking eat you!¡±


    The fairy trembled with terror and curled into a fetal position, her face hidden underneath her pale wings.


    ¡°Great, you scared it, nice job,¡± Freya groaned.


    ¡°Do you have any better ideas?¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Maybe not scare our guide to death for starters!¡± Freya yelled.


    ¡°Guys, quiet,¡± Sylvie whispered. She crouched down next to the lantern, ¡°All our little friend needs is a bit of compassion.¡±


    The fairy hesitantly pulled her wings back and looked at Sylvie with wide eyes.


    ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Sylvie,¡± she smiled. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She reached out and gently placed her hand over the lantern¡¯s glass.


    A large crack stretched across the glass at her touch. The fairy looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Dammit, don¡¯t break it!¡± Stryg snapped.


    Sylvie jumped back in surprise, ¡°T-that wasn¡¯t me, I swear! I barely touched it!¡±


    A second crack appeared over the glass, then a third.


    ¡°Uh, guys, what do I do?¡± Freya said nervously as she held the lantern.


    Callum slowly raised his hands, ¡°Don¡¯t mov-¡±


    The glass shattered into a thousand small slivers. The fairy darted out from the lantern and into the forest in the blink of an eye.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let the fairy escape!¡± Callum shouted.


    But Stryg had already dashed into the forest before Callum had finished.


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± Freya tossed aside the broken lantern and channeled orange mana through her heart. The agility spell took over her body and dyed her veins grey. She slung her hammer on her back and ran after Stryg.


    ¡°What about sticking together in a forest of potentially dangerous creatures!¡± Sylvie called out.


    ¡°Try to keep up and stay close!¡± Freya yelled back.


    ¡°Meh, works for me,¡± Sylvie shrugged and ran into the forest.


    ¡°W-wait! Wait for me!¡± Callum shouted.


    ~~~


    Callum could hear his heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears as he sprinted through the forest¡¯s trees. He tried to keep an eye out for the fairy, but he kept tripping over roots concealed in the underbrush. After several bruises and scratches, he kept his eyes focused in front of him.


    ¡°Sylvie? Freya? Stryg? Anyone¡­?¡± Callum called out with a hesitant voice, afraid of attracting unwanted predators.


    The sounds of birds cawing in the distance were his only reply.


    Callum shook his head and kept running. He could feel the sweat running down his brow and back, but he couldn¡¯t stop. Not in an unknown forest and definitely not when his team was counting on him. He swallowed what little spit was left in his dry mouth and tried his best to keep his tired legs moving.


    ¡°I¡¯m running through the forest, alone. All alone. No big deal,¡± he laughed nervously. ¡°My teammates left me behind, but it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like we spent months training as a team, trying our hardest to improve our teamwork. But sure, let¡¯s throw that all out the window the moment our Challenge begins. No big fucking deal!¡±


    A large figure jumped out from behind a tree. Callum screamed and jumped back. He quickly reached for his sword and pulled it out from its sheath.


    ¡°Stay back, you foul beast!¡± Callum yelled.


    ¡°Foul beast?¡± Sylvie frowned.


    ¡°S-Sylvie? I thought you were a-¡±


    ¡°Just shut up. I came back for your dumbass and this is the thanks I get?¡± Sylvie shook her head.


    ¡°You came back for me?¡± Callum couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Stryg and Freya are using agility magic to track down the fairy. You¡¯re too slow to keep up with us, which means you¡¯re only a liability right now.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not an orange mage, you can¡¯t cast agility magic either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m much faster than you, now come on,¡± Sylvie walked towards him.


    ¡°H-hey, what are you doing?¡± Callum stuttered. ¡°W-wait, u-unhand me!¡±


    Sylvie ignored his words and picked him up in her arms. ¡°Now let¡¯s go, our team needs us.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you carry me on your back at least?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Do you want to get cut by my ax as I¡¯m sprinting through rough terrain?¡± As if to prove her point Sylvie leaped a dozen feet across several bushes.


    Callum stared warily at the giant ax dangling across her back, ¡°...Fair point.¡±


    ~~~


    After half an hour Sylvie and Callum came across Freya standing between a pair of trees.


    Sylvie slowed to a halt and nodded, ¡°Captain. I brought back our team¡¯s support.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for bringing back our princess,¡± Freya smirked.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Callum jumped out of Sylvie¡¯s arms and straightened his clothes. He kept his head low and did his best to hide his embarrassment.


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Sylvie looked around. ¡°Did we find the fairy?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh, but Stryg says he found some kind of lead, whatever that means,¡± Freya pointed up.


    Stryg hung upside down on all fours from the bark of a tall tree. His boots were gone and his claws protruded from his socks.


    ¡°...What am I looking at?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know,¡± Freya admitted.


    ¡°I finally caught the scent of the fairy, she¡¯s not far,¡± Stryg said with closed eyes.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing? You caught her scent? Are you a bloodhound?¡± Freya asked incredulously.


    ¡°In the sense that I¡¯ll bite you if you don¡¯t shut up and let me focus? Then yes,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Sooo, we¡¯re just gonna rely on his sense of smell instead of searching for the only chance we have of passing this challenge? Am I getting that right?¡± Sylvie said skeptically.


    ¡°Stryg has some sort of mutation that enhances his hearing and smell to a disturbing degree,¡± Callum said. ¡°Trust him, if he caught the fairy¡¯s scent he¡¯ll find her.¡±


    ¡°...Wait,¡± Stryg¡¯s ear twitched. His eyes snapped open. ¡°Something¡¯s coming, get back!¡±


    Callum immediately began writing red sigils in the air around them.


    ¡°Huh? What are you saying?¡± Freya glanced around. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    The canopy¡¯s branches suddenly snapped and broke apart. An enormous green serpentine head darted out from above and snapped down at Freya. A red dome of wards surged up around the dwarf and the dagger-long fangs.


    Freya screamed and fell back in shock.


    The giant snake¡¯s jaw opened wide and wrapped around the red dome, its fangs stabbing down the magical shield. Callum groaned with strain as the dome began to crack.


    Stryg drew Nameless and vaulted off the tree. He landed on the snake¡¯s back and stabbed Nameless into its green splotched scales over and over. The snake hissed and pulled its mouth back. It shook its body back and forth with rapid jerky motions.


    Stryg yelled in anger as his body was flung away. He grunted in pain as his body smashed into a nearby tree and tumbled to the grass.


    The giant snake pulled away and slithered up back to the rest of its body hiding in the thick canopy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare run, bastard!¡± Sylvie screamed. Her hands were dug into the ground, green mana flowing into the roots of the trees all around.


    The canopy shook abruptly, dozens of branches wrapped around the giant snake and yanked it back down. Its entire body slammed to the ground with a resounding crash. The snake shook its head and rose to its full height, its body spanned 7ft wide and over 100 ft long. The giant snake¡¯s jaws opened wide, blue venom dripping from dozens of long fangs.


    ¡°...What the fuuuuuck!¡± Sylvie yelled in a deep groan.


    A bolt of orange fire splashed into the snake¡¯s eye. It jerked back with an angry hiss and turned to its attacker, an angry blonde dwarf.


    Freya pulled her hands back and began channeling another flame bolt, but she was too slow. The snake snapped its jaws at her. A roaring torrent of flame slammed into the snake¡¯s head. It screeched and tried to retreat but the torrent followed it, the searing flames burning across its face. Stryg channeled orange mana through his palms in a steady flow of powerful flames. The snake jerked from side to side, but Stryg kept his spell directly across its serpentine face, burning its scales.


    Freya nodded her thanks to Stryg and flung a flame bolt at the snake¡¯s wounded back.


    ¡°Now, Sylvie!¡± Stryg yelled out with a grim steady voice.


    ¡°On it!¡± Sylvie rushed the giant snake and channeled brown mana into her body.


    A bronze sheen covered her brown skin as the vigor magic strengthened her muscles to a staggering degree. Sylvie pulled out her ax, gripped it tightly with both hands, and chopped down at the snake¡¯s wounded back. With one clean swipe, she buried her ax deep into the snake¡¯s body, cleaving right through its spine.


    The giant snake shuddered to a halt and collapsed, dead.


    Stryg quickly rushed the beast and stabbed its head several times with Nameless.


    ¡°...You can stop now, I think you got it,¡± Callum said dryly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever take chances with creatures you don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg said and kept stabbing at the giant snake¡¯s head.


    ¡°What exactly is this thing?¡± Sylvie said, disgust dripping from her voice.


    ¡°A viperidae,¡± Freya said grimly.

 Chapter 261: The Fae & Flower Part 2

    Chapter 261: The Fae & Flower Part 2


    ¡°What exactly is this thing?¡± Sylvie pointed in disgust at the giant snake carcass.


    ¡°A viperidae,¡± Freya said grimly.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m still a little lost here,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°Are there any more of them?¡±


    ¡°If there are, we may be in trouble,¡± Callum glanced up at the canopy warily.


    Stryg closed his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t hear any more of them, nearby at least.¡±


    ¡°I never thought we¡¯d see one this close to the city though,¡± Freya bit her lip. ¡°We¡¯re only a couple of leagues from Undergrowth at best.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about these¡­ Viperidae?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Where to begin?¡± Freya exhaled loudly. ¡°The viperidae are predators created to hunt down anything smaller than it, which is basically everything.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said created?¡± Sylvie asked. ¡°Those things aren¡¯t natural?¡±


    Freya furrowed her brow, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°As natural as beast-kin,¡± Callum said.


    Stryg opened his eyes, ¡°Are you saying the viperidae were created by the Mortem Order?¡±


    Freya shook her head, ¡°This was way before the Mortem Order dabbled with the beast-kin 400 years ago. No, this was over a thousand years ago, right around the time the drows lost the war to the vampires in the Northern Lands.¡±


    Callum nodded, ¡°The story is rather famous in Undergrowth, albeit less so in Hollow Shade, but Freya and I had an extensive education.¡±


    ¡°The drows fled the Northern Lands and escaped through the Rupture Mountains,¡± Freya said. ¡°Many of them died in those hazardous mountains, but Sientia I managed to win a gamble with a dragon who helped guide the rest of the drows to the safety of Glimmer Grove Forest¡­ or so they thought.¡±


    ¡°I think I know this part,¡± Sylvie whispered.


    ¡°Glimmer Grove wasn¡¯t as empty as the drow refugees thought,¡± Freya said. ¡°A powerful witch had made her home in the forest and she didn¡¯t take kindly to new guests.¡±


    ¡°So, what? She killed the drows?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Worse,¡± Callum said in a dark tone. ¡°She created monsters to kill the drows for her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure how the witch did it, but she managed to combine several different breeds of the deadliest snakes into one monstrous predator.¡± Freya pointed at the serpentine carcass, ¡°The viperidae.¡±


    ¡°And from that day on the witch became known as the Witch Queen of Glimmer Grove, or as most people call her nowadays, the Viperidae Queen,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°So these magically enhanced snakes have just been killing people for the last thousand years?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Freya said. ¡°The viperidae did terrorize the drow refugees, picking them off in their sleep or sometimes in broad daylight. It was only thanks to House Thorn that the refugees weren¡¯t completely wiped out back then.¡±


    ¡°But House Thorn¡¯s mages couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. There were still many casualties,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Until a group of brave warriors and mages went on a suicidal quest to put an end to the witch¡¯s carnage. They traveled to the heart of Glimmer Grove in search of the witch¡­ The viperidae ambushed them¡­ It was a slaughter,¡± Freya said softly.


    Stryg glanced up at the hole in the canopy the viperidae had left behind when Sylvie had brought it down with her flora magic. How such a large snake had even managed to get up there without breaking the canopy beforehand, he had no idea.


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°The story can¡¯t end there¡­ can it?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Luckily, no,¡± Callum smiled weakly. ¡°One warrior survived the ambush, by sheer luck or skill, we¡¯ll never know. His name was Parvus.¡±


    ¡°As in the Great House of Parvus?¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°The very same,¡± Callum nodded. ¡°But there was no Great House of Parvus back then. Parvus had no House backing him, he had no magic, no enchanted artifact. All he had were his skills as a ranger from his time in the Northern Lands.¡±


    ¡°And yet he managed to do what not even House Thorn¡¯s greatest mages could,¡± Freya said. ¡°He snuck into the Viperidae Queen¡¯s lair and slit her throat. After the viperidae lost their queen they lost any sense of coordinated attacks. The snakes retreated back deep into the heart of the forest and have lurked there ever since.¡±


    ¡°All thanks to one magicless ranger. If you want to talk about the legendary heroes of old, Parvus was one of them,¡± Callum glanced at Stryg. ¡°And you knocked out his descendant in an alehouse just a few days ago.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°How does that saying go again? ¡®The apple has fallen far from the tree¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Haha, very funny,¡± Callum said dryly. ¡°House Parvus is revered in Undergrowth. Try not to make enemies with Damian. You may find yourself with more enemies than you think.¡±


    Sylvie raised her hand, ¡°Okay, so I get the whole Parvus-slayed-the-witch story and all, but if the viperidae retreated into the heart of the forest, why is this one here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s confusing,¡± Freya admitted. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any of them nearby. If there were, we''d have been told about it before the Challenge started.¡±


    ¡°Unless this is part of the Challenge,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Seems a little too dangerous for the first Challenge, don¡¯t you think?¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Who knows? The tourney has always been very dangerous. Contestants have died in the past,¡± Callum said forebodingly.


    ¡°Still this is a little much,¡± Freya muttered.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Stryg placed a finger to his lips. He closed his eyes and focused on his hearing.


    ¡°...What is it?¡± Freya whispered and gripped her hammer.


    Stryg opened his eyes, ¡°I hear crying.¡±


    ¡°Cryi-?¡±


    Before Freya had finished speaking, Stryg clambered up a nearby tree.


    ¡°What is he doing now?¡± Freya sighed.


    ¡°Trust,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°What?¡± Freya raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°As leader of this team we have to trust your judgment and orders,¡± Callum said. ¡°But the same applies to you, captain. You have to be able to trust each member of this team.¡±


    ¡°I do trust Stryg¡­ I just don¡¯t understand him,¡± Freya admitted.


    ¡°None of us do,¡± Callum smiled wryly. ¡°The trick is to keep Stryg calm. He tends to lose rational judgment when he gets angry. Or perhaps he never really had a great understanding of it in the first place.¡±


    ¡°And how do we keep Stryg from losing his shit exactly?¡± Freya asked with a whimsical tone.


    ¡°Same as most people, mutual respect. Stryg is very receptive to sincerity, you¡¯d be surprised,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Freya nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Question, how do we calm Stryg down if he loses his shit?¡±


    ¡°There are only two people I know who could do that,¡± Callum sighed. ¡°...One of them was Clypeus.¡±


    ¡°...And the other?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°You tell me, you¡¯re the one who met her at the welcome party,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Plumela, huh?¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°Hey guys, I think Stryg found something,¡± Sylvie pointed up.


    Callum and Freya squinted and tried to see what Stryg had found, but the trees spanned a hundred paces high, they could barely make out his figure from the ground.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°We need to get a better look,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Are you suggesting we climb? I¡¯m not particularly a fan of heights,¡± Callum chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Freya nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    Callum furrowed his brow, ¡°What are you-? Wait, not again!¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg watched with mild amusement Callum and Freya hold on to Sylvie for dear life as she carried them up the tree. Sylvie had casted a flora spell to act as ropes and strapped Freya and Callum to her back as she climbed. Fortunately for them, Sylvie had left her ax on the ground below.


    As they reached the tallest branch where Stryg sat crouched he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°How was the trip?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Piece of cake,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    ¡°Today¡¯s events do not leave this group,¡± Callum grumbled.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Freya crossed her arms.


    ¡°So, what did you find-¡­¡± Sylvie¡¯s voice caught in her throat as she caught sight of the fairy hiding in a tree hollow a few feet from them.


    The tiny creature whimpered and tried her best to hide to no avail.


    ¡°She looks scared,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°She¡¯s terrified,¡± Sylvie whispered sadly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she just fly away already?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°She can¡¯t,¡± Stryg pointed to the fairy¡¯s crooked wing. ¡°I think she broke it when the viperidae attacked.¡±


    Sylvie looked up at the ruined canopy above them, ¡°The viperidae wasn¡¯t here for us¡­ It was after our fairy.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Stryg said in a hushed voice. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there might be more of those snakes around. We should get the fairy and leave here quickly.¡±


    ¡°Gimme a moment,¡± Sylvie said and turned to the fairy. She smiled softly and whispered in an unfamiliar language.


    The fairy¡¯s head lifted in recognition. She opened her tiny mouth and spoke tentatively the same unfamiliar language. Sylvie nodded with a smile.


    ¡°You speak fairy?¡± Freya asked, surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s not called ¡®fairy¡¯ and yes,¡± Sylvie winked. ¡°You and Cal aren¡¯t the only ones with an extensive education.¡±


    ¡°So what is the fairy saying?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Gimme a few more moments,¡± Sylvie said.


    After what seemed an hour of chatting to Stryg but had only been a couple of minutes, Sylvie reached out her hand to the tree hollow. The fairy shakily stood to her feet and walked onto her palm.


    Sylvie smiled and glanced at her team, ¡°Everyone, I¡¯d like you to meet Mina.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Mina. I am Callum of the Great House of Veres,¡± he tried to bow the best he could, though the vine straps made it difficult.


    The little fairy Mina frowned and muttered something.


    ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°She hopes a deer stabs you in the gut and you bleed out on the ground as the birds feast on your corpse,¡± Sylvie said.


    Callum blinked, ¡°Um¡­ Huh, well, nice to meet you too¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mina¡¯s not serious,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°Fairies are elemental creatures of light and life, they really mean us no harm.¡±


    Mina glared at Callum and stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Callum said skeptically.


    ¡°Mina¡¯s just angry that we kept her in the cage,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°You mean the lantern? That wasn¡¯t our fault,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°No one likes being imprisoned,¡± Stryg said somberly.


    The fairy squeaked at the sight of Stryg and hid behind Sylvie.


    ¡°She still thinks you¡¯re going to eat her,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, I won¡¯t,¡± Stryg scratched the back of his head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look very tasty anyway.¡±


    ¡°Not helping,¡± Sylvie shook her head.


    ¡°Can she help us or not?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t going to, on account of us keeping her trapped in the lantern, but she is willing to make a deal,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°We¡¯re listening,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Mina says that when the lantern broke she flew back to her home, a Silverbright tree not too far from here,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Wait, as in the Silverbright flowers we¡¯re looking for?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°The fairy lives on a tree of Silverbright flowers?!¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Yeah, most fairy clans do,¡± Sylvie said casually. ¡°I thought you all knew that.¡±


    Freya sighed, ¡°Just continue, please.¡±


    Sylvie glanced at Mina with pity, ¡°When she got back home¡­ Mina¡¯s tree was swarming with viperidae. A few fairies stayed behind and held back the viperidae as the rest of her people escaped. But those remaining fairies are still back there, including their clan¡¯s leader¡­ Mina¡¯s grandmother.¡±


    Mina wiped the tears on her pale pink cheeks.


    ¡°Mina tried to help, but she couldn¡¯t. The viperidae almost killed her. She barely got away and hid here,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the viperidae attacked us,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Mina swallowed hard, she fell to her knees and prostrated herself to them.


    Sylvie bit her lip, ¡°Mina says she¡¯ll do anything if we can just save her grandmother and her clanmates.¡±


    ¡°Against several viperidae? Hah, good luck,¡± Freya jested.


    ¡°What choice do we have?¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°We need a Silverbright flower to pass the Challenge.¡±


    Callum chuckled under his breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Freya asked.


    Callum smiled wryly, ¡°It¡¯s just like the stories of old. We¡¯re about to venture on a quest to save a fairy queen and her people from the vicious monsters terrorizing their home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t most of the people die in those stories?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Stryg makes a good point,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Parvus survived and he wasn¡¯t even a mage, just a good ol¡¯ ranger,¡± Callum said. ¡°And Stryg here is an expert hunter, those two professions aren¡¯t very different, am I right?¡±


    ¡°I failed to become a hunter,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What? Seriously? How?¡± Callum asked incredulously.


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°Lots of things happened. Long story short, a lot of hunters ended up dying to snake monsters.¡±


    ¡°Well, our little quest is off to a splendid start,¡± Freya rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 262: The Fae & Flower Part 3

    Chapter 262: The Fae & Flower Part 3


    The sun had begun to descend over the Ebon Realm as Hollow Shade¡¯s team ran through Glimmer Grove forest. The fairy Mina had broken her wing and had opted to ride on Sylvie¡¯s shoulder, whispering the directions to her home into Sylvie¡¯s ear. After half a league through trees and underbrush, Sylvie stopped in her steps.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Mina says her home is right over this hill,¡± Sylvie pointed at the rocky formation of roots and bushes ahead of them.


    Stryg narrowed his lilac eyes, his pointy ears twitched incessantly, ¡°This may be a problem.¡±


    ¡°A little late to back out now, don¡¯t ya think?¡± Callum said dryly.


    Stryg scurried up the rocky hill and carefully poked his head over the other side. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Callum muttered and climbed up the hill next to Stryg. His scarlet eyes widened and his jaw went slack, ¡°Oh¡­ Oh shit. Yeah, I propose a new strategy. Find a new silverbright tree.¡±


    ¡°Hey! We made a promise to Mina,¡± Sylvie glared at them.


    ¡°Sylvie¡¯s right, we aren¡¯t backing out now,¡± Freya nodded. ¡°So stop being scared little bitches.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just get over here, yeah?¡± Callum said impatiently.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Freya said.


    Freya and Sylvie clambered up the hill next to the boys.


    ¡°...Ah,¡± Freya swallowed hard.


    A small lake spanned across the other side of the hill. Trees sprouted from its murky waters and stretched high into the sky, covering the whole area in a thick fluorescent canopy. At the center of the watery grove stood a pale white tree. Its trunk was thrice as thick as any of the other trees. Silver-petaled flowers peppered the white tree¡¯s pale leaves. Hundreds of gnarled branches curled out from the white tree and reached into the branches of nearby trees.


    A cluster of bright green viperidae slithered around the silverbright tree, their mouths open with angry hisses. Some of the giant snakes swam in the lake, their heads barely visible above the murky waters. Others hung in the canopy, their heads prodding at the gnarled branches. Yet all their yellow eyes were focused on a sphere of silver and rose light that shone brightly at the base of the tree¡¯s branches.


    A small group of fairies sat within the dome of light, huddled close to one another. Their eyes were filled with fear as they stared at the awaiting viperidae right outside. A single fairy flew above her clanmates, her arms outstretched, channeling the mana of her fellow fairies through her translucent wings and into the protective dome above them.


    Mina gasped and cried out in horror at her clan¡¯s plight.


    ¡°They¡¯re surrounded by the viperidae,¡± Sylvie blanched.


    ¡°I expected three or four viperidae at most, but this¡­?¡± Freya mumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, captain?¡± Callum asked. ¡°Do we run or¡­?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t run,¡± Freya sighed.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Stryg said solemnly. ¡°There¡¯s not enough time to find another silverbright tree. We¡¯ll lose if we retreat now.¡±


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Freya shook her head.


    ¡°I think if I¡¯m careful I can sneak through the branches of all these trees and make my way to the silverbright tree,¡± Stryg muttered in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll snatch one of the flowers from the nearest branch and run back here. It shouldn¡¯t take more than a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡± Freya said sternly.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty good plan,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just abandon the fairies!¡± Sylvie snapped. ¡°We made a deal with Mina. She held up her end of the bargain, she showed us to the silverbright tree.¡±


    ¡°If we go down there, we won¡¯t save the fairies. We¡¯ll just die along with them,¡± Stryg said grimly. ¡°If you care about Mina, our best option is to help her escape this place.¡±


    Sylvie glared at him, ¡°That¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, Stryg,¡± Freya said in a quiet voice. ¡°...The Stryg I knew faced death without hesitation to protect those around him.¡± She took a deep breath and looked Stryg straight in the eyes, ¡°I am alive because you fought against a warlord knowing you would lose. I ran away the last time we faced death, but I won¡¯t run away, not this time, not ever again.¡±


    Pain and guilt filled Stryg¡¯s chest, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t meet Freya¡¯s unwavering gaze any longer. He looked away in shame. I don¡¯t want to lose any more of my friends¡­


    The dome of light around the fairies began to flicker and grow smaller. The viperidae slithered closer to the tree.


    Mina whispered in a panicked voice.


    Sylvie¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Mina says that¡¯s her grandmother holding the fae veil. She says her grandmother is weakening, she can¡¯t hold the veil much longer.¡±


    Callum cleared his throat and wiped his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m with you, captain.¡±


    Mina tapped Sylvie¡¯s cheek and pointed at the silverbright tree. The fae veil was growing smaller and smaller.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time left, we need to go now!¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Callum and I will create a distraction with our bright magic and lure the viperidae to us,¡± Freya said. ¡°Sylvie, you go get the other fairies out of here.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Sylvie nodded seriously.


    Callum channeled white mana into his hands and grinned half-heartedly to Freya, ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, captain.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, while the viperidae are busy dealing with us, go grab the flower, yeah?¡± Freya smiled shakily. She didn¡¯t wait for his answer. ¡°Heads down!¡± she yelled and raised her hands high. A burst of white magic pierced the watery grove and illuminated the hill in a beacon of light.


    The outer ring of Stryg¡¯s irises shattered and expanded until the whites of his eyes were covered in lilac. His world was suddenly bathed in darkness and silver outlines. Streams of white light rattled off Freya and Callum¡¯s hands like strips of fabric in the wind.


    The pack of viperidae hissed at the painful luminescence and slithered their way to the hill.


    ¡°Now!¡± Freya screamed.


    ¡°Yes, captain!¡± Sylvie channeled brown''s vigor magic into her legs and vaulted onto a nearby branch. She steadied her footing under the creaking branch and jumped to another branch, then another, quickly making her way to the silverbright tree.


    Stryg took in the entire scene in mere moments and cursed under his breath. There was no time to lose. He channeled orange mana into his entire body and casted an agility spell, his veins darkening to a deep grey. He didn¡¯t bother looking back at his comrades. Stryg scrambled up a tree and began jumping off the branches.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The trees were far larger than the ones in Vulture Woods. The canopy of fluorescent leaves would have made Stryg dizzy, but in his darkened vision they all seemed like small puddles of color rippling off one another in a soothing pattern.


    It felt as if the world had slowed to a stroll, as if time had fallen asleep and Stryg was awake in a dream. He pushed past the rippling leaves of color and made his way to the silverbright tree.


    Strangely, the silverbright flower was the only one that didn¡¯t seem to be glowing. It simply appeared to him in a silver and black outline. He plucked a few of the flowers and stowed them in his jacket pockets, before he looked down the tree.


    The fae veil had broken apart into small threads of light. Mina¡¯s grandmother had fallen to her knees, exhausted. Sylvie suddenly jumped down from a branch and landed next to fairies. Mina called out to her family and friends, tears in her eyes.


    The other fairies were shocked to see Mina, her grandmother most of all. But Mina spoke to them in their unfamiliar tongue and calmed them down or at least Stryg hoped she had. The fairies nodded amongst themselves and fluttered away the best they could. Their wings drooped and they struggled to stay aloft.


    They¡¯re exhausted, Stryg thought grimly. They barely can fly, much less escape quickly.


    Stryg glanced back at the hill, hoping his teammates could buy them a little more time. Callum still held his hands high, bright magic undulating from his palms. His constant stream of magic was a testament to his massive reserves of white mana and steady flow control.


    Freya¡¯s bright spell had petered off. Instead, she focused her orange mana into a wall of flames blocking the swarm of viperidae slithering towards them. But such a massive spell drained massive amounts of mana. Flame spells were particularly consuming on the caster. She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up the spell for long.


    We¡¯re running out of time, Stryg thought. Dammit!


    He leaped off his branch and landed on a branch above Sylvie, ¡°The fairies are too slow! Carry them in your arms and move, now!¡±


    Sylvie nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mina to-¡±


    The silverbright tree shook violently, its trunk creaked with a loud groan. A massive viperidae of black and scarlet scales rose out from the murky waters and wrapped its body around the tree¡¯s pale trunk. Its bulky head swiveled around the tree¡¯s branches searching for the fairies.


    Mina squeaked and hid behind Sylvie¡¯s ear.


    ¡°What the fuck is that thing!¡± Stryg whispered.


    Mina¡¯s grandmother stared with a sad expression at the slithering black scales wrapped around her tree. ¡°We call it a Dark Blood, an original child of the Witch Queen herself.¡±


    Stryg and Sylvie looked at the elder fairy in stunned surprise.


    ¡°You speak Common!?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°Tell us how to kill it!¡±


    The elder fairy nodded, but her eyes were filled with sorrow. ¡°The Dark Blood is as old as these trees, its scales have grown hard through the centuries. Wounding it will be very difficult, let alone killing it. Both of you should run, save yourselves. Our time has come.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be,¡± Sylvie whispered, tears in her eyes.


    The elder fairy smiled wearily, ¡°The fairies who have stayed with me knew the weight of their choices. They stayed behind to help the rest of the clan escape. None of us expected to escape. I am grateful that fate allowed me to see my granddaughter one last time.¡±


    Mina cried out for her grandmother and hugged her tight.


    The elder fairy held back her tears and looked up at Sylvie, ¡°Please, take Mina with you, save her at least.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sylvie clenched her jaw. ¡°Stryg will take her.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow.


    Sylvie carefully placed a scared Mina on Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Keep her safe.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Sylvie, what are yo-¡±


    Sylvie glanced at the fairy elder, ¡°Your clan¡¯s time hasn¡¯t come.¡± She hefted up her ax and ran towards the Dark Blood¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m over here, you snake bastard!¡±


    The Dark Blood slowly turned as Sylvie vaulted into the air, ax held high above her head, a war cry on her lips. Her black cloak billowed in the wind and her scarlet-red hair shined like fire in the light of the setting sun. Stryg watched, awestruck. It was as if Sylvie had become a hero of old, leaping into the battle versus the hordes of the Realm¡¯s enemies.


    The Dark Blood¡¯s mouth snapped open in a flash and swallowed Sylvie whole.


    ¡°...¡± Stryg blinked, his mind trying to process what he had just seen.


    The Dark Blood¡¯s gaze turned towards him and the fairies.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    He spun around and swept the fairies up in his arms as best he could. The wood shattered behind him in an explosion of splinters as the Dark Blood rammed its head through the tree.


    Stryg felt a sudden wretched pain in his back and the world spun as his body was sent flying into the air. He splashed into the lake a hundred paces away and sank like a stone into the dark waters. A burning sensation seized his lungs. He gasped for breath and inhaled water. He coughed and inhaled more water.


    Stryg panicked and floundered as he sank deeper and deeper.


    I can¡¯t swim, I can¡¯t swim! his mind screamed.


    His eyes darted around in alarm. His strange vision pierced through the murky waters with ease, illuminating the roots of trees and nearby fish in silver outlines.


    Magic, his dulled mind remembered. I have fucking magic!


    He called forth blue mana and to his delight, it answered. Blue mana flowed into his hands and he quickly formed the gestures of a torrent spell. The mana formed a wave beneath and pushed him to the surface in a spray of water. Stryg gasped for breath and tasted sweet air. His hand shot out and gripped the nearest tree root that hung above the water. His claws dug into the bark and he pulled himself up with all the strength he could muster.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± the elder fairy gasped.


    Stryg slowly looked down, a dozen fairies were holding on to his jacket for dear life. A part of his mind numbly recalled that he had grabbed the fairies before the Dark Blood attacked.


    The Dark Blood! Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. His head shot up and he glanced around for a sign of the monstrous snake.


    The Dark Blood slithered through the waters, pushing aside and destroying any trees that crossed its path. Yet the black viperidae wasn¡¯t targeting Stryg, its attention was solely on the hill where Freya and Callum stood.


    Freya¡¯s flame wall had fizzled away, her orange mana drained. Callum had stopped his bright spell and had created a red ward wall between them and the pack of viperidae as they slithered up the hill.


    That wall won¡¯t hold, a minute or two at best, Stryg thought. I need to do something, I need to create a distraction, I need to move!


    Stryg gritted his teeth and groaned with pain as he pushed himself to stand. His ribs ached with pain, he had no doubt broken several. Blood seeped from the back of his shirt and dripped down his pants.


    Ignore the pain, ignore the pain, Stryg repeated in his mind over and over like a mantra.


    He held his injured side with one hand and pointed his other hand at the Dark Blood in the distance. His hand shook with a tremble, his aim was off.


    Focus, Stryg, focus.


    The Dark Blood was twice as large as the other viperidae, even from this distance he could hit it. But he needed to land a blow at its head, it was the only way to grab its attention away from his friends.


    ¡°Steady, steady,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    A soft rose-silver light suddenly flowed around him. In his eyes, it seemed as if he had donned a cloak of rose light.


    What is this?


    ¡°We¡¯re too drained to heal you, but we can at least take the pain away,¡± the elder fairy said into his ear.


    Stryg suddenly noticed the fairies chanting quietly as they clung to his jacket. Silvery light stretched from each of their wings and connected with one another as they channeled the elemental life magic into his body.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Stryg whispered sincerely. He took a deep breath and aimed his open palm at the Dark Blood¡¯s head.


    Gale¡¯s questions echoed in his mind, Why are you here? Why are you fighting? Who are you? Because that person, Stryg, will have to do what no one else thinks they can. Win.


    I don¡¯t know the answers to your questions, Stryg admitted to himself. I don¡¯t know who I really am or who I need to be¡­ All I know is¡­


    ¡°We need to survive!¡± Stryg roared. For the past year he had been holding back, but all his reservations vanished in front of the gigantic snake. Orange mana surged into his veins in a storm of power.


    The Dark Blood¡¯s head snapped back and it hissed angrily. Its gut abruptly began to bloat. A golden light blossomed from within and leaked through its black scales.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    The Dark Blood¡¯s gut exploded in a wave of searing heat. The black snake wheezed a shallow breath and collapsed, its corpse bisected in two. Its blood and viscera flowed into the lake, dyeing its murky waters dark red.


    The other viperidae hissed and flailed about in pain at the death of their alpha and swam away from its corpse as if eager to escape the same fate.


    Sylvie stumbled out from the Dark Blood¡¯s gut. She was drenched in blood and bile, her eyes swayed in and out of consciousness, but her lips were stretched wide in a shaky smile.

 Chapter 263: Sunset Return

    Chapter 263: Sunset Return


    Mina¡¯s grandmother stretched her wings, dropped to one knee, and bowed her head, ¡°Thank you, young mages, for saving our lives.¡± She glanced at Stryg and Sylvie, who was still covered in the viperidae¡¯s blood, ¡°Especially you two. You have my clan¡¯s eternal gratitude.¡±


    ¡°...It was nothing,¡± Stryg shrugged. He immediately regretted the motion as pain buzzed in his broken ribs. Stryg looked away and tried his best to hide his grimace.


    ¡°We made a bargain with your granddaughter. Goldelms always hold up their end of a bargain,¡± Freya said proudly.


    ¡°We¡¯re just glad you¡¯re all safe,¡± Sylvie looked up at the group of fairies sitting on a low branch.


    ¡°But are you okay, Sylvie?¡± Callum asked worriedly. ¡°You were eaten by that monster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sylvie pulled the golden amulet beneath her shirt, ¡°My aurum aegis protected me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Callum sighed with relief.


    ¡°What I want to know is how you managed to kill that giant fucker,¡± Freya gestured towards the Dark Blood¡¯s corpse in the distance.


    ¡°The Dark Blood¡¯s scales may have been incredibly tough, but its insides weren¡¯t,¡± Sylvie explained. ¡°I focused all my willpower and casted the most powerful storm spell I could manage. I thought the lightning would drive a hole right through its gut, I didn¡¯t expect the lightning to rip off its entire head.¡± Sylvie smiled weakly, ¡°Lucky me.¡±


    ¡°Well damn,¡± Freya whistled. ¡°I guess I really underestimated you. Looks like we might really have a chance of winning the tournament after all.¡±


    Stryg stared at Sylvie skeptically. The others may have been too busy fending off the other viperidae, but he had seen the Dark Blood die. There had been no blue flash of lightning. The Dark Blood¡¯s stomach had exploded in a burst of golden light.


    Stryg had gotten a closer look at the viperidae¡¯s corpse, its insides were covered in blackened scorch marks. It could have been caused by lightning, but he didn¡¯t believe that was the case. It reminded him of when he found Sylvie in her charred room.


    What are you hiding, Sylvie? Stryg wondered.


    ¡°Hey, guys, speaking about the tournament, the sun is beginning to set,¡± Callum blanched.


    ¡°Shit, we don¡¯t have time! We gotta be back before nightfall!¡± Freya turned to Stryg, ¡°Do you have the flower?¡±


    ¡°I got several,¡± Stryg patted his jacket¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s get going,¡± Freya nodded.


    ¡°What about that thing?¡± Callum pointed his thumb back at the Dark Blood¡¯s corpse. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take a fang as a trophy or something?¡±


    ¡°That fang is as tall as you, Cal, do you really think we can just lug that thing back?¡± Freya said. ¡°Not even Sylvie could carry that without being slowed down.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could just grab one of its scales then?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°The Dark Blood¡¯s scales are as tough as steel, it¡¯d take too long to rip one off,¡± Freya shook her head. ¡°We have to go now if we hope to stand any chance of passing the First Challenge.¡±


    ¡°So, what? Are we just supposed to leave the whole carcass behind? No one will believe that we fought a Dark Blood, much less killed one!¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, we¡¯ll fail if we stay any longer. We have to leave now, that¡¯s an order,¡± Freya said sternly.


    ¡°This is nonsense,¡± Callum muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably best if we avoid more attention anyway,¡± Sylvie nodded to herself.


    ¡°Ready whenever you are, captain,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Thank you, again. All of you,¡± Mina¡¯s grandmother bowed.


    Mina and the other fairies bowed as well and whispered their gratitude in their fae tongue.


    Freya grinned, ¡°On behalf of Hollow Shade¡¯s finest, you¡¯re very welcome.¡±


    ~~~


    The sibling heralds, Jane and Mark, stared at the setting sun and shared a glance at each other.


    ¡°Should we call it?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°No, not until Lady Thorn gives the signal. They still have a few minutes left,¡± Jane whispered.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Mark glanced at the notes the courier had just brought up to the Herald¡¯s Tower, ¡°Let¡¯s begin the day¡¯s closing ceremony then?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Jane nodded.


    The herald siblings walked up to the massive enchanted trumpet at the edge of their tower and inhaled deeply.


    ¡°Dear guests, the Fae & Flower Challenge is almost over and our teams have not let us down!¡± Jane exclaimed.


    ¡°Give a loud round of applause to our 1st place victors, ~TEAM UNDERGROWTH~!!!¡± Mark yelled.


    The coliseum¡¯s crowds cheered and clapped in droves of thousands for their favored team. Team Undergrowth stood on the stage at the center of the arena with the other teams and Lady Thorn.


    Veronica Sientia waved and blew kisses at her adoring fans. Heather Navis laughed loftily and held her head high with pride. Damian Parvus bowed repeatedly and tried his best to hide his giddiness at success. Calex Thorn simply smiled calmly.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Not that it¡¯s a surprise, but tell me, Mark, how do you think Team Undergrowth managed to win first place on this Challenge?¡± Jane¡¯s voice rang through the crowds.


    ¡°I think any team led by our city¡¯s prodigy, Calex Thorn, would succeed in any of the three Challenges. However, I think their team owes a great deal of their success today to Damian Parvus. His family has been renowned rangers since their founding a thousand years ago. No one knows the woodlands around Undergrowth as well as House Parvus.¡±


    ¡°Excellent analysis, brother. On that same note, what can you tell us of the other competitors and how their performance has played out?¡± Jane asked.


    ¡°Well, I think Team Murkton did an incredible performance today,¡± Mark said. ¡°They managed to snag 2nd place and they came back only an hour after Team Undergrowth, a remarkable feat, especially considering the reports of them being attacked by a pack of sereguli!¡±


    ¡°Oof, the sereguli really are vicious predators. And to have come across such beasts in the middle of their yearly migration down the Rupture Mountains, what sour luck,¡± Jane said sympathetically.


    ¡°Or at least it would have been,¡± Mark grinned. ¡°But reports say Gilgard Morrigan slew the pack of beasts by himself while his team gathered the silverbright flowers!¡±


    ¡°As expected of the son of the Grand Warlord of the East, a warrior whose martial prowess is unparalleled among our contestants. Calex Thorn will have to be careful.¡±


    At the mention of the Grand Warlord, the crowd cheered for Team Murkton. Gilgard and his fellow teammates stood at attention and bowed their heads in gratitude at the cheers.


    ¡°Indeed, sister,¡± Mark said. ¡°But I think our thousands of spectators can agree that Calex and Gilgard¡¯s match is one of the most anticipated in this year¡¯s 3rd Challenge.¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t agree more,¡± Jane nodded. ¡°But let¡¯s not forget our last but not least, most anticipated contestant, the younger sister of last year¡¯s champion, and this year¡¯s captain for Team Frost Rim, the illustrious Kalliste Lilith!¡±


    The crowds cheered even louder and chanted House Lilith. Kalliste curtsied to the crowd and winked.


    ¡°It seems our spectators have not forgotten the legendary Great House that won last year¡¯s tourney over at Frost Rim,¡± Mark laughed.


    ¡°Kalliste has a lot to live up to that¡¯s for certain,¡± Jane said. ¡°And rumor has it, she has the magical talent and skills to do so, which is why it¡¯s so heartbreaking that Team Frost Rim took 3rd place in today¡¯s Challenge; and only mere minutes after Team Murkton arrived.¡±


    Kalliste rolled her eyes at the heralds, though neither sibling saw the gesture from all the way up on their tower.


    ¡°But nothing is as gut-wrenching and pitiful as the lack of an appearance from Team Hollow Shade,¡± Mark winced.


    ¡°I wish I could say I was surprised, but I don¡¯t think anyone really is,¡± Jane lamented. ¡°Seven years. Seven years of defeat after defeat. Seven years of agonizing losses. And this year seems to be no different. I can only say I pity our Hollow Shaders in the crowds.¡±


    ¡°The sun is already setting, I worry we may never see team Hollow Shade again in this year¡¯s tourney,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°It would take a real miracle to turn it around for their team,¡± Jane sighed dramatically.


    As if on cue the southern gate loudly creaked up. The crowds watched in shock as Sylvie ran out, Stryg and the rest close behind. The Hollow Shaders in the stands screamed and cheered, echoing their city¡¯s name over and over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Jane mumbled.


    ¡°Perhaps the gods really are looking out for this year¡¯s Team Hollow Shade,¡± Mark said. ¡°This year¡¯s tourney is shaping up to be the greatest in over a decade!¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg glared up at the Herald¡¯s Tower as his team made their way to the arena¡¯s stage, ¡°They don¡¯t ever shut up, do they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their entire job, being loud jackasses,¡± Freya shrugged.


    ¡°Are we really complaining right now? We actually managed to make it back on time!¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Just barely,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°Shh, we¡¯re here,¡± Freya whispered as they walked up the stage¡¯s steps.


    Lady Ophelia Thorn watched them walk up to the stage, an expression of displeasure marred her elegant face. She slowly turned her head towards the sky and made a point of staring at the sunset, its last rays fading on the horizon.


    ¡°...You¡¯ve arrived¡­ more or less,¡± Ophelia said, peeved.


    ¡°We¡¯d hate to disappoint,¡± Freya bowed with a dramatic flourish.


    ¡°Yes, well, show me the flower,¡± Ophelia tapped her foot.


    Stryg stepped forward, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pair of pale grey flowers. ¡°As requested, Silverbright flowers.¡±


    Ophelia grabbed the flowers reluctantly, careful not to touch Stryg¡¯s hand in the process. She examined the flowers with deep scrutiny. After a few tense moments she nodded, ¡°...Very good, you have passed.¡±


    Stryg and his teammates breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Where are your lantern and fairy?¡± Ophelia asked.


    ¡°The lantern broke,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°And the fairy?¡± Ophelia asked.


    Freya bit her lip, ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°We set her free,¡± Sylvie said adamantly. ¡°She should never have been in that lantern cage in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That fairy was not yours to give away,¡± Ophelia said sharply.


    ¡°The rules of the Challenge gave us the lantern and fairy to aid us in our quest,¡± Callum said. ¡°The rules said nothing of what we could or could not do with the lantern nor fairy.¡±


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°Callum Veres was it? I¡¯ll remember your name.¡±


    Callum paled, but he held his ground, ¡°...Nice to meet you too.¡±


    Ophelia raised her eyebrow questioningly.


    ¡°Well done, darling,¡± Kalliste clapped from across the stage. She smiled brightly, ¡°Hollow Shade continues to impress with its extraordinary capabilities. A word of friendly advice; in the future when you decide to bend the rules, try not to get last place anyway.¡±


    Sylvie glared at the vampiress, ¡°We only got late because we saved a fairy clan from a swarm of viperidae.¡±


    ¡°Viperidae?¡± Kalliste giggled. ¡°Is that the best excuse you can come up with? Oh! Sorry, did I say that out loud?¡±


    ¡°This little¡­¡± Sylvie growled.


    ¡°There are no viperidae this close to Undergrowth¡¯s borders,¡± Ophelia said coldly. ¡°I suggest you take your loss gracefully and refrain from lies, child.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    ¡°Then where is your proof, hm?¡± Ophelia looked around. ¡°I see no evidence of your ridiculous claim.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Sylvie clenched her fists, but bowed her in defeat.


    ¡°I have the evidence right here,¡± Freya reached into her satchel and pulled out a large jade-green scale.


    ¡°H-how?¡± Sylvie whispered.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Kalliste muttered in disbelief.


    Ophelia¡¯s blue eyes widened with surprise but she quickly smothered it with an impassive expression.


    ¡°I took it from the first viperidae we killed,¡± Freya smirked. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t a part of the 1st Challenge then I suggest soldiers and mages be sent to investigate the city¡¯s borders. The people¡¯s lives may be in danger.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I¡¯ll send my best soldiers right away,¡± Ophelia said curtly. ¡°You must have had a long day, all of you,¡± she gestured towards the four teams. ¡°Congratulations on completing the 1st Challenge. The next Challenge will be much more difficult. I suggest you get some rest while you can.¡±


    Ophelia raised her hand and gestured to the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    ¡°And with that, the 1st Challenge comes to a close!¡± Mark¡¯s voice echoed across the coliseum.


    ¡°Hollow Shade manages to pass with the skin of their teeth!¡± Jane yelled. ¡°But who knows if they¡¯ll manage in the upcoming Challenge¡­¡±


    ¡°...~THE CHALLENGE OF PILLAR & SEA~!!!¡± Jane and Mark called out at once.


    ¡°How long until the next Challenge?¡± Stryg asked Freya.


    ¡°Three days from now,¡± she said.


    Stryg held his broken ribs and sighed, ¡°I need a bath.¡±

 Chapter 264: Midnight Invitation

    Chapter 264: Midnight Invitation


    Calex Thorn wandered into his castle¡¯s family gallery. Dozens of extravagant paintings decorated the wall. His ancestors, on display for the world to see, for the world to witness their greatness, or so his mother often told him.


    Whenever Calex strolled through the gallery all he could think of was his family¡¯s legacy and what it meant to be a part of such a legendary heritage. It was often daunting to ponder. Yet his mother always found this place so comforting, she said it reminded her of their House¡¯s greatness.


    Calex smiled, ¡°I thought I would find you here, mother.¡±


    Ophelia stood in front of the largest oil painting in the gallery. The portrait stood over ten paces tall, its frame was forged from gold and studded in rubies from the Bronze Realm. A set of silver lanterns inlaid with magestones glowed softly above the painting and dozens of roses laid at its feet. More than a painting, this was a shrine, a monument to The Last Ebon Lord, Atreus Thorn.


    Atreus seemed regal and calm in his portrait. His grey skin seemed to almost glow and blue eyes were indeterminable as he looked down on all who gazed at the painting. The white-petal cloak, Blossom, was wrapped around his shoulders. In one hand he held their family¡¯s heirloom bow, Rose, and in the other he held Nightshade; the infamous sword had a thin blade, its metal a dark purple.


    Calex unconsciously wrapped his hand around the hilt of the sword at his waist. The Nightshade in Atreus¡¯ portrait seemed like a work of art, an expression of love by its mage smith, and yet Calex knew the Nightshade in his own hand was a weapon meant for the sole purpose of ending life.


    Calex released the hilt and walked over to the portrait and Ophelia, ¡°Mother?¡±


    Ophelia slowly turned to him, as if registering his existence for the first time. She smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Calex, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was about to ask you the same question. Everyone is at the party at the city square, celebrating the end of the 1st Challenge. Shouldn¡¯t you be celebrating right alongside them? The people would be happy to see their Lady.¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing. Why aren¡¯t you celebrating with your teammates? You did well today. You led your team to victory. You should be proud.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we both go together?¡±


    ¡°Your sister can represent us. She¡¯ll deal with whatever niceties are required. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s doing anything else useful with her time.¡±


    ¡°You mustn''t be so hard on Lerdea, she is only 18, she¡¯s barely coming into her own. And you know she hates large gatherings.¡±


    ¡°Lerdea can handle it, she is a Thorn.¡±


    Calex held his tongue and let the matter go. Instead, he studied his mother¡¯s glass-like features. She seemed distant, her mind far away. He glanced up at Atreus¡¯ portrait. His mother usually came here when she sought wisdom from their ancestors.


    ¡°...Mother, is something bothering you?¡± Calex asked tentatively.


    Ophelia chuckled, ¡°Heh, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Can I help?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, the other cities¡¯ teams didn¡¯t encounter the viperidae. So I may just require your help.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± his eyes widened. ¡°The viperidae? You knew about them? It was a trap? How could you, mother?¡±


    ¡°Calex, you¡¯re still too young to understand. Undergrowth must win this tournament. And if we can destroy the hopes of our rivals¡¯ new generation, then all the better for it. We have to show the Realm that we are the greatest power in the land.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Ophelia clicked her tongue, ¡°Unfortunately, only Hollow Shade¡¯s team encountered the viperidae and they only encountered one at that. If it had been the entire viperidae swarm the scouts reported about then that¡¯d be one less team to deal with. I''ll have to find a new strategy for the upcoming Challenge.¡±


    Calex grabbed her hand, ¡°Mother, I swear to you I will win 1st place and the two remaining Challenges, I will carry Undergrowth to victory. There is no need to interfere in the tourney. I can do this on my own.¡±


    Ophelia smiled warmly and kissed his forehead, ¡°Oh, sweetheart, I have never doubted your capabilities, the blood of Atreus runs strongly through your veins.¡±


    Calex smiled, ¡°Thank you, mother, I-¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s your problem,¡± she patted his cheek. ¡°Since a young child you have always excelled far beyond your peers, even your teachers have struggled to keep up with you. That great power inside of you has made your sense of danger dull; you are disconnected from the world around you and why wouldn¡¯t you be? You are above their problems and mediocrity.¡±


    Ophelia looked up at Atreus'' painting, ¡°Our ancestors held the same belief. When Atreus became The Last Ebon Lord, no one questioned his right to rule. Our family basked in glory as the Royal House of The City of Shades. But when Atreus succumbed to the affliction that had befallen the other ebon lords, none of the Great Houses hesitated, they turned on us and tried to kill our family.¡±


    Ophelia smiled bitterly, ¡°Still, we held our own, after all, we were strong, stronger than any of them, even after Atreus¡¯ death. Then something happened, something our family did not expect. A weak human family, the minor House Helene, betrayed us. Our armies were ambushed and in a matter of a few days the city was lost and our House was dethroned. Only a few members of our family managed to escape Hollow Shade and make their way back here to our ancestral castle.¡±


    Calex looked away in shame. He knew his family¡¯s history, but the scars of that history still made his stomach churn.


    Ophelia lifted his chin, ¡°Our House¡¯s problem was that we never thought the ones below us could ever harm us, but we were wrong, and our family paid dearly for it. Do not make the same mistakes as our ancestors.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, mother.¡±


    ¡°The next plan I leave to you, my son. Do whatever you must to ensure victory in the 2nd Challenge.¡±


    ¡°For our family,¡± Calex bowed.


    ¡°For the glory of House Thorn.¡±


    ~~~


    Undergrowth¡¯s city square buzzed with evening life. The city had spared no expense in ordering fine goods from all across the realm. Hundreds of merchants had paid exorbitant fees to reserve a spot for their stalls on the city square for the duration of the tourney. The revenue alone from tonight¡¯s celebration would cover their fees and then some.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Veronica Sienita loved parties so long as she didn¡¯t have to mingle with her fellow aristocrats. Tonight¡¯s party was the kind where one could get lost in the crowds and simply enjoy the moment, which was exactly what she intended to do.


    Veronica took a long swig from her mug of ale and sighed in satisfaction, ¡°This is the life, am I right? Plum? Plum?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What?¡± Plum looked up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Veronica twisted her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird all night. And you haven¡¯t even touched your ale?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Plum shook her head and smiled, ¡°Never mind. Where do you want to go next? I hear there is a hot chocolate stall down the corner.¡±


    ¡°~Ooh~ That does sound nice. Let¡¯s go!¡± Veronica grinned and wrapped her arm around Plum¡¯s.


    ¡°You sure you wanna be around here by the way?¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just assumed you¡¯d want to be hanging around your teammates and the other aristocrats, celebrating your victory and all.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, I already spend enough time with them,¡± Veronica said with a look of disgust. ¡°I rather be among my people, drinking my worries away!¡±


    ¡°Your people? Veronica, you¡¯re not a commoner, neither are your parents.¡±


    ¡°The people who make this city breathe are my people, not the ones who sit at the top,¡± she said in a sober voice.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect that from you, I like it,¡± Plum couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°I do occasionally impress even myself,¡± Veronica said smugly. ¡°Now, enough about me. Let¡¯s talk about you. As in why you¡¯ve been acting weird all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not acting weird-¡±


    ¡°Is it because of that cutie, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°No, he has nothing to do with it,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Hah! But you admit there is something bugging you!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you really are maddening sometimes,¡± Plum groaned.


    ¡°But you know you love me anyway,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°So, tell me. I¡¯m dying to know.¡±


    ¡°...Do you really want to know? You may not like it,¡± Plum said carefully.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Did you not just hear me say ¡®dying to know¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Plum looked around suspiciously. ¡°It has to do with your father.¡±


    ¡°My dad?¡± Veronica furrowed her brow in confusion.


    ¡°A few days ago Lady Sientia asked me to find her husband because he hadn¡¯t come home in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t even notice he was gone, I¡¯ve been training too much for the tournament,¡± Veronica sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I found Lord Sientia working hard too, deep in the sunken temple. Which isn¡¯t that weird, but he was in a chamber I had never seen before. Even weirder he was working with some strange woman.¡±


    ¡°Strange as in how?¡±


    ¡°As in I¡¯ve never seen her in the temple before. As in she didn¡¯t seem like an archaeologist.¡± Plum swallowed, ¡°As in she tried choking me to death the moment she saw I was down there.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck!? Who is this bitch?¡± Veronica scowled.


    ¡°Relax, your dad stopped her,¡± Plum patted her shoulder. ¡°...Your dad and her seemed like friends.¡±


    ¡°What were they working on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Something important enough to kill anyone they saw on sight I guess.¡±


    ¡°I saw my dad earlier tonight, he¡¯s out with mom and some other bigshots,¡± Veronica muttered. ¡°Do you think that woman is still at the temple?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, I doubt she knows her way around the place. Your father would have had to guide her. Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time we do some secret investigation,¡± Veronica smiled.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not about to go back there this late at night. I like living, thank you very much,¡± Plum said adamantly.


    ¡°Aw, come on. You said it yourself, the strangler bitch wouldn¡¯t be there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there are still a bunch of House Thorn guards outside the temple.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just get in? You¡¯re my dad¡¯s assistant.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s allowed to go into the temple while the tourney is going on, Lady Thorn¡¯s orders,¡± Plum said. ¡°Your dad could probably get in, but I¡¯d have to ask him for special permission to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Which defeats the whole purpose of the secret investigation,¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°Welp, guess we just do it the old fashion way. We sneak in.¡±


    ¡°Wait. No, that¡¯s a terrible idea.¡±


    ¡°I disagree, we¡¯re both mages, it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Oh, and I¡¯ll get Damian and Heather to help too! They love breaking the rules.¡± Veronica laughed to herself, ¡°Ah, what a bunch of idiots, you gotta love ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the idiot, Veronica. And this is a horrible idea.¡±


    ¡°Great, so we¡¯ll go tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Quick question, what¡¯s your stance on the cutie Stryg again? You two were just friends, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and stop trying to change the subject.¡±


    ¡°Kay, but mister cutie is standing right over there drinking some hot chocolate,¡± Veronica pointed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go ask him out!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait, where are you going!¡± Plum yelled.


    Veronica slipped through the crowds and ran right up to Stryg.


    ¡°Hi! Remember me?¡± Veronica smiled wide.


    ¡°Uh¡­ N-yes¡­?¡± Stryg blinked. ¡°You¡¯re on Undergrowth¡¯s team, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Veronica giggled.


    ¡°Susan, right?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s Veronica,¡± she grimaced.


    ¡°Veronica, get over here,¡± Plum whispered from the crowd.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Plum¡­? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, nothing,¡± Plum said abashedly. She stepped away from the crowd and walked up next to Veronica. ¡°I was just looking for my friend. We should really get going, Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go out sometime!¡± Veronica blurted.


    ¡°...For what?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    ¡°Dinner or something,¡± Veronica mumbled. ¡°Whatever you like I guess?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, he¡¯s a Sylvan folk, I don¡¯t think he is interested in going out on a date with the enemy. Or if he even knows what going out means.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s part Sylvan?!¡± Veronica shouted.


    ¡°A date?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°See what I mean? He¡¯s an ignorant idiot,¡± Plum shook her head.


    ¡°Says the girl who failed her commerce class,¡± Stryg glared.


    ¡°That was only one commerce class!¡± Plum yelled.


    ¡°We only had one commerce class! It¡¯s a magic academy!¡± Stryg yelled back.


    ¡°Well, at least I didn¡¯t get lost trying to find the damn bathroom!¡±


    ¡°It was my 1st year! I still didn¡¯t know the campus!¡±


    Veronica glanced at the two, bemused, ¡°...I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m more surprised that mister cutie is part Sylvan or that I¡¯ve never seen you so worked up before, Plum.¡±


    Plum went rigid, her grey cheeks darkened with embarrassment. She snarled, ¡°I-I¡¯m not worked up. He¡¯s just annoying sometimes.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s an idiot who is always getting herself into trouble,¡± Stryg said, peeved.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who kidnapped an innocent goblin girl and interrogated her,¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°Technically, I just kidnapped her, you¡¯re the one who interrogated her with your purple mind spells. Plus, Karen and I are friends now,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum frowned, ¡°Friends? How the fu-¡±


    ¡°So, Stryg, you like danger too, huh?¡± Veronica interrupted.


    ¡°...Not particularly. I just helped Plum out of trouble sometimes, because despite being a mage, she is terrible in a fight,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± Plum crossed her arms.


    ¡°Sooo¡­. You interested in sneaking into some secret ruins with us tomorrow night?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Why the hell would I do that?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Because Plum might be in danger if we get caught?¡±


    Stryg glanced at Plum, her expression seemed to be a mixture of anger and annoyance, but he caught a hint of fear in her blue eyes.


    Stryg sighed.

 Chapter 265: Live, Dine, Cry

    Chapter 265: Live, Dine, Cry


    Loh stared out the window at the tranquil sight of Undergrowth below. She had chosen this restaurant because it was built high around the trunk of one of Undergrowth¡¯s largest trees. The beautiful vista it offered its guests, along with its renowned cuisine, made this establishment one of the finest restaurants in the city. Or so Loh had thought.


    Yet Tauri¡¯s dour expression made Loh doubt her decision to come here.


    Loh reached across the table and poked the lovely orc¡¯s forearm with her fork, ¡°Is it the food? We can go somewhere else if you want.¡±


    ¡°Hm? No, the food¡¯s fine,¡± Tauri mumbled.


    ¡°Is it your parents? You told me last night you were going to have breakfast with them this morning. That couldn¡¯t have been easy with all the drinking we did last night,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°There were so many kinds of wine and mead,¡± Tauri said with a reminiscent smile. She sighed, ¡°Breakfast was fine, my parents were naggy as usual, but I just deal with it. That¡¯s what it means to be a daughter of a Great House, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Loh glanced around the restaurant, checking for any eavesdroppers looking their way. Fortunately, there seemed to be none. ¡°Are you worried about the viperidae incident yesterday? Ismene is looking into it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Tauri muttered.


    Loh leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, ¡°Well then, what is it?¡±


    ¡°...Remember when we were traveling in Dusk Valley¡¯s hills a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. What about it?¡± Loh tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°Well, you said there was something you needed to tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Loh shrugged, ¡°Well, I was going to wait until after dessert before revisiting that topic, but might as well do it now.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tauri said, panicked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Loh furrowed her brow.


    Tauri took a shaky breath and steadied her gaze, ¡°Let me go first, please.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°I already know what you want to say.¡±


    ¡°You do? How?¡±


    ¡°Where do I begin?¡± Tarui bit her lip. ¡°...I¡­ I know about your feelings for me¡­ I¡¯ve known for a long time¡­¡±


    Loh¡¯s face paled. ¡°What?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°When we were younger I didn¡¯t know what to say. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, I didn¡¯t want to ruin our friendship. And then when I became engaged with Aizel, things just got more complicated! I didn¡¯t want to hurt you¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tauri shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s a lie¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I thought I was saving you from pain. But I was really only trying to spare myself from losing you. I was a coward.¡±


    Tauri bowed her head low, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Loh covered her beet-red face with her hands in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, dear Caligo¡­ This is not how I ever imagined this moment would go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just thought you deserved to know before you told me about it yourself,¡± Tauri winced.


    ¡°...was going to tell you,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°Huh? What was that?¡±


    Loh uncovered her face.¡°That¡¯s not what I was going to tell you,¡± she said abashedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what now?¡± Tauri blinked.


    Loh sniffed, ¡°I¡¯m planning to propose to my girlfriend, Louise. I wanted you to be my best woman at the wedding¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh shit,¡± Tauri blanched.


    They sat at the table in silence for the next few minutes, sipping their drinks and playing with their food.


    ¡°Well, this is awkward,¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°Yup¡­¡±


    Tauri stood up and walked over to the window, ¡°Why don¡¯t I just jump out the window and save us both the embarrassment.¡±


    Loh couldn¡¯t help but chuckle weakly, ¡°I rather you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate me? I hate me,¡± Tauri said half-jokingly.


    ¡°Oh I do hate you, but I love you too. That¡¯s how best friends work, don¡¯t ya know?¡± Loh winked. ¡°Now sit back down before more people start staring at your big dumbass.¡±


    Tauri nodded and sat down, though her eyebrow was raised in suspicion, ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m a dumbass or that I have a big dumb ass?¡±


    ¡°Both, definitely both,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Tauri laughed.


    Loh stiffened, the connotation of the word only brought back to the forefront their too recent confession.


    Tauri realized it a moment later. She grimaced, ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ ugh this is awkward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Loh forced herself to smile.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. You set this whole thing up because you wanted to talk to me about Louise and I ruined it. Sweet Bellum, I really am a dumbass. I should never have listened to Vayu,¡± Tauri groaned.


    ¡°Vayu? What does Vayu have to do with any of this?¡± Loh narrowed her eyes.


    Tauri looked away uneasily, ¡°...He confronted me about your feelings for me back in Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s why you told me about all of this?¡± Loh asked in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Kinda, but it was still my decision at the end of the day¡­¡± Tauri admitted. ¡°I should have come clean to you a long time ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, I have to deal with something,¡± Loh slowly stood up and pushed her chair out of the way.


    Loh¡¯s face was cold, emotionless. It reminded Tauri of Elzri.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Tauri asked, worried.


    Loh walked away without looking back. ¡°Good night, Tauri.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cold,¡± Calex rubbed his hands together.


    He sat on a broken pillar in the ruins of an abandoned temple, near one of the poorer areas of the city. Usually, he¡¯d never come to such a place, but tonight wasn¡¯t the usual circumstances.


    ¡°You Thorns really are like delicate flowers. Pretty to look at, but you wilt at the first sign of the cold.¡± Kalliste emerged from the shadows, her scarlet eyes seemed to almost glow in the night.


    ¡°Is that a threat, Miss Lilith?¡± Calex smiled, ¡°Or is that just how you northerners say hello?¡±


    ¡°That depends on who I¡¯m speaking to,¡± Kalliste smiled wide, her fangs glinting in the moonlight.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± he whispered, amused.


    Kalliste glanced around the ruins, mild disgust in her eyes. ¡°Why did you ask to meet here of all places?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s poetic, no? House Thorn rejected the gods when Stjerne abandoned the drows. Now a thousand years later, Sjterne¡¯s temple is in ruins, yet House Thorn is still standing strong.¡±


    ¡°You''re so small-minded,¡± Kalliste shook her head. ¡°The gods may be cruel at times, but they are always fair. I do not believe for a second that Stjerne abandoned your people without just cause.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. I suppose it is easier to make such conjectures when you yourself are not a drow, but I don¡¯t think you came here to discuss apologetics with me.¡±


    ¡°You tell me. Why did you ask to meet?¡±


    Calex pointedly looked behind her, ¡°Where are your teammates? I thought they¡¯d be here.¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡±


    ¡°My team will follow my orders, I have no doubt of that,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°I believe you, Thorn. But you still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Calex smirked. ¡°Indeed. If you must know, they went out tonight. For what? I didn¡¯t bother asking. I have more important matters than monitoring my teammates.¡±


    ¡°Matters like me?¡± she said slyly.


    ¡°You know, Miss Lilith¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    He smiled pleasantly, ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯re no fun,¡± she clicked her tongue. ¡°If you must know, they had something to do as well, so I let them go. After all, I can handle you. All. By. Myself.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Calex stood up and dusted off his pants, ¡°I have a proposition.¡±


    Kalliste sauntered towards him, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°It seems we both have a common enemy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. In my eyes, you are my greatest enemy,¡± she licked her red lips.


    ¡°Callum Veres,¡± he said calmly.


    Kalliste tried to smile, but Calex caught the bitter anger in her scarlet eyes.


    ¡°...What about him?¡± Kalliste muttered.


    ¡°He is your fianc¨¦. Your families share a long history. Each generation a Veres and Lilith marry, yes? Unfortunately, it seems you got the short end of the stick. A hybrid vampire will leave you no children.¡±


    ¡°Care to tell me something I don¡¯t know?¡± Kalliste raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°My family also shares a long history with the Veres family, although not quite the same. Veres I helped Ebon Lord Koval exile my ancestors from the Northern Lands. House Veres later helped overthrow my family and run us out from Hollow Shade two centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a different kind of relationship, indeed,¡± Kalliste smirked.


    ¡°And yet we both hold no love for Callum Veres. Life is funny that way,¡± Calex shrugged.


    ¡°I see. My loathing towards Callum and your apathy towards him, hm?¡± Kalliste placed a finger to her lips, ¡°I wonder, together, what malevolence could we accomplish?¡±


    Calex smiled, ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡±


    ~~~


    A hard series of knocks rang harshly on Vayu¡¯s door. It was late at night and he wondered who might be at his door. With an annoyed sigh, he got up from bed and answered the door.


    ¡°What do you wa-?¡± Vayu froze as the door swung open. ¡°Loh? What happened?¡±


    Her blue eyes were icy cold and her grey skin seemed paler than usual.


    ¡°I thought you were my friend, Vayu,¡± she whispered emotionlessly. ¡°Even after everything, I thought we were friends. I had your back and you had mine. That was the deal we made years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Back when we fought against the savages, I remember,¡± Vayu nodded. ¡°Loh, did something happen? It¡¯s cold outside. Why don¡¯t you come in?¡±


    Loh laughed bitterly, ¡°Pretending to still be my friend?¡±


    ¡°Pretending?¡± Vayu frowned. ¡°Loh, we¡¯ve been friends for years.¡±


    ¡°Have we? I used to think so. I¡¯m not so sure anymore. Friends don¡¯t backstab each other.¡±


    ¡°Backstab? What are you talking about? I¡¯d never backstab you! I love you,¡± Vayu said.


    Loh snapped her fingers and pointed an accusing finger at him, ¡°You see that¡¯s just it. I know what it''s like to have an unrequited love. And I know what it is like to want to do anything for them to see you. Is that what you did?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said, confused.


    ¡°Did you try to sabotage my friendship with Tauri by telling her to confront me about my feelings for her?¡±


    Vayu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I¡­ I was only trying to help.¡±


    ¡°Help? How the fuck was that going to help!? You think telling people about my secrets is helping!? Bullshit!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit?¡± Vayu clenched his trembling hands. ¡°You want to talk about secrets? I kept your secret, the one that you¡¯d rather die than let Tauri ever find out. The secret that keeps me up at night even after all these years¡­ The secret that eats me up inside. I abandoned my friend, my comrade¡­ I let an innocent man die, for you.¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°I know what I asked of you was wrong¡­ I should never have dragged you into that.¡±


    Vayu scoffed, ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have. You manipulated me, you used me. And I let you, because I loved you¡­ I still do. And now I have to carry the weight of Aizel¡¯s death with me just as much as you. But you still want to talk about bullshit? Talk about friendship? I am the only true friend you have, the only one who will never betray you. Because that¡¯s what love does, it fucking hurts, and it makes you do stupid shit.¡±


    Vayu shook his head, ¡°I have done more stupid shit for you then I¡¯d like to ever admit and I¡¯ll probably end up doing more, but I¡¯m not gonna stand here and let you label me a backstabber. If you want to go accusing people, then go look in a goddamn mirror.¡±


    Loh sighed, the anger in her eyes slipping away. ¡°I regret everything from back then. My brother¡¯s blood should never have been on your hands¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Vayu.¡±


    She looked him in the eyes, ¡°This is toxic. This. Our friendship is toxic. I understand that now. I¡¯ve used you¡­ I¡¯ve hurt you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Vayu carefully grabbed her hand, ¡°Loh, I don¡¯t regret having fallen in love with you.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she smiled bitterly. ¡°I should have never let it happen. I should have stopped it the first day I met you instead of just letting it fester... Look at what we¡¯ve become, Vayu. We¡¯re monsters that walk in the light, hoping no one sees our ¡®secrets¡¯ in our shadows.¡±


    Loh pulled her hand back. ¡°I¡¯ve made so many mistakes¡­ Aizel, Stryg, you¡­ I¡¯d give anything to change the past¡­ but I can¡¯t¡­¡± her voice broke into tears, ¡°...But I can change the future. This ends now.¡±


    Vayu swallowed, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that for the better of both of us, our friendship ends here.¡±


    ¡°Loh, don¡¯t do this,¡± he said weakly.


    She bowed her head, ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we spend the rest of this tournament as colleagues mentoring our students and nothing more. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Loh, wait!¡± Vayu called out desperately. ¡°...I can change how I feel.¡±


    Loh smiled softly, ¡°I really hope you can. I hope you find someone that loves you for who you are. Goodbye, Vayu Glaz.¡±


    She left without another word. Vayu fell to his knees. His throat felt tight, he could hardly breathe.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t go,¡± he whispered.


    ~~~


    Even during the late hours of the night, Undergrowth¡¯s streets were filled with locals and tourists. The Great Cities Tournament brought thousands of folks from all around the Ebon Realm and none of them seemed eager to stay indoors. Lysaila hated it.


    The amount of noise the crowds gave off was overwhelming to her sensitive ears. It was difficult to hear what any one person was saying, much less track a specific individual.


    Stryg had gone to bed like his teammates hours ago. And yet when Lysaila had gone to check on him, she had noticed he wasn¡¯t in his room. He had sneaked out from the tavern, alone, for some obscure reason that no one seemed to know, not even Gale. Perhaps, the drow, Loh Noir might have known something, but she had gone out earlier with the orc, Tauri.


    Lysaila would have simply preferred to go to sleep and forget about all of it, but her mind kept bugging her. A voice in her head telling her over and over to go find Stryg and make sure he was safe. She hated Stryg.


    Still, here she was, wandering through the night streets of Undergrowth, searching for an idiot goblin. She hated people.


    But at least the crowds made it easy to blend in, most of them didn¡¯t notice her long blue tail underneath her blue cloak.


    ¡°Well, hello,¡± a voice broke through the cacophony of sounds echoing through the crowds.


    Lysaila felt her body stiffen to a halt. A cold shiver ran through her back. She slowly turned around, eyes wide. A young woman with black curly hair and a pale white cloak stood right behind her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find you here, how nice,¡± Holo smiled.


    ¡°Y-you¡­ Y-you¡¯re,¡± Lysaila¡¯s voice caught in her throat.


    ¡°Yes, yes, no one cares, puppet,¡± Holo said impatiently.


    Lysaila couldn¡¯t move, she could barely breathe. She was powerless as the strange woman reached out and placed her hand on her chest. A cold stinging sensation ran through Lysaila, like icy needles stabbing into every fiber of her being. She wanted to cry out in pain, but all that came out was a quiet whimper.


    Holo furrowed her brow, ¡°Huh, you¡¯ve already been activated¡­ I guess the little one isn¡¯t as clueless as he let on.¡±


    Lysaila tried to move, she tried to scream, but her body stood still, yet her mind was perfectly clear. She had never felt so vulnerable, so helpless. She felt terrified of the woman who stared at her so calmly, her brown eyes examining the lamia as if she were a vase at a store.


    A tear slipped down Lysaila¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Emotions?¡± Holo frowned and flicked the tear away with her finger, ¡°You¡¯ve been activated, yet you¡¯re still displaying emotions? How odd, the little one must really care for you. Maybe he really is clueless?¡±


    Lysaila focused every ounce of energy she had and slowly pulled her lips back and bared her fangs.


    Holo pulled the lamia¡¯s mouth wide open and expected her fangs, ¡°He is wrong, of course. To care for you, I mean. You¡¯re not an actual person. Did you know that? You¡¯re not from this Realm, right? Do you even know what you are?¡±


    Lysaila whimpered quietly, but her eyes were filled with rage.


    ¡°You must be trying very hard right now, huh?¡± Holo gently patted her cheek. ¡°Do you know why you can¡¯t use magic? Or why any beast-kin can¡¯t? The answer is simple really when you take a moment to think about it.¡± Holo poked her chest, ¡°It¡¯s because you have no soul, none of you do.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s face paled in horror.


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t know,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°Times like this I¡¯d usually say not to worry. That the painful emotions you are feeling right now are simply an unforeseen byproduct of a latent activation. The pain would eventually fade.¡±


    She traced her finger over the lamia¡¯s face, ¡°And then I¡¯d say this is all you are. There is no soul underneath your flesh, no life after you die, you just simply cease to be. You may as well be a golem made of flesh and bone. A tool¡­¡±


    Warm tears slipped down Lysaila¡¯s cheeks.


    Holo wiped the tears away, ¡°But I believe you¡¯re different. I believe I can help you. And luckily for you, I¡¯m in search of someone with your very unique talents.¡± She smiled, ¡°Care to make a deal?¡±

 Chapter 266: In The Dark Woods

    Chapter 266: In The Dark Woods


    Veronica Sientia led her friends through the woodland outskirts of Undergrowth in the cover of the trees. Even though it was already past midnight the visiting crowds of commoners and aristocrats alike were still partying and roaming the streets of the city. House Thorn had been forced to station hundreds of guards throughout the city¡¯s market and tavern districts to keep the peace. A fact that had not gone unnoticed by Veronica.


    ¡°Are you sure about all of this?¡± Damian asked her.


    ¡°Relax, most of the guards are back in the city,¡± Veronica patted his arm. ¡°There are only a dozen guards patrolling the Sunken Temple at best. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to sneak past them, especially with an expert Parvus ranger with us,¡± she winked.


    Damian smiled at the compliment, but as he glanced behind, he spotted Stryg and Plum following a dozen feet behind them.


    ¡°Why did you have to bring him?¡± Damian scowled. ¡°He¡¯s our enemy and we all know it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is dangerous, Veronica,¡± Heather said. ¡°That Hollow Shader could turn on us at any second. Plus, if we get caught by the temple¡¯s guards Lady Thorn would be furious.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on you two, where is your sense of adventure?¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°My dad is hiding something in that temple that even Lady Thorn is dying to find out. Don¡¯t you want to know what all the fuss is about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth Lady Thorn¡¯s wrath,¡± Heather shivered.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Damian nodded. ¡°We should just go back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Lady Thorn going to do?¡± Veronica asked. ¡°Worst case scenario the guards catch us and we, the city¡¯s tourney competitors and First Challenge victors, are going to be sent to Lady Thorn for what? I mean, really, what is she going to do? Scold her son¡¯s friends?¡±


    ¡°She could do a lot more than that and you know it,¡± Damian swallowed.


    ¡°Yes, but not to us,¡± Veronica said. ¡°We are representing Undergrowth. Our success is the city¡¯s success, House Thorn¡¯s success. We have protection now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. maybe,¡± Heather rubbed her chin.


    ¡°But what about him?¡± Damian pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Stryg.


    ¡°That again?¡± Veronica groaned. ¡°He¡¯s one guy. On the off chance he does try to betray us, I think we can handle a single Hollow Shade mage.¡±


    ¡°Their team did seem pretty weak,¡± Heather muttered.


    ¡°You know, when you put it like that, I wouldn¡¯t mind if he did try to do something,¡± Damian smiled smugly.


    ~~~


    Little moonlight filtered through the trees, but the fluorescent lights lit the canopy with a soft glow of soft pinks, greens, and blues. As their group grew closer to Shadow Lake the trees grew sparse and there was hardly a flicker of fluorescent light to be found. The dark cover of night finally began to wrap around them.


    Stryg preferred it this way. The others had a difficult time navigating in the dark, but he had no such qualms. He could easily see the backs of the three Undergrowth mages walking ahead of him.


    It seemed easier to eavesdrop on their conversation than to figure out the right thing to say to the estranged drow walking next to him. Plum had hardly spoken a word since he had snuck out from his tavern and met up with their group at the city¡¯s outskirts.


    Plum had seemed peeved all night and he honestly didn¡¯t know what to say that could make things better between them. If that was even possible.


    Stryg spotted a tree root sticking out from the ground a few paces in front of Plum. ¡°Watch your step,¡± he whispered and hoped it was the right thing to say.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Plum looked up and walked right into the root. She tripped and stumbled, but managed not to fall.


    And that was clearly not the right thing to say, Stryg winced.


    Plum cursed under her breath and adjusted her glasses, ¡°I can¡¯t see shit.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you apologize for?¡± she said indignantly.


    ¡°Um, yes?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she shook her head and kept walking.


    Well, done. With just four words you managed to piss off the one person you were trying to protect on this stupid outing, Stryg thought, annoyed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come, you know,¡± Plum said, though she didn¡¯t bother looking at him.


    He wondered if it was because she couldn¡¯t see very well in the dark or because she didn¡¯t want to even look at his silhouette.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said casually.


    ¡°Then why did you? You don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re really going.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Stryg looked at Plum and studied her features in the dark. She seemed tired, the cheerful glint she once had so long ago was gone, snuffed out by loss.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t lose anyone else,¡± he muttered.


    Plum looked at him, confused, ¡°Anyone¡­ else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened at the welcome party. I thought that meeting would have gone very differently. I came to Undergrowth hoping¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± he sighed. ¡°I heard you¡¯re working as some kind of scholar. You always did like books¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°Glad I¡¯m well?!¡± Plum snapped. She winced and bit her lip, ¡°...Sorry, that was mean. Ugh, I know you¡¯re trying your best¡­ Do you remember what I told you before I left Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°You said a lot of things¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t hate you and I don¡¯t,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°But whenever I looked at you all I felt was pain and resentment. I thought to myself what if I had done things differently? Like if I had told you about my mom. She could still be alive¡­¡±


    ¡°But a lot of things have happened since then¡­¡± Plum smiled reminiscently. ¡°I submitted my research paper over the study of dragons, the one you and I worked on together, to a scholar guild. It caught the eye of Lord Sientia, himself. He was impressed, although he disagreed with many of my points. Still, he bought off my contract from Hollow Shade and offered me a job to work with him as his assistant.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Heh,¡± she chuckled to herself. ¡°You know, when I saw you at the party, I thought I would feel all that anger and darkness well up inside me again¡­ but I didn¡¯t. It was the strangest thing. Despite everything, I was actually happy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I guess some part of me missed us... But that us no longer exists.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Plum laughed bitterly, ¡°Says the godson of Elzri Noir. I really thought you might have felt some remorse for what happened to my mother, but you literally joined the family that killed her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The ¡®godson¡¯ thing is an honorary title.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gods, that¡¯s what you have to say for yourself?¡± she asked ludicrously.


    Stryg winced, ¡°...I regret what happened with your mother, I do. If I could go back I would have done things differently. But I can¡¯t. Byrel tried to kill me and she was killed for it. What else do you want me to say? What can I do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Nothing you can do can bring her back! I just want you to understand! ¡­I want you to understand how I feel, what I lost¡­¡± Plum¡¯s voice grew tight, ¡°But you never will. You don¡¯t have parents, you don¡¯t have a real family¡­¡±


    The faces of Feli and Rhian flashed through Stryg¡¯s mind. He thought of Nora holding a giggling baby Kamilo. He thought of Clypeus, standing by his side, twin swords in hand, and a grin on his face.


    Stryg stared down at his trembling hands, ¡°Family, huh¡­¡±


    Veronica suddenly stopped walking ahead of them. She turned around and grinned, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ~~~


    Cordelia Rotrusk trudged through the dark woodlands with a perpetual scowl. She glanced between her teammates, the frost giant hybrid Lynn, and the quiet drow Nalla.


    Cordelia clicked her tongue, ¡°Why are we here?¡±


    Nalla ignored her question and strode through the forest with silent steps. Cordelia hated when Nalla ignored them, but more so she hated that the others didn¡¯t seem to mind. Not even Kalliste gave Nalla a hard time, instead, their captain let Nalla do whatever she wanted, which was oftentimes obscure and made little to no sense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Lynn asked. ¡°Kalliste asked us to keep an eye on the Undergrowth team while she meets with Calex Thorn.¡±


    As usual, Lynn carried a massive sword on her back and walked with all the grace of an elephant. Cordelia wanted to ask what had possessed Kalliste to allow Lynn to come along on a stealth mission, but she held her tongue.


    Instead, Cordelia said, ¡°Yeah, but why are we here? If all we¡¯re going to do is tail Calex¡¯s lackeys then why didn¡¯t we just let Nalla do it. We could have stayed back in the city and kept Kalliste safe in case anything happened.¡±


    ¡°Kalliste will be fine,¡± Lynn smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve known her since we were children, she can handle herself, even against a Thorn.¡±


    ¡°True, but the dwarf is right, Lynn,¡± Nalla said. ¡°You two should go back, I can handle this on my own.¡±


    ¡°I have a name you know,¡± Cordelia glared at her.


    ¡°Good for you,¡± Nalla said calmly.


    Even in the dwindling fluorescent light, Cordelia could still make out that composed blue-grey face, and those ashen eyes that seemed to look down on everyone. Cordelia really wanted to punch that stupid indifferent expression off Nalla¡¯s face, but not even Kalliste had managed that yet.


    Lynn nodded, ¡°If you insist, Nalla, we¡¯ll go back.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Nalla said with a detached tone.


    Cordelia swallowed her anger and nodded begrudgingly, ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Nalla abruptly raised her hand. She spun around and stared at the dark trees behind them, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°I hear them too.¡± Lynn raised her arms, shards of elemental ice grew around her fingers like claws.


    Cordelia narrowed her eyes and tried her best to peer into the dark from a distance, ¡°...I don¡¯t see anyone.¡±


    Slowly, an enormous pale figure emerged from among the trees, like a specter in the night. It stood taller than even Lynn and though a white cloak obscured its features, Cordelia felt a shiver run down her spine as the specter turned towards them.


    Cordelia suddenly felt sick, she could hardly breathe. This creature wasn¡¯t like the shades she had created, this was different, this was pure dread taken form. She tried to back away, but her legs buckled underneath her.


    ¡°Cordelia!¡± Lynn yelled, terrified at the sight of the monster.


    ¡°Lynn, my sword, now!¡± Nalla shouted.


    ¡°R-right!¡± The frost giant nodded. With trembling fingers, she unbuckled the straps on her back and dropped the massive sword on the ground.


    Nalla channeled brown mana into her veins. A bronze sheen of vigor magic quickly wrapped over her arms. She picked up the massive sword and unsheathed its black blade. The sword pulsed with power, eager to battle.


    Nalla stepped in front of her teammates and pointed the blade at the cloaked figure. ¡°Lynn, take Cordelia and run.¡±


    Lynn shuddered and bit her lip, ¡°But-!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order! We can¡¯t stop this monster! I¡¯ll buy you time, just run!¡± Nalla said resolutely. She took a deep breath and fell into a battle stance.


    ¡°Monster?¡± the specter muttered. A soft chuckle rumbled from beneath the pale hood. ¡°You need not fear me, Unalla.¡±


    Nalla¡¯s eyes widened, dumbfounded, ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    The specter drew closer until it towered above the shock-still drow, ¡°You were willing to die to protect your friends. I see selfless bravery lives in your heart, indeed. Una has raised you well.¡±


    Tears formed in the corner of Nalla¡¯s eyes, ¡°Y-you¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Be proud, child. You are a worthy successor of Votum.¡±


    Nalla fell to her knees and bowed her head, ¡°Lady Holo!¡±


    ¡°...Nalla, where did it go?¡± Cordelia whispered.


    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Nalla looked up.


    The pale specter was gone. The three young women found themselves alone in the dark grove. Flakes of orange light floated around them and faded into dust.

 Chapter 267: Shadow Lake

    Chapter 267: Shadow Lake


    The half-moon hung high in the midnight sky. Despite the late hour, over a hundred soldiers patrolled the black shores of Shadow Lake, guarding the pier towards the infamous Sunken Temple.


    The soldiers wore a mixture of leather and chainmail, and a steel cuirass with the insignia of a black rose, the crest of House Thorn. Many of them carried torches in one hand and a sword in the other.


    Stryg and the Undergrowthers observed the situation from behind a thick bush at the tree line a few dozen paces from the shore.


    ¡°I thought you said there would only be a dozen guards at best,¡± Heather glared at Veronica.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t even ordinary guards. Their elite soldiers from House Thorn¡¯s army. It looks like an entire battalion,¡± Damian said grimly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re gonna get past a battalion,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°We should just leave before any of them catch us.¡±


    ¡°Guys, relax, I thought this might happen,¡± Veronica said easily.


    ¡°You thought there would be an entire battalion guarding the Sunken Temple and you still dragged us along!?¡± Heather whispered harshly.


    ¡°Look, I thought Lady Thorn might put extra guards on duty, in case any tourist or spy might try to investigate the temple,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°So why did you bring us here?¡± Plum furrowed her brow.


    ¡°As I said, I thought there might be extra guards,¡± Veronica smiled smugly. ¡°Which is why I dragged over a canoe earlier today. The canoe is only about a hundred paces down the shore. Easy enough to get to, but far enough for the guards to notice.¡±


    ¡°You dragged an entire canoe through these trees?¡± Plum asked incredulously.


    ¡°It helps to be a chromatic brown,¡± Veronica shrugged.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s going to find it suspicious that you dragged a canoe through the city¡¯s outskirts?¡± Plum asked skeptically.


    ¡°There are literally dozens of canoes docked on the pier, what¡¯s one more canoe gonna do?¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Those canoes are for carpenters and other laborers that bring supplies to the pier and archeologists,¡± Plum said. ¡°You¡¯re not a commoner, no one is going to think you dragged a canoe here to work on the pier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that uncommon for people to take canoe trips on the lake,¡± Veronica said defensively.


    ¡°Ordinary people, not mageborns,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Veronica shrugged.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Plum muttered.


    Stryg glanced at the boat hidden in the darkness down the shore. ¡°Even if we do have a canoe, how are we going to get to the temple unnoticed? There¡¯s still a battalion of drows guarding that place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°Everyone around here is too superstitious, they¡¯re scared of the Sunken Temple. That¡¯s why the guards are swarming around the pier, they don¡¯t actually want to walk down those wooden planks and enter the ¡®spooky¡¯ sunken ruins. So long as we paddle around the pier and go to the back of the temple we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°...Dammit, she¡¯s right,¡± Plum nodded reluctantly. ¡°No one likes getting close to the temple at night. Plus, there is a makeshift walkway around the temple¡¯s entire perimeter. Once we¡¯re at the back of the temple it should be easy enough getting inside.¡±


    ¡°See, there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Veronica smiled. ¡°Now, come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait up!¡± Plum called out with a harsh whisper, but Veronica had already jumped out of the bush and headed down the shore.


    ¡°Dammit, she always runs away without listening to others,¡± Plum grumbled.


    ¡°Seems problematic,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Yeah, it reminds me of someone else I know,¡± Plum sent him an annoyed side-glance.


    But Stryg had already run down towards the shore before she had finished talking.


    ¡°Wait, Stryg! Don¡¯t go just yet!¡± Plum called out anxiously.


    Stryg caught her voice as his feet sank into the black sand. The world suddenly began to spin. His chest tightened and he felt sick to the stomach. He stumbled and fell to his knees, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Plum sprinted towards him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Veronica looked back.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Stryg gasped feebly.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay, you¡¯re gonna be fine,¡± Plum rubbed his back and whispered soothingly.


    ¡°It looks like Shadow Lake is hitting him hard,¡± Heather noted quietly.


    Damian scowled, ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have taken a weak Hollow Shade mage with us.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a tri-manifold! The lake¡¯s chaotic waters hit him harder than most mages!¡± Plum said angrily.


    ¡°Veronica and I are tri-manifolds too, but we¡¯re still standing just fine,¡± Damian said proudly, though there was clear discomfort in his voice.


    ¡°Shut up, Damian,¡± Veronica snapped. ¡°We¡¯ve been to Shadow Lake many times, we¡¯re used to its effects, so stop being an ass.¡±


    Plum ignored the others¡¯ voices. She cupped her hands between Stryg¡¯s cheeks and stared into his eyes, ¡°Stryg, look at me, I need you to breathe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he wheezed, ¡°...leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, I¡¯m right here,¡± Plum said. ¡°Focus on my voice. I need you to take a deep breath for me, just breathe.¡±


    Stryg gulped several times, trying to swallow air. He could hear his heartbeat thrumming loudly in his ears. He felt a cold pain as if an icy dagger had been plunged into his chest. His eyes flitted around in fear.


    Plum¡¯s warm breath tickled his face and broke through the panic. Stryg stared into her blue eyes. One of her glasses¡¯ lenses was cracked.


    When had that happened? Stryg thought numbly. I should have asked what happened.


    ¡°Breathe, just breathe,¡± Plum¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    Stryg opened his mouth and swallowed a deep breath of air. His lungs relaxed and his breathing became a little easier.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Plum sighed in relief and took a few steps back. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she muttered.


    Stryg stared at his shivering hands, ¡°...What was that? What is this? Why do I feel like this?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to tell you before you ran off like an idiot,¡± Plum clicked her tongue. ¡°Shadow Lake¡¯s waters are filled with elemental chaos mana. This close to the lake the air itself becomes chaotic.¡±


    Veronica nodded sympathetically, ¡°Chaos mana doesn¡¯t mix with any other kind of mana, elemental or chromatic. It¡¯s basically toxic to mageborns. What you felt, what you¡¯re still feeling, is the chaos mana in the air circulating around your body, which disrupts the flow of mana within your body. It¡¯s incredibly uncomfortable, but you¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°It disrupts my mana flow?¡± Stryg asked weakly.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Think of the chromatic mana in your veins as a rushing river,¡± Veronica explained. ¡°The chaos mana is basically an incredibly powerful earthquake, shaking all the mana within you out of sync.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°So my magic¡­?¡±


    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work near the lake,¡± Heather added.


    ¡°It¡¯s why there aren¡¯t any mages guarding the temple,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Guys, if we¡¯re going to be doing this, we should hurry,¡± Damian said impatiently. ¡°The longer we stay near Shadow Lake, the worse the effects are.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, we¡¯ll all end up sick if we don¡¯t move quickly,¡± Veronica admitted.


    Stryg nodded faintly and slowly pushed himself to his feet, ¡°...Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ~~~


    The canoe was larger than expected, the five of them were able to fit in with some room spare. It was twice the size of the canoes the Blood Fang tribe had. Stryg supposed it made sense, goblins were smaller after all, though it still felt strange sitting inside the overtly large boat. Or maybe it was just the atmosphere itself was unnatural.


    The air felt thick, it was difficult to breathe, and he found himself taking only short breaths. Veronica had deemed him too debilitated to row and had placed him at the center of the canoe.


    Stryg spent the time staring into the lake¡¯s dark waters as the others rowed. The lake held no reflection of moonlight or anything else for that matter. In the darkness, the waters were pitch black, liquid shadows swirling all around them. It was mesmerizing. Stryg leaned over and stretched his forefinger towards the water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close,¡± Veronica warned. ¡°Any mageborn who falls into the lake is as good as dead. If you thought the air around here was bad, the water is ten times worse. You¡¯ll drown long before you manage to swim back to shore.¡±


    ¡°...Duly noted,¡± Stryg mumbled. He didn¡¯t know how to swim in the first place, so without his blue torrent magic at his disposal, he would drown anyway, but he thought it best not to mention that.


    ¡°How is everyone feeling?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little light-headed,¡± Heather said.


    ¡°Could be better, I¡¯m starting to feel pretty nauseous,¡± Damian admitted.


    ¡°Same. Hopefully, it¡¯ll get better once we¡¯re at the temple,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°How about you, Stryg?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°...I¡¯m freezing,¡± Stryg rubbed his trembling arms. He felt sick to the stomach, his chest hurt, and it was getting harder to breathe. But unlike his shivering, it was easier to hide the other symptoms, so he said nothing else. He needed to appear as strong as possible or at the very least not completely incompetent.


    ¡°Sorry, Stryg. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner when we get back to the city,¡± Veronica smiled.


    ¡°What?¡± Damian asked indignantly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on getting to the temple, yeah?¡± Plum said. ¡°The chaos effects are still pretty bad in there, but it¡¯s better than being out here on the water.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Stryg wheezed between short breaths.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Heather pointed to the wooden walkway floating around the old ruins.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a little closer,¡± Veronica said.


    Damian nodded and they both rowed the canoe to the edge of the walkway. Heather threw a noose around one of the wooden pillars and secured the canoe.


    Veronica leaped up on the walkway and turned around with a grin, ¡°What did I say? Easy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Plum rolled her eyes and stepped up on the wooden planks.


    Damian and Heather followed after her. Stryg tried to steady himself before he slowly pulled himself up as well.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Plum asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg forced himself to smile.


    ¡°...If you say so,¡± she nodded carefully.


    ¡°Lead the way, Plum,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Me?¡± she frowned. ¡°This is your plan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re my dad¡¯s assistant,¡± Veronica said. ¡°You know this temple better than any of us.¡±


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°Alright, everyone, follow me. And try to be quiet, sound carries further over water.¡±


    They all nodded in agreement and followed Plum as she slowly tiptoed down the makeshift walkway. A guard suddenly turned the corner and came face to face with her. Plum froze at the sight of the guard, her face pale with fear.


    ¡°Intruders!¡± the guard screamed and pulled out his sword.


    Veronica reached her arm out, ¡°Wait, we can explain-!¡±


    Stryg barreled past the others and tackled the guard to the ground. He roared with anger and bashed the soldier¡¯s head into the planks over and over, the wood cracking beneath them.


    Plum stared in frozen shock. She shook her head, rushed over and grabbed Stryg¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Stop, Stryg! Stop! He¡¯s already dead¡­¡±


    Stryg¡¯s arms grew stiff. He released the bloody broken skull and looked up at Plum in a daze, ¡°I¡­ he was going to¡­¡± His head swayed and he tumbled over.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Plum¡¯s arms shot out and caught him before he fell off the walkway. ¡°He¡¯s heavy, help!¡± she grimaced.


    Veronica ran over and pulled Stryg back onto the planks. ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re right, he¡¯s heavy,¡± she groaned. ¡°What the fuck does he have in his pockets? A chest of gold?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you guys even talking about!?¡± Heather whispered angrily. ¡°He just killed one of House Thorn¡¯s elite guards! Lady Thorn will have our heads for this! Why was there a guard on the walkway anyway!? I thought you said they didn¡¯t cross over the pier.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, I was wrong,¡± Veronica grumbled.


    Plum patted Stryg¡¯s cheek, he didn¡¯t move. She cursed under her breath, ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s unconscious. We gotta get him out of here.¡±


    Damian took a step away from Stryg, ¡°Um, Is no one going to talk about how he just killed that guy like a damn gorilla?¡±


    ¡°Hey, do you guys hear that?¡± Heather whispered.


    Veronica closed her eyes, she could hear the faint rumbling of footsteps in the distance. Her eyes snapped open, ¡°The guards are coming! We need to get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Not without Stryg!¡± Plum said resolutely.


    ¡°Trust me, I wasn¡¯t gonna leave Mister Cutie behind,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°Damian, now would be a great time for those big muscles of yours.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he nodded and helped the women lift Stryg up. ¡°He really is heavy,¡± Damian muttered with a wince.


    ¡°Talk later, move now!¡± Heather ran back to the canoe.


    Plum and the others nodded and carried Stryg quickly. They laid him gently down in the center of the boat and jumped towards the back. Heather pulled out a dagger and sliced off the canoe¡¯s rope. Veronica and Damian picked up the paddles and began to row away.


    ¡°Well, this could have gone a lot better,¡± Veronica sighed.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Heather spat.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not Veronica¡¯s fault,¡± Damian said.


    ¡°Oh my gods, stop defending her, it¡¯s totally her fault,¡± Heather glared at them.


    ¡°At least we¡¯re alive,¡± Damian said.


    ¡°Um, guys, what is that?¡± Plum pointed behind them.


    A myriad of torchlights glowed dimly above the lake¡¯s dark waters.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh shit, the guards are using the supply canoes! There¡¯s gotta be at least ten boats out there!¡±


    ¡°Paddle faster!¡± Heather yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing the best we can!¡± Damian grunted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help us!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Veronica only brought two fucking paddles!¡± Heather snapped.


    ¡°They¡¯re gaining on us!¡± Plum said anxiously.


    ¡°Oh gods, I can¡¯t die like this!¡± Damian paddled frantically.


    ¡°We should just surrender,¡± Heather muttered. ¡°If we explain what happened to Calex he can talk to his mom for us. We¡¯ll be fine, right? We¡¯re still aristocrats from Great Houses, the guards won¡¯t kill us just for trespassing.¡±


    ¡°Probably, but what about them?¡± Veronica glanced at Plum and Stryg. ¡°A guard is dead. Surrendering isn¡¯t an option. We have to keep paddling!¡±


    A supply canoe exploded in a burst of flames. The guards'' dying screams echoed across the lake.


    ¡°W-what the fuck was that?¡± Heather whispered.


    ¡°A¡­ flame spell?¡± Damian frowned.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Some kind of red potion, maybe?¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°No, potions don¡¯t work on the lake either,¡± Veronica said.


    Heather bit her lip, ¡°Then what the hell was tha-?¡±


    Another explosion echoed in the distance and then another. One by one the supply canoes burst into flames and were smothered out by the dark waters. In mere seconds their torch lights disappeared and the guards¡¯ cries were silenced.


    ¡°Guys, what the fuck just happened¡­?¡± Heather mumbled.


    ¡°I knew that temple was cursed,¡± Damian shivered. ¡°We should have never come here.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± an eerie voice whispered.


    Plum and the others almost jumped out of their seats in shock. They spun around and were frozen with fear at the sight of a 10-foot specter. The specter stood at the tip of the canoe¡¯s stern as if it did not even weigh a feather. Its pale white cloak billowed in the wind, but there was no wind, not even a breeze.


    Though its features were obscured, Plum felt its eyes land over her. She backed away, but there was nowhere to run. Death had never felt so close, she could practically feel it breathing down her neck, eager to end her small spark of life.


    ¡°I should have guessed it was you,¡± Holo sighed, a trace of annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°Wha-wha¡­?¡± Plum stammered.


    Holo slowly glanced over the others and spotted Stryg lying unconscious. Holo stiffened. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked worriedly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica blinked.


    Holo¡¯s pale cloak shivered and her form grew smaller until she stood no taller than Plum. She hopped into the canoe with a light step. Veronica and the others did their best to quickly move out of her way.


    Holo ignored the drows and crouched next to Stryg. She traced her fingers over his chest, ¡°What have you fools done?¡±


    Plum licked her lips nervously, ¡°Um, it¡­ It was the lake. The chaos mana in the air¡­ It affected his body worse than most¡­¡±


    Veronica nodded stiffly, ¡°He¡¯s just unconscious, once we¡¯re back on shore he¡¯ll be fine. Most people recover from mana flow disruption after a few hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a flow disruption¡­¡± Holo said bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s the little one¡¯s heart¡­ He¡¯s dying.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Plum¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°N-no, he can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°There''s no time to waste. All of you, hold on tight, this might hurt a bit,¡± Holo stretched her arms out and grabbed onto the sides of the canoe.


    Plum swallowed, ¡°What do you mean-?¡±


    The world flashed bright orange. The drows flinched and covered their eyes. Suddenly the world was dark once more.


    Plum¡¯s head ached as if she had just gone through the worst drinking binge of her life. She slowly opened her eyes and frowned in confusion. They were still in the canoe, but they were back in the woodlands, a few dozen paces from the black shore.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°¡­Is¡­ everyone okay?¡± Veronica asked weakly.


    ¡°Ugh, I feel sick,¡± Heather grimaced and held her stomach.


    Damian threw his head over the canoe and vomited.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Plum glanced around restlessly.


    The white specter was gone and so was Stryg.

 Chapter 268: Scream of Agony

    Chapter 268: Scream of Agony


    The afternoon breeze blew through a small crack in the window and filtered into the bedroom. The breeze swept past the bed covers and gently tickled Stryg¡¯s face. His eyes and nose scrunched tight and his left ear twitched. With a slow grumble, he opened his bleary eyes.


    His lilac irises darted around the unfamiliar room, it was small and made of pale lumber from floor to ceiling. The room was fairly unfurnished, save for a candle stand to the left of the bed, and a wooden chair to the right of the bed, where a young curly-haired woman sat with an amused smile.


    ¡°Hello, Stryg,¡± Holo said with a pleasant voice.


    ¡°Captain? W-where am I?¡± Stryg mumbled. His mouth was dry and he struggled to form the words.


    His slit pupils suddenly widened to ovals, ¡°Plum! Where is she!¡±


    He tried to sit up but Holo gently pushed him back down on the bed.


    ¡°Relax, she¡¯s fine, they¡¯re all fine,¡± Holo said soothingly. ¡°You, on the other hand, should probably take it easy for a little while longer. Your 2nd Challenge begins tomorrow, best not push yourself.¡±


    He reluctantly nodded and laid his head back, ¡°...What happened?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Holo smiled to herself. ¡°Where to begin? What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was in the canoe, next to the ruin¡¯s walkway. A guard showed up and was going to kill Plum¡­ So I killed him first¡­ My chest started hurting, it was already hurting before, but this was so much worse. Then¡­ then¡­ I don¡¯t remember what happened after that.¡±


    Holo patted his forearm, ¡°I can answer that. You almost died, little one.¡±


    A shiver ran down his back. ¡°What?¡± his voice cracked. ¡°H-how?¡±


    Holo poked his chest, ¡°Your heart was overwhelmed by the chaos mana in Shadow Lake, it was threatening to give out and shut down the rest of your organs, including your other heart.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Other heart? What do you mean other heart?¡±


    ¡°Well, you have two, didn¡¯t you know that?¡±


    ¡°Why would I know that? Why do I have two hearts!?¡± he asked incredulously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. My best guess is that it¡¯s some sort of mutation,¡± Holo admitted with a sigh. ¡°One of your hearts seems to be acting as the reservoir for your chromatic mana. While the other heart seems¡­ infantile? As if it''s struggling to keep up with the rest of your body.¡±


    With slow movements Stryg placed his hand over his chest. He could feel his steady heartbeat, ¡°...Is the infantile heart the one that almost gave out?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, it absorbed way too much chaos mana, it couldn¡¯t handle the excess.¡±


    Stryg shook his head with a frown, ¡°Chaos mana? You¡¯re saying I absorbed chaos mana?¡±


    ¡°And almost died from the excess, yes.¡±


    He looked himself over cautiously, ¡°I didn¡¯t know anyone could absorb chaos mana¡­¡±


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t know people could have two hearts but here we are, little one. Fortunately for you, your second heart seems to have adapted incredibly quickly to the large amount of chaos mana it absorbed. Your second heart healed itself and your body in just a short few hours, no white magic required.¡±


    ¡°I healed myself?¡± Stryg gently pressed his fingers against his ribcage.


    The ribs he had broken after the Dark Blood¡¯s attack were healed, he didn¡¯t even feel the twinge of a bruise.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My body usually heals faster than others, but this is¡­ I broke my leg and several other bones two years ago from a fall, it took me weeks to recover and that was after healing magic.¡±


    Holo smiled, ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that your body¡¯s regenerative capabilities are far more potent now.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help smiling back.


    ¡°...Stryg, I need to ask you something. Do you remember anything of our talk about Maeve?¡±


    He furrowed his brow, ¡°So that really did happen? I wasn¡¯t certain¡­¡±


    ¡°So you do remember?¡± her eyes lit with hope.


    ¡°Mm,¡± he slowly nodded. ¡°I remember bits and pieces, something about warning Maeve not to use True Red¡¯s synchrony spells. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had just dreamed it, but I did warn her about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Holo sighed with relief.


    ¡°How did you do that? The ¡®dream thing¡¯ I mean.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret, maybe I¡¯ll teach you about it one day,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he nodded. ¡°...You said Plum was fine. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I saved Plum and her friends from the Thorns¡¯ pesky soldiers, you need not worry about them. They¡¯re probably already back home, pretending last night never happened.¡±


    His tense muscles relaxed and he breathed out a shaky breath of relief, ¡°So Plum¡¯s fine, that¡¯s good¡­¡±


    ¡°You really care for that drow girl, huh?¡± Holo asked quietly.


    ¡°She¡¯s the first real friend I ever had¡­ and the one I lost. One of the main reasons I came to Undergrowth was because I wanted to see her and see if she was okay¡­ And I wanted to prove her wrong.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°...That I wasn¡¯t broken,¡± he smiled half-heartedly. ¡°That I wasn¡¯t just some monster rejected by the world. But she still thinks I¡¯m the same¡­ And now I find out I have a second heart?¡± He chuckled grimly, ¡°Maybe I really am a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°How lucky for you.¡±


    ¡°Lucky? How is this lucky?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Ebon Realm, the Realm of Monsters, what better place to live for Stryg of Ebon Hollow? You fit right in,¡± she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone make you feel ashamed for who you are. Keep your chin up, you¡¯re Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    ¡°Stryg of Ebon Hollow, huh?¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what that means anymore.¡±


    ¡°You will. Life has a strange way of making us all face our true selves, one way or another the truth always comes. But I think when that time comes, you''ll find you¡¯re fine just as you are.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I have a hunch,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± he smiled lopsidedly. ¡°By the way, how did you ever find us last night?¡±


    ¡°...I spoke to Lysaila.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Lysaila?¡±


    ¡°I met her on the street by coincidence. She really is a good girl, I pity her, but it¡¯d be wise if you stay away from her.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Beast-kin aren¡¯t like us, any of us,¡± Holo said grimly. ¡°They are weapons and they can easily be used to hurt others, even the ones they love.¡±


    ¡°Lysaila has her problems, just like me, but she is a good person¡­ I think,¡± Stryg said uncertainly. ¡°She¡¯s just angry that she¡¯s a prisoner of Hollow Shade, who wouldn¡¯t be? I¡¯ve also trained with her day after day and even if she hates me, she¡¯d never hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ I once held similar beliefs, I had friends who were lamias, they were good people¡­ And then I saw them and a battalion of lamias decimate entire villages without hesitation. They murdered men, women, children. Innocents, all of them. Thousands dead¡­¡± Holo smiled sadly, ¡°All because I couldn¡¯t kill my ¡®friends.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg mumbled weakly. ¡°When? How¡­?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there is nothing I can do to bring those lives back,¡± Holo muttered. ¡°You think Lysaila won¡¯t hurt others? For now the Prime Edict in her body is stopping her, but that magic is very volatile. The same magic stopping her from hurting you could make Lysaila try to kill you. It doesn¡¯t matter how good of a person she is, Lysaila has no choice in the matter because she really isn¡¯t a person, just an organic weapon.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°You never said anything like that when you met Rhian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Rhiannon is a centaur. Lysaila is a lamia.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s worse somehow?¡±


    ¡°For you, yes.¡±


    ¡°Why? How do you know so much anyway?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived a very long time,¡± Holo spoke in a slow and concise manner. ¡°I¡¯ve learned many things and I¡¯ve lost so much¡­ Believe me, I wouldn¡¯t tell you any of this if I genuinely wasn¡¯t worried about you, that¡¯s all I can say about the matter.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say anything more because you don¡¯t know my true name, is that it?¡± he glared at her. ¡°I already told you, Stryg is the only name I have.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, but if you don¡¯t know anything else, then that means someone went to great lengths to deliberately make sure you stayed ignorant. And if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m not sure I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t trust me?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Because I care what happens to you, as hard as that may be for you to understand,¡± she smiled sympathetically.


    Stryg blinked, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Holo stood up and dusted off her pants, ¡°I should get going, time is a resource I have very little of right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Already?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already stayed way too long in Undergrowth. There are many things that require my attention, including finding a way to help Lysaila.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d help her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your friend and we made a deal, I intend to keep my end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you, for everything,¡± Stryg bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll repay your kindness someday, I promise.¡±


    Holo smiled and ruffled his silver hair, ¡°Just try and be happy, yeah? At least one of us should try to be.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t a fan of the ruffling, but he took it with grace. ¡°...I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Holo nodded and headed for the door. ¡°If you get hungry there is a tavern right below us, I¡¯ve already paid for your room and board. The tavern is known for two things; having very strong brews and being very discreet, so no one will ask any questions.¡±


    ¡°I guess I could use a drink.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, drinking probably won¡¯t work,¡± she said apologetically. ¡°Your body¡¯s healing abilities have increased significantly. Most poisons will have very little effect on you, including alcohol.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg sat up. ¡°What if I drink a lot of the really strong stuff? Dwarven brews?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your stomach is large enough to hold the amount of alcohol you¡¯d need to feel its effects. Sorry, little one,¡± she winced.


    ¡°...Lucky me,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just sleep the rest of the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Holo opened the bedroom door and paused in her step, ¡°Oh, before I forget, I noticed one of your Hollow Shader friends downstairs. I didn¡¯t tell him you were here, but I just wanted to let you know.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°You tell me,¡± Holo shrugged and walked out.


    ~~~


    After an hour awake in bed, Stryg¡¯s rumbling stomach forced him to get up and head downstairs for some food. The scent of roasted chicken and alcohol wafted into his nostrils even before he reached the last steps.


    Stryg took a deep breath and sighed in contentment, the tavern reminded him of the Merry Crescent back in Hollow Shade.


    The tavern was fairly empty during the daylight hours, the few patrons were huddled around different tables in the room, drinking and eating by themselves.


    Stryg spotted a familiar face in a dark corner of the room. He wrinkled his brow, ¡°Professor Glaz?¡±


    Stryg walked over, his confusion growing with each step.


    Vayu rested his arms and chin on the table, half a dozen empty bottles of hard liquor scattered on the floor. The drow¡¯s eyes and nose were red from crying. He didn¡¯t even seem to notice Stryg until he poked him in the arm.


    ¡°Professor Glaz? What are you doing here?¡± he asked in a worried tone.


    Vayu¡¯s dazed teal eyes slowly looked up. ¡°Stryyyg¡­?¡± he slurred.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± Stryg said, unsurprised. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t drink, not since you were in the military.¡±


    Vayu chuckled, ¡°What¡¯s the point anymore?¡± He broke down in tears and buried his face in the table.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one of those sad drunks,¡± Stryg guessed wryly. He glanced around the empty tavern, ¡°There aren¡¯t many better places to drink and cry I suppose.¡±


    Stryg shook his teacher¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Come on, I think you¡¯ve had enough. Let¡¯s get you to a bed upstairs.¡±


    Vayu shook his head, his entire body swaying back and forth. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t understand¡­ I did everything I could. I was loyal, I was a good friend, I loved her.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Are you talking about Master Loh?¡±


    Vayu smiled bitterly, ¡°In the end, none of it mattered¡­ She¡¯s leaving me behind¡­ she¡¯s moving on.¡± Vayu gripped his trembling hands, ¡°But I can¡¯t move on¡­ I can¡¯t forget what happened.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Vayu looked at him, a deranged glint in his eye, ¡°I see his face... I lie awake at night, running from my nightmares¡­ But I see¡­ I see Aizel screaming over and over, crying out for help¡­¡± Vayu whimpered, ¡°And I did nothing.¡±


    ¡°Aizel¡­?¡±


    Vayu swallowed hastily, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to¡­ I wanted to help¡­ But Loh, she wanted¡­ she didn¡¯t want her brother to¡­ she didn¡¯t want Aizel to¡­¡±


    ¡°Aizel? Loh¡¯s brother?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± he sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I didn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    ¡°Stop her from doing what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Loh, we¡­ we let¡­ Aizel needed our help, he needed us¡­¡± Vayu sniveled. ¡°But we let him¡­ go¡­ The Cairn killed him¡­ and we just let him go... We just let him go!¡±


    ¡°What? You couldn¡¯t save Aizel?¡± Was that why Loh had never mentioned him? Stryg didn¡¯t understand.


    Vayu bit his lip until it drew blood, ¡°S-she, she wanted him to¡­ she wanted him¡­ dead. Aizel needed us but¡­ we let him¡­we let him go.¡±


    ¡°You let Aizel die?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. How drunk are you?¡±


    Vayu looked away in shame, ¡°I let him¡­ I let my friend¡­ die.¡±


    Stryg laughed, ¡°Loh would never let her brother die. Especially not to the Cairn. Come on, you really need to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­ We all have our ¡®secrets¡¯... hiding in the shadows¡­¡± Vayu muttered darkly. ¡°Loh tried to kill hers¡­¡±


    The cold tone in Vayu¡¯s voice gave Stryg pause. ¡°Kill¡­? Kill her secrets? What are you even talking about now? Professor, seriously, come on, let¡¯s get you to a bed.¡±


    Vayu buried his face in the table and muttered to himself,¡°...She wanted to kill Marek... I said no¡­ but she didn¡¯t care¡­ she never cared about what I said¡­ But I followed her anyway,¡± he laughed tearfully, a sad broken sound. ¡°I said¡­ protect the students¡­ but she didn¡¯t want to¡­ She wanted to kill Marek¡­¡±


    A cold sickening feeling crept over Stryg.


    It couldn¡¯t be, it wasn¡¯t possible.


    Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°W-when? When did Loh try to kill Marek?¡±


    Vayu shivered, his eyes were glazed over, his mind somewhere else, a distant memory, ¡°...Widow¡¯s Crag¡­¡±


    The words echoed in Stryg¡¯s ears, but they made no sense. None of it made sense. Stryg felt a painful chill, a frigid feeling seeped out from his chest and into his veins as if his blood had been replaced with cold rage.


    The air groaned with a deep dissonance. The bottles across the tavern¡¯s shelves began to quiver until they shook from side to side and fell over and shattered on the floor.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t choose the wrong cliff¡­¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°Did I?¡±


    Vayu mumbled incoherently and reached for another bottle of hard liquor.


    Stryg lifted him into the air and shook him by the shoulders, ¡°I DIDN¡¯T CHOOSE THE WRONG CLIFF, DID I!?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Vayu cried.


    Stryg stiffened, Vayu slipped from his fingers and collapsed unceremoniously on the wooden floor.


    Stryg stumbled back and fell to his knees. The world spun around him. He began hyperventilating, gasping for breath.


    If I didn¡¯t choose the wrong cliff, then all those rumors, all those people that blamed me¡­ were wrong¡­


    If I didn¡¯t choose the wrong cliff, then the deaths of my classmates and all those innocent commoners, their families, their children¡­ they weren¡¯t my fault¡­


    If I didn¡¯t choose the wrong cliff, then¡­ Clypeus¡­ died for nothing¡­


    Stryg screamed a wretched broken sound of agony.

 Chapter 269: The Challenge of Pillar & Sea

    Chapter 269: The Challenge of Pillar & Sea


    The crowds of thousands screamed and cheered the names of the other teams as they walked, Undergrowth, Murkton, Frost Rim. Stryg could hear their voices even from his team¡¯s training room underneath the coliseum, their cheers shook the ground itself.


    Had it been yesterday or any other day, Stryg would have been intimidated, daunted by the cheers of thousands. But not today. No, today he sat alone on a bench and simply watched his teammates in silence.


    Their professors were giving each one of them some last-minute advice before the 2nd Challenge began. Tauri was giving Freya pointers on her orange magic, Ismene was explaining the finer details of mana flow to Sylvie, and Cornelius was telling Callum how to please the crowds? It was something about how the crowds didn¡¯t favor Hollow Shade, which was why Cornelius wanted to help sway their opinion. Stryg would have cared about such things yesterday, but not today.


    Lysaila sat in a corner of the room, her usual angry and confident demeanor nowhere to be seen. She seemed distant, her indigo eyes stared at the ground, and she made no effort to speak with anyone, not even her usual borderline-threats banter with Gale. Some part of Stryg recalled that Holo had spoken to her about something, but none of that seemed to matter right now, not to him, not today.


    ¡°Stryg, you okay?¡± Gale plopped down next to him on the bench. ¡°You haven¡¯t come back to the tavern the past two days, I was beginning to seriously worry.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine,¡± he muttered without making eye contact.


    ¡°Really, ¡®cause it looked like you were sulking over here all by yourself,¡± Gale raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°No, I got that. I heard what you said, I just don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°...Have you ever trusted someone so completely that you¡¯d do anything for them? Only to find out that they had been lying to you, using you¡­¡±


    Gale nodded with a sympathetic smile, ¡°My family has protected House Veres for a thousand years. In that time there have been many Veres who have not been worthy of our loyalty, our protection, or our dedication. Many Veres have lied and tried to manipulate my ancestors.¡±


    ¡°And what did your ancestors do about it?¡±


    ¡°We made sure that those people didn¡¯t become the next leader of House Veres. We refused to back them or their claim to the Veres throne and instead we pushed them away. Life is sometimes like that; you have to push away the people who hurt you, even if you care for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all¡­? You wouldn¡¯t kill the people who hurt you?¡± Stryg asked, confused.


    Gale shrugged, ¡°Could you really kill the people you love?¡±


    Stryg stared at his trembling hands, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t found the answer to my question, huh?¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡± Stryg recited with a mumble. ¡°I still don¡¯t know the answer¡­¡±


    Gale patted his shoulder, ¡°We¡¯re complex beings, you don¡¯t have to figure it all out once. Start with just a small piece, do that, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll eventually find the rest.¡±


    The door suddenly slammed open and Loh barged into the room.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late everyone,¡± she said apologetically. ¡°I was looking for Vayu.¡±


    Stryg stiffened at the sight of Loh. She seemed fine, like her usual self, and yet Stryg felt as if he was looking at someone completely different. Anger and the memory of betrayal churned in his stomach in a painful knot. He wanted to say something, anything, but his voice caught in his throat.


    ¡°So, where is the boy?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°I found Vayu in a tavern. Turns out he went out last night and got blackout drunk,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s in his bed right now, nursing his hangover. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gonna make it.¡±


    ¡°Of all the days,¡± Ismene clicked her tongue. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no time to waste, the heralds will call us out there any minute.¡±


    Ismene gripped her cane and pushed herself up to her feet. She glanced at her students and nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Despite the suspicious events of the First Challenge, all four of you acted with bravery and determination. I don¡¯t care what those sibling heralds or Lady Thorn say. You were all incredible that day. I¡¯m asking, we¡¯re asking for you to show that same level of commitment today.¡±


    ¡°You can count on us, I swear it,¡± Freya stood upright and placed her hand over her heart.


    ¡°I believe you, captain,¡± Ismene smiled. ¡°Now, one last quick rundown before you all go out there. Tauri, you may do the honors.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tauri nodded and stood up, ¡°The coliseum¡¯s stage has been refitted in the last few days, it will be similar to what you all encountered in your finals in your 1st year. Every tourney holds a race as its 1st or 2nd Challenge, and the racecourse always stays the same.¡±


    Tauri opened her arms wide, ¡°About forty pillars, a dozen paces wide and sixty paces tall, have been raised up from the ground all over the arena. Each team will start on the southside of the coliseum, each team on their own pillar, and will have to jump from one giant pillar to the next in a race to see who gets to the northside first.¡±


    ¡°While there are no harnesses to keep you from falling off,¡± Tauri looked at Stryg, ¡°This time they will have water down below. The arena has been flooded with water 20ft deep from the nearby river, but they will have also put white eels in there, so try your best not to fall. Like seriously try your best, I¡¯ve seen people lose chunks of flesh to those eels.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I do like a challenge,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    ¡°Sounds wonderful,¡± Callum grimaced.


    ¡°~TEAM HOLLOW SHADE!!~¡± the voices of the heralds echoed from above.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Ismene said. ¡°Remember, your goal is to reach the northside platform. Every team will be trying to hinder each other, but they will all be trying to reach the finish line. It doesn¡¯t matter if they seem stronger than you, all you need to do is get to the finish line.¡±


    ¡°Points are given out to teams based on the order each person reached the finish line,¡± Cornelius added. ¡°So long as you all get 2nd place we may still have a shot at winning one of the Trinity Prizes.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to win any prize, they only need to stay safe,¡± Ismene admonished. She looked at her students and bowed her head, ¡°Please¡­ Just stay safe, that¡¯s all we want from you.¡±


    Do you know, Ismene? Do you know how they lied about Widow¡¯s Crag? Do you even care about any of us? Stryg wondered grimly.


    ¡°Ahem, we said, ~TEAM HOLLOW SHADE~!!¡± Jane¡¯s voice boomed throughout the coliseum.


    ¡°Alright, get going,¡± Ismene waved them off.


    ¡°Yes, professor!¡± Freya nodded and ran out the door, Callum and Sylvie right behind her.


    Stryg went to follow, but Loh stopped him.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t bring Nameless with you,¡± Loh pointed at the sword on his hip. ¡°The 2nd Challenge only allows you to bring enchanted weapons and potions you made yourself, remember?¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Stryg numbly unstrapped his belt and tossed his sword to Gale, ¡°Take care of Nameless for me.¡±


    Gale caught the sheathed blade with a deft hand and nodded, ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Loh studied Stryg¡¯s face and frowned, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept have you? Where have you been?¡±


    Now you want to know? Or are you just pretending to care? Have you ever cared? Stryg thought. ¡°I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, of course,¡± Loh said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later, okay?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed to thin slits, ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡± He turned and walked to the door.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg,¡± Loh called out. ¡°Whatever happens out there, win or lose, it won¡¯t change who you are. You¡¯re not a failure. You¡¯re the one in a million, remember that.¡±


    Stryg slowly turned his back and looked at her, tears in his eyes, ¡°...Do you really believe that?¡±


    ¡°I always have,¡± Loh smiled.


    Stryg turned around without another word and walked out.


    ~~~


    Calex Thorn stood at the edge of an enormous stone pillar and looked down. Even from up here, he could see a few faint silhouettes rushing through the water. The white eels were native to Hoarfrost Bay, north of the Northern Lands.


    ¡°Scared of heights?¡± Heather Navis asked as she walked up next to him.


    ¡°No, thankfully,¡± Calex spoke with a serene voice. ¡°I was simply wondering how many white eels are in the water, more specifically how quickly they might devour someone.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ nice,¡± Heather forced herself to smile.


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Calex said.


    The southern gate opened with the loud churning of chains once more. Freya stepped out of the tunnel and found herself on a small platform that stretched out from beneath the gate. The nearest empty pillar was half a dozen feet from her.


    Calex carefully watched as the Goldelm dwarf channeled orange mana into her legs and hopped over to the empty pillar. The dire hybrid and the Veres walked out next and jumped over to Freya.


    ¡°Vampires, they don¡¯t even have to use magic, just a little bit of run and bam, they¡¯re already on the next pillar,¡± Damian Parvus glared at them.


    ¡°Yes, a vampire¡¯s athletic abilities do give them an edge over the rest of us when it comes to this Challenge,¡± Calex said. ¡°But that won¡¯t stop us from reaching 1st place.¡±


    ¡°Do we really have to go through with this?¡± Veronica groaned. ¡°This feels like cheating.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Calex said resolutely. I¡¯m doing this to prove to my mother that we can win this without cheating. ¡°Just a bit of strategy.¡±


    ¡°It still feels scummy,¡± Veronica mumbled.


    ¡°Shut up, you just like that blue Hollow Shader,¡± Heather pointed at Stryg who had just joined his teammates.


    Before Veronica could retort, Calex spoke up calmly, ¡°Heather, there¡¯s no reason for hostility. We are a team.¡±


    Heather¡¯s cheeks turned dark with shame, ¡°Sorry, captain.¡±


    Calex ignored the apology, his eyes were focused on his mother who stood across the coliseum at the finish line. Ophelia Thorn suddenly raised her arm high.


    ¡°That¡¯s the signal, we¡¯re about to begin,¡± Calex noted. ¡°Veronica, give your satchel to Heather, now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain,¡± Veronica sighed and passed her satchel over.


    Heather picked it up with a grimace, ¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡±


    ¡°There are over twenty potions in there, don¡¯t drop any of them near us,¡± Veronica warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just drop the potions somewhere else,¡± Heather winked.


    Damian stretched his arms and smiled wide, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this all week.¡±


    Calex glanced at the Murkton mages to his left, Gilgard Morrigan and his teammates seemed as unaware of their plan as ever.


    Calex looked past the Hollow Shaders on his right and to the pillar next to them where Frost Rim¡¯s team stood. Kalliste Lilith and he made eye contact, and they subtly nodded to each other.


    Ophelia¡¯s raised arm fell down to her side in a flash. The crowds roared with cheers.


    The heralds yelled from up within their tower, ¡°May the Challenge of Pillar & Sea¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    Calex didn¡¯t hesitate, before anyone could move, he had already channeled white mana into his arms and fired off a bright spell of light behind him. The powerful white beam curved around the pillars and blasted into Callum Veres¡¯ back in an explosion of light.


    Callum screamed in anguish as the master-spell burned through his clothes and skin. He fell over with a gasp.


    Sylvie cried out, ¡°Callu-!¡±


    A bolt of lightning seared through the air and struck down Sylvie from the back, sending her tumbling to the edge of the pillar. Her body spasmed in pain as blue electricity crackled around her.


    Kalliste smiled from the other side, tendrils of lightning forming once more on her fingertips.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± Calex nodded to his teammates.


    ¡°Gladly!¡± Damian kicked the ground. Shards of stone flew out from the pillar and bombarded the Hollow Shade mages.


    Frost Rim¡¯s mages began hurling their own slew of spells at Freya and her teammates in a pincer attack.


    Kalliste broke off from her teammates and ran towards the finish line across the stadium.


    Calex followed suit and channeled orange agility magic into his body. In just a few seconds he managed to catch up with Kalliste, but instead of attacking her he simply smiled.


    Kalliste smiled slyly, ¡°Your plan worked.¡±


    Calex glanced behind him and spotted Gilgard and the other Murkton mages chasing them, ¡°Perfectly, it seems.¡±


    Kalliste¡¯s veins turned grey with her own agility magic. She licked her lips, ¡°Let¡¯s show them who is the strongest.¡±

 Chapter 270: Who Am I?

    Chapter 270: Who Am I?


    ¡­Two nights ago¡­


    ¡°A pincer attack? That¡¯s your plan?¡± Kalliste asked skeptically.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calex nodded. ¡°Callum¡¯s team will be assigned the pillar between both of our teams. Right when the match begins we do a surprise attack and weaken their defenses.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think they won¡¯t just block the spells?¡± Kalliste asked.


    ¡°Bright magic has the fastest attack spells, they¡¯re very difficult to dodge or block, especially when you don¡¯t see them coming.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, but only a master white mage can cast destructive bright spells,¡± Kalliste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you saying the rumors are true? Are you a master mage?¡±


    Calex shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s possible to learn a spell above your rank, just incredibly difficult, and usually not as strong.¡±


    ¡°And yet here you are, confident as ever,¡± Kalliste noted. ¡°...Say I agree to your plan. Then what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll aim my bright spell towards Callum¨C¡±


    ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°No, because he is the only red mage on their team. Without him, they can¡¯t use ward magic to protect themselves. More importantly, the dire vampire, Sylvie, seems to care for Callum. She seems to be the greatest threat on Hollow Shade¡¯s team. If Callum goes down, she¡¯ll be distracted, and her attention will be focused on my team. A perfect chance for you to strike her down from the back ¡±


    ¡°I see, you are quite devious,¡± Kalliste smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m thorough.¡±


    ¡°Okay, after the dire vampire goes down, then what?¡±


    ¡°Both our teams attack the Hollow Shaders from both sides until we eliminate them from the race.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful, but you¡¯re forgetting one important aspect, the Murktonians. If we focus our attacks on Callum¡¯s team, the Murkton team will simply attack us from the back, or worse they¡¯ll just run to the finish line.¡±


    Calex smiled, ¡°Knowledge is power, Kalliste. And I know Gilgard Morrigan¡¯s secret. His father is the Grand Warlord of the East and that man does not take failure lightly. Gilgard must prove himself, even if he doesn¡¯t want to. He¡¯s already gotten 2nd place in the 1st Challenge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have a plan somewhere in that speech of yours.¡±


    ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s team will be severely weakened after our first attack. If you and I split off from our teammates we can rush to the finish line. Gilgard will have to make the choice of chasing us or trying to attack our teams.¡±


    Kalliste licked her lips, ¡°But the choice will be already made. Because Gilgard needs to win. He¡¯ll be forced to ignore our teams and chase us.¡±


    ¡°And do you think one team, even with Gilgard included, will be able to stop the both of us?¡±


    ¡°Gilgard isn¡¯t a chromatic orange, is he?¡±


    ¡°He is not. Unlike us.¡±


    ¡°So no agility magic for him¡­¡± Kalliste sighed, ¡°You really are thorough, but your plan doesn¡¯t work if I decide not to help.¡±


    ¡°As I said, Kalliste, knowledge is power. You can¡¯t afford to lose either,¡± Calex shook his head. ¡°You are living in your sister¡¯s shadow, last year¡¯s champion. The only way to step out from her shadow is to win 1st place, to surpass her. So far you¡¯ve only managed 3rd place in the last Challenge.¡± Calex shrugged, ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, do we have a deal?¡±


    Kalliste clicked her tongue, ¡°A Thorn indeed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Callum, Sylvie!¡± Freya screamed.


    Dozens of spells flew towards them in a barrage of magic. Stryg glanced around in panic. What could he do? He couldn¡¯t save them. He couldn¡¯t save his friends.


    A stone wall abruptly sprouted from around the edges of the pillar and blocked the spells. The wall cracked and crumbled from the force of the bombarding magic, but it quickly began to regenerate.


    ¡°How the hell¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± Sylvie huffed. She lay on the floor, her right shoulder was covered in burns, but her left hand was securely planted on the ground, her green mana flowing into the pillar¡¯s stone wall.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Sylvie!¡± Freya ran to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, go help Callum!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    ¡°R-right!¡± Freya nodded and scurried over to Callum.


    Callum mumbled a weak groan, his eyes were glazed over with pain.


    Freya looked over his back and winced. ¡°He¡¯s badly hurt, I can¡¯t heal all of this.¡±


    ¡°Do what you can! We¡¯re not leaving him!¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere if we can¡¯t stop our enemies,¡± Freya swallowed. ¡°Stryg, we need firepower!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Stryg raised his hands high and summoned a pair of fireballs. He couldn¡¯t see over the stone wall, but he had a general idea of where the enemy was. With a flick of his wrist, he began lunging fireballs over the wall.


    ¡°Did you get them!?¡± Freya called out anxiously as she channeled healing magic into Callum¡¯s scorched back.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m working on it!¡± Stryg yelled.


    ¡°Their attacks are still hitting the wall!¡± Sylvie said through gritted teeth. ¡°There are too many! I can¡¯t keep this up forever!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is that!?¡± Stryg looked up.


    A small figure floated high in the sky. She flew slowly and her trajectory was a tad shaky, but there was no doubt she was flying.


    ¡°Master wind magic¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Heather laughed from a hundred paces above the arena, wind magic curling around her body. She opened up Veronica¡¯s satchel and dumped out all the potions.


    ¡°Incoming from above!¡± Stryg shouted.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Sylvie roared in anger and slammed her fist into the ground.


    The stone wall rose around them and formed a dome. The potions exploded in a cacophony of magical energy that tore the air itself, sending waves of energy across the coliseum. The crowds pulled back, but their cheers only grew louder. The stone dome shook and cracked, but it did not fall.


    The dome slowly began to crumble apart after the explosions had died out. Stryg numbly looked through a hole in the broken dome and observed the wreckage outside. Even the other surrounding pillars had suffered damage. Had Sylvie really protected them from all of this?


    Stryg bit his lip, he had underestimated her¡­ greatly.


    Freya looked at Sylvie in awe, ¡°That was incredible.¡±


    Sylvie gasped weakly and fell on her back, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m out of green¡­¡±


    The drow, Nalla stared at them from across the pillars, her eyes cold with determination. She raised her arms and a surge of flame curled around her palms until it formed an enormous sphere of fire as wide as the pillar.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. I can¡¯t make a flame spell that large.


    ¡°The dome won¡¯t hold another attack, we have to surrender now, it¡¯s our only chance!¡± Freya yelled. ¡°We still have the next Challenge! We¡¯re not out of the tourney yet!¡±


    Sylvie groaned, ¡°But¡­¡±


    The other mages began to cast their own spells and aimed them at the broken dome.


    ¡°There is no time!¡± Freya shot to her feet.


    ¡°It''s too late,¡± Stryg whispered.


    There was no way they were going to make it out on time. Freya¡¯s words of surrender would fall on deaf ears. The enemy was determined to end them here.


    Stryg turned to his teammates, his friends. Callum lay face down, barely conscious, blood dripping across the burns over his back. Sylvie struggled to stand, her right arm lying limp at her side. She wheezed weakly and tried to hide the pain searing through her shoulder.


    Their brave captain, Freya looked around desperately, searching for a way out of the half-shattered dome. Her golden eyes, always so filled with pride and confidence, were now filled with nothing but anxiety and fear.


    Stryg recognized those eyes, he had seen them before¡­ at Widow¡¯s Crag.


    The desperation, the fear, he had felt it all that night. The night that should have never happened, had Loh kept her word¡­


    Stryg still felt the same, he felt helpless. He knew it then, just as he knew it now¡­ there was no way they could win.


    Clypeus¡¯ bloodied body flashed through his mind. He hadn¡¯t been able to save Clypeus¡­ he couldn¡¯t save anyone¡­


    Karen¡¯s grin appeared in his mind. The faces of the goblins orphans he had helped rushed through his memories. Baby Kamilo¡¯s laughter¡­ Rhian¡¯s cocky chuckle¡­ Feli¡¯s knowing smirk¡­ Stryg remembered¡­ All of them¡­


    Gale¡¯s question echoed in his thoughts.


    Who am I?


    Yet it was not Gale¡¯s voice that he heard, but Clypeus¡¯.


    Who am I?


    It was Clypeus¡¯ bloody smile that he remembered.


    Who am I?


    It was Clypeus'' words that echoed in his heart.


    Who am I?


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile. He still didn¡¯t know much about the world outside Vulture Woods, but he knew that his friendship with Clypeus was real and that was enough for him.


    Nalla and the other mages hurled their spells in a volley of magic. The spells crashed into the ruined dome and tore the last bits of stone apart in a storm of destruction.


    As the smoke settled, the scars and cracks in Hollow Shade¡¯s pillar were evident. It was a wonder it was still standing.


    Lady Thorn watched from across the stadium with content satisfaction. She bowed her head and hid her smile.


    The crowd¡¯s cheers fell at the sight of the destruction, at its finality.


    The heralds, Jane and Mark glanced at each other grimly.


    Mark cleared his throat and spoke softly, ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s entire team seems to have fallen¡­ A moment of silence if you will¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you seeing that!?¡± Jane yelled.


    A faint red sheen glowed amidst the smoke. A large red dome of light stood where the stone dome had once been. Dozens of intricate red ward sigils flared across the dome and at its center stood Hollow Shade¡¯s mages, unharmed.


    Sylvie and Freya stared at the wards above them in confusion. They glanced at Callum questioningly.


    ¡°...It¡­ wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Callum mumbled weakly.


    Sylvie and Freya slowly looked at Stryg. His back was turned towards them. His arms were spread wide apart, fingers outstretched, soft red light glowing from his fingertips.


    Freya furrowed her brow, ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    Stryg stared past the dome, at the enemies that waited across the pillars. He could feel each of his chromatic colors surging through him, pulsing with power, eager to come out.


    Stryg took a deep breath and smiled at his enemies, ¡°I am the Shield of my friends. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud and I shall not falter.¡±

 Chapter 271: The Return

    Chapter 271: The Return


    Freya stared at the unfamiliar red sigils floating in a dome of light all around them. She swallowed, ¡°Um, Stryg¡­? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a chromatic red,¡± Sylvie muttered.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Callum smiled weakly.


    Stryg glanced back at his friends, ¡°You knew?¡±


    Callum tried to stand, but he winced from the stinging pain in his back. He settled with a nod instead, ¡°...The way you spoke when you used to help me with my ward spell studies, it sounded so natural, as if you had cast them yourself.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t say anything?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I know a thing or two about hiding magic,¡± Callum grinned.


    Stryg smiled, ¡°Thanks for keeping my secret.¡±


    ¡°Meh, what are friends for?¡± Callum chuckled softly.


    ¡°Anything else you want to share with us?¡± Freya glanced at the two pillars between them, ¡°You know, before the Frost Rimmers and Undergrowthers try to kill us again?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± Stryg crouched and stretched one leg at a time.


    ¡°Are you seriously stretching at a time like this?¡± Freya furrowed her brow.


    ¡°We¡¯re not surrendering, not today,¡± Stryg said. ¡°But you¡¯re right, the enemy will try to attack again. So, when I drop the ward shield, I want you all to run to the finish line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too far, we¡¯ll never make it,¡± Freya said. ¡°Callum can¡¯t even stand, let alone run and jump across the pillars.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t have to,¡± Stryg turned to the dire hybrid. ¡°Sylvie will carry him. She¡¯s more than strong enough, even with an injured shoulder.¡±


    Sylvie glanced at her limp right arm and chuckled to herself, ¡°I¡¯ve always liked a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Sylvie, are you sure? You were hit by a lightning bolt, I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re even standing,¡± Freya said skeptically.


    ¡°I hate losing,¡± Sylvie grinned. ¡°We¡¯re getting to the finish line, even if I have to drag all of you with me.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll cover your backs,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not coming with us?¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°Someone has to deal with the enemy,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°...You¡¯re staying behind?¡± Freya¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°No¡­ No! We¡¯re not leaving you to protect us, not again. We abandoned you once, I¡¯m not making that same mistake again.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± Callum agreed. ¡°We stay and fight.¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± Stryg smiled half-heartedly. ¡°This time I am the Shield.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Callum¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Our enemies are already recovering from their last bout of spells. You need to run now.¡±


    ¡°You heard him,¡± Sylvie grabbed Callum by the scruff of his neck and tossed him over her good shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Ow ow ow ow,¡± Callum grimaced in pain.


    ¡°This is gonna hurt for you, but just bear with it until we cross the finish line. Should be easy for you,¡± Sylvie smirked. ¡°You¡¯re so good at keeping quiet about things after all.¡±


    ¡°Gods help me,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Stryg,¡± Freya bit her trembling lip. ¡°For everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Stryg stood up. ¡°If I had another chance, I would have fought by Clypeus on that cliffside all over again.¡±


    Freya hid her tears behind her golden hair and bowed, ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    Stryg looked up, ¡°That drow is still flying above us. She may still have more explosive potions left, I¡¯ll deal with her first¡­ On my signal, get ready to run.¡±


    Freya and Sylvie nodded, Callum simply clenched his eyes shut.


    Stryg took a deep breath and channeled orange mana into his muscles and bones, but instead of enhancing his speed, he focused the agility spell on reducing his weight.


    Stryg raised his head to the sky, ¡°3, 2, 1¡­ Now!¡±


    He released the ward spell and the red dome faded away. Freya and Sylvie dashed away, Callum on the latter¡¯s back.


    Stryg quickly called forth yellow mana and casted a wind spell beneath his feet. He jumped up with all the force he could muster, the air wrapped around him in a whirling gale and hurled him into the sky like an arrow in flight towards Heather.


    Heather¡¯s calm composure broke at the sight. Her eyes widened in shock, ¡°No fucking way¡­!?¡±


    She hastily changed the current of the swirling winds around her and shoved herself away from the goblin¡¯s trajectory.


    Stryg shot high above the stadium, but Heather had already flown two dozen paces away.


    Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate. He released his spells and channeled black and brown. Shadow tendrils whipped out from his silhouette and latched onto Heather. She screamed in shock as he yanked her towards him. Stryg pulled his arm back, a bronze sheen of vigor magic over his muscles.


    ¡°Wait, stop!¡± Heather yelled. She panicked and threw her arms in front of her face, yellow scales flaring to life around her skin.


    Stryg stared down at her, his pupils were as sharp as blades. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    His fist slammed down on her arms and shattered the yellow scales. The powerful strike blasted her away and sent her careening straight down into the arena¡¯s artificial lake in a giant splash.


    Stryg released the spells as his body began to fall. He turned his gaze towards the pillar where the other two Undergrowth mages stood. Damian was casting another fireball, his arms aimed towards the sky.


    Yellow mana rushed into Stryg¡¯s veins, scales of durability wrapped around his body. He channeled orange mana into his palm and summoned a fireball of his own. He flung the fireball down at Damian as he crashed down into their pillar. The two flame spells burst in an explosion of smoke and fire.


    Veronica¡¯s lungs burned from the thick smoke. She ran out of the smoke and looked around. ¡°Damian¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m over here,¡± he called out between coughs. Damian stumbled out of the smoke, his right arm was covered in blood.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Veronica asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he winced. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I managed to blast that damn Sylvan goblin off the pillar,¡± he said proudly.


    Veronica visibly relaxed and sighed, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ Wait.¡± She frowned, ¡°Sylvan¡­? I never told you he was a Syl-¡±


    A sharp pain struck the back of her head. Veronica¡¯s eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the floor. Stryg stood behind her, his lilac eyes cold. Damian smiled, his form shimmered and faded away in the purple dust of illusion magic.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The smoke cleared around the pillar. The crowds gasped in shock. Veronica lay on the ground, motionlessly. Damian was only a dozen paces away, bloody claw marks across his limbs. He cried weakly, but he couldn¡¯t move, let alone cast the simplest of spells.


    Shards of ice zipped through the air at Stryg. He ducked low, the razor-sharp ice flew right over his head. The frost giant hybrid, Lynn, leaped from a nearby pillar and landed a few paces away.


    ¡°Nice dodging. Let¡¯s see how you fare at close range,¡± Lynn said. Water formed around her hands and froze into shards of ice.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°Elemental magic? That won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Then how about her?¡± Lynn smirked.


    Stryg felt a faint breeze tickle at the back of his neck. His ear twitched. Stryg threw himself forward and barely managed to dodge the strike to his neck. The silent drow, Nalla, stood behind him. Her veins were dark with agility magic.


    ¡°Two can play that game,¡± Stryg sneered. Orange mana flowed into his body, his veins grew dark.


    Nalla didn¡¯t hesitate, she dashed at Stryg and struck with a flurry of punches. He blocked the strikes and tried to follow up with his own, but she dodged with ease and followed up with a low sweeping kick. Stryg jumped away and winced as a shard of empowered ice grazed his arm.


    ¡°Not so easy to dodge now, huh?¡± Lynn summoned another ten shards of ice.


    Before Stryg could even fling a spell at the frost giant, Nalla was on him, raining down another flurry of strikes.


    Stryg scowled and tried to block the best he could. She was fast, but not as fast as him. His body¡¯s natural strength and agility gave him an edge over everyone, especially when using body enhancement magic, so why was he struggling to keep up?


    Nalla danced around his attack and followed up with several of her own. The air shimmered faintly around her fist as she struck his arms.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. This isn¡¯t just magic. This is life force manipulation. She¡¯s using life force techniques!


    Nalla abruptly dropped low and struck his knee. He grimaced and stumbled back.


    ¡°Now!¡± Cordelia screamed from behind them. Shadow tendrils flew out from her hand and coiled themselves around Stryg¡¯s limbs.


    Stryg snapped his head back at the surprise attack and pulled his arms forward with a shout of anger. The tendrils began to fray apart.


    Nalla leaped forward and kicked Stryg in the gut. He gasped and staggered to a halt.


    Lynn ran up from behind and wrapped her arms around him. A bronze sheen covered her blue skin. She grinned, ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Stryg squirmed in her arms, but her vigor spell and natural strength were too great, he couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°This ends now,¡± Cordelia pulled out a black orb. Dark wisps of smoke slipped out from the orb and pooled above the dwarf. The wisps of smoke darkened and formed into a shade, its mouth hanging abhorrently wide open with hunger. The shade grimaced and moaned in irritation.


    Stryg stiffened, ¡°Soul magic?¡±


    ¡°Ari hates the sunlight, but for you, she¡¯ll make an exception,¡± Cordelia smiled ruthlessly. ¡°Devour him, Ari.¡±


    The shade wailed and flew at Stryg.


    He released the agility spell and moved the orange mana into his mouth. He inhaled deeply and breathed out flames. The shade screeched and flew backward as the flames scorched its ethereal body.


    ¡°He casted from his mouth!?¡± Cordelia cried out in shock.


    Lynn groaned weakly, the bronze sheen over her skin faded away and her blue skin turned icy pale. Her arms went limp and she tumbled backward. Stryg landed on his feet and stretched his back with an air of calm.


    ¡°W-what did you do?¡± Cordelia stepped back.


    ¡°Drain magic,¡± Nalla said grimly. ¡°He¡¯s been multicasting the whole time Lynn held him.¡±


    ¡°Why try and break from the giant¡¯s grip when I can simply drain her dry?¡± Stryg smirked.


    Nalla laughed to herself and looked at Stryg, resolve clear in her blue eyes, ¡°Damn the Challenge. I won¡¯t let you set a foot off this pillar, not while I stand.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Who said anything about getting off this pillar?¡±


    Nalla wrinkled her brow, glanced around, and did a double-take. ¡°...What happened to his shoes?¡±


    Cordelia stared at Stryg¡¯s bare feet and shook her head, ¡°Who cares?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be, it''s too many colors¡­¡± Nalla whispered. ¡°The amount of mana that sort of spell would require¡­ no¡­ you can¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    Stryg slowly smiled.


    Nalla stiffened and turned to Cordelia, ¡°Run!¡±


    Black tendrils sprouted from Stryg¡¯s shadow and hooked onto Cordelia and Nalla. Stryg roared in defiance. The green mana he had channeled into the stone beneath his feet flared to life. The pillar shook and crumbled apart, sending everyone on it tumbling down into the cold waters.


    ~~~


    Calex Thorn heard the rumbling and shattering of stone echo through the coliseum. Gilgard Morrigan and his fellow Murkton mages turned at the sound of the pillar falling into the water across the arena.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Gilgard whispered.


    Kalliste¡¯s face went pale, ¡°My teammates!¡±


    ¡°Stay focused, we¡¯re close to the finish line! Your team will be fine,¡± Calex said.


    ¡°There are white eels in those waters! You¡¯d just let them all die!? Your own team!?¡± Kalliste yelled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight these Murktonians by myself. If you leave now, we''ll both lose,¡± Calex warned. ¡°We¡¯ll go help our teams after we deal with Murkton, it''s the only way to win.¡±


    Kalliste glared at him, ¡°Fuck you.¡± She turned around and ran back towards the fallen pillar.


    ¡°It seems your little alliance wasn¡¯t as strong as you thought,¡± Gilgard taunted.


    Calex sighed, ¡°Unfortunately so.¡± A faint blur caught the corner of his eye. Calex looked up in surprise. Freya and Sylvie were running across the pillars and they were already almost at the finish line.


    There¡¯s no time to deal with these orcs, Calex thought. He channeled agility magic into his body and dashed away.


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to run! Stop him!¡± Gilgard shouted.


    ~~~


    The crowds stared at the freezing waters of the arena. Chunks of rock were toppling over into the artificial lake from the remnants of the shattered pillar. Dozens of white eels swam towards the area, eager from the scent of blood wafting from the wreckage.


    A funnel of water abruptly whirled out from the lake, carrying Stryg at its peak. He channeled the torrential blue magic upwards and sent the funnel spiraling towards a nearby pillar.


    He landed on the pillar with a crash of water and quickly rolled to his feet, but he stumbled and fell to his knees. He was soaked to the bone, but his body burned from within from the overheating of his excessive spell-casting. His breath came out in cold wisps. His vision was beginning to blur and his fingers trembled incessantly.


    He wiped his wet hair back and glanced around the arena. Freya and Sylvie were close to the finish line at the other end of the coliseum, but so was Calex, with the Murkton team chasing a few pillars behind.


    A shiver of panic ran down Stryg¡¯s spine.


    Calex wasn¡¯t going straight to the finish line. He was heading to Freya and Sylvie.


    He¡¯s not going to let them cross!


    Stryg lifted his right hand, his open palm pointing far out into the distance. His left hand gripped his right forearm and tried to steady his trembling.


    It¡¯s a long shot¡­ they¡¯re too far¡­ It¡¯s getting harder to breathe¡­ If I miss, then¡­


    Stryg swallowed hard.


    He remembered Mina the fairy and her tribe¡­ He remembered that feeling¡­ The feeling of desperation at the odds of death, at the odds of loss¡­


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Clypeus¡¯ voice echoed in his ears, ¡°Because that person will have to do what no one else thinks they can. Win.¡±


    He took a deep breath, steadied his hand, and focused his gaze, ¡°I am Stryg!¡±


    White mana surged into his palm and exploded in a flash of light. A white beam soared through the arena and struck Calex in the back as he jumped across a pillar. He yelled in pain and surprise, and fell down into the waters below.


    The crowds went wild and screamed hysterically.


    Stryg smiled to himself and fell over. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion take him.


    ~~~


    Stryg felt movement. He was moving.


    How?


    He slowly opened his eyes with a groan.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Good, just hold on a little longer,¡± a familiar voice said.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes opened wide, ¡°Sylvie?¡±


    She looked back at him and grinned, ¡°Who else could carry you? You know you¡¯re super heavy, right?¡±


    Stryg looked down at himself in confusion. Sylvie was carrying him on her back?


    Why?


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m carrying you to victory, that¡¯s what! The Challenge isn¡¯t over yet!¡±


    ¡°But what about Freya and Callum?¡±


    ¡°I dropped Callum right at the finish line, but I didn¡¯t cross it myself. Both of them finished the race first, thanks to you. The Murktonians and Calex finished right after. The others have just gotten out of the water, which is why we gotta hurry so we don¡¯t come in last!¡±


    ¡°...You came back for me?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Sylvie said matter-of-factly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what friends do?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and sighed, his lips curled in a small smile, ¡°...Yeah, I guess they do.¡±


    ~~~


    Ophelia Thorn stood at the finish line. She stared numbly at Stryg and Sylvie as they crossed the finish line¡­ Thousands of cheers echoed across the coliseum¡­ Calex said something to her¡­ But she heard none of it.


    All Ophelia could see was the blue drow hybrid that Sylvie carried on her back.


    It didn¡¯t make sense¡­ None of it made sense¡­


    Yet there the boy was, sitting next to his friends, smiling as if he hadn¡¯t just changed everything.


    Ophelia couldn¡¯t help but stand listlessly at the absurdity, the improbability of it all. She stared at Stryg, baffled. What boundless implications did the boy¡¯s existence entail for the future?


    ¡­The ebon lords have returned.

 Chapter 272: The Aspirant

    Chapter 272: The Aspirant


    While Callum had already been carried away on a stretcher by several white mages, the rest of his teammates left the coliseum¡¯s arena behind with the thundering applause and cheers of the crowds.


    As Stryg limped his way into one of the stadium¡¯s tunnels he couldn¡¯t help but look back and smile proudly. He had done it, they had done it. Despite the odds, they had managed to snag 2nd place right behind Team Murkton. Sure, it wasn¡¯t 1st place, but it wasn¡¯t last place either, and that was enough to help them to stand a chance at winning the tourney.


    ¡°Just you wait, soon those crowds will be chanting our names, the champions of this year¡¯s tourney!¡± Sylvie laughed loftily.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just focus on getting back to our team¡¯s training room for now,¡± Freya smiled wryly. ¡°We should really get that shoulder of yours looked at.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, I¡¯ll stop by an infirmary later, all I really want to do right now is take a long hot bath,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough water for today,¡± Stryg glanced down at his drenched clothes.


    ¡°How did you do it anyway?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°How did you manage to hold them all off like that? And how did you fall into the water? More importantly, how did you get out?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see what happened?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    She looked away sheepishly, ¡°We were focused on running all the way to the last pillar and the finish line... We didn¡¯t really have time to look back.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I guess that makes sense,¡± Stryg nodded to himself. ¡°It all feels a bit of blur now, but I guess it started when I jumped¨C¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Sylvie interrupted.


    The trio found themselves in front of an iron door in the tunnels below the coliseum¡¯s stands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue the story inside, my legs are killing me,¡± Freya said with a wince. ¡°I could really sit down for a bit, even on one of those shitty benches.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Sylvie said and opened the door to their training room.


    The place was fairly empty as usual, save for a few wooden benches near the walls, and a table at the center of the room. A second door stood at the other end of the room, which led to another tunnel and eventually to the outside world. The second door was usually left open, but it was oddly closed. Even stranger, the closed-door rattled occasionally with the sounds of angry murmurs echoing from the other side.


    Gale paced around the training room impatiently, her sword in hand. Ismene sat quietly on a bench, resting on her cane.


    The old archmage looked up at the sound of Sylvie¡¯s entrance. Ismene looked past Sylvie¡¯s tall form, her eyes settling on Stryg, ¡°...You¡¯ve finally come, good. We have a lot to speak about.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Stryg swallowed and withered under her steel gaze.


    ¡°Close the door behind you and lock it, Sylvie,¡± Gale said sternly.


    ¡°Wha? Why?¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Close the door and lock it, now!¡± Gale snapped.


    ¡°Oh, uh, yeah, sorry,¡± Sylvie nodded, a bit confused. She closed the door and threw down the iron latch.


    ¡°Professor Ismene, I didn¡¯t expect you to be down here yet.¡± Freya glanced at Gale, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect either of you to be down here yet. Did you not watch the match?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we watched it, child,¡± Ismene said grimly. ¡°Then we rushed down here as soon as we could. Cornelius should already be at the infirmary grabbing Callum by now.¡±


    ¡°Grabbing Callum?¡± Sylvie frowned. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be moved yet, he suffered serious burns. The white mages still need to heal him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. We¡¯ll hire our own personal healers and have Callum taken care of once we reach our tavern lodgings,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°The tavern? Why there?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot easier to fortify and defend the tavern,¡± Gale said. ¡°Honestly, Lady Ismene, we shouldn¡¯t linger here. There are thousands of people just a few hundred feet above us. Who is to say they won¡¯t just rush down here and swarm us? Lysaila is already having to deal with enough of them,¡± Gale pointed to the rattling iron door.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    Ismene clicked her tongue, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know, child.¡±


    A loud knock smacked into the door. ¡°It¡¯s me! Open up!¡± Loh yelled.


    ¡°Freya, open the door,¡± Gale said. ¡°Stryg, get behind me.¡±


    Stryg reluctantly nodded and stepped behind Gale¡¯s taller form. Freya walked across the room and lifted the latch. The door slammed open and Loh stumbled inside, Tauri right behind her. A crowd of armored men, black-robed mages, and over a dozen aristocrats stood outside, elbowing each other, trying to get inside the room. Lysaila stood between them and the door.


    ¡°Get one step closer, you pointy eared bastards, and I¡¯ll slice your necks clean off!¡± Lysaila hissed and brandished her curved sword in wide arcs in front of her.


    ¡°Close the door!¡± Gale yelled.


    Freya didn¡¯t hesitate. She slammed the door and locked it.


    Loh looked around the room breathlessly. She glanced past Gale and did a double-take. ¡°There you are! Stryg, what the fuck were you thinking!¡±


    Stryg stepped out from behind Gale and shrugged stiffly, ¡°I did what I needed to win.¡±


    ¡°Win¡­?¡± Loh mumbled incredulously. ¡°You¡¯ve just undone all the work we¡¯ve done these past 3 years! You fucking idiot!¡±


    Stryg glared at her, but held his tongue.


    ¡°Wait, you knew about this, Loh?¡± Tauri asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m quite certain she and her grandfather have always known,¡± Ismene said quietly. ¡°That¡¯s why Riri ¡®adopted¡¯ Stryg into House Noir, yes? It¡¯s the real reason why you kept my training with Stryg secret.¡±


    ¡°My gods, tell me you didn¡¯t, Loh,¡± Tauri said anxiously.


    ¡°I¡­ I was trying to protect Stryg,¡± Loh muttered. ¡°I mean, just look outside! This is only the beginning!¡±


    ¡°Protect HIM? Is that what Riri and you were doing?¡± Ismene said, disbelief clear in her tone.


    ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t ready,¡± Loh said gravely.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are we missing something here?¡± Freya asked. ¡°Like, what¡¯s going on? What are all those people doing outside our training room?¡±


    ¡°Oh, phew, I thought I was the only one out of the loop,¡± Sylvie sighed with relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what¡¯s going on,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Ismene¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The boy really doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡±


    ¡°We thought it safer if he didn¡¯t¡­¡± Loh bit her lip.


    ¡°My, my, you Noirs have really outdone yourselves this time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ismene said with disgust. ¡°You not only managed to deceive me, but you fooled your own apprentice as well.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Loh looked away in shame, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that¡­ I never meant for it to come out like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Can someone please explain to me what in all the bloody realms is going on!?¡± Stryg said frustratedly. ¡°Why does it sound like we¡¯re all about to be attacked?¡±


    ¡°Because we most likely will be,¡± Ismene sighed. ¡°The moment you revealed your full range of magical capabilities to the entirety of Undergrowth you showed them all what you are.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, all I did was cast a few extra spells!¡±


    ¡°Master-class spells,¡± Ismene said. ¡°You showed the world that not only were you a prime mage, but one with talent well beyond his peers, a prodigy.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Freya yelled.


    Sylvie slowly turned to Stryg, her eyes wide with wonder, ¡°You¡¯re one of them?¡±


    ¡°One of what? Why are you guys looking at me like that?¡± Stryg said uneasily.


    Ismene clasped her hands together, ¡°Stryg, someone with your potential will most likely become an arch-mage someday.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­? Freya and Sylvie will most likely be arch-mages someday too. But no one is looking at them weirdly,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re not prime mages,¡± Freya mumbled.


    Ismene sighed, ¡°Stryg, they have different names in different Realms, sometimes they don¡¯t even have specific titles. But here, in the Ebon Realm, the prime arch-mages took upon a title for themselves¡­ the Ebon Lords.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯re saying I¡¯m an Ebon Lord!?¡± Stryg asked in disbelief.


    ¡°An Ebon Aspirant,¡± Gale corrected. ¡°A being with the potential to one day rise to the title of Ebon Lord. Which explains why my uncle wanted me to keep you safe¡­¡±


    ¡°The fact of the matter is, there have been no Aspirants ever since Ebon Lord Atreus Thorn passed away.¡± Ismene looked Stryg straight in the eyes, ¡°You are the first Aspirant in over 200 years.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying there have been no other prime mages in two centuries?¡± Stryg asked skeptically.


    ¡°None with considerable talent,¡± Ismene said. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly know why or how, but a few years after Hollow Shade¡¯s founding and the Schism, the Ebon Lords began to grow sick. Some people called it a curse, others poison, many believed the Ebon Lords simply killed each other off. But there are a few old enough to remember what really happened to the Ebon Lords.¡±


    Gale nodded grimly, ¡°They became weak, infirm, and eventually they died. All of them. Atreus Thorn lasted longer than the rest, but even The Last Ebon Lord eventually succumbed to death.¡±


    ¡°After Atreus died,¡± Ismene said, ¡°there were no more Aspirants born to the Great Houses of the Realm, or to anyone else for that matter. The era of the Ebon Lords seemed over.¡± She glanced at Stryg, ¡°Until you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why people want to attack us?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°Is that why there¡¯s a crowd outside? What? Do they want to attack us too?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Ismene said darkly. ¡°Your existence is more important than you know. Being an Ebon Lord is more than just a title, it¡¯s a legacy. Hollow Shade was not the only thing the Ebon Lords built. Even to this day their title evokes fear and awe from the lowest commoner to the scions of Great Houses. The Ebon Lords left behind a legacy greater than anyone else can claim, and that¡¯s not even mentioning the Chrome Gates.¡±


    ¡°Chrome Gates?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow. ¡°Cornelius said something about those before¡­¡±


    ¡°The Gates were an artificial fine-tuned, albeit much smaller, alternative to mother nature¡¯s Realm Bridges,¡± Ismene explained. ¡°The Chrome Gates are capable of transporting people to other Gates spread across the other nine Realms.¡±


    ¡°Which only made them more important after the Realm Bridges all fell apart during the Schism,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Effectively cutting off the Null Realms from each other,¡± Tauri muttered.


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°I remember learning about the Bridges in class, but if Chrome Gates exist, then why don¡¯t we just use them to connect with the other Realms?¡±


    ¡°Most of the Chrome Gates were destroyed after The Last Ebon Lord died,¡± Ismene said. ¡°But even if they hadn¡¯t been, it requires all ten chromatic colors of magic at the skill level of an arch-mage to open a Chrome Gate. And even then all ten colors must be in perfect synchronization, if they aren¡¯t then whoever is inside the Gate would be torn apart by the energies of the Null. In other words, only a single person, a single prime-archmage, is capable of opening a Gate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg eyes widened.


    ¡°Child, you have the potential to connect the Ebon Realm back to the rest of the Null Realms,¡± Ismene said. ¡°Your existence could change everything.¡±


    ¡°How have I not heard about this¡­¡± Stryg stumbled back a step.


    ¡°Most people know nothing of the Chrome Gates,¡± Ismene said sympathetically. ¡°Our academy doesn¡¯t like teaching about the fall of their greatest mages. Still, after today¡¯s debacle, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if everyone in this city knows what an Ebon Aspirant is before sunset.¡±


    ¡°I should have known about this¡­¡± Stryg gritted his teeth. He turned to Loh, ¡°I asked you about the Ebon Lords many times, but you always told me it wasn¡¯t important. So I didn¡¯t look into it, because I trusted you.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to keep you safe,¡± Loh said sternly. ¡°Ismene forgot to mention the part where Hollow Shade was the throne of the Ebon Lords. It was the first time they had all formed an alliance. That city was their throne of power. But people don¡¯t like giving up their power, do they? Now that the Ebon Lords are gone, how do you think the lords and ladies of Hollow Shade will react to a new one being born? At best they¡¯ll try to use you, at worst they¡¯ll assassinate you. My grandfather and I were trying to keep that pressure off of you until you were ready to handle it.¡±


    ¡°And were you two not trying to use him?¡± Ismene raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I was trying to protect Stryg! From people like Ophelia Thorn!¡± Loh shouted. ¡°House Thorn¡¯s claim to power is that they are descendants of Atreus. Now that another potential Ebon Lord has appeared, someone with an even stronger claim to Hollow Shade, what do you think Ophelia will do to him!? This is why we kept his powers secret.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg glared at Loh. ¡°I¡¯m tired of your lies. All you have ever done is lie to me! You never even cared about me, did you? You only ever cared about what I was!¡±


    ¡°Stryg, what are you talking about?¡± Loh frowned. ¡°I am your master, I have always been on your side!¡±


    ¡°LIES!¡± Stryg screamed, ¡°I know what happened on Widow¡¯s Crag! I know you abandoned us!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Freya¡¯s eyes widened.


    Loh¡¯s face paled, ¡°Stryg¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°You let all those people die! Their blood is on your hands!¡± Stryg roared. Tears of rage and grief ran down his cheeks. ¡°I trusted you, more than anyone¡­ And you made me believe that Clypeus¡¯ death¡­ was my fault.¡±


    ¡°I-I never¡­ I never wanted to lie to you,¡± Loh fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. She clenched her trembling hands and bowed her head, ¡°I wanted to tell you so badly, but I was scared¡­ I was a coward¡­ I failed you, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your damn apologies!¡± Stryg screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with you!¡± He pulled off his silver bracelet and threw it at her feet.


    Loh stared in pain at the bracelet as if it was a dagger sinking into her chest. ¡°I-I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Tauri stepped forward, ¡°Widow¡¯s Crag wasn¡¯t like that, Stryg. I pushed Loh to try and kill Marek! We thought you and the other students were safe! We would never have left you had we known you were still in danger! If you want someone to blame, then blame me! Loh never meant for any of you to get hurt, she was only trying to avenge her brother!¡±


    ¡°By killing Marek?¡± Stryg laughed bitterly. ¡°Just more lies. She doesn¡¯t want to avenge her brother, she¡¯s the one who killed Aizel.¡±


    ¡°W-what? What are you talking about?¡± Tauri frowned.


    Loh¡¯s head shot up, horror etched across her face. ¡°Stryg, wait¨C!¡±


    ¡°Vayu told me everything!¡± Stryg yelled. ¡°Loh let Aizel die on purpose, she could have saved him, but she didn¡¯t! She wanted him dead and she had Vayu help her cover it up!¡±


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not¡­¡± Tauri stumbled. She turned to Loh and saw the fear in her best friend¡¯s eyes. Tauri shuddered, ¡°Oh my gods¡­ it¡¯s true? No¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­ But, the engagement. You didn¡¯t want Aizel to marry me¡­ so you¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Loh raised her hands, panicked.


    Tauri slowly backed away, ¡°You killed Aizel¡­ How didn¡¯t I realize it? You hated him. And every time I tried to talk to you about what happened, you always pushed the topic aside¡­ But Lord Noir found out, didn¡¯t he? That¡¯s why you left your House¡­ Your grandfather couldn¡¯t stand the sight of you¡­ You¡¯re a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, I can explain,¡± Loh muttered weakly.


    ¡°Tauri,¡± Ismene said softly. ¡°This is not the time nor place. Drop the dagger.¡±


    Loh froze in confusion. Tauri trembled with anger, but she pulled her hand away from behind her back and dropped a small dagger hidden in her sleeve.


    ¡°...You were going to kill me?¡± Loh asked, terrified.


    ¡°I swore a vow that I would kill Aizel¡¯s murderers,¡± Tauri snarled, her eyes red with tears. ¡°A Katag never breaks their vows.¡±


    ¡°I thought of killing myself more times than you can imagine¡­¡± Loh whispered sadly.


    ¡°Then you really are a coward,¡± Tauri said coldly. ¡°You should have finished the job years ago.¡±


    The light in Loh¡¯s eyes disappeared. She slowly bent down, picked up the dagger, and handed it to Tauri.


    Tauri narrowed her eyes, ¡°What are you¡­?¡±


    Loh smiled bitterly and opened her arms wide, ¡°...I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°But I will,¡± Ismene said in a quiet, deadly voice. ¡°I will say this once, Tauri. You lay a finger on Elohnoir and I will end you and your family if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡±


    Tauri glared at Ismene, but said nothing. She dropped the dagger and walked out of the room without another word.


    Loh lowered her arms and shivered with relief. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to stop her¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°No¡­ I should have stopped your family from hurting you when you were still just an innocent child¡­ I¡¯m not making that same mistake again,¡± Ismene said quietly.


    Loh tried to nod, but she broke down in tears and hid her face behind her pale hair.


    Stryg stared at Loh. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He hated her for what she did and yet as he looked at her, he felt pain for her. He didn¡¯t understand. How could he utterly hate someone yet also feel like this? He despised the feeling.


    Ismene glanced around the faces in the room and sighed, ¡°This is going to be a long night.¡±

 Chapter 273: Holo Alliance

    Chapter 273: Holo Alliance


    Calex Thorn found his younger sister, Lerdea, pacing outside their family¡¯s gallery room.


    ¡°How long has she been in there?¡± Calex asked.


    ¡°Since last night. Mother is just sitting there, staring at Atreus¡¯ portrait.¡± Lerdea bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Calex sighed, then smiled, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°But what about the Aspirant? People are talking about him everywhere. We need to get this under control before the city¡¯s aristocrats fall into total chaos.¡±


    Calex placed his hands over her shoulders, ¡°Hey, look at me, everything is going to be okay. Trust me. Mother¡¯s fine. The two of us are fine. That¡¯s all that matters. We are all that matters. Do you understand?¡±


    Lerdea nodded reluctantly. ¡°I understand,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s go and talk to Mother.¡±


    Calex pushed open the wide doors and walked into the gallery. Lerdea followed in his footsteps, she stayed close behind him, hiding behind his shoulders.


    Ophelia was sitting on the ground, her long crimson skirt spread all around her. Her usual stylized white hair was frayed and her makeup was smeared at the edges. She stared at the enormous portrait of her ancestor, Atreus Thorn, hanging over the wall, looming over the entire gallery.


    ¡°Good morning, Mother,¡± Calex bowed his head.


    ¡°Good morning, Mother,¡± Lerdea said anxiously.


    Ophelia didn¡¯t answer, she simply stared at the painting with glazed eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry to bother you, but the 3rd Challenge begins today,¡± Calex said. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the one hosting the Challenge and drawing out the names for the bracket matches. Mother¡­?¡±


    ¡°...Three centuries ago the realm¡¯s most powerful men and women changed everything,¡± Ophelia said softly. ¡°For the first and last time in history the Ebon Lords placed their differences aside and joined together in the most powerful union the realm had ever seen. They called it the Holo Alliance.¡±


    ¡°As in Holo¡¯s Shade¡­?¡± Calex surmised.


    ¡°Yes, it was the first time there had been peace across the realm ever since Ebon Lord Koval had died,¡± Ophelia smiled to herself. ¡°The Holo Alliance was powerful, together they managed to do the impossible. They raised a magical wall from the ground in the mere span of a day. They quelled the cowardly Keepers of the Dawn lurking in Dusk Valley. And they defeated Lunis, the most powerful Great City in all the realm.¡±


    ¡°They were truly unstoppable.¡± Ophelia sighed, ¡°Until they all began to fall, one after another, each Ebon Lord and Lady¡­ Until only Atreus was left and even he left the world too soon. The Holo Alliance fell apart, the world fell apart, and it¡¯s never been the same.¡±


    ¡°We were simply left behind to pick up the broken pieces, but now¡­¡± Ophelia looked away from the painting and glanced at her children, ¡°Stryg of Ebon Hollow changes everything.¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Calex carefully licked his lips, ¡°I think you may be overestimating his abilities. He may be a prime mage, but that doesn¡¯t make him an Aspira-¡±


    ¡°I know what I saw!¡± Ophelia snapped at him. ¡°Stryg¡¯s mere existence is just the first sign of great changes to come, in this realm, this city, and this family. Elzri, that cunning bastard, knew exactly what he was doing when he adopted that boy. The Noirs must have planned for the boy to reveal his abilities just at the right moment, for the entire damn realm to see Stryg making a mockery of us.¡±


    Calex bowed his head, ¡°Mother, I may have failed to succeed in the 2nd Challenge ¨C I overestimated Kalliste¡¯s desire to win ¨C but this next Challenge will not require any assistance from anyone else. I will win every match, I will defeat every opponent, and I will seize victory for House Thorn, I promise you.¡±


    Ophelia smiled knowingly and patted his head, ¡°Do not concern yourself on the victory of our House. That is my burden to bear. I now see I gave you too much responsibility during the last Challenge.¡±


    Calex looked up with a frown, ¡°Mother, it wasn¡¯t like that¨C¡±


    ¡°I will not make the same mistake again. Stryg will be my problem henceforth. All you need to do is get ready for the 3rd Challenge.¡±


    Calex reluctantly bowed once more, ¡°...As you wish, Mother.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ~~~


    The last few days had been a blur for Stryg. The tavern his team had been staying at had changed completely. Ismene had bought out all the rooms and forced out any other occupants that had been at the tavern. The only ones left were the tavern¡¯s workers and the mages from Hollow Shade.


    Gale had been placed in charge of protection. She had enchanted the walls of the tavern with brown magic, reinforcing its structure and setting up traps for anyone who might dare break in. Gale and Lysaila had also begun taking shifts standing guard over Stryg¡¯s front door. Stryg didn¡¯t like being hovered over, but Gale insisted, and Stryg didn¡¯t think it particularly wise to argue with his grand swordmaster teacher and her blade.


    Freya, Callum, and Sylvie had been sequestered in the tavern as well. Though they at least had the freedom to wander through the establishment. Cornelius and Ismene had spent the last few days training and mentoring them for the upcoming 3rd Challenge. Stryg on the other hand had spent his time training and meditating in his room, although he mostly just sulked.


    Loh had barely left her room either. She hadn¡¯t talked to anyone since Tauri had found out the truth and had run out of their training room. None of them had seen Tauri since. After Vayu had found out about the incident and how it had occurred thanks to his drunken state, Vayu had secluded himself in his own room out of sheer anguish and shame.


    Stryg wondered how much of this could have been avoided had he only listened to Loh¡¯s advice and kept quiet over his magical abilities. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became of his decision. He was done with the Noirs¡¯ lies¡­


    The light peeked through a small crack between the wooden boards nailed over his window. Stryg stared at the small ray of light that he assumed came from the sunrise, though it could have been the sunset. He had lost track of time within the small confines of his room. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should have been sleeping or if it was time to go to sleep.


    When was the last time he slept? He couldn¡¯t recall.


    Stryg got up from his bed and dragged his feet to the water basin. His room was dark, there were no candles or lamps, but he could still see just fine. He rinsed his face in the water and looked up at the mirror hanging over his dresser.


    The face that looked back at him seemed foreign. Silver strands of hair fell over his face, dripping with water. His irises were a cold lilac with slit pupils that constantly shifted in size. Dark bags formed below his eyes and gave his countenance a grim tone. His pale blue cheeks seemed sunken and thin. His pointed ears drooped downwards more than usual.


    Stryg stared at his face, searching for the person he once knew, but there was little of the goblin from Vulture Woods left. Only his button nose was familiar, but now it seemed out of place in the stranger that stared back at him. Something had changed within him after that night in Shadow Lake. He couldn¡¯t quite tell what, but there was something inside that felt off, like a cold seed of frost growing within, its roots stretching over him.


    Stryg placed his hand over the mirror and sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re Stryg of Ebon Hollow, you are Stryg of Ebon Hollow¡­¡±


    A knock rang on his door. His head shot up, startled.


    ¡°Stryg, can I come in?¡± a familiar voice asked.


    ¡°Please do,¡± he said with a tired voice.


    The door creaked open and Gale poked her head through the side, ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg smiled sardonically, ¡°Are you referring to my master having lied to me for the past 3 years? Or maybe how the deaths of all those people on Widow¡¯s Crag could have been avoided? Or how about how I¡¯m stuck in a tavern because it turns out I¡¯m some sort of perfect target for assassination by the queen of this city?¡±


    Gale raised her eyebrow, ¡°I was asking because I wanted to know if you were okay for the 3rd Challenge. The matches start today.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Stryg blinked. ¡°In that case I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Gale sighed. She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. ¡°I may not be the best person for this, but you know you can talk to me if you want, right?¡±


    Stryg chuckled under his breath, ¡°You want me to talk? Clypeus was your brother, but you haven¡¯t said a single word about him after I told everyone the truth about Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    Gale narrowed her scarlet eyes, ¡°You¡¯re right, Clypeus was my brother. And not a day goes by that I don¡¯t think about him. You are not the only one who is suffering, far from it. You best remember that.¡±


    Stryg swallowed and stared at his feet, ¡°...Sorry.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m a soldier, Stryg. I¡¯ve been trained my entire life to be a Shield of Veres, the greatest warriors in all of Hollow Shade. I¡¯ve been taught to keep my emotions in check and to place my mission, my ward, first above all else. For now you are my ward, Stryg, your safety is my mission. My uncle asked me to keep you safe until we return to Hollow Shade and that is exactly what I am going to do.¡±


    She curled her fingers over her sword¡¯s handle, ¡°But once that¡¯s done¡­ There are over two dozen trained Shields in my family and none of us will stand still over this. There will be a reckoning for the blood that was lost.¡±


    Stryg nodded carefully, ¡°...I see.¡±


    Gale cleared her throat and reached into the satchel strapped over her back. ¡°I almost forgot, these came in for you.¡± She pulled out a stack of envelopes, each one engraved with a wax sigil of a Named House. ¡°I¡¯ve already inspected their contents for any sort of poison, magical or mundane, they are safe to read.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still more of them?¡± Stryg asked, mildly surprised. He glanced at a pile of envelopes in the corner of his room. ¡°I think I have over a hundred now.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯ll get more. Every single House in the Realm wants to meet you. Whether it''s to curry favor with you or so that they can stab a dagger into your back, who knows?¡±


    ¡°Are the crowds still out there?¡± Stryg glanced at his boarded window.


    ¡°Yep, they don¡¯t even disperse at night. If we were back in our city the undead sentinels would have already attacked them. But here? The crowds only grow by the day. They all want to catch a glimpse of the Ebon Lord.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not an Ebon Lord,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Not yet, but when history looks back on your legacy, they won¡¯t speak of the young boy Aspirant. All they¡¯ll see is the dreaded Ebon Lord Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Dreaded?¡± A small smile curled over his lips, ¡°I could get used to that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself,¡± Gale scoffed. ¡°You still haven¡¯t even managed to get 1st place in any of the Challenges.¡±


    Stryg picked up Nameless from his bed and strapped it over his belt. He smirked, ¡°Then let¡¯s go change that.¡±

 Chapter 274: The Challenge of Spell & Steel

    Chapter 274: The Challenge of Spell & Steel


    Team Hollow Shade stepped out of the dark tunnel and stepped into the coliseum¡¯s arena. Stryg squinted as the sun shined down on them, it was bright enough to irritate his eyes but not enough to trigger their change. Freya squinted as well, though she kept her eyes on Stryg. He had yet to really talk to them about being an Aspirant and the way Freya awkwardly looked at him made it amply clear that he should.


    Callum ignored the harsh sun, he just stared warily at the silent crowds in the stands around them. Nothing seemed to bother Sylvie, the bright sun nor the silence of the crowds. She simply waved at the spectators as if she was walking down the market streets on any ordinary day.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they saying anything?¡± Callum whispered. ¡°Usually they¡¯re so loud.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, right?¡± Sylvie said. ¡°I heard the crowds cheering for Team Murkton right before the Heralds announced our entrance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable, they¡¯re all just staring at us. I rather hear their booing over this,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°They¡¯re not staring at us, they¡¯re staring at Stryg,¡± Freya noted quietly.


    Her words flew right past Stryg. He was too focused on examining the coliseum. Gone were the pillars and the artificial lake that had covered the entire arena during the 2nd Challenge. The arena¡¯s floor had returned to its usual hard stone with a faint layer of sand above it. Four large pools of water had been built around the walls and between the tunnel entrances.


    The other three teams already stood at the center of the arena waiting patiently. A few paces away, Ophelia Thorn stood on a small stage that had been erected just for her. House Thorn¡¯s enchanted cloak, Blossom, was wrapped around her shoulders. Small purple veins streaked across the cloak¡¯s white petals and seemed to almost pulse with life.


    Ophelia reminded Stryg of the fairies he had seen in Glimmer Grove forest. Though where the fairies seemed warm and full of life, Ophelia seemed cold and lifeless.


    As Stryg and his teammates walked up to Ophelia, Stryg slowly glanced at each member of the other teams. They all stared at him with guarded expressions, some were filled with curiosity, fear, others envy, but many held a glint of anger in their eyes.


    Freya bowed her head, ¡°Lady Thorn, Team Hollow Shade stands in front of you, ready to accept your Challenge.¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s blue eyes flickered to Stryg for a brief moment then settled on Freya. ¡°...Captain Goldelm, I see your bravery and I accept your resolve.¡±


    Ophelia pulled her arms from under her cloak and raised them high. In her hands, she held a small jade vase. The crowd suddenly broke into cheers at the sight of the vase.


    ¡°Lady Thorn has commenced the Challenge of Spell & Steel!¡± Mark Stemme announced from the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    ¡°Whose names will she draw first?¡± Jane Stemme asked excitedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can tell you who the people want to see,¡± Mark said. ¡°Stryg, the Ebon Aspirant of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the mention of his name. He glanced around stiffly, confused.


    ¡°We got to see a large repertoire of spells from the Aspirant a few days ago, but that was in a team battle, and even then he managed to fight off several opponents!¡± Jane exclaimed. ¡°How do you think his competitors will fare against him now?¡±


    As the Heralds discussed their predictions Ophelia shook the jade vase and tipped it down towards her open hand. A green marble with a golden number etched across its surface, fell into her palm.


    She shook the jade vase once more and poured out another marble, this one was black though it still had an etched golden number.


    Ophelia grabbed the green marble and read aloud its sigil, ¡°Undergrowth¡¯s team member Number 3. Damian of the Great House of Parvus.¡± She rolled the black marble between her fingers and read its sigil, ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s team member Number 4, Sylvie¡­¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°They drew my name, I¡¯m up first!¡± Sylvie jumped. ¡°Oo, I¡¯m nervous,¡± she shook her fingers.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do great, I¡¯m certain,¡± Callum said with a careful smile.


    ¡°You guys really think so?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Definitely. Show those damn Undergrowthers to not mess with Hollow Shade,¡± Freya grinned.


    Stryg glanced at Damian and his teammates across the stadium, ¡°Damian is strong for a 3rd year, but I¡¯ve seen you in action. Just don¡¯t underestimate him and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him, gotcha,¡± Sylvie nodded seriously, though her crimson eyes seemed playful.


    ¡°Sylvie, are you gonna bring your enchanted ax or aurum aegis with you to the duel?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie cocked her head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The 3rd Challenge¡¯s rules state you can only bring one enchanted item and one weapon with you to any of the duels,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°What!?¡± Sylvie yelled. ¡°What do you mean I can only take one?! Since when has that been a rule?!¡±


    ¡°Lady Thorn literally just explained it to us before she sent us to this side of the arena¡­¡± Freya frowned, ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡±


    ¡°I sort of tuned her out after I heard my name being called, ehehe,¡± Sylvie winced with a smile.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take aurum aegis,¡± Callum suggested. ¡°You can always just use an ordinary battle-ax. There are plenty of free weapons to pick from on the rack.¡± He pointed to the weapons rack behind them.


    ¡°But they won¡¯t be as sharp, I won¡¯t be able to cut anything with them¡­¡± Sylvie pouted.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°An aegis will keep you safe, it''s an incredible advantage in any fight. You¡¯d be an idiot not to take it,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Sylvie groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll grab one of those stupid axes. But when I lose because I can¡¯t even cut a piece of fabric with a dull ax I¡¯m gonna blame all of you.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Veronica asked worriedly. ¡°That girl¡¯s huge, are you sure you can take her?¡±


    ¡°My ancestors used to hunt down viperidae the size of a small house, I think I can take her,¡± Damian said in a relaxed tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ she managed to cast that stone wall in the last Challenge. It took a lot of firepower just to destroy it,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Heather said. ¡°In terms of firepower, Damian is the strongest on our team, excluding Calex of course.¡±


    Calex abruptly stepped in front of Damian and looked him up and down. ¡°You¡¯re wearing enchanted chainmail underneath your shirt?¡±


    Damian smiled proudly, ¡°It was my father¡¯s. He gave it to me when I came of age. It¡¯ll stop an arrow or blade no problem.¡±


    Calex nodded, satisfied. ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t get hit with a bolt of lightning or fire.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, that dire vampire is gonna have to get close to me first. The arena is too large for any sort of accurate spell casting from this distance. An arrow on the other hand? Well¡­¡± Damian smirked.


    ~~~


    After Ophelia¡¯s drawing of the names, the arena was quickly emptied, save for Damian and Sylvie. Both of them stood at the opposite sides of the enormous arena, each one a small figure in the distance.


    Mark cleared his throat and took a deep breath, ¡°May the first duel of Spell & Steel¡­¡±


    ¡°BEGIN!¡± Jane shouted.


    The crowd cheered excitedly, chanting ¡®Undergrowth¡¯ over and over.


    Damian ignored the cheers and focused his attention on his enemy. He¡¯d end this before the vampiress knew what hit her. His family had trained him in the ways of the bow and forestry since he was a small child. This was a hunt, the only difference was the size of the quarry.


    Damian raised his bow, notched an arrow, aimed true, but he suddenly paused, his fingers trembling, bowstring held tautly. He narrowed his eyes, ¡°...What the¡­?¡±


    Sylvie hadn¡¯t moved. She was still standing on the other edge of the arena, fidgeting with what seemed to be¡­ her ax? She touched the edge of the ax with her finger and frowned.


    Sylvie turned her back to Damian and looked up at the stands where her teammates sat.


    ¡°You gave me a broken ax!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    ¡°It was the biggest ax they had!¡± Freya yelled back.


    ¡°Turn around and face your enemy!¡± Stryg shouted.


    ¡°This ax can¡¯t cut shit!¡± Sylvie screamed angrily.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± Damian muttered. He aimed once more and let his arrow loose.


    The arrow whistled through the air and shot straight to the dire vampire¡¯s back. Sylvie flicked her hand, the ax swept behind her and blocked the arrow in mid-flight, shattering it in two.


    The crowd cheered in awe.


    Damian stiffened, a shiver ran down his spine. Her back was turned¡­ Her back was fucking turned!


    What sort of monstrous reflexes did this woman have!?


    Sylvie finally turned around and glanced at the broken arrow on the ground with mild surprise. She glanced between the arrow and Damian briefly.


    ¡°Wow, that was close,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Hey, drow guy with the bow, you almost hit me!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°What?¡± Damian frowned.


    ¡°Can you hear me? No? One sec, I¡¯ll come closer!¡± Sylvie yelled and began sauntering towards him with a slow casual gait.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Damian mumbled. He shook his head, pulled his bowstring back, and fired off several shots.


    Sylvie¡¯s arm moved in a flash, the ax blocked the arrows with ease one by one. All the while Sylvie strolled closer and closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Damian roared in frustration. Stay calm, just stay calm. It doesn¡¯t matter, I have more than just my arrows.


    He threw his bow aside and channeled orange mana into his hands. That idiot vampire had walked right into his range. A powerful stream of fire spewed from his palms and consumed the giant hybrid in orange flames.


    Damian took a step back, confused. He thought she¡¯d at least dodge, if not outright try to stop the attack.


    The flames fluttered, a dark silhouette amidst the inferno. Sylvie stepped out of the fire, thousands of specs of bronze light shimmering around her. The crowds gasped in shock.


    She¡¯s got a fucking aegis!? Damian¡¯s jaw went slack. No! Even with an aegis the heat of the fire should still be suffocating!


    ¡°Why are you still standing!?!¡± Damian yelled.


    Sylvie smiled, ¡°Do you prefer I run?¡±


    Damian gritted his teeth, If fire isn¡¯t enough, then how about storm magic!


    He channeled blue mana into his right arm. Lightning crackled over his hand and flew out in an explosion of blue light. Sylvie¡¯s arm shot up and fired off her own bolt of lightning. The storm spells collided and streamed outwards, blue tendrils searing the ground all around them.


    ¡°Oof, that was close. I only have an aurum aegis,¡± Sylvie held up her necklace as she walked. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to push my luck here. Could you please relax on the lightning? We might both get fried at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Then stop moving!¡± Damian roared and slammed his fists into the ground. The sand and stone rippled from the injection of green mana. Large chunks of stone broke off from the ground and hurled towards Sylvie, or at least they were supposed to. Instead, the ground cracked into chunks all around him but they did not move.


    Damian frowned, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, were you casting a stone spell? Sorry,¡± Sylvie winced. ¡°I¡¯m kind of already using it.¡±


    The ground shattered as dozens of giant green vines sprouted from underneath their feet. The vines whipped out and seized Damian¡¯s limbs. He yelled in panic and tried to move. Fire poured out of his hands and burned the vines¡¯ thick skin, but they quickly grew back and held onto him tightly.


    Sylvie hefted her ax over her shoulder and channeled brown mana into her veins.


    ¡°This ax is ~super dull~ so I¡¯ll put my back into it!¡± she grinned as vigor magic covered her arms in a bronze sheen. She dashed at Damian and vaulted into the air, her arms pulled back for a giant swing.


    ¡°W-wait! I give up! I give up!¡± Damian yelled in a panicked voice.


    Sylvie swung her ax down. The ax¡¯s edge tore through Damian¡¯s chainmail and sliced off his arm in one clean swipe.


    He screeched in a gurgling voice of agony as blood spewed from the stump on his shoulder.


    ¡°Dear sweet Lunae!¡± Mark screamed in horror.


    ¡°T-the match is over!¡± Jane stammered.


    Sylvie stared at her bloodied ax and the drow spasming on the floor next to her. She winced playfully, ¡°Whoopsies, I missed!¡±


    ¡°I repeat the match is over!¡± Jane yelled. ¡°Damian Parvus cannot continue, so someone please get some damn healers down there now!¡±


    Sylvie blinked, ¡°Wait, that means I win, right? Right?¡± She threw the ax aside and looked at her teammates up in the stands.


    Sylvie smiled wide, flecks of blood on her scarlet hair and brown cheeks, ¡°I did it, guys! I won!¡±


    Freya grimly stared at Sylvie, her arms were up above her shoulders as she shook her hips from side to side in a victory dance, while a half-dying drow rolled on the ground next to her.


    ¡°...Should we be worried?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°I mean¡­ yes?¡± Callum said hesitantly.


    ¡°Yeah, Sylvie¡¯s a terrible dancer,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Gods, it hurts just looking at her.¡±


    Freya glanced at Callum, wide-eyed. ¡°Should we¡­?¡±


    Callum subtly shook his head. ¡°Not worth it,¡± he mouthed silently.

 Chapter 275: Friendly Negotiations

    Chapter 275: Friendly Negotiations


    The members of Team Hollow Shade sat across from each other in their training room below the coliseum. Their professors sat in a corner, quietly talking amongst themselves. Sylvie was the only one who stood, she was busy reenacting her victory over Damian from a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Then I jumped at him and swung my ax down with all my strength!¡± Sylvie raised her arms in the air. ¡°Buuut, the stupid ax you gave me, Freya, was unevenly balanced. I ended up missing his head and barely got his arm,¡± she puffed her cheeks in mild frustration.


    ¡°Wait, you were trying to kill him?¡± Callum asked incredulously.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Sylvie said as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.


    ¡°But why?¡± Callum frowned.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the whole point of a duel?¡± Sylvie cocked her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s not like these are mock duels, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should actively try to kill our opponents,¡± Callum said. ¡°Those sorts of actions can have serious repercussions in the future. Damian is part of a powerful family, who probably all want to kill you right about now.¡±


    ¡°If Sylvie hadn¡¯t taken the fight seriously she could have gotten killed by Damian. Would you have preferred that outcome instead?¡± Stryg raised an eyebrow.


    Callum sighed, ¡°Obviously not.¡±


    ¡°All duels are dangerous. I have to agree with Stryg on this one,¡± Freya said reluctantly.


    Callum slumped his shoulders, ¡°Yeah, I know. It doesn¡¯t make any of this better, though. We¡¯re all in enough danger as it is.¡±


    Freya nodded sympathetically, ¡°At least none of us are fighting in the next match.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that Frost Rim giant and some Murkton orc fighting, right?¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It should start in about an hour,¡± Freya said. ¡°Which leaves us plenty of time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Gale spoke up. ¡°Your professors and I have been talking¡­¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°This,¡± Ismene held up a letter. The black rose sigil of House Thorn was stamped over the letter¡¯s wax seal. ¡°It seems Lady Thorn has invited you for lunch, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Not just you, your Loh as well,¡± Ismene read the letter.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What?¡±


    Loh glanced at Stryg uncomfortably, ¡°...We don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Want to? Who would ever want to be in a room alone with Lady Thorn?!¡± Cornelius exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s way too dangerous,¡± Gale nodded. ¡°But that letter didn¡¯t just arrive right before the next match out of some strange coincidence. This was deliberate. House Thorn¡¯s is one of the few families who hasn¡¯t sent you a letter yet, until now.¡±


    ¡°So you think I should go?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m coming along as protection,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Lysaila said quietly from the corner of the room.


    Stryg nodded slowly, ¡°...Fine, I¡¯ll go. But I¡¯m not going anywhere with that liar,¡± he glared at Loh.


    ¡°...That¡¯s fair,¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going in her stead,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Gale and Lysaila will be busy scoping the room for threats. You¡¯d be talking to Ophelia alone. I won¡¯t let you face her by yourself.¡± Ismene slammed her cane on the ground, ¡°End of discussion.¡±


    Stryg held back his tongue and bowed his head in acquiescence.


    ~~~


    A pair of elite guards stood on each side of the entrance to House Thorn¡¯s walled pavilion. Stryg quickly looked them up and down, noting the swords on their belts, the various daggers on their arms and legs, but most importantly, the silver mage amulets hanging from their necks.


    ¡°House Thorn equips their men well at least,¡± Gale muttered.


    ¡°Meh, I could end them in 3 seconds,¡± Lysaila shrugged.


    ¡°Not a step further. State your purpose or leave,¡± one of the guards stated in a deep voice. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stared steely-eyed at Lysaila.


    Ismene hobbled past the others and looked at the guards with an air of amusement, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain you are well aware of who and why we are here.¡±


    The guards glanced at each other with uncertainty. ¡°We were expecting only two guests, not four.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry, the two behind me will be keeping you both company while Stryg and I sit down for a chat with your mistress,¡± Ismene said nonchalantly.


    The guards reluctantly let go of their swords and stepped aside.


    ¡°Come along, Stryg,¡± Ismene said without glancing at him.


    Stryg nodded and followed behind her, though he made sure to hiss at the guards as he walked by them. The drow guards looked bewildered but said nothing.


    Ophelia Thorn sat around a carved stone table, a dozen different plates of rare delicacies spread about. She looked up at their entrance and smiled smoothly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad you could make it.¡± Ophelia glanced at the food lamentingly, ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll have to do for such short notice.¡±


    This is nothing? Stryg wondered to himself. He could feel his mouth begin to water from the various smells wafting into his nose.


    Ismene sat across from Ophelia and smiled coldly, ¡°Thank you for the meal, but I¡¯d prefer to just talk.¡±


    Ophelia chuckled, ¡°Do you think it poisoned? Deadly to the touch?¡± She picked up a piece of sweet bread dipped in honey and popped it into her mouth. She savored the taste and moaned softly. She licked her lips and sighed with satisfaction, ¡°Mmm, delicious.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think that the leader of the prestigious Great House of Thorn would ever stoop to something as low as poison.¡± Ismene stared at Ophelia pointedly, ¡°But, I suppose we can all be wrong, hm?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ophelia raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Tell me, how many of your people did you have to silence to keep the secrets of the roaming viperidae quiet?¡± Ismene asked.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Ophelia smiled wide, ¡°I must admit that when I sent out my invitation I did not expect the Tempest Archmage to come, but I am quite enjoying your company.¡±


    ¡°Funny, my enemies usually say quite the opposite,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ophelia mused. ¡°Fortunately, there are no enemies here. You will find no trace of poison in the food. Our resident Ebon Aspirant should be able to test for poison, he is a Red after all.¡±


    Ismene glanced at Stryg questioningly.


    He nodded uncomfortably. Poison assessing was one of the few spells he had managed to learn from Elzri¡¯s potion lessons, though he rarely ever used it.


    Ophelia looked at Stryg, ¡°I had heard you were a man of few words, but last time we met you at least spoke a few words. Do you plan to stay silent for the rest of the meal?¡±


    ¡°...Alone,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°That¡¯s what you said to me, I am so very alone. I thought you were going to kill me that night. But now you invite me to lunch? Why?¡±


    Ophelia leaned her arms over the table and smirked, ¡°You are alone, Stryg. Far more than I ever realized the night we met. It¡¯s precisely why I invited you here today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone,¡± Stryg sat down next to Ismene.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ophelia asked. ¡°Where may I ask is your master, Loh? Is she not the one who trained you ever since you arrived in Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t make it,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Really? I thought it was because Stryg despised her,¡± Ophelia said casually.


    Stryg and Ismene stiffened at her words.


    Ismene narrowed her eyes, ¡°Our tavern¡¯s servants I presume?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how a few gold coins can loosen a commoner¡¯s lips,¡± Ophelia shrugged. ¡°It was quite easy to find out what the servants in your temporary residence had heard, and it seems they¡¯ve heard quite a lot, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Ismene said curtly.


    ¡°You think so? Hm. I¡¯d think that Stryg¡¯s falling out with the Great House of Noir, one of the Seven Ruling Families of Hollow Shade, would be quite a big deal. But perhaps we just think differently.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you invited Stryg here? To threaten him?¡± Ismene asked in a quiet, but serious voice.


    Ophelia shook her head with a smile, ¡°Not at all. I already told you, there are no enemies here. But there are many out there. Powerful groups who do not wish for the return of the Ebon Lords. Those people would exploit Stryg or kill him if given the chance.¡±


    Ophelia ran her finger across the edge of her wine glass, ¡°It was quite easy to infiltrate the tavern you''re all holed up in. How long until someone else does the same? Let¡¯s face it, Lady Ismene, your friends and you are fishes out of water. This isn¡¯t your city, you have no castle here, no loyal retinue of guards, you have no one but yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Ismene asked coldly.


    Ophelia chuckled, ¡°Almost. I just have one more question. How do you plan to protect Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of keeping the child safe,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Ophelia nodded. ¡°The legendary Tempest Arch-mage, Scourge of the Ebon Sea and all the pirates who had the misfortune of crossing your path. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any archmage who¡¯d try to fight you one-on-one. But what about two archmages? What about three? Or do you think no arch-mage will try and get their hands on Stryg, hm?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Stryg interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m tired of all this back and forth. What exactly do you want? Why did you invite me here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as impatient as my spies said,¡± Ophelia raised her glass in acknowledgement, ¡°But I don¡¯t find that a bad thing. I invited you here, Stryg, to offer you a proposal.¡±


    ¡°What kind of proposal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The proposing kind.¡± Ophelia smiled, ¡°Marry me.¡±


    Stryg blinked, his jaw went slack, ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Ismene sighed. ¡°I thought as much,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Wait, you thought this was gonna happen?¡± Stryg frowned. He glanced at Ophelia, ¡°Why do you want to marry me? Aren¡¯t you married already?¡±


    ¡°I was under the impression your people embraced non-monogamous relationships whole-heartedly,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°Or is the rumor of your Sylvan origins false?¡±


    ¡°W-well, no,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°I am Sylvan, but I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°To a commoner, yes? I admit, it is strange to see an Aspirant married to a commoner, but it doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you not find me attractive?¡± Ophelia smirked.


    Stryg suddenly found his eyes drifting down towards her ample chest and the way her thin silk dress left little to the imagination.


    ¡°Since when does attraction have any weight in the marriage decision of a Lord or Lady of a Great House?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°But I¡¯d wager it does to Stryg. He is a young man barely out of his teens,  whose needs clearly haven¡¯t been met for some time now, judging by the way he is staring at my breasts.¡±


    Stryg blinked and looked up, ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Ismene shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°In fact,¡± Ophelia smiled. ¡°I¡¯d wager, like every man I¡¯ve met, you don¡¯t like to share, do you, Stryg? You seemed uncomfortable when I mentioned my husband.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just uncomfortable being at this table,¡± he said.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll get rid of my current husband, no questions asked. You don¡¯t have to share me with anyone,¡± Ophelia winked. ¡°And of course, I don¡¯t mind how many secondary wives you decide to take on.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, his eyes slowly drifting back towards her chest, ¡°Um¡­ don¡¯t you have kids?¡±


    ¡°Two, yes. Does that bother you? I am only 42 years old. Compared to a goblin, my body is still in its early twenties. I can easily have your children for many years to come.¡±


    Stryg frowned. Children? He had never given any thought to having children of his own.


    ¡°Stryg is a hybrid, he can¡¯t have children, which is one of the most essential parts of any marriage alliance,¡± Ismene noted.


    ¡°That little tale has never been quite proven, has it?¡± Ophelia shrugged. ¡°Someday Stryg will be an Ebon Lord with powers that none of us have. I¡¯m quite certain that with his future abilities and my arcane knowledge we could find a way to continue his line.¡±


    ¡°You mean your line, the bloodline of House Thorn,¡± Ismene tapped her cane.


    Ophelia sipped her wine, ¡°Lady Ismene, I¡¯m not going to disrespect you by lying to you about the painfully obvious. Having an Ebon Lord back in my family would reinvigorate House Thorn to its former glory. We could take our rightful place back in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°As the ruler of Hollow Shade,¡± Ismene crossed her arms.


    ¡°No,¡± Ophelia shook her head. ¡°That role will fall to Ebon Lord Stryg of the Great House of Thorn.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You, Stryg, will sit on Hollow Shade¡¯s throne. And I will stand by your side as your faithful queen,¡± Ophelia smiled proudly.


    ¡°You¡¯d give the boy the throne?¡± Ismene said cautiously.


    ¡°Of course, the people of the realm will only accept a true Ebon Lord on Hollow Shade¡¯s throne,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me, Lady Ismene. I¡¯m not interested in ruling Hollow Shade. I¡¯ve only ever cared about returning my House to its former glory. Stryg is the key to that dream.¡± She glanced at Stryg with a warm smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for someone like you for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°That sounds good and all for you, but why would I marry you?¡±


    ¡°Besides the fact that I am your greatest hope of protection within this city and that you clearly want to sleep with me?¡± Ophelia smirked.


    ¡°Yes, besides that,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Mm, very well,¡± Ophelia nodded. ¡°Undergrowth and Hollow Shade have been close to war many times in the last century. My city¡¯s armies have grown significantly larger than Hollow Shade¡¯s. However, your city is currently at war with the Valley Tribes, but despite their best efforts, they are unable to quell Lord Marek and his savages.¡±


    Ophelia leaned forward, ¡°But what if my armies helped? How quickly could we end this Lord Marek? The man who killed many of your classmates last year and almost killed you. If we married, one of the first things I would do is help you find Marek and end his miserable life.¡±


    Stryg looked down at his hands, they shook with a slight tremble. How many times had he dreamed of killing that bastard and all his bloody tribe? He swore on Clypeus¡¯ grave that he would end the Cairn and the lives of every single one of them. He thought it would take years before he was strong enough to exact his revenge. Now, the answers to his problems sat right in front of him in the form of a beautiful Lady.


    Stryg glanced at Ismene. ¡°What do you think?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°...I think that Lady Thorn¡¯s offer could easily be turned into a threat,¡± Ismene said grimly. ¡°As she said, her armies are greater than ours. How easy would it be for her to attack Hollow Shade while we¡¯re busy fighting the Valley Tribes?¡±


    Ophelia said nothing and simply sipped her drink with a small smile.


    Ismene sighed, ¡°Overall, her offer isn¡¯t bad. Ruling Hollow Shade is a far-fetched idea for anyone, even an Aspirant. But with Lady Thorn, it might actually be possible or perhaps it¡¯ll all end in catastrophic failure. You need to know Stryg, that no matter how all this plays out, blood will be spilled over your mere existence. It¡¯d be best if you are on the winning side. Though if that side is the Thorn¡¯s, I do not know.¡±


    ¡°I never really thought of ruling Hollow Shade¡­¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°But I¡¯m not too keen on dying either¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your life, Stryg. I will not make this decision for you,¡± Ismene said quietly. ¡°Either way you will have to live with the consequences.¡±


    ¡°So what do you say?¡± Ophelia stretched out her hand. ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    Stryg breathed shakily, ¡°...I¡­¡±


    ¡°He will have to think on the matter!¡± a familiar voice called out.


    Stryg shot up from his chair in surprise. A petite vampiress strode past the guards and marched towards their table.


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°Me!?¡± the vampiress scoffed with indignation. ¡°I am the right hand of the Ebon Aspirant, his closest confidante, and his most trusted advisor! You may address me as Lady Maeve of the Great House of Mora!¡±

 Chapter 276: Unlikely Allies?

    Chapter 276: Unlikely Allies?


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°Me!?¡± the vampiress scoffed with indignation. ¡°I am the right hand of the Ebon Aspirant, his closest confidante, and advisor! You may address me as Lady Mora!¡±


    Ophelia tilted her head to the side in thought, ¡°...The last survivor of House Mora? I didn¡¯t realize you two were so¡­ close.¡±


    Maeve smirked, ¡°I doubt there are many things you know about the Ebon Aspirant. But not to worry, that is why I¡¯m here. I will facilitate any further arrangements our two parties may have in the future. Therefore, I think it best to reconvene this particular meeting for a more suitable time; give the Ebon Aspirant time to consider his choices. Surely you understand.¡±


    Ophelia chuckled softly, though her eyes held a glint of annoyance, ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll see each other very soon.¡± She stood up from the table and smiled at Stryg, ¡°I suggest you do not take too long thinking over my proposal. I have kept other Houses from invading your tavern, but I can only stop them for so long¡­ Good luck in your matches.¡± Ophelia turned her back to them and sauntered away.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg said cautiously.


    ¡°Farewell, Lady Thorn,¡± Maeve waved nonchalantly.


    As soon as she and her guards left, Maeve''s shoulder sagged and she sighed with relief.


    ¡°Thank the gods that¡¯s over,¡± Maeve wheezed.


    ¡°Maeve? How are you here?¡± Stryg asked with wonder.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what a Gale is willing to do to a couple of guards when they threaten a Veres, even a half one like me,¡± Maeve winked. ¡°Lady Thorn¡¯s guards thought it best to save their trip to the afterlife and just let me through. I¡¯m just glad I managed to arrive in time to save you from making some stupid decisions.¡±


    ¡°I take it this is your friend, Stryg?¡± Ismene raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Maeve, when did you arrive in Undergrowth? I thought you were busy with work?¡±


    ¡°I was, but thanks to Feli and a few accountants, we were able to finish up early,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°Wait, are Feli and Rhian with you?¡± Stryg asked excitedly.


    Maeve nodded, ¡°We arrived in Undergrowth this morning. I found out where you were from your friends at the tavern.¡± She shook her head, ¡°I also found out about this whole Ebon Lord stuff, which by the way, we need to talk about at some point.¡±


    ¡°Does Feli know?¡± Stryg asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Maeve tried to hold back her laughter.


    ¡°How did she react?¡±


    ¡°Not good, not very good.¡±


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°Feli took Rhian into the city. She said they were heading out for some reconnaissance. About what you may ask? I have no idea,¡± Maeve shrugged.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°She¡¯s not gonna be happy¡­¡±


    ¡°You have bigger problems to deal with right now. We have bigger problems to deal with,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°Lady Thorn will not be happy about how you stopped her proposal. I expect her to retaliate, I¡¯m just not sure how,¡± Ismene said grimly.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Maeve nodded. ¡°By the way, who are you?¡±


    ¡°This is my professor from the academy and personal Chromatic Blue teacher, Ismene,¡± Stryg introduced her in a polite voice.


    Maeve¡¯s eyebrows rose in shock and her jaw went slack, ¡°Y-y-you¡¯re the T-Tempest Archmage!?¡±


    ¡°I have been called as such, yes,¡± Ismene said, amused.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± Maeve bowed repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m such a huge fan! I used to grow up hearing stories about you! 20 years ago you saved one of my family¡¯s ships from pirates!¡±


    ¡°20 years ago? A Mora ship?¡± Ismene muttered.


    ¡°You and your crew used to fight a lot of pirate ships back then, you probably don¡¯t remember ours¡­¡± Maeve mumbled abashedly.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Ismene said reminiscently. ¡°Alice Veres was on that ship, right? The pirates were trying to use her as a hostage. Alice was traveling with her children, including a baby¡­ Ah, I see the resemblance. You have your mother¡¯s beauty.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡± Maeve whispered hesitantly.


    ¡°Alice was a brave woman, she didn¡¯t surrender to the pirates. She and her Gale bodyguard defended every single sailor on that ship until I arrived. I admired her bravery and it seems you¡¯ve inherited that as well.¡± Ismene smiled, ¡°She¡¯d be proud.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes welled with tears. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she mumbled in a stuffy voice.


    Ismene smiled sympathetically.


    Stryg stayed quiet and simply watched carefully. Maeve had told him about her mother before, but seeing the tears in her eyes, the happiness in her voice¡­ He suddenly wondered if his mother would have been proud of him. Would she approve of the goblin he had become? An exile of Blood Fang? An Ebon Aspirant?


    Maeve rubbed away her tears, took a deep breath, and looked at Stryg, ¡°I managed to draw away Ophelia¡¯s anger for now. But this city isn¡¯t safe for you, Stryg. We have too few allies and too many enemies. Ophelia is dangerous but she had the right idea. You need allies, the Great Houses kind.¡±


    ¡°So, you think I should accept Lady Thorn¡¯s proposal?¡± Stryg asked, uncertain.


    ¡°Gods, no!¡± Maeve said exasperatedly. ¡°I only caught the last bit of your conversation with her, but do you really think Lady Thorn¡¯s plan is so simple? Anyone trying to put an Ebon Lord on the throne of Hollow Shade is just asking for a full-blown war. Thousands would die and you¡¯d be at the center of it all, probably dead yourself by the end.¡±


    Ismene nodded, ¡°The young Lady Mora is right, but if Stryg rejects Lady Thorn¡¯s proposal, she may just cause a full-blown war against Hollow Shade anyway. And Stryg would still be at the center of it all, probably still dead.¡±


    ¡°But  if we do nothing, other Houses will probably try to assassinate me while I¡¯m in Undergrowth,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°I¡¯m at my most vulnerable. As you said, Maeve, we have too few allies here. I don¡¯t even know the layout of the land.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°We could leave and go back to Hollow Shade, it¡¯d be much easier to keep you safe,¡± Maeve suggested. ¡°I may not have the greatest guards or mages under my command, but I do have a well-fortified mansion back home.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t abandon my teammates in the middle of the tourney,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°They need me¡­ I made a promise to Clypeus, we¡¯d win this tournament no matter what. I¡¯m not giving up now, not for anything.¡±


    Maeve smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Since when did you get so sentimental?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he frowned, but his voice held no edge. ¡°Do we have any other options besides leaving the city?¡±


    Maeve smirked, ¡°Luckily, we are at the center of one of the realm¡¯s biggest tournaments. There are representatives, if not outright leaders, of practically every Named House in the city right now.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get hundreds of invitations from them?¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg said. I haven¡¯t read any of them though.


    ¡°Perfect! There¡¯s no need for an introduction then.¡± Maeve began pacing around the pavilion, ¡°We¡¯ll need to pick a Great House, of course, none of the lesser families would be powerful enough to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°We can eliminate any of the Undergrowth families. Lady Thorn¡¯s influence over them is too great,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Maeve nodded. ¡°Preferably we¡¯d ally with a Hollow Shade family, that way Stryg won¡¯t have to move to another Great City for protection. Plus, Hollow Shade¡¯s walls are impenetrable; no army would be able to break into the city.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re speaking of Hollow Shade¡¯s Great Houses, the most obvious choices are the Seven Ruling Families,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°True,¡± Maeve said. ¡°The Seven may be happy to no longer be under the thumb of the Ebon Lords, but I don¡¯t doubt any of them would love to have an Ebon Lord of their own on their side.¡±


    ¡°Stryg would be a political pawn,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°But he¡¯d be alive and once he¡¯s an archmage, he¡¯ll be no one¡¯s pawn¡­ hopefully.¡±


    Stryg glanced at both of them with uncertainty. He was really beginning to regret not taking the time to learn more about the Houses of the realm. ¡°So¡­ which House would you two suggest?¡±


    ¡°Well, the perfect choice would have been House Noir,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Lord Elzri Noir is the most powerful mage in the realm and he is known to honor his word, so betrayal is very unlikely. House Noir also has substantial military and financial power. Not to mention you¡¯re the godson of Lord Noir.¡±


    Stryg clenched his fists tight, but he tried to contain his anger. ¡°I rather marry Lady Thorn than go back to House Noir.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my cousin told me you and the Noirs had a falling out,¡± Maeve sighed. ¡°Callum¡¯s usually so calm and easygoing, but the way he spoke¡­ it must have been really bad.¡±


    Stryg cleared his throat uncomfortably, ¡°What about the other Houses?¡±


    ¡°...Well, there¡¯s always House Glaz. They are the most powerful family in Hollow Shade overall,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Lady Glaz herself is the leader of the city¡¯s council.¡±


    ¡°Glaz? As in Vayu Glaz?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah? You know him,¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°Yes and no thanks,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°I would rather not have anything to do with the Glazs either,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Is this because of Widow¡¯s Crag? If so, then I am also at fault,¡± Ismene said. ¡°I was made aware of the incident after the fact, but I still said nothing to you, child.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Loh was the one in charge that night. She made her choice to abandon us knowingly. She knew the possible consequences and she still went ahead with it¡­ And she lied to me. She was my master, my friend, I trusted her completely¡­ I deserved more from her than a lie.¡±


    ¡°If you do not blame Vayu then why reject his House?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°Just because I don¡¯t blame Vayu directly, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not angry with him, or you¡­¡± Stryg said quietly. ¡°I may not know much about the 7 Ruling Families, but I do know about House Noir. I refuse to ally myself with House Glaz, not because of Vayu, but because they have a very close relationship with the Noirs. Elzri is the uncle of Lady Glaz.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rejecting House Glaz because of their relationship with the Noirs? Do you really hate the Noirs so much now?¡± Maeve whispered.


    Ismene nodded reluctantly, ¡°Stryg makes a good point... Lord Noir¡¯s late wife was a Glaz. Lady Glaz and Lord Noir often seem annoyed at each other, but they¡¯re family. They won¡¯t betray each other.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. No Glaz then. What about House Ashe?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°No, those vampires are too religious, which makes them too unpredictable,¡± Ismene said. ¡°Lady Calantha Ashe is fully dedicated to the gods as the arch priestess of the city, but the gods have always been fickle beings; just look at Stjerne, he abandoned the drows for us humans. For all we know the gods may ask Calantha to renounce any connection she has to the ebon lords.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Maeve muttered.


    ¡°What about the Goldelms? They are the wealthiest family in Hollow Shade, they could afford any protection Stryg might need,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°True, but the Goldelms are a merchant House first and foremost. They care about their wealth more than anything. If a better deal appears I could see them betraying Stryg in a heartbeat.¡± Maeve grimaced, ¡°And they would just call it business.¡±


    ¡°What about the human family? House Helene?¡± Stryg spoke up.


    ¡°No!¡± Maeve and Ismene yelled in unison.


    ¡°The Helenes rose to power because they betrayed the previous Royal House, the Thorns,¡± Ismene said. ¡°It¡¯s how the Thorns lost the war in the first place and were kicked out of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°You do not want to make a deal with them,¡± Maeve warned.


    ¡°Got it¡­¡± Stryg mumbled. ¡°Forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°...What about House Veres?¡± Ismene said. ¡°They possess great military, magical, and financial power. Plus they have the legendary Great House of Gale as their loyal retainers. Stryg would be safe with them.¡±


    ¡°Ally myself with Callum¡¯s family?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Lady Mora, you yourself are a Veres on your mother¡¯s side. You can vouch for their honor, yes?¡± Ismene asked.


    Maeve sighed bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s because I am half Veres that I do not vouch for them. Everything you said about them is true, yes. But there is much infighting in the Veres family. My uncle, Lord Veres IX would honor any deal he strikes with Stryg, but my uncle¡¯s successor? I have no idea if they¡¯d honor any such deal.¡±


    ¡°Still, it does sound better than any of the other families,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s not actually quite true,¡± Maeve said thoughtfully.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s another family, one whose honor has never been in question. They always keep their vows, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them going back on any deal you make. They also have the greatest military strength among the Seven, so protection would be accounted for. And they recently had a falling out with House Noir, so there¡¯s no need to worry about any relations to Elzri or Loh Noir. Not to mention they have very close relations with the most powerful family in the east, House Morrigan. Overall it¡¯s a pretty solid choice for an alliance. There¡¯s just one minor problem.¡±


    ¡°What problem¡­?¡± Stryg asked cautiously.


    Maeve shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem with them per se, more like a problem within you.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Lady Mora speaks of House Katag,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Orcs?¡± Stryg shot to his feet angrily, ¡°No! I¡¯m not making a deal with orcs!¡±


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d act like this,¡± Maeve sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°The Sylvan folk hold a grudge against the orcs ever since the fall of Lunis,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ismene asked incredulously. She grabbed her cane and smacked it into Stryg¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡± he glared.


    ¡°You stupid boy!¡± Ismene yelled. ¡°Lady Mora came here and put her own life at risk to save you from Lady Thorn¡¯s wrath. She gave you a chance to find another way out of this! But when a great opportunity reveals itself you reject it like a spoiled toddler! What do you think will happen if you cannot manage to create a powerful alliance, hm? You will not be the only one in danger! Lady Mora and your wife will be as well! Anyone close to you will be in danger! Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°N-no,¡± Stryg stammered.


    Ismene slammed her cane on the ground, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t make a deal with House Katag, but I will not let you just throw away a good opportunity because of some stupid age-old prejudice! You will at the very least go and sit down with the Katags and see what they have to say! And if you don¡¯t, oof, the gods help you, because I will be all the danger you will need to worry about! Do you understand me!?¡±


    Stryg swallowed nervously, ¡°...I understand.¡±

 Chapter 277: Evelyn Katag

    Chapter 277: Evelyn Katag


    Unpleasant.


    That was the word, the emotion, the thought that encompassed all of Stryg¡¯s being as he sat on the plush velvet couch.


    The villa¡¯s foyer was fairly large, yet it felt small thanks to endless trophies, shelves, and furniture that were spread about the room. Stryg glanced up at the see-through ceiling and made a look of disgust.


    Whoever thought of making a glass roof for this damn room should be stabbed.


    The sun shined down on them with a belligerence that disregarded the well-being of any light-sensitive individual who might so happen to be forced to visit this stupid house.


    ¡°Welp, I hate this. Can we leave now?¡± Stryg asked, peeved.


    Maeve patted his shoulder, ¡°There, there. It¡¯s only been five minutes, Lord Katag will be here any moment now.¡±


    ¡°We will at least hear them out,¡± Ismene said between sips of her steaming tea.


    Stryg stared at the tea dubiously, ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s safe to drink?¡±


    ¡°Unlike the Thorn¡¯s, the Katags are an honorable family. They would never poison their guests.¡± Ismene offered him a cup of tea, ¡°Care for some?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± Stryg squinted at the glare of the harsh sunlight refracting over the room.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stare at the sun and get it over with? Your eyes will adjust,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Stryg crossed his arms. ¡°This place sucks, my vision won¡¯t change that.¡±


    ¡°Gods, stop being such a baby,¡± Maeve rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Is he always like this when he¡¯s mad?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°Only when he can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Maeve said.


    The foyer¡¯s doors abruptly swung wide-open. A towering orc ducked beneath the door frame and strode into the room. He wore a sleeveless marine-blue tunic that exposed his bulging muscles. His arms and neck were covered in small scars from hundreds of battles in his youth. A well-oiled and trimmed beard almost succeeded but ultimately failed in hiding the perpetual scowl etched across his rigid features.


    Lord Krall Katag looked over the three guests with an air of judgment that made Lady Thorn seem kind. His amber eyes finally settled on Stryg.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Krall grumbled. He suddenly broke into a wide smile and laughed, a deep brilliant sound, ¡°Did you like the tea? I hope it¡¯s to your liking! I still have yet to perfect the right ratio of milk. These Undergrowth tea leaves are quite tricky.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you made the tea?¡± Ismene asked, surprised.


    ¡°Hehe, guilty,¡± Krall grinned.


    ¡°My dear husband has always had a soft spot for the art of tea, he prides himself in his brewing skills,¡± a husky voice said from behind the giant orc.


    Krall stepped aside and revealed an elegant orc in a pale deep green dress. For a brief moment, Stryg forgot about the unpleasant sunlight and simply stared at the beauty. Evelyn Katag looked nothing like Ophelia Thorn, but not even a blind man would dare suggest Evelyn was anything but beautiful.


    Where Ophelia was slim, tall, and wrapped in an air of cold elegance, Evelyn was curvaceous and exuded a warm charm, a confidence that was quiet but undoubtedly there.


    Evelyn¡¯s lips curved slightly in a smirk, ¡°Welcome to our home, dear guests.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having us, Lady Katag,¡± Maeve bowed her head. ¡°Your villa is quite lovely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Evelyn sat down on a sofa across from them and gestured towards the room. ¡°My husband¡¯s grandfather, the late Lord Katag, loved visiting Undergrowth. He found Glimmer Grove Forest soothing. In fact, he loved the forest so much that he built this villa and spent his last few years here.¡± She looked at Stryg, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you grew up in a forest. Have you enjoyed your stay in Undergrowth so far?¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°...Glimmer Grove is nothing like Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Evelyn chuckled.


    Krall sat down next to his wife and smiled, ¡°So you really are one of the Sylvan folk? I had heard the rumors, but our daughter refused to tell me anything about you.¡±


    Stryg said nothing and just stared at them coldly.


    Evelyn stared back at him with playful amber eyes, ¡°When I sent out that invitation to you I didn¡¯t expect you to respond; you doubtlessly had hundreds of invitations from countless families. After a few days passed I was quite certain I wouldn¡¯t be hearing back a response. So imagine my pleasant surprise when one of my servants told me the Tempest Archmage, the Ebon Aspirant, and his right hand, Lady Mora, were at our door.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who sent the invitation?¡± Maeve furrowed her brow.


    Evelyn sipped her tea, ¡°Yes. Though I understand it may come as a surprise to you, Lady Mora, after all your father ruled his House alone; but the Katags are of the belief that rulership is a two-person job, always has been, since the day Katag I and his sister Morrigan I stepped into the Ebon Realm.¡±


    Lord Krall nodded, ¡°I take my role as a warrior-mage, and leader of this family and its armies quite seriously, but when it comes to internal politics, my wife¡¯s wisdom is the greatest weapon my family has.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad there is a voice of reason behind the Katag throne,¡± Ismene said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if a berserker ruled this family alone, no matter how good his tea is.¡±


    Krall shrugged, ¡°Your words carry the familiar sting of storms, Lady Ismene, but I am glad you like the tea.¡±


    Evelyn placed her cup down, ¡°May I ask why you chose to visit at this particular time? The 3rd Challenge is ongoing as we speak, yet here you all are. Surely you did not come here only to drink tea.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°We could ask you the same, Lady Katag. You¡¯re the one who invited us,¡± Maeve said.


    ¡°Mm. I sent out that invitation because I wanted to get to know what sort of person the Ebon Aspirant is,¡± Evelyn said calmly.


    ¡°To what end?¡± Maeve asked. ¡°Are you seeking to kill him? Doubtful, you wouldn¡¯t have come here yourself if you did. So why are you here? Surely you did not come here only to gawk at Stryg.¡±


    Evelyn smiled knowingly, ¡°I can see why you are the Aspirant¡¯s right hand. I¡¯ll be candid with you, Lady Mora. I am well aware of the fallout the Aspirant has had with his patron family, House Noir. I also know that the Aspirant has few allies in this city. So the only reason you would come here during the middle of the 3rd Challenge is because you are desperate for an alliance with my family.¡±


    Evelyn leaned back on the sofa and crossed her legs, ¡°It makes sense, I suppose. We have the greatest military strength among all the Seven Ruling Families. And we are one of the few aristocratic families of Hollow Shade that has a well-fortified home in Undergrowth to keep the Aspirant safe from his enemies, which as you undoubtedly know, are many. My only question is, why should we ally ourselves with you? The Ebon Aspirant has the realm¡¯s biggest target on his back, why would we consciously wade into that danger?¡±


    Maeve chuckled under her breath, ¡°...You know, there was once a time I would have been terrified of you, the voice behind the Katag Throne. Ooh, it sends shivers down my back just saying that. Someone like you could destroy my House if you wanted to, it wouldn¡¯t even be difficult. I should be outright terrified, but you see, I¡¯ve already made enemies far more terrifying than you and here I still remain. So allow me to be candid with you, Lady Katag.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Evelyn raised an eyebrow.


    Stryg glanced at Maeve curiously.


    Maeve leaned forward on her chair, ¡°The way I see it, you only have a few options. The first and simplest would be to try and kill Stryg right here and now. But that wouldn¡¯t work. The Tempest Archmage is powerful enough to get us out of here, no matter what you throw at us.¡±


    Maeve raised two fingers, ¡°Your second option is to simply let us leave. And like you said, we¡¯re desperate. So we¡¯d go ahead and join another of the Seven Families. At this point, you have no plausible way to kill us and someday Stryg will become what the Seven fear, an Ebon Lord. Now, would you like to face a rival family who has an Ebon Lord on their side? How do you think you would fare against that? Maybe you might be okay, but maybe you won¡¯t. Is that really a chance you¡¯re willing to take?¡±


    Maeve smiled confidently, ¡°Your third option is the most obvious, of course. It¡¯s the whole reason we¡¯re all here. We join sides and create an alliance to ensure the prosperity of all our families. Together, I¡¯m quite certain we¡¯ll be able to face any opponent that comes our way.¡±


    ¡°Together, hm?¡± Evelyn muttered with a thoughtful smile. ¡°Interesting that you use that word. I was under the impression you were already together with House Veres.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°I know that a Gale has been protecting the Aspirant these last two weeks,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Now why would she do that? The Gales are an extension of the Veres family. Which means that they already have a vested interest in the Aspirant. It seems to me you¡¯ve already made an alliance and now you¡¯re simply seeking to cast a wider net.¡±


    ¡°Stryg has made no alliance with House Veres,¡± Maeve said adamantly.


    ¡°Says the woman who is half Veres,¡± Evelyn shook her head.


    ¡°Stryg shares a close relationship with the Gales because of his time in the academy,¡± Maeve said. ¡°It has nothing to do with an alliance. Gale is here as his sword instructor and friend, not because Stryg has made a deal with House Veres. If he had made an alliance, there would be a Veres army standing guard outside right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose the Veres have always been an ¡®all in¡¯ kind of people¡­¡± Evelyn tapped her lips in thought.


    ¡°So do we have an agreement?¡± Maeve asked, a slight hint of nervousness in her voice.


    ¡°...Not quite.¡± Evelyn looked at Stryg, ¡°I want to hear from him. Why do you want to ally with House Katag? What makes you think you deserve an eternal bond with my family?¡±


    Maeve glanced at Stryg worriedly.


    Stryg sat up and looked Evelyn straight in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ally myself with your family,¡± he said curtly.


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn blinked.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Maeve whispered with a sigh.


    ¡°The Katags were there 3 centuries ago,¡± Stryg glared at Evelyn. ¡°They helped the armies of the Ebon Lords attack and destroy Lunis. My people showed you peace and you betrayed us. Why in any world would I ever want to ally myself with you.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, now is not the time for this,¡± Ismene whispered.


    ¡°No, he has a point,¡± Krall nodded solemnly. ¡°You are a descendant of the Lunisian armies, I understand your resentment towards my House. The Sylvan Folk must think of us as monsters. But things are rarely ever so crystal clear.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Stryg said cautiously.


    ¡°The first Katag and Morrigan were the leaders of a warband in the Scarlet Realm,¡± Krall said. ¡°They crossed a realm bridge into these lands for a job commissioned by Lunis. Back then, like so many other species, orcs had been recruited for one job or another by a Great City... Katag and Morrigan¡¯s plan was simple: do the job, get paid, and leave. But then the Schism happened¡­¡±


    Krall took a deep breath, ¡°Suddenly, every realm traveler was stuck in the Ebon Realm with no way back. Lunis gave the stranded people plots of land to live in out of sheer pity. But there were too many people, too many species who had been left behind. So when the Ebon Lords offered our warband a way out, we accepted. We slaughtered the other travelers until only orcs were left in the Silent Marshes. Then my ancestors helped the Ebon Lords lay waste to Lunis¡­ And in return, we gained land, wealth, and a place at the Ebon Lord¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°And caused my people to lose everything,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    ¡°I do not tell you this story because I condone what my ancestors did,¡± Krall shook his head. ¡°I tell you because I want you to understand why they did it. Greed and desperation are powerful motivators that can warp even the best of men. Katag I was ashamed of his betrayal of the Lunisians, so he split away from his sister, Morrigan, and never returned to the Silent Marshes¡­ he spent his remaining days in Dusk Valley. The truth is the orcs betrayed the goblins, that is a fact, one I will not shy away from. But we are not defined by our ancestors. My House has kept true to its honor ever since that war and we¡¯re willing to do what we can now to amend the past.¡±


    Stryg laughed angrily, ¡°You speak of honor? What has anyone in your family ever done to amend your betrayal to Lunis? I¡¯ve seen how the goblins of Hollow Shade live in squalor! Your House and the rest of Hollow Shade haven¡¯t changed, it just doesn¡¯t have to do the dirty work anymore, you just reap the benefits.¡±


    Krall opened his mouth to retort but Evelyn held his arm and subtly shook her head. She turned to Stryg and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, House Katag¡¯s ancestors could have done so much more to help the goblins of Hollow Shade. But we are not our ancestors, none of us are. Their mistakes do not have to be ours to share. We can change our futures, together.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Then you mean?¡±


    ¡°We will form an alliance with the Ebon Aspirant,¡± Evelyn nodded.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°What made you change your mind, Lady Katag? A guilty conscience?¡± Ismene asked skeptically.


    ¡°No.¡± Evelyn stared at Stryg, ¡°He did. He is different from the Ebon Lords of the past. More importantly, I now know what he wants¡­ change. I think our city is long overdue for it.¡±


    ¡°Orcs have never been at the top of Hollow Shade¡¯s hierarchy, that has always been left to the vampires and drows,¡± Ismene tapped her cane. ¡°Could your desire for change involve that?¡±


    Evelyn smirked, ¡°Who knows? But I think it¡¯d be nice if goblins and orcs could rise above their lot in life, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ismene narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°...Are you sure we can trust them?¡± Stryg whispered to Maeve.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she nodded.


    Evelyn smiled, ¡°Well, Stryg of Ebon Hollow, now that we¡¯ve agreed upon supporting one another, we need to discuss your engagement to my youngest, Elena.¡±


    Stryg blinked numbly, ¡°Say what now?¡±

 Chapter 278: Matchmaker

    Chapter 278: Matchmaker


    Evelyn smiled, ¡°Well, Stryg of Ebon Hollow, now that we¡¯ve agreed upon supporting one another, we need to discuss your engagement to my youngest, Elena.¡±


    Stryg blinked numbly, ¡°Say what now?¡±


    ¡°Your marriage to House Katag through your engagement to my youngest daughter, Elena, obviously. You look confused. Is something the matter?¡±


    Stryg shot a panicked glance at Maeve, ¡°What¡¯s she talking about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to marry Elena Katag,¡± Maeve said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I thought the whole purpose of coming here was to avoid getting married,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°To Lady Thorn, yes, but an alliance with a Great House requires a marriage,¡± Maeve whispered.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Maeve forcefully smiled, ¡°Not at al¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg interrupted. ¡°Why do I have to marry your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Do you think my daughter isn¡¯t good enough for you?¡± Lord Krall Katag glared at him.


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s fine,¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a valid question, after all, you¡¯re a hybrid, yes, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered suspiciously.


    Evelyn nodded with a sigh, ¡°The purpose of an aristocratic marriage is to bind the two families through the birth of a child, a common shared interest, love. There is no greater bond than the love a parent has for their child.¡±


    Evelyn crossed her legs and clasped her hands together, ¡°Unfortunately, Stryg, your hybrid nature prevents you from having children. A bond between child and parent will never exist between you and our family. So instead we¡¯ll focus on the relationship between you and my daughter.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to form a bond with your daughter¡­ Elena?¡± Stryg asked carefully.


    Evelyn nodded, ¡°Marriage has always been a bond, a partner to share your life with. Elena just finished her 2nd year at Hollow Shade¡¯s magic academy. She is 19, almost your age, and a perfect partner to share your life with.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ she¡¯s an orc and I¡¯m a goblin,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Goblins do have a shorter lifespan than orcs, yes, but your drow blood should balance that out. You¡¯ll probably outlive Elena by a few years,¡± Evelyn said.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¨C¡±


    ¡°What he means is that he¡¯s nervous is all,¡± Maeve laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Marriage can be nerve-wracking, but I¡¯m confident an Ebon Aspirant such as yourself will be just fine,¡± Evelyn smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of marriage, I already handle it just fine,¡± Stryg said defensively.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re already married?¡± Evelyn said indignantly. ¡°To whom? Which Great House?¡±


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Feli,¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°She¡¯s a commoner,¡± Maeve added.


    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± Evelyn visibly relaxed. ¡°I suppose I should have expected you to have a lesser wife. Well, I¡¯m sure this¡­ Feli and Elena will get along splendidly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Feli already hates it when I¡¯m with Maeve,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You and Lady Mora are married?!¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°NO!¡± Maeve sat up from the sofa. ¡°We¡¯re friends, just friends. I have no interest in marrying anyone. My House is my own to lead and I need no outside parties trying to influence that.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Maeve and I are friends, but she is also part of my tribe, so I guess you could say she is part of my family.¡±


    ¡°For the love of Bellum, please stay quiet,¡± Maeve whispered frustratedly.


    Ismene couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and almost spilled her hot tea over her legs.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Evelyn nodded knowingly. ¡°Let me be blunt if only for a moment, Aspirant. I do not care who you share your bed with, so long as you are only married to one Great House and my daughter is made the primary wife without question. Can we agree upon that?¡±


    Stryg glanced at Maeve questioningly. She nodded subtly.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°...Okay, I¡¯ll meet with Elena at least.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Evelyn clapped her hands. She¡¯ll be ecstatic to meet you when she arrives.¡±


    ¡°When she arrives?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Elena just finished her classes, she is still at Hollow Shade,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°This is all short notice, but I already sent a crow to the city. Elena will read my letter and come to Undergrowth with haste. She¡¯ll be here in a week at best. A few days before the tournament has ended.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to marry someone I haven¡¯t even met?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to get to know each other after the tournament,¡± Evelyn smiled.


    Stryg glanced at Maeve, ¡°You want me to marry someone I don¡¯t know so that I can form an alliance with a House I also don¡¯t know? Are you sure this is a good idea?¡±


    Maeve nodded steadily. ¡°It¡¯s the best option we¡¯ve got. Trust me,¡± she whispered.


    Evelyn cleared her throat, ¡°I understand your desire to get to know our family is important to you. How could it not be? We are bonding our House and Tribe together for life.¡± She grabbed a bell and rang it three times. ¡°We¡¯d also like to get to know you and your tribe.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A maid walked into the room and bowed her head, ¡°My Lord and Lady, you called?¡±


    ¡°Yes, bring Tauri, quickly,¡± Evelyn waved her hand.


    The maid bowed once more and left without a word.


    ¡°Professor Tauri¡¯s here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be? She is a Katag,¡± Krall said.


    Stryg supposed it made sense. He hadn¡¯t seen Tauri since the truth of Aizel came to light. Tauri had simply left the tavern their team was staying at, no one had seen her since. He had guessed she had already left Undergrowth, but as the maid came back into the room Tauri walked in behind her.


    Stryg met her eyes for a brief moment, surprise and discomfort were all that was reflected in their gaze.


    Tauri glanced at her mother with a frown, ¡°What is Stryg doing here? Why is Ismene here? And who is this petite vampire?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eye twitched, but she quickly smothered her look of annoyance and smiled brightly, ¡°Tauri, dear, this is Lady Maeve of the Great House of Mora.¡±


    Maeve waved her hand awkwardly, ¡°Hi, nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Charmed,¡± Tauri said in a deadpan voice. ¡°Mom, why are they here?¡±


    ¡°We were just brokering an alliance between our House and the Ebon Aspirant,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Tauri, I¡¯d like you to officially meet your future brother-in-law, Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Tauri yelled. ¡°Who is he marrying? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re marrying him off to little Elena?!¡±


    ¡°Elena is no longer a child nor little, she is an adult who has blossomed into a beautiful young woman. And last I checked, you do not make the decisions for the future of our family, do you?¡± Evelyn said icily.


    Tauri bowed her head. ¡°No, mother. I¡¯m sorry, mother,¡± she said attentively.


    Evelyn nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Stryg knows as much about our family as we do of him, which if you haven¡¯t noticed is very little.¡± She glanced at Stryg, ¡°I¡¯d like Tauri to act as a mediator of sorts between our family and your tribe.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Stryg asked skeptically.


    ¡°Neither of us knows each other very well,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°But Tauri can show you the values of my family and our way of life. That way, by the time Elena arrives, you will have a clear understanding of who the Katags are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Tauri,¡± Stryg said curtly.


    ¡°And I never liked your arrogant and rude personality,¡± Tauri glared at him.


    ¡°Then thank the gods you two aren¡¯t getting married,¡± Evelyn rolled her eyes. ¡°I assure you, Aspirant, Elena is nothing like Tauri. Where Tauri is rash and conceited, Elena is meek and calm, she will serve as a wonderful wife for you.¡±


    Krall nodded, ¡°Elena has a kind soul, which is why if you hurt her I¡¯ll-¡±


    Evelyn pinched Krall¡¯s arm, ¡°What my husband means to say, is that we have several children. My husband has even more children with his other wives. Yet out of all the children in our House, Elena is undoubtedly the best.¡±


    ¡°Gee, mom, thanks for making that so crystal clear,¡± Tauri muttered with a sigh.


    ¡°This is your first time in Undergrowth, is it not, Aspirant?¡± Evelyn asked without missing a beat.


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°My family visits the city every so often to relax and enjoy ourselves. Why don¡¯t my family and I take you around the city and show you some of the best sites Undergrowth has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Why? I need to train and prepare for my duels in the 3rd Challenge,¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°For publicity,¡± Ismene guessed. ¡°If people see you with the Katags they will assume that such a public display means you trust that you have a good relationship with House Katag in general.¡±


    ¡°Perception is everything in the politics of the Houses,¡± Evelyn smirked. ¡°As for training and preparing for your duels, Tauri and my husband are more than capable of helping you with that. Tauri can train you in some of the public training courtyards too. Simply put, the more time you are seen spending time with my family in public the stronger our alliance seems. Once Elena comes, we will announce the engagement.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime, your family will provide protection for Stryg and his allies?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course, we are family now after all,¡± Evelyn smiled.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Maeve curtsied, ¡°Thank you for your time. If you¡¯ll excuse us, we must get back to the coliseum for the next duel.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for the visit, it has been most productive,¡± Evelyn bowed.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Stryg grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, guys. If we hurry we might still catch a bit of the frost giant¡¯s duel.¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Ismene stared pointedly at her cane.


    ¡°Farewell, and may the gods bless you in your duels,¡± Evelyn waved.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Krall said politely.


    ~~~


    Tauri watched Stryg and the two women leave with an air of annoyance. As the door closed behind them, Tauri walked next to the door and activated the enchantment above the door frame. Brown sigils flared to life around the walls until the entire room¡¯s walls were covered in a ring of enchantments.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Tauri sighed loudly.


    ¡°Why did you activate the room¡¯s protection spells?¡± Krall stood to his feet. ¡°Are you worried about a potential attack?¡±


    ¡°No, but Stryg has incredible hearing,¡± Tauri said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to hear what I had to say next.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that, darling?¡± Evelyn raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Are you both fucking crazy!?¡± Tauri screamed. ¡°In what world do you think it¡¯s a good idea to have a Sylvan goblin marry Elena!¡±


    ¡°I taught you better than to have prejudice against goblins. Such ignorance only hurts you in the long run,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything against goblins, I have something against Sylvan folk, because they''re fucking crazy! And by that I mean Stryg is fucking crazy!¡± Tauri yelled. ¡°You don¡¯t know that kid like I do. He¡¯s not normal, mom. He¡¯s dangerous and has a severe lack of control. Loh told me that he¡¯s killed people for the smallest of grievances, it¡¯s a part of his culture. Why would you make an alliance with someone like him?¡±


    ¡°Because he is the only Ebon Aspirant in the realm and someday he will be the first Ebon Lord in the last 200 years,¡± Evelyn said calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s even more reason not to ally ourselves with him. If he starts a war, we¡¯ll be dragged into it,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Darling, we are already at war,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°You may have spent the last few years dawdling about playing teacher, but the world has only grown more dangerous. Undergrowth has only become more hostile in the last few years and Hollow Shades armies are already preoccupied defending against the Valley Tribes.¡±


    Krall nodded in agreement, ¡°We need an Ebon Lord on our side. That boy is more than just a prime mage. He is a symbol of what Hollow Shade once was and what it could be, powerful. We need the fear that such power incites if we are to survive the wars to come.¡±


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°But Stryg doesn¡¯t even like orcs, I¡¯ve heard him talk about it before. He doesn¡¯t want to marry into our family.¡±


    ¡°Do you think me blind, child?¡± Evelyn clicked her tongue. ¡°I am not an idiot. The Aspirant¡¯s opinion does not change our necessity. We must join forces. But the Aspirant is a hybrid, which means we cannot rely on potential children to keep our alliance strong. So we need this marriage to work.¡±


    ¡°Marriage is a bond that ties families together,¡± Krall added.


    ¡°And ideally marriage is an expression of love,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Or at least in Elena¡¯s and the Aspirant¡¯s case, it must be. Their marriage will be the only thing keeping our alliance strong. So you will do everything in your power to help make this marriage a success, do you understand Tauri?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with this,¡± she said angrily. ¡°You two can play matchmaker with my sister all on your own, leave me out of it.¡±


    ¡°The Aspirant knows you had a part to play with the death of the Gale boy,¡± Evelyn said quietly. ¡°A large reason as to why he hates orcs is because of you, Tauri. You need to fix this.¡±


    Evelyn pointed an accusing finger at Tauri, ¡°You want to wallow in tears over your dead fianc¨¦ for another decade? Sure. You want to play professor and go to parties instead of serving in our House¡¯s armies like your other siblings? Sure. I¡¯ll let you waste away your life if that¡¯s what you want. But I will not let you ruin this family¡¯s future. You will fix this. And if that means playing matchmaker for your sister and the Ebon Aspirant, then that is exactly what you will do.¡±


    Tauri bit her lip in shame and turned to her father for help, but he ignored her and sipped his tea.


    Tauri sighed with apprehension, ¡°...I will fix this.¡±

 Chapter 279: Lynn VS. Diane

    Chapter 279: Lynn VS. Diane


    The sky was clear and the sun shined down on Undergrowth and her people. It was a perfect day for viewing the duels of magic and the coliseum¡¯s crowds agreed. They cheered eagerly as the two contestants emerged from their respective gates and stepped into the arena.


    Freya Goldelm glanced about the seats around her, searching for a particularly familiar face. Four sections of the front row seats had been specially set aside for the four participating teams respectively. Stryg had been ecstatic to have gotten such close seats to the action, he wanted to study the opponent¡¯s fights as much as possible. Which is why Freya found it so odd that he wasn¡¯t here.


    The intermission had ended over ten minutes ago and he had still yet to show up. Freya wouldn¡¯t have found it so odd ¨C after all Stryg had gone to meet with Ophelia Thorn herself ¨C except that Ophelia was already in the coliseum, watching from her private viewing booth.


    ¡°Where is Stryg?¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he should be back by now,¡± Callum said uneasily. ¡°You don¡¯t think Lady Thorn did something to him¡­ do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Stryg was with the Tempest Archmage, he should be fine¡­ I think,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably getting something to eat,¡± Sylvie said as she munched on some chicken on a stick.


    ¡°Maybe, he does eat quite a lot,¡± Callum said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Whatever the reason is, Stryg¡¯s fine,¡± Sylvie said between bites. ¡°More importantly, what happened to the frost giant¡¯s huge sword?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Freya looked down at the arena. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The frost giant hybrid had walked into the arena without the enormous sheathed sword strapped to her back. It was strange, she had been lugging around the overtly large sword ever since she had arrived in Undergrowth. The blade had seemed precious, or at least important to her. But now it was gone and in its stead, the frost giant carried a warhammer.


    ¡°What do you think happened to the sword?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°She probably realized swords suck and decided to go with a more optimal weapon,¡± Sylvie shrugged. ¡°I would have personally gone with a double-sided ax, but a hammer is fine. Honestly, anything is better than a tacky sword.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to the other girl,¡± Freya pointed at the frost giant¡¯s opponent.


    The young woman held two straight-edged swords, one in each hand. She was undoubtedly an orc, with their iconic bright blood-red skin, dark hair, and amber eyes. But where most orcs tended to have larger frames, she was short and lean. Her arms and legs were well-defined with the curves of toned muscles. And though she was smaller than her teammates, she carried herself with the same confidence and solemnity as them.


    Sylvie made a face of disgust, ¡°Ew, two swords? Someone¡¯s overcompensating.¡±


    Callum chuckled under his breath, ¡°Now I¡¯m glad Stryg isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a sec, why can she have two weapons!? I thought the rules said you can only bring one weapon at most!¡± Sylvie exclaimed.


    ¡°One weapon and one enchanted item. One of her swords is probably enchanted, while the other isn¡¯t,¡± Callum explained.


    ¡°Hm, that just makes her look dumber,¡± Sylvie crossed her arms.


    ¡°You know, I just noticed, neither of the contestants is from a Named House,¡± Freya said. ¡°You¡¯d think the Great Cities would have sent mages with extensive magical backgrounds.¡±


    ¡°So? I¡¯m not an aristocrat, neither is Stryg, and we¡¯re stronger than both of you,¡± Sylvie said casually. ¡°No offense.¡±


    ¡°Offense taken,¡± Freya frowned. ¡°You and I have never had a proper duel. You have no idea what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    ¡°The tournament is about the best mage students of their year, not about who had a surname or not, so it makes sense why they¡¯re not aristocrats,¡± Callum said. ¡°Murktonian culture especially values raw ability over money or titles. I heard only one of their members is an aristocrat.¡±


    ¡°Look, they¡¯re starting!¡± Sylvie said excitedly.


    The Herald¡¯s Tower blared with the now-familiar voices of the Stemme siblings.


    ¡°Welcome everyone to the 2nd duel of the Challenge of Spell & Steel!¡± Jane Stemme yelled happily.


    ¡°After Hollow Shade¡¯s overwhelming victory against Undergrowth, I bet you¡¯re all wondering what Murkton and Frost Rim have to offer!¡± Mark Stemme announced.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh! They¡¯re talking about me!¡± Sylvie jumped up in her seat proudly.


    ¡°Without further ado,¡± Jane began.


    Mark followed up, ¡°Let the duel between Lynn of Frost Rim and Diane of Murtkon¡­¡±


    ¡°BEGIN!!¡±


    ~~~


    Lynn stared across the arena at Diane who had already drawn both her blades.


    Lynn placed her hammer on the ground and smiled politely, ¡°Before we fight, I just want to say good luck. It¡¯s an honor to be your opponent.¡±


    Diane channeled orange mana into her muscles, turning her veins grey with agility magic. She took a battle stance and spoke in a steely voice, ¡°Luck? I have come this far on my own, I didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s luck then and I certainly don¡¯t need it now.¡±


    ¡°That must have been really hard. I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    Diane clicked her tongue, ¡°I came here to win and only to win, not to wish my enemies compliments. I suggest you do the same.¡±


    Lynn nodded with a half-smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you and I have different reasons for why we¡¯re here.¡± She picked up her hammer and formed an elemental frost shield over her other forearm, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to give up.¡±


    The orc warrior needed no other words, she sprinted across the stadium with enhanced speed. Lynn pulled water from one of the four nearby pools and froze the torrent into a cascade of ice shards. With a simple flick of the wrist, the shards flew straight at Diane in several volleys.


    The crowd cheered at the spectacle of elemental magic. Diane said nothing, her face was as cold and impassive as the ice shards coming toward her. Diane jumped to the sides in quick dashes, dodging the shards and slashing away the ones she couldn¡¯t. With every volley of ice, Diane slowly advanced forward, closer and closer to the frost giant.


    Lynn didn¡¯t move or back away. Her focus was entirely on creating more ice shards from the pool and launching them at her opponent. As Diane grew close, her arms grew slower, tired from the constant blocking. Suddenly, Diane¡¯s stance shifted and she dashed with an unexpected burst of speed.


    Finally! Lynn held back a grin as the orc drew close.


    Frost abruptly arose from the ground and wrapped around Diane¡¯s feet. She gasped and tried to pull her legs away to no avail. In the blink of an eye, the frost had spread and entrapped her legs in ice.


    I don¡¯t need outside water to create ice! Lynn rushed forward, hammer in hand, brown vigor magic surging into her muscles. ¡°Concede!¡±


    Diane gritted her teeth and released her agility spell. She aimed her closed palms at her legs and released a burst of flames. The fire flared bright and exploded all around her. Lynn flinched, raised her ice shield, and retreated back.


    As the smoke cleared, Lynn¡¯s blue eyes widened in shock at the sight of Diane. The ice had melted away, but the lower parts of her pants had been burned away and her skin was already beginning to blister.


    ¡°W-why?¡± Lynn asked hesitantly. ¡°You¡¯d rather risk burning yourself to a crisp than concede?¡±


    Diane chuckled darkly and shook her head, ¡°You really don¡¯t get it, do you? I didn¡¯t get this far by shying away from pain. Someone like you would never understand.¡±


    ¡°Someone like me?¡± Lynn frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Someone born with talent,¡± she sneered. ¡°Just look at you, twice my size, and thrice my strength. An elemental-chromatic hybrid with both types of magic. You have the best of both worlds and you don¡¯t even realize it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Best of both worlds, huh¡­?¡± Lynn muttered.


    Diane laughed bitterly and pointed at the frost giant¡¯s bronze-vigor arms, ¡°Your elemental magic comes so naturally, juggling a chromatic and elemental spell at the same time must be easy for you, huh? You¡¯ve never understood what true commitment means because it was never necessary for you.¡± She stretched her legs with a small painful expression, ¡°I¡¯ve dedicated every waking moment to reach the place where you all so casually stand. I¡¯ve learned to put everything on the line, I¡¯ve had to, and that¡¯s why I will win.¡±


    ¡°...Fine, have it your way,¡± Lynn threw her arms apart. Water formed and twirled around her in a swirl of slivers of ice and vines of water.


    Diane didn¡¯t hesitate, she darted forward. Cascades of ice slivers fell over her in a barrage of spells. Diane did not turn nor jump away, she raised her blades and brandished them in an endless pattern of steel, slashing apart the ice with renewed speed.


    Frost emerged from the ground beneath Diane¡¯s feet, but with every step she took she generated a small blast of fire around her, melting away any ice that tried to form. In mere seconds Diane closed the gap and looked up at the giant hybrid with a determined gaze.


    Ice wrapped Lynn¡¯s body in dozens of plates held together by flowing water. She yelled a war cry and swung her hammer down, her vigor magic enhancing her already naturally imposing strength. Diane rolled to the side, evading the hammer that pummeled the ground into a small crater.


    Lynn quickly pulled back her arms and swiped the hammer in a wide arc. Diane¡¯s blades shimmered in the sunlight, the swords slashed into the hammer and drove its trajectory into the ground.


    Lynn backed away in surprise, but Diane pressed her attack. Her blades moved in a flurry of steel, swiping past Lynn¡¯s hammer, and chipping at her frost armor. Diane thrust one of her swords at the giant¡¯s leg, the blade suddenly flashed with enchanted sigils and pierced through the ice. The steel bit into the flesh and bone with agonizing ease. Lynn screamed in pain and flung her hammer at Diane. The orc jumped away from the haphazard attack and retreated a dozen paces.


    Lynn fell to one knee and grimaced with a weak cry. Blood seeped into the ice and dyed her leg¡¯s frost armor bright red. Diane circled around her, the tip of her blades dragging on the dirt as she eyed her prey.


    ¡°Do you feel it, Lynn?¡± Diane asked icily. ¡°The limits of your talent.¡±


    ¡°Talent¡­?¡± Lynn huffed weakly.


    ¡°People like you have been blessed with power from birth. You¡¯ve always taken it for granted, unable to understand how lucky you truly are, how unfair the world really is.¡± Diane raised her bloodied blade and pointed it at her enemy, ¡°I¡¯ll show you how far your power truly gets you.¡±


    Lynn chuckled softly to herself, ¡°Unfair? ¡­Yeah, I guess the world really is unfair¡­ I really am one of the lucky few¡­¡±


    ¡°Lynn, what are you doing!?¡± A voice screamed from one of the front row seats of the coliseum.


    Lynn slowly looked up with a faint smile.


    Kalliste¡¯s usual pale face was an angry scarlet red and her hands wrapped around the guardrails with a white-knuckle grip. ¡°Why are you letting her mock you like that?! Don¡¯t just give up, Lynn! Get up, damn you!¡±


    Lynn couldn¡¯t help but grin wryly. Kalliste¡¯s angry expression just seemed so¡­ sad.

 Chapter 280: A Fateful Blizzard

    Chapter 280: A Fateful Blizzard


    There were few villages on the outskirts of Frost Rim. While the Great City was a bastion of safety for the people, the Rupture Mountains were anything but safe. The further one drew from the city, the fewer people lived, and the more wildlife stalked the land.


    Winter was especially dangerous in the mountains. If one wasn¡¯t careful they¡¯d lose themselves in the snowstorms or worse to the hungry predators that lurked at the edges of society.


    Still, winter was the time when many rare faunas roamed about. The perfect chance for a budding vampire to catch their first great elk or so her father had said. Kalliste¡¯s father had said many things she disagreed with, but she went along with them anyway, as was expected of her as the daughter of the Great House of Lilith.


    The first night of hunting had been a failure, with no sightings of elks anywhere near the outskirts of the rural village. The second night had proved a meager success, one of her father¡¯s hunters had spotted elk tracks in the snow, fairly fresh or so they said. The third night proved no advancement, no one not even her father had found a single track of elk or any other animal.


    After six hours in the snow and the beginning signs of a storm, Lord Lilith had thankfully decided to call it a night and head back to their lodgings. Kalliste said nothing and only smiled, as was expected of a young child of House Lilith. A budding aristocrat had to be reserved, polite, with a smile always at the ready. Impatience, anger, annoyance, all of these were tell-tale signs of a lack of control in one¡¯s self and such actions were unbefitting of a Lilith. Still, Kalliste sighed in relief at the thought of soaking her numb toes in a hot tub.


    As the dogs pulled their sleds into the village, Kalliste pulled her bundle of furs closer to herself. The snowstorm had already begun to grow in full. There were no villagers in sight, save for the village chief that waited for them to return each night at the local tavern.


    As usual, the chief was covered from head to toe in the furs of a white bear, one he had claimed to have killed himself years ago when he was young. But even the chief, a vampire who had lived his entire life in this village, dared not wander far on a stormy night like this.


    The chief bowed low as the sleds pulled up at the tavern, ¡°Welcome back, my lord. Was your trip a success?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, not this time,¡± Lord Lilith sighed.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry to hear that, my lord. I am certain you¡¯ll find the elk one of these nights, you always do. But for now, a hot meal and a warm fire will lighten the spirits.¡±


    ¡°A warm meal does sound nice,¡± Lord Lilith stretched his arms and yawned. ¡°Kal, after dinner we¡¯ll practice your shooting. Kal¡­? Kalliste, why are you gawking like a simpleton?¡±


    Kalliste heard her father¡¯s voice and even noticed the hint of anger within it, but she could not move her eyes away from what she saw. A lone figure trudged through the blizzard with only a mere linen cloth wrapped around her body.


    Kalliste raised a small finger and pointed at the oddity, ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°It looks like a simpleton,¡± Lord Lilith laughed. ¡°What imbecile is out and about in the middle of a blizzard?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, my lord,¡± the chief said anxiously. ¡°She is an orphan and truly is a simpleton, a buffoon, really. She can¡¯t even speak properly.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Tell me more,¡± he said.


    The chief nodded reluctantly, ¡°Her mother was a villager who got pregnant with a frost giant, gods knows where. She died a few years later. I let her hybrid child stay out of regard for the mother¡¯s last wish, but the child really is useless. I told her not to show her face near the tavern while you were staying here, but clearly, she is even too stupid to listen to that simple request.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Lord Lilith rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°Well, so long as she doesn¡¯t bother us, I don¡¯t care what she does.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, my lord,¡± the chief bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll get the girl out of here right away.¡±


    Kalliste ignored the adults¡¯ chattering and hopped off her sled. She marched through the snow and blocked the orphan¡¯s path. As Kalliste drew near she noticed how strangely tall the girl was. The girl wasn¡¯t even wearing any shoes, but she was still several heads taller than Kalliste.


    The orphan quickly bowed her head repeatedly in fear, ¡°S-sorry, I-I don¡¯t m-mean a-any t-t-trouble.¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing? Did I accuse you of something?¡± Kalliste crossed her arms.


    ¡°...N-no?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s considered rude to not look at someone while they¡¯re talking to you, you know,¡± Kalliste said, a trace of annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°S-sorry.¡± The orphan slowly raised her head and looked at the young vampiress.


    Kalliste¡¯s eyes widened at the gaunt face staring back at her. The orphan noticed the expression and quickly looked away in shame. But Kalliste drew closer until they were face to face or at least face to stomach.


    Kalliste looked up at the orphan and cocked her head to the side, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°E-eight,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re the same age as me? Why are you so tall?¡±


    ¡°I d-don¡¯t know,¡± she shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    ¡°Not r-really.¡±


    Kalliste blinked, ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    The orphan stared at the girl with surprise, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Why are you out here by yourself?¡± Kalliste asked.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I w-was hungry. I usually get leftovers from the tavern¡¯s cook, b-but, I didn¡¯t know you and your people were coming back so soon¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have come if I had known¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not stupid, just scared¡­¡± Kalliste noted. ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡±


    ¡°L-Lynn?¡±


    ¡°Is that a question?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Lynn. Just Lynn.¡±


    ¡°A hybrid named Lynn, huh?¡± Kalliste nodded to herself. She reached out and grabbed Lynn¡¯s hand without hesitation. ¡°You smell terrible, probably because you¡¯re a hybrid.¡± She puffed her cheeks, ¡°Ugh, I got no choice but to get you a bath. And your cheeks are so thin, you¡¯ll need some food too.¡±


    ¡°H-huh?¡± Lynn frowned.


    ¡°Kal, what are you doing?¡± Lord Lilith asked curiously.


    Kalliste groaned, ¡°The girl¡¯s by herself and she¡¯s terrible at it! It''s annoying to even look at! I¡¯ll fix it!¡±


    ¡°Fix it?¡± Lord Lilith raised his eyebrow. ¡°How are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll take her away from this stupid village!¡± Kalliste crossed her arms.


    ¡°Stupid!?¡± the village chief coughed.


    ¡°Do you want the girl as your slave, Kal?¡± Lord Lilith asked.


    Kalliste glanced at Lynn, the hybrid¡¯s expression was a mixture of fear and worry.


    ¡°No,¡± Kalliste shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s uh¡­ too ugly for that. She¡¯ll be my¡­ maid. Yeah, my maid.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too ugly for a slave, but not for a maid?¡± Lord Lilith asked wryly.


    ¡°Y-yeah! What of it!?¡± Kalliste glared.


    Lord Lilith laughed happily, ¡°Oh, Kal, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you get so worked up before let alone stand up for yourself, and now you do it for a stranger, and a hybrid at that? I¡¯m surprised¡­ and honestly a little impressed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for her,¡± Kalliste mumbled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a need for any more maids at the moment, not to mention a frost giant would stick out, and she¡¯s a hybrid¡­¡± Lord Lilith pondered.


    Kalliste¡¯s face paled with dread.


    Lord Lilith grinned sympathetically, ¡°Hm, how about this. Instead of a maid, I¡¯ll let you bring the girl along as a playmate. You¡¯ve already scared away all the other children at the castle, so maybe a frost giant might just work out.¡±


    ¡°Really!? She can come home with us!?¡± Kalliste asked excitedly.


    ¡°But you will have to make sure she is cleaned and well fed,¡± he nodded. ¡°I will not have anyone in my House looking so haggard, she will be your responsibility. Do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Kalliste smiled brightly. She glanced at Lynn and quickly changed her expression to one of reluctance, ¡°I mean, if I have to, fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Kal, let¡¯s go inside already, I¡¯m freezing,¡± Lord Lilith rubbed his arms and walked into the tavern with the stupefied chief.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lynn mumbled quietly.


    Kalliste¡¯s cheeks suddenly grew warm, she quickly looked away. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you just looked so pathetic, you don¡¯t even have shoes¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I leave then?¡±


    ¡°No! I-I mean, you¡¯ll stop being so pathetic when you get cleaned up¡­ You heard my father, you have to play dolls with me after we take a bath. The vampire aristocracy doesn¡¯t approve of hybrids but you don¡¯t look so bad. And I¡¯ve got no one else to play with so I¡¯ll make an exception for now. You should be honored, o-okay?¡± Kalliste muttered nervously.


    Lynn couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Kalliste grinned and ran inside.


    ~~~


    ¡°Lynn, what are you doing!?¡± Kalliste screamed from the coliseum¡¯s front row.


    Lynn slowly looked up with a faint smile.


    Kalliste¡¯s usual pale face was an angry scarlet red. Her hands were wrapped around the guardrails with a white-knuckle grip. ¡°Why are you letting her mock you like that?!¡± Kalliste yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t just give up, Lynn! Get up, damn you!¡±


    Lynn couldn¡¯t help but grin wryly. Kalliste¡¯s angry expression just seemed so¡­ sad.


    I know, Kal, Lynn glanced at the bloody gash over her leg. You''re always angry, so bitter at the world, but I know¡­


    Lynn took a deep breath and held it as she pushed herself to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she called out to her opponent. ¡°The world is unfair, but I am lucky. I¡¯m lucky to have found a true friend in such an unfair world.¡±


    Diane stared at her, confused, ¡°A friend?¡±


    Lynn chuckled to herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much. No home, no family, no talent. But I had her. She often doesn¡¯t know how to express herself and she sometimes can be immature, but she was always there for me¡­ So for her, I gathered what meager talent I had and I worked hard, as hard as I could, just for a chance to stand next to her, even in a ridiculous tournament like this.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Diane narrowed her eyes warily.


    Lynn stretched her arms to the sky, ¡°I¡¯m saying that for her, I¡¯ll make sure Frost Rim wins, no matter the cost.¡±


    The four pools sloshed about and floated into the air in giant globs of water, gathering above the center of the arena in the shape of a giant sphere.


    Diane¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°H-how is this possible¡­!?¡±


    Lynn grimaced in pain, her arms trembled from the exertion. Blood spilled down her leg, pooling at her feet.


    ¡°What are you doing!? You¡¯re killing yourself!¡± Diane yelled.


    Lynn¡¯s lips stretched wide in a wry grin, ¡°No matter the cost.¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡± Diane raised her swords and prepared to dash.


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Lynn threw her arms down. Dozens of ice spears emerged from the giant sphere and rained down on Diane.


    The orc dashed away from the spears, but volley after volley fell down after her, corralling her in place. Diane screamed in defiance and shifted her stance. Her swords became a silver blur as they slashed the falling spears apart. A faint green dome slowly formed around her as the blades spun in an unseen pattern.


    ¡°Swordmaster, huh¡­¡± Lynn muttered bitterly. Her vision was beginning to blur, but she recognized the lifeforce shield surrounding the orc. Her body burned as the elemental mana in her veins surged through to extreme limits.


    Lynn shook her head and threw her arms apart, ¡°No matter the cost!¡±


    The water above transformed into a hundred frozen spears, sharper and larger than the ones before. Diane looked up in despair, her mouth open wide.


    ¡°STOP!!¡± a voice screeched through the crowd''s cheers.


    Lynn slowly turned to the familiar voice. Her body stiffened at the sight of Kalliste. The ever-so-composed vampiress had tears streaming down her cheeks.


    ¡°Stop, please, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Kalliste cried out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! You¡¯ve done enough! So, please, just stop!¡±


    Lynn closed her eyes and smiled, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± She swayed to the side and fell over heavily.


    The hundred spears melted and the giant sphere of water crumbled apart and fell down in a cloud of rain.


    ¡°Lynn of Frost Rim is unable to continue, the victory goes to Diane of Murkton!¡± the herald Mark announced from his tower.


    Kalliste jumped off the stands and ran across the arena to the fallen Lynn.


    Diane stared at Lynn, ashamed. ¡°You were more dedicated than I ever was¡­¡± She dropped her blades and bowed low.


    ~~~


    ¡°Holy shit¡­ is that what a frost giant is capable of?¡± Freya mumbled in awe.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what Frost Rim is capable of,¡± Callum said grimly. ¡°I¡¯m not liking our chances¡­¡±


    Stryg hurried down the coliseum¡¯s steps, his face covered in a grey cloak. He found the seats where his friends sat and rushed over and joined them.


    ¡°Oh, you made it!¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Yeah, I got caught up with some¡­ things,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°So, what¡¯d I miss?¡±

 Chapter 281: The Ebon Lords’ Dream

    Chapter 281: The Ebon Lords¡¯ Dream


    ¡­A few days ago¡­ The 2nd Challenge¡­


    Plum watched in horror as a myriad of spells fell over Team Hollow Shade¡¯s pillar. Sylvie¡¯s fractured stone wall shattered apart as the spells exploded in a cacophony of magic. A stunned quiet fell over the coliseum¡¯s crowds at the sight of the broken pillar.


    Mark Stemme cleared his throat and softly spoke into the Herald¡¯s Tower¡¯s enchanted trumpet, ¡°HOLLOW SHADE¡¯S ENTIRE TEAM SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN¡­ A MOMENT OF SILENCE IF YOU WILL¡­¡±


    No, it can¡¯t be, it can¡¯t be, it can¡¯t be¡­


    Plum sat still, her muscles rigid, her skin cold, her heart clenched tight.


    They couldn¡¯t be gone¡­


    It happened so fast. Stryg and the others were just there and now they were¡­


    ¡°WAIT, ARE YOU SEEING THAT!?¡± Jane Stemme yelled.


    A faint red sheen glowed amidst the smoke. A large red dome of light stood where the stone wall had once been. Dozens of intricate red ward sigils flared across the dome and at its center stood Hollow Shade¡¯s mages, unharmed.


    Plum stood to her feet, surprise and confusion etched across her face.


    Were they alive!?


    Had Callum saved them?


    The red dome was too far for Plum to see any of the specific sigils, but to have blocked an entire arsenal of spells at once must have required enormous skill. If anyone could have done it would have been a talented Veres. But what if the ward dome had only blocked a few of the spells? Gods, she hoped the wards had held. But such a complex ward shield would have been impossible for an adept¡­


    Plum swallowed hard, Please, gods, please let them be okay.


    As the smoke cleared, the red dome faded away.


    Plum gasped with relief at the sight of Stryg and the others.


    They were okay, they wer-


    Stryg flew straight into the sky like an arrow blazing through the battlefield. Shadow tendrils flew out of his silhouette and caught Heather Navis floating about the arena. Heather didn¡¯t even have a moment to react before Stryg had struck her down straight into the water.


    The crowds screamed in surprise and joy.


    Plum simply stared, flabbergasted.


    Was that yellow magic? Had he just used yellow magic? If it was, then that meant Stryg wasn¡¯t a tri-manifold. He was a-


    ~~~


    ¡°-A prime mage, can you believe it!?¡± Veronica yelled.


    ¡°...Y-yeah, who would have thought,¡± Plum smiled weakly.


    The pair of friends strolled down one of the bustling market streets searching for their choice of dinner.


    ¡°And he¡¯s already a master mage like Calex! He¡¯s a bonafide Ebon Aspirant!¡± Veronica squealed. ¡°I knew from the moment I saw him that he was special, I just knew it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, an Ebon Aspirant¡­ that¡¯s what everyone keeps saying,¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that excited¡­¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°No way, you already knew, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, come on. You guys were best friends, are you really telling me he never told you about his chromatic range?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­ I see,¡± Veronica said quietly. ¡°He never told you anything, huh?¡±


    Plum recalled Stryg¡¯s words, I¡¯ll become whatever monster I need to be to make my tribe the greatest in the Realm. I¡¯ll destroy any who stand in Ebon Hollow¡¯s path.


    But you don¡¯t have to stain your hands with blood to survive, Plum, I¡¯ll do it all, so just come with me. Someday, no one will ever try to hurt us again, they won¡¯t even dare to imagine the thought.


    ¡°I think he might have tried¡­¡± Plum sighed. ¡°Not that it mattered, I wouldn¡¯t have listened.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Plum shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°We didn¡¯t part ways on good terms, quite the opposite really.¡±


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much what he said, it¡¯s more about what I said,¡± she sighed.


    Veronica grinned wide, ¡°Oooh, do tell.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you said something along the lines of, ¡®Fuck off, I don¡¯t want to ever see you again!¡¯ Or maybe it was like, ¡®You¡¯re a dick, bye bye bitch!¡¯¡± Veronica laughed in an overtly haughty voice.


    Plum rolled her eyes and kept walking.


    ¡°Aw, come on. I¡¯m just messing around. It couldn¡¯t have been that bad,¡± she nudged Plum¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°...I told him he was broken. That he was talentless, that he¡¯d never make his dream come true¡­ That the Realm would be worse off with someone like him in power¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, shit. Talk about irony. He must have been laughing his ass off when you told him that.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Plum bit her lip, ¡°He just said, ¡®You don¡¯t mean that,¡¯ and tried not to cry¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ No wonder you two don¡¯t get along anymore,¡± Veronica winced.


    ¡°You¡¯d think so, but as I¡¯m beginning to learn, life is always worse than what it seems,¡± Plum sighed gloomily.


    ¡°So what was his dream, anyway?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You said that Stryg would never make his dream come true. What was his dream?¡±


    Plum stopped walking and thought about it for a moment. She shook her head and smiled bitterly, ¡°The same dream every Ebon Lord has dreamt.¡±


    ~~~


    Servants of the Great House of Katag swarmed about the tavern, carrying crates and other supplies that the Hollow Shaders had brought with them. It had only been a few hours since Stryg had spoken with Lady and Lord Katag, but they clearly took their word seriously. They had sent their servants to help Stryg and his teammates move into the Katag villa.


    While the Hollow Shaders had come with very little to Undergrowth, Freya and Callum had somehow managed to buy an entire room full of supplies ever since. Why they needed so many clothes, custom-made beds, and more, the servants didn¡¯t ask; they only loaded the supplies into the wagons as Callum and Freya ordered.


    The entire tavern bustled with noise and the chattering of servants. Stryg watched them all move throughout the tavern from the corner of the bar room. He sat perched on a barrel of ale, his cloak wrapped around him, obscuring his face. The less interaction he had with all these orcs the better. He was content simply watching and staying out of the way.


    Stryg didn¡¯t have much to move, only a satchel of clothes and his sword. He liked to travel light, it made it easier to move around, especially if the need called for it.


    As the sun began to dip below the horizon and the last rays of light bled through the windows, Stryg was reminded of how little time he really had. The next few days would be filled with battles, two duels per day. There wasn¡¯t much time to prepare or study his opponents. Worse, he had already missed today¡¯s second match. Though, he had heard both contestants had been exceptionally powerful.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± a timid voice whispered.


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Who else would it be?¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t even see his face.¡±


    ¡°Look at his hands, they¡¯re blue, not grey, not red, blue.¡±


    ¡°Could just be another northern drow.¡±


    Stryg raised his head and glanced over at the crowd of servants whispering amongst one another at the other side of the tavern.


    ¡°Shit, he¡¯s looking at us!¡± a servant said in a panicked voice. She awkwardly turned around and pretended to clean one of the bar tables.


    The other servants followed suit and quickly dispersed.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, mildly curious. After a brief moment, one of the women glanced at him, and their eyes met briefly. She stiffened and quickly looked away.


    ¡°He just looked at me!¡± she whispered excitedly.


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± another servant scoffed.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile whimsically. He was used to others whispering about him, the students back at the academy did it all the time, but it was always about how strange he was, how different he was from everyone else. But for the first time, it seemed being different wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    ¡°Excuse me, greatest centaur you¡¯ll ever see coming through!¡± a familiar voice shouted from outside.


    Stryg¡¯s pointy ears perked up at the sound. He jumped off the barrel and ran outside without hesitation.


    Rhian stood in front of the tavern, a dozen servants milling around her, carrying things into the wagons. Rhian seemed the same, her usual confident smile plastered over her pale almost pink face. Her raven black had grown longer, its tips reaching down past her waist.


    ¡°What are all these people even doing here?¡± Rhian frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you the same,¡± an orc guard walked over to her. ¡°This is private property.¡±


    ¡°Private? This is a tavern, it doesn¡¯t get more public than that,¡± Rhian crossed her arms.


    ¡°Tell that to them,¡± the guard pointed at the throng of people waiting outside the tavern¡¯s fence.


    ¡°Yeah, I was wondering about that. Why are they over there anyway? If they want a drink they can just come inside, no?¡±


    ¡°No, they can¡¯t, and neither can you. And I reckon none of you are here for a drink,¡± the guard narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I mean I could use a drink, but you¡¯re right, I¡¯m here to meet a friend of mine,¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°Sure, you are. I¡¯ve already heard that excuse four times today from the crowds. Now why don¡¯t you go back there and join them, or else,¡± the guard placed his hand over the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Or else what?¡± Rhian asked, genuinely curious.


    Bright purple hair fell over from behind the centaur as Feli leaned over the saddle, ¡°We really do know the people inside that tavern. We were just here this morning.¡±


    ¡°Sure you were and I¡¯m best friends with Lady Thorn herself, now get moving before I make you,¡± the guard warned.


    Feli furrowed her brow, ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken-¡±


    Stryg dashed past the servants and vaulted into the air at Rhian. Before Feli could turn around, Stryg had caught her in his arms and carried her off the saddle. He landed with a soft step, though his hood had slipped off. The servants, the guards, and the crowd of onlookers gasped at the sight of the Ebon Aspirant.


    Feli yelped in surprise from being dragged off the saddle, but as her eyes settled over her husband¡¯s face she glared at him. ¡°Stryg, what are you doing? Put me down, you¡¯re causing a scene,¡± she glanced around anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Stryg closed his eyes tight and nuzzled his face into her cheeks.


    Feli¡¯s eyes softened as she felt his arms tremble and his breaths turn shaky. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    ¡°And what about me, huh? What am I, the butler?¡± Rhian pouted.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but laugh, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He leaned on Rhian¡¯s side and breathed in her familiar scent. ¡°I missed both of you, more than you¡¯ll ever know,¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 282: Your Dear Friend

    Chapter 282: Your Dear Friend


    Stryg and Feli lay naked together under the sheets in their new bedroom at the Katag villa. Feli rested her head over Stryg¡¯s arm and stared at his face as he rested with closed eyes.


    ¡°You still awake¡­?¡± she whispered into his ear.


    ¡°...Mm, no,¡± he grumbled in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Only if it means we go raid the cellar for some grub.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, you wish. I¡¯m not about to raid the Katag¡¯s anything. This may not be Hollow Shade, but I¡¯m pretty sure they could execute me if they wanted to.¡±


    Stryg pulled her into his arms and hugged her close, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone harm you, not the Katags, not the Thorns, no one.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one always biting me.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That doesn¡¯t count, I don¡¯t draw blood.¡±


    ¡°But you want to, don¡¯t you?¡± she smirked.


    ¡°...No?¡±


    Feli glanced out the window, it was dark, the new moon invisible in the midnight sky. ¡°My birthday is coming up soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, the Festival of the Gods is in a few days,¡± Stryg mumbled, his eyes still closed. ¡°Thanks to the tourney there are plenty of merchants in Undergrowth. Anything in particular you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°For you to stay safe out there.¡±


    ¡°Haah? It¡¯s not like I want to get assassinated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Everything has become much more dangerous since you came to this city. We could always go back home.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that. Clypeus wanted to win this tournament, I¡¯m going to make his wish come true, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°...I know. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be careful while dueling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lose, I promise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. All you care about is winning, no matter the cost. If you keep going like that you won¡¯t come out from all of this whole.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what that means¡­¡±


    Feli sighed, ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Sounds a little ridiculous since I¡¯m going to be fighting people who probably want to kill me, but sure, I promise I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Feli whispered. ¡°...You were born on a night like this, right?¡±


    Stryg cracked a lilac eye open, ¡°Mm, the Mothers told me I was born on the 9th moonless night of the year. It was a bad omen¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put much stock into the words of a bunch of women who wanted to kill you over some dumb fight.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just some dumb fight.¡±


    ¡°All fights are dumb.¡±


    ¡°Says you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you think Rhian¡¯s doing right now?¡± Feli asked in a curious voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably still getting settled into the stables. I heard her ordering around the servants, telling them to get dozens of blankets and the largest bed they could find.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we definitely need to make sure she has her own room when we move into our new home in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Right, we do have to move out of the dorms, don¡¯t we.¡± Stryg glanced at his hand, ¡°My time at the academy is over¡­ it feels strange saying that.¡±


    ¡°Do you still have to work for the city for ten years?¡±


    ¡°No, Loh paid off my contract months ago... After this tournament is over, I¡¯m free.¡±


    ¡°Even from the Katags?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Right, you get to marry a beautiful and talented young daughter of a Ruling Family, lucky you,¡± she said sourly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what she looks like. She could be horrifyingly ugly for all I know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit and you know it.¡±


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°...Sooo, I heard you and Rhian did some reconnaissance this morning. What was that about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Secret? Since when do we keep secrets?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, since you decided to not tell me you were an Ebon Aspirant.¡±


    Stryg winced, ¡°I hadn¡¯t even heard of that title until a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°And what about your other seven chromatic colors, hm? Did you only hear about that a few days ago too?¡±


    ¡°...Fair enough. I¡¯m¡­ s-sorry.¡±


    Feli couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Was that really so hard to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless.¡±


    ¡°So, what was that reconnaissance about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Stryg hissed in mild annoyance. Feli giggled.


    A sudden knock hit the bedroom door.


    Stryg sat up and glanced at Nameless hanging at the foot of the bed. ¡°Who is it?¡± he called out cautiously.


    ¡°Tauri. Look, I know you and I aren¡¯t on the best of terms right now, but my parents sent me to talk to you about a few things. May I come in?¡±


    ¡°Tauri Katag?¡± Feli whispered with wide eyes.


    Stryg nodded to Feli. ¡°Come in,¡± he called out reluctantly.


    ¡°Wai- shit!¡± Feli cursed under her breath. She quickly sat up, and with one arm covered her chest, and with the other she tried to fix her purple hair.


    The door creaked open and Tauri walked inside before freezing to a halt. ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know you weren¡¯t alone¡­ or naked.¡± Tauri pointed back at the door, ¡°Should I come back later?¡±


    ¡°No, what is it?¡± Stryg said as he stood to his feet and started putting on his clothes.


    ¡°Gods, you''re naked, don¡¯t just stand up like that!¡± Tauri flinched back.


    ¡°Sorry, my lady, my husband¡¯s people have a complete lack of shame when it comes to clothing etiquette,¡± Feli bowed her head repeatedly.


    ¡°And here I thought he was just an exhibitionist,¡± Tauri said dryly.


    Stryg finished putting on his pants, ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter honey,¡± Feli whispered. She glanced at Tauri, ¡°My lady, it¡¯s nice to see you again. I¡¯m not sure you remember me¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember, I went to your wedding and saw you marry this rude bumpkin,¡± Tauri winked.


    ¡°What¡¯s bumpkin mean?¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Feli said. ¡°My lady, how may my husband and I help you?¡±


    ¡°Well, my parents sent me here to come and check on how you two were settling in, but clearly from the looks of it, you¡¯ve settled in well,¡± she smirked.


    Feli blushed and bowed her head, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, my lady.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no trouble. I needed to talk to Stryg about something anyway.¡± Tauri pulled out an envelope from her pocket, ¡°Also, one of our servants found this letter at our doorstep this morning. It¡¯s addressed to you, Stryg, but the sender didn¡¯t leave a name.¡±


    ¡°Wait, to me?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I hadn¡¯t even made the deal with your parents until around noon. Why would anyone send a letter here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping we¡¯ll find out,¡± Tauri handed him the letter.


    Stryg grabbed it carefully and looked the envelope over. It was a simple slip of paper held together by a glob of green wax. He cracked the seal open and unfolded the letter.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°This, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tauri walked over and glanced at the letter. She frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s all just gibberish. Wait, isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Arcana Form, the language of magic,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Most mages can¡¯t even write a full sentence, let alone an entire letter. And how is anyone even supposed to read it?¡± Tauri clicked her tongue.


    ¡°I can read it,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What? How?¡± Tauri asked skeptically.


    ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Feli asked.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°There isn¡¯t much, just a few lines. It says¡­


    ¡®Congratulations,


    They now call you Ebon Aspirant


    And yet you still fall short of who you are


    But you¡¯re in the Realm¡¯s eye now


    Enemies abound, they are all around


    If you ever find yourself lost


    Among the world of those savages


    If you are ever in need of a true friend


    You need only look into the shadows


    ~Your dear friend, Ann¡¯


    ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Ann?¡± Feli asked impatiently.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± He stumbled backward and fell onto the bed.


    ¡°Stryg, are you okay?¡± Feli rubbed his back.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just-¡± he grimaced. Memories of a dark world flooded his mind. Small brief moments flashed through his thoughts. He had been alone, sinking deeper and deeper into nothingness. It was cold, colder than he had ever been. But there had been a goblin, she was smiling, a glint of mischief in her yellow eyes.


    ¡°Stryg, Stryg! Snap out of it!¡± Feli yelled.


    He blinked and slowly looked around. He was back in his room, sitting on the bed.


    ¡°What was that, you just blanked out on us,¡± Feli said worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I, uh¡­ I was just remembering¡­ about the¡­¡± His eyes widened. ¡°...The Dark Fringe¡­¡±


    Feli glanced at Tauri, ¡°Are we supposed to know what that means?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d know,¡± Tauri sighed. She looked around uncomfortably, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re dealing with something, Stryg. So, uh, yeah, I¡¯ll leave you two to sort all of this out. I bid you both good night,¡± she turned around and left the room.


    Feli wrapped her arms around the blue goblin, ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°N-no. Everything feels like a jumble in my head, it¡¯s hard to think straight,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Maybe you should lie down?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,  maybe I¡¯ll just rest for a bit,¡± Stryg laid his head back down on the bed and closed his eyes.


    ~~~


    The next morning was filled with the cheering screams of the coliseum¡¯s crowds. Stryg sat in one of the front seats next to his teammates. Freya chatted with Callum and Sylvie as they discussed who they thought might be called to duel next.


    Stryg didn¡¯t bother listening to their conjecture. He kept his hood up and his cloak drawn close. The crowds were loud and they bothered his ears. He hadn¡¯t slept last night and he was too tired to try and focus on anything anyone said. Instead, he simply let the words flow past him.


    Memories of the Dark Fringe drifted at the edge of his mind. He sighed tiredly.


    ¡°Hah! Deserved!¡± Freya cheered.


    ¡°Stryg, did you catch that?¡± Callum nudged his friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Huh, hear what?¡± Stryg looked up.


    ¡°Lady Thorn just called participants of today¡¯s duels,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°Gilgard Morrigan of Murtkon versus Veronica Sientia of Undergrowth,¡± Callum said. ¡°And Heather Navis of Undergrowth versus Nalla of Frost Rim.¡±


    ¡°Those stupid Undergrowthers bitches are going to get ripped apart! Hahaha!¡± Freya laughed maniacally.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget how bloodthirsty you can get, captain,¡± Sylvie grinned, ¡°I like it.¡±

 Chapter 283: Votum

    Chapter 283: Votum


    Heather Navis walked out of the coliseum¡¯s tunnel to the cheers of Undergrowthers and her adoring fans. She smiled and dipped down in an extravagant bow. It was good to know whose side the crowd supported. The voices of thousands surrounding someone could greatly affect their performance in any duel. And today¡¯s crowds cheered Navis over and over.


    Still, there were some who cheered for her opponent, albeit those peasants were clearly travelers from Frost Rim. Heather didn¡¯t mind, it was nice to have some opposition, it would make winning that much sweeter.


    Though the tunnel across the arena was wide open, Nalla of Frost Rim had yet to make her appearance. Heather stared at the open gate and the dark tunnel with a small sense of wariness.


    All she knew about the Frost Rim mage was that she was an orange mage and she had only learned that from the 2nd Challenge. House Thorn¡¯s spies had given Heather¡¯s team detailed reports on various opponents they would be facing in the tournament, and yet, very little had been found of the northern drow Nalla. It was unnerving, but it was nothing compared to how little they had known about the Ebon Aspirant, Stryg.


    Heather clenched her teeth in anger just remembering that day. The damn blue hybrid had taken her by surprise in the 2nd Challenge. Had she thought him capable of reaching her in the sky, she would have easily defended herself. Instead, she was knocked unconscious and fell down into the water like an idiot. All because she had underestimated her opponent.


    To make matters worse, Damian had failed spectacularly in his first duel. It had taken five white mages the entire day and night to reattach his arm and even then he was still struggling to move it at all.


    Undergrowth¡¯s team couldn¡¯t afford such an embarrassing loss once more, Calex wouldn¡¯t allow it. He believed in his teammates and that was more than enough for Heather.


    The cheers of the Frost Rim commoners grew louder as a small figure slowly walked out from the opposing tunnel. Heather¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion at the sight. Nalla shuffled her feet forward as she used both hands to drag an enormous greatsword behind her. The sword¡¯s blade was glossy black, its edges curved to a fine point at the tip. A single sigil was etched onto the base of the blade. Its hilt was wrapped in silver string, and as long as Nalla¡¯s arm. The pommel was capped with a smoothed round diamond. The entire sword itself was larger than the young woman carrying it.


    Heather couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the ridiculous sight. ¡°What the heck is that? Your giant friend¡¯s broadsword?¡±


    Nalla said nothing and kept dragging the sword behind her, until she stood at the center of the arena, a dozen paces away from Heather. Nalla gritted her teeth and heaved the black sword up and stabbed it into the ground. She then exhaled deeply and straightened her posture.


    Heather was about to taunt her over the absurdly large weapon, but on a closer look, she noticed the strange glossy pattern of the black metal.


    ¡°Is that¡­? Orichalcum?¡± Heather asked cautiously.


    Nalla stepped in front of the black sword and raised her balled-up fists in a fighting stance.


    Heather chuckled to herself and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that much orichalcum before. But whoever thought it was a good idea to make a weapon out of a non-enchantable metal was an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Our contestants seem ready, folks!¡± Jane Stemme shouted from the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    Her brother Mark Stemme yelled alongside her, ¡°May the 3rd match of the Challenge of Spell & Steel¡­ BEGIN!!¡±


    Nalla abruptly opened her palms wide and shot out a stream of orange flames. Heather raised her hands expectantly and conjured a wall of entwining wind. The flames splashed into the yellow spell and dissipated harmlessly to the sides.


    Heather clicked her tongue with a smirk, ¡°You¡¯re going to have to try harder than that.¡±


    Nalla narrowed her eyes and threw her hands to the side. Two searing orbs of flame spun into existence over her palms and barraged Heather from both sides. Heather slammed her foot into the ground, a powerful gale exploded all around her and tore the flames apart with ease.


    ¡°Too easy,¡± Heather grinned. Her goal was simple; taunt her opponent and bait out Nalla¡¯s exhausting flame spells. Soon enough her orange mana would be depleted.


    Nalla glared at her, but she lowered her hands and simply waited.


    ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t mind going first,¡± Heather, reached behind her, and pulled out a pair of twin chakrams hanging from her belt.


    ¡°But I warn you, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like it,¡± Heather winked and poured yellow mana into the chakrams¡¯ magestones. The circular blades began to spin as the wind curled around them. She summoned forth a powerful gale above her and threw the spinning chakrams up into the air. The whirling gale suddenly changed directions and crashed down on her opponent.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Nalla slammed her palms together and blasted the wind away in a cone of flames. Heather winced from the searing heat, even from a dozen paces away.


    She¡¯s stronger than I thought, Heather thought grimly. Still, flames won¡¯t be enough.


    The chakrams emerged from the smoke and sliced down at Nalla in a flash of metal. Nalla jumped to the side and narrowly dodged the blades as they slashed into the ground. Before Nalla could stand up, Heather casted another wind spell and swept the chakrams back into her hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± she grinned and tossed the spinning charkams out amidst a powerful whirlwind.


    Nalla quickly channeled orange mana into her legs. The agility spell took hold, her veins darkening over her blue-grey skin. She dashed over to her giant sword and hid behind the wide black blade as the chakrams spun by, slashing across the sword.


    You can¡¯t hide there forever!


    Heather flicked her hands and summoned a funnel of wind around the sword. The chakrams fell down in a swirling storm of steel.


    Nalla cursed under her breath and flung a wave of fire outwards, disrupting the funnel long enough to sprint away.


    ¡°Abandoning your sword already? You¡¯re not even going to try and swing it!?¡± Heather yelled.


    Nalla briefly glanced at her sword in the distance and scowled. She yelled in anger and charged her enemy in a blur of speed. A howling wind swept forward and carried the spinning chakrams straight at Nalla. She didn¡¯t change her direction and instead did her best to dodge the oncoming blades. The chakrams sliced into her white pants and loose black shirt, staining them bright red. Nalla winced but she didn¡¯t retreat.


    ¡°You stubborn idiot, you can¡¯t hurt me!¡± Heather yelled and casted a durability spell. Yellow mana surged through her body and covered her skin in outlines of yellow scales.


    Nalla balled her hand into a fist and punched Heather in the sternum. She stumbled back from the blow, a small crack in one of her scales.


    Heather looked up in surprise, ¡°How did you just¡­?¡±


    Nalla answered with a punch to her face. The air shimmered around Nalla¡¯s knuckles as they slammed into the yellow scales. Heather pulled her arms over her face and tried to minimize the strikes. But Nalla didn¡¯t let up and kept pummeling her, the yellow scales cracking with each blow.


    ¡°E-enough! Enough!¡± Heather tried shouting through the hits. ¡°I said ENOUGH!¡± A cyclone of wind erupted out from Heather¡¯s hands in a deafening explosion of magic.


    Nalla yelled in pain as her body was sent careening into the air. She slammed into the ground in a tumble of limbs, her body skipping over the dirt several times before slowing to a halt.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to tip my hand just yet,¡± Heather lamented.


    Nalla clenched her jaw and tried pushing herself to her feet. She stumbled and fell to her knees.


    ¡°Why are you still trying?¡± Heather asked, annoyance clear in her voice. ¡°I wanted to exhaust your mana reserves to avoid this exact scenario. I wanted to avoid revealing my true capabilities, but you just don¡¯t give up. Your people really need to learn when enough is enough.¡±


    Nalla barked with painful laughter and wiped the blood from her mouth.


    Heather sighed and looked up into the sky, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? I¡¯m not a manifold mage. I only have one chromatic color at my disposal and yet I¡¯m here in the tournament for the most talented mages of our generation. Why do you think that is?¡±


    Nalla shook her head, steadied her legs, and stood up heavily.


    Heather smiled wryly, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m the most powerful Yellow in our generation. Not even Calex¡¯s Yellow can compare. It¡¯s why we deserve each other, we¡¯re the two most powerful mages here. It¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you get up and for that I am sorry. I hold nothing against you personally.¡±


    Nalla spat out a mouthful of blood at Heather¡¯s feet and raised her fists in a battle stance.


    Heather chuckled dryly and summoned forth a mighty whirlwind of magic above her. The chakrams were pulled into the sweeping gales and spun with blinding speed.


    ¡°Any last words, Miss Silent?¡± Heather asked. ¡°Or are you just gonna stare at me menacingly?¡±


    Nalla closed her ashen-grey eyes and exhaled deeply. Her muscles relaxed and her arms fell to her sides. A faint bronze sheen swirled over her arms.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Heather shrugged and called the whirlwind down on the wounded drow.


    Nalla slowly opened her eyes and stared at Heather with a steely gaze, ¡°Heed my call¡­¡± She raised her arm up high, ¡°Votum.¡±


    The black blade ripped out from the ground and flew across the stage in the blink of an eye and landed in Nalla¡¯s outstretched hand. Nalla roared and slashed the giant sword into the ground. The earth shattered into splintering shards and the air exploded in a wave of power, obliterating the wind spell in a flash of destruction. Heather cried out in pain as she was blown several paces away and landed in a sprawl.


    Nalla brandished Votum above her head, the black blade pulsing with power. The wind began to swirl around the sword in a terrifying maelstrom of destruction.


    Heather glared at her enemy and pushed herself to her feet. She poured yellow mana into her hands and called the wind to her, but the wind did not answer. Heather¡¯s eyes widened in horror at the orichalcum sword, the wind answered its call alone.


    ¡°W-what is that!?¡± Heather screamed.


    ¡°A promise,¡± Nalla said solemnly and swung the sword down.


    The blast tore the ground around Heather into smithereens, she screamed in terror and curled into a ball.


    Nalla pulled Votum back and narrowed her eyes, ¡°This time I won¡¯t aim at the ground.¡±


    ¡°I surrender! I surrender!¡± Heather whimpered.


    Nalla glanced up at the Herald¡¯s Tower for confirmation.


    ¡°H-HEATHER¡­¡± Mark Stemme paused and licked his dry lips. ¡°HEATHER NAVIS OF UNDERGROWTH IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE. NALA OF FROST RIM WINS¡­¡±


    The crowds broke out in cheering roars. They didn¡¯t care which team Nalla fought for, they were simply in awe of her destructive power.


    Nalla exhaled deeply and let Votum¡¯s blade fall to the ground. The brown vigor spell faded from her arms. She picked up Votum¡¯s silver hilt and dragged the blade behind her and slowly made her way back into the tunnel.

 Chapter 284: Duty & Honor

    Chapter 284: Duty & Honor


    Plum waited at the gate at the end of the coliseum¡¯s southern tunnel. She paced around impatiently and twisted her hands back and forth anxiously. The next match would be beginning soon. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Veronica appeared at the edge of the tunnel.


    ¡°Plum?¡± she asked, genuinely surprised. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk my friend out of doing something monumentally stupid,¡± Plum crossed her arms.


    She smiled wryly, ¡°Now where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Veronica. Didn¡¯t you learn anything from our little misadventure in Shadow Lake? We almost died!¡±


    Veronica raised her index finger, ¡°Ah, but we didn¡¯t, did we?¡±


    ¡°Only because some creepy wraith-looking lady saved us! And even then a bunch of innocent guards died because of us!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, there probably aren¡¯t any guards working for House Thorn who are innocent,¡± Veronica grinned.


    ¡°And what about their families? Their children who aren¡¯t even old enough to understand why their father or mother didn¡¯t come home that night. Do you think they were guilty? Do you think they deserved to lose their families all because a bunch of stupid kids tried to break into some ruins!?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you felt so strongly about all of this,¡± Veronica winced, ¡°You know I was just joking. I didn¡¯t mean what I said earlier.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t! That¡¯s your problem, you never mean anything! Everything is just a joke to you! But unlike you, I know what it¡¯s like to find out your parents aren¡¯t coming home!¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Plum, I didn¡¯t realize-¡±


    ¡°But I listened to you anyway¡­¡± Plum bit her lip, ¡°And now those children will have to grow up knowing that emptiness as well¡­ And it¡¯s all because of us¡­¡± her voice broke. ¡°Do you get that? Do you understand that our choices have real consequences?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I know¡­¡± Veronica mumbled.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s be honest.¡± Plum pointed at the closed gate, ¡°The orc waiting for you on the other side of that gate is Gilgard fucking Morrigan, the son of the Grand Warlord of the East.¡±


    ¡°I know who he is,¡± Veronica muttered.


    ¡°Then do you know how the Great House of Morrigan became the sole ruling family of Murkton? How House Morrigan managed to come on top of all the other vying war lords and mage lords? They achieved it through sheer fucking ruthlessness!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Veronica frowned.


    Plum tapped her forehead, ¡°The Morrigans killed people! Do you really get that!? They killed people over and over until there was no one left who could oppose them! And they haven¡¯t changed that belief in the last 300 years! Every Morrigan who has participated in the Great Cities Tourney has killed their defeated opponents. There isn¡¯t any room for mercy in their minds!¡±


    ¡°So I just have to win, easy enough,¡± Veronica shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Plum groaned in frustration. ¡°You don¡¯t get it! When you told me the real reason why you were participating in the tournament I supported you, but this isn¡¯t some random mage! This is Gilgard! He¡¯s the heir apparent of the most powerful and ruthless orc in the Ebon Realm!¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it. You weren¡¯t born in a Named House! Where every moment of your childhood was dictated down to the very smallest moments. I was expected to-¡± Veronica caught herself and sighed, ¡°I am expected to bring honor to my family. It is the way it has always been in the Ebon Realm. I don¡¯t get to just back out of a fight because I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t have the privilege to say I don¡¯t want to fight. The protection of the people has always been on the shoulders of the Houses.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with the people!? You¡¯re fighting for the entertainment of the crowds, not for their well-being!¡±


    ¡°I am fighting for my family¡¯s honor. That honor is what keeps the people¡¯s faith in us. My family has always protected me, it¡¯s my turn, my duty, to protect them. I have already come this far, there is no backing out¡­ even if it means I lose.¡±


    Plum placed her hands on Veronica¡¯s shoulders, ¡°If you lose, you will die.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really hoping to avoid that last part,¡± she said weakly.


    Plum¡¯s hands trembled, ¡°...How?¡±


    Veronica tried to put on a brave smile, ¡°Gumption, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you have a plan,¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the moment things are getting even a bit dangerous I¡¯ll just surrender, simple as that. But until then I¡¯ll give Gilgard a fight he won¡¯t ever forget.¡±


    Plum bit her lip, ¡°He won¡¯t give you the chance.¡±


    ¡°And from the southern gate, VERONICA SIENTIA OF UNDERGROWTH!!!¡± Mark Stemme announced from the herald¡¯s tower.


    ¡°I¡¯m up, wish me luck,¡± Veronica stepped away and went towards the gate.


    Plum rushed up to her friend and hugged her tight. ¡°May Stjerne bless you and your bow,¡± she whispered into her ear.


    ¡°Stjerne?¡± Veronica raised an eyebrow. ¡°He abandoned us a thousand years ago.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but the Traveler blesses those brave enough to venture out into the most dangerous of quests. And right now you''re the bravest person in this entire coliseum.¡±


    ¡°That has to be the nicest thing you¡¯ve said to me,¡± Veronica grinned. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and take the compliment.¡±


    ~~~


    The crowds cheered as Veronica stepped out from the dark tunnel and into the arena under the bright sun. She waved at the common folk cheering throughout the crowds. Then she bowed to her parents who watched from their private stands, separated from the common folk.


    Gilgard waited for her across the arena. Even from a distance, he cut an intimidating figure. He was tall, almost as tall as a dire. His black hair was cut short, about half an inch. He wore a short-sleeved black tunic that did little to hide the rippling muscles underneath. His red arms were covered in dark blue tattoos that weaved through his hands and up to his shoulders.


    Gilgard Morrigan seemed every bit the vicious warrior Veronica imagined him to be, but there was one particular thing missing. He held no weapon in his hands nor on his belt.


    Veronica narrowed her eyes, ¡°Where is Feather?¡±


    Gilgard raised his eyebrow, a glint of surprise in his amber eyes, ¡°Feather?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know, a large greatsword made of bone,¡± Veronica said testily.


    ¡°I know what Feather is,¡± Gilgard said easily. ¡°It is my father¡¯s sword. So why would you think I¡¯d have it?¡±


    ¡°A little birdie told me they saw some Morrigan guards carrying a large steel case box ¨C about the size of Feather ¨C into your lodgings when you arrived at the city. It¡¯s a little strange, no? What would your guards be carrying in such a heavy and well-protected box?¡±


    Gilgard shook his head and smiled faintly, ¡°Ah, Thorn¡¯s spies are as astute as ever.¡±


    ¡°I never mentioned the Thorns,¡± Veronica crossed her arms.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to. And yes, you¡¯re right. My father lent Feather to me for the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you have it? You don¡¯t think you need it? You think so little of me?¡± Veronica glared.


    ¡°On the contrary, I think very highly of you,¡± Gilgard smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re as beautiful as you are skilled, and your skill truly is a cut above the rest.¡±


    Veronica smirked, ¡°Flirting on the battlefield? That doesn¡¯t sound very warrior-like. Shouldn¡¯t we be fighting already?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we do both? I heard it was you who created the potions that destroyed team Hollow Shade¡¯s stone dome during the 2nd Challenge.¡±


    ¡°And what if it was?¡±


    ¡°It was quite an impressive explosion, not even that dire vampire could stop it. I admit I have looked forward to this match ever since I found out you were the one behind the explosion. There is no greater battle than one versus a worthy opponent.¡±


    ¡°And if I¡¯m so worthy then why don¡¯t you use Feather?¡±


    ¡°Because my father lent it to me,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°...You¡¯re weird.¡±


    Gilgard laughed, ¡°Maybe so, my sister definitely thinks me strange. Even so, I rather not use my father¡¯s power to win.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d go against your House?¡± Veronica asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, I am a Morrigan and proud of it. My father isn¡¯t the embodiment of my House, he is just a man, one who is too blind to see what truly matters in a House, it¡¯s family. To him, all that matters is the power that family offers, not the people themselves. I guess you could say I¡¯m here to prove him wrong.¡±


    ¡°I forgot, your father won the Tourney when he was our age, didn¡¯t he? And he wielded Feather to do it¡­¡± Veronica recalled quietly. She giggled softly and then burst into loud laughter.


    ¡°What is it? Do you truly find me so strange?¡± he asked with a troubled smile.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking of how different you and I really are,¡± she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re here to go against your father¡¯s wishes, because you love your family, don¡¯t you? Whereas I¡¯m here because of my parents, so that I can bring honor to my House, even though I rather have nothing to do with my family.¡±


    Veronica blinked, ¡°Huh, I don''t think I''ve ever said that last bit out loud.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Gilgard said confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re very different at all. I think you and I are more similar than you realize.¡±


    Veronica chuckled under her breath and looked at her thin small frame and then up at Gilgard¡¯s towering body. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    ¡°Then you really haven¡¯t been looking.¡±


    ¡°Looking for what?¡±


    ¡°You talk about your House¡¯s honor and your familial duty, but you then tell me one thing that you personally want and you¡¯re suddenly stunned because you¡¯ve never even told it to anyone before until now, and to a complete stranger at that. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been looking, not really.¡±


    Veronica frowned, ¡°Looking for what exactly?¡±


    ¡°For what you want,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°Because if you were, I¡¯d wager you wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±


    ¡°Is that some elaborate way to get me to give up?¡± Veronica raised her bow and pulled out an arrow from her quiver, ¡°Because it¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gilgard sighed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s my way of saying I wish we had met under very different circumstances.¡±


    Veronica hesitated and looked at his troubled face. And for a brief moment, their eyes met and they saw one another for who they were.


    Veronica shook her head and notched her arrow unto the bowstring, ¡°...It¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I guess it is,¡± Gilgard whispered. He raised his arm in front of him, blue tendrils of lightning crackled at his fingertips.

 Chapter 285: Morrigan’s Son

    Chapter 285: Morrigan¡¯s Son


    Veronica notched her arrow back on her bowstring and released. The arrow flew through the air straight at Gilgard. The orc¡¯s hand scribbled through the air with a quick snap of the wrist. A red wall suddenly appeared in front of him. The arrow smashed into the ward and snapped in two, and fell harmlessly onto the ground.


    ¡°Right¡­ you¡¯re a Red too,¡± Veronica muttered, slightly annoyed.


    Gilgard shrugged, ¡°I have decent wards, but my potion brewing is a far cry from your own. I really did mean what I said, you¡¯re an incredible Red.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°Sure you did.¡±


    Veronica quickly grabbed another arrow and notched it. But before she could fire, Gilgard raised his hand and released a bolt of lightning. Veronica dropped her bow and dove to the ground as the blue bolt of magic screeched through the air and scorched the ground, leaving a small black crater where she had stood.


    Gilgard didn¡¯t hesitate and tossed another lightning bolt at her. Veronica quickly moved her fingers and wrote the ward sigils for lightning protection in the air. A red dome emerged around her and met the full force of the storm spell. The lightning streamed around the shield, searching for a way inside. The red dome shuddered under the force and began to crack. Veronica screamed in exertion as her hands trembled, trying to hold the wards together. The branches of lightning suddenly flared brightly before quickly dissipating.


    Veronica gasped and fell to her knees. It had happened so quickly, the blue bolt had only existed for a second, and yet she could already feel her Red mana reservoirs dwindling.


    His storm spells are stronger than Calex¡¯s, she grimly realized.


    Gilgard raised his hand, a third bolt of lightning from around his fingers.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back another attack, her wards would fall apart. There was no time to hesitate, she needed to move!


    Veronica released the ward shield and channeled brown mana into her legs. A faint bronze sheen covered her shins and thighs with vigor magic. In the blink of an eye, she vaulted high up into the air, evading the lightning bolt entirely. The crowd gasped in surprise as her figure soared over twenty paces into the sky.


    Gilgard looked up, startled at the sudden movement.


    ¡°Try blocking this!¡± Veronica yelled and unclasped her satchel. A dozen different bottles of explosive potions slipped out and fell down. Each potion was made from a different red spell, each requiring a different ward to stop them. There wasn¡¯t enough time to block them all.


    Gilgard pointed his arm up to the sky and stretched out his fingers. Blue tendrils of lightning arched out in a dozen different branches, shattering each bottle and exploding the potions in a cacophony of light and smoke. Veronica screamed and covered her face as the waves of magic blasted outwards and pushed her away. She fell onto the arena¡¯s hard-packed dirt with a loud thud.


    Veronica groaned weakly. Her arm was twisted at a strange angle underneath her. She couldn¡¯t feel the arm, but she guessed it was broken. Her ribs on the other hand were clearly broken. Her lungs stung every time she took a breath.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± she cursed softly.


    How could she have been so stupid? She had underestimated Gilgard. Of course, he could use advanced storm magic. Someone of his caliber wouldn¡¯t be limited to simple direct storm spells. In her rush to end the fight quickly, she had given him the perfect target.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Gilgard whistled. He looked up at the sky filled with smoke, ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t get hit by that.¡±


    With her good arm, Veronica grabbed her necklace and pulled out the small vial attached to the string. She bit the cork and pulled it out with her teeth. The black liquid inside the vial smelled putrid and her nostrils flared in disgust. She closed her eyes tight and downed the oily liquid in one gulp. Her specialized potion burned as it slid down her throat, but after a few seconds, the pain in her body faded away.


    Veronica gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself up. The potion had two effects and neither was healing. Most healing potions were quite difficult to brew and were only really effective for slow long-term healing.


    Her specialized potion¡¯s first effect wasn¡¯t healing, but it did keep the pain from incapacitating her mind.


    Pain was a mage¡¯s worst enemy, it clouded one¡¯s focus, and prevented them from casting. Few mages could reliably cast while in terrible pain. Though there weren¡¯t many who could reliably cast with one arm either.


    Veronica sighed with a wry grin. She¡¯d have to make do.


    ¡°What was even in those explosive potions? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything quite like them. Were they your own homemade concoctions?¡± Gilgard asked as he nonchalantly walked towards her.


    ¡°Can you shut up already?¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Gilgard stopped and cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°You keep trying to act all innocent and nice, but no one believes that shit,¡± she glared at him. ¡°We both know you¡¯re a Morrigan. Your people are cold-blooded murderers, that even kill their own children if they¡¯re born weak.¡± She spat a glob of spit and blood at his feet, ¡°And you¡¯re no different.¡±


    Gilgard narrowed his cold eyes, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡°What do you think, you orc bastard?¡± Veronica taunted.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Gilgard clenched his fists and a bronze sheen emerged around his arms. ¡°That vigor leg spell was quite something. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen another adept jump so high with Brown. I wonder how it¡¯ll compare with my arm spell.¡±


    Before she could retort, Gilgard dashed at her, his arm pulled back for a strike. Veronica roared and thrust her open palm forward. A blanket of black shadows swept over both of them and formed a dark dome at the center of the arena.


    Giglard¡¯s legs halted to a stop and he stumbled back. He cursed under his breath and swung his fists frantically around as he tried to make his way through the pitch darkness. Veronica opened her eyes and smiled wide.


    The specialized potion¡¯s second effect gave its consumer temporary night vision. With quiet and measured steps she slowly made her way behind the fumbling orc. She silently pulled out the dagger strapped to her thigh, raised it up, and plunged it down at his unsuspecting back.


    Gilgard¡¯s arm shot out and grabbed her wrist before the blade made contact.


    Veronica gasped in shock, ¡°H-how!?¡±


    He looked straight at her and smirked. Dark wisps swirled about the whites of his eyes.


    The crowds watched the dome of shadows with mutterings of anxious uncertainty. Abruptly, a figure flew out of the dark dome and skidded across the ground in a painful tumble of limbs. The crowds winced at the streak of blood left behind.


    The shadowy dome fell apart in tatters, leaving only Gilgard standing at its center. In his hand, he held a bloodied dagger, but he seemed entirely unharmed. The orc crowds of Murkton cheered with delight. A scream of terror pierced the cheers. Gilgard glanced up at Lord Sientia¡¯s tear-streaked face. His wife, Lady Sientia grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back into his chair as the other aristocrats stared at them with disapproval.


    Gilgard stared at the emotional outburst with calculating amber eyes, before he made his way to the motionless body across the arena.


    ¡°UM, FOLKS¡­¡± Mark Stemme muttered from the Herald¡¯s Tower¡¯s enchanted trumpet. ¡°IT SEEMS VERONICA SIENTIA HAS BEEN UTTERLY DEFEATED BY HER OPPONENT.¡±


    ¡°NOT THE MOST UNEXPECTED RESULT, BUT ONE WE STILL HATE TO SEE,¡± Jane Stemme winced.


    Gilgard stood over Veronica and tossed the dagger to the ground beside her. ¡°Oi, I know you¡¯re awake,¡± he said quietly. ¡°One¡¯s breathing changes when they''re unconscious.¡±


    Veronica slowly opened her glazed blue eyes and looked up at him. She couldn¡¯t feel the pain, but she could feel the warm blood flowing out from the stab in her gut. It was strange, the blood soaking her shirt felt so warm, almost scorching to the touch, and yet she felt so cold.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re a black mage¡­¡± she mumbled numbly.


    Gilgard scratched his cheek and shrugged, ¡°I suppose your spies didn¡¯t know that little bit of information. I made sure to keep that part of my magic secret, until now¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you know that a black mage with sufficient skill can cast a shadow spell to see in the dark?¡± Gilgard said. ¡°It¡¯s quite uncommon, even among master black mages, but I find the spell quite useful.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but laugh, though it came out as a bloody cough.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Gilgard looked at her expectantly.


    ¡°You¡­ you have all of my colors¡­ and you¡¯re better at them too¡­¡± Veronica smiled, her teeth blood-stained. ¡°I already lost before we fought¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Gilgard said coldly and kicked her in the chest.


    She gasped from the force of the blow as her body rolled backward.


    ¡°OOF, AND HE¡¯S STILL GOING AT IT! THE POOR GIRL!¡± Mark yelled.


    ¡°WHEN WILL IT BE ENOUGH FOR THIS BRUTE!?¡± Jane cried out.


    Gilgard glared down at Veronica, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare give up now. I won¡¯t let you. I¡¯ll kill you before you manage to scream ¡®I surrender.¡¯¡±


    ¡°F-fuck you¡­¡± she scowled, blood dripping from her lips.


    ¡°...I know you can¡¯t feel the pain, your potion helped with that, right?¡± Gilgard noted quietly. ¡°So get up, Veronica. Don¡¯t let your final moments be that of some craven quitter. If you are going to die in front of thousands, then let it be a glorious death that they¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    ¡°...W-what¡­ What are you saying?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not complicated. Are you a coward or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot for coming here¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but are you a coward?¡±


    Veronica remembered Plum¡¯s plea. She remembered how her friend begged her to not fight this monster. ¡°...No¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Gilgard smiled, lightning crackled at his fingertips. ¡°Then get up, Veronica Sientia. Get up and show them who you truly are.¡±


    Veronica clenched her teeth and placed her hands on the dirt. Her arms trembled, and her vision was already beginning to blur, but she pushed down with what little strength remained, and she rose to her feet, broken, bleeding, but a warrior still. She panted in quick shallow breaths and stared at her enemy with a steel gaze.


    Gilgard¡¯s smile broke and for the first time, Veronica saw the pain lingering deep in his amber eyes. ¡°I really wish we had met under very different circumstances,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°...Too late¡­¡± Veronica took a deep agonizing breath and stood up straight.


    ¡°You were right¡­ I am a Morrigan,¡± Gilgard said solemnly.


    He flicked his hand in a downwards motion, a crackling beam of lightning streaked out and stabbed Veronica in the chest. She flew back and slammed into the ground with a hard thud. Smoke rose from her clothes and burnt skin, but she did not move. Gilgard turned around and walked away.


    ¡°I THINK¡­ I THINK THAT¡¯S IT¡­¡± Mark said sadly.


    ¡°THE 4TH DUEL OF SPELL & STEEL IS OVER¡­¡± Jane muttered. ¡°GILGARD MORRIGAN OF MURKTON IS THE VICTORY.¡±


    ¡°EVEN SO, MISS SIENTIA WAS ONE OF THE BRAVEST MAGES I¡¯VE HAD THE PLEASURE TO WATCH IN A LONG TIME. SHE FOUGHT BRAVELY TO THE VERY END, EVEN AGAINST THAT RUTHLESS ROGUE. MISS SIENTIA WAS A TRUE UNDERGROWTHER,¡± Mark said proudly.


    The crowds cheered at the heralds¡¯ words and began to chant Veronica¡¯s name over and over in defiance of the victory.


    Lord Gregor Sientia ignored the chants and jumped down the coliseum¡¯s wall. He stumbled as he landed from the high drop, but he quickly pushed himself to his feet and rushed towards his daughter¡¯s body. Lady Sientia jumped down behind him and followed a moment later. But before either had made it to their daughter¡¯s side, Plum had reached Veronica¡¯s body.


    Plum hugged her lost friend tight and cried hoarsely, ¡°You stupid idiot! Why didn¡¯t you surrender!?¡±


    Plum suddenly stiffened, ¡°...Huh?¡± She looked down and frowned. Slowly, she pulled up Veronica¡¯s shirt just a bit.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Lady Sientia screamed. ¡°We must get her body out of this damned arena. It¡¯s the least she deserves!¡±


    ¡°The wound¡­¡± Plum muttered. ¡°It¡¯s been cauterized.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Gregor knelt down next to her and stared at Veronica¡¯s stomach. He traced his fingers carefully over the surrounding area and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ I think the stab wound avoided any vital organs¡­ And since the bleeding has stopped¡­¡± He reached out and checked his daughter¡¯s pulse. After a few moments he exhaled with relief, ¡°It''s weak but there¡¯s still a pulse.¡±


    Lady Sientia¡¯s legs buckled underneath and she cried with sheer happiness. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± she whispered as she cried over her daughter.


    ¡°...What are the chances a Morrigan fails to kill their opponent¡­?¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°None of that matters right now. We need to get Veronica to the healers immediately,¡± Gregor said.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Plum nodded, but she looked over her shoulder and across the arena at the orc who walked quietly away. He didn¡¯t turn around, nor did he stay to bask in the glory of his victory. He simply walked back into the coliseum¡¯s dark tunnel and faded from the view of the crowds.

 Chapter 286: The Thorn’s Sacrifice

    Chapter 286: The Thorn¡¯s Sacrifice


    Calex Thorn strode past the long winding halls of his family¡¯s castle with a singular purpose. In his hand he held a bouquet of azaleas from his sister¡¯s garden. Lerdea¡¯s favorite were the black roses like the insignia of their House, but she grew all sorts of flowers. His younger sister preferred the quiet patience of gardening over the cold harsh training of magic, though she¡¯d never tell their mother, nor would he.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ophelia called out from the end of the hall.


    With a twist of the heel, Calex swiftly turned around and bowed, ¡°Good evening, Mother.¡±


    Ophelia glanced at the bouquet of pink flowers in his hand and then back at him, ¡°What are you going to do with those?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Veronica Sientia. I heard she hasn¡¯t awakened from this afternoon¡¯s duel, but I thought I might stop by anyway.¡± He glanced at the bouquet and shrugged with a smile, ¡°Lerdea tells me azaleas promote healing.¡±


    ¡°Those flowers have no magical properties,¡± Ophelia clicked her tongue. ¡°You know better than that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the gesture that counts. Showing solidarity to my teammates and their Houses is important, no?¡±


    ¡°Not when they have nothing to offer,¡± Ophelia said coldly. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, right now the Ebon Aspirant is the only person worth our interest.¡±


    Calex¡¯s eyes flashed a glint of frustration, but he quickly smothered it away and nodded, ¡°As you wish, Mother. I do apologize for my teammates¡¯... failures, these past few days. But I don¡¯t think that makes them unworthy of our time, nor efforts.¡±


    Ophelia shook her head and turned away, ¡°I gave up on your teammates the moment the 3rd Challenge began.¡±


    Calex furrowed his brow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If we are to manipulate the outcome of this Challenge, then we cannot make the outcomes seem obvious.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ Are you saying you manipulated the¡­?¡±


    ¡°The matchmaking of the duels, yes. Walk with me,¡± Ophelia waved him over.


    Calex¡¯s throat felt tight. He swallowed back his worry and hurried to catch up to her quick pace.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult really,¡± Ophelia said with an air of ease. ¡°All it took was a bit of enchanting on the inside of the Selection Vase. After that, it was easy to draw whichever marble I wished.¡±


    ¡°But the Selection Vase is sacred, it is forbidden to tamper with it,¡± Calex said anxiously. ¡°If the other cities were to find out¨C¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Ophelia patted his back, ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself out about the small details.¡±


    ¡°But Mother, even if they can¡¯t prove it, won¡¯t the other lords and ladies suspect tampering?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I pitted your little friends against their specific opponents?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calex stiffened to a halt. His eyes widened, ¡°You wanted my friends to lose?¡±


    Ophelia smirked, ¡°As I said, if we are to manipulate the outcome of this Challenge, then we cannot make the outcomes seem obvious. If Undergrowth would win every match our rivals would suspect foul play. So I made the difficult decision.¡±


    ¡°It was all you¡­¡±


    ¡°There was no chance Veronica Sientia would defeat a Morrigan. And that Parvus boy?¡± Ophelia laughed, ¡°As if he could defeat a dire vampire prodigy, and a hecta-manifold one at that. Though I must admit, Heather Navis put on a better fight than I thought. If it wasn¡¯t for that strange magical sword, she might have actually won.¡±


    ¡°You sacrificed my teammates,¡± Calex narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if any of them were ever going to win the tournament.¡± She caressed his cheek, ¡°That was always going to be you, darling.¡±


    Calex stepped away and frowned, ¡°They were my teammates. They were loyal to us. How could you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, relax,¡± Ophelia shook her head. ¡°If they were actually useful they would have won, but not a single one of them did. They would have lost eventually, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­¡±


    ¡°Think of it like this, at least this way your teammates¡¯ losses held actual meaning. No one will bat an eye at tomorrow¡¯s duels,¡± Ophelia smiled.


    ¡°Tomorrow''s duels? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything, yet. Tomorrow morning our Hollow Shader ¡®friends¡¯ are going to find out why they shouldn¡¯t have tried my patience.¡± Ophelia scowled, ¡°I gave the Ebon Aspirant time to make the right decision, but it seems he has thrown his lot in with the Katags.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to put me in the same match with Stryg?¡± Calex guessed.


    ¡°What? No, don¡¯t be silly,¡± Ophelia laughed. ¡°The Ebon Aspirant is the only person who could really threaten your victory. No, I am going to match him against the one person he could never win against, a prime mage¡¯s counter.¡±


    ¡°And who is that?¡± Calex asked, confused.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow,¡± Ophelia winked.


    ~~~


    ¡­The next morning


    As usual, House Katag¡¯s head chef busied herself in the early morning hours of the light. The sun¡¯s rays were barely scratching over the horizon by the time the slices of ham were sizzling on the hot iron pan.


    The chef hummed a familiar tune as she chopped the onion for the omelets. When she finished, she reached for the basket of tomatoes, and froze, her hand hovering over the basket. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shadowy figure staring at her from the edge of the doorway. The pair of lilac eyes stared at her in eerie silence.


    ¡°U-uh, hello there?¡± she smiled weakly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± she licked her dry lips. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Breakfast isn¡¯t ready yet. But we have cheese in the larder. Oh! And fresh bread too. The baker just finished making it a few minutes ago, it¡¯s still pretty hot tho-¡±


    Stryg hurried across the kitchen with quiet steps and plopped down on a chair at the table. He grabbed a loaf of steaming bread and began to scarf it down.


    The chef smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯ll go grab the cheese.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t respond and simply kept eating. He liked the old woman, even if she was an orc. Out of everyone he had met in the Katag household, he liked her most. The other servants always stared at him when they thought he wasn¡¯t looking and whenever he tried talking to the servants half of them would quickly bow before running away while the other half could barely manage to stutter a coherent sentence.


    But the head chef was different, she wasn¡¯t scared of him. While the other cooks would scatter at the sight of him, the head chef only smiled and offered him her newest culinary delight.


    Stryg never needed to bother using words or explaining anything to her. She somehow always knew exactly what he wanted. Ever since he had arrived he would come to the kitchen in the early hours of dawn. Each morning was the same, the head chef would cook and hum one of her usual tunes while he ate in peace. He appreciated their comfortable silence and the mutual understanding that came with it.


    His calm early mornings were his and hers, and no one else¡¯s, and he loved breakfast all the more for it.


    Until right now.


    Stryg¡¯s mouth hung slack and a morsel of bread fell out. He watched in horror as his perfect morning was invaded. The intruder sauntered through the kitchen without a damn care in the world, completely oblivious to his presence. She reached out, grabbed an apple from the countertop, and bit into it, the crunchy sound echoing in his sensitive ears. The audacity.


    Tauri turned and jumped back with a small gasp, ¡°Stryg! Oh, I, uh, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    Stryg stared at her in indignant silence. He slowly reached out, grabbed another loaf of bread, and bit into it, all the while keeping eye contact.


    ¡°Where are the cooks?¡± Tauri looked around awkwardly, ¡°I know most of them don¡¯t start working this early, but Nana is usually here¡­¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You, uh, you come here often?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I sometimes do,¡± Tauri sat down across the table. ¡°Well, not here. I meant our kitchen back in Hollow Shade. I rarely ever come here to Undergrowth. Most of the house staff here is actually from Hollow Shade, they came with my parents about two weeks ago.¡±


    Stryg finished eating his bread and swallowed, ¡°...What are you doing here?¡±


    Tauri wrinkled her brow, ¡°This is my house, I don¡¯t think I need to answer that, don¡¯t ya think?¡±


    ¡°...Why are you here?¡±


    Tauri shook her head and raised her half-eaten apple, ¡°I wanted to get a light snack before I went out on my morning run.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you still here?¡±


    Tauri sighed, ¡°I¡¯m still here ¨C as you so eloquently put it ¨C because I wanted to apologize. And my parents want us to be friends, whatever that means¡­¡± She smiled angrily, ¡°But the more I talk to you the more difficult it seems to do just that.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg nodded casually and grabbed another loaf of bread.


    Tauri leaned back and crossed her arms, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m eating.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, two hours before breakfast is served. I was wondering why I haven¡¯t seen you at the breakfast table. You¡¯ve been here every day, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, you know that?¡± Tauri said dryly. ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re trying to avoid my parents?¡±


    Stryg coughed and wiped his mouth, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Tauri grinned, ¡°They¡¯re my parents, I know how much of a hassle they can be, especially my mom. You¡¯re lucky my dad¡¯s other wives stayed back in Hollow Shade. You think breakfast is bad now? Hah, wait until you see my dad trying to please four different women, three of whom are terrified of my mom.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    Tauri took another bite of her apple and nodded, ¡°Whoever said polygamy was a good idea has clearly never had more than one spouse. Not that my dad ever listened, the big idiot.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like your parents very much, do you?¡±


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re my parents. You love ¡®em, you hate ¡®em. It¡¯s just how it goes. Now, did being a scion of one of Hollow Shade¡¯s Seven make that worse? Sure. My parents have a bunch of expectations and whatnot. But I can¡¯t complain, at the end of the day family is what matters most.¡± She grinned, ¡°Plus, as a Katag, I can basically do anything I want.¡±


    ¡°Sounds nice,¡± he admitted.


    She sighed, ¡°...Sometimes it can be, other times¡­ not so much. You have no idea how much people can value ¡®honor¡¯ around here.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s lips curled in a sad, reminiscent smile, ¡°I do. Honor is everything where I¡¯m from. To be strong and bring honor to your tribe, that was the greatest privilege one could ask for.¡±


    Tauri made a look of disgust, ¡°And I thought my family was bad. Your parents must have been the worst.¡±


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never met them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. You¡¯re an orphan, right?¡± Tauri winced. ¡°Do you wish you could have met them?¡±


    Stryg stared at his claws, ¡°It used to not bother me¡­ but now? Sometimes I wonder, I guess¡­¡±


    Tauri looked him over thoughtfully, ¡°You know, you always were distant from the rest of your classmates and you almost always refused to do any kind of group activities. You were definitely my most annoying student.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Stryg glared at her.


    She smirked, ¡°Yup. You always acted like you were better than your classmates and you always came late. I would have failed you¡­¡± Tauri sighed, ¡°But every time I was going to you would perform well above any of your classmates. I couldn¡¯t fail one of my top students, even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Stryg smiled proudly.


    Tauri rolled her eyes, ¡°Let me get to my point you cocky brat. Whenever I look at you I just see another arrogant prodigy going through the academy¡­ I sometimes forget what you were like when you first arrived. How much you had to go through¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, his mind filled with memories of the past three years. So much of it seemed like a blur now.


    Tauri chuckled to herself, ¡°You were so small, so unsure of yourself. Sometimes I wonder, what changed? What happened to that timid goblin boy?¡±


    Stryg clenched his chest where a spear had once been, ¡°He lost what mattered most.¡±

 Chapter 287: Monsters & Pie

    Chapter 287: Monsters & Pie


    Tauri stared at the blue goblin, ¡°Whenever I look at you I just see another arrogant prodigy going through the academy¡­ I sometimes forget what you were like when you first arrived. How much you had to go through¡­ I wouldn¡¯t haven¡¯t been able to do it.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, his mind filled with memories of the past three years. So much of it seemed like a blur now.


    Tauri chuckled to herself, ¡°You were so small, so unsure of yourself. Sometimes I wonder, what changed? What happened to that timid goblin boy?¡±


    Stryg unconsciously clenched his chest where a spear had once been, ¡°He lost what mattered most.¡±


    Tauri blanched with embarrassment.


    Stryg noticed her shame and for some odd reason, he felt a small pang of empathy for the orc whom he had resented.


    Stryg shrugged his tense shoulders and grinned wryly, ¡°I always thought of you as that annoying orc teacher who was friends with my master¡­ I guess I sometimes forget there is a person beneath that irritating face.¡±


    Tauri looked at him oddly for a moment, then she broke into a half-hearted smile, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡°...Mm¡­¡± Stryg reached out and grabbed another loaf of bread to munch on.


    Tauri bit her bottom lip and stared down at the kitchen countertop, ¡°...I really am sorry¡­ for what happened at Widow¡¯s Crag¡­ for the death of your classmate Clypeus Gale.¡±


    ¡°He was more than my classmate¡­ he was my brother,¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°...I know¡­ I just¡­ I never meant for anyone to get hurt that night. None of us did¡­ ¡± Tauri sighed. ¡°I know that doesn¡¯t change what happened¡­ I was so angry that night, I thought we had a chance to kill the man who took Aizel from us¡­ I encouraged Loh to go chase after the warlord Marek after we thought the students were safe¡­¡±


    Tauri clenched her trembling hands tight and spoke with a shaky voice, ¡°In my blind desire for revenge I placed the death of a terrible man over the lives of my innocent students.¡± Tauri looked up at him, tears in her eyes, ¡°I failed you as a teacher, as a mage of Hollow Shade, and as a Katag. My job was to protect and I failed¡­ I failed all of you¡­ and I¡¯ll regret that for the rest of my life.¡±


    Tauri placed her hands and forehead on the countertop and bowed to Stryg, ¡°I know you¡¯ll never forgive me and I know I¡¯m in no position to ask anything of you¡­ but please, do not let your resentment for me bleed into your marriage with my sister. Elena is innocent, she is a good person who deserves more than to reap the burdens of my mistakes.¡±


    Stryg sighed and placed his half-eaten bread aside, ¡°...I don¡¯t know your sister, I don¡¯t know if she is a ¡®good person.¡¯ But I do know what revenge tastes like; to be consumed by it so completely that nothing else matters. Every time I think of that night on Widow¡¯s Crag I can hardly feel anything else but rage¡­ Loh and the rest of you thought the students were safe and you took a gamble you never should have. But if I had a chance to kill Clypeus¡¯ killer¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know if I would have acted any differently.¡±


    Tauri slowly looked up, a glint of confusion in her amber eyes.


    Stryg chuckled glumly, ¡°That¡¯s just it. I hated what you did, but I understand why you did it.¡± His face darkened with anger. He paused and took a painful shivering breath, ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why you all lied to me about it. Why did you let me think it was all my fault? You let me believe it was my fault! Why!?¡±


    Tauri licked her lips and swallowed hard, ¡°It was an order from Lord Noir.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°If House Veres and House Gale were to find out that we had failed to protect Clypeus, one of their own, then they wouldn¡¯t have believed anything we would have said, no matter the reasoning. Vayu, Loh, and I were on that escort team. We¡¯re all scions of one of the Seven Families. House Veres would have thought Clypeus¡¯ death had been on purpose. Lord Noir thought it best if a student was blamed instead, a student he could protect without raising any suspicions, and without inciting infighting among the Seven. And after the other students thought you had led them to the wrong cliff¡­¡± Tauri looked at him with shame, ¡°You were the best candidate.¡±


    Stryg slowly sat back down and closed his eyes in thought, ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me, Lord Elzri Noir chose me on purpose so that he could stop some Houses from fighting?¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°We would have had a full-blown civil war on our hands while fighting Marek and the valley tribes.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s to stop that from happening now?¡± Stryg stared at her coldly.


    Tauri shrugged weakly, ¡°Nothing¡­ You deserved to know the truth. Whatever you do with that truth, well¡­ it¡¯s in your hands now.¡±


    Stryg turned and looked out the window at the morning light seeping into the kitchen, its warm rays touching his cold skin. He sighed, ¡°All of this to prevent some war¡­¡±


    ¡°...And the monster,¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°What did you say? Monster? What monster?¡± he asked suspiciously.


    ¡°...The reason we weren¡¯t able to come to your rescue when you encountered Marek¡­ the reason why only three people out of an entire squadron of master mages survived that night¡­ was because we encountered something.¡±


    ¡°Some kind of beast?¡± Stryg asked carefully.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was. It changed its forms like water swirling in the ocean¡­ Lord Noir called it The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met her too?¡±


    ¡°Too?¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°You know about the Monster? And her? The Monster we met sounded like a man, but we never saw his face.¡±


    Stryg nodded in thought, ¡°The stories said that the Monster could change its appearance. To me the Monster looked like a goblin woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Tauri shook her head in confusion. ¡°You actually saw the Monster and you survived? How!?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ she wasn¡¯t trying to hurt me,¡± Stryg muttered slowly, his memory gradually returning. ¡°She saved my life that night at Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    ¡°The night at Widow¡¯s Crag? Wait, is that why it left before finishing us off?¡± she muttered. Tauri stared at Stryg strangely, ¡°The Monster went¡­ to save you? Why?¡±


    Stryg suddenly recalled the letter Tauri had given him a couple of days ago.


    ¡®If you are ever in need of a true friend


    You need only look into the shadows


    ~Your dear friend, Ann¡¯


    Stryg slowly turned his gaze to a dark corner of the kitchen, where the sunlight did not reach, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The kitchen door suddenly opened and the head chef walked in, a wheel of cheese in one hand and a blueberry pie in the other. ¡°I brought back one of those pies you seemed to like ¨C Oh? Young mistress, I didn¡¯t know you were here, I would have brought another pie from the larder.¡±


    ¡°Morning, Nana!¡± Tauri smiled wide. ¡°No worries, I just came for a snack before going out on my morning run. Besides, I think there¡¯s more than enough pie for both¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± Stryg quickly snatched the pie away and hissed at Tauri.


    ¡°I stand corrected,¡± she said wryly.


    ¡°The boy loves food, he¡¯s taken a special liking to my pies,¡± the chef chuckled.


    ¡°If you like pies, just wait until you try my sister¡¯s,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg looked up, his cheeks stuffed with pie.


    Nana sighed wistfully, ¡°It feels like it was yesterday. Little Elena used to sneak into my kitchen when she was no taller than the table. I remember her little pudgy hands trying to reach aimlessly over the countertop, hoping to grab one of my pies.¡±


    ¡°She used to always have pie crumbs all over her face,¡± Tauri giggled.


    Nana nodded, ¡°Finally, after getting tired of Elena eating all my pies, I decided to teach her how to bake some of her own. Turns out the little munchkin had a knack for baking and sheer perseverance to go with it. By the time she was a teenager she could bake better pies than even me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d like her or at the very least your stomach will,¡± Tauri winked.


    Stryg licked his blueberry-stained fingers, ¡°So I keep being told.¡± He abruptly jumped off his seat and headed for the door, ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±


    Tauri winced as he slammed the door shut behind him. ¡°Was it something I said?¡±


    The chef patted her shoulder, ¡°Nope, I just don¡¯t think he likes you very much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, on that I¡¯m quite certain.¡±


    ~~~


    Ophelia Thorn stood on a stage at the center of the arena, in front of the coliseum¡¯s crowd of thousands. The white cloak Blossom wrapped around her shoulders snugly, its white petals shifting with the breeze.


    She closed her eyes and smiled, simply enjoying the chants and adoration of the crowds. They cheered her family¡¯s name as she raised the Selection Vase above her head with both hands.


    ¡°LADY THORN IS ABOUT TO DRAW THE NAMES OF OUR FIRST CONTESTANTS OF THE DAY!¡± Jane Stemme yelled in anticipation from the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    ¡°HOPEFULLY WE WILL FINALLY GET A CHANCE TO SEE OUR CITY¡¯S BELOVED CALEX THORN!¡± Mark Stemme shouted eagerly.


    Ophelia ignored the heralds¡¯ announcements and glanced at Stryg, standing at the base of the stage with the rest of his teammates, black cloak drawn over his face. She smiled coldly, I gave you your chance, Aspirant.


    She reached her hand into the jade vase and pulled out a black marble with a golden sigil number etched into its surface. ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s team member Number 2, Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    The boy¡¯s teammates patted his shoulders and wished him good luck. Stryg on the other hand simply straightened his back and glanced at the other teams lined up a few paces away.


    Ophelia reached back into the Selection Vase and pulled out a scarlet marble. She raised it high and made a show of staring at the golden etched sigil, ¡°Murkton¡¯s team member Number 2¡­ Beatrix dai-Morrigan.¡±

 Chapter 288: dai-Morrigan

    Chapter 288: dai-Morrigan


    Stryg and his teammates stood in a circle inside the southern tunnel, a few paces from its open gates. After Lady Thorn had drawn the names for the day¡¯s first duel she had sent the teams to their respective tunnels for a 10-minute preparation break.


    A weapons rack sat on the wall to the left of them and a long wooden bench sat to their right. Overall the tunnel was sparse and dark with only a sliver of light peering through the crack of the tunnel¡¯s gate.


    ¡°Have you decided on a weapon yet?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°I already have Nameless,¡± Stryg patted the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s an enchanted weapon. You get to bring an ordinary one too,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with just my sword,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    ¡°Oh, then can I pick one for you!?¡± Sylvie asked excitedly.


    ¡°Sure¡­?¡± Stryg said hesitantly.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Sylvie skipped over to the weapons rack and began perusing through the armaments like a weapons connoisseur.


    ¡°I think we have more important things to discuss than what shield Stryg should have,¡± Callum said dryly.


    ¡°No shields, they impede my sword movements,¡± Stryg said adamantly.


    ¡°Hah! Wasn¡¯t even planning on picking a shield!¡± Sylvie called out with a wink.


    Callum placed his hand over his face and sighed, ¡°Yeah¡­ besides that, your opponent is Beatrix Morrigan.¡±


    ¡°dai-Morrigan,¡± Freya corrected.


    ¡°Like that will make our problems any less,¡± Callum grumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s dai-Morrigan? Is that a different family than House Morrigan?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Eh, no, not exactly,¡± Freya said. ¡°The ¡®dai¡¯ in front of the surname means the person is a bastard. Most Houses in the realm don¡¯t follow the practice of bastardization, but House Morrigan clearly does.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they acknowledge Beatrix is a child of House Morrigan, but they don¡¯t recognize her as a true member of the family,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°So¡­ she¡¯s an outsider in her own family¡­ she doesn¡¯t fit in¡­¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Sure, probably, but I bet you she¡¯s still going to behave like one,¡± Callum said. ¡°Morrigans kill their opponents, there is no room for mercy.¡±


    ¡°What about Veronica? I hear she survived,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°That was most likely a fluke. Gilgard hurt that Sientia girl so badly she¡¯s still in the infirmary. I hear she hasn¡¯t even woken up yet,¡± Callum said with a wince.


    ¡°Callum is right,¡± Freya nodded. ¡°What happened with Veronica Sientia was an exception. Don¡¯t expect it to happen again. Beatrix is a Morrigan, and they have always been dangerous. Do not underestimate her.¡±


    ¡°Professor Ismene consulted with House Noir¡¯s spies,¡± Callum said. ¡°She told me that Beatrix has made very few public appearances, even in Murkton¡¯s own mage academy. We barely know anything about her. We don¡¯t even know what colors she has¡­¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean we don¡¯t even know her colors,¡± Stryg asked, confused.


    ¡°She only used her sword during the 2nd Challenge. She¡¯s been keeping her abilities a secret until needed, I guess.¡± Freya narrowed her eyes knowingly, ¡°Just like someone else, hm?¡±


    ¡°I had my reasons,¡± Stryg said defensively.


    ¡°Yeah and I don¡¯t doubt she has hers too,¡± Freya said. ¡°Just try not to rush into the fight, take your time to assess her capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I can do that,¡± Stryg nodded. He glanced at the crack of light through the gates, ¡°...I think.¡±


    ~~~


    Gilgard watched with trepidation as his younger half-sister strapped her longsword to her back and sheathed a short sword to her hip. His other two teammates, Diane and Hallus, stood a dozen paces away, trying to give the two siblings a bit of privacy.


    ¡°Beatrix¡­ are you sure you¡¯re ready for this?¡± Gilgard muttered.


    Her head snapped up, her amber eyes full of suspicion, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You don¡¯t think I can do this?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± Gilgard said carefully. ¡°You were the one who said Stryg of Ebon Hollow was the most dangerous opponent in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°That was because I couldn¡¯t see his mana flow. But now I know he is a prime mage.¡±


    ¡°But you still can¡¯t see his mana flow, right?¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Beatrix shrugged, ¡°I should be able to see it once I get into physical contact. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Gilgard bit his lip and paused with hesitation. He took a deep breath and pressed on, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go too far in this duel. There are too many unknown factors. You saw his advanced ward spells in the last Challenge, right? I didn¡¯t even recognize half of them. Who knows what the extent of his knowledge truly is. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Careful?¡± Beatrix scoffed. ¡°What? Do you want me to show mercy like you did with that drow?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Beatrix said testily. ¡°You already disobeyed Lord Morrigan¡¯s orders by refusing to kill your opponent and now you¡¯re trying to convince me to do the same? Just because you don¡¯t care about your honor doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll just follow along and dishonor this family.¡±


    Gilgard sighed, ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re angry about what I did, and I know our father might blame not just me, but you too for what happened in my duel¡­ And for that, I am truly sorry, but I swear to you that this, right here, right now, isn¡¯t about any of that.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this about, captain?¡± Beatrix crossed her arms.


    ¡°This is about your opponent being an Ebon Aspirant!¡± Gilgard yelled. ¡°We have no idea what sort of implications an Ebon Aspirant let alone an Ebon Lord might have on the realm! Father has yet to respond to any of my messages regarding Stryg of Ebon Hollow nor what we should do about him!¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care what our father thought?¡± Beatrix raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with his ideologies, but we are still way out of our depth in this situation. Don¡¯t you see that? We have no idea what the ramifications of killing the Aspirant are. For all we know the whole realm could fall into infighting! Tens of thousands of lives could be lost!¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Beatrix looked up at him, ¡°Father hasn¡¯t responded to any of your messages. But he responded to mine.¡±


    ¡°What? You went behind my back?¡± Gilgard frowned. ¡°I thought you and I were a team.¡±


    ¡°And I thought we shared each other¡¯s goals and put each other¡¯s best interests first, but clearly you rather follow your own self-righteous beliefs instead,¡± Beatrix snapped. ¡°Father¡¯s message was very clear. Kill the Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gilgard shook his head. ¡°When did he send the message? Does Father know about Stryg¡¯s engagement to our cousin?¡±


    Beatrix looked away, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter at this point.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, does he? We could be obtaining a powerful ally if Stryg marries into House Katag.¡±


    ¡°Or House Katag might try to overthrow our House and take over Murkton. The Katags never could before, but now? With the power of an Ebon Lord?¡±


    ¡°The Katags wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? Can you tell me for certain they wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    Gilgard lowered his head, ¡°...I don¡¯t think the Katags would betray us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good enough answer,¡± Beatrix whispered. ¡°...Father is aware of the Aspirant¡¯s engagement. He made his decision.¡±


    Gilgard groaned in frustration, ¡°So what if he has!? Are you seriously just going to listen to him!? He is a cruel, heartless shadow of a man who would rather kill our potential greatest ally because he¡¯s too scared that his own family might betray him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so easy for you to say,¡± she muttered angrily.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to be a part of this family!¡± Beatrix screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t have the luxury of just ignoring our father¡¯s wishes! While you go out there and play the rebel I have to face the reality of my station!¡±


    Gilgard¡¯s face paled, ¡°Beatrix¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°You take our family¡¯s name for granted,¡± her voice grew tight. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like having to live your entire life trying to prove to everyone around you that you deserve the right to merely exist!¡±


    Gilgard looked at her with sympathy, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apologies!¡± Beatrix¡¯s voice broke. ¡°...You hate our family, I know. But all I¡¯ve ever wanted was to be a part of what you so easily cast aside.¡± She turned her back to him and stared at the tunnel¡¯s closed gate, ¡°So I¡¯m going to go out there and prove to the world that I¡¯m a truer Morrigan than you ever were.¡±


    Gilgard hung his head in shame, ¡°...Please, just¡­ be safe¡­¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°LADIES AND LORDS, ARISTOCRATS AND COMMONERS ALIKE, TODAY WE ARE IN FOR ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED MATCHES OF THE TOURNAMENT!¡± Jane Stemme announced.


    ¡°WE WILL FINALLY GET TO SEE THE ONE AND ONLY EBON ASPIRANT IN ACTION. AND AGAINST THE MYSTERIOUS BEATRIX DAI-MORRIGAN NO LESS!¡± Mark Stemme added with a boastful voice.


    The crowds cheered in response. Many of them waved small banners of House Murkton or Hollow Shade high above their heads.


    Stryg found the cheers a little too loud for his sensitive ears, though the Stemme heralds¡¯ voices booming from the top of their tower were even more annoying. Callum had told him that it was custom to wave to the crowd before a duel began, but Stryg felt no inclination to do so, and it seemed neither did his opponent.


    Beatrix stared at him from across the arena with a cold expression.


    Stryg glanced at the small dagger strapped to his thigh and sighed. Maybe letting Sylvie pick out his secondary weapon was a bad idea after all.


    ¡°MAY THE DUEL OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡± the heralds yelled in unison.


    Stryg made no immediate motion to charge his opponent and neither did she. Stryg recalled his teammates'' words about Beatrix. He placed his hands on his sides and bowed low as was tradition in a swordsman¡¯s duel.


    Beatrix¡¯s eyes narrowed in recognition. She begrudgingly placed her hands on her sides and mirrored his bow.


    Stryg smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re the outcast of your tribe, huh? I¡¯m glad we get a chance to fight.¡±


    ¡°Mockery?¡± Beatrix spat at the ground, ¡°Unlike the others, I¡¯m not afraid of you. You¡¯ll have to do better than that.¡±


    ¡°Afraid of me?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side. He hadn¡¯t realized there were people afraid of him. Though he certainly could recall many times he wished people were afraid of him.


    ¡°Do your worst,¡± Beatrix scowled. She drew her long sword and fell into a battle stance.


    She¡¯s odder than I imagined, Stryg thought.


    Was she taunting him? Did she want him to attack recklessly? Only a fool would do that.


    Stryg grinned half-heartedly. He had been that fool one too many times. Today would be different. He¡¯d gauge his opponent¡¯s abilities first. He channeled orange mana into his arm and flung a fireball at his opponent from afar.


    Beatrix didn¡¯t dodge, she didn¡¯t raise her sword either. She simply stuck out her outstretched palm. The fireball exploded around her in a burst of blue sparks. The flames abruptly dissipated around her fingers without a single burn on her scarlet skin.


    Beatrix smiled to herself, ¡°As I thought, I can¡¯t see your mana flow, but I can still see your spell¡¯s threads.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in shock. His flame spell had disappeared into thin air. There hadn¡¯t been any colliding force, the flames had simply burst and faded away.


    ¡°What was that? What did you do!?¡± Stryg hissed.


    Beatrix stared at him strangely and finally broke into a smile, ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? Here I thought the scope of the Ebon Aspirant¡¯s influence was so great that you already knew everything about me. But the truth is, you don¡¯t know what I am, do you?¡±

 Chapter 289: True Blue

    Chapter 289: True Blue


    Beatrix stared at Stryg strangely and finally broke into a smile, ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? Here I thought the scope of the Ebon Aspirant¡¯s influence was so great that you already knew everything about me. But the truth is, you don¡¯t know what I am, do you?¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow and squinted in her direction, ¡°Your eyes¡­¡±


    Small blue flecks of light floated in her amber irises like firelights on summer nights.


    ¡°Why is there blue in your eyes?¡± Stryg called out.


    Beatrix looked up, slightly startled, ¡°You can see that from all the way over there?¡±


    ¡°Is this some sort of trick?¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°I have no need for tricks,¡± Beatrix chuckled. ¡°House Morrigan would never tarnish our honor by using something so low as tricks and deception in a duel.¡± She straightened her back and looked him down, ¡°I¡¯ll defeat you with my own power, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still haven¡¯t said what that power is,¡± Stryg said and began to pace around her in a wide circle.


    ¡°You really want to know, hm?¡± Beatrix smiled bemusedly and followed him with her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind explaining it to the Ebon Aspirant himself. I never planned to keep my abilities from you anyway.¡± It will not change the outcome of this match, in fact, I¡¯m quite certain it will seal it, she thought. ¡°I am a chromatic true blue.¡±


    ¡°A true blue mage? That was clarity magic?¡± Stryg muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°You know of blue¡¯s true spell-form, but you don¡¯t really seem to know anything about it, do you?¡± she guessed.


    ¡°You can see mana or something, right?¡± Stryg said curiously.


    Beatrix shook her head and pointed a finger at her eyes, ¡°I see so much more. I see the ethereal energies of the world. I see the particles of elemental and chromatic mana floating in the air around us. I see how a mage¡¯s body naturally absorbs that mana.¡±


    Her lips curled into a small smile, ¡°I even see how that mana resides in one¡¯s heart and flows through their body. It¡¯s what scholars call a mage¡¯s ¡®mana flow.¡¯ The stronger and more consistent that stream of mana is within a mage, the more power they can properly channel into their spells.¡±


    ¡°So you can see what we all already knew existed? Doesn¡¯t explain how you stopped my flame spell,¡± Stryg said with a guarded expression.


    Beatrix couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°I thought the Ebon Aspirant would be different, but you really are just like the others.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°In the past, while most mages were so confident in their own powers and the world around them, true blues were far more reserved by their observations; they eventually noticed something mages like you hadn¡¯t before. Mana flow was only one side of the coin.¡±


    ¡°One side of a coin?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    Beatrix put out her hand, ¡°Mana flow is only half of it, the half that you can grasp.¡± She raised her other hand, ¡°I see the other half; every single mage¡¯s flow has its own unique equilibrium, each chromatic color within them vying for superiority, threatening to throw that equilibrium off balance. Mages innately balance their own chromatic colors without realizing it. Not everyone does it well, but some do. That¡¯s what we call a talented manifold mage.¡±


    Beatrix pointed a finger at Stryg, ¡°The more chromatic colors a mage has, the harder it is for their body to regulate their flow¡¯s equilibrium. It¡¯s the main reason why most prime mages can¡¯t even cast a simple spell, let alone reach the rank of adept.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°What makes someone like you remarkable isn¡¯t your range of chromatic colors. It¡¯s your ability to regulate those colors enough to actually be able to cast a spell.¡± She smirked, ¡°You think your abilities are far above your peers, but the reality is your equilibrium is far less stable than anyone else in this tournament.¡±


    ¡°But you only have one color¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°And so I have a perfect equilibrium. Compared to someone like me it¡¯s a wonder how you can even cast at all.¡±


    ¡°I can cast just fine,¡± Stryg glared and summoned a whirlwind above her.


    ¡°Can you?¡± she looked up with a smirk. ¡°I can see how a mage¡¯s mana changes and forms a tapestry of threads in what you all just call a ¡®spell.¡¯ Even when casting, Aspirant, your body is still trying to regulate the balance of your mana flow. Your spell¡¯s threads end up coming out disjointed with no true interwoven stability.¡±


    Beatrix raised her hand and pointed her outstretched fingers to the whirlwind crashing down on her. The air shimmered with faint blue particles and the roaring wind was abruptly silenced.


    She lowered her arm and smiled, ¡°All I have to do is pull on those threads at the seams and your whole spell falls apart just like that. ¡±


    ¡°...Is that right?¡± Stryg muttered grimly.


    Beatrix frowned pitifully, a slight curl to her lips, and a glint of mirth in her eyes, ¡°Oh Aspirant, you really are unlucky to fight me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, I guess I am¡­¡± Stryg mumbled with a downcast glance. He suddenly looked up and grinned maliciously, ¡°But I¡¯ve been a bad omen my whole life. Misfortune isn¡¯t going to stop me now!¡±


    He spread his arms apart and channeled mana into his hands. An orb of flame formed over his right palm and rays of white light coalesced around his left palm. He slammed his foot into the ground, shards of stone ripped out from the arena floor and floated around him in a flying arsenal of stone daggers.


    ¡°T-triple cast!?¡± Beatrix¡¯s eyes widened. Her lips broke into a shaky smile, ¡°You really are something else.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Stryg roared and flung his hands forward. The slews of spells flew past him and straight at his opponent. Beatrix yelled a war cry and spread her legs apart in a wide stance. Her hands moved in a blur as they met each incoming spell. Blue sparks splashed in the air as each of the spells fell apart and dissipated. Even the stone daggers exploded and fell apart around her.


    Beatrix panted quietly and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She resumed her defensive stance and stared down her opponent, ¡°Is that the best you¡¯ve got?¡±


    ¡°So she can stop multiple spells at once,¡± Stryg nodded quietly to himself. Wasting loads of mana trying to break through her defenses doesn¡¯t seem practical¡­ in which case¡­


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Where did all that fighting spirit go?¡± Beatrix scoffed.


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing. Why aren¡¯t you stopping me?¡± Stryg slowly raised his arm, dark veins pulsed beneath his skin.


    Beatrix narrowed her eyes, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, can you?¡± Stryg pointed at his arm. ¡°You¡¯ve stopped every spell I¡¯ve cast, but here I am with a simple agility spell and you can¡¯t do anything. Your range is quite limited isn¡¯t it?¡±


    So you finally noticed, good, Beatrix¡¯s lips formed a small smile. ¡°You act as if you¡¯ve already won. But what can agility magic do if you can¡¯t even get close to me?¡±


    One of the arena¡¯s pools began to quiver. Funnels of water rose out from the pool and formed a 10 ft wall in front of Beatrix.


    Stryg glanced at the longsword hanging from her back and the short sword strapped to her hip. He drew Nameless from its sheath and aimed it at her, ¡°And you call yourself a swordsman?¡±


    ¡°I call myself a warrior,¡± she said calmly.


    Stryg channeled orange mana into his legs and casted a master-ranked agility spell, ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±


    Without hesitation he dashed forward, his figure flitting through the arena like an arrow. Beatrix gasped in surprise as he closed the distance between them in a mere few seconds. She poured blue mana into the wall and strengthened the torrent spell, but Stryg¡¯s figure blurred and skipped past the wall and landed behind her.


    Beatrix flung her hands frantically back, the water followed her movements and formed a shield behind her as Nameless swung down. The sword landed on the aquatic wall with a large spray of water, the wall rippling back from the force.


    Beatrix didn¡¯t dare imagine what would¡¯ve happened if the strike had landed. Instead, she quickly split her focus and channeled more blue mana into the torrent spell. Aquatic tendrils sprouted out from the wall and lashed out at the goblin. But Stryg had scuttled away and sprinted to the opposite side. Without even turning, Beatrix immediately threw her arms apart and forced the aquatic wall to form a dome around her.


    She didn¡¯t have a chance to look before she heard a series of strikes slam into the dome from behind her. She spun around but Stryg was already gone. A loud splash of water resounded to the right of her, then suddenly to the left. Beatrix glanced about, but Stryg¡¯s figure kept dashing around the dome striking at all different points. The dome shook and echoed loudly from the countless attacks.


    He¡¯s too fast, I can¡¯t catch him! Beatrix realized with mounting frustration. She had never seen a master mage move so quickly. What sort of agility magic is this?


    This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go. Getting him close and constraining his movements should have been simple. But it was taking all her focus just to replenish the dome¡¯s mana supply without it falling apart. At this rate, she¡¯d run out of mana in a matter of minutes.


    Her enemy abruptly stopped his assault and jumped back two dozen paces. Beatrix breathed a small sigh of relief though she made sure not to show it. She was glad for the reprieve and took the moment to recollect her flow.


    ¡°Exhausted already?¡± she taunted with a bluff of a smile.


    Stryg didn¡¯t respond immediately, he simply stared at the water dome swirling around her. ¡°¡­You really are a strong blue mage. I wonder if your tribe ever told you that¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­? What are you talking about?¡± Beatrix asked cautiously.


    While keeping his eyes on the dome, Stryg stabbed Nameless into the ground next to him, and casually began to take off his boots and socks. He placed his feet onto the arena floor and wriggled his clawed toes into the sand and the hard bedrock beneath.


    ¡°...That dome is as tough as Nora¡¯s¡­ it has no weak spots¡­ This will be more difficult than I thought,¡± Stryg crouched forward and placed his fingertips lightly on the sand in front of him.


    Beatrix narrowed her eyes, ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°Breaking through,¡± he said boldly. A bronze sheen swirled around his blue skin, though his darkened veins did not disappear.


    ¡°Multiple enhancement spells?!¡± Beatrix cried out in disbelief. This wasn¡¯t possible. His body should break. Why isn¡¯t he already writhing on the ground in agony? Something was off... This is dangerous!


    Waves of blue mana surged through Beatrix¡¯s veins and poured into the aquatic dome around her, strengthening its durability severalfold. She just needed to slow him down long enough to touch him. If she could do that then she would win.


    Stryg¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. The world around Beatrix spun. Water splashed down on her. She was on the ground. Stryg was on top of her, his clawed fingers wrapped around her throat.


    A giant hole had been left in the dome where Stryg had punctured through. The last remnants of the aquatic spell began to fall apart, unable to hold its form.


    ¡°Try stopping my spells now,¡± Stryg squeezed her neck, ¡°It won¡¯t stop my claws from tearing your throat.¡±


    Beatrix smiled painfully, ¡°I¡­ can¡­ see¡­ it¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg muttered and loosened his grip on her neck.


    She gasped a precious breath of air and looked at him with a proud smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t need to stop your spells. I can finally see your mana flow.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s head swayed. He suddenly felt dizzy. He groaned and fell to the floor next to her. Beatrix jumped on top and straddled him, and placed her hands on his slim shoulders.


    She smiled triumphantly, ¡°I ¡®forgot¡¯ to tell you about Clarity Magic¡¯s other ability. So long as I can see a mage¡¯s mana flow and I¡¯m close enough, I can disrupt their flow like chaos mana, though I think you¡¯ll find mine to be a bit more disruptive.¡±


    With a weak groan, Stryg tried to push her off him, but his body felt sluggish and weak.


    ¡°Oooh, are you feeling okay, Aspirant?¡± Beatrix cooed. ¡°To tell you the truth, I couldn¡¯t see your flow at all, not until just now, when I finally got to touch you. If it hadn''t been for you so eagerly wanting to close the gap between us I¡¯d never get to see your flow and I have to say¡­¡± she smiled appreciatively, ¡°It really is breathtaking.¡±


    Beatrix stared down at him with eyes of clarity. She watched in wonder as swarms of colors swirled through his body, each of the chromatics fighting against each other yet somehow coexisting in harmony. Some chromatics were stronger than others in certain areas of his body, but they all pooled together in a nexus of colors at the center of his¡­ heart?


    Beatrix narrowed her eyes, What is that?


    Below his heart, she saw something else, something she hadn¡¯t noticed before. A second nexus, but where the first was full of bright colors, this one was full of dark ethereal energy with an almost oil-like appearance. It swirled in a strange pattern that she had never seen before, almost as if it was pulsating.


    What is this? Beatrix thought anxiously. The second nexus seemed similar to other energies she had seen yet something about it seemed entirely unique.


    She slowly brought her hands over the Aspirant¡¯s chest and traced her fingers over the strange nexus.


    The dark energy rattled at her touch and exploded outward in a flower of indigo spikes. A spike shot out into her hand with a painful icy grip. Beatrix cried in agony and fell back. She rolled on the floor as her body seized up. Her mana flow fell into complete disarray as the freezing sensation spread across her body.


    Stryg slowly sat up and pushed himself to his feet. He walked over to the wheezing Beatrix and stared down at her, his lilac eyes alight in a soft glow.


    Beatrix looked up in sheer terror. ¡°W-what¡­ a-are y-you¡­!?¡± she gasped with chattering teeth. Her lungs felt as if they were about to freeze over.


    Stryg bared his small fangs and smiled wide. There was no warmth in his eyes.

 Chapter 290: Life Isn’t Worth Living Anymore…

    Chapter 290: Life Isn¡¯t Worth Living Anymore¡­


    The dark energy rattled at Beatrix¡¯s touch and exploded outward in a flower of indigo spikes. A spike shot out into her hand with a painful icy grip. She cried in agony and fell back. She rolled on the floor as her body seized up. Her mana flow fell into complete disarray as the freezing sensation spread across her body.


    Stryg slowly sat up and pushed himself to his feet. He walked over to the wheezing Beatrix and stared down at her, his lilac eyes alight in a soft glow.


    Beatrix looked up in sheer terror.


    ¡°W-what¡­ a-are y-you¡­!?¡± she gasped with chattering teeth. Her lungs felt as if they would freeze over.


    The Ebon Aspirant bared his small fangs and smiled wide. There was no warmth in his eyes. Beatrix frantically tried to crawl away but her limbs had gone stiff.


    The Aspirant reached down and pulled the orc up by her black hair. She grimaced and cried out weakly. He narrowed his gaze and looked her over as she dangled helplessly from his hand.


    The Aspirant raised his other hand and wrapped his fingers around her throat. He squeezed down slowly and watched the air seep out from her strangled breaths. His sharp claws dug into her red flesh with ease. Blood trickled down his fingers and filled his nostrils with the scent of iron. It would be so easy to squeeze down on her slim neck, like snapping a twig underneath one¡¯s boot.


    The orc wheezed a quiet rattled noise, the last wisp of air escaping her pale lips. Gone were the pride and confidence she had marched into the arena with. Gone were the taunts and mocking remarks. Gone was the anger raging beneath her calm demeanor. All he saw now was the fear in her amber eyes.


    Beatrix stared at him with panicked eyes and saw her reflection mirrored in his lilac irises. She froze and her listless movements wilted to a halt.


    The Aspirant didn¡¯t understand. Where was her rage? Where was her anger at her defeat? Where was her fear of death?


    She bit her lip and closed her eyes tight. A single tear slipped down the side of her red cheek.


    Then he saw it. What he hadn¡¯t before. Frustration. A frustration born from the inability to do the one thing everyone expected of her¡­ and the dull acceptance of knowing that she never would live up to those expectations.


    How had he not noticed it before? He had seen the same expression staring back at him countless times in his own reflection.


    He pulled her in close, his hand still wrapped around her neck, her limp feet dragging on the sand. ¡°What am I¡­?¡± he whispered her question back to himself.


    Am I a Shield to my friends?


    Am I an Ebon Aspirant to the Realm?


    Right now he felt like neither. All he felt was¡­


    Stryg smiled, satisfied, and with a quiet methodic cadence, he whispered, ¡°I¡­ am¡­ the son of Blood Fang¡­ and the father of Ebon Hollow... I am Stryg¡­ and I see you, Beatrix Morrigan.¡±


    Her eyes slowly opened wide.


    Stryg released his grip and lowered her to the ground. He glanced up at the Herald¡¯s Tower looming over the coliseum and looked up at them expectantly.


    ¡°I-IT SEEMS THAT BEATRIX DAI-MORRIGAN IS UNABLE TO FIGHT ON. THE VICTORY GOES TO STRYG OF TEAM HOLLOW SHADE!¡± Jane Stemme announced.


    ~~~


    Stryg dragged his feet through the southern tunnel underneath the coliseum. Even from down here, he could still hear the roaring cheers of the crowds in the stands up above. Many cheered for Hollow Shade, but there were some who cheered his name over and over. Stryg couldn¡¯t stop his lips from curling ever so slightly.


    He stumbled and placed his hand on the wall to steady himself. He sighed and continued on his way to his team¡¯s training room.


    Whatever clarity spell Beatrix had cast on his body had left him feeling woozy. After a minute, though it seemed more like an hour, he reached the training room¡¯s door and knocked once.


    The door swung wide open and slammed into the wall. Sylvie stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, and a glower expression on her face.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use the dagger I picked out for you,¡± she said in a miffed voice.


    ¡°What? Oh, right,¡± Stryg said slowly and glanced at the dagger still in its sheath and strapped around his thigh.


    ¡°Sylvie, move out of the way. Give the boy a moment to breathe before you grill him about his inadequate footwork and whatnot,¡± Ismene called out.


    ¡°But his footwork did falter, several times, actually,¡± Sylvie grumbled.


    ¡°Give him pointers later. Move now,¡± Ismene slammed her cane into the floor.


    ¡°Fiiine,¡± Sylvie moaned and moved out of the way.


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly at her strange disappointment. His classmates and professors, save Loh and Vayu, were already waiting for him in the room. Stryg had made it clear he didn¡¯t want to see Loh and she had respected his wishes. Vayu on the other hand seemed to still be guilt-ridden over accidentally spilling the secrets he had held on tightly for so many years. No one had seen him leave his room in days.


    ¡°Three cheers for today¡¯s victor!¡± Tauri hollered.


    They raised their metaphoric cups and cheered loudly. Stryg broke into a full-blown smile. He thanked them quietly before making his way to the nearest bench and sitting down with a tired sigh.


    ¡°Stryg, you okay?¡± Tauri asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± he nodded very slowly so as to not worsen his vertigo.


    Ismene leaned on her cane and pushed herself to her feet. She hobbled over to Stryg and gestured for him to sit up straight, ¡°Alright, let me get a good look at you.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°And I say you¡¯re a stubborn idiot,¡± Ismene clicked her tongue. ¡°So unless you want to add ¡®broken arm¡¯ to your list of vexing quirks I suggest you take off your shirt and let me check for injuries.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you do what she says,¡± Callum whispered loudly from across the room.


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± Stryg glared at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting,¡± Ismene tapped her fingers over her cane.


    Stryg sighed and pulled off his shirt.


    Freya whistled and smiled appreciatively, ¡°And here I thought with that girly face you had to be as thin as a stick underneath that shirt.¡± She looked Stryg¡¯s muscular chest up and down, ¡°Hmm, almost as nice as Kegrog¡¯s, almost.¡±


    Sylvie rubbed her chin deep in observation, ¡°Yeah, they are quite nice. Especially the serratus anterior.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, what now?¡± Callum¡¯s face paled.


    Cornelius twisted the corners of his mustache, ¡°I never took you for a lady¡¯s man, Stryg. You know, on account of your inability to grow a single follicle below your eye-level and all that.¡± He sighed begrudgingly, ¡°But I suppose some women do like exotic appearances.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re all complimenting or insulting me,¡± Stryg muttered with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Ismene said as she poked and prodded him with her gnarled fingers. ¡°Hmm¡­ No external injuries, despite your ludicrous idea to dual cast enhancement spells. You¡¯re lucky your body is tougher than most.¡±


    ¡°My agility spell wasn¡¯t enough to break through Beatrix¡¯s water wall. The vigor spell allowed me to close the gap,¡± Stryg said defensively.


    ¡°Yes and then you landed yourself right into the girl¡¯s clarity trap,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°You knew?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    ¡°I did not know she was a true blue mage if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. But I do know how she managed to knock you onto the ground.¡± Ismene sighed, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a true blue in the Great Cities Tourney in over a century, I did not expect there to be one today. But I should have prepared you for that possible outcome. I failed you¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°I won, it¡¯s all that matters at this point.¡±


    ¡°The win is the least that matters in a victory,¡± Ismene noted. ¡°What you learned from your enemy in battle, that is what matters.¡±


    Stryg craned his neck up and rested his back on the wall. He stared at the ceiling in thought, ¡°I learned about a mage¡¯s flow equilibrium and a spell¡¯s threads¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯d think Riri would have taught you about flow equilibrium months ago,¡± Ismene shook her head. ¡°After we return to Hollow Shade I¡¯ll teach you how to strengthen your spells¡¯ threads.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?!¡± Stryg asked, surprise clear in his voice.


    ¡°Eh, somewhat. It isn¡¯t as simple as learning a new spell. It¡¯s more akin to meditation. With time and much practice you¡¯ll be able to strengthen your spells¡¯ threads.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡±


    ¡°With my help?¡± Ismene grinned, ¡°Let¡¯s just say by the time you¡¯ve become an arch-mage there will be few true blue mages across the Null Realms capable of disrupting your spells.¡±


    ¡°Arch-mage? That¡¯s so far,¡± Stryg said glumly.


    ¡°Stop whining, you ungrateful brat,¡± Ismene clicked her tongue. ¡°And stop fidgeting, I still need to check on your mana flow.¡± She closed her eyes and placed one hand over his chest and the other over his head, ¡°I¡¯m not a true blue, so this will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Stryg?¡± Sylvie walked over and sat next to him.


    Stryg sent her a side-glance, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill that orc girl?¡±


    ¡°Sylvie, I thought we talked about this,¡± Freya said. ¡°We should avoid killing our opponents, especially the children of very powerful and dangerous warlords.¡±


    Sylvie shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it looked like you were about to kill that girl, and then you suddenly stopped. Why?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°She reminded me of someone¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that it¡­?¡± Sylvie burst into laughter. ¡°I thought you were the pragmatic one of our team. When did you get so sentimental?¡±


    Stryg opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Tauri walked over and placed her hand over Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°His choice to spare her was the logical one. The Morrigans hold very close familial ties with House Katag. If Stryg had killed her it would have placed a lot of strain on our families¡¯ alliance.¡±


    Stryg said nothing, but he sent her a grateful glance. Tauri winked.


    ¡°Oh, I guess that makes sense. You gotta keep the alliances up,¡± Sylvie nodded to herself. ¡°But you gotta admit, a bit of conflict would be interesting too, no? Spice things up, am I right?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Callum said dryly.


    ¡°Tauri, get your hand off Stryg¡¯s shoulder. I can¡¯t read Stryg¡¯s flow like this,¡± Ismene said bluntly.


    ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± Tauri said and took a step back.


    ¡°Yes, I too agree, Lady Ismene,¡± Cornelius nodded vigorously. ¡°Miss Tauri should not lay her delicate hand on one of her students.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just making it weird,¡± Tauri said distastefully.


    Cornelius raised his hands up and spoke with an innocent voice, ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that a young man like Stryg might get the wrong idea if someone as beautiful as yourself were to touch his naked body. He might not be able to control his urges.¡±


    ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t naked, he just has his shirt off,¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°And he¡¯s engaged to my sister.¡±


    ¡°Even still, you never know what is going through an adolescent¡¯s mind,¡± Cornelius whispered. ¡°One second they take their shirt off and the next thing you know they''re stark naked and are about to pounce on you!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow in disbelief.


    Cornelius straightened his back and swept a hand over his stylized hair, ¡°It truly is. I myself have come across several young women who just saw me and began to rip off their clothes and throw themselves at me. But I resisted! I did indeed resist their seductive charms and emerged unscathed because I am an honorable aristocrat above all!¡±


    ¡°How heroic,¡± Tauri said sarcastically.


    Cornelius did not notice her tone and went on with a proud voice, ¡°Your words, not mine, Miss Tauri. But yes, it was quite heroic. I do pray that you never find yourself in such a similar situation. I¡¯m afraid there is no young man who would be able to resist your beauty and charm.¡±


    ¡°Your flattery has not gone unnoticed,¡± Tauri said dryly.


    ¡°I simply speak the honest truth. Just look at Stryg, he already has his shirt off from merely being in your presence. Imagine what might happen if you stay any longer. He¡¯d strip down to nothing and then¡­ I shudder to think what he might do next. Come, Miss Tauri, let us leave this place, you and I, and go somewhere much more peaceful. Perhaps a restaurant? Some dinner to soothe your worries?¡±


    ¡°...Does¡­ Does this work on any woman you¡¯ve ever met?¡± Tauri asked, flabbergasted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand,¡± Cornelius smiled widely.


    ¡°I have already been naked in a room with Tauri and she still seems fine,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Cornelius screeched.


    ¡°Oh, now you decide to finally speak up?¡± Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°And that¡¯s so out of context, Stryg.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Fine, let me clarify; there was another naked woman in the room too, she was lying in bed with me after we had sex.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, dammit!¡± Tauri yelled angrily, her face redder than usual.


    Cornelius fell to his knees, his face aghast. ¡°Life isn¡¯t worth living anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Stryg, stop moving!¡± Ismene snapped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if Cornelius is being overly dramatic or if we should strap him down before he hurts himself,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°My bet is on Tauri hurting him first,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°So did Stryg and Professor Tauri do it or not?¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow.


    ¡°You know,¡± Callum looked at Stryg and Tauri arguing with each other, ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 291: The Infirmary

    Chapter 291: The Infirmary


    The infirmary was larger than most buildings in Undergrowth. Dozens upon dozens of rooms were scattered throughout the stone structure. The size alone made it seem almost like a castle. But where castles were filled with guards, servants, and luxurious tapestries and furniture, the infirmary was filled with the dying and the sick, and the sweet putrid scent of medicinal potions.


    There were many healers, each bustling through the narrow halls, juggling between patients. Most of the healers were academy-trained doctors or herbalists born and raised in Undergrowth. Far fewer were white mages capable of casting powerful healing spells that could stimulate and increase the speed of the body¡¯s natural regeneration.


    The best of the healers had been assigned to take care of anyone who came in from the Great Cities Tourney. Yet for all the power of the white mages, they were unable to figure out what was truly wrong with Beatrix dai-Morrigan. The young warrior-mage had several injuries, but none of them explained her loss of consciousness or how most of the healing spells seemed to be having little effect on her body.


    After an hour of intense spell-casting, the group of white mages declared the orc stable and left the crowded room. The patient was left unconscious on her bed of linen sheets. A vase with a single pitiful pale flower sat on a bed stand to the left of her. It had been the infirmary¡¯s chief healer¡¯s idea to liven the rooms with some flower decorations, but the dying flowers seemed only to remind its residents of the stench of death floating throughout the halls.


    It was the window above Beatrix¡¯s bed, the small connection to the outside world, that called her back from the mind¡¯s oblivion. The faint echoing cries and cheers of the coliseum¡¯s crowds reached even all the way here.


    Beatrix groaned a soft sound and scrunched her shut eyes tight, before slowly opening them in a blurry gaze. The pale stone-grey ceiling was unfamiliar, but the sweet sick scent of medicinal potions was anything but.


    She laid still in her bed, a thousand thoughts ran through her muddled head, but one thought resounded clearly above the rest.


    ¡°...I lost,¡± she mumbled with dry lips.


    ¡°Beatrix¡­? You¡¯re awake!¡± the voice yelled with a mixture of surprise and relief.


    At the sound of the familiar voice, she tried to turn her neck and barely managed to have her head loll on the pillow. At least it was in the right direction she supposed.


    In the corner of the room sat her older half-brother, Gilgard. She had guessed it was him, the voice was too familiar. Though she would never have guessed he¡¯d be here.


    Gilgard stood to his full towering height, a common trait in the Katag and Morrigan families, and rushed to her bedside.


    ¡°Are you alright? How do you feel? Talk to me, please,¡± Gilgard said in a jumble of breathless words.


    Beatrix glanced around the empty room with sluggish eyes before finally settling her gaze on the giant orc looming over her. She paused, her mind¡¯s thought came to a sudden halt, transfixed on what she saw. She had never seen her brother so¡­ scared.


    ¡°You came¡­?¡± she mumbled.


    Gilgard broke into a relieved smile, ¡°Came? I¡¯m the one who carried you here.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    He shrugged, a hint of anger in his deep-set amber eyes, ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to wait for some amateur healers to march into the arena with some stretcher ten minutes too late. The moment the heralds called the match I jumped down from the stands, picked you up, and rushed you to the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°...You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± Beatrix bit her lip, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would have done that for you¡­¡± Not after our fight¡­


    ¡°Then thank the gods that I¡¯m not you,¡± Gilgard winked. He pulled up a chair next to her bed and sat down. His playful expression suddenly turned solemn, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I was so focused on trying to change House Morrigan, to be different from our father, that I lost sight of the family struggling right next to me.¡±


    The words stung and cracked her outer shell. Beatrix sighed and stared up at the stone-grey ceiling, ¡°Lord Morri-... Father would never have apologized. You don¡¯t have to try and be different from him. You already are.¡± She smiled lopsidedly, ¡°You always have been. It¡¯s why you¡¯re such a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Did you just¡­ insult me?¡± he blinked. His lips curled upwards in a grin, ¡°What happened to my ever-so-proper sister? Did you get a concussion in that duel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what happened,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Cold¡­ It was so cold and dark.¡± She swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°And there were eyes, pale purple eyes that shimmered in the dark. I thought I was going to die¡­¡±


    Gilgard grabbed her hand gently, ¡°So did I. But right as it looked like the Ebon Aspirant was going to kill you, he just stopped¡­ I still don¡¯t know why.¡±


    Beatrix groaned and tried to sit up, but she felt so weak; her body barely budged an inch before falling back into the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°It¡¯s only been an hour since your duel. Healing magic can only do so much. Your body has to do the rest. You need to give your body time to heal.¡±


    She closed her eyes in mild resentment at her own body before finally giving up and asking a question she really didn¡¯t want to, ¡°What¡¯s the diagnosis?¡±


    ¡°The healers found only external injuries, which lines up pretty well with what everyone saw in the duel. You had five slash marks on your neck from the Ebon Aspirant¡¯s claws. Fortunately, they were shallow and the healers were able to seal the wounds. But they couldn¡¯t find out why you weren¡¯t waking up. They tried checking for internal injuries, but they couldn¡¯t find anything. Except that¡­¡±


    ¡°Except what?¡±


    Gilgard turned her hand over and pointed at the veins on her wrist, ¡°Your mana flow was in complete disarray. You may as well not have a flow at all right now. But don¡¯t worry! The healers said that they noticed your flow was recuperating, albeit incredibly slowly. It¡¯ll probably be a few days before you begin to feel like your old self.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Beatrix asked worriedly. Even now she couldn¡¯t feel her own mana flow, not even a whisper of the blue mana coursing through her veins.


    ¡°Y-yeah, I think so. One of the older healers said your flow resembled a pattern and set of symptoms that he had seen many other mage patients have in the past.¡± Gilgard winced, ¡°...Though he said the effects seemed far worse than anyone he had treated before.¡±


    ¡°What sort of patients?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°What sort of patients had symptoms like mine?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the healer said that your symptoms reminded him of mages who had gone a little too close to Shadow Lake.¡±


    ¡°...Chaos poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s strange, I know.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gilgard furrowed his brow.


    ¡°When I fought the Aspirant, I managed to get close enough to see his mana flow¡­¡±


    Gilgard nodded, ¡°I guessed as much. He dropped to the ground the moment he touched you. What I don¡¯t understand is how he got back up and you ended up falling.¡±


    ¡°I think I have an idea, maybe, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened out there?¡±


    Beatrix closed her eyes and recalled that terrifying moment. ¡°The Aspirant had all ten chromatic colors flowing through him, as expected. And his flow was strong and consistent, definitely that of a master¡¯s, as suspected. His equilibrium was weak, also expected¡­ But that¡¯s where all my expectations ended¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What are you trying to say?¡±


    Beatrix bit her lip, ¡°There was¡­ something else¡­ lurking within him. I had never seen anything like it. Looking back, I can tell that it somewhat resembled chaos mana like what swirls in Shadow Lake, but this¡­ this was different, like the mana had mutated somehow, it was unique, and far more potent. It felt¡­ almost alive. It attacked me. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s why I lost control of my body¡­ chaos poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on a sec,¡± Gilgard shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the Ebon Aspirant, a prime mage, had elemental chaos mana inside of him. First off, ignoring how he somehow managed to inject himself with some strange variant of chaos mana, how in all the bloody Null Realms was he not completely disabled from chaos poisoning?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know. But he didn¡¯t inject himself with it. That mana was flowing within him, coexisting with his chromatic flow. It reminded me of the frost giant hybrid on Frost Rim¡¯s team. Both of them had an elemental and chromatic flow living in a symbiotic relationship within their bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s natural? The Aspirant naturally has chaos mana? How is that even possible? Chaos mana can¡¯t coexist with other kinds of mana, it¡¯s literally why mages get sick when they are near it.¡±


    ¡°And yet the Aspirant wasn¡¯t¡­ We don¡¯t know a lot about the Ebon Lords or their true limits. The Ebon Lords of the past kept their secrets closely hidden. We still don¡¯t even know how the ebon walls of Hollow Shade were made. What if this is one of those secrets?¡±


    ¡°That Ebon Lords had chaos mana? Beatrix, a prime mage is still a chromatic mage, beholden to the same rules as the rest of us. Your theory seems a little far-fetched.¡±


    ¡°As far-fetched as a mage walking around with chaos mana inside them?¡± she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°...Point taken. I¡¯ll send a message to father, an inquiry regarding the Ebon Lords of the past and their magic. If there is something about chaos, hopefully we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell father about the Aspirant¡¯s secret.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gilgard frowned. ¡°You of all people want to keep a secret from Father?¡±


    Beatrix looked away with shame, ¡°I already lost today¡¯s fight. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll think I¡¯m just making up an excuse for why I lost.¡±


    Gilgard squeezed her hand and smiled warmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as if I would ever tell him any secrets.¡±


    Beatrix smiled, ¡°You know, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re different.¡±


    A visitor abruptly knocked on the door, their fist hitting the wood with a hard thump.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Gilgard called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Hallus. May I come in, captain.¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± Gilgard said.


    The door creaked open and an orc as tall as Gilgard and twice as bulky walked in. He glanced at Beatrix briefly then turned to Gilgard, his hand raised in a salute, ¡°Captain, I¡¯m sorry to bother you and your sister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Gilgard said.


    ¡°Hallus, I know you wouldn¡¯t come here without a reason. What happened?¡± Beatrix asked.


    Hallus cleared his throat and straightened his back, ¡°I came to report that Lady Thorn has drawn the names for the next duel.¡±


    ¡°And? Who are they?¡± Gilgard asked tentatively.


    ¡°Kalliste of House Lilith and Callum of House Veres.¡±

 Chapter 292: Cal & Kal

    Chapter 292: Cal & Kal


    Cordelia Rotrusk ran through the infirmary¡¯s halls, dashing past startled healers and visitors until she reached the luxurious bedroom where her teammate Lynn was staying. The young dwarf kicked the door open and rushed inside, a big smile on her face.


    ¡°The next duel has been decided!¡± she yelled happily.


    Lynn was sitting upright on her bed. The frost giant hybrid¡¯s long legs stretched across the bed, her feet peeking out from underneath the linen blankets. Her snow-white hair was tied in a simple ponytail that rested over her shoulder. Most of her bandages had already been removed and her skin seemed a healthy bright blue. It had only been a few days since her battle with the Murkton mage Diane, but Lynn seemed well on her way to a full recovery, a testament to the skill of Undergrowth¡¯s healers.


    ¡°Wow, that was pretty fast. I feel like you just got here, Kal,¡± Lynn glanced at the elegant vampiress sitting next to her bedside.


    Kalliste clicked her tongue, ¡°The next match isn¡¯t supposed to start for another few hours. Lady Thorn sped up the schedule. That shady woman, what is she up to now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but guess who¡¯s fighting in the next duel?¡± Cordelia smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s me?¡± Kalliste raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time I suppose,¡± Lynn sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, but you wouldn¡¯t believe who Kalliste¡¯s fighting!¡± Cordelia grinned.


    Kalliste shot to her feet, her chair falling behind her. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, your opponent is none other than your fianc¨¦, the esteemed Callum of the Great House of Veres,¡± Cordelia said excitedly.


    Kalliste¡¯s eyes widened before she suddenly buried her expression with an air of impassivity. ¡°I see. Well, then,¡± she smiled coldly, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t keep the crowds waiting.¡±


    Lynn reached out and grabbed her wrist, ¡°Kal¡­¡±


    Kalliste looked at her and for a moment, her usual icy demeanor broke. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked in a quiet voice.


    Lynn bit her lip, ¡°...Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret. I know you and Callum have some problems, but he is still a Veres. Don¡¯t underestimate what that means.¡±


    Kalliste laughed haughtily, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever lose to that man. Callum is many things, but a powerful mage he is not. I can defeat him in under a minute no problem.¡±


    ¡°But will you?¡± Lynn asked.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Kalliste furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Do you remember what your mother used to say when you¡¯d drink the blood from your maids?¡± Lynn asked.


    ¡°Stop getting drunk? How could I forget, she would always say, ¡®A Lilith should never stumble around like some bumbling drunken buffoon!¡¯,¡± Kalliste recalled with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s easier to get drunk from hybrid blood, sure, but trust me, I have no intentions of drinking the blood of that scoundrel of a man.¡±


    Lynn shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant-¡±


    Cordelia slammed the bottom of her fist into her open palm, ¡°Oh, yeah, I forgot! Hybrid blood tastes really good to vampires, right? I always wondered what it''s like getting drunk with hybrid blood?¡± Cordelia leaned and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard some pre-e-e-tty crazy stories.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, as if I¡¯d ever debase myself by drinking the dirty blood of some hybrid!¡± Kalliste said angrily.


    Cordelia winced, ¡°Right, sorry I asked.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so? ¡®Blood of dirty hybrids,¡¯ huh?¡± Lynn said casually and let go of Kalliste¡¯s wrist. ¡°Good to know.¡±


    Kalliste¡¯s face paled, ¡°I-I was talking about Callum! Not about-¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand perfectly,¡± Lynn crossed her arms, a glint of mischief in her blue eyes. ¡°On the off chance I somehow ¡®randomly¡¯ get a cut and that blood drips down all over me, I¡¯ll make sure not a single drop of my blood falls on you. I¡¯d hate to degrade your esteemed noble self with my dirty blood.¡±


    Kalliste licked her lips and swallowed hard, ¡°I-I m-mean, accidents sometimes happen, right? After all, you can be pretty clumsy sometimes, nothing to be done about it. And after your recent injuries, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if-¡±


    ¡°Nope, the doctors have done a great job healing my injuries. If I do get a cut I¡¯ll make sure they patch me up right away,¡± Lynn said curtly, though she struggled not to laugh.


    ¡°Uhh, am I missing something here?¡± Cordelia wrinkled her brow.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°NO!¡± Kalliste snapped and bared her teeth, her long sharp fangs perfectly clear.


    Cordelia stepped back in fear, ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    Kalliste took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders, ¡°I should get going. I¡¯m not about to arrive late to my own duel.¡±


    ¡°Kal,¡± Lynn called out. ¡°Your mother used to tell you something else when we were kids, do you remember?¡±


    Kalliste glanced back at her, ¡°She said many things, that¡¯s what mothers do.¡±


    ¡°Lady Lilith always said, ¡®Don¡¯t play with your food.¡¯ Callum is still a Veres, a House that once subjugated every other House in the Northern Lands, including your own family.¡±


    ¡°That was a thousand years ago. The true bloodline of Veres was lost long ago,¡± Kalliste said. ¡°Their House is not what it once was, it has grown weaker, their line has diminished. Whereas Lilith''s has only grown stronger.¡± She opened the door and walked out, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Lynn sighed and looked at Cordelia, ¡°Please, look after her.¡±


    ¡°Excluding maybe the Ebon Aspirant, Kalliste is the most powerful mage in our generation. I don¡¯t think anyone needs to look after her. Excuse me,¡± Cordelia bowed and walked out.


    Cordelia looked around the hall for Kalliste, but the vampiress was already gone.


    ¡°You should really listen to Lynn,¡± a voice whispered behind her.


    Cordelia jumped back and yelped in surprise. ¡°N-Nalla!? Where did you come from?¡±


    The blue-grey drow leaned her back on the wall and shrugged, ¡°I followed you here. I just didn¡¯t barge into Lynn¡¯s room like some eager child. You should really pay attention to your surroundings more often.¡±


    Cordelia rolled her eyes, ¡°Any other condescending advice you¡¯d like to share?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, stop underestimating Lynn because she¡¯s a commoner. Just because you¡¯re an aristocrat doesn¡¯t make you more powerful, nor does it give you the right to be an ass to your teammates.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s rich coming from you, Miss ¡®I¡¯m too good for everyone else,¡¯¡± Cordelia growled. ¡°And in case you forgot, Lynn lost her match. Hell, you barely won your own match.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Nalla stepped forward and cornered Cordelia to the wall. ¡°Lynn gave up because Kalliste asked her to. As for my match, you¡¯d do well with how you speak to me, dwarf.¡±


    Cordelia laughed shakily, ¡°You¡¯re such a hypocrite. You talk about respect, but here you are threatening me.¡±


    ¡°Respect is earned, you¡¯ve done nothing to earn mine. Lynn earned Kalliste¡¯s respect long ago, yet Kalliste still doesn¡¯t respect you. Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not true,¡± Cordelia stammered.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Lynn has an iron resolve and is willing to do whatever she must to accomplish her goals. Open your eyes, Cordelia. This tourney itself means nothing, the people participating are everything.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°No one cares about a bunch of kids throwing magic bolts at each other, that¡¯s just for the crowds. The people that really matter only care about who and what we stand for. The moment the Ebon Aspirant revealed himself the stakes changed. The whole Ebon Realm is watching every interaction each one of us makes because it represents the wills of our backers, our Houses, and our cities. Lynn understands that, she understands what it means for a Veres and a Lilith to battle to the death.¡±


    ¡°To the death?¡± Cordelia frowned. ¡°This isn¡¯t to the death. Sure, Kalliste doesn¡¯t like her fianc¨¦, she¡¯ll probably beat him up, but she¡¯d never kill him. Their Houses have one of the oldest alliances in the entire realm. If Callum dies then we could very well see a war break out. Kalliste would never jeopardize her House like that.¡±


    Nalla glanced at Lynn¡¯s room, ¡°Like other Liliths, Kalliste has always kept a cool head under difficult situations. She¡¯s a powerful mage and she can be ruthless when needed. All those traits are what make her a good captain. But Kalliste has always had a weak spot and that¡¯s the woman resting in that room.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Lynn is Kalliste¡¯s weak spot?¡± Cordelia laughed incredulously.


    ¡°You are as blind as you are prideful,¡± Nalla shook her head. ¡°If Lynn is Kalliste¡¯s treasure, then Callum is the dragon guarding the hoard. Now, what do you think our brave, powerful, ruthless captain is going to do?¡±


    Cordelia¡¯s face paled, ¡°No¡­ she wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ~~~


    The coliseum¡¯s crowds watched eagerly as Callum Veres walked around the sandy arena, waiting for his opponent.


    ¡°~Oh, I really don¡¯t want to fight this crazy bitch~¡± he sang a familiar minstrel¡¯s tune, though the words were his own.


    The southern gate opened wide with the rattling of chains. Kalliste Lilith stepped out under the glare of the noon sun. She raised her arms above her face for shade and walked towards the center of the arena.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t my beautiful fianc¨¦,¡± Callum smiled charmingly. ¡°How¡¯s the sun, love? Too bright?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cockier than usual, I wonder why?¡± Kalliste squinted and tried not to stare at the sky. Her sensitive skin was already beginning to irritate. A few more minutes outside without a vampire¡¯s specially weaved cloak and she¡¯d begin to have sunburns.


    ¡°Me? Cocky? Not at all? That would mean I am overconfident. I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just certain,¡± Callum winked.


    ¡°Certain that I¡¯m about to drive a bolt of lightning through your heart?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just pretty certain that my girlfriend is going to crush my skull with her bare hands if I go easy on you,¡± Callum waved nonchalantly at Sylvie sitting in one of the front rows.


    Sylvie didn¡¯t wave back, she simply stared with an intense gaze and smiled eerily.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating on me? How could you!?¡± Kalliste gasped.


    ¡°Save me your tears, I¡¯m not the only one here in love with a giant woman,¡± Callum smirked.


    Kalliste¡¯s smile fell and her eyes grew cold, ¡°...What was that?¡±


    ¡°We all saw the way you jumped down the stands and ran across the arena during your teammate¡¯s match. Now, others might see an empathetic captain, but I know you. I know that cold shriveled heart of yours doesn¡¯t beat for anyone, much less a ¡®hybrid,¡¯ unless of course that someone isn¡¯t just a friend.¡±


    ¡°Careful with your next words, Cal,¡± Kalliste said in a quiet, measured voice.


    ¡°Wait.¡± His smile widened, ¡°You haven¡¯t even told her how you really feel, have you? Too afraid she¡¯ll reject you? Smart choice. Or perhaps you don¡¯t want to get that little monstrous heart of yours shattered? Maybe, just maybe, you¡¯d silence her to save yourself the embarrassment of rejection?¡±


    Blue streaks of lightning crackled over Kalliste¡¯s fingers and traveled up her arm. She narrowed her scarlet eyes and bared her fangs, ¡°Say hello to your mother for me.¡±

 Chapter 293: To Be A Veres Part 1

    Chapter 293: To Be A Veres Part 1


    Blue streaks of lightning crackled over Kalliste¡¯s fingers and traveled up her left arm. She narrowed her scarlet eyes and bared her fangs, ¡°Say hello to your mother for me.¡±


    Indignant rage filled Callum¡¯s heart, but he took a deep breath and held back his voice. He briefly wondered if Kalliste knew that his father¡¯s wife, Regina ne¨¦ Lilith, had killed his mother.


    No, it didn¡¯t matter. Not right now. All that matters is how Kalliste feels.


    He knew he had struck a nerve when he mentioned the frost giant Lynn. Though he hadn¡¯t expected the cool-headed Kalliste to react so well. Now he just needed to prod her insecurity even more.


    Callum channeled white mana into his hand, though he didn¡¯t form a spell just yet. Instead, he smirked, ¡°I think after this round I¡¯ll just pay a visit to your frost giant ¡®friend.¡¯ I¡¯d love to have a taste of that hybrid blood.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not walking out of this arena, you pig,¡± Kalliste snarled.


    ¡°OOH, LOOK AT THAT STORM MAGIC ON TEAM CAPTAIN KALLISTE¡¯S HAND! SHE SEEMS EAGER TO GET THIS FIGHT STARTED, MARK!¡± Jane Stemme yelled from the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    Mark Stemme cleared his throat and yelled into the Herald¡¯s horn, ¡°THEN LET¡¯S GIVE THE CROWDS WHAT THEY WANT! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET THE 6TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡±


    Kalliste didn¡¯t hesitate, she swung her left arm forward and pointed her open palm straight at her opponent. The lightning crackled with excitement and stretched outwards before it suddenly twisted the wrong way and fizzled into the air. The muscles in her left arm spasmed with electricity and grimaced painfully.


    Callum did not falter, he quickly pointed his outstretched fingers at her and summoned the white mana swirling in his hand. A bright spell exploded outwards, the white light blinded the vampiress and singed her sensitive skin.


    Kalliste flinched back and threw her arm over her face as she fell to her knees.


    She failed! Callum thought excitedly. Keep her angry, keep her dazed, then go in for the kill¡­


    ~~~


    ¡­A few minutes before the duel¡­ the training room¡­


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®keep her angry¡¯? Why not just kill her?¡± Sylvie frowned.


    ¡°He¡¯s not actually trying to kill her,¡± Freya shook her head. ¡°Right, Cal? Cal¡­?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the goal, no,¡± Callum said carefully.


    ¡°Aw,¡± Sylvie whined.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t manage to kill her, then a stab in the gut should be enough,¡± Stryg pointed at Callum¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sylvie cheered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Callum said. ¡°I just need to beat her.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Stryg raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Simple, I¡¯m a Veres,¡± Callum smiled knowingly. ¡°My House is more than just its magic, we weren¡¯t always mages after all. Our founder achieved greatness through his skill with the blade and his strategic mind. It was Veres I that taught Gale I¡¯s son the way of the sword which would eventually become the legendary Gale Swordsmanship Style.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯re no swordmaster, and your hand-to-hand combat sucks,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s hurtful,¡± Callum muttered glumly.


    ¡°Ignore her, she thinks all swords are stupid,¡± Stryg said.


    Callum shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not planning on beating Kalliste with expert swordsmanship anyway. That¡¯s why strategies exist.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Kalliste since I was a kid,¡± Callum said. ¡°She¡¯s a powerful penta-manifold mage. More importantly, she hates me. She¡¯ll want to defeat me as quickly as possible, her honor demands it, an instant victory to show how unworthy I really am of her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hearing a plan in any of this,¡± Freya noted.


    Callum smiled, ¡°Kalliste¡¯s favorite chromatic color, the one she relies on the most, has always been her Blue. Rule number 1 of storm magic: Complete emotional control, never let your emotions interfere with your spell casting. Storm spells are too volatile, they need perfect precision. And if they don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Backlash,¡± Stryg muttered grimly.


    ¡°Or death,¡± Sylvie chipped in.


    ¡°Yeah, but Kalliste would have to lose control of her emotions for something like that to happen,¡± Freya said. ¡°I don¡¯t see one of the most powerful mages in this tournament just losing her shit like that.¡±


    ¡°Leave that part to me,¡± Callum winked.


    ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work?¡± Stryg asked.


    Callum smiled half-heartedly, ¡°I predict I will feel terrible agonizing pain, probably paralyzed limbs, difficulty breathing, impaired vision, plenty of blood loss, and possibly death.¡±


    ~~~


    Callum¡¯s bright spells were not at the level of a master; his spells were incapable of forming powerful light beams, but against a vampire, they didn¡¯t have to be.


    He sauntered towards the fallen Kalliste, white mana flowing into his hand once more. Kalliste tried to stand, but he fired off another flash of bright magic into her face. She cried out in pain and shielded her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kal? Having trouble seeing?¡± he asked with a soothing voice, his scarlet eyes filled with mischief. ¡°Are you nervous? Having trouble casting, maybe?¡±


    She gripped her limp left arm and glared in his direction, though her eyes were unfocused.


    Callum blasted another bright spell at her. The flash of white light was almost like a hammer, knocking Kalliste down to the ground. He stepped closer, only a dozen paces away now.


    ¡°Bastard¡­¡± she growled under her breath, but her eyes were still clenched tight.


    Pain always interfered with a mage¡¯s focus. Disorientation was just as bad. Bright magic caused vampires both.


    He suddenly remembered Freya¡¯s words of mercy and how the actions in their duels could affect their Houses as well. House Veres and House Lilith had been allies for a thousand years, did he really want to jeopardize that?


    A painting of his mother flashed through his mind, the only portrait he had of her.


    Did he really want to jeopardize his family¡¯s alliance?


    Callum steeled his heart, Yes, without question.


    Callum raised both his hands and brought his will into focus, white mana surged into his veins, the heat almost burning his hands. A seed of light coalesced between his palms and began to quickly expand, a powerful beacon blazing at the center of the arena. Callum stared at his feet, the spell too bright for even him to look at. Kalliste cowered on the ground, her skin beginning to burn and smoke.


    Callum roared with vengeful anger and swung his arms down, the searing light exploding over her. For a brief moment, the arena was bathed in white light and the crowds looked away, all save for one.


    Stryg kept his focus on the battle down in the arena¡¯s sands. His lilac irises had expanded past the whites of his eyes. He shot to his feet and from the bottom of his lungs screamed, ¡°CAL, RUN!¡±


    A red-hot pain slammed into Callum¡¯s chest. The world spun around him. He realized he was in the air right before he slammed into the hard ground several paces away. He wheezed for breath and slowly looked down at his chest. A sharp sliver of rock was protruding from one of his ribs. With shaky hands, he pulled the stone out and casted a simple healing spell. The soft white glow stopped the bleeding but did little else.


    In the distance, a small dense dome of shadows fell apart in tatters. Kalliste hid underneath the last strands of black magic as they faded away. She opened her scarlet eyes, stood to her feet, and dusted off her pants.


    ¡°That was close,¡± Kalliste said in a calm, cold voice. ¡°I admit I let my emotions get the better of me if only for a second, but my oh my, darling, you really know how to seize your moment.¡±


    Callum sat up with a grimace and stared at her warily, ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Instead of throwing out random spells in a panicked frenzy after my storm spell failed, I took the time to recollect my will and focus. Granted, you really made it difficult with your little white flashes.¡±


    ¡°A shadow dome¡­ shouldn¡¯t have worked¡­¡± Callum said between labored breaths.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± she laughed. ¡°This particular spell weaves layer upon layer of shadows to counteract bright spells. The Dark Veil Spell was created to protect vampires against the white mages of the Ivory Realm.¡±


    ¡°Dark Veil¡­?¡± Callum furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Does it sound familiar? It should. One of your ancestors created the spell. You¡¯d know this if you were an actual Veres, but you don¡¯t even have your family¡¯s signature chromatic black magic. Instead, you use white¡¯s bright spells. Your weak nature is a shame to the vampire aristocracy,¡± Kalliste raised her foot and slammed it into the ground with a hard thud.


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened. A blur appeared at the edge of his vision. He threw himself to the side. Shards of stone swept above his head and stabbed into the ground where he had been seconds earlier.


    His ribs throbbed with burning pain. He grimaced but pushed himself to his feet.


    Kalliste chuckled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Having trouble casting? Ribs hurting too much?¡±


    Callum ignored her and pulled out a small pink vial from his pocket. He yanked the cork out with his teeth and down the pink liquid in a single gulp. It tasted like ash and oil, but the numbing effect was quickly taking hold, the pain in his ribs dissipating.


    Kalliste watched him drink the Red potion as she slipped off her leather boots and dug her toes into the sand, ¡°Resorting to low-grade potions now? Can¡¯t you brew anything bigger?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything else to beat you,¡± Callum drew his sword and took a defensive stance, his sword pointed loosely at the ground.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she smiled serenely and channeled more green mana into the earth.


    A volley of stone shards burst out from the sand and flew at Callum from all around. His body tipped over, like a fallen log. At the last moment, his feet shifted and he jumped, his body spinning in mid-air. Steel flashed in a storm of cuts, slicing apart the stone shards at once.


    Callum landed on his feet and took the same defensive stance, sword pointed loosely at the ground.


    Kalliste¡¯s eyebrows lifted with surprise, ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Kal, I was weak¡­¡± Callum muttered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save the man who had sworn his life and loyalty to my family¡­ I failed to live up to my family¡¯s name¡­ So I swore to myself, I¡¯d change.¡±


    ¡°Change?¡± Kalliste narrowed her eyes.


    He chuckled softly, ¡°My family may not have archives of secret White spells at the ready for me to learn, but I do have access to the teachings of some of the greatest swordmasters in the entire Ebon Realm. I learned, I trained each day and night¡­.¡±


    ¡°And you think because you have a bit of fancy swordplay that you''re now somehow a changed man? You¡¯re still a coward who hides behind tricks and words. You are, always have been, and always will be, a disgrace to your House.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But it seems to me you have forgotten who my House truly is,¡± Callum took a deep breath and stared into Kalliste¡¯s eyes, ¡°Let me show you then, what it means to be a Veres.¡±


    Kalliste raised her arms above her shoulders, and the ground beneath their feet began to shake, ¡°Then let me remind you why Veres I chose to make an alliance with my House.¡±

 Chapter 294: To Be A Veres Part 2

    Chapter 294: To Be A Veres Part 2


    Callum took a deep breath and stared into Kalliste¡¯s eyes, ¡°Let me show you then, what it means to be a Veres.¡±


    Kalliste raised her arms above her shoulders, and the ground beneath their feet began to shake, ¡°Then let me remind you why Veres I made an alliance with my House.¡±


    Jagged stone spikes ripped through the ground and stabbed at Callum. He danced around the spikes, swerving between several of them, and slicing apart the ones he could not.


    ¡°Not yet!¡± Kalliste yelled. She slammed her hands into the ground and channeled her strongest flora spell. Dozens of thorny vines sprouted from the earth, each as thick as a grown man¡¯s arm, and wrapped around the stone spikes even as the jagged rocks tried to impale Callum. The vines pulled back for a split second and then lashed out like a snake¡¯s bite.


    Callum kicked off a stone spike and vaulted into the air. His sword flashed in a rhythmic pattern, a flurry of enchanted steel cutting down the vines with ease. He landed on another stone spike and jumped off, slashing the vines before they reached him.


    Kalliste narrowed her eyes, her fianc¨¦ wasn¡¯t a swordmaster, but he was somehow managing to evade all her attacks. The Gale Style¡¯s iconic light steps and swift defensive strikes were evident in his movements, but using such moves consistently would exhaust the user quickly. He should have fallen already. He should have been overwhelmed by the dangers all around him. His ribs had been impaled mere minutes earlier, why wasn¡¯t he on the ground crying in agony?


    Had it been the small potion he had drunk?


    No, this was something more.


    His scarlet eyes were clear, focused. A steel resolve shimmering in his every step.


    This wasn¡¯t the Callum she knew, the coward who always hid behind his sister, Elise. This wasn¡¯t the outcast who always tried to use words and cheap tricks to conceal his weaknesses. This wasn¡¯t the fianc¨¦ she had always disdained, resented for their inevitable binding at birth.


    ¡­Had he really changed? Had she been wrong about him¡­? If he had, then that meant she was¡­


    ¡°No! I refuse to accept it!¡± she screamed.


    Kalliste released her stone and flora spell and flooded her arms with orange mana. By the time Callum noticed the vines withering away it was too late. The giant wave of flame splashed into the garden of dead vines and jagged spikes, engulfing it all in searing heat.


    Callum yelled in surprise and tried to dodge, but the flames were too wide. He rolled on the ground and did his best to hide behind the stone spikes.


    As the enormous flame spell subsided and the smoke cleared, the crowd gasped and pointed at the red dome standing among the ashes.


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± Kalliste muttered frustratedly.


    The ward dome was small, only 3 feet tall and wide. A single large arcane sigil swam over the dome, ¡°Fire.¡± Callum sat crouched beneath his hastily constructed spell. His clothes were half-charred, patches of his pale skin were blistering red where the flames had reached him, but still, he grinned, a glint of madness in his eyes.


    Smiling? He¡¯s fucking smiling!? Kalliste thought incredulously. How had such a simple ward held out against her flame spell!? He should have been grateful that he had survived by sheer luck! He should have been terrified, begging for forgiveness!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, you stupid idiot!?¡± Kalliste screamed and flung a flame bolt into the ward.


    The flame splashed off the ward, orange sparks exploding into the air. The small red dome shook, but held.


    ¡°You already lost!¡± Kalliste threw another flame bolt and then another.


    She wouldn¡¯t give him the chance to recuperate and escape. Kalliste kept casting more flame bolts, her enormous reserves of mana quickly depleting. Small cracks began to appear over the red dome. Still, the dome held.


    ¡°How!?¡± Kalliste yelled.


    No! Kalliste clenched her teeth tight, I am a Lilith, the scion of one of the greatest lineages in the world! I was bred for magic! You¡¯re just the bastard child of some random commoner! So, why¡­! Why are you still fighting!?


    ¡°Just give up, you sorry excuse for a Veres!¡± Kalliste screeched.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Callum swallowed hard, sweat dripped off his brow, and his arms trembled as he tried his best to keep the cracking dome from completely falling apart. ¡°...I¡¯m not like the others¡­ I don¡¯t have Freya¡¯s confidence. I don¡¯t have Sylvie¡¯s absurd talents. And I don¡¯t have¡¯ Stryg¡¯s unbreaking courage. But I¨C¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    A bolt of lightning surged out of Kalliste¡¯s hand and struck the ward. The dome shattered into red dust on impact and the lightning unraveled into dozens of streaking blue tendrils and rippled over Callum. His muscles seized up as the lightning burned through him and blasted him a dozen paces away.


    Kalliste¡¯s tense shoulders relaxed and she exhaled a shaky breath. ¡°...I wasn¡¯t sure I could do it. Thanks for giving me a chance to focus.¡±


    Callum moaned weakly. He laid limp on his side, puffs of smoke rising off his body.


    Kalliste chuckled and walked towards him, ¡°It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? You tried to goad me into losing control in order to miscast my storm spells. And yet now that same mouth of yours is why you''re lying on the ground half-dead.¡±


    ¡°Get up, Cal!¡± Stryg yelled from the crowds.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡± Freya screamed.


    ¡°Go for the gut!¡± Sylvie shouted and pretended to drive a blade into her own stomach.


    Kalliste shook her head, ¡°You have some¡­ enthusiastic friends. Even now they still think you can win.¡± She placed her foot on Callum¡¯s shoulder and rolled him over face-up. ¡°But you know better than that don¡¯t you? We both grew up in the vampire aristocracy, we had to learn quickly, didn¡¯t we? Life is cheap.¡±


    Callum slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her. He opened his mouth, but no words escaped his bloodied lips, only a soft groan.


    Kalliste looked down at him and planted her foot over his chest, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill you¡­ Lynn wanted you to live, because she¡¯s kind. But I refuse to live a life I did not choose. Our engagement ends here.¡±


    Callum grimaced and gasped for breath as Kallise leaned her weight over her foot and his chest.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­ r-right¡­¡± he wheezed weakly.


    Kalliste leaned back some of her weight and looked at him curiously, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re right¡­ about me,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I haven¡¯t changed¡­ I still¡­ have my tricks¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you sa-¡± Kalliste¡¯s voice jerked to a halt. Callum¡¯s face had grown blurry. The tips of her fingers felt numb.


    Callum opened his clenched bloodied right hand and revealed a small broken vial. A few drops of the cyan liquid were still left inside the glass but they quickly evaporated into the air in puffs of grey smoke.


    Callum¡¯s left hand shot up, a dagger hidden underneath his sleeve, and stabbed Kalliste. The steel cold blade sank into her soft belly and burrowed itself in her stomach. She gasped a hollow raspy breath, and stumbled backward.


    With trembling fingers, Kalliste gripped the handle of the dagger, but her arms had already grown numb. She fell to her knees and tried gasping for breath, but her throat felt tight.


    With a painful grimace, Callum sat up and smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Do you feel it? Your lungs failing you? Impaired vision? A numbness in your limbs. Your heartbeat slowing down until it eventually stops.¡±


    ¡°...P-poi..son¡­?¡± Kalliste murmured with wide eyes.


    ¡°A potent paralysis, though its window of exposure is very small¡­ I had to get you close, close enough where I could touch you¡­ I was hoping I would have gotten a better s-shot¡­¡± Callum wheezed and fell back down, his muscles spasming uncontrollably.


    You poisoned yourself!? Kalliste realized in alarm.


    Blood began pooling down her shirt and her thighs, the blood felt so warm on her cold skin. The dagger in her gut felt like a small scratch, she could hardly feel it. She could barely feel anything anymore. Her vision grew darker and darker¡­


    I can¡¯t lose, she thought hazily. I can¡¯t lose¡­ I can¡¯t¡­


    ¡°KALLISTE LILITH AND CALLUM VERES ARE UNABLE TO CONTINUE. THE DUEL IS OVER! I REPEAT THE DUEL IS OVER!¡± Jane Stemme yelled in a panicked voice.


    ¡°HEALERS, PLEASE HURRY! NEITHER OF THEM IS MOVING!¡± Mark Stemme screamed.


    ~~~


    Lady Ophelia Thorn paced around her castle¡¯s gallery room. Her feet shuffled back and forth in an endless pattern. It had been several hours since the Heralds¡¯ had called the last duel and yet she still had trouble accepting the outcome.


    The duel matchups had been perfect, she had made them perfect. So why did nothing happen as it should have?


    The Ebon Aspirant had rejected her offer and decided to align himself with orcs of all people. She could hardly believe it, nonetheless she acted swiftly and made sure to eliminate the threats in today¡¯s duels.


    Yet somehow he had emerged victorious. Ophelia didn¡¯t understand. Beatrix had knocked him down, she immobilized him with her clarity magic. So how did she lose? She had just dropped to the ground as if she had been poisoned. But the healers at the infirmary had confirmed to her that they had found no poison in Beatrix¡¯s body.


    Nothing made sense. The Ebon Aspirant was as shrouded by mystery as the Ebon Lords of the past.


    And then there was the Veres boy. How he had managed to take himself down and Frost Rim¡¯s illustrious Kalliste Lilith was a conundrum in and of itself. Kalliste had underestimated the boy and had paid dearly.


    ¡°Idiots! They¡¯re all idiots!¡± Ophelia screamed into the empty gallery.


    ¡°Mother¡­?¡± Calex whispered a few paces behind her.


    Ophelia spun around, ¡°Calex?¡± She smiled brightly and ran her hand through her hair, ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t notice y¨C How long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, I came to check on you. You weren¡¯t at dinner. Lerdea was worried,¡± Calex said in a soft voice.


    ¡°Ugh, your sister always worries too much. I didn¡¯t go to dinner because I didn¡¯t have an appetite, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± he whispered. ¡°Mother, about today¡¯s matches¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about today¡¯s duels, they were a simple setback. I thought to eliminate the Ebon Aspirant because I did not want him to become a threat in the future. But he proved more resilient than I imagined. In retrospect that is a good thing.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Calex tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°The Aspirant is worth far more alive than dead.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said he was too dangerous, potentially.¡±


    ¡°Until now,¡± she smiled coldly. ¡°My spymaster came by an hour ago with his latest report. I have since gained vast amounts of new information regarding the Aspirant¡­ and his family.¡±


    ¡°Stryg has a family?¡± Calex furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Everyone has a family. The only question is, how far are we willing to go for our families?¡±

 Chapter 295: One Minute

    Chapter 295: One Minute


    ¡°You guys still here?¡± Freya asked with a tone of surprise.


    Callum awoke to the loud sound of a wooden door creaking on old rusty hinges. The screeching sound was harsh and it pierced the silence of his peaceful slumber. He groaned with a grimace and opened his bleary eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± Sylvie yelled excitedly.


    ¡°...S-Sylvie¡­?¡± Callum mumbled sleepily.


    Sylvie sat next to his bedside, her large hazel hand clasped around his pale fingers. Freya stood at the open doorway, her golden curls impeccable as always. Gale stood right outside the room, hand on the pommel of her sheathed blade.


    If Gale is here, then that means¡­ Callum turned his stiff neck and slowly looked around the small infirmary room.


    Stryg sat on the windowsill, one of his usual dark cloaks wrapped over him, his hood partially slipping from atop his silver hair. He stared out at the coliseum in the distance, though his droopy pointed ears twitched at the sound of their voices.


    ¡°W-what happened¡­?¡± Callum tried to sit up but fell back down with a painful grimace.


    His whole body ached in pain and his lungs burned with each breath.


    ¡°Try not to move,¡± Sylvie said softly. ¡°The white mages did their best, which isn¡¯t saying much, but the main problem was that they weren¡¯t sure what poison you used.¡±


    Callum closed his eyes and sighed, Oh¡­ right, I poisoned myself.


    ¡°...You¡¯re lucky to be alive,¡± Stryg muttered, though he kept his eyes on the window.


    ¡°W-what¡­¡± Callum swallowed, ¡°What about Kalliste?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine, that bitch,¡± Freya clicked her tongue. ¡°Turns out House Lilith brought their own personal healers to the tournament. She had like ten white mages hovering over her all afternoon. I bet they were there all night too.¡±


    Callum furrowed his brow, ¡°All night? Wait, what time is it?¡±


    ¡°Morning. You¡¯ve been unconscious for almost an entire day,¡± Sylvie smiled sadly.


    Callum wrinkled his brow, ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ve been here all night?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, I just got here this morning,¡± Freya raised her hands proudly. ¡°But these two have. Surprising, I know, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do,¡± Sylvie said abashedly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ I needed some time to think. I might as well have done it here,¡± Stryg shrugged and looked away.


    Freya rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh please, Lysaila and Gale were forced to take guard shifts to make sure no one gets in here. They much rather you be safe at the Katag mansion, but nooo you insisted on staying here.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, gold-eyes,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± Freya smirked.


    Callum smiled, ¡°...Thanks, guys.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alive, that¡¯s what matters most,¡± Stryg said. He finally turned and looked at Callum, ¡°Your opponent was much more powerful, but you somehow managed to take her down, even if it cost you almost everything.¡± He nodded in approval, ¡°You were brave, well done.¡±


    They were only five words. Five simple words. And yet, Callum felt something within him break. That night so many moons ago echoed in his mind, a familiar recurring memory. The sight of his two friends, standing straight against an insurmountable enemy with no chance of victory. He remembered looking at their backs as he ran away¡­


    ¡®Coward¡¯ That was what Clypeus had always called him. The insult that cut deeper than Callum had ever let on.


    ¡®Unworthy. Weak. Disgrace.¡¯ His family¡¯s words haunted his childhood.


    Callum had always pretended that they didn¡¯t matter, that they did not define him. But every night he found himself staring at the ceiling, wondering how close they were to the truth.


    ¡®You were brave, well done.¡¯


    Five simple words. Just five measly damn words. So why¡­? Why did they¡­


    Callum placed the crook of his arm over his face and heaved quietly. Warm tears slipped down his cheeks. Sylvie did not understand, but she clenched his other hand tight, and hummed a soft tune.


    The room fell into a comfortable silence, save for the melodic humming of the scarlet-haired beauty.


    The sight of the hybrid vampire¡¯s tears sparked an old memory in Stryg¡¯s heart, the words that his friends had told him when he cried in the Merry Crescent at the end of his 1st year.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for you and we¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Stryg recited quietly.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Freya nodded.


    Tauri walked up to the doorway and knocked on the wall, ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m interrupting.¡±


    ¡°You are, but go on,¡± Sylvie said dryly.


    Callum wiped his tears away, ¡°Sorry, about her professor. Please, continue.¡±


    Tauri glanced around the room, confused, but nodded reluctantly, ¡°I just came back from the coliseum. Lady Thorn has drawn the names for the morning¡¯s duel.¡±


    ¡°Welp, I might be going somewhere after all,¡± Freya grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not fighting, just yet,¡± Tauri said. ¡°The names drawn were Hallus of Murkton and Calex of Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°Calex Thorn?¡± Stryg looked up with interest.


    ¡°Which means I¡¯m going to be in the last of the preliminary matches.¡± Freya shrugged, ¡°It makes sense, save the best for last, am I right?¡±


    ¡°If Calex is fighting Hallus, then the only other opponent left is¡­¡± Callum muttered in thought, ¡°Cordelia Rotrusk of Frost Rim.¡±


    ¡°Professor Cornelius¡¯ niece?¡± Sylvie asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she like ¡®super cocky¡¯ when we met at the welcome party?¡±


    ¡°Two cocky dwarves fighting each other, hm, I guess you are right, Freya,¡± Stryg smirked. ¡°They saved the best fight for last.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait until it¡¯s our turn to fight, then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s talking,¡± Freya grinned proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all that happened at the coliseum¡­¡± Tauri muttered.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...The Heralds announced this morning that Kalliste won yesterday¡¯s match,¡± Tauri said reluctantly.


    ¡°What!? How!?¡± Sylvie yelled.


    ¡°Something about Callum falling down first. Kalliste was still technically on her knees when the match ended,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, if anything Callum should be the winner, he took both Kalliste and himself down!¡± Sylvie roared angrily.


    ¡°Yes, well, it seems Lady Thorn had something to do with the match¡¯s outcome,¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made much of a difference. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to fight the next round in my condition anyway,¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still not fair! We can¡¯t just let the Thorns get away with this!¡± Sylvie stood to her feet.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t. Trust me,¡± Tauri raised her hands in a calming gesture. ¡°Lady Ismene is already in talks with the other cities¡¯ lords for suspicion of Lady Thorn¡¯s tampering with the tournament. It¡¯s only a matter of time until they act.¡±


    Sylvie crossed her arms, ¡°And when exactly will that be?¡±


    ¡°When they get enough evidence I guess,¡± Tauri glanced sideways.


    ¡°I trust Ismene,¡± Stryg said. ¡°If Lady Thorn really is messing with the tournament, Ismene will put an end to it, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°...Ugh, fine,¡± Sylvie groaned and sat back down.


    ¡°So what do we know about Calex and Hallus?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Besides Calex being a fucking Thorn? Beats me,¡± Sylvie grumbled.


    Callum smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Calex is a hecta-manifold mage and a prodigy one at that. He¡¯s rumored to be a master mage. After he struck me with a bright spell during the 2nd Challenge I¡¯m very much inclined to believe it.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s got some magic skill, so what, I¡¯d still whoop his ass,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°What about this Hallus? Does he stand any chance?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a dual-manifold brown and yellow mage. Now how good he is? Who knows,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°The dude¡¯s got more muscle than even Lord Katag,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°And he¡¯s just as big,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°My parents told me Hallus is an orphan who was dragged into Murkton¡¯s fighting pits at a very young age,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Freya¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Fighting pits? What are those?¡± Stryg asked with interest.


    ¡°They¡¯re battles without honor,¡± Tauri said frustratedly. ¡°The helpless and vulnerable are taken by warlords and trained as pit-fighters for sport and money. Once people like Hallus are trained they¡¯re sent out to fight in small enclosures while other people watch for entertainment.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s basically like the coliseum and this whole tournament,¡± Stryg surmised.


    ¡°No, not exactly,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°Here, people fight for glory and the chance to rise above their station. In the pits there is no such chance, people fight just for the right to live another day. Every single pit fight is to the death.¡±


    ¡°So if someone is still alive after all those years of fighting in the pits¡­¡± Sylvie muttered.


    ¡°It means they are some of the deadliest and tenacious fighters out there,¡± Freya said grimly.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°And Hallus was the cream of the crop. My father said his cousin, Lord Morrigan himself, picked Hallus out of the fighting pits and had him trained by his royal guard.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± Callum said wryly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how powerful a mage Hallus may be, but I promise you, he¡¯s the most fearsome warrior in this whole tournament,¡± Tauri said in a grave tone.


    ~~~


    ¡°WELCOME LORDS AND LADIES, MAGES AND MERCHANTS, COMMONERS AND ALL YOU SCOUNDRELS WHO MANAGED TO SNEAK IN!¡± Jane Stemme yelled through the Herald¡¯s giant enchanted horn.


    ¡°TODAY IS THE DAY YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! OUR BELOVED CITY¡¯S PRINCE HAS STEPPED ONTO THE ARENA¡¯S SANDS!¡± Mark Stemme shouted happily.


    The crowds roared in cheers. Thousands of drows jumped to their feet and echoed the name every child in Undergrowth old enough to walk knew.


    THORN, THORN, THORN!


    Calex looked around the coliseum¡¯s stands and waved at the thousands of fans cheering him on. He couldn¡¯t help but smile shyly. He had never been under the eye of so many people as they chanted his name. The whole thing seemed so surreal.


    Hallus walked out of the northern gate with far less fanfare. As soon as he stepped onto the sands, thousands of cheering voices transformed into shrill screeches of hate and ridicule. The voices of the orcs supporting were entirely drowned out by angry drows.


    Yet Hallus did not respond, his gait did not change, his focus always on the enemy on the other side of the arena. Once he was thirty paces away he stopped and lifted the war hammer hanging from his back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about them,¡± Calex bowed his head sheepishly.


    ¡°The voices of the crowds lost all meaning to me long ago,¡± Hallus said coldly.


    ¡°...I see. I do envy such calm control of one¡¯s emotions,¡± Calex smiled. ¡°I can hardly stop my hands from shaking.¡±


    ¡°...Have you not fought in an arena before?¡±


    ¡°Excluding the previous challenge? This is my first time,¡± he admitted weakly. ¡°Though, if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d make much of a difference if this was my 10th or 20th duel. I¡¯d still be terribly nervous.¡±


    Hallus narrowed his eyes, ¡°...You¡¯re not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how often I get that,¡± he laughed, a light, gentle sound.


    ¡°You will find no pity with me. I devote my will and body to the glory of House Morrigan. I promise you I will not hold back.¡±


    Calex swallowed, ¡°D-Duly noted¡­ But I really was just being honest¡­¡± his glum voice trailed off.


    ¡°SISTER, OUR CONTESTANTS SEEM READY TO SHOW US WHAT THEY¡¯VE GOT!¡± Mark yelled.


    ¡°I COULDN¡¯T AGREE MORE!¡± Jane shouted eagerly.


    ¡°G-good luck, may the goddess of war bless this match,¡± Calex recited the common warrior phrase awkwardly.


    Hallus stared at him for a moment, then nodded begrudgingly, ¡°May the goddess of war bless this match.¡±


    ¡°THEN LET THE 7TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡±


    ¡°HAH!¡± Hallus yelled a war cry and charged forward, a bronze sheen of vigor magic swirling over his muscles. He suddenly stumbled and fell to his knees. ¡°W-What!?¡±


    Hallus looked down, bewildered. His legs had sunk a meter into the ground as if it was water.


    How did he manage to cast a stone spell from all the way over there!? Hallus thought in shock.


    Calex¡¯s warm blue eyes abruptly turned frigid. He flicked his palm upwards and blue light crackled at his fingertips. A bolt of lightning arched out and streaked across the arena at his opponent.


    Hallus dropped his hammer and threw his arms over his face. He instantly released his vigor spell and channeled yellow mana into his veins. Patterns of bright yellow durability scales illuminated his crimson skin just as the lightning bolt exploded over him.


    The yellow scales sizzled, but did not crack. Hallus shouted in anger and mild pain. He thrusted his hands into the sand and began to dig himself out. A mere second later a bright beam of white light splashed over his face. He cried out in pain, his eyes burned from the blinding light.


    Hallus clenched his teeth and poured more mana into the durability spell. An orange torrent of searing flames abruptly fell on him. The heat felt suffocating, he couldn¡¯t breathe under the roaring flames. Another bolt of lightning slammed into his chest. His muscles seized up in spasms as the electricity overflowed over the yellow scales.


    Calex¡¯s hands flickered with small, rapid movements. Spell after spell flew out from his hands and traveled across the long distance with perfect accuracy and without an iota of lost potency.


    The crowd watched in stunned silence. Hallus was bathed in flames, lightning, and beams of light, his large silhouette barely visible under the relentless magic. His screams of frustration and pain echoed across the arena.


    Calex abruptly stopped casting. The flames died away and revealed a half-burnt man. The orc''s legs were buried in the blackened sand. His clothes had burned away along with most of his skin. The last remnants of his yellow scales crumbled apart and fell into dust.


    Hallus groaned painfully and looked at Calex with his one remaining eye. Calex met his gaze without pity nor emotion; with one swift motion, he hurled a screeching arrow of lightning. The azure bolt tore through the air and drove into Hallus¡¯ face. His neck snapped back in a painful crunch. The flesh evaporated in a fray of blue and blood, and the front portion of the skull shattered in chunks of bone and ash.


    The crowds just stared, not a word slipping from their mouths.


    Jane swallowed her spit and licked her lips, ¡°T-THAT¡¯S MATCH¡­¡±


    Mark nodded anxiously, ¡°CALEX THORN WINS¡­ IN JUST UNDER A MINUTE¡­ C-CONGRATULATIONS¡­¡±


    ¡°THE 7TH VICTORY GOES TO UNDERGROWTH,¡± Jane said weakly.


    Slowly the crowds began to clap and cheer, building up with every second, until once more the coliseum was filled with deafening chants of the name everyone knew and would never forget.


    THORN, THORN, THORN!


    Ophelia Thorn looked on with a pleased smile from her high seat, a small tower erected above the coliseum¡¯s stands. But her daughter, Lerdea held no smile nor cheer, only a silent look of worry.


    Lerdea stared down at the coliseum, at her older brother who hadn¡¯t moved a step since the duel had begun.


    The crowd¡¯s chants fell silent on Calex¡¯s ears. Gone was the cold countenance he had so easily displayed. His blue eyes were filled with sadness and he struggled to keep his composure.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, you were not the only one fighting for the glory of their House,¡± Calex whispered under his breath. He turned his heel and left the arena at a quick, steady pace.

 Chapter 296: Pride, Meet Hubris

    Chapter 296: Pride, Meet Hubris


    Stryg rested his back on the round walls of the northern tunnel, one of four tunnels that led into the coliseum¡¯s sandy arena. The tunnel¡¯s gate was shut, but the sounds of the crowd''s anticipation were clear even from here.


    Freya stood a few paces away, busy checking her leather armor for any holes or loose straps for the 3rd time in the last ten minutes.


    ¡°I think your armor is fine,¡± Stryg said playfully.


    ¡°Just making sure¡­¡± Freya¡¯s voice trailed off, her eyes focused on a smudge over her beige leather boots. She pulled out a handkerchief and tried her best to wipe the smudge off. She sighed in frustration, ¡°I wish Callum was here.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that man is still bedridden from his last match?¡± Stryg raised an eyebrow. ¡°Plus, he¡¯s got Sylvie doting over him. I really doubt he wants to be anywhere near this place.¡±


    ¡°Meh, true. But our professors aren¡¯t allowed here. So who else am I going to rely on for fashion advice? You?¡± Freya laughed incredulously.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Fashion advice? This isn¡¯t some party.¡±


    ¡°No, this is my debut as a mage duelist on the world stage. It will be memorable, whether I want it to or not. Might as well look amazing while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad our team captain has her priorities straight,¡± he said dryly. ¡°You do realize who you are fighting right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kalliste¡¯s lackey.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Cornelius¡¯ niece.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±


    ¡°And Cornelius is the one who taught me green and brown magic¨C¡±


    ¡°So you want me to go easy on her?¡± Freya grinned, ¡°I never took you as the sentimental type.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and let me finish,¡± Stryg said pointedly. ¡°Cornelius is cocky, self-centered, and he talks a lot, much like you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not true¨C!¡±


    ¡°Let me finish. Cornelius used to blabber on and on about his magical skills and his family¡¯s greatness all the time. At some point, I ended up looking into it and he was right. His family is well known for producing powerful mages. Even Lord Noir approved of him.¡±


    Freya sighed and looked at him, ¡°I know. The Great House of Rotrusk is a mage family whose lineage is almost as long as the Goldelms. They are well respected and feared in Frost Rim and for good reason.¡±


    ¡°You already knew? Then why are you acting so nonchalant about this fight?¡±


    ¡°How else should I act? Anxious? Worried? ¡­Because I am,¡± she admitted softly.


    ¡°Freya¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Look, Cordelia is a true mage. She has unique abilities that make her more dangerous than others. But she¡¯s still a black mage; she won¡¯t want to fight at close-range. Black mages prefer to hide in the shadows and let their undead creations fight for them instead. Something like a duel in an enclosed arena, where there are no shadows to hide in, is incredibly disadvantageous for Cordelia.¡±


    ¡°Hm, you¡¯ve thought about this,¡± Freya stared at him with mild surprise.


    ¡°I always think about how to deal with my enemies,¡± Stryg shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s how I was raised.


    ¡°Well, Mister son of the Blood Fang Tribe, what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Cordelia most likely has very little training in close range combat. She¡¯ll probably try her best to keep you at a distance. Your goal should be to close that gap and end her as quickly as you can.¡±


    ¡°That,¡± Freya hefted her hammer and buckler in her hands, ¡°I can do.¡±


    Stryg walked over and admired the enchanted hammer¡¯s sleek design, ¡°It¡¯s good craftsmanship, almost as good as Nameless.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, since when did you become a smith expert?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I can read the arcane language well enough. There are a lot of enchantments on that hammer.¡±


    Freya nodded proudly, ¡°House Goldelm spares no expense in arming their members. My father made sure I had the best armaments gold can buy.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Stryg muttered. The hammer was quite impressive, however, compared to master Gian¡¯s longsword Primoria, the hammer seemed rudimentary. Stryg saw no point in bringing it up though.


    ¡°Do you think Cordelia has an enchanted weapon too? Probably, huh,¡± Freya mumbled under her breath.


    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯d be more worried about her undead creatures.¡±


    ¡°Undead? Since when can you bring the undead to a duel?¡±


    ¡°They have a crafting room for each team next to their training rooms, right?¡±


    ¡°You mean that room Callum was fiddling with his potion brewing in?¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Uh-huh. That room is equipped with a small forge and a whole storage cabinet filled with alchemy ingredients and preservation elixirs. It also has several cauldrons, vials, and a bunch of other equipment. In other words, all the tools a mage might need for necromancy, enchanting, or alchemy.¡±


    ¡°I never noticed¡­¡± Freya mumbled.


    ¡°You never needed to, you¡¯re an Orange and White. But for Red, Black, or Brown mages the crafting room is our prep room. So long as you can make something yourself during the tournament, you can use it in any of the Challenges. Including raising the dead.¡±


    ¡°So you''re saying Cordelia probably has some undead drows or something on her side.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Freya furrowed her brow, ¡°If that crafting room exists, then why haven¡¯t you raised any undead? Or brewed potions or etched any enchantments for that matter?¡±


    Stryg shrugged awkwardly, ¡°Those spell-forms aren¡¯t really my strong points...¡±


    Freya¡¯s lips curled in a wide smile, ¡°Hehe, so there are some things that even you¡¯re not good at.¡±


    ¡°I just haven¡¯t had time to practice those spell-forms,¡± he growled. ¡°If I had some time I could definitely brew a powerful potion or something!¡±


    Freya placed a finger to her smiling lips, ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know¡­ Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t Kitty once say you were terrible at necromancy spells?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s different,¡± Stryg said, flustered.


    ¡°Is it though?¡±


    ¡°AND FROM THE SOUTHERN GATE WE HAVE CORDELIA ROTRUSK OF FROST RIM!!!¡± the Stemme heralds¡¯ voices echoed above the coliseum.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m up,¡± Freya took a deep breath.


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I think I am,¡± she smiled warmly. ¡°If even the prodigy Ebon Aspirant himself isn¡¯t perfect at everything, then this Rotrusk girl surely has some weak points.¡±


    Perfect at everything? Stryg frowned, ¡°I never said I was perfect. And I didn¡¯t call myself a prodigy either.¡±


    Freya looked at him as if he was crazy, ¡°You¡¯re the Ebon Aspirant, the first one in two centuries. I¡¯d be surprised to find someone in this city who thinks you¡¯re not a prodigy. Have you not seen the way some of those people look at you? Even in the Katag¡¯s villa; they idolize you.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°I¡­ I never thought of it like that.¡±


    Freya shook her head, ¡°You know, for someone who seems so perceptive of his surroundings and enemies, you¡¯re pretty blind about yourself. Open your eyes and take a good look in a mirror and see what everyone else already sees; you¡¯re not just some Sylvan folk anymore.¡±


    ¡°AND FROM THE NORTHERN GATE WE HAVE FREYA GOLDELM OF HOLLOW SHADE!!!¡±


    The tunnel¡¯s gate lifted up at the sound of the heralds¡¯ announcement.


    ¡°Time to show the world how amazing I really am,¡± Freya smiled, gripped her hammer tight, and ran out without another word.


    Stryg stood still and watched her leave in silence. ¡°¡­If I¡¯m not a Sylvan, then what am I?¡±


    ~~~


    Freya entered the sandy arena to the applause and cheers of various fans, many were even drows from Undergrowth. She held her head up high and smiled, simply taking in the glory.


    ¡°Look at this bitch, she really thinks she¡¯s special,¡± Cordelia called out.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± Freya glared at the dwarf a few dozen paces away.


    Cordelia¡¯s dark hair was tied in a ponytail, but the golden beads flowing through her hair were shining clearly under the sunlight. And to Freya¡¯s delight, her opponent had fewer beads than her.


    Cordelia was dressed in similar garments, light leather armor, a common battle apparel among mages. However, there were no weapons on her belt or strapped to her back.


    Just like Stryg thought. She isn¡¯t good with close combat, Freya thought.


    ¡°You really think all those people are cheering for you?¡± Cordelia laughed. ¡°They¡¯re not. They¡¯re just Undergrowthers cheering against Frost Rim. Because at the end of the day, they¡¯re all a bunch of spiteful commoners who want nothing more than to see us outsiders kill each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it,¡± Freya nodded. ¡°Or. Maybe I am just that fucking special,¡± she winked.


    ¡°You really do live up to your family¡¯s name,¡± Cordelia sneered. ¡°The Great House of Goldelm. You act so pridefully because you believe you¡¯re above everyone. But guess what? No one back home remembers you like that.¡±


    ¡°And you act as if I give an ounce of thought on what you think about my family,¡± Freya snapped.


    ¡°Your ancestors would roll over in their graves if they knew how low ¡®The Golden Hammer of the North¡¯ has fallen,¡± Cordelia winced dramatically. ¡°You were once one of the most prominent Houses in all of Frost Rim, the eldest dwarven House in all the Ebon Realm! My family looked up to the Goldelms, the greatest dwarven enchanters in the land!¡±


    ¡°You act as if we still aren¡¯t,¡± Freya raised her hammer proudly.


    ¡°You lost that title long ago,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Your family chose to pursue riches and wealth over the power that flowed in your blood. Tell me, did one of your family members forge that hammer or buckler you carry today? Did they enchant it?¡±


    Freya lowered her hammer and swallowed, ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Cordelia clicked her tongue, ¡°Your family is a far cry from the days where just whispering the name Goldelm would strike fear into the heart of any man. Gone are the days where people would dare not tread in the path of a Goldelm for fear of Oginum falling down upon their heads.¡±


    ¡°I may not wield Oginum, but my hammer will crush your kneecaps just the same,¡± Freya snarled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Cordelia laughed. ¡°The Goldelms and the Veres abandoned Frost Rim. You abandoned your people and chose to follow the Ebon Lords to Dusk Valley. And what do you have to show for it? Some pieces of gold? No, all you truly have is a stagnating city and an empty shattered throne.¡±


    ¡°You really like talking a lot don¡¯t you?¡± Freya clenched her jaw, ¡°Hollow Shade is not what it once was, sure. But at least my family was brave enough to venture out from the safe confines of Frost Rim. We took a chance where cowards like the Rotrusks never even dared!¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe you¡¯re right, I really don¡¯t know,¡± Cordelia said calmly. ¡°But what I do know is that your family took that chance and lost dearly. Your House has fallen low, it is as broken as the city you now call home. I hear that the golden light of Oginum no longer shines upon your family. Even your own ancestral weapon does not find your family worthy. House Veres is no different; they lost Krikolm and their main family line has died out. So is it finally starting to sink in now?¡±


    ¡°I think it is,¡± Freya nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re saying that if someone like Callum Veres managed to defeat your beloved Kalliste Lilith, then I¡¯m about to show you a whole new world.¡±


    ¡°You cocky idiot, I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Cordelia glared. ¡°I am a Rotrusk! We have far surpassed the Goldelms!¡±


    Cordelia raised her arms. Two undead frost giants stepped out of the southern gate. Each one stood 9 ft tall and dragged a large ax behind them.


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. She had expected a few drows at best, but this? This was different. A cold feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Memories of last year¡¯s encounter with undead trolls flowed fresh in her mind.


    Freya smiled shakily, a wild glint of madness in her golden eyes, ¡°The bigger they are¡­¡±

 Chapter 297: Golden Chance

    Chapter 297: Golden Chance


    Cordelia raised her arms. Two undead frost giants stepped out of the southern gate. Each one stood 9 ft tall and dragged a large ax behind them.


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. She had expected a few drows at best, but this? This was different. A cold feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Memories of last year¡¯s encounter with undead trolls flowed fresh in her mind.


    Freya smiled shakily, a wild glint of madness in her golden eyes, ¡°The bigger they are¡­¡±


    ¡°LET THE 8TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡± the Stemme heralds yelled in unison.


    ¡°Rip her apart,¡± Cordelia said coldly.


    The frost giants groaned a deep guttural sound and charged straight at the golden-haired dwarf.


    Freya¡¯s first instinct was to ignite the undead in a shower of flames, but she knew the giants had some resistance to flames, albeit less than the trolls she had faced last spring.


    But they¡¯re still undead, which means! Freya dropped her shield and channeled white mana into her hand.


    The frost giants raised their axes above their heads and prepared to swing down with the force of a dozen men. Freya stuck her hand out and blasted the undead with a wave of brilliant light.


    The giants stumbled back, their pallid blue skin beginning to sizzle. Streams of shadows suddenly wrapped around them like armor and shielded them from the bright spell.


    ¡°What the-!¡± Freya screamed in surprise.


    The giants slammed their feet back into the ground and swung the axes down with all their might.


    Freya gritted her teeth, channeled orange mana into her legs, and cast an agility spell. She jumped to the side and barely managed to dodge the attacks. The ground shook from the force of the blows, yet the giants quickly ripped out their axes from the sand and swung low.


    Freya cursed under her breath and jumped high, the agility magic lessened her weight to a mere fourth. She landed lightly on her feet ten paces away.


    Cordelia stood over thirty paces away, her hands swiveling through the air casting a shadow armor spell over the frost giants.


    Freya narrowed her eyes in thought. Shadow armor was usually used to hide and blend among the shadows. It provided little to no protection against a blade or an arrow. But against bright magic, it instantly became a powerful shield.


    Cordelia knows that, she must have planned for it. She also knows my colors¡­ She knew flame magic¡¯s effectiveness would be halved against frost giants! This was all planned to beat me! But how? Cordelia had only had a single day to prepare before the duel was announced...


    Freya¡¯s head snapped up in surprise. The frost giants were already upon her, their large axes swinging down with blinding speed. Freya dashed away, but the giants gave chase without a moment¡¯s waste.


    The undead creatures had no agility spells running through their veins, but they were tall; each long-striding step they took was five steps for Freya. Worse, their bodies were fresh with almost no sign of decomposition. They had been killed recently or their bodies had been preserved incredibly well. Either way, their undead muscles had no problem chasing after Freya without a hint of exhaustion.


    Freya quickly found herself running circles around the arena, the undead giants always a mere few paces behind her. All the while Cordelia stood calmly at the center of the arena, her hands maintaining the shadow armor spell with ease.


    Freya¡¯s stomach churned with anger at the sight of the Rotrusk dwarf and that small smirk on her lips. How easy it must be to maintain the shadow spell, after all, once an undead was raised there was no more casting involved, just the occasional recharging of mana and preservation work.


    Cordelia didn¡¯t need to be able to multicast, all she had to do was protect her undead while they hunted down her enemy.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    That¡¯s right! Freya thought.


    Fighting the frost giants would be a waste of energy. Even if she managed to burn the undead to a crisp, she would be exhausted from the enormous exertion of mana.


    The frost giants don¡¯t matter! she thought as she barely managed to dodge another ax. All that matters is taking down that stupid smirking dwarf!


    Freya sprinted towards Cordelia. The giants quickly ran and stood in her way. They would never let her through, they would always keep attacking, but Freya had counted on that.


    Instead of running away, Freya barreled right towards them and vaulted into the air. She landed on the shoulders of the first giant, shadows swirling around, obscuring its skin, but its skull was still a clear target. Freya roared and began pummeling its head in with her hammer. The skull cracked, but it did not shatter; the giant¡¯s head caved in a mere inch.


    The second giant didn¡¯t hesitate and swung its ax down. Freya looked up, a glint of triumph in her eyes. She jumped off the shoulders as the ax was buried six inches into the undead¡¯s shoulder where she had been a second before.


    The first giant groaned as the second giant began pulling the ax out. But it would take time, 5, maybe 6 seconds. And that was all the time she needed. She flooded her body with orange mana and casted her most powerful agility spell, dedicated entirely to speed.


    Cordelia barely had a moment to react before Freya was in front of her, hammer raised high for a skull-shattering strike. Cordelia¡¯s brown eyes widened in fear. Wisps of dark smoke abruptly exploded from underneath Cordelia¡¯s armor. The smoke twisted and pooled together in an instant, transforming into a familiar dreadful sight.


    Freya paled at the sight of the monstrous shade. She stumbled to a halt and simply stared, frozen in fear. She had seen too many times what a shade could do to a person if it touched them; flesh melting off the bone, organs shriveling to a husk, and bones crumbling to brittle shards.


    Cordelia¡¯s own fear and shock turned into relief and then into a prideful smile. She pulled out a necklace from underneath her leather armor; a small glowing black magestone orb was attached to its silver links.


    ¡°Ari doesn¡¯t like it when people try to hurt me, do you, Ari?¡± Cordelia smirked.


    The shade wailed a screeching sound and its mouth opened unnaturally wide.


    ¡°Ari,¡± Cordelia whispered, ¡°Devour her.¡±


    The shade¡¯s ghostly arms stretched out towards its master¡¯s attacker. Freya flinched away and backpedaled as fast as she could, stumbling to the floor. She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran. But the frost giants were already behind her, axes at the ready.


    Freya turned around. The shade was flying at her, ghostly claws outstretched. She could see the faint silhouette of Cordelia¡¯s grinning face through the shade¡¯s vaporous form.


    That bitch.


    The world felt slow as death came for Freya as if time had slowed down if only for a moment. A crazy thought suddenly dropped in her mind and yet nothing else seemed so perfect.


    The shade was almost on her now, the frost giants¡¯ axes were coming from the other side. She needed to run as far away as she could, but she stood her ground, her face alight with a smile of madness. Freya spread her feet apart and pulled back her arm. She had one chance, one perfect absolute single chance.


    Freya Goldelm threw her hammer right at the wailing shade.


    The hammer flew straight through the shade¡¯s smoke-like body and crashed into Cordelia a few paces behind it. The hammer¡¯s steelhead smashed into the black orb hanging from Cordelia¡¯s neck and the magestone shattered into a hundred slivers. The hammer¡¯s force traveled farther and slammed into the dwarf¡¯s chest with a sickening crunch. A hollow, raspy gasp slipped from Cordelia¡¯s lips as her body flew backward and fell into the sand with a single solid thud.


    Ari jerked back and moaned with irritation. It dug its hands into its cheeks and screeched a terrible noise before it suddenly melted back into wisps of smoke and dissipated into the air.


    The frost giants stopped for a second, their bodies trembling. Then they suddenly raised their axes again and swung at Freya. She jumped away, but instead of running, she turned and faced them. Their shadow armor had fallen apart in tatters.


    Freya released her agility spell and poured white mana into her hands. She grinned wide, ¡°Burn, you ugly fucks!¡±


    Searing white light exploded from her hands and scorched the frost giant¡¯s bodies. They groaned and tried to reach Freya, but their charred muscles collapsed underneath them and they fell with a loud resounding thump, the sand floating up into the air all around them.


    The crowds cheered in joy and excitement.


    Freya closed her eyes and soaked in the glory for a single long exhausted breath. She opened her eyes and made her way to her downed enemy. Cordelia lay on the floor, the hammer a few paces away. Her breathing was ragged and came out in shallow wheezes.


    Freya picked up the hammer and hefted it in her hand, testing its familiar weight. Cordelia looked up at her with panicked eyes, she opened her mouth to speak, but only a mere raspy sound came out.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure it¡¯d work, but here we are,¡± Freya muttered as she stared at her hammer. She turned to Cordelia and looked down at her with a cocky smirk, ¡°Remember this moment, it''s the moment you get to live only because I deigned it so. So go let your mommy know that The Golden Hammer of the North still lives and we are as strong as ever.¡±


    Cordelia bit her lip angrily, tears of frustration burning at the corners of her eyes, ¡°...Y-you¡­Agh¨C!¡±


    Freya placed her foot on top of Cordelia¡¯s face and posed for the crowds, her arm held high, hammer in hand.


    The crowd¡¯s voices grew louder and hundreds of Undergrowthers and Hollow Shaders stood to their feet cheering.


    ¡°CORDELIA ROTRUSK OF FROST RIM CAN NO LONGER FIGHT!¡± Mark yelled.


    ¡°FREYA GOLDELM OF HOLLOW SHADE IS THE ~VICTOOOR~!!!¡± Jane screamed happily.

 Chapter 298: Reldros, The Amaranth Fury

    Chapter 298: Reldros, The Amaranth Fury


    The stars shone faintly in the night sky. Wisps of silvery clouds stretched across the darkened heavens. The crescent moon hung above it all, its blue light filtering down over the Rupture Mountains.


    The dragon lord, Kaleidrog sat at the edge of a cliff that sprouted from one of his mountains. His enormous draconic body was sprawled across the cliff, his serpentine tail lazily swishing back and forth at the edge. His ancient scales had grown thick and coarse through the millennia, though their luster had not dissipated, they shined with the same sapphire brilliance as they had when he was a hatchling.


    A light breeze swept past the cliffside with the quiet song of nature. He had almost forgotten what it was like to be awake in the real world, away from the Dreamscape.


    Kaleidrog sighed in contentment, ¡°It really is a beautiful night.¡±


    The cliff he lay on hung thousands of paces above the border of Vulture Woods and Glimmer Grove. The scarlet trees of Vulture Woods stood like a dark wall cutting off the faint glowing trees of Glimmer Grove. But the Rupture Mountains did not care for the sister forests¡¯ borders. The mountains extended throughout the western edge of the Ebon Realm without dispute.


    Kaleidrog knew Lunae wasn¡¯t very far away. His synchrony magic could sense her prowling through her scarlet trees near the border, guarding her territory. Judging from the crescent moon in the sky, she no doubt knew where he was.


    The cliff was about a league from Lunae. It was at the edge, but he was still in attacking distance, she could call down a beam of moonlight if she wanted to. Yet Kaleidrog made no move to evade or defend himself. Lunae would never be so foolish as to attack him. As for him, he had no interest in invading her lands, he simply enjoyed the beautiful view from the cliffside.


    A beat of wings in the distance caught Kaleidrog¡¯s attention. He was expecting several of his brood¡¯s dragons to report back to him sometime in the next few days, but this particular visitor was unexpected, he did not come from the West or North; he came from the South, Vulture Woods. The obstinate dragon was flying right over Lunae¡¯s forest without a care.


    The large red dragon did not stop and flew all the way to the cliff where Kaleidrog rested. He hovered a few dozen paces from Kaleidrog and landed with a single strong wing beat. His fiery amber eyes stared at the dragon lord with curiosity. Kaleidrog looked him over as well, though there was no glint of curiosity in his sapphire eyes, only annoyance.


    The visitor¡¯s scales were a dark red with hues of purple mixed within its ruby luster. He towered over most dragons, from claw to brow his body reached 50 feet high. His wings stretched thrice as far on both sides of his bulky serpentine body. And yet despite all his size, he still seemed small in comparison to Kaleidrog.


    The red dragon folded his wings and bowed his head to his dragon lord, ¡°Lord Kaleidrog, The Azure Sky, I ¨CThe Amaranth Fury¨C humbly greet you.¡±


    ¡°Reldros, you haven¡¯t had a single humble bone in your body since the day you hatched from your egg,¡± Kaleidrog said dryly. ¡°What are you doing here? I ordered you to search the western hills of Dusk Valley. You shouldn¡¯t be back for another four days.¡±


    Reldros narrowed his eyes, but he bowed his head lower, ¡°Forgive me, father. But I had an urgent matter to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°So urgent that you had to fly over Lunae¡¯s territory, openly defying our peace treaty?¡±


    ¡°I sense Lunae down there too, baring her fangs at us,¡± Reldros snarled. ¡°Let her come and try to challenge us. It is time I put that young pup in her place.¡±


    Kaleidrog shook his head slightly and channeled yellow mana into the tip of his foreclaw. A faint yellow sphere of light shimmered into existence around the two dragons, shielding them from Lunae¡¯s sight.


    ¡°You are too eager for blood,¡± Kaleidrog said calmly. ¡°Simply because you have the power to match or even overwhelm Lunae does not mean you should seek a fight with her.¡±


    ¡°Simply because? Eager for blood?¡± Reldros scoffed. ¡°I saw the frozen broken remains of young Tandride¡¯s body. Lunae butchered him! That is not a speculation, it is a fact! She drew first blood. She broke the treaty! Who is to say she won¡¯t strike again?¡±


    ¡°Zavinti saw Tandride¡¯s corpse as well and studied what was left of him. She told me how he died. It was a very powerful long-range attack, which would have cost Lunae a great deal of energy. It was a half-moon that night, Lunae¡¯s power would have been weakened drastically. Meaning she would have been tired after such an attack, left exposed.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Reldros frowned.


    ¡°Lunae would never have left herself vulnerable if it wasn¡¯t necessary. And she certainly wouldn¡¯t have risked her own safety just to murder one of our brood¡¯s younger, albeit bloodthirsty, dragons. I will not let Tandride¡¯s death go unanswered, but I will hear out Lunae¡¯s side of the story. I believe that if she killed Tandride then there must have been a very important reason.¡±


    ¡°Which is what exactly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still working on that. I was hoping to speak to her about it this very night. But after your clear disrespectful arrival, I highly doubt she¡¯ll want to speak to us anytime soon.¡±


    Reldros looked abashed for a moment, but his anger quickly returned to his amber eyes. ¡°Why should we even bother talking to her? We know she killed one of our own! That wolf is dangerous. I won¡¯t have another one of ours be slain by her hands.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You will not kill her.¡±


    ¡°Then let me at least capture her, I¡¯ll force her to talk. It¡¯s a crescent moon tonight, she¡¯s weak. It¡¯ll be easy. Just give me the word.¡±


    ¡°No, you will not attack,¡± Kaleidrog said adamantly.


    ¡°Why!? Why do you insist!¡±


    ¡°Because she is not our enemy!¡± Kaleidrog snapped his jaws. ¡°But make no mistake, we have enemies! We are under a threat the likes of which you have never seen! We need allies! I don¡¯t need you making more enemies!¡±


    ¡°...I have lived since the Sundering Age,¡± Reldros said coldly. ¡°I have seen dark gods live and die. I have seen cataclysmic natural disasters swallow entire cities whole. I have seen Ages rise and fall! And despite your lofty beliefs, I can handle whatever danger is coming after us. Our brood can handle this threat.¡±


    Kaleidrog looked at his son coolly and with a tired voice said, ¡°No, they cannot. This is something else. The Unildyr are deadly to us more than anyone else. They exist solely to counter our chromatic magic. They feed on our power. Believe me when I say we are at a terrible disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Disadvantage, huh¡­?¡± Reldros muttered thoughtfully. ¡°Father, I came here tonight because while I was searching the western hills of Dusk Valley ¨C as you asked me to ¨C I spotted Holo. I spoke with her at length. It turns out she had new and vital information on the enemy. I flew back as quickly as I could to personally relay to you the information.¡±


    ¡°You talked with her?¡± Kaleidrog asked, mildly surprised. ¡°You? I would have guessed you would have attacked her the moment you had the chance.¡±


    Reldros shrugged his gigantic shoulders, ¡°As you said, we need allies. I know you don¡¯t believe it, but I am capable of setting aside my anger for the greater good of this brood.¡±


    ¡°Hm, so I see,¡± Kaleidrog smiled. ¡°So, tell me, what did Holo have to say?¡±


    ¡°She found details regarding our enemy from some ruins in Shadow Lake. It seems the enemies you spoke of are called Dragonbane. They are monsters that once walked the earth in the Age of Titans¡­ They slaughtered our kind.¡±


    Kaleidrog¡¯s draconic face had become bereft of emotion, his cold eyes the only sign of life left. ¡°...Did Holo say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she spoke of the ancient Vesir queendom; the queendom of eternity and mortality and the most powerful country in the Age of Titans. The last Vesir sovereign, Queen Ananta, rallied the people from all over the lands, and with the help of her dragon, Vismarya, she led the fight against the Dragonbane and their master, Unildyr¡­ Father, you were there. Weren¡¯t you? You fought alongside the Vesir armies.¡±


    ¡°...It was a long time ago. None of it matters anymore,¡± Kaleidrog whispered.


    ¡°I disagree. Holo says Queen Ananta used the ¡®The Sword of the Vesir¡¯ to defeat Unildyr and his Dragonbane. The problem is the sword was lost and Holo doesn¡¯t know where it is. But you were there. Do you know where the sword might be?¡±


    ¡°The Sword of the Vesir¡­?¡± Kaleidrog muttered bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡±


    ¡°No point?¡± Reldros shook his head. ¡°Of course, there is a point! You said it yourself. We are facing a threat like never before! Why would there be no point in finding a weapon that might help us win this war!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Kaleidrog said and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Then let me tell you what I do understand. When Holo came to us in the Dreamscape she told us about the creatures known as ¡®Unildyr.¡¯ The moment she said that name you seemed incredibly disturbed, because you knew what they were. But those creatures are called Dragonbane or Kalden Obitus in the old tongue, not Unildyr. Yet you made no effort to correct Holo or anyone since. You¡¯ve been holding back information since the beginning! Information that could legitimately help us! Why?!¡±


    Kaleidrog kept his eyes closed and said nothing.


    Reldros growled, ¡°You are the lord of our brood. You are the only one of us who was alive back in the Age of Titans. It is your responsibility to protect our family, our brood, all dragon-kind! So why won¡¯t you tell me what happened during the war against Unildyr? All I really know is that we won the war, but the details are still unclear¨C¡±


    ¡°Won?¡± Kaleidrog opened his eyes.


    The ground shook as he stood and rose to his full height, twice the size of his son. He stared down at Reldros, a rare glint of anger in his sapphire eyes. And at that moment, Reldros remembered why his father was feared among gods and monsters.


    Yet Reldros met his father¡¯s gaze and held his ground, ¡°...You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯d say we won the war.¡±


    ¡°You call the sundering of the world a win? A victory for our people? Anyone¡¯s people?¡± Kaleidrog scoffed. ¡°You have no idea how much we lost, what the world lost!¡±


    Reldros couldn¡¯t stand his father¡¯s glare any longer. He bowed his head and looked away in shame.


    ¡°You speak of things you do not know of,¡± Kaleidrog sneered. ¡°You stand here and speak with such confidence judging ME? You¡¯re so certain that what you say is right, when the reality is that you are fumbling in the dark, teetering at the edge of a chasm! You don¡¯t care about what happened all those thousands of years ago. All you care about is what you can do now, how you can ¡®fix¡¯ everything. But this cannot be fixed, not with all the power in the world. NOTHING CAN BE FIXED!¡± Kaleidrog roared.


    Reldros swallowed hard and forced himself to look up and face his father¡¯s anger, ¡°...The past cannot be changed, I understand that. But what of the sword? Can it not help us in this war? Should we not try to find it before the enemy does?¡±


    Kaleidrog laughed incredulously, ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you? If the Dragonbane have returned it means that the Sword of the Vesir is broken. There is nothing that can be done about it. There is nothing to fix¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why even bother fighting!? Why send our people to scour the lands in search of the Dragonbane?¡± Reldros yelled indignantly.


    Kaleidrog sighed tiredly and turned his back to his son, ¡°...Because we must fight¡­ even if it is a losing battle.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re doing? Fighting? That¡¯s not what it looks like to me. Where is the great dragon lord who led our people through the last five Ages? That¡¯s who we need right now.¡±


    ¡°...Leave.¡±


    Reldros stepped back, pain etched across his face. He shook his head and opened his wings wide, ¡°Mother would have been ashamed to see what you¡¯ve become¡­ If you won¡¯t fight for our people, then I will.¡±


    Without another word, Reldros leaped into the sky and flew off into the dark horizon. Kaleidrog sighed and released the yellow sphere of protection around himself. He laid back down on the cliff and stared out over the scenery of the mountains and the border of the sister forests.


    ¡°It really is a beautiful night¡­¡±

 Chapter 299: The Stemme Interview

    Chapter 299: The Stemme Interview


    The room¡¯s white walls were round, there were no corners, no recesses for shadows to hide, or for Stryg to hide for that matter. Large glass panels stretched across the walls, giving an almost perfect panorama view of the coliseum and the city below. The Herald¡¯s Tower was larger and far taller than Stryg had guessed.


    The tower spanned higher into the sky than the ebon walls of Hollow Shade. It occurred to Stryg that he had never been so high up before. Well, except for when he leaped into the sky and knocked out Heather Navis during the 2nd Challenge. The memory of Heather¡¯s scream as her prideful expression turned into a mixture of fear and shock brought a small reprieve to Stryg¡¯s dour mood.


    He honestly didn¡¯t want to be here, on this large white leather couch sitting next to Tauri. He also didn¡¯t want to be sitting across from the black leather couch where the Stemme Heralds sat excitedly. And he especially didn¡¯t want that small woman with the large round glasses, sitting in the corner, to keep staring at him with the little blue book in her hands.


    How Lady Evelyn Katag convinced Maeve to convince him to do this interview, Stryg did not know. It was something about solidifying the relationship between House Katag and him in the eyes of the public. Which was why Tauri had accompanied him to the Herald¡¯s Tower. Or something like that. Stryg hadn¡¯t really listened to the details. He had spent the time grumbling under his breath while Maeve explained the situation.


    The final match of the day had finished a mere hour ago. He should have been out with his friends celebrating Freya¡¯s victory. Instead, he was stuck here in this tower with an orc, two much too eager drows, and another drow who could not stop staring at him.


    Stryg finally had enough and hissed at the bespectacled drow. The small woman flinched and gasped in fear; her chair tilted back and she almost fell off.


    ¡°Stryg, relax. You¡¯re scaring her,¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one eyeing me up and down for weaknesses,¡± Stryg said through bared teeth.


    ¡°Ah, um, there seems to be a misunderstanding,¡± Mark said abashedly. ¡°That terrified woman is just our assistant and occasional scribe. She¡¯s only here to record our conversations during the interview, nothing more. She is not a threat. Please, pretend she isn¡¯t even here.¡±


    ¡°See that, Stryg? No need to go all fang and claw on her,¡± Tauri jested with a nudge.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Stryg slowly leaned back, but his eyes stayed on the scribe cowering near the window.


    ¡°We really are grateful for taking the time to speak with us,¡± Jane said with a quick series of smiles and head bobs. ¡°Believe me, this is truly an interview for the history books.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Right, I think we should start, hm?¡± Tauri smiled forcefully.


    ¡°Oh! Yes, of course,¡± Jane nodded and glanced at her assistant.


    The scribe nodded back and quickly pulled out her feather pen.


    Mark made sure the scribe was ready before he cleared his throat and spoke in a clear voice, ¡°I am Mark of the House of Stemme.¡±


    ¡°And I am his sister, Jane of the House of Stemme.¡±


    ¡°And together we serve as the Heralds of the beautiful Great City of Undergrowth,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°With us today we have the talk of every tavern and noble¡¯s parlor, the Ebon Aspirant himself, Stryg of Ebon Hollow,¡±  Jane said, a trace of awe and giddiness in her voice. ¡°We also have the honor of speaking to the Aspirant¡¯s teacher herself, Miss Tauri of the Great House of Katag.¡±


    Tauri smiled, ¡°Thank you for inviting us, I¡¯m grateful to have a chance to visit the illustrious Herald¡¯s Tower. The view of the city is exquisite from up here.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re happy you accepted our invitation,¡± Mark said happily. ¡°Now, I understand you are short on time. So please, allow us to get right into the nitty and gritty with the little time we have.¡±


    ¡°Fire away,¡± Tauri said easily.


    ¡°After Freya Goldelm¡¯s victory today the 3rd Challenge¡¯s preliminary matches are officially over,¡± Jane said. ¡°After a one-day break, the next series of matches will begin. How do you both feel about the outcomes of the prelims and the upcoming matches as a whole?¡±


    ¡°I think my students performed remarkably in every single one of their matches,¡± Tauri said. ¡°Three of them won their duels and will advance to the next matches; that¡¯s more than any of the other three teams. Not to mention that despite the decision to let Kalliste continue, Callum managed to end his match in a draw, and that was against a Lilith, particularly the younger sister of last year¡¯s champion.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Mark glanced at Stryg, ¡°Any thoughts on the matter?¡±


    ¡°Callum should have won. Kalliste should have lost,¡± Stryg said curtly.


    ¡°Ah, yes, well¡­¡± Mark laughed tensely, ¡°Looking at the brackets, it seems that you will get a chance to personally give Kalliste Lilith that loss in your next duel.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about your upcoming match against Kalliste? Worried? Anxious? Excited?¡± Jane asked.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°...Angry,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Do you usually feel anger towards your opponents? Or is this perhaps a vendetta towards the vampiress who defeated your teammate?¡± Jane asked.


    ¡°...No,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    ¡°No? No you don¡¯t feel anger? Or no you aren¡¯t bothered that Kalliste beat up your teammate, Callum Veres?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Jane furrowed her brow pitifully, ¡°Uh¡­ What?¡±


    Mark clapped his hands, ¡°Why don¡¯t we move on to the next questions, hm? Mister Stryg, while you are here in this tourney representing Hollow Shade, I have been told the City of Shades is not your birthplace. Where do you hail from originally?¡±


    ¡°And what exactly is Ebon Hollow?¡± Jane chimed in.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I was born to the Sylvan tribe, Blood Fang in Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°So the rumors of your Sylvan origins are true then?¡± Mark asked, surprised. ¡°You really are a half-goblin?¡±


    ¡°I told you so!¡± Jane said triumphantly. ¡°It¡¯s the pupils. Those sharp slit pupils are unmistakable. Sylvan blood runs through his veins.¡±


    Stryg blinked, unsure of what to say. He felt¡­ happy? He didn¡¯t realize how nice it was for someone to recognize him for what he was.


    ¡°Although the ears are a bit of a conundrum,¡± Mark rubbed his chin. ¡°Drow ears point upwards, while a goblin¡¯s point outwards horizontally. But the Aspirant¡¯s droop downwards.¡±


    Stryg suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He wasn¡¯t used to having people examine his every feature so closely.


    Tauri noticed his discomfort and nudged his shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell them about Ebon Hollow?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! We¡¯d love to hear about it,¡± Jane nodded eagerly.


    ¡°...Uh, Ebon Hollow is the Sylvan tribe I founded with my wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re married!? Is it perhaps to the Amethyst Mistress?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Amethyst Mistress?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°The purple-haired beauty that¡¯s been rumored to be seen with you on multiple occasions. The common folk have begun calling her the Amethyst Mistress because of her lustrous hair and her apparent romantic relation to you,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t know,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°We have nothing to say on that matter,¡± Tauri said defensively. ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t try to pry into the Aspirant¡¯s personal affairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, please don¡¯t blame us for trying,¡± Mark winked.


    ¡°So, which do you feel is your home, Hollow Shade or Vulture Woods?¡± Jane asked.


    Stryg glanced out the windows overlooking the city in deep thought, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Any other questions?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow.


    Jane took the cue and nodded, ¡°What do you think of our beautiful city? Hollow Shade has very few trees, whereas Undergrowth is filled with them. Does our city remind you more of your birthplace? I¡¯d be happy to give you a tour of the city, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°...In a way this place reminds me a lot of Vulture Woods,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°The scents of trees and leaves in the air, the smallest bits of light filtering down over us, but Glimmer Grove is not Vulture Woods¡­ And every day I¡¯m here reminds me of that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I personally have never been to the Scarlet Forest, but few ever do,¡± Jane said softly.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a question that many a noble and commoner have been dying to know,¡± Mark pointed at the blade hanging from Stryg¡¯s hip. ¡°What is the name of your sword?¡±


    ¡°You want to know the name of my sword?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Are you kidding? The sword of the soon-to-be first Ebon Lord in the last 200 years? I guarantee you that every single tavern in this city tonight will be talking about your sword at one point or another.¡±


    Jane nodded, ¡°Legends and myths have always been built around the weapons of the great ladies and lords of the past. I have personally heard stories of your sword from several noble women at a recent gala this last weekend. They say your blade can cut into a person¡¯s life force without even touching them. They say that¡¯s why Beatrix dai-Morrigan suddenly collapsed during your duel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side in confusion.


    ¡°His sword was forged by one of the greatest blacksmiths in all of Hollow Shade,¡± Tauri said proudly. ¡°I heard that the enchantress whispered secret Gale and Veres spells into the liquid metal as she forged the blade.¡±


    Huh? Stryg had never heard that last bit before. Was Tauri lying? Or did she know something he didn¡¯t?


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Mark said, wide-eyed. ¡°So, what¡¯s it called?¡±


    ¡°Nameless,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a name yet?¡± Mark asked.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°No, his sword¡¯s name is ¡®Nameless.¡¯ A bit¡­ different, I know. But what Ebon Lord has ever been ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Well put, Miss Tauri,¡± Mark bowed his head. ¡°I think I can speak for most of Undergrowth when I say, we look forward to seeing Nameless in action once more.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile, if only a tad.


    Jane cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask the question I think everyone has been wondering since they saw the Aspirant move into the Katag¡¯s villa. What is the relationship between the Ebon Aspirant and House Katag?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m marrying her sister,¡± Stryg pointed a thumb at Tauri.


    ¡°Ahem, the Great House of Katag has formed an alliance with the Ebon Aspirant, and it will be solidified through the marriage of my younger sister Elena Katag,¡± Tauri said. ¡°Stryg staying at the villa is just one of the many examples of his closeness with my family.¡±


    Jane smirked, ¡°I can imagine there are many young noble women who will be jealous of your sister as soon as they hear the news. Anything to say about that?¡±


    Tauri glanced at Stryg and recalled his strange mannerisms. She shrugged stiffly, ¡°What can I say? My sister is a lucky girl.¡±


    ¡°And how do you feel about Miss Elena Katag?¡± Mark asked Stryg.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg shrugged easily, ¡°I haven¡¯t met her.¡±


    ~~~


    The carriage shook occasionally as the wheels¡¯ rolled over the roots of the trees all around them. The sun was beginning to set over the Ebon Realm and Glimmer Grove¡¯s trees were beginning to come to life with fluorescent light.


    Elena leaned her head out of the carriage¡¯s window and stared at the glowing spots on the canopy above. The wind tickled her face and the scent of the woods filled her nostrils. She sighed in contentment. It had been too long since she had visited the forest.


    Classes had just finished and she had finally completed her 2nd year at the academy. While the plan had always been to join her father and mother at Undergrowth for the tourney after her studies were over, she found it odd that her parents hadn¡¯t sent a letter of summons. In fact, she hadn¡¯t heard from them ever since that ridiculous rumor of an ¡®Ebon Aspirant¡¯ reached Hollow Shade.


    The whole thing was very odd, but soon she¡¯d be back with her parents and sister, and all these rumors would be put to rest.


    Elena looked forward at the empty road ahead and smiled happily, ¡°Just a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 300: A Morning Swim

    Chapter 300: A Morning Swim


    The warmth of the approaching summer was still dormant in the early hours of the day. The sun had yet to rise, though faint traces of light stretched across the sky, signaling the imminent dawn. The early morning air was crisp and the breeze brushed the skin with a soft nip.


    The Katag villa lay quiet, but not asleep, the household servants had been awake for several hours. They rushed about the hallways, carrying out their duties in silence.


    The villa¡¯s courtyard was large and mostly empty, save for a pool and a garden of flowers that lined the edges of the lawn. Lord Krall had ordered the pool to be built a few years ago for his children. Famed artisans from all over Undergrowth had come to work on the project. The result was an oval pit covered in smooth black stones, with streaks of gold etched throughout the bottom. The crystal clear water floating above it all gave the gold a shimmering effect when the light touched the pool¡¯s surface.


    Yet despite all the pool¡¯s beauty, most of Lord Krall¡¯s children rarely swam in the pool. Most of them preferred to spend their leisure time strolling through the city, visiting one luxurious establishment or another.


    Like her siblings, Tauri enjoyed watching a play at the theater or sampling the culinary delights of renowned chefs. But unlike her siblings, she enjoyed the simple quiet of the early dawn.


    Tauri sat at the edge of the pool, her feet swishing in the water in a slow soothing pattern. She took a deep breath and sighed in contentment. It was nice to soak her feet in the water for a few minutes after a morning run.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a voice asked from behind her.


    Tauri could recognize that impertinent voice from anywhere. She craned her neck back and looked up at the blue goblin.


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually busy eating Nana¡¯s food in the kitchen right about now?¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Stryg raised the half-eaten loaf in his hand and took another bite.


    ¡°And what are you doing here now?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh. Your turn. Why are you here? Don¡¯t you usually run in the mornings?¡±


    ¡°I already did,¡± Tauri turned her neck and looked pointedly at the pair of muddy boots next to her.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°My turn. What are you up to now? Taking a stroll through the grounds?¡±


    Stryg finished the last piece of bread and swallowed, ¡°...I was looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°...I wanted to say thanks¡­ For yesterday. At the interview. I didn¡¯t really want to be there. Some of the questions were hard to answer¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to say. But you answered instead and things sort of just worked out. So¡­ thank you, I appreciated it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tauri muttered. She was surprised by Stryg¡¯s sincere demeanor. He was usually so cheeky and borderline insufferable. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it. Those Stemme siblings were asking rude questions and trying to get whatever personal information they could out of you. Don¡¯t stress about it, you didn¡¯t need to answer any of their annoying questions.¡± She winked, ¡°That¡¯s what I was there for; to stop them from being so damn nosy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± he smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Tauri closed her eyes, placed her hands on the ground, and leaned back. Her legs moved up and down, her feet gently splashing in the water.


    ¡°What are you doing now?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°Just relaxing, enjoying our one day off from all the stress of those duels.¡±


    He furrowed his brow, ¡°You like getting your feet wet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s soothing, yeah.¡±


    Stryg crouched next to her at the edge of the pool and with slow hesitation he touched the water with the tip of his forefinger. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he muttered uncertainly.


    Tauri cracked an eye open and looked at him funnily, ¡°Care to join me?¡±


    Stryg stared at the water for a moment then shook his head, ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t like the water very much.¡±


    ¡°Come on, not you too. What is it with people disliking  pools?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything against pools per se. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know how to swim,¡± he mumbled.


    Tauri leaned back with laughter, ¡°You can¡¯t swim!?¡±


    Stryg blushed and glared at her, ¡°S-So what!? A lot of people can¡¯t swim!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just -hehe- sorry, it¡¯s just,¡± Tauri wiped a tear from her eye, ¡°You¡¯re an Ebon Aspirant. You can wield all these colors of magic, but you can¡¯t do what a lot of kids learn when they''re like 5 or 6. It¡¯s funny, ridiculous even.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bite you,¡± Stryg said with quiet anger.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He hissed.


    Tauri raised her hands in mock surrender, ¡°Calm down, you little savage. Look, swimming isn''t that hard. If you¡¯re so self-conscious about it, I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯ll teach me how to swim?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, it¡¯s not hard,¡± she shrugged. ¡°You could probably pick up the basics in a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what do I do?¡± he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.


    ¡°Well, first you gotta stop acting so damn scared of the water.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± he frowned.


    She sent him a deadpan glance, ¡°You keep looking at the water like it¡¯s a pit of vipers. The first step in learning how to swim is to not be scared. This is what you gotta do, get in the pool and relax your muscles. Do that and you¡¯ll float easily.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± Stryg asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Yeah, so long as you don¡¯t thrash about you¡¯ll be fine.¡± She nudged his shoulder, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re a ruthless Sylvan goblin, right? No little wimpy pool is gonna stop you.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath and nodded to himself, ¡°Okay, yeah, I got this.¡±


    He stood up, spread his arms wide, turned his back to the pool, and let himself go. He fell into the pool with a large splash. He fought the urge to thrash about like a madman and tried his best to stay still.


    Tauri watched in silent confusion as his body sank straight down to the bottom of the pool.


    The pool trembled and began to swirl into a vortex. A funnel of water shot out and splashed into the ground, and dropped Stryg unceremoniously next to the pool. Water dripped from his soaked clothes as he pushed himself to his knees and hands and coughed up water with a grimace.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Tauri winced and reached her hand out, ¡°Uh¡­ Stryg¡­?¡±


    His head shot up at her voice, ¡°Liar! I would have drowned if I hadn¡¯t cast a torrent spell!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I wasn¡¯t lying, you should have floated!¡± Tauri said anxiously. She furrowed her brow, ¡°Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡± he seethed.


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re carrying something terribly heavy under those soaked clothes. Are you carrying any hidden weapons or armor?¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m carrying weapons?!¡± Stryg lifted his shirt. There was nothing but his bare blue skin.


    ¡°Huh, maybe some enchanted daggers on your thigh or something?¡± Tauri muttered off-handedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be hauling around some stupid heavy weapons! I am the weapon!¡± he bared his teeth.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Wait a sec. How much do you weigh exactly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Something like¡­.¡±


    ¡°What was that? I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Stryg scratched his ear and sighed, ¡°I got myself weighed a few weeks ago back in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°And? How much did you weigh?¡± Tauri looked him up and down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Feli said it was something like 500 pounds.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    ¡°She said I was only a little over 500, so it¡¯s not that much,¡± he fidgeted.


    ¡°You¡¯re 500 fucking pounds! Oh my gods!¡± Tauri screamed.


    He crossed his arms, ¡°I¡¯m not fat.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re a goddamn boulder!¡± Tauri shook her head, ¡°How!? HOW!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I eat a lot I guess,¡± Stryg shrugged stiffly.


    ¡°Eh? Are you kidding me?¡± She clapped her hands together and took a deep breath, ¡°You know what? Nevermind. I don¡¯t have the mental capacity to deal with this right now. It¡¯s supposed to be my day off.¡±


    She turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Hey! Where are you going! What about teaching me how to swim!?¡± Stryg called out.


    ¡°Not today.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going back on your word? Where¡¯s the honor in that, Katag?¡±


    Tauri turned around and groaned, ¡°Ugh, look, you can be the best swimmer in the world but you¡¯re still going to sink like a stone if you weigh a quarter ton.¡±


    ¡°So the problem is my weight then?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, there are many problems with you,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°Would this help?¡± he asked, then channeled orange mana into his body. His veins darkened with agility magic.


    ¡°Huh, an agility spell solely focused on lessening your weight?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yup. No need for any extra speed, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­ Hm, we can work with this, I suppose,¡± she said reluctantly. ¡°Okay, this time will start on the shallow end. Oh, and take off your shirt, it¡¯ll be harder to swim with your clothes on.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Stryg nodded. He threw his wet shirt aside and began to unbutton his pants.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Don¡¯t take off your pants!¡± Tauri yelled in alarm.


    ¡°But I thought you just said¡­?¡±


    ¡°I know what I said and having your shirt off is enough. I¡¯ve already seen you naked once, I don¡¯t need to relive that experience.¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Okay, follow me,¡± Tauri said and led him to the shallow end of the pool. She waded into the pool until the water reached her waist, then offered him her hand, ¡°Now, hold my hand and don¡¯t use torrent magic this time, I don¡¯t want to get caught in a small whirlpool.¡±


    Stryg hesitantly dipped his feet in the water and stopped. ¡°What if I fall in too deep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. I won¡¯t let you drown, now come on.¡±


    Stryg stared at her skeptically.


    Tauri smirked, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said easily.


    ¡°Well, try.¡±


    Stryg slumped his shoulders and nodded. He reluctantly reached out and grabbed her hand. Without hesitation, Tauri pulled him deeper into the pool until the water reached his neck. She was a few inches taller than him and her feet still reached the bottom, but to her delight, Stryg¡¯s feet were floating, albeit only an inch or two.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing it!¡± Tauri smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m swimming?¡± Stryg asked excitedly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re just floating but it''s a start. The agility spell is working. You probably weigh only a little over a quarter of your usual weight right now.¡± Tauri kicked her feet off the black stone floor and pulled Stryg deeper into the water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± Stryg snapped as the water reached his face.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± she chuckled wryly. ¡°Now, I want you to try to keep your body straight and put yourself in a horizontal position, but keep your head above water.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± he muttered, but still listened to what she said.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing good,¡± she said in a soothing voice. ¡°Okay, now I want you to start pedaling with your legs. Very nice. Now, I¡¯m gonna let go¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, I¡¯m still right here. I¡¯m just gonna let you float on your own for one moment, like this¨C¡± Tauri released his hand.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Stryg screamed in a panicked voice and began to sink. He clenched his eyes tight as his head fell under. The water rushed into his ears and a feeling of sheer terror enveloped him. He thrashed around, his limbs lashing about. His hand hit something hard and he heard Tauri cry out. The scent of blood mixed into the water and filled his nostrils.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes shot open and he flooded his veins with blue mana. The water surged around the two of them and launched them out of the pool with a powerful wave.


    Stryg jumped to his feet and looked around in alarm. Tauri lay curled on the grass, blood seeping out of her mouth.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Stryg yelled panickedly. He rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms, ¡°Please be alive, please be alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh, shuddap,¡± she groaned and opened her eyes blearily.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re okay,¡± he sighed with relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m not okay, you idiot!¡± Tauri growled and pushed him off. ¡°You hit me in my face! I¡¯m bleeding, dammit!¡± she rubbed her jaw with a painful grimace.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± Stryg licked her blood off his thumb. ¡°Your lip is cut.¡±


    ¡°Clarification; you cut my lip,¡± she glared at him.


    ¡°Then let me fix it.¡± Stryg channeled white mana into his hand. His fingertips began to glow with a soft white light.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Like you said, I¡¯m an Ebon Aspirant, I can cast healing spells too. It¡¯s best to heal that cut before you lose more blood,¡± Stryg said and walked towards her.


    She took a step back, ¡°Healing spells are complicated. How do I know you¡¯re actually good at this?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re just gonna have to trust me,¡± he smirked.


    Tauri sighed and sat down without a fuss, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±


    Stryg knelt next to her and gently placed his hand over her mouth. The soft white light curled around his fingers and flowed over Tauri¡¯s lips, slowly closing the wound.


    Tauri''s eyes darted around uneasily, unsure of where to look with Stryg¡¯s face mere inches from her own.


    ¡°The cut¡¯s not too deep. I should be able to heal this up in a minute or two,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said in a mildly annoyed voice, ¡°You¡¯re a terrible swimmer.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he whispered.


    Tauri froze at the soft tone in his voice. She looked at him and stared into his lilac eyes that were so focused on the white spell. His slit pupils were wide, almost ovals.


    ¡°...The others in the Blood Fang Tribe learned how to swim in a river nearby our village when they were kids. But I¡­ I never could.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t good at a lot of things as a kid. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure how much has changed since then. I still can¡¯t swim,¡± he chuckled weakly. ¡°I have my magic and that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°...Welp, it looks to me like you¡¯re doing a decent job. That¡¯s more than most of us can say, trust me.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Stryg looked at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re on your way to becoming the first Ebon Lord in two centuries, so I¡¯d say you¡¯re doing alright,¡± she grinned. ¡°Though, you could stand to lose a few pounds.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m fat?¡±


    She glanced down at his bare chest, the water glistened off his toned muscles. ¡°...Maybe a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you could also lose some¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes slowly wandered down. He could clearly see the shape of her modest but perky breasts through her soaked clothes. The wet blouse stuck to her smooth stomach and wide hips. Her black pants hugged her thick thighs so perfectly¨C


    Stryg stopped himself and quickly looked back up to Tauri¡¯s face. Her amber eyes were already on him, staring into his own.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she whispered.


    His hand felt pleasantly cold on her face.


    Her warm breath tickled his face.


    Stryg unwittingly leaned closer.


    ¡°Good morning, Tauri,¡± Lady Evelyn¡¯s voice echoed strongly.


    Tauri jumped up to her feet, startled. She cleared her throat and straightened her back, ¡°Mother? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    Stryg slowly turned around. Lady Evelyn stood at the other side of the pool. A beautiful young woman stood next to her. She seemed oddly familiar.


    Evelyn smiled in a relaxed yet knowing manner, ¡°And good morning to you, Aspirant. May I introduce you to my lovely daughter, Elena.¡±

 Chapter 301: Try To Keep Up Darling

    Chapter 301: Try To Keep Up Darling


    The light of dawn was beginning to creep over the horizon when a pale blue carriage rolled up to the Katag¡¯s villa¡¯s gate. The pair of watchmen spotted the Katag sigil, a pair of crossed swords, on the carriage¡¯s side, and hurried to open the gate.


    Over three dozen heavily armored guards and a team of five elite mages stood in the front courtyard and watched the carriage roll in with a wary eye. But as the carriage door opened and the beautiful Elena Katag stepped out the guards breathed a quiet sigh of relief and lowered their weapons.


    The guard captain bowed to the young scion of House Katag and the rest of the men and women followed suit. Elena glanced around her childhood summer home and took a deep breath. The scent of resin and bark filled her nostrils. She smiled, it was nice to be back.


    ¡°Young Mistress, welcome home,¡± the guard captain said with deference. ¡°Please, forgive us for the¡­ cold reception.¡±


    Elena glanced at the small army of warriors in full gear. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, captain. Let me guess, some of our soldiers were caught slacking on night duty again and you decided to hold the whole battalion responsible. Nothing says punishment like armored battle-ready night duty, am I right?¡±


    The guard captain shook his head, ¡°Actually, this is standard procedure these days. And only a sixth of our forces are here; three other battalions are guarding the estate¡¯s other points of entry. Another battalion is guarding the mansion, while the last battalion is resting in a barracks we established at the edge of the estate. I can assure you, young Mistress, we have properly fortified the estate to your father¡¯s standards.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elena laughed, slightly taken aback, ¡°Why would my father order six entire battalions to guard this place. One is already practically overkill. I swear he¡¯s getting more paranoid the older he gets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call Lord Katag paranoid. There have already been five attempts to sneak into the estate in just the last two days.¡± The captain raised his hands assuringly, ¡°Not to worry. The intruders were all amateurs and we stopped them with no trouble.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Why would anyone try to break into a Great House of War¡¯s estate? Do they want to die? How stupid are they? I mean, seriously, do they think we¡¯re hoarding some secret treasure or something?¡±


    The guard captain furrowed his brow, ¡°¡­Young Mistress, how informed are you about the current affairs of our House?¡±


    Elena stopped chuckling to herself and narrowed her eyes, ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Did something happen?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders heavily, ¡°Where do I begin?¡±


    The mansion¡¯s front doors swung open and smacked into the walls with a loud bang. Evelyn stood in the doorway, still wearing her creamy white silk night robes. The guards quickly bent down and bowed to the Lady of the House.


    ¡°Elena, come here,¡± Evelyn said aloofly, though there was a trace of severity in her voice.


    Elena cocked her head to the side, ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Come here, now.¡± Evelyn turned around and walked back inside, without waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯ll see you later, I guess,¡± Elena waved to the captain and hurried to catch up to her mother.


    The guard captain smiled sympathetically. ¡°Good luck,¡± he whispered.


    ~~~


    Evelyn walked down a long hallway with quick, purposeful strides. A few servants spotted her coming down the hall and they promptly stepped out of the way with a small bow.


    ¡°Mom, wait up!¡± Elena called out from behind.


    ¡°Keep up, child,¡± Evelyn said curtly and did not slow down her pace.


    Elena groaned. Her footsteps heavily smacked into the wooden floors as she ran and finally caught up to her mother.


    ¡°Slow down, please,¡± Elena huffed dramatically. ¡°And why are you dressed like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®priorities.¡¯ Right now, my appearance is one of my least priorities. Making sure you are ready is my number one.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean? Ugh, can we please just sit down somewhere and talk? My legs are killing me,¡± she groaned.


    Evelyn clicked her tongue, ¡°Stop with all that groaning. If you cannot manage a simple walk then how do you ever hope to be called a true and proper Katag? Your sister runs every single morning and she never once complains.¡±


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s different, she likes to run. No one makes her do it.¡±


    ¡°So you are lazy and have a severe lack of discipline, is that it?¡±


    ¡°No, all I¡¯m saying is I just got here and I¡¯ve been riding in that stuffy carriage for days! My legs are all cramped! All I wanna do right now is jump into my bed and sleep until nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Well toughen up, child. You have a long day ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Please, tell me you¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°What have you heard of the Ebon Aspirant?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    Elena noted the cold tone in her mother¡¯s voice and held her tongue. She knew better than to argue with her mother when she was angry. Instead, she looked up to the ceiling in deep thought, ¡°...All I heard was some rumors about an Ebon Aspirant appearing in one of the Challenges.¡±


    ¡°So nothing at all, hm. I suppose the rumors of messengers ¡®disappearing¡¯ in Glimmer Grove are true. Lady Thorn may be the one behind it, but unlikely. Not even she would risk killing the servants of dozens of Great Houses. There are most likely several other formidable opponents at play. Gods only know how many rumors have spread in the last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why are you talking like that?¡± Elena asked slowly. ¡°Are you actually saying what I think you¡¯re saying? Did¡­ Did an Ebon Aspirant really appear?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you¡¯re going to marry him.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Elena abruptly stopped walking. Her amber eyes widened in shock, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What was that?¡±


    ¡°As I said, you have a long day ahead of you. Try to keep up,¡± Evelyn waved her forward and kept walking.


    Elena shook her head vehemently and ran back to her mother¡¯s side, ¡°Wait! Wait just a sec! What is going on!? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°Good, enthusiasm is very good. But the hints of aggression are not. The Aspirant is very receptive to anger and by that I mean he will respond in kind, by several folds.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elena frowned.


    Evelyn paused in her steps and placed a warm hand over her daughter¡¯s cheek, ¡°It means he kills people, darling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, WHAT!?¡±


    Evelyn smiled, patted Elena¡¯s cheek, and kept walking. ¡°The Ebon Aspirant revealed his true powers during the 2nd Challenge and my oh my, was it glorious. The entire coliseum sat in rapture as he defeated his opponents one by one with magics far exceeding his age, he even struck down the Thorn Queen¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Calex Thorn isn¡¯t the Ebon Aspirant?¡±


    Evelyn laughed, a soft, coy sound, ¡°What possessed you to think that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what the kids at school were talking about. I mean, it¡¯s the most obvious choice, right?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Do you think Ophelia Thorn would have hidden such a secret? Her son, an Ebon Lord reborn? No, she would have proclaimed that news from atop the shade walls years ago.¡±


    ¡°So, if it¡¯s not Calex¡­ then who is it? And why did you say I should marry him?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you should marry him. I said you are going to marry him. The engagement has already been set. Bellum has favored our family in this particular endeavor. You see, the Aspirant needed allies and we were in the perfect position to help.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Elena muttered.


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m processing.¡±


    ¡°Good. Best to think before you speak. Tauri could learn a thing or two from you.¡±


    Elena chuckled, ¡°You know, I knew that you and dad would choose my husband someday, but I thought I¡¯d at least be there to witness the moment when it happened.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, darling, you will witness more than enough moments with your husband. And if you ever need any help on how to manage the social and personal intricacies of having a powerful lord as your partner, my counsel is always available. If you need any tips on the intricacies of ¡®night matters¡¯, then ask his lesser wife. I¡¯m sure she is quite well versed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s married?¡±


    ¡°To a lesser wife, yes. I thought it best to personally tell you everything before you meet him, instead of having you read it in some dingy letter.¡±


    Elena sighed loudly, ¡°This really is going to be a long day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And yet not once in our conversation have you said ¡®no¡¯ to me,¡± she smirked. ¡°That¡¯s why I chose you.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t say ¡®no?¡¯ That seems like a terribly irresponsible reason to choose someone.¡±


    Evelyn smiled, ¡°I chose you because you understand what loyalty and duty mean. The word ¡®no¡¯ did not cross your mind because despite all that complaining, you understand what is at stake for this family. My darling scarlet flower, you always choose to rise to the task at hand, no matter the adversity, that¡¯s what I admire about you the most.¡±


    ¡°Times like this remind me why I never win arguments with you.¡±


    ¡°And you never will,¡± she winked.


    Elena couldn¡¯t help but smile, though she did so with an angry pout, ¡°So who is he, hm? The man who will claim the mantle of the Ebon Lords? What is he like?¡±


    ¡°You tell me, you¡¯re the one who went to the academy with him. What is Stryg like?¡±


    Elena blinked, ¡°Hm?¡± She shook her head and smiled wider, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch what you said.¡±


    ¡°What is Stryg of Ebon Hollow like?¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ the Stryg¡­ the 3rd year who bit some poor guy¡¯s cheek off¡­ that Stryg¡­ is the Ebon Aspirant!?¡±


    ¡°And your fianc¨¦ and soon-to-be husband, yes. What do you think of him?¡±


    Elena laughed hysterically, ¡°Did you not just hear the part where he bit a guy¡¯s cheek off!¡±


    ¡°And many an Ebon Lord has soaked the Realm with blood, what is your point?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What. Do. You. Think. Of. Him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Dangerous¡­?¡±


    ¡°That much is obvious; at least once you get past that pretty blue face and see the sharp claws.¡±


    ¡°And sharp fangs.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn asked curiously.


    ¡°Stryg, he¡¯s got two fangs. They¡¯re small, so they¡¯re kinda hard to see, but they¡¯re definitely sharp.¡±


    Evelyn raised her eyebrow, ¡°And how would you know that?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± she shrugged, ¡°We go to the same school and all¨C¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve spoken to him before?¡±


    ¡°Well, I never met him personally. We never had any classes together. I sort of just saw him from afar in the dining hall¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you watched him so closely from afar that you noticed his small fangs? Do I have that right?¡±


    Elena laughed awkwardly, ¡°I mean it wasn¡¯t like that per se.¡±


    Evelyn sighed, ¡°My daughter has a little crush on her fianc¨¦, how sweet.¡±


    ¡°It-It¡¯s not like that! Stryg hangs out with the most exclusive group at the academy! They¡¯re a bunch of elite powerful kids who are all insanely hot, so everyone stares at them! And now that I think about it, life really isn¡¯t fair. Why do the elite students also happen to be super sexy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called selective breeding, darling. Now, try to stay on topic; Have you ogled Stryg and his friends? Yes or no?¡±


    ¡°I would never ogle anyone¨C¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I forgot how horny teenagers are and what terrible liars they make,¡± Evelyn said dryly.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say to that.¡±


    Evelyn glanced out the window and cursed, ¡°God dammit.¡±


    ¡°Um, not my first choice of words, but¨C¡±


    Evelyn ignored her and dashed outside.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going!?¡± Elena called out, but her mother was already gone. ¡°God dammit, indeed,¡± she muttered and ran after her.


    ~~~


    ¡°Good morning, Tauri,¡± Lady Evelyn¡¯s voice echoed strongly.


    Tauri jumped up to her feet, startled. She cleared her throat and straightened her back, ¡°Mother? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    Stryg slowly turned around. Evelyn stood at the other side of the pool. A beautiful young woman stood next to her. She seemed oddly familiar.


    Evelyn smiled in a relaxed yet knowing manner, ¡°And good morning to you, Ebon Aspirant. May I introduce you to my lovely daughter, Elena.¡±


    Stryg looked her up and down, his eyes unconsciously searching for any weapons. He spotted none. Though he couldn¡¯t help but notice she wasn''t as voluptuous as her sister.


    Elena lifted her hand in a small short wave and smiled stiffly, ¡°H-hi. I¡¯m, uh¨C¡±


    ¡°My fianc¨¦¡­?¡± Stryg muttered questioningly.


    ¡°Uh, yup, yeah¡­ that. That is indeed me, the one and only¡­ fianc¨¦, hehe, uhh¡­¡± Elena suddenly began making unintelligible sounds with her mouth, slowly backed away, and hid behind her mother.


    Stryg wrinkled his brow in confusion.


    Evelyn smiled angrily at her younger daughter, but quickly smothered her heated emotions and glanced at her older daughter, ¡°Tauri, did you enjoy your swim with the Aspirant?¡±


    Tauri stiffened, ¡°We weren¡¯t swimming. I was just teaching him a bit. You know, I¡¯m his teacher and all that¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that what you were doing? Teaching?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yes, nothing more,¡± Tauri nodded her head repeatedly and inched away from Stryg.


    Evelyn looked at Stryg, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to swim?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, what does it matter?¡± he asked icily.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°You all must be famished, why don¡¯t we head over to the dining room for some nice, hot breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I''d rather just head out and speak to Ismene about tomorrow¡¯s plans,¡± Tauri quickly stepped away.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll skip breakfast too, I¡¯m not really hungry,¡± Elena agreed.


    ¡°I insist,¡± Evelyn smiled coldly.

 Chapter 302: Three Fears

    Chapter 302: Three Fears


    Half a dozen servants hurried around the dining table with silent steps and placed dish after dish of steaming food over the mantle. One of the valets walked into the room with a bottle of red wine and walked to the head of the table where Lord Krall sat with his wife.


    ¡°Some wine, my lord?¡± the valet asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have half a glass,¡± Krall said cheerfully.


    ¡°Yes, of course. And you, my lady?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little early for me, thank you,¡± Evelyn said, though she did not look at the valet; her focus was on her daughters and the young man sitting across from them.


    Stryg sat between Feli and Maeve, though he paid little attention to either of them, or the Katag sisters in front of him. In fact, he paid little attention to anyone at all. Instead, he busied himself eating slabs of seared meat drizzling with melted butter and roasted potatoes sprinkled with various herbs he did not recognize, though he certainly liked the flavors.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it countless times already, but your appetite never ceases to amaze me,¡± Maeve muttered with a mixture of awe and disgust.


    ¡°I know right!¡± Elena said excitedly.


    Her mother shot her an irritated glance.


    ¡°Ahem, I mean, the food really is wonderful,¡± Elena nudged Tauri¡¯s arm, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, sister?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah,¡± Tauri mumbled. She kept glancing at the door, though she had yet to touch her food.


    Elena worried for her sister and wondered what had happened. Usually, Tauri was bubbling with life and a fiery glint in her eye. But now she seemed withdrawn and tense.


    ¡°I take it the food is to your liking, Stryg?¡± Evelyn smiled warmly.


    ¡°Mm,¡± he mumbled and kept eating.


    Feli glanced at Elena and smiled, but it did not reach her eyes, ¡°Have you two met before?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elena swallowed her food before speaking, ¡°Oh, um, yeah, kinda.¡±


    ¡°Funny, he never mentioned you,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Ah, well, he probably wouldn¡¯t remember me¡­¡± Elena mumbled.


    ¡°Why? Was the encounter that unremarkable?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Elena said.


    Maeve coughed loudly and looked around the room, ¡°My, where is everyone? Usually Callum, Freya, and Lady Ismene are here by now. Even Mister Cornelius wakes up for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be coming,¡± Sylvie said from the end of the table. Several plates of food were scattered around her, half of them were already empty. She was the only one at the table whose appetite surpassed Stryg¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t unusual for her to eat three or four times the food than the others.


    ¡°What do you mean they aren¡¯t coming? My cousin wouldn¡¯t skip a meal, he was raised with manners,¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sylvie shrugged. ¡°Something about them not wanting to be stuck between a rock and a hard place? I really didn¡¯t get it, but I wasn¡¯t about to miss a meal.¡±


    ¡°Because you have manners?¡± Elena smiled.


    ¡°No, because I¡¯m hungry. You think this giant body runs off sheer willpower? Not a chance,¡± Sylvie swallowed another spoonful of honey porridge and began humming happily to herself as she ate.


    ¡°Well, what about Gale? Surely she wouldn¡¯t have just ditched breakfast?¡± Maeve asked.


    ¡°She ate earlier. I think she¡¯s outside training with Lysaila,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Of course, she is,¡± Maeve sighed to herself. She suddenly shook her head and smiled at Elena, ¡°So, how were the roads to Undergrowth? Hopefully, your trip here was less bumpy than ours.¡±


    ¡°The roads were somewhat muddy from the rain, but I¡¯ve traveled through worse. Honestly, I was more worried about a dragon attack than anything.¡±


    ¡°A dragon attack?¡± Krall looked up from his food.


    ¡°Yeah, there are a bunch of merchants talking about it,¡± Elena said. ¡°They say dragons have been seen roaming Dusk Valley and Glimmer Grove. And the sightings have only gotten more frequent these last few weeks. Most of the time the dragons are spotted high up in the sky, but sometimes they fly down and attack¡­ they leave nothing but the dead behind.¡±


    Maeve frowned, ¡°I heard some reports from my men, but I didn¡¯t really think¡­¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°They¡¯re real,¡± Tauri said quietly. ¡°We were attacked by one near the edge of Glimmer Grove.¡±


    ¡°What!? Seriously!? Tell me everything!¡± Elena said excitedly.


    Evelyn glanced at her disapprovingly, ¡°Darling, this isn¡¯t really a suitable breakfast topic¨C¡±


    ¡°The dragon attacked and killed several dozen men and women from the Hunter¡¯s Guild,¡± Sylvie spoke up in a reminiscent tone.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­¡± Elena grimaced.


    ¡°I thought we were all going to die,¡± Tauri chuckled grimly. ¡°Then a beam of moonlight fell down from the sky and struck down the scarlet beast.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­ Divine intervention? Lunae saved you?¡± Elena muttered, wide-eyed.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°I saw it with my own two eyes¨C¡±


    ¡°Tauri, stop teasing your sister with those embellishing lies,¡± Evelyn said curtly.


    ¡°I already told you, it¡¯s not a lie,¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Evelyn yelled. ¡°We are all gathered here to enjoy a nice, warm meal. Not to hear your silly stories!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie,¡± Stryg spoke up coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that silver beam of light was, but I saw the dragon fall from the sky¡­ I saw it die.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Evelyn smiled forcefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re all safe,¡± Krall said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I mean, not everyone, a bunch of people died,¡± Sylvie said lightly. ¡°I¡¯d hate to be a part of the Hunter¡¯s Guild right about now, I¡¯ll tell you that much.¡±


    ¡°Miss Sylvie, your match is coming up tomorrow, isn¡¯t it?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m up against that Murkton girl. I think her name was Joanne or Jean or something.¡±


    ¡°You mean, Diane?¡± Evelyn said dryly.


    ¡°Yeah, that was it!¡± Sylvie snapped her fingers.


    ¡°And how do you feel about facing a swordmaster? Nervous? Scared?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Not even close,¡± Sylvie smirked.


    ¡°Anyone without a healthy amount of fear for a weapon master is foolhardy,¡± Tauri noted.


    ¡°There are only three things I fear and none of them is a girl named Diane,¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°Then what do you fear?¡± Elena asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in action back in the academy. You destroyed every opponent you fought. What in all the Realms could scare you?¡±


    ¡°The first one is easy,¡± Sylvie said. ¡°My loss of freedom. I know what it¡¯s like to have no control over your own life and it¡¯s terrible, believe me.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Elena said wryly.


    ¡°And the others?¡± Stryg asked quietly. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Hm, the others are gonna cost you,¡± Sylvie smirked. ¡°You gotta tell me one of your fears first.¡±


    Stryg stopped eating and looked at her thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of losing my tribe.¡±


    Maeve and Feli looked at him, surprised. They had never heard him be so open in front of anyone outside the tribe.


    Sylvie stared at him, without moving. She seemed the most surprised of them all.


    ¡°Ebon Hollow? I never got a real understanding of who exactly is part of your tribe,¡± Evelyn said with interest.


    ¡°I already answered your question. Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Sylvie sighed. ¡°...My second fear is that my mom will never wake up again.¡±


    ¡°What? Is she¡­ in a coma?¡± Feli asked.


    Sylvie shook her head, ¡°My dad uses his magic to help her as much as he can. She has her waking moments, but they¡¯re brief and sometimes she¡¯s not all there,¡± Sylvie shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°My own mother grew very sick before she passed. I know what it¡¯s like to¡­¡± Maeve bit her lip, ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, you don¡¯t have to talk about any of this if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°I do, it¡¯s only fitting,¡± Sylvie said. She glanced at Stryg, ¡°This one lies often, but when I asked you a question just now, you didn¡¯t lie. I can tell. So, your turn.¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly, he had never seen Sylvie so calm. Her voice felt heavy, a pain buried deep within. And for the first time, Stryg felt as if he saw her, truly saw the giant girl hiding behind a facade of a smile. He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he simply spoke the truth.


    ¡°When I first chose to become a mage I did it because I wanted to impress my tribe,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet,¡± Elena smiled. But as she looked into his lilac eyes her smile fell. There was no happiness behind those beautiful eyes.


    ¡°You mean the Blood Fang Tribe,¡± Sylvie guessed.


    ¡°...I wanted to be worthy of them,¡± Stryg sighed, ¡°but I never was. I thought that if I became a powerful mage, then maybe they might accept me. But if I¡¯m being honest with myself, I really don¡¯t know if they would accept the person I¡¯ve become, and I¡¯m scared to know the answer.¡±


    Tauri looked at him for the first time at breakfast, her expression indiscernible. She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it, and stayed quiet.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m sorry, I never knew that,¡± Elena said sympathetically.


    ¡°How would you? You¡¯ve hardly spoken a sentence to each other,¡± Feli noted with a side glance.


    Elena winced, ¡°The feeling still stands though¡­¡±


    ¡°I say you go find your old tribe and you challenge all of those savages to a couple of duels,¡± Krall said. ¡°Show them who you really are. I guarantee they¡¯ll take back every word they¡¯ve said to you.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not savages,¡± Stryg glared at him.


    ¡°Krall didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Right, sorry. I¡¯m just not a fan of people who judge others by the strength of their muscles,¡± Krall shrugged. ¡°When you''re standing on a battlefield, you don¡¯t care who it is, a commoner or a lord, the one willing to put their life on the line for their comrades, that¡¯s the one I want by my side. Loyalty, not power, is everything. Your old tribe should have known that.¡±


    Stryg blinked, he had never thought of it that way. Nor did he ever think the 7 ft hulking orc would say it that way either.


    ¡°So what is your last fear, Miss Sylvie?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°I think we¡¯re all dying to know.¡±


    Sylvie took a deep breath and sighed loudly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the dark.¡±


    ¡°The dark?¡± Elena giggled, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit anticlimactic,¡± Feli muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how profound the dark really is,¡± Sylvie said solemnly.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Evelyn laughed lightly. ¡°How about you, Aspirant? Are you afraid of the dark?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯d be a fool to say I wasn¡¯t wary of it.¡±

 Chapter 303: Weapon of Choice Part 1

    Chapter 303: Weapon of Choice Part 1


    Sylvie grumbled to herself as she paced back and forth past the weapons rack. The large array of weapons hung on the wooden racks, gleaming in the torchlight from their recent polishing. Freya watched her with a half-hearted smile. The crowds chanting reverberated over the tunnel¡¯s walls. The sounds of thousands echoed faintly through the air.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± Freya pointed upwards. ¡°That¡¯s the sound of ¡®you¡¯re running out of time.¡¯ Try to hurry it up if you can.¡±


    ¡°Just a little longer,¡± Sylvie muttered and kept perusing through the dozens of weapons.


    ¡°Why is this so difficult for you? How many of those weapons do you even know how to use?¡±


    ¡°Enough to make the choice difficult,¡± Sylvie shrugged.


    ¡°Really?¡± Freya asked skeptically.


    ¡°I had a very thorough education growing up. I had countless tutors and instructors who taught me all sorts of things, not the least of which was the art of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can relate. Not to the weapons part ¨C I only ever learned to wield the hammer ¨C but the rest sounds pretty familiar. I used to stay up past midnight most days, learning about trade routes and mercantile practices. Ugh, it was exhausting,¡± Freya shivered in recollection. ¡°But the worst had to be learning about magic before my magic even awakened. It¡¯s so weird trying to learn about your mana flow when you don¡¯t even have one yet.¡±


    ¡°I actually liked my magic training,¡± Sylvie smiled softly. ¡°Sure, sometimes there were boring instructors and lectures, but other times my dad taught me instead. He¡¯s a pretty busy guy, always juggling one responsibility or another, he barely ever has time for himself, but he always somehow found time to teach me. It was nice, just me and him. I miss those days.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a cool dad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. He¡¯s usually pretty patient even when I tried to get him angry,¡± Sylvie chuckled.


    ¡°My dad is on the Hollow Council so he¡¯s pretty busy too. He doesn¡¯t have much patience at all and gets angry easily, but never violent. Most days he was angry; it would usually end up with him passed out drunk on top of some of his concubines. The really tricky part was where. Sometimes it was in his bed, other times it was in one of the pools or the kitchen. One time he fell asleep on the roof and didn¡¯t wake up until the next afternoon. There he was, butt naked, covered in sunburns.¡±


    ¡°Your dad¡¯s sleeping habits sound weird, but oddly fun,¡± Sylvie grinned.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Pfft. Yeah? We should try it some time,¡± Freya laughed.


    Sylvie picked up a large two-handed double-sided ax and shifted it around her hands, testing its weight. She sighed in satisfaction, ¡°Damn, you really can¡¯t go wrong with a good ol¡¯ ax.¡±


    ¡°Just try not to chop off your opponent¡¯s arm like last time, yeah?¡± Freya said wryly.


    Sylvie spun the ax in a wide flourish around her, then finally rested the wooden shaft on her shoulder. She smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ~~~


    The sky was filled with pale grey clouds, the first signs of a far off rain nearing Undergrowth. Yet the threat of rain did nothing to hinder the thousands of spectators. They all eagerly watched from the stands, staring as the dire vampire-human walked to the center of the arena, where her opponent waited.


    Diane had already drawn her swords. She crossed her blades and stabbed them into the ground, then bowed respectfully, ¡°...It is an honor to be your opponent.¡±


    Sylvie cocked her head to the side, the orc¡¯s words sounded familiar. Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened with recognition, they were the words the frost giant hybrid had said to Diane in their match. ¡°Ah. Where did all that aggression of yours go? You still have those stupid double swords, so you¡¯re clearly still the same idiot. So what changed?¡±


    Diane narrowed her eyes, ¡°I came here to win, that hasn¡¯t changed. But I was wrong about my previous opponent, the frost giant Lynn was a worthy enemy. She displayed honor in our duel. And I thought to show you the same courtesy. Clearly, however, you care not for the honor of warriors.¡±


    Sylvie laughed disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t accept your ¡®honor.¡¯ Honor is accepted and given only to the worthy, like that frost giant. The way she was willing to fight you to the bitter end, putting everything she had on the line, that was the mark of a true warrior, unlike you. Fighting Lynn would have been fun and far more interesting than whatever you have to offer.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m unworthy?¡± Diane sneered and grabbed her blades.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d at least usually have fun defeating an uptight orc like you. No, this match won¡¯t be interesting because it¡¯ll be too easy. All thanks to those couple of swords you carry around like an idiot. I mean honestly, a sword is a terrible weapon as it is, overused and often impractical, but two of them? It¡¯s like you''re signing your own death sentence.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your haughty instructors taught you?¡± Diane dragged the tips of her blades through the sand and walked in a wide circle around Sylvie, eyeing her like a wolf eyed a sheep.


    ¡°How did you know I had weapon instructors?¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Please. You practically ooze an arrogant rich girl aura. Just standing there, judging that you¡¯re better than me without even knowing me. What do you know of true combat?¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m stronger than you, that¡¯s for certain,¡± Sylvie winked.


    ¡°You really are an arrogant brat.¡±


    ¡°Not arrogant, just confident. I know my limits.¡± Sylvie smiled coldly, ¡°More importantly, I know yours. I saw your last match. I saw how you struggled against Lynn¡¯s water magic. For a mage your magic is quite terrible. So if all you have are those stupid swords, than I¡¯ve already won.¡±


    Diane snarled, ¡°You cocky little shi-¡±


    The Herald¡¯s Tower¡¯s enchanted horn blared across the coliseum.


    ¡°OUR DUELISTS SEEM READY TO FIGHT!¡± Mark yelled.


    Jane cupped her hands together and shouted into the horn, ¡°THEN LET THE 9TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡±

 Chapter 304: Weapon of Choice Part 2

    Chapter 304: Weapon of Choice Part 2


    The tower¡¯s enchanted horn blared across the coliseum.


    ¡°OUR DUELISTS SEEM READY TO FIGHT!¡± Mark yelled.


    Jane cupped her hands together and shouted into the horn, ¡°THEN LET THE 9TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡±


    Diane didn¡¯t need another cue, orange mana surged into her veins and empowered her body with agility magic. She ran across the arena straight at Sylvie. Sylvie didn¡¯t move. Diane raised her swords. Still, Sylvie didn¡¯t react. The orc¡¯s blades glistened in the sunlight, but the dire vampire simply smiled casually.


    The sands underneath Diane¡¯s feet shifted and the ground exploded in a solid wave of stone. She yelped out in surprise as the ground launched her twenty paces away. She spun her body in mid-air and landed in a roll, knocking the sand up in a cloud around her.


    Diane coughed and shook her head, then jumped to her feet.


    Sylvie placed her hands on her cheeks and gasped dramatically with wide eyes, ¡°Oh no! Is the swordmaster in fact at a terrible disadvantage!? Who would have guessed that magic trumps steel!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you damn giant oaf,¡± Diane muttered angrily.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just kidding,¡± Sylvie laughed lightly. ¡°Steel kills mages as easily as anyone else. It¡¯s just that in this case, I¡¯m the better mage. Plus I have the better weapons.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Diane sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I have an aegis, dummy. Your swords will never reach me, but my ax will definitely reach you. So you might as well give up alread¨C¡±


    Diane didn¡¯t wait for her to finish. She rushed back in. The sands shifted once more and exploded underneath, but this time she was ready. Diane vaulted into the air and the stone wave passed beneath her harmlessly. Sylvie¡¯s lips formed an ¡®o¡¯ shape as she looked up at the swordmaster falling down above her.


    Sylvie flicked her hands; blue mana instantly coalesced into a giant glob of water that vaguely took the shape of a hand. The aquatic hand slapped Diane out of the air and straight into the ground. Diane gasped in pain, the wind knocked out of her. A dull stone pillar exploded from the sand and smashed into her stomach, sending her flying back into the air. She fell a dozen paces away with a hard thud.


    Sylvie groaned loudly, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s rude to cut someone off when they¡¯re speaking.¡±


    Diane grimaced and coughed up bile mixed with blood. After a few moments, she pushed herself to her feet in an unsteady stance. ¡°...You don''t take this seriously, do you?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Sylvie cocked her head to the side.


    Diane wiped the blood off her lips with the back of her hand, ¡°You don¡¯t take any of this seriously, do you? Not me, not this fight, and not even this tourney. Do you?¡±


    Sylvie shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that means. I¡¯m here to fight like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°No. No one is here to fight. They¡¯re here to prove themselves. But you,¡± Diane narrowed her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re here just to play like this is a party or something. Whereas everyone is putting their lives on the line just to be here.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you want me to be scared of those two little metal needles?¡± Sylvie pointed at the swords on the ground. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m not afraid or worked up like you.¡±


    ¡°What are you even after? What do you want?¡±


    Sylvie smiled, ¡°To win, obviously.¡±


    ¡°I hate people like you the most,¡± she sighed and picked up her blades.


    ¡°Those swords won¡¯t help you, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡±


    Diane pointed her clenched fist at Sylvie. A plume of flames blazed to life and thrashed towards the vampire hybrid. The aquatic hand swiveled in front of Sylvie and met the raging fire in an explosion of steam.


    The aurum aegis ignited to life. Bronze and golden specs of light flared around Sylvie¡¯s body and formed a protective shield from the heat. As the steam cloud slowly diffused the crowds gasped in surprise. Sylvie hadn¡¯t moved an inch, but Diane was right behind and above her, trapped and suspended in mid-air by a web of shadow tendrils emerging from Sylvie¡¯s silhouette.


    Sylvie slowly turned her neck back and looked up at Diane, ¡°You used the steam as a distraction to try and jump me from behind? Not bad. But even if I hadn¡¯t stopped you, my aegis would have protected me just the same.¡±


    Diane tried to move, but the shadow tendrils wrapped around her more tightly. She growled in frustration, ¡°Easy for you to s¨C¡±


    The shadow tendrils suddenly pulled back and launched the orc across the arena. Diane fell in a sprawl of limbs. She groaned in pain and tried her best to breathe through what was undoubtedly a broken rib or two.


    ¡°See! It¡¯s annoying when people cut you off isn¡¯t it!?¡± Sylvie yelled.


    With slow measured breaths, Diane gingerly stood to her feet and picked up her swords.


    Sylvie furrowed her brow, ¡°Are you seriously still going to try and fight? Don¡¯t you get it? It doesn¡¯t matter how strong of a swordmaster you are if your sword can never reach me! Why even bother fighting!?¡±


    Diane smiled painfully, ¡°...Heh, it¡¯s easy for you to say when you¡¯ve been handed everything in life. A rich little princess whose parents spoiled her with an aegis and a gold one at that!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°It¡¯s called an aurum aegis,¡± Sylvie said, a trace of anger in her voice. ¡°And what do you know of my family? You never met them.¡±


    ¡°And yet I know you inherited their powerful magical legacy. Not only that, life itself deemed you worthy enough to be born a Dire. You are a being that physically, magically, and financially towers over others. Everything must come so easily to you that you¡¯ve come to actually believe you somehow deserve that power. But you don¡¯t.¡±


    Sylvie glared at her, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I worked hard and earned every bit of my power.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. I¡¯ve known countless kids who spent their entire lives working to reach even a tenth of your power and they still failed. So don¡¯t come here trying to pretend like you deserve to stand here with the rest of us. You don¡¯t and you never will.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Sylvie said tersely.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Diane laughed, ¡°I finally get it now. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here, isn¡¯t it? You want to feel like you belong? Don¡¯t you?¡± She spat at Sylvie¡¯s direction, ¡°Look around you, take a good look at all the faces in those crowds. You see it, don¡¯t you? You. Do. Not. Belong.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s face grew solemn, bereft of expression. Her eyebrow twitched. And for a brief moment, Diane spotted something behind Sylvie¡¯s scarlet eyes she hadn¡¯t before. Unbridled rage. Diane felt a shiver crawl up her spine.


    Sylvie closed her eyes, took a deep slow breath, and smiled serenely, ¡°I already told you, you¡¯re wrong about me. I don¡¯t need my magic to prove that to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Sylvie unclasped the silver lace chain around her neck and pulled off her aurum aegis; a golden medallion riddled with arcane sigils and a magestone embedded deep within.


    Diane licked her dry lips, ¡°W-what. What are you doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Sylvie slipped the aegis into her pocket and picked up her two-handed ax. ¡°No magic. I already bested you as a mage. This time I¡¯ll best you as a warrior. Let this be a Challenge of Steel and Steel alone.¡±


    Diane chuckled at the absurdity of it all, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. You already broke my ribs.¡±


    ¡°You want to win, right? This is the one shot you¡¯ll get.¡± Sylvie gripped her ax tight, ¡°Here I come!¡±


    Sylvie charged her and swung the ax down.


    Diane raised her swords in a crossed stance and blocked. She gasped and fell to one knee from the sheer force of Sylvie''s single attack.


    ¡°T-that¡­ won¡¯t¡­ be enough!¡± Diane said through gritted teeth and labored breaths.


    ¡°Who said I was finished!¡± Sylvie pulled back her ax and prepared for another swing.


    Diane relaxed her breathing and let the life force residing in the core of her body flow into her muscles. She abruptly kicked off the ground and narrowly evaded the ax¡¯s edge. Yet Sylvie pivoted and slashed out with another attack. Diane clenched her teeth tight and blocked the blow. She stumbled back a step, but quickly regained her footing.


    Sylvie didn¡¯t let up and assaulted her with an onslaught of swings. Diane¡¯s feet shifted and she was forced to retreat. Sylvie¡¯s long arms and her ax¡¯s shaft gave her a reach that far extended beyond Diane¡¯s swords. Her dire strength made each ax blow crash down with the force of a wild beast. Even worse, Sylvie was fast, faster than anyone Diane had encountered.


    Even with life force energy strengthening Diane¡¯s muscles, she could hardly stop the attacks. Every block sent pins and needles of paining running through her arms. And yet despite the pain and ferocity of the attacks, Diane kept blocking. Her swords fell into a familiar rhythm and she found herself shifting the force of the ax¡¯s swings away from her until eventually not a single blow could reach her.


    Sylvie stopped attacking and looked at her in surprise, ¡°How did you¨C?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really underestimated the title of swordmaster,¡± Diane smiled ferociously. She stepped forward and swung her blades in a blinding flash of steel.


    Sylvie raised her ax and blocked the slash from the right, then the left, then top, and then¡­ Sylvie¡¯s eyes flittered around as she tried to stop each oncoming attack. Diane¡¯s blades didn¡¯t have the incredible strength behind them like her own, but the orc somehow anticipated where her ax would block, and then Diane would shift her blades somewhere else.


    ¡°The title of swordmaster is only given to those of us who¡¯ve strived beyond any other!¡± Diane yelled as she slashed her blades in a flurry of steel. ¡°You mock the sword, but you don¡¯t know what it means to wield one!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid sliver of metal!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    Despite Diane¡¯s overwhelming skill, she could not close the gap between them both. Sylvie¡¯s reach was too great and she knew it.


    Sylvie grinned, ¡°Those flimsy swords can¡¯t touch me! You should have gone with a spear!¡±


    ¡°All I need are my swords!¡± Diane narrowed her eyes and kept attacking. The pain in her ribs melted away amidst her endless strikes. ¡°The sword is my will! My vision! It is the legacy of everyone who came before me! And I will not let you ridicule them!¡±


    Thin streaks of green life force swirled around Diane. Her feet shifted in a blur and her body skipped forward like an arrow, past Sylvie altogether. Sylvie stiffened and glanced down at her ax, the wooden shaft had been cut clean in two.


    ¡°That was close¡­¡± Sylvie muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I finally reached you,¡± Diane turned back around and smiled triumphantly. She raised her sword, the tip of her blade was dyed red.


    Sylvie slowly raised her hand and touched her cheek. A small gash bled below her eye.


    ¡°I fucking hate swords,¡± Sylvie cursed under her breath. She tossed away her broken ax and opened her arms wide. ¡°Fine! I was wrong. I underestimated your sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Swords,¡± Diane raised both blades.


    ¡°Nah, dual-wielding those flimsy needles is still stupid,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Diane smiled coldly and abruptly swung her blades at Sylvie¡¯s left arm.


    Sylvie¡¯s body spun with pale red light and the blades passed by her harmlessly. Diane''s amber eyes widened in surprise, she tried to retreat but she had overextended. Sylvie sharply slammed the side of her hand down over Diane¡¯s wrist. The crunch of bone resounded in both their ears.


    Diane cried out in pain. Her wrist went limp and dropped the sword. She jumped back and stared at Sylvie with a mixture of pain and shock.


    ¡°That red light. It wasn¡¯t magic¡­¡± Diane muttered warily.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Sylvie said casually.


    ¡°It was¡­ a manifestation of concentrated life force energy?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Diane frowned, ¡°Only a master warrior can manifest their life force¡­¡±


    ¡°So they say.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not possible¡­¡± Diane shook her head vehemently. ¡°You didn¡¯t use any energy techniques against me earlier! I defeated your ax!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you did,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Then how!? How can you¨C!¡±


    Sylvie dug her foot underneath the fallen sword, flipped it up, and snatched it from the air. She twirled the blade comfortably in her hand and tested its weight. ¡°Hm, how indeed?¡±


    Diane paled, ¡°No. It can¡¯t be. You can¡¯t be!¡±


    Sylvie spread her legs apart and lowered the blade behind her back. Soft red life energy crept over the sword. The wind began to blow around her as if pooling around her very being. The breeze lifted her blood-red hair up in a mass of scarlet strands and the sunlight dyed her hair in a red glow.


    Diane¡¯s jaw went slack. This was more than a simple energy technique. This was precise life force control and terrifying sword skill fully realized.


    ¡°Why!? I don¡¯t understand!¡± Diane screamed. ¡°You said you hated the sword!¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then why!? You¡¯re a swordmaster, why¨C!¡±


    Sylvie dashed forward, her figure a red blur. Diane raised her sword and tried to block. The air imploded in a clash of steel. Diane¡¯s sword snapped in half and her arm was torn apart from the pressure of the raging life force. She spun from the sheer force of the attack and collapsed on the sand in a bloody mess of nicks and gashes.


    Sylvie looked at her fallen opponent indifferently. She tossed her sword away and turned to the crowds cheering her name.


    She waved and smiled widely, though it did not reach her eyes.

 Chapter 305: A Visit To The Infirmary

    Chapter 305: A Visit To The Infirmary


    ¡°So there I was, without a weapon, my ax lying on the sand in pieces. Totally defenseless,¡± Sylvie said in a hushed, energetic voice.


    ¡°And then what happened?¡± Callum asked with a child-like wonder.


    Sylvie grinned, ¡°I let her attack me and I¨C¡±


    Freya rolled her eyes, though she couldn¡¯t stop herself from smirking just a little. Stryg sat on a chair next to her, staring out at the window of the infirmary room.


    Callum was still confined to his bed, but he was sitting upright. The white mages said he¡¯d be discharged any day now. Until then, he was ordered to drink a lot of liquids, primarily blood, and to get a lot of rest. None of that stopped Sylvie from visiting him every day and regaling him with her adventures; whether it be as simple as tasting a new kind of muffin or as deadly as dueling against a sword master. Either way, Callum listened ardently to her every word.


    ¡°¨CAnd then with her own sword in my hand I clashed blades with Diane of Murkton and through the skin of my teeth I managed to defeat her!¡± Sylvie jumped to her feet in triumph.


    Callum clapped and smiled, ¡°And I thought your last match was incredible! But after listening to your story right now, oof. I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯d be like to go against an actual swordmaster in a real duel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was scary, but luckily I managed to beat her,¡± Sylvie laughed abashedly.


    ¡°Luck?¡± Freya spat the word as if it were poison on her lips. ¡°There was no luck involved. You didn¡¯t even struggle in that fight! You completely destroyed that orc. In fact, you literally went against my request and went ahead and chopped off another person¡¯s arm! Why aren¡¯t you telling that part of the story, huh!?¡±


    ¡°The truth doesn¡¯t make nearly as good a story,¡± Sylvie pouted with crossed arms. ¡°And now you just ruined the story for Callum!¡±


    ¡°No worries, I already heard the official story,¡± Callum winked.


    ¡°Huh? How!?¡± Sylvie said.


    Callum pointed at his four white walls, ¡°I¡¯m stuck in an infirmary room, unable to go outside. All everyone talks about around here is what happens outside. Five minutes after your duel I had already heard half a dozen stories of your fight.¡±


    ¡°Then why sit there and listen to me¡­?¡± Sylvie mumbled.


    ¡°I much rather hear your story, they¡¯re always more fun,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Sylvie mumbled. Her olive-brown cheeks blushed a faint red.


    ¡°Ugh, get a room, you two,¡± Freya gagged dramatically.


    ¡°Um, I already did,¡± Callum said pointedly.


    ¡°I hate you both,¡± Freya said flatly.


    ¡°So, you liked my story more?¡± Sylvie smiled.


    Callum nodded, ¡°I did! Except¡­¡±


    ¡°Except what?¡± Sylvie asked.


    ¡°Well, you never told me you were a swordmaster. Not just in the story, but like ever. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it never seemed that important,¡± Sylvie shrugged stiffly.


    Callum stared into her scarlet eyes. He wanted to say something but he thought better of it, and instead simply smiled, ¡°You really are incredible, you know that? You¡¯re a prodigy mage and one of the youngest sword masters alive. Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡±


    ¡°Lose,¡± Sylvie said proudly.


    Callum laughed and grabbed her long slender fingers, ¡°Did I ever tell you you¡¯re the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever met?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know?¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember, Cal. Why don¡¯t you say it again,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t stand being in the same room with the googly-eyed dumbasses any longer,¡± Freya groaned and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m out of here. Stryg, you coming?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one sec.¡± Stryg looked away from the window and glanced at the dire vampiress, ¡°Sylvie. I have a question about your duel.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°If you want some sword tips, I can¡¯t help you. Our styles are very different.¡±


    ¡°I noticed,¡± Stryg said dryly. ¡°No, I wanted to ask you about something else.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go for it,¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°That. That right there,¡± Stryg pointed at her face. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Sylvie chuckled.


    Stryg leaned forward on his chair, his lilac eyes staring at her closely, ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why does anyone smile?¡± Sylvie threw her hands up.


    ¡°People smile because they¡¯re happy,¡± Stryg said objectively. ¡°Like when they eat tasty food or when they defeat their enemy.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Okaaay¡­? Where are you going with this?¡± Sylvie furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Earlier today, right after you won your duel, as the crowds were cheering for you, you were smiling,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°Yeah, I was happy I beat Diane and got Hollow Shade another win. Just like you said, people smile when happy,¡± Sylvie said.


    Callum shook his head, ¡°Stryg, I really don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going with this¨C¡±


    ¡°¨CExcept she wasn¡¯t happy,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Cal, you know I can see and hear better than most people. And even though I can¡¯t hear very well above the crowd¡¯s voices, I can still see just fine. Sylvie, back there in the arena, you were smiling, but I saw your eyes. You weren¡¯t happy¡­ So why were you smiling?¡±


    Freya whispered, ¡°Stryg, maybe you shouldn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get your question,¡± Sylvie laughed awkwardly.


    Stryg stood from his chair and walked right up to her, ¡°You wanted us to be honest with each other. So I¡¯m asking you, why did you smile back then?¡± He looked up into her eyes, ¡°Why are you smiling now?¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s smile widened, ¡°...Because I¡¯m happy. Why do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Stryg sighed, mildly annoyed, ¡°Where I¡¯m from the Sylvan air their grievances aloud. When they are angry they make it known and they deal with it, usually by force. And honestly? It works.¡±


    ¡°Good for them?¡± Sylvie said, confused.


    Stryg clicked his tongue and took a deep breath, ¡°A bit of friendly advice¡­ from someone who held in his own pain¡­ even at the cost of pushing his own tribe away¡­ Don¡¯t keep that pain and anger within you.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­? Thanks for the advice, but really, I wasn¡¯t angry,¡± Sylvie said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Freya,¡± he turned and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± Freya called out from the hallway.


    Stryg stopped at the doorway and glanced back at Sylvie, ¡°...I saw your eyes at the arena and I recognized it for what it was because I¡¯ve seen the same look in the mirror countless times. You¡¯re not angry, Sylvie. You¡¯re furious.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s smile cracked and her scarlet eyes grew cold, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Stryg shrugged and walked away, ¡°At least one of us does.¡±


    ~~~


    Plum sat next to Veronica¡¯s bedside. The young Sientia heiress was covered with silk blankets and feather-stuffed pillows. A table filled with flowers and gifts sat on the other side of the overly large bed. ¡°Uncomfortable¡± was not the word one would use to describe Veronica¡¯s luxury infirmary room and yet, it was exactly how Veronica felt.


    ¡°When can I get out of here?¡± Veronica grumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do I look like a healer?¡± Plum muttered as she read a book.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re too pretty.¡±


    Plum looked up from her book and smiled warmly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I rather pretty boys visit me instead,¡± Veronica groaned and kicked her feet up in the air.


    ¡°Aaand there she is,¡± Plum sighed and went back to reading.


    ¡°I thought Calex would have visited me by now¡­¡±


    Plum reached out and patted her arm, ¡°He¡¯s probably just busy. His mom is the queen of the City of Thorns. I doubt she lets him have much free time, especially now of all times.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know but still¡­ This sucks.¡±


    ¡°What exactly?¡±


    ¡°Not having good company.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good company?¡± Plum raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°You spend half your time reading books, so no, not really.¡±


    ¡°Meh, fair enough. At least I¡¯m here every day.¡±


    ¡°For like an hour at best.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy working with your dad. You know, the lord who literally pays for my living expenses.¡±


    ¡°Just ask him for a few days off. He¡¯ll be totally cool with it.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know how a job works, do you?¡±


    ¡°That gives me a great idea. I should hire a bodyguard to fend off Damian.¡±


    ¡°The Parvus boy? Isn¡¯t he your teammate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but ever since he lost his arm he¡¯s been coming in for potions for the pain. And every time he comes he always stops by my room. Ugh, I hate it.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, he¡¯s the one who brought the roses?¡± Plum glanced at the table across from her.


    Several bouquets and vases of flowers sat on the table. All the flowers were already beginning to wilt, especially the large centerpiece, a giant gold-rimmed vase stuffed with dying red roses.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Veronica giggled.


    ¡°They¡¯re a little too gaudy for your taste, though they are somewhat romantic I suppose,¡± Plum thought aloud. ¡°Hey¡­ What about those water hyacinths?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®what¡¯ now?¡± Veronica blinked.


    ¡°The flowers with the six pale purple petals. Those look nice, a bit odd to find them here, though. They don¡¯t usually grow around these parts.¡±


    ¡°First off, I think they¡¯re pretty ugly. Secondly, how do you even know what they¡¯re called? I don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re called.¡±


    ¡°My mother was a book-loving scribe who named me after a flower; suffice to say she taught me a lot about flowers growing up. And for your information, water hyacinths are quite nice.¡±


    Veronica crossed her arms, ¡°Well then ¡®Miss Flower,¡¯ what do you know about those hyaseth flowers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hyacinth. And they usually only grow where there¡¯s lots of water. Hence their name, water hyacinths.¡±


    ¡°That much seems pretty obvious. Anything else?¡±


    Plum walked over to the pale flowers and stared at them closely, ¡°The water hyacinth represents beauty, sincerity¡­ and sorrow.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± Veronica whispered.


    Plum wrinkled her brow, ¡°Hey, these hyacinths¡­ Have you been watering them?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, does it look like I water plants?¡± Veronica snorted with laughter.


    ¡°No, it really doesn¡¯t,¡± Plum said wryly. ¡°It¡¯s a little odd, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°This flower needs a lot of water to live. But unlike all your other flowers, the hyacinths aren''t wilting. Who brought you these flowers?¡±


    Veronica shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I¡¯ve gotten like twenty different flowers this past week. I lost track of them a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Right, silly me,¡± Plum said.


    A knock rang on the door. ¡°May I come in?¡± a deep, yet soft voice asked from the other side.


    Veronica¡¯s face paled. ¡°No! You can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Must we do this every time?¡± The door slowly creaked open and a tall, handsome crimson-skinned youth walked in. ¡°All I want to do is talk.¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She recognized the chiseled jaw and striking amber eyes from the coliseum, ¡°Gilgard¡­ Morrigan¡­?¡±


    Gilgard looked down at Plum and stiffened, ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t know you had another visitor. I should probably go¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes, you should. Not like I wanted you here in the first place,¡± Veronica said nervously.


    Plum slowly glanced at her friend and then at the fresh bouquet of water hyacinths in Gilgard¡¯s hands. Plum¡¯s lips slowly curled into a smirk, ¡°Oh, please, don¡¯t leave on my account. I was just heading out myself. Why don¡¯t you take a seat, sir Morrigan.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± Gilgard asked.


    ¡°Please, I insist,¡± Plum nodded repeatedly and began to step towards the door.


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± Veronica whispered exasperatedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the hallway, call me if you need me,¡± Plum winked and slammed the door shut.

 Chapter 306: You’re Brilliant, You Know That?

    Chapter 306: You¡¯re Brilliant, You Know That?


    Gilgard glanced around the spacious infirmary room and its polished floors and pristine white walls. Countless gifts lay at the foot of Veronica¡¯s large silk-covered bed and an abundance of flowers sat on the table next to her. The luxury of it all was strange to him.


    Gilgard had grown up under the watchful eye of the most powerful woman in the eastern lands, his grandmother. She was the previous head of the family, and through strict training, she had raised and molded her son into the powerful and feared Warlord of the East. Time and old age had not changed her mindset whatsoever. She raised Gilgard and his siblings in the same way.


    Even now, a few years after his grandmother¡¯s death, Gilgard felt at odds as he looked around Veronica¡¯s infirmary room. Being surrounded by flowers and silk made him feel¡­ uncomfortable.


    Veronica sighed loudly and crossed her arms, ¡°What are you doing here now?¡±


    Gilgard returned to his senses at the sound of her voice. He glanced at the bouquet of water hyacinths in his hands and looked up at Veronica with a half-hearted smile, ¡°I thought I might bring you some flowers.¡±


    Veronica looked pointedly at the pale purple flowers sitting in a vase next to her, ¡°You brought me hyacinths yesterday and the day before and the one before that too.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°You remembered their name?¡±


    ¡°Turns out Plum knows a lot about flowers. She was rattling on about them before you came.¡±


    ¡°Plum? The friend you¡¯re always talking about? Was that the drow who just left? She seems nice.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a lot of things. Composed, smart, not very funny though, and she¡¯s super strict at the most inconvenient times¡­ but she always has my back, so yeah, I guess she¡¯s nice.¡±


    Gilgard listened to her speak and busied himself putting the new water hyacinths in a vase amongst the rest of the menagerie of flowers. He worked quietly and with deft hands. He finished in a mere moment and smiled at his own work, ¡°There, perfect.¡±


    ¡°I liked yesterday¡¯s flower more.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t tell the difference between them,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°Ah, well, there¡¯s always a first for everything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like getting stabbed in the stomach,¡± she lifted her shirt and revealed the white bandages wrapped around her abdomen.


    Gilgard winced, ¡°I really am sorry about that. I did my best to avoid any vital organs.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise. Doesn¡¯t mean it hurts any less.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so he sat down next to her bed in comfortable silence. Veronica¡¯s white hair was woven in a single large braid that rested over her shoulder. Her grey skin seemed warm, not like the pale pallid look she had the first few days after their duel.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Do you want the truth or a lie?¡±


    ¡°Preferably the truth.¡±


    ¡°...Even if it hurts?¡±


    ¡°Especially if it hurts.¡±


    Veronica looked at him thoughtfully, her blue eyes studied his face as if it were some sort of canvas on display. ¡°...Your next match is today, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°In a few hours, yes.¡±


    ¡°Against the drow from Frost Rim? Nalla?¡±


    ¡°So it seems.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    Gilgard leaned back in his chair and glanced out the window, ¡°Conflicted.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re scared? You don¡¯t want to fight her? No one would blame you. I don¡¯t think anyone wants to fight that girl and her mysterious giant sword.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d be a fool if I didn''t have a healthy amount of fear and caution towards that black sword of hers, especially if it really is made of orichalcum. But fear is a good thing, it keeps you alive. That is, so long as you do not let the fear hold you back.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Morrigan. Fighting is in my blood, cowardice is not.¡±


    ¡°And yet you feel conflicted.¡±


    Gilgard sighed, ¡°...I¡¯ve never seen anything like Nalla¡¯s sword before. The way it commanded the wind was¡­¡±


    ¡°Terrifying,¡± Veronica recalled quietly.


    Gilgard clasped his hands tight, ¡°...It was absolute. She had complete and utter control of the situation. Your friend Heather couldn¡¯t do anything but stand still in defeat. My magic¡­ can¡¯t defeat that all-encompassing power.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re gonna lose, is that it?¡± Veronica frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to give up before the fight begins. I fought you knowing full well what the outcome would be.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of losing,¡± he said adamantly.


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is a way¡­ A way I can hold my own against Nalla and her sword.¡±


    ¡°You mean Feather?¡±


    Gilgard closed his eyes tight, ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Veronica nodded in understanding, ¡°The Bone Claymore, the Fang of Fraxinus, the ancestral weapon of the Great House of Morrigan, the legendary Feather itself.¡±


    ¡°You know the stories well,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I know the only sword to match Feather in power was said to be the blood sword Krikolm and House Veres lost their scarlet blade long ago. With Feather in hand, I don¡¯t see you losing against any swordsman.¡±


    ¡°But the stories never mentioned a black blade that could stop the winds themselves, did they? For all I know, Feather¡¯s power could fall short against Nalla¡¯s weapon.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But if there¡¯s any sword that can defeat Nalla, it¡¯s Feather.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    Veronica narrowed her eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t want to use Feather, do you?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s my father¡¯s weapon and it was my grandmother¡¯s before him. I¡¯m in this tournament to show the people of Murkton that I am different from the previous lords of my House, that House Morrigan can change. But if I take Feather then am I really any different?¡±


    Veronica clicked her tongue, ¡°Sometimes I really want to slap that stupid handsome face of yours.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m handsome?¡±


    ¡°Not the point, idiot. Now listen up, because I¡¯ll only say this once. You are a Morrigan. No one has nor will ever think otherwise. You can¡¯t run away from that.¡±


    Gilgard sighed deeply, ¡°...Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡°But! I¡¯ve never met a Morrigan who spared their enemy. In fact, no one has. Don¡¯t you see? You already are different. Using Feather won¡¯t change that.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°You asked me how I felt? You want to know the truth?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I do,¡± Gilgard nodded earnestly.


    Veronica smiled wryly, ¡°...When I first came to after our duel, my parents were there waiting for me, right here in this room. And you know what they said? They said they were sorry for making me fight. All I felt when I heard those words¡­ was anger.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gilgard looked at her in surprise.


    She chuckled bitterly, ¡°Even now, being stuck in this silly room, I feel tired, bored, but most of all I feel angry. I¡¯m angry at myself! Because I chose to care more about what my parents wanted from me than my own survival. I put my own life at risk to please them and a society that expected me to fight for something as stupid as honor! Don¡¯t you get it!? Who cares what anyone else thinks!? You¡¯re Gilgard Morrigan and you, only you, get to choose who Gilgard Morrigan is. So fuck anyone else who says otherwise.¡±


    Gilgard felt the sudden urge to kiss her, but he knew that was the wrong thing to say, so he simply said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re brilliant, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she smirked.


    ~~~


    Plum waited in the hallway outside Veronica¡¯s room. It had been a few minutes since Gilgard had gone inside and though Plum couldn¡¯t hear their voices she couldn¡¯t hear any screams for help either, so she supposed things were going well.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Plum whispered with a smile. She left and walked down the hall with a spring in her step. As she turned the corner she came face to face with a heavily armored orc.


    ¡°Watch it,¡± he growled and placed his hand over the hilt of his blade.


    Plum stopped abruptly and backpedaled a few steps, ¡°S-sorry. I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Clearly. Now turn around and leave.¡±


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Plum nodded, confused.


    Judging from the orc¡¯s high-quality armor, he was clearly an elite guard stationed here to protect Gilgard. So why was he telling her to go back towards the room where Gilgard was inside?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, soldier?¡± a feminine voice called out.


    ¡°Just some drow who lost her way. Sorry for the commotion, Miss Gale,¡± the guard answered politely before he turned around. The orc suddenly stood at attention, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Aspirant, I didn¡¯t notice your presence!¡±


    Aspirant?


    Plum leaned her head past the guard and spotted an elegant vampiress standing in the middle of the hallway. She had pale skin, high cheekbones, and a pair of white fangs that slightly protruded from her half-open thin red lips. She had lustrous golden hair that reached down to her waist, where her longsword rested on her black leather belt. The vampiress¡¯ bright scarlet eyes spotted Plum in an instant.


    ¡°You there, come forward. Who are you?¡± Gale snapped with the voice of a commander.


    Plum nodded hesitantly and stepped out from behind the guard¡¯s shadow. Plum gasped softly. She had heard the title, she had suspected, and yet she was still surprised to see a short young man with striking lilac eyes standing next to the graceful vampiress.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± Gale demanded.


    ¡°Her name is Plumela,¡± Stryg said calmly.

 Chapter 307: You’ve Changed, No…

    Chapter 307: You¡¯ve Changed, No¡­


    ¡°You there, come forward. Who are you?¡± Gale snapped with the voice of a commander.


    Plum nodded hesitantly and stepped out from behind the guard¡¯s shadow. Plum gasped softly. She had heard the title, she had suspected, and yet she was still surprised to see a short young man with striking lilac eyes standing next to the graceful vampiress.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± Gale demanded.


    ¡°Her name is Plumela,¡± Stryg said calmly.


    ¡°You know this drow?¡± Gale asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.


    ¡°I do,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Actually, I know both of you,¡± Plum spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re Gale VIII, the current heir of the Great House of Gale. We¡¯ve never met, but you¡¯re pretty famous, even this far West.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? And how do you know Stryg?¡± Gale asked with a watchful eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Plum bit her lip.


    ¡°We¡¯re old classmates,¡± Stryg said. ¡°She was a 3rd-year student when I first started at the academy. She helped me a lot back then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re old friends,¡± Gale surmised.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Stryg said quietly. ¡°She isn¡¯t a threat if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you two some space then,¡± Gale said. She pointed at the five heavily armored orcs standing in the corridor and motioned them to move down the hall.


    The orcs followed without a fuss.


    Stryg cleared his throat and spoke to Plum, though he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look directly at her, ¡°...I haven¡¯t seen you since Shadow Lake¡­ Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she chuckled with a wince. ¡°I should be the one asking you that. The last time I saw you, you could hardly breathe. You almost died¡­ I should have never brought you along¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Stryg looked at her face and was surprised to see the pain hiding behind her round-rimmed glasses. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Plum cleared her throat, ¡°Um, what exactly happened to you that night? Who was that woman cloaked in white?¡±


    ¡°...I really don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to piece the whole thing together.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Plum looked away and glanced at Gale and the orcs standing at the end of the hall. The orcs stood vigilant, looking around for any potential threats that might walk by. Gale, on the other hand, leaned against the wall and stared out the window, or so Plum thought. On closer inspection, Plum was startled to realize that Gale was staring at them through the reflection in the window. The vampiress¡¯ eyes shifted at the very slightest movement from Stryg and Plum, and she kept her hand close to her sword¡¯s pommel.


    ¡°...Are they all your bodyguards or something?¡± Plum swallowed.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Gale is the heir to her House, she is no one¡¯s bodyguard, except maybe the Veres¡¯. She is only here as a favor to my sword mentor. Something about looking after me during the tourney.¡±


    ¡°You have a sword mentor? Who¡¯s that?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Gian Gale.¡±


    Plum¡¯s jaw hung slack in shock, ¡°The Gian Gale!?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    Plum laughed incredulously, ¡°Do I know of the greatest swordsman in the entire Ebon Realm? No, I¡¯ve never heard of the Realm¡¯s Sword Paragon. I just live under a rock all the time!¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re living under a rock?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°I was being sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right. I knew that.¡±


    Plum smiled wryly, ¡°It looks like some things about you are still the same.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she shrugged. ¡°What about the orcs? Are they here as a favor to Lord Gian Gale as well?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯re actually my bodyguards. They¡¯re the elite warriors of House Katag. Lady Evelyn insisted they be with me in case of an attack. I would rather not have a bunch of orcs follow me around, but Ismene insisted too. So, here I am.¡±


    ¡°So the rumor of your engagement to a daughter of House Katag is true then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg said thoughtfully. ¡°Yeah, I guess it is.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an Ebon Aspirant, right? It¡¯s fitting I suppose. An Ebon Lord¡¯s spouse should be highborn.¡±


    ¡°So people keep telling me,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°You act like it¡¯s a burden.¡± Plum swooned from side to side, ¡°How terrible it must be to marry a beautiful woman with great standing, wealth, and magical power.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being sarcastic again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What gave it away?¡±


    Stryg smiled softly, ¡°...I missed this, as odd as that may sound. Just us¡­ being us, I guess.¡±


    Plum couldn¡¯t help but smirk, ¡°Yeah, you always acted calm until something random happened and then you¡¯d snap and go all ¡®wild¡¯ on them.¡±


    ¡°Someone had to keep you from dying.¡±


    ¡°~My hero~,¡± Plum batted her eyelashes. But her smile abruptly died as the painful memories of the past slowly crept into her thoughts. ¡°Was any of it real? ¡­We¡¯re we ever really friends?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°What? Why would you ask me that? Of course, we were. I¡¯m still your friend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a prime mage. That doesn¡¯t just happen¡­ You¡¯ve always been a prime mage, but you never told me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know until the end of my 1st year.¡±


    Plum raised her eyebrow, ¡°How did you not know your own chromatic colors¨C?¡± Her voice caught in her throat and grey skin paled with dread, ¡°My mom?¡±


    Stryg nodded reluctantly, ¡°Your mother stopped my test early. She didn¡¯t really like the fact that a goblin had succeeded in testing for one magic, let alone the possibility of more. Afterwards, I tried to tell you about my chromatic colors, but you left¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you did,¡± Plum laughed at herself quietly.


    ¡°Are you being sarcastic?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°During your last match, the one against Beatrix dai-Morrigan. You could have killed her ¨Cshe definitely tried to kill you¨C but you didn¡¯t. Why?¡±


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°...I¡¯m not sure. When I looked at her¡­ I saw myself. A failure of my tribe. Someone who gave it their all to prove that they belonged¡­ and failed anyway. I guess I wanted Beatrix to know that she wasn¡¯t a failure, at least not to me.¡±


    Plum looked at Stryg, really looked at him. The blue goblin stood eye-to-eye with her. His ashen silver hair had grown long and hung loosely over his shoulders. His round child-like cheeks had grown thin and his jaw had become more defined. But it was his lilac eyes that caught her attention; gone was the glint of uncertainty, replaced with a solemn chill that gave pause to whoever stared into them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed, no,¡± she whispered, ¡°You¡¯re still changing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg looked at the palm of his hand and clenched his fingers tight. ¡°...Maybe I am,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Do you plan on sparing your next opponent too? Kalliste Lilith?¡±


    ¡°She hurt Callum.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll kill her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Plum sighed, ¡°...Stryg, I don¡¯t want to say anything, but I feel like I have to say something, because if I don¡¯t, no one around you will.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Someday you may find yourself as an Ebon Lord. You¡¯ll have real power, not just magical power, but political power, not to mention financial and martial power too. With just a word you could order the deaths of hundreds.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg asked with a trace of hopefulness.


    Plum groaned quietly, ¡°My point is, with that kind of power you wouldn¡¯t need to kill your opponents in order to defeat them.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°Plum, an enemy left alive will always be a threat, even if it¡¯s just a small threat.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°If you''re powerful enough you can handle a small threat.¡±


    Stryg looked at her carefully, ¡°...If this is about your mother, I really am sor¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about her!¡± Plum pulled back and took a shaky deep breath, ¡°My mother made a mistake, and because of the way Hollow Shade is ruled¡­ the way the Ebon Realm is ruled, she died. Even if you hadn¡¯t said anything, she probably wouldn¡¯t have made it out alive. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve made my peace with that¡­ But this realm doesn¡¯t have to be ruled like that. You could change that. You could make it so that no one else has to die like my mother did.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to talk about this, not after everything that¡¯s happened between us, but if I don¡¯t do it, then who will?¡± Plum muttered. ¡°An Ebon Lord has the potential to change everything. In the future, you could help a lot of people. You could¨C¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Huh?¡± she blinked.


    ¡°Why should I care about helping a realm that never gave a damn about me? I care for my friends and my tribe, and I protect them, because they would do the same for me. I only need them.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I understand. I understand if you resent the ones who hurt you¡­ if you resent me. I know we¡¯re not on good terms, but this really isn¡¯t about us or the people who have hurt you, this is about everyone else. If you become an Ebon Lord your actions could impact the lives of tens of thousands. You could help so many people, don¡¯t you see that?¡±


    ¡°And why would I do that? Last I recalled, most of the realm hated hybrids like me.¡±


    She threw her hands up and laughed ludicrously, ¡°Because there is more to life than the people in front of you? There are hybrids out there just like you, suffering. Look, I¡¯m not trying to convince you to change your dreams. I¡¯m just asking you not to forget the ones you might stomp on if you¡¯re not careful.¡±


    ¡°You talk about dreams and forgetting? Have you forgotten my dream?¡± Stryg clenched his eyes tight, ¡°My dream was to make my tribe the greatest in the land, to stop anyone from hurting us ever again¡­ But you rejected that, you rejected us¡­ I would have done anything for you, my best friend, my first friend. You¡¯ve always asked me to understand your perspective, but you never tried to understand mine.¡±


    Plum frowned, it felt as if a needle had been stabbed into her heart. ¡°Stryg, I¡­¡±


    He opened his eyes, they were glistening with tears, ¡°After you left I met someone who understood me, who saw my perspective. He stood by my side without judgment, without hesitation¡­ and I lost him¡­ I lost my best friend.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she whispered.


    He stared into her eyes, his own lilac eyes alight with anger, ¡°Your words can¡¯t change what happened, but I can. One day, I will destroy the Cairn Tribe down to its very last soul, that is my dream.¡±


    ¡°Have you really thought that through?¡± Plum shook her head, ¡°What of the Cairn¡¯s children? What of the innocents who end up in the middle of your bloody warpath? Have you thought of them? Have you thought how killing those innocents might affect you? You should. Because one day your every action might impact the lives of thousands.¡±


    Stryg turned away, ¡°My dreams are clear and I¡¯m not about to stop trying to achieve them. Not even for you.¡±


    Plum reached out and gently touched his shoulder, ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry the world hurt you so badly that all you have left is your anger. I know what that¡¯s like. But I¡¯m here trying to look past my own pain and if you just did the same for one moment you¡¯d see¨C¡±


    Stryg spun around and grabbed her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ve always tried to understand your perspective, Plum! I wish that for once you might try and see things through my perspective.¡±


    Plum thought of the people Stryg had killed with his own hands, the blood dripping from his claws. She swallowed hard, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡±


    ¡°Are we friends?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you my friend? Because I still consider you mine. But if you can¡¯t even see me as your friend, then I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing here. So I¡¯ll ask you again; are we friends?¡±


    Plum sighed heavily and grabbed his arms, ¡°...Despite all the fucked up shit that¡¯s happened between us¡­?¡± She bit her lip, ¡°When I saw you lying unconscious on the canoe that night in Shadow Lake, I¡­ Yeah, I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°Then try, please.¡±


    Stryg stepped away and walked over to Gale.


    Plum watched him leave as a cold feeling sunk into the pit of her stomach. ¡°Your perspective, huh¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ~~~


    Nalla sat on the stone rim of a fountain at the center of one of Undergrowth¡¯s marketplaces. Hundreds of people passed her by, but none recognized the young drow wrapped in her dark grey cloak.


    A young woman, dressed in a flamboyant yellow costume, danced across the cobblestone street to the sound of a couple of minstrels playing nearby. Visitors from all over the realm cheered and clapped at her performance until there was an entire crowd around her.


    Nalla listened to the happy little tune and watched the dancer with a mix of impatience and reluctant respect at her craft. After what felt like a mere idyllic moment, but was in actuality over five minutes, the song reached its end and the actress finished her dance. The crowds hollered with praise and threw coins at the troupe¡¯s feet.


    As the minstrels picked up the coins and thanked their street patrons, the flamboyant dancer sat down on the fountain¡¯s stone rim for a brief respite.


    Nalla glanced at the beautiful dancer sitting next to her and tossed her a coin, ¡°That was an impressive performance.¡±


    The dancer snatched the coin from the air and winked, ¡°You should have seen me when I played Gale I in The Unfaltering Shield.¡±


    ¡°The Singing Willow Troupe delivers the best ballads in the realm, or so I hear.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be right, but I don¡¯t think you came here to discuss the performances of my troupe, Miss Unalla,¡± the dancer whispered.


    ¡°I wish to speak with your captain in regards to my new orders, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, our captain is no longer in the city.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Nalla asked anxiously.


    ¡°The Captain is safe, do not worry. Trust me, she can handle herself. But I honestly don¡¯t know where she is. All I know is that the Captain will call on us when she is ready. As for your new orders, they still stand.¡±


    ¡°But I was told to enter the tournament. Why has the captain changed her mind? Why am I supposed to resign now?¡± Nalla frowned.


    The dancer looked up at the sky thoughtfully, ¡°We believed that the Monster in the Dark might appear at Undergrowth. You were supposed to enter the tournament in order to draw out the Monster into a trap set by the Captain, but something¡¯s changed. I don¡¯t know what, but it was something so big that the Captain left Undergrowth without her troupe.¡±


    ¡°She went alone?¡± Nalla whispered.


    ¡°Mm,¡± the dancer nodded reluctantly. ¡°Your original orders have been rescinded. It¡¯s time you resign and leave the tournament.¡±


    ¡°...What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°You like putting yourself at risk? You do realize Votum is a beacon to the Monster? Every time you hold Votum it calls out to its twin, Honorem; the closer they are to each other the greater the call becomes and the easier it will be for the Monster to find you. Not to mention the Monster has servants lurking throughout the Great Cities, especially now when Undergrowth¡¯s gates are open to visitors from all over the realm. You aren¡¯t safe here.¡±


    ¡°...I know, but still,¡± Nalla clenched her fists, ¡°I can¡¯t leave, not yet. I want to see what he¡¯s capable of¡­ see if he¡¯s worthy of our cause.¡±


    ¡°Who? Gilgard Morrigan?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nalla said coldly. ¡°My adopted cousin, the Ebon Aspirant.¡±

 Chapter 308: The Fang Of Fraxinus

    Chapter 308: The Fang Of Fraxinus


    The crowds cheered for Frost Rim as the Northern Gate opened and Nalla stepped out from the tunnel¡¯s shadow. The blaring light of the sun flooded her vision and it took her a moment to recognize the young man standing across the hot sands of the arena. His bright scarlet skin stood out clearly from his pale white clothes.


    ¡°Gilgard Morrigan¡­¡± Nalla muttered her opponent¡¯s name.


    She gripped Votum¡¯s handle and hauled the giant sword across the arena, its black glass-like blade dragging in the sand.


    As Gilgard watched Nalla walk closer and closer, he found himself smiling. It was odd seeing a drow, barely over 5 ft tall, dragging a sword behind her that was as tall and almost as wide as herself. If it wasn¡¯t for personally witnessing the destruction Nalla had left in the wake of her previous match, Gilgard would have thought the short, thin-frame drow posed no threat whatsoever.


    Gilgard replaced his smile for a solemn expression and bowed to his opponent, ¡°I greet you, Nalla of Frost Rim. It is an honor to duel against Frost Rim¡¯s finest.¡±


    As he bowed his head, Nalla noticed the hilt of a sword behind his shoulder. The grip was wrapped in fine burgundy leather and its pommel was gold in the shape of a lizard with its jaw wide open, sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. The crossguard was a simple stone black with a single sigil etched at its center.


    Nalla had heard many stories of a legendary sword with the same description. She narrowed her eyes, ¡°That sword, is that¡­?¡±


    Gilgard was surprised, he had heard Nalla rarely spoke to anyone, even her opponents. He counted himself among the lucky few and obliged her curiosity. He reached behind his shoulder and pulled out the claymore sword. Its blade was a giant fang of pale white bone with black veins streaking across. The blade was 4 ft long and 1 ft wide with a slight curve to its serrated edge.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true, you really do have it; Feather, the Fang of Fraxinus,¡± Nalla muttered grimly. ¡°It seems the Grand Warlord of the East intends to make certain House Morrigan wins the tourney.¡±


    Gilgard raised Feather and stared at its milky white color. ¡°Do you know where the sword gets its name?¡±


    ¡°...They say despite the blade¡¯s size it weighs as much as a feather.¡±


    ¡°Only for the wielder, for everyone else it feels as if they''re being hit by a giant hammer.¡± Gilgard glanced at the giant blade behind Nalla. ¡°I take it your blade doesn¡¯t share the same quality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little late to gather information about my weapon, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nalla said bluntly.


    ¡°Just an observation,¡± he said easily. ¡°Do you know who Fraxinus was?¡±


    ¡°Some poor bastard probably.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gilgard chuckled, ¡°No, Fraxinus was a blood-wyrm, one of the greatest and most vicious to have ever prowled the Scarlet Realm. The local villages viewed Fraxinus as an angry god that fed on their livestock whenever the whim crossed his mind. You see, Fraxinus didn¡¯t kill out of hunger, he killed out of sheer enjoyment. The beast liked the sound of screams and the scent of fear.¡±


    ¡°Then is that¡­ Is that really his fang?¡± Nalla stared at Feather¡¯s blade.


    Gilgard smiled, ¡°There were many who feared Fraxinus, but there was a warlord who did not. He was an orc, said to be twice as strong and twice as cunning as any of his kin, and he feared no man nor beast. Against all warnings, the warlord rallied his loyal army and attacked Fraxinus in his lair. For three days they fought and for three days Fraxinus slaughtered countless orcs and fed on their corpses. But on the fourth day, Fraxinus finally succumbed to his wounds, and the warlord dealt the final killing blow.¡±


    Gilgard ran his hand across Feather¡¯s bone white blade, ¡°The few orc soldiers left alive praised the warlord and tore out Fraxinus¡¯ greatest fang right from his very bloody jaw. No one remembers the names of the brave soldiers who fought and died. People don¡¯t even remember the name of the warlord. After all these centuries people only really remember one thing, Fraxinus the dreadful blood-wyrm.¡±


    Gilgard shook his head, ¡°In truth, the warlord was a coward who sent his men to die against a ravenous beast. The only ¡®brave¡¯ thing the warlord did was slaughter an already dying beast. People forgot my ancestor¡¯s name because he wasn¡¯t worthy.¡±


    Gilgard pointed his sword at Nalla, ¡°You look at me and all you see is my family¡¯s ancestral sword. But I know my worth, I know who I am, and I know I am more than the blade I wield. The question is, are you more than the blade you cannot even carry?¡±


    Nalla¡¯s ashen grey eyes grew cold, but she said nothing, she simply relaxed her shoulders and spread her legs apart in a battle stance.


    The Herald Tower¡¯s horn resounded across the arena, ¡°LET THE 10TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!!¡±


    Gilgard pulled Feather back and pointed his other hand at Nalla. Blue lightning crackled at his fingertips.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    If he had learned one thing about Nalla¡¯s duel against Heather was that Nalla had only used her sword at the very end of her fight. Despite her sword¡¯s power she had chosen to only use it when she was about to be defeated. Why?


    His conclusion was simple. It was the same reason why she dragged her giant sword everywhere. Like many powerful weapons, her sword must drain incredible amounts of mana. She most likely couldn¡¯t wield it for more than a few moments at a time.


    The way to victory was simple; force his opponent to use her sword and waste all her energy.


    He poured blue mana into his palm. Nalla raised her orichalcum sword up like a shield and hid behind it. Gilgard fired the lightning bolt from his outstretched fingers. The crackling blue energy surged through the air like a spear and struck the black blade. The lightning screeched across the sword and scattered into small tendrils before it disappeared into nothingness.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Gilgard blinked in surprise. The storm spell had been dispersed. It reminded him of Beatrix¡¯s Clarity magic. Except Nalla was a tri-manifold, not a true blue mage.


    What the hell is that sword of hers? Gilgard smiled shakily. The way to victory seemed simple enough, but he¡¯d be an idiot to think it would be easy.


    Nalla suddenly stepped out from behind her sword and flicked her fingers out in two quick motions. Two twin funnels of flame flared to life around her like a curled pair of snakes.


    That¡¯s not an adept spell! he thought with surprise.


    The flame snakes lashed out at him. He jumped to the side and rolled out of their way, but the flames chased after him. Gilgard quickly got to his feet and ran in the opposite direction. Nalla flicked her hand again; the flame snakes abruptly changed directions and followed him.


    This doesn¡¯t make sense! Beatrix saw Nalla¡¯s mana flow, she¡¯s not a master mage. The only way she could cast a master flame spell is if¨C


    The snakes opened their blazing jaws wide and snapped at Gilgard. He slashed Feather at them, but the sword passed through the fire harmlessly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gilgard muttered under his breath and dashed away. He began writing red sigils in the air as he dodged between the snakes¡¯ attacks.


    Nalla¡¯s not a master. Which means she is just incredibly skilled in flame spells. Though she never showed this level of proficiency when fighting Heather. In other words¨C


    Gilgard finished writing the ward spell. The red sigils gathered together in a string of arcane magic and formed a red dome around him. The flames battered and splashed off the dome harmlessly.


    Nalla released the flame spell and stared at him in silence.


    She¡¯s holding back. She¡¯s always been holding back, testing the limits of her opponent. She only responds with more power when needed. So, if her flame spells won¡¯t work then she¡¯ll¡­


    Nalla channeled brown mana into her body. A bronze sheen wrapped around her grey-blue skin as the vigor magic strengthened her muscles.


    Gilgard glared at the drow and gripped Feather¡¯s hilt tight. What are you waiting for?


    Nalla picked up her sword and ran at Gilgard. She raised her sword up high and slashed down on the red wards. The arcane sigils flared for a split second and shattered apart like glass. Gilgard channeled Brown into his own muscles and met her sword with Feather. The two giant swords clashed in a shower of red sparks.


    He stumbled back from the heavy blow. Nalla didn¡¯t retreat, but jumped forward in a whirl of attacks. Gilgard grimaced as he parried each strike. Every time Feather blocked her blade he felt painful reverberations stab into his arms from the sheer power of her sword.


    Gilgard tried to counterattack but every time he attempted even a simple riposte Nalla would switch her stance, parry his sword away, and follow up with another strike of her own. She pushed her advantage without a single flicker of emotion on her face.


    Her fluid motions reminded him of Diane¡¯s swordplay.


    This girl, Gilgard clenched his teeth, she¡¯s a sword master too!


    He couldn¡¯t win like this, sooner or later he¡¯d make a mistake and she would cleave him in half. Gilgard channeled his brown mana into his legs and vaulted away with all the force he could muster.


    The crowd oohed and aahed as he jumped two dozen feet away. Nalla didn¡¯t hesitate and darted after him. She was already on him by the time he landed.


    Nalla pulled her sword back for an attack, her eyes cold with determination. Gilgard smiled ferociously. Black shadows exploded from his silhouette and enveloped them both in a dome of swirling darkness.


    Gilgard released his vigor spell and channeled more black mana into his eyes, enhancing his sight. The night vision spell was usually only reserved for master black mages, but Gilgard had worked to learn this particular spell for situations just like this.


    Judging from the way Nalla stood still in the dark, her expertise in spell casting was limited to her orange spells. Yet as he stared at Nalla¡¯s motionless stance, he was suddenly reminded of his duel against Veronica. Instead of attacking, he unconsciously took several steps back.


    Nalla raised her sword high. A cold shiver ran down Gilgard¡¯s spine. She slammed the black sword into the ground. A vibration of energy echoed out from the orichalcum sword in a wave of power. The dark dome exploded in shadowy tatters.


    Gilgard watched his spell fall apart with a sense of surreal disbelief. I was wrong.


    The drow¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t like his sister¡¯s clarity magic. Clarity magic dispelled other mages¡¯ magic. This. This was different. The black sword did not dispel magic, it ripped the magic apart with overwhelming power.


    Nalla suddenly began to wobble. She quickly straightened her legs and took a deep breath. Blood trickled down her nose and she wiped it away with the back of her forearm.


    Gilgard narrowed his eyes, The sword is taking a toll on her¡­ Still, at this rate, she¡¯ll kill me long before she falls.


    Feather abruptly began to tremble in the palm of his hand. He glanced at the bone sword, taken aback.


    His eyes widened, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Feather, you actually want to fight?¡±


    The black veins streaking across the fang turned blood-red in response.


    Gilgard¡¯s lips formed a half-crazed smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you this excited since my grandmother¡¯s time.¡± He gripped Feather¡¯s hilt with both hands, ¡°But I¡¯m not one to complain.¡±


    Scarlet energy leaked out from the Feather¡¯s blade and began to creep over Gilgard¡¯s arm, forming a chainmail-like pattern over his skin.


    Nalla frowned, ¡°Red scales¡­? What¡­ What is that?¡±


    ¡°The Fang of Fraxinus.¡±

 Chapter 309: A Clash of Swords

    Chapter 309: A Clash of Swords


    Feather throbbed with anticipation. The red veins that streaked across its bone blade pulsed with scarlet energy that slowly wrapped around Gilgard. The further the energy stretched across his body the more he felt his sword drain his mana hungrily.


    I won¡¯t be able to keep up the blood-wyrm aura for long¡­ he thought.


    His grandmother had once told him the story of Feather¡¯s creation. Unlike other enchanted weapons, Feather was not forged, it was shaped and bound by ancient mages. They had used long-forgotten spells to infuse Feather with a sliver of the great blood-wyrm Fraxinus¡¯ soul. Feather would rarely awaken, but when it did, the might of Fraxinus would seep out.


    ¡°So this is the Fang of Fraxinus¡­¡± Nalla muttered grimly.


    The scarlet energy swirled around Gilgard, forming red scales of light over his body. The energy settled over his head in the shape of a malicious lizard-like beast, its maw open wide, sharp teeth glowing red.


    Gilgard gripped the hilt of his sword tight. He could feel newfound strength pulsing within him, eager to be let out.


    Gilgard pointed his blade at Nalla and smiled ruthlessly, ¡°Let¡¯s try this again.¡±


    He dashed at her in a burst of speed as if agility magic coursed in his veins. Nalla yelled a warcry and swung her sword at the empty air in front of her. Gilgard suddenly appeared, Feather¡¯s blade slashing down at her. The two blades clashed in a burst of sparks, red tendrils of energy crackling between them.


    She can still read my attacks even now!? Gilgard clenched his teeth.


    The force of the black sword pressed down on him, each attack sending painful reverberations into his arms. But this time he felt he could hold on, the strength of the blood-wyrm coursing through him.


    Gilgard shifted his stance and kept attacking. He swung his blade in wide arcs, each faster and stronger than the last. Nalla¡¯s eyes darted all around as she blocked each attack. She tried to counterattack, but despite her greater sword skill, she was unable to find an opening.


    She¡¯s getting slower! Gilgard realized.


    The toll of her mysterious weapon was finally pushing her body to its limits.


    A burning pain skewered Gilgard¡¯s chest. He grimaced, but kept pushing his advantage. Feather was consuming his mana much more rapidly than he had anticipated. He had a few moments left at best before his body gave out.


    No, not yet! Gilgard roared and attacked with a frenzied fervor.


    Nalla met his blade, slash for slash. But as his attacks went on, her breaths grew short and blood began to drip from her nostrils.


    Just a little longer!


    Nalla¡¯s legs faltered and she stumbled a step. Gilgard swung Feather down with all the force he could muster. Nalla grimaced and raised her black sword to block. Feather slammed into her blade and sent her careening away. She landed in a sprawl several meters away, her sword fell on the sand with a heavy thump far from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Gilgard yelled tiredly.


    He stabbed Feather into the ground and rested on its hilt. The blood-wyrm aura evaporated around him as the last of his mana was drained. He was covered in sweat and his breathing was ragged. His arms hung limply at his sides and his heart burned from the excessive mana loss. And yet he smiled. It was a tired half-formed smile, but it was a smile of triumph.


    ¡°...Not yet,¡± with unsteady legs Nalla heavily stood up. She suddenly coughed and spat out a glob of blood and spit. Her legs buckled underneath her and she fell to her hands and knees. She coughed up more blood between wheezing breaths.


    ¡°...It¡¯s over,¡± Gilgard said solemnly. ¡°Your sword took more than it gave.¡±


    Nalla glared at him, ¡°It¡¯s not¨C¡± She fell into another coughing fit and fell over on the sand.


    Gilgard shook his head faintly. He sheathed Feather over his back and walked over to the giant sword lying on the sand. Its black blade was 5 ft long and 2ft wide with a glass-like sheen.


    ¡°It really is made of orichalcum¡­¡± he whispered.


    Every enchanter and smith worth their salt swore that orichalcum metal was impossible to enchant, yet here was proof that they were all wrong.


    Gilgard reached down and traced his finger over the black blade. It was cold and smooth to the touch. The blade felt more like glass than metal. A single unfamiliar sigil was etched at the base of the blade.


    ¡°Hm,¡± he narrowed his eyes with interest. He wrapped his fingers over the long hilt of the sword and lifted the sword.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Gilgard screamed with pain and released his grip.


    The orichalcum sword fell back down unceremoniously.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Gilgard reeled back, his arm still felt as if fiery needles were digging into his flesh and bones. He stared at the black sword as if it was some sort of abomination.


    ¡°Is this¡­ Is this what you felt every time you picked up that sword?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°I said¡­¡± Nalla wiped the blood from her mouth and slowly pushed herself up to her feet. She stumbled and lurched to the side, but she managed to regain her balance. ¡°...I said¡­ it¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gilgard said incredulously. ¡°Stop pushing yourself! You can barely stand!¡±


    Nalla ignored his words and raised her arm up high. She opened her fingers wide and took a deep breath, ¡°Heed my call, Votum.¡±


    Like an arrow in flight, the black sword shot out from the ground and flew straight into her hand. The sand around Nalla exploded outwards in a wave of power, splashing across the arena''s walls and into the stands and crowds.


    Gilgard instinctively drew Feather with his good arm and took a battle stance. The wind howled through the arena with a ravenous fury and settled around Nalla in a swirl of power.


    ¡°How¡­?!¡± Gilgard yelled in confusion.


    He had beaten her, she had been lying on the ground gasping for air while choking on her own blood. The black sword had pushed her body to its limits. She was barely standing through sheer will. So where was all this power coming from?


    ¡°Wait¡­ if this is her sword¡¯s power then¨C!¡± His eyes widened in dawning horror, ¡°Your sword¡¯s been dormant until now! You awoke it with your call! Your sword had a soul imbued within it too!¡±


    Nalla stared reverently at the blade pulsing with power in her hands, ¡°There are no souls implanted within Votum. Votum isn¡¯t like your weapon or any other. Votum is simply alive and it always has been.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Gilgard frowned.


    ¡°And you never will.¡± She pulled Votum back for a swing.


    Gilgard took a deep breath and took a battle stance, ¡°How long can you keep that up? What kind of strain is that sword putting on you now that it''s awakened? How much further before your body gives out and your heart stops?¡±


    Nalla licked the blood off her blue lips and smiled, ¡°At this rate? Not long. But I don¡¯t need long.¡±


    She swung Votum down. The ground exploded in a sea of jade energy.


    ~~~


    Stryg sat at the edge of his bed, his hands on his jaw, his lilac eyes unfocused.


    Feli peeped out from underneath the covers, ¡°Honey¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± he looked up.


    ¡°Are you coming to bed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sitting here, aren¡¯t I?¡± he smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± she kicked him playfully from beneath the covers.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about what happened at today¡¯s duel?¡±


    ¡°It was one attack. I¡¯ve never seen a spell or technique ¨C or whatever it was ¨C like it before, but it was still just one attack. One. Nalla defeated Gilgard in one strike.¡±


    ¡°But Gilgard was already exhausted. He would have dodged otherwise, right?¡± Feli said hopefully.


    ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t know if he would have been fast enough,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be fast enough¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting Nalla tomorrow?¡± Feli asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Huh? No. I¡¯m fighting Kalliste Lilith. But if I defeat her then I¡¯ll face off against Nalla in the semi-finals.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s worry about Nalla after you defeat Kalliste.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I suppose that makes some sense, but only some.¡±


    ¡°Good, you¡¯d be smart to listen to your wife,¡± she smirked. ¡°Now come to bed. You need your rest for tomorrow¡¯s duel.¡±


    Stryg sighed, but he smiled reluctantly. He laid down next to her and closed his eyes.


    Feli smiled warmly and nestled her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°...So, um, about Elena Katag,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°...You have terrible timing.¡±


    ¡°When else are we alone to talk about this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Sleep.¡±


    ~~~


    Nora Azol lay on her bed with her eyes wide open. The moonlight filtered through her window and gave her dark room an eerie blue glow. She fiddled with a necklace in the palm of her hands. It was a gyroscopic medallion, a set of three golden rings each a slightly different size than the one before. The rings spun within each other and rotated around a small gem at its center.


    The golden necklace was a gift and though it wasn¡¯t Nora¡¯s style, she had to admit there was a certain unique beauty to it. At the very least it was a great way to pass the time and hopefully fall asleep. Except she wasn¡¯t falling asleep this time.


    Her baby¡¯s erratic sleeping patterns had thrown off her own sleep cycle. Kamilo had become moody ever since Stryg had left. He had grown accustomed to his uncle¡¯s frequent visits and ever since Stryg had been away in Undergrowth Kamilo had made his dissatisfaction quite clear to everyone in the Azol mansion.


    Nora could barely sleep 2 or 3 hours before Kamilo would wake up crying. It didn¡¯t help that he wouldn¡¯t stop crying even when the maids tried to calm him down. No, Kamilo would only stop when his family carried him. That damn little munchkin. Still, whenever Nora looked into his little purple eyes, it didn¡¯t matter how sleep-deprived she felt, everything suddenly became okay.


    However, having her mother around definitely helped. In fact, she was actually watching the baby right now so that Nora could have a break for the night. And yet she still couldn¡¯t sleep.


    Nora groaned with frustration and finally decided to get up. Perhaps some late-night tea could help.


    She threw on a nightgown and headed downstairs. She needed no lamp or lantern for the dark corridors, she knew her house by memory.


    When Nora arrived at the kitchen she wrinkled her brow. Odd, the kitchen was empty and the candles had gone out. Usually, there were at least one or two maids still awake, cutting vegetables or doing some other preparations for breakfast in the morning.


    Nora shrugged, it didn¡¯t matter. She could make her own tea, there was no need to waste time looking for a maid. The moonlight was enough to guide her through the cabinet of tea jars.


    ¡°Ah, wait, the honey,¡± she whispered to herself.


    Nora turned around and walked over to the pantry. She opened the pantry door and froze. A cold shiver ran down her spine.


    A pair of maids¡¯ bodies were lying on the pantry floor in a pool of blood. Each of their necks had been slashed in a single clean cut.


    ¡°No¡­!¡± Nora gasped softly and gripped her necklace tight until it grew hot in her hand.


    A baby¡¯s voice cried out in the distance.


    Nora paled, ¡°Kamilo!¡±

 Chapter 310: Attack On Azol Manor

    Chapter 310: Attack On Azol Manor


    Nora turned away from the maids¡¯ corpses in the pantry and ran out of the kitchen. Her feet slammed into the wooden flooring, each step filled with desperation. The sound of baby Kamilo¡¯s persistent cries echoing through the manor haunted her every thought.


    She spotted several bloody corpses on the ground through the corner of her eye as she ran through the halls. She clenched her gyroscopic necklace tighter; the rings grew warmer and warmer until it felt as if they would burn her fingers.


    Kamilo shrieked a raspy cry, his little throat hoarse from all the screaming.


    I¡¯m coming! Kamilo! Mom! Just hold on! Gods, please let them hold on, she thought with silent desperation.


    Nora reached the stairs and cursed under her breath. Never in her life had she hated an inanimate object so much. She vaulted up the stairs in sets of three and for the first time ever she was grateful for all those mornings Professor Tauri had forced her to run.


    She reached the last step to the second floor and bolted towards Kamilo¡¯s room. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears and mixed with the sound of her panicked breaths. The corridors passed by in a blur. Nora turned the corner and the world froze for a sliver of a gasp.


    Kamilo¡¯s nursery room was at the end of the hall. The door had been wrenched open and its broken remains were scattered on the floor. Four intruders dressed in black garments from head-to-toe stood around the hall, unable to enter the nursery. A red wall of ward sigils blocked the doorway. Lady Isabel Azol stood on the other side of the wall, her arms outstretched as if holding back a falling tree.


    The red wall had several cracks from where the assassins had tried to break through, yet it did not bend nor break. Blood seeped from Lady Isabel¡¯s midriff, sweat covered her pallid face, and her arms trembled from exhaustion, but the fire of sheer determination in her blue eyes burned bright.


    Blue mana surged through Nora¡¯s veins. A scream of utter primal rage exploded from her lips. The assassins spun around at the sound. A gigantic clawed hand of water slammed into them before they could react. The aquatic hand crushed them within its grasp until their bones cracked and they cried out in agony, still, Nora did not release the spell.


    Her eyes burned with rage and she squeezed the intruders tighter until blood seeped into the water and their bodies grew still. She flicked her wrist and the water hand followed and tossed the corpses through the window.


    Nora stared out the window at the broken bodies lying on the cobblestone courtyard outside, before she finally released the torrent spell, causing the aquatic hand to dissolve into a pool of water that sloshed through the hall.


    ¡°Good riddance, you bastards,¡± Nora whispered through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Nora, watch out-!¡± Isabel shouted.


    Shadow tendrils shot out from the floor and ceiling and wrapped around Nora¡¯s hand and legs. She yelled in surprise and tried to move, but the tendrils held tight and constricted her fingers¡¯ movements.


    Black shadows rose from the corner of the room and an assassin stepped out from the darkness. He pulled out a dagger from behind his back and slowly walked toward Nora.


    A second pair of footsteps echoed behind Nora.


    ¡°Stop resisting,¡± a feminine voice muttered from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± the male assassin pulled out a second dagger.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the plan!¡± the female whispered angrily.


    ¡°The bitch killed our squad, fuck the plan,¡± he growled.


    Nora¡¯s mind worked furiously, trying to capture the moment, every single breath of information, every step the man took. He had appeared out of the shadows; he was clearly a black mage, but his hands weren¡¯t moving, he held the daggers with a clean grip. Which meant¨C


    He¡¯s not the one casting Shadow Tendrils!


    The assassin raised his daggers for the kill.


    A memory of Stryg¡¯s voice whispered into her ears, ¡°Take a deep breath.¡±


    Nora inhaled deeply and filled her lungs with blue mana. Water formed in her mouth and she spat a pressurized torrent at the man. He yelled in surprise as the water sent him flying away and Nora careening back into the assassin behind her.


    Nora slammed into the woman and they fell in a tumble of limbs. The woman gasped in pain, the wind was knocked out of her lungs. The shadow tendrils shackling Nora fell apart in black tatters.


    The female assassin recovered in a single breath and jumped on Nora, and placed her in a chokehold. ¡°Cheeky human,¡± she whispered angrily.


    Nora snarled and held the assassin¡¯s forearm tight. Blue mana streamed into her hands. Electricity crackled through Nora¡¯s fingers and poured into the assassin. The woman choked and spasmed uncontrollably until her body began to smoke.


    ¡°No!¡± the male assassin shouted. He jumped to his feet and ran down the hall towards them.


    Nora pried the woman¡¯s arm from her neck and rolled away. She glared at the man and slapped her hand into the soaked floor, ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Lightning streaked through the puddles. The man convulsed and dropped his daggers as the electricity burned his clothes and skin. He fell over with a splash, his muscles seizing relentlessly.


    Nora panted tiredly and pushed herself to her feet. She ran past the dead assassins and reached the doorway.


    Isabel saw her daughter alive and breathed out a sigh of relief. She smiled weakly and let her arms drop to the side. The wards fizzled and the red wall splintered into dust and faded away. Isabel¡¯s legs buckled beneath her and she collapsed.


    Nora rushed to her side and hugged her.


    ¡°Mom! Are you okay!? Where¡¯s Kamilo!?¡± she asked frantically. Her eyes widened as she spotted the blood over her mother¡¯s dress. ¡°My gods, you¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be alright, Kamilo is safe,¡± Isabel mumbled.


    As if in response Kamilo cried out happily from his crib. His tiny face was a pudgy red from his wailing and his cheeks were stained with tears, but he smiled at the sight of his mother.


    Nora broke down into tears and stumbled over to her son. She scooped Kamilo out from his crib and hugged him close. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sweetie. I¡¯m sorry Momma wasn¡¯t here earlier, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she whimpered quietly.


    Kamilo wrapped his small arms around his mother¡¯s neck and nestled his face into her cheek as he cried.


    ¡°Nora¡­ we cannot stay here,¡± Isabel muttered.


    Nora wiped her face and nodded, ¡°I know. I have to get you both out of here quickly.¡±


    ¡°The servants¡­ are they¡­?¡±


    ¡°...They¡¯re dead,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°If any survived we don¡¯t have the luxury to search for them. We need to move, now. Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°I think I can walk, but I could use some help getting up,¡± Isabel swallowed.


    Nora crouched next to her mother, wrapped her arm around Isabel, and helped her to her feet. Isabel groaned painfully and stood up with a grimace.


    Nora glanced at the red stain on her mother¡¯s dress and swallowed fearfully, ¡°...How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°...The blade just scraped my ribs. If there was poison I¡¯d already be dead, so that¡¯s good,¡± Isabel smiled with a wince.


    ¡°We need to stop the bleeding,¡± Nora said anxiously.


    ¡°First we need to get Kamilo out of here,¡± she mumbled through ragged breaths.


    Nora nodded sadly, ¡°...Okay, just hang on a little longer.¡±


    With one hand Nora carried Kamilo and with the other she helped her mother walk through the hall and down the steps. They walked slowly, each stop clearly causing Isabel pain, but she just gritted her teeth and said nothing. Kamilo noticed his grandmother¡¯s pained expression and he began crying again.


    Nora wanted to soothe her son, but she was exhausted. The storm spells had consumed most of her mana and left her feeling drained. She used what little energy she had left to carry her mother¡¯s weight and put one foot in front of the other.


    Nora relaxed a little when they walked outside into the courtyard. She took a deep breath of fresh air, ¡°Just a little longer.¡±


    Kamilo suddenly stopped crying.


    ¡°Sweetie¡­?¡± Nora whispered.


    Kamilo turned his head and looked at the blue bellflower trees that lined the edges of the courtyard.


    Nora narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°...Who¡¯s there?¡±


    A dark shadow slipped down from one of the trees and melted away. In its place stood a young woman clad in black, save for her grey ears that poked out from the sides of her mask. The drow looked the Azols over with a cold countenance and nodded to herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± the drow whispered.


    ¡°Wanna bet?¡± Nora said. She handed Kamilo over to Isabel and stepped in front of her family.


    ¡°You misunderstand me,¡± the drow shook her head. ¡°I am not trying to insult you, I am simply stating your condition. You are clearly tired and whatever power you might ordinarily boast is undoubtedly diminished. You are at this moment¡­ weak.¡±


    ¡°I killed your little friends,¡± Nora glanced at the broken bodies that had fallen out of the window. ¡°I can kill you just the same. Or you can be smart and get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Hm. The former option is possible. Perhaps you might have enough strength to kill me, but even in your best condition it¡¯d be very, very unlikely. As for your latter statement, well, I cannot step aside. This is my mission and I will not let it fail.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re those murdering bastards¡¯ leader, huh?¡± Nora muttered grimly.


    ¡°The proper title is Master of Shadows, but yes,¡± the drow said calmly.


    Isabel¡¯s face paled, ¡°That title is only given to the master of an Assassin''s Guild.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± the Master said.


    ¡°Wait, Assassin Guilds are actually real? I thought the Ebon Lords disbanded them centuries ago?¡± Nora whispered to her mother.


    ¡°And yet here we are,¡± the Master said. ¡°I¡¯d rather you both surrender without a fight, but you will come with me either way.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you say that?¡± Nora glared.


    ¡°Them,¡± the Master snapped her fingers.


    The shadows around the courtyard blurred and a dozen assassins emerged from the dark.


    The Master opened her arms wide, ¡°These are only two of my teams. I have five more lurking through your home, killing whatever unfortunate souls are still left. You are outnumbered and clearly outclassed. I will only say it one last time, surrender. Do not mistake my courtesy for mercy.¡±


    Nora glanced at Isabel worriedly, ¡°Can we trust them not to kill us?¡±


    Isabel shook her head sadly, ¡°...No.¡±


    Nora licked her lips and swallowed hard, ¡°How much red mana do you have left?¡±


    ¡°Just enough,¡± Isabel smiled and created a small ward sphere over Kamilo.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Nora¡¯s voice cracked.


    Tears formed in the corner of Isabel¡¯s eyes. She smiled, ¡°I am so proud to have had you as my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I love you both so much,¡± Nora cried. The memory of Clypeus¡¯ smile flashed through her mind. She took a shaky breath and channeled blue mana into her arms. ¡°When I give the signal¡­ run.¡±


    Isabel opened her mouth to speak but stopped and instead nodded resolutely.


    The Master sighed, ¡°I was told to bring you in unharmed, but these sorts of missions always seem to be more complicated than they appear.¡± She raised her hand and flicked her fingers in a quick gesture, ¡°Kill the women. Take the baby.¡±


    The assassins nodded and closed in on the women.


    The gyroscope¡¯s gem suddenly glowed a soft blue. Nora looked down at the necklace in surprise. Its three rings began to spin, slowly at first and then faster and faster.


    The Master narrowed her eyes, ¡°What is that amulet?¡±


    The air above them exploded in a deafening boom. A golden light flickered across the courtyard.


    The Master jumped back and glanced around, ¡°What was that!?¡±


    The dozen assassins around her abruptly collapsed on the floor. Their heads fell off their shoulders in a gushing splatter of blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the late arrival, Miss Azol,¡± a charming voice said.


    Nora spun around and gasped with relief, ¡°You made it!¡±


    A scarlet-cloaked vampire stood behind them. His face had been touched by the passage of time, but he held himself up with the vigor of youth. He had high cheekbones and deep crimson eyes. His black and white hair was swept back and his beard was trimmed short. He gripped the hilt of a long silver sword with a golden sheen that dripped with blood. In his other hand he held his own gyroscope necklace, its three rings spinning in sync with Nora¡¯s.


    Gian Gale smiled, ¡°I got your signal. I told you it was a good gift.¡±


    Nora relaxed her shoulders and exhaled deeply. ¡°You really made it,¡± she cried softly.


    A pang of pain crossed Gian¡¯s eyes, ¡°I really am sorry for being late.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, my lord,¡± Isabel shook her head vehemently. ¡°We are grateful for your assistance.¡±


    ¡°Who are you!?¡± the Master screamed angrily.


    ¡°Hm? That''s an interesting question,¡± Gian stepped forward, ¡°I was about to ask you the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Stay back,¡± the Master hissed. ¡°I said back away! You cannot stop us all by yourself!¡±


    Dozens of shadowy figures jumped out from the manor¡¯s windows and hurried to the Master of Shadow¡¯s side.


    Gian cocked his head to the side and smiled, ¡°Who said I was alone?¡±


    Two dozen scarlet cloaked figures emerged from above the rooftop. Their crimson eyes glowed softly under the moonlight.


    ¡°What is this!?¡± the Master stumbled backward.


    Gian raised his sword Primoria high into the air. The scarlet cloaked figures drew their longswords in unison.


    Gian pointed Primoria at the assassins and spoke with an unwavering voice, ¡°We are the Shield of Veres. Be it monster or man, here we stand proud and we shall not falter.¡±

 Chapter 311: A Friend In The Dark

    Chapter 311: A Friend In The Dark


    The moonlight stretched across the Katag villa and blended into the fluorescent light of the Glimmer Grove trees. Maeve Mora stood on the balcony of her room. She looked down over the gardens and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of the forest.


    It was a beautiful night, almost perfect. Something felt off, a little smudge on a perfect white canvas, a dissonance in a melodic voice.


    Maeve furrowed her brow. Something had to be missing.


    But what?


    Maeve snapped her fingers and smiled, ¡°I almost forgot. A night isn¡¯t perfect without a bit of wine.¡±


    She stepped away from the balcony ledge and headed inside to fetch a bottle. She pushed the balcony door open and stepped into nothingness. Her room was gone, only pitch darkness remained. She turned around and looked back in a panic. The balcony had disappeared, there was only darkness. Yet she could see her own hands and feet as clear as if the sun was shining down on her.


    A sickening cold feeling stretched across her back.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t real¡­ I¡¯m in a dream.¡±


    Everything was gone, only she remained, and yet she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. Something was off. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.


    She needed to know.


    Red mana slowly slipped over her arm like an old lover¡¯s embrace, the taste of its comfort never far.


    Stryg¡¯s warning echoed in her mind. True Red¡¯s Synchrony magic was dangerous. Maeve knew that, she understood it, and yet she still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. The cold foreboding feeling dug into her spine and bled into her very being.


    She needed to know.


    Maeve reluctantly raised her arm, red mana swirling about her hand, and stretched her fingers into the emptiness. Her mana pulsed with a heartbeat and was abruptly sucked into the void.


    Maeve stepped back, confused.


    What had she done? She felt drained, her body felt as if it had been dipped in boiling water and thrown out into the snow.


    The scent of smoke filled her nostrils. She looked around expectantly, but there was no fire, no light. A white blur fell past her peripherals. She glanced down and frowned. A long silver feather lay at her feet.


    ¡°Blood¡­?¡±


    Droplets of blood stained the feather. Maeve looked up. Dozens of feathers fell down around her, each coated with more blood than the last.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± a voice whispered.


    Maeve spun around, ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡±


    A pale slim leg slipped out of the darkness as if it were an ethereal curtain. A tall, elegant woman stepped out from the void of nothingness. Her bright scarlet hair fell down her shoulders in silky smooth layers. The darkness wrapped around her and formed a dress that floated a hair¡¯s breadth above the floor. The woman¡¯s blood-red lips curled up in a smirk, revealing the sharp fangs of a vampire.


    ¡°You finally did it, Maeve. You synchronized your magic, soul, and mind together, and expanded your consciousness beyond your physical body,¡± the voice said gleefully. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, constantly searching the dark recesses of the dreamscape, hoping that I might just see your flare. And after all this time, you finally used a Synchrony spell of your own accord.¡± The tall vampiress leaned forward with a long smile, ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Maeve unconsciously took a step back.


    The stranger¡¯s bewitching eyes glanced about casually, ¡°I like what you did with the place. It¡¯s simple, rudimentary, but stable. Not like your previous dream constructs, constantly in disorder.¡±


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve met before. Although, I suppose we never had a proper introduction. You may call me Ann.¡±


    ¡°Ann?¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°Yes. Do you mind if I change things up a bit? After all, we are not in the dreamscape just yet,¡± Ann snapped her fingers.


    The darkness melted away and Maeve found herself in a small cottage. A pot of steaming hot tea rested atop a long glass table in the center of the living room. Ann casually sat down at the table and conjured up two porcelain cups.


    ¡°Tea?¡± Ann smiled.


    Maeve stepped away from the vampiress until her back was against the wall. She swallowed, ¡°You¡¯re it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ann cocked her head to the side, her red eyes lost the warm light they had just so easily held, ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re the Monster,¡± Maeve whispered fearfully.


    Ann licked her lips slowly, ¡°Monster?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ann smiled eerily, ¡°You seem to have heard stories. Stories that have clearly given you a false impression of Who. I. Am.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡± she asked skeptically.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Ann smirked and calmly poured herself a cup of tea. ¡°I am not your enemy. I have no intention of harming you. Quite the opposite. I wish for us to be friends.¡±


    ¡°Friends? Why would you want to be friends with me?¡±


    ¡°Because unlike every single other person you have come across in your difficult life, I see you for who and what you are.¡±


    ¡°...And what am I?¡±


    Ann slowly sipped her tea and savored its taste, ¡°Significant.¡±


    A shiver ran down Maeve¡¯s spine, ¡°What? I-I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡± She was scared, but she was intrigued, and she found herself stepping closer.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Ann inhaled the scent of her tea and sighed in contentment, ¡°You are a seed among the mundane rocks of this world, Maeve. You are as unseen as the dirt we tread upon. People disregard you for what you are, ¡®weak.¡¯ But people are blind, confident in their own ignorance. They do not know what you are.¡± Ann looked Maeve over and smiled, ¡°Someday, you will bloom into a magnificent flower. You will rise above the dirt and you will outshine them all. Your life will not be meaningless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I have potential,¡± Maeve muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying one day you will have the opportunity to influence the Null Realms in a way no Ebon Lord could ever dream of.¡±


    ¡°So you want my help? Is that it?¡± she said cautiously.


    Ann smiled and shook her head, ¡°No. All I want is to show you the truth. And when you learn the secrets that should never have been forgotten¡­ Well then, you will want to help me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to show me the truth?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Hah, no, unfortunately not,¡± Ann chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m here because your life is in danger.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean my life is in danger!?¡±


    Ann clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, ¡°The feathers are an interesting touch¡­¡±


    ¡°The feathers? Why is there blood on the feathers? What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°You tell me, they are after all a manifestation of your Synchrony magic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know what any of this means!¡± Maeve yelled in a panicked voice.


    ¡°And we don¡¯t have the time to spend on examining and defining the intricacies of that which embodies all that is you.¡± Ann rose to her feet, her dress of darkness billowing out around her, ¡°Suffice to say you are in danger and so are your friends.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°My friends? What happened to them!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing as of yet. But people are coming to kill all of you. You may want to wake up and warn them before it is too late.¡±


    Maeve looked around in alarm, ¡°How? How do I wake up!? I don¡¯t even know where this is!¡±


    ¡°I can help you,¡± Ann raised her arm, ¡°Take my hand.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡± she mumbled weakly.


    ¡°There is little time left. You must make a decision soon.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you¡­? How do I know you won¡¯t trick me and backstab me or something?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I am not your enemy.¡± Ann stepped closer, ¡°Someday, when the light fades away and you find yourself all alone, you will need a friend in the Dark.¡±


    Maeve bit her lip with indecision, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a deal¡­¡±


    ¡°Deals are only for those I do not trust and I trust you to make the right choice.¡±


    Maeve took a deep breath and nodded resolutely, ¡°...Okay.¡± She reached out and grasped Ann¡¯s outstretched hand.


    Ann smiled and her scarlet eyes flickered a myriad of colors, ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ~~~


    Maeve gasped and opened her eyes. She sat up and gasped for breath. Her lungs ached with every breath and her heart burned with a pinprick-like pain. With short breaths, she glanced around and tried to take in her surroundings.


    She was in her room at the Katag villa, sitting in bed, an empty bottle of wine next to her. The windows were dark, a ray of moonlight penetrated the grey clouds.


    Was it real? Or had it really all been a dream?


    Maeve stared at her open hand. She could still feel the cool touch of Ann¡¯s fingers over her palm.


    Wake up.


    The two words echoed in her mind, reverberating across her every thought. She threw off the bed covers, slipped on a pair of slippers, and jumped to her feet. She threw her door open and sprinted down the empty hall.


    ~~~


    Rapid rasps of knuckles on wood pierced the blessed silence of his dreams. Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes shot open and his slit pupils stretched into wide ovals that covered almost the entirety of his irises.


    ¡°Ughhh, mmm, ~Stryyyg~, da door¡­¡± Feli mumbled, half-asleep.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Stryg grumbled under his breath. He hopped off the bed with a heavy thump and dragged his feet across the bedroom.


    ¡°Who is it¡­?¡± Stryg yawned.


    ¡°Stryg, open the door!¡± the voice yelled urgently.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed to thin slits. Whatever spell sleep had cast on him had suddenly faded away. He recognized the voice behind the door and the tone it carried. Something was wrong.


    Stryg yanked the door open, not even bothering to unlock it. The lock snapped off its hinges with a metal screech and the door slammed open wide. Maeve stood on the other side, breathless.


    ¡°Maeve, what is it?¡± he asked in a grave tone.


    Maeve wrung her hands anxiously, ¡°Something is coming. I don¡¯t know what, but it''s dangerous. I know it sounds crazy but please, trust me¨C¡±


    Stryg had already turned around and walked back to his bed. ¡°Feli, wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Wha¡­ Why?¡± Feli mumbled with closed eyes.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Stryg shrugged and scooped her up into his arms.


    Feli blearily opened her eyes, ¡°H-hey, w-what are you doing!? Stryg, dammit!¡± She yelled and tried to kick her way out from his grasp but he held her tight.


    ¡°We need to leave, now,¡± Stryg said seriously.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ Like now, now?¡± Feli asked.


    Stryg glanced at Maeve questioningly. She nodded, ¡°...Yeah, now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with all the damn noise?¡± Gale stepped into the doorway. She glanced at the broken lock and frowned, ¡°And what happened to the door?¡±


    ¡°Master Gale, good, you¡¯re here,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Obviously. I sleep next door.¡± Gale spotted Maeve and bowed her head, ¡°Lady Mora, what is a daughter of Veres doing here this late?¡±


    ¡°Uh, t-that¡¯s¡­¡± Maeve stammered.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack, we need to leave quickly,¡± Stryg said.


    Gale reached for her blade and nodded coldly. ¡°Take the window. Knowing Lysaila she should be drinking with Rhian in the gardens right about now. Find them and head to the forest, I¡¯ll find you all as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°Miss Gale, why don¡¯t you come with us?¡± Maeve asked hopefully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to find the other students and get them to safety. There¡¯s no time to waste, I¡¯ll see you soon, Lady Mora. Stryg, move them quickly,¡± Gale bowed and left without another word.


    Maeve smiled worriedly, ¡°Take care of yourself, Miss G¨CAgh!¡±


    Stryg threw her over his shoulders and ran straight to the room¡¯s open window. Feli closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°W-wait! Wait a sec, ah shit!¡± Maeve screamed.


    Stryg leaped out the window and dropped like a rock twenty paces down. His bare feet landed on the grass with a hard thud and sunk a few inches into the ground. He quickly looked over his tribemates and made sure they weren¡¯t injured before he ran across the backyard.


    ¡°Let me down, I can run!¡± Maeve said frustratedly.


    ¡°Not fast enough,¡± Stryg said and channeled orange mana into his legs. He dashed across the field and reached the gardens in a matter of seconds.


    Rhian and Lysaila were drinking from a barrel of ale as usual. Lysaila¡¯s innate resistance to poisons and Rhian¡¯s large size made it difficult for either of them to really lose in a drinking contest, yet try they did.


    Lysaila heard Stryg before she saw him. She rose from one of the garden¡¯s stone benches and stared at the edge of a bush expectantly. A few seconds later Stryg ran past and rushed to them.


    ¡°Ey, Stryg and Feli! Care to finally join us!¡± Rhian raised her mug.


    Stryg let the woman down and walked over to a nearby tree.


    ¡°Oh, Maeve you¡¯re back! Ready for round seven?¡± Rhian asked happily.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± Maeve smiled weakly.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Lysaila whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it, Mortem mage?¡±


    Stryg scrambled up the tall tree with ease and looked out from its highest branch.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Stryg muttered, stunned.


    Dozens of pillars of smoke rose throughout Undergrowth. The glow of burning homes stretched across the horizon. Even from a far-off distance, Stryg could make out the swarm of valley warriors marauding through the streets.

 Chapter 312: Enemies At The Gate

    Chapter 312: Enemies At The Gate


    Dozens of pillars of smoke rose throughout Undergrowth. The glow of burning homes stretched across the horizon. Even from a far-off distance, Stryg could make out the swarm of valley warriors marauding through the streets.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Rhian asked.


    Stryg glanced down from the tree, ¡°They¡¯re¡­ valley tribal warriors.¡±


    ¡°What? A valley tribe? Here? That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Feli frowned. ¡°The valley tribes are at war with Hollow Shade, not Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only that, why would a tribe march their army into the city?¡± Maeve said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. They are at a complete disadvantage. They have no supply lines out here. Whereas Undergrowth¡¯s armies not only have the supplies, they also have the terrain advantage. Once the city¡¯s army is rallied the enemy is done for. The tribes won¡¯t last till morning.¡±


    Rhian laughed haughtily, ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of idiots! There¡¯s not a single tribe that can match the full might of a Great City!¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not just a single tribe?¡± Lysaila said quietly. ¡°Lord Marek was trying to unite the tribes to strengthen his own army. When I left he only had a few tribes with him, but maybe that¡¯s changed?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not carrying any banners,¡± Stryg noted. ¡°None that I can see¡­ If they are from the Cairn I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even stranger. Why would they attack now of all times? There are diplomats from all four Great Cities here thanks to the tourney,¡± Maeve muttered. ¡°Attacking Undergrowth now is like waging war against the entire Realm.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t trying to attack the city per se,¡± Feli stared at Stryg. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just trying to get to one person.¡±


    ¡°The Ebon Aspirant?¡± Maeve said with realization. ¡°They¡¯re here to kill him? Or worse?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Feli¡¯s right,¡± Stryg said miserably. ¡°It looks like the army is breaking off¡­ half of them are headed over here.¡±


    ¡°How many warriors do you see?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°Several hundred at least. There are probably more in the other city districts. I can see smoke rising from all around the city.¡± Stryg jumped down from the tree and landed on his feet, ¡°We don¡¯t have time. They''re coming this way.¡±


    ¡°How many are coming here?¡± Lysaila drew her curved blade.


    ¡°200 hundred at least,¡± Stryg said. ¡°They¡¯ve blocked the streets, there¡¯s no running away from this. We¡¯re better off barricading ourselves in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°How long do we have?¡± Feli whispered fearfully.


    ¡°Not long,¡± Stryg said grimly. ¡°Rhian, take Maeve and Feli, find the deepest room in the mansion and stay there. The Katag soldiers are probably already barricading the house as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chief!¡± Rhian straightened her back and raised her hand in a salute.


    Feli hugged Stryg tight and whispered into his ear, ¡°Come back to us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Stryg said with a rare tender voice.


    Maeve fidgeted with her hands and looked around anxiously, ¡°Stryg¡­ I need to tell you something. I had a dream¡­ I saw things¡­ I saw blood and¨C¡±


    ¡°Talk later, we need to act now,¡± Lysaila said sternly.


    Stryg gently pushed Feli away and looked at Lysaila, ¡°I need your help. You¡¯re one of the best swordsmen I have ever seen. Protect my family,¡± Stryg bowed his head, ¡°Please.¡±


    Lysaila stared at him as if he had suddenly turned into a frog, ¡°W-what? Why are you bowing? You don¡¯t have to ask me¡­ You can just command me¡­ The Prime Edict compels me.¡±


    Stryg kept his eyes on the ground, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you as a prisoner or as some edict-bound beast-kin. I¡¯m asking you from one warrior to another.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡± Lysaila furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll get another chance to say this¡­ I¡¯ve given a lot of thought to this ever since you saved me during the dragon attack¡­¡± Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve treated you like a prisoner this whole time, even though you have risked your life to protect my own multiple times. I don¡¯t care if you did it because of some ancient spell¡­ thank you. I am grateful¡­ You owe us nothing, if you wish to run away I won¡¯t stop you. I know you¡¯re skilled enough to slip past the enemy.¡±


    Stryg bowed his head lower, ¡°I know you must hate me and I know I don¡¯t have the right to ask anything of you, but even still, I¡¯m asking. Please, protect my family.¡±


    Lysaila stared at him in silence, ¡°...You really mean it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Lysaila nodded slowly, ¡°When this tournament is over I¡¯m leaving this place, but until then I will protect your tribe¡­ on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Name it,¡± Stryg looked up at her.


    ¡°When you become an Ebon Lord I want you to use your resources to help me figure out a way to break the Prime Edict.¡±


    ¡°But I thought the Captain was helping you with that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t just want to break my Prime Edict,¡± Lysaila glanced at Rhian, ¡°I want to break all the Prime Edicts.¡±


    Rhian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Lysaila¡­ you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Stryg nodded solemnly. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the beast-kin¡¯s Edict, nor do I know how useful my help will be, if any, but I will do all I can to break the curse.¡±


    ¡°My instincts tell me that may be enough, Mortem mage,¡± Lysaila said softly.


    ¡°So much for talking later¡­¡± Maeve muttered, peeved.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°The little vampiress is right, we should move,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Stryg?¡± Feli asked worriedly.


    ¡°If the enemy is really after me, then I¡¯ll do my best to distract them and lead them away from the villa,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Then what?¡± Feli bit her lip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to lose them in the city¡¯s surrounding forest.¡±


    Feli frowned, ¡°And how exactly will you do that? The trees in Glimmer Grove practically all glow. How can you hide in the dark when all the trees are shining?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the darkness to hide,¡± Stryg smiled confidently. ¡°I''m Sylvan, I have spent most of my life in the forest. Every Sylvan child learns at a very young age how to hide from predators, day or night, it makes no difference.¡±


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t Vulture Woods¡­¡± Feli said weakly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Stryg winked, ¡°This will be much easier.¡±


    He abruptly turned around and took one last look at Lysaila, ¡°Keep them safe, please.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she said solemnly.


    Stryg nodded and sprinted away from the gardens and headed towards the villa¡¯s front gate. He reached for Nameless and found nothing. He realized with dismay that he had left his sword back in his bedroom.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± he cursed under his breath.


    There wasn¡¯t enough time to go back. The tribal battalions would soon be at the gate.


    As he reached the villa¡¯s wall, he spotted four orc guards standing at the front gate, trembling. They barely even noticed Stryg walk up behind them.


    Stryg frowned, one of Lord Katag¡¯s lieutenants were among the guards, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you all gone to join the rest of your soldiers at the villa?¡±


    The lieutenant swallowed hard and gripped his spear tight, ¡°Our job is to watch this gate and protect the Katag family and all who are loyal to them¡­ Until our captain tells us otherwise, we will stop the enemy here.¡± He stared at the approaching enemies coming up the hill with a hardened gaze, and slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, ¡°¡­If tonight is the night we die, then it will be one our families will be proud of.¡±


    The other guards nodded and slammed their spears in solidarity.


    ¡°It was an honor to serve with you, lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°One last battle then¡­¡±


    ¡°For House Katag!¡±


    Stryg looked at the soldiers in bewilderment. They were orcs. Orcs. The same orcs who the Blood Fang tribe had warned him about. Orcs were spineless cowards who had betrayed Lunis. They were cowards¡­ so why¡­? Why weren¡¯t they running away?


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°One of you, give me your spear.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± a guard asked, confused.


    The lieutenant picked up the ax on his belt and handed Stryg his own spear, ¡°You may have mine, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lord,¡± Stryg said but grabbed the weapon nonetheless.


    ¡°A lord is a being who uses their power to protect their people.¡± The lieutenant looked back at the mansion at the top of the hill, ¡°You¡¯re here and not back there, aren¡¯t you? What more need I know?¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± the other guards nodded in unison.


    They could hear the shouts and the war cries of the valley tribesman now. The enemy was marching closer and closer to the gate.


    The lieutenant stared out at the enemy grimly, ¡°I¡¯d follow you into battle, my lord, if you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    ¡°As would I!¡± a fellow guard shouted.


    Another shrugged, ¡°Dying side by side with an Ebon Lord doesn¡¯t sound too bad, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Our deaths will be glorious!¡± the last screamed from the top of her lungs.


    Stryg couldn''t help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness. He could see it in all their amber eyes, fear. They were terrified and yet¡­ they were willing to face their own deaths with their eyes wide open, for loyalty and honor.


    These weren¡¯t the orcs the Mothers had told him of¡­


    Stryg stepped in front of the guards and pointed his spear at the oncoming enemies, ¡°Run while you still can! I¡¯ll hold them off!¡±


    The guards'' voices suddenly grew silent, yet Stryg did not hear the sound of footsteps running away. The four orcs stepped up next to him, two on each side. They smiled grimly at each other and nodded. Their legs still trembled, but they did not run, they stood their ground and faced their enemy with eyes wide open.


    ¡°For House Katag,¡± the lieutenant whispered.


    ¡°For the Ebon Lord!¡± another guard shouted.


    ¡°Dammit, why are you all so stubborn!?¡± Stryg shouted angrily, but he found himself smiling shakily.


    The two hundred tribal warriors marched up the hill, a mere twenty paces away now. They were close, close enough. Stryg stretched out his hand and channeled orange mana until his arm burned from the inner heat. A small cyclone of flame exploded out from his hand and splashed over the hill, covering it in a searing orange inferno.


    Red sigils manifested above the army and formed a protective wall. The flames washed over harmlessly.


    Stryg slowly lowered his hand. His body had gone stiff.


    How?


    He had channeled copious amounts of mana. The flame cyclone spell was a creation of House Noir. It was one of his strongest flame magics, a smaller version of Loh¡¯s own signature spell, and yet¡­ it had been stopped completely. The enemy¡¯s ward shield hadn¡¯t even suffered any damage.


    If they can easily stop master-class flame magic then that means¡­


    As the smoke cleared and the red wards faded away, a black cloaked figure stepped out from among the snarling tribal warriors. The man pulled down the hood of his cloak and looked at him with mild surprise.


    The stranger¡¯s hair was snow-white, and his skin a pale blue. But it was his eyes, his dark purple eyes, that caught Stryg¡¯s attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Vaughn whispered.


    A shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s spine, ¡°You were there,¡± he mumbled. ¡°That night¡­ you were there.¡± His lilac eyes grew cold, ¡°You were there with Marek and that goddamn vampire!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was,¡± Vaughn said calmly.


    ¡°So the Cairn has come to kill me?¡± Stryg hissed angrily.


    Vaughn smiled, amused, and revealed his prominent fangs, ¡°Child, I am not an idiot.¡± He raised his hand and gave a signal to his men, ¡°Leave the boy to me. Kill the orcs.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Stryg yelled.


    Ward sigils shot out and surrounded Stryg in an instant and before he could react a red sphere manifested around him.


    ¡°My lord!¡± the lieutenant yelled.


    The tribal warriors rushed the guards and attacked them relentlessly. The orcs shouted with fury and tried to defend themselves, but they were quickly surrounded and overwhelmed by the onslaught of warriors. Stryg watched helplessly as sword, ax, and spear plunged into the lieutenant and his comrades. The orcs were dead before they fell to the ground and yet the tribal savages did not stop until the guards were nothing but blood and crushed flesh underneath them.


    ¡°No!¡± Stryg screamed and stabbed his spear into the red sphere. The wards flared brightly with power and his spear snapped in two. Stryg threw the pieces aside and slammed his arms against the sphere futilely. ¡°Damn you!¡± he screamed,


    ¡°Please, stop resisting, it will not help,¡± Vaughn said sympathetically. ¡°The manor is being surrounded as we speak, this will all be over soon.¡±


    Stryg roared with frustration, tears burning his cheeks. He was as helpless as he had been a year ago. Unable to protect the ones by his side. Unable to kill the ones he despised.


    A bolt of lightning shrieked from above and struck the center of the battalion. Dozens of valley men and women went flying into the air, their bodies charred to a blackened crisp. Vaughn jumped away in surprise and quickly created a red dome above himself.


    A second, smaller lightning bolt struck the red sphere imprisoning Stryg. The red wards flared brightly as the blue lightning crackled around them until the wards cracked and shattered unceremoniously.


    Stryg dropped to his knees and looked around in a daze. A small figure emerged from the smoke. An old woman with a cane shuffled through the burnt grass. Her grey hair was a mess and she had bags under her beige eyes from days of little to no sleep. She carried no weapon nor battle armor, she only wore a simple grey robe. She should have seemed weak, incapable, but in that single moment, Stryg had never seen one so powerful.


    Ismene placed herself in front of Stryg and the hundreds of tribesmen, and looked her enemies down with a calm, steel gaze. ¡°Stand up, child. We have a battle to win.¡±

 Chapter 313: Cairn’s Onslaught

    Chapter 313: Cairn¡¯s Onslaught


    The valley tribesman surrounded Stryg and Ismene in a loose circle, careful to not get too close to the terrifying old woman. Vaughn watched her cautiously and kept an eye on her hands for any quick movements.


    ¡°I said stand up, Stryg,¡± Ismene muttered, though she did not look at him. Her beige eyes stared at Vaughn with a steely edge.


    Stryg glanced at the mutilated bodies of the orc guards who had stood by his side mere seconds ago. He dug his hands into the dirt and clenched his teeth tight in frustration, ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°This is no time to wallow in self-pity,¡± Ismene said. ¡°Right now your friends and family need you.¡±


    Stryg looked up with a dawning realization, ¡°They¡¯re surrounding the mansion¡­!¡±


    ¡°You know what must be done,¡± Ismene said. ¡°So what will you do?¡±


    Stryg pushed himself to his feet and bared his fangs at the tribesman around him. ¡°I¡¯ll fight. I will never stop fighting.¡±


    Ismene¡¯s lips curled into a small smile, ¡°I¡¯ll make an opening for you. Get to our people and keep them safe. I¡¯ll handle the ones here.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯ll let either of you go¨C?¡± Vaughn called out.


    Ismene looked him dead in the eye and shot a storm spell behind her. The lightning branched around Stryg and electrocuted all the warriors at their rear. The valley men and women couldn¡¯t even cry out as their bodies seized up and were burned from the inside out. The other tribesmen screamed as they watched their comrades¡¯ smoking corpses fall to the ground.


    Stryg sprinted away before any of the tribesmen could react.


    Vaughn blinked and licked his lips dryly, ¡°Ah¡­ I see. You¡¯re the fabled Tempest Archmage.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re the bastard who killed my students,¡± Ismene said icily.


    Vaughn sighed bitterly, ¡°This is really turning out to be more difficult than I had hoped.¡±


    ¡°Did you think we¡¯d leave the Ebon Aspirant unguarded, unprepared?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be encountering the Aspirant tonight,¡± Vaughn said lamentingly.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re not here for the boy? Then why are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± he said wistfully.


    Blue tendrils of electricity curled up Ismene¡¯s arms. ¡°Your purpose here will not change anything. You are all going to die tonight.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to do this. You¡¯re not the only arch-mage here,¡± Vaughn raised his arms to the sides, ¡°And I am the one with an army.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m the one with a purpose and the will to see it through,¡± Ismene smiled menacingly, ¡°What more do I need?¡±


    ~~~


    The sound of thunder echoed behind Stryg but he did not look back. His eyes were focused on the Katag mansion. Over a hundred of Cairn¡¯s warriors swarmed the mansion from the sides. They shattered the windows and jumped inside with warcries of death.


    He needed to get to his family first.


    Stryg cursed under his breath and channeled orange mana into his legs. The agility magic turned his veins a subtle grey and his body light. He ran through the grassy field and slammed into the front double doors with his shoulders. The hinges tore off the walls from the impact. His shoulder stung but he ignored it. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on the sounds of his family and friends.


    Anything. Anything at all. A whisper, a cry. Anything that could help him know where they were. But all he could hear were the shouts of the enemy and the clashing of steel as they fought the Katag guards.


    Stryg closed his eyes and tried to narrow the sounds. His droopy pointed ears twitched. A familiar voice pierced the sounds of cries and deaths. Her voice was taut with strain and anger.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Before Stryg realized what he was doing his legs were moving. He dashed through the halls and came across one of the dining rooms. The long dining table had been flipped over and used as a blockade of sorts against the enemy. A group of guards had tried to hold back the horde of tribal warriors, but the enemy had overwhelmed the blockade and swarmed into the room, cutting down guard after guard.


    The few remaining guards stood in the corner, a mound of dead bodies at their feet. Tauri stood at the center with a pair of unfamiliar swords in her hands. She was still in her nightgown, a white silk that was transparent in certain areas. Yet despite her appearance, not a single valley warrior dared step into the range of her flail.


    ¡°Come at, you assholes!¡± Tauri shouted with a mixture of anger and desperation.


    Stryg knew Tauri favored the flail as her primary weapon. He knew she hadn¡¯t had the time to properly arm herself. And yet as he stepped into the room and saw her cornered with bloodied clothes and the swords in her hands, all he saw was Clypeus.


    Stryg didn¡¯t think. His heartbeat thrummed in his ears, drowning out the sounds of others. He released his agility spell and channeled Yellow¡¯s durability magic. Hardened yellow scales of magic wrapped over his skin. Stryg charged one of the tribesmen from behind and slashed his claws through the man¡¯s back. The grey claws sank through the flesh with ease and sliced through bone and sinew, severing the spine.


    The warrior died without a single cry, his head simply lolled to the side and he toppled over. His comrades jumped back from shock, but Stryg was already on them.


    Stryg jumped on a petrified woman and slashed open her stomach before he grabbed another by the shoulders and ripped open his throat. A sword stabbed into Stryg¡¯s back but it bounced off the yellow scales. The blue goblin spun around and grabbed the head of the attacking vampire. The vampire shouted in a panic and tried to pry Stryg¡¯s hands off to no avail.


    With a quick jerk, Stryg snapped the vampire¡¯s head to the side, the neck breaking with a disturbing crack. The Cairn warriors shouted, some in anger, others in panic. Stryg didn¡¯t care. None of it mattered to him. What little sympathy he had learned for others felt distant, a small voice amidst the thundering pain of loss.


    Tauri watched in horror and morbid fascination as Stryg carved through the enemy. Vampire, human, drow, none were spared. His claws slashed through them in a spray of blood as his fangs sank into their throats. Their blades and hammers glanced off his skin with nothing more than scratches.


    The ones who cried for mercy Stryg killed first. The ones who fought he killed second. But the ones who cowered on the ground, piss pooling underneath them, Stryg left for last. He did not use his sharp claws, nor powerful, nor deadly magic. He jumped on top of them and pummeled them to death until their chests had caved and their heads were nothing but mashed viscera blood.


    ¡°He¡¯s just like Lord Krall¡­¡± one of the Katag guards muttered.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± Tauri snapped.


    She turned away from the guards and stared thoughtfully at the goblin on his knees, surrounded by mutilated corpses. Amidst the blood and gore on his face, she saw it. Tears stained his cheeks. She saw no rage in his lilac eyes, only pain.


    ¡°This is my fault,¡± she whispered. Tauri walked across, careful to not trip over the dead bodies, and knelt next to Stryg.


    His shoulders heaved with tired breaths.


    ¡°...Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°...They killed him¡­ so I killed them,¡± he mumbled with a snarl.


    Tauri winced sympathetically, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Stryg. We should have never left you and the other students that night.¡±


    She reached and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, ¡°I know. And you have every right to be angry, to be in pain, to mourn¡­ but right now I need your help to protect the ones still with us. I need your head clear. I need your help, Stryg.¡±


    He slowly looked up at her and his eyes slowly lit with recognition. ¡°Tauri¡­ You¡¯re okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m okay. Did you think a few savages could kill me?¡± she winked playfully, though her voice was strained.


    ¡°The others¡­?¡± Stryg jumped to his feet, ¡°Where¡¯s my tribe?!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to Feli and Rhian, they¡¯re upstairs with my family. They¡¯ve probably barricaded themselves in my mother¡¯s study.¡± Tauri looked around the corpses forebodingly, ¡°But if it¡¯s anything like here, they¡¯ll need our help.¡±


    ¡°We need to move,¡± Stryg surmised.


    ¡°The sooner the better,¡± Tauri nodded. She glanced at the few remaining guards, ¡°Stryg and I will go on ahead with our agility spells. Try to find more of our men and rally them to your lord before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mistress!¡± the guards shouted in unison.


    ~~~


    Stryg and Tauri ran through the 2nd-floor corridors, searching for their families, but they found no one save the dead bodies of guards and valley warriors alike.


    As they headed for the third floor Elena suddenly appeared, rushing down the stairs.


    ¡°Elena!?¡± Tauri cried happily.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Elena jumped into her sister¡¯s arms and tried to pull her away.


    ¡°What happened? Where are the others? Where are you going?¡± Tauri asked breathlessly.


    ¡°We have to leave! Dad¡¯s lost it again!¡± Elena yelled fearfully.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Tauri¡¯s face paled. ¡°We¡¯re too late.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°What do you mean Lord Krall has lost it¨C?¡±


    Angry, guttural laughter echoed from upstairs.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Stryg glanced around cautiously.


    ¡°A berserker who¡¯s lost control,¡± Tauri said grimly.

 Chapter 314: A Dream of Home

    Chapter 314: A Dream of Home


    The angry, guttural laughter echoed from upstairs.


    Stryg stared at the staircase with caution, ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°A berserker who¡¯s lost control,¡± Tauri said grimly.


    Stryg laughed shakily, ¡°When you say ¡®berserker¡¯ are you referring to¨C?¡±


    ¡°Berserker magic. Brown¡¯s true spell-form,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Our father is a True Brown mage.¡± Elena shivered and rubbed her shoulders, ¡°He rarely falls this far. But it never ends well¡­¡±


    ¡°What does she mean?¡± Stryg glanced at Tauri.


    She sighed, ¡°Berserker magic grants its casters incredible strength, resilience, and speed. In a way, it''s almost as if the caster was using Orange¡¯s Agility, Yellow¡¯s Durability, and Brown¡¯s Vigor magic all at once. Sort of.¡±


    Stryg eyes widened in awe, ¡°That sounds incredible.¡±


    ¡°Mm, it can be,¡± Tauri lamented. ¡°Except Berserker magic has one enormous drawback¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is what exactly?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You go fucking batshit crazy!¡± Elena yelled frustratedly.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Tauri nodded glumly, ¡°Berserker magic erodes the mind and increases one¡¯s bloodlust. Without careful moderation, the caster loses sense of themselves. In other words¡­¡±


    ¡°They attack everyone on sight. My father¡¯s killed good men on his rampages before,¡± Elena said bitterly. ¡°He almost killed our half-brother once. Our mother somehow stopped him from hurting anyone else, but our half-brother was still left in a coma for 5 months.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Stryg muttered slowly with cold wide eyes. ¡°...right now, your father could try to kill my family?¡±


    Tauri bit her lip, ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    Stryg ran past the two women and up the stairs, four steps at a time. He froze the moment he walked into the 3rd floor. The hallway¡¯s candles were dim, but his lilac eyes could see the gruesome scene perfectly. Splatters of blood covered the walls. Tens of mutilated bodies, Katag guards and Valley tribesmen alike, were strewn about the floor.


    Krall Katag stood hunched over at the end of the hall. Or at least it was a semblance of the orc warlord. His brawny physique had somehow grown even larger,  corded muscles straining taut against his red skin. Waves of bronze energy undulated across his skin in a refracting-like pattern.


    The berserker held a dead tribeswoman by the throat with one hand while he punched her corpse with his other hand heedlessly. The woman¡¯s face had already caved in from the force, bits of bone and brain fell through the ripped bloodied skin. And yet Krall did not stop his fist, instead, he laughed maniacally.


    Stryg stared warily at the unhinged giant of an orc and then glanced at the other end of the hall where he could smell the faint scent of his wife from their bedroom. While keeping an eye on the berserker, Stryg softly stepped towards the bedroom.


    Krall¡¯s head snapped up at the sound. His bloodshot eyes stared right at Stryg. His lips stretched wide, ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±


    Stryg channeled yellow mana into his arms without hesitation. Krall slowly leaned forward and suddenly dashed at him. Yellow durability scales wrapped around Stryg¡¯s arms as he raised them to block. Krall¡¯s fist smashed into his arms and sent him flying backward. Stryg¡¯s body crashed through the wall and fell into the next room in a hard tumble.


    Plaster and splinters of wood covered Stryg¡¯s body. He groaned, it was hard to breathe. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time the wind had been knocked out of him, but the feeling was still all too familiar. He pushed himself to his feet with a slight stumble and shook his head, the plaster dust falling off his hair in a puff of white haze.


    Krall laughed with an excited giggle from the hall. Stryg stared at the madman from the large hole in the wall he had left behind, then he glanced at the broken yellow scales across his arms.


    Those could have been my actual arms¡­ Stryg thought.


    The thought of broken bones should have terrified him, but all Stryg felt was a mixture of anger and¡­ strange excitement?


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders shook as he laughed maliciously and bared his teeth. ¡°What are you waiting for, you damn giant bastard?!¡±


    Krall snarled with an angry smile and barreled at him. His giant frame ripped through the wall as if it was mere paper. Krall¡¯s long arms reached out and went for Stryg¡¯s throat. Stryg ducked underneath him and channeled brown mana into his arm, a shimmering bronze wrapping around his hand. He clenched his fist tight and punched the giant orc in the center of his sternum with a satisfying crack. Krall¡¯s body flew back across the hall and crashed into the corpses all over the ground.


    Stryg wrung his hand with a mild grimace. His fingers stung with pain; it reminded him of the time he had tried punching a boulder. The orc¡¯s body was tougher than he thought.


    Krall coughed up a mouthful of blood and spit, and then abruptly laughed merrily. ¡°Finally!¡± he shouted. The orc jumped to his feet and cracked his neck from side to side. ¡°~It¡¯ll be fun killing you!~¡±


    ¡°...Fuck,¡± Stryg said under his breath. I¡¯m not strong enough to restrain him. If I don¡¯t try to kill him, he¡¯ll kill me instead. She¡¯ll hate me¡­


    Plum¡¯s screams of pain echoed in his mind. The image of her tear-stained face haunted his memories. He hadn¡¯t hesitated to commend Byrel to death and he had lost his best friend for it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Tauri yelled.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Stryg blinked.


    Tauri ran into the hall and stood between Krall and Stryg. ¡°Dad, stop! Just please, STOP!¡±


    Krall pulled his head back and frowned, ¡°Stop¡­? You want to¡­ stop me?¡± Krall clenched his hands tightly and growled, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Tauri, run!¡± Elena screamed from the staircase.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Tauri turned around and dashed down the hall.


    ¡°Run little girl, run!¡± Krall giggled and chased after her.


    ¡°KRALL KATAG!¡± a powerful voice pierced through the hall.


    Krall jerked to a stop and turned around.


    Lady Evelyn stood at the other end of the hall. Her silky hair was disheveled and flecks of blood decorated her nightgown, but the look of steel determination in her eyes held Krall still.


    ¡°Enough, Krall. Our enemy is NOT HERE,¡± Evelyn said coolly.


    ¡°E-Evelyn¡­?¡± Krall said strangely. He furrowed his brow in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, your wife,¡± Evelyn said softly and walked towards him. ¡°We need to protect our children, we need to fight SOMEWHERE ELSE.¡±


    ¡°Fight¡­?¡± Krall mumbled.


    ¡°Aspirant,¡± Evelyn called out to Stryg quietly, though she kept her eyes on Krall. ¡°Your people are safe, Miss Gale moved them to the basement. Go with Tauri and Elena to the basement, you¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    ¡°But what about him?¡± Stryg stared cautiously at Krall.


    ¡°Lord Krall and I will be fine. My husband has far more control over his berserker state than most true Brown mages. The fact that he can speak and understand speech whatsoever is a testament to that. Just go, I¡¯ll handle things here.¡±


    Stryg nodded reluctantly, ¡°Understood.¡± He glanced out the window and shook his head, ¡°But I can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn frowned.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened in realization, ¡°Stryg, don¡¯t!¡±


    Stryg gritted his teeth and whispered, ¡°For Clypeus.¡± He spun around, sprinted towards the window, and jumped out.


    ~~~


    The Black Amber spell coursed through Vaughn¡¯s veins, dyeing them black. His speed was beyond what any orange mage could ever hope to achieve. Few arch-mages could handle the Agility spell, let alone use it to its full potential, and yet despite his overwhelming speed, Vaughn couldn¡¯t close the gap.


    Every time Vaughn tried to get close to Ismene, multiple bolts of lightning stretched out from her hands and struck out at him like deadly vipers. Even with his speed, Vaughn found himself struggling to dodge her attacks.


    The horns of Undergrowth¡¯s armies blared in the distance. Lady Thorn¡¯s armies had finally arrived from all around the forest.


    Vaughn jumped backward and made some distance from Ismene. The terrifying old woman did not chase, she simply stood at the gate and held her ground.


    Vaughn glanced around at the mound of scorched bodies surrounding the gate and shook his head in amazement. They had been fighting for hours. All five of his colors were almost completely drained, he barely had any orange mana left. He was sweating profusely and his chest burned from the overheating of all his spell-casting. And yet¡­ And yet the damn old woman was still standing.


    ¡°The Tempest Arch-Mage truly lives up to her name,¡± Vaughn admitted with a sigh.


    ¡°You should have seen me¡­ in my prime,¡± Ismene said between labored breaths.


    Vaughn glanced at her cane and her leg that trembled ever so slightly, ¡°Is that why you stay on the defensive? Or is it because it helps conserve energy?¡±


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    Vaughn looked up at the sky thoughtfully, ¡°...I wonder.¡±


    The sun¡¯s golden light was beginning to peak over the horizon, dyeing the dawn sky in orange hues.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve overstayed our welcome,¡± Vaughn smiled politely.


    ¡°Scared of what Lady Thorn will do to you when she catches you?¡± Ismene glared at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not a tad worried,¡± Vaughn said wryly. ¡°But it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t try to stop me. We¡¯re both at our limits¨C don¡¯t try to deny it. Besides, I have a feeling we¡¯ll see each other again.¡±


    Ismene wiped the sweat off her brow and slammed her cane into the ground, ¡°That¡¯s it? You come here and kill our people and expect to just walk away as if nothing happened?¡±


    Vaughn ignored her words and looked past Ismene, at the small blue silhouette in the distance.


    The goblin was small, yet he cut through a swathe of tribesmen by himself. Several Katag guards fought by his side, following his movements and covering his back.


    ¡°He¡¯s grown¡­¡± Vaughn whispered. He turned to Ismene and bowed his head, ¡°I have a message for the Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°From whom¡­?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°From me.¡±


    ¡°And who are you exactly?¡±


    Vaughn raised his head and smiled, ¡°Tell him Nokti, the vampiress whose throat he tore apart, still lives. He¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll just let you go?¡±


    ¡°I think you care more about your students than killing me,¡± Vaughn turned around and walked away.


    ¡°...Dammit,¡± Ismene sighed and headed back to the mansion.


    ~~~


    The sun peeked out from the horizon, bathing Undergrowth in warm colors of light. Black smoke rose from countless scorched homes and the rubble that was left behind. The valley army had successfully retreated into Glimmer Grove forest, though Undergrowth¡¯s larger armies were giving chase.


    Stryg sat at the edge of the hill, his arms curled around his huddled legs, and his chin resting on his knees. Blood leaked from a dozen small cuts on his body. He felt almost none of it. He felt numb, distant, as if he really wasn¡¯t here, but somewhere very far away.


    His tired lilac eyes looked down at the city that stretched across the horizon. He had no idea how many had died, nor how those deaths might affect the city. He knew few Undergrowthers, but they had families who must have loved them, people who cared for them.


    He wondered what the Blood Fang Tribe thought when they had heard of his death and the others who had gone on the damned quest with the shaman Crovor. Did they think he had died bravely fighting against the lamias of the fabled cave? Did they even care? Did they even remember him?


    All he could think of were the deaths of the ones he failed. The voices of the ones he had lost screamed clearly in his mind. Srixa, Bril, Ostroz, Second Mother, Clypeus¡­


    Stryg looked out past the city and stared at the treeline to the south. He couldn¡¯t see what lay beyond, but he remembered it well. The ashen trees and scarlet leaves that covered the canopy. He could almost smell the scent of the grey bark and hear the echoing calls of the dire vultures.


    Most of all it was blood. The blood that dripped from his claws and dried on his fingers. It was the blood that stained his lips and the iron taste it left on his tongue. It was the blood that evoked the memories of the past, of things left unfinished.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Tauri called out.


    Stryg heard her voice, but he did not answer, did not move, he simply stared out past the horizon of trees.


    Tauri surveyed the corpses strewn across the grass all around Stryg and covered her mouth with disgust. The stench of death was thick in the air and it made her nauseous. With careful steps, she walked around the bodies and made her way to Stryg.


    ¡°What are you doing over here? Feli and the others are worried sick. They¡¯re looking all over for you¨C!¡± Tauri froze in her steps and her face paled, ¡°My gods! How much of that blood is yours!?¡±


    Stryg slowly looked up in acknowledgement, ¡°Not a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Stryg, that¡¯s why I told you not to leave! You could have died! Why are you always so fucking stubborn!?¡± Tauri knelt down next to him and ripped a strip of cloth off the edge of her skirt. ¡°Let me see your arm.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet, but he raised his arm.


    Tauri quickly bandaged the gash over his forearm with the deftness of a trained soldier. ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood, your skin is freezing,¡± she bit her lip worriedly. ¡°You need to see a proper healer soon.¡±


    Stryg said nothing, he didn¡¯t even look at her or his bandaged arm. His eyes seemed almost lifeless.


    ¡°Are you okay? Can you stand?¡± Tauri asked gently.


    ¡°...I want to go home,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Tauri sighed. ¡°No army would ever dare attack our shade walls.¡± She gently grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, soon we¡¯ll be back in Hollow Shade and everything will be okay.¡±


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t talking about Hollow Shade,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tauri cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°STRYYYYG!¡± Feli yelled from a distance.


    Rhian carried Feli on her back and galloped towards them.


    A small glimmer of life returned to Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes and his tense shoulders relaxed. He smiled tiredly.

 Chapter 315: The Fox & The Mystery

    Chapter 315: The Fox & The Mystery


    As the cold morning breeze blew through the grassy hills, the sun bathed Dusk Valley in a warm glow. The scent of sizzling root-bison meat cooking over the campfire wafted through the air and tickled the fox¡¯s black button nose. Lin Lu shook her head to dispel the enticing flavors and walked past the fire.


    The vampiress Nokti looked up from her cooking and humbly bowed to the tiny snow-white fox, ¡°The food will be ready soon, my goddess.¡±


    Lin Lu squeaked in approval and ran up the small silver hill that lay a few dozen paces from their camp. The hill was bare, there was no grass and it was cold to the touch. Lin Lu twisted around the silver bumps and sharp edges with supernatural ease until she reached the very top of the hill where a young man, almost a boy, sat cross-legged with closed eyes.


    The fox stopped a meter from the man and sat down on her haunches, waiting. She looked the man over with her amber eyes and studied the traits he had grown accustomed to being in. He had warm brown skin and stark white hair that loosely fell over his shoulders. His face had soft features, no harsh lines of age nor a strong jaw. To all others he seemed to be a handsome 15 or 16-year-old boy, meditating on a beautiful morning. Only the fox truly knew of the being that lay underneath the facade of youth.


    The boy¡¯s white lashes slowly opened and revealed his ever-changing eyes. ¡°Good morning, Lin Lu,¡± he whispered serenely.


    Even now, after 8 centuries, Lin Lu couldn¡¯t help but stare into his eyes. One iris was a sky blue, the other a burgundy, and suddenly they were a swirl of emerald and golden-yellow, then they were silver and violet, and the colors just kept shifting in a never-ending mesmerizing mystery.


    ¡°...You really shouldn¡¯t delve so deep and far into the Dreamscape,¡± Lin Lu said worriedly. ¡°You risk the Dark Fringe corroding your soul.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of the Dark Fringe,¡± he yawned.


    ¡°Even still, you were gone for several hours this time. You need rest.¡±


    ¡°Are you underestimating me?¡± Caligo smiled playfully.


    ¡°You may be a god but even you are not all-powerful, especially in your current form.¡±


    Caligo sighed half-heartedly, ¡°We¡¯ve already discussed this. I¡¯m perfectly fine with this body.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Why do you insist on limiting yourself? Why shapeshift into all these forms but the one that matters most?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons and my current body serves me just fine.¡±


    ¡°...Why aren¡¯t you talking to me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking now, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± she growled.


    He shrugged, ¡°If you¡¯re bored you can always teach Nokti your language. She¡¯s a quick enough learner.¡±


    Lin Lu¡¯s eight tails drooped behind her and she hung her head low, ¡°...We used to tell each other everything. Why are you shutting me out?¡±


    Caligo smiled sympathetically and stretched out his arm. Lin Lu hopped up onto his hand, scampered up his arm, and nestled herself in the crook of his shoulder, below his jaw.


    Caligo petted her tails softly. She purred in contentment.


    ¡°No matter what happens, no matter what I do, never doubt what you mean to me,¡± Caligo whispered.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make up for the lies and secrets,¡± she muttered with a miffed tone.


    ¡°I¡¯d never lie, not to you,¡± he said easily.


    ¡°And the secrets?¡±


    He grinned, ¡°I am the god of the deep earth, the Mystery and Caretaker of Secrets. I think I am allowed a few secrets, hm?¡±


    ¡°A few?¡± she barked sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯ve always had a hundred secrets hiding behind those bewitching eyes. Fortunately for both of us, I am only interested in a few.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Very well, what would you like to know?¡±


    ¡°...Why did you separate the twins? You know they hate being away from each other. Nothing good ever comes of it.¡±


    ¡°You always had a soft spot for those two hybrids,¡± he mused. ¡°I separated them because currently, they serve me better apart than together. And I rather Dawn not drag her brother into her little rebellious phase.¡±


    ¡°Rebellious? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Why did you order Vaughn to attack Undergrowth?¡±


    ¡°You disagree with my decision?¡±


    ¡°It was a reckless attack. Undergrowth¡¯s armies are far more vast and powerful than the thousand soldiers you gave Vaughn. There¡¯s no way he would have won. You placed him in unnecessary danger.¡±


    ¡°Vaughn is fine. He escaped the city without a problem, as I expected.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°But the rest did not, did they?¡±


    ¡°Also as I expected,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost a quarter of our army,¡± she sighed impatiently. ¡°And what do we have to show for it? Did they even manage to capture the True Red?¡±


    ¡°Capturing Maeve was never the objective of last night¡¯s mission. It was simply a bonus, but no matter, things have changed. Maeve will come to us of her own volition. It is only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why the attack on Undergrowth?¡±


    Caligo smiled, ¡°Tell me, what do you think Ophelia Thorn will do now that her precious city has been attacked?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll no doubt be outraged. She¡¯ll probably rally all her armies and declare war against the Cairn Tribe this very morning.¡±


    ¡°Ophelia will not be the only one who will declare war. The Great Cities Tournament is still being held in Undergrowth. Diplomats, lords and ladies, and the children of Great Houses from all four Great Cities were residing in Undergrowth. They will all be outraged and consider the attack a personal assault on their city and people.¡±


    Lin Lu¡¯s amber eyes widened, ¡°The Great Cities will declare war on the Valley.¡±


    Caligo laughed, ¡°Hollow Shade, Undergrowth, Frost Rim, and Murkton, every single one of them will declare war. There¡¯s nothing better than a common enemy, hm?¡±


    ¡°What have you done? The Cairn Tribe is doomed.¡±


    ¡°The Cairn? No. Vaughn¡¯s army flew no flags last night. There isn¡¯t enough evidence to prove that it was the Cairn who attacked the city. No, the Great Cities won¡¯t declare war against just the Cairn. They will declare war against all the Keepers of the Dawn, every single last tribe in Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°The Great Cities will wipe out the tribes!¡± she said panickedly.


    ¡°They would if the tribes stay as they are. But I suspect the chieftains will fear for their lives and end up being forced to do the only thing they can do, something drastic.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Call for a grand meeting, one where all the tribes¡¯ chieftains will attend. Even the renowned Adder Tribe, who have refused to meet with Marek, will be forced to attend for fear of extinction.¡±


    ¡°...Because the only way the valley tribes will be able to survive is together,¡± Lin Lu muttered with realization.


    ¡°As I said, there¡¯s nothing better than a common enemy.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t mean the Adder chieftain or any of the other chieftains will follow Marek. After last night¡¯s attack, they¡¯re more likely to seize the Cairn¡¯s armies for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m quite certain they won¡¯t,¡± he said knowingly.


    Lin Lu shook her furry head, ¡°Even if you do have a plan¨C¡±


    ¡°¨CSeveral, actually.¡±


    ¡°Even if the chieftains choose to follow Marek, we will still be at war with not just Hollow Shade but all four Great Cities.¡±


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t. Frost Rim¡¯s armies are stuck in the northern frigid region of the Rupture Mountains. They would have to wait until the end of summer before the mountains¡¯ ice thaws. As for Murkton, their armies are currently scattered across the Silent Marshes. It¡¯ll be several weeks before their armies are ready for battle, not to mention how long it would take for them to march all across the realm, and by then it won¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°That still leaves Undergrowth,¡± Lin Lu said. ¡°Ophelia Thorn has been gathering her armies for the past year.¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s been eyeing Hollow Shade for herself. House Thorn has always wanted vengeance against the city that exiled them. Now they¡¯ll have their chance.¡±


    ¡°You think Ophelia Thorn would rather wage war against Hollow Shade than the valley tribes that just attacked her city?¡±


    ¡°Never underestimate the greed of mortals.¡±


    ¡°...What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°What indeed?¡± he smiled.


    ¡°...Fine, have it your way,¡± she huffed. ¡°What about Lunae and the child?¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°You promised Lunae you wouldn¡¯t have the Cairn anywhere near that child. And now we¡¯ve attacked the home where the child was residing.¡±


    ¡°Stryg is a bit scraped up, but he is fine. Lunae is currently too preoccupied with the dragons flying near Vulture Woods¡¯ border. She will not interfere.¡±


    ¡°For now. But she is still a threat to our plans.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this.¡±


    Lin Lu growled, ¡°Have you forgotten what she¨C!¡±


    ¡°¨CI have not forgotten,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Have you forgotten that Lunae is one of the last of her kind? I will not endeavor to end her life.¡±


    ¡°She is still a threat¡­¡±


    ¡°Lunae is unaware of the Dragonbane, she underestimates me, and she is currently too preoccupied to even think about interfering with our plans. I see no threat.¡±


    ¡°You see no threat because you also underestimate her. Only a fool would ever underestimate the goddess of the moon,¡± she said solemnly.


    ¡°Are you calling me a fool?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    Caligo grinned half-heartedly, ¡°...So long as Lunae doesn¡¯t know, she really has no reason to interfere.¡±


    ¡°So long as she doesn¡¯t know what exactly?¡±


    Caligo leaned forward eerily, ¡°That I know her secret.¡±


    Lin Lu sighed, ¡°...Maybe you¡¯re right. But I know one thing for certain, Lunae is no fool.¡±


    ¡°Enough about her,¡± Caligo shrugged and patted the silver ground beneath him. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in how Kaleidrog¡¯s brood will react.¡±


    Lin Lu glanced down at the giant dragon corpse underneath them, its silver scales glistening in the morning sunlight. There were no visible wounds on the corpse, save for a meter-wide hole at the base of the dragon¡¯s neck. No blood oozed from the wound, the flesh had been cauterized on impact.


    ¡°This is the fourth dragon you¡¯ve killed in the last few weeks,¡± Lin Lu noted. ¡°At this rate, one of the brood¡¯s dragon gods will come find us, or maybe all three will.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m counting on. Ideally, it¡¯s Kaleidrog himself, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if Zavinti or Reldros come instead. It¡¯s about time I met Kaleidrog¡¯s children.¡±


    ¡°...Is Kaleidrog truly as powerful as they say?¡± Lin Lu asked quietly.


    ¡°He is and he has only grown more powerful throughout the past millennia.¡±


    ¡°Then he is a true threat to you, especially in your current form,¡± she said anxiously. ¡°Why would you risk fighting him now when we¡¯re so close to achieving our goal?¡±


    ¡°The way I see it, Kaleidrog is a threat that must be faced sooner or later, and believe me,¡± Caligo¡¯s voice grew harsh and the hills around them began to shake, ¡°this particular meeting is millennia overdue.¡±


    ¡°Y-your divine eminence?¡± Nokti called out fearfully from below.


    Caligo¡¯s face relaxed and he smiled easily, ¡°Ah, Nokti, what is it?¡±


    Nokti glanced at the shaking hills around her, ¡°T-The food is ready.¡±


    The earth abruptly stopped trembling beneath her feet.


    Caligo¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯m famished.¡±

 Chapter 316: Amidst the Wreckage

    Chapter 316: Amidst the Wreckage


    ¡°My lady, is there anything else I may help you with?¡± the messenger asked politely.


    Ismene finished reading the report and shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯ll be all. You may go.¡±


    ¡°My lady,¡± he bowed and left quietly.


    Ismene folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket. She surveyed the Katag mansion¡¯s large lawn. Gone were the dead bodies and fires. If she ignored the bloodstains on the grass then it was almost as if the attack last night hadn¡¯t happened.


    The countless soldiers, servants, and tribesmen who had fallen last night had already been moved. The enemy corpses had been carted away to be burned in a collective pile with the other tribesmen who had been slain throughout the city.


    Those who had fallen in the service of the Great House of Katag had been moved by the surviving soldiers to the back of the mansion where their bodies were being buried. Lord Krall Katag himself was leading the funeral rites.


    The remaining servants had been ordered to take care of House Katag¡¯s guests. The servants needed no more instruction, they worked quickly and efficiently without a hint of complaint, a testament to House Katag¡¯s training.


    The servants had brought out a couple of tables from the ransacked mansion and placed them on the front lawn where they then served a simple but hot meal to the guests.


    Ismene watched over her students eating peacefully under the morning sun and smiled to herself. They had fought for their lives last night and every single one had managed to survive. She silently thanked her patron god Stjerne for not abandoning them and she thanked the goddess of war Bellum for protecting them.


    Yet all was not well.


    Ismene gripped the slip of paper in her pocket. The report had confirmed her fears. Ophelia Thorn¡¯s army had managed to drive away the invaders, but her armies had not stopped there. As of this morning, all of Undergrowth¡¯s armies had begun to mobilize under the direct order of Ophelia. Worse, Ophelia had ordered martial law, for ¡°the safety of the people,¡± or so she said.


    Undergrowth had fallen into lockdown with several regiments of troops patrolling every single street at all hours.


    The threats to our people have grown while our list of allies has fallen slim, Ismene thought grimly. Our situation has become very precarious.


    ¡°Excuse me, Professor Ismene?¡±


    Freya¡¯s voice broke her from her thoughts.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Ismene blinked, ¡°What is it, child?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to join us?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°I seem to have lost my appetite. I¡¯ll have something to eat later, thank you though,¡± Ismene smiled.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Freya glanced at the stone pillar in the distance, ¡°What about Stryg? Feli tells me he hasn¡¯t had a single bite yet. As team captain, it¡¯s my duty to make sure my team is healthy, and in this case, well-fed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, professor,¡± Freya bowed.


    Ismene nodded and looked over at Tauri who was eating with her sister and the other students, ¡°Tauri! With me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Ismene!¡± Tauri pushed her plate away and jumped to her feet.


    ¡°Ready and willing as always,¡± Ismene smiled lopsidedly.


    She appreciated the soldier-like attitude of the Katags.


    Tauri jogged over to Ismene and fell in behind her as the old woman hobbled her way to the pillar that stood in the middle of the lawn. A little over an hour ago Stryg had erected the 10 ft stone pillar by casting a Green stone spell and hadn¡¯t come down ever since.


    Ismene walked up next to the pillar and looked up. She could see Stryg''s legs dangling off the pillar¡¯s edge. She clicked her tongue and tapped the pillar with her cane, ¡°Enough with the sightseeing, time to get down.¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ismene narrowed her eyes and her lips formed a tight line.


    ¡°Oi! Respond when the Tempest Archmage is talking to you, spoiled brat!¡± Tauri yelled and kicked the pillar. ¡°What are you even looking at!?¡±


    ¡°...Things left unfinished,¡± came Stryg¡¯s voice from above.


    ¡°What sort of bullshit?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Hey Tauri¡­?¡± Stryg called out.


    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°You once told me that your father had an aurum aegis. But last night he wasn¡¯t using it. Why not?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be asking people questions, at least have the common decency to show your damn face!¡± Tauri yelled. She glanced at Ismene and shook her head, ¡°This is why I hated having him in my class you know. Disrespectful as ever.¡±


    ¡°Technically speaking, Stryg was never a good student in the traditional sense,¡± Ismene sighed. ¡°The boy always struggled listening to orders.¡±


    ¡°Truer words have never been spoken,¡± Tauri nodded wholeheartedly. ¡°Oi! Stryg! If I answer your question will you come down from there?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You better,¡± Tauri muttered. ¡°My mother carries the aurum aegis. She is the only one who can reach my father when he loses himself in his berserker magic. The aegis is just in case he attacks her. Now, will you come down?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Tauri¡¯s eye twitched with anger. She laughed maliciously and channeled brown mana into her arms. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking send this pillar tumbling down and that stupid goblin with it!¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ismene raised her hand. ¡°Stryg, despite the attack last night, Ophelia is pushing for the tournament to continue without a break. Your match versus Kalliste is set to begin in an hour.¡±


    ¡°What!? Are you serious?!¡± Tauri yelled incredulously. ¡°But Stryg¡¯s hasn¡¯t seen a healer yet! He hasn¡¯t even seen a white mage to assess the full extent of his wounds! An hour won¡¯t be enough to heal him! And he¡¯s lost so much blood, healing spells can¡¯t replenish that¨C!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Stryg said quietly. ¡°My injuries have already begun to heal.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Very well, I¡¯ll still bring a white mage to see you just in case,¡± Ismene stared up at the pillar thoughtfully, ¡°One more thing. The arch-mage I faced last night told me to give you a message. ¡®Nokti, the vampiress whose throat you tore apart, still lives.¡¯ He said you would understand.¡±


    Stryg jumped down from the pillar and landed on all fours. He slowly looked up at Ismene, eyes wide, slit pupils as thin as blades. ¡°What did you say?¡± he whispered hollowly.


    ¡°Nokti still lives,¡± Ismene said steadily. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A thing left unfinished,¡± Stryg hissed through clenched teeth.


    ~~~


    Mark Stemme looked down from the Herald¡¯s Tower at the crowds in the coliseum below.


    ¡°There are less people,¡± he muttered glumly.


    ¡°What did you expect? I heard we lost over two thousand civilians last night to the barbarians and the fires,¡± his sister Jane sighed. ¡°A lot of families are mourning right now.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing this. The tournament can wait. We should be holding funerals for all of them!¡± Mark gnashed his teeth.


    ¡°As if Lady Thorn would let us,¡± Jane laughed weakly. ¡°Our queen gets what she wants, always. There is a reason there are still thousands of people lining those stands today. They¡¯re scared of her as much as we are.¡±


    ¡°Might as well get this over with then,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ might as well.¡±


    Mark took a deep breath and walked over to the giant enchanted trumpet that curled around the top of the tower.


    He forced himself to smile wide and he shouted into the trumpet, ¡°WELCOME TO THE 11TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL!¡±


    ¡°OUR CITY MAY HAVE BEEN BESIEGED BY SAVAGES LAST NIGHT, BUT WILL WE BOW TO THEM IN FEAR!?¡± Jane yelled next to him.


    ¡°NO!¡± came the collective scream from the crowds.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S DAMN RIGHT! WE WILL NOT BOW DOWN TO SAVAGES NOR FEAR-MONGERING! WE ARE THE CITY OF THORNS! WE FEAR NO ONE!¡±


    The crowd''s cheers grew even louder.


    ¡°TODAY¡¯S TWO MATCHES WILL BE DEDICATED TO LAST NIGHT¡¯S FALLEN. LET THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE KNOWING OUR CITY HELD STRONG AMIDST THE WRECKAGE!¡±


    ¡°FROM THE NORTHERN GATE WE HAVE THE ICY BEAUTY FROM THE GREAT CITY OF FROST RIM, THE BELOVED VAMPIRESS ~KALLISTE LILIIIITH!!!~¡±


    The northern gate rose to the cries and cheers of thousands. Kalliste stepped out from the shadows and walked proudly onto the sands. Her silky black hair shined brilliantly in the sunlight, though she did her best to hide her sensitive pale skin beneath her thick blue cloak.


    ¡°AND FROM THE WESTERN GATE,¡± Jane yelled, ¡° IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE MOST UNEXPECTED CONTESTANT THE TOURNEY HAS EVER HAD! YOU KNOW WHOM I SPEAK OF!¡±


    The crowds screamed in agreement.


    ¡°HE CARRIES THE DEADLY SWORD NAMELESS, A BLADE SAID TO HAVE BEEN FORGED BY THE LEGENDARY ARCH-SMITHS OF THE BRONZE REALM!¡± Mark yelled.


    ¡°HE FIGHTS WITH THE ANCIENT STYLES OF THE SYLVAN, WHOSE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN HONED TO THE GREATEST DEGREE IN THE MONSTROUS SCARLET FOREST OF VULTURE WOODS!¡±


    ¡°HE CASTS SPELLS OF LOST MAGIC THAT WE ALL BELIEVED LOST IN THE SCHISM. HIS ARRAY OF MAGICAL POWERS EXTENDS BEYOND ANYTHING OUR MAGIC SCHOLARS THOUGHT POSSIBLE!¡±


    Jane threw her hands into the air and screamed from the top of her lungs, ¡°HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY EBON ASPIRANT OF OUR REALM! THE DROW-GOBLIN OF EBON HOLLOW! I GIVE YOU ~STRYYYYYYGG!!!!~¡±


    The arena¡¯s sands shook as the western gate rose. The crowd''s voices echoed off the coliseum¡¯s walls in a boom. Stryg stepped out from the tunnel and covered his ears with a wince.


    He briefly wondered why the heralds had insisted on an interview with him and yet they lied about almost everything. Nameless was forged right in Hollow Shade a year ago. While he did know Sylvan fighting styles, he mainly relied on Gale swordsmanship when he fought with Nameless. And last he checked, he didn¡¯t know any kind of lost magical spells.


    Stryg wanted to speak up but the cheers were too loud. Then he heard it. Finally understood it. The word they kept chanting again and again.


    STRYG, STRYG, STRYG! the crowds chanted.


    Stryg slowly dropped his arms and looked around, amazed. They were all cheering his name, his name. The small goblin of the Blood Fang Tribe. The weak goblin who had gotten lost in Hollow Shade. The blue goblin who had never quite fit in among his classmates.


    If only his old tribe could see him now. What would they say? How would they feel? Would they reject him? Or would they¡­


    As Stryg stood in the eye of thousands, their voices cheering his name, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and smile warmly, tears at the corners of his eyes. It was as if the world itself was saying he was enough.


    ¡°You seem happy,¡± Kalliste¡¯s nonchalant voice cut deep.


    Stryg¡¯s smile disappeared and his lilac eyes grew cold. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± she batted her eyelashes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who hurt Callum,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°Please, that idiot hurt himself,¡± Kalliste rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Even still¡­¡±


    ¡°You act as if I killed him,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Stryg glared at her. He gripped Nameless¡¯ handle and crouched low.


    ¡°MAY THE 11TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    Kalliste immediately threw her hands up in the air, ¡°I surrender!¡±


    Stryg stumbled a step forward, ¡°Huh!?¡±

 Chapter 317: Flawless Victory

    Chapter 317: Flawless Victory


    ¡°MAY THE 11TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    Kalliste immediately threw her hands up in the air, ¡°I surrender!¡±


    Stryg stumbled a step forward, ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°I, Kalliste Lilith of Frost Rim, do hereby declare my absolute and indisputable surrender!¡±


    The crowds booed and shouted in bewilderment. Kalliste grinned wide and ignored them.


    ¡°W-what? Why?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t,¡± she said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not afraid of you, Aspirant. In fact, I look forward to the day that we can fight on fair terms.¡±


    ¡°Fair terms?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured, don¡¯t try to deny it,¡± Kalliste smirked, ¡°I can smell your blood from over here. Hybrid blood has always had a¡­ powerful scent.¡±


    Stryg had heard of such things, but he had never thought of his own blood as having a particularly strong scent.


    Kalliste placed a finger to her lips, ¡°My guess is you were probably injured in last night¡¯s attack. Your healers seem to have done a decent job, I can¡¯t see any external wounds, but you¡¯re favoring your left leg.¡±


    ¡°I can still fight just fine,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Even so, I will not fight you.¡±


    ¡°Why? I thought you said you wanted to fight?¡± he taunted.


    ¡°I do, on my own terms. But that¡¯s not what this is, is it?¡± Kalliste looked up at the private upper terrace, where Ophelia Thorn sat. ¡°This is all just a part of that woman¡¯s schemes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg glanced up the terrace and then back at Kalliste, confused.


    ¡°Gods, for being the realm¡¯s only Ebon Aspirant you really are slow,¡± Kalliste shook her head. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it¡­ I lost my last match. At the very best it should have been a tie, but here I am, while Callum is still resting in the infirmary. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¨C¡±


    ¡°No need to strain that little head of yours, Aspirant, it¡¯s simple. Lady Thorn pulled some strings and did what every powerful lord and lady always does, do whatever they can to advance their agenda. Lady Thorn wants Hollow Shade to lose, no matter what. She gave me the victory so I could stand here and defeat you. And with that limp of yours, the odds are definitely in my favor.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you surrender? Don¡¯t you want to win?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I will win my matches with my own power, not that of others. Nor will I be the puppet of Lady Thorn,¡± she said adamantly.


    ¡°But what about your team and your family? Wouldn¡¯t they be ashamed of you for just giving up?¡±


    ¡°The false victory in my last match is the true shame and I will not abide by it.¡±


    Stryg leaned back in surprise and abruptly broke into a smile. ¡°Kalliste, you¡­ you¡¯re actually honorable, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m a Lilith.¡± She turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Why do I feel like not fighting her anymore¡­?¡± Stryg muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Oh! And by the way,¡± Kalliste looked back, ¡°Tell Callum that I underestimated him in our last match. The victory is his and his alone. But next time I won¡¯t underestimate a Veres. I will not lose.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Stryg smiled half-heartedly.


    ¡°Hmph, good,¡± Kalliste held her head up high and walked back towards her gate.


    ¡°WELL, FOLKS, IT SEEMS AS IF OUR LONG-AWAITED MATCH IS¡­ OVER?¡± Mark said uncertainly.


    ¡°WELL THEN, THE VICTORY GOES TO STRYG OF TEAM HOLLOW SHADE!¡± Jane yelled.


    ~~~


    Stryg opened his team¡¯s training room door and was mildly surprised to see his friends were already waiting for him. Even Callum was there, though his arms and legs were still covered in bandages.


    ¡°Three cheers for the quickest win of this year¡¯s tourney!¡± Freya shouted with a raised mug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that!¡± Callum raised his mug.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Sylvie yelled.


    ¡°Congratulations on the easy win!¡± Tauri said cheerfully.


    ¡°Thanks, guys,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose congratulations are in order,¡± Ismene noted. ¡°Still, one must wonder why exactly Kalliste surrendered.¡±


    ¡°I bet that vampiress was quivering in her boots when she saw our boy!¡± Cornelius laughed confidently.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Ismene said dryly. ¡°Care to enlighten us, Stryg?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Kalliste surrendered because she didn¡¯t want to be manipulated by Lady Thorn. She also said that Cal was the rightful winner of their last match.¡±


    ¡°She said that?¡± Callum mumbled with wide eyes.


    ¡°Hm, the Lilith child is wiser than most,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess she is,¡± Stryg said thoughtfully.


    ¡°...Stryg, I spoke with Loh earlier this morning,¡± Ismene said.


    The happiness in the room suddenly died.


    Tauri frowned, though she said nothing and sipped her drink.


    Callum coughed loudly, ¡°Anyone want to get some more drinks over at the other end of the room?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Freya understood his words and quickly motioned everyone to give Stryg and Ismene some space.


    Stryg sighed to himself and sat down next to Ismene, ¡°What did she say¡­?¡±


    ¡°Loh just wanted to know you were okay after last night¡¯s attack. I told her you were a bit banged up, but overall you were fine,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Is she¡­ is she injured?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°No, unsurprisingly. Riri trained her since little to be a fighter. He did his job well, a little too well if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Vayu is also doing fine, relatively. He hasn¡¯t left the city yet. He spends most of his time in a tavern, mostly drinking or sleeping with the barmaids, or so I hear.¡±


    ¡°Barmaids?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Yes, wealthy men tend to drown their sorrows with drink and women. I¡¯m afraid Vayu has not taken any of this well.¡±


    ¡°Loh and Vayu had a falling out¡­¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose they did¡­ Is there something else you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like perhaps how your surrogate sister is doing after everything that''s happened?¡± Ismene raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Loh is not my sister,¡± Stryg said angrily.


    ¡°And yet you assumed I was talking about her,¡± Ismene smiled faintly, ¡°Hm, I distinctly recall you once telling me that Loh was family to you. If she wasn¡¯t your sister, then what is she to you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ nothing to me,¡± he muttered.


    Ismene shook her head, ¡°Are you so cold-hearted that you cannot admit to caring for those who love you?¡±


    ¡°She betrayed me, she lied to me,¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°She was afraid, as most of us have been at one point or another. I think she has always been afraid; afraid of losing those close to her, Tauri, her grandfather, and¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°And that somehow justifies her betrayal?¡± he said bitterly.


    ¡°We all do stupid things when we are afraid, child. I reckon you have had similar experiences, hm?¡±


    Stryg stiffened at her words. He could still hear the cries of his tribemates as he climbed outside the lamias¡¯ cave and ran away. He had abandoned them.


    ¡°You know, Stryg, Loh in many ways is just like you. A talented magical genius with impossible expectations thrust upon her that she could never hope to meet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg said curiously.


    Ismene smiled sadly, ¡°Like you, Loh had a difficult childhood, with a family who neglected her. The only person who cared for her was a bitter old man who pushed her beyond her breaking point. However, unlike you, Loh never had anyone to rely on. She had no family or tribe who cared for her well-being. She was alone, Stryg. And so, all that pain and all that resentment built up inside of her until she broke.¡±


    Ismene placed her hand on Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Who would you be if you hadn¡¯t had people who cared for you? If you hadn¡¯t had Feli¡¯s love? Rhian¡¯s cheerful presence? Clypeus¡¯ friendship? Loh¡¯s protection?¡±


    ¡°Protection?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Do you think you would be alive if it wasn¡¯t for Loh? It was she who hid your chromatic talents from the world so you wouldn¡¯t be exploited. It was she who gathered masters such as me to teach you the ways of magic. She is the only one who has been by your side since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°So what are you saying?¡± he laughed mirthlessly, ¡°That I¡­ I should just forgive her¡­ after everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to forgive Loh. I¡¯m not telling you to forget your wounds. I¡¯m asking you to look beyond your self, beyond your pain and desires. Because right now Loh is alone and she is hurting more than she ever has and still she worries about you. If that doesn¡¯t mean something to you, then you really are just like the rest.¡±


    ¡°...The rest?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°The Ebon Lords who came before you.¡± Ismene leaned on her cane and pushed herself to her feet, ¡°Freya! Would you mind getting this old woman a drink?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Professor!¡± Freya nodded and rushed to grab a mug.


    Ismene left Stryg alone with his thoughts. He was uncertain of what to make of her words. He didn¡¯t know how to feel. All he knew was that he felt angry, frustrated, and confused.


    Tauri walked over and lightly kicked his foot, ¡°Oi, what did Lady Ismene say?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg looked up slowly.


    ¡°What did she say about Loh? Did she say where Loh was?¡±


    Stryg glared at Tauri, ¡°Why? Do you still want to kill her?¡±


    ¡°And if I did?¡± she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Then leave,¡± he hissed.


    Stryg blinked. What was he saying? Was he trying to protect Loh? Why?


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill her,¡± Tauri sighed and plopped down next to him. ¡°Not that I could, even if I wanted to. She is a high-master mage and one of the most skilled duelists alive.¡±


    Stryg looked at Tauri and became very aware of her presence right next to him. Something had changed in his mind after that morning in the pool with her. He felt strange, curious, uncertain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I haven¡¯t forgiven her,¡± Tauri clenched her hands together. ¡°She let Aizel die¡­ and she hid it from everyone all these years. I don¡¯t think anyone can forgive her after that.¡±


    The scent of vanilla filled Stryg¡¯s nostrils. How did Tauri always manage to smell like vanilla? He didn¡¯t know, but he liked the sweet scent.


    ¡°Stryg, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Huh, what?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of yours?¡± she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I was just thinking you smell nice,¡± he said off-handedly.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Tauri¡¯s cheeks grew warm. Whether it was from the drink or something else, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, that¡¯s a little weird to say, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± he cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Yes, very much so,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very direct, you know that?¡± she smirked. ¡°Is that a Sylvan thing? Are your people very direct?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± he shrugged and his shoulder bumped into hers.


    Tauri was suddenly very conscious of her close proximity to Stryg. She was 12 years his senior and more so he was her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦. A feeling of discomfort grew in the pit of her stomach. She cleared her throat and leaned back.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Hm? W-what¡¯s weird?¡± she said awkwardly.


    ¡°I think I used to hate you.¡±


    ¡°Hate me?¡± Tauri said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should hate you. You were always disrespectful in class and you never listened to directions! You were the worst student in my class! I¡¯m so glad I don¡¯t have to teach you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m stronger than you now?¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re graduating, you cocky brat. And you¡¯re not stronger than me.¡±


    ¡°You do realize I¡¯m a master mage like you now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re technically not even an adept yet until you graduate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still fairly certain I can beat you this time.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to when I whooped your ass last year in the academy¡¯s grove?¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we find out who¡¯ll whoop who¡¯s ass this time,¡± Stryg unwittingly looked down at Tauri¡¯s shapely bottom.


    Her tight leather pants accentuated her obvious curves and Stryg found himself at a loss for words as he simply stared.


    Tauri noticed his gaze and crossed her legs, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Your butt.¡±


    ¡°...You know, being direct isn¡¯t always a good thing,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°Should I lie then?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it''s better if you do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ugly.¡±


    ¡°This is not one of those times,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Oh, then you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re just trying to be flattering like all the other men.¡±


    ¡°Do men usually call you beautiful? I suppose they do,¡± Stryg muttered.


    He didn¡¯t know why the thought bothered him, but it did.


    ¡°Ugh, you would not believe the number of suitors who come up to me during parties and balls, it¡¯s quite tedious really. Being an unmarried daughter of a Great House can be more annoying than you think,¡± Tauri grumbled.


    ¡°Those men call you beautiful because you¡¯re a Katag?¡± And the moment Stryg said those words, he remembered Tauri was an orc. He was supposed to hate orcs, but as his eyes wandered over her red warm skin, he couldn¡¯t muster up his usual resentment.


    Tauri rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh please, have you seen this body? Don¡¯t answer that. My point is, they call me beautiful because I am. And no, it¡¯s not narcissistic, it¡¯s fact. My suitors suck up to me however, because I¡¯m a Katag.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means they say a bunch of flowery words about me even though they don¡¯t know anything about me. It¡¯s nice at first, but after the tenth man tells you, ¡®you have the most beautiful eyes in the world,¡¯ before you¡¯ve even managed to get a glass of wine¡­ Well, you get my point. You¡¯ll probably end up experiencing something similar when we head back to Hollow Shade.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t seem to notice, he simply stared at her face, ¡°You don¡¯t have the most beautiful eyes though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you got out of that story?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying I¡¯ve seen more beautiful eyes,¡± he shrugged.


    The memory of iridescent eyes that constantly shifted colors was clear in his mind, though he could not remember where he had seen them.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I have too¡­¡± Tauri mumbled as she stared into his lilac irises and the pupils that had widened to black discs.


    ~~~


    As Freya sipped her drink she noticed a shit-eating grin on Callum¡¯s pale face, ¡°Ew, why are you smiling like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ignore that because this is all quite hilarious,¡± Callum chuckled.


    ¡°What is?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°Look over there,¡± Callum pointed. ¡°Looks like Stryg and Professor Tauri are closer than we thought.¡±


    Freya glanced across the room and spotted the two in question whispering to each other very closely. Too closely.


    ¡°Stryg looks very attentive and Tauri doesn¡¯t seem to dislike it,¡± Freya smirked.


    ¡°Ooh, this should be interesting!¡± Sylvie said excitedly.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about¨C? What the fuck!?¡± Cornelius screamed.


    The dwarf ran over to the bench and sat between Stryg and Tauri, before riddling off a slew of random gibberish.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Ismene said under her breath.


    ¡°Hey, Freya, can I ask you a question?¡± Sylvie said innocently.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡± Freya nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan to beat Calex Thorn?¡±

 Chapter 318: Thorn’s Vow

    Chapter 318: Thorn¡¯s Vow


    ¡°Hey, Freya, can I ask you a question?¡± Sylvie said innocently.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan to beat Calex Thorn?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡± Freya¡¯s voice grew quiet. She was well aware her next opponent was the prestigious golden child of House Thorn. She had seen his overwhelming power in his previous match and how little his orc opponent had been able to do.


    Could she fare any better? The question whispered in the back of Freya¡¯s mind. She shook her head, such a manner of thinking had no place in the heart of a Goldelm.


    ¡°Freya¡­?¡± Sylvie asked curiously.


    ¡°Calex is strong, no question about it,¡± Freya began. ¡°The sheer power he wields at our age is daunting and the speed of his spell-casting! He is without question the fastest caster in the tournament. BUT! That doesn¡¯t mean he is infallible, he is still only a drow.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Sylvie cocked her head to the side.


    Freya grinned, ¡°It means Calex is mortal like the rest of us. He still bleeds. One good hammer strike to the skull and he is out.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but how are you going to get close enough to smack him across the head?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Callum spoke up. ¡°Did you not see what happened in the last match versus Hallus? That guy was a pit fighter, I bet he thought if he got close enough to Calex he could beat him too. What makes you think your match will play out any differently?¡±


    ¡°Simple, speed,¡± Freya said confidently. ¡°Hallus wasn¡¯t an Orange like me, I have agility magic on my side. And after the 2nd Challenge of Pillar & Sea and Calex¡¯s last match, I think it¡¯s pretty safe to assume Calex will try to strike quickly. All I have to do is dodge his first attacks and then get close enough for a hammer.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that Calex is also an Orange, right?¡± Callum said. ¡°What¡¯s to say he won¡¯t just use his own agility magic to fight you toe-to-toe?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why Calex uses such powerful spells right at the beginning of his fights? I mean, that has to be quite mana-draining, no?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°But he defeats his opponent quickly, so I don¡¯t see the problem,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°He¡¯s asserting his dominance over his opponents!¡± Sylvie said.


    ¡°If that was the case why wouldn¡¯t Calex prolong his match to show his opponents how truly powerful he really is?¡± Freya said.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Sylvie scrunched her eyebrows in thought.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because he¡¯s weak at close range,¡± Freya said. ¡°He can¡¯t afford to let his opponents get close, so he finishes his fights quickly. It¡¯s also why during the 2nd match, he just ran to the finish line after attacking our team, instead of trying to fight his other opponents.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh,¡± Sylvie¡¯s mouth made an ¡®o¡¯ shape.


    Callum shook his head, ¡°Freya, your words have merit, but even if Calex favors finishing his fights quickly and from a distance, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean he is weak in close-range combat.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but either way I saw Calex run during the 2nd Challenge. I¡¯m definitely faster than him, my agility magic is stronger,¡± Freya said. ¡°Calex doesn¡¯t use weapons either. I¡¯ll win in close combat, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°What if you¡¯re not fast enough to dodge his spells?¡± Callum asked.


    Freya glanced across the room at Stryg and Tauri who were still talking to an angry Cornelius. She was glad Stryg wasn¡¯t paying attention to what she was about to admit.


    ¡°Stryg is the fastest Orange mage in the tourney,¡± Freya admitted. ¡°But I''m second fastest. And Stryg¡¯s only faster because his body is naturally quick, his agility magic just enhances his speed several-fold. Trust me, I¡¯m fast enough to dodge Calex¡¯s attacks.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯ll be enough?¡± Callum asked skeptically.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Freya rolled her shoulders uncomfortably, ¡°I just have to get close to Calex and then bam, match over.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Then what would you suggest, huh?¡± Freya snapped.


    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯d surrender, simple as that,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°How far has the Great House of Veres fallen?¡± Freya said in disgust.


    Callum shrugged, ¡°I would rather be humiliated than dead. Calex isn¡¯t the type of guy who goes easy on his opponents. You saw what happened to Hallus. Calex will kill you if you¡¯re not careful.¡±


    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m an idiot!? Of course, I¡¯m gonna be careful!¡± Freya yelled angrily.


    Callum sighed and stood to his feet, ¡°Look, Freya, I¡¯m your friend, so I¡¯m going to be bluntly honest with you. Calex is stronger than you, like way stronger. I¡¯m not even sure Stryg can beat him and he¡¯s a bloody Ebon Aspirant!¡±


    ¡°Kalliste is way stronger than you and you still managed to beat her! No one tried stopping you from fighting back then!¡± Freya said.


    ¡°That was different, Kalliste underestimated me and I still almost died in that fight!¡±


    ¡°Well thank the gods I¡¯m stronger than you ever were!¡± Freya growled.


    ¡°Standing your ground and not running from a fight is one thing, but this is just your pride speaking! You don¡¯t want to admit that you¡¯re out of your depth!¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Sylvie coughed. ¡°I believe in Freya. She¡¯s got this. She¡¯ll join Stryg and me in the semi-finals, just you watch, Cal!¡±


    ¡°Sylvie¡­ thanks,¡± Freya smiled. She was happy that at least someone believed in her.


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t got this, then I¡¯ve got your back,¡± Sylvie winked.


    ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± Freya smiled half-heartedly.


    ~~~


    Calex Thorn stood alone in the southern tunnel, staring at the open gate at the end of the tunnel. Sunlight leaked from the gate and he could see the white sands of the arena beyond. He could hear the voices of his people chanting his name, eagerly waiting for him to step out into the eye of his city.


    Yet Calex felt none of the eagerness that his people exuded. He never enjoyed fighting, even if he was good at it. His teammates were all gone now, each one in the infirmary after their losses. For the first time in a long time, Calex was alone. His shoulders sagged and the calm, serene facade he displayed to the public melted away, revealing a tired, melancholic young man.


    Calex sighed to himself, ¡°What am I doing here¡­?¡±


    ¡°You are here to show the world House Thorn¡¯s power,¡± a stern voice said from behind.


    Calex gasped, startled, and spun around, ¡°M-mother?!¡±


    Ophelia strode down the tunnel, her head held high, and her icy blue eyes full of conviction, ¡°You, my precious son, are here to show them all that we deserve the throne that was taken from us. We are the greatest House in the Ebon Realm and it is time we remind them of it.¡±


    Calex looked away, unable to meet her gaze, ¡°I don¡¯t like fighting¡­¡±


    ¡°And yet you¡¯re incredibly gifted at it,¡± Ophelia smiled. She caressed his cheek gently, ¡°We all must make sacrifices for the greater good of our families.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you here, mother?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°To bring you one of our family¡¯s heirlooms, from a time when all the Null Realms feared the name Thorn,¡± Ophelia raised her other arm. In her hand, she held a narrow sword sheathed in a black scabbard with a pink hilt and a black rose pommel, the symbol of House Thorn.


    ¡°Nightshade,¡± Calex whispered reverently. ¡°...But why?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Ophelia laughed softly, ¡°You have been trained in swords, have you not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also been trained with bows. If you wish to lend me one of our family¡¯s heirlooms, I¡¯d rather it be Rose.¡±


    ¡°A bow over a sword? Hm,¡± she smiled thoughtfully. ¡°You are skilled in both types of weapons¡­ but no. You are better off with Nightshade.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Calex frowned.


    ¡°Because your opponent is a Hollow Shader. You mustn''t allow Freya Goldelm to walk out of that arena alive.¡±


    ¡°The Goldelm girl is no threat to us.¡±


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°Our ancestors thought the Goldelms were not a threat either, they thought the Goldelms were our ¡®allies.¡¯ But the Goldelms betrayed us, along with so many others. Or have you forgotten why our ancestors fled Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten, but this is only a duel¡­¡±


    ¡°If you cannot find the will to complete this task then perhaps I should start teaching your sister to do what must be needed. In truth, Lerdea is practically as talented as you, though she lacks your resolve. But I am certain she will learn, with the right¡­ push.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Calex yelled panickedly. ¡°I mean¡­ n-no. I am more than enough. I will carry on our family¡¯s legacy alone. Lerdea need not be involved.¡±


    Ophelia smiled and kissed him on the forehead, ¡°I know this is hard for you, my son, but someday you will understand.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, mother,¡± Calex bowed his head.


    So long as his little sister was free to live her life away from the violence of the Ebon Realm, he would stain his hands with all the blood House Thorn needed for its conquest. So long as she was safe, it was all that mattered.


    Calex reached out and grabbed Nightshade, ¡°Does the duel need to be flashy or prolonged?¡±


    ¡°No. Feel free to fight as you wish, so long as Freya Goldelm dies.¡±


    ¡°Understood. If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Calex bowed and walked towards the tunnel¡¯s open gate.


    He hated fighting, the sooner it was over the better. Calex took a deep breath to steady himself and stepped out into the arena.


    I¡¯ll end this match in an instant, he swore to himself.

 Chapter 319: See You At The Semi-Finals

    Chapter 319: See You At The Semi-Finals


    The coliseum¡¯s southern gate slowly opened with the sharp clank of chains. The crowds cheered the name of their beloved and feared ruling House over and over, ¡°THORN, THORN, THORN!!¡±


    Freya watched from the other end of the arena, pacing back and forth in the white sands, staring at the dark tunnel entrance.


    Calex Thorn stepped out with a soft, measured gait. His silver hair shined with a lustrous glow under the noon sun. His white robes seemed to almost blend with his hair and pale grey skin, making him seem almost ethereal. He smiled serenely and waved at his people who cheered even louder.


    Freya spotted the black scabbard hanging from his white belt and furrowed her brow. I thought he didn¡¯t use weapons¡­


    ¡°Decided to take up sword training the last few days?¡± Freya called out.


    Calex looked at her in silence for a moment before he took a deep breath and spoke with a quiet voice, ¡°Freya of the House of Goldelm, I humbly ask that you please forfeit this match, for both of our sakes.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? What did you just say?¡± Freya shook her head.


    ¡°Before the Heralds begin this match, declare that you have forfeited this match. It is the only way that this does not end with bloodshed.¡±


    Freya glared at him and hefted up her hammer, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of a little bloodshed. Or are you such a coward that you rather run than fight?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am a coward,¡± he whispered. ¡°If it were up to me I wouldn¡¯t fight you. I¡¯d surrender right now.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you?¡± Freya asked skeptically.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said painfully, ¡°I have someone I must protect.¡±


    ¡°Protect¡­?¡±


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, surrender,¡± Calex bowed his head.


    ¡°What are you¡­ what are you saying!?¡± Freya frowned.


    Who was this timid, fearful drow? This wasn¡¯t what she had envisioned at all. Calex was a powerful, aloof genius, a being who stood above others. She had been prepared to face a vicious, cold-hearted foe, not¡­ this!


    She didn¡¯t understand. None of it made sense!


    ¡°And what if I refuse!?¡± she shouted.


    Calex smiled sadly.


    ¡°MAY THE 12TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡± Jane and Mark yelled in unison.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Calex whispered.


    Freya¡¯s golden eyes widened in alarm. Orange mana surged from her heart and flowed into her legs. Her veins darkened to a grey as the agility spell took hold.


    Move! her instincts yelled.


    She jumped to her right before she saw it. A flash of white light whizzed right past her, searing a black spot into the arena¡¯s wall behind her.


    Calex¡¯s fingers moved with quick and short gestures. Small flowers of white light blossomed above his head before bursting into beams of white light, streaming across the arena.


    Freya kicked off the ground and zigzagged across the sands, ducking below the beams as they struck in rapid succession. The sands exploded around her in explosions of white light, blurring her vision.


    Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears and her chest felt tight. But through the blowing sand and her hazy vision, she saw a white silhouette ahead of her. He hadn¡¯t moved. Her target stood still, confident in his abilities to keep him safe.


    It didn¡¯t matter how fast of a spell-caster he was if his focus was broken.


    Freya gripped her hammer tight, pulled her arm back, and flung her hammer at Calex. The hammer whirled and threw the air, spinning in a blur, straight at its target. Calex stiffened at the sight and his hands froze. He threw himself to the side and landed on the sand in a roll. He quickly jumped to his feet, but Freya was already above him, her clenched fist poised to strike.


    Freya struck at Calex''s face. His blue eyes grew cold, he did not flinch nor try to dodge. Calex leaned into the blow as yellow scales wrapped around his grey skin in an instant. Freya¡¯s fist slammed into his scaled forehead and bent at an awkward angle. She screamed as pain shot up her broken wrist. Calex¡¯s head snapped back from the blow. He stumbled back a step but he quickly regained his footing.


    Freya jumped several meters away and held her broken gingerly while staring at her opponent warily. She cursed silently at her own foolishness.


    I shouldn¡¯t have let go of my hammer, she thought and glanced at her weapon lying in the sand a few paces away.


    She cast a White healing spell over her hand and kept an eye on Calex. It would take too long to heal her wrist but she could at least dampen the pain long enough to focus.


    Calex stared at her calmly and released his Yellow durability spell, ¡°You are faster than I thought.¡±


    Grey veins darkened over his hands.


    Agility magic!


    Freya recognized the Orange spell and swiftly stopped her healing spell, before channeling her own agility magic.


    Calex simply watched her, without moving a step. ¡°I am sorry for this,¡± he whispered.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Freya ignored his words and dashed towards her hammer. Her good hand reached out and gripped the leather handle. A grey smudge appeared in the corner of her eye. Pain bloomed across her side and her right ribs cracked with a sickening crunch.


    She gasped out a short breath of pain, then swiftly turned to face her enemy, but Calex swerved around and struck with his sheathed blade. The black scabbard struck her left side, this time with a more precise swing, breaking three ribs in one swipe. Freya stumbled forward and swung her hammer wildly around.


    Calex¡¯s form blurred past the attacks and stepped in close. Freya jumped away, pain stretching across her rib cage at the movement. Calex disappeared in a flash.


    Behind me! Freya spun around.


    The black scabbard struck both her knee caps with a heavy blow, sending Freya tumbling to the ground.


    Freya wheezed weakly, each breath felt as if shards of ice were digging into her lungs. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs below her knees and her left wrist rested limply on the sand. It had all happened so fast, she hadn¡¯t had time to react.


    She stared up at Calex and grimly realized the truth.


    He¡¯s faster than Stryg¡­


    Calex stood over her, a glint of sympathy in his eyes. ¡°It didn¡¯t have to come to this¡­¡±


    Freya licked her lips and swallowed, ¡°...I¡¯ve had worse.¡±


    Freya stretched open her right hand and orange flames swirled to life over her palm. Calex jumped away and the bolt of flame flew into the air harmlessly and sputtered into smoke.


    Calex sighed, ¡°Your flame spells won¡¯t reach me.¡±


    Freya held her breath, clenched her teeth tight, and sat up with a painful grimace. She took short breaths and glared at the calm drow. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, she didn¡¯t want to utter the words. She was done running away, she was done avoiding her problems¡­ and yet she knew it was over.


    Freya thought of Sylvie¡¯s giddy smile and Stryg¡¯s puzzled, yet savage eyes. They had already made it to the semi-finals. After 7 years of consecutive losses, they could finally carry the Hollow Shade name to victory. They could do it, they could defeat this damn Thorn bastard.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you guys¡­¡± Freya mumbled under her breath.


    Tears of frustration and agony slipped down her cheeks. She pushed her loose golden hair back and looked steadily at Calex, ¡°I¡­ I surrender.¡±


    Calex glanced at the private upper terrace. He knew his mother was looking at him, watching his every movement, his every decision.


    He glanced back at Freya and whispered, ¡°I am sorry.¡± He poured blue mana into his arm. Lightning crackled over his fingers and he pointed his outstretched hand at the golden-haired dwarf.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Freya scowled in confusion, ¡°I said, I surrender! The fight¡¯s over!¡±


    ¡°...Farewell, Freya of the House of Goldelm,¡± he said solemnly.


    Blue electricity streaked out from his hand. A stone wall erupted out from the sand and shielded Freya¡¯s small form. Stone and lightning exploded in a storm of smoke and sand. Freya cried out in shock and shielded her face.


    Calex frowned in bewilderment.


    What just happened? he thought. Freya Goldelm is not a green. How did she¨C!


    A figure suddenly kicked off the front row of the stands and jumped up high into the air. Calex leaped away as the figure came crashing down in an eruption of sand.


    As the sand settled around them, a lone figure stood in front of Freya; a giant vampiress with warm olive skin and scarlet hair that burned bright under the sunlight.


    Calex cocked his head to the side, ¡°...The dire¨C?¡±


    Sylvie dashed at him with blinding speed. Calex raised his scabbard to block, but the blow came too soon. He grimaced in pain as his body was launched away like an arrow. He spun in the air and managed to land on his feet with a wobbly stance.


    Calex looked over his body in shock. Pain stretched across his shoulder, his arm hung limply at his side.


    H-how?! he thought, baffled. The woman had surprised him, but he was the one using agility magic! He should have been easily able to react to her attack. He had underestimated her, she was faster than he expected.


    Calex stared across the arena at the vampiress, ¡°Now where did you come from¡­?¡±


    Freya looked up at Sylvie, confused at what she saw. Her giant friend¡¯s usual warm-hearted smile was cold, bereft of feeling.


    Sylvie¡¯s massive shoulders heaved up and down. Her breath was rough and her hands were clenched tight. Her blood-red eyes seemed to almost glow with a fury that wanted to come out. Her lips curled back with a malicious smile, ¡°Come back here, you cowardly excuse for a duelist!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calex frowned.


    ¡°You heard me! You think I¡¯ll just let you kill my friend, you fucking coward!¡± Sylvie roared. ¡°How about you face someone your own size for a change!?¡±


    Calex narrowed his eyes, ¡°...I see. I have to take this one seriously,¡± he whispered and gripped Nightshade¡¯s pale pink hilt.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Ophelia screamed from her terrace and leaped down. The wind carried her above the coliseum¡¯s stands and dropped her softly on the arena¡¯s white sands.


    The crowds looked at their queen with surprise and began whispering amongst each other.


    ¡°THIS IS A SURPRISE, FOLKS! LADY THORN HAS DESCENDED UPON THE ARENA, HERSELF!¡± Mark yelled.


    Sylvie stared at Ophelia cautiously and stepped between her and Freya.


    ¡°Get off the arena, you foolish girl,¡± Ophelia snapped.


    ¡°Make me,¡± Sylvie growled.


    Ophelia sneered, ¡°You have interfered in a duel of Spell & Steel and have therefore broken the rules of our sacred tourney. As such you are banned from this tourney henceforth.¡±


    ¡°What!? That¡¯s not fair!¡± Sylvie shouted.


    ¡°Are you resisting my judgment as host of this year¡¯s tourney?¡± Ophelia smiled, amused. ¡°Then I shall punish you accordingly.¡±


    ¡°You will do no such thing!¡± Ismene shouted.


    A funnel of water wrapped around Ismene¡¯s legs and ferried down from the stands and released her next to Sylvie and Freya.


    ¡°I thought you were more prudent, Tempest Archmage,¡± Ophelia clicked her tongue. ¡°Will you go against our tourney¡¯s sacred rules as well, then? Believe me, not even you will come out of this unscathed.¡±


    Ismene rested both hands over her cane and stared at Ophelia with a steely gaze, ¡°Sylvie committed no crime nor broke any rule. Freya announced her surrender quite clearly, as the thousands of people here today can attest to. Calex had ample time to back down, but he chose to strike Freya down anyway. The duel was already over. Sylvie was just protecting her friend from being murdered in broad daylight.¡±


    ¡°Murdered!?¡± Ophelia shouted indignantly.


    ¡°Quite so,¡± Ismene said calmly. ¡°And as you know, a tourney competitor killing one of their adversaries outside of a Challenge is a strict violation of the tourney¡¯s sacred rules.¡±


    ¡°You dare threaten my son¡­ YOU DARE!?¡± Ophelia screamed.


    ¡°You may think yourself all-powerful in your own city, but I assure you that the representatives of the other Great Cities standing in this coliseum will not abide by such blatant disregard for our shared treaties.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Ophelia clenched her jaw.


    ¡°Now, of course, perhaps your son was simply caught in the heat of battle. He is still young and may have simply forgotten himself for a brief moment. If that is the case, then this is all just one big accident and should be left Just. As. That. Do we have an understanding, Lady Thorn?¡± Ismene said smoothly.


    Ophelia took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°...We do, Lady Ismene¡­ for now.¡± She spun on her heel and left.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ismene slammed her cane into the ground. ¡°Sylvie, take Freya to the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± Sylvie nodded. She glanced at Calex in the distance and smiled coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the semi-finals.¡±


    Calex nodded solemnly, ¡°So be it.¡±

 Chapter 320: A Chance & A Choice

    Chapter 320: A Chance & A Choice


    The infirmary room buzzed with the sounds of what Freya deemed unnecessary chatter. She wished she could just walk out of the room and leave her friends talking amongst themselves, but she couldn¡¯t get out of bed, let alone walk.


    The doctors and White mages had done the best they could to heal her broken ribs, kneecaps, and wrist, but such serious injuries took time to heal. White magic could only go so far, the body had to do the rest. If there had been an elemental life mage then perhaps she might already be walking. Instead, she was forced to lie in bed, her limbs all bandaged up, and was forced to listen to this gibberish.


    ¡°Are you even listening, Freya?¡± Callum poked her wrist.


    ¡°Ow, dammit that hurts!¡± Freya snapped.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have hurt if you had just listened to me and forfeited the match in the first place!¡± Callum said.


    ¡°I swear to you, Cal, when I get out of this bed I¡¯m gonna smack the shit out of you,¡± Freya growled.


    ¡°And there you go again, always so focused on fighting,¡± Callum sighed and threw his hands up in resignation, ¡°You¡¯re worse than Stryg and that¡¯s saying something.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You know I¡¯m right here, right?¡± Stryg said from the corner of the room.


    Callum ignored him and gestured to Freya¡¯s bandaged body, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been so keen on fighting Calex this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    Sylvie cleared her throat, ¡°Ahem, well, I think¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Cal!¡± Freya yelled. ¡°You fought Kalliste and ended up in worse shape than I ever did. You¡¯re still wearing bandages for Bellum¡¯s sake!¡±


    Sylvie coughed loudly, ¡°Can I speak, pleas¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve known Kalliste my whole life!¡± Callum shouted. ¡°I know what she¡¯s like and what she is capable of! I knew my limits and hers! You on the other hand don¡¯t know anything about Calex!¡±


    Sylvie eagerly raised her hand, ¡°I¡¯d like to say something¡ª!¡±


    ¡°So just because I don¡¯t know his fucking life schedule I¡¯m supposed to what? Run away? Give up?¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°If it means not dying, then yes!¡± Callum said. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Lady Thorn wanted to kill you. She hates us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances. I¡¯d rather die than live my life as a coward,¡± Freya said with contempt.


    Calex glared at her, ¡°How can you be so stubborn¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°CAN I SPEAK!?¡± Sylvie screamed from the top of her lungs.


    Freya and Callum flinched at the harsh sound.


    ¡°S-Sylvie¡­?¡± Callum asked hesitantly.


    Sylvie took a deep breath to calm herself then clapped her hands, ¡°I just wanted to say a couple of things. First of all, while you were all bickering like a couple of donkeys, Stryg walked out.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, I didn¡¯t notice,¡± Freya mumbled.


    ¡°He does that on occasion. Just disappears, like woosh, gone,¡± Callum said dramatically.


    ¡°AND SECOND OF ALL!¡± Sylvie glanced pointedly at Callum and Freya, ¡°Anyone else wanna interrupt? Hmmmm?¡±


    Callum and Freya shook their heads ardently.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sylvie nodded with satisfaction. ¡°As I was saying; Freya, I think you fought splendidly.¡±


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Freya whispered sincerely.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Callum was worried sick while you fought but you showed him! I swear he was on the verge of tears when you fell.¡±


    Freya looked at him, surprised, ¡°Cal¡­?¡±


    ¡°...I was a little worried,¡± Callum looked away and shrugged, though his pale cheeks were a rosy red.


    ¡°We¡¯re a team, we look out for each other, isn¡¯t that right, captain?¡± Sylvie smiled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, it is,¡± Freya smiled.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you worry about Calex, I¡¯ll make him pay,¡± Sylvie slammed her fist into her open palm.


    ¡°Are you sure you can beat him?¡± Callum asked anxiously.


    ¡°Pfft, are you really asking me if I can beat up that skinny twig who looks like he hasn¡¯t properly eaten once in his whole life? Of course, I can! I never lose!¡± Sylvie grinned.


    ~~~


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Stryg wandered aimlessly through the infirmary¡¯s halls. Several Katag guards silently followed behind him several paces away. Usually, Stryg was quite annoyed by their presence. He didn¡¯t like being followed, even by those with good intentions. But as he walked through the halls he forgot about their presence.


    The infirmary¡¯s rooms were full of victims of last night¡¯s attack. The valley tribesmen had ended the lives of entire families and left holes in countless others.


    As he walked, Stryg glanced into the rooms. Some lay unconscious, bandages wrapped around bloody stumps where they once had limbs. Others cried in pain, from their injuries or for the ones they lost, Stryg did not know.


    Stryg paused when he looked into a certain room. A drow mother sat next to a bed, watching over her small child who struggled to breathe and keep his eyes open.


    Stryg unconsciously clenched his jaw before he turned and kept walking, this time with a brisk pace.


    What would these people give to have a chance at avenging their families?


    He glanced at his hands and clawed fingers, What would I give to avenge the ones I¡¯ve lost?


    It was the scent that he remembered. It was the scent of moss, stale air, and soil that brought back the memories of that cave. The cave where he had first tasted true loss. Even now, he could still hear Bril¡¯s horrified scream as one of the lamias dragged her away. The sound of her bones breaking underneath the lamia¡¯s coiled tail still echoed in Stryg¡¯s thoughts.


    Second Mother¡¯s panicked voice as she tried to rally the remaining goblins for a hopeless last stand¡­ There was no light, the cave had been covered in darkness. Ostroz, Srixa, Crovor, none of them could see, but Stryg could. He was the only one who could see the sheer terror etched across his tribemates¡¯ faces as the lamias picked them off one by one.


    I don¡¯t want to die. It was the sole thought that had echoed in his mind that night.


    He had run away from his tribe, he had abandoned them to save himself. They were gone and he was still here.


    He had failed to stand by his tribemates, he had failed to die honorably amongst them. He had lived, when his tribemates had died. When Clypeus had died. He still lived...


    Stryg stopped in his footsteps and looked out a hallway window, staring at the Glimmer Grove treeline in the distance.


    He gripped the windowsill tight. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m still alive,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°I can still fight.¡±


    He had sworn to win this tournament, just as Clypeus had dreamed of. But when it was over¡­


    ¡°...I¡¯m going back,¡± Stryg whispered with resolve.


    He would return to that damned cave and finish what the Blood Fang Tribe had started.


    ¡°Yo, Aspirant!¡± a cheerful voice called out.


    Stryg pulled himself away from the window and looked down the hall. A giant orc waved his arm up high, his fingers brushing the ceiling. ¡°Gilgard Morrigan¡­?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Gilgard smiled widely.


    His younger sister stood half-hidden behind his tall, brawny frame. Unlike her brother, Beatrix stared at the blue goblin with wariness.


    The Katag guards stepped forward and formed a wall in front of Stryg. Though they did not draw their weapons as usual.


    Gilgard looked the guards over and nodded, ¡°It seems you have some steadfast warriors, good. You¡¯ll need it, after last night¡¯s debacle. How is the family, by the way? We haven¡¯t had a chance to stop by yet.¡±


    ¡°Family?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    Why was this giant orc asking about Feli, Rhian, and Maeve? Or maybe he was talking about Nora and Kamilo? No, that made even less sense.


    ¡°Yeah, how are uncle Krall and auntie Evelyn?¡± Gilgard said casually.


    ¡°Auntie Evelyn¡­?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know?¡± Gilgard asked, amazed. ¡°The Katags are our distant cousins, though our families have always kept a close relationship. You see, Katag I and Morrigan I were brother and sister. They came to the Ebon Realm together.¡±


    Stryg glanced back and forth between the Morrigan siblings, ¡°So that means¡­¡±


    ¡°You and us are family now,¡± Gilgard grinned wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Family¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Congrats on your engagement with Elena!¡± Gilgard laughed.


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    With everything going on he had almost forgotten.


    ¡°Hey, say something too,¡± Gilgard nudged his sister.


    Beatrix sent her brother an annoyed glare, but she turned to Stryg and bowed in a formal curtsy, as was custom among the Ebon aristocrats. ¡°Greetings, Aspirant Stryg from the Tribe of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    Stryg bowed his head in turn, ¡°Hello, Beatrix Morrigan.¡±


    Beatrix smiled, the Aspirant hadn¡¯t called her dai-Morrigan. ¡°Congratulations on your engagement with my cousin. I do hope Lunae and Bellum smile upon you both and bring you happiness.¡±


    I¡¯m a bad omen from Lunae, so I doubt she really cares about my happiness. ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± Stryg said uneasily. Maybe Bellum cares for Elena at least? The Katag family has worshiped her for centuries, maybe that makes a difference? Or maybe it doesn¡¯t whatsoever. Bellum¡¯s the chief patron of vampires, not orcs. But Bellum is the goddess of war and the Katags are a martial House¡ª


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Beatrix said hesitantly.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°I was asking how are your wounds after last night¡¯s ambush?¡± she glanced pointedly at his leg.


    ¡°My wounds?¡±


    ¡°Your limp. I noticed it during your match with Kalliste Lilith this morning.¡±


    Was it really that obvious? Stryg frowned. He had tried his best to hide it, but clearly he had failed spectacularly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Stryg wiggled his leg.


    ¡°Wow? It doesn¡¯t hurt at all?¡± Gilgard said, amazed.


    ¡°I heal quickly,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Beatrix stared suspiciously.


    ¡°So what are you two doing here?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°Looking for a healer?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re fine, our healers did a wonderful job tending our wounds,¡± Gilgard said.


    Except my mana flow is still all messed up and probably won¡¯t recover for several more weeks, but sure, I¡¯m ¡®totally fine¡¯, Beatrix thought bitterly.


    ¡°You lost one of your teammates, right?¡± Stryg recalled. ¡°Have you buried him yet?¡±


    Gilgard¡¯s smile disappeared, ¡°I heard you were very blunt.¡± He shook his head solemnly, ¡°No, Hallus¡¯ body was carefully enchanted for preservation and sent back to Murkton for a proper burial deserving of a warrior.¡±


    ¡°So why are you both here then?¡±


    ¡°I came to drag my brother away from that spoiled Sientia girl,¡± Beatrix crossed her arms.


    ¡°Spoiled? You mean Veronica?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Despite what my sister believes, Veronica was not my main reason for coming here today,¡± Gilgard clicked his tongue.


    ¡°So he says,¡± Beatrix said skeptically.


    ¡°Then why did you come?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re family now,¡± Gilgard said, ¡°So I wanted to give you some advice, regarding a particular drow girl and her mysterious giant sword.¡±

 Chapter 321: Child of Noir

    Chapter 321: Child of Noir


    ¡°Then why did you come?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re family now,¡± Gilgard winked, ¡°I wanted to give you some advice, regarding a particular drow girl and her mysterious sword.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s voice grew solemn, ¡°You mean the northern drow, Nalla.¡±


    ¡°Half northern drow,¡± Beatrix corrected.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg said. ¡°Aren¡¯t the drows from the Northern Lands blue? She¡¯s blue.¡±


    Beatrix clicked her tongue, ¡°For being a drow hybrid yourself you sure don¡¯t know much about them. Northern drows are more of a dark icy blue. Nalla¡¯s skin tone is more muted, more of a blue greyish I¡¯d say. She¡¯s mixed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a hybrid?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s a drow, just not a pure northerner,¡± Beatrix said.


    ¡°Nor does her swordsmanship match the fighting styles of the Northern Lands,¡± Gilgard added. ¡°The few times she spoke I realized I couldn¡¯t quite place her accent either. She doesn¡¯t speak like a northerner.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she isn¡¯t even from the north,¡± Beatrix said. ¡°Which begs the question, why is she fighting for Frost Rim?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re both quite observant,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Beatrix looked him over suspiciously, ¡°Clearly not enough, Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Gilgard cleared his throat. ¡°Our point is, Nalla is an unknown, especially that sword of hers.¡±


    Stryg recalled the giant black sword and nodded grimly, ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡±


    ¡°When I fought her I theorized that such a powerful sword would consume exorbitant amounts of mana. And I was right,¡± Gilgard said.


    ¡°Yet you still lost, despite having your own enchanted sword,¡± Stryg noted.


    Gilgard clenched his jaw at the goblin¡¯s words, having his failure thrown in his face stung more than he thought it would. He took a deep breath, relaxed his shoulders, and continued, ¡°I dragged out my fight with Nalla in order to exhaust her mana. And it almost worked. It should have worked. But I made one made miscalculation.¡±


    ¡°Which was¡­?¡± Stryg asked.


    Gilgard shook his head, ¡°Nalla¡¯s sword isn¡¯t like other enchanted weapons. Most enchanted weapons are composed of three things. A base object, such as a sword. The enchantment itself is a complicated series of sigils, usually etched onto the steel of the blade. And a magestone that acts as the supply for the enchantment¡¯s mana,¡± Gilgard pointed at Nameless hanging from Stryg¡¯s hip.


    The sword¡¯s grey leather hilt was capped with a round magestone pommel that dimly glowed a mixture of brown and yellow hues.


    Gilgard clasped his fingers together, ¡°All three parts work in unison to create a cohesive enchantment when wielded. Such as a sharper edge or more durable steel. I¡¯m fairly certain your sword is the same.¡±


    ¡°And what if it is?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    Gilgard chuckled, ¡°Are you always this defensive?¡±


    Beatrix stepped forward, ¡°My brother¡¯s point is that most enchantment items work the same, but there are a few exceptions. Nalla¡¯s sword is an exception.¡±


    Gilgard nodded, ¡°We know because our family¡¯s sword Feather is the same. Weapons like those drain more than just the mana within their magestone, they drain the mana within the wielder. Sometimes the weapons require even more¡­¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    ¡°It can be a lot of things depending on the enchanted weapon in question. Some weapons crave the wielder¡¯s life force or that of others. Others crave blood, some even souls.¡±


    ¡°Crave? You¡¯re talking as if they¡¯re alive,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Some of them are. Feather carries a small part of the blood wyrm Fraxinus¡¯ soul. I felt it speak to me when I fought Nalla. It wanted to fight. Feather awakened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare ability that a few powerful objects have,¡± Beatrix said. ¡°Their power ¡®awakens¡¯ in exchange for a large amount of energy.¡±


    ¡°That red aura that appeared around you during the duel,¡± Stryg muttered in recollection.


    ¡°Right,¡± Gilgard nodded, ¡°Nalla¡¯s sword is the same, but her sword didn¡¯t just drain her mana, it put an incredible strain on her body as well. Had our duel lasted a little longer, I¡¯m certain she would have fallen under the pressure of her own weapon.¡±


    ¡°So I should just try to drag out the duel like you did, until she collapses from exhaustion?¡± Stryg surmised.


    Gilgard smiled wryly, ¡°No, that was my mistake.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°I underestimated the sheer raw power of her weapon,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°Her sword isn¡¯t like Feather, its power is something much greater. If you allow Nalla to awaken her sword then you will lose.¡±


    Stryg remembered the final moments of Gilgard¡¯s duel. The sheer wave of power that exploded from Nalla¡¯s black sword had carved a crater into the arena. Had Gilgard not been shielded by Feather he would have been a bloody smear on the sand.


    ¡°There are two points in our favor, however,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°Nalla doesn¡¯t like to expend more energy than she needs to, I¡¯m guessing it''s because her sword is so taxing on her body. She won¡¯t be at her full strength when the duel starts, that will be the best chance to defeat her.¡±


    ¡°Secondly,¡± Beatrix added. ¡°Feather only awakens when it wants to, but Nalla¡¯s sword seems to require her to speak a certain set of words. I talked with Heather Navis, Nalla¡¯s first opponent. She spoke the same words in both her duels right before her sword¡¯s power awoke. ¡®Heed my call, Votum.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Votum¡­?¡± Stryg said slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the name of her sword,¡± Beatrix said. ¡°Problem is, I looked into the name, but there are no records of a sword matching that name or the description of Nalla¡¯s weapon.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Just make sure she doesn¡¯t talk and when the duel starts go all in,¡± Gilgard said. ¡°If you do that, you¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s actually useful information,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Gilgard raised his eyebrow.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°I just thought you two might be trying to trick me or something¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Morrigans, we don¡¯t deal with such petty tricks,¡± Gilgard laughed. ¡°If I wanted to do you harm I would meet you face-to-face on the dueling grounds. But family doesn¡¯t do that, do we?¡±


    Before Stryg could speak, Gilgard turned around and walked away. ¡°Take care of yourself, Aspirant. I wish you the best in your next match.¡±


    Beatrix glanced at her brother, but hesitated to follow him. She turned to Stryg and looked him in the eyes, ¡°Who are you really¡­?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow in confusion.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned you are far more suspicious than Nalla,¡± she said warily. ¡°You come out of nowhere, no family, no relations to anyone. And then all of a sudden overnight you become possibly the most important mage in all the realm. And then there¡¯s your mana¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only prime mage. Hollow Shade has half a dozen,¡± Stryg said defensively.


    ¡°Yet you¡¯re the only one in the entire Ebon Realm capable of becoming an Ebon Lord. But that¡¯s not what I was talking about. Ebon Lords have come and gone before, if it was just that your existence wouldn¡¯t have been so odd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not odd,¡± Stryg growled.


    Beatrix stared at him in silence for a moment then shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg said, a bit taken aback.


    ¡°Your anger. When I fought you, your eyes were practically glowing with rage. And the chaos within you was like a storm¡­ It was terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Chaos?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You saw it?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re aware you have chaos mana flowing within you. You just don¡¯t want to tell anyone.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I just don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Beatrix, are you coming?¡± Gilgard called out from the end of the hall.


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± she shouted back. Beatrix glanced at Stryg, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to. Your secret is safe with me, but I¡¯ll figure out the truth for myself, one way or another.¡± She took one last look at him then turned around and walked away.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°How can I tell you something I don''t know¡­¡±


    ~~~


    The next morning¡­


    The coliseum liveliness had somewhat recovered since yesterday¡¯s sorrowful mood. Dozens of funerals were still taking place each hour throughout Undergrowth, but Lady Thorn had made certain that the city¡¯s entertainers kept the coliseum alive with music and dance throughout the early morning hours. They had even performed a play for those that had arrived at dawn.


    The city¡¯s people were eager to forget their own pain and watch the world of myth and stories come to life from the edge of their seats.


    Stryg on the other hand would have rather been back in his room, sleeping next to Feli. He hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep the night of the attack and he had barely slept last night either.


    As he stepped out into the arena¡¯s white sands the sun¡¯s bright encroaching light seemed like a mockery to him. A reminder of how tired he really was. There was no canopy of scarlet leaves or any kind of shade over the arena. Stryg felt bare under the thousands of eyes in the crowd, but as he found Feli and Rhian in one of the front rows he suddenly felt better, a sense of assuredness that wrapped over him and settled into his chest with familiar warmth.


    Nalla stood across from him, twenty paces away. Votum rested next to her, the upper part of the blade buried in the sand.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± she called out.


    Stryg looked away from his family and glanced at the drow.


    The woman rarely ever talked to anyone and now she was asking about his smile?


    ¡°You don¡¯t smile,¡± Nalla noted. ¡°Not in a single duel you¡¯ve had in this tourney. You haven¡¯t smiled. Not like you just did.¡±


    ¡°How would you know? Have you been watching me or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said matter-of-factly. ¡°From the first night we met at the welcome party. I¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on you.¡±


    I knew this girl was dangerous¡­ Stryg thought uneasily.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Why do people keep asking me that,¡± he muttered to himself.  ¡°I¡¯m Stryg of Ebon Ho¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWho are you to Elzri Noir?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected that question, especially from her.


    That old drow had betrayed him. Elzri had been the one who had ordered the lie of Widow¡¯s Crag.


    ¡°He¡¯s nothing to me,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    ¡°So you deny you¡¯re his adopted son? That you are part of the Noir family?¡±


    Family?


    Elzri had only taken Stryg in to give him access to a wider range of magical resources in exchange for his loyalty. A loyalty that no longer existed between them or perhaps it had never existed in the first place. Perhaps Elzri had never really cared for him, only for his power.


    ¡°That family means nothing to me,¡± Stryg repeated, a trace of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Hm, odd,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Your academy records state that you are part of House Noir and that Elohnoir Noir and you share a master-apprentice relationship. How odd that someone that claims to have nothing to do with that wretched family is so closely related to them.¡±


    Stryg hated the Noirs for what they did to him, yet hearing Nalla insult them somehow felt wrong. A cold pit of anger slowly formed in his chest.


    ¡°What does it matter to you? Huh!?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out. What are you to them? A pawn to seize power in Holo¡¯s Shade?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no one¡¯s pawn,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Then what are you?¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck would I tell you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Elzri and your ilk are all the same. Cold-hearted monsters that hide until it¡¯s useful to them. How long did you hide your nature as a prime mage, hm? Why reveal it now when all the realm is watching?¡±


    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°...I know you¡¯re lying. I know you¡¯re close to Elohnoir and Elzri. I know you''re keeping secrets that could hurt a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Secrets?¡± Stryg laughed angrily. ¡°Says the woman who is carrying a strange giant sword with her everywhere she goes!¡±


    ¡°I wield my sword to protect others, not for my own desires.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! I don¡¯t know why you wield Votum, but it¡¯s certainly not to protect others!¡±


    ¡°Votum?¡± Nalla stiffened, ¡°How do you know its name?¡±


    ¡°How do you think!?¡±


    Nalla chuckled under her breath, ¡°So Elzri has even told you the secrets of the family¡­ I should have guessed.¡±


    ¡°What are you even talking about!?¡± Stryg shouted.


    ¡°Secrets, Stryg, secrets.¡± Nalla narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°WELCOME BACK LORDS AND LADIES, MERCHANTS AND COMMONERS ALIKE, TO THE GREATEST CITY¡¯S TOURNEY OF THE CENTURY!¡± Jane Stemme yelled from the Herald¡¯s Tower.


    ¡°I know you were there the night the Monster in the Dark appeared in Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± Nalla said. ¡°I know it was you, the adopted son of House Noir, who led a class of students and a caravan of innocent commoners into the Cairn Tribe¡¯s ambush. I know that Elohnoir was leading a squad of master mages to protect that caravan yet somehow she and her team weren''t there when the valley savages attacked. In fact, almost the entire squad of master mages mysteriously died, save for Elohnoir and her two closest friends. And I also know that Elzri used his influence and power to cover up what really happened that night.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what happened that night,¡± Stryg said in a low voice.


    ¡°I know enough.¡±


    ¡°WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE EVE OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE GODS THAN OUR EAGERLY ANTICIPATED SEMI-FINALS!¡± Mark Stemme announced.


    Jane nodded eagerly, ¡°WE KNOW YOU¡¯VE ALL BEEN WAITING! SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO¡­¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes grew cold and his face became bereft of emotion, ¡°If you think you know what happened at Widow¡¯s Crag, then you truly know nothing of the Noirs nor me.¡±


    ¡°I am a Noir!¡± she yelled resentfully.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°...LET THE 12TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ ¡°


    ¡°I am Unalla Noir, daughter of Una Noir! And I will not stand by and let my House do the bidding of that Monster!¡±


    ¡°¡­BEGIN!!!¡±


    Unalla grabbed the hilt of her blade, ¡°Heed my call, Votum!¡±

 Chapter 322: The Cascade Stance

    Chapter 322: The Cascade Stance


    ¡°LET THE 12TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!!¡±


    Unalla Noir grabbed the hilt of her blade, ¡°Heed my call, Votum!¡±


    Stryg cursed under his breath and crouched on the ground.


    Brown mana flowed into Unalla¡¯s arms and a bronze metallic sheen swirled across her blue-grey skin as the strengthening Vigor spell took hold.


    Unalla lifted the gigantic heavy sword above her head with only a single arm. The winds howled around the arena and pooled around the black sword as it pulsed with power.


    ¡°What is the Monster in the Dark after!? Why did it attack Widow¡¯s Crag that night!? Where is the Monster now!?¡± Unalla shouted above the powerful winds.


    Stryg dug his hands into the sand and he rested on the tips of his feet, ready to sprint. He silently cast an Agility spell over his legs as he shouted back, ¡°Are you really a Noir?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Good, I hate the Noirs,¡± he bared his fangs.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t tell me?¡± Unalla gave him a solemn look and swung her sword down. A blast of energy ripped through the ground and spiraled towards Stryg with frightening speed.


    He dashed away, the wave of energy glanced past him. Stryg tumbled into the sand in a roll and landed on his knees in a crouched position. He quickly dug his hands back into the sand and rested his weight on the tips of his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast,¡± Unalla noted quietly. She raised her sword. A cyclone of wind swirled around her blade.


    The winds suddenly fell silent. The air above Stryg warped. His pointed ears twitched at the loss of pressure.


    Move! his instincts screamed.


    Stryg dived into the sands several paces away. The air exploded above where he had just been and punched into the sand with such force it punctured a 2-meter wide crater into the arena.


    ¡°What is this¡­?!¡± he mumbled in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. You somehow managed to dodge that. But what about the next one or the next dozen?¡± Unalla asked aloofly.


    Stryg hissed and dug his hands into the sand in the same crouched position as before.


    The winds fell silent. Stryg leaped back. The air exploded above where he had been, but this time the explosion had come from his right.


    Unalla didn¡¯t speak. She simply pointed her blade at Stryg.


    He felt the air pressure change. Something felt off¡­ something towards his¡­ BACK!


    Stryg kicked off the sand. The air behind him burst as if a boulder had slammed into the ocean. The sand blew over his face, but he ignored it and crouched once more, his hands wrist-deep in the sand.


    Unalla pointed her sword high up. The air exploded with a deafening crack.  The blue goblin had dodged again. Unalla gritted her teeth and pointed her sword into the sky again.


    Over and over she attacked, each explosion growing stronger and each coming faster than the last.


    Yet somehow the Aspirant had kept managing to evade being directly hit, even if only by a hair¡¯s breadth. He had been blasted away from the aftershock several times, his body had slammed into the sands with heavy hits, but he always rolled back up in that crouched position, ready to jump away once more.


    The Aspirant had run around the entire arena; each attack left him with more scrapes than before, but he still got up without falter.


    How is he doing that? Unalla frowned. There¡¯s no sound, there¡¯s no visible attack!


    Votum¡¯s ability should have been unavoidable, yet somehow the goblin knew where to move.


    Unalla¡¯s eyes widened in realization, It doesn¡¯t matter how he¡¯s doing it. The Aspirant has always been aggressive in his battles, but this time he¡¯s not trying to counterattack... He¡¯s trying to wear me out.


    ¡°I need your help, Votum,¡± Unalla whispered.


    Unalla pulled her sword back. Her arm burned with pain as the sword pulsed with more power. The winds howled, twice as loud as before. A small cyclone formed around the orichalcum blade.


    Stryg stiffened as he watched the sand blow across the entire arena. He couldn¡¯t run from this. He dropped to his knees, slammed his hands into the sand, and channeled green mana into the earth. Five thick layers of rock sprang up around him and wrapped him in a cocoon of reinforced stone.


    With a gentle and slow motion, Unalla let her blade fall forward. A cyclone of wind weaved into existence around her and swept out in a tidal wave of energy that swept across the arena. The coliseum¡¯s crowds screamed as the cyclone¡¯s aftershock smashed them back into their seats.


    The powerful gales tore away at Stryg¡¯s stone dome, shattering each layer. Stryg covered himself in Yellow¡¯s durability scales and hid his face behind his arms. His body was tossed through the air like a ragdoll, then the air quieted and he plummeted straight down.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The sand did little to soften the fall. Stryg¡¯s yellow scales cracked on impact, some even broke altogether. His vision blurred, but he could still hear, he could still feel the pain arching across his back.


    He groaned painfully and blinked hard several times until his eyes adjusted and his sight returned.


    ¡°Are you ready to tell me what you know now?¡± Unalla called out coldly.


    Stryg slowly raised his head and looked at her. She had a lithe, thin body, as was common among her kind, yet unlike most drows, Unalla was short, shorter than any drow he had met. Many a drow might have dismissed her as harmless, but it was her eyes that gave all of them pause.


    Her grey eyes were filled with a steel anger that somehow seemed dispassionate and deadly all at once. She carried herself with a confidence born not out of pride, but conviction.


    Ah¡­ that¡¯s why she seemed so dangerous when we first met, Stryg thought, half-dazed.


    He had seen that intimidating look in her eyes before. He had seen it in the eyes of the most powerful arch-mage in all the Ebon Realm.


    Until now he had doubted her claim, but now there was no doubt in his mind. She is a Noir.


    Stryg rolled onto his back and sighed with closed eyes, This won¡¯t be easy.


    ¡°You still refuse to talk, Aspirant?¡± Unalla raised her blade.


    He channeled yellow mana into his palm and tried to cast a wind spell, but the wind did not answer.


    So her sword really does control the wind¡­ I need to get close, but she¡¯s a swordmaster. A master with a far more powerful weapon than Nameless.


    But he had fought swordmasters before. He had fought Clypeus many times and despite his lack of skill, he had managed to match Clypeus strike for strike. Stryg didn¡¯t have the refined sword skills of an aristocrat who had trained with the blade since young, but he had something not even Unalla did not.


    Stryg took a deep, tired breath, ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±


    White mana surged into his hands. A flash of blinding light erupted from his palms. Unalla closed her eyes and swung her sword outward; a blast of wind tore through the sand in front of her.


    Unalla opened her eyes, but Stryg was gone. She looked around in alarm. There was no trace of his body left. Where is he!?


    A faint shadow crossed over her. Unalla stiffened and looked up with a sudden jerk. Stryg¡¯s silhouette blotted out the sun. He crashed down from the sky like a comet. In one fluid motion, Stryg drew Nameless from its sheath and slashed down in a blur of silver steel.


    Unalla gritted her teeth and hauled Votum over her body in an abrupt parry. The swords clashed in a burst of sparks, sending Unalla tumbling back, her feet dragging through the sand.


    A bronze sheen swirled in a smoky pattern over Stryg¡¯s blue skin, the mark of vigor magic.


    Stryg stared at his foe. His hand stung from the reverberating power of clashing against Votum. Even a single parry had been enough to feel the sheer energy lurking with the black sword. Still, he had managed to knock her back.


    Her sword doesn¡¯t empower her body, Stryg noted to himself. She still has the normal body of a drow. Her vigor spells and lifeforce skills can only take her muscles so far. Which means¡­ I can do this!


    Stryg shifted his feet and fell into the cascade stance. He dashed at Unalla and swung his blade down at her shoulder. But this time Unalla was ready. She met his blade with her own. As the swords clashed a wave of wind surged out from Votum and tore through, ripping his cloak and shirt to shreds, yet there was no blood.


    Fresh Yellow scales wrapped around his skin. There were small cracks, but the durability scales had not shattered.


    Unalla¡¯s eyes widened in shock, Double casting body enhancements!? That¡¯s not possible!


    Stryg clenched his jaw and ignored the wave of energy. He pushed through the wind and swung his sword at her hip. Unalla blocked with her own strike, another blast of wind echoing from the sword. The blast tore at Stryg¡¯s yellow scales, splitting several with small cracks, but he dug his feet into the sand and pushed forward with another slash.


    Unalla blocked each attack, her sword¡¯s power echoing out with each blow. Every strike sent Stryg back, but he held his ground and struck again.


    Unalla stared at him, dumbfounded. He can¡¯t hold the double spells forever. His scales won¡¯t last much longer! Votum or his own body¡¯s limit, either way, if he doesn¡¯t stop he¡¯ll die!


    Stryg roared with a crazed fervor. A dozen small cuts bled through the gaps in his cracked scales, yet he kept attacking anyway.


    Unalla glared at him, ¡°Stop, you stubborn bastard! You¡¯re killing yourself!¡±


    Stryg grinned maniacally, ¡°Not if I kill you first!¡±


    He swung his blade again, and again in a flurry of steel. Nameless sang in his hand, a song of nature and its primal essence, freedom. His sword snapped around each of Votum¡¯s strikes. Nameless blurred in a myriad pattern of silver, a faint wind coalescing around the blade. With each strike of Nameless, the wind grew stronger and the blade¡¯s strikes faster.


    Unalla found herself being pushed back. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for each strike. Each strike became harder and harder to parry. She didn¡¯t understand! She was the better swordsman, how was she losing!?


    The shredding waves of Votum slammed into Stryg, but they did not touch him. A new wind, one that did not answer Votum¡¯s call, curled around Nameless and slipped through Votum¡¯s power, like a ship in a storm.


    It¡¯s not possible! Unalla thought in a panic. Votum was the master of the air, the winds only answered to the black blade. And yet a small storm grew stronger and stronger over Stryg as if screaming in defiance, swiveling through each of Votum¡¯s attacks.


    Unalla didn¡¯t want to admit it, but a small part of her knew. She knew what this was. Her blade instructors had warned her to never fight one of them. She had heard the stories whispered among the realm¡¯s finest weapon masters¡­ of a blade they all feared, a sword style that embodied nature itself. She hadn¡¯t believed them.


    Unalla felt a chill run down her spine. This isn¡¯t magic¡­ this is¡­ the Gale Style¡­!


    Stryg¡¯s blade slipped past her defenses and cut a shallow slash across her cheek.


    I¡¯m going to lose! a fearful voice whispered in her mind.


    Stryg¡¯s open hand stretched out and grazed her neck, his claws grasping around her throat.


    ¡°No!¡± Unalla roared.


    Her lungs burned, the raw power of Votum felt as if an iron boulder was pushing over her shoulder, threatening to crush her life. But she couldn¡¯t stop, not now, not yet! She called forth as much of Votum¡¯s power as she could handle and swung her sword in a single clean strike. A ripple of jade energy exploded out in a titanic slash, ten paces tall.


    Stryg felt his body be pulled in as if the jade slash was eager to devour him. He dragged Nameless in front of him and met the strange force with his blade.


    The world suddenly turned white. His body felt numb. The grit of sand filled his mouth. He was on the ground, lying on his back. He couldn¡¯t move. His ears rang with a painful screech. He slowly glanced at his right hand. His fingers were covered in blood, still clenched around Nameless¡¯ hilt¡­ The sword¡¯s blade extended out from the hilt a mere 4 inches in a jagged line. The remnants of Nameless were scattered in a slew of silver shards over the bloodied sand.

 Chapter 323: Standstill

    Chapter 323: Standstill


    The world had suddenly turned white. Stryg¡¯s body felt numb. The grit of sand filled his mouth. He was on the ground, lying on his back. He couldn¡¯t move. His ears rang with a painful screech.


    The sensation of pain was the first feeling that returned to him and it stretched all over his body. Votum¡¯s final strike had destroyed all of his durability scales into nothing but yellow dust. He could feel warm blood flowing over his chest, but he couldn¡¯t tell from where.


    He slowly glanced at his right hand. His fingers were covered in blood, still clenched around Nameless¡¯ hilt. The sword¡¯s blade extended out from the hilt a mere 4 inches in a jagged broken line. The remnants of Nameless were scattered in a slew of silver shards over the bloodied sand.


    A painful cry escaped his lips.


    Gian had gifted him Nameless, he had entrusted him with a forged sword of Gale, as was the custom for a child of Gale who had come of age. Gian had accepted him, despite his failures. Stryg couldn¡¯t save Clypeus, but Gian had accepted him as one of their own. And now the symbol of that acceptance lay broken in the sand.


    His eyes burned, tears pooled at the corners.


    ¡°...ger!! Use the dagger!!¡± Sylvie¡¯s voice echoed from the stands.


    Dagger? Oh¡­ right¡­


    Stryg looked down at his leg. A short dagger was strapped to his thigh. Up to two weapons were allowed for each duelist. Sylvie had picked out the dagger, she thought it the best choice among the weapon racks. She had been upset when he had opted to not even draw it during his last duel.


    With stiff fingers, Stryg drew the dagger from its sheath and stared at the plain steel. He had to admit, it had a clean, sharp edge. The blacksmith had done a quality job.


    ¡°Now stand up and fight!¡± Sylvie shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Fight!¡±


    Stryg laughed bitterly to himself, his ribs hurting with each breath he took. What could a simple dagger do against that¡­


    ~~~


    Votum shook with searing power, Unalla¡¯s hand burned just from holding it. She let go of the hilt, but it was too late. Painful spasms wracked her body. She dropped to her knees and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Her vision faded at the edges, she struggled to stay conscious. The wave of pain gradually swept over her until all she was left with was a dull ache reverberating through her body.


    Breathe, just breathe¡­ she thought to herself as she gulped down ragged breaths.


    She had pushed herself too hard. Votum had allowed her to be its current wielder, but she was well aware she was not the sword¡¯s true owner. It took all of her energy and focus to draw out a fragment of Votum¡¯s power. This time she had drawn too much.


    I didn¡¯t have a choice¡­


    Unalla rubbed her neck. Five bloody scratches curled around her throat. If she had been one second too slow the goblin would have torn out her throat with those unnervingly sharp claws.


    Unalla stared grimly at the goblin lying on the sand in the distance. His swordsmanship was lacking, but the Gale Style was not. And his strength¡­ his innate strength coupled with the vigor magic was frightening.


    She hated to admit but for a brief moment, he had overwhelmed her in close combat.


    The blue goblin suddenly moaned in anguish. He dragged himself with his arms towards the remnants of his shattered sword.


    Unalla felt a pang of guilt. She knew how much a sword meant to a swordsman. He was her enemy, but she sympathized with his loss.


    Unalla sighed tiredly, reached out, and grabbed Votum¡¯s hilt. A sharp pain shot up her hand the moment her fingers brushed the hilt. She winced with clenched teeth and grasped the hilt tight. With a shaky stance, she stood up slowly and turned to her fallen foe.


    ¡°This didn¡¯t have to be this way¡­¡± Unalla said softly.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The goblin didn¡¯t respond. She wasn¡¯t even sure he heard her, or if he could hear at all. He had taken a direct hit from Votum¡¯s jade slash. Even his Yellow scales couldn¡¯t protect him from such power.


    The goblin drew a small dagger from a sheath strapped to his leg and looked toward her.


    You still want to fight!? Unalla frowned. ¡°Why¡­? Just give up already! You can¡¯t even stand, let alone evade Votum¡¯s attacks!¡±


    The goblin leaned on his elbows and sat up with a painful grimace. His breath was shallow, but his lilac eyes were clear.


    ¡°You know what Votum is, right!?¡± Unalla yelled in exasperation. ¡°You know I¡¯m a swordmaster! Why keep fighting!? You¡¯ve already lost! I don¡¯t want to kill you! Just tell me what I want to know!¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± Stryg mumbled and tossed the dagger aside.


    Unalla sighed with relief and lowered her blade, ¡°Then tell me, what does the Monster want with House Noir? What are they planning together?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t answer. He shifted his legs and crouched low, as if ready to sprint.


    Unalla frowned, ¡°Again with that stance? Do you think you can dodge Votum¡¯s wind eruptions? You can¡¯t even stand, you fool! Let go of your pride already! The fight is over!¡±


    Stryg silently stared at her with determination.


    ¡°Fine, so be it¡­¡± she sighed frustratedly.


    ¡°No, Stryg, run!¡± Feli screamed desperately from the stands.


    ¡°Even your lover sees reason, why can¡¯t you?¡± Unalla shook her head and raised Votum, its black blade pointed at the goblin, ¡°You brought this upon yourse¨C!¡±


    Unalla¡¯s voice was cut short as her throat suddenly tightened. She clutched at her neck, gasping for breath. Grey curse sigils steadily bloomed over her collarbones and crept across her neck until they formed a collar.


    How did he¡­!? When did he¡­!? Unalla¡¯s eyes widened in panic, When he grabbed my neck earlier!?


    No, that couldn¡¯t be! It had only been for a moment. He was trying to tear out her throat!


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Unalla¡­¡± Stryg said calmly.


    I need to get this off me! Unalla scratched at the fragile grey sigils, tearing them apart one by one.


    ¡°...You are a swordmaster and I am not,¡± Stryg dug his fingers into the sand, ¡°I am just a goblin, the runt of the tribe who spent his childhood writing in the dirt.¡±


    Stryg pulled a large ring of sigils out from the white sand. The ring wrapped around his wrist like a manacle, ethereal grey chain links hanging at its end.


    ¡°But even a tribal runt can rise above the expectations of others,¡± Stryg snapped the chains taut.


    A multitude of ethereal chains exploded from the sand all around the arena and shot out towards its target, the grey collar around Unalla¡¯s neck. In the blink of an eye the chains wrapped around the drow¡¯s limbs. Her body stiffened to a halt and Votum slipped out of her fingers and dropped onto the ground with a heavy thud.


    Stryg pushed himself to his feet and walked towards her, the ethereal manacle in one hand and the hilt of Nameless in the other.


    Unalla desperately tried to move, but she couldn¡¯t twitch a finger. She couldn¡¯t breathe, she couldn¡¯t even call out to Votum. She tried summoning forth her Orange mana to burn through the chains, but her mana lay dormant in her heart, unresponsive.


    ¡°The Standstill Curse takes a while to cast, I admit,¡± Stryg said. ¡°It requires several casting locations, each building around the other until they have completely surrounded the primary target. However, once the focal sigil has been etched onto the primary target, then the cursed individual can do nothing to stop it.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t just running away¡­!? Unalla thought, shocked.


    Panic rose deep within her as she watched Stryg walk closer and closer until he was right in front of her.


    ¡°I told you, didn''t I?¡± Stryg stared at her with cold lilac eyes. ¡°I hate the Noirs. I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re any different.¡±


    He flipped Nameless¡¯ hilt into a reverse grip and stabbed the broken blade into her left shoulder. She moaned in agony. Tears streamed down her blue-grey cheeks, but her face stayed still, bereft of emotion.


    ¡°I¡¯m not working with the Noirs or the Monster in the Dark,¡± Stryg pulled out the sword.


    Blood seeped out from her left shoulder and dripped over her frozen arm.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean a Noir gets to accuse me of what happened at Widow''s Crag,¡± Stryg snarled and stabbed Nameless into her right shoulder.


    A sound like a wounded animal crying leaked out of Unalla¡¯s lips. The veins around her face and neck bulged with pain, but still, her body did not move.


    Stryg pulled Nameless out from her shoulder and pointed its broken bloodied edge over Unalla¡¯s throat. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward until she could feel his breath on her face.


    ¡°You broke my sword, you deserve to die,¡± he hissed.


    Unalla¡¯s heartbeat thrummed in her ears. She wanted to scream, she wanted to run, but all she could do was stare into the eyes of her death.


    Stryg abruptly pulled the blade back. He slowly stepped back, turned around, and walked away. He snapped his fingers and released the curse. The ethereal chains cracked and broke apart into grey light before fading away. Unalla collapsed on the ground, breathlessly. She gasped for air as blood pooled around her body.


    ¡°...W-why¡­?¡± she mumbled weakly and confused.


    Stryg paused in his steps, though he did not look back. ¡°...Loh has lost enough family, she doesn¡¯t need to lose anymore.¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­ you¡­ hated¡­ the Noirs¡­?¡± she mumbled through panted breaths.


    Stryg ignored her and kept walking.


    ¡°NALLA OF FROST RIM IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT!¡± Janne Stemme shouted.


    ¡°STRYG OF HOLLOW SHADE IS THE UNDISPUTED VICTOR!!¡± Mark Stemme announced happily.

 Chapter 324: The Thorn Gallery

    Chapter 324: The Thorn Gallery


    The Thorn¡¯s gallery was a large spacious chamber with tall ceilings that encompassed most of the south wing of the castle. Stained glass windows five paces tall lined the walls, each depicting the greatest victories and achievements of past members of the Thorn family. Hundreds of portraits of Thorns of old hung on the stone walls, from the floor to the high ceiling. The gallery was a record of memories, a place to visit when a Thorn searched for their past.


    In the center of the gallery hung a single oil painting all by itself, the portrait of The Last Ebon Lord, Atreus Thorn. The painting itself was a monumental work that stood over 10 ft tall. Its golden frame was an elaborate design of vines studded with rubies, forged by the master smiths of the Bronze Realm before the Schism. A pair of silver-sculpted lanterns hung from each corner of the frame, each with a magestone inside, glowing a soft blue.


    A bouquet of black roses, the symbol of House Thorn, was laid below the painting, a gesture of respect or so Ophelia¡¯s father had always told her.


    Ophelia sat on a stone bench in front of Atreus¡¯ shrine and simply stared at the memory of their family¡¯s legacy. Atreus had been a tall drow, taller than most. He had a lithe form, though he was not frail. His grey skin was pale as was his hair, a trait that his descendants seemed to have inherited. He seemed almost ethereal, untouchable, invulnerable.


    Ophelia sighed, In the end, he fell mysteriously ill and died prematurely, like all the other Ebon Lords.


    ¡°Even you, Atreus, were not invincible,¡± Ophelia smiled sadly. ¡°Your death left our family vulnerable and the other Great Houses preyed on our wounds. And now here I am, 300 hundred years later, left to pick up the pieces¡­ What would you have done in my situation¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, you have already done enough¡­ for now,¡± a disembodied voice echoed through the empty gallery.


    Ophelia tried her best to keep her face still, to not show the fear that bloomed within her chest. She had heard the voice so many times, yet it never felt familiar, it felt like a cold dagger slipping down her back.


    Ophelia swallowed hard and steadied her breathing, ¡°What of Undergrowth¡¯s armies? The other city lords and ladies are furious over the recent attack on our people. They are demanding blood. Tribal blood.¡±


    ¡°They will have their blood, in due time. Though perhaps not the blood they imagined. Use the fury of Undergrowth¡¯s Houses to rally your armies until they have reached full strength.¡±


    ¡°And then what? Whom do we march on?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about such things, the time for that will come sooner than you expect. For now, continue to strengthen your city''s border. The city must stay secure.¡±


    ¡°Secure?¡± Ophelia laughed indignantly. ¡°You were the one who told me to undermine Undergrowth¡¯s defenses so that those Dusk Valley savages could attack my people. And now you want me to strengthen the city¡¯s security all of a sudden?!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the voice said calmly.


    ¡°Why now? Why do you now care about who walks into Undergrowth?¡±


    ¡°It is not important who comes into the city, but rather who tries to leave.¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The Ebon Aspirant? You don¡¯t want him to leave? You wish for me to capture him?¡±


    ¡°No, leave that boy alone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, who¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou don¡¯t need to understand.¡±


    Ophelia gripped the hem of her dress in silent frustration, ¡°¡­I have done every single thing you asked of me. I sacrificed my own city¡¯s people and let the savages slaughter them. I sent my guards to seize the Sunken Temple from House Sientia like you wanted. I even put my family¡¯s heirloom cloak as the tourney¡¯s prize!¡±


    ¡°You had no problem putting Blossom up as the prize, now did you?¡±


    ¡°That was before I knew a fucking Ebon Aspirant was in the tourney! But you knew that, didn¡¯t you? You always know everything¡­ I have done everything for you.¡± Ophelia took a deep, shaky breath, ¡°So why keep me in the dark?¡±


    The voice chuckled amusedly, ¡°You¡¯ve done everything¡­ for me? Was I the one who ordered you to send those assassins after the Azols? No, that spectacular failure was yours and yours alone.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Ophelia paled, ¡°H-how did¡­? When¡­?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what happened, do you? The assassin¡¯s guild you sent was completely wiped out by the Sword Paragon himself, Gian Gale, and his family¡¯s swordsmen. As to be expected, of course. You attacked the mother of a newborn Gale.¡±


    ¡°B-but, the Kamilo child is an Azol, not a¨C¡±


    ¡°Do you think Gian cares what his last name is? Gale blood runs through that infant¡¯s veins. In the eyes of House Gale, Kamilo is one of them. Now an entire elite guild of assassins is dead because of your foolish actions. Yet here you sit, demanding why I keep you in the dark?¡±


    Ophelia lowered her head, ¡°...I admit, I miscalculated the care the Gale¡¯s had for the baby and his mother. But one small mistake does not change a lifetime of loyalty¨C¡±


    ¡°Loyalty? You may listen to my orders, but do not lie to yourself. Everything you have ever done has always been for you, Ophelia, no one else.¡±


    Ophelia jumped to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± she shouted indignantly. ¡°Everything I have done is for my family!¡±


    The voice laughed, a cold chill resonating through the empty halls of the gallery, ¡°Family? Dear Ophelia, have you forgotten already? Who was it that asked for my help to rise above her brothers and sisters?¡±


    Ophelia grimaced, ¡°...That was a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°A mere 54 years.¡±


    ¡°I was young¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember well. You were a small, timid girl of 14. No one saw you for who you were. Your family just saw a powerless little girl. To them, you were an afterthought. But I saw your potential, I saw the anger within you, the determination in your eyes, the ruthlessness to do whatever was necessary to achieve your dreams. Do you remember, my dear Ophelia?¡±


    She looked up at the large painting of Atreus and nodded slowly, ¡°You appeared before me, right here¡­¡±


    ¡°And we struck a bargain, a pact for the ages. Or have you forgotten?¡±


    Ophelia shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten¨C¡±


    ¡°AND YET YOU DARE DEMAND OF ME!?¡± the voice boomed.


    Ophelia shuddered in fear and covered her ears, the thunderous voice reverberating painfully in her eardrums.


    ¡°It was I who saved you from your mediocre fate. It was I who cut down the Thorns in your way. It was I who placed you on the Rose Throne! Do not forget who made you what you are, Ophelia Thorn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± She fell to her knees and prostrated herself on the ground in terror. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ please forgive this foolish, impertinent drow.¡±


    ¡°I do not care for your apologies, I care about your ability to follow orders.¡±


    Ophelia placed her forehead on the cold stone tiles and spoke in a reverent voice, ¡°I swear your words are absolute¡­ Lord Caligo.¡±


    ¡°For your sake, I do hope you remember this moment. I have kept my end of our bargain, it is time you keep yours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, my lord! I shall not disappoint you!¡± she nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Is that so? You are a smart woman, I believe you understand the consequences of disobedience. Of course¡­ your father thought he was smart. He tried to run from his commitment to his bargain. It did not end well for him, did it?¡±


    ¡°I am not my father. He was a foolish coward who deserved what happened to him,¡± she muttered with resentment. ¡°My father refused to declare war on Hollow Shade because he was too scared to lose all that he had gained. I am not. Please, believe me, my lord, I will not fail you as he did. My life is yours, now and always. Command me and I will bathe Hollow Shade in the blood of your enemies in your divine name.¡±


    The painting of Atreus slowly smiled, ¡°No, you have already done enough¡­ for now.¡±


    The gallery¡¯s heavy doors suddenly opened and Calex walked in, glancing about. ¡°Mother, are you in here?¡± he called out.


    Ophelia quickly stood to her feet and brushed off her dress, ¡°I¡¯m over here, Calex.¡±


    Calex spotted his mother next to Atreus¡¯ shrine and smiled in relief, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be here.¡±


    Since he was young he would always find his mother in the gallery, contemplating and gathering her thoughts.


    Calex glanced out at the dark stained glass windows, ¡°The sun has already set. Have you had dinner yet?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡± she said distractedly.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just, you¡¯ve been so busy with the tourney arrangements recently. It¡¯d be nice if Lerdea, you, and I could spend some time together as a family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You and your sister can eat by yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand. I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you,¡± Calex bowed his head and turned to leave.


    ¡°You let Freya Goldelm live. Why?¡± she asked coldly.


    Calex stiffened and sighed quietly, ¡°Her teammate intervened in our fight.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you had just used Nightshade like I told you to.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not particularly fond of that sword or any sword for that matter. I didn¡¯t think drawing Nightshade was necessary. I was wrong,¡± he said apologetically.


    ¡°And that mistake resulted in a Goldelm, one of the Houses that betrayed our family and led the Thorns into exile, to escape with her life.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her teammate to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Well, luckily for you, tomorrow you have the chance to rectify that mistake. Use Nightshade to kill the hybrid, Sylvie. Is that clear?¡±


    Calex closed his eyes and sighed in resignation, ¡°As you wish, mother.¡±

 Chapter 325: Unalla

    Chapter 325: Unalla


    Stryg didn¡¯t like the infirmary. It was bad enough that the pungent scents of potions and ointments filled his nostrils. The small room with four grey walls held no warmth. The whole place felt unnatural. However, it was the state of the people that truly made him wish he was anywhere but here.


    Feli wrapped her arms around Stryg¡¯s neck and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°What were you thinking, you idiot!¡± she cried. ¡°Why did you try to fight that woman and her magic sword head-on! You saw what happened to the others! You could have died!¡±


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow!¡± Stryg winced. His whole body ached from his bloody scrapes, broken bones, and bruised muscles. Feli¡¯s increasingly tightening arms only made the injuries more painful. Still, as he heard her shaky breaths and felt her shoulders tremble, he couldn¡¯t find the strength to push her away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered into her ear.


    Ismene walked into the room, a healer dressed in blue robes stood behind her. A silver amulet hung around his neck, a diamond embedded at the very center, the symbol of a white mage.


    Ismene took one glance at the hugging couple and lightly tapped her cane into the ground, ¡°Alright, Miss Feli, you can chastise your stubborn husband later. Let the healer do his work.¡±


    Feli sniffed, wiped her tears, and reluctantly stepped away, though she stayed close by.


    The healer was an elderly drow, the lines of age clear on his forehead and the edges of his blue eyes. He bowed his head, ¡°My Aspirant, if you¡¯d be so kind as to remove your shirt?¡±


    Stryg glanced down at his shirt, or what was left of it. The white tunic had been left in tatters and was mostly covered in dried blood. He raised his forefinger and used the claw to easily rip through the last few seams. The tattered tunic fell off without much effort.


    ¡°I suppose that works,¡± the white mage smiled, ¡°Now then, shall we begin?¡± White mana flowed into his hands and a soft pale glow enveloped his fingertips.


    ¡°Stryg, that was a bold plan you had back there,¡± Ismene said in a calm, but serious voice. ¡°Your durability scales barely held against Nalla¡¯s final attack. You have a tougher body than anyone I know, but even then, if your yellow magic had been a sliver weaker you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here right now.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I know, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou seemed to have suffered numerous lacerations, especially over the right side of your abdomen,¡± the healer noted as he ran the healing magic over Stryg¡¯s skin, ¡°Seven ribs seem to be broken as well. I¡¯m surprised none of them punctured a lung.¡±


    ¡°Like master Ismene said, I have a tough body,¡± Stryg shrugged, and instantly regretted the quick motion. Pain shot up his back and shoulders.


    ¡°Try not to move too much,¡± the healer said sympathetically.


    ¡°Yup¡­ I¡¯m aware,¡± Stryg said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± the healer paused, ¡°Your lacerations¡­ the flesh has seemed to have already begun¡­ to heal? Did someone already cast healing magic over you?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Healing spells only quicken the body¡¯s natural processes, we cannot regenerate actual wounds,¡± the healer said sternly. ¡°We can only do so much. Your body can only handle so much. If someone has already cast healing spells over you, I cannot continue for risk of putting your recovery in danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t seen any other healers. My body just recovers faster than most,¡± Stryg admitted.


    The healer stepped back and looked over Stryg as if he was seeing a legend come to life in front of his very eyes, ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware¡­ U-uh, forgive me, the powers of an Ebon Aspirant are still very new to me.¡±


    Stryg was pretty certain his healing abilities had nothing to do with his prime chromatic magic, but rather his hybrid mutations, though he decided to simply nod and say nothing. He quite liked the look of awe in the old drow¡¯s eyes.


    Ismene did not. ¡°You cannot always rely on your healing, child,¡± she frowned. ¡°Someday it may not be enough.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°...I know, but I thought the Standstill Curse was the best way to prevent Unalla from using that sword of hers. In the end, it worked, but I think if I had¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhat did you say¡­?¡± Ismene furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Hm? I used the Standstill Curse?¡±


    ¡°No, what did you call her? Your opponent.¡±


    ¡°Unalla?¡±


    ¡°The tourney records state her name is Nalla.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, she told me her name was Unalla. That and she¡¯s a Noir,¡± Stryg added.


    Ismene dropped her cane, ¡°What¡­¡± She grabbed Stryg by the shoulders and shook him, ¡°What exactly did she tell you!?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Lady Ismene!¡± Feli yelled panickedly.


    Stryg groaned in pain, ¡°She said her name was Unalla, daughter of Una Noir! Now stop shaking me, you¡¯re opening my wounds, dammit!¡¯


    Ismene stumbled back, her breathing short and her beige eyes wide in shock, ¡°Una¡­ she¡¯s alive¡­?!¡±


    ¡°What? Did you try to kill her or something?¡± Stryg asked.


    His words flew right past Ismene. The old woman picked up her cane and rushed out of the room as quickly as she could muster.


    ~~~


    A hard impatient knock smacked into the door three times and then another four and then another five¡ª


    ¡°Agh, I¡¯m trying to sleep here, Lynn!¡± Unalla shouted from her bed. ¡°I told you I wanted to be left alone!¡±


    The doorknob turned with a click and the iron hinges creaked as the door slowly opened. Ismene stood in the doorway, leaning on her cane breathlessly. She swallowed hard and bowed her head, ¡°I am sorry to disturb.¡±


    Unalla stared at the old human warily. She tried her best to sit up, but a sharp pain shot up through her injured shoulders and she collapsed back into the bed.


    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t push yourself!¡± Ismene said worriedly.


    ¡°Why? What do you care?¡± Unalla snarled, though try as she might her voice held no sting. The pain etched across her face was evident.


    Ismene fidgeted with her wrinkled hands, ¡°I really am sorry to bother you, it¡¯s just¡­ Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of Stryg¡¯s masters, right? The Tempest Archmage,¡± Unalla said carefully. ¡°If you¡¯re here to try and threaten me, it won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why would I¡ª?¡± Ismene shook her head, ¡°Never mind. Stryg¡­ he¡­ he told me about you. About your true name.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± she narrowed her icy blue eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a professor at Hollow Shade¡¯s magic academy. So that means you work for Lord Noir. Is that it? Are you here to kill me on his orders?¡±


    ¡°What? No! I¡¯d never harm you! And neither would he!¡± Ismene said indignantly.


    Unalla glanced at her then the window.


    Ismene sighed, ¡°If you wish to run, I will not stop you, though I don¡¯t think you can even manage to stand. Either way, I really did not come here to harm you, child.¡±


    ¡°...Then what do you want?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°You look like her,¡± Ismene smiled weakly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention before, but it''s clear as day now. You really are Una¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°You know my mother?¡± her eyes widened.


    ¡°Know? She¡¯s alive then!? Oh thank Stjerne!¡± Ismene cried out in relief.


    ¡°You¡­ Do you¡­ actually know my mother?¡± Unalla said skeptically.


    ¡°Know her?¡± Ismene wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and laughed. ¡°I used to carry Una on my back because she was too small to reach the mulberries in the orchard behind your family¡¯s manor. She used to stuff herself with berries until her hands and cheeks were stained purple.¡±


    Ismene smiled and stepped closer to the bed, ¡°Then Una would say she was too full to even move. So she¡¯d lie down on the grass and I¡¯d sing her a lullaby in the late afternoon until she¡¯d fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°...How old was she?¡± Unalla whispered with wide, curious eyes.


    ¡°Una was 9. She was a small little thing, but she was full of so much life,¡± Ismene chuckled reminiscently.


    ¡°...I think she told me about you,¡± Unalla muttered. ¡°Never by name, but she told me of a human who was like a big sister to her. A woman who was always there for my mom¡­¡±


    ¡°We were this close, Una and I,¡± Ismene nodded and clasped her hands together, ¡°I was lucky enough to see her grow up into a splendid and brave young woman, before she disappeared¡­.¡±


    ¡°My mom also told me¡­¡± Unalla¡¯s voice grew cold, ¡°That ¡®big sister¡¯ was lovers with my uncle, Elzri Noir, the kinslayer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± she admitted. ¡°I was going to marry your uncle, back when things seemed so simple. But after Esletha and Aiden¡­¡±


    ¡°Died. They died. Murdered by my uncle, their brother, your lover,¡± Unalla sneered.


    Ismene sighed and sat down next to the bed, ¡°I remember that day, I could never forget. I was sitting next to your mother when it happened. I remember the screams of horror from the crowd. I couldn¡¯t believe it was real¡­ I turned to your mother, but she was gone. I searched the whole city, but no one could find her. She had disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Because my uncle would have killed her! He wanted to be the undisputable heir of House Noir!¡±


    ¡°No, though back then I thought that as well. The truth is more complicated¡­ Elzri never wanted the Noir throne,¡± Ismene shook her head softly. ¡°Elzri has made mistakes, mistakes that have cost him everything. Time and grief have left him a shadow of his former self, but he is not the monster you think him to be.¡±


    ¡°Then what is he? Huh!? A psychopath who would just kill his siblings for the fun of it!?¡± she screamed.


    ¡°He is a man who loved Una more than anyone else in the world,¡± Ismene smiled sadly.


    The young drow¡¯s expression froze, stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Una is Elzri¡¯s only full-blooded sibling. She meant everything to him. He would have killed anyone who would have tried to harm her, even his own brother.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s face paled, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ uncle Aiden tried to kill my mother?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think poisoned your grandfather?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°If¡­ If that¡¯s true, then why did Elzri kill aunt Esletha too!¡±


    ¡°As I said, Elzri has made mistakes, mistakes that cost him everything. He never meant to kill Esletha and that mistake has haunted him his entire life.¡±


    Unalla licked her lips uncertainly, ¡°Why tell me this, hm? I¡¯ve never heard this story before. What makes you think I¡¯d believe it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t change what you believe. I can only tell you what I know. It took your uncle 24 years to finally open up and tell me what really happened that day. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d ever find the courage to tell anyone ever again. So I thought it''d be best if I told you instead.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you came? To try and clear his name?¡±


    ¡°No, I came to see you, to know that you were alright, and to let you know that you and your mother are not alone. It has been 56 years since I¡¯ve seen Una, but she is still my friend and I miss her dearly. Please, when you see her, tell her that.¡±


    Ismene leaned on her cane, pushed herself to her feet, and hobbled towards the door.


    ¡°You said it took Elzri 24 years to tell you the truth of uncle Aiden and aunt Esletha!¡± Unalla called out.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Why did it take him so long to tell you the truth?¡±


    ¡°Elzri has always been a person who believes he must carry the burdens of his family alone. I suspect that has to do with it, though I am not certain.¡± Ismene shrugged, ¡°I may not know why it took him so long, but I do know why he told me.¡±


    ¡°And why was that?¡±


    Ismene smiled, ¡°It was because Elohnoir was born that day.¡±

 Chapter 326: One Last Smile

    Chapter 326: One Last Smile


    Sylvie walked out of the coliseum¡¯s tunnel and stepped into the white sands of the arena. The crowd''s cheers were already deafening. The Heralds seemed to have already done their job of riling up the crowds.


    THORN, THORN, THORN!! they chanted over and over.


    Sylvie smiled to herself, hefted her hammer, and walked towards the center of the arena where a lone drow stood.


    Calex Thorn looked her over as she walked, his eyes lingering on her hammer.


    ¡°Ready to lose?¡± Sylvie smirked.


    ¡°...You¡¯re going to fight with a hammer,¡± Calex noted quietly.


    ¡°Yeah, I got a little tired of the ax. Thought I might give the hammer a try,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Why not the sword? You are a swordmaster, yet you refuse to carry a sword?¡±


    Sylvie chuckled, ¡°Says the guy who carries a sword but has yet to draw it once.¡±


    ¡°You will regret not using one,¡± Calex sighed.


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t beat you in a fight without a sword?¡± Sylvie laughed.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be much of a fight¡­¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR LONG ENOUGH, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO¡­¡±


    ¡°MAY THE 14TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡± The Heralds yelled.


    Sylvie channeled blue mana into her hands and fired off a lightning bolt. Calex had already done the same, a second quicker. The bolts of lightning clashed in front of Sylvie before she had a chance to move. The blast of electricity arced outwards and slammed into her chest. The aurum aegis around her neck flared to life and created a golden shield around her before the storm spell struck, though the force of the blast still sent her careening backward.


    She crashed into the sand and quickly rolled to her feet, hammer in hand. Calex was already on her, Orange agility magic flowing through his veins. He drew Nightshade from its sheath and struck out in rapid blinding slashes. Sylvie¡¯s eyes darted around, she raised her hammer and blocked each strike with the steel shaft. Calex dashed away after his initial strikes, leaving no room for a counterattack.


    Sylvie shook her head and laughed, ¡°Running away so soon?¡±


    She tried her best to appear calm and relaxed, but panic slowly rose in the pit of her stomach. It hadn¡¯t even been a minute, but she had already realized what sort of monster Calex was.


    He was fast, too fast. Not even Stryg in their sparring matches was as fast with his agility magic and his body was already naturally quick.


    Then there was Calex¡¯s spellcasting. The speed of his casts were borderline unnatural. Even high-masters couldn¡¯t cast with such high efficiency without even a second¡¯s delay.


    It¡¯s not just his speed, Sylvie thought grimly. His storm spell was significantly stronger than mine. If it hadn¡¯t been for my aegis this fight would have already been over.


    She had never felt so overwhelmingly outclassed by a peer before. She had always thought of Stryg as a friendly rival and perhaps the only real challenge she might encounter during the tournament, but as she stared at Calex, she knew without a doubt that he was by far the most skilled mage among them.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Sylvie muttered under her breath. ¡°This is embarrassing¡­¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t defeat Calex with magic alone, she would have to rely on her martial skills far more heavily.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m regretting not bringing a stupid sword¡­ she thought.


    Calex sighed and looked at her in admiration, ¡°You really are incredible.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylvie blinked.


    ¡°The storm spell knocked you on the ground, you should have been helpless, at least for a moment. Yet somehow despite that and my speed, I was unable to land a single solid blow on you. Your ability to anticipate my attacks is truly incredible.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­?¡± Sylvie said cautiously.


    Is he trying to trick me or something?


    ¡°You¡¯re not even an Orange mage, but you were still fast enough to react to my attacks, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± Calex said in wonder. ¡°Is this the ability of a swordmaster? Or is it your own natural physique as a dire? Perhaps a mutation of your hybrid nature? Or maybe all three?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you just suck at fighting with swords, huh?¡± Sylvie taunted.


    ¡°Hm, no, I don¡¯t think so. I was trained from little to fight with a sword. Granted, I cannot compare to a swordmaster like you, but I can get by,¡± Calex shrugged. ¡°Fortunately, I have my family¡¯s Nightshade. It is enough.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± Sylvie smirked. ¡°How about you come closer and we can find out if you really have what it takes to land a blow with that fancy sword of yours?¡±


    ¡°I already told you, it is enough,¡± Calex raised his sword. Blood dripped off the edge of the purple blade.


    Sylvie frowned. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    She glanced over herself and was surprised to see a small gash over her thigh. The aegis hadn¡¯t stopped the blade? She hadn¡¯t even felt the cut. In fact, she still couldn¡¯t. Her eyes widened in shock.


    I can¡¯t feel my thigh!


    Calex stared at Sylvie with sympathy, ¡°My family has gone through great efforts to keep the true extent of Nightshade¡¯s abilities hidden from the general populace. For whatever reason, my mother decided to forgo that tradition and insisted I use the sword in today¡¯s duel. I am sorry.¡±


    Sylvie¡¯s vision began to blur. She fell to her knees and hands. Her throat felt tight and it was difficult to breathe.


    ¡°You are truly a great warrior, Sylvie of Hollow Shade. But I must keep my sister safe, even if it means killing those who I admire.¡± Calex bit his lip, ¡°The poison will work quickly. There is no pain. You will soon lose all feeling, and then all five of your senses. Then¡­ your heart will stop. I am sorry, Sylvie.¡±


    Calex turned around and walked away.


    Sylvie wanted to tell him she didn¡¯t want his apology, but her mouth had gone numb. Her hands couldn¡¯t handle her weight and she fell face down on the sand. With what little strength she had left she rolled onto her back and stared up at the blue sky and the sun hanging above.


    This can¡¯t be it¡­


    She had so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to see¡­


    The voices of her friends echoed in the distance, but they were faint and she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.


    Sylvie tried to smile, to be brave one last time.


    Her vision darkened and the crowd faded into silence¡­


    As her mind fell into oblivion she wondered if this was what her brothers and sisters had felt. If their last moments had been so helpless¡­


    ~~~


    ¡­13 years ago¡­


    The sound of shattering wood and roaring flames exploded in the dining hall. Even from the hallway, the little girl could feel the vibrations of the battle as they shook the stone tiles beneath her feet. She stumbled back in fear and fell. Half a dozen voices yelled in anger, her siblings¡¯ voices. They grew louder and louder as rage overtook them.


    The crackle of thunder boomed throughout the castle. It had not come from the storm outside, but from behind the dining hall door.


    A voice of wretched agony pierced the air and was suddenly cut short.


    ¡°Lea, NO!¡± her brother Jasper cried out.


    Had something happened to Lea? The thought chilled her to the bone.


    A second boom of thunder resounded through the castle. Her brothers and sisters screamed in dismay.


    What was happening?


    The walls shook and bits of rock and dust fell from the ceiling all around. She cried out in terror and huddled at the edge of the hallway.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    A third clap of thunder, stronger and louder than the ones before, struck from within the castle, shaking its foundations. The walls trembled as if they were about to give in and fall over, crushing her beneath them.


    The night abruptly fell silent and an eerie quietness swept over the dining hall. Her siblings'' voices had disappeared.


    She crawled towards the dining hall door, placed her ear over the wood, and strained to hear something, anything.


    But there was nothing. She heard not the laughter of Aria, nor the melodic voice of James, or even Claude¡¯s constant banter.


    She had always resented Lea¡¯s authoritative tone, yet now she¡¯d give anything to hear it once more.


    The silence was broken by the crunch of glass underneath a pair of footsteps.


    ¡­Who was that¡­?


    She swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out hesitantly. With a trembling hand, she turned the door knob. The door creaked open just an inch and she peered through the crack. Her chest seized up at the gruesome sight. She froze and stifled a cry.


    Splatters of blood had bathed the chamber a bright red. The broken bodies of her brothers and sisters were sprawled over the scorched floor. A woman in a tattered blue dress stood alone in what little was left of the dining hall.


    The woman¡¯s neck snapped backward, her head lolled to the side, and her lips slowly curled into a smile. Her bloodied mouth stretched further than what seemed possible, revealing a row of sharp black teeth.


    It¡¯s you¡­!


    The child¡¯s voice caught in her throat, she wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. Her body felt numb, she couldn¡¯t move, she could only stare into the monstrous woman¡¯s iridescent eyes as she shambled towards the door.


    Caligo¡¯s bloodied smile widened, ¡°Hello, little girl.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­!? It¡¯s really you¡­¡± the child cried in helpless horror.


    ¡°Why are you hiding behind the door? Is that how you treat your friends? That¡¯s not very nice, is it?¡± Caligo wrapped her arms under her breasts and swayed from side to side.


    ¡°W-why¡­did y-you¡­?¡± the child half-mumbled through her tears.


    The woman¡¯s slim fingers reached out and grasped the doorknob, ¡°Let me¡­ show you!¡±


    A pair of strong arms grabbed the little girl by the back of her nightgown and yanked her away from the door. She looked up in surprise and saw a familiar bearded face staring down at her, his scarlet eyes filled with worry.


    ¡°Dad!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± he shouted and threw her over his shoulder.


    Green mana filled her father¡¯s legs. He stomped his foot down and the stone tiles cracked underneath him and the wall in front of them crumbled apart. He jumped out from the castle tower with his daughter and fell into the wailing storm. They plummeted down the 50 ft drop, but the rain answered the call of his blue mana and swept underneath them in a torrent of water, cradling their fall. He landed on his feet in a giant splash of water and sprinted away as fast as he could towards the mountain¡¯s treeline.


    The little girl looked back at the castle from her father¡¯s shoulder, the tower was collapsing in on itself, thousands of grey bricks crashing down in a cloud of dust.


    ¡°The lady¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a lady, that was something else!¡± her father said as he ran. ¡°My stone spell won¡¯t hold it back there for long. We need to make as much distance from the castle as we can!¡±


    ¡°B-but Lea and Claude and¡­¡± she broke down into tears.


    ¡°I know darling, but it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s too late for them,¡± his father whispered mournfully. ¡°We can¡¯t go back.¡±


    The little girl suddenly gripped her father¡¯s cloak tight, ¡°Mom! We left Mom!¡± She beat her small fists into her father¡¯s back and screamed panickedly, ¡°We can¡¯t leave her!¡±


    ¡°Your mother wasn¡¯t in the castle, she¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Where is she?! I want to see Mom!¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find her, I promise! But first, we need to run, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Run where?¡± Caligo¡¯s silky voice whispered from above.


    The father skidded to a halt in the muddied ground and thrust his arm up towards the trees. A bolt of lightning crackled out from his hand, sizzling through the rain. The spell exploded over Caligo and dissipated before it touched her pale skin. She laughed, a beautiful sound composed of multiple shifting voices.


    ¡°Really? Is that all?¡± Caligo jumped down from a branch and landed softly on the ground. ¡°I expected more from you, Dorian.¡±


    The vampire stiffened and his brown skin turned a shade paler. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. You embarrass yourself, Dorian. Did you think I didn¡¯t know who you really were? Or did you think your little Order is as secretive as they so haughtily presume?¡±


    Dorian lowered his daughter to the ground and stepped in front of her, ¡°Stay behind me, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dorian, do you think you can somehow stop me? You? A mere archmage?¡± Caligo held her sides as she laughed. The rain had washed away the blood and grime from her skin and chestnut hair, but her wide iridescent irises were as cold and bright as ever. She wiped a tear of mirth from the edge of her eye and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll give you this, you are braver than your brother.¡±


    ¡°My brother!? Then the incident at sea¡­? It was a lie!¡± Dorian yelled angrily.


    ¡°Ah, I wish it were so. Unfortunately, I had no hand in his death. Lord Elliot Ashe did indeed perish at sea. However, contrary to the stories his daughter Calantha spread, the regal Lord Elliot screamed and cried like a coward as the sea serpent¡¯s fangs enclosed around him. Strange, no? To know such a brave man cried at the end.¡± Caligo sauntered towards them, her red lips curled in a smirk, ¡°~I wonder?~ Will you cry, sweet Dorian?¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­?¡± the little girl whimpered fearfully.


    Dorian licked his lips and glanced down at his daughter. He smiled strainedly, ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay¡­ but¡­ I need you to run now, sweetheart. Get as far away from here as you can.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No, no, no! Dad, I don¡¯t like this! Come with me! Please, come with me!¡± she cried frantically.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, sweetheart,¡± Dorian hugged his daughter tight. ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Your father is a liar, child. Just like your mother,¡± Caligo said. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, I won¡¯t end his miserable life, that is, if you come here, child.¡±


    ¡°YOU WILL NOT STEP NEAR HER, MONSTER,¡± a voice boomed from behind them.


    Caligo spun on her heel and stared into the darkness of the trees, ¡°~Finally!~¡±


    A towering warrior strode out from the shadows, a burgundy cloak wrapped around her dark armor. She loomed over the others, almost twice as tall as Dorian. Her face was shrouded in a black steel helmet, but the anger in her heavy footsteps was clear.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived!¡± Caligo opened her arms wide and bowed mockingly, ¡°~The Guardian of the Realm, The Goddess of War~ The Daughter of the Sun herself!¡± Caligo smiled wide, ¡°It¡¯s been too long, Bellum.¡±


    Dorian¡¯s shoulders relaxed at the sight of the goddess. He smiled shakily, ¡°My lady!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± the little girl cried out in relief.


    With a single hand, Bellum gripped the bottom edge of her helmet and pulled it off. Her brilliant scarlet hair cascaded down to her waist. A pair of black-tipped wolfin ears sat above her hair. She had high cheekbones and a strong jaw. Her warm fair skin seemed unusually cold in the darkness and rain, but her fiery golden eyes burned brighter than ever.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what form you take, Caligo, you¡¯re still the same arrogant bastard as always,¡± Bellum said icily.


    ¡°Arrogant? You think me arrogant?¡±


    ¡°You are the youngest of the Ebon Pantheon, yet you come to your elder¡¯s home unannounced on a moonless night. So yes, I do think you¡¯re an arrogant bastard.¡±


    Caligo shook her head, ¡°I am not arrogant, no, I was trusting, too trusting. That was my mistake. I believed in your lies.¡±


    ¡°Lies?¡± Bellum asked calmly. ¡°What are you talking about? Is that why you came here? To provoke me over some unfounded fantasy of yours?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Bellum, still lying, are you? Lies always have a price, often steeper than one might believe, you should know that,¡± Caligo smiled eerily.


    ¡°...Dorian, where are my other children?¡± Bellum asked with a measured tone, though her eyes stayed on Caligo.


    ¡°T-They¡­ They¡­¡± Dorian stared at the ground in shame.


    Bellum¡¯s wolfin ears twitched, but her face stayed still. ¡°Caligo¡­ If you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take all the credit,¡± Caligo grinned. ¡°The little one behind you helped. She was the one who showed me where to find you all.¡±


    The little girl gasped in horror, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t! I thought you were my friend! You tricked me!¡±


    ¡°And I am so grateful to you,¡± Caligo winked.


    ¡°You used the dreamscape to invade my daughter¡¯s mind while she slept?¡± Bellum whispered in realization. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing sharp prominent canines, ¡°You dare¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I DARE!?¡± Caligo screamed. ¡°ME!? You and Lunae are the ones who overstepped! I was content to leave you alone! But no! ¡­You may have both tried to hide it, but I learned your secret!¡± Caligo glared at her, ¡°I know¡­ I KNOW what really happened to Solis that night!¡±


    Bellum narrowed her golden eyes, ¡°I am going to kill you.¡±


    Caligo stepped back and smiled, ¡°Will you?¡±


    Bellum pulled off the necklace around her neck and tossed it to Dorian. ¡°Put it on our daughter and get her out of here.¡±


    Dorian stared in surprise at the golden talisman in his hands, ¡°Your aurum aegis¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep our daughter safe, no matter what,¡± Bellum said sternly.


    ¡°I will, I swear it,¡± Dorian nodded and threw the child over his shoulder.


    ¡°Good.¡± Bellum turned to Caligo and drew her sword, a long narrow blade of orichalcum. Golden flames ignited over her clawed fingers and turned black as they curled around the blade.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t leave me!¡± the little girl cried weakly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Bellum looked back and smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Hold your head up high. And promise me, no matter what happens, no matter how difficult it may seem, try to be happy, Belle.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­I¡¯m sorry, mom. I tried, I really tried. But I¡¯m tired of smiling¡­


    Sylvie took a deep breath and for the first time, she stopped trying to bury the feelings swelling inside her.


    Belle opened her crimson eyes and a single tear slipped down her cheek. The golden sun stared down at her from the azure sky. Her olive-brown skin greedily drank in the warm rays of light. The small gash on her thigh closed up and faded away.


    Golden flames sparked to life over her skin, roaring over her until they enveloped her in a raging inferno, and burned the poison within.


    Calex turned around in surprise. He flinched, backed away, and covered his face, the heat of the flames painfully hot even from a distance.


    Belle rose to her feet and growled.

 Chapter 327: Golden Flames

    Chapter 327: Golden Flames


    It didn¡¯t make sense. None of it made sense¡­


    Calex Thorn stared at the impossible unfolding in front of his very eyes. The dire girl had been cut by Nightshade. The sword¡¯s exceedingly potent poison had filled her veins. He had seen her collapse and succumb to the poison. And yet there she stood, cloaked in golden flames that burned bright. The air itself warped around her from the sheer searing heat, yet her skin was unburnt. Even from twenty paces away, Calex could feel the heat of the flames, it was as if he was in an oven.


    He didn¡¯t understand.


    He had never seen flames of gold before. And the poison¡­ Was the poison insufficient? Did her dire constitution weaken the poison¡¯s effects? Or was it perhaps a hybrid mutation?


    Calex shook his head and called out to his opponent, ¡°Are you¡­ Are you an elemental mage? Is this some kind of elemental fire magic? Or is this even elemental magic¡­?¡±


    Belle glared at him and growled, a deep guttural sound.


    Right¡­ She¡¯s quite angry with me¡­ understandable¡­ Calex swallowed, his throat felt dry in the back of his mouth.


    Calex shrugged and threw his arms up into the air, ¡°I must admit, I have spent most of my days studying the art of magic, though I cannot recall learning anything regarding this strange magic of yours. Quite fascinating really¡­¡±


    As he spoke his mind raced through possible ways to deal with the dire vampiress. Perhaps several more cuts, deeper cuts, with Nightshade would put an end to her. But the golden fire was a severe problem. It was impossible to get close.


    Black¡¯s shadow tendrils, Green¡¯s vine entanglement, Purple¡¯s mind chains¡­ most of his advanced spells would simply burn before they reached the vampiress.


    Flame and bright spells also seemed futile on a being who did not burn. Which left him with only a few options. Besides Nightshade, storm magic was his greatest weapon. But it would take time to create a lightning bolt powerful enough to pierce her aegis. He needed to make some distance, he needed a distraction¡­


    ¡°Are those golden flames some sort of archaic orange spell?¡± Calex asked as he slowly channeled green mana in the sands around him. ¡°Chromatic flames are usually orange, but House Noir has proven that they can be blue as well. Is that what this is? A secret spell¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªStop¡­ talking,¡± Belle said through clenched teeth.


    Calex sighed, ¡°As you¡­ wish!¡± He abruptly slammed his foot on the ground.


    A 2-meter tall jagged rock exploded from the sand and hurled straight at Belle. She did not yell in surprise, nor try to evade. Her hands shot out and gripped the rock with newly-formed claws, stopping the gigantic boulder in its tracks.


    Calex stared in disbelief, ¡°H-how did y¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI said stop TALKING!¡± Belle screamed and flung the boulder at him.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Calex channeled orange mana into his muscles and jumped to the side.


    The boulder flew past him and slammed into the arena¡¯s wall, cracking the reinforced wall and shaking the seats in the stands directly above. The crowd yelled, some in anger, most in fear.


    Calex stared in numb shock at the giant crater left in the wall, then slowly turned towards the one who had so easily tossed the boulder.


    Belle growled and bared her teeth. Her lower canines had grown as sharp and large as her fangs.


    Calex laughed shakily and smiled wryly, ¡°And here I thought I could take it easy.¡±


    Belle looked down on him with disgust, ¡°Have you been going easy on me, little drow? Good. I was beginning to think this fight would be as disappointing as your pathetic excuse for teammates.¡±


    Calex narrowed his eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t speak about them like that.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    Belle stretched out her arm and pointed her fingers towards what little remained of her hammer. The wooden shaft wrapped around a steel rod had burned to ash from the heat of her flames. Suddenly, the bare metal hammer began to tremble and glow with scorching heat as it warped into a metal ball before it elongated into the shape of a longsword.


    The blade¡¯s steel glowed red hot and burned with black smoke. Belle wrapped her hand around the burning hilt and swung the sword around in a rhythmic pattern, testing its weight.


    ¡°This will do,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± he whispered in alarm.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s daughter,¡± she snarled.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Belle dashed towards him in the blink of an eye. Calex gasped in surprise and leaped back, his agility magic surging into his muscles at full might. With blurred steps, he darted behind her unguarded back and thrust Nightshade right between her shoulders. As the purple blade neared her skin, Belle¡¯s molten sword spun around and clashed with Nightshade in an explosion of sparks.


    Belle turned her neck and looked back at him, ¡°Is that the best you can do?¡±


    Calex frowned, ¡°How did y¡ª?¡±


    The world spun, the sky was upside down, and the ground flew past him. His body crashed into the ground and skipped across the sand half a dozen times before slowing to a painful halt.


    Calex wheezed heavily. It felt as if a hammer had struck his ribs. He held his broken ribs gingerly and tried to stand. A sharp pain shot up his foot. He cried softly and fell to one knee. He had twisted the ankle during the fall.


    He panted in quick painful breaths and tried to assess the full extent of the injury. If he cast a White healing spell perhaps it might be enough to help him stand.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even stand, can you?¡± Belle shook her head in disappointment.


    Calex stared at her warily. She was over twenty paces away, but he knew she could close that gap in an instant. She had sent him flying with a kick and he hadn¡¯t even been able to react.


    She¡¯s faster than me¡­ Even with my agility spells, she¡¯s actually faster than me¡­


    A cold sickly feeling crept over his back. Calex glanced around for Nightshade anxiously. The purple blade had landed somewhere in the sand, but he could not see where.


    Belle walked towards him, one slow step at a time, ¡°I was told ¡ª everyone was told¡ª that you were the strongest mage of our generation. Perhaps in terms of raw magical skill. I admit, there is no one in this tourney with your technical skill.¡± Belle gripped her molten sword tightly, ¡°But you are not the strongest, Thorn.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, no one¡¯s told me that before,¡± Calex grinned painfully. ¡°Let¡¯s put that theory to the test.¡±


    Blue mana poured into his veins. The twin pools at the edges of the arena shook violently. The two bodies of water flowed out in enormous waves and crashed against one another at the center of the arena, burying Belle under a hill of water.


    The water boiled instantly and erupted outwards in an explosion of steam, covering the whole arena.


    That won¡¯t hold her for long, it¡¯s now or never!


    Calex summoned forth every last drop of blue mana left in his heart and channeled it through his body. His instructors had warned him countless times about casting high-master spells and they were right¡­


    He had never been able to manage a stable Javelin Bolt spell, but the time for holding back was long gone.


    Electricity crackled over Calex¡¯s hands and grew until it formed a small javelin. His arms burned from the exertion of mana. He could hear his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears, threatening to give out over the excessive magic. The spell wasn¡¯t stable, but it just had to last long enough to find his target.


    Calex ignored the pain creeping up his arm and stared intently at the steam cloud, a mad glint in his eyes. A faint golden silhouette slowly formed in the cloud. It grew larger and brighter as it neared. The steam dissipated around Belle as she stepped out, forming a strange halo around her golden flames.


    Calex chuckled in disappointment. Some small part of him had hoped the water would have been enough to put out her fire, but if anything it seemed as if her flames had grown larger, angrier.


    Belle glared at him, ¡°Is this how you die? On your knees?¡±


    Golden flames condensed over her sword until they formed a faint outline of a wolf¡¯s head.


    Calex could feel the sweat evaporating off his skin and the air drying around him. He could hardly breathe from the sheer heat. He leaned on his knees to steady himself and looked straight into Belle¡¯s eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t aim on one foot.¡±


    He pulled his arm back and hurled the Javelin Bolt. The blue pillar of energy screeched through the steam in a whirlwind of electricity. Belle¡¯s wrist snapped up, her molten sword rose in a flash and met the azure bolt in an explosion of mana. The crowds gasped with shock as the cloud of steam blew back from the blue and gold shockwave.


    As the steam and smoke settled, the crowds spotted Belle standing amidst the wreckage, unharmed, golden flames burning bright.


    A stone wall, four meters high and almost twice as thick stood between Belle and Calex. Belle¡¯s flames had burned a molten hole so deep into the stone wall it had almost perforated the other end. Calex lay on the ground, unconscious and covered in soot, but he was otherwise unharmed.


    Ophelia stood over him, a mixture of worry and anger washing over her face. She crouched down and gently picked up her son in her arms.


    ¡°You intervened!¡± Belle called out angrily. ¡°The match isn¡¯t over yet!¡±


    ¡°This match is over,¡± Ophelia spoke in a cold, commanding tone.


    ¡°You hypocrite!¡± Belle screamed. ¡°You tried to have Freya killed even after she had surrendered, but now you step in to save your son when neither side has surrendered!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can try and stop me,¡± Ophelia narrowed her blue eyes, ¡°But I will not hold back.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m scared of you?¡± Belle growled as her flames grew larger.


    ¡°No, I think you¡¯re just a battle-crazed imbecile,¡± she said evenly.


    Belle snarled, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Stop already, Sylvie! You¡¯ve won, let it end!¡± Ismene shouted and stepped out from the arena¡¯s western gate.


    ¡°I win when that little Thorn bastard is dead!¡± Belle roared.


    ¡°If you kill him war will break out between our cities!¡± Ismene shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±


    Ismene stared at Belle and sighed dispassionately, ¡°...So be it.¡± She raised her hands high and summoned forth a tornado of water over the arena.


    Before Belle had a chance to evade, the tornado slammed down on her. Yet the golden flames burned bright through the water. Steam erupted all around, but the tornado simply grew and its gyration quickened as Ismene poured more blue mana into her spell. The golden flames burned brighter for a few seconds more, then slowly they started to grow dimmer and dimmer until the golden light disappeared altogether.


    Ismene lowered her arms and released the torrent spell. The tornado collapsed and the water flowed out over the sand. Belle stood amidst a small crater of water, hands on her knees. Her clothes were soaked and her breathing was hard. The molten sword had turned a cool mottled grey. Steam evaporated off her body, but there were no flames. The claws on her fingers were gone and her fangs had returned to normal.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Sylvie, let it go,¡± Ismene said calmly.


    Belle glared at the arch mage. She slowly exhaled through her nose and tossed her sword aside.


    Ismene smiled, relieved, ¡°Well done, Sylv¡ª¡±


    Belle turned her back to the old woman and walked away with an angry gait.


    Ismene sighed under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m too old for this.¡±

 Chapter 328: Summer Solstice Part 1

    Chapter 328: Summer Solstice Part 1


    The noon sun radiated warm golden light over the Ebon Realm. The longest day of the year had arrived and the Festival of the Gods was in full bloom in the streets of Undergrowth. Hundreds of stalls had gathered their stocks in preparation for this day. The influx of visitors from across the realm gathered for the tournament only helped bolster the anticipation of the merchants. Countless foods, drinks, pottery, trinkets, clothes, weapons, armor, entertainment of all sensual kinds, and more were on sale for whoever had the coin to spend.


    Stryg walked down the crowded streets in a meandering path. A retinue of House Katag¡¯s armored guards walked in a circle around him, forming a protective barrier of sorts. Drows, vampires, humans, orcs, and dwarves all stopped what they were doing as Stryg walked by. They pointed in excitement and fear, and whispered amongst themselves as they stared at Stryg and his two companions; his fianc¨¦, Elena Katag, and his wife, Feli.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Amethyst Mistress! She¡¯s so pretty!¡± a young drow girl shouted as she pointed at Feli from atop her father¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± the father snapped and put his daughter down. He met Feli¡¯s gaze and quickly bowed in an apology.


    Feli smiled warmly and waved at the little girl.


    ¡°Madam, would you like me to deal with them? Peasants should not be pointing at their superiors,¡± the guard captain stated.


    ¡°She is just expressing herself. Leave them be, they have done nothing wrong,¡± Feli shook her head.


    ¡°Uh, as you wish,¡± the captain said with a trace of confusion.


    Elena nudged Feli¡¯s arm, ¡°Amethyst Mistress? That¡¯s the fourth time I¡¯ve heard that name in the last ten minutes. Is that what the common folk call you?¡±


    ¡°So it seems,¡± Feli admitted reluctantly. ¡°They started calling me that ever since I came to Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°I like it, I think it¡¯s quite charming,¡± Elena smiled.


    ¡°Yes, good for you,¡± Feli said curtly and walked ahead, a few steps closer to Stryg.


    Elena bit her lip in discomfort, but she took a deep breath and quickly smoothed over her features. Today was the first day it was just the three of them, she was determined to make a good impression with Stryg and Feli, no matter what it took.


    Elena hurried her steps and caught up with them, ¡°Undergrowth really went all out this year for the festival. It¡¯s a nice break from all the tourney challenges.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose it is, but I still like Hollow Shade¡¯s festival better,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°I like them both,¡± Elena said thoughtfully. ¡°What about you, Stryg? S-Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What?¡± Stryg looked up from staring at his feet.


    ¡°Oh, uh, I was just wondering if you liked the Festival of the Gods here?¡± Elena said uneasily.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess it¡¯s nice,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s good¡­¡± Elena smiled weakly, ¡°I, um¡­ I wonder what everyone else is up to right about now?¡±


    ¡°...My teammates left early this morning, I have no idea where they''re at. Probably drinking and having fun I guess,¡± Stryg said off-handedly.


    ¡°Rhian and Lysaila are definitely out drinking and eating whatever they think looks or smells interesting,¡± Feli chuckled.


    ¡°Gale took the day off from keeping an eye on me. She said she was going to some spa or something,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°The spas here are nice. We could go if you¡¯d like?¡± Elena said.


    ¡°Mm, maybe some other time,¡± Stryg said listlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯d bet you would prefer it if Lady Mora came too,¡± Feli said teasingly.


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice, but Maeve has been in her room the last few days,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°She¡¯s busy with some stuff or so she said.¡±


    ¡°I was joking, Stryg. The right answer is ¡®No, I¡¯d rather spend the day alone with you at the spa,¡± Feli frowned.


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡­?¡± Stryg¡¯s voice drifted off.


    Elena glanced at Nameless hanging from Stryg¡¯s hip. For whatever reason, he still carried around the broken blade.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Elena cleared her throat. ¡°I hear there are a bunch of master smiths and enchanters selling their wares today. I bet we could find you a new replacement for that sword of yours.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Stryg snapped at her. His slit pupils were as thin as blades.


    ¡°S-sorry, I meant no offense!¡± Elena said worriedly.


    Feli grabbed Elena¡¯s arm and shook her head subtly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Elena mumbled, relieved.


    ¡°Nameless means a lot to Stryg, even broken,¡± Feli stated. She glanced at him, ¡°But that¡¯s not what¡¯s been bothering you all morning, is it?¡±


    Stryg looked away glumly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought,¡± Feli sighed. ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re still thinking about yesterday¡¯s duel, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg nodded numbly.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± Feli nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re worried about the final match.¡±


    ¡°H-huh?¡± Elena laughed and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why stress about that? Sylvie defeated Calex. The other cities¡¯ teams have been officially knocked out. Hollow Shade has technically already won. You guys did it! You won!¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Stryg sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough for him,¡± Feli noted. ¡°Sylvie and he have a history.¡±


    ¡°History?¡± Elena asked.


    ¡°A rivalry,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Oh. Ooooohhh,¡± Elena said. ¡°B-but, surely Stryg will win, right! Right¡­?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg admitted quietly. ¡°...I¡¯ve fought Sylvie several times, and we almost came out about even. But every single time I always held back, I never used my true chromatic range of spells.¡± He sighed, ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize Sylvie was holding back way more. Whatever those golden flames were¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. The sheer power behind those flames¡­ I don¡¯t have any spell that can compare. She¡¯s physically stronger and faster than me, she is a better swordsman than me, and now it turns out she¡¯s even a better mage than me¡­¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Feli whispered sympathetically.


    Elena gently patted his shoulder, ¡°Um, don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re a bonafide Ebon Aspirant, you¡¯ll surely win the final match!¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Stryg sighed.


    Feli clapped her hands together loudly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave such negative thoughts for tomorrow, hm? Today is the biggest festival of the year! Why don¡¯t we enjoy it doing fun things!¡±


    ¡°Like trying to figure out a way to tell Nora that I failed to kill Nokti, the vampire who backstabbed Clypeus¡­?¡± Stryg said bitterly.


    ¡°No, you cheeky bastard,¡± Feli frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Nora, so stop worrying about that.¡±


    Elena scratched her cheek, ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know what you two are talking about, but I think that Miss Feli was referring to happy activities, like trying out some of the delicacies in the food stalls.¡±


    ¡°I could go for some cake,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°Cake?¡± Stryg asked. He stiffened and stopped walking, ¡°Oh shit¡­!¡±


    Feli looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, ¡°So you finally remembered?¡±


    Stryg chuckled sheepishly, ¡°Um, I¡¯m really sorry¡­ I don¡¯t really know what to say¡­¡±


    ¡°You could start with a ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯ and then another dozen apologies,¡± Feli said with her nose in the air.


    Stryg smiled weakly, pulled Feli into his arms and kissed her, ¡°Happy Birthday, my beautiful and lovely wife. I¡¯m sorry for forgetting what makes today so special, you.¡±


    ¡°...Meh, it¡¯s a start,¡± Feli said amusedly. ¡°But you¡¯re going to have to do a lot better than that.¡±


    ¡°The day is just beginning,¡± Stryg grinned confidently.


    ¡°Wait a sec! Today¡¯s your birthday!?¡± Elena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s great! The priests say the ones born on the Summer Solstice are blessed by the gods and will have good fortune for their whole lives. You¡¯re so lucky!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very lucky,¡± Feli said dryly. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would accuse an orphan of having a very ¡®blessed¡¯ life either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re married to the first Ebon Aspirant in over two centuries, who is literally trying to please you right now, I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty lucky,¡± Elena said.


    Feli laughed, ¡°You think being married to this Sylvan country bumpkin is lucky? You really don¡¯t know anything about Stryg, do you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­¡± Elena blushed.


    ¡°First thing you should know about Stryg,¡± Feli smirked, ¡°He bites.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? What does that mean?¡± Elena asked worriedly.


    Feli slipped her finger into Stryg¡¯s mouth and lifted his upper lip, ¡°His fangs are quite tiny, but those little fuckers are sharper than a goddamn needle.¡±


    Stryg pulled his face away and licked his lips, ¡°Why do I feel like you want me to bite you?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance, but that hasn¡¯t stopped you before,¡± Feli said. ¡°Oh, and by the way, Miss Katag. How do you feel about occasionally having your blood drunk?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, what!?¡± Elena paled.


    Feli smiled wide, ¡°Today is going to be fun.¡±


    ~~~


    Callum sat on a bench and watched hundreds of common folk mill about the festival as he sipped an expensive bottle of wine he had bought from some grape vendor. He definitely had paid too much for the bottle, but he preferred wine over the sweeter drinks offered in the other stalls. His girlfriend held a different opinion.


    Belle held a mug in each hand filled with a hot drink, made of sweet fruits mixed with spices. How she could stomach drinking something so hot in the summer he had no idea.


    Belle stared at the crowds with a constant scowl, her usual smile nowhere to be seen.


    Callum coughed, ¡°How¡¯s the drink? Or drinks? I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Belle said gruffly and took another swig.


    Callum swept back his black hair and wiped the sweat off his brow. He wished he had brought an umbrella like all the other vampires. He was half-human, the light of the sun didn¡¯t innately irritate his pale skin, but he still wasn¡¯t immune to the heat.


    ¡°Are you um, are you enjoying the festival?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± she shrugged. ¡°The whole thing is just a giant mockery to the gods.¡±


    ¡°Mockery?¡± he frowned. ¡°The Festival of the Gods is a day everyone gathers to celebrate the gods and pray to them in gratitude. How is that a mockery?¡±


    ¡°You think everyone here is thankful to the gods? Most of the drows in Undergrowth don¡¯t worship the ebon gods and there are quite a few of them who don¡¯t even believe the gods are real.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure, but the majority of the realm still believes in the gods. Even drows, especially the ones in the North, like Frost Rim, still worship the gods. No one is here trying to mock the gods, even the ones who don¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Belle chuckled sarcastically. ¡°Tell me, how many statues of Solis do you see around?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Solis, god of the sun, the deity who this entire day is dedicated to. I don¡¯t see anything around that even hints at his existence. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. But no one really worships Solis anymore, he¡¯s been gone for centuries.¡±


    ¡°The Keepers of the Dawn still worship Solis, even if he¡¯s dead. They haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Valley Tribes that attacked us just a few days back?¡± Callum asked, confused. ¡°Are you really certain we should be taking any tips from those savages?¡±


    ¡°Funny how the savages are the only ones who still remember what this day meant.¡±


    Callum shrugged, ¡°Well, either way, today is the Festival of the Gods, emphasis on the plurality.¡±


    ¡°You and everyone else can call it the Festival of the Gods, but I doubt the gods see it that way. It doesn¡¯t matter if the people of this land have tried to distort the meaning; the Summer Solstice has and will always belong to the god of the sun.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that makes you pious or a heretic,¡± Callum smiled lopsidedly.


    Belle finished her drinks and tossed her mugs aside, ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? Where are you going?¡±


    Belle stood up and walked off into the crowd without a word.


    Callum tossed his bottle aside and chased after.


    ¡°Sylvie! Wait! Sylvie ¡ªagh dammit, how do you lose a 7 ft tall woman!?¡± Callum glanced around helplessly, but she was gone.


    ~~~


    Belle stepped into a dark alleyway, away from the stalls and festivities. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste with you lot, come out already. That¡¯s not a request.¡±


    Four black cloaks slipped out from the shadows and gathered in front of Belle.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± they said in unison and bent down on one knee.


    ¡°Who sent you to spy on me this time?¡± Belle asked impatiently.


    ¡°I sent them,¡± a familiar voice spoke from behind.


    Belle spun around with surprise, ¡°Dad?!¡±


    ¡°And they aren¡¯t here to spy on you. They¡¯re here to protect you,¡± Dorian said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection,¡± Belle growled.


    ¡°Maybe that was the case before, but things have changed, war is coming,¡± Dorian said lamentingly. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone from the Ebon Order for too long, Belle. It¡¯s time to come home.¡±

 Chapter 329: Summer Solstice Part 2

    Chapter 329: Summer Solstice Part 2


    Belle stepped into a dark alleyway, away from the stalls and festivities. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste with you lot, come out already. That¡¯s not a request.¡±


    Four black cloaks slipped out from the shadows and gathered in front of Belle.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± they said in unison and bent down on one knee.


    ¡°Who sent you to spy on me this time?¡± Belle asked impatiently.


    ¡°I sent them,¡± a familiar voice spoke from behind.


    Belle spun around with surprise, ¡°Dad?!¡±


    ¡°And they aren¡¯t here to spy on you. They¡¯re here to protect you,¡± Dorian said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection,¡± Belle growled.


    ¡°Maybe that was the case before, but things have changed, war is coming,¡± Dorian said lamentingly. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone from the Ebon Order for too long, Belle. It¡¯s time to come home.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°What makes you think I want to go home?¡±


    ¡°I thought you might say that,¡± Dorian sighed. He glanced at his subordinates, ¡°Give us some room, I need to speak with my daughter.¡±


    The cloaked agents nodded and scaled the alley walls. In a matter of two breaths, they had disappeared over the walls without so much as a rustle.


    Belle crossed her arms, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you left Mom¡¯s side just to come see me.¡±


    ¡°I came here to do more than just see you,¡± Dorian said as he looked up at his towering daughter. ¡°Besides, your mother¡¯s recovery has been going well.¡±


    Belle¡¯s eyes widened with a glimmer of hope, ¡°What? Then you mean¡­ she¡¯s awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said pleasantly. ¡°Her strength hasn¡¯t fully returned yet, but I think with this year¡¯s Summer Solstice she may finally be healthy enough to leave the castle.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Belle smiled sincerely to herself.


    Dorian reached out and gently laid his hand on her forearm, ¡°You should come see her, she misses you.¡±


    Belle bit her lip and shook her head, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡±


    ¡°How many times must I assure you,¡± he said sympathetically, ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t blame you for what happened, no one does. You were a child and Caligo used that innocence to manipulate you in your dreams. You are not guilty of that tragic night, you were a victim.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Belle pushed her father¡¯s hand away, ¡°You didn¡¯t lose any children that night! Mom did! She lost everyone but her youngest and most useless child,¡± she laughed mirthlessly.


    Dorian smiled sadly, ¡°...Your siblings were not my children, that is true, but I knew them well. They would not have wanted you to live like this.¡±


    ¡°Like what?!¡± Belle snapped. ¡°Like someone who has trained her whole life trying to make up for her failure!? Because you were the one who trained me, Dad! You did that!¡±


    Dorian looked away in shame, ¡°Perhaps I have pushed you too hard these last few years¡­ But with Bellum¡¯s ailing health and the dangers growing in the realm I thought that maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou thought I could somehow take over Mom¡¯s place? Have you lost your damn mind?!¡± she scoffed.


    He sighed with the tired voice of an old man, ¡°I know it¡¯s impossible. I know that. I¡¯d never wanted you to even try. But Bellum is more than just a god, she is more than her power. Your mom is a symbol, not just to the Ebon Order, but to the people of this realm. Without Bellum¡¯s leadership, without the belief that someone could protect the people from the realm¡¯s enemies¡­ Then¡­ the people, this realm¡­ it could all fall apart¡­¡±


    Belle swallowed hard, ¡°And you wanted that responsibility to fall on my shoulders? To be some kind of symbol of unity in order to prevent such a fate?¡±


    ¡°Only until your mother recovered her strength,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± she laughed bitterly. ¡°Is that why my instructors and my own father trained me for? Is that why you trained me day in and day out, until I could barely stand? Until my hands were so bloody raw I couldn¡¯t grasp my sword¡¯s hilt? All so I could be a ¡®symbol of unity?¡¯¡± She snarled, ¡°You could have fooled me.¡±


    Dorian bowed his head, ¡°Belle, I am an elder of the Ebon Order. It is my duty to put the needs of the realm before my own¡­ But I see now I shouldn¡¯t have placed the realm¡¯s needs over my daughter¡¯s¡­ I am truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said with an eerie calm. ¡°...I am grateful for your training. It kept me from being weak.¡±


    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened worriedly, ¡°...Belle, what¡¯s happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Why did you really come today? After all this time? Why the sudden interest now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean now? I¡¯ve always had an interest in my daughter¡¯s whereabouts and safety. Especially after the ¡®incident¡¯ in your dorm room.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She sighed, annoyed, ¡°Let me guess, Poppy told you about the assassins.¡±


    ¡°I read her report, yes. The orc girl seems to care a lot about your well-being. I¡¯m glad you found a friend.¡±


    ¡°Did you find out who sent the assassins?¡±


    ¡°Not as of yet, but whoever they were, it seems they were not aware of who you really are.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t come to find me after the botched assassination? Because you didn¡¯t think I was in danger?¡±


    ¡°So long as Caligo lives, you are always in danger outside the confines of the castle.¡±


    ¡°He had no problem finding and breaking into our last castle, I don¡¯t see why this castle or any other castle would be different,¡± she muttered in frustration.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Dorian clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°Belle, I want you to know that despite all that has happened, I don¡¯t want you to be confined inside a castle. I want you to live your life, to enjoy your freedom and youth¡­ It¡¯s why against my better judgment, I let you escape to Hollow Shade¡­¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± Belle asked, surprised.


    Dorian winked, ¡°I contacted my niece, Calantha, and helped her get you into the academy without any fuss.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ you didn¡¯t¡­¡± she whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°Did you really think someone as talented as you could go through the academy unnoticed? Lord Noir is not a fool. Calantha made a deal with him to make your transition into the academy as smooth as possible. As far as Elzri is aware, you are a mere distant Ashe relative who wishes to attend school as an ordinary student, nothing more.¡±


    Belle bit her lip, ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I wanted you to enjoy your academy life to its fullest.¡± Dorian smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown, ¡°Then yesterday happened¡­ You revealed your divine abilities in front of thousands.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like any of those idiots knew what my golden flames really were,¡± Belle shrugged.


    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± Dorian asked, baffled. ¡°Do you not feel any regret for the secrets you put at risk?¡±


    She glared at him,  ¡°My only regret is being unable to kill that conceited bastard, Calex Thorn.¡±


    ¡°Are you daft, girl? Killing the heir to the City of Thorns would have sparked a conflict between Undergrowth and Hollow Shade!¡±


    ¡°He hurt my friend! He would have killed her if I hadn¡¯t stopped him! He deserves to die!¡±


    ¡°The Order¡¯s duty is to protect the people, not to start unnecessary wars!¡±


    ¡°I am the daughter of War, it is in my nature,¡± she sneered.


    ¡°Bellum is also the Guardian of the realm. She protects the people.¡±


    ¡°Only the people she finds worthy.¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± Dorian frowned.


    ¡°Why are you surprised? Is this not what you wanted? I am living for myself, not for the thousands of imbeciles out there celebrating a day that does not even belong to any one of them! My grandfather would have killed them for what they¡¯ve done to his Summer Solstice!¡±


    Dorian grimaced, ¡°Bellum hates what they¡¯ve done to his day as well, but Solis is gone¡ª¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to forget him! Forget that he ever existed!?¡± she cried out angrily.


    ¡°...It is not our place to interfere. The Ebon Order¡¯s way has always been to operate in secrecy. It is how we have stayed strong throughout the centuries and still managed to be a neutral power in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Fuck the Order¡¯s ways! I¡¯m done with all this bullshit!¡± Belle screamed. She walked past her father and headed for the open street, ¡°I¡¯m not going back. I came here to win a tournament and that is exactly what I am going to do.¡±


    ¡°Belle Ashe-Bellumdottir, do not walk away from me!¡± he yelled in a chastising tone.


    She paused in her steps, but she did not turn around.


    Dorian sighed bitterly, ¡°Is this all you care about now? Victory?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s all that really matters, isn¡¯t it? Who wins and lives. Who loses and dies. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°If you really believe that, then grant your old man one request.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Even when you win tomorrow¡¯s match, do not kill the Ebon Aspirant,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I do not know what the re-emergence of an Ebon Aspirant means, but it is too soon to pass judgment on the first of what may be a whole new generation of Ebon Lords.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Belle laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I have no interest in killing my friend. I just hope he can put up a good fight.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°You really are your mother¡¯s daughter.¡±


    She glanced back at him, ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and stop me?¡±


    ¡°No, even though I think we both know I should,¡± Dorian sighed heavily. He reached into his pocket and tossed her a small leather pouch, ¡°Catch.¡±


    Belle snatched the pouch from the air and peered inside, ¡°What is it?¡±


    She turned the pouch over and a pair of reddish gold earrings fell into her palm.


    ¡°They¡¯re made of vermillion gold. The metal is native to the Aurus Realm and is quite rare even there. The earrings were your mother¡¯s.¡± He smiled, ¡°She asked me to give them to you and to tell you, Happy Birthday, Belle, light of my heart.¡±


    Belle took a shaky breath and smiled, her eyes watery, ¡°Tell Mother I said thank you and that I am sorry for everything.¡±


    Before Dorian could respond, she walked out of the alley and melded into the celebrating crowds.


    ~~~


    Plum pushed open the heavy wooden door and stumbled into her house in the late hours of the night. She had one too many beers at the Festival and she felt as if she was about to hurl.


    Dammit, I should really stop drinking with Veronica, she thought regrettably.


    Plum hugged the wall as best she could and dragged her feet to the kitchen. If she was going to accidentally vomit, she would do it in the easiest room to clean.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± a deep voice coughed.


    Plum spun around, surprised, and fell on her bottom. ¡°W-who are you!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for the disturbance, Miss,¡± an armored guard bowed his head.


    As Plum glanced around the kitchen room, she noticed there were half a dozen heavily armed guards standing around the room.


    ¡°W-what is this¡­!?¡± Plum asked, panic rising in her voice.


    Her eyes looked over the guards¡¯ steel armor and finally noticed the crimson heraldry of House Katag.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re from House Katag,¡± Plum said, relieved.


    ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± the guard nodded.


    ¡°Did Stryg send you? Is he here?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t,¡± a sultry voice spoke from a chair in the corner of the room.


    Plum narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the figure hiding in the dark, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The figure stood up from the chair and stepped into the candlelight, revealing a beautiful slim figure and lustrous purple hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you,¡± Feli said in a composed tone.


    Plum furrowed her brow, ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±

 Chapter 330: Nice To Meet You?

    Chapter 330: Nice To Meet You?


    In the late hours of the night, Plum sat on the floor, confused at the strangers in her home.


    She narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the figure hiding in the dark, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The figure stood up from the chair and stepped into the window¡¯s moonlight, revealing a beautiful slim figure and lustrous purple hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you,¡± Feli said in a composed tone.


    Plum furrowed her brow, ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Feli asked musingly.


    ¡°I¡¯d think I¡¯d remember a beauty like you,¡± Plum smiled.


    What was she saying? She usually wasn¡¯t this direct. Damn alcohol.


    ¡°Funny, I know a lot about you,¡± Feli smirked. ¡°I first heard of you around 2 years ago. Stryg always used to talk about you, his first and best friend.¡±


    ¡°Stryg did¡­?¡± Plum muttered. Did she actually know this woman?


    Feli chuckled sorely, ¡°I admit, I was a bit jealous. Who was this 3rd year drow woman who my lover thought so highly of?¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡­! You¡¯re the Amethyst Mistress! You¡¯re Stryg¡¯s fianc¨¦!¡±


    ¡°Wife,¡± Feli corrected. ¡°So Stryg did tell you about me.¡±


    ¡°Well, not really,¡± Plum shook her head and tried to stand.


    Her legs felt wobbly and the world suddenly began to spin. Plum swallowed down the urge to vomit and tightly grabbed the kitchen table for balance.


    Gods, of all the days to face this woman, it had to be when I have a belly full of mead.


    ¡°Are you well?¡± Feli asked, a trace of concern in her voice.


    ¡°Yup, totally, just give me a minute,¡± Plum nodded weakly.


    Feli glanced at one of the Katag guards standing nearby, ¡°Fetch her some water.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± the guard nodded and handed Plum the water skin hanging from his belt.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Plum took it gratefully and sipped the water, careful not to drink too much at once.


    ¡°...That will be all for now,¡± Feli said.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the Katag guards nodded and left the kitchen in a neat file.


    Plum plopped down on a wooden chair and looked the gorgeous woman over, from head to toe. ¡°So¡­ um, Feli, right? What brings you to visit ¡ªor break in, I suppose¡ª my humble home?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to break in,¡± Feli said abashedly. ¡°I came earlier and you weren¡¯t here. And I didn¡¯t really want to just wait outside in the middle of the street¡­¡±


    So even a cool beauty like her can be flustered. The thought gave Plum a bit of relief.


    Feli glanced out the window, ¡°You know, I first came to this city a few days after the tourney had started. I remember the people were talking about stories, well, one story in particular. From the city¡¯s outskirts all the way to the heart of Undergrowth, all people could talk about was the discovery of an ¡®Ebon Aspirant¡¯ and his renowned magical feats during the 2nd Challenge.¡±


    Feli smiled to herself, ¡°I knew it was Stryg, from the first story I heard. I knew it was Stryg.¡±


    ¡°He told you?¡± Plum wondered.


    ¡°No, but I was aware he had more chromatic colors than he let on. I didn¡¯t really understand what it meant at the time, but looking back I supposed the secrecy made sense.¡±


    ¡°Stryg always liked his secrets,¡± Plum chuckled. ¡°He never even told me he had a fianc¨¦, not until it accidentally came out while we were having dinner at a friend¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°And yet he seemed to tell you so many other secrets,¡± Feli noted quietly. ¡°And I think I know why. You see, despite the cold-hearted Sylvan warrior exterior Stryg always shows, the reality is he is quite soft on the inside. Not that he won¡¯t kill someone, he definitely will, without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°What I mean is, Stryg can be sensitive and quite self-conscious. All he really wants is to be accepted,¡± Feli stared at the intoxicated drow. ¡°You were the first one to truly accept him. Even I failed at that when I met Stryg.¡±


    ¡°People judge him for what they see and hear about him, not who he really is,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You and I know the real Stryg. I came to love and accept him for who he is, yet in the end, you rejected him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Plum glared at her, ¡°My mother died because of him.¡±


    ¡°And she almost killed Stryg. I remember. I was in the infirmary room watching his unconscious body as the white mages tried to keep him alive. How do you think I felt?¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Plum snapped.


    Feli shrugged, ¡°My point is, we were all within our rights to feel the way we did. Angry. Frustrated. Spiteful. You pushed Stryg away, which was completely understandable. What I can¡¯t understand¡­ is why you and he have been talking these last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Plum felt a shiver run down her spine.


    ¡°Still don¡¯t understand?¡± Feli asked. ¡°Let me paint you a picture. Stryg and you were best friends. He used to talk about you all the time. Then your mother died and he stopped talking about you. He¡¯d only mention your name in whispers when he slept, usually during his nightmares. Clearly, whatever friendship you two had was broken.¡±


    Feli smiled coldly, ¡°So imagine my surprise when I begin to do some reconnaissance of my own in this city and I find out that the Plum is having friendly chats with my husband. Naturally, I ask Stryg about it and he tells me you two are friends again, he thinks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°Is it? I love him, but Stryg isn¡¯t very good with social interactions, in fact, he is quite terrible at it most of the time. He doesn¡¯t pick up on social cues and he doesn¡¯t understand when a ¡®friend¡¯ might be taking advantage of him.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± Plum narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Do you really care about Stryg or not? Because to me, it seems like you¡¯re quite emotionally conflicted.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s complicated,¡± Plum said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Stryg doesn¡¯t need ¡®complicated¡¯ in his life. What he needs are people he can rely on. He has been thrust into the realm¡¯s eye. He is in an incredibly precarious position. One wrong move could end his life. He doesn¡¯t need someone he cares about who doesn¡¯t care about him.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about caring about him or not!¡± Plum said. ¡°Stryg¡¯s role is larger than any single relationship. Even his relationship with you. As an Ebon Aspirant, as a future Ebon Lord, Stryg has a responsibility to the whole Ebon Realm, to the people.¡±


    ¡°The whole Ebon Realm?¡± Feli laughed and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of idealistic world you think this is, but the stark reality is Stryg owes this realm nothing. And if he tries to shoulder the ¡®responsibility¡¯ you so loftily speak of, it will crush him.¡±


    ¡°You rather protect Stryg than try to change the world with him?¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Feli shouted indignantly. ¡°I want to keep him alive! Not risk his life to save the fucking realm! There have been countless powerful mage lords in the past, why haven¡¯t any of them tried to fix the realm¡¯s problems! Why does it all have to fall on Stryg, huh!?¡±


    ¡°We cannot judge our responsibilities based on the people who failed theirs.¡±


    ¡°You really are an idealistic one.¡± Feli took a deep breath, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t need Stryg to be this realm¡¯s hero. All I need is my family. Stryg is part of that family.¡±


    ¡°So then as long as your family is happy and safe, the realm can burn?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°The realm has always been burning. Why would I wade into that? Why would you try to pull Stryg into that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to, I just want him to be an actual good leader someday, someone who cares about more than just the people in front of him.¡±


    ¡°You want?¡± Feli said sharply. ¡°What makes you think you are in any position to want anything from Stryg? Last I recall, you left Hollow Shade after making it very clear you wanted nothing to do with him.¡±


    Plum bit her lip, ¡°That was before¡ª¡±


    ¡°Before you found out he was an Ebon Aspirant?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Feli said. ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t really care if the only reason you¡¯re interested in Stryg is because he¡¯s an Aspirant. I don¡¯t care if one day you end up being his advisor or his concubine. Ebon Lords have had many of both.¡±


    Plum snarled, ¡°You dare¨C!¡±


    Feli raised her hands, ¡°¡ªI¡¯m not judging, although I understand how mages like you whose futures are paved with wealth and comforts would think so. But the truth is most people try to make the best of their situations in whatever way they can. I dated Stryg because I saw a better future with him than I did marrying some commoner. Of course, at the time I didn¡¯t know he was an Aspirant, and there were plenty of richer men with far more promising prospects I could have dated. But I chose Stryg anyway, do you want to know why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying to hear it,¡± Plum said sarcastically.


    ¡°Because I fell in love with him. I didn¡¯t want to admit it at first, but in time I came to accept it; I love that blue Sylvan man from Vulture Woods. That¡¯s the difference between you and me. I actually care about what happens to Stryg.¡±


    ¡°I care about his safety too,¡± Plum clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Do you really? Do you care about him?¡± Feli asked carefully. ¡°I know Stryg cares about you. He may even be in love with you, I don¡¯t honestly know. What I do know is that Stryg came to Undergrowth to see you. It wasn¡¯t his only reason for coming, but it was certainly one of the most important. Stryg wanted to mend his relationship with you.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t like that?¡± Plum guessed.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said it didn¡¯t bother me, but I¡¯m not possessive. I understand what Stryg¡¯s position entails, what the Ebon Lord legacy brings with it. I will never be his only wife, I will never even be the primary wife. I am a commoner with no backing and unlike you, I have no magic to flaunt about. I have accepted all these things and despite how much they bother me, I have chosen to stay by Stryg¡¯s side. Can you say the same? Are you willing to stand by Stryg? I don¡¯t think you are.¡±


    ¡°And you would clearly know that, wouldn¡¯t you? After all, we¡¯ve known each other for all of a few minutes,¡± Plum rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you well, but I know Stryg. And to me, it seems that he has been more stressed after every chat he¡¯s had with you since coming to Undergrowth. Are you trying to lead him on?¡±


    ¡°My gods, you¡¯re a paranoid human! I am not leading him on!¡± Plum yelled. ¡°Stryg is my friend, just my friend! I¡¯m not trying to manipulate him!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re just indecisive.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Plum blinked.


    ¡°Do you care about him or not? Romantically or platonically it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°The next few years for Stryg will be very important and very dangerous. His road to becoming an Ebon Lord will be precarious. One wrong decision could cost him his life. He needs his mind clear and sharp; if you care about him and can help with that, then great. But if your indecisiveness is going to be a detriment to him, then make the conscious choice to not care for him. Let him move on from you, once and for all.¡±


    Plum glared at her, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you and your guards get out of my house.¡±


    ¡°...Fair enough,¡± Feli said after a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for breaking into your home¡­ And for what it¡¯s worth, I wish we had met two years ago. I think you and I would''ve been great friends.¡±


    The purple-haired beauty bowed and left without another word.


    Plum watched Feli¡¯s shapely bottom sashay out of the kitchen and she sighed deeply, ¡°Fucking hell, Stryg, you really know how to pick¡¯em.¡±

 Chapter 331: The Calm Evening Before…

    Chapter 331: The Calm Evening Before¡­


    Tauri walked down the empty halls of the Katag villa in the late hours of the evening. She had spent the last few hours tossing and turning in bed. No matter how long she tried to lay still with closed eyes she was unable to fall asleep.


    Eventually, she had decided to get up for a walk. As she strode through the halls, she spotted a lone figure sitting at the edge of the pool, their feet touching the water.


    Elena? Tauri paused in her steps.


    Elena¡¯s small shoulders were slumped and her head hung low. She kicked the water softly, making small splashes.


    Tauri frowned worriedly. She opened the window and jumped outside without a hint of hesitation. Tauri tucked her body in and landed in a roll with the nimbleness of a cat.


    She stood up and dusted off her clothes with a small grin, Still got it.


    She casually walked over to her little sister and nudged Elena¡¯s thigh with the tip of her foot, ¡°Oi, what are you still doing up?¡±


    Elena looked up in surprise, but relaxed when she recognized who it was, ¡°Tauri? I thought you¡¯d already be knocked out after drinking all day.¡±


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°Meh, I didn¡¯t drink much today.¡±


    Elena¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°My sister? Not getting drunk at the Festival of the Gods? What has the world come to?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Tauri kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling a very festive mood is all.¡±


    ¡°Why not? After Sylvie¡¯s last match, Hollow Shade is guaranteed to win the tournament. That sounds like a pretty good reason to celebrate if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I guess. So why aren¡¯t you out there drinking and dancing?¡± Tauri sat down next to her sister and dipped her feet into the water.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like drinking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡±


    Tauri glanced around the dark gardens that lay beyond the pool. She could barely make out the flowers in the cover of darkness. The light of the guards¡¯ torches glowed a soft orange in the distance.


    ¡°We should really get more torches around here, you can barely see anything,¡± Tauri noted.


    ¡°No need, the guards can see just fine,¡± Elena said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tauri muttered. ¡°So¡­ You wanna tell me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°You hate pools more than you hate drinking, but here you are,¡± Tauri said matter-of-factly. ¡°My guess is it¡¯s because you really don¡¯t want to be inside right now. So¡­ wanna tell me why?¡±


    Elena sighed and stared at her reflection in the dark water, ¡°...I went on a date with the Ebon Aspirant today. Mom thought it was a good idea to strengthen our House¡¯s bonds with the Ebon Aspirant today. She even told me¡­ She told me I should try to get closer to him tonight. Like, really close. Like hip thrusting close. Like¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYeah, I get it,¡± Tauri said dryly. The thought of Stryg screwing her little sister was not an image she wanted in her head. ¡°So, what happened? You didn¡¯t go?¡±


    Elena bit her lip and looked away.


    Tauri wrapped her arm around her sister¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You don¡¯t need to listen to Mom always. Especially for this. You¡¯re gonna have enough ¡®nightly duties¡¯ when you¡¯re married. Don¡¯t worry about whatever mom told you. You don¡¯t have to fulfill your duties for this House just yet.¡±


    Elena clenched her fists in frustration, ¡°That¡¯s just it¡­ I did go to the Aspirant¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri stiffened. ¡°So¡­ you and Stryg¡­?¡±


    Elena swallowed.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Feli too? Gods, you had a three-way?¡±


    Elena shook her head, ¡°No¡­ Feli wasn¡¯t there. Neither was the Aspirant. Their bedroom was empty.¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°And you know what? I was relieved.¡±


    ¡°Elena¡­¡± Tauri said sympathetically. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry him, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Elena shrugged, ¡°I mean, it was really sudden, sure, but he''s really cute. And he¡¯s a freaking Ebon Aspirant. But he¡¯s distant and there¡¯s this¡­ endless depth to him.¡±


    ¡°Endless depth?¡± Tauri asked skeptically. ¡°Stryg isn¡¯t a complicated guy. He likes to eat, drink, and probably fuck. Plus, he can be a bit of a dick sometimes. Which basically describes most men. See? Not complicated at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Elena sighed. ¡°I meant¡­ Hm¡­ how do I say this¡­? Okay, it¡¯s like, the Aspirant is a dark chasm.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°A chasm?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Just listen. The Aspirant is a dark endless chasm. You creep to the edge and peer over, hoping to see what lies at the bottom, but no matter how much you try you can¡¯t. But the chasm calls to you, you can¡¯t help but be curious, be drawn to its call. So you jump down¡­ The question is, where do you land?¡±


    ¡°That sounds ominous,¡± Tauri chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± Elena said seriously. ¡°Stryg of Ebon Hollow is very dangerous and not because of his powers. There¡¯s something off about him, I saw what he did during the attack on our home. He killed so many people that night, but he didn¡¯t look angry. He didn¡¯t even look happy, like a berserker. His eyes were cold, practically emotionless, almost as if he was in a trance. It¡¯s like he didn¡¯t care to kill them, he was just doing it out of efficiency. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like that.¡±


    Tauri recalled the way Stryg had ripped those savages limb from limb, blood spraying all over him, but not once did he react; not to the blood, nor their cries, or anything else.


    Suddenly her little sister¡¯s words carried a different sort of weight to them.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so anxious about Stryg, why did you go to his room tonight?¡± Tauri asked worriedly.


    Elena shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s just it. Despite all of that, Stryg is interesting. He¡¯s got this innocence to him, like he¡¯s seeing the whole world for the first time. You should have seen him when he tried cinnamon bread for the first time at the festival today. He was so happy, it was practically bubbling off him. I can¡¯t help but want to know more about him.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you went to his bedroom? Curiosity?¡±


    ¡°It helps that he¡¯s super cute,¡± Elena said bashfully.


    ¡°Wait, but didn¡¯t you say you were relieved he wasn¡¯t in his room?¡±


    ¡°W-well, that¡¯s because Feli said he likes to bite.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tauri frowned. She knew Stryg had a penchant for violence when it came to people who disrespected him, but she didn¡¯t understand how that was relevant.


    Elena glanced at herself sheepishly, ¡°Feli told me that the Aspirant likes to bite during sex. Particularly a woman¡¯s soft bits.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? Love bites are common enough,¡± Tauri shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, but he bites hard, like ¡®Oh shit, I¡¯m bleeding!¡¯ hard. Feli says he heals her with white magic after they¡¯re done so there are no marks left.¡±


    Tauri blinked, ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it,¡± Elena rubbed her arms.


    ¡°Maybe Feli was just trying to scare you? Secondary wives are known to not be very big fans of the primary wife, aka, you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Elena sighed. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Hopefully.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Tauri?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Could I ask you for a favor?¡±


    ¡°Does it involve money?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then yes.¡±


    Elena chuckled, but quickly took on an earnest expression, ¡°If I¡¯m going to be married to the Aspirant someday then I¡¯d like to know more about him. Could you give me some tips on how to talk to him? He¡¯s not like the other aristocrats or students at school. He¡¯s different and honestly I¡¯m not sure how to get closer to him.¡±


    Tauri winced, ¡°I¡¯m really not the best person for this. Stryg and I don¡¯t have a very good relationship.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re his teacher. Surely you have to know something about him.¡±


    ¡°He bites people. Maims them too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± Elena frowned. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tauri said in frustration. ¡°Stryg can be infuriating sometimes, but other times he¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ he¡¯s interesting? I guess? He¡¯s like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a dark chasm,¡± Elena said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I guess¡­¡± Tauri pulled her feet out of the pool and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m really not the person to give advice about Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Then who is?¡±


    Tauri sighed begrudgingly, ¡°Loh Noir.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡±


    ¡°You should get some sleep. Tomorrow morning will be the final duel of the tournament. I¡¯m sure the Ebon Aspirant¡¯s fianc¨¦ should be there to watch his battle.¡±


    Elena nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Sleep well,¡± Tauri turned around and walked over to the gardens, hoping to clear her mind of darker thoughts.


    As she strolled through the garden she found herself thinking of Stryg and their last few interactions. Ever since she had met him at the pool things had changed, her perspective had changed. She was aware of him in a way she hadn¡¯t been before. She usually didn¡¯t think about it, but every time his eyes met hers¡­


    What am I even thinking!? Stryg is my student¡­ he¡¯s Loh¡¯s apprentice¡­ he¡¯s my sister¡¯s goddamn fianc¨¦! The last person I should be wasting my time thinking about is that dumbass goblin.


    She sighed in frustration, ¡°¡­Stryg¡­ huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± a voice came from above.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± Tauri jumped back and looked up into the trees.


    A pair of lilac eyes peered down at her from the darkness of the branches.


    ~~~


    Despite the arrival of summer, Dusk Valley¡¯s green hills were still cold, especially in the evening when the cold breeze from the north blew down.


    Nokti warmed herself next to the campfire as she set up the tent for the night. Vampires were nocturnal by nature, but Caligo insisted on traveling during the day, though he did not say why.


    Nokti had grown accustomed to sleeping in the night, as much as any vampire could. She had just taken a bath in a nearby stream, about a mile from their campsite. The walk back had been wet and cold, but it was nice to finally take a bath after almost a week and wash off the dragon¡¯s blood that had stained her clothes and skin.


    Caligo and Lin Lu were still at the stream washing off. Caligo was swimming and Lin Lu was mostly playing in the water when Nokti had left them. It was odd, they were both gods, yet they acted so carefreely in the stream, as if they hadn¡¯t just both killed a dragon a few days ago.


    Nokti shrugged, Then again, Caligo always acts nonchalantly. One minute you think he¡¯s happy and everything is going fine and the next minute he¡¯s killed everyone in the bar. You¡¯d think after months of traveling together I¡¯d get a better gauge on his emotions¡­


    The wind suddenly picked up and a powerful gust blew through the camp, extinguishing the fire. Nokti squinted and shivered in the cold winds. She looked around, searching for a threat, but there was no one.


    ¡°Why!?¡± a voice boomed from above.


    Nokti glanced up at the sky and felt her legs grow numb. A sapphire dragon larger than any she had seen flew high above the campground.


    The dragon goddess Zaviniti bared her fangs and roared, ¡°Why do you carry the scent of dragon blood on your body!?¡±


    Nokti swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°Gods help me.¡±

 Chapter 332: Zavinti, The Azure Serenity

    Chapter 332: Zavinti, The Azure Serenity


    Nokti felt her legs go numb as she stood stock-still in fear. The dark blue dragon hovered over her, its pastel wings stretched out, each wing beat creating a powerful gale that threatened to knock the vampire over.


    The dragon bared its deadly sharp fangs, each tooth the size of a shortsword. ¡°Why do you carry the scent of dragon blood on your body!?¡± Zavinti roared.


    Nokti swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, ¡°Gods help me.¡± But she knew Caligo and Lin Lu were still in the river bathing a mile away. No one would hear her cries from here.


    The dragon drew back her wings and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Nokti stumbled and fell to her knees as the ground shook. She looked up at the dragon goddess with a mixture of stunned awe and fear.


    Zavinti was almost twice the size of the other dragons Nokti had seen. Her dark scales shone like sapphires under the moonlight and her milk-white claws seemed to almost glow with an inner ethereal light.


    Nokti felt as if she was a small mouse in the den of a ravenous lion. She wanted to run, to hide in the tall grass of the hills, but her legs didn¡¯t move. She had never felt so afraid, so helpless.


    ¡°I can smell the blood of my brood on you, leech,¡± Zavinti snarled. ¡°Explain.¡±


    Nokti¡¯s jaw opened up and down but no words came out, only a hollow dry sound.


    The dragon lowered her long neck and stared straight at Nokti, her hot breath bearing down over the vampire. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    Nokti shook her head anxiously.


    ¡°How short the memories of mortals are,¡± the dragon said in disappointment and raised its head once more. Her enormous draconic frame loomed over the vampire. ¡°I am the scion of Kaleidrog, The Azure Sky. I am Zavinti, The Azure Serenity. And I am the only goddess you should be praying to for help. I am the only one who can save you from my retribution.¡±


    ¡°R-retribution?¡± Nokti mumbled fearfully.


    The dragon¡¯s lips pulled back in a smile, though it made her seem even more vicious, ¡°Do you know why I was given the epithet ¡®The Azure Serenity¡¯? It was because unlike others of my kind I was not quick to fall to my emotions. I was calm, collected. I understood what needed to be done and why. I still do, I still am.¡± Zavinti¡¯s tail slowly curled around the small camp, ¡°So imagine, if you can with that limited mind of yours, what it might take to anger someone like me? Do you know how many bodies of my brood I have found these past few days? Five¡­ FIVE!¡± she roared.


    Nokti flinched in pain. She covered her ears and fell to her knees from the sheer bellowing sound.


    ¡°I will give you one chance, you blood-sucking leech,¡± Zavinti growled in a rumbling voice. ¡°Tell me, who you are and what happened to my brood?¡±


    The vampire closed her eyes in resignation, tears slipping down her brown cheeks, ¡°¡­I am Nokti¡­¡± Slowly, she opened her scarlet eyes and looked up at the dragon resolutely, ¡°I am Nokti of the Cairn Tribe. And though you may be god, you are not mine. If I am to die, I will die with my loyalty intact.¡±


    ¡°Die? You think I am going to kill you?¡± the dragon cocked her head to the side. ¡°Death would be a mercy for a defiant leech. No, you will serve as my slave for all your days to come. Soon, you will be begging to tell me what happened to my brood mates.¡±


    Zavinti pointed a large ivory claw at Nokti. Bright purple sigils appeared over her claw and extended outwards in a sprawl of ethereal light.


    Nokti paled in terror, Binding Magic!? She had seen such true magic once before, but nothing of such sheer magnitude.


    ¡°I gave you a chance, leech. Remember I gave you a chance.¡±


    The ethereal cloud of purple light towered over Nokti and closed in around her.


    Suddenly, a wave of indigo flames fell from above and burned away the ethereal cloud. Nokti looked up in shock. A giant white fox ran down from the sky on clouds of frost beneath each footstep.


    Lin Lu plummeted into the camp in a silent burst of speed like a hawk. Just before she slammed into the ground, one of her tails flicked out and wrapped around Nokti¡¯s waist. Lin Lu kicked off the air, a cloud of frost forming beneath her paws, and shot away back into the sky, the vampire secure between her eight tails.


    A delusory fox? Zavinti watched in stunned silence. It had only been a split second, yet the fox had managed to somehow avoid her synchrony magic¡¯s senses, get close enough to destroy her binding spell, and escape back into the sky.


    Zavinti frowned. Delusory foxes were incredibly rare elemental creatures, native to the Violet Realm. What was one doing here?


    ¡­I see.


    It had been a long time since Zavinti had seen one of their kind, let alone one this strong. The fox god must have been the one responsible for the deaths of her brood mates.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    There will be no escape, not for any of you, Zavinti swore angrily. She opened her wings wide and flexed her muscles taut, ready to jump into the sky.


    ¡°You will find no vengeance up there,¡± a warm voice said casually.


    Zavinti turned around in surprise. How had someone snuck behind her?


    A young boy, no older than 15 stood alone, leaning back and forth on the balls of his feet. His grey hair was wet as if he had just jumped out of the ocean. He wore only a black feathered cloak that dragged behind him, too large for his small frame.


    Zavinti did not know the boy, but she recognized his iridescent eyes that constantly shifted in colors. She had heard of those eyes before.


    ¡°Caligo?¡±


    Were her synchronicity magic¡¯s senses truly failing her? Delusory foxes were known for their concealment abilities, but Caligo? Little, young Caligo? No, she thought not.


    ¡°And you must be Zavinti, The Azure Serenity. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you,¡± Caligo smiled wide. ¡°The stories of your beauty do not do you justice.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°What is the young whelp of secrets doing here? And what do you know of the delusory fox that just flew away?¡±


    ¡°What do I know? ~I wonder?~¡± Caligo mused.


    ¡°I have no time for your foolishness. Tell me what you know.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I know that you won¡¯t be able to catch up to them. That fox is faster than you and with her concealment abilities? There is no way you will find her. Especially in the dark. However,¡± Caligo winked, ¡°I might be able to help you track down the fox.¡±


    ¡°Then stop wasting my time and tell me how,¡± she growled.


    Caligo rubbed his neck and winced, ¡°You know, it¡¯s pretty hard to look up at you and talk at the same time. Mind coming down here? It¡¯d be easier to explain.¡±


    She stared at him coldly, but after a few seconds she sighed reluctantly, ¡°You are lucky my father wishes for us to be amicable with your pantheon.¡±


    Zavinti¡¯s draconic form began to glow a soft green until her whole body was enveloped in light. Slowly the light shrunk until it was only 2 meters tall, then faded away, revealing a humanoid body of a lithe young woman. Her skin was an icy pale blue, almost white, and her short hair was a dark blue like the deep ocean sea. Her beauty seemed soft, but her serpentine eyes held the same sharp sapphire color as before and they carried the same terrifying anger.


    Caligo¡¯s boyish smile widened, his eyes glittering with hunger, ¡°Even in your smaller form you are gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°I do not care for your flattery,¡± she said impatiently.


    ¡°I need not flatter, the truth will speak for itself. And you, Zavinti, my oh my, you are truly a jewel among your kind. You are a greater beauty than even your mother,¡± he winked playfully.


    ¡°My mother passed away long before you could even crawl, do not speak of her!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Does one need to know somebody to have heard of their beauty?¡± Caligo shrugged. ¡°Surely, as a dragon, you must understand what I mean. How far have some of your kind gone to collect a precious jewel or mound of gold you have only heard of? Dragons have a penchant for collecting beautiful things, don''t they? I myself have similar habits, although I confess I have no real interest in hoarding something as meaningless as gold.¡±


    ¡°Whatever stupid game you are getting at, I have no interest in it. Tell me what you know about the delusory fox and how to find her, now.¡±


    ¡°Why do you dragons always have so little patience for the little things in life?¡± Caligo shook his head with a sigh.


    ¡°Do not push me, whelp,¡± she sneered, ¡°The only reason I even talk to your sorry excuse for a pantheon is because my father respects Lunae. I assure you neither my father nor I care about the youngest, weakest, and quite clearly the most foolhardy of your pantheon, you.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s hurtful,¡± Caligo said light-heartedly. As he spoke the sky began to darken with shadows until the moon¡¯s light had disappeared entirely.


    ¡°I have run out of patience,¡± Zavinti snapped. ¡°Five dragons are dead! Do you understand the gravity of the situation! Tell me what you know of the fox and you may just yet leave this place unharmed!¡±


    Caligo sighed and raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Fine. The delusory fox¡¯s name is Lin Lu and she did not kill your dragon friends.¡± He smiled coldly, ¡°I did.¡±


    Zavinti narrowed her eyes, ¡°What did you say¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I ripped off their wings, broke their limbs, gouged out their eyes, and slit their throats, and I watched as they slowly bled to death, choking on their own filth. I must admit it was quite cathartic,¡± he sighed in reminiscence.


    Zavinti roared with rage. A grey halo formed above her and flew out at Caligo with blinding speed. His hand abruptly shot out and caught it.


    Zavinti¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not possible!¡±


    Halo magic held the greatest destructive power of all true chromatic magic and yet the boy in front of her was somehow holding it with his bare hand!?


    Caligo clicked his tongue and shook his head, ¡°You dragons, always underestimating other gods and their pantheons. Lunae is stronger than you realize, as are Bellum and Stjerne. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate them. But they are not the ones your kind should fear. I am.¡±


    Caligo clenched his fingers into a fist. The grey halo of light snapped and disappeared into dust.


    Zavinti stared at the display of power in confusion. That wasn¡¯t clarity magic¡­ How did he diffuse the halo? Was it even diffusion or was it something else? Was the information we had about Caligo wrong?


    Zavinti took a step back and green light enveloped her body once more and changed her back into her draconic form. ¡°You are not like the rest of your pantheon. What are you?¡±


    ¡°Do you not know?¡± Caligo bowed with a flourish, ¡°I am the Mystery, the Caretaker of the Realm¡¯s Secrets, the god of the deep earth.¡±


    Zavinti bared her fangs, ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back because I wanted answers before killing you.¡± Half a dozen grey halos formed around her wings, ¡°But if you play coy with me again I will end you.¡±


    ¡°Your father really told you nothing, did he?¡± He smiled, ¡°Is Kaleidrog so afraid that he dares not even whisper my name to his children?¡±


    ¡°My father fears nothing, Caligo,¡± Zavinti snarled.


    ¡°Perhaps. Like your father you are strong and the strong fear very little. In fact, you are one of the few in this realm I¡¯d consider an actual threat.¡±


    The ground below him began to shake and the hills around them trembled.


    Caligo raised his index finger, ¡°But unlike your father, you seem to have failed to notice one thing.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Zavinti growled.


    He looked up at her, his iridescent eyes alight with cold anger, ¡°My name is not Caligo.¡±

 Chapter 333: …The Dawn Storm

    Chapter 333: ¡­The Dawn Storm


    Tauri Katag left her younger sister Elena with her own thoughts at the pool.


    Instead of trying to go to bed and failing to fall asleep once more, Tauri opted to take a stroll through the gardens of her family¡¯s villa.


    As she walked in the dark silence of the late evening, she thought of the conversation she had with her sister regarding the Ebon Aspirant.


    The more Tauri walked the more she found herself thinking of Stryg and their last few interactions. Ever since she had tried to teach him how to swim things had changed, her perspective had changed. She was aware of him in a way she hadn¡¯t been before.


    She usually didn¡¯t think about it, but every time his eyes met hers¡­


    What am I even thinking!? Stryg is my student¡­ he¡¯s Loh¡¯s apprentice¡­ he¡¯s my sister¡¯s goddamn fianc¨¦! The last person I should be wasting my time thinking about is that dumbass goblin hybrid.


    And yet his annoyingly cocky and confident smile kept appearing in her mind.


    ¡°¡­Stryg¡­ huh?¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± a voice came from above.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± Tauri jumped back and looked up into the trees.


    A pair of lilac eyes peered down at her from the darkness of the branches.


    ¡°Stryg¡­? Is that you?¡± Tauri asked incredulously. She tried to make out his silhouette, but try as she might, all she could see were his lilac eyes.


    ¡°Why do you look so surprised? You¡¯re the one who called out to me,¡± Stryg said calmly from the tree branches.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were¡ª¡± She shook her head, ¡°You know what? Nevermind. What are you doing up there? It¡¯s the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°I was meditating or at least trying to. I was never very good at it.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried meditating in your room? Sitting on a soft bed instead of rough bark helps, you know.¡±


    ¡°I saw no reason to stay in bed. Feli went off to take care of some important things or so she said. I didn¡¯t ask for details.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to stay in your room¡­ so you chose a tree instead?¡± Tauri asked skeptically.


    ¡°Mhm. These trees, they¡¯re not the same, but¡­ they remind me of Vulture Woods. They help me relax,¡± he admitted quietly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± Tauri nodded slowly. ¡°When I¡¯m stressed I usually go for a run.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­ I know what it¡¯s like to be so stressed you can¡¯t even sleep,¡± Tauri shrugged.


    ¡°...Does running help?¡±


    ¡°Usually, I guess¡ª Ugh, can you come down already!? It¡¯s getting really annoying talking to a tree.¡±


    The branches shook and Stryg clambered down the tree bark on all fours, head first, like a squirrel. Tauri watched with a mixture of surprise and bizarre curiosity.


    ¡°What the fuck did I just witness?¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg reached the grass and jumped to his feet. He leaned over close enough he could feel her breath on his face. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tauri leaned back until she was afraid she¡¯d fall over. The thought crossed her mind that Stryg didn¡¯t quite understand the concept of social boundaries and personal space. Suddenly, the idea of her being alone with him in the middle of the night seemed very inappropriate.


    ¡°Um, nothing, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Tauri said and took a step back. ¡°I¡­ I should get back. I¡¯m pretty tired.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg nodded and turned his attention to the sky.


    ¡°Well, um, see you later. Good luck with the meditation,¡± Tauri turned around and walked away.


    ¡°A storm is coming,¡± he said.


    She paused in her steps and looked back, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a storm coming,¡± he said as if it was obvious.


    Tauri glanced up at the night sky, there was barely a cloud in sight. ¡°And you know this how, exactly?¡± she asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I just sorta do,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°...Ugh, dammit,¡± Tauri sighed in frustration and walked back towards him. She sat down on the soft grass and leaned her back on the tree trunk. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite. The skies are practically completely clear. So why in Bellum¡¯s name do you think a storm is on its way?¡±


    Stryg sat down next to her and inhaled deeply, ¡°It¡¯s in the air, can¡¯t you feel it?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just drunk from the festival earlier?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get drunk these days, at best I usually feel a bit of a buzz, not much more.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Why is that? Do you have some secret ¡®prime mage spell¡¯ to cure drunkenness all of a sudden?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Or even better, do you have something to cure hangovers?¡±


    ¡°No, it has something to do with my body. Or at least that¡¯s what Holo said,¡± Stryg stared at his hands.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Holo?¡±


    ¡°A friend, I think? She told me my body¡¯s healing ability has recently begun to grow, significantly. Alcohol doesn¡¯t affect me very much anymore. I think it has something to do with my hybrid nature. Some mutation, probably.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s pretty neat, no? Not the drunk part, but I¡¯d love to never have a hangover again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose,¡± he said sullenly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± she frowned in confusion.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± he sighed, ¡°Sometimes I just wonder if my parents were the same. Could they heal like I do? Did they feel the things I did? Were they like me, in any regard, if even just a little? Or was I always just different?¡±


    Tauri was at a loss for words. She hadn¡¯t expected Stryg of all people to open up to her about anything resembling private thoughts¡­ or worries. He had always put up a strong front in all the years she had known him. So why now? Why talk about these things all of a sudden? Was it because of his duel with Sylvie tomorrow? Or was it something more¡­?


    Tauri swallowed and whispered, ¡°Do you miss it? Vulture Woods? Your old tribe?¡±


    Stryg looked up at the tree above them and stared at its branches and dark green leaves, ¡°Most of Glimmer Grove¡¯s trees have some sort of fluorescence within them, their leaves glow with an inner light. This one doesn¡¯t. In that sense, it reminds me of Vulture Woods. It¡¯s nice¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve never been to Vulture Woods. I don¡¯t think I know anyone that has, besides you, of course. What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Vulture Woods. Describe it to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± he said gruffly.


    ¡°Our whole realm is cold,¡± she said wryly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the others are warmer, especially the Aurous Realm.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, now that I¡¯ve taught you something, it¡¯s your turn to tell me something I don¡¯t know about your precious Vulture Woods,¡± she grinned.


    Stryg blew out a long breath of air, ¡°...The trees are twice the size of the ones here. Their bark ranges from a pale white to a dark grey. The leaves are blood-red, not just in autumn, but throughout the year. In the dawnlight and sunset, the world is dyed a scarlet red from the light refracting off the leaves.¡±


    ¡°It sounds beautiful,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve never seen anything else like it since I left.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see a scarlet world, at least once,¡± she said wistfully.


    ¡°You¡¯d probably die, outsiders don¡¯t survive in Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Tauri said dryly.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. There are many dangers in the forest; various poisonous plants and hungry beasts, like dire bears, or wolves that hunt in packs, killing off the lone goblin that strays too far from his tribe. Not to mention the dire vultures flying about searching for the mangled corpses left by predators, of which there are many.¡±


    ¡°Predators or corpses?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a lovely place,¡± she said sarcastically.


    ¡°Maybe not, but it was home,¡± he smiled softly.


    ¡°You miss it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he nodded subtly.


    A clap of thunder resounded in the distance. Droplets of rain began to fall from the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Tauri remarked in wonder.


    ¡°I told you,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    Suddenly the rain quickened and turned into a downpour.


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± Tauri covered her arms above her head to little effect.


    The water easily flowed past the tree¡¯s leaves and poured over both of them, soaking their clothes. Tauri cursed. Stryg simply laughed in delight.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!?¡± she said angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to feel the rain on my skin,¡± he closed his eyes and took a relaxing breath. ¡°It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    ¡°Well some of us don¡¯t like freezing,¡± Tauri shivered and rubbed her arms.


    Stryg placed his hand on the bark and channeled green mana into the tree. A series of thick branches grew out from the trunk and formed an umbrella of sorts above them.


    ¡°...Alright, I admit it, being a prime mage has its perks,¡± Tauri smiled lopsidedly.


    Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Now we just need a fire to warm up,¡± she said and began channeling orange mana into her hands.


    ¡°And burn what? The garden? Everything is wet,¡± he noted.


    ¡°Hmm, well, I could just keep a flame alight above my palms.¡±


    ¡°For how long? Flame spells consume orange mana very quickly and you would need more than just a little flame in your palm to keep yourself warm. Your mana wouldn¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°So what do you suggest, Mr. Magical Genius?¡± she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Stryg reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.


    Tauri felt her face grow warm. She frowned, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re warmer, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said innocently.


    Tauri narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was doing this on purpose or if he was just not thinking about the ramifications of his actions. Knowing Stryg, it could have been either.


    Tauri sighed. His skin was cool to the touch, but it was at least warmer than the freezing rain. It was difficult to think of her cold drenched clothes when all she could hear was her heartbeat thrumming in her ears.


    The scent of his hair wafted into her nostrils. He smelled like crushed leaves and a hint of sweat. It wasn¡¯t terrible¡­


    ¡°...I¡¯m a little warmer,¡± she muttered, peeved.


    ¡°See? It works.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± she glared at him. ¡°The ground is still cold and wet, and so are my clothes. A fire would have been better.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Stryg said slowly. ¡°How about this?¡±


    He lowered his arms and grabbed her by the waist. Tauri shouted in surprise as he lifted her with ease and placed her on his lap.


    ¡°Okay, now I know you¡¯re doing this on purpose!¡± Tauri said angrily.


    Stryg could feel her tight round bottom pressing on his thighs. He had always wondered what it would feel like to be pressed against her beautiful body. He reached his arms around her soft waist and hugged her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sit on the cold ground though, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± she huffed.


    Stryg rested his head in the crook of her shoulder. Her black wet hair pressed against his cheek. She somehow always managed to smell like sweet vanilla.


    ¡°Can we just stay like this, for a while?¡± he whispered into her ear.


    An excited shiver ran down Tauri¡¯s spine as she felt his breath on her neck. It was difficult to think clearly.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re smart, don¡¯t you?¡± she said, annoyed.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    She sighed reluctantly, ¡°¡­Just until the rain lets up¡­¡±


    Tauri swallowed and tried to relax her tense muscles. She leaned back on his chest and rested her neck on his shoulder, her cheek touching his. Slowly, she closed her eyes.


    The rain fell over Undergrowth in a downpour¡­

 Chapter 334: The Sleeping Beauties

    Chapter 334: The Sleeping Beauties


    ¡­In the southern hills of Dusk Valley¡­ The Cairn Tribe¡¯s Encampment¡­


    Chieftain Marek Helene trained inside his wide tent. His shifting from one combat stance to another was silent save for the quiet grunts of exertion every now and then. After 20 minutes of training a thin coat of sweat covered his olive skin.


    In his hands, he held the black orichalcum spear from a forgotten age. Each swing and each thrust sent a shiver down his arms, the power of the spear ebbing into him ever so slowly and painfully.


    ¡°Your movements have finally become smooth. You¡¯re no longer stiff. I¡¯d say you almost seem like a natural,¡± Dawn noted from the corner of the tent.


    Marek paused in his familiar routine, stabbed the black spear into the ground, and took a breather. He glanced over at the mysterious and beautiful hybrid woman sitting so calmly on a wooden chest, her legs crossed as if meditating. Her dark purple eyes studied him just the same.


    ¡°You know, this is a lot harder than it looks,¡± Marek said with a mild frown.


    ¡°I know,¡± Dawn said without missing a beat. ¡°But you are the only one of us capable of wielding that spear. And we are running out of time. You must master the weapon before long.¡±


    Marek nodded in understanding, ¡°Every day it becomes a little easier to hold. And yet every single time I hold the spear I feel a cold pain ebb into my arms. It¡¯s strange, to be so cold yet feel as if you¡¯re burning at the same time.¡±


    ¡°The pain won¡¯t lessen, but your pain tolerance will increase with time,¡± she said sympathetically. ¡°The fact that you can hold the spear for as long as you can means that the weapon is beginning to finally accept you.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Soon the spear will whisper its name to you, Marek. And you must be ready when that time comes. You will have one chance to stop Crow. Do not miss it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he said resolutely.


    The tent¡¯s flaps flung open and Vaughn strode in, his grey cloak in tatters and covered in grime and dust. ¡°Lord Marek, we need to speak¡ª¡±


    ¡°Vaughn, you¡¯re back!¡± Dawn shouted in relief and ran over to her twin.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve missed you,¡± Vaughn whispered and hugged her tight. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers.


    ¡°So have I,¡± she mumbled with a tearful smile.


    Marek watched in stunned silence. He had never seen either of the stoic siblings display such levels of emotions before. He suddenly found himself missing his family terribly, though he tried to hide the pain from his blue eyes.


    Marek cleared his tight throat, ¡°How was the mission?¡±


    At Marek¡¯s words, Vaughn opened his eyes, and gently stepped away from his sister. He glanced pointedly at the black spear standing upright on the ground and frowned, but he held his tongue, ¡°...The mission was successful, my lord.¡±


    ¡°How many did we lose?¡± Marek asked grimly.


    ¡°Most. Once we left Undergrowth¡¯s borders Lady Thorn¡¯s armies chased us down until we escaped Glimmer Grove Forest altogether. Only a few dozen of us got out by the end,¡± Vaughn said calmly as if reading a mere scouting report.


    ¡°Hundreds of our people dead¡­ and for what?¡± Marek clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Crow¡¯s plan worked,¡± Vaughn said.


    Marek looked up in surprise, ¡°What? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°The ladies and lords of Undergrowth have become bloodthirsty after the attack on their city. Several small Undergrowth regiments have already broken off and attacked innocent Valley Tribes. This new circumstance, coupled with the armies of House Veres, Glaz, and Goldelm prowling Dusk Valley, well, let¡¯s just say that the people of the Valley are desperate and in pain¡­ and their leaders have responded.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say exactly?¡± Marek asked in a hopeful tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that the esteemed Adder Tribe has finally been forced to act. Their chieftain has called upon a ¡®Meeting of the Dawn.¡¯ Every single chieftain is to gather for the summit.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Marek asked keenly.


    ¡°In two days time, my lord,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°This is your chance, Marek,¡± Dawn said. ¡°With all the chieftains gathered you will have a chance to petition our cause. For the first time since the founding of the Valley Tribes, the Keepers of the Dawn¡¯s armies could be united under a single cause. If done right, you may find yourself at the head of the largest army in all the Ebon Realm.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°And if done wrong you may find your head on a spike,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°You will need a plan if you hope to convince the stubborn chieftains.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Dawn looked at her chieftain expectantly, ¡°What will it be, my lord?¡±


    Marek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and stared at the orichalcum spear standing next to him; the weapon practically shook with power. He glanced at the twin arch-mages and smiled ruefully, ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­ The Great House of Katag¡¯s Villa, Undergrowth¡­


    The storm¡¯s wrath had slowed to a quiet drizzle as morning came. The gardens were empty. The flower beds had been flattened by the night¡¯s winds and pelting rain. The trees, with their green leaves, stood tall in the grey dawn. One tree stood out amidst the rest of the small grove. Branches grew out from the bottom half of the trunk in a thick weaved pattern, forming a half-dome. Underneath the branches lay two sleeping beauties.


    The first was a woman, with scarlet-red skin and shoulder-length black hair as dark as midnight. She was short for an orc, a little over five feet and a half, far shorter than her mother or father. Though no one doubted her parentage. She had a long jaw and narrow cheeks like her father, but her amber eyes were her mother¡¯s, through and through.


    Yet Tauri hated whenever a would-be suitor compared her to her mother. In many ways she was different. Her mother, Evelyn, was an elegant, tall beauty, with long slender legs, a comely waist, and a bosom so large that there was hardly a man who could keep his eyes away.


    Compared to Evelyn, Tauri seemed small. Her breasts were modest and she did not stride above the others in a room. But where her mother¡¯s legs were long and slender, Tauri¡¯s were wide and shapely, and her bottom was curvaceous. There was not a man nor woman in the upper social circles who had not heard of the beautiful daughter of Lord Krall.


    The second beauty was a young man of twenty. While other men might have been called handsome, rugged, lanky, or even simply ugly, the only word that seemed appropriate to any who laid eyes on the young man was beautiful. Though, he would have most likely mauled any who dared.


    His face was small and his features were as soft as a woman¡¯s. There was no stubble, not even a whisker of hair on his cheeks. His skin was a soft blue that in some lighting held hints of teal. His hair was a pale grey and shined like silver under the moonlight. But it was his eyes that gave pause to any who saw them. Irises of lilac and pupils like slivers of obsidian that seemed so clear yet held a depth so endless that many had lost themselves staring.


    The azure beauty sat on the wet grass, his knees wide. His back rested on the tree¡¯s wide trunk as he slept soundlessly. The scarlet beauty lay on her side, curled between his legs, her body pressed against his chest, and her head resting on his shoulder. Their hair fell over each other in a silky tangle of black and white.


    The guard who came upon them stared in admiration, it was as if he was seeing a painting fashioned by a master artist of old. And so a great sense of anxiety filled his being when his obligations called upon him to awaken the sleeping beauties.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the guard coughed.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes immediately flickered open; his lips slightly apart, showing the tiny glint of his small but sharp fangs. His arms unconsciously held Tauri tighter, but she did not wake.


    ¡°U-um, good morning, Lord Aspirant,¡± the guard wrung his hands awkwardly and looked everywhere but at the couple.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg asked in a cold voice.


    And at the sound of his familiar voice, Tauri''s eyes opened in a daze. She yawned slowly and stretched her legs and back like a cat, still nestled in the goblin¡¯s arms.


    ¡°~Shtryyyg?~¡± Tauri mumbled. ¡°~What are you doing in my bed?~¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you both, but your team is looking for you, Lord Aspirant. Your match is starting soon,¡± the guard said.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened at the unfamiliar orc¡¯s voice, ¡°This isn¡¯t my bed¡­ Where am I?¡± She looked around in disbelief.


    Stryg smiled lopsidedly, ¡°Funny story, I think we fell asleep¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªOh shit!¡± Tauri screamed and jumped to her feet. She turned to the guard, ¡°Has anyone else seen us?¡±


    ¡°Uh, n-no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± the guard shook his head anxiously.


    ¡°Then no one will hear about this either, do you understand me?¡± Tauri glared at him.


    The guard blanched, ¡°B-but, I¡¯m sworn to your lord father and lady mother, I cannot in good conscience say nothing to them¡ª¡±


    ¡°I swear if you tell anyone what you saw today you will regret it,¡± Tauri snarled.


    ¡°Is he a problem?¡± Stryg asked nonchalantly.


    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s a problem! No one can know what happened!¡± Tauri yelled angrily.


    ¡°No one can know that you and I fell asleep talking?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Ugh, you don¡¯t get it! You don¡¯t understand what this looks like! What people might think!¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°If he¡¯s such a threat do you want me to just kill him?¡± Stryg glanced at the guard.


    The guard took a step back and laughed fearfully, ¡°On second thought, I saw nothing! Nothing at all! Who are you two? I don¡¯t even know! Hehe¡­ I, uh,¡± he swallowed hard, ¡°I¡¯m, uh, gonna go patrol over there, because clearly there was nothing over here, just some trees and flowers. Yes, just some trees and flowers.¡±


    The guard turned around and marched off, his eyes focused straight ahead, without looking back once.


    Tauri smirked, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, that was a pretty good bluff.¡±


    ¡°What bluff?¡± Stryg looked at her curiously.


    Tauri narrowed her eyes, ¡°The one about killing him.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were bluffing, right? Right?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes¡­?¡±


    Tauri pinched her nose bridge and clenched her eyes shut, ¡°Gods help me¡­¡±


    ¡°Sooo¡­ good morning, I guess?¡±


    ¡°No, not good morning,¡± Tauri glared at him, ¡°Last night was not good. It was a mistake. It can¡¯t happen again, understood?¡±


    ¡°Um, no¡­?¡±


    Tauri rolled her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your bullshit today. I¡¯m gonna go get changed, you should do the same. Try not to be late for your match. And don¡¯t tell anyone what happened last night or this morning!¡±


    She walked off into the rain with a heavy angry stride.


    Stryg watched her go, his eyes staring at her back all the way. A small part of his mind whispered that he had to fight Sylvie today and suddenly the burning desire in the pit of his chest was smothered out.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Right¡­¡±

 Chapter 335: The Nether Flask

    Chapter 335: The Nether Flask


    ¡­Last evening¡­ Castle Thorn, Undergrowth¡­


    The storm¡¯s winds and rain battered the windows of Ophelia¡¯s chambers. But she did not care. She sat alone on the floor in the dark. Her family¡¯s white cloak, Blossom, hung over her shoulders and spilled onto the rug. The cloak was a marvelous elemental work of beauty, made up of hundreds of snow-white flower petals with streaks of lavender veins running across each one.


    Ophelia ran her hand over the soft petals gently, deep in thought. A knock on her door broke her brooding.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Lord Alwin Loch, my lady,¡± a familiar voice called out from the other side.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ophelia said tiredly.


    The door cracked open and a lightly armored drow walked. His hair was short and swept back. He closed the door behind him and bowed to his mistress. ¡°My lady, you sent for me?¡±


    ¡°Loch, my loyal Loch,¡± Ophelia muttered quietly.


    He glanced around the dark bedroom, ¡°Have you been here all day? I can barely see a thing. Would you like me to light some candles or get a magestone lamp?¡±


    ¡°No need, you being here is enough,¡± Ophelia looked up at him and smiled, ¡°You are my most loyal retainer, Lord Loch. An arch-mage and a wise friend. I could not ask for a better right-hand.¡±


    ¡°You honor me, my lady,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Tell me, how long has your family been loyal to my family?¡±


    ¡°Since the founding of my House of course.¡±


    ¡°And when was that?¡±


    ¡°Well, my great-grandfather was the first Loch. He was a farmer-turned-mage. He pledged his allegiance to Lord Alister Thorn, The Last Ebon Lord. He raised my great-grandfather to the rank of lord and my House has stood by the Thorns ever since.¡±


    ¡°Even after our fall from grace,¡± Ophelia chuckled grimly. ¡°Even after my family fled Hollow Shade the Lochs followed us still¡­ I have need of that loyalty tonight.¡±


    ¡°It is yours, always.¡±


    Ophelia ran her hand through her pale cloak, ¡°...Tell me, do you know how the Thorns came to possess Blossom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard different accounts.¡±


    ¡°...The cloak was a gift from the fairies of the forest some 900 years ago. It was long before the relationship between Undergrowth and the fairies fell apart. It was long before the founding of Hollow Shade or the Realms¡¯ Schism. It was a time few of our kind wish to remember.¡±


    ¡°The wars¡­¡± Loch muttered in realization.


    ¡°The Northern Wars. The Ebon Realm was covered in blood a millennium ago with the countless battles between the vampire and drow clans of the north. Our kind was winning, but one day Stjerne abandoned us. They say his blessings of protection over our people faded away and slowly but surely the drow clans lost.¡±


    ¡°The drows were exiled from the city of Frost Rim.¡±


    Ophelia shrugged, ¡°Frost Rim wasn¡¯t really a city back then. It was just a ramshackle assortment of warlords and magelords squabbling with one another in a thin veneer of peace. Frost Rim really only grew after the Northern Wars ended.¡±


    ¡°So the drows didn¡¯t care about leaving Frost Rim?¡± Loch asked.


    ¡°Some of them did, some of them even stayed, mostly the drow lords and their retainers, the ones with enough power to hold their own. But most of the drows did not have such power, nor did they live in the city. They lived throughout the Northern Lands and they, the commoners, the weak, were the ones who were forced to leave their homes behind.¡±


    Ophelia placed her hand on the ground, ¡°It was to this place our ancestors came. My family was not a Great House back then. The Thorns were the leaders of a small clan, but they held ambitions far above what anyone else dreamed. With the help of several other drow clans, they founded Undergrowth. Drow refugees from all over came here and built Undergrowth to what it is today.¡±


    Ophelia smiled proudly to herself, ¡°My family accomplished so much, despite all the challenges. We were weak, but we grew strong here. The fairies saw us as friends, caretakers of Glimmer Grove forest like them. They created Blossom using their elemental magic and gifted it to us. You see, Blossom is an heirloom, a symbol of my family¡¯s triumph over these lands, over our enemies¡­ And I will not let it be taken by anyone, especially a Hollow Shader.¡±


    ¡°My lady, you already pledged Blossom as the tourney¡¯s prize¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI did not want to pledge Blossom!¡± Ophelia clenched her jaw, ¡°I had to do it. And I still haven¡¯t been told why.¡±


    Loch stared at her, confused, ¡°...Either way, with Calex defeated, how do you propose to keep the cloak?¡±


    ¡°Stjerne may have abandoned the drows, but not all the gods have forsaken us,¡± Ophelia smiled eerily. ¡°You know whom I speak of.¡±


    Loch nodded, ¡°How could I forget? You introduced me to him once before. It was quite¡­ unnerving.¡±


    ¡°Unnerving? Caligo is a terrifying being, no one doubts that. But he is our city¡¯s secret patron deity. He deserves our respect, always,¡± she warned.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Of course, I meant no offense,¡± Loch bowed his head.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ophelia nodded in approval. ¡°...Throughout the years, our god has given me many boons, but there is one gift he gave me more dangerous than all others. A gift he warned me to only use in duress. The Ebon Aspirant and the girl with golden flames¡­ They must be stopped and in a way that does not lead back to us.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°What do you know of the Dreamscape?¡± Ophelia asked.


    ¡°Very little. All I know is that it is a place of souls. It is not meant for mortals.¡±


    ¡°And yet we are all connected to its ethereal domain,¡± Ophelia sighed wistfully.


    ¡°Ethereal domain?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°The Dreamscape is but one of the ethereal domains linked to our world. The Dark Fringe and the Soul Chasm are another two.¡±


    ¡°Wait, THE Soul Chasm? It¡¯s real!?¡±


    ¡°What, did you think our souls just fuck off into nothingness when our bodies die?¡± Ophelia chuckled.


    ¡°What of reincarnation? Is it true? Are we reborn?¡± Loch asked apprehensively.


    She shook her head, ¡°Caligo told me there have been no reincarnations since the Schism.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Cheer up, it means your life is your own, not someone else''s. We make our choices. And right now I need you to make a choice.¡±


    ¡°What choice?¡± he asked skeptically.


    Ophelia held up a crystalline flask from under her cloak. It gave off a strange jade light that seemed to swim around the dark room. A black and green liquid sloshed inside the flask, almost as if alive.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Loch asked anxiously.


    Ophelia traced her fingers over the glowing flask, ¡°A gift from our god. I want you to bury it in the center of the coliseum¡¯s arena tonight, without being seen.¡±


    ¡°Why? What does it do?¡±


    ¡°The flask has a protection spell on it. It will only open when I speak an incantation, even from a distance. And when that time comes the threat to my family¡¯s legacy will vanish.¡±


    ¡°What about backlash? Surely, someone will suspect foul play.¡±


    ¡°Not with this. The flask¡¯s effects are invisible to the naked eye.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªTrust me, I have a plan.¡± Ophelia stood to her feet, ¡°I am in need of your loyalty once more, Lord Loch. Can you do this task?¡±


    Loch stared at the flask warily, but he nodded nonetheless, ¡°Of course, my lady.¡±


    ~~~


    The morning rain fell over the coliseum in a drizzle, though traces of last night¡¯s storm were still visible. The arena¡¯s pristine white sands had turned a mottled grey. Yet the gloomy weather did little to dampen the excitement of the crowds.


    The siblings, Mark and Jane, rattled off the morning¡¯s introductions from the Herald¡¯s Tower that loomed over the coliseum. With each word they spoke the crowds grew more and more excited. Finally, the eastern gate opened up to the cheers of thousands as Stryg stepped out of the dark tunnel and into the eye of the people.


    Stryg¡¯s boots sank a few inches into the clumpy sand with each step he took. He wondered to himself how much harder it would be to move around the wet battlefield and his mind began to imagine several different strategies.


    As he tried to concentrate, the chanting of his name echoed in his ears in a deafening rumble so loud that it shook the ground beneath.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but blush and smile with pride at the thousands cheering him on. He recalled the advice Gale had given him the other day and he bowed with a flourish just as she had taught him. The crowd¡¯s voices grew even louder.


    Suddenly, the western gate opened and Belle walked out with a steady, confident gait. The wet sand did little to slow down her steps. Her scarlet hair shined bright even in the rain and its long strands blew in the wind behind her. She seemed like a picturesque hero come alive from the story-books of old.


    The crowd''s chants broke apart into a mixture of Stryg, Aspirant, Hollow Shade, and Sylvie.


    Belle ignored their chants and made a beeline toward Stryg. The young blue goblin took a shaky breath and walked towards the intimidating giant. He had never felt afraid of her before, but after witnessing her last match and the golden flames that burned through her, a twang of fear crept over his spine.


    When they were only twenty steps from one another, Stryg and Belle stopped where they were and simply stared at one another.


    Belle broke the stalemate first and grinned lopsidedly, ¡°We¡¯re finally here, huh?¡±


    ¡°To the finals?¡± Stryg guessed.


    ¡°To our rematch. Although, it¡¯s more of our first proper match if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve sparred plenty of times.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but those were always without magic.¡± Belle looked at him reminiscently, ¡°It¡¯s strange, you know. I¡¯m stronger and far larger than you, but somehow you always managed to hold your own in those fights. This time we have a chance to properly settle our score.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, something¡¯s different about you¡­¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°I finally stopped pretending to be someone I¡¯m not.¡±


    Stryg looked her over and nodded, ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°You used to always have this stupid smile on your face, even though we both knew you weren¡¯t happy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t put it like that,¡± she scratched her cheek.


    He spotted the long sword hanging from her hip and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re using a sword now? I thought you hated swords.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do. But like I said, I finally stopped pretending to be someone I¡¯m not. The real me has a preternatural innate gift with armaments, especially blades. Why would I ignore that, even if I hate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what any of that means¡­¡±


    Belle began to slowly walk around him, ¡°It means it¡¯s time I stop holding back.¡±


    Stryg followed her movements and they began to circle each other, ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t hold back against you either.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you brought your broken sword to this fight?¡± Belle looked pointedly at Nameless hanging from Stryg¡¯s hip. ¡°It may as well be a jagged dagger.¡±


    Stryg gripped Nameless¡¯ hilt tight, ¡°My sword is a promise to the Gales. They believed in me even when they had reason not to. If I win this tournament, it will be with a Gale sword and no other.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Vows can be powerful things. They can give us the strength to keep going when all else seems lost. But they can also hold us back. A broken blade seems to be the latter.¡±


    Stryg laughed to himself.


    ¡°What''s so funny?¡± Belle glared at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been to Vulture Woods, have you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I fail to see its relevance.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how many times a goblin lost in the woods would have given anything to have a jagged dagger. You think my broken sword holds me back? I¡¯m used to fighting with only my claws and fangs. This is an improvement.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need more than some claws and a broken blade to win,¡± Belle bared her fangs.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± Stryg hissed.


    The Heralds¡¯ voices boomed across the coliseum, ¡°MAY THE FINAL MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡±

 Chapter 336: The Final Duel

    Chapter 336: The Final Duel


    The Heralds¡¯ voices boomed across the coliseum, ¡°MAY THE FINAL MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL¡­ BEGIN!¡±


    Belle didn¡¯t waste a split second. She wouldn¡¯t give Stryg a moment to react. She channeled blue mana into her hands and formed a storm spell. Tendrils of azure crackled over her fingers. She threw her hands forward and aimed at Stryg who was standing still¡ª


    A beam of light shot out from Stryg¡¯s palm and struck her in the face. The aurum aegis across Belle¡¯s neck trembled to life as golden particles of light formed a shield over her face, stopping the bright spell from searing her skin.


    Yet the aegis¡¯ protection did nothing to stop the excruciating light from blinding her. Belle shouted in surprise and stumbled backward, the lightning bolt forming in her hands fired off to the side in an erratic path.


    Orange mana filled Stryg¡¯s body and formed into an agility spell, turning his veins a shade darker. He sprinted towards Belle with a burst of speed. He drew Nameless from its sheath and swung the broken blade at her thighs.


    Belle¡¯s legs skirted past Nameless¡¯ jagged edge at the last moment. With closed eyes, Belle drew her own longsword and slashed at the goblin in three quick strikes, each slice blending seamlessly into the next.


    Stryg grimaced and tried his best to block, but his shattered sword was shy of a foot long, not even a third of its original length. Worse, his limbs were pathetically short in comparison to his foe. Belle¡¯s long arms seemed to almost stretch above and behind him as her blade managed to slip past his defenses.


    He jumped back and tried to make some distance, but he could already feel the blood dripping down his arm from the nicks of her blade.


    Stryg cast a simple healing spell over his bleeding shoulder as he stared at Belle in frustration. It¡¯s not just her sword skill, she¡¯s much stronger and faster than before. And how can she¡­?


    ¡°How can you fight while blind?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s not every day I can surprise you,¡± Belle laughed in delight, eyes still closed, ¡°My abilities go beyond my sight. My eyes may help, but I don¡¯t need to see to fight you.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°How¡­?¡±


    She leaned forward and tapped the tip of her sword on the sand, ¡°I can still feel the steel of your blade as it moves through the air and I can still sense your thirst for battle emanating off your skin. You may as well be a torch in the dark to me.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± he muttered.


    Belle opened her scarlet eyes and blinked several times. ¡°It¡¯s still a little blurry, but much better. It¡¯s funny, when the match began I thought I was fast enough to hit you first, but your bright spell still got me. You¡¯re quite the quick spell caster.¡±


    ¡°Not quick enough it seems.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Meh, maybe, maybe not. If we¡¯re talking about casting skills, Calex was on a whole nother level compared to us, and he still lost to me.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to try something different.¡± He shifted his feet and fell into one of the five Nature Stances, the only one Gale had deemed him sufficiently proficient to use.


    Belle cocked her head to the side, ¡°The Cascade Stance? Really?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I first fought you in the training grounds of the academy I tried to learn more about your fighting style, but once I realized you were training in the fabled Gale Style,¡± Belle smiled, ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say I took a special interest in your techniques.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been studying me?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°As would any warrior who respects the strength of their opponent,¡± she said in a sober tone. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but I¡¯ve learned much about the Gale Style this past year, from the stances to the daily training routine. And if there is one thing I truly came to understand about the Gale Style is that it is heavily reliant on a longsword. You can¡¯t properly use the Cascade Stance with that broken blade. Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity nor advice,¡± Stryg glared at her and gripped Nameless tightly.


    He channeled brown mana into his muscles and cast a vigor spell. His body burned from the agility and vigor magic clashing within his body, but he refused to show the pain on his face.


    ¡°Double enhancement spells? Impressive,¡± Belle broke into a grin, ¡°Now I¡¯m getting excited.¡±


    Brown mana flooded her arms, vigor magic enhancing her already indomitable strength.


    Belle raised her blade, ¡°Well? What are you waiting f¡ª?¡±


    Stryg dashed at her before she finished. Nameless struck out in a quick slash to her left arm, but then it disappeared and slashed out over her right knee, then it was gone and the jagged blade was stabbing toward her stomach.


    Belle moved serenely around each attack, her longsword blocking the blows effortlessly. Yet Stryg did not back, he pushed forward, Nameless shifting in a flurry of steel. The wind slowly began building around his sword and his body as he stepped into the current with smooth shifts of his feet.


    Belle¡¯s eyes flickered back and forth and parried his advances. ¡°The Gale Style¡¯s life force techniques are impressive,¡± she recited calmly in between blocks, ¡°The Cascade Stance¡¯s attacks only grow faster with each strike, until they form a whirlwind that overwhelms your opponent. But if you break the flow of strikes¡ª¡±


    Belle finally stepped forward on the offensive and swung her blade down with blinding speed. Stryg raised Nameless to block and felt his feet buckle underneath him as the overwhelming force of her blade knocked him to the ground.


    ¡°¡ªThe whole Cascade Stance breaks apart,¡± Belle said dispassionately.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Stryg looked up at her from the wet sand, the rain drizzling down on them both. A feeling of helplessness crawled over his skin. He didn¡¯t understand, it had only been one strike, just one, and she had disarmed him. How could the difference between them be so great?


    As if reading his mind, Belle answered, ¡°I¡¯ve studied the Gale Style¡¯s swordsmanship. I know your skills and I know your weaknesses. That broken blade of yours only makes this easier.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°But still¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you think this would be easy?¡± Belle pointed her blade at his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been training, studying, and practicing for this fight! I thought that out of everyone here you ¡ªThe Ebon Aspirant himself¡ª might be a worthy foe. I thought you would understand¡­¡± She bit her lip, ¡°Was I wrong?¡±


    Stryg hissed, ¡°You tell me.¡±


    The wet sand exploded underneath them as thorny vines as thick as an orc¡¯s arm sprouted from the ground and lashed out at Belle. She jumped back and slashed away at the vines.


    ¡°Yes, this is the Stryg I know!¡± she laughed happily.


    Stryg released his enhancement spells and threw his hands into the sand, channeling more green mana into the earth.


    A pair of boulders burst from the arena floor and circled around him, gaining speed. He pulled his arm back as if holding a ball and flung his hand forward; the boulders flew past him like an arrow whizzing in the wind.


    Belle stomped her foot into the ground and a large stone wall appeared in front of her. The boulders crashed into the wall and destroyed all the rocks in a shower of granite. Gold speckles of light filtered around Belle as the aegis blocked random bits of stone.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only green mage, you know!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Neither am I the only blue!¡± Stryg jumped to his feet and raised his hand into the sky.


    The rain around him shivered and paused in its free fall. The droplets began clinging to each other in a massive spear of swirling water.


    ¡°Oh, I get it, I defeated you in the blade, so you wish to defeat me in my own magic,¡± Sylvie muttered. ¡°And I thought I was competitive.¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending like you¡¯re not enjoying yourself,¡± Stryg said coldly. ¡°You like fighting, in fact, I¡¯m pretty sure you love it.¡±


    Belle couldn¡¯t help but smile angrily, ¡°It¡¯s funny, you¡¯re not like anyone else I¡¯ve met. You don¡¯t hide behind a semblance of civility. You¡¯re more wild, you do what you want and say what you think. I really like that about you¡­ And yet, every time I look at you, I can¡¯t help but feel angry. Why is that?¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°...How the fuck should I know?¡±


    He made a quick gesture with his hand and tossed the water spear at her.


    Belle glared at him and blocked it with her own water spear. ¡°I was in Ismene¡¯s class too when she taught us that one. I was always quicker on casting it though.¡±


    ¡°You think that makes you a better mage?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Belle¡¯s shadow darkened and formed several whips. ¡°How about black magic?¡±


    She snapped her fingers and the shadow tendrils lashed out at him. Stryg raised his open palm and outstretched fingers and fired off a powerful burst of unrestricted light, destroying the shadow tendrils and blinding the unwary vampiress.


    Belle clenched her eyes shut, ¡°Agh! What the fuck!?¡±


    The powerful bright spell had blinded her but not him. His lilac irises had expanded across the whites of his eyes and his sharp pupils had grown thin. To Stryg, the world had fallen dark and the shapes around him were etched in silver outlines. Yet he could still see his opponent clearly.


    Stryg poured yellow mana into his hands and cast a wind spell underneath Belle, launching her up into the air. Her heavy body soared twenty-feet above the arena before Stryg¡¯s own shadow tendrils lashed out, grabbed her by the ankle, and flung her into the ground in an explosion of sand.


    The crowd cried out in shock at the sudden chain of spells that began and ended in a flash.


    ¡°...I think surviving and defeating your enemy makes you a better mage,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    He knew her aegis protected her from incoming attacks, but it did nothing to protect her from a grapple or a fall. She may have been a dire, but she was not a yellow mage, she had no durability scales. A 20-foot crash into the earth would still knock anyone unconscious.


    Belle lay on the wet sand, unmoving. She stared at the dark cloudy sky as the rain fell on her skin. To Stryg¡¯s surprise, she groaned in pain and slowly sat up.


    ¡°Ugh, dammit, that was a cheap strike,¡± Belle rubbed her back.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How can you move¡­?¡±


    ¡°My body is tougher than it looks.¡± She pushed herself to her feet and winced, ¡°Still, with these damn dark skies there is very little I can do to heal¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Belle chuckled under her breath, ¡°I think I finally understand¡­ why I feel anger towards you. Stryg, you always know exactly what you need to do and you just do it without hesitation. I think I always envied that¡­¡±


    Golden flames burned across her body and the rain sizzled and evaporated all around her. Stryg took an unconscious step back in fear.


    Belle stared at him resolutely, ¡°But things are different now. I know what I want. I want to win this tournament. I am going to win this tournament. And I¡¯m done holding back, even against a friend.¡±


    Stryg swallowed hard. He was hoping to defeat Sylvie before she could use those mysterious golden flames, but it was too late. He couldn¡¯t stop her flames, he had seen Calex try and fail.


    Stryg was afraid¡­ but he didn¡¯t want to lose, he didn¡¯t want to let his tribe down¡­


    His eyes wandered towards the crowds, searching for any familiar face, but he dreaded what he might see. What would Feli think? What would Rhian do? What would Maeve say?


    Would they try to tell him to keep fighting? That everything would be alright? Or even worse, would they tell him to surrender? To run?


    The shame of that cave deep in Vulture Woods slipped over him like a heavy cloak. The screams of his tribemates as he ran away from a foe he couldn¡¯t defeat. Since that night he had tried so hard to become a different goblin. Yet all his instincts were now telling him to run, to concede the duel¡­


    Stryg¡¯s sharp eyes wandered past the thousands of faces. He stiffened, in the middle of the crowd on the west side, he saw her. Loh stood tall, watching him steadily. Their eyes made contact and Loh paused as she noticed the fear and anxiety in his eyes.


    She pointed at herself and then at him, and mouthed silently, No matter what, I am proud of you.


    As the rain fell, a tear slipped down Stryg¡¯s cheek. The cloak of shame fell away and though the fear lingered, he felt a sense of calm he hadn¡¯t before.


    He steadied his breath and channeled all his orange mana into his hands. A torrent of orange flames burned above his hands in a small cyclone of flame, reminiscent of Loh¡¯s favored spell style.


    Belle growled in a mixture of excitement and anger. Golden flames exploded out of her palms and clashed with Stryg¡¯s cyclone. As the two fires clashed across the center of the arena in a cage of infernal heat, the golden flame began to devour the cyclone.


    Yet Stryg did not stop, he screamed in defiance and channeled what little orange mana he had left as the head threatened to overwhelm him.


    To his strange lilac eyes, the world seemed a mixture of darkness, splashed with pastels of gold and orange. It was beautiful and terrifying all the same. Yet none but his eyes noticed the swirl of black and green forming underneath the fires and sands.


    Some part of his instincts yelled at him to get away, but his focus was on the flames threatening to overwhelm him.


    The swirl of black and green suddenly erupted in a mass of tendrils that coiled around Stryg and Sylvie.


    The flames went out and the arena was filled with smoke. The crowds shouted in confusion and tried to crane their necks around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the duelists.


    The smoke cleared and the crowds cried out in shock. Stryg and Belle lay on the burned sand, unmoving, vacant eyes wide open.

 Chapter 337: The Chasm

    Chapter 337: The Chasm


    The cold rain drizzled down on the coliseum, yet it seemed to have little effect on the excitement of the spectators. The crowds screamed with passion and fear as golden and orange flames mixed and exploded in a cloud of smoke at the center of the arena.


    The people of Undergrowth shouted confusedly and craned their necks over their friends, hoping to catch a glimmer of the duelists. As the smoke cleared the crowd cried out in shock. Stryg and Belle lay on the burned sand, unmoving, vacant eyes wide open.


    ~~~


    The world was dark and silent, the sun nor moon etched the sky. There was no coliseum, crowds, nor voices. There was only silence and still water.


    Belle and Stryg slowly drifted above the water with the quiet lull of unconsciousness.


    The aurum aegis around Belle¡¯s neck suddenly began to tremble and rattle, emitting specks of golden light that sputtered out of existence almost as soon as they appeared. Belle¡¯s face contorted with pain and discomfort. She opened her scarlet eyes blearily.


    The world felt slow and her body felt heavy. Water swashed in her ears and the sting of its cold touch felt like pin-pricks on her skin.


    I¡¯m¡­ floating¡­? she thought sleepily.


    Her body jerked awake. She twisted in surprise and unintentionally went under the surface. Her limbs flailed for a moment but the cold rushed over her face and shocked her to her senses.


    Belle¡¯s muscles remembered her long hours of swim training. Her arms and legs moved instinctively and she kicked upwards. Her face rose above the water line once more and she took a deep breath of crisp air.


    After a few more precious breaths, she gathered herself and glanced about, and spotted Stryg floating several meters away.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not alone,¡± she sighed in relief. ¡°Hey! Stryg! Where are we? Oi! Wake up!¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t open, not even a flutter. Belle realized he was unconscious, though he otherwise seemed unharmed.


    She frowned in frustration, ¡°Dammit, Stryg, I need you to wake up! Something feels off about this place¡­¡± her voice trailed off as she noticed there was nothing but darkness all around them.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Dreamscape¡­¡± Belle whispered in realization.


    She had no idea how they had gotten here. The last thing she recalled was summoning her golden flames to attack Stryg and then¡­ she was here.


    Her aurum aegis abruptly gave off a faint warmth. Had the aegis woken her up? In this place?


    ¡°...It¡¯s not too bad,¡± Belle whispered.


    In fact, this was good¡­ she hoped. It wasn¡¯t the first time her soul had accidentally slipped into the Dreamscape. Then again, she had never taken someone else with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re okay,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°I¡¯ve been here before and I¡¯ve gotten myself out before. First things first, I need to move us somewhere dry.¡±


    The Dreamscape was vast. There were plenty of comfortable spaces within its territory, and plenty of uncomfortable ones too. This place was clearly the latter.


    Belle pulled off her aurum aegis and held the golden amulet up above her head. ¡°Take me somewhere with a campfire and some blankets,¡± she commanded.


    The aegis shook in her hand for a moment, before a single speck of light sparked off its metal edge.


    Belle furrowed her brow, ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    The aegis would usually shine bright in the Dreamscape. At her command, hundreds of golden particles of light should have blazed forth from the aegis in a burst of power that would transform into a dream portal.


    Yet try as she might, the aegis did not respond.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s not enough mana left¡­?¡± she wondered.


    Had the aegis really used up most of its reserves waking her up? She could still feel some of her divine power emanating from the amulet, but it was dwindling.


    Strange, she thought. The longer she held the aegis in her hand the less mana she sensed from within.


    Belle stared into the darkness warily, ¡°Is this place¡­ draining the amulet?¡±


    But that didn¡¯t make sense, the Dreamscape could be dangerous but she had never heard of it draining mana before.


    A small hint of blue filtered into her peripherals. Belle looked down and spotted a faint blue light deep in the water. As she watched, more lights emerged from the depths. The pattern of lights seemed almost like a reflection of the stars, but when Belle looked up there were no stars in the sky, nor even a hint of a cloud.


    She had been in the Dreamscape plenty of times and each time it was a strange experience, but this¡­ this was different. Something felt off. An ominous feeling began growing in the pit of her stomach.


    The hundreds of blue glimmers began to grow, from specks to the size of coins. The lights grew brighter and larger as they rose from the ocean¡¯s depths.


    ¡°Stryg¡­ Now would be a great time to wake up, like seeeriously great,¡± Belle said anxiously.


    The glimmers¡¯ light began to coalesce around themselves, forming a faint azure aura that illuminated the gloomy waters. Belle glanced around the ocean, finally able to see past the darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an ocean¡­¡± she said numbly.


    The waters had an edge, so large that it almost reached the pitch-black horizon, but there was an edge.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a lake¡­?¡±


    Belle looked down and studied what lay beneath the waters. The glimmers¡¯ light had illuminated the bottom of the lake, or at least its edges. The ground was shaped in a wide ring-like pattern, forming a colossal tunnel that seemed to have no end, with a darkness so deep that not even the glimmers¡¯ light could penetrate.


    Tunnel¡­?


    A shiver crawled over Belle¡¯s spine and her scarlet eyes widened in horrific realization.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a tunnel¡­ it¡¯s a chasm! This is the Soul Chasm!¡± she shouted panickedly.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Belle looked over at her teammate and screamed, ¡°Wake up, Stryg! We¡¯re not in the Dreamscape! This place belongs to the dead! The souls of the living are not meant to be here! We need to leave, now! Please, wake up!¡±


    The blue glimmers grew brighter now as they neared the water¡¯s surface.


    No, not glimmers. Wisps. Belle thought grimly.


    She wracked her mind and tried to remember the stories her mother had told her when she was a little girl. Bellum had once said that the souls of the dead would arrive at the Soul Chasm after leaving the mortal world. They would fall into the lake and become wisps, destined to travel deeper and deeper into the chasm, until one day, hopefully, they¡¯d come out the other end, reborn into a new life.


    So why are these wisps floating upwards instead?


    Belle could see them clearly now. Large azure orbs of light the size of a helmet, floating right underneath the surface of the water. Slowly, the hundreds of wisps began to surround her.


    ¡°Dammit, Stryg!¡± Belle yelled anxiously. ¡°Please, for the love of anything that is sacred, wake the fuck up!¡±


    Belle channeled blue mana into her hands, but nothing came. Her chromatic mana did not respond, nor could she feel it flowing through her veins or beating within her heart.


    This wasn¡¯t like the Dreamscape, she realized in terror. Her magic did not exist in the Soul Chasm.


    The wisps broke through the water¡¯s surface and their orbs of light fizzled and melted away, transforming into ethereal visages of their former selves. A myriad of souls arose from the water, various different shapes of humanoids and monsters alike. Some species Belle recognized, others she had only heard stories about, but most were unfamiliar. Yet despite their differences, the dead all shared the same vacant eyes of hunger.


    The wisps did not swim in the water, they merely glided over its surface as if standing on some invisible platform. They abruptly turned to Belle and swarmed her.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± she yelled in a mixture of anger and dread.


    Belle kicked and punched at their ethereal forms, but her hands and feet went through them harmlessly as if the wisps were made of smoke. The dead souls opened their mouths resentfully and wailed, a low-pitched scream that resonated through the chill air. Countless hands grabbed at her.


    ¡°Agh, no¡ª!¡± Belle gasped in terror before they dragged her underwater.


    The ethereal forms melted back into orbs of light underneath the water¡¯s surface, but still, they held onto Belle. She screamed and flailed about, but they did not let go. Golden flames erupted from her body and the wisps cried out in painful frustration. They released the giant vampiress as their ethereal forms were burned away.


    Belle swam as fast as she could upwards and broke through the water¡¯s surface. She gasped for air and glanced about in a panic. Dozens of more wisps circled around her, eyeing her hungrily like sharks. With a low guttural wail they rose out of the water, transforming back into their past selves.


    ¡°Stay back! Stay back!¡± Belle shouted anxiously. Golden flames burned over her palms. She flung her arms around, trying her best to ward the dead away.


    She glanced down into the waters and stiffened in fear. Hundreds of more wisps were slowly rising to the surface. Belle¡¯s voice broke in a cry of defeat and fear.


    There were too many of them. Her divine abilities would not last long. The wisps would soon overpower her and drag her soul deep into the Soul Chasm forever.


    Belle blinked, Wait a sec! If my flames work here then that means¡ª!


    She gripped the aegis in her hand tightly and channeled her divine power into the amulet. The aegis drank her mana greedily and her golden flames grew small.


    It didn¡¯t matter to her. She would pour in all her power if she had to.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whispered desperately. ¡°Please, work. Take us out of here, please!¡±


    The wisps noticed her diminishing flames and drew closer.


    The aegis trembled in her hand. Bright sparks of golden light burst from the aegis and merged into a sphere. The sphere quickly expanded and formed a ring of fire behind her, a dream portal.


    ¡°YES!¡± Belle cried in triumphant relief. She turned to look for Stryg and paled, horrified, ¡°NO!!!¡±


    Stryg¡¯s body had floated further away from her and the wisps had begun to turn their attention towards his motionless body.


    ¡°Stryg! Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!¡± Belle shouted desperately.


    Her body felt sluggish and weak. The aegis had drained most of her mana and her golden flames burned dim. Hundreds of wisps surrounded her, watching, waiting for her flames to falter, even for a moment.


    She glanced at the portal behind her. It was their only chance to escape this place. The portal wouldn¡¯t stay open for long. If she swam away now, there was no guarantee she would even have the strength to swim back to it.


    Belle glanced towards her unconscious friend and bit her lip. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and screamed at the top of her lungs, ¡°I¡¯m coming, Stryg! Just hold on!¡±


    Belle kicked the water with her legs and swam towards him, but the wisps were faster, they glided across the water with ease. Several wisps had already reached Stryg before she was even halfway there.


    ¡°No, stop! Get away from him!¡± Belle cried out.


    The wisps ignored her and with cold hands they grabbed Stryg.


    Suddenly, a wisp burst from the water and sliced apart the others¡¯ ghostly arms with a pair of short ethereal blades.


    Belle frowned in confusion, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fighting them¡­?¡±


    This wisp was different. It wasn¡¯t trying to drag Stryg to the deep depths. It was defending Stryg¡­ He was defending Stryg.


    As Belle swam closer she began to make out the wisp¡¯s form. It was a young man, a vampire, she realized. He fought with a peculiar sword style she had never seen before. He danced around Stryg¡¯s body, his twin short blades slashing apart any other wisp that drew too close.


    Who is that?


    Why is he fighting against his own kind?


    What is happening!?


    Belle wanted answers but the other wisps were enclosing on Stryg. Hundreds of the dead hungered for the goblin. The single odd wisp turned to the horde of enemies, but he did not run, he stepped in front of Stryg, swords at the ready.


    The waters shook beneath Stryg and dozens of knight-shaped wisps arose around him. Each donned a scarlet cloak over their ethereal silver armor. In one hand they held longswords and in the other, they carried shields with an emblazoned crest of a woman in a warrior¡¯s stance.


    Belle¡¯s eyes widened with recognition, she knew that crest. She had seen Stryg¡¯s swordmaster carry it proudly on the back of her cloak.


    ¡°The House of Gale¡­¡± Belle whispered.


    The scarlet knights moved in a synchronous order and formed a protective circle around Stryg. The horde of hungry wisps attacked them with a frenzy, but the knights held their ground and cut them down with silent blade strokes.


    She didn¡¯t understand what was happening but there was no time to hesitate. ¡°Hey! Warriors of Gale!¡± Belle waved to the knights, ¡°We need to bring Stryg over here! To the portal!¡±


    The young vampire wisp stared at the portal briefly before he sheathed his shortswords and threw Stryg over his back. The scarlet knights glanced at each other and nodded. They shifted their stance and began moving towards the portal while staying in their circle formation, cutting down the countless wisps that continued to attack.


    Belle watched them, dumbfounded. They¡¯re listening¡­ They¡¯re really listening! Shit, I need to move too!


    She spun around and swam back to the portal with the last of her remaining strength.


    Despite the horde''s attacks, the knights moved quickly over the waters and reached the portal seconds after Belle.


    The young vampire wisp pulled Stryg off his back and handed him to Belle. She stared at the wisp warily, before she wrapped her arm around Stryg and pulled him away.


    Belle swam back a little and looked the wisp over, ¡°T-thank you¡­ Sir¡­?¡±


    The wisp said nothing and merely nodded.


    Stryg grumbled in discomfort and his eyes faintly opened.


    Clypeus smiled softly and gently pushed Belle and Stryg into the portal behind them.


    ~~~


    Belle¡¯s eyes snapped open. She shouted in shock and sat up on the sand. Rain drizzled down on her and she cried in relief. She glanced around at the coliseum and then at the confused crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ we¡¯re back!¡± Belle burst into laughter, tears in her eyes.


    Stryg groaned from across the arena and sat up. He shook his head, sand falling out of his pale grey hair. He stared at his hands and frowned in consternation, ¡°What just happened¡­? I thought¡­ I thought I saw¡­ no¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s finally awake,¡± Belle smiled, annoyed. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should have been angry or happy.


    Belle remembered the Gale wisps and her smile fell. She looked Stryg over carefully, unsure of what to make of it all.


    ...Who are you, Stryg? she wondered.


    The blue goblin stared at her and then at the battered arena. He narrowed his eyes and hissed, ¡°This duel isn¡¯t over.¡±


    Belle couldn¡¯t help but grin excitedly.


    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± she growled.

 Chapter 338: The Champion of Spell & Steel

    Chapter 338: The Champion of Spell & Steel


    The cold drizzling rain had turned into a full downpour. And yet the crowds did not complain. They cheered at the sight of the arena that unfolded in front of them.


    Ophelia stared in disbelief from her high seat. The two young mages had dropped unceremoniously the moment she had activated the Nether Flask just as their flame spells had exploded against one another. It had worked, her plan had worked. The Ebon Aspirant and the anomaly hybrid had both mysteriously fallen, their souls trapped in the Soul Chasm forever.


    So why¡­


    Why are they standing!?


    The crowds cheered as both the Aspirant Stryg and the hybrid called Sylvie stood to their feet, ready to keep on fighting.


    Panic rose in the pit of Ophelia¡¯s stomach. For the first time in many years, she had no idea what to do.


    ~~~


    Belle glanced at the aurum aegis in the palm of her hand. Not a single iota of her divine power was left in the amulet. She wouldn¡¯t be able to count on the aegis¡¯ protection, not until she refilled the aegis with her power.


    But as Belle breathed in and out, she could feel the divine energy in her heart dwindling, the dream portal had spent most of her power. Even worse, the Soul Chasm had drained her large reserves of chromatic mana entirely.


    Still¡­ she thought grimly. It¡¯ll have to be enough¡­


    Her opponent wasn¡¯t Calex Thorn, but he was still a mage with a large arsenal of spells at his disposal and spell-casting skills that Belle was uncertain she could match, not in her current exhausted state.


    As if that¡¯d make me give up, she chuckled to herself.


    Adversity was the mark of any war and the blood of war thrived through her veins.


    Belle grinned viciously, ¡°Let¡¯s see how far we can go!¡±


    Her last remaining divine power ignited within her body and golden flames burned over her skin. Her nails formed into claws and her lower canines grew to match her sharp fangs. She crouched low and growled.


    ~~~


    Stryg stared at the golden flames numbly. Whatever courage he had felt moments ago quickly evaporated like the rain around Belle. He knew what her fire was capable of. He had tried to stop them with his own greatest flame spell and he had failed.


    He thought he had enough orange mana left for another powerful flame spell, but surprisingly, he didn¡¯t. He knew flame magic drained a caster¡¯s orange mana quickly, but this wasn¡¯t usual for him. Even more strangely, his other colors were barely at half their usual reserves.


    Flame spells were out of the question. Maybe a torrent spell then? Or another stone spell? No, they had all proven ineffective.


    Perhaps something new then? Something he had yet to dare to try outside of the confines of his training grounds. Cornelius had warned him about it. The dwarf had called him reckless and stubborn.


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly, Maybe he was right¡­


    ¡°What are you waiting for!? I thought you wanted to fight me!¡± Belle called out from a distance.


    Stryg turned to her and took a deep quiet breath. Orange, brown, and yellow mana flowed out from his heart and filled his bones and flesh. He suddenly grimaced and bent forward, holding his sides. It felt as if his chest was being crushed by a boulder. His muscles burned as if they were being dipped in acid, his bones creaked, and his skin felt as if it was being pulled apart.


    ¡°What now? Is this some kind of trick?¡± Belle raised an eyebrow suspiciously.


    Stryg looked up at her, pain in his eyes, and hissed, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Belle slowly smiled, ¡°Here I come.¡±


    Her golden flames flared brightly and she charged at him.


    Stryg forced himself to stand up straight through the pain.


    He had only ever been able to keep the three spells stable for a few seconds. It would have to be enough¡­


    His veins darkened to a grey, scales of yellow light wrapped around his skin, and a sheen like polished steel undulated over his skin.


    Belle¡¯s fiery fist came down on him. With unexpected speed, he reached out and caught her wrist. His fingers stung from the heat as if he was touching a steaming pot, but his skin did not burn.


    She stopped her oncoming assault and stared in shock at the offending hand. The blue fingers weren¡¯t even long enough to completely wrap around her wrist and yet there they were, trembling yet still somehow holding her back.


    ¡°You can still cast Vigor and Durability spells? How much mana do you have!? Wait¡­ no¡­ that¡¯s agility magic¡­¡± Belle¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Tri-enhancements¡­?¡±


    Stryg growled.


    His grey claws dug into her skin, a speckle of blood forming at her wrist. Belle burst into laughter and abruptly kicked him in the chest, sending him careening back.


    ¡°Finally! I can finally see you! The real Stryg!¡± Belle shouted excitedly. She narrowed her eyes, ¡°This is the you worth defeating.¡±


    Stryg regained his balance and glanced at his chest. There was a charred hole on his tunic where she had kicked him. His yellow scales had cracked from the overwhelming blow, but they had not broken. He turned to Belle and hissed angrily.


    She grinned, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Stryg ran at her, agility magic quickening his every step. He leaped into the air and swiped his leg in a wide kick, vigor magic empowering his muscles. Belle blocked with her arm, her speed matching his own. Stryg landed on the sand and pressed his attack.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The crowds screamed in excitement as they watched the two duelists fight in close combat. The spectators had seen plenty of duels in the arena before. They had witnessed weapon masters of all kinds duel on these same sands throughout the years. The masters of their craft had always fought with the certain assuredness and smooth strikes that came with decades of practice. Yet the crowds had never seen anything like this.


    These were not the eloquent movements of two warriors testing their mettle. As the crowd watched Stryg and Belle roll across the sand, clawing at each other, and trying to bite one another, it seemed as if they were witnessing two vicious animals struggling for survival. The crowd''s voices of excitement slowly died and were replaced with mixed expressions of fear and awe.


    The goblin¡¯s small yet terrifyingly sharp fangs found her calf and bit down hard. The vampiress howled in pain and her golden flames burned brighter. He grimaced and pulled his jaw away, his mouth burning from the heat. Belle jumped to her feet and kicked him in the face. His head snapped back from the blow and he toppled over. Belle went to kick him, but she stumbled and began to sway from side-to-side. Her golden flames abruptly died out as the last of her divine power was depleted.


    Stryg spotted the opening in her defenses and tackled her to the ground. He straddled on top of her and began raining down punches. Belle raised her arms to protect her face, but his fists slammed into her ribs instead, cracking bones with every empowered strike.


    Belle grunted in pain, tears forming at the edge of her eyes, but she kept her arms up trying to protect herself the best she could. Stryg suddenly stiffened and began to cough up blood. The three enhancement spells became unstable and fell apart.


    Belle noticed the spells fading from his skin and she immediately threw him to the side and jumped on top of him. She roared and wrapped her arms around his throat. Stryg tried to push her off him, but his muscles felt weak and her body too heavy. He tried to scratch at her forearms and with every attempt, his strength grew more feeble.


    ¡°Yield,¡± she said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°¡­Ne¡­ver¡­¡± he mouthed weakly.


    His body spasmed and ached from the backlash of the enhancement spells. His lungs burned from the lack of air. His vision began to blur, and the world¡¯s cries and cheers fell into an eerie quiet. Memories of his life began to flood his mind, the happy moments, the painful ones, and the ones where he felt most helpless¡­


    He had felt like this before¡­ It had been his first duel¡­ Kegrog had been stronger than him and he had been helpless to stop him¡­


    Stryg opened his eyes wide and stared resolutely into Belle¡¯s. He slowly wrapped his hands around her forearms with the last of his strength and let grey mana flow into his fingers.


    Belle frowned in confusion as she felt a creeping cold surge into her arms. She grinned angrily, ¡°You¡¯re draining my lifeforce¡­?¡±


    Stryg bared his fangs and glared at her.


    She felt angry but at the same time she felt¡­ thrilled? The goblin beneath her wasn¡¯t giving up. Despite being on the ground, despite being unable to move, he was actually still a threat. It would take some time, but he would eventually drain all her lifeforce energy and she would collapse unable to move an inch. The correct course of action would be to get off the goblin and kick him away.


    And yet, she didn¡¯t move. This was a gamble of strength, who would fall first?


    A warm feeling filled Belle¡¯s chest and she found herself genuinely smiling. She had never felt like this. This was it. The feeling she had searched for in every battle she had fought. The sheer exhilaration.


    A wild glint appeared in her scarlet eyes. She leaned forward and whispered with a hungry smile, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know why¡­ but I really want to sink my teeth into your neck¡­ and tear out your throat.¡±


    ¡°Back¡­ at you,¡± Stryg growled through choked breaths.


    ¡°So we¡¯re in agreement,¡± Belle leaned back and smiled coldly, ¡°But I have other plans.¡±


    Her grip tightened around his throat.


    Stryg¡¯s fingers weakened and his arms fell to his sides. ¡°...Same¡­¡± he whispered.


    With a deft motion, his left hand pulled a long dagger out of his pocket and drove the blade through Belle¡¯s wrist. She screamed in pain and jumped back. Stryg scrambled to his feet and coughed while sucking in deep precious breaths of air.


    Belle examined her left wrist, it was bleeding profusely. She chuckled, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ You actually took my advice and brought a dagger.¡±


    Stryg began to walk backwards while keeping his eyes on her. ¡°...It was good advice,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°I know.¡± She studied the dagger in his hand and cocked her head to the side, ¡°It¡¯s a little long though, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the perfect size.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s foot brushed Nameless¡¯ hilt and he picked up the blade from the ground.


    Belle shook her head and drew her own sword, ¡°This again? I already told you, I¡¯ve studied the Gale Style and your broken blade is ill-suited for it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± He flipped the long dagger into a reverse grip and held his broken blade in the other hand.


    Belle narrowed her eyes. She didn¡¯t know this stance, but it seemed reminiscent of the style the vampire wisp had used in the Soul Chasm. She glanced at her own sword and noticed her grip was shaking. She was losing too much blood.


    A voice in her head whispered for her to be careful. Her mana reserves were already completely drained. And now most of her lifeforce energy had been drained. Now was the time to be cautious. But as she looked at the goblin¡¯s unwavering eyes, she felt as if none of that mattered. All she wanted to do¡­ all that mattered right now¡­ was the thrill of the fight.


    Belle and Stryg dashed at each other, blades clashing against one another. Steel blurred in a storm of sparks as their bodies moved around their opponent¡¯s swords. Belle¡¯s movements were sluggish, but her superior skill was evident in her every parry and strike.


    Stryg was faster, yet he couldn''t find an opening in her defenses. Belle tried to end his assault with one heavy strike, but he moved in a strange pattern she hadn¡¯t seen before, unable to give her a moment to lash back. Stryg¡¯s attacks held traces of the Gale Style, but it was different, like a silent shift in the air.


    As the fight continued, Belle grew more accustomed to his attacks and began to adapt, slowly but surely gaining the upper hand as Stryg¡¯s body began to slow down.


    The crowds watched from the edge of their seats with tense silence.


    Belle¡¯s blade slashed across Stryg¡¯s skin for the fifth time, leaving another shallow but bleeding gash. He roared in frustration and renewed his attacks. Belle danced away, parrying each blow. But Stryg did not back down, he continued to attack, foregoing his defenses.


    Belle shifted to the offense, finally seeing an opening for a final strike.


    The raindrops around them began to vibrate and slow in their descent until they were floating aimlessly around them in a swirling pattern. A faint inner light leaked out from Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes. A cold sensation filled his burning muscles with relief.


    Belle lashed her blade out in a wide arc. He dashed underneath her longsword with newfound strength and sliced across her thighs and shoulders with two quick strokes of his blades. Belle¡¯s eyes widened in stunned surprise.


    ¡°H-how¡­?¡± she mumbled and collapsed on the ground.


    The swirling rain froze for a moment, then suddenly continued to fall as usual.


    Stryg took deep exhausted breaths and pointed Nameless at Belle, ¡°Yield.¡±


    She chuckled weakly, ¡°...You were holding out on me¡­¡±


    The blades slipped out of his tired hands and his knees buckled underneath him.  ¡°Yield,¡± he whispered wearily.


    Belle closed her eyes and felt the rain fall across her skin as the water mixed with her blood, ¡°You can¡¯t even stand or hold a blade¡­¡±


    ¡°...Neither can you.¡±


    ¡°...So why should I be the one to yield¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡±


    Belle opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise. His eyes were filled with empathy.


    ¡°You''re bleeding¡­ too much¡­ you need a healer¡­¡± Stryg mumbled with the last of his strength.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Belle sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose¡­ another friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± she cursed under her breath. She took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could muster, ¡°I yield!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s silence broke and they began to mutter to one another.


    ¡°...SYLVIE OF HOLLOW SHADE IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE!¡± Mark announced.


    Jane jumped to her feet in the Herald¡¯s Tower and yelled excitedly into the enchanted horn, ¡°STRYG OF HOLLOW SHADE IS THE VICTOR! CONGRATULATIONS TO UNDERGROWTH¡¯S CHAMPION OF SPELL & STEEL!¡±


    The crowd broke into cheers.

 Chapter 339: The Awards Ceremony Part 1

    Chapter 339: The Awards Ceremony Part 1


    The grey muddy clouds over Undergrowth began to clear as the noon sun shone over the forest city. The final duel of the tourney had ended over an hour ago, yet the crowds had not dispersed, in fact, they seemed more eager than ever.


    The crowds eagerly cheered and applauded the seven individuals standing at the center of the ¡®war-torn¡¯ arena.


    Stryg glanced at the other six standing next to him; Ismene stood to his right, leaning on her cane as usual, though she seemed to be standing a little taller today, a small smile on her lips.


    Tauri Katag held herself with silent composure, her back straight and her arms at her sides, the perfect picture of a dignified daughter of a Martial Great House. Cornelius Rotrusk on the other hand seemed to care little for aristocratic protocol, save for his own appearance. The dwarf¡¯s black goatee was oiled and trimmed, and his green silk robes were without blemish. He would have seemed regal, if not for his incessant bragging and boisterous laughter.


    Freya Goldelm was just as proud. Her golden hair was braided with more precious jewels than usual and it shone bright like fire under the sunlight. She held her arms open wide and had a large cocky grin on her face as she simply bathed in the glory of her team¡¯s victory and the adoration of the crowd.


    Callum Veres stood next to Freya, a few bandages still wrapped around his arms from his battle with the vampiress Kalliste Lilith. His dark hair was swept back and he wore the traditional black and red colors of his House. His face was a little paler than usual but otherwise, he seemed fine. He waved at the crowds, but he kept glancing back worriedly at Belle.


    The 7 ft vampire hybrid stood to Stryg¡¯s left and like him, Belle was covered in plenty of bloodied bandages, though they both hid them under their academy¡¯s black cloaks. The healers had treated both finalists to the best of their magical abilities, but the healers warned Stryg and Belle that their white magic could only go so far, they would need much rest. Yet the healers¡¯ warnings did nothing to stop either of them from standing with their teammates for the ceremony.


    Stryg¡¯s body healed unnaturally quickly, but not nearly fast enough. All he wanted to do was lie down on a bed and forget about his body¡¯s aches and pains. From the small grimaces Belle made, he guessed she did too, though she seemed to have relaxed a bit when the sun broke through the clouds.


    As Stryg looked Belle¡¯s injuries over, a small bundle of frustration formed in the pit of his stomach. He had seen Belle¡¯s fight with Calex Thorn clearly, he had witnessed her golden flames overpower her enemy with ease. And yet, Belle had barely used her flames against Stryg.


    He still wasn¡¯t certain why they had both fallen unconscious during the middle of their duel or what had occurred during that time. He hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to speak to Belle about it either. All he knew for certain was that when they woke up, their mana had been severely depleted.


    Belle¡¯s flames had been severely hindered¡­ In other words¡­


    Sylvie was at a disadvantage¡­ If it hadn¡¯t been for whatever that interference was, I would have lost, Stryg thought sullenly.


    He didn¡¯t wish to say it out loud, but in his heart he knew, he knew, Belle was stronger than him.


    ¡°Chin up, child, you did well today,¡± Ismene whispered into his ear.


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly, ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky. Next time I won¡¯t just yield,¡± Belle smirked, though her voice held an edge to it.


    Stryg nodded solemnly, ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    As he stared into her scarlet eyes he made a silent promise to himself; one day, no matter what it took, he would become strong enough to face her as an equal.


    Tauri sighed frustratedly, ¡°Dammit¡­ Loh and Vayu should be here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked. Of all the people he knew, Tauri was the least he expected to utter those words.


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°I may not like it, but they deserve to stand with us. They both were deeply involved in your training.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± Stryg mumbled. He hadn¡¯t spotted Vayu in the crowds and Loh had disappeared as well. He found himself hoping they were okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re able to see past your own personal feelings, Tauri,¡± Ismene nodded approvingly.


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s personal feelings? What?¡± Cornelius¡¯ ears perked up. ¡°What are we talking about?¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Nothing, go back to your ¡®basking-in-glory,¡¯¡± Tauri said.


    Cornelius laughed, ¡°Well, it was thanks to me that Stryg was able to master his triple enhancement spells, so I¡¯d say a bit of glory is due.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call it learned, let alone mastered,¡± Tauri said dryly. ¡°Stryg dropped to the ground like a seizure victim, not 10 seconds after he cast those spells.¡±


    ¡°And yet it was thanks to those spells that he was able to win,¡± Cornelius said proudly.


    ¡°They talk like we¡¯re not right here,¡± Belle muttered.


    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Belle asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s annoying,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I think the Shattered Blade helped Stryg more than his magic,¡± Tauri spoke over them.


    ¡°Shattered Blade?¡± Stryg asked as Tauri and Cornelius continued to argue.


    Freya turned away from the crowds and pointed at Nameless, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what people are calling your sword. The Heralds called it that during your fight with Sylvie, didn¡¯t you hear?¡±


    ¡°No, I was a little too busy trying not to die,¡± Stryg frowned.


    Freya shrugged, ¡°Oh, well, everyone¡¯s been talking about it, the sword the Ebon Aspirant wielded; broken and yet with powers capable of defeating a swordmaster.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened,¡± Belle said, miffed.


    ¡°We know, but that¡¯s how it goes with stories, embellished, and mixed with bits of truth,¡± Callum said sympathetically.


    ¡°Not much to be done about it. Renowned weapons usually have a sobriquet, it comes with the fame,¡± Freya said. ¡°Like Feather, ¡®The Fang of Fraxinus¡¯ or my own House¡¯s ancestral hammer, Oginum, ¡®The Light of the North.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But those are famous weapons. Nameless is just my sword,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    Callum and Freya looked at each other, chuckled, and glanced at Stryg, ¡°Exactly,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°You are the first Ebon Aspirant of the century, the past two centuries to be precise,¡± Callum said. ¡°Your weapon of choice is almost as important as your surname, if you had one that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ask me, ¡®The Shattered Blade¡¯ seems fitting,¡± Belle smirked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m going to have the blade reforged, obviously,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter at this point,¡± Belle laughed. ¡°Your sword is stuck with its moniker.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Stryg stared at Nameless, hanging from his hip. Its name didn¡¯t matter, not to him. All that mattered was the promise he swore on this sword. He had promised his best friend he would win the tourney for both of them.


    We finally did it, Cly¡­ we won, Stryg smiled softly.


    ¡°Tauri, Cornelius, stop your childish bickering at once,¡± Ismene snapped. ¡°The Queen of Undergrowth is approaching.¡±


    Ophelia Thorn stepped out of the western gate to the standing cheers of thousands. An entourage of servants and wagons followed behind her. Ophelia held her head up high and ignored the crowds with the aloofness of a queen. She walked with a purposeful stride and only stopped when she was a few paces from Stryg and the others.


    Ophelia finally glanced at the crowds and raised her hands for silence. The spectators¡¯ voices quickly grew dim as they sat down and awaited her words.


    Ophelia slowly glanced at each of the Hollow Shaders and finally settled her eyes on Stryg. She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I believe congratulations are in order.¡±


    Stryg stared at her warily, but said nothing.


    Ophelia turned to the thousands in the coliseum and smiled coldly, ¡°I must admit I am surprised. Despite Hollow Shade¡¯s team¡¯s miserable loss in the Challenge of Fae & Flower, they managed to come in 2nd in the Challenge of Pillar & Sea, and somehow beyond comprehension¡­¡± Ophelia swallowed hard and tried to maintain her composure, ¡°...Against all expectations, this team achieved 1st place in the Challenge of Spell & Steel.¡±


    Ophelia glanced at the four youths standing a few paces from her, and nodded begrudgingly, ¡°After 7 long years of consecutive losses, Hollow Shade has claimed victory in the Great Cities Tourney.¡±


    The hundreds of visiting Hollow Shaders in the crowds broke into shouts and applause.


    ¡°But!¡± Ophelia raised her finger, silencing the spectators once more, ¡°Before all of that. It is time to reward our victors with the Trinity Prizes.¡±


    She snapped her fingers and the servants behind her tore away the tarps covering the wagons, revealing countless stacked logs.


    ¡°The first prize goes to the City of Shades. Undergrowth humbly offers a hundred logs of our finest ebony lumber, cut from the heart of Glimmer Grove forest.¡±


    ¡°On behalf of Hollow Shade, I thank you for your gift,¡± Ismene bowed her head. ¡°Ebony is a very precious material and I am certain our master artisans will put it to great use.¡±


    ¡°I am certain they will,¡± Ophelia said dryly. She snapped her fingers once more and a pair of heavyset drows brought forth a steel chest.


    With a quick whisper of a spell, Ophelia unlocked the chest and pulled back the steel lid. Four clear magestone gems, each the size of a child¡¯s fist, were carefully tucked inside.


    ¡°Our city¡¯s second gift goes to the team that grasped this year''s victory,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°To the four of you, we gift the greatest of magestones, cut from the deep mines of the Rupture Mountains. They are perfectly clear, without a single speck of imperfection, and will serve as the greatest component of whatever enchanted object you wish to have made.¡±


    At Ophelia¡¯s signal, the two burly servants gently placed the steel chest at the feet of Freya, the team¡¯s captain.


    Freya bowed her head in gratitude, though her small smile betrayed her excitement, ¡°Thank you, Lady Thorn, for your city¡¯s gift.¡±


    ¡°...My pleasure,¡± Ophelia bowed stiffly.


    Stryg, Freya, Callum, and Belle did not notice Ophelia¡¯s discomfort, their eyes were all focused on the four crystals shining under the sunlight with an inner lustrous glint.


    ¡°And last of all¡­¡± Ophelia closed her eyes painfully and tried to steady her breathing. After a few moments, her blue eyes opened slowly. ¡°...The third and final Trinity Prize.¡±

 Chapter 340: The Awards Ceremony Part 2

    Chapter 340: The Awards Ceremony Part 2


    ¡°And last of all¡­¡± Ophelia closed her eyes painfully and tried to steady her breathing. After a few moments, her blue eyes opened slowly. ¡°...The third and final Trinity Prize.¡±


    Four servants dressed in the black robes of mages stepped forward solemnly. In their hands, they carefully held a pale cloak made of white flower petals, streaked with lavender veins on the undersides.


    Ophelia turned to Stryg and slowly unbuckled the clasp of his black cloak.


    The cloak fell unceremoniously on the sand. Stryg stiffened but he did not move or back away, he simply stared at her cautiously.


    Ophelia smiled painfully and spoke in a soft voice, barely above a whisper, ¡°To the Champion of Spell & Steel, the final victor of the tourney¡­ I gift you my family¡¯s treasured heirloom, ¡®The Snow Petal Cloak¡¯ Blossom.¡±


    She grabbed the pale cloak of flowers and carefully wrapped it around Stryg¡¯s shoulders. A pair of thin white vines slowly grew out from the bottom of the hood, one on each side, and tied itself into a knot, forming an organic clasp.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in admiration, ¡°That¡¯s pretty neat.¡±


    Neat? Is that all you have to say about Blossom? Neat!? Ophelia thought, outraged, though her face stayed still. ¡°...Blossom is an elemental cloak of life and light magic. It is not bound by the same limits of chromatic magic¡­ So treat my Blossom well.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°So how do I fly with it?¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°When the tourney started, you flew into the arena with the cloak. How did you make it do that?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t Blossom¡¯s doing. It was my Yellow wind magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I was really hoping I could fly¡­¡± Stryg said disappointedly.


    ¡°Imbecile,¡± Ophelia muttered.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Stryg glared at her.


    ¡°I called you an imbecile,¡± Ophelia said, poison dripping from her voice. ¡°Because that is exactly what you are. A fool who does not even understand the gifts he has been given. You stand here with all ten colors of magic flowing through your veins and literal treasure in your hands and all you can think of is flying!? Your mere existence is destined for greatness and yet you squander it by binding yourself to a House of orcs!?¡±


    Stryg hissed at Ophelia and Tauri stepped forward, but it was Ismene who spoke first, ¡°Careful with your words, Thorn.¡±


    ¡°Or what!?¡± Ophelia snapped. ¡°What will you do, Tempest Archmage, hm? Will you try to strike me down in my own city, surrounded by my armies?¡±


    ¡°You are not only surrounded by your armies,¡± Ismene said coldly. ¡°You are surrounded by diplomats from the other three Great Cities. Or did you forget they were in the coliseum?¡±


    ¡°And? Am I supposed to be scared by a couple of diplomats?¡± Ophelia laughed in disdain.


    ¡°No, but only a fool would not be afraid of their cities¡¯ armies,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Has old age finally made you senile, human? Do you really think Murkton and Frost Rim would dare attack my city? Without just cause?¡±


    ¡°How about for interfering with the tourney¡¯s Challenges?¡± Ismene raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°What?¡± Ophelia stiffened.


    ¡°I have had my suspicions about your interference the last few weeks,¡± Ismene said. ¡°I have spoken to the representatives of the other Great Cities and the professors of the other teams. We have kept a close eye on you, Thorn, and we have come to the conclusion that you have interfered in the 1st Challenge and have altered the Selection Vase of the 3rd Challenge, both of which are incredibly grave offenses. So I guess I should be the one asking, have you gone senile, imbecile?¡±


    Ophelia laughed shakily and shook her head, ¡°Bullshit. I haven¡¯t interfered in any Challenge. You have no proof. If you had, then the diplomats would have already arranged a meeting.¡±


    ¡°They already have,¡± Ismene said calmly. ¡°The meeting is scheduled to begin soon after the award ceremony is over. Unlike you, the diplomats thought it best not to interfere with the sacred rites of the tourney. Your trial will commence shortly after the tourney is over. Unless of course, you wish to be brash and try to strike at my students as you seem so eager to do. Then the need for a trial would be nullified and our suspicions would be confirmed. Undergrowth will immediately become the enemy of Hollow Shade, Frost Rim, and Murkton, and your precious city will fall under the power of our combined might. Is that what you want? Hm?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Ismene tapped her cane, ¡°Or perhaps you wish to behave and finish this ceremony with elegance? And maybe, just maybe, your trial¡¯s punishment will be lenient.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are a bold old cunt,¡± Ophelia sneered.


    Ismene did not bat an eye, ¡°So what will it be, Queen of Undergrowth? Or should I call you Queen of the Ashes? It¡¯s your choice, really.¡±


    Stryg stared at Ismene shocked and was once again reminded why his Blue master was never to be trifled with.


    Ophelia¡¯s eye twitched in anger and she suddenly snapped her fingers. A servant ran to her side and presented her with a wooden box.


    Ophelia forced herself to smile, ¡°¡­Where were we?¡±


    She opened the wooden lid of the box and pulled out four mage amulets, each made of silver and embedded with a set of precious jewels. ¡°Due to this year¡¯s tourney¡¯s late start, none of you have officially graduated and been given your mage amulets. It is time to rectify that decision.¡± Ophelia glanced at Ismene, ¡°Feel free to inspect the amulets for any tampering. I¡¯d hate for you to think I had them altered in some way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brown Manifold High-Master Cornelius will take care of the inspection,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°As you wish, Lady Ismene,¡± Cornelius bowed with a deep flourish.


    ¡°Feel free to give Cornelius the box. I will give my students their amulets later,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Ophelia nodded. She glanced at the four youths and cleared her throat, ¡°By the power vested in me as an arch-mage of the Ebon Realm, I declare Stryg of Ebon Hollow, Sylvie of Hollow Shade, Freya of House Goldelm, and Callum of House Veres, official mage adepts of the Realm.¡±


    Stryg and his friends couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. It had been three long years, but they had finally obtained the title they had worked so hard for. Belle seemed to be the only one who did not care for the title.


    ¡°Furthermore,¡± Ophelia said. ¡°Due to your outstanding display of magical skill during this tourney, Stryg and Sylvie, I grant you both the rank of Master mage of the Ebon Realm. Congratulations.¡±


    Stryg blinked in surprise, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°A little underwhelming, but I¡¯ll accept,¡± Belle shrugged.


    Ophelia ignored them and turned to the crowds, ¡°May I present to you, the Ebon Realm¡¯s four newest official mages and the winners of this year¡¯s tourney, TEAM HOLLO SHADE!¡±


    The crowds finally burst into cheers, their voices so loud that the sands of the arena shook underneath Stryg¡¯s feet.


    ~~~


    ¡­Thorn Castle¡­


    Ophelia stomped into her chambers, her grey skin flushed with rage. She reached for a bottle of wine and drank it straight from the bottle.


    ¡°My lady?¡± her general knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in, Lord Loch,¡± Ophelia said bitterly.


    The door creaked open and Loch walked in, his eyes filled with worry, ¡°My lady, are you alright? What did the Tempest Archmage say to you? Was she threatening you?¡±


    Ophelia gripped the collar of his tunic and knocked him into the wall, ¡°Did you hide the Nether Flask in the arena¡¯s sands?!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did,¡± Loch grimaced. ¡°I¡¯d never lie to you, my lady. You know that.¡±


    Ophelia sighed and released him, ¡°¡­I know¡­ I know¡­ I just don¡¯t understand why it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I, my lady. We may both be archmages, but neither of us truly understands the gifts of our dark god, especially something like that flask.¡±


    Ophelia took another swig of wine and wiped her lips with the sleeve of her dress, ¡°Why did you come here, Lord Loch?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to make sure you were alright. The Tempest Archmage, was she threatening you?¡±


    ¡°It was nothing, just a stupid bluff about diplomats, and I fell for it like a fool,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Best not to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Diplomats?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, they never showed up.¡±


    Loch licked his lips, ¡°My lady. Before coming here, one of our messengers told me the diplomats of Murkton, Hollow Shade, and Frost Rim, have called a meeting. They wish for you to attend.¡±


    The bottle of wine slipped from Ophelia¡¯s grasp and shattered on the floor. She slowly turned to Loch, her eyes wide open, ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    ¡°The diplomats¡­ They are holding a meeting and they wish for you to attend. Is something wrong? Do you not wish to go? Should I speak to the diplomats myself?¡±


    Ophelia shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. She shook with laughter, a small hoarse noise from the bottom of her throat that became louder and louder until her voice echoed sharply across the room.


    ¡°My lady¡­?¡± Loch whispered worriedly.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it seems so simple when I think about it,¡± Ophelia smiled to herself, ¡°Lord Caligo did not place me in this position so that I could be interrogated by the likes of that diplomatic council of self-righteous bastards.¡±


    ¡°¡­If those diplomats have threatened you in some way I will have words with them,¡± Loch scowled.


    ¡°You misunderstand me. There is no need to tell the diplomats anything. Rally the armies, I want this city on complete lockdown. Lord Caligo did not want someone of interest to leave this city. I don¡¯t know for certain who that may be, but I can make sure they won¡¯t leave. No one gets in or gets out of Undergrowth, not a single soul, I don¡¯t care what their reasons are.¡±


    ¡°But the tourney has just ended. Thousands of visitors will wish to return to their homes. The diplomats will be outraged.¡±


    ¡°Not if they¡¯re dead,¡± she smiled maliciously. ¡°I want you to kill them all, every single last fucking one of those bastards.¡±


    Loch frowned, ¡°If we harm even a single diplomat it could lead to war with the other Great Cities.¡±


    ¡°We are already at war, Lord Loch. They just don¡¯t know it yet. Soon, Undergrowth¡¯s armies will march on Hollow Shade and then the Realm. It is time I stop pretending otherwise. It is time the Thorns deal the first strike.¡±


    Loch nodded gravely, ¡°¡­I understand. I will rally our armies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Loch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady?¡±


    ¡°I want you to personally capture the tourney team from Hollow Shade. I don¡¯t care how many soldiers it takes. Retrieve my cloak, and bring the dire hybrid called Sylvie and the Ebon Aspirant to me, alive.¡±


    ¡°And the others?¡±


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Ophelia snarled, ¡°And bring me that old Tempest bitch¡¯s head.¡±


    Loch bowed, ¡°As you wish, my queen.¡±

 Chapter 341: Farewell, Undergrowth Part 1

    Chapter 341: Farewell, Undergrowth Part 1


    Callum Veres walked down the busy streets of Undergrowth¡¯s outer districts with a small bounce to his steps. It was early in the afternoon and many folks, especially travelers, were bustling throughout the city eager to taste one more hot meal before beginning the long journey home.


    People whispered to each other and many cheered as they recognized the young Veres vampire. Callum smiled proudly. His team had done the unthinkable. They had defied the expectations of the masses ¡ªcommoners and aristocrats alike¡ª and had won the Great Cities Tourney.


    Callum ran his fingers across the silver necklace hanging over his shoulders. The sunlight glinted off the polished ruby and diamond set at the center of the necklace. The two precious stones represented his bi-manifold nature, Red and White chromatic mana.


    He had worn plenty of jewelry throughout his life, but none of it felt as precious as the mage necklace. He had trained, studied, and worked so hard the last three years for the silver amulet, the symbol of a genuine mage. No longer was he just a mageborn or a novice struggling to cast a simple ward spell. He was finally a mage of the Ebon Realm.


    Finally, he smiled to himself.


    He was one step closer to achieving his dreams.


    Callum began to whistle a cheerful tune as he walked. After a few minutes, he reached his destination, a stone bridge looming over a small river that ran through the city. He glanced around for Belle and found her in a matter of seconds. Her 7-foot frame was easy to spot amidst the bustling crowds.


    Belle stood near the bridge¡¯s parapet, staring down at the river below. She glanced up at Callum the moment he spotted her. Their scarlet eyes met and he smiled happily. She smiled, but it was strained, almost painful.


    Callum raised a questioning eyebrow. He walked over to her and bowed with an over-exaggerated flourish, ¡°Master Sylvie, as requested, I am here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°So, how does it feel to be a master mage?¡± Callum glanced at her silver mage necklace hanging over her aurum aegis.


    Five precious stones were embedded in her necklace; A sapphire, an emerald, a jasper, a grey moonstone, and a teardrop-shaped onyx. A golden trim around the amulet denoted her rank as master.


    Belle glanced down at her own amulet and shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s nice, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Nice? That¡¯s it?!¡± he shook his head. ¡°Geniuses, I tell you, they¡¯re never satisfied.¡±


    Belle smiled lopsidedly, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°The rest of the team is out celebrating at a local tavern, just a few blocks from here. I know you said you weren¡¯t up for drinks, but I hired some barmaids who are willing to let us drink some of their blood. What do you say to that?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll still pass,¡± she said apologetically.


    Callum leaned his back on the parapet and looked up at her, ¡°...Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, the healers did a good job tending to my wounds,¡± Belle rolled her shoulders.


    ¡°I meant emotionally. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just not used to losing,¡± Belle¡¯s face scrunched with disgust just saying that statement.


    ¡°I get that, I really do¡­ but you¡¯ve been acting off since before your match. Something else is going on isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Belle bit her lip, ¡°...I¡¯d be lying if I said there wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Callum grabbed her hand gently, ¡°What is it? You can tell me anything, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it¡­¡± she slowly pulled her hand away, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Callum blinked and laughed awkwardly, ¡°If this is about those golden flames of yours, I get it. You don¡¯t have to talk to me about that if you don¡¯t want to. I won¡¯t pry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± she sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a lot about me, my past, who I am¡­ I can¡¯t really explain.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­? Or don¡¯t want to?¡± Callum asked slowly.


    Belle looked at him with a pained expression.


    A cold feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, ¡°¡­Sylvie, why did you want to meet me here?¡±


    ¡°...I thought it¡¯d be easier saying goodbye to one person, rather than everyone.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°You¡¯re leaving¡­? When will you be back?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Callum smiled bitterly, ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Belle bit her lip, ¡°There are things I wish I could tell you, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you?¡±


    She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not the person you think I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the most amazing woman I¡¯ve ever met?¡± Callum said playfully, though pain marred his expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a dire¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he blinked, then laughed. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not a dire? You¡¯re 7 feet tall. Are you telling me you weren¡¯t always bigger than everyone else?¡±


    ¡°No, that much is true. But still, I¡¯m not a dire¡­ I¡¯m not even half-human. I¡¯m not like you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I wish you could, but¡­¡± She glanced up at the sun shining down from the sky, ¡°...These last few days I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ about who I am, what that means to me, and to this realm. My mother always told me we have an obligation to the Ebon Realm, to keeping the people of this land safe¡­ and she was right. It¡¯s time I try to meet that obligation, even if only for a little.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Belle placed her hand over her chest, ¡°If not for my mother, then for myself. I¡¯m done running from what lurks in the dark.¡±


    ¡°...I understand¡­ At least, I think I do. I¡¯m happy for you, I truly am,¡± Callum swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°Will you, uh¡­ send letters at least? Let us know if you''re okay?¡±


    Belle suddenly leaned down and kissed him on his lips. Callum stiffened in surprise, his eyes wide open.


    After a long, tense second, Belle stepped back, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but the person you fell for isn¡¯t the real me. I like you, but the reality is you and I can never be¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cold, Sylvie, even for you,¡± he chuckled weakly.


    ¡°...My name is Belle.¡±


    ¡°Of the Great House of Ashe, I presume.¡±


    Her eyes widened, ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It took me a while, but I figured it out. You¡¯re some distant relative, perhaps a child born out of wedlock. You look like her, you know, Hollow Shade¡¯s high priestess, Lady Calantha. Except for your scarlet hair, of course.¡± He grinned, ¡°See, I know you better than you think.¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Yeah, you really do.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not enough, is it?¡±


    ¡°...No, I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    He sighed and stared down at the flowing river, ¡°...What do you want me to tell the others?¡±


    ¡°Tell them I¡¯m sorry for the shitty goodbye¡­ Tell them I was grateful to call them my friends.¡±


    ¡°...Anything else? Something to Poppy, maybe?¡±


    Belle remembered the orc spy from the academy. Despite everything, she was grateful to the orc, to her first friend. ¡°Poppy will be fine. There¡¯s more to her than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°She always did strike me as a bit odd,¡± Callum shrugged.


    ¡°One last thing, if you could, tell Stryg that someday, somewhere, I¡¯ll find him, and we can settle our match properly.¡±


    ¡°I bet he¡¯ll like that,¡± he muttered without looking at her.


    ¡°Thank you, for everything¡­ Goodbye, Cal.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Belle.¡± Callum turned around, but she was already gone, lost in the crowd.


    He turned back to the parapet and bowed his head. A tight pain pulled at his chest. Tears slipped down his cheeks and fell down to the river below. Callum laughed shakily, ¡°Goddammit, this really sucks.¡±


    ~~~


    House Katag had rented out a local tavern for the day in honor and celebration of Hollow Shade¡¯s tourney victory. Dozens of soldiers stood watch outside as the Katag family, their friends, and members of Hollow Shade¡¯s team drank, danced, and sang inside. Feli and Elena Katag were particularly good dancers and surprisingly danced well together. They moved with a sultry grace as the minstrels played, Rhian sang, and the others clapped.


    Stryg sat at a corner of the tavern, drinking his fourth mug of mead. Blossom hung snugly over his shoulders, the white flower petals were surprisingly warm.


    Maeve slid into the chair across from him and smiled, ¡°Lord Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°Lady Mora,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    ¡°The cloak? It¡¯s soft and it smells like flowers.¡± He shook his head in disappointment, ¡°It doesn¡¯t inspire fear, that¡¯s for certain. Worse, it can¡¯t even fly.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I meant how does it feel being this year¡¯s champion. Also, don''t complain about Blossom, that cloak is worth more than all your belongings combined a hundredfold.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± he admitted. ¡°But I still like this more,¡± Stryg lifted the mage necklace from under his black tunic.


    A single large opal was fixed on the silver amulet. A myriad of colors glimmered off the opal in the torchlight of the tavern.


    ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re finally a master in power and in name,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°And in duties,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching you Red magic since last year. That technically makes you my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I should start calling you master?¡± she leaned in coyly.


    Stryg was suddenly very aware of her petite body, so close to him. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils. ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Maeve grinned and leaned back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know our special arrangement is ¡®secret,¡¯¡± she winked.


    Stryg let out a tense breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding. ¡°Right¡­¡± he said and sipped his drink.


    Maeve tapped the table with the tips of her fingers, ¡°So, what are you doing over here all by your lonesome self? Why aren¡¯t you dancing with the others?¡±


    ¡°I rather not open my wounds.¡±


    Maeve winced, ¡°Ah, right, sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Feli thinks I¡¯m a subpar dancer, anyway.¡± He frowned, ¡°Even after Cornelius gave me lessons.¡±


    ¡°Awe, is someone¡¯s pride hurt?¡± she teased.


    ¡°Pfft, please. There are more important things to life than dancing, like drinking.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that going for you?¡±


    ¡°Not good,¡± he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s becoming harder and harder to get drunk these days. Not to mention the mead around here is terrible. I can¡¯t even remember the last time I was drunk. Ugh, I miss the Merry Crescent.¡±


    ¡°You know what? That¡¯s fair. Drow spirits are quite tasteless,¡± Maeve pushed her mug aside. ¡°If you ask me, drow blood is much tastier.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Maeve¡¯s expression grew dark, ¡°Stryg¡­ I actually came over here because I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you.¡±


    He immediately noticed the change in her voice. His lilac eyes grew cold and his slit pupils narrowed, ¡°What happened? Did someone hurt you?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having dreams, magical dreams¡­¡±


    A cold shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s spine. ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve been using Synchrony magic? I thought we agreed you wouldn¡¯t use true magic because the Monster might find you,¡± he whispered harshly.


    ¡°I know, but, well, I already met the Monster in the Dark in my dreams, several times actually,¡± she admitted bashfully.


    ¡°You¡ª what!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like what you think. We¡¯ve got it all wrong. Ann isn¡¯t the monster you believe she is.¡±


    ¡°Ann?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she called herself. She told me you¡¯d recognize the name.¡±


    A faint memory scratched at the edge of his mind. He ran his hand through his hair, ¡°She was a goblin¡­ in my dreams¡­ when I fell from a cliff in Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    ¡°And she appeared to me as a tall, dark-haired vampiress when the Katag mansion was attacked. Ann is the one who warned me of the attack. She helped us. She isn¡¯t our enemy.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? We don¡¯t even know what this ¡®Ann¡¯ actually looks like.¡±


    ¡°But we do know she saved you from the Dark Fringe, right?¡±


    ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Ann has told me a lot of things, more than you realize. She is not our enemy, she never was.¡±


    ¡°Maeve,¡± Stryg reached out and grabbed her hand, ¡°You¡¯re my family, you are part of my tribe, and I would do anything to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°As would I,¡± she said and placed her other hand over his.


    ¡°Then please listen to what I have to say; We, our tribe, are the only ones you can truly trust.¡±


    ¡°...I know,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Then trust me now,¡± he squeezed her hand. ¡°We know too little and until we know more about who this Monster really is, don¡¯t speak with her again. Don¡¯t use your synchrony magic, please.¡±


    Maeve bit her lip and nodded reluctantly, ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pointed ears twitched. Amidst the dancing and singing of the party-goers, his sensitive hearing picked up a familiar voice.


    ¡°Let me through!¡± a woman shouted from outside the tavern.


    ¡°You can¡¯t come in here! I won¡¯t tell you again!¡± one of the guards yelled threateningly.


    The sound of the steel sliding out of its sheath echoed in the goblin¡¯s ears.


    Maeve furrowed her brow, ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    Stryg jumped to his feet and ran to the doorway. He slammed the door open with a kick, ¡°If you fucking touch her I¡¯ll rip your skull apart!¡±


    The Katag guard with his drawn blade stiffened to a halt. He slowly looked up at the tourney¡¯s champion and the future son-in-law of his lord and lady. The orc paled in fear and dropped his sword immediately. ¡°I-I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Lord Aspirant!¡± he bowed deeply.


    Stryg ignored the guard and glanced at the woman standing breathlessly in front of the tavern, ¡°Plum, are you alright?¡±


    Plum shook her flushed face and rested her hands on her knees as she panted heavily, ¡°You¡­ you all¡­ need to run!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Thorns¡­ They¡¯re coming¡­ to kill¡­ all of you!¡±

 Chapter 342: Farewell Undergrowth, Part 2

    Chapter 342: Farewell Undergrowth, Part 2


    Stryg stood at the tavern¡¯s doorway, staring quizzically at Plum. The young drow¡¯s pale grey face was flushed as if she had been running for her life. Her glasses were foggy from her hot breath and sweat dripped from her brow.


    ¡°Plum, are you alright?¡± Stryg asked with a concerned tone.


    She shook her head and rested her hands on her knees as she panted heavily, ¡°You¡­ you all¡­ need to run!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Thorns¡­ They¡¯re coming¡­ to kill¡­ all of you!¡± Plum yelled between exhausted gasps.


    The Katag orcs standing guard at the tavern suddenly drew their blades and lifted their shields. Their eyes swept around the tavern¡¯s surroundings, searching for any incoming threat.


    ¡°Lord Aspirant, I think it¡¯s best you go inside,¡± the guard captain said, though it sounded more like an order.


    ¡°Plum, who exactly is trying to kill us? What¡¯s going on?¡± Stryg asked as he ushered her inside.


    Plum stumbled into the tavern and gratefully accepted the tankard of mead Stryg offered. She drank down the mead and glanced at the partygoers celebrating their victory.


    Stryg noticed the consternation and worry in her blue eyes, this was no time for a party. ¡°Oi!¡± he shouted loudly. ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing! Emergency war meeting, now!¡±


    The minstrels stopped playing their instruments at the sound of the Ebon Aspirant¡¯s voice. Feli and Elena Katag stopped mid-dance and looked around, confused. Freya lowered her mug and glanced at Stryg with a raised eyebrow. Gale and Lysaila drew their swords and made their way towards the door. Rhian pushed the other guests aside and rushed up to Stryg.


    The centaur straightened her back and stood at attention, ¡°Rhian of Ebon Hollow, ready and willing.¡±


    ¡°What is this about, Stryg?¡± Ismene asked.


    Stryg glanced at Plum expectantly.


    ¡°Plumela? What are you doing here?¡± Ismene furrowed her brow.


    Plum took a deep breath, ¡°I work as the right-hand assistant of Lord Gregor of the Great House of Sientia. 15 minutes ago he received a message from Lady Ophelia Thorn, one I reckon every other lord and lady of Undergrowth with a standing army has received as well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it say, child?¡± Ismene asked with a foreboding feeling.


    Plum swallowed hard, ¡°Lady Thorn has declared war against the other Great Cities. She has ordered Undergrowth¡¯s armies to kill the other cities¡¯ diplomats and to capture and kill the teams that participated in the tourney.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what now?¡± Cornelius blinked repeatedly.


    ¡°Fucking Thorn biiiitch,¡± Tauri groaned.


    Ismene gripped her cane tight, ¡°¡­How long do we have?¡±


    ¡°However long it takes for the armies to mobilize,¡± Plum grimaced. ¡°Lady Thorn will not attempt an ambush until her forces are ready. Lord Sientia will try his best to slow down his own army from rallying as much as he can. He does not want a part of any of this bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°You trust this Lord Sientia?¡± Ismene asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but do we even trust this drow?¡± Rhian pointed at Plum. ¡°Like, who the fuck is she?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask the same thing,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°I trust Plum,¡± Stryg said sincerely. ¡°And this is Rhian, by the way, I trust her with my life.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it!¡± Rhian said haughtily.


    ¡°...Right,¡± Plum smiled half-heartedly. She glanced at Ismene and nodded, ¡°I do trust Lord Sientia. He is the one who informed me of the ambush and sent me here. He has also sent his scouts to warn each of the other tournament teams.¡±


    Ismene nodded in understanding, ¡°Cornelius, make sure none of the minstrels or servants leave this tavern. Elena, send one of the guards outside to warn your parents and to have them gather whatever soldiers they can muster. We¡¯ll need to stand strong and together if we hope to get out of this alive. Lady Mora, send one of the other guards to gather your caravan escort and bring them here too. We¡¯ll hole up here until our forces have gathered. Someone bring me the guard captain and whichever guard is most well-versed in this city¡¯s landscape; I need to speak with them about our possible escape routes.¡±


    They all nodded in unison and hurried to their tasks.


    Feli eyed Plum suspiciously, ¡°...Why did Lord Sientia send you? You¡¯re not a scout. Why would he risk sending his right-hand servant?¡±


    Plum looked the purple-haired beauty in the eye, ¡°He didn¡¯t. I volunteered.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Feli asked, confused.


    ¡°Because I thought of what you said¡­ I¡¯m choosing my side.¡± She glanced at Stryg, ¡°We¡¯ve gone through a lot¡­ We may have different ideals, but you¡¯re my friend and I¡¯ll be damned before I do nothing and watch you die.¡±


    Stryg smiled warmly, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    Feli sighed begrudgingly. ¡°...I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here too. A friend of Stryg is a friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°Shit! Callum and Sylvie aren¡¯t here!¡± Freya abruptly shouted. ¡°Dammit, I need to go find those two vampire idiots!¡± She threw her mug aside and ran out of the tavern.


    ¡°Um, should someone stop her?¡± Rhian asked.


    ¡°...She¡¯ll be back,¡± Stryg said. ¡°When Freya decides on something, she gets it done¡­ usually.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Stryg, if we¡¯re all leaving the city now, then¡­?¡± Feli¡¯s voice trailed off.


    Stryg nodded subtly, ¡°...Yeah. I¡¯m not coming with.¡±


    ¡°What!? What do you mean!?¡± Plum asked exasperatedly.


    ¡°I have other plans,¡± Stryg admitted with a whisper. ¡°You all plan to travel back west to Hollow Shade. I plan to go south.¡±


    ¡°South¡­?¡± Plum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°...You mean to go to Vulture Woods.¡±


    Stryg grabbed Plum¡¯s arm and pulled her towards the corner of the tavern.


    ¡°Only for a few days,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to do, something I need to finish. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll go northwest and meet everyone back at Hollow Shade. Feli, Rhian, and Mave already know my plans. They¡¯ll inform the others of my general whereabouts once I¡¯ve left.¡±


    ¡°...The cave,¡± Plum whispered with realization. ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous! Your tribemates died the last time! You barely got out with your life!¡±


    ¡°Which is why I need to go,¡± Stryg said bitterly. ¡°I will finally right the wrong that has haunted me these last three years.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± Plum mumbled. She took a deep breath and grabbed his shoulder, ¡°But if you¡¯re going to split off from the rest of the group, then you¡¯re going to need someone to guide you outside the city.¡±


    ¡°Plum, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m only guiding you until we reach the southern outskirts of the city. After that, I¡¯ll head back into Undergrowth and pretend I never left.¡±


    ¡°Plum¡­¡± Stryg smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°I couldn¡¯t let a wee lil¡¯ goblin wander alone in a big city all by his lonesome self. You¡¯d get lost in less than 5 minutes.¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t, because we¡¯re coming with him,¡± Gale walked up behind them.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lysaila slithered up next to them.


    ¡°You two?¡± Stryg stiffened, ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°No buts. I already know your plans,¡± Gale said.


    ¡°Rhian told me while drunk,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°Dammit, Rhian,¡± Stryg clicked his tongue.


    The centaur didn¡¯t hear them. She was busy equipping her armor and making sure that Feli and Maeve could both ride on top of her war saddle.


    ¡°Neither Lysaila nor I am going to let you go back into Vulture Woods alone, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Gale threw her arms up, ¡°Hell, even leaving this city is too dangerous. Especially for you, Mister Aspirant.¡±


    Stryg clenched his fists, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± he whispered.


    Gale narrowed her scarlet eyes, ¡°Is that resistance I hear? Are you defying your blade instructor? Hm?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t lose anyone else.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Gale frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident if it¡¯s just a few of us we can slip out of Undergrowth undetected, but Feli and the others can¡¯t. I need our greatest blademasters with them, to keep them safe.¡± Stryg glanced at Lysaila, ¡°Please, protect my friends and family one last time.¡±


    ¡°I promised you I would protect you and your tribe until I¡¯ve returned to Hollow Shade. After that, I am free to do as I wish, as agreed upon,¡± Lysaila said. ¡°If you wish for me to keep watch of your tribe instead of you, I shall do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°And as agreed, I will do everything in my power to find a way to break the bond between you and me.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Until we meet again, Mortem mageling,¡± Lysaila turned around and slithered towards Rhian and Feli.


    ¡°...I swore to my uncle that I would keep you safe on this journey, Stryg,¡± Gale whispered.


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Stryg bowed his head deeply, ¡°Please, I can¡¯t lose any more of my family.¡±


    ¡°You bastard,¡± Gale clenched her teeth. Her eyes watered with tears. She grabbed Stryg by the collar of Blossom and slammed him into the wall, ¡°My brother died to keep you alive! If you die alone out there how will I ever be able to face Clypeus!?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t resist, he simply stared at the floor, uncertain of what to say.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be alone,¡± Tauri called out.


    ¡°You?¡± Gale raised her eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He is engaged to my sister,¡± Tauri said. ¡°It¡¯s the job of the Katags to keep the Ebon Aspirant safe. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid. I¡¯ll have him back in Hollow Shade in no time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even a high-master mage¡­¡± Gale noted.


    ¡°No, but I am a master, as is Stryg,¡± Tauri said. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain we can handle ourselves. I also know Glimmer Grove forest better than you. Once we¡¯re outside the city I can guide him through the forest.¡±


    ¡°You failed to keep the students safe at Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± Gale snarled. ¡°...However, you were under Elohnoir¡¯s command that night¡­ And the Gales have always held the honor of the Katags highly¡­¡±


    ¡°Then¡­!¡± Stryg said hopefully.


    ¡°¡­So long as Miss Katag joins you¡­ I will protect Feli and the others¡­¡± Gale turned her back to them and spoke in a voice so quiet only Stryg could hear, ¡°...I won¡¯t let you lose any more family.¡±


    Stryg placed his arms to his sides and bowed at a 90-degree angle. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered.


    Tauri sighed in relief, ¡°I¡¯ve known that vampiress for over a decade and she still terrifies me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Stryg said wryly. ¡°So¡­ why did you decide to come with?¡±


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°I only caught bits and pieces of your conversation, but it seems like you plan on going somewhere dangerous, which also means you¡¯re planning something stupid. My mother put me in charge of keeping an eye on you. I can¡¯t just let you fuck off and die in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°Sooo, you didn¡¯t decide to come because you were worried about me maybe?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Tauri crossed her arms and frowned, ¡°Now go say your goodbyes before Ismene finishes talking with the guards and notices we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Feli finally separated her lips from Stryg¡¯s, but rested her forehead on his. ¡°No matter what happens over there in those woods, don¡¯t lose yourself. Remember that there are people that are waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Stryg whispered warmly.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m amazing,¡± Feli grinned and kissed him one last time.


    ¡°Okay, lover boy, time to go,¡± Maeve pushed them apart. ¡°I¡¯ll keep Ismene distracted a little while longer, so hurry up and go already.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Maeve,¡± Stryg said.


    The petite blonde vampiress smirked and kissed him on the cheek, ¡°You owe me.¡±


    ¡°And the debt only keeps growing,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°Since when did you get so popular?¡± Plum said and made kissing noises.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Stryg hissed.


    ¡°Awe, how adorable, your lil¡¯ fangs are still tiny,¡± Plum teased.


    Stryg scoffed, but he couldn¡¯t but smile softly. He glanced around the tavern; his friends were joking around or simply having one last mug of ale. They were all trying their best to not think of the looming battle ahead of them¡­


    ¡°Um, Lord Aspirant,¡± Elena called out quietly.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Stryg glanced at his fianc¨¦. ¡°Oh! Right, um, I guess I¡¯ll, uh, see you later?¡±


    Elena made a face of disappointment, but nodded, ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I guess. Safe travels, my lord.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Stryg nodded and walked away. He stuffed Blossom into his backpack and threw on an ordinary black cloak. He turned to leave, but he stopped and took one last glance at his friends and family.


    Rhian caught his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, chief, I¡¯ll keep ¡®em safe,¡± she mouthed silently and winked.


    Stryg felt his throat grow tight.


    Feli was right, he was no longer the small lonely goblin of the Blood Fang Tribe. He had people waiting for him right here in front of him. Stryg swore to himself he would return to them.


    Freya suddenly kicked the door open and strode into the tavern, pulling Callum behind by the ear.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow! Stop already!¡± Callum yelled with a grimace.


    ¡°Then stop crying and listen!¡± Freya snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying!¡±


    Stryg smiled. He turned around, snuck into the kitchen, and slipped out the back of the tavern. Plum and Tauri were already waiting outside.

 Chapter 343: Let Me Do This For You

    Chapter 343: Let Me Do This For You


    The sun was high in the sky, its golden rays shining down on Undergrowth on the warm summer afternoon. The people went about their daily lives, celebrating, feasting, and enjoying the final day of the Great Cities Tourney. Unbeknownst to them, thousands of soldiers were mustering under the banner of House Thorn, preparing for war.


    A small entourage of about a hundred individuals, composed mostly of soldiers and a few mages, traveled down one of the less populated western roads of Undergrowth.


    Most of the soldiers were well-armored orcs, wearing the black and amber colors of House Katag. The rest were an assortment of drows, vampires, and a few humans, each wearing varying degrees of armor, though most simply had a leather cuirass.


    The soldiers walked in a loose circle, guarding the ones in the center; a small group of mages and aristocrats that rode on centaur-back.


    The few common folks walking around spotted the soldiers and quickly moved out of their way, keen on not causing any trouble.


    A few Undergrowth guards standing on watch noticed the heavily armed entourage. The guards frowned in suspicion, a few went to inspect the entourage, while others ran off to alert their superiors. Yet none got past a few steps before a sword was driven into their back.


    Gale and Lysaila moved through the shadows of the buildings, keeping an eye out for any guard or suspicious commoner. Whenever either spotted one, they¡¯d quickly move to silence the threat with their swords.


    ¡°Damn, those two are efficient,¡± Krall Katag whistled in admiration.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± his wife Evelyn said. ¡°I never thought I would have the renowned Gale family protecting us. Nor a deadly lamia. The Ebon Aspirant has more sway than I originally thought.¡±


    ¡°We may actually succeed in escaping the city unnoticed,¡± Krall said.


    ¡°I admire your optimism, Lord Katag,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not optimism, it''s probability,¡± Krall said. He glanced around at the fairly empty street, ¡°We¡¯ve gone off the main road, where most of Thorn¡¯s armies will be congregating. Unlike Hollow Shade, Undergrowth has no walls to stop us from leaving. Once we¡¯re past the city limits it¡¯ll be easy to lose our enemies in the forest.¡±


    ¡°You forget Glimmer Grove is their home territory. They¡¯ll be able to outmaneuver us if we¡¯re not careful,¡± Ismene warned.


    ¡°Lady Mora has several scouts in her employ who are natives to this land,¡± Krall said. ¡°They¡¯ll be able to guide us through the forest just as fast as the enemy. Plus, we have the advantage of smaller numbers. And since I ordered the men to abandon our carriages, we should be able to move through the forest far more quickly than Thorn¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°You thought this through,¡± Ismene¡¯s lips formed a small smile.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be much of a warlord if I hadn¡¯t,¡± Krall said. ¡°So long as we can make it out of the city, we¡¯ve won.¡±


    ¡°So long as our daughter and future son-in-law also make it out of the city, we¡¯ve won,¡± Evelyn corrected.


    Ismene¡¯s smile turned into a snarl, ¡°That stupid boy. I can¡¯t believe Stryg really ran off on his own now of all bloody times.¡±


    ¡°I admit, I was¡­ caught off guard,¡± Evelyn said dryly.


    ¡°At least Tauri is with him, she¡¯ll keep him in check and bring him back soon enough,¡± Krall said.


    ¡°Will she?¡± Evelyn sighed.


    ¡°She will,¡± Krall nodded. ¡°And once we¡¯ve all reached Hollow Shade I will rally our armies for war. This treachery of the Thorns will not go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°House Veres, House Goldelm, and House Glaz¡¯s armies are still out waging war in the valley are they not?¡± Ismene asked worriedly.


    ¡°Unfortunately. It¡¯ll be difficult to convince them to return to Hollow Shade,¡± Krall said lamentingly. ¡°Those savage tribes are a threat to all of Dusk Valley, but the 7 Ruling Families must stand together if we are to protect Hollow Shade from Undergrowth¡¯s larger forces.¡±


    A sudden horn blew in the distance. The entourage stiffened to a halt.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Krall cursed under his breath, ¡°They¡¯re onto us! Defensive formations!¡±


    The armored soldiers drew their weapons and huddled in closer, forming a tight-knit protective circle around the mages. Gale and Lysaila rushed back to the group, swords at the ready.


    ¡°Cornelius!¡± Ismene yelled.


    ¡°Right!¡± The dwarf ran past the soldiers to the back of the entourage. Green mana rushed into his arms and he slammed his hands into the cobblestone. A wall of stone erupted from the ground 10 meters high and stretched across the road, blocking off any who might try to follow them.


    Freya¡¯s jaw slackened in awe, ¡°And here I thought Professor Rotrusk was all talk¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, Freya, we have a problem,¡± Callum pointed with a shaky finger.


    Hundreds of drow soldiers poured into the street a few dozen meters ahead of them.


    Freya paled, ¡°Oh shit¡­¡±


    Rhian gripped her spear tightly and glanced behind at the two riders on her saddle, Feli and Maeve.


    Feli¡¯s face had gone pale and she held the saddle¡¯s horn with a white-knuckle grip.


    Maeve trembled as she stared at the enemy rushing towards them. Memories of her family¡¯s castle under attack flooded her mind.


    Fear crept over Rhian but she kept her face still and placed a reassuring hand over Maeve¡¯s small wrist. ¡°We are Ebon Hollow,¡± Rhian whispered. ¡°We are strong.¡±


    ¡°But there are so many of them¡­¡± Maeve mumbled.


    ¡°A lone goblin may be picked off by the wolf packs¡­¡± Rhian recited.


    ¡°¡ªBut a group of goblins can slay a dire bear,¡± Feli finished the Sylvan words.


    ¡°And we are not alone,¡± Rhian said.


    Maeve¡¯s eyes widened, a glimmer of hope in her crimson eyes.


    ¡°That all being said, stay behind me girls,¡± Ismene raised her hands towards the sky, electricity crackling over her fingers. A bolt of lightning streaked out from her hands in a wide arch and exploded in a shower of deadly sparks over their enemy. Dozens of soldiers¡¯ cries of pain were abruptly cut short as their flesh was incinerated.


    Krall hefted his two-handed warhammer and jumped off his centaur. Brown mana flowed through his veins, strengthening his muscles in a swirl of power. He raised his hammer and bellowed a guttural warcry, ¡°To battle!¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg, Tauri, and Plum wandered through one of the outer districts of Undergrowth. Gone were the cobblestone roads and freshly painted stalls and cozy forest homes. Hovels lined the dirt streets of the poor neighborhood. Eyes of hungry children stared at them from the corner of the ramshackle homes. A few drows hid in the alleyways, staring at the strangers greedily.


    Stryg kept his hand on Nameless¡¯ hilt, waiting at the ready, ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe¡­¡±


    Tauri glanced around the street and alleys, a look of revulsion in her amber eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t like this place either. I¡¯ve never been to this part of the city. I didn¡¯t even know this place existed¡­¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°How could you?¡± Plum asked with disdain. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of one of the most powerful Great Houses in the realm. This is where Undergrowth throws away their forgotten and unwanted. Someone like you would never step foot in a place like this.¡±


    ¡°And you would?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow. ¡°Last I checked, you¡¯re the right hand of a lord of a Great House. I don¡¯t really see you prancing about here either. Do you even know where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t always a mage. I didn¡¯t always live in Hollow Shade¡­ I grew up in this place, I know where I¡¯m going,¡± Plum said quietly.


    Tauri blushed with a grimace. ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± she said abashedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was rude of me¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not ashamed of where I am from,¡± Plum said. ¡°¡­Despite what you both may think, House Thorn¡¯s soldiers would never think to search the poorest districts for Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tauri nodded.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t certain why that was the case, but he thought it best not to voice his thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s better if we keep our hoods up and our heads down,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, for helping us,¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, teach,¡± Plum shrugged.


    Stryg suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    Tauri looked back, ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, we need to go,¡± Plum said impatiently.


    The blue goblin cocked his head to the side. His pointed somewhat-floppy ears twitched. ¡°People are coming, I can hear their armor,¡± he said.


    ¡°How many?¡± Tauri said pensively.


    Stryg closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, ¡°...I¡¯m not sure. There are too many sounds.¡±


    ¡°A scouting regiment, maybe? It can¡¯t be more than ten soldiers,¡± Plum surmised.


    ¡°I need a better look,¡± Stryg said. He channeled green mana into his feet and poured it into the dirt underneath him. A 3-meter stone spike erupted from the ground and pointed straight into the sky. Stryg dug his claws into the spike and clambered to its top.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Plum asked.


    Stryg stayed quiet and slowly glanced about the neighborhood.


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°¡­Hundreds¡­ maybe even a thousand,¡± Stryg mumbled anxiously.


    ¡°T-that¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Plum said in alarm. ¡°No House would have been able to muster that many soldiers in so little time! It¡¯d have to be several Houses combined. And why would they come here of all places!¡±


    Tauri gripped her flail tightly, ¡°How far?¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Some are closer than others. They¡¯re surrounding us¡­ we can¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why¡­ how!?¡± Plum yelled. She stumbled back a step and gasped for breath.


    ¡°Shit, she¡¯s having a panic attack,¡± Tauri cursed. She grabbed Plum by the arm and helped her into an alleyway.


    Stryg released the green spell and jumped down as the narrow pillar crumbled apart. He ran to the alley¡¯s opening and stood guard, his back to his friends.


    ¡°Plum, can you hear me?¡± Tauri whispered in a soothing voice.


    Plum slid to the alley floor and nodded shakily while taking deep breaths, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m okay¡­ I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Tauri asked worriedly.


    ¡°¡­I can fight,¡± Plum said and though her voice was weak, there was no doubting the glint of resolve behind her glasses.


    ¡°No offense, Plum, but you were never a great fighter,¡± Stryg said without looking back at them.


    ¡°What? I can fight!¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°You did fail your sparring class,¡± Tauri said sympathetically.


    ¡°Try to figure out a different route out of this place, Tauri and I will hold them off until then,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum raised her eyebrows, ¡°Other routes? What other routes!?¡±


    ¡°Figure something out, please,¡± Tauri said. She stood up, flail in hand, and joined Stryg at the opening of the alleyway.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± he muttered.


    A squadron of ten heavily armed soldiers rushed into the street. They immediately spotted the two mages standing in front of the alley and shouted with triumphant glee.


    The commoners scattered away at the sight of the soldiers, leaving only Stryg and his friends on the empty street.


    The captain of the soldiers stepped forward and drew his sword, ¡°In the name of House Thorn I urge you to surrender peacefully, Stryg of Ebon Hollow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d much rather rip your eyes out,¡± Stryg hissed.


    The captain did not miss a beat, ¡°I am well aware of your magical prowess. You may be able to kill my men and me, but we are merely a glimpse of what is coming. Soon, countless mages and soldiers will fill this street to the brim. There will be no escape¡­ If you resist, I cannot guarantee the safety of your companions.¡±


    Stryg stiffened.


    Tauri noticed the falter in his breathing and stepped in front of him, ¡°I need no one''s protection, especially from the likes of an enemy.¡±


    The captain sighed, ¡°I admire your bravery, but courage will not save you today. Do not be foolish, if not for yourself than for your friends. I will not make this same offer again¡ª Aaaggghhh!?¡±


    An orange flame burst from the end of the street and engulfed the drow soldiers in searing heat. Their screams of agony quickly melted away with their flesh and their charred corpses collapsed onto the ground in a smoldering pile.


    Tauri stared in confusion, ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    ¡°What happened!?¡± Plum asked in a shrill voice.


    ¡°Both of you get behind me,¡± Stryg drew the broken Nameless and began to write red ward sigils with his other hand as he searched the street for the magical threat.


    The shadows on a corner house melted away and a tall, lithe drow strode out. The woman¡¯s face was hidden underneath a mottled grey cloak, but Stryg and Tauri recognized her in an instant.


    ¡°Loh¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled in shock.


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Tauri balled her fists, ¡°What are you doing here!?¡±


    Loh walked towards them without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on Stryg ever since the award ceremony. I thought Ophelia Thorn might try to pull something, but I never thought she was this insane.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come¡­?¡± Tauri¡¯s voice shook, whether from anger or something else she wasn¡¯t certain.


    Loh¡¯s voice grew tight, ¡°I know you can never forgive me, but please know that I am sorry, Tauri, Stryg¡­ for the lies, for the betrayal of trust you both placed in me, for Aizel and Clypeus¡­ I¡¯m sorry for everything¡­ I really am¡­¡±


    A burning pain stretched across Stryg¡¯s chest. He swallowed hard, ¡°Loh¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say more but we don¡¯t have time,¡± Loh said. ¡°Stryg, do you have Blossom on you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Do you have Blossom in your possession, yes or no?¡± Loh asked sternly.


    ¡°Uh, y-yeah, it¡¯s in my backpack.¡±


    ¡°Show me, now,¡± Loh said.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t certain why she wanted it, but the look in her pale blue eyes left with him no hesitation. He opened his backpack and pulled out the white cloak. Loh snatched it from his hands and began combing through the cloak¡¯s petals.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I thought it strange that Ophelia would just abandon one of her prized heirlooms to an outsider¡­ Ahah, there it is,¡± Loh said and pulled out a small magestone bead from underneath one of the petals. A small metal sigil was etched onto the grey magestone.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Plum asked quietly.


    ¡°Is that a tracking charm!?¡± Tauri exclaimed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡± Stryg said remorsefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one so small,¡± Loh said in a thoughtful voice. ¡°Only an arch-mage enchanter well versed in grey¡¯s curse spell-form could have made something like this.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s expression turned grim, ¡°There¡¯s only one in Undergrowth I can think of¡­ Lord Loch, the commanding general of Undergrowth¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°Loch¡¯s been using this to track you down,¡± Loh guessed.


    ¡°That¡¯s why all those soldiers are here!¡± Plum said.


    Loh nodded, ¡°Loch intends to capture his prey no matter what.¡±


    ¡°We need to destroy the charm,¡± Stryg said without hesitation.


    ¡°No,¡± Loh shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. Loch¡¯s armies are already here. If you destroy the charm, they¡¯ll just make a perimeter around the neighborhood and scour each house and street until they find you.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what do we do?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Simple.¡± Loh stashed the charm into her pocket.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Plum¡¯s face paled in realization.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use the charm to lead the armies away from here,¡± Loh said. ¡°Once they''re far away enough, the three of you should be able to slip past them and escape the city.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t fight them all!¡± Stryg shouted.


    Loh smirked half-heartedly and handed Blossom back to him, ¡°I don¡¯t need to fight them all, I just need to buy you enough time.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯ll die,¡± Stryg¡¯s voice broke.


    ¡°She knows¡­¡± Tauri mumbled.


    Loh smiled bitterly, ¡°Stryg, I wasn¡¯t there when you needed me on Widow¡¯s Crag¡­ I won¡¯t make that same mistake again.¡± She grabbed his wrist and placed a bracelet in the palm of his hand.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°This is¡­!¡±


    The bracelet was made of silver intertwining links and a clasp with a pale purple stone. It was the drow symbol for the bond between apprentice and master. He had thrown the bracelet away right in front of her when they had last spoken¡­


    ¡°I will distract the enemy and you will escape,¡± Loh gently closed his fingers over the bracelet and smiled weakly, ¡°Let me do this for you. Let me be your master, one last time.¡±


    Tears rolled down his face. Stryg¡¯s lips trembled and his throat felt tight. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose you¡­¡±


    Loh grabbed his shoulders and kissed him softly on his forehead, ¡°You never did.¡± She turned around and ran off without looking back.


    Stryg fell to his knees and gripped the bracelet tightly. His shoulders shook as he heaved and cried in quiet despair.


    Tauri watched in a bewildered daze as Loh¡¯s silhouette disappeared in the distance.


    Plum didn¡¯t know how to feel. This was the woman who had condemned her mother to die, but now she was condemning herself to save them¡­


    ¡°We need to go,¡± Plum whispered.

 Chapter 344: The Path Ahead

    Chapter 344: The Path Ahead


    The sun was shining in the afternoon cloudy skies of the forest city of Undergrowth. Tens of thousands of residents and travelers alike were celebrating the Great Cities Tourney¡¯s finale and the festivities that followed. Yet their revelry and parties were cut short as the armies of Undergrowth stormed the streets; closing off the main roads and arresting and killing countless travelers.


    In less than an hour the streets that had been filled with laughter, drink, and food, were now dyed red and brimming with screams of terror and the corpses of countless foreign commoners, merchants, and aristocrats alike.


    Yet in one of the poorest of neighborhoods, on the outskirts of the city, the streets were not filled with the cries of the innocent or the unsuspecting, but with the blood and bodies of dozens of soldiers. Four Houses had sent their armies into the wretched neighborhood, a thousand soldiers had charged into the streets, and for an entire hour, they searched for a single target. And for an entire hour, they had failed¡­


    Loh dashed across the burning streets, agility magic flooding her muscles with enhanced speed and lessened weight. Her chest burned from the overuse of magic. Her skin was drenched in sweat and her lungs ached with exhaustion, but still, she ran.


    The shouts of enemy soldiers echoed behind her.


    Loh kept her grey hood up, obscuring her face, and ran into a closed alleyway. She reached into her pocket and wrapped her hand around the enemy¡¯s tracking charm.


    Loh smiled to herself, ¡°Come and get me, you bastards.¡±


    A company of soldiers spotted her cloaked figure and shouted with pointed fingers before they charged into the alleyway. Loh waited until they were pushing amongst one another, trying to cram into the alley, before she turned around and jumped over the buildings with magical agility. The enemy drows shouted in dismay as her silhouette disappeared across the alley wall.


    Loh landed on the other side with a roll and jumped to her feet. A sharp pang of icy pain shot up her knee and she stumbled. Her legs began to spasm and she fell to one knee, gasping for breath. The magic¡¯s toll was growing with every second and her body was reaching its limit.


    She grimaced as the pain grew worse, but she bit her tongue and held back her voice. She refused to let the enemy know that they had been chasing the wrong target all along.


    Just a little longer, just hold on a little longer. Stryg and Tauri will be safe if I just hold on a little longer¡­ She repeated to herself like a mantra in her mind.


    Loh clenched her teeth and gripped her aching knee, Please, move, just a little more¡­


    Another company of soldiers rushed down the street, swords, and spears in hand.


    ¡°Fuck¡­!¡± Loh cursed under her breath. She aimed her hand at the incoming enemies and channeled orange mana. A small flame burst to life above her palm and began to grow.


    Stryg suddenly ran past the street in front of her, his pale grey hair flowing in the wind. The soldiers shouted in surprise and quickly chased after him.


    A soul-crushing pain fell over Loh¡¯s shoulders. She fell to both knees in despair. ¡°Stryg¡­! Why are you still here!?¡± she moaned weakly.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t Stryg,¡± a calm familiar voice said.


    Loh turned around in alarm.


    A dire black bear emerged from behind the corner of a nearby hovel. The bear stood 6 feet tall on all fours and his heavy shoulders rumbled with each step. A leather saddle was strapped over the bear¡¯s back where a drow mage sat.


    Vayu Glaz looked down from atop his dire beast and smiled empathically, ¡°That wasn¡¯t Stryg, it was an illusion I conjured.¡±


    ¡°Vayu¡­! How¡­!?¡± Loh mumbled in shock.


    A grey hawk flew down from the sky and landed on Vayu¡¯s shoulder. Loh didn¡¯t recognize the bird, but the purple glow in its eyes told her the bird was Vayu¡¯s.


    The drow gently brushed the hawk¡¯s head, then glanced at Loh. ¡°After the attacks started, my winged friend began scouting the city from the skies. We were searching for our friends but then I spotted your flame spells¡­¡±


    ¡°So you came all the way here¡­ knowing I was surrounded by countless enemies? Are you insane!?¡± Loh said angrily. ¡°I¡­ I told you we were done! You owe me nothing! So why¡­¡± she sniffed, ¡°Why are you here!?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you were doing something as stupid as fighting an entire army by yourself it could only mean that you were trying to protect Stryg,¡± Vayu said wryly. ¡°I figured you could use my help.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Loh bit her trembling lip, ¡°You¡­ you crazy bastard! Do you want to die!?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you¡­¡± Vayu smiled, ¡°I¡¯d rather not die alone.¡±


    Tears welled in Loh¡¯s eyes, ¡°You stupid idiot!¡±


    The clamoring armored feet of hundreds of soldiers echoed down the street, growing louder with each second.


    ¡°They destroyed my illusion¡­ they¡¯re coming back,¡± Vayu noted quietly.


    ¡°There are too many of them, we can¡¯t fight them all,¡± Loh said hopelessly.


    ¡°How many mages do they have?¡±


    ¡°Too many. I already killed over a dozen adepts and a few masters, even a high-master¡­ but more just keep coming.¡±


    ¡°Damn, they really came prepared to end us¡­¡±


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t escape, not even with all your illusions¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not try to escape,¡± Vayu bent down and offered Loh his hand.


    She broke into a smile, ¡°You really are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I know,¡± he sighed wistfully.


    Loh chuckled and grabbed his hand. Vayu hauled her up onto the saddle and sat her behind him. She turned around so that they were facing back to back.


    Countless soldiers flooded into both ends of the street and rushed towards them. The dire black bear glared at his enemies and roared in defiance.


    ~~~


    Tauri kept her legs bent and her back low as she ran through the tall grass on the outskirts of Undergrowth. Plum followed behind her as fast as she could, all the while trying her best to not trip over her own feet.


    ¡°Hurry it up,¡± Stryg whispered impatiently. ¡°The faster we reach the treeline the less time Loh will need to buy us. If we move fast enough she might be able to escape.¡±


    The blue goblin was running on all fours ahead of them. He had easily passed his two companions and had rushed back to them, urging them to quicken what seemed to him, a horribly slow pace.


    ¡°We¡¯re not goblins you know, if whatever the fuck you¡¯re doing is even a goblin thing,¡± Tauri grumbled under her breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, this is taking too long,¡± Stryg muttered. He pulled black mana from his heart and channeled it into his shadow. The shadow darkened and two tendrils extended out and wrapped themselves around Tauri¡¯s and Plum¡¯s waists.


    Tauri frowned, ¡°Hey, what are you¡ª!¡±


    Plum just closed her eyes and held on tight, she knew where this was going.


    Stryg kept his body low and ran through the pasture with the speed of a wild beast, hauling Plum and Tauri behind him with his shadow.


    The women groaned as their bodies were jostled around, but thankfully after a few minutes, Stryg abruptly stopped. He released the chromatic spell and the shadow tendrils faded away, dropping Plum and Tauri on their hands and knees.


    ¡°Uuuugggh, I think I¡¯m gonna be sick,¡± Tauri grimaced and placed her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Of course we are¡­¡± Plum muttered angrily. She adjusted her glasses and looked up. They were surrounded by tall trees with fluorescent leaves.


    Plum glanced back and noticed the tree line was only a few paces behind them. Undergrowth lay in the distance. Pillars of black smoke rose from the city¡¯s outskirts.


    Tauri noticed Stryg¡¯s worried expression. She brushed the grass off her pants, stood to her feet, and carefully wrapped her arm around his shoulders. ¡°¡­If I know anything about Loh, it¡¯s that she¡¯s as obstinate as her grandfather. She won¡¯t die that easily, especially not to a bunch of Undergrowth mongrels.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he mumbled. ¡°My master is strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± Plum groaned. ¡°They¡¯re barricading the southside of the city.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Look, you can see the mass of soldiers from here,¡± Plum pointed to the distance. ¡°How am I going to get back into the city now?¡± she wondered anxiously. ¡°They¡¯re probably already barricading the rest of the city too. Oh gods, I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could always come with us,¡± Tauri offered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Plum blinked.


    ¡°Stryg said this little trip will only take a few days, right?¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg nodded, though his mind was clearly still on Loh.


    ¡°Yeah, in that case, why don¡¯t you come with us, Plum?¡± Tauri said. ¡°Once this trip is over we¡¯ll head back to Hollow Shade and you can stay at my family¡¯s mansion until things calm down over here.¡±


    ¡°Going back to Hollow Shade¡­?¡± Plum muttered.


    ¡°Or you could take your chances trying to slip back into the city unnoticed under the watchful eyes of thousands of violent drow soldiers?¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Plum smiled sheepishly, ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to a murder cave then, huh.¡±


    Tauri blinked, then frowned, ¡°Wait. Murder cave? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Stryg didn¡¯t tell you where we¡¯re going, did he?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°No one mentioned a murder cave!¡± Tauri said worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my story to tell,¡± Plum shrugged.


    ¡°Stryg, what¡¯s she talking about!?¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Plum, you know Glimmer Grove forest pretty well, right?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Maybe not as well as Tauri, but I think I can get us to Vulture Woods if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Plum stared at the forest warily, ¡°Please, let this be an uneventful trip. I really don¡¯t need any more danger in my life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to really regret this trip,¡± Tauri muttered.


    Stryg took one last look back at Undergrowth. The sun was shining bright in the sky and the night was far from here. Even if it had been dark, he wondered if the Mother Moon would listen to someone like him¡­ Still, for the first time in a long time, he whispered a silent prayer to Lunae, praying for Loh¡¯s safety.


    Stryg turned to the countless trees in front of him, to the path that lay ahead. He lowered his hood, shook his hair out, and took a step forward.

 Chapter 345: Alone in Undergrowth

    Chapter 345: Alone in Undergrowth


    Lord Loch walked down the bloodied dirt road with a calm slow gait. He held his arms behind his back as he examined the charred and mauled corpses of his soldiers that were strewn about the ground.


    Loch sighed in disgust and disappointment. There was so much smoke in the sky it seemed dark even in the middle of the day. The neighborhood was a scorched graveyard of Undergrowth¡¯s soldiers and mages. Even now, the army was clamoring around the neighborhood¡¯s central square, where the fires had yet to spread.


    A soldier clad in slim forest-green armor with a golden trim stood at the back of the army, standing on what seemed to be a small make-shift tower. The soldier noticed Loch¡¯s approach and she quickly clambered down the tower to meet him.


    ¡°General Loch!¡± she said respectfully and went down on one knee.


    ¡°Commander Siona,¡± Loch said tersely. ¡°You were the one in charge of this mission, yes?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, my lord!¡± Siona nodded and kept her eyes on his feet.


    ¡°And you were given leadership over ten companies of soldiers, a total of a thousand skilled drow men and women, yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Tell me, why is it that I have counted over 50 dead bodies on my way over here? Was it so beyond your meager skill to capture a single master mage? Or am I missing something?¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve lost a little over 200 actually.¡±


    ¡°200!? You¡¯re telling me 200 of our soldiers are dead!?¡± Loch screamed angrily.


    Siona flinched, ¡°Um, not exactly, some of them were mages, my lord.¡±


    Loch went for his sword, but he stopped, closed his eyes, and took a slow calming breath, ¡°How did this happen, commander?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Ebon Aspirant had help, my lord.¡±


    Loch frowned, ¡°Help? The mages of Hollow Shade were spotted on the western side of the city. They managed to break through our army¡¯s barricades with minimal casualties and are now on the run in the forest. Such a feat would have required the help of all their mages and an extremely skilled company of soldiers, House Katag¡¯s guard. So what possible help could the Aspirant have had here?¡±


    ¡°It was a single man, a drow.¡±


    ¡°A single drow¡­?¡± Loch gripped the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°He¡¯s riding a dire bear!¡± Siona said anxiously.


    ¡°A dire bear¡­? Binding magic?¡± Loch clicked his tongue, ¡°Ah, Vayu of House Glaz. Leave it to a true mage to cause more trouble than they are worth.¡± Loch stiffened, ¡°Wait. You said ¡®riding¡¯? He¡¯s still alive?¡±


    Siona nodded, ¡°We have him and the Aspirant surrounded in the central square.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. I¡¯m glad to know your ineptitude at least has its limits,¡± Loch said. ¡°Lead me to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Siona nodded.


    The soldiers at the rear of the crowd quickly stepped back and made way for their general as commander Siona led him to the forefront of the battlefield.


    At the center of the square stood a lone dire bear, its thick hide was riddled with cuts and broken arrows. Two figures sat on the bear¡¯s leather saddle, one was a young drow with delicate features marred by blood and soot. The other was hidden underneath a mottled grey cloak. Several dozens of mangled corpses lay at their feet.


    A few soldiers ignored the warnings of their comrades and charged the bear. Thin lines of purple light, mind tendrils, shot out from Vayu¡¯s hand and latched onto the soldiers, paralyzing them in place. The cloaked figure summoned a fireball above their head and launched it at the soldiers, incinerating them into smoking husks.


    The line of soldiers surrounding the square grimaced in horror and stumbled back a few steps. Loch sighed at the gruesome sight.


    ¡°I stand corrected. Your ineptitude seems to have no limits after all,¡± Loch said sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Siona bowed fearfully.


    Loch stepped forward, beyond the soldiers¡¯ line, and clapped his hands together, ¡°Well done, young master Vayu. Your reputation precedes you, your skill with beasts is truly remarkable. I¡¯m sure the Great House of Glaz will be very proud of your accomplishments this day.¡±


    Vayu stared warily at the newcomer, ¡°¡­And who might you be?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He bowed his head calmly, ¡°I am Lord Alwin of the House of Loch, Commanding General of Undergrowth¡¯s armies, and loyal servant of Queen Ophelia of the Royal House of Thorn.¡±


    Vayu smiled weakly and wiped the blood from his lips, ¡°Ah, so you''re the asshole who made the tracking charm.¡±


    Loch narrowed his eyes, ¡°¡­I see. You did find the charm¡­ I take it the cloaked individual behind you is not the Ebon Aspirant, then?¡±


    Vayu frowned, ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, they¡¯re too late,¡± Loh whispered and pulled down her hood.


    Loch sighed, ¡°¡­Elohnoir of the Great House of Noir, I guessed as much. After my spies lost track of you this morning I assumed you would be a problem. But this,¡± he whistled, ¡°This was at a far grander scale than I had ever anticipated.¡±


    ¡°Glad we could impress,¡± Loh said between panted breaths.


    ¡°Yes, well, Lady Thorn will not see it that way,¡± Loch said lightly. ¡°No, I imagine she will be quite angry with both of you. She¡¯ll probably torture you, cut off a few fingers, then some limbs. I could convince her otherwise¡­ but that would require some cooperation from the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Cooperation¡­?¡± Loh asked grimly, though she already knew the answer.


    ¡°Tell me where the Ebon Aspirant went,¡± Loch said. ¡°My scouts told me that he was not with the group that escaped on the western front. But I get the feeling that you, Elohnoir, know where he is, you are his master after all.¡±


    Loh took a deep breath and spat a glob of blood and saliva at Loch¡¯s feet. ¡°I¡¯d rather die, old man,¡± she sneered.


    Vayu grinned, ¡°I guess you Undergrowthers don¡¯t know the meaning of loyalty, huh?¡±


    ¡°Loyalty¡­ it is a strong bond indeed¡­¡± Loch conceded with a small bow.


    Tens of empowered stone spikes erupted underneath the dire bear and shot a dozen feet into the air, easily piercing the animal¡¯s body and both his riders. Loh yelled in agony as a spike skewered her thigh and femur. A second spike pierced Vayu¡¯s arm and another impaled his stomach, lifting him 3 meters into the air.


    Loch snapped his fingers and released his stone spell. The spikes crumbled into dirt and unceremoniously dropped Vayu and Loh onto the ground. The dire bear collapsed heavily next to them, dead, a myriad of holes leaking blood all over its corpse.


    Vayu fell in a sprawl of broken limbs. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mouth made a gurgling sound, his lungs choking on his own blood.


    ¡°Vayu, NO!!!¡± Loh screamed and dragged herself towards him, her leg leaving a trail of blood behind her.


    Lord Loch shrugged, ¡°Fortunately, mind spells don¡¯t care for loyalty. It¡¯s a shame about Vayu, but it would have been difficult and very time-consuming to try and break the mind of a Purple high-master, especially a true mage at that. But you, Elohnoir? That¡¯s a different story.¡±


    Loch looked down at the whimpering woman without a hint of warmth in his eyes, ¡°After a few sessions, I¡¯m certain my purple mages will break your mind easily. It won¡¯t be pleasant for you, of course. My mages can be quite ¨C indelicate ¨C with their mind spells, you¡¯ll probably suffer permanent brain damage. On the bright side, your mind will give up whatever secrets you''re hiding and we won¡¯t have to kill you. Sure, you¡¯ll probably be left in a vegetative state, but at least you won¡¯t be dead.¡±


    Loh ignored his taunting words and cradled Vayu¡¯s head in her arms. Her tears fell and mixed with the blood on his face as she whispered quiet apologies to him.


    Loch shook his head in disgust, ¡°Oh, Elohnoir, how did you think this was going to end? I am an archmage, even if you both weren¡¯t at the brink of utter exhaustion, you still would have lost. Has living in the golden comforts of Hollow Shade really left you so arrogant that you¡¯d actually think you could face the might of Undergrowth all alone?¡±


    Loh slowly looked up at him, her shimmering blue eyes glaring at him, ¡°¡­Someday, my grandfather will find you and your deranged queen, and death will be the least of your worries.¡±


    Loch laughed, ¡°Oh, you stupid girl, do you really think I am afraid of a man who hides behind his precious wall of shades?¡±


    Suddenly, a torrential storm of azure flames fell down from the skies and swept through a large swathe of the crowded city square. The tightly-packed soldiers had nowhere to run as the flames devoured them. Armor and wards alike melted in the scorching inferno. The blue flames grew and spiraled outwards in a flower-like pattern, burning through the square.


    Lord Loch stared, dumbfounded, as the flames burned around him, the cries of his soldiers dying in the firelight.


    It wasn¡¯t possible, he thought numbly.


    The sheer level of destruction¡­ In a handful of seconds, he had lost over 400 soldiers.


    Loch stumbled back in fear. He recognized the flames, he had heard the tales, the myths, and whispers. The flame that surpassed all others. The spell that had bestowed Elzri Noir the title of ¡®Most Powerful Archmage¡¯ in all the Ebon Realm.


    ¡°The Azure Flower¡­¡± Loch whispered in dread.


    Loh slowly looked up at the flood of flames flowing around the square. There was only one man who could cast the azure flame. ¡°Grandfather¡­?¡± she mumbled.


    As the azure fires dissipated, a blurred figure appeared at the center of the inferno; a drow wearing a white cloak with a black flame crest etched on its back.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Loh cried out in relief.


    ¡°How¡­? You can¡¯t be here!¡± Lord Loch yelled anxiously.


    ¡°You are wrong,¡± the flames rippled as the quiet yet potent voice spoke.


    Loh frowned in confusion, That voice¡­?


    A tall graceful drow stepped out of the azure flames. She wore the white cloak of House Noir. Her eyes were a familiar cold grey and her narrow face held the same disdainful expression. Even her voice was similar. But she was not Elzri.


    ¡°You may not fear my brother,¡± Una Noir narrowed her eyes, ¡°But you will fear me.¡±


    ¡°Get back!¡± Lord Loch yelled in a panicked voice and summoned forth a wall of stone and vines between them.


    Una swept her hand through the air and her fire answered. Azure flames bloomed to life around her and consumed the wall of green magic.


    Her daughter Unalla jumped out a window of a nearby abandoned house and raised the massive black sword Votum above her and yelled, ¡°ATTACK!!!¡±


    Forty mages, dressed in the theater garments of the Singing Willow Troupe, rushed out of other nearby houses and charged the remaining scattered soldiers.


    Loh looked around, dazed, blood dripping down her head. Vayu was on the ground, his body growing cold as blood seeped from his abdomen. Actors and dancers were running around, casting powerful spells at screaming dying soldiers.


    Is this real¡­? Loh wondered. Her vision blurred into darkness and the world fell into oblivion.

 Chapter 346: The Sword Of Vesir

    Chapter 346: The Sword Of Vesir


    ¡­In the eastern hills of Dusk Valley¡­


    Countless tents dotted the green hills of the valley as far as the eye could see. Marek Helene stood on a nearby hilltop and surveyed the large assortment of valley tribes that had gathered. He was once again reminded of the potential sheer might of his people if only they would gather together like this for more than just a meeting.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°And just on time, my lord,¡± Vaughn said as he joined him on top of the hill.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Marek glanced at the golden sun hanging high in the sky.


    Despite the name, ¡®The Meeting of the Dawn¡¯ was held at noon when the sun was brightest. Every chieftain of the valley tribes would gather to decide on a matter of grave importance that would affect all their people.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d arrive on time,¡± Dawn called out from the backside of the hill. ¡°We only received the call for the meeting last night, those obstinate chieftains were hoping we wouldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Marek glanced down at Dawn and what lay behind her; a gigantic custom-built wagon was slowly riding up the hill.


    The wagon was 8 meters wide and 10 meters long, with a leather tarp covering 9 meters high. There were ten large wheels on both sides. The wagon was practically a siege weapon and the whole thing was pulled by a dozen robust centaurs that even now seemed to be struggling to climb up the hill.


    ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± Marek whispered.


    ¡°Do not second guess yourself. It has to work, there is no other path at this point,¡± Vaughn said.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Marek nodded solemnly.


    Dawn stared at the large leather tarp covering the creature hidden inside the wagon, ¡°The Unildyr have been more docile the last few months. This one in particular. We should be fine.¡±


    Dawn reached the top of the hill and saw the multitude of tents waiting below. She frowned, ¡°I see the other chieftains did not only travel with their guards, but with what seems to be a quarter of their armies.¡±


    ¡°I was worried something like this might happen,¡± Marek sighed.


    ¡°The tribes are afraid of Hollow Shade¡¯s armies,¡± Vaughn noted. ¡°House Goldelm, Glaz, and Veres have been scouring the lands, searching for any tribesman they can find. They have burned down dozens of tribal villages and killed over 2000 of their people.¡±


    ¡°My people,¡± Marek clenched his fists. It hadn¡¯t just been the men. Innocent women and children had been slaughtered under the iron grip of the City of Shades. And now the armies of Undergrowth had begun to move against them as well.


    Marek once again wondered to himself if Crow¡¯s plan had been worth it.


    As if reading his mind Dawn repeated her brother¡¯s words, ¡°Do not second guess yourself, Marek. We¡¯ve already come this far.¡±


    Marek slowly nodded and steeled his resolve. ¡°¡­The chieftains did not just bring their armies for fear of a Hollow Shader¡¯s attack. They brought their armies so that when they condemn our Cairn Tribe to exile, which they will, the tribes¡¯ armies will move to wipe us out in one clean stroke.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re out for blood, is it?¡± Vaughn muttered.


    Dawn smirked, ¡°Then let¡¯s give them a taste of what blood really looks like.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Marek grabbed his orichalcum spear and straightened his back, standing at his full towering 7 feet, then marched down the hill towards the multitude of tents.


    Dawn smiled and followed behind him, as did Vaughn.


    The rugged dire human and the two hybrid archmages at his side drew the eye of every man and woman they passed. Warriors stopped their training drills and others stepped out of their tents, each eager to catch a glimpse of the soon-to-be outcast chieftain.


    Some of the warriors, the younger and foolhardy ones, stepped in front of Marek and tried to block his path. Marek didn¡¯t hesitate, he swept his spear in a wide arch. The dense black metal smashed into the warriors, shattering shields and bones in one clean sweep. It had all happened so fast; Marek had swung his spear in three swipes, foregoing any sort of attack with the sharp-edged spear tip. Yet all four warriors were left on the ground, their bodies broken, blood seeping from cracked skulls and smashed ribs.


    The other tribesmen quickly backed away and opened a path for Marek, the twins, and the eerily large wagon behind them. No other warrior blocked their path. The other tribesmen gave Marek and his companions a wide berth, and simply stared and whispered to themselves.


    ¡°They¡¯re afraid of you, my lord,¡± Vaugh noted quietly.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°As they should be,¡± Dawn said.


    Marek glanced back at the wagon, ¡°...They should be scared of what¡¯s sleeping in there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Unildyr beasts have grown far more quickly than I would have ever imagined,¡± Dawn said thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s only been a year and a half and they¡¯re already almost 30 feet tall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised by how quickly it¡¯s gained muscle mass,¡± Vaugh noted.


    Marek nodded grimly. It was hard not to notice. The void creatures had cloudy translucent skin. Their pale white muscles could be seen rippling underneath their smooth, yet thick skin. Where other creatures were lean and supple, the Unildyr beasts were covered in corded muscles, particularly around their arms and legs.


    Marek remembered watching the pen keepers feeding the beasts. They had brought in over 30 root-bison from the nearby hills. The bison were as tall as centaurs and twice as wide. Yet the twenty Unildyr had ripped them apart with their long black claws as if the bison were made of soft butter. The beasts had devoured the bison down to the very last bone, nothing was left on the grass but splatters of blood.


    In the end, the Unildyrs¡¯ black eyes stared hungrily at the pen keepers, waiting for more. A shiver ran down Marek¡¯s spine just remembering the sight.


    Recently, to the horror of the pen keepers, the beasts had begun to grow a second pair of arms from their backs. The arms were narrow and covered in corded muscles, with long webbed fingers that seemed to form wing-like appendages. Thankfully, none of the beasts had shown the ability to fly¡­ yet. Though Marek wasn¡¯t sure if that would last. As for now, the beasts were simply content to use the prolonged black claws on their wing-like fingers to pierce and stab whatever prey wandered into their pen.


    It was a wonder to Marek and his war council why such terrifying beasts hadn¡¯t simply escaped their pens already and gone on a rampage.


    Could we even stop them if they did? Marek swallowed hard at the horrifying thought.


    Even as babies, Marek had learned the beasts¡¯ flesh was practically impenetrable. Their claws and fangs could tear through the toughest of armor with ease. But it was their ability to absorb and devour magic that gave him chills. If not even the mages could stop these creatures, then what could?


    ¡°What killed the Unildyr?¡± Marek muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Vaughn raised his eyebrow questioningly.


    Marek stared warily at the wagon behind them, ¡°The Unildyr, these¡­ monsters, they are more powerful than anything I have ever witnessed. If such creatures existed long ago, how is it possible they ever went extinct? What killed them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Vaughn stopped, unsure of what to say.


    Marek sighed in frustration, ¡°Crow said the Unildyr was a void species that hunted literal dragons as prey. If not even dragons could stop them, what did?¡±


    ¡°The Vesir,¡± Dawn whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± Marek asked.


    Vaughn frowned, ¡°Sister, we¡¯re not supposed to talk about that.¡±


    ¡°If he is to help us, then it is time he knows,¡± Dawn said solemnly. She stepped closer to Marek and whispered quietly, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Age of Titans, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only very little,¡± Marek admitted. ¡°You once told me it was the era before the Sundering Age, right?¡±


    Dawn nodded, ¡°Yes, it was the time before the Sundering changed the world as we know it. Things were very different back then, the world was different¡­ when the titans existed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you speak about the titans before, but who were they really?¡± Marek asked warily.


    ¡°Sister, that¡¯s enough,¡± Vaughn admonished in a stern voice.


    Dawn ignored him and continued, ¡°The titans were the wardens of the land, they were the self-appointed protectors of mortals, and the Vesir Queendom was their nation; a place where titans walked among mortals, one in blood and fate.¡±


    Vaughn sighed in defeat and added, ¡°¡­If the ancient stories are to be believed, Vesir was the greatest kingdom in the world. No other nation has ever come close to their knowledge or power. What little is left of them has lasted through the ages with tremendous power. Like your spear.¡±


    Marek glanced at the orichalcum spear in his hand, even now he could feel its power thrumming quietly. His fingers burned with pain just holding it. He threw the spear over his back and cleared his throat, ¡°¡­What does this have to do with the Unildyr?¡±


    ¡°It is said the Unildyr creatures came from beyond this world, from the darkness of the Null itself,¡± Dawn whispered. ¡°And when the Unildyr monsters began to murder and feast on dragons and mortals, it was Vesir that answered their call for help.¡±


    ¡°The titans rose to face the otherworldly threat,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°They gathered the other kingdoms and formed the greatest alliance the world had ever seen. Together, they waged war against the Unildyr.¡±


    ¡°And they killed the monsters?¡± Marek surmised.


    ¡°No,¡± Dawn shook her head. ¡°The people of this world were losing the war, until, if the ancient records are true, the queen of the titans, Ananta, used some sort of weapon.¡±


    ¡°The Sword of Vesir,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the weapon. The old records barely hint at its existence.¡±


    ¡°All we know is that Ananta and the king of the dragons, Vismarya, used the Sword, and in the end finally managed to defeat the enemy,¡± Dawn said.


    ¡°That sounds like a pretty damn powerful sword,¡± Marek said with a grin. ¡°I could really use something like that right about now.¡±


    ¡°You speak lightly of things you do not understand,¡± Vaughn glared at him.


    ¡°What?¡± Marek furrowed his brow.


    Dawn nodded reluctantly in agreement with her brother, ¡°The Sword of Vesir was said to be powerful not merely because of its physical form, but because it embodied the hopes of the titans, their collective will given shape.¡±


    Vaughn¡¯s expression turned grim, ¡°The ancient records state that the Sword of Vesir was our world¡¯s last bastion against the darkness lurking in the Null.¡±


    Dawn bit her lip, ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re the one who wanted him to know, Sister!¡± Vaughn snapped. ¡°The Age of Titans is over, Lord Marek. Vesir is gone and their Sword lost long ago. You asked what killed the Unildyr monsters, but what you really wanted to know is how to kill them if they run rampant, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Marek narrowed his eyes, ¡°And if it is?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool,¡± Vaughn snarled, ¡°We both already know the answer¡­ You can¡¯t stop them. Our fates were sealed the moment the Unildyr monsters crawled out of those silver eggs. No matter what happens now, we can¡¯t change the future. No matter how much my sister wants to.¡±


    Marek frowned, confused. A feeling of uncertainty curled over his back.


    ¡°Silence, Brother! You¡¯ve said enough!¡± Dawn said angrily.


    Vaughn shrugged and pointed at the large tent in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re here. The meeting of the chieftains will soon begin.¡±

 Chapter 347: Unildyr

    Chapter 347: Unildyr


    ¡­As Undergrowth¡¯s final tourney match came to a close, a clash of ancient powers unfolded in the southern hills of Dusk Valley¡­


    In the dark hours of the night the dragon goddess, Zavinti had flown to a small campsite near a rushing river. Her prey, a delusory fox goddess, had escaped and in its disappearance, Zavinti had met the mysterious god Caligo. Yet the ebon god had no answers regarding her prey, the only answers he gave Zavinti were the names of her lost fellow dragons and the ways he had murdered and tortured them.


    The azure dragon had roared in righteous anger and attacked the ebon god. Their battle shook the air itself in a maelstrom of magic. The skies above the hills had twisted and turned into the dark eye of a storm. What had been hills of lush green grass had transformed into barren scorched earth with deep craters sprawled through the land.


    Jade lightning crackled throughout the darkened sky and clashed with prismatic dragon fire. Boulders the size of small houses flew through the air in a tornado of ruin, colliding with true chromatic grey halos of destruction.


    Magic that had not been unleashed in centuries poured over the hills. The ground trembled and broke underneath the gods¡¯ powers as if crying out in agony. Their divine duel stretched throughout the night and into the early morning hours, until a single seed of pure energy erupted from the ground in a spiral of jade light stretching out like the branches of a colossal tree into the night sky. The branches of light coalesced around Zavinti like a hundred spears piercing into her azure scales. Her magical defenses collapsed. She roared in pain as her flesh was burned and her wings were torn apart.


    Caligo watched her tumble down from the sky with cold indifference. She crashed into the remnants of the campsite with a resounding bang like the sound of a hammer striking stone.


    Caligo folded his pale leathery wings and dived straight down like an arrow. Just as he was about to smash into the ground he opened his wings wide and landed softly on his bare feet. His breathing was rough and sweat speckled his brow, but his ever-changing eyes were clear.


    His wings melted away in a blur behind his back. He slowly walked around the wounded dragon and looked her over with a focused gaze. Blood oozed all over Zavinti¡¯s body from where the jade lightning had burned through her sapphire scales. The bones of her wings were broken on several points and the leathery webbing had a multitude of scorched tears.


    She opened her deep blue eyes weakly and groaned in anger, a deep rumbling sound.


    ¡°You are remarkable,¡± Caligo said tiredly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I had to use the Tree of Luminance to defeat you¡­ I was wrong.¡±


    Zavinti tried to stand, but her giant limbs trembled underneath her weight and she collapsed once more.


    ¡°And still you want to fight?¡± he shook his head.


    She growled in pain and glared at him, ¡°I know¡­ who you are¡­¡±


    Caligo cocked his head to the side. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± he whispered. ¡°Then tell me, who am I?¡±


    Zavinti stared at the young boy standing in front of her. He seemed no older than fifteen. His grey hair was messy and his soft brown skin was covered in ash and dirt. He wore only a tattered cloak of black feathers. If it wasn¡¯t for his eyes that constantly changed color, he would seem a scared, war-stricken child. It was then Zavinti realized that was exactly what the boy wanted.


    ¡°¡­You pretend to be weak because you enjoy seeing others underestimate you,¡± Zavinti snarled. ¡°You hide in the body of a child because it makes you seem harmless.¡±


    ¡°Those are some serious accusations, princess,¡± he smiled. ¡°We¡¯re both gods, why would I need to appear harmless in front of you?¡±


    ¡°Why indeed?¡± she mused grimly. ¡°Even now, you pretend to just be an ebon god, a deity of this realm¡¯s pantheon.¡±


    ¡°I am an ebon god, the youngest certainly, but still, I am one nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not, not really. You aren¡¯t like the others. You¡¯re something older¡­ much older.¡±


    Caligo¡¯s smile fell and the light in his eyes grew cold, ¡°Oh? And here I thought your father kept you in the dark like all the others.¡±


    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t like speaking of the past, he prefers to keep to himself,¡± Zavinti narrowed her sapphire eyes, ¡°But you¡¯re quite the opposite aren¡¯t you? You enjoy speaking in riddles and of things that seem rubbish. And yet, amidst all your nonsensical words is the truth¡­ You want people to know the truth, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re not a god of secrets. You told me yourself, your name isn¡¯t Caligo.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? I forgot,¡± he said light-heartedly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t. Ever since I heard whispers of your true name in the circles of the elder dragon lords as a child. I never forgot the fear in my elders¡¯ eyes. They thought you a mere memory, a bad dream they hoped to forget. But I think my father knew the truth, didn¡¯t he? You were still alive all this time. The Dark Visitor, The Father of the Dragonbane, The Scourge of The Broken World¡­ Unildyr of the Null.¡±


    ¡°¡­Names are a powerful thing, aren¡¯t they, Zavinti?¡± The young boy smirked, ¡°How a single name can terrify even the mightiest of dragon lords.¡±


    Zavinti pulled her lips back in a growl, revealing her sharp bloody fangs, each the size of a shortsword. ¡°You think I am afraid of you?¡± She laughed, as painful as it was, and glared at him, ¡°You were once the greatest enemy of my people, yet now here you stand, exhausted, your powers pushed to their limits. How the mighty have fallen.¡±


    ¡°Fallen?¡± he raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Deny it all you wish. You are not what you once were, your power has been greatly diminished.¡±


    ¡°Diminished? Your body lies broken because of me. The Dragonbane walk the land once more because of me. Does my power sound diminished to you?¡±


    Zavinti smiled, ¡°And yet you said I am a threat. That doesn¡¯t sound like the Unildyr who once waged against the entire world. The old Unildyr would not have struggled against me. He wouldn¡¯t be standing in front of me, out of breath, hiding in the form of a child.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Perhaps the Unildyr of old would have defeated you with ease. And perhaps he would have ripped your head off that pretty blue neck. But we¡¯ll never know, will we?¡±


    ¡°I guess not. What I do know is that my people already defeated you and your dragonbane in the Age of Titans. This time we¡¯ll do it right and rid the world of your existence once and for all.¡±


    The young boy slowly smiled, though there was no warmth in his eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t only the dragons who ended the war. Your kind had help. The Queendom of Vesir, the titans.¡± He glanced around pointedly. ¡°Where are they now? Where are the titans who aided your kind in defeating the dragonbane? Where are the titans who saved your people?¡± Caligo bowed his head and stared at the ground quietly, ¡°Ah, yes¡­ They died. Vesir is gone as are its people. Your dragon brood is alone.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± With a painful wince, Zavinti raised her head proudly, ¡°My people have weathered the Ages alone and still we remain. How? Because dragons understood true unity comes from within. We are strongest together, without the intervention of outsiders. We don¡¯t need the titans of old, not their lost power nor their broken Sword.¡±


    ¡°Broken Sword¡­?¡± Caligo suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Is that what your father told you happened to the Sword of Vesir? Well, I don¡¯t fault you for your ignorance. I blame your cheeky bastard of a father for that. Kaleidrog always had a penchant for lying.¡±


    ¡°My father is not a liar!¡± she hissed angrily.


    Caligo smiled with mild surprise, ¡°Ah, you look up to Kaleidrog, don¡¯t you? I see you, Zavinti; A proud daughter who believes in the wisdom of her father and the strength of her people. What a fool you are.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool?¡± she said disdainfully. ¡°Are you so alone that you think believing in others is a weakness?¡±


    ¡°You know nothing of solitude, do not proceed to lecture me on it,¡± he said coldly. ¡°And you are wrong, dragons are not strongest on their own. Dragons are weaker than they have ever been. More and more eggs never hatch and even the ones that do are¡­ lacking. I know, I have seen it; dragons born without the power of all the chromatic magics. Your kind grows weaker with each passing year and you can do nothing to stop it.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You know why it¡¯s happening, don¡¯t you¡­?¡± Zavinti whispered.


    ¡°And you clearly do not. Something else Kaleidrog refused to tell you I see,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Zavinti roared. ¡°If you insult my father one more time you will regret not killing me sooner.¡±


    Caligo leaned forward, a cold smile on his lips, ¡°Why would I kill you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, confused.


    His cold smile widened, ¡°You know, I wish I had been there when your mother died. I wish I had killed her. I wish I had gotten the chance to rip the wings off her back, claw her ribcage open, and tear her throat out with my bare hands. I wish I could have seen the look of horror on your father¡¯s face as she died¡­¡± Caligo sighed, ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll have to settle with you. I¡¯ll keep you alive, broken, but alive, until I meet your father.¡±


    Zavinti growled and tried to stand to no avail. ¡°¡­So the stories of your cruelty are true. I have heard the dark stories the elder dragon lords whispered about you. I¡¯ve heard of the horrors you inflicted on the Night of Ruin¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± he whispered.


    She grinned angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of your cruelty. To die like my king would be an honor.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Dragon King Vismarya,¡± Caligo whispered, a slight tremble in his voice.


    Zavinti smiled malevolently, ¡°You are right, names do have power. Even now Vismarya still terrifies you, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Caligo glared at her, ¡°I fear no dragon.¡±


    ¡°Yet you feared him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Caligo scoffed, ¡°Did your father tell you that?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t need to. I know King Vismarya¡¯s legacy, I know his story. He was the greatest of all dragons and it was he who led the war against you. It was Vismarya who defeated you on the Night of Ruin.¡±


    ¡°Vismarya didn¡¯t defeat me, he died that night.¡±


    ¡°Our king died defending his dragon lords from your magic and with his last breath, he wounded you! It was that wound that weakened you enough for the dragon lords and the titan queen to strike you down! Say what you will, but King Vismarya was the true victor that night.¡±


    Caligo sighed, then smiled, ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, Vismarya was the greatest of dragons, but you are not like him. You will not die a hero. You will die screaming, alone, and helpless.¡±


    ¡°We shall see,¡± Zavinti hissed.


    Suddenly, a horn blared in the distance. Caligo looked up in surprise. At the top of a nearby hill stood a line of centaur warriors, each carrying a rider clad in armor.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Caligo frowned.


    ¡°I told you, you would regret not killing me sooner,¡± Zavinti said.


    One of the centaurs raised a horn and blew it once more. A second horn resounded from the hill behind the ruined campsite. Rider after rider began to appear all along the hilltops until the entire campsite was surrounded. Several of the countless riders carried familiar banners that flew in the wind behind them.


    What are they doing this far south? Caligo wondered.


    Without hesitation, the centaurs charged down both hills, an army of soldiers behind them. Caligo watched in surreal surprise as thousands of soldiers flooded the area and surrounded the ruined campsite where Zavinti and he stood.


    Caligo glanced at the dragon, She was buying time¡­


    He had been too focused on his battle with the dragon and their conversation. He hadn¡¯t noticed the spell Zavinti had sent out to the nearby hills, nor the armies marching towards them.


    I was careless¡­ Caligo thought.


    Three riders dismounted their centaurs from the front line and stepped forward. The forefront rider was a human with long brown hair, tied in a ponytail.


    She sent a curious glance at the young boy standing next to the wounded dragon, before bowing nervously to Zavinti, ¡°I-I¡­ I am an envoy of Hollow Shade! B-Behind me stands L-Lord Veres IX and Lady G-Glaz¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up, you useless idiot,¡± Lady Glaz snapped.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do the talking,¡± Lord Veres said and gently pulled the envoy behind them.


    The young envoy blushed but nodded gratefully.


    ¡°Forgive us for the human,¡± Lady Glaz bowed to Zavinti courteously, ¡°My name is Ayda of the Great House of Glaz and this is Eldrin of the Great House of Veres. We are the heads of the Ruling Families of Hollow Sha¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI know who you are,¡± Caligo interrupted. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I was speaking to the dragon.¡± Ayda frowned, ¡°And if you know who we are you should speak with more respect, boy.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Eldrin coughed, ¡°I think what my companion is trying to say is that we received a call for help in the form of a spell from the dragon in front of you. We could hardly believe it ourselves, but after our scouts spotted the unusual storm in the distance and the dragon falling down from the sky, well¡­ we came as fast as we could.¡±


    ¡°And lo and behold we find a ¡®too-curious-for-his-own-good¡¯ farm boy who has wandered too far from his village,¡± Ayda said, annoyed. ¡°So why don¡¯t you stay quiet and out of the way, child.¡±


    Caligo glanced at Zavinti who hadn¡¯t spoken a word. Her eyes were closed, focused. It was faint, but he could feel the magic growing like a fire inside her body. She was readying herself for one final counterattack. If it was just her, he wouldn¡¯t be worried. They both were exhausted, but she more than him.


    If it was just her¡­ Caligo cursed silently to himself.


    He was exhausted, his mana was spent, and his body¡¯s form was reaching its limits.


    Caligo was aware of what an army, even a mortal one, could do with sufficient numbers. Worse, he knew what these mage lords were capable of. Lady Glaz in particular was said to be as powerful as the Noir child, Elzri. Not a problem under normal circumstances, but in his current state¡­


    They can¡¯t kill me, but I can¡¯t fight them all off either¡­ Caligo thought irritatedly. Do I have to retreat¡­? If Lin Lu was here at the very least I could¡­ no¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter¡­


    Eldrin Veres glanced at Zavinti and bowed his head, ¡°Your draconic eminence, it has been a long time since one of my House has met one of your kind. So please, forgive me for my rudeness, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice your injuries. Our scouts couldn¡¯t see your battle well from so far away. If the monster you clashed against still lives, we¡¯d greatly appreciate it if you told us which direction it flew off to. We need to be prepared if it comes back.¡±


    Zavinti opened her eyes, ¡°The monster is¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe Night of Ruin,¡± Caligo whispered. ¡°Was not the victory your father described.¡±


    Zavinti slowly looked at the young boy, ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Kaleidrog may be too ashamed to tell you the truth, but I am not.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the kind who¡¯d bargain for his life, Unildyr,¡± the dragon taunted.


    ¡°¡­I remember, Zavinti,¡± the boy recalled quietly. ¡°I was there that night when the dragonbane descended from the darkened skies and slaughtered countless of your kind. I remember when King Vismarya burst from the clouds in a storm of fire, his scales gleaming gold in the light; the titan queen Ananta riding on his back and his dragon lords at his side.¡± Caligo chuckled softly, ¡°I remember as they fought bravely to defend their people¡­ helplessly against the horde of dragonbane.¡±


    ¡°And yet they still defeated you,¡± Zavinti snapped.


    ¡°Did they?¡± Caligo asked.


    Zavinti narrowed her eyes, ¡°¡­What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Your draconic eminence¡­?¡± Eldrin called out uncertainly.


    ¡°The stories your elders told you are true, Vismarya did wound the Father of the Dragonbane,¡± Caligo acknowledged. ¡°But I did not kill Vismarya¡­ It was only after the dragon king and titan queen used all their power to stop ¡®Unildyr of the Null¡¯ did Vismarya die¡­ to his own dragon lords.¡±


    Zavinti glared at him, ¡°¡­You expect me to believe such a ridiculous lie!?¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Caligo asked. ¡°To know that your king was betrayed by the elder dragon lords, chief among them, Kaleidrog the Azure Sky, your father.¡±


    ¡°LIAR!¡± Zavinti roared furiously.


    ¡°I remember, Zavinti¡­¡± Caligo said solemnly. ¡°I remember when your father ripped Vismarya¡¯s wings off his back, when your mother tore Vismarya¡¯s throat, and when they still couldn¡¯t kill him, I remember when the other dragon lords descended upon Vismarya and clawed his chest apart.¡± Caligo smiled bitterly, ¡° I remember as Vismarya died¡­ protecting me.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? That doesn¡¯t make s¡ª¡± Zavinti frowned, then suddenly stiffened, and her eyes widened in horrific realization, ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ Unildyr¡­!¡±


    The young boy smiled softly, his iridescent eyes aglow with power. ¡°The mortals call me Caligo, my enemies called me the Sword of Vesir, but my friends used to simply call me Ann.¡±


    The young boy stepped back from Zavinti, and for the first time in many years, he stopped trying to control his body¡¯s form. Dormant power flooded into his veins as his body warped and shapeshifted.


    Zavinti turned to Eldrin and Ayda in a panic and screamed, ¡°Kill this monster! Kill it now!¡±


    But it was too late. Lord Veres and Lady Glaz, and their armies all stood stock-still, and stared in awe at the towering beauty standing before them.


    She stood thrice as tall as any man. Her cloak had expanded to accommodate her new size, but the feathers had burned away, revealing a mantle of lustrous black dragon scales underneath. Her smooth hair was a pale jade that cascaded down her shoulders and swayed gently in the wind. Her skin was a flawless brown that glowed with a faint warmth. But for all her beauty it was her cold iridescent eyes that transfixed the gaze of all who saw her.


    ¡°Monster¡­?¡± The towering woman glanced at Zavinti and spoke in a measured voice of anger that reverberated through the air, ¡°I am Queen of the Titans and Bonded of Vismarya. I am Ananta, the last Sword of Vesir!¡±


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t be her! She died in the Sundering!¡± Zavinti screamed in terror.


    ¡°You have been lied to,¡± Ananta said coldly.


    Ayda Glaz turned to her soldiers and shouted, ¡°Battle formations!¡±


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Eldrin yelled in a panic.


    Ananta slowly stretched out her hand, ¡°Heed my call, Honorem.¡±


    A black greatsword burst from the wreckage of the campsite and flew into Ananta¡¯s grasp. In her palm the orichalcum blade seemed small, a dagger in the hands of a titan.


    Honorem began to hum and glow with jade light as it pulsed with overflowing power, linked to its true owner. The hills underneath the armies began to tremble and crack as the clouds darkened and the sun was blotted from the sky.


    Ananta raised her dagger high.


    Zavinti closed her eyes in grim acceptance. Her world exploded in a searing flare of jade light.


    Book 3 End

 Chapter 348: The Scarlet Forest

    Chapter 348: The Scarlet Forest


    On the Ebon Realm, under the fluorescent canopy of the Glimmer Grove forest, walked a small party of three. At first glance, one might have called them an unlikely band of adventurers, though truth be told, none of them were looking for adventure.


    But, perhaps fate had other plans for them, or perhaps fate wasn¡¯t real at all, in which case they had somehow found themselves together in a bizarre series of coincidences that could be summed up as nothing more than them dancing to the tune of the universe¡¯s chaotic nature.


    Which was true? None of them knew, and if they were being honest with themselves, they didn¡¯t want to.


    The only certain truth was that they were an unlikely band of three.


    The first of the three was their guide, a young idealistic drow who spent too much time reading her books and too little time walking, if the newfound blisters on the soles of her feet were any indication.


    The second of the three was a beautiful noblewoman, a daughter of an orc Great House and Ruling Family of Hollow Shade. She had been raised a warrior like those who came before her, but she had spent most of her days in the comforts of society and magic, far from the battlefield and the wilderness of the Ebon lands.


    The third of the three was an odd goblin. A half-goblin, probably, no one was quite sure, but odd, definitely odd. Even when he lived among his kind, he was different and had never quite fit in, as much as he strived to. When he had come to Hollow Shade, his upbringing had only made him stranger in the eyes of the city dwellers. When he came to Undergrowth he was recognized as an Ebon Aspirant and he became something else entirely in the eyes of others, a unique oddity to be admired and feared from afar. But to him, he had only found himself more estranged than ever. His family made him feel as if he wasn¡¯t, but they weren¡¯t here, at the edge of Glimmer Grove, far from Undergrowth where the party of three finally stopped walking.


    Plum stumbled to a halt and threw her arms into the air, ¡°Ugh! I can¡¯t do this anymore! My feet are killing me!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down and let me have a look,¡± Stryg said and crouched next to her.


    Plum nodded gratefully and sat down on a nearby fallen log. With a wince, she gingerly pulled off her boots and socks. The usual healthy grey skin on the soles of her feet was now a bright red, the skin chaffed from countless hours of walking the last four days.


    ¡°I can heal the skin and some of the damage beneath, but your body will have to do the rest. It will take some time for your feet to fully heal,¡± Stryg said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Plum said wryly.


    ¡°Hold still for a few minutes.¡± Stryg channeled white mana into his hands. A faint white glow wrapped around the tips of his fingers and slowly melded into Plum¡¯s feet.


    Tauri glanced around the area as Stryg worked, her flail in hand.


    Plum raised her eyebrow, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Any sign of danger,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Like Undergrowth¡¯s soldiers? There¡¯s no way they would be this far out,¡± Plum shook her head.


    ¡°Sure, but what about the forest¡¯s fauna?¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I haven¡¯t seen or heard any animals in the last few hours,¡± Plum noted.


    ¡°That¡¯s what worries me,¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°It means we¡¯re close,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Close to what exactly?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°¡­Vulture Woods,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Plum said dejectedly.


    ¡°Thanks for guiding us this far,¡± Stryg said quietly. ¡°We¡¯re close, I can feel it. Just a little longer.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I mean, are you sure you want to go back there? We can always leave, you know? Head straight to Hollow Shade and rejoin the others. It¡¯s not too late,¡± she said in a hopeful voice.


    ¡°Plum is right, we can still head back, if you want. I¡¯d rather not go to this ¡®murder cave¡¯ if we don¡¯t have to,¡± Tauri said dryly.


    Stryg glanced up at the sun peeking through the canopy. ¡°We still have a little over an hour before the sun begins to set. We should be able to make it to the border if we hurry.¡±


    Tauri sighed, ¡°The least you could do is tell me about the murder cave you¡¯re leading us to.¡±


    Stryg finished his healing spell and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s not a murder cave,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°Murder would imply it was premeditated. It wasn¡¯t. My tribemates were killed in a matter of seconds because we invaded a predator¡¯s lair. Their deaths were born out of the predator¡¯s self-defense and hunger.¡±


    Tauri blanched, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Stryg shrugged stiffly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You deserve to know the truth about why we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°So, why exactly are we going to this¡­ cave?¡± Tauri asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to murder every single lamia in that cave,¡± Stryg said icily and walked away.


    Tauri blinked, ¡°Did he just say lamia? Are we going to have to fight a fucking lair of lamias?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Plum sighed.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m beginning to understand why Loh always said Stryg was a goddamn handful,¡± Tauri grumbled under her breath.


    ~~~


    Fortunately, their goal was much closer than the party had anticipated. After only a few more minutes of walking the trio had come upon a long narrow clearing. The bright green grass of Glimmer Grove ended at their feet and the dark lush grass of another forest lay beyond.


    Tauri and Plum stared at the tall ashen trees across the clearing with wide eyes. Where Glimmer Grove¡¯s trees were curved and gnarly, these trees pointed straight to the sky, their trunks 2 or 3 meters wide and ten times as tall. Their bark was grey, some as pale as eggshells, others as dark as charcoal. Yet they all had the same scarlet red leaves growing on their branches high in the canopy.


    Tauri swallowed and licked her dry lips, ¡°So this is Vu¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªVulture Woods,¡± Stryg whispered. It had been so long, but as he took a deep breath, the scent of the grass and trees filled his mind with old memories. He smiled reminiscently, a warm feeling churning in his chest.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Plum adjusted her glasses and walked over to one of the ashen trees and looked up at its branches in admiration, ¡°I¡¯ve read the stories, but seeing an ashen tree in person is something entirely different. They''re enormous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the trees,¡± Tauri said warily. ¡°My father told me the creatures that live in Vulture Woods are much larger too.¡±


    ¡°No wonder they call this place a forest of monsters,¡± Plum shivered.


    ¡°It¡¯s home,¡± Stryg said. He wasn¡¯t trying to contradict them, he was simply stating how he felt.


    ¡°Well, your home is quite the sight,¡± Tauri said as she walked past the clearing and into the scarlet forest.


    The sunset¡¯s light bled through the scarlet canopy and dyed the world around them in a myriad of red hues.


    ¡°It¡¯s more beautiful than I thought,¡± Tauri smiled. Her smile suddenly cracked and she furrowed her brow, ¡°Is it¡­? Why do I feel cold?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was just me, but the air really is colder over here,¡± Plum rubbed her arms. ¡°It feels like late autumn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it feels fine to me,¡± Stryg said.


    He slowly walked through the tall grass of the clearing and took a careful step into Vulture Woods. He glanced up at the red canopy and exhaled the nervous breath he had been holding. He was back, he was finally back.


    ¡°We''ll camp here tonight,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing dinner while you two work on setting up camp,¡± Plum said promptly. She had tried the other two¡¯s cooking the last few days and had quickly concluded that neither of them could roast even a carrot to save themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go collect some brushwood,¡± Stryg nodded without objecting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pull out the bedrolls,¡± Tauri said and took off her backpack.


    Plum smiled at her small but necessary victory.


    ~~~


    After dinner, Stryg had opted to take the first watch as Tauri and Plum slept near the warm crackling fire. Plum hadn¡¯t brought her own backpack of supplies since she had joined them at the last minute. So they only had two bedrolls and two blankets. Stryg had given his to Plum and had chosen to sleep on the ground with Blossom as a blanket the last few nights.


    Strangely enough, he would wake up every morning to small roots growing out from the edge of the white flower cloak, as if the cloak was trying to plant itself on the ground around him. He¡¯d usually just rip off the roots with a light tug and they would shrivel into nothingness after a few seconds.


    Even now he didn¡¯t understand how House Thorn¡¯s cloak worked, but it was warm, so he kept it around his shoulders as he kept watch. The cold didn¡¯t particularly bother him, but he was against staying warm either. As he thought about the benefits of temperature, his mind wandered to Feli and how he had never felt cold in bed with her.


    It had only been a few days, but he missed his wife, more than he¡¯d like to admit.


    His floppy pointed ear suddenly twitched. A ruffle of blankets and a slight grumble echoed from one of the bedrolls. Plum shimmied out of her bedroll and yawned quietly. She spotted Stryg sitting next to a tree, resting his back on the ashen trunk. She quietly tiptoed around Tauri¡¯s bedroll and made her way next to Stryg.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your shift yet,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I know, I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Plum said.


    Stryg looked up at her and lifted his arm up, his cloak hanging open. Plum smiled and sat next to him. Without prompting he lowered his arm and wrapped the cloak around them both.


    Despite their painful shared pasts, both of them had chosen to not speak of their scars, and tried to move on with what little remained of their friendship. Stryg was grateful for her part in that silent agreement. He had missed his friend.


    ¡°¡­So, this is Blossom. It¡¯s fluffier than I thought,¡± Plum noted quietly.


    ¡°The whole thing is made of petals, what did you expect?¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least I¡¯m not the one who thought Blossom could make them fly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still disappointed about that,¡± he grumbled.


    She nudged his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re a prime mage, someday you¡¯ll master Yellow¡¯s wind spell-form and you¡¯ll be flying around everywhere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Wind magic has various kinds of spells; flight spells are more of a niche, and one that is not only difficult to learn, but very impractical for me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she furrowed her brow.


    ¡°¡­I weigh a lot more than most people my size. It¡¯d be difficult to lift my body into the air and create a steady current for flight. Maybe if I was an archmage it¡¯d be different, but as I am now¡­¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re really telling me is you¡¯re fat,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re fat. For reasons I can¡¯t understand, she likes you just the way you are,¡± Plum looked pointedly at the sleeping Tauri. She glanced at Stryg and grinned lewdly, ¡°You lucky bastard.¡±


    Stryg slightly frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I thought so at first.  But after we slept together she¡¯s mostly kept her distance.¡±


    ¡°Wait? You clapped those fine cheeks?¡± Plum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Tell me everything. I want details, details.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Are you talking about sex?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Wait, you¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°No, we just slept together, literally. We fell asleep in her family¡¯s gardens. It was nice, I guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­I expected more from you,¡± Plum said in disgust.


    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re ¡®clapping cheeks¡¯ either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my nights,¡± Plum said proudly. ¡°Undergrowth has many beautiful flowers if you know what I mean.¡±


    Stryg smiled, ¡°Is that so? Anyone in particular?¡±


    ¡°Meh, not yet. Though you clearly found one, that ¡®Amethyst Mistress¡¯ or so they call her.¡±


    ¡°You mean Feli?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s pretty great,¡± he smiled warmly.


    ¡°And yet here you are trying to get with every academy boy¡¯s biggest crush,¡± she grinned. ¡°You Aspirants, you¡¯re gluttony never ceases to amaze me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only Aspirant you know.¡±


    ¡°My point exactly. So what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Plum laughed, ¡°You know. What are you going to tell mommy and daddy Katag when they find out you¡¯ve taken very close ¡®interests¡¯ with their daughter, and not the one you¡¯re supposed to be marrying.¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Plum made a deadpan expression, ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve thought about this before right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Plum turned to the sky pleadingly, ¡°Oh gods, why did you bless him with so much power but make him such an idiot?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Hey¡ª!¡± He stopped and tilted his head to the side, ¡°Something¡¯s coming¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Plum stiffened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Stryg whispered and stood up slowly, leaving Blossom with Plum.


    He began channeling orange mana into his hands, but then stopped. A lone wolf stepped out of the shadows of the trees. The wolf¡¯s fur was a dark grey that blended with the shadows, save for her bright yellow eyes that stared at the goblin. The wolf¡¯s shoulders were 5 feet tall and her head was eye level with Stryg.


    ¡°Now would be a great time to use your flame magic or flora magic or stone magic, or any offensive spell really,¡± Plum whispered anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a great idea,¡± Stryg said carefully.


    A dozen pairs of yellow eyes watched the campsite from the shadows all around them.


    Stryg didn¡¯t move, he simply stared at the she-wolf that had stepped forward. They both eyed each other silently, searching for a weakness, a crack in the other¡¯s armor.


    The wolf stepped closer to Stryg, but he strangely felt no sense of aggression. She sniffed him over and then abruptly grunted as if in approval. She licked his hand and trotted back into the trees. The other dozen pairs of yellow eyes slowly disappeared back into the darkness.


    ¡°¡­What the fuck was that?¡± Plum mumbled in shock.


    ¡°An alpha and her pack searching for dinner,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°And they just decided to leave us alone?¡± Plum asked, confused.


    ¡°We¡¯re not prey.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, wolves don¡¯t like the taste of drow and goblins, good to know.¡±


    ¡°They do. Just not these, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m just glad Miss Dire Wolf didn¡¯t try to eat us,¡± Plum sighed in relief. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t think you couldn¡¯t handle them, but I''d rather avoid bloodshed if we can, right?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dire, just an ordinary wolf,¡± he noted quietly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Fuck me, then. This place really is a forest of monsters,¡± Plum laughed, though it sounded more like a cry. ¡°How did your people ever survive in these god-forsaken woods?¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Plum nodded in understanding. ¡°¡­I heard a rumor from Veronica that some drow hunters had spotted a goblin riding a wolf in Vulture Woods a few months back. I thought it was an obvious lie, just another tale from a drunk at a tavern, but now I¡¯m not so sure¡­¡±


    ¡°It was a lie,¡± Stryg said resolutely, ¡°Sylvan folk don¡¯t ride wolves. It¡¯s never happened.¡±


    Plum shrugged, ¡°Well, then maybe you¡¯ll be the first.¡±

 Chapter 349: A Friend Amongst Tragedy

    Chapter 349: A Friend Amongst Tragedy


    ¡­57 years ago¡­ Hollow Shade¡¯s Grand Coliseum¡­


    The crowds flinched back and shouted in fear as azure flames erupted around the three Noir siblings and consumed the arena grounds. The flames burned brighter and hotter as they bloomed into the vague shape of a flower, threatening to break through the enchanted arena walls and swallow up the entire coliseum in a blazing inferno.


    Almost like a dream, the azure fire disappeared as quickly as it had ignited. The smoke slowly dissipated and revealed the arena¡¯s scorched blackened grounds. Elzri Noir stood alone, his brother and sister gone.


    Una Noir watched, stunned, from her family¡¯s regal box in the private area of the stands. She tried to comprehend the sight, surely her eyes were playing a trick on her. Perhaps her brother Aiden had cast an illusion spell or maybe their sister Esletha had helped them escape at the last moment with the speed of her agility magic¡­


    But the longer Una stared at the charred empty arena, the more the feeling of dread tightened around her, squeezing the air from her lungs.


    Elzri stumbled to his feet and slowly glanced around as if searching for someone. And it was at that moment Una knew, Aiden and Esletha were gone.


    A terrible wretched scream of agony pierced the coliseum¡¯s shocked silence.


    Elzri stiffened and looked up at the regal box.


    Ismene stood up from her seat and hugged Una tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t look, don¡¯t look,¡± she whispered soothingly, though her own voice was breaking in panic.


    Suddenly, Una realized the wretched scream was her own. Her voice abruptly came to a stop, like the strings of a lute being cut short. She gasped for air and her legs buckled underneath her. Her throat felt raw and her eyes burned, but the pain was insignificant to the agony rending her heart.


    As soon as her scream had died, the crowds burst into panicked shouts and yells of their own at the arena¡¯s devastation.


    The Noir handmaids standing in the regal box with Una and Ismene glanced anxiously at one another, unsure of what to do.


    A small cloaked figure suddenly appeared behind the Noir soldiers guarding the regal box and strode right towards Una.


    Ismene looked up at the stranger and frowned suspiciously, ¡°Who are you? Who let you pass?¡±


    Without pausing her stride, the stranger¡¯s hand snapped forward in a burst of speed and struck Ismene on her neck. Una barely had time to register Ismene¡¯s eyes roll up and her limp body drop, before the cloaked stranger grabbed Una by the shoulder and yanked her back.


    Una¡¯s world suddenly blurred in a flare of orange light and the regal box melted away. She fell to her knees and hands on an unfamiliar concrete floor. She coughed and vomited her breakfast. Her stomach felt as if it had been ripped apart and stitched back together haphazardly by a drunken apprentice.


    ¡°I know the first time can be hard, but we must move,¡± the cloaked stranger said and wrapped her arm around Una¡¯s shoulders.


    Una gasped between her retching, ¡°W-wait¡ª!¡±


    The world melted away once more in a flash of orange. She was still on the ground, but this time she recognized the worn cobblestone. She was in the street outside the coliseum. The commoners and merchants walking about flinched back at their sudden appearance.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± the cloaked stranger whispered into Una¡¯s ear.


    The world blurred. Una¡¯s organs scrunched up and her muscles shivered in a painful spasm. Then the world blurred again and again. Flashes of orange burned through Una¡¯s eyes even when she closed them tightly. She lost sense of time and her body as the pain overtook her.


    The sound of dripping water echoed quietly in her ears as she came to. She was lying on the hard ground. The brick floor was uneven, cold, and damp. One particular brick was jutting into her lower back.


    Una opened her eyes blearily, but she didn¡¯t try to move. Her eyes burned like she had been staring into the sun for too long, but she didn¡¯t close them. She simply stared into the dark damp stone ceiling as water leaked and dripped from its cracks.


    A deep pain had buried itself in her chest and throbbed with each breath. But the pain felt numb as if it wasn¡¯t her own, something distant, not real¡­


    This wasn¡¯t real. It couldn¡¯t be. It was a nightmare.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± came the soft voice from behind, though to Una it sounded like a cruel mockery.


    Una didn¡¯t bother to answer nor move, she stayed still, her chest rising ever slowly with each ragged breath.


    ¡°Flicker travel can be difficult to those unaccustomed,¡± came the voice once more, this time it sounded a little familiar. ¡°Even for me, it took many years to master the strenuous effects of consecutive flickering. For someone like you, I can only imagine the pain¡­ I am sorry.¡±


    Una¡¯s lips curled in bitterness. If only she knew the pain wracking her body was meaningless to the hopeless despair suffocating her.


    ¡°¡­Holly,¡± Una whispered, finally putting a name to the stranger¡¯s voice.


    The young vampiress lowered her hood and her dark hair fell down over her shoulders in a silky cascade. ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    Una lolled her head to the side and glared at the vampire, ¡°What have you done to me¡­?¡±


    Holly crouched down next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Don¡¯t worry, you should regain full mobility in a few hours at best.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?! Where am I?!¡± Una said angrily, though her exhausted voice made it sound more like a plea.


    Holly stared at her in silence for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s start with the simple. We¡¯re still in Hollow Shade, the outermost region.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t like the Commoner District,¡± Una frowned suspiciously.


    ¡°Quite right, we are underneath the district.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To be precise, we¡¯re in a complex tunnel system that spans throughout most of Hollow Shade¡¯s underground.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense. Hollow Shade has a sewer system, but we¡¯ve never had any sort of tunnels, let alone one large enough to span an entire Great City!¡±


    ¡°On maps and schematics, sure. It would appear that Hollow Shade¡¯s underground is quite barren, but those would be lies, like so many others in this world.¡± Holly leaned in close until her face was hovering a few inches above Una¡¯s. ¡°The time for lies is over. If you are to survive these next few years you should know who your enemy is¡­ our enemy.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Holly¡­?¡± Una muttered slowly. ¡°Who are you really? Why have you kidnapped me!?¡±


    The vampiress leaned back and stood to her feet, ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap you, I saved your life. And my name isn¡¯t Holly, it¡¯s Holo.¡±


    ¡°Holo¡­?¡± Una mumbled, ¡°Wait¡­! The Holo? You¡¯re Holo the Tall!?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I am.¡±


    Una narrowed her eyes in suspicion, ¡° ¡­I thought you¡¯d be taller.¡±


    The vampiress chuckled under her breath, ¡°When I met your House¡¯s founder I had a different appearance, but I am indeed Holo.¡±


    ¡°¡­Prove it.¡±


    Without hesitation, Holo lifted her hand and a small blue flame flickered to life above her open palm.


    Una¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°The azure flames¡­! That¡¯s my family¡¯s magic!¡±


    Only the greatest of Noirs can wield those flames. And suddenly Una was reminded of the horror she had witnessed at the arena. Of her brother¡¯s decimation¡­


    Holo raised her eyebrow, ¡°Who do you think taught Noir I the ¡®Azure Flower¡¯ spell? Or the rest of his magic for that matter?¡±


    ¡°If you¡­ if you¡¯re really her¡­ the Holo¡­ then, why are you here?¡±


    Holo¡¯s smile fell and her expression darkened, ¡°¡­There is a war brewing in the Ebon Realm. House Thorn and the other Great Houses of Undergrowth have been calling for a large-scale assault on Hollow Shade. Our own city council of lords has been eager to attack the Undergrowthers as well. It is a mistake, one that could cost countless lives on both sides, something which our enemy desires. Your father was one of the few on the council trying to stop an all-out war. When he suddenly died¡­ I came to the city to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you know who killed my father¡­?¡± Una asked gravely.


    Holo looked away, ¡°It was your brother Aiden, though I only realized it at the very end.¡±


    ¡°Aiden¡­?¡± Una shook her head vehemently, ¡°No, Aiden would never¨C!¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe enemy corrupted his mind, your brother stood little chance.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Who is this enemy you keep talking about? Who the fuck has been hurting my family!?¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    Una furrowed her brow, ¡°The one from the stories¡­?¡±


    ¡°He is not just a story, he is a god and a very dangerous one,¡± Holo said solemnly.


    Una frowned in disbelief, ¡°God? I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡±


    ¡°You have. Many people in the realm worship him. Some are praying to him even as we speak. They call him Caligo, god of the deep earth, The Mystery, Patron of None, and Caretaker of the Realm¡¯s Secrets.¡±


    ¡°Caligo¡­?¡± Una blinked. ¡°The Monster in the Dark is Caligo? Oh, we¡¯re so fucked!¡± she cried out helplessly.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°I will not lie to you, our chances are bleak. Your family has lost so much in the last few days¡­ It is no coincidence most of your ancestors have met terrible ends.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Monster cursed your family long ago and each generation since has paid the price. Now the line of Noir has grown thin.¡± Holo clenched her fist tight, ¡°But your bloodline is strong and I shall not see it end on this day.¡±


    ¡°¡­How are we supposed to protect ourselves against an ebon god?¡± Una whispered helplessly.


    ¡°The ebon lords and I founded this city for that express reason.¡±


    ¡°Hollow Shade?¡± Una muttered. ¡°But wasn¡¯t the city¡¯s Ebon Tower built to honor some sort of promise with the gods? Our city¡¯s festival of the gods is literally the largest one in the realm every year. We have the greatest temples in the realm, including Caligo¡¯s! What part of any of that sounds like protection against the gods!?¡±


    ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade,¡± she corrected quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± Una frowned.


    ¡°The city¡¯s name is not Hollow Shade, it is Holo¡¯s Shade. I created this city as a safe haven, a stalwart shade from the scorching Sun. You speak of the Ebon Tower¡¯s promise? The secret promise the ebon lords and I made has nothing to do with honoring the gods, quite the opposite¡­ But the ebon lords are all gone and the memory of what this city once stood for has slowly but all faded away. And in its wake, Caligo¡¯s influence has seeped behind these walls without my notice.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Una whispered.


    ¡°Caligo is unable to personally enter this city, but his powers stretch much farther than his physical reach.¡± Holo sighed, ¡°Your brother Aiden was not Caligo¡¯s first victim and he will not be the last. I cannot reliably protect you behind these walls, which is why I brought you here; to rest in secret, until we¡¯re ready to leave the city behind us.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Why me? What about my siblings¡ª!?¡± Una¡¯s voice caught in her throat. Tears burned in her eyes. For a brief moment, she had almost forgotten. Aiden and Esletha were gone.


    ¡°At the coliseum, although the rest of you only heard the shouts and screams of the crowds, I heard Aiden speaking of his deal with Caligo,¡± Holo said quietly. ¡°Esletha had no idea¡­ But Elzri killed them both anyway. Now whether that was out of sheer rage and hate against his siblings or because Elzri had his own deal with Caligo, I do not know. Which is why I cannot take the risk of leaving you exposed to that Monster¡¯s influence.¡±


    Una bit her lip, ¡°Riri saved my father, he would never have made such a deal.¡±


    Even now Una didn¡¯t want to believe what had happened in that arena. Elzri and her had the same mother, they had grown up closer than any of their siblings. He would not have betrayed her, he couldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Elzri may have ¡®saved¡¯ your father, yet in the end your father died from the poison anyway. Do you find it a coincidence that Alastair lived only long enough to name Elzri his heir? Before that day everyone believed Alastair would name Aiden or Esletha. Instead Alastair named the son who ¡®saved¡¯ him his heir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it happened,¡± Una shook her head.


    ¡°Then tell me, did you or anyone else know of the true extent of Elzri¡¯s powers? That he wasn¡¯t just some weak adept who barely managed to graduate from the academy, but in fact the youngest archmage in the realm?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Riri¡­¡± Una¡¯s voice came to a halt.


    ¡°You¡¯re his baby sister, the one person he loved more than anyone in this world. Did you know the truth?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, he never told me.¡±


    Una broke down in tears and turned her face away to hide her shame.


    It was as if speaking the words had dug some final nail into the day¡¯s horrors. Elzri had killed her brother and sister. That wasn¡¯t a dream, it wasn¡¯t a nightmare, it was reality.


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t yet know if Elzri has been manipulated by Caligo or not, but if there is even a small chance that he hasn¡¯t been, we must take it. A Noir must stand in the city council if we are to have any chance of preventing this war. Unfortunately, there are only two Noirs left, and I cannot leave you here to die and risk your family¡¯s line disappearing altogether.¡±


    ¡°So you kidnapped me?¡± Una whispered.


    ¡°I saved you because although you may not realize it, you have more potential than any Noir I have seen in centuries. If anyone is to give your family a fighting chance, it is you, child.¡±


    ¡°Even more than Riri¡­?¡±


    ¡°After what I witnessed Elzri do at the coliseum today? Maybe.¡± Holo walked over to the tunnel''s wall and opened a chest Una hadn¡¯t noticed before, ¡°I retrieved this from your family¡¯s vault, along with a bit of gold for the journey ahead.¡± Holo lifted up an enormous sword with a black glossy blade. ¡°If anyone in your family has the potential to wield an orichalcum weapon, it is you.¡±


    ¡°Is this really happening¡­?¡± Una muttered weakly. ¡°I have to leave my home, everyone I know¡­?¡±


    ¡°For now, until the time is right.¡± Holo¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I know you¡¯re in pain. I know you never wanted any of this, but the truth is, this realm needs you, Una. There are dangerous forces at play that not even the greatest lords and ladies are aware of. I need your help if we are to save your home¡­ and your brother and mother.¡± Holo reached down and offered Una her hand, ¡°So, are you with me, heir of Noir?¡±

 Chapter 350: The Mysterious Troupe

    Chapter 350: The Mysterious Troupe


    In the dark hours of the night, the leaves of Glimmer Grove glowed a fluorescent array of blues, purples, and greens. Though there was no fire, the canopy illuminated the Singing Willow Troupe¡¯s camp. The camp had been arranged in a set of three rings, with the outer ring being composed of their wagons, which formed a loose circle and a sort of barrier from whatever animals might lurk in the woods.


    Several bright colorful tents composed the middle ring, most of the troupe was already asleep within them. They were all exhausted from the day¡¯s battle in the outskirts of Undergrowth and the subsequent escape into the forest.


    The few that were still awake and not standing guard tended to the injured who lay on cots at the center of the camp. Loh lay on a cot, staring up at the fluorescent canopy. One of the troupe¡¯s white mages, a dancer with bright blue eyeshadow, had tended to her wounds with healing magic.


    Though most of Loh¡¯s wounds had been healed, the process had left her body drained to the point she could barely turn her neck. While chromatic healing magic was strong, it paled in comparison to elemental life magic and it was far more limited. Her bandaged leg was a clear reminder of that. Even the slightest movement of her leg caused her shattered femur incredible pain.


    Usually, Loh would have complained about her injuries and cursed Lord Loch for causing them. But her wounds seemed insignificant whenever she glanced at the simple green tent that stood alone at the very center of the camp. The most skilled white mages of the troupe were inside the tent, tending to the most grievously injured. Vayu had been taken in first, and though several other wounded had been carried in and out, Vayu was still inside.


    ¡°Cousin,¡± Unalla whispered hesitantly. ¡°Our chief healer is a high-master. She knows what she¡¯s doing. Your friend will be alright.¡±


    Loh turned her neck and looked at the drow girl sitting a few cots away. Unalla wasn¡¯t injured, but she had decided to stay with the wounded through the night. She posed an odd sight, a young petite drow sitting next to an orichalcum sword twice her size. One might think it was funny, ridiculous even, but Loh had seen the destruction that young girl had wrought with her sword.


    ¡°Cousin¡­?¡± Loh muttered in confusion.


    ¡°Oh, right. You don¡¯t know,¡± the young girl muttered. ¡°I thought the Ebon Aspirant or Lady Ismene might have told you, but I guess not. I am Unalla, daughter of Una of the Great House of Noir.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Then¡­! You¡¯re really my¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªCousin,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Is that why you helped us?¡± Loh bit her tongue in regret, ¡°Wait. No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Whatever the reason it was, thank you¡­ for saving us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Unalla shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°I was against the plan. It was risky and we could have lost a lot of good people. But my mother thought otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡­?¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± a stern voice came from behind them.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Unalla straightened her back in surprise.


    Una glanced between Loh and her daughter, ¡°¡­Unalla, go get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us.¡±


    Unalla frowned, ¡°B-But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°¡ªHouse Thorn¡¯s trackers won¡¯t stop searching for us,¡± Una said in a cold, calm voice. ¡°We¡¯ll need to make good time tomorrow if we are to stay ahead of them.¡±


    Unalla bit her lower lip and nodded reluctantly. With silent steps, she stood to her feet and left, dragging Votum behind her.


    Loh stared at Una bewilderedly. The resemblance was uncanny, the looks, the voice¡­ ¡°You¡¯re really her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Loh whispered.


    Una looked at her grandniece and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°¡­You sound like him.¡± Loh chuckled dryly, ¡°You even walk like him.¡±


    ¡°I remind you of Elzri?¡± Una asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes, a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Una turned around and walked off.


    ¡°W-wait! I have so many questions!¡± Loh called out desperately.


    Una stopped in her steps and glanced back, ¡°I have very few answers.¡±


    ¡°Uh, w-well,¡± Loh licked her lips, ¡°Where have you been all these years? Why didn¡¯t you let us know you were alive? Why is the Singing Willow Troupe working with you? Where is their Captain?¡±


    ¡°The Captain is engaged in other pursuits at the moment,¡± Una said calmly.


    Loh blinked, ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°What were you expecting?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe an explanation as to why a bunch of actors, minstrels, and illusionists, are in fact battle mages? Or, fuck it, maybe just a ¡®Nice to meet you?¡¯ Because, dammit, I always wanted to meet you!¡± Loh shouted in a broken voice. She took a shaky breath and closed her burning eyes tightly, ¡°And I really hoped you did too¡­¡±


    Una didn¡¯t respond. She simply stared at Loh in cold silence.


    The flap of the green tent opened and the chief white mage stepped out, her hands dyed red. The human spotted Una¡¯s questioning look and shook her head glumly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady, we¡¯ve managed to stabilize the Glaz noble for now, but his injuries are too severe. He¡¯s lost too much blood. He won¡¯t even wake up. ¡­His lifeforce is weakening, he won¡¯t make it much longer.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I see,¡± Una said solemnly. ¡°Thank you for your work, Kaitlin.¡±


    ¡°W-wait! Vayu is dying!?¡± Loh said panickedly. ¡°We can¡¯t just let him die! You have to do something! You¡¯re a high-master, aren¡¯t you!?¡±


    Kaitlin sighed bitterly, ¡°I am, but your friend¡¯s body has multiple large puncture wounds. Several of his organs have been perforated. It¡¯s a miracle we were even able to stabilize him.¡±


    ¡°Please, you can¡¯t give up on him now! He¡¯s only like this because of me,¡± Loh cried. ¡°If either of us deserves to live, it''s Vayu! He¡¯s a good person! One of the few! Please, please¡­ save him.¡±


    Kaitlin stared at Loh sympathetically, ¡°I truly wish I could, but I am at the limits of my abilities. Without a powerful elemental life mage¡¯s help, there is little we can do but help ease his passing.¡±


    ¡°T-then where do we find a life mage?¡± Loh asked anxiously.


    ¡°The only enclave of life mages in the realm are the fairies of Glimmer Grove,¡± Kaitlin sighed.


    ¡°Then we have to find them!¡± Loh said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Kaitlin said lamentingly. ¡°After Undergrowth betrayed the fairies decades ago, they have kept themselves hidden from the chromatic races out of hatred and fear. Even if we find them they will never help us.¡±


    Loh¡¯s face paled and her blue eyes grew dull, ¡°S-so¡­ there¡¯s no hope¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am truly sorry,¡± Kaitlin bowed her head.


    ¡°¡­You said you were at your limits? That you could do no more for Vayu Glaz?¡± Una asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately,¡± Kaitlin said regretfully.


    ¡°Then what of someone with even greater ability? An archmage?¡± Una asked.


    ¡°I suppose it could be possible, if the archmage had sufficient skill in the healing spell-form,¡± Kaitlin said.


    Loh looked at Una with surprise, ¡°You can save him?¡±


    Una shook her head subtly, ¡°I am not a chromatic white. But there is one whose healing abilities are powerful enough to save your friend.¡±


    Loh¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°¡­Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Kaitlin, change of plans. Tell the others we make for Hollow Shade at first light."


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± Kaitlin bowed.


    Una nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Loh called out from her bed-ridden cot. ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything. I owe you my life and my friend¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing,¡± Una said.


    Loh smiled warmly, tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m really glad I met you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was nice to see you again, Elohnoir,¡± Una said and walked away.


    Loh frowned, ¡°Again¡­?¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg walked under the scarlet canopy of Vulture Woods, each step purposeful, guided by memory. Tauri and Plum trailed behind him several meters back. As the day had gone on, their pace had slowed down, but Stryg¡¯s had stayed the same steady gait. Even though Tauri ran every morning and was a few inches taller than Stryg she found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his pace. Plum, on the other hand, was struggling just to walk. Her grey hair was drenched in sweat and her every breath came out strained. Stryg didn¡¯t seem to notice either of their struggles, his lilac eyes stared at the unseen path ahead, never wavering once.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ *huff* keep going *huff,*¡± Plum gasped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Tauri said sympathetically. She jogged ahead until she was next to Stryg. ¡°We need to stop and rest, Plum is going to collapse at any minute if we don¡¯t,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop soon,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Tauri said sternly. ¡°We¡¯ve walked enough.¡±


    Stryg glanced up at the setting sun, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Just a few more minutes, then we¡¯ll stop for the night. I promise.¡±


    ¡°You better cast some healing spells over Plum¡¯s sore legs, that poor girl wasn¡¯t made for this sort of travel.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she nodded in approval.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Stryg muttered distractedly.


    ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why do you ask?¡± Stryg finally glanced at her.


    She raised her eyebrow, ¡°You¡¯ve hardly said a word today. You barely had a bite for breakfast either, which is really strange for you. And what about last night?¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡±


    ¡°When those wolves came to our camp.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you were awake?¡± Stryg asked, surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    Did she hear Plum and me talking about her? he wondered anxiously.


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°At first I was just trying to sleep. But once the wolves came I thought it best if I pretended to be asleep, that way I could catch them off guard when they got close.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t say anything afterwards?¡± Stryg frowned.


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°I¡¯m saying something now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    She definitely heard us talking about her¡­


    ¡°So, wanna tell me what was up with those wolves?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not angry or complaining, but you''re not usually one to avoid violence. These last few days you¡¯ve been acting weird, well, weirder than usual. I guess what I¡¯m trying to ask is, why didn¡¯t you kill those wolves? You said they were looking for something to eat, right? Letting them go was risky. A pack of wolves that large is dangerous for any traveler. But we all saw you in Undergrowth¡¯s coliseum. We saw what you¡¯re capable of. You could have taken on the whole pack by yourself, but you didn¡¯t even try to attack them, why? It isn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Stryg glanced at his hands and the grey claws on the tips of his blue fingers, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t attack them for the same reason they didn¡¯t attack me.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to explain it. It¡¯s a feeling I guess. I just sort of knew.¡±


    ¡°Knew what?¡±


    ¡°The wolves weren¡¯t my enemy.¡±


    Tauri furrowed her brow, ¡°Wha¡­?¡±


    Stryg suddenly stopped walking, ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for the night.¡±


    Tauri glanced at the thick bushes in front of them and the trees behind them, and waved at Plum, ¡°Oi! We¡¯re stopping!¡±


    ¡°Fucking finally!¡± Plum cried out in gratitude.


    ¡°Where should we set up camp? Stryg?¡± Tauri turned around.


    Stryg was busy tearing apart the bushes in front of him with a green flora spell. The bushes'' branches curled backward and parted in half, leaving a clear trail between them. He walked through and stepped into a large clearing bereft of even a single blade of grass. The barren ground was marred by an enormous jagged hole that extended deep into the earth, like a wretched scar in the forest. Its depth was so great that the sunlight did not pierce its darkness.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Tauri whispered, a trace of fear in her voice.


    ¡°The place where it all began,¡± Stryg muttered icily. ¡°And the place where I¡¯ll end it.¡±

 Chapter 351: The Dark Cave

    Chapter 351: The Dark Cave


    Tauri and Plum stood around the edge of the giant burrow, staring down at the dark tunnel that went straight into the earth and seemed to have no end. A hollow wind whistled quietly from the tunnel.


    ¡°¡­So, this hole leads to some kind of cave?¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°How deep does it go? Are we sure there¡¯s anything even living down there?¡± Tauri asked skeptically.


    ¡°At least two lamias,¡± Stryg said. He had dropped his backpack on the ground and tucked Blossom into one of its pockets.


    Tauri glanced up at the setting sun, the last rays of sunlight were fading away. ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon. We should wait until morning before we mount an attack. Until then, we¡¯ll set up a perimeter around the tunnel and figure out a plan.¡±


    Plum nodded in agreement, ¡°We¡¯re all exhausted, let¡¯s first eat, rest the night and talk about plans in the morning.¡±


    ¡°There is only one plan. You two stay up here while I go down. This is my fight,¡± Stryg said and walked to the edge of the vertical tunnel.


    ¡°What do you mean you go down? Alone?¡± Tauri stepped in front of him and crossed her arms. ¡°The only reason I came with you on this ridiculous trip was to keep you safe. I¡¯m not about to sit still while you waltz into a cave of monsters!¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you coming this far, I really do, but this isn¡¯t your fight,¡± Stryg said solemnly.


    ¡°Then who¡¯s fight is it?¡±


    ¡°The Blood Fang¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, dammit! Lamias are incredibly dangerous! You know that!¡± Tauri said angrily. ¡°You can¡¯t even see down there, but they¡¯ll still be able to hear you coming! They probably already know we¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of how sharp a lamia''s ears are. But so long as I can see them coming I¡¯ll be just fine,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any torches, you idiot!¡± Tauri said exasperatedly. ¡°Do you plan on holding a fire over your palm the entire time you''re down there?¡±


    Stryg chuckled to himself, ¡°That sounds familiar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri furrowed her brow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for torches,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°Stryg can see in the dark just fine. It''s one of his many odd talents.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°E-Even if that¡¯s true, why aren¡¯t you helping me try to stop him!¡±


    Plum shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve known Stryg for a long time. I know how stubborn he can be. But I also know what this cave means to him, the scars it left behind¡­ I won¡¯t stand in his way, not for this. If he needs our help I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll let us know.¡±


    Stryg smiled softly and nodded in Plum¡¯s direction in appreciation.


    ¡°This is a terrible idea.¡± Tauri sighed deeply and stepped aside.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not back soon we¡¯re going down there ourselves,¡± Tauri said adamantly.


    ¡°Uh, we¡¯re?¡± Plum grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m a purple mage. You do know lamias are said to be immune to mind spells, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Stryg smiled, then took off his boots and socks. The sand and dirt were cold underneath his bare feet. He got down on all fours and began to slowly climb down the seemingly endless tunnel, hands first.


    Tauri and Plum watched him descend in worried silence. The blue goblin¡¯s figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.


    The tunnel¡¯s edges were sharp and damp. It would have been easy to slip and fall if one could not see where exactly to place their feet, or hands. Stryg felt no such worry. He could see the rough edges of the limestone and the cracks where water and time had slowly eroded the rocks.


    Stryg recalled how terrified he had been the first time he had descended the eerie tunnel. It had only darkness at first, the unknown waiting hungrily in the depths of the earth.


    His senses were far sharper than they were three years ago and now more than ever he realized how deeply this place smelled of death.


    Why did Crovor ever want us coming down here? Stryg wondered to himself.


    The Blood Fang shaman had been so obsessed with this place that he had led some of the tribe¡¯s greatest hunters to their deaths.


    And for what? A treasure that did not exist?


    This place had always been nothing more than a trap, a lure set by the hungry serpentine creatures.


    He reached the end of the tunnel and jumped down the last 10 ft, landing with a heavy thud. Down in the depths of the cave, the darkness was absolute, it wrapped around him like water. Only his lilac eyes were visible in the sea of darkness, the faintest of glows emanating from his irises.


    To him, the darkness wasn¡¯t filled with the unknown, but limestone lining the walls and stalagmite formations hanging above him. Two tunnels lay ahead of him, two unknown paths. He didn¡¯t know which way to go, but he didn¡¯t need to. Four lamias slithered silently out from the left tunnel. He recognized two of them, a male and a female with wine-red scales. The other two were female with forest-green tails wrapped in rings of black scales.


    Stryg noted each of their positions quietly and stood still as the lamias began to surround him, eyeing him hungrily.


    As they grew close, he channeled yellow mana and created durability scales underneath his clothes, out of sight from the serpentine creatures.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± Stryg whispered, though he made sure to stare at a wall as he spoke. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Name?¡± the male lamia hissed. ¡°Why does food need a name?¡±


    ¡°So I can remember,¡± Stryg said calmly.


    ¡°Brother, wait,¡± the other red-scaled lamia said.


    ¡°Why, Agee?¡± the male lamia snapped angrily. ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t enjoy playing with my food.¡±


    ¡°Yes, kill him already!¡± ¡°Just snap his neck, I¡¯m hungry!¡± the two green-scaled lamias complained in sultry voices.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± the male lamia grinned maliciously.


    ¡°Wait, Brother!¡± Agee hissed. ¡°Do you not remember what happened the last time ¡®food¡¯ came down into our cave? Our sister died.¡±


    ¡°¡­That was a long time ago,¡± the male lamia said. ¡°I lead us now. And I say we eat.¡± He curled his tail around Stryg¡¯s legs and bent down, his jaw wide open over the goblin¡¯s shoulder. His fangs dripped with black venom and his mouth watered with saliva as he drew his mouth closer and closer to the goblin¡¯s neck.


    ¡°¡­What are you waiting for, Szet!?¡± one of the green-scaled lamias asked impatiently.


    Szet hovered over Stryg¡¯s neck, crimson eyes wide open, the black sclera clear to see. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ move!¡± Szet gasped in a choked voice.


    ¡°Lysaila was the same. I¡¯m pretty certain it was the same for your sister too,¡± Stryg whispered thoughtfully.


    Some part of Stryg had hoped his strange bond with Lysaila was unique, an anomaly. Clearly, he was wrong. But right now the ramifications of that truth were too much to consider.


    Stryg looked at the lamia in his red eyes, ¡°This is for Second Mother, Szet.¡±


    With a single quick motion, Stryg drew Nameless from its sheath and sliced the lamia¡¯s throat with the broken jagged blade. Szet clutched at his throat in shock and collapsed unceremoniously on the floor, blood pooling around his neck.


    The other lamias jumped back in fear and turned to escape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Stryg said in a commanding voice.


    The three lamias stiffened to a halt as if they had been encased in ice.


    ¡°Are there any more lamias in this cave or anywhere nearby?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the three lamias said in unison.


    ¡°We are all that¡¯s left of our brood,¡± Agee whispered mournfully. ¡°Please, you already killed my brother, just let us be!¡±


    ¡°What are your names?¡± Stryg asked calmly.


    ¡°Neela.¡± ¡°Risu.¡± ¡°Agee.¡±


    Stryg walked over to Neela, ¡°This is for Ostroz.¡± He drove Nameless into her stomach and stabbed her abdomen four more times in quick thrusts.


    Neela gasped a hollow breath of pain before she collapsed on the ground, convulsing as her innards began to spill out.


    ¡°No! Stop!¡± Agee screamed, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve forgotten? ¡®I¡¯ll rip you all apart!¡¯ That¡¯s what you shouted as you killed my tribemates,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°You were there¡­!¡± Agee¡¯s eyes widened with dread.


    ¡°I am the one who drove a spear through your sister¡¯s throat.¡± Stryg walked over to Risu and placed the tip of Nameless below her breasts.


    Risu¡¯s face paled in terror. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.


    ¡°Wait! Please! Risu is innocent! She wasn¡¯t there that night!¡± Agee yelled in desperation.


    Stryg glanced back at Agee, ¡°I know. This is for Bril.¡± He then ever so slowly buried Nameless through Risu¡¯s rib cage and up to her heart.


    A raspy gasp escaped Risu¡¯s red lips. Her body lurched forward and leaned on Stryg¡¯s shoulder. He shoved her away, seamlessly pulling Nameless out in the same motion.


    ¡°Did you think I came down here to spare a single one of you?¡± Stryg asked in a cold eerie voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± Agee screamed helplessly.


    ¡°That we have in common.¡± He licked the blood off his broken blade and sheathed Nameless. Stryg wrapped his outstretched fingers around Agee¡¯s neck and dug his claws into her soft flesh.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Agee choked.


    ¡°This is for Srixa,¡± Stryg whispered and slowly tightened his grip.


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Plum called out worriedly.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side, listening to the faint voice.


    He ran back to the cavern¡¯s entrance and spotted Tauri climbing down the tunnel¡¯s wall, Plum on her back. Plum held a makeshift torch in one hand, no doubt some branch Tauri had lit with her magic.


    Tauri¡¯s red skin was covered in shimmering bronze vigor magic, enhancing her strength severalfold. Still, despite the extra strength and source of light, the duo was still struggling to climb down, they had barely made it halfway.


    Stryg cursed under his breath and placed his hand on the edge of the tunnel. He poured green mana into the earth and a set of uneven stone slabs jutted out of the tunnel¡¯s rim resembling a spiraling stairway that reached all the way up to the women.


    Tauri blinked. ¡°You could have done this from the beginning!?¡± she shouted angrily.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Plum muttered repeatedly in relief and got off Tauri¡¯s back. She hugged the wall and quickly clambered down the steps.


    Tauri grumbled under her breath and followed the drow down.


    ¡°What are you two doing down here?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°We came to help you,¡± Tauri glared at him. ¡°But I now feel like hurting you.¡±


    ¡°What she said, the first part, not the second,¡± Plum adjusted her glasses. ¡°Hey, you''re bleeding!¡±


    Stryg glanced at his red-stained tunic, ¡°Not my blood.¡±


    Plum stiffened, ¡°Then you¡¯ve already¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done,¡± Stryg turned around and walked back into the tunnel.


    ¡°W-wait, where are you going!¡± Tauri called out. ¡°Dammit, this kid never listens,¡± she muttered, annoyed.


    Agee was in the same place Stryg had left her. Her body was still frozen in place by the Prime Edict or so Stryg guessed. Agee stared at him silently, whether out of resignation or something else he didn''t know.


    ¡°Holy shit, what did you do, Stryg?¡± Plum whispered in fear as she spotted the three bloodied corpses lying on the ground.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t that one attacking us?¡± Tauri pointed at Agee warily and gripped her flail tightly.


    ¡°She can¡¯t,¡± Stryg said.


    Tauri¡¯s amber eyes widened in understanding, ¡°It¡¯s like Lysaila, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think so,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°So you really are some kind of Mortem mage, huh?¡± Tauri stared at Stryg thoughtfully.


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°You two still need to explain that all to me,¡± Plum said. She tried her best not to look at the bodies on the ground and shined her torch somewhere else. ¡°H-Hey, where do those tunnels lead?¡± she pointed at the two tunnels ahead of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Stryg glanced at Agee, ¡°Where do the tunnels go?¡±


    Agee clenched her jaw tight, but her lips trembled and suddenly she found herself speaking, ¡°The left tunnel leads to our home.¡±


    ¡°And the right one?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Our sacred treasure¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°There¡¯s actual treasure down here?¡±


    ¡°Your kind wouldn¡¯t consider it a treasure,¡± Agee glared at him.


    ¡°¡­Show me,¡± Stryg said suspiciously.


    Agee hissed under her breath, but she turned around and led them down the right tunnel.


    The tunnel was wide, growing wider with each step until the ceiling was several dozen meters above them. Plum stared at the odd rock ring-like pattern that lined the tunnel walls.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this tunnel is natural,¡± Plum said cautiously.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s saying this tunnel was created with magic, or maybe the entire cavern was,¡± Tauri said. ¡°And I¡¯m inclined to agree with her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Agee said bitterly from the end of the tunnel.


    Stryg walked past her and into a large chasm. His feet stumbled to a halt and his body stiffened in surprise. ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    Plum¡¯s jaw hung open, ¡°No fucking way¡­!¡±


    Tauri¡¯s flail slipped out of her numb fingers as she stared in shock.


    An enormous draconic skeleton lay sprawled over the chasm¡¯s floor.

 Chapter 352: Alive?

    Chapter 352: Alive?


    The tunnel¡¯s cave lay deep beneath the earth, yet its ceiling stretched higher than any watchtower. Long, ancient stalagmites stretched down and hovered over the barren chasm. The air was cold, a chill that made one¡¯s breath a wispy smoke. The dark rock beneath Stryg¡¯s bare feet was damp, droplets of icy water dripping from the stalagmites above.


    Tauri would have complained of the cold conditions, advising the group to leave the chasm and return to the surface¡¯s warm woodlands. Plum would have wanted to leave as soon as possible, sickened by the mangled lamia corpses Stryg had left behind. Stryg would have opted to leave as well, right after he disemboweled the last living lamia, Agee. If it wasn¡¯t for the strange unseen magic, Agee would have already run from her captors. But she could do no such thing, none of them did. All anyone could do was stare in silence at the draconic skeleton that lay before them.


    The bones of the beast were large, larger than the scarlet dragon Tauri and Stryg had encountered at the edge of Glimmer Grove weeks ago. The skeleton occupied the majority of the room, save for a small pond of water at the edge. The pond was larger than most, yet it seemed so tiny next to the skeletal remains. The rib cage alone spanned over 20 ft long and 15 ft tall. The skull was almost half the size and its fangs were as large and sharp as blades.


    In life, the creature would have easily swallowed entire centaurs whole, or so Plum thought grimly. She wondered if the dragon would have killed its victims first ¨Cperhaps with fire or some other magic¨C before crushing their bones with its vast array of deadly fangs. She had spent years studying the old tomes and records of every dragon encounter she could find in the libraries of Hollow Shade and Undergrowth. She had even dedicated her final academic project to the endeavor. Yet in all her time spent studying the majestic creatures she had never once imagined seeing one dead.


    ¡°Is this real¡­?¡± Plum muttered, breaking the silence.


    ¡°The Great One was already here before we found the cavern and made it our home,¡± Agee said quietly.


    ¡°Was it alive?¡± Stryg asked.


    Agee shook her head, ¡°The Great One was like this when we found it. My brood never changed a thing in this chamber, we left it as it was.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Tauri asked curiously.


    Agee swallowed, ¡°One does not trifle with the ones of old. The Great Ones were here long before any of us and they will be here long after we¡¯re dead.¡±


    For you that won¡¯t be long at all, Stryg thought.


    Agee seemed to have read his mind. Her face paled and she tried to slither back, but the Prime Edict held her in place.


    Plum, oblivious to the silent exchange, began walking around the cavern¡¯s edges, slowly making her way around the skeleton. ¡°You have no idea what any mage researcher would give for a chance to see this.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine what any of the Named Houses would give to have a dragon¡¯s corpse,¡± Tauri said dryly.


    ¡°A chest of gold?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Try mounds of gold,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg asked skeptically.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. These remains really are a treasure,¡± Plum nodded in agreement. ¡°The Great Cities barely have a single dragon scale or two in their possession. They would go to war for something as priceless as this.¡±


    ¡°Just the mere magical knowledge they could glean from studying an entire dragon skeleton,¡± Tauri shook her head in awe. ¡°We could advance our spellcraft by centuries!¡±


    ¡°And your people would be fools to trifle with the Old One¡¯s body,¡± Agee said in disgust. ¡°My brood foolishly chose to dwell in this same cavern, albeit on the other end of the tunnels, and still look at the horror that has befallen us. Yet here you both stand, speaking so recklessly of desecrating an Old One''s final resting place. Death will be all that finds you.¡±


    Stryg glanced at her, no hint of warmth in his lilac eyes, ¡°I¡¯d be careful of how you speak to my friends.¡±


    Agee scowled at him but said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to believe in the curses of the dead,¡± Tauri whispered to Stryg, ¡°But after seeing what the dragon did to the Hunters Guild, I¡¯m not sure what to believe anymore. Maybe it''s best if we just leave this place.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°Hey, Plum,¡± Tauri called out. ¡°I think we should leave.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Plum said distractedly.


    ¡°Stryg and I don¡¯t think it''s a great idea to stay in a place where a literal dragon died.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? This place is amazing!¡± Plum said excitedly. ¡°I could spend months here studying how such an amazing creature died! Well, I¡¯d need some water first, oh, and food. Lots of food. And some clean paper to write on, oh and inks, and¡ª¡± She suddenly stopped talking.


    ¡°Plum?¡± Stryg glanced at her from across the cavern.


    Plum was standing stock-still at the base of the dragon¡¯s shoulders. She took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses, ¡°Uh, guys¡­ I think you both should take a look at this.¡±


    ¡°Did you find something?¡± Tauri asked and hurried over, carefully walking around the skeletal remains.


    Stryg ignored any such reverence and walked straight through the dragon¡¯s ribs. ¡°What happened? What did you find?¡±


    ¡°I think I know what ended this ¡®Old One¡¯s¡¯ life,¡± Plum pointed a shaky finger at one of the large vertebrae between the dragon¡¯s skull and shoulders. A long single crack ran through the vertebra. An old silt-covered hilt protruded from the bone at the fracture¡¯s thickest point.


    Plum tore the edge of her sleeve and gently dusted off the hilt with the makeshift handkerchief.


    Once the silt had been wiped down the hilt¡¯s design was clear. The grip was made of steel-white wire. The handle had a straight black crossguard and a black pommel to match.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Plum whispered with wide gleaming eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Tauri whispered in awe. ¡°Look at the twin magestones embedded at the bottom of the pommel. See how they gleam in the torchlight?¡±


    Plum narrowed her eyes, ¡°Yeah¡­ They¡¯re shining¡­ together?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but I think the stones might actually be in perfect synchronization!¡± Tauri said excitedly. ¡°They¡¯re Parallel Magestones!¡±


    ¡°And what does that exactly mean?¡± Stryg asked dryly.


    ¡°Enchanted items only have one primary magestone to power the entire object, but this one has two. Only the greatest of enchanters could craft something like this and only with magestones of the greatest quality¡­ hypothetically.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Hypothetically?¡± Stryg raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Most powerful enchanted objects have several magestones, but even they only have one primary magestone. The primary stone empowers the object while the minor stones feed mana into the primary one.¡±


    ¡°Why only one?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Trying to use multiple primary stones would create a mana flow dissonance within the object and cause the enchantments to fail,¡± Tauri explained.


    ¡°Okay, that sounds somewhat familiar,¡± Stryg muttered. He was beginning to somewhat regret skipping his enchantment classes with Cornelius in favor of more practical training with flora or vigor spells.


    ¡°The thing is,¡± Tauri said, ¡°If an enchanter were to succeed in creating two primary magestones in a single object then hypothetically they could double the output of the enchantments. But first, you would need a pair of magestones with actual perfect clarity, without a single iota of impurity, which is basically unheard of.¡±


    ¡°None exist?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Plum said. ¡°Like, there has to be at least a few, right? What about the magestones Stryg and his teammates won at the tourney?¡±


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°Even those aren¡¯t perfectly clear. I¡¯ve been an enchanter most of my life, but I¡¯ve never met a brown mage who has ever come in contact with a single perfect magestone, let alone two.¡±


    ¡°Are you really sure these are Parallel Magestones then?¡± Stryg asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Well, not entirely, we¡¯d need a brown archmage to confirm it,¡± Tauri admitted. ¡°But if they are Parallel, then this weapon is beyond priceless.¡± She sighed in wonderment. ¡°I can only imagine what other materials were used to forge this¡­ this¡­? Dagger? Sword?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Plum said eagerly. She reached her hand out and grabbed the white hilt. ¡°OW!¡± she yelled and snapped her hand back.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Tauri asked.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes with worry, ¡°You''re bleeding.¡±


    Plum winced and raised her hand. Blood dripped from her fingers. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just, I think I scratched myself on the pommel or something,¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Tauri stared at the hilt carefully.


    The drow¡¯s blood covered the white-steel grip, but the black pommel and magestones were spotless.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything sharp¡­ Odd.¡± Tauri slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s nothing¡ª Ah, motherfucker!¡± She flinched backwards and screamed in pain. A single deep cut had been carved into the palm of her hand. ¡°Shit, there¡¯s so much blood!¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Stryg grabbed Tauri¡¯s palm.


    Tauri smiled gratefully, ¡°Thanks, I keep forgetting you¡¯re a white mage.¡±


    Stryg leaned down and licked the blood off her palm.


    Tauri blushed. ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡± she said angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯m cleaning the wound. There, done.¡±


    ¡°Not helpful,¡± Tauri frowned and pulled her hand away.


    ¡°Fun to watch though,¡± Plum said with a lecherous grin.


    ¡°I should have failed both of you,¡± Tauri glared at them.


    ¡°I was just trying to help,¡± Stryg said innocently, though there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help by grabbing that damn hilt!¡± Tauri snapped.


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± he said reluctantly. He wrapped his fingers around the bloodied hilt and pulled.


    Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, now lick your own bloody palm!¡± Tauri smiled with sweet revenge.


    ¡°The blade¡¯s stuck,¡± he noted, slightly peeved.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tauri wrinkled her brow.


    Stryg placed one foot on the vertebra and leaned backwards, pulling the hilt with all his might. The bone creaked and for a moment it seemed the vertebra would split in two, then with a loud crack the blade slipped out and he stumbled back, longsword in hand.


    ¡°There we are,¡± he smiled triumphantly.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Plum pointed at his bloodied fingers.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah. It¡¯s not my blood, it¡¯s both of yours,¡± he said casually.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Tauri muttered.


    Plum stared at the blade with wide eyes, ¡°So this is the sword that slayed a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it looks¡­ shitty, ¡± Stryg frowned.


    The sword¡¯s blade was a simple lackluster grey with a chipped and dull edge. There was an engraving at the base of the blade but it was so faded they couldn¡¯t make out what it said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even cut anything with this,¡± Stryg said disappointedly.


    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s a priceless artifact,¡± Tauri admonished. ¡°Who knows how long it''s been here? It''s bound to be in disrepair.¡±


    ¡°¡­Welp, this is useless,¡± Stryg shrugged and tossed the blade aside.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± Tauri screamed in a panic. She rushed to the abandoned longsword and picked it up gingerly. ¡°Ah, FUCK!¡± she screamed in pain and unceremoniously dropped the sword. Her other palm was bleeding from a fresh deep cut.


    He winced, ¡°You okay?¡±


    Tauri bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, ¡°I just¡­ I need a second.¡±


    ¡°I can heal you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªShut the fuck up, Stryg. Just shut the fuck up.¡±


    Plum ignored their bickering and crouched down next to the fallen sword, examining its design. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s strange¡­¡±


    The bright red blood staining the hilt began to shiver and sink inwards as if the sword itself were absorbing it.


    ¡°Note to self, don¡¯t touch weird swords,¡± Plum whispered.


    Agee suddenly laughed from the tunnel¡¯s entrance. She laughed in a strained high-pitch and abruptly screamed, ¡°Just kill me already!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg looked at her suspiciously.


    ¡°You already killed my brood and still you stand here desecrating the Old One¡¯s grave right in front of me as if begging the forest to curse us all. Well, I refuse! I''d rather die now than be cursed with you for all eternity!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Stryg said quietly and walked towards her.


    Agee didn¡¯t flinch or try to run away this time. She glared at him with each step he took. ¡°I am not afraid of you, you fucking animal!¡±


    Stryg said nothing and kept walking towards her.


    Agee hissed at him, ¡°I¡¯m glad I killed your tribemates! My only regret is that I couldn''t kill them all!¡±


    Stryg stumbled to a halt. His face paled and his eyes widened in shock. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You and your tribemates may have escaped us that night, but someday the forest will punish your tribe just as it did my brood,¡± Agee seethed.


    ¡°¡­My tribemates escaped?¡±


    Agee frowned, ¡°You¡­? I thought you said you were there that night?¡±


    ¡°I was but¡­¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°What happened that night? Answer me.¡±


    Agee tried to hold her tongue, but she found herself speaking anyway, ¡°After my sister died, my brood and I began slaughtering those vile goblins. We were winning, but then they came. Frost wolves. They jumped down into our cavern and began attacking us. They killed so many of us¡­¡±


    Agee trembled as she recalled the horrid memory, ¡°There was one wolf, much larger than the rest. It had snow-white hair and icy silver eyes that made your blood run cold just looking at them¡­ S-She was looking for something, I think? When she didn¡¯t find it, she killed the rest of my brood out of anger. Only my brother and I were spared.¡±


    Tauri glanced at Stryg thoughtfully. ¡°Was the wolf looking for something or someone?¡±


    Agee¡¯s eyes widened in realization and she turned to Stryg. ¡°The wolf was looking for you? This was all your fault!?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do with frost wolves,¡± Stryg said adamantly. ¡°Now tell me what happened to the goblins.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, they ran away as soon as the wolves came,¡± Agee said forcefully.


    ¡°So they really made it out alive¡­¡± Stryg laughed softly. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as his shoulders shook with quiet sobs.


    They¡¯re alive¡­ They¡¯re alive¡­!


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ crying¡­? Since when do goblins cry?¡± Agee said in a mixture of disgust and disbelief.


    Stryg suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Agee by the shoulder, and bit into her neck. She gasped hoarsely as his jaw clamped down on her windpipe. With one quick motion, he shook his head wildly and ripped out her throat, blood spraying out from her open neck in a wide crimson arc. The lamia¡¯s scarlet eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the ground, dead.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Plum yelled frantically.


    Stryg chewed the warm flesh and swallowed. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at his companions, ¡°That was for Bril.¡±


    Tauri stared in silent shock at the blood-stained goblin and for the first time in a very long time, she was reminded of who Stryg really was. She had forgotten after all these years of watching him walk through the academy halls, training with Loh, drinking merrily at taverns¡­ She had forgotten after talking to him under a tree on a stormy night in her family¡¯s gardens¡­ But now it was clear as daylight, Vulture Woods was a forest of monsters, and Stryg had always been one of them.

 Chapter 353: Bones & Relics

    Chapter 353: Bones & Relics


    Stryg stood over the corpse of the lamia. Agee¡¯s lifeless eyes stared up at him, her expression frozen in a mix of anger and surprise. Blood seeped from the gaping hole where her throat had once been.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± Plum yelled frantically at the display of savagery.


    Stryg calmly chewed the warm lamia flesh, blood dripping from his blue lips before he swallowed. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at his companions, ¡°That was for Bril.¡±


    ¡°Bril¡­? Who¡¯s Bril?!¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°She was my tribemate. We grew up together¡­¡±


    Tauri didn¡¯t hear the rest of his story. His words fell on deaf ears. She stared in numb shock at Stryg¡¯s blood-stained shirt and Agee¡¯s body lying next to him.


    Was this always Stryg? Was he always like this? Had she just forgotten who he was?


    Yes¡­ Tauri thought. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she began to grasp the full implications of that grim answer. This was the man who was the heir to Ebon Lord legacy, the next in a long line of powerful tyrants, who Tauri now realized would be no different than his predecessors.


    ¡°Ah, dammit, Stryg!¡± Plum yelled frustratedly. ¡°I know the lamias killed your friends, but there were better ways to handle that! At the very least we could have asked her more questions before you butchered her!¡±


    That¡¯s what she was angry about? Tauri frowned.


    Stryg glanced dispassionately at the dead lamia, ¡°I needed nothing more from her.¡±


    ¡°We could have asked her about the sword stuck in the dragon¡¯s bones at the very least!¡± Plum placed her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯re always like this! You always act with your emotions first!¡±


    Tauri frowned in confusion. Why wasn¡¯t Plum horrified about the sheer barbaric event she had just witnessed? Why wasn¡¯t she terrified of the youth standing in front of them, whose fae-like beauty belied his brutal nature?


    And then it hit Tauri like a bolt of lightning striking a tree. Plum knew who Stryg was, who he really was, a monster. He had even inadvertently caused her mother¡¯s death by shade devouring. Yet she was still here, by Stryg¡¯s side. Why?


    Ah¡­ Tauri narrowed her eyes in understanding. You¡¯re not as naive as you seem, Plum. You know how cruel this world can be, you know what Stryg is like, and yet you choose to believe in him anyway. You choose to believe in a better future.


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than I gave you credit for, Plumela,¡± Tauri muttered with a small smile.


    ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± Plum looked at her curiously.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°We got what we came for and more¡­¡± she glanced at the old battered sword lying on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more left for us here. We should go.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°This place reeks of blood and death. It may attract predators. It¡¯s best if we make camp somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°What about the dragon bones?¡± Plum asked worriedly.


    ¡°They¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re back in Hollow Shade we can commission a proper guard and party of archaeologists and mages to examine the giant skeleton,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°But who will benefit from the knowledge of these bones? Everyone? Or just the Ruling Families? Perhaps only House Katag?¡± Plum raised her eyebrow in suspicion.


    ¡°We can figure that out once we¡¯re back home,¡± Tauri said testily.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fine,¡± Plum crossed her arms. ¡°Besides, Stryg is the only one who knows how to get here. He can make the decision. I¡¯m ¡®sure¡¯ he¡¯ll take into account the well-being of the Great Houses.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Tauri said dryly.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± Stryg said, unmindful of the underlying meaning of their words. ¡°We''ll camp near the cave and at first light we¡¯ll travel to Vulture Woods¡¯ border.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Tauri nodded.


    Plum stared at Stryg in silence. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°And then we¡¯ll head back to Hollow Shade, right? Right, Stryg?


    ¡°¡­Once you¡¯re back in Dusk Valley it¡¯ll be easy to make your way towards Hollow Shade,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us, are you?¡± Plum guessed.


    ¡°I need to find out what happened to the survivors the lamia spoke of,¡± Stryg clenched his fists. ¡°I need to go back to the Blood Fang¡¯s village.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? You want to go back to the tribe that in your own words ¡®hated¡¯ you?¡± Plum asked ludicrously.


    Tauri furrowed her brow, ¡°Didn¡¯t your former tribe exile you?¡±


    ¡°Even still, I need to tell them I avenged our fallen. And¡­¡± Stryg bit his lip, ¡°I need to know¡­¡±


    ¡°Know who survived?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Or know if they¡¯ll finally accept you¡­?¡± Plum whispered.


    Stryg stared at the ground and shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°I see,¡± Plum sighed. She took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Stryg looked up at her in surprise, ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Save it, I¡¯ve already made up my mind. You¡¯re my friend, I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Plum said adamantly.


    ¡°Ugh, dammit!¡± Tauri groaned, ¡°Fine, fuck it, I¡¯m coming too.¡±


    ¡°Huh, seriously?¡± Plum asked, mildly surprised.


    ¡°What kind of teacher would I be if I let my former students go to a deadly Sylvan tribe all alone?¡±


    ¡°A bad one?¡± Stryg voiced his thoughts out loud.


    ¡°Just shut up, both of you,¡± Tauri clicked her tongue.


    Plum glanced at the battered blade on the ground, ¡°What are we gonna do about the relic of a sword?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to leave it in this cave,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°And how do you purpose to carry it out of here? With your hands?¡± Plum raised her eyebrow.


    Tauri grimaced and stared at her bloodied hands. Just holding the sword had given her two deep gashes, one in each palm. ¡°Stryg, why don¡¯t you carry it?¡±


    ¡°I already have a sword, thanks,¡± Stryg patted Nameless¡¯ hilt. ¡°I don¡¯t need a chipped dull blade.¡±


    ¡°The relic is not for you, idiot,¡± Tauri glared.


    ¡°And last I checked, Nameless is more of a dagger at this point than a sword,¡± Plum added.


    ¡°I have Nameless¡¯ shards carefully tucked away in my backpack,¡± Stryg said defensively. ¡°I¡¯ll have my sword reforged once we¡¯re back in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Good for you. I hope you and Nameless have a long and happy life together,¡± Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyways, for reasons I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the only one the relic sword hasn¡¯t cut, yet.¡±


    ¡°Probably because I have tougher skin than either of you,¡± Stryg smiled proudly.


    ¡°Which is why you¡¯re going to carry the sword for us. We came all the way here for you, the least you can do is carry a damn sword,¡± Tauri crossed her arms.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Stryg sighed. He walked over to the fallen sword and picked it up with ease, ¡°Happy now?¡±


    Tauri intently stared at the relic¡¯s white hilt, ¡°¡­The hilt really isn''t  cutting you?¡±


    Stryg ran his finger across the blade¡¯s dull edge to no effect, ¡°I don¡¯t think this sword can cut anything.¡±


    He casually swung the blade down on the lamia¡¯s corpse. The battered blade sliced through Agee¡¯s neck and the rock underneath like a searing knife on warm butter. Stryg jumped back a step and almost dropped the sword.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± Plum gasped. She cupped her hands over her mouth and looked away from the gruesome sight, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡±


    Stryg stared warily at the sword in his hand. Scarlet blood dripped down the dull grey blade and pooled around the base of the blade before it mysteriously seeped into its black crossguard.


    Tauri glanced in disgust at the decapitated head and back at the sword, ¡°Can¡¯t cut anything, huh?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg held the blade at arm¡¯s length, ¡°What the fuck is this?¡±


    ¡°A very sharp weapon. Careful where you swing that thing. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to accidentally lose a limb,¡± Tauri warned.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± he muttered slowly.


    ¡°Is there a sheath around here? Maybe?¡± Plum asked and looked around.


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± he said.


    The trio walked around the cavern room and scoured the ground for any signs of a sheath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any,¡± Tauri said after a few minutes of searching.


    ¡°Perfect¡­¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t sleep next to it,¡± Tauri grinned.

 Chapter 354: The Blood Fang Tribe

    Chapter 354: The Blood Fang Tribe


    Plum had lost track of how long they had been walking. The ashen trees of Vulture Woods had blurred around her like a surreal dream. The sunlight filtered through the scarlet canopy in random patches, highlighting strange bushes and other plants Plum had never seen or even read about in any of her botany books.


    Usually, she would be excited over a discovery, usually. But all she could think of was about their party¡¯s final destination.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Stryg glanced at the surrounding trees with recognition. ¡°We¡¯re finally in the Blood Fang¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly is your village like?¡± Plum asked for the hundredth time.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly made of log buildings and tents. There are tall wooden walls surrounding the entire village,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And each of those walls is surrounded by very sharp wooden spikes, yes, you told us that part already,¡± Plum said anxiously. ¡°What about the guards? Are they hostile? Because I feel like they would be pretty hostile.¡±


    ¡°Everything and everyone in Vulture Woods is hostile,¡± Stryg said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.


    ¡°So what¡¯s our plan of attack, if it comes to it that is,¡± Tauri hefted her flail.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to the village, hopefully,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait, I thought the whole point of walking these last few days was to visit your village?¡± Plum frowned.


    Stryg placed a finger to his lips, ¡°Shh, we¡¯re almost there.¡± He crouched behind a tree and silently beckoned for them to follow.


    Tauri and Plum glanced at one another and after a silent moment of regret, they reluctantly followed Stryg. The trio crawled on their hands and knees as Stryg led them through the vivid green brush.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Tauri grabbed Stryg¡¯s ankle. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not going any further until you tell us exactly what¡¯s going on!¡±


    Plum nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Okay, fine, just don¡¯t make a lot of noise,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting,¡± Tauri whispered.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°This particular area is free of any dangerous fauna. Every few days the hunters routinely kill anything that wanders too close to this place.¡±


    ¡°And why would they do that?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Food,¡± Stryg whispered. He made sure they were well hidden behind a tree, before pointing to a large patch of countless bushes in the distance. Dark purple, almost black, berries dotted the red-stemmed bushes.


    Plum peeked out from behind the tree and adjusted her glasses, ¡°¡­Are those¡­ elderberries?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°The tribe¡¯s gatherers visit the berry orchard frequently.¡±


    ¡°I never really pictured your tribe having a dedicated orchard for making wine,¡± Tauri smiled wryly.


    ¡°They don¡¯t make wine from the berries. We eat them,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri furrowed her brow. ¡°Elderberries are poisonous if eaten raw.¡±


    ¡°Maybe to orcs,¡± he grinned. ¡°We eat them just fine.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised,¡± Tauri sighed.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± Plum pointed.


    Stryg glanced in the direction of her finger and pulled Plum back behind the tree, ¡°Shh, they¡¯re coming!¡±


    A dozen goblins dressed in mottled green cloaks and hide clothing walked out from the ashen trees across the orchard. Their hair was black, save for a few who had dark brown or chestnut hair. Their skin was a vibrant green, different from the pale and dark greens of Hollow Shade¡¯s goblins.


    ¡°The gatherers¡­¡± Stryg said softly.


    The gatherers each had a woven basket strapped to their backs and a sharp dagger in their clawed fingers. Their cold yellow eyes glanced around the bushes, searching for any potential dangers.


    The Sylvan goblins moved with a silent uniform grace, each going towards a diffraction section of bushes. They slipped the baskets off their shoulders and quickly began to harvest the elderberries.


    A single woman stood apart from the others. She wore a scarlet wreath over her black hair, made from the leaves of the ashen trees. She walked with calm steps past each of the gatherers, inspecting their work with a close eye.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°Fourth Mother,¡± Stryg said solemnly.


    Tauri recalled what little information she knew about the Mothers of the Sylvan tribes. ¡°So she¡¯s in charge of the younglings? Then what is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°The Mothers are much more than that,¡± Stryg said. ¡°They are a tribe¡¯s priestesses, servants of Lunae. The Mothers are the most honorable of the tribal paths.¡±


    Plum nodded, ¡°The moon priestesses have many vital tasks in the village; from carrying out the tribe¡¯s rituals to delivering newborns and raising and teaching them the ways of the Sylvan.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    An expression of surprise crossed Stryg¡¯s face, ¡°You remembered¡­?¡±


    Plum shrugged awkwardly, ¡°Just because it''s been a few years doesn¡¯t mean I forgot everything you told me about your people.¡±


    Stryg lips curled into a small smile.


    ¡°So why is this Fourth Mother ¡ª is that what you really call her? What¡¯s her actual name?¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°Anyways, why is this Fourth Mother here?¡±


    ¡°Goblin women give up their birth names when they become Mothers as a sign of solidarity,¡± Stryg said. ¡°The Mothers place the needs of the tribe over their own. We simply call them by their ordinal number based on their line of seniority.¡±


    He carefully glanced past the ashen tree at Fourth Mother who was slowly walking closer towards them, ¡°Fortunately, Fourth is in charge of looking after the gatherers today. That¡¯s good. I was really hoping it wasn¡¯t Sixth or First.¡±


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t like Sixth or First?¡± Tauri said dryly.


    Stryg searched the ground for small rocks and put them in his pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t like Sixth and she¡¯s always hated me. But First is different, she is the leader of the Mothers, the matriarch of the Blood Fang. She expects only the best from all of us¡­ and I was nothing but the worst. Let¡¯s just say she was disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I still find it really hard to believe you were the worst,¡± Tauri said doubtfully. Since the first day she had met him, Stryg had succeeded in her class. He had outrun everyone else, even the sons of House Veres and Gale. How these people were blind to this strange youth¡¯s abilities, she had no idea.


    ¡°What about Fourth Mother? Is she as bad as the rest?¡± Plum asked worriedly.


    ¡°Fourth was the most ¡®playful¡¯ of the Mothers. Whenever any of us would get in trouble instead of beating us, Fourth would instead throw pebbles at our feet¡±


    ¡°That sounds so much better,¡± Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°Getting beat with rocks sounds so ¡®pleasant.¡¯¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°It was more a game really, if I could dodge the pebbles then I wouldn¡¯t get beaten.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s not too bad,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°The pebbles always hit me,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°Oh. Oh. Damn, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Plum winced.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Look, she¡¯s coming closer. Stay here and hide your faces,¡± Stryg whispered and crawled closer towards the orchard.


    Tauri and Plum wanted to protest but he had already moved.


    Stryg crawled his way to an elderberry bush and waited until Fourth was far enough from the gatherers. He grabbed one of the stones in his pocket and tossed it at Forth¡¯s feet. The small rock skipped on the ground and light hit her ankle. She jumped at the sudden flicker of pain and reflexively drew her dagger. She crouched low and glared at the elderberry bush.


    Fourth took a deep breath and prepared to shout a warning to the others when a second pebble skipped on the ground and hit her foot. She furrowed her brow in suspicion. A third pebble hit her shin.


    ¡°Which one of you idiots dares hit me!?¡± Fourth hissed angrily.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t shout, I come in peace. I just needed to get your attention,¡± Stryg whispered and walked out from behind the bush.


    Fourth stumbled back and fell on her bottom. She raised her trembling hand and pointed her dagger at him. ¡°W-Who are you!?¡± she whispered fearfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± he frowned, confused. ¡°Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Fourth muttered and looked him up and down. A tall, beautiful drow stood in front of her with a cloak of white petals wrapped around his shoulders. Except, he wasn¡¯t quite a drow. Though his ears were pointed, they were longer than a drow¡¯s, and they didn¡¯t point upwards, but instead were bent at a horizontal angle, like those of a goblin¡¯s.


    The stranger¡¯s skin was blue, like the goblin who had once gone by the name of Stryg. His pupils were black slits like other goblins, but his irises were a soft lilac and his hair was a pale grey, almost white.


    It couldn¡¯t be¡­ she thought.


    ¡°Stryg? Is that really you?¡± Fourth mumbled in bewilderment.


    ¡°Hello, Fourth Mother,¡± Stryg smiled weakly. ¡°I know I¡¯m not welcome in the tribe any longer but I just wanted to know if¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alive? You¡¯re really alive? How? And why are you so big?¡± Fourth muttered, perplexed.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know actually,¡± Stryg admitted.


    Fourth swallowed hard and shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I must take you to the others.¡±


    ¡°Others?¡±


    Fourth pushed herself to her feet, ¡°The Mothers. Especially First. She will know what to do about all of this.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you actually want me to go back into the village? Are you sure that¡¯s okay? Don¡¯t you even want to know where I¡¯ve been, Fourth?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s Third now and no, I dare not ask where you have been. It¡¯s not my place to speak any more of this. Come along, quickly, before others notice you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Third¡­?¡± Stryg choked. If she¡¯s Third now then that means¡­


    Second Mother had been with him in the cave when the lamias had attacked.


    Stryg nodded weakly, ¡°I see. Second Mother died¡­¡±


    ¡°What? No. Second is fine. Third died a few months back. She tried riding a wolf and was mauled to death instead. Her wounds got infected and she passed away a few days later.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot you¡¯ve missed. Point is, I¡¯m the new Third and we need to get you to the village now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to know where I¡¯ve been?¡± Stryg asked, confused.


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you angry with me? You should be furious!¡±


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s not my place to decide.¡±


    ¡°Third Mother, is everything okay?¡± a young woman called out from nearby.


    It took a moment for Stryg to recognize the pretty goblin, but her voice was unmistakable. How could he forget her unbearable laughter of triumph as she beat him helplessly in his Night Challenge.


    ¡°Gathi!?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Mother, get back!¡± Gathi jumped in front of Third and hissed angrily, ¡°Get away from her, monster!¡±


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Gathi, it¡¯s me, it¡¯s Str-¡±


    ¡°Outsider!¡± Gathi yelled. ¡°Help, we¡¯re under attack¡ª!¡±


    As if by some petty instinct Stryg flicked the last pebble in his hand straight at Gathi. The rock smacked her in the throat with a loud pop. Gathi coughed a terrible wheezing sound and clutched at her throat. Her eyes widened in panic and she dropped to her knees.


    Stryg watched with a small smile of delight as she fell to the ground, gasping for breath.


    Third glared at Stryg and opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped and stared at him warily. ¡°¡­We need to go before the other gatherers get here and start asking questions I don¡¯t have answers to.¡±


    ¡°And Gathi?¡±


    ¡°The gatherers will take care of her. Now let¡¯s move.¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°Okay, but the thing is¡­ I¡¯m not alone.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Third frowned.


    Stryg gestured to a nearby tree. Two hooded figures stepped out. One was even taller than Stryg and held a flail in hand. The other was shorter than both of them and hid behind the tallest one.


    ¡°You brought outsiders into our land?¡± Third lost her restraint and hissed.


    Stryg glanced between his companions and Third. ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡±

 Chapter 355: The Mothers

    Chapter 355: The Mothers


    There were no trees nor bushes in a ten-meter radius around the Blood Fang village. Countless beasts could climb the ashen trees. Many of them would have used the branches as a perch to leap over the walls if the trees were any closer. The walls themselves were made of tall logs that stretched over ten paces high. Wooden spikes decorated the base of the walls, discouraging any fauna from trying to clamber up.


    In the past, Stryg thought the walls intimidating, a warning to any who dare attack the Blood Fangs. But now, after living in the City of Shades, surrounded by the towering ebon walls, the village¡¯s defenses seemed¡­ small.


    Stryg and his companions stared at the village from the bushes at the edge of the clearing. There was only one gatehouse on this side of the village. A narrow parapet had been built on top of the gatehouse where three hunters stood watch.


    ¡°It will be hard getting inside unnoticed,¡± Third Mother muttered deep in thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Mother, surely they will concede to whatever you demand of them,¡± Stryg said.


    Third shook her head, ¡°My sway over them is not as strong as you think. I didn¡¯t raise those three hunters, they were already grown when I took my oaths to the Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°Even still, the word of a Mother is not to be trifled with¡ª¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t some random task. I am asking the hunters to risk the safety of our tribe. I am not First Mother, my voice does not carry the same commanding weight. If it was just you, I could probably get you across the walls without raising too much of a fuss. But with your two¡­ companions? The hunters will surely ask me why I¡¯m bringing them into our home.¡±


    ¡°Then we just force our way in,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg glanced at her in surprise. Her hood obscured her features, he couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking or being serious.


    ¡°Is your companion an idiot?¡± Third said incredulously.


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°I¡¯m not saying to kill them. Stryg, you said Sylvan goblins respect strength more than anything. If we show them we are strong they¡¯ll let us in, right?¡±


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you lay a single finger on one of our hunters, our whole tribe will not stop until your corpse is strung up for all to see,¡± Third hissed angrily.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Stryg nodded reluctantly, ¡°My people favor strength, but the tribe comes first, it always has. If you hurt one of the tribe, it is an attack on all of the tribe.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°The outsiders should wait here,¡± Third said.


    ¡°No!¡± Plum answered first. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m standing out here in bloodthirsty Sylvan territory by myself.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be alone,¡± Tauri said. ¡°But still, I agree with Plum. It¡¯s best if we don¡¯t split up.¡±


    ¡°How many people are inside the village right now?¡± Stryg spoke up.


    Third looked hesitant to answer, but after a moment her lips moved, ¡°Of the 207 souls, there are probably around half still here. The hunters, gatherers, anglers, and fellers have all already left for the day. They won¡¯t be back until dusk, which will be upon us soon.¡±


    Stryg nodded to himself in thought. ¡°Hm. So the cooks, carpenters, and others are probably on the other side of the village, near the bonfire, preparing for when they return?¡±


    ¡°Well, probably, I suppose. Why?¡± Third asked suspiciously.


    ¡°If most of the people are near the bonfire they will be far from the wall. If we stick close to the wall we''ll have a clear path towards the Moon Hall.¡±


    ¡°The Moon Hall?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s where the Mothers reside,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Even if that would work, we¡¯d still need to get inside the village,¡± Third said.


    ¡°Plum, are your illusion skills sharp?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said proudly.


    ¡°Make an illusion of a dire bear, I want it to emerge from a bush as far to the east of us as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Plum smiled, happy to finally be able to put her magical abilities to use.


    ¡°Tauri, cast whatever enhancement magic you need,¡± Stryg said. ¡°When the bear catches the attention of the hunters, we¡¯re going to run west and make a jump over the wall.¡±


    Tauri sized up the wall, ¡°That¡¯s a big jump but I can make it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your friends wield magic? They¡¯re shamans?¡± Third asked, surprised.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but grin, ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°Done!¡± Plum said. As if on cue, an enormous black bear strode out from the east, and roared angrily in defiance of the village.


    The hunters above the gatehouse shouted in alarm and pulled their bowstrings back and fired. But the bear moved unnaturally fast and weaved in and out of the bushes and trees, dodging each arrow.


    ¡°Now!¡± Stryg whispered. Plum jumped on his back without a word and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her focus still on controlling the bear in the distance.


    Stryg glanced at Third, ¡°If I may, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you¡ª?¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for a response. He scooped Third up into his arms and channeled orange mana through his veins. Blossom¡¯s white petals snuggled closely around Stryg as if it knew what he was about to do.


    Stryg dashed across the open field in a blur of blue and white, Tauri right behind him. They crossed the ten grassy meters in a single breath, behind the watchful gaze of the hunters. Third opened her mouth to scream in panic as they were about to crash into the wooden spikes, but then she was in the air, weightless, flying high above the wall. Stryg landed with a heavy thud on the other side of the wall. Tauri landed next to him far more gracefully, the grass below her feet barely shifting.


    Third opened her mouth, sputtering, and tried to form a coherent sentence. But Stryg pulled her closer to his chest and glanced at Tauri.


    ¡°This way,¡± he said and dashed off at breakneck speeds.


    The world blurred around them, log houses and tents fading into a panorama of browns and greens. Then suddenly it all stopped. In front of them stood the largest building in the village, built of ashen grey timber that stretched out in western and southern wings.


    Stryg knew there was a large set of decorated double doors at the front of the Moon Hall, but he had opted away from such an extravagant entrance. Instead, they had gone to the back of the Hall, where a small simple door sat. It was usually only used by menial tribal paths who dared not disturb the Mothers, but today Stryg found himself using it for quite the opposite.


    He gently placed Third onto the ground and held her shoulder as she gathered herself.


    ¡°That was pretty easy. I¡¯ve never infiltrated a village before.¡± Tauri glanced around the corner of the building, searching for any threats, ¡°The coast is clear.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Not for long.¡± Plum hopped off Stryg¡¯s back and dusted off her pants, ¡°My illusion is gone. I couldn¡¯t very well control it without sight. We probably have a few minutes at best before the guards realize what really happened.¡±


    ¡°We must move quickly then.¡± Third opened the back door and walked in.


    Stryg stood at the entrance and stared at the long hallway inside. It had been a long time since he was here. He had run across the village without thinking about what he had passed, solely focused on his target. But now that he was here, the weight of where he was finally began to settle in.


    Home.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Third looked back at him with an arched eyebrow.


    ¡°R-right,¡± Stryg swallowed hard and ducked his head under the doorway as he stepped inside.


    The realization that he was too tall for the door left him stunned. Fortunately, the hallway was amply wide and the ceiling was a few feet above him, though it did not soothe his mind.


    Plum and Tauri quickly followed him inside and closed the door behind them.


    ¡°This way,¡± Third whispered, and then she was off.


    Stryg kept his eyes on the wooden floors and followed Third Mother¡¯s feet in a numb daze, the planks creaking underneath his weight with every step. They turned several corners and were suddenly in front of another door. This one was made of dark wood. Dozens of symbols were etched into the doorframe, like springs of water flowing out, and at the center of each spring were small brown, grey, and red stones.


    ¡°Enchantments,¡± some small part of Stryg¡¯s mind noted. He hadn¡¯t realized it before, not once in all the times he had run through these halls as a child. He had always simply thought of them as decorations, a carpenter''s embellishment.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Third said and gently pushed the door open.


    A round room lay behind the door, a fire pit crackling at its center, with a hole in the ceiling above for the rising smoke. Four women sat around the fire, each wearing a scarlet wreath over their hair, the same as Third Mother, save for the one in the center whose wreath was mixed in with black leaves as well.


    Third stepped aside from the door and bowed her head, ¡°Sisters, we have a problem.¡±


    Stryg stood stiff at the doorway, unsure of what to say. Everything felt so uncertain suddenly. And so he mumbled the only words that fell into his thoughts, ¡°Hello, Mothers¡­¡±


    The four goblin women sitting around the fire seemed more shocked than he.


    Fifth Mother, or Fourth Mother now Stryg supposed, jumped to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at him. ¡°You brought a foul drow into our home! What is wrong with you, Third Sister!¡±


    ¡°Kill the drow, kill it now!¡± the youngest of the Mothers chipped in with a hateful tone. She was once Sixth, now Fifth, and despite not recognizing him, she was as spiteful as ever.


    Stryg wanted to retort, something witty or something just as poisonous, but nothing came to mind. For all the magic in the world, he felt alone, scared, a small child in trouble in the hall of the Mothers once more.


    Second Mother stood to her feet slowly and raised her hands as if to calm the others, ¡°Stay your dagger, Fifth. Surely, Third, must have had some reason to bring this outsider into our home. Surely, she would not have risked us all for nothing. Am I right, Third?¡±


    Stryg desperately hoped Second Mother had survived the lamia¡¯s cave. Seeing her alive had lifted a weight off his chest he hadn¡¯t known he had been carrying.


    It was Second and First who had raised him since birth. But Second did not recognize him. A new weight crashed over him, heavier than before. It felt suffocating.


    Was he so different now? He had fought so hard the last few years to be a goblin, to not be ashamed of who he was in front of the eyes of so many mages and nobles. And yet here, in his birthplace, he was just a stranger, an ¡®outsider.¡¯


    A hard lump formed in his throat. He chastised himself silently. How else did he think this could have possibly gone? Did he think they would have welcomed him with open arms? Hailed him as a hero? For slaying the lamias? Avenging their tribemates? 3 goddamned years too late?


    Stryg swallowed hard, turned to Second, and tried again, ¡°Hello, Mother. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou do not speak here!¡± Second snapped.


    ¡°Second Sister, please, I can explain!¡± Third said anxiously.


    ¡°I expect you will,¡± Second glared at her and Stryg, ¡°Or else I will¡ª¡±


    Second stopped in mid-sentence as the last of the Mothers slowly stood to her feet. She wore the scarlet and black wreath, the crown of the tribe¡¯s matriarch, First Mother. The others stepped out of her way and bowed their heads in deference.


    At 40 years of age, First Mother was the eldest of the Blood Fang Tribe, though the chieftain and Second Mother were close behind, not even they would dare speak over the matriarch.


    The whole room fell silent, every single breath held taut, waiting for First Mother to cast her judgment. But she said nothing. Her bright yellow eyes widened as she stared straight at the blue goblin, her gaze not shifting once. She inched towards him, her feet shuffling with each step, then she stumbled, and Stryg caught her by the shoulders. Still, her gaze did not falter.


    First Mother cupped her hand over his blue cheek and said softly, ¡°Stryg, what are you doing here?¡±


    He smiled weakly, ¡°Hello, Mother.¡±


    First pulled her hand back and slapped him hard across the cheek, her claws scratching his skin. ¡°You imbecile!¡± she yelled angrily. ¡°Why are you here, you stupid boy!?¡±


    Stryg stumbled back a step. His ears were ringing. He blinked hard and touched his face. Blood stained his fingertips. He hadn¡¯t expected the blow. He should have. None were fiercer and more protective of the tribe than First Mother.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg swallowed, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to place the tribe in any danger.¡±


    First clicked her tongue, ¡°You''re 20 years too late for that.¡±


    ¡°Get back, you bitch!¡± Tauri yelled and ran into the room from the hallway. She stepped in front of Stryg and growled, ¡°If you touch him again, I swear I will drop all of you!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, what she said!¡± Plum nodded and ran to stand by her friends.


    First Mother eyed the two hooded figures calmly, ¡°You brought two actual outsiders with you? What did you hope to achieve here, Stryg?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°I promise, I didn¡¯t come here to harm you nor the tribe.¡±


    First smirked, ¡°You think I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll hurt the tribe?¡±


    Second cleared her throat, finally coming to grips of the blue stranger¡¯s identity, and smiled sympathetically at Stryg, ¡°We are worried that the tribe will hurt you.¡±


    First snapped her fingers, ¡°Sisters, you know what to do.¡±


    The four other Mothers had been staring at Stryg with mixed emotions, but the moment First spoke, they all sprang into action. Fourth ran to the door and closed and locked it. Fifth and Third pushed back a nearby bed, revealing a hidden trapdoor underneath. Second opened a wardrobe and pulled out two large traveling packs.


    ¡°We had only ever planned for two, First,¡± Second said apologetically.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters now is that Stryg escape before the others learn of his presence,¡± First said solemnly.


    ¡°B-But I don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°You want to help me? Why? When I left the village you said you¡¯d kill me if I came back without fulfilling the quest. You even said you were going to eat me after I lost the Night Challenge!¡± he screamed in frustration.


    First stared at him as if observing a toddler throw a tantrum, ¡°I said many things. You¡¯d do well to remember them all.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg snarled.


    ¡°The Night Challenge, Stryg, remember,¡± Second Mother said gently. ¡°Try to remember what happened.¡±


    ¡°I lost¡­¡± Stryg muttered, ¡°I lost the Challenge. Everyone wanted to kill me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes and then what?¡± Second pushed.


    ¡°Then First Mother came. She said I was a shame to the tribe.¡±


    Tauri and Plum looked at him with sympathy, they hadn¡¯t known.


    Stryg ignored their looks and spoke quietly with clenched fists, ¡°First Mother was so angry. She grabbed a spear and said she was going to drag me here and carve me up.¡±


    ¡°Right. She was going to drag you here, away from the eyes of the rest of the tribe,¡± Second Mother spoke pointedly.


    Stryg stiffened, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°This was always the plan, Stryg,¡± Second smiled. ¡°In case you failed the Night Challenge, we needed a way to get you out of here. Pretending we had cooked you up into a stew was the easiest way to ¡®dispose¡¯ of the body.¡±


    First Mother kicked the trapdoor open, revealing a tunnel underneath. ¡°But of course, you had to come back here anyway like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°B-but,¡± Stryg felt his eyes burn with tears. ¡°I thought you hated me¡­? I thought you all hated me!¡±


    ¡°Many people in the tribe do hate you, Stryg,¡± Second said lamentingly.


    The spiteful scowl on Fifth¡¯s face indicated she was one of them, but she said nothing for fear of First and Second¡¯s retaliation.


    ¡°You are safe with the people in this room,¡± Second said reassuringly. ¡°But out there is a different story. Which is why you must leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Stryg breathed shakily. He didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Everything was happening too fast.


    First Mother sighed and walked over to him, ¡°Child, listen to me and listen close. I will hate you if you don¡¯t get down that tunnel right now. Understood?¡±


    ¡°I hear people coming!¡± Fourth said, her ear next to the door.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Plum asked worriedly.


    Tauri held her flail with a tight grip underneath her cloak.


    ¡°There is no time, go, now!¡± First shouted.


    Stryg glanced at the tunnel and then back at the door.

 Chapter 356: The Chieftain

    Chapter 356: The Chieftain


    The sounds of heavy knocking banged on the other side of the reinforced door. Stryg stared quietly at the shaking door as if it was his past come back to haunt him.


    ¡°Stryg, what are you doing!? Get in the tunnel now!¡± First Mother ordered.


    ¡°Stryg, she¡¯s right we should go,¡± Tauri whispered urgently.


    Plum noticed something off about her friend and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­I once ran from this village because I was afraid I¡¯d be killed and eaten by my tribemates,¡± he muttered. ¡°I then ran from a cave because I was afraid I¡¯d be killed and eaten by lamias.¡±


    ¡°¡­And now?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°I am not afraid.¡±


    Stryg turned to Third Mother, resolve burning in his lilac eyes, ¡°Do you have any weapons in here? Any spears?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Third blinked. ¡°Of course we do.¡± She ran to a cabinet and pulled out a spear and headed it to him.


    ¡°Stryg, if you think you¡¯re going to somehow fight off the guards outside then you¡¯re a greater fool than I thought! Get in the damn tunnel!¡± First Mother admonished.


    Stryg glanced at her, expressionless. ¡°No,¡± he said in a calm voice.


    ¡°First is right,¡± Second said worriedly. ¡°Just because you¡¯re taller doesn¡¯t mean you can fight a trained hunter, let alone a full guard of them. You have to go¡ª!¡±


    Stryg grabbed the spearhead and ripped it off the shaft with little effort. Second¡¯s voice caught in her throat as she stared in mute shock.


    Stryg held the spear like a makeshift sword. It extended a little farther out than the average longsword, but it would have to do.


    ¡°Plum, when I give the signal, open the door and get back,¡± he said.


    ¡°On it,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°So we¡¯re really doing this,¡± Tauri said, a hint of excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Try not to kill anyone,¡± he said and tossed the spearhead aside.


    ¡°Says the homicidal goblin!¡± Tauri laughed.


    Stryg glanced at Plum and nodded. She unlocked the door and dashed away, towards the Mothers. The door slammed open and seven guards rushed in. The guards shouted in anger, but Stryg didn¡¯t listen to the words. He fell into the Gale¡¯s Cascade Stance and stepped forward. His makeshift longsword flashed in dozens of quick small slashes, blocking each enemy spear and attacking back with two hits of his own. A faint breeze blew through the room as the guards cried out in pain and fell over with broken limbs.


    A small smile formed on Stryg¡¯s lips. The Cascade Stance¡¯s true power came from its ability to generate a powerful wind with every second his blade moved until it eventually became a deadly gale. He had taken down his foes before he had gotten the chance.


    He glanced at the wooden sword in his hand and noticed several small cracks in the blade.


    The wood can¡¯t handle the lifeforce technique for long.


    Once more he was reminded of Nameless hanging on his belt, its blade broken and ill-suited for Gale sword techniques.


    Tauri looked over the fallen goblins with numb surprise. She hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to move. The blue goblin had moved in a blur and had dispatched his opponents in a single breath.


    Tauri glanced at Stryg and bit her lip in mild consternation. There were no darkened veins or swirls of bronze on his skin. He hadn¡¯t used any enhancement spells.


    He¡¯s gotten faster¡­ Tauri thought.


    ¡°What are you doing!? What exactly is your plan!?¡± First Mother yelled angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m not running away.¡± He turned away from the Mothers and walked out.


    Tauri followed behind him silently.


    Plum tiptoed around the goblins groaning on the floor and muttered apologies of ¡®excuse me¡¯ and ¡®pardon me¡¯ before chasing after her companions.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Stryg walked past the halls he had run through as a child. The other children had always thought him strange and had ignored him. He had chased after them, pretending it was a game, but he knew deep down they simply weren¡¯t interested in playing with him.


    It seemed so long ago now. The pain and the shame of being different. Being alone in a tribe full of people.


    Stryg stepped out of the Moon Hall and into the village square. The ashen trees within the walls were tall and their red canopies bathed the village in scarlet light from the setting sun.


    Over forty goblins waited outside for him. A few were hunters, left behind to watch over the village, but the rest were goblins of other tribal paths; cooks, carpenters, gatherers, and others Stryg recognized. Yet all of them held spears and bows in their hands, a glint of grim resolve in their bright yellow eyes.


    Plum and Tauri walked out right behind Stryg and halted in their steps.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°What was that about not killing anyone?¡± Tauri whispered.


    Gathi stood at the front of the hostile crowd. Fresh white bandages were wrapped around her throat where Stryg had struck her. She pointed an accusing finger at him. ¡°Outsider,¡± she said with a raspy voice.


    The goblins didn¡¯t need to hear anymore. The archers pulled back their arrows and let loose. Stryg jumped in front of his friends and took the Mountain Stance. His sword moved in a circle around him, each stroke cutting down the arrows with focused precision, but with each swing several more cracks appeared over his wooden sword.


    The goblins didn¡¯t retreat. They rushed at Stryg, spreading out in a circle around him while the archers continued to fire. The small green warriors attacked with quick thrusts of their spears in coordinated efforts, each searching for holes in his defense.


    Stryg shifted his feet around and blocked the spears that came for him and Plum as Tauri struck out with her flail. The goblins ducked underneath the flail and dashed at her fearlessly. Tauri lashed out once more, but the goblins raised their spears in unison, blocking her flail together.


    Suddenly, dozens of the goblins threw their spears at them. Tauri swerved around the strikes with ease, her agility magic enhancing her reflexes to supernatural heights. Stryg smacked the spears away, but his sword shattered in mid-strike. He tossed the makeshift weapon aside and batted the spears away with his hands instead.


    Several arrows flew at Stryg with blinding speed. Blossom¡¯s white petals arched up and the cloak bristled around him. The arrowheads bounced off the cloak harmlessly and their shafts snapped in two.


    ¡°Well done!¡± came a familiar voice from above.


    Stryg glanced up. Five dozen goblins wrapped in mottled grey cloaks appeared on the Hall¡¯s rooftop, short spears in hand. The chieftain stood in the center, a steel spear in hand. The hunters had returned.


    The chieftain leaped down from the roof and landed with a silent step. He glanced at his people and smiled proudly, ¡°You¡¯ve done well, holding out. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    The goblin crowd smiled in relief and rejoiced at the return of their leader.


    ¡°You think a few more of you is going to make a difference!?¡± Tauri sneered. She raised her palm and summoned a fireball a meter wide.


    ¡°Shaman!¡± the crowd gasped, fear finally trickling into their voices. They scrambled backwards.


    ¡°Now put down your weapons before I burn your village down!¡± Tauri threatened.


    ¡°Tauri, what are you doing!?¡± Stryg whispered angrily.


    ¡°Ending this fight before it begins.¡± She turned to the villagers and raised the fireball above her head, ¡°Put down your weapons. I won¡¯t say it again!¡±


    The chieftain looked Tauri up and down with an unruffled gaze. Her cloak obscured her features, but it was clear she was no goblin. ¡°Why have you come here, outsider?¡±


    Tauri glanced at the chieftain and the silver hairpiece on his topknot, it was reminiscent of what the Valley chieftains wore. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the leader of this place?¡±


    ¡°The matriarch is the First Mother, as it is in every tribe.¡±


    ¡°Then who are you supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°I am Jahn, chieftain of the Blood Fang and protector of this tribe.¡±


    ¡°Well, Jahn, to tell you the truth I really rather not hurt any of you, but I will if you don¡¯t move out of our way and let us leave,¡± Tauri said in a dark voice.


    Jahn cocked his head to the side, ¡°Do you know who you threaten, outsider?¡±


    ¡°A Sylvan chieftain who doesn¡¯t know how hot fire can burn,¡± Tauri glared at him.


    ¡°You threaten the Blood Fang, those who came before me, and those who will come after.¡±


    Tauri narrowed her eyes, ¡°I take it you''re not going to move out of the way then?¡±


    Jahn planted his feet on the ground and pointed his spear towards her, ¡°The shamans of the Mother Moon are protected under sacred Sylvan law. But you are not Sylvan.¡± He raised his opened hand in a signal.


    The hunters on the roof suddenly threw dozens of short spears at Tauri. She dodged the surprise attacks but lost control of her flame spell. The fireball flew out to the side and exploded harmlessly on the ground, a few paces from the crowd, who flinched back in fear.


    She cursed under her breath and began to summon another fireball.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes as he spotted the thin ropes attached to the end of all the short spears. He stiffened in realization, ¡°Tauri, wait!¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Jahn commanded calmly.


    In a burst of speed, the hunters spread out and pulled tight on the ropes in their hands. The ropes attached to the fallen spears suddenly went taut and wrapped around Tauri with a crack like a whip. In the brink of an eye, her arms and legs were pulled in different directions and bound in place. Several ropes wrapped around her body, including her neck, preventing all movement.


    Tauri¡¯s hood fell back and her amber eyes widened as she tried to gasp for air.


    The goblins yelled in anger and surprise at the sight of her scarlet skin.


    ¡°An orc, I should have guessed,¡± Jahn glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t try to resist. My hunters can snap your neck with a single tug.¡±


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    Jahn finally glanced at him, ¡°And who might you be, drow¡­? Wait. No. You¡¯re not a drow.¡±


    ¡°I am Stryg, son of Blood Fang and if you don¡¯t let my friend go I will kill every hunter on that rooftop.¡±


    Jahn pulled his lips back in a snarl, ¡°Friend¡­?¡±

 Chapter 357: Nameless

    Chapter 357: Nameless


    Thin yet sturdy ropes coiled around Tauri¡¯s immobile body in a tight grip. Several ropes were wrapped around her throat, slowly choking her to death. She wanted to move, she wanted to scream and burn the ropes away, but the voice of the goblin chieftain gave her a fearful pause.


    ¡°An orc, I should have guessed,¡± Jahn glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t try to resist. My hunters will snap your neck with a single tug if you do.¡±


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Stryg said coldly.


    Jahn finally glanced at him, ¡°And who might you be, drow¡­? Wait. No. You¡¯re not a drow.¡±


    ¡°I am Stryg, son of Blood Fang and if you don¡¯t let my friend go I will kill everyone on that rooftop.¡±


    Jahn pulled his lips back in a snarl, ¡°Friend¡­?¡±


    A shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s back at the sight of the angered chief. How he had feared the chieftain¡¯s ire as a child. None save First Mother had ever been able to calm the chieftain when he fell into a rage. Many goblins had died for defying a Sylvan chieftain, far more had died for much less.


    But Stryg was no longer a child. He planted his feet on the ground and stared at the chieftain in his bright yellow eyes. ¡°Yes, she is my friend. As is the drow behind me.¡±


    At his words, Plum lowered her hood. The sunset reflected off her glasses, though it did little to hide the fear in her blue eyes.


    Jahn shook his head, ¡°After all these years we thought you dead, Stryg, you come back with an untrustworthy drow and our mortal enemy? And now you have the gall to call them your friends? What is wrong with you, boy!?¡±


    ¡°I am not a boy, not anymore,¡± Stryg said solemnly. ¡°Let my friend go.¡±


    Jahn bared his teeth, ¡°You never passed our rites to adulthood. You failed the Night Challenge. You are a boy, nothing more.¡±


    Stryg reached behind his back and grasped the hilt of the relic sword. As if knowing what he wanted, Blossom¡¯s petals shifted around his shoulder and out of the way of the sword. He drew the chipped blade without hesitation and pointed it at the chieftain.


    ¡°Let my friend go. I will not say it again.¡±


    ¡°Remember your place!¡± Jahn slammed his steel spear into the ground. ¡°Stand down, boy!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°Kill the orc bitch!¡± ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The voices of the crowd of goblins behind the chieftain echoed loudly, their bloodthirsty expressions plain to see.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. He had hoped to avoid using magic, he had wanted to prove himself to the tribe with his own martial skills like every other Sylvan in the tribe. But if they were going to try and kill Tauri and Plum then he would show them the full might of a prime mage.


    The bloodthirsty shouts of the goblin crowd grew louder and louder. Even the silent hunters standing on the Moon Hall¡¯s rooftop began to join the chant for death.


    ¡°Put the sword down, boy. You don¡¯t need to die with the outsiders,¡± Jahn said quietly. His irate expression softened for a moment and he looked more like a tired old man than the terrifying chieftain of the Blood Fang.


    Stryg kept his eyes on Jahn, but he spoke in a whisper to Plum beside him, ¡°When I give the signal I want you to take Tauri and run to the left.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh, I mean, okay, understood,¡± Plum nodded anxiously.


    ¡°Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill!¡± the goblins chanted.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± First Mother screamed from the doorway.


    The goblin crowd suddenly stiffened in terror and their voices fell utterly silent.


    First Mother looked over them with an angry expression, ¡°IMBECILES, THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU!¡±


    The other Mothers filed out from the Moon Hall and stood silently behind First.


    Jahn lowered his spear and smiled in relief, ¡°Mothers, you¡¯re alright!¡±


    First turned to Jahn with an icy expression. She stomped towards him and slapped him hard across the cheek, ¡°Of course, we¡¯re alright, you stupid idiot! I clearly can¡¯t say the same about you though! What the fuck were you thinking, hm!?¡±


    Blood trickled down Jahn¡¯s cheek and beard from where First¡¯s claws had torn his skin, but he said nothing and looked down guiltily.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    First nodded with a satisfied ¡®hmph¡¯ then glanced at the crowd, ¡°As for all of you. What are you doing, huh? Just standing there like a pack of wild dogs, too hungry to think straight for a single moment! Have you all forgotten!? It is not your place to pass judgment on outsiders! It is the chieftain¡¯s and mine!¡±


    First turned to the hunters on the roof. ¡°Loosen the ropes on the orc¡¯s neck before she suffocates to death! If she dies it will be a much slower death than this!¡±


    The hunters immediately loosened their grip, fear in their eyes. Tauri coughed and fell to the ground. She rubbed her neck and sucked in deep breaths of precious air.


    First glanced at Stryg and hissed quietly, ¡°We will talk about your incredibly stupid decision to bring an orc into our lands later.¡±


    Stryg withdrew his blade and nodded sheepishly.


    ¡°If the orc dies?¡± Jahn frowned. ¡°Mother, she must die. By sacred Sylvan law, an orc is not permitted to be left alive in Sylvan lands.¡±


    ¡°I know the laws, I¡¯m the one who taught them to you, little brother. You would do well to remember your place,¡± First snapped.


    Jahn sighed, but nodded nonetheless.


    ¡°The chieftain is right, Mother!¡± came a voice from the crowd.


    ¡°Who said that!? Step forward and say that to my face, you cowardly shit!¡± First roared.


    The goblins in the crowd looked at each other anxiously, but none stepped forward.


    ¡°Forgive us for the impertinence, but it''s true,¡± came another voice, a hunter on the rooftop. ¡°Orcs are our mortal enemies. Drows are prohibited from entering our forest. And Stryg is a Nameless. None of them should be allowed to live.¡±


    First ripped the steel spear out of Jahn¡¯s hand and hurled it at the outspoken hunter. The spear flew true and pierced the hunter between her breasts. She gasped a shallow painful moan and toppled over the roof¡¯s edge. Her body hit the ground with a wet crunch. The crowd stared in silent shock at the mangled corpse before slowly turning to First Mother.


    ¡°Anyone else wish to defy my sacred duties as the high priestess and matriarch of this tribe, hm?¡± First said with wide cold eyes. ¡°Anyone? No? Then I shall be the one to cast judgment on these three.¡±


    First crossed her arms and looked Stryg up and down, ¡°Three years ago you disappeared during your quest for redemption after your failure in the Night Challenge. However, Second Sister told us that the disgraced shaman, whose name is not worthy to be spoken of, had lied about the vision the Mother Moon gave him. Which means the quest was a lie to begin with.¡±


    First clicked her tongue, ¡°However, the fact that you disappeared after your tribemates were attacked by lamias and have only returned after 3 long years leads me to believe that you abandoned your tribemates and have therefore abandoned this tribe. Is that true?¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°¡­Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThen from this day on, as high priestess of Blood Fang, I name you Nameless, a child of none,¡± First declared.


    ¡°Do I get a chance to explain myself?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°You are Nameless, an outcast of the Sylvan tribes, you have no rights,¡± First said.


    Stryg clenched his jaw in frustration and stared at his feet. He had hoped his coming home would have been different, but he should have expected this. He was a fool to hope for anything more.


    Tauri and Plum stared at him with a mixture of pity and sympathy.


    Plum had always wondered why Stryg had called his sword Nameless. He had never given her an answer. But now it seemed painfully obvious. A warrior¡¯s sword was part of their identity, its name held great meaning to its wielder. Plum realized Stryg had never let go of his past, he had carried a reminder of it on his hip for the last year.


    Tauri saw it differently. She knew the sword had been gifted to him after the events of Widow¡¯s Crag, after his best friend had died and Stryg had been ostracized by most of the academy. She wondered if Stryg thought of himself as being alone in Hollow Shade. Worse, did he still think he was alone? Tribeless, without anyone to truly count on, a Nameless.


    Tauri bit her lip and glared at the goblin crowd who had so easily called for the death of one of their own. Orange mana poured into her veins.


    ¡°First Mother has passed her judgment, as is her right as our high priestess!¡± Jahn announced.


    The crowd nodded in agreement and cheered. Stryg looked away dejectedly.


    Jahn turned to Stryg and he suddenly smirked, ¡°¡­However, as chieftain, it is my right to decide whether a Nameless is allowed to join our tribe or not.¡±


    Stryg looked up in surprise, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what are you saying?¡± First raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Once in a while a Nameless comes by who is found worthy of rejoining the ranks of the Sylvan tribes if they prove themselves,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Fifth Mother herself was once a Nameless after her tribe was destroyed by the Mother Moon. Yet look at her now, a Mother of our tribe. I believe this one might also be worthy of a second chance.¡±


    First¡¯s lips curled into a small smile, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Nameless, do you wish to prove yourself to the people at the risk of losing your life?¡± Jahn asked in a stoic voice.


    Stryg straightened his back and nodded, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The crowd grumbled in dissatisfaction and anger.


    ¡°I have spoken!¡± Jahn raised his hands, ¡°Who shall be our tribe¡¯s champion? Who shall test the Nameless¡¯ mettle in deadly combat?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± shouted a familiar voice from above. The hunter pulled down her hood to reveal a youthful beauty with a vicious smirk.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in recognition. The greatest hunter of his generation, the woman every boy feared¡­


    She survived the cave, Stryg thought. He supposed it made sense. If anyone would have survived, it was her.


    The crowd cheered in agreement, happy with their champion.


    Jahn nodded, ¡°Let the Mother Moon witness the Nameless¡¯ trial from the dark skies above. Let our champion fight with the blessing of our goddess behind her! Let our champion defend our honor to her very last drop of blood. Srixa, daughter of Blood Fang, do you accept this sacred task?¡±


    Srixa smiled, ¡°I do.¡±

 Chapter 358: Trial Of The Nameless

    Chapter 358: Trial Of The Nameless


    The goblins of Blood Fang crowded around each other in a loose circle, each eager to watch the trial unfold. On one end of the circle blazed the communal bonfire, illuminating the dark night. On the other end stood Stryg and Srixa, staring at each other from across the circle of goblins.


    The firelight flickered off the bright yellow eyes of the countless goblins in the darkness. Quiet chants of blood and death echoed in the village square. A cold shiver ran down Plum¡¯s spine. It felt as if she was in a nightmare, surrounded by monsters who wanted to kill and eat her.


    Stryg took his eyes off his opponent and glanced behind him at his friends. He smiled reassuringly, ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be much more comforting if your chieftain would tell us what they plan to do with us,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t made a decision yet and they won¡¯t until my fight with Srixa is over.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Plum said with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Any chance not brutally murdering us is an option?¡±


    Stryg bit his lip, ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Tauri leaned towards them. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a Sylvan historian, but I¡¯m pretty certain they¡¯re literally singing for our deaths right now,¡± she whispered exasperatedly.


    ¡°Exactly. Why don¡¯t you use your magic and get us out here, Stryg?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°This fight is important to me,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away from it, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Plum whispered. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just use your magic in the fight? Then we run away. One fireball here, one light beam there, and BAM! We¡¯re out of this place.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use magic,¡± Stryg shook his head.


    ¡°What? Why!?¡± Plum frowned in disbelief.


    ¡°Because to him it¡¯s more than about winning,¡± Tauri said with quiet certainty. ¡°It¡¯s about proving yourself, isn¡¯t it? I could have used my magic countless times during my military training with my father, but it would have been meaningless. The whole point of that training was to show my family I was a warrior worthy of inheriting the martial mantle of House Katag. That¡¯s what this is all about, right? You want to prove to all of them that you are worthy of being a part of Blood Fang.¡±


    Stryg bowed his head. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but are you sure you can win without your magic?¡± Plum raised her eyebrow. ¡°The chieftain said you can¡¯t even use a weapon.¡±


    ¡°Weapons aren¡¯t allowed in sacred trials,¡± Stryg nodded. ¡°Or shoes for that matter.¡± He took off his boots and wiggled his clawed toes on the ground, the sensation of his toes on the ground and the air brushing on his skin felt nice.


    ¡°So no magical swords, greeeaaat,¡± Plum laughed anxiously. ¡°Have you ever been in a fight like this before?¡±


    ¡°Once¡­ I lost,¡± Stryg admitted. He thought it best if he didn¡¯t mention that it was to Gathi, a mere gatherer.


    Plum pursed her lips together and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Hm, not great, not great. Okay, well that was different, right? This time your opponent can¡¯t be that strong. I mean look at her, she¡¯s what? 4 and a half ft at most?¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Srixa is the greatest warrior in my generation. She¡¯ll probably be the leader of the hunters someday. She¡¯s never lost a challenge, except the one time a goblin cheated, and in the end, she still came out on top. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat she¡¯s definitely way more skilled than me.¡±


    Plum hung her head in defeat, ¡°Can we just run away now?¡±


    Tauri laughed, ¡°You really don¡¯t know how strong Stryg is, do you?¡±


    Plum furrowed her brow, ¡°Yeah, I know he won the mage tourney, but this isn¡¯t a fight with magic.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Tauri smiled. ¡°I guess it makes sense, you were never in combat training with him and he¡¯s only grown stronger since you left.¡±


    The chieftain stepped out from the crowd and raised his hand for silence. The goblins chanting died and they all stared at him intently, waiting.


    ¡°As we do not currently have a shaman in our tribe, it falls upon me to commence the sacred Trial of the Nameless,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Warriors, step forward!¡±


    Stryg pulled Blossom off his shoulders and handed the white petal cloak to Plum, ¡°Take care of this for me.¡±


    She nodded silently. He smiled and took one last glance at his friends, then walked to the center of the circle.


    Srixa practically skipped eagerly towards him. When their eyes met she licked her lips and bared her fangs.


    Jahn raised his spear and slowly pointed it at both of them, ¡°Victory and Defeat stand before you. Which shall you dare grasp under the watchful eye of the Mother Moon?¡±


    ¡°That which we deserve,¡± Stryg and Srixa said in unison.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Jahn nodded, ¡°Honor and Glory lie within reach. Be strong. Be quick. And above all, take what is yours.¡±


    The crowd cheered in unison and Jahn stepped back. The trial had begun.


    Stryg and Srixa slowly began circling each other, eyeing one another''s movement, searching for an opening.


    ¡°We all thought you were dead, except some of the Mothers,¡± Srixa said. ¡°But I never thought in my wildest dreams you would have dared come back here. Lucky me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too,¡± Stryg said without missing a beat.


    Srixa smiled, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of me? Good, it¡¯s always more fun when they think they have a chance.¡±


    Stryg remembered another goblin, one who thought he had a chance against the vicious Srixa. ¡°Ostroz, I haven¡¯t seen him yet. Is he?¡±


    ¡°Ostroz¡­?¡± Srixa cocked her head to the side. ¡°Oh! That cheating goblin, I almost forgot about him. He died in that damned cave like so many others. One of the lamias bit him. He died screaming and thrashing on the dirt as the venom melted his insides.¡±


    Stryg faltered. ¡°I see¡­¡± he mumbled.


    Srixa spotted the momentary loss of focus and jumped at him. He sidestepped her clawed strike with ease and took a few more steps back.


    She narrowed her eyes at his unnatural agility and looked him over once more, ¡°You¡¯ve changed. We always knew you were odd.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m different,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°Does that scare you? Did you think I¡¯d be easy prey?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°I remember your Night Challenge, you know. You were trembling like a leaf in the wind. You walked past your challengers, hoping to find the weakest of us. You took one look at me and you ran away with your tail between your legs.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I thought you terrifying, beautiful, powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°But you have,¡± she licked her lips. ¡°You¡¯re almost as tall as a dire. Tell me, are you as strong as one too?¡±


    Srixa didn¡¯t wait for his answer. She dashed at him, close to the ground, and swept in with a low kick. Stryg didn¡¯t dodge, he spread his legs apart, and dug his toes into the dirt. Her leg smacked against his shin with an audible crack. Srixa stifled a cry with clenched teeth and hopped back on one foot.


    Her hands moved in quick swipes, outstretched claws tearing at his shirt. Stryg felt the sting of her claws ripping into his toughened skin, but he forced himself to not flinch back. His hand shot out and grasped her throat. She gasped a short breath and clawed at his forearm and kicked at his waist.


    Stryg lifted her up and slammed her into the ground with a heavy thud. Srixa coughed and her eyes swam in a daze. She weakly wrapped her hands around his wrist and squeezed, her claws digging into his skin.


    Stryg yanked her up by the neck and slammed her back into the ground. She coughed painfully, the last of her breath leaving her, and lost her grip on his wrist. Stryg lifted her once more, she tried to resist but her body barely moved. He tightened his grip until her face went blue and her eyes rolled up as her body went limp.


    The excited chanting of the crowd had gone silent.


    Stryg glared at the stunned goblins and raised Srixa¡¯s unconscious body over his head with both arms.


    ¡°Is this what you all wanted to see!?¡± he screamed.


    They had wanted him to fail, he had seen it in their eyes. The longing for his death. How many times had he seen the same look before? They hated him, but even they would bow to power. Even they couldn¡¯t kill him if he were strong. Even they would have to accept him as one of the tribe.


    ¡°Kill,¡± someone whispered from the back.


    ¡°Kill,¡± another goblin nodded.


    ¡°Kill,¡± several more muttered.


    ¡°Kill!¡± voices shouted through the crowd.


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± the goblins chanted in a bloodthirsty fervor.


    Stryg frowned, Why?


    He had won. Why did they still want to kill him? Why did they hate him? He was strong. He was worthy, wasn¡¯t he? He deserved to be a part of the tribe. All he wanted from them, all he had ever wanted¡­ was their acceptance.


    ¡°Kill her!¡± the hunters screamed.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°She lost!¡±


    ¡°The weak don¡¯t deserve to live!¡±


    ¡°Kill her!¡±


    Stryg slowly looked up at Srixa¡¯s prone body, her head hanging back, blood dripping from her forehead. Purple and red bruises were already forming around her throat.


    They want to kill¡­ Srixa?


    But she was strong. She had always been strong. She had served and protected the tribe for years. And now they wanted to toss her aside? As if her life was meaningless?


    Stryg clenched his jaw. He gently lowered Srixa to the ground and hovered over her, like a mother wolf guarding her pup.


    ¡°Stryg, what are you doing?¡± Jahn called out in consternation.


    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t let them kill her,¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°The defeated of the Trial of the Nameless must die. That is the way of the Sylvan!¡± Jahn yelled. ¡°You won! Finish this and take your place as part of the tribe.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Plum and Tauri¡¯s worried faces. He smiled weakly at his friends, then turned to the chieftain. ¡°No,¡± he said with a solemn expression.


    ¡°You would go against tradition? Against sacred rites!¡± Jahn shouted angrily. ¡°I gave you a chance! A chance for redemption and this is how you repay it!?¡±


    Stryg smiled to himself, ¡°Yeah, yeah I guess so.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, boy!?¡± Jahn turned to First Mother, ¡°Say something!¡±


    First sighed deeply and shook her head, ¡°The boy is no longer a boy. He is old enough to make his own decisions.¡±


    ¡°This is insane,¡± Jahn laughed ludicrously. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand, Stryg!? If you are not one of us then you are nothing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Plum shouted and walked up behind Stryg. ¡°He is my friend.¡± She balled her fists and took a deep breath, ¡°He is my best friend.¡±


    Tauri nodded and joined them, ¡°Stryg is a pain in the ass, but he is one of the bravest warriors I know. I am proud to call him my friend.¡±


    Stryg looked up at them in surprise and broke into a grateful smile.


    ¡°Friends? With a drow and a damn orc!? You would rather stand by these ¡®friends¡¯ than your own tribe!?¡± Jahn screamed. ¡°This is your last chance, Stryg! Kill Srixa and end this defiant tantrum before you get yourselves all killed!¡±


    Stryg stood to his feet and smiled. There was no anger behind his eyes, no hatred, and no shame, just a calm certainty he hadn¡¯t felt before. ¡°I am the son of Blood Fang, but I am the father of Ebon Hollow, and I stand by my own tribe. You will not touch my friends so long as I draw breath.¡±


    ¡°Your own tribe? You dare name an orc and drow a part of a tribe?¡± Jahn snarled and pointed his steel spear at him, ¡°You¡¯ve been gone from Blood Fang for far too long. You have forgotten the Mothers¡¯ teachings, boy. It¡¯s time you remember where you belong. Hunters! With me!¡±


    A dozen hunters fell in by Jahn¡¯s side, each with their own steel spear. Their feet shifted and their weapons moved into a defensive formation.


    Stryg stiffened. It was different, they wielded spears instead of longswords, but he recognized the stance. One of the advanced blade forms, used only as a group. The Gale Style¡¯s Blade Wall.

 Chapter 359: Sylvan Shaman

    Chapter 359: Sylvan Shaman


    A dozen hunters fell in by Jahn¡¯s side, each with their own steel spear. Their feet shifted and their weapons moved into a defensive formation.


    Stryg stiffened. It was different, they wielded spears instead of longswords, but he recognized the stance. One of the advanced blade forms, used only as a group. The Gale Style¡¯s Blade Wall.


    ¡°If you cannot see reason, then we¡¯ll make you see it by the edge of a spear!¡± Jahn yelled.


    Stryg said nothing and simply stared at the hunters with a steady gaze.


    Tauri found herself wishing she had her flail with her, but the goblins had taken all their weapons but Stryg¡¯s. She glanced at the relic sword lying on the ground next to their remaining belongings and bit her lip in regret. She couldn¡¯t even pick up the sword if she wanted to.


    Plum swallowed hard, ¡°Um, maybe we should run? I can make some illusions to buy us time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a pretty good idea,¡± Tauri nodded anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t have my weapons and we definitely don¡¯t have enough mana to fight off an entire tribe.¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Plum and Tauri glanced at him nervously.


    He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, ¡°¡­No, I think I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    Plum recognized the small changes in his expression and smiled. ¡°Finally,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Kill the orc and drow but leave the boy alive!¡± Jahn raised his spear.


    The hunters shouted in reply and followed suit.


    Jahn bared his fangs and hissed, ¡°Atta¡ª!¡±


    The village square suddenly started to tremble. The ground crumbled apart like sand and the goblins began to sink into the dirt. They cried out in fear and flung their hands around for help to no avail.


    Plum and Tauri stared in mute shock as the entire village square broke apart save for a small patch of dirt that remained stable underneath their feet. Stryg stood over the crumbling dirt, but the earth shifted around his feet in a constant ripple, keeping him afloat. His shoulders heaved quietly and a bead of sweat slipped down his brow, but his breath was steady and his lilac eyes were calm.


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Tauri muttered in awe.


    The sheer level of green mana it would require to cast a stone spell of such a magnitude was more than even two or three masters could muster together.


    How vast are his mana reserves? Tauri thought in wonder.


    The hunters that remained atop the Moon Hall¡¯s roof silently pulled back their bows and fired. A red sphere flared to life around the outsiders. The arrowheads broke harmlessly against the magical wall.


    Wards?! Tauri glanced at Stryg. When did he¡­?


    Stryg glanced at the rooftop and flicked his hand. A gust of wind slammed against the hunters from the back and sent them toppling down in panicked screams.


    Plum flinched back in fear of the inevitable splatter of blood and breaking of bones, but a second gust caught the hunters at the last moment, slowing their fall. They slammed into the dirt with a hard thud and began to sink into the ground with the rest. The ground kept shifting in a myriad scene until every goblin in the village square was waist-deep in the earth.


    The crumbling soil settled once more but the goblins'' screams of fear and panic turned into screams of outrage as they began to try and claw themselves out from the ground. Only the Mothers did not try to escape. First Mother held a calm expression and had her arms crossed as if waiting for the whole debacle to end. The other Mothers glanced at one another and tried their best to imitate First¡¯s calm demeanor, albeit with a trace of anxiety.


    Jahn roared in frustration. He slammed his spear into the ground, gripped it with both hands, and pulled himself out of the dirt with sheer strength.


    Plum took a step back, ¡°Uh, how did he just do that?¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°Stay close.¡±


    Plum looked at him as if he was insane. ¡°Where else am I supposed to go? We¡¯re literally surrounded by hundreds of pissed off goblins!¡±


    Jahn heaved deep angry breaths and glared at Stryg. ¡°So you¡¯re a shaman, too? I should have guessed,¡± he laughed bitterly. ¡°Shamans are supposed to protect the tribe¡­ It is why the Mother Moon blesses them with power! Is this what you call protecting your people!?¡±


    Stryg leveled his gaze, ¡°The Mother Moon did not bless me with magic. This power, my magic, is mine, and mine alone.¡±


    Jahn growled and lunged at him. Stryg channeled yellow mana into his skin in the blink of an eye. Yellow scales formed over his body as he raised his arms to block. Jahn¡¯s spear suddenly blurred and disappeared. Stryg gasped with a grimace. A burning sensation lashed across his chest and the world spun around him.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Stryg flew back and crashed into the Moon Hall¡¯s wall, the wood splintering underneath the force of the blow. He fell to his knees and coughed painfully as he tried sucking in deep breaths of air. The scales of light on his chest crumbled to yellow dust and faded away.


    Stryg slowly looked up at Jahn and frowned. He had his suspicions of the chief, but he was certain of it now. The man was a grand spear master of the Gale Style, a powerful one at that, more skilled than even Clypeus¡¯ sister or Lysaila.


    ¡°Why?¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°If you were so strong, why did you ever let Crovor get away with abusing his power!? Why did you ever let us go to that damned cave!¡±


    Jahn clenched his jaw, ¡°¡­Sylvan shamans are protected under our sacred laws, boy. Even that sorry excuse of a shaman was safe under Sylvan law¡­ But you! You dare spit on the Mother Moon¡¯s blessing! You are no Sylvan!¡±


    The words cut deeper than Stryg thought possible. It was as if all the doubts he had ever had about his place among the Sylvan were suddenly given form, called out into existence in the dark recesses of his mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­¡± Stryg whispered shakily.


    Jahn glared at him, ¡°Am I¡ª?¡±


    Stryg dashed away abruptly, agility magic pouring into his veins. Jahn snarled and chased after him, life force flooding into his muscles. Stryg reached his pack and grasped the relic sword¡¯s steel-white hilt. With a single fluid motion, he drew the blade, spun around, and met Jahn¡¯s spear in a clash of steel. Sparks flew and the spear screeched in a high pitch as the jagged blade sliced through it with one clean swipe.


    Jahn stiffened to a halt, his spear cleaved in two, the relic blade¡¯s tip held at his throat.


    Stryg breathed heavily but his grip was steady. ¡°You may be a grand spear master, but without a spear, I can and will cut you down.¡±


    Jahn¡¯s angry expression softened and he smiled begrudgingly, ¡°¡­Do it then. Kill me and take your place as chieftain of the tribe.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°What?¡±


    Jahn looked him over and nodded in satisfaction, ¡°You¡¯re finally strong enough to protect our people. Many of the Blood Fang hate you, but they will learn to respect you¡­ in time. I have done my part.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°It is time you take your place among the tribe. It is your birthright.¡±


    ¡°No, this¡­ this isn¡¯t what I wanted!¡±


    ¡°You always dreamed of being chieftain, did you not? You always wanted to lead our people to glory, like the Sylvan heroes of old. Now is your chance.¡±


    ¡°No, not like this! I don¡¯t want to kill you!¡± his voice cracked.


    Jahn placed his hand over Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It is our way. A chieftain must die before a new one can take his place. If you truly wish to be Sylvan you will do what is needed.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s hand trembled and the blade shook. He bit his lip, ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you Sylvan or are you not?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± he screamed and threw the blade aside. ¡°I am Sylvan! And I will not kill you.¡±


    Jahn blinked numbly. ¡°This is not our way.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s mine. What of it?¡± Stryg glared at him.


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Jahn smiled softly, ¡°First Mother was right about you, the boy is no longer a boy¡­ Very well, you win.¡±


    ¡°Then you mean?¡±


    ¡°As chieftain, I swear under the light of the Mother Moon, you and your friends shall be safe in our village,¡± Jahn bowed his head in acquiescence. ¡°Welcome home, Stryg, son of Blood Fang.¡± He winked, ¡°I missed you, kid.¡±


    Something warm bloomed in Stryg¡¯s chest. A deep longing ache broke inside him. He hadn¡¯t realized how desperately he had wanted to hear those words.


    His bottom lip quivered and tears burned his eyes. Stryg bowed his head and his pale white hair fell across his face, hiding his quiet sobbing, though the tears still fell to the ground.


    Jahn noticed what was happening and sighed. He stepped between Stryg and the other goblins, keeping him from their view. ¡°If you are to earn their respect you mustn''t forget our ways. What did First Mother always say?¡±


    ¡°Goblins¡­ goblins don¡¯t cry,¡± he sniffed.


    ¡°Good, then clean yourself up before the others see you. You already cried during your Night Challenge, best not to make a habit of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    ¡°And get these goblins out of the ground, some of them still have to cook dinner, you know.¡±


    Stryg laughed softly, ¡°Right.¡±


    ~~~


    Grolm hunched over his desk, scribbling word after word of ink onto the 181st page of the night, or was it the 182nd? He had lost track. Work in Hollow Shade had become far more strained thanks to the ongoing war between the city and the Valley Tribes.


    Recent caravan travel had grown difficult due to the constant skirmishes. Which meant fewer caravans, which meant fewer traded commodities, which meant more demand and more money to be made. Which all basically boiled down to more work for a simple scribe like him.


    Just this week he had already filled out two ledgers regarding every single stocked goods and shipment, along with the payments of every man and woman who was hired to work on fourteen caravan wagons.


    Grolm groaned and leaned backwards, his back popping with welcomed relief. The work was exhausting, but he was more than happy to do it for his family. His son was studying at the prestigious civics academy. It was difficult to gain admission into the academy and it was a rare sight for any dwarf to attend, but it was a sight Grolm and his wife were very proud of and more than willing to pay for.


    His son wasn¡¯t the only impressive child in the family. Grolm¡¯s daughter had recently graduated from the magic academy and had become a full-fledged adept, or so she said. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what adept meant, but he knew it was an important accomplishment for any mageborn.


    Soon, she would start her work in the city. Grolm smiled, he could see it now, his daughter striding through the streets, black robes billowing in the wind behind her, orange fiery hair shining bright under the sun, head held high.


    A sudden knock at the door broke him from his daydream. Grolm got up from his seat with a heavy groan and went to get the door.


    He wondered to himself who would be visiting at this late hour and grabbed the fire poker for his own protection.


    He pushed the door open just a crack. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Kithina.¡±


    Grolm slowly looked up in mute surprise. His eyes widened to saucers and his jaw went slack. A towering cloaked figure loomed before him, but where there might have been legs, instead there was only a sapphire tail.


    Grolm stumbled backwards and pointed at her with a shaky finger, ¡°L-l-lami-i-i-aaaa!¡±


    Lysaila rolled her eyes at the terrified ramble and pushed the door open. She slithered inside the small home and glanced about, ¡°I heard this is where Kithina lives. Kitty, are you here?¡±

 Chapter 360: Lady Veres

    Chapter 360: Lady Veres


    The Veres manor stood as tall and imposing as ever. Even from the distant carriage, Callum could make out the enormous dark grey towers that circled the mansion. It was more of a castle than a mansion. Despite the manor being situated near the Central District, as far as one could be from the city walls, the Veres family had built the manor as a fortress, a testament to their martial prowess, or paranoia Callum guessed.


    As the carriage rolled up to the manor, Callum noticed a red-cloaked figure waiting at the gate. She was clad in silver-steel armor from head to toe, no doubt enchanted by the finest brown mage smiths in the city. Like most Gales, she was tall and carried herself in a mantle of solemnity and duty. Her hair was braided for efficiency and as dark as the ebon wall.


    The carriage door swung open and Callum hopped down with the grace of an exhausted cat who had been walking nonstop for over a week.


    The red-cloaked figure hid her smirk over her hand as she pretended to cough.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Lynette,¡± Callum sighed with an air of exhaustion.


    ¡°Welcome home, young master.¡± She looked him up and down questioningly, ¡°I hope the carriage ride was comfortable?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the carriage that brought me here from the city¡¯s gates? Yeah, the last stretch of a several hundred leagues journey on foot was definitely made ¡®comfortable¡¯ thanks to a half-an-hour carriage ride. Thanks for asking.¡±


    Lynette raised her eyebrow, ¡°I take it things did not go as planned?¡±


    Callum shrugged and stared at his feet. He hadn¡¯t been able to feel his toes for the last few hours. ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°The last few reports from Undergrowth have been inconsistent at best. The only thing we seem to know for certain is that Hollow Shade won the tourney, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± he mumbled and dragged his feet towards the manor.


    ¡°Congratulations, young master, House Gale could not be prouder,¡± Lynette smiled and fell in behind him with a silent gait, ¡°I¡¯d be grateful to know anything else that transpired during your journey. Like how our mages fared against the other teams or why you walked back home.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, there are people far more qualified than me giving reports as we speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d much rather hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but only after I take a long hot bath and have gotten a good night¡¯s sleep for the first time in gods only know how long.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m afraid a bath and rest will have to wait. Mistress Elise has asked you to join her for dinner.¡±


    ¡°My sister?¡±


    ¡°When she heard you had been spotted at the city gates she sent a carriage down for you immediately and ordered the cooks to prepare dinner for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice of her.¡±


    ¡°The cooks are making all your favorites, or so I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°You should have led with that.¡±


    ~~~


    Callum could smell the myriad of savory scents even before he opened the door. Elise waited for him inside, sitting at the head of a long table covered in countless steaming dishes.


    Though she did not stand when he entered the room, Elise smiled and raised her glass, ¡°The champions of the Great Cities Tourney have returned. I knew you could do it, little brother.¡±


    Callum¡¯s cheeks grew warm at the rare praise. He laughed weakly and bowed his head in a flustered thanks.


    ¡°Come, sit down. You must be exhausted. Eat, drink, relax.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡± Callum smiled and sat down at the other end of the table. He grabbed his fork and began scarfing down a plate of rare steak.


    Elise couldn¡¯t help but giggle at her little brother¡¯s eagerness. ¡°Slow down, no one is going to take your food from you.¡±


    Callum moaned in delight and spoke between bites of food, ¡°You have no idea how long it''s been since I¡¯ve had a well-prepared steak. The drows in Undergrowth always overcook their meat, it''s terrible.¡±


    ¡°If you like the food, then you have to try the bloodwine.¡±


    Callum sipped the bloodwine and gasped, ¡°You didn¡¯t! This is from Father¡¯s collection! How did you get it? Actually, don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Elise smirked, ¡°Smart lad. Besides, you deserve it. You and your team fought hard in the tourney.¡±


    ¡°I lost in my first round,¡± Callum winced.


    ¡°I heard it was a tie. It''s not your fault Lady Thorn ruled you the loser. The Thorns have hated our family ever since their fall from grace.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°It must have felt great though, right? Giving Kalliste Lilith the beating she deserved. House Lilith must have been outraged.¡±


    ¡°It did feel pretty good,¡± he grinned abashedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, little brother, I really am,¡± Elise said with genuine warmth.


    ¡°That means a lot coming from you,¡± he smiled. ¡°¡­You know, I have to say, after how I left things between us, I thought you¡¯d still be mad at me.¡±


    Elise leaned back in her chair and nodded reluctantly, ¡°I admit, I was angry when you left. You had chosen to ignore my counsel and gone off with your ¡®friends¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªElise, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¡ª¡±


    She raised her finger to silence him, ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. I was angry, because for a moment I had thought you valued your friends over us, your family. But I was wrong. The truth is you and I are the only true family we¡¯ve got, and friends can never get in between us.¡±


    Callum smiled and raised his glass in a toast, ¡°To you, sister, the only one in our family who has always been able to see the bigger picture.¡±


    Elise raised her glass, ¡°To us. May we learn to always put aside our differences, so that we may survive the dire times ahead.¡±


    Callum cocked his head to the side, ¡°Dire times?¡±


    Elise sipped her wine, ¡°Circumstances have changed, Cal.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Father is dead.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Callum felt his body grow cold. A shiver ran down his back. ¡°W-what did you say?¡±


    ¡°The scouting report came in just last night. I can only guess there are only a handful of individuals that know of the incident and even then we only know so little.¡±


    Callum jumped to his feet and slammed his hands on the table, ¡°What happened!?¡±


    Elise looked at him with a steady gaze and sipped her wine, ¡°There was some sort of attack on the Veres and Glaz armies. There were no survivors. Witnesses from afar said they saw green flashes in the sky and felt the earth tremble beneath them. But that was it. By the time our scouts arrived everyone was dead¡­ Thousands of corpses. Most indistinguishable and buried under scorched rubble.¡±


    Callum¡¯s knees went weak and he fell back on his chair, ¡°That¡¯s not possible. There¡¯s no way¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought so too, but the information is trustworthy. Before our father¡¯s army was¡­ defeated, he entrusted a letter to the small scouting regiment that had stayed behind. I read it.¡±


    Elise pulled out a small envelope with their father¡¯s seal and threw it on the table. ¡°It states that before Father left, they had spotted a dragon in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Your saying dragons did this?¡±


    ¡°There have been reports of dragon sightings in the last few months.¡±


    Callum recalled the red dragon he had encountered at the edge of Glimmer Grove. The dragon had attacked them without any provocation.


    Elise went on, ¡°It certainly wasn¡¯t the Valley Tribes, they don¡¯t have the power to defeat two of Hollow Shades¡¯ armies, along with Lady Ayda Glaz, one of the most powerful archmages in the realm.¡±


    Callum clenched his hands and tried to hold back his tears, ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡±


    ¡°It is. Soon the world will know that Hollow Shade has been weakened. We sent out three armies to put down a bunch of savages and now only the Goldelm army remains while those savages still run wild in the valley. How will that look to the other Great Cities? No doubt they will think we are easy prey, perfect for plundering.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know that for certain.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But I do know that Undergrowth has been building up their armies over the last few years and it is no secret that House Thorn hates Hollow Shade¡¯s Ruling Families. We cannot sit by and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°What do Feryd and Ava think we should do?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know. About any of this.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know?¡± he asked incredulously. ¡°How do our brother and sister not know our father is dead!?¡±


    Elise swirled the bloodwine in her glass and stared at her own reflection within, ¡°I managed to intercept our scouts¡¯ message before it reached either of them. As of right now, only you and I know the truth.¡±


    ¡°Why? How could you possibly think this was a good idea? Feryd will be furious! He is still the secondborn, he won¡¯t stand by such defiance!¡±


    Elise looked up at Callum and smiled eerily, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? Lord Veres IX, Eldrin of the Great House of Veres, our father¡­ is dead. Carmilla, his firstborn and heir apparent, died with him on that scorched field. Someone must ascend the Veres Throne, that is a fact. The moment our father died was the moment our siblings became our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­What have you done?¡± he whispered fearfully.


    ¡°Last night, after I received the scouting report, I invited Feryd and Ava to dinner. Feryd was a pompous ass, as usual. Ava seemed terribly bored, she would have rather practiced swordplay with the Gales than spend one more minute with Feryd. Who can blame her?¡±


    Elise stood to her feet and opened her arms wide, ¡°It happened right here, away from the watchful eyes of the Gales. Feryd and Ava had no reason to suspect I would dare make such a bold move, after all, Father would have killed me if he found out. But our siblings didn¡¯t know Father was already dead. By the time the Gales realized what had happened it was too late.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you didn¡¯t,¡± Callum shook his head, panic rising within him.


    Elise smiled reminiscently, ¡°You should have seen the way Feryd choked, gasping for air as he collapsed, blood dripping down his nostrils. It was¡­ satisfying. And Ava, oh sweet little Ava, she was the youngest of us, but like Feryd, she had an ego too large for her own well-being. She should have suspected something, Carmilla would have. Instead, like Feryd, Ava drank the bloodwine without any hint of wariness.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened with terror. He stared at the empty glass of bloodwine in his hand.


    Elise strolled to him with a warm smile and placed her delicate cold fingers on his cheek, ¡°Do you remember what you said? When you left for Undergrowth? You turned your back on me and said you didn¡¯t want to be anything like me.¡± She narrowed her eyes, ¡°Well look around, Cal, I am the only one left standing.¡±


    He swallowed hard, his face pale, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Elise leaned towards his ear, ¡°Do you remember what I told you?¡± She kissed him on the cheek, ¡°I told you I am the only one who has ever truly loved you. I am the only one who still loves you. Never forget that.¡±


    She slapped him hard across the cheek and then threw his glass on the ground. It shattered into countless slivers. As if the sharp sound broke a spell over him, Callum gasped and fell to his knees, hunched over, coughing and crying all at once.


    Elise shook her head in disappointment, ¡°Did you really think I would poison you? Me? The sister who practically raised you since you were a toddler? Do you not realize you are more of a son than a brother to me?¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­? Why did you do this?¡± he mumbled, pain in his scarlet eyes.


    ¡°To teach you an invaluable lesson. It is time you grew up, Cal. We live in a world where people will not hesitate to backstab you. I want you to remember this moment. I want you to remember that when I had the chance to end the last person who could potentially prevent me from ascending the Veres Throne, I chose not to, even when you turned your back on me. That is what it means to love someone. That is what loyalty means. Never forget, you and I are the only family we¡¯ve ever had. It will always be us against everyone outside this room, always.¡±


    Callum wiped his eyes and nodded weakly. ¡°¡­What now?¡±


    ¡°Now after 72 long years, someone else will sit on the Veres Throne. Starting today I am Lady Veres VII. You will be my right hand and together we will find a way to overcome the threats to our great city of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°What about the funerals?¡±


    ¡°Funerals?¡±


    Callum shakily stood to his feet and spoke with a broken voice, ¡°Our siblings are dead. Father is dead. Our whole family is dead! Does that mean nothing to you!?¡±


    Elise stared at him, her expression calm, unchanging. ¡°It means everything to me. It is why I am standing here as Lady of my House.¡±


    Callum stepped away, tears in his eyes, ¡°This is wrong. There is something with you.¡±


    ¡°Wrong? I am the only reason you¡¯re not dead, you fool! Do you think if Feryd had found out what had happened to Father and Carmilla, he would have let you walk into this city alive? You would already be dead in a ditch somewhere! I am the only reason you¡¯re still breathing!¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he whimpered.


    She sighed, ¡°I want you to be smart and to stay alive. House Gale will arrange for the funerals. You may go to them if you wish. I won¡¯t waste my time, there are more important things to take care of. Like protecting our family and this city.¡±


    ¡°...And how are we going to do that?¡±


    Elise smiled, ¡°Are you beginning to look at the bigger picture? Good. Well, for starters, I already imprisoned all of our father¡¯s wives. We don¡¯t want those women meddling in our affairs any longer.¡±


    ¡°You imprisoned your own mother?¡±


    ¡°You act as if she cared about me, when we both know the only thoughts she ever spared towards my existence was to see how she could use me to further her position with our father. My mother is under house arrest. But that¡¯s not what you really want to know. So go on. Ask me.¡±


    ¡°¡­What happened to Carmilla¡¯s mother?¡±


    Elise¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Regina N¨¦e Lilith. The woman who had your own human mother killed. Don¡¯t worry, I have Regina locked up in a cell deep under our mansion. You''re welcome.¡±


    Callum clenched his fists, ¡°What are you going to do with her?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± she shook her head and laughed. ¡°What are you going to do with her? Torture her, kill her, even farm her for her blood, I couldn¡¯t care less. She is your prisoner now.¡±


    He furrowed his brow, ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, little brother, Regina is my gift to you. Do with her what you will. In return, I only ask one thing of you.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything you know regarding the Ebon Aspirant, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He is your friend, is he not? That friendship has finally become invaluable, well done. Now, it is imperative I know everything there is to know about the Aspirant so that we may determine if he is our enemy or ally.¡±


    ¡°Stryg would never hurt me.¡± Callum suddenly remembered all the times Stryg had beaten him up in training. ¡°W-Well, kill me,¡± he amended.


    ¡°I should hope not, but this is more than just about you. The return of an Ebon Aspirant is dangerous, an Ebon Lord far more so.¡±


    He glared at her, ¡°If that¡¯s your way of telling me to betray my friend, I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Hm, are you saying you won¡¯t tell me anything about the Aspirant?¡±


    Callum took a shaky breath and straightened his back, ¡°I will not.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± she scoffed and smirked. ¡°I admire your loyalty, even though it''s misplaced.¡± She suddenly knocked her fist on the table twice.


    The door swung open and Lynette walked inside and bowed, ¡°My lady.¡±


    Elise raised her glass to her brother, ¡°Lynette will take you to your room, where you will stay until you change your mind about those friends of yours.¡±


    Callum frowned, ¡°You''re imprisoning me?¡±


    Elise smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send your maids to keep you company, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve missed them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, please,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Have a good night, Cal, I¡¯ll visit you when I find the time.¡±

 Chapter 361: A Quest Of Old

    Chapter 361: A Quest Of Old


    A sudden knock at the door broke Grolm from his daydream. He got up from his seat and ledger with a heavy groan and went to get the door.


    He wondered to himself who would be visiting at this late hour and grabbed the fire poker for his own protection.


    He pushed the door open just a crack. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Kithina.¡±


    Grolm slowly looked up in mute surprise. His eyes widened to saucers and his jaw went slack. A towering cloaked figure loomed before him, but where there might have been legs, instead there was only a sapphire serpentine tail.


    Grolm stumbled backwards and pointed at the stranger with a shaky finger, ¡°L-l-lami-i-i-aaaa!¡±


    Lysaila rolled her eyes at the terrified ramble and pushed the door open. She slithered inside the small home and glanced about, ¡°I heard this is where Kithina lives. Is Kitty here?¡±


    ¡°K-Kitty?¡± Grolm stiffened.


    What sort of trouble had his precious Kithina gotten herself into? Was the infamous deadly monster here to kill her? Or worse, eat her?


    Grolm¡¯s legs trembled but he gathered himself up and gripped his fire poker. ¡°W-What do you w-want with my daughter?¡±


    Lysaila glanced at the fire poker and slowly looked up at the dwarf¡¯s pale face. She could practically smell the fear on him. She could definitely hear the fear in his chest, his heart was beating so fast she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he dropped dead right then and there.


    ¡°You dwarves, always ready for a fight, hm?¡± Lysaila smirked and flicked the door closed behind her with her tail. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡±


    Grolm swallowed hard and whispered a prayer to the ebon gods.


    ¡°Are you praying?¡± Lysaila laughed. ¡°I thought you and your family weren¡¯t believers.¡±


    Gidget opened her bedroom and poked her head into the hallway, ¡°Honey, is someone here¡ª? G-Grolm, what are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Darling, stay back!¡± Grolm said and jumped between the bedroom and the lamia.


    Lysaila didn¡¯t move and simply watched him quiver with amusement.


    Gidget frowned, walked out of her bedroom, and slapped her husband across the back, ¡°Put that down before you hurt yourself!¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Grolm jumped. ¡°What are you doing!? Get back inside! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to protect this family!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re putting our family in danger is what you¡¯re doing!¡± Gidget snapped at him. She turned to the lamia and smiled warmly, ¡°Hello, dear, you must be Lysaila, Kitty has told me so much about you.¡±


    Lysaila blinked, ¡°She has?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but her stories don¡¯t do you justice, clearly. It is our honor to have you in our house,¡± Gidget bowed her head.


    ¡°Wait, you know her?¡± Grolm asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s Kitty¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Grolm dropped the fire poker unceremoniously and laughed, ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡±


    Lysaila furrowed her brow, ¡°I did¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, why don¡¯t you go to bed, honey? I¡¯ll make some tea and get Kitty,¡± Gidget said.


    Grolm stretched his arms out and yawned, ¡°Sounds good to me. Miss Lysaila, it was a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Lysaila said dryly.


    A few minutes later Lysaila could hear the water in the kettle boiling from the kitchen. After several attempts, Gidget had finally woken up sleepy Kithina. The young dwarf mage sat on the couch across from Lysaila in the small living room.


    Kithina¡¯s mass of red hair was strewn across her face like a bramble bush. She rubbed her eyes constantly and groaned softly.


    Lysaila glanced about the room with a thoughtful gaze, ¡°So this is where you live¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mm, for now,¡± Kithina yawned. ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Earlier this afternoon. It took me a few hours to find this place, your instructions weren¡¯t very clear. Turns out drunks give terrible directions.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sober now.¡± Kithina clapped her cheeks and shook her head, ¡°And I¡¯m awake now too.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, we can finally have a proper conversation.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is interesting,¡± Kithina smiled.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°You. Being here. You¡¯ve never wanted to come before, I can only guess you have a good reason now.¡±


    ¡°I do. But I¡¯m guessing you have a lot of questions before that.¡±


    Kithina crossed her arms, ¡°Obviously.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°...You get three questions.¡±


    ¡°Is it true? What they said about an Ebon Aspirant appearing in the tourney?¡±


    ¡°My, you people are behind,¡± Lysaila rolled her serpentine eyes. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Well, who is it? Do I know them¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Stryg.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? WHAT!?¡± Kithina jumped to her feet.


    ¡°And that¡¯s four questions.¡±


    ¡°W-wha? No! That¡¯s not fair and you know it! You can¡¯t just tell me something like Stryg is a goddamn Ebon Aspirant and then tell me nothing more!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lysaila sighed. ¡°Stryg is a prime mage, a master at that. He revealed his abilities during the 2nd Challenge of Pillar & Sea. Everyone had that same stupid expression you have on now. As for Stryg he¡¯s become quite renowned in Undergrowth, especially after he won the tourney.¡±


    ¡°He won the tourney?¡± Kithina fell back on the chair. ¡°Like personally? I mean, I knew he was strong but¡­ an Aspirant? And he never told us?¡±


    ¡°That boy seems to have more secrets than he lets on.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone will be talking about it soon enough, but after the tourney, Lady Thorn attacked us, she attacked all the foreign teams and diplomats. Undergrowth has turned its back on the other Great Cities and is preparing for war.¡±


    Kithina paled, ¡°Oh my gods¡­ Is Ca¡ª ¡­I-Is everyone okay?¡±


    Lysaila shrugged, ¡°We don¡¯t know where the Noir and Glaz mages are, and Stryg left for Vulture Woods with the Katag one and some other girl called Plum.¡±


    ¡°Plum? Wait, you saw Plumela!?¡±


    ¡°You know her? Actually, I don¡¯t care. The point is the others are fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough! What exactly happened in Undergrowth!?¡±


    ¡°Not enough? I thought you said I should come here if I ever needed your help, not for you to interrogate me,¡± Lysaila glared at her.


    ¡°Right, sorry. You can tell me later I guess¡­¡± Kithina said sheepishly.


    ¡°The tea is ready!¡± Gidget called out from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m gonna head to bed. Have a good night you two.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, mom,¡± Kithina answered with a small smile. She turned to Lysaila and nodded, ¡°So, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°...I met someone. I think she was a Mortem mage or someone like them.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°This woman, she has the ability to control my movements. It was like what happened with Stryg, but worse. I was helpless against her,¡± Lysaila admitted with frustration.


    ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± Kitty said sympathetically.


    ¡°It was¡­¡± Lysaila balled her fists, ¡°But the good thing is we made a deal, her and I.¡±


    ¡°What kind of deal?¡±


    ¡°If I help her with something, she promised to break the Prime Edict within my body. I¡¯ll be free at last from the Mortem Order¡¯s curse.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great, but can you trust her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice. I have no other leads, this is the closest one of my tribe has ever gotten this close to breaking the Prime Edict.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so how can I help?¡±


    ¡°This woman wants me to destroy a chrome gate in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Chrome gate? Like the ones that let you travel through the Null Realms? But I thought they were all destroyed after the Schism by the feuding Houses?¡±


    ¡°One survived. It''s how I came to this realm.¡±


    ¡°So you know where it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who''s not by Marek¡¯s side that does,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°But even if you do, can¡¯t only the Ebon Lords operate the gates? Why would this woman want you to destroy it?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Because there are others who can open the chrome gate. A pair of twins, archmages. They serve the warlord Marek.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that explains a lot¡­ So this woman wants you to destroy the gate to prevent the warlord from escaping?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid it''s much worse than that.¡± Lysaila bit her lip, ¡°I haven¡¯t told you or anyone else for that matter. But when I was traveling with the warlord we came upon this cave in the Rupture Mountains. Deep in the earth, we found something, these otherworldly silver eggs. We hatched them¡­¡±


    Kithina narrowed her eyes, ¡°And what exactly was inside?¡±


    Lysaila swallowed and she smiled shakily, ¡°Monsters. Monsters from the Age of Titans, immune to any magic we threw at them and with skin harder than steel and claws sharper than any magical weapon I¡¯ve ever seen. They are called Unildyr, I think.¡±


    ¡°¡­They can¡¯t be that bad right?¡± Kithina grimaced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. These things are literal dragon killers. I¡¯ve seen what happened when mages tried to fight them. They could do nothing against these monsters, nothing. Those mages died, their souls were devoured, and the Unildyr were mere hatchlings! They¡¯ve only grown since, I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how large they are now. Marek plans on using them to destroy the shade wall.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to mention any of this earlier?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t care what happened to the people of this land,¡± Lysaila admitted.


    ¡°We have to warn the city lords,¡± Kithina stood up anxiously.


    ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t believe us anyway. Even if they somehow did, there is no way they would follow a lamia anywhere, especially into the unknown wilderness. Besides, this woman, Holo, she calls herself, she said that she¡¯ll make sure the city is properly warned.¡±


    ¡°So what are we supposed to do?¡±


    Lysaila bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you, Kitty. Holo believes the enemy in the future may plan to transport some of the Unildyr to other realms. If that''s true, and the Unildyr cross over¡­ If they reproduce and spread¡­ all life could be destroyed. No matter what happens, we cannot allow the Unildyr to cross to another realm. The Ebon Realm may already be lost. If it is, then the least we can do is save the other realms.¡±


    ¡°If this Holo is so worried about what might happen, then why doesn¡¯t she just destroy the chrome gate?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know where it is. And even if she did, she and her people are too busy preventing an even greater threat to this realm, whatever that means¡­ Either way, this is my problem to fix.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re doing this to protect people you don¡¯t even know? I thought you hated everyone?¡±


    Lysaila glanced out the window worriedly, ¡°My old tribe, they are still in the Amber Realm. If I can keep them safe from the monsters I helped unleash, then I will, no matter the cost.¡±


    ¡°¡­How far is this chrome gate?¡±


    ¡°Far. Past the Northern Lands, on a frozen island in the Hoarfrost Bay.¡±


    ¡°And you want me to come with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have asked Rhiannon, but she¡¯s in charge of keeping Feli safe.¡± Lysaila shrugged stiffly, ¡°You¡¯re the only other friend I¡¯ve got¡­¡±


    Kithina sighed and looked up at the ceiling, ¡°A long journey through frozen lands filled with countless creatures that want to kill you. A path so dangerous that no one in their right mind would wish to travel if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the literal fate of all the Null Realms might be at stake.¡± She smiled, ¡°Sounds like one of the quests of old where the heroes went off to save the world. I¡¯m lucky my mage duties don¡¯t start until autumn.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­?¡±


    Kithina grinned, ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab the tea.¡±


    A sudden knock rang on the door.


    Kithina frowned, ¡°Did you invite anyone else?¡±


    Lysaila narrowed her eyes as she stared at the door. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

 Chapter 362: A Stranger At The Door

    Chapter 362: A Stranger At The Door


    Callum paced around his bedroom, muttering under his breath. It had been several hours since his dinner with Elise, the sun had already set, and he was still no closer to finding a way to warn Stryg and his friends about his sister.


    Callum laughed bitterly. As if I could warn my friends? I can¡¯t even leave this damn room.


    He had tried, several times actually. But the enchantments on the room had been changed, probably thanks to Elise¡¯s expertise in brown magic. The same enchantments that had been used to keep intruders out had been reversed to keep him inside the room, a prisoner in his own home.


    Elise had also made sure that the guards had confiscated his sword and any potions he still had on him before locking him in the room.


    Even worse, his cabinet of potions and alchemical ingredients had been emptied. Not even a single vial was left. His sister had expected him to not betray his friends and had planned accordingly.


    He hated to admit it, but his sister knew him well.


    Callum glanced at the windows. They were reinforced to withstand the spells, magical arrows, and blunt force. If he was a master mage like Stryg he might have been able to cast a concentrated light beam to melt a hole through the glass¡­ If. If was a big word. And one he couldn¡¯t make possible.


    Callum sat on his bed and hung his head in defeat.


    I¡¯ve got nothing. Father and Carmilla are dead, probably killed by dragons. Feryd and Ava are dead, killed by my sister.


    The thought of his father laying dead somewhere amidst the hills beyond the city walls felt like a dagger slowly sinking into his chest. It didn¡¯t feel real. It felt like a dream. A terrible dream. A nightmare. One he couldn¡¯t seem to wake up from.


    Maybe I should just give up¡­


    He gripped the blanket underneath him and shook his head.


    No. I just need more time to think.


    He sighed.


    Maybe some sleep first. I¡¯m exhausted.


    He fell back on his bed and closed his eyes.


    I can¡¯t remember the last time I had a good night¡¯s rest.


    A quiet knock rang on his door.


    Callum cracked an eye open. He had forgotten. His sister promised to send his maids up to his room to keep him company.


    Or to spy on me.


    Either way, he had to admit, he had missed his maids. The constant fresh supply of blood was always nice. And having someone, or several someones for that matter, to warm your bed was also very nice.


    Ah, the perks of being the son of a Great House. Beautiful women and being imprisoned by your sister.


    He supposed it could be worse. He could be in a cold cramped cell in the city¡¯s prison, waiting for the inevitable day when they would sacrifice him to the shades of the wall.


    A second knock rang on his door, this time slightly louder.


    He really did miss his maids.


    Callum groaned and forced himself to get up. He dragged his feet across the polished wooden floors and reluctantly opened the door.


    Gian stood in the doorway, a dark cowl drawn over his bearded face. His scarlet eyes glowed softly in the darkness and his expression was hardened.


    Callum frowned, ¡°Uncle Gian? What are you doing here¡ª Ow!¡±


    Gian shoved him back into the room without a word.


    ¡°Hey, what was that for!?¡±


    The elder vampire ignored Callum¡¯s words and glanced around the room. ¡°It¡¯s clear.¡± He stepped inside and closed the door behind them.


    Callum took a step back, fear creeping into his expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Had his sister sent the Sword Paragon to finish the job? Had she decided to simply end his life here and now?


    Gian¡¯s hands suddenly snapped out and grabbed Callum by his arms. He lifted the boy with ease and shook him like a doll. ¡°Did you tell her about him!?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about!¡± Callum squealed in terror.


    ¡°Did you tell your sister about Stryg?¡± Gian hissed. ¡°Does she know who he really is!?¡±


    ¡°W-what? N-no. I didn¡¯t tell her anything.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Gian sighed with relief and dropped him to the ground. ¡°Very good, well done, lad.¡±


    Callum¡¯s knees wobbled and it took every ounce of strength he had to keep himself from collapsing. After a few shaky breaths the icy fear in his chest melted away. He slowly looked up at the elder vampire, with a confused expression. ¡°So you¡¯re not here to kill me?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not. I¡¯m here to break you out.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank Bellum,¡± Callum wheezed in relief. ¡°Wait, why did you ask me about Stryg?¡±


    ¡°You know why.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you saying you¡­ You know who Stryg is? Or at least, what I think he is?¡±


    ¡°Mm. The Blue Rose was my half sister. Once I met Stryg it was obvious. Their resemblance was uncanny. Stryga¡¯s skin and eyes were darker, but she and Stryg have the same exact nose.¡±


    ¡°So Stryg really is a¡­ He really is a Veres, then?¡±


    Gian nodded, ¡°I believe so, yes.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then that would make Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°It would make Stryg my sister¡¯s heir and the last known living descendent of the main branch of House Veres. He would have the greatest claim to the Veres Throne.¡±


    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± Callum smiled wryly. ¡°Does anyone else know?¡±


    ¡°No one outside this room. Which is why I¡¯m here to help. I appreciate your discretion regarding Stryg, but sooner or later your sister will grow impatient and she will send a purple mage to come and extract the secrets from your mind. We need to get you out of the city.¡±


    ¡°And how are we going to do that? I don¡¯t mean to insult your skills uncle, but there are countless guards patrolling the manor, including several other Gales. Surely some of them will notice my escape and sound the alarm.¡±


    Gian smiled, amused, ¡°Trust me, I can take care of the guards unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d kill other Gales? Your own family?¡±


    ¡°No, they should not be punished for their loyalty to your House. My family members will simply wake up in the morning with the worst headache of their lives.¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes lit with hope, but he quickly grimaced, ¡°But if you do that won¡¯t Elise suspect it was you who helped me? I mean, who else is powerful enough to quietly defeat several Gales without killing them?¡±


    ¡°Let me be the one to worry about that. Besides, as far as your sister is aware I¡¯m still in the Trade District procuring the funeral provisions. I insisted I oversee the funeral arrangements myself.¡±


    Callum smiled sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I underestimated you, uncle.¡±


    Gian sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as it sounds, Cal. The real problems begin once I get you out of the manor. You won¡¯t be safe out there.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? No one can touch me if you¡¯re by my side,¡± Callum boasted proudly.


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s not that simple. I can¡¯t go with you¡­ I spoke with my niece, Gale VIII. She told me of the dangers you all experienced in Undergrowth. Coupled with the losses of our armies and both our Houses leaders, I need to stay here to ensure our Houses are safe.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But what about my sister?! She killed my siblings!¡±


    ¡°She is still a Veres and the leader of your House. This is not the first time Veres have killed each other¡­ and it will probably not be the last. It is the duty of the Gales to protect the Veres, not to kill them.¡±


    ¡°She killed Ava¡­¡± Callum mumbled helplessly. ¡°Ava may not have liked me, but she was a good person. My little sister was innocent. She didn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±


    The elder vampire placed a comforting hand over his shoulder, ¡°I am sorry, Cal. I failed to keep your siblings safe from Elise, I will have to live with that for the rest of my life. But that does not change my oaths or our circumstances. I cannot betray the head of the Veres family, I cannot move against Elise¡­ not until Stryg returns¡­¡±


    Callum¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You mean¡­?!¡±


    ¡°That is for another time, perhaps. For now, focus on the present. After you¡¯re out of the manor head towards the Commoner District. There you must find a tavern and do your best to stay unnoticed. Once Elise learns you¡¯ve escaped she¡¯ll send her men to search the Bourge and Night Districts¡¯ taverns first, so you¡¯ll have a bit of time to find a discreet tavern.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ll eventually find me, right? Why don¡¯t I just stay in one of my family¡¯s safehouses instead?¡±


    Gian shook his head, ¡°House Gale is dedicated to protecting your family. Several of our members know the locations of each hideout. They will not hesitate to inform your sister of their whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°The Gales would betray me?¡± he muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°First and foremost House Gale is loyal to the Veres Throne. They are loyal to your sister. And as far as they are aware, they¡¯re only trying to keep you safe by bringing you back here.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Callum said glumly.


    ¡°Now is not the time to get caught up in your emotions. Listen to me, shades will be swarming the outer wall until daybreak. But once the sun rises you need to make your way outside the city gates and get as far from Dusk Valley and the coming war as possible. Perhaps Frost Rim. Vampires are treated well in the Northern Lands. You¡¯ve been there before so you¡¯ll do fine. Once this is all over, I¡¯ll send for you.¡±


    He nodded reluctantly, ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    Gian took off his cloak and threw it over Callum¡¯s shoulders, ¡°You¡¯ll have to keep a low profile. There aren¡¯t many vampire commoners in Hollow Shade. You¡¯ll stand out in the taverns. Unfortunately, there¡¯s not much we can do about that.¡±


    ¡°What if there is?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I may know someone who lives in the Commoner District who could hide me until daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Can you trust this person?¡± Gian raised an eyebrow.


    Callum winced, ¡°Kitty may still be angry at me, but yeah. I trust her with my life.¡±


    ¡°Elise will send Gales to search for you in all your friends¡¯ homes, including most likely this Kitty individual.¡±


    Callum shook his head, ¡°I doubt it. One of the perks of having an overprotective sister is that Elise knows everything about me, including how Kitty and I had a falling out. Elise knows I wouldn¡¯t go to Kitty¡¯s place after that, but my sister doesn¡¯t know Kitty like I do. Kitty has a good heart, she¡¯ll help me, even if she hates me, I know she will¡­ I think.¡±


    Gian weighed the options in his mind for a moment then nodded, ¡°It¡¯s risky, but I¡¯ll let you make the call.¡±


    ~~~


    Kithina sighed and looked up at the ceiling, ¡°A long journey through frozen lands filled with countless creatures that want to kill you. A path so dangerous that no one in their right mind would wish to travel, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the literal fate of all the Null Realms might be at stake.¡± She smiled, ¡°Sounds like one of the quests of old where the heroes went off to save the world. I¡¯m lucky my mage duties don¡¯t start until autumn.¡±


    Lysaila perked up, ¡°Are you saying¡­?¡±


    Kithina grinned, ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab the tea.¡±


    A sudden knock rang on the door.


    Kithina frowned, ¡°Did you invite anyone else?¡±


    Lysaila narrowed her eyes as she stared at the door. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­ but I recognize that heartbeat.¡± She slithered to the door and swung it open, ¡°What are you doing here, Veres?¡±


    Callum looked up from beneath his dark cowl, an expression of surprise etched across his face, ¡°Lysaila?¡±

 Chapter 363: The Heir Of Veres

    Chapter 363: The Heir Of Veres


    Callum stood in the dark doorway of a small home in one of the many streets of the Commoner District. He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby watching and then he knocked with a clenched fist.


    After a moment the door swung open and a lamia¡¯s towering form looked down on him, annoyance clear in her serpentine indigo eyes. ¡°What are you doing here, Veres?¡±


    Callum looked up from beneath his cowl with a surprised expression, ¡°Lysaila?¡±


    Kithina poked her head out from behind the lamia¡¯s tail, ¡°Cal? Why are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I can explain, inside preferably,¡± Callum warily glanced at the dark street behind him.


    Lysaila narrowed her eyes, ¡°I know that look anywhere. I¡¯ve seen it in countless dying men. You¡¯re afraid. You¡¯re in trouble aren¡¯t you, Veres?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to explain all the gruesome details, but I¡¯d really appreciate it if I didn¡¯t have to do it out in the middle of the street.¡± He glanced at his friend pleadingly, ¡°Kitty, please.¡±


    Kithina formed a half-scowl but relented, ¡°Ugh, fine come in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you,¡± the vampire bobbed his head and carefully sidestepped the lamia and her angry death stare.


    Lysaila slammed the door closed. Callum slumped his shoulders and sighed in relief.


    ¡°Your heart is beating so loudly. Who¡¯s following you?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°No one¡¯s following me, not yet, at least¡­ I hope,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kithina asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Callum held his hands together to stop them from shaking and tried his best to calm his breathing, though it did very little to help, ¡°My father he¡­ h-he¡­ Lord Veres IX, Eldrin of the Great House of Veres¡­ is dead.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s face paled, ¡°What¡­!? H-how? Who!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Dragons, my sister thinks. My father and Lady Glaz¡¯s armies were destroyed. There were no survivors.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Stjerne¡­¡± Kithina grabbed the wall to steady herself, ¡°Then Lord Veres and Lady Glaz are gone¡­?¡±


    ¡°As is Lord Gale, my sister, Carmilla, and every other soul on that battlefield,¡± Callum nodded bitterly.


    ¡°So what now? Why are you here, Veres?¡± Lysaila asked impatiently.


    ¡°Hey! Have some sympathy! He just lost his father,¡± Kithina snapped.


    ¡°What? I thought this guy hurt you? Why do you care what happened to him?¡± Lysaila raised her eyebrow.


    Kithina blushed and glanced at Callum, ¡°W-Well, yeah, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. I did hurt you. And I¡¯m truly, deeply sorry for everything,¡± Callum bowed his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to get into all of that, really,¡± Kithina said.


    Callum winced, ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m sorry for coming here so late. I wouldn¡¯t have come if I didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°So someone is chasing you,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°My older sister, Elise, after she found out what happened to my father and Carmilla¡­¡± Callum clenched his eyes shut, but a tear still ran down his cheek. ¡°Elise killed Feryd and Ava. They¡¯re gone.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Cal, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, not now,¡± he sniffed. ¡°The time for mourning will come later. Uncle Gian told me that.¡±


    ¡°Lord Gian is a wise man,¡± Lysaila nodded.


    ¡°Elise, she imprisoned me in my room. I escaped, but she¡¯s probably got half of House Veres¡¯ and Gale¡¯s guards searching for me.¡±


    ¡°So you chose to hide here?¡± Lysaila guessed.


    ¡°My sister knows Kitty and I weren¡¯t on good terms when I left Hollow Shade. Elise won¡¯t send her guards here at least for a while. B-But! I just need to stay until morning. Once the city gates open I¡¯ll be gone.¡±


    Lysaila glanced at Kithina questioningly.


    Kithina nodded, ¡°Of course, Cal can stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you. I¡¯ll pay you back someday, I promise,¡± Callum bowed his head.


    ¡°Ugh, aristocrats and their favors,¡± Kithina rolled her eyes. ¡°Let me make this clear, I¡¯m not helping you for some favor. I¡¯m helping you because it¡¯s the right thing to do. If I were to kick you out your sister would literally kill you, right? Right¡­?¡±


    ¡°...Actually, no, she wouldn¡¯t. Believe it or not, Elise loves me,¡± Callum said with a conflicted voice.


    Kithina frowned, ¡°Wait, then why were you imprisoned in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Elise wanted to know about Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Stryg?¡± Kithina furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. If you knew my sister might try to kill you. So, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already put you in enough danger as it is,¡± Callum said apologetically.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Lysaila hissed at him, black venom dripping from her fangs, ¡°Exactly, boy! We¡¯re already in enough danger just by having you here. So why don¡¯t you just tell us, before I make you.¡±


    Callum stumbled back a step and raised his hands in alarm.


    ¡°Stop it, Lysaila, please.¡± Kithina stepped in between them but she glanced at Callum with a mild frown, ¡°She¡¯s right though. Stryg is my friend. If he¡¯s in danger, I want to know why.¡±


    Callum clenched his fists frustratedly but held his tongue.


    Kithina crossed her arms, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us I won¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°And if you lie I¡¯ll know,¡± Lysaila snarled.


    Callum opened his mouth to retort but he stopped and hung his head in defeat, ¡°If you know the truth, you won¡¯t be able to stay in the city. At least not for a while.¡±


    ¡°Define a while?¡± Kithina asked.


    Lysaila spoke over her, ¡°Luckily for us, we¡¯re leaving tonight anyway. By daybreak, we¡¯ll be walking out the city gates. So tell us, boy, what did Stryg do that has got this sister of yours so dead set on killing him.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say Elise wanted to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you implied it, didn¡¯t you, boy?¡± Lysaila noted.


    He sighed, ¡°Fine. I warned you.¡±


    ¡°Spill it, what did Stryg do?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not so much what he did, but what he is that¡¯s the problem. Elise wants to know more about Stryg because he is an Ebon Aspirant, to see if she can ally with him, maybe. But if she digs deeper into Stryg¡¯s past, all she¡¯ll want to do is kill him.¡±


    ¡°And why would your sister want to kill Stryg? She hasn¡¯t even met him, right?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°No, but Elise isn¡¯t just my sister anymore, she¡¯s the leader of my House. She is Lady Veres, the seventh of her name. Elise is the oldest living child of my family and so she has the greatest claim to the Veres Throne. Or at least she thinks so for now¡­¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Kithina asked suspiciously.


    ¡°What do you know about the Blue Rose?¡± he asked.


    She wrinkled her brow, ¡°The Blue Rose? Is that like a flower?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°No. The Blue Rose was Lady Veres, the fifth of her name. And she was the last wielder of Krikolm.¡±


    Lysaila snapped her fingers, ¡°Ooh, I know that one! That¡¯s the legendary Veres sword, right? They say the blade is a scarlet red from the blood of all the people it''s slain.¡±


    ¡°For a realm traveler you know our weapons pretty well,¡± Kithina smirked.


    The lamia shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m a grand swordmaster, swords are part of my trade. Besides, swordsmen talk about Krikolm even in the Amber Realm.¡± She clicked her tongue, ¡°It was only when I came here that I learned your House lost Krikolm. What sort of Great House loses their ancestral sword?¡±


    ¡°For centuries my family tried to hide the details of the Blue Rose¡¯s past and how the sword was lost,¡± Callum admitted. ¡°It turns out the Blue Rose had it with her when she disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Okay, this is all interesting, but how does any of this have to do with your sister or Stryg?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Because the Blue Rose didn¡¯t just disappear. And before she was called Lady Veres V, she was known as Stryga.¡±


    Kithina blinked then frowned, ¡°Wait¡­ As in¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªJust like Stryg, yeah. And Krikolm, my family¡¯s heirloom sword? Guess what it means in the Olden Tongue? Bloodfang.¡±


    Kithina¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Like the Blood Fang Tribe? The one Stryg used to talk about?¡±


    Callum nodded grimly.


    ¡°W-Wait, that can¡¯t mean¡­¡± Kithina laughed nervously, ¡°I mean that¡¯s insane, right? You¡¯re a vampire. Your family are vampires! Stryg is a goblin. A hybrid blue one at that, sure, but he¡¯s a goblin!¡±


    ¡°Lady Stryga was a hybrid drow-vampire. She was said to have pale white hair and blue skin like her northern drow father. But she also had strange unique purple eyes. Does any of that sound like someone we know?¡±


    ¡°Holy fucking shiiiiiit¡­¡± Kithina slumped onto the ground, slack-jawed.


    ¡°So you''re telling me the Mortem mageling is a Veres?¡± Lysaila muttered.


    Callum nodded, ¡°Not just any Veres, if he really is related to Stryga, then that would make him a part of the main branch. It¡¯d mean he¡¯d be heir to my family¡¯s legacy, all of it¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnd it would make Stryg your sister¡¯s number one target,¡± Kithina finished grimly.


    He nodded, ¡°Once Elise finds out the truth she won¡¯t stop until Stryg is dead.¡±


    ¡°Does Stryg know?¡± Kithina asked.


    Callum shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to warn him!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, remember? The Mortem mageling went and fucked off to Vulture Woods,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ So what now?¡± Kithina mumbled.


    ¡°Now, I need to hide and get out of the city before my sister finds me and gets a mind mage to rip the truth out of my head. I suggest you two do the same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of any purple mage,¡± Lysaila smiled proudly. ¡°My kind are immune to mind magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Kithina grimaced. ¡°We should leave the city come dawn and make our way to the Northern Lands as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the Northern Lands. You¡¯re going north?¡± Callum asked, a hint of hope in his voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she just said, isn¡¯t it,¡± Lysaila clicked her tongue.


    ¡°W-Well, I was thinking of going north too. Maybe I could tag along? I spent some time in the Northern Lands in my youth. I could guide you. Maybe¡­? Look, I know I¡¯ve already asked for a lot just being here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then why ask for more?¡± Lysaila said.


    Kithina sighed, ¡°¡­I would rather it be just the two of us, Lysaila, but we could use a guide to get there.¡±


    ¡°I am our guide,¡± Lysaila snapped.


    ¡°Maybe once we get to the island, but Cal definitely knows the Northern Lands better than you or me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him!¡± Lysaila glared at the vampire, ¡°If Stryg is a Veres then for all we know House Veres could have been dabbling with the Mortem Order for centuries.¡±


    ¡°Hey, my family never had dealings with the Mortem!¡± Callum frowned.


    Lysaila hissed in anger, her serpentine pupils narrowing to slits, ¡°No? Your House is known for using its magic and military strength to slaughter countless people until your land was dyed red with blood, all in the pursuit of ¡®peace¡¯ or so they claimed. The Mortem Order claimed they were an association of mages who were pursuing the study of magic for ¡®peaceful¡¯ means. When in actuality the Mortem were a cult that worshiped death and murdered countless innocents in order to create a slave army, the beastkin, my people. And why did they do it? For so-called fucking peace! I don¡¯t know about you, but those two groups sound pretty damn similar to me!¡±


    Callum swallowed in fear but looked the lamia in the eyes, ¡°¡­I will not lie to you, my House has spilled much blood throughout the last thousand years, but we never dealt with the Mortem Order of the Scarlet Realm. That I can promise you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that for a fact or is that just what your family told you?¡± Lysaila growled.


    ¡°Lysaila, Callum wouldn¡¯t lie about this. And we need him,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. If this quest is as dangerous as you think, then we¡¯re going to need a white mage who can heal our injuries. Do you know any other white mages we can trust? Hm? I thought not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dammit,¡± Lysaila cursed under her breath.


    ¡°Um, no one told me this would be dangerous,¡± Callum smiled weakly.


    ¡°Scared, boy?¡± Lysaila smirked.


    ¡°Come on, Cal, where is your sense of adventure?¡± Kithina teased.


    Logically it would be safer traveling with a grand swordmaster lamia and another mage, but some part of Callum didn¡¯t think that would be the case.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late back out now, Veres,¡± the lamia hissed.


    Callum swallowed hard. He was beginning to regret coming here.

 Chapter 364: A Blood Fang Feast Part 1

    Chapter 364: A Blood Fang Feast Part 1


    In the late hours of the night, several cooks grilled eight deer carcasses over the fire pits while a few others roasted vegetables in large iron pans in a log house near the village square. With curious gazes, Plum and Tauri watched the goblins sit in small circles around the fires, waiting for some of the smaller and leaner goblins to serve them their meals. Skads were their name, or so Stryg had told her. Skads were goblins who had failed to find a proper tribal path and had been assigned whatever odd job the tribe currently needed. Serving meals was a common job for a Skad and one that wasn¡¯t particularly respected if the quiet jeers the goblins threw at them were any indication.


    While Tauri glanced at the surrounding goblins and their weapons, still tense after their recent skirmish a mere hour ago, Plum paid close attention to the way the Skads served the meals. The hierarchy seemed clear, the Mothers and the Chieftain were served first, then the hunters came next, and then the cooks themselves, though they were too busy cooking to even eat.


    Tauri leaned over to Stryg and whispered into his ear, ¡°They keep giving us weird looks. I don¡¯t think they like us.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Stryg asked, though his own attention was on the Skads.


    ¡°Practically everyone, especially the hunters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± he said casually. Most of the tribe hated him and had made their feelings clear on that matter many times. To him, it was simply the norm.


    ¡°Are you sure we should still be here? I mean, shouldn¡¯t we go before they change their mind and attack us?¡± Tauri asked warily.


    Stryg shook his head, though his eyes stayed on the Skads and the food they carried, a hopeful glint in his lilac irises. ¡°Chieftain Jahn gave us his word. The tribe will not harm us.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that for certain? They were just trying to kill us a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°I know they won¡¯t hurt us because, unlike Hollow Shade¡¯s aristocrats, the Sylvan keep their word.¡±


    Tauri grumbled something under her breath but she left it at that and kept watching the guards and hunters with a close eye.


    A couple of Skads walked up to Stryg and his friends and handed them wooden plates full of steaming roasted venison and charred vegetables, along with a cup of red wine.


    They haven¡¯t finished serving the hunters, so they consider us equal to them? Or do they just consider us less worthy than the chieftain and Mothers? Plum wondered to herself.


    Stryg seemed happy either way. He grabbed his plate and began devouring the meat with his bare hands, not even waiting to use the utensils.


    Tauri stared at him with mild disgust, but said nothing and slowly began to eat her food. ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­!¡± she winced, then took another bite, ¡°It¡¯s good though¡­ all things considered.¡±


    Plum agreed, the food was too hot. She had already burned her tongue with a single bite, though the heat didn¡¯t seem to stop Stryg.


    The blue goblin ripped apart the meat with his teeth and growled a noise of contentment almost like a purr.


    Tauri raised a questioning eyebrow. ¡°You okay?¡±


    He smiled softly, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had venison. It¡¯s just as good as I remembered.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from,¡± Jahn called out as he walked over to them. He snapped his fingers and two Skads appeared at his side, plates full of roasted meat in their hands.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened and a bit of drool slipped down his chin. ¡°Is that¡­ for me?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Shamans eat as much as they want.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± Stryg didn¡¯t wait for an answer, he snatched the plates from the Skads and started scarfing down the food with such ferocity it seemed as if he was scared someone might take it away.


    Second Mother suddenly stood up from among the circle of Mothers and raised her cup high, ¡°Tonight, I¡¯d like to give thanks to the Mother Moon for giving us back one of our own from death itself. Tonight, we welcome back Stryg, son of Blood Fang, shaman of the Sylvan!¡±


    The goblins raised their cups high and gave a mixed cheer of mild elation and worried grumbles.


    ¡°They really don¡¯t like you, huh,¡± Plum noted sympathetically.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Stryg muttered.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°They¡¯re just uncertain,¡± Jahn clapped his back. ¡°You left a small scraggly kid and came back a giant shaman. They¡¯re still trying to get a feel for you. Give it time.¡±


    Jahn raised his cup, ¡°To the return of the shaman Stryg!¡±


    The goblins cheered and raised their cups, then downed their drinks.


    Tauri and Plum followed along and drank the wine, but they spat out the drink and coughed.


    ¡°Ugh, what was that!¡± Tauri moaned in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s foul!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not wine.¡± Plum poured the rest of her cup¡¯s contents onto the ground. A red thick liquid fell on the grass. Her eyes widened in sick realization, ¡°This is¡­!¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªBlood,¡± Stryg said and took another sip. ¡°Deer blood, with some herbs. It¡¯s a ceremonial drink of our tribe.¡±


    ¡°You actually drink this stuff?¡± Tauri said in disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s not great I know, but it tastes better without the herbs, trust me.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think it will,¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m beginning to understand why you guys call yourselves the Blood Fang,¡± Plum muttered.


    Stryg abruptly stood to his feet and bowed his head as First and Second Mother walked over to them. ¡°Mothers,¡± he said in a reverent tone.


    ¡°Sit. Eat.¡± First said calmly.


    Stryg nodded, sat back down, and went back to eating.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown quite the appetite,¡± Second Mother smirked.


    Stryg blushed, but said nothing and kept eating abashedly.


    Plum stared at him as if he had grown a second head. She had never seen Stryg so¡­ so¡­ nervous? Around the two women who had raised him, he seemed almost like an entirely different person. He wasn¡¯t the dangerous goblin she had grown to know, but instead a small child, almost too shy to speak up.


    First Mother took a deep breath and looked at the young blue goblin, ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    He sat up and looked at her with worried eyes.


    Plum suddenly remembered the stories Stryg used to tell her about First Mother. She was the matriarch of the tribe and the strictest of all the Mothers. First was the one who had beaten and punished him the most out of all the Mothers and the fear in Stryg¡¯s eyes seemed to reflect that.


    It seemed that if there was anyone he wanted to impress, it was definitely First Mother.


    First went to place her hand on Stryg¡¯s head, hesitated, and settled on patting his shoulder once, ¡°Thank you, Stryg. For sparing my idiot of a brother. You could have killed him, he even asked you to, but you didn¡¯t. So¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°I only did what I thought was right. Jahn is the chieftain of Blood Fang,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°You let yourself be guided by wisdom, not anger. Well done, child,¡± First nodded.


    Stryg beamed with pride and smiled, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±


    ¡°And thank you, Stryg, for not taking my head off. I do like being alive,¡± Jahn admitted with a wink.


    First kicked her brother in the shin. ¡°And you! When will you learn that traditions have their time and place?! The good of the tribe comes first!¡±


    Jahn fell to one knee and winced in pain, ¡°I was trying to serve the tribe!¡±


    ¡°In what world would it be good for the tribe to lose its leader of the past two decades, hm!?¡± First snapped.


    ¡°Duly noted¡­ sorry, sister,¡± Jahn bowed his head.


    So it¡¯s not just Stryg who is afraid of First Mother, Plum thought sympathetically.


    Second Mother coughed pointedly, ¡°Ahem, we actually came to ask you a few questions, Stryg. The first being where you have been these past few years?¡±


    He blinked, ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s sort of a long story, I guess.¡±


    First crossed her arms, ¡°We have time.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting,¡± First said, a trace of annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°Oh! Yeah, um, well, after the lamias attacked us I managed to climb out of the cave and escape by myself¡­¡±


    ¡°So you really did make it out by yourself,¡± Second smiled. ¡°Many of us thought you perished along with the others, but First never gave up hope you were out there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Not the point,¡± First snapped angrily. ¡°So what you¡¯re telling us, Stryg, is that you abandoned your tribemates and ran from the cave by yourself?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that!¡± Plum said.


    ¡°How do you know? Were you there?¡± First asked.


    ¡°Well, n-no, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then be quiet, outsider,¡± First hissed.


    Stryg moved between Plum and First to the Mother¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mother,¡± he nodded. ¡°I did abandon my tribemates at the cave and that shame has haunted me for the last 3 years. But no longer.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± First raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I killed the lamias, every single last living one in that wretched cave. They are all dead.¡±


    The Mother¡¯s yellow eyes widened, but no words escaped her open mouth.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Jahn jumped to his feet. ¡°You killed those vile serpent monsters?¡±


    Stryg nodded, ¡°I paid them back for everything they took from us.¡± He rummaged in his backpack and pulled out several pairs of long hollow fangs.


    ¡°You really did it¡­ You really killed them all¡­¡± Jahn muttered. He suddenly laughed, a deep brilliant sound. ¡°Did you hear that!?¡± he cried at the top of his lungs, garnering the attention of the villagers.


    Jahn held his hand up, a pair of lamia fangs between his fingers, ¡°The shaman Stryg has gone back down into that wretched cave and slain the serpent monsters! He has avenged our fallen! After three long painful years, our fallen brothers and sisters can finally rest.¡±


    The goblins grew silent at their chieftain''s words. Many of their yellow eyes began to water, though they did their best to not cry in front of their tribemates. Slowly, one by one they turned to Stryg, and for the first time in his life he noticed there was no contempt nor suspicion in their eyes, there was only profound gratitude.


    Stryg breathed in shakily and smiled, his own eyes burning.


    ¡°What are you all sitting down for, ey!¡± Jahn shouted. ¡°This is a night for celebration!¡±


    The other goblins cheered and jumped to their feet. The sounds of drums and songs echoed into the night.

 Chapter 365: A Blood Fang Feast Part 2

    Chapter 365: A Blood Fang Feast Part 2


    ¡°What are you all sitting down for, ey!?¡± Jahn shouted. ¡°This is a night for celebration!¡±


    The other goblins cheered and jumped to their feet. The sounds of drums and songs echoed in the night.


    Tauri watched the scene unfold with a surreal expression. In a matter of minutes, the goblins that had seemed so bloodthirsty and vicious were now dancing and singing around the fire pits. Their movements were heavy, not the usual lithe steps of the dances she had seen in the city. No, the goblins¡¯ steps resembled a warrior¡¯s spar.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± Tauri mumbled.


    ¡°What are they singing?¡± Plum asked with interest.


    ¡°It is a song from the old Ebon Tongue, a song of mourning for our lost ones, and for being thankful that they found their way home,¡± Jahn said quietly.


    ¡°Found their way home?¡± Plum asked.


    Jahn opened his arms wide and pointed at the scarlet canopy above them, ¡°When our people are murdered in these woods their souls wander amidst the trees, unable to truly rest until they are avenged.¡± He turned to Stryg and bowed his head, ¡°You have given that to us, Stryg. You have given them rest, thank you, shaman.¡±


    Stryg smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took so long.¡±


    ¡°It seems you took just as long as needed. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, there are two women over there who have been waiting to dance with me.¡± Jahn turned around and made his way to two beautiful goblins who were smiling at him coyly.


    ¡°Are you going to dance too, Stryg?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a great dancer or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± Plum said sympathetically.


    He shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d rather just watch and eat venison anyway.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened after you escaped the cave?¡± First cut in coldly.


    ¡°W-Well, I was captured by a poacher¡­¡± he said sheepishly.


    First glared at him, ¡°You were captured?¡±


    Stryg hung his head in shame, ¡°Y-yes. The poacher dragged me to the Great City of Hollow Shade to try and sell me as a slave, b-but! I escaped before he could do anything!¡±


    ¡°As you should have,¡± First nodded. ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Well, I discovered I was a mageborn and I enrolled in an academy of magic. I¡¯ve spent the last three years there¡­¡±


    ¡°And now you have returned a full-fledged shaman,¡± First noted quietly.


    ¡°What chromatic colors do you possess?¡± Second asked excitedly. ¡°Besides green, of course. Everyone witnessed your grand display of stone magic earlier.¡±


    ¡°Um, well, you see the thing is¡­¡± Stryg fidgeted with his hands.


    ¡°Oh, is green your only color? I suppose that¡¯s quite normal, nothing to be ashamed of,¡± Second said, though there was a hint of disappointment in her voice.


    ¡°Actually, he is far more than just ¡®quite normal.¡¯ Stryg is a prime mage,¡± Tauri said proudly.


    ¡°A prime mage?¡± Second¡¯s eyes widened in awe, ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±.


    ¡°T-Thanks,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°...Good for you,¡± First nodded stiffly and unceremoniously walked away.


    Stryg¡¯s smile fell. He sighed to himself and munched on a chunk of roasted venison.


    Tauri clicked her tongue, ¡°What does it take to impress that woman?¡±


    ¡°At least she isn¡¯t interrogating him anymore. So that¡¯s something,¡± Plum muttered.


    Stryg looked at them with surprise. ¡°Guys¡­ that¡¯s First Mother, you can¡¯t talk about her like that,¡± he admonished.


    ¡°Says who? She was being rude,¡± Tauri shrugged.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Plum nodded.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Stryg grumbled, but this time there was a trace of warmth in his voice.


    ¡°Your friends have quite the loose tongues,¡± Second Mother noted coldly.


    He winced, ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Second laughed, ¡°Be grateful First can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders relaxed and he nodded, ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Oi, what are you doing just sitting over there?¡± Srixa asked as she walked over to their circle.


    Stryg glanced at his friends and Second Mother questioningly.


    ¡°No, not them, you,¡± Srixa said.


    ¡°Me?¡± Stryg pointed to himself uncertainly.


    ¡°Yes, you, blue.¡±


    He cocked his head to the side, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Was she here for a rematch he wondered. Now of all times?


    Srixa sighed impatiently and offered him her hand. ¡°Do you want to dance or what?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He blinked, ¡°You want to dance¡­ with me?¡±


    Srixa smirked, ¡°Too scared?¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°Never.¡± He grabbed her hand and allowed himself to be dragged into the dancing crowds.


    Plum nudged Tauri¡¯s arm, ¡°You should get out there before you lose him.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow.


    Plum smirked, ¡°Look at those two, Stryg looks like he¡¯s having fun with that huntress, too much fun, don¡¯t ya think?¡±


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re trying to imply but I¡¯m not interested,¡± Tauri said indifferently.


    ¡°I¡¯m not implying anything,¡± Plum batted her eyelashes innocently. ¡°What I am saying is that Srixa is the greatest hunter of their generation. Stryg once told me the boys fawned over her for years, but none of them were ¡®strong¡¯ enough to handle her, or vicious enough¡­ My point is Srixa might have met her match, so I suggest you get out there and start dancing before it''s too late.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any of that and I¡¯d appreciate it if you stop trying to imply there is something between me and my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦,¡± Tauri said coldly. She pushed herself to her feet and walked off into the dark.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere but here,¡± Tauri snapped and left without another word.


    ¡°¡­She¡¯ll be back,¡± Plum said confidently.


    ¡°You know your orc friend well,¡± Second noted. ¡°And you seem to know about our hunters too.¡±


    Plum almost jumped in surprise. She had forgotten the Mother was still here, watching her with cold calculating eyes.


    Plum cleared her throat and forced herself to smile, ¡°Stryg used to tell me a lot about his childhood. Where he grew up, the people around him, the way they treated him¡­¡±


    ¡°So you know Stryg well, then?¡± the Mother asked calmly.


    ¡°Mm, you could say that. I¡¯ve seen his struggles. I¡¯ve seen the way this place affected him,¡± she sighed, ¡°Even when he was hundreds of leagues away, this place always held a certain hold over him. He always wanted the approval of this tribe even though your people always made fun of him because he was weak. Strange, no? They hated a child because he was weak,¡± Plum shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Well, look at him now, no one¡¯s laughing, are they?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think we did here? Laugh at him?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, not exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying?¡±


    Plum shrugged awkwardly, ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m proud of how far Stryg has come. And I¡¯m sure Sigte would have been proud of him too.¡±


    ¡°Sigte¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to mispronounce his name. How did you say it? Sig-tay? Seeg-tay?¡±


    Second Mother gave her an odd look.


    Plum winced, ¡°I really am sorry, I¡¯m not very good with names. Could you say it one more time?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s pronounced Sig-tee.¡±


    ¡°Right, Sigte, with a hard e sound, yeah, that was it, hehe,¡± Plum laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°What about Sigte?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I was just saying Sigte would have been proud of Stryg. You know, since he was Stryg¡¯s teacher and all.¡±


    Second narrowed her eyes, ¡°Do you know what Sigte means?¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not particularly well versed in Sylvan lexicon¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigte is an ancient blood rite made between two individuals. It is a symbolic gesture, and though not magical in nature, it is deeply sacred to the pair involved. Sigte itself means ¡®One life above all others.¡¯ The Sylvan people believe that a tribe¡¯s needs must be placed above any single life, as such the Sigte blood rite was deemed selfish and immoral, and was in the end made forbidden centuries ago.¡± Second Mother glared at her, ¡°So why does a drow girl know of one of our people¡¯s most secret and forbidden rites?¡±


    A cold shiver ran down Plum¡¯s spine. She smiled weakly, ¡°L-Like I said, Stryg used to tell me stories about this place. I don¡¯t know anything about a blood rite, but Stryg did tell me stories about his teacher, the hunter Sigte.¡±


    ¡°The Blood Fang tribe has never had a goblin, hunter or otherwise, called Sigte. No one would have dared call themselves such a name.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±  Plum¡¯s blue eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°Maybe it was changed!? Stryg told me Sigte was an outsider because of his old tribe¡¯s wrongdoings. He later joined the Blood Fang tribe with Sixth¡ª I mean Fifth Mother.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fifth Mother did indeed appear before our tribe as a Nameless. Her original tribe had been destroyed for various crimes against the Sylvan and the Mother Moon¡¯s ways. But Fifth was alone, there were no other Nameless with her that day.¡±


    Plum frowned, ¡°That¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Second stared at her with uncertainty, ¡°Drow girl¡­ how much did Stryg tell you about us?¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You said Stryg told you about this place, our village, our tribe¡­ Did he tell you about the Mothers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he said the Mothers are the ones in charge of raising the tribe¡¯s young. The children are raised as a collective, right? It¡¯s to promote unity within the tribe I think?¡±


    ¡°And did Stryg ever tell you how a Mother gets her name?¡±


    ¡°Um, something about hierarchy?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. There are usually five or six Mothers in a tribe. Each woman gives up her name as a sign of dedication to the Mother Moon¡¯s ways and is instead given an ordinal number based on her age and when she joined the sacred tribal path. The eldest and matriarch of the tribe is always called ¡®First.¡¯ The next oldest is called ¡®Second¡¯. The one after that is ¡®Third¡¯ and so on.¡±


    ¡°Seems a little extreme to give up one¡¯s name, but I suppose it inspires¡­ conviction?¡± Plum chuckled anxiously.


    Second Mother ignored her and looked up at the evening sky deep in thought. ¡°¡­Did you know First and I were there that night? It was a new moon. It was dark, far darker than tonight. The night Stryg was born. First and I helped deliver him into this world. We were barely 20 years old. Back then they called us Fifth and Sixth Mother.¡±


    ¡°So you were the youngest of the Mothers?¡± Plum surmised.


    She inclined her head in a subtle nod. ¡°There were four Mothers older than us, yes. Tell me, what do you think happened to those women?¡±


    Plum furrowed her brow, ¡°¡­I guess they died? Stryg told me Sylvan goblins don¡¯t live very long lives in Vulture Woods. The forest is very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, the hunters, gatherers, and others who are forced to venture outside the village walls tend to encounter death in the woods one day or another. But rarely does a Mother wander far from the village and when she does the hunters make sure the area is safe. After all, the Mothers are in charge of raising the next generation. We cannot afford to risk our lives on dangerous outings. As such, Mothers tend to die of old age.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡± Plum whispered uneasily.


    ¡°Does our First Mother look old to you?¡±


    ¡°N-No?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she isn¡¯t. But a tribe¡¯s First Mother should be old; an elderly woman who has earned the title after accruing wisdom throughout her long years of service to the tribe. And yet, our First Mother isn¡¯t old. In fact, she was quite young when the title of ''First Mother¡¯ was thrust upon her many years ago. Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on, think it through,¡± Second whispered eerily.


    Plum licked her lips and swallowed hard, ¡°Because¡­ the ¡®First Mother¡¯ before her died before her time?¡±


    ¡°Four ¡®First Mothers¡¯ died long before their time.¡± Second leaned in close, her yellow eyes cold and wide, ¡°What do you think happened to those four women?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you do. Deep down, you suspect it at the very least.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Y-You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I am,¡± Second smiled bitterly, ¡°You claim to know him well. So some part of you must have realized the truth¡­ that Stryg killed those women.¡±


    Plum¡¯s face paled with worry. ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­!¡±


    Second Mother looked the young drow over curiously. ¡°How well do you really know your friend, Stryg?¡±

 Chapter 366: The Child of Blood Fang

    Chapter 366: The Child of Blood Fang


    Second Mother looked at Plum curiously, ¡°How well do you really know your friend, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I know him well enough and he wouldn¡¯t have killed four Mothers,¡± Plum said defensively. ¡°He idolizes the Mothers. He¡¯d never hurt any of you!¡±


    ¡°No need to get angry, child. You are not the one in danger,¡± Second smiled tiredly, ¡°If First Mother found out I told an outsider like you about any of this, she would have my tongue.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re the Second Mother¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnd I¡¯m also First¡¯s best friend. Neither reason would stop her from cutting out my tongue for the secrets I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then why tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because you claimed to be Stryg¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Plum bit her lip in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at. What do you want from me¡­?¡±


    ¡°To simply listen.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she said hesitantly.


    Second looked away and stared into the distance as if seeing something that was no longer there. ¡°In those days First and I held different ordinal names. For clarity¡¯s sake, I will simply refer to us by the names we had back then, Fifth and Sixth.¡±


    Plum nodded in understanding.


    ¡°¡­Did you know Stryg was born quite sickly?¡± Second said in a quiet reminiscent voice. ¡°We didn¡¯t think he would make it through the night. I still remember it as clearly as I see you now¡­ The baby cried and cried, gasping for breath. I thought his little lungs were going to give out.¡±


    Second continued in a voice barely above a whisper, ¡°It was an ominous autumn night. The Mother Moon¡¯s silver light did not grace the sky. There was no one to pray to for guidance, there was only darkness and the unknown. Fifth and I were new to the sacred path of the Mothers, we were inexperienced. Yet none of us, not even the First Mother of that time knew what to do in the face of such an¡­ unforeseen circumstance.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡¯s mom died in labor¡­¡± Plum recalled in a sorrowful voice.


    ¡°¡­Yes. She was like a sister to me,¡± Second¡¯s expression grew tired, ¡°I was afraid we¡¯d lose the baby as well. He was so small, he could hardly breathe. Besides Fifth and I, the rest of the Mothers thought it would be best if the sickly child would simply be put to rest. Even worse, some of the hunters standing guard outside agreed, despite it not being their call to make. One of the hunters went as far as to say the baby was too weak, even if Stryg lived through the night he wouldn¡¯t survive his first frigid winter.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Plum mumbled in a broken voice. Even at birth Stryg had struggled to survive. The thought pained Plum more than she thought it would.


    ¡°That hunter would soon regret his words,¡± Second smiled to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget what happened next. Fifth stumbled out of the birthing room, rage in her eyes. She beat the hunter so badly that he died of his injuries that very night. The other hunters said not a word after that.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Second bit her lip. ¡°Even with Fifth¡¯s¡­ display, the facts remained. The baby was sick and was not long for this world. First and Third Mother decided it was time to lay the newborn to rest. But Fifth and I would have none of that. And neither would Jahn.¡±


    ¡°The chieftain?¡± Plum furrowed her brow.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t the chieftain back then, he was one of the hunters who had been standing guarding that night. He was the only hunter who had stayed silent the entire time, he hadn¡¯t said a single word. But when he saw what the Mothers were going to do to the baby, the three of us acted as one.¡±


    ¡°I held off the Mothers and Jahn fought off his fellow hunters, while Fifth took the child and escaped into the woods. I am not sure what happened after that, but when the sun rose, Fifth had returned to the village, exhausted, but with the baby in her arms, alive. Stryg was still sickly and he struggled to breathe, but he was no longer coughing.¡±


    ¡°The three of you saved Stryg¡¯s life,¡± Plum said with quiet realization. There was a new glint of admiration in her eyes for the goblin Mother sitting next to her.


    ¡°At what price?¡± Second muttered.


    Plum frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Stryg grew up¡­ different from the other children. He was small, scrawny, the runt of the pack. And he was quiet, too quiet for any child. While the other children wanted to play, Stryg always preferred to keep to himself. He rarely even spoke, save with Fifth and I.¡±


    ¡°I found his behavior odd, but most of the Mothers found it outright disturbing. And the way he looked at the other children,¡± Second shook her head, ¡°There was no warmth behind those lilac eyes, it was as if he didn¡¯t care what might happen to any of them.¡±


    Second clasped her hands, ¡°We raise the children to work together, to rely on one another, to create bonds with each other, but Stryg always refused to participate. One day, First Mother had enough of his odd behavior. She admonished him and slapped him across the cheek. Stryg cried, like any child would. And that was that¡­ or so we thought.¡±


    Second closed her eyes and shivered. ¡°The next morning we found First Mother¡¯s body sprawled across the village square. Her insides had been ripped out and spread across the ground in a bloody mess. Only her face was left untouched, save for five profound gashes where a clawed hand had struck her deeply across the cheek.¡±


    Plum paled in horror, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°The gash marks were too deep for any goblin, let alone a child¡¯s but I think we all knew at that moment who had been responsible for First Mother¡¯s death. You see, everyone mourned the death of our Matriarch that day, everyone but one little child, who simply stared at First¡¯s body with a small smile on his lips.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Stryg somehow brutally killed your matriarch?¡± Plum frowned. ¡°A child? Are you kidding me? It had to clearly have been some kind of intruder!¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Our hunters checked the area, over and over. There were no footprints, no sign of invasion, there were no intruders.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± Plum muttered. ¡°Stryg couldn¡¯t have done it.¡±


    Second shrugged, ¡°Two months later the new ¡®First Mother¡¯ accused Stryg of doing just that. She accused a six-year-old of murder. Stryg didn¡¯t respond, he just stared at her, curiously. She threatened to flog him if he didn¡¯t tell her the truth. Stryg said nothing. In the end, she didn¡¯t follow through with her threat, but the next morning her body was found tied to a rope, hanging upside down from the Moon Hall¡¯s roof. Her back had been stripped to the bone as if by endless lashes and her face was set in a frozen expression of terror and pain. Guess who was the only one in the tribe who didn¡¯t seem surprised or even saddened by her death?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that can¡¯t be possible,¡± Plum shook her head adamantly. ¡°He must have just been in shock.¡±


    ¡°He was smiling. The boy was smiling.¡±


    ¡°Stryg couldn¡¯t have killed her! He was a child. How could a child have even carried an adult onto a rooftop? Someone else must have done it.¡±


    ¡°We searched for evidence of just that, but we found none, not even a footprint. There was nothing. And then¡­ the next two First Mothers died in similar gruesome manners in the following two years. Four Mothers dead in two years. Dead. It was unheard of. And they weren¡¯t the only victims. There were several other adults as well, even a few kids. Each of them at one point or another had picked on Stryg for being different and each one of them was found dead not long after.¡±


    ¡°Stryg could never have done that,¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. But it didn¡¯t change how the tribe saw him. A child born on a moonless night, a bad omen. A curse sent by the Mother Moon to punish us for our misdeeds of the past or perhaps the future.¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in horrible realization, ¡°Your tribe doesn¡¯t hate Stryg because he¡¯s different¡­ they hate Stryg because they¡¯re afraid of him.¡±


    Second nodded grimly, ¡°After the four Mothers died the title of ¡®First¡¯ fell on Fifth, our current First Mother. When she became our matriarch the first thing she did was order the tribe to stop directly threatening Stryg in the hopes that the killings might stop. And they did, for the most part. Eventually, as Stryg grew older the killings stopped altogether. But that didn¡¯t stop the way the people looked at Stryg or the vile words they whispered behind his back. It especially didn¡¯t stop the other children from ostracizing him, even though oddly enough none of the children remembered the gruesome murders.¡±


    ¡°Yet they still ostracized him? Why?¡± Plum mumbled in shock. ¡°Why did you all shun an innocent child?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was innocent,¡± Second mused. ¡°However, I for one did not shun him, nor did Jahn or our current First Mother. In fact, First was the only one who was never afraid to give the boy a well deserved beating whenever he did something he wasn¡¯t supposed to, which was more often than not, mind you.¡±


    ¡°But I suppose you¡¯re right, drow girl,¡± Second admitted. ¡°Stryg was shunned by the rest of the tribe. It didn¡¯t help that the boy was weak, it only made things worse. Not that he seemed to mind being alone. He spent most of his childhood outside the village grounds, wandering by himself in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you let a child go out there by himself!?¡± Plum said in disbelief.


    Second smirked wryly, ¡°The boy had a penchant for sneaking out of the village. The first few times we were worried, but he always found his way back, unharmed. Although several times he did come back very late in the night or even the next morning. When that happened First Mother would send out some hunters to find him and on one occasion they discovered something very odd.¡±


    ¡°What did they find?¡± Plum whispered apprehensively.


    ¡°The hunters found Stryg walking down the trail surrounded by a pack of wolves, but the wolves weren¡¯t trying to eat him. Stryg was talking to them and they were actually responding to him in a mix of barks and growls. Can you believe it?¡±


    Plum suddenly remembered the encounter they had with the wolves a few days ago at the edge of the forest. Stryg hadn¡¯t said much about it, but now she wondered if there was more to the story than he had let on. And if so, did that mean there was some truth to Second Mother¡¯s words?


    A cold shiver ran down Plum¡¯s back.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the first nor last time Stryg was spotted with wolves outside the village walls,¡± Second said. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t believe he had a hand in all those deaths, the truth is the boy was odd, that much was certain. At one point, when he was about 10 or so he began drawing strange symbols on the ground with a twig. The other kids found it bizarre and made fun of him, but a few of the adults realized what they were. Arcane Sigils. The boy was writing countless words in the Arcana Form! How? When did he learn the language of magic? Who taught him? No one!¡±


    Plum shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I know this story, I think. Sigte taught him to write on the dirt.¡±


    ¡°This again?¡± Second clicked her tongue. ¡°I told you already, Sigte is a bloodrite that has been forbidden for centuries. There has never been a goblin by the name of Sigte among our tribe, or any tribe for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯m just remembering the name wrong. Stryg told me Sigte was once a hunter from another tribe. He taught Stryg how to read and write by drawing words on the dirt. It started after Sigte saved him from a dragon.¡±


    ¡°A dragon?¡± Second mumbled thoughtfully. ¡°There was a time Stryg claimed to have seen a dragon with purple scales that shined like amethyst¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly! Stryg tried to follow the other hunters into the woods but he got lost and fell down a hill next to a pond. He hurt his leg and couldn¡¯t move. He cried for help and unintentionally woke up the dragon sleeping in the pond. The dragon almost ate him, but in the end, it flew away. Sigte found him afterwards and carried him back to the village, right?¡±


    ¡°I do remember the story and the day it happened,¡± Second said slowly. ¡°Stryg did sneak out of the village to try and follow the hunters that day. He did get lost and he did twist his ankle, but Stryg didn¡¯t return to the village with a hunter¡­ It was a wolf, larger than any I had ever seen. A frost wolf, I think, but it was even larger than them. It had pale white hair and startling silver eyes. When I saw the enormous creature I thought it might devour our whole village, but then I spotted Stryg sleeping on top of its head. The wolf gently laid the boy at the edge of our village and then went back into the forest without even a growl. It was one of the most surreal moments I¡¯ve ever witnessed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What? That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Plum frowned. None of this made sense. Was this woman telling the truth? Had Stryg been lying since the day they had met? She glanced at the blue goblin in the distance. He was still dancing and laughing with Srixa around the fire pits without a care in the world.


    Second followed her gaze, ¡°The boy seems to have changed. He¡¯s grown stronger since I last saw him. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    ¡°You think he is a threat¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, I care for the boy, I helped raise him, but death follows Stryg wherever he goes. We Sylvan folk are not unaccustomed to death by no means, but death around Stryg is unnatural. He is unnatural.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Plum glared at her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? On his first mission outside the village more than half his party died in a cave of serpents, but he somehow miraculously survived. And now he''s back three years later, after killing everything left in that cave. Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me, in the last three years, how many others have died around him? How many lives has he directly been responsible for ending?¡±


    Byrel¡¯s smile flashed across Plum¡¯s memory. The agonizing cries of her mother as the shades devoured her alive still echoed in her dreams. Plum looked away in shame, unable to meet the older woman¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°More than you¡¯d like to admit, it seems,¡± Second whispered. ¡°I suggest you tread carefully around Stryg, drow girl.¡±


    Second Mother stood up and walked back to the Moon Hall. Plum sat on the grass, alone, staring at the blue goblin dancing in the firelight.


    ¡°Who are you, Stryg¡­?¡± she wondered worriedly.

 Chapter 367: A Mother’s Secret

    Chapter 367: A Mother¡¯s Secret


    Plum searched for Tauri amidst the dozens of log houses sprawled throughout the village. She was surprised to find several tents lined against one of the walls. Stryg had once told her how the young lived in shared tents until they were old enough for their own tent, or if they were worthy, they could earn themselves their own log house.


    Plum grumbled under her breath in disappointment.


    Even here, deep in Vulture Woods, far from ¡®polite society,¡¯ the disparity between classes seemed clear.


    After several minutes of searching in the dark Plum spotted Tauri sitting cross-legged, next to the well, meditating.


    Plum ran over to her excitedly, ¡°Tauri! There you are! I¡¯ve been looking all over for you!¡±


    The beautiful orc cracked a single eye open, ¡°What do you want¡­?¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to you about Stryg, it¡¯s rather important.¡±


    ¡°Not this again. I told you I¡¯m not interested in whatever that goblin does, especially whom he dances with.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, this isn¡¯t about you two! You can sulk over your romantic problems later.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have romantic problems. And I am still a Katag, show some respect,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Since when have you cared about etiquette? You never even wanted us to call you professor.¡± Plum shook her head, ¡°Look, none of that matters right now. Second Mother told me a secret about Stryg¡¯s past, but it doesn¡¯t line up with what Stryg¡¯s told me before.¡±


    Tauri opened both her eyes and sighed heavily, ¡°...I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ~~~


    The drums and voices of the tribe¡¯s songstresses echoed through the chill night air. The silhouettes of the dancers shifted through in and out from the shadows, the light of the bonfires reflecting off their yellow eyes.


    Stryg saw them all, his sight piercing through the darkness as if they were under the bright sun on a clear afternoon. But his eyes wandered to the woman dancing in front of him, her curves moving in an almost hypnotizing manner.


    Srixa caught him staring and smirked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re a good dancer.¡±


    She leaned towards him on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, ¡°For someone who doesn¡¯t dance very much, you¡¯re not half-bad yourself.¡±


    Stryg could feel her warm cheek on his, and he couldn¡¯t but be intimately aware of her soft body pressed against his own. He swallowed, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had some practice since I left.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± She leaned back enough that their faces were a mere inch from one another. Srixa smiled, ¡°Have you had practice with anything else since you left?¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We never got a chance to have a proper challenge, you and I. You were too scared to challenge me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve seen what you do to the men who challenge you,¡± he said dryly. ¡°They always end up bruised and bloodied. I¡¯m not an oracle, but I¡¯m guessing you wouldn¡¯t have left me much better off.¡±


    ¡°Mm, probably. But what about now?¡± Srixa kissed him lightly and leaned back. ¡°Are you going to run away?¡± She licked her lips, ¡°Or are you going to fight?¡±


    Stryg smirked, ¡°I already beat you in hand-to-hand combat. What makes you think I¡¯m going to back down now?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, a cocky Stryg, that¡¯s something new,¡± Srixa whispered in a sultry voice. ¡°I look forward to breaking that confidence.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see who breaks whom.¡±


    ¡°~Excuse me~¡± Plum suddenly appeared and stepped between them.


    Srixa raised her eyebrow, ¡°And who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Plumela, friend, and confidante of this dumbass, and wow, you¡¯re pretty. What¡¯s your name again?¡±


    ¡°¡­Srixa, daughter of Blood Fang, huntress of¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWonderful, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people who would love to dance with you right about now. So, if you¡¯ll excuse us, Stryg and I have some rather urgent business to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, Plum,¡± Stryg whispered, ¡°You¡¯re kinda ruining this moment for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, I bet,¡± she said casually.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Plum, what¡¯s this about¡ª?¡±


    Plum grabbed him by his sleeve and glanced at Srixa, ¡°Nice to meetcha, Miss Beautiful. Buh-bye.¡± She turned around and hauled Stryg away without another glance.


    Srixa smiled wryly, ¡°Running away again, hm, Stryg?¡±


    Stryg looked back at Srixa and mouthed silently, ¡°I¡¯ll find you later.¡±


    She chuckled to herself and bared her teeth in a malicious grin.


    Stryg turned to Plum who still hadn¡¯t let him go, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To get answers.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to find out.¡±


    Stryg sighed to himself, ¡°Tell me there¡¯s a good reason for dragging me away from living out one of my fantasies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more important than bedding your childhood bully, I can tell you that much. Which is a super weird fantasy, by the way.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t my bully, Srixa was more of everyone¡¯s bully. Leader of the pack you could say. Our generation respected her because she was strong¡­ and because she would beat up the ones who didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And you still want to bed her?¡± Plum asked in disbelief. ¡°I mean, has no one ever told you not to fuck crazy?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, right. I should have given Feli that advice.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his lilac eyes, ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Plum said lightly. She led Stryg through one of the empty dirt paths until they reached a dark corner of the village, far from the bonfires and the watchful eyes of the villagers.


    Tauri leaned against one of the log houses¡¯ walls, waiting for them in brooding silence. The whole area was dark, save for the moon casting a pale light over Stryg¡¯s white hair, giving it a silver sheen.


    ¡°Tauri? What are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked.


    Tauri glanced at Plum and nodded. ¡°Tell him,¡± she said with a slight edge to her tone.


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Plum paused and took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a long time, we both have. You used to tell me about your days in Vulture Woods, how you grew up in the Blood Fang tribe.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and¡­?¡±


    Tauri groaned impatiently, ¡°What Plum is trying to say is that as fun as the little party those goblins are having over there seems, neither of us has forgotten that they were just trying to kill us an hour ago. Plum is a drow, an outsider in every way. And I¡¯m an orc. Any goblin in this whole damn forest would be happy to see my head mounted on a spike. We¡¯re in danger just being here. We need to know if we can trust you¡ª¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°¡ªOf course, you can trust me. What sort of question is that?¡± Stryg glared at them.


    ¡°Completely. We need to know if we can trust you completely. Which means no more lies,¡± Tauri finished.


    ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡±


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°You¡¯re a prime mage, aren¡¯t you? Except you told everyone you weren¡¯t for three years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hm. Point taken.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, we came to this village for you,¡± Plum said. ¡°¡­I thought you needed some closure from the people that hurt you. But, maybe there is more to this than that. Second Mother told me things¡­ Look, I need you to tell me the truth, Stryg.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°¡­What happened to the four Mothers before First and Second?¡± Plum whispered intently.


    Stryg laughed, ¡°What? That¡¯s what this is about? I thought you two wanted to know why I didn¡¯t kill Srixa in the duel or something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know about that,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Stryg¡­ what happened to those Mothers?¡± Plum asked quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged. ¡°They died.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Plum pressed.


    ¡°The usual, I suppose. I was kind of young, but I remember one drowned in the river nearby. One fell ill and died a few days later. Another died in her sleep from old age. And the last one joined the hunters on a scouting trip and got killed by a lynx hiding in the trees.¡±


    Plum and Tauri shared a worried glance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t find that strange? A Mother going out on a scouting trip? I thought you said they usually don¡¯t leave the village, especially if it isn¡¯t safe,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°Who knows why she went.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, the Mothers didn¡¯t die like that. Second Mother told me a different story.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°She said they were all brutally murdered,¡± Plum said.


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°What? No, that can¡¯t be. I would have remembered a Mother being murdered, let alone four of them.¡±


    Plum narrowed her blue eyes and stared at him, her expression indiscernible. ¡°...I believe him,¡± she sighed at last.


    ¡°So Second Mother lied then?¡± Tauri asked.


    Plum stepped back, ¡°...No, I think she was telling the truth too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known Second Mother to be a liar, but she obviously lied to you,¡± Stryg said. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped I suppose, she sees you as an outsider. Maybe she was trying to confuse you?¡±


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted.


    Plum shook her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she was lying. You told me before that Sylvan folk aren¡¯t the type of people to resort to deception or betrayal to solve their problems, that¡¯s the dishonorable coward¡¯s path. What kind of Mother would do that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Stryg said slowly. ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When Second Mother was talking to me she looked¡­ worried, scared even. I think she was telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t be two truths,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Which means someone is wrong, even if they don¡¯t believe they are,¡± Plum said. ¡°Someone¡¯s memories are wrong.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯ve been tampered with?¡± Tauri¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But can a purple mage even replace memories with that level of detail?¡±


    Plum bit her bottom lip in consternation, ¡°No, not really. We can at best tamper with someone¡¯s memories to make them forget a small single event and even then they¡¯ll remember after a few days; if the purple mage is very powerful then perhaps a few months at best. We can read the mind, hurt it, and even break it, but we can¡¯t create entirely new memories. The sheer complexity of creating a single memory let alone several is unfathomable.¡±


    ¡°So where does that leave us?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Plum said. She raised her hand, tendrils of purple light curled around her fingers. ¡°I know I¡¯m asking for a lot, but would it be okay if I searched through some of your memories? I¡¯d only take a glance at them, it would be enough to tell if they were tampered with.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Yeah, no thanks. I didn¡¯t even let Professor Vayu search through my mind during our training. I don¡¯t want anyone messing with my head.¡±


    ¡°You know I would never try to mess with your brain,¡± Plum said. ¡°If you want, you can read my mind afterwards. Search whatever memories of mine you need, make sure I didn¡¯t tamper with your own mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even still.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ Second Mother said there¡¯s never been a hunter called Sigte. She said Sigte is a blood rite, a forbidden ritual. Do you know anything about that?¡± Plum asked.


    Stryg¡¯s expression froze, ¡°What?¡± He suddenly winced and held his head between his hands. A faint memory teased the edge of his mind, but he couldn¡¯t grasp it no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°Stryg! Are you okay!?¡± Tauri ran up to him and held him up by the shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± he frowned.


    ¡°This is why we can¡¯t change people''s memories,¡± Plum said grimly. ¡°The mind usually reacts violently when it tries to reconcile the truth with the false.¡±


    Stryg gasped with shallow painful breaths and looked at Plum worriedly, ¡°Do it. Search my memories. If someone messed with my head I want to know who it was.¡±


    Plum nodded silently and placed her hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes and the purple tendrils flared brightly. She furrowed her brow as she focused on the spell. Sweat began dripping from her brow and her hand shook with strain. After a minute she gasped and stumbled back.


    ¡°Plum, what did you see?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    She sucked in deep breaths and rested her hands on her knees. ¡°...Nothing. I didn¡¯t see anything. I tried my best, but I couldn¡¯t even touch the surface of your mind. It¡¯s almost as if you''re immune to mind magic.¡±


    ¡°Just like Lysaila,¡± Tauri¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°What?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°When we first captured Lysaila Vayu tried to read her mind but he couldn¡¯t,¡± Tauri recalled. ¡°Something about lamias being immune to mind spells. It¡¯s one of the reasons they¡¯re considered one of the most deadly of all beastkin.¡±


    Plum glanced at Stryg curiously, ¡°You do have a strange relationship with the lamias.¡±


    ¡°Strange is putting it mildly,¡± Stryg muttered. He stepped back from his friends, careful to not move his head too much. ¡°I feel like I have the worst hangover of my life.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Yeah. ¡­I think I¡¯m just gonna lie down and call it a night,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°Right, yeah, of course. I¡¯m sorry about all of this. I just needed to make sure everything was okay,¡± Plum said apologetically.


    ¡°Congratulations, it turns out it''s not,¡± Stryg groaned in pain. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys back at the cabin.¡±


    Plum sighed as she watched Stryg stumble away. ¡°I feel like I just ruined my friend¡¯s night for no reason.¡±


    Tauri patted her back, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say no reason.¡±


    ~~~


    In the late hours of the night after the bonfires had died out, the Blood Fang village slept peacefully, save for the few guards patrolling the wall. In a small cabin near the edge of the village slept three visitors. Plum and Tauri shared a room and both slept on fur rolls. It wasn¡¯t much more comfortable than how they had been sleeping out in the forest, but at the very least it was warm in the confines of the cabin.


    The two of them had promised to take turns keeping watch, but as Plum¡¯s turn came around she found her eyes heavy from a long journey and before she realized it she had dozed off.


    An hour later, a cloaked figure slipped into the cabin through a small window, and silently tiptoed their way past Plum and Tauri¡¯s door. The figure slowly pushed the second door open and snuck into the room. Stryg slept unperturbed on the floor. The intruder glanced around for any threats before she settled her eyes on the blue goblin.


    His limbs were spread about in awkward angles and he had thrown the fur blanket aside at some point, though the cold didn¡¯t seem to bother him. Nameless was strapped to his belt and hung loosely across his waist, while the relic sword lay on the floor a few inches from his grasp. It seemed as if he had fallen asleep with it in his hand, no doubt trying to keep guard over his friends, she guessed.


    The intruder tiptoed closer until she was standing over Stryg¡¯s prone body, watching him in silence as his chest rose with rough breaths. Beads of sweat coated his blue skin and he grimaced every few moments.


    He¡¯s having a nightmare, she thought.


    First Mother pulled down her hood and glanced at Stryg one more time to make sure he was still asleep before she knelt over him and stretched out her hand towards his unsuspecting neck. Her sharp claws carefully traced over his skin and her fingers settled over his cheek with a soft touch. She gently brushed the white locks off his face and studied his features. She stayed there for a long while, simply watching him.


    Stryg muttered something incoherent in his sleep and turned on his side. First scoffed silently with a small begrudging smirk. She grabbed the fur blanket and wrapped it over him. Then she stood up to leave, but paused and glanced at the relic sword lying on the ground, now far from his grasp.


    First Mother knelt, grabbed the steel-white hilt, and looked over the dull chipped blade for a moment, before placing it next to Stryg¡¯s hand. She took one last look at his face then left the cabin as quietly as she had entered.


    With nimble grace, she jumped out the window and landed on the grass outside.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± a voice called out from the dark.


    First stiffened and spun around. She recognized the silhouette and sighed. ¡°What are you doing here, little brother?¡± She didn¡¯t bother waiting for an answer and simply walked away.


    The chieftain fell in next to her and smiled knowingly, ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    ¡°Spare me your useless words, Jahn.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help it.¡± His smile widened, ¡°After three long years of uncertainty and your endless worrying, it turns out your son is alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet or I¡¯ll bite that silly grin off your face,¡± she hissed at him, her small fangs glinting in the moonlight.


    Jahn chuckled and held his hands up in surrender, ¡°Fine, you win.¡±


    She growled and clicked her tongue, ¡°Stryg should have gutted you when he had the chance.¡±


    ¡°In my defense, at the time I thought Stryg taking my life and my place as chieftain would have been for the good of the tribe and our family. But don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m quite happy to be alive,¡± he winked.


    ¡°Keep talking and you won¡¯t be for very long.¡±


    Jahn stepped back and bowed with a flourish, ¡°And with that, I¡¯ll bid you a goodnight, sister. Starting tomorrow, things will be quite interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡± This time he didn¡¯t bother to wait for an answer and simply walked away, whistling a happy tune into the night.


    ¡°Someday I¡¯m going to break that idiot¡¯s legs,¡± First muttered.

 Chapter 368: A Scarlet Dawn

    Chapter 368: A Scarlet Dawn


    The sunlight peeked through the crack in Stryg¡¯s room. He grimaced and grumbled under his breath. His eyelids snapped open and he glanced around the unfamiliar room with an uneasy gaze. After two quick breaths, he relaxed his tense muscles and laid back down on his cot.


    Right, I¡¯m back home.


    He had finally returned to the village after 3 years and somehow, despite the turbulent homecoming, things had worked out. The tribe had accepted him back. He was no longer an exile, the chieftain had declared it himself. Even better, his friends and him were given an actual cabin! Not some small old tent, but a freshly built cabin, the sign of a well-respected tribe member. Things were actually going well for once. Srixa had even danced with him last night.


    Stryg found himself grinning at that last part.


    Still¡­


    He sat up and touched his forehead carefully.


    The headache is gone¡­


    While things seemed as if they were going well, not everything was as perfect as it seemed. Although the others in the tribe hadn¡¯t outright rejected him, many of them still hated him or at best were standoffish.


    Worse, someone had possibly messed with his memories, or the memories of Second Mother. Either way, he¡¯d make whoever did it pay.


    Stryg clenched his fists in frustration. Not much I can do about it for now.


    He jumped to his feet with a nimble summersault, the wood creaking beneath his weight. He wouldn¡¯t be figuring anything out this early in the morning, especially on an empty stomach. Which really meant there was only one thing to do.


    ¡°Train,¡± Lysaila and Gale¡¯s voices echoed in his mind.


    He checked to make sure Nameless was still sheathed on the belt around his waist and then with a quick flick of his toes, he threw the sword lying next to him up and snatched it from the air. He looked over the sword¡¯s chipped blade and ran his finger over the edge. The blade was still as dull as ever, its edge didn¡¯t even leave a nick. And yet it had somehow easily cut through a lamia¡¯s tough flesh and hardened bones.


    Something else I still don¡¯t understand.


    It was beginning to annoy him how little he truly understood. He thought becoming a mage would have changed that, he thought he would have become as wise as the shamans that resided in the Silver Hall Keep of Moon Fang Mountain. Instead, he felt like a child fumbling in the darkness.


    ¡°Train,¡± Lysaila and Gale¡¯s voices echoed once more.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± he grumbled under his breath.


    Stryg quietly walked out of his room and placed his ear on Tauri and Plum¡¯s bedroom door. Judging from their soft breathing he could tell they were sleeping.


    Stryg smiled. It was a good thing, they needed the rest.


    He headed out of the cabin without another thought and went to his old training spot, an empty patch of grass near the village wall, far from the cabins and tents.


    The early dawn light filtered through the ashen trees¡¯ canopy and bathed the world in scarlet light. Stryg closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could smell the various scents of the forest around him, the leaves, the grass, and the earth beneath his feet. The warm sunlight touched his skin softly, not like the harsh blinding light of Hollow Shade¡¯s unobstructed sun. Here, the world was quiet, still asleep.


    It was nice to be home.


    Stryg gripped the dull sword¡¯s white-steel grip and fell into a training stance. His hands and legs moved slowly, almost as if dancing underwater. Then suddenly he would transition into quick bursts of footwork and slashes. All the while he was focused on the instructions Gian and Gale had drilled into him over and over.


    ¡°Mind if I join you?¡± Jahn called out.


    Stryg stopped in mid-swing and almost toppled over. He quickly straightened his posture and bowed his head, ¡°G-Good morning, chieftain.¡±


    ¡°No need for such formalities,¡± Jahn said. ¡°You are a shaman now and a powerful one at that. There is no need to bow. In the eyes of the Sylvan we are equals.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg nodded reluctantly, though it still felt strange seeing the chieftain who he had admired his whole life tell him they were equals.


    Jahn raised his spear, ¡°So, do you mind if I join you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, not at all.¡± Stryg glanced around the empty area, ¡°Sorry, but don¡¯t you usually practice in the training grounds with the hunters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re still asleep. You and I are not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s still pretty early¡­¡±


    Jahn looked him over and smiled half-heartedly, ¡°You always did wake up earlier than the rest. Always eager to prove to yourself.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to prove myself. I was just trying to catch up with everyone. I was never fast enough, strong enough, or skilled enough¡­ I just wanted to be like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°And so you trained longer and harder than anyone in your age group,¡± Jahn nodded in understanding. ¡°Admirable, but it doesn¡¯t look like you still have to practice so hard.¡± Jahn pointed at his obvious height, ¡°You¡¯re not a scrawny little runt anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a full-blooded goblin either, am I?¡± Stryg asked quietly.


    Jahn shrugged and looked away, ¡°Yes, it would seem that way.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know who my parents w¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªTell me something. If you used to train so early just to keep up with your tribemates, then why are you still here now? You¡¯re obviously stronger than the others now.¡±


    ¡°Force of habit,¡± Stryg shrugged. He wrung his hands with uncertainty, ¡°About my parents¡­¡±


    Jahn looked him in the eyes with a steady gaze, ¡°Listen carefully and never forget what I¡¯m about to say. It¡¯s alright if you''re not full-blooded. Trust me. It doesn¡¯t make you any less of a Sylvan than anyone here. That¡¯s all you need to know. You are a son of Blood Fang, you are one of us, always.¡±


    A warm feeling bloomed in Stryg¡¯s chest. He sniffed and nodded stiffly. ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, shall we train?¡±


    Stryg smiled. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    The early dawn passed quietly as the two goblins trained side by side, each swinging their weapon with quick efficiency or slow precise gestures that seemed more of a dance than a warrior¡¯s strike.


    After an hour, Jahn called for a break. He leaned on his spear and breathed heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. Stryg wasn¡¯t in a much better state and agreed readily.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Hey, you weren¡¯t using life force energy during training, were you?¡± Jahn asked between breaths.


    ¡°Only a little. I can¡¯t really use life force to enhance my abilities, I¡¯m not a sword master yet,¡± Stryg admitted. It would probably take him several years before he earned that title, but he wasn¡¯t eager to admit that part.


    Jahn laughed in disbelief, ¡°I wasn¡¯t certain with how quickly you were moving, but damn, you really aren¡¯t a master after all?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, too fast. I reckon you¡¯re quite strong as well. I¡¯m envious,¡± Jahn grinned.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what to say. He had known the chieftain for his entire life, and while the chieftain had never been unkind to him, he had never been particularly friendly either. It was odd seeing a leader of the Blood Fang so relaxed.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure how to take that but he pushed on anyway. ¡°What sort of martial style are you using?¡±


    Jahn furrowed his brow, ¡°The Blood Fang Style, of course. It¡¯s the one everyone in the tribe learns as younglings. Including you.¡±


    ¡°Right, of course. It¡¯s just, I never noticed until yesterday, maybe perhaps because I never learned the advanced techniques, but the Blood Fang Style seems awfully similar to the Gale Style, my sword style. I learned it in Hollow Shade, far to the northeast of here.¡±


    Jahn was silent for a moment, then he shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything regarding the Gale Style you speak of, but our tribe¡¯s style is our own.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? Because the techniques you use are very similar to¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªOur style is our own. It belongs to the Blood Fang, no one else,¡± Jahn said adamantly. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me anymore about the matter.¡±


    Stryg wanted to say more but he held back and nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Jahn¡¯s expression softened and he sighed. ¡°¡­The Blood Fang style was developed by my mother long ago.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Your mother? Do you mean one of the Mothers?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean my birth mother. My sister and I weren¡¯t raised by the tribe¡¯s Mothers like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. He had never heard of something like this before. ¡°What do you even mean? How is that even possible?!¡±


    Jahn smiled dryly, ¡°My sister and I were an exception I suppose.¡±


    ¡°How? How could two goblins be raised by their birth mother? Wouldn¡¯t the tribe have been against that? Why would the chieftain have ever allowed it?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it helped that my mother was the chieftain at the time.¡±


    ¡°Your mom was the chieftain of the Blood Fang?¡± Stryg mumbled in surprise.


    ¡°And her father was the founder of our tribe,¡± Jahn said proudly. ¡°So yes, I guess you could say my mother had a particular sway over what the tribe allowed and did not.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ Why has no one ever told me of any of this before?¡±


    Now that he thought about it, he had never known much about the tribe¡¯s founder either. Who was he? What was he like? Was the founder ever like him? Did the founder ever find himself alone, uncertain of where to go? Uncertain of who he was? Why had he founded the tribe? Was it anything like when he founded the Ebon Hollow tribe?


    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Perhaps someday I¡¯ll tell you, but not today.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± he mumbled in disappointment.


    Jahn pointed his finger at Stryg¡¯s sword, ¡°So that¡¯s the weapon that sliced my steel spear in half, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yeah.¡± Stryg held up the relic sword and shrugged, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like much but it can be surprisingly sharp¡­ I think?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    Stryg nodded and handed him the blade, ¡°Sure, but be careful, it can sometimes cut your hand.¡±


    ¡°Hand?¡± Jahn tilted his head to the side, but grabbed the steel-white hilt anyway. He swung the sword a few times and tested its balance in the palm of his hand. ¡°Hmm. No cuts that I can see, it does look quite worn though. Where did you get it?¡±


    Stryg was about to say he had found the sword in the cave, but he thought better of it. If Jahn didn¡¯t wish to tell him more of the former chieftain, then perhaps he could leverage the information.


    ¡°Perhaps someday I¡¯ll tell you, but not today,¡± Stryg said.


    Jahn narrowed his eyes, then laughed. ¡°Very well, shaman. Very well.¡± He handed Stryg back the sword. ¡°I take it you haven¡¯t eaten since last night?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good, then you¡¯ll eat with me. Come on.¡± Jahn walked away, whistling a happy tune.


    Stryg hurried to follow. The chieftain¡¯s steps were much shorter, but his stride was fast and he covered ground quickly.


    ¡°¡­If I¡¯m being honest, Stryg, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he blinked. He never thought the chieftain would have even remembered a runt like him, let alone miss him.


    ¡°We could use the power of a shaman right about now,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°Ah. I see. Wait, why? Has something happened?¡±


    The chieftain nodded grimly, ¡°You already know of Third Mother¡¯s passing, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something about a wolf mauling?¡± he said carefully.


    ¡°It was a little more complicated than that,¡± Jahn sighed deeply. ¡°You see, about a year ago something very strange happened. The Mother Moon¡¯s glorious silver light was bathed in scarlet. A blood moon.¡±


    Stryg faltered in his step. He remembered that night. It haunted his dreams even now. Widow¡¯s Crag. The night he failed the one person who had never failed him, even in the end.


    Jahn continued, unaware of Stryg¡¯s thoughts. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what it meant, but First Mother said something was terribly wrong. After that night we received word from the Lunar Elect.¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan council? Why?¡±


    Even he knew direct word from the council was never a good thing.


    ¡°It seemed that the Mother Moon herself had spoken directly to Sabina of the Lunar Elect. Sabina then shared the message with the rest of the council, who in turn sent messengers to all the Sylvan tribes.¡±


    ¡°What did the message say?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    ¡°Danger is on the horizon. Prepare.¡± Jahn recited.


    ¡°Danger? What danger?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. But ever since our tribe received the message, we have been preparing for the inevitable.¡±


    ¡°The inevitable?¡±


    ¡°War,¡± Jahn said coldly. ¡°Our people may have lost the last war, but we will not lose this one.¡±


    Stryg halted in his steps, confused. ¡°Wait. You know about Lunis?¡±


    Jahn¡¯s eyes widened briefly, then he sighed. ¡°It is a sad past that our people do not wish to recount. And now is not the time to speak of such things.¡±


    Stryg clenched his teeth, ¡°If not now then when?¡±


    ¡°¡­A frost wolf came to our village.¡±


    ¡°What? When? Why?¡±


    Frost wolves were the messengers of Lunae. If one had come to the village then there must have been a very important reason, Stryg thought worriedly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t only our village, it was every Sylvan village,¡± Jahn said. ¡°A blessing from the Mother Moon. Each frost wolf brought a pack of wolves with them. Can you believe it? An entire pack of wolves, wild creatures that had somehow been tamed by divine magic.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that was possible¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Neither did I and yet each wolf chose a partner among a tribe¡¯s people. The Lunar Elect declared the chosen Sylvan would become riders, the first line of defense against the dangers to come. The greatest honor any Sylvan has had in three centuries.¡±


    Jahn bowed his head in shame, ¡°Except when the wolves came to our village, none seemed interested in our people. Third Mother found the notion ridiculous and against First¡¯s warning to simply wait and see, Third tried to ride one of the wolves by herself.¡±


    ¡°And the wolves killed her for it,¡± Stryg guessed.


    Jahn spat on the ground. ¡°Third was a fool and she died like one. The wolves left after that and haven¡¯t come back. All because Third was an idiot who let her pride guide her. I wish I had killed her myself,¡± he muttered angrily. ¡°Every single other tribe has riders now, all but us. I hate to admit it, but we are somewhat of a pariah among the tribes these days.¡±


    ¡°We are the only tribe who hasn¡¯t been blessed,¡± Stryg¡¯s face paled with realization. ¡°Because we are the only tribe cursed with a bad omen¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jahn shook his head. He reached out and grabbed Stryg by the shoulder, ¡°No matter what any of those other fools in the tribe have said, you are not a bad omen.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that,¡± Stryg mumbled. The chieftain was simply playing nice because the tribe was without a shaman and no shaman would be fool enough to come and join a pariah tribe.


    ¡°No, I do mean it. I should have told you that sooner, I regret that I didn¡¯t,¡± Jahn admitted quietly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Stryg nodded dismissively. He¡¯d play along, for now.


    Jahn noticed the look in Stryg¡¯s eyes and frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about this later. We¡¯re here.¡± He stopped in front of the Moon Hall and pushed the door open. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, shall we?¡±


    The Mothers were already inside, sitting at a round table, having breakfast. First Mother looked up and stiffened at the sight of the blue goblin standing in the doorway.


    Jahn stepped past Stryg and smiled, ¡°Room for two more?¡±


    First bared her teeth and hissed in anger, ¡°Jahn, you little¡ª¡±

 Chapter 369: Sylvan Breakfast

    Chapter 369: Sylvan Breakfast


    Jahn stopped in front of the Moon Hall and pushed the door open. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, shall we?¡±


    The Mothers were already inside, sitting at a round table, having breakfast. First Mother looked up and stiffened at the sight of the blue goblin standing in the doorway.


    Jahn stepped past Stryg and smiled, ¡°Room for two more?¡±


    First bared her teeth and hissed in anger, ¡°Jahn, you little¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSorry for the interruption, but I thought we could discuss some important matters over breakfast,¡± Jahn said lightly.


    ¡°You can bring your matter to us later. We are eating,¡± First said with a dismissive wave of her hand.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am leaving with the hunters after this. I¡¯m not sure at what time I¡¯ll be back. I thought it best if we discuss our matters now, they are rather urgent.¡±


    First tapped her clawed fingers on the table in thought. The other Mothers glanced at her worriedly and continued to eat their food in silence.


    ¡°Very well,¡± First finally spoke. ¡°Sit down, eat, and explain to me this urgent matter and why you have brought the young one here.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Jahn clapped his hands and sat down. He glanced at Stryg and urged him to join them.


    Stryg sat down reluctantly and kept his eyes on the wooden bowl of roasted bear meat in front of him. He could practically feel First Mother¡¯s gaze boring down on him.


    I shouldn¡¯t be here, Stryg thought.


    ¡°Bear, quite tough but tasty if you ask me,¡± Jahn said between bites.


    ¡°Explain. Why is he here?¡± First said curtly and pointed an accusing finger at Stryg.


    ¡°I told you, I have an urgent matter to discuss,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°We¡¯re all ears,¡± First said impatiently.


    ¡°After the disgraced shaman¡­ Crovor,¡± Jahn spat the name as if it was poison on his lips, ¡°Betrayed us we have been without a shaman for the last three years. I believe this may have been part of the reason why the wolves did not choose our people as riders. They saw us as weak, unworthy of their strength.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but we have no way of knowing for certain and what¡¯s done is done,¡± First said. ¡°The wolves are gone.¡±


    ¡°For now, but who is to say they would not return if the circumstances were to change? For too long we have been without a shaman. Now, a lost son of Blood Fang has returned to us, countless times stronger than that disgraced shaman ever was.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I propose we make Stryg the official shaman of the Blood Fang Tribe,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg asked, surprised. He hadn¡¯t heard of this.


    ¡°That is not your decision alone to make,¡± First hissed.


    ¡°Which is why I am here,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°I think the idea has light to it,¡± Second Mother spoke up.


    ¡°You were in on this?¡± First turned to her with a glare.


    Second shook her head anxiously, ¡°N-No, but the chieftain makes a good point. Our tribe seems weak without a shaman. Especially after the wolves left. There are whispers among the other tribes. They believe we are weak. Those kinds of beliefs are dangerous. If we do not make a proper show of power we might find ourselves under attack soon enough.¡±


    ¡°If any of those sniveling greedy tribes attempt to attack us we will do what we have always done. Kill our enemies,¡± First said angrily.


    ¡°Yes, but how many lives will be lost in the process? How many enemy attacks will we be able to hold up against until our forces have been depleted?¡± Jahn asked.


    ¡°And you think a single shaman can change that?¡± First laughed incredulously.


    ¡°A powerful shaman,¡± Jahn corrected.


    ¡°Powerful magic does not make one immortal. A shaman is still flesh and blood. A single stray arrow to the chest will still kill them. And here you are proposing that we make Stryg stand at the forefront of our future battles?¡± First slammed her fist on the table, ¡°Are you all insane!?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Stryg swallowed hard and straightened his back, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would make a good shaman for the tribe, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m going to stay here¡­ but I do know my own strength. I am not so weak as to fall to a stray arrow. I can hold my own.¡±


    First looked at him as if he was a blabbering drunk, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve never thought much of me. I know you and the other Mothers all thought me incapable of being a true Sylvan warrior.¡± Stryg chuckled bitterly, ¡°You didn¡¯t even think I could win my Night Challenge, which is why you had that tunnel prepared underneath the Hall, isn¡¯t it? But I am not the child who left this village three years ago. I am not afraid to fight for my tribe.¡± Stryg stood to his feet, ¡°If someone comes to hurt the Blood Fang, I will kill every single last one of them.¡±


    First groaned, ¡°This isn¡¯t about questioning your courage or abilities, you stupid boy! If you wish to prove yourself to others so badly then why don¡¯t you go outside and do some magic tricks for the younglings! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all applaud and hail you as a hero.¡±


    Stryg blushed and lowered his head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    First shook her head and glanced at the chieftain, ¡°You see? Is this what you want? A glory-seeking shaman at the head of our warriors?¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have to be fighting, not necessarily,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Shamans aren¡¯t invincible, you¡¯re right, they are flesh and blood. But the power of magic has never been what has kept the people of this realm in check. It is the fear of magic. Let Stryg display the sheer might of his powers once and I promise you the nearby tribes will think twice before sending even a single warrior our way.¡±


    ¡°I will not let you put a target on Stryg¡¯s back simply to quell the whispers of others,¡± First said coldly.


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Stryg asked, anger beginning to boil within him. ¡°I am an Ebon Aspirant. The whole realm has already painted a target on my back. What does it matter if a few tribes do as well?¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± First¡¯s face paled. ¡°The whole realm¡­? The whole Ebon Realm knows you are a prime mage!?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°YOU IMBECILE!¡± First yelled. ¡°You¡¯re not even a high master, let alone an arch-mage. What will you do if entire cities come after you!? How will you stop them!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made alliances,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°With whom?¡±


    ¡°House Kat¡ª¡± Stryg snapped his mouth shut. It was better if he didn¡¯t say he was marrying into an orc House, let alone one that had participated in the fall of Lunis.


    First sighed and slumped back in her chair. ¡°What will I do with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Hm¡­?¡± First looked up at him tiredly.


    ¡°Why did you make that tunnel underneath the Moon Hall?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, we didn¡¯t make the tunnel for you. It has been there for years,¡± First said.


    ¡°Then why did you want me to go through it? Why did you want me to escape? You said there was a reason. What was it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± First opened her mouth, but no more words came out.


    ¡°We needed to keep you alive,¡± Second Mother spoke up.


    ¡°Why? And when Plum asked you about Sigte why did you tell her there was never a goblin by that name? We both know Sigte was a part of our tribe,¡± Stryg pressed.


    Second furrowed her brow, ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t. I have never met a goblin called Sigte. None of us have.¡±


    The other Mothers nodded in agreement, save First who just stared at Stryg thoughtfully.


    So they really don¡¯t remember? Stryg thought worriedly. The thought that his tribe had forgotten one of their own was unsettling enough, but the idea that Sigte had never existed in the first place was worse. Had he been the one who had imagined Sigte? Had someone tampered with his own memories?


    ¡°Why did you need to keep me alive?¡± Stryg asked. ¡°Why me? There have been others who have failed the Night Challenge and have simply been killed or cast out to die in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Our reasons are our own,¡± Second Mother said flatly.


    Stryg recalled the story Plum had told him about the Mothers before. If what Plum said was true then perhaps the reason was obvious.


    Stryg took a deep shaky breath, ¡°Did¡­ Did you make that tunnel because you wanted to keep me alive or because you wanted to get rid of me? Because I¡¯m a bad omen? Is that what this has all been about? Or is it because I¡¯m an Aspirant? Are you afraid that my enemies will come here to find me and destroy our tribe?¡±


    ¡°¡­We kept you alive because it was your birth mother¡¯s wish,¡± First spoke at last in a quiet voice.


    ¡°My mother?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    His mother had died in labor.


    ¡°She wanted you to be safe,¡± Third added quietly.


    Fourth nodded, ¡°She never thought you were a bad omen.¡±


    Second smiled softly, ¡°She loved you. With her dying breaths she wanted you to know that. She loved you, Stryg.¡±


    Stryg suddenly felt as if he was falling, the world spun around him.


    Growing up, some part of him had always resented his mother. He had blamed her for his own weak constitution. She hadn¡¯t been strong enough to survive the birth and she had passed that weakness onto her son. But hearing her final words¡­


    Something inside him broke as a wave of guilt crashed over him.


    ¡°H-How? Why¡­?¡± he mumbled in a broken voice.


    ¡°Do not ask us more about it,¡± First whispered in a strained voice.


    Jahn coughed pointedly, ¡°We can discuss the details of the shaman position later. Stryg, come with me. There is a hunting party that could use your magic.¡±


    Before Stryg had a chance to respond, Jahn grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the Hall. Stryg didn¡¯t resist, his mind was elsewhere.


    The dining room fell silent. The Mothers did not touch their food, not even Fifth, who had kept her envy to herself and had said not a word. The Mothers all worriedly looked at their leader and matriarch, who sat with her head bowed in silence.


    First pulled off her scarlet-ebon wreath and tossed it aside. She ran her shaking hands through her black hair, exposing the white roots underneath the black dye. Her bottom lip trembled, but she clenched her jaw and took deep calming breaths. Without a word, she stood up from the table and walked out of the room.


    Second stared at the empty doorway with pity. ¡°Your mother still loves you, Stryg,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 370: Hunting Trip

    Chapter 370: Hunting Trip


    Jahn pulled Stryg out of the Moon Hall and into the quiet morning. Birds were chirping in the scarlet woods, goblins were shouting in the training grounds, and Jahn¡¯s mouth opened and closed with words that seemed somewhat relevant, and yet they all fell on deaf ears.


    She loved you, Stryg.


    Second Mother¡¯s words echoed in his mind over and over.


    His birth mother had cared for him. She had loved him. Someone had actually loved him, even when he was weak, even when he had nothing to offer, even when everyone else thought he was a bad omen, his mother had loved him. No strings attached.


    ¡°Stryg, are you listening?¡± Jahn snapped his fingers in front of his face.


    Stryg blinked, ¡°Hm? What? What was that?¡±


    Jahn sighed, ¡°You alright, kid?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± He shook his head and rolled his shoulders, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I¡¯m going to need your help on today''s hunting trip.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going hunting? Wait, we¡¯re going hunting?¡± Stryg asked excitedly.


    ¡°With a team of hunters, but yeah,¡± Jahn grinned, ¡°You and I are going hunting. Are you up for it?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯ve waited my whole life for this.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s move. Our team is already waiting at the village gate,¡± Jahn gestured to him to follow and headed towards the sentry towers in the distance.


    Stryg went to follow but paused in his steps, ¡°Did¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Jahn glanced back.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you know her? My mother?¡±


    Jahn sighed and scratched the back of his neck, ¡°Yeah, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°What was she like?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I had to sum her up? One word comes to mind. Single-minded. She was the most determined individual I have ever met. She was someone you¡¯d hate to have as an enemy. Many people feared her.¡±


    ¡°Even our tribe?¡±


    ¡°Especially our tribe.¡±


    ¡°Did you? Fear her?¡±


    Jahn smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Yeah, yeah I did. But there¡¯s no one else I would rather have watching my back.¡±


    Stryg bowed his head and stared at his feet. ¡°I see,¡± he smiled warmly.


    ¡°Now, come on. We¡¯ll be late.¡±


    ~~~


    Four goblins were waiting for them at the village gateway. Stryg immediately recognized the prettiest one. Srixa stood on her hands, balancing herself with ease. She spotted Stryg, but made no motion to say hello. Instead, she spun around with her hands and gave him her back.


    Ah, shit.


    Stryg suddenly remembered he had promised to find her last night after Plum had dragged him away. But then he had spoken with Plum and Tauri, and the headache had come and¡­


    And I forgot¡­ shit.


    Stryg walked up to her, ¡°Srixa, about last night¡ª¡±


    She kicked out with her leg in an arching sweep at Stryg¡¯s face. He ducked his head to the side and missed her boot narrowly.


    ¡°Nice dodge,¡± Srixa said as she came up and landed on her feet. ¡°You¡¯ve still got good reflexes. I was worried your headache had slowed you down.¡±


    ¡°My headache? How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°One of the Skads came by your cabin last night to bring you some food, but that drow outsider told him you had a headache and weren¡¯t receiving any guests. After that, well, you know how fast word spreads.¡±


    So people already think I¡¯ve taken ill. They¡¯re looking for weaknesses, Stryg thought grimly.


    ¡°But it looks like they were all wrong. You seem to be doing just fine,¡± Srixa clicked her tongue with a wry smile. ¡°So you just ditched me last night for no reason.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you were just scared,¡± Srixa winked.


    ¡°Stop flirting with the shaman,¡± another hunter said. She was older than the rest, even older than Jahn. A long scar ran down from her eyebrow to her jaw from when she once fought a bear.


    Stryg had never spoken to her, but every goblin in the tribe knew who she was. Freleri, the eldest and most skilled of the hunters.


    Stryg inclined his head slightly, ¡°Freleri.¡±


    ¡°Shaman,¡± she answered in a curt voice. ¡°You may have magic, but you have never been out in a proper hunt. Try to listen to my commands and the chieftain''s while we¡¯re out there. We only survive if we stay together.¡±


    ¡°A lone goblin will be picked off by the wolf packs,¡± the third hunter recited. He was tall for a goblin and just as lanky. He sat on one of the many stumps sprawled about the village outskirts.


    ¡°But a pack of goblins can slay a dire bear,¡± the last of the hunters finished. She pulled out her dagger and slashed and stabbed the air in two quick motions as if to illustrate the Sylvan saying.


    ¡°The skinny one is Mullein and the one with muscles for brains is Kelsa,¡± Freleri said. ¡°And they¡¯re right. Stick together while we¡¯re out there. It¡¯s how we survive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of our ways,¡± Stryg said.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Not that you¡¯ve ever made an effort to follow them,¡± Freleri said coldly.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. Even after last night, there were still goblins who questioned his strength. Perhaps it would be best to set an example first? He flexed his fingers, his claws were eager to draw blood.


    ¡°Thanks for the dramatic threat of an introduction, Freleri. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Jahn stepped in between them. ¡°Welcome to my hunting party, Stryg. I dare say we¡¯re the best of the bunch, but we¡¯re running late. The other parties have already set off for the day. If we want to be back with meat before nightfall I¡¯d say we should head out now. Any questions?¡±


    Stryg relaxed his muscles and smiled, ¡°None.¡±


    ~~~


    The Blood Fang¡¯s chieftain led the hunting party. Jahn traveled through the winding ashen trees with a quick pace and a clear direction. He¡¯d only stop occasionally, his yellow eyes darting around as if searching for something, then he¡¯d continue on his way a few seconds later.


    Stryg followed a few steps behind, keeping an eye on the scarlet canopy above them. There was a constant rustling of noise from the leaves. Whether it was a squirrel, a dire vulture, or a prowling snow leopard, he wasn¡¯t quite certain. In Vulture Woods, there was countless fauna prowling from above and below.


    Yet no such danger seemed to discharge Jahn. In fact, he seemed to move even quicker as the morning passed, determination to find their prey growing with each step.


    Stryg knew the chieftain¡¯s pace was demanding and there were few in the tribe who could keep up. A master of life force was far stronger and faster than the average goblin. It was a surprise the other hunters were managing to follow, albeit at a slower pace.


    As the sun reached its zenith in the noon sky Jahn called the party to a halt in a small clearing, save for a large boulder that rested next to a curled tree. He signaled with quick hand gestures that they would rest for the next 10 minutes then they would resume the hunt. And with that Jahn closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in silent meditation.


    Freleri rested her back on a tree and sat down with a quiet groan. Her breathing was rough and beads of sweat formed at the edges of her forehead, but her gaze was cold and alert. Her scar gave her eyes a perpetual angry glare, not that she seemed to mind. As she sipped her water skin she kept her eyes on the trees and bushes that lay past the clearing. Her spear never left her hand.


    Kelsa and Mullein sat next to her, one on each side. Mullein unstrapped his bow off his shoulder and began polishing the wood with a simple cloth and a small bottle of oil. Kelsa drew her dagger and continued carving her small wooden sculpture.


    A few paces away from them, Sara stretched her legs with slow precise movements. As the four of them went about their small habits, they spoke to each other in quiet voices.


    Stryg watched them from the other end of the clearing in silence. Even though Freleri was older than the others, the four of them seemed to be a tight-knit group. He wondered to himself how many hunting outings they had been on. A hundred? Two hundred? A thousand? How long had it taken for them to grow comfortable with each others¡¯ whispers and silence?


    The world suddenly felt very lonely and Stryg found himself missing Feli, Rhian, and Maeve. He wondered what they were up to right about now. Had they managed to safely arrive at Hollow Shade? He hoped so. He hoped everyone had made it out of Undergrowth safely. His mind wandered to the thought of Loh but he pushed the thought away. It would do no good to wallow in such fears.


    The large boulder in the clearing wasn¡¯t particularly leaning on the curled tree as much as the tree was leaning on it. The roots had grown around the boulder and the ashen trunk had stretched across the rock¡¯s back and grown above it, providing a nice shade.


    The rock was thrice as tall as Stryg but he didn¡¯t mind. He bent his legs and kicked off the ground as hard as he could. His body suddenly felt weightless, a split moment in the air, free from any bounds. He landed on the top of the boulder with a heavy step and a small smile.


    It hadn¡¯t been so long ago when he couldn¡¯t even reach the upper shelves in the library. Even though he still couldn¡¯t manage a Yellow flight spell, the world seemed a little easier to grasp.


    A whistle rang from below. Srixa looked up from the ground with a smirk, ¡°Our shaman is showing off his magic already? We haven¡¯t even found the prey yet.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t magic,¡± Stryg called out from atop the boulder.


    ¡°Sure, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Srixa rolled her eyes. ¡°Now this isn¡¯t magic.¡± She ran up to the boulder and grabbed the roots growing around the rock. With deft hands, she quickly scaled the giant boulder and made her way to the top.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Stryg said with a hint of admiration. He knew for certain he wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow her up that rock three years ago. His body had grown different than the others, he understood that. Though it seemed Srixa had no difficulty in keeping up.


    Srixa sat down next to him and poked his cheek, ¡°Mind sharing why you¡¯re brooding?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not brooding,¡± he snapped at her fingers, but she moved her hand away just in time.


    ¡°Then what are you doing?¡± she smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m uh¡­ I¡¯m hunting.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Then why are you all the way up here? It¡¯s terribly exposed. Any beast within a league could probably spot you from here.¡±


    ¡°Not with all this thick canopy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll spot them first.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I remember you were always scared, I didn¡¯t remember you were also an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Careful. Try to remember who is the strongest among us,¡± he hissed, though there was a hint of playfulness in his voice.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Srixa licked her lips and smirked, ¡°How could I forget the great magical strength of our shaman? My shin still hurts from when you broke it in our duel last night. I still have to repay you for that.¡±


    ¡°You broke your shin when you kicked me. And I¡¯m the one who healed it for you, remember?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who hardened your skin with magic in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t use magic in our fight.¡±


    Srixa burst into laughter and her lips widened in a dangerously wide smile, ¡°Do you really expect me to believe you beat me without magic? You may be taller than the rest of us, but you¡¯re not as strong as a frost giant, nor is your flesh as tough as a troll.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But the light of enhancement magic covers one¡¯s skin. It¡¯s easy to see if a shaman is using durability or vigor magic in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you''re not wearing any clothes.¡±


    ¡°Then next time I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to entice me for a second chance in bed?¡± she smirked.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually give second chances,¡± she leaned into his ear, ¡°You¡¯re so lucky I really want to break that precious little smile of yours. How can I resist?¡±


    ¡°You seem quite confident you won¡¯t be the one broken instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought plenty of men and women in all sorts of challenges. They all thought they could best me, but I always came up on top.¡±


    ¡°Until me.¡±


    ¡°Until you, for now.¡± She stretched her arms and yawned, ¡°One way or another, you''re all just prey.¡±


    ¡°A true hunter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all I ever wanted to be. It¡¯s all I ever need to be.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± he admitted quietly. ¡°To know exactly who you are and who you are supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Srixa whispered. ¡°It¡¯s simple, Stryg. I¡¯m a hunter and you¡¯re my prey.¡±


    He scoffed with a smile, ¡°You know, you remind me of someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you meet another beautiful and deadly goblin woman in this Hollow Shade of yours?¡±


    ¡°No, but I did meet an incredibly confident dwarf, Cornelius Rotrusk was his name.¡±


    ¡°I remind you of a dwarf?¡± she asked in disgust.


    ¡°Yeah, he also underestimated me, at first.¡±


    ¡°Did he now?¡± Srixa narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, until he learned one thing about me.¡± Stryg dusted off his pants and stood up. He pointed his outstretched fingers to the boulder beneath them. The rock twisted and a solid stone spear rose from the boulder. Stryg snapped the spear from the air and pulled back his arm. Brown mana filled his muscles and a swirl of bronze wrapped around his skin.


    ¡°I am single-minded.¡± Stryg stepped forward and hurled the spear with all his magical combined strength.


    The spear disappeared with a screeching whirl and ripped through the canopy like an arrow through paper. A high pitch screech echoed through the trees and a large snow leopard the size of a bear dropped from the branches, a bloody hole gaping from its chest.


    The other hunters shouted in surprise and jumped to their feet.


    Stryg turned to the shock-stricken Srixa and showed her his hand, brown mana still swirling through his fingertips, ¡°That¡¯s magic.¡±


    Srixa slowly glanced between the dead beast and the blue goblin standing next to her. A cold shiver ran down her spine. She smiled shakily, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Jahn cracked an eye open and smiled, ¡°Single-minded, huh?¡±

 Chapter 371: River Shower Part 1

    Chapter 371: River Shower Part 1


    The guards cheered and hurried to open the gates at the sight of the hunting party emerging from the edge of the ashen tree line. Stryg carried the giant snow leopard over his shoulders with pride. The chieftain Jahn walked next to him, whistling a happy tune. Srixa and the other three hunters followed behind, none seemed as happy, though they all gazed at the blue goblin with pensive expressions.


    Several goblins crowded around the gate as Stryg walked in with a triumphant grin.


    Jahn glanced at the early afternoon sun and smiled, ¡°I take it we¡¯re the first hunters to return?¡±


    ¡°Yes, chieftain!¡± one of the guards nodded excitedly. ¡°We didn¡¯t expect any of the teams to return until sunset.¡±


    ¡°But as expected, the chieftain¡¯s team never fails to impress,¡± another guard said as he stared in admiration at the snow leopard carcass.


    ¡°No, this kill was our resident shaman¡¯s and his alone,¡± Jahn said proudly.


    The guards and the other goblins stopped staring at the carcass and stared at the one carrying it instead. Stryg had thought he had grown used to the stares. The fearful and wary stares of his classmates back at the academy, or the stares of envy of Undergrowth¡¯s nobles, and even the stares of awe amongst the orphans of the Commoner District; he had especially grown used to the stares of hate that never seemed to leave him wherever he went. So it came as a surprise to him when he saw the stares of plain and simple curiosity in the yellow eyes of his tribemates.


    ¡°Oi! Stop staring and help get this beast to the cooks. I want to be eating roasted leopard by sunset,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°Yes, chieftain!¡± ¡°Right away!¡±


    Several of the goblin bystanders hurried to comply. Stryg lowered the leopard and handed it to four pairs of waiting hands. The goblins gasped at the unexpected weight and their faces grew red in strained effort. One of the guards and a few others rushed to help and together they slowly lifted the carcass and carried it towards the kitchens.


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you look, kid,¡± Jahn laughed and patted Stryg¡¯s back.


    He glanced at his blue hands and opened and closed his palms repeatedly, ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°Stryg!¡± a familiar voice yelled.


    He turned around with a smile, ¡°Tauri, hey!¡±


    Tauri strode towards him, though there was no smile on her red lips, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    Plum followed behind her, but she didn¡¯t say a greeting. She was too busy cleaning her glasses which seemed to have a smudge that did not seem to go away.


    Before Stryg could answer Tauri¡¯s question, Srixa stepped forward and pointed her spear at Tauri in a playful yet dangerous manner. ¡°He was out hunting with us. Do you have a problem with that, orc?¡±


    Tauri frowned and slowly pushed the spear away. ¡°Point that thing at me again and you and I will have problems.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we already do. Our people have had problems for three long centuries,¡± Srixa bared her teeth.


    Freleri, Kelsa, and Mullein walked up behind Srixa and held up their spears in agreement.


    ¡°Everything in this forest really wants to kill us,¡± Tauri muttered under her breath. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll make this clear to you all. If one of you even so much as tries to attack me or my friends I will burn a hole into your¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAhah! I finally got it!¡± Plum yelled in triumph and held her clean glasses up. ¡°I got a little blood on them yesterday from the super weird drink, but I finally cleaned off the smudge! Oh¡­ This isn¡¯t a good time, is it? Yeah, I uh¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll be quiet now.¡±


    ¡°Freleri, go take the others to cool off. It¡¯s been a long day,¡± Jahn said in a commanding tone.


    Freleri¡¯s expression brightened, ¡°Wait, you mean¡ª?¡±


    ¡°We did get back before any of the other teams. Frost-Tongue should be fairly empty save for some weavers, carpenters, and the younglings,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there, chieftain,¡± Freleri said with excitement. She gestured to her teammates, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Srixa gave one last glare at the orc before following after the others. Tauri shook her head.


    Jahn nodded to Stryg, ¡°I¡¯m going to go take care of a few things. I¡¯ll see you at the Frost-Tongue.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Stryg said.


    Jahn glanced at the others with a smirk, ¡°Orc. Drow. Try not to get in too much trouble.¡± Without waiting for a response he walked away with a skip to his step.


    Tauri turned on Stryg, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us where you were going? Better yet, why didn¡¯t you wake us up when you left?¡±


    Stryg shrugged awkwardly, ¡°I wanted to let you both rest. We¡¯ve had a long trip.¡±


    ¡°How can you expect us to rest when everyone around here wants to kill us!¡± Tauri whispered angrily. ¡°Especially when this one falls asleep on her watch!¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± Plum winced. ¡°I was really tired after casting magic last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Not the point,¡± Tauri said. ¡°The point is so long as we¡¯re in these woods the three of us are a team. We¡¯re supposed to have each other¡¯s backs. If one of us goes off on his own without telling anyone he leaves the rest of us vulnerable. Do you have any idea how long we spent looking for you? Hoping you were okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. Teams stick together. I should have said something before I left this morning,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°¡ªThat''s the closest we¡¯re going to get an apology isn¡¯t it?¡± Tauri raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, Stryg isn¡¯t great on apologies, I don¡¯t think any Sylvan really is,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°But you guys really don¡¯t have to worry about our safety while we¡¯re here,¡± Stryg said. ¡°The chieftain gave us his word. No Sylvan will dare attack us as long we¡¯re in Blood Fang territory. Even if they hate us.¡±


    ¡°Even if the others listen to the chieftain, this place is dangerous. I thought you would understand that better than anyone,¡± Tauri said. ¡°Why are we still here?¡±


    Stryg stared at the ground and smiled softly, ¡°¡­I just went on my first-ever hunt. I always wanted to be a hunter. To work as a team among the best warriors of the tribe. That was my dream. And today, I got a kill. You should have seen the look on Srixa¡¯s face. Or the chieftain¡¯s. I felt like for the first time I didn¡¯t have to hold back who I was, not even a little. I was still different, but¡­ not in a bad way. It felt nice.¡±


    Tauri grabbed his hand, ¡°Stryg¡­ I¡¯m happy for you, I am, but you know we can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know, I just¡­ Why don¡¯t we talk about this later?¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°I¡¯m covered in leopard blood and I¡¯d like to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Bath?¡± Tauri¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You have baths here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not savages,¡± Stryg said dryly.


    ¡°Ooh, yes please!¡± Plum jumped in happily.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Wait, we still need to talk¡­¡± Tauri called out weakly.


    ¡°Come on, we can talk later,¡± Plum pulled her along. ¡°It''s been like two weeks since we left Undergrowth, we could all use a bath.¡±


    Tauri stopped in her steps, ¡°Wait, do I smell? I¡¯ve been trying to keep clean with wet towels and some ointments¡­¡±


    ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never had a great sense of smell,¡± Plum shrugged. ¡°Unlike Stryg, he¡¯s got a nose like a hound.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s face paled, ¡°Take me to the baths now.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Welcome to Frost-Tongue River!¡± Stryg said cheerfully.


    ¡°This is not what I meant,¡± Tauri frowned.


    A calm river lay below the small hill they were standing on. The river was a little over 30 meters wide and its water was clear. Smooth white stones lay below the surface, reflecting the light of the sun.


    ¡°Wait, are you suddenly scared of water now?¡± Stryg teased. ¡°And you were the one laughing at me back at your family¡¯s pool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of water, it¡¯s just¡­ Why are they all naked?! The men and women aren¡¯t even separated!¡± she yelled in exasperation.


    About twenty goblins were already in the water, washing themselves with a few bars of soap.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°How else are you supposed to take a bath? And people say I¡¯m weird.¡±


    Tauri glared at him, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    He shrugged and began to take off his bloodstained clothes, ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a bath. You can stay here if you want.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m beginning to understand why Stryg has no shame when it comes to *ahem* intimate things,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°This is insane,¡± Tauri turned away, though she snuck a peek at Stryg¡¯s naked behind.


    ¡°I kind of like the whole idea. It¡¯s liberating, don¡¯t you think?¡± Plum smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re as insane as the rest of them,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg left his friends behind and waded into the river. He dunked himself into the water and closed his eyes, enjoying the calm current running past him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what his people¡¯s beliefs are, I am not getting naked in front of all of them!¡± Tauri said adamantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got an idea,¡± Plum said.


    She walked down to the river and created an illusion of a small walled enclosure. She nodded and smiled at her own genius then winked at Tauri. ¡°After you, miss Katag.¡±


    Tauri walked down to the enclosure and admired its privacy. ¡°This is nice, but can¡¯t you make a second one so we don¡¯t have to share?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I could, but then I¡¯d lose my chance to see you naked,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling with two hot companions who can¡¯t stop making side glances at each other. The least I can do is enjoy the view.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless, you know that.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Small victories.¡±


    Tauri grumbled to herself and reluctantly stripped. Plum followed suit, all the while enjoying the nice scarlet curves of the beauty¡¯s bottom.


    A cold shock ran through Tauri¡¯s foot as soon as she stepped into the water. She screamed and flinched. Her leg twisted back and she stumbled right into the ice-cold river. Plum laughed and got a perfect view of Tauri flailing in the water naked.


    ¡°I guess we now know why it¡¯s called Frost-Tongue, ey?¡± Plum giggled.


    Tauri¡¯s face rose from the water and she gasped for dear breath. ¡°I h-h-hate a¨Ca-a-ll of y-y-you!¡± she mumbled with chattering teeth.


    Plum sat on the smooth stone shore and dipped her feet into the water. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stay here for a while, let my body acclimate.¡±


    ¡°E-Easy for you to say. Your people originated in the north, y-you can handle the c-cold,¡± Tauri glared at her.


    ¡°Not like frost giants, mind you, but we get by,¡± Plum kicked her feet playfully.


    ¡°You knew the water was going to be freezing, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Stryg may have mentioned a story or two about the river back in our school days.¡±


    ¡°A-And you conveniently forgot to mention it to me, why?¡±


    ¡°I kinda forgot, but you gotta admit it was kinda funny.¡±


    ¡°You know I could have my House make you disappear, right?¡±


    Plum blinked, ¡°Welp, that¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    For a moment she had forgotten she was talking to the daughter of Lord Krall, leader of the Great House of Katag, the most powerful military family in Dusk Valley.


    ¡°Just hand me the soap already,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°R-Right,¡± Plum said anxiously. She went to hand over the bar of soap then suddenly froze mid-way. ¡°Oh shit¡­ would you look at that?¡±


    Tauri tried to crane her neck past the illusion but she¡¯d have to get out of the river to see, something she had no desire to do. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just, do you remember that Srixa girl?¡±


    ¡°You mean the crazy huntress threatening to stab us with her spear?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. She may or may not be swimming over to Stryg to flirt with him. And by that I mean she is totally flirting with him.¡±


    ¡°Hah, why should I care?¡± Tauri laughed forcefully.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦? That counts for something right?¡±


    ¡°Lords and ladies have had several spouses in the past, it¡¯s to be expected of the powerful. I don¡¯t think my sister will care if Stryg flirts with some random savage girl.¡±


    ¡°Right, but what if it¡¯s more? You do know Stryg¡¯s people have like zero reservations about sex and stuff, right? Like zero.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Tauri sighed.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that Stryg and Srixa are both naked, probably cold, looking to share some warmth. I once read a book like that. Things happen, you know?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up, Plumela. I¡¯m going to quickly take a bath and get out of this freezing water before I get hypothermia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Srixa¡¯s getting closer to him. Now she¡¯s got her hand on his chest.¡±


    ¡°Fucking dammit!¡± Tauri brushed the illusion away and swam towards them.

 Chapter 372: River Shower Part 2

    Chapter 372: River Shower Part 2


    Frost-Tongue River was warmer than Stryg remembered. Even in the summertime cold water would always rush through the river, clear and as chill as fresh-cut ice. Now the water only felt lukewarm as if he was in a tub of a small tavern in some remote village.


    He crouched into a ball and let his weight pull him to the bottom of the river. When his toes touched the smooth stones on the riverbed he opened his lilac eyes and looked around slowly. It was as if he had been transported to another world.


    The riverbed was quiet, the sounds of the river¡¯s calm current a soothing melody in his ears. Afternoon sunlight filtered into the water in a refracting pattern that reflected off the riverbed¡¯s white stones in a glittering display. He felt as if he was looking into a bright starry night.


    A pair of green legs swimming towards him grabbed his attention. Stryg kicked off the riverbed and shot up. His head barely broke the water¡¯s surface before his heavy body began to drag him back down. He quickly channeled blue mana into his hands and created a small current around his legs to keep him buoyant.


    ¡°You alright there, shaman?¡± Srixa called out with her usual confident smirk.


    ¡°Hm? Y-Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg nodded with a smile, trying to reciprocate the same amount of confidence.


    ¡°For a moment there I thought we might have lost you. You¡¯ve been underwater for a good three minutes. I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the river. Did you get a leg cramp or something?¡±


    ¡°Cramp?¡±


    ¡°Was the water too cold for you?¡± she teased. ¡°I know it''s been a while since you¡¯ve taken a dip in Frost-Tongue. If you ask me, the river is a little colder than usual today.¡±


    He forced himself to smile, ¡°Um¡­¡±


    For a moment Stryg considered telling her that he wasn¡¯t cold at all, he was just busy trying to swim, failing at it, and forced to keep up a torrent spell to compensate for his terrible swimming skills. But looking into Srixa¡¯s hungry yellow eyes he thought better of it. She was the kind of person who would pounce on any weakness she spotted.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t even speak to know? Are you really that cold?¡± Srixa asked with a playful tone.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± he said offhandedly.


    Srixa drew closer and ran her fingers over his chest, ¡°Then maybe I should help warm you up? It¡¯s the least I can do after you single-handedly caught today¡¯s prey.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch it so much as I speared it.¡±


    The snow leopard hadn¡¯t even noticed what was happening until the magical stone spear had rammed through his ribcage.


    ¡°Either way, you surprised us all back there,¡± Srixa whispered into his ear.


    Stryg smiled, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He liked the way her breath tickled his neck.


    ¡°Mhm. Even now the other hunters don¡¯t know what to make of you.¡± Srixa leaned on his shoulder for support and pointed her smooth leg at the other hunters bathing in the distance.


    The bulky Kelsa and the lanky Mullein were both watching him, a mix of worry and uncertainty in their expressions. When they spotted Stryg looking back at them they quickly adverted their gazes. Even Freleri, the eldest of the hunters, didn¡¯t dare meet his gaze.


    The feeling was odd. Stryg was used to disdain in the yellow eyes of his tribemates. But now¡­


    Srixa nestled her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear seductively, ¡°They¡¯re finally starting to see the real you. Whatever doubts they had about you after last night disappeared after your little display in the hunt. Freleri and the others are finally beginning to understand.¡±


    ¡°Beginning to understand what?¡±


    ¡°How dangerous you really are. They know their place well enough to not pick a fight with you.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Srixa chuckled, ¡°The only reason they haven¡¯t come over here to apologize for this morning¡¯s disrespect is that they still don¡¯t know what to make of you. They don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll simply make them submit to your leadership or beat them to a pulp first.¡±


    ¡°And do you? Know what to make of me?¡±


    ¡°I admit I misjudged you. You¡¯re stronger than I thought¡­ and more dangerous than anyone here believes you to be. You¡¯re not cold at all are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Srixa ran her hand across his arm, ¡°Your skin is warm and you haven¡¯t shivered even once. And your legs, they aren¡¯t moving under the water, but you¡¯re not sinking either.¡±


    ¡°Is it really cold¡­?¡± he whispered.


    Srixa¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not really. I guess I truly have changed,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Or maybe you¡¯ve just reverted to your true nature.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes after a long hunt, when we were all exhausted and huddled around a small fire in the middle of the forest, the older hunters would tell stories. Some of those stories were about you. I never believed them, they didn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°They used to talk about a cold-blooded child who not even the beasts of the forest dared harm. A cursed child who the whole tribe feared. The whole thing was quite odd. The Stryg I remember was a child who always spent his days alone, away from everyone. No one was afraid of you. You were just a little runt who couldn¡¯t even finish a race without getting winded. ¡­But now I¡¯m starting to wonder if those stories weren¡¯t just the older hunters trying to play a trick on us for laughs. You say you¡¯ve changed, but perhaps you¡¯re simply returning to what you always were¡­¡±


    ¡°A monster¡­?¡± he whispered hesitantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Srixa shook her head. She looked him in the eyes and smiled, ¡°Not just a monster. The greatest monster in Vulture Woods.¡±


    Stryg blinked in surprise. The way she said those words¡­ There was no trace of disdain or fear. There was only admiration. He had always thought becoming a monster was a necessary evil, but perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps being a monster was always the right path¡­?


    He cleared his throat and tried his best to keep his thoughts from showing. ¡°Cold-blooded you say? My blood runs as warm as the rest. And you¡¯re right, back then I couldn¡¯t finish a race without being winded. I¡¯m not reverting into anything, I¡¯m just me.¡±


    ¡°Your body¡¯s grown, certainly. But your nature?¡± Srixa looked him over, ¡°I think your true nature is just beginning to show.¡±


    ¡°Is this how you take showers in the Blood Fang tribe? It doesn¡¯t look very practical,¡± a familiar voice called out.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Stryg looked up in confusion, ¡°Tauri?¡±


    The beautiful orc was floating right in front of them. Her scarlet skin was as bare as the day she was born, though she kept one arm over her modest breasts. Stryg wasn¡¯t certain but her face seemed a shade redder than usual.


    Srixa smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. ¡°Look who decided to finally show up.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to take a bath?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I changed my mind,¡± Tauri said. ¡°I was hoping I didn¡¯t have to do this, but it seems I have to look after my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ and keep him safe from little sirens.¡±


    ¡°Did this orcish oaf just call me little?¡± Srixa hissed.


    ¡°Stryg is already spoken for so back off already,¡± Tauri said curtly.


    Stryg subtly shook his head for her to stop talking, but Tauri ignored him.


    ¡°Spoken for? As in there is a woman in his life?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem then?¡± Srixa cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°Some people in Hollow Shade believe in only one-partner relationships,¡± Stryg explained.


    ¡°Oooh! You come from a monogamous culture, is that it, orc?¡± Srixa chuckled. ¡°Here we don¡¯t care about such petty limitations. You may not understand this, but power is what matters in these woods.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s a new concept to me?¡± Tauri scoffed. ¡°You may not understand this since you¡¯ve lived in the middle of the woods your whole life but Hollow Shade is the greatest source of power in these lands. I grew up around some of the most powerful Houses in the realm. I am from such a House, or tribe as you might call them here.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re people aren¡¯t limited by archaic constraints of monogamy then?¡± Srixa suddenly asked.


    ¡°W-Well, no. Many lords and ladies have several spouses and even a few concubines too. But that¡¯s not the point¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t see what the problem is,¡± Srixa smirked. ¡°You say Stryg is spoken for, but you don¡¯t even believe in this ¡®one-partner¡¯ relationship. So why do you seem so bothered? Unless¡­? No. You?¡±


    ¡°What? No¡ª¡± Tauri frowned.


    Srixa laughed disdainfully. ¡°Stryg, you can¡¯t possibly tell me you¡¯d sink so low as to sleep with an orc?¡±


    Stryg suddenly remembered the time he had gotten drunk and slept with two orc prostitutes in Mellow Bloom. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a funny story,¡± he laughed shakily.


    ¡°Oh sweet Mother Moon, you¡¯ve actually slept with this tomato-looking giant?¡± Srixa¡¯s eyes widened.


    Tauri glared at her, ¡°He¡¯s not with me, you arrogant bitch. My sister and Stryg are set to be married, bonded for life.¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine she is as ugly as you, orc,¡± Srixa sneered. ¡°My condolences, Stryg. Not to worry, you''re among your own kind now¡ª¡±


    Bronze vigor magic suddenly swam over Tauri¡¯s arms and she grabbed Srixa by the wrist. Srixa hissed and went to claw her eyes out, but Tauri was faster. She tossed Srixa away with every ounce of her magically enforced strength. The goblin huntress screamed in outrage as she flew in the air and splashed into the river far away.


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s going to come back, you know. Maybe not now, but she¡¯ll definitely want vengeance for that,¡± Stryg said wryly.


    ¡°Let that bitch come. No one talks about my little sister like that,¡± Tauri growled. She noticed Stryg staring at her and she frowned, ¡°What? You think that¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just. I¡¯m sorry. I should have said something. You¡¯re part of my tribe now, I should have stood up for you when she said those things.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to stand up for me. I can handle myself.¡±


    ¡°I know that, it¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Tauri touched her neck and winced.


    ¡°Srixa must have gotten you after all, let me see,¡± Stryg pulled himself closer with his torrent magic.


    Tauri noticed the odd way he moved and smiled half-heartedly, ¡°You still can¡¯t swim, can you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a prime mage, I don¡¯t have to,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Turn your head.¡±


    Tauri was suddenly very aware of how naked and close the two of them were. She was grateful that the refracting water obscured her lower body.


    Tauri turned her neck with a small pang of pain. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna start licking my blood again are you?¡±


    ¡°As tempting as that sounds I won¡¯t.¡± Stryg looked over her neck. White mana flowed into his fingertips and he poured a healing spell over her flesh. ¡°The wound¡¯s shallow, this should only take a few moments.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Maybe you¡¯re not a bad healer after all,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I was never a bad healer, I just really like the taste of your blood.¡±


    Tauri wasn¡¯t certain how to respond to his words, so she instead focused on the river around them. Other goblins were swimming in the distance. Most seemed to be hunters taking baths, a few others were washing clothes. At the edge of the riverbank, she recognized two particular women. They went by the names of Fifth and Fourth Mother, she was fairly certain. The two Mothers were busy bathing a couple of toddlers who cried and struggled against them every time one of the Mothers dunked them in the river.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one who doesn¡¯t enjoy cold water,¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°The kids will grow to appreciate the river, most of them do at least. I never quite did. But being back here¡­ I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s nice.¡±


    Tauri imagined a toddler Stryg crying and flailing his limbs around trying to escape the water. The thought put a smile on her lips. ¡°Do the Mothers always give the kids baths?¡±


    ¡°One or two of them do. The role always falls on the youngest of the Mothers.¡±


    ¡°And what about the older ones?¡±


    ¡°The older Mothers bathe by themselves upstream.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that was an option!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the only ones permitted to bathe over there. First Mother insisted.¡±


    ¡°Figures there¡¯d be some stupid rule,¡± she grumbled.


    The white glow around Stryg¡¯s fingers faded away. He brushed his hand across her unblemished neck and smiled at his own work, ¡°There, good as new¡ª¡± He suddenly stopped and frowned. How hadn¡¯t he noticed it before? It was faint, but she was constantly trembling.


    ¡°You¡¯re cold?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s freezing,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg clenched his teeth, ¡°I should have¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Wait here for a moment.¡±


    Before she could ask what he was doing, he released his torrent spell and let the weight of his body drag him under. His body sank like a stone and he reached the riverbed with no trouble.


    Green mana flowed into his feet and he channeled the stone spell into the ground. The bedrock underneath him trembled and abruptly burst. The rock arose like a small mountain, carrying Stryg up to the surface. Tauri shouted in surprise as the rocks curled around her and Stryg and formed a small pool of sorts, a body of water separated from the rest of the river by a narrow stone wall that barely stood over the river¡¯s surface.


    ¡°What is all of this?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Callum once told me about these places in Frost Rim he used to visit.¡±


    A large flame bloomed to life over Stryg¡¯s palm. He pushed the flame into the water, keeping a constant stream of orange mana flowing into the fire. The water quickly began to bubble and steam began to rise from its surface. After a few moments, he stopped and released the flame spell.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s better,¡± Stryg nodded to himself.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a hot spring?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s what he called them.¡±


    Tauri shook her head in amazement, ¡°You never cease to surprise me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± She leaned back and closed her eyes, ¡°This is nice. Thank you.¡±


    Stryg pulled himself next to her and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­ You¡¯re not ugly by the way?¡±


    Tauri cracked an eye open suspiciously, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Srixa. She called you ugly. You¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah. I know,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Your sister isn¡¯t ugly either. She¡¯s quite pretty.¡±


    ¡°You can stop now.¡±


    ¡°But I think you¡¯re prettier.¡±


    ¡°Just be quiet and let me relax already,¡± Tauri closed her eyes, but there was a little smirk across her lips.


    ¡°I mean, your sister''s breasts are slightly bigger than yours, but compared to your bottom she¡¯s leagues behind. Your round cheeks are perfect for biting into and your thighs are just right for¡ª¡±


    Tauri groaned in mortification and anger, and let herself sink into the water.


    ~~~


    Upstream, the river¡¯s current was calmer. Second and Third Mother took baths in peace, without the blood-curdling screams of children refusing to bathe to bother them.


    A young woman with vibrant forest-green skin floated face up in the middle of the river with her limbs spread wide. Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed, the sting of the cold seemingly non-existent. Long snow-white hair floated around her in a white halo. She seemed like a fae, a creature of ethereal nature, untouched by the world around her.


    Second Mother swam up to the fae beauty and offered her a small clay jar. ¡°First Mother, the sun is beginning to set. Your son will probably be returning from his hunt soon.¡±


    The beauty didn¡¯t move, but her snow-white eyelashes opened slowly and her yellow eyes glanced at her friend with a tired gaze, ¡°¡­Back then, what would you have done in my position?¡±


    Second smiled weakly, ¡°I would have run away and never looked back, but then again, I was never as strong as you.¡±


    First considered her words carefully and inclined her head with a subtle nod. She kicked her legs against the water and turned her body upright. ¡°Hand me the dye, I¡¯ll need to be quick if we¡¯re to make it back on time.¡±


    Second opened the jar and dipped her fingers in the black cream, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±

 Chapter 373: A Mother’s Approval

    Chapter 373: A Mother¡¯s Approval


    The evening bonfires crackled and blazed with bright orange flames, though it did very little to stave off the biting winds that blew through Vulture Woods. Even now, in the early days of summer, little warmth reached this deep into the forest, so close to the frigid Rupture Mountains.


    Even so, dozens of Sylvan folk sat around the fires, roasting meat and vegetables or simply gathering for company after a long day of survival in the scarlet forest. Stryg was no different. He sat next to a bonfire, knees up, and his arms wrapped around his legs. Others talked and laughed with each other, regaling stories of the past, but Stryg sat in silence. He was alone, the other Sylvan folk had given him a wide berth.


    It almost feels like nothing¡¯s changed, Stryg thought glumly.


    The white petals of Blossom slowly pulled around his shoulders with a comforting snug grip. It was odd, even to him, how the cloak somehow always seemed to know what he needed.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered around towards the other fires, at the other goblins talking amongst themselves as they waited for the cooks to finish preparing dinner. He spotted Gathi sitting with other gatherers. They were all laughing about some joke, save for Gathi, who smiled with a small wince.


    White bandages were wrapped around her thin green neck and she scratched at them whenever she tried to talk.


    Why is she¡­? Oh. Right.


    He suddenly remembered how their reunion had ended; with a pebble thrown straight at her throat. He had just assumed the healers would have taken care of her injury by now, but they didn¡¯t have healers here as they did in the academy. There was only so much mundane medicine could do.


    Gathi noticed his gaze and her yellow eyes widened. She hurriedly looked away in shame.


    Had it been three years ago she probably would have come up to him and insulted him or worse, as she had many times before. One had to know their place amongst the tribe. But now the hierarchy was clear and he was no longer at the bottom. Gathi would not seek revenge for her injury. If she ever encountered Stryg, she would probably do her best to not cause any trouble.


    Things have changed.


    ¡°What are you doing over there? Still ogling pretty girls, I see,¡± Plum chuckled with a lewd smirk.


    Stryg turned around and looked up at her with a subtle frown, ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not,¡± Plum said sarcastically. She sat down next to him and nudged his shoulder, ¡°So tell me, what does it take to impress someone around here?¡±


    ¡°Impress? As in¡­?¡±


    ¡°After the whole ¡®naked river bath¡¯ thing it may have piqued my interest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re interested in bedding a Sylvan, ey?¡± Stryg smiled. ¡°Tired of Undergrowth women?¡±


    ¡°So long as they have a pretty face I¡¯m game, man or woman, I don¡¯t care which,¡± Plum grinned.


    ¡°What are you two lecherous juveniles talking about?¡± Tauri called out as she walked over to them.


    Plum blinked, ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on both your faces. That wanton and lascivious look. No wonder you two are friends,¡± Tauri said in mild disgust.


    Plum shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re not much different, Miss Katag. Last I recall, you were taking a ¡®looong¡¯ bath with Stryg not even an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened between us,¡± Tauri glared at her.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, sit down and join our little circle of debauchery,¡± Plum patted the grassy spot next to her.


    Tauri muttered something under her breath but sat down reluctantly nonetheless.


    ¡°So, where were we?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think there is any goblin here interested in sleeping with a drow,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t particularly keen on outsiders.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have any problem bedding the beautiful Miss Feli.¡±


    ¡°I was practically an outsider myself¡­ And like you said Feli is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you saying I¡¯m ugly?¡± Plum glared at him.


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°Well, n-no. I think you¡¯re quite pretty, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m the only goblin here who sees a drow as anything but an outsider.¡±


    ¡°And they hate outsiders,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°There goes my chance at an interesting night here.¡±


    ¡°Oi! Orc! Get up! It¡¯s time you and I had a proper match!¡± Srixa called out. She held her spear in one hand and a dagger in the other.


    ¡°Ah, this bitch,¡± Tauri muttered to herself. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to really hate that friend of yours.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my friend though,¡± Stryg said offhandedly. His list of friends was quite small and it did not involve anyone from the Blood Fang Tribe. Still, he didn¡¯t want to see Srixa dead either.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I said get up, orc!¡± Srixa stomped towards them.


    Tauri snarled and began to channel orange mana into her veins.


    Srixa pointed her spear at Plum, ¡°Get out of my way, drow! Or I¡¯ll mess up that beautiful face of yours!¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened. She turned to Stryg with a triumphant grin, ¡°You see that! She called me beautiful! Hah, I''m not ugly, in your face!¡±


    ¡°I never said you were ugly,¡± Stryg sighed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to ignore the part where she just threatened to disfigure you?¡± Tauri said dryly.


    ¡°Meh, Stryg used to threaten to bite my face off all the time. You get used to it,¡± Plum shrugged.


    ¡°Why are you all ignoring me!?¡± Srixa yelled angrily.


    ¡°Be quiet, Srixa!¡± First Mother¡¯s voice cut through the chattering of everyone nearby.


    The goblins sitting amongst the bonfires shut their mouths and stared at First Mother fearfully.


    Srixa¡¯s face paled. She hurriedly dropped her weapons and bowed her head.


    First Mother slapped her across the cheeks so hard Srixa toppled over, stunned.


    First hissed at her, ¡°The chieftain explicitly stated that Stryg and his companions are under the safety of our tribe. Are you actually trying to break that oath? Do you think I¡¯d allow you to bring dishonor to our tribe?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, First Mother, I did not mean to¡ª"


    First slammed her foot on Srixa¡¯s rib cage over and over. Several audible cracks resounded in the quiet night. Srixa gasped painfully and coughed up blood as the kicks rained down on her. Finally, First stopped and rolled Srixa over with her foot.


    First looked down at her with cold eyes, ¡°Get out of my sight.¡±


    Srixa nodded weakly and tried to stand. Her arms trembled with strain and she collapsed on the ground. The other goblins watched, with a mixture of pity, but none moved to help. They all knew the consequences of standing in the way of First Mother¡¯s wrath. Even Tauri winced in sympathy at the bloody mess the huntress had been left in.


    A pair of grey hands grabbed Srixa by the arm and helped her up.


    Srixa frowned in shock, ¡°Y-You¡­?¡±


    Plum smiled hesitantly, ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Srixa pushed her away. She turned to First Mother, bowed her head, then hobbled off into the darkness.


    First glanced at Plum, ¡°You intervened in my tribe¡¯s matters, drow. You do realize she was trying to kill your companion?¡±


    Plum stood her ground and glared at First, ¡°Call me a fool, but I believe in mercy. Tauri can handle herself and Srixa had already stopped the moment you called her out. There was no reason to beat her half to death!¡±


    ¡°The only reason Srixa is still breathing is because I showed her mercy,¡± First said coldly. ¡°Any other First Mother would have killed her for such blatant disobedience to the chieftain¡¯s decree. And for good reason. The hierarchy matters. Without it we have chaos.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re the reason why Stryg has such messed up ideals,¡± Plum said.


    First narrowed her eyes, ¡°Careful what you say. Or I will supersede the chieftain¡¯s decree.¡±


    Plum shook her head in silent disgust. She sat back down reluctantly, though she stared daggers at First Mother the whole while.


    Finished with her business, First turned to leave, stopped, and instead sat down with them at the bonfire. She ignored Plum¡¯s angry gaze and looked at Stryg, ¡°Your friend does not know our ways. Teach her our rules before she gets herself killed.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt my friends¡­¡± Stryg swallowed hard, ¡°Not even you.¡±


    First¡¯s lips curled in a small smile, ¡°As it should be. The tribe protects each other... Even if that tribemate is a drow.¡± She glanced at Tauri annoyedly, ¡°Or an orc for that matter.¡±


    Plum furrowed her brow. The way First Mother smiled was oddly reminiscent. There was something about it she couldn¡¯t quite place.


    ¡°Stryg, I need to speak to you over Jahn¡¯s proposition regarding your role as the shaman of the tribe,¡± First said.


    He nodded, ¡°Right, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°But before that, what is your exact relationship with these two women?¡± First asked.


    Plum and Tauri felt a shiver run up their spines as they noticed the dangerous look in the matriarch¡¯s eyes.


    But Stryg did not. He smiled obliviously, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stryg and I are friends, purely friends,¡± Plum interrupted him.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true¡ª¡±


    Tauri nodded, ¡°So am I. We¡¯re just friends¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNot true,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri muttered in horror.


    ¡°I like Tauri,¡± Stryg wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. ¡°I like her a lot.¡±


    ¡°Idiot, this isn¡¯t the time for your antics!¡± Tauri admonished with a whisper.


    First slowly cocked her head to the side, ¡°Is she your woman?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Tauri said and tried to push Stryg away. ¡°And he is marrying my sister!¡±


    Stryg easily pulled her back into his embrace and cradled her in his arms. ¡°I¡¯d rather marry you,¡± he said lightly.


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Tauri¡¯s face darkened a shade redder. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­ You can¡¯t just say something like that! It is not your decision to make! You¡¯re already engaged to Elena! You have an alliance with my House!¡±


    ¡°Well, technically if he¡¯d marry you, he¡¯d still be marrying into your House, and therefore the alliance would still stand¡­¡±


    ¡°Plum, shut up!¡± Tauri snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t just break off your engagement!¡±


    Stryg slowly cocked his head to the side, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°B-Because! There are rules!¡± Tauri yelled.


    He looked down at Tauri, their faces a hair¡¯s breadth apart. ¡°Do you not like me?¡± he asked in a quiet earnest voice.


    Tauri swallowed, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t approve,¡± First said sharply.


    Stryg looked up, confused, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t approve of your relationship with this woman. Whatever you have with her, I want it over, now,¡± First said.


    Stryg frowned, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons,¡± First said curtly.


    Tauri tried to get up, but Stryg¡¯s arms held taut, so she simply shifted her body until she was sitting upright on his lap. ¡°If I may, First Mother, I understand you¡¯re the matriarch of this tribe and you helped raise Stryg. ¡­More importantly, I understand why you¡¯re distrustful of orcs, but you must know I wasn¡¯t there 300 years ago. I had nothing to do with what happened to Lunis. You may not know me, but believe me I am not your enemy.¡±


    ¡°Not my enemy¡­?¡± First smiled amusedly. ¡°You are a Katag, are you not? A descendant of Katag the warlord, the orc who led his Scarlet Realm armies into the heart of Lunis and helped raze it to the ground.¡±


    Tauri bit her lip, ¡°Yes, but¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t, but you are still the child of our enemy.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me your enemy.¡±


    ¡°We shall see.¡±


    A shout echoed in the distance. Everyone turned to the sudden commotion at the edge of the village square. First Mother swiftly stood up and stepped in front of Stryg and inadvertently Tauri.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Stryg tried to crane his neck to the side to see, but both Tauri and First Mother blocked his vision.


    Dozens of goblins rose to their feet, claws outstretched, ready for battle.


    A wolf rider walked into the village square, escorted by a pair of guards. The rider was adorned in grey fur leather and he sat upon a wolf of similar coloring.


    ¡°A messenger from the Lunar Elect has arrived!¡± a goblin guard announced.

 Chapter 374: Sylvan Emissary

    Chapter 374: Sylvan Emissary


    Dozens of goblins rushed to move out of the way of the large grey wolf as it stalked its way to the village square. A pair of guards escorted the wolf and her rider through the village, though neither guard tried to step too close. They had seen how quickly a wolf of Vulture Woods could rip apart a bone and flesh. The late Third Mother¡¯s death was still fresh in their memories.


    Over a hundred goblins were already at the village square by the time the rider and his wolf arrived. They were all sitting by several bonfires, waiting for dinner if the scent of sizzling meat in the air was any indication. They all seemed ready to fight, but as soon as they spotted the wolf they lowered their claws.


    Bloodthirsty as ever, thought the rider with a disgruntled frown, though his expression was hidden underneath his helm.


    His wolf noticed his displeasure and growled at the goblins nearby, much to their dismay.


    The rider patted her head soothingly. ¡°There, there,¡± he muttered quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with and be on our way.¡±


    One of the guards cleared his throat and shouted, ¡°A messenger from the Lunar Elect has arrived!¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°A messenger from the Lunar Elect has arrived!¡± the guard repeated once more.


    First Mother glanced at the young outsiders behind her and whispered harshly, ¡°Hide!¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes shot towards Stryg, ¡°Library, the first time we met.¡±


    His eyes lit with recognition and he nodded.


    Tauri, still sitting on Stryg¡¯s lap, hurried to run behind a nearby cabin, but he held her tight. ¡°Stryg, what are you doing!?¡± she whispered angrily.


    Plum raised her hands and channeled purple mana into her veins.


    The air around them suddenly blurred and their bodies suddenly disappeared as if they had never been there, or at least it seemed so to everyone around them.


    Tauri marveled at the faint purple sphere swirling around the three of them. ¡°What is this?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Plum¡¯s cloaking spell,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Cloaking? Like invisibility?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s casting an illusion shell around us. The outer shell mimics the area around it, effectively making us invisible, while the inner shell allows us to maintain sight of what¡¯s happening outside.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know illusion spells could do that¡­¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°Their niche spells. Most purple mages can¡¯t cast cloaking spells like this due to their inherent complex nature, not even me,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°But Plum always had a knack for this sort of thing.¡±


    Plum grinned proudly, ¡°It¡¯s one of the first spells I ever mastered. Of course, I''ve improved on my spells over the years. Still, they came in pretty handy back in my days at the academy.¡±


    Tauri narrowed her eyes, ¡°What exactly were you using this spell for?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that¡­¡± Plum said sheepishly.


    ¡°She used to spy on people,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Will you all shut up!? I can still hear you idiots,¡± First snapped at them quietly.


    ¡°...and other things,¡± Stryg whispered into Tauri¡¯s ear.


    She suddenly remembered how close the two of them were, but she felt oddly comfortable in his embrace as if they were still back in the gardens of her family¡¯s villa.


    Jahn strode into the village square with his usual quick pace and spotted the wolf rider immediately. The other goblins bowed their heads in deference as Jahn walked past them and made his way to the forefront of the square.


    The rider looked the sturdy goblin over, noting the taut muscles hiding underneath his simple linen shirt, and the heavy iron spear in his tight grip. His beard was well-trimmed and more silver than black. A single golden ring tied the beard together at the bottom of his chin.


    The rider took off his helmet, revealing several scars etched across his pale green skin. ¡°You must be the chieftain.¡±


    Jahn didn¡¯t lower his spear and only stared at the rider, ¡°I am Jahn, chieftain of the Blood Fang Tribe. And who are you exactly?¡±


    The giant wolf turned her head towards the chieftain and snarled with a low growl.


    Jahn didn¡¯t flinch and instead hissed at the wolf.


    ¡°Shh, shh,¡± the rider ruffled the grey hairs on his wolf¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯d be careful, chieftain. She can be as aggressive as your people.¡±


    Jahn bared his fangs, ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    The rider leaned forward with interest, ¡°And what a fight that would be. Alas, we are here for a different purpose. My name is Otley of the Iron Spine Tribe. I am a direct emissary of the Lunar Elect.¡±


    Jahn¡¯s eyes widened and he lowered his spear, ¡°Otley? Your name precedes you, troll slayer. Why has the council sent such a famed warrior here?¡±


    ¡°I have come with a message.¡±


    ¡°Then could the council not have simply sent a messenger? Why send one of their personal emissaries?¡±


    Otley¡¯s lips curled in a faint smile, ¡°The three Elects thought it best to send me after the last messenger that came here suffered an¡­ ¡®unfortunate¡¯ accident.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Jahn grimaced, ¡°Yes, well, accidents do happen. The woods are dangerous after all.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°The last messenger threatened one of our younglings after a small altercation,¡± First Mother called out and walked over to join her brother. ¡°I personally slit that messenger¡¯s throat and watched him die; he clutched at his neck helplessly and thrashed on the ground like an animal. Now that I think about it, he was an Iron Spine too.¡±


    Otley noticed the black-scarlet wreath on her brow and smiled grimly, ¡°And you must be the matriarch.¡±


    ¡°I am the First Mother,¡± she answered calmly.


    ¡°Oh, I know who you are. Your name precedes you as well, Favored of the Moon,  Aurelia the Blooded.¡±


    First narrowed her eyes, ¡°That is no longer my name.¡±


    ¡°Your extreme dedication to the priesthood of the Mothers is admirable. But if I have learned anything in my life it is that names never die, they endure through time and death. People still whisper your name with fear in the Silver Hall.¡±


    First¡¯s yellow eyes grew cold and her wrist twitched. Otley¡¯s wolf suddenly turned on her and snapped her jaws in a show of force. First did not flinch, nor step back, she simply stared at the beast.


    Otley pulled the wolf back by her reins until she stopped growling. He smiled wryly at the chieftain and Mother, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. My companion grows agitated when she senses my life is in danger.¡±


    ¡°I am running out of patience,¡± First said with a quiet icy tone. ¡°Tell us why you are here.¡±


    Otley bowed his head in acquiescence, ¡°The Lunar Elect has called a Tribal Moot at the mountain in one week¡¯s time. They expect all the tribes to be there, including Blood Fang.¡±


    Jahn frowned, ¡°The summer has only begun. The Tribal Moot isn¡¯t due for another several months.¡±


    ¡°I do not question the Elects¡¯ decision,¡± Otley said. ¡°Times have changed, the Scarlet Moon was only the beginning.¡±


    ¡°The Blood Fang will be there. Anything else?¡± First asked with a curt tone.


    ¡°From the council? No. From the chieftain of the Iron Spine Tribe? Yes,¡± Otley said.


    ¡°And what does your chieftain want?¡± Jahn asked defensively.


    ¡°As you are very well aware, my tribe is one of the four greatest in all Vulture Woods. Our armies outnumber yours by several fold.¡± Otley broke into a thoughtful smile, ¡°But our chieftain wishes to assure you, that he holds no grudge over the unfortunate death of our messenger. These are desperate times and the Sylvan people must stay together if we are to weather the dangers ahead.¡±


    ¡°It seems the Iron Spine¡¯s wisdom and forethought are as true as they say,¡± Jahn bowed his head. ¡°We will not forget your chieftain¡¯s decision to overlook this matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. My chieftain wanted the head of whoever was responsible for our messenger¡¯s death. I convinced him otherwise,¡± Otley smirked, though the scars on his face made it seem more terrifying than disarming.


    ¡°Well, then it seems we have you to thank,¡± Jahn said.


    Otley shook his head, ¡°No need to thank me. I didn¡¯t do it for your gratitude. I did it because I was there that day, 22 years ago. I was there when you earned your title, Aurelia. I¡¯ll never forget what that meant to everyone, what it meant to me.¡±


    ¡°Enough, leave our village,¡± First snapped.


    Otley turned his wolf around, but he glanced back one last time, ¡°The Sylvan could use your unyielding will, Aurelia, now more than ever.¡±


    ¡°I told you, that is not my name. Now go before my brother¡¯s spear finds your back.¡±


    ¡°Farewell,¡± Otley nodded and left quietly with his wolf.


    Jahn watched the emissary leave and shook his head, ¡°I told you, you shouldn¡¯t have killed that Iron Spine messenger.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jahn.¡±


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Stryg called out. He stepped out from the illusion shell and glanced at the tribe¡¯s two leaders. ¡°Your name is Aurelia?¡±


    First sighed, ¡°You deal with him.¡± She turned around and walked away.


    Jahn watched his sister leave, then turned to Stryg, ¡°She gave up that name many years ago. If you have any respect for First Mother I¡¯d advise you not to repeat it. The past is behind us for a reason, best not to dig it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± Stryg said slowly. ¡°So, um, are we really going to the mountain of Moon Fang?¡±


    Jahn grinned, ¡°So it would seem.¡±


    Stryg broke into a bright smile and shouted in excitement, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Tauri grabbed Stryg by the arm and frowned, ¡°What are you talking about? We can¡¯t go to some mountain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just some mountain. The Silver Hall is there, the last and greatest fortress of my people,¡± Stryg said excitedly. ¡°That mountain is where the Lunar Elect resides and our most sacred temple stands. It is the heart of the Sylvan people. I¡¯ve always wanted to go ever since I can remember!¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ we can¡¯t go,¡± Tauri said.


    Plum nodded regretfully, ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression fell, ¡°What?¡±


    Tauri pulled him away from the other goblins, behind a cabin in the distance, Plum followed behind.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go, Stryg. We¡¯ve already been gone for too long,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I know we¡¯ve been here for a while, but you don¡¯t understand, this is it,¡± Stryg said. ¡°The Tribal Moot is the final rite of passage. Only those who have been fully accepted as an adult and part of the tribe are allowed to go. This is my chance¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Tauri said sympathetically. ¡°But you have people, your people, waiting for you back in Hollow Shade. And they don¡¯t need you to prove yourself to them, they accept you for who you are.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get us wrong, we¡¯re glad you came and sorted your stuff out,¡± Plum said. ¡°Which is why you can come back later, you''re not an exile anymore. But Lady Thorn has declared war on Hollow Shade. Need I remind you, they tried to kill us. We need to get back to the city as soon as possible. We¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re safe here, aren¡¯t we?¡± Stryg said.


    Tauri frowned, ¡°Do you think I would be safe on your people¡¯s mountain? Me? An orc? What about Plum? Or did you just plan to leave us here?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I just didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You just didn¡¯t think this through.¡± Tauri sighed, ¡°Stryg, I know you¡¯re happy here, but your friends are waiting for you back in Hollow Shade.¡±


    Plum nodded, ¡°Feli is waiting for you. And Callum and Kithina.¡±


    ¡°Freya, Rhian, and Maeve. Think about them,¡± Tauri urged. ¡°¡­Think about Nora and Kamilo.¡±


    Stryg stared at his hands and sighed deeply. ¡°...Do you know why I became a mage?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Tauri admitted.


    ¡°I was weak. I was a coward who had abandoned my teammates and barely escaped from a poacher who was going to sell me. I wasn¡¯t worthy of anything. When I found out I had magic I thought I could change things. I thought I could become strong, strong enough to come back to this village and prove myself worthy of them¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Stryg,¡± Tauri placed her hand on his cheek, ¡°When will you see? You have always been worthy. It is they who are not worthy of you.¡±


    Stryg frowned in confusion.


    ¡°They ostracized you, they shunned you, an innocent child, over delusions that you were somehow a cursed child, a bad omen,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°But you never stopped striving to be better.¡± Tauri bit her lip, ¡°When I had a chance to kill the person who I thought had killed Aizel, I took it. I chose my anger and my desire for revenge and countless lives were lost because of it. I made the wrong choice and I can¡¯t take that back, no matter how much I want to¡­ But you, you knew the odds were against you on that cliffside. You knew what was at stake and you made the hard decision to stay behind anyway. You put your friends before your own desires.¡±


    ¡°¡­I lost everything that day,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Plum looked between them, unsure of what they were talking about.


    ¡°Not everything,¡± Tauri smiled softly. ¡°Freya, Callum, Nora, and Kamilo are alive because of you. You and Clypeus did that. And when I get back to Hollow Shade I will make sure everyone knows the truth about what happened at Widow¡¯s Crag. Politics be damned.¡±


    Tauri raised his chin and looked him in the eye, ¡°Your power isn¡¯t what makes you worthy of respect. It''s one¡¯s actions when times are difficult that make someone worthy. This is one of those moments, Stryg. You have a choice to make, right now.¡±


    Plum smiled, ¡°So what¡¯s it going to be, Ebon Aspirant?¡±

 Chapter 375: The Meeting of Dawn

    Chapter 375: The Meeting of Dawn


    ¡­Two weeks earlier¡­


    The valley tribes¡¯ camps sprawled across the hillside. Each chieftain had brought a small retinue of warriors to the gathering. Dozens of suspicious eyes stared at Marek and the twins as they walked down the hill to the large tent where the other chieftains waited.


    Marek had expected at least one or two upstart tribesmen to block their path and give them some kind of trouble after the recent attacks on the valley people, but not a single warrior did. All eyes quickly shifted away from Marek to the gigantic tarp-covered wagon behind him being hauled by a dozen burly centaurs.


    If only they truly knew what lay dormant underneath that leather tarp. They wouldn¡¯t be staring, they¡¯d be trembling in fear and awe. Marek thought pensively.


    The twin archmages had grown awfully quiet after Vaughn had lost his temper and told Marek the one thing he hadn¡¯t wanted to hear.


    You can¡¯t stop the Unildyr.


    For now, the perplexing creatures of old were for the most part obeying Marek¡¯s command, at least as much as any trained wild animal might. But if the day were to come that they went rabid, Marek didn¡¯t know what he would do.


    The thought elicited more fear within him than this meeting ever would.


    Vaughn stopped walking and gestured to the large tent in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re here. The meeting of the chieftains will soon begin.¡±


    Dawn¡¯s purple eyes looked Marek over, lingering on his face, before she finally nodded, satisfied. ¡°Do not be afraid. You can do this.¡±


    Marek smiled wryly. ¡°All I have to do is convince over 50 chieftains to join us. Let¡¯s forget the fact that none of them are interested in alliances and let¡¯s just hope for the best, right?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t met for his words to come out with a sting of anger, but they had just the same.


    Like a sea serpent in a storm, Dawn pushed through his words and placed her hand on his chest, ¡°You don¡¯t need hope. You have power, right here. Do not forget the will to see your people saved has led you all the way here. You will not fail, because you cannot. Failure is a path we left behind long ago.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered gratefully.


    ¡°Just remember why you are here.¡±


    And he did. He remembered the faces of all those he had lost to the attacks of Hollow Shade. He remembered how his mother¡¯s family, House Helene, had sent their own men to slaughter the entire Cairn, all so they could bury the fact that his mother was alive. That was how Hollow Shade, a monumental power that did not care for others, and crushed the weak underneath their feet.


    ¡°Marek, you¡¯re finally here,¡± a voice called out.


    He looked up in surprise at the familiar dark-skinned vampiress walking towards them. ¡°Nokti?¡±


    The vampiress hadn''t changed. She was as beautiful as he had last seen her, though there were bags under her crimson eyes.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Marek asked, before he had even thought about what he was saying. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be traveling with your dearest Crow?¡±


    ¡°You still think Crow and I have that sort of relationship?¡± Nokti glanced at the vampire-drow twins beside him, ¡°I take it neither of you could have been bothered to enlighten our chieftain on the true state of affairs?¡±


    Marek frowned, ¡°What is she talking about¡­?¡±


    ¡°Things that are not currently important,¡± Dawn said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here, then Crow must be as well?¡± Vaughn asked.


    Nokti looked away. ¡°He was supposed to be¡­¡± she said dishearteningly. ¡°The three of us were supposed to come together¡­¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Marek looked around questioningly. There was no one else here.


    The twins noticed the white fox Lin-Lu resting on Nokti¡¯s shoulder, but said nothing. The goddess camouflage was almost impossible to penetrate by mortals. The only reason they could even see Lin-Lu was because she was allowing it.


    ¡°Where is Crow?¡± Dawn asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Last night we were attacked¡­ by a dragon. Ca¨CCrow stayed behind while we escaped. But! He¡¯ll be here, I know he will. No dragon has stopped him before,¡± Nokti said resolutely.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ we shall see,¡± Dawn said thoughtfully. ¡°We cannot wait for him, however. The meeting has already begun.¡±


    ¡°I know, I tried to have them wait, but they refused,¡± Nokti said indignantly.


    Marek stared at the rising sun between the green hills in the distance. ¡°The Meeting of Dawn will always begin at the first light of sunrise. I don¡¯t expect the other chieftains to have changed our customs for me.¡±


    ¡°Many of them have been saying terrible things about you in there,¡± Nokti pointed her thumb at the tent. ¡°Sylaril hasn¡¯t even tried to stop them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not her job to. As chieftain of the Adder Tribe she is the meeting¡¯s overseer, she is meant to listen and only weigh in when necessary,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Then perhaps this may not go as we wish,¡± Nokti said.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Marek glanced at the wagon behind them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time, let us go,¡± Dawn urged.


    Marek nodded and took a deep breath. He fastened the orichalcum spear on his back and stood to his full towering height of over 7 feet. He pushed back the tent flaps and strode inside with his head held high.


    Over a hundred people stood inside in a large circle, all of them speaking to each other in clamoring voices. They all stopped and slowly turned their heads to stare at the dire human. It was easy to see the infamous chieftain, he towered over the chieftains and their bodyguards.


    Marek tried his best to ignore their gazes and walked into the middle of the large circle. A tall vampiress sashayed out of the crowd with a calm gait. She wore a long white dress with a slit near the waist, revealing her long pale legs. Her dark hair was braided in a single knot and adorned with golden flame-shaped rings. She carried a gold-capped cane with a snake¡¯s head in her hand, though she clearly didn¡¯t need it to walk.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Marek bowed his head. ¡°Chieftess Sylaril.¡±


    ¡°Marek. You¡¯re late.¡±


    Sylaril was a pretty woman, though age had left its touch on her. Small wrinkles graced the edge of her crimson eyes and thin wrinkles lined her forehead. Still, she commanded respect and admiration not out of her beauty, but from her power. She was the chieftess of the most powerful and influential tribe in the valley.


    ¡°Believe me, I would have gladly been here at sunrise, but it took a while to move my¡­ cargo,¡± Marek said carefully.


    Sylaril raised her eyebrow, ¡°What sort of cargo?¡±


    ¡°Something to help us. All of us.¡±


    ¡°Bah! The human lies!¡± A dwarf marched out from the crowd and pointed his ax at Marek. ¡°We¡¯ve all heard the stories. This sorry excuse for a chieftain has never been one to obey our traditions! He doesn¡¯t care for the sanctity of this Meeting of Dawn! He is just a greedy human who is hungry for war! It was bad enough he was attacking and subduing our sister tribes, but now he has brought war to all our homes!¡±


    The other chieftains yelled in agreement and glared at Marek with hatred in their eyes.


    ¡°It is good to see you too, chieftain Skogard,¡± Marek smiled coldly. ¡°But seeing as you always hated my father, forgive me for not caring for your petty anger.¡±


    ¡°I disliked your father, aye, but I respected him,¡± Skogard admitted. ¡°He knew our ways and respected them well. But you¡­ you are nothing like him. A chieftain is supposed to protect his people. But I¡¯ve seen what you have done to the Cairn, how you¡¯ve twisted your tribe to your personal bidding. No more! I and the rest of the Flarias Tribe will not stand by your warmongering tactics any longer!¡±


    The chieftains roared in unison, throwing out insults and threats at Marek. Some even raised their weapons. Dawn and Vaughn quietly walked over to Marek, ready to protect him from the slightest attack.


    ¡°You misunderstand me, Skogard,¡± Marek called out. ¡°All I care about is protecting my people. A duty many of you have seemed to have forgotten. How many of your people have been attacked because they unwittingly crossed paths with a Hollow Shade caravan? How many have died in raids by Hollow Shade¡¯s patrols? When have they ever shown us mercy? All of you! Each one of your tribes! How many innocent lives have you lost!?¡±


    The voices of the chieftains quieted down and their expressions had turned grim. Even Skogard¡¯s anger had dimmed, if only a little.


    Marek saw the look in their eyes and pushed on, ¡°I care about the safety of my people. But I don¡¯t see their salvation in hiding or running away. I strike back at Hollow Shade caravans when they cross my territory and I leave no survivors. I make sure that they never come back to my lands and take a single more life of my tribe. That¡¯s how I keep my people safe. If you all did the same, then the Hollow Shaders might have learned to stay behind their damn walls.¡±


    Skogard snarled, ¡°If we did the same? Is that why you attacked Undergrowth in the heart of their city? Because that doesn¡¯t seem like protecting your territory or people.¡±


    ¡°My tribe had nothing to do with that attack,¡± Marek said with a still expression.


    ¡°Liar!¡± Skogard roared. ¡°We all know it was your tribe, even if the Undergrowthers do not. No other chieftain would be so stupid to dare incur the fury of a Great City! It was already bad enough that your attacks incurred the full wrath of Hollow Shade¡¯s armies. It was bad enough that our villages have razed to the ground. It was bad enough when our men were killed, our women raped, and our children put in shackles! But now! Now Undergrowth¡¯s fury has been turned against us as well! All because of you!¡±


    ¡°Skogard is right,¡± Sylaril nodded.


    ¡°What? You¡¯d believe his accusations without any proof?¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°I am not saying that you orchestrated the attack on Undergrowth. I cannot prove that you did, although I think most of us here would agree that you did have a hand to play in the attack.¡±


    ¡°Sylaril, I never¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHowever. Skogard is right, over the last year, our people have lost more lives than we have in the last century. Countless villages have been destroyed. We cannot face the might of two Great Cities at once, we are barely holding our own against one.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true then we must join forces,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°Bah! And the rat shows his true colors!¡± Skogard yelled. ¡°This was your plan all along!¡±


    ¡°I have always encouraged the unity of our people!¡± Marek shouted. ¡°I did not order the attack on Undergrowth. But even if I did, at this point what difference does it make!? The only way we survive this is if we ban together. For the first time in history, the valley tribes would be as one. Only then can we survive what is to come.¡±


    ¡°That may be true,¡± Skogard scowled, ¡°But who is to say the valley tribes need you? I say we kill this giant rat before he sabotages our people even more!¡±


    ¡°I know you want to kill me, you fat bastard, but you need me,¡± Marek snarled. ¡°You all need me! I have the largest army among all the tribes, with only the Adder Tribe capable of competing. Without me, you will not survive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Skogard laughed. ¡°Your ¡®vast army¡¯ is built from the sister tribes you subdued. None of them want to be under you. I promise you all, that if we kill this sorry excuse of a chieftain right here and now, his army will break apart. They will be glad to be independent tribes once more and they will join our cause.¡±


    ¡°Skogard makes a very good point,¡± Sylaril said thoughtfully. ¡°We do not need your leadership, Marek. We only need your army.¡±


    The dwarf smiled wide at Sylaril¡¯s words.


    Marek frowned in disbelief, ¡°You wish to go to war with us? When our enemy is already out there! Even as we speak Hollow Shade¡¯s soldiers are prowling the valley in search of us! Lady Thorn is in her city rallying her troops for war! Do you think my people will just go down without a fight? The Cairn Tribe is loyal to me! They will fight each one of you until their dying breaths!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they are that loyal to you,¡± Sylaril said. ¡°But if you don¡¯t make it out of this meeting alive how loyal will they stay?¡±


    ¡°If you think you can call me here like some dog, then you are sorely mistaken,¡± Marek said coldly.


    Dawn raised her hand, lightning crackling at her fingertips. The chieftains backed away cautiously. A male lamia slithered in front of Sylaril in a flash, spear, and shield at the ready.


    ¡°You have a nice bodyguard, but I¡¯ve seen my mage¡¯s storm magic melt stone. Your lamia will not save you,¡± Marek warned.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I have heard of your notorious twin archmagi,¡± Sylaril noted with an air of indifference. ¡°It is thanks to them that you have managed to achieve victory in all your battles. But do you really think the two of them can stop us all? Every chieftain here has brought their best warriors and mages to this meeting. If your pet mages attack, none of you are walking out of here alive.¡±


    Marek glared at the chieftains, ¡°Maybe. But I promise you¡¯ll be dead right alongside us. As will many of you. Is that something you¡¯re all willing to risk?¡±


    The crowd suddenly parted ways for an elderly woman as she shuffled her way into the center of the ring. Her back was bent after many years of hard labor, but her brown eyes were still clear.


    ¡°Chieftess Agnes¡­?¡± Marek muttered in recognition.


    She was one of the few human chieftains among the valley tribes and one of the most well-respected of all chieftains.


    ¡°What are we all doing?¡± Agnes asked quietly. ¡°What are we all doing here fighting amongst ourselves? Is this what the valley people have come to?¡±


    The old woman shook her head in disappointment, ¡°Is bloodthirst and war all you have in your hearts? Have you all forgotten how our people came to be? Over a thousand years ago our ancestors fled the Northern Lands to escape the endless wars between the drows and vampires. We came to Dusk Valley in search of peace and a life away from all the bloodshed. We are a peaceful people, we have been at peace for over a thousand years. War has never been our way and it should never be, lest we risk destroying everything that we are. Just look at us now, at each other¡¯s throats like a pack of rabid dogs.¡±


    The chieftains quieted down at her words, carefully contemplating their meaning.


    Marek scoffed, ¡°We have been at war for the last three hundred years! Ever since the ebon lords built that cursed city of shades we have been at war! And if none of you can see that then you are all fools!¡±


    Agnes shook her head, ¡°You are wrong, child.¡±


    ¡°No! It is you who are wrong! We have never been a peaceful people! Listen to your own damn stories! What we are is a people who would do anything to survive, even if that meant abandoning our home and traveling a thousand miles to the south! But running away is no longer an option! If we are to survive our people¡¯s greatest threat then we must fight, we must do whatever it takes to survive. And I am the only one who can offer us the one thing we need to win this war!¡±


    Sylaril narrowed her scarlet eyes, ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    Marek smiled, his expression half-crazed.


    It was time. Time to show them the creature that lay dormant outside.

 Chapter 376: Breath of the Dragonbane

    Chapter 376: Breath of the Dragonbane


    ¡°I am the only one who can offer us the one thing we need to win this war!¡± Marek shouted in front of the gathering of chieftains.


    Sylaril, the chieftess of the venerable Adder Tribe, narrowed her scarlet eyes, ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    Marek smiled, his expression half-crazed.


    It was time. Time to show them all the creature that lay dormant outside.


    ¡°A weapon capable of destroying the very walls of Hollow Shade,¡± Marek said.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± yelled the dwarf chieftain Skogard. His voice dripped with skepticism. ¡°The walls of that cursed city are protected by ancient magic forged by the Ebon Lords themselves. If the walls were so easily destroyed then the city would have been sieged centuries ago!¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about easy?¡± Marek turned around and walked to the tent''s entrance. ¡°You are right, Skogard. It was thought to be impossible. So I searched for the impossible, and after years of searching, I found it. Come, let me show you all, the bane of our enemies.¡±


    Marek walked outside without looking back, the archmage twins following silently behind him. He hoped his speech would draw enough curiosity to bring the others outside as well. Sure enough, he could hear the grumbling of Skogard behind him, along with the clacking of Sylaril¡¯s cane over the hard dirt floor.


    Soon, Maerk could hear dozens of footsteps and the low chattering of the chieftains and their bodyguards. But Marek didn¡¯t turn around, afraid it might show uncertainty, and in doing so weakness. Instead, he kept his back straight and walked to the wagon where the Unildyr beast slept.


    Nokti was already at the wagon, helping the centaurs unhook the latches that kept the tarp over the wagon. She spotted Marek and the entourage of chieftains behind him and gave Marek a questioning look.


    He nodded and silently mouthed, ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°What is that? What are you hiding?¡± Sylaril asked with suspicion.


    Marek¡¯s lips curled up in a proud smile, ¡°Our greatest hope. Allow me to introduce you all to an Unildyr.¡±


    At his words, the centaurs pulled off the leather tarp. A massive pale grey beast lay curled sleeping on top of the large wagon. The chieftains and other onlookers staggered back at the sheer size of the beast.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­! It¡¯s¡­ not moving¡­?¡± Sylaril muttered warily.


    ¡°He is sleeping,¡± Marek explained lightly, trying his best to appear calm and confident.


    As Sylaril hesitantly stepped closer she noticed the beast¡¯s smooth hide wasn¡¯t grey, but mostly translucent, like a foggy window on a cold night. The corded muscle fibers underneath the hide were a pale grey with black veins that stretched across his body.


    The Unildyr¡¯s head slowly moved up and down as he slept. Thin cold wisps of vapor blew out of his short snout with each lumbering breath. Two long black horns curled around his skull and rose up to form a pair of sharp points.


    The eyes suddenly opened and the inner eyelids swept back, revealing a pair of black eyes. There were no irises, pupils, or sclera, his eyes were orbs of glassy black like obsidian.


    Sylaril stumbled back in fright and her lamia escort swept in and quickly dragged her back. The Unildyr¡¯s eyes followed them as they hurried back into the crowd. The wagon¡¯s wheels creaked as the beast stood to his full towering height. The long serpentine tail slowly uncoiled itself and the long black spike at its end dragged across the ground, leaving behind a deep scar in the ground.


    The crowd backed away even further in fear as they realized how truly massive the beast was. The Unildyr didn¡¯t seem to notice their terror and instead cocked his head to the side as he studied them with mild curiosity. He leaned back on his hind legs and sat on his haunches. His jaw opened unnaturally wide, displaying a row of ebon fangs as long as shortswords, and he yawned, his black serpentine tongue curling out.


    Sylarila narrowed her scarlet eyes, ¡°He¡¯s calm¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the beast attacking us? Is it under some spell?¡± the elderly chieftess Agnes asked.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t put him under a spell even if we wanted to,¡± Marek chuckled. ¡°No, he is calm because we raised the Unildyr from hatchlings. While around my archmages and I, they usually have a calm temperament.¡± Unless they¡¯re hungry, he thought wryly.


    ¡°We do advise none of you get too close to the creature,¡± Vaughn warned.


    ¡°The Unildyr are picky about their personal space,¡± Dawn added.


    ¡°Wait, you said you raised them from hatchlings? You¡¯re saying you have more than one of these monsters?¡± Skogard asked anxiously.


    ¡°We have almost twenty of them under our control,¡± Marek said smugly.


    Sylaril tapped her cane thoughtfully then spoke up, ¡°This¡­ Unildyr¡­ is the most magnificent creature I have ever laid my eyes on. I have never seen such a massive creature before and judging from his incredibly sharp teeth and long claws I¡¯m quite certain he would be a terrifying presence on the battlefield. But I do not see how such a beast could overcome the army of shades lurking within the ebon wall.¡±


    Marek laughed lightheartedly, ¡°I understand your skepticism, chieftess. However, it is neither his claws nor fangs that should terrify our enemies, but something far more¡­ unique.¡±


    Sylaril furrowed her brow, ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°I believe a demonstration is in order,¡± Marek said. He raised his hand and conjured a ball of flames over his palm. With a flick of his wrist, the fireball splashed over the Unildyr¡¯s chest.


    The crowd¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the flames dissipated right before they touched the creature''s hide. The beast tilted his head down and glanced at Marek curiously. A small flicker of white light burned in the center of its ebon eyes.


    ¡°What just happened? What was that?¡± Sylaril asked.


    Marek opened his arms wide and gestured to the Unildyr, ¡°That, my friends, is how we win this war. Spells break down when they near him and his body absorbs the mana. He is immune to magic. He is immune to the shades.¡±


    ¡°So he is a mage¡¯s ultimate bane,¡± Sylaril muttered.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Skogard sneered. ¡°That must be a trick!¡±


    ¡°You are welcome to try it yourself,¡± Marek said. ¡°Feel free to cast whatever spell you like, I assure you he won¡¯t bite.¡±


    The chieftains looked at Skogard expectantly but the dwarf¡¯s face grew red in embarrassment and anger.


    ¡°I will not fall for another one of your tricks!¡± Skogard yelled. ¡°You want me to anger the beast so it attacks me!¡±


    Marek shook his head, ¡°Not at all¡ª¡±


    Sylaril pointed her outstretched fingers at the Unildyr and hurled a lightning bolt at his face. The storm spell splashed harmlessly across his snout and the blue mana was quickly absorbed into his skin. The small white glow in his eyes burned slightly brighter.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°So it''s true then, he really is immune to magic,¡± Sylaril said in admiration.


    Sokagrd looked at the vampiress as if she were insane.


    Marek smiled, ¡°He isn¡¯t just immune to magic.¡± He glanced at Dawn and nodded.


    The vampire-drow hybrid raised a crossbow and fired. The steel bolt hit the Unildyr¡¯s forearm harmlessly and snapped in half.


    Marek picked up the broken bolt and showed the blunted tip to the crowd. ¡°Their skin is harder than any enchanted steel I have ever seen. Not even the ballistas on the shade walls will penetrate their flesh.¡± He pointed at the deep groove on the ground where the Unildyr¡¯s barbed tail had swept past, ¡°As you can see his tail is quite sharp, as are his claws. I¡¯ve seen the Unildyr tear through steel plate armor as if it were parchment paper. I¡¯ve seen their fangs crush bone and rock as if they were eating bread.¡±


    ¡°So you have unkillable monsters who are immune to magic and capable of laying waste to countless men?¡± Sylaril said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Capable of destroying the shade walls,¡± Marek added. ¡°The Unildyr are the only ones capable of destroying the walls that our enemies have hidden behind for centuries. And the Unildyr answer to me and me alone. If I die, I cannot guarantee the safety of our people.¡±


    Sylaril glared at him, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that we cannot kill you lest your ¡®little pet¡¯ murders us all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re threatening us,¡± Skogard scowled.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, that without me the valley tribes will fall,¡± Marek said. ¡°The enemy is already at our door. It will not be long until we have nowhere else to hide and Hollow Shade and Undergrowth slaughter our people. But with the strength of the Cairn Tribe, we won¡¯t just survive, we¡¯ll take back Dusk Valley and no one will ever dare threaten our people ever again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tell me, Marek. If I agree to this and I help join all our tribes together, our armies together, I take it you will wish to lead us?¡± Sylaril asked warily.


    ¡°An army of such magnitude would be the greatest this realm has seen in the last thousand years. Naturally, it would require a general of great experience to lead it. And unlike all of you, I have been fighting against our enemies for years now. I am the most, no, the only qualified person for the task at hand.¡±


    ¡°You greedy little bastard!¡± Skogard shouted.


    Marek shook his head, ¡°I see the path ahead of us and what must be done to achieve victory. A future for our people. Is that not what you all want? A future where we don¡¯t have to hide?¡±


    ¡°It is what many of us want, but not what you want,¡± Sylaril said carefully. ¡°No, Marek, you want something else. Revenge, perhaps? For the murder of your father. Or maybe something more. The title of king is not very far from being in command of an entire nation¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°I seek no crown. I only seek to save our people, once and for all,¡± Marek said adamantly.


    Sylaril stared at him intensely in silence. She sighed to herself and slammed her golden cane into the ground. ¡°I do not trust you will not seek a crown once this is all over. However, I trust that you will make certain that our people win this war¡­ Lord Marek, the Adder Tribe stands with you.¡±


    Marek smiled gratefully, ¡°Thank you, chieftess. Your support will not be forgotten. Nor will the fact that you were the first to join us.¡±


    ¡°I fear our people will never forget this moment,¡± Sylaril said darkly.


    The crowd exploded in arguments and fearful whispers.


    Skogard¡¯s jaw hung slack in surprise, ¡°S-Sylaril, you cannot be serious! You cannot join this man. He is a power-hungry lunatic!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that he is our greatest hope against Hollow Shade,¡± Sylaril said.


    Skogard spat on the ground and marched towards the Unildyr. He pointed his ax at the creature and shouted at his brethren, ¡°This thing isn¡¯t our hope! It is our doom! If we let this dire human lead around a pack of these monsters our people will surely pay the price!¡±


    The Unildyr paid no mind to the little funny man dancing with a stick. He had seen many men like that before. None of them had ever tasted very well, their souls always left him hungering for more.


    HUNGRY¡­ the creature thought passively.


    A faint breeze blew by, a sound like no other carried on the wind. The monster raised his head and stared at the blue horizon. What would have seemed like nothing at all to anyone at the camp, was instead a faraway speck to the heightened vision of the Unildyr. It was small, barely visible but the creature immediately recognized it for what it was.


    DRAGON¡­!


    An uncontrollable hunger welled up inside the Unildyr. His translucent claws swept low and sliced apart the funny dancing man.


    ¡°Skogard, no!¡± a woman screamed.


    The crowd of little people ran around in a panic, trampling over each other in terror.


    The Unildyr paid them no mind and scooped up the bloody remains of the dwarf and swallowed it all in one gulp. His mana and soul dissolved quickly in one of the beast¡¯s stomachs.


    MORE¡­


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Marek called out to the Unildyr. ¡°We¡¯ll get you some food, so just calm down¡ª¡±


    MORE¡­


    The Unildyr¡¯s tail swiped at the dire human with a flash. Orange mana surged into Vaughn¡¯s body. He kicked off the ground and pushed Marek out of the way as the barbed tail swiped mere inches past their heads.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost control, we need to run!¡± Nokti screamed.


    ¡°N-No, not yet, we can stop this, it¡¯s not too late!¡± Marek said desperately.


    ¡°I warned you, we cannot control them,¡± Vaughn said grimly.


    The Unildyr suddenly jumped forward and slammed into the swarm of fleeing tribesmen. His tail whipped out and crushed dozens of people and several tents with each strike. The monster walked hunched over on its hind legs and grabbed screaming mortals in its foreclaws. Their screams died out in an instant as the creature crushed them in his paws and swallowed their broken bodies.


    Numerous spells splashed over the Unildyr¡¯s hulking body harmlessly. The fractured spells fell away and their mana sank into the creature''s body.


    ¡°Get him out of here, Vaughn. I¡¯ll distract it,¡± Dawn said.


    Vaughn¡¯s eyes widened in fear, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Dawn dashed off towards the beast. She poured green mana into the soles of her feet and kicked off the ground with all the flora magic she could muster.


    Giant vines erupted from the earth and wrapped around the Unildyr¡¯s massive body. The vines quickly withered away and turned to dust, but not before the beast turned to Dawn with a rumbling growl.


    Dawn felt the attack coming before she saw it. Yellow durability scales covered her skin in an instant. The Unildyr smacked her away with the back of his hand, sending her body careening into the hillside.


    ¡°Sister, NO!¡± Vaughn screamed in a wretched voice. Orange mana flooded his veins and the fabled Black Amber spell dyed his veins black. He dashed across the camp with blinding speed towards his sister.


    The Unildyr watched the archmage move as though he was swimming through water, barely a blur in its ebon eyes. The beast¡¯s tail swiped out, faster than before. Vaughn jumped away in surprise, but the tail jerked back and struck out in a flurry of lashes. Vaughn¡¯s eyes flicked around as he evaded each strike, the attacks slowly but surely getting closer.


    Suddenly, the Unildyr¡¯s hand swiped at the ground and hurled countless shards of rock at the archmage. Vaughn gritted his teeth and danced around the hail of stones, but a small rock smashed into his leg and tore a hole through his shin. He cried out in pain and slammed into the ground hard. His body rolled several times before finally slowing to a bloody halt.


    The Unildyr lumbered towards him and opened his jaws unnaturally wide.


    The world flashed blue and a storm of lightning crashed down from the sky and formed a single pillar of burning energy, crashing into the Unildyr¡¯s shoulder. The monster roared back in surprise, the ground rumbling beneath its feet. A small patch of translucent skin sizzled over the beast¡¯s shoulder.


    Dawn stood at a distance, the last bit of electricity fading from her fingertips. Her durability scales had been shattered, her left arm hung limp at her side, and blood dripped down over her forehead and blue cheek. Her each breath was labored and painful, but her deep purple eyes were clear and full of anger.


    ¡°I finally got you, you fucking monster,¡± Dawn muttered with tired breaths. It had taken the greatest spell in her arsenal and most of her blue mana, but she had finally managed to injure the beast.


    They¡¯re not completely immune to magic! Dawn thought triumphantly.


    The ancient monsters weren¡¯t invulnerable. They could be killed!


    The Unildyr glared at her and growled. The burned skin over his shoulder healed in a matter of seconds and left behind not a single mark.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­!¡± Dawn paled and fell to her knees in despair.


    The monster roared in anger. Two grey leathery wings stretched out from the Unildyr¡¯s back, each wing twice the size of the beast. He opened his mouth wide and his ribcage swelled as he took a deep breath. The air suddenly grew quiet and the dozens of mages running throughout the camp began to topple over unconscious.


    Nokti¡¯s legs grew weak and she fell over with a groan.


    The white fox goddess jumped off her shoulder and nudged the vampiress¡¯ cheek. ¡°What¡¯s happening to you?¡± Lin-Lu asked, a rare trace of worry in her voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t breathe!¡± Nokti gasped weakly.


    Dawn looked up at the ancient monster with utter disbelief. She could feel the mana in her heart being ripped from her body.


    This isn¡¯t possible! It¡¯s absorbing everyone¡¯s mana!


    A white light grew in the Unildyr¡¯s ebon eyes until they were burning bright like the sun. His ribcage swelled even more and an ominous silver light began to shine at the back of the monster¡¯s throat.


    Dawn fell to the ground, her breath ragged, and her vision fading. She had heard the story, Crow had mentioned it one late night. She hadn¡¯t been sure if he was telling the truth or simply speaking in one of his riddles.


    Breath of the Dragonbane, the Void Flame¡­

 Chapter 377: Dual Nature

    Chapter 377: Dual Nature


    The military campsite was in ruins. The valley chieftains had brought some of their best warriors and mages to the Meeting of Dawn and yet none had stood a chance. In mere moments the dragonbane had laid waste to the hillside.


    Marek Helene stood in numb horror at the gruesome scene. His plans, everything he had worked for led to this moment. The moment of unification for his people. And now several dozen chieftains were dead. His dream of an alliance died with them.


    The wind grew silent and the dragonbane spread its grey leather wings wide. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide and its rib cage swelled. Marek felt himself grow weak and his breath became ragged. As a cold shiver ran through his body he realized that his mana was being drained. His legs grew weak and he leaned on his ebon spear for support, even though it stung him to even touch it.


    A silvery light emanated from the dragonbane¡¯s mouth, like a blazing white sun in the darkness. Dawn lay on the ground in front of the beast, helpless to stop it. Vaughn¡¯s bruised and bloodied body had been flung away and crashed somewhere amidst the campsite rubble. Marek wasn¡¯t even sure Vaughn was conscious.


    The twin archmages had always seemed untouchable, their power far beyond any of them. Now they seemed as mortal as the rest of them.


    We¡¯re all going to die¡­ thought Marek. He recoiled at the idea.


    Even picturing the twins¡¯ broken corpses in his mind felt like a cold dagger in his chest.


    Vaughn had always been standoffish, but Dawn had somewhat become a mentor to him. She had guided him in leading the tribe and had even gifted and taught him how to wield the orichalcum spear.


    The spear!


    Marek stared at the spear in his hands, a single form made of black glass-like metal. Dawn had once told him that when he was ready the spear would reveal its name to him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re listening, I could really use your help,¡± Marek muttered to the weapon.


    If there was a weapon that could harm a monster of the Age of Titans then it would have to be a weapon from the Age of Titans.


    Marek clenched his jaw and forced himself to stand up. He gripped his spear tight, pulled back his arm, and aimed at the dragonbane¡¯s throat. It was a long shot, farther than any he had thrown, but there was no other option.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never!¡± he shouted at the spear.


    A whisper as quiet and all-encapsulating as the rain echoed in his ear.


    Kalden Obitus.


    ¡°Kalden Obitus¡­? That¡¯s your name?¡± Marek furrowed his brow.


    Kalden Obitus, alcna. Alcna.


    The dragonbane turned to the sky and closed its mouth. Its wing folded back over its shoulders and its ribcage slowly contracted to its ordinary size, though the blazing light in its ebon eyes did not disappear.


    Alcna, the voice echoed once more in a soothing yet commanding tone.


    Marek looked around the ruined campsite and realized he wasn¡¯t the only one hearing the voice. The survivors were all glancing about searching for the source of the strange words.


    A thunderous roar pierced the sky and a massive dragon swept down from the clouds. Her dark blue scales shined like sapphires in the morning light. Her pale wings fluttered back and forth over the campsite, blowing away debris and anyone standing too close. She landed on the ground with a heavy thud shaking the ground underneath their feet.


    The dragonbane roared in outrage at the dragon almost twice its size. Thick spit dribbled down from its black fangs as it glared at the dragon.


    Zavinti bared her own fangs at the ravenous beast, but she made no move to attack. A small cloaked figure jumped down from her shoulders and landed on the grass with a silent step.


    Marek frowned in confusion. He recognized that black-feathered cloak anywhere. Crow¡­?


    Crow strode towards the dragonbane without hesitation. The monster didn¡¯t even bother looking at him, its black eyes were glued on the dragon in front of it.


    Alcna.


    The whisper echoed once more.


    This time the dragonbane tore its gaze from Zavinti and looked at the little cloaked man walking towards it.


    Crow raised his open hand and spoke in a calming voice, ¡°Alcna, Kalden Obitus. Alcna.¡±


    The dragonbane closed its eyes and lowered its head.


    Crow placed his hand on its short snout and whispered once more, ¡°Alcna.¡±


    The monster rumbled a warm sound from its throat. The dragonbane lay down, curled its tail around its massive body, and went to sleep.


    Marek stood stock still in shock. The ebon spear slipped from his numb fingers.


    Monster in the Dark had always sounded hollow to him. Crow didn¡¯t seem like a monster. But now, Marek was beginning to think the title was more than fitting.


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± he whispered fearfully.


    ~~~


    A dull pain settled into Dawn¡¯s bones. Just breathing sent sharp pangs of pain through her body. With a grimace, she slowly sat up and looked at the resting dragonbane, confused.


    ¡°I thought this might happen,¡± Crow lamented. ¡°The moment the dragonbane spotted a dragon he went into a hungry rampage.¡±


    Dawn stared at him in surprise.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The god wasn¡¯t wearing his usual skull mask but the feather cloak was hiding his face. Still, his soft, assured voice was unique. Caligo had returned.


    Dawn glanced at the dragon standing a stone¡¯s throw away. She had never seen such a large dragon before and yet the creature seemed to wish them no harm. The dragon simply stood on its haunches, watching them.


    ¡°Ah, Dawn, you¡¯re up. Good. Why don¡¯t you go check on your brother? He seems to still be unconscious,¡± Caligo said lightheartedly.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Dawn muttered in frustration. ¡°Why is there a dragon here? How did you manage to calm down the Unildyr beast!? You never even once spent time with them in their pens!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± Caligo raised his eyebrow.


    A cold shiver ran down Dawn¡¯s back. Her blue face paled. ¡°No¡­ The Unildyr beasts hated you since they hatched from their eggs. They couldn¡¯t stand being near you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dawn,¡± Caligo said with pity. ¡°You are so desperate for your freedom and so confident in your abilities that you consistently underestimate me. You look at me and all you see is an ebon god, and so you think you can defy me. But I am not like the other ebon gods, I am so much more than any of them.¡±


    Dawn narrowed her eyes, ¡°You knew this would happen. You wanted the Unildyr beast to run rampant at the meeting.¡±


    Caligo smiled, ¡°There may still be hope for you yet.¡±


    ¡°B-But why? Why ruin the Meeting of Dawn? You¡¯re the one who set this whole meeting in motion!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still only looking at what¡¯s in front of you, child. You see this meeting as a necessity for an alliance, I see it as a simple piece on the board. A means to an end.¡±


    ¡°Is that what we all are? Just pieces to you?¡± she asked bitterly.


    Caligo walked over to her and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, ¡°Is that what you believe? Do you not remember what I told you and your brother when we first met? You were so young, perhaps you do not.¡±


    ¡°...We would be destined for great things¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°And so you shall be. Your story does not end here, Dawn. So I suggest you stop this little ¡®rebellion¡¯ of yours before it is too late.¡±


    Dawn¡¯s eyes widened in panic. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Caligo smiled knowingly. ¡°I must admit I didn¡¯t expect you to be brave enough to steal from one of my treasure vaults. But if you think an orichalcum spear or that dire boy can stop me then I truly overestimated you.¡±


    Dawn swallowed hard, ¡°How long have you known¡­?¡±


    ¡°Lord Crow!¡± Nokti called out as she ran towards them.


    Crow looked up from beneath his hood, his eyes were in a constant swirl of ever-changing colors. ¡°Go attend to your brother.¡±


    Dawn bit her lip, but nodded nonetheless and went to find her twin.


    Nokti reached Caligo and bowed her head as she rested her hands on her knees breathlessly. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re okay!¡±


    Lin-Lu jumped off the vampiress¡¯ shoulder and landed on Caligo¡¯s shoulder. The white fox nuzzled her nose on his cheek and purred. ¡°I was worried, Ann,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as you can see,¡± Caligo petted her gently.


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Nokti pointed a shaky finger at the azure dragon.


    ¡°Zavinti is no longer a threat,¡± Caligo said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡­ bonded with her?¡± Lin-Lu asked.


    ¡°Nokti, find Marek and bring him here. Once the surviving chieftains realize they are no longer in danger they will come for him,¡± Caligo said.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Nokti nodded repeatedly and went off to find the dire human.


    ¡°Ann, please tell me you didn¡¯t bond with that dragon,¡± Lin-Lu pressed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t,¡± Caligo chuckled. ¡°I suppose you could say I corrupted the parts of her soul that allowed her to make a bond. Now, she will only listen to me and me alone.¡±


    Lin-Lu glanced at Zavinti and finally noticed the dull light in her azure eyes, there were no emotions behind them. ¡°So instead of killing her, you broke her?¡± Lin-Lu surmised.


    ¡°¡­Tell me, Lin-Lu, what is a god¡¯s greatest weakness?¡± Caligo asked. ¡°Even a god as powerful as an ancient dragonlord? What is the one thing that Kaleidrog the Azure Sky holds most precious?¡±


    ¡°His children,¡± Lin-Lu said quietly.


    ¡°When you were a cub your mother died protecting you from another god¡¯s wrath. Kaleidrog¡¯s fate will be no different, though his will be far more painful,¡± Caligo said, venom dripping from his voice.


    Lin-Lu suddenly stiffened. ¡°Ann, you¡¯re hand¡­!¡±


    Caligo glanced at his trembling fingers and quickly hid them underneath his cloak. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Did you revert to your true form?¡± she asked worriedly.


    Caligo sighed, ¡°Zavinti was a greater foe than I imagined and she managed to bring an entire army down on me. I was already tired from my fight with the dragon. I would have been forced to escape.¡±


    ¡°So you did revert to your original form.¡±


    ¡°For a time, I still can¡¯t hold it for long without losing myself.¡±


    Lin-Lu nodded sympathetically. She knew what that was like. The monstrous being Ananta had become when they first met eight centuries ago. She had seen Ananta take countless forms of other creatures throughout the years, but she had never seen anything like the one on the day they met. Even now she didn¡¯t understand what that form was, she had never seen anything like it. All she knew was that it terrified her.


    ¡°You still want to know what it was,¡± Ann whispered as if reading her mind.


    ¡°There are some questions you just never answer,¡± Lin-Lu sighed.


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°The next stage of our plan is finally coming to fruition. I see no point in holding back with you. Though you may not like the answers you hear.¡±


    Lin-Lu nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Ann, I understand why you¡¯re doing all of this. I understand why we must do this. I never questioned you, even when you decided to find those silver eggs and hatch them. But now¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had a glimpse of what the dragonbanes are capable of, you''re worried about what that might mean for the future.¡±


    The fox nodded hesitantly, ¡°You told me you fought against the dragonbanes in the Age of Titans. So you know exactly what sort of horrors they¡¯re capable of. Then why bring them back? If they¡­ If they turn on us¡ª¡±


    ¡°They will never turn on us. As you can see I was able to stop this one just fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what if someday you can¡¯t? Tell me the truth, are the dragonbanes a threat to us?¡±


    ¡°The dragonbanes will never betray me,¡± Ananta said calmly.


    ¡°How are you so certain? Because you raised them?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m certain for the same reason why the old dragonbanes couldn¡¯t harm me thousands of years ago. The same reason why Kaleidrog and the other elder dragonlords betrayed me and tried to kill me. The same reason why I was the greatest weapon against Unildyr and why in the end he allowed himself to be banished.¡±


    Lin-Lu frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What reason?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Lin-Lu, what is a god¡¯s greatest weakness? Even for the Dark Visitor of the infinite Null? What is the one thing that Unildyr holds most precious?¡±


    The fox¡¯s eyes widened in dawning realization, ¡°You¡¯re Unildyr¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Ananta smiled softly, ¡°I may have been queen of the Vesir like my mother before me, but I have always been my father¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the dragonbanes follow you¡­¡±


    ¡°And why they will never betray me.¡±


    ¡°So that form you took the day we met¡­?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you could say it''s the blood of my father reacting to my survival instinct.¡± Ananta stared at her trembling hand, ¡°I was dormant under Mount Mov for millennia but even now some part of my body still thinks I¡¯m fighting for survival. Fighting against the Sundering. It can be difficult keeping my blood under control, particularly in my true form.¡±


    ¡°And if you were to lose control, what would happen?¡± Lin-Lu asked carefully.


    ¡°As I said, I am my father¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin-Lu muttered grimly.


    ¡°You know, when I was very young I thought my dual nature a curse and I resented my father for it. Now I¡¯m grateful to him, my blood is the reason I survived the Sundering even when my world did not.¡±


    ¡°Ann, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she whispered sympathetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lin-Lu,¡± Ananta smiled though it did not reach her eyes. ¡°Back then I was too late. This time I won¡¯t be.¡±

 Chapter 378: Fealty of the Valley Tribes

    Chapter 378: Fealty of the Valley Tribes


    The white fox goddess Lin-Lu sat on Caligo¡¯s shoulder and spoke to him in hushed whispers. To most of the survivors, it seemed as if the black feather-cloaked man was muttering to himself thanks to the fox¡¯s cloaking magic hiding her from others. But to Nokti she knew how special this moment was. A dragon goddess, a violet goddess, and an ebon god were all gathered in one place, amidst the ruins of the mortals¡¯ campsite.


    How long had it been since three gods had gathered in Dusk Valley?


    Nokti didn¡¯t know but she suspected it had been many, many years.


    ¡°What is Crow doing here with that dragon?¡± Marek muttered angrily. ¡°I thought he left to hunt dragons, not ride them.¡±


    Nokti glanced up at the dire human. She had found him collapsed on the ground. Like all the other mages, his breathing was ragged and his gait was unsteady. They were all still recovering from whatever the dragonbane had done.


    Or was about to do, Nokti supposed.


    If her god hadn¡¯t arrived she shuddered to think what might have happened to them all.


    Nokti was keenly aware that dragonbane consumed people¡¯s souls. A quick death would have been the desired outcome instead.


    Although, Lin-Lu had seemed unaffected by the dragonbane¡¯s strange ability. Perhaps, the fox goddess would have whisked her away like she had last night when the dragon had attacked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Marek¡¯s voice cut into her thoughts.


    ¡°No, I¡­ don¡¯t,¡± Nokti admitted.


    The last time she had seen the dragon it was threatening to kill them all. Though she thought it best not to mention that part.


    Caligo noticed their approach and smiled underneath his feathered hood. ¡°Ah, Marek, there you are. Just on time.¡±


    ¡°On¡­ time?¡± Marek said through clenched teeth. ¡°On time for what? There is nothing left here! Your Unildyr beast destroyed everything!¡±


    ¡°Then you are not looking hard enough,¡± Caligo said with a firm but soft voice.


    ¡°Why did you bring that dragon here?¡± Marek asked with balled fists. ¡°I had it all under control. The Adder chieftess was going to join us! We were going to make an alliance!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a second-rate alliance.¡±


    Marek frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sylaril and her Adder Tribe might have joined our cause, but how many other tribes wouldn¡¯t have? How many tribes would have walked away from this meeting because they simply did not trust you and rightfully so I might add. You have always been a bit unorthodox when it comes to your people¡¯s traditions. Still, that is what I like about you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you sabotaged this meeting on purpose? Are you kidding me!? You were the one who ordered Vaughn to attack Undergrowth. You sparked the armies of Undergrowth into war. This whole meeting was your plan!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right and you¡¯ve played your part splendidly. Now sit back while I play mine.¡±


    ¡°What in all the bloody Realms are you talking about, Crow!?¡±


    ¡°MAREK!¡± Sylaril screamed. The vampiress¡¯ scarlet eyes burned with rage. She stalked towards them with a retinue of guards behind her.


    The remaining survivors quickly surrounded Crow, Nokti, and Marek, though they kept their distance from the sleeping dragonbane and the dragon who seemed to be staring into nothingness. Dawn stood several meters away, hiding with her unconscious brother, though she was ready and waiting to intervene if needed.


    ¡°Is this what you call a demonstration of your ¡®weapon¡¯?¡± Sylaril pointed her golden cane at the dragonbane.


    Marek stepped forward and raised his hands placatingly, ¡°Chieftess Sylaril, I swear to you this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. The beast is usually quite calm. I promise you, we will do whatever it takes to make this right.¡±


    ¡°There is no making this right! Our brothers and sisters are dead! The Meeting of Dawn is a sacred rite! Violence is forbidden!¡± Sylaril took a deep breath and the rage in her eyes cooled to frigid anger, ¡°You have betrayed everything our people stand for. Chief Skogard was right about you, Marek. You are a danger to our people. As the overseer of this Meeting, I vote that the Cairn Tribe be exiled from our lands.¡±


    The elderly chieftess Agnes stepped forward and raised her trembling hand, ¡°I second the notion.¡±


    Sylaril stared at Marek coldly, ¡°All in favor.¡±


    The remaining chieftains yelled in agreement without hesitation.


    ¡°The vote is unanimous,¡± Sylaril said. ¡°Marek, you and your tribe are henceforth banished from all the lands of Dusk Valley.¡±


    Marek swallowed hard, ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this. You need us. Without my forces, you cannot hope to defeat the combined might of Hollow Shade and Undergrowth.¡±


    Sylaril stomped her cane on the ground, ¡°Silence! You no longer have the right to speak in this Meeting of Dawn. Take your monster and go.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding,¡± Caligo spoke up.


    Sylaril turned her cold gaze on him, ¡°And who are you?¡±


    He sauntered forward with his arms wide open, ¡°You may call me Crow.¡±


    ¡°Were you the one riding the dragon?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°I was, yes.¡±


    ¡°And what does an esteemed dragon rider want with us?¡± Sylaril asked warily.


    Her lamia guardsmen slithered forward and stood between Caligo and his chieftess.


    Caligo ignored the lamia¡¯s scowl and looked past him, ¡°As I said, I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding regarding this whole ¡®banishment¡¯ business. You can¡¯t banish the Cairn Tribe.¡±


    The elder chieftess, Agnes, stepped forward and shook her head with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, dragon rider, but I¡¯m afraid even you do not speak among the council of chieftains.¡±


    Caligo chuckled, ¡°It seems that none of you understand. I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t banish the Cairn Tribe. I¡¯m saying you can¡¯t.¡±


    His figure blurred in a flash of speed and he suddenly appeared in front of the old woman. Before Anges could react, Caligo gripped her face in the palm of his hand and lifted her off the ground. She cried out in pain and tried to pry his hand away but his grip did not budge.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Crow, what are you doing!?¡± Marek yelled in bewilderment.


    ¡°You have all failed to understand one crucial point, this is not a democracy,¡± Caligo said lightly.


    ¡°Let go of her!¡± Sylaril screamed.


    Caligo turned to her and smiled. ¡°No.¡±


    Sylaril¡¯s lamia guard rushed forward with his spear and stabbed at Caligo''s neck. The god¡¯s left hand snatched the spear mid-thrust. The lamia¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the spear suddenly crumbled to ash.


    Caligo¡¯s free hand shot forward like a javelin through the lamia¡¯s chest and ripped out his heart in one smooth motion. The beastman gasped a hollow breath and fell over, dead.


    The crowd suddenly broke into chaotic shouts of terror.


    Caligo raised Agnes¡¯ dangling body and shook her like a ragdoll, uncaring to her painful moans. ¡°Now, I can see that your people¡¯s pacifist traditions have addled your minds and have made you all unable to distinguish real danger when it is staring at you in your face, so I¡¯ll make this clear. I have gathered you all here today for one simple purpose. From this day forward, the valley tribes will all serve under one banner. The banner of the dusk king, Marek, first of his name.¡±


    Sylaril paled in fear, ¡°W-What are you ¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnyone who objects will die here, today.¡± Caligo slowly closed his hand around Agne¡¯s face. His clawed fingers broke through her skin and dug into the bone until her skull cracked in a sickening crunch and her body went slack. Blood poured over Caligo¡¯s fingers and dripped down over the old woman¡¯s neck. He cast the corpse aside and tossed the lamia¡¯s heart at Sylaril¡¯s feet.


    Sylaril staggered back and almost fell over. Her mouth opened and closed with trembling lips but no words came out.


    Caligo pointed his bloody hand at the remaining horrified chieftains. ¡°I suggest you think about your next moments very carefully. To those who pretend to pledge their fealty to king Marek only to later betray your oaths once you¡¯ve arrived ¡®safely¡¯ back at your tribes, all I have to say is this; I know where your tribes reside, I know where you hide. I have a dragon and I have Unildyr beasts. There is nowhere you can escape me in this realm, run where you will. My monsters and the Cairn¡¯s warriors will hunt your people down. They will slaughter your men, rape your women, and enslave your children. And believe I do not care if we were already at war with the Great Cities, I promise you we will make sure to eradicate your tribes first.¡± He looked around with a casual smile, ¡°Was that clear enough?¡±


    Zavinti and the dragonbane raised their heads simultaneously and roared as if to prove his point.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± Caligo nodded.


    The chieftains stared in mute terror at the monstrous beasts and the sheer destruction surrounding them. Slowly they all turned to their leader, Sylaril, for salvation.


    ¡°So, Miss Sylaril,¡± Caligo said nonchalantly, ¡°What will it be? Pledge eternal fealty or death¡ª? You know what, no. I won¡¯t kill you, don¡¯t worry.¡± He walked up to the shaking vampiress and caressed her pale cheek with his bloodstained fingers.


    ¡°How about instead I make you an example that the others will remember?¡± he whispered. ¡°How about I dig my claws over your soft stomach and pull out your entrails¡­? Oh, but don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll make sure to keep you alive, with my magic you¡¯ll surely live¡­ and you¡¯ll feel it, every single visceral moment as I pry apart your rib cage and mount you on a pole for the birds to feast on your innards. Won¡¯t that be fun?¡±


    The golden cane slipped out of Sylaril¡¯s numb fingers. ¡°I-I swear my undying loyalty to M-Marek, k-king of Dusk Valley¡­!¡± she mumbled through trembling lips.


    ¡°There¡¯s a good girl,¡± Caligo cooed warmly. He glanced at the other chieftains. ¡°Well then, what shall it be?¡±


    ~~~


    The sun was beginning to set by the time every remaining chieftain had knelt and sworn fealty. As for the tribes who had lost their chieftains in the dragonbane attack, they named their temporary successor from among their surviving retinue of guards and swore fealty to Marek instead.


    Once the oaths had been given, each chieftain sent out an envoy to rally their armies to the banner of the Cairn Tribe. The chieftains themselves stayed at the ruined campsite in order to plan for the war ahead and to prove their loyalty. A few tents had been re-erected to serve them for the night.


    Caligo sat in one such tent all by himself, save for the small white fox that sat on his lap as they read a book together.


    The tent flaps were abruptly pushed open and Marek strode in with an angered gait. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Caligo didn¡¯t react at the barged entrance. He didn¡¯t even glance up at the dire human. He simply turned a page in his book. ¡°I¡¯m reading a ledger regarding the food supplies of the Flarius Tribe. It seems they have the most provisions amongst all the tribes.¡±


    ¡°What are you even talking about? None of that matters!¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯d argue they matter very much. We were at war, Marek. Supply lines matter. Logistics matter. If we cannot properly keep our armies fed, then we¡¯ve already lost this war.¡±


    The giant man grimaced and bowed his head in shame, ¡°I understand, certainly¡­ but why did you make me king?¡±


    ¡°It was always the path I had laid out for you, Lord Helene, since the night you and I made our deal.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of our deal. I never wanted to be a king, let alone a tyrant!¡±


    ¡°Every lady and lord that has stylized themselves as monarchs in the Ebon Realm have all been tyrants, so relax, you¡¯re in good company.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what purpose does having a king serve my people? How will this help against Hollow Shade?¡±


    Caligo calmly turned another page in his book. ¡°You lack vision, Marek. That has always been your greatest flaw. You are driven by revenge, and while that cup is sweet, you must be careful not to drown in it. There is a future ahead of us, one in which Hollow Shade is defeated and their lords and ladies are cast down. In that future, who will you be? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I never gave it much thought,¡± Marek muttered. Truth be told he wasn¡¯t certain he¡¯d even survive this war. Making plans for the future seemed foolhardy.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Caligo finally looked up at Marek, though he made sure to keep his iridescent eyes hidden beneath his cowl. ¡°I made you king because your people were scattered, the tribes always engaging in endless bickering. Now thanks to me, your people are united, they have someone to follow, someone to believe in.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll see me as a tyrant.¡±


    ¡°As they should. Fear will keep them loyal because at the end of the day, they know you hate their enemies more than you hate them.¡±


    Marek¡¯s shoulders sagged and he sighed. He no longer seemed the larger-than-life champion fighting against the tyranny of the Hollow Shaders. Now he seemed small, a tired mortal man. ¡°¡­What do you want from me? What must I do to fulfill my part of our deal? Be your puppet king?¡±


    ¡°Someday, you¡¯ll understand the truth. For now, just be grateful your people are unified, they are a kingdom in their own right. And when Hollow Shade falls the Kingdom of the Valley shall take its place.¡±


    Marek nodded reluctantly. ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Now you must prepare to meet the generals and lords of Undergrowth. Their armies will soon march out from Glimmer Grove forest and begin their long trek here.¡±


    ¡°And what is our plan of engagement exactly? Will we set the Unildyr beasts on them?¡±


    ¡°No, as I said, we will meet with them.¡±


    Marek frowned in confusion, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Despite our attacks in the heart of their city, Undergrowth is not our enemy.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Their lords must be furious with the valley tribes!¡±


    Caligo shrugged, ¡°Yes, well, none of that will matter soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because when Ophelia Thorn gets here you will marry her and your marriage shall unite the city-state of Undergrowth with the newly formed Kingdom of the Valley.¡±


    Marek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You want me to marry Lady Thorn!?¡±


    ¡°A queen must marry a king. Your marriage to Ophelia ensures that she will rule Hollow Shade by your side, thus ensuring her undying support for our cause.¡±


    ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t betray us?¡±


    ¡°Ophelia cares about herself and her House¡¯s legacy more than anything. That drow woman is a fool, but she will stay in line if she believes it will benefit her.¡±


    ¡°So this is really happening¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the dragonbane will destroy the shade walls and our armies will sweep through the city. And you will have your sweet revenge on your wretched aunt and the rest of your House once and for all. I¡¯m sure seeing them dead will be fun, hm?¡±


    ¡°You say it like this is all some kind of game.¡±


    ¡°Funny. Someone else told me that same thing earlier today.¡±


    Marek shook his head and turned to leave.


    ¡°Oh, before you go, a word of advice. That orichalcum spear Dawn gave you, the reason it hasn¡¯t given you its name is not because you lack the potential to wield it; as far as humans go, you¡¯re an optimal candidate, though if I''m being honest no human is truly suitable to wield such a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± Marek scowled. Just holding the weapon sent pangs of pain through his arms.


    ¡°Even so, you would not be the first mortal an orichalcum weapon has found worthy.¡±


    Marek turned to Caligo, his interest piqued, ¡°How do I learn my spear¡¯s true name?¡±


    Caligo picked up Honorem from the ground beside him and balanced the giant black blade on the end of his finger. ¡°The secret lies in the weapon itself. Each orichalcum weapon is unique, each one responds to different emotions and thoughts. Today you begged yours to reveal its name when the dragonbane attacked, but that spear you carry does not respond to desperation and neither will your subjects.¡±


    Marek narrowed his eyes, ¡°...Thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡±

 Chapter 379: The Signet

    Chapter 379: The Signet


    The storm clouds covered the sky until the end of the horizon. The rain fell heaving over Vulture Woods. It sounded like thousands of arrows pelting down on the wooden rooftops.


    Plum glanced out the window of their log cabin and frowned in dismay. ¡°Are you sure we should leave like this?¡±


    ¡°Plum,¡± Tauri glared at her.


    ¡°I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m glad we¡¯re finally leaving, but there¡¯s a storm outside¡­¡±


    ¡°A little rain won¡¯t stop a Hollow Shade-trained mage, will it now?¡±


    ¡°I''m more of an indoor mage, ya know? Surely we can wait one more day right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but if we don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯m not sure how much longer Stryg will want to stay,¡± Tauri admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, unfortunately,¡± Plum sighed. ¡°Well, I guess we should head out already. Stryg¡¯s waiting for us at the village gate. We don¡¯t keep him waiting too long.¡±


    She nodded in agreement. ¡°The faster we¡¯re out of this place the sooner we¡¯ll be home.¡±


    Home?


    The word sounded odd to Plum. She wasn¡¯t sure what that meant anymore. Hollow Shade wasn¡¯t her home, it hadn¡¯t been for two years. Even though her last living relatives, her grandparents, lived in Undergrowth, that city hadn¡¯t quite felt like home. And now she was here, aiding Undergrowth¡¯s enemies.


    ¡°Right, home¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg and the chieftain made their way down to the village gate with a slow, peaceful gait. The dirt path had turned muddy thanks to the rain but Stryg didn¡¯t mind, he enjoyed the feeling of cold water falling on his skin.


    House Thorn¡¯s heirloom, Blossom, was wrapped around his shoulders. The white cloak of flowers seemed to be blooming in the rain, each petal expanding outwards, drinking in the water droplets.


    ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t convince you to stay?¡± Jahn asked.


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°I want to, really. I¡¯d love to go to the Moon Fang Mountain and see the Silver Hall Keep for myself, but I have people waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Your tribe¡­?¡±


    Stryg nodded. ¡°It¡¯s small, but it''s mine. They¡¯re my people, my family. If war is coming to the Realm I should make sure they are okay.¡±


    ¡°As you should. A chieftain protects his people. His tribe. ¡­Ebon Hollow you called it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jahn raised his eyebrow, ¡°You named your tribe after the city that destroyed Lunis? Our people¡¯s ancestral home?¡±


    Stryg winced, ¡°At the time I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, I suppose the ¡®Ebon¡¯ part is alright. The term has been used in the past to represent the power of our realm. The Ebon Sea, the Ebon Lords, the Ebon Aspirant,¡± Jahn looked at him pointedly.


    ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ve heard,¡± he smiled reminiscently.


    ¡°How about the Ebon Tribe?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The Ebon Tribe. Sounds a bit pretentious, I know, but I think it suits you more.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Simple. Your tribe is led by an Ebon Aspirant and someday an Ebon Lord.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t all Sylvan tribes have two-part names? Blood Fang, Frost Whisper, Iron Spine?¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a bit unusual. But Stryg, you¡¯ve never been the usual. You literally have an orc and a drow in your tribe.¡±


    ¡°...Fair point.¡±


    ¡°Instead of trying to be more like us, I think you should be more like yourself.¡±


    Stryg stopped in his steps. He had never thought about it that way. The people in Hollow Shade had always thought him different, they had always found his ways strange, but the Blood Fang Tribe hadn¡¯t been much different. Perhaps Jahn was right. Perhaps it was time he stopped trying to be like either group and simply be himself.


    Myself, huh?


    He imagined what it would be like to have a Great House of Stryg someday. If that wasn¡¯t pretentious he didn¡¯t know what was.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Jahn inclined his head towards the village gate a few meters ahead of them.


    A small retinue of goblins waited nearby, standing under the shelter of the gatehouse. Stryg recognized most of them in an instant. They were hunters, gatherers, carpenters, and cooks, but most importantly, they were the goblins of his generation. He had grown up with each and every one of them.


    But something was different. They weren¡¯t staring at him with their usual disdain, nor were they snickering and whispering behind his back. No, they were all looking at. There was a heavy wariness in their eyes but there were also traces of respect.


    Srixa stepped out from the crowd, she seemed surprisingly well after the beating First had given her. Srixa bowed deeply. ¡°We have come to show our respects to the Sylvan shaman.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°We wanted to say thank you to the warrior who avenged our tribemates in the cave of serpents,¡± she said in a solemn voice.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Stryg¡¯s expression softened. Now he understood why they were all here. It had been the youth of the tribe, his generation, that had formed the bulk of that party 3 years ago. That night, how many of the goblins here had lost brothers, sisters, friends, lovers?


    One of the young hunters stepped forward and offered Stryg his spear. ¡°You and the tribe may have our differences, but we all came here to tell you that if the day comes when you are in need of help, we will answer the call. We swear it on our lives, lest the Mother Moon strike us down where we stand.¡±


    A warm feeling bloomed in Stryg¡¯s chest but he tried his best to keep a stoic face, ¡°I¡¯ll remember your words and I thank you for your oath.¡±


    ¡°May the Mother Moon bless you on your journey, shaman.¡± The hunter bowed and stepped back.


    ¡°Remember you owe me a proper fight, so come back soon,¡± Srixa whispered and winked.


    Stryg smiled wryly, ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± 2nd Mother coughed loudly.


    Stryg looked up in surprise. He hadn¡¯t noticed the Mothers standing behind the small gathered crowd. Their scarlet wreaths were wrapped around their heads as usual and they carried the solemn air about them that had scared many children throughout the years. Stryg half expected them to chastise him for some mistake he had accidentally committed, instead, they bowed their heads in silent acknowledgement. Even Fifth Mother, who had never liked him, bowed respectfully.


    Second Mother broke from the crowd, without a care for the rain. She ran up to Stryg and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. ¡°No one else will say it, so I will, we¡¯re proud of you, Stryg. No matter where you go, no matter what people say, remember the Mothers are proud of the man you have become.¡±


    He stiffened in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected the usual tough Second Mother to hug him let alone say such a thing.


    ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± he whispered sincerely. ¡°...Where is First Mother, I don¡¯t see her. Did she not come?¡±


    It was customary for the First Mother of the tribe to make sure a goblin was fit to travel before sending them off on their way with the Mother Moon¡¯s blessing.


    Second bit her lip, ¡°...I don¡¯t think she¡¯s coming.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s smile fell, ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that, Second?¡± Jahn grinned.


    The sound of running footsteps sloshing in the mud echoed behind them. Stryg turned around and saw a cloaked figure running towards them. Her hood was up, but he could still make out the scarlet and black wreath leaves poking out from underneath.


    First Mother slowed to a walk as she drew close. She carefully made sure her hood was still covering her hair from the rain, then resumed her usual dignified gait.


    Her breathing was a little rough, but she seemed no worse for wear.


    Did you run all the way here? Stryg wondered, confused. ¡°Hello, Mother,¡± he said with hesitation.


    ¡°Shaman,¡± First said calmly. ¡°It appears I am late.¡±


    ¡°N-Not at all!¡± Stryg shook his head vehemently.


    ¡°Nah, we¡¯ve been here for a while now,¡± Jahn complained. ¡°What sort of example are you setting for the rest of us?¡±


    First sent him a death glare and Jahn promptly clamped his mouth shut.


    ¡°I was searching for something. It took me a while but I found it,¡± First explained with mild annoyance. ¡°Now, child, let me get a good look at you.¡±


    Before Stryg could even respond, First reached up and grabbed him by his cheeks. She turned his head to the right, then to the left. She pried his mouth open and stared at his teeth for a long moment.


    First nodded to herself, stepped back, and sighed deeply, ¡°I raised you better than this.¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been taking care of yourself. Just look at you. You¡¯re so tall yet so skinny, I¡¯m surprised you can even stand up straight. If you keep growing like this you¡¯ll soon end up snapping like a twig.¡±


    Stryg looked himself over, confused. Others had noted that his muscles were toned. He didn¡¯t think he was particularly muscular but he wasn¡¯t frail either.


    ¡°You claim to have a big appetite, but you clearly haven¡¯t gained much weight,¡± First noted.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised actually,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°How much blood do you usually drink?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve been drinking at least one cup since we arrived.¡±


    ¡°And before that?¡±


    ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t really had a chance to drink any in the last month or so¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you haven¡¯t, no wonder you look so pale,¡± she clicked her tongue. ¡°You need to incorporate blood into your diet to help keep your body healthy.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ but I¡¯ll make sure to drink blood on a steady basis from now on,¡± he said earnestly.


    ¡°And what¡¯s with your hair? It¡¯s so unruly and unkempt. Have you lost all care for appearances since you¡¯ve been away?¡± First shook her head in disappointment.


    Stryg ran his hand through his long wet locks. It had been a while since he had gotten it cut. In the past, First Mother had always personally cut his hair and interrogated him all the while doing it. Probably fishing for a slip of the tongue, admitting some misdeed he had done, so that she could punish him no doubt.


    He worried that she might force him to sit down and cut his right here and now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get it cut soon¡­¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°I should hope so, you look like a mangy wet dog. You need to learn to maintain yourself. And clearly, you have forgotten the importance every hunter places on maintaining their weapons. Just look at the pathetic state of your sword.¡± She pointed at the relic sword hanging from his hip.


    ¡°Actually, that sword really isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°Whose is it then?¡±


    ¡°Um, no one¡¯s?¡±


    First narrowed her eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, but! I do have a sword! Right here, it¡¯s called Nameless,¡± he said proudly.


    First looked on with disgust at the broken sword.


    Stryg blushed, ¡°I need to get it repaired.¡±


    ¡°Reforged more like it. How have you survived these last 3 years?¡± she muttered.


    Stryg bowed his head and stared at the ground in shame. He had expected this. First Mother¡¯s words were always harsh. It seemed as if all she cared about was for him to become a proper Sylvan warrior. He glumly wondered to himself if he could ever live up to her expectations.


    ¡°That being said, if that battered sword of yours breaks in battle just leave it and run,¡± First said.


    Stryg looked up at her in surprise. Run away? That wasn¡¯t the Sylvan way. It sounded almost as if she cared more about his well-being than his position as a Sylvan warrior? But that didn¡¯t make sense. First Mother didn¡¯t care about him¡­


    Stryg glanced at First and stiffened. The look in her yellow eyes wasn¡¯t of anger, nor disappointment, it was one of worry.


    ¡°Your abilities as a prime mage will bring you many enemies¡­ You need to be careful, Stryg,¡± she said in a soft voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he nodded slowly.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t put yourself in unnecessary danger. Keep your allies close and keep yourself out of problems that don¡¯t concern you. Promise me.¡±


    Stryg frowned. First Mother was acting strange, he had never heard her speak like this, nonetheless, he answered honestly, ¡°I promise.¡±


    She stared at him for a moment then nodded, satisfied. ¡°Let me see your left hand.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Oh, okay?¡±


    First Mother suddenly grabbed his wrist and slipped a black ring over his index finger. The ring was in the shape of two thick bands that met at the center with a red gem embedded on the top.


    Jahn whistled at the sight of the ring, but at his sister¡¯s glare, he closed his mouth and said nothing.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Stryg muttered curiously. There was something small etched into the gem that he couldn¡¯t quite make out. The black metal seemed somewhat familiar, the glass-like edge reminding him of¡­


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Is this orichalcum?!¡±


    ¡°It belonged to your birth mother. She would have wanted you to have it¡­¡± First said quietly.


    Birth mother?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Stryg swallowed hard and tried to keep his voice from breaking, ¡°I didn¡¯t know my mom left me anything. Thank you, Mother.¡±


    A flash of pain crossed her eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said stiffly.

 Chapter 380: A Brief Rest

    Chapter 380: A Brief Rest


    The Mothers and the chieftain stayed at the gate and watched as Stryg and his companions left the village behind. The others had gone back into their homes to avoid the rain, but First Mother and Jahn opted to stay until Stryg finally passed the village¡¯s outer clearing and disappeared into the tree line.


    ¡°Are you alright, sister?¡± Jahn asked quietly.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± she said curtly, though her eyes stayed on the tree line.


    Jahn smiled sympathetically. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t easy, letting your son go once more.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back, you know. In a few months, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine,¡± she snapped, but her eyes still did not leave the tree line.


    ¡°...Alright, I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± Jahn turned to leave, ¡°Still,¡± he stopped, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you gave Stryg our grandmother¡¯s ring.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± First sighed deeply and pulled the scarlet-ebon wreath off her brow. She tilted her head up towards the storm clouds and closed her eyes. Her hood slipped down and her hair was exposed to the elements. The rainwater slowly washed away the black dye and left her hair as pale as the moon.


    ¡°You think it was the wrong choice?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t my place to say. The ring was given to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± First closed her eyes in reminiscence, ¡°Mom gave it to me when I was his age. It seemed only right that he carries the family¡¯s signet now. More importantly, he¡¯ll need all the help he can get from the family if he is to survive to be an Ebon Lord.¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯s ready for that kind of responsibility? Out there in the world? In Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± First¡¯s lips curled in a faint smile, ¡°But he¡¯s a Veres. He¡¯ll adapt.¡±


    ~~~


    The thick scarlet canopy did little to stop the water from dripping down on them. The storm had only become worse as night fell. The small campfire made of stray twigs and fresh branches grown from Stryg¡¯s green flora magic, struggled to stay alight amidst the harsh winds.


    Nonetheless, Plum and Tauri huddled around the campfire, trying to absorb what little heat they could.


    ¡°I told you we should have left after the storm,¡± Plum grumbled between chattering teeth.


    ¡°Why are you complaining? I thought drows were well suited to the cold.¡± Tauri did her best to smirk, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she was. Her face was too cold, she couldn¡¯t feel anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to stay warm when the rain saps the heat from you all day long,¡± Plum glared at her.


    Stryg threw Blossom over Plum¡¯s shoulders without a word. The white flower cloak wrapped around her snugly by itself.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Plum was taken aback, it was as if the cloak was sapping away her cold and filling her body with warmth.


    ¡°Better?¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Much, thank you. But are you going to be okay?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. The rain doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Ah, yes, another unexplained wonder of our resident Ebon Aspirant. Or is there some kind of Sylvan trick that allows goblins to stay warm in freezing and soaking-wet clothes?¡± Tauri grumbled.


    ¡°Ah, knock it off. You¡¯re just angry Stryg gave me the magic cloak and not you,¡± Plum stuck out her tongue teasingly.


    Tauri frowned, ¡°I¡¯m angry the rain hasn¡¯t let up yet.¡±


    ¡°It will, a little before dawn,¡± Stryg said off-handedly.


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Can¡¯t you feel it in the air?¡± Stryg said.


    Plum and Tauri shared a glance of uncertainty.


    ¡°And yet another unexplained wonder¡­¡± Tauri shook her head.


    Stryg scratched his cheek, ¡°You think so?¡±


    Tauri noticed his finger and leaned over with narrowed eyes. ¡°Hey, that ring¡­ where did you get it?¡±


    Stryg glanced at the orichalcum ring on his left index finger. The red gemstone shined in the flickering firelight. ¡°First Mother gave it to me. Why do you ask?¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡¯ve seen that ring before¡­ but I can¡¯t remember where,¡± Tauri muttered in consternation.


    ¡°Are you sure? First Mother said it belonged to my birth mother. I really doubt you¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    ¡°What was a Sylvan goblin doing with an orichalcum ring?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°How should I know? I never met my birth mother,¡± Stryg huffed.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Tauri leaned back and clicked her tongue, ¡°Damn it, this is going to annoy me for days! I know I¡¯ve seen that ring before!¡±


    ¡°Another unexplained wonder,¡± Plum teased.


    ¡°So it would seem,¡± Tauri frowned. She pulled out her sleeping cot from her travel pack and laid it on the ground near the campfire.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep?¡± Stryg asked.


    Tauri cocked her eyebrow, ¡°What else am I supposed to do? Listen to you two idiots discuss the ideal shape of a woman¡¯s butt? No thanks.¡±


    ¡°That was one time,¡± Plum groaned.


    Tauri snuggled into her cot and turned her back to them. ¡°I¡¯ll take the second watch. Now let me sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take first watch then.¡± Stryg leaned back on an ashen tree and sat cross-legged in front of their small camp.


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue with that,¡± Plum yawned. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Get some rest while you can. It¡¯ll be a couple of days before we reach the forest¡¯s border. We should be fine until then, but after that¡­¡±


    ¡°After that¡­¡± Plum muttered forebodingly.


    They were each keenly aware of what lay beyond Vulture Woods. The warring lands of Dusk Valley. The war between the valley tribes and the lords of Hollow Shade had only grown worse in the last few months. Now, with Lady Thorn¡¯s declaration of war, they could only guess at how much more dangerous the rolling hills of the valley had become.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Stryg said as if to reassure himself.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, we have a Katag scion and an Ebon Aspirant with us. What could possibly go wrong?¡± Plum smiled forcefully.


    Stryg grinned half-heartedly, ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ~~~


    As the hours passed by and the raindrops pattered over the canopy Stryg kept a silent watch, content to stay awake all night if needed. He could manage without sleep for a few days if he didn¡¯t push himself, his friends could not. He would rather let them sleep for a few more hours.


    Every half hour or so Stryg would pour flame magic over the small sputtering fire to keep it alive. The cold damp air didn¡¯t bother him, but he didn¡¯t want his companions to get sick. Tauri in particular kept shivering throughout the night.


    She turned over in her sleep and Stryg noticed her red lips had grown pale. A pang of worry shot through him. He walked over to her and crouched down.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tauri mumbled with one eye open.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± he asked, mildly surprised.


    ¡°Kind of hard to sleep in this damn cold,¡± she muttered tiredly.


    ¡°You¡¯re wet clothes don¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously implying I take them off? In front of you two?¡±


    ¡°Plum¡¯s asleep. So it¡¯d just be me.¡±


    ¡°Why does that sound somehow worse? Hey, what are you doi¨C!?¡±


    Stryg ignored the panic rising in her voice and slipped into the sleeping cot with her. ¡°If you refuse to take off your clothes then I¡¯ll have to warm you up myself.¡±


    ¡°If anyone back home saw this it would cause a scandal. You¡¯re engaged to my sister,¡± Tauri hissed angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± Stryg wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like your sister.¡±


    Tauri tried her best to squirm out of his embrace, but his arms may as well have been bars of steel. She debated on using brown magic to break away, but some part of her didn¡¯t want to. He was surprisingly warm.


    No, this is bad. He¡¯s starting to make a habit of this, Tauri thought.


    Before she could break free Stryg closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. ¡°You smell like vanilla. It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my perfume¡­ Some of the red mages make it back in Hollow Shade,¡± Tauri admitted, though she wasn¡¯t quite sure why.


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about that¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°What are we even doing here? Where does this go? You¡¯re marrying my sister.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know your sister. She won¡¯t mind if I break off the engagement.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she won¡¯t but my parents will. You struck a bargain with my House, you can¡¯t just run away from that.¡±


    ¡°What if we marry instead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know if I want that.¡± She knew she had some feelings for the strange blue goblin, though she¡¯d never admit it, but marriage? Marriage wasn¡¯t something she could simply awake from.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, I just have to convince you?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°Hm. Then this is problematic.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an orc, Tauri. My people hate orcs. I thought I hated you, but I don¡¯t. ¡­What you said, back at the village, that I was worthy¡­ Did you mean it?¡±


    She tilted her head up and looked him in the eyes, their faces mere inches from each other. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Then this really is problematic.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I find it increasingly harder to imagine you with someone else. I don¡¯t want that. I think it would hurt a lot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Now go to sleep.¡±


    Stryg blinked, half shocked. ¡°...You do realize I¡¯m still on watch, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Tauri turned around in the cot so that her back was to him, ¡°...What would you do, if you did see me with someone else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d find out if he was worthy of you. And if he was, I¡¯d wish you both the best.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d kill him.¡±


    Tauri couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile at that. Then she suddenly stiffened in horror as her eyes met Plum¡¯s who was watching them from her own sleeping cot across the campfire.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you don¡¯t fuck crazy,¡± Plum winked.


    ¡°How long have you been watching!?¡± Tauri shouted.


    ¡°How long have you been into sleeping with crazy possessive goblins?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± Tauri said panickedly.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not judging, I mean I totally am, but that''s beside the point. Just do me a favor, if you two are going to be fucking each other throughout the trip, try to be quiet. Some of us actually need to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Plum, you little shit!¡± Tauri screamed.

 Chapter 381: Ashen Wood

    Chapter 381: Ashen Wood


    Hungry.


    That was the only thought that kept bouncing back and forth in Plum¡¯s mind. They hadn¡¯t eaten since morning and the sun was already beginning to set. Stryg had decided to not stop to eat because they were nearing the border, or so he claimed. After two days of trudging through the forest the ashen trees had begun to blur and all look the same. Plum couldn¡¯t tell if they were getting closer to the border or marching straight into the heart of Vulture Woods. In either case, Stryg promised they would stop and rest once they reached the border.


    The rumbling in Plum¡¯s stomach complained impatiently.


    ¡°Can we just stop, for like, 5 minutes? Please?¡± Plum groaned loudly.


    ¡°The forest will soon be behind us. It¡¯ll be much safer to rest and eat then,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum glanced at her beautiful orc companion pleadingly.


    Tauri smiled sympathetically and nodded in understanding. ¡°Stryg¡­ We¡¯ve been walking all day. Not all of us have your stamina or endurance. We could use a rest, even if our destination is nearby.¡±


    Stryg stopped walking and stood quietly still. His pointed ears twitched.


    ¡°Thank the gods!¡± Plum cried out in relief and sat on the ground where she was. She lay back and closed her eyes, happy for the respite.


    ¡°Any chance you could cook something up? I¡¯ll start the fire.¡± Tauri channeled a small flame in the palm of her hand.


    Plum smiled wryly. She had almost forgotten she was the only decent cook among them. ¡°Fine, but you chop up the last of the onions.¡±


    ¡°You like seeing me cry, don¡¯t you?¡± she said skeptically.


    Plum batted her eyelashes, ¡°What? Me? No? Why would I enjoy seeing a pampered daughter of a Ruling Family cry while cutting a couple of mere vegetables? Preposterous, I say!¡±


    Stryg suddenly scampered up the nearest tree and crouched atop the tallest branch in the scarlet canopy.


    ¡°It¡¯s still weird how he climbs up a tree like a damn squirrel, right?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Plum answered without hesitation.


    ¡°So, what do you think Stryg¡¯s doing now?¡±


    ¡°Funny, I ask myself that question every day,¡± Plum said. ¡°My best guess is he¡¯s searching for some prey for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Ooh! Maybe he spotted a deer. I¡¯d love to have some venison,¡± Tauri said hopefully.


    Plum narrowed her eyes. ¡°...No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a deer.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at Stryg¡¯s expression.¡±


    ¡°What expression? His face isn¡¯t moving.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. He isn¡¯t making an expression. And he¡¯s quiet, too quiet.¡±


    Tauri furrowed her brow, ¡°Your point is?¡±


    ¡°Stryg gets like that when he¡¯s considering¡­¡±


    ¡°Considering what?¡±


    ¡°How to kill someone.¡±


    Stryg climbed down the tree and jumped down from the lowest branch. He landed on his feet heavily, and his boots left a deep impression on the ground.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Plum asked forebodingly.


    ¡°The forest¡¯s border is close, just past that hill over there,¡± Stryg said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ right?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°There are soldiers over the hill. Undergrowth soldiers. About a hundred of them I think.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What? Here? What are they doing in Vulture Woods?¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re running some kind of logging camp,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Ashen wood,¡± Tauri muttered in realization. ¡°Ashen trees are prized for their incredible strength and their ability to retain a flexible nature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why the Sylvan like to make their spears from ashen wood,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°So they''re here to make weapons¡­ for the war,¡± Plum guessed.


    ¡°Yes, but why would they risk carrying out an entire logging camp near Vulture Woods?  It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Tauri said. ¡°There is a reason why there are so few ashen weapons in Dusk Valley. No sane lord would send their soldiers out here just to cut down some trees for a couple of spears.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us would describe Lady Thorn as sane at this point. She declared war on all the other Great Cities,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°True, but maybe the ashen wood serves a different purpose?¡± Stryg thought out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­¡± Tauri muttered. ¡°Siege weapons perhaps? They¡¯d be useless against Hollow Shade¡¯s magical defenses and there¡¯s no way they could carry a siege weapon through the mountainous paths to Frost Rim. But against Murkton? It''s possible.¡±


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not going to let any of those soldiers drag a single tree away from this place,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to fight them? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to just go around them and go on our way?¡± Plum asked.


    Tauri nodded, ¡°She¡¯s right. We don¡¯t know how many more enemies might be around the area. If you attack their camp you may alert an entire battalion of a thousand soldiers. If that happens there is no way we¡¯ll be able to reach Hollow Shade undetected.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just kill them all before they get a chance to alert their allies,¡± Stryg said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°This is a terrible idea,¡± Plum groaned quietly.


    ¡°I think we all know how stubborn you can be, Stryg, so I¡¯m not going to bother stopping you,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m letting you go out there alone.¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m just going to stay back and watch our gear,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± Stryg nodded.


    Plum frowned, ¡°Wait. What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Stryg and Tauri glanced at each other then looked at Plum pitifully.


    ¡°Oi! I can fight too, you know! When I want to!¡± Plum yelled angrily.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± they replied in unison.


    ~~~


    The campsite lay sprawled below Tauri. She waited, crouched behind a tree at the top of the hill. Several drows dressed in officer¡¯s armor walked about the camp, overseeing the operation. Dozens of drows were hauling logs of wood onto large wagons, each strapped to teams of six centaurs. Another ten or so drows were busy hacking away at the thick bark of the ashen trees. The sounds of their axes drowned out whatever noise Tauri made as she made her way through the underbrush.


    She had never been one for skulking about and had little to no training in forestry or sneaking through the woods. Still, no one seemed to have noticed her. She debated her method of attack. The sun was beginning to dip over the horizon, soon night would cover the forest. Her flame magic would only attract unwanted attention. Even if she could burn most of them, there was a good chance at least one soldier would escape and possibly alert any nearby allies.


    This is harder than I thought¡­ she thought frustratedly.


    One of the guards patrolling the perimeter of the campsite began towards her hiding spot. From his unsuspecting gaze, it didn¡¯t seem as if he had noticed her, but Tauri tried her best to not move nor make a sound.


    The guard drew closer until he was only 15 paces away. 12 paces. 9 paces. 7 paces¡ª


    The guard was suddenly yanked into a nearby bush. He opened his mouth to scream in alarm but his cry was cut short.


    Tauri frowned. Stryg¡­?


    But that didn¡¯t make sense. He was supposed to be on the other side of the hill.


    A second guard disappeared into the underbrush 20 paces to her left. Then another 30 paces to her right. In a matter of seconds, nine guards walking around the edge of the campsite disappeared without so much as a cry for help.


    Stryg was nowhere to be seen.


    Tauri carefully made her way to the bush where the first victim had disappeared. A small puddle of blood had begun to pool around the bush. With slight hesitation, she pushed the branches aside. The guard lay buried underneath the bush, thick thorny vines were coiled around him like a snake. The thorns had dug into his open flesh and torn his flesh apart, leaving his skin in bloody tatters. His lips had been torn apart from where a thorny vine had pierced his mouth and shredded his insides.


    Tauri grimaced and covered her mouth, trying her best not to gag. She had seen death, but not like this. Flora magic was usually used in a defensive manner, at worst to restrain an opponent, but this¡­ this was gruesome, monstrous even, and an incredibly effective way to silence your victim.


    Tauri looked down at the campsite and confirmed her suspicions.


    Stryg emerged from the shadows behind a pair of axemen. He drew his relic sword silently and dashed at them. His sword flashed in a wide arc and sliced the unsuspecting drows¡¯ spines in two. Their upper bodies slid off before their legs collapsed a second later. Before their bodies had even fallen, Stryg had melded back into his spell-bound shadows.


    Was this really Stryg? Tauri wondered shakily.


    She had seen him fight before, she had seen him kill countless valley tribesmen when they had attacked her family manor. But back then there had been rage in his eyes, the bloodlust of battle in his heart.


    This was different. This was efficient. This was cold ruthlessness. This was¡­ Stryg. It had always been Stryg, she realized.


    Tauri began to wonder if it would have been best to simply have waited back behind the hill with Plum.

 Chapter 382: Campsite Ablaze

    Chapter 382: Campsite Ablaze


    Brom inspected the ashen logs that had been stacked atop one of several wagons. The wood was fresh, there was still plenty of moisture within. Not ideal. But that wasn¡¯t his problem. His task was to ensure the ashen wood got to the Cairn Tribe. The Adder Tribe¡¯s green mages would take it from there and ensure the timber would be suitable for the siege.


    Olivia walked up next to him and glanced at the logs, though she made no real show of studying the cargo. ¡°I take it everything is in order?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I suppose so,¡± Brom said. He was reluctant to admit it to the drow captain, but her company of soldiers was quite proficient.


    ¡°I never thought a bunch of Undergrowth soldiers would be able to serve as axemen,¡± Brom said. It was the closest he would come to paying a compliment to these drows.


    ¡°And I never thought my men and I would be working with the valley tribes, let alone one as disheveled as you,¡± Olivia said.


    Brom chuckled wryly and stroked his scraggly beard. Perhaps there was more fire in these soft-bellied Undergrowthers than he thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always bent my focus and will towards the way of steel,¡± Brom patted the hefty hammer hanging on his back. ¡°I never really had the time to care about pointless matters like appearances.¡± He stared pointedly at Olivia¡¯s short and combed hair, ¡°Clearly, we differ in that regard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d wager we differ in many regards, human.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Brom smiled, though there was no mirth in his eyes. ¡°The logs seem healthy, no sign of rot. If your men keep cutting the trees at this rate we¡¯ll have another six shipments finished by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°End of the week?!¡± Olivia¡¯s composure broke, but she quickly smothered her features and resumed her callous expression. ¡°Ahem, certainly we do not have to stay that long.¡±


    ¡°I admire your faith in your men, but I¡¯m fairly certain that if they try to complete the shipments any sooner they will die of exhaustion.¡±


    Olivia bit her lip with indecision, but she shook her head and made up her mind. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just do five shipments instead? Surely one of the other camps can take up one last shipment.¡±


    Brom narrowed his eyes. ¡°Those weren¡¯t our orders. My orders were to oversee the logging camp of Undergrowth¡¯s 42nd company and ensure they delivered 12 shipments of ashen wood. Your orders as captain of the 42nd company were to ensure your men did the job.¡±


    ¡°...We are not in Glimmer Grove Forest, so perhaps you do not understand. My people don¡¯t venture into these woods for good reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of the stories about Vulture Woods.¡±


    ¡°Then you understand why I do not wish to risk my men¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a week and we haven¡¯t encountered any threats save for overly large rodents.¡±


    ¡°That is because we are at the edge of the forest.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we¡¯re fine, then?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we are pushing our luck.¡±


    Brom stepped forward until their faces were mere inches apart, ¡°Well, I¡¯m saying we had fucking orders. So unless you wish to be executed for insubordination, I strongly suggest you make sure your men deliver those six shipments by the end of the week. But feel free to not listen. I hear your queen has her traitors impaled and put up for all to see. I¡¯ve never seen a spear shoved up someone¡¯s arse before, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be quite the spectacle.¡±


    Olivia glared at him, ¡°Someday when this war is over I am going to find you and kill you.¡±


    Brom chuckled, ¡°When this war is over I reckon we¡¯ll both already be dead.¡±


    A sudden wretched scream through the camp. Brom spun around, searching for the threat. Olivia didn¡¯t draw her sword and instead raised her open palms. Her fingers glowed with a faint red light.


    She was a mage? He hadn¡¯t known. He was beginning to regret his earlier words.


    Another scream rang out from the south of the camp.


    Brom grabbed his hammer and cursed, ¡°Shit, we¡¯re under attack¡ª!¡±


    An explosion of flames smashed into a nearby wagon, sending them both careening to the ground.


    Orbs of flame continued to shower down over the camp, exploding in searing waves of magic and sparks.


    Brom groaned and looked around, disoriented. His ears rang and the world seemed to spin in a blur.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Smoke was rising from several of the tents. The wagons were all ablaze, the centaurs tied to them had been caught in the explosions; the lucky ones had been scorched to death on impact. The rest galloped through the camp in a crazed outburst, screaming in agony as the flames melted their flesh.


    ¡°With me! Shields up, shields up!¡± Olivia yelled.


    The captain was standing atop a crate, screaming rallying orders to her soldiers, while writing red arcane sigils into the air. The ward sigils flared to life and formed a magical barrier around her in a five-meter radius, protecting the few soldiers around her and Brom.


    Most of the surviving soldiers were running about in a panic, but as soon as they saw the ward barrier their eyes lit with hope and they sprinted towards their captain.


    Brom gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. He found his hammer and hurried over to Olivia to cover her flank.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold this position forever!¡± Brom yelled over the sounds of the bombardment. ¡°We need to retreat!¡±


    Olivia nodded distractedly, her hands still moving with urgency. ¡°We¡¯ll head towards the hill and use them for cover¡ª¡±


    A vine sprung out from the earth underneath her and wrapped around her leg. Olivia¡¯s panicked scream was cut short as it dragged her into the dark forest. Her ward barrier broke apart, its sigils faded away, their creator no longer in their presence.


    The soldiers watched dumbstricken as their last hope disappeared into the darkness. They stumbled back and ran away from the forest¡¯s tree line as quickly as they could. One by one their cries of fear died out and their bodies fell over in butchered pieces.


    Brom stood stock-still in shock. He hadn¡¯t moved from where Olivia had been taken. He watched as something killed the fleeing soldiers in the dark. Then there was silence, painful, dreaded silence. Gone were the screams and cries of the drows, only the sound of splintering wood as it burned remained.


    His legs couldn¡¯t stop shaking, but they refused to move. Memories of the massacre weeks ago flooded his mind. Brom held his hammer close to his chest in a white-knuckle grip and glanced about the ruined campsite anxiously.


    Then he saw it.


    From the ashen smoke, the monster emerged and stepped through crackling flames, but he did not burn. The flames curled around him as if welcoming its master in a deep bow. Oily shadows wrapped around his entire being like a silk cloak of the night sky. The firelight glimmered off the bright scarlet blood on his blade that seemed to be dripping with scarlet endlessly.


    Brom¡¯s whole body trembled, but he swallowed hard and faced the horror. Then the monster turned towards him and hope died in Brom¡¯s eyes as he stared into those cold pale eyes.


    The hammer slipped out of his fingers and he fell to his knees in despair. This was not an enemy he could fight. This was not a being who could die. This was death and it had found him.


    ~~~


    The smell of smoke and burned flesh filled her nostrils. Plum tried her best to not vomit as she wandered through the ruins of the campsite, though she could not hide the disgust on her face. She was grateful it was still dark, she didn¡¯t want to imagine what this place would appear like under the light of dawn.


    A few fires still remained, mostly around the burning wagons and their ashen logs, or just ash now she supposed. The tents were gone now, only black scorched stains on the ground.


    The bodies¡­


    Plum wasn¡¯t even sure if she could call them that anymore. What little remained of the soldiers¡¯ bodies were either ash and bone or were so cut up or mangled that not a family member would have been able to discern which severed arm belonged to their loved one.


    And there it was, the thought she tried to push down. This was war, a war waged by a mad queen who didn¡¯t care how many innocents died. Plum understood the grim truth; people died in war. She understood that for them to live their enemies would have to die. And yet, despite understanding all of this, she couldn¡¯t escape the thought, no, the truth, that stared at her unashamedly.


    These people had families. They had loved ones.


    What would their deaths accomplish? If not another generation of hatred and bitterness that would no doubt birth more battles like this.


    ¡°Plum, over here!¡± Tauri waved her over.


    The orc stood in a small grass clearing, the only green spot that remained amidst the scorched campsite.


    Her legs felt heavy like stone, but Plum dragged her feet forward anyway. As she walked past the burning wagons she noted Tauri wasn¡¯t alone. Stryg sat on the one crate that hadn¡¯t burned. He was covered in blood and ash from head to toe.


    Plum didn¡¯t know what to say, but Stryg didn¡¯t even bother looking up at her as she walked into the clearing, his focus was entirely on the pristine silver blade in his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot, I know. I¡¯m still coming to grips with it myself,¡± Tauri smiled and placed a reassuring hand over Plum¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    She returned the smile, albeit weakly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. You?¡±


    ¡°Not a scratch. I actually didn¡¯t do much,¡± Tauri admitted. ¡°Stryg dispatched the guards, then began bombarding them with powerful flame orbs. I supported him with my own flame magic while he finished off the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°...So, they¡¯re all dead?¡± Plum asked quietly.


    ¡°Except those two,¡± Tauri inclined her head to the bodies lying on the ground.


    It was a drow and a human. They were both tied up with vines, Stryg¡¯s green flora magic, no doubt.


    Tauri crouched next to the unconscious prisoners and tapped the drow¡¯s armor. ¡°You see how this one has a silver mark on her pauldron? She¡¯s a captain. My best guess is that she is the leader of this camp.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you let her live?¡± Plum asked.


    Stryg finally looked up from his sword and pointed the blade at the captured drow. ¡°She is also a mage, a chromatic red at least.¡±


    ¡°In any case, she¡¯ll have some answers for us,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°And the other one? He¡¯s not wearing any kind of formal armor,¡± Plum noted.


    ¡°He smelled different from the rest. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s with them. I knocked him unconscious for now,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°We were hoping you could help us,¡± Tauri said.


    Plum frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Stryg may be a prime mage but his mind magic isn¡¯t nearly as refined as yours,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°I was busy mastering the other spell forms,¡± Stryg said defensively.


    ¡°We need you to find out what they''re hiding, Plum,¡± Tauri said.


    Plum stared pitifully at the poor unlucky bastards lying unconscious. She sighed.

 Chapter 383: Magical Inquiry

    Chapter 383: Magical Inquiry


    Plum stared pitifully at the poor unlucky bastards lying unconscious. On a closer look, she noticed a silver amulet hanging from the drow prisoner¡¯s neck. The amulet was the symbol of an academically-trained mageborn and the ruby embedded on her amulet marked her as a chromatic red mage.


    Stryg was right. Though the drow was wearing a soldier¡¯s armor she was a mageborn like them. There were a few scorch marks on her armor, but save for a few bruises she seemed fine, which was far more than could be said about the rest of her comrades.


    The other survivor was a human, definitely not a part of the Undergrowth military. He wore no armor, only a ragged tunic. Dried blood was caked around the side of his head where Stryg had no doubt bludgeoned him. The man would have a terrible headache but with the proper medical treatment, he would recover just fine.


    Plum sighed.


    Not that either of them will live to see the sunrise.


    Even if she managed to use her purple magic to salvage information from their minds, Stryg wasn¡¯t the kind of warrior to leave survivors. The blood covering him from head to toe was a testament to that.


    Still, Stryg didn''t seem to notice the hesitation on her face. In fact, he didn¡¯t even seem bothered by all the blood and bits of gore over him. His eyes were focused entirely on the silver blade in his hands.


    ¡°Does that sword belong to one of them?¡± Plum gestured to the prisoners.


    Stryg finally looked up and shook his head slowly.


    Tauri smirked, ¡°So you just looted it from one of the corpses strewn about the camp? And here I remember you saying you didn¡¯t need a new sword, your precious Nameless was enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t a new sword. It¡¯s the relic sword we found in the serpent¡¯s cave,¡± Stryg answered quietly.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Tauri hurried over towards him and stared at the sword up close. Gone were the chipped edges and dull sheen. The blade was a pristine silver with a fine edge that glimmered in the wreckage¡¯s firelight.


    Tauri was about to refute his claim but then she spotted the straight crossguard, steel-white hilt, and the Parallel Magestones embedded on the black pommel. The faded engraving at the base of the blade was still there, as faded as before.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ It really is the relic sword?¡± Tauri mumbled, dumbfounded.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Plum frowned. ¡°Is it because of the Parallel Magestones? Did they somehow fix the blade?¡±


    Tauri bit her lip, ¡°No. The Parallel Magestones are believed to greatly empower the enchantments of an object, not fix the object. This has to be some kind of self-repairing enchantment¡­ except I¡¯ve never heard of an enchantment like that.¡±


    ¡°This has to be old magic, then? Brown spells that have been lost through time?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°That seems like a reasonable conjecture, except if the blade could repair itself then why wait till now? Why didn¡¯t it repair itself earlier?¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°It was the blood,¡± Stryg said with a wary expression. ¡°As I was killing the soldiers, I noticed their blood was being¡ª absorbed. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but I think it somehow used the blood to fix itself.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Plum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I remember seeing something like that back at the cave. So that¡¯s why it was drinking the lamia blood.¡±


    ¡°Drinking blood¡­?¡± Tauri furrowed her brow and stared at the relic sword. ¡°That sounds almost like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Stryg asked.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°No, forget it. It¡¯s impossible. The blade is the wrong color anyway.¡±


    The red mage groaned in pain and tried to move, but the vines wrapped around her more tightly instead. She opened her eyes blearily and looked around dazed. ¡°W-Where¡­? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Looks like the drow is awake,¡± Tauri noted.


    ¡°Oh, uh, hello there,¡± Plum waved awkwardly.


    ¡°Who are you people!?¡± the drow soldier shouted, panic rising in her voice. She glanced around anxiously and stiffened at the sight of the smoldering ruined camp.


    ¡°Sooo, I¡¯m Plumela, but you can just call me Plum,¡± she said with an uncertain smile.


    ¡°What are you doing!? Don¡¯t tell her your name!¡± Tauri chastised.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Plum winced.


    ¡°What does it matter? She¡¯ll be dead soon enough,¡± Stryg said off-handedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones who attacked us¡­ Where are the rest of your men?¡± the soldier asked worriedly.


    ¡°We¡¯re asking the questions,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else.¡±


    ¡°Plum!¡± Tauri yelled.


    ¡°What? Stryg said it doesn¡¯t matter what we tell her, right? You¡¯re all just gonna kill her anyway!¡± Plum yelled in frustration.


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± the soldier whispered. She slowly turned to the goblin and stared at him with eyes as wide as saucers. Beneath the blood and ash, she could make out the blue skin in the firelight.


    He glanced at her with cold lilac eyes, his slit pupils as sharp as blades.


    ¡°My gods, it¡¯s really you¡­¡± the soldier mumbled in awe. ¡°The Ebon Aspirant.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Olivia, captain of the 42nd company.¡± She glanced around the campsite and back at him, ¡°I¡­ I thought we were attacked by some sort of elite team of mages, but it was all you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± Stryg glanced at Tauri who nodded in acknowledgement.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°...I, uh,¡± Olivia swallowed hard. ¡°I¡¯m not going to survive this, am I?¡±


    Stryg looked her in the eyes and spoke in a steady voice, ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡±


    She looked down at herself and smiled weakly, ¡°I see¡­ I take it you¡¯ve kept me alive for questioning?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Olivia took a deep breath and tried to muster what courage she had left. ¡°I am loyal to my queen.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Plum, try to hurry. We don¡¯t know how much time we have before more enemies show up,¡± Stryg said.


    Plum¡¯s stomach twisted. She took a step back. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°This is why we should have kept them unconscious,¡± Tauri said. ¡°Plum isn¡¯t a soldier, Stryg. She can¡¯t just look someone in the eye and run a sword through them. She hasn¡¯t been trained for this. And the way you ¡®handle¡¯ your enemies is something that not even soldiers are trained to watch.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I understand,¡± Stryg nodded and flicked his wrist in a small gesture. The vines around Olivia¡¯s throat tightened. She gasped for breath, but there was none. Her grey cheeks grew flushed and she tried to roll on the ground, but the vines held taut.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Plum yelled.


    ¡°Making it easier for you,¡± Stryg said and curled his fingers into a fist.


    The vines squeezed tight until it seemed as if they would crush the drow¡¯s windpipe. Saliva began to dribble from the edge of her mouth and her eyes rolled up. Olivia¡¯s muscles relaxed and her body went slack.


    ¡°There, she¡¯s unconscious,¡± Stryg said and loosened the vines with a small gesture. ¡°It should be easier to read her mind now.¡±


    Plum glared at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Fine. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and read the human¡¯s mind instead? Tell us what you can find out about him.¡±


    Plum glanced at the unconscious human and the dried blood on the side of his head. ¡°They won¡¯t ever be waking up, will they?¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Yes, but it makes this easier,¡± Plum said with a tired defeated voice. ¡°I can at least help him dream.¡±


    Tauri smiled sympathetically, ¡°Better to leave this world with a nice dream than to wake up to this nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Plum nodded with a tired, bitter expression.


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll deal with the drow then,¡± Stryg said.


    The vines lifted Olivia towards Stryg and held her slack body in front of him. He grabbed her by the sides of her forehead and began channeling purple mana into his hand. Faint purple strings of light extended out from his fingers and wrapped around Olivia¡¯s head, like tendrils swimming through the water.


    ¡°Does this not bother you in the slightest?¡± Plum asked him frustratedly. ¡°Does knowing you are going through someone''s memories, seeing what they saw, experiencing what they felt¡­ knowing you are going to end their life... How can you be so calm?!¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side and blinked slowly, ¡°Is it supposed to bother me? They are my enemy. Keeping them alive would only serve to hurt me and the ones I care about.¡±


    Plum narrowed her eyes and looked at Stryg thoughtfully. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m beginning to understand you a bit more now¡­ People can¡¯t usually close off the part of themselves that cares, even if it is their enemy. But you, it comes naturally to you. It¡¯s almost like that part of you wasn¡¯t there to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Okaaay, I think that¡¯s enough introspection for now,¡± Tauri said. ¡°May I remind you both that we are on limited time.¡±


    Stryg shrugged and focused on his magic. Olivia¡¯s face contorted painfully and her body twitched incessantly.


    Stryg sighed, ¡°I really need to practice my mind spells.¡±


    Plum turned away, uncomfortable at the sight. She crouched down next to the human and extended tendrils of light towards his head carefully.


    Tauri waited silently for a few minutes, watching the duo work. Olivia¡¯s spasms grew worse and it didn¡¯t seem as if they were going to get any better if Stryg¡¯s cursing was any indication.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Tauri finally asked.


    Stryg closed his eyes and tried his best to focus, ¡°It¡¯s all a bit blurry, but I think you were right. The ashen wood was to be used for siege weapons, but it wasn¡¯t for Murkton. Olivia¡¯s orders were to give the wood to¡­ the Adder Tribe?¡±


    Tauri¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°The Adder Tribe? Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are the most prominent of the valley tribes. Why would Undergrowth soldiers be working with valley savages?¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°Because they made some kind of alliance,¡± Plum said. ¡°This man, his name is Brom, is a valley tribesman. He was ordered to procure the ashen wood for a siege against¡­ Hollow Shade?¡±


    Tauri laughed, ¡°Do those savages really think siege weapons will work against the shade wall? Let them come, we¡¯ll put an end to them once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Loh! She¡¯s alive!¡± Stryg cried out excitedly. ¡°There were reports that she escaped the city. They¡¯re still trying to find her.¡±


    Tauri broke into a soft smile and sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good. Do you know how she managed to escape? What about the others? Are they safe?¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­ dammit!¡± Stryg cursed under his breath. ¡°I can¡¯t make out anything else, Olivia¡¯s mind is too much of a mess and I don¡¯t know how to navigate it. Can you see anything else on your end, Plum?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Plum said with closed eyes. ¡°Something important happened to him recently, I can feel it. There are a lot of emotions tied up in his memories from around two weeks ago. He was in some kind of important meeting. It was a gathering of all the valley chieftains.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Tauri muttered. ¡°What were they talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ There¡¯s something about the Cairn and¡­ Marek?¡±


    Stryg opened his eyes and looked at Plum, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to see. Brom was terrified. Something happened,¡± Plum said. The tendrils of purple magic flared. ¡°I can see something but it''s a blur. One sec, let me try to synchronize my mind with his.¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± Stryg warned. ¡°Mind linking can be very dangerous. Vayu once told me about the potential mind dissonance, if you make a single mistake you could¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve practiced mind linking plenty of times,¡± Plum said reassuringly. ¡°If we can find out about what the valley warlord is planning then we should try everything we can.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Stryg. Whatever information she can find could prove invaluable in the war,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg glanced at them both with uncertainty, but he held his tongue.


    ¡°I see something!¡± Plum squeezed her eyes closed tight, ¡°Marek was there, they were accusing him of starting the war¡­ We¡¯re walking outside. Marek is showing us something. It¡¯s some kind of creature. It¡¯s asleep, but it''s big, really big. Unildyr¡¯s beast¡­? Wait, something¡¯s wrong. No. N-No!¡±


    Plum abruptly seized and fell back.


    Stryg sprinted towards her and caught her in his embrace. She screamed hysterically and thrashed about. He held her in his arms and rocked her back and forth, careful to keep her from hurting herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°They¡¯re not your memories. They¡¯re Brom¡¯s. You¡¯re safe. You''re safe.¡±


    Plum whimpered quietly and cried. ¡°It killed them. It killed everyone. My friends¡­ they¡¯re all dead.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t your friends. They were Brom¡¯s, remember?¡± Stryg said softly. ¡°You¡¯re Plumela, born in Undergrowth, raised in Hollow Shade. Your father¡¯s name was Alin and your mother¡­ her name was Byrel.¡±


    ¡°Byrel?¡± Plum whispered.


    Stryg smiled sadly, ¡°That¡¯s right. She loved flowers and books. She used to read to you when you were a child. You ended up loving books so much that you became a librarian at Hollow Shade¡¯s academy of magic.¡±


    ¡°I did¡­? I did,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Yeah, you did,¡± he grinned. ¡°Your mom named you Plumela after her favorite flower. Do you remember why?¡±


    She nodded slowly, ¡°Because the plumela flowers grow even in the harshest of lands. Even when there is little water and soil¡­ the plumela flower grows.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, ¡°Clypeus told me¡ª A dear friend once told me, ¡®The plumela¡¯s beauty is a testament to its resiliency.¡¯ That¡¯s what you are, Plumela, resilient. Byrel knew that from the moment you were born¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªMy mom¡­ she¡¯s dead isn¡¯t she?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°...Yeah¡­ she is. Your mom, she, uh, she loved you, Plumela. Byrel loved you very much.¡±


    She looked into his eyes and saw the pain within them, ¡°Wait. I know you¡­ You¡¯re¡­ Stryg¡­?¡±


    He smiled softly, ¡°Hi, Plum.¡±

 Chapter 384: Void Monsters

    Chapter 384: Void Monsters


    Tauri watched in shame and regret as Plum flailed about in terror. Stryg held Plum in his arms and whispered comforting words to her until after a few minutes she began to calm down and remember who she was.


    The mind-linking spell was always considered dangerous, Stryg understood that, but when Plum said it¡¯d be fine Tauri had encouraged her.


    How mistaken she had been. She should never have placed her former student¡¯s life at risk.


    Tauri gripped the sides of her pants and bowed at a ninety-degree angle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have made you use a mind link spell. I should have been more cautious, especially regarding your safety.¡±


    Plum smiled weakly and shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. I chose to cast that spell.¡±


    ¡°But if I hadn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI said it¡¯s not your fault, let¡¯s leave it at that. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t have known the truth otherwise,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°What truth?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    Plum held her head and winced, but stood up anyway, albeit with a bit of a wobble. She glanced at the unconscious human captive and felt pity for him. He had gone through so much.


    Plum took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Where to begin?


    ¡°...Two weeks ago Brom went to the Meeting of a Dawn, a gathering of all the valley chieftains. He was there serving as part of the Flarius Tribe¡¯s entourage. They were discussing their ongoing war with Hollow Shade and the recent attacks on Undergrowth, both of which they blamed Marek of the Cairn for.¡±


    ¡°So Marek was the one who attacked Undergrowth?¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure. Marek denied it. They didn¡¯t believe him though, not that it mattered in the end,¡± Plum grimaced.


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    ¡°Marek brought some kind of monster with him to the gathering. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. It was supposedly some sort of ancient creature capable of destroying Hollow Shade¡¯s walls.¡±


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s impossible,¡± Tauri laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Plum admitted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Tauri said. ¡°There is no creature or mage out there capable of destroying the Ebon Lords¡¯ legacy. The shade wall is impenetrable. Even if you were to get past the army of shades, which no living being can, you¡¯d still have to somehow penetrate the wall¡¯s magical defenses, which not even Lord Noir could do.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the beast. You didn¡¯t see what it was capable of,¡± Plum said. She raised her arms high and channeled purple mana into her hands. Purple light twisted around her fingers and expanded outwards in a smoky blur until it formed a coherent figure that loomed over the campsite.


    ¡°This is what Brom saw,¡± Plum said.


    The dragonbane was standing on its hind legs, but its wide back was hunched over. Its pale grey wings were open wide, encompassing the entire area around them. Its black eyes were glazed over, as if dormant.


    Even in the darkness of late night, the size of the monster was clear.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Tauri laughed shakily, ¡°This is way too large. You didn¡¯t have to make an illusion of this scale to make your point.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t enlarge the size of the creature. This¡ª Unildyr¡¯s beast, was this large, and still growing if Marek¡¯s words are to be believed,¡± Plum said grimly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, it¡¯s bigger than the scarlet dragon that fought Lady Ismene¡­ Bloody Bellum, it¡¯s bigger than a fucking house!¡± Tauri swore, her voice rising with panic.


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s big doesn¡¯t mean it can destroy the shade wall. Size isn¡¯t everything, I mean look at me,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re using that phrase right,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not small either, Stryg,¡± Tauri said.


    Plum smirked, ¡°No way, professor! Don¡¯t tell me you and your student already¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHis height! I was talking about his height!¡± Tauri said angrily. ¡°He isn¡¯t short anymore. He is already taller than you.¡±


    ¡°My mistake,¡± Plum winked. She glanced at the dragonbane looming over them as if frozen in time and a shiver ran down her spine. Her smile fell. ¡°I only saw one of these beasts in Brom¡¯s memories, but Marek claimed to have almost twenty of them under his control.¡±


    ¡°Twenty? How did he ever manage to catch even one of these things?¡± Stryg asked. It didn¡¯t seem to him that they were particularly friendly, judging from the sharp rows of black fangs as long as swords.


    ¡°Supposedly Marek found them as eggs in this silver pool? That¡¯s all I managed to gather from Brom at least,¡± Plum said.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Silver pool?¡±


    ¡°Even if there were twenty of these things out there, they still couldn¡¯t destroy the wall. The army of shades would consume them before they even got in range of the wall,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°No, they can destroy the shade wall, I¡¯m certain of it,¡± Plum said with a defeated voice.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Besides the fact that its hide was so tough that not even steel could scratch it? It¡¯s because this monster is immune to magic,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°What? Okay, now I know for certain this monster isn¡¯t real. Your memories of Brom must have been damaged when you used the mind link spell,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t,¡± Plum said adamantly. ¡°The monster is real.¡±


    ¡°Well, then how can it be immune to magic?¡± Tauri retorted.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Brom¡¯s memories are a bit blurred. But the creature attacked countless people at the meeting, dozens of mages included. Their magic was useless against the monster. It was almost as if it was absorbing the spells itself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, not even Grey¡¯s drain magic can absorb already cast spells. This creature is not impervious to magic,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Unless¡­¡± Stryg muttered thoughtfully. ¡°Unless it isn¡¯t like us, like any of us.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Plum, do you remember reading the book The Postulations of Void Energies in Professor Rime¡¯s Magic Theory class?¡± Stryg asked.


    Plum scratched her cheek and looked away abashedly, ¡°Eheh, let¡¯s just say I wasn¡¯t the ¡®greatest¡¯ of students.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s a no,¡± Tauri said flatly.


    ¡°There were more important classes than Magic Theory, plus Professor Rime was a grouchy old man and a world-class ass!¡± Plum said defensively.


    ¡°He still is,¡± Tauri grinned. ¡°As for me, I took the class with Rime too, but it¡¯s been so long I don¡¯t really remember much about it. Not that many students really understood the material in the first place. Loh was the only one who ever scored high marks in that class back in the day.¡±


    ¡°So you and Plum were both terrible at Magic Theory, got it,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not what I said!¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± Plum shrugged.


    He shook his head, ¡°The point is, in The Postulations of Void Energies there are several chapters written by an elf, Estelle Oakentheart, a true blue mage scholar. Several centuries ago Estelle encountered a silver pool that seemed to give off a strange ethereal glow. No one realized what the silver water was at the time, but Estelle¡¯s work would one day form the basis of Void Theory.¡±


    ¡°You know, sometimes I forget Stryg is actually smart,¡± Plum said wryly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tauri sighed.


    Stryg glared at them and felt the urge to bite them both, but there were more important matters to discuss. ¡°Estelle theorized that void mana could absorb other kinds of mana. While Grey¡¯s drain spells simply pull mana from one host to another, void mana in just its natural state devours other energies, even life itself. Which is why it would be impossible for a void creature to ever exist. But if one did¡­ hypothetically¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªIt could devour magic itself, effectively rendering it immune to magic,¡± Tauri muttered in dawning realization.


    ¡°Even against the shades of the ebon wall,¡± Plum said grimly.


    ¡°B-But, void mana is just a theory. It¡¯s never been proven,¡± Tauri said in a hopeful tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because we have no way of observing it. Even true blue¡¯s clarity sight is unable to see it because void mana absorbs the blue mana around it, effectively creating a negative space,¡± Stryg said. ¡°We may not be able to see void energies, but we can see how it affects the existence around it. I believe Estelle¡¯s theory.¡±


    ¡°So if the Cairn Tribe has an army of these void monsters with them what are we supposed to do?¡± Tauri asked. ¡°Tell our city¡¯s armies to retreat from the valley and prepare for some kind of siege against the Cairn?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot worse than you think,¡± Plum mumbled weakly. ¡°After this beast¡¯s show of force, the other valley tribes have chosen to elect Marek as their new king.¡±


    ¡°If that''s true... If the valley tribes have actually united then that means they¡¯d have the largest army in the entire realm,¡± Tauri said with a worried expression.


    ¡°And now they have void monsters too,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡° ¡­A dragon rider is with them too,¡± Plum admitted.


    ¡°What!?¡± Stryg and Tauri said in unison.


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s a lot worse than you think. There was a dragon rider at the Meeting of Dawn. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but he called himself Crow,¡± Plum said.


    Tauri¡¯s face paled in fear, ¡°Crow¡­? That was what the Monster in the Dark called himself when we encountered him.¡±


    ¡°Who is that? Should I know him?¡± Plum asked anxiously.


    Stryg glanced at the dragonbane, ¡°Like these things, he shouldn¡¯t be real, but he somehow is.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°When we fought him, our spells fizzled before they reached him. At the time I didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but if void mana is real, then¡­¡±


    ¡°He is also a creature of the void,¡± Stryg realized.


    ¡°And if he¡¯s got a dragon under his control then he¡¯s far more dangerous than any of us realized,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°There was a rumor going around, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s true, but Brom believed it,¡± Plum hesitated, ¡°They say the rider and his dragon decimated some of Hollow Shade¡¯s armies that were roaming the valley.¡±


    ¡°No¡­!¡± Tauri gasped.


    ¡°He could do it,¡± Stryg muttered. ¡°If it really was the Monster in the Dark and he had a dragon and these void monsters with him, then I think he could have defeated our armies.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you don¡¯t understand what you''re saying.¡± Tauri swallowed hard, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a few armies out there. The bulk of House Veres, Glaz, and House Goldelm¡¯s armies are in the valley. If even one of the three armies were to be destroyed, Hollow Shade¡¯s fighting power would be weakened tremendously. And if a siege is coming then we¡¯ll need every soldier we can muster.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Stryg narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you saying Lord Veres and Lord Goldelm could have been killed?¡±


    ¡°They were leading their own armies, so yes, it¡¯s very much possible,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Then that means Cal¡¯s and Freya¡¯s fathers would be dead¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Along with countless more fathers and mothers,¡± Plum said weakly.


    Tauri took a deep breath and shook her head, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be mourning. We need to get back to Hollow Shade as soon as possible and warn them of the truth about these void monsters.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I need to protect my tribe, I need to protect my family,¡± Stryg said resolutely. Feli, Maeve, Rhian, Nora, little Kamilo. He had to keep them safe.


    Plum bit her lip, ¡°Hollow Shade may not win this war, perhaps it would be better to get your family outside the city?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°Where could they go? Dusk Valley is filled with enemy savages. And for some reason, Undergrowth seems to be working with Marek and his lot.¡±


    ¡°What about Murkton? Doesn¡¯t your House have connections with House Morrigan?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Sure, but Stryg is an Ebon Aspirant, that changes everything. I have no idea if Lord Morrigan would grant haven to anyone related to Stryg.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg said quietly. ¡°I won¡¯t take my tribe and run away. If I leave then I¡¯m basically abandoning everyone else in Hollow Shade to die.¡±


    ¡°Well, what else are we supposed to do?¡± Plum asked exasperatedly. ¡°It¡¯s not like your leaving would make any difference. You may be an Aspirant but even you can¡¯t fight these monsters, let alone stand up to the entire might of Undergrowth and the valley tribe¡¯s armies!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t fight them all by myself. I don¡¯t even know if Hollow Shade¡¯s combined might can¡­ but perhaps we don¡¯t have to fight them alone.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°The Sylvan people have been preparing for some kind of imminent danger for the last year. Maybe this is it?¡± Stryg asked.


    Tauri laughed bitterly, ¡°You think the Sylvan tribes are preparing to go to war to help Hollow Shade? The city that destroyed Lunis and its people? Yeah, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Stryg conceded. ¡°But¡­ they wouldn¡¯t be going to war to help Hollow Shade, not really.¡± Stryg nodded to himself, thinking it through. ¡°The Sylvan folk would be fighting to protect the thousands of goblins in the Commoner District. The descendants of the Lunisians that were left behind when the armies of Lunis fled to Vulture Woods 300 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Tauri stared at him. She hadn¡¯t thought of the commoner goblins like that before and the realization that she hadn¡¯t bothered her more than she¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Plum raised her hand, ¡°That sounds like quite the noble cause and all, but do you really think you can convince the Sylvan leaders to go to war for such a cause? I mean, they abandoned those goblins in the first place, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t think the Lunar Elect would ever listen to me. Why would they? They don¡¯t even know who I am, I couldn¡¯t get an audience with them even if I wanted to¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes suddenly lit with hope, ¡°But they would listen to an actual Sylvan chieftain and a First Mother. Together they could petition for a proper audience in front of the Lunar Elect.¡±


    Plum''s eyes widened, ¡°Then¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªAre you really saying¡­?¡± Tauri frowned.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Blood Fang village.¡±

 Chapter 385: A Worthy Quest

    Chapter 385: A Worthy Quest


    Srixa sat with a smug expression in the Moon Hall¡¯s waiting room. Stryg, Tauri, and Plum sat across a large oaken table from her. Tauri stared at the huntress with a suspicious gaze. Plum was twiddling her thumbs, regretting once again not having brought a book, any book really, with her from Undergrowth.


    ¡°So, Stryg, how long has it been? Less than a week? What brings you back so soon?¡± Srixa asked.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want me here?¡± Stryg asked with a confident smile.


    ¡°Not at all, I always welcome the chance to hunt my prey. But I must admit, I was quite surprised when my patrol team spotted you. Your stealth skills are slacking.¡±


    ¡°I wanted you or whoever else was on patrol to find us. I didn¡¯t see the need to try and sneak into the village again,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find we¡¯ve doubled our defenses since then. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to sneak in had you wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°So are you two like flirting or do you really just want to fight? I can never tell,¡± Plum said curiously.


    ¡°That depends, are you looking to pick a fight, drow girl?¡± Srixa bared her teeth.


    Tauri leaned forward, ¡°I¡¯ll fight you gladly.¡±


    The door suddenly swung open and First Mother and Jahn strode inside.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this? Why are you back here?¡± First Mother asked in a stern tone.


    Stryg winced. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to see him. In her eyes he must have just been a troublemaker, always causing problems. Why else would she always be trying to find out what he was up to?


    ¡°Why must you always assume the worst?¡± Jahn asked his older sister. He turned to Stryg with a bright smile, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, kid. Did you have a change of heart? Ready to rise to the calling of the tribe¡¯s shaman?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Stryg said apologetically. ¡°When we reached the edge of the forest we encountered enemies.¡±


    ¡°They are preparing for war,¡± Tauri added.


    Jahn¡¯s smile fell, ¡°Oh, it really is bad.¡±


    First narrowed her eyes, ¡°Explain.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath, ¡°Where to begin¡­?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°...And that¡¯s why we want to go with you to the Moon Fang mountain,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°So that Jahn and I can get you an audience with the Lunar Elect?¡± First Mother asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In the hopes that you can somehow convince the tribunal to rally the Sylvan armies to ride into battle for the aid of their centuries-long mortal enemy, Holo¡¯s Shade?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you want Jahn and I to back your ridiculous plan in the halls of the Silver Keep itself? In front of every chieftain and First Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you a complete moron?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    First leaned back, covered her face with her hand, and groaned, ¡°I raised an idiot.¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan wouldn¡¯t be fighting for Hollow Shade,¡± Tauri interrupted. ¡°They would be fighting for¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFor the goblins still living in Hollow Shade, yes, I heard Stryg the first time. That doesn¡¯t change how the tribunal will see it. In their eyes, all those goblins are still a part of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t choose to be there. They didn¡¯t choose to be mistreated and abused all these centuries by their conquerors!¡± Stryg objected. ¡°They don¡¯t even remember who they are anymore! Hollow Shade took their history away from them.¡±


    First shook her head. ¡°I think you are under a grave misunderstanding, child. Our tribes may be descended from Lunis, but we are not Lunisian, we are Sylvan Folk. And the goblins living in that damned city are Hollow Shaders. The tribunal would rather see that entire city burn than save a single one of those Great Houses, even if it means letting every goblin there burn as well.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression fell in disappointment, ¡°That can¡¯t be true¡­ Someone must care. They are still our people.¡±


    ¡°The tribunal won¡¯t see it that way. No one will speak for your cause in the Silver Halls,¡± First said in her usual cold tone, though there was a trace of sympathy in her voice.


    ¡°I will,¡± Jahn said in a quiet but assured tone.


    First stared at him as if he was crazy, ¡°Jahn, what are you saying!?¡±


    He glanced at his sister and smiled softly, ¡°A very wise woman once told us that Not all Hollow Shaders are alike. Some of them are worth fighting for. A rare few are even worth living for.¡±


    First¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How do you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I may have been small, but I was listening. I never forgot our grandmother¡¯s words.¡±


    First bit her lip, but she said nothing more.


    Jahn turned to Stryg, ¡°If you believe that the goblins in Hollow Shade are worthy of our help, then I will go to the Silver Halls and speak on behalf of your cause. And even if the tribunal does not listen, I promise you, you will not be alone when you face your enemies in Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to say. Thank you,¡± Stryg bowed his head deeply.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± Srixa nodded and jumped to her feet. ¡°A quest worthy of the ages! Many of the other young hunters and I swore that if you were ever in need of help we would answer the call and so we shall! If you are to go to war, then we shall be by your side, shaman.¡±


    Stryg smiled gratefully, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Plum bowed her head.


    ¡°From one warrior to another, thank you,¡± Tauri bowed solemnly.


    Srixa blushed at the sudden show of appreciation. She nodded bashfully, ¡°...You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all idiots,¡± First scoffed in disgust. She stood up from her chair and headed for the door. She stopped in the doorway and sighed, ¡°Have your things ready by sunrise.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°The tribes are all gathering on the mountain, each carrying their own petitions no doubt. If we are to convince the Lunar Elect tribunal of the impossible then we must act quickly.¡± First Mother left without another word.


    Jahn smiled at the empty doorway, ¡°She can be quite cold, but my sister means well¡­ usually.¡±


    ~~~


    One week ago¡­


    The Singing Willow Troupe traveled through the lush green hills of Dusk Valley with a familiar beat. The minstrels played their flutes and lutes as the actors sang and some even danced to the charming tunes.


    The whole thing seemed surreal to Loh. The people here seemed like ordinary entertainers, practicing their craft while on the road before their next performance. If she hadn¡¯t seen them slaughter countless soldiers in Undergrowth she might have even joined them in a song or two.


    But as it stood, Loh wasn¡¯t sure what to make about any of them. Nothing here was as simple as it seemed. They were all mageborns, every single last one of them. A small unit of deadly mages traveling through the realm in the guise of a troupe.


    She had so many questions, none of which they seemed to want to answer. Though that didn¡¯t stop them from being pleasant and all-around kind people towards her. Which only irked her more.


    Even worse was her grand-aunt, Una. The long-thought-dead Noir was walking at the head of the caravan by herself. The entire troupe seemed to hold great respect and deference towards her, but whenever Loh asked they would only smile. It was infuriating. But not as infuriating as Una herself. Her aunt refused to respond to any of her questions. The most she was ever able to get out of her was, We¡¯ll speak more at Hollow Shade.


    Which seemed promising, except Loh had the strange inkling that Una had no plans to speak with her at all.


    After all, why would she? Una had pretended to be dead for the last 50 years. Why would she care to get to know her grand-niece now?


    Loh sighed.


    None of this made sense. Who were these people? Why were they pretending to be a musical troupe? What was their real purpose for helping her? And who in all the damned Null Realms was Captain?


    ¡°They really are performers, some of the best in the Ebon Realm,¡± Unalla said as if reading her mind.


    Loh glanced at her cousin and tried her best not to let her surprise appear on her face. Unalla somehow always seemed to know what she was thinking. Even more annoying, Unalla loved sneaking up on her and surprising her.


    Had anyone else dared such disrespect Loh would have smacked them across the head, but there was something strangely familiar in Unalla¡¯s ashen grey eyes. They were filled with the inquisitiveness of youth, but tempered by trials that should never have been given to one so young.


    She reminded Loh of herself.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re pretty talkative for a girl who hardly spoke a word back at the tourney,¡± Loh said.


    Unalla shrugged, ¡°There was no one worth talking to back there, except maybe cousin Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Stryg? Oh, right.¡± Loh frowned.


    Elzri had adopted Stryg as a way to gain his favor and a way to endow him with the protection of House Noir. Elzri held no particular love for Stryg, nor did he care to have Stryg be an actual part of the family. It was all just a cold calculating political maneuver through and through, but Loh had almost forgotten that it also technically made Stryg her uncle.


    Gods, she hated her grandfather.


    Still¡­ she needed his help.


    Loh glanced at the rose-painted wagon rolling behind them. Vayu was laying on a small cot inside the wagon. He still hadn¡¯t regained consciousness. Kaitlin, the troupe¡¯s white high-master mage, was keeping him alive, but his life force was dwindling. He wouldn¡¯t last much longer.


    They needed to reach Hollow Shade soon, Elzri was the only one who could save Vayu now.


    ¡°Do you love him?¡± Unalla asked.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°Do you love Vayu Glaz?¡±


    Loh burst into laughter.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Unalla frowned.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just,¡± Loh wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°I haven¡¯t laughed like that in a while.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not in love with him then?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not,¡± Loh couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in love with any man for that matter and I am quite certain I never will be.¡±


    Unalla looked at her curiously for a moment, then her eyes widened. ¡°Oooh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Loh chuckled.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Unalla wrinkled her brow. ¡°Then why were you going to marry him?¡±


    Loh sighed, ¡°I never wanted to marry Vayu Glaz. My grandfather wanted me to marry him.¡±


    ¡°So it was my uncle¡¯s fault¡­¡± Unalla muttered.


    ¡°All for the sake of continuing the great line of Noir or some such bullshit,¡± Loh spat. She glanced at Unalla and her face suddenly brightened, ¡°Now that I think about it, the line has already continued, with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? W-Well, I guess. But I¡¯m not interested in getting married anytime soon,¡± Unalla said defensively.


    ¡°Oh, of course not. Believe me, I¡¯m the last person who would try to force anybody into a marriage.¡±


    Unalla smiled at that, ¡°You¡¯re nothing like how I pictured.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m glad I finally got to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Loh smiled. I wish I could say the same about your mother.


    She had always wanted to meet Una, ever since she could remember. But when it finally happened it seemed Una didn¡¯t share the sentiment. If Unalla reminded Loh of her younger self, then Una reminded her of Elzri in almost every aspect. Cold, cunning, dangerous, and probably an asshole.


    ¡°So, if you weren¡¯t in love with Vayu Glaz and you didn¡¯t even want to marry him, then why do you care what happens to him?¡± Unalla asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ complicated. He¡¯s my friend, weirdly enough. When we first met and became affianced I made it clear to Vayu that I had no interest in men, but Vayu didn¡¯t care, he said he loved me and he thought he could make me love him.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Unalla groaned. ¡°Typical pampered son of a Great House. The ego on them I swear. Some men really think they can just swing their dick around and change who a woman is.¡±


    Loh laughed, ¡°I take it you¡¯ve had your own distasteful experiences?¡±


    ¡°There are assholes everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I knew I liked you.¡±


    Unalla smiled. ¡°So, what happened with Vayu after that?¡±


    Loh¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°I did things I wasn¡¯t proud of. I realized that if I could dangle the possibility that there ¡®might¡¯ be a chance for Vayu and me to be together, then he¡¯d go along with anything I said. At first, it was just simple manipulation to keep him from bothering me. But eventually, we became friends and we came to an agreement of sorts.¡±


    ¡°What kind of agreement?¡±


    ¡°The kind where we would get married for the sake of both our Houses, but secretly we wouldn¡¯t consummate our marriage. Vayu would live his life, I would live mine.¡±


    ¡°What about the ¡®continuing the family line¡¯ part?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t exactly figured that part out yet. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter though¡­ I forced Vayu into doing something that broke him¡­ it broke me. It was my fault. I went too far and I ruined everything. I hurt everyone I cared about¡­¡±


    ¡°Elohnoir¡­¡± Unalla whispered sympathetically.


    She sniffed and shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s Loh now, just Loh¡­ I deserved everything I got. I ended up leaving our House and never looked back, until I met Stryg. Fate wasn¡¯t without irony I suppose. Vayu ended up becoming one of Stryg¡¯s teachers and for whatever gods damned reason he still wanted to marry me.¡±


    ¡°Vayu sounds like a world-class idiot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he definitely is. But that idiot stood by me and held off an entire regiment of Undergrowth¡¯s army¡­ He¡¯s lying in that cot because of me. He might die because of me. I won¡¯t abandon him now, I owe him that much.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems like Vayu might be in luck.¡± Unalla pointed her finger to the green hills ahead of them.


    Past the hills, on the edge of the horizon stood the ebon wall of Hollow Shade.

 Chapter 386: Children of Noir Part 1

    Chapter 386: Children of Noir Part 1


    The servants had rushed ahead of Loh the moment they had spotted her walking through the manor¡¯s gate. A few of the troupe¡¯s minstrels and actors followed behind her while carrying Vayu on a stretcher. The Noir guards went to stop them but quickly stepped out of their way as they recognized Loh leading them.


    The rooms blurred by as Loh quickly strode through the manor, almost breaking into a run. She kicked open the hardwood door at the end of a long corridor and stepped into her grandfather¡¯s study.


    Elzri Noir was at his desk as usual. Even when he wasn¡¯t working at the magic academy as its principal, he worked at home as lord of a Great House and Ruling Family of Hollow Shade.


    Her grandfather hadn¡¯t changed since the last time she had seen him. His long white hair was immaculate as usual, without a single stray strand. The black orichalcum mage necklace hung between his shoulders, lustrous and pristine for all to see.


    Lily, his vampiress secretary, leaned over next to him, holding an open ledger in front of him while muttering in a low voice.


    ¡°Ah, there you are. Good,¡± Elzri looked up at his granddaughter¡¯s appearance and waved Lily away.


    The vampiress bowed to them both and left the room silently.


    Loh waited until the vampiress was out of earshot before she turned on Elzri with a scowl, ¡°Is that all you have to say to me? You have heard what happened at Undergrowth, yes? Weren¡¯t you at least a bit worried? Would it kill you to show at least an ounce of concern for your family¡¯s well-being?¡±


    Elzri took a deep, almost tedious breath. He clasped his hands together in front of him and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Ismene arrived a few days before you and she explained to me the situation. Yes, I was worried about your well-being, but you¡¯re a high-master who excels in shadow magic, I assumed you would be fine. And when Lily came in a few moments before you, informing me of your arrival, my assumptions were confirmed. So forgive me if I am not completely dumbfounded to see you alive and well.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even care to know what I¡¯ve been through these last few weeks, do you?¡± Loh whispered in a taut voice.


    ¡°Believe me, I am quite interested in knowing what kind of problems you have gotten yourself intertwined in, but right now we have a bigger problem. Where is Stryg?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    Elzri narrowed his eyes, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter right now.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We have a bigger problem. And I need your help,¡± Loh said.


    The door creaked open, Lily stood in the doorway with an apologetic expression. She cleared her throat and bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, my lord. There are some people outside. They claim to be part of some musical troupe. ¡­They are carrying young master Vayu Glaz in a stretcher. He seems to be very injured.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elzri stood up from his chair and glanced at Loh.


    She met his steely gaze and matched it, ¡°I told you, I need your help.¡±


    Kaitlin pushed past an indignant Lily and walked in, ¡°Bring him in.¡± Her companions carefully carried Vayu into the room.


    Vayu¡¯s grey skin had turned an almost pale white. His clothes were drenched in sweat and his breathing was so faint it seemed almost gone.


    Kaitlin looked Lord Noir over with a skeptical eye. ¡°So, you¡¯re the ¡®great¡¯ Elzri Noir. I can see the resemblance. You look like her.¡±


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Elzri asked calmly, though Loh noticed a subtle trace of annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m the healer who¡¯s kept this young man from meeting the gods of death for the last week and a half. And you¡¯re supposed to be the one who can keep him away from them for a little longer. I hope she was right about you.¡±


    Elzri glanced between Loh and Kaitlin and finally settled his eyes on Vayu¡¯s prone form. His expression darkened, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve kept him alive this long¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you save him or not?¡± Loh asked desperately.


    ¡°Only a fool would give you assurances.¡± Elzri threw off his jacket and pulled up his sleeves, ¡°But only a weak man would give up before even trying.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh paced outside the bedroom impatiently. It had already been an hour. After Elzri had skimmed over Vayu¡¯s wounds he had ordered his body carried to the nearest empty bedroom and had ordered everyone else to leave.


    Servants had come in and outside of the room half a dozen times, carrying basins of water, towels, and potions from her grandfather¡¯s own collection, yet Elzri refused Loh entry.


    ¡°Dammit, what¡¯s taking him so long? Usually, he heals people in a matter of a few minutes,¡± Loh muttered frustratedly.


    ¡°You should sit down,¡± Kaitlin said and patted the chair next to her.


    The servants had brought the chairs into the hallway when it became evident that neither of them was going to leave.


    ¡°Sit down? So I can do what? Twiddle my fucking thumbs?¡± Loh snapped.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°So the planks beneath you will stop creaking. It¡¯s terribly annoying and I¡¯m trying to get some sleep. Gods know I haven¡¯t slept more than a wink in the last 10 days.¡±


    Loh stopped pacing but she remained standing. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ Aren¡¯t you anxious?¡±


    Kaitlin nodded, though her eyes were closed. ¡°I understand why you would be, but no, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s like you said, you¡¯ve given everything the last 10 days to keep Vayu alive. Don¡¯t you care even a little about your patient?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve given everything I have that I¡¯m not prancing about like a chicken without its head, no offense.¡±


    ¡°Offense taken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything in my power to keep that boy alive. Whether he lives or dies I can rest knowing I gave it my all. Let the gods of death decide his fate now.¡±


    ¡°No offense but they don¡¯t really sound like the kind of people to be merciful.¡±


    Kaitlin smiled, her eyes still closed, ¡°Not very pious, are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from a human.¡±


    ¡°Stjerne may have abandoned your people in favor of mine, but I don¡¯t worship Stjerne, so we are both without the Traveler¡¯s grace.¡±


    ¡°That only matters if you believe in Stjerne to begin with.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe in the gods, then?¡±


    Loh remembered the pillar of silver light that struck down the scarlet dragon that had attacked them at the edge of Glimmer Grove. She thought of the frost wolves that had come for Stryg and how he had once mentioned their symbolism as heralds of Lunae.


    Loh swallowed, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright to not be certain. I was like you before I became an acolyte.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a priestess?¡±


    ¡°Once, a long time ago I served in a temple in the Aurous Realm.¡±


    Loh frowned in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re from the Aurous Realm?¡±


    ¡°Just because I am a human does not mean I am from the Jade Realm,¡± she yawned.


    ¡°What? No, I mean, how is any of this even possible? The Schism destroyed the realm bridges three centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°There are other ways to travel between the Null Realms. Our Captain is quite a resourceful woman.¡±


    ¡°So I keep realizing,¡± Loh said dryly. ¡°Your Captain and I need to sit down and have a long heart-to-heart chat one of these days. If I can ever find her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d like that, but I¡¯m fairly certain you won¡¯t. The truth is a heavy burden that most of us are ill-equipped to carry.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡±


    ¡°So, Kaitlin, priestess of the Aurous Realm.¡±


    ¡°Former priestess, I left that life behind when I joined the Singing Willow Troupe.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Kaitlin, former priestess of the Aurous Realm, now a member of a very odd performing troupe, what would you do if your friend was fighting for his life not twenty paces from you?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are many gods in my realm, several are gods of death, each with a different purpose. If I were you I¡¯d be praying to every one of them, but seeing as you¡¯re not a pious soul I suggest you go to a tavern and get horribly drunk until you pass out, and hope that when you wake up this is all over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shit at giving advice, you know that.¡±


    Kaitlin shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked. I¡¯m just the one trying to sleep.¡±


    The bedroom door abruptly swung open and a servant walked out. He bowed low and spoke in a reverent manner, ¡°My lord says you may enter now, young mistress.¡±


    Loh didn¡¯t wait for another word, she rushed into the room and was welcomed by the sight of Vayu lying stone-still on the bed. Her heart dropped and a terrible guilt flooded over her.


    Elzri sat next to the bed, sipping a glass of wine. ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Loh hurried over to the bedside and stared at Vayu¡¯s pale body. After a few moments, she noticed his bandaged chest moving up and down. She let go of the breath she had been holding and stumbled back in relief.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, he should have been dead days ago, but that healer friend of yours did well, better than most,¡± Elzri said begrudgingly.


    Loh couldn¡¯t believe her ears, her grandfather seldom gave anyone a compliment, let alone to someone he had just met.


    ¡°Thank you, for saving him,¡± Loh smiled warmly.


    Elzri raised an eyebrow, ¡°And here I thought you were incapable of gratitude.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. This is why she left this damn House.


    ¡°As if you cared about my gratitude. You probably just wanted to get a favor on Lady Glaz for saving her son.¡±


    ¡°Ayda is dead. Her firstborn now sits on the Glaz Throne.¡±


    Loh¡¯s face paled. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°The reports are still coming in, we don¡¯t have all the details, but what we do know for sure is that the armies of House Glaz and House Veres were attacked in the valley. There were no survivors. Some say it was a dragon attack. It¡¯s plausible, there have been several confirmed dragon sightings in the last few months, though all those dragons were spotted in the sky from a far off distance. In any case, whatever decimated all those people, Goldelm¡¯s army couldn¡¯t find out. Lord Goldelm and his soldiers are returning now to regroup with the rest of the city¡¯s forces.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±


    Elzri chuckled grimly, ¡°We just lost our second most powerful mage and our most brilliant general along with both their significantly large armies. Our spies report that Undergrowth¡¯s armies are marching towards us and that they are working with the valley tribes, who supposedly have some sort of secret weapon to destroy the shade wall. Our city has never been more vulnerable. What is there to say? How about starting with telling me where our Ebon Aspirant is?¡±


    Loh bit her lip, ¡°He¡¯s safe. Lady Thorn tried capturing him back in Undergrowth but I drew away her forces¡¯ attention while Stryg escaped the city. Vayu helped me, that¡¯s why he ended up like this¡­¡±


    ¡°So where is Stryg now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°...I believe you,¡± Elzri sighed. ¡°Stryg¡¯s wife gave a similar answer, but I¡¯m quite certain she was lying. I suppose I¡¯ll have to bring her back here.¡±


    Loh narrowed her eyes, ¡°What are you planning to do to her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing if she tells me the truth, I would rather not anger our Aspirant. But Stryg¡¯s life is more important. If he is in danger I must know, even if it means having a purple mage extract the information out of the girl.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Loh yelled angrily.


    Kaitlin¡¯s sharp whistle interrupted their conversation. She was leaning on the doorway, watching Vayu¡¯s sleeping body. ¡°Wow, you really managed to save him. She really was right about you, your healing abilities are quite special.¡±


    ¡°Loh is well aware of my abilities, she was right to bring Vayu to me. Now if you please, leave. This is a private conversation,¡± Elzri said curtly.


    Kaitlin smiled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about your granddaughter.¡±


    Una walked into the room and gazed calmly at Elzri, ¡°Hello, brother.¡±


    The glass of wine slipped out of Elzri¡¯s trembling fingers. He stumbled to his feet, wide-eyed, and stared slack-jawed at his little sister. ¡°Una¡­? Is that you¡­? How?¡± he whispered in a broken voice.


    In all the years she had known him, Loh had never seen her grandfather utterly stunned. Even when he found out her brother Aizel had died he had known what to say. Now he seemed¡­ speechless.


    Loh stepped back towards the door and nodded awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m going to get some fresh air¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± Kaitlin winked and closed the door behind the two siblings.

 Chapter 387: Children of Noir Part 2

    Chapter 387: Children of Noir Part 2


    Elzri stared in mute shock at his sister standing in the doorway. She had changed, her face was thinner and her high cheekbones were more prominent. She looked like their mother.


    This couldn¡¯t be real, she couldn¡¯t be real. But there she was, standing with a white cloak with the black flame sigil of House Noir.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± he whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°I am,¡± Una said softly.


    Elzri slowly walked towards her but stopped a few paces away, worried that if he touched her she might just disappear like a dream.


    He swallowed hard, ¡°I had my men scour the entire realm for you for years. After a while, I realized you didn¡¯t want to be found, but I never gave up hope that you were out there somewhere. Where have you been?¡±


    Una walked around the study room, glancing at the books on the shelves and the sparse decor hanging on the walls. ¡°I¡¯ve been to many places, none for very long. I traveled to different realms and saw things you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    Elzri smiled wryly, ¡°It¡¯s already hard enough to believe you¡¯ve been to another realm but I suppose it explains why my men never found you. Una¡­ why did you never come back?¡±


    She turned to him with the same cold blue eyes of their mother. ¡°Why did you kill Aiden and Esletha?¡±


    Elzri grimaced. He had expected the question but it still felt like a dagger sinking into his chest. ¡°I¡­ When Aiden stepped into the arena after I defeated Esletha I thought he was there to simply put an end to our duel before things got too far.¡± Elzri sighed deeply, ¡°That¡¯s when Aiden told me his plans. He had killed our father and was going to kill Elsetha and me, before finding and murdering you. I was so angry¡­ I lost control of my magic. I wanted to hurt Aiden, I wanted to kill him for what he had done but I never thought Esletha would¡­ I understand if you hate me.¡±


    Una stared at him for a moment then resumed perusing the bookshelf. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. And I had pretty much figured out what happened that day in the arena. I just wanted to make sure.¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡± Elzri¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Aiden wasn¡¯t himself at that point. He would never have killed our father if he had been. Unfortunately, Aiden was too desperate to become the next family leader that he secretly made a deal with the Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°Monster¡­? Like the ones in the stories our father told us?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°The Monster poisoned our brother¡¯s mind and twisted his heart. Holo was worried the Monster had done the same to you or would in the future. That¡¯s why she helped me escape the city, to protect me.¡±


    ¡°You met Holo?¡± Elzri furrowed his brow.


    The stories of the Monster he thought were plausible. His own granddaughter had encountered a dangerous creature that had claimed to be one and the same. But Holo was a mage from over 7 centuries ago.


    ¡°Are you sure it was Holo?¡± he asked.


    Una showed him her open palm. A blue flame flickered to life and danced on her fingertips.


    ¡°The azure flames!? How!?¡± Elzri remarked in wonder.


    She smiled light-heartedly, ¡°These flames are a set of secret Orange spells passed on only through the leaders of House Noir. Luckily, I had its original creator teach me instead.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true then you really did meet Holo¡­¡± Elzri muttered.


    He had so many questions. How was Holo still alive after seven hundred years? Even stranger was the fact that his sister was capable of producing the azure flame, which meant that she had achieved a level of magical skill that few Noir archmages had ever grasped.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Elzri asked suspiciously.


    Surprise flickered across Una¡¯s face, then she shook her head incredulously. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You think I¡¯m here to kill you, don¡¯t you? To challenge your place as lord of the House? After all these years?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°And yet I can see the mistrust in your eyes. You were never hard to read, not to me.¡± Una scoffed, ¡°Gods, you were always distrustful, weren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you never told me the truth about your magic. You pretended to be a subpar mage who barely graduated from the academy.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my plan. It was Father¡¯s. He didn¡¯t want others to know what I was capable of.¡±


    ¡°Including me, huh? Blame Dad if you wish, but you¡¯re the one who played everyone like a fool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is that what you want to hear?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Una glared at him, ¡°You know, I defended you when Holo accused you of being under the Monster¡¯s control. You lied to me, but I still believed in you anyway. Had you told me the truth back then I would have been able to convince Holo too. I would never have had to leave. Instead, neither Holo nor I knew the real reason why you killed Aiden and Esletha, and I was forced to abandon my home in case you tried to kill me too.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s expression softened into one of remorse. ¡°You could have just come to me. We could have talked things out. Why didn¡¯t you come and find me?¡±


    Una smiled bitterly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I come¡­? I came back once, when Mom died.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I ignored all my duties and responsibilities, I threw everything aside knowing the consequences, but I didn¡¯t care, I came here to be with you. I came to support you because I knew you were in terrible pain. At least, I thought you were.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s expression darkened with shame. ¡°Una¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I found when I arrived at the funeral? Your grandchildren.¡± She laughed with tears in her eyes, ¡°They were beautiful, you have no idea the regret I felt for not being there when they were born¡­¡± Una rubbed her eyes and tried her best to keep her voice from breaking. ¡°Elohnoir and Aizel were still so small, they didn¡¯t really understand why their great-grandmother was gone. All they knew was that they missed her terribly. They were in so much pain. Aizel held Elohnoir in his tiny arms as they both cried and cried, hoping that someone could tell them everything was going to be okay.¡±


    Una looked at her brother sadly, ¡°But their parents weren¡¯t there, not really. Their father was too focused on consoling their mother, Dolores, your daughter. She had already lost her mother and losing her grandmother destroyed her. And you, you just stood there. You didn¡¯t shed a tear. You didn¡¯t console your daughter or grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°Una, I¡ª¡±


    She glared at him, ¡°Our father would have never left his family to suffer like that, he taught us better than that! But you! What did you do!? You chastised your own daughter for mourning her grandmother! I saw the moment Dolores turned to you for comfort and the hope in her eyes die. There was no love in your eyes for your own child, nor for the woman who gave birth to you and raised you. At that moment I knew, I knew, my brother was gone. What was standing in front of me was just a shell of a man.¡±


    ¡°And what about you, huh!?¡± Elzri snapped at her. ¡°Where were you? Where were you when I needed you!? You thought I was strong enough to lead this family on my own but I wasn¡¯t! Dad was dead! Mom hated me until the day she died because she thought I had you killed! Ismene left soon after you did because she thought I was a monster too! Everyone I cared about left me! I was alone! I needed you!¡±


    Una frowned worriedly, ¡°Elzri, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± His shoulders shook and his eyes burned with tears and anger, ¡°After Dad died our enemies came for us, they thought House Noir weakened, and they were right. I couldn¡¯t keep our House alive on my own¡­ so I changed, I became the leader this family needed. I married a lady of House Glaz, a woman I didn¡¯t love, to strengthen our standing. I eliminated the enemies that threatened our House. I did things Dad would never have approved of, but in the end I managed to protect our mother and the mothers of Esletha and Aiden, even if they all hated me, because they were still part of this family. I saved House Noir from ruin, I saved what was left of this broken family, even if it meant giving up on my dreams.¡± He glared at her with a cold rage, ¡°So don¡¯t you dare walk into my home to judge me on the things I have done. I know what I have done. I am the one who stayed.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry I left you, Riri,¡± Una whispered, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to carry the burdens of this House alone. I¡¯m sorry you lost yourself along the way. You¡¯re right, I should have been there for you, and I¡¯ll never forgive myself for that.¡±


    She slowly walked towards him and placed her hands gently on his heaving shoulders, ¡°I understand you did what you had to do to survive but please look at the damage that¡¯s been left behind in your wake. Dolores may be the child of a woman you never loved, but Dolores is still your daughter. Yet you made her believe she is worthless because she wasn¡¯t born a talented mageborn like us. She drowns herself in drink trying to forget the pain of her lost son and her father who couldn¡¯t be bothered. Your son-in-law may be an archmage but he cares nothing for this family; he spends his days hosting parties and carousing with other self-centered aristocrats. And Loh, poor Elohnoir has more problems than I reckon you or I realize. She is the culmination of your talents and your faults. She is your legacy, from its beauty to its broken pieces, and I think you know that.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak of things you don¡¯t know,¡± he muttered. ¡°You weren¡¯t here.¡±


    Una embraced him, ¡°I¡¯m here now and I won¡¯t let you fight alone, not anymore.¡±


    Elzri stiffened, then slowly relaxed and closed his eyes. ¡°Why did you come back?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Because we are running out of time, brother. We must unite our family and this city if we are to save them.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark is coming to Holo¡¯s Shade. Caligo is coming.¡±


    ~~~


    Loh walked through the courtyard gardens, glancing at the flowers without much thought. She wondered how Louise was doing.


    Perhaps she would pick a flower and bring it to her. It had been close to two months since they had seen each other last, though it somehow felt much longer.


    ¡°Lady Noir,¡± a familiar voice called out.


    Loh¡¯s expression brightened as a centaur almost twice as large as the others trotted into the courtyard.


    ¡°Maximus!¡± Loh ran up to him and hugged him tight, though her arms didn¡¯t quite manage to reach around his waist.


    The centaur looked down at her with mild surprise, he hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction. ¡°My lady, are you alright?¡±


    Loh stepped away and smiled sheepishly, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just, you have no idea how glad I am to see you. I could have really used your help these last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad Lily called me here then.¡±


    ¡°Lily? My grandfather¡¯s secretary?¡±


    ¡°She seemed worried about you, said you might need some company after your trip.¡±


    ¡°What I really need is a good drink and a soft bed,¡± Loh sighed reminiscently.


    ¡°Shall we go then? Visit our usual taverns?¡±


    ¡°That sounds great but first I need to know,¡± Loh took a deep breath, ¡°How is Louise?¡±


    Maximus winced, ¡°That¡¯s um¡­ a bit complicated.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 388: Melfyn, First of the Cinderbrood

    Chapter 388: Melfyn, First of the Cinderbrood


    Located at the border of the Commoner District, the South-East neighborhoods were adjacent to the bustling Trade District, separated only by a narrow stream. A small bridge spanning across the stream gave the South-East residents easy passage to the countless shops and stalls that had made the Trade District famous throughout the Ebon Realm.


    While none of the fancy and large gilded stores were situated anywhere near the South-East, Melfyn still considered his small patch of the Trade District the best in the city. It didn¡¯t matter that none of the posh or aristocratic citizens gave their patronage here, in fact, he preferred it that way. This small neighborhood of stalls and shops was for the common people and he loved them all the more for it.


    Even as he walked through the busy morning streets, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the rugged old buildings. Small as they were, the vendors somehow always managed to have exactly what he was looking for and if they didn¡¯t, they always had something just as good.


    The bustling of the crowds had only grown louder and livelier in the last few weeks. With the ¡®mysterious¡¯ disappearance of the Rat Snake gang and all that followed, people had begun to feel safer in their neighborhood and had begun to venture out more frequently, not just out of necessity, but for enjoyment.


    While humans and goblins comprised most of the commoners in the city, the owners of the stalls were mostly drows, and a few humans and dwarves. Goblins never had much to call their own in the city, but Melfyn felt that was slowly changing. Even now, he spotted a few goblins in the crowd, heading towards their jobs or simply going out for a stroll. The few that saw him, in turn, lit up with pride and nodded respectfully as he passed by.


    It was strange, goblins he had never met recognized him, and not just goblins, humans, and many of the other resident dwarves and drows did too.


    The whole thing felt very odd to Melfyn. The slums had once been his home, no one had ever given him a second glance before. Hunger had been his only constant friend. And now he was running an errand to buy food for not only himself, but his friends. Not once in his short 16 years would he have ever dreamed things would have changed as much as they had.


    The scent of fresh bread wafted over him and he looked up at the familiar shop. It was a small bakery, with sun-bleached wooden planks that had seen better days many, many years ago. Despite what the shop looked like, Mr. Meeves still managed to bake the best bread in the neighborhood.


    Sandra had once told Melfyn a bakery in the North-West Sub-District served the best bread and pastries. He hadn¡¯t visited that bakery yet, but he doubted anyone¡¯s baking was better than Mr. Meeves¡¯.


    Even now, the old baker was already outside, stacking steaming hot bread on top of one another on his display.


    Always on time. Melyfn smiled. He was about to place an order when a woman stepped out of the crowd and approached the baker first.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she smiled excitedly. ¡°Are you open by any chance? Or are you still prepping?¡±


    On a closer look, Melfyn noticed the woman was younger than he thought. In her late teens, perhaps? Her chestnut hair was cut short, barely reaching her shoulders, an uncommon style among the human residents, but he thought it suited her well. Faint freckles spotted her cheeks here and there. Her expression was calm, but the glint of hunger in her dark green eyes betrayed her eagerness.


    Mr. Meeves opened his arms wide and stared pointedly at his fresh wares, ¡°We always open at first light.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that right? Good to know,¡± she nodded to herself as if making a mental note.


    Mr. Meeves looked her up and down and raised his eyebrow, ¡°You¡¯re not from around here, are you?¡±


    The woman winced, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Your boots have grass stains on them. There isn¡¯t much grass in this city, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve only recently moved from the Valley,¡± Mr. Meeves shrugged. ¡°Also, most shops in the Trade District open at dawn and close at sunset on account of the undead sentinels patrolling the streets. Even a toddler Hollow Shader would know that.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face grew red as she stared at her boots sheepishly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°My, you really are fresh in the city, huh?¡±


    ¡°My family and I just moved in yesterday¡­ I haven¡¯t gone anywhere, until now that is,¡± she mumbled.


    Mr. Meeves smiled disarmingly in the way only an elderly person could. ¡°Well, you came just in time. The war with those savages in the valley has only grown worse these last few months.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you have no idea. Luckily, my father got a job working at one of House Azol¡¯s wineries,¡± she said proudly. ¡°And so we were able to move here.¡±


    Mr. Meeves whistled, ¡°Working for a Named House, that is quite the honor. Pays well, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does, but¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    ¡°The city is more expensive than you thought, huh?¡± he said sympathetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, those nameplates! How can anyone afford to buy those things yearly?¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°If you ask me, you might as well call it robbery,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°I know, right!¡±


    The old man smiled, ¡°Then from one human in this City of Shades to another, let me welcome you to the Trade District. I¡¯m Donivan Meeves, but you can just call me Mr. Meeves, everyone here does.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Mr. Meeves. I¡¯m Anika,¡± she bowed politely.


    ¡°Well, Anika, what would you like this morning?¡±


    ¡°Five fresh loaves, please.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Buying breakfast for your family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. They¡¯re all still asleep, I thought I might surprise them.¡±


    ¡°Oof, I wish my granddaughter was as filial as you,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Anyways, that¡¯d usually be three copper coins, but for you, it¡¯ll be just one. Consider it a ¡®welcome-to-the-neighborhood discount.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± she smiled warmly.


    ¡°My pleasure. Now, just give me a moment and I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Mr. Meeves suddenly stopped and his eyes locked on Melfyn standing a few paces from the shop. ¡°Mel! I didn¡¯t see you there. Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Meeves,¡± Melfyn smiled.


    ¡°What brings you here, today?¡± the old baker asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m running an errand for Karen since she doesn¡¯t trust Witt to go buy ingredients on his own,¡± Melfyn said. ¡°The first item on the list is bread, so here I am.¡±


    ¡°The usual then?¡± Mr. Meeves asked.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said.


    ¡°50 loaves, coming right up.¡± The baker glanced at Anika apologetically, ¡°Sorry, lass, give me a few moments. I need to help our friend here, first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand,¡± she nodded uncertainly.


    ¡°No, please. The young miss was here before me, help her first,¡± Melfyn said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot. The temple¡¯s food must come first,¡± Mr. Meeves said adamantly.


    Before Melfyn could argue, the old baker had rushed back inside to grab enough bread for the order.


    Anika eyed the goblin curiously, ¡°So, Mel, was it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, y-yeah. Melfyn, actually, but people just call me Mel. You can call me whichever you want¡ª w-what I mean to say is, I don¡¯t mind being called either, I guess¡­¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Melfyn. I¡¯m Anika. You can just call me Anika.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, will do.¡±


    ¡°So, you work at a temple then? Are you like an acolyte?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, but I am close with an acolyte at the Southside temple.¡±


    ¡°So what do you do then?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± Anika winced. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to put you on the spot. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oi! Old man, get your ass out here!¡± an orc in the crow yelled.


    Melfyn turned around and saw two orcs dressed in grey cloaks saunter up to the bakery.


    Mr. Meeves walked back outside and grimaced. He quickly smothered his worried expression and smiled forcefully, ¡°Kardyn! Zom! Nice to see you two. How can I help?¡±


    ¡°Took you long enough, old man. We need 30 loaves of bread, now.¡± Kardyn tossed a couple of silver coins on the stall counter.


    ¡°Ah, yes, just give me 20 minutes and they¡¯ll be right out,¡± Mr. Meeves said hesitantly.


    ¡°Huh? 20 minutes? But you¡¯ve got at least 30 loaves right here. Are you trying to fuck with us, old man!?¡± Kardyn snarled.


    ¡°No, not at all! It¡¯s just that that bread is already spoken for. It¡¯s going to the Southside temple to feed the orphans and the priests. Please, if you just wait a few minutes I promise we¡¯ll have your food right up.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯m not going to wait here like an idiot. My friends won¡¯t be very happy with me if I¡¯m late. So, in the interest of both our lives, give me my food, now,¡± Kardyn said in a threatening voice.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Mr. Meeves swallowed and glanced at Melfyn worriedly.


    ¡°I think old man Meeves has gone a little senile,¡± Zom spoke up. ¡°I mean, why else would he think he could get away with making Jagged Blade Gang wait?¡±


    ¡°You know, I think you¡¯re right, Zom,¡± Kardyn suddenly grinned. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have to remind him what happens when you dare disrespect the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah! The Jagged Blades! I remember now,¡± Melfyn snapped his fingers. ¡°Your gang runs a small business in one of the eastern sub-districts, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Who the fuck is this kid?¡± Kardyn raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Run away little goblin, before you say something you regret,¡± Zom warned. He glanced at Anika, ¡°The same goes for you, human.¡±


    Anika nodded fearfully and looked at Melfyn. ¡°We should go,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, don¡¯t you think, Mr. Meeves?¡± Melfyn said calmly. ¡°That a pair of gangsters think they can harass your business even though their little gang is far, far away.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I think it is strange,¡± Mr. Meeves nodded hesitantly.


    Kardyn¡¯s amber eyes grew hard, ¡°What was that, old man? Are you really siding with this little fucking goblin? Do you have any idea what my people will do to you when they find out you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re clearly far from home territory, so I¡¯ll make this clear,¡± Melfyn interrupted. ¡°Mr. Meeves, his bakery, and all his staff are under my protection.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Zom growled.


    Kardyn laughed with an angry expression, ¡°Can you believe this little shit, Zom? Just because the Rat Snakes fell, now a bunch of kids think they can just waltz up into this neighborhood and call it their own?¡± He suddenly drew his sword from his sheath and pointed at Melfyn, ¡°I¡¯d be careful with your next words, goblin.¡±


    Melfyn didn¡¯t flinch nor step back, he didn¡¯t even bother looking at the armed orc. His eyes were entirely focused on the crowd around them, at another goblin who was looking back at him, expectantly. Melfyn gave a subtle nod, then finally turned his attention to the orcs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this once, leave. Your gang is not welcome here or the Commoner¡¯s South-East Sub-District,¡± Melfyn said.


    Kardyn laughed disbelievingly, ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls, kid. But that shit won¡¯t save you.¡±


    ¡°Melfyn, we really should go!¡± Anika pleaded.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, missy,¡± Kardyn snarled.


    ¡°Wait. Melfyn?¡± Zom frowned. ¡°Kardyn, stop!¡± Zom reached out and grabbed his partner¡¯s shoulder.


    Kardyn shrugged him off, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! Are you actually afraid of one little goblin?¡±


    ¡°One?¡± Melfyn asked quietly. He slowly raised his hand, palm flat. ¡°A lone goblin will be picked off by the wolf packs¡­¡±


    Melfyn let his hand drop.


    A series of high pitch whirs zipped down from the roofs of the nearby shops. Kardyn was knocked back and crashed into the ground, three arrows lodged in his chest. Zom cried out in pain and collapsed, a single arrow protruding from his knee.


    ¡°...But a pack of goblins can slay a dire bear,¡± Melfyn finished in a frigid voice.


    Zom screamed in agony and rolled on the ground. Melfyn casually picked up the Kardyn¡¯s sword and walked over to Zom.


    ¡°Wait, no! Please, we didn¡¯t know! We didn¡¯t know this was the Cinder Brood gang¡¯s territory!¡± Zom cried out.


    Melfyn cocked his head to the side. ¡°Gang?¡±


    ¡°We are not a gang,¡± came Sandra¡¯s voice from a nearby rooftop. She jumped off nimbly and walked over to stand next to Melfyn. ¡°We are a tribe.¡±


    Suddenly, a dozen young teenagers emerged from the crowd. Most were goblins, but a few were humans and one was even a drow.


    Jack, a human and the tallest of the teens, stepped forward and drew his bow taut. ¡°We don''t take lightly to people threatening the First of the Cinder Brood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my partner¡¯s fault! I tried to stop him!¡± Zom said in a panicked voice.


    Melfyn ignored him and raised his sword above Zom¡¯s chest, ready to strike.


    ¡°Mercy, please! Gods, please, have mercy!¡± Zom whimpered.


    ¡°Mel¡­?¡± Anika whispered and took a shaky step back. ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    Melfyn looked at her and faltered for a brief moment, before his expression hardened, an imitation of the one he admired most. ¡°We are Lunisian.¡±


    Without hesitation, Melfyn stabbed Zom in the heart.

 Chapter 389: Onions

    Chapter 389: Onions


    A scream echoed from the crowd of onlookers. Most of the commoners seemed surprised, shocked even, at the sight of the two dead orcs lying in their own pool of blood. But they were even more scared of the group standing over the corpses. Most were goblins, though there was a pair of humans and a drow. They had seemed harmless enough, teenagers walking about the plaza in the early morning. Now, with bows and daggers in hand, even a few spears, no one thought them harmless.


    Jack kept his eyes on the crowd and slowly handed Melfyn a washcloth from his pocket.


    Melfyn smiled gratefully and wiped the blood off his hands. Jack was a human, yet he had grown up in the streets an orphan like the rest of them. In Melfyn¡¯s eyes, Jack was as much a Cinder Brood as any of them.


    ¡°Um, Mel¡­?¡± Mr. Meeves called out hesitantly.


    Melfyn glanced at the old baker with a tired smile, ¡°Sorry about the trouble. We¡¯ll personally pay the Jagged Blades a visit and make sure they understand that your shop is under our protection. They won¡¯t bother you again, I promise.¡±


    The baker nodded satisfied. ¡°Thank you, Mel. Your order is ready by the way.¡± The baker held up a sack filled with fresh loaves.


    Melfyn grabbed the cloth sack and muttered a quiet thanks.


    The familiar shouts of the guards echoed in the plaza. Melfyn heard the clanging of the guards¡¯ armor before he saw them. His friends and tribemates glanced at him questioningly, wondering if it was time to run. He shook his head and gestured for them to stay.


    Running from the guards wouldn¡¯t help the image of protection they were trying to cultivate.


    It took a few breaths then suddenly a dozen guards were surrounding them, swords drawn, and shouting for the Cinder Broods to drop their weapons.


    Sandra looked at Melfyn with a raised eyebrow, ¡°What now, genius?¡±


    ¡°Give us the word and I¡¯ll stick a dagger in their necks,¡± Jack said confidently.


    Before Meflyn had a chance to answer, the captain of the guard walked out of the crowd and took in the scene with a glance. The drow captain¡¯s eyes lingered on Melfyn for a brief moment and recognition crossed his face.


    Rorik Polamtal pointed a finger at him, ¡°You¡¯re one of Stryg¡¯s orphans, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Melfyn blinked, ¡°You know Master Stryg?¡±


    ¡°You could say we¡¯re old friends,¡± Rorik said proudly. ¡°Men, put your weapons away,¡± he barked.


    At the mention of the local goblin celebrity, the soldiers quickly sheathed their weapons. They had been under Captain Rorik¡¯s command for long enough that they had all heard the stories of Stryg¡¯s exploits. In a single night, entire gangs would disappear. Men, women, it didn¡¯t matter, all that was left were mangled corpses and burned buildings.


    It was wise to not get on the goblin mage¡¯s bad side.


    With that thought on their mind, the guards turned to the crowd and began to drive them away.


    ¡°Nothing to see here, folks!¡± the guards shouted. ¡°Move along now!¡±


    Rorik glanced at the Cinder Brood¡¯s leader. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±


    ¡°Melfyn but people just call me Mel.¡±


    Rorik coughed politely and gestured to the two dead orcs lying on the cobblestone, ¡°Ahem, Mel, why don¡¯t you tell me what happened here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re from a gang in one of the east sub-districts. They were giving my favorite baker a hard time, so we took care of them,¡± Melfyn explained carefully.


    ¡°I see, well, if anyone else tries to give one of our local vendors any trouble you just let us know next time before you leave a¡ª mess,¡± Rorik grimaced.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try, sir,¡± Melfyn nodded.


    ¡°Alright then, have a good day. Oh, and when Stryg gets back, tell him we should go drinking sometime,¡± Rorik said and walked off with the rest of his guards.


    Melfyn glanced at Anika, the young woman he had just met. She had been so happy and eager to explore the city, but now she was quiet and withdrawn.


    Melfyn smiled weakly, ¡°It was nice to meet you, Anika. Goodbye.¡±


    She nodded hesitantly and ran off.


    She¡¯s afraid of me¡­


    ¡°Who was she?¡± Jack whispered. ¡°Do we need to take care of her?¡±


    ¡°What? No. She isn¡¯t a threat. She is just someone else we need to keep safe from the gangs,¡± Mel said.


    ¡°Ah, understood,¡± Jack nodded.


    Sandra whistled and stared at the guards marching off, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d get out of this so easily. Looks like Master Stryg has more sway than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Master Stryg is an incredible individual, never underestimate him,¡± Jack nodded sagely.


    ¡°Sandra, what are you even doing here?¡± Melfyn asked. ¡°I thought you were supposed to be buying some muffins in the northern sub-district.¡±


    ¡°I was or I did.¡± Sandra shrugged, ¡°The muffins weren¡¯t ready when I got there. So I asked for them to be delivered straight to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Will they arrive in time for breakfast?¡± Melfyn asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes, everything will be fine. Honestly, you should be thanking me. If I hadn¡¯t arrived here on time my arrow wouldn¡¯t have saved you from these bastards,¡± Sandra said.


    ¡°I had them under control,¡± Jack said annoyedly.


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s what you guys say every time,¡± Sandra grinned.


    Melfyn stared at the orcs lying on the ground. ¡°You think it¡¯s okay to leave the bodies here?¡±


    Sandra¡¯s smile faltered but she nodded nonetheless. ¡°Yeah, the undead sentinels we¡¯ll pick them up come evening. I¡¯m sure the mages will find some use for them.¡±


    ¡°As always,¡± Jack muttered.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Melfyn patted his friends¡¯ backs, ¡°We still have other ingredients we need to buy. Let¡¯s hurry and get this food back to the temple. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    The rest of the Cinder Broods nodded in agreement.


    Sandra put away her bow. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ~~~


    An unlucky man hummed an upbeat tune to himself as he chopped away at a batch of freshly peeled onions. He danced a little jig and checked the sauce on the stove, before tossing another log into the fireplace underneath. He brushed his shaggy brown hair away from his eyes, careful to not touch them with his hands, and went back to chopping.


    ¡°Oi, Witt! We brought your stuff!¡± Sandra called out from the kitchen doorway.


    The cook paused his morning routine and glanced up at the pair of goblins standing in the doorway. ¡°Took you guys long enough,¡± Witt said with a merry tone.


    ¡°Sorry, Mel got in a scuffle in the Trade District. Some of the others and I had to save him,¡± Sandra sighed dramatically.


    ¡°How heroic,¡± Witt smiled.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Melfyn frowned.


    ¡°Knowing you I¡¯m sure you were in the thick of things. Put the food on the table over there, will you?¡± Witt said.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Melfyn said.


    ¡°Sandra, can you go and wake up the little ones? Breakfast will be ready soon,¡± Witt said.


    ¡°Jack and the others are already on it,¡± Sandra said.


    ¡°Perfect. Hey, wait a sec,¡± Witt furrowed his brow, ¡°Where are the muffins?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Melfyn stared at Sandra pointedly.


    ¡°Look, they''re coming, alright. I had the bakery deliver them to the temple,¡± Sandra crossed her arms.


    ¡°After all your talk about their amazing muffins they better be worth the wait, otherwise why do I even pay you guys?¡± Witt shook his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t pay us,¡± Sandra said.


    ¡°Karen is the one who gives us the money to buy food or whatever else the temple needs,¡± Melfyn added.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever,¡± Witt shrugged.


    ¡°Someone talking about me?¡± Karen poked her head into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and sighed contently, ¡°That smells delicious, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Just a new sauce I¡¯ve been working on. I got it from the nice dwarf ladies down the road.¡± Witt winked, ¡°Soon my cooking repertoire will be the greatest in all the district and you¡¯ll have to finally acknowledge me!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Karen waltzed into the kitchen and went straight to Witt, until their feet were almost touching. He stumbled back a step but Karen took another step forward. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward, looking straight up at him.


    Witt blushed and swallowed, ¡°W-What?¡±


    Karen smiled smugly, ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Eh? N-No, it¡¯s the onions!¡±


    She stepped back with a grin, ¡°Heh, what kind of cook cries when chopping up a couple of onions?¡±


    ¡°E-Everyone cries!¡± Witt shouted indignantly.


    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t cry,¡± Melfyn stated as if matter-of-fact.


    ¡°That¡¯s just what Stryg says,¡± Witt frowned.


    ¡°Are you saying Master Stryg lied? Are you calling him a liar?¡± Melfyn crossed his arms.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying he¡¯s a crazy person.¡±


    ¡°Take that back,¡± Meflyn glared at him.


    Sensing a stupid argument on its way, Sandra turned around and headed out the door, ¡°You boys can bicker on your own. I¡¯m gonna go find something better to do with my time. Call me when the food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Running away when the going gets tough I see,¡± Witt frowned. He turned to Melfyn and raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying Stryg is a bad guy. He saved my life once, although he did also try to kill me¡­¡±


    ¡°This sauce is too salty,¡± Karen interrupted as she licked the ladle.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Witt said in abject horror. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible!¡± He ripped the ladle out of her hand and licked it. ¡°Oh. What do you know, you¡¯re right. Shit.¡±


    Sandra suddenly ran back to the kitchen, ¡°Hey, everyone, guess what!?¡±


    ¡°Now what do you want, you little gremlin?¡± Witt frowned.


    Sandra flicked him off then turned to the others with a wide smile, ¡°The delivery girl just arrived!¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing, call the delivery girl here will you?¡± Witt asked.


    As if on cue, a young woman walked into the kitchen with a basket full of fresh muffins, ¡°I¡¯m actually an apprentice baker, I¡¯m only handling the delivery today because I thought I might pay my respects to the gods while I¡¯m here.¡± Louise shrugged abashedly, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve visited a temple.¡±


    ¡°No shame in that. You¡¯re always welcome here,¡± Karen said in a formal tone.


    Louise noticed Karen¡¯s robes and quickly bowed her head, ¡°Thank you, priestess.¡±


    The ladle slipped from Witt¡¯s numb hand and crashed on the hard floor with a loud clatter. Louise looked up at the sound and her eyes met the unlucky man¡¯s stunned gaze.


    Louise stiffened and her face paled in shock, ¡°Witt¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you two know each other?¡± Karen asked with a smile.


    ¡°Is this where you''ve been hiding, Witt?¡± Louise mumbled in a broken voice. ¡°I searched for months for you. Months! I came all the way to Hollow Shade hoping I might find some trace of you, somewhere¡­. Have you been here all this time?¡±


    Witt swallowed hard, ¡°I, uh¡­ I¡­¡±


    Louise narrowed her eyes. ¡°You really have nothing to say to your fianc¨¦ after abandoning her, do you? Not even a FUCKING SORRY!?¡± she screamed.


    Witt lowered his gaze and stared at his feet.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how the other villagers treated me!? How they looked at me!? They all thought that there must have been something terribly wrong with me because you left¡­ They shunned me, all of them¡­ because of you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My leaving had nothing to do with you. You were perfect. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t stand a single more day in that village¡­ I needed to get out¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Fuck you, Witt,¡± Louise said angrily with tears in her eyes. ¡°I came to Hollow Shade because I thought I needed answers from you, but seeing you like this, I realize now I don¡¯t need anything from you. Not a single goddamn thing! Stjerne damn you!¡± Louise threw the basket at his head.


    Witt flinched as the basket struck his forehead, but he kept his eyes on the ground, unable to meet her gaze.


    Louise scoffed at him and glanced at the others, ¡°Don¡¯t trust this two-faced asshole. He¡¯ll walk out on you as soon as it¡¯s convenient for him.¡± She turned around and left without another word.


    ¡°...Sooo, I¡¯m going to go check on the kids, make sure they¡¯re ready for breakfast and all that,¡± Sandra said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± Melfyn said eagerly.


    Karen waited until they both ran out of the kitchen before turning to Witt. ¡°So, that was your fianc¨¦?¡±


    Witt nodded weakly. ¡°¡­Yeah. Or ex-fianc¨¦ now, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Is what she said true? Did you abandon her?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± he mumbled guiltily. He looked up at Karen, fear and uncertainty in his eyes, ¡°But things are different now! I¡¯m different now. I was wrong to have left her alone, I know. I get it if you hate me and can never trust me again but¡ª!¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I ever trusted you in the first place?¡± Karen raised her eyebrow.


    Witt grimaced and the light in his eyes dimmed. He took a shaky breath and nodded bitterly, ¡°I understand¡­ I¡¯ll clean out my room and leave¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI mean I can¡¯t even trust you to buy some vegetables in the Trade District without getting lost five ways. I can¡¯t trust you to clean the statues of the gods either, you end up taking twice as long to clean them than anyone else and there¡¯s still always some dirty spots left.¡± Karen sighed loudly, ¡°Luckily, I have the others to help me out with those things. As for a cook, well, you¡¯re the only decent one we got.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡± he asked, confused.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all made mistakes, Witt. I know I have,¡± she said wryly. ¡°My mistakes almost cost me the life of my mother and little sister. My parents still haven¡¯t forgiven me for that, but Stryg and the head priest Elm gave me a second chance. Maybe this temple can be a second chance for you too. Lunae knows we need them.¡±


    His eyes widened with hope, ¡°Does that mean I can stay?¡±


    ¡°I imagine you¡¯d get yourself killed in less than a week without me. So yes, you witless man, you can stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled tearily.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she shrugged abashedly. ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t want old, spurned lovers coming to my temple and attacking our orphans with muffins. So I think you and I need to have a long chat about your past. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like that,¡± he sniffed.


    ¡°Hey, are you seriously crying?¡± Karen laughed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the onions!¡±


    ¡°Sure they are.¡±

 Chapter 390: Moon Fang Part 1

    Chapter 390: Moon Fang Part 1


    The scent of fresh bread wafted through the windows of Louise¡¯s small home and spread through the busy street. Loh kept her hood up to hide her face but the sheer massive size of Maximus drew the wary eye of every passerby.


    ¡°Keep watch,¡± Loh said and jumped off his back.


    The centaur grunted in acknowledgement and hefted his ax.


    Loh pulled out her key from her pocket and was relieved to find it still worked. She quietly opened the door and tiptoed into the house. Everything seemed the same, small corridors, a flower pot on the small table in the small living room.


    Small.


    Loh supposed ¡®small¡¯ was the way commoners lived their whole lives. Their world revolved around such a small area, a hovel, a neighborhood, a district. Most commoners never left the village they were born in. Their dreams were small and they never spanned beyond the horizon. Loh had once had large dreams, dreams borne by her ancestors that had spanned across the ages. Now, her dreams were small, if she could just have a few people in her life then perhaps that would be enough.


    Louise was in the kitchen, sharpening a long cooking knife on a whetstone.


    ¡°Who are you planning to kill with that?¡± Loh said jokingly from behind.


    Louise yelped in surprise and dropped the knife. She spun around and saw Loh leaning on the doorway with a wide smile.


    ¡°Hey, stranger.¡±


    ¡°Loh!¡± Louise shoved her chair out of the way and embraced her in a fierce hug.


    The sensation was odd. Loh had been through dozens and dozens of battles, she had trained countless hours in magic to become powerful, and she had lived in a mansion with the most powerful mage in the realm, and yet, it was only now, in the small arms of a human that she felt utterly safe.


    Loh closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and savored the moment. ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    ¡°I was so worried, rumors were going around about House Thorn attacking the travelers in Undergrowth. They said everyone died,¡± Louise mumbled in a broken voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry,¡± she whispered. ¡°The rumors are true but I¡¯m fine. You and I are going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Louise tightened her grip, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Loh opened her eyes and stared at the knife lying on the floor.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Louise released her and chuckled, ¡°Oh, I was trying to chop up some vegetables but my knife was dull. Truth is, I just needed something to distract my mind for a bit.¡±


    So she¡¯s not planning on murdering anyone, that¡¯s good.


    ¡°Because of your ex-fianc¨¦?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Maximus told me what happened yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to worry you, I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Louise wiped the tears in the corners of her eyes and tried her best to smile.


    The pain in her eyes was like a dagger in Loh¡¯s heart.


    I¡¯m going to kill that fucker myself.


    ¡°Where does he live? This worthless sack of shit who thought you were worth giving up?¡± Loh asked coldly.


    Louise frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? This guy left you to rot in Dullwater!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an asshole, but he still doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±


    Debatable.


    ¡°Loh, sweetie, I appreciate what you¡¯re doing, but I can fight my own battles. Besides, killing him wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Not really.¡±


    Bloody Bellum, where was Stryg when you needed him? This wouldn¡¯t have even been a conversation if he had been around. Stryg would have simply taken in the situation and gone straight to kill the bastard. No questions asked.


    ¡°Loh, I need your word, you won¡¯t kill him. Loh.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine, I won¡¯t kill him. Just tell me where he lives, it¡¯s the least you can do.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Louise asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, you know, set some boundaries. I don¡¯t want him messing with you or the bakery in the future. I just want to talk to him.¡±


    And to burn his fucking house down.


    Louise stared at her suspiciously for a moment then sighed, ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t know where he lives but I saw him working at a temple as a cook.¡±


    ¡°Which temple?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small one in the Commoner District. In the South-East Sub-District.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Loh blinked. ¡°South-East? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡±


    ¡°Is your ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s name Witt by any chance?¡±


    Louise''s eyes widened, ¡°You know him!?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Goddammit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know Witt?¡±


    Loh groaned, ¡°We¡¯ve met, on occasion. He was at Stryg¡¯s wedding. He¡¯s friends with a goblin priestess at the temple, Karen. Who also happens to be good friends with Stryg.¡±


    Which means Witt might be friends with Stryg too. Shit.


    The plan for revenge evaporated in front of her. Loh had already damaged, if not outright destroyed her relationship with Stryg. Their current relationship was tenuous at best. Hurting one of his friends would surely be the final nail in the coffin.


    ¡°Loh, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Hm, yeah, just great,¡± she smiled forcefully.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve known Witt was here the entire time, huh? You just didn¡¯t know who he really was,¡± Louise said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    The golden ring in her pocket was practically burning a hole into her leg but Loh refrained from bringing ¡®that¡¯ particular topic up. Louise had gone through enough the last few days. The last thing she wanted was for Louise to feel pressured into anything.


    Loh leaned down and kissed her on the lips, ¡°Now I¡¯m going to take you out to the finest taverns in the city and get us spectacularly drunk. What happens after that, well, that¡¯s entirely up to you.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Louise smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re alive, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s boring.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll make it worth your while.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Louise giggled. ¡°How about we celebrate Hollow Shade¡¯s victory in the Mage Tourney? We did win, right? Or were the rumors about that a lie too?¡±


    ¡°No. No, we won,¡± she said slowly.


    ¡°Perfect. Then let the first toast be to your odd apprentice, Stryg. I¡¯m sure he did well, right?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t know Stryg is an Ebon Aspirant.


    The news hadn¡¯t seemed to reach the general populace yet. Still, feeling reluctant to talk about all the implications of what it meant for Stryg to be an Aspirant, Loh grabbed her lover¡¯s hand and pulled her towards the door.


    ¡°Of course, Stryg did well, he¡¯s my apprentice after all. Now let¡¯s go drink already.¡±


    Louise laughed.


    ~~~


    In the distant forest of Vulture Woods, the canopy wrapped the sky in a scarlet cloud of leaves. The canopy was so thick that not an inch of the sky could be seen, only the light that filtered through the bright red leaves.


    They had been walking for days and the world had begun to blur in a series of trees and bushes. Then something changed, something in the air, like a note in a song changing octaves, the melody familiar but different. The other goblins hadn¡¯t noticed, or perhaps they simply didn¡¯t care. Tauri and Plum certainly didn¡¯t care, nor did they ever believe Stryg when he talked about such things. They¡¯d simply look at him as if staring at an odd duck cawing instead of quacking.


    ¡°What is it? What do you sense?¡± First Mother suddenly asked.


    Stryg turned to her with mild surprise. He hadn¡¯t said anything but she had noticed some change in his demeanor, something minute he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d given away. He hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d been paying attention to him, much less to such a degree.


    ¡°The air it¡¯s¡­ different,¡± Stryg said carefully.


    ¡°And?¡± First Mother pressed. Her yellow eyes were intent, searching for something within his own.


    ¡°I think¡­ I think we¡¯re almost here,¡± he said.


    She stared at him silently, then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. The base of the mountain begins right past the hill over there.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then we¡¯re almost there?¡± Stryg asked excitedly.


    Plum¡¯s pointed ears perked up at his last words. She glanced at them, hope in her blue eyes, and smiled wide, ¡°We¡¯re finally there!?¡±


    Jahn chuckled lightheartedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you three go check it out?¡±


    Tauri glanced at the thirty or so hunters walking with them and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s best if we stay with the party. You never know what might be out there. Besides, what difference will a few meters make¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªCome on, Stryg, hurry up!¡± Plum yelled and dashed up the hill.


    ¡°Too slow!¡± he yelled and ran ahead. Orange mana flowed into his veins and the agility spell slipped around his muscles like an extra layer of veins. He ran past Plum in a burst of speed and climbed up the hill with nimble spellbound feet.


    ¡°Hey, no fair!¡± Plum shouted.


    Tauri stared at them with an annoyed expression. ¡°Why do I even bother¡­?¡± she muttered dryly.


    ¡°Best catch up or you¡¯ll fall behind,¡± Jahn teased.


    Tauri grumbled a curse under her breath, then began channeling orange mana.


    Stryg ignored the calls of his friends behind him and their voices blurred away through the leaves brushing past him as he ran up and past the hill. His boots slammed into the dirt and foliage underneath him as he ran faster and faster, the excitement bubbling in his chest.


    Suddenly, the world exploded in a burst of sunlight. The scarlet canopy was gone. The brush and trees around him were gone. He was hurtling past the tree line and tumbling down the other side of the steep hill.


    A small gasp of surprise escaped his lips before his flailing limbs slammed into the hard-packed ground in a less-than-graceful tumble. The world spun around him in a blur. His quarter-ton body rolled down the hill with the speed and force of a boulder. He crashed into the base of the hill with a heavy thud.


    Stryg lay there on the ground, laughing to himself. He couldn¡¯t recall the last time he had been out in the world, free of responsibility, simply roaming the woods for his own enjoyment. It was liberating.


    ¡°Stryg! Oh gods, are you okay!?¡± Plum called out worriedly from atop the hill.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Stryg said lightly and sat up as if to prove his point.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m coming!¡± Plum slowly walked down the steep hill, careful not to trip on any of the jagged rocks sprawled across the tall grass.


    Tauri ran past her and skipped down the hill with the ease of agility magic. She reached the base of the hill almost as fast as Stryg had rolled down it. Tauri frowned as she looked him up and down, searching for injury. His clothes were torn but there was no visible blood or scrapes.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Tauri asked.


    Stryg nodded. ¡°Completely. Not a scratch.¡±


    Tauri sighed in relief, ¡°Praise Bellum. Or is it praise Lunae? Ah, I mean, praise the Mother Moon, right?¡±


    Stryg smiled wryly, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°See, I¡¯m getting the hang of Sylvan culture,¡± Tauri winked.


    ¡°That still won¡¯t make First Mother approve of you,¡± Plum said as she reached them. ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Plumela,¡± Tauri snapped. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to fit in, we¡¯re about to head to the cultural center of the Sylvan people. And if you¡¯ve forgotten, we¡¯re quite clearly outsiders.¡±


    ¡°I think we have bigger problems than our Sylvan lexicon.¡± Plum slowly raised her hand and pointed into the distance.


    Stryg and Tauri turned around and froze in wonderment. The mountain rose from the sparse grasslands and transformed into a sharp rocky formation, like a spear surging towards the heavens, piercing the clouds themselves.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Moon Fang?¡± Tauri whispered in awe.


    Stryg nodded in admiration, ¡°The sacred mount of the Mother Moon and home of the Silver Hall Keep, the last and greatest refuge of the Sylvan people.¡±


    ¡°It looks a lot taller than what I imagined,¡± Plum grimaced.


    Stryg smiled proudly, ¡°It is the tallest of the realm¡¯s mountains. Moon Fang reaches out to the sky and the moon itself. At its peak sits the Celestial Shrine, the most sacred of Lunae¡¯s temples. Every Sylvan visits it at least once in their lifetime and always when they travel to Moon Fang. It is a great honor.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying we have to climb to the top!? Stjerne help us, please! I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± Plum moaned and sent a silent prayer to the Traveler.


    ¡°Is this what you meant when you mentioned a rite of passage?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Mostly, yeah,¡± Stryg said.


    Even though it was summer, cold winds flowed down from the snow-covered mountain and filled the air with a chill. Plum and Tauri shivered involuntarily. Stryg breathed in deeply, enjoying the cold sensation.


    He smiled with determination, ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±

 Chapter 391: Moon Fang Part 2

    Chapter 391: Moon Fang Part 2


    The base of the Moon Fang mountain was steep, with tall grass sparsely spread about, and large jagged rocks decorating the whole area. Cold air blew down the mountain with a heavy chill that sent shivers down Tauri and Plum¡¯s backs.


    Stryg smiled with determination, ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for the chieftain and the rest of the party?¡± Tauri glanced back at the hill behind them.


    But Stryg had already dashed away towards the mountain.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Plumm yelled and ran after him.


    ¡°Agh, dammit, you two never listen!¡± Tauri groaned and followed reluctantly.


    Stryg glanced back at the two of them with a grin. He didn¡¯t stop moving, though he slowed down to a jog to give them a chance to reach him.


    The air slowly grew colder the higher they climbed up the base of the mountain. Blossom¡¯s white petals tightened around each other, forming a thick layer of insulation. Stryg glanced at the cloak in wonder as it wrapped around him with a snug grip.


    It still amazed him how the cloak somehow always changed to suit his needs. Whether it was the petals growing fluffier to form a cushion of sorts to sleep atop or simply raising its cowl to protect him from the rain.


    The cold hadn¡¯t really bothered him for a few years now, but Stryg still appreciated how the cloak looked after him.


    He looked down the mountainside and saw two figures below. The grey and red figures were small but they were growing closer, slowly. Stryg glanced around at the plenty of jagged boulders lying about and sat on the one with the flattest surface, it was still fairly uneven but at least he wouldn¡¯t fall off.


    As if to answer the mild worry, small roots sprouted out from the edges of Blossom and slowly began to wrap around the boulder. Stryg smiled to himself. The cloak truly was incredible. After everything that had happened with Ophelia Thorn, he was glad that he had managed to win the magical heirloom from her family.


    Now if only the cloak could fly¡­


    Stryg waited in anticipation. Blossom¡¯s petals did not shift.


    He sighed in mild disappointment.


    Ophelia had told him that when she had flown down from atop the coliseum with Blossom that it had been her yellow magic that had carried her in the wind. Still, he had hoped that it was a lie. Flying had always fascinated Stryg. To be able to sail through the skies like the birds was a dream of most people, though few would ever have the means to accomplish such an act.


    Flight spells were a specialized subset of chromatic wind magic. It was usually only cast by yellow high-masters, though there were a few yellow masters who had managed a stable cast. Even Heather Navis had managed to cast a flight spell during the tourney, albeit it had been unstable.


    And yet the Ebon Aspirant, victor of the Grand Cities Tourney, and master mage, could not manage a single flight spell. He knew it was a specialized magic but he had practiced flight spells over and over anyway. He had even technically managed a somewhat stable cast, but his body¡¯s weight prevented him from lifting an even from the ground. Even when he used agility magic to lessen his weight the flight spell wasn¡¯t strong enough to carry him into the sky or off the ground for that matter.


    I just need to get stronger, he thought.


    Someday his yellow magic would be strong enough, he would make sure of it.


    ¡°Of course, this would be so much easier if I had elemental air magic instead,¡± he said aloud, hoping his flower petal cloak might hear him. ¡°You were made by the fairies, right? I know they¡¯re elemental creatures of light and life, but they can fly, right? Any chance you¡¯ve got some air magic within you, hmm?¡±


    As always, Blossom did not respond.


    ¡°~Ughhh, I can¡¯t go on. Go on without me~¡± Plum¡¯s voice sounded from nearby.


    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re not even walking you damn bookworm,¡± Tauri snapped.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight. Tauri was carrying the exhausted Plum on her back.


    ¡°I was wondering why it was taking you guys so long,¡± Stryg teased.


    ¡°This dumbass forgot she failed all her running exams back at the academy. Her legs gave out on her after the first half of the climb,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, my body was made for magic, not mindless trudging through the wilderness,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Tauri said.


    Plum raised her index finger to the sky, ¡°No more complaining. We¡¯re only a few paces away from our destination, onwards my noble steed! Aagh!¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Tauri dropped her unceremoniously.


    ¡°Drow down, drow down!¡± Plum yelled dramatically and rolled on the ground as if to illustrate her point.


    Tauri ignored Plum and walked up to the boulder by herself. Stryg shifted his legs to make room for Tauri, but to his pleasant surprise, she sat on his thighs and leaned back on his chest.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired,¡± Tauri mumbled and closed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here and wait for the others.¡±


    Stryg nodded happily, ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t just ignore me! ~I¡¯m dying here!~¡± Plum cried out.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Tauri said easily.


    ¡°I could be though,¡± Plum muttered with a small pout.


    ¡°You¡¯ll all be dead soon if you don¡¯t tell us who you are,¡± came a sudden voice. A goblin stepped out from behind a nearby boulder, bow in hand, and pointed at Plum.


    Stryg stiffened and glanced about as four other goblins stepped out from behind the rocks all around them. He hadn¡¯t noticed them. Their grey cloaks blended into the rocky terrain. But what bothered him was that he hadn¡¯t heard a single footstep as they sneaked up on him and his friends.


    Judging from their matching cloaks they were part of the same tribe, probably a squad of sorts. A hunting party perhaps?


    ¡°Are you their captain?¡± Stryg asked the goblin holding the bow.


    The goblin aimed his bow at Stryg, ¡°Who are you people? I won¡¯t ask again,¡± the goblin captain asked.


    So that¡¯s a yes.


    ¡°Get ready to hide,¡± Stryg whispered in Tauri¡¯s ear.


    She nodded subtly while keeping a wary eye on the five strangers.


    ¡°We¡¯re not your enemies, sir. My name is Plum, her name is Tauri, and his is Stryg,¡± she said quickly.


    The goblin narrowed his eyes, ¡°An orc and two drows enter the sacred lands of Moon Fang unannounced and you expect us to believe you are not our enemies?¡±


    ¡°I am not a drow. I am a goblin, just like you,¡± Stryg said.


    The captain stared at Stryg as if he was an idiot, ¡°...You¡¯re not a goblin. One more stupid lie and I lodge this arrow into you and that orc woman.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°I am Stryg, son of the Blood Fang Tribe, father of the Ebon Ho¨C I mean, the Ebon Tribe,¡± he corrected at the last second. He thought it prudent if he didn¡¯t associate his tribe¡¯s name with the city of Hollow Shade in front of these goblins.


    ¡°I know of the Blood Fang but I¡¯ve never heard of the Ebon Tribe,¡± the captain said.


    ¡°As I said, I founded the tribe. It¡¯s fairly new,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You? A drow? Founded a Sylvan tribe? I told you, one more stupid lie.¡± The captain pulled his back bow, arrow taut.


    Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed to slits in anger. Brown and yellow mana began to flow through his veins.


    ¡°Eldon, wait,¡± one of the other cloaked goblins spoke up. His voice was deep, but it wasn¡¯t gravelly. It was clear like glass, a distinct voice that captured one¡¯s attention. He pulled down his cowl, revealing a weathered face, and a grey-speckled beard. His eyes were a bright yellow and he stared at Stryg with a frigid gaze, ¡°I wish to get a closer look at this one.¡±


    Eldon immediately dropped his bow and bowed his head, ¡°Of course.¡±


    I was wrong. He wasn¡¯t the captain. This one is, Stryg thought. ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stryg was it?¡± the older goblin asked in a calm voice.


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Arden.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Arden?¡±


    Why did that name sound familiar?


    An enormous stone hand suddenly erupted from the ground underneath Stryg and Tauri and curled its fingers over them in a deadly grip. Tauri leaped away in a flash, agility magic already flowing through her veins.


    Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate and cast durability and vigor spells simultaneously. Bronze swirls swam over his skin as yellow scales of light wrapped over his flesh. He yelled a warcry and barreled straight through the rocky cage.


    Arden''s eyes widened in surprise and he raised his arms to defend himself. Stryg slammed past him, sending the older goblin flying. The other goblins screamed in outrage and fired arrow after arrow at Stryg, but they broke on his skin and Blossom harmlessly.


    Stryg ignored the attacks and rushed over to Plum. He tossed Blossom over her and quickly looked around for Tauri. He caught a glimpse of her scarlet skin as she jumped behind a boulder several meters away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he whispered to Plum.


    Orange mana surged into his body. Flames came to life around him in a wide circle and expanded outwards in an explosion of light. The ring of fire seared away the sparse grass and scorched the ground in a wide circle around them.


    The sounds of screaming goblins were silenced and only smoke remained and blackened rock remained.


    A few of Blossom¡¯s petals were scorched at the edges, but overall the living cloak seemed fine. Even now he could see the petals slowly regenerating.


    Stryg smiled and peeked under the cloak, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead, I think. Where¡¯s Tauri?¡± Plum asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Tauri called out and stood up from behind a boulder.


    ¡°Your flame magic is impressive, especially for one so young,¡± Arden said calmly.


    Stryg spun around. ¡°You¡¯re alive!?¡±


    Arden stood crouched atop a nearby boulder without a scratch. His lips curled in a slight smile. He waved his hand and the earth spat out his companions, unharmed, though they were covered in bits of dirt and dust.


    ¡°You protected them?¡± Stryg whispered in shock.


    Arden nodded slowly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such powerful flames, but I managed to save all my tribemates, yes¡ª¡±


    Stryg threw Nameless with all the force of his vigor-enhanced arm. The broken sword turned make-shift dagger flew through the air like a singing air and struck Eldon in the chest, sending him crashing into the boulder behind him. The blow severed his spine and killed him instantly. Eldon¡¯s body slumped over, leaving a bloody trail on the boulder behind him.


    ¡°What was that about saving all your tribemates?¡± Stryg snarled.


    Arden glared at him with a wry smile, ¡°You really are her¡¯s, aren¡¯t you?¡± The goblin¡¯s body blurred in green light and expanded and shifted until the goblin was gone and in its place was a sabertooth 3 meters tall.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Plum gasped and scrambled to hide behind Stryg.


    Arden¡­


    Stryg finally remembered where he heard that name before. A shiver run down his back.


    ¡°Arden, chieftain of the Frost Whisper Tribe¡­¡± Stryg mumbled.


    The greatest shaman-warrior of the Sylvan people bared his saber fangs and roared in a deafening response.

 Chapter 392: Arden, Guardian of the Sylvan

    Chapter 392: Arden, Guardian of the Sylvan


    The Frost Whisper warriors moved swiftly out of the way of their chieftain and bowed in deference. The colossal sabertooth growled at Stryg and slowly stalked towards him and his friends.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Plum gasped and scrambled to hide behind Stryg. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Kill it, of course,¡± Tauri said grimly. ¡°That beast is a true green mage, we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s truly capable of. We need to put him down quickly.¡±


    Stryg shook his numbly, ¡°That beast is Arden, Protector of the Silver Halls and Champion of the Lunar Elect. I know what he¡¯s capable of. He is the Guardian of the Sylvan.¡±


    ¡°Guardian?¡± Plum frowned. ¡°Wait, as in the Guardian? What the fuck is he doing here!?¡±


    ¡°Can someone please explain what¡¯s going on!? He¡¯s getting closer!¡± Tauri said frantically.


    ¡°Run, both of you. I¡¯ll buy you time,¡± Stryg whispered solemnly.


    Tauri stiffened at his tone, but she nodded. ¡°Only fight as long as you have to, run when you get the chance.¡± She tossed Plum over her back and ran away as quickly as she could.


    Arden glanced at the fleeing orc and drow and growled. Giant spires of rock burst out from the ground around the two women, trapping them in a cage of stone. Tauri instantly switched into a vigor spell and kicked a spire with all her strength. She yelped in pain and fell back from the sudden recoil. The spire was unharmed, with not even a crack.


    ¡°Fleeing is not the way of the Sylvan or did your mother forget to teach you that, cub?¡± Arden said in a deep rumbling voice.


    ¡°Let them go!¡± Stryg shouted.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Stryg knew the answer before the word escaped the sabertooth¡¯s mouth. And yet it did nothing to cool the anger boiling within him. Black mana surged from his heart and the shadows around him darkened and shot out towards Arden, swirling in a storm of darkness until it formed a dome of shadows around the both of them.


    Even without the sunlight, Stryg could clearly see his enemy within the dome. The massive sabertooth stood still, his breathing calm. Something was off.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    In this place, Stryg had the advantage. He drew the relic sword and prepared to strike. The earth beneath them erupted in a shower of rocks, shredding the shadow dome apart like paper. Stryg instinctively covered his face with his arms. Several smaller rocks the size of snowballs smashed into his body and sent him flying back. His body spun in the air and he crashed into the ground in a haphazard roll.


    Stryg groaned in pain.


    ¡°You¡¯re sturdy, I¡¯ll give you that, cub,¡± Arden said with mild interest.


    Stryg opened his eyes blearily and frowned in confusion. He was staring up at the sky, it should have been clear, without a cloud in sight. But countless rocks were floating high in the air, ranging from the size of a coin to the size of a boulder.


    Arden cocked his head to the side, ¡°Is this your limit? Are you¡ª¡±


    Stryg suddenly threw his hands forward. Orange mana rushed into his arms. Flames exploded from his hands in a wave of infernal heat. Arden roared and jumped back, but the flames curled over the sabertooth, refusing to let him go.


    With a deep growl, Arden shook his body like a dog shaking off the rain. The flames sputtered out of existence, a few small cinders left burning on the ground. Besides a few burned patches of fur over Arden¡¯s body, he was unscathed.


    Stryg stared in shock.


    Even if the fur coat was thick, the flames should have reached the sabertooth¡¯s flesh. What sort of body did this monster have?


    ¡°Flame magic, not bad. Yet you spent too much mana on that spell. You¡¯re too impulsive,¡± Arden stated calmly.


    His words fell on deaf ears. Stryg rolled over off his back and crouched on all fours. His eyes desperately searched around for the relic sword. If there was a weapon that could harm the thick hide, it was that damn sword.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re as unyielding as your mother. Good, perhaps there is some fight left in you, after all, cub,¡± Arden said, amused.


    The mantle of stones floating in the sky began to swirl above and around them like a whirlpool. The howl of the rocks roared in Stryg¡¯s ears. He covered his pointed ears in pain and tried his best to stand.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Yellow mana flowed into his veins and a shroud of yellow scales wrapped over his skin. Stryg sent green mana into the earth underneath him to form a dome of protection but the earth rejected his ethereal energy. He realized in dismay that the entire area was already covered in Arden¡¯s green mana. The arch-mage was already in complete control of the land.


    He¡¯s just playing with me¡­ He doesn¡¯t even consider me a threat¡­


    The thought angered Stryg more than he thought it would.


    A glint of light in the corner of his sight caught his attention. The relic sword lay on the ground ten paces away, half-buried underneath the dirt.


    Arden followed his gaze and noticed the weapon. The sabertooth growled and the storm of stones fell down on Stryg like a thousand arrows. Stryg tried to cover his head with his arms but the rocks smashed his hands away and slammed him into the ground. His yellow scales cracked underneath the onslaught as the stone shower ripped the ground apart with countless holes.


    Stryg felt as if the mountain itself was stepping over him, crushing him into dust. He couldn¡¯t lift a finger, he couldn¡¯t even breathe. He curled in a fetal position and closed his eyes tight. He poured more and more yellow mana into his scales but they continued to crack and break, unable to handle the barrage. Blossom¡¯s petals tore apart as the cloak spent its mana trying to protect him.


    Stryg¡¯s mind began to fall into a haze, the world a rushing roar of stone. Then it stopped, like the eye of a storm. The stones slowed to a halt and regained their position in the sky above them.


    Stryg lay still amidst a perforated battlefield. Pain wracked his body and blood seeped from dozens of small cuts. The last of his yellow scales broke into dust and faded away. He coughed up dark blood and winced with every breath. His muscles felt as if they had been battered to a pulp. He tried to sit up but his limbs didn''t respond. His body burned, whether it was from pain or overheating of excessive magic, he wasn¡¯t certain.


    Probably both, he thought numbly.


    ¡°...up! Stryg! Get up! Please, Stryg, get up!¡± Tauri¡¯s voice echoed in the distance.


    It felt as if she were screaming a world away, her voice a muffled whisper.


    ¡°Run, Stryg, just fucking run!¡± Plum screamed.


    Arden glanced at the two outsiders shouting helplessly from their stone cage, ¡°Strange. They are going to die yet they only seem to be worried about you.¡± He turned to the blue goblin and stared down at him with indifference, ¡°Do not worry, cub. I will not kill you. Your friends seem loyal, an uncharacteristic trait among outsiders, especially orcs. Nonetheless, I cannot allow you to bring a drow and an orc into our sacred lands.¡±


    ¡°...No,¡± a voice, barely a whisper escaped Stryg¡¯s lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother, stubborn to a fault.¡± The sabertooth walked over Stryg and made his way towards the Plum and Tauri.


    Stryg stared at them from the ground. He tried to channel white mana into his hands, enough to numb the pain, just long enough to move, but the mana did not respond. His body burned with pain and his heart beat faintly, slowing down with each pulse.


    Blossom¡¯s torn petals stretched across Stryg¡¯s body and infused what little elemental life mana it had left into his body. It wasn¡¯t enough.


    A soft pitter-patter sound echoed in his ears.


    Some part of his mind screamed at him that he was dying, but it didn¡¯t matter. None of it seemed to matter. All he could think, all he could see, was Plum shouting in fear as Tauri threw flame bolt after flame bolt at Arden to no effect.


    The pitter-patter noise was moving closer, ever so gently, growing louder.


    The people he cared about were going to die. Again.


    The pitter-patter grew louder, like a drumbeat in the water.


    He was helpless to save them. Again.


    His vision blurred and Plum and Tauri faded away as his mind fell into oblivion. His friends and loved ones flashed through his mind, each one of their smiles disappearing into the darkness.


    They were going to die. Again.


    The drumbeat rose, a chorus of rumbling sounds, echoing off one another.


    No.


    Not again.


    NO.


    His second heart roared in his ears like a thundering drumbeat.


    Stryg opened his eyes. A cold chill like ice rushed into his burning veins as chaos flowed out from his second heart. He stood to his feet and looked over himself. Blood was still dripping from his cuts and his skin was scraped all over. But there was no pain, all he could feel was the cold, a sensation he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. It was as if he was a child once more, bathing in the Frost Tongue river.


    His body didn¡¯t feel like his own, as if it almost belonged to someone else, but he knew deep down it was his. It always had been, some part of him, this part of him, had always been here.


    The breeze over the mountain pass fell silent and the blades of grass fell flat. The hairs on Arden¡¯s body stood on end and he spun around in surprise. Stryg stood, swaying from side to side, amidst the wreckage of stone.


    Arden glared at Stryg and roared. The mantle of stones flying above them answered their master¡¯s call and fell down in a shower of jagged rocks.


    The world felt quiet, slow as if moving through a deep current in the ocean. An indiscernible peaceful pattern. Stryg looked up at the sky, at the stones falling down on him.


    The stones fell down in a rhythmic pattern, reflecting off each other like a pattern in a weave. They weren¡¯t chaotic, not a single stone or pebble. Stryg watched them, admired them, and finally danced around them. Each step moving with the pattern, his arms gliding through the air, evading the larger stones, and pulling the smaller stones away with the palms of his hands. The spell was a song, each stone a note in a line that built into a masterpiece. Arden was a greater mage than he could have ever imagined, his control over Green was beyond anything he had ever seen. All Stryg could do was admire the song and dance to its melody.


    Then as if awakening from a dream the song ended and the stone shower was gone. Stryg stood unscathed and alone in a ballroom of ruined rock and grass. He looked around and smiled to himself.


    Arden stood in mute surprise. There had only ever been one mage who had evaded all his attacks in such a way before. And he wore that same unnerving smile.


    Arden narrowed his eyes, ¡°I was wrong, cub. You¡¯re more like your father.¡±

 Chapter 393: Mountain Pass

    Chapter 393: Mountain Pass


    The ground was riddled with holes from where Arden¡¯s stones had rained down in a storm of destruction. And yet, his opponent was still standing. The sabertooth stared at the blue hybrid curiously. Just moments earlier Arden had easily managed to strike him several times, tearing apart his flimsy spells and battering his body. The pitiful excuse for a battle should have been over¡­ Then something changed. The hybrid had stood up in defense of his caged friends. But there was something different in his lilac eyes as if he could see a secret that others did not.


    And that smile, that damn smile. It reminded Arden of that troublesome man.


    Stryg glared at the sabertooth mage and bared his fangs in an unnerving smile, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    Arden growled, a deep rumbling sound.


    ¡°STOP!¡± First Mother¡¯s voice broke through the tension.


    Arden craned his neck back and spotted the goblin priestess standing atop the unconscious bodies of his tribemates. She held a spear in hand and pointed it at one of their throats.


    When had she snuck up on them? When had she knocked them unconscious?


    The questions ran through Arden¡¯s head in a single breath but the answer was all the same.


    None of it mattered at this point.


    ¡°First Mother?¡± Stryg asked, confused.


    ¡°Be quiet and stay where you are!¡± she snapped at him.


    Stryg flinched at her angry tone and nodded reluctantly.


    Arden smiled and tilted his head in acknowledgment of First Mother, ¡°Hello, Aurelia. It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve visited the mountain.¡±


    ¡°This fight is over,¡± she said sternly.


    Arden was unfazed. ¡°After I saw the cub I guessed you¡¯d show up. And you did not disappoint, as always.¡±


    ¡°You knew exactly who he was and still you attacked him?¡± Aurelia glared at him.


    ¡°I was testing him,¡± Arden said.


    ¡°It is not your place, you are not a Blood Fang. Now, release the orc and drow from their stone cage or I¡¯ll kill these three idiots of yours.¡± As if to prove her point, Aurelia pushed her spear into one of the hunters¡¯ throats until she drew blood.


    Arden shook his head, ¡°A certain belligerent cub already killed one of my hunters. His name was Eldon. He was a good hunter who followed the way of the Sylvan honorably. He did not deserve to die.¡±


    ¡°So you tried to kill Stryg. Out of revenge?¡± Aurelia glared at him. She drove her spear into the hunter¡¯s neck. The unconscious goblin seized up, then went slack, blood oozing from his throat. Aurelia pulled her spear out and hovered its point over the next hunter.


    Arden stared at her carefully, ¡°I told you, I was testing him. If I wanted the cub dead I would have ended his life as soon as he stepped into these sacred lands.¡±


    ¡°So I should be grateful to you then?¡± Aurelia drove her spear into the next goblin, this time through the hunter¡¯s eye socket. ¡°Is this grateful enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Careful. I have killed people for much less,¡± Arden said in a low voice.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± she snarled and stabbed the last hunter through the heart.


    ¡°...You live up to your title, Aurelia the Blooded,¡± Arden scoffed. His sabertooth form flashed with green light and he returned to his goblin self. Gone were the fangs and fur, but his somber eyes and gruff countenance remained.


    ¡°Are we done here?¡± she asked.


    Arden narrowed his eyes, ¡°As chieftain, it is my sworn duty to protect my tribemates¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhich you failed the moment you attacked mine.¡±


    ¡°...And to avenge my tribemates when they fall,¡± Arden finished in a cold tone.


    Aurelia took a step back and gripped her spear tightly.


    Arden shrugged with a sigh, ¡°Fortunately for you, I would never hurt a ¡®Favored of the Moon¡¯ but you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem,¡± she said.


    Arden waved his hand and the stone cage holding Tauri and Plum crumbled to sand. The women coughed and spat out sand, but otherwise, they seemed fine.


    Safe, the word echoed in Stryg¡¯s mind. His friends were safe. The newfound strength in his body suddenly left him like a bottle pouring out its wine. His legs buckled underneath him and the floor met him in a blur.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia rushed towards him and checked his pulse.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he muttered tiredly.


    She sighed in relief and smiled weakly, ¡°You idiot.¡±


    Arden stared at their interaction silently.


    Aurelia noticed the archmage¡¯s keen gaze and quickly smothered her relief. She kicked Stryg in the leg and crossed her arms in disapproval, ¡°Don¡¯t wander so far ahead next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, First Mother,¡± Stryg mumbled. He tried to get up but his body felt sluggish and heavy.


    Aurelia went to help him but Arden spoke up in a cold voice, ¡°A Sylvan Mother should not have favorites.¡±


    ¡°I have no favorites,¡± Aurelia snapped. ¡°As you can see, there are no other children of my tribe here. I help the ones I can.¡±


    Arden stared at her disapprovingly but said nothing more on the matter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got you,¡± Tauri walked over and slipped her arm under Stryg¡¯s shoulder. She channeled brown mana into her muscles and helped him to his feet with mild effort.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he smiled weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do more,¡± Tauri muttered frustratedly.


    ¡°So he isn¡¯t going to kill us anymore?¡± Plum looked at Arden warily.


    ¡°I should,¡± the archmage said calmly. ¡°The presence of you and the orc will only cause trouble here. But the Blood Fang priestess has spared your lives and I will respect her decision, as wrong as it may be.¡±


    ¡°Thanks?¡± Plum said uncertainly.


    ¡°Can someone explain to me who exactly this goblin is?¡± Tauri asked cautiously.


    ¡°Arden is the ¡®Guardian of the Sylvan.¡¯ A title given only to the most powerful of the Sylvan folk,¡± Aurelia explained grimly. ¡°The Guardian is tasked with protecting the Sylvan from outside threats to the people and if needed, the Guardian will protect the people from one of their own.¡±


    Arden ignored First Mother¡¯s words and busied himself with caring for the bodies of his tribemates. He cast a flora spell and wrapped their bodies in green vines and white flowers.


    Tauri¡¯s shame in being unable to fight the archmage dissipated, though her fear of him only grew. ¡°So this is the strongest Sylvan mage. What is he doing here¡­?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Arden is also the chieftain of the Frost Whisper Tribe. Their people are in charge of guarding this mountain pass,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I suppose with the Lunar Elect summoning every tribe in the forest, perhaps the Guardian thought it best to guard the mountain pass himself.¡±


    ¡°Frost Whisper, Frost Whisper¡­? Why does that sound so familiar?¡± Plum muttered to herself. ¡°Wait!¡± her eyes lit up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the tribe that slayed a ??behemoth!?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not possible,¡± Tauri said in disbelief. The behemoth was widely regarded as the greatest creature in all the Ebon Realm. Not even this Guardian or Elzri Noir could kill one.


    Arden¡¯s expression grew tired, ¡°...And yet it happened. A hundred years ago my ancestors did the unthinkable.¡±


    ¡°Stryg told me about it, a few hunters against a behemoth. It must have been quite something,¡± Plum said in awe.


    ¡°Stryg clearly didn¡¯t tell you the entire story,¡± Aurelia clicked her tongue. ¡°Typical, that boy is always only concerned by a hunter¡¯s accomplishments, never by their consequences.¡±


    Stryg blushed and looked away in embarrassment.


    Plum noticed his reaction and turned to Aurelia, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It was a baby behemoth,¡± she replied. ¡°And the hunters that killed it died soon after when the baby¡¯s mother found them and laid waste to their tribe and many others. It was practically an ecological disaster that threatened the very survival of the Sylvan people.¡±


    ¡°Yet somehow your tribe managed to survive unscathed, curious is it not?¡± Arden said coldly.


    Aurelia hissed. ¡°My mother was smart enough to keep my tribe out of the calamity your grandfather caused.¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point,¡± Arden said. ¡°The Sylvan people have survived the dangers of Vulture Woods because we¡¯ve stayed together, looked after one another even in the most difficult times. But the Blood Fang has always had a penchant for being selfish. How would things have turned out back then if your mother and grandmother had come to the defense of the other tribes?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. The behemoth would have still continued her rampage and killed countless of us,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°But how many more would have been able to escape? How many more could have been evacuated? How many more lives could have been saved?¡±


    ¡°You want to speak of hypotheticals?¡±Aurelia growled. ¡°How many more would have lived if your grandfather hadn¡¯t been such a glory-seeking fool and killed the newborn child of a calamity?¡±


    ¡°...I guess we¡¯ll never know,¡± Arden said solemnly. ¡°What I do know is that my people learned from our grievous mistakes. We have spent the last century paying for our crimes, working for the sake of the Sylvan people, and repairing what we lost. I wonder, can you say the same? Have the Blood Fang learned from their mistakes?¡± He glanced at Stryg and smiled wryly, ¡°No, I suppose not.¡±


    Aurelia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Open the pass.¡±


    ¡°...Before I do, I have something for the cubs.¡± Arden reached into his cloak¡¯s pocket and pulled out three silver brooches in the shape of a crescent moon.


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Why are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Share them among your friends,¡± Arden said and handed the brooches to Plum who accepted them with hesitation.


    ¡°Thank you. Um, what are they?¡± Plum asked nervously.


    ¡°They are Lunar Crescents,¡± Stryg said in recognition. He was struggling to stay awake, but the sight of the brooch caught his attention. ¡°They represent the favor of the Guardian, the Silver Mother, or the Lunar Elect. It is a great honor.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve them, none of you do,¡± Arden said curtly. ¡°However, so long as you wear them no one within the city will give you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°You want to protect us?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°I want to protect my people,¡± Arden said. ¡°There are plenty of goblins who would kill a drow and orc on sight. But if any of them would try to hurt you and your friends I have an inkling your First Mother would not hesitate to kill them first.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess¡­?¡± Tauri said dryly.


    Arden tapped his chest, ¡°Wear the Lunar Crescents over your shirt or cloak at all times while on the mountain. Do not lose them, I expect them back when you leave.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best,¡± Plum said and quickly pinned the brooches on their cloaks.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Aurelia said in a quiet but sincere voice.


    Arden grunted in acknowledgement. He waved his hand and the ground rumbled underneath them. The mountainside opened up into the mouth of a tunnel.


    ¡°Are we really going to walk in there?¡± Tauri whispered warily. ¡°What if he collapses the tunnel once we¡¯re inside?¡±


    Aurelia shook her head, ¡°The Guardian is many things but a dishonorable man he is not.¡±


    Plum glanced down the mountainside and thought of the chieftain and the others. ¡°Should we wait for everyone else?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll catch up,¡± Aurelia said.


    Arden bowed his head towards her and stepped aside, ¡°Welcome home, Favored One.¡±


    Aurelia nodded and walked through.


    ¡°Home?¡± Stryg glanced at First Mother curiously, but she had already disappeared inside the tunnel.


    Tauri stared at the dark entrance worriedly, ¡°Why do I feel like we¡¯re going to die in there?¡±

 Chapter 394: The Celestial Shrine

    Chapter 394: The Celestial Shrine


    The tunnel¡¯s cold, damp walls were small. Stryg had to keep his head down to avoid crashing into a jutting rock. There were no torches on the walls, only a dim light at the end of the tunnel. The rocky path was uneven and slick. He kept staring at his feet, trying his best to avoid tripping. First Mother seemed entirely unaffected. She walked through the tunnel with an unbroken stride, back straight, head held high.


    Stryg tried to catch up with Aurelia when he heard Plum cry out in surprise behind him. Stryg spun around worriedly and smacked his head into the tunnel¡¯s ceiling. He flinched back and fell over in an awkward sprawl in the confined space.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m alright!¡± Plum called out. ¡°I just slipped on a wet rock.¡±


    ¡°And I caught you before your head cracked against the floor,¡± Tauri said wryly.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯m alright,¡± Plum grinned.


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Stryg muttered as he rubbed his forehead.


    Plum narrowed her eyes and tried her best to make out Stryg¡¯s figure in the darkness, ¡°Hey, you okay?¡±


    ¡°Just perfect,¡± he grunted.


    By the time Stryg managed to stand up Aurelia was already at the end of the tunnel, waiting for them. It bothered him that what had taken First Mother only five minutes to walk through ended up taking his companions and him three times as long. The tunnel had been made for goblins and it felt as if the mountain itself was telling him he didn¡¯t fit in with the Sylvan.


    He shook the pessimistic thought from his head and pushed on through the last few steps. The tunnel¡¯s exit opened up to the sunset sky, dyed in oranges and pinks, with clouds speckled about. His eyes burned for a moment as they adjusted, but he quickly looked away before his irises expanded and his vision changed into a world of black and silver. The last thing he wanted right now was for others to stare at him or his eyes.


    An entire city carved from the stones of the mountain was sprawled before him. The stronghold city of Evenfall stood proud, its buildings carved from the deep stone of the mountainside. Standing torches lined the narrow and winding streets where thousands of goblins strode through and hundreds of giant wolves and their riders walked. Stryg had never seen so many goblins in one place.


    The last rays of the sun stretched across the sky and bathed the city in a soft glow.


    ¡°Evenfall,¡± Stryg whispered in awe. He had finally made it. After so many years of dreaming of the city, he had finally arrived at the sacred home of the Sylvan people.


    Tauri climbed out of the tunnel and froze in wonder at the sight of the city. ¡°...I had heard old stories of a Sylvan city deep in the mountains, I never thought they were real. This¡­ this is more than I ever could have imagined.¡±


    ¡°What, did you think we were savages?¡± Stryg said wryly.


    Tauri shrugged with a smirk, ¡°No, just you.¡±


    Plum whistled at the sight as she climbed out. ¡°So this is why you wanted to come here.¡±


    ¡°Every Sylvan has the right to travel to this place when they reach adulthood,¡± Stryg said. ¡°If I had passed my first tribal challenge and not been dragged to Hollow Shade, I would have come here. I¡¯m three years late, but I finally made it.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Plum smiled.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg smiled warmly, the light of an eager child in his eyes. ¡°Hey, do you guys see that?¡± he pointed to the cliffside at the edge of the city.


    A large fortress stood atop the cliff, overlooking the mountain range and the scarlet trees of Vulture Woods far below. Underneath the fortress, protruding out from the cliff, was a completely flat balcony, almost a quarter the size of the fortress.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Plum asked curiously.


    ¡°That¡¯s the legendary Silver Hall Keep. It¡¯s where the Sylvan tribunal, the Lunar Elect, resides,¡± Stryg said excitedly.


    ¡°I gathered that much but what exactly is with the giant terrace?¡± Plum asked.


    Tauri narrowed her eyes, ¡°Some kind of defensive platform?¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s the Midnight Mirror. The balcony¡¯s tiles are made from polished reflective stone. Every night it¡¯s filled with a thin layer of water that reflects the sky. The Mother Moon watches us from the sky above and the reflection below.¡±


    ¡°So an actual giant mirror, huh? And here I thought your people weren¡¯t interested in displays of art,¡± Plum said in admiration.


    ¡°The Midnight Mirror serves as an arena where our greatest warriors do battle to settle their disputes under the eyes of the Mother Moon and the Lunar Elect.¡±


    ¡°Aaaand I take back what I said,¡± Plum sighed.


    ¡°You can go sightseeing later, right now we must go,¡± Aurelia spoke up. She grabbed Stryg by the sleeve and began pulling him away.


    ¡°W-Wait, where are you two going!?¡± Plum called out and hurriedly ran to catch up.


    Tauri took one last pensive look at the city then turned and followed after them.


    Aurelia ignored the countless shocked looks from the other goblins and led her small party around Evenfall¡¯s streets and up the mountainside until they reached a long winding set of stairs that seemed to go on forever. Dozens of small groups were standing at the base of the stairs with even more already having begun the climb.


    ¡°Please, gods, tell me I don¡¯t have to climb that,¡± Plum said, horrified.


    ¡°These stairs lead to our first and final destination of this journey,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°Let me guess, the Celestial Shrine lies at the top,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I take it Stryg explained to you the details of this journey then?¡±


    ¡°No, but some of the hunters mentioned something about going to a temple when we¡¯d arrive,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°So Stryg failed to tell you the details. Why am I not surprised,¡± Aurelia noted.


    ¡°I was going to, eventually¡­¡± Stryg tried to explain, but it sounded like a poor excuse. He gave up and waited for First Mother to explain.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°The Celestial Shrine is our most sacred temple,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Every Sylvan who visits Evenfall must first go to the temple to pay their respects and they must go once more when they leave the city.¡±


    Plum groaned, ¡°But we just climbed up the freakin¡¯ mountain! Can¡¯t we just put this off until the morning and get some sleep first? Find a nice tavern and some hot food maybe?¡±


    ¡°It is not simply tradition, it is law. If you wish to live, you will climb. Mark my words, I will not have you embarrassing the Blood Fang tribe,¡± Aurelia bared her fangs.


    Plum paled and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Still, doesn¡¯t this seem a little harsh? Forcing travelers to climb to the top of the mountain without any rest,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°There is a reason why only adults are allowed to make the journey to Evenfall. They understand the consequences of being unable to finish the climb,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°Only the strong can survive among the Sylvan,¡± Stryg said in agreement.


    ¡°Tauri¡¯s right, that¡¯s harsh, cruel even. Forcing people to live with such a mindset,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°You are mistaken, drow,¡± said Aurelia. ¡°We did not choose this lifestyle, the world forced it upon our people. Now climb.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t need to hear any more encouragement. He walked ahead of his friends and began to climb.


    The marble steps were steep and worn, having been trodden on countless times by the tens of generations that came before. The air was crisp and it grew colder the higher he climbed. Snow began to pile at the edges of the steps where travelers had avoided. With each step, the clouds grew closer.


    A small gasp drew his attention. Stryg tore his gaze away from the expanding view and finally noticed the other goblins climbing the steps alongside him. They were all staring, outrage and confusion clear in their eyes.


    Some of the goblins had drawn their weapons but they held off from attacking at the sight of the silver crescent brooch hanging from his cloak, Blossom.


    Crestfallen, Stryg suddenly realized it didn¡¯t matter if his lilac eyes hadn¡¯t changed shape. Everyone already thought he was strange. Were they like the Frost Whisper hunters guarding the mountain pass? Did they even think he was a goblin? Or did they just see a drow or some strange wide-eyed creature?


    Stryg opened his mouth to explain, to justify why he deserved to be here like the rest of them, but as he stared at their confused and fearful expressions the words died in his throat. He nodded stiffly and brought his attention back to the worn steps in front of him. He kept his eyes down and focused on climbing, one step at a time.


    As he walked, the wind grew louder and louder until it howled around him, but he didn¡¯t notice, his mind elsewhere. Suddenly, a figure rushed past him.


    ¡°What¡¯s got your pointy ears drooping like that? I mean, they¡¯re always drooping, but this time more than normal.¡±


    Stryg looked up in surprise, ¡°Plum?¡±


    The drow was grinning wide from atop Tauri¡¯s back a few steps ahead of him.


    Plum adjusted her glasses and winked, ¡°Tired already?¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°What are you two doing¡ª?¡±


    ¡°She gave up ten steps in,¡± Tauri sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave her for dead so I decided to carry her with the help of some brown magic.¡±


    ¡°In other words, I¡¯m too precious to let die, haha! Now onwards my steed!¡± Plum yelled triumphantly.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll throw you off this mountain,¡± Tauri growled.


    ¡°Ah, Stryg save me!¡± Plum gasped.


    Stryg laughed and chased after them.


    Aurelia followed behind them in a quiet pensive mood.


    ~~~


    Several heavily armored wolf riders stood guard at the top of the stairs, disarming each goblin traveler before allowing them past the towering pillars behind them, where several priestesses were welcoming the travelers into the temple.


    The moment Tauri reached the top she dropped Plum unceremoniously. The drow yelled in pain and began to complain as she rubbed her backside.


    One of the riders shouted in alarm when he spotted Stryg and his companions. The rider raised his spear and was about to attack when Plum hurriedly pointed at Tauri¡¯s Lunar Crescent brooch.


    ¡°They are special guests of the Guardian,¡± Aurelia said.


    The rider glared at them suspiciously while the other riders began to encircle their group. The guards kept their weapons low as they tried to ascertain the validity of the brooches.


    After a few tense minutes, the captain of the guards finally nodded reluctantly. ¡°...They¡¯re real. Somehow, they¡¯re real.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they stole them?¡± another guard said.


    ¡°Steal from the Guardian? Impossible,¡± the captain shook his head. ¡°Still, this is unprecedented. We cannot allow outsiders inside the grounds of the Celestial Shrine.¡±


    ¡°They are with me, they are not our enemies,¡± Aurelia insisted.


    The captain noted the scarlet-ebon wreath on her head, then bowed, ¡°I am sorry, but I cannot let them pass, First Mother. As a priestess, you are free to enter, of course. Your companions will be here unharmed when you return.¡±


    Aurelia frowned, ¡°That is not good enough.¡±


    The captain stood his ground, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I cannot allow them to¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is going on out here?¡± a melodic voice called out. A woman dressed in a flowing white robe strode out from the open temple doors. A silver-ebon wreath was wrapped around her mute-black hair and a golden necklace hung around her shoulders. Her yellow eyes glanced at the scene with a calm gaze.


    Every traveler waiting outside suddenly stopped what they were doing and dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in silent awe. The captain and the other riders quickly dismounted from their wolves and bowed low, while keeping their eyes on the outsiders.


    ¡°Silver Mother, a thousand apologies. We did not mean to interrupt your meditations,¡± the captain said humbly.


    Stryg froze in shock. This was the Silver Mother, the high priestess of all Sylvan people. He had never thought he¡¯d be lucky enough to see her, let alone meet her.


    The Silver Mother raised her eyebrow and stared at the captain of the guard as if he was an idiot. ¡°Did you really expect me to continue my meditations when outsiders arrive at our temple gates? You should have told me about them the moment they arrived. I shouldn¡¯t have heard it from some breathless acolyte.¡±


    ¡°Your humble servant begs for your forgiveness,¡± the captain asked pleadingly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this later. Now, move. I wish to have a good look at these outsiders.¡±


    ¡°But Silver Mother, it isn¡¯t safe!¡± the captain said worriedly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, now step aside already and command your wolves to do the same,¡± the high priestess waved them away.


    The captain grimaced in helplessness but nodded nonetheless. He motioned to his guards to move aside and for their wolves to follow. Stryg and the others stood alone, glancing about with uncertainty.


    The Silver Mother narrowed her eyes and smiled, ¡°My, oh my, they really are outsiders, fascinating. Oh, and they are wearing Arden¡¯s Lunar Crescents. Curious. Now, why have a pair of drows and an orc come to visit our sacred shrine? Arden wouldn¡¯t have given you those brooches without a good reason¡ª¡± She suddenly froze in mid-sentence and slowly looked past Plum to the goblin Mother standing behind her. ¡°Aurelia¡­?¡±


    First Mother winced, ¡°Hello, Virella.¡±


    ¡°Auri!¡± the Silver Mother screamed giddily and tackled her with a bear hug. ¡°Praise the Mother Moon, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Aurelia tensed up at the hug and grimaced. ¡°Yes, yes, I missed you too, Virella. You can let go now.¡±


    Virella laughed and gave one last squeeze before stepping back. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed. Your heart is as ice cold as ever,¡± she grinned. ¡°And gods, just look at you! You barely seem a day older. But what did you do to your beautiful hair?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have time to talk later, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Virella wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°After all these years I was worried you¡¯d never come back. I¡¯m glad I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be doing well without me,¡± Aurelia smiled half-heartedly. ¡°High priestess, eh? Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, as if I ever could have made it this far without you,¡± Virella rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt, but how do you two know each other?¡± Stryg asked with a meek but curious tone.


    ¡°Who are you¡ª?¡± Virella glanced at him and did a double take. Her eyes widened to saucers and her jaw went slack. She began jumping up and down, giggling like a little girl, and turned to Aurelia with a giant grin. ¡°Auri, is this who I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Aurelia snapped.


    ¡°Oh, right, right. I got this,¡± Virella nodded while trying to suppress her giddiness. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared her throat, ¡°Ahem. Ah, yes. What was your question, young man?¡±


    ¡°Uh, how do you know my tribe¡¯s First Mother?¡± Stryg asked nervously.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, I¡¯m Auri¡¯s bestest friend in the whole wide world,¡± she grinned. ¡°You can call me Auntie Vi!¡±

 Chapter 395: The High Priestess

    Chapter 395: The High Priestess


    The wind howled at the top of Mt. Moon Fang, bringing about a cold chill that seeped into the bones of all the goblins standing at the top of the mountain¡¯s stairs. Stryg and his companions stood waiting in front of the temple, hoping for entry, though the malice rising in the encroaching guards made such a hope seem less and less plausible.


    Then as if walking out of a fairy tale the temple gates creaked open and a woman clad in white robes stepped outside. She walked with an elegant gait, head held high, eyes filled with calmly assured purpose.


    The harsh winds quieted and only a soft breeze blew by, sending the woman¡¯s robes fluttering behind her. A silver-ebon wreath sat on her dark hair like a shining crown in the setting sun.


    The crowd of travelers waiting outside and the guards alike all suddenly stopped what they were doing and dropped to their knees in a deep bow.


    The silver-ebon wreath was unmistakable, there was only one. Where the Guardian of the Sylvan was the protector of the people and feared by most, the Silver Mother was the high priestess of the tribes and admired by all.


    Stryg watched in silent awe as Silver Mother herself walked towards them. The guards begged the high priestess for forgiveness, they had not meant to disturb her meditation, yet she wasn¡¯t interested in their apologies, she wasn¡¯t interested in them whatsoever. All her attention was on¡­ First Mother?


    ¡°Auri!¡± the high priestess screamed giddily and rushed her with a bear hug. ¡°Praise the Mother Moon, you¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Stryg watched flabbergasted as they embraced and the Silver Mother began to talk to her cordially, even stranger was how First Mother was being so cold towards her, and yet the Silver Mother wasn¡¯t ordering her to be executed. It was almost as if they were friends.


    The idea that his First Mother, the most rigid and stern goblin he knew had friends was odd, if not outright unbelievable.


    Stryg didn¡¯t want to disturb the revered Silver Mother, but the longer she spoke with First Mother the more his curiosity rose.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± Stryg asked meekly. ¡°But how do you two know each other?¡±


    The moment the words escaped his lips, regret filled his chest. Had he been too straightforward? Had he just disrespected the most revered of the Sylvan Mothers?


    ¡°Who are you¡ª?¡± The Silver Mother glanced at him and did a double take. Her eyes widened to saucers and her jaw went slack. She began jumping up and down, giggling like a little girl and turned to Aurelia with a giant grin. ¡°Auri, is this who I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Aurelia snapped.


    ¡°Oh, right, right. I got this,¡± she nodded while trying to suppress her giddiness. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared her throat, ¡°Ahem. Ah, yes. What was your question, young man?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what to make of her reaction but he hesitantly asked his question once more. ¡°Uh, how do you know my tribe¡¯s First Mother?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, I¡¯m Auri¡¯s bestest friend in the whole wide world,¡± she grinned. ¡°You can call me Auntie Vi!¡±


    ¡°Auntie Vi?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± Aurelia growled at the Silver Mother.


    ¡°What? You and I are practically like sisters and you are his First Mother, right?¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Not the point,¡± Aurelia glared at her.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She turned to Stryg and smiled wide, ¡°My name is Virella, the Silver Mother of the Sylvan people and the High Priestess of the city of Evenfall. It is nice to formally meet you, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you know my name?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Virella laughed. ¡°I used to visit your village on many occasions, but my duties in the Celestial Shrine only continued to grow, and I¡¯ve been too busy to visit ever since. The last time I saw you you could barely walk.¡± She stood on her tiptoes, reached up, and touched his forehead, ¡°Clearly, you¡¯ve grown a lot since.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª thank you,¡± he blushed.


    ¡°Hehe. Now, I¡¯m guessing since Auri can be such a hardass, she never told you anything about me, did she?¡± Virella glanced at Aurelia dubiously.


    Aurelia crossed her arms and stayed silent.


    ¡°Oh, uh, no, I guess not. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, it''s not your fault she never told you about her bestest friend ever. Auri has always been like that,¡± Virella sighed dramatically. ¡°Welp! Then I¡¯ll have to do it for her!¡±


    ¡°Actually, we are quite busy. We only came by to give our respects to the Mother Moon and be on our way,¡± Aurelia interrupted.


    Virella clapped her hands together, ¡°Great! Then I¡¯ll be your personal guide within the temple. We can talk on the way. That includes those two outsiders too.¡±


    Aurelia shook her head, ¡°I know the temple quite well, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I insist!¡± Virella said.


    ¡°High priestess, are you certain of this?¡± the captain of the guards asked worriedly. ¡°We don¡¯t know these outsiders. We cannot guarantee your safety inside the temple if you¡¯re with them.¡±


    Virella¡¯s expression suddenly grew cold. ¡°Did I ask for your opinion, captain? No. No, I did not. Now go away before I toss you off the mountaintop.¡±


    ¡°R-Right away!¡± the captain bowed and scurried away with the rest of his men.


    Stryg felt a pang of pity for the captain simply trying to do his job. But Stryg was beginning to understand why the high priestess was best friends with First Mother.


    ¡°Sorry about that, he was terribly rude.¡± Virella turned to Stryg with a warm smile, ¡°Now, where were we? Ah, yes, a tour of the temple. Come, follow me.¡± And with that, she spun on her heel and walked back to the gates without even bothering to check if they were following.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Can we trust her?¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°I dunno, but I kinda like her,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°You like the woman who just threatened to murder one of her guards?¡±Tauri raised an eyebrow.


    Plum shrugged, ¡°I mean, she only threatened him, I¡¯ve seen other Sylvan do a lot worse.¡±


    Aurelia groaned to herself. ¡°Come on, you three. Knowing Virella she won¡¯t stop pestering us until she¡¯s had her way. Might as well get this over with as quickly as possible.¡±


    Stryg and his companions followed Aurelia¡¯s steps with a nod.


    The temple was surrounded by imposing columns of white marble that stretched towards the sky. The entrance was flanked by a pair of towering statues of two goblin warriors, each with spears held high as if to ward off any intruders.


    ¡°Shoes off,¡± Virella said at the gates, then walked in.


    Stryg slipped off his travel-worn boots without hesitation and stepped inside the temple eagerly.


    Despite the cold weather outside, the polished stone floors were warm to the touch. The temple atrium was a wide open space with several long hallways leading towards unseen areas. Several priestesses walked through the atrium with quiet dignity and bowed to the high priestess, before heading off into one of the hallways.


    Torchlight flickered across the walls, illuminating the scenes of epic battles from the era of Lunis. Stryg looked at the different battles with interest, imagining how they played out in his mind, but as he looked up he froze in wonder.


    A painting of the ebon gods stretched across the ceiling. Each was painted in vivid colors, depicting the gods in their own realms of power.


    The Guardian of the realm and goddess of war, Bellum stood proud, clad in golden armor, wielding her sword of black flames amidst the broken remains of a battlefield. Her eyes burned with golden light underneath her helm and her mouth was open in an eternal warcry. A horrid beast with sharp fangs and two heads lay dead underneath her feet.


    The Traveler and god of stars, Stjerne walked in a serene landscape, his surroundings appearing to change from one step to another. Spring flowers in a winter storm, rain falling in a desert, and an ocean clashing with raging volcanoes. His skin was bare, save for the fur of a fallen beast wrapped around his waist. In his hand, he held a staff that shined with the inner light of the stars. A two-faced mask adorned his face, one half golden with a frown, the other ebon black with a smile.


    The Mystery and god of the deep earth, Caligo sat hunched in the shadows of a deep cave, a mountain rising above him. He was naked, his arms wrapped around his shoulders as if trying to comfort himself. His skin was a myriad of earthen shades and his claws glinted like polished silver in the darkness. Like the other gods, his face was hidden. His features were covered in shadows, save for his eyes that glowed in a myriad of colors.


    The Watcher and goddess of the moon, Lunae sat in the center, looking from above at the others. She was surrounded by her harbingers, the frost wolves. Her white hair flowed around her in long weaves that intertwined with another, one Stryg hadn¡¯t seen before. His skin was silver like Lunae¡¯s but where her hair was as pale as the moon, his was as dark as the night sky. The two held hands and smiled at one another. Their expressions were hidden behind masks but Stryg felt that they were smiling.


    Virella quietly walked up behind Stryg. ¡°Do you like it? Of course, you do. The illustration of the five ebon gods is one of our proudest displays. I hear it took the artists many years to get the colors just right.¡±


    ¡°Five gods? I thought there were only four¡­¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Then your education is clearly lacking,¡± she patted his shoulder sympathetically.


    ¡°Who is he? The one with Lunae?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is the Mother Moon¡¯s twin brother, the Ebon Wolf, Solis,¡± Virella said with quiet reverence. ¡°Lunae and Solis were the first of the ebon gods, the Moon and Sun, the Darkness and Light, the Dusk of the Realm.¡±


    ¡°Veronica''s father, Lord Sientia, once told me that Hollow Shade tried to hide the existence of Solis; they claimed he was dead,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Plum admitted.


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Tauri said. ¡°What I do know is that the Ebon Lords of old were the ones who first claimed that the sun god was dead. My father believed that it was a mockery of the valley tribes and their patron deity. Or perhaps a reminder of Hollow Shade¡¯s power over Dusk Valley.¡±


    ¡°The Ebon Lords have always been greedy and deceitful beings. I wouldn¡¯t believe anything they say,¡± Virella said disdainfully.


    ¡°They were monstrous tyrants, that''s for certain,¡± Plum nodded in agreement.


    ¡°It is odd for a drow to say such a thing, but yes, you are right. You keep strange company, Stryg. I like it,¡± Virella grinned.


    ¡°I knew I liked her,¡± Plum whispered to Tauri.


    ¡°So, Stryg, what do you think of the Celestial Shrine so far, hm?¡± Virella asked.


    Beautiful was the word that kept echoing in his mind, but it somehow felt inadequate. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m at a loss for words. I didn¡¯t know our people could make something so¡­ perfect.¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan did not build this temple, our Lunisian ancestors did,¡± Virella said softly. ¡°Unfortunately, the harsh lives of our people in these lands have driven us into a position where most cannot spare time for loftier things such as art, but we have not forgotten what it means to live. What it feels to admire a piece of art and fall in love with the emotions painted with every stroke.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the sightseeing, let¡¯s move along,¡± Aurelia said curtly.


    ¡°Very well, follow me,¡± Virella turned and headed down one of the many halls.


    Stryg followed close behind her, eager to learn and see more of this place.


    Virella noticed his enthusiasm and she smiled, ¡°Auri and I had a very similar expression when we first came here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg glanced at First Mother who was following from a distance with an apathetic expression. It was hard to imagine her being amazed at anything, even now she only seemed eager to leave this place.


    ¡°Back then we shared a room at the Silver Hall Keep. We had to climb those endless steps up the mountain to reach the temple every single day,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know First Mother lived here,¡± Stryg said slowly. He was beginning to think he didn¡¯t know his tribe¡¯s matriarch well after all.


    ¡°Auri is a woman of very few words, believe me. As acolytes we were brought to the temple to be initiated in the trials of the Shrine Priestess. Auri was always so quiet, cold even. She didn¡¯t care to talk to me, or anyone for that matter, she was just focused on the goal. I thought she was the most stuck-up girl I had ever met.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re her best friend?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    Virella smiled reminiscently. ¡°Did you know only the most talented and promising young women are chosen to train at the Celestial Shrine? Our training is extreme and taxing on the body. There is no room for failure. One day, while we were climbing the mountain¡¯s steps I tripped and fell down, and I¡­I broke my ankle. I couldn¡¯t climb the steps, even if I wanted to. Believe me, I tried, I really tried, but I knew in the end that I couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    Virella sighed, ¡°The other acolytes walked past me with disdain, some even taunted me, happy to have one less competitor. A few of them even looked at me with pity, that was the worst, I think. I tried to get up, I tried my best to push through the pain. I screamed in frustration and with tears in my eyes I climbed a few steps at a time, until I collapsed and couldn¡¯t climb anymore.¡±


    Virella¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°I thought it was over, I knew my chance at the Celestial Shrine was gone. All my work for the last decade, destroyed in a single moment of carelessness. And then Aurelia of the Blood Fang walked past me. My quiet and arrogant roommate that refused to talk with any of the other acolytes. Without a word, she picked me up, threw me on her shoulders, and began carrying me up the mountain. I asked her why, I told her to stop, that I was ruining her chances of succeeding, but she didn¡¯t say anything, she just kept climbing, even when her breathing got rough, and her legs began to shake, she kept climbing.¡±


    ¡°When we finally reached the top, Aurelia asked me if I could stand. I said yes. She nodded, put me down, then walked away. I spent the rest of that day hobbling on one foot, but I managed to make it through the training and had a shaman tend to my injuries in the evening. Later, when I asked Auri why she helped me she simply said, ¡®That¡¯s what friends do.¡¯¡±


    Virella smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve had her back ever since and she¡¯s had mine. If there is one person I will never abandon in this world, it¡¯s Aurelia. It doesn¡¯t matter if she likes to keep quiet or if she never talks about me. I will stand by Auri¡¯s side, always. So, don¡¯t worry too much about Sabina. Things will turn out alright.¡±


    ¡°Sabina?¡± Stryg stopped in his steps. ¡°You mean Sabina the Mother Elect? Of the Sylvan tribunal? Why would I be worried about her?¡±


    Virella¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Auri really never told you anything, did she?¡±

 Chapter 396: Sylvan Mothers

    Chapter 396: Sylvan Mothers


    ¡°Sabina?¡± Stryg stopped in his steps and stared at Virella, the Silver Mother.


    Why had she mentioned that name? Every Sylvan goblin had heard of Sabina. She was always spoken of with respect and fear. Surely, Virella wasn¡¯t speaking of the same person. Could She?


    ¡°You mean Sabina the Mother Elect? Of the Sylvan tribunal? Why would I be worried about her?¡± Stryg asked, a hint of worry in his voice.


    Virella¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Auri really never told you anything, did she?¡±


    ¡°First Mother rarely says anything beyond what is necessary. ¡­You make it sound like there is something I should know about Sabina. What don¡¯t I know about the Mother Elect?¡±


    Virella opened her mouth to speak, but she hesitated and glanced at Aurelia and the others walking towards them from the end of the hall. She looked at Stryg and forced herself to smile. ¡°...I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out soon enough, though there is nothing for you to worry about. Auri and I will take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d much rather know, if it¡¯s all the same to you,¡± Stryg bowed his head respectfully.


    ¡°You younglings, so worried about what may or may not come,¡± Virella grinned softly.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Aurelia asked as she drew closer.


    ¡°Oh, not much. Stryg just wanted to know where we¡¯re going. I told him I wouldn¡¯t ruin the surprise for everyone,¡± Virella winked.


    Aurelia looked around the halls, noting the marble displays and paintings hanging on the wall, and her eyes widened in brief recognition. ¡°Wait, a sec. Virella, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really taking us to¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAh! Don¡¯t ruin the surprise!¡± Virella waved her hands around frantically.


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then follow me.¡± Virella turned and led them down the hall.


    Plum followed them with slow steps, her eyes constantly wandering to the beautiful architecture and works of art decorating the hallways. ¡°This place is extraordinary, not even the grand temple in Hollow Shade¡¯s Central District can compare,¡± she marveled.


    ¡°I have not seen this temple you speak of, nonetheless I am inclined to agree.¡± Virella smiled proudly, though there was pain in her eyes. ¡°This temple and our stronghold city of Evenfall were built many moons ago. Long before Hollow Shade was even a dream, when Lunis still reigned far to the east. When The Schism occurred and the realm bridges broke, Hollow Shade betrayed our ancestors. The Lunisians were left without a home. And so Evenfall became the last bastion for our people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°No need to apologize. You have done nothing wrong. But I appreciate the gesture,¡± Virella said kindly. ¡°Our people suffered greatly three centuries ago, but we made something of that pain. This city became the symbol of the enduring strength of the Sylvan, in the face of all that was lost. We keep this temple as it was, fixing what we can, and maintaining the rest, all so that we will remember where we came from and who we are as a people.¡±


    ¡°And who are we, as a people?¡± Stryg whispered.


    The question had plagued his mind on many nights. He still wasn¡¯t certain of who he was as a person. He was the chieftain of the Ebon Hollow Tribe. He was the Shield of his friends. An Ebon Aspirant of Hollow Shade. A follower of the Gale Style. But before all of that, he was a Sylvan goblin, through and through. Yet what exactly did that mean? What did it mean to be a Sylvan, albeit an odd one?


    Virella stared at him with a focused gaze as if reading his thoughts. She reached out and clasped her fingers with his own. She raised his hand and held it tight. ¡°This is who we are.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°She means we are nothing without one another. We are the bonds that we have made, without them, we fall apart,¡± Aurelia said.


    Virella nodded, ¡°Even after all this time I see someone hasn¡¯t forgotten their priestly training.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s lips curled in a slight smirk. ¡°How could I forget, Mother Sabina would have dismissed any acolyte who had misspoken a line, let alone forgotten our whole central dogma.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Mother Sabina? The Mother Elect was your teacher?¡± Stryg asked, shocked.


    Aurelia nodded reluctantly, ¡°She was. Though back then she was not the Mother Elect.¡±


    ¡°Back when we were acolytes Sabina was the right hand of the last Silver Mother,¡± Virella added. ¡°Sabina was to be the next Silver Mother, but when she was offered the position of Mother Elect, leader of the Sylvan tribunal, the most prestigious seat of all, well, Sabina took it.¡±


    ¡°You act like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Virella asked, taken aback.


    Aurelia sighed heavily, ¡°Sabina is a wise and patient leader. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone else heading the Lunar Elect. Besides, if she hadn¡¯t she would be Silver Mother, not you.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Virella frowned, ¡°True¡­ but still¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s enough,¡± Aurelia snapped. ¡°We¡¯ve all made our decisions and we must abide by them.¡±


    Virella hung her head and grumbled in agreement.


    ¡°Um, pardon me,¡± Tauri spoke up hesitantly. ¡°I was just wondering, as to what exactly a Mother is? I mean, I keep hearing the word a lot and I¡¯m quite certain it is not the same as the mothers I¡¯m used to.¡±


    The glint of enthusiasm returned to Virella¡¯s bright yellow eyes. ¡°What do you know of a Sylvan Mother?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, from what I gathered they are midwives and caretakers of the young, and sometimes they carry out ceremonial roles alongside the chieftain of a tribe,¡± Tauri said uncertainly.


    ¡°That¡¯s all true, but they are so much more than that,¡± Virella said excitedly.


    ¡°Ugh, here we go,¡± Aurelia clenched her eyes tight and groaned.


    ¡°Come, we¡¯ll walk and talk,¡± Virella grinned and continued to lead them through the seemingly endless halls. ¡°The Mother is the most respected position in our culture, starting with the greatest Mother of all, the Mother Moon, our goddess, Lunae. Long ago, before Lunis existed, when Solis and Lunae roamed the Dusk Valley in their natural forms, they saw our ancestors fending for themselves, struggling to survive. Lunae and Solis took pity on our ancestors and showed them their favor. Lunae took a special liking to the goblins and she adopted our ancestors as her own, and so she became the first Mother.¡±


    ¡°First Mother?¡± Tauri glanced at Aurelia.


    ¡°You catch on quick,¡± Virella winked. ¡°The goblins of old followed the advice of the first ebon gods and with their blessings of prosperity, our ancestors built the first Great City, Lunis. Grateful to Lunae, her priests utterly devoted themselves to her and emulated her in every way they could, which meant caring for others, including realm travelers who were lost, like the orcs of old.¡±


    Virella¡¯s voice became taut with pain, ¡°Yet despite their kindness, when the Schism came, the orc warlords Katag and Morrigan gathered their orcish armies and attacked the outskirt Lunisian villages. When the Lunisian armies went to face them in battle, the Ebon Lords surprised everyone; Hollow Shade¡¯s greatest general, the Blue Rose, led her armies straight for the goblin capital. The city of Lunis was burned to the ground before the Lunisian armies had a chance to come back and defend it. Thousands of innocents were slaughtered, killed in the streets without knowing why their doom had come from the ones they had once called friends.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s face turned dark with shame as Virella told the story. Stryg was too enraptured in the Silver Mother¡¯s words to notice. But Plum did, she paid close attention to the expression on every one of their faces, yet it was First Mother¡¯s face that gave her pause. The look of utter pain and mortification on Aurelia¡¯s usual stoic face was startling, though no one else seemed to have noticed the brief break in her expression.


    ¡°The Lunisian armies were cut off and had nowhere to run, no one to defend,¡± Virella continued. ¡°The orcs'' forces attacked them from the west and the Blue Rose¡¯s armies attacked from the east. All seemed lost, until the Mother Moon answered our people¡¯s call for help. It is said pillars of silver light fell from the skies that day and decimated the enemy¡¯s forces. Our people took the chance and retreated into Vulture Woods for safety.¡±


    Pillars of light? Stryg thought. He shared a worried glance with Tauri but they said nothing on the matter.


    ¡°As the remnants of the Lunisian armies survived in the scarlet forest they fractured and broke into smaller groups, their old regiments. They became the first of the Sylvan tribes,¡± Virella explained. ¡°Those soldiers went on to have children, though many were left orphans as the dangers of the forest took their parents¡¯ lives. The warrior priestesses that had been traveling with the armies took in the children and raised them the only way they thought they could survive.¡±


    ¡°As warriors,¡± Tauri guessed grimly.


    Virella nodded, ¡°A cohesive group that was free from the ordinary bonds of familial loyalty and instead loyal to their military units, their tribes. It was the only way to survive the cruel forest and it worked. We became stronger for it. As time went on the other soldiers began to leave their children in the villages with the priestesses as they went hunting for food and other supplies. Eventually, as more orphans came to be, the old generations died, and the new generations began to see the priestesses as the tribe¡¯s Sylvan Mothers.¡±


    ¡°But what about the birth mothers?¡± Tauri asked. ¡°What about the children who weren¡¯t left as orphans?¡±


    ¡°Birth mothers choose to leave their newborns with the Sylvan Mothers so that they may grow up in solidarity with the other children. A tribe¡¯s Mothers raise the children in the ways of the Sylvan, while birth mothers continue with their usual duties.¡±


    ¡°But what happens when a Sylvan Mother has her own child?¡± Tauri asked.


    Virella hesitated, ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSylvan Mothers are forbidden from such intimacy, we have no children,¡± Aurelia interrupted.


    ¡°So you will never fall in love? Have a partner to share life with?¡± Plum said in a pitiful voice.


    ¡°Well, most Sylvan don¡¯t believe in a ¡®life partner¡¯ or the monogamy that your people practice, but yes, we will never be ¡®in love¡¯ I suppose,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ so sad,¡± Plum frowned.


    ¡°It is not. We all make sacrifices for our tribes and we are proud to pay them,¡± Aurelia said resolutely. ¡°Having no offspring of our own allows us to remain impartial in the raising of the children. As it should always be.¡±


    Plum shook her head, ¡°Still, that¡¯s¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Plum, do not dishonor their sacrifices,¡± Tauri said in a serious tone. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your methods, but I understand them, First Mother. Surviving in Vulture Woods must have taken extreme measures and I will not judge you for them. From one warrior to another, you have my respect,¡± she bowed her head.


    Aurelia simply nodded, though she looked at Tauri with a newfound interest.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to raise children at least, eh heh,¡± Virella said with a silly grin. ¡°The Celestial Shrine¡¯s priestesses are still called Mothers, but we don¡¯t fulfill the usual role. We are caretakers of the temple and serve the people of Evenhall and all its visitors as advisors. Most importantly, we are servants of the Mother Moon if she ever calls upon us. As Silver Mother, I also serve as leader of all the tribe¡¯s Mothers and am here to advise them when needed.¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯d like to see,¡± Aurelia raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my first bit of advice to you, Aurelia of the Blood Fang,¡± Virella said with an air of solemnity. ¡°Be nicer to your best friend.¡±


    ¡°...Such sage advice, if only I had a best friend to share it with,¡± Aurelia shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Tch, that¡¯s so mean,¡± Virella clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯d lecture you on your callous nature, but we¡¯ve arrived at our destination.¡± She stopped in front of a large door, covered in magical sigils and locks.


    ¡°What¡¯s behind there?¡± Stryg asked.


    Virella smirked, ¡°A place very few are ever allowed to see. The most sacred spot in all Mt. Moon Fang.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in excitement, ¡°Wait. You don¡¯t mean?¡±


    Virella nodded, ¡°It is where the Mother Moon sees us clearest. It is where the greatest of our people have come to contemplate and search for wisdom, and a lucky few were blessed with visions. If you have a wish this is where you should make it. As the Silver Mother and caretaker of the Celestial Shrine, I welcome you¡­.¡± She placed her hand on the door and its magical sigils flared, and its locks turned. The heavy door slowly swung open. Virella bowed, ¡°...to the Eye of the Moon.¡±

 Chapter 397: Eye of the Moon

    Chapter 397: Eye of the Moon


    The sigils flared to life and the locks turned, and the temple¡¯s door swung wide open with a heavy creak.


    Virella opened her arm wide and bowed in a welcome, ¡°I present to you, the Eye of the Moon. The Sylvan¡¯s most sacred site.¡±


    The very top of the mountain peak was flat, a small plateau. There was no polished stone here, no marble statues or other works of art, only snow, ice, and a few rugged rocks. Wisps of frost-mist trailed on the ground.


    The howling wind rushed into the temple¡¯s open door, the biting cold gnawing through their bodies. Virella and Aurelia braced themselves for the cold and endured its touch with a grimace. Tauri and Plum shouted in surprise and flinched, the warmth of their bodies leaving them in an instant. They had never experienced such frigid conditions. This wasn¡¯t just nature¡¯s chill touch, this was something more, something that ran deep from the mountain¡¯s heart.


    The freezing winds filled Stryg¡¯s lungs and he was suddenly reminded of the time he had fallen into the Dark Fringe. The darkness and searing cold were like nothing he had ever experienced. Yet while the Dark Fringe had sapped away at his consciousness, now the cold snapped him awake, as if he had been sleeping all along.


    Stryg stepped past the doorway and into the plateau, his feet crunching the snow underneath. The howling winds suddenly felt calm. The world fell silent and the light of the moon shined down on the plateau with an almost ethereal glow. He slowly walked towards the edge with a trance-like gait and stared at the endless expanse beyond. The Rupture Mountains stretched out towards the western horizon and the scarlet forest of Vulture woods spanned across the northeast.


    For the first time since he had first walked through the gates of Hollow Shade Stryg felt incredibly small, like a grain of sand in the desert. Before it bothered him, it made him feel insignificant. But now it was calming, to know that despite being an Ebon Aspirant, despite so many people expecting so much of him, in the end, the world would still go on, with or without him.


    It was bittersweet, he supposed.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Tauri whispered from beside him.


    Plum gasped happily and pointed out to the horizon. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re so high up! I wonder if I could see Hollow Shade from here? Agh, it¡¯s too dark. Hm, maybe in the daylight?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Stop waving your hands around. This place isn¡¯t for frolicking or making a fool of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Plum blushed and bowed her head.


    ¡°I share your enthusiasm, child, but I have to agree with Auri,¡± Virella smiled sympathetically. ¡°The Eye of the Moon is where the Mother Moon watches us most closely. It would be wise to be on our best behavior.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so Lunae is watching us, like right now?¡± Plum glanced around with a paranoid expression.


    Virella nodded. ¡°The Mother Moon is always watching us, though it is said she pays close attention to this place, and sometimes even offers guidance. Many have traveled to this mountain in search of our goddess¡¯ wisdom, but very few are allowed to step into this sacred place.¡±


    ¡°Count yourselves lucky,¡± Aurelia said.


    Stryg turned around and looked at the two Mothers. ¡°Have you ever met her?¡±


    ¡°The Mother Moon? Face-to-face? I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had the honor,¡± Virella admitted. ¡°Though I hope one day to prove myself worthy of such a divine moment.¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± Aurelia said quietly.


    Stryg, Tauri, and Plum all turned to her in surprise.


    ¡°Really? What was she like?¡± Stryg asked, unable to hide his wonder.


    Aurelia stretched her hand out towards the moon. ¡°Terrifying. Indomitable. ¡­And sad.¡±


    ¡°Sad?¡± Stryg asked. The idea of a god being sad seemed ludicrous to him. How could one be sad when they had all the power in the world?


    Virella glanced at Aurelia curiously but she held her tongue and waited patiently.


    Aurelia why Stryg¡¯s words bothered her so much. She rarely ever spoke of her past. Yet ever since Stryg had returned, she found herself speaking more and more. She didn¡¯t like it, but whenever he looked at her with those eyes, those eyes that reminded her so much of¡­


    Aurelia sighed heavily, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to explain it. It was something in the way she spoke, in the way she walked. Her steps were heavy. Her voice resigned somehow. Perhaps it was just me, perhaps I misinterpreted her divine nature. I do not know. But to me, I thought she seemed sad.¡±


    ¡°It is difficult to believe that our goddess would show such emotions.¡± Virella stared at her best friend thoughtfully, ¡°Yet you are the Favored of the Moon, so maybe you saw right.¡±


    There it was, Stryg thought. Favored of the Moon. Several people had called First Mother that title since they had arrived on the mountain, but he had never heard anyone call her like that before. He wondered what it meant.


    ¡°We cannot linger here for long,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°You¡¯re First Mother is right, as usual. None are permitted to stand in the Eye of the Moon for very long. Best to make your prayers quick,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°Prayers?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°How else do you expect the Mother Moon to hear you?¡± Virella smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting at the door.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the honor of allowing us into this place,¡± Tauri bowed respectfully.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Plum glanced around uncertainly. She wasn¡¯t a particular believer in the gods. Many drows weren¡¯t. She didn¡¯t wish to be disrespectful of the Sylvan¡¯s traditions, nor was she certain what might happen if such an impious soul prayed atop this sacred place. Would Lunae smite her down from the sky for her impunity to even dare ask her for guidance? In any case, Plum copied Tauri¡¯s movements, and knelt on the ground with closed eyes.


    Aurelia walked to the far corner of the plateau and sat in solitude. She did not pray, she simply sat in silent contemplation. Virella worried for her friend, but she respected Aurelia¡¯s decision and kept her distance.


    Stryg sat at the edge of the plateau, his feet hanging from the edge. Yet the height didn¡¯t particularly frighten him. In fact, some part of him yearned to jump off the ledge and soar into the skies. Of course, he¡¯d actually just plummet like a rock, but he could still dream. Someday, he¡¯d master Yellow¡¯s wind magic, and learn a powerful enough flight spell that could sustain even his weight. Someday.


    What am I even thinking about? Stryg sighed.


    He was at the Eye of the Moon, a legendary mountain peak that every Sylvan dreamed of visiting, hoping to have the chance to be blessed by Lunae¡¯s wisdom, and to have their questions answered.


    He supposed that was the problem. He wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to hear the answers to his questions.


    Stryg glanced up at the moon hanging in the night sky and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, ¡°When we were traveling near the edge of Glimmer Grove and the ruby dragon attacked us¡­ A silver pillar destroyed the dragon. It saved us¡­ Was that you? Did you save us? Did you save me?¡±


    Stryg clenched his hands tight, ¡°If that¡¯s true, then¡­ why? Why save me? I thought you named me a bad omen? Why save me against the dragon? I could have used your help countless times! I needed you when Marek ambushed us¡­ when I was on that cliff with Cly¡­ I needed you. If you ever cared about me then why weren¡¯t you there? If you¡¯re listening, tell me¡­ Why?¡±


    Stryg waited, hoping for a sign. Anything, anything that at all, that might let him know Lunae was listening. The world moved on as it always had, the clouds floating gently in the sky, the wind blowing gently through the mountain peak, and the moon flying high in the sky, as unmoving and uncaring as ever.


    He sighed to himself, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not listening. I¡¯m probably just talking to myself right now, aren¡¯t I¡­? Lunae, if all I am is a bad omen to you, a shame on the Sylvan people, a forgotten goblin like the rest dwelling in Hollow Shade, then I¡¯m glad I left this place. I¡¯m glad I traveled far from the forest, because I got to meet so many people. Some were stupid, some were bad, but some were kind. And somehow through it all, I made friends, I found a family; people who actually care about me. I won¡¯t abandon them, not for all the honors of the tribes, not for all the moonlight in the sky.¡±


    He stood to his feet and looked up at the moon with a determined gaze. ¡°If you are up there, if you can listen to me in this Eye of yours, then I have only a single thing to say to you. Watch me. I¡¯ll show you what even a small bad omen can do. I¡¯ll change this unmoving world. I¡¯ll fight for the people you abandoned. I won¡¯t let Hollow Shade fall. So you just stay up there and watch me.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± Tauri called out. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    He turned around and noticed Virella was quietly ushering everyone back inside. He took one last look at the unfading moon, then followed them back into the temple.


    Virella stood at the doorway. She smiled as Stryg walked inside. ¡°Did you find what you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I did,¡± he said in a bittersweet tone.


    ~~~


    Virella led them back through the long winding halls of the Celestial Shrine, regaling them with ancient tales of the Sylvan all the way through. Stryg was happy for the distraction.


    Jahn was waiting for them at the temple¡¯s entrance, standing next to several other hunters of the tribe.


    Virella spotted him and smiled wide. ¡°Jaaaahhhnn!¡± she yelled giddily and rushed him with a tackling hug.


    Jahn laughed, picked her up in his arms, and spun her around. ¡°Vi, how have you been?¡±


    ¡°Better now that the old gang is together,¡± Virella glanced at Aurelia.


    ¡°Jahn, put the Silver Mother down. It¡¯s disrespectful to pick her up like that. Everyone is staring,¡± Aurelia said in a curt tone.


    The dozens of acolytes roaming the temple had indeed stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the startling scene.


    Jahn quickly dropped Virella and coughed with a small bow, ¡°My apologies, I meant no disrespect.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Virella waved her hand as if waving the sudden breach of conduct away. ¡°Have you all paid your respects to Lunae yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually, we just finished. I was waiting for my sister and the others. I assumed you had whisked them away somewhere,¡± Jahn replied.


    ¡°Guilty,¡± Virella chuckled abashedly. ¡°Where are you headed now?¡±


    ¡°To find some lodging and then some dinner, I imagine. Unless, you have a different idea?¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°Well, now that you mention it, I was thinking you all could stay here. We have plenty of rooms,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°Are you sure? We are not priests,¡± Jahn said.


    ¡°But I am. High priestess, in fact. So, yes. I¡¯m quite certain you can all stay here,¡± Virella grinned.


    ¡°What do you think, sister?¡± Jahn asked.


    ¡°We¡¯d be far from the prying eyes of the other tribes in the city below. It would make it easier to not draw attention, I suppose.¡± Aurelia sighed but nodded reluctantly, ¡°Very well. Thank you for your hospitality, Vi.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you called me Vi!¡± Virella smiled wide.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± Aurelia said coldly.


    ¡°Aurelia of the Blood Fang Tribe!¡± a familiar voice shouted.


    A Sylvan emissary strode into the temple, a retinue of heavily armed warriors behind him.


    Aurelia narrowed his eyes in suspicion, ¡°Otley?¡±


    Even without his wolf companion, Stryg recognized the goblin instantly. He had visited the tribe a week earlier, informing them of the current gathering of the tribes.


    Virella stepped forward without hesitation, ¡°What does the Troll Slayer want with her?¡±


    Otley bowed his head, ¡°Forgive me for the rude interruption, Silver Mother. I¡¯m certain you have better things to do than deal with this situat¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªEnough. Tell me why you are here,¡± Virella said.


    Otley grimaced, ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, every priest in the temple dropped whatever they were doing and began walking behind Virella in a defensive position, as they began chanting in a quiet voice. Countless guards began rushing from outside and every hall until over a hundred armed warriors and dozens of wolves surrounded Otley and his small retinue of guards.


    ¡°I suggest you pick your next words carefully, Otley. You¡¯d do best to remember who you are speaking to,¡± Virella said in a calm, yet threatening voice.


    Stryg looked at her in surprise. Gone was the kind, eccentric woman who had just been guiding them through the temple halls. Here stood the matriarch of all Mothers, ready to burn down any who disrespected her or her temple.


    Otley swallowed nervously, ¡°A thousand apologies, Silver Mother. The Lunar Elect has ordered me to bring in Aurelia of the Blood Fang for questioning.¡±


    Virella raised her eyebrow, ¡°Which of the Elects?¡±


    ¡°All three of them, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Otley winced.


    ¡°This sounds like Sabina¡¯s doing,¡± Virella muttered angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Aurelia spoke up.


    Virella spun around in surprise, ¡°Auri, wait, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYes, I do.¡± Aurelia smiled sadly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, old friend. It really was good to see you.¡±


    Tears burned at the corners of Virella¡¯s eyes. She bit her lip and shook her head, ¡°You will not go alone.¡±


    Stryg stepped forward, ¡°No, she won¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 398: The Lunar Elect

    Chapter 398: The Lunar Elect


    Silver Hall Keep¡¯s pillars loomed over the goblins, so high up that the torchlight did not reach the ceiling. The walls and floor were not built from bricks but carved from the rough-hewn rock of the mountainside itself. Unlike the Celestial Shrine, there were no statues, paintings, or any semblance of art dedicated to Sylvan''s history here.


    The Keep was built as the greatest line of defense of Evenfall and its final refuge. Even now, 300 years after the fall of Lunis, the grim nature of what was lost and what the people had endured, filled the castle with a bitter gloom that permeated the air.


    The Sylvan emissary, Otley, and his small retinue of guards led Stryg, Aurelia, Virella, and Jahn through the vast halls of the castle. Aurelia had at first rejected Stryg¡¯s proposal to join them, but he had insisted, since the whole reason they had come was to petition the Sylvan tribunal for aid and assistance in the defense of Hollow Shade.


    Even then Aurelia had refused until Jahn politely added that it would give them a stronger standing if a shaman was with them when they went to meet the Lunar Elect, the tribunal of the Sylvan.


    Virella, the Silver Mother, insisted on joining them. Despite Aurelia¡¯s standoffish attitude, she nodded gratefully at her friend¡¯s support. The Silver Mother was still the high priestess of the Sylvan and her voice carried weight, even in the hall of the Lunar Elect.


    Tauri and Plum had been left behind in the Celestial Shrine. Everyone had agreed that it would be safer for all parties involved if the drow and orc stayed in the temple instead of coming face-to-face with the most influential and powerful goblins of the realm.


    Stryg personally wished they were here, standing by his side. Something about the castle felt off, dangerous even. His droopy ears twitched every few seconds as if searching for something lurking in the shadows.


    As a child, Stryg had dreamed of visiting this place, imagining himself a hero returning triumphantly from a great hunt. Now he found himself at the other end of his dream. The guards patrolling the castle kept staring at him and his companions with a wary gaze, almost as if they were the enemy.


    After what felt like a short eternity Otley led them through a massive pair of gates and into the throne room. The room was like none Stryg had ever seen. The hall was constructed in an open-air design. While there were walls behind and to the sides of them, there was no wall in front of them, revealing the mountain range sprawled over the horizon, like a giant window into nature. Yet curiously, the howling winds of the mountains did not reach the throne room. In fact, the large chamber was fairly quiet and particularly cold.


    ¡°You may wait here for now,¡± Otley said. ¡°The Elects will arrive soon.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Jahn nodded.


    Otley¡¯s guards left the room without a word, though Otley stayed and waited by the gate. The scars across his face made it difficult to discern if his expression was angry or simply stoic. Stryg wondered to himself if the scars reached past his silver and black beard.


    Aurelia and Virella began to whisper to themselves while they waited, but Stryg paid no attention. He walked to the edge of the throne room, where the stone floor met empty air. He glanced about the edges and spotted dozens of arcane sigils etched into the walls and floor. He guessed these were the enchantments protecting the throne room from the elements.


    Below the edge lay what every Sylvan child had heard of before, a massive platform protruding from the cliffside itself. The Midnight Mirror, a platform with a dark polished floor and filled with a few inches of water, reflecting the night sky. From atop the castle¡¯s throne room, one could look down at the Midnight Mirror and stare at the reflection, or more importantly, watch goblins fight to the death, no magic, no life force techniques, no weapons, only one¡¯s claws, and fangs. The platform served as a tribute to Lunae but also as an arena where goblins would settle their tribal disputes in front of the Lunar Elect and other Sylvan leaders.


    The sounds of chimes abruptly rang from behind, breaking Stryg from his thoughts. He turned away from the edge and looked up at the balcony hanging above the gates. There were no rails on the balcony, nor decorations of any sort, there were only three stone-carved thrones. A goblin herald dressed in forest-green garbs stood at the edge of the balcony and rang the chimes in her hand once more.


    Everyone except Stryg moved to the center of the room, in direct sight of the balcony. Realizing a moment too late what was happening, Stryg hurried to join them.


    A door opened from behind the thrones and three goblins walked onto the balcony.


    The first was a woman, dressed in the deep blue robes of a shaman. Though she still seemed in the prime of her life, her hair was mostly grey, though it was still interwoven with intricate designs and decorated with gilded strings.


    She fiddled with the rings on her fingers and sauntered over to the left throne with an air of disinterest. ¡°Shaman-Elect, Lumi, daughter of the Frost Whisper Tribe, stands as the Eye of The Watcher.¡±


    The second was a burly man, taller than any goblin Stryg had ever seen, as tall as any drow he had met. A dire goblin, Stryg realized. Unlike the other two, the man was dressed in heavy armor and wore a leopard pelt over his shoulders as a cloak.


    He walked with a heavy, focused gait, almost like a march, and stepped in front of the right throne, arms behind his back. ¡°Warrior-Elect, Lykos, son of the Storm Howler Tribe, stands as the Hand of The Watcher.¡±


    The last was a woman, with white silken robes that draped over her thin body. She wore no rings, nor jewelry, and her dark ebon hair was tied in a simple braid. Her forehead had deep lines of age and crow¡¯s feet touched the edges of her yellow eyes, but her sight was clear and her expression was thoughtful.


    She strolled onto the balcony with a slow, relaxed gait that did not come from hubris, but from a deep knowledge of the world around her. She stood in front of the center throne and placed her hand over her heart. ¡°Mother-Elect, Sabina, daughter of the Elder Bloom Tribe, stands as the Voice of The Watcher.¡±


    Sabina raised her arms towards the moon looming in the midnight sky. ¡°Let the tribunal of The Watcher act for the sake and honor of her name as she watches over us all.¡±


    At her words, she and the other two Elects sat down on their thrones.


    Sabina clasped her hands together and leaned back in her chair, ¡°I declare this meeting of the Lunar Elect convened. Emissary, you may speak.¡±


    ¡°We thank you for your time,¡± Otley bowed deeply. ¡°As commanded, I have brought before you First Mother Aurelia along with the other two principal members of the Blood Fang Tribe. Chieftain Jahn and Shaman Stryg.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Lykos leaned forward with interest. ¡°Ah, so you really have returned after all these years, Aurelia the Blooded.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s lips formed a thin line and her expression became strained. She nodded stiffly, ¡°I have.¡±


    Virella protectively stepped in front of Aurelia. ¡°Before this tribunal continues I have come to inform you that Aurelia and her tribe are under my direct protection and I will do whatever it takes to honor that vow of protection.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Lykos said with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°I was wondering why the Silver Mother had come down from her temple,¡± Lumi noted with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It seems you have friends in high places, Aurelia.¡± She glanced to the corner of the room, ¡°Have you come to stake a claim in this meeting as well, my chieftain?¡±


    Stryg turned around and was surprised to find the Guardian of the Sylvan, Arden leaning on a pillar, watching silently. Stryg clenched his fists in frustration, just like before he hadn¡¯t noticed the archmage approach.


    ¡°No.¡± Arden bowed respectfully, ¡°I have only come to observe.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Lumi bowed in kind.


    ¡°As always, we thank the Guardian for his impartiality and his steadfast protection of this tribunal,¡± Sabina stated. ¡°Warrior-Elect, you may continue the trial.¡±


    Trial? Stryg thought, surprised. Since when had this been a trial? A ball of worry began forming in the pit of his stomach. If things came to worst, he was certain he¡¯d be unable to stop Arden from killing them.


    Lykos nodded in acknowledgment of Sabina¡¯s words. ¡°We have called this tribunal together to discuss Aurelia¡¯s desertion.¡± He looked at First Mother with a cold gaze, ¡°21 years ago you fled the city of Evenfall and abandoned your duties, as one of the head priestesses of the Celestial Shrine and heir apparent of the Mother-Elect.¡±


    Stryg turned to Aurelia with shock. Heir apparent? She was to be the next Mother-Elect? Why had she never told him? She had never even mentioned any sort of relationship to the Silver Hall Keep.


    Despite the accusations, Aurelia¡¯s expression stayed indiscernible, though her anxious eyes betrayed her.


    ¡°You left without a word and never once gave a reason for the abandonment of your sacred duties,¡± Lumi said.


    Lykos pointed an accusing finger at Jahn, ¡°Whenever your brother came to the city we would question him as to your disappearance, but all he would ever say was that you had become incredibly ill and were bedridden, unable to return to the city, even if you wanted to.¡±


    Lumi crossed her arms, ¡°We sent messengers to the Blood Fang tribe in search of you, but curiously you were always never or for some ¡®odd¡¯ reason, our messengers never returned. Do you know why that might be, hm?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Aurelia answered curtly.


    Lumi frowned, ¡°I find that difficult to believe.¡±


    ¡°After we called the Tribal Moot we even sent one of our best Emissaries, the Troll Slayer himself, to find you, Aurelia,¡± Lykos said. ¡°But curiously Otley was very silent about whether or not he had seen you.¡±


    Otley shrunk in shame under the Warrior-Elect¡¯s glare.


    ¡°You have avoided facing justice for the last two decades. This is your last chance to tell us why you abandoned Evenfall,¡± Lumi stated.


    Stryg looked at First Mother worriedly, uncertain of what to do.


    Aurelia glanced at him and for the first time since the trial began, her indiscernible expression broke, and she smiled reassuringly at him for the briefest of moments. She took a deep breath and turned to face the tribunal, her expression calm and resolute. ¡°I left Evenfall because I had a mistake that needed to be rectified.¡±


    ¡°And what mistake was that?¡± Lumi asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s personal,¡± Aurelia replied.


    Lumi chuckled coldly, ¡°Is that so¡­? Do you really think we¡¯d accept such a foolish answer!¡±


    ¡°It is the only answer I have to give.¡±


    Lumi sneered, ¡°You insolent¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come back sooner? Why wait all these years?¡± Lykos asked, a glimmer of desperate hope in his eyes. ¡°Tell me there was a reason. Tell me you weren¡¯t just a coward, afraid to face her consequences.¡±


    Aurelia took a deep breath, straightened her back, and leveled her gaze, ¡°I stand before you because I am not afraid.¡±


    ¡°Then why? Why wait all these years?¡± Lykos asked.


    ¡°Because I was still rectifying my mistake,¡± Aurelia replied.


    Lykos sighed in disappointment, ¡°I see¡­ I always liked you, Aurelia. Ever since you fought on the Midnight Mirror and won the title The Blooded. When people saw you emerge alone, from the Mirror and its pool of blood and pile of bodies, you were bruised, battered, but victorious, and they were afraid of you, but I saw something different. When I looked at you, I saw the future of our people. For the first time in my life, I saw hope that our people could break free from the cage that is Vulture Woods.¡±


    Lykos smiled at the memory, then he looked at Aurelia and frowned in regret. ¡°I cannot let the Favored of the Moon turn into a disgrace of our people. I will not let you poison their minds with ideas of selfishness. We have only survived this long by working together, putting the needs of the many above the needs of the one. Your desertion challenges everything we stand for and we cannot allow it to continue unpunished any longer.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia is under my protection!¡± Virella shouted.


    ¡°As Silver Mother, you should know better than anyone that a Sylvan Mother should never treat others with favoritism!¡± Lykos roared. ¡°We have rules! We have vows! Without them, we are nothing better than the animals that betrayed and destroyed Lunis!¡±


    Virella¡¯s shoulders trembled and her eyes were filled with fear. Yet she faced the tribunal with trembling courage, ¡°I will not allow you to lay a hand on my friend.¡±


    Aurelia touched her shoulder and shook her head gently, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Auri? No, we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Do not take the fall for my mistakes,¡± Aurelia said softly.


    Virella clenched her jaw, but with tears in her eyes, she nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°It was an honor to serve by your side, sister,¡± Jahn whispered in a broken voice.


    Aurelia smiled gratefully, ¡°Take care of him for me.¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Jahn nodded.


    ¡°How the mighty have fallen indeed.¡± Lumi waved her hand in a casual gesture, ¡°My chieftain and Guardian, if you¡¯d please, take this deserter¡¯s life and put an end to all of this once and for all.¡±


    ¡°...As you wish, Shaman-Elect,¡± Arden nodded.


    Aurelia closed her eyes in acceptance. She bowed her head and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Stryg, what are you doing!?¡± Jahn shouted in alarm.


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes snapped open and she looked up to see Stryg standing between her and Arden.


    ¡°Stryg, stop! It¡¯s forbidden to raise your weapon in this place!¡± Aurelia said panickedly.


    He ignored her and drew the relic sword from his side, then turned his blade on Arden and the Lunar Elect.


    ¡°Kill the shaman, too,¡± Lumi said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Arden said.


    ¡°Stryg, you stupid boy, stop!¡± Aurelia screamed. ¡°For once in your life, just listen to me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he smiled shakily back at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I always fell short of your expectations.¡±


    Aurelia froze. His hands were trembling. He was scared. Then why? Why?


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Aurelia whispered in a broken voice.


    Stryg turned his back to her and faced his enemy. ¡°I am the Shield of my friends. Be it monster or man, here I stand proud, and I shall not falter.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in recognition. Her bottom lip trembled and she bit it until she drew blood. ¡°No,¡± she whispered. ¡°No, you shall not.¡±


    Aurelia stepped forward and stood next to her son, and kept her cold, steady eyes on Arden. The archmage stopped in his steps and stared at her with a frown.


    Jahn joined his family and drew his spear silently.


    ¡°STOP!¡± came the powerful voice from the balcony.


    Arden and Aurelia slowly looked up at the central throne in unison.


    ¡°There will be no execution today,¡± Sabina said calmly.

 Chapter 399: The Elect’s Verdict

    Chapter 399: The Elect¡¯s Verdict


    ¡°STOP!¡± came the powerful voice from the balcony.


    Arden and Aurelia slowly looked up at the center throne in unison.


    ¡°There will be no execution today,¡± Sabina said calmly.


    ¡°...As you command, Mother-Elect,¡± Arden bowed and quietly stepped back and watched from beside the pillar at the corner of the throne room.


    Aurelia kept her eyes on the Guardian of the Sylvan for a few seconds longer until she was certain he was no longer a threat, then turned to face the Lunar Elect.


    Stryg and Jahn shared a worried glance and lowered their weapons reluctantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sparing them?¡± Virella, the Silver Mother asked with hope.


    ¡°Yes, what is going on, Sabina?¡± Lumi frowned and turned to her fellow Elect.


    Sabina looked down at three Blood Fang goblins from atop her throne on the balcony and tapped her fingers on her armrest in thought. ¡°Word of the arrival of Blood Fang¡¯s First Mother in Evenfall has already begun to spread like wildfire throughout the city. Tensions between the tribes were already high due to the huge influx of tribal warriors that answered our summons. Our guards are already struggling to keep everyone under control. If we execute one of the most admired warrior priestesses of all Sylvan people then we are practically inviting civil unrest and riots. We cannot afford such a debacle at such a crucial time.¡±


    Lykos and Lumi seemed surprised at their fellow Elect¡¯s words, but they nodded reluctantly in agreement.


    ¡°So how would you suggest we deal with this criminal?¡± Lumi pointed an accusing finger at Aurelia.


    ¡°We still do not know why Aurelia left us two decades ago,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I think it is imperative we find out the truth, only then will we be able to make an informed decision and be able to give the people a satisfactory reason for her execution.¡±


    ¡°The Mother-Elect¡¯s words carry wisdom, as usual,¡± Lykos nodded. ¡°I agree with her assessment.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sabina smiled politely, then turned to Aurelia, ¡°We shall give you 3 days to prepare your reasons as to the abandonment of your sacred duties. We expect to hear every single detail by then.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, we will focus our efforts on dealing with the tribal unrest within the city. So do your best to stay low and not cause any trouble, understood?¡± Lykos said.


    ¡°Understood, Warrior-Elect,¡± Aurelia bowed her head.


    ¡°The same goes for you two,¡± Lykos added.


    ¡°I understand, Warrior-Elect,¡± Jahn bowed.


    ¡°Sure¡ª I mean, understood, Warrior-Elect,¡± Stryg hastily bowed his head.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you both serious?¡± Lumi glanced at her colleagues incredulously. ¡°Are we really going to let a criminal and her two accomplices simply walk out of here unpunished?¡±


    ¡°We are not sparing them,¡± Sabina replied. ¡°Stay your anger and look around you, Shaman-Elect. We are dealing with an unprecedented crisis, the likes of which the Sylvan haven¡¯t found themselves in since the behemoth calamity a century ago.¡±


    Lumi frowned, ¡°Still, we cannot just ignore the betrayal of this First Mother!¡±


    ¡°As you all know a few weeks ago the sacred Mother Moon sent me a vision and warned me about the dangers to come. Yet we still don¡¯t truly understand what those dangers might be,¡± Sabina said. ¡°It has been many years since the Mother Moon has graced any of us with her presence and words. Do you think she would have spoken to me now if it were something we could easily ignore? Moving forward, we must tread carefully.¡±


    Lumi relented with a nod, ¡°...I understand, but perhaps Aurelia of the Blood Fang has something to do with the dangers to come? After all, why has she come back now of all times? Why don¡¯t we just force her to tell us all she knows? If we let her go now, what''s to stop her from running away again?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia is still a Favored of the Moon,¡± Sabina noted. ¡°If Lunae saw favor in her, then the least we can do is respect our goddess¡¯ decision and give Aurelia a chance to explain her circumstance. Or do you think yourself wiser than the Mother Moon herself? If so, then go ahead, and smite the accused where she stands. Or is that beyond your power?¡±


    Lumi scowled at her words but stayed silent.


    ¡°Now, First Mother, tell us why you have come back after all these years,¡± Sabina commanded.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Aurelia swallowed and cleared her throat, ¡°Actually, I came back to petition aid from the Sylvan tribes.¡±


    ¡°Aid? For what?¡± Sabina asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Hold on, you are in no position to petition for anything!¡± Lumi interrupted.


    Aurelia furrowed her brow but Jahn spoke first. ¡°As chieftain and First Mother of a recognized tribe, it is our right to stand here and petition the Lunar Elect.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore, you don¡¯t,¡± Lumi said.


    Jahn frowned, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Lumi narrowed her eyes, ¡°While it is true an ordinary First Mother and chieftain have the right to petition to the Lunar Elect, your sister is a First Mother who fled her sacred duties long ago. Not to mention, the Blood Fang is the only tribe to not have been deemed worthy of being blessed with our Mother Moon¡¯s wolves, a failure that lies in its leader, the chieftain. As for your shaman, he dared draw his blade in the throne room, an act that is forbidden, and one whose punishment we have yet to address. You have all been disgraced in the eyes of this tribunal and I motion for their petition to be ignored.¡±


    Lykos raised his hand. ¡°I second the motion.¡±


    Sabina nodded, ¡°Motion passed.¡±


    Lumi smiled in triumph, ¡°If there is nothing else, the three of you may leave. We will prepare rooms for you in the keep where you will be confined until your next trial in three days.¡±


    ¡°No, they will not,¡± Virella shook her head. ¡°The three of them are under my protection and they will be staying with me in the Celestial Shrine.¡±


    ¡°The sleeping quarters of our sacred temple are reserved for priestesses and acolytes, they are not to be defiled by criminals,¡± Lumi laughed as if Virella¡¯s words were a joke.


    The Silver Mother glared at her and spoke in a frigid tone, ¡°Do not dare to presume you command the ability to control my actions nor the way I oversee my temple. You may be the Eyes of the Moon, but I am still the Moon¡¯s high priestess.¡±


    Lumi slowly smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. ¡°...Forgive me, Silver Mother. I meant no disrespect. You may of course run your temple in whatever way you wish, even if it goes against our ways.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Virella smiled coldly.


    ¡°How do we fix it?¡± Stryg spoke up.


    Aurelia and Jahn glanced at him in surprise.


    ¡°What exactly do you wish to fix, shaman?¡± Sabina asked curiously.


    ¡°How do I make it so that my chieftain and First Mother can petition once more?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°There is nothing you can do,¡± Lumi interrupted with a yawn.


    Sabina stared at her pointedly for the interruption and her relaxed posture. Lumi noticed and stood up straight on her throne.


    ¡°The Shaman-Elect has a point, there is nothing you can do about this situation, shaman,¡± Sabina said.


    ¡°Now if there is nothing else, you may leave,¡± Lumi waved them away.


    ¡°Pardon me, if I may?¡± Arden spoke up from the corner of the throne room.


    Lumi furrowed her brow, ¡°My chieftain¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan Guardian¡¯s voice is always appreciated in this tribunal, you may speak,¡± Sabina said respectfully.


    ¡°Thank you, Mother-Elect.¡± Arden glanced at Stryg, ¡°I personally encountered this shaman when he arrived at the base of the mountain and fought against him. His skills were quite impressive, especially for one so young.¡±


    ¡°Him? A hybrid?¡± Lumi frowned.


    Sabina stared at Stryg thoughtfully, ¡°Those are high words from you, Guardian.¡±


    ¡°I only mention them now because I believe he and his tribe could prove useful with our ¡®forge¡¯ problem,¡± Arden said.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I see,¡± Sabina muttered.


    Lumi smirked, ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    Lykos stroked his beard, ¡°If nothing else, Jahn and Aurelia are both reliable if the situation becomes dire.¡±


    Stryg glanced up at the three Elects, uncertain of what they were going on about.


    Sabina finally nodded. ¡°Very well, shaman. If you truly wish to have your petition heard we will do so, under one condition.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Stryg said excitedly.


    ¡°What condition?¡± Aurelia asked suspiciously.


    ¡°After our Mother Moon¡¯s warning, we have begun to amass weapons and armor for the dangers to come,¡± Sabina explained. ¡°The vast majority of our raw ore comes from our neighboring mountain.¡±


    ¡°Grimstone, home of the frost trolls,¡± Aurelia recalled.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Despite our tumultuous relations over the centuries, the trolls and the Sylvan have managed to retain trade treaties that benefit both parties for many years. Yet in the last few weeks, their ore shipments have completely stopped. We sent an emissary to investigate but she and her guards never returned. And without the trolls¡¯ ore, our city¡¯s forges are severely crippled.¡±


    ¡°What is it you are asking of us?¡± Aurelia asked warily.


    ¡°I want you and your people to go to Grimstone Mountain and find out what has happened to our emissary and the ore, but most importantly ensure that the shipments begin once again. We need that ore. Do that and we shall listen to your petition and perhaps even be lenient in your trial.¡±


    Stryg turned to Aurelia, his eyes filled with hope.


    She sighed, ¡°...Very well, when do we leave?¡±


    ¡°The night is almost at an end and you have only just arrived. Rest for a day, then you may go,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Otley, you will travel with them as our new emissary. I trust you will negotiate our treaties with the trolls to our benefit.¡±


    Otley chuckled shakily, ¡°Mother-Elect, those frost trolls know me. The moment they see me they will not see your emissary, but the Troll Slayer.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps you should have mentioned First Mother Aurelia in your reports on Blood Fang when you visited them, instead of conveniently omitting her whereabouts.¡± Sabina looked at him knowingly, ¡°I trust this time you will not make such mistakes.¡±


    Otley bowed sheepishly, ¡°I will ensure to carry out the tribunal¡¯s will without fault. I swear it.¡±


    ¡°Very well. As Voice of the Moon I call this meeting of the Lunar Elect to a close,¡± Sabina said. She glanced at Aurelia and Stryg pensively, then left the balcony without another word.

 Chapter 400: Sabina, The Mother Elect

    Chapter 400: Sabina, The Mother Elect


    The walk back from the throne room was a solemn affair. Stryg had always wanted to visit the throne room, to see the Lunar Elect face-to-face. Now he thought he would be quite happy to never return.


    The tall castle walls and looming pillars no longer seemed majestic and only made him feel as if he was in a cage, unable to escape the judgment of the Lunar Elect.


    Virella broke the silence with a sigh of relief. ¡°Overall, I think it went well.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s what you call us almost dying?¡± Jahn asked with a frown.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let them kill my friends,¡± Virella said resolutely.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much you could have done to stop Arden,¡± Jahn smiled wryly. ¡°Once he sets his mind to something, not even the Shaman-Elect can stop the Guardian of the Sylvan.¡±


    The strongest of the Sylvan, Stryg ruminated. He had only clashed against Arden briefly, but he had been completely overwhelmed.


    Stryg thought he had grown strong after all the hardships he had endured the last few years. He had fought against several powerful mages in the Great Cities Tourney and had come out victorious. And yet all those experiences and training meant very little against Arden¡¯s overwhelming power.


    The heights of true power were taller than he had ever realized.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go back to the Celestial Shrine? My acolytes will prepare warm food and rooms for you,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°That sounds nice, thank you,¡± Jahn smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Virella said. ¡°You should all get some rest while you can. I have a feeling you¡¯ll need your strength for your journey to Grimstone. Even at the best of times, frost trolls are difficult to deal with.¡±


    Jahn groaned, ¡°Sometimes I wish the frost giants and frost trolls just killed each other off. It would make our lives much easier.¡±


    ¡°Simpler perhaps, but not easier,¡± Virella said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you three go on without me,¡± Aurelia suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°First Mother?¡± Stryg looked back at her worriedly.


    ¡°I have something to take care of, I¡¯ll meet you all back at the Celestial Shrine.¡± Aurelia left without waiting for a response.


    ¡°Should I go with her?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, Auri has always been like this,¡± Virella patted his shoulder. ¡°Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Giants and trolls¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Aurelia wandered through the long empty halls of the keep, occasionally hiding from a guard on patrol. After a few minutes, she came upon a familiar door, tucked away at the end of a dark hallway.


    She rasped her knuckles on the door thrice, paused, then knocked once more. A muffled could be heard from the other side and then suddenly a couple of brown sigils flared to life on the door¡¯s locks and the hinges slowly swung open.


    ¡°Come in,¡± came the familiar voice.


    Aurelia stepped through the doorway and the door silently closed behind her. The room was small for one such as powerful as its owner, yet it was the way the Mother-Elect liked it. Simple and efficient.


    The room was sparse. Save for a desk and a chair on each side, there was only a flower pot sitting on the windowsill, looking out towards the mountain below. It seemed fitting for a member of the Elder Bloom Tribe to carry some token of ¡®life¡¯ with them, wherever they went. Aurelia wondered uneasily if she was similar in that regard. What did it mean to be the First Mother of the Blood Fang?


    ¡°You seem uneasy,¡± noted Sabina. The old goblin was sitting at her desk, a cup of wine in her hand.


    Aurelia cursed silently. Sabina always had a penchant for deciphering how she felt, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. ¡°I¡¯m just a little surprised you were actually here.¡±


    ¡°Really? I was quite certain you¡¯d come.¡±


    Aurelia shrugged and walked around the small room, glancing at what little was there. ¡°This place hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    She sat down across from Sabina and settled into her chair, and for a moment it felt as if they were back 20 years ago, a young gifted acolyte and her wise mentor.


    Sabina smirked and raised her cup, ¡°Welcome home, Aurelia.¡±


    Aurelia didn¡¯t meet her gaze and instead stared at the desk between them. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be back here¡­¡±


    ¡°Strange then that you¡¯d find yourself here now. I suppose it is only fitting, you¡¯ve arrived when the hour of danger is near. Though it seems you¡¯re not here to atone for your past, at least the others don¡¯t think so. I suppose that may be why Lumi and Lykos are angry with you.¡±


    ¡°Yet you don¡¯t seem angry with me, why?¡±


    Sabina slammed her cup on the table, ¡°I am angry with you, child. I am angry that you just stood there like a fool during your trial. You did not even protest the tribunal¡¯s verdict.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? They are the Lunar Elect, as are you. Isn¡¯t that why you called the trial in the first place?¡±


    Sabina shook her head in disgust, ¡°Ugh, you are still too ¡®honorable,¡¯ so stubborn and eager to follow tradition and dogma.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s wrong to follow the traditions of our ancestors?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s wrong to act like a fool, especially when you¡¯re not. Today I saw you walk into that throne room with such a meek disposition I hardly recognized you. You let Lumi and Lykos trample all over you. Why? Do you believe that by enduring their anger that you are somehow atoning for your past mistakes? For abandoning the Celestial Shrine?¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Aurelia¡¯s calm and collected expression cracked, if only for a moment. ¡°No¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Really? Because I just watched you stand by and do nothing as my peers ordered your execution. They were going to have you killed and you just stood there!¡±


    Aurelia glared at her. ¡°I fought back in the end, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Only after your shaman intervened,¡± Sabina clicked her tongue. ¡°And that was only because you were trying to protect your son.¡±


    Aurelia stiffened in shock.


    Sabina sipped her wine, ¡°Judging by your silence I take it I am right.¡±


    ¡°How did you know¡­?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°You may have dyed your hair but the boy hasn¡¯t. The others might simply assume he¡¯s just some drow hybrid, but I figured you were pregnant a long time ago. Why else would you have chosen to throw away everything you had worked so hard to build?¡±


    Aurelia sank in her chair downheartedly. She had worked hard for years to keep her son a secret and on the first day back in this city the Mother-Elect had already figured it out.


    ¡°The father is the Scarletian outsider, yes?¡± Sabina mused aloud. ¡°The one who spared Arden after beating him to an inch of his life? You know, I don¡¯t think Arden ever got over that humiliation. And yet Arden came to accept that man, even admire him.¡±


    Aurelia clenched her jaw in frustration. She really hated how this woman could always see through her.


    Sabina smiled begrudgingly, ¡°He was charming that man of yours, but I never trusted him. I told you not to trust that Scarletian either, but you obviously ignored my advice. Our ancestors trusted the people of the Scarlet Realm too and look at the tragedies that befell them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m keenly aware of my mistake,¡± Aurelia muttered bitterly.


    ¡°Are you? Because my sources tell me another Scarletian is in our city right now. I hear it is an orc. And to make matters worse, the orc is staying at the Celestial Shrine, our most sacred temple.¡±


    ¡°Tauri will not be a problem.¡±


    ¡°You know her name? So you really did bring her into our city,¡± Sabina said disapprovingly.


    ¡°I told you, she will not be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Can you be certain of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If anything happens I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Sabina smiled at the cold edge in Aurelia¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired your ability to do what is necessary, regardless of the circumstances. It was, and continues to be, one of your greatest strengths.¡±


    ¡°...But?¡± Aurelia asked, sensing there was more.


    Sabina sighed, ¡°But you let your emotions get the better of you. A common enough flaw, really. Some of us fall for the trap that is ¡®fleeting romance¡¯ thinly veiled as love. While others take in a young girl and treat them as if they were their own flesh and blood, give them everything, only for them to waste it all in the end.¡±


    Aurelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is that why you think I did? Threw away everything?¡±


    ¡°You gave up on your dreams, if that isn¡¯t throwing away everything then I don¡¯t know what is. I really don''t¡­¡± Sabina swished the wine in her cup around, but instead of drinking it she stood up and poured it out the window.


    The old woman stood there at the windowsill for a moment, staring out at the mountains. Her shoulders slumped and her head sank down, like a flower wilting at the end.


    A pang of pain struck Aurelia as she realized the woman she considered to be a second mother to her had truly grown old.


    Slowly, Sabina looked up at her, there was no anger left, only a tired and resigned expression. ¡°Aurelia, you once told me you didn¡¯t want to follow in the footsteps of your mom, you didn¡¯t want to be a chieftain of a small tribe. You wanted to break free from your grandmother¡¯s legacy as the Bane of Lunis, because what you really wanted was so much greater than anything the Blood Fang Tribe had ever dreamed of; the restoration of the Sylvan people in all their glory. That¡¯s why despite your honor and stringent beliefs, you bucked tradition and became a priestess Mother at the Celestial Shrine.¡±


    Sabina smiled softly, ¡°And that¡¯s why I chose to help you. I believed in you. I believed in our dream.¡±


    Aurelia bowed her head in shame. ¡°...I regret how I left things between us.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Sabina chuckled tiredly. ¡°Sylvan Mothers are not supposed to have favorites, but you have always been mine. I groomed you for leadership, true leadership, and yet here you are, reduced to a mere midwife of a small tribe. I suppose this is Lunae¡¯s way of punishing me.¡±


    ¡°I am not a mere midwife,¡± Aurelia growled.


    Sabina¡¯s expression brightened, ¡°Yes. You are so much more. The years may have gone by, but I never gave up on you. It¡¯s why I arranged to have your friend ascend as the next Silver Mother.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You made Virella the Silver Mother?¡±


    ¡°I had to pull many strings and eliminate many obstacles, but I think it was worth it in the end. Having your best friend as the high priestess will serve us well for our plans.¡±


    ¡°...Does she know?¡± Aurelia asked with a dark expression.


    ¡°Does who know what?¡±


    ¡°Does Virella know you made her the Silver Mother, that she did not earn her position?!¡±


    Sabina smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. I have no interest in destroying the woman¡¯s self-esteem.¡±


    ¡°But someday, if it benefits you, you will tell Vi. Just so that you can have one more tool in your plans,¡± she growled.


    ¡°My plans? This is our dream, and someday not far from now, when I¡¯m gone and you¡¯re Mother-Elect, it will be yours and yours alone.¡± Sabina shook her head, ¡°This isn¡¯t even about you or me. This is about the Sylvan people who are in imminent danger, Lunae warned me herself. The people need you, just like how they need the Silver Mother and Guardian. We all have a part to play.¡±


    ¡°Need me? I don¡¯t think the rest of the Lunar Elect agrees,¡± Aurelia laughed in contempt. ¡°They tried to execute me, remember?¡±


    ¡°My peers were just trying to show strength. Lykos has always admired you, he is simply angry and disappointed right now. We can change that, we¡¯ll remind him of who you are.¡±


    Aurelia bit her lip in indecision. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, what of the Shaman-Elect? Lumi hates me.¡±


    ¡°No, Lumi is envious of you. For all her magic, Lumi will never command your respect, admiration, and abilities. You will always be the Favored of the Moon and she will always only be the Eyes of the Moon and that bothers her to no end, like a wound festering in the heart. However, despite her faults, if we manage to sway Lykos to our cause, Lumi will follow.¡±


    ¡°You really believe that?¡±


    ¡°I do. Though, Arden may be a different story. I must admit I was annoyed with how Lumi and he wrapped you and your family into this journey with the frost trolls. Still, in the end, I think this will be a good thing. With you and Jahn there, the matter at Grimstone Mountain should be resolved fairly quick. And if we play this right we¡¯ll win over Lykos with your achievement.¡±


    ¡°You thought this through,¡± Aurelia said. She shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, Sabina never did anything without a plan.


    ¡°You focus on dealing with trolls, I¡¯ll take care of everything else.¡±


    Aurelia nodded reluctantly, ¡°I will ensure success at Grimstone, but I did not return to Evenfall for you or power¡­ or even for the Sylvan people. Once this is all over, I will leave.¡±


    Sabina stared at her with an annoyed expression. ¡°What are you saying? I have kept your child a secret and I have given you enough time to raise him. Now it is time to come home. With you by my side, we could lead the Sylvan to a new era. Isn¡¯t that what you want? What you¡¯ve always wanted?¡±


    Aurelia shrugged, ¡°My dreams have changed.¡±


    ¡°This is about the boy, isn¡¯t it? This¡ª Stryg,¡± Sabina spat the name as if it was poison on her lips. ¡°He¡¯s old enough to fend for himself, you need not coddle him.¡±


    ¡°I have never coddled him,¡± Aurelia glared at her. ¡°Stryg is a true Sylvan. He is strong, he always has been¡­ but I¡¯m not quite ready to leave him be, he still needs me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just your pride speaking. Or perhaps you¡¯re the one who needs him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Either way, I¡¯m not leaving him, not yet.¡±


    Sabina sighed, ¡°You really have changed. You may go. I will see you when you return from your journey. We may discuss your plans and your tribe¡¯s petition then.¡±


    The threat was laid bare, but Aurelia thought it best to not comment on it. ¡°Thank you for your time, Mother-Elect. Goodbye.¡±


    Sabina did not respond, she turned her back to Aurelia, and stared out the window. Aurelia took it as a sign the conversation was over. She bowed her head and left.

 Chapter 401: Names & Stories

    Chapter 401: Names & Stories


    ¡°...And then First Mother told us she had something to do and left,¡± Stryg finished.


    Tauri, Plum, and he sat in a somewhat large chamber that Virella had granted them for the remainder of their stay. It acted as an anteroom of sorts and had doors leading to their private chambers. Several large pillows were strewn about that floor as comfortable chairs. The room was an easy meeting place for the travelers, away from the prying eyes of any too-curious acolyte wandering the temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that the Guardian didn¡¯t kill you,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Probably because he wanted us to run that dumb troll errand for him,¡± Plum muttered angrily. ¡°Then he¡¯ll probably kill us.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Arden doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of goblin. He is honorable, if the Lunar Elect does not give their approval Arden won¡¯t harm us¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re all alive,¡± Plum said. ¡°Once we take care of this troll stuff we can make our petition and leave this mountain.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done. Frost trolls are a dangerous lot,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve fought them before?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°No, but my ancestors have. They¡¯ve written about them in our House¡¯s records, we lost many soldiers with every encounter. There is a reason their mountain is called Grimstone,¡± Tauri explained. ¡°You may want to stay out of this one.¡±


    ¡°And be left at this temple? No way,¡± Plum crossed her arms.


    ¡°Even if we do manage to fix whatever is wrong with the ore trade between my people and the frost trolls, we¡¯ll still have to somehow convince the Lunar Elect to aid Hollow Shade,¡± Stryg said hopelessly.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard, can it?¡± Plum asked.


    Stryg slumped his shoulders. ¡°I thought so too until I met them. They don¡¯t seem like the kind of people who¡¯ll budge.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then why don¡¯t we just go around them instead? Surely, there are other people we can talk to for help. Like the tribe chieftains,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The tribes won¡¯t go to war without the approval of the Lunar Elect,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Just like how Arden won¡¯t kill us unless they give the word,¡± Tauri said.


    Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Who exactly are the Lunar Elect and why do they hold so much power? Shouldn¡¯t Arden and Virella have some sway in these matters?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Virella is the Silver Mother, our high priestess, and the most respected of our people,¡± Stryg said. ¡°But her role is more of a sacred one, she does not interfere with everyday matters. As for Arden, he is the Guardian of the Sylvan, he is meant to be impartial and will only intervene when our laws are broken or if the Sylvan people are in danger.¡±


    ¡°Arden¡¯s life sounds awfully inflexible,¡± Plum winced.


    ¡°It has to be, if an Elect were to ever betray our people, it would be up to Arden to end their life. Someone with that kind of power has to be restrained by strict rules,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°You really think that? You aren¡¯t restrained by any such rules and someday you¡¯ll probably be an Ebon Lord,¡± Tauri noted.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Stryg blinked. ¡°I never thought of it like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because of those lack of restraints the Ebon Lords of the past have almost unanimously been tyrants,¡± Plum said grimly.


    ¡°...Perhaps,¡± Tauri admitted. Uncomfortable with the line of thought, she turned to Stryg, ¡°So, this Lunar Elect, what exactly is their deal? Is there really no other way to circumvent them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°They serve as the tribunal of our people. They are the Eyes, Hand, and Voice of the Mother Moon. Their word is law.¡±


    ¡°So they hold all political and judicial power,¡± Tauri muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Stryg said. ¡°Lumi is the Shaman-Elect, an arch-mage whose power is only second to the Guardian. Lykos is the Warrior-Elect, the Sylvan armies answer to him. As for the Mother-Elect, Sabina has the greatest influence among all the Sylvan. If she gives the word, people would even follow her into a behemoth¡¯s lair.¡±


    ¡°So the Elects basically hold all the power, how wonderful,¡± Plum groaned.


    ¡°What about the tribes? Surely there are some powerful tribes who can challenge the Lunar Elect¡¯s decision, no?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I mean, technically, yes,¡± Stryg said hesitantly. ¡°There are four major tribes that are far more powerful than the rest. They have more warriors, resources, and shamans, and most importantly they carry great respect among the Sylvan.¡±


    ¡°Great, so why don¡¯t we talk to them, and see if they can help us convince the Lunar Elect?¡± Tauri asked.


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°Well, you see, those four tribes are the Iron Spines, Frost Whisper, Elder Bloom, and Storm Howlers.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Tauri frowned, ¡°Wait, Iron Spine? Isn¡¯t that the tribe that one emissary hailed from? The tribe that hates the Blood Fang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Otley¡¯s tribe,¡± Stryg nodded weakly.


    ¡°And wasn¡¯t Arden the chieftain of the Frost Whisper Tribe?¡± Plum recalled.


    ¡°The Shaman-Elect is also from the Frost Whisper Tribe,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s pretty bad, I admit. But we can still talk to the other two tribes, right?¡± Tauri said in a hopeful voice.


    ¡°The Mother-Elect hails from Elder Bloom and the Warrior-Elect hails from the Storm Howlers,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless,¡± Tauri hung her head in defeat.


    ¡°So all the power is consolidated,¡± Plum muttered. ¡°Are they considered powerful tribes because they have members in the Lunar Elect or are they a part of the Lunar Elect because they are from powerful tribes?¡±


    ¡°Both. Though the Iron Spines have no members in any major position, they just have the most warriors by far,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°And they just so happen to hate your tribe.¡± Plum bit her lip in consternation. ¡°This will be harder than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Helloooo,¡± Virella opened the door with a big grin. ¡°Dinner is ready!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Silver Mother,¡± Stryg bowed his head. ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t there servants to tell us that? I¡¯d hate to take more time away from your sacred duties than we already have.¡±


    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you a strict one? You remind me of someone else,¡± Virella smirked. ¡°And yes, I have plenty of acolytes for such things, but I wanted to come down here and tell you personally, is that so bad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, n-not at all, I just didn¡¯t want to waste your time,¡± Stryg stammered.


    Tauri and Plum looked at him in disbelief and were reminded of how much admiration Stryg held for the Sylvan Mothers.


    Virella seemed to notice that quality as well and laughed, ¡°Relax, Stryg. We¡¯re all friends here.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re the Silver Mother¡­¡± Stryg said stiffly.


    ¡°I told you to call me Auntie Vi!¡± she pouted.


    ¡°R-Right, my mistake,¡± Stryg bowed his head repeatedly.


    ¡°Believe me, titles get boring quickly. I much prefer names. Like yours, it¡¯s quite pretty,¡± Virella smiled.


    ¡°Really, you think so?¡± Stryg blushed.


    Tauri scowled at his reaction. ¡°It¡¯s definitely an odd name, which is fitting for such an odd goblin.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let my sister catch you saying that,¡± Jahn said from his doorway.


    ¡°Jahn! I knew I could coax you out of that stuffy room with the promise of food,¡± Virella smirked.


    ¡°What do you mean, don¡¯t let her catch me?¡± Tauri asked the chieftain.


    ¡°As is sacred tradition, the Sylvan Mothers name the newborns of the tribe, in the hopes that they live up to the essence of their name. My sister just so happened to name that blue goblin standing next to you,¡± Jahn replied.


    Stryg nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Though I doubt First Mother would care if someone says my name is odd. I¡¯ve never heard of any other goblin called Stryg. So I guess it is odd, which is quite fitting I suppose. I¡¯m definitely not¡­ normal,¡± he mumbled.


    Tauri winced, ¡°Stryg, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m sor¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Stryg,¡± Jahn said adamantly, a trace of anger in his voice.


    He looked up, surprised. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My sister didn¡¯t give you that name because she thought you were different. She named you Stryg after one of the greatest warriors the realm has ever known.¡± Jahn took a deep breath, ¡°Lady Stryga.¡±


    Tauri, Stryg, and Plum glanced at each other. ¡°Who?¡± they asked in unison.


    Jahn frowned in confusion, ¡°You don¡¯t know Lady Stryga¡­? I suppose it¡¯s for the best¡­ The point is, Stryg, you were named after a great warrior, it is not a name to be ashamed of, but one to be carried with pride.¡±


    Virella nodded in agreement, ¡°Auri didn¡¯t give you that name lightly, Lady Stryga was someone she looked up to greatly.¡±


    ¡°That means¡­ First Mother thought I would be a great warrior someday,¡± Stryg smiled abashedly at the thought.


    Plum frowned with suspicion. Aurelia¡¯s choice seemed strange to her. Second Mother had told her that Stryg was born sickly, the Mothers thought he wouldn¡¯t make it through the night. So why would Aurelia have named a sickly baby after a great warrior?


    ¡°Someday? You have always been a warrior, Stryg,¡± Jahn said resolutely.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Stryg laughed weakly. ¡°I could never keep up with the others. no matter how hard I tried, I always lost in every single spar.¡±


    ¡°But you tried, you fought. You always have,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Ever since you were born, the odds were against you. Yet you didn¡¯t give up, you kept fighting to survive, even in those first few hours. Growing up you were always the first to wake up every morning and you were always the last to give up in the training exercises.¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to be left behind by the others,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°You fought. You have always been fighting, in here,¡± Jahn poked his chest. ¡°You¡¯ve always had the heart of a warrior, First Mother knew that, as do I, and it¡¯s time you recognize it as well.¡±


    Stryg smiled hesitantly, then he nodded more resolutely. ¡°Thank you, my chieftain.¡±


    Jahn nodded, satisfied.


    ¡°Man, I wish I was named after a cool warrior. Instead, I was named after a flower,¡± Plum groaned.


    ¡°At least your name was given to you after a lot of thought, my dad named me when he was too drunk to even stand,¡± Tauri laughed.


    ¡°That sounds like a fun story,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°What about you, mister chieftain? How were you named?¡± Plum asked curiously.


    ¡°Ooh, I always wanted to know too!¡± Virella added excitedly.


    Jahn shrugged and scratched his beard, ¡°I was named a little differently than most. The last chieftain gave me my name.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°Last chieftain? You mean your birth mother?¡±


    Jahn nodded, ¡°Yeah, she named me after her uncle.¡±


    ¡°Was he a great hunter?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t a hunter. Actually, my mom never met him.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    Virella tilted her head to the side, ¡°So why the name?¡±


    ¡°My grandmother used to tell the tribe stories about her brother,¡± Jahn said reminiscently. ¡°He was the most talented swordsman she had ever known, even as a child his skill with the blade had surpassed his sword master. My mom wanted me to be like him, a great warrior.¡±


    Stryg found himself smiling, it was comforting to know that other goblins had pursued the way of the sword. It was an uncommon weapon among goblinkind, most preferred the spear. Still, knowing there were other Sylvan swordsmen out there made him feel a little less odd.


    Jahn stared at his hand and clenched his fist, ¡°I always strived to live up to my namesake, but truth be told I wanted to be better than him.¡±


    Virella patted his back, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve definitely achieved it. No matter how skilled your namesake was, I think he¡¯d have a pretty difficult time against a grand spearmaster.¡±


    Jahn grinned proudly, ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡±

 Chapter 402: Late Night Haircut

    Chapter 402: Late Night Haircut


    The room Virella had given Stryg was quite spacious, far larger than the tents he had grown up in or the rooms he had lived in with Feli. The furnishings were sparse, a plain bed with a single blanket, and a bare wooden chair in the corner. Even if this was a room in the Celestial Shrine, it was still the room of an acolyte. Stryg preferred it that way, it reminded him of his days spent training.


    It had been a while since he had a room to himself to meditate and improve his mana flow. He sat down on the floor crossed-legged, closed his eyes, and took deep slow breaths. Carefully, he called out to the mana reserves in his heart. Gradually, ten chromatic colors of mana answered in their own tones.


    Black and Orange eagerly answered the call first, the two colors he was most accustomed to casting. Then came the familiar Grey, the first chromatic mana he had ever called forth. Reliant Yellow came next, followed by powerful Green, and serene White. Purple was coaxed out from its timid abode. Brown and Red were harder to summon, his ineptitude in half their spell-forms was evident in the colors¡¯ stubbornness. Blue, fickle Blue, answered last; the color demanded stability in his emotions, and yet Blue felt the most volatile of his colors.


    Soon the colors were streaming through his veins in a convoluted jumble, distorting his mana flow entirely. Stryg clenched his eyes and furrowed his brow as he tried to calm the colors and their tones as they clamored against one another.


    He remembered the words Beatrix Morrigan had told him in their duel back in Undergrowth. The true blue mage had warned him of the unique nature of each mage¡¯s mana equilibrium, each color within a mageborn vying for superiority. Most manifold mages only had to struggle with two or three colors, but a prime mage had to face them all. It felt like a storm brewing within Stryg¡¯s chest, unable to escape, yet unwilling to stop fighting.


    Stryg tried remembering Ismene¡¯s lessons on flow control. The more stable a mage¡¯s mana flow, the more powerful their spells could become. It was for that same reason so few prime mages ever managed to reach the adept rank. The ten colors within them would consistently destabilize their mana flow. The body naturally did its best to stabilize the flow, but that would only get him so far. If he wanted to grow stronger, he would have to learn to consciously control his flow.


    As usual, the colors fought against him, against each other. Stryg was ready to give up as usual, after the pain within his veins began to burn with a dull ache, but he tried to hold out, just a little longer.


    Ismene had once told him that chromatic colors felt different to each mageborn and it was his job to listen to the colors and understand their desires, for the mana was an expression of him, unconscious perhaps, but always a part of him.


    Stryg turned his focus onto his heartbeats, the synchronous sounds of his two hearts echoing off one another in a rhythmic song. Despite the violent nature of his colors, he noticed they were reacting to the rhythmic song.


    They are all a part of me¡­


    If that was true then it explained the colors¡¯ tendency for hostility. But it also meant that deep down¡­ they desired to belong, to have a place, in a tribe, a family¡­ in a song. In the song of his magic, deep within him. Slowly, Stryg tried to listen to the colors within.


    Some part of his mind whispered it was a terrible idea, that he was simply being a fool. What need was there for such a thing as belonging? Power, that was what mattered. With enough power one could make their own place to belong, they needed nothing else. Stryg ignored that voice and tried to listen once more, more carefully, to the colors within.


    Then he heard it, the discordant notes of his colors. Yet instead of ignoring them as usual, forcing them to obey his will, he quietly listened to their broken tune. With a gentle focus, he steadily moved their notes into a different order, into a larger piece of his hearts¡¯ song.


    Time felt weightless, the moments blending in one with another. Stryg did not hear the knock on his door, nor the quiet creak as the door opened. His thoughts were entirely on the broken notes within his flow. He whispered to them, silently, in the same way they cried out to him in frustration, but he met their voices with patience and gentleness.


    He had always pushed himself to be better, to be better than the failure he was ashamed to be. Yet as he heard the broken voices of his colors, he felt compassion for them. He didn¡¯t need them to be better, to be stronger, to stand above all else. To him they were enough, he loved them all the same. For an instant, he forgot about his bitterness, frustrations, and desires for revenge. For an instant, he lived in the quiet moment of self-acceptance.


    The colors reverberated with disbelief, yet they did not fight back. They flowed through his body in a quiet warm tune, the notes falling into place within his hearts¡¯ song.


    A cold, discordant note suddenly broke through the song. Its powerful shriek was disdainful against the rest of the colors. What color was it and why was it so indignant? Stryg tried to follow the imbalance sound, yet it did not come from the heart like the other colors. No, this note came from his second heart. It wasn¡¯t a color at all, it was something else, there was no warmth. There was only a primal frigidness that threatened to overwhelm the rest.


    It was dangerous, Stryg felt, but he didn¡¯t shy away from it, not this time. He was done ignoring the parts of him he was ashamed to look at. Whatever the note of mana was, he was determined to listen to it even if it hurt him. As if realizing his choice, the mana screamed in a deep roar, drowning out the colors¡¯ notes and his heart song. Yet Stryg didn¡¯t run from his mind, he didn¡¯t try to push down the angry song. He sat still and listened patiently, accepting the cold pain as it washed over him.


    He slowly noticed the pain was familiar. He had felt it when Clypeus had been struck down, when he had learned of Loh¡¯s deception, when he had lifted the fallen log off Freya¡­ when he had first descended down the lamia¡¯s cave.


    You¡¯re not dangerous, are you?


    When he was afraid and in pain, it was this chaotic note, this deep part of himself, that had answered. It had rushed over him¡­ protecting him.


    You¡¯re not just angry, you¡¯re worried¡­ for me?


    The cold mana answered with a painful note of confirmation.


    I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean for you to worry.


    The cold mana¡¯s roar settled down and its chaotic tune slowed to a halt, and played a new song, barely a whisper, underneath the first song. Where the first hearts¡¯ song was a duet, a rhythm between both hearts, a symphony of all the chromatic color¡¯s notes, the second song belonged to the cold mana and none else.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The first song was beautiful but difficult to understand, overwhelming tunes all at once. The second song was quiet, but it was strong, dignified. If he could only somehow listen just a little closer, he could¡ª


    ¡°...tryg¡­ Stryg¡­ Stryg!¡±


    His eyes snapped open and he gasped for breath. He was covered in a cold sweat and his muscles trembled with debility.


    ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡± Aurelia asked worriedly.


    ¡°First¡­ Mother?¡± he muttered, confused.


    Aurelia sat in front of him, not two feet away, her eyes staring intently at him.


    ¡°How long have you been sitting there?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...Not too long. I noticed you were meditating. I didn¡¯t want to break your concentration, so I waited, until¡­ never mind. I came because you are in desperate need of a haircut and I¡¯m tired of you walking around looking like some vagrant, it¡¯s an embarrassment to our tribe.¡±


    Stryg finally noticed the dagger, wash basin, and leather bag of supplies next to her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he winced.


    First Mother had always been the one who had cut his hair back when he had lived with the Blood Fang Tribe. After he started living in Hollow Shade, one of Feli¡¯s acquaintances had taken over that job. Yet he hadn¡¯t bothered about his hair ever since Clypeus and Widow¡¯s Crag.


    ¡°Come on then, we don¡¯t have all night, go sit on the chair,¡± Aurelia pushed him on.


    Stryg nodded and sat on the single chair in the room. He sighed quietly to himself. He should have expected something like this. First Mother had always been quite strict on appearances, especially his own. While the other Sylvan Mothers had taken turns cutting the other younglings¡¯ hair, First Mother had insisted on cutting Stryg¡¯s hair every time. It was her way of interrogating him of whatever he had been up to, Stryg had long guessed.


    Whenever he was alone with her, Stryg somehow always ended up telling her more than he had intended, which has often gotten him in trouble in the past.


    Aurelia grabbed the wash basin and walked over behind him, then began washing hair with quick movements. Stryg leaned his head back and closed his eyes and tried his best to relax his tense muscles.


    ¡°...Stryg,¡± she said carefully.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he cracked an eye open.


    She pulled a silver feather out of her pocket. ¡°Have you ever seen something like this before?¡± she asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°A feather? Why would I¡­¡± Stryg abruptly stopped and frowned.


    The memory of his time in the Dark Fringe and his meeting with the Monster stirred in his mind. The place was cold, distant. He had felt numb, weak. It was so dark, there was nothing there, save a great emptiness, and a silver feather.


    No, it can¡¯t be.


    That feather had crumbled into dust. It wasn¡¯t real. The Dark Fringe wasn¡¯t real either, at least not in the way the room he was sitting in was.


    Stryg shook his head with a small smile. He was thinking too deeply about this. This was just an ordinary feather.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that particular kind of feather if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking,¡± Stryg answered.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Why? Would it matter if I had?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ It¡¯s just odd, is all.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°When I walked into your room the feather was on the ground next to you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg stiffened. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª I don¡¯t know how it got there.¡±


    ¡°Best not to think about it,¡± Aurelia said in a strange voice.


    She was hiding something, Stryg thought. But why?


    Aurelia grabbed the sheathed knife and drew the sharp blade with a deft hand. She grabbed the tips of his pale locks and sliced them off with precise motions.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± she said. ¡°How do you really feel about the orc?¡±


    ¡°You mean Tauri?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She isn¡¯t here, you¡¯re free to speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°I was telling you the truth the first time. I like her, a lot. And she likes me too¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do,¡± she clicked her tongue. ¡°You need to end your relationship with that orc come dawn.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Stryg said with hesitance, much to his surprise.


    Aurelia raised her eyebrow, ¡°What was that?¡±


    Stryg swallowed in fear. ¡°I¡­ I like her, maybe I even love her, who knows? Either way, I¡¯m not going to just throw that away.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what love is. And no, infatuation isn¡¯t love.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, it seems you don¡¯t. You¡¯re still too young to know what¡¯s truly important.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m old enough to know what love is.¡±


    ¡°No, you are not,¡± she said seriously. ¡°True love is pain, Stryg. It is sacrifice. It requires putting someone else above your own needs.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I can?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°If you could, you would have already broken off your relationship with that Plum girl. I spoke with her earlier and she told me about your mutual past. The only reason she is here is because you couldn¡¯t let her go. You didn¡¯t care if Plum being friends with her mother¡¯s murderer bothered her, you just wanted your friend back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s expression darkened in dismay.


    He hadn¡¯t thought of it like that before.


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, Plum chose to be here, it was her choice. Whatever you do with that drow doesn¡¯t matter to me. The orc is a different story. Having a relationship with a Scarletian is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Tauri isn¡¯t a Scarletian. She was born in the Ebon Realm like any of us, as were her parents.¡±


    ¡°She is an orc, she will always belong to the Scarlet Realm. They cannot be trusted. She¡¯ll betray you just like her kind betrayed our people.¡±


    ¡°Tauri would never do that.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I used to think the same. I had this¡­ friend. He was a Scarletian, but I thought I could trust him. I was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    Aurelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°It does not matter. Now stay still or I might accidentally nick you.¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t approve of your relationship with that orc.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Yet you¡¯re still not listening to me, as usual.¡±


    She flicked his pointy ear.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he winced.


    ¡°If she tries to tempt you, do not listen to her.¡±


    ¡°Tempt me?¡± Stryg couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°I told you to stay still!¡± She flicked his ear again.


    ¡°Ah, dammit, stop, please! I won¡¯t move, alright?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how pretty that orc is, do not bed her, do you understand me?¡± Aurelia growled. ¡°Sabina and the other Elects have spies everywhere on this mountain, the last thing we want is having them find out you¡¯ve slept with an enemy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already slept with two orcs before, what difference does it make if I sleep with one more,¡± Stryg grumbled to himself.


    ¡°...What was that?¡± Aurelia asked in a frigid voice.


    Stryg paled in panic. ¡°U-Uh¡­ I mean, I was drunk, really drunk, and it was one time. I swear!¡±


    ¡°You little imbecile!¡± Aurelia hissed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed orcs too! Like this one who was the leader of a gang!¡±


    Aurelia raised her eyebrow, ¡°What is a gang?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what some people call their tribes back in Hollow Shade. Though they could never hold up against one of our Sylvan tribes.¡±


    Aurelia smiled slightly. ¡°Is that so? Tell me more.¡±

 Chapter 403: Where One’s Loyalty Lies

    Chapter 403: Where One¡¯s Loyalty Lies


    The morning sun bathed Mt. Moonfang in a golden glow, the snow glittering like a wave of jewels in the dawn. Stryg sat at the mountaintop, in the Celestial Shrine¡¯s most sacred place, the Eye of the Moon, and watched the sunrise from the cliff¡¯s edge.


    The city of Evenfall lay below in a ring-like pattern, each section of the city behind the natural barriers of the mountain. It reminded Stryg somewhat of Hollow Shade, though unlike the more natural design of Evenfall, the City of Shades was built in a uniform design, with the Commoner and the Trade Districts forming the two outer rings followed by four wedge-shaped districts surrounding the core of the city and the Ebon Tower, the Central District.


    The first time Stryg had seen Hollow Shade from atop the shade wall he had felt a profound sense of insignificance. He was small, a mere goblin in a city built by the most powerful mages in the realm. Now he was on his way to joining those mages as an Ebon Lord, yet as he looked on at Evenfall he wasn¡¯t proud to be an Ebon Aspirant, he was happy simply being that mere goblin.


    Still, as he stared at his blue hand he was reminded once more that he wasn¡¯t only a goblin. He glanced around the Eye of the Moon and spotted Virella and Aurelia sitting next to each other in meditation. Both Sylvan Mothers were so different and yet they were somehow the best of friends, or so Virella had claimed. Aurelia had made no effort to prove otherwise.


    Stryg had spent last night being interrogated by Aurelia while she cut his hair. As the hours had gone by he found himself telling her about his journeys long after she had finished cutting. First Mother was a good listener, the kind that was patient, and only interrupted to ask an important question. Though she did grow angry with him a few times in his story, like the time when he was traveling with Loh through the villages of Dusk Valley and had gotten terribly drunk and tripped and fell into a well and almost drowned.


    Yet when it came to the most painful moments of his life the last few years, Aurelia was surprisingly quiet. When Stryg spoke of Clypeus and their friendship and how it all ended, Aurelia did something she never had before. She grabbed his hand gently and sat next to him in solitude. Even when tears fell down his eyes, she did not scold him and instead, simply wrapped her arm around him.


    The act of kindness had broken something within Stryg and all the feelings he had been holding within had broken out in a flood of raw emotions. He wailed for the rage he felt at the world and he cried quietly for the helplessness he felt. Aurelia held him in her arms and weathered the pain by his side, as if time had stopped and it was only the two of them in the world.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure how many hours passed but by the end, he felt embarrassed with his emotional outburst. First Mother didn¡¯t judge him and asked him more about baby Kamilo instead. She disapproved of many of Stryg¡¯s escapades, but she approved of his guardianship over Clypeus and Nora¡¯s child. The life of a hybrid was a difficult one and having Stryg by the child¡¯s side would help him grow up in the Ebon Lords¡¯ city.


    First Mother¡¯s words were wise but when Stryg pushed her for answers regarding his own parents Aurelia refused to answer, explaining that a Sylvan is the child of the whole tribe, they have no need for parents. Stryg had heard the answer many times and it still bothered him just the same. If he had been a normal Sylvan perhaps he would have been happy with his lot, but his entire life he had been made keenly aware he wasn¡¯t. His odd lilac eyes and blue skin were a constant reminder of that and who his parents might have been.


    Still, as he stared at Aurelia and Virella meditating next to each other he doubted either of them would be willing to tell him the truth about his heritage.


    Stryg sighed to himself, brushed off the snow from his pants, and walked over to them. ¡°Silver Mother, First Mother, I will take my leave now.¡±


    Virella opened her eyes curiously, ¡°Already? You don¡¯t wish to dwell in the wisdom of Lunae a little longer?¡±


    He didn¡¯t think there was any of Lunae¡¯s wisdom to glean from this place. In fact, this place only reminded Stryg of how little the gods truly cared about the world around them. It was easy not to care when you looked at everything from so high up. Not that Stryg was going to tell Virella any of this.


    Stryg bowed his head, ¡°Forgive me, Silver Mother. I have not slept and I¡¯m quite hungry.¡±


    Virella smiled sympathetically, ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll have one of the acolytes bring you some food in a little while.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Stryg bowed deeply to both of them and left through the heavy stone door.


    Virella waited for a few moments after the door was closed before speaking, ¡°Hadn¡¯t slept, huh? What were you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°...He told me about where he was and what he has done the last 3 years he¡¯s been gone,¡± Aurelia said reluctantly.


    Virella¡¯s eyes lit excitedly, ¡°And? What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s had¨C an eventful life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Aw, come one, you can tell me more.¡±


    ¡°I am trying to meditate. My time at the Eye of the Moon is limited, I¡¯d like to make use of it while I can.¡±


    ¡°Sylvan Mothers always visit the Eye when we visit Evenfall and when we leave. You¡¯ll be back here tomorrow anyway, so just tell me a little bit, yeah?¡±


    Aurelia ignored her and continued to meditate with closed eyes.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Auriiii!¡± Virella whined and shook her friend¡¯s shoulders from side to side.


    ~~~


    ¡­Several days earlier¡­


    Lady Elise Veres sat at her father¡¯s desk, glancing at the reports from last night¡¯s attack.


    My desk, she corrected herself.


    This was no longer her father¡¯s desk, this was no longer his study room. It was hers and with it came the burden of ruling one of the Seven Ruling Houses of Hollow Shade, a House that had just lost their patriarch and the majority of their soldiers in an attack by a dragon of all things.


    The people she could trust were dwindling fast. Her younger brother had escaped his rooms last night and her men had not yet been able to find him. When she had sent Lynette to escort Callum to his room she should have made her guard him the entire night.


    Lynette and Elise had grown up alongside each other, as was family tradition among a Veres and a Gale. Lynette had kept her safe ever since childhood. Elise trusted Lynette with her life, which is why she needed the Gale warrior here. There were enemies afoot, even in her own home.


    A knock came at the door and Lynette, who stood in the corner of the office glanced at Elise questioningly.


    Elise nodded, ¡°Open it.¡±


    Lynette silently opened the door, while keeping her hand on the hilt of her blade. An elder vampire walked into the study room with a calm gait. Lynette glared at him and Elise leaned back on her chair and tried to mimic her father¡¯s imposing smile.


    The elder vampire ignored Lynette¡¯s glare and casually looked around the room. His well-groomed dark beard was speckled with grey hairs and there were lines of age on his forehead and the edges of his eyes, the telltale signs of an old man, but as his gaze settled on Lynette she faltered and when he turned to Elise her smile broke.


    He hadn¡¯t said anything, but as Elise stared at him couldn¡¯t help but feel a trace of fear and admiration.


    Here stood a living legend, the realm¡¯s Sword Paragon, a warrior whose blade had surpassed even the grandmasters of House Gale. Here was the only man capable of facing ¡®The Great Elzri Noir¡¯ on equal footing. This was the being, the pillar, who had carried House Veres for the last three centuries. This was Gian Gale and he would not cower in front of the likes of them.


    ¡°You sent for me, my Lady?¡± Gian asked calmly.


    Elise took a deep breath and gathered herself. ¡°Yes, I did. As the eldest and wisest of our two Houses, my father trusted you implicitly. He relied on your guidance throughout his leadership, I was hoping I could do the same.¡±


    Gian bowed his head, ¡°I am sworn to the Veres Throne. I am and always will be loyal to House Veres¡¯ one and only leader.¡±


    Elise smiled, ¡°I am glad to hear it, uncle. I could use your advice regarding a particular matter right now, actually.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How can I be of service?¡±


    Elise stared at him, searching his face for any hint of a lie. ¡°Last night, my brother escaped from the mansion.¡±


    Gian furrowed his brow, ¡°Escaped? You make it sound as if little Cal was imprisoned.¡±


    It was you¡­! Damn you, uncle. Elise thought angrily, though she displayed a smile outwardly. ¡°My brother hasn¡¯t been well since the deaths in our family. I was worried he might hurt himself, so I sent some Gale guards to watch over him.¡±


    ¡°Your worry as an older sister is commendable, my Lady,¡± Gian said.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Elise narrowed her eyes. You have no fucking idea!


    ¡°How can I help? Shall I arrange a team of my House¡¯s best warriors to search for Callum?¡±


    Elise shook her head, ¡°No, I have already taken care of that. What I need from you is your expert opinion. You see, my brother didn¡¯t walk out of this mansion on his own. I placed ten Gale mage-warriors to watch over him. It would have taken a small army of mages to have broken him out, but seeing as there was no sign of a large battle last night, I can only assume that there was no army. Instead, the culprits must have been a select few powerful mages.¡±


    ¡°An assassin¡¯s guild perhaps? We recently dealt with some who attacked Clypeus¡¯ son and the baby¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s doubtful. Our enemies gain nothing from killing Callum. Using him as a hostage, however? That is an entirely different story.¡± Elise raised her index finger, ¡°There¡¯s just one problem. The Gale warriors guarding my brother, they¡¯re not dead. They were defeated, yes, but they were barely injured, just a few scrapes and concussions.¡±


    Elise leaned forward, ¡°Odd, isn¡¯t it? Even stranger there were no marks of a struggle. Can you imagine it? Some of the most elite warriors in the entire realm, silently defeated without even a hint of a battle? They must have been completely overwhelmed. Yet their opponent had mercy on them and didn¡¯t even kill a single one of them. What kind of person wields such tremendous power, is willing to kidnap a son of Veres, and yet would choose to spare the lives of the guards? Can you think of anyone, uncle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my Lady,¡± he replied with a straight face.


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Elise asked. ¡°You are the pillar of our Houses. You said you are and always will be loyal to House Veres¡¯ one and only leader. Was that a lie?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why, uncle? Why betray me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Gian said.


    ¡°Yes, you do!¡± yelled Lynette angrily. ¡°How could you, Lord Gian? You of all people!?¡±


    Gian looked at the Gale vampiress with a raised eyebrow, but he made no move to defend himself against the accusations.


    ¡°Stop it, Lyenette!¡± Elise snapped. ¡°Leave us, now.¡±


    Lynette turned to her with indignant shock, but she quickly nodded with a curt apology and left.


    Elise sighed as the door closed, ¡°I need you, uncle, now more than ever. An army like Hollow Shade has never seen is marching towards us, the last thing I need is the greatest Shield of my family turning his blade against me. So, I will only ask this once. What in all the bloody realms were you thinking when you attacked your own family last night?¡±


    Gian looked her over and studied her face, thinking of his next words carefully. ¡°I was thinking about the throne my sister left behind and how she entrusted me to safe-keep it. I was thinking about my responsibility to our Houses and my vows. Vows I intend to keep until the day I meet my end.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, are you still loyal to the Veres Throne? Or are you loyal to my brother?¡±


    ¡°Your brother is not the rightful ruler of House Veres.¡± Gian bowed his head, ¡°I am and always will be loyal to the rightful ruler of House Veres.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well. On account of your long history with my House, just this once, I will overlook last night¡¯s actions as an old man¡¯s love for his family. Next time you find your feelings conflicted, remember where your loyalty lies, uncle.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡±

 Chapter 404: House of Gale

    Chapter 404: House of Gale


    ¡­Several days ago¡­


    The summer sun shined brightly as it began to sink beneath the horizon. Even now, the sting of the sunlight could leave terrible burns on a vampire if they stayed out too long without any proper protection. Thankfully, the ancient yew tree in the family¡¯s gardens provided plenty of shade with its large gnarled branches.


    The manor would have served better with its walls, but Gian thought it best to speak with his niece underneath the shade of the ancient tree. It was here that he had hidden from his teachers and the manor¡¯s servants when he was a child. It was here where he had made a promise to meet his sister so many years ago.


    Throughout the centuries Gian had always made his way back to this tree, it served as a refuge of sorts for him, a place to gather his thoughts and rest. The old tree and the gardens surrounding it gave him a sense of peace and even now, he held a small glimmer of hope that one day his sister might find her way back here to him.


    He hoped the tree and the garden could provide some semblance of solace to his niece as well. Gale sat next to him underneath the yew¡¯s branches, her back resting on the trunk. Her head was bowed, almost as if asleep, and her eyes were hollow. The whites of her eyes were almost as red as her irises. Her bright golden hair was covered in a dull sheen and disheveled from where she had pulled it and screamed until her voice was hoarse. Tears still flowed down her pale cheeks, but her voice was silent, save for the quiet whimpers as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.


    The gods were cruel, Gian thought grimly.


    They had taken young Clypeus only a year ago and now they had taken Gale¡¯s father as well.


    Gian didn¡¯t want to be here, he didn¡¯t want to be the one to tell Gale what had happened, but Gale¡¯s mother had locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone ever since she had found out about the death of her husband.


    So it fell upon Gian, the eldest of the House, to tell Gale what had happened in Dusk Valley to her father and the Veres army.


    As he spoke of the terrible news he saw the light in Gale¡¯s eyes die and the cracks beneath her mask break altogether. She had worked hard to be strong for her family after her brother¡¯s death, but now it seemed as if she had reached her limit.


    And yet now it once more fell upon Gian to push her harder than ever before.


    The gods were cruel indeed.


    After the sun had fallen below the horizon and darkness had claimed the skies and the tears in Gale¡¯s eyes had dried, she finally spoke, in a voice barely above a whisper. ¡°...What now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid things will only get more difficult,¡± Gian said reluctantly.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°You are your father¡¯s heir.¡± Gian got on one knee and bowed his head respectfully, ¡°From this night on you are Lady Gale, eighth of her name, leader of House Gale, and the First and Last Shield of Veres.¡±


    Gale stared at him mortified, ¡°Please, uncle, don¡¯t bow to me. I¡¯m unworthy of such an honor from the Sword Paragon.¡±


    No. It was for that very reason he bowed. As the new lord of the House, she needed to believe more than anyone that she deserved her place, and he would make sure that she did.


    Gian bowed his head deeper, ¡°I have served as a mentor to your father, and his mother, and her father before her, and more. I have served House Gale for the last three centuries and if you would have me, I¡¯d be honored to serve by your side as well, my lady.¡±


    Gale smiled weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do without you, uncle. If you would stand by my side, the honor would be mine and mine alone. Please, rise. ¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± Gian nodded solemnly and sat back down next to her.


    ¡°When will the funerals be?¡± Gale whispered.


    ¡°As soon as we recuperate the bodies of the nobles safely. Many of the officers in the Veres army were sons and daughters of House Veres¡¯ retainers. Dozens of minor Houses have lost their children, they deserve a proper burial.¡±


    ¡°And it would serve to ease the loss and worries of the Houses that serve the Veres family,¡± she guessed.


    ¡°Precisely. With all that in mind, I imagine the preparations will be finished quite soon. The funeral will most likely take place in the next 2 or 3 days. And you will be the one to lead it.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Gale frowned, shocked.


    ¡°Lady Elise has made it clear that she has no interest in attending the funeral.¡±


    ¡°But her father died! As did her sister!¡±


    ¡°And I believe Elise poisoned her other siblings, so family is clearly not something she values.¡±


    Gale grimaced, ¡°Yes, I suppose so¡­¡±


    ¡°As head of House Gale, you are the right-hand of Lady Veres. The nobles will look to you for guidance at the funeral.¡±


    Gale¡¯s hands trembled. She took shaky breaths and clenched her eyes shut to keep herself from crying. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this. I can¡¯t go up in front of all those people, not like this, not now¡­¡±


    ¡°You will not be alone, my lady.¡± Gian placed a reassuring hand over her own. ¡°You are the head of a Great House and rightfully so. You can do this. We will get through this together.¡±


    ¡°...How do you do it? Live through the pain of seeing a family member after family member die while you¡¯re still here?¡± Gale whispered in a broken voice.


    Gian smiled softly and wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°You remember why you¡¯re here, why you get up every morning, why you fight, no matter how endless the battle may seem. You don¡¯t do it for yourself, you do it for the living around you, for the family you still have.¡±


    Gale smiled, teary-eyed. ¡°I¡¯ll try, uncle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all any of us can do.¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s harder than it sounds.¡±


    ¡°It always is.¡±


    Gale stared up at the starry night sky between the branches of the tree. ¡°I need a favor from you, uncle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to serve, my lady.¡±


    ¡°I need you to help me kill Clypeus¡¯ murderer.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, when Marek and his armies arrive at Hollow Shade I will meet him and his warriors with Primoria.¡± Gian gripped the hilt of his family¡¯s ancestral sword.


    ¡°I believe you, but I was referring to the one who left Clypeus to die. I am going to kill Elohnoir Noir.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gian coughed in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming Lord Elzri won¡¯t just stand by while I slice her neck from her body. His retribution would be swift. Which is why I need your help to stop him as well.¡±


    Gian shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ve already gone over this. Elohnoir, Tauri, and Vayu did not purposely abandon Clypeus and the other students. There wasn¡¯t some plot against us by those three Ruling Houses and their scions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, there wasn¡¯t a plot. But Stryg did not lead them to the wrong cliff that night. Elohnoir abandoned them and Vayu and Tauri knew it.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Gian narrowed his eyes, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I learned many things in Undergrowth. There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know, uncle¡­¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°...You WHAT!?¡± Gian yelled.


    Gale leaned back uncertainly, ¡°Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°Let me get this straight. Stryg is an Ebon Aspirant and you still let him go!?¡±


    Gale frowned in confusion. ¡°Wait, I thought you already knew he was an Ebon Aspirant, isn¡¯t that why you asked me to watch over him?¡±


    ¡°Even if I knew, wouldn''t that have just been more reason to not let him go?¡±


    ¡°At the time I thought it was the best course of action. Lady Thorn and her soldiers were searching for Stryg. If he stayed with us he would have been in more danger. By separating I was able to draw the enemy¡¯s attention away from him and help him escape into Glimmer Grove forest. By now he¡¯s in Vulture Woods, his home. It should be easy enough for him to get back to Hollow Shade from there after he¡¯s finished whatever it is he set out to do.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask why he left?¡±


    ¡°We were pressed on time. I trusted his judgment.¡±


    Gian groaned. ¡°Do you even know if he managed to make it out safely?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, Stryg is far more powerful than either of us gave him credit for. His victory at the tourney was not a fluke. He is already a powerful master, he can handle himself.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­¡± Gian sighed.


    ¡°Why are you so bothered by this? Stryg will be fine.¡± Gale narrowed her eyes in suspicion, ¡°Uncle¡­ If you didn¡¯t know Stryg was an Ebon Aspirant then why did you ask me to look after him? You told me before I left there was an important reason. What was it?¡±


    Gian stared at her with indecision. He had hoped to not speak of this until the time was right, but now that Elise sat on the Veres Throne and Stryg was nowhere to be found, he was starting to believe such a time would never come.


    Gian began his story reluctantly, ¡°What do you know of the Blue Rose¡­?¡±


    ~~~


    Gale rested her back on the yew tree¡¯s wide trunk. She didn¡¯t notice the rough bark pushing uncomfortably into her back. She was too numb to notice, too shocked to care. Her scarlet eyes slowly glanced at Gian¡¯s uncertain smile and back at her own hands.


    ¡°So, your half-sister was the legendary Blue Rose, the great mage-warrior who disappeared with Krikolm?¡± Gale asked slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°A blade whose name in the olden tongue means Bloodfang, a very similar name to Stryg¡¯s Sylvan tribe, the Blood Fang?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°And the Blue Rose¡¯s name, which like so many things her House tried to bury, was Stryga Veres?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°And she just so happens to bear a striking resemblance to Stryg, the blue goblin?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°So, what you are telling me is that Stryg, who like all goblins has slit pupils¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªBut lilac irises.¡±


    ¡°The same feral goblin who oftentimes seemingly at random bite people¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAn instinct vampires suppress, but still an instinct we have nonetheless. We tend to bite when angered or feeling threatened.¡±


    ¡°I know, uncle, I know,¡± she said annoyedly. ¡°That same goblin, you think is your sister¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°Odd, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gian chuckled. ¡°I suppose he could be a further down descendant, a grandchild perhaps? Stryga would be over 330 years old by now, after all.¡±


    Gale¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°Odd, doesn¡¯t even begin to grasp the insane concept!¡±


    ¡°I can see you have doubts.¡±


    ¡°Doubts? Doubts? This goes way beyond doubts!¡±


    ¡°Stryg is of my sister¡¯s blood, of that I¡¯m certain,¡± Gian said with a resolute voice.


    Gale faltered and her indignant anger withered away. She sighed, ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°I could say it¡¯s the blue skin, though his shade has a hint of green to it. I could say it¡¯s his eyes, but her eyes were much darker, his are pale, like lilac. I could say it¡¯s their hair, though his shines more brightly under the moonlight. But none of those things were what made me realize Stryg was hers.¡±


    ¡°Then what was it?¡±


    ¡°It was the nose, the same button nose, small, slightly upturned. You could see it in the way they smiled. A cheeky grin. Confident, but never cocky.¡± Gian looked at Gale with a calm gaze, ¡°Stryga¡¯s blood runs through him, I¡¯m certain.¡±


    She swallowed hard. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then Clypeus¡¯s death wasn¡¯t for nothing. He died defending a Veres.¡±


    Gian nodded, ¡°Clypeus died the way all of us hope to, protecting our friends. There could not be a nobler death.¡±


    Gale sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°Clypeus was the best of us.¡±


    ¡°And his sacrifice will never be forgotten,¡± Gian swore.


    Gale suddenly looked up, worried. ¡°If Stryg really is a Veres, then he¡¯s in danger. We can¡¯t let Elise know who he is.¡±


    ¡°We must, if he is to take the Veres Throne.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you want to make him the family leader!?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to wait until he grew more into his own, but yes. It is his birthright.¡±


    ¡°You are letting your emotions get the better of you, uncle,¡± she said wryly. ¡°Do you really think Stryg would be a better family leader than Elise?¡±


    ¡°Emotions? Elise is the most ambitious Veres I have seen since her grandfather, that is a fact, not an emotion.¡±


    ¡°You say it is as if ambition is a bad thing. Elise wishes for her House to rise in power, as does every lord on the Hollow Council.¡±


    ¡°No, Elise wishes to gain power for herself and she will not share. That kind of ambition makes her dangerous, not just to her enemies, but to herself and her allies. I saw her grandfather hold that same kind of ambition and greed, and to my regret, I did nothing to stop it.¡±


    Gale furrowed her brow, ¡°Lord Darian?¡±


    Gian nodded grimly. ¡°Lord Darian, Veres VIII, was a man driven by ambition and it almost led the Veres family to extinction. He was so afraid of losing power to his family, he pitted them against one another in the hopes that they¡¯d all kill each other. Eldrin and his baby sister, Alice, were the only two who managed to survive the assassinations and murderous duels.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I enjoy talking about. I should have stopped Darian when I had the chance, but I helped raise Darian since before he could walk, he was like a son to me¡­ In the end, all I could do was watch. The deaths of his children are my fault,¡± Gale said bitterly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, uncle,¡± she whispered sympathetically.


    Gian closed his eyes and took a deep long breath and Gale thought he looked tired, not from a long day of training, but from a lifetime of wounds.


    ¡°Alice fell to sickness many years ago and because of warlord Marek her children are all gone, save little Maeve,¡± Gian recounted quietly. ¡°And now Eldrin, who tried to be different from his father, has fallen in battle. His daughter Elise did not waste a moment before seizing his throne. She killed her siblings, save for Callum who I helped whisk away from the city. The truth is however, Elise won¡¯t give up until she finds him. Even Maeve isn¡¯t safe, she is still a child of Veres. If we let Elise continue to rule it could be the end of the Veres line altogether.¡±


    ¡°Then why not have Callum rule in her stead?¡± she asked. ¡°I know he¡¯s only half vampire, but so was the Blue Rose.¡±


    ¡°Callum is not ready to lead a Ruling House and he never will be. Try as he might, that boy has a kind heart, a very rare trait in these times, and I would not take that away from him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Callum doesn¡¯t have what it takes to make the hard decisions,¡± Gale said thoughtfully. ¡°It must be his human half.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s debatable.¡±


    ¡°But I see your point nonetheless.¡± Gale looked up at him, a flicker of an idea in her eyes, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you rule?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the half-brother of the Blue Rose and therefore the son of Lady Veres VI,¡± Gale said, excitement growing in her voice. ¡°You have a claim to the Veres Throne, more so than Elise. If you wanted, you could take the throne. She couldn¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Gian shook his head, ¡°Gale, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°But who better to rule House Veres than the Sword Paragon, the wisest and most powerful of the vampires? I would rather serve you than Lady Elise for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Gale¡­ My sister wanted me to inherit Krikolm and to be the next leader of House Veres, but I didn¡¯t want it. I still don¡¯t and I never will. Please, do not ask it of me again.¡±


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t understand. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because it was my sister¡¯s throne,¡± he whispered, pain clear in his voice.


    If he took the throne, the last part of him that held hope for her return, that Stryga was still out there somewhere, would be gone.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Gale said softly. ¡°If not you, then who? Stryg? Even if he carries the Blue Rose¡¯s blood, he is no vampire, he doesn¡¯t even know our ways. Do you think House Gale or any of House Veres¡¯ retainers will accept him? We¡¯d be better off trying to put Callum, a half-human, on the throne. At least the retainers would have a chance of accepting him.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what any of those Houses think. As you said, they are House Veres¡¯ retainers and Stryg is their rightful lord. They will accept him whether they wish to or not.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think that will cause inner toil among the Houses?¡± she asked exasperatedly. ¡°The majority of vampire Houses in Hollow Shade and the Dusk Valley territories follow the Veres. How many of them do you think will stand by as a goblin sits on the Veres Throne?¡±


    ¡°What if it was an Ebon Lord on the throne? Stryg will be the first Ebon Lord in over two centuries. With him on the Veres throne, the family could rise to be Hollow Shade¡¯s Royal House.¡± He reached out and grabbed Gale¡¯s shoulder, ¡°After the attack on our armies in Dusk Valley the Houses of Veres and Gale are the most vulnerable that they have been since the founding of this city. We need Stryg now more than ever.¡±


    Gale bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t think Stryg is suited to rule House Veres.¡± She sighed deeply, ¡°But I am with you, uncle. If you think this is the right path, I will walk it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lady,¡± Gian bowed his head gratefully.


    ¡°Just promise me, when the time comes, you will help me kill Elohnoir and if necessary, put an end to House Noir altogether.¡±


    Gian sighed reluctantly, ¡°...I promise.¡±

 Chapter 405: Maritime Negotiations

    Chapter 405: Maritime Negotiations


    The summer warmth did not reach the frozen Northern Lands. Grey clouds blanketed the sky and snow fell in slow waves. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, taking with it the little warmth left in the land.


    The drow blood coursing through Mary took the edge off the cold winds, but it did little to prevent the heat from leaving her body as she trudged through the knee-high snow. She usually wouldn¡¯t be this far north, her patrol area ended a good twenty miles south, but after spotting the odd trio, her duty demanded she follow.


    Mary had first seen them when they had stayed at a lodging in the village she was posted at. They had mostly kept to themselves. Mary had never seen them before and kept a close eye on the strangers. That was when she noticed the flick of a deep-blue serpentine tail from underneath the tallest of them. A lamia, she realized.


    The recent reports mentioned a lamia companion of the Ebon Aspirant. After learning who the lamia was Mary had quickly deduced the identities of the other two, though why Callum Veres and a dwarven mage were traveling this far north she didn¡¯t understand.


    The Order considered the Ebon Aspirant a potential Class 1 threat and his companions to be a Class 2 threat until any further action. This was above her jurisdiction, but Mary couldn¡¯t simply ignore the strangers.


    For the last two days, Mary had been secretly following them from a distance, using the snowstorm and her black magic as cover. The trio seemed to move with purpose, only staying at village taverns for a single night before moving on the next morning. Their trail had finally led them to one of the port villages on the shores of Hoarfrost Bay.


    As usual, the trio made their way straight to the village¡¯s tavern. Unlike the landlocked villages, several taverns were lining the port. The Veres scion led his companions to the largest of the inns.


    Mary followed from a closer distance, casting a shadow spell to hide her within the shadows of the buildings.


    Over a hundred pairs of eyes stopped and looked at the trio the moment they stepped through the door. Sailors and dock workers stared at the cloaked strangers suspiciously, but made no move against them, and simply sipped at their drinks.


    The Veres scion kept his head held up high and went to one of the open tables. The dwarf hurried behind him while glancing at the other patrons warily. The lamia loomed over her companions and her long cloak dragged behind her as she followed the others while trying to mimic a walking gait. All the while the other patrons watched them with an air of distrust.


    Mary used the distraction to slip through an open window. She found a seat at the back of the tavern and quietly watched the night unfold from afar.


    ~~~


    The hard wooden stools were a far cry from the usual feather-padded chairs Callum was used to, but he was grateful to have anything to sit down on that wasn¡¯t cold and wet. He rubbed his hands together for warmth and breathed in, relieved.


    ¡°I can barely feel my fingers,¡± he chuckled with a tired but happy expression. ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve been walking in that blasted storm forever, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Kithina mumbled distractedly.


    ¡°Gods, I hope this place has a warm bath and maybe some hot tea. Yeah, I could really use some tea, with a bit of blood mixed in,¡± Callum sighed dreamily.


    ¡°You¡¯re salivating,¡± Lysaila noted dryly.


    ¡°They''re all staring at us,¡± Kithina whispered. ¡°They usually stop staring by now.¡±


    Callum wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and took a quick glance about the room full of unfamiliar, possibly angry, faces. The tension felt palpable. ¡°...They¡¯ll stop, eventually¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re only still staring because of that damn fancy cloak of yours,¡± Lysaila glared at him. ¡°They think we¡¯re some rich travelers.¡±


    ¡°I am rich though,¡± Callum said off-handedly and wrapped the thick fur cloak snugly around his shoulders.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking to rob us, idiot,¡± Lysaila snapped. She turned to Kitty, ¡°I knew we should have left the vampire in Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I got us to Hoarfrost Bay, didn¡¯t I?¡± Callum said. ¡°And if they¡¯re staring at us it¡¯s not because of my cloak, but because you look so damn weird whenever you try to walk.¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer I slither around and announce to everyone in this place that I¡¯m a lamia?¡± she quietly hissed at him.


    ¡°Maybe that would be best, it certainly would ward off any would-be robbers,¡± Callum said. ¡°Of course, knowing you, you¡¯d probably kill half of them just for fun.¡±


    Lysaila narrowed her eyes, ¡°Careful, Veres, there are no Gales around to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just stay on track, guys, yeah?¡± Kithina pulled out her map and laid it across the table. Her hand hovered over the bay at the northern edge of the realm. ¡°So, where exactly is this island we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°Should be somewhere about¡ª here.¡± Lysaila put her finger at the middle of the bay, though there was nothing but water on the map in the entire area.


    ¡°Alright, that doesn¡¯t look too far. Just a couple of days at sea,¡± Kithina nodded to herself. ¡°All we have to do now is secure a ship and it should be smooth sailing from then on.¡±


    ¡°Nothing about Hoarfrost Bay is smooth sailing, especially its deep waters,¡± Callum said grimly.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lysaila asked skeptically.


    ¡°If the chrome gate really is on an island at the center of the bay it¡¯ll be hard to find a captain willing to take us there,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°I thought you said you could secure us a ship,¡± Lysaila said angrily. ¡°You said it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for a noble like you? What happened to all that ¡®noble swagger,¡¯ hm?¡±


    ¡°I can and I will get us a ship, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Callum sighed. ¡°Sailors avoid the deep waters of the bay for good reasons.¡±


    ¡°Like what? What¡¯s out there?¡± Kithina asked.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Besides pods of white eels as thick as your waist with razor-sharp teeth that will tear into your flesh if you fall into the water? Plenty of other sea fauna that will do the same,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°So just stay out of the water, easy enough,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the beasts,¡± he replied. ¡°Thick fog covers most of the area and the deep waters are filled with large floating chunks of ice. It would be easy for a ship to ram into the ice before realizing what was happening.¡±


    ¡°...There was a lot of fog when we left the island,¡± Lysaila admitted. ¡°Still, we never crashed into anything.¡±


    ¡°Then you had a good navigator,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°All that means is we have to make sure our captain has a good navigator too,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°Even so, there are stories¡­ Sailors have seen things in those waters, things they can¡¯t explain,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°All sailors have spooky stories they tell each other while drunk, it doesn¡¯t matter the realm they¡¯re in, sailors will be sailors. I wouldn¡¯t give it much thought,¡± Lysaila said.


    Kithina nodded, ¡°She makes a point. If we choose our captain wisely and stay on the ship, I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Callum bit his lip, ¡°The real danger isn''t the mists or eels. It¡¯s the sirens and they are certainly real.¡±


    ¡°Sirens?¡± Kithina¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What are they? Some other kind of fish with sharp teeth?¡± Lysaila asked.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Callum winced. ¡°They¡¯re an elemental species of water and air. My family encountered them in the past back before Hollow Shade was built, when my House lived in the Northern Lands. The family records say how the sirens appeared like beautiful women and they lured the sailors into the water with their voices.¡±


    ¡°Elemental air magic,¡± Kithina said. ¡°My Yellow professors told me about them back at the academy.¡±


    Callum nodded grimly, ¡°They may look beautiful, but when you fall into the water the sirens transform into aquatic beasts. Countless sailors have fallen into their watery graves because of them. It¡¯s why ships stay near the shoreline nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Lysaila, did you really not encounter any sirens when you left the island?¡± Kithina asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The island had some roaming beasts that the twins dealt with, but we didn¡¯t really encounter odd while at sea¡ª¡± she paused and her expression became thoughtful.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, there was one odd thing. Crow, Marek¡¯s spymaster, sat at the bow of the ship when we entered the mists. He sang in a strange voice the entire way, I didn¡¯t understand the words, but they felt¡ª dangerous. I don¡¯t know how else to explain it.¡±


    ¡°Some kind of elemental spell, perhaps?¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°No, Crow isn¡¯t a mage.¡± Lysaila furrowed her brow, ¡°Then again, I could never tell if he was lying. His heartbeat was the only one that never changed, its rhythm was always a slow steady beat.¡±


    ¡°In any case, it doesn¡¯t help us. It¡¯s going to be hard to convince a captain to go into the deep waters of the bay,¡± Callum noted.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is you can¡¯t do it,¡± Lysaila raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying let me do the talking.¡± Callum called the barmaid over and slipped her a silver coin, ¡°Hello, Miss, would you mind telling me which of these fine sailors are captains of their own ships?¡±


    The barmaid quickly pocketed the coin and began listing off several names and the tables where they sat.


    Lysaila crossed her arms, ¡°This is a bad idea.¡±


    Kithina glanced around the room full of gruff sailors, ¡°Let¡¯s give him a chance, he¡¯s gotten us this far.¡±


    ~~~


    Kael Greyson sipped his ale and smoked his pipe with closed eyes while the rest of his mates laughed at some stupid joke they had heard a dozen times.


    The sound of a chair moving across the table caught his attention. The voices of his friends died down. Greyson opened his scarlet eyes curiously.


    The vampire that had strode into the tavern like some far-off king was now sitting in front of him. A redheaded dwarf was standing next to him along with what Kael was pretty certain was the tallest woman he had ever seen. Her cloak hid her face, but it did little to hide her feminine shape.


    Callum smiled in a friendly wide manner, ¡°Evenin¡¯ Cap¡¯n Greyson.¡±


    Greyson noticed the young man¡¯s stunted fangs and he bared his own sharp fangs in response, ¡°What the fuck do you want, hybrid?¡±


    ¡°To buy you drinks,¡± he said without missing a beat. Callum motioned the barmaid over, ¡°A round of drinks for all my friends, please.¡±


    The sailors at the table cheered in drunken delight.


    Greyson inclined his head, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Callum rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward conspicuously, ¡°I hear you have the toughest crew around these docks and the fastest ship to boot.¡±


    Greyson took another whiff of his pipe, ¡°What¡¯s it matter to ya?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to enlist your ship for a short journey across the bay. I¡¯d pay well, of course.¡±


    Greyson scratched his scraggly beard in thought, ¡°Hm, which village would we be heading to?¡±


    Callum nodded at Kithina. She reached into her backpack and laid her map across the table. ¡°Right here,¡± she said, pointing to the empty spot at the center of Hoarfrost Bay.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like much, but I have it on good authority that there is an island residing in that location,¡± Callum said confidently.


    Greyson stared at the map for a moment then burst into laughter. ¡°You want to take my ship and my crew, and sail into the deep waters of the bay? And for what? Some fairy tale you heard about? Are you fucking mad?¡±


    The other sailors glanced at the map and laughed along with him.


    Callum reached into his pocket, ¡°Maybe, but we can pay you handsomely.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, hybrid. You don¡¯t have enough,¡± Greyson said.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t even offered you a number yet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Your hybrid coins aren¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°What happened to ¡®let me do the talking¡¯?¡± Lysaila whispered angrily.


    Callum smiled sheepishly at her. He cleared his throat, ¡°Captain, please, if you just hear me out, I¡¯m sure we can come to an arrangement¡ª¡±


    Greyson slammed his mug on the table. ¡°Look, my men and I have had a long day. All we want is to drink and relax. We aren¡¯t interested in the stupid fantasies of some mixed-blood brat. So, why don¡¯t you just go away and leave the pretty ladies with us, hm?¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± the sailors raised their mugs in agreement.


    Kithina frowned uncomfortably, but Lysaila leaned in with a dangerous smile.


    ¡°Oh? Do you want to play with me?¡± Lysaila said coyly as her hood slipped off a bit, revealing her serpentine dark eyes.


    The sailors stiffened in shock.


    Greyson¡¯s pipe slipped out of his slackened mouth. ¡°Y-You¡¯re a-a-a¡­! L-La¡ª¡±


    Callum tossed a pouch on the table. The pouch hit the wood with a heavy thud and a couple of gold coins spilled out.


    The sound of coins ripped Greyson¡¯s attention away from the terrifying lamia. He cautiously reached out and peered into the pouch. ¡°It¡¯s all gold,¡± he mumbled in disbelief.


    ¡°Think of it as an advance payment in good faith. There will be twice as much waiting for you once you deliver my companions and me back from the island safely,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Twice as much¡­?¡± Greyson¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Or,¡± Callum swiped the pouch from the table. ¡°I can go find another captain willing to have some balls for once. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll leave my lamia friend here with you lot. You can try and ¡®play¡¯ with her but I doubt any of you will have fun, she definitely will though.¡±


    Greyson stared at Lysaila fearfully. He swallowed hard, ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Callum stood to his feet, ¡°Come on, Kitty, let¡¯s leave Lysaila alone to play with her new toys.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Kithina nodded stiffly.


    Callum grabbed his mug of ale and turned to leave, ¡°Enjoy your evening, friends!¡±


    ¡°W-Wait!¡± Greyson called out panickedly.


    Callum slowly turned back to them with a smirk, ¡°Do we have a deal then? Or is my coin still not good enough for you?¡±


    Greyson licked his lips and nodded hesitantly, ¡°We set sail at dawn.¡±


    Callum raised his mug to the sailors, ¡°I look forward to it, Cap¡¯n.¡±

 Chapter 406: A Terrible Idea

    Chapter 406: A Terrible Idea


    Lysaila opened the tavern¡¯s doors and slithered out into the dark snowstorm without hesitation. Kithina hesitated, reluctant to walk back into the frigid cold, but in the end, she followed, albeit with some grumbling. Callum walked out without a word, smiling from ear to ear. He was too happy about securing passage across Hoarfrost Bay to even care about the cold.


    ¡°Lysaila, my dear serpentine companion, we are friends are we not?¡± Kithina asked with chattering teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only friend I have in this damned realm, you know that, Kitty,¡± Lysaila said offhandedly, without glancing back at her.


    ¡°Then why the blazes are we out in this godforsaken storm!?¡± Kithina yelled.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want a bunch of loose-lipped sailors to hear us talk about our secret plans moving forward,¡± Lysaila answered before slithering towards a dark alley behind the tavern and stables.


    Kithina stopped in her tracks. ¡°Secret plans? What secret plans? Hey, wait up!¡±


    Lysaila waited for them in the empty alley until they were standing next to each other in darkness.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this secret plan about? Because if it has anything to do with Captain Greyson he¡¯ll probably end up charging us more gold,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Listen closely,¡± Lysaila leaned in and whispered. ¡°The truth is¡ª¡± Her azure tail suddenly lashed out like a whip into the empty darkness.


    A feminine cry rang out behind them and a blot of shadows slammed into the stable¡¯s walls. Lysaila¡¯s tail pulled back and snapped out again for a second blow. The shadowy figure tried staggering to her feet when the hardened scales smacked into her once more and sent her careening into the snow.


    ¡°What the fuck!? What is that!?¡± Callum cried out in alarm.


    ¡°This pesky rat has been following us for the last two days.¡± Lysaila coiled her tail around the dazed figure and pulled her into the light of the nearby stable torches.


    The shadows melted away under the firelight, revealing a battered drow woman. Her split lip was scarlet red with blood and her cheeks were already beginning to swell from where Lysaila had first struck.


    ¡°A black mage spy? From my family?¡± Callum muttered worriedly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been being followed for two days and you only tell us now?¡± Kithina frowned.


    Lysaila shrugged, ¡°If I had told you sooner you would have run straight at her and she would have scurried away before any of us could have gotten answers.¡± Lysaila smiled hungrily like a predator eyeing its prey, ¡°No, to catch a rat like this you have to be patient, let it come close, and then lure it even closer with bait, like the whispers of a secret plan.¡±


    Mary looked up at Lysaila grimly and gritted her teeth, ¡°...Do your worst.¡±


    Lysaila laughed warmly and then her eyes suddenly grew cold, ¡°You couldn¡¯t handle my worst, rat.¡±


    ¡°Did my sister send you?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Who else knows we¡¯re here?¡± Kithina asked.


    Mary spat a glob of blood and spit on the snow, ¡°I would rather die than tell you anything.¡±


    Lysaila smirked, ¡°Die?¡± She pulled Mary close with her tail until they could feel the warmth of each other¡¯s breath. ¡°Your survival was never a matter of debate. You are going to die tonight.¡± She licked the blood across the drow¡¯s lips with her forked tongue and savored the flavor with a smile. ¡°For a rat, you¡¯re quite¡ª tasty.¡±


    Mary shivered and tried to lean away but the lamia¡¯s tail held her tight.


    ¡°Stop trying to scare her,¡± Kithian said dryly.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for me to try that,¡± Lysaila grinned hungrily. ¡°I can hear her heart beating like a drum. She¡¯s already terrified of me.¡±


    Mary swallowed hard, ¡°...I¡¯m not afraid of you, abomination.¡±


    Lysaila cocked her head to the side and cooed softly, ¡°Aw, there¡¯s no need to pretend to be brave. I can hear your fear.¡±


    Mary gasped as the lamia¡¯s tail began to coil more tightly around her, forcing the breath out of her lungs. The drow¡¯s feet shook helplessly off the ground as her bones began to creak.


    Callum pitied the drow but he was well aware that there was nothing he could do or say that would stop the lamia¡¯s bloodlust. He knew how dangerous a grandmaster swordsman was, let alone a lamia grandmaster. He looked away and hoped the drow¡¯s death would be swift.


    Mary¡¯s face began to turn a darker shade of blue, almost purple. She choked on her blood, helplessly trying to gasp for breath.


    ¡°Lysaila, enough!¡± Kithina called out.


    The lamia glanced at Kithina annoyedly, but she loosened her grasp on the drow, just enough to let her breathe. Mary¡¯s head sagged to her chin and her breath came in short gasps.


    ¡°Sometimes you go too far,¡± Kithina sighed. ¡°You¡¯re a lot like Stryg in that matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, I wasn¡¯t going to crush her to death.¡± Lysaila gripped Mary¡¯s blue cheeks between her fingers and sneered, black venom dripping from her fangs. ¡°I was going to sink my teeth into her flesh and let my poison slowly end her life with sweet agonizing pain.¡±


    Kithina and Callum glanced at each other silently and nodded in perfect understanding. Definitely like Stryg.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to kill her,¡± Kithina said. ¡°If you could just put your appetite aside for one moment and let me speak to her.¡±


    Lysaila clicked her tongue, ¡°Be my guest.¡± She carried the drow like a ragdoll with her tail and held Mary in front of the red-headed dwarf.


    Kithina smiled weakly, ¡°H-hello. I know this situation isn¡¯t what either of us wanted, it certainly isn¡¯t what I wanted.¡± She sighed, ¡°Look, this scary snake lady standing behind you will kill you if you don¡¯t tell us anything, but if you tell us why you¡¯re here I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t eat you. I can only imagine you¡¯d like to live to see another day, so please, help me.¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°And try not to lie. Lamias have incredible hearing. She¡¯ll be able to tell if you¡¯re lying,¡± Callum added, partly for their own sake, and partly because he ??didn¡¯t want to see the drow crushed into a bloody mess.


    Mary slowly glanced at each one of them between labored breaths. Blood dribbled down her chin and her eyes were red as if she had just been crying. She clenched her eyes tight and whispered reluctantly, ¡°...Alright.¡±


    ¡°Tell us why you¡¯re here,¡± Kithina said gently.


    ¡°After the tourney at Undergrowth, I received a message to keep an eye out for him,¡± Mary stared pointedly at Callum. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect to actually find him.¡±


    ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have brought the damn vampire along,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°Wait, if it was after the tournament then it couldn¡¯t have been Elise who sent her. This isn¡¯t the work of my family,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°Then why are you? Who sent you?¡± Kithina asked.


    Mary chuckled helplessly, ¡°If you want me to tell you that then you better just let your friend eat me now.¡±


    Kithina bit her lip, uncertain of what to say.


    Callum looked at the drow thoughtfully, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t expect to find me. Which means you didn¡¯t know I was coming to the Northern Lands. Of course, how could you? That message you received was too broad, which leads me to believe you weren¡¯t the only one that received it. The message must have been given to countless spies or scouts or whatever you are. But why? Why me? And why after the tournament?¡±


    ¡°I suggest you answer quickly before I begin to take a few bites out of that soft neck,¡± Lysaila whispered into the drow¡¯s ear.


    Mary shivered. ¡°...I don¡¯t know who gave the order. All I know is that it came from high up. If I were to find you I was only supposed to observe, not engage. I had no intention of harming any of you.¡±


    Lysaila sighed, ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth. This rat may be less useful than we thought.¡±


    ¡°This doesn''t make sense, who would send people to spy on Cal?¡± Kithina frowned. ¡°Who would even have the power to have spies all the way up in the Northern Lands?¡±


    ¡°A Great House, no doubt. I¡¯d wager House Thorn,¡± Lysaila guessed.


    ¡°...It wasn¡¯t House Thorn,¡± Callum said contemplatively. ¡°If it had been the drow¡¯s orders it would have been to kill or capture me, or at the very least alert someone who could. No, it wasn¡¯t House Thorn. It had to have been someone with connections who sought me no harm, at least for now¡­¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± Kithina asked curiously.


    ¡°Sylvie,¡± Callum whispered.


    Belle, that was her true name, the last gift she had given him before she had left. It was one of the few truths he knew about her and he held it dear. But in the end, Belle had ended things between them, there was no reason for her to send spies to search for him, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t Belle, but someone close to her. Her family, perhaps?


    It made sense, if she was somehow related to the Great House of Ashe then it all seemed plausible. The Ashes were one of the Seven Ruling Families of Hollow Shade, they had the resources to embark on such an endeavor, except¡­ House Ashe wasn¡¯t in the business of espionage, that was more of House Helen¡¯s territory.


    Callum knew for a fact that House Ashe didn¡¯t manage a spy network, his father had told him as much. House Ashe was a powerful family but they weren¡¯t known to delve into intrigue. They were a House of the people, beloved by the commoners as a very religious family, even borderline holy. Their family head, Calantha, was the high priestess of Hollow Shade. The Ashes were adherent devotees of Bellum, the goddess of war and protector of the realm. The family had devoted everything to serving the goddess ever since Calantha¡¯s parents had been saved by Bellum and the goddess had blessed the infant Calantha many years ago, or so the stories claimed. So why would¡ª?


    ¡­Wait.


    Callum stiffened.


    Bellum and¡­ Belle?


    An odd coincidence? Or maybe not. Her family were devout followers of the goddess of war, they probably named her after Bellum. A little strange, maybe even sacrilegious, but nothing more.


    It was just a name, it meant nothing else¡ª ¡®I¡¯m not like you.¡¯


    Belle''s words echoed through his mind. When he had last spoken to her she had told him she wasn¡¯t a dire¡­ she wasn¡¯t even a half-human.


    It made no sense, of course. Naturally, she was a dire, how else could she have such strength and stature?


    Callum hadn¡¯t understood why she had told him those things, but he remembered how difficult it had seemed for her to admit those words. How anxious she had looked¡­


    If she wasn¡¯t lying, then what had she meant that day?


    The memory of Sylvie¡¯s voice flashed in his mind, ¡®My mother always told me we have an obligation to the Ebon Realm, to keeping the people of this land safe.¡¯


    Safe? She had wanted to protect the people? Protect¡­? Like the goddess of war, the Guardian of the realm.


    He supposed it made sense. Her family idolized Bellum, it would only be fitting that they tried to emulate her.


    But what if it was more? The mad idea taunted his mind.


    No, that was ridiculous, a ludicrous thought to even contemplate.


    ¡®I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯m not a dire¡­ I¡¯m not even half-human.¡¯


    Callum felt his blood run cold.


    It was mad. Insane. Complete insanity. And yet the more he thought about it, the more the idea began to take hold.


    ¡°Cal¡­? Are you alright?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°I swear he only had one cup of ale,¡± Lysaila shook her head.


    Callum slowly looked up at them, a glint of madness in his scarlet eyes. ¡°Lysaila, strip the drow¡¯s clothes.¡±


    The lamia frowned, ¡°You serious?¡±


    Callum ignored her words. ¡°Just do it, please.¡±


    Lysaila noticed the determination in his voice. She shrugged and began to rip off the immobilized drow¡¯s clothes with ease.


    ¡°Cal, what¡¯s going on?¡± Kithina asked worriedly.


    He spoke carefully, his eyes glancing all across Mary¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m looking for something. If I¡¯m right, she should have some kind of mark on her body, a black symbol of some kind.¡±


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened in shock at his words.


    Lysaila finished tearing off all her clothes, save Mary¡¯s underclothes, and was about to rip them in half as well when Callum gasped in quiet surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s there, it¡¯s really right there,¡± Callum muttered in disbelief.


    Mary shivered half-naked in the cold. She tried to move, to run away, but Lysaila¡¯s tail held her still.


    The lamia wrinkled her brow, ¡°What is that?¡±


    A thumb-sized black tattoo in the shape of a blade wrapped in flames sat between Mary¡¯s shoulder blades.


    ¡°What are we looking at, Cal?¡± Kithina asked, just as confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s the symbol of the Ebon Order. Every member is said to carry the mark somewhere on their body,¡± Callum said pensively.


    ¡°But the Order is just a myth. That¡¯s just some tattoo¡­ right?¡± Kithina asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Her heartbeat says otherwise,¡± Lysaila noted. ¡°The rat is more scared than ever. Well done.¡±


    ¡°Let her go, Lysaila,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied adamantly.


    ¡°Lysaila, we need her!¡± Callum pleaded. ¡°If you¡¯ve ever trusted me even for a moment, then trust me now, please.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, never have,¡± Lysaila said matter-of-factly. ¡°...But Kitty does.¡± She loosened her tail and dropped the drow unceremoniously on the cold snow.


    Callum crouched next to Mary and handed her back her clothes. ¡°My companions and I are going to an island in Hoarfrost Bay¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªCal, what are you saying?¡± Kithina asked, confused.


    He pulled out a map and marked their destination, then offered it to Mary. ¡°We are going to the island to prevent a madman from sending monsters of the void into the other realms through a chrome gate. It is in many ways a quest of certain death and we will probably fail, but we can¡¯t stop. These monsters have the potential to destroy not just our realm, but all the Null Realms. Many of them are with the warlord Marek right now.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you telling me this?¡± Mary asked warily.


    ¡°Because your order was founded by our goddess to protect the Realm. Tell your superiors that the realm is in grave danger, the likes of which they may have never seen. Tell your superiors about what is happening. Warn them of what¡¯s coming.¡±


    Mary hesitantly grabbed the map and abruptly scurried off into the darkness.


    ¡°Do you really think that was a good idea?¡± Kithina asked.


    ¡°Clearly not,¡± Lysaila said.


    Callum winced, ¡°Gods, I hope so.¡±

 Chapter 407: Grimstone Mountain

    Chapter 407: Grimstone Mountain


    Mt. Moon Fang stood tall in the distance, its peak stretching towards the sky. It had been two days since their departure, and yet Stryg somehow felt as if they had been traveling for much longer.


    The air became colder the higher the Blood Fang hunters climbed up Grimstone Mountain. The howling winds had ceased as the sun reached its zenith in the sky, but the sun¡¯s warmth did not reach the travelers. The snow reached up to the goblins¡¯ waists. Marching through the snow would have been taxing on the entire group and would have cost them an extra day or two. Fortunately, there were two orange mages among them.


    Stryg and Tauri took turns melting a path through the snow with their flame magic. The others followed behind in a straight line and used their larger frames as windbreaks.


    Tauri channeled flames in a small cone in front of her to conserve energy. Flame spells consumed mana much faster than the other spell forms, save for storm magic.


    ¡°You really traveled with one of those serpent fiends? And she didn¡¯t try to kill you?!¡± Srixa exclaimed in disbelief.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°W-Well¡­ she tried to, multiple times. But she couldn¡¯t quite do it.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause you beat her into submission with your magic?¡± the huntress guessed.


    ¡°No, actually, I lost the first time we fought,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could even defeat her now. Lysaila is a grandmaster swordswoman and a deadly lamia.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you stop her?¡± Srixa asked, confused.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ It was some sort of spell, it bound us together somehow. I don¡¯t know how to explain it,¡± Stryg said. Even now he didn¡¯t truly understand what the magical bond between them was, though he promised Lysaila he would one day learn how to break it.


    ¡°So, you cast a spell to stop her from killing you? Isn¡¯t that the same as beating her into submission with magic?¡± Srixa frowned.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t cast it. I don¡¯t know who did. Lysaila believes it¡¯s an ancient spell engraved in her ancestors¡¯ blood by their creators.¡±


    ¡°Wait, someone created those serpentine monsters?!¡± Srixa asked with wide eyes. ¡°Since when can magic do that?¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. No one knows how the Mortem did it.¡±


    ¡°The Mortem? Are they the ones who created those serpentine monsters?¡±


    ¡°They are the creators of all the beastkin,¡± Plum interjected, happy to share about a topic she was well-versed in. ¡°They were an ancient powerful order of mages from the Scarlet Realm.¡±


    ¡°Were?¡± Srixa raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°The Mortem Order fell four centuries ago, not long after the beastkin were made,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Wait, so did the beastkin rebel against them or something?¡± Srixa asked.


    Plum nodded, ¡°The academy archives didn¡¯t contain a definitive answer, but historians seem to agree that''s the prevailing theory.


    ¡°Heh, serves them right for making those damn monsters,¡± Srixa smirked.


    ¡°Enough with the stories, we¡¯re almost here,¡± Otley said with a grim expression.


    Plum stared at the usually-confident emissary and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why do you look so tense?¡±


    Srixa smiled proudly, it was her turn to explain. ¡°That¡¯s Otley of the Iron Spine Tribe you¡¯re talking to, the Troll Slayer.¡±


    ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Plum remembered hearing the title at one point or another, it was only now she was beginning to understand its implications. ¡°So, you, uh, killed frost trolls?¡± she asked, hoping she was wrong.


    Otley stared at the blanket of snow around them, scanning for enemies. ¡°...Let¡¯s just say that when I was young some of my tribemates and I had some altercations with a few frost trolls.¡±


    Otley unconsciously ran his hand over the many scars across his face. ¡°In the end, my tribemates lay dead in the bloody snow, as did the trolls.¡±


    Plum swallowed hard, ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Otley, have you been back to Grimstone ever since?¡± Aurelia asked with an unreadable expression.


    The emissary shook his head, ¡°No. And I wouldn¡¯t have come back here if it wasn¡¯t for Mother Elect.¡±


    ¡°Her punishments can be cruel,¡± Aurelia said with a trace of sympathy. ¡°Thank you, for not telling her about me when you visited the tribe.¡±


    Otley bowed his head respectfully, ¡°If I had to do it again, I would without hesitation, Favored of the Moon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Jahn called out.


    ¡°Good, my mana reserves were beginning to run dry,¡± Tauri sighed in relief.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A large cavern entrance stretched out from the mountainside. The entrance was almost a vertical drop and even Stryg couldn¡¯t see what lay beyond.


    ¡°You think the frost trolls will be happy to see us?¡± Plum asked hopefully.


    ¡°The trolls and the Sylvan have had an unstable relationship at best for the last several hundred years, so no, I don¡¯t think they will,¡± Otley said darkly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just find out what happened to the last emissary and her guards, fix the ore trade treaty quickly, and get out of this place as soon as possible,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± Otley said.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have put it better myself, sis,¡± Jahn smiled and jumped down the cavern hole, spear in hand.


    ¡°Tch, always going in without any care or hesitation,¡± Aurelia growled. She grabbed her spear and jumped in after him.


    Stryg, trying to heed First Mother¡¯s words, climbed down with a bit more care, but the floor was covered in ice and he slipped down and tumbled all the way down. He landed with a heavy crash and the ice underneath him cracked in a hundred lines.


    Aurelia stared at his ungraceful landing with disappointment, but said nothing.


    The judging stare felt worse and Stryg wilted underneath her gaze.


    Tauri and Plum had a better time, with Tauri using her flail as a grip while sliding down. Plum held onto her back all the way down.


    Even the other hunters climbed down with more grace than Stryg. He wanted to say aloud that his body was heavier and how the ice couldn¡¯t hold his weight, but it felt like a weak excuse and one First Mother wouldn¡¯t care to hear.


    Once everyone was together Jahn pointed at the five tunnels that lay ahead of them. ¡°Where to now?¡±


    ¡°There are so many paths¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°This is nothing,¡± Otley said. ¡°The trolls have carved countless tunnels and bridges of ice through the mountain. If you don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going you¡¯ll find yourself quickly lost.¡±


    ¡°So how are we supposed to choose the right path?¡± Stryg asked.


    Aurelia narrowed her yellow eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll show us. Won¡¯t you?¡±


    The icy cavern exploded in a cloud of snow. The ground rumbled as twenty frost trolls jumped out from beneath the banks of snow. Their massive forms towered over a dozen feet, somewhat smaller than their cavern cousins, though their backs were broader and their arms longer.


    Their thick hide was covered in short white fur and they wore pale carapace armor. Each held a bulky steel hammer in one hand and a massive shield in the other. Twenty pairs of beady blue eyes glared at the goblins. Their lips were bared back, revealing their sharp fangs.


    Stryg and the other goblins drew their weapons and fell into a defensive position in an instant. They put their backs to one another and formed a protective circle with Tauri and Plum at the center.


    Tauri raised her hands, orange flames crackling at her fingertips.


    Plum stared at the towering beasts and tried her best to stop her legs from trembling.


    ¡°They¡¯re smaller but they look similar to the undead trolls I fought in my 2nd year,¡± Stryg said under his breath. ¡°I know how to deal with them.¡± He began channeling white mana into his open hand.


    Tauri noticed what he was doing and she nudged him to stop. ¡°Those were cave trolls. Frost trolls aren¡¯t sensitive to bright spells or any kind of light for that matter.¡±


    ¡°So how are we supposed to stop them?¡± he whispered anxiously.


    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t undead this time, so just poke that sword of yours into their eye sockets or something,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°...Good to know,¡± Stryg muttered wryly.


    Jahn suddenly threw his spear down and opened his arms defenselessly. ¡°We come in peace. I am Jahn, chieftain of the Blood Fang Tribe. We¡¯ve come to speak with your king regarding Evenfall¡¯s recent ore shipments or lack thereof.¡±


    The trolls stared at them and growled a deep sound, like rocks falling against one another.


    Jahn shared a glance with his sister and nodded silently. They wouldn¡¯t strike first. If the trolls attacked then it confirmed that they had broken the treaty with the Sylvan and their goal for coming here would be hopeless.


    One of the trolls stepped forward and stared at the intruders one at a time, his eyes lingering on Stryg and his sword. The troll slowly lowered his hammer and bowed his head. ¡°Greetings, Jahn of the Blood Fang,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°I am Izgerd, captain of this guard. My warriors and I shall keep you safe for as long as you stand in our domain.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Jahn bowed.


    ¡°Follow me. Our king has been waiting for your kind.¡± Izgerd turned around and walked down the far left tunnel.


    The other trolls positioned themselves around the goblins in escort fashion and gestured for Jahn and the others to follow their captain.


    Otley kept his hood down, hoping none of them would recognize him.


    ¡°I guess we follow them?¡± Jahn whispered.


    ¡°We have no other choice,¡± Aurelia sighed.


    ~~~


    Izgerd led them down several tunnels and across several bridges forged of ice that ran over underground rivers. With each step, Stryg and his companions went deeper into the mountain. He had lost track of where they were, the sound of rushing water echoing off the tunnel walls disorienting him.


    The whole area was covered in snow, ice, and rock. There were only a few torches placed throughout the tunnels. Stryg guessed the trolls relied on their other senses besides sight. The darkness posed no obstacle for his lilac eyes and the other goblins could see fairly well in the dim light, but he could hear Tauri and Plum fumbling about in the darkness behind him.


    Without a word, Stryg grabbed the orc and drow by the hand and let them around each odd rock protrusion and slippery patch of ice.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Tauri said nothing and simply wrapped her arm around his. Stryg smiled, unseen in the darkness.


    Izgerd eventually stopped in front of a large door of steel covered in a thick sheet of ice. He dug his clawed fingers into the ice and it peeled back with a screech, forming a crown of ice around the thawed steel. The door lumbered open with a heavy creak and the frost trolls walked into the large cavernous room without another word.


    ¡°Try to be respectful,¡± Aurelia whispered to them, though her eyes stared pointedly at Stryg.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Stryg nodded repeatedly.


    Aurelia looked at him doubtfully and reluctantly walked in.


    The enormous room was filled with icy pedestals displaying all manners of metalcraft, from polished bronze vases to large ornate axes. Two thrones forged of steel and covered in ice stood at the end of the room. The king and queen sat on their thrones with the royal presence of monarchs.


    The queen was dressed in brightly dyed bear furs and wore a crown of gold on her brow. She smiled at the guests¡¯ entrance.


    But where the queen seemed full of joy, the king was not. He was covered in a dark cloak and he wore no crown. He seemed tired and disinterested.


    Izgerd kneeled down in front of his rulers as did his guards, ¡°Queen Yala, King Alok, forgive me for the intrusion, but I have brought you Jahn of the Blood Fang and his tribe. They seek an audience with your majesties.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to our home, Sylvan friends,¡± Queen Yala smiled brightly, though her sharp fangs made the smile seem terrifying. ¡°What has brought you to the heart of our mountain?¡±

 Chapter 408: In the Hall of the Frost Trolls

    Chapter 408: In the Hall of the Frost Trolls


    The captain of the guard Izgerd, and his frost troll warriors, bowed in front of their king and queen, sitting on their thrones.


    ¡°Queen Yala, King Alok, forgive me for the intrusion, but I have brought you Jahn of the Blood Fang and his tribe. They seek an audience with your majesties,¡± said Izgerd in a formal tone and gestured to the group of goblins standing behind him.


    ¡°Welcome to our home, Sylvan friends,¡± Queen Yala smiled brightly, her sharp fangs giving the smile a terrifying look. ¡°What has brought you to the heart of our mountain?¡±


    King Alok didn¡¯t bother to respond, he looked entirely disinterested in the procession and his deep-set eyes glanced at his collection of artifacts on display throughout the throne room. His giant body was wrapped in a dark blue cloak and unlike the queen, he made no effort to wear his royal garments nor crown.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing us into your home, Queen Yala,¡± Jahn bowed respectfully.


    ¡°There were many more of your warriors than usual guarding the mountain¡¯s entrance today,¡± Aurelia said pointedly as she stared at Izgerd and his guards. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Yala leaned forward on her throne. ¡°And here I was about to ask you why you were traveling with an orc and a pair of drows. The world is a strange place, is it not? In any case, if you are speaking of the number of our guards then I can only assume you know of our customs, but I don¡¯t recall ever seeing you before. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am the emissary sent by the Lunar Elect to deal with the matters regarding the relations between the frost trolls of Grimstone Mountain and the Sylvan folk,¡± Aurelia said without missing a beat.


    Otley looked at her in surprise from beneath the cowl of his cloak. Realizing Aurelia was covering for him, he held his tongue. If the troll monarchs realized he was the Troll Slayer negotiations would certainly break down.


    ¡°As emissary, I have studied your customs thoroughly in preparation for this meeting,¡± Aurelia explained. ¡°So why is it that there were over twenty warriors guarding the mountain¡¯s entrance, instead of the usual five or six? Are you trying to keep somebody out? Or maybe someone inside?¡±


    Yala sighed downheartedly, ¡°It cannot be helped I¡¯m afraid. Grimstone is not as safe as it once was. A few weeks ago we suffered a collapse in one of our mine shafts. The collapse sent countless reverberations through the mountain and attracted skolguls from all around. Our tunnels have been infested with the beasts ever since. We¡¯ve been forced to double or triple our guards in all our key travel routes in order to protect our people.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Aurelia furrowed her brow in thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s a skolgul?¡± Stryg whispered to Jahn.


    ¡°They are elemental beasts that lurk in the shadows deep in the mountains. Insect creatures with long carapace bodies and dozens of legs. The larger ones are particularly dangerous,¡± Jahn replied quietly.


    ¡°How large?¡± Stryg asked warily.


    ¡°About 12 meters, though most are only a couple of meters long,¡± Jahn said. ¡°Best to avoid any of them if you can.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°If there was a collapse in one of your mines, then could that be why the shipments to Evenfall have stopped?¡±


    Yala nodded regrettably, ¡°We have been unable to mine any of our iron veins ever since the skolgul infestation. There will be no more ore shipments to Evenfall until we can ensure the safety of our people.¡±


    ¡°And what of the last emissary who was stationed here with your people?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, your predecessor and her guards were among the first to fall in the skolgul attacks. I am sorry we were unable to protect them.¡± The queen bowed her head in shame.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°I assure you, we have not forgotten the treaties our people share. My warriors have been fighting tooth and claw against the skolguls in order to reclaim the mines. We have already slain the elders. All that is left are the small beasts, though there are many of them¡­¡± Yala¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°I take it then that if the skolguls were to all be killed the ore shipments would continue as usual?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Yala nodded confidently.


    Still, it¡¯ll take too long¡­ Aurelia thought. The Lunar Elect wanted the shipments to resume as soon as possible; they wouldn¡¯t accept Aurelia¡¯s return or listen to Stryg¡¯s petition if they came back empty-handed.


    Making up her mind, Aurelia spoke her plan aloud, ¡°Thank you for the reassurances. If possible, I¡¯d like to help.


    ¡°What?¡± Yala asked incredulously. ¡°Forgive us, but I cannot allow it. It is too dangerous. We have already lost one Sylvan emissary to the beasts. What will the Lunar Elect think of us if we would lose a second emissary?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Your majesty, I came here for a purpose; to make sure the ore shipments from Grimstone resume as usual. I will not leave until my mission is complete.¡± Aurelia glanced at the small party of Sylvan hunters behind her, ¡°I did not come unprepared. My guards are of the utmost skill. Chieftain Jahn is a grandmaster of the spear. We will help your warriors clear out this skolgul infestation and avenge my predecessor in the process. Please, do not deny us the opportunity to avenge our fallen comrades.¡±


    Yala sighed, ¡°Very well. But you have only just arrived, you must rest. Captain Izgerd and his guard will escort you to your rooms. In the morning you may join our frontline against the skolguls. In the meanwhile, I¡¯ll have my cooks prepare a meal for you and your hunters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your majesty,¡± Aurelia inclined her head.


    ¡°Ah, and before I forget.¡± Yala snapped her fingers and a servant stepped into the throne room carrying a small chest. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this was all we could recover from your predecessor and guards.¡±


    The servant stooped down and carefully placed the chest at Aurelia¡¯s feet. Jahn protectively stepped in front of his elder sister and opened the chest for her. Inside were half-burned clothes, a broken spear, and a half-eaten green hand.


    ¡°These burns weren¡¯t caused by flames¡­¡± Jahn noted.


    ¡°Skolgul poison,¡± Aurelia said grimly.


    As the siblings spoke among each other, Captain Izgerd walked over to the king on his throne and whispered in his ear.


    King Alok¡¯s blue eyes lit up and he stared at Stryg with sudden interest.


    Aurelia closed the chest with a somber expression. ¡°Thank you for recovering what you could. If you do not mind, my guard and I will take our rest for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Captain Izgerd show them to their rooms,¡± Yala said.


    ¡°At once, my queen,¡± Izgerd nodded and marched towards the door, his warriors following close behind.


    Aurelia and the others turned to leave when King Alok suddenly spoke up, ¡°Um, excuse me, young drow with the purple eyes!¡±


    Stryg stopped and looked back uncertainly, ¡°Me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Alok nodded eagerly. ¡°Captain Izgerd tells me you wield an enchanted sword. I¡¯d very much like to hear how you acquired it. If you¡¯re willing to tell me that is.¡±


    Stryg glanced at Aurelia questioningly, ¡°Um?¡±


    Aurelia nodded that it was alright. She subtly pointed at the ice pedestals and their artifacts sprawled about the throne room and whispered into Stryg¡¯s ear, ¡°The king is an artifact enthusiast.¡±


    ¡°He wants to steal my sword?¡± Stryg asked worriedly.


    Aurelia frowned, ¡°What? No. King Alok is known to be an honorable man. Besides, the man is 4 meters tall, what would he even do with your sword? It¡¯d be like a needle in his hands. He just wants to hear about your blade. So just relax.¡±


    ¡°Should I tell him?¡± Stryg asked, still unsure.


    ¡°We should try to keep good relations with these people, so yes,¡± Aurelia said reluctantly. She didn¡¯t want to leave Stryg alone with the king.


    Plum, noticing the look in Aurelia¡¯s eye, abruptly raised her hand, ¡°Excuse me, your majesties. Would you mind if I stick around a little longer as well? I¡¯d love to take a look around your collection.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± King Alok smiled proudly, ¡°Well, yes of course, please have a gander. Feel free to ask about any of them, I am quite well versed in the history of each piece.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your majesty!¡± Plum bowed deeply. She glanced up at Aurelia from the corner of her. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Stryg doesn¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± she whispered.


    Aurelia smiled wryly. Perhaps the drow wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought.


    ¡°Keep the king entertained, then join us as soon as you can,¡± Aurelia ordered.


    ¡°Yes, First Mother,¡± Stryg nodded politely.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Tauri mouthed silently to Stryg and Plum before following Izgerd out of the room.


    Aurelia took one last apprehensive glance at Stryg then left with the others.


    As soon as they were all gone Queen Yala got up from her throne and headed for a side door. ¡°Before my husband bores me with his stories for the hundredth time I am going to excuse myself and do literally anything else. Have fun you two.¡± She waved her clawed fingers to Stryg and Plum, then closed the door behind her, leaving them alone with the king and a few guards.


    Plum strolled around the room, glancing at the different artifacts on display. There were all manners of enchanted items, ranging from bronze vases to large ornate axes. ¡°You have a beautiful collection, your majesty,¡± Plum said with genuine awe. She never would have thought a troll would have such refined tastes.


    ¡°Why, thank you, it has taken many years to gather them, but I am proud of what I have. Are you also a collector by chance?¡± King Alok asked eagerly.


    ¡°No, but I''ve spent many hours reading about such enchanted artifacts,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a student of history then,¡± Alok guessed.


    ¡°You could say that,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Well, I am glad you are here. Perhaps you and I can swap stories about our favorite works at a later time?¡± Alok stood up from his throne and joined the two of them, his cloak dragging behind him. ¡°For now, I¡¯d like to know more about your companion, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why?¡± Stryg looked up at the man thrice his height.


    Alok looked him up and down, ¡°Where to begin? You wear a cloak of flowers. An orichalcum ring sits comfortably on your index finger. And you have the strangest eyes I have ever seen. Not to mention that sword. I would very much like to hear about how you came to obtain it.¡±


    ¡°Go on, Stryg,¡± Plum said assuredly.


    Stryg scratched his cheek. He felt odd being the center of positive attention. ¡°W-Well, where to begin¡­?¡±


    And so Stryg told him of how he found the relic sword embedded in the neck of a long-dead dragon in a cave of lamias. As he told the story Alok listened with rapture and eyes full of wonder.


    ¡°So you are the only one who can wield the blade?¡± Alok asked at the end of the story.


    ¡°No. Only Tauri and Plum were cut. Chieftain Jahn and I held the sword just fine. My guess is that it only likes goblins,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Hm. Interesting,¡± Alok nodded sagely. ¡°If I may, could you show me the blade?¡±


    Without a word, Stryg grabbed the relic sword from beneath his cloak and presented it to the king. The blade¡¯s pristine silver edge shined brilliantly in the soft blue light of the throne room.


    Alok leaned down and stared at it closely. ¡°I see, it really is a work of Lord Koval.¡±


    ¡°Koval?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t know? Most of the sigils on the blade are faded, but see the clear sigil at the bottom? The one that looks like two entwined wings around a hammer? That is the emblem of Ebon Lord Koval,¡± Alok said as if it was obvious.

 Chapter 409: Parathyan, The Great Artificer

    Chapter 409: Parathyan, The Great Artificer


    King Alok leaned down and stared at the relic sword closely. ¡°I see, it really is a work of Lord Koval.¡±


    ¡°Koval?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°The Unifier?¡±


    ¡°What? You two didn¡¯t know?¡± Alok said as if it was obvious. ¡°Most of the sigils on the blade are faded, but see the clear sigil at the bottom? The one that looks like two entwined wings and a hammer? That is the emblem of Ebon Lord Koval. Captain Izgerd noticed it when you first drew the blade.¡±


    Stryg stared at the sword in his hand dubiously. ¡°An Ebon Lord made this?¡±


    King Alok nodded, ¡°Lord Koval was a powerful arch-mage and while he is accredited as being the first and only person to have ever unified the Ebon Realm, he didn¡¯t spend his time waging wars or conquering the lands of his enemies; that job was left this right-hand, Lord Veres I. Koval was first and foremost a mage-smith, one of the greatest of his time. He was a student of Parathyan himself.¡±


    Plum stared at the relic sword in awe. ¡°Tauri said the sword was one of the greatest artifacts she had ever seen. Now I understand why.¡±


    ¡°But why was it in that cave and why can¡¯t Plum hold it without the blade cutting her?¡± Stryg asked, still uncertain of the blade¡¯s origin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the blade ended up impaled into the bones of a dragon, but I can hazard a guess,¡± Alok said. ¡°The ancient stories say Lord Koval was always trying to surpass his teacher, Parathyan. Lord Koval forged many enchanted artifacts and tried countless techniques and spells, in the pursuit of creating an artifact that surpassed Parathyan.¡±


    ¡°And you think this is one of them?¡± Stryg glanced at his relic sword.


    ¡°Where anyone else would have considered that sword a treasure, Lord Koval considered most of his works failures,¡± Alok explained. ¡°He most likely threw that sword away in a pile of rejects and at some point the ¡®failure¡¯ weapon ended up in Vulture Woods.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s a failure? I¡¯ve seen this sword cut through plate armor and rock as if it were grass.¡±


    Alok pointed at the black and white magestones at the bottom of the sword¡¯s pommel, ¡°Do you see that? Those are meant to be Parallel Magestones. It¡¯s a rare concept among brown mages.¡±


    ¡°Two primary magestones instead of one,¡± Stryg recalled.


    ¡°Our friend Tauri explained it to us,¡± Plum added. ¡°If you had two completely pure magestones you could create Parallel Magestones, which in theory could double the power of the enchantments, yes?


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Alok smiled, happy to share his knowledge with others. ¡°While I believe this sword does in fact have two such stones, the Parallel enchantment seems to have failed, not surprising. Parathyan was the only mage-smith who could ever reliably create such an enchantment. I¡¯d wager this sword of yours, Stryg, was a very expensive failure for Lord Koval.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a failure? I mean, look.¡± Stryg swung the relic sword across the ground. The silver blade sliced through the ice and rock in a narrow clean line.


    ¡°The blade is quite sharp, its enchantments must be very powerful, but at the end of the day it is a failure,¡± Alok said sympathetically. ¡°If the Parallel enchantment was working properly then those two magestones would have a bright inner glow, instead they have a dull gleam at best.¡±


    ¡°Even if the enchantment didn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t think the blade is a failure,¡± Stryg said stubbornly.


    ¡°Most people would agree with you,¡± Alok laughed. ¡°However, I don¡¯t believe Lord Koval would have agreed with you.¡±


    ¡°Wait! If the sword is a failure then is that why I can¡¯t hold it?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°Well, Lord Koval was infamous for being, shall we say, possessive,¡± Alok said wryly. ¡°He didn¡¯t like to share his artifacts with those he deemed unworthy, even his broken ones. Like most of his artifacts, I can only imagine Koval set some sort of enchantment spell to prevent others from wielding them. As to why your friend Stryg and chieftain Jahn can hold the sword, I imagine they fulfill some sort of requirement. Perhaps the blade was gifted to Lunis long ago? Maybe only goblins can hold it?¡±


    ¡°I guess it would explain why the sword was in Vulture Woods¡­¡± Plum muttered in thought.


    Stryg swung the blade through the air a few times and shook his head in disbelief, ¡°If this really is a failure of a sword then what could Koval possibly consider a success?¡±


    ¡°And that right there is the problem with those who pursue perfection, they are never truly satisfied,¡± Alok said. ¡°If I had to guess, perhaps the scarlet blade, Krikolm? Many historians consider it to be Koval¡¯s masterpiece. Or maybe his war hammer, Oginum? It was a gift to his apprentice, Goldelm I. They say when wielded by a true Goldelm, the war hammer shines with an inner light and exudes power rivaling Krikolm¡¯s.¡±


    Plum looked up at the cloaked king curiously, ¡°An inner light? Do you mean¡­?¡±


    Alok grinned, ¡°Indeed. Some people believe Oginum holds the Parallel enchantment, but that is only speculation. The Goldelms haven¡¯t gone to war in many years. Their bloodline has grown weak, Oginum¡¯s light no longer shines on them.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much about House Goldelm?¡± Plum asked.


    Alok chuckled, ¡°You think because I live in the mountains I do not hear the stories and whispers of the outside world?¡±


    Plum winced, ¡°Fair point.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so I think I understand everything you¡¯ve said so far,¡± Stryg said slowly to the king. ¡°I only have one question. Who is Parathyan?¡±


    Alok lost his balance for a moment and almost tumbled to the ground. ¡°A-Are you serious!?¡± he shouted in a mixture of anger and disbelief.


    ¡°And so what if I am?¡± Stryg growled.


    Plum patted Stryg¡¯s back and laughed nervously, ¡°Sorry, my friend¡¯s education is lacking in some places, he meant no disrespect.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°How do you not know of The Great Artificer himself?¡± King Alok sighed deeply and looked around as if the world was watching his great travesty. ¡°Parathyan was the greatest mage-smith to have ever lived.¡±


    King Alok spoke in a reverent voice, ¡°He hailed from the Molten Spires of the Bronze Realm. It was there in those volcanic mountains of precious metals and jewels that Parathyan learned the secrets of flame and stone.¡± He closed his eyes as if picturing the moment. ¡°So great was his skill that even the simplest of his creations would put arch-smiths to shame, even Lord Koval. It was Parathyan who invented the first chrome gates; a way for prime arch-mages to cross through the Null Realms without the need of the realm bridges.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ears perked up at the king¡¯s final words. ¡°Are you saying that Parathyan was a prime mage?¡±


    ¡°Oh he was so much more,¡± Alok said in admiration. ¡°Even the Ebon Lords looked small beside him. Parathyan was one of the few mortals to have ever transcended the domain of arch-mage.¡±


    ¡°No one truly knows how powerful Parathyan truly became,¡± Plum said in her librarian-like tone. ¡°The stories say he grew so powerful that death itself claimed his life. Which I¡¯m pretty certain is just a fancy way of saying his own magic killed him in the end. Although, some historians believe Parathyan wasn¡¯t even a single man, but several arch-mages working together to create wonders of magic.¡±


    ¡°Parathyan was a man,¡± the troll king said adamantly.


    ¡°Then he died like any man,¡± Stryg said. ¡°For all his power, he still died¡­¡± The thought was sobering. Stryg had wanted power to protect himself and those he held dear, now he wondered if he¡¯d ever reach a point where he¡¯d had enough power to do just that.


    ¡°Death comes for us all one day, a lesson Vulture Woods teaches well, is that not right, Stryg?¡± Alok asked.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°...Did you know Parathyan visited the Ebon Realm on more than one occasion?¡± Alok asked. ¡°In fact, he dwelled in this very mountain once.¡±


    ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Plum said in amazement.


    Stryg said not a word, though he listened closely. Something had changed in the king¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Even though Parathyan traveled like a man, my ancestor recognized him for what he truly was, power.¡± Alok turned his back to them and shuffled his feet towards the center of the throne room, his long cloak trailing behind him. ¡°My ancestor offered Parathyan his home and acted as a guide while The Great Artificer dwelled in Grimstone. Moved by the humble troll¡¯s hospitality, Parathyan forged my ancestor a suit of armor. To the Artificer it was a simple gift, but to the troll it was everything. My ancestor named his new armor Frostveil and he used it to conquer the southern Rupture Mountains and forge a kingdom out from nothing but ice and rock.¡±


    ¡°He became the first troll king and it was here that he built his kingdom.¡± Alok crouched on one knee and stared at the frozen ground with a sharp-toothed smile. ¡°We ruled these lands for hundreds of years, uncontested by anyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Frostveil,¡± Stryg said carefully.


    ¡°That is because we lost the armor centuries ago,¡± Alok said angrily, spittle flying out of his mouth. ¡°And who was it that took advantage of our weakness, but Lunis, the Sapphire of the East? They were not content with all they had, no, the Lunisians wanted our mountains as well. We could not stop them from building their city of Evenfall around their ancient sacred temple. Even after the fall of Lunis, we were too weak to stop the Sylvans when they began to take the riches from our mountain.¡±


    ¡°The ore shipments¡­¡± Plum whispered in realization.


    Alok shrugged his large shoulders, ¡°We did not complain. It is only natural that the weak serve the strong. We gave our ore and in turn, the Sylvans left us alone. My people served because they knew it was the only way to survive. My kingdom gave up hope long ago, our days of glory were behind us.¡±


    Alok stood to his feet, ¡°But I never gave up. I searched for the treasure that we lost so long ago. I ordered my people to delve deeper into the mountain than any king before me, so much so that one of our major mines collapsed.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°The skolgul infestation¡­ you caused it?¡±


    Alok smiled coldly, ¡°Necessary sacrifices. My people died for a glorious purpose, as did your last emissary and her guard.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate. He dashed forward before the king¡¯s guards could react. With one silent swipe, Stryg swung the relic sword across the troll king¡¯s back, bisecting him in two.


    Except, it did not. The relic sword sliced through the king¡¯s cloak and then a sudden sharp clang of metal clashing against metal resounded through the hall. Stryg felt a heavy force reflect back at him and he stumbled away. His arm felt numb and his muscles trembled with an unfamiliar chilling cold.


    The king¡¯s ripped cloak fell on the ground, unveiling a silver-blue armor wrapped around the king¡¯s body. Alok stood to his feet and turned around, revealing countless sigils engraved into the silver-blue metal. A black and white magestone was encrusted on the left and right pauldrons respectively, each glowing brightly in tandem with one another.


    Parallel Magestones¡­?! Stryg thought in disbelief.


    King Alok smiled down at the small blue goblin in disgust, ¡°Did you think Koval¡¯s failure could cut through Parathyan¡¯s work?¡±


    The king flicked his hand across the air, sending a blast of elemental cold energy across the room. The blast sent Stryg crashing into the wall, the throne room shaking from the blow. He fell on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. It felt as if a hammer had slammed into his chest.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Plum ran to him in a panic.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, Stryg. It took many years, many lives, but I finally found it, my treasure,¡± Alok smiled coldly.


    ¡°Wait, please! It¡¯s not too late to stop this!¡± Plum pleaded. ¡°The Sylvans are your allies! Think of your people! If you do this it will mean war for all of them! Even with your armor, you cannot win against all the Sylvans¡¯ warriors! I have seen their armies gathering in Evenfall. You don¡¯t stand a fighting chance!¡±


    ¡°A fighting chance is all I ever needed and with Frostveil I have so much more,¡± Alok sneered. ¡°No longer shall we play submissive and docile beneath the heel of the goblins. With the power of Frostveil, the frost trolls shall take back these mountains from you wretched little rats.¡±


    Stryg grabbed Plum¡¯s forearm, though he kept his eyes on the king. ¡°Did you see the tunnel Tauri and the others went through?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Yea, but the door was blocked off with ice the moment they left,¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°I want you to run. Run and warn the others,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Plum bit her lip. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªPlease, Plumela, trust me,¡± Stryg whispered.


    She glanced at the throne room¡¯s passage, blocked by a wall of ice. She looked back at Stryg with uncertainty but nodded nonetheless. ¡°I¡¯m coming back for you,¡± she squeezed his shoulder tightly and dashed away.


    Alok stared at the small drow running across the chamber with an air of boredom. ¡°Where are you going, rat?¡± he asked calmly.


    Plum ignored him and kept running straight at the frozen wall. Flames erupted from behind and above her, and slammed into the wall, melting the ice in a burst of steam. Plum covered her face and ran through.


    ¡°Guards, seize her!¡± Alok roared in surprise.


    The guards rushed through the cloud of steam, hammers raised high. Five images of Plum burst out from the cloud, each running into a different tunnel.


    The guards glanced at each other for a moment in confusion then split up, each chasing one of the illusions.


    Alok chuckled angrily and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re both mageborns. No wonder the Sylvans had a half-breed and a drow guarding the emissary.¡±


    Stryg forced himself to his feet and grabbed the relic sword. ¡°You¡¯re guards won¡¯t find Plum. She has a knack for staying hidden when she wants to.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I care?¡± Alok smiled maliciously. ¡°Do you really think Captain Izgerd escorted your friends to their chambers to rest?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression grew still. ¡°What did you do to my tribe?¡± he whispered in an icy voice.


    Alok walked over to the throne room¡¯s entrance and stood in its path. ¡°Hm, I doubt either of us will see any of them again. In any case, you were the only one among your group who caught my interest. I wanted to see how Koval¡¯s work fared against Frostveil. Unfortunately, it was more disappointing than I¡¯d hoped. I suppose this fight is already over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out I am more than an old relic,¡± Stryg hissed.


    Alok grabbed the silver-blue helmet hanging on his hip and placed it over his head. ¡°Good. If you wish to save your friends then perhaps it¡¯d be wise to show me how much more you truly are.¡±

 Chapter 410: Ambush

    Chapter 410: Ambush


    Captain Izgerd and his fellow frost troll guards escorted the Sylvan emissary and her retinue through the dark cold tunnels of Grimstone. The mountain¡¯s cave system was covered in rugged rock and patches of ice. Underground rivers flowed through the caverns, their sounds echoing across the walls.


    They had been traveling in the winding tunnels for half an hour before a trail of blue light broke through the darkness. The mouth of the tunnel opened up to a large canyon-like cavern. The walls stretched a hundred paces below and twice as high above them. An icy bridge extended from the tunnel¡¯s opening, spanning across the opposite wall where another tunnel entrance stood.


    Captain Izgerd glanced back at the group. ¡°We cross,¡± the troll said curtly. He spun on his heel and began making his way over the vast bridge of ice. His guards followed right behind him, paying no heed if the Sylvans were following.


    Jahn stared at the bridge with an air of skepticism. The ice was two meters deep and three meters wide, and there were no rails on either side. But as chieftain, Jahn took the first step onto the ice.


    He pushed his weight onto his foot, testing the bridge¡¯s integrity. After a moment, he nodded to himself, and glanced at his sister. ¡°It¡¯s stable.¡±


    Aurelia gestured him onward, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Jahn went on ahead and the rest of the Sylvan hunters followed. Aurelia and Otley walked behind them and Tauri reluctantly followed.


    Tauri couldn¡¯t help but look down at her feet with each step. The ice was fairly clear and she could make out the underground river rushing a 100 paces below them. A single misstep and she¡¯d tumble all the way down. If she was lucky enough to not crash into the rocky shore her body would be swept under by the river. She swallowed hard at the idea. The world began to spin around her.


    ¡°Keep moving.¡± Srixa poked her in the back.


    Tauri jumped with a small cry and almost tripped. She spun around, a mixture of embarrassment and anger in her expression. ¡°When did you¡ª? What are you doing behind me?¡±


    Srixa shook her head as if the answer was obvious, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of covering our rear. I waited for you to get on the bridge but now we¡¯re falling behind, so if you could, move that fat ass forward.¡±


    Tauri considered tossing off the bridge for a heartbeat, then thought better of it, and settled for a muttered curse. She turned her back to the goblin huntress and kept walking, albeit with slow unsteady steps.


    ¡°Keep your eyes up and put one foot in front of the other. Take deep breaths and try to relax. We¡¯ll be on the other side soon enough,¡± Srixa said.


    Surprised at the unexpected sympathy, Tauri couldn¡¯t help but ask with a spiteful tone, ¡°Since when do you care about my well-being?¡±


    Srixa smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t. But if anyone is going to kill you, it¡¯s me, not fucking gravity.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Tauri rolled her eyes.


    ~~~


    Otley silently walked next to Aurelia, though his yellow eyes kept glancing at her.


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, nothing, First Mother,¡± Otley said hastily.


    ¡°You have something on your mind and I for one don¡¯t wish to walk next to it for the rest of the night. Speak and be done with it,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°W-Well, I wanted to thank you for covering for me back at the throne room.¡± He glanced at the trolls walking ahead of them and made sure they were out of earshot before continuing, ¡°If they had known that the Troll Slayer was the actual emissary I¡¯m certain things would have played out quite differently.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I didn¡¯t do it for you. As you said, things would have turned out differently. I need these negotiations to go well.¡±


    ¡°So that the Lunar Elect will listen to your petition?¡± Otley guessed.


    ¡°Why else would any of my tribe be in this godforsaken mountain?¡±


    Otley stared at her thoughtfully. ¡°What is it that you want? What is so important that you need to petition for the aid of the Lunar Elect?¡±


    ¡°¡­It need not concern you,¡± she said.


    Otley cleared his throat, ¡°If I may speak truthfully, there are many who are still loyal to you in Evenfall. You may have tried to keep yourself hidden when you arrived at the city, but some still noticed your presence. Word has spread that the Favored of the Moon has returned. Don¡¯t you see? You need not the approval of the Lunar Elect. If you only gave the word, people would follow you. I would follow you.¡±


    ¡°Careful, son of Iron Spine. Your words are bordering on treason. The Lunar Elect presides over the Sylvan people, not I.¡±


    ¡°Honorable as always¡­¡± He bowed his head in resignation, ¡°I will heed your words, Favored of the Moon¡­ But if the time ever comes where you find yourself in need of aid, know that there are many who would stand by you.¡±


    Aurelia did not respond to his words and kept walking, her gaze fixed on the tunnel entrance ahead. Otley took her silence as a sign that the conversation had ended. He bowed once more and walked on ahead.


    Tauri drew closer to Aurelia, leaned over, and whispered from behind, ¡°Excuse me for the intrusion, First Mother, but that man keeps calling you Favored of the Moon. I remember the Sylvan Guardian did the same. What does it mean? Favored of the Moon?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eavesdrop on people¡¯s conversations, orc,¡± Aurelia said annoyedly without glancing back.


    Tauri winced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just trying to keep my focus away from the fact that we are standing on literal thin ice a hundred paces off the ground. And now I just did¡­ great.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as nosy as Stryg, I can see why you two like each other,¡± Aurelia said wryly.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t approve of our¨C friendship,¡± Tauri noted somberly.


    ¡°Why should I approve of you two feeding each other''s poor habits?¡±


    ¡°Is that why you disapprove of me? Or is it because I am an orc?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± Aurelia scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d still be here, wouldn¡¯t you? Doing whatever you wanted, without a care for others¡¯ words, something else you share in common with that boy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, I¡¯d still be here,¡± Tauri admitted. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong about Stryg. He holds you in the highest regard.¡±


    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know Stryg that well then,¡± Aurelia laughed dryly.


    ¡°Gods, you really don¡¯t know do you? Do you not see the way he hangs on your every word? If you¡¯d ask him to jump off this bridge he would do it without a second thought. He craves your approval more than any other¡¯s¡­ I think he alway has.¡±


    ¡°If he really wanted my approval then he would have already broken things off with you.¡±


    Tauri bit her lip, ¡°Why do you disapprove of me so much? Give me one actual good reason. If you do that, I won¡¯t try to convince you and I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    Aurelia paused in her steps and sighed tiredly, ¡°I know you mean well, girl. But Stryg isn¡¯t like you, in more ways than you realize. And if you stay with him, one day you will end up hurting him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª not true¡­¡± Tauri meant to speak with more conviction, but her words felt weak and uncertain as they slipped out.


    ~~~


    Something¡¯s off, Jahn thought to himself.


    As he walked across the bridge he had noticed dozens of jagged holes protruding from the steep cavern walls. He glanced down the bridge and noticed countless more etched across the walls below. Skolgul tunnels, he realized grimly.


    The monsters had probably borrowed through the stone and invaded the area when the troll¡¯s mine shaft had collapsed. Judging from the size of some of the holes, elder skolguls had been through here, which meant they had probably laid eggs somewhere. Even if the trolls had slain the elder skolguls and the rest this place wasn¡¯t truly safe until each burrow was checked for nests.


    Why would Captain Izgerd risk bringing them and his people through this area? Especially with so few guards.


    Jahn looked on ahead and noticed Izgerd and his fellow guards had already crossed the bridge and were waiting for them.


    Odd.


    There were twice as many frost trolls with Izgerd than before. Had they been waiting at the other side of the tunnel all this time? No, Jahn hadn¡¯t seen them when they first stepped onto the bridge.


    Which means they just got here.


    Yet Izgerd didn¡¯t seem particularly surprised at their arrival. Did he know they were coming? The expression on Izgerd¡¯s face wasn¡¯t one of surprise, nor of pleasure of meeting his fellow brethren. The frost troll seemed anxious, but not of the newcomers, almost as if¡­


    Jahn turned around and looked across the bridge. A third group of frost trolls were waiting at the mouth of the tunnel from where they came.


    A cold chill ran down Jahn¡¯s back. His eyes widened in dawning realization. ¡°AMBUSH!¡± he screamed.


    The bridge exploded in a storm of ice shrapnel.

 Chapter 411: Hopeless

    Chapter 411: Hopeless


    Tauri¡¯s world swam in a haze as she tumbled down a hundred feet into the darkness. She crashed into the rushing river, back first, and her vision darkened with pain. Icy water filled her nostrils and she gasped for breath, inadvertently letting more water into her throat.


    Her mind was in a daze, pain crawled over her back, and her lungs burned with freezing water. She tried to move, to swim to the surface, but a sharp pain shot up through her right arm.


    Tauri gritted her teeth and channeled brown mana into her veins and cast a strengthening spell. But her brown mana was sluggish, the pain and freezing temperatures disrupting her flow of mana. The spell failed and her muscles spasmed from the backlash.


    The river¡¯s powerful current dragged her deeper into its depths and her consciousness began to fade into cold numbness.


    A small hand suddenly grabbed Tauri¡¯s forearm, its claws digging into her skin. The pain and bleeding warmth shocked her awake. Her amber eyes shot open. It was too dark, she could barely make out a small figure dragging her towards the surface. Tauri tried to swim, she could hardly move, her muscles still reeling from the ruined spell. Yet the small figure was not deterred and kept swimming, dragging Tauri against the current.


    They suddenly broke through the surface of the water and Tauri gasped precious gulps of air. The goblin dragged the exhausted orc to the rocky shore, before finally releasing her grip.


    Tauri fell to the ground and coughed up water over and over. She fell over on her side and groaned weakly. Blood oozed out from dozens of small cuts where the ice shrapnel had hit her.


    Tauri grimaced in pain and glanced at her savior. ¡°You¡­?¡± she mumbled in surprise and exhaustion.


    Srixa smirked tiredly, ¡°I told you, if anyone is going to kill you, it¡¯s gonna be me, not fucking gravity.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Tauri smiled through chattering teeth.


    Despite several small cuts across Srixa¡¯s skin, and the exhaustion in her every breath, she was hardly shivering. Tauri had never been more jealous and grateful for the Ebonian races¡¯ natural resistance to cold.


    A javelin of ice abruptly pierced the ground next to them. Tauri looked up, startled. Izgerd and the other frost trolls fired frost javelins from their terraces, where the bridge had once been anchored.


    ¡°Move!¡± Srixa grabbed Tauri by the shoulder and half-dragged, half-limped, their way to a small alcove in the rock wall.


    Tauri and Srixa collapsed as soon as they made it to the small shelter. A few of the other hunters were lying on the ground next to them, most with far worse wounds.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tauri muttered.


    ¡°Those troll bastards waited until they were across the bridge before they collapsed it with their elemental water magic. We didn''t stand a chance¡­¡± Srixa said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Tauri asked, though she worried she already knew the answer.


    Srixa bowed her head in frustration, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. ¡°The Troll Slayer and I tried to save the ones we could¡­ but we lost most of our weapons in the river.¡±


    Tauri suddenly noticed Otley sitting at the edge of the alcove. His head was bowed and his eyes closed. A large shard of ice from the shattered bridge protruded from his stomach.


    ¡°He swam in that condition¡­?¡± Tauri mumbled in disbelief.


    Srixa nodded bitterly, ¡°Besides you, I only saved one other. The Troll Slayer saved everyone else here, then he¡­ he completed his duty.¡±


    The sound of angry chittering and steel clashing against carapaces echoed through the cavern. Tauri peeked outside. It was dark, with only the blue light of terraces above, and large red eyes glimmering in the darkness.


    Tens of skolguls crept over the rocky shore, their dozens of blade-sharp legs stabbing across the ground. Many of the centipede-like beasts had already caught the scent of blood and scrambled towards the alcove.


    A single goblin stood in their path, fighting them off with his spear. Jahn danced across the dark shore, avoiding the monsters¡¯ mandibles and blade-like appendages, and slashed his spear in wide arcs, the sharp edge glancing off the skolguls¡¯ thick carapace.


    Frost javelins fell from above as the trolls tried their best to strike the chieftain down.


    The spear grandmaster dodged the onslaught of attacks with deft proficiency, yet with each step his movements grew slower, his reactions more sluggish. In the dim light, Tauri caught sight of an ice shard buried in Jahn¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°He¡¯s wounded!¡± Tauri said in horror. ¡°He¡¯s bleeding out, we need to help him!¡±


    As if to answer her words, a myriad of more skolguls emerged from the tunnels scattered across the cavern walls.


    ¡°The bridge¡¯s collapse must have drawn them to us,¡± Srixa said grimly. ¡°You need to get you out of here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tauri turned and looked at her, confusion written over her face.


    ¡°Our chieftain would never abandon his people, even if he would, he is too injured to escape. You are the only other person capable of scaling the steep walls. Use your magic to escape this place. Find Stryg and the drow if you can, if not, go back to Evenfall and tell them what has happened. The tribes will avenge us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you!¡±


    ¡°We are already dead! Can¡¯t you see that!?¡± Srixa yelled angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t save you so you could die with the rest of us! Run away from this place. Tell the Lunar Elect we were betrayed.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Srixa grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t let us die in vain,¡± she pleaded.


    Tauri looked down in shame, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t climb the walls. I can¡¯t feel my right arm.¡± She raised her bloody mangled arm, her right hand hung limply.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Srixa gasped, the last light of hope in her eyes dying.


    ¡°...It isn¡¯t over,¡± Otley mumbled, blood dripping down his lips.


    ¡°Troll Slayer, you¡¯re alive!¡± Srixa rushed over to his side. ¡°Hold still,¡± she said and tried futilely to stop the gaping wound in his stomach from bleeding profusely.


    ¡°...It¡­ isn¡¯t¡­ over¡­ s¡­with¡­ us¡­¡± Otley mumbled in a broken voice.


    ¡°Do not speak, save your strength,¡± Srixa whispered.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Jahn called out in a panic.


    A single skolgul had escaped past Jahn¡¯s reach and skittered towards the alcove.


    Tauri focused her thoughts, tried her best to ignore the pain wracking her body, and channeled orange mana into her left arm. She pointed her fingertips at the rushing monster and let loose a spiral of flames. The fire wrapped around the skolgul¡¯s body, but did not reach past its thick carapace.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Tauri cursed and jumped out of the beast¡¯s path.


    The skolgul¡¯s tail snapped at her in a burst of speed. Tauri raised her left arm to cover herself from the blow the best she could. Srixa jumped in between them and pushed Tauri away. The skolgul¡¯s tail slammed into Srixa and her small body crashed into the wall with a sickening crunch.


    ¡°Srixa, no!¡± Tauri cried out.


    Otley¡¯s eyes snapped open and he roared with one last burst of strength. He kicked off the ground and jumped atop the skolgul. With one hand he gripped its antenna tightly, and with the other, he clenched his dagger, and stabbed the blade into the creature¡¯s glimmering red eye.


    The skolgul shrieked in agony and slashed at Otley with its blade-like legs. The goblin stabbed his dagger over and over into the beast¡¯s head, cracking the carapace, even as his own flesh was sliced apart. The skolgul shook its head like a rabid dog and flung the goblin away.


    Otley crashed into the ground in a broken bloody mess, unmoving. The skolgul angrily hissed with its chattering mandibles and closed in on him.


    ¡°Hey, over here!¡± Tauri shouted.


    The monster swiveled its head around at the sound of her voice.


    A torrent of flames exploded from the palm of her hand, burning through the broken carapace and searing the exposed flesh underneath. Its body seized up and collapsed, dead.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I think I broke my leg,¡± Srixa groaned weakly.


    ¡°Srixa!¡± Tauri limped over and knelt beside her. ¡°You saved my life, again¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to this time,¡± she grinned half-heartedly. ¡°It sort of just happened¡­¡±


    Otley choked on his blood and coughed feebly.


    ¡°Troll slayer! Stay with us!¡± Srixa cried desperately.


    But as they limped over to Otley, they realized how severe his wounds were. His flesh and bones had been sliced apart and his innards were exposed and blood pooled underneath him. It was a wonder he was still breathing.


    Srixa turned to Tauri frantically. ¡°Can you heal him!?¡±


    She bit her lip and shook her head sadly. ¡°I am not a white mage, it is beyond my magic. These wounds are beyond even the greatest of arch-mages.¡±


    ¡°...I am not¡­ afraid¡­ to die,¡± Otley mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper.


    Tauri smiled shakily, ¡°I wish I had your bravery.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ isn¡¯t o¡­ver¡­¡± Otley mumbled once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can rest now,¡± Srixa whispered gently.


    The ground trembled underneath them and the wall above them exploded in a shower of rocks. A skolgul thrice as large as the others burst through the wall and scaled down to the shore.


    Srixa and Tauri watched the colossal creature in mute horror. Its dozens of sharp legs were each the size of a fully grown man. Jahn pointed his spear at the elder skolgul, but the creature ignored him and barreled right past him, straight towards the alcove and the light of the burning dead skolgul.


    Tauri struggled to her feet and launched bolts of fire one after the other at the elder beast¡¯s head. The flames splashed harmlessly over its carapace. The elder shrieked with indignation and charged her, its salivating mandibles open wide.


    Srixa limped in front of Tauri, Otley¡¯s dagger in her hand.


    A crackling beam of lightning illuminated the darkness and struck the elder skolgul¡¯s head, incinerating the carapace and burning a hole straight through its skull and the wall beyond.


    Tauri and Srixa slowly turned around.


    Standing at the shoreline, her clothes soaked, and her legs still in the water was Aurelia. Black dye dripped from the edge of her snow-white hair. Blue tendrils of lightning crackled at her fingertips. Her breathing was labored, but her yellow eyes were alight with cold rage.


    ¡°She is with us¡­¡± Otley closed his eyes, satisfied, and breathed his last.


    Aurelia marched out of the water and past the alcove, her gaze fixed on the skolguls swarming around Jahn.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage¡­?¡± Tauri muttered in bewilderment.


    Srixa held a similar expression of shock but she hurriedly bowed her head as the First Mother walked past.


    A skolgul suddenly broke away from the pack and rushed Aurelia. She snapped her hand forward and a pillar of lightning arced out and vaporized the beast¡¯s head. Aurelia walked on, her stride unbroken.


    Another skolgul burst out from underneath her feet and snapped its mandibles out like a viper¡¯s strike. Orange mana surged through Aurelia¡¯s legs in an instant. She jumped high, evading the attack, then kicked off the wall, and landed on top of the skolgul¡¯s head. The orange mana disappeared as brown mana flowed into her legs, giving her skin a bronze sheen. Aurelia kicked down with all her enhanced strength. The skolgul¡¯s skull slammed into the ground and burst into a mess of green viscera. Aurelia hopped off the corpse and headed straight towards Jahn.


    Countless frost javelins continued to fall down all around the rocky shore, several narrowly missing Aurelia. With a fluid motion, her hand scribbled out red arcane sigils in the air. She stretched out her fingers and the sigils responded in kind. The arcane wards expanded until they covered the entirety of the shore in a massive red dome. The frost javelins shattered harmlessly across the ward spell.


    As Aurelia drew close to the skolgul pack several of them swiveled their salivating mouths towards her and attacked. Bolts of blue lightning crackled out from her hands, searing through the charging beasts and even the ones behind them.


    The skolguls shrieked in panic and retreated back into their tunnels. They watched from the tunnel entrancers, their mandibles chattering angrily, as they waited for an opening to strike.


    Aurelia refused to give them one. She strongly clapped her hands together and a ripple of green mana echoed outwards from the ground beneath her feet. The rocky shore rippled outwards and slammed into the wall. The wall trembled and giant chunks of rock began to fall apart, cascading into a small landslide that buried the skolguls¡¯ tunnels.


    The small earthquake continued until a large crack traveled up the wall to the troll¡¯s terrace high above and sent it crashing down. The frost trolls cried out in panic and were suddenly silenced as their bodies exploded in a smattering of blood and viscera on the rocky shore.


    Jahn leaned on his spear and breathed in a deep sigh of relief. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    Aurelia ignored his words and knelt down next to his leg. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Jahn winced as she ripped out the ice shard from his thigh.


    She placed her hands over the wound as blood began to rush out. She narrowed her eyes in focus and poured white mana over the gaping hole. Slowly, the muscles and veins underneath the skin began to knit back together.


    ¡°I¡¯ve stopped the bleeding. You should have regained the majority of mobility for now. But it¡¯ll take me some time to fully heal the wound,¡± Aurelia said tersely.


    ¡°Time we don¡¯t have,¡± Jahn noted.


    Aurelia stared at the shifting rocks around the landslide. ¡°That won¡¯t hold them for long.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Jahn stretched his legs from side to side. ¡°I can finally move. This will be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Aurelia shifted her gaze up to the remaining terrace.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the rest,¡± Jahn gripped his spear and ran towards the emerging skolgul.


    Yellow mana flowed around Aurelia and she jumped into the air and the winds carried her up like an arrow through the sky. She zipped up past the red dome and landed on the terrace in a cloud of snow and dust.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Captain Izgered yelled out.


    The other frost trolls turned to run. Aurelia¡¯s shadow darkened around and shot out in various tendrils, coiling around the trolls like a whip.


    Izgerd roared in defiance. Ice shards emerged across his skin and shredded the shadow tendrils imprisoning him. He hefted his war hammer and charged Aurelia with a war cry. Her fingers moved with quick shorthand, writing grey sigils underneath her palms. The sigils suddenly shot out like chains and wrapped around Izgerd¡¯s limbs. The troll¡¯s muscles seized up and he collapsed at her feet.


    Aurelia snapped her fingers and her shadow tendrils sent the remaining frost trolls into the chasm. Their terrified screams echoed down below and were silenced with a heavy wet crunch.


    Izgerd glared at her with clenched teeth. ¡°You¡¯re not the Sylvan¡¯s emissary. You¡­ they said you had abandoned Evenfall!¡± Izgerd said through clenched teeth.


    Aurelia stared down at him coldly. ¡°Where is Stryg?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never tell you anyth¡ª!¡±


    Dozens of purple tendrils of light shot out from Aurelia¡¯s fingers and pierced Izgerd¡¯s head. His body spasmed and froth slipped out the corner of his mouth as his eyes rolled up. Aurelia searched through his memories recklessly, without care for the severe brain damage she was causing.


    Satisfied with what she found, Aurelia released the spell. The frost troll toppled over with a twitch, comatose.  Aurelia turned around and flew across the chasm to the tunnel from which they came.


    Tauri watched silently from below, her eyes wide in terrified awe. The range of the First Mother¡¯s spells had been breathtaking, but the sheer overwhelming power behind them had left Tauri dumbstruck.


    ¡°Dear gods¡­¡± Tauri mumbled in disbelief, ¡°She¡¯s an Ebon Lord¡­!¡±

 Chapter 412: Legacy

    Chapter 412: Legacy


    A barrage of frost javelins flew straight and true to the pillar where Stryg dangled from. He kicked off the rock and landed on another pillar, narrowly avoiding the attacks. Orange mana flowed into his hand and quickly fired two flame bolts at the growing crowd of guards, before jumping to another pillar.


    The sounds of another volley of frost javelins crashing into stone resounded behind him. A guard scrambled up the pillar he was on and reached out to grab him. Instead of fleeing, Stryg jumped straight down at him and slashed the relic sword through the troll¡¯s body. Before the corpses had hit the ground, Stryg had landed and dashed low through the crowd. He slashed through their legs and waists, as many as he could, before jumping back onto a pillar with the power of his agility spell.


    ¡°Enough!¡± King Alok roared. The parallel magestones on his pauldrons flared and a wave of blue light exploded outwards from his armor.


    Stryg swung his body behind the pillar. The blast echoed through the throne room, destroying the pedestals and damaging several of the encased relics. The blast brushed past Stryg, but the radiating cold still seeped into his muscles. His body seized up and he tumbled down. His body hit the ground with an icy crack and he groaned in pain.


    King Alok stared lamentingly at the destruction he had wrought. The broken bodies of his guards were strewn about the throne room. ¡°No¡­no¡­!¡±


    Stryg staggered to his feet and glared at him, ¡°Does it hurt? To have killed your own warriors? I thought betrayal came naturally to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about them, they were going to die to you anyway.¡± Alok picked up a broken chalice from the rubble. ¡°But my relics¡­ Decades of rare collections¡­ ruined.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are still plenty of relics around here, you can always smash them to bits too,¡± Stryg taunted as he tried to channel mana into his veins. The intense cold was making it difficult to stabilize his flow of mana.


    Alok stared at his silver-blue gauntlet and clenched his hand tight. ¡°I was only trying to aim my attack in your direction. I am still unaccustomed to Frostveil¡¯s power.¡±


    Why was he telling him that? Stryg wondered.


    Was the troll king a fool for telling his enemy about his weakness or did it simply not matter to Alok because the outcome of the fight was already decided?


    Stryg slowed his breathing and tried to calm his heartbeat. The only way he¡¯d get out of this was with magic. Magic that was currently failing him. He had fought against plenty of enemies, many of whom had carried enchanted objects. And for all of Frostveil¡¯s power, it paled in comparison to the power of Unalla¡¯s orichalcum sword, Votum.


    Still, when he had fought Unalla he had been able to run around her sword¡¯s attacks and slowly set up the Standstill Curse to immobilize her. But Alok¡¯s armor was nothing like he had ever seen. There was some sort of thin aura around the armor that stopped all attacks; spells slipped off it and even the relic sword could not penetrate it.


    Even worse, the throne room was much smaller than Undergrowth¡¯s coliseum. There was little room to move about and evade the King¡¯s attacks. Stryg had tried to escape, but the King and his guards had blocked off the door.


    Now the guards were all dead, but his orange mana was also running dangerously low. He needed a plan and quick.


    ¡°Are you done resting?¡± Alok asked.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t see his face behind the helmet, but he could have sworn the frost troll was smirking.


    Alok suddenly flicked his hand out and another blast of energy shot forth. Stryg tried to move, but his body was too cold and sluggish, his reaction a moment too slow. The icy wave smashed into his chest and sent Stryg crashing into the wall. Blossom¡¯s petals swelled and cushioned the attack, but Stryg felt his body growing numb from the cold. He could hardly hold his mana flow at all.


    Alok whistled in admiration, ¡°That cloak of yours is truly spectacular, is it fairy made? You should have been blasted to icy bits, but there you stand, or kneel should I say.¡± He clapped his hands together, ¡°Come on now, try to get up. I can¡¯t properly test Frostveil if you''re lying on the ground like a beaten puppy.¡±


    Stryg stayed on the ground where he was and closed his eyes and took deep breaths.


    ¡°Giving up already? I thought the guards of the Sylvan Emissary were supposed to be some of the toughest warriors in the realm. They never give up. The guards of the last Emissary certainly never died, not even when the skolguls began to eat them alive.¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Stryg hissed quietly.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Alok tilted his head forward, from across the room.


    ¡°My First Mother said you were an honorable king. Yet there you stand, amidst a pile of corpses of your own people. You betrayed the Sylvan and left the last emissary and her retinue to die to the Skolguls.¡±


    ¡°Necessary sacrifice, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Alok said, though there was no sympathy. ¡°What do the Sylvan know of honor? When I groveled at the feet of your Emissaries was that honorable?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not¡­ We could sit here and talk all day about the wrongdoings that have been wrought by our people to one another, but I don¡¯t think any of that matters right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°You betrayed my tribe and put them in danger.¡± Stryg opened his eyes, his pupils as thin as razors. ¡°No matter what you say, I am going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Alok laughed.


    Stryg raised his hands, red sigils curling around his fingers. The sigils flared brightly and formed a small dome around him.


    Alok cocked his head to the side, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He pointed his outstretched hand at Stryg and fired off another blast of cold energy.


    The dome shuddered for a moment, then the wave passed over with the dome still intact.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Alok crossed his arms thoughtfully, ¡°Hm. Interesting, but that dome won¡¯t last long¡ª¡±


    The ground beneath shook and the pillars in the throne room began to tremble. Chunks of rock began to break apart from the ceiling and crash into the ground.


    ¡°W-What are you doing!?¡± Alok stumbled back a step.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t pierce that armor, then you¡¯ll die trapped with it!¡± Stryg roared. He channeled all his green mana into the ground beneath him and weaved it into the pillars and ceiling, sending energy into every small crack and expanding them from within.


    ¡°You insolent¡ª! We¡¯ll both die!¡± Alok fired wave after wave of azure energy at Stryg.


    The dome shook with each blow, small cracks appearing within the sigils, but it did not break.


    Alok screamed a guttural noise of frustration and charged at him. The parallel magestones in his pauldrons flared brightly and its aura of protection burned a brilliant blue. Stryg closed his eyes and focused all his will on the stone spell. Blossom wrapped tightly around him and covered him from head to toe.


    The armored troll smashed into the red dome with a resounding blast. The dome shattered into red motes of light and Alok tackled Stryg with all the force he could muster. Stryg¡¯s world went black as his body went careening through the air and smashed into a pillar, tearing a large chunk away as his body ricocheted off it and rolled to the ground.


    The throne room¡¯s shaking stopped, though a few chunks of the unstable ceiling were still falling down.


    ¡°Hah¡­. you crazy bastard, you almost did it,¡± Alok shook his head.


    Stryg coughed weakly.


    ¡°Oh¡­? You¡¯re still alive? That cloak truly is remarkable,¡± Alok said. ¡°I think I might take it as my own. It would serve as a nice cape.¡±


    Stryg opened his bleary eyes. His vision swam in hues of red. A warm feeling bloomed down his head. He touched his temple with his numb hand and came away with scarlet-tinted fingers. He was bleeding and judging from the amount dripping on the ground, it was quite a lot.


    Some part of him thought he should cast a healing spell to stop the bleeding before he lost consciousness, but his head was fuzzy and he rolled on the ground trying to stand. He reached out blindly, searching for some purchase to grab on. His hand brushed something cool to the touch and he realized it was the relic sword¡¯s hilt. With a quiet groan, he pulled himself into a kneeling position, and stabbed the sword into the ground.


    Stryg grabbed the hilt with both his shaking hands and leaned his head on the pommel, as he breathed in long tired breaths. He needed to stand. The troll king wouldn¡¯t wait for long. He needed to stand. To find his friends.


    Move, he told himself, but his exhausted body refused to budge. The green stone spell had drained him more than he realized or was it the heavy blow dealt by Alok? Stryg couldn¡¯t tell anymore. His mind was beginning to drift.


    Blood trickled down his forehead onto the pommel, down his fingers and the hilt, and slid over the blade. The sword¡¯s faded sigils darkened and grew distinct. His blood suddenly seeped into the sword and the blade blossomed a brilliant scarlet red.


    The world darkened and Stryg lost sight of his surroundings.


    ~~~


    Where am I¡­?


    Stryg looked around, all he could see was darkness. It reminded him of when he had been lost in the Dark Fringe, but no, this was different. This wasn¡¯t the cold numbness of loss. He hadn¡¯t forgotten who he was. This wasn¡¯t the edge of the Dreamscape. This was different.


    A warm light bloomed behind him. Stryg turned and found himself standing atop a tower. The world was blurred, as if in a painting, save for the two men standing at the edge of the tower, overlooking the realm beyond.


    The men wore heavy armor over and were wrapped in cloaks of dire bear fur. Their eyes were scarlet and their fangs were revealed every time their mouths moved. They were speaking, but Stryg could not hear what they were saying.


    Then the voice of the elder vampire became dim, a whisper in a storm. Slowly it grew stronger until Stryg could make out the words. He wasn¡¯t speaking in the common tongue but somehow Stryg could understand him.


    ¡°...Look around, Veres. We have conquered the lands as far and as wide as we can see and yet¡­ there are tens of thousands of more enemies waiting for us beyond these mountains.¡±


    A Veres? Stryg wondered. Was the younger vampire a relative of Callum? They hardly looked similar. This Veres¡¯ eyes were cold and piercing, and he had dark bags underneath, but there was no sign of exhaustion in sight.


    ¡°Our enemies abound, Veres. We are surrounded by them. They will never stop, not until the greed of the other Ebon Lords is quenched.¡±


    ¡°You and I both know that will never happen, my lord. It is the nature of power, no Ebon Lord can escape it, even you,¡± said the Veres vampire.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose not,¡± he smiled wryly and glanced away. ¡°War is coming once more to our lands, our enemies draw near¡­ How would you suggest we prevent it?¡±


    ¡°Simple. I shall kill every single one who dares set foot in our lands.¡±


    ¡°Veres,¡± he said softly, ¡°I know you are still grieving the loss of your¡ª friend. I understand you wish for vengeance, but if I challenge the other Ebon Lords this war could be unending, you do know this?¡±


    ¡°I know that I will end it,¡± he said with bitter determination. ¡°Let the Ebon Lords unleash their armies, let them come with all their glory and pride. I will dye the land with their blood until even the Ebon Lords are dead.¡±


    ¡°Blood¡­ hm?¡± the elder vampire smiled. ¡°Did you know blood is what binds us, Veres? Blood is the one thing that echoes through time. You married my daughter and now your son carries both our blood. His fate is tied to our own. Is this the world you wish for him to grow up in? A world of bloodshed and war?¡±


    ¡°It is the only world the Ebon Realm has ever known. It is the only world you and I deserve to be in, my lord,¡± he muttered bitterly. ¡°If my son could have a different life, it would only come to be if we fight and win.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ on that you are right. Magic will not be enough to win this war. If we are to win, to have victory against all the other Ebon Lords, then I will need the mind of the most brilliant tactician at every war front, guiding every battle and strategic position. Can you do that, Veres? Believe me, I¡¯d never ask such a monumental task of anyone, but you aren¡¯t like anyone this realm has ever seen. Tell me, truly, can you manage to command all the Frost Legions at once?¡±


    He nodded solemnly, ¡°Give me the command and I will give you victory.¡±


    The elder vampire smirked, ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that.¡± He reached underneath his cloak and drew a long sword. Its silver blade shined brilliantly in the dying light of the sun.


    ¡°My lord, what happened to your sword? Why is its color silver¡­?¡± he asked in surprise.


    The blade looked oddly familiar to Stryg, it seemed almost like¡­ Stryg felt a shiver run down his spine as he recognized the blade as his own.


    The elder vampire admired its metal gleam with a smile, ¡°When I built this sword all I wanted was to surpass my master. It was my will that brought this blade into existence and it will endure long after I am gone. It is my final legacy to the Ebon Realm. In my hands, it would serve me well, but in yours, it shall change the world.¡±


    ¡°My lord, I cannot possibly accept¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kneel,¡± the elder said in a serious tone.


    The Veres vampire dropped to one knee, albeit reluctantly.


    The elder lowered his blade slowly over the man¡¯s head. ¡°Will you swear to cut down our enemies and protect our bloodline from all who would do them harm?¡±


    He looked up at him with a steely gaze, ¡°Lord Koval, I swear to you, I will be the sword of our blood and the bane of our enemies. Be it monster or man, I shall end them all.¡±


    ¡°Then rise Lord Veres, First of your name, Commander of the Frost Legions, and take hold of your future. From this day forward, this sword shall be bonded to our bloodline and ours alone.¡±


    Veres slowly stood to his feet and pressed his thumb over one of his fangs. Blood bloomed on his thumb and he smeared it over the blade. The sword drank the red liquid greedily and turned a scarlet red.


    Lord Koval took a step back and nodded solemnly, ¡°I entrust you with my legacy, Veres. My greatest masterpiece. My will reborn in steel. My Bloodfang.¡±

 Chapter 413: Rise

    Chapter 413: Rise


    Lord Koval took a step back from Veres and nodded solemnly. ¡°I entrust you with my legacy, Veres. My greatest masterpiece. My will reborn in steel. My Bloodfang.¡±


    The world abruptly fell into a blur of darkness like a blotch of ink on wet paper. Gone was the tower in the mountains. Stryg found himself in a dimly lit castle chamber. He tried to speak, to move, but all he could do was watch as the scene unfolded, an unwilling passenger in a memory of dreams.


    A ring of tall candelabras surrounded two figures at the center of the chamber. The hazy scene began to clear and Stryg was able to make out the faces of two strangers. One was much younger than the other, yet both looked very similar. They had scarlet eyes, a somewhat pale complexion, raven-black hair, and a sharp nose. After a moment, Stryg recognized the older of the vampires, it was Veres, though the passage of time had left its mark. Strands of grey were strewn through his hair. Wrinkles stretched across the edges of his eyes and forehead. A silvery scar ran across his neck and up the side of his cheek, barely missing his eye.


    ¡°Callum, my son, do you know why I¡¯ve brought you here tonight?¡± Veres asked in a quiet, somber voice.


    Callum? Stryg wondered. This wasn¡¯t the Callum he knew. An ancestor then.


    The young man shook his head hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m not certain, Father.¡±


    Veres closed his eyes in recollection. ¡°No one thought the Ebon Realm could change. Everyone believed the Realm of Monsters was doomed to devour itself, one life after another, ever hungry for power. I was born into war, armies clashing against one another without care for the villages they trampled along the way.¡±


    Veres smiled bittersweetly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have survived if it hadn¡¯t been for Gale. I would have never made it out of the bloody Northern Lands.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had known her,¡± Callum whispered.


    ¡°Yes, as do I¡­ I still see her. In my dreams. ...I couldn¡¯t save her. So I devoted my life to destroying every enemy she had. I became your grandfather¡¯s sword and I bathed these lands in death.¡± Veres clenched his fists tight and sighed, the anger and strength leaving his body, ¡°And somehow through all that rage and bloodshed, we found peace. We slayed the opposing Ebon Lords and the few that remained we forced into submission. And somehow, your grandfather managed to enter a peace treaty with the Sapphire of the East, the Great City of Lunis. Peace¡­ that is the realm you have grown up in.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­?¡± Callum asked carefully.


    ¡°Do you know what your people call your grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Koval, the Unifier.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the ¡®mightiest¡¯ of the Ebon Lords,¡± Veres chuckled softly. ¡°Koval was a genius of enchantments. He was never one for war, he hated it. He loved to create, that was his passion. Koval cared for me like the son he never had, but he always feared Gale for her power, and I always resented him for that.¡±


    Callum frowned, ¡°Why are you talking about Grandfather like he¡¯s gone?¡±


    Veres pulled out a note from his pocket, its wax seal broken. ¡°Your grandfather is dead. The news will reach Frost Rim in the next two days I imagine. The peace Koval and I worked so hard to build will crumble apart. The countless lives sacrificed for this fanciful dream we dare call ¡®peace¡¯... will be meaningless.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Callum shook his head adamantly, ¡°We can¡¯t just let things fall apart. We have to stop this before it gets away from us. We must ensure the rest of the Ebon Lords do not turn on each other again. We must¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFight. We must fight, Callum. That is the only thing we can do. War is coming to the Northern Lands once more.¡± Veres sighed deeply, ¡°But I am tired, my son... This body cannot weather another endless war. The peace your grandfather dreamed of dies with him.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give up?! After everything?¡± Callum¡¯s voice cracked, his eyes wide with disbelief.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You¡¯ve never truly experienced what war does to the land, to the people, to you. It will destroy everything around us.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re doomed?¡± Callum said weakly.


    ¡°No. Our House will weather this storm because I¡¯ll never give up on you, or your sisters and brothers. And neither shall you.¡± Veres drew Krikolm from its sheath and held the blade up high. ¡°May the bloodline continue, now and always.¡±


    The parallel black and white magestones flickered brightly for a moment, then the bright scarlet hue drained from the blade like blood draining from a slit throat.


    ¡°Father, what are you doing!?¡± Callum asked in a panic.


    ¡°Blood, Callum! Blood is what binds us. Blood is the one thing that echoes through time. It is your duty to protect the bloodline even when all else is gone.¡±


    He swallowed hard, ¡°Father¡­ I¡­¡±


    Veres¡¯ expression softened, ¡°You are not alone in this, my son. You¡¯re half-brother¡ªno, you''re older brother, Aluin Gale, will be by your side. If it wasn¡¯t for Koval forcing my arranged marriage with your mother, I would have married Gale, and Aluin would have been my heir, not you. Yet Aluin holds no resentment against you for his lot in life, in fact, he loves you and your siblings more than anyone. His mother¡¯s will lives through him, as does her magic.¡±


    ¡°It is not just his magic, Father,¡± he admitted. ¡°I have seen the way Aluin wields your sword style. He hasn¡¯t just mastered it, he¡¯s improved it. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. The way he moves¡­ I could never live up to him.¡± Callum¡¯s shoulders trembled and he hung his head low, ¡°Aluin should be your heir, he should have Krikolm, not I.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Veres nodded thoughtfully, ¡°It takes a great man to admit his faults when a crown is presented to him. You are right, of course. Aluin¡¯s potential is great. Someday, even the Ebon Lords shall fear him, like they did Gale. ¡­Yet when I asked Aluin to be my heir he refused me. He said he wished to be his mother¡¯s heir, not mine. Then he did something I never expected, he swore to protect you and your siblings for as long as he shall live.¡±


    Callum smiled weakly at the thought, ¡°Aluin, he¡ª I don¡¯t deserve his loyalty.¡±


    ¡°No, you do not, but he gives it all the same.¡± Veres grabbed him tightly by the shoulder, ¡°Blood, my son. Blood is what binds us. Aluin will not abandon you, so do not abandon him.¡±


    Callum¡¯s expression grew resolute. ¡°I shall not abandon Aluin or his heirs. Our Houses shall be one, now and forever. One will not rise without the other, this I swear.¡±


    Veres smiled, then his voice became like steel, ¡°Kneel.¡±


    Callum shuffled forward and dropped to his knees. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.


    ¡°Repeat after me,¡± Veres said solemnly and placed the point of Krikolm over his son¡¯s bowed head. ¡°I am the sword of my blood.¡±


    ¡°...I am the sword of my blood.¡±


    ¡°I am the bane of my enemies.¡±


    ¡°I am the bane of my enemies.¡±


    ¡°Be it monster or man, I shall end them all.¡±


    ¡°Be it monster or man, I shall end them all.¡±


    Veres stabbed Krikolm into the stone floor between them both. With his head still bowed, Callum pricked his thumb with his fang and reverently smeared the blood over the blade. The sword¡¯s sigils darkened, its parallel magestones shined with an inner light, and the blade bloomed a brilliant scarlet red once more.


    ¡°Rise, Lord Veres, Second of your name, Heir of Koval and Veres, and take hold of your future.¡±


    Callum slowly stood to his feet, his eyes burning with a newfound resolve, and gripped Krikolm¡¯s hilt.


    The world fell into a blur once more and Stryg found himself falling through the darkness, unable to stop it. The world changed and there appeared Lord Veres II, with his daughter. After a deep conversation he presented her Krikolm and named her Lady Veres I. Then darkness flooded Stryg¡¯s vision again.


    Small fractured glimpses of Krikolm¡¯s past inheritances flowed through Stryg¡¯s eyes. He felt as if his body was being jostled through time, falling through the sky, only to land in the same castle almost a dozen times.


    His world shook around him again, the familiar blur taking hold, then he was in a familiar room, but it was not the chamber of these past memories. No, he knew this place. He had been here once before, his Callum had shown it to him. This was the Veres throne room in their mansion at Hollow Shade.


    Yet it was not Callum¡¯s father, Eldrin, Lord Veres IX who sat on the throne. It was a beautiful woman with pale brown hair, high cheekbones, and a button nose. Lady Veres VI. Alice was her name, Stryg recalled from the last memory. He supposed this woman was the namesake of Maeve¡¯s mother.


    Dozens of people stood within the throne room, watching from a distance, but their visages were blurred at the edge of the memory. A small boy stood closer than the others, leaning from one foot to another in excitement, but he too was in a haze.


    Alice suddenly stood up from her throne and drew Krikolm. ¡°May the bloodline continue, now and always.¡±


    As the blade lost its scarlet color Alice walked down the steps to the only other figure that was in focus, a woman kneeling at the base of stairs. Her face was obscured by her snow-white hair, though her pointed ears poked out from the sides. Blue pointed ears.


    ¡°Blood, Stryga. Blood is the one thing that binds us,¡± Alice recited.


    Stryga¡­?


    The kneeling woman raised her head and looked at her mother. Stryga¡¯s deep purple eyes were steady, without the fear and anxiousness her predecessors had carried during the ceremony. ¡°Blood is the one thing that echoes through time,¡± she responded calmly.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but stare in confusion. Why¡­ Why does she look like¡­?


    ¡°It is your duty to protect the bloodline even when all else is gone,¡± Alice finished.


    Stryga nodded. ¡°Now and always.¡±


    Alice smiled at her daughter. ¡°Well said, my Blue Rose,¡± she whispered warmly.


    The name sent shivers down Stryg¡¯s spine. Blue Rose? The destroyer of Lunis?


    No, it couldn¡¯t be. The Blue Rose was a Veres? Why was her name Stryga? Why does she¡­


    Why does she look like me!?


    Stryg wanted to shout and roar in frustration, a thousand questions on his lips, but his body did not move.


    Alice placed the point of Krikolm over Stryga¡¯s head. ¡°Swear the oath.¡±


    ¡°I will be the sword of our blood and the bane of our enemies. Be it monster or man, I shall end them all,¡± Stryga swore solemnly.


    Alice spun Krikolm around and stabbed the sword into the stone steps between them.


    Stryga bit her index finger until she drew blood and slowly drew a single crimson line over the silver blade.


    Alice smiled as Krikolm shined a brilliant scarlet. ¡°Rise, Lady Veres, Seventh of your name, Commander of the armies of Hollow Shade, and take hold of your future.¡±


    Stryga rose to her feet and reached out and grabbed Krikolm.


    The vision broke apart and pain washed over Stryg like icy needles stabbing into his muscles. He gasped in shock and opened his eyes. He was in the troll king¡¯s throne room once more. He was still kneeling on the ground, his hands gripping his sword¡¯s hilt, as he rested his head on the pommel.


    Blood continued to trickle down his forehead and bleed onto the relic sword.


    No, it had a name.


    In the memories, they had called the sword Bloodfang, a name that provoked a hundred more questions in Stryg¡¯s heart.


    But the world knew it for another name¡ª


    ¡°Krikolm!?¡± King Alok shouted in a mixture of fear and awe. ¡°It cannot be¡­ Why does someone like you have Krikolm!?¡±


    Stryg wanted to answer. He wanted to tell him that his mind was still reeling from what he had seen in the sword¡¯s memories. He wanted to shout he had no goddamn idea why Krikolm was in his hands. But his body didn¡¯t answer.


    Stryg¡¯s fingers trembled from the wounds and sheer cold elemental energy swirling outwards from the king¡¯s armor. He couldn¡¯t feel his extremities and his breath was shallow, each breath coming slower than the last.


    As his mind began to fade into sweet unconsciousness he heard a voice.


    Swear the oath, Lord Veres I whispered in his mind.


    I can¡¯t¡­ move¡­ Stryg thought numbly.


    Swear the oath! Lord Callum¡¯s voice joined.


    Swear the oath! several more voices echoed.


    Swear the oath! the voices of Veres predecessors yelled, an angry storm in his mind.


    SWEAR THE OATH! Stryga¡¯s voice boomed like a hammer smashing through the cacophony.


    Swear the oath¡­ They all spoke at once. This time there was no anger, only a warmth that seeped into Stryg¡¯s muscles.


    Swear the oath, they said softly.


    Stryg parted his cold lips, ¡°¡­I¡­ will be the sword of our blood¡­ and the bane of our enemies¡­ Be it monster or man¡­ I shall end them all.¡±


    Stryga¡¯s voice resounded clearly in his ear, as if she was sitting next to him, ¡°Rise, Lord Veres.¡±

 Chapter 414: Bloodfang

    Chapter 414: Bloodfang


    ¡°Rise, Lord Veres,¡± Stryga¡¯s voice resounded clear in Stryg¡¯s ears as if she was sitting next to him.


    Warmth trickled into Stryg¡¯s hands from the steel-white hilt of Krikolm. The parallel magestones in the pommel glowed black and white respectively. The scarlet blade hummed with power, its red hue shining in the dim blue light of the throne room.


    Stryg gripped the hilt tightly and clenched his teeth. He steadied his shivering arms and slowly staggered to his feet.


    The warmth emanating from the blade had dispelled the cold within his veins and he was able to stabilize his mana flow. The pain of his wounds still ached all across his body and his will was exhausted from his previous spells, but his mind was clear and his eyes focused.


    Shards of giant rocks splintered off the ceiling and fell to the floor in ground-shaking crashes. The after-effects of Stryg¡¯s green spell were weakening the foundations of the throne room, yet King Alok took no notice, his attention fully on the scarlet blade in the goblin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible¡­¡± Alok muttered in disbelief. It couldn¡¯t be Krikolm, the renowned ancestral blade of the Great House of Veres. ¡°The sword was lost¡­ It¡¯s bound to the blood of Veres¡­ You¡¯re not even a vampire! So why¡­ WHY! Why do you have Krikolm!¡± he screamed.


    ¡°Does it matter¡­?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Of course, it matters! I have spent my life searching for the Frostveil armor, I sacrificed everything to find it! Even the lives of my people! And you¡ª¡± Alok laughed hysterically, ¡°You waltz into my mountain with Ebon Lord Koval¡¯s masterpiece as if it were nothing! You don¡¯t deserve that sword! You are unworthy to hold it in your grubby little hands!¡±


    With his free hand, Stryg wiped the blood off his lips and rubbed it between his fingers. ¡°Blood¡­¡± he whispered, the memories of Krikolm had shown him still fresh in his mind. ¡°Blood is what binds us. Blood is the one thing that echoes through time.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Alok frowned in confusion.


    The corpses of the slain frost troll guards began to spasm as the blood in their bodies began to rise from the ground in streams of brilliant scarlet. The ribbons of blood flowed through the sky and swirled around Stryg like a whirlpool, Krikolm at its center. Stryg stared in awe at the scarlet threads surrounding him.


    ¡°W-What are you doing!?¡± Alok stumbled back a step in bewilderment.


    Stryg glanced at Alok, his lilac eyes thoughtful. ¡°What are you so afraid of? Did you not want to test your Frostveil armor against my sword?¡±


    The troll king snarled from underneath his helm. ¡°Koval was never able to surpass any of Parathyan¡¯s works.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Then why do you look afraid?¡±


    ¡°Afraid¡­?¡± Alok stiffened. ¡°You think¡­ me? Afraid? How dare you¡ª!¡±


    Stryg dashed at him before he had finished speaking. Alok raised his arms to defend himself and the parallel magestones in Frostveil¡¯s pauldrons flared with power. A wave of cold blue energy exploded outwards from the armor. Stryg¡¯s instincts screamed for him to dodge, but he silenced the thoughts and placed his faith in his sword.


    Stryg raised Krikolm high and the blood followed, like a scarlet banner of strands trailing behind the blade. He slashed down as the frost wave struck and cleaved the wave¡¯s power in two. Using the momentum of the slash, he stepped forward and swung Krikolm up in a large arc. The Frostveil armor glowed with an outline of protective blue energy as Krikolm struck. The blade flared a bright rose-red and sliced through the protective energy and armor in one smooth swing.


    Alok cried out in pain as his left arm fell unceremoniously to the ground. The frost troll king staggered backwards and held his bloody stump with a mournful groan. Blood flowed out from the severed arm and joined the other scarlet strands swirling around Krikolm.


    ¡°S-Stop! Agh, stop!¡± Alok yelled pleadingly. ¡°I concede! I concede! I¡¯ll tell you where your friends are, just stop!¡±


    ¡°I told you, no matter what you say¡ª¡± Stryg flipped Krikolm into a reverse grip, pulled his arm back, and threw the sword like a spear. The scarlet blade streaked through the air and stabbed through Frostveil¡¯s chest plate and out the back.


    Alok gasped a hollow noise and clutched at Krikolm helplessly as he collapsed to his knees. Yet no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t seem to grasp the white-steel hilt. Krikolm¡¯s blade burned a dark red and greedily drank the frost troll¡¯s blood. In a span of three breaths, Alok¡¯s panicked convulsions stopped and his body shriveled to a husk.


    Large fragments of rock fell from the ceiling all around them as the throne room began to crumble apart. Stryg dragged his feet towards the king¡¯s corpse, his body suddenly feeling sluggish as the adrenaline died off. His vision began to swim and his hearing became fuzzy.


    Can¡¯t stop¡­ Stryg dimly thought to himself.


    He needed to find the others. He had sent Plum on ahead but she was counting on him, they were all counting on him. He couldn¡¯t stop now¡­ not¡­ now.


    Stryg crumbled to the ground. Yellow scales tried to form around his skin but crumbled apart as his mind grew hazy. He stared up at the ceiling, the edges of his vision darkening, and watched as the ceiling fell on top of him.


    ~~~


    Plum ran through the ice-covered tunnels of Grimstone, searching for Tauri and the others.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She had cast several illusions of herself and had sent them running into other tunnels, while she had cast a camouflage spell over herself. She had waited until the guards were well on their way to nowhere before she released the camouflage and kept searching.


    She tried to backtrack the way they had first come into the mountain, but she quickly changed her direction when she heard the clamor of battle from afar. Plum ran with all the strength her sore legs could carry her, silently regretting her lax exercise regimen. Her lungs burned and her feet ached from the uneven rocky and ice-patched ground but still, she ran, desperation pushing her onward. Her illusions would have fallen apart by now. The guards were probably on her trail, attracted by the sounds of battle.


    Plum turned a corner and was flung backwards by a powerful gale as a blurred figure flew past her. She gasped in quick breaths, the air knocked out of her, and scrambled to her feet as best she could.


    The flying figure stopped in mid-air and slowly returned, hovering over the dazed drow. ¡°Plum¡­? What are you doing here? Where is Stryg?¡±


    Plum squinted her blue eyes and looked at the floating woman. Her black robes billowed and snow-white hair slowly flowed around her as if she was underwater. Furious yellow eyes and narrow slit pupils stared down at Plum impatiently.


    ¡°Where is Stryg?¡± the woman asked once more, her tone ice-cold.


    ¡°...F-First Mother¡­?¡± Plum asked hesitantly. ¡°Is that you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with Stryg?¡± Aurelia asked irritatedly. ¡°You were supposed to be with him.¡±


    Plum could hardly recognize the woman flying before her, but the displeased frigid voice was unmistakable. ¡°Stryg, he¡­ It was a trap. King Alok attacked us. Stryg helped me escape and told me to warn everyone. We¡¯re in danger. We need to find the others and escape.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes hardened and she clenched her fists tight. ¡°The danger has already come. Several of my people were killed in the ambush at the bridge. The rest will survive, my brother will ensure it.¡±


    ¡°Tauri, is she¡ª¡± Plum swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°Is Tauri¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Your friend will be fine, which is a lot more than many of my hunters can say.¡±


    Plum bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where is Stryg? Is he still in the throne room?¡±


    Plum grimaced with uncertainty, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was supposed to have caught up with me by now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Aurelia headed down the tunnel where Plum came from.


    ¡°W-Wait, I¡¯m coming with you!¡± she called out and struggled to her feet.


    ¡°You can hardly stand, stay where you are.¡±


    Plum shook her head and gripped the edge of her shirt. ¡°No. Stryg is my friend. If the others are safe, then I¡¯m coming with you. ¡­I gave up on him once, I¡¯m not doing it again.¡±


    Aurelia stared at her in pensive silence. ¡°...I don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± She turned her back to Plum.


    ¡°Wait, please¡ª agh!?¡± Plum yelped in surprise as shadow tendrils shot out from Aurelia¡¯s silhouette and grabbed her by the waist.


    Aurelia ignored her cries and flew down the tunnel, dragging Plum behind her. The ice-covered walls blew past them in a blur as the winds swirling Aurelia grew stronger and carried her faster through the tunnels.


    Frost trolls came upon them by chance as they flew by only to get scorched by lightning bolts. Aurelia¡¯s fingers moved with small flicks, lightning crackling over her arms, dispensing bolts of death in the blink of an eye.


    Plum watched in amazement, never had she seen a mage cast storm spells with such speed and efficiency save for the Tempest Archmage Ismene.


    Suddenly the powerful gales slowed to a halt and Aurelia landed on the ground running. They had arrived at the throne room but the giant doorway had been blocked off by large rocks.


    ¡°No!¡± Aurelia growled. Green mana surged into her hands. She plunged her hands into the boulder as if it were soft clay. She threw her hands apart and the rocks parted in large rumbling waves in front of her.


    Aurelia ran into the large chamber without hesitation, her head snapping back and forth, searching for any sign of life. Her hands flung back and forth, tossing boulders and fragments of rock away as if they were pebbles.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Plum called out from behind her.


    A small white smudge peeked out from beneath a fairly large mound of rocks.


    Aurelia slammed her feet into the ground and poured green mana into the mound. She thrust her outstretched hand forward and flung it to the side. The mound broke apart into a thousand small splinters and flew across the room in a deadly volley of shrapnel.


    Aurelia ignored the destruction behind her and called out a single word breathlessly, ¡°Stryg!¡± She ran across the room to the small white figure hidden underneath the mound.


    Blossom¡¯s petals had puffed up and folded over one another, like hardened scales forming a cocoon of protection. As Aurelia neared, Blossom¡¯s petals unfurled and revealed its unconscious owner within.


    Plum gasped quietly, she had never seen Stryg in such a miserable state. His body was battered, his blue skin was pale, his clothes were torn, and his breathing was shallow. The cloak hadn¡¯t been able to protect him completely from the weight of the falling rocks.


    Aurelia crumbled to her knees and shook his shoulders nervously, ¡°Stryg, wake up!¡±


    She shook him over and over but he did not respond. Aurelia placed her head over his chest and listened for his heartbeat. There was only a single heartbeat. It was faint and getting slower.


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Aurelia muttered in a panic. She dug her claws into his tunic and ripped it apart.


    Dark blue patches of skin covered Stryg¡¯s chest from internal bleeding.


    Aurelia gasped a weak painful noise at the sight. She poured white mana into her arms and placed her hands on his chest. Soft white light flowed into his body as Aurelia worked over him.


    Plum sat beside them and stared at Stryg¡¯s face in worried silence. She spotted teardrops falling on his cheeks and she furrowed her brow, confused. Plum slowly looked over to Aurelia and noticed the woman¡¯s hands and shoulders were trembling uncontrollably. Yet it was First Mother¡¯s tears streaming down her face that sent a shiver down Plum¡¯s back.


    Everything had happened so fast. The troll king and his guards had attacked them, Plum had run away at Stryg¡¯s behest, then she had met this woman, who she had thought was simply a priestess of the Blood Fang tribe flying through the tunnels. Everything had happened in a blur, Plum hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to fully grasp the situation¡­ until now.


    ¡°...Why are your hands trembling?¡± Plum asked quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± Aurelia asked, though her eyes stayed on Stryg.


    ¡°A mage¡¯s hands should be steady while casting, especially those of a healer.¡±


    ¡°I have spent more mana today than I have in the past several years combined. I¡¯m suffering from mana exhaustion and overheating. But I don¡¯t see any other white mages nearby, do you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then shut up and let me focus,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°...Goblins don¡¯t cry,¡± Plum mumbled.


    Aurelia stiffened at her words, but she kept her eyes on Stryg and tried her best to steady her trembling hands to no avail.


    ¡°Stryg always told me that goblins don¡¯t cry. You were the one who taught him that.¡± Plum stared at her with a steady gaze. ¡°I have seen you kill enemy hunters without even blinking. I even saw you kill one of your own hunters when they threatened Stryg. Still, your composure didn¡¯t break, not even for a moment. I thought you a perfect, terrifying Matriarch of Blood Fang.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Aurelia said in an angry, hoarse voice.


    ¡°Nothing could faze you¡­ yet now you can¡¯t stop crying or your hands from shaking. You aren¡¯t just his First Mother, are you¡­? Stryg is your son.¡±

 Chapter 415: Stryg… hm?

    Chapter 415: Stryg¡­ hm?


    ¡°You aren¡¯t just his First Mother, are you¡­? Stryg is your son,¡± Plum said with careful conviction.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you speak of,¡± Aurelia muttered, unable to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Is that so? Then why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Aurelia shifted her focus to her hands and the white healing spell swirling over Stryg¡¯s injured chest.


    Plum shook her head in disbelief, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t see it sooner. You look like him, or he looks like you, I guess. And it¡¯s not just the hair. You both have the same button nose and the way you grow quiet and your eyes narrow ever so slightly when you¡¯re about to kill someone like right now.¡±


    Aurelia clenched her jaw but said nothing, though she looked at Plum from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°...Are you planning to kill me?¡± Plum asked with a steady voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m debating it.¡±


    ¡°To keep your secret hidden. I understand. Though, if I die, Stryg won¡¯t ever forgive¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHe¡¯ll never know I was the one who took your life. I could easily make it seem as if it was one of the frost trolls.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand me. This isn¡¯t about you. If I die Stryg won¡¯t ever forgive himself. He sent me to find you and the others. He¡¯ll blame himself, not you.¡±


    ¡°...You really thought this through,¡± Aurelia noted coldly.


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m still coming to grips with it all.¡±


    ¡°Yet you seem quite calm. I never thought the scared little drow would be so calm in the face of her own death.¡±


    Plum narrowed her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not calm. I¡¯m furious.¡±


    ¡°You? Why? This has nothing to do with you. You are an outsider,¡± Aurelia growled. ¡°I should never have let Stryg drag you along.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ To the Sylvan, I am an outsider, but to Stryg I am his friend. We were once best friends. He used to tell me stories about his time in his tribe. Of how he was treated as different, of how they whispered behind his back.¡± Plum clenched her fists, ¡°He told me of how mother was weak and she died giving birth to him. I saw how her death weighed on him¡­ So imagine my shock when I find out his mother still lives.¡±


    ¡°If you so much as speak a word of any of this to Stryg, I will¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI want to know why. Give me a good reason why I should lie to my friend about you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve any answers,¡± Aurelia snapped.


    ¡°But Stryg does.¡±


    Aurelia chuckled bitterly, ¡°Rarely does anyone get what they deserve.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. From where I sit I¡¯d say you love your son, but I don¡¯t think there has ever been anyone who has hurt as much as you have.¡±


    ¡°Silence, you know nothing!¡± Aurelia bared her fangs and hissed angrily. ¡°I have protected him since he was born and you, you¡¯ve known him for what? A few years? And you think you have the right to judge me? You are but an ignorant child stumbling through the dark, unaware of the dangers standing in front of her.¡±


    Plum bit her lip, ¡°You¡¯re right, I am ignorant but I still remember the stories Stryg told me, of his goals, his dreams. He wanted to meet his parents, he wanted to know why he was different¡­ He¡¯d never dare say it but I saw it in his eyes. He wanted to know that it was okay to be different, that he was loved anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about him. Stryg doesn¡¯t need such things. He is a Sylvan. I raised him to be strong. He is beyond such simple desires,¡± Aurelia said firmly.


    ¡°Simple desires like power? He¡¯s told me of his dreams to become the greatest mage alive. To be so powerful none can dare challenge him.¡±


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°Stryg doesn¡¯t care about power so much as he craves glory. He has always chased after the legends of the great Sylvans of the past. He wishes to be like them, so much so that it sometimes blinds him. It¡¯s his one major fault.¡±


    Plum frowned, ¡°Gods, you still don¡¯t see it, do you? Stryg has never cared about glory. He doesn¡¯t like being the center of attention, he never has. Stryg only wanted to be a great Sylvan because he wanted to make the Blood Fang tribe proud. He wanted to make you proud. You, the person he admires most. He craves your approval more than anything, but you never gave it to him. His own mother. Why?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need my approval,¡± Aurelia muttered. ¡°He has done just fine without me, hasn¡¯t he? The champion of the Great Cities Tourney. The realm¡¯s Ebon Aspirant. What more could he need from me?¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that¡­? I¡¯ve seen the way Stryg looks at you. I heard the way he stood up to the Lunar Elect for you. He adores you. You¡¯re his mother, whether you¡¯ve told him or not, that is how he sees you. He needs you.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need me!¡± Aurelia suddenly screamed.


    Plum flinched and fell back.


    Aurelia bowed her head and stared at Stryg¡¯s pale face. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. His breathing was faint. She had never seen him so weak, so still, so frail, not since the day he was born.


    Aurelia¡¯s hands trembled and she closed her eyes tight, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Stryg doesn¡¯t need me¡­ I don¡¯t deserve him.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°Second Mother told you, didn¡¯t she? Of what happened that night Stryg was born.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie. I already figured out she spoke with you,¡± Aurelia sighed.


    Plum nodded reluctantly, ¡°She told me that when Stryg was born the other Mothers wanted to kill him, because he was sickly. They didn¡¯t think he was going to survive the night. So in order to protect him, Second Mother and Jahn fought off the guards and the other Sylvan Mothers, while you took Stryg and ran off into the forest.¡±


    Aurelia smiled painfully, ¡°Not quite¡­ I was once the most promising mage in Evenfall, in line to become the Mother Elect or perhaps the Silver Mother high priestess of the Sylvan. Then suddenly I was nothing, just a stupid woman who had broken her sacred vows and fallen in love with an outsider, a man who had abandoned me. I felt so foolish and alone.¡±


    Aurelia closed her eyes as she recalled the night¡­


    ~~~


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    20 years ago¡­


    The growls of beasts in the underbrush and the screeching cries of dire vultures in the trees echoed through the scarlet forest. A small figure ran through the trees, her feet bare and bleeding as she rushed past the underbrush.


    Every step Aurelia took sent pangs of pain through her waist. Blood dripped down her legs as agony burned between her thighs. She had cast a healing spell to stem the bleeding and numb the pain but its effects were failing. Brown mana coursed through her muscles and gave her strength, yet each labored breath seemed to sap away what little strength she had left.


    The autumn winds howled through the trees and sent shivers down her spine. The cold had never bothered her much before, but now she felt weak, frail. She wore only a simple white robe. And though it was too dark to see, she knew it was dyed red with her own dried blood.


    Aurelia looked up past the red canopy, hoping to see the silver face of her goddess hanging in the sky, but there was no moon. The sky was ebon dark, there was no moonlight to grace the land. A birth on the new moon was an ill omen. It was as if Lunae herself was rejecting her.


    She dragged her feet across the fallen leaves and tried to find a path with what little starlight filtered through the canopy.


    But there was no path. Where could she go? She had run away from Evenfall for fear of her pregnancy being discovered. She had come home, hoping her mother the chieftain might be able to do something, anything. But her mother was sick, bedridden, and no amount of magic in the world could heal her.


    Aurelia had left Jahn and Sixth behind, battling for their lives against her fellow Mothers and the hunters her own mother had placed in charge of the birthing room. If the chieftain was awake this would never have happened, but she was asleep, her illness taking hold of her a little more every day.


    Everything was falling apart and Aurelia could do nothing to stop it.


    ¡°Waaah, waah!¡±


    All because of the newborn child in her arms. He was a small little thing. His cheeks were a dark blue and the little wisp of hair on his round pudgy head was silver-white like her own. He cried incessantly from the moment he was born. Each little breath was labored and he coughed without rest.


    Perhaps the other Sylvan Mothers were right. He wouldn¡¯t survive the night. She had run out from the lodge in a panic, without thinking. But now as she stared at the small little face all Aurelia could feel was resentment.


    Such a small little creature had cost her everything. Her station, her honor, her dreams¡­ all were gone like the cinders of a flame.


    Aurelia¡¯s foot tripped over a tree root hidden underneath the fallen leaves. She cried out in surprise as she stumbled and fell to the ground. She instinctively turned her back and held the baby close to her chest as she fell. The hard uneven ground slammed into her back with a heavy thud. Pain shot through her waist, but she held in her voice for fear of attracting predators.


    And still, the baby¡¯s cries echoed throughout the forest.


    ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Aurelia frowned tiredly. ¡°You¡¯re alright, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m the one who fell and hurt her back. I should be the one crying¡­¡±


    The baby opened his pale lilac eyes and cried even louder.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why can¡¯t you just SHUT UP!!!¡± Aurelia screamed. Her brown magic failed her and she broke down in tears as the pain flooded her body. She had had enough.


    But the baby¡¯s cries didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± Aurelia mumbled through her tears. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault.¡±


    ¡°This is not what you envisioned for your life, is it?¡± a deep voice rumbled.


    Aurelia sat up in shock and looked around worriedly as frost-mist began to rise all around her. ¡°W-Who¡¯s there!?¡±


    ¡°You know who I am, child.¡± The frost-mist slowly melted away and revealed a giant frost wolf towering over her. The wolf had a snow-white coat and deep scarlet eyes that seemed to bore right through her.


    Aurelia had never seen such a large frost wolf before, it was easily twice the size of the others she had met.


    No, this wasn¡¯t a frost wolf. She had seen the mural hanging above the Celestial Shrine, she had stared at it for hours, marveling at its beauty. Yet it did not come close to the real being.


    ¡°Mother Moon¡­¡± Aurelia whispered in awe and fear. Despite the pain, she knelt down and bowed her head. ¡°I¡­ I am so sorry.¡±


    Still, the baby cried, oblivious to the goddess in front of them. Aurelia wanted the earth to swallow them out of shame.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lunae repeated the word, as if tasting its meaning on her lips. ¡°Do you understand what you have done?¡±


    Aurelia nodded shamefully and she dared not look up and meet her goddess in the eye.  ¡°...I have broken my vows. When I chose to become one of your priestesses I swore to devote my all to you, but I betrayed you and I ran away from my duties¡­ I know my words mean very little to you, but I know I made a mistake, I see that now. All I pray for is mercy for my tribe. They have done nothing wrong, please spare them.¡±


    ¡°I do not blame you for what happened, child.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aurelia mumbled, confused.


    ¡°This need not be the end for you, Aurelia of Blood Fang. I have taken a vested interest in you. So I offer you this, a chance to reclaim your dreams.¡±


    Aurelia slowly looked up. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. The child, it is the source of your problems. I will get rid of it. None shall ever mention the child¡¯s existence again, you have my word. You will be able to return to your life in Evenfall and resume your training as a priestess and mage.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re serious¡­?¡± Aurelia asked, a glimmer of hope in her yellow eyes.


    ¡°You will be able to forget about this whole ordeal. You are a mere 20 summers old. Your life has barely begun, do not waste it in these woods.¡±


    Aurelia stared at the crying child in her arms. A minute ago her life was over and now¡­ Now the Mother Moon herself was giving her a second chance.


    ¡°Thank you, my goddess,¡± Aurelia bowed her head over and over.


    ¡°Then let us be rid of it,¡± Lunae said calmly.


    Frost-mist rose up from beneath Aurelia and pulled the crying baby into the air. Lunae opened her mouth, revealing a row of sharp pearl-white teeth the size of short swords.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Aurelia asked nervously.


    ¡°Eating it, obviously. There will be no trace left, I assure you. Come dawn you will be able to put this all behind you.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, y-yes, of c-course,¡± she said shakily.


    To go against the goddess¡¯ kindness was madness.


    Aurelia watched in a numb daze as the frost-mist carried the baby closer to Lunae¡¯s open jaws. The baby wailed loudly and stretched out his little hand towards his mother.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Aurelia yelled in a panic. ¡°I can¡¯t do this! Stop!¡±


    Lunae cocked her head to the side. ¡°I thought you hated the babe? Do you not wish to be rid of it?¡±


    ¡°I was wrong! Please, spare him! I beg of you!¡± Aurelia threw herself to the ground.


    ¡°...It may hurt for a moment, but this will be better for you.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Aurelia cried out in hysteria. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him, I¡¯ll do anything! Take my life instead! Please, goddess, I beg you!¡± she screamed with tears in her eyes.


    The frost-mist wrapped around Aurelia and held her to the ground, leaving her helpless to watch as her son floated closer to Lunae¡¯s open maw.


    ¡°Do not worry, by morning you will have forgotten he even existed.¡±


    ¡°NO! I don¡¯t want to forget! Spare my son, please! Please, Lunae, PLEASE, I¡¯M BEGGING YOU, STOP!!!¡± Aurelia screamed a wretched noise at the top of her lungs.


    The baby¡¯s small body slowly spun through the air and reached Lunae¡¯s jaws. The goddess stretched her mouth wide. The baby¡¯s cries abruptly stopped as he met her iridescent scarlet eyes. He reached his pudgy hand out and touched her black nose.


    Lunae paused, confused at the sudden interaction. The baby cooed softly and stretched out his little hands towards her. Lunae narrowed her eyes in annoyance and growled at him, a deep rumbling sound that shook the ground itself.


    The baby giggled and hugged the goddess¡¯ nose with his four small limbs. Lunae stared at him in mute surprise and for a brief moment a flicker of warmth crossed her eyes. She suddenly frowned and shook her head, sending the baby floating back into the frost-mist.


    ¡°Take him,¡± Lunae ordered, then turned to leave. ¡°Do not speak to your tribe of this night.¡±


    Free from her magical shackles, Aurelia scrambled to her feet and snatched her son from the air. She hugged him tightly and cried in relief.


    Lunae glanced back at them. ¡°Have you thought of a name?¡±


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Aurelia blinked, uncertain of what to say. ¡°...Stryg¡­ after my grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ hm?¡± Lunae muttered the name under her breath then walked away and faded into the frost-mist.

 Chapter 416: Secrets & Discretion

    Chapter 416: Secrets & Discretion


    ¡°First Mother¡­?¡± Plum called out hesitantly.


    The drow¡¯s voice pulled Aurelia back from her memories of that fateful night 20 years ago. Aurelia breathed in shakily and tried her best to keep her voice from breaking. ¡°...A child born under a new moon is considered an ill omen. I felt as if Lunae herself was rejecting me after I had broken my vows. I was scared. I was angry. I had lost everything, my station, my honor, my dreams¡­ and I blamed a baby, my child.¡±


    ¡°I hated him for the simple crime of being born,¡± Aurelia laughed bitterly. ¡°What Second Mother told you is true, she and Jahn fought off the hunters and Mothers while I escaped with Stryg into the forest. I didn¡¯t know where I was going, I was in pain and delirious from the loss of blood. I was weak¡­ and so lost. But when I looked into his little wailing face all I saw were my failures¡­ I wanted it all to end.¡±


    Aurelia closed her eyes tightly, ¡°I gave him up. It was only for a moment, but I gave him up just the same. And that choice¡­ I didn¡¯t know it at the time but it would change everything.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Plum whispered anxiously.


    ¡°I may have given birth to Stryg but I lost the right to call him ¡®son¡¯ the night I gave him up. That role was taken upon by another.¡±


    Plum frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re the First Mother, you raised Stryg yourself. Who else would dare call herself his mother?¡±


    ¡°You wanted me to give you a good reason as to why you should lie to Stryg about his parentage? I swore an oath that I would never reveal to Stryg that I was his mother.¡±


    Plum shook her head in confusion, ¡°You swore an oath? To whom?¡±


    ¡°To the being who took Stryg as her own. The Mother Moon, the ebon goddess Lunae.¡± Aurelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is that ¡®good enough¡¯ reason for you?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Plum¡¯s face paled. ¡°Y-You¡¯re joking right?¡±


    ¡°I am the Favored of the Mother Moon and her faithful priestess, do you think I would dare joke about such a thing?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s body seized up and he groaned in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to him!?¡± Plum asked frantically.


    ¡°His body is finally reacting to the pain of his injuries,¡± Aurelia noted. ¡°It means he¡¯s fighting to survive.¡±


    Aurelia ended her healing spell and the white light faded from her fingertips. She gently placed her ear over Stryg¡¯s chest and listened. The sound was still faint but now she heard two heartbeats instead of one.


    ¡°His first heart seems to have recovered,¡± Aurelia sighed in relief. Her shoulders slumped and she fell back. It felt as if a huge weight had fallen off her chest and she could finally breathe once more.


    ¡°First heart?¡± Plum furrowed her brow.


    ¡°...His chromatic heart,¡± she corrected. ¡°It fell into organ failure but now it''s beating again.¡± Aurelia brushed her fingers across Blossom¡¯s white petals, ¡°His cloak could only protect his body from so much. His flesh may seem fine but the falling debris broke most of his bones and ruptured his internal organs.¡±


    Plum swallowed hard. ¡°That sounds really bad,¡± she said shakily.


    Aurelia nodded grimly, ¡°It is. Chromatic magic¡¯s healing prowess is limited. Stryg¡¯s cloak is imbued with elemental life magic, which is far more effective but Blossom has its limits as well.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we going to do? We can¡¯t just let him d¡ª!¡± Plum bit her tongue. She couldn¡¯t say it.


    ¡°Stryg will not die. So long as his second heart continues to beat his body will recover from most any injury given time.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because anyone else would already be dead.¡±


    Plum stared at Stryg¡¯s face as he grimaced painfully. ¡°How long is he going to be like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain¡­¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you keep casting healing magic on him?¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°His body isn¡¯t like ours. Whatever is happening underneath his flesh isn¡¯t a normal healing process. If I continue to cast conventional healing magic on him I may do more harm than good.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing we can do?¡± Plum mumbled.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I can do. You on the other hand¡­¡±


    Plum sat up at her words. ¡°Tell me! I¡¯ll do anything. Just tell me what I need to do!¡±


    ¡°Give him your blood.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Plum blinked. ¡°P-Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Stryg may not look it but he strongly inherited my vampiric nature.¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a hybrid?! You¡¯re a half-vampire?¡±


    ¡°Less than half but my House¡¯s bloodline is particularly strong. Stryg and I both possess several vampiric traits, including the ability¡ª and need to consume blood.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. I have so many questions. If you¡¯re some kind of hybrid, then that means hybrids can have children! And Stryg! He¡¯s part vampire!? How is that even possible¡ª? Ah.¡± Plum recalled the countless times Stryg had bitten people who had annoyed him. He had even bitten her on occasion. ¡°Actually, I can totally believe it,¡± she said dryly.


    Aurelia ignored her mumbling and grabbed Plum¡¯s wrist. ¡°Stryg¡¯s blood consumption is something every vampire has and it should still work the same as any the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean and what are you doing with my¡ª OW, SHIT!¡±


    Aurelia ran her forefinger¡¯s claw across Plum¡¯s wrist and slit it wide open. She held Plum¡¯s wrist over Stryg¡¯s open mouth and let her blood trickle down his throat. ¡°Feeding will help with his recovery.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just give him your own blood,¡± Plum complained with a grimace.


    ¡°Vampires cannot consume the blood of other vampires. We may only be part vampire but I rather not risk it. There, that should be enough.¡± Aurelia pushed Plum¡¯s wrist away from Stryg and healed the cut with a simple white spell.


    ¡°I feel a little light-headed,¡± Plum said hazily.


    ¡°Chromatic healing spells are quite poor when it comes to regenerating loss of blood. Give yourself a few days, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°T-Thanks, I guess?¡± Plum mumbled.


    Stryg¡¯s breathing relaxed somewhat and his body eased into a peaceful sleep.


    ¡°That should help,¡± Aurelia noted.


    ¡°Hey, are you doing that?¡± Plum asked.


    The few drops of blood that had fallen to the ground were crawling away.


    ¡°Is that some sort of vampire ability?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± Aurelia stood to her feet and searched the ruined throne room for any threats.


    The blood droplets pooled together and formed a beeline towards a particularly large boulder a dozen paces away. Green mana flowed into Aurelia¡¯s hand and the boulder rolled aside with a flick of her wrist.


    An armored mangled corpse was buried underneath the rubble. It was missing its left arm from above the elbow though there was no blood.


    ¡°That¡¯s King Alok!¡± Plum said in recognition.


    ¡°¡­I wish I had killed him myself.¡±


    ¡°Careful! Don¡¯t get too close. He was using some kind of powerful enchanted armor. It froze anything that got too close.¡±


    Aurelia stared at the shattered parallel magestone on the right pauldron. ¡°Whatever enchantment it was, it''s gone now.¡±


    Her eyes were drawn to the blood droplets slowly swirling around the sword hilt sticking out from the frost troll¡¯s chest.


    Isn¡¯t this Stryg¡¯s? Aurelia thought and pulled the sword from the corpse. She stiffened at the sight of the scarlet blade and the clear inscription etched on it.


    ¡°¡­Krikolm?¡± Aurelia muttered in awe.


    ¡°Wait, what did you just say? Because it sounds like you just said Krikolm,¡± Plum wanted to get a better look but she refused to leave Stryg¡¯s side.


    Aurelia smiled softly, ¡°This little brat, I can¡¯t believe he really found it. To think he¡¯s had it with him all this time.¡± She walked back over to Stryg and placed the sword next to him.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the relic sword, but why is it red? And the sigils, they actually seem legible.¡± Plum leaned over and read the inscription, ¡°It¡¯s written in the Old Tongue, it says¡­ Krikolm¡­ WHAT!?? W-Wha? W-Why? How?!¡±


    ¡°My grandmother lost the sword in a battle with a dragon that had made its lair in Vulture Woods. I can only imagine it must have been that dragon¡¯s skeleton you found in that serpent¡¯s cave,¡± Aurelia said thoughtfully.


    Plum rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, trying to process the last few minutes. ¡°Let¡¯s say that really is Krikolm and that one of the most infamous swords in the entire realm is lying not three paces from me, why would your grandmother ever have Krikolm in her possession? Did she steal it? How did she even find it?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t steal it,¡± Aurelia glared at Plum. ¡°Krikolm was given to her by her mother just as she inherited Krikolm from her grandfather and so forth, as is tradition.¡±


    ¡°Tradition? Since when do goblins pass down legendary swords?¡± Plum chuckled. ¡°You make it almost sound as if your grandmother was a V¡ª...¡± She frowned. ¡°You said you''re part vampire? Was your grandmother by any chance a vampire?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Plum sighed in relief, ¡°Oh, I see¡ª¡±


    ¡°She was half vampire and half drow.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Aurelia crossed her arms, ¡°She was a hybrid but that didn¡¯t stop her from becoming the ruler of her House.¡±


    ¡°House¡­? As in a noble House?¡±


    ¡°One of the greatest in the realm,¡± Aurelia nodded casually.


    ¡°Greatest?¡± The blood began to drain from Plum¡¯s face as she began to put the pieces together. She slowly glanced at Krikolm then Stryg and finally First Mother. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am the woman you do not wish to make enemies with under any circumstance.¡± Aurelia leaned forward with a cold glare, ¡°So I trust I can count on your absolute discretion regarding all matters shared with you in this cave.¡±


    Plum swallowed, ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±

 Chapter 417: Mother’s Fury

    Chapter 417: Mother¡¯s Fury


    The smell of iron and dried meat permeated the air and mixed with the smoke rising from Tauri¡¯s campfire. The Blood Fang hunters huddled around the fire, trying to gather what little heat they could from the flames. The fall into the river had left them all freezing, even the goblins were struggling to stay warm.


    The hunters and Tauri had taken refuge in one of the frost troll¡¯s storage cellars. The cellar had been carved out from the side of one of Grimstone Mountain¡¯s numerous tunnels. The room wasn¡¯t very large but it was easy to defend if any more trolls were to attack.


    The cellar was filled with frozen hunks of meat, some dangling from the ceiling, others resting atop large wooden tables. Tauri had dismantled one of the tables and burned it with a flame spell to create their campfire. Some of the hunters that were well enough to walk had grabbed some of the cellar¡¯s meat and hung them over the fire to cook.


    Jahn sat in the cellar¡¯s doorway, his spear resting between his arms. Tauri had offered to take shifts between guard duty but Jahn had politely declined.


    A chieftain¡¯s duty was to protect his tribe and he had already failed to protect them, he would not fail them again, not while he had strength, he told her.


    Tauri had let him be after that. She understood what it was like to have failed the people you were meant to protect. How many had fallen at Widow¡¯s Crag due to her rash decisions made in anger. The blame wasn¡¯t only hers to carry but such a thought hadn¡¯t made her students¡¯ deaths any easier to carry.


    Around half the Blood Fang hunters had fallen in the chasm¡¯s river never to rise again. The rest were wounded, some far worse than others. Srixa and a few other hunters tended to the unconscious in grim silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s freezing in here,¡± Plum muttered with chattering teeth. She rubbed her arms and inched closed towards the fire.


    It was freezing in this godforsaken mountain, but there were worse places to be Tauri supposed. She glanced at the bundle of white flower petals next to her and felt a pang of worry eat at her insides.


    Blossom¡¯s petals had puffed up and formed a cocoon of sorts, only peeling back around Stryg¡¯s face so he could breathe. Though, it didn¡¯t seem he was breathing. The blue goblin¡¯s face was completely still. Tauri had to lean and watch him close for a few moments before she could notice the slight motion of inhalation.


    ¡°How long will he be like this¡­?¡± Tauri asked restlessly.


    ¡°He was a lot worse when First Mother and I found him,¡± Plum noted quietly. ¡°Blossom should help speed up the healing process though I¡¯d wager it will take several days for him to awaken.¡±


    ¡°I thought Blossom¡¯s healing abilities were said to be powerful,¡± Tauri frowned. ¡°So much for House Thorn¡¯s ancestral artifact.¡±


    ¡°His chest was crushed by giant boulders. Healing shattered bones and ruptured organs is no small feat. Even archmages would struggle to heal such wounds. Blossom is doing what it can. In any case, First Mother told me that Stryg¡¯s body condition is different from others. I don¡¯t know how much Blossom¡¯s life magic can do to help him.¡±


    ¡°So how do we know the cloak is even working?¡± Tauri asked skeptically. ¡°I mean, just look at him! He looks dead.¡±


    Plum shrugged, ¡°First Mother told me that so long as Stryg¡¯s second heart continues to beat he will recover. We¡¯ll just have to trust her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s somewhat difficult, don¡¯t you think?¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°What else can we do? It¡¯s not like we can heal Stryg ourselves, we¡¯re not white mages.¡±


    Tauri sighed and lay down next to Stryg and Blossom. ¡°This whole clusterfuck of a quest has been¡­ unusual.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Plum said dryly.


    ¡°...You know, for a long painful moment there I didn¡¯t think I would make it,¡± Tauri said quietly. ¡°We were stranded in the chasm. Skolguls were pouring out of their burrows all around the walls while those troll sons of bitches were attacking us from atop the terraces.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°...The Favored of the Moon. She came out of the water, arcs of lightning surging at her fingertips. She slew the skolguls as if they were just rodents and not giant monstrous creatures with carapaces as hard as steel. Then she healed the chieftain and flew off.¡±


    ¡°And found me,¡± Plum surmised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we took so long getting back to you all.¡±


    ¡°Meh, at least you two came back for us,¡± Tauri grinned half-heartedly. ¡°Besides, the chieftain dealt with the remaining skolguls.¡±


    ¡°Jahn and the First Mother are really something else¡­¡± Plum muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen weapon masters before, even grand weapon masters like the chieftain, but First Mother?¡± Tauri shook her head in awe. ¡°Her spell casting was extraordinary, comparable to the likes of the greatest archmages in the realm, and her mana, my gods, the sheer amount of mana surging through her¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Not even Lord Noir could compare. I doubt he even possesses half the amount of mana that she does.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Plum asked hesitantly.


    ¡°You should have seen it. It felt as if the earth was falling apart. First Mother tore down the walls of the chasm and defeated the skolguls in one single strike.¡±


    Plum recalled the enormous crack running down the chasm wall and felt a shiver run down her spine. ¡°That was First Mother¡­?¡±


    Tauri nodded. ¡°And she didn¡¯t even falter for a moment. Her mana reserves weren¡¯t emptied at all. She just kept going. I knew the Ebon Lords were feared because of their range of magic but I never knew how vast their mana reserves could be.¡±


    Plum stiffened. ¡°Ebon¡­ Lord¡­?¡±


    ¡°Right, you weren¡¯t there,¡± Tauri said softly. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her range of chromatic magic.¡±


    Plum swallowed hard, ¡°What exactly are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying First Mother is an Ebon Lord.¡±


    Plum¡¯s paled at the news. She glanced at Stryg¡¯s sleeping face and muttered to herself, ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe I know,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°No, actually it makes a lot of sense¡­¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Plum glanced at the cellar¡¯s doorway. Jahn didn¡¯t seem to be paying attention to them. She wondered where First Mother had gone and when she might return. First Mother had made her swear not to say anything to Stryg about his parentage for now¡­ But in truth, Plum had only agreed because she wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it all, that and she feared First Mother¡¯s wrath.


    Still, Plum needed advice on how to deal with the matter. And technically, she wasn¡¯t telling anything to Stryg. ¡°Tauri, we need to talk¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Queen Yala sat in her ¡®stronghold¡¯ chamber waiting impatiently. The room was sparse, with only a simple bed and a crate of provisions to last a week. The chamber hadn¡¯t been built for comfort but for resiliency. Ten enchanted walls of ice, metal, and rock had been built around the chamber, each thicker than the last. Its purpose was simple, yet effective. Impenetrable defense.


    It was here that Yala waited for her husband¡¯s return. The moment the Sylvan emissary and her retinue of guards had arrived she had known what needed to happen. Her husband, Alok, would not tolerate any survivors.


    When Alok had invited the goblin-drow hybrid for a chat Yala had taken the chance to leave the throne room before things became dangerous. This wasn¡¯t the first time such an ambush had happened and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last. Nevertheless, it was unusual that Alok hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    As per usual, Yala had followed all the regular safety precautions, but something still bothered her. She wondered if she should go check on Alok, but the guards standing outside the chamber wouldn¡¯t allow her. They followed the king¡¯s command and they would not allow Yala to leave until they were certain all threats had been eliminated.


    The ground suddenly began to shake and muffled voices yelled from a distance.


    Yala jumped to her feet in surprise. ¡°Hello!? What was that? Did something happen?!¡±


    The muffled voices echoed throughout the chamber but they were too faint. Hardly any sound could reach past the chamber¡¯s walls.


    Yala placed her head on the large steel door and strained her ears to try and catch what the voices were saying.


    An explosion sounded in the distance and the voices were abruptly silenced.


    ¡°Hello!? Is something wrong¡­!? Answer me! Someone answer me!¡± Yala screamed as the anxiety began rising in her voice.


    Yala noticed a dull orange spot forming at the center of the door and she stumbled back. The orange spot began to glow brighter and hotter, expanding until it covered the entire steel door. Molten metal began dripping from the door at a rapid pace and formed a large molten hole. Yet there was nothing behind the door, only pitch darkness.


    Yala frowned and tried to look past the shadows but she could not.


    ¡°I found you,¡± came an eerie voice. From the darkness a young woman stepped out, the shadows themselves trailing behind her.


    For a moment Yala did not recognize her. She hadn¡¯t seen the Sylvan retinue traveling with a snow-white hair goblin, but then she saw her cold yellow eyes and Yala knew who stood before her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the emissary¡­¡± Yala¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°No, you¡¯re a mage.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Aurelia said calmly.


    Yala chuckled to herself, ¡°You never came for some ¡®treaty.¡¯ This was an attack from the start. Assassins sent by the Lunar Elect to deal with the rising power in Grimstone.¡±


    ¡°You think too highly of yourselves. We came only for the iron ore and to investigate the disappearance of the last emissary. We would have left peacefully had you not decided to stab your own allies in the back.¡±


    ¡°You were never our allies,¡± Yala sneered at her. ¡°My people feared your people for centuries. We only worked for you because we had to.¡±


    ¡°The history of our people is far more complicated than that but I do not have time nor patience to discuss it with you,¡± Aurelia replied without missing a beat. ¡°I am here because you¡¯ve made three mistakes. The first is that your soldiers at the bridge killed the actual emissary sent here to discuss the terms of our trade agreement. You will have to settle for me instead.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Yala glared at her. The temperature of the chamber began to drop as she channeled elemental water mana through her body.


    Aurelia ignored the queen¡¯s anger and continued, ¡°Your second mistake was to ambush us. You have shown your colors and now I know you cannot be trusted.¡±


    ¡°If you think you can capture me and use me as some kind of bargaining tool then you are sorely mistaken,¡± Yala growled.


    ¡°You think I came here to capture you? So I could bargain with a corpse?¡± Aurelia raised her eyebrow.


    Yala stiffened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your husband, Alok, king of the fools, is dead.¡±


    ¡°You lie!¡±


    ¡°I saw it myself. His lifeless body and his broken armor.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    Aurelia cocked her head to the side, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand your position. Your king is dead. Your guards outside are dead. Your captain of the guard Izgerd is dead, along with every other troll stationed at that bridge to here.¡±


    Yala narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    The woman smiled, though it did not reach her cold yellow eyes. ¡°I am the Matriarch of The Blood Fang Tribe, Favored of the Moon, and Last of the Ebon Lords.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡± Yala smiled weakly and released her elemental mana. She sat on her bed slowly and hung her head in defeat. ¡°I never thought the Lunar Elect would have sent Aurelia the Blooded to Grimstone. I was told you had disappeared for the last two decades.¡±


    ¡°In many ways I had.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve come to kill me then¡­?¡±


    ¡°You really don''t understand your position, do you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yala looked up in confusion.


    Aurelia held up three fingers, ¡°Three mistakes your people made but your last was the most grievous. You invited Stryg for a ¡®chat.¡¯ You tried to kill him.¡±


    ¡°And if I am to believe you, my husband died for it.¡±


    ¡°You think his death nullifies your mistake? You think your death will nullify that mistake?¡± Aurelia¡¯s voice trembled with rage. ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find them? Tucked away where no one else might see? In a chamber more well-guarded than this one?¡±


    Yala¡¯s face paled in horror. ¡°What did you¡ª?¡±


    Aurelia snapped her fingers and her shadows dragged out three young frost trolls from the darkened doorway behind her. They were unconscious and tied with thick green vines. ¡°They cannot hear you, I have put them to sleep with a mind spell.¡±


    ¡°N-No!¡± Yala fell to her knees in terror. ¡°Please, they are innocent! They had nothing to do with this!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now that your children¡¯s lives are at stake you wish to bargain?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°Stop, please! I¡¯ll do anything, anything you want! Just please let my children go! I beg of you!¡± Yala cried out.


    ¡°Your third mistake will cost you more than your pride,¡± Aurelia seethed.


    Sharp thorns sprouted from the vines around the neck of Yala¡¯s eldest child. The young girl flinched in her sleep as the thorns pierced her skin and dug into her throat.


    ¡°NOOO!!¡± Yala cried out and charged Aurelia.


    A small bolt of lightning shot out from Aurelia¡¯s hand and sent the queen crashing into the wall. Yala groaned in a painful daze and tried to stand but her body would not listen.


    ¡°How does it feel? To watch as your child is dying?¡± Aurelia crouched over the queen and whispered into her ear, ¡°Remember this moment every time the thought of betraying the Sylvan crosses your mind.¡±


    Aurelia clenched her fist tight and the vines around the eldest child¡¯s neck snaked around her quickly, tearing the teenager¡¯s throat into ribbons. Yala screamed a horrid wretched sound as her daughter collapsed, her body spasming as the blood pooled around her head.


    ¡°Two children you have left, troll queen! Two!¡± Aurelia yelled. ¡°If you wish to see them ever again you will restore the ore shipments to Evenfall immediately. Grimstone will send double the shipments for the first two years and the Sylvan shall pay not a coin for them. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°MURDERER!¡± Yala cried out in a broken voice of rage and sorrow.


    ¡°Do you understand!? Or shall I take the head of another one of your children!?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± Yalla sobbed.


    ¡°Good. After two years the trade between our people shall resume as normal and you shall have one of your children back while the other stays as a hostage in our city. From then on they shall trade places each year for the remainder of their lives. However, if we hear of any hint of traitorous feelings being harbored in the hearts of your people or if a single shipment of ore fails to be delivered, then I shall kill both your children wherever they may be. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Yalla mumbled through her tears.


    ¡°You are the leader of your people now. It would benefit you to be wiser than the last king.¡± Aurelia turned around and walked back into the darkened hallway, her shadows dragging the remaining two troll children behind her.

 Chapter 418: In Hindsight

    Chapter 418: In Hindsight


    Tauri sat with her knees up at the edge of the campfire and listened to Plum¡¯s words in silence. As Plum¡¯s story went on Tauri¡¯s face grew more sullen and her amber eyes troubled.


    ¡°...And that¡¯s when First Mother led us here and left to ¡®deal with the rest¡¯ or so she said,¡± Plum finished. She scratched her cheek nervously and turned to her old teacher. ¡°It all sounds crazy, I know.¡±


    ¡°...Not really. Surprising for sure, but not crazy.¡± Tauri chuckled weakly, ¡°It makes sense I suppose. Our Ebon Aspirant is the son of an Ebon Lady.¡±


    Plum nodded. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat rare but there are records in the library about children who fully inherited the magical talents of their Ebon Lord parents. The part I¡¯m struggling to believe is how Stryg might actually be related to House Veres.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything to struggle with. That is without doubt Krikolm,¡± Tauri pointed to the crimson sword lying next to Stryg. ¡°When I heard Stryg mention the blade drinking blood the thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it since the sword wasn¡¯t the right color. But now, well, I have seen paintings of that sword hanging in art galleries since I was a child. That blade is bonded to House Veres¡¯ bloodline and its bloodline alone. The fact alone that Stryg can wield Krikolm means he is a Veres.¡±


    ¡°Stryg Veres, huh¡­ Has a ring to it I guess,¡± Plum smiled wryly.


    ¡°Ring¡­¡± Tauri abruptly cursed to herself, ¡°Dammit, I knew that ring looked familiar!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The ring! The one First Mother gave Stryg before we left the Blood Fang village. It¡¯s made of orichalcum and has a ruby with a crest etched on it. I knew it looked familiar! It¡¯s the signet ring of House Veres¡¯s family leader. It¡¯s depicted in every painting of the old Lords and Ladies of House Veres.¡±


    ¡°First Mother said it belonged to Stryg¡¯s birth mother and that she would have wanted him to have it¡­¡± Plum sighed to herself, ¡°I guess she wasn¡¯t lying about that.¡±


    ¡°Krikolm is the ancestral weapon of House Veres. It is only given to the head of the family. Coupled with the fact that Stryg has the signet ring too¡­ He has to be part of the main Veres bloodline,¡± Tauri said darkly.


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is. The main bloodline of House Veres was said to have died out centuries ago. If Stryg were to claim his ancestry, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Things might get messy,¡± Plum guessed.


    ¡°To put it lightly,¡± Tauri grimaced.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just one more of the countless problems we can leave for another time. For now, we just need to get out of this place in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but we can¡¯t leave without First Mother and we still don''t know where she ran off to or flew off to, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Do you think First Mother and the chieftain bite people too?¡± Plum wondered. ¡°Or is that just a Stryg thing?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s definitely a vampire thing. Those bloodthirsty idiots can¡¯t keep their fangs to themselves. Have you seen a party of them get drunk? It¡¯s like a goddamn orgy, just a lot more blood,¡± Tauri shivered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had the pleasure,¡± Plum said dryly.


    Tauri glanced at the unconscious blue goblin resting next to them. Blossom¡¯s white petals were wrapped cozily around him, but his face was still exposed. He would occasionally grimace in pain as if he was having a nightmare. She couldn¡¯t see it, but she knew underneath the petal cloak his body was riddled with terrible injuries.


    With a warm hand, Tauri reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek. His expression tensed for a moment then relaxed.


    ¡°He even looks like her,¡± Tauri whispered. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why she dyed her hair. The less they looked alike the better. She really wanted to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°The question is why?¡±


    ¡°I think we both already know the answer, you said it yourself. She made an oath.¡±


    ¡°To Lunae?¡± Plum asked skeptically. ¡°Do you really believe everything First Mother said? That Lunae, a goddess, adopted Stryg as her own?¡±


    Tauri shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed some crazy things these last few years.¡±


    Plum frowned. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°...When we were traveling to the tourney at Undergrowth a dragon attacked us at the edge of Glimmer Grove forest. We were helpless to stop it. I thought we were all going to die. Then a silver pillar of light fell from the sky and slew the beast in an instant.¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Pillar of light¡­? Like the ones in the story the high priestess Virella talked about? When Lunae intervened and saved the Lunisian armies from the Ebon Lords?¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Tauri nodded grimly. ¡°If whatever happened to that dragon isn¡¯t divine intervention then I do not know what is.¡±


    ¡°But why would a goddess intervene on the behalf of some Hollow Shad¡ª?¡± Plum stopped in mid-sentence and slowly looked at Stryg. ¡°She wasn¡¯t intervening for any of you¡­ she was protecting him.¡±


    ¡°Last year, on the night of the red moon, the warlord Marek had ambushed Stryg and the other students on Widow¡¯s Crag. Stryg was severely injured and he had fallen off the cliffside. We later found him surrounded by Frost Wolves near the river shoreline.¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan believe frost wolves are the servants of Lunae¡­¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m beginning to believe that the red moon that night was not a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re right, then what does that mean for him? Or us?¡± Plum whispered worriedly.


    ¡°I think it means we should think very carefully about what we tell Stryg regarding First Mother and Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Stryg deserves to know the truth. He deserves to know who his mother really is. He deserves that at the very least.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. But I don¡¯t think either of us wants to risk incurring the wrath of an ebon goddess. As I said, we need to be very careful about how we approach this. For all our sakes.¡±


    ~~~


    It was a few hours later when Jahn heard the sound of a breeze in the deep tunnels of Grimstone.


    Jahn looked up and smiled, ¡°Welcome back.¡± He leaned on his spear and pushed himself to his feet, before stepping aside from the doorway.


    Aurelia walked into the cellar, dragging two unconscious young frost trolls behind her with her shadow tendrils. Her yellow eyes darted across the room, taking in the surroundings, before finally settling on Stryg in the corner. Her stern expression relaxed and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.


    Srixa and the few other hunters that were awake bowed their heads to her in silent acknowledgement.


    ¡°Um, so who are they?¡± Jahn looked pointedly at the trolls.


    ¡°Life-long hostages,¡± Aurelia said.


    ¡°I take it you found the queen then?¡±


    ¡°I did. Our battle with the frost trolls is over for now. Take whatever meat you can from this cellar. We leave Grimstone tonight.¡±


    ¡°Our people are exhausted, sister,¡± Jahn whispered. ¡°Half of them are still unconscious, the rest can barely even walk. We lost most of our supplies in the river, including medicine. We need to rest.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason we must leave Grimstone. The mountain is still infested with skolguls. It will take some time before the trolls can clear them out. Until then, they cannot defend these outer tunnels, especially after their losses.¡±


    ¡°Losses?¡± It was only now that Jahn noticed his sister¡¯s clothes were dyed red in the dim light. ¡°I see¡­ Our fallen warriors can rest in peace.¡±


    Aurelia nodded silently. ¡°...Grab what food you can. I¡¯ll help carry the ones who cannot walk.¡±


    Jahn worriedly glanced at his sister¡¯s worn-out appearance. ¡°How much of your magic have you used?¡±


    ¡°Jahn, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest. You¡¯re not invincible. If you keep casting spells so freely at this rate your body will overheat and you¡¯ll collapse.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± Aurelia snapped at him and immediately regretted her words when she noticed the anxiety in her brother¡¯s eyes. She sighed, ¡°The moment we¡¯re outside the mountain¡¯s cavern we¡¯ll set up camp and rest, I promise.¡±


    Jahn nodded, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯ll let the others know.¡±


    ~~~


    The cold sea breeze blew across the Lazy Lady¡¯s deck. Most of the crew were drows or vampires, but even they pulled their jackets a little closer at the frigid touch of the wind.


    Callum tried his best not to shiver in front of the sailors and failed miserably. He blamed his human half for his lack of resistance to the cold, though if he was being honest with himself, he simply had never been forced to weather the elements. His life was spent mostly in the comforts of lavish halls and opulent gardens.


    Tired of listening to the muttering jeers of the sailors, Callum made his way to the quarterdeck at the back of the ship and spent his time watching the sun drift below the horizon.


    It had been a day since they had set off from land. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t encountered any problems since. Though he knew that wouldn¡¯t last. Captain Greyson had warned them that they would soon be sailing into the bay¡¯s fog.


    Every child in the Northern Lands knew of the mystical fog of Hoarfrost Bay and the strange things sailors saw within. Every smart sailor would avoid the fog-infested waters if they could, unless, of course, gold was involved. And Callum had made sure to pay the crew plenty of gold.


    Yet once again Callum was wondering to himself if this trip was a good idea. Perhaps he should have stayed at the harbor. There were plenty of taverns around. He could have gone to the nicest one and spent his time with some lovely ladies while waiting for Lysaila and Kithina to return.


    ¡°...As if,¡± he sighed to himself.


    He¡¯d never be able to live with himself if he had left them to face untold dangers by themselves. Even if his chromatic colors weren¡¯t particularly strong in combat, he could still be of help. Or at least he hoped.


    ¡°There you are,¡± a friendly voice called out.


    Callum didn¡¯t turn around. He knew who the familiar voice belonged to and though he wouldn¡¯t admit it, it brought him great comfort to know she was nearby. ¡°Evening, Kitty.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing all the way over here?¡± Kithina walked over to the guardrails next to him and tried to rest her arms on them but she was too small, and instead, she settled on resting her chin on top.


    The whole thing seemed absurdly funny and adorably cute at the same time but he was quite certain she¡¯d send him overboard if he commented on it. Before, Kithina used to blush and smile whenever he complimented her, now it only seemed to pain her, if not outright annoy her.


    He supposed he deserved that. He deserved much worse. He had led her on and had made light of her feelings. She should have tossed him overboard long ago. Yet here she was, making sure he was still okay.


    ¡°Have you gotten tired of Lysaila yet?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Meh, she¡¯s sparring with some of the sailors. You can only watch so much before getting bored of seeing her wipe the floor with them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kithina grinned. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop laughing as she smacked those idiots around.¡±


    ¡°Now I regret not being there.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately the sparring matches will have to wait. Captain Greyson says we''re coming up on some fog and that he wanted the two of us nearby in case anything happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Callum would much rather stay below deck while sailing through the fog but he understood why the captain had given the order. It would only hurt the crew¡¯s morale if the only two mages on board hid below deck.


    He looked back and saw the wall of fog encroaching towards the bow of the ship. A shiver ran down his spine though if it was from the cold breeze or from sheer fear he didn¡¯t want to know.

 Chapter 419: Hoarfrost Bay

    Chapter 419: Hoarfrost Bay


    The crew of the Lazy Lady was tying themselves onto the nearest guard rails they could find by the time Callum and Kithina walked onto the main deck. Lysaila stood at the center of the commotion with her arms crossed watching the sailors with a smirk.


    Callum raised his eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s with all the rope?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that the fog sometimes shows you things that might make you want to jump. The rope is to help prevent that, but if you ask me I say just close your damn eyes,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°Closing your eyes won¡¯t be enough,¡± Greyson called out.


    ¡°Ah, captain, there you are. How long do you think we¡¯ll have to travel through this fog?¡± Callum pointed to the encroaching blanket of grey on the horizon.


    Greyson scratched his beard in thought. ¡°Hm, hard to say. The fog appears in large patches throughout the northern waters of the bay. It could be a few minutes, it could be several hours, even days.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll need all this rope then?¡± Callum asked doubtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the amount of time that¡¯s the problem. The fogs show your mind strange things, they whisper into your ears your greatest fears or your greatest desires. Some men have gone mad from being in the fogs for too long.¡±


    Callum blinked. ¡°Huh. I¡¯ll take some of that rope, please.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Kithina said with a sour frown.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Greyson snapped his fingers and two of his sailors brought out some rope and began tying the mages to the main mast.


    ¡°Just make sure to keep our hands free so we can cast spells,¡± Kithina said.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the sailor said with meek reverence.


    Kithina stiffened at his tone. She was still getting used to how the common folk viewed the mageborns. She had spent so much time among her colleagues, nobility, and powerful warriors that she had forgotten that out here she wasn¡¯t just a daughter of a scribe from the commoner district, she was a mage and she was to be feared.


    Straightening up her back, Kithina took a deep breath and addressed the sailor with what she thought was her most regal tone, ¡°That will be all. Go and see to¡ª¡±


    The wind suddenly blew across her face and sent a fistful of her bright orange hair into her mouth. She spat and shook her head to try and get it out but she couldn¡¯t quite get it all.


    ¡°Hah! You look like a worm, squirming everywhere!¡± Lysaial laughed at her with unrestrained sadistic mirth.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to be tied up? I¡¯d hate to see you go overboard,¡± Kitty frowned.


    ¡°Pass. Lamias are immune to mind magic, this fog will pass by me without a whisper. Besides, if I¡¯m tied up then who would cut you out from the rope afterwards?¡±


    ¡°A few sailors standing by below deck,¡± Greyson answered.


    ¡°The question was rhetorical.¡± Lysaila shook her head, ¡°Vampires, they all think they know better than everybody else.¡±


    Greyson glared at her, but held his tongue. He had seen what the lamia could do with a blade and he wasn¡¯t eager to join his bruised men.


    ¡°Not all vampires are bad,¡± Callum said. ¡°I mean look at me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re half-vampire, Cal,¡± Kitty said.


    ¡°Okay, sure, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°And didn¡¯t your sister kill your siblings?¡± Lysaila asked.


    Callum frowned, ¡°We agreed not to talk about that.¡±


    ¡°You know, I met a vampire back when I was traveling with the valley tribes,¡± Lysaila recalled. ¡°Nokti was her name. You would have liked her, she also had a stick up her ass.¡±


    Callum¡¯s expression grew dark. ¡°...I already met her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°At Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± Kithina said numbly.


    ¡°Right before she helped kill our friend,¡± Callum muttered. ¡°He also thought he knew it all, but he was actually one of the few vampires worth listening to.¡±


    Lysaila¡¯s looked away in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, right¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said in a rare moment of sincerity.


    Callum looked up to the sky and sighed. ¡°Not as sorry as she¡¯ll be I reckon.¡±


    ¡°The fog is coming. Hurry up, boys!¡± Greyson yelled to his crew.


    ¡°Aye, captain!¡± the sailors shouted. They rushed to the guardrails and finished tying the ropes with a newfound fervor.


    ¡°They¡¯re really scared of the fog, huh,¡± Kithina noted. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to be tied up?¡±


    ¡°Quite,¡± Lysaila yawned and stretched her arms.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The fog is not the only reason we anchor ourselves to the ship,¡± Greyson said grimly. ¡°There are¡­ other things in these waters.¡±


    ¡°What, you mean the sirens?¡± Lysaila chuckled. ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯m good. I doubt any of them will show up and if they do I¡¯ll just skewer them.¡±


    Greyson shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Have it your way.¡±


    The sea¡¯s current grew strong as they neared the wall of fog until the ship began to sway greatly from side to side.


    ¡°This is it! Brace yourselves!¡± Greyson yelled.


    Lysaila yawned with disinterest. Despite the ship¡¯s tumultuous shaking, Lysaila retained a perfect balance. As for Callum and Kithina, they were glad to be strapped to the mast.


    As the waves came crashing down on the ship Callum tried his best to appear brave. ¡°See you on the other side,¡± he shouted to Kithina.


    She turned to him and saw the fear in his eyes, then winked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just stay close. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I will,¡± he chuckled nervously.


    The fog wrapped around the Lazy Lady like an all-encompassing storm. As soon as the ship was inside the fog the waves went still and the world fell into silence.


    The fog was thick and it was difficult to breathe almost like smoke. Callum looked around in a panic. He could barely see Kithina¡¯s silhouette next to him, let alone anyone else.


    The mutterings and whispers of the sailors¡¯ prayers echoed through the ship. Some prayed to the Guardian of the Realm, the ebon goddess of war Bellum. Others prayed to the Navigator, the azure patron god of sailors. And a few prayed to whatever being was willing to listen.


    ¡°Hey guys?¡± a shaky voice called out.


    ¡°Lysaila, is that you? Are you alright?¡± Kithina answered.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, totally. It¡¯s just, um, by any chance. Do any of you see several dragons encircling above us?¡± Lysaila said uneasily.


    Kithina glanced up in a heartbeat but there was nothing in the sky. All she could see was fog. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Callum smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Miss Lamia is having trouble with the fog?¡±


    ¡°Of c-course not, nothing to see here,¡± Lysaila stammered. ¡°It¡¯s just fog, it¡¯s just fog¡­¡± she muttered to herself repeatedly.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re kind was immune to all sorts of mind magic,¡± Callum teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lysaila hissed.


    ¡°Whatever you see, do not trust the fog¡¯s visions!¡± Greyson warned.


    ¡°In other words, Lysaila, don¡¯t be an idiot and jump ship to try and avoid the dragons,¡± Callum said.


    ¡°I know that, so shut up already!¡± Lysaila snapped.


    Callum laughed. He couldn¡¯t see the lamia but he could picture the terror in her eyes. Gods, he wished he could see it.


    ¡°Callum?¡±


    He stiffened at the sound.


    That voice¡­


    He had never heard it before but he knew it all the same. From the dense fog, a faint silhouette appeared in the waters and grew clearer with every breath. It was another ship, far larger than Lazy Lady. Its hull was ebon black and its six giant masts flew the Veres banner, a skull writhing in shadows pierced by Krikolm from above. The Dread Shadow, the flagship of House Veres.


    ¡°Callum!¡± the voice echoed once more, warm and familiar like the sun.


    From the edge of the Dread Shadow¡¯s bow, a woman appeared in a billowing blue dress. With one hand, she held her hat from flying off in the wind, and with the other hand she reached out.


    The woman smiled. ¡°Callum.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­?¡± he whispered in disbelief.


    He had never met her, he had only seen paintings. He had never heard her voice and yet he knew, he knew, it was her.


    ¡°Callum,¡± she called out.


    Her voice sounded so close as if she was whispering into his ear.


    ¡°Mama!¡± a young boy shouted from the black ship¡¯s deck and ran into the woman¡¯s arms.


    She snatched him up into her embrace and spun him around. ¡°There you are, my little Cal!¡±


    ¡°No, Mom, that¡¯s not me!¡± Callum cried out.


    ¡°Cal? Are you okay?¡± Kithina said worriedly.


    The Dread Shadow began to sail away, the mother and child oblivious to the world around them.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go! I¡¯m over here, Mom! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± Callum yelled helplessly and strained against his ropes.


    ¡°Cal, snap out of it! It isn¡¯t real,¡± Kithina said. She tried to grab his arm but the ropes held taut. ¡°You need to wake up, Cal! Your mom isn¡¯t there. She died in labor. Remember! Nothing here is real! It¡¯s just the fog messing with your mind! You need to¡ª to¡­ what the¡­?¡± her voice trailed off.


    What is that? Kithina thought with a confused expression.


    An ice floe had emerged from the fog and drifted near their ship. A wooden pole stood at the center of the ice floe, almost like a mast, and a candle-lit lantern hung from its top, illuminating the small figure sitting on the ice.


    It was a small baby bird surrounded by sheets of paper with scrawled writings on them. In one flipper the bird held a red quill and in the other flipper it held what seemed to be a black book with blue embellishments and a gold trim.


    ¡°Maybe something like that?¡± the bird muttered, then shook its head. ¡°Hm, no, maybe like this?¡± it said and wrote something down into the book.


    ¡°Um, h-hello?¡± Kithina called out cautiously.


    ¡°Huh?¡± the bird looked up at the sound, ¡°Ah!¡± it squawked in surprise and dropped the book and quill. The bird jumped to its feet and clapped its flippers together twice. The ice floe shook from side to side and with a loud pop the baby bird blinked out of existence, leaving nothing behind but the ice floe and makeshift mast.


    ¡°S-Stay away!¡± Lysaila yelled fearfully while waving her sword to the sky.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go, please!¡± Callum screamed, tears streaming down his face.


    Her friends¡¯ desperate voices pulled Kithina back to her senses. She shook her head and blinked several times. ¡°Enough¡­ Enough of this nonsense!¡±


    Yellow mana flooded her veins and she stretched her hands out as far as she could. A small cyclone of wind formed around her and flew outward, pushing the fog away and forming a bubble of sorts around the Lazy Lady.


    The sailors looked around, half-dazed.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is it over?¡± Greyson asked with uncertainty.


    ¡°Where¡­? What just happened¡­?¡± Callum furrowed his brow. ¡°Kitty¡­ did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep this up for long,¡± Kithina said through clenched teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the fog, it¡¯s heavy. My wind spell can barely keep it at bay.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Callum swallowed hard and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll figure something out. Maybe I can create a ward of some sort around us.¡±


    ¡°Can you make one large enough to cover the entire ship?¡± Kithina asked with a strained voice.


    ¡°N-No, but¡­ Ah, I have some potions in my satchel. If I can just reach¡­ mm¡­ Lysaila, come help me out! Lysaila¡­?¡±


    The lamia had sheathed her blade and was no longer staring up at the sky with a panic-stricken face, but her deep blue eyes weren¡¯t looking at any of her companions either. Her eyes were staring out into the sea.


    ¡°Lysaila? Are you alright?¡± Callum asked.


    The lamia slowly slithered her way towards the edge of the ship.


    ¡°Lysaila, what are you doing!?¡± Callum yelled.


    Then he heard it. From far out in the sea he heard the faint enticing song of the sirens.

 Chapter 420: A Warm Memory

    Chapter 420: A Warm Memory


    Yellow mana swirled around the boat as Kithina¡¯s gale pushed the fog away. Callum watched the powerful display of magic in awe. It felt as if they were in the eye of a storm.


    Lysaila sheathed her blade and turned her dull gaze into the open sea.


    ¡°Lysaila? Are you alright?¡± Callum asked.


    The lamia slowly slithered her way towards the edge of the ship.


    ¡°Lysaila, what are you doing!?¡± Callum yelled.


    Then he heard it. From far out in the sea he heard the faint enticing song of the sirens. The melodic song echoed above the still waters, entrancing the sailors one by one.


    Captain Greyson paled as he realized what was happening. ¡°The sirens¡­ they¡¯re here! Cover your ears, men! Cover your ears!¡±


    Kithina¡¯s arms trembled and her wind spell began to fall apart and the fog grew closer towards the ship.


    ¡°Kitty, fight it off!¡± Callum yelled beside her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m trying!¡± Kithina said between clenched teeth.


    ¡°Remember Professor Ismene¡¯s lessons! Clear your mind!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t clear my mind and cast at the same time!¡±


    ¡°Just hold on a little longer. If I can just reach my satchel, agh, dammit! Lysaila, snap out of it! We need you! Lysaila!¡± Callum screamed.


    The lamia ignored his voice and grabbed a harpoon from the stash of weapons the sailors had put aside before tying themselves up.


    Callum swallowed nervously, ¡°L-Lysaila? W-What are you doi¡ª Lysaila!?¡±


    Lysaila gripped the harpoon tight, pulled her arm back, and hurled the harpoon into the water. It flew off in a blur and crashed with a large splash. A siren¡¯s gurgling cry sounded in the distance.


    ¡°Hah! Stupid fish! Did you think your off-tune song could actually work on me!?¡± Lysaila laughed maniacally. She grabbed another harpoon and hurled it before the stunned sirens had a chance to react.


    The sirens tried to swim around the volleys of harpoons but soon the water was dyed red with blood. The remaining sirens stopped their song and quickly dove deep into the waters.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone¡­! I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Greyson muttered in awe.


    Lysaila flicked her fork tongue out with a deadly smile. ¡°They were fools to have attacked our ship.¡±


    Kithina sighed in relief.


    Callum shook his head in disbelief, ¡°I thought¡ª I thought you were under their magic.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, please. I told you, vampling, my kind is immune to mind magics,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°But what about the fog?¡± Callum raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°The fog is different,¡± she admitted. ¡°It mustn''t be mind magic, but some sort of sensory disarray phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°Well, in any case, the sirens are gone, at least for now,¡± Callum said. ¡°Care to help me with these ropes?¡±


    Lysaila slithered over towards him and sliced the ropes between his hands with a single clean strike. ¡°What would you do without me?¡±


    ¡°Probably die,¡± Callum answered honestly with a wry smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s odd. The chances of sirens swimming in fog-infested waters and finding our ship within such fog at the same time¡­?¡± Greyson shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible. Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless, what?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°Unless the sirens were already pursuing another ship,¡± Greyson said. ¡°It would explain why they swam into the fog. The sirens must have given up on the other ship and found ours when Mistress Kithina created this shelter among the fog.¡±


    ¡°But why would the sirens give up on another ship? I doubt they had a lamia among their crew,¡± a sailor said aloud.


    ¡°Oh, I can think of two good reasons,¡± Lysaila said and thought of the twin archmages. ¡°Our enemies must be close by. We must hurry if we¡¯re to reach the island before them.¡±


    ¡°Guys, sorry to interrupt your oh-so-interesting conversation, but I can only hold this wind spell for a few more minutes,¡± Kithina said with a strained voice.


    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Callum winced. ¡°I¡¯ll create a ward dome to keep us safe from the fog.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You can create one as large as the ship?¡± Lysaila asked skeptically.


    ¡°Gods, no, but I can create a small ward dome around the three of us. If it¡¯s only that size I should be able to hold it until we sail out of this damned fog.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of the crew and I?¡± Greyson frowned.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep you safe, I promise,¡± Callum swore.


    ¡°More specifically, Kitty and I will,¡± Lysaila said.


    ¡°While Cal supports us,¡± Kithina added.


    Greyson closed his eyes in regret and sighed. ¡°Dear gods, I hope this works.¡±


    ~~~


    Deep in the scarlet forest of Vulture Woods the goddess of the moon lay on her side next to a pond of crystal clear water. Her wolf tail lazily swished in the air as her head hovered over the water, her startling silver eyes staring at her own reflection with a pensive gaze.


    A few bushes across the pond shook and a small blue toddler stumbled out and fell into the grassy clearing.


    ¡°Back again?¡± Lunae muttered, mildly annoyed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell which is more unbelievable. That you continue to escape the Mothers or how you always manage to find me.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pudgy arms slowly pushed himself to his feet with unsteady legs. He spotted the giant white wolf across the pond and his lilac eyes lit up with joy. ¡°Luma!¡±


    ¡°I am Lunae, goddess of your people, Watcher of the Realm,¡± she corrected with a deep rumbling voice for the dozenth time. ¡°It is the one name you should learn properly, even moreso than your own.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe! I found you! I found you!¡± The two-year-old toddler jumped up and down in excitement.


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯ve found me. Now go away,¡± Lunae said, uninterested, before gazing back at her own reflection.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked with the curious tone only a toddler could muster without effort.


    Lunae glared at him and bared her fangs, ¡°Because if you do not, I will devour you, vermin.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you,¡± she snapped.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes teared up. He grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and tried his best not to cry. ¡°B-But,¡± he sniffed, ¡°I like Luma!¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like you, so leave,¡± she said curtly, then rolled around and turned her back to him.


    Stryg¡¯s bottom lip trembled but he rubbed his eyes and sniffed. ¡°Why?¡± he asked shakily.


    Lunae¡¯s tail stiffened in annoyance. She took a deep breath, her patience growing thin. ¡°Because I wish to be left alone.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...Because nothing out there matters¡­ not anymore.¡±


    Stryg was no longer listening. He was waddling back and forth at the edge of the pond, searching for a way across.


    Lunae watched him from the corner of her silver eye with mild interest. He could simply walk all the way around the pond to where she was but he seemed too stupid to have reached that conclusion and Lunae was in no way inclined to enlighten him.


    Instead, Stryg inched his way to the edge of the pond and hopped onto the floating log that had fallen into the water some weeks ago. The log shook for a moment but stopped, the toddler¡¯s weight too little to throw him off.


    Stryg kept his eyes on his feet as his chubby arms flapped from side to side while he shuffled his way clumsily towards Lunae.


    ¡°You are a tedious little creature, aren¡¯t you?¡± the goddess muttered.


    Stryg looked up at the sound of her voice and his eyes met hers. He smiled wide, ¡°Luma!¡±


    Then he lost his balance and fell into the water.


    ¡°H-Help!¡± he gasped while flailing in the water.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even swim?¡± Luma said in disbelief.


    ¡°Luma!¡± he cried out helplessly.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± She turned her back to him and ignored his cries.


    ¡°Luma!¡± he yelled weakly one last time. His tiny limbs tired and he sank to the bottom of the pond.


    A wolfen tail reached into the water and wrapped itself around the toddler before yanking him up. Stryg sputtered and coughed up water, his limp body hanging in the air exhausted.


    Lunae pulled him in front of her and narrowed her silver eyes. ¡°How is it that you can find me inside a forest of deadly beasts yet you cannot even swim to save yourself? You are a disgrace to your nature, little one.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s tiny arms reached out towards her snarling face. ¡°Luma!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lunae. Lunae,¡± she growled.


    He giggled. ¡°Luma!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The toddler cocked his head to the side in curiosity and then suddenly sneezed. His wet clothes and the cold breeze sent a chill through his small body. ¡°L-Luma¡­¡± he mumbled faintly.


    Lunae sighed and placed him down on the grass.


    Stryg reached out towards her, stumbled, and fell on her side. He hugged her with what little strength he could muster, closed his eyes, and smiled in contentment. ¡°Luma, warm.¡±


    Lunae frowned for a moment, then her expression softened. She curled her giant body around him, shielding him from the cold, and closed her eyes.


    ~~~


    Stryg slowly opened his eyes. The silver moon was staring back at him from the night sky. He was lying on the floor face-up. Though his head was on a pillow he could feel the hardened ground beneath his back, even from between the blankets. He blinked blearily and glanced around.


    There was a campfire crackling ten or so paces away. Five or six goblins were huddled around the fire. They had cloaks drawn over their faces but Stryg recognized them within a moment.


    Blood Fang tribemates.


    ¡°Stryg! You¡¯re awake!¡± Tauri shouted in a mixture of excitement and relief.


    He craned his stiff neck around and saw a beautiful red face hovering over him.


    ¡°Tauri¡­?¡± he mumbled. ¡°W-Where¡­? Where am I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe, that¡¯s all that matters right now,¡± Tauri smiled and caressed his cheek.


    As he stared up at her he realized he wasn¡¯t lying on a pillow, but her thighs.


    ¡°I was¡­ I was sleeping?¡± Stryg mumbled, dazed.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Tauri nodded gently, ¡°And crying.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg touched his face and felt his hand wet with tears.


    ¡°Was it a sad dream?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember. I just felt¡ª warm.¡±

 Chapter 421: Questions

    Chapter 421: Questions


    The silver moon glowed softly in the night sky. Stryg lay on the ground, Blossom wrapped around him snugly and a thin blanket underneath him. His head was lying on Tauri''s thighs as she caressed his silver-white hair.


    Tears stained his blue cheeks but he didn¡¯t know why. He felt like he knew nothing, really. Everything was a blur. He had been traveling inside icy tunnels deep underneath Grimstone Mountain and now he was lying beneath the stars.


    What had happened?


    ¡°Was it a sad dream?¡± Tauri asked gently and wiped a tear from his cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember. I just felt¡ª warm,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Plum jumped on top of him, disregarding his injuries, and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Ow,¡± he smiled with a wince.


    Tauri frowned and slapped the drow¡¯s head.


    ¡°Agh! What was that for!?¡± Plum grimaced and rubbed her scalp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hug the wounded, idiot,¡± Tauri said sternly.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Plum rolled her eyes and jumped off Stryg, though she stayed next to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad everyone¡¯s okay,¡± Stryg smiled in relief.


    ¡°Not everyone, around half the hunters didn¡¯t make it out,¡± Tauri said sadly.


    Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes grew cold. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I already told you, we¡¯re safe. You¡¯ve suffered heavy injuries, you almost died. Rest for now. We¡¯ll worry about our problems tomorrow,¡± Tauri pinched his cheek.


    Stryg glanced at Plum, ¡°Where are we?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the base of Mt. Moon Fang,¡± she said without missing a beat.


    ¡°Plumela.¡±


    ¡°What? He should know,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Moon Fang¡­? How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°A little over two days,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°What happened at Grimstone?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Plum didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°First Mother took care of it,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°What happened to the frost trolls?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°First Mother took care of it,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°And the ore shipment treaty?¡±


    ¡°First Mother took care of it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ then what happened?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°We left that damn mountain and traveled to this mountain,¡± Plum said wryly.


    ¡°Wait, how did you two carry me all the way here?¡±


    Stryg was aware he was¡ª heavy. Feli and a few others had tried to carry him before and failed miserably. Had they dragged him all the way down Grimstone and up Moon Fang? He suddenly felt guilty for having fallen unconscious.


    Tauri noticed the change in his expression and caressed his cheek reassuringly. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine. First Mother also took care of it.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°How did she¡­?¡±


    Plum shrugged, ¡°Ask her yourself.¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± Tauri said with the same strict voice she used to admonish them back at the academy.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Stryg grumbled and closed his eyes to rest. He wanted to know more but he was content resting on Tauri¡¯s soft thighs while she caressed his hair. He would never admit it but it felt nice.


    His thoughts began to drift away and sleep slowly began to take him¡­


    ¡°...Krikolm!¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped open and he sat up in a flash. Pain flared all over his body and he fell back with a grunt.


    ¡°Stryg! Don¡¯t move so fast, you¡¯ll tear open your wounds!¡± Plum warned.


    ¡°You heal faster than anything I¡¯ve ever seen, but you almost died. You need to rest,¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°Where is my sword?¡± he asked restlessly.


    ¡°Your sword¡­? You mean¡ª¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°It¡¯s right here,¡± Plum pointed to the scarlet blade lying next to him.


    Stryg sighed in relief. ¡°Thank the gods. For a moment I thought it was forgotten at Grimstone.¡±


    ¡°I take it you no longer hate the relic sword anymore?¡± Tauri asked carefully.


    Stryg picked up the sword and stared at the blade. ¡°Its name is Krikolm, the Bloodfang. The ancestral weapon of House Veres¡­ my House¡­¡±


    Plum and Tauri shared a silent worried look.


    ¡°I know it sounds odd, but when my blood touched the blade I saw these visions of the past¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°I need answers.¡±


    He looked around the camp and spotted First Mother sitting on a half-buried boulder uphill around ten meters away. Though her cloak was pulled up and her back was turned to him, he saw her watching him from the corner of her eye.


    First Mother noticed his staring and quickly looked away.


    With a painful grimace, Stryg rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. Blossom sensed his movements and unfurled around him, returning to its usual cloak form. As usual, several flowers had grown around the grass where Blossom had been.


    ¡°Stryg, wait!¡± Tauri called out.


    ¡°Leave him,¡± Plum shook her head subtly.


    Stryg grabbed his bruised side with one hand and dragged Krikolm across the ground with the other. The scarlet blade carved a silent path behind him as he walked up the hill with sore legs.


    First Mother turned away as he drew closer, but Stryg ignored her cold shoulder and clambered up the boulder with a heavy groan. He settled himself next to her and stabbed Krikolm into the side of the boulder. The blade sank into the stone like a knife through butter.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re awake¡­¡± First Mother said without looking at him.


    ¡°Forgive me for interrupting your watch.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I just needed to talk to you,¡± Stryg leaned down and looked at her face from below her cowl before she could move away. He blinked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re hair¡­ it¡¯s white?¡±


    Aurelia sighed and pulled her cowl down. ¡°I¡¯m getting old. Happens to us all, some sooner than others.¡±


    ¡°Your hair turned white after two days?¡±


    Aurelia stared at him as if he was an idiot. ¡°I dye it, Stryg. I lost the dye along with the rest of my supplies when the frost trolls ambushed us at the river. Is this what you wanted to talk about? If so, then stop wasting my time and go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡ª W-Well.¡± Stryg wrung his hands together uncertainly. ¡°What do you know of my parents?¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in panic for a moment but she quickly eased her expression. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, your mother was a gatherer of the tribe. She died giving birth to you.¡±


    ¡°And my father?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve told you, he was never a part of your mother¡¯s life. Or the tribe¡¯s for that matter.¡±


    ¡°So you never met him?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve told you all this before.¡± She clicked her tongue, ¡°Why are you wasting my time with these questions?¡±


    Stryg stared at the scarlet blade next to him. ¡°Was my father¨C was my father a goblin?¡±


    ¡°...Of course, he was.¡±


    ¡°But you said you never met him. So how do you know?¡±


    Aurelia sighed. ¡°Your mother spoke about him, once, briefly. She met him at Evenfall during a full moon celebration. That was the only time they met. They were hardly acquaintances, let alone close.¡±


    ¡°So you never saw him? How can you be sure he was a goblin then?¡±


    ¡°Because only goblins are allowed in Evenfall.¡±


    Stryg glanced pointedly at Plum and Tauri in the distance.


    Aurelia frowned. ¡°With the rare exception,¡± she amended dryly.


    ¡°Then my father could have been an exception, right?¡±


    ¡°...It is possible, though such an individual would have been escorted throughout his entire stay. He would have basically been a prisoner within the city limits. He wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to wander the streets of Evenfall, much less participate in a full moon celebration. If your father was an outsider he would have never met your mother.¡±


    Stryg stared at his hands, his fingers trembling. ¡°If my father was a goblin, then why am I blue? Why are my eyes purple? Why is my¡ª Why is my hair white?¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to have all the answers, Stryg?¡± Aurelia scowled. ¡°The world is full of unanswered questions. You were born under a new moon, an ill omen even in the best of situations. Strange things happen on such nights. Many have suffered worse fates on moonless nights than an odd skin tone. Be grateful that the Sylvan Mothers didn¡¯t throw you out into the forest the night you were born and leave it at that!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Stryg nodded slowly. ¡°I just have one more question.¡±


    Aurelia groaned quietly. ¡°...What is it now?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡­ was she a goblin?¡±


    ¡°Are you daft, boy? Of course, she was a goblin! She grew up in the village like the rest of our people.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Aurelia snapped. ¡°I will forgive your stubborn impertinence this once because you¡¯ve barely woken up from your injuries. Clearly, your mind is still addled.¡±


    Stryg bit his lip uncertainly, ¡°First Mother, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow we will arrive at Evenfall and you will have to stand in front of the Elects and petition your request. I suggest you rest while you still can and think on what you shall say.¡±


    Aurelia stood up and hopped off the boulder with a light step.


    Stryg clenched his fists tight and watched her walk away. Hesitation filled his chest. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He bowed his head in frustration and clenched his eyes shut.


    ¡°Why did you name me Stryg!?¡± he called out.


    Aurelia stiffened and looked back at him. ¡°What did you say¡­?¡±


    The cold look in her eyes gave him pause, but Stryg pushed onward. ¡°If my parents were goblins then why did you name me after Stryga Veres? Why name me after the Bane of Lunis? She butchered countless of us! Men, women, children! Their armies slaughtered our people by the thousands on her command! So why¡­? Tell me¡­ please. Who¡­¡± He swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°Who am I¡ª?¡±


    Aurelia jumped back onto the boulder with a nimble step, landing in front of him in the blink of an eye. Stryg froze in fear. She looked at him with a steady gaze and to his surprise she placed her hand over his heart.


    ¡°You are Stryg of the Blood Fang tribe. You are a child of the scarlet forest and son of the Sylvan folk. That is who you are. And that is enough.¡±


    He looked down, uncertain of what to say.


    Aurelia placed her other hand on his shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Tomorrow you will speak to the most powerful and influential Sylvans in the entire world. Your words will determine if they shall send aid to Hollow Shade or not. Focus on helping your friends and the goblins still living behind those walls. That is all that matters right now, Stryg.¡±


    He nodded without meeting her eye.


    Aurelia sighed and stepped back. ¡°If you still wish to speak on these matters afterwards, then we will talk. Until then, rest, child.¡±


    Aurelia looked at him one last time then walked back to the camp.


    Stryg stared at her departing figure with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Who am I to you¡­?¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 422: A Mistake…?

    Chapter 422: A Mistake¡­?


    The small group of the Blood Fang tribe hiked up Mt. Moon Fang at a slow and steady pace. It had been three days since the ambush at Grimstone. They had been traveling from dawn to dusk and tending to their wounds at night. The goblins hadn¡¯t had a true moment of respite since.


    Stryg had been asleep for most of it. Tauri had told him wounds had been worse than when had fallen down the pillar during his first year at the academy. He didn¡¯t remember much about his fight with the frost troll king. His memories were in a mess, his mind still trying to sort out the memories Krikolm had shown him from his own.


    The youngest of King Alok¡¯s children trailed behind the group. Her hands and feet were bound with rope. Srixa had covered her eyes and gagged her mouth with strips of old cloth. Despite her tall stature, the frost troll girl must have been 13 or 14 years old at most. A child in both their cultures. And yet here she was, a prisoner, having to pay for the crimes of adults.


    Some part of Stryg pitied the girl and another part of him hated her for being the daughter of the man who had caused the deaths of several of his tribemates. He understood that the girl needed to be kept alive for the sake of the new pact between the frost trolls and the Sylvan, but if that wasn¡¯t the case, if this troll child was just a prisoner¡­ would he kill her right here? This nameless girl? Would he end her life? For the crimes of her parents? To prevent her from becoming a future threat? It was the logical choice, right? Right¡­?


    He wasn¡¯t certain and that hesitation bothered him more than he¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°Stryg, you okay?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± He looked up at her inquisitive eyes and wondered to himself when he had stopped hating her. She was an orc, an enemy of his people. But to him, she was just Tauri. When had that changed? When had she stopped being an enemy? Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered down towards her curvaceous legs and her plump bottom and simply stared at her butt.


    Perhaps his change of heart had begun the first time he had seen those soft, round¡ª


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Tauri frowned.


    ¡°Your ass,¡± Stryg said with hesitation.


    ¡°Wha¡ª? You¡¯re supposed to look away, you cad!¡±


    Plum smiled and shook her finger, ¡°Tsk, tsk, when are you going to learn that the Sylvan have no shame when it comes to their sexual appetites.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a Sylvan,¡± Tauri crossed her arms.


    ¡°I know.¡± Stryg slipped his arm through her own and bit her neck playfully.


    ¡°Did you just¡ª bite me?¡± Tauri said incredulously, but she didn¡¯t push him away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°Ah.¡±


    Tauri promptly bit his shoulder. She had no sharp fangs but like other orcs, her bottom canines were more prominent than usual. Though her canines were small, even among female orcs.


    Tauri smirked, ¡°Not so fun when others do it, huh?¡±


    Stryg stared at her in surprise and his lips slowly curled into a smile.


    ¡°Wh¨CWhat¡¯s with that weird smile?¡± Tauri asked.


    Stryg licked her cheek and pulled her in a little closer. He hummed a happy tune.


    Tauri swallowed hard. It had just occurred to her that vampires often engaged in bloody bites during lovemaking. And she had just bitten a vampire hybrid¡­


    ¡°Get a room you two,¡± Plum said with a mischievous knowing grin.


    ¡°Plum¡ª!¡± Tauri stopped mid-sentence and sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re both alright.¡±


    ¡°Tauri?¡± Plum asked uncertainly.


    ¡°After we were attacked at the bridge, I¡­ I thought I might never see either of you again,¡± Tauri mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we all made it.¡±


    Plum smiled warmly, ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the frost troll being pulled with a rope a few dozen paces behind them. ¡°Yeah¡­ same.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯ve been pretty quiet ever since last night. Is everything alright?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I just have a lot on my mind,¡± he admitted tiredly.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± Tauri said gently.


    Stryg glanced at the scarlet blade hanging from his hip. ¡°...How much do you two know about Krikolm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the legendary ancestral sword of House Veres. It¡¯s been lost for centuries,¡± Plum recited. ¡°It¡¯s arguably the most famous sword in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Then did you know the sword is bound to House Veres?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To the main bloodline to be precise,¡± Plum said quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Veres. We figured,¡± Tauri said with a small smile. ¡°How does it feel to be a son of one the Ruling Houses of Hollow Shade?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders trembled. He closed his eyes tightly and took deep breaths. ¡°If I am a Veres, then my bloodline is responsible for the fall of Lunis. How can I ever proudly talk about Lunis to Melfyn and the other kids at the temple ever again? I am the descendant of the monster, Blue Rose. I¡¯m a hypocrite.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Tauri bit her lip. If he was a hypocrite, then what did that make her? The daughter of House Katag?


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself for what your ancestors did. Neither of you can. Believe me,¡± Plum said adamantly.


    Stryg gripped his chest. ¡°My ancestors are a part of me, aren¡¯t they? Their blood flows through my veins. Blood is the one thing that echoes through time.¡±


    ¡°Blood binds us to our families, true,¡± Plum admitted. ¡°I believe we owe it to the world to leave it a better place than our ancestors did, but that doesn''t mean we should condemn ourselves for their actions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Plum,¡± he said.


    She grabbed him by the shoulder and looked him in the eye. ¡°I think it is. ¡­Do you hate me for what my mother did to you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not! I¨C¡±


    ¡°Then don''t blame yourself for Blue Rose¡¯s mistakes,¡± Plum said softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just her mistakes¡­ it¡¯s mine,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Plum furrowed her brow, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ I think my birth mother was the sister of the chieftain and First Mother,¡± Stryg admitted.


    Plum blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    Tauri shared a glance with her, then cleared her throat. ¡°O-Oh, what makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Well, Krikolm is bound to House Veres, right?¡± Stryg said. ¡°Only the Blue Rose¡¯s descendants should be able to hold it, let alone wield it. When we visited the Blood Fang village I lent Jahn the blade for a moment. It didn¡¯t cut him, which must mean he is a Veres, and since First Mother is his sister then¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªShe is one too,¡± Tauri finished.


    ¡°Exactly. I think my mother, my true mother, died when giving birth to me. I think Jahn and First Mother blame me for her death¡­ and they¡¯d be right,¡± Stryg said glumly. ¡°It¡¯d explain why Jahn has always been so distant with me and why First Mother has always been so harsh on me compared to the others.¡±


    ¡°Only if that¡¯s actually the case,¡± Plum said. ¡°I mean, can¡¯t either of them also be your parent?¡±


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°If Jahn was my father he¡¯d have no reason to not tell me. His family is raised knowing their parentage. It¡¯s why everyone knows the First Mother and him are siblings. If I was his son he would have told me. He probably would have raised me to be the next chieftain like his mother did with him, but he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t even tell me I was part of his family¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ plausible,¡± Plum said awkwardly. ¡°Buuuut, what about, y¡¯know, Fiiiirst¡­ Mother?¡±


    ¡°Plum,¡± Tauri frowned.


    Stryg laughed. ¡°Are you serious, Plum? Aurelia of the Blood Fang is a Sylvan Mother, a priestess of Lunae. Romance of any form is forbidden. And in case you didn¡¯t notice, First Mother is the strictest Sylvan I have ever met. She would never betray her vows¡ª¡±


    Vows?


    Stryg¡¯s voice caught in his throat. His body stiffened and a cold shiver ran down his spine.


    The First Mother he knew would never break a single one of her vows, but wasn¡¯t that why the Lunar Elect had brought her to the Silver Keep to stand trial? They accused her of abandoning her vows 21 years ago.


    21 years ago¡­?


    I¡¯m almost 21¡­


    When the council had pressed her for the reason she left, First Mother had claimed she was rectifying a mistake.


    Stryg stumbled and fell to his hands and knees.


    How could be he so blind? It was there all along. He just couldn¡¯t see it. He couldn¡¯t even fathom the possibility. Aurelia, the First Mother, the most honorable Sylvan of the tribe. The person he admired most.


    Why would she¡­?


    Stryg stared at the ebon signet ring on his finger.


    ¡°I¡­ I am her mistake¡­?¡±


    ~~~


    The remainder of the trip was met with silence. When Plum and Tauri had asked Stryg if he wanted to talk about it he hadn¡¯t responded, almost as if he was in a daze.


    When the sun began to fall below the horizon, Stryg found himself walking through the dark tunnel on the side of the mountain, guarded by the Frost Whisper Tribe. Fortunately, the Guardian of the Sylvan, Arden was not patrolling the mountain pass this time.


    Jahn led the group through the tunnel without much hassle. They all walked through the tunnel with a now familiar step. Aurelia walked at the front beside her brother. Stryg stared at her long snow-white hair swishing behind her.


    A lump formed in his throat.


    He had always wanted to meet his parents. He had told her more than once. She must have thought him a fool.


    As the group stepped out of the tunnel and into the streets of Evenfall they all abruptly stopped in their tracks. A crowd of hundreds of Sylvan waited at the tunnel exit. Hunters, guards, gatherers, builders, cooks, shamans, Mothers, and more all stood in eager anticipation.


    ¡°...Shit,¡± Aurelia muttered with wide eyes.


    ¡°AURELIA!¡± ¡°FAVORED OF THE MOON!¡± ¡°THE BLOODED!¡± ¡°BLESSED MOTHER!¡± ¡°WELCOME HOME!¡± Hundreds of voices cried out in excitement.


    Arden stepped out of the crowd, riding atop his wolf, and walked over to the stunned First Mother. ¡°It seems word of your visit last week has spread,¡± Arden said wryly.


    Aurelia threw her hood over her head. ¡°Were you a part of this?¡± she asked angrily.


    ¡°No, I am only here to escort you safely to the Silver Keep. The Lunar Elect is very keen to see you,¡± Arden said.


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

 Chapter 423: A Giant’s Shadow

    Chapter 423: A Giant¡¯s Shadow


    The long walk to the Silver Keep castle was filled with the cheering cries of the crowds that lined the streets. Stryg had never seen so many goblins in one place before. He thought there were a lot of goblins in the city the first time he had arrived, but now that felt small. It reminded him of the crowds in Hollow Shade during the Festival of the Gods.


    He marveled at the dozens of banners held high above the crowds, waving in the wind. Then he heard the voices cheering his mother¡¯s name and all sense of marvel and wonderment were snuffed out. A painful pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. He stared at his mother¡¯s back as she walked with her cloak over her head.


    The throng of goblins couldn¡¯t see her face, yet they knew her. They actually knew her. For over twenty years he thought he had known her too. How foolish of him to presume.


    The crowds cheered her name, they called her by titles he had only heard of recently. The Blooded. The Favored of the Moon. Ebon Lady Aurelia.


    Stryg froze at the final title. It wasn¡¯t possible. Yet the lack of surprise on Tauri and Plum¡¯s faces told him otherwise. In fact, their uncomfortable expressions and refusal to meet his gaze made it seem as if they were all too familiar with the title.


    He suddenly remembered Tauri¡¯s words last night when he had awoken from his coma. When he had asked how they had escaped Grimstone Mountain.


    First Mother took care of it.


    It suddenly all made sense. His magical talents, his friends¡¯ refusal to elaborate on the events of Grimstone, and how First Mother had insisted they stay within the confines of the Celestial Shrine during their stay in the city. They had known. They had all known.


    Stryg had never felt such a fool. The voices of the crowds faded away as he tried his best to hold himself together. He kept his head down and focused on taking one step at a time.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed but he found himself at the gates of the Silver Keep. Over twenty guards, each riding a wolf, rushed out as the gates opened and ushered the Blood Fang retinue into the castle while pushing the crowds of onlookers aside.


    As soon as the gates closed behind them, Jahn laughed heartily. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Half the tribes must have been out there! Talk about a hero¡¯s welcome.¡±


    ¡°You think this is funny?¡± Aurelia hissed.


    Jahn blanched and chuckled awkwardly, ¡°I mean, a little.¡±


    Aurelia glared at him, ¡°You really don¡¯t know when to shut up, do you?¡±


    ¡°Auri!¡± Virella ran over and embraced her tightly.


    Aurelia stiffened at the touch. ¡°Silver Mother, I greet you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up with the etiquette and hug me already, you cold-hearted witch.¡±


    Aurelia cracked a small smile and embraced her best friend.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± Virella mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone for a few days,¡± Aurelia said dryly.


    ¡°And you still owe me thousands of hugs for missing the last decade.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Arden cleared his throat. ¡°We are short on time.¡±


    Virella pulled back from Aurelia and glared at the Sylvan Guardian. ¡°Really? Short on time? The tribunal dares to break tradition and bring Aurelia and her tribe here without first allowing them to pay their respects to our goddess at the temple and now you have the gall to tell me I can¡¯t even give her a hug!?¡±


    ¡°They will be able to pay their respects as soon as the Lunar Elects are finished speaking with them,¡± Arden said without flinching.


    ¡°Oh, I assure you they will. I will not allow the tribunal to abuse their powers any more than they already have,¡± Virella snapped at him.


    ¡°As you wish, Silver Mother,¡± Arden said calmly. ¡°Now if you please, the Lunar Elects are waiting.¡±


    ¡°Give them a moment to catch their breath at least. They¡¯ve only just arrived¡ª¡±


    Aurelia placed her hand over her friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Virella. I am prepared to speak with the tribunal.¡±


    ¡°Auri¡­¡± Virella¡¯s voice faltered.


    ¡°Follow me, Favored of the Moon,¡± Arden said.


    ~~~


    The tribunal chamber was the same as the last time Stryg had been. The room was in a triangle shape, with the last wall being entirely missing, like a giant window. Sigils lined the open-air design, preventing the cold winds from entering the chamber. The Midnight Mirror, a sacred terrace with polished floors covered in a thin layer of water, extended right outside the chamber¡¯s open wall.


    Tall pillars lined the marble chamber walls and in the corner hung a balcony with no guardrails and three stone thrones that overlooked the city and the Midnight Mirror below. The sun had fallen below the horizon and the moon¡¯s light reflected off the terrace¡¯s shallow water, staying true to the Midnight Mirror¡¯s name.


    The entire tribunal chamber was just as intimidating and awe-inspiring as before. All was the same, except now over a hundred goblins lined the walls of the chamber. Around a third of them were women wearing black wreaths over their brows, the symbol of a First Mother. Others wore distinct colorful cloaks and bracelets and necklaces of precious metals.


    Stryg looked around the faces in the room and suddenly felt very small. These were the chieftains, shamans, and First Mothers of the Sylvan tribes, and they were all looking expectantly at Stryg and his tribe.


    The chimes hanging above the chamber suddenly rang with an eerie chill. Every single face in the room turned and looked up at the thrones. A door directly behind the balcony opened wide and three familiar goblins strode in.


    ¡°Shaman-Elect, Lumi, daughter of the Frost Whisper tribe, stands as the Eye of The Watcher,¡± she said in an icy tone.


    The Shaman-Elect appeared as regal as ever. Her deep blue robes were made of finely interwoven clothes. Though she was still in her prime, her hair had gone mostly grey. The gilded strings interwoven into her hair were gone and her hair was now tied in a simple braid. Her yellow eyes had dark bags underneath them. It seemed as if she had hardly gotten any sleep in the last few days.


    ¡°Warrior-Elect, Lykos, son of the Storm Howler tribe, stands as the Hand of The Watcher,¡± he said as he walked to his stone-carved chair with a heavy gait.


    Unlike the last time, the dire goblin was not wearing heavy armor and opted for a simple black tunic and pants instead. Though he still wore his leopard pelt cloak over his shoulders.


    Sabina strolled over to the center throne with the same relaxed gait as always. Unlike Lumi, she wore no jewelry and her dark hair was loose and cascaded over her white silken robes.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She stood in front of her throne and placed her hand over her heart. ¡°Mother-Elect, Sabina, daughter of the Elder Bloom tribe, stands as the Voice of The Watcher.¡± She raised her arms towards the moon and spoke with a loud reverent voice. ¡°Let the tribunal of The Watcher act for the sake and honor of her name as she watches over us all.¡±


    The Mother-Elect sat on her throne and the other two mirrored her action.


    Sabina glanced down towards Aurelia and waved her forward. ¡°I declare this meeting of the Lunar Elect convened. Aurelia, First Mother of the Blood Fang tribe, the last we saw each other the tribunal gave you the task of re-establishing contact with the frost trolls of Grimstone and our ore trade with them, is that not so?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Aurelia nodded respectfully.


    ¡°Were you successful in your endeavor?¡±


    ¡°We were, Mother-Elect.¡±


    ¡°Why do you bring a troll child prisoner into our presence? And why are that orc and drow not chained as well? This is entirely unprecedented,¡± Lumi interrupted.


    Aurelia cursed silently, then spoke up, ¡°The orc and drow are friends with my tribe, you need not more than that.¡±


    The crowd of onlookers broke out into hushed whispers of confusion and scandalous looks. Tauri and Plum took a step back, worriedly. Stryg silently stepped in front of them, unashamed, and stood his ground.


    ¡°Friends!? Did you just call an orc a friend?¡± Lumi asked incredulously.


    Aurelia met her gaze calmly, ¡°I did. Their relationship with my tribe is a personal matter of the Blood Fang. With all due respect, it has nothing to do with you or this tribunal.¡±


    ¡°You dare bring an orc into our chamber and think you have the right to say it has nothing to do with us?¡± Lumi asked.


    ¡°I agree, this is unacceptable,¡± Lykos nodded with a frown.


    ¡°The Guardian of the Sylvan gave those two women his Lunar Crescents,¡± Sabina pointed at the silver crescent brooches on Tauri and Plum¡¯s cloaks. ¡°If Arden finds them acceptable, then I shall accept his judgment. Or do you, Lumi, wish to question your own chieftain¡¯s honor?¡±


    Arden glanced up at Lumi patiently, his face expressionless.


    Lumi bit her lip and shook her head, ¡°No, I trust my chieftain¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then we shall continue,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Aurelia, where is the Troll Slayer? I do not see him with your group.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Emissary Otley fell in battle.¡±


    ¡°In battle? You were there to make peace, not war!¡± Lumi said angrily.


    Aurelia did not rise to her provocation and continued with a steady voice, ¡°While we arrived with peaceful intentions, the frost troll king Alok ambushed us and lured dozens of skolguls to our location. Many of our hunters died. If it were not for Otley our casualties would have been far greater. He saved many of my people and protected them against the skolguls until his last breath. He died a warrior''s death.¡±


    Aurelia glanced at the stunned Iron Spine chieftain in the crowd and bowed her head, ¡°The Iron Spine tribe should be proud of their son. I know I will forever be.¡±


    The chieftain¡¯s face was a mixture of anger, shock, and grief, but he nodded with tears in his eyes and made a fist over his heart. ¡°Otley will be remembered!¡± he roared. ¡°Tonight my people shall feast and tell stories in his name until the moon falls and the sun rises. And tomorrow we shall ride to Grimstone and we shall show them that the Iron Spine remembers!¡±


    The goblin chieftains and shamans in the chamber shouted in agreement.


    ¡°Is this what you wanted, Aurelia? War?¡± Lumi frowned.


    ¡°War shall not happen, Shaman-Elect,¡± Aurelia shook her head. She turned to the chieftains, ¡°I understand your anger, my brothers and sisters, but you must stay your hand. The frost trolls of Grimstone have paid the price for their betrayal. Their king and heir lie dead as do the ones who ambushed us.¡±


    ¡°What? What did you do!?¡± Lumi yelled. ¡°You were there to mend alliances! We still need Grimstone¡¯s ore!¡±


    ¡°And you shall have it,¡± Aurelia said without missing a beat. ¡°After avenging our fallen, I took Alok¡¯s two remaining children as hostages and made a deal with the queen. For the next two years, Grimstone shall send the ore shipments at no expense to us. After which ordinary rates shall resume as usual and we shall send one of the queen¡¯s children back to her. The two hostages will rotate each year, ensuring that the ore shipments continue and the threat of attack never happens. I hope this satisfies the tribunal¡¯s request.¡±


    ¡°It does not satisfy the Iron Spine!¡± the chieftain yelled angrily.


    ¡°Silence! It is not your turn to speak!¡± Lykos snapped. ¡°The Sylvan needs that ore! Our warriors need that ore! Do you wish to risk the survival of the Sylvan people for one man!? Do you think this is what Otley would have wanted?¡±


    The Iron Spine chieftain frowned, but quickly bowed his head in deference. ¡°No, Warrior-Elect. Forgive me.¡±


    Lykos nodded in satisfaction then turned to Aurelia, ¡°Well done, First Mother. The council is satisfied with your results.¡±


    ¡°Where is the other child?¡± Lumi asked. ¡°You said you captured two troll children, but I only see one.¡±


    ¡°On our way up the mountain, one of my hunters took the other troll child to a secret location,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°On my command, my hunter will bring the other child here, provided the tribunal recognizes the honor of the Blood Fang tribe and listens to our petition as promised.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Lykos raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, I trust it won¡¯t get to that,¡± Aurelia smiled politely.


    ¡°You insolent girl¡ª You dare!?¡± Lumi shouted and jumped to her feet. ¡°You dare threaten this council!¡±


    Sabina spoke up, ¡°Calm yourself, Lumi. Your lack of control is unbefitting of your station as the Eye of the Watcher.¡±


    Lumi stiffened at her words and sank back into her chair quietly.


    Sabina glanced at Aurelia and smiled wryly, ¡°Your methods are¡ª somewhat disrespectful, but this tribunal is not one of empty promises. Lunis fell because the people were betrayed by their Lunar Elects, we shall never follow the same path. Aurelia of Blood Fang, you have kept your part of the bargain and we shall do the same. From this day onward, the honor of the Blood Fang tribe has been restored in the eyes of this tribunal. All in favor?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Lykos raised his hand.


    Sabina glanced at the sulking Lumi with a cold gaze.


    The Shaman-Elect sighed in defeat and raised her hand. ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lunar Elects,¡± Aurelia bowed her head.


    Stryg, Jahn, Srixa, and the other hunters sighed collectively in relief.


    ¡°Now, as for your petition, speak, we shall listen, though we make no promise as to whether we shall grant it,¡± Sabina said.


    ¡°Of course, Mother-Elect. Only, it is not I who will make this petition, it is my tribe¡¯s shaman.¡± Aurelia looked back at Stryg and gestured him forward.


    Stryg swallowed hard and walked over to the center of the chamber and looked up at the balcony at the Lunar Elects.


    ¡°You? This hybrid is your shaman, hm?¡± Lumi asked. ¡°Were there no true goblins to serve as your tribe¡¯s shaman?¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Aurelia asked calmly, though there was underlying anger in her tone.


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s fitting really,¡± Lumi smiled. ¡°Magic is the gift of the Mother Moon, so I suppose it should not come as a surprise that your tribe has few mageborns, and must resort to using hybrids.¡±


    ¡°You are allowed to question my honor, but do not question that of my tribe¡¯s or my shaman¡¯s,¡± Aurelia glared at her.


    ¡°Do not let her get to you, sister,¡± Jahn whispered under his breath, but Aurelia could not hear him.


    Lumi looked over to the other goblins in the room. ¡°In the past year, thousands of wolves have appeared to the tribes of the Sylvan. Every single chieftain here can attest to that. And yet, somehow the Blood Fang tribe is the only one among all 63 tribes that has not been graced with even a single wolf. I think it is clear who the Mother Moon does not favor.¡±


    ¡°And yet Aurelia is here to regain her tribe¡¯s honor, as a warrior should. And she has succeeded, let the past be the past, Shaman-Elect,¡± Lykos said.


    Lumi glared at him, ¡°Of course, you would say that. You have always favored Aurelia The Blooded, but she is not the one making this petition, is she?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Lykos asked.


    ¡°I say this hybrid shaman should prove himself. Prove to this tribunal, and all 63 chieftains, Mothers, and shamans here that he is worthy to carry the mantle of Sylvan shaman. All in favor?¡± Lumi raised her hand.


    ¡°Nay. This is unnecessary,¡± Sabina said, annoyed.


    ¡°Hm, perhaps it is not. I have never met a hybrid shaman. Let the Mother Moon decide if it is right or not.¡± Lykos raised his hand, ¡°Aye.¡±


    Lumi grinned, ¡°That is two to one. The vote passes. The Blood Fang shaman shall prove himself as per tradition on the Midnight Mirror.¡±


    Aurelia bowed her head in frustration and spoke through clenched teeth, ¡°As the tribunal wishes.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the Midnight Mirror protruding from the mountainside, below the chamber, then at the crowd of onlookers, and finally up at the balcony. He hadn¡¯t even said a word and they were all already judging him, ready to place him in a challenge of death. Only one person ever walked away from a spar in the Midnight Mirror.


    It felt as if he was on his first night challenge three years ago. Every eye on him, all waiting for him to fail. He was so nervous he could hear his heartbeat echoing in his ears. It felt all too familiar.


    He was suddenly reminded of the young hunter Ostroz. Like many other of his tribemates, Ostroz had died in the serpent¡¯s cave three years ago, yet Stryg had never forgotten his final words of advice.


    Stryg, most of them already hate you. Look, you don¡¯t have to think so hard about it. It¡¯s simple, you can either be the runt of the tribe, or you can be a giant.


    Stryg glanced at his shadow that stretched across the room, far larger than himself. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.

 Chapter 424: Midnight Mirror

    Chapter 424: Midnight Mirror


    The waning crescent moon reflected off the pristine water of the Midnight Mirror. The large oval-shaped terrace served as a ceremonial arena and gave a clear view to those watching from the Silver Keep¡¯s tribunal chamber.


    The short walk down the marble steps of the chamber to the terrace was filled with the voices of the chieftains and shamans. Some were filled with excitement, a few were words of encouragement, but most were taunts and ridicule. Stryg tried to ignore their words but every time he heard them call him ¡®outsider¡¯ it chipped at his own security deep within.


    Stryg walked around the Midnight Mirror¡¯s pool, careful not to step inside the shallow water. A priestess from the Celestial Shrine was waiting on one end of the terrace for him. In her hands, she held a pair of white garbs.


    While keeping his eyes on the ground, Stryg stripped down to his undergarments. The priestess handed him the garbs and whispered a silent prayer for his victory as per tradition. He quietly thanked her and slipped into the white pair of pants tunic. Both were short-sleeved, with the shirt ending at his elbows and the pants at his knees. Still, neither was particularly tight.


    Odd.


    He didn¡¯t think they would have any clothes of his size prepared beforehand. Unless¡­ Someone was already planning on this outcome.


    Stryg glanced up at the chamber¡¯s balcony where the Shaman-Elect Lumi was looking down at him with a satisfied smile.


    ~~~


    ¡°I failed,¡± Aurelia muttered in frustration. ¡°I should have expected Lumi would do something like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Jahn noted.


    Aurelia glared at him and hissed.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not,¡± he shrugged abashedly.


    ¡°What is happening? What is the Midnight Mirror tradition?¡± Plum whispered, careful to stay close to the Blood Fang goblins and far from the rest.


    There were close to two hundred goblins standing in the chamber; chieftains, First Mothers, and shamans of their respective tribes. And all of them wanted nothing more than to see Tauri and her in chains or worse.


    ¡°Its proper name is the Midnight Mirror Challenge,¡± Jahn said.


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, Challenge? You mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°A duel,¡± Virella added. ¡°Specifically a duel to the death.¡±


    ¡°Stryg is going to have to kill someone?¡± Plum whispered.


    ¡°Fortunately, yes. He¡¯ll only have to kill one person. Usually, these duels would have at least 4 or 5 participants. Sometimes they¡¯ve even had 63,¡± Virella explained.


    ¡°63!? H-How? Why?!¡± Plum asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°On rare occasions, there are disputes that must be settled between each and every tribe. On those nights a champion is chosen from each tribe to battle in the Mirror.¡± Virella closed her eyes and shivered, ¡°I still remember the last time it happened.¡±


    Jahn nodded grimly, ¡°It was 21 years ago. 63 goblins walked onto the Mirror. It was crowded, they were only a pace or two away from one another.¡±


    ¡°They taunted each other,¡± Aurelia shook her head in derision. ¡°They were actually excited. Until the duel started and the claws raked across their skin, tearing their flesh.¡±


    ¡°There was so much blood. Their insides were strewn about the pool and the Mirror was dyed red,¡± Jahn muttered.


    ¡°Until there were only five left. Then four, three, and then¡­ then there was only one. One goblin, dyed red with blood, stood amidst the pile of corpses. The sole victor.¡± Virella stared at Aurelia, ¡°They called her the Blooded.¡±


    Plum and Tauri slowly turned to Aurelia with a mixture of horror and awe.


    ¡°You?¡± Plum mumbled.


    Aurelia ignored their gazes and stared down at the Midnight Mirror. ¡°I did what was expected of me for my tribe.¡±


    ¡°As does Stryg,¡± Tauri said in realization.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± Plum asked in a somewhat hopeful yet nervous tone.


    ¡°Stryg is a master mage. So long as he doesn¡¯t have to fight Arden, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be alright,¡± Tauri said reassuringly.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°The Guardian of the Sylvan does not engage in personal Challenges of any kind,¡± the Silver Mother explained. ¡°The Shaman-Elect will have selected a champion from among the tribes beforehand.¡± Virella sighed and slumped her shoulders, ¡°However, magic of any sort is prohibited in the Midnight Mirror.¡±


    ¡°As are weapons and life force techniques,¡± Jahn said. ¡°A goblin must stand alone under the gaze of Lunae and be judged on equal ground.¡±


    ¡°Knowing Lumi, she¡¯ll have picked the greatest warrior among the tribes willing to be her puppet,¡± Virella frowned. ¡°And I¡¯m fairly certain I know who it might be.¡±


    As if answering her words, the chamber¡¯s double doors swung open with a loud creak and a goblin dressed in the ceremonial white garbs walked in. He was taller than any other goblin in the chamber, save Lykos the Warrior-Elect. His tunic strained against the corded muscles underneath. Scars decorated his body from countless previous duels. His dark hair was tied in a topknot with a golden band.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me,¡± Jahn groaned.


    ¡°Ulthar, the dire son of the Stone Heart tribe,¡± Virella said in sour confirmation.


    Plum¡¯s face paled. ¡°He¡¯s a dire goblin?¡±


    ¡°Thrice as strong as any goblin,¡± Virella nodded. ¡°He¡¯s won more duels in the last year than almost any Sylvan has in the last ten. Rumor has it Ulthar has recently been chasing after Lumi¡¯s favor.¡±


    ¡°And this is the perfect chance to impress the Shaman-Elect,¡± Plum guessed.


    ¡°Sis¡­?¡± Jahn glanced at Aurelia in surprise.


    Aurelia glared at Ulthar from across the chamber with clenched fists, until her claws drew blood.


    Jahn stared at her for a moment then leaned in close, ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll make sure to get the Silver Mother and the girls out of here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Aurelia muttered in a deadly voice.


    Tauri suddenly laughed in a loud voice. ¡°Why are you all acting like Stryg is going to lose?¡±


    ¡°Stryg has never been a great fighter,¡± Jahn lamented. ¡°His magic has certainly blossomed, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, it¡¯s not that he is bad, it¡¯s just, well¡­ He isn¡¯t physically very strong.¡±


    ¡°Without any magic to reinforce his muscles he¡¯ll¡­¡± Aurelia bit her lip, unable to finish her words.


    ¡°Are you two serious?¡± Tauri blinked.


    ¡°His opponent is a dire, Tauri,¡± Plum said anxiously. ¡°They are stronger and faster than any of us. I¡¯ve seen Stryg fight a few times, but this is different. He isn¡¯t fighting some street thugs, he is fighting a Sylvan champion.¡±


    ¡°Wow, we clearly don¡¯t know the same man then,¡± Tauri shook her head. ¡°Plum, you weren¡¯t in the same year as Stryg so you never saw him in his sparring matches, but I taught that class, I watched him fight every single day. Stryg is not the one you need to worry about.¡±


    Plum furrowed her brow at her words and remembered the last moments of the Mage Tourney¡¯s final duel. The way Stryg and Sylvie had fought like animals, ripping into each other with fang and claw. What would happen when two goblins tore at each until one lay dead in the water and blood? She couldn¡¯t help but worry for Stryg.


    ~~~


    Stryg watched the dire goblin walk down the steps and onto the Midnight Mirror. He smiled at Stryg and took his place across the terrace.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Stryg asked while keeping his eye on his opponent.


    ¡°That is Ulthar, son of Stone Heart,¡± the priestess beside him answered with a slight quiver in her voice.


    ¡°I see¡­ Ulthar,¡± Stryg muttered to himself.


    Lykos stood up from his throne and raised his arms high to the crescent moon in the night sky. ¡°As Hand of the Watcher and Warrior-Elect of the Sylvan, I declare the Challenge of the Midnight Moon to begin!¡±


    At the Elect¡¯s words, Ulthar and Stryg stepped onto the shallow pool. The water was freezing cold and reached their ankles, sending icy pinpricks into their feet.


    The crowd yelled in approval and chanted words of victory for Stone Heart.


    Ulthar smiled at the goblins watching from above and bowed his head to Lumi and the other Lunar Elects, before turning his gaze to the soft-faced blue goblin hungrily, like a wolf eyeing a doe. ¡°I have never fought a Blood Fang before. Tell me, hav¡ª¡±


    Stryg walked towards him with a fast steady pace, his eyes never wavering.


    Ulthar narrowed his eyes and grinned, ¡°Come now. Do you wish to fight already? We¡¯ve only just met. The crowd wishes for an entertaining match. Are you so eager to¡ª die!¡± He abruptly swung his claws out in a large arc towards the blue goblin¡¯s face.


    With a calm but swift motion, Stryg snatched Ulthar¡¯s wrist in mid-swing and yanked him close. Ulthar stumbled forward at the sudden jerking movement. Before the dire goblin could react, Stryg extended his free arm out and punched him in the sternum with a solid strike. The sounds of bones cracking resounded loudly in both their ears.


    Ulthar grabbed his chest and fell to his knees with a cough, wheezing for air. Stryg advanced without hesitance. Ulthar¡¯s eyes widened in panic and he swung a hook haphazardly. Stryg caught the fist and snapped it with a quick twist. The dire yelled in pain and flinched. In a flash, Stryg crouched low and punched him twice in the ribs in quick succession, the bones shattering with a sickening crunch each time.


    Ulthar fell back from the heavy blows in a delirious storm of pain. He tried gasping for breath, but his lungs burned with each attempt. He raised his hands in a feeble attempt to keep the monster away as Stryg calmly walked over. Stryg slapped his arms away, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and shoved Ulthar¡¯s face into the shallow water.


    Gone were the cheers and taunts of the crowd. The entire tribunal chamber had fallen silent save for the quiet sounds of sloshing water as Ulthar flailed about, trying to escape. Stryg stared up at the faces of the stunned goblins, eyeing each one, all the while holding Ulthar¡¯s head underwater.


    After a minute of painful silence, the dire goblin¡¯s struggles stopped and his arms fell slack in the shallow pool. Stryg stood to his feet and pulled Ulthar¡¯s corpse up like a fisherman proudly showing his catch. But there was no pride in his lilac eyes, only cold methodical apathy.


    Lykos stared at them with a grim expression for a tense moment. For the first time in history, there was not a drop of blood on the Midnight Mirror at the end of a duel.


    Lykos begrudgingly raised his arms once more. ¡°As Hand of the Watcher and Warrior-Elect of the Sylvan, I declare the Challenge of the Midnight Moon over¡­ The son of Blood Fang¡ª is the victor.¡±


    Stryg nodded at the declaration then glanced at Lumi¡¯s outraged expression, before he tossed Ulthar¡¯s body off the mountainside. Stryg walked off the Midnight Mirror and back up the marble steps without pause. There were no victory boasts, nor taunts as he made his way back to the center of the room.


    Plum stared at him with a mixture of fear and surprise, as did Jahn and Virella. Aurelia had a stunned expression on her face and a hint of pride in her eyes.


    Stryg noticed none of it. His eyes were affixed to the balcony where the Lunar Elect sat. ¡°Have I proven myself as per tradition?¡± he asked them impatiently.


    Lumi¡¯s face twisted with a scowl but she said nothing.


    Sabina smiled with interest and leaned forward, ¡°Speak, son of Blood Fang.¡±

 Chapter 425: The Petition

    Chapter 425: The Petition


    Stryg stood alone in the center of the tribunal chamber and looked up at the Lunar Elect on their balcony. ¡°Have I proven myself as per tradition?¡± he asked impatiently.


    Lumi twisted her expression with a scowl but said nothing.


    Sabina smiled with interest and leaned forward, ¡°Speak, son of Blood Fang.¡±


    ¡°I wish to make a formal petition to the Sylvan tribunal, the Lunar Elect,¡± Stryg said in a firm voice.


    ¡°We are listening, young warrior,¡± Lykos said.


    Lumi narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes, I think we are all very interested in learning why the Blood Fang tribe has made their first formal appearance in the Silver Keep in over two decades.¡±


    The anger coming off the Shaman-Elect was palpable and it seemed almost infectious. Stryg looked around the chamber and saw the dissatisfaction and mistrust in the eyes of many of the chieftains, shamans, and First Mothers. He had felt a familiar calm when he had fought Ulthar on the Midnight Mirror. The fight was methodical as if part of his nature and he moved to kill his opponent without hesitation. He had forgotten he was fighting on the Mirror. He was simply fighting like so many times before and the rest of the world had melted away.


    Now, standing under the eyes of every Sylvan leader that calm feeling evaporated. His breath quickened and could hear his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears.


    ¡°Young man, is everything alright?¡± Sabina asked.


    Stryg licked his lips and tried to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°Y-Yes, everything is fine.¡±


    Stryg straightened his back and cleared his throat. ¡°Three centuries ago the Sapphire of the East, the Great City of Lunis, fell to its enemies. Our ancestors, the Lunisian armies, had been defending the border towns and villages at the time. In the end, our ancestors were defeated, and they went into hiding in Vulture Woods.¡±


    Lumi cocked her eyebrow, ¡°Did you come here to give us a history lesson? Do you think we are not aware of our own past, hm?¡±


    ¡°Then please, enlighten me, Shaman-Elect,¡± Stryg responded without missing a beat. ¡°What happened to the people living in Lunis when the city came under attack? What happened to the thousands of innocents living in that city when the enemy raided the streets and burned their homes to the ground?¡±


    ¡°...They died,¡± Lumi said with grim sincerity. ¡°The Blue Rose and her armies crushed whatever resistance they found. Our people were helpless to stop them.¡±


    ¡°But not all our people died. Many survived.¡±


    ¡°And they were taken prisoners,¡± Lumi snapped. ¡°Forced to march to the city of Holo¡¯s Shade and serve their oppressors. Few if any survived.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, they did survive. They were forced to work as laborers and servants of the higher castes. The ones who dissented were executed and fed to the shade walls. Many died in the harsh working conditions as they toiled all day and night building the structures that form the basis of all seven of Hollow Shade¡¯s districts.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Sabina asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°For the past three years I have lived in Hollow Shade,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°You have lived among our enemies? Traitor!¡± Lumi yelled angrily.


    Sabina raised a hand to silence her. ¡°Let him speak, then we may pass a verdict.¡±


    Lumi frowned and said not a word.


    Stryg bowed his head to Sabina in a silent thank you. ¡°The history books say the Lunisians were the greatest builders of the realm and they were right. I¡¯ve seen the seven districts and they are beautiful, all save for one. The Commoner District. It is where the descendants of our people now live, along with the other poor folk who can only afford to live in the city limits.¡±


    Stryg went on, ¡°There is one stark difference between the goblins living there and the other commoners; every single human, dwarf, drow, and orc, has the chance to rise above their lot in life. If they prove themselves they can enlist in one of the nobles¡¯ armies, or become a merchant, open their shop or caravan. They can even attend one of the city¡¯s four prestigious academies. The goblins in the city have no such luxuries. They can¡¯t hold any official position, they can¡¯t become a merchant, a soldier, a scribe, or a student. Even now, centuries later, goblins are considered the lowest class among the city¡¯s people. They are stuck there.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling us all of this? Do you wish us to ride out into the valley and attack Holo¡¯s Shade like some avenging heroes?¡± Lumi asked sarcastically.


    ¡°No.¡± Stryg met her gaze. ¡°I want you to save it.¡±


    The chamber exploded with outrage. Countless goblins shouting and yelling in indignation. The Mother-Elect raised her hand for silence and the voices quieted, the few that refused quickly changed their tune when Arden stepped towards them.


    ¡°I¡¯d choose your next words very carefully, son of Blood Fang,¡± Sabina warned.


    Stryg swallowed hard. ¡°For the first time in history, the tribes of Dusk Valley have gathered together under the leadership of a warlord by the name of Marek. To make matters worse, the queen of Undergrowth has allied with them as well. Together they may possess the largest army the Ebon Realm has ever seen, certainly the largest of our time. It is only a matter of days before they will march to Hollow Shade and burn the city to the ground.¡±


    ¡°It seems fate has finally caught up with Holo¡¯s Shade. Good riddance,¡± Lykos said with satisfaction.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Lumi nodded.


    ¡°And yet, Stryg, you want us to save the city?¡± Sabina asked pensively.


    ¡°If the city falls so will the goblins living within. I request that the Lunar Elect set aside a small portion of our armies to aid in Hollow Shade¡¯s defense,¡± Stryg explained.


    ¡°How many of our warriors did you have in mind?¡± Sabina asked.


    ¡°A¡­ thousand?¡± Stryg said with a wince.


    ¡°A thousand?¡± Sabina leaned back on her throne. ¡°Let me get this right, you wish for us to send a fifth of our army, the men and women of a dozen tribes, to fight for Holo¡¯s Shade?¡±


    ¡°...I do.¡±


    ¡°This is ludicrous!¡± Lykos roared. The dire goblin jumped to his feet and glared at Stryg. ¡°I am Warrior-Elect and I will not allow a single drop of Sylvan blood to be spilt over the lives of those fucking traitorous bastards!¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°I stand with Lykos!¡± Lumi shouted. ¡°Why should we sacrifice our lives for those of Holo¡¯s Shade!? They betrayed and took everything from us! Our city, our wealth, our lands, our people!¡±


    The crowd shouted in agreement while simultaneously hurling insults and threats at Stryg. He tried his best to stand his ground and to project an air of indifference, but he felt like he was at his first Night Challenge again. The crowd of tribemates surrounded him scornfully, while he cried on the ground in humiliation. He worried that Jahn and First Mother shared the same look of disappointment in their eyes, but he didn¡¯t dare look.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Plum¡¯s quiet voice cut through the cacophony. He turned to his friend and she smiled reassuringly. ¡°You are not what they say you are, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°And you are not alone,¡± Tauri nodded with a steady gaze.


    Their voices were quiet among the crowd, but Stryg heard them nonetheless. For a moment, he had almost forgotten. He wasn¡¯t alone. Not anymore.


    Stryg smiled to himself in the storm of outrage. He relaxed his shoulders and took a deep slow breath, then looked up at the council on their balcony. ¡°Mother-Elect, you are correct. I am asking you to send a fifth of our armies to Hollow Shade, but I am not asking you to aid those who destroyed Lunis. I am asking you to help me protect the people of Lunis.¡±


    ¡°Are you daft, boy!?¡± Lykos interrupted. ¡°We will never sacrifice our people for Holo¡¯s Shade! I won¡¯t allow it!¡±


    ¡°You already have!¡± Stryg snapped at him. ¡°The children of Lunis still live in Hollow Shade! Or have you forgotten that it was the Lunisian armies, our ancestors, who fled into Vulture Woods and abandoned our city¡¯s people!¡±


    ¡°Abandoned!? You act as if we had a choice,¡± Lykos sneered. ¡°Our armies were betrayed by the old Lunar Elects of Lunis. They worked with the Ebon Lords of Holo¡¯s Shade to lead our armies into an ambush! We were forced to retreat into Vulture Woods! There was nothing we could have done¡ª¡±


    ¡°We could have come back for them!¡± Stryg screamed.


    The voices of the crowd stopped in stunned silence.


    ¡°We could have come back, we should have saved our people¡­ But we didn¡¯t,¡± Stryg whispered. ¡°We left them in the hands of our enemies.¡± He turned to the crowds of Sylvan leaders and his expression grew somber, ¡°The last of our people still live in the outermost district of Hollow Shade. When Marek¡¯s armies break through the shade wall, who do you think they will come for first? The aristocrats?¡±


    Stryg laughed bitterly, ¡°The aristocrats will be hiding in the Central and Villa Districts, as far away from the walls and the battle as possible. The goblins living in the Commoner District will be the first to be attacked. Our people¡ª Our people will be slaughtered.¡±


    The anger in Lykos¡¯ face drained away and he fell back in his seat shakily.


    Lumi noticed the change in his eyes and frowned. She pointed an accusatory finger at Stryg, ¡°Those people aren¡¯t our people, not anymore. Their ancestors may have been, but now? Those goblins don¡¯t even know who we are and we don¡¯t know them either. They may as well be outsiders.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Stryg said with a quiet stilled confidence. He pointed past the chamber¡¯s large opening, past the mountains, the scarlet forest below, and to the horizon in the distance. ¡°I have seen it. Out there, in Dusk Valley, I have seen the will of Lunis. I witnessed a goblin boy and his friends fight off an entire ambush party to save the life of one little girl. They didn¡¯t fight for glory or honor. There wasn¡¯t even any hope that they¡¯d survive. No, they fought because it was right, even if they were scared.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying children fought to protect the other children?¡± Lykos asked in confusion.


    ¡°What other choice do they have when the adults are all gone or worse¡ª¡± Stryg stared at them pointedly, ¡°When the adults still here deem the children¡¯s lives unworthy of protection.¡±


    Lykos grimaced in shame.


    ¡°You lie!¡± Lumi scowled. ¡°Why should we believe anything you have to say? What proof do you have of any of this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, save my word and honor. The same word that promised to reaffirm the treaties between the Sylvan and the frost trolls of Grimstone. The same honor that made me stand under the moonlight on the Midnight Mirror. Have I ever once given you reason to doubt me? Any reason at all, Shaman-Elect?¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Even if what you say is true, we are not responsible for the goblins outside of Vulture Woods. They probably do not even remember they were ever a part of Lunis. Why should the burden of their fate fall onto us?¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°You are the Eyes of the Watcher, yet you are still blind to the truth! Our people living in Dusk Valley have been taught by Hollow Shade to be ashamed of who they are. They file their claws down for fear of how they will be treated for being different, for being a goblin.¡±


    Stryg turned to countless faces in the crowd, ¡°They grow up believing that they are worth less than all those around them. The goblins of Hollow Shade may have forgotten where they come from, it¡¯s true, but we have not. We are Lunisian, we are Sylvan, are we not the strongest? Are we not the warriors who once marched into that valley to protect our people from the scourge of our enemies? Have we lost the courage that we so proudly boast of?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± replied dozens of indignant voices from the crowd.


    ¡°Are we so defeated that we hide away in these mountains and trees, and refuse to protect our own?¡± Stryg pushed on.


    The voices of the discontent grew louder and soon half of the crowd was shouting in indignation.


    The Iron Spine chieftain stepped forward and pounded his fist onto his chest, ¡°How dare you question our honor, shaman!? The sons and daughters of Iron Spine are not afraid of any beast or man!¡±


    ¡°But our people in Hollow Shade are afraid. They have been taught to be afraid. Because for the last 300 YEARS...!¡± Stryg roared at the crowd. ¡°No one has stood up for them. And right now they are terrified; terrified that the enemy will break down the walls of their city and no one will protect them¡­ again.¡±


    The Iron Spine chieftain¡¯s anger dissipated, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Help me prove their fears wrong.¡± Stryg pounded his fist onto his chest and his eyes swept across the crowd and the council. ¡°Help me show our people that when death came knocking at their gates, the armies of Lunis marched to their defense. Let us show them that they do matter, that they are worth fighting for. Because if we do not fight for them, no one else will.¡±


    Stryg turned to the Lunar Elect, ¡°We cannot hide in the shadows of these trees and mountains forever. It is time the armies of Lunis stand proud under the moonlight once more. Let the Sylvan drums of war resound anew. Help me show the world that Lunis is not forgotten, that we are still here.¡±


    ¡°...Your words cut deep for one so young, son of Blood Fang,¡± Sabina admitted quietly. ¡°Your petition has been heard by this council and found worthy of our consideration. ¡­All in favor of sending a thousand of our warriors to the defense of Holo¡¯s Shade and the goblins living within?¡±


    ¡°They are no longer our people,¡± Lumi answered. ¡°We must prepare for the imminent dangers that the Mother Moon warned us about. We cannot afford to lose a fifth of our military strength. As Shaman-Elect, I vote nay.¡±


    Lykos sighed tiredly, ¡°Lumi is right, imminent danger is coming to the Sylvan folk. We cannot afford to give up a thousand warriors¡­ But we also cannot afford to turn a blind eye to our people faraway. A warrior¡¯s strength has always been meant to protect his people. For too long we have failed in our duty and I will not be the one to continue that cycle. As Warrior-Elect, I vote aye.¡± He looked at Stryg and nodded in solidarity.


    Lumi turned on him, rage burning in her eyes, ¡°Lykos, what are you¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, son of Blood Fang,¡± Sabina interjected loudly. ¡°I have listened and pondered carefully on your words and the thoughts of both of my fellow Elects. And the truth is, I do not know what dangers are coming to the Sylvan folk, but I know you are right. The goblins living in Holo¡¯s Shade are a part of us and they deserve to be protected. However, I was chosen as Mother-Elect to protect the 63 tribes of the Sylvan folk of Vulture Woods and the city of Evenfall. Forgive me, but I cannot betray the trust of those tribes and put all their lives at risk for the goblins of Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°Wait, please,¡± Stryg¡¯s expression paled. ¡°If you do this, our people in Hollow Shade will die. If you abandon them, then Lunis truly will be gone.¡±


    ¡°...Lunis is already gone. As Mother-Elect, I vote nay.¡±

 Chapter 426: The Storm of Songs

    Chapter 426: The Storm of Songs


    Faint hues of gold streaked across the night sky, hailing the imminent dawn. The view from the mountain summit was breathtaking. The city of Evenfall was sprawled below and the trees of Vulture Woods spread out from the base of the mountain like a sea of scarlet. The neighboring mountains stretched to the north and south in what seemed to be an unending path that disappeared in the horizon.


    Built at the very top of the mountain, the Eye of the Moon was the most sacred place of the Celestial Shrine. The greatest of the Sylvan¡¯s warriors and leaders had come here in the past in search of clarity from the world below. It was a place to clear one¡¯s mind and gather one¡¯s thoughts, and hopefully, find a bit of wisdom.


    For the first time in his life, as Stryg sat at the Eye of the Moon, he felt something he had never before. He felt like the greatest failure the Sylvan had ever known.


    Stryg sat at the edge of the mountaintop, his legs hanging off the cliff, his arms resting on his thighs, and his head bowed, staring into the long drop below. He wondered if a goblin had ever climbed up here and accidentally fallen off. Perhaps such a goblin would be labeled a greater fool than he, probably not.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lean forward like that. You don¡¯t want to tumble over,¡± Tauri warned.


    Stryg slowly glanced back at her with a tired gaze. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t die.¡± He raised his hand as if to prove his point and an outline of yellow scales wrapped around his blue skin in an instant.


    ¡°Ah, right. It must be convenient to be a Yellow,¡± she sighed. ¡°You could step in front of an arrow and you wouldn¡¯t even have a scratch.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t fly though.¡±


    ¡°You will, someday. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the hang of it.¡±


    Stryg sighed and grabbed the silver pendant hanging from his neck. He stared at the opal stone embedded at its center, the symbol of his omni-chromatic powers. ¡°I am a master prime mage trained by some of the greatest mages in the realm and despite all that power and knowledge I still can¡¯t cast a spell that most yellow mages of my caliber have already mastered. I feel like I¡¯m always coming up short no matter what I do and not matter how hard I try.¡±


    ¡°Well, most yellow mages of your caliber don¡¯t have to master nine other colors, or weigh as much as three men, or one really fat man,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is that you keep comparing yourself to others without taking into account that you¡¯ve had to face different challenges than any one of them.¡± She stepped up behind him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and looked down at him with a stern gaze, ¡°My point is that you have to stop being so hard on yourself. You got hit, so what? Shake it off and get back up. I thought the Sylvan warriors would have taught you that by now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done,¡± he muttered.


    She frowned with a grumble. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting cold up here, so why don¡¯t you brood indoors, preferably next to a fire and a blanket.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°¡­I think I¡¯d like that.¡±


    He had to admit snuggling next to Tauri with a warm blanket did seem quite nice right about now. If only to forget about how utterly bizarre and terrible the last few days had been.


    ¡°Stryg! What are you still doing up here?¡± First Mother called out.


    If only¡­


    ¡°Mother,¡± he acknowledged with a grim expression.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been up here for hours. The time for paying respects to the Mother Moon and pondering the mysteries of the Null Realms is over.¡± Aurelia clapped her hands, ¡°Enough is enough. Get up and head back down before you get frostbite.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we were about to head down,¡± Tauri explained hastily.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stay here,¡± Stryg interrupted with a frown.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Aurelia glared at him. ¡°You have no such right. Virella was gracious enough to let you step into the Eye of the Moon, but this place is reserved for special rites and sacred meditation, not for a man sulking like a petulant child because of one setback.¡±


    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Plum ran up the steps, holding a steaming cup in her hands. ¡°The Silver Mother just made tea, and it¡¯s the best drink I¡¯ve ever¡ª!¡±


    ¡°One setback?¡± Stryg jumped to his feet.


    Plum took a step back. ¡°Um, am I interrupting something¡ª?¡±


    ¡°One setback!?¡± Stryg yelled. ¡°The largest army the realm has ever seen is coming to kill my friends and family! And I¡¯ve wasted the last few days in the hopes of trying to convince the Lunar Elect¡ª people I looked up to my entire life¡ªto help, and for what!? To be ridiculed and mocked in front of all the tribes? It was a mistake to come here. I should have gone to warn my friends the moment I encountered Marek¡¯s soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Aurelia said coldly. ¡°You should have gone to warn your friends. I told you not to come here, but crying over your mistakes now will not help anyone.¡±


    ¡°Crying?¡± Stryg scowled.


    ¡°You need to be realistic about your next plan of action,¡± Aurelia said without missing a beat.


    ¡°Realistic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your plan failed, the Lunar Elect won¡¯t listen. That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve failed to save your friends. When dawn comes, ride to Hollow Shade and warn whomever you can. Save the few lives you can. And once you have, abandon that city as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that must come easy to you,¡± he sneered.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Aurelia raised her eyebrow.


    Tauri grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Stryg, don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t the time¡ª¡±


    He shook her off and stomped towards Aurelia. ¡°It must be easy for you, to just accept your failure and throw away all responsibility for your mistakes. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always done? 21 years ago, did you stand right here and look down the mountain, right before you abandoned this place and never looked back?¡±


    Aurelia narrowed her eyes, ¡°I¡¯d be very careful with your next words.¡±


    Stryg scoffed and smiled angrily. He rubbed his hand over his chin and nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Careful, hm? Okay. Then tell me, was it hard to lie to me all these years?¡±


    ¡°My past at Evenfall are my own affairs and it has nothing to do with a brat like you. So stay out of it,¡± she growled.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± he screamed.


    Aurelia¡¯s form blurred and in a flash. She slammed Stryg into the wall and lifted him up by the collar of his tunic. ¡°You don¡¯t get to speak to me like that,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡± he whispered. ¡°Look me in the eyes and tell me none of this has anything to do with me. Tell me the truth¡­ Mom.¡±


    Aurelia''s eyes widened and a hollow sound escaped her lips. Her grip loosened and she stumbled back. She rounded on Plum, rage burning in her yellow eyes. ¡°You¡ª!¡±


    Plum paled in horror and fell back, her arms held over her face, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    Tauri hurriedly stepped in between them. ¡°Please, wait. This doesn¡¯t need to turn violent.¡±


    ¡°So you were a part of this? I should have known,¡± Aurelia snarled.


    ¡°Leave them out of this! I figured it out myself.¡± Stryg drew Krikolm and ran his hand across the scarlet blade, ¡°After I bonded with the sword it showed me glimpses, memories of its past wielders. I saw Veres the First and his son Callum. I saw every Veres that had ever carried Krikolm, including Stryga Veres, my ancestor. Our ancestor.¡±


    Aurelia turned to him, worry in her eyes, ¡°Stryg, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Last night, I asked you why you named me after the Bane of Lunis and you told me that it didn¡¯t matter; all that mattered was that I was Stryg of the Blood Fang tribe, child of the scarlet forest and the Sylvan folk. You told me that was who I am and that was enough. And I believed you. I believed you.¡± Stryg clenched his fists tights and closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡°But you lied to me, it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Aurelia stared at the ground and sighed deeply.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something? Say something!¡± Stryg roared in a hoarse voice.


    She slowly looked up at him, her expression tired. ¡°What is there to say?¡±


    He bit his trembling lip, ¡°Was any of it true? Was anything you told me ever true? Was I born on a new moon? Was I even a bad omen?¡±


    She turned away. ¡°You were¡­ unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°And my father? The story you told me about how my parents met one night during a full moon celebration and never saw each other again, was that true?¡±


    ¡°Your father¡­¡± Aurelia sighed tiredly, ¡°Your father was an outsider from the Scarlet Realm.¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°He was an orc?¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°No. He was different and he was the most beautiful person I¡¯ve ever met,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°And we did meet at the full moon celebration, but I didn¡¯t sleep with him that night. In fact, we barely even spoke.¡±


    ¡°Then how¡­? I thought you hated outsiders. I thought they were treated like prisoners in Evenfall?¡±


    ¡°All that is true, but your father¡ª was the exception. He was different, he wasn¡¯t interested in fighting, yet there was no one who could defeat him, not even Arden stood a chance. Your father seemed curious about everything; he was always asking questions, yet he seemed to know more than anyone in the room. I had never met anyone like him. He always seemed free from it all, the honor of the warrior, the petty squabbles of the tribes, the Lunar Elects¡¯ politics, or even the responsibilities that I had chained myself to. I envied him and I loved him. And then¡­ then he was gone.¡±


    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Stryg whispered.


    Aurelia scoffed wryly, ¡°I hope so, but I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Did you leave Evenfall because of him? ¡­Or because of me?¡±


    Aurelia looked sharply at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°At the tribunal chamber you told the council that you left Evenfall because of a mistake 21 years ago, one you refused to admit. Am I your mistake?¡± he asked with a trembling voice.


    Aurelia reached out and touched his wet cheek, and smiled weakly, ¡°Oh, Stryg, you were never my mistake. Falling in love with your father was the mistake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing!¡± Stryg pulled back.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If you had never fallen in love with him I¡¯d never have been born!¡±


    ¡°Stryg, it¡¯s more complicated than that and you know it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! You¡¯ve lied to me my whole life!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°Stryg, when I got pregnant I had to abandon everything I had worked so hard for. But I didn¡¯t need to stay pregnant. There are ways, certain potions a red mage can create to end a pregnancy early.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you I stood on this mountaintop wondering if I should keep the baby or not.¡± Aurelia closed her eyes and tried to steady her breaking voice, ¡°In the end, I gave up on my dreams, my friends, my tribe, everything. You have no idea what it took to walk away from my entire life, how close I was to ending it all!¡±


    ¡°So you resent me for costing you everything?¡± he mumbled, ashamed.


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head vehemently and grabbed his hands, ¡°No. I¡¯m saying that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn¡¯t change a thing, do you hear me? Not a thing. You are the only good that came out of my mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± he cried. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me? What did I do that was so wrong that you refused to acknowledge me?¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­ It wasn¡¯t about you. I had oaths¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell you, even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Oaths? What do oaths have to do with family? Do you think I stood up against the Lunar Elects because of oaths? I stood ready to fight, ready to die, because they were going to execute you! My tribe¡¯s First Mother, my mother! I¡¯d have fought for you, oaths be damned! If you gave me the command I would have fought the whole world for you! I¡¯d have fought for you!¡± Stryg stepped back, his voice hoarse, ¡°So why couldn¡¯t you fight for me?¡±


    Aurelia stared at the ground, unable to meet his heartbroken gaze, ¡°Stryg¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just go. Please, just go,¡± he whispered and sat back down at the edge of the cliff, his head bowed, and his back turned away from them.


    With tears in her eyes, Aurelia reached out to him, then stopped, and slowly turned around and walked away.


    Plum glanced between Tauri and Stryg worriedly. Tauri shook her head silently and dragged her back down to the temple.


    Stryg waited until he heard the sound of the gates closing behind them before he took a deep shuddering breath and broke down into tears. He wailed in the darkness before dawn, in the shadow of the mountain, and in his own grief.


    He cried until his breath became sputtering gasps and his tears froze in the cold wind. He cried until his throat burned and his voice grew raw. He cried until Plum asked, ¡°You done?¡±


    Stryg looked up, surprised. The drow was leaning on a nearby boulder, fiddling with her glasses.


    ¡°H-How? How long have you been standing there?¡±


    ¡°I never left.¡±


    Stryg scoffed weakly, ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d be sitting next to a fire with Tauri drinking that delicious tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never much liked tea.¡± She slipped her glasses into her pocket and walked up next to him. ¡°And I''d rather sit with you, do you mind?¡±


    He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    She plopped down next to him, but she didn¡¯t look at him. She simply stared at the sun rising in the east above the scarlet forest, painting Vulture Woods in hues of bright warm reds.


    She sighed in contentment, ¡°It really is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°The view?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°The sunrise. I never tire of it. Do you?¡±


    ¡°It hurts my eyes. My irises usually break apart and expand when I stare too long at it. Not a pleasant experience.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I suppose you prefer the moon then, what with all that Sylvan stuff, hm?¡± Plum nudged his shoulder with hers playfully.


    ¡°Heh, yeah, maybe,¡± he chuckled softly.


    ¡°...You want to talk about it?¡±


    Stryg sighed and his shoulders slumped. ¡°Was it all meaningless? Coming here, I mean. I feel like I just wasted everyone¡¯s time and put you all at risk.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you did, waste everyone¡¯s time I mean. You certainly put many people¡¯s lives at risk. But was it all meaningless? I¡¯d say that¡¯s up to you. We give our moment¡¯s meaning, not the other way around.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry at me? I could have just taken you to Hollow Shade and instead, I dragged you across the forest and almost got you killed on not one, but two mountains.¡±


    ¡°Meh,¡± she shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not all bad. Not even this whole situation with the Lunar Elect.¡±


    He raised his eyebrow, ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it. Even if the Lunar Elect had given you the thousand warriors you¡¯d still be unable to evacuate the thousands of more goblins living in Holo''s Shade. The commoners living in the city would die, along with the thousand Sylvan warriors and probably the rest of the city¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯d at least put up a fight,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Maybe with the right tactics we could¡ª¡±


    Plum gave him a side-eye glance, ¡°Stryg, there are over 20,000 soldiers marching towards Holo¡¯s Shade as we speak. Do you really think you¡¯d claim victory?¡±


    He hung his head in defeat, ¡°No, I guess not¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, cheer up, at least you won¡¯t have to die with all of them. At least half of those Holo¡¯s Shaders don¡¯t even like you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about me.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about me. It¡¯s about everyone else living there.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she nodded as if remembering. ¡°Feli, was it? And that vampire girl you seem so fond of.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just them either, I¡¯ve made friends, people I can¡¯t¡ª I won¡¯t abandon.¡± Stryg clasped his hands together and smiled faintly, ¡°There¡¯s this baby, Kamilo, he¡¯s not even a year old¡­ His father was Clypeus Gale. I don¡¯t deserve to be in that little boy¡¯s life, but his mother, Nora, deigned me worthy of being his uncle.¡±


    ¡°When I looked into his eyes,¡± Stryg recalled, ¡°They were purple, not pale like mine, but they were still purple. He¡¯s a hybrid like me. And I don¡¯t want him to grow up in a world that makes him feel like he isn¡¯t enough, because I know from the moment he was born, he was enough. I swore I would never abandon him, that he would never be alone, and I intend to keep that promise.¡±


    ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade is a graveyard, its people just don¡¯t know it yet,¡± Plum warned.


    ¡°Even still, I¡¯m not leaving them to die, not alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d give up on your dreams? Risk everything, for a promise to a baby?¡±


    ¡°What do dreams matter if all you care for is gone?¡±


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened in realization, ¡°You really love this hybrid child, don¡¯t you? Even though you¡¯ve barely known him for a small fraction of your life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s odd, I know,¡± he scratched his cheek abashedly. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I do,¡± Plum said dryly. She glanced at the sunrise and her expression grew solemn, ¡°You know, if you go back there you¡¯ll be facing the largest army in the realm accompanied by ancient monsters quite possibly capable of destroying even the shade walls. Holo¡¯s Shade will fall, there is nothing you can do to stop it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hopeless, but even if I¡¯m alone, I¡¯ll fight to defend them.¡±


    Her lips twitched in a small smile of disbelief, ¡°You¡¯d march into a hopelessly outmatched battle? All alone?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°It sounds like something you would do, doesn¡¯t it? I guess I¡¯m the fool this time.¡±


    Plum leaned back, stretched her arms, and groaned comfortably, ¡°Mm, that settles it then.¡±


    She pushed herself to her feet and dusted off her pants.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Settles what?¡±


    Without a word, she flicked him on the forehead.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he winced.


    She smirked, ¡°That you are still without a doubt a tedious little baby.¡±


    ¡°Is that right¡­?¡± he rubbed his forehead and looked at her, startled. It stung more than he¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°It is. And you were wrong about one thing.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°What might that be?¡±


    Her blue eyes turned silver and she smiled wide. ¡°You are not alone, little one.¡±


    Plum¡¯s body shimmered with brilliant silver light and faded away in a cloud of frost-mist. There stood a wolf larger than any frost-wolf Stryg had ever seen. Pristine white fur shining in the rays of the rising sun. Ancient silver eyes glimmering from a light deep within.


    Lunae raised her head and howled to the dawn sky. Her deep rumbling voice resounded from the mountaintop, the ground itself trembling at her song. And a thousand howls answered her call in a storm of songs.


    Stryg sat on the ground, eyes round in shock, his mouth hanging agape. ¡°W-Wha¡­ What¡ª uagh!?¡±


    Lunae¡¯s jaws opened wide and picked him up by the scruff of his shirt, careful not to dig her fangs into his flesh. She turned to the rising dawn, bent her legs back, and vaulted off the summit.


    ~~~


    A deep thundering howl burst like a shattering wave over the mountaintop, shaking the foundations of the city of Evenfall below. The Mother-Elect, Sabina, jumped out of her bed in a panic.


    Was the city under attack? Had the danger the Mother Moon warned them of finally arrived?


    She threw on her cloak and rushed out of her room as quickly as her old bones could carry her. All the while, thousands of howls echoed through the mountain, like a hurricane of angry songs swirling in the air.


    Sabina met the Shaman-Elect in the hallway, the younger woman¡¯s makeup and hair in disarray. ¡°Lumi, what is happening!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the explosion came from the Celestial Shrine!¡± she replied anxiously.


    Sabina¡¯s face paled in fear. ¡°The Silver Mother! We must protect the priestesses! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Lumi turned and ran down the hall.


    Sabina followed as best she could, her knee cracking painfully with every step. She clenched her teeth and ignored the pain. When she turned the corner to the balcony she stopped. Lumi and Lykos were already there.


    ¡°What are you two doing just standing here!? The city is in danger, we must¡­!¡± Sabina¡¯s voice trailed off.


    From every street around thousands of wolves were rushing into the Silver Keep¡¯s front courtyard. Many still had their goblin riders on their backs, but the riders had lost control.


    There were far more wolves here than the ones that had joined with the tribes. These were the wolves of the forest, these were the wolves of the goddess.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Lykos mumbled in awe.


    Dozens of frost wolves, far larger than their cousins, stood at the front of the procession. They howled in greetings and bowed their heads. The others quickly followed, howling with approval.


    Sabina furrowed her brow. She slowly turned around and looked up. At the top of the Silver Keep, in the glory of the rising sun, stood the wolf goddess Lunae, and beside her, a small blue figure.


    ¡°Mother Moon!¡± Sabina yelled in awe and fear, before throwing herself to the ground in subservience.


    The Warrior and Shaman Elects quickly turned around at the sound of her voice and threw themselves to the ground as well.


    ¡°Stand, my Elects!¡± Lunae¡¯s voice boomed over the Silver Keep. ¡°Prepare the tribes, gather your steel, and sharpen your claws! Lunis marches to war!¡±


    Book 4 End

 Chapter 427: Prologue - The Calm Before…

    Chapter 427: Prologue - The Calm Before¡­


    900 years ago¡­ the Azure Realm¡­


    Rain had fallen over the ocean for five straight days before accumulating into a raging thunderstorm that shook Yara¡¯s small ship. Waves thirty paces high crashed into the ship, threatening to capsize it. Yara stood at the tip of the bow, hanging with one hand from a rope attached to the sail. Freezing rain pelted her face and roaring waves crashed over her, yet still, she held on. Aqila and the other children worried that the ship would break in two. Yara just laughed.


    As the storm raged on, Caligo conjured grey leathery wings from his back and wrapped the other children underneath them. The small white fox, Lin Lu, burrowed underneath his shirt for shelter.


    Caligo stayed awake through the night and the crashing waves. The storm didn''t seem to bother the shapeshifting-child. His green eyes occasionally stared out at the water, but mostly he stared at Yara clinging to the sail line.


    Somehow, despite the horrid night, the small ship made it through the storm. As the clear dawn skies rose above them the sun bore down on the ship with petty vengeance. Gone were the howling winds, not even a whisper of breeze graced the sails, leaving them drifting through the sea.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirstyyyy,¡± Emma groaned.


    Duncan patted his little sister¡¯s back and smiled reassuringly, ¡°I¡¯ll get some water from the hold.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re out of clean water. I checked,¡± Aqila muttered.


    Emma stared at her for a moment, blinked, and proceeded to throw herself on the deck, arms flailing about. ¡°We¡¯re going to die! Waaagghh!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, we¡¯re not going to die,¡± Aqila said and tried to put on a brave smile. At 15, she was the eldest of the children from their village and she tried her best to be a reliable leader for Duncan and Emma, but she felt anxiety crawling over her at the thought of death. To have come so far, only to die of dehydration in the middle of the sea.


    ¡°It can¡¯t end like this,¡± Aqila muttered.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s right. We are going to die,¡± Duncan said as his eyes began to water. ¡°What are we even doing out here? We could have joined a crew in one of their larger ships at the docks, but no, we had to get on this tiny ship without any sailors at all!¡±


    Yara watched them lose their minds while she cut an apple into slices and ate it with her knife.


    ¡°Miss Yara,¡± Caligo finally spoke up. ¡°Are we going to die?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yara said between mouthfuls. ¡°Like I told Duncan, I bought this ship because we¡¯re not trying to draw attention. If I brought an entire crew to a hidden island it wouldn¡¯t be very hidden anymore, now would it?¡±


    ¡°Hidden island? How are we supposed to find anything when we¡¯re lost?¡± Duncan threw his hands up in frustration.


    ¡°We¡¯re not lost,¡± Yara said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have a map!¡± Duncan yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until nightfall before we can read the stars to tell where we are,¡± Aqila said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to set sail to any location until then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s if the wind ever comes back,¡± Duncan said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for any of that boring stuff,¡± Yara said calmly. ¡°Trust me, alright? I got you all through the realm bridge, didn¡¯t I? And that was without a map.¡±


    The children hesitated as they recalled the memory. The tunnel had been dark, full of creeping vines over the walls. At one point the tunnel seemed as if it had broken apart into nothingness. Yara had told them all to hold hands and she led Caligo from the front and guided them all out from the darkness. The next thing they had known they were standing on a sandy beach in the Azure Realm.


    ¡°I miss home,¡± Emma cried softly.


    ¡°There is no home to go back to, kid. There is nothing left for any of you in the Violet Realm,¡± Yara said, taking the final bite of her apple. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here, remember?¡±


    ¡°You mean the middle of the damn ocean?¡± Duncan frowned.


    ¡°This is why I never had any kids,¡± Yara shook her head. With a heavy groan, she stood up and stretched her back. She walked over to the bow, placed her hand on the wooden rails, closed her eyes, and focused her will.


    ¡°Hold on, I don¡¯t want to be fishing any of you out of the sea,¡± Yara said.


    The hull of the ship creaked and the water underneath bubbled underneath. A powerful gale crashed into the sails and launched them forward with a heavy snap. Aqila and Duncan fell back with a shout of surprise. Caligo caught them with both hands.


    Emma, still on the ground, rolled backwards and smacked into the stern. Her painful cries were drowned out by the sounds of the roaring winds in their ears. The waters themselves were splitting before the ship¡¯s path and pushing it onwards from behind, sending the ship almost skipping across the sea.


    ¡°How are you doing this!?¡± Aqila asked excitedly.


    Yara winked. ¡°Trust.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Trust?¡±


    ¡°Trust that I¡¯m the best goddamn sailor in the Azure Sea!¡± Yara howled in playful delight.


    The ship sailed on throughout the morning and afternoon, and as evening fell the ragtag crew spotted a small island in the distance.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Emma pointed excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yara grinned. ¡°The Sea Guardian¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t mind us intruding,¡± Aqila muttered anxiously.


    Yara glanced at the orphans and felt a sudden pang of empathy. They had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. With stiff movements, she wrapped her arm around Aqila¡¯s small shoulders. ¡°Relax, kiddo, the Sea Guardian and I are friends, plus he owes me a favor. You¡¯ll be welcome in his village.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the Sea Guardian can help me?¡± Caligo whispered.


    ¡°If anyone can help you figure out who you are or where you came from, it¡¯s him,¡± Yara assured him. ¡°The Guardian is old. Older than the Sundering, when titans still freely roamed the world.¡±


    Lin Lu squeaked and poked her out of Caligo¡¯s shirt.


    Caligo smiled warmly. ¡°Yes, I think it would be nice to know who I am too.¡±


    ¡°Is there a particular way we should announce ourselves?¡± Duncan asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, now you want my advice?¡± Yara asked.


    The 13-year-old boy blushed, his white irises looking everywhere but at her. ¡°I-I mean! I don¡¯t know this guy!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Sea Guardian already knows we¡¯re here,¡± Yara said.


    As the ship neared the shoreline Caligo spotted a figure in the distance waiting on the beach.


    ¡°Everyone, hold hands,¡± Yara instructed.


    The children did as instructed and Yara placed her hand on Caligo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Deep breaths,¡± she whispered.


    The world burned in a bright flash of orange sparks. Suddenly, the ground was no longer swaying from side-to-side. Their feet were in the sand and water splashed at their ankles. As their vision returned the children found themselves on the beach.


    Emma and Duncan grabbed their stomachs and fell to their knees in a daze.


    Aqila managed to stay standing though she was struggling not to vomit. ¡°I hate when you do that.¡±


    ¡°Flicker magic is not for everyone,¡± Yara chuckled.


    Caligo shrugged with a childish grin, ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Lady Nereida,¡± a woman called out from up the shore. She bowed to Yara as she neared.


    Yara smiled wide, ¡°Sorry for the sudden intrusion, chieftess Sarina.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Your presence is an honor to all of us, Lady Nereida,¡± Sarina bowed even deeper.


    ¡°Nereida?¡± Aqila glanced at Yara questioningly.


    Yara shrugged. ¡°Different Realms, different names.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your real name?¡± Aqila asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Yara said in a serious tone.


    ¡°Are you here to study the local fauna again, my lady?¡± Sarina asked politely.


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± Yara gestured to the children. ¡°Their home was taken from them. I¡¯d like them to be taken care of and treated as part of the village.¡±


    Sarina slowly looked the ragged children up and down. She had never seen yellow skin or silver horns before. The children smiled weakly, save Caligo who was busy whispering to the white fox on his shoulder.


    Sarina smiled, ¡°Rest assured, my lady. I¡¯m sure I can find them a home on our island.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it,¡± Yara said.


    ¡°In the meantime shall I prepare your usual rooms, my lady?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t plan on staying long,¡± Yara said.


    ¡°Wait, what!? You¡¯re leaving us?¡± Emma exclaimed.


    ¡°After everything?¡± Duncan mumbled.


    ¡°I have duties beyond looking after a bunch of kids,¡± Yara said.


    ¡°¡­Of course, you do. Sorry, we were such a bother,¡± Aqila mumbled with red eyes. She bowed low, her hands at her side. ¡°Thank you for everything, Lady Nereida.¡±


    Yara scratched her cheek and looked away sheepishly. ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you be leaving right away, my lady?¡± Sarina asked. ¡°I¡¯m certain our cooks would love to prepare a feast for you and our lord would certainly wish to see you at least once before leaving.¡±


    Yara nodded, ¡°Actually, I was hoping to speak with him too¡ª¡±


    The shore exploded in a mist of seafoam and mist. A massive sapphire figure emerged from the shoreline. The dragon¡¯s body was sleek for its enormous size. His long tail swished from side-to-side and his narrow wings were spread wide, dripping with water. Dark blue eyes stared down at Yara. Blue lips pulled back in a smile, revealing sharp fangs. ¡°Nereida, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°And here I was wondering where you had flown off to,¡± Yara grinned. ¡°Everyone, let me introduce you to the island¡¯s Sea Guardian, Meldor the¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe Tempest¡¯s Bastion,¡± Caligo finished in a stock-still voice. He stared up at the dragon with wide green eyes, his small face pale.


    Yara spun towards him in shock. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Do you know of me, little one?¡± Meldor leaned closer, his tone full of curiosity.


    ¡°I¨CI¡­¡± Caligo grimaced and held his head between his hands. ¡°They¡ª! They¡¯re all going to die!¡± He fell to his knees and groaned in pain. His eyes shifted between colors, trying to center back to green but failing.  ¡°I have to save them!¡± he cried out.


    ¡°Caligo, what¡¯s wrong!?¡± Yara ran up to him worriedly.


    Sensing something amiss, Lin Lu jumped off his shoulder and ran to the trees in the distance. Caligo¡¯s body began to shake as if something was crawling underneath his flesh. Different parts of his body began to shapeshift, tails, wings, claws, arms, and legs, all came out in strange shapes.


    Yara stepped back, uncertain of what to do. She had never seen anything like this. The children cried in fear and shouted Caligo¡¯s name worriedly.


    ¡°M-My lord?¡± Sarina shuddered in fear and hid behind the dragon.


    ¡°What is he, Nereida?¡± Meldor asked warily.


    Yara swallowed. ¡°I was hoping you could help me figure that out.¡±


    The writhing mass of limbs abruptly stopped moving and melted away, revealing the young boy once more. He seemed the same as his usual self, save for his eyes. Caligo blinked incessantly as if trying to get sand out of his eyes. His irises shifted in a constant unstable myriad of colors.


    Yara drew closer to him and hesitantly touched his shoulder. ¡°Caligo¡­? Are you alright?¡±


    Caligo groaned quietly and closed his eyes tight.


    ¡°What are you, boy?¡± the dragon asked distrustfully.


    The young boy¡¯s expression stilled. Caligo slowly looked up at the dragon and smiled. ¡°Do you not recognize me, old friend?¡± he asked, but the voice that came out of his lips was foreign; a quiet voice that echoed clearly in all their ears, a voice of a woman that sent chills down their spines.


    Meldor¡¯s serpentine eyes widened in panic. ¡°It¡¯s not possible¡­!¡±


    Yara looked between them, confused. ¡°Do you two know each other?¡±


    Meldor trembled in disbelief. ¡°You¡ª How!? How are you alive, An¡ª!?¡±


    Caligo¡¯s hand blurred and he backhanded Yara across the side of her head in an instant. The world grew dark and Yara fell on the wet sand with a hard thud.

 Chapter 428: Blood & Smoke

    Chapter 428: Blood & Smoke


    The scent of ash filled Yara¡¯s nostrils. The crackling of a fire and the ocean waves echoed in her ears like a distant storm. The taste of iron filled her mouth. She opened her bleary eyes and slowly looked around. She was lying on the sand of the beach. In the far-off distance columns of smoke rose from the smoldering remains of the island¡¯s village. Roaring fires blazed across the small docks and every fishing boat there.


    ¡°No¡­!¡± she muttered in horror.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Caligo said calmly.


    Yara turned around and saw him crouched on the wet sand, stroking Lin Lu¡¯s head. The small white fox squeaked in an anxious voice while Caligo whispered quiet reassurances. Behind them lay Meldor or what was left of him. The sapphire dragon¡¯s body had been mutilated almost beyond recognition. His limbs were broken and his wings were shredded into tatters. The chest cavity had been torn open, and his organs had been ripped out and strewn across the water, bathing the shore¡¯s waters a dark red. Meldor¡¯s jaw was hanging loosely by the skin and scales, the bone having been wrenched apart from the skull. There were no eyes, only two hollow bloody holes.


    ¡°What have you done¡­? What have you done!?¡± Yara cried out.


    The young boy smiled, his eyes shifting colors in an erratic pattern.¡°I saved you.¡±


    ¡°Saved?¡± Yara sat up abruptly, ¡°Where are the children, Caligo!?¡±


    ¡°You mean the aberrations? I killed them, of course.¡±


    Yara staggered to her feet, blood dripping from the side of her head. ¡°Y-You¨C! How could you!?¡± she screamed.


    Caligo cocked his head to the side. ¡°You seem angry.¡±


    ¡°Do I!?¡± she laughed incredulously. ¡°You murdered children!¡±


    ¡°They were not children. They were monsters, all of them!¡± he screamed, then he broke into eerie laughter. ¡°I do not understand, do people not celebrate the hero when he slays a monster? When did they begin to condemn the hero for saving them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a hero. You are the monster,¡± she spat.


    ¡°I am neither,¡± Caligo narrowed his ever-shifting eyes. ¡°And it seems you are unaware of what they are. You don¡¯t even know who he is,¡± Caligo pointed his thumb behind him at Meldor¡¯s mutilated corpse.


    ¡°He was my friend!¡±


    ¡°He was a traitor, but more importantly he was a dragon.¡±


    ¡°And what difference did that make!? Do you just kill any dragon that you find?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Caligo clicked his tongue. He winced and held his head, ¡°I¡¯ve lost so much time, I don¡¯t even know how long, Meldor had few answers to give. ¡­You have no idea what the dragons have done, do you? You¡¯re just a child wandering through a graveyard believing it is a garden.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you even talking about!?¡± Yara yelled.


    Lin Lu whined anxiously.


    ¡°Yara, the only reason you live is because Lin Lu begged me to spare your life. Do not waste her mercy,¡± he said coldly.


    Yara shook her head in disbelief, ¡°Why have you done this?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Caligo stared out at the sea, his expression pensive. ¡°A long time ago, there were no ¡®chromatic species¡¯ besides dragons. Do you understand what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not certain I¡ª¡±


    ¡°The dragons bred with elemental species. Hybrids after hybrids, endless cycles until it was no longer just a hybrid, it was an entirely new species of aberration. How many off-shoot dragon bloodlines exist now? How many of these ¡®species¡¯ roam the realms? Even your blood is tainted.¡±


    Yara frowned, ¡°But Lin Lu¡¯s isn¡¯t. She is a delusory fox. A goddess, albeit a young one. Is that why you spared her? If she was different, would she be dead like all the rest?¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Lin Lu looked up at Caligo, a trace of fear in her amber eyes.


    Caligo gently picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. He turned to Yara with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Is that your plan? To try and turn her against me?¡±


    ¡°I am not the one manipulating a cub.¡±


    ¡°I am the one who protected her. I am the one who avenged her mother¡¯s death. And I have run out of patience. If you wish to stay angry and ignorant then I shall grant you your wish.¡± Caligo turned his back to her and walked away.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave? After murdering all these innocent people!?¡±


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s ironic coming from you. You act like you care but you and I both know that you are no stranger to death. You reek of it. Death follows wherever you go, perhaps even all of this is thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­!¡±


    ¡°Will you kill me? Oh, I know you¡¯d like to. But you and I know you cannot.¡±


    Yara clenched her teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Never forget what you¡¯ve lost. I certainly won¡¯t.¡±


    ~~~


    9 centuries later¡­ Dusk Valley¡­


    Holo sat atop a grassy hill, overlooking the vibrant green valley. In the western horizon sat the black shade walls of Hollow Shade, a proud and oppressing symbol of the might of the Ebon Lords.


    To the east, a herd of root-bison trotted across the hills, away from the city, as if sensing the danger that was coming. Soon, all this green land would be dead red with the blood of innocents and guilty alike.


    Caligo¡¯s words echoed in her mind. Perhaps all this death was her fault for interfering in the realm, for interfering in the lives of those Violet children so long ago, or for leading the Monster in the Dark to the dragon Meldor¡­ Perhaps this was how it was all meant to be. If there was such a thing as fate, perhaps this was meant to be her end. If so, she¡¯d fight against fate till her last breath.


    ¡°¡ªlo¡­ Lady Holo¡­ Lady Holo¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Holo turned her neck. ¡°Atlas?¡±


    A tall robust drow dressed in dark armor and a black cloak stood behind her, his hands held behind his back in a patient stance. ¡°Are you alright, Lady Holo? You seem¡ª distant.¡±


    Holo scoffed softly, ¡°Yeah, I suppose so. I was thinking of the past.¡±


    Atlas took a step closer, ¡°How deep into the past, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Long before any of you were born, when my city wasn¡¯t even a dream.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°You have no thoughts on the matter?¡±


    ¡°None that I believe may help you.¡±


    ¡°You sell yourself short, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen you as captain of my guard if I thought you were incapable of advising me.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps someday I may think of advice worth sharing, until then¡­ I will kill whoever you deem necessary.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she said wryly. ¡°So, what is it? Any word from our lead healer?¡±


    Atlas nodded, ¡°Indeed, Kaitlin has written a report regarding the city¡¯s defenses and their military strength. As of now, she is waiting on standby in the city with the troupe¡¯s mages, as are Una and Unalla.¡±


    ¡°I should have already been there with Kaitlin and the Noirs, preparing the Houses for what¡¯s coming,¡± Holo said pensively. ¡°I should have let you go to them, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, my lady. It could not be helped. We¡¯ve been traveling through the realms, gathering your warrior mages without rest.¡±


    ¡°If only that was enough.¡±


    Atlas bowed his head and gestured to the bottom of the hill, ¡°My lady, you sent out a call to your allies from across the Null Realms and they answered. Your battle regiment has fully gathered at this hill just as you requested.¡±


    Two hundred elite mages dressed in similar dark armor and cloaks stood waiting below them. Some were natives of the Ebon Realm but most had come from faraway lands at the call of Lady Holo.


    ¡°They are ready to move on your command, my lady.¡±


    ¡°What of the dragons?¡±


    ¡°Lord Kaleidrog¡¯s brood was sighted multiple times over the Rupture Mountains and even the outskirts of Dusk Valley, but ever since a few weeks ago they have been strangely silent. I believe it may have something to do with the warlord Marek¡¯s dragon rider.¡±


    ¡°...Dammit, this is getting worse by the day,¡± Holo muttered. ¡°What of my request?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Atlas said delicately. ¡°I had our messengers from each realm search for them, but your friend was nowhere to be found.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. Still, I sent them a message through the dreamscape, they should have received it by now. But they haven¡¯t answered¡­ I was really hoping they¡¯d come. This is worse than I thought.¡±


    ¡°My lady, you''ve assembled the greatest army of mages in the realm, forgive me but what difference could one more mage make?¡±


    ¡°That ¡®one mage¡¯ brought down the greatest Order of the Scarlet Realm. If there was one person I¡¯d want fighting by our side, it''s them.¡±


    Atlas stroked his beard in thought, ¡°You¡¯ve never spoken much about this ¡®friend¡¯ before. I don¡¯t even know his or her name. Why is that? Why keep such a powerful ally secret?¡±


    ¡°We left on not-so-great terms. Besides, they¡¯d prefer to keep to themselves.¡±


    Atlas frowned, ¡°If this friend of yours holds resentment towards you then what makes you certain they¡¯ll even come?¡±


    Holo smiled half-heartedly, but said nothing.


    Atlas sighed, ¡°Are they truly that powerful?¡±


    ¡°The greatest of us.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll come?¡±


    Holo stood to her feet and grabbed the orichalcum scythe lying next to her. ¡°No, but I hope they do.¡±

 Chapter 429: Royal Marriage

    Chapter 429: Royal Marriage


    ¡­Three weeks ago¡­ Dusk Valley¡­ The Kingdom of the Valley¡¯s base camp¡­


    The opulent scarlet and black wagon riding through the trampled road between hundreds of hide tents stood out like a mound of gold in the middle of a battlefield, shiny and entirely unhelpful. Yet the one inside was going to change the war to their favor, or so Crow had claimed.


    Marek sighed under his breath. He didn¡¯t want to have anything with city dwellers, Hollow Shaders, or Undergrowthers alike. Still, he had no choice. Events had spiraled out of his control. Dawn and Vaughn had been sent away on some unknown quest. Nokti had returned, but she was no longer by his side, she barely even acknowledged him. Worse, Crow had returned with a massive dragon and had forced the other tribe leaders into submission, but not before crowning Marek king.


    A puppet king.


    Marek hated playing to Crow¡¯s tune but so long as Crow delivered on his promises then he¡¯d play the puppet until the end.


    Marek gripped his orichalcum spear tightly. Even if that meant marrying the enemy.


    ¡°Hey, boss?¡±


    Marek glanced at the handsome elf next to him. ¡°What is it, Kyriil?¡± he answered with a tired voice.


    ¡°Do you think the Thorn queen is pretty?¡± The elf raised his hands, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, boss, I¡¯m not trying to hit on her, I¡¯m just saying. If she¡¯s like super ugly, are you still gonna marry her?¡±


    ¡°Her physical appearance has no impact on this marriage alliance.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, but like, you¡¯re still gonna have to fuck her.¡± The elf tried to nudge the dire man¡¯s shoulder but he couldn¡¯t reach and instead only managed to rub his elbow into Marek¡¯s kidney. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve had to fuck my share of not-so-pretty lasses, boss. The trick is to not make eye contact and then imagine the most pretty¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhere is Grim?¡± Marek interrupted impatiently.


    ¡°Oh. Nokti ordered him to oversee the new mage recruits for the strike team when we breach the shade walls.¡±


    He glanced pointedly around the empty clearing and the command tent behind them. ¡°So you¡¯re my only bodyguard then?¡±


    ¡°Crow didn¡¯t think it was necessary to waste any more manpower with unnecessary grandstanding. While I¡¯d usually disagree with such horrid tastes I must admit I am more than sufficient.¡± Kyriil dusted off his shoulders as if somehow proving his point.


    Gods, Marek wished Grim was here. The Azure axlean with his black pupils and milky white eyes were unnerving to look at but he was surprisingly good company, quiet and straight to the point. Kyriil on the other hand¡­ Marek didn¡¯t know if everyone from the Ivory Realm were a bunch of sleazy idiots or if it was just Kyriil, either way, he¡¯d rather not meet another Ivorian.


    The black carriage rolled into the clearing and the centaurs hauling it slowed to a halt. The crimson doors swung open and an armored guard stepped out. The luxurious blue cape and elaborate gilded designs on his chest plate suggested he was no bodyguard, far from it. An unsightly burn scar stretched across his neck and the better part of his face, leaving only a small patch of grey skin underneath his eyes untouched. The scowling drow glanced around the clearing, searching for any threats.


    Kyriil pulled back in a grimace. ¡°Ugh, what in all the Null Realms happened to him? Poor ugly fucker.¡±


    ¡°Careful, Kyriil,¡± Marek muttered harshly. ¡°Notice that black spider crest on his armor? It¡¯s the symbol of the Great House of Loch. He is Alwin Loch, Lord General of Undergrowth¡¯s armies, and the right hand of Lady Thorn. He is an arch-mage and one of the most dangerous drows in the realm. You do not want to cross him.¡±


    Kyriil furrowed his brow, ¡°Well, how did our friendly arch-mage get such a¡ª pretty face?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Marek blinked. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know.¡±


    Marek had never heard of Lord Loch bearing any distinct scars, let alone such disfigurement. Ordinarily, burns could be healed with the help of skilled white mages, which no doubt a House as powerful as the Lochs had access to. The burn wounds must have been incredibly grave to have left such scars even after the healing.


    Loch nodded to himself, satisfied by his perimeter search, and turned to the open carriage doors. ¡°Your majesty, the area is safe.¡±


    At his words a woman of ghostly beauty stepped outside, wearing a long scarlet dress that trailed behind her. Her grey skin was pale, though it seemed to almost glow with health. A black crown sat on her brow and her white hair was tied in a single braid wrapped in silk. Icy blue eyes looked Marek over with an air of interest, like a hunter eyeing its prey.


    Ophelia sauntered over to him until her breasts were grazing his abdomen. She looked up at him with a smirk, ¡°So, you must be the newly crowned Dusk King, Marek of the Cairn tribe, I presume?¡±


    He nodded stiffly, ¡°T-That¡¯s correct.¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s eyes were filled with hungry delight. She took a step back and walked around him, sizing him up. ¡°When I heard the rumors of a mighty giant leading the valley barbarians in victory after victory against Hollow Shade I must confess I thought they were exaggerating.¡± She trailed her narrow fingers over his chiseled arm, ¡°I¡¯m glad I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank¡ª ahem,¡± Marek cleared his throat, ¡°Thank you, Lady Thorn. If we are doing confessions, then the minstrels¡¯ songs of your beauty were clearly understated.¡±


    Kyriil shot him a look of shock and betrayal. ¡®You knew she was hot!?¡¯ he silently mouthed behind the woman¡¯s back.


    ¡°However, you got one thing wrong,¡± Marek went on, ¡°My people are far from barbarians.¡±


    Ophelia raised her eyebrow, ¡°Did your people not raid and pillage my city a mere few months ago? I¡¯d call that an act of barbarism.¡±


    ¡°In that case, your House and all of Hollow Shade are filled with barbarians. Did the Ebon Lords not raid these lands from my ancestors and take what they wanted for themselves, carving a piece out of the valley to build their precious city?¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s blue-grey lips curled up in a wry smile, ¡°I think you and I will get along well, Marek.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He raised his arm and gestured towards the tent door, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Ophelia smirked and grabbed his hand. ¡°Lord Loch, stay near the carriage unless I call you.¡±


    Loch bowed, ¡°As you wish, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Kyriil, keep watch outside,¡± Marek ordered just as the elf tried to follow them inside.


    ¡°Uh, what? Are you serious? Agh, fine,¡± Kyriil crossed his arms and stood at the tent entrance.


    Marek and Ophelia entered without another word.


    Kyriil glanced at Loch and nodded, ¡°So, what happened to your face?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Not much of a talker, huh? Don¡¯t worry, you can tell me. It was a woman, right? Only a woman can burn a man like that. Must have been quite a pretty damsel, oof, I hope she was worth it.¡±


    Loch slowly turned towards him, his expression cold. ¡°Perhaps not today, but someday soon you will find your head liberated from your neck.¡±


    Kyriil grinned, ¡°Buddy, believe it or not, you¡¯re not the first man ¡®burned¡¯ by a woman to tell me that.¡±


    ~~~


    The interior of the tent was decorated with magestone lamps and beautiful tapestries from a better time among the valley tribes. A large ornate table and carved wooden chairs sat at the center of the tent. Bottles of wine and over a dozen plates of traditional drow food lined the table to the brim.


    Ophelia put a finger to her lips, ¡°You know, when I arrived here I was quite disappointed with the lack of fanfare. A queen should be welcomed by a proper retinue. But this, this seems acceptable. Perhaps your people are not so barbaric after all.¡±


    Marek smiled politely, ¡°I¡¯m glad it is to your liking.¡±


    ¡°And I could not possibly care less what either of you likes,¡± a silky chilling voice said from behind.


    Ophelia spun around and spotted the beautiful young man sitting on a lone chair. His opalescent eyes skimmed through an ancient tome in his hands.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Ophelia dropped to her knees and prostrated herself on the floor, her face buried in the ground. ¡°Forgive me for not noticing your presence sooner!¡±


    Marek¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. He had never expected the queen to behave in such a manner in front of any man.


    ¡°Sit up, I don¡¯t care for your unsightly apology.¡±


    Marek felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of his voice. Then again, he thought, the Monster in the Dark wasn¡¯t a man at all.


    Caligo snapped his book shut, ¡°What I do care about, sweet, stupid, little Thorn, is why you ordered your soldiers to attack the Hollow Shade guests after your tourney had ended.¡±


    Ophelia sat up with a grimace, ¡°W-Well, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I gave you explicit orders to not directly interfere. And despite your horrendous debacle with the assassins guild and the Gale child you still went against my orders.¡±


    Ophelia swallowed hard, ¡°My lord, I thought I was helping you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence, I do not care to listen to one more excuse¡­¡± Caligo casually stood to his feet and walked over to the trembling drow. He lifted her chin and caressed her lovely face with his thumb. ¡°You have been an imbecile, Ophelia, and that will not do.¡±


    Caligo pressed his thumb over her right eye, his silver claw digging straight into her iris. Ophelia screamed an ear-piercing shriek and tried to flinch back but Caligo¡¯s hand held her head in place with ease. Blood streamed down her cheeks as her arms flailed around, desperately trying to pull away from his grasp to no avail.


    Marek spun around, expecting Lord Loch to rush inside, sword waving in a vengeful fury. Yet no one came.


    The god slowly removed his thumb from Ophelia¡¯s eye socket and dragged his claw down her cheek, splitting the skin open in a perfect bloody line, all the while Ophelia¡¯s haggard cries echoed softly in the tent. Caligo brushed his thumb and her blood over her lips, then he leaned down and kissed her.


    ¡°My sweet, stupid, little Thorn, the next time you disobey me I will devour your soul.¡± With a small flick, he threw her to the ground, then sat back down in his chair. ¡°Marek, stop staring at the door like a fool. No sound shall escape this place unless I wish it.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Marek glanced sympathetically at Ophelia, ¡°R-Right¡­¡±


    Ophelia curled on the floor and covered her face with her hands. Soft white light poured out from her fingers and washed over her face, closing the cut skin and stopping the bleeding, though no amount of healing magic would save her right eye.


    ¡°Tomorrow at dawn the two of you will marry as is customary in valley tribal tradition. Nokti will work with Lord Loch in coordinating both our armies together. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit sudden? Should we not properly prepare for the wedding first?¡± Marek asked.


    ¡°We are at war, time is not a luxury we can afford to give to such things. A proper royal wedding can be held after we conquer Hollow Shade. For now, the chieftains gathered here will have to suffice as witnesses.¡±


    ¡°What about my bride¡¯s wound? Surely, you do not expect the future queen of our people to marry with such injuries.¡±


    Caligo crossed his legs and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure Ophelia will make sure to be presentable.¡±


    Marek frowned, ¡°And her lost eye?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as the price of learned wisdom.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Marek muttered.


    ¡°Ophelia, you wish to say something.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°Speak your thoughts. I will not pluck your other eye for simply voicing your opinion.¡±


    ¡°T-Then,¡± Ophelia glanced at Marek, ¡°If I am to marry this man, it cannot be an equal-standing marriage.¡±


    Marek blinked, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°His people may have crowned him the Dusk King but he is still of low birth. The Undergrowth¡¯s nobles will not stand for my marriage with a commoner of the valley. If he was at least an Ebon Aspirant then perhaps they would be accepting of such a marriage, but as of now the ¡®Dusk King¡¯ title holds no true power nor authority.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°Marek will not marry me as a king but as a consort. The nobles will be willing to accept that. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee the nobles¡¯ support, especially after the war, once the threat of Hollow Shade has been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Marek frowned. ¡°You think me unworthy of marrying you? You rather sit on the throne all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°It is the only way my people will help your people win this war,¡± Ophelia said defensively.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, at least she would be.¡± Caligo smiled, ¡°Fortunately, Marek is the son and heir of a Great House, one of the wealthiest in the realm. Marriage between both Houses will be of no problem.¡±


    ¡°You are of noble blood?¡± Ophelia asked in surprise. ¡°I never heard of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°It is a secret and one we will reveal in due time.¡±


    ¡°...What House do you hail from, Marek?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°House Helene,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Helene!?¡± Ophelia muttered in disbelief. She turned to Caligo in abhorrence, ¡°My lord, you cannot possibly expect me to marry a Helene! His House is the reason mine lost the succession war! If it wasn¡¯t for the Helenes¡¯ betrayal at the last stages of the war, the rebellious Houses would have never taken over Hollow Shade! If there is one family I wish to see burned to the ground when we attack the city it is House Helene!¡±


    ¡°On that, we agree,¡± Marek said grimly.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Ophelia mumbled.


    Caligo opened his tome once more and waved them away, ¡°Feel free to come to terms with whatever other disagreements you have on the matter outside my quarters. Come dawn, you two will marry, and the final preparations for the invasion of Hollow Shade shall begin.¡±

 Chapter 430: The Wolf & The Pup Part 1

    Chapter 430: The Wolf & The Pup Part 1


    Ebon darkness warped the air, tearing space itself and revealing the Null beyond. The wind howled as it was pulled into the nothingness of the Null. At the center of darkness a white gemstone blazed with blinding light. Streaks of ivory flames stretched out from the gem like falling stars in the night sky.


    With each second that passed, a pulse of searing energy echoed out from the gemstone, burning and pushing away everything in its path.


    A man as tall as any giant, with lustrous silver skin and jet-black hair, stood alone in the darkness. The ivory flames tried to consume his body, but golden flames wrapped around him in a glorious inferno and shielded him. With great effort, he slowly inched forward and reached out towards the gemstone.


    ¡°Solis, wait!¡± Lunae¡¯s panicked voice broke through the howling winds.


    The man glanced back and his burning golden eyes stared at a beautiful reflection of himself, a woman with snow-white hair and bright silver eyes, his twin. ¡°Sister, it is the only way.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be! We¡¯ll figure something out, please, don¡¯t do this,¡± Lunae cried out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Father, stop!¡± Bellum bore through the darkness, one step at a time, her arms braced in front of her as the ivory flames pulsated outwards, trying to push her away. ¡°Father, if you do this, you could destroy everything you love! Lunis! The Valley tribes! The Ebon Realm! Everyone will die!¡±


    Solis shook his head grimly, ¡°They are going to die if I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Lunae, Bellum, there¡¯s no time!¡± Holo shouted from the edge of the darkness. ¡°We can¡¯t let him reach the stone!¡±


    ¡°Brother, please, I¡¯m begging you. Countless of innocents will die.¡± Lunae¡¯s voice broke, ¡°I can¡¯t fight you.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± Solis raised his fist and clenched it tightly until his claws drew dark blood. ¡°Sigte, remember? One Life Above All Others. You and I, always.¡±


    He turned his back to them and reached for the ivory gemstone.


    Lunae¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°Solis, stop!¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Solis, stop!¡±


    Lunae¡¯s eyes snapped open and she jumped to her feet in a painful roar. The small critters residing in the trees scurried away in terror. Lunae panted heavily and her shoulders shook with every breath. Her eyes shot back and forth across the empty grove and slowly, she regained her bearings. She looked down at her paws and realized she was in her wolfen shape. She was deep in Vulture Woods.


    It had all been a dream. A nightmare. A memory. A horrible moment she wanted to forget, yet it always found her when she slept. The reality of that day was bare like an open wound and its bitter truth bore into her thoughts every waking moment.


    The gemstone was gone. Lunis was gone. Solis was gone.


    Nothing mattered, not anymore. She wandered the woods in lonely silence, an immortal waiting to die.


    ¡°~Ahah! I found you!~¡± a tiny voice squealed in delight.


    Lunae groaned and turned around to find a small blue child standing behind a tree, his insolent chubby finger pointing at her.


    Why was he here?


    At first, the child had appeared in front of her about once every few weeks. Yet over the last few years his appearances became more frequent, until now he was somehow finding her almost every day.


    She had given up on trying to understand how this powerless baby continued to find her in the middle of the forest, let alone how he managed to sneak past the Sylvan Mothers and go unnoticed by the countless predators prowling the woods, although perhaps the latter was because he was so small, even for one of his kind.


    In fact, he was so small that she could squish him underneath her paw. All it would take was one single step and the little pest would be gone. It would be so easy¡ª


    ¡°Lunae?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°Are you really asking a goddess if she is ¡®okay¡¯? Are you an idiot? Oh, right.¡±


    Stryg swished his hips from side to side, ¡°Sooo, are you okay¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m fine,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Great,¡± he smiled warmly.


    ¡°Hmph. Go away.¡± Lunae laid down and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, she cracked an open and spotted the six-year-old standing a mere few paces away. ¡°You¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± he nodded vigorously.


    ¡°...¡±


    Stryg leaned on the tips of his toes back and forth while his hands fidgeted.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°...What do you want now?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Stryg reached into the sack he had strapped over his back and pulled out a stuffed leather ball. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game!¡±


    ¡°...You came all the way out here, risking your life, to play¡ª a game?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s really easy. Even you can learn.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Stryg dropped the ball on the ground. ¡°All you have to do is kick it to me and then I¡¯ll kick it back to you.¡±


    ¡°This is stupid.¡±


    ¡°W-Well, I can¡¯t remember all the rules¡­¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°But, all the kids in the village think it''s fun!¡±


    ¡°Then go and play with them.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders drooped and he stared at his feet. ¡°...None of them wanna play with me.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like your fault.¡±


    He shrugged and tried his best to smile, though there were clearly tears in the corners of his eyes. ¡°They think I¡¯m strange.¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°They always talk a lot. I don¡¯t like talking a lot.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she raised her eyebrow in doubt.


    ¡°Except with you.¡±


    ¡°Lucky me,¡± she grumbled.


    Stryg sniffed and rubbed his nose. ¡°So, why don¡¯t we play together?¡±


    He kicked the ball to her. His form was terrible and the two of them watched as the leather ball rolled sideways and missed her entirely.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not very good,¡± he said abashedly.


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we play I¡¯ll get better?¡± The light of hope twinkled in his lilac eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for your stupid game or your idiotic presence.¡±


    ¡°Just one game then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Only one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pleeaaase? It¡¯s only one!¡±


    ¡°I said no. Now leave me alone before I eat you.¡± She snapped her jaws in front of him to prove her point.


    Unlike the other fauna in the forest, Stryg didn¡¯t run away in terror at the giant wolf¡¯s bite. He didn¡¯t even flinch. Instead, he giggled almost as if she was tickling him.


    Lunae furrowed her brow in annoyance. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    His smile fell and he looked away in shame.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have many friends,¡± he admitted quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends really¡­ But Mother Aurelia says that¡¯s okay, Sylvan don¡¯t need friends. We Blood Fang are warriors, we have tribemates and that¡¯s enough. But,¡± he wrung his hands together, ¡°I thought, if you could play with me, then maybe we could be friends?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­ I see.¡± Stryg bit his trembling lip and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I bothered you.¡± He turned around and dragged his feet away.


    Lunae sighed under her breath and rolled her eyes. She snatched the ball up with her tail and threw it over his head. The ball landed softly at his feet. Stryg gasped and turned to her with a giant smile on his face.


    ¡°One game,¡± Lunae warned.


    ¡°Heh-heh, one game!¡± he nodded excitedly.


    ~~~


    Aurelia ran through the trees, searching each branch and bush in a wide perimeter around the village. Orange mana flowed through her veins, empowering her every step with enhanced agility and speed. Still, as the hours went by and the sun began to set she could not find her son.


    Where are you? she thought worriedly.


    The air suddenly grew cold and she stopped in her tracks as frost-mist slowly rose from the ground all around her. The mist suddenly parted and a massive white wolf emerged.


    Aurelia threw herself to the ground and planted her forehead on the frozen grass. ¡°My goddess!¡±


    ¡°Rise, Fifth Mother of Blood Fang,¡± Lunae said in a solemn voice.


    Aurelia jumped to her and hesitantly looked up.


    Lunae lowered her neck, revealing a small boy lying atop her head. ¡°I found this one in the woods to the north, or more accurately he found me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I let him out of my sight for one moment and he was gone,¡± Aurelia said anxiously.


    ¡°He seems to have a knack for disappearing,¡± Lunae said wryly. She shook her head gently and the boy slipped off.


    Aurelia caught him with a deft hand and pulled him into her arms. She stared at his closed eyes and looked up at the moon goddess worriedly, ¡°Is he¡ª?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. Just tired after playing ¡®ball¡¯ all day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry he bothered you,¡± Aurelia bowed repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him in my sight at all times from now on and I¡¯ll double the guards at the gate as well. He won¡¯t leave the village again, I swear it.¡±


    Lunae scoffed and walked back into the mist. ¡°Do not swear a promise you cannot keep.¡±


    ~~~


    Lunae¡¯s wolfen ears twitched. The sounds of twigs breaking and tiny feet brushing through the grass echoed behind her. She didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was. Her sensitive nose had picked up his familiar scent ten minutes ago.


    ¡°~I found you!~¡± Stryg called out triumphantly.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day,¡± Lunae muttered.


    That Fifth Mother couldn¡¯t even keep her promise for a single damned day.


    ¡°I came to play!¡± Stryg ran to her with a skip to his step.


    ¡°Let me guess, you want to play ball again?¡± she said, peeved.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Look, yesterday was a one-time deal. I don¡¯t have the time to play with a¡ª¡± Lunae stiffened and her snow-white hair stood on end. The scent of blood filled her nostrils. She spun around and stuck her snout in front of the child. The goddess stared intently at the boy¡¯s face.


    Three thin scratch marks stretched across his cheek.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Lunae asked in a quiet, intense voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg touched his cheek and winced at the stinging pain. ¡°Oh, I got in trouble this morning with First Mother. She told me to work together with the other kids but they didn¡¯t want to play with me yesterday, so I didn¡¯t want to work with them either. First Mother got angry and she slapped me.¡±


    ¡°She slapped you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Her claws were sharp. They hurt,¡± Stryg mumbled. ¡°B-But I¡¯m okay now! I can still play, I promise!¡±


    Lunae reached out with her teeth and picked him up by the collar of his shirt, and threw him over her back. He landed softly between her shoulders.


    Stryg scrambled over to his usual spot, the top of her head, and held on to her soft fur. ¡°Lunae, I can play! Really!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll play later.¡±


    He puffed his cheeks in disappointment. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To your village.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Enough questions.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±

 Chapter 431: The Wolf & The Pup Part 2

    Chapter 431: The Wolf & The Pup Part 2


    The sun was beginning to set by the time Stryg began to recognize the familiar scarlet trees. They were close to the Blood Fang village. Yet, instead of taking him straight to the village, Lunae turned down a familiar worn path and brought him down to the Frost-Tongue River. The cold waters were empty at this time of the day.


    Stryg looked around questioningly. ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°Take a bath, you stink,¡± Lunae said.


    He sniffed his shirt and frowned, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    She shook her head and threw the little goblin off. He screamed in surprise and fell into the watery shore with a splash.


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Lunae walked away without waiting for a response.


    ¡°I¨CI can¡¯t swim¡­!¡± he choked out.


    Fortunately, the shore was shallow. With flailing arms, Stryg managed to drag himself to the rocky riverbank.


    ¡°Not fair¡­! You know¡­ I can¡¯t swim!¡± he said between gasps, but the wolf goddess was already gone. He kicked the water in frustration and sat down with rosy puffed cheeks and crossed arms.


    As dusk slowly crawled by, the sun disappeared over the horizon and the half-moon rose into the night sky.


    After what seemed an eternity, Stryg heard the sounds of heavy footsteps behind him.


    He turned around and jumped out of the water in excitement. ¡°Lunae, you¡¯re back¡ª! What happened to your face?¡±


    The wolf¡¯s lips were dyed a dark red. She ignored the child¡¯s words and waded into the river. The river water only reached up to her shoulders even at the deepest point. She dipped her head into the water and the scarlet blood was washed away downstream.


    ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡± Stryg asked worriedly.


    She raised her head, water dripping from her fur, and looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not my blood.¡±


    ¡°Whose is it?¡±


    ¡°Your First Mother¡¯s.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Did you eat her?¡±


    ¡°I took a bite out of her.¡±


    ¡°Did she die?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Lunae drew her face closer. ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± he said casually.


    ¡°Why? She was one of your caretakers, was she not?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The older Mothers don¡¯t really talk with us, they only care about the older kids. Fifth and Sixth Mother are the ones who train us and make us do chores.¡±


    ¡°Still, she was still your tribe¡¯s matriarch. You¡¯ve known her your whole life. Do you not feel anything for her death?¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Should I?¡±


    Lunae narrowed her silver eyes. ¡°I see¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°No, little one, you are free to feel whatever you like.¡±


    Stryg touched the scratch on his cheek. ¡°Um, so why did you kill her?¡±


    ¡°It had nothing to do with you, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±


    A white glimmer suddenly flickered in Lunae¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go back to the village. Fifth and Sixth are looking for you.¡±


    ¡°~Okay~¡± Stryg jumped onto her leg and wrapped himself around her. His short limbs did not reach even halfway over her leg but he hugged her as tightly as he could anyway. ¡°Goodnight!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, goodnight, now let go of me, you little cretin.¡±


    Stryg rubbed his face into her wet fur before finally letting go. He giggled and looked up at her with a wide grin. ¡°See you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t listening, he had already run off.


    ~~~


    2 years later¡­


    ¡°Come ooooon, teach me, pleeeease?¡± Stryg whined.


    ¡°For the eighth time, no, and stop following me,¡± Lunae growled.


    Stryg ignored her words and kept walking a few paces behind the giant wolf. He had been following her around ever since morning, hoping she might give in, to no avail.


    ¡°But all the other 8-year-olds were given their first bows already! Some of the hunters said they would give them archery lessons in the afternoon! They¡¯re all probably shooting their bows right now!¡±


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you with them?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, the Mothers didn¡¯t let me have a bow.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something about not listening to the rules. It¡¯s not fair!¡± he huffed.


    Lunae raised her eyebrow, ¡°Then what¡¯s that bow you¡¯ve got strapped to your shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, I stole it when the Mothers weren¡¯t looking.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°So can you teach me how to shoot a bow?¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Do I look like the goddess of archery to you?¡±


    ¡°Um¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, the answer to both our questions is no.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on, pleeeease¡ª?¡± Stryg¡¯s stomach grumbled loudly in protest.


    ¡°Eat your food and stop talking already.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to sneak out with the bow and I sorta forgot to bring any food.¡±


    Lunae shook her head, ¡°Sometimes I forget how stupid babies are.¡±


    ¡°B-But! We can scavenge for some food instead, right? Or we can hunt some deer! I love deer meat!¡±


    ¡°Good luck finding any.¡±


    She welcomed whatever could get the little blue annoyance away from her. If she was lucky he¡¯d distract himself for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Hm, these don¡¯t taste too bad,¡± Stryg said happily.


    Lunae glanced back at him. The child was eating away at some purple berries hanging from a nearby bush.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Lunae rushed over to him, ¡°Spit those out, they¡¯re poisonous!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg blinked, confused. He slowly stared at his purple-stained fingers and then at his stomach. His eyes widened in horror and he began to cry, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! Waaagh!¡±


    ¡°Spit them out already!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°But, but,¡± he sniffed, ¡°I already ate some!¡±


    Lunae glanced around, countless thoughts running through her mind. ¡°Dammit,¡± she cursed.


    Her wolfen form blurred with silver light and dissipated away, transforming into a silver-skinned woman over twelve paces tall. Her white hair cascaded down her back in silky layers, the light of the sun glimmering off each strand.


    Stryg stopped crying and stared at her divine beauty in stunned awe.


    Lunae knelt down and placed her narrow fingers over his stomach. A cold feeling seeped into his belly and he grimaced, before vomiting over the grass.


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡± she asked after he finished heaving.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    She scowled, ¡°Do I have something on my face? Stop staring.¡±


    ¡°I like your hair,¡± he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s like mine!¡±


    Lunae held up a few of her white strands. ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Can I touch your hair?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She stood up and walked away.


    Stryg hurried after Lunae and fell in next to her. For every step she took, he took five.


    ¡°You¡¯re really tall,¡± he admired.


    ¡°You¡¯re just really small.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s stomach growled and he held his belly lamentingly. ¡°Are there any berries around here I can eat?¡±


    Lunae looked down at him and frowned. She sighed heavily, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Now, keep your feet apart. Left hand steady. Notch the arrow just like that and pull the bowstring. Stop shaking your fingers,¡± Lunae admonished.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying, it¡¯s hard,¡± Stryg winced with the effort. His tiny shoulders shook as he tried to pull the bow.


    Down below the hill, drinking by the stream, was a doe. It was the third deer Lunae had tracked down for him. The first two had run away after he blundered his shots entirely.


    Lunae hadn¡¯t expected any other result from a complete novice, but the child insisted on trying. And though she wouldn¡¯t admit it, she enjoyed watching him stubbornly try.


    ¡°This time for sure,¡± Stryg muttered to himself. He pulled the bowstring back and let loose.


    The arrow flew sideways and bounced off a nearby tree. The doe¡¯s head shot up at the noise and she dashed away.


    ¡°Well done, mighty hunter. You managed to scare away the vicious beast,¡± Lunae smirked.


    Stryg dropped the bow and hung his head in defeat. His little shoulders shook, but it wasn¡¯t from exhaustion. ¡°First Mother was right.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia?¡±


    Stryg nodded and covered his face with the crook of his arm. ¡°She said I wasn¡¯t ready for the bow yet.¡±


    Lunae¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. ¡°The reason the Mothers didn¡¯t give you a bow wasn¡¯t because you disobeyed the rules, was it?¡±


    ¡°...They said I was the runt among the kids. I was too small to fire the bow. But, I thought if it was with you, then I could definitely do it.¡±


    Lunae sighed and patted his head softly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°I know but,¡± he sniffed, ¡°I¡¯m tired of being the smallest¡­ I wanna be big like you.¡±


    Lunae smiled wryly, ¡°One step at a time, little one. First, let¡¯s get you something to eat.¡±


    She opened her hand and an ice flower formed in her palm. It grew and stretched into a 3-meter crystalline spear. She pulled her arm back, stepped forward, and hurled the spear in one fluid motion. The wind whistled as the spear sliced past, tearing through the trees, and finding its target. The spearhead pierced the runaway doe¡¯s neck and blew it off through sheer force. The decapitated doe trotted a shaky step or two and collapsed. There was no blood, the frost spear had frozen the open wound on contact.


    Stryg saw nothing, he only heard the sound of the crashing trees and a sudden boom. He looked up at Lunae in surprise, ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Did the Mothers teach you how to start a fire?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± he nodded proudly.


    ¡°Show me, little hunter.¡±


    Stryg grinned.


    ~~~


    As the evening came smoke rose from the campfire Stryg had made. The body of the doe stood on a spit over the flames, its flesh cooking to a tender consistency as the fat melted off the meat.


    Lunae sat next to a tree, her back resting on its bark. Stryg sat on her lap, a slice of meat in his grease-covered hands. He yawned, his belly full of venison.


    ¡°Can you tell me a story, please?¡± Stryg asked earnestly.


    ¡°A story, hm?¡± she said knowingly.


    Usually, he would fall asleep mid-way through a tale and she would end up carrying him back to the village where Aurelia would meet them at the treeline. Aurelia would always apologize profusely for her son¡¯s bothersome antics, not that it made any difference in the end; the boy would no doubt be back in the forest the next morning.


    Lune couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at the thought.


    ¡°Hm, okay. A story it is.¡± She pointed at the night sky, ¡°Long ago, when the chromatic races were young and there were no Great Cities in the Ebon Realm, there existed a small village far to the east, on the shores of the Ebon Sea.¡±


    ¡°The village¡¯s inhabitants were¡ª different from others. They preferred to keep to themselves and they never involved themselves with the affairs of the realm. They were all content to spend their days in their sea paradise. Until one day, a woman in the village gave birth to two wolf cubs. The twin cubs were loved by their parents and were welcomed by all the villagers, for they were special, born with powers greater than any in the village, even the elders.¡±


    ¡°The cubs had everything they could want. Family, friendship, and a wonderful home. But still, they grew restless. The brother and sister wanted more, they wanted to know what lay beyond their village and the Ebon Sea. So on the dusk of their tenth birthday, they sneaked out from their home, and left the village.¡±


    ¡°Now their parents had told them of the dangers that lay beyond their village and warned them to never travel alone, no matter how powerful they grew. So, before the twins left, the brother cut his palm with his foreclaw and offered to make a bloodpact with his sister. He promised that he would never abandon her and no matter what dangers lurked in the dark corners of the world, he would always stay by her side. In turn, the sister cut her own palm and promised to do the same. That night, they held hands and their blood mingled together, forming the Sigte bloodpact, ¡®One Life Above All Others.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Now, the village was well guarded and no one could enter or leave without the elders finding out. So the twin cubs came up with a plan. They entered the sea, and the sister used her powers to guide them through the waters around the village, until they found a river and went upstream.¡±


    ¡°Soon enough, they found themselves in vibrant green marshlands, tall grass growing all around them. For ten days, the twins played in the marshes and ran through the grass, eating the fish in the stream and the wild flowers that grew nearby.¡±


    ¡°Then on the eleventh day, they found a cave, buried deep in the marshlands. The brother pleaded for caution, but the sister, never one to fear danger, rushed inside. The brother reluctantly followed, yet as the twins walked deeper into the cave they forgot all about any potential dangers and instead marveled at the treasures they found within. The cave¡¯s floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in brilliant blue sapphires.¡±


    ¡°And as the twins gawked at the sapphires, neither noticed the beast sneaking up on them. You see, it was the beast¡¯s lair they had so carelessly wandered into¡­ Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Stryg yawned and opened his bleary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m awake, I¡¯m awake,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Sapphires and cubs¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    Lunae smiled and stroked his hair. ¡°Sleep, little one. We¡¯ll finish the story later.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± He nestled closer into her arms sleepily. ¡°G¡¯night, Mom¡­¡±


    Lunae stared at him in silence and pulled his cloak snuggly around him. ¡°Goodnight, little one.¡±

 Chapter 432: The Wolf & The Pup Part 3

    Chapter 432: The Wolf & The Pup Part 3


    Stryg sat crouched on the ground. He carved sigils in the dirt with a narrow stick he had ripped off from a bush. No matter how hard he tried, the lines were fairly crooked. Still, he thought they looked good enough, or at least legible.


    ¡°Is that supposed to be ¡®water¡¯ or ¡®leaf¡¯?¡± Lunae said from above him.


    Stryg looked up with an annoyed sigh.


    The 4-meter-tall goddess towered over him. Her hands were on her hips, and her eyes were staring down at his several lines of sigils.


    ¡°...It says ¡®wave,¡¯¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Oh, huh. It¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not!¡± he yelled sheepishly.


    Lunae crouched behind him, reached her arm over his shoulder, and pointed at the sigil in question. ¡°The second circle next to the high line should be more to the left. As for the first circle, well, it shouldn¡¯t be a circle at all, it¡¯s an oval.¡±


    ¡°I-I knew that! I was just¡ª trying something new, yeah. For practice.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Lunae stared at him sympathetically. ¡°It¡¯s alright to be wrong. You¡¯ve only been writing the Arcana Form for two months. You¡¯re bound to make mistakes. There is no shame in failure, it is the price we all pay on the path to mastery.¡±


    He bit his lower lip. ¡°I still can¡¯t hit a target with my bow. And I always lose sparring matches against the other kids, even the 9 and 8-year-olds.¡±


    ¡°What does any of that have to do with writing? You do not need muscle strength to write well. You need precision and a deft hand.¡±


    He unconsciously grabbed the edge of her dress and looked away. ¡°The Mothers said that a useless goblin has no place in a tribe. They are abandoned and thrown out,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°And you think that if you cannot master this skill either, then I will¡ª abandon you?¡±


    Stryg shrugged glumly.


    Lunae stood to her feet and snatched him up into the air. She raised him up above her head like a doll and looked at him with a stern expression. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± He glanced around anxiously. ¡°Uh, I, uh¡ª!¡±


    She shook his tiny body. ¡°You have spent your entire short life venturing into the forest to look for me, always refusing to leave me be, no matter how many times I told you to go away. And now, all of a sudden you care what I think? When has that ever stopped you before? So, I ask again, are you an idiot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are an idiot, very much so. But I forgive you. All babies are idiots.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a baby, I¡¯m already 10 and a half!¡± Stryg crossed his arms, or at least tried to, it was difficult with Lunae¡¯s hands holding him up by the armpits.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a baby?¡± she smirked.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m a man,¡± he puffed up his chest.


    ¡°Okay, little man, then this won¡¯t bother you at all!¡± She suddenly pulled him close and began to tickle him mercilessly.


    Stryg burst into laughter and tried to escape her clutches. ¡°~Nooo, stop! Stop it!~¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± she kissed his cheeks incessantly and rubbed her nose into his neck.


    His tiny feet kicked the air and his hands flailed about as he cried tears of laughter. ¡°~I give up, I give up!~¡±


    Lunae pulled back and grinned, ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    He looked away abashedly, ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I¡¯m never going to abandon you, little one, do you hear me? Never.¡±


    He looked back at her. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡± Stryg swallowed. ¡°Make the Sigte bond with me!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lunae blinked in confusion. She put him on the ground. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The stories about the wolf pups you talk about. You said the twins made a blood bond together.¡± Stryg cupped his hands together, ¡°They will always be together no matter what happens.¡±


    The image of Solis¡¯ smile flashed in her mind¡¯s eye, of the bond they had once made between them, the bond she had betrayed the day she failed him. Her heart clenched in pain and she struggled to keep her expression still.


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d never abandon me and I¡ª¡± he straightened his back and offered her his hand, ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you. So if we make the bond, you and I will be together forever.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Lunae¡¯s expression turned wry. She sat down on her knees and looked at him with a mix of emotions. Stryg craned his neck up to look at her. Even sitting down she still towered over him by several feet.


    ¡°You do not know what you ask of me, little one.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± he cocked his head to the side, ¡°The pups made the bond.¡±


    ¡°That was different. They were twins, bound together since birth.¡±


    ¡°They were a pack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we a pack?¡±


    ¡°A pack of two?¡± Lunae raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll protect you and you¡¯ll protect me.¡±


    ¡°You? Protect me?¡± she chuckled.


    The boy nodded sincerely. ¡°When I¡¯m bigger. When you need me. I¡¯ll be there, I promise. I¡¯ll save you, just like you saved me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, little one¡­¡± Lunae smiled softly. You¡¯ve already saved me¡­


    ¡°So, will you do it?¡±


    ¡°Are you certain this is what you wish?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± he nodded eagerly.


    ¡°...Very well.¡± She grabbed his small palm and nicked the skin with her foreclaw.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he yelped and tried to take his hand away but Lunae held his wrist.


    ¡°Hold still,¡± she said and nicked her own palm.


    ¡°But it hurts!¡±


    ¡°Be brave,¡± she replied adamantly. ¡°The world beyond this forest is filled with more pain than this. So be brave, little one, and do not let fear hold you back.¡±


    Dark purple blood, almost black, seeped from her hand. She placed his palm on top of her own and their blood mixed in a swirl of bright scarlet and dark violet.


    ¡°Repeat after me,¡± Lunae ordered, then muttered several unfamiliar words.


    Stryg tried his best to copy her speech, but he knew his pronunciation was off, still, he kept mumbling the words as she spoke.


    After a few moments of incomprehensible language, Lunae spoke in the common tongue, ¡°One Life Above All Others.¡±


    ¡°One Life Above All Others,¡± Stryg repeated.


    She nodded solemnly and stepped back. ¡°Our blood is one.¡±


    Stryg held his bleeding hand tightly, but smiled through the tears in the corners of his eyes. ¡°Is that all?¡± he mumbled, trying his best to sound brave.


    ¡°Yes, although I did have to change the vows a bit. Usually, the bond is made between lovers or brothers-in-arms. In our case, I adjusted the lines.¡±


    ¡°To what?¡±


    ¡°Parent and child.¡±


    Stryg smiled, though it was marred with pain.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Lunae said sympathetically. She grabbed his hand and blew on the wound.


    A thin layer of frost formed over the cut.


    Stryg stared in awe, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡±


    ¡°I took the pain away, but I haven¡¯t healed your wound entirely. I am not a goddess of healing, you will have to go and ask your First Mother to look at the cut.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Will it scar?¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡±


    ¡°I hope it does.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡±


    He raised his hand to the sky with pride. ¡°So I¡¯ll never forget today!¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°...tryg, Stryg, Stryg!¡±


    Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes shot open, his hand reaching towards the ceiling. He was lying in bed in a room the Silver Mother had prepared for him. He stared at his unblemished palm and felt as if something were missing, but he couldn¡¯t remember what it was.


    ¡°Stryg!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± He slowly sat up in bed and walked over to the door. ¡°Tauri?¡±


    The breathless orc stood in the doorway. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± She looked him up and down, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡ª been better.¡±


    ¡°You look terrible.¡±


    ¡°You look nice.¡±


    ¡°You always say that.¡±


    ¡°Well, you look nicer?¡±


    Tauri rolled her eyes and pushed her way into the room. ¡°You want to talk about what happened this morning?¡±


    ¡°This morning?¡±


    She sent him a deadpan glance, ¡°Really? You¡¯re just going to pretend like you didn¡¯t appear next to a GODDESS atop the Silver Keep. Wanna explain how that happened? It¡¯s all anyone in the temple, no, the city, has been talking about!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to say¡­¡± Stryg sat up on the bed. ¡°I have so many questions and I have no answers. Lunae suddenly appeared to me, carried me to the castle, declared war, and then told me she would speak with her Elects and for me to come back at nightfall.¡±


    Tauri glanced at the darkened window. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been holed up in your room sleeping all day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Where¡¯s Plum?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s been sleeping too. There was something really strong in the tea the Silver Mother was serving. Plum spent over 6 hours talking non-stop and then she suddenly crashed onto the nearest piece of furniture. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to be waking up any time soon.¡±


    ¡°And First M¡ª And my mother?¡± he asked hesitantly.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t come out of her room,¡± she admitted. ¡°The chieftain and the Silver Mother have visited her, but I don¡¯t know anything more.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Tauri grabbed his hand. ¡°We can talk about it, you know. You don¡¯t have to deal with all of this alone.¡±


    Stryg scoffed softly, ¡°Have you ever dealt with finding out that the person you admired most turned out be your mom and that she¡¯s been lying to you ever since your birth?¡±


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°No, but I know what it¡¯s like to have a mom that disapproves of you, no matter how hard you train and no matter how hard you fight to prove you''re worthy of your House, or tribe.¡±


    Stryg winced, ¡°Fair enough. Sorry.¡±


    She kicked his leg lightly and inclined her head towards the door. ¡°Just stop wallowing in self-pity and go find out what all of this is about, Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°Aye, commander,¡± he grinned half-heartedly. He made it to the doorway and stopped. ¡°Do you think¡­ Do you ever get the feeling that you¡¯re forgetting something, but not anything small like a book or belt? Something big.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It¡¯s like there¡¯s something in front of me, I can¡¯t see it, I can¡¯t touch it, but I know it¡¯s there. I know it. Ever since I came back to Vulture Woods, I feel it at the edge of my sight.¡± He gripped his chest, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve lost something precious and I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± He shook his head, ¡°Sorry, it sounds stupid, never mind. Forget about it.¡±


    Tauri pulled him back by the shoulder and hugged him, ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you get back, okay?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders. ¡°Yeah.¡±

 Chapter 433: The Moon’s Chosen

    Chapter 433: The Moon¡¯s Chosen


    The armored wolves standing watch in the halls of the Silver Keep pricked their ears up at the sound of Stryg¡¯s footsteps. The wolves¡¯ riders tried to calm down their mounts but the wolves hurried over to Stryg and lined up to his right and left, then bowed with a low excited bark.


    The riders seemed just as surprised as Stryg and they looked at him with a bewildered expression. His discomfort grew with each passing second. Stryg quickened his pace and headed straight to the tribunal chamber.


    The wide doors were already open when he arrived. Unlike the last time he was here, the chamber was empty, save for a pair of guards standing outside.


    Stryg peeked his head inside and glanced around. This was supposed to be the meeting place, but he didn¡¯t see anyone.


    Just as he was about to turn around and walk back to the Celestial Shrine he spotted the Shaman Elect speaking to someone behind a pillar. She glanced over and they made eye contact.


    Stryg stiffened, uncertain of what to say to the Sylvan leader he was willing to fight against not too long ago. Lumi looked him over, a range of emotions crossing her face; surprise, anger, frustration, and what seemed almost like¡­ fear? Finally, her expression settled into a blank canvas. She turned to her unseen conversation partner and gestured towards the doorway. The Mother and Warrior Elects stepped out from behind the pillar¡¯s shadow. All three of them looked haggard as if they had just returned from battle.


    ¡°Hello¡­? I was told to come here by, well, um.¡± Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what to say. How did one explain that a goddess had ordered him to come into their sacred chamber for a ¡®chat¡¯ without sounding crazy?


    Sabina spoke up first. ¡°The Mother Elect greets the Moon¡¯s Chosen.¡± She held her hands together and bowed.


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Moon¡¯s Chosen¡­?¡±


    Lykos stepped forward and bowed, his arms straight at his sides. ¡°The Warrior Elect greets the Moon¡¯s Chosen.¡±


    Lumi glanced at her two fellow Elects in surprise before quickly following suit. ¡°The Shaman Elect greets the Moon¡¯s Chosen.¡±


    Stryg looked behind him, but there was no one there. ¡°Um, I think there might be a mistake¡ª¡±


    Sabina raised her hands placatingly. ¡°Rest assured, Chosen, the Mother Moon has thoroughly revealed to us our mistakes. I was wrong to have turned my back on the goblins living in Hollow Shade. They are still Sylvan¡ª even if they do not know it.¡±


    ¡°I have already arranged for my men to open the ancient armories,¡± Lykos added. ¡°Coupled with the new weapons our blacksmiths are forging non-stop as we speak I believe our warriors will be fully armed over the next three days.¡±


    ¡°I have begun the arrangements of the shaman teams and their dispositions. If you have the time tomorrow, I¡¯d be honored if you could have a look at the teams¡¯ lineups and inspect their potential,¡± Lumi said begrudgingly.


    ¡°Oh, uh, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d ask me¡­ I¡¯m only a master mage. You¡¯re the Shaman Elect.¡±


    Lumi straightened her back. ¡°You were named War Master. I, along with every other mage, am duty bound to report to you, just as you¡¯re duty bound to ensure our magical military might is prepared for the coming battles.¡±


    ¡°Wait, War Master?¡± Stryg stumbled back a step. He glanced at the three Elects in disbelief. ¡°You can¡¯t really expect me to lead an army! I¡¯ve never even led a battalion!¡±


    ¡°We trust you will lead us to victory in the coming campaign,¡± Lykos said solemnly and from the look in his eye it really seemed he believed it. ¡°I will support you in whatever ways I can. Feel free to call on me whenever you are in doubt.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°No, stop! This is insane! Why in all the bloody realms did you name me as War Master!?¡±


    The Elects glanced at each other.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± Sabina said. ¡°She did.¡±


    ¡°Who is she¡ª?¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in comprehension. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°She is waiting for you,¡± Sabina raised her arm towards the Midnight Mirror. A small white silhouette sat alone on the shallow pool terrace.


    ¡°We¡¯ll speak more on your duties tomorrow, Chosen One. Until then, I will take my leave,¡± Sabina bowed her head once more and left.


    ¡°Chose One,¡± Lumi and Lykos bowed as well and left without another word.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Stryg watched them go in mute shock. He had a thousand questions he wanted to ask before coming here and now he found himself with only more, along with a mountain of anxiety.


    Yet there was only one person who could give him the answers he sought. With nervous steps, Stryg headed down the chamber¡¯s stairs. He took off his boots and walked onto the terrace. The cold water reached his ankles and sent tiny pinpricks into his toes. Each step he took sent ripples over the shallow surface, disrupting the perfect reflection of the midnight sky.


    At the edge of the terrace sat a young woman wearing a simple white dress with her feet dangling off the balcony¡¯s edge. Her skin was like silver and her long snow-white hair flowed across her back and unto the pool¡¯s water.


    She wasn¡¯t a massive and terrifying wolf but a woman smaller than Maeve, yet Stryg recognized her for what she was just the same.


    He stopped ten paces behind her and fidgeted with his hands. What should he say? What could he say to a goddess? He had no idea.


    ¡°Sit with me, little one,¡± Lunae said without glancing back at him.


    ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Stryg choked out a response and stiffly sat down at the edge a couple of paces away. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, careful not to be disrespectful. She looked younger than he had imagined, around his age.


    He thought she looked more beautiful than any of the paintings had made her out to be. He had never seen a woman so fair and yet he strangely felt no lust for her.


    Lunae looked up and admired the night sky. ¡°The moon is beautiful tonight, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg glanced up at the moon. It had been full a few days ago. Now it was beginning to wane, though it shined just as brilliantly in the dark. ¡°Oh, uh, yes! You are very beautiful tonight, goddess.¡±


    Lunae looked at him and laughed. Her voice was full of mirth. ¡°I am not the moon, little one.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow in confusion. Why she called him little, despite being smaller than him he didn¡¯t understand, more importantly, ¡°But you are the Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°The moon and I are intertwined in ways no one else can be. In many ways, I am the reflection of the moon and she of me. She influences me just as I influence her, but I am not she.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Stryg nodded and smiled weakly.


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Lunae chuckled and turned her gaze back to the sky.


    Stryg opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He wasn¡¯t certain how to begin. He had so much he wanted to say, but he couldn¡¯t even figure out how to properly address her.


    The goddess noticed his rising discomfort and smiled sympathetically, ¡°You do not have to tiptoe around me. Speak what¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    ¡°I just¡ª I wanted to say thank you.¡± Stryg bowed his head, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help, in all of this, really. I would never have been able to convince the tribunal to send the Sylvan armies out of the forest.¡±


    The young woman raised her eyebrow, ¡°But¡­?¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can serve as your War Master. I don¡¯t have the experience to lead an army. There must be several more suitable candidates, like the Warrior Elect.¡±


    ¡°Lykos and the others will advise you when needed.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Were you not the one who sat at the top of this mountain and swore at the sky and declared to me that you would show me what you could do? You said you would fight for the people that I abandoned. Now I¡¯ve given you a chance to do it all. Why hesitate?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s cheeks burned. He could almost feel the red flushing over his face. ¡°Y-You were listening when I said that?¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you could see everything at once,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I was watching you at that time.¡±


    Stryg recalled what he had said to the midnight sky, hoping Lunae could hear. Now he wished she hadn¡¯t. ¡°That night, did you hear everything?¡±


    ¡°Every last word.¡± Lunae placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there to save your friend. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there all those times you needed me.¡±


    Tears stung at the corner of his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You weren¡¯t there but you act like you care. Why would you care about me? I¡¯m just a goblin who failed his Sylvan Challenges. ¡­Were the Elects telling the truth? Am I your¡­ chosen?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said without hesitance.


    ¡°But¡­ Why choose me? You could show your favor to anyone! You could have chosen the Silver Mother or the Mother Elect, why choose someone like me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Lunae smiled bittersweetly, ¡°It¡¯s more like you found me.¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Stryg looked away and stared at the mountain ravine below. Never in his life had he felt at such a loss of what to say. Every sentence that came out of her mouth confused him even more.


    ¡°Why did you ask me to come here?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°What the Sylvan are preparing to do, what we¡¯ve set in motion will be very dangerous for all our people.¡±


    Stryg nodded grimly in understanding. ¡°If the enemy truly has allied with House Thorn, then Marek will possess the largest army in the realm. If we fight them, we will surely lose many warriors.¡± His eyes lit with hope, ¡°But with you by our side surely we¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°It is not the army I worry about. It is the man that leads them.¡±


    ¡°Worried? You?¡± Stryg didn¡¯t know gods could be scared of anything. ¡°You¡¯re worried about¡ª Marek?¡±


    The name still brought up fresh pain in his chest. The night at Widow¡¯s Crag, when Marek had defeated him and struck Clypeus down. Stryg clenched his fists. He would never forgive him and soon he would kill him.


    ¡°I do not care about the dire human, he is only a puppet,¡± said Lunae. ¡°I speak of the man behind him, pulling Marek¡¯s strings from the shadows. I speak of Caligo.¡±


    Stryg coughed. ¡°The god!? I don¡¯t understand, why would a god attack Hollow Shade? The city literally has the largest temples dedicated to Caligo in the entire realm.¡±


    Lunae stared up at the night sky, deep in thought. ¡°...Caligo despises the ebon lords for killing my brother, Solis.¡± She sighed bitterly, ¡°Unfortunately, the truth is more complicated.¡±

 Chapter 434: A Tenuous Peace

    Chapter 434: A Tenuous Peace


    ¡°Caligo!?¡± Stryg coughed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why would a god attack Hollow Shade? The city has the largest temples dedicated to Caligo in the entire realm. What does he hold against Hollow Shade?¡±


    Lunae stared up at the night sky deep in thought. ¡°...Caligo despises the ebon lords for killing my brother, Solis.¡± She sighed bitterly, ¡°Unfortunately, the truth is more complicated.¡±


    ¡°The ebon lords killed Solis¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°That is the lie Bellum and I told Caligo, and the lie Holo spread to the rest of the world. Solis,¡± she bit her lip and furrowed her brow, her eyes full of pain, ¡°Solis was never fond of the ebon lords and they feared him, that much was true. When Holo¡¯s Shade was first founded Solis was angry; the city had been built in the heart of Dusk Valley, my brother¡¯s lands.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine why he was angry,¡± Stryg said meekly. If some noble Houses had abruptly built a city in the middle of Vulture Woods and claimed all the surrounding lands as their own, he¡¯d be furious too.


    ¡°Solis had plans on how to deal with the ebon lords¡¯ encroachment and the one who helped them, Holo.¡±


    ¡°Holo? As in¡­?¡±


    ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade. She is the city¡¯s foremost founder.¡±


    Stryg recalled his time in the Dreamscape and the woman known as Captain, the one the Monster had referred to as Holo. She had saved his life in the Dreamscape and also when he had foolishly gone to the Shadow Lake. He owed Holo his life, but the way Lunae spoke her name made it seem as if she was the enemy.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know who was right, so he held his tongue instead.


    ¡°Holo had figured out a way to create the shade wall, a barrier that not just hosted an army of shades, but that had the power to keep even gods out,¡± Lunae explained.


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± he mumbled. Stryg had known the shade wall was an amazing feat of magic, but now he realized it was something entirely more.


    ¡°The wall¡¯s creation did not come without its price. A very steep price, but I digress. At the time, Solis prepared the valley tribes for war, and then something happened, something none of us could have predicted.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± he whispered.


    Lunae waved her arm at the horizon, ¡°The Schism. A reality-warping calamity of nature. Some believe the Schism was an amalgamation of echoes from the Sundering¡¯s aftermath. Others thought it was mother nature defending itself against the avarice of people. Whatever it was, Solis thought he could stop it.¡±


    Lunae stared at her palm and slowly formed a fist. ¡°My brother obtained a unique object, a crystalline structure formed from the darkness of the Null itself. ¡­It was called Selyndra¡¯s Key. With the key, he believed he could stop the Schism, but even he did not truly understand its power. Had he gone through with his plan the realms would have been torn apart, countless thousands would have died. I¡ªWe couldn¡¯t let him go through with it¡­ And so, Bellum, Holo, and I, we¡­ we stopped him.¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°Stopped him¡­?¡±


    Lunae closed her eyes and took a long slow breath. ¡°In the aftermath, Selyndra¡¯s Key was destroyed and the Schism tore apart the world anyway. The realm bridges fell apart and anyone nearby was swallowed into the void.¡±


    Lunae opened her silver eyes. She seemed tired and for the first time Stryg did not see a young girl sitting at the edge of the balcony, he saw an ancient being whose soul seemed worn by the eons.


    ¡°When Caligo heard of Solis¡¯ fate, he was furious. Bellum and I lied and said Solis had mishandled Selyndra¡¯s Key and that its power had backfired, weakening him. The Ebon Lords took advantage of that weakness and murdered him. It was plausible, and with Solis¡¯ sister and daughter confirming the story, Caligo believed the lie.¡±


    ¡°It should have ended there,¡± Lunae sighed sorrowfully. ¡°As for Caligo, in many ways, it was his fault that Holo¡¯s Shade was built, and therefore it was inadvertently because of his actions that my brother came to possess Selyndra¡¯s Key. Caligo blamed himself for everything that had happened and he withdrew into himself¡­ as did I.¡±


    Lunae bit her lip, ¡°Bellum never got along with any of the gods, save her father, but after what happened with Solis things between Bellum and I broke apart entirely. We didn¡¯t speak to each other for centuries. And then a few years ago, she contacted me. She told me that Caligo had sneaked into her home and murdered all her children but one. As for the last child, Bellum had fought fang and claw to protect her daughter. The child escaped but Bellum was defeated and she was forced into a pact with Caligo.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression grew more horrified the longer Lunae spoke. He couldn¡¯t imagine the pain and rage that Bellum must have felt. Stryg had been broken after losing Clypeus, he couldn¡¯t imagine what would have happened had he lost everyone he loved.


    ¡°Because of the pact, Bellum is unable to interfere with Caligo¡¯s actions in the realm, nor tell anyone of what happened,¡± Lunae explained. ¡°If she were to break the pact, Caligo would know, and the life of Bellum¡¯s daughter would be forfeit. But Caligo made a single mistake within the pact¡¯s stipulation, he hadn¡¯t accounted for a very particular facet of my ocular powers. Despite the pact¡¯s restrictions and her weakened state, Bellum managed to indirectly send word to me without Caligo¡¯s knowledge. She told me that Caligo had discovered the truth about Solis and that this was his revenge; just as he had lost Solis, he had taken away that which was most important to her.¡±


    Lunae glanced at Stryg, her expression troubled. ¡°For reasons I have yet to fully grasp, Caligo has made no move against me. He does not know I am aware that he has discovered the truth about Solis. So we both lie to each other and pretend we do not know the truth. It is a tenuous peace at best.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why are you telling me all this?¡± Stryg whispered anxiously.


    Lunae glanced at the Silver Keep and the city of Evenhall behind them. ¡°Because this, all of this, the war we march to, will break that peace. I need you to understand the consequences of the choices you wish to make.¡±


    ¡°But you can stop Caligo, right? You¡¯re the eldest of the ebon gods, surely you can,¡± he said uneasily.


    ¡°Just because I am the first of the ebon pantheon does not mean I am the eldest of the gods. And I suspect Caligo may be older than what he pretends to be. I know little of his origins. He came to us almost a millennia ago and the only one he truly opened up to was Solis.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Stryg balled his fists in frustration, ¡°You¡¯re the Mother Moon, you¡¯re Lunae! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re not the eldest, you¡¯re the strongest! You have to be!¡±


    ¡°If I told you I could not stop Caligo, would you still go and fight for Holo¡¯s Shade?¡±


    Stryg lowered his head and bit his lip. ¡°Yes,¡± he muttered. ¡°Yes,¡± he repeated with more conviction. ¡°My family and friends are over there. Even if I go alone, I cannot¡ª no, I will not abandon them.¡±


    ¡°Then what difference would my answer make?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Stryg furrowed his brow, he didn¡¯t know how to answer that question.


    She smirked. ¡°Worrying has never suited you, little one.¡±


    Stryg looked up at her, bewildered, ¡°Why do you¡­ Why do you say things like that? Like you know me? Why do you act like you even care about me?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I am a bad omen,¡± his voice grew tight. ¡°Your bad omen.¡±


    She leaned towards him, ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    He turned away and mumbled under his breath, ¡°I was born under a new moon.¡±


    ¡°Omens are a fickle thing, child. For many people out there you certainly are a bad omen, of that there is no doubt.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Do you? Ever since you left the forest you have taken many lives. To those individuals, you were a curse, an omen of death. But you¡¯ve also saved many lives and to those people, you must seem like a blessing.¡±


    ¡°I have not been a blessing to anyone.¡± He hung his head in shame, ¡°Everyone around me gets hurt. I¡¯ve trained and dedicated everything I am to getting stronger in order to protect them. And then I became an Ebon Aspirant and I thought I was finally strong enough to keep my tribe safe. But it turns out that being an Aspirant just put a target on all their backs. Even now, I came to this mountain in search of help and I almost got Tauria and Plum killed.¡± He scoffed, ¡°What sort of blessing am I?¡±


    ¡°You see yourself as a failure, unable to save anyone.¡± Lunae¡¯s eyes flickered with silver light. ¡°The goblin child, Melfyn, would disagree.¡±


    Stryg looked up, ¡°Melfyn?¡±


    ¡°Even now he speaks of you at the temple. Words of your battles inspire the orphans; your actions give them the courage to face their enemies.¡±


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°They aren¡¯t interested in me, they¡¯re interested in the stories of Lunis I told them.¡±


    ¡°No, little one. The orphans admire Lunis and dream of a better future for themselves and the others, yes, but they do not fight for Lunis. They fight in your name, Stryg. To them you are not a bad omen, you are their hero.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes reddened and he swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°...They said that?¡±


    She smiled sympathetically, ¡°Oh, little one, you¡¯ve been told your whole life that you were the problem, that you actually began to believe it.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Perhaps your birth is not the ill omen you think it to be. Perhaps it doesn¡¯t matter what any of those fools told you in that village. Perhaps the only opinions that matter are the ones from the people who love you.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulders shook and tears fell down his cheeks. He hid his face in the crook of his arm. She reached over and stroked his head as he cried in a muffled voice.


    Lunae looked up at the moon and sighed in contentment, ¡°She really is beautiful tonight¡­ By the time we arrive at Holo¡¯s Shade, she will be a new moon. Her silver light will be gone and we will be standing in a battlefield of darkness. When that time comes, what will you make of such an omen? Will you say the new moon is a bad omen then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± he admitted.


    She flicked him on the forehead.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he yelped and fell back into the shallow pool of the Midnight Mirror.


    ¡°We are not heading towards a small skirmish, Stryg. Many goblinkin will die when we march out from these woods. Hesitation and fear will be of no help to you.¡±


    He rubbed his forehead and nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Lunae nodded, satisfied.


    Stryg got up from the cold water and sat back down next to her, albeit a little closer. The two of them sat quietly at the edge of the terrace, watching the midnight sky in comfortable silence.


    ¡°You know,¡± Stryg spoke up after a while. ¡°Someone once told me that beyond this forest lies pain; I had to be brave and not let fear hold me back. I didn¡¯t really understand what those words meant back then. Now I¡¯m beginning to.¡±


    Lunae stared at him, wide-eyed, her face filled with shock. ¡°How do you¡ª!? Who told you that¡­?¡±


    Stryg kicked his dangling feet in the air and shrugged. ¡°My old mentor.¡±


    ¡°Old mentor?¡±


    ¡°You know, Sigte.¡±


    Lunae stiffened at the word. ¡°Sigte¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was the old hunter who used to take me out on trips through the forest. Well, actually I just followed him without permission, but he¡¯d let me tag along instead of sending me back home.¡± Stryg smiled fondly at the memory, ¡°He was the only one in the tribe who really cared about me¡­ I wish I could have thanked him for everything. Did you really never notice him?¡±


    ¡°W-What was his name again? Sigte? Ah¡­ yes, I think I remember him now¡­ How could I forget?¡±


    ¡°You look after the entire realm, anyone could forget one goblin,¡± he said reassuringly.


    Silver light flickered in Lunae¡¯s eyes and she glanced back at the mountain peak and the temple that sat at its top. ¡°Your friends are beginning to worry about you. You should go to them. We will speak more later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Of course.¡± Stryg bowed deeply, ¡°Thank you for sparing your time. Thank you for standing by me when no one else in this place would. Thank you¡ª for everything.¡±


    She smiled softly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡±


    He jumped to his feet and bowed once more. ¡°I won¡¯t take up any more of your time. Goodnight, Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡±


    He stopped in his tracks and glanced back, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°One last thing.¡± She looked him in the eyes, ¡°Do not hate your mother for keeping the secret of your parentage. I was the one who forbade her from telling you who she truly was to you. If you wish to hate someone, hate me.¡±


    Stryg frowned, confused, ¡°...Why?¡±


    Lunae stared at him with a steady gaze. ¡°Your mother swore an oath of dedication to me the day she became my priestess. She was forbidden to have children and so, when you were born, by ancient rights you belonged to me. You were never hers to claim.¡±


    ¡°...I understand.¡± Stryg bowed and left in a hurry.


    ¡°Do you?¡± she asked wryly.

 Chapter 435: Dysfunctional Dinner

    Chapter 435: Dysfunctional Dinner


    The Noir manor was bustling with noise as the servants ran to and fro through the lavish halls. Tonight was a historic night, one that had not been seen in many years. The entire Noir family was under the same roof.


    Usually, Dolores and George Noir would eat in the garden parlor or one of the small dining rooms near their bedroom. Though Elzri had his own private rooms at the academy, when he did come home he almost exclusively ate in his study. As for Elohnoir, well, Lorenz couldn¡¯t remember the last time the young mistress had eaten at the manor. Ever since the tragic loss of young master Aizel, Elohnoir had avoided the manor like the plague.


    But tonight was different, Lorenz reminded himself.


    Two nights ago Lady Una and her daughter, young mistress Unalla, had come to the manor. And Elzri had tasked Lorenz with preparing dinner for the entire family.


    Finally!


    Finally, Lorenz¡¯s skill would be put to the test. Finally, he had a worthy challenge. And so, Lorenz had gathered the finest of ingredients from the kitchen¡¯s massive pantries to the highest-grade suppliers in Hollow Shade, and even his own private garden herbs.


    The old main dining hall had been opened up and cleaned for the momentous dinner. The table mantles had been set, silverware placed, and candles lit. A dozen servants stood lined up against the wall, ready and waiting to serve the massive banquet Lorenz had labored the last 28 hours preparing without sleep. It was difficult, almost impossible, but Lorenz had persevered through Lord Noir¡¯s short notice and prepared a feast worthy of the greatest of kings and queens.


    Tonight would be perfect!


    Lorenz took a deep breath and opened the double doors of the dining hall. Lord Noir sat at the head of the table, his sister, Lady Una, to his left, and his heir, Elohnoir, to his right. Una¡¯s daughter sat next to her and across the table next to Elohnoir sat Dolores and George.


    ¡°Good evening!¡± Lorenz smiled and bowed with a flourish. ¡°I have prepared the finest of dinners for your pleasure tonight. Allow me to introduce to you the first of many courses¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Loh snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made your feelings amply clear,¡± Elzri said in a deadpan manner.


    ¡°And yet you¡¯re still making me sit here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Loh clicked her tongue, ¡°This is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like dinners?¡± Unalla asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like having dinner with any of them,¡± Loh pointed at the rest of the family. ¡°Mom! Can you stop drinking, the food hasn¡¯t even been served yet!¡±


    ¡°Um, about that,¡± Lorenz raised his hand. ¡°I was just about to introduce the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, Chef Lorenz, you¡¯re here. Well, go on then, bring in the food,¡± Elzri urged him with not even a glance, but a casual wave of the hand.


    Lorenz slumped his shoulders, ¡°Yes, of course, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Mom, stop it already,¡± Loh grabbed her mother¡¯s arm.


    Dolores raised her wine glass and shrugged her off. ¡°~The sun is already set, Loh, darling. Relax~¡±


    ¡°Gods, are you drunk already? Since when have you been drinking? Dad! When did she start drinking!?¡±


    ¡°Um, about that.¡± George winced, ¡°The better question would be when does she stop drinking?¡±


    ¡°Shuddap, I can stop when I want to,¡± Dolores slurred.


    Unalla stared at Dolores in disbelief. ¡°So this is my cousin? She seems, um¡ª¡±


    ¡°Talentless? A disappointment? Both? Indeed,¡± Elzri said dryly.


    ¡°Stupid. I was going to say unexpected,¡± Unalla said.


    ¡°Trust me, there isn¡¯t anything to expect from my mother,¡± Loh said.


    Dolores turned to her father, and for a brief moment, a glimpse of shame crossed her grey eyes. She tossed her glass aside and reached for the whole wine bottle. Only George seemed to notice the pain in her expression. He reached under the table, grabbed his wife¡¯s hand, and squeezed it comfortingly.


    ¡°Maybe we should just let Mom drink herself to sleep and have dinner somewhere else? Like in our rooms, separately,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Say what you will, it does not matter. You are going to stay in that seat, and we are going to enjoy a family dinner,¡± Elzri said coldly.


    Loh crossed her arms, ¡°Since when do you care about ¡®family dinner?¡¯¡±


    Elzri shook his head. ¡°I ask very little of you, Elohnoir¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°I tolerated your whoring and drinking these last few years. I even tolerated your refusal to your engagement with the son of House Glaz. So, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re uncomfortable with a little socialization. We haven¡¯t had a proper diner ever since¡ª¡± Elzri stopped himself, but the word hung in the air just the same.


    Ever since Aizel died.


    Dolores sniffed, her eyes reddened, and she took another swig of the wine bottle.


    Elzri sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s just eat.¡±


    ¡°What a wonderful idea,¡± George clapped his hands together and dug into his food.


    Loh stared at her father scornfully.


    George was an archmage, a mage of the highest rank, but when it came to Elzri, he had no spine. The man was all but completely subservient to her grandfather.


    George had been born into a commoner family and lived a life of poverty until he discovered his innate magical talent and was enrolled at the academy thanks to the city¡¯s scholarships.


    Archmages were very rare, usually only appearing in well-bred magical families, and very rarely would they ever leave their Houses behind to marry into another. Elzri had considered himself lucky when he met the young talented drow. He offered George his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage, in exchange for his loyalty. George had accepted instantly.


    It didn¡¯t matter that George was a subpar archmage, perhaps the weakest in the city, or that he stopped training once he married into the family, and began living a lavish life of luxury instead. Elzri didn¡¯t care about any of it, all he cared about was trying to counteract his daughter¡¯s utter mundane magicless talent with an archmage¡¯s blood. They had failed with their first child, Aizel, but Elzri considered Loh a success; she had inherited the magical prowess from her father and grandfather. And that was enough for Elzri, he now had his heir, he didn¡¯t care what George did in his spare time.


    As for George, he tried his best to keep his father-in-law happy whenever the opportunity arose. So long as he did what Elzri asked, then the family head would leave him alone. Loh hated it. Yes, her father loved her mother dearly, more than anything, but he also condoned her every action, and he had been always so preoccupied with pleasing Dolores and Elzri, that George had never really looked after his own children, even after Aizel¡¯s death, in fact, especially after her brother¡¯s death.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Gods, Loh hated this family.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the first course, young mistress?¡± Lorenz asked worriedly. ¡°I carefully saut¨¦ed the potatoes to a golden complexion. The purple sauce is from these particular blackberry bushes only found in the Northern Lands, it is quite delicious I assure you. And the meat, a rare cut of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah, it¡¯s fine,¡± Loh muttered and waved him away.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lorenz¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Elzri glanced at his sister, ¡°Are you feeling alright, Una?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m alright, Riri.¡±


    ¡°Really? Because you haven¡¯t spoken much today, and you haven¡¯t said a single word since we sat down.¡±


    Una smiled reminiscently, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s strange. Being back here after so many years. It almost feels like nothing¡¯s changed.¡±


    Elzri glanced around the table and his mind filled in the silhouettes of his brother, sister, father, and mother; all of them eating together, with the occasional argument. He smiled bitterly, ¡°Yes, I suppose it really does.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweet Stjerne! What kind of food is this!?¡± Unalla screamed.


    Lorenz rushed to her side, panic-stricken. ¡°Young mistress, I¡¯m so sorry! What happened? Was it the sauce? I knew I added too much salt!¡±


    Unalla leaned back and groaned, ¡°It¡¯s so gooood!!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Lorenz blinked. ¡°Y-You like it?¡±


    ¡°I love it!¡± Unalla moaned in delight and began to stuff her face.


    Lorenz glanced at her plate and then at her, a smile slowly stretching across his face.


    ¡°My daughter loves food,¡± Una said, slightly embarrassed over her daughter¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°No, I love this guy¡¯s food!¡± Unalla threw her thumb back at Lorenz. ¡°Ugh, we usually eat dried travel rations since we¡¯re always on the move, but this, this is the food of the gods!¡±


    ¡°You honor me, young mistress,¡± Lorenz said with a tear in his eye.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Unalla glanced at her plate and realized in dismay that her plate was empty.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one of the maids bring you another plate!¡± Lorenz snapped his fingers and a maid hurried to follow his orders.


    ¡°My daughter is right, the food is nice,¡± Una admitted quietly, though she hardly touched her food. ¡°It¡¯s just not¡­¡±


    Elzri glanced at her sympathetically, ¡°I know. It¡¯s not the same. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Una shrugged, burying her feelings of the past with a strong smile. ¡°I¡¯m alright, it¡¯s been 50 years. I¡¯d be a fool to expect any of this to be just as it was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re still as picky an eater as ever, buttercup,¡± an old woman said from the doorway.


    Una turned at the sound of the voice and jumped to her feet. Her reserved expression melted away and she cried out with raw emotion, ¡°Big sis!¡±


    Ismene laughed and opened her arms wide as Una tackled her with a hug, almost toppling them both to the ground. Una hugged her tight and buried her face into Ismene¡¯s shoulder. Una shuddered and cried quietly. Ismene whispered words of assurance softly and stroked her back.


    Unalla watched in mute surprise. She had never seen her mother so vulnerable in front of anyone before.


    Ismene caught sight of her and smiled, ¡°Hello, Unalla.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Lady Ismene. It¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Unalla bowed somewhat hesitantly.


    ¡°Elzri,¡± Ismene nodded.


    ¡°Ismene.¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say. He hadn¡¯t expected Ismene to even be her tonight. In fact, who even told her¡ª He turned to a smirking Loh.


    ¡°They deserve to meet each other after all these years,¡± Loh said defensively.


    ¡°It was not your decision to make,¡± Elzri admonished her.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Una released Ismene, wiped her tears, and turned on Elzri. ¡°Did you plan on keeping Ismene away from me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I was going to invite her over tomorrow,¡± Elzri explained awkwardly. ¡°Tonight was meant to be a family dinner. A bonding moment you could say.¡±


    ¡°~Hiya Ishmenaayy~¡± Dolores waved her entire arm around.


    ¡°Good evening, Professor Ismene,¡± George bowed politely. ¡°It is wonderful to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Hello, George. Have you been practicing your meditation practice like I taught you?¡±


    ¡°I admit I have been somewhat lax,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Sister, please take a seat,¡± Una said warmly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ismene smiled and sat down at the table.


    Lorenz snapped his fingers and several maids stepped forward and set the silverware and food in front of the old woman.


    ¡°Please, forgive me if the food is not to your liking, Tempest Archamge,¡± Lorenz said anxiously. ¡°I specifically designed it to the tastes of drows, I am uncertain if it may meet the standards of a human tongue.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, man. They¡¯re vegetables and meat, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ismene said wryly.


    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Lorenz bowed and stepped back.


    Ismene and Elzri shared a brief look and continued on with their meal as if nothing had happened, but Una caught their silent exchange and grinned.


    ¡°Even after all these years, you¡¯re still in love with each other, aren¡¯t you?¡± Una grinned.


    ¡°That is none of your business, little sister,¡± Elzri said coldly.


    ¡°We are not together in any capacity, we are just colleagues,¡± Ismene corrected.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, what happened between you two?¡± Una asked.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Elzri asked ludicrously. ¡°We thought you dead and everyone thought I killed you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Ismene said.


    ¡°Of course, she didn¡¯t,¡± Una nodded as if it was obvious.


    ¡°But then he married a woman from House Glaz and I left Hollow Shade to travel the realm, just like Elzri and I always talked about back in our youth. And that was that,¡± Ismene said quietly.


    Regret filled Elzri¡¯s expression. ¡°Ismene, I married her for the good of my House, it was necessary¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªIs sleeping with your secretary for the good of our House too?¡± Loh asked innocently.


    Una frowned, ¡°Secretary?¡±


    Elzri glared at his granddaughter, ¡°Loh¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s this young hot redhead. I mean, I don¡¯t blame grandfather, she¡¯s got these¡ª¡±


    ¡°Elohnoir, that is enough,¡± Elzri snapped.


    Loh bit her tongue, but she turned to Una, grabbed her own breasts, and expanded her hands outwards. ¡°Huge,¡± she mouthed silently.


    Una glanced at her brother with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    Elzri thought of the futility of responding, there was no satisfactory answer. He sighed and ate his food in silence.


    George laughed, breaking the tension. ¡°Well, this is fun! How about more wine?¡± He glanced at Lorenz, ¡°The strong stuff,¡± he whispered.


    Dolores raised her empty bottle, ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    Loh clicked her tongue in disgust.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this just a peachy family?¡± said a stranger at the doorway.


    ¡°And who are you supposed to be?¡± Elzri frowned, ¡°Loh, Ismene was an exception, this petty charade ends now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite her,¡± Loh said warily.


    ¡°I let myself in,¡± the petite vampiress winked.


    Una looked up in surprise, ¡°My lady, you¡¯ve returned!¡±


    Unalla coughed up her food in shock and quickly sat up respectfully.


    ¡°Oh, you two know each other. How wonderful, more guests!¡± George grinned. ¡°Lorenz, set a spot for our friend!¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a sweet handsome man? At least someone in this family is a welcoming host,¡± the blonde vampiress winked.


    George blushed. Dolores was too drunk to notice, her head was lolling to the side.


    The vampiress strolled into the room and sat at the other end of the table. She glanced at Loh and smirked, ¡°Hey, cutie. Been a while.¡±


    Despite the different appearance, Loh recognized the sudden change in voice. ¡°Captain¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elzri narrowed his eyes. ¡°I know you¡­ You¡¯re Una¡¯s vampire friend, from our father¡¯s wake, Holly¡­ You danced with me in the ballroom. That was over 50 years ago¡­ how do you still look the same?¡±


    Holly crossed her legs, propped her feet on the table, and sighed in relief. ¡°~Ah, that¡¯s nice.~ It¡¯s been a long trip, I just got back. It¡¯s nice to rest for a bit.¡±


    She stretched her open hand out. Lorenz glanced around and placed a glass in her hand and hurriedly filled it up.


    Holly sipped the wine, ¡°Mm, that¡¯s the good stuff.¡±


    ¡°I take it you have a very good reason to barge into my home?¡± Elzri said icily.


    She smirked. ¡°Elzri Noir, it¡¯s been a long time. You¡¯ve become the lord I knew you could always be.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Albeit with a few hiccups along the way.¡±


    Elzri stared at her suspiciously, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose we should re-introduce ourselves. Ahem,¡± she coughed lightly. ¡°Nice to meet you, young man. I am a family friend, you may call me Holo¡ª Holo the Tall.¡±

 Chapter 436: Legacy of Holo’s Shade Part 1

    Chapter 436: Legacy of Holo¡¯s Shade Part 1


    Elzri stared at the petite vampiress suspiciously, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose we should re-introduce ourselves. Ahem,¡± she coughed lightly. ¡°Nice to meet you, young man. I am a family friend, you may call me Holo¡ª Holo the Tall.¡±


    Elzri narrowed his eyes at the name.


    Ismene glanced at him questioningly, wondering if she should intervene. Elzri subtly shook his head.


    George glanced around the dinner table, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who are you? Am I supposed to know you? The name rings a bell, I think, but um¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Holo the Tall!?¡± Loh burst into laughter. ¡°You can¡¯t be Holo. Right?¡± She glanced at Unalla for confirmation, but the young drow was staring at Loh, horrified, as if she had just insulted the king of the Jade Realm to his face.


    Loh¡¯s laughter died on her lips and she swallowed nervously. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not Holo, right¡­?¡±


    Loh knew the captain of the troupe was odd, the fact that she had appeared as a vampiress instead of her usual human appearance was proof enough of that, but being Holo? Holo the Tall was a mysterious mage from a thousand years ago, the master of Noir I, creator of the azure flame, a bonafide legend. The Captain couldn''t possibly be¡ª


    ¡°Her hair may be different, but the blonde adolescent vampire sitting at the end of the table is indeed Holo,¡± Una spoke up, putting an end to the question.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Elzri ran his hand across his chin. ¡°The knowledge of the Orange spells of the azure flame has been passed down my family line from lord to heir ever since its inception. Ever since my sister claimed that she had learned the magic from Holo, I suspected it was possible that you survived after all these years¡­ I just never imagined it was you, Holly.¡± He blinked at the name and scoffed, ¡°Or should I say Holo?¡±


    The vampiress sipped her wine, ¡°Holo will do just fine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if you really are Holo¡­¡± Loh¡¯s eyes widened in a panic. She had flirted with the Captain countless times, hitting on her every night they traveled together in the troupe. Loh stiffly turned her neck and peeked at the fabled mage of legends. Holo looked at her and winked. Loh blushed, mortified.


    Elzri noticed the interaction and raised his eyebrow. He had worn a similar expression like Loh when he had danced with Holly all those years ago. ¡°Do you enjoy flustering my family, or do you tease anyone you come across?¡±


    Holo smirked, ¡°I admit it is fun seeing you rigid Noirs squirm a bit. You should have seen Noir III. Now that man was like a rock, you couldn¡¯t get him to smile even if you stretched his cheeks.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Elzri leaned back in his chair and looked her up and down. ¡°So this is the myth herself, Holo the Tall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I disappoint you?¡± Holo said with playful dejection.


    ¡°No, I just thought you¡¯d be taller.¡±


    She sipped her wine and smiled. ¡°Who says I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± Loh blurted out.


    ¡°On that, we agree,¡± Elzri nodded. ¡°Why are you here, vampire? Were you the one who whisked my sister away all those years ago?¡±


    Ismene looked at Holo sharply at Elzri¡¯s words. Blue mana instinctively began to flow through her hands while strands of her grey hair began to rise with an electric current.


    ¡°Calm yourself, children. You¡¯ll have your answers soon, but right now we have more pressing matters.¡± Holo downed the rest of her drink and jumped to her feet with a light step. She gave the head cook Lorenz her glass and patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Thanks for the drink.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re welcome,¡± Lorenz blushed.


    Holo stopped at the doorway and glanced back at the table, ¡°Shall we take a walk?¡±


    Una and her daughter Unalla immediately stood up and silently strode up next to her. Ismene had stayed quiet during the conversation, simply observing, but she refused to let the mysterious figure leave without questioning her. Loh shared a look with her grandfather and realized they both shared a similar sentiment.


    Elzri sighed, ¡°Where are you leading us?¡±


    ¡°To the answers you so desperately seek.¡± Holo shrugged, ¡°Or at least some of them.¡±


    George glanced at Dolores and smiled sympathetically. His wife was already in a drunken stupor, her head on the table, and her mouth slightly apart.


    ¡°Clearly, this seems important, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to stay back,¡± George said.


    Loh noticed her mother¡¯s condition. ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± she muttered in a mixture of disgust and resentment.


    Holo slapped her across the back of her head.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Loh jumped in surprise.


    ¡°Your mother is suffering more than any of you. Show some compassion,¡± Holo said in a calm icy voice. She turned to George and nodded, ¡°Keep little Dolores safe for us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± he smiled. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡± Holo spun around and walked out the door.


    Una and Unalla fell in behind her. Ismene, Loh, and Elzri reluctantly followed.


    ~~~


    The small group walked through the evening streets of the Villa District in silence. Loh had tried asking a question once or twice but Holo hadn¡¯t responded. Though the sun was still setting and the sky was bathed orange, undead sentinels were already roaming the streets. The undead guards ignored them entirely until they stepped into the Bourge District. A few sentinels neared them and some merchants living in the area, waiting to see their nameplates. Holo waived them away with a snap of her fingers, much to the others¡¯ surprise; only Unalla and Una seemed unperturbed.


    Larger groups of sentinels patrolled the Trade District and a few marched towards them, their maces¡¯ chains clinking on the ground as they shuffled through the empty streets. Like the others, Holo dismissed them without a word or show of a nameplate, and continued on her way.


    The Commoner District had fewer sentinels yet their behavior was far more aggressive. Every sentinel that spotted them made a beeline to their group and Holo sent each undead away without breaking her stride.


    ¡°How did you do that? Control the sentinels?¡± Loh asked, not expecting an answer, though hoping for one.


    Holo dismissed the last sentinels in sight before answering. ¡°I helped design the original Black spell for the creation of the sentinels. They were meant to be the city¡¯s internal guard and army. Unfortunately, the city¡¯s present-day Black mages only seem to use them to gather fresh corpses for their experiments.¡± She sighed, ¡°Just one more matter I need to resolve.¡±


    ¡°If you wish, I will pay a visit to the necromancy garrison, my lady,¡± Una offered.


    ¡°Yes, I think that would do quite nicely.¡±


    Una bowed her head, ¡°I will see it done, my lady.¡±


    Elzri glanced around the shabby houses and the towering ebon wall growing taller in the sky as they neared the gates. Soon they¡¯d be out of the Commoner District and into the city¡¯s narrow bulwark region. ¡°Where are you taking us? The gates are already closed for the evening.¡±


    ¡°Worry not, we are almost there,¡± Holo assured him and led them to the south gate where a dozen soldiers were standing guard next to their garrison and the portcullis.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Elzri asked suspiciously.


    ¡°We wait,¡± Holo said, unperturbed.


    Una glanced at the words engraved on the magestone above the portcullis and read them aloud, ¡°Protection of Death¡­¡±


    Elzri looked at her in surprise, ¡°You can read it?¡±


    Una nodded, ¡°I learned much under Lady Holo¡¯s tutelage.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s it mean?¡± Loh asked, curious.


    ¡°The walls keep the people within the city alive, saving them from death,¡± Ismene replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Or perhaps it means the shades bring death to any who would dare invade our city,¡± Elzri answered.


    ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯re both wrong,¡± Holo answered, though she refused to elaborate.


    A large drow covered in rippling muscles and steel armor marched out of the garrison and straight towards Holo. He stopped in front of her and bowed his head. ¡°My lady,¡± he said in a gruff voice. ¡°Lord Rowan and his people are still inspecting the wall¡¯s defenses. Shall I fetch him for you?¡±


    ¡°If you can, Fergus. I¡¯ll be waiting at the top with my companions,¡± Holo said.


    ¡°Of course, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Fergus,¡± Elzri muttered. ¡°Are you perhaps Lord Fergus Stonehand?¡±


    ¡°That I am. And you are¡ª Ah¡­¡± he bowed his head, albeit not as low as he had to Holo. ¡°Lord Noir, welcome to the southern gate.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Elzri said.


    Holo had already left them behind and walked up the stairs of scaffolding attached to the inner side of the wall. Elzri left Fergus behind and followed the others up. Unlike the rest, Ismene picked up her cane and formed a small funnel of water below her legs that carried her up.


    Holo waited for them at the top of the 60-pace wall. The parapet was about ten paces wide, ample space for all of them to stand.


    ¡°The Southern Bulwark Commander, the man in charge of all our city¡¯s southern defenses¡­ You have more connections than I realized, Holo,¡± Elzri noted.


    ¡°It¡¯d be odd if I didn¡¯t, don¡¯t you think? This is and always has been my city.¡±


    ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade, huh?¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°Why did you bring us up here? We¡¯ve all stood atop the wall before,¡± Ismene asked impatiently.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re all mages, the few who¡¯ve had the privilege to see what many do not. And yet none of you have really been looking,¡± Holo said.


    The sun¡¯s last rays dipped below the horizon and the black magestone wall underneath them swirled with something darker. Shades emerged from the stone and swam through the air as if floating through an unseen river that wrapped around the city. Thousands of shades flew through the air, close enough to touch, yet they all stayed on the outside of the wall.


    ¡°The might of the shade horde, glorious and terrifying all at once, is it not?¡± Holo muttered.


    ¡°Why did you really bring us up here? To see the shades?¡± Elzri asked carefully.


    ¡°Everything but.¡± Holo pointed to the horizon, ¡°Out there lies a god who wants nothing more than to destroy this wall and the city within.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s expression grew wary, ¡°A god?¡±


    Holo stretched out her arms to the sides, ¡°The Monster in the Dark that has plagued your family since its founder. The god of the deep earth, the patron of none, the caretaker of secrets, the Mystery himself, Caligo.¡±


    Loh felt her legs go weak. ¡°W-Wait. You¡¯re saying that monster that killed my men and almost killed my friends and I, was Caligo!?¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Ismene cursed under her breath.


    Una and Unalla¡¯s expressions turned grim, though neither disputed Holo¡¯s claim.


    Loh laughed mirthlessly, ¡°You¡¯re saying that Caligo murdered my brother and consumed his soul¡­?¡±


    Loh had dreamed of killing that Monster ever since the blood moon. Now¡­ How could she kill a god?


    ¡°Are you certain? It¡¯s been over 900 years since Noir I broke his deal with that Monster.¡± Elzri spoke in a tight calm voice, though his grey eyes were filled with anger.


    Holo nodded, ¡°Make no mistake, Caligo has always been and always will be your family¡¯s bane. I warned Noir I to never get involved with him, but he did not listen. Everything that has happened since¡­ you¡¯re all just ants standing in a cruel god¡¯s path. I am sorry.¡±


    Elzri let out a deep sigh. ¡°So, he still wants to destroy my family, even now?¡±


    ¡°Not just your family,¡± Holo looked behind her to the city that sprawled below and the Ebon Tower that stood tall at the center of the city. ¡°It¡¯s time you learn the truth of this place, the terrible legacy the Ebon Lords and I left behind.¡±

 Chapter 437: Legacy of Holo’s Shade Part 2

    Chapter 437: Legacy of Holo¡¯s Shade Part 2


    Holo looked behind her to the city that sprawled below and the Ebon Tower that stood tall at the very heart of Hollow Shade. ¡°It¡¯s time you learn the truth of this place, the terrible legacy the Ebon Lords and I left behind.¡±


    ¡°What legacy¡­?¡± Elzri asked quietly, the slight tremble in his voice betrayed his anxiety.


    Holo glanced at him, Loh, and Ismene, respectively. ¡°I suppose to understand what was left behind we must start at the beginning¡­ A little over three centuries ago, the god of the deep earth learned of a very old secret; that many centuries prior the family of an Ebon Lord had discovered an ancient artifact from the Age of Titans¡­ Selyndra¡¯s Key.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a key,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Ismene added.


    Loh furrowed her brow but said nothing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect any of you to have,¡± Holo said. ¡°The key was discovered almost a millennia ago. Why Caligo wanted the artifact, or the limits of its abilities, I do not know. Yet Caligo was willing to do anything to obtain Selyndra¡¯s Key.¡±


    Holo leaned her back on the wall¡¯s parapet. ¡°Unfortunately for Caligo, he had no idea which family possessed the key. You see, the Ebon Lords had been waging war against each other for countless years, killing one another, taking their lands and wealth in the process. The treasures an Ebon Lord possessed could have been owned by a dozen Lords or Ladies before them. To make matters worse, Selyndra¡¯s Key had gone largely unnoticed. Even if one of the Ebon Lords happened upon the artifact they wouldn¡¯t know what it was, they¡¯d probably just mistake it for another glittering stone and toss it into one of their treasure vaults.¡±


    ¡°So how did the ebon god find the key?¡± Ismene asked.


    Holo shook her head, ¡°He didn¡¯t. No, instead, he began to look for the Ebon Lords. One by one, he killed them and everyone in their household. When he couldn¡¯t find the key in their treasure vault, he¡¯d move on to the next Ebon Lord.¡±


    Ismene¡¯s face paled in silent horror.


    ¡°Even the Ebon Lords stood no chance against a deity,¡± Elzri muttered pensively.


    Loh clenched her fists, ¡°The Monster in the Dark¡­¡± She remembered that night on the blood moon, of how easily the god had massacred every mage in the vicinity and how he enjoyed every moment of it.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t long before the other Ebon Lords began to notice that their peers were dying out rapidly,¡± Holo explained. ¡°The Ebon Lords knew they were being hunted. At first they thought it was some intricate assassination plot, but when they discovered what was actually hunting them, they realized there was nothing they could do to stop it.¡±


    ¡°At the time I was searching for Caligo myself, trying to keep an eye on his machinations. When I found out what was happening, I went searching for the Ebon Lords and I gathered the survivors.¡±


    ¡°The Holo Alliance,¡± Elzri recalled from the history books. ¡°The first ever alliance between the Ebon Lords since Lord Koval. How did you manage it?¡±


    Holo scoffed wryly, ¡°You¡¯d be amazed how fast sworn rivals band together when they have a common enemy. And since I couldn¡¯t let Caligo get a hold of Selyndra¡¯s Key, I united the Ebon Lords under a common goal, survival.¡±


    Holo closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the sky in somber reminiscence. ¡°I knew there was no way I could keep the Ebon Lords all safe from the Monster. Caligo was too powerful and his influence stretched across the ten Null Realms. So I designed a plan, a gambit so monumental that the only ones who would ever dare attempt it were the insane, or desperate.¡±


    ¡°...What plan?¡± Loh whispered.


    Holo sighed and opened her arms wide, ¡°My horrid, beautiful legacy.¡±


    ¡°Holo¡¯s Shade,¡± Elzri said in grim confirmation. ¡°How did you do it? How did you create the shade wall?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Tell me, young man. What do you know of ethereal energies?¡±


    ¡°They are the energies around us, unseen by the naked eye,¡± Elzri answered.


    ¡°Could you name these energies?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking?¡± Elzri frowned.


    ¡°Humor me.¡±


    Elzri sighed, ¡°The 11 elemental energies and the 10 chromatic energies we call mana. Along with the life-force energy and perhaps void mana, though the latter has yet to be proven in any trustworthy capacity.¡±


    ¡°So, ignoring the mystery of void mana, how would you describe life-force?¡±


    ¡°It is the energy produced by every living organism. Skilled individuals are capable of manipulating it for combat or other physical abilities, such as healing.¡±


    Holo nodded with a smile, ¡°Quite right. But if life-force comes from living organisms, where does mana come from?¡±


    ¡°From the world around us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but where exactly?¡±


    Elzri narrowed his eyes, ¡°...I do not know.¡±


    ¡°And that, young man, is the crux of the matter,¡± Holo said gravely. ¡°The heart of our world is the source of all mana in the Null Realms. Mana seeps out from the heart and stretches across the realms in concentrated masses that flow deep below us, like underground rivers with endless small branching streams. These smaller streams are spread out across the entirety of the realms, like roots of a tree. The mana from these streams rise up from the ground and permeate the air around us, which eventually is absorbed by the hearts of individuals who have adapted to its presence.¡±


    ¡°Mageborns,¡± Loh guessed.


    ¡°And every elemental species in the land,¡± Holo corrected. ¡°The chromatic species are the only ones whose general populace are unable to absorb mana.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°And why is that exactly?¡± Ismene asked intently.


    ¡°A story for another time,¡± Holo answered.


    Ismene¡¯s expression grew disappointed, but she nodded in acquiescence.


    ¡°So these small streams of mana, they exist all around us? Right underneath our feet?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Yes, but the rivers, the large channels of mana flowing through the realms, those are few. We call them leylines. And the only place in the entire Ebon Realm where several of these leylines converge in a single spot is¡ª¡±


    Elzri¡¯s eyes widened in realization, ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°The center of the city to be precise.¡±


    Elzri, Loh, and Ismene turned in unison and stared at the Ebon Tower standing tall at the very heart of the Central District.


    ¡°I call it the Crosspoint,¡± Holo said. ¡°Unlike the mana floating around us, the mana in the leylines are inaccessible to a mage. The sheer amount of power flowing through the leylines is just too great. Think of it like trying to use a bucket to contain the Dire River.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Elzri answered.


    ¡°Precisely. However, if there was an individual capable of interacting with all the vast different energies flowing through the leyline, say an individual with the talent to manipulate the ten chromatic sources and one whose mastered their abilities to the highest degree, that individual, hypothetically, could use their own body as a conduit to draw out some of the chromatic energies within a leyline.¡±


    ¡°An Ebon Lord,¡± Loh surmised.


    Holo shrugged, ¡°Of course, however, such an enormous surge of energy would burn right through a person, leaving them nothing but ash.¡± She raised her index-finger, ¡°Unless¡ª There wasn¡¯t just one Ebon Lord. What if there were dozens, all working in unison, functioning as conduits, siphoning vast pure amounts of energy from the leylines? Then, all you would need is a device capable of directing all that energy into a spell the likes of which the world has never seen.¡±


    Holo pointed her finger at the dark structure in the distance, ¡°I designed and created the Ebon Tower to be the nexus of all that energy. The tower guided all that energy to create a web of intricate spells that could last eternity.¡±


    ¡°You created the shade wall,¡± Ismene stared at the wall underneath her very feet, swirls of dark black energy pulsating through the magestone.


    ¡°Not directly. Magestone is created from an ordinary rock¡¯s long-term exposure to the leylines. Since the Crosspoint lies beneath this very land, there were countless veins of magestone all around us. Using the power of the Crosspoint and the Ebon Tower, we brought forth the magestone out from the earth and into a seamless wall.¡±


    ¡°And the shades?¡± Ismene asked softly. ¡°Where did they come from?¡±


    ¡°There are many spells connected to the walls and this city through the Ebon Tower. One such spell binded the souls of our fallen enemies into the magestone wall and transformed them into shades.¡±


    ¡°You used soul magic?¡± Loh asked. ¡°That is true black magic. But you¡¯re a master of Orange spells. How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°The spell was cast through the tower, not me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying a tower is capable of casting true chromatic magic?¡± Elzri noted.


    ¡°No. True chromatic magic can only be cast by dragons and true chromatic mages. With one exception.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°Tell me, young man, of all the mageborns in the realm, which chromatic mageborn is most prevalent?¡± Holo asked.


    Elzri¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°...Chromatic Black.¡±


    Ismene¡¯s expression brightened in realization, ¡°Because black mana is most prevalent in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    Holo nodded, ¡°Yes, the realms were named after the chromatic mana that flows most prevalent within their territory. All forms of mana flow through the Crosspoint, but black mana is the most abundant of its chromatic energies. By using the Crosspoint, the Ebon Lords were able to draw out pure black mana and create the city-wide soul spell, an enchantment.¡±


    ¡°Brown magic combined with true black magic¡­¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°In conjunction with the Ebon Tower, yes.¡±


    Ismene scoffed in wonder, ¡°Only the Ebon Lords would have been capable of such a feat, they were always the rules of nature magic. They truly were something else.¡±


    ¡°Do you think such a feat came without a price?¡± Holo asked in a frigid tone. ¡°Do you think using one¡¯s own body as a conduit of such vast amounts of raw power came without consequences?¡±


    Ismene furrowed her brow, ¡°You said the Ebon Lords worked together to prevent the burden¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªTo prevent their bodies from being instantly incinerated, yes. But that level of raw magic still wracked their bodies.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ismene whispered.


    Holo sighed, ¡°There is a reason why not a single Ebon Lord lived many years past the founding of the wall. Well, except for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Atreus Thorn,¡± Loh answered in grim realization. ¡°The Last Ebon Lord. And the only one who hadn¡¯t become an arch-mage yet by the time the city was founded. Alastair never participated in the creation of the wall, did he?¡±


    Holo said nothing, but the look in her eyes was answer enough.


    ¡°The Ebon Lords all died because of your spells and your tower,¡± Elzri said in disgust.


    Holo glared at him, ¡°The Ebon Lords knew the price of their salvation. Without the wall Caligo would have entered the city and murdered every last one of them.¡±


    Elzri crossed his arms, ¡°How are shades capable of stopping a god?¡±


    ¡°There are more spells woven into these walls than those of shades,¡± Holo said, though she refused to elaborate.


    ¡°So, the Ebon Lords stayed safe behind the walls and Caligo never got his key then? Is that it?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°They would have stayed safe, but one by one they grew anxious about being confined inside the city. They left covertly and came back every so often, or at least they thought they were being covert. The sun god, Solis, caught one of those Ebon Lords. I do not know whether it was luck or by design, but the Ebon Lady who was caught, unfortunately, turned out to have been in possession of Selyndra¡¯s Key.¡±


    ¡°What does the key do exactly?¡± Elzri asked pensively.


    ¡°Its exact powers are beyond my understanding,¡± Holo admitted. ¡°Solis thought he could use it, however.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. He was stopped before he could fully realize his goals, but in the aftermath the Schism occurred.¡±


    Elzri, Ismene, and Loh all paled at her words.


    ¡°A-Are you saying that Solis caused the Schism through the power of the key¡­?¡± Ismene whispered in horror.


    ¡°All I know is that on that day, the realm bridges fell apart and the Null Realms lost contact with each other. The birthrate of prime mageborns fell drastically and the world has never been the same since.¡± Holo ran her hand through her hair, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t stopped Solis and destroyed the key¡­ I shudder to think what else might have happened.¡±


    ¡°We? As in you stopped Solis, a god?¡± Elzri asked skeptically.


    ¡°I played a minor role. It was his sister that dealt the decisive blow that day.¡±


    Ismene frowned. ¡°Lunae?¡±


    ¡°Goddess of the moon,¡± Loh whispered thoughtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now,¡± Holo said. ¡°What is important is that Caligo blames the Ebon Lords for the loss of Solis and Selyndra¡¯s Key. The god of the deep earth has been planning his revenge for many years. Caligo is the mastermind behind the valley tribes and the one who orchestrated this war.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much¡­? Why should we trust you¡­? We don¡¯t even know who you are.¡± Elzri said with a wary expression.


    Holo smiled tiredly, ¡°I am just an old woman who has walked through these lands and seen more than my shares of horrors. Believe me, I¡¯ve made more mistakes than you will ever have, but I¡¯ve learned from my share of those tragedies. So, if you truly wish to save your House and this city from the battle that is at your doorstep, then you are going to need my help.¡±

 Chapter 438: A Warning

    Chapter 438: A Warning


    ¡°How do you know so much¡­? Why should we trust you¡­? We don¡¯t even know who you are.¡± Elzri said with a wary expression.


    Holo smiled tiredly, ¡°I am just an old woman who has walked through these lands and seen more than my shares of horrors. Believe me, I¡¯ve made more mistakes than you ever will, but I¡¯ve learned from my share of those tragedies. So, if you truly wish to save your House and this city from the battle that is at your doorstep, then you are going to need my help.¡±


    ¡°But the wall will protect us, right?¡± Loh laughed anxiously, ¡°You said the wall can keep Caligo out, right? ¡­Right?¡±


    Holo pursed her lips. ¡°The wall was built to protect the city¡¯s people from gods and the mortals of the realm, it was never meant to stop the dragonbane.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly are these dragonbane?¡± Elzri asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Monsters from the Age of Titans, born from a dark being beyond our world.¡± Holo¡¯s expression grew wary, ¡°The dragonbane feed on magic itself. Casting spells on them will only make them stronger. I do not know if the wall¡¯s shades will prove effective.¡±


    ¡°Then we kill them with weapons of iron and steel,¡± Ismene said sternly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The dragonbane did not gain their name for being creatures to be felled by ordinary weapons. If the stories are true, their hide is tougher than any plate mail or chainmail. Their fangs and claws can rend asunder even the toughest of armor. And they are said to be able to heal from practically any wound.¡±


    Loh threw her arms up in frustration. ¡°So how the fuck are we supposed to kill them?¡±


    ¡°I believe the dragonbane only answer to one master, their creator¡­ Caligo,¡± Holo answered.


    Elzri raised his eyebrow, ¡°So we somehow ¡®kill¡¯ a god and stop the dragonbane from destroying the wall?¡±


    Holo chuckled dryly. ¡°Nothing so ambitious. Our original plan was to¡ª capture Caligo. Unalla was meant to lure Caligo to Undergrowth, where I had painstakingly set up a very intricate weave of spells to trap him.¡±


    ¡°Unalla? How was my niece supposed to lure a god?¡± Elzri asked skeptically.


    ¡°With this,¡± Unalla spoke up for the first time and patted Votum, the enormous sword hanging above her back. The glossy black blade was almost as large as her and it made the petite drow seem even smaller.


    ¡°It is a weapon of orichalcum,¡± her mother, Una, explained. ¡°An ancient weapon, believed to have once been wielded by the god of the deep earth himself.¡±


    ¡°So you were going to lure Caligo out with his own weapon?¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°Are you two insane?¡± Ismene asked in disbelief. She grabbed Una and shook her shoulders, ¡°You could have gotten both of yourselves killed!¡±


    ¡°Ismene¡­ It was necess¡ª¡± Una mumbled.


    ¡°If it meant saving the realms, it would have been worth it,¡± Unalla answered in her mother¡¯s stead.


    Ismene frowned, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. There must have been another way¡ª¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Holo interrupted. ¡°Our plan. It didn''t work. Caligo never came. No, instead, Undergrowth¡¯s armies suddenly turned on all travelers within its borders and declared war on all the other cities. Many died that day.¡± She bowed her head and bit her lip in consternation, ¡°I underestimated Caligo¡¯s influence, he has even gotten to the Thorns. He must have realized it was a trap and ordered Lady Ophelia to attack everyone who might be complicit in our plans.¡±


    ¡°So now what? What ingenious plan do you have now, Lady Holo?¡± Ismene asked derisively.


    Holo blew out a deep breath, ¡°That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it? Caligo and the warlord Marek have a far larger army than we do, even before the loss of Veres and Glaz¡¯s armies in the valley.¡±


    ¡°How large are we talking?¡± Loh asked.


    ¡°10 to 11,000 at most,¡± Elzri answered.


    Holo shook her head, ¡°Your reports are wrong. Try more like 20,000 and growing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elzri frowned.


    ¡°Caligo has many powers. His dominion stretches through darkness as well. He has concealed the truth of his army from many, including your scouts,¡± Holo said.


    ¡°How many soldiers do we have, grandfather?¡± Loh mumbled.


    ¡°If I manage to convince the remaining city lords to work together instead of killing each other, hm, perhaps we could field around 8 or 9,000,¡± Elzri answered.


    Loh laughed helplessly, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to win against an army twice our size?¡±


    ¡°Open the recruitment lines,¡± Holo said sternly. ¡°Draft from all the residential districts, the Villa, Bourge, and Commoner districts alike. We need to bolster our forces, even if it is only to serve as fodder.¡±


    ¡°Fodder,¡± Ismene wrinkled her nose. ¡°I understand we need soldiers, but we can¡¯t just sacrifice our people needlessly. They need training, even the most basic of guard training would go a long way to helping us win this war. We need to give them a fighting chance, not just send them to their graves!¡±


    ¡°I wish we had the time,¡± Holo said sympathetically. ¡°But the enemy marches towards us as we speak.¡±


    ¡°We still have several weeks until their arrival. Ismene is right. We should train the recruits, teach them how to at least properly hold a spear,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°There is no time. As I said, Caligo has blinded your scouts with tricks of darkness and illusions of the mind. We don¡¯t have weeks, we have days,¡± Holo said forebodingly.


    Elzri clenched his eyes shut and bowed his head. ¡°Dammit¡­¡±


    ¡°What do we do¡­?¡± Loh whispered.


    Holo turned to the guard tower. ¡°Whatever we can.¡±


    A giant cloaked figure stepped out from the tower''s doorway and onto the wall¡¯s parapet. Dozens of armored figures followed behind him. Their armor was made of thin plates of steel, enough to block a glancing arrow, but not much more. It was light armor, designed for one particular kind of warrior; mageborns.


    As the retinue of battle-mages drew near, Loh could make out the intricate arcane sigils etched into the steel and the magestones embedded in the armor, enhancing its durability.


    Elzri silently stepped in front of his family, his open hands at the ready. Ismene joined him, tendrils of lightning cracking at her fingertips.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Una glanced at them and held back an amused smile. ¡°They are not our enemies.¡±


    ¡°Their armor is not of Hollow Shade,¡± Elzri answered.


    ¡°Rude, I designed them myself,¡± Holo smirked.


    ¡°You two know these people?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°They are my warriors, my friends, our allies in our time of need. They have come from all over the realms to defend our city,¡± Holo said.


    ¡°Some of them are the ones I traveled with all these years,¡± Una added. ¡°I¡¯ve learned many of my skills from them. You will not find a more expert group of mages in all the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Elzri asked skeptically.


    The leader of the battle-mages, a hulking drow with rippling muscles that showed underneath his armor, stepped forward and bowed his head to Holo. ¡°My lady, I have finished inspecting the city¡¯s defensive perimeter as you instructed.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the verdict, Atlas?¡± Holo asked.


    ¡°Worse than we expected. The city¡¯s defenses have waned over the last few decades,¡± Atlas answered in a stoic voice.


    ¡°Of course, they have,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll need to assign some of your men to bring our defenses back to an acceptable standard. Speak to Commander Stonehand and the other three Bulwark Commanders. They¡¯ll get you whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± Atlas bowed. He glanced at Una and bowed his head once more, ¡°I heard what happened in Undergrowth. I am glad you are safe, Lady Noir.¡±


    ¡°As am I of you, Captain Atlas,¡± Una bowed politely.


    Unalla dropped Votum unceremoniously, pushed past her mother, and ran over and hugged the giant drow tightly. ¡°Father!¡±


    Atlas hugged his daughter and smiled warmly, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, sweetheart.¡±


    Elzri stumbled and almost fell over. ¡°Father¡­?¡± he mumbled in shock.


    ¡°I am,¡± Atlas nodded, relaxed.


    Elzri turned stiffly to his little sister, ¡°Then you and he¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Riri. If you must know, Captain Atlas and I are married,¡± Una smiled amusedly.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Ismene laughed at the pain in Elzri¡¯s eyes. She limped over to Atlas and looked him up and down, ¡°After having met your wonderful daughter I imagine you¡¯ve been a good father to her, hm?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been there as often as I¡¯d like, but I try, Lady Ismene,¡± Atlas bowed his head.


    ¡°You know of me?¡±


    ¡°My wife has told me many stories.¡± Atlas glanced at Elzri, ¡°Fewer of him.¡±


    ¡°I do love family reunions and seeing little Elzri freaking out, really, I do, but we have more pressing matters at the moment,¡± Holo said.


    ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Atlas nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go see to the Bulwark Commanders.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a minute, who exactly are you?¡± Elzri asked coldly.


    ¡°I am Atlas, Captain of Lady Holo¡¯s personal guard. That is all you need to know,¡± he answered calmly.


    ¡°I am quite certain it is not,¡± Elzri scowled.


    Holo grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Elzri, save your mental strength. Tomorrow at first light you will convene the city council and convince the rest of them to name Krall Katag the city¡¯s War Master. Once that is done, make sure he instills a city-wide draft and assembles the rest of the city¡¯s soldiers.¡±


    ¡°...Very well, but later I will speak to you regarding all of this.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Holo smiled. ¡°After all, I still need you to gather mages of the academy.¡±


    Elzri frowned. ¡°You seem to have a plan for everyone. But what of the dragonbane? How do we stop them?¡±


    ¡°I have contacted many allies in hopes of aiding us against this threat, many of them already have answered,¡± Holo glanced at Atlas and the mages behind him. ¡°Others¡­ Well, I¡¯m still waiting.¡±


    ¡°What others?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°The dragons of the realm,¡± Holo said.


    ¡°Dragons? You think the dragons will help us? They haven¡¯t been seen for centuries, except by the random stray backwater villager. What makes you think they¡¯d ever help us?¡±


    ¡°Lord Kaliedrog is a wise, albeit obstinate dragon, and the only one in the Realm capable of facing Caligo on equal footing,¡± Holo admitted.


    ¡°Is he willing to fight for us?¡± Elzri asked.


    ¡°The dragon lord has yet to answer my requests, though he hasn¡¯t outright rejected them either. If he does answer, he could very well bring the might of his whole dragon brood with him.¡±


    Elzri chuckled incredulously. ¡°And if the dragons don¡¯t answer? What then? Any other mystical allies we should be hoping for?¡±


    ¡°There are some. A few powerful enough to rival even the dragons.¡±


    ¡°And what of them?¡± Elzri asked with a trace of genuine hope in his voice.


    ¡°...None have yet to answer. And honestly?¡± Holo sighed, ¡°I doubt they will. They aren¡¯t very caring to the plights of others.¡±


    Elzri pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned quietly.


    ¡°So we¡¯re fucked?¡± Loh blanched.


    ¡°No. There is one,¡± Holo said softly. ¡°Someone besides Kaleidrog who could turn the tide of this battle.¡±


    ¡°And who might that be? Another dragon lord?¡± Elzri asked.


    Holo looked at him with a steady gaze. ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°And where is this friend?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I have sent out the call, it echoes through the Dreamscape. No matter where they are in the Null Realms, they will hear it.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you so certain this friend of yours will be any different than the rest? How do you even know if they will come?¡±


    ¡°A promise. No matter where, no matter when. My friend will come.¡±


    ¡°You really believe that?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry you have spent the majority of your life alone, unable to truly rely on anyone, but Elzri, the world isn¡¯t as untrustworthy as you think. I believe in my friend.¡±


    ¡°And what if your friend doesn¡¯t arrive on time? What then?¡± Elzri asked.


    Holo kept her gaze on him and stretched out her hand to the side. ¡°Heed my call¡ª Lyrae.¡±


    A black blotch burst from a building in the far-off Bourge District and flew through the air in a spinning arc straight towards them. The orichalcum staff landed in Holo¡¯s palm in a crash of howling wind and hummed happily in its master grip. The sleek dark metal seemed to almost glow with an internal power, as if waiting to burst open.


    Elzri took a step back and looked up at the staff that towered over them and realized it was no staff but a scythe, its glass-like blade, almost transparent, stretching above him.


    Holo slammed Lyrae into the ground, its power reverberating through the shade wall. ¡°If no one else arrives to our aid, if we are alone when the armies of the valley siege our city, then we will follow in the footsteps of your ancestors; we will face Caligo and we will fight.¡±


    Elzri met Holo¡¯s gaze and finally looked away. ¡°...Very well.¡±


    ¡°You should all get some rest, we will speak more in the morning,¡± Holo advised.


    The group nodded and muttered in agreement before shuffling away. Elzri opened his mouth to say more, but he thought better of it and followed the others.


    ¡°Um, Lady Holo?¡± Loh called out hesitantly.


    Holo cocked her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re still here? What is it, Elohnoir?¡±


    Loh glanced about with uncertainty and made sure they were alone. ¡°The thing is, w-well, two years ago, I traveled to Mortis Grove, the homeland of House Mora, for the birthday celebration of their Lord.¡±


    ¡°Two years ago?¡± Holo looked up in thought. ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t that the incident where¡ª?¡±


    ¡°We were attacked. Ambushed, really. The castle was burned down, most didn¡¯t make it out alive. I almost didn¡¯t make it out alive. But I was saved¡­ by an enemy.¡±


    Holo raised her eyebrow in curiosity. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°He was powerful, an archmage. A drow with purple eyes.¡±


    ¡°Vaughn. One of the twins serving directly under Caligo himself,¡± Holo noted. ¡°He is incredibly loyal to his god¡­ Why would he save you?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, to this day I¡¯m not quite certain. He healed my wounds and told me to find you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Loh nodded. ¡°And to give you a message.¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes in suspicion, ¡°What message?¡±


    ¡°A warning. He told me to tell you that the Monster knows where the key is hidden.¡± Loh bit her lip, ¡°At the time I didn¡¯t know what he meant. I can only assume now that he was referring to Caligo and Selyndra¡¯s Key, but that can¡¯t be correct. You said you destroyed the key, right¡­?¡± Loh swallowed hard, ¡°Because if this key really did cause the Schism and if it¡¯s still somewhere out there, then¡­ Please, tell me you destroyed the key.¡±


    Holo smiled reassuringly, ¡°Of course. Selyndra¡¯s Key was destroyed centuries ago. You have nothing to worry about. Vaughn is the Monster¡¯s servant, you cannot trust any words that come out of his mouth.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ okay,¡± Loh nodded hesitantly.


    ¡°Goodnight, Elohnoir.¡±


    ¡°...Goodnight.¡± Loh turned reluctantly and shuffled away.


    Holo watched her leave with a warm smile, yet the moment Loh disappeared her smile fell. Holo glanced back at her city and gripped Lyrae¡¯s hilt with a trembling hand, whether it was out of fear or anger she wasn¡¯t certain.

 Chapter 439: A New Dawn

    Chapter 439: A New Dawn


    The words of the Mother Moon haunted Stryg¡¯s mind as he left Silver Hall Keep. Responsibility as Evenfall¡¯s War Master and what that might entail; leading thousands of goblins into battle¡­ or to their deaths.


    As if the monumental burden of such a responsibility wasn¡¯t enough to keep him awake, Lunae had told him the reason why his mother hadn¡¯t told him who she truly was, the moon goddess had claimed him as her own; which led to countless more questions. Why did Lunae care so much about someone like him, a bad omen?


    But if Lunae¡¯s words were to be believed then perhaps his birth wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad omen, if seen from a different perspective, or something. He didn¡¯t quite understand what she had meant. Honestly, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn¡¯t find anything good about his birth. It had only caused problems for everyone involved.


    Stryg kept to the shadows of the streets and made his way back to the base of the Celestial Shrine¡¯s stairs in the late hours of the night. He took his time walking up the cold marble steps, mulling over the goddess¡¯ revelations; but no matter how much he wracked his mind over her words, he could find no solution for his personal problems or those of the Sylvan. Lunae had asked him to not hold Aurelia¡¯s actions against her, but whenever Stryg thought of his mother his heart clenched in pain and anger burned in the pit of his stomach.


    By the time he reached the top of the mountain¡¯s steps, he felt more lost. He stared at the temple¡¯s gates and thought of his mother and the others waiting inside. He turned around and walked back down. He repeated the process over and over, unable to make his way back to the temple. Before he realized it the first rays of dawn had peeked over the mountain range.


    The hours had passed by in a blur and despite all his brooding Stryg felt none the wiser. His stomach growled in agreement. Stryg hung his head in defeat and made his way back down the mountain steps and into the city below.


    Evenfall was a beautiful city. Many of the old buildings in Hollow Shade had been built by goblin hands, but here, every street, every wall, every home, had been carved out from the face of the mountain, each corner and block chiseled by master craftsmen.


    Stryg could not help but smile in admiration. His people had lost much in the fall of Lunis, but the legendary craftsmanship of his people had not been forgotten.


    He hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to sightsee or visit much of the city. Ever since he had arrived he¡¯d been whisked to the Celestial Shrine and the Silver Keep, only to be tasked with a quest to Grimstone Mountain and the frost giants.


    To his mild surprise, he realized today was the first time he had really gotten a chance to see the city he had always dreamed of as a child. He only knew the direction of the castle and the temple¡¯s mountain steps due to their sheer size and how they loomed over the rest of the city. He wondered if there was a centralized trade district like Hollow Shade. The concept seemed doubtful. He had never heard of such districts before he had arrived in the City of Shades, but then again he had never visited Evenfall until now.


    Despite the early hour, several goblins were already coming out of their homes. Each and every single one seemed to be walking with purposeful steps. Whispers of Lunae¡¯s appearance had spread like wildfire through the tribes and her words had ignited a valiant fervor in the hearts of the Sylvan.


    As more goblins filled the streets Stryg threw Blossom¡¯s hood over his face to hide his appearance; the last thing he wanted to deal with right now was some goblin thinking he was a drow who had slipped into the city and taken it upon themselves to get rid of the ¡®intruder.¡¯


    Stryg relied on his nose to lead him to what he hoped was a tavern or food stall. The clamor and hammering of metal echoed in his pointed-floppy ears as he took a turn. Open smithies lined the street on both sides, tens of apprentices covered in soot rushing back and forth, carrying buckets of water, raw ore, and logs of wood for the roaring fires.


    These people hadn¡¯t just woken up. They had been working all through the night. He had accidentally wandered into one of the city¡¯s metallurgy sites. Stryg looked around with curious eyes as he walked. Master blacksmiths hammered away at their anvils, shaping red-hot metal into swords and spearheads. Sparks floated in the air, orange motes lazily swimming through the dark street.


    The scent of iron and ash filled his nostrils but the faint scent of meat was in the air as well. As he walked, Stryg noticed something odd. The apprentices had stopped running about, buckets and ore in hand. Several of their masters raised their heads and shouted in anger, then stopped halfway through their rant. Stryg hadn¡¯t thought much of it until he noticed they were all staring at the same person, him. The clamoring of hammers and iron slowed to a halt and only the crackling of the fires reverberated through the street.


    Shit.


    Had he given something away? Something that would denote himself as an outsider. He glanced down at himself and cursed silently.


    Of course.


    He was wrapped in a cloak of white flowers. There were plenty of goblins that wore cloaks of foliage for camouflage. Those cloaks were all made of grass, scarlet leaves of ashen trees, or dark leaves of the bushes. None wore a cloak made of flowers.


    His cloak coupled with his unusual height for a goblin marked him as an obvious outsider. Stryg hunched over and hurried down the street. He passed by one particularly smithy and stumbled to a halt. The whiff of meat surged in his nostrils and sure enough, a large haunch of venison was roasting on one of the fires.


    The master smith noticed him and looked up in surprise. Their eyes made contact and Stryg hurriedly looked away.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Hey, you, don¡¯t go!¡± the stout woman called out.


    Stryg stopped in his tracks and slowly looked back.


    She put down her hammer, hastily wiped off her soot-covered cheeks, and walked up to him. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for that to sound like a command,¡± she said abashedly.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re uh¡­ fine,¡± Stryg said cautiously. He glanced around and as he expected, everyone was staring at them. Beneath Blossom his hand drifted towards Nameless, hanging at his hip. He regretted leaving Krikolm in his room back at the temple.


    The blacksmith bent her head and peeked up his hood, ¡°Is there something I could help you with, Chosen?¡±


    ¡°Chosen¡­?¡±


    ¡°You are the one who stood by the Mother Moon¡¯s side at the dawn light. The Moon¡¯s Chosen, Champion of Evenfall, the Azure Sylvan, it is you, yes?¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°What now?¡±


    She furrowed her brow, ¡°Are you not Stryg, the Bloodless One?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± he glanced around confusedly, ¡°My name is Stryg¡­¡±


    She smiled brightly and bowed deeply, ¡°It is my great honor to greet you, Chosen!¡±


    The other blacksmiths bowed repeatedly in acknowledgement. Several of the apprentices mustered their courage and drew closer. Stryg glanced about, the hair on his arms prickling in apprehension. If he didn¡¯t act fast they would surround him.


    ¡°How can I be of service, Bloodless One?¡± the stout blacksmith asked eagerly.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes instinctively glanced at the sizzling meat over the fire and forced himself to look away. The blacksmith caught sight of his gaze and her yellow eyes lit in understanding.


    ¡°One of my tribe¡¯s hunters caught it just last night.¡± She rushed over to the haunch of venison, picked off the fire, and with both hands carried it over to Stryg, ¡°Please, help yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, how much for a piece?¡± he asked uncertainly.


    She shook her head vehemently, ¡°I could never! Please, take all of it!¡±


    ¡°But, what about you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It would be my honor! My tribe will tell stories of this day for years to come. The day our hunters provided food for the Sylvan¡¯s Chosen.¡±


    She spoke the words with such reverence that even Stryg paused in thought. Had he been gone from his people for too long? Food was so abundant in the trade metropolis of Hollow Shade that he had almost forgotten how difficult it could be to procure food in the forest. The offering of a meal was sacred to his people. The woman wasn¡¯t simply giving him a slice of venison, she was offering him her tribe¡¯s trust.


    Stryg gulped at its significance. He gingerly reached out and grabbed the roasted haunch. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered.


    She nodded and stepped back respectfully, ¡°It is my honor, Bloodless One.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath and lost himself in the scent of the steaming venison for a moment, then he looked up in surprise. Dozens of more apprentices and blacksmiths were approaching him, each with bright eyes.


    Stryg stepped back nervously and suddenly turned and ran away. Blossom bellowed in the wind behind him, his hood fell back, and the breeze kissed his face. He ran down several streets and turned to a cliffside overlooking the scarlet forest far below. He glanced behind him to make sure no one was following and sighed in relief.


    Finding an even slab of rock at the edge, he sat down and began munching down on the venison. The roasted flesh was lightly seasoned but it somehow tasted better than any meal he could recall in recent memory. Granted, he had been traveling in the wilderness for several days, but it didn¡¯t matter. The savory meat practically melted in his mouth. He groaned in delight and scarfed down the food like an animal.


    ¡°See, I told you, Emma, that¡¯s him!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s ears pricked up at the hushed voices. Without changing his posture, he subtly glanced at the source of the noise. Two goblin children were doing a poor job of hiding at the edge of the alleyway; their bright green faces peeking out from the corner.


    ¡°He¡¯s blue and he¡¯s got purple eyes, that¡¯s gotta be him!¡± the little boy whispered eagerly.


    The older sister shook her head, ¡°No way, Leo. He¡¯s way too small! And his eyes are too pink.¡±


    ¡°Too small? He¡¯s twice as big as you!¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Didn¡¯t you hear what the Second Mother said? The Moon¡¯s Chosen is ten paces tall, with arms as wide as your torso. He could tear you apart with his hands as easily as plucking a piece of grass.¡±


    ¡°And he could vaporize you with a snap of his blood magic!¡± the boy added excitedly.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the sister nodded in smug satisfaction. ¡°So that can¡¯t be the Azure Sylvan. He¡¯s just a drow. I heard the Bloodless One is traveling with a bunch of different folks. Maybe he¡¯s one of his companions.¡±


    The little boy frowned in confusion, ¡°But he¡¯s wearing the Cloak of Flowers¡­¡±


    Stryg listened to their little discussion while he ate, careful to not give anything away. After he finished eating, he licked his greasy fingers clean, and stared out at the forest-filled horizon. He sighed in quiet satisfaction, then glanced at the children with a raised brow. The small children stepped back in a hurry, but hesitated, their curiosity winning them over.


    Stryg smiled faintly and cupped his hands together. He opened his palms and a bright orange flame peeked out. The children¡¯s eyes widened and they drew closer, stepping out from their hiding spot. Stryg waited until they were only a few paces away then clapped his hands together loudly.


    Leo yelped in shock and his sister pulled him away instinctively. Stryg pulled his hands close to his chest and slowly opened them. Like a dam bursting, colorful lights exploded from between his fingers and filled the alley with motes of fluorescent colors. The little boy and girl gasped in awe and stared at the light show in delight.


    Stryg laughed softly and smiled at the pure joy in the children¡¯s eyes. All it took was a little bit of flame and illusion magic and suddenly the world didn¡¯t seem so dark. His pensive thoughts faded away and he found himself lost in a moment of magic.


    Magic was supposed to be a weapon, a practical tool used to destroy. The teachers at the academy had taught him as such. Captain Holo and the Singing Willow Troupe had shown him otherwise. Magic could be a tool of wonder and silliness. He had once thought such a use foolish and wasteful. Now it didn¡¯t seem so bad.


    ¡°War Master,¡± a sudden stiff voice broke through the reverie.


    Stryg looked up and spotted an unfamiliar goblin clad in a gold-trimmed cloak.


    The stranger bowed carefully, ¡°Forgive me for the intrusion, War Master. I serve as a herald to the Lunar Elect, specifically the Shaman Elect. She has requested your presence at the Silver Keep.¡±


    And just like that, the moment of wonder was gone. The pensive thoughts returned with a dark gloom that wrapped around Stryg¡¯s shoulders and yet, he felt as if he could bear it. A new dawn had risen in Evenfall and he found the darkness of yesterday smaller. Strength flowed through him and he stood with newfound purpose. He winked playfully at the awestruck children and turned to the herald with a calm steady expression. ¡°Bring me to her.¡±

 Chapter 440: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 1

    Chapter 440: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 1


    Stryg followed the Elect¡¯s herald back to the Silver Hall Keep, though instead of leading him back to the tribunal chamber, she led him down a different path, past half a dozen hallways and up several flights of stairs. All the while, they passed by guards and servants who stiffened to a halt and bowed profusely to Stryg, much to his surprise.


    It had only been two nights ago he had walked through this hall as a pariah with every goblin looking at him and his kin with distrust in their eyes.


    Finally, the herald stopped in front of a stone door and placed her hand on an oval impression at the door¡¯s center. Small brown magestones and linked arcane sigils lit up around the doorway and the stone door slid open.


    Inside was a large open smooth marble room, with only the occasional stone pillar as the only markings to the otherwise empty floor. The eastern wall was non-existent ¡ªsave for the guard railings¡ª and gave a wide view of the city of Evenhall sprawled below.


    The whole place reminded Stryg of his private training courtyard back in Hollow Shade, except this place was several times the size. The marble room had to have taken up the entire southern wing of the castle¡¯s fifth floor.


    A group of about 30 mages sat in meditation at the center of the empty room. Three goblins, all dressed in cloaks of rich deep blues, stood watching over them. The three of them turned at the sound of the stone door opening. Stryg recognized the one in the center; despite her makeup, the dark bags under Lumi¡¯s eyes were clear. It seemed as if she hadn¡¯t slept for days. The two made eye contact and Lumi broke away from the others and made her way to him.


    The gilded strings interwoven in her grey and black hair caught in the light and flickered across the room with each step she took. She stopped a few paces from Stryg and slowly bowed her head. ¡°The Shaman Elect greets the Moon¡¯s Chosen,¡± she said respectfully.


    ¡°Shaman Elect, I have done as you instructed and brought the War Master,¡± the herald said.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that. You are excused,¡± Lumi said off-handedly, her yellow eyes focused on Stryg.


    The herald bowed once more and silently left the room.


    As soon as the door closed Lumi broke into a smile, ¡°Forgive me for the abrupt summons, War Master. I imagine you are a busy man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Stryg said cautiously. The last he had seen her she had seemed frustrated at the sudden change of dynamics, but now¡­ He had never seen her seem so¡ª nice. It was unnerving. ¡°Why did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, as promised, I have gathered the esteemed shamans and mageborns of the tribes for your inspection.¡± She raised her arm and gestured to the meditating goblins.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Those¡­ are all of them?¡±


    ¡°Only the most promising and skilled of our mageborns; the ones whom I believe are most suited to lead the mageborn teams,¡± she explained.


    ¡°I see¡­ How many mages will be assigned to each team?¡±


    ¡°3-4, depending on how many mageborns are left.¡±


    Stryg looked at her in surprise.


    3-4?


    That meant there were at most only 150 some mageborns in all of Evenfall. He was aware that shamans were scarce among the tribes, but this was worse than he thought. Even Hollow Shade had close to a thousand mages.


    Lumi noticed the look in his eyes and she cleared her throat indignantly, ¡°What we lack in numbers we make up in skills.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± Stryg muttered thoughtfully.


    Lumi fiddled with the gilded strings in her hair. ¡°If I may¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Before we go over there, I¡¯d like to just take a moment to clear the air; regarding the events in the tribunal chamber.¡±


    Stryg slowly narrowed his eyes, ¡°You mean when you forced me to engage in a duel on the Midnight Mirror? Or when you questioned my honor in front of the leaders of all the tribes? Or perhaps when you voted against my petition?¡±


    Lumi winced playfully at his words. ¡°I assure you I had nothing against you personally, Stryg. I apologize if my actions caused you any harm, truly.¡±


    He stared at her fickle expression, uncertain of what to make of her words. She seemed to be telling the truth, and even though he held resentment towards the council, he understood the need to try and make peace with the Sylvan leaders if there was any hope of moving forward.


    ¡°Very well, I accept your apology,¡± he answered carefully.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± she clapped her hands. ¡°Honestly, I regret causing you trouble. I seek no quarrel with the Moon¡¯s Chosen. My dispute is with your First Mother and her alone. As you no doubt are aware by now, she abandoned her duties many years ago and has caused quite a ruckus ever since her return. As an Elect, it is my duty to bring her crimes to justice, nothing more.¡±


    Stryg growled and stepped menacingly towards her, Lumi backed away in confusion until her back was against the wall and he was looking straight down at her. ¡°Do not threaten my mother. If you come after her again, you will have your quarrel, and I will not be so quick to forgive.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Lumi laughed shakily, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so¡ª protective, of your First Mother.¡±


    Stryg blinked and stepped back. ¡°I¡¯m not, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Is everything alright over there?¡± one of the two blue-robed shamans called out.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, Greznok,¡± Lumi answered lightly. She turned to Stryg and smiled, ¡°They are waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Lead the way,¡± Stryg answered.


    Lumi and him walked over to the waiting shamans. The mageborns sitting on the ground meditating were now wide-opened, staring at Stryg as he neared. Their gazes were full of curiosity, some of mistrust, others questioning, a few in awe.


    Stryg recognized some of the faces from the tribunal chamber. They were the shamans who had been in the crowd during his petition. They had been quick to throw insults and jeers that night, now they were quiet and as skeptical as ever.


    Lumi gestured to the two shamans dressed in deep blues, a middle-aged woman and man. ¡°Stryg, allow me to introduce you to Greznok, son of Storm Howler, and Vexia, daughter of Iron Spine. They are the shamans of their respective tribes and the only arch-mages of Evenfall, beside me, of course¡ª and Aurelia, I suppose,¡± she added as an afterthought.


    ¡°Four arch-mages¡­¡± Stryg muttered. His suspicions were becoming more evident.


    ¡°This must be the Mother Moon¡¯s Chosen, hm? This is our War Master? The one who will lead us to victory?¡± Vexia asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d be bigger,¡± Greznok stroked his beard. ¡°Perhaps, the other stories about him are also false.¡±


    ¡°Neither of you were at the trial?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°We are the shamans of the largest and most powerful tribes among the Sylvan. Our paths require us to prepare the rituals of our people, we do not have time to watch every little petition,¡± said Vexia as if it were the most obvious fact in the world.


    ¡°Though I must admit, I wish I had been there. We could have put an end to these rumors,¡± Greznok smiled coldly.


    Stryg stared at them and mulled over what he had seen so far. Pride and hubris were common among the powerful, there was no surprise there. In fact, the two of them reminded him of how Lumi had behaved in the past. Particularly, that they weren¡¯t simply being rude, they were goading him; they wanted him to become angry, to lose control of his emotions, and to appear unfit to lead in front of every mage in the training hall. And judging by Lumi¡¯s nonchalant appearance, this was her plan all along.


    Greznok took his silence for insecurity and quickly rushed to speak, ¡°I meant no offense, War Master. Surely, the goddess chose you for your¡­¡± he waved his hand at Stryg¡¯s appearance, ¡°Talents. Someone with such a beautiful face must surely be favored among the women, hm?¡±


    ¡°Are you implying I was chosen by the goddess for my looks?¡± Stryg asked quietly.


    ¡°No, of course not! I hear you¡¯re quite the skilled brawler as well,¡± Greznok smiled.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this is not a brawling pit,¡± Vexia said sympathetically. ¡°Here we weave the intricacies of ethereal energies into the material plane. It requires an essence of finesse, the kind which takes decades of diligent practice.¡±


    ¡°They are right, of course,¡± Lumi whispered in Stryg¡¯s ear. ¡°If you feel overwhelmed at all, inspecting our mageborns, I can always arrange a smaller meeting at a later point. I¡¯m certain Warrior Elect Lykos would be more than happy to have you go over your martial arts with his soldiers.¡±


    Stryg shook his head and smiled softly, ¡°No, that¡¯s alright.¡± He turned to the other archmages, ¡°You are right. Spellcasting is a discipline that takes decades of diligent training to truly master. I would be honored if powerful masters such as yourselves could give me and the others a demonstration.¡±


    Greznok raised his eyebrow, ¡°Are you actually suggesting a duel?¡±


    ¡°Certainly not. You both are archmages, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a duel, and surely not very fair,¡± Stryg admitted bashfully.


    ¡°So a lesson then? On the art of spellcasting?¡± Vexia surmised.


    ¡°A lesson, yes, that would be wonderful,¡± Stryg nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Very well, I think we can oblige, don¡¯t you, Grez?¡± Vexia smirked.


    ¡°Yes, but I warn you, War Master, stand back, otherwise you may be burned,¡± Greznok said.


    Stryg took several steps back without hesitation. The other mageborns, familiar with Greznok¡¯s magic, hurriedly stepped back as well.


    Vexia stretched her fingers wide open, searing white light flowing through her hands. Greznok raised his arms to the ceiling and orange flames roared out from his palms, forming several rings of flames pulsing outwards.


    Even from a distance, the others could clearly feel the sweltering heat. It was quickly becoming difficult to breathe.


    Stryg sighed. There was no doubt about it, they were archmages.


    ¡°Now then, class,¡± Greznok grinned, ¡°The first lesson of being a mageborn, is to understand the true power behind mana.¡±


    Vexia turned to the younger mageborns all watching in admiration and fear, ¡°Never forget, if you do not respect power, it will burn you. That is a promis¡ª¡±


    Stryg dashed forward with blinding speed and struck both the archmages in their chests with an open-palm strike. The flame rings went up in smoke and the swirls of light sputtered out as Greznok and Vexia flew backwards and crashed into the ground.


    ¡°What the blazes are you doing!?¡± Lumi screamed in outrage.


    Stryg ignored her and addressed the class, ¡°The first and most important lesson of being a mageborn, is that you are just like everyone else. You are not special in the ways that truly count. You are just flesh and blood.¡± Stryg pointed at the two archmages on the ground gasping for breath in a painful fit, ¡°Your elders have graciously volunteered to demonstrate this lesson.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ bastard!¡± Greznok said between coughs.


    Vexia glared at Stryg and pointed her hand at him. Her fingers trembled, but no beam of light burst forth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Having trouble casting a spell?¡± Stryg asked innocently. ¡°I struck you both in your hearts. Your lungs may be having difficulty breathing, but your hearts are in shock. You see, class, mana is stored in the heart, and the flow of that mana is very delicate. If something like a powerful strike slams into the heart it completely disrupts that flow and your heart can fall into shock from the pain and mana disruption. It can take several minutes to regain control of the mana flow.¡±


    Stryg walked around the prone archmages and stamped his foot on Vexia¡¯s back, slamming her face into the cold hard ground. ¡°Being a mageborn doesn¡¯t make you invincible. Whether you wield the power of a novice or that of an archmage, a single arrow to the chest and you still die like any man. Remember that lesson well when you think about the ¡®power¡¯ you wield in those fragile fingers.¡±


    Lumi glared at him and her lips formed a thin line, ¡°I think that is enough of a lesson for today.¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Stryg said calmly. ¡°We have very few days before the army is ready to march and if I¡¯ve learned anything by coming here it¡¯s that all my suspicions about the Sylvan¡¯s shamans are correct.¡±


    Lumi crossed her arms, ¡°And what might those be?¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan people have spent their lives in Vulture Woods, they grow up in hardship, fighting every step of the way. And they survive. Why? Because they are taught to be warriors from birth. But shamans? Shamans are placed apart, they are special, mageborns blessed by the goddess. They do not fight, they do not struggle, and so they become complacent with their powers, just like these two.¡± Stryg glanced at the Greznok and Vexia, ¡°The archmages back in Hollow Shade would have never fallen for such an attack. I would have been blasted away before getting five paces near you.¡±


    ¡°You played dirty and backstabbed us, that¡¯s it, nothing more,¡± Greznok grunted angrily. ¡°We were surprised, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the enemy will not surprise us? Do you think they won¡¯t use underhanded tactics?¡± Stryg asked coldly. ¡°No matter how much we plan, we can never fully account for all of their tactics or attacks. We will be surprised, we will be caught out, and if this is your response to such an attack, then you are right, it won¡¯t happen again, because you will be dead in the mud.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the group of wide-eyed goblins staring up at him. ¡°Any questions?¡±

 Chapter 441: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 2

    Chapter 441: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 2


    ¡°Do you think the enemy will not surprise us? Do you think they won¡¯t use underhanded tactics?¡± Stryg asked the prone archmage shamans. ¡°No matter how much we plan, we can never fully account for all of their tactics or attacks. We will be surprised, we will be caught out, and if this is your response to such an attack, then you are right, it won¡¯t happen again, because you will be dead in the mud.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the rest of the wide-eyed goblins staring up at him. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    The group of shamans and mageborns stayed quiet, unwilling to say a word, but the look in their eyes betrayed their thoughts. They disapproved of Stryg¡¯s methods. Surprise attacks were dishonorable in a duel. Stryg knew that, but he was also aware that none of these shamans had partaken in a duel in years, perhaps decades. As for the mageborns who weren¡¯t shamans, he doubted they were much better.


    Stryg took a deep breath and faced the group with a stern gaze, ¡°For too long the Sylvan tribes have only had to contend against nature and the beasts that dwell within it. I have been outside Vulture Woods, I have been to Dusk Valley, and the lands beyond. The people in those lands don¡¯t care about rules, nor honor. Out there, all that matters is who lives and who doesn¡¯t. I am here to try and make sure you stay on the living side.¡±


    Lumi raised her eyebrow. ¡°Are you trying to imply that our sacred traditions of duels have no place? That they are obsolete?¡±


    Stryg knew she was trying to goad him, hoping he might attack her in return. Unlike the Vexia and Greznok, Stryg had an inkling Lumi wouldn¡¯t be so easily surprised.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Stryg smiled. ¡°I would never so brazenly insult our people¡¯s traditions. No, in fact, I believe our duels serve many important purposes. Like for instance, teaching lessons.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to teach me a lesson, War Master?¡± Lumi batted her eyelashes. ¡°If I recall correctly, it was you who called me ¡®blind¡¯ at the tribunal chamber.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s smile widened but his lilac eyes were cold, ¡°A figure of speech. I¡¯d never think myself wise enough to teach an Elect. No, I¡¯ll leave that role to the Mother Moon.¡±


    Lumi paled at the implication of his words. She closed her mouth and clenched her jaw in silent frustration.


    Stryg turned to the group of goblins sitting on their meditation pillows and clapped his hands together, ¡°I¡¯m here to teach all of you what it is like to fight against actual battle mages, but I cannot do that without knowing where you all stand. So, ¡®class,¡¯ let us put the ancient practice of our people to good use. I challenge you all to a duel. Whoever wishes to go first, stand up and come forward.¡±


    The class of goblins glanced at each other skeptically. One of them, an older woman, spoke up, ¡°War Master, forgive the impertinence, but many of us saw you duel on the Midnight Mirror. The ones that didn¡¯t have heard the stories of what happened that night. You killed Ulthar, son of the Stone Heart tribe, without spilling a drop of blood. How can we hope to defeat the Bloodless One if not even one of our greatest champions could?¡±


    There it was again. Bloodless One. He wondered if he would ever get used to that name or any of the others the Sylvan seemed to be calling him.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°This will not be a duel to the death, nor will it be one of martial prowess. This will be a duel of magic, nothing more.¡±


    The class suddenly broke into whispers amongst each other, debating on the merits of the duel.


    Stryg frowned. These were shamans indeed, people used to discussing their problems rather than facing them first.


    ¡°What chromatics are you?¡± one of them spoke up.


    ¡°How about you all stop cowering about and come find out,¡± Stryg answered.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°You think us cowards?¡± a third shaman asked.


    ¡°I think you all have an overvalued estimation of yourselves and believe such duels are pointless. For too long shamans have been a ceremonial role, but the truth is the only mages that survived the fall of Lunis were the ones who marched with the army. They were not cowards who shied away from a battle, much less a duel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± The third shaman jumped to his feet and strode to face Stryg. ¡°First you call us cowards, then you insinuate us all to be prideful idiots who would rather hide than support our people.¡±


    ¡°Your words, not mine,¡± Stryg said calmly.


    ¡°Heh,¡± the shaman shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what sort of goblins we are.¡±


    Stryg took a simple fighting stance, his legs slightly parted and his arms raised halfway. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Rowal, son of Silver Leaf.¡±


    He nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Stryg, son of Blood Fang.¡±


    Lumi cleared her throat and raised her hands high, ¡°As Shaman Elect, Eyes of the Watcher, I shall oversee this duel¡­ You may begin when ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Rowal said without hesitation.


    Stryg unclasped the thin pale vines around his neck and threw Blossom off his shoulders. The white petal cloak hovered in the air for a moment before slowly floating to the ground in a small pile, reminiscent of a flower.


    Stryg¡¯s lips formed a thin line. He hadn¡¯t intended for that to happen but the goblins stared at the cloak in reverence anyway. He didn¡¯t want to contemplate what rumors had already been circulating about the cloak, nor the ones that this moment would undoubtedly spawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You may begin,¡± Lumi announced.


    Rowal immediately channeled orange mana into his arms and summoned forth a wall of flame encircling him. It seemed he was keen to not make the same mistake as the Vexia and Greznok; he wouldn¡¯t be caught by a surprise attack.


    However, Stryg made no move to attack. He stood still and watched as Rowal poured more and more mana into the wall of flame and began to revolve it around himself, until it formed a vortex of fire. The heat of the flames could be felt by all in the training hall. Several of the goblins standing too close hurriedly backed away.


    Rowal yelled in strain and poured all his will and focus into the spell. As soon as he felt himself begin to lose control of the roaring flames he hurled the burning vortex at Stryg. He raised his arms as the flames crashed into him in a burst of heat. Stryg poured his own orange mana into the spell, forcefully overtaking the spell. The flames swirled around his blue arms. He pulled the flames back, like paddling water with an oar, swung it around him, and flung it right back.


    Rowal froze up in shock. The flames exploded at his feet and sent him flying back. He slammed into the hard marble floor in a heap of bruised limbs and singed skin.


    The class stared in mute shock.


    ¡°H-How did you do that!?¡± Lumi stammered in a mixture of irritation and admiration. ¡°You seized his spell as your own! How is that even possible!?¡±


    ¡°I once fought against a True Blue,¡± Stryg replied. ¡°She could manipulate the weaves of a spell and pull them apart, destroying the spell¡¯s form entirely. After that, a very powerful Blue teacher of mine taught me how to strengthen my spell weaves and my control over them in order to avoid such an incident again.¡±


    Stryg turned to Rowal who was clambering to his feet. ¡°Spells are just weaves of ethereal energy we have materialized into the physical world. The moment you relinquish your will over your spell it becomes a simple mass of energy hurling through the air. It was easy for me to take control of it at that point. Of course, this would never have happened had you not poured so much mana into the spell that you lost control over it.¡±


    Rowal clenched his teeth bitterly and bowed his head in shame. Vexia, Greznok, and Lumi shared a troubled glance with each other; it seemed none of them had known such a technique was even possible. The rest of the shamans broke out into excited conversations, imagining themselves repeating such a feat.


    Stryg clicked his tongue in annoyance. He turned and addressed the whole class. ¡°I thought this lesson was obvious, but clearly some of you need to hear it. Never overextend your magic. At best the weaves simply fall apart and the spell fizzles. At worst the weaves implode on themselves and blow up in your face. Also, trying to take control of an opponent¡¯s spell while they are still in full control of their own magic will result in them just killing you. Understood? In other words, don¡¯t be a complete moron,¡± he snapped.


    The goblin mageborns couldn¡¯t meet his stern gaze and looked away, embarrassed.


    Stryg blinked. Oh my gods. I¡¯m becoming Professor Rime¡­


    That old drow professor had always seemed grumpy and carried himself with a no-nonsense attitude for magic. Stryg now wondered to himself how many young stupid mageborns had come through his classes, ignoring all the advice Rime had given out in his youth. Stryg suddenly regretted giving the old drow as much trouble as he had.


    He sighed and gestured to the class, ¡°Again.¡±

 Chapter 442: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 3

    Chapter 442: The Shamans of Evenfall Part 3


    Stryg sighed and gestured to the class, ¡°Again.¡±


    The shamans and other mageborns glanced at Rowal, singed and bruised, then at the unharmed blue goblin. The class looked at each other uncertainly and muttered in nervous hushed whispers.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a debate, it was an order. If no one stands up I¡¯ll begin choosing myself,¡± Stryg warned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll face you,¡± a young woman spoke up and stood to her feet. She strode towards the dueling arena, her gaze never breaking away from Stryg.


    He cocked his head to the side and his lips curled in a subtle smile. ¡°It seems there is still some courage left among the shamans of Evenfall.¡±


    ¡°I am no shaman,¡± she snapped. ¡°That ¡®honor¡¯ falls to her,¡± she said sarcastically and pointed at the older woman standing to the side, the archmage Vexia.


    Vexia hissed at her disrespectful tone. The young woman hissed right back.


    Stryg raised his eyebrow, ¡°I take it you two are not on very good terms.¡±


    ¡°The Storm Howlers need no shaman. You have proven that today more than anyone,¡± the young woman said.


    ¡°Ignore Elawyne¡¯s words, War Master, they are but the rants of foolish youth,¡± Vexia said begrudgingly.


    Stryg frowned. Vexia might have been inexperienced in combat but she was still an archmage. If any of the Blood Fang had spoken to an elder of the tribe in such a manner they would have been beaten bloody if not outright killed.


    ¡°Why do you not strike?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    Vexia sighed, ¡°It would not bode well to strike down the daughter of the Warrior Elect.¡±


    Stryg blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of Lykos?¡±


    Elawyne nodded proudly, ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Few have the honor of knowing their true fathers among our people. Consider yourself lucky,¡± Stryg said quietly.


    ¡°I do. I strive to live up to his legacy every day,¡± Elawyne said reverently. Her expression turned dark and she glared at the rest of the class. ¡°Which is why I shouldn¡¯t be here, stuck with a bunch of shamans who¡¯d rather hide in the Silver Keep than take a single step out into the world.¡±


    ¡°You do not wish to be here?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°I should be with the warriors, training side by side with the ones who will face our enemies in battle,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Elawyne is a mageborn, a very skilled one at that. Her abilities would be better spent leading other mageborns,¡± Lumi said.


    ¡°With respect, Elect, I am a warrior, not some silly shaman,¡± Elawyne said between gritted teeth.


    ¡°With ¡®respect¡¯ you are a Sylvan and you will follow the way of the Sylvan. If an Elect gives the command you will follow it,¡± Lumi said.


    ¡°But you could change your mind! I know you can! Please, you don¡¯t need me here, I¡¯ll only be a burden. Just send me back,¡± Elawyne pleaded.


    ¡°I was not the one who gave the command for your allocation here,¡± Lumi said pointedly.


    ¡°What? If not you, then¡­!¡± Elawyne¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My father¡­¡±


    Lumi nodded at Stryg, ¡°You may begin when ready.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± he answered.


    Elawyne clenched her jaw in frustration. Blue electric tendrils crackled at her fingertips.


    ¡°Calm yourself, Elawyne,¡± Stryg warned as he channeled blue mana into his veins. ¡°To cast storm spells you must be in full control of your emotions, otherwise you risk¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± she yelled and hurled a bolt of lightning at him.


    Stryg raised his hands reflexively; blue mana materialized by his will and formed a dome of water around him. The lightning crashed over the water and dispersed in a cloud of steam.


    Elawyne shouted a war cry and rushed into the mist. Brown mana surged through her muscles, dyeing her skin with a bronze sheen. She swung her arms in wide arcs, each strike faster than the last.


    As the mist dissipated, the onlookers grew quiet. Elawyne¡¯s attacks had only grown stronger and faster, yet Stryg hadn¡¯t left his spot. He stepped around Elawyne¡¯s fists, ducking beneath her hooks and swerving past her jabs, all the while his feet shifted in place, never leaving his original spot.


    ¡°Your forms are sharp! Your father taught you well,¡± Stryg said in a calm, but appreciative manner.


    ¡°Stop mocking me!¡± Elawyne screamed and launched a flurry of attacks.


    Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes darted everywhere and he dodged each strike with short step finesse. ¡°I do not mock you. I¡¯ve met few warriors more skilled in hand-to-hand combat than you¡ª¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Stop talking and fight!¡± Elawyne yelled between breaths.


    ¡°¡ªBut your anger makes you predictable,¡± Stryg¡¯s hand shot out and caught her right fist in his palm.


    Elawyne stared at his hand in shock. His wrists should have snapped from her punch but instead, she felt as if she had hit an iron wall. She glanced down at his hand and stiffened. A bronze sheen and yellow scales covered his hand.


    ¡°Dual enhancement¡­?¡± Lumi muttered from a distance.


    Elawyne roared in exasperation and swung her left fist at his face.


    Stryg caught her other fist with his free hand and smiled wryly, ¡°As I said. Easy to read.¡±


    ¡°Just shut up already!¡± Elawyne pulled her arms back, or at least she tried to. She planted her feet on the ground and yanked back, but no matter how much she tried, her hands remained in his grip.


    ¡°Storm Howlers are said to be fearsome warriors in battle. The stories say the vengeful rage of our ancestors flows through them. I see the rage, but I do not see the warrior,¡± Stryg lamented. ¡°All I see is a daughter lashing out in anger.¡±


    ¡°Arggh!¡± Elawyne leaned back and kicked him with all her might.


    Stryg released his grip and side-stepped her attack. He dropped to the ground in an instant and swept his leg at her one remaining standing foot. She yelped in surprise and toppled over heavily.


    She groaned in pain and grimaced. With trembling movements, she struggled to her feet.


    ¡°Stay down,¡± Stryg warned softly.


    She gritted her teeth and glared up at him, ¡°I said shut¡ª¡±


    Stryg flicked his wrist; a water whip lashed out from the tip of his finger and wrapped around Elawyne¡¯s waist. He flicked his finger up and the whip sent her careening into the ceiling. Her breath was knocked out of her as her ribs cracked against the stone ceiling. She tried to move, her limbs flailing about, before the whip slammed her right back into the hard ground in a heavy crunch of broken bones.


    ¡°By the gods, stop! She is the Warrior Elect¡¯s daughter!¡± Vexia shouted in a panic.


    ¡°Lumi, do something!¡± The arch-shaman Greznok yelled.


    The Shaman Elect stared into Stryg¡¯s cold eyes and shook her head faintly. ¡°The War Master is aware of what he is doing¡­ Let him be.¡±


    Stryg brought Elawyne towards him, her battered body hanging in the air by the water whip wrapped around her waist. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you shut up and listen, hm?¡±


    Elawyne looked up at him with her right eye, her left was already beginning to swell shut. She groaned softly in response.


    Stryg stared at her, waiting for her to say more, but that was all she could muster. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± He turned to the class, raised his open hand, and made a fist, ¡°Anger will always have its place in battle. Here,¡± he thumped his fist over his heart. ¡°Never here,¡± he tapped his forehead.


    ¡°...Wise words, but one that can take many years to learn,¡± Lumi noted.


    Stryg glanced at her and after a moment nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I still struggle with the lesson. Hell, I used to fuel my spells with sheer anger and frustration. And it worked and I grew strong.¡± He sighed, ¡°Until I didn¡¯t. In the world of spellcasting, anger can only take you so far. If you want to make a giant fireball, emotions can help fuel your will, but if you want to create a fire that burns hot enough to melt steel, then you¡¯ll need the intricate spell weaves that only come through calm collected thought.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we meditate,¡± Lumi added. ¡°A mageborn must dedicate himself to the art of meditation if they wish to master such weaves, isn¡¯t that right, War Master?¡±


    Stryg scratched his cheek, ¡°Ah, yes, I guess¡­¡±


    Lumi frowned. ¡°You guess?¡±


    ¡°Well, I never really mastered the art of meditation.¡± Stryg lowered Elawyne to the ground softly. He crouched down next to her and placed his hands over her body. White light flowed out from his fingers and began to knit her wounds.


    ¡°And yet you are a master of five chromatics,¡± Lumi muttered.


    ¡°This should hold you for now,¡± Stryg whispered to Elawyne. ¡°Someone call in a couple of guards to carry her to the Celestial Temple. Ask for Aurelia, First Mother of Blood Fang, she¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have Aurelia the Blooded waste her time knitting back a few broken bones?!¡± Greznok asked.


    ¡°You guys are the ones who said Elawyne¡¯s the daughter of Lykos,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Greznok crossed his arms, ¡°And what makes you think Aurelia would even accept such a meager task? You may be War Master, but she is still a Favored of the Moon, she need not listen to your request.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling she will. Now go get some guards,¡± Stryg said.


    Greznok furrowed his brow, ¡°Me? I am not some servant to go and fetch¡ª¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request. It was an order from your War Master,¡± Stryg said evenly.


    Greznok scoffed indignantly and glanced at Lumi for support.


    Lumi smiled innocently, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? The War Master has spoken.¡±


    Greznok cursed under his breath and stomped off in search of the guards.


    Lumi stepped closer to Stryg and spoke softly enough that only he could hear, ¡°You¡¯re hers, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Stryg looked at her questioningly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the reason why Aurelia left Evenfall all those years ago. I should have realized it sooner. The magical talent, the looks, the arrogance.¡±


    He leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear, ¡°If I were, what do you think I might do to someone who threatened my family?¡±


    A sweet chilling shiver ran down Lumi¡¯s back. Her lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯d imagine it would make you a very interesting individual. One who I think would¡ª appreciate the friendship of an Elect.¡±


    He stepped back and looked at her, ¡°And why in all the bloody realms would I want your friendship?¡±


    She leaned forward and looked up at him with a smirk, ¡°Because I am the only Elect who will give it to you. The others see you as a threat and for good reason.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. You are most definitely a threat, but unlike everyone else here, I see you for what you are.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°The next Sylvan king.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°The Sylvan have no king.¡±


    ¡°And the Mother Moon had no Chosen. Yet here. You. Are.¡± Lumi tapped his chest with her finger, ¡°You may ignore it, you may deny it, but they already whisper your names in the streets with the same fervor they speak of the goddess. To them you are her avatar, her blade in the darkness, her voice in the storm, her will given form. It is only a matter of time, and then, well, it won¡¯t matter what you say or do, they will want to crown you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Lumi stepped back, her hands folded behind her. ¡°I thought I¡¯d need to stop you before that, for the good of our people. You are after all the man who is dragging our army halfway across the realm to fight in a battle we have no part in. But now, mm, I finally understand what drives you. I think you might actually have what it takes¡­¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡±


    ¡°What Koval the Unifier could not. Destroy them all.¡±

 Chapter 443: The Interesting Kind of People

    Chapter 443: The Interesting Kind of People


    22 Years Ago¡­


    Aurelia leaned her arms over a marble balcony of the Silver Keep and stared out at the sprawling city of Evenfall below. Night had already come, yet the streets were alight with lanterns and the torches of the festival-goers.


    She swirled her chalice around and stared at the rippling bloodwine, deep in thought. The balcony door swung open loudly behind her.


    ¡°There you are. I was beginning to think you had slinked off back to the temple,¡± Sabina said and joined her next to the balcony railing.


    Aurelia shrugged, not even bothering to glance up at her mentor. ¡°I wish, but you asked me to attend this silly party, so here I am.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather be down there? With the rest of the tribes? The Festival of the Moon should be celebrated with friends¡ª and family, if you have it.¡±


    Aurelia chuckled sourly, ¡°I have no family here.¡±


    ¡°Your brother didn¡¯t come?¡±


    ¡°He sent a letter. He is with my mother.¡±


    ¡°How is her condition?¡± Sabinia asked gently.


    ¡°...She¡¯s gotten worse the last few months.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to hear that... You know, you can always take some time away from the Celestial Shrine; visit her, no one would doubt your dedication to the temple.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aurelia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m better off here, learning more about healing spells from the temple¡¯s archives. Soon, I¡¯ll find a cure, I know it.¡±


    Sabina smiled. ¡°The Blood Fang chieftain is lucky to have a daughter like you.¡±


    Aurelia nodded stiffly. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± she mumbled.


    Sabina placed her hand on her pupil¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The Elects don¡¯t realize it yet, but the world is changing. Your potent prime magic is proof of that. We need the younger generations to come into their own, now more than ever.¡±


    Aurelia glanced back through the balcony door, at the hall full of goblin leaders carousing at the party. ¡°Speaking of the Lunar Elect and change of times, the council is growing old. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they¡¯ll all be replaced, including the Silver Mother. We¡¯ll need to prepare for when that happens.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sabina smiled knowingly. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°As First Mother of the Celestial Shrine, everyone knows you are first in line to be the next Silver Mother, but there are others eyeing that seat of power. We must prepare for the inevitable outcome; someone will dare challenge your claim.¡±


    Sabina sipped her wine, ¡°The Silver Mother has several years left in her old bones, I reckon. My claim is not something we need worry about, for now.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°You worry too much,¡± Sabina smiled wryly. ¡°But I like that about you. You can never be too prepared, hm?¡±


    ¡°There you are, Auri!¡± Virella called out and rushed into the balcony. ¡°What are you doing out here¡ª? Oh! Uh, sorry, First Mother, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡±


    ¡°No, please do. This one seems to have forgotten the meaning of fun,¡± Sabina patted Aurelia¡¯s back. ¡°Enjoy the party you two.¡± She sipped her wine and walked back into the hall.


    Virella waited until Sabina was out of sight before rushing over to Aurelia and hugging her tightly. ¡°Auri, I was so worried! You left me at the gate and disappeared. ~I thought you abandoned me!~¡±


    ¡°Get off me.¡±


    ¡°~But what if you run away again?~¡±


    Aurelia opened her mouth and sank her teeth into her friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Aguahh!¡± Virella screamed and fell back. ¡°Shit, that really hurts!¡± she cried while rubbing her shoulder. ¡°I think you even drew blood this time.¡±


    ¡°I told you to get off.¡± Aurelia wiped her bloody lips with the back of her hand. ¡°So, what do you want anyway? Shouldn¡¯t you be back in there mingling with the other acolytes, shamans, and whatnot?¡±


    ¡°And leave you by yourself on the balcony all broody? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Aurelia smiled wryly. ¡°Vi, I only came to the party because Mother Sabina requested it of me. There is nothing interesting there for me. Just a bunch of Sylvan officials posturing and preening themselves.¡±


    ¡°Look I get it, but do you really have no interest in getting to know the most powerful leaders among all the tribes? This is your chance to make powerful connections. Connections that could very much help you someday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be back at the temple training.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Virella rolled her eyes. ¡°Does nothing truly interest you besides training?¡±


    ¡°Magic.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count, it¡¯s still part of training,¡± she huffed.


    ¡°Then no.¡±


    ¡°Argh, you¡¯re hopeless!¡± Virella¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°Oh! Did you hear about the intruder?¡±


    Aurelia rolled her eyes. ¡°How could I not? It¡¯s all any of the younger acolytes are talking about. It¡¯s quite annoying really.¡±


    Virella grinned excitedly, ¡°How much do you know about it?¡±


    Aurelia sighed. ¡°Some stupid drow climbed over the steep mountain slopes and managed to enter the city, only to be caught by the guards.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t find that amazing?¡±


    ¡°That some idiot wandered into our mountain? You know it happens every couple of years. There¡¯s always a vampire or drow idiot searching for treasure, adventure, or some such nonsense.¡±


    ¡°But he climbed the slopes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on, Vi. Do you really believe that? He didn¡¯t actually climb over the slopes, he probably just slipped through one of the abandoned tunnel shafts and found himself in Evenfall, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay, fair, but what about the battle?¡±


    ¡°What? You mean when the guards captured him? I heard he gave himself up the moment they showed up. Not much of a fight if you ask me. I don¡¯t blame him, no one wants to be riddled with a bunch of arrows and spears. But you know as well as I do, outsiders aren¡¯t allowed to live within the city. And since the guards have probably finished questioning him, that fool of a drow is a headless corpse by now.¡±


    Virella smiled wide with a shit-eating grin, ¡°You haven¡¯t heard, have you?¡±


    Aurelia stared at her suspiciously. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t just ¡®give up.¡¯ When he entered the city he was caught by Arden of the Frost Whisper tribe!¡±


    ¡°Arden? The Arden.¡±


    Virella nodded, ¡°They say he¡¯s already as powerful as the Shaman Elect and as vicious as the Warrior Elect.¡±


    ¡°And Arden didn¡¯t kill the intruder?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it,¡± she shook excitedly. ¡°Arden lost.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Arden was completely beaten, he couldn¡¯t even land a scratch! The guards were terrified. And right before beating Arden to death, the intruder stopped and gave himself up!¡±


    Aurelia frowned. ¡°Sounds like he collapsed from exhaustion after fighting Arden.¡±


    Virella crossed her arms, ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t sound like that at all. And what¡¯s more, one of the acolytes working at the Keep told me that he¡¯s been confined to a cell, but the higher-ups say they are going to let him live!¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Outsiders are strictly forbidden,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Oh, and get this! I hear he isn¡¯t even a drow!¡±


    ¡°Then what is he?¡±


    Virella glanced around conspicuously. ¡°Something not from this realm,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Aurelia said in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°Hehe, yeah, I know, but I got your attention, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she shoved her away playfully.


    Virella laughed, ¡°So you coming in or what?¡±


    ¡°When I finish my drink.¡±


    ¡°~Okaaay~ Just don¡¯t keep me waiting too long.¡± Virella raised her glass in acknowledgment and sauntered back into the party.


    Aurelia smiled wryly at her friend¡¯s bubbly attitude. Sometimes she wished it were that easy for herself. Aurelia swished her chalice around and stared at the bloodwine inside. ¡°What am I even doing here¡­?¡± she hissed quietly in frustration.


    I should be back at the temple training, searching for a cure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vi.¡± Making up her mind, Aurelia placed the chalice on the balcony railing and turned to leave the party altogether.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to finish that, do you mind if I do?¡± a lighthearted voice called out from above.


    Aurelia jumped, startled at the voice, and looked up.


    A young man, dressed in loose pale clothing sat atop one of the castle¡¯s spires that loomed over the balcony.


    Aurelia stared at him, confused, ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    Without a word, he jumped off the spire and fell down. Just as he was about to crash horribly into the balcony, he twisted his body midair and landed softly on the railing. Like some sort of acrobat he walked atop the narrow railing, and stooped down and picked up Aurelia¡¯s chalice.


    ¡°You¡¯re the intruder¡­¡± she muttered warily.


    ¡°Visitor,¡± he corrected and raised the chalice to his nose. He swished the cup around and took a deep breath, ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a pungent scent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s bloodwine, you can¡¯t drink it¡ª¡±


    He downed the whole cup and smacked his lips together, ¡°Ah, yes, I can taste the strikingly powerful metallic flavors. Odd but refreshing. Hm, I think I like it.¡±


    Aurelia stared at him, surprised, ¡°You downed the whole glass¡­ Why aren¡¯t you throwing up?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you throwing up? It¡¯s your drink.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m part vampire.¡±


    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s go with that then.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow skeptically. ¡°You¡¯re part vampire?¡±


    He shrugged and tossed the empty cup off the balcony. ¡°Can¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a vampire.¡±


    And come to think of it, as Aurelia got a closer look at him she realized he didn¡¯t look like a drow either.


    The stranger in turn looked her up and down, ¡°Apologies, but you don¡¯t really evoke the ¡®vampire-esque¡¯ appearance either.¡±


    Aurelia hissed, ¡°And yet, vampiric blood runs strongly through my veins.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see that now,¡± he said dryly. ¡°The fangs, hissing, and all that fun stuff.¡± He wiggled two fingers in front of his mouth in clear mockery of the teeth in question.


    Aurelia glared at him. ¡°Alright, you have five seconds to explain what you¡¯re doing out of your prison cell or I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI wanted a better view. The cell¡¯s window was quite small, honestly, the entire cell was quite cramped. It didn¡¯t suit me.¡±


    ¡°So you just escaped?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Escape is such a strong word. I simply walked out. Quite easily I might add. You¡¯d be surprised how fragile prison walls are nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. The Keep¡¯s cells are reinforced with several layers of arch-level enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Are they now? Huh. Could have fooled me.¡± He shrugged, placed his hands behind his head, and fell back and off the balcony.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¡ª!¡± Aurelia yelled and reached out in a panic.


    But he didn¡¯t fall. The heels of his crossed feet were resting comfortably on the railing, while his body was reclined over nothing but air. He should have dropped like a rock but he didn¡¯t, almost as if the air was solid. ¡°In any case,¡± he continued casually, ¡°this view is much better.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He glanced at her and smiled brightly, ¡°You must be Aurelia Veres, yes? A daughter of Blood Fang?¡±


    Veres?


    She took a step back. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°The white hair, hard to miss. Aaand all that vampire stuff you were spouting might have helped tip me off.¡±


    Blue mana slowly filled Aurelia¡¯s hands, storm magic ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°What do you want with me?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, nothing at all. Except maybe to pay my respects, I suppose. Stryga was a great person, well, she was batshit crazy really, but she was¡ª friendly¡­? Sometimes¡­? Gods, I¡¯m not very good at this. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You knew my grandmother?¡± she whispered, shocked.


    ¡°I had the pleasure of meeting her once or twice. Very conflicted that one was. On one hand, she was like, ¡®Why must people kill each other? War is bad, bleh, bleh, bleh.¡¯ And on the other hand, she was all like, ¡®I am the sword of Veres and I shall always be loyal to my House. Serious Face!¡¯ Then of course she went ahead and razed in an entire goddamn city. Crazy, I tell you.¡±


    Aurelia curled her fists. No one spoke of her grandmother like that, no one. Lightning crackled around her fingers.


    The stranger suddenly threw his arms up into the air and laughed. Not the forced laughter that many used to feign appearances, nor the laughter that came from simple amusement. It was the laughter that burst from deep within one¡¯s chest, free of any restraint, a contagious sound that spread from one heart to the next. He laughed and laughed, unmindful of Aurelia¡¯s anger, as if she wasn¡¯t even there.


    Slowly, Aurelia felt her anger drain away from her. She felt uncertain about killing a laughing man.


    ¡°You know,¡± he wiped a mirthful tear from his eye, ¡°For all her scars, Stryga was one of the rare few kinds of people, that if you''re lucky, you get to meet in your life.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what kind of people are those?¡± she asked after a moment.


    ¡°The interesting kind.¡±


    Aurelia blinked. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°I always am,¡± he smiled. ¡°You should head back inside, your friend is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I may not have pointy ears like you, but I¡¯d wager my ears are sharper than yours.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°If you think you can just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the drink. Aurelia.¡± He closed his eyes, leaned back, and let himself fall.


    ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    The door opened and Virella walked back onto the balcony. ¡°Auri, how long are you going to stay out here? You¡¯re gonna catch a cold.¡±


    Aurelia stared out at the empty balcony. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name¡­¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 444: The Intricacies of Sigil Equations

    Chapter 444: The Intricacies of Sigil Equations


    22 years ago¡­


    Dozens of sheets of paper were sprawled on the temple¡¯s marble floor. Each sheet was covered in scribbles of ink; blueprints of the temple¡¯s defenses, arcane sigil equations, and schematics of magestone pathways and their mana node designs.


    At the center of the rings of papers sat two young acolytes, their fingers were covered in ink and they had dark bags under their eyes. They scribbled new notes and compared them with the old sheet records.


    The Silver Mother had assigned the duo the task of designing a supporting mana-pathway system for the new defense arcane sigils that were being constructed all through the temple.


    It was difficult enough creating a mana-pathway for a structure as large as the Celestial Shrine, but having the entire structure be filled with defensive enchantments as well was nigh impossible.


    Aurelia gritted her teeth in frustration. She should have been in the archives, searching for a cure for her mother¡¯s illness, not here, stuck with all of this.


    She tapped her quill on the floor. ¡°...No matter how I see it, even with several high-grade minor magestones working in unison, the central primary magestone just isn¡¯t strong enough to handle such a large load. It would burn out and shatter after a few weeks and that¡¯s if we¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°What if we find a primary magestone with higher purity? Say, 85 or 90% even?¡± Virella offered.


    ¡°No, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough, unless we had a magestone with true perfect clarity.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s impossible,¡± Virella sighed. ¡°Gods, why do we have to be the ones stuck with this stupid bullshi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just be quiet and focus. The longer you complain the longer this will take,¡± Aurelia said.


    Virella grumbled something under her breath, but got back to work.


    Despite her own words, Aurelia agreed with her friend. The entire design was bullshit. The Silver Mother had personally tasked them with a job that would take a team of mageborns weeks if not months to do, but she had only given them ten days to figure it out.


    Aurelia rubbed her tired eyes. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had slept. Had it been 2 days ago? Three? She didn¡¯t know anymore. All she could think about were the endless patterns of sigils in front of her.


    The Silver Mother was testing them. Why? Aurelia wasn¡¯t certain, but she couldn¡¯t give up now.


    ¡°...We¡¯re going to have the builders construct pillars at each of the temple¡¯s central defensive regions.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we should etch the enchantments into pillars instead of the walls?¡± Virella asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Virella sighed heavily, ¡°So what you¡¯re really saying is that we should separate the entire defensive enchantment grid into smaller sections?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°But that would mean designing entirely new sigil patterns for the mana-pathways of each pillar! Not to mention having to find primary magestones for all those pillars!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still easier than trying to balance all the pathways under a single primary magestone.¡±


    ¡°This is going to take us weeks to design!¡± Virella groaned. ¡°The Silver Mother only gave us 10 days!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can finish this in such a ridiculous timeframe. At least this way when we¡¯re done the primary magestones won¡¯t shatter on us.¡±


    A pair of footsteps resounded clearly from the hallway. Aurelia glanced up at the sudden noise and spotted Sabina walking by their chamber. And walking next to the temple¡¯s First Mother was a dark-haired pale youth.


    ¡°You¡­!?¡± Aurelia blurted out impulsively.


    The young man stopped in his tracks at the sound and peered into the room. ¡°Hm, Aurelia? Hey!¡± he smiled and walked inside.


    Sabina followed him without a word, though her expression was clearly displeased.


    Virella¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the stranger¡¯s appearance. She pointed at him with a shaky finger. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s the intruder!¡±


    ¡°Visitor, actually, but a pleasure to meet you,¡± he corrected happily. ¡°So, Aurelia, what are you even doing here with all these¡­ schematics? Equations? Wow, you have a lot of interesting papers here.¡±


    ¡°I am an acolyte of Lunae,¡± Aurelia answered the man¡¯s question cautiously. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sabina here was giving me a tour of the temple,¡± he pointed his thumb at the irritated goblin.


    ¡°The temple¡¯s First Mother is giving you¡­ a tour?¡± Aurelia blinked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah, turns out the Elects pardoned me after they realized the whole ¡®breaking-in thing¡¯ was a hilarious misunderstanding,¡± he said.


    ¡°It seems he is a long-time visitor of Evenfall,¡± Sabina said begrudgingly. ¡°The Silver Mother asked me to give him a personal tour of our Celestial Shrine and its artworks at his request.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful stuff really, the Lunisian folk truly are gifted,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°So, how do you two know each other?¡± Sabina asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I want to know too!¡± Virella chirped in.


    Aurelia blanched, ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was having a stroll around the Silver Keep a couple of nights ago and Aurelia was gracious enough to share with me her drink while we engaged in a deep conversation,¡± he explained.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Virella squeaked in salacious delight, ¡°Auri, you didn¡¯t!¡±


    She frowned, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°I still owe you for that drink by the way,¡± he added.


    ¡°Oooh, please tell me more!¡± Virella said excitedly.


    ¡°Enough with the chit-chat,¡± Sabina admonished. ¡°Aurelia, I heard the Silver Mother handed you a difficult task. How are you two faring so far?¡±


    ¡°Not great,¡± she admitted. ¡°This job requires ten times the workforce. It¡¯d be great if we could have more mage acolytes or shamans working with us.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t spare the acolytes with the upcoming ceremonies closing in. As for the shamans, well¡­¡± Sabina trailed off.


    Aurelia furrowed her brow in suspicion, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact details but it seems the Silver Mother and Shaman Elect had a falling out. This entire defensive enchantment grid was meant to be taken care of by the Shaman Elect and his archmages, but now, well, it falls to us. The Silver Mother thought our Ebon Aspirant¡¯s insight could help speed things along so here you are.¡±


    ¡°Just like that? The Shaman Elect refuses to help our goddess¡¯ temple because of some stupid politics!?¡± Aurelia laughed incredulously.


    ¡°The Shaman Elect has always been an ass,¡± Sabina responded dryly.


    ¡°And what about the Silver Mother? She just leaves us with a job that not even an entire circle¡¯s worth of mages could do and she expects us to have it done by the end of the week!?¡±


    ¡°The Silver Mother has never been one for the intricacies of magic. I¡¯m certain she is not even aware of the amount of time this task would take,¡± Sabina said sympathetically. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with her and get her to give you more time at the very least. If I can, I¡¯ll find more acolytes to help you as well.¡±


    Aurelia sighed. ¡°Thank you, Mother Sabina,¡± she said begrudgingly.


    ¡°Oooh, this really does seem difficult,¡± the young man said, hunched over a few of the papers on the ground.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch that!¡± Aurelia snapped.


    He stepped back and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Sorry, I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°Keep your curiosity to yourself,¡± she hissed.


    He smiled wryly, ¡°It looks like you and your friend have got your hands full. Maybe I can lend a hand?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to connect all these enchantment nodes and mana-pathways together to a primary magestone without burning it out?¡± Aurelia asked coldly.


    ¡°Well¡ª no,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Then leave me alone. We have work to do.¡±


    He nodded respectfully, ¡°Right, well, I suppose I should get going. I still really haven¡¯t had a chance to get a good look at the city.¡±


    ¡°The Silver Mother only asked me to give you a tour of the temple, I will not do more than that,¡± Sabina warned him and walked away.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything else, thank you for the tour!¡± he called out politely. ¡°Hey, actually, Auri,¡± he turned to her, as if an idea had just popped into his mind. ¡°Could I interest you in being my guide for the evening? I¡¯ll even pay for dinner, I promise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Aurelia to you, and the answer is no,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°Aw, why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m clearly busy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± He glanced at the dozens of sheets on the ground and tilted his head to the side, ¡°Hey¡­ why not connect each of the enchantments to lesser magestones, instead of having them all directly connected to one primary stone? That way, even a primary magestone of 80 or 90% purity could handle the diminished load.¡±


    He pointed at the freshly inked sheet in Aurelia¡¯s hand, ¡°Plus, it would be a lot cheaper and less time-consuming than constructing a bunch of pillars and inserting almost two dozen more primary magestones.¡±


    Aurelia frowned, ¡°That won¡¯t work. The temple is too large, there¡¯d be too many pathway connections between the lesser stones. You¡¯d have to calibrate each of those stones separately based on the enchantments they¡¯d be directly connected to.¡±


    ¡°You were already going to design new pathways and nodes for over twenty more primary stones with your pillar design. A set of lesser-enchantment pathways would at least be more efficient.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, it won¡¯t work,¡± Aurelia shook her head in annoyance. ¡°Besides the several extra weeks of design it would take to calibrate the lesser magestones, you still run into the problem of creating a steady mana flow; a flow which would have to be equalized between all the stones connected to the primary, lessers included. And when working with a structure as large as this temple, creating that kind of steady flow between them all is practically impossible, which is why I wanted to build separate pillars to function independently.¡±


    ¡°Which still ends up being several weeks of work¡­¡± Virella added glumly.


    Aurelia threw her arms up into the air in frustration, ¡°Dammit, this whole thing is just a big clusterfuck!¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, what if we just design each of the enchantments to have a flow only between their lesser magestones instead of being also connected directly to the primary?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°That would require us to design even more pathways which would require even more mana, more than any of the current stones could handle. In other words, it would require more magestones, which lands us in the same problem that we started with.¡±


    ¡°Not if you design looped pathways between each of the enchantments. It would strengthen the overall flow, which would eliminate the need for more mana and magestones.¡±


    ¡°That! That¡ª actually could work¡­¡± Aurelia suddenly frowned and shook her head, ¡°Except that looped pathways are incredibly difficult to fine-tune. You¡¯d have to design different loops for each of the 22 clusters of enchantments. It¡¯s already hard enough to design a single looped pathway, let alone that many. Even with a full team of mageborns it could take months, even years!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that long.¡±


    Aurelia blinked and stared at him with a deadpan expression. ¡°For a second I thought you were actually smart, but you¡¯re really just an idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He smiled at her words, then turned to Virella and grabbed the quill from her hand, ¡°May I?¡±


    Virella blushed at their close proximity and nodded, ¡°S-Sure.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He grabbed several sheets of clean paper, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began to scribble on each sheet with rapid movements.


    Aurelia walked over, her hands on her hips. ¡°What are you doing¡ª?¡± her voice caught in her throat and her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Here are the designs for the primary and lesser stones, along with each pathway loop for the 22 clusters of enchantments,¡± he said as he wrote quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve marked down which sigil equation corresponds to which cluster at the bottom of each page.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± Virella gasped in excitement.


    Aurelia stared at the intricate yet clearly explained designs in dumbfounded awe. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I figured out the designs while we were talking,¡± he said casually.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t even seen the temple¡¯s blueprints, nor the enchantments or sigil equations¡­¡± Aurelia muttered.


    ¡°Yes, I did. When I walked over here, remember?¡±


    ¡°You figured it all out from a single glance¡­?¡± Aurelia mumbled in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m used to this sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Used to being a fucking genius?¡± Virella muttered.


    He chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just good with intricate designs is all.¡± He spread the papers out to dry and handed Virella back her quill. ¡°There, all done. I admit, sigil design is not my forte, so it may not be as clean as any of Parathyan¡¯s sigil work, but like his it should stand the test of time.¡±


    Aurelia glanced at the sheets of paper, her surprise only growing. ¡°Wow¡­ you really did it¡­¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Now, you¡¯re no longer busy, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t be my guide because you were busy.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°You ready to go then?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s get something to eat first, I¡¯m starving.¡± He grabbed her hand and pulled her along.


    Aurelia looked at Virella and pleaded silently for help.


    Virella grinned wide and gave her two thumbs up.

 Chapter 445: A Date In Evenfall

    Chapter 445: A Date In Evenfall


    22 years ago¡­


    The pale dark-haired youth spent little time in one place. He hurried from one market stall to the next. His eyes were wide with wonder as he surveyed the trinkets and food the tribe craftsmen had brought with them from their villages. Aurelia seemed to be following him more than guiding him. She felt as if she was watching over an overactive child.


    After looking through almost two dozen stalls, he finally stopped in front of a stall with a firepit. Several spits with skewered meat hung over the blazing fire, their flavorful aroma wafting through the air.


    The goblin cook looking after the meat sent the outsider a suspicious look. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take one,¡± Aurelia spoke up and handed the man some coin.


    The cook noticed her white acolyte robes and nodded reluctantly.


    Aurelia glanced at her charge and stiffened in shock. ¡°Hey! Stop, wait! It¡¯s too hot, you¡¯ll burn yourself!¡±


    The strange youth had already grabbed the sizzling slab of meat from the spit and taken a bite out of it. He looked up at her and tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Huh?¡± he asked between his chewing.


    ¡°Eh¡­? N-Nevermind,¡± Aurelia muttered.


    He shrugged and walked off, eating and surveying the city streets. She followed a few paces behind him, watching him curiously.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said. ¡°You never did tell me your name¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to call you?¡± she said, annoyed.


    He finished off his food and licked his greasy-covered fingers. ¡°Call me whatever you like.¡±


    Aurelia frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±


    ¡°The way I see it, names don¡¯t really matter. What matters is who we are.¡±


    She crossed her arms, ¡°Sure, who we are is important, and who you are is an idiot if you think names don¡¯t matter. They are part of us, just like our hands or feet. Names are important.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± he chuckled wryly. ¡°You sound like this woman I once knew. She was always spouting about the importance of names; they carried power and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a wise woman. Names do carry power.¡±


    ¡°And yet funnily enough she was always reluctant to give people her true name. What use is power if you never use it, hm?¡±


    ¡°Says the man who refuses to tell me his name.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a name,¡± he admitted casually.


    Aurelia blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If names are a part of who we are like you said, then it¡¯s a part of me that I¡¯ve chosen to leave behind.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you''re Nameless?¡± she asked cautiously.


    In Sylvan culture a Nameless referred to the tribeless, someone who had been exiled from their tribe; their name had been struck off the mouths of all those who knew them. No one was allowed to speak their name ever again. They were ostracized for life.


    As if reading her thoughts he smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°My name is Sabina.¡±


    ¡°Did you really just¡ª?¡± She frowned. ¡°Your name isn¡¯t Sabina.¡±


    ¡°You caught me, it¡¯s Virella.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Stryga.¡±


    ¡°At least stop picking feminine names,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Okay, note taken. How about Stryg?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It sounds masculine enough, no? Actually, I quite like it. Yes, Stryg¡­ hm, Stryg,¡± he repeated himself, tasting the name on his tongue. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Stop using my grandmother¡¯s name for your jokes,¡± Aurelia hissed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I honestly think that¡¯d be a nice name though.¡±


    ¡°Enough. Your name. Now.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed. ¡°My name is¡ª Ivory.¡±


    ¡°Ivory¡­?¡± Aurelia glanced at the giant seregulus skull hanging from a stall next to them. Its long ivory fangs glistened in the firelight. She turned and glared at him, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°A real name, not the first thing that pops up in your sight.¡±


    ¡°Ivory is the only name I¡¯ve got.¡±


    Aurelia raised her hand to punch him but hesitated. She remembered Virella¡¯s words about the outsider¡¯s suspicious origins. Perhaps he really wasn¡¯t from here. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you saying you¡¯re from the Ivory Realm?¡±


    ¡°What? Gods, no,¡± he gasped indignantly. ¡°Do I look like an elf to you?¡±


    She looked him over, ¡°I¡¯ve never met an elf, soooo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an elf,¡± he said in a deadpan voice. ¡°I am from the Scarlet Realm.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re an orc? I didn¡¯t know orcs came in a particular shade of sickly pallid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, haha,¡± he said dryly. ¡°I¡¯m not an orc, just like how you¡¯re not a drow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m part drow.¡± She pointed at her snow-white hair.


    ¡°Okay, not the greatest comparison, but you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Hm. So, Ivory, are you really from the Scarlet Realm or is this just another stupid game?¡±


    Was it even possible to travel between realms after the Schism? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true, I am from the Realm of War,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°The Realm of War, huh¡­¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°A deserving epithet if you ask me. You think skirmishes and bloodshed are common here? Hah! You should see where I come from.¡±


    ¡°Is the Scarlet Realm really so gruesome?¡± she asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°More than you¡¯d like to know,¡± he winced playfully. His expression suddenly brightened and he leaned close to her, ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°What about me? You already know who I am.¡±


    ¡°No, I know what you are. But not who are you¡ª personally, I mean. Like, do you have any family? Besides Stryga, of course.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Aurelia stepped back and walked around him.


    Ivory followed closely behind, a light skip to his step.


    ¡°...I have a little brother, his name is Jahn. We still don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be gifted with magic like Mother and I, but he trains every day with a sword just in case he isn¡¯t. He wants to get stronger as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°A sword, huh? Sounds like a fun kid,¡± he grinned. ¡°Who trains him? Your parents?¡±


    ¡°...My dad used to.¡± Aurelia¡¯s steps slowed ever so slightly.


    ¡°Oh, why¡¯d he stop?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on. Now you gotta tell me. The suspense is killing me,¡± he said playfully.


    Aurelia sighed. ¡°...A couple of winters back, some stupid hunters went out to hunt in the middle of a snowstorm. Hunting in a storm is forbidden and it would have fallen to the chieftain, my mother, to bring them back and punish them, but she was here, in Evenfall, attending some damn meeting of the tribes.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t planned to share much, but the longer she spoke the more the words came spilling out of her, as if eager to escape from the dark corner she had buried them in. ¡°So instead, my father, a hunter himself, went out to find them. I would have gone with him, so would have Jahn, but he said we were just kids, we needed to stay home. In the end, my father found the other hunters¡­ and he died protecting them from the beasts of the forest.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ivory whispered sympathetically.


    Aurelia sniffed, rubbed her nose, and shrugged stiffly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Happened long ago.¡±


    He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Even still, losing a parent is terribly painful. I¡ª¡±


    She shrugged him off. ¡°Have you ever lost a parent? Do you know what that pain is even like?¡±


    ¡°...W-Well, not exactly,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Then stop pretending like you can even begin to comprehend what I went through and leave it alone,¡± she snapped at him.


    The anger had burst out of her in an instant. She hadn¡¯t planned it. She had tried her best the last few months to keep her emotions together and yet just a few words from Ivory had bothered her more than anyone she had met.


    The young man scratched his cheek and looked away awkwardly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad your mom is in good health at least, I mean, seeing as you''re not chieftain of your tribe, I assume she still lives.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my mom,¡± she said in a quiet deadly voice.


    Ivory took a step back and bowed apologetically, ¡°Sorry. I just thought¡ª never mind.¡±


    She stopped walking and took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Just leave it, alright¡­?¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± he nodded and hurried to resume his sightseeing.


    Aurelia followed him from a wide distance; keeping an eye on him but saying nothing. As for Ivory, he walked around with childlike wonder, stopping goblins on the street and asking them the most random of questions.


    The longer Aurelia watched him walk about with such a carefree attitude, the angrier she grew.


    ¡°Why are you even here!?¡± she finally blurted out.


    Ivory glanced back at her with an innocent expression. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep acting like you''re not walking in a military stronghold city that explicitly forbids outsiders!? You¡¯re not some tourist! So stop acting so carefree and start having some goddamn sense of responsibility!¡±


    He blinked and smiled, ¡°Carefree? Should I act stressed instead? It would do no good to worry.¡±


    Aurelia clenched her teeth in frustration. Her anger boiling within the pit of her stomach. ¡°...Of course, you don¡¯t need to worry. People with power like you have all their needs already met. You can just waltz into a forbidden city and act like it¡¯s nothing! You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to live in Vulture Woods, what it''s like to struggle, to have nothing.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me something, Ivory,¡± she growled. ¡°Have you ever felt hunger a single day in your life? Not a ¡®~Oh, I¡¯m starving, Auri~ so let¡¯s go on a fucking stupid goddamn tour!¡¯ No, have you ever felt true hunger? The kind in which you haven¡¯t eaten in days because the winter was so bad and the last several hunts came back empty? And all you can do is watch as the hunters go out into the woods in the middle of a snowstorm out of desperation to find food, so at the very least, the children won¡¯t starve! Have you ever felt that kind of hunger, hm, Ivory?¡±


    He said nothing, his expression troubled.


    ¡°Gods, what am I even doing here?¡± she laughed exasperatedly and threw her arms up. ¡°I¡¯m guiding you while you play around, instead of searching for a cure for my mother¡¯s illness. She could die any day and here I am wasting my fucking time with you!¡± She turned around and walked away, ¡°I¡¯m done. You can find your own way back home.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is ill?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Ivory.¡±


    He grimaced but hurried to catch up with her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he called out sincerely. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about your mother¡¯s condition or your efforts to find a cure.¡±


    ¡°Just stop, alright? Stop pretending like you care how I feel. You don¡¯t know anything about me. So stop acting like you give a damn and fuck off somewhere else!¡± she snapped.


    Ivory nodded weakly, but he followed next to her nonetheless.


    ¡°What do you want now?¡± she hissed.


    ¡°...I¡¯m an orphan,¡± he admitted.


    Aurelia furrowed her brow, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°The village I was born in was a peaceful place. It had never seen the strife of war. The villagers thought they were all safe, until one day, they weren¡¯t. I don¡¯t remember it, but the few survivors told me that on that day the ground shook like ocean waves in a storm, and blankets of fire fell from the sky, eviscerating the village in an instant.¡±


    Ivory closed his eyes in grim recollection. ¡°The few that survived were horribly injured, none came out unscathed. And yet, despite their wounds, they searched the ruins of the village in hopes of finding other survivors. ¡­In one burned down house they found the charcoal remains of my parents, kneeling on the ground, their arms wrapped protectively around their unscathed newborn¡ª me.¡±


    ¡°I may not know what it¡¯s like to lose a parent, Aurelia, I never really knew mine, but I know what it¡¯s like to hunger, to struggle, to have nothing. The lands around my village were devastated by the war. There was nothing left, only scorched earth and ash. The few remaining villagers died from their wounds or starvation. Hope was the only one that kept me going, without Hope I think I would have been lost¡­¡±


    Aurelia stared at him in horror, unsure of what to say.


    Ivory exhaled deeply, ¡°Anyways, after a long time I realized that there was more to life than survival. I found my purpose, my meaning in life. After that, well, worrying about the rest didn¡¯t seem so important anymore. I left it all in the past.¡± He smiled, ¡°So, here I am in the present. Enjoying a date with a beautiful girl. Why should I stress?¡±


    Aurelia felt her cheeks grow hot. She frowned, ¡°This isn¡¯t a date.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, Aurelia Veres, would you like to go on a date with me later this week?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    He raised his hand, ¡°¡ªAnd before you say no, I promise I¡¯ll help you find a cure for your mother in the meantime! So, what do you say?¡±


    She placed her hand on her forehead and sighed with closed eyes, ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡°On one condition.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°What are you even doing here? In Evenfall?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t rush things, that¡¯s like a 5th or 6th date question,¡± he winked.


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll find out, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it.¡± Ivory glanced out at the sunrise peeking out through the mountain range, decorating the scarlet forest below in beautiful hues of red. ¡°Well, I think this is a satisfying view to conclude the night. Thank you, Auri.¡±


    ¡°For what? Yelling at you?¡± she asked, self-deprecatingly.


    Ivory smiled, ¡°Everything.¡± He turned and walked off down the street.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Aurelia called out. ¡°What was your purpose?¡±


    He glanced back at her. ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You said you found your purpose, your meaning in life. What was it?¡±


    He smiled softly, his lilac eyes bright in the dawnlight. ¡°Goodnight, Aurelia.¡±


    ~~~


    Present day¡­


    ¡°Auri!¡± Virella¡¯s voice resounded from behind the locked door.


    Aurelia opened her eyes tiredly. Despite the late hour of the day, she was still in bed. Her hair was astray and covered half her face.


    She rolled over in bed and turned her back to the door, ¡°Go away, Vi.¡±


    ¡°You know as Silver Mother I have keys to every locked door in the temple, right?¡±


    ¡°Try it and I¡¯ll blast you off the damn mountain peak.¡±


    ¡°Being stuffed in your room isn¡¯t healthy, you know.¡±


    ¡°Neither is listening to your squeaky voice.¡±


    ¡°My voice isn¡¯t squeaky! Ugh, look, the daughter of the Warrior Elect is here. She is injured, badly from the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°Even more reason to go away. Find the girl a healer, before her dad throws a fit.¡±


    ¡°She requested you.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t care what Lykos thinks. His daughter can die for all I care.¡±


    Virella sighed and leaned her back on the door, ¡°Stryg was the one who sent her to you.¡± She squeaked and stumbled back as the door swung open behind her.


    Aurelia stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. ¡°Where is she?¡±

 Chapter 446: A Forgetful Conversation

    Chapter 446: A Forgetful Conversation


    Aurelia walked around the unconscious patient lying on top of the stone table. Elayne of the Storm Howler tribe was the daughter of their chieftain, Lykos, who also happened to be the Warrior Elect.


    Her son had clearly already worked on Elayne¡¯s body. The skin across her chest and abdomen was a bright fresh green, the telltale sign of recently healed flesh. Still, even if he had knitted the flesh back together, the dark splotches forming over most of her body hinted at the sign of internal bleeding. Judging by the faint bumps and indents across her ribcage Aurelia noted 9 broken ribs and 8 fractures. It was a miracle she was still breathing. And she hadn¡¯t even begun to examine the extent of damage that had been to her four limbs, all of which were bent at odd angles.


    ¡°God dammit¡­¡± Aurelia muttered. ¡°Stryg, you didn¡¯t have to beat her half to death.¡±


    ¡°M-Ma¡¯am?¡± an acolyte squeaked with uncertainty.


    Aurelia glanced at the young woman in the corner of the room, standing at the ready.


    ¡°Bring me fresh towels and two basins filled with water, one hot, the other warm. And tell the Silver Mother to send over the herbs in the red jar with the green lid, she¡¯ll know the one. Now go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± the acolyte nodded and hurried out of the room.


    Aurelia poured white mana into Elayne¡¯s chest and let it seep throughout the rest of her body. Even with her skills, it would take quite some time to heal the damage, but at the very least she could cover the patient¡¯s internal organs in a protective healing spell.


    Elayne¡¯s chest suddenly rose and she gasped, then fell into a coughing fit.


    Aurelia quickly wrote sigils of a grey curse in the air and placed it on Elayne¡¯s chest. Her body stiffened for a moment as the curse wrapped around her skin, then her muscles went slack.


    Elayne groaned weakly and opened her bleary eyes. ¡°W-Where¡­ where am I¡­?¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°In the Celestial Shrine. You¡¯re safe now. Try not to move. I¡¯ve placed a curse on you to keep your body still during the healing session; struggling will only cause you more harm.¡±


    ¡°It hurts!¡± Elayne said between gritted teeth.


    ¡°As it should. Your injuries are extensive and I am knitting your internal organs and flesh back together. I can either focus on trying to numb the pain or make sure I don¡¯t poke a broken rib through your lung. Which do you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! ¡­The former,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Yes, I thought so.¡±


    Elayne grimaced and slowly looked up at Aurelia. Her yellow eyes widened in recognition. ¡°Y-You¡¯re¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your healer, don¡¯t get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± The anger in the young woman¡¯s voice drained away and all that was left was a tone of misery.


    Aurelia bit her lip. The young woman was clearly in more than just physical pain. A small pang of empathy struck Aurelia¡¯s chest, but she quickly smothered it out. She was already in enough pain with her son¡¯s rejection, the last thing she needed was to deal with the suffering of others.


    And yet, even so, Aurelia forced herself to smile, albeit faintly. ¡°You apologized, that already makes you a more well-behaved Sylvan than Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elayne mumbled, surprised.


    ¡°Oh, yes. That boy never listened to anyone¡¯s orders, let alone mine. He was always getting into trouble and he almost never owned up to any of his shenanigans. Even when he admitted he was in the wrong, he rarely apologized. Obstinate little bastard.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, what did you think he was like?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I thought he was like you.¡±


    Aurelia blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Elayne blushed and looked away, whether out of pain or embarrassment Aurelia wasn¡¯t sure. Probably both.


    ¡°I thought he was strong, quiet maybe¡­ but he always seemed to know what to do¡­¡± She shrugged weakly, ¡°He was the Moon¡¯s Chosen.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right on all accounts,¡± Aurelia said wryly. ¡°He is the Moon¡¯s Chosen, since the night he was born I suspect. And while he is often mistaken, he does not waver in his decisions, he acts without hesitation, a rare trait among our people¡¯s mageborns.¡±


    Aurelia smiled in reminiscence. ¡°Stryg has always been quiet. Ever since he was a child he rarely spoke a word to anyone. The other tribe members found it unnerving. And you¡¯re right, he is strong¡­ but that wasn¡¯t always the case.¡±


    ¡°He was weak?¡± Elayne whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°Oof, the weakest of the tribe. Yet what he lacked in his muscles, he made up for in his heart. That child could fall and fail, but he would get back up every time. When the other younglings would run away at the growl of a predator lurking in the trees, Stryg wouldn¡¯t hesitate to stand in between the beast and the others. That¡¯s just who he is.¡±


    ¡°He sounds brave¡­¡± Elayne said in admiration.


    ¡°Oh, quite the contrary. Stryg is a coward.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s afraid. He doesn¡¯t act out of bravery, he acts because he¡¯s scared. Scared to seem weak, scared to not live up to his tribe¡¯s expectations¡­ And now he¡¯s afraid to lose that which he holds most dear, the family he¡¯s found. He¡¯ll do anything to keep them safe. I worry that fear rules him and it will lead him to do something rash one day.¡± Aurelia smiled weakly, ¡°I suppose he must have gotten that from me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ª don¡¯t understand,¡± Elwayne furrowed her brow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡±


    The door opened and the acolyte walked back inside. Without a word, she carefully placed both the water basins and the towels at the edge of the stone table.


    ¡°And the jar?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°Ah, right!¡± The acolyte nodded and hurriedly pulled out a red jar from her satchel and handed it to her.


    ¡°You may go,¡± Aurelia said without bothering to glance at her.


    ¡°At once, First Mother.¡± The acolyte bowed and left.


    Aurelia popped off the green lid and pulled out several thick pale roots.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Elayne asked warily.


    ¡°Chew, do not swallow. It¡¯ll help with the pain.¡± Aurelia stuffed the white roots into her mouth without hesitation.


    Elayne gagged for a moment but began to munch on the roots.


    ¡°See, you even listen. Stryg would have spat it out without a second thought,¡± Aurelia shook her head.


    ¡°Thanksh,¡± she mumbled through her chewing.


    ¡°As I was saying earlier, you need not understand any of what I say. That root is a very powerful anesthetic cultivated by the Green mage acolytes of the temple. One of its side effects happens to be short-term amnesia. By the time you wake up, you¡¯ll forget this conversation ever happened.¡±


    Elayne froze at her words.


    Aurelia glanced at her expectantly, ¡°Keep chewing.¡±


    Elayne swallowed her spit and reluctantly continued crunching the roots. She could feel the juices being released from within the plant, the liquid numbing her throat.


    ¡°I think in many ways Stryg takes after me,¡± Aurelia continued. ¡°Stubborn to a fault and unyielding with his goals. It¡¯ll make him a powerful mage, but not a good leader. He needs people to temper his anger and willfulness.¡±


    Aurelia sighed heavily, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help him with that, not anymore. I don¡¯t know if my son will ever trust me again¡­ I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve lost him.¡±


    Elayne spit the roots out of her mouth and shook her head as best she could. ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My father and I fight all the time¡­ He even put me into the shamans¡¯ squadrons instead of leaving me in the warrior battalions. He thinks he knows what¡¯s best for me, even though it''s my life, and I¡¯m the one who has to live it. I resent him for that,¡± she admitted quietly. ¡°But at the end of the day I love him and I know no matter all the terrible things I¡¯ve told him, he loves me. Maybe you said some things that hurt Stryg, but if he really is your son, then you should apologize and tell him how you feel.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you did? With your father?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Elayne smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯m not that strong. But I think you are.¡±


    ¡°My, you might just be wiser than you look,¡± Aurelia noted dryly and stuffed fresh roots into Elayne¡¯s mouth. ¡°Now chew.¡±


    She frowned but did as she was told.


    ~~~


    Stryg strolled through the wolf pens, glancing at the wolves and their riders. He heard that ever since last spring the wild wolves of the forest had begun choosing goblins from among the Sylvan tribes. The craftsmen in Evenfall had built the pens to house the wolves, though they were free to come and go as they wished. Many of the riders had even grown accustomed to sleeping in the pens with their wolves whenever they were here.


    Stryg found the whole thing worthy of admiration; a bond that neither beast nor man would ever break, a bond of trust. Trust¡­


    He felt like he was running low on that these days. Everyone in the city was expecting so much of him as the Moon¡¯s Chosen and now War Master. And the only ones he could talk to about it with were Plum and Tauri, the only two outsiders. Neither of them could truly grasp the vast scope, subtle details, and the pressure that his culture put on him. Nor did he have the time to sit down and explain it all to them.


    Lykos had called him here for some sort of a meeting, one which Stryg suspected concerned his daughter¡¯s injuries.


    A sudden scream broke him out of his contemplations. Stryg looked up at the sound of wood shattering behind him. A giant wolf with jet-black fur and larger than any centaur, crashed through the pens, his fangs bare. The smaller wolves scrambled away in high-pitched howls.


    ¡°Frost wolf!¡± one of the hunters shouted in a panic.


    Why was a frost wolf here? They rarely visited the pens and preferred to stay in the city¡¯s outskirts, amidst the mountain forest.


    Stryg unconsciously reached out for Krikolm in alarm, but it wasn¡¯t at his waist, he had left it back at the temple.


    The frost wolf abruptly stopped its rampage of destruction and turned to him. Stryg glanced around and realized he was the only goblin who hadn¡¯t run away.


    Shit¡­


    The frost wolf growled in a deep rumble.


    Stryg stared at the beast¡¯s pale blue eyes as it stalked towards him. He furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side, ¡°...Blueberry?¡±

 Chapter 447: Blueberry

    Chapter 447: Blueberry


    8 years ago¡­


    In the tall ashen trees of Vulture Woods walked a small, almost unseen figure.


    ¡°And then Mother Aurelia said I had to wash the hunter¡¯s clothes for the whole week!¡± Stryg groaned and kicked the grass. ¡°I mean, yeah, okay, I did in fact set his cabin on fire, but it was an accident! A total accident! P-Plus, no one saw me do it. She has no proof!¡±


    Stryg sighed and hung his head. ¡°Who am I kidding? She can always tell when I¡¯m lying. But she didn¡¯t have to spank me so many times. Yeah, I know she¡¯s the First Mother and she¡¯s gotta set an example and all, but sometimes I feel like she¡¯s harder on me than everyone else, ya know?¡±


    The doe looked at him for a moment then kept going on its way through the trees. Stryg hurried to catch up.


    ¡°She never hits the other kids as much as me. Okay, yeah, I know I¡¯m the only one who sneaks out all the time, but what else am I supposed to do? Play with the other kids? They always just bully me.¡±


    The deer blinked.


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Yeah, I already asked Lunae for help and she offered to eat them, but if she does that Mother Aurelia will be sad.¡±


    The doe bucked a high-pitched noise.


    ¡°Why do I care what she thinks? Sure, Mother Aurelia can be mean sometimes, but she can be nice too.¡± Stryg rubbed his foot in the dirt abashedly, ¡°...I love her, I don¡¯t want to make her sad.¡±


    He suddenly frowned and puffed his cheeks, ¡°I don¡¯t want her to hit me either¡­ Ugh, why is it all so hard!¡±


    Stryg glanced at the deer. ¡°Aaaand you have no idea what I¡¯m saying, do you?¡± he asked flatly.


    The doe glanced at him with a blank stare then trotted off into the woods.


    Stryg sighed and slumped his shoulders. ¡°Bye, I guess.¡±


    He turned around and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he focused his senses on the forest around him. Vulture Woods was a dangerous place, full of beasts and monsters that wanted to eat him. At least, that¡¯s what the Sylvan Mothers always said. Save for the time he had met a dragon, he had never come across a dangerous beast like the stories the hunters always talked about.


    To him Vulture Woods wasn¡¯t a place full of dangers, it was a place full of vibrant life. The forest was alive and it sounded almost as if it had a voice and song of its own. He couldn¡¯t quite tell what the notes were but he knew the melody was there.


    The trick was to find out where the song wasn¡¯t; a hollow spot in the river of notes. It wasn¡¯t so much that he could sense the emptiness, but he could feel where the melody was missing, as if a note was refusing to play along with the rest of the tune.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t remember when he had first noticed the dissonance, it seemed as natural to him as the rest of the forest. Whenever he closed his eyes and focused he could feel it, the dissonant emptiness. Just like now.


    He opened his eyes with a big grin, ¡°I found you! Wait for me, Lunae!¡±


    He ran straight through the trees, without a doubt to his step. Ashen trunks and undergrowth passed by him in a blur. The wind tickled his face and threw his hair back. He laughed in excitement and hurried his pace, as quick as his tiny legs could.


    ¡°...Grrr¡ªRuff!¡±


    The sudden noise caught Stryg by surprise. He stumbled to a halt and looked to his left. Underneath a small bush, hiding between the branches were a pair of icy blue eyes staring out at him.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Stryg said cautiously and walked over.


    ¡°Ruff!¡± the small voice squeaked.


    Stryg crouched and stuck out his hand. ¡°Hi¡­?¡±


    A small black nuzzle poked out and snapped at his clawed fingers. Stryg yanked his hand back in surprise.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°What was that for!?¡±


    A black pup lurched out of the bush and growled weakly.


    ¡°You wanna fight, w-well bring it! ¡­E-eh?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    The pup¡¯s tiny body was trembling and a yellow trickle was pouring out between his legs.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared¡­?¡±


    Stryg reached out slowly. The wolf yelped, stumbled backwards, and fell on his own puddle of urine. Stryg picked him up, much to the pup¡¯s dismay. The baby wolf screamed and flailed about.


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± he admonished.


    The pup slowed its exasperated movements and came to a halt, his tiny ribs breathing in and out in quick breaths. He watched the goblin child with wide eyes as Stryg uncorked his waterskin and poured some water over his wet black fur.


    ¡°Why are you so cold? It¡¯s summer.¡± Stryg pulled out a grey cloth from his pocket and dried him off after thoroughly washing the urine. ¡°There,¡± he smiled. ¡°All clean.¡±


    ¡°W-woof¡­¡± The pup squeaked cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m Stryg, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Woof.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought so,¡± he giggled.


    The pup wiggled out of his arms and buried its head into his satchel.


    ¡°H-Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After a few moments, Stryg heard the distinct sound of munching. With horrid realization, he yanked the pup out from the satchel. The cub¡¯s face was dyed blue.


    ¡°I knew it! You were eating my blueberries!¡± Stryg checked his satchel in a hurry and gasped in dismay, ¡°You ate half of them! That was my lunch!¡±


    The pup barked in pride and snatched the satchel from his hands.


    ¡°Hey! Mother Aurelia made me that satchel, give it back!¡±


    The wolf barked and shook his head.


    ¡°Wait¡­ can you understand me?¡± he asked, astonished.


    The pup stared at him, the light of intelligence deep in his pale blue eyes. ¡°...Woof.¡± He turned around and dashed off into the bushes.


    Stryg watched him go, dumbfounded for a moment, before realizing that the pup had stolen his satchel. ¡°H-Hey, come back here!¡±


    Stryg chased after him, but he was no match for the tiny wolf. Soon, the pup had disappeared altogether, leaving behind a small trail of blue stains on the grass and dirt.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Stryg huffed tiredly. It was one thing that he couldn¡¯t outrace any of the other kids, but to lose to a baby animal was just plain embarrassing.


    After a few minutes he came to the end of the trail. The satchel was on the floor, its contents spilled about on the ground. And next to it was the preparator, his small belly bloated from all the berries he had eaten.


    Stryg balled his tiny fists and stomped over the pup. The wolf looked up and tried to run but his belly was too stuffed, he could only watch helplessly as Stryg picked him up and opened his blue lips wide, tiny fangs glinting in the sunlight.


    The wolf squeaked in terror.


    Stryg hesitated and sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ I won¡¯t eat you. But since you already ate my food, wanna be friends instead?¡± he asked hopefully.


    The pup shook his head in denial.


    Stryg frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat you then.¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡± the pup squeaked.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Stryg smiled and cradled him in his arms. ¡°Now all we need to do is find more food.¡±


    ~~~


    The sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky. The open grove was full with the scent of flowers and the giant flat boulder Lunae had found was just the right size to lie down on. She stretched her limbs and yawned pleasantly.


    Today was shaping up to be a wonderfully peaceful morning.


    ¡°~Lunaaeee!~¡±


    And just like that, her peaceful morning was shattered.


    Ah, what the hell, her lips curled in a small smile. She¡¯d have her days no other way.


    ¡°~Lunaaeee!~ Guess what I found!¡±


    ¡°What did you find, little one?¡± The moon goddess cracked an eye open and glanced down at Stryg at the edge of the grove.


    He held up the pup proudly, ¡°A new friend! His name¡¯s Blueberry!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a friend?¡± she asked.


    The pup stared up at the giant white wolf in sheer terror. He opened his mouth but only a shrill choked squeak came out.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a wolf! Pretty cool, right!¡± Stryg grinned.


    ¡°Sweetheart, that isn¡¯t a wolf, that is a frost wolf. He seems to be about a week old. He should be with his mother. Where did you find him?¡±


    ¡°In a bush. He ate my blueberries. I almost ate him. Now we¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°...Uh-huh. Little one, I imagine Blueberry got separated from his pack and is eager to return home. You can¡¯t keep him as a pet.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t a pet! He¡¯s my friend! Right, Blueberry?¡±


    The pup looked up at him and licked his cheek.


    Stryg giggled. ¡°See! We¡¯re friends!¡±


    ¡°He seems to hold some level of affection for you, yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can keep him away from his mother.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t have any other friends,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I your friend?¡± Lunae raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t count, mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that in the last two thousand years there have been countless individuals who would have done quite literally anything to have been counted among my favored. One might even say I am the greatest friend you could¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± he waved her away dismissively.


    Lunae blinked. ¡°...Well, that¡¯s disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Blueberry. Let¡¯s go find something tasty to eat.¡±


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Lunae called out. ¡°You may play with him today, but come nightfall you will return Blueberry to his pack, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I understand,¡± he mumbled downheartedly.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from your pack either, would you, little one?¡±


    Stryg glanced at the scar on his palm, the reminder of his Sigte bond. ¡°No,¡± he admitted softly.


    Lunae wrapped her tail around Stryg and pulled him near. She snuggled him next to her beating heart and closed her silver eyes.


    ¡°...I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Lunae sighed and opened her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get you something to eat.¡±


    ~~~


    Present day¡­


    The black frost wolf abruptly stopped its rampage of destruction and turned to Stryg. He glanced around and realized he was the only goblin who hadn¡¯t run away from the pens.


    The frost wolf growled a deep rumble and stalked towards him.


    Stryg frowned and cocked his head to the side, ¡°...Blueberry?¡±


    The wolf stopped, mimicked his posture, and cocked his head to the side. He whined in a surprised high pitch.


    Stryg laughed brightly, rushed over, and hugged him tight. The frost wolf glanced around, uncertain of what to do, then slowly wrapped his giant paw over the goblin¡¯s back.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you again, what are you doing here?¡± Stryg asked happily.


    Blueberry growled at Stryg¡¯s overfamiliar tone, but his tail didn¡¯t stop wagging.


    As Stryg chatted with Blueberry the goblin riders and their wolves cautiously returned to the pens. They kept a wide berth from the frost wolf, but their eyes never left the astonishing sight.


    ¡°He calmed the frost wolf down in seconds¡­!¡± a rider said in awe.


    ¡°Of course, he did! That¡¯s the Moon¡¯s Chosen!¡± another rider said as if it was obvious.


    Stryg was blissfully unaware of their chattering, his focus entirely on his old friend.


    ¡°That one has been causing a ruckus in the wolf pens for months, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve managed to tame him,¡± a deep voice said from behind.


    Stryg turned around and was surprised to see the Warrior Elect standing in front of him. His usual armor was nowhere to be seen. Lykos instead wore a simple red tunic and black trousers. His arms were covered in scars from previous battles, each an indirect symbol of his past victories.


    Stryg inclined his head in acknowledgment, ¡°Warrior Elect. You requested to see me.¡±


    Lykos nodded and walked around Blueberry, admiring the frost wolf¡¯s immense size. ¡°Yes, I apologize for cutting into your time. I am aware you are a busy man, War Master.¡±


    ¡°Is he the reason why you asked me here?¡± Stryg glanced at the giant wolf.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, no. Though, I admit I am grateful for your intervention. Frost wolves occasionally visit the wolf pens, but as I said, this one has been causing problems for the riders the last few months. I suspect he does not like to see his smaller cousins in cages, even if they are free to go whenever they like.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°Nah, Blueberry is just an asshole.¡±


    The frost wolf frowned.


    ¡°Blueberry?¡± Lykos asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name I gave him a long time ago. Master Sigte wasn¡¯t very fond of it, but I think Blueberry likes it.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. I didn¡¯t realize you and the frost wolf knew each other.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re old friends, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Stryg smiled.


    Blueberry scoffed and walked away.


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Meh, he¡¯ll come around.¡±

 Chapter 448: The Warrior Elect

    Chapter 448: The Warrior Elect


    The wolf riders and pen keepers slowly returned as Blueberry left. Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself as he watched the black frost wolf stomp away. Sigte had allowed him to play with the pup he had found, but he had been forced to let him go that very night. He had worried that the pup would struggle in Vulture Woods, but he was glad to see Blueberry was doing well after all these years.


    ¡°War Master?¡±


    The title still set his stomach into uncomfortable twists. Stryg suppressed his anxious grimace and turned to Lykos with a calm expression. ¡°Yes, War Elect?¡±


    ¡°Please, Lykos will do fine,¡± the older goblin said politely.


    ¡°In that case, please call me Stryg.¡± He felt uncomfortable calling the Warrior Elect by his name, but he felt worse being called War Master, the leader of the Sylvan armies, and the one responsible for their victory¡­ or defeat.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Lykos nodded.


    ¡°So, if it wasn''t for Blueberry, why did you call me to the wolf pens?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I would have rathered a more enclosed setting, but I have to oversee and prepare the riders for the upcoming battles.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re busy? Should I come back later?¡±


    ¡°No, I promise I won¡¯t take much of your time. Gods only know we are both short on time.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡± Stryg asked expectantly.


    ¡°Yes, I, hm¡­ I wanted to talk to you about my daughter, Elayne.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg guessed this probably had something to do with her. ¡°She is a skilled fighter, one of the best hand-to-hand combatants I¡¯ve seen. I can only imagine you trained her yourself?¡±


    ¡°Since she was old enough to walk. My advisor tells me you two sparred and that you did not just beat her, but you injured her severely even after she was defeated.¡± Lykos narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Stryg admitted shamelessly. ¡°Though I also sent Elayne to a healer right afterwards.¡±


    ¡°And which healer might that be?¡±


    ¡°My tribe¡¯s First Mother, Aurelia.¡±


    ¡°You requested Aurelia the Blooded to serve as a healer?!¡± Lykos asked, flabbergasted. ¡°There are plenty of mageborn acolytes and shamans who could have done such a job. There was no need to have the Favored of the Moon do it.¡±


    ¡°I wanted your daughter to have the best healer we had.¡±


    ¡°And now I¡¯ll owe Aurelia for saving my daughter,¡± he muttered and shook his head. ¡°Sabina was right about you.¡±


    ¡°The Mother Elect?¡±


    ¡°She warned me not to underestimate you. It has only been a day since you¡¯ve been appointed War Master and not only have you already quelled the upstart shaman circle, and placed me in the debt of your tribe¡¯s leadership, you¡¯ve even won the Shaman Elect¡¯s backing. No one has ever had Lumi¡¯s backing before. You truly are dangerous,¡± Lykos said with begrudging admiration.


    ¡°T-That wasn¡¯t my intent,¡± Stryg stammered.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Then tell me, why did you injure my daughter in the first place?¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath and then answered. ¡°To set an example.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter is a skilled warrior and mage, she¡¯d be a valuable addition to whichever division she joined.¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    ¡°But she is reckless, she lets her emotions get the better of her.¡±


    ¡°The folly of youth, surely you have done the same.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°But we are at war, Lykos. I need to know I can count on all my subordinates. How can I trust Elayne to follow commands in the heat of battle when she couldn''t even follow the simple instructions in a training exercise?¡±


    ¡°I see your point, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just¡ª¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t just disobey my commands. She disobeyed and disrespected the Shaman Elect. If I had allowed her to continue to flaunt her position as the daughter of the Warrior Elect then the shaman circle might have begun to follow her example. It seemed prudent to end the ¡®rebellion¡¯ there and then.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my daughter,¡± Lykos said wryly. ¡°Beating her to a pulp will not make her listen to you. She is stubborn, once she has set her heart on something she will not change, even if it kills her.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I am going to give her a choice. If she wishes to leave the mage division and join the vanguard I will let her.¡±


    Lykos frowned. ¡°I was the one who placed her with the mages, for a very good reason. The vanguard will be in the most dangerous position in the battles ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware, but as you said, Elayne is stubborn. If she wishes to fight at the forefront there is nothing you nor I can do to stop it. She will find a way. And I¡¯d rather she leave now than stay and cause more problems in the shaman circle.¡±


    Lykos scoffed to himself with a smile. ¡°You really thought this through, huh? I look forward to witnessing your path ahead, as does the rest of the war council, War Master.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Stryg hesitated but forced himself to speak, ¡°I have never led an army. You are more apt to be the War Master, not me.¡±


    Lykos laughed, a deep bellow. ¡°On that, we disagree.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°You¡¯ve had decades worth of battle experience. I¡¯m barely two decades old.¡±


    ¡°To be War Master is not to be the most experienced warrior on the battlefield. It is to make the difficult choices that are best for the Sylvan people.¡± He patted Stryg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Rest assured, you may draw on my wisdom and experiences whenever you wish, you need only ask.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I truly know what¡¯s best for our people¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    He shrugged uncomfortably, ¡°Here I am sending our warriors to a battle across the realm that could get them all killed. All for people they don¡¯t even know.¡±


    Lykos stroked his beard and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes you did. You saw the peril the Lunisians residing in Hollow Shade were facing and instead of turning a blind eye you chose to stand and fight for them.¡± He beat his chest with his fist, ¡°The Sylvan are warriors. We fight and risk everything for our people, that is what it means to be Sylvan.  Sabina and the others may only see the goblins in Hollow Shade as ¡®people we do not know,¡¯ but they are our people. And I for one am glad to fight for them.¡±


    Stryg stared at the broad-shouldered goblin in stunned silence. He had thought every goblin in the city was against this war, especially the Elects. And yet here Lykos stood, proud to fight for those who had never known him.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Stryg bowed his head.


    Lykos bowed in turn. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to talk. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, Chosen, there are matters with the wolf riders that need my attention.¡±


    ~~~


    The Eye of the Moon was the peak of Mt. Moon Fang. The jagged black rock was covered in patches of snow and ice all year long and there was scarcely any spot that a Hollow Shader would ever call ¡®comfortable.¡¯ Yet it was here, in this cold, frigid mountain peak that the greatest of Sylvan and Lunisian leaders of the past came to meditate and find clarity. Stryg hoped he could have a glimpse of such enlightenment.


    He sat cross-legged at the edge of the peak, overlooking the city of Evenfall below and the scarlet forest of Vulture Woods that stretched beyond the mountain range.


    It had been over an hour since he climbed up here and he felt none the wiser for it. He sighed pensively to himself and tried his best to remember Professor Ismene¡¯s teachings, though he was never particularly good at meditation.


    The steel trapdoor buried at the center of the peak opened up with a loud screech of the hinges. Stryg heard the footsteps crunching the snow behind him, but he didn¡¯t turn around. He recognized the familiar faint scent of birch and pine.


    The footsteps stopped about ten paces away.


    ¡°Hello¡­ Stryg¡­¡± said Aurelia quietly.


    ¡°...Hello, mother.¡± Stryg looked up at the waning moon and exhaled slowly, ¡°Thank you for healing Elayne.¡±


    Taking his words as a willingness to speak, Aurelia took a step forward. ¡°It was nothing, but I hope you don¡¯t make it a habit to beat up Elects¡¯ children and send them to me.¡±


    His lips slightly curled. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to.¡±


    Aurelia took another step closer. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What for¡­?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping we could talk.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Your questions. I know I owe you answers. Ask me what you want, I won¡¯t evade them.¡±


    Stryg turned around and looked at her. His eyes widened in surprise and his chest clenched in pain. She looked tired, older, as if she had been emaciated over the last two nights.


    ¡°When was the last time you ate?¡± he asked worriedly.


    She smiled dryly, ¡°When was the last time you drank blood? You look pale.¡±


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t evade my questions.¡±


    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± she raised her hands in surrender. ¡°May I?¡¯


    Stryg inclined his head and she walked over and sat down next to him, her legs dangling off the edge.


    ¡°Two days ago,¡± Aurelia started. ¡°Before our¡ª ¡®dispute.¡¯ I haven¡¯t had much of an appetite since.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat,¡± he tried to sound calm, though it sounded more like a plea.


    Aurelia looked at him and saw the worry in his lilac eyes. ¡°...I will,¡± she said softly. She cleared her throat and looked ahead at the landscape, ¡°Next question.¡±


    ¡°...How does a Yellow mage fly?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I get the basic concept. The mage casts a wind sphere around himself and uses its force to lift himself into the air, simulating flight. It¡¯s not as elegant as a bird, but at least this way the mage has accurate control over which direction he goes. I understand how the spell works and the weaves it takes to create, the problem is I¡¯m too heavy. I always sink after a few seconds. Is there a way I can stop myself from falling?¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ Is this really what you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°I could try to launch myself into the air with a blast of wind and then repeat the process over and over while airborne, but it would be incredibly messy and I¡¯d probably end up launching myself straight into the ground.¡±


    Aurelia bit her lip and smiled, ¡°If the problem is weight, have you thought of using an agility spell to lessen your overall weight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried, but I can¡¯t seem to lessen it sufficiently. I¡¯m still too heavy.¡±


    She wrinkled her brow, ¡°How much do you weigh?¡±


    ¡°The last time I checked I was a little over 500 pounds.¡±


    Surprise crossed her eyes for a moment, but she quickly buried it.


    ¡°That was a few months back. I haven¡¯t grown much taller since, but still¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably heavier?¡±


    He shrugged stiffly.


    ¡°I see, if that''s the case, then I doubt you¡¯d be able to lessen your weight enough until you¡¯ve mastered arch-level spells.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I have to become an arch-mage?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s just one way.¡± She tapped her lap in thought, ¡°Hm. Perhaps if you used a potion.¡±


    ¡°There are potions that can help me fly?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Some potions simulate aspects of agility magic. If you combined your own agility spell with a potion that lessens your overall weight, you could probably achieve flight.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great, except¡ª I don¡¯t know how to make potions¡­¡± he admitted awkwardly.


    Aurelia chuckled, ¡°You? You don¡¯t know how to brew a potion?¡¯


    ¡°Why is that so funny?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s just, well, potion brewing was one of the first forms of magic I had to learn at the temple. The Celestial Shrine favors and prioritizes certain fields of magic among their acolytes; healing, potion brewing, and enchantments are among the top. I never expected an Ebon Aspirant to be lacking in spell brewing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about enchantments either¡­¡±


    Aurelia blinked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Hm. Well, fortunately for you, you have me. I¡¯ll have Virella gather the ingredients and I can brew up a potion tonight. We can try it out in the morning.¡±


    Stryg smiled, ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a potion to fly,¡± a familiar voice echoed behind them. It was soft yet it rang clear in their ears.


    Stryg turned around in surprise. ¡°Lunae¡­?!¡±


    The silver-skinned goddess stood in front of them in her adolescent form, a young girl as tall as any goblin. Her long white hair trailed in the snow behind her as she walked towards them. ¡°You wish to learn how to fly?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Stryg said uncertainly.


    Lunae smirked. ¡°If you two wanted to learn magic you should have come to me.¡±

 Chapter 449: Flight

    Chapter 449: Flight


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a potion to fly,¡± a familiar voice echoed behind them. It was soft yet it rang clear in their ears.


    Stryg turned around in surprise. ¡°Lunae¡­?!¡±


    The silver-skinned goddess stood in front of them in her adolescent form, a young girl as tall as any goblin. Her long white hair trailed in the snow behind her as she walked towards them. ¡°You wish to learn how to fly?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Stryg said uncertainly.


    Lunae smirked. ¡°If you two wanted to learn magic you should have come to me.¡±


    Aurelia hurriedly bowed and prostrated herself in front of her goddess. ¡°Mother Moon! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were here, I would have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Relax, child. I only just arrived.¡± Lunae turned to Stryg, ¡°If you wish to fly you will never learn by sitting in the snow. Stand, Little One.¡±


    He jumped to his feet and dusted the snow off his pants.


    Lunae smiled at his eagerness. She walked up beside them at the edge of the peak. ¡°If you wish to learn to fly you need to stop thinking of it like casting any other spell. Such thoughts isolate the concept of flight, they¡¯re holding you back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°You think your weight is preventing you from flying, that your spell-casting abilities are limiting you, they are not. Magic is a part of you, mana flows through your veins. Yet you believe your body is clashing against your magic, it is not. Your body and your magic are not separate entities, they are one.¡±


    Stryg nodded hesitantly. He didn¡¯t really understand what she was saying, but if there was anyone who understood the deep secrets of magic it was the gods. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Lunae looked him up and down. ¡°Right now, nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­¡±


    ¡°The mages of Hollow Shade taught you to cast your spells with precision and precise intent. They made you believe that magic comes only from intricate thought. It worked for you so far, but in this, it shall not. Magic is more than just your mind, it is your body. Instinct. That is what you have neglected. You need to let go of your thoughts and rely on your body. Now, do as I do.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded tentatively.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lunae said approvingly. ¡°Take a good look at what you see in front of you. The snow beneath your feet, the peak of the mountain, the gorge below, the temple and the city of Evenfall past it, the scarlet trees of Vulture Woods sprawling in the distance, and the horizon beyond.¡±


    Stryg stared briefly at each one, each evoking different memories, some painful, others joyful, but more than anything he felt anxiety about the future of the Sylvan.


    ¡°I said look, do not think,¡± Lunae said calmly. ¡°Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and let those thoughts flow over and past you. Let only the emotion of this moment, here and now, stay with you.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and tried to forget about the future and the looming war. He tried to clear his mind and simply feel the voice of the goddess in his ear. The cold wind blew through his thin tunic and sent a light chill through his chest. He could feel the faint moonlight on his skin and he could hear the slow breathing of the goddess and his mother nearby. And for the first time in a long while, he felt peaceful.


    ¡°Now, relax your shoulders and exhale slowly,¡± Lunae whispered.


    Stryg did as he was told and he realized his body had been stiff and his muscles had been tense the entire time. He exhaled and relaxed. It was as if a weight he had been carrying all day had just slipped off.


    ¡°...Good, now¡ª just breathe,¡± Lunae whispered in his ear. Then she unceremoniously pushed him off the peak¡¯s edge.


    The slight pressure in his back and the sudden shift of his body felt odd. The sense of weightlessness was calming, freeing even. He didn¡¯t understand what was happening until the wind howled in his ears and he opened his eyes.


    ¡°STRYG!!¡± Aurelia screamed.


    The sharp rocks rushed towards him at blinding speeds.


    ¡°Oh, fu¡ª!¡± Stryg shouted panickedly and channeled Yellow into his veins. A half-formed unsteady sphere of wind whirled around him.


    He wasn¡¯t going to make it.


    He released the wind spell and channeled the mana through his body. Yellow scales wrapped around his skin a moment too late. Flashes of red and white pain blinded his vision. The durability scales cracked and shattered as he smashed into the ravine¡¯s jagged edges. He dropped straight into the gorge and crashed into the frozen river, flinging shards of ice flying everywhere.


    ¡°Huh, I thought that would work,¡± Lunae noted.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia screamed in horror. A sphere of wind curled around her and she flew down like a mad woman.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Lunae jumped down after them. She aimed straight for the frozen river, falling right past the narrow walls of the ravine. She landed with a heavy thud, sending cracks all over the ice.


    Aurelia was already kneeling at Stryg¡¯s side. She ripped off his tunic, revealing several lacerations and a mass of dark splotches of internal bleeding. His legs and right arm were bent at the wrong angles. Blood leaked from the corner of his lips.


    Stryg opened his eyes with a grimace and weakly looked up. ¡°M-Mom¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Aurelia grabbed his hand gently. ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re alright,¡± she said shakily and tried her best to smile. ¡°Everything is going to be alright.¡±


    Lunae loomed over them, she glanced at his injuries and shook her head. ¡°The boy tried to cast a wind spell out of sheer panic, and then he stopped half-way and tried to cast a defensive spell instead. Had he relied on his instinct rather than half-formed panicked thoughts he would not have failed so miserably.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s why he failed!?¡± Aurelia snapped at her for the time in her life. ¡°You pushed him off a cliff!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he wasn¡¯t ready,¡± Lunae said thoughtfully.


    Aurelia shook her head angrily and channeled white mana into her hands and began to infuse the healing energies into her son.


    ¡°Leave him,¡± Lunae said adamantly.


    ¡°What?¡± Aurelia frowned. ¡°He¡¯s badly wounded! He¡¯ll d¡ª¡±


    ¡°His hearts remain intact. He will not die. Let his body heal itself. He needs to grow accustomed to relying on his body, not his spellcasting or that of others. It will serve him well in the long run, especially when there are no healers nearby.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Aurelia stopped cold, the look in Lunae¡¯s silver eyes was not to be tested. Aurelia bit her lip and ended her spell reluctantly.


    Lunae crouched down next to them and brushed aside Stryg¡¯s white hair. ¡°Can you hear me, Little One?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± he groaned weakly.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard but I need you to focus on your pain, Little One. Your body will heal itself more easily if you do.¡±


    Focus on¡­ the pain¡­? That didn¡¯t make sense. That academy had taught him to ignore one¡¯s pain. Pain was the bane of spellcasting. It broke one¡¯s concentration and will. He had seen students botch their spells countless times in the middle of mock duels because they were in pain. Now she was telling him to embrace it?


    He could barely speak, much less move, but he did his best to try and follow her instruction. The taste of iron filled his mouth and pain wracked his body in reverberating pulses. His legs had already gone numb. Some small part of his mind wondered if he had suffered nerve damage.


    ¡°I need you to focus,¡± Lunae repeated in a soothing, but commanding voice.


    Stryg closed his eyes and diverted what little energy he had into embracing the pain burning through his body. His heartbeat echoed in his ears and every breath stung. He realized grimly he had broken several ribs.


    ¡°Good, just like that, Little One,¡± Lunae said in approval. ¡°You may have failed to fly tonight, but it was a good first try. Now that you have an idea of what it feels like, next time you¡¯ll do better.¡±


    ¡°¡­N-Next¡­ time¡­?¡± he mumbled fearfully.


    Lunae smiled. ¡°Do not worry, I won¡¯t push you off a peak again. As for flying, I am certain that in time it¡¯ll come to you.¡±


    ¡°And if¡­ I can¡¯t¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m teaching you how to heal yourself?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what to make of that before his mind faded into blissful unconsciousness.


    ~~~


    The quiet noise of a knife scraping against fruit echoed in Stryg¡¯s ears. He opened his eyes blearily and found himself staring up at a stone-carved ceiling. His neck lolled to the side and he spotted Plum sitting next to his bedside, cutting an apple into slices.


    ¡°Plum¡­?¡± he muttered drowsily.


    She glanced up with a jolt and almost dropped the knife. ¡°Oh, shit! You¡¯re awake!¡±


    He smiled wryly, ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡ª how are you?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± He frowned and recalled in vivid detail the horrifying moment. ¡°I fell¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how you fell? Your mom didn¡¯t want to tell us any details.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°Did someone push you? Do you remember what they looked like? The Silver Mother thinks there may have been an assassin who snuck into the temple.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Stryg slowly sat up and winced.


    Plum raised her hands, ¡°Careful! You don¡¯t want to tear open any of your wounds.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± he said and rolled his shoulders as if to prove a point.


    Plum frowned in horror. ¡°Stop it! The priestess who looked you over said you had sustained 7 broken ribs, two broken ankles, a broken femur, a broken wrist, dozens of small lacerations, and large extensive internal bleeding. You¡¯re lucky to be alive!¡±


    ¡°Well, looks like the healers did a good job. I feel fine.¡± Stryg pulled the blankets off and placed his bare feet on the ground.


    Plum stared at him in stunned silence. ¡°They didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The healers¡­ your mom forbade them from touching you.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°What? How long have I been out?¡±


    Plum glanced out at the window. The afternoon sun shined brightly in the sky. ¡°Half a day, more or less.¡±


    Stryg stood up, lifted his shirt, and glanced at his bare blue chest.


    ¡°My gods, there isn¡¯t a scratch on you,¡± Plum muttered. ¡°That is so cool!¡± she yelled in excitement. ¡°How did you do that!?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± He blinked. ¡°Did I?¡±


    The faint memories of last night began to come back to him. Lunae¡¯s words echoed in his mind.


    ¡°I healed myself¡­?¡± Stryg muttered.


    He knew he recovered faster than most but still¡­ Ever since he had gone to Shadow Lake he felt something in his body changing. Holo had warned him that his body¡¯s recovery would only improve, but this¡­ this was unprecedented.


    The bedroom door swung open and Aurelia walked in. She immediately noticed his half-dressed appearance and frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you and the drow were in that sort of relationship.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Plum said hastily. ¡°I mean I like him, but not like that. Trust me, I¡¯ve gotten to know him well enough to know to steer clear away from the mess that is your son, no offense.¡±


    Stryg raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Plum looked at him with a deadpan expression. ¡°You¡¯ve got problems, Stryg.¡± She grinned playfully, ¡°But misery loves company, am I right?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°You keep interesting company, Stryg,¡± Aurelia noted dryly. ¡°I can see why Virella likes drinking with you, drow. You both are happy idiots.¡±


    Plum¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Coming from you I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

 Chapter 450: The Petty Disputes of Nobles

    Chapter 450: The Petty Disputes of Nobles


    Lucius Glaz glanced around at the other six faces in the council chamber, some were filled with anger, others with frustration, but all carried a sense of worry. Lucius felt the heavy weight of responsibility that had been thrust upon him. He knew this day would come but he thought it was decades in the future. His mother was meant to guide him through the steps on how to lead the most powerful of the city¡¯s Houses and to navigate the dangers of this council. But Ayda Glaz was gone, like most of her army, destroyed at a skirmish in Dusk Valley.


    Now the enemy was coming to finish their reckoning and if Lord Noir¡¯s words were to be believed their army was at least twice as large as any of the reports had noted. Lucius wondered what his mother might have done in his place.


    Act.


    His mother¡¯s voice echoed in his voice. She would have acted. Ayda would never have sat back and let her city be taken by savages.


    Lucius stood up from his chair and the rest of the bickering council quieted. He opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn¡¯t certain what to say. They all stared at him in questioning silence.


    ¡°Hah! Look at him, the boy is at a loss for words,¡± Lord Zorn Goldelm laughed. ¡°Remind me again why he stands as the leader of this council?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should choose a new leader now?¡± Lady Alessandra Helene noted with a sweet edge to her voice.


    ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯d nominate yourself?¡± Goldelm sneered.


    ¡°You¡¯re words, not mine. Though I¡¯d certainly serve better than a senile old dwarf,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Come closer and I¡¯ll show you who is senile, you fucking hag,¡± Goldelm growled.


    ¡°Is that a challenge?¡± Alessandra smirked.


    ¡°What? Too scared to face me in a proper duel?¡± Goldelm taunted.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. The loser will vote for the victor¡¯s bid for council leadership,¡± Alessandra said.


    Goldelm grinned. ¡°You¡¯re on, you ugly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Lady Calantha Ashe spoke up. ¡°Lucius¡¯ position is temporary, inherited from his mother, as is his right. An official council leader will be chosen at the proper time. After we resolve the crisis of this war.¡±


    ¡°...As you wish, high priestess,¡± Zorn Goldelm conceded.


    ¡°Of course, Lady Ashe,¡± Alessandra bowed her head.


    Calantha glanced at Lucius and nodded for him to continue.


    Lucius smiled gratefully. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, ¡°First, I¡¯d like to thank Lord Noir for bringing to attention the severity of the looming threat just beyond our walls. After reviewing the situation, I am in agreement with Lord Noir¡¯s city defense proposal and his nomination to make Lord Krall Katag Hollow Shade¡¯s War Master.¡±


    Elzri nodded in acknowledgment.


    Alessandra Helene clicked her tongue. ¡°While Lord Katag does seem to be the most fit candidate for the position of War Master, I am not quite certain about the defense proposal. Enlisting not only the commoners, but the merchant class, and aristocrats as well? Surely there are better alternatives.¡±


    ¡°I understand as the city¡¯s merchant queen you are not keen on giving up your men and resources, but we all must cooperate together if we are to survive the warlord Marek¡¯s army,¡± Lucius said.


    ¡°Certainly, but I don¡¯t see why I must sacrifice my own¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not speak to me about sacrifice!¡± Lucius snapped.


    Alessandra smiled wryly, ¡°I understand you are mourning your mother, but you are not the only one who has lost family to the valley tribes. My sister was taken from me over twenty years ago by those savages. Her death plagues me to this day. I also want revenge but I know my House¡¯s longevity is more important than a petty vendetta¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, spare us the fake tears.¡± Lady Elise Veres rolled her eyes, ¡°The only reason you sit on that chair is because your older sister was killed by the savages. If it wasn¡¯t for them you¡¯d just be another merchant noble scheming ways to swindle the other Houses.¡±


    Alessandra jumped to her feet. ¡°How dare you!¡± she yelled indignantly.


    ¡°And another thing,¡± Elise said. ¡°I was told you were the most beautiful human, if not woman, in the entire city. Clearly, the poets must have been referring to several decades ago. Try and hide it all you want, but your beauty is fading.¡±


    Alessandra narrowed her eyes, ¡°I see¡­ You simply wish to try and anger me. How childish. I am not the only one who wouldn¡¯t be sitting here if it wasn¡¯t for their older sister¡¯s death.¡±


    Elise scoffed with a smile. ¡°True, but that is where our similarities end. You see, unlike you, I don¡¯t dabble in bullshit. I didn¡¯t join this council to hear a bunch of old fucks argue with one another either. My father and my sister didn¡¯t die on that battlefield for me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs. If we are going to defeat our enemies I will make sure we use every resource we have at our disposal, including yours.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°In other words, sit down, ya old cunt!¡± Zorn yelled.


    ¡°Veres and Goldelm, the classic friendship of useless idiots,¡± Alessandra frowned. ¡°There is no point in arguing with fools. If you wish to try and take my resources you will have to kill me first.¡±


    ¡°Is that an offer?¡± Elise smiled coldly.


    ¡°There is no need for violence, not yet anyway,¡± Lucius spoke up. ¡°Let us take a vote on Lord Noir¡¯s proposals. All in favor?¡± He raised his hand.


    Lady Veres, Lady Ashe, Lord Goldelm, and Lord Noir raised their hands immediately. With Lucius, that made it 6 to Helene¡¯s one.


    ¡°You need a unanimous vote to elect a War Master,¡± Alessandra said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to give my vote if the men and women of my House and their vassal Houses are spared from the city¡¯s enlistment.¡±


    Calantha Ashe glared at her, ¡°If you do not agree to this vote I will personally use my influence as high priestess to have the city¡¯s people refuse all business and trade with your House and their vassals from now on until the end of time.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s pale cheeks grew red with anger. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t! The high priestess never interferes with the trade of this city!¡±


    Calantha¡¯s scarlet eyes gleamed dangerously. ¡°My goddess is the patron of War, she is the Guardian of the Realm. I would be a failure of a high priestess if I did not guard my city during times of war. So, Alessandra Helene, if you decline this vote, I swear I will do more than just halt your family¡¯s trade, I will leave your entire House in ruins. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    Alessandra swallowed hard and she fell back down on her chair.


    ~~~


    Lord Krall Katag stared out at the window, his face pensive.


    ¡°You seem disappointed, War Master,¡± Elzri smiled.


    Krall sighed. ¡°Not disappointed. Worried. Even with the vote, it will make no difference if I can¡¯t manage to properly organize and lead all these people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so unsure of yourself,¡± Elzri said, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been faced with fighting a god,¡± Krall muttered.


    Elzri glanced around to make sure no one else was listening. ¡°You best keep that part to yourself. The last thing we need right now is to shatter our soldiers¡¯ morale.¡±


    ¡°Does Lady Ashe know?¡± Krall asked.


    ¡°Not yet, but I have a feeling she¡¯ll figure it out soon enough,¡± Elzri said as he eyed the woman in question walking towards them.


    ¡°Lord Noir, Lord Katag.¡± Calantha bowed her head.


    ¡°Lady Ashe,¡± Elzri bowed his head slightly more than she.


    Krall grunted in recognition and walked away.


    ¡°Thank you for your support back in there, Lady Ashe,¡± Elzri said. ¡°Having House Helene¡¯s resources and engineers at our disposal will greatly accelerate the construction of the trebuchets on the wall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, but there is no need to thank me. This is my city as much as it is yours. Besides,¡± Calantha added. ¡°I still owe you for letting my cousin into your academy without any trouble or questions.¡±


    ¡°Mm, happy to help. Although, I did find it odd why you insisted that Sylvie not be informed of your involvement in her enrollment. Now that she¡¯s left, care to finally tell me why?¡±


    Calantha smiled, ¡°Family matters. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I do.¡±


    ¡°What I would like to know is why Lucius seemed so on board with your proposal.¡±


    ¡°He wishes to avenge his mother, obviously.¡±


    ¡°And yet you and his mother notoriously didn¡¯t get along.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything against Ayda. She was the daughter of my late wife¡¯s cousin. We were family.¡±


    ¡°And yet, Ayda did not trust you. So why does her son?¡±


    ¡°I told you already, Lucius wishes to avenge his mother¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªOr maybe, it¡¯s because you healed his younger brother, Vayu, and currently have him resting at your mansion, hm?¡±


    Elzri smiled begrudgingly, ¡°Family matters, you know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I do,¡± she smirked. ¡°I trust you aren¡¯t holding back any more secrets from me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Now why does that seem like a test?¡±


    Calantha shrugged lightly and walked away, ¡°You tell me, Lord Noir.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg stood still with nothing more than his undergarments. Or at least he tried to, he kept fidgeting whenever Aurelia poked and prodded his abdomen and back.


    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± Aurelia asked while checking him for any injuries.


    ¡°I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°Any pain?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How about here?¡± She pressed down on his ankle.


    ¡°No.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait, did I break my ankle?¡±


    ¡°You broke both of them.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Everything after I fell last night is a bit of a blur.¡±


    ¡°You seem oddly calm about all of this.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s not the first time I almost fell to my death.¡±


    ¡°...Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± Aurelia nodded and tossed him his shirt. ¡°Your body seems fine, for now.¡±


    ¡°Am I good to go then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your skin is two shades too pale. When was the last time you drank blood?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A while ago? Look, I¡¯m not a vampire, I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°The blood of House Veres runs strongly through your veins. You may not die from a lack of blood, but you will certainly grow weaker as time goes on. If you are to lead our warriors into battle then you will need to be in your best shape. You owe it to them.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll have one of the acolytes bring me a bottle of bloodwine.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll be better off with fresh blood.¡±


    ¡°Goblin blood?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Never drink from your own kind, ever. And that includes vampires and drows. You¡¯ll get sick after only a few sips.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stryg blinked. He had never felt sick after drinking Maeve¡¯s blood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one of the hunters prepare a deer for you.¡±


    ¡°...What about an orc?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you want to drink orc blood?¡± Aurelia said in disbelief.


    ¡°I mean¡­ maybe¡­?¡± he winced.


    Aurelia sighed, and instead of hitting him like he expected she would, she turned around and walked out of the room. ¡°Do as you wish.¡±

 Chapter 451: A Bloody Diet

    Chapter 451: A Bloody Diet


    The Celestial Shrine¡¯s acolytes moved with deft silence, placing plate after plate of steaming food on the table for the two guests. A few of the acolytes were eager to ask the War Master a multitude of questions; ranging from the simple, like was there a particular dish he preferred? To the more complicated, like what was it like to meet the Mother Moon? But the cold atmosphere in the room stopped them from daring to utter a single syllable.


    The War Master seemed calm, regal, his lilac eyes shifting only a fraction as they walked past him. His expression was unreadable, like the still surface of a pond. Whereas Lunae¡¯s Chosen was cool and collected, the woman sitting across the table from him emanated a fiery rage. Her amber eyes burned with anger and her glare sent the acolytes who stepped too close scurrying away. The stories of the dangers of orcs all seemed to be true.


    Once the food and the table were set, the eldest of the acolytes took a shaky step forward and tried her best to keep her voice from trembling. ¡°W-War Master¡­? May we, um, may we help you with anything else?¡±


    He glanced at her and smiled politely. ¡°No, this is fine, thank you.¡±


    The acolyte nodded with a smile and turned to the other guest. ¡°Um, Katag was it? Is there anything else we may help you with?¡±


    Tauri¡¯s glare slowly turned on her. ¡°...No.¡±


    The acolyte paled and bowed her head while backing away. ¡°I-If you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯ll leave you both to your meal.¡±


    The door slammed shut behind the retreating acolytes, leaving the guests alone. The silent tension was almost palpable but Stryg didn¡¯t seem to notice. He grabbed the nearest plate of roasted venison and began to dig in.


    ¡°...So you can eat meat with no problem,¡± Tauri noted with an annoyed tone to her voice.


    ¡°I can eat anything without any problem. Actually,¡± he put his fork down. ¡°Spicy foods were troublesome at first, but I¡¯ve gotten used to them.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re such a ¡®culinary enthusiast¡¯ why don¡¯t you go ahead and drink someone else¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°Culinary¡­? I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Tauri crossed her arms. ¡°It means I¡¯m not giving you a drop of my blood.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re not being sarcastic, are you?¡±


    She sighed irritably, ¡°No, Stryg, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Okay.¡± He nodded lightly and went back to eating.


    Tauri furrowed her brow. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked innocently.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna try to convince me? Hold me down and forcefully take my blood? Wait¡ª¡± Tauri wrapped her arms around herself and looked at him worriedly, ¡°You¡¯re not going to sneak into my bed while I sleep and bite my neck?¡±


    Stryg cocked his eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve been listening to Plum¡¯s stories too much.¡±


    Tauri threw her arms up. ¡°What else am I supposed to do when we¡¯re traveling through the woods? She never stops talking even when I tell her to shut up.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Last I recall you were the asking her to finish the tale of the ¡®Tormented Vampire & the Lonesome Milkmaid.¡¯¡±


    ¡°How else were we supposed to pass the time at the campfire?¡± she said defensively.


    He smirked. ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine, don¡¯t tell Plum this but she¡¯s a decent storyteller, save for the part where most of her stories end up being very lewd¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought she could work on the realism of those parts a bit.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tauri asked.e


    ¡°When the vampire bit the milkmaid¡¯s breast while she slept Plum said he loved it so much that he kept going back and biting the same spot every night.¡±


    ¡°Okay, besides Plum¡¯s abnormal obsession with big tits in her stories, what¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°Well, a vampire would never do that. Sure, the venom that secretes from their fangs promotes coagulation but it doesn¡¯t outright heal the wound. If he kept biting the milkmaid¡¯s tit like that it would end up infected or worse, she¡¯d die.¡± Stryg shook his head, ¡°If he really was so obsessed with her bust and nothing more like the story goes, than what he¡¯d need to do is alternate between the breasts at the very least, which shouldn¡¯t be hard since the milkmaid has, as Plum put it, ¡®~huuuge breasts~¡¯. Honestly, the smart thing to do would have been feeding on different people altogether, especially on areas like the neck or the thighs which have more blood.¡±


    ¡°Is that right¡­?¡± Tauri asked in a cold quiet voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg nodded, oblivious to the shift in her tone. ¡°Now, if the vampire was a white mage it would have been much simpler. He could easily mend the wounds after he was done and help promote blood replenishment in the milkmaid¡¯s body. Those spells can be tricky to master, but it wasn¡¯t that difficult to learn¡ª¡±


    Stryg suddenly noticed the cold furious glare in Tauri¡¯s eyes. He laughed shakily, ¡°I mean, I was just thinking about the whole thing out of boredom, purely conjecture.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot about this sorta thing. How many women have you drank blood from?¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He coughed, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve spent a lot of time at House Gale¡¯s manor. I¡¯ve learned a lot about their eating habits.¡±


    ¡°How many, Stryg?¡±


    He shrugged nervously, ¡°Who is to say? I¡¯ve had bloodwine many times, especially when I was training at the Gale manor. I don¡¯t know how many women or men had their blood drained to make those bottles.¡±


    Tauri narrowed her eyes. ¡°You know what I mean, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°...Two¡ª wait, no, three,¡± he blurted.


    ¡°And who were they?¡±


    ¡°Feli, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said in a strangely calm voice.


    ¡°Maeve as well.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A friend of mine, well, I guess we¡¯re a bit more than friends. Maeve Mora.¡±


    ¡°Mora? You¡¯re sleeping with a merchant princess? Since when¡ª? You know, what. No, I don¡¯t care. Who was the last?¡±


    ¡°Oh, some orc from the Commoner District. She led this drow gang that caused trouble to people who were very important to me.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill her?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°There was no one else?¡±


    ¡°Um, there was one time this thing with these two pretty orcs. Loh got me very drunk and I don¡¯t really know what happened¡­¡±


    Tauri frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    He smiled wryly, ¡°When I woke up the next morning they had a lot of bite marks. There was some blood on the blankets too¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you at least heal them afterwards?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know any white magic back then.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t just leave them like that, did you?¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you killed them?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I left the room as soon as I woke up. They¡¯re fine¡­ probably.¡±


    Tauri sunk back in her chair and sighed deeply. ¡°Sometimes I forget how vicious you can be.¡± She shook her head and began to eat her food.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not angry?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be angry?  It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a relationship. What you do in your private time is your own business,¡± she said apathetically.


    ¡°But you just asked me¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was for my sister. If anything I should be angry for her, she¡¯s your fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°I already told you I¡¯m going to break that engagement when I see your parents again.¡±


    ¡°Even more reason why I don¡¯t care what you do.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he winced.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Tauri grunted and kept eating in silence.


    Stryg sighed, pushed his food aside, and stood up from the table.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, but this food won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to drink the blood from a deer after all?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just going to ask Plum.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Tauri frowned, ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause Plum would never let you drink her blood.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    Tauri bit her lip angrily ¡°....Ugh, fine!¡± she groaned. ¡°Just a sip.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Tauri blushed frustratingly. ¡°You can drink a bit of my blood, just leave Plum alone.¡±


    Stryg broke into a smile, ¡°So you do care.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, before I change my mind.¡±


    He walked over and pulled up a chair next to her. ¡°You know, for what it counts, I¡¯d hate it if someone else drank your blood¡­¡± he admitted.


    Tauri looked at him carefully, ¡°And what if someone already has?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg¡¯s pupils narrowed to thin slits. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°No one, I just wanted to see how you¡¯d react,¡± she smirked.


    He frowned. ¡°Haha, very funny.¡±


    She leaned on the table with her elbow, rested her chin on her hand, and stared at his face. ¡°You know, you¡¯re cute when you¡¯re jealous.¡±


    ¡°Is that right¡­?¡± He leaned forward slowly.


    When he was a few inches from her face, she whispered. ¡°So how are we going to do this?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes drifted down to her small but perky breasts.


    Tauri glared at him, ¡°You¡¯re not going to bite my boobs.¡±


    ¡°N-Never dreamed of it. What about the shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ that¡¯s more normal, I guess.¡± She nodded reluctantly and pulled down her tunic a tad, revealing the scarlet bare skin of her shoulder.


    Stryg tried to lean over, but the table¡¯s corner blocked him. ¡°I can¡¯t reach¡­ Maybe if you got closer?¡±


    She looked at him suspiciously. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He patted his thighs. ¡°If you sit like this, it would be easier for the both of us.¡±


    ¡°How would that be easier for me?¡±


    ¡°Well, people usually feel lightheaded after having their blood drunk. You could tip over and fall. I¡¯d catch you.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she said skeptically. ¡°Because you¡¯d be too slow to catch me otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he nodded several times.


    Tauri shook her head and stood up. She sauntered over and while facing him, gradually sat down on his thighs. She wrapped her legs around him and rested her hands on his shoulders. ¡°Is that better?¡±


    ¡°Much,¡± he whispered excitedly.


    She cracked a small smile. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m going to regret this?¡±


    Stryg slipped his hands under her shirt and rested his hands on her waist. He leaned into her, opened his mouth wide, and slowly bit down on her bare shoulder with his small fangs. Tauri gasped and grimaced in pain as his teeth ripped into her skin, drawing blood. She reflexively tried to push him away but his jaw did not budge.


    ¡°S-Stop¡­!¡± she gasped weakly.


    The sweet taste of blood filled Stryg¡¯s mouth as the crimson liquid trickled down his throat. Perhaps it was because he hadn¡¯t drunk blood in a long time or perhaps he simply had a taste for orcish blood, either way, Tauri¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach his ears and he soon lost himself in the exquisite sweetness of her blood.


    Tauri¡¯s gasps weakened and became ragged breaths. Her body grew hot and a haze overcame her consciousness. Some small part of her mind warned her of the mental effects of vampiric venom on their victims, but it was soon drowned out by the pleasure emanating from her neck. Gone was the pain, all that was left was a sweet burning sensation that reverberated through her body.


    She moaned softly. Her clouded mind didn¡¯t want him to stop, she wanted him to drink every last drop of her blood. Strength left her body and she felt herself falling off the chair. Stryg pulled her back and let her weight fall over him, all the while never letting go of her bleeding shoulder.


    Gone were any coherent thoughts, all he wanted was to devour the sweet pleasure in front of him. His hands reached down past her waist and cupped her wide round butt. They were soft yet firm and he squeezed them tight. He swallowed her delicious blood and began to suck greedily, wanting more and more.


    Suddenly an ice-cold feeling bloomed across his chest and shook him from the heat of the moment. Stryg loosened his jaw and lifted his head back. He blinked several times and breathed in slowly. The hungry haze faded from his mind and he looked at Tauri worriedly. Her amber eyes were glazed over and saliva drooled from the corner of her lips.


    It felt difficult to think straight, but Stryg focused as much of his will as he could. White mana flowed into his hands and he quickly sealed the wound on her neck. Her expression was still distant and her breath shallow. Stryg pulled her into his embrace and held her quietly as both of them gradually recovered.

 Chapter 452: The Ebon Tower

    Chapter 452: The Ebon Tower


    The Central District sat at the very heart of Hollow Shade. The district was filled with officials¡¯ buildings, such as the city council chamber, and religious temples for each of the ebon gods, along with minor temples for the pantheons of other realms.


    During the day temple acolytes and city scribes ran about in an almost chaotic swarm of people. Merchants from the city and beyond would come to make trade deals with the aristocrats and their Houses. And the average commoner would come to pay respect to the gods and sometimes attend the city-wide festivals.


    Yet in the dark hours of the night, the bustling Central District was quiet. Gone were acolytes and scribes, merchants and mages, nobles and commoners. There were no rattling chains of the city¡¯s iconic undead sentinels. The district was guarded by elite soldiers and battle mages who kept silent in their night patrols. What was once one of the busiest of the seven districts had suddenly become the quietest.


    At the district¡¯s very center, looming tall over the rest of the city, stood the Ebon Tower, a round black spire of unknown material that stretched towards the sky, split in half as if a god had cleaved it in two. Twin pairs of half-circles perforated the spire, one near the top, and one at the middle. At the bottom of the tower was a grand round base of white stone that stretched outwards, forming a giant ring-shaped mound of steps of sorts.


    Unalla Noir wandered through the district in the late hours of the night. The guards had at first tried to give her trouble, but when she showed them a strange ivory nameplate the captain of the guard profusely apologized and hurriedly pushed his guards in the other direction.


    Nameplates were built from metallic substances and enchanted with secret spells by the city¡¯s brown mages to denote one¡¯s social status and legitimacy within Hollow Shade. An ivory nameplate was very rare, for it did not denote social status; it was a symbol of the city¡¯s most elite agents, an assassin of the highest caliber, or perhaps an agent delivering a secret message of the utmost importance. No matter the case, the guards knew better than to impede the owner of an Ivory plate.


    Unalla rarely showed her nameplate to anyone, but tonight¡¯s circumstances called for it. Her Mistress Holo had disappeared without telling a soul earlier that afternoon. That was common enough for Holo, but now of all times, when war was looming over Hollow Shade, many in the Singing Willow Troupe were beginning to panic.


    The Noir family and several of Holo¡¯s mages had gone searching for her, but none had found her. This wasn¡¯t at all unusual. Unalla had known Holo since she was a baby and had spent much of her youth following Holo around. They were as close as family. And during all that time Unalla had grown used to Holo¡¯s disappearances.


    Still, with the Monster¡¯s presence closing in on them, Unalla couldn¡¯t help but worry. As panic began to well up in the pit of her stomach she caught a glimmer in the corner of her eye. A ghostly light shined faintly at the bottom of the Ebon Tower. Unalla crossed the city square and made a beeline towards the tower. Votum dragged behind her small thin frame. The tip of the giant blade had cut through the sheath and made a groove in the grey bricks.


    Unalla winced as she glanced back at the tarnished paved city square. She needed to get her sheath fixed one of these days. Just one more thing that she didn¡¯t have time to deal with.


    Shaking her head, she adjusted the giant blade on her back and walked up the white stone steps. At the top of the polished stone steps stood the Ebon Tower, a massive structure that could be seen even from the hills outside the city. And in the shadows of the tower, between both half-spires, sat a lone figure, holding a massive scythe with a glass-like blade that flickered with ghostly light.


    Unalla stopped at a respectful distance and bowed her head. ¡°Lady Holo.¡±


    Holo sat on the ground, her head between her knees, her scythe¡¯s grip and snath resting on her shoulder. She slowly looked up at the sound of Unalla¡¯s voice and brushed her brown hair aside. ¡°Little Noir? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave a message or tell anyone where you were going. My parents and my uncle have been looking for you, along with what feels like half our people,¡± Unalla explained.


    ¡°Oh, I guess I did forget¡­¡± she mumbled, her voice trailing off.


    ¡°Lady Holo? Is everything alright?¡± she asked worriedly.


    ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ yes. I¡¯m just¡ª tired,¡± Holo said softly. ¡°Come. Sit with me a while.¡±


    Unalla nodded and closed the distance. As soon as she stepped between the tower¡¯s half-spires Votum began to shake on her back. She glanced behind and stood stock-still in surprise as her sheath fell apart in tatters. She slipped Votum off her back and tried to calm the sword down, but the blade only began to shake more violently.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­!?¡±


    Holo grinned half-heartedly, ¡°Your orichalcum sword is reacting to the Ebon Tower and the Crosspoint of leylines underneath. Don¡¯t worry, it will pass soon enough.¡±


    Unalla nodded anxiously. After a few moments, the violent shaking stopped but the giant blade still trembled faintly with a subtle hum.


    Unalla carefully placed the sword on the ground before turning to Holo. ¡°H-How? Why did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Orichalcum is made from the soul of this world given physical form.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Unalla¡¯s eyes widened. She turned to her sword in shock. ¡°Votum is a soul?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, no. More like a very, very small piece of the soul of the world. It does not have a consciousness per se, but it can feel. It¡¯s why it responds to the Ebon Tower drawing power from the Crosspoint.¡± Holo placed her hand on the polished white stone underneath her. ¡°Think of the world soul as the heart of the realms and the leylines are its roots stretching outwards.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°How did the titans manage to create metal from the world soul?¡± Unalla asked in awe.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t, they simply learned how to work the metal into weapons and tools in powerful ways that no one has ever since figured out. Orichalcum itself is a gift from the world soul to all of us.¡± She scoffed lightly, ¡°Whatever that means.¡±


    ¡°So the world soul is¡ª good?¡±


    Holo shrugged, ¡°The world soul is akin to Mother Nature itself, she can be cruel just as she can be kind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s comforting,¡± she mumbled.


    Holo smiled wryly, ¡°No, I guess it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Unalla stared at her freckled olive cheeks. It was different from the vampiress form she had been using earlier today, but her smile was still the same.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Holo asked.


    ¡°You changed your form¡­¡±


    ¡°I prefer the human shape these days. Draws less attention, easier to move around.¡±


    ¡°Even with that?¡± Unalla glanced up at the enormous scythe.


    ¡°I can change Lyrae¡¯s appearance to a more¡ª mundane look, if need be.¡±


    Unalla stared warily at the white ghostly light flickering at the edge of the scythe¡¯s blade. ¡°What is that? Why is it glowing like that?¡±


    ¡°It is the reason I came here tonight. The Ebon Tower is the central construct that holds the complex array of sigil equations that form the city¡¯s enchantments, but the tower is more than that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Holo looked up at the twin half-spires that stretched towards the night sky. ¡°It is a bridge.¡±


    Unalla furrowed her brow. ¡°A bridge?¡±


    ¡°A millennia ago the Great Artificer Parathyan once tried to replicate the world¡¯s natural realm bridges. After years of hard work and countless failed designs, he managed to create the first chrome gates. It was a miracle, really.¡±


    Holo lifted both her hands, ¡°Unlike a realm bridge which could only take you from one specific point in a realm to another specific point in another, a chrome gate could theoretically take you to any other chrome gate in the world.¡±


    ¡°It must have been amazing to witness,¡± Unalla whispered reverently.


    ¡°It was, I suppose. But chrome gates are very finicky. They require a perfect synchronized stream of all ten chromatic colors, a feat usually reserved for prime archmages.¡±


    ¡°In other words, only a prime archmage could operate the chrome gates.¡± Unalla surmised.


    ¡°Precisely. A chrome gate encapsulates its passengers in a short-lasting but powerful shield, a chromatic bubble you could say, and then the gate tears a hole into the Null and shoots the passengers through it at incredible speeds. A second chrome gate acts as a beacon and directs the bubble to it. If all goes well, the bubble flies through the Null and comes out at the second chrome gate, its passengers unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Sounds pretty safe.¡± Unalla grimaced, ¡°At least safer than how we usually travel through the realms.¡±


    Holo laughed. ¡°Sure, our dark-ways are long and riddled with dangers, but we are still within the boundaries of our world, relatively speaking. Whereas if a chromatic gate¡¯s bubble were to tear in the slightest in the middle of travel, all the passengers would be ripped apart by the energies of the Null instantly. The only reason a chromatic gate even works is because the distance between the realms is so short. If it were any longer, the bubbles might attract¡ª things that dwell in the Null. Things that you and I should hope to never encounter.¡±


    ¡°I s-see¡­¡± Unalla looked away nervously and her eyes wandered towards the Ebon Tower surrounding her, ¡°So this tower works like the chrome gates?¡±


    ¡°No, my bridge design is quite different, albeit just as exclusive,¡± Holo admitted wryly. ¡°Unlike a chrome gate, there is no second ¡®Ebon Tower¡¯ serving as a beacon at the other end. Hypothetically, if you had a traveling vessel and a beacon, you could reach the Ebon Tower from anywhere in the Null Realms. Quite amazing if I do say so myself,¡± Holo grinned proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª incredible,¡± Unalla said in awe. She wrinkled her brow, ¡°But you said there was no second tower acting like a beacon, so how do you reach this tower? And what was that about a vessel?¡±


    Holo looked pointedly at Votum lying on the ground. ¡°A chrome gate is the door into the Null and the chrome bubble is the ship that travels through the Null, but when it comes to the Ebon Tower an orichalcum weapon can act as both.¡±


    Unalla paled in fear, ¡°Wait a second! Are you saying Caligo could use Honorem to reach the tower?¡±


    ¡°No, the enchantments etched within the tower prevent Caligo from entering Hollow Shade through any means. You can relax.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Wait, so could I use Votum to reach the Ebon Tower whenever I wanted then?¡±


    ¡°Eh, not exactly whenever you wanted, you¡¯d still need to have a beacon directing you here. Not to mention I¡¯d have to teach you how to travel, which is incredibly dangerous because you¡¯d be traveling through the Null, albeit for a brief moment. You¡¯d be safer sticking to the dark-ways.¡±


    Unalla frowned, ¡°But you taught me all inter-realm travel is technically dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this method is far more dangerous than the others. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I understand¡­¡± Unalla mumbled, disappointed.


    Holo smiled sympathetically, ¡°I won¡¯t teach you how to use Votum as a vessel, but if you¡¯d like I can teach you how to use it as a beacon.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s head shot up curiously, ¡°What?¡±


    Holo glanced up at the ghostly light flicker over Lyrae¡¯s blade. ¡°You need an orichalcum weapon to travel into the Null, but another must act as a beacon so that you may find your way through the darkness of the Null.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. You¡¯re acting as a beacon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more exhausting than it looks,¡± Holo said wearily.


    ¡°You¡¯re waiting for someone, the friend you sometimes spoke about? The Champion?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll make it on time if they use the dark-ways. So I¡¯m acting as a beacon, in case they try to reach us through the tower.¡±


    Unalla glanced around. ¡°How long do you have to wait here?¡±


    ¡°As long as it takes.¡± Holo sighed, ¡°...I don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll come.¡±


    ¡°You sent out the call for help in the dreamscape weeks ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If your friend really heard it then shouldn¡¯t they be here by now? If they really care about any of this, about you, wouldn¡¯t they already be here, even if they traveled through the dark-ways? And if they somehow couldn¡¯t, why not just use the Ebon Tower right now?¡±


    Holo smiled tiredly, ¡°I never told you why they were called Champion, did I?¡±


    ¡°No, but why does that matter?¡±


    ¡°Because if anyone should understand why I sit here in the dark with Lyrae as a beacon, it should be the city¡¯s only other orichalcum wielder.¡±


    The serious tone in Holo¡¯s voice struck a chord in Unalla. The young drow nodded quietly and sat down to listen.


    Holo tapped her fingers on her knee, ¡°Hm, where to begin¡­? Well, I guess I should start by saying my friend¡¯s title wasn¡¯t really Champion, it was Champion of Mortem.¡±

 Chapter 453: Holo

    Chapter 453: Holo


    Unalla bit her lip, ¡°If your friend really heard your call for help then shouldn¡¯t they be here by now? If they really care about this war, about you, wouldn¡¯t they already be here, even if they traveled through the dark-ways? And if they somehow couldn¡¯t, why not just use the Ebon Tower right now?¡±


    Holo smiled tiredly, ¡°I never told you why they were called Champion, did I?¡±


    ¡°No, but why does that matter?¡±


    ¡°Because if anyone should understand why I sit here in the dark with Lyrae as a beacon, it should be the city¡¯s only other orichalcum wielder.¡±


    The serious tone in Holo¡¯s voice struck a chord in Unalla. The young drow nodded reluctantly and sat down to listen.


    Holo tapped her fingers on her knee thoughtfully, ¡°Hm, where to begin¡­? Well, I guess I should start by saying my friend¡¯s title wasn¡¯t really Champion, it was Champion of Mortem.¡±


    Unalla swallowed hard. ¡°Champion of¡­ Mortem? As in the Mortem Order?¡±


    Holo smiled wryly. ¡°Does that frighten you?¡±


    Unalla licked her lips anxiously. ¡°W-Well, wasn¡¯t the Mortem Order the creators of the beast-kin? I heard they used some kind of dark magic to do it. The history books I¡¯ve read all say they were one of the most dangerous circles of mages to have ever lived. And they destroyed all who dared oppose them.¡±


    ¡°First of all, dark magic? Hah! There is no such thing as ¡®dark magics,¡¯ nor ¡®good magics¡¯ for that matter. There is just magic, pure energy given corporeal form, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°So the Mortem Order wasn''t dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, the mages of the Mortem Order were incredibly dangerous, yes, but they were so much more than that. You see, it was not a circle of mages.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Unalla furrowed her brow.


    ¡°The Order wasn¡¯t only for mages. It was a haven for free-thinking minds who dared question the traditional concepts of the world around us. The Order accepted people from all walks of life; it did not matter if you were the daughter of a king or the son of a beggar, or even if you came from somewhere else, like the Azure or Ashen Realms. In the Order, you were accepted for who you were, not what you were.¡±


    Holo raised her hands excitedly, ¡°The Order was a place where the brightest minds gathered. Scholars, philosophers, scientists, and yes, mages too. Ah,¡± she sighed, ¡°You would have loved it.¡±


    Unalla chuckled, ¡°You almost sound like you were one of them.¡±


    Holo glanced at her and smiled softly. ¡°I was.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s blue eyes widened to saucers. ¡°You¡­? You¡¯re a Mortem!?¡±


    ¡°We never called ourselves that, but yes, I was. In fact, I was one of its founding members.¡±


    ¡°You founded the Mortem?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t the Founder, that idea came from another; a safe haven for the advancement and betterment of our world. I was there, however, when we officially founded the Order.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s expression grew more confused as Holo spoke.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Holo asked.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just. The Mortem Order you¡¯re describing, it isn¡¯t the one I grew up hearing about.¡±


    Holo¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Yes, well, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be. People only remember the nightmares we unleashed on the world, the scars we left behind. It was never what I wanted, or so many others for that matter. But I suppose I digress. Our little story starts many centuries ago. I had been tasked by the Order to find and recruit a particularly gifted individual, one who we had our eye on for some time, Nell.¡±


    ¡°Nell?¡±


    ¡°My friend¡­ At the time, I was traveling to recruit Nell. I didn¡¯t know much about Nell, save that they came from humble beginnings, an orphan born in the wreckage of a battle. I thought I was searching for a country bumpkin, a talented bumpkin, but a bumpkin nonetheless.¡±


    Holo chuckled to herself. ¡°But what I found was a mage with powers that already rivaled my own. I had always thought I was talented¡ª special, a prodigy among my mageborn peers. But this, this stranger who I had only just met, made me question everything about my own self-worth as a mage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying they were more talented than you?¡± Unalla asked, skeptical.


    Holo grinned wryly, ¡°In certain ways, yes. You¡¯re a tri-manifold so perhaps you might understand it like this. There are certain colors and spell forms you are very skilled with. Compared to your peers, you must feel quite talented, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Unalla answered dubiously.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Now imagine what it would have been like to have suddenly met Parathyan when he was just a simple man unknown to the world and not the greatest mage smith to have ever lived. How would you have felt comparing your brown enchantments against Parathyan, the living legend?¡±


    ¡°Terrible I imagine,¡± Unalla said dryly. ¡°But Parathyan is dead and I¡¯m still here. So perhaps not that bad.¡±


    ¡°True, Parathyan is dead, and yet he is still worshiped in the Bronze Realm as a god of the forge. A mortal man, whose forging abilities were envied even by gods. You see, Parathyan¡¯s name lives on, the idea of what he was still inspires enchanters and blacksmiths to this day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? This Nell person was like Parathyan?¡± Unalla asked in a quiet, stunned voice.


    ¡°In some ways, the ways that counted, yes. Suffice it to say, I immediately recruited and brought Nell to the Mortem Order¡¯s primary castle in the Scarlet Realm. Nell loved the Order, from the fellow-minded peers to the resources we offered. Nell quickly grew in power and as they did, so did their popularity and influence within the Order.¡±


    ¡°That must have made you envious,¡± Unalla noted sympathetically.


    ¡°Not at all. I was one of Nell¡¯s greatest supporters, as was the rest of the Order¡¯s council, especially the founder. They were the ones who gave Nell the honorary title of Champion of Mortem.¡±


    Holo clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in reminiscence. ¡°Everything was perfect back then, until one day, we finally succeeded in what the world had claimed was impossible. We created an entirely new species. We entwined multiple different bloodlines into a new being.¡±


    ¡°The beast-kin,¡± Unalla whispered.


    Holo nodded lamentingly, ¡°We were so excited by the accomplishment, I was so excited¡­ that I was blind to what was really happening. We kept going, of course, pushing ourselves to the limits. At first, it was only one, then it was several of the same species, and eventually, we had created dozens of different beast-kin species.¡±


    ¡°A slave army,¡± Unalla muttered bitterly.


    ¡°No!¡± Holo shook her head vehemently. ¡°It was a deterrent, a force meant to put a stop to all the endless fighting in the Scarlet Realm. After that, they would be free to live their lives in the era of peace we¡¯d create. Don¡¯t you see? We wanted to save lives, that was our mission. I believed in the plan. I believed in what we were doing.¡±


    Holo stared at the ground, slumped her shoulders, and sighed sadly. ¡°We were going to change the world¡­ and we did change it, in all the ways I never wanted to. Nell discovered that an intricate sigil design had been forged into the very blood of the beast-kin. Nell told me that though we had managed to create ¡®life¡¯ we hadn¡¯t been able to create a soul, a true soul. Nell said the beast-kin were akin to organic golems. I didn¡¯t believe it; they were people, not some¡ª construct! I didn¡¯t believe it¡­ not at first¡­ and then the beast-kin began attacking villages, innocents who had wanted nothing to do with the Scarlet wars.¡±


    Holo clasped her hands tightly to stop them from trembling. ¡°I had friends among the beast-kin, people close to me, people whom I loved dearly. I went to talk to them, to reason with them. But when I got there¡­ there was nothing in their eyes. The people they once were¡­ were gone. They were just¡­ Hollow.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Unalla asked worriedly.


    She smiled bitterly. ¡°...Nothing. I did nothing. I couldn¡¯t accept it¡­ I couldn¡¯t accept that the beast-kin I had raised since birth, people who called me mother, the children I loved, were all gone.¡± Holo took a shaky breath, ¡°I did nothing as they attacked and destroyed several more villages. It was only later I found out that this had always been the Order¡¯s plan. Many of us felt betrayed, used, but the founder and the rest of the council tried convincing us that this was the only way to save the Scarlet Realm and all other Realms. Many of us believed in their words, the ones that didn¡¯t, well, they were willing to talk, to figure out what could be done to avoid war altogether. All except for Nell.¡±


    Holo gripped the shaft of her scythe, Lyrae, and hugged it close. ¡°Nell believed what the council was doing was wrong. And so, Nell convinced many others to rebel against the Order altogether and launched a coup. I didn¡¯t know what to do, if I should even involve myself. Until I saw Nell struck down by a fellow Champion. He was going to kill Nell, so I¡­ I acted and I saved my best friend. After that¡­ everything was a blur, war, death¡­ After a while, you close your heart to the pain, you grow numb to it¡­¡±


    Holo buried her face in the crook of her elbow, ¡°I killed beast-kins who once called me mother and I killed fellow members of the Order I had once called family¡­ In the end, the Order was ruined and the remaining beast-kin, lost and broken, ran away through the realm bridges and were scattered across the world.¡±


    Unalla placed a comforting hand on Holo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°...I can¡¯t imagine the sacrifices you made¡­ but they weren¡¯t in vain. You saved the Scarlet Realm, maybe even the entire world from the Mortem Order¡¯s madness.¡±


    ¡°Saved?¡± Holo looked up at her with a frown. ¡°The Order was the most advanced society of science and magic in the world, a literal treasure trove of knowledge. Centuries, no, millennia worth of knowledge, gone! We could have helped save hundreds of thousands of lives, millions! The Order did not need to be destroyed. There were other ways. They weren¡¯t plagued by madness, they could have been reasoned with! We were friends, family!¡±


    Blue flames crackled around Lyrae, running up the shaft of the scythe and blending with the ghostly light of the blade.


    Unalla shrank away at Holo¡¯s anger. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I just¡ª¡±


    Holo blinked and extinguished her azure flames. She turned away and lowered her head, ¡°No¡­ I am the one who is sorry. You did nothing wrong, you simply do not understand what was lost. You think we saved the world? We might have just doomed it. Look at us now. The dragonbane are unleashed upon the land and an ancient dark god comes to destroy us. If things had been different the Order could have come to our aid, but now, now we are alone.¡±


    ¡°Not all is lost, Lady Holo.¡± Unalla smiled gently, ¡°We still have you. And Nell, right?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Holo returned the smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little Noir, this should not be your burden to bear, but you are the only one who can wield an orichalcum blade.¡±


    Unalla wrinkled her brow, ¡°Lady Holo?¡±


    ¡°I will teach you how to use Votum as a beacon. Make sure to learn it well, in case anything happens.¡±


    ¡°In case of anything like what exactly?¡± Unalla asked suspiciously.


    Holo looked up at the night sky and sighed in contentment, gone was the pain and stress in her eyes, all that was left was a deep exhaustion that seemed to sink into her bones. ¡°...Sitting here, at the heart of my city, I consider myself lucky, Unalla. I have had the privilege to have walked these lands for many years. I have traveled to every corner of the Null Realms. I¡¯ve witnessed and sometimes even influenced events as they unfolded. Believe me, I have made many mistakes during my travels, but I¡¯ve also done good. I even made friends and enemies of gods, and do not ask me which was the mistake, I still do not know. All I really know,¡± she closed her eyes, ¡°Is that I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Unalla frowned anxiously. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Holo smiled softly. ¡°I have traveled enough. If this place is to be my last journey, I¡¯m ready to let go.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t give up, Lady Holo, not now, not when we need you most! Not when I need you!¡± Unalla yelled tearfully.


    Holo pulled her in and hugged her close, ¡°Oh, little Noir, so long as I draw breath I will not abandon you.¡±


    Unalla stood to her feet and picked up Votum. ¡°Then fight! Don¡¯t give up, we haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± Her bottom lip trembled, but the fire of courage burned in her eyes.


    Holo couldn¡¯t help but admire her bravery. ¡°...I will try, it is all any of us can do.¡±

 Chapter 454: Tea with Friends

    Chapter 454: Tea with Friends


    Sweet.


    The honey swirling in the hot tea was sweet. Its scent wafted up in the steam, tantalizing the nostrils.


    ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± Plum asked excitedly.


    ¡°Hm? Yeah¡­ It¡¯s nice.¡± Stryg nodded distractedly and sipped his tea.


    ¡°Too sweet?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He could taste the honey on his tongue, but it felt inferior to the sweetness he had experienced when savoring Tauri¡¯s blood a few hours ago.


    He glanced at the lovely orc sitting cross-legged across the short round table. The perpetual glower on her face and unending silence made him think she was still angry about what happened, though truth be told he was never good at reading others¡¯ emotions.


    Tauri had kicked him when she had come to after having her blood drunk. Things only got worse when she stubbed her toe against his hard shin. She had stomped off, well, more like limped away, while muttering curses at him. She was definitely angry at him, then again, she did come to Plum¡¯s room at the drow¡¯s invitation, knowing Stryg would be there as well. So perhaps she wasn¡¯t angry after all?


    ¡°What do you think, Tauri?¡± Plum asked.


    Tauri put her ceramic cup down and shrugged. ¡°...I¡¯m not much of an admirer of tea."


    ¡°Maybe if you added a bit of honey?¡± Stryg offered.


    Tauri slapped his hand away and hissed.


    Stryg froze. On one hand, he was shocked that she had actually hissed at him. On the other hand, he was very much aroused by it.


    Plum, already used to Stryg and Aurelia hissing at everyone, didn¡¯t bat an eye, and instead nodded sagely, ¡°You say that now, Tauri, but you just haven¡¯t tasted the right tea. Virella has been showing me her tea collection and it¡¯s amazing! Not even the lords of Hollow Shade have such an extensive collection!¡±


    Tauri winced empathetically, ¡°I¡¯ve had more tea than I can count. Every time we had a guest over at the mansion, every morning and afternoon social event ever since I could walk. I would rather have a bottle of wine and ignore all those pleasantries.¡±


    Plum snapped her fingers. ¡°Ah-hah! So you prefer the strong stuff.¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± Tauri admitted begrudgingly.


    Plum smirked. ¡°I told you, Virella has been showing me her collection, and no one beats out the Silver Mother when it comes to herbs, no one. Leave it to a Red-Green mage to brew the best teas.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Tauri asked, mildly worried.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,¡± Plum said while rummaging through a cabinet Virella had so graciously gifted her. ¡°Ah, here it is!¡± She pulled out a small jar; inside were dried black flower petals.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Tauri asked.


    Plum grinned, ¡°The strong stuff.¡± She popped the jar open and poured them into the steaming teapot hanging over the fire.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s¡ª safe¡­?¡±


    Plum blinked. ¡°Totally.¡± She grabbed the steaming pot and poured a bit of the dark purple liquid into Tauri¡¯s and Stryg¡¯s cups.


    ¡°Why so little?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, you don¡¯t want a lot. Or you¡¯ll start seeing a lot of weeeird stuff,¡± Plum said.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Tauri eyed the cup warily. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be drinking this¡ª Stryg! What are you doing?¡±


    Stryg downed the hot steaming cup in a single gulp. ¡°Huh? What? I thought we were supposed to drink it?¡±


    Tauri frowned. ¡°Are you alright? Any weird effects?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think so?¡± he said.


    Plum leaned towards Tauri, ¡°The real question you should be asking is why isn¡¯t his throat burned?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Tauri wrinkled her brow and glanced at the cup. ¡°The tea is piping hot.¡±


    Plum wiggled her fingers and waved her hands in the air, ¡°The ~mysteries of Stryg~ or as I like to call it, my friend¡¯s fucking weird.¡±


    ¡°You sure this tea is alright?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Definitely, I¡¯ve had it multiple times,¡± Plum nodded.


    ¡°...I¡¯m gonna regret this,¡± Tauri mumbled and took a tentative sip. She licked her lips and cocked her head to the side, ¡°Huh¡­¡± She took a few more sips and nodded to herself. ¡°You know, it¡¯s not actually half-bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and just wait until the magical properties kick in!¡± Plum said with a grin.


    ¡°Wait? What did you just say?¡± Tauri glared at her.


    ¡°Oh! I forgot the pie! I left it in the kitchens.¡± Plum jumped to her feet. ¡°Be right back!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Plum! What was that about¡ª!¡±


    The door slammed shut.


    ¡°¡ªMagical properties¡­¡± Tauri finished dejectedly.


    *Slurp* Stryg sipped a second cup of tea while eyeing Tauri.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in that?¡± she asked.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you still drinking it!?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I dunno, what else am I supposed to drink?¡±


    Tauri stiffened at his words and unconsciously touched her shoulder. They looked at each other and she blushed furiously and glared at him. ¡°Do I got something on my face?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said innocently.


    ¡°Then stop staring,¡± she snapped.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes wandered away, down, and to the ceramic cup in his hands. ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°About Plum¡¯s stupid ideas for relaxing before heading to war?¡± Tauri clenched her fists, ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to wring her little neck when she gets back.¡±


    ¡°...How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, after the loss of blood and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what you meant. I just don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking it. Obviously, I¡¯m not feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling light-headed? Cold? In pain?¡± Stryg asked worriedly.


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Your healing spells worked, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She bit her lip, ¡°What happened when you were¡­ drinking my¡­ ugh.¡± She shivered and rubbed her shoulders, ¡°It feels weird even thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I hurt you,¡± Stryg realized, horrified. He had never meant to hurt her, but he knew a vampire¡¯s bite didn¡¯t always numb the target, some people were simply resistant, and he had so little vampire blood in him that his fangs probably had little effect at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°I never meant to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Tauri said reassuringly.


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°Then what was it?¡±


    ¡°It felt¡­ good,¡± she admitted abashedly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Isn¡¯t that good¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s terrible. I lost control, you lost control.¡± Tauri stared at her hands and balled them into fists, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna lose control of myself like that...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been drunk?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Pretty similar.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, when I¡¯m drunk I¡¯m not trying to shove my tongue down your throat!¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, I have good news for you. I¡¯ve seen drunk people at taverns do that all the time,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°Not me! I¡¯m Tauri of the goddamned House of Katag! I¡¯m not supposed to get drunk and lose myself! I¡¯m supposed to be strong, always in control of my own desires. We¡¯re not supposed to let ourselves be ruled by our emotions, otherwise, people get killed! I need to be better than that. That¡¯s what it means to be a Katag!¡±


    Stryg suddenly remembered the stories of the Katags he had heard during his stay at their mansion in Undergrowth. ¡°The blood of true Browns runs in your family, but you¡¯re not a berserker like your father. Just because you lose control doesn¡¯t mean people will die.¡±


    Tauri clenched her eyes shut. ¡°...The last time I lost control of my emotions I charged through Widow¡¯s Crag in search of Aizel¡¯s killer. I helped convince Loh to ignore you and the other students while we went off and not only failed to kill Aizel¡¯s murderer, but had almost our entire squad killed.¡±


    ¡°And you think losing control when I drink your blood might cause something like that to happen again?¡± Stryg asked quietly.


    ¡°Not just the blood. Everything. With you.¡± She ran her hand through her black hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ When I¡¯m with you I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. Everything is just so chaotic.¡± She sighed and slumped her shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t know what am I even supposed to do.¡±


    Stryg reached over the table and grasped her hand, ¡°I don¡¯t either. But,¡± he smiled weakly, ¡°At least when I¡¯m with you, it feels like it¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Her pupils slowly widened until they covered her amber irises completely. ¡°Oh shiiit. Stryg, everything is shaking. Why am I sinking into the floor!?¡±


    Stryg watched, confused, as she flailed her arms about and fell on the floor. ¡°...I think the tea is working.¡±


    ¡°Why is there a bunny on the table?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re isn¡¯t.¡± He picked her up into his arms and carried her over to Plum¡¯s bed.


    She grabbed his cheeks and stretched them. ¡°Why are you so cute?¡±


    ¡°Thanks?¡± he tried to smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute. Like a girl. Are you cuter than me? That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ignore that,¡± he grumbled, and not for the first time he wished he could grow facial hair, even a thin mustache would have been enough.


    Stryg laid her down on the bed and lay next to her.


    ¡°The ceiling is on fire!¡± she pointed shakily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± He wrapped his arm around her and she nestled her head over his chest.


    ¡°But the fire,¡± she whispered like a co-conspirator.


    ¡°Just close your eyes. Sleep will do us both some good.¡±


    Tauri kept whispering nonsensical words and Stryg mumbled along with closed eyes. After a few minutes, the world¡¯s noises faded away and Stryg fell asleep, the fatigue of the last few days finally claiming him.


    ~~~


    Stryg walked under the scarlet canopy of Vulture Woods while humming a cheerful tune. His arms ached and there were blisters on his fingers but they were minor inconveniences that could not dampen his mood. Today he had hit 10 out of 10 targets in bow practice, the only 16-year-old besides Srixa to manage it. The hunter in charge was impressed and had even given Stryg a compliment.


    The other teenagers, on the other hand, had given him a look of envy. Yet, Stryg couldn¡¯t help but beam with pride. He didn¡¯t care if it might cause him trouble later, he had finally done it! He was finally on his path to becoming the tribe¡¯s greatest hunter.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to tell Lunae, so when the others had left for dinner, he had sneaked out of the village.


    The trail to Lunae was always different. She rarely stayed in one place and preferred to wander through the forest. Why? He had asked her many times, but she had never given him a particularly meaningful or satisfactory answer.


    As he walked, Stryg munched on an apple that he had stashed away from the village¡¯s storehouse.


    Birds chirped in the canopy and the occasional vulture squawked in the distance. A black fox scurried past and disappeared under a bush. The breeze blew quiet through the woods. Stryg closed his eyes, relaxed his shoulders, and listened for the melody of the forest. He knew the melody¡¯s pattern, ever-shifting so slightly yet in tandem with the forest, like the land changing seasons.


    It was easy to get lost in the overflowing melody. Stryg couldn¡¯t pinpoint a precise note in the endless song flowing past him, but he could tell where something was off. A hollow spot among the notes, where the melody shifted around instead of flowing through, Lunae. She lived in the forest but she wasn¡¯t a part of the forest, her own existence was set apart from the rest.


    Stryg tried to listen for her notes, her piece in the song, but he could never quite tell what it was. He could never directly listen for her, but he could listen for the dissonance of the forest¡¯s melody that always surrounded her.


    It took a little longer than usual, but he found the dissonance in the melody, and to his surprise, it was much closer than usual. Not far from the village at all, almost as if¡ª


    Stryg smiled wide. Lunae already knew. She had been watching him. She had seen him score each target. His smile broadened and he ran to her. The wind hit his face as the trees passed by. The songs of the birds slowly disappeared one by one and the breeze died in the air.


    ¡°Lunae¡ª!¡± He suddenly ran into a clearing and stumbled to a halt.


    Shattered trees speckled the clearing and thick dark blood soaked the charred ground. An amethyst dragon or what was left of it lay still in the dirt. Its wings had been torn apart and its chest had been ripped open, broken ribs protruding from the bleeding cavity. The dragon¡¯s serpentine neck was twisted and bent back. Its jaw was ripped off, hanging only by a loose string of flesh. The once brilliant deep purple eyes were now glazed over.


    Atop the dragon sat a teenage girl. She wasn¡¯t a goblin, no, Stryg had never seen anyone like her. She had warm brown skin and pale snow-white hair and she was covered in specks of blood.


    The teenage girl was looking down at a small fox on her lap, casually chatting away as if it were an ordinary day and a dragon wasn¡¯t lying dead underneath them.


    The girl abruptly stopped talking and looked up at the goblin child standing at the treeline frozen like a deer.


    She narrowed her ever-changing iridescent eyes and her red lips slowly curled in a smirk. ¡°Well, hello there.¡±


    Stryg took a trembling step back. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not Lunae¡­¡±


    ¡°No. No, I¡¯m not,¡± Caligo chuckled. ¡°And what might you be?¡±

 Chapter 455: The Omen

    Chapter 455: The Omen


    A young woman was looking down at a small fox on her lap, casually chatting away as if it were an ordinary day and a dragon wasn¡¯t lying dead underneath them.


    The woman abruptly stopped talking and looked up at the goblin child standing at the treeline frozen like a deer. She narrowed her ever-changing iridescent eyes and her red lips slowly curled in a smirk. ¡°Well, hello there.¡±


    Stryg took a trembling step back. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not Lunae¡­¡±


    ¡°No. No, I¡¯m not,¡± Caligo chuckled. ¡°And what might you be?¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped open and he sat up with a yell. His body was covered in sweat and his breathing was ragged. Tauri mumbled something sleepily next to him and turned away. Stryg glanced around the dark room.


    They were in Plum¡¯s bedroom. The drow in question was asleep on a chair, a blanket wrapped over her. Tauri lay asleep next to him on the bed. Last night¡¯s events were coming back to him. Tauri and he had drunk a ¡®special tea¡¯ brew that Plum had offered. After that Tauri had acted strange and Stryg had taken them to bed to sleep it off. Everything should have been just fine and yet¡­


    Stryg stared at his trembling hands. His dream, his nightmare¡­ It was already fading from his mind, but something had happened in that nightmare. No, that memory. It wasn¡¯t a dream. He was sure of it. Deep down, he knew. He had been there. He had seen the dragon of his childhood slain, a mangled corpse on the ground. The dragon had been slaughtered, but by whom¡­? There was a person¡­ A woman? He wasn¡¯t sure. The memory was slipping through his fingers like water.


    He gritted his teeth and held his head in his hands. He had to remember. Something had happened that day. Something terrible. Yet every time he tried to recall the event his mind recoiled like an old untreated wound being poked at.


    How had he forgotten something so monumental? A dead dragon lying not twenty paces from him. The first time he had encountered the dragon he lay awake at night thinking about it, but now? Not even a hint of a memory? And why was he remembering now?


    Something was different. He could feel it, deep down. Something within him was changing. It had been for some time but where once it was a flicker, a whisper in the wind, now it felt like a storm was brewing deep within him, threatening to tear him apart.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me¡­?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Huaghmmm¡­?¡± Tauri mumbled drowsily.


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly and brushed her short black hair from her cheek. He quietly got out of bed, walked onto the balcony, and closed the door behind him.


    The skies were a dark grey, the first light of dawn hadn¡¯t yet peeked through the horizon. The cool wind blew through his clothes and dried off the sweat on his skin, sending a faint chill up his back that drove away the last traces of drowsiness.


    Goblins innately had keen night vision, more so than vampires, though Stryg¡¯s had developed far more sharply in the last few years. He could see every corner and shadow on the streets below. Craftsmen and apprentices were running about, trying to finish the last-minute preparations.


    How he wished to have been one of them. To have a clear direction, a purpose in this world of madness and uncertainty.


    That¡¯s why we train, Loh¡¯s words echoed in his mind. We train to be prepared for whatever comes at us.


    The concept was so simple, but the routine pattern of training gave him some level of comfort. He turned to head back inside and practice his martial forms when he spotted something in the corner of his eye.


    A white owl sat perched on the railing staring at him. Its eyes were black orbs, Stryg¡¯s blue visage reflected in its gaze.


    ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡± Stryg asked curiously.


    The owl tilted its head to the side.


    A knock on the bedroom door grabbed Stryg¡¯s attention. He glanced back at the owl, but it had already flown off silently into the night sky. He watched it disappear into the clouds lamentingly.


    A second knock rang at the door.


    ¡°Coming,¡± Stryg called out and walked back inside.


    He opened the door and found Aurelia standing impatiently in front of him.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Mother? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I went to your room but you weren¡¯t there. I checked the orc¡¯s room too and she wasn¡¯t there.¡± Aurelia peeked into the room and spotted Tauri sleeping in the bed. ¡°I guessed as much. And the drow girl too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Aurelia looked at him disapprovingly. Though she seemed uninterested to press the matter. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg blinked.


    ¡°You look unwell.¡±


    He smiled softly. It hadn¡¯t even been a minute and she had already deduced something was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± he lied reassuringly.


    ¡°Have you been sleeping well? Getting enough to eat? Or drink for that matter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that. Actually, I was about to start my daily training, but I thought I might get some fresh air first.¡± He pointed his thumb back at the balcony.


    ¡°Training will have to wait. The Mother Elect would like to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it was bound to happen,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I used to do the same, you know. Back when I was an acolyte,¡± she nodded towards the balcony. ¡°The Keep has a nice view of Evenfall, the forest, and the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does. I even saw an owl on the balcony this morning,¡± Stryg added off-handedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside for you to get changed,¡± Aurelia turned to leave, but she stopped and twisted her lips, ¡°...Out of curiosity, what kind of owl was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, a snow owl, I guess.¡±


    Aurelia stiffened and her entire demeanor changed. ¡°You guess?¡± she asked uneasily.


    ¡°I mean, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why? What makes you say it was a snow owl? Did it only have white feathers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The bird was white, that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°Did it have any dark feathers?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Snow owls have dark feathers interposed into their wings. They aren¡¯t purely white. The owl you saw, what color were its feathers? Were they all white?¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    She grabbed his shoulders tightly. ¡°Look at me, Stryg. I need you to recall carefully. What were the colors of its feathers?¡±


    The look of anxiety in her expression was unsettling. He had never seen his mother afraid of anything. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. I think they were all white? Maybe, I didn¡¯t get a very good look before it flew away.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Aurelia licked her lips. ¡°What about its eyes? Were they yellow?¡±


    ¡°No. They were black, pitch black.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked quietly.


    He nodded. ¡°I remember, they were black.¡±


    Aurelia sighed a deep shaky breath. ¡°I see¡­¡± She stepped back and let him go.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Stryg asked worriedly.


    Aurelia stared at her son, fear in her eyes. ¡°You saw a spirit owl. People rarely come across them. Some see them in visions, others at a distance. Sometimes it¡¯s just a feather. Few ever see a spirit owl so close up.¡±


    ¡°Lucky me?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. They are omens of death. If you ever come across one it means someone close will die.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°What do you mean close? As in someone I care for?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. Other times it is quite literal. Perhaps a rival in a duel or perhaps a lover. Perhaps even yourself.¡±


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just an omen. Lunae told me that omens are what we make of them.¡±


    ¡°We can interpret omens whatever way we wish, but they come just the same.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean? That we just sit by and let someone die?¡±


    ¡°No, you may be the reason they die in the first place. We are going to war, Stryg. Death is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°Then it will be the death of my enemies,¡± he said angrily.


    Aurelia bit her lip. ¡°Stryg, back at our village, at the Moon Hall, underneath the wooden planks of my room, is buried a chest. Inside is an enchanted book. My grandmother, Stryga, was its original owner. The book contains certain memories, her memories of what happened to her, and how she came to us. My mother, Nalindra, infused her own memories into its pages after my grandmother passed¡­ And when my mother passed I began to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    Aurelia looked at her son steadily, ¡°If something happens to me, I need you to find that book. It is our family¡¯s legacy. You wanted to know who Stryga was? Who she really was? Why she came to Vulture Woods? All the answers are in there. Not just answers about her, but me. Why I did the things I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°Just stop it. Stop acting like you¡¯re going to die. You can tell me all those things yourself.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°What? Why not?¡±


    ¡°I never accessed all of the book''s contents. Only some parts.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª why?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Because the book was never meant for me.¡± She looked him in the eye, ¡°It was meant for you.¡±


    He stumbled a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It is our legacy to you, Stryg.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes warily, ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°More than the burden you can carry right now.¡± Aurelia smiled weakly, ¡°Just promise me, no matter what happens after the war, you find that book. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°...I promise,¡± he whispered uncertainly.


    ¡°Good, very good,¡± she whispered and nodded, satisfied. ¡°Sabina is waiting for us. I¡¯ll meet you at the end of the hall when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Hey, mom?¡± Stryg called out.


    Aurelia stopped in her steps and glanced back.


    ¡°Did you ever see a spirit owl before?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Once, a long time ago. A group of my friends and I were on a quest in search of a very rare flower.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We found the flower.¡±


    ¡°Oh, somehow I thought that¡¯d be worse.¡±


    Aurelia shrugged stiffly, ¡°Ask Virella. She was my only friend that made it back.¡±

 Chapter 456: The Dawn Before the Dusk

    Chapter 456: The Dawn Before the Dusk


    A knock rang in Sabina¡¯s study room. She glanced up from her desk and stared at the door pensively. ¡°...Come in,¡± she said after a moment.


    The door creaked open and the source of her worries stepped inside.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, Mother Elect?¡± Stryg asked tentatively.


    Getting a closer look at him, Sabina noted he wasn¡¯t a particularly imposing figure. He was taller than other Sylvans, but so were dire goblins, and unlike them, Stryg wasn¡¯t covered in rippling muscles. He had a lithe body, wiry almost, with a hint of toned muscles peeking from underneath his shirt.


    His lilac irises were peculiar and though his pupils were the familiar vertical slits of goblin-kin, his eyes did not react to the light in the room like others. Something was slightly off, it reminded her of that man who had visited two decades ago. Perhaps the goblin in front of her had inherited more of his side than the mother¡¯s.


    Such a thought didn¡¯t bode well for her hopes and plans.


    ¡°Mother Elect¡­?¡±


    Sabina looked up from her thoughts. ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°You asked me to.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the kind of person to listen to others. Your continuous  antics at the tribunal chamber are proof of that.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°I did what you asked during the trial. I played by your rules.¡±


    ¡°No, you played the game, but you changed the very rules that the rest of us are bound by.¡± She scoffed with incredulity, ¡°Or do you think there is another who could convince Lunae to intervene against her Elected?¡±


    Stryg looked away.


    ¡°You are so much like your father.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s pointy ears perked up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Like you, he came into this city all innocent and naive like a child, and yet somehow he managed to take away everything I worked so hard for.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia was meant to be my successor. Thanks to your father she abandoned her duties and left Evenfall altogether. So I spent the last two decades trying to prepare this city for her return and our people¡¯s rise to their former glory.¡± Sabina glared at him, but the anger slowly died in her tired eyes. She sighed, ¡°Now none of that matters. Because of you.¡±


    ¡°You act as if protecting our people in Hollow Shade is the doom of the Sylvan Folk. You said you spent the last twenty years preparing our people, trying to help them return to their former glory? Lunis would have ridden to war and protected their people, all their people.¡±


    ¡°And Lunis is gone. Because their armies rode to war and defended the outskirt villages. Lunis was betrayed and the capital was attacked while their armies were protecting stray villages. We lost everything because we as a people could not let go.¡± Sabina stared him in the eyes, ¡°Sometimes we have to sacrifice, even if it seems wrong. It is difficult, it is painful, but that is what it means to lead.¡±


    ¡°...We also must pick the right leaders,¡± he growled. ¡°Several of Lunis¡¯ council colluded with the Ebon Lords. They helped betray Lunis and bring the city down. Without the right leadership, even the greatest city in the realm can fall.¡±


    Sabina smiled wryly. ¡°And you think I¡¯m the wrong leader? Perhaps I am. After all, I was unable to stop our people from being dragged into this war.¡±


    ¡°We were always a part of this war, ignoring it did not change that fact.¡±


    ¡°So you think you¡¯ll be a better leader? Say you succeed, Chosen One; after you¡¯ve ridden to Holo¡¯s Shade and driven off the enemy, after thousands of your brothers and sisters lay dead in the mud, when you¡¯ve won your war, what then? What will happen to the goblins living in bondage in Holo¡¯s Shade? Will you liberate them?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°They aren¡¯t slaves.¡±


    ¡°Really? Being treated as less than everyone else, unable to pursue their dreams, forced to work menial jobs for their ¡®betters,¡¯ that doesn¡¯t sound like slavery to you? Do you think the other Sylvan will see it that way too? After all their sacrifices, do you think they will be content to simply let things be as they are?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Stryg opened his mouth to speak, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Sabina leaned forward. ¡°Or do you think our Sylvan warriors will turn against our ancient enemy, Holo¡¯s Shade? If you truly fight for the goblins, then the answer is clear, and you should have no problem with whatever doomed fate befalls that city. But seeing as you keep close company with a drow and an orc, I wonder when the time comes, will you make the right decision?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Stryg stared at the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°It probably won¡¯t matter,¡± she cut him off. ¡°The chances of any semblance of victory in this war seem slim enough as it is. Either way, whatever happens out there, I will not be there to advise you, I will not be there to make those difficult decisions for you. As Mother Elect I must stay here. Which means, that no matter what happens out there, whatever triumphs and mistakes befall our people, it will fall on you, War Master. Remember that, if nothing else.¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    Sabina looked at him, mildly surprised. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he shook his head. ¡°You may see me as some sort of problem, a disruptor of your city and its ways, but to me, you¡¯re the woman who trained my mother. If she trusts you, then so do I.¡± He bowed deeply, ¡°Thank you for your words, I will take them to heart.¡±


    Sabina looked at him, really looked at him, past the strange visage, and the unsettling aura. ¡°You¡¯re scared¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡± There was no mockery or derisiveness in her voice, only genuine concern.


    Stryg tried to smile, but it broke midway. ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted quietly. ¡°...They¡¯re all trusting me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fail them.¡±


    Sabina pushed herself to her feet with what little strength she had left and hobbled over with her cane. With a shaking finger, she poked him in the chest and glared at him. ¡°Do not fear your failures, it will only poison your decisions. Face your problems head-on. As War Master you may think of yourself alone in this endeavor, but it is the opposite. The might and faith of the Sylvan stand behind you. Do not do them a disservice by not trusting them as they trust you.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, son of Blood Fang,¡± Sabina grabbed him by his tunic. ¡°I do not tell you all these things to make you afraid, I tell you so that you are prepared for what is to come. The night of battle soon approaches and there will be no room for hesitation. You will not fail our people because you cannot fail them. You owe them that much!¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Then stand up straight and find your courage.¡±


    A horn blared in the distance.


    They both glanced at the window.


    ¡°Dawn has come,¡± Sabina whispered. ¡°And now your burden begins.¡±


    Stryg glanced at her uncertainly and walked over to the balcony. He looked down from the Silver Keep and froze in mute surprise.


    In the dawnlight, thousands of goblins stood in straight lines forming a multitude of battalions. The sun gleamed off their armor and weapons. The horn blared once more and the drums of war began to resound to the roars of the warriors. A multitude of banners were raised proudly, each representing the 63 Sylvan tribes.


    It had only taken a few days and yet they had already assembled one of the largest armies in the realm. Stryg hadn¡¯t thought it possible.


    At the front of the army stood proudly the cavalry of over 800 riders and their wolves. The personal banners of the Warrior Elect and the Storm Howler tribe stood at the forefront. Lykos himself sat upon a frost wolf that towered over its smaller cousins.


    Another set of riders, far smaller, stood beside them. These riders were not wrapped in armor and fur, but blue cloaks, the symbol of the shamans. The personal banners of the Shaman Elect and the Frost Whisper were raised high at the forefront. A frost wolf lay curled on the ground next to them, Lumi rested her back on the giant wolf¡¯s leg.


    Arden, the Guardian of the Sylvan, and chieftain of the Frost Whisper tribe sat cross-legged in meditation next to Lumi. He suddenly opened his eyes and glanced up at Stryg on the balcony and looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°The army awaits its War Master,¡± Sabina said from behind him.


    Stryg swallowed hard.


    ~~~


    The face of every warrior lit up and they stood up straight as Stryg passed by. The word of his arrival quickly spread through the men and women and they began to beat their fists onto their chestplates as he walked between the battalions. Cheers of his name echoed loudly in his ears in rhythm with the war drums.


    Virella, the Silver Mother, stopped by each of the tribes, praying for them before seeing them off to war. A small group of warriors, one of the smallest battalions, stood at one corner of the Sylvan army. Stryg recognized them in an instant. They were the hunters of his tribe, not just the ones who had accompanied him to Evenfall, but many others as well. They had come from their village, answering Lunae¡¯s call to arms.


    The Blood Fang warriors led by his uncle Jahn spotted him and bowed respectfully. Stryg breathed a sigh of relief and made his way towards them when Lumi stepped in his path.


    ¡°War Master, I¡¯ve been waiting,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Shaman Elect. What is it?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d allow you to ride into battle alone?¡± Lumi gestured to the group of blue cloaks behind her. ¡°Your honor guard awaits. I have chosen each one of them carefully. They are elite warriors and mages who will ride with you into the fray of battle and if necessary give their lives for you.¡±


    A familiar woman stepped up from among the honor guard.


    ¡°Elayne?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    ¡°War Master, I ask for your forgiveness over my¡ª difficulties during our training session.¡± She bowed deeply. ¡°And thank you for speaking with my father. He has allowed me to join the wolf riders if I wish.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Then why are you still here? Lykos would surely want you by his side.¡±


    ¡°My father underestimates me, he only conceded because he thinks I¡¯ll be safer with him. But I am tired of being underestimated, something I hope you can sympathize with.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± he admitted.


    Encouraged by his response she pushed on. ¡°You will be riding in the heart of battle and you will need an honor guard who will fight tooth and claw to the end. If there is a glorious place to die in this battle, then it will be by your side. I wish to join you, if you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    Stryg inclined his head, ¡°I¡¯d be honored to have a daughter of Storm Howlers by my side, especially one as fierce as you.¡±


    Elayne broke into a smile and beat her fist into her chestplate in a traditional salute. ¡°I will not fail you, War Master.¡±


    ¡°Room for two more?¡± a familiar voice asked.


    Stryg turned around and saw Tauri and Plum standing in front of him. A painful, but warm pang struck his chest. His eyes burned and he smiled. ¡°If you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    Tauri smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    Plum grinned, ¡°What would you do without us?¡±


    A frost wolf trotted up to them, scarlet metal plates wrapped around its body and face. Aurelia rode atop its black saddle, armored in a similar scarlet color and a black cape hanging behind her. Her white hair was tied in a small bun behind her and the black wreath of the First Mothers sat atop her brow.


    Aurelia slipped off the saddle with a deft touch and landed softly. ¡°I am coming with you,¡± she said in a no-questions-asked tone.


    Stryg recognized the scarlet and ebon colors of Veres she wore and he unconsciously wrapped his hand around Krikolm¡¯s hilt. He had never truly considered himself a part of the House of Veres, the fact that he was even related to them still felt surreal. But as he watched his mother, a goblin, striding forward proudly in their House¡¯s colors, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of pride for the surname he had never dared call himself aloud.


    A collective song of howls reverberated through the air. The air turned cold and a white mist flowed around the Silver Keep. A pack of frost wolves appeared atop the hill of the castle and at the center stood a 4-meter tall goddess clad in sapphire armor and a silver lunar crescent emblazoned on her chestplate. The entire army fell silent at her arrival, every goblin holding their breath in anticipation.


    ¡°My children,¡± her voice echoed across the encampment. ¡°Today, we right a wrong, three centuries old. Today, we do not abandon our own. Today, we are better than our enemies. Today, Lunis is reborn!¡±


    Lunae raised a silver-white spear high into the air, the azure flag of Lunis attached to its shaft billowed in the wind. ¡°Are you with me!?¡±


    The army of Lunis roared in response.

 Chapter 457: The Courage of Children

    Chapter 457: The Courage of Children


    The final threads always seemed to be the easier but after staying up all night Witt found it difficult to keep his hands steady. His eyes were tired and the tiny threads began to blur between each other.


    ¡°Is it done yet?¡± Melfyn asked restlessly.


    Witt looked up from his work, dark bags underneath his eyes, and glared at the teenage goblin. ¡°For the 8th time, when it¡¯s done I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Sandra shook her head. ¡°I told you he¡¯s useless, Mel. We should just go and get some breakfast with the others.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Melfyn sighed in resignation.


    Witt gritted his teeth. ¡°Look here, you little shits! I didn¡¯t stay up all night working on this for you just so you can berate me like some damn¡ª!¡±


    The door swung open and the temple¡¯s priestess, Karen, walked in. ¡°What¡¯s with all the shouting?¡±


    Witt pointed accusingly at the two goblin teens. ¡°I was just telling these damn kids to stop rushing m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh! The banner! Did you finish it?¡± Karen pointed to the long piece of fabric on the table.


    Witt¡¯s eye twitched. He ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair and sighed in defeat. ¡°...Yeah, I just finished.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? Let me see!¡± Melfyn hopped off his chair and snatched the banner.


    Sandra held up the other corner and the two pulled the banner taut, displaying the banner¡¯s design in full. The fabric was black and served as the background. At the center was a sapphire burning like the sun and a silver full moon stood behind the sapphire.


    ¡°The Sapphire of the East¡­¡± Karen whispered.


    ¡°Lunis, the first Great City of the Ebon Realm,¡± Sandra finished.


    ¡°You did this?¡± Karen muttered in disbelief.


    Witt looked away abashedly, ¡°I tried to copy it like it was in the book but I know it¡¯s off. I¡¯m a little rusty with my sewing. Especially the bottom side of the sapphire, it¡¯s a bit lopsided. I should have¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Melfyn said with quiet admiration.


    Witt blinked. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Melfyn said genuinely.


    Witt sat up a little straighter and his lips curled in a grin. ¡°Thank you. That means a lot, really. I wasn¡¯t sure if you all would¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go show it to the others!¡± Sandra said excitedly and pulled the banner away, carrying it like a cape on her back.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Melfyn yelled and chased after her out the door.


    Witt sighed and hung his head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you all would like it¡­¡±


    Karen walked over and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sure they do,¡± she said sympathetically.


    Witt shrugged, ¡°Meh. They only care if their food is prepared on time and if I added enough ¡®variety.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You know they love your cooking and they love it when you make new recipes. Especially Sandra, though she¡¯d never admit it.¡±


    ¡°No she¡¯d rather just critique all my dishes,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°She only does that because she has such high standards for your cooking. It¡¯s her favorite.¡±


    ¡°More like she¡¯s picky.¡±


    Karen¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°6 years ago Sandra¡¯s parents were killed in a sentinel dispute. They were trying to protect a human child who had lost her nameplate. They didn¡¯t even know the girl but they risked everything to keep her safe. They were good people.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the human girl?¡± Witt whispered.


    ¡°She made it out, but no one thanked Sandra¡¯s parents for their sacrifice. Not even the girl¡¯s parents. To them, it was just a couple more goblins who foolishly got in the way of the undead sentinels¡­ No one cares about us goblins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Witt mumbled in dismay.


    ¡°It¡¯s the way of the world.¡± Karen shrugged. ¡°¡­Sandra lost everything that night. She lived on the streets, hiding from the sentinels who would kill her on sight and the gangs who would do even worse. She survived off scraps for an entire year before the temple found her and gave her a place to stay. And even here, they barely had anything to offer but simple porridge. There were too many orphans and too little funding.¡±


    Karen grinned softly, ¡°And then a couple of years ago, this stranger came to the temple and began leaving large anonymous donations.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Witt guessed.


    ¡°Mm. And soon after we found this country bumpkin human from some backwater village. He¡¯s an idiot and can¡¯t even properly clean the temple¡¯s statues, but he¡¯s an amazing cook and he started making meals the kids actually enjoyed for the first time in what seemed like their whole lives.¡±


    ¡°Dullwater.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My village is called Dullwater, not Backwater.¡±


    Karen giggled, ¡°You know, that somehow makes it so much worse.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Witt smiled lopsidedly, ¡°You really think they like my food?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, which is why I¡¯m never making breakfast again,¡± Karen dusted her hands off. ¡°I helped out this morning because you were busy with the banner, but bloody Bellum those kids hate my soup.¡±


    ¡°Heh, don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she smiled warmly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have you anywhere else.¡±


    He blushed and sniffed. ¡°Well, as long as one person appreciates my hard work, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Karen nudged his shoulder, ¡°Oh please, they may tease you, but those kids out there love you. It¡¯s why Mel and the other older kids are going out to the barracks.¡±


    Witt bit his lip. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have to. They¡¯re still kids.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop them. Believe me, I tried. But Mel, Sandra, and Jack were adamant, and the others follow their lead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid. They shouldn''t have to risk their lives. Why can¡¯t we go somewhere else? Somewhere safe?¡±


    ¡°There is nowhere safe. The Warlord Marek and his army occupy most of the valley and soon they¡¯ll be here.¡±


    ¡°So what? We¡¯re supposed to just leave it to the children to fight our battles?¡±


    ¡°Believe me I¡¯m terrified for them,¡± she admitted with a shaky voice. ¡°But I can¡¯t stop them, or they¡¯ll just go behind me, so the least I can do is support them. This way I can make sure they stay in the backlines, as far from battle as possible.¡±


    ¡°Still, they¡¯re not soldiers. They shouldn¡¯t have to fight.¡±


    ¡°The city council has started city-wide enlistments. So long as you can hold a sword they¡¯ll take you. If they want to enlist we can¡¯t stop them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re teenagers, Karen. Shouldn¡¯t we do something? Shouldn¡¯t we fight in their place?¡±


    ¡°Witt, sweetie,¡± Karen looked at him sympathetically and tried hard not to laugh. ¡°You couldn¡¯t hit a dummy even if it was in front of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°You tripped over your own spear at practice.¡±


    ¡°That was one time!¡±


    ¡°Twice.¡±


    ¡°Okay, two times, so what!?¡±


    ¡°So we need to be here, to protect the younger children if anything goes wrong.¡±


    Witt hung his head in defeat. ¡°...Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But I just can¡¯t help but feel like we¡¯re doing something wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she leaned her head on his shoulder, ¡°I know.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°You think they¡¯re ready? For war?¡±


    ¡°Is anyone?¡±


    ~~~


    Captain Talia walked across the shade wall, surveying the newly fortified battlements. Small towers had been erected across the southern and western walls; at their tops sat freshly constructed catapults, wrought by the best engineers and mage smiths of House Goldelm and their retainers. They would have constructed more towers across the entirety of the wall, but there wasn¡¯t enough time. Instead, they settled on the southern and western sides, where the might of the enemy¡¯s forces would be greatest.


    Still, as the soldiers ran to and fro, trying to finish up last-minute defenses, Talia couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Time was running out and she hoped they¡¯d all be ready.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you the one in charge?¡± a young voice asked from behind her.


    Talia turned around and frowned. A motley crew of almost two dozen teenagers was standing in front of her. Some were human, one was a drow, but most were goblins. They didn¡¯t wear standard city-military armor, nor the armor of any noble House, yet their equipment was polished and clean, and clearly of high quality.


    ¡°Are you the one in charge?¡± Melfyn repeated, his voice a mixture of nervousness and eagerness.


    She nodded suspiciously. ¡°...I am Captain Talia and I have the honor of serving directly under Lord Fergus Stonehand, Commander of the Southern Bulwark, who is as you so aptly put it, ¡®the one in charge.¡¯ However, he is too busy to answer to¡ª Who are you supposed to be¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am Melfyn, First of the Cinder Brood tribe. And this is,¡± he glanced at his friends around him, ¡°Well, this is my tribe.¡±


    Talia narrowed her scarlet eyes. ¡°Tribe? Are you trying to imitate the Valley Tribes?¡±


    ¡°What? No. We are a Lunisian tribe, w-well, Sylvan tribe too, I guess.¡± He shook his head and cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem. We have come to enlist.¡±


    Talia rubbed her nose bridge and shook her head. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have time to waste with whatever¡ª this is. If you want to enlist, the barracks are down there,¡± she pointed to a large assortment of buildings at the base of the wall. ¡°So climb down wherever you came from and fuck off.¡±


    Jack, Sandra, and the others glanced at Melfyn worriedly, but their leader seemed unperturbed. In fact, Melfyn smiled. ¡°I think you misunderstand, Captain. I heard this is where to enlist if we wish to fight on the front lines. Was I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Were you wrong to assume that this will be one of the most dangerous places to be in the next 24 hours? No. Were you wrong to come here? Yes. We need warriors, people who are capable and willing to fight, not a bunch of glory-seeking children who will run at the first sign of danger.¡±


    Melfyn opened his mouth to speak but another voice sounded beside Talia.


    ¡°Mel, what are you doing here?¡±


    Talia glanced at the drow walking up to them, ¡°Captain Polamtal¡­? You know this goblin?¡±


    Rorik nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a¡ª ¡®student¡¯ of a close mage friend of mine. He lives in the district I¡¯m in charge of.¡±


    ¡°A commoner then?¡± Talia stared at the teenagers suspiciously, ¡°Why do they have such expensive high-quality armor then?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t steal it,¡± Sandra said angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to believe a bunch of commoner children just so happen to have better armor than my soldiers?¡± Talia frowned.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t steal it,¡± Rorik said. He glanced at Sandra, ¡°I¡¯m guessing your patron provided these for you all?¡±


    Sandra nodded, ¡°Master Stryg had them all commissioned for us before he left for Undergrowth.¡±


    Talia''s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, Stryg? As in the Ebon Aspirant Stryg?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡± Sandra asked.


    Rorik smiled proudly, ¡°Stryg is a frequent visitor and patron of these kids¡¯ temple. So, my question is, what are you all doing up here? Does the head-priest Elm even know you¡¯re here? What about Karen?¡±


    ¡°We came to fight,¡± Melfyn said adamantly.


    Talia shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are friends with. Children are not allowed up here. We need battle-tested warriors, not kids wanting to play hero.¡±


    ¡°Look over there, Captain Talia,¡± Melfyn pointed to a small temple in the distance. ¡°The Commoner District is right next to the battlements and the wall. If the valley tribes break through our city¡¯s defenses they will be the first to be attacked. My temple, my people, my family will be the first to be killed. I did not come here to play hero, I came here to fight for my people. The same reason as you. All I¡¯m asking for is a chance to protect our own.¡±


    The other teenagers nodded in silent solemn agreement.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re all serious?¡± Talia looked at them uncertainly.


    ¡°If it means anything, I¡¯ve seen them in action, Captain Talia. They¡¯ve killed more thugs in my area than all my guardsmen combined,¡± said Rorik.


    Talia looked at them with uncertainty then sighed. ¡°Fine,¡± she said begrudgingly. ¡°You may all fight and die for your city on the wall, if that is what you wish. But Rorik and I will be keeping a close eye on you. If one of you so much as falters, I¡¯ll have you shipped back down to the outermost defenses.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why do I have to watch them too?¡± Rorik frowned.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain Talia, we won¡¯t let you down,¡± Melfyn said happily.


    ¡°I hope you do,¡± Talia said in a quiet voice. ¡°Children should not have to die in the place of adults.¡± She turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 458: The Dusk of War Part 1

    Chapter 458: The Dusk of War Part 1


    ¡­Four hours before dusk¡­


    In the Villa District of Hollow Shade, nestled between the vast mansions of wealthy nobles, was a verdant garden decorated with several exquisitely carved statues and delicate rose bushes. Yet none held the attention of the servants more than the centaur prancing atop the fountain¡¯s ledge with only a single hoof at a time. How she managed to perform trick after trick without falling off was like magic and it left the crowd of servants applauding and cheering in delight.


    Rhian basked in the glorious attention and smirked with pride, before showcasing another performance.


    Feli watched from the upstairs window of the Mora manor with a wry smile. ¡°She really has a flair for the dramatic, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    Maeve nodded from across the tea table. ¡°She is incredible. I think I¡¯m beginning to understand why Stryg and Rhian are so close.¡±


    Feli laughed. ¡°Those two are like troublesome siblings, always playing and fighting with each other only to land in trouble with somebody else, usually the guards. You have no idea how many food stands they¡¯ve destroyed while running and bickering through the Trade District.¡± She smiled warmly in reminiscence, ¡°Still they always had each other¡¯s back without question.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it helped that Stryg had House Noir¡¯s backing,¡± Maeve added.


    ¡°And House Mora¡¯s too, hm?¡± Feli said amusedly.


    ¡°Y-Yes, well, um, yes¡­¡± Maeve stuttered.


    Feli didn¡¯t press the matter and her eyes darkened with worry. ¡°I just hope he¡¯s okay, wherever he is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. Vulture Woods is his home.¡±


    ¡°Stryg rarely stays in one place for long. I¡¯m not even sure he¡¯s in Vulture Woods anymore.¡±


    ¡°Where would he be?¡±


    Feli slumped her shoulders, ¡°That¡¯s what worries me.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Maeve mumbled. She poured a new cup of tea and offered it to her, ¡°More tea?¡±


    Feli smiled half-heartedly, ¡°Thank you, for everything. Really. I appreciate you letting Rhian and me stay here for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s the least I could do, we¡¯re friends after all, at least, I hope we¡¯re friends?¡± Maeve said nervously.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are,¡± she chuckled.


    Maeve smiled brightly. Worried she might seem weird, Maeve cleared her throat and changed the topic. ¡°Sooo, any news from the temple?¡±


    Feli sighed, ¡°No good news, really. The head priest Elm doesn¡¯t want to bring the children here, he isn¡¯t worried about any potential invasions into the city. He¡¯s adamant the walls are impenetrable. He¡¯s right, I suppose. Doesn¡¯t change that Melfyn and the older kids want to join the battle. Karen allowed them to go but only if they stayed in the backlines, but knowing Melfyn I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they went somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous!¡± Maeve shot to her feet.


    Feli smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The enemy won¡¯t get far. I hear the catapults have already been set up. Those savages will be crushed by giant boulders long before they get close enough for the shades to devour them.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Maeve said thoughtfully and slowly sat back down.


    Feli furrowed her brow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Maeve forced herself to smile. ¡°Oh, no, nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, the way I see it, even if the savages get close, the Ruling Houses and their armies will obliterate them all.¡±


    ¡°What about the losses of House Veres and House Glaz?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I heard they lost a significant portion of their army against the enemy out in the valley. And there¡¯s also rumors of a dragon rider.¡±


    ¡°Even if that is true, we are behind the shade wall.¡±


    ¡°Dragons can fly.¡±


    ¡°And we have an army of mages. We¡¯ll shoot down any dragon that gets close. We¡¯ll all be fine and Marek and his people will finally get what they deserve.¡±


    Maeve bit her lip. ¡°What if the one leading the valley tribal armies isn¡¯t Marek, but someone else¡­?¡±


    Feli furrowed her brow. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°What if there was another?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are you saying you know something?¡±


    Maeve nodded reluctantly, ¡°Her name is Ann. What if she isn¡¯t as bad as people think?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of her, so I can¡¯t really say anything on that, but if you knew about someone else leading the army, why haven¡¯t you said anything before?¡±


    Maeve shrugged weakly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know who to tell. Ann showed me a lot of things, truths that had been forgotten¡­ She was going to help me¡ª we were going to help each other, fix everything. But Stryg told me not to trust her and to stay away from her. So I did¡­ but now I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    Feli¡¯s expression grew thoughtful at the young vampire¡¯s words. She played with her purple hair as she spoke, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know anything about this Ann person, but if Stryg told you to stay away from her then I¡¯m sure he had a good reason for it. You did the right thing.¡±


    Maeve nodded slowly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Three hours before dusk¡­


    A few streets down the Villa District, sat a smaller more modest manor, the home of House Azol. Though the town of Mellow Bloom was their seat of power, after the recent skirmishes in Dusk Valley, the family had all moved to their Hollow Shade manor to wait out the storm of war.


    Nora Azol stood at the entrance of the manor, dressed in leather armor, the traditional attire of a battle mage. In her hands, she held not a sword nor staff, but a young child, not even a year old.


    Kamilo breathed silently as he slept comfortably in his mother¡¯s arms. Nora couldn¡¯t help but tear up as she watched her son.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go¡­¡± Lady Isabel Azol said worriedly.


    ¡°I have to do this, mom.¡± Nora sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.


    Isabel nodded hesitantly. She handed her daughter a leather satchel, ¡°I made them like you requested.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it means a lot, really.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Isabel mumbled in a raw voice.


    Nora kissed Kamilo on the forehead and handed him to his grandmother.


    Isabel held him carefully and turned to her daughter, ¡°I¡¯ll keep him safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, for everything.¡± Nora hugged them both and stayed with them for a tense brief moment. ¡°Goodbye,¡± she whispered, then stepped back and headed for the door.


    As she opened the door she was met with two familiar faces. ¡°Kegrog? Freya? What are you two doing here?¡± Nora said in surprise.


    The burly orc shrugged, ¡°We wanted to give our goodbyes before heading out to our stations.¡±


    The blonde dwarf looked over Nora¡¯s attire, ¡°Why are you dressed up for battle? Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually planning on fighting? Nora, you can¡¯t. You have Kamilo and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not fighting anyone,¡± Nora laughed reassuringly. She held up her satchel and showed them its contents, a dozen bottles with different swirling liquids. ¡°I¡¯m just delivering the potions my mother made to the medical tent. I plan to stay at the tent to help out with any injured.¡±


    ¡°Still, the medical tents aren¡¯t far from the wall, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Freya said with a frown.


    ¡°I have to do my part,¡± Nora said firmly.


    Freya sighed with a grin. She hefted her hammer over her shoulder. ¡°If things get too dangerous head straight back home and if home is too dangerous, come find me at the Northern Gate. My House and our soldiers will keep you safe. That goes for your whole family.¡±


    Nora sighed in relief, ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be stationed with one of the academy¡¯s mage battalions,¡± Kegrog said. ¡°If you need me, I¡¯ll be at the Eastern Gate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Nora said with a smile.


    ¡°I should get going, my father and siblings are counting on me,¡± Freya said. She grabbed Kegrog¡¯s forearm and pulled him down for a kiss, before jogging away.


    Nora smirked, ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    Kegrog blushed and shrugged, ¡°For a while now, but it only became official a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± Nora grinned.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he smiled abashedly.


    ¡°Well, I should get going too. These potions won¡¯t deliver themselves. Take care of yourself, big guy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the medical tents,¡± Kegrog said quietly.


    Nora¡¯s face twitched for a moment. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the medical tents and those aren¡¯t medicinal potions either.¡±


    ¡°W-What are you saying?¡± Nora laughed anxiously. ¡°Where else would I go?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not going to any medical tents for the same reason why I¡¯m not going to the Eastern Gate.¡± Kegrog unhooked the quiver tied to his back and showed her the azure-tipped arrows inside, ¡°It took me months to perfect the enchantments.¡±


    ¡°What do they do?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°With a skilled archer, strengthened by brown magic? One of these arrows could pierce even the Yellow scales of a high-master mage.¡±


    Nora looked up at him, eyes wide in understanding. ¡°Kegrog¡­¡±


    ¡°Cly loved you, but he was my friend too. Did you think I¡¯d let you do this alone?¡±


    She smiled tearfully, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He threw the quiver on his back and turned to leave. ¡°You coming or what?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Two hours before dusk¡­


    At the Central District, at the heart of Hollow Shade, stood the Ebon Tower, proud in the evening sky. And at the top of the marble steps, at the base of the tower, sat Holo and Unalla.


    Lyrae, the orichalcum scythe, rested on Holo¡¯s shoulder. Its glass-like curved blade burned with a ghostly light, the beacon for the tower¡¯s ebon gate. She felt her strength drain from her body as the ghostly light burned through her mana.


    Holo stared at the waning sun as the hours of twilight began. Tonight would be a new moon and the enemy would begin their siege.


    She sighed in resignation and extinguished the ghostly flame. ¡°Nel isn¡¯t coming.¡±


    ¡°Lady Holo?¡± Unalla whispered worriedly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we hold out just a little longer?¡±


    ¡°We have run out of time. I must prepare the envoys before the battle begins.¡±


    ¡°Envoys?¡±


    ¡°A parley, before the siege.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d meet with those monsters!? After everything?!¡± Unalla shouted incredulously.


    Holo stood to her feet and dusted off her pants. ¡°You don¡¯t know Caligo. He has a penchant for making deals when people¡¯s lives are most dire. If there is even a small chance of saving this city I must hear it out.¡±


    ¡°Lady Holo¡­¡±


    ¡°Go find your parents. Stay with your family. I¡¯ll come find all of you when this is over.¡± Holo smiled and then she disappeared in a flash of orange light, leaving behind small traces of ash.

 Chapter 459: The Dusk of War Part 2

    Chapter 459: The Dusk of War Part 2


    ¡­1 hour before dusk¡­


    A dozen towers had been hastily erected across the wall of the Southern Gate of Hollow Shade. Atop each tower was a trebuchet, manned by several engineers and brown mages. Large smooth boulders served as their ammunition. Arcane sigils lined the boulders and a magestone had been embedded into each one. When the time came the brown mage would activate the enchantments, setting the boulder aflame, before launching it into the enemy lines, where the second round of enchantments would go off upon impact, detonating the boulder into a storm of flaming shards.


    The hundreds of guards atop the southern wall felt a sense of comfort at the intimidating structures wrought by magic and engineering. Many of the soldiers had never seen a true battle, only scuffles in the city streets between drunks or sometimes gangs. None had ever experienced a full-scale siege and the thought that they might not make it through plunged the soldiers into a bleak atmosphere.


    Still, Bulwark Commander Stonehand was in charge of the southern wall and tales of his exploits in the valley were legendary. Tough as he was on his men, he was a living terror to his enemies.


    It wasn¡¯t just Commander Stonehand the enemy would have to contend with either. At the base of the wall, surrounding the inner side of the gate were the armies of the Ruling Houses of Glaz and Veres, led by their respective family heads. Though both armies had suffered heavy casualties recently, their combined strength was still oppressive.


    If the Southern Gate was somehow ever breached, the valley savages would be faced against not just the armies of Glaz and Veres, but some of the greatest warriors in all the Ebon Realm. The elite mage-guards of House Glaz stood proud next to their lord Lucius, each adorned in deep blue armor with dark purple lining, the colors of their House.


    The soldiers of House Veres were clad in jet-black armor and stood at attention, ready for a command at any moment. At the forefront of the army stood a small group of white-armored warriors; each donned a scarlet cape, along with a pale sword and a shield with the crest of a woman in a warrior¡¯s stance. Even from atop the wall, the soldiers recognized the legendary Shield of Veres, the warriors of House Gale. There were no greater blade masters in the Ebon Realm, perhaps all the Null Realms.


    At the center of the ivory swordsmen, sitting atop a centaur, was a woman clad in thin scarlet armor and a black cloak that covered her pale face. Lady Elise Veres, head of her House, eyed the soldiers of her army with a grim gaze.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this¡­?¡± Elise muttered.


    To her left, stood Lady Gale VIII, leader of her House, and commander of the Veres guard. She brushed her blonde hair aside and looked up at her mistress, ¡°My Lady?¡±


    ¡°Not once in three centuries has the wall ever been breached. The Ebon Lords forged the wall with ancient magics so powerful that no one, not even a dragon could break through.¡± Elise impatiently tapped her fingers over the pommel of her sword. ¡°I see no reason for the entire city to fall into such a defensive position.¡±


    Elise was a powerful mage and an even more skilled aristocrat, well-versed in the arts of maneuvering through high society¡¯s treacherous webs. But she never spent much time on a battlefield, unlike her late elder sister, Carmilla. Elise had little experience in combat, but Gale thought it prudent to indulge her mistress¡¯ words.


    ¡°What would you have us do, my Lady?¡± Gale asked.


    ¡°For starters, I wouldn¡¯t have erected any trebuchets. That will only scare off the enemy. I¡¯d let the savages get close, let them think they have the advantage, until the shades surged out of the walls and devoured them. Once their armies are decimated and they¡¯re retreating, we ride out and meet them in battle.¡±


    ¡°An excellent plan, my Lady,¡± Gian spoke up from Elise¡¯s right. ¡°If the enemy was foolish enough to charge blindly into the wall. Surely the warlord Marek is aware of the shade wall¡¯s capabilities. I do not believe he would be so stupid as to¨C¡±


    ¡°He was stupid enough to wage war against Hollow Shade, wasn¡¯t he? Those savages think they can overwhelm us simply if they have more men,¡± Elise said through clenched teeth. ¡°Or do you think you¡ª¡±


    ¡°My Lady,¡± Gale interrupted quietly. ¡°I understand your anger. You are not the only one who lost their father to the savages. So please, do not take it out on the ones who care about you.¡±


    Elise¡¯s scarlet eyes softened. ¡°Forgive me, cousin. Tomorrow will be the day we avenge both our fathers.¡± She turned to the realm¡¯s Sword Paragon, Lord Gian, ¡°I trust you¡¯ll destroy the enemy when they come, uncle?¡±


    Gian smiled and bowed, ¡°To the very last, my Lady.¡±


    As they spoke, a Gale warrior strode through the army and made her way to them. Elise smiled at her confidante¡¯s appearance, ¡°Lynette, you made it. Any news?¡±


    Lynette shook her head, ¡°We¡¯ve searched every corner of the city, your brother, Callum, is not here.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Elise turned to Gian with a serious expression, ¡°Tell me, uncle, is my brother safe?¡±


    ¡°As I told you before, I do not know where Callum is,¡± Gian said politely. ¡°But if I know anything about the young lad, it is that he is resourceful. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s somewhere far away by now, safe and sound.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elise narrowed her eyes, ¡°We will talk more about this later, uncle. Lynette, report.¡±


    She stood at attention and nodded, ¡°Certainly, my Lady. The enemy is still nowhere in sight. By the scouts¡¯ estimates, they should be here by dawn. As for our forces, we have covered each of the city¡¯s crucial points. House Goldelm¡¯s army is stationed at the Northern Gate. War Master Katag ordered House Ashe¡¯s to be stationed at the Eastern Gate where the enemy¡¯s forces will be smallest.¡±


    ¡°Marek¡¯s forces are coming from the south-west, are we certain they¡¯ll even attempt to besiege the Eastern Gate?¡± Elise asked.


    ¡°Perhaps not, but the city docks are to the east,¡± Gian explained. ¡°It would be foolish of them to not at least try and take our access to the Dire River. After all, the docks are a terrible defensive position, we cannot hold it.¡±


    Lynette nodded in agreement, ¡°Which is why the docks are currently being evacuated and the ships sent off by order of the War Master.¡±


    ¡°Plus, House Ashe¡¯s army is the smallest of the Seven, it is the least we can spare to aid the eastern wall,¡± Gale added.


    ¡°I suppose it makes sense, but we could have used Lady Ashe¡¯s magical prowess over on this side of the wall,¡± Elise muttered annoyedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Gian replied. ¡°She is very powerful, but she isn¡¯t at the eastern wall either. The High Priestess has chosen to stay at the Central District, in the temple of the gods. In fact, I heard she has opened the Central District up to any who seek shelter from the battle.¡±


    ¡°Nobles and merchants have priority over the commoners though,¡± Lynette noted. ¡°Many are still moving into the District. It¡¯ll be several hours before any commoner might make it through.¡±


    ¡°As it should be,¡± Elise said matter-of-factly. ¡°What of the other armies?¡±


    ¡°House Noir and House Katag¡¯s armies are stationed at the Western Gate,¡± Lynette continued. ¡°As for the merchant House Helene, they have no standing army, but they have contributed their resources and what men they have to reinforce the Western Gate as well.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± Elise nodded slowly. ¡°The enemy will most likely try to breach the western gate first. The Katags boast the largest army and after House Glaz¡¯s losses, the Noirs control the largest teams of mages. It¡¯ll be difficult for the savages to get close whatsoever.¡±


    A horn sounded in the distance.


    Elise furrowed her brow, ¡°What is that?¡±


    The horn blared once more, this time in quick successive order, with slight pauses in between each few. A pattern. A signal.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elise asked.


    Gian¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ~~~


    At the Western Gate, the Noirs and the Katags stood atop the wall, while the bulk of their soldiers stood at the base of the wall, in front of the gate. Loh wandered through the wall, checking for any weak spots in the parapet. Mages and soldiers ran back and forth, working on the parapet''s defenses.


    Una Noir and her husband, Atlas, were speaking with the dark cloaked mage-warriors that Holo had brought with her into the city. Loh supposed that her grand-aunt was a part of them as well. A secret group of mages loyal to the mysterious Holo. Loh still didn¡¯t know how to feel about that woman, or if she could fully trust her.


    As for her grandfather, Elzri Noir was standing next to War Master Krall Katag, and Lady Ismene atop the wall, planning their next move no doubt. Krall¡¯s sons and daughters were at the base of the wall, running drills with their soldiers, and walking them through possible scenarios. Loh admired their resolve, the courage in their amber eyes. They reminded her of Tauri and a pang of worry filled her chest. She wondered where Stryg and Tauri might be and if they were safe in Vulture Woods.


    Loh scoffed to herself. They were at least safer over there than here, she supposed.


    ¡°Elohnoir?¡± a timid voice asked.


    Loh looked up and gasped in quiet surprise. ¡°Louise¡­? What are you doing here!?¡±


    The human girl shrugged hesitantly. ¡°You left this morning without saying anything¡­ And, well, the guards let me up after I showed them the nameplate you gave me.¡±


    Loh ran up to her and embraced her tightly. She breathed deeply in her sweet scent and felt the warmth of her body. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What? Should I be at the bakery making muffins?¡± she asked sarcastically.


    ¡°You know what I mean. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± Loh leaned back, but didn¡¯t let go of her embrace. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°And what if I lost you?¡± Louise frowned, the freckles on her cheeks somehow making her seem cuter while angry. ¡°Did you even think how I might feel when I woke up alone in bed, knowing there is a war coming? I know you¡¯re a Noir and you have to fight but¡ª but, you could have said something!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Loh mumbled with downcast eyes.


    Louise stared at the drow¡¯s saddened expression and groaned. ¡°Ugh, dammit, stop doing that, you¡¯re making me feel bad!¡±


    Loh looked up, a smirk slowly forming on her dark lips. ¡°Oh, why? Is it bec¡ª OW!¡±


    Louise slapped her across the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me like that again. If you have to go, at least leave a note!¡±


    Loh rubbed her stinging cheek but she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She leaned forward and touched their foreheads together. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll leave a note next time.¡±


    ¡°Promise me¡­¡± Louise mumbled.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± Loh brushed Louise¡¯s red hair aside and kissed her. As they kissed, Loh reached into her pocket and held a small object tightly.


    A horn abruptly blared in the east. Loh looked up at the sound with a frown. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±


    The horn blared again. Her face paled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Louise asked worriedly.


    ¡°The scouts were wrong. They¡¯re already here¡­¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°The enemy is attacking the docks!¡± a soldier shouted.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Loh kissed Louise fiercely and shoved her into the arms of a Noir guard, ¡°Take her to the manor! Now! Don¡¯t stop for anything!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± the guard nodded and dragged Louise away.


    ¡°Elohnoir, wait!¡± Louise yelled. She tried to kick and shove herself free, but the guard¡¯s grip held tight and he threw her over his shoulders as he ran.


    Loh smiled bitterly at Louise before she turned around and headed towards the east. Her heart sank as she watched Loh disappear.


    Louise slowly opened her palm, Loh had thrust something into her hand before she had pushed her away. A golden ring. Tears filled Louise¡¯s eyes, she looked up and searched the crowd of soldiers, but Loh was already gone.

 Chapter 460: Hollow Shade Docks Part 1

    Chapter 460: Hollow Shade Docks Part 1


    ¡­1 hour before dusk¡­


    The sun was beginning to set over the western horizon though there were still several dozens of ships moored at the docks. Sailors covered in sweat carried crates and goods wrapped in netting up ramps and onto the decks of ships.


    The process of evacuation had taken days. Most proprietors at the docks, such as tavern masters and brothel owners, had already gone into the city, taking their people and merchandise with them. But the merchants who had stored countless goods in the warehouse docks were not so lucky. If they didn¡¯t wish to leave behind most of their fortune to the valley tribes, then they had to cram as much of their wares onto their ships as possible. And that is exactly what they did.


    Despite the extra coin, many sailors had refused to work so many extra hours and had simply left on other ships, or gone into the city, even if it meant losing their jobs. Which made the job of the sailors who remained that much harder, and to the chagrin of the merchants, that much slower too.


    The merchant Bizun, a man who dealt with fine art ceramics, the likes of which were seen in the homes of lords, watched over his sailors toiling away, from the comforts of his chair. He was outside at the edge of the dock ramp, refusing to leave the oversight of the transfer of his goods to anyone else. A servant had brought him a large cushioned chair and stood by him, in case he needed anything else. Which he always did.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long? Lazy bastards,¡± Bizun muttered angrily.


    The sailors had been toiling away all day and still, they hadn¡¯t even moved the largest vases onto his three ships. It usually took 3 men to carry the 2 meter-tall vases, but after almost half his sailors had quit yesterday, the sailors were forced to carry the vases with only two men a piece.


    His men had sworn they were the hardest working sailors in Dusk Valley, and yet here they were, moving at a snail''s pace. And so Bizun was forced to oversee them all day under the summer sun. The cool winds of the river had done little to cool him off. Thankfully the sun was setting, but his body still felt like it was melting.


    Bizun leaned back in his chair and wiped the sweat off his brow with his pudgy hands. ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    ¡°Would you like beer or wine this time?¡± the servant beside him asked without missing a beat.


    Bizun glanced up at the young woman; she didn¡¯t have a particularly pretty face to look at, but at least someone in his staff was happy to serve. He would have to make an effort to learn her name at some point.


    ¡°Wine. There should still be some in my carriage,¡± he said.


    ¡°As you wish, Mister Bizun,¡± she bowed and walked off.


    ¡°And hurry it up!¡± he called out for good measure.


    A sudden scream behind him caught his attention. Bizun leaned over and glanced behind him. His servant¡¯s mouth was agape and she pointed at something with a trembling hand. At the river¡¯s shore, something strange was happening. The water was rippling upwards in a curve-like pattern, forming a watery tunnel into the river.


    No, not into the river, out from the river. A strange humanoid, with hairless grey skin, taller than any man Bizun had ever seen, stood at the mouth of the tunnel, his long hands pushing outwards as if he was forcing the tunnel open. The stranger¡¯s neck was half a meter long and his eyes were black orbs, save for his milky white irises, there were no pupils.


    The axlean slowly turned his neck towards the docks. ¡°Attack,¡± Grim said in a quiet, certain tone.


    Behind him, tens and tens of centaurs rushed out of the river tunnel and onto the shore. Atop their backs were valley warriors, their faces covered in skull masks, created from the heads of fallen foes.


    ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡± a sailor screamed from the top of his lungs.


    A skull warrior hefted a javelin and lunged it with swift finesse straight into the sailor¡¯s chest, sending him careening into the water.


    The docks broke into a panicked frenzy as sailors ran for their lives. The centaurs chased after them and attacked with large spiked maces. The sharp spikes sunk into the sailors¡¯ backs with a wet crunch. The sailors scrambled over one another to escape. The ones that tripped and fell were crushed under the centaurs¡¯ hooves. The sailors that managed to pull ahead from the others were struck down with arrows of javelins from the skull warriors.


    The war cries of the enemy mixed with the screams of the dying. Bizun hid under the bar from a nearby vacant tavern as the screams worsened. He closed his eyes and held his trembling hands tightly as he prayed to the gods for salvation.


    The tavern door suddenly swung open with an eerie creek. Bizun¡¯s eyes snapped wide open and he stiffened with terror.


    ¡°Aw, the ale casks are all gone!¡± Kyriil groaned from the doorway.


    Bizun didn¡¯t recognize the strange accent, confirming his worst fears.


    The elf waltzed into the tavern mumbling to himself in an unfamiliar language. He was about to turn and leave when he spotted a few bottles of spirits that had been left behind in a hurry when the owner had evacuated.


    ¡°Ooh! Thank the Ivorian gods!¡± Kyriil hopped over the bar and grabbed a couple of bottles, one in each hand. He furrowed his brow as he read the seals on the glass bottles. ¡°Ebonian wine, is it? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? All wine here is from the Ebon Realm. Fucking idiots. Huh¡­?¡± He glanced down and spotted Bizun crouched below the bar.


    Bizun looked up in pale terror.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Kyriil smirked maliciously, ¡°Well, hello, fat man.¡±


    ~~~


    Bizun screamed for mercy as the skull-masked elf dragged him out of the tavern. The town square was bathed in blood. Corpses of sailors, servants, and merchants alike were strewn across the road. In the distance, Bizun could see some of his fellow people running from the centaurs, only to be cut down in moments. In the distance, he could hear even more terrified voices. Yet, none of it registered in his mind.


    ¡°Mercy, please, mercy!¡± Bizun screamed and flailed about.


    Kyriil tossed him on the ground at Grim¡¯s feet. ¡°I found this rat hiding away like a rat in that tavern.¡±


    The axlean glanced at Bizun then back at his companion, ¡°I see you found some wine as well, hm?¡±


    ¡°What? I got thirsty,¡± Kyriil shrugged.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t here to play,¡± Grim admonished.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll save the drinks for later.¡± Kyriil kicked Bizun on his side, ¡°Get up, fat man.¡±


    The merchant groaned in pain and fell over from the kick. ¡°Please, have mercy, I beg of you,¡± he mumbled tearfully.


    ¡°I have money, lots of money. You can have it all, just please, spare me!¡± Bizun cried.


    Kyriil pulled off his skull mask and chuckled with delight. ¡°Oh? Where is this treasure trove?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of it back at the city, b-but I have a lot on my ships! You¡¯re welcome to all of it!¡± Bizun stammered.


    A shriek echoed in the distance, but it was different from the rest. It was the dying shriek of a centaur.


    Grim and the other warriors turned to the newfound sound of battle.


    ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Kyriil muttered.


    A small battalion of heavily armored centaurs burst into the street, galloping towards them. A rider held the banner of House Ashe, a silver eye on a white background, high in the air.


    Captain Kassian Ashe pointed his sword at Grim and roared, ¡°Chaaarge!¡±


    The axlean swept his hand across the air. Water rose from the shore in a turbulent wave, crashing into the charging centaurs and sending them careening into a nearby building.


    Shadows erupted around the centaurs, forming a protective wall. Kassian stumbled to his feet, drenched in water and a few scrapes on his dark skin, but righteous anger burning in his scarlet eyes. His men stood up behind him, weapons at the ready. Their centaurs shook the water off themselves and readied to charge once more.


    ¡°Took you all long enough,¡± Kyriil yawned exaggeratedly. Several small stars of light formed around him and shot out, burning into the wall of shadows.


    The shadows rippled and small tears began to appear across the wall, but just as quickly new strands of shadows formed and repaired the damage.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kyriil cocked his head to the side in surprise.


    ¡°I thought Marek¡¯s mage dogs had more bite than this,¡± Kassian growled.


    ¡°Lord Kassian!¡± Bizun cried out in hope.


    ¡°It seems your subjects believe in you,¡± Kyriil grinned wickedly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if the reputation lives up to the truth.¡± A sphere of white light spun into existence above Kyriil. The Lux Orb grew until it was a meter in diameter. ¡°I do hope you enjoy the sun, vampire.¡±


    A pillar of scorching light exploded from the orb and burned through the wall of shadows. Yet as the shadows fell apart, new shadow threads molded around Kassian, forming a condensed Aegis of Shadows. The shield swirled in a mixture of black and white as the light continuously burned through and new shadow threads formed.


    Kyriil narrowed his eyes and poured more white mana into the Lux Orb. Yet the Aegis of Shadows held. The pillar of light weakened and grew smaller until it disappeared, leaving the orb hovering silently.


    Kyriil smiled angrily. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Kassian breathed roughly and leaned on the pommel of his sword. The dark shield slowly dissipated in front of him. His men didn¡¯t waste the chance and charged the skull warriors.


    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Grim said impatiently. Dozens of icy spears formed from the water on the ground and flew straight at the soldiers.


    Shadow tendrils rose from Kassian¡¯s silhouette and met each spear in mid-air. Grim glared at the vampire and formed dozens of more spears. The Hollow Shade soldiers clashed with the skull warriors as shadow tendrils collided against the ice spears above their heads.


    The Lux Orb fired off several smaller rapid beams at Kassian. Deep shadows wrapped around him, absorbing the blows as Kassian faced off against the spears in the air. His shadows weakened with every moment and with trembling arms he finally collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Lord Kassian!¡± Bizun yelled worriedly.


    As soon as the black magic disappeared, Grim summoned another tidal wave to push back the enemy soldiers, separating them from his own warriors.


    ¡°I could have dealt with all of them by myself,¡± Kyriil complained light-heartedly. ¡°It¡¯s no fun teaming up on a single mage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have struggled alone,¡± Grim noted.


    ¡°But I would have won in the end,¡± Kyrill said. ¡°It would have been fun, not that you know anything about that.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste, elf. Enemy reinforcements will soon be swarming this place.¡± Grim raised his hands high up. A new round of ice spears crystallized above him and rained down on the soldiers.


    Dark shadows burst from the ground and caught each spear with deft precision.


    Grim and Kyriil glanced at the downed Kassian, confused.


    Kyriil frowned. ¡°How did he¡­?¡±


    A pillar of fire splashed into the skull warriors. Grim and Kyriil jumped back in surprise as their men died with painful cries. Bizun crawled away as best he could, the sweltering heat singing the hair off his arms.


    As the flames died out, Grim spotted a group of soldiers through the smoke, and at their forefront two black-robed figures.


    Grim¡¯s milky-white eyes widened in shock. ¡°It cannot be¡­¡±


    ¡°Fear not, dear citizens, Cornelius of the Great House of Rotrusk has arrived!¡± the dwarf shouted proudly. ¡°Men, with me!¡±


    The soldiers behind the dwarf glanced at one another uncertainly and looked at their commander for instructions.


    ¡°Help Lord Kassian and his men, and find whatever survivors you can and get them out of here. Leave these two to us,¡± Loh said with a stern tone.


    ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± the soldiers nodded and ran off.


    ¡°Save me first!¡± Bizun cried out.


    Cornelius rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck from side to side. And sauntered towards Grim and Kyriil with a swagger to his step. ¡°Right, which of you bastards wants to die first, hm!?¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Noir bitch herself. This just got interesting.¡± Kyriil smiled and stretched out his hand casually; a beam of light shot out from the Lux Orb and bore into Bizun, searing the flesh off his body as he died in agonizing screams.


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Cornelius stared at Bizun¡¯s scorched body in dumbfounded surprise. The enemy wasn¡¯t even glancing at him, their eyes were focused on the drow behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you¡­¡± Grim muttered. ¡°Elohnoir of the House of Noir.¡±


    Loh glanced at him and her eyes widened in recognition at the axlean¡¯s strange appearance. ¡°You¡­ You both were at Mora Castle.¡±


    ¡°You managed to best us the last time we met.¡± Grim¡¯s lips curled, a crazed look of anger and happiness in his eyes. ¡°I thank the Navigator for leading me to you. I finally have a chance to right the stain on my honor.¡±


    Loh fell into a warrior stance, flames curling around her fingers. ¡°Is that right? This time you won¡¯t have an arch-mage friend to save you.¡±


    Grim laughed darkly. ¡°I assure you, this time you will find things¡ª different.¡±

 Chapter 461: Hollow Shade Docks Part 2

    Chapter 461: Hollow Shade Docks Part 2


    ¡­1 hour before dusk¡­


    The horns of the eastern wall echoed loudly. The nearby watch towers mimicked the call with their own horns, causing a rippling effect throughout the city until all of Hollow Shade heard the warning cry.


    Loh ran across the parapet, pushing past guards and battlements every few steps. Orange mana filled her veins and quickened her muscles. The horns resounded in her ears, a sense of panic rising in her chest every time. As she neared the eastern battlements, she glanced out at the docks in the distance. Pillars of smoke rose from several buildings and even a few ships had been set alight. She couldn¡¯t grasp the full damage from so far away, but it was no doubt the work of the enemy.


    They shouldn¡¯t be here yet, she thought as she ran. A small strike force, perhaps? A raiding party?


    ¡°General Noir!?¡± a guard called out in recognition.


    Loh glanced back in front of her and came to a halt. A crowd of soldiers stood in front of her, watching her with a mix of anxiety and fear. She realized she had finally arrived at the eastern primary defense forces.


    ¡°Where is Bulwark Commander Octavia?¡± Loh asked breathlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± A tall brawny orc stepped out from the crowd. ¡°Make it quick, Noir, I¡¯m busy,¡± she said.


    Loh glanced at the commander and the trebuchet battlements lined across the wall. Dozens of soldiers were rushing back and forth, tinkering with the ropes, and placing the enchanted boulders into trebuchets¡¯ sling.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hurl those things at the docks?¡± Loh said in horror. ¡°There are innocents still down there!¡±


    ¡°I am aware, but the enemy is down there as well,¡± Octavia said grimly. ¡°The docks are already lost.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give up on all those people!?¡±


    Octavia shook her head in disgust. ¡°You nobles and your ideals. This is war, I thought you¡¯d understand what that meant, but it seems you are the same as that Ashe boy.¡±


    ¡°Ashe?¡± Loh blinked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Captain Kassian Ashe took a battalion of soldiers to aid in the defense of the docks. A fool¡¯s folly,¡± Octavia spat.


    ¡°I warned him not to go!¡± a familiar voice interjected. A dwarf pushed through the soldiers and staggered in front of the two women.


    Loh frowned. ¡°Cornelius? What are you doing here?¡±


    The dwarf quickly brushed his pants as if there were dirt on them and then ran his hand through his beard. ¡°Ah, yes, well, I requested to be stationed here.¡±


    Loh raised her eyebrow. ¡°You requested to be stationed at the Eastern Wall, where the enemy was least likely to attack?¡±


    ¡°Did I say requested?¡± he laughed tensely. ¡°I meant to say your grandfather requested to station me here. I guess he didn¡¯t want to lose a genius mage like me, hehe¡­¡± his laughter slowly died on his lips. ¡°Ahem,¡± he coughed. ¡°Anyways, I warned Kassian not to go, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But he is a scion of a Ruling Family, we cannot command him. Not even I,¡± Octavia said begrudgingly. ¡°I promised to give him 40 minutes. After that, I¡¯m firing the trebuchets.¡± She pulled a small magestone dial from her pocket, ¡°It¡¯s already been 8 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Then I still have 32,¡± Loh said. ¡°Give me 15 brave men and women, Commander. I am going to rescue our captain.¡±


    Octavia growled, ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to spare any more men for a fool¡¯s mission¡ª¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request, Bulwark Commander Octavia,¡± Loh said icily. ¡°That was an order, or have you forgotten I am also a scion of a Ruling Family?¡±


    Octavia clenched her square jaw. ¡°...Lady Noir, if you go down there you¡¯ll die, as will my men.¡±


    Loh stepped up to her and stared the orc in the eyes. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. But I have let people die for the greater good of the mission before and I will not make that same mistake again. Give me the soldiers now.¡±


    Octavia narrowed her eyes, ¡°I will not stop you. But I will not send my men to die willingly. Those of you who wish to go with her may. Those who do not may stay.¡±


    Two dozen soldiers immediately raised their hands and volunteered.


    Loh smirked, ¡°These are House Ashe¡¯s soldiers bolstering your defenses. They will not abandon their young master so easily.¡±


    ¡°And so loyalty runs strong among fools,¡± Octavia sighed and shook her head. ¡°You may go, you have 30 minutes.¡± She turned her back to Loh and resumed her work. ¡°¡­Good luck,¡± she muttered quietly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Loh nodded and quickly began heading down their nearby scaffolding.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡± Cornelius shouted.


    ¡°What?¡± Loh turned around, confused. ¡°But I thought you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t watch and let Lady Tauri¡¯s best friend wade into danger alone! She¡¯d call me a coward! Besides,¡± Cornelius puffed up his chest, ¡°You¡¯ll need the help of a genius mage!¡±


    Loh smiled wryly, ¡°If only there was one nearby.¡±


    Cornelius staggered back as if he had been struck. ¡°My lady! How could you?¡±


    Loh chuckled and hurried down the scaffolding.


    ¡°Wait, my lady!¡± Cornelius called out.


    ~~~


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    As Loh, Cornelius, and the Ashen guards rushed through the docks, they cut down the skulled warriors they came across. As Loh had guessed, there weren¡¯t very many. Only small squadrons dispersed through the docks. Most likely sent to cause as much chaos and damage as possible in a short amount of time. The savages weren¡¯t trying to take the docks, they were simply trying to destroy it.


    And if we don¡¯t get back soon, Octavia will do Marek¡¯s job for him, she thought grimly.


    Loh ran past a building and found herself in the dock central square. In a single breath, she took in the scene. Soldiers, soaked and shivering, gathered behind Captain Kassian Ashe. In front of them stood skull-masked warriors and a pair of mages.


    An arsenal of frost spears hovered over the area and at the Axlean¡¯s command, fell down upon the soldiers. Black mana surged through Loh¡¯s veins and her shadow darkened and shot out in dozens of tendrils, catching each spear in mid-air. Without hesitation, she channeled Orange and summoned a powerful pillar of flame over the skull warriors, incinerating them.


    It had happened in a single moment, and the enemy had been too slow to respond. The two remaining enemies seemed oddly familiar. One was pale-skinned with blonde hair and pointy ears. The other was a tall, sleek figure. The second man stared at her as if he had just seen a ghost.


    ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± he muttered.


    Cornelius strutted forward and shouted proudly. ¡°Fear not, dear citizens, Cornelius of the Great House of Rotrusk has arrived! Men, with me!¡±


    Loh ignored Cornelius¡¯ constant posturing and quickly ordered the soldiers to get Lady Calantha¡¯s younger brother out of here, but Kassian refused and shook his own men off him.


    ¡°I can still fight!¡± Kassian said stubbornly. Though his brown skin seemed pale, even for a vampire.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Noir bitch herself. This just got interesting,¡± Kyriil smiled and casually killed a random bystander on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you¡­¡± Grim muttered. ¡°Elohnoir¡­¡±


    Their words caught Loh¡¯s attention and she looked at them, really looked at their appearances; memories of that night two years ago came rushing back. Her eyes widened in recognition, ¡°You¡­ You both were at Mora Castle.¡±


    ¡°You managed to best us the last time we met.¡± Grim¡¯s lips curled, a crazed look of anger and happiness in his eyes. ¡°I thank the Navigator for leading me to you. I finally have a chance to right the stain on my honor.¡±


    Loh fell into a warrior stance, flames curling around her fingers. ¡°Is that right? This time you won¡¯t have an arch-mage friend to save you.¡±


    Grim laughed darkly. ¡°I assure you, this time you will find things¡ª different.¡±


    This was bad.


    Loh didn¡¯t have time to waste fighting these two. She barely managed to defeat them both last time thanks to using Black Amber, an arch-mage spell that would leave her body out of commission. She couldn¡¯t afford to leave her body in tatters, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the wall.


    Loh bit her lip. She needed a plan to get out of here before it was too late¡ª


    ¡°Have at thee!¡± Cornelius shouted.


    Spiked rocks sprung from the ground underneath the enemy. Grim jumped out of the way nimbly, while Kyriil threw himself to the side.


    ¡°As if I¡¯m done!¡± Cornelius yelled and channeled enormous amounts of Green through his body. Large chunks of rock ripped off the cobblestone road and floated into the air. The boulders began to spin rapidly and turned towards Grim and Kyriil.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± the elf mumbled in fear.


    ¡°Die, vermiiiin!¡± Cornelius yelled.


    A whip of water abruptly appeared behind Cornelius and smacked him across the back. The dwarf went flying and crashed into a wall. The boulders lost their spin and fell on the ground unceremoniously.


    ¡°Imbecile,¡± Grim said in disgust.


    ¡°Cornelius!¡± Loh shouted worriedly.


    The dwarf groaned in pain, but with shaky movements he staggered to his feet. He wiped the blood off his split lip and grinned defiantly. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡±


    Grim narrowed his milky-white eyes.


    Kassian hurried in front of Cornelius and raised his shield and sword. ¡°You are not alone, brother!¡±


    ¡°For House Ashe!¡± one of the soldiers yelled and the rest echoed.


    That¡¯s right¡­ Loh thought with a small smile. I¡¯m not alone.


    The soldiers rushed at Grim as Cornelius raised the boulders once more. The axlean surrounded himself in a protective dome of water. Kyriil fired beams of light from his Lux Orb, but Kassian blocked each one with inky shadows.


    Loh channeled large amounts of Orange into her hands. Flames burned around her and she summoned an enormous cyclone of flames. The heat evaporated the water and shards of ice on the ground. She¡¯d burn through the axlean dome and scorch him from within.


    ¡°This again?¡± Grim glared at her. Silver shards of ice rose from the Dire River nearby. Dozens of pillars of water shot out and weaved into the ice, forming into the shape of a snake 40 paces tall.


    Loh recognized the elemental water spell from their last encounter. Even her Infernal Cyclone could not defeat it.


    ¡°Bring it, you fiends!¡± Cornelius shouted fearlessly and hurled the giant boulders into the elemental snake, ripping chunks out of its aquatic body more quickly than it could regenerate.


    Loh grinned. This time she wasn¡¯t alone. She raised her hands and snapped them together, sending the Infernal Cyclone straight into the water serpent. The creature hissed in anger as its body began to sizzle and evaporate.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Grim said tersely. Elemental mana exploded from his body, sending ripples into the air.


    Loh felt a chill run down her spine. This was different. The sheer amount of elemental mana in the air was so vast she could feel it on her skin.


    Hundreds of silver shards of ice rose from the water. Giant waves splashed onto the docks and the road, swirling around the snake and flowing into it. The snake swelled and split into three identical elemental beasts. The snakes attacked the Infernal Cyclone and the pillar of fires sputtered out of existence.


    Loh¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. How¡­?


    The serpents turned to the soldiers and pounced on them. The men and women cried out in terror as the elemental monsters unhinged their jaws and swallowed them whole, sending them into a swirling vortex of ice shards. Blood dyed the innards of the snakes as they ate victim after victim.


    Green vines sprouted from the ground and lashed across the snakes, holding them in place. Scales of swirling ice tore at the vines, but the plants regenerated quicker than they were being destroyed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold this for long! Loh! Do something!¡± Cornelius shouted strainedly.


    Loh stood still, dumbfounded at the snakes¡¯ destruction. How was this possible? The axlean¡¯s power had grown by several fold in the past two years.


    ¡°Loh!¡± Cornelius screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Loh¡¯s eyes snapped back into focus. It didn¡¯t matter how the axlean had grown so powerful. She needed to stop him, no matter the cost.


    Loh took a deep breath. Orange mana filled her veins and dyed them black. She felt her muscles stretch and tear as the spell overwhelmed her body.


    Only for a moment, she thought.


    She just needed a single moment. A single opening.


    Kassian witnessed the Black Amber spell overcome her and nodded in silent understanding. He whispered to his sword and gold sigils flared across the blade. Shadowy tendrils wrapped around the hilt as he pulled his arm back. With a crack of a whip, the tendrils flung the whip at Grim. The sword flew true and pierced the protective water dome around the axlean, sending it splashing apart.


    Grim cursed under his breath and raised his hands. The water underneath him trembled and curled around him, reforming the dome. Loh burst through the half-formed dome in the blink of an eye.


    The world seemed to slow down for a moment. Droplets of water falling. The cries of dying soldiers echoing in her ears. Loh swung her arm in a right hook, straight at the axlean¡¯s ribs.


    Grim¡¯s milky eyes snapped towards her. He shifted his weight and turned his torso, and her fist caught only his shirt. Before she could step back, Grim¡¯s leg shot out and smashed into her left shin, snapping it in two. Loh cried out in pain and crashed into the ground.


    ¡°I told you, things were different,¡± Grim sneered at her.


    Orange mana seeped out of Loh and her Black Amber spell crumbled apart. She gasped in painful short breaths and looked up in a blur at the axlean looming over her. His shirt had been torn away from her punch and his grey sleek chest was bare. A green gem sat embedded in his sternum, glowing faintly.


    ¡°What¡­ What is that¡­?¡± Loh mumbled aghast.


    ¡°I promised I would never suffer such a humiliating loss again.¡± Grim smiled maliciously, a glint of insanity in his eyes. ¡°So I made a deal with a very¡ª unique individual.¡±

 Chapter 462: Hollow Shade Docks Part 3

    Chapter 462: Hollow Shade Docks Part 3


    Orange mana seeped out of Loh¡¯s body and her Black Amber spell crumbled apart. She gasped in painful short breaths and looked up in a daze at the axlean looming over her. Though she had missed, his shirt had been torn away by her attack and his grey sleek chest was bare. A green gem sat embedded in his sternum, glowing faintly.


    ¡°What¡­ What is that¡­?¡± Loh mumbled aghast.


    ¡°I promised I would never suffer such a humiliating loss again.¡± Grim smiled maliciously, a glint of insanity in his milky-white eyes. ¡°So I made a deal with a very¡ª unique individual.¡±


    Grim reached down and wrapped his long fingers around her throat. She gasped weakly as he pulled her up by the neck and sneered in her face. ¡°Tell me, how does it feel? The life fading from your body?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ tell¡­ m-me¡­¡± she choked out.


    Grim chuckled, ¡°Still prideful even now, huh?¡± He squeezed her throat tighter, or rather, he tried to. His grip felt flimsy and he couldn¡¯t seem to put strength into his arm. A cold chill began to seep up his trembling arm and across his body. He suddenly felt incredibly tired. ¡°What the¡ª?¡±


    Loh smirked.


    Grim¡¯s eyes widened in horrid realization. Drain magic!


    With sluggish movements, he panickedly reached for his dagger.


    Loh pried his hand off her throat with ease and landed on her uninjured foot. She snatched the dagger away before he could react and slashed him across the chest. Grim shouted in pain and stumbled backwards.


    Kassian Ashe reached his hand out towards Loh and his shadows answered. Inky tendrils shot out, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her back to him.


    Grim watched helplessly as she slipped away. Fresh blood seeped out from the cut that stretched across his ribs and up to his collarbone. Worse, the dagger had scraped the green gem embedded in his sternum.


    Kyriil¡¯s Lux Orb stopped firing as the elf hurried over to his friend and began casting a healing spell over him. ¡°Shit, she got you good.¡±


    Anger boiled inside Grim and he roared in blood-thirsty rage. ¡°Get off me!¡±


    Kyriil jumped back and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Calm down, big guy,¡± he said wryly.


    As the two spoke, the few remaining soldiers of Hollow Shade regrouped around their mages.


    Kassian released Loh from his shadow tendrils and helped her to her feet, ¡°Lady Noir, your leg, its¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Loh said strainedly. ¡°Now¡¯s our chance, we have to kill them now.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done!¡± Cornelius yelled from beside them. He was still busy holding down Grim¡¯s giant elemental snakes with his flora spells.


    ¡°No, something¡¯s different,¡± Loh noted quietly as she stared at Grim from across the cobblestone street.


    One of the three elemental snakes cried out in a gurgled anguish and the hundreds of frost slivers spinning throughout its aquatic body melted apart and the whole body collapsed in a large pool of water.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cornelius muttered in confusion.


    ¡°I damaged the gem on his body. I think it''s somehow augmenting his powers,¡± Loh said.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re right. Now¡¯s our chance,¡± Kassian nodded in understanding.


    Cornelius laughed audaciously. ¡°Come, you vile vermin! Meet your end by the hand of House Rotrusk!¡±


    Grim glared at the posturing dwarf and yanked the aquatic snakes away from the ensnaring vines. The elemental snakes rose to their full height of 40 paces and hissed angrily, reflecting their creator¡¯s will. ¡°Die, you fools.¡±


    The sight of monstrous elemental magic sent chills down the soldiers, but Cornelius stepped forward, his expression bright and unafraid. ¡°No! Death to you, you serpent bastard!¡±


    At Cornelius¡¯ word, colossal vines lashed out from the ground and attacked the snakes. The elemental creatures retaliated and bit at the vines, forming a storm of giant thrashing attacks above the dock square. Grim shouted angrily and poured more water mana into his spells, while Cornelius laughed wildly.


    The dwarf¡¯s laughter spread through his comrades and they felt courage surging within them. The soldiers raised their swords and prepared to charge at the axlean.


    Kyriil¡¯s Lux Orb turned towards them and swelled with light.


    Loh poured the remaining of her orange mana above her hands and began to call forth a pillar of flames around her. Kassian called his shadows forth and formed a Shadow Aegis around his men.


    A thunderous roar broke through the cacophony of the battle. Everyone turned to the western sky. A dark shadow flew above the setting sun. Its pale blue wings opened wide and it roared once more, the sound shaking the air itself.


    ¡°DRAGON!¡± a soldier shouted in terror.


    ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± Kassian muttered in disbelief.


    The azure dragon swooped down over the docks. Her rib cage swelled and she opened her mouth wide. Chromatic mana swirled in her mouth and exploded in a stream of prismatic fire, burning across the fleeing ships. The ships¡¯ hulls exploded in bursts of ash and cinder. The screams of the dying sailors cut off in an instant.


    Loh¡¯s face paled at the utter destruction. Even from this distance, she could feel the heat of the flames. There had been rumors, whispers of a dragon, but like so many others she hadn¡¯t wanted to believe it.


    ¡°Our lord and his beast have arrived,¡± Grim smirked triumphantly.


    ¡°Aw, already,¡± Kyriil glanced at the dwarf mage and grinned mockingly.


    Cornelius¡¯ fearless smile melted away and his expression grew solemn. ¡°...Lord Kassian, take Lady Loh and your men and run to the gates as quickly as you can.¡±


    Loh frowned. ¡°What? Cornelius, what are you¡ª¡±


    Cornelius turned to her and looked her in the eyes with a steel gaze. ¡°You heard the Bulwark Commander¡¯s words. Octavia will not wait for us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to destroy the docks with the trebuchet fire,¡± Kassian muttered bitterly.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°No, she gave us 30 minutes to save as many as we could!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what I am doing,¡± Cornelius said in an oddly cold voice.


    ¡°Alone? Are you insane!?¡± Loh shouted.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°We cannot stay here for a prolonged battle and when that dragon rears its head towards us, none of us will survive,¡± Cornelius answered.


    Loh grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Then let me stay! My leg is broken. I cannot run. I¡¯d only slow you down.¡±


    Cornelius broke into a sad smile. ¡°I could never face Lord Noir without you. And what would Lady Tauri think of me if I ran now? A coward surely.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d think you''re a fool for staying! Please, don¡¯t do this!¡± Loh pleaded.


    Cornelius slipped his boot and socks off and placed his bare feet directly on the dirt. He turned his back to Loh and looked up at the giant vines and snakes clashing above them. ¡°... Tell Lady Tauri I was brave. Tell my House that I did not disappoint them. Oh, and tell Stryg that he was a pain in my ass, but it was my honor to teach him.¡±


    Loh gnashed her teeth together. ¡°Dammit, Cornelius, stop this, you insufferable bastard!¡±


    ¡°Lord Kassian, please, there is no time, let me go out in style,¡± Cornelius said quietly, though he refused to look back at them.


    ¡°As you wish, Lord Rotrusk,¡± Kassian bowed deeply. He turned to his soldiers and nodded. Two of his men grabbed Loh from behind and picked her up, one on each shoulder.


    Loh bit her trembling lip and stared at the dwarf¡¯s wide back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let any of you escape! Not this time!¡± Grim shouted furiously.


    The elemental snakes slithered around the vines and struck out at the retreating soldiers. Cornelius¡¯ feet sank into the dirt and a wave of vibration echoed outwards. A wall of stone erupted from the cobblestone road and blocked the snakes.


    Grim scowled at the green mage responsible, ¡°You think you can stop me, dwarf!? Kyriil, now!¡±


    Kyriil raised his hands and his Lux Orb rose high up into the air and fired beams of light directly at Loh.


    Cornelius shifted his feet and clasped his hands together. A swarm of vines grew out from the buildings behind him and formed a canopy over Loh and the rest, covering their escape.


    ¡°You stupid little man,¡± Grim hissed. ¡°When I¡¯m done gutting you, I¡¯ll chase after them and crush that drow bitch¡¯s neck.¡±


    Kyriil clicked his tongue and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯ve only bought them seconds, perhaps a minute, you know? Or did you really think you¡¯d stop us both?¡±


    ¡°One genius dwarf versus a long-neck freak and an albino drow?¡± Cornelius stroked his well-oiled beard. The ground shook beneath his feet. He grinned once more, all the bravado and swagger back in his green eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances.¡±


    ~~~


    The docks burned with prismatic fire. Pillars of black smoke rose from the ruined building across the shore. The wreckage of ships sunk into the Dire River in burning heaps of ash. No ship had managed to escape.


    Zavinti, the Azure Serenity, or what was left of her, flew over the city docks, a harbinger of destruction. Her sapphire scales were dull and her once deep blue eyes were now glazed over, a consequence of her soul being ripped apart and stitched back together by her rider.


    Caligo watched from above her back the destruction she wrought with pleased satisfaction. A skirmish near the edge of the docks caught his eye. With a simple thought through their altered one-way bond, he directed her down to the spot.


    The dragon swooped down with ease. She beat her wings back and landed with a heavy thud. Caligo threw his avian-skull helmet over his head and pulled his black-feathered cloak snugly over his shoulders, before he slipped off Zavinti¡¯s back.


    He walked through the ruins of the square with a curious eye. The buildings and ground had been ripped asunder, yet it wasn¡¯t his dragon¡¯s doing.


    At the center of the wreckage were the two remaining realm walkers from Marek¡¯s circle. Kyriil¡¯s armor was in tatters and Grim was bleeding from several minor cuts and a particularly large one across his chest. Both men seemed worse for wear, yet neither had caught Caligo¡¯s attention and made him land.


    A lone dwarf stood across from the two mages. His body was covered in blood and fresh scrapes, and his shoulders heaved as he panted. And yet green mana still flowed through his veins as a pair of vines arched around him, poised to strike.


    Had this dwarf fought both high-master mages by himself? Caligo could sense the dwarf¡¯s aura and Caligo knew that he was no arch-mage, and yet, there he stood.


    Caligo looked over the dwarf¡¯s body with a keen glance. His skin was flushed red, sweat soaked his clothes, and his short rapid breaths were all signs of mana-overheating. This young mage had gone far above his limits and at this rate, his heart would stop. Caligo was surprised he hadn¡¯t already dropped dead, let alone collapsed in shock.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Caligo called out.


    Grim and Kyriil turned to him, surprised. Neither had noticed his or Zavinti¡¯s arrival.


    How entrenched in their battle were they?


    Grim and Kyriil both bowed at Caligo¡¯s appearance, Grim especially deep, though it clearly pained him judging from his expression and his open wounds.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Grim began. ¡°We¡¯ve been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± Caligo said casually. He glanced at the dwarf and inclined his head in recognition, ¡°Hello, young man. Have you really been fighting both of these men by yourself? No one else?¡±


    The dwarf stared at him warily and then at the dragon standing a few dozen paces behind him. ¡°...And if I have?¡± he asked between breaths.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Caligo said delightfully. ¡°I am Crow, a pleasure to meet you. May I ask, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°...Cornelius¡­ of the House of Rotrusk¡­¡±


    ¡°Aaah, one of Frost Rim¡¯s most promising mages.¡± Caligo glanced at the wreckage around them, ¡°It seems the stories about your genius prowess are true. Now, what is a gifted young man like you fighting in a place like this? Hollow Shade is not your home. Why risk your life for these people?¡±


    ¡°....A hero needs no reason to protect the weak,¡± he muttered tiredly.


    ¡°A hero, hm?¡± Caligo said with a light, thoughtful tone. ¡°Your actions are admirable, truly, but if you continue at this rate you will die from mana-hyperthermia. Your organs will start failing, particularly your heart. This is no place for someone of such talent and skill to die.¡±


    Cornelius stared at him suspiciously, ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°I see potential in you, young Rotrusk.¡± Caligo opened his arms wide, ¡°I¡¯d like to offer you a deal. I¡¯ll spare your life, in fact, I will grant you a life far greater than this. Hollow Shade¡¯s fate is sealed, but your legend is not; Power, wealth, fame, it could all be yours.¡±


    Corenlius¡¯ eyes widened in comprehension. ¡°...And what would I have to do in return?¡± he asked dubiously.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. Nothing! Just stand back and relax. Swear your loyalty to me and I¡¯ll take care of the rest. And someday, when you¡¯re ready, all I ask for is a small favor.¡±


    Cornelius glanced at his trembling fingers. The vines around him lowered and sank back into the ground. ¡°You¡¯d spare me¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d do you one better. I¡¯d heal you. Your wounds would be gone just like that!¡± he snapped his fingers.


    Cornelius swallowed hard. ¡°One small favor?¡±


    ¡°Only one, and nothing dreadful mind you,¡± he said sincerely.


    Cornelius nodded slowly. ¡°Okay,¡± he whispered.


    Caligo clapped his hands together, ¡°Excellent! I knew a genius like you would make the smart choice.¡± He turned to Grim and Kyriil, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two welcome your newest companion¡ª¡±


    Cornelius slammed his foot into the ground the moment Caligo looked away. Two giant slabs of rock rose from each side of Caligo and slammed together, flattening him like a bug. Cornelius narrowed his eyes, focused, and forced the slabs closer together until not even a blade could slip through.


    Kyriil and Grim jumped at the sudden attack, yet neither moved to retaliate. Cornelius stared at them warily when he heard the sound of sand pouring. He slowly turned back to the slabs and stared in silent confusion.


    Cracks began to form all around the stone slabs, sand gushing out from each fracture. The slabs abruptly gave away and fell apart, revealing an unscathed Caligo.


    The god brushed a bit of sand off his shoulders. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve declined my offer.¡±


    ¡°Only an ignorant fool would have accepted,¡± Cornelius hissed. ¡°I know what you are. My people tell stories of the Monster in the Dark and we know better than to trust what you have to offer!¡±


    Caligo sighed. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know enough it seems.¡±


    Cornelius thrust his hand out and thorny vines shot out from the ground and wrapped around Caligo, only to wither and die.


    ¡°Oh, Cornelius, you may be a powerful Green mage, but I am the ruler of the Deep Earth. Your struggle is pointless,¡± Caligo said and began to walk over to him.


    The dwarf clenched his teeth and threw shards of stone and thorny vines at the Monster to no effect. Cornelius¡¯ hands began to shake uncontrollably and he collapsed, clutching at his chest. His heart spasmed in agony and his insides burned.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I only wanted to help.¡± Caligo stood above the dwarf and shook his head, ¡°What a terrible choice you¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°It was my choice¡­ to make.¡± Cornelius tried to smile defiantly through the pain, but his lips slowly went lax and the light of his eyes faded.


    Caligo knelt and closed the dwarf¡¯s eyes one last time. ¡°You fought well, Cornelius Rotrusk. You deserved better than these people. Rest now.¡±


    Zavinti sauntered over and lowered her neck for him to climb up. Caligo stood up and clambered up the dragon¡¯s back.


    ¡°My lord? Where are you going?¡± Grim asked politely.


    Caligo looked towards Hollow Shade in the distance. ¡°Some rats have escaped the docks on foot. They will not reach the wall.¡±

 Chapter 463: Corrupted Dragon

    Chapter 463: Corrupted Dragon


    Kassian Ashe and his soldiers huffed in exhaustion as they ran away from the burning docks. A pair of soldiers carried Loh, their arms wrapped around one of her shoulders each. The centaurs they had rode in had either died or scattered away. Whatever loyalty they thought the beastman had for them seemed now a fool¡¯s belief.


    Loh couldn¡¯t blame them. Rarely did a slave ever sacrifice themselves for their masters. She briefly wondered if Maximus would have stayed had he been here. She wasn¡¯t certain. When she thought of Rhian she knew the centaur would have charged into any battle for Stryg, though those two didn¡¯t share a master and slave relationship. Rhian was Stryg¡¯s family, his tribe, and he¡¯d die before letting anyone collar Rhian.


    Thoughts of family kept rattling in Loh¡¯s mind while the soldiers ran. She could do nothing but hold on as best she could. The road between the city docks and the ebon walls of Hollow Shade had never seemed so far.


    Loh looked back at the pillars of smoke rising from the docks. She bit her lip in grim defeat. What could she ever say to Cornelius¡¯ family? Had he been married? Did he have children? She didn¡¯t know. A fresh pang of guilt stabbed at her chest. She wished she had made an effort to know him.


    The azure dragon suddenly burst from a pillar of smoke. Zavinti¡¯s head turned to their direction and she roared and made a beeline towards them.


    ¡°Dragon!¡± Loh called out panickedly.


    ¡°Run!¡± Kassian yelled.


    The soldiers ignored the pain building up in their muscles and ran with all their might. They were only halfway to the city gates and the dragon was catching up fast.


    ¡°We won¡¯t make it!¡± a soldier yelled.


    The two soldiers carrying Loh glanced at each other and nodded. ¡°Lord Ashe, take Lady Noir!¡±


    Kassian turned to them as they ran and frowned in realization. ¡°No¡­ Gods dammit!¡± He grabbed Loh and threw her onto his back.


    ¡°For House AAAASSHHE!¡± the soldiers shouted in unison, then split from Kassian and Loh. Instead of running towards the Northern Gate, the soldiers ran off the road and into the grasslands, perpendicular to Kassian.


    ¡°What are they doing!?¡± Loh cried out.


    ¡°Buying us time,¡± Kassian said grimly and looked back at the gate. ¡°Hold on.¡± He grabbed her legs tight and dashed towards the city.


    Loh wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clenched her jaw, trying her best to not scream in pain as her broken leg jostled with each step Kassian ran.


    The dragon turned away from the road and flew straight at the soldiers. As she closed in on them, the men and women stopped running and began firing their bows and hurling their spears at the enormous beast. The arrows bounced off the ancient scales harmlessly.


    Caligo looked at the helpless struggle with disinterest. ¡°Kill them.¡±


    Zavinti opened her jaws wide. Her rib cage swelled and a column of prismatic flames exploded from her mouth and engulfed the soldiers. Their cries of pain ended in a split second as the flames consumed their flesh. Charred husks and melted steel collapsed in a black smoking heap.


    ¡°Only two more rats,¡± Caligo said calmly. ¡°Wait¡­¡± he narrowed his ever-changing eyes and spotted Loh. He smiled. ¡°It seems a Noir has wandered outside her precious city.¡±


    Zavinti craned her long neck towards her rider questioningly.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Caligo said without hesitation.


    The dragon roared and beat her wings twice as fast. The elder dragon swam through the air and swooped down at the small running pair. Her ribcage swelled and the mana in her lungs ignited.


    Kassian looked up as the dragon¡¯s shadow enveloped them.


    ¡°Aegis, now!¡± Loh yelled.


    The two mages channeled Black mana into their hands. Their shadows darkened and intermingled with one another, forming a swirling ebon shield above them. Zavinti opened her jaws wide and breathed dragonflame. The prismatic fire splashed over the Shadow Aegis and melted the black threads. The Aegis collapsed in a storm of fire.


    Loh and Kassian shared a final glance and closed their eyes in acceptance. As the prismatic flames fell upon them, Holo appeared in an orange burst of sparks. She grabbed them and flickered away in the blink of an eye.


    The trio appeared several dozen meters away in another burst of sparks. Loh and Kassian gasped and the latter collapsed to his knees, in a coughing fit. The after-effects of the Flicker spell assaulted all their senses in a bout of vertigo.


    ¡°Get up, you two, we still have several more stops. I can¡¯t Flicker us back to the wall in one go.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Loh glanced up in confusion. ¡°Holo¡­?¡±


    Kassian looked up at the stranger bewilderedly. ¡°Who are you? How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Even if it was just me it¡¯s still too much mass to carry at once,¡± Holo continued without breaking a beat.


    In the distance, the dragon flew in a circle, wondering where they had gone. Her head suddenly snapped in their direction and she growled.


    Loh and Kassian turned around and paled in terror.


    Holo winked at the duo, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dragons are way too large to Flicker any meaningful distance. It won¡¯t be able to catch up to us unless we just sit around here like idiots. So, if you don¡¯t want to die a horrible fiery death I suggest you two don¡¯t let go of me this time.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Thank you,¡± Loh said weakly.


    Kassian glanced between the two women and nodded uncertainly. ¡°If you say so, Miss, um, Holo, was it?¡±


    The dragon bellowed in a powerful roar that echoed through the sky. Holo looked up at the sound and she frowned in disbelief. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Zavinti?¡±


    The dragon¡¯s pale blue wings opened wide. Flecks of orange light streamed through the wings¡¯ veins.


    Holo¡¯s eyes widened in fear, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t¡­ Oh shit!¡±


    The dragon¡¯s silhouette disappeared and appeared above them in a giant explosion of orange sparks, creating a small shockwave, sending Holo and the others crashing into the side of the road.


    The azure dragon¡¯s rib cage swelled once more and her mouth opened wide. Prismatic flames rose from the back of her throat. Holo swiftly rolled on the grass, grabbed Loh and Kassian, and Flickered away.


    Zavinti Flickered after them and breathed dragonflame on them. Holo took a deep breath and Flickered again and again. Zavinti followed right behind her, each time sending a small shockwave that sent them crashing onto the ground. Loh and Kassian were barely staying conscious, from the blasts and the assault on their senses.


    Loh¡¯s ears rang from the blasts and her eyes were blinded by the constant searing flashes of orange light.


    The sixth dragon Flicker was larger than the rest. Loh¡¯s grip slipped and she went flying away, crashing into the grass in a tumble. Her broken leg drove needles of pain over her body and her mind swam into unconsciousness.


    Zavinti ignored the others and shot dragonflame at Loh. Holo cursed under her breath and Flickered above Loh¡¯s body. Orange mana surged into Holo¡¯s hands and azure flames flared outwards, meeting the prismatic flames in a storm of fire. The azure flames overtook the dragonflame and tried to devour the Zavinti. A transparent yellow orb wrapped around the dragon and the azure flames splashed away harmlessly in a cloud of smoke.


    Using the distraction, Holo pulled Loh up by the collar and Flickered back to Kassian. ¡°Grab on!¡±


    Kassian didn¡¯t need any more convincing. He grabbed Holo¡¯s wrist and they Flickered again. Holo turned around, catching her breath. ¡°She¡¯s not following¡­!¡±


    Zavinti narrowed her eyes and opened her wings wide. A massive grey ring formed around her, swirling with power and growing by the second.


    A chill ran down Kassian¡¯s spine. He could feel the sheer ocean of mana swelling in the air, radiating from Zavinti. The dragon¡¯s aura was already terrifying, but now it exploded with power, it was suffocating. He gripped Holo¡¯s wrist tight. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°A dragon god has gotten serious¡­¡± Holo muttered bleakly.


    ¡°What? We need to go!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a Halo spell. With that size, the blast radius would be¡­ We can¡¯t dodge it.¡± Holo glanced at the wall in the distance. They were too far.


    ¡°What do you mean!? Just teleport us away!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for that. I can¡¯t Flicker consecutively, there is a slight delay, which increases the more I use it. The moment I Flicker away, she¡¯ll shoot the Halo ring at us.¡±


    ¡°Then destroy that ring with your flames!¡± Kassian said desperately.


    ¡°Did you not just see her Radiant Shield? My flames did nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do? Just sit here!?¡± Kassian said panickedly.


    Holo narrowed her eyes. ¡°He won¡¯t give us the chance¡­¡±


    Caligo raised his arms from above the dragon¡¯s back. A stream of colossal boulders ripped out of the ground and rotated towards the trio.


    Holo stepped forward and slowly raised her outstretched hand to the sky. She narrowed her eyes in defiance and roared with exertion.


    The hair on Kassian¡¯s arms stood on end and his body stiffened. Holo¡¯s aura, always faint and almost unfelt, suddenly erupted in an explosion of power.


    The sky shrieked and a white pillar of lightning slammed down from the heavens unto Zavinti. The dragon summoned its Radiant Shield, but the yellow orb shattered under the pillar¡¯s power. Zavinti bellowed in pain and her body disappeared in the thundering pillar¡¯s light. The lightning, a sheer column of destruction, burned a 10-meter-wide hole into the ground.


    Kassian stared in stunned awe.


    ¡°That won¡¯t stop them for long!¡± Holo grabbed him and Loh and flickered away.


    As the white lightning faded, the silhouette of Zavinti emerged from the burning crate. Her ancient scales were seared and several were outright charred. Caligo was nowhere to be seen.


    Holo Flickered one last time and reached the top of the wall in a burst of orange sparks. She dropped Loh and Kassian, then spun around and came face to face with the Monster in the Dark. Caligo floated above the wall, looking at her from a few dozen paces away. His face was covered by an avian skull, but Holo knew he was smiling.


    The wall¡¯s guards shouted in surprise and jumped back.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Octavia shouted.


    The soldiers rallied at the sound of their Bulwark Commander¡¯s voice and fired their arrows and spells at Caligo. The arrows¡¯ trajectories bent around him and the spells fizzled away before they reached him.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Holo,¡± Caligo said calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown stronger, but I wonder how much more strength can you spare before you fall?¡±


    Holo glared at him. ¡°So long as my city stands, so shall I¡­ Unildyr.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy studying.¡± Caligo cocked his head to the side, ¡°But not enough it seems. You still see so little.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to Zavinti?¡± Holo snapped.


    Caligo glanced at the setting sun. ¡°If you wish to save what you can of your city I will meet you in the valley at dusk for parley. Bring three of your people for negotiations, I shall do the same.¡±


    ¡°...I trust you¡¯ll keep your word?¡± Holo asked.


    Caligo inclined his head. ¡°Always.¡± He turned away and flew back to Zavinti.


    Holo watched them fly to the western hills. As soon as they disappeared Holo fell to one knee and leaned on the battlement for support.


    ¡°Oh my gods¡­¡± Kassian mumbled fearfully.


    Holo looked up. From the western horizon, thousands of soldiers began to pour over the hills.

 Chapter 464: Eve of War

    Chapter 464: Eve of War


    At the western wall of Hollow Shade sat crouched the Lord of the Great House of Noir. White magic flowed through Elzri¡¯s hands and into Loh¡¯s leg. The quiet sound of flesh and bone knitting back together was drowned out by the clanging footsteps of soldiers rushing past. The healing spell weaved into Loh¡¯s wounds and it felt as if liquid fire was being poured into her broken shin. She grimaced and bore the pain in silence.


    ¡°What were you thinking!?¡± Elzri chastised quietly while keeping his attention on her leg.


    ¡°The Bulwark Commander was going to bombard the docks. How many countless innocents do you think¡ª agh!¡± Loh¡¯s expression scrunched up in pain.


    ¡°Stay still, I don¡¯t have time to do a proper long and careful healing session. The less you move the less it¡¯ll hurt,¡± Elzri warned her.


    Loh scowled, ¡°How many countless innocents do you think would die if Commander Octavia fired those trebuchets?¡±


    ¡°In the end, she didn¡¯t fire.¡±


    ¡°Only because that damn dragon did the job for her.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The docks are in ruins and the enemy retreated back into the river, probably thanks to that elemental water mage you spoke of.¡±


    Loh bit her trembling lip and looked away. ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± she said quietly. ¡°We failed. I tried to save them, but in the end, they all died anyway¡­ Cornelius died for nothing.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°Cornelius Rotrusk died the way he wanted to, a hero. And if it wasn¡¯t for the both of you, Kassian Ashe would be dead. Lady Calantha will be very grateful that you risked everything to save her younger brother. That sort of blood-debt is not easily forgotten.¡±


    ¡°You think House Rotrusk will be satisfied with such an answer?¡± she said bitterly.


    ¡°No. No, I do not think so,¡± he said softly. ¡°Still, you cannot risk yourself so recklessly again. ¡­I cannot lose another grandchild.¡±


    Loh looked at him in surprise. ¡°Grandfather¡­?¡±


    The magic in Elzri¡¯s hands faded away and he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can for your leg, you¡¯ll need a longer proper healing session for a full recovery.¡±


    She nodded slowly, ¡°Can I walk?¡±


    ¡°Mm. Fortunately, the break was clean. Still, I wouldn¡¯t push it by running, especially with any agility spells.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She slowly pushed herself to her feet and grimaced. ¡°It still hurts.¡±


    ¡°As it should. Chromatic healing magic can only do so much, your body needs time to heal.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time¡­¡± Loh stared out at the tens of thousands of soldiers marching around the hills beyond the city. They marched just out of reach of the trebuchets¡¯ range. Though most congregated at the southwest of the city, many were encircling the wall, at this rate they would soon have the entire city surrounded.


    ¡°Lady Holo was right.¡± Loh swallowed, ¡°Their numbers have only kept growing.¡±


    The sound of hooves clacking on the black magestone floor resounded behind them. Soldiers stumbled backwards as the largest centaur they had ever seen strode past. The beastman was armored from head to hoof in dark plates of armor and a 2-meter ax hung at his side.


    Maximus stopped in front of the Noirs and bowed, ¡°Lord Elzri, you called for me.¡±


    Loh smiled in relief at the hulking beastman¡¯s appearance. ¡°Maximus! You came!¡±


    ¡°Of course, what would make you think otherwise?¡± he asked.


    ¡°W-Well, I didn¡¯t see you this morning,¡± Loh looked away abashedly, ¡°I thought you may have run away. Some of the other beastmen of the city have. I don¡¯t blame them¡­¡±


    Maximus shook his head, ¡°There is nowhere to run that someone like me will be free. If I am to die, I will die fighting for my home.¡±


    Loh felt a pang of guilt pierced her heart. I don¡¯t deserve you.


    She was reminded of Rhian and Stryg. She¡¯d never have that kind of relationship between Maximus and herself, but she could at least try and make amends. ¡°You are free, Maximus.¡±


    The centaur looked down at her with a frown of confusion. ¡°My lady?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have done this sooner, like Stryg. If we survive this battle, I swear on my life I will do everything in my power to ensure your freedom in this realm.¡±


    Maximus stared at her in silence for a long moment. ¡°I will hold you to it, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, until then,¡± Elzri said dryly, ¡°I need you to keep my granddaughter safe. She is still recovering from a leg injury. You must be her legs.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Lord Noir,¡± Maximus bowed.


    ¡°Riri,¡± Una called out.


    Elzri glanced back at his sister walking towards them. ¡°What is it? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Lady Holo requests your presence,¡± Una said.


    He narrowed his eyes, ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°The dialogue of negotiations.¡±


    ~~~


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Una walked down to the Western Gate with her brother in tow. Four centaurs stood in front of the gate. Three already had riders. The first was, as Elzri expected, Lady Holo herself. The second was his old friend and the city¡¯s War Master, Lord Krall Katag. Both of them seemed on the verge of exasperation from listening to the last rider.


    Elzri paused in his footsteps and he furrowed his brow in bewilderment. ¡°Lady Helene? What are you doing here?¡±


    Alessandra Helene glanced down from atop her centaur at the drow lord and her red lips twisted in a scowl. ¡°Elzri is coming? If the Great Elzri is coming to the parley then what need do you have of me?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, we are in no need of your magical abilities, Lady Helene,¡± Holo said wearily.


    ¡°Then why am I here?¡± Alessandra crossed her arms.


    ¡°House Helene has a long amicable history with the Valley Tribes. It was your House that established the first treaties with the tribes back during Hollow Shade¡¯s civil war with the Royal House of Thorn,¡± Krall reminded her. ¡°If anyone should have hope of reasoning with those savages, it is you, Lady Helene.¡±


    Alessandra glowered, ¡°That was a long time ago, or must I remind you my twin sister was murdered by those monsters.¡±


    ¡°You and I both know that was an accident,¡± said Krall. ¡°Your sister was never meant to be in that caravan when it was raided. It wasn¡¯t even a Helene caravan. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°And that is somehow supposed to make it all better?¡± Alessandra glared at him.


    ¡°It might, if you choose to make it so,¡± said Holo. ¡°If you come to them, not with righteous anger, but with forgiveness, it would be easier to negotiate the protection of the city¡¯s civilians and the outlying villages that are currently being occupied.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to show weakness in front of our enemy? ¡®Cause that will definitely work,¡± Alessandra rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I want you to show restraint,¡± Holo snapped. ¡°The dragon rider we are going to meet is a monster, but he will honor his side of the deal. As for the warlord Marek, I know little about him, save that he hates this city. We cannot risk Marek influencing any of the negotiations out of sheer aggression. That is why you are coming. It would do good for him to see another human face.¡±


    ¡°Are you not human?¡± Alessandra asked with a frown.


    Holo blinked and glanced down at herself, ¡°Ah¡­ No, not really.¡±


    Alessandra stared at her cautiously. ¡°I know the honorable Krall vouches for you, and many of us witnessed how you fought that dragon, but I don¡¯t know you, and the more I talk with you the less I want to go along with any of this.¡±


    ¡°I vouch for Holo as well,¡± Elzri interrupted. ¡°She is the most powerful mage in this city and if you want your House to survive this night, I suggest you listen to her.¡±


    ¡°...Are you certain that dragon won¡¯t swoop down and kill us all when we go out there?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°She won¡¯t, I mean, the dragon won¡¯t,¡± Holo said. ¡°The dragon rider keeps his word. There will be no attacks on parley grounds.¡±


    ¡°I hope you''re right,¡± Alessandra said worriedly.


    Elzri and Krall shared a similar expression.


    ~~~


    The last traces of golden light were trickling down the horizon. The orange hues of the sky were quickly turning dark. There were no clouds in the evening sky nor was there a trace of the moon. Caligo watched the sunset from a lone hill in the distance, not far from Hollow Shade and the tribal armies.


    ¡°...Everything is finally coming together,¡± Lin Lu whispered from atop Caligo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, finally,¡± Caligo said softly.


    Lin Lu glanced at him questioningly, ¡°Are you certain that Bellum won¡¯t intervene?¡±


    ¡°She and I made a deal. If she were to break it I would sense it immediately,¡± Caligo said.


    ¡°And you''re certain she won¡¯t try? What if she found out about Selyndra¡¯s Key?¡± asked the fox goddess.


    ¡°Her daughter¡¯s life would be forfeit if she tried anything. Belle is all she has left, she won¡¯t risk her, not for this city. I commanded Zavinti to search the area in a ten-league radius with her synchrony magic. There isn¡¯t even a hint of Bellum or her Ebon Order. They have withdrawn from the city and its territories.¡±


    ¡°And what about Lunae?¡±


    ¡°You seem anxious, Lin Lu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Caligo asked lightly.


    ¡°We¡¯re so close. Do you really want to leave anything to chance?¡±


    ¡°Hm. The wolf clearly knows more than she lets on, perhaps she even found out about the Key¡¯s fate,¡± Caligo said wryly.


    ¡°You think she¡¯ll try to act?¡±


    ¡°If she did, it would be foolish. Tonight is a new moon, her powers are severely weakened. She is no threat to our plans.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but if it came down to it, would you kill her?¡± Lin Lu asked in a quiet, but serious voice.


    ¡°...Lunae is one of the last of her kind and the brother of Solis.¡±


    ¡°Even after everything she did? You¡¯d spare her?¡± she growled.


    Caligo broke into a smile, ¡°It won¡¯t come down to that.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? You spared her five years ago and now you¡¯ll do it again?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spare her, Lin Lu.¡±


    ¡°What? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Five years ago, do you remember when we came across that boy in the woods?¡±


    The fox cocked her head to the side, ¡°Stryg?¡±


    ¡°When I met him I had my suspicions, but I wasn¡¯t certain. After all, Lunae, caring for that child as if it were her own? It didn¡¯t make sense. Still, I was willing to take the chance. I went into the dreamscape that night, to ascertain who the boy really was to her, and do you know what I found?¡±


    ¡°A boy unrelated to the wolf,¡± Lin Lu said.


    ¡°Yes¡­ or so he seemed. If he really was unrelated in any shape or form then no matter, but if he only seemed ordinary, then that meant Lunae had done something irreparable.¡± Caligo laughed to himself, ¡°In an attempt to save him from me, she had left him a broken husk. That was a sweeter revenge than any I could have done. How it must have tormented her every night, to have lost her child by her own hand.¡±


    Lin Lu frowned. ¡°Back then you told me the boy wasn¡¯t hers.¡±


    ¡°I admit at the time I wasn¡¯t certain. If Lunae actually had made such a drastic move on her part to her own child, well, I didn¡¯t know what to make of it. So I left the two of them be. I wasn¡¯t certain of their relationship until two years ago when Lunae made a mistake at Widow¡¯s Crag.¡±


    Lin Lu¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, ¡°The full blood moon.¡±


    ¡°Out of sheer rage for the boy¡¯s wounds, Lunae confronted me. It was all I needed to know the truth. That she would do anything for him. Even try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°So you played nice,¡± Lin Lu noted.


    ¡°It was a full moon after all.¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I would have hunted her down on a new moon night like this when she is weak and killed her.¡±


    ¡°She is still Solis¡¯ sister.¡±


    ¡°And Bellum Solis¡¯ daughter. That didn¡¯t stop you from leaving her half-dead and killing all her children but one. We should kill Lunae before she becomes a problem.¡±


    ¡°If Lunae interferes with my plans I¡¯ll kill her only child too.¡±


    ¡°And what if that boy is more special than he seems¡­?¡± Lin Lu whispered.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? They say he is a prime mage, an Ebon Aspirant. If that¡¯s true then¡­ What if¡­ what if he¡¯s not just¡ª¡±


    ¡°It''s not possible. Not in any real sense.¡±


    ¡°But if he is¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Caligo rose to his feet, ¡°The parley will soon begin. Shall we?¡±

 Chapter 465: Parley

    Chapter 465: Parley


    A few weeks before the new moon¡­


    The tent flap rustled quietly as the archmage Dawn slipped into the tent. Marek was in the middle of training. The orichalcum spear swung with heavy movements as Marek walked through the familiar martial strikes. His shirt had been stripped off and his bare muscles were covered in sweat. The magestone lamps cast shadows over his wide back.


    Dozens of small scars covered his arms and torso, from where an enemy¡¯s spell or weapon had managed to break through his Yellow scales. The defensive magic would usually stop most attacks, but after constant damage in a fight, even the mightiest of durability scales would crack. The scars on his body were a testament to the countless battles he had endured fighting for the valley.


    The ebon spear suddenly stopped mid-swing and Marek spun around, weapon at the ready. Dawn was standing in the corner of the tent, observing him silently.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡± He relaxed his shoulders and lowered the spear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you,¡± she said coyly.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Care for a closer look?¡±


    ¡°...Perhaps some other time,¡± she smirked, though there was a trace of pain in her purple eyes.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Dawn walked around him, eyeing him up and down. ¡°Your movements have become sharper, but you¡¯re still stiff.¡±


    She was ignoring his question, but he decided to play along. ¡°The spear is much heavier than it looks and every time I hold it pain shoots through my arm as if I were holding a burning block of ice. It¡¯s the strangest sensation.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s natural. Orichalcum weapons weren¡¯t meant for mortals. Every mortal that has been accepted by an orichalcum weapon still struggles to wield it.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why you gave a dire human like me the spear.¡±


    ¡°Your dire physiology does give you an edge over others, but you¡¯re still treating it just like a weapon. That spear is more than just a lump of strange metal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± he said frustratedly. ¡°But it still hasn¡¯t talked to me.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t talk in a voice per se. More like a feeling, or so I¡¯ve read.¡±


    Marek held the spear up, ¡°It still hasn¡¯t told me its name.¡±


    ¡°And yet it hasn¡¯t rejected you. Patience, the spear has been dormant for thousands of years. With each battle you fight with it, the spear is slowly awakening. Give it more time and it will tell you its name.¡±


    Marek bowed his head in acquiescence. ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why you came to my tent this late at night. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...My master has given my brother and me a new mission,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°What sort of mission?¡± he asked suspiciously.


    ¡°We are to escort a pair of the dragonbane to the chrome gate.¡±


    ¡°The gate? But that¡¯s on an island in the middle of Hoarfrost Bay! If you¡¯re transporting the dragonbane by wagon it¡¯ll take weeks to sail there and get back! You won¡¯t be here for the invasion.¡±


    Dawn smiled. ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d feel a lot more assured if I had you by my side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only one person. You have your armies. You have your siege weapons. Your soon-to-be bride will arrive with her armies as well. You even have the dragonbane and those strange construct creatures that my master has been building. Not to mention my master and his dragon as well.¡±


    ¡°And I can¡¯t trust any of them.¡± Marek stepped close and looked down at her softly. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who actually had my back all this time.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Marek? Why have you waged this war all these years? Why do you keep fighting?¡±


    ¡°For the freedom of my people,¡± he said without hesitation.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Dawn brushed her blue fingers across his bare chest and gently grabbed the horse medallion hanging over his neck. ¡°What is it you really want?¡±


    ¡°...Vengeance,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°For your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°And all of this, this war, this siege, it¡¯s all for her?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said bitterly.


    ¡°What if you could have your revenge? Right here. Right now? If you could kill her murderer, would you stop?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°If Caligo really wanted to he could have granted your wish long ago, instead he has you here playing his puppet king. Why do you think that is? He wants something inside that city and he¡¯ll do anything to get it. Don¡¯t you see? He doesn¡¯t care about you, about any of us, especially not your people.¡±


    ¡°...I know,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°And yet you¡¯re still willing to do what he says?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll keep his end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°My father made a deal with that Monster and the price was my brother and I. My father refused to pay, so in the end, Caligo took not only his children, but his wife, and his village. What will be the price for your vengeance I wonder?¡±


    Marek clenched his jaw. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure I can endure it.¡±


    ¡°Who says you will be the one who has to endure? How many of the living are you willing to sacrifice for the dead? One person? Ten? A hundred? Your tribe? Your people?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Marek bowed his head in shame. ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­ It¡¯s too late to head back now. We¡¯ve all already sacrificed too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Marek,¡± she caressed his cheek. ¡°You¡¯d let your hatred consume the whole world before letting it go. I pity you.¡± She reached up and kissed him softly. ¡°Goodbye, Marek.¡±


    Dawn stepped back and left as silently as she had come.


    ~~~


    Eve of the new moon¡­


    Ophelia Thorn pulled open the tent flap and walked inside. Marek was sitting on the floor cross-legged. His strange ebon spear lay in front of him. Ophelia had seen it many times by now, and yet every time she laid eyes on the weapon it sent a chill down her spine. The spear¡¯s body was dark black and its edges were semi-transparent like glass. The blade of the spear was almost as long as a sword¡¯s.


    She turned away and glanced at her husband, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    Marek opened his eyes and looked at her. The rumors of Ophelia¡¯s ghostly beauty had not done her justice. Yet now that beauty was marred. She wore a silk black covering over the right side of her pale grey face. Gold lace had been stitched with great care into the cloth, it was a work of art really, and in many ways, it enhanced her ethereal beauty. But Marek knew, he was there when Caligo had bore his finger into her eye and carved his claw over her flesh. A painful eternal reminder of failure to heed his word.


    The Thorn queen had been much more imposing when they had first met. Now, she seemed withdrawn, and she rarely spoke. At first, he had considered himself lucky to have married such a powerful and beautiful woman; he needed a powerful ally by his side. He could see the occasional glimmer of rage in her eye, but he wondered to himself who that rage was towards. Was she an ally? Or was she a threat he had to keep at a distance?


    ¡°And the other party?¡± Marek finally spoke up.


    ¡°They will be arriving soon. Lord Caligo is already atop the hill. We should hurry before he grows impatient.¡±


    She tried to appear calm, but the trace of fear in her voice betrayed her. She didn¡¯t want to fail Caligo, not again.


    ¡°...Very well,¡± he grabbed his spear and nodded.


    ~~~


    The climb up the hill was short, yet it felt like an eternity. Ophelia followed by his side in silence. He tried striking up a conversation but she answered in only one or two words.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    A large elaborate stone chair had been erected from the ground at the top of the hill.


    No, not a chair, a throne, Marek thought.


    Caligo sat slumped on the throne. He wasn¡¯t wearing his usual avian skull and instead opted for the cowl of his black-feather cloak.


    Caligo slowly glanced up at the two newcomers. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he noted. Not in any angry tone, he simply spoke as if it were fact.


    ¡°Forgive me, my lord!¡± Ophelia bowed deeply. ¡°My husband was slow to follow.¡±


    ¡°I was in mediation,¡± said Marek defensively.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s hope that meditation will help keep you in control of your emotions,¡± said Caligo.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Marek frowned.


    ¡°When we made our deal I made you a promise, a promise I intend to keep. You must have patience, this is not the time, soon, but not yet,¡± said Caligo.


    ¡°I have waited years. I can wait a few more hours,¡± said Marek.


    ¡°Good, because there seems to be an unprecedented guest arriving.¡± Caligo pointed lazily with one finger to the four small figures walking up the hill from the distance.


    ¡°What?¡± Marek asked confusedly, but as the word slipped out of his mouth, the words that Caligo had spoken began to sink in. He slowly turned around and watched in stunned silence as the four figures rose up the hill.


    Holo, Elzri, Krall, and Alessandra climbed to the top of the hill and stopped about ten paces from the throne. The last rays of the sun were fading on the horizon. Dusk had arrived.


    Holo turned to Caligo with a stone-cold face. ¡°Hello, Monster.¡±


    He leaned forward with a smile, ¡°Hello, traveler. I¡¯m glad you could make it.¡±


    Holo glared at him.


    The white fox on Caligo¡¯s lap suddenly squeaked.


    Holo glanced at her with a sad expression. ¡°Hello, Lin Lu. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    The fox purred and to Marek¡¯s surprise, she nodded.


    Krall crossed his burly arms, ¡°I was told there would be four people on both sides, I only see three.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to make proper introductions,¡± Caligo stood from his throne and bowed with a flourish. ¡°The beauty to my left is the Thorn Queen, Lady Ophelia, ruler of the Great City of Undergrowth. The giant to my right is the legendary Dusk King, himself, Marek of the Cairn Tribe, you would do well to respect them both.¡±


    Ophelia nodded. ¡°Hello, traitors,¡± she said curtly.


    Alessandra smiled angrily, ¡°Hello, Thorn. What happened to your face?¡±


    The bad blood between the Ruling Houses and the old Royal House of Hollow Shade had not been forgotten, noted Marek, though he said nothing, his expression inscrutable.


    ¡°Ahem, as for me, I am Crow, a simple servant to the king and queen. As for my companion on my lap, she is Lin Lu.¡±


    ¡°The fox? That¡¯s the fourth member?¡± Krall frowned.


    ¡°She prefers to stay quiet for these sorts of meetings, but believe me she is listening and would be most upset if you discount her opinion if she is so inclined to give one,¡± said Caligo lightly.


    ¡°Crow, huh¡­ So you¡¯re the one¡­¡± Elzri muttered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who murdered my grandson.¡±


    Krall stiffened at the drow¡¯s words. His face snapped towards the cloaked figure and he immediately reached for his hammer. ¡°Him? He murdered Aizel?¡±


    ¡°Aizel? That name sounds vaguely familiar,¡± Caligo teased.


    ¡°Stop, the both of you,¡± Holo admonished Elzri and Krall. ¡°We are here to parley, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I agree, nothing more,¡± Caligo said pointedly while glancing at the still-faced Marek. Caligo sat back down on his throne and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. ¡°So, Holo, care for introductions?¡±


    Holo frowned at his flippant tone. ¡°...The glowering drow is Elzri, lord of the Great House of Noir. The looming orc is Krall, lord of the Great House of Katag, and war master of our city. And this is¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI am Alessandra, lady of the Great House of Helene,¡± she smiled and stepped forward. ¡°I take it you¡¯re the one in charge?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What makes you say that?¡± Caligo asked amusedly.


    ¡°The others aren¡¯t saying a word,¡± Alessandra said. ¡°And by the way you carry yourself and are sitting on the glorified giant chair, I can only assume you¡¯re the dragon rider seen flying over the docks earlier today. All of this posturing tells me you command this little party, no?¡±


    Caligo inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Alessandra crossed her arms. ¡°You obviously don¡¯t want to kill us all and raze our city to the ground, otherwise you would have already attacked with that pet dragon of yours. So, let¡¯s get down to business, what is that you want?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your place to speak,¡± Holo snapped at her and stepped forward.


    Alessandra ignored her and continued, ¡°I want safe passage for my House, its people, and our merchandise. Promise me that, and I will grant you whatever you want.¡±


    Caligo chuckled, ¡°That does seem promising, but I¡¯m afraid there is only one person here who can give me what I desire. The one thing you so cleverly hid from me all these years, Holo. Selyndra¡¯s Key.¡±


    ¡°The key was destroyed centuries ago, you know that,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Oh, Holo, how do you expect me to spare your precious civilians if you continue to lie?¡± Caligo asked casually.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one in power here, Crow,¡± Alessandra interrupted. ¡°You can fly around all you want with that pet dragon but you still can¡¯t get through our city¡¯s barriers. We have all the leverage. So let¡¯s talk instead of bluffing, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Alessandra¡­ Helene,¡± Marek muttered.


    She glanced up at him, ¡°I am. And you¡¯re taller than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°The warlord who has defied all odds and won victory after victory against my city¡¯s armies, yes, I know you,¡± she answered calmly.


    ¡°You look just as I imagined,¡± Marek whispered.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard of me as well,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Stories of your beauty are told throughout the valley tribes. The merchant queen of Helene.¡±


    Alessandra glanced back at Holo and nodded subtly. ¡°Then you know it was those valley tribes of yours that took my sister¡¯s life. But I have put the past behind me, I am not here to fight you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Despite everything your people took from me,¡± Alessandra smiled bitterly, tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m here to broker peace. So, please, tell me, besides this key, is there anything else you and your people desire? Gold? Livestock? Land? Name your price.¡±


    Marek stared at her, studying the faint freckles on her rosy cheeks, and the bright red curls cascading over her shoulders. ¡°...My mother used to tell me stories about you, merchant queen. She admired you, more than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯m flattered,¡± Alessandra smiled. ¡°Perhaps I could arrange a gift for your mother. A vermillion golden necklace embedded with precious stones?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible. My mother is dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my deepest apologies,¡± she bowed.


    ¡°There is no need for apologies.¡± Marek slowly stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s not as if you killed her. No, she was killed by your city¡¯s soldiers, her own people; caught in the middle of a skirmish you could say. You see, she was born in Hollow Shade, but when she was young, she was captured by a valley tribe and taken prisoner. Her whole life seemed to revolve around being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or so she thought.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry to hear that,¡± Alessandra said sympathetically. ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s patrols can be very aggressive, especially towards tribal folk. Your mother¡¯s death was a horrible accident, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I told you there was no need for your apologies,¡± Marek said coldly. ¡°You know, my mother believed in your city. Even as she served as a concubine for so many years, with no help in sight, she believed that Hollow Shade would save her some day. That her family would come and rescue her.¡±


    Alessandra furrowed her brow. ¡°Her family?¡±


    Marek smiled and took another step forward. ¡°Yes, her family.¡±


    ¡°Marek,¡± Caligo said with a warning tone, but the man ignored him.


    Holo glanced at the dire man¡¯s approach suspiciously and she searched Caligo¡¯s posture for answers, but the latter was simply sitting in his chair without making any movements.


    ¡°One day, after many years of servitude, my mother managed to sneak a letter past the guards,¡± Marek said quietly. ¡°The letter was a plea for help. A rescue. Do you know what happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­?¡± Alessandra said uncertainly.


    He smiled, ¡°My mother¡¯s letter got to her family and they sent soldiers to rescue her. Except, they weren¡¯t there to save her. You see, my mother had never been in the wrong place at the wrong time; her capture had never been an accident. Everything had all been orchestrated by her twin sister.¡±


    Alessandra suddenly stiffened and her face turned deathly pale. ¡°It cannot be¡­!¡± she mumbled with trembling lips.


    ¡°When my mother¡¯s sister found out her older twin had survived the original ¡®accident¡¯ she sent her soldiers to kill my mother and they did, along with half of my tribe.¡± Marek leaned forward, ¡°My mother never stopped believing in her sister, even as her soldier¡¯s cut my mother down right in front of me.¡±


    Holo¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, ¡°Oh shit¡­!¡±


    Krall and Elzri glanced at each other, confused.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t move if I were any of you,¡± Caligo warned softly.


    ¡°You said this was a parley!¡± Holo yelled.


    ¡°It is,¡± Caligo said. ¡°Marek, there will be another time. Wait.¡±


    Marek ignored his warning. He loomed over Alessandra and stared into her eyes, ¡°How strange. You look just like her.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m s-sorry,¡± she mumbled, terrified.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t need your apologies.¡± Marek leaned into her ear, ¡°So I ask once more, do you know who I am?¡±


    The silver horse medallion slipped from underneath his shirt and dangled over his neck, right in front of Alessandra¡¯s eyes. Her entire body trembled in recognition. She swallowed hard. ¡°I-I¡­ I¡ª¡±


    He leaned back and looked at her with a steel gaze. ¡°I am Marek, son of Tamora of the Great House of Helene, and I have waited long enough.¡± His hands shot out and grabbed Alessandra by the waist. She screamed and kicked as he lifted her up to eye-level.


    Brown and Yellow mana surged into his veins. Alessandra cast Orange flames over his body, but they splashed harmlessly off his Yellow scales. His spell-enhanced muscles swelled with strength, giving his skin a metallic sheen. He dug his fingers into her ribcage and squeezed. Alessandra gasped in agony as her bones cracked under the pressure.


    Elzri and Krall tried to interfere, but Holo grabbed them both and Flickered away in a cloud of orange sparks.


    Alessandra¡¯s voice grew strained and she choked out a hollow sound. Marek roared in rage and squeezed with his all might. Her ribcage collapsed and she vomited a gush of blood from her mouth and nose. Alessandra¡¯s head sank to her chest and her body fell limp.


    Marek¡¯s breath was shallow, his shoulders heaving. He dropped her corpse unceremoniously. His hands were covered in slick red.


    Caligo sighed, ¡°I warned you to have patience.¡±


    ¡°You promised me her life. Or do you not keep your ends of a bargain?¡± Marek didn¡¯t wait for an answer. He grabbed his spear from behind his back and with one swing, sliced off Alessandra¡¯s neck. He picked up her severed head and marched down the hill.


    ¡°There goes any chance of negotiations, the bastard,¡± Ophelia muttered angrily.


    ¡°Yes, it seems so,¡± said Caligo.


    Ophelia tilted her head to the side, ¡°You seem alright with this outcome.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± he glanced at her, his iridescent eyes cold, not a trace of warmth within.


    Ophelia shivered, unable to move, unable to tear her gaze away.


    Lin Lu licked his hand and made a purr-like sound.


    Caligo looked down at her and smiled, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, the key will be mine, one way or another.¡±


    Free from his gaze, Ophelia gasped and fell to her knees. She felt as if she had been dumped into a freezing cold lake. Pain burned where her right eye had once been.


    Caligo stared at Marek''s back in the distance, ¡°You mortals always act believing there is no price to your actions.¡± He glanced at the headless corpse on the ground. ¡°There is always a price.¡±

 Chapter 466: The Price of Disobedience

    Chapter 466: The Price of Disobedience


    The axlean known as Grim sat hunched over a crate in the valley tribe¡¯s encampment. He had tossed away his ripped shirt after the battle at the docks, revealing the deep gash from his ribs all the way to his collarbone; a painful reminder of his failure to kill the one known as Elohnoir Noir.


    Grim¡¯s shoulders heaved more and more as he gnashed his teeth, deep in thought, replaying the memory of how he had let her slip from his grasp¡­ again. Even after making a deal with the Monster in the Dark, even after obtaining this power, he still failed.


    ¡°Stop moving, you¡¯re only making this harder,¡± said Kyriil with a click of his tongue.


    The elf was standing beside Grim, white mana glowing in his palms. Though the elf was taller than the average tribesman, an axlean towered almost three meters tall. Even sitting down on the crate, Kyriil had to stand to reach the wounds on the axlean¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You know,¡± Kyriil began, ¡°You should be grateful. It¡¯s not every day a high master spares his time to heal someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Someone like me?¡± Grim narrowed his eyes. The sclera was black and his irises were pale white, there were no pupils.


    Any lesser man would have immediately shut his mouth in fear of the axlean¡¯s gaze, but Kyriil was not a man, he was an elf.


    ¡°Ugly. Someone ugly,¡± said Kyriil without missing a beat. ¡°I usually save my healing skills for beautiful women.¡±


    Grim shook his head in disgust, ¡°Just finish your pathetic spell.¡±


    ¡°Pathetic?!¡± Kyriil frowned indignantly. ¡°I am the best healer in this entire bloody army!¡±


    ¡°A single elemental life mage would put all your healing skills to shame. But you already know that, don¡¯t you? There are faeries in the Ivory Realm are there not?¡±


    Kyriil glanced around, ¡°I don¡¯t see any here, do you? No? Then shuddup!¡±


    Grim winced as the elf forced a little too much energy into the wound. ¡°Why is this taking so long¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an expert in axlean physiology. I need to take my sweet old time, or would you rather I stitch the wrong nerves and tissues back together? Hm?¡±


    ¡°...Very well, elf.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± Kyriil glanced at the cracked green gemstone embedded in the axlean¡¯s chest and frowned, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about this though.¡±


    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± Grim sighed heavily. ¡°Just one more agonizing reminder of that damned woman.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get that bitch. I promise you that. And when we do, I¡¯m going to wring that pretty little neck of hers until she goes blue.¡± Kyriil smiled at the thought.


    ¡°What are you two concocting over here? A plan to overthrow the city?¡± Nokti asked as she walked out of the War Tent. She shook her head, ¡°No, Kyriil¡¯s too much of an idiot for that.¡±


    The elf¡¯s smile widened at her appearance. ¡°Nokti! You¡¯re back! I missed your beautiful breasts!¡±


    ¡°It seems the lecher is as stupid as ever,¡± she said dryly.


    Grim inclined his head, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Nokti.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I heard you and the dumbass lecher led the raid at the docks.¡± Nokti glanced pointedly at the slash across his chest, ¡°Was that from the battle?¡±


    Grim nodded begrudgingly. ¡°I will rectify the grievance soon enough.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alive?¡± Nokti said, surprised. ¡°I thought you never let your enemies live?¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± Grim said with certainty. ¡°How fare the metamorphic stone creatures? Will they be ready?¡±


    ¡°The jade golems are primed for battle. Our master does not fail in his creations,¡± she replied.


    ¡°And what about the dragonbane?¡± Kyriil spoke up. ¡°You sure those guys are ready? To kill the enemy, I mean. And not us. Emphasis on not us.¡±


    ¡°The incident at the Meeting of Dawn will not be repeated, I assure you. Our Master is in complete control of the beasts,¡± Nokti assured them.


    A sudden commotion in the near distance caught their attention. Nokti walked past the War Tent and spotted a group of soldiers crowding in the middle of the path. They quickly parted and stumbled out of the way as a lone man walked through the crowd. He was taller than the rest by far, but his head hung low, his blue eyes staring at the ground.


    ¡°Marek¡­?¡± Nokti mumbled. She walked briskly towards him, ¡°How did the parley go? Did they give any concessions¡ª?¡±


    She stopped in her tracks and her mouth went slack in shock. She hadn¡¯t noticed it at first in the darkness of the new moon, but as she drew close she saw it. The severed head of Marek¡¯s mother hung from his hip, blood dripping down its neck. No, this wasn¡¯t Tamora, she had been dead for years.


    Nokti swallowed hard, ¡°Is that¡­? Lady Alessandra Helene?¡±


    Marek looked up at her, his eyes tired and bitter.


    ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡± Nokti asked worriedly.


    ¡°I finished it,¡± he said bluntly then walked away.


    Nokti watched him disappear into the War Tent in uncomfortable silence.


    ¡°What happened to you¡­?¡± she mumbled.


    ~~~


    Marek walked into the War Tent with heavy footsteps. As soon as the eyes of all the soldiers and his ex-lover disappeared his shoulders sank and he let out a long breath. He dragged his feet to an ornate wooden-carved chair and sat down on his ¡®throne,¡¯ gifted to him by one of the chieftains.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    He untied the lock of Alessandra¡¯s red-orange hair from his belt and held up the severed head in his hands. His aunt¡¯s lifeless blue eyes stared back at him. His hands trembled and he gasped a wretched breath, tears streaming down his eyes.


    This was it. This was the moment he had always dreamed of, the culmination of the rage that had been burning within him for years, the hatred that had kept him up night after night. His mother¡¯s murderer was finally slain by his own hands.


    And yet, all he could think of as he lay eyes on his trophy was¡­


    ¡°Mom,¡± he cried quietly.


    When he looked at the pallid face, pale lips, strewn red hair, lifeless eyes¡­ all he could see was the face of her twin, his mother, Tamora. It was as if she was looking at him, judging him for his actions, for the darkness he had helped let loose on this world.


    ¡°Is revenge not as sweet as you imagined it?¡± Caligo¡¯s voice whispered tauntingly in his ear.


    Marek looked up, anger blazing in his eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The god of the deep earth stood in the corner of the tent, his visage cloaked in deep shadows, only his iridescent eyes gleamed in the darkness.


    ¡°I take my word very seriously, Marek. Word is binding, it is everything. My people did not give out our promises easily. So you can understand why I might be angry when you kill a noble in cold blood at a parley I set up.¡±


    Marek scoffed. ¡°I thought you were above such things as anger.¡±


    ¡°Oh, child, you have no idea what anger truly is, the depths it can reach. But perhaps I can help you with that.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Caligo smirked, ¡°Fearless now, are we?¡±


    Marek stared at him with a tired but calm gaze. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? You¡¯ve already lost, you over-confident self-assured bastard.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°My family is dead. And the only person I ever loved you ripped away from me.¡± Marek smiled coldly, ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me, not anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I can.¡± Caligo stepped out of the shadows, the darkness trailed behind him like a cloak.


    ¡°You want to kill me?¡± Marek tossed his orichalcum spear to the ground and opened his arms wide, ¡°Go ahead. None of it matters anymore.¡±


    ¡°Kill¡ª you? Why would I kill you? That would be such a wasteful endeavor. No, no, disappointed as I am, I have plans for you, Marek.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said with an air of indifference.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Caligo smiled. ¡°You disobeyed me at the parley. I warned you that there would be a time and place to have your revenge, but you took matters into your own hands anyway.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t care about what you have to say, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªBy sunset tomorrow every adult in the Cairn tribe is going to die.¡±


    Marek frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Whichever Cairn adults survive tonight¡¯s battle will die by my hand tomorrow. The children of your tribe will grow up just like you did; their parents cut down before their very eyes.¡± Caligo sauntered over, leaned down, and glared at him, ¡°That is the price of your disobedience.¡±


    Marek¡¯s eyes went livid with rage. He growled, ¡°You fucking¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you disobey me again then I will feed the children of your tribe to my dragonbanes. And if you continue to disobey me after that, well¡ª¡± Caligo¡¯s hand flashed out and snatched Marek¡¯s throat. He lifted the dire human up as if he were a ragdoll.


    Marek tried to break free, but all the strength in his body was sapped away in an instant. He couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to breathe.


    ¡°I have invested a lot in you, Marek, and I admit I¡¯m impressed you had the balls to go against me in the first place, but make no mistake, you are not irreplaceable.¡± Caligo tossed him across the tent.


    Marek crashed into the ground and gasped for breath as strength slowly returned to his body.


    ¡°Ophelia!¡± Caligo snapped.


    The tent¡¯s flaps opened and Lady Thorn stepped inside. She glanced briefly at Marek with her one eye, before turning to Caligo and bowing deeply. ¡°My master, your servant greets you.¡±


    Caligo pointed at the battle armor hanging on a wooden rack at the center of the room. ¡°Prepare your husband for battle.¡±


    ¡°At once, Master,¡± Ophelia bowed.


    Caligo turned to leave then stopped. ¡°Oh, and mount that woman¡¯s head on Marek¡¯s personal banner. I want it being carried at the front lines so that all our soldiers can see Tamora¡¯s head.¡±


    Marek''s eyes shot up at him with a death glare.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Caligo chuckled, ¡°I meant Alessandra¡¯s head.¡±


    ~~~


    5 days before the new moon¡­


    The Sylvan army moved steadily through Vulture Woods. The tribal warriors had learned how to move quickly and silently through the deadly forest. What would normally take an army weeks to move through these woods, the Sylvan had accomplished in a few days. At this rate, they would soon be out in the open in the grassy hills of Dusk Valley for the first time in three centuries.


    But for now, as the sun set on the horizon, it was time to rest. The warriors quickly set up camp with an efficiency unseen anywhere else in the Ebon Realm. Members of different paths, cooks, builders, hunters, and more, all moved in coherent unison, each working to set up camp, create a defensive grid, and prepare dinner, in a matter of minutes.


    Stryg watched them all work from atop an ashen tree. A sense of pride welled up within him. These were his people. They were strong, they were prepared, and they would not fail in the trials ahead.


    ¡°Bloodless One?¡± a voice called out from below.


    Stryg glanced down, ¡°Elayne?¡±


    The captain of his honor guard and daughter of the Warrior Elect placed a fist over her chest in a traditional salute, ¡°I have news.¡±


    Stryg jumped down from the tree and landed heavily on the grass. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Some of our scouts believe that over the past few days, someone has been following our army from a distance, but whoever it is, they have been very thorough to not leave a trail.¡±


    ¡°A spy? This deep in Vulture Woods?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    ¡°What would you have us do? Would you like Arden to take care of it?¡±


    ¡°Arden?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°The Guardian has never failed to defend his people. He is the strongest of us. I¡¯m certain he will not fail you today, either.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Something felt different in these trees. Every day he spent here it felt as if he was remembering a melody of the forest that he had long since forgotten. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. Bring me to the spy¡¯s last whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°But, sir, you can¡¯t possibly actually want to risk your own life to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request,¡± he said calmly.


    Elayne straightened her back and nodded, ¡°Yes, War Master! At once!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and bring me a cook. I need to speak with one beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh, I mean, yes, War Master!¡±


    ~~~


    In the distant trees, past the Sylvan army¡¯s encampment, Elayne and a Sylvan scout led Stryg covertly through the underbrush towards their target. The sounds of the camp had faded away and the faint light of the moon was all that could be seen in the dark forest.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, War Master. I last saw something moving in the shadows not too far from here,¡± the scout whispered. ¡°We need only travel a bit further north and¡ª¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°War Master¡­?¡±


    Stryg lifted the deer carcass from his back that a cook had prepared for him and walked out of the brush.


    ¡°War Master!¡± Elayne and the scout both called out in unison.


    Stryg ignored their panicked pleas and stepped out into the forest clearing. He placed the deer carcass on the grass. ¡°I know you¡¯re there. You can come out now.¡±


    The trees shook softly and a large beast with deep black fur stepped out into the clearing. The frost-wolf growled in a deep rumble.


    Stryg pulled out a small satchel from his hip and opened it to reveal an overflowing amount of blueberries.


    The frost-wolf¡¯s eyes widened and he licked his lips hungrily.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Hey, Blueberry.¡±

 Chapter 467: The Flower Part 1

    Chapter 467: The Flower Part 1


    5 days before the new moon¡­


    The sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing apart echoed quietly in the forest clearing. Elayne and the Sylvan scout watched in morbid fascination as the giant frost wolf tore apart the deer carcass with its fangs. Each fang was as large as a long knife and even sharper.


    As Blueberry ate blood spattered on the ground and a few droplets fell on Stryg who sat crouched next to the giant beast. No sane goblin would ever get close to a frost wolf while it was eating, but Stryg didn¡¯t seem to care. He simply smiled and rubbed the wolf¡¯s neck as it finished off the deer.


    After a few moments, all that was left was a few scraps of meat and a puddle of blood. Stryg raised his satchel and dumped its contents onto the ground. Countless blueberries fell on the ground and splattered all over the scarlet puddle. Blueberry didn¡¯t hesitate to lick up his namesake and scarf down the berries covered in blood.


    Stryg grinned softly and scratched the giant wolf¡¯s leg. ¡°You were hungry, huh, bud?¡±


    Blueberry didn¡¯t bother to answer and kept eating.


    Stryg leaned on his friend¡¯s leg and closed his eyes. ¡°How long have you been following us, hm? If you just traveled with the other wolves you wouldn¡¯t go hungry like this.¡±


    Blueberry growled between chewing and swallowing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not demeaning. The frost wolves are with them too. You¡¯d fit right in.¡±


    The massive wolf glanced at him with a pale icy blue eye and huffed.


    ¡°Lunae? Yeah, the Mother Moon is traveling with us too, but no one seems to know where she is exactly. She appears on one side of the camp and then the other a few minutes later. Maybe she¡¯s blessing them? Maybe it''s an inspection? Who knows?¡±


    Blueberry shivered at the thought.


    Stryg smiled sympathetically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry she¡¯s not coming after you. Yes, I know, of course, she¡¯s dangerous, she¡¯s a goddess. Did you think she¡¯d be as cuddly as a bunny? No, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s scary. Intimidating maybe, but not scary. Okay, fine, agree to disagree.¡±


    Elayne and the Sylvan scout watched their exchange from a bush a healthy distance away.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing¡­?¡± the scout whispered cautiously.


    ¡°I think¡­ he¡¯s communing with the beast?¡± Elayne whispered.


    ¡°Communing?¡±


    ¡°Frost wolves are heralds of Lunae. The Moon¡¯s Chosen must be communicating with the beast through some sort of spiritual bond. I don¡¯t think we should intervene.¡±


    ¡°Right, it could be blasphemous,¡± the scout nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia¡¯s voice resounded from above the canopy.


    Her son looked up in surprise, ¡°Mother?¡±


    The First Mother jumped down from a branch and landed softly on the grass. Her eyes darted around the clearing and her wrist suddenly flicked out. Giant vines shot out from the ground and snatched Elayne and the scout into the air. The duo shouted in surprise and tried to move helplessly.


    ¡°Mother, they¡¯re allies,¡± Stryg said hurriedly.


    Aurelia glanced at the captured goblins and her eyes widened in recognition. ¡°You¡¯re Lykos¡¯ daughter.¡± She lowered the vines and released them from their grip.


    The young woman quickly brushed herself off and stood up straight and saluted, ¡°Elayne, daughter of the Storm Howler tribe, and captain of the War Master¡¯s honor guard, at your service, Favored One!¡±


    Aurelia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Where is the rest of your honor guard, captain?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elayne blinked.


    ¡°Is this it, him?¡± Aurelia pointed to the man beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a humble scout,¡± he bowed subserviently.


    Aurelia glanced at Elayne, ¡°Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Uh, the rest of the guards are back at camp, probably having dinner by now, I imagine,¡± Elayne replied.


    ¡°Are you telling me that besides you, the honor guard of our War Master isn''t guarding him!? What is wrong with you!¡± Aurelia shouted.


    ¡°Um, t-that¡¯s¡­¡± Elayne looked down in shame.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t blame her, I was the one who had the rest stay back,¡± Stryg spoke up.


    Aurelia turned on him with a hiss, ¡°And as for you! You are the War Master, the leader of our army! You¡¯re not a child anymore! You can¡¯t just leave the encampment and run off into the forest chasing some spy!¡±


    ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t a spy, that¡¯s why I only had Elayne accompany me, and that¡¯s only after she insisted.¡± Stryg tried to sound calm, but he felt as if he was a child once more, making up some excuse after being caught doing something wrong.


    ¡°Yes, it was your fuzzy friend, I can see that,¡± Aurelia glanced pointedly at the frost wolf who was still licking the berries off the ground, oblivious to their conversation.


    ¡°Wait, you recognize Blueberry?¡± Stryg asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course, I do. You once tried to sneak that pup into the village and ever since he¡¯s come by the village once in a while, no doubt looking for you I imagine,¡± said Aurelia.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Stryg looked at the wolf and smirked playfully, ¡°You missed me, huh?¡±


    Blueberry huffed abashedly and looked away.


    ¡°Hehe, I knew it,¡± Stryg grinned slyly.


    Blueberry growled angrily, before stalking away into the trees.


    ¡°The herald is gone¡­¡± Elayne said with deep reverence.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back,¡± Stryg shrugged confidently.


    ¡°Even if he does, that is no reason for you to leave camp, don''t you understand?!¡± Aurelia snapped.


    Stryg frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve been in these woods countless times and I¡¯m still fine, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You two, go scout the perimeter, check for any others,¡± Aurelia said without even glancing at them.


    Elayne and the scout didn¡¯t need another cue to know they weren¡¯t needed. The duo nodded and hurriedly made themselves scarce.


    Once they were gone, Aurelia sighed tiredly. ¡°Stryg, just because you¡¯ve managed to stay safe all this time, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s safe.¡± Her eyes softened, ¡°Especially after the owl¡­ You don¡¯t know what dangers might be lurking in these woods.¡±


    ¡°The spirit owl? Mom, everything is fine,¡± Stryg said reassuringly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that! You have no idea¡ª!¡± Aurelia stopped herself and abruptly hugged him. ¡°Just please, please, don¡¯t stray far from me, not now.¡±


    Stryg stood stock-still. He had never seen his mother like this. She seemed¡ª scared. Stryg slowly nodded and hugged her back. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    Aurelia stepped back and smiled warmly, ¡°Let¡¯s head back, yeah?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    As Aurelia watched her son walk back the way they came she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of discomfort growing deep inside her. Memories of that day came back to her, like a haunting whisper¡­


    ~~~


    21 years ago¡­


    In the dark hours of the night, deep in the archives of the Celestial Shrine, sat two figures under the blue dim light of magestone lanterns. Tens of dozens of scrolls, books, and loose parchment papers were strewn across their table. Aurelia sat hunched over one such ancient scroll, pouring over its words, searching for any clue to her dilemma.


    Finally, she groaned out loud and sank back into her chair. ¡°I can¡¯t understand half of this. These archives are useless!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Ivory answered calmly while glancing over several books and scrolls at once. ¡°The Lunisian Republic placed great importance on their studies of life. Whether it was herbology, the biology of Ebon species, medicinal studies, and more, all of it was stored in their most sacred temple¡¯s library, here.¡±


    ¡°And maybe I¡¯d be able to find something if I could read it! Most of these books aren¡¯t even in the common tongue. And don¡¯t even get me started on the scrolls!¡±


    ¡°I thought the olden tongues were a part of your priestly studies.¡±


    ¡°The Ebon Realm¡¯s sure, but half of these aren¡¯t even that. Some of these are in ancient Violetian, Ashen, Azurian, hell, even Ivorian, anything but our own tongue!¡± Aurelia threw her hands up in frustration.


    ¡°Well, the Lunisians gathered knowledge from all the Null Realms before the Schism. It makes sense that much of their knowledge wouldn¡¯t be in your native language,¡± Ivory said sympathetically.


    She picked up an old tattered scroll and held it up to the lantern light, ¡°Oh, look, this one is in ancient Scarletian, maybe you can read it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I can read all of these,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Of course, you can,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°Then maybe you can tell me if this has anything that might prove useful?¡± she held up a dusty old book. ¡°Mother Sabina had it in the deepest part of the restrictive section. I can¡¯t read it, but I think it¡¯s in ancient Amberdine?¡±


    He smiled and stretched out his arm across the table. ¡°Hand it over here, I¡¯ll see what it says.¡±


    Aurelia gave it to him and began scouring the table for something she could actually read.


    ¡°Huh, interesting,¡± Ivory muttered, his lilac eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What? Anything?!¡± Aurelia asked hopefully.


    ¡°Sorry, no, this contains nothing that could help with your mother¡¯s ailment, but it does have some interesting information regarding mystic blood practices. Do you know what this is?¡± He held up the book.


    ¡°Not really¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is a one-of-a-kind original work based on the teachings of a long-dead blood goddess. The story goes that the author was the high priest of the deity and he wrote down all he learned into this book. Not long after the goddess was slain. Afraid that his goddess¡¯ secrets might be stolen, the priest hid the book away, waiting for his goddess¡¯ triumphant resurrection.¡±


    ¡°And what happened?¡± Aurelia whispered.


    ¡°The priest was killed and the goddess stayed dead, as dead people do. But who would have thought that the book would somehow find its way here?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, good for me. This book is famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask. I was always somewhat curious about its secrets.¡±


    ¡°Curious about blood practices?¡±


    ¡°Secrets of the blood,¡± he corrected. ¡°Very fascinating stuff, when you get past the whole heinous and forbidden parts, of course.¡±


    ¡°You know, for someone who just came across an ancient forbidden book you seem pretty happy,¡± she noted.


    ¡°Oh? Do I?¡± He blinked.


    ¡°Hey, Ivory. You didn¡¯t by chance offer to help me just so you could have access to the library¡¯s archives, did you?¡±


    Ivory closed the book and raised his hands. ¡°Alright, I may have come to visit Evenfall to read your library¡¯s archives, but¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I knew it! How could I be so stupid to trust you!?¡±


    ¡°But! Your Silver Mother already granted me permission to read the books from your archives the second day I arrived. Long before I knew about your mother.¡±


    She shook her head skeptically, ¡°You don¡¯t even care about my mother¡¯s illness at all, do you?¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Of course, I do. I wouldn¡¯t have spent last night designing a cure if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Wait, you have a cure!? Why didn¡¯t you say anything!?¡±


    Ivory winced, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not¡ª complete¡­ yet.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯m missing a crucial component. In order to brew a cure for your mother I am in need of a very rare plant, a Selevine Flower. I¡¯ve been looking for any records of the flower in these lands but I can¡¯t find any.¡±


    ¡°You could have told me,¡± she glared at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything and give you false hope.¡± He sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll most likely have to search for a new cure.¡±


    ¡°You said it¡¯s a flower, right? Mother Sabina is the foremost expert of flowers among all the tribes. If anyone knows where we could find the flower it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, damn, maybe I should have said something earlier.¡±


    ¡°Instead of trying to do it all by yourself? Yeah,¡± she smirked. ¡°For a genius, you really are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°In my defense, I don¡¯t consider myself a genius.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°And it¡¯s hard to rely on people sometimes, even people you trust can let you down,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this isn¡¯t one of those times,¡± Aurelia got up from her chair. ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn, Mother Sabina should be waking up any minute. I¡¯ll go find her and see if she knows anything.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy your disgusting blood book while I''m gone!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I will!¡± he said with a laugh, but she was already gone. He glanced at the ancient book, opened it, and began skimming through its contents.

 Chapter 468: The Flower Part 2

    Chapter 468: The Flower Part 2


    21 years ago¡­


    ¡°...And that¡¯s why I was wondering if you knew anything about selevine flowers?¡± Aurelia asked hopefully.


    Sabina, Second Mother of the Celestial Shrine, sat across her desk and looked at Aurelia with her usual stern cold stare. Her lips abruptly cracked in a smile, ¡°I know of selevine flowers, in fact, I know where you can find some.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± Aurelia jumped to her feet. ¡°Where can I find them!? I¡¯ll head out right now!¡±


    ¡°Settle down, acolyte.¡±


    ¡°R-Right, sorry,¡± Aurelia grimaced and sat back down.


    Sabina looked at her sympathetically. ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, you¡¯ve finally found a potential cure for your mother. You¡¯ve worked so hard for so long, this is a moment of triumph, I do not mean to take it away from you. But the journey to the flower patch is not simple, I need you to focus.¡±


    ¡°Right, yes, of course,¡± Aurelia nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Good.¡± Sabina pulled out a map of the Rupture Mountains from her desk and began to chart a course. ¡°The selevine flowers are very rare. I can understand why our visitor was unable to locate any reference to them. I¡¯ve only ever seen any on Pale-Stone.¡± She pointed to a mountain, far north of Mt. Moon Fang.


    Aurelia stared at the map with a deep intensity. ¡°How far is it?¡±


    ¡°The journey shouldn¡¯t be particularly dangerous, at least compared to Vulture Woods. Still, there is no clear path, even for an experienced hunter it could take nine days.¡± Sabina smirked, ¡°But for a prime mage like you, I¡¯d say seven days, six if you hurry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it in five.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need traveling companions.¡±


    Aurelia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll move faster if I¡¯m on my own.¡±


    ¡°True, but if you think I¡¯m going to allow our Favored of the Moon to travel by herself deep into the mountains you are as stupid as the girl eavesdropping behind my door.¡±


    Aurelia frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come out, girl, before I make you,¡± Sabina said in a displeased tone.


    The door creaked open, revealing a crouched Virella on the ground. Her green cheeks were bright with embarrassment. ¡°He-Hello, Mother Sabina, Aurelia, fancy meeting you two here¡­?¡±


    The two just stared at her as if she was an idiot.


    Virella bowed her head in shame. ¡°I¡¯ll just go now¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you move a muscle,¡± Sabina warned. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve heard everything?¡±


    Virella winced ¡°Um, yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°Good, that makes things simple. Arrange a party of your acolyte-sisters and hunters to travel with the two of you,¡± Sabina ordered.


    ¡°Wait? I¡¯m coming too?¡± Virella asked excitedly.


    ¡°Obviously, when it comes to horticulture, you¡¯re the most advanced student I have,¡± Sabina said matter-of-factly. ¡°Of course, you are also my most disobedient student. I heard you¡¯ve been growing certain¡ª herbs in your room. Herbs that when ingested give various peculiar effects, the likes of which we priestesses do not indulge in lightly.¡±


    Virella swallowed hard. ¡°Um, I¡¯m gonna go and um, gather our companions, yeah, gather our companions. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡ª¡±


    ¡°When you return from this trip expect to be cleaning the chamber pots of all your sisters for two weeks, courtesy of this little stunt of yours,¡± Sabina noted.


    Virella grimaced. ¡°A-As you wish, Mother Sabina.¡±


    Aurelia watched her friend leave with her head hung low. ¡°Did you really have to make it two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be soft on her, she¡¯ll never amount to anything if you do,¡± said Sabina. ¡°Take this,¡± she pushed the map into Aurelia¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ve marked the trail for you. Pale-Stone is a desolate mountain, no animals or people live there. The flowers you¡¯re looking for should be near the top. It should be easy enough to find.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother Sabina,¡± Aurelia bowed gratefully.


    ¡°Try not to linger on the mountain after you¡¯ve picked the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Is it dangerous? I thought you said the mountain was desolate?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°Exactly my point. Any mountain that animals refuse to go to is not a place you wish to linger for long. I was only there once and the air itself felt unsettling. Pick your flowers and leave, do not stay the night on the mountain, do you understand me, girl?¡±


    ¡°I understand, thank you, for everything,¡± Aurelia bowed once more.


    ~~~


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Sabina actually knew where to find selevine flowers,¡± Ivory said cheerfully. ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving anywhere. I¡¯m going with some expert hunters and acolytes to Pale-Stone Mountain,¡± Aurelia said firmly.


    Virella knocked on the door and poked her head inside the common room. ¡°Hey, Auri, we¡¯re all ready to go.¡±


    Ivory raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Wait, she gets to go!? But not me!? I mean, no offense, Vi.¡±


    ¡°Offense taken,¡± Virella crossed her arms.


    ¡°Vi, why don¡¯t you and the others go wait at the front gate, I¡¯ll meet up with you in a minute, yeah?¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°Mm¡­ fine,¡± Virella rolled her eyes begrudgingly and left.


    Ivory laid back in his chair and looked Aurelia over, ¡°So, you¡¯re really gonna go without me? You do realize you can¡¯t actually stop me from going, right?¡±


    ¡°I am and I do.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you want me to go? I thought you and I were finally getting closer,¡± Ivory said playfully, though there was a hint of genuine care in his lilac eyes.


    ¡°I need you here to begin working on the potion that will heal my mom. Once we¡¯re back I¡¯ll give you the flowers and you can finish the potion as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Ivory sighed, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll begin gathering the materials I need for the elixir.¡±


    Aurelia walked over to him, leaned down, and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered into his ear.


    He turned to her and their eyes met face-to-face, their breath on each other¡¯s lips.


    Aurelia licked her lips and swallowed. ¡°I¡­ I should get going¡­¡± She stepped back and ran away, not daring to look at Ivory¡¯s expression.


    ~~~


    The party of fifteen hunters and acolytes waited outside the temple¡¯s front gates, next to the mountain¡¯s steps. Faint wisps of snow fell down on the quiet morning. Virella was already with them, chatting with some of her friends among the acolytes.


    Aurelia spotted Sabina standing at the gate and marched over to her. ¡°This is too much, half of them would¡¯ve been more than enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t add more,¡± Sabina said calmly.


    ¡°They¡¯ll slow me down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Aurelia bit her lip and relented. ¡°Fine. Thank you for setting this all up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, take care of yourself out there.¡± Sabina opened her arms and hugged her.


    Aurelia stiffened at the uncharacteristic warmth but after a moment she relaxed, closed her eyes, and hugged her back.


    ¡°~Auri¡¯s finally here! Off to adventure!~¡± Virella shouted at the top of her lungs and trotted down the mountain steps.


    Aurelia laughed as she watched the rest of the party hurry to follow Virella down the slippery icy steps.


    ¡°There is something definitely wrong with that girl,¡± Sabina said dryly.


    ¡°She just doesn¡¯t get out a lot,¡± said Aurelia. ¡°I should get going before Vi accidentally leads them in the wrong direction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should.¡±


    Aurelia bowed briefly and ran out the temple gates. A sudden shrill cry caught her attention. She stopped in her tracks and looked up. A pale white owl sat perched atop the gate, its orb black eyes staring at her. The owl cocked its head to the side before flying off into the clouds. Aurelia furrowed her brow for a moment, then headed back to the stone steps.


    Sabina watched the owl fly away with a keen sense of discomfort. Something about that owl tickled a faint memory in her mind.


    ~~~


    4 days later¡­


    After finishing all his preparations for his elixir, Ivory wandered back into the temple¡¯s archives. Skimming through several ancient texts he had yet to get around to reading. The archives were stashed away deep in the temple, where not a single window existed. Magestone lanterns hung from the ceiling, their soft blue glow the only light source in the area.


    Tall stacks of scrolls lined the walls and dozens of shelves crammed the already somewhat small space. Ivory maneuvered around the cramped area with familiar ease, not even bothering to look up at his surroundings, when the faint sound of a page turning caught his attention. He stopped, backpedaled a few steps, and craned his neck past the shelf behind him.


    A small figure sat at one of the few tables. Several old texts were haphazardly sprawled around her.


    Ivory walked over with a curious step. ¡°Priestess Sabina, I didn¡¯t know you frequented the archives.¡±


    Sabina looked up with a tired gaze. ¡°Ivory¡­ I heard you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time here, boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Not as much as I¡¯d like. You¡¯d be amazed at the knowledge stored in this place. The old priests of Lunis really outdid themselves.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here in Evenfall? In search of knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Do you find that wrong? Or is my presence disturbing? I can leave you to your reading if you¡¯d like,¡± he offered.


    She shook her head, ¡°No, actually, you might be of some help.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±


    ¡°Just something that I learned about during my early days as an acolyte,¡± she began uncertainly. ¡°It was some small text, nothing particularly important. I had forgotten about it until recently. I¡¯ve been trying to look for any references about owls but I couldn¡¯t find any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Owls you say? Well, if it¡¯s an owl, there are only so many species. I¡¯m sure we can figure it out. Can you describe it to me?¡±


    ¡°It was white, pale white. And its eyes were black, pitch black, like glass in darkness.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ivory nodded in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the spirit owl. They are a very rare species of elemental bird, native to the Aurus Realm. Many Aurian cultures believe the spirit owl is a herald of death and brings misfortune to all those it visits.¡±


    ¡°And do you believe in such stories?¡± she asked quietly.


    He shrugged. ¡°Hm, who knows? Life is chaotic, people die every day. People try to search for meaning behind it, but oftentimes there isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to look so worried. Spirit owls are native to the Aurus Realm, they rarely ever visit any of the other realms. And after the Schism three centuries ago, even if there had been some spirit owls left in the Ebon Realm they¡¯d all be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°You seem very confident about that, boy.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me why I saw one four days ago?¡±


    ¡°You must have seen a snow owl, a simple but common mistake.¡±


    She hardened her gaze. ¡°I know what I saw.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I truly mean no disrespect, but there really is no way a spirit owl befell you. You can sleep at ease tonight.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t befall me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The owl, it was watching Aurelia, not me.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re worried for Aurelia, ma¡¯am, but like I said, it¡¯s not possi¡ª¡± His smile fell. ¡°Unless¡­¡± He narrowed his lilac eyes, ¡°It cannot be¡­ after all this time¡­ you choose to interfere now¡­ why¡­?¡±


    Sabina frowned. ¡°What are you muttering about? You know something, don¡¯t you? Tell me, what is it? What do you know, boy?!¡±


    Ivory glanced at her, ¡°Relax.¡± He raised his hand in front of her. Sabina¡¯s eyes glazed over and she slumped in her chair, fast asleep. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, child.¡±


    Ivory unceremoniously dropped the book he was reading and waved his hand across the air. The stone wall in front of him shifted like water and formed a tunnel to the outside open air. He walked into the tunnel and the wall reformed behind him without a mark.

 Chapter 469: Hopelessness

    Chapter 469: Hopelessness


    21 years ago¡­ deep in the Rupture Mountains¡­


    Mother Sabina was wrong and right about Mt. Pale-Stone. It was true, the place was devoid of any fauna, though there was an abundance of flora decorating the landscape. Various kinds of flowers and trees Aurelia had never seen grew all around the mountain. She was stunned by the vivid plants, trees larger than any she had seen, and flowers growing in large pristine patches. It felt as if she was waltzing through a dream and she wasn¡¯t the only one who shared the sentiment.


    The stoic hunters and the stringent priestesses all had glimmers of wonder in their eyes as they trekked up the mountain. Virella picked up whatever flowers she could get her hands on and soon enough the others followed suit.


    Most of the 5-day trip had felt slow, each day Aurelia pushed the group to keep going with little rest. There was little time to waste, her mother¡¯s vitality was weakening by the day. The sooner she could bring the selevine flowers to Ivory the better. Yet as she entered Pale-Stone she felt almost as if she had entered a different realm.


    Mother Sabina was wrong about the air, it was neither cold nor unnerving. It was clean and every breath felt as if her tired muscles were invigorated with newfound strength.


    As they reached the top of the mountain the trees gave way to moss-covered crags and beds of colorful wildflowers.


    ¡°This has got to be it¡­¡± Aurelia muttered to herself. She glanced back at the group climbing behind her. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Virella¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°Does that mean¡ª!?¡±


    Aurelia smiled wryly, ¡°Yes, we can take a break.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank the Mother Moon!¡± Virella gasped. She unceremoniously dropped her knapsack and rolled on the lush grass.


    The other priests and hunters did the same, though the hunters kept vigilant watch around the perimeter, searching for any potential threats.


    ¡°Vi, come with me,¡± Aurelia called out without looking back.


    Virella blinked in shock. ¡°Wha¨C? But you said¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Not you, Vi. Come on, I need your help.¡±


    She groaned but stood up to her feet. ¡°~I¡¯ll be right there.~¡±


    The air was crisp at the top of the mountain, not like the biting cold winds of Moon Fang. Virella made a mental note to herself to come back here whenever she needed a break from Evenfall¡¯s bitter cold.


    ¡°Where is it¡­? I can¡¯t find it!¡± Aurelia muttered with rising anxiety.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find any selevine flowers?¡± Virella smirked.


    Aurelia glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re the Red-Green mage, you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they right over there?¡± Virella pointed to a large patch of pale silver-blue flowers.


    Aurelia rushed over, dropped to her knees, and leaned close to inspect the flowers in question. ¡°...This is¡­ this is it!¡± she said excitedly.


    Virella grinned proudly, ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m the best acolyte alive!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, now help me get these in some jars.¡± Aurelia pulled out the small ceramic pots from her knapsack.


    Virella knelt next to her and together they carefully plucked the flowers and placed them in the jars.


    ¡°How many of these were we supposed to get?¡± Virella asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she admitted. ¡°Ivory said in order for my mother to fully recover the treatment would take several elixirs spread out through a six-month process.¡±


    ¡°Sounds complicated,¡± she said sympathetically.


    ¡°So long as it works I don¡¯t care what it takes.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we might as well grab as many flowers as we can.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Aurelia nodded. She channeled Green and waved her hand across the air.


    The soil rose from beneath them and half of the selevine flower patch broke off from the mountain and floated several paces above them.


    Virella crossed her arms. ¡°Show off.¡±


    Aurelia cracked a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll bring this over to the others and have them help us collect them. The sooner we finish collecting them the sooner we can get back home.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Aw, can¡¯t we stay just a little longer? The girls are tired from climbing up the mountain, we¡¯re not used to this kind of travel like the hunters. The least we could do is have lunch first.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she relented. It was true they had all worked to get here and it was all for her. The least she could do was give them a break. ¡°We¡¯ll have lunch and stay a while, then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°~Yay!~¡± Virella did a little dance of triumph.


    Aurelia laughed warmly at the sight. The stress she had been holding onto the last few months slowly slipped off her. She realized had been so worried about her mother¡¯s health that she hadn¡¯t had a moment to just relax. The duo walked back to the others and Aurelia gently dropped the large chunk of rock and flowers on the ground next to them.


    The ground beneath their feet began to shake and Virella glanced at her best friend expectantly. ¡°Auri, I think these are enough. I don¡¯t think we need any more flowers.¡±


    Aurelia glanced around warily. ¡°I thought that was you...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Virella blinked. ¡°Wait, then who¡­?¡±


    The shaking intensified and the ground beneath them began to slide back in undulating waves.


    ¡°We¡¯re being ambushed! Defensive positions!¡± the lead hunter shouted.


    The hunters quickly pushed the acolytes into the center and formed a defensive ring around them.


    Virella glanced at her friend panickedly. ¡°Auri, what¡¯s happening¡ª!?¡±


    A deep rumble echoed through the mountain as the earth split apart. A hulking mass of pale green hide and bronze scales erupted from the mountainside. A pair of thick arms, each wider than a tree trunk, rose from the earth and clawed its way out. Its scale tail lashed out and ripped apart the landscape, the echoing blast sending boulders and debris flying through the air.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Aurelia screamed and formed a quick half-finished ward dome.


    Virella tried to help, but the falling debris ripped into their wards and shattered them. One of the hunters quickly grabbed them both and threw himself over them. Fist-sized chunks of stone crashed into the land, pulverizing several of the goblins, their panicked screams cut off in an instant.


    Aurelia opened her eyes and carefully looked around. Six of her party, 3 hunters, and two acolytes had been ripped apart by the stone shower. Bits of bloody flesh and bone were all that was left. The rest had fared only slightly better. The hunters had used their own bodies as shields to protect the acolytes; all but one had deep gashes and broken limbs.


    The acolytes tried to help them up but the hunters refused. The hunters all looked at each other and shared a grim nod. ¡°Leave us!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll only slow you down!¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± they cried out.


    Aurelia gritted her teeth. She could taste blood pooling in her mouth from a gash in her inner cheek. She pushed herself to her feet and turned to face the source of the destruction. ¡°Sisters, we are mageborns, we are daughters of the Mother Moon! Stand now!¡±


    Virella looked at her, trying to comprehend her words through her own shock. ¡°A-Auri, what are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold the beast off. Get everyone out of here!¡±Aurelia yelled.


    As the cloud of dust settled, a massive figure emerged from the wreckage. The acolytes screamed in terror. Aurelia slowly looked up and felt her blood grow cold. The creature was standing on all fours and yet it loomed over 30 meters tall. A long snout sniffed the air and its amber eyes blinked with inner eyelids in recognition. Its head slowly swerved in the goblins¡¯ direction and its lips pulled back in a deep growl that reverberated in the air.


    ¡°No¡­ no, no, no¡­!¡± Virella shook her head and cried.


    The creature of myth had come to life as their nightmare.


    ¡°Behemoth¡­¡± Aurelia mumbled, terrified.


    The behemoth scowled and the ground shook as it took a step towards them. Aurelia clenched her fists and channeled all the Blue she could muster. Mana surged into her veins, burning through her body. Electricity crackled around her arms and she hurled bolts of lightning through the air. The lightning splashed off the beast¡¯s scales and hide harmlessly, like small pine needles falling on a bear.


    The behemoth raised its paw and stretched its claws. Aurelia screamed in defiance. Virella tackled Aurelia away as the paw swung down. The ground exploded in waves of energy and the two women flew back, tumbling down the mountain top, an avalanche of rocks behind them. Virella shouted in fear and channeled Green; small bits of rock formed around them in a small shell. Virella hugged Aurelia close and clenched her eyes shut, focusing all her will on holding the tiny stone defense.


    The thunder of the avalanche settled down and Aurelia spotted a small shaft of light peeking through a crack in the stone shell.


    ¡°Vi¡­¡± she whispered.


    Virella¡¯s whole body shook incessantly with exertion and suddenly went slack. The shell crumbled apart around them.


    ¡°Vi¡­!¡± Aurelia shook her friend, but Virella was unresponsive. Aurelia sat up and looked around anxiously, searching for any other survivors, but all she saw was dirt and rubble across the mountainside. Gone were the flowers and trees, the beauty of the mountain. All that was left was the behemoth.


    The massive beast¡¯s eyes skimmed through the rubble and spotted the small green figures hiding underneath the wreckage. Its spiked tail rose behind it ready to strike.


    Aurelia trembled in fear. Pain stretched across her body from dozens of small cuts. Blood dripped from her forehead and obscured her vision. She looked up at the behemoth and felt her legs go numb. A deep endless feeling welled up inside her. Hopelessness choked the breath from her lungs. This was death and it had come for her.


    A small flicker at the edge of her vision caught her attention. She turned and furrowed her brow in confusion. Small bits of stone were floating in front of her. At first, they were pebbles, but soon there were small rocks, tufts of grass, shredded flowers, shattered chunks of trees, and even the droplets of blood on her skin. The world rose into the air and began to swirl all around¡­ her?


    A soft touch landed on her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you alright, Auri?¡±


    She slowly turned around, half-dazed, and frowned in disbelief. ¡°Ivory¡­?¡±


    The pale youth¡¯s usual playful smile was gone. His mirthful eyes were cold with a harsh inner light. His lilac irises had expanded, covering all the sclera but the edges. A faint silvery glow seemed to radiate from his body.


    The behemoth narrowed its amber eyes and lowered its tail at the sight. Its mouth slowly opened and a deep gravelly voice rumbled outwards. ¡°SON OF ALEIRUNE¡­ WHY¡­?¡±


    Ivory looked up with a calm gaze. ¡°Hello, old one.¡±


    As he spoke, Aurelia felt her consciousness grow hazy. She fell over. Her vision dimmed and she knew no more.

 Chapter 470: Lilac

    Chapter 470: Lilac


    21 years ago¡­ deep in the Rupture Mountains¡­


    The sky was dark and the mountain¡¯s chill air wafted through the small campsite. The smell of smoke and the sound of crackling wood roused Aurelia awake. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up hastily. Pain shot up through her back and she grimaced with a low moan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move too much,¡± Ivory advised.


    Aurelia looked up and saw him sitting across the campfire. ¡°Ivory¡­? W-What are you doing here? Where are we?¡±


    ¡°You and Vi are safe, that¡¯s all that¡¯s important right now.¡± He pointed to Virella who was sleeping in a makeshift cot next to her.


    ¡°W-What happened¡­? I¡­ I was¡­¡± Aurelia held her head between her hands.


    The last thing she remembered was that they were on the peak of Pale-Stone, searching for selevine flowers. She and Virella had found them and then¡ª


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°A behemoth¡­!¡± She swallowed hard. ¡°We were attacked, everyone¡ª¡± She turned to Ivory, worried hope in her eyes.


    He shook his head subtly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You two were the only survivors.¡±


    His words cut her deeper than any wounds on her body. She clenched her jaw, wrapped her arms around herself, and bowed her head in silent tears. ¡°I was their leader¡­ They trusted me to keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°Mother Sabina entrusted them to keep you safe, it seems they succeeded.¡±


    Aurelia glared up at him, tears streaming down her eyes. ¡°A leader protects her own!¡± She glanced at the bruised and bandaged Virella, ¡°...not the other way around,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he conceded thoughtfully.


    ¡°...What even happened? How did you even find us?¡±


    ¡°Last night, Sabina told me of a spirit owl that visited you the day you left Evenfall.¡±


    ¡°Spirit owl?¡±


    ¡°A harbinger of death, I¡¯ll tell you more about it later. The point is, I knew your life was at risk. Since I already knew where you would be, it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to find you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me you traveled all the way from Evenfall and found us, all in a single day?¡± she asked skeptically.


    He grinned playfully and patted his ordinary-sized legs. ¡°We tall folk are much faster than goblins.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± Aurelia felt her lips curling up at his words, she didn¡¯t know why this incorrigible man could anger her so easily and yet make her laugh just as quick. She suddenly remembered the colossal beast and a chill ran up her spine just at the thought. ¡°And the behemoth¡­? How did we escape?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that. Well, it turns out Pale-Stone is the territory of that behemoth. It seems you lot awakened him and he was quite displeased at the intrusion. Fortunately, after I spoke to him and explained that it was all just an accident, he was willing to let us go. I took you and Vi and brought you both to the mountain next over.¡±


    ¡°He let us go, just like that?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    ¡°W-Well, I did make some promises on the Sylvan folk¡¯s behalf about bringing him tributes for the next several decades, but nothing much. Just some food, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all manage.¡±


    Aurelia sighed in relief, ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°Neither am I. I was terrified even talking to a behemoth!¡± Ivory rubbed his arms and shivered at the thought. ¡°They are the ancient lords of the land. Not even dragons dare cross their path.¡±


    ¡°Your shirt!¡± Aurelia gasped.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    Ivory glanced at the large dark red splotch across his torn shirt. ¡°Oh? That. I must have gotten clipped by a rock when the behemoth attacked your party. It¡¯s nothing really. Healed already, see?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled in shame. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you into my problems. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged any of you into my problems.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± he assured her.


    She abruptly jumped up. ¡°Oh my gods, the flowers!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The selevine flowers! We were collecting them right before the attack.¡± Her eyes welled with fresh tears. ¡°Without the flowers my mom will¡­ I failed her¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± Ivory picked up a knapsack that was behind him.


    ¡°Is that¡­!?¡± she rushed over to him.


    ¡°Uh-huh, the behemoth was gracious enough to share with us some of the flowers from his mountain. There are more than enough flowers in here to brew all the elixirs your mom will need.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He opened the knapsack to reveal hundreds of freshly picked flowers.


    ¡°Thank the Mother Moon,¡± she mumbled softly.


    ¡°For someone who''s rumored to never shed a tear, you¡¯re crying an awful lot,¡± he teased.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she muttered and placed her forehead on his chest. ¡°...Thank you, for everything¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°Meh, when it comes to you, how could I do anything less?¡±


    She looked up at him, their faces mere centimeters apart. His pale purple eyes were mesmerizing and she lost herself in his gaze that seemed to see deep into her heart. She slowly leaned forward and they both shared a kiss in the firelight of the quiet evening.


    On Pale-Stone, far from Aurelia¡¯s sight, pillars of smoke rose from a large crater where the mountain peak once stood. It was almost as if the mountain had erupted and its flames had suddenly died out. Charred blackened ground was all that remained where trees, flowers, and lush grass had once been. Fragments of ruined massive bones stood half-buried among the ash and melted rock. The broken skull of a behemoth was the only discernible remains.


    ~~~


    3 months later¡­ Mt. Moon Fang¡­ Evenfall¡­


    Aurelia sat at her desk in her room, quill in hand. A bottle of ink and a fresh sheet of parchment sat in front of her. She wasn¡¯t sure where to begin, so she wrote what was on her mind.


    To Nalindra Veres, chieftain of the Blood Fang Tribe,


    I hope you¡¯re doing well, mom. In the last letter Jahn sent me he said you were finally able to sleep an entire night without waking up in a coughing fit. Ivory¡¯s elixirs are working!


    I¡¯m sending two freshly made elixirs with this letter. Jahn says now that you¡¯ll need to start drinking twice the dosage for the next two months. After that, you can go back to the regular dosage for the last month, and then¡­ Then you¡¯ll be free of this damned sickness, mom.


    I know you don¡¯t want me to worry, but I do. In any case, I hope bed-ridden life doesn¡¯t bore you too much. Soon, you¡¯ll be able to walk again and be back to your old self. I miss you, mom, more than you could ever know.


    I miss dad too¡ª


    Aurelia stopped herself and blotted out the last line about her father with a fresh blotch of ink. Her mom had enough to deal with as it was, she didn¡¯t need to hear about her daughter¡¯s worries too. Which reminded her¡­


    Oh, yeah. In the last letter you sent me, you told me you wanted to know more about Ivory. He is the most carefree person I¡¯ve ever met, but he¡¯s quite charming when you get to know him. He doesn¡¯t care about trying to impress others or trying to uphold his honor. He just¡ª lives. Ivory puts all his attention into whatever fascinates him until he figures it out and he never lets anything frustrate him, no matter how difficult it seems.


    A knock sounded on her door.


    ¡°Auri?¡± Ivory called out.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she replied.


    He opened the door and walked in with a bright smile. ¡°Hey, I finished brewing the elixirs. Vi and I were going to drink this new tea recipe she¡¯s been working on. You coming?¡±


    Normally, she would have said no to such frivolous things, but after Ivory had fallen into her life and shared his discovery of a cure for her mom, such things didn¡¯t seem so bad anymore.


    Aurelia smiled warmly, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that a letter?¡± He leaned over for a look. ¡°Who is it for? Your brother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for my mom, and stop peeking,¡± she slapped his arm. ¡°Go on and drink some spiked tea, I¡¯ll see you two idiots in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he said with a light-hearted tone and kissed her on the lips. ¡°But I¡¯m warning you, Vi and I will bust back in here if you take too long.¡±


    ¡°Just go already.¡± She watched him leave with a smile and went back to writing her letter.


    I take it back about him being charming. He can be quite stubborn about the dumbest things and yet¡­ Okay, maybe he is somewhat charming. Sometimes. I don¡¯t know why, but everyone seems to like him, except Mother Sabina. She¡¯s never liked him and I don¡¯t think she ever will.


    As to what he looks like? Well, your guess was right in your last letter. He isn¡¯t a goblin. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier, I thought you wouldn¡¯t take the elixir if you knew. But he¡¯s not like the other outsiders. And you now know the elixirs are working. So hopefully, you can learn to trust him as I have. I¡¯m sorry I lied, I really am.


    As for what he is, I don¡¯t know per se. He¡¯s from the Scarlet Realm, but he isn¡¯t an orc. He is quite pale, like a vampire, but he has no fangs. His hair is as dark as most goblins, but unlike us his pupils are round. His eyes look kind of like grandma¡¯s did. Except grandma¡¯s were much darker, his are a pale shade of purple, like lavender or lilac. Anyways, I think you would like him. I hope you can meet him one day when you¡¯re feeling better.


    I love you,


    Your loyal daughter always, Aurelia Veres.


    ~~~


    Vulture Woods¡­ Blood Fang Village¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s from the Realm, but he isn¡¯t an orc. He is quite pale, like a vampire, but¡ª Okay, I think I¡¯ve had enough of listening about Auri¡¯s crush,¡± Jahn chuckled. He lowered the letter and glanced at his mother with a smile. ¡°Auri seems happy for once, at least. I think. You can never really tell with her, you know? Mom? Mom¡­?¡±


    Nalindra lay on a large bed, wrapped in a large animal pelt. Her usual teal skin was a sickly pallid blue. Her long white hair was tied in a single braid that rested on her pillow. Her son sat at her bedside watching her worriedly.


    ¡°Mom? Are you alright?¡± he whispered.


    Nalindra glanced at him, her yellow eyes weary. ¡°Sorry, can you repeat the letter¡¯s last line?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired we can just continue later.¡±


    She coughed and shook her head. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m feeling better than I have in almost two years.¡±


    ¡°I know, but still, you need to rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived almost 300 years, a little lack of sleep isn¡¯t going to kill me now.¡± She patted his hand reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I¡¯ll rest after I hear my daughter¡¯s words. Now, keep reading.¡±


    ¡°Right. Ahem, where was I¡­? Ah. He is quite pale, like a vampire, but he has no fangs. His hair is as dark as most goblins, but unlike us his pupils are round. They look kind of like grandma¡¯s did. Except grandma¡¯s were much darker, his are a pale shade of purple, like lavender or¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªLilac,¡± Nalindra finished with a whisper.


    ¡°Huh, yeah.¡± Jahn scratched his head, ¡°How did you know¡ª? Mom! What are you doing!?¡±


    Nalindra rolled off the bed and fell to the floor on all fours. ¡°My sword, hand me my sword!¡± She grabbed the bed for leverage and struggled to her feet.


    Jahn rushed over in a panic and helped steady her. ¡°Mom, what are you doing?! You can barely walk, you need to rest¡ª¡±


    ¡°My sword, Jahn! NOW!¡± she snapped.


    He stiffened at her voice and hurriedly went and fetched her sword from the corner of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Gather the greatest hunters in the tribe and tell them we head out to Evenfall at once.¡±


    ¡°But the sun is already beginning to set, surely we should wait until morning¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, we leave now!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Nalindra spun around and grabbed Jahn¡¯s shoulders tightly. ¡°Look at me! We cannot waste a single moment. Your sister is in mortal danger.¡±

 Chapter 471: Ivory

    Chapter 471: Ivory


    ¡­21 years ago¡­


    The light of dawn slipped through the window cracks. A narrow sun beam flickered over Aurelia¡¯s face. She grimaced and mumbled something in a stupor, before slowly opening her eyes. Aurelia turned her head and found the other half of the bed empty and cold. With a yawn, she sat up and threw on some clothes. She grabbed her fur cloak and left her bedroom.


    Winter had come to the cold Ebon Realm, taking away what little warmth its people were accustomed to. The Rupture Mountains were cold almost year-around, but the winter months were especially cold. Evenfall was situated between the mountain slopes, protecting it from most of the harsh winds, but the Celestial Shrine, their most sacred temple, stood proud atop the mountain peak. Up here the air itself burned with every breath and without the proper clothing one could easily find themselves falling asleep in the chill air, never to awaken.


    Aurelia worried that Ivory had gone out without preparations for the freezing temperatures, especially at this time of the day. He had a habit of forgetting such simple things like fur cloaks and thick wool tunics. His mind seemed to always be preoccupied with something more¡ª interesting, even if that happened to be something as simple as a flower on the side of the road.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Aurelia to find him. He was sitting at his usual spot, at the edge of a cliffside, overlooking the mountains and the city of Evenfall below. The dark sky was covered in grey clouds and the golden light of the sun was only beginning to peek through the horizon.


    Ivory turned his head slightly at the sound of her footsteps crunching the snow behind him, but he didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°I thought I might find you up here,¡± Aurelia said and plopped down next to him.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, sleepyhead,¡± he said with a mellow voice.


    She threw the fur cloak over both of their shoulders and huddled close. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wish to wake you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Since when?¡±


    He smiled softly. ¡°You seemed so tired last night, you fell asleep in the middle of my story. I thought you could use the rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve just been a little busy with my spell training.¡±


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Are you annoyed that I wasn¡¯t there when you awoke?¡± he asked playfully.


    ¡°No,¡± she said a little too quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he kissed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be there next time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not annoyed you weren¡¯t there, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±


    ¡°...There¡¯s this girl. She was born into a long lineage of warriors and her parents have high hopes that she will follow in their footsteps. She tries hard, harder than anyone to make her parents proud. Then her father died before she could become strong enough and her mother fell ill, and no matter what she does she can¡¯t find a cure to save her mother.¡±


    ¡°Sounds terrible,¡± Ivory whispered.


    ¡°It was, but then a stranger came, a very annoying stranger.¡±


    ¡°Sounds even worse.¡±


    ¡°Heh. At first the girl thought it was. But then she became closer to the stranger and soon she discovered that the stranger could help with a cure. Soon after she set off on a quest to find the flower for the cure, almost being killed by a terrible beast of legends, only to be saved by the peculiar stranger. Now her mother is being cured. And the girl has gotten much closer to the stranger. She spends time with him every day and listens to stories of his homeland every evening, and yet she still doesn¡¯t even know his name. She worries that he¡¯s holding back, but she doesn¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°This girl is in a difficult predicament,¡± Ivory said thoughtfully.


    She looked at him pointedly. ¡°Any thoughts on how to solve it?¡±


    ¡°Hm, how about a story of my own?¡±


    Aurelia leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°The girl is listening.¡±


    ¡°Once upon a time, in the Scarlet Realm, we meet our young hero, a mage, Nell, is the name.¡±


    ¡°Nell?¡±


    He pinched her cheek lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt.¡±


    She tried to bite his finger in retaliation but he had already moved his hand back.


    ¡°Now, where was I? Ah, yes, Nell was a brilliant mage, albeit somewhat naive,¡± he admitted with a wry smile.


    ¡°How humble of you,¡± she noted sarcastically.


    ¡°I like to think so. Anyways, this brilliant mage was enthusiastic about changing the world for the better. And for that reason Nell had come to the Scarlet Realm and joined the renown Mortem Order.¡±


    ¡°The Mortem? As in the evil Order of the Scarlet Realm?¡± Aurelia muttered in surprise.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He grinned lopsidedly, ¡°I know many people feared the Mortem Order, rightfully so, they were powerful, and people fear the powerful, but they were not ¡®evil¡¯. They were scholars, scientists, mages, warriors, all working together to create a better world. And one day, the Order managed to do what none but the World Soul had ever accomplished, create life.¡±


    ¡°The beast-kin of the Realm of War,¡± Aurelia recited.


    ¡°Indeed. Nell was excited, the Order could finally move on with their plan. Except, there was one problem. The plan was not what Nell thought it to be. The young mage joined the order to help the world, not this; An army formed out of the most deadly beast-kin for the sake of, well, Nell wasn¡¯t quite certain, as was also a member of the council; Holo was her name.¡±


    Aurelia furrowed her brow. ¡°Like the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, funnily enough,¡± he laughed lightly. ¡°Besides Holo, the rest of the council was on board with the Order¡¯s true plan, the founder¡¯s plan. And they tried to convince our young hero Nell that the plan was the only way to achieve their dream, not that Nell even cared to listen, in fact, our young hero refused to listen whatsoever, for any plan that involved the deaths of potentially tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives was unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°He seemed to have proper ideals, good for him,¡± she nudged Ivory''s shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, well, the council didn¡¯t see it that way. In fact, they wanted to kill Nell, since Nell was what you might call an ¡®influential leader¡¯ among the Order. The council worried that Nell might sway people¡¯s thoughts on the matter of the beast-kin and so they planned to eliminate our young hero. But Nell was the founder¡¯s favorite, and had even been bestowed the honorable title Champion of Mortem, and so the council held back.¡±


    ¡°Nell¡¯s life was spared,¡± he continued. ¡°Which ended up leading to Nell and Holo sparking an insurrection that would grow so quickly out of control, that not even the founder¡¯s power could stop it, not until the war had already spread like wildfire through the realm and led to the loss of countless lives.¡±


    ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± he muttered. ¡°All Nell wanted was to protect the realm and yet, in the end, she caused the destruction of the Scarlet Realm as they knew it.¡±


    Aurelia frowned. ¡°Wait, did you just say she?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°But I thought¡ª¡±


    Ivory smiled, ¡°Did you think the story was about me? Sorry.¡±


    Aurelia shook her head. ¡°But then¡ª why? Why tell me all of this?¡±


    ¡°Because some things in life aren¡¯t easy to comprehend and sometimes you just have to trust people. Take Nell for example. She refused to trust in the Order¡¯s founder who had taken her under his wing and helped her achieve her true potential. Nell believed so fervently that she was right that she refused to even listen to his plan. And what did that cost the Scarlet Realm? Everything.¡±


    ¡°B-But,¡± Aurelia mumbled uncertainly. ¡°The Order¡¯s beast-kin would have killed tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands.¡±


    ¡°Millions,¡± he corrected. ¡°But to achieve what cause? Do you even know? Do you have any idea why the beast-kin were created? Their true purpose?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. How could you? Nell plunged the Scarlet Realm into a civil war before anyone had the chance to find out.¡±


    ¡°And you think the alternative would have been any better?¡± she asked with a frown.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°You¡¯d rather see millions dead?¡±


    ¡°Half the Scarlet Realm¡¯s people died in Nell¡¯s civil war. A million lives lost and for what? What purpose did their deaths serve?¡±


    ¡°A million¡­?¡± Aurelia paled in horror. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°As I said, perhaps the alternative would have been better.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, even still, more would have died.¡±


    ¡°But at least their deaths would have been meaningful.¡±


    ¡°What? What is that even supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. Why would a being as powerful and knowledgeable as the Order¡¯s founder have gone through all the trouble of creating the beast-kin in the first place? To just have wanton murder without purpose? No. Do you really think such a man would do anything without a purpose?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I guess we¡¯ll never know,¡± Aurelia mumbled. She turned her eyes to the horizon and the dawnlight, its golden rays cutting through the dark clouds.


    He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. ¡°Perhaps not.¡±


    ¡°Ivory¡­¡± she whispered carefully.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re an orphan, that on the day you were born your village was destroyed and your parents along with it. Did your¡­ Were your parents killed in the Mortem Order¡¯s civil war? Is that why you hate this Nell person so much?¡±


    ¡°I never said I hated her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±


    ¡°Trust, Auri. Trust. That was the point of my story.¡±


    She leaned back and glared at him. ¡°Then are you going to trust me enough to tell me your name?¡±


    He looked into her worried eyes and spoke calmly, ¡°My name is Mortem.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow, ¡°Like the Order?¡±


    ¡°Mm, something like that.¡±


    Aurelia shook her head and groaned, ¡°Oh come on, stop with the dumb jokes! You keep talking about trust, but you¡¯re still just calling yourself the first thing that comes to mind. First it was Sabina, then Ivory, and now Mortem? Seriously?¡±


    He stared coldly at her for a moment then suddenly laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right, it was a dumb joke. I just get uncomfortable when I talk about the civil war¡­ and the death of my parents.¡±


    ¡°Then your parents really did die because of the war?¡±


    He closed his eyes and bowed his head. ¡°Yes,¡± he whispered painfully.


    She grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Look, you don¡¯t have to tell me about your past, not until you¡¯re ready. You saved my mom and my life. You¡¯re a good person, that¡¯s all I need to know.¡±


    He opened his lilac eyes and smiled warmly, ¡°Thank you, Auri.¡±


    ~~~


    Present times¡­ 4 days before the new moon¡­ 4 days before the siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    ¡°Thanks for the food, Mom,¡± Stryg said with a smile.


    Aurelia blinked. That smile and the way his lilac eyes seemed to draw one in, sometimes it felt as if she was seeing him standing in front of her. The mere thought sent a chill down her spine.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Mom? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine, now eat your food.¡±


    He shrugged and munched down on the roasted slab of venison.


    The sun was beginning to rise in the east, its light bathing the scarlet forest in red hues. The two of them sat on a branch hanging above the Sylvan army¡¯s campsite.


    ¡°We have a long day of marching ahead of us if we ever hope to make it to Holo¡¯s Shade before the valley tribes,¡± Aurelia noted.


    ¡°We¡¯re still several days away. You think we''ll make it on time?¡± Stryg asked with a trace of anxiety.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope,¡± she answered grimly.

 Chapter 472: A Brief Respite

    Chapter 472: A Brief Respite


    4 days before the New Moon¡­ 4 days before the siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    The early dawn was a busy time for the goblins of the Sylvan army. Already many of the warriors had awoken and begun their training drills, each following their respective captain¡¯s lead. The cooks had awoken two hours earlier and had already finished preparing breakfast.


    A short distance from the encampment, in a small clearing, stood Stryg alone. Well, not entirely alone. After getting chastised by Aurelia, Elayne, the captain of his honor guard, insisted that his guard follow him wherever he went. Even now, several of his honor guard had formed a loose perimeter around the clearing, keeping vigilant for any intruder.


    Stryg thought it all a little much, but everyone around him had insisted such protection was necessary. He supposed there was always the possibility of some beast wandering into the territory and attacking. Still, being out here among the scarlet trees of Vulture Woods, he felt at home.


    Drawing Krikolm from a makeshift sheathe he had asked one of the blacksmiths to procure for him, Stryg admired the red blade in the morning light for a few heartbeats. Twirling the sword in his grip he quickly fell into a training stance.


    He might have sparred with Tauri but she had recently been spending a lot of time speaking with the Sylvan generals and sharing information. She wanted to get a better understanding of their battle tactics along with preparing them with the layout of Hollow Shade¡¯s defenses so as to improve any chances they had of victory.


    Plum had been spending most of her time training in her own way; practicing her illusion spells with some of the shamans. Stryg had told her there was no need for her to fight and that she could simply stay in the backlines, but she had insisted on joining them in the fight. Stryg knew she wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, but he also knew that she was one of the bravest people he had met. Few would ever stand up against enemies they knew had no chance of winning against for the sake of protecting their friends.


    Strangely enough, his mother, Aurelia, had offered to train Plum, with what little time they had. Plum had been shocked into silent awe. An actual Ebon Lord training her was a dream, or so she had said. The way Aurelia had worked her to the bone every day made it seem a little different¡­ but Stryg refused to step into that situation.


    As the early morning passed, Stryg worked through the different bladework sets of the Gale Sword Style. He preferred solitary training if he was being honest. Ever since he was young he had gone off by himself and trained far from the judgemental eyes of his peers. Most Sylvan trained as a unit, learning to work and fight as a whole, thereby increasing one¡¯s own strength. Stryg had wanted to join such a group, he had dreamed of it growing up, but he had never quite fit in. The only person he had ever truly connected to in such a manner was Clypeus.


    But Cly was gone. Stryg forced himself to focus on his training, pushing such painful thoughts to the back of his mind. As he swung Krikolm around in familiar precise movements he fell into a sequence of footwork and sword strikes. Life energy flowed through his muscles and into the sword. A faint wind swirled around him, slowly building into a powerful gust. Scarlet leaves blew through the clearing, forming a small storm of leaves.


    Suddenly, Krikolm¡¯s scarlet blade glowed a faint red. Stryg halted in his movements. The gust died down and the leaves fell to the ground around him in a circle. His breath was short and he had worked up a light sweat. He stared at the scarlet blade. Its faint glow was dissipating. The sword felt warm in his hands. He wondered if this was how Krikolm was meant to be used.


    The Gale Style was originally created by Veres I and improved upon by his firstborn son, Aluin Gale. Ever since, each wielder of Krikolm had been trained in the Gale Sword Style. How strange that such a sword would now find its way into the hands of a goblin.


    Half-goblin, a part of Stryg¡¯s mind reminded him annoyingly.


    Before Krikolm the only sword that held any true value to him was Nameless, its broken shards sitting at the bottom of his satchel in his tent. The hilt and what was left of Nameless¡¯s blade rested on his hip even now. At this point, it was more of a dagger than anything, but he refused to let it go. In time he would have it reforged.


    When Stryg had found Krikolm he had simply thought of it as just an old rusty sword, a simple albeit very sharp sword. It would serve well enough until Nameless was reforged.


    Now, as he held the steel-white hilt, he was reminded of the heavyweight Krikolm carried. Bloodfang. A legacy of a thousand years. The blood of ancestors flowed through this blade, as did their hopes and dreams.


    Rise, Lord Veres, the words of his great-grandmother echoed in his mind. The day he had accepted this sword and its legacy, he had heard Stryga¡¯s voice clear in his ear, as if she was standing right behind him.


    The ancestors had lent Krikolm¡¯s strength to Stryg and aided him in his victory against the troll king of Grimstone. He would repay that debt, he would protect Callum and his family from the valley tribes.


    But he wondered to himself if he was strong enough to accept the Veres legacy. If he could carry on the wish of a Great House he knew so little of.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It doesn¡¯t matter, he told himself.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he was strong enough or not. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t feel as if he belonged to the Veres name. He wouldn¡¯t run away from this. He would carry on the Veres legacy that had been entrusted to him, he would protect the House of Veres, if only to honor the sacrifices of those who came before him.


    Stryg stared at Krikolm, his reflection in the scarlet blade. ¡°I¡¯ll protect our House, I swear it,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Speaking to your sword, hm?¡± The goddess of the moon stood at the edge of the forest with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Lunae, I-I mean, Mother Moon!¡± Stryg hurriedly bowed his head.


    The goddess was not the small girl he had met at the Silver Keep. She stood before him 4 meters tall in a long dark blue dress, her looming figure an imposing sight on any who laid eyes on her. Yet as Stryg peeked up from his bowing pose, he couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat at ease. Her long pale white hair and warm silver skin evoked a sense of familiarity within him that he couldn¡¯t quite place.


    She looked him up and down with her pale eyes. ¡°Stand up straight, there is no need for formalities. ¡®Lunae¡¯ will do just fine. Or simply ¡®Mother¡¯, if you prefer.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ are you sure?¡± he asked uncertainly.


    She walked over to where he stood and sat on the grass. ¡°I am.¡± She patted the grass next to her, ¡°Sit with me.¡±


    Stryg glanced around the treeline for his honor guard, but they were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°I sent them back to the encampment. I wanted us to speak in private,¡± Lunae answered his silent question.


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Stryg sheathed his sword and sat down a few paces away. He swallowed and tried his best not to appear awkward, though he kept glancing up at her.


    Sitting next to her, he realized how big the giant woman was. He felt small next to her, insignificant.


    ¡°Why are you sitting so far?¡± Lunae pulled him in close with a simple tug, ¡°There that¡¯s better.¡±


    Her scent filled his nostrils, she smelled like a peculiar flower he couldn¡¯t quite place. Fresh, but cold, like a frozen bouquet in the middle of winter. It was vaguely familiar, though he wasn¡¯t sure why. He closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders. The weariness that plagued his mind slowly seeped away.


    Lunae brushed her fingers through his pale white hair. ¡°May I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mother Mo¡ªI mean, Lunae,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°I wanted to know about your sword.¡±


    ¡°Krikolm?¡±


    ¡°I know of the Bloodfang, that blade has taken the lives of many goblins through the centuries.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Stryg swallowed.


    Lunae smiled softly. ¡°I meant your other sword.¡±


    ¡°Nameless?¡± Stryg drew the broken blade and stared at its metal pattern.


    ¡°Nameless? Does it have a name or¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I named it ¡®Nameless.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she whispered. ¡°We both know the significance of that word in Sylvan culture.¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    ¡°The blade is shattered. Yet you still carry it with you. Why?¡±


    ¡°The blade may be broken, but it is still sharp. It can cut through flesh and bone without much effort.¡±


    ¡°The Bloodfang is much sharper and unbroken. Why carry both blades? The Bloodfang is of obvious superior craftsmanship, so why hold on to this¡ª Nameless?¡±


    Stryg turned the broken sword over in his hand. ¡°Do you see the metal pattern worked into the blade?¡±


    Lunae glanced down. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Their markings from enchanted metal worked in the forge by a mage-smith. My sword master, Gian, tells me she is one of the best in the city. I didn¡¯t learn much about enchanting magic when I was in the academy, I much preferred the other side of brown magic, but I do remember a particular fact about working with enchanted metal.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A mage-smith spends dozens if not hundreds of hours imbuing their mana into a lump of metal and refining it over and over in order to create a single high quality enchanted ingot. Very high-quality metal is sought after by the best smiths in the land. Interestingly enough, no two lumps of enchanted metal are the same. Each has a distinct pattern, even after melted down, so long as the metal isn¡¯t mixed with any impurities.¡±


    Stryg stared at the broken blade. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this exact pattern before. Gian never said anything about it, but the moment I saw the blade I knew it looked familiar. It took me a while before I remembered where I saw the pattern.¡±


    He smiled bitterly, ¡°It was the same pattern in the pair of short swords a very close friend of mine once owned. Without telling me, Gian had the swords reforged into my own blade. So you see, no matter what happens, even if this sword grows dull, I¡¯m not letting it go. At least, not for now.¡±


    ¡°For now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m holding onto it for someone. I¡¯ll give Nameless to him when he is old enough to wield it. It is his birthright.¡±


    Lunae narrowed her eyes in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the baby you spoke of at the Silver Keep, Kamilo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Can you¡­ Can you see if he is alright?¡±


    ¡°My powers are weakened during the day, particularly weaker the closer we draw closer to the new moon. But yes, I can see him even now, he is sleeping in his crib.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s good,¡± Stryg smiled. ¡°And the enemy? Are they near?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot see Caligo or his armies. He has hidden them from my sight.¡±


    ¡°Is Hollow Shade safe?¡± he asked, worry clear in his voice.


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°We have to hurry,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°We will.¡±


    ~~~


    The New Moon¡­ Dusk Valley¡­ Holo¡¯s Shade¡­


    Caligo stared at the western wall of Hollow Shade. The wall swirled with black mana as shades emerged from the magestone and flew around the city in a protective perimeter.


    ¡°My lord, we are ready,¡± said the vampire Sylaril, chieftain of the prominent Adder Tribe.


    Caligo glanced back at the thousands of archers waiting, bows and arrows in hand. Further back, a line of trebuchets stood, each one was loaded and ready to fire.


    His lips curled in a slight smile, ¡°Prepare to fire.¡±

 Chapter 473: The Shade Wall Part 1

    Chapter 473: The Shade Wall Part 1


    ¡­The New Moon¡­Hollow Shade¡­ The Western Wall¡­


    The last rays of sunlight trickled down the horizon like raindrops on a window. The orange hues of the sky faded away and gave into the darker blue hues of the evening sky. Grey clouds soared above Dusk Valley, obscuring the stars. The silver light of the moon was gone, nowhere to be seen on its night of cyclical rebirth. The only light that could be seen was from the magestone lamps hanging on the wall¡¯s battlements and the torches that covered the grasslands outside the city limits, like a swarm of fireflies.


    The armies of the valley tribes had slowly encircled the entire city after the attack on the docks. Most of the armies¡¯ forces stayed on the south-west side of the city, but even the less defended eastern wall faced several thousand warriors.


    Hollow Shade¡¯s War Master, Lord Krall Katag, stood atop the western wall, where the enemy forces seemed greatest. He was a giant of an orc, many had confused him for a dire. His rippling muscles could be seen in the cracks of his armor and his large war hammer rested on the battlement next to him. Yet for all his imposing appearance, his grim expression gave little comfort to the soldiers under his command.


    Krall turned to their city¡¯s mysterious patron, a young woman in appearance, short stature, long dark curls, and warm brown skin. Her olive eyes glanced up at him expectantly.


    ¡°You said Marek had 20,000 men under his command.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Holo replied.


    ¡°The latest reports count closer to 25,000 savages out there,¡± Krall growled.


    ¡°How many soldiers are under your command, War Master?¡±


    ¡°Counting the untrained conscripts? About 13,000. Actual soldiers who will listen to commands and not break under pressure, about 8,000. ¡­They outnumber us almost 2 to 1.¡±


    Holo leaned over the wall and stared at the shades swimming around the city, a moat of magical souls. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    Lord Elzri Noir walked over to the duo, dressed in a white cloak and armor. ¡°The shades keep the soldiers from rushing our gates, but what is to stop their trebuchets?¡±


    Holo stared out at the grasslands, her eyes focused on the god standing amidst the valley armies. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­The Southern Wall¡­


    The orphans of the Cinder Brood tribe hurried to stand at attention as the Southern Bulwark Commander walked across the battlements, inspecting his soldiers with his infamous perpetual scowl. Fergus Stonehand was a legend among the barracks. Many of his escapades had been recounted in the taverns to hushed rapt attention. Where most drows were tall and lithe, Fergus stood a head taller and twice as wide. Even the likes of Krall Katag seemed short in comparison.


    There were whispers of frost giant blood running through his veins, though no one seemed quite certain, but as Fergus walked past Melfyn, there was no doubt in his mind. The goblin teen craned his neck up just to catch a glimpse of the drow¡¯s cold eyes underneath his helm. For a moment their eyes met and Melfyn felt a chill run down his spine.


    The Bulwark Commander¡¯s right-hand, Captain Talia, walked behind him, and glared at Melfyn and his friends. Melfyn quickly straightened his back and saluted as best he could to the vampiress. Talia had allowed a place for the Cinder Brood here only so long as they followed orders.


    Children had no place on the front lines, she had told them.


    Melfyn was eager to prove her wrong. He kept eye contact with Talia as she walked past, only breaking when she had moved on.


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you want us to get kicked off the wall?¡± Sandra elbowed him in the ribs.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Melfyn flinched. He glanced at his fellow goblin and tried his best to hiss like his idol had done on many occasions.


    Sandra hissed back, her teeth bare. Hers seemed much more accurate. ¡°Do you want to attract attention? Captain Talia will kick us off the wall if we so much as sneeze wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I refuse to show weakness,¡± Melfyn said.


    ¡°No, Sandra¡¯s right, best not to antagonize our superiors,¡± Jack nodded. Unlike most of the Cinder Brood tribe, he was a human. He was only 15, but he was already taller than most humans, albeit lanky. Where Sandra was Melfyn¡¯s right-hand and greatest warrior, Jack was his left-hand and the voice of reason within the tribe.


    ¡°We already have enough problems as it is,¡± Jack said as he looked pointedly around at the lines of soldiers on both sides. Most were drows, some orcs, and vampires as well, few were human, and none besides the Cinder Brood were goblins.


    Lord Bulwark Commander Stonehand suddenly stopped and raised his hand. Captain Talia grabbed the horn hanging at her side and placed it on her lips. With a deep breath, she blew the horn and it resounded across the wall.


    Soldiers in service to noble Houses grabbed their lords¡¯ banners and held them aloft before placing them in the sockets found in the lower spaces between the merlons of the battlements.


    ¡°It¡¯s a show of strength,¡± Melfyn mumbled in realization.


    The goblins of his tribe glanced at him expectantly.


    ¡°O-Oh! Right!¡± Melfyn nodded.


    Jack and he hurriedly grabbed the banner Witt had stitched for them, lifted and placed it on the flag socket in front of their station. The banner of Cinder Brood, a black flag with a sapphire burning like the sun behind the full silver moon, stood proud on the shade wall. The orphans couldn¡¯t help but smile with pride at the small but certain reminder that they were here, they existed, even among the giants of Hollow Shade.


    ¡°What are you kids doing?¡± Rorik groaned as he walked over.


    ¡°Captain Polamtal!¡± Melfyn stood up straight and saluted. He recognized the drow captain from his district. He had seen Rorik drink with Stryg on many occasions at the Merry Crescent tavern. It was largely thanks to Rorik that Talia had even allowed them to stay on the wall.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°What are you guys doing with that flag?¡± Rorik furrowed his brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s our banner, sir,¡± Melfyn answered proudly.


    Rorik sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have a banner, you don¡¯t belong to a House.¡±


    Melfyn glanced at his friend uncertainly. ¡°But, sir¡ª¡±


    ¡°Only noble Houses are allowed to display their banners on the wall. You need to take that down before Talia sees it,¡± Rorik explained.


    Sandra stepped forward, ¡°But, our friend, he worked really hard to make it and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Rorik said firmly.


    ¡°So you can wave your House¡¯s banner around all you want but we can¡¯t!?¡± Sandra hissed.


    ¡°Look out there!¡± Rorik pointed at the sea of torches in the darkness of the valley. ¡°That¡¯s our enemy. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. Not to play around or show off. Now take the banner down before you all get in trouble.¡±


    Melfyn bowed his head begrudgingly. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    ¡°Mel, you can¡¯t¡ª!¡± Sandra cried out.


    ¡°Do it, Jack,¡± Melfyn said quietly.


    Jack nodded grimly. He took down the banner and placed it by their feet, at the bottom edge of the battlement.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys,¡± Rorik sighed and walked back to his men, a few dozen meters away.


    Sandra bit her lip and clenched her fists, tears in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Fuck that guy,¡± said one of the goblin orphans.


    ¡°When Master Stryg gets back I¡¯m going to tell him Rorik is an ass!¡± said another.


    Melfyn shook his head. ¡°No. Rorik is right¡­ This isn¡¯t a game. We aren¡¯t here to play.¡± He turned to the sea of enemies in the darkness. ¡°We don¡¯t need a banner to remind us who we are¡­ Do we, Sandra?¡±


    She sniffed and shrugged weakly.


    ¡°Sandra,¡± he said. ¡°Who are we?¡±


    She wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re the Cinder Brood,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Who. Are. We?¡± he repeated.


    Sandra looked at Mel and the strength in her yellow eyes returned, more fiercely than ever. ¡°We are the Cinder Brood,¡± she said resolutely.


    ¡°We are the Cinder Brood,¡± the others chimed in.


    ¡°We are Lunisian.¡±


    ¡°And we are strong.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Dusk Valley¡­ Hollow Shade¡¯s outskirts¡­


    Caligo stared at the western wall of Hollow Shade. The wall swirled with black mana as shades emerged from the magestone and flew around the city in a protective perimeter.


    ¡°My lord, we are ready,¡± said the vampire Sylaril, chieftain of the prominent Adder Tribe.


    Caligo glanced back at the thousands of archers waiting, bows and arrows in hand. Further back, a line of trebuchets stood, each one was loaded and ready to fire.


    His lips curled in a slight smile, ¡°Prepare to fire.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± Sylaril bowed and turned to leave.


    ¡°Only the archers,¡± he added.


    Sylaril frowned in confusion. ¡°My lord?¡±


    ¡°The city¡¯s defenses are greater than they seem.¡±


    ¡°My lord? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Nokti stepped forward and glared at the Adder chieftain. ¡°Since when was it your duty to understand our lord¡¯s will?¡±


    Sylaril frowned at the other vampiress for a moment then smoothed over her features. ¡°Of course, my mistake.¡± She walked over to the archers and raised her golden scepter high, ¡°NOCK!¡±


    At once, the hoard of archers drew arrows from their quivers.


    ¡°LIGHT!¡±


    The archers lit the tips of their arrows with the standing torches next to them.


    ¡°DRAW!¡±


    The archers placed their arrows on their bowstrings and pulled them back. They raised their bows and pointed at the City of Shades.


    Sylaril glanced at Caligo for one last confirmation. He inclined his head.


    ¡°FIRE!¡± Sylaril screamed.


    The sound of thousands of strings letting loose echoed through the grasslands.


    ~~~


    Melfyn¡¯s eyes widened in fear as he saw the thousands of orange lights soar into the night sky. Terrified cries rang out among the hundreds of soldiers as many crouched and took cover behind the battlements. Melfyn stood frozen as the hail of fire disappeared into the clouds, lighting them up in an instant, before falling back down.


    ¡°Mel!¡± Sandra yanked him downwards.


    At the center of the city, runes flared to life all over the Ebon Tower. Purple lightning crackled over both split sides of the black obelisk and met at the top in an explosion of power. Waves of purple energy echoed outwards and formed a transparent dome over the entire city.


    Thousands of flaming arrows crashed into the swirling dome, breaking harmlessly away in crackles of violet energy.


    ~~~


    Elzri Noir stared up at the faint violet dome in awe. ¡°So this is the Tower¡¯s power of legend¡­ The sheer vastness of such a spell¡­ how is this possible?¡±


    Holo¡¯s lips curled in a smirk.


    Krall Katag laughed a deep bellow. ¡°Ha! With this, they stand no chance! Lady Holo, can our own attacks cross through the dome?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Any projectile from within the wall¡¯s limits can penetrate the dome without damaging its integrity.¡±


    Krall¡¯s smile widened. He spun around and turned to his Bulwark Commander. ¡°Prepare to fire!¡±


    ~~~


    Nokti stared in horror at the massive dome and the looming Ebon Tower flaring with power. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± she muttered.


    Thousands of soldiers broke out into worried whispers, glancing at each other with fear in their eyes.


    ¡°I knew it, the might of Hollow Shade is too great.¡± Sylaril took a trembling step back and glanced at Caligo. ¡°My lord, what do we do!?¡±


    ¡°We wait,¡± he replied calmly.


    Lin-Lu poked her head out from underneath the cowl of his cloak and looked upon the magical dome. ¡°It¡¯s been almost 300 years since we last saw that damned spell array,¡± she growled.


    Caligo placed his cheek on the fox¡¯s head and whispered into her ear, ¡°This time things are different.¡±


    The cracking sound of trebuchets atop the wall resounded through the air even from this distance. Giant burning rocks hurled through the air, each designed to shatter on impact in a storm of fiery shrapnel.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Lin-Lu buried herself back underneath his cowl.


    Caligo stepped forward onto the air, as if walking on invisible steps, and climbed above the army.


    Nokti saw her lord rising into the sky and she felt a fire of zeal burn within her. She shook off her fear and cried out in a steely voice. ¡°HOLD THE LINE!¡± Yellow mana filled her voice and carried it across the wind with a spell.


    The cowering troops still stumbled back on each other, but her voice shocked them awake from their hysteria.


    Caligo stared at the dozens of flaming comets hurling in the sky and he raised his arms high. With a low growl, his outstretched hands flexed, mana pouring through his veins. A wave of unseen energy rippled through the air and shattered the projectiles mid-air. The giant stones exploded in hundreds of flaming shards and fell into the grasslands between the dome and the frontlines of the valley armies.


    The valley tribe men and women screamed in triumph and raised their weapons to Caligo. He floated down slowly, his black feather cloak billowing in the wind. He landed with a soft step.


    ¡°The God of the Deep Earth lives up to her name,¡± Lin Lu whispered delightedly.


    ¡°It still won¡¯t be enough to break through the Ebon Tower¡¯s barrier,¡± Caligo said quietly.


    ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    Caligo glanced to the back of his army, where giant wagons, each pulled by dozens of centaurs, carried massive cages covered in leather canopies. ¡°The world has forgotten the dragonbanes. The mortals have forgotten what fear truly is. It¡¯s time we remind them.¡±

 Chapter 474: The Shade Wall Part 2

    Chapter 474: The Shade Wall Part 2


    ¡­The New Moon¡­ Dusk Valley¡­ Hollow Shade¡¯s outskirts¡­


    Caligo glanced to the back of his army, where giant wagons, each pulled by dozens of centaurs, carried massive cages covered in leather canopies. ¡°The world has forgotten the dragonbane. The mortals have forgotten what fear truly is. It¡¯s time we remind them.¡±


    With but a single ancient word, he bade the children of Unildyr to awaken. The cages began to shake uncontrollably and the wagons broke underneath the weight. A deep grumble like an ancient deity¡¯s roar echoed outwards. The centaurs tried to run in terror, but their chains held them in place.


    Sharp black claws tore through one of the leather canopies and a large pale hand jutted out. With a powerful rumble, the dragonbane ripped through the metal cage and leather canopy like twigs snapping underneath its feet. The beast emerged from the shattered wagon and walked out on all fours.


    Even hunched over the dragonbane stood thrice as tall as the centaurs. His leathery wings were folded against his wide back. His sleek hide was semi-translucent, revealing the grey muscles underneath, only to grow more opaque at the joints. A long tail swayed low to the ground, black spikes on the end dragging across the dirt.


    Two sets of black horns protruded from his skull, one set far larger than the other. Rows of needle-like black teeth peeked out from his partly open mouth. His eyes were jet-black eyes orbs, there were no white sclera, pupils, nor irises, only darkness, and yet as he slowly turned his head, the soldiers had a disturbing feeling the creature was looking at them, peering into them, as if their vulnerable souls were laid bare in front of a hungry monsters.


    The other wagons abruptly ripped open and over a dozen more dragonbanes emerged. The centaurs, free from the broken wagons¡¯ shackles, ran for their lives. The dragonbanes¡¯ tails lashed out like the crack of a whip and ripped them apart, their black spikes tearing through the soft flesh. In the blink of an eye, the ground was soaked with blood and viscera.


    The soldiers stumbled backward and cried out in fear at the horrid sight. Caligo smiled warmly. His voice suddenly changed intonations and he spoke in an otherworldly language. The dragonbanes stopped their feeding and lumbered over, each heavy step shaking the ground underneath.


    One dragonbane, almost twice as large as the rest, pushed forward and stopped in front of Caligo. Though the beast had never met its creator, it recognized Unildyr¡¯s heir nonetheless. The dragonbane lowered its head in fealty.


    ¡°Hello, Vorphyrux,¡± Caligo spoke in the tongue of the void. He placed his hand on the beast¡¯s snout and leaned close. ¡°The time has finally come. You need not feed on these scraps. You may gorge yourselves on a feast like no other. Thousands of souls cursed and sealed into the magestone wall are yours for the taking, as are the countless more that hide behind those walls.¡±


    Vorphyrux grumbled in a mixture of excitement and rage.


    Caligo¡¯s smile widened. Unlike the others, so full of hunger, Vorphyrux had been born with a trace more of its creator¡¯s essence. Far more powerful than its siblings and with a shadow of hatred that stretched beyond its conception, Vorphyrux carried its creator¡¯s disdain for these people, for this chromatic blight.


    Caligo placed his head on its snout and whispered, ¡°It is time. Destroy them. Destroy them all.¡±


    Vorphyrux pulled back, its thick corded muscles rippling with each movement. Its wings unfurled, black spikes at their tips, and stretched to their full span. Its 15 siblings followed suit and with a mighty beat of their wings, shot up into the sky like a raging storm.


    ~~~


    Hollow Shade¡­ The Western Wall¡­


    From the safety of the Ebon Tower¡¯s dome and the shade walls, War Master, Krall Katag, and the other commanders watched in tense anticipation as their trebuchets fired in a simultaneous wave of flames. As the fiery boulders hurled through the air, Caligo took to the sky and destroyed them with but a wave of his hands and a pulse of power.


    ¡°How can we fight against that sort of magic?¡± muttered one of Krall¡¯s sons.


    Krall glared at him with silent anger, shaming his son into silence.


    ¡°Your boy is right,¡± Elzri Noir noted. ¡°Our trebuchets are useless if we cannot deal with that man.¡±


    ¡°We cannot kill him, he is not a man, he is a god.¡± Krall turned to Holo, ¡°Or is that not what you said?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re both right,¡± Holo said grimly. ¡°Fortunately, you both are somewhat wrong too.¡±


    Elzri furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Caligo may be the God of the Deep Earth, but he is not all-powerful,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Are you saying we can kill him?¡± Krall said with a trace of hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying even he cannot stop our trebuchet volleys forever. Our goal is to weaken him. Continue the trebuchet fire and do not stop. And have Bulwark Commander Stonehand fire his trebuchets from the southern wall as well. Focus all the attacks on the foremost section of enemy soldiers. Force Caligo to spend his mana defending them.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Krall nodded in understanding and turned to one of his messengers. ¡°You heard her, inform Commander Stonehand.¡±


    ¡°Right away, my lord!¡± The messenger sprinted off.


    ¡°Load the trebuchets, prepare to fire!¡± Krall shouted.


    A deep roar echoed outward from the enemy lines. Faint silhouettes took to the night sky and disappeared in the clouds.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Elzri asked.


    Holo narrowed her eyes. ¡°The dragonbane.¡±


    Krall didn¡¯t waste a moment. ¡°Archers!¡±


    The hundreds of archers standing on the battlements pulled their bows back and aimed towards the sky. They squinted and tried their best to spot the beasts, but it was too dark. The wind howled in the hushed silence of the battlements. The archers could hear their own heartbeats thrumming in their ears. They swallowed nervously and tried their best to keep their hands steady.


    A sudden roar broke through the sky above and the dragonbane descended from the clouds like dark comets. The air bent around them in a chaotic swirl, forming a squall of void energy. The soldiers on the wall cried out in horror.


    ¡°FIRE!¡± Krall¡¯s scream broke through the panic.


    The archers released their arrows in a concentrated volley. The hail of arrows crashed into the swirling void storm, many were caught in the winds and broken. Few arrows found their marks. The steel arrowheads were blunted against the dragonbanes¡¯ hide and their shafts shattered, none able to draw a scratch, let alone blood.


    The dragonbane roared in anger and fell down on the dome and the wall. The dome flared with purple light as the void energy crashed into it, sending cracks all across the dome. The dragonbanes¡¯ claws and spiked tails slashed at the dome with a furious fervor. The Ebon Tower¡¯s ghostly light flared brightly and the cracks began to repair themselves quicker than the monsters could make them.


    A horrid shriek pierced the battlements. Like an all-encompassing tidal wave, an army of shades rose from the wall and swept the dragonbanes away. The dragonbanes roared in defiance, but the sheer overwhelming thousands of cursed souls swallowed them whole in a black swarm.


    The shades tried to bury themselves into the beasts as they had to their victims countless times before, but they found themselves unable to bury past the dragonbanes¡¯ translucent hide. The shades¡¯ ethereal forms crashed into the void beasts¡¯ hide, combusting into flares of black energy as the beasts broke down their very essence. Yet the void monsters howled in pain as the shades burned their bodies.


    Hundreds of shades crashed into them, combusted in an explosion of black energy, and fizzled away. Each explosion burned at their skin, faster than the void beasts could regenerate.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Elzri muttered.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Holo yelled triumphantly. ¡°The dragonbanes aren¡¯t entirely immune to chromatic magic! Their resistances are extraordinary but against thousands of shades even their bodies are overwhelmed!¡±


    ¡°But our shades are dying by the hundreds each second,¡± Elzri said worriedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s Caligo¡¯s plan,¡± said Holo in realization. ¡°He wants us to expend all our shades on those monsters so that he can draw close to the wall.¡±


    ¡°We have to do something!¡± Krall interjected.


    ¡°Mundane weapons seem useless against them,¡± Elzri noted. ¡°And I can¡¯t attack the dragonbanes from here without destroying countless shades in the process.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Holo slowly smiled. ¡°Caligo thinks he has won, but he underestimated our city¡¯s lust for death. He has no idea how many souls have truly been sacrificed to the wall over the last three centuries.¡± She raised her hand and a black sigil flared to life in her palm.


    The wall vibrated underneath them and thousands of more shades suddenly emerged from the wall. They shrieked in pain from their awakening and flew straight to the cloud of shades swarming the dragonbanes.


    The explosions had burned through the dragonbanes¡¯ hide and had begun eating at their muscles. The once terrifying creatures were left massive charred husks. Their wings ripped apart with scorched holes.


    Vorphyrux curled into a fetal position, trying its best to weather the infernal storm eating away at its body. As the shades exploded apart all around it, tearing at its flesh, its pitch-black eyes began to glow with an inner light. Vorphyrux¡¯s blackened charred flesh peeled off and new grey strands of muscle fibers formed.


    The shades shrieked angrily and attacked more relentlessly, but the wounds began to heal more quickly than they could harm. The glow within Vorphyrux¡¯s eyes brightened until its eyes burned with searing light. The shades'' dying explosions seared less and less until their dying efforts burned harmlessly on Vorphyrux¡¯s flesh. Soon, the other dragonbanes began to exhibit similar results.


    ¡°What¡­ what are they doing¡­?¡± Holo whispered. ¡°The dragonbanes aren¡¯t dying? They''re growing stronger¡­? No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°The dragonbanes aren¡¯t resistant to chromatic mana, they feed off it! They¡¯re feeding off the shades¡¯ souls! They¡¯re growing stronger!¡±


    Holo used the sigil in her palm to draw the shades away, but it was too late. The shades were in a hunger frenzy and nothing would stop them from trying to consume their prey. Thousands of shades fell apart as the dragonbanes consumed their souls and still, the few hundred remaining kept attacking futilely.


    The dragonbanes flew in the middle of the shade swarm unharmed. They opened their wings wide and took a deep breath. Their rib cages swelled and the air grew cold. The soldiers on the battlements fell to their knees and even Elzri and Krall began to feel lightheaded.


    ¡°My mana¡­¡± Elzri stared at his trembling hand. ¡°It¡¯s being drained¡­¡±


    The shades screamed in pain and their swarm broke apart in hysteria. Vorphyrux met Holo¡¯s gaze and it pulled its short snout back in a snarl, sharpened black teeth glistening in the darkness. The dragonbanes¡¯ rib cages swelled even more until their bodies were almost twice as large. They opened their mouths and a burning white light surfaced from the back of their throats. Black streaks swirled around the light as it grew until the light was blinding.


    ¡°TAKE COVER!!¡± Holo shouted and pulled Elzri and Krall to the ground.


    Vorphyrux roared and the void flame burst from his mouth in a whirling pillar of black and white. Incinerating any shades in its path and crashing into the city¡¯s dome. The Ebon Tower¡¯s sigils flared and the dome¡¯s violet hue grew deeper around the void flames.


    The other dragonbanes roared in unison and their void flames erupted in a swirling pattern of pillars. The black and white flames formed around Vorphyrux¡¯s flames and battered down on the dome.


    The Ebon Tower¡¯s sigils flared brightly and the dome shook uncontrollably. Its dark violet hues were overwhelmed by the brightness of the flames and the dome shattered in a burst of echoing energy. The pillars of void fire slammed into the shade wall. Void mana surged into the magestone, fracturing it and sending thousands of splinters throughout the stone. The void flames scorched the magestone and the section of the wall fell apart in a molten mass; sending all the soldiers standing above it to their deaths. They screamed in terror as they were consumed by the flames or their bodies devoured by the molten stone.


    The Ebon Tower¡¯s light faded away. The thousand or so remaining shades screeched in agony and dissipated into wisps of smoke as their vessel, the wall itself, was broken. As the wall¡¯s enchantments fell apart, the black mana swirling within seeped away into the air, leaving the shade wall a frosty-translucent white.


    Holo stared in disbelief at the destroyed section of the wall, now a waterfall of molten magestone. She tried to stand but she fell to her knees. A tear slipped down her cheek. ¡°The shade wall¡­ has fallen.¡±


    The dragonbanes, the glow in their eyes now but a small glimmer, hungrily turned to the remaining soldiers on the battlements.

 Chapter 475: Siege Part 1

    Chapter 475: Siege Part 1


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ The Western Wall¡­


    In the darkness of the new moon, an entire segment of the shade wall glowed bright hot. The molten magestone sunk into itself and flowed down. The lava flowed into the city and outwards into the grasslands of the valley. The spells of the shade wall had fallen apart and the once ebon-black magestone was now a frosty-translucent white. Where once stood an imposing section of the shade wall, now only a magma gate remained, beckoning the enemy to invade.


    The screams of terrified soldiers were drowned out by the deafening roars of the dragonbane flying above. The void beasts swooped down and snatched up half-a-dozen soldiers in each clawed hand. Their spiked tails swiped across the battlements, impaling dozens of soldiers and sending even more careening off the wall to their deaths.


    Mages hurled spells and archers shot their arrows at the dragonbanes, only for the projectiles to glance harmlessly off their thick hide. Captains and Bulwark Commanders all across the Western, Northern, and Southern walls ordered their trebuchets to fire, but the dragonbanes were too fast for any boulder to hit.


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade outskirts¡­ the grasslands¡­


    Caligo watched with silent satisfaction as the black mana faded from the shade wall and left it pale, defenseless. The roaming shades screamed out with a shrill cry one last time and crumbled away. His dragonbanes hungrily flew around the new ¡®molten gate,¡¯ picking off the soldiers.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Lin Lu whispered from his shoulder. ¡°Our dream is coming true.¡±


    ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± Caligo replied. He turned to Sylaril, chieftain of the Adder tribe. ¡°Prepare to fire the trebuchets and load the jade orbs.¡±


    ¡°Right away, my lord,¡± Sylaril bowed.


    ¡°Nokti,¡± Caligo called out.


    The vampiress hurried over to his side. Jade-colored war paint streaked across her brown skin, the color of her god. ¡°Yes, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Rally the 1st and 2nd divisions and march to our freshly made ¡®gate.¡¯ The molten magestone will cool off by the time you arrive.¡±


    Nokti nodded. ¡°And once we¡¯re inside the city? Do you wish us to head straight to the Villa District and cut down the nobility cowering in their homes?¡±


    ¡°No, that was Marek¡¯s wish, his drive is simple. There will be time for revenge later. I want you to prioritize the barracks situated next to the walls, they are the main support for the soldiers on the wall¡¯s battlements. Once you¡¯ve eliminated those, head to the medical encampment, they should be settled behind the northern wall.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± Nokti bowed, then mounted her centaur and galloped away.


    Caligo closed his eyes and focused on the dragonbanes flying above the city. ¡°Vorphyrux,¡± he whispered in the void tongue. ¡°Gather your brothers and sisters and strike down the defenses across the entirety of the wall. Destroy their trebuchets and devour their archers. For once, do not hold back, sate your hunger to its fullest.¡±


    A sense of understanding burned bright through their connection.


    Caligo shifted his focus to two other dragonbanes. ¡°Lyrak. Oshnyr. Kill all the survivors at the molten gate. Leave an open path for our armies.¡±


    ~~~


    Ophelia Thorn laughed with glee at the sight of the wall¡¯s destruction. ¡°Your time has come, Hollow Shade! You traitorous bastards will all be devoured by our master¡¯s monsters!¡±


    Marek Helene dispassionately glanced at his wife. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ophelia frowned. ¡°Are you an idiot? Hollow Shade will fall tonight. My enemies, our enemies, are going to die. This is the moment of triumph you¡¯ve always dreamed of. Your aunt is dead, slain by your own hands, and the rest of her family will be dead soon. And yet there you stand, like a petulant child angry he didn¡¯t get a pie for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Caligo told me he was going to kill every adult in my tribe because I disobeyed him at the parley,¡± Marek said grimly.


    ¡°The price we pay for our disobedience,¡± she muttered with a wry smile while tracing her finger over her eyepatch.


    Marek glared at her, ¡°Tell me, when you think of ruling over Hollow Shade, do you see yourself ruling above the corpses of your enemies or the ashes of the entire city?¡±


    Ophelia narrowed her eye. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Your family were the Royal House of Hollow Shade until they were betrayed and ousted by the very nobles who once swore loyalty to your ancestors. I imagine you dreamed of yourself striding back into this city as a conqueror, but do you think there will be anything left to rule when Caligo is done with this place?¡±


    ¡°He will not raze the city to the ground,¡± she said calmly.


    ¡°What makes you so certain?¡±


    ¡°Our master promised us the ruling seats of power in this city, his voice in the Ebon Realm. Unlike every single other being in the Null Realms, Caligo actually keeps his promises.¡±


    ¡°You still believe him? After all this time? After what he did to you!? You¡¯re a drow, you still have one good eye. Tell me, what do you see in the darkness of the night? Look at those things!¡± Marek pointed at dragonbane flying above the wall. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll just stop because we want them to? I¡¯ve seen what they can do. I know how this ends and I think you do too.¡±


    ¡°You may resent our master, but I know him better than you. Caligo may be cruel, heartless even, but he is just. He promised us the city and he will keep it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but in what capacity? You fancy yourself a powerful queen, but all I see is a slave to her master¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Throwing a tantrum now, are we, boy?¡± She smirked, ¡°If I am a slave then you are no better, Dusk King.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Marek looked her in the eyes, ¡°Do you know what the difference between us is? You think once we accomplish Caligo¡¯s orders he will give us our reward. You believe that you¡¯ll be able to live out this life of a queen to your heart¡¯s content. But I know the truth.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that, my dear foolish husband?¡±


    ¡°That we gave up our lives the moment we made a deal with that monster. You and I, we¡¯re just puppets being pulled on the strings of Caligo¡¯s whims. You¡¯re just too greedy to see it.¡±


    Ophelia pulled him down by the scruff of his shirt, leaned forward, and whispered into his ear. ¡°I¡¯d rather be a royal puppet to a god than live and die as a dog in the mud. We are not irreplaceable. One false step, and he¡¯ll find another to do his bidding.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Marek stepped back and walked away.


    ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± she called out.


    ¡°My aunt may be dead, but the rest of her vile offspring are still cowering safely away in the cursed city.¡±


    ¡°The dragonbanes will finish off your House and the other traitorous nobles, I assure you. We need simply wait. Tomorrow you will rise as king of all these lands.¡±


    ¡°Then tonight I will finish this by my own hands, not by the aid of a god and his beasts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather risk your life on the frontlines because some tribe mongrels are going to die anyway? Are you mad? You¡¯re a king!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be a dog who fights and dies in the mud beside his tribe. If you¡¯ll excuse me, my dear wife,¡± he said coldly and left.


    ~~~


    Sylaril raised her arm and let it fall with a stony expression. As soon as her hand fell to her side, the line of trebuchets fired, hurling jade-green boulders into the night sky. The boulders disappeared in the darkness of the new moon.


    Families huddled together in their small houses in the Commoner District, praying to the ebon gods that the battle would not reach their homes. Jade boulders crashed into the district, falling into homes, shops, and streets alike. Wood and stone shattered on impact, sending shrapnel careening throughout the area. Clouds of dust rose around the craters and faint cries echoed in the night.


    The residents whose homes were hit were killed before they had a chance to scream. The remnants of their homes had flown outwards and crashed into the surrounding houses, causing the old structures to fall on top of the families inside.


    In a matter of seconds, the Commoner District had fallen into chaos. What lamps and candles had been within people¡¯s houses had been snuffed out. Survivors stumbled out of their homes, bruised, bleeding, and with broken limbs. They cried out for help, but most of the usual patrolling guards had been sent to the wall¡¯s defense.


    A second volley of boulders suddenly fell down, shaking the ground, and sending wreckage flying. Bits of sharp wood pierced men, women, and children trying to flee the area. As the second volley crashed down, the first jade boulders began to shake.


    In one small shattered home, Shirleen, a goblin woman cried out for help from underneath a fallen beam. A boulder had crashed into her neighbor¡¯s home, but the exploding wreckage had destroyed her old wooden house.


    Though there was little light, the woman could feel blood dripping from her forehead and the warm liquid pooling underneath her shirt. Sophi, her little girl screamed and cried beside her.


    Shirleen glanced around, searching for her husband. She spotted a disfigured hand hanging lifeless from beneath the rubble. Its green skin had been torn off, leaving broken bones and little muscle in plain sight.


    A pain like no other welled inside Shirleen¡¯s throat and she cried a hollow wretched sound.


    ¡°Mommy! Daddy!¡± her little girl cried over and over.


    Shirleen looked around and shouted for help. One of her other neighbors, a human family, emerged from their home, relatively unscathed. Hope blossomed in her chest. ¡°Help! Over here! Please help us!¡± she called out desperately.


    The neighbors turned to her voice and saw her underneath the wreckage of her broken house. The wife gasped in horror and their teenage son rushed to help. But the husband grabbed his son and pulled his family away towards the direction of the Trade District, as far from here as possible.


    ¡°No¡­ no, no, NO!¡± Shirleen screamed helplessly.


    She watched as a few survivors ran past, none even noticing her cries or the cries of others echoing in the air.


    The hope in her chest was smothered out by a heavy despair. This was it. No one was going to come. Many had died in the attack and the ones that had made it were running. No one would stop for a goblin and her child.


    She was going to die. Without ever making up with her eldest daughter. Without looking into Karen¡¯s eyes and telling her she was proud of the woman she had become.


    ¡°Help!¡± Sophi cried out.


    Shirleen looked down at her little girl and the pain and hopelessness from that night three years ago flooded into her mind. A gang had kidnapped the two of them. Shirleen had watched helplessly as one of the thugs had beaten her daughter for crying too loudly. That was all she could do, watch, as Sophi was almost killed.


    A different feeling suddenly swelled within Shirleen¡¯s chest.


    Not pain, nor despair, or hope. Something deeper, something that bared the rest of her emotions and pushed them aside.


    Shirleen smiled shakily. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Mommy¡­?¡± Sophi mumbled through her tears.


    Shirleen breathed in deeply, over and over, each breath faster than the last. She gripped the wooden beam with both hands. She planted her feet on the ground as best she could and pushed against the beam with a grunt. Blood flowed down her hands. Pain shot through her arms and legs. The wood beam didn¡¯t budge.


    Still, she pushed, her voice breaking with every breath. She pushed her shoulders against the beam and dug her feet deeper into the ground, pushing with every ounce of strength in her body. Her head bowed, she closed her eyes and prayed to the gods, any god who would listen, for help.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Sophi cried out worriedly.


    Shirleen opened her eyes and saw the fear in her daughter¡¯s yellow eyes. She stared at her daughter and clenched her teeth tightly. Shirleen gripped the beam tightly until splinters dug into her skin. She roared a primal scream and pushed against the beam. The wood creaked. Pain blinded the edges of her vision, her limbs burned with exhaustion, but she held her daughter¡¯s gaze and pushed.


    A sharp agonizing pain stabbed into her back, but Shirleen screamed in defiance, her trembling arms unyielding. The stones shifted and the beam slid over and off them. Her arms fell to her sides and she crumbled to the ground in exhaustion.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Sophi crawled towards her and held Shirleen¡¯s hand between her two smaller hands.


    Shirleen smiled weakly, ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°H-How, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Mommy is okay, don¡¯t worry about me¡­ Sweetie, I need you to go find your sister.¡±


    ¡°Karen?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at the temple. Can you find your way there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Sophi nodded.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Shirleen mumbled, her voice trailing off.


    ¡°Mommy? Mommy, wake up!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t move¡­ my body won¡¯t listen to me¡­ I need you to go, sweetie. Find your sister¡­¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave you¡ª!¡±


    The jade boulder at the neighbor¡¯s ruined house began to shake. Like an egg it cracked open and a stone arm broke free. A thick-limbed creature made of chiseled stone emerged from the jade boulder and marched out of the wreckage. Strange sigils covered its body and two green magestones sat where its eyes would have been.


    The golem slowly turned to the sound of the little girl¡¯s crying and began shuffling towards them.


    Shirleen opened her eyes wide in panic. ¡°Sophi, you need to run, now!¡±


    ¡°N-No!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Sophi, please!¡±


    The golem raised its arm, its fingers outstretched, each one studded with steel claws. Sophi stood up with trembling legs and covered her mother protectively.


    ¡°Sophi! RUN!¡± Shirleen screamed.


    A metal chain lashed out from the darkness and caught the golem¡¯s arm. The enchanted construct slowly turned its head towards its attacker.


    The familiar sound of metal clinking echoed in the darkness. A cloaked undead sentinel shambled to them, its body wrapped in armor.


    Sophi patted her clothes and searched her pockets with a panicked fervor. She gasped triumphantly and pulled out a small iron nameplate from her pocket and waved it in the air.


    The sentinel stared at the nameplate through the dark sockets of its steel mask. The undead abruptly yanked the steel whip and threw the golem forward. The stone construct stumbled and shook the chain off.


    The two creatures began to circle each other, chain whip and steel claws at the ready.

 Chapter 476: Siege Part 2

    Chapter 476: Siege Part 2


    Commoner District¡­ Southern Quadrant¡­


    Shirleen watched from the floor of her ruined house as the undead sentinel and stone golem encircled each other. The sentinel¡¯s whip suddenly lashed out and struck the golem¡¯s shoulder. The steel spikes at the end of the chain whip cut deep lines into the golem¡¯s shoulder plate, but it didn¡¯t flinch. The golem grabbed hold of the chain whip and tackled the sentinel with surprising speed.


    The sentinel¡¯s smaller body fell to the ground with a thud of metal. Before it had a chance to stand, the golem¡¯s arms raised into the air and came crashing down with a heavy blow. The golem attacked over and over, its arms crashing down without cease, flattening the sentinel¡¯s armor and the undead underneath, until all that was left were scraps of metal and bits of dead flesh.


    A cold shiver ran through Shirleen¡¯s body. She turned her neck and grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand with what little strength remained in her. ¡°Sophi, please, you need to run, now!¡±


    The small goblin child bit her trembling lip and shook her head stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± She sniffed, ¡°Not without you.¡±


    ¡°Sophi, there is no time, please, run!¡± Shirleen begged.


    The golem turned to the sound of her voice and marched towards her, a hulking 2 meter creature of enchanted stone, jade eyes glowing with an inner light.


    The sound of clanging metal echoed through the ruined street. Three sentinels rushed out from the darkness and attacked. A pair of chain whips wrapped around the golem¡¯s legs each. The last sentinel¡¯s whip caught the golem¡¯s head and yanked backwards, toppling the heavy construct to the ground.


    Without a single word, the sentinels pulled out a mace from their sides, and jumped atop the golem, hammering it with the full strength of the black necromantic magic coursing through them.


    ¡°The sentinels are killing it!¡± Sophi yelled triumphantly.


    Shirleen realized with relief that the destroyed sentinel must have sent out some sort of alert when it died. Still, as she looked around at the other ruined houses, she knew more of those stone monsters were soon to emerge.


    ¡°Sophi, baby, I¡¯ll be alright. The sentinels are here. So please, run to the temple, I¡¯ll catch up,¡± Shirleen pleaded.


    ¡°B-But¡­ I¡­¡± Sophi gripped her nameplate.


    ¡°Sophi! Mom! Dad!¡± a familiar figure ran into the street. Karen glanced around desperately, her eyes searching through the ruined houses and rubble.


    ¡°Sis!¡± Sophi ran to her in a stumble.


    ¡°Sophi, you¡¯re alright!¡± Karen picked her up and hugged her fiercely.


    ¡°You¡¯re really here,¡± Sophi smiled through tears.


    ¡°Of course, I am. I came as soon as the boulders started falling. I couldn¡¯t just leave you guys here. The house is too close to the wall,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°Karen¡­¡± Shirleen mumbled with relief. Behind her eldest daughter stood a lanky human holding a spear.


    ¡°Witt, you¡¯re here too?¡± Sophi said, surprised.


    Witt grinned, ¡°What? You think I¡¯d let your big sis run out here by herself?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Sophi began to tremble and she buried her head in Karen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There was a big explosion and the ground was shaking and then the house fell and Mommy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡± Karen looked around.


    Sophi pointed to the rubble and the small figure lying limp at the edge.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Karen screamed and ran over to her. She knelt on the ground and looked her mother over.


    ¡°Karen¡­¡± Shirlen muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± her daughter gasped.


    Shirleen¡¯s clothes were ripped all over and small cuts covered her skin. Splinters coated her scarlet-dyed hands from when she had gripped the wooden beam.


    ¡°My gods¡­¡± Karen mumbled. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s dad?¡±


    Shirleen glanced painfully at the small torn hand poking out from the rubble of their house.


    Karen paled in horror and a hollow sound escaped her lips.


    ¡°We can¡¯t find him,¡± Sophi said. ¡°We need to find him!¡±


    Karen turned to her little sister who clearly had yet to realize the truth.


    ¡°Karen, I can¡¯t move. I¡¯m done for. You need to get your sister out of here, please,¡± Shirleen whispered.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I know we haven¡¯t spoken in a long time. I¡¯m sorry, for what I said to you, I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can talk about this later, Mom,¡± said Karen. She glanced at the torn hand in the wreckage one last time then turned back to her mother. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving either of you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Witt!¡± said Karen. ¡°Carry my mother. We¡¯re leaving, now!¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he nodded and knelt down next to Shirleen. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am, it¡¯s an honor to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± Shirleen said uncertainly.


    ¡°I work with your daughter. She¡¯s an incredible person and she¡¯s told me so much about you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now, Witt,¡± said Karen.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± He nodded once more, then reached out and gently picked up Shirleen into his arms. ¡°We¡¯ll get you and your family to safety, I promise.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Sophi, can you run?¡± Karen asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Her little sister nodded with the sort of confidence that only children had.


    Karen glanced warily at the three undead sentinels bludgeoning the stone golem to pieces a few dozen paces away. ¡°...We need to go.¡±


    They ran through the streets, keeping to the shadows, avoiding the hundreds of people running around in a panic. As they ran Shirleen saw the chaos that had been unleashed throughout the Commoner District. The jade boulders had crashed down throughout all the neighborhoods all around them, flattening houses and sending flying debris crashing into nearby structures. The houses from the Commoner District were old and made of wood, built in a time when Hollow Shade¡¯s trade with Undergrowth and their forests were plentiful.


    The old houses stood no chance against the crashing boulders. After the initial crash, stone golems emerged from each one and had begun slaughtering any survivors. Undead sentinels, the fear of most common folk, had for once come to their rescue, fighting off the golems.


    But the golems were larger and stronger, and though there were more sentinels, each trebuchet volley slowly closed the gap between their numbers.


    ¡°The district is doomed¡­¡± Shirleen said sadly. ¡°We need to head to the Trade District.¡±


    Karen shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t. The cross-district streets are full of people trying to do the same thing. When we were running over to the house, Witt and I saw people being¡ª trampled. Goblins like us won¡¯t make it past. Our best bet is the temple.¡±


    ¡°And what if the temple gets hit by one of those things!?¡±


    Witt glanced down at her in his arms and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry ma¡¯am, the temple has magical defenses.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shirleen blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Stryg hired some brown mages to enchant the temple after a pair of drunks tried robbing us,¡± Karen admitted.


    ¡°Stryg? That foreign friend of yours?¡± Shirleen mumbled. She could never forget meeting him that night three years ago. He was covered in the blood of those thugs. The cold look in his eyes had never left her memory.


    ¡°He insisted the kids needed to be kept safe,¡± Karen added.


    ¡°Never underestimate the deep pockets of a mage,¡± Witt said with a tinge of envy.


    ¡°There!¡± Karen pointed to the temple within sight.


    The old temple was built from solid stone and had large wooden double-doors at the front.


    Karen ran on ahead and knocked as hard as she could. ¡°Open up, it¡¯s me!¡±


    The sound of locks being moved were heard from inside and the door slowly opened. An old man with a bushy beard poked his head through the crack.


    ¡°Karen, oh thank the Traveler! Get inside, quickly!¡± said the head priest, Elm.


    She smiled gratefully and hurried the others inside first before walking in. As soon as they were all inside, Elm slammed the doors shut and threw back on the iron latch.


    ¡°My mother is hurt, she needs help,¡± said Karen.


    Elm glanced at Shirleen¡¯s bloody hands and frowned. ¡°Witt, lay her down in one of the beds. I¡¯ll go get some needle and thread. Karen, boil some water and bring me some clean towels.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Karen ran to the kitchen, stopped, and glanced back at her sister. ¡°The other kids are in the main hall. They¡¯ve been worried about you, why don¡¯t you go say hi.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Sophi nodded and looked at her mother for confirmation.


    Shirleen smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, go say hi to your friends.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Sophi nodded and kissed her mother¡¯s cheek, before she ran off.


    Karen walked into the kitchen, grabbed a pot from the cupboard and hurried to the well in the back of the temple. As she filled the pot, her eyes were drawn to the molten cascade of magestone that only minutes ago was a sturdy segment of the shade wall. It glowed with a hot orange foreboding light in the darkness. The wall had been broken. Most citizens were worried about their own lives and what the fall of the shade wall meant for them, but all Karen could think about were the lives of the older orphans who had gone out to fight in the city¡¯s defense.


    Melfyn had promised that they would be stationed at the edge of the fighting, in one of the small barrack fortresses supporting the soldiers. The fortresses stood between the wall¡¯s territory and the Commoner District. Kren thought they would be safe there, but now she had a dreadful feeling that their lives would be at risk.


    She prayed to the Guardian, the war goddess, Bellum, for all of her children¡¯s safety.


    ~~~


    Southern Wall¡­ 30 minutes earlier¡­


    An army of shades swarmed dragonbanes. The soldiers had cheered their triumph over the monsters. But their cheers died in their mouths as the white light pierced the shade swarm and struck the wall with blinding force. The wall underneath them shook and the soldiers fell to the ground, as waves of energy crashed overhead. A soul-chilling sound screeched at their ears and the world spun around them in a daze.


    The Cinder Brood tribe teenagers huddled around each other instinctively. Rowan, the only drow among his tribe, raised his shield and covered himself and their leader, Melfyn, from the blinding light.


    The slight reprieve gave Melfyn a chance to shake off the surprise. ¡°Shields! Shields!¡± he screamed through the roaring waves of energy.


    His voice was drowned out by the dragonbanes¡¯ blast, but his tribemates next to him heard.


    The void flame undulated across the wall, in pulsating waves of void energy that sent the soldiers on the wall to their knees. The magestone melted apart and the white-black flames died out.


    A ringing sound echoed in Captain Talia¡¯s ears. The vampiress groaned weakly.


    Bulwark Commander Stonehand¡¯s voice pierced through the noise. ¡°Up! Get up, you bastards!¡±


    Talia shook her head and staggered to her feet. She reached for the betterment and leaned on it for support, her legs too shaky to hold her up.


    They had all been caught off guard.


    The blinding light was gone and her crimson eyes were slowly getting accustomed to the darkness once more. All around her, soldiers were slowly helping each other to their feet. Some stumbled and fell back down.


    None had been directly hit by the blast and yet they could still feel the void energy in their bones, like a sickness slowly sapping their strength away.


    Commander Stonehand seemed to be the only one unshaken, the only one standing on his own. No, as Talia looked closer she noticed the slight tremor to his step. Even his body had been affected.


    Talia stared at her own shivering hand. It was as if she was taking an icy bath, her body reacting to the freezing temperature, trying to stabilize itself.


    A vampire¡¯s body was stronger than the others and even she was finding it hard to stand on her own. Most of the soldiers on the battlements were drows, some orcs, a few humans, even less vampires.


    If a legendary warrior-mage like Lord Stonehand could be hurt from such an attack, then what hope did ordinary soldiers have?


    The children! Talia¡¯s eyes widened in panic. She spun around, searching for the teenagers she had so foolishly allowed on the wall.


    Talia froze.


    The teenagers were huddled together, their backs to the wall. An array of shields, each slightly overlapping one another, surrounded them in a defensive dome.


    ¡°W-what is this¡­?¡± Talia mumbled in shock.


    A deep roar echoed across the night sky and a dragonbane, a beast larger than any monster Talia had seen dived towards their battlements.


    Soldiers screamed in panic and pushed their comrades away in an effort to escape. Commander Stonehand shouted at them, trying to rally his soldiers. Few listened, fewer held their ground.


    Talia would have cut them down for their desertion, but as the dragonbane drew closer, its black eyes met her own. A shiver ran down her spin and sheer dread filled her veins. She tried to steady her fear, but her body refused to move, her eyes unable to look away from the dragonbane¡¯s.


    The void monster snarled in malicious hunger and swooped down.


    The shield dome abruptly parted and the group of teenagers emerged, standing tall, weapons at the ready.


    Melfyn stepped forward. ¡°Cinder Brood! Bows!¡±


    Each one of them dropped their shields and lifted their bows at the monster flying towards them.


    ¡°A lone goblin will be picked off by the wolves,¡± muttered Rowan.


    Jack notched his arrow, ¡°But together¡ª!¡±


    Sandra pulled her bowstring back. ¡°We can slay a dire bear!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡± yelled Meflyn.

 Chapter 477: Siege Part 3 - An Orphan’s Courage

    Chapter 477: Siege Part 3 - An Orphan¡¯s Courage


    The Cinder Brood tribe, the second Sylvan tribe of Hollow Shade, was composed of orphans from the streets of the Commoner District. Most had lost their parents while very young, others were teenagers. All had lost their homes, their families. They were treated as pariahs even among other commoners. There was some solace in the temples, where food and shelter were offered, but the poorly funded temples of the Commoner District had little to give and could only support a few children at a time.


    The orphans had been forced to grow up quickly, searching for scraps wherever they could. Many had been picked off by the undead sentinels roaming the streets at night. Others had been pressed into gangs, while the unluckiest had been captured and taken as slaves by thieves and poachers.


    Orphans in Hollow Shade understood their lot in life. They understood the ugly truth of the city. Many people thought the city was the capital of the Ebon Realm¡¯s commerce and the home of wealth and ancient magics, but the orphans knew this place was dangerous, every day they were fighting for their lives with no one to rely on, even each other.


    So it came as a surprise, when one particular old temple in the south-west side of the district, began to offer shelter for any orphan who needed it. It did not matter how old they were or how many came. The head priest Elm and his right-hand priestess Karen, welcomed them with open arms.


    Dozens of bunk beds, clean blankets, and enough wood to feed the fires all night long. Various sorts of freshly bought food and warm meals, not just once, or even twice, but thrice a day. The children couldn¡¯t remember the last time they had full bellies.


    The other temples couldn¡¯t understand where all the funding was coming from, certainly not from the city, the lords only cared about the large and extravagant temples in the wealthier districts. They especially wouldn¡¯t care about a temple situated in a heavily populated goblin and human neighborhood. Yet the temple¡¯s funding only seemed to keep increasing as the months passed by.


    At first, the orphans were skeptical, surely there was some sort of trick. The temple must have had a nefarious plot, perhaps they were selling children to slavers without none the wiser?


    But as the days went on and the temple¡¯s cook Witt kept bringing them food, the orphans slowly began to realize the truth. They weren¡¯t going to be kicked out, they weren¡¯t going to be tricked, no one was going to hurt them.


    Slowly, the orphans looked at each other and they did not see competitors for scraps. They saw in each other what few dared hope for, what many never believed possible, a family.


    It was on such a day, that an outsider had come to the temple, a woman who like many others, believed she had the right to trample over the orphans of the City of Shades. Melfyn, one of the eldest, had stood up in order to protect the younglings.


    And then like a hero from the stories he appeared, a goblin like none they had ever seen. Their secret benefactor. Stryg. A mysterious mage from lands far beyond the shade walls. He was not ashamed of them, he didn¡¯t care if they were orphans, that they were the rabble of Hollow Shade, in his eyes they were worthy. And to them it meant everything.


    So as the wall collapsed to void flames in a blinding brilliance, as the armies of the valley marched towards their city, and as a dragonbane flew down at them, the Cinder Brood tribe did not cower or break formation. They raised their bows, notched their arrows, and drew their strings back.


    For the first time since Stryg had left and entrusted Melfyn with the safety of the temple, he felt worthy of his hero¡¯s trust.


    ¡°FIRE!¡± Melfyn shouted.


    The tribe let loose and their arrows flew true. 20 odd arrows darted across the night sky and struck the dragonbane¡¯s chest. The arrowheads glanced off its thick hide and the shafts snapped in two.


    Melfyn¡¯s eyes widened in confusion and he stood frozen, uncertain of what to do.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Sandra screamed.


    Jack yanked Melfyn down and the others dropped to the ground.


    The wind itself shook as the dragonbane¡¯s enormous body flew above them. Her long spiked tail swept through the battlements, catching dozens of soldiers in its attack. The spike impaled the soldiers¡¯ armor with ease. The ones who weren¡¯t impaled were struck with such force that their armor crumpled on impact and their innards were crushed.


    The world seemed to slow down as Melfyn watched the giant tail sweep past and catch two of his tribemates. For the briefest of moments they looked at him, panic in their eyes, and then they were gone in a flash of red. A splatter of blood on the magestone floor was all that remained.


    Fear gripped Melfyn and he felt his chest grow tight. The shouting all around him faded away. He couldn¡¯t breathe. He couldn¡¯t think. All he could see were the panic-stricken eyes of his two friends as they had looked at him, searching for an answer, for a way to overcome this. But there was nothing. They were gone. Dead. And soon he would be too¡ª


    Sandra slapped him across the face, ¡°Get a grip, Mel!¡±


    Melfyn blinked hard and shook his head. Stars decorated the edge of his vision.


    ¡°We need you, Mel!¡± Sandra cried out. There were tears in her reddened eyes. She was scared, she was in pain, but she hadn¡¯t given up, not on him, not yet.


    Melfyn cursed himself silently for his weakness. He grabbed his spear as tightly as he could to mask his trembling. ¡°...S-Shields!¡±


    His voice broke the others out of their fear and they quickly gathered their shields and huddled at the bottom edge of the battlements. Jack and the others raised their shields close to one another and formed a protective barrier.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Melfyn glanced around, searching the skies for the monster. Captain Talia was shouting commands and rallying the remaining soldiers.


    Bulwark Commander Stonehand stood atop the battlement¡¯s merlons, blasting bolts of lighting at the dragonbane. Despite the beast¡¯s elusive flight, each bolt struck true and seemed to push her back, but she suffered no visible injuries. The storm spells were like shallow waves, pushing one back, but never damaging.


    ¡°Kids!¡± Captain Rorick Polamtal shouted as he ran up to the orphans.


    Melfyn recognized the drow, a friend of Stryg¡¯s. He had vouched for them when they had applied to join the city¡¯s defense.


    ¡°Captain Polamtal?¡± muttered Melfyn.


    ¡°What are you still doing here!?¡± Rorick yelled in bewilderment as soldiers ran past them.


    ¡°W-We¡¯re holding our ground¡­¡± said Melfyn.


    ¡°Against what!? We can¡¯t stop that thing!¡± Rorick pointed at the dragonbane, circling high above the battlements.


    ¡°Commander Stonehand is fighting it, we have to help,¡± Melfyn said nervously.


    ¡°Lord Stonehand is holding the beast off so that we can retreat! The wall has fallen! We can¡¯t kill that monster!¡± said Rorik.


    ¡°But the soldiers, the mages, our weapons¡­¡± Melfyn glanced around the battlement uncertainly.


    The other soldiers were already falling back. Climbing down the ladders and scaffolding.


    ¡°We need to retreat!¡± Rorik yelled.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, we can¡¯t stay,¡± said Jack anxiously.


    Sandra grabbed Melfyn¡¯s arm, ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone else die.¡±


    Her words struck a chord within him, like a sharp note in the middle of a storm of endless sounds. Melfyn poked his head out from beneath the merlons and looked out at the armies of valley warriors marching toward them.


    ¡°Melfyn! We need to run!¡± Sandra shouted.


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Melyfn slowly looked at her, ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone else die. If we leave now, there will be no one to defend the wall¡­ The enemy will breach our city¡­ how many of our little brothers and sisters will die then?¡±


    ¡°If we stay, we won¡¯t survive.¡± Sandra bit her trembling lip, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    He smiled sadly, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to stay with me. Any of you.¡±


    ¡°Mel¡­¡± she whispered in a broken voice.


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be stupid, we need to run now! The commander can¡¯t hold that monster off forever!¡± said Rorik.


    ¡°Gods dammit all!¡± Jack yelled and jumped to his feet.


    The others looked at the lanky teenage human uncertainly.


    ¡°Jack¡­?¡± asked Melfyn.


    ¡°I fucking hate that you¡¯re an idiot sometimes,¡± Jack placed his hand over Melfyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I hate it when you¡¯re right even more. If your dumbass is set on dying like a hero, then my dumbass is dying with you.¡±


    Melfyn smiled gratefully, ¡°Jack¡­¡±


    Sandra placed her hand over Jack¡¯s own. ¡°I won¡¯t let you two idiots get yourselves killed. I made a promise to First Mother Karen. I¡¯m staying.¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± said another.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°For Cinderbrood!¡± cried two more.


    ¡°What the bloody fuck is wrong with all of you!?¡± Rorick shook his head in disbelief. He glanced at Rowan, the only fellow drow among the teens, ¡°Speak some sense into them!¡±


    ¡°I follow my chieftain¡¯s orders, not yours,¡± said Rowan resolutely.


    Rorick glanced at the ladders and the retreating soldiers and then back at the teens. He ran his hands through his grey hair and groaned loudly, ¡°Argh, fuck! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!!¡±


    ¡°Captain Rorik?¡± Melfyn asked nervously.


    ¡°Shut up, you fucking child! Argh, Stjerne damn you, I¡¯m staying too¡ª FUCK!¡± Rorick screamed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!¡± Rorik snapped.


    Commander Stonehand¡¯s storm magic waned and he stumbled back with a heavy breath. Captain Talia rushed to his side and held him up. The dragonbane roared angrily and swooped back in. Its spiked tail lashed out and destroyed the scaffolding and ladders. The retreating soldiers still climbing down screamed in terror and plummeted to their deaths.


    Stonehand poured his remaining mana into his hand and formed a javelin of crackling lightning. He pulled his arm back and hurled it at the monster. The dragonbane flinched as the bolt struck her shoulder, but she quickly shrugged it off and came in for another pass.


    Talia jumped in front of Stonehand, her small frame seeming that much more tiny in comparison to his own massive physique. Yet she held her shield up high and her sword at the ready.


    Talia screamed in defiance as the dragonbane swooped back down, but the beast flew over her, and its tail lashed out at the trebuchets, destroying both in one swing. Without even glancing at them, the dragonbane flew away, towards the next set of trebuchets on the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s not after us¡­ it¡¯s destroying the wall¡¯s defenses¡­¡± Melfyn muttered in realization. He turned back to the grasslands outside the city. Thousands of torches illuminated the grasslands in grim orange light.


    ¡°They¡¯ll reach the wall in a few minutes¡­¡± said Rorik.


    ¡°Cinder Brood, gather your bows, we¡¯ll take out as many as we can before they reach us,¡± said Melfyn with quiet resolve.


    His tribemates nodded and began notching their bows.


    ¡°I fucking hate you,¡± Rorick muttered under his breath, but he grabbed his bow as well.


    Talia looked at the remaining soldiers scattered across their wall division. Half had already retreated down the wall, soon to regroup at the molten breach. She didn¡¯t doubt that many other captains and commanders had ordered their soldiers to do the same, but as she looked out at the armies rushing toward the wall, she felt death slowly closing in on her.


    Their wall division had less than half their soldiers left. Without the ladders and scaffolding, there was no hope for reinforcements from the ground. Whatever soldiers on the wall the city had to spare would no doubt be rushing towards the western gate or molten breach.


    The heavy silence among her soldiers told her they had all realized the same truth. None of them would be seeing the sunrise again. Lord Stonehand began shouting orders, rallying whatever troops would listen, but few reacted right away. Whatever fiery strength was coursing through them had been doused when the dragonbanes had attacked.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Melfyn¡¯s voice broke through the silence.


    Talia looked up, confused. The teenagers of the Commoner District were all lined up at the merlons, bows at the ready.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Melfyn shouted.


    The teenagers let loose their arrows into the oncoming army, then notched another set of arrows without hesitation.


    A small ember of pride stirred within Talia¡¯s chest. For a moment she had forgotten why she had joined the city¡¯s garrison. How could she have forgotten the whole reason she put on her armor and marched onto the wall?


    ¡°For the people¡­¡± she mumbled. Talia grabbed her bow and strode up next to the teenagers.


    Melfyn glanced at her, a silent question on his lips.


    Talia inclined her head and awaited his word.


    Melfyn slowly nodded in understanding. ¡°Archers¡­ Fire!¡±

 Chapter 478: The Dragonbane, Oshnyr

    Chapter 478: The Dragonbane, Oshnyr


    Hollow Shade¡­ Western Wall¡­ The Molten Gate¡­


    Elzri watched as the army of shades swarmed the dragonbanes, swallowing them up in a mass of black souls. It should have been over, no one, not even a god should have survived such an endless onslaught. And yet, as the shades slowly ate away at dragonbanes¡¯ bodies, the dragonbanes fed on the souls of the shades, growing in power until not even the thousands of shades could harm them.


    It shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Elzri had stood in disbelief as the dragonbanes attacked in a blinding blast of white and black light.


    The dome had shattered underneath the otherworldly flames. The last thing Elzri had heard was Holo screaming to take cover. She pulled them both to the ground. Even though the void flames hadn¡¯t been directly aimed in their direction, the resulting blast swept away the surrounding area, sending hundreds of soldiers careening to their deaths.


    The roar of the flames drowned out the dying screams of Elzri¡¯s soldiers. The wall underneath him shook and it took all his strength to stop himself from being thrown back.


    As the smoke began to clear, a high-pitched noise rattled in Elzri¡¯s ears. He blinked several times and looked around. Holo was nowhere to be seen. Ash covered his skin. Blood dripped from his fingertips where he had held on to the ground too tightly.


    He felt weak, chills running through his body as if he was running a fever. Whatever attack the dragonbanes had done, it had been more than flames. He had felt his mana drain from his body as the dragonbanes¡¯s chests swelled with power, right before the attack.


    Grey magic excelled in drain spells, but the caster had to always be within touching distance. This had come from the dragonbanes, a hundred paces above them.


    Elzri had experienced Grey drain spells before, but this was far worse, far more potent as if his organs were being ripped out of him.


    Even now he could only sense half of his usual mana reserves. The usual stable mana flow within him was in disarray and no matter how he tried to focus and command the flow, he couldn¡¯t stabilize it.


    Elzri reached out to the battlement¡¯s merlons to steady himself and slowly stood to his feet. He frowned, the magestone¡­ it was pale, translucent. The wall¡¯s iconic black swirling sheen was gone.


    Elzri channeled what little yellow mana listened to him and threw a gust of wind outwards, blowing away the smoke and dust in the air. The battlement was in turmoil. The trebuchets had been destroyed. Not all the soldiers had been blasted off the wall; a few had been sent crashing into the merlons, their fragile bodies breaking on impact.


    The survivors had all suffered injuries, ranging from bruises to broken bones. Elzri spotted a few mages that served under his House; all of them were unconscious or on their knees vomiting bile and blood.


    Elzri guessed that whatever had drained the mana from his body had affected them too, far worse it seemed.


    He breathed out a small sigh of relief when he spotted his old friend, Krall Katag, a few dozen meters away. The giant of an orc seemed relatively fine, save for a few scrapes. He had gathered whatever soldiers could stand and was shouting what Elzri could only guess were rallying calls.


    Slowly, the ringing in Elzri¡¯s ears faded, and his hearing began to return. Krall¡¯s voice sounded like a faint whisper. Elzri tried to make out what the War Master was saying, but only one word sounded clear¡ª breach.


    A cold chill ran down Elzri¡¯s spine. He turned around. Pillars of black smoke rose from where the dragonbanes had attacked. The magestone had melted apart into molten rock and fallen apart, leaving a wide open ¡®gate¡¯ for the enemy to invade.


    Even in the dark hours of the night the thousands of torches outside the city illuminated the grasslands.


    ¡°ELZRIIII!!¡± Krall screamed.


    A deep roar pierced the sky. Elzri looked up as a dragonbane burst out from a pillar of black smoke, its claws outstretched towards him. He instinctively called forth orange mana, but his erratic mana flow hindered the spell. He wouldn¡¯t be fast enough.


    Like a hero from legends, Krall vaulted over the battlements with a warcry, his axe held above his head poised to strike. The dragonbane¡¯s black eyes glanced up. Its tail lashed out faster than an arrow and swatted Krall.


    The orc flew down, past the wall¡¯s battlements.


    ¡°No!¡± Elzri shouted.


    Brown mana surged through Krall¡¯s veins. His scarlet skin burned a bright metallic bronze sheen. His eyes snapped open and he slammed his axe into the wall. The steel sharp edge sliced through the magestone and buried itself deep. Krall held onto the axe and kicked off the wall, flying 10 meters up and landing back on the battlements.


    The dragonbane, Oshnyr, landed in front of him and regarded the orc with a tilt of his head. The small red creature should have already been dead and yet there it stood, defiantly. Oshnyr glared at the orc and roared, a deep deafening noise that shook the wall underneath them.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Krall roared a guttural response and charged.


    Elzri realized in dismay that Krall had fallen into his berserker magic. Reasoning had already left his mind. The only one who could bring him back was his wife, Evelyn.


    Oshnyr lashed out with his tail once more. Krall ducked underneath with uncanny agility. As the tail swept by, he jumped up high and landed atop the massive dragonbane¡¯s back. With an angry shout, he swung his axe across the translucent skin, aiming for the softer grey muscle underneath. Swing after swing the enchanted axe slashed at the thick hide, with no effect. Krall glanced at his axe and frowned. The axe¡¯s edge had been chipped apart. Krall looked up and noticed the dragonbane had been staring at him curiously.


    Oshnyr¡¯s hand shot out in a flash and pinched Krall¡¯s leg between two clawed fingers. He picked up the screaming little red creature from his back and held it in front of his black eyes. The small creature was no dragon, yet it held the same chromatic magic. A deep hunger rumbled within the dragonbane¡¯s stomachs and he started salivating. Oshnyr slammed the orc down on the wall a few times until he stopped moving.


    Dozens of arrows struck harmlessly off Oshnyr¡¯s hide, but he paid the other prey no mind. The mana wafting off this red one was far more delicious. The void beast opened its maw wide, revealing several rows of sharp black teeth the size of swords, and held Krall over his mouth.


    Orange flames suddenly slammed into the side of Oshnyr¡¯s face. His black eyes glanced at the source, a pale grey figure, smaller than the orc, and yet the scent of chromatic mana oozed out of this one, like none he had ever seen before. His grey-blue tongue licked his lips hungrily.


    With a simple flick, Oshnyr tossed Krall aside, and stalked towards Elzri.


    ¡°Not one more step,¡± Elzri growled. Black mana flowed into his veins. His shadow darkened and dozens of jet-black tendrils shot out and grabbed the dragonbane. Like old threads, the tendrils snapped apart with ease as Oshnyr drew closer.


    Elzri¡¯s fingers flicked through the air as he wrote arcane words. Grey curse sigils came to life like chains and wrapped around the dragonbane, only to melt away a mere second later.


    Five white orbs of light, each a meter in diameter, spun into existence above Elzri, and with a snap of his fingers beams of light shot forth. Yet the dragonbane did not slow down even as the beams struck his face.


    The archmage furiously wrote red sigils across the air in a complex series of wards. Layers of red magic formed over the dragonbane, locking him into a domed cage. Oshnyr stepped through the wards without breaking his stride.


    Elzri furrowed his brow. The creature hadn¡¯t destroyed the wards so much as the ward had disintegrated as it drew close. He realized grimly that the creature wasn¡¯t immune to his magic or even destroying it, the beast was absorbing it.


    Elzri glanced at the retreating soldiers and mages. Two of them carried Krall¡¯s body away. The orc¡¯s body was covered in blood and several bones jutted out of his skin. Elzri couldn¡¯t tell from this distance if the man was still breathing, though, with the extent of his wounds, it was a slim hope at best.


    The white orbs finally sputtered out of light, the spell¡¯s mana diminished. Oshnyr drew closer and eyed Elzri with an endless hunger.


    I can¡¯t let the others be caught in the blast¡­ Elzri thought. He channeled Yellow into the air around him and shot up into the sky.


    The dragonbane¡¯s wings unfurled and it followed after him with a mighty beat of his wings.


    Orange mana rushed into Elzri¡¯s hands until his fingers burned with power. Azure flames ignited across his fingertips and coiled below his feet. The dragonbane roared hungrily and flew up towards him.


    Elzri stared at the monster with cold anger. ¡°...Die.¡±


    Azure flames bloomed in a fiery inferno, exploding outwards in blue ripples. The flames consumed the dragonbane and continued to grow, forming a fiery blossom in the sky. Oshnyr howled in pain, a deep wretched sound. His thick impenetrable hide began to melt and char, unable to quickly enough absorb the sheer destructive magic.


    The dragonbane¡¯s eyes widened as its wings were burned away. He shot up with one last wingbeat, through the flames, and his hand pierced the blue inferno. Elzri stiffened in disbelief as the clawed fingers reached out for him. He tried to fly away, but the Oshnyr¡¯s claw caught his leg and flung him downwards with terrifying strength.


    Pain shot up Elzri¡¯s leg and the world spun as he felt himself tunneling down through the air. He focused his mana flow as much as he could and formed yellow scales across his body. Black and red pain burned across his vision as he slammed into an old house in the Commoner District.


    He opened his eyes blearily and slowly glanced around the wreckage. His defensive scales were all cracked and breaking apart into dust. His right leg was barely hanging by a bit of flesh and skin. The dragonbane¡¯s claw had torn through the bone and sinew with ease.


    Elzri groaned in pain and sat up. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to stop his hands from shaking. White mana flowed into his leg and began to stitch the flesh together. It would take hours of intense healing to properly recover fully, but for now he could at least stop him from losing more blood.


    A dark blur abruptly crashed into a nearby house, sending the ground shaking. Oshnyr ripped through the wreckage and trudged out with a growl. His skin and muscles were already regenerating at a rapid pace.


    Elzri tried to stand, but his leg failed him and he collapsed. Oshnyr snarled at him and stalked towards him. As the dragonbane drew close Elzri could feel his mana slowly being drained from him. Just being in the mere proximity of the void creature weakened him. He could only imagine how it would feel for an ordinary mage.


    How could the mages of Hollow Shade ever hope to stop these monsters?


    Oshnyr snarled at him and stood with his head and shoulders low, tail raised high like a scorpion ready to strike.


    A brief glimpse of Loh and Aizel as children flashed through Elzri¡¯s mind. He shook his head.


    Why was he having these thoughts now? It was too late to change things, far too late.


    Elzri stopped the healing spell and focused on summoning what remained of his orange mana. A wisp of blue flames sparked to life on his hands.


    Oshnyr¡¯s spiked tail shot out without hesitation. Holo Flickered above them in a blast of orange sparks and sliced through the tail with her scythe. Oshnyr roared and stumbled backwards in shock and pain.


    Holo landed in front of Elzri and flourished her scythe at the dragonbane. ¡°We haven¡¯t lost yet, Noir, so get up. Your family needs you at the wall.¡±


    Elzri glanced uncertainly at Oshnyr and then at his severed tail oozing black blood on the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this one.¡± Holo patted her scythe, ¡°Lyrae and I will take care of him.¡±

 Chapter 479: Lyrae

    Chapter 479: Lyrae


    The dragonbane eyed the injured drow hungrily. Oshnyr¡¯s spiked tail shot out without hesitation. Holo Flickered above them in a blast of orange sparks and sliced through the tail with her scythe. Oshnyr roared and stumbled backwards in shock and pain.


    Holo landed in front of Elzri and flourished her scythe at the dragonbane. ¡°We haven¡¯t lost yet, Noir, so get up. Your family needs you at the wall.¡±


    Elzri glanced uncertainly at Oshnyr and then at his severed tail oozing black blood on the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this one.¡± Holo patted her scythe, ¡°Lyrae and I will take care of him.¡±


    Elzri pushed himself up with his hands and uninjured leg. ¡°My body, my mana¡ª¡± he said between breaths, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°The dragonbanes are creatures of void nature,¡± Holo answered without taking her eyes off Oshnyr. ¡°They drain all manner of mana. Their mere presence will weaken you, especially because you¡¯re a mage.¡±


    Elzri nodded in grim understanding. ¡°When they attacked the wall with their flames I¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I felt it too. They somehow managed to drain every mage in the area.¡±


    ¡°The mages have almost all collapsed. The ones that haven¡¯t are sick,¡± said Elzri.


    ¡°The dragonbanes ripped all the mana out from within the mages¡¯ bodies. I can only assume the effect was so powerful because there were so many dragonbanes draining them at once. I can only assume the reason you¡¯re somewhat alright is because your mana reserves are much larger than the rest.¡±


    Elzri¡¯s eyes widened with worry. ¡°Elohnoir! Is she¨C?¡±


    ¡°Loh is fine, for now. She wasn¡¯t too close to the explosion. Your sister and she are at the Western Gate. Go to them.¡±


    Elzri didn¡¯t need to hear another word. He channeled Yellow mana and took to the skies. Oshnyr growled as his prey flew away, but he didn¡¯t give chase. He curled his tail around himself. The severed stump had stopped bleeding and begun to regenerate, albeit at a very slow pace.


    Oshnyr eyed Holo warily, no, he was eyeing her scythe. Holo pointed her orichalcum weapon at the beast and grinned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter big guy? First time covered in your own blood?¡±


    The dragonbane narrowed his jet-black eyes in a glare.


    ¡°Oh, it is?¡± she laughed. Despite the carefree mirth in her voice, her mind was calculating her next move. The creature was massive, standing 15 meters tall and 10 meters wide, with hide more durable than the toughest armor. Beneath the smoky-translucent skin, she could see the rippling muscles underneath, tensed, ready to pounce.


    Holo¡¯s element of surprise was gone. The dragonbane knew she was a threat and it was done watching. Oshnyr kicked off the ground, ripping the stone underneath his feet, and charged her.


    Orange sparks exploded where Holo had been as she Flickered behind him. She pulled her arm back for a swing. Oshnyr¡¯s wing spikes stabbed backwards reflexively, the largest of which formed a long talon on each end of his wings. Holo rolled away, narrowly dodging the 2-meter-long talons.


    She Flickered back, to a slab of stone left from the wreckage of a ruined house.


    Oshnyr slowly turned its head towards and pulled its lips back in a malicious sharp-toothed smile.


    Holo frowned. The beast¡¯s senses were sharp. He hadn¡¯t even been looking at her, but his wings had struck out within an instant.


    Her Orange true magic had a delay between each Flicker, that only grew the more consecutive Flickers she did. Relying on Flicker magic alone could prove deadly.


    As she thought to herself in silence, a jade boulder buried in the wreckage began to shake. Like an egg, the boulder cracked open and a stone golem emerged. It honed in on the small human woman atop the wreckage and marched towards her.


    Holo swung Lyrae behind her with a flick of the wrist and sliced the golem in half without glancing at it. Oshnyr cocked its head, mildly curious at the broken golem, before it charged her once again.


    Orange mana flowed into Holo¡¯s legs. She activated the Black Amber agility spell and Flickered to the beast¡¯s blind spot. Oshnyr lashed out with his wings, but Holo jumped to the wreckage, kicked off a stone slab, and flew straight to the back of his head. She aimed her scythe at his unprotected neck and swung down. Oshnyr¡¯s body moved in a blur and his clawed hand appeared at the edge of her vision.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    It felt as if a comet hurled down from the sky right into her. Oshnyr¡¯s fist smashed into her and sent her crashing into a far-off building. Her body ripped through the wooden house like a steel boulder and smashed into the house behind it.


    Oshnyr took to the sky and landed in front of the ruined house, skeptically. Holo stumbled out of the wreckage, battered and bloodied. Her right arm, which had taken the direct hit, was limp at her side, her broken radius bone sticking out from the skin.


    Oshnyr''s shoulders shook with a deep rumble, akin to what his kind might consider a laugh. Holo realized unnervingly the dragonbane was happy that she was still alive, that the hunt wasn¡¯t over.


    Holo cursed silently at herself. She had underestimated these creatures once again. First it was the wall, believing that she could overpower the dragonbanes¡¯ resistance when all along it hadn¡¯t been magical resistance but magical absorption. The wall had fallen because of her misjudgment.


    And now she had underestimated how quickly such a large creature could move. It may have been a short burst of speed, but the beast was fast enough to keep up with her agility magic.


    Oshnyr licked his lips at the scent of her blood and stalked forward.


    Holo glanced at her left hand, it was dripping blood and twitching ever so often, but she still had some movement in it.


    Oh¡­ that¡¯s good, she thought in a daze.


    Oshnyr lifted his tail, now fully regenerated, black spikes protruding from its end. The tail swayed above him, poised to strike.


    Holo looked at him and lifted her right shoulder, her limp right arm rising slightly. Crackling and squelching sounds reverberated through her body as her flesh knitted itself together. With a pop, her bone sank back into her right arm, and her skin healed without a trace.


    She flexed her fingers and tested their movement. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s better.¡±


    Oshnyr stared at her in surprise, its black eyes uncertain of what to make of it.


    Holo smiled tauntingly, ¡°What? Did you think you were the only one?¡±


    The dragonbane shook his head and growled. He pounced with outstretched claws and an open maw of sharp, ebon fangs. Holo Flickered forward, right in front of him, and planted her fist in his chest mid-air. A resounding bone-cracking noise echoed across the neighborhood; Oshnyr¡¯s body flew backwards and crashed into a house.


    Holo shook her wrist, then clenched her fist open and closed a few times. ¡°Not bad, big guy, not bad.¡±


    Oshnyr shook himself free from the wreckage and touched the small, slightly caved-in, bloody imprint on his sternum. Like his tail, the wound on his chest was refusing to heal properly. He glanced at Holo cautiously, slowly reevaluating his prey.


    She cocked her head to the side, her eyes wide open and cold, ¡°Is that fear I see?¡±


    Oshnyr pulled his snout back with a snarl and roared angrily. He charged and tried to flatten her. Holo Flickered to the side, but he lashed out with his tail. She sidestepped and Flickered once more, above him. His wings flapped open, too large to dodge, struck true. Holo flew back, but managed to land on her feet.


    Oshnyr didn¡¯t let up and he barrelled towards her in a storm of claws and fangs. This time Holo was prepared. She weaved through his attacks, Flickering back and forth as his claws ripped through the ground and the homes all around them. She could feel her Orange mana seep away from her body the longer she was near him, but every time she Flickered away, Oshnyr was already there.


    She realized in dismay that his senses were growing sharper, he was beginning to discern where her body would appear next. The Flicker magic began to take its toll and she could feel her spells waning. Her next Flicker took a moment too long and Oshnyr¡¯s tail smacked her into the ground, knocking the wind out of her.


    She gasped for breath and rolled to the side. Orange mana surged in her body and she Flickered outwards, right into Oshnyr¡¯s waiting claws. Her eyes widened in surprise and she twisted her body to dodge. His foreclaw caught her legs and she spun out from the impact and crashed into the ground.


    She groaned and opened her eyes blearily.


    The dragonbane took a deep breath and his chest swelled. Holo felt as if her organs were being cut up from the inside as her mana was ripped out of her. A white light sparked at the core of the beast¡¯s ebon eyes. His jaw unlocked and he opened his mouth wide. A black and white flame burned at the back of his throat, growing with intensity.


    Holo grimaced in pain and stretched out her trembling hand. ¡°...Heed my call¡­ Lyrae.¡±


    The raven-black scythe burst from a distant wreckage and flew towards her in a blinding spin. Oshnyr barely turned his head when Lyrae flew between his legs and sliced through his hamstrings. He screeched a deep rumbling sound in pain and fell to his knees. Holo snatched Lyrae from the air and jumped up with a flip. She slashed her scythe outwards and the glass-like blade sliced through Oshnyr¡¯s neck.


    Black blood splashed across the ground. The void flames in Oshnyr¡¯s throat sputtered out of existence and he fell to the ground with a heavy thud, clutching at his throat.


    Holo landed softly on her feet. Her wounds disappeared as her flesh stitched itself back together in a matter of seconds. She rolled her shoulders and sighed in relief. ¡°Now then,¡± she lifted Lyrae, ¡°Where were we?¡±


    Oshnyr scrambled backwards as best he could, but his slashed legs couldn¡¯t hold up his weight.


    ¡°Are you afraid to die, youngling?¡± Holo asked coldly.


    Without waiting for an answer, she swung Lyrae down. A deep roar resounded in the sky above them and a second figure crashed into the ground between them. Holo jumped back and cursed the timing.


    The dragonbane, Eldrak, stood over his sibling protectively and roared.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think such heartless monsters cared about their own kind,¡± Holo muttered.


    Oshnyr slowly staggered back on all-fours next to his brother. Black blood had stopped seeping from his wounds, yet his injuries still weren¡¯t healing properly. He tried his best to growl, but only a raspy sound came out.


    The two dragonbanes eyed Holo cautiously and began to circle around her.


    Holo gripped Lyrae and smiled defiantly.

 Chapter 480: Atlas

    Chapter 480: Atlas


    ¡­New Moon¡­Hollow Shade¡­Northern Gate¡­


    The world shook underneath Freya Goldelm as flames of ivory ignited the night sky to the southwest. The wall¡¯s magestone lost its swirling ebon hue and turned a frosty-translucent. Her House¡¯s soldiers shouted in panic. No one was certain of what had happened, but they all knew it was bad.


    Her father, Lord Zorn Goldelm, rallied his troops and calmed down the hysteria within not his own men but the guards of the wall.


    ¡°Stop trembling and stand up straight,¡± Cedric chastised her with a whisper.


    Freya felt her face go red. She felt somewhat ashamed that she had let herself be carried away in the panic. Cedric was the second son of House Goldelm and he had spent his life being trained to support their House and their elder brother. In other words, it was Cedric¡¯s job to protect the Goldelm family¡¯s honor, something which Freya had failed to do on multiple occasions, a fact that Cedric never let her forget.


    Just one more on the list, Freya sighed to herself.


    Cedric had kept himself from appearing afraid when the flames had struck in the distance. For such flames to have been seen, let alone felt this far north, meant the pure power behind the attack had greatly exceeded the strength of any mage.


    What sort of being caused it? A dragon?


    Freya wasn¡¯t certain.


    The only ones who hadn¡¯t panicked whatsoever were a mysterious group of men and women in black cloaks and light steel armor. Battle mages. They held no banner or any insignia to denote their allegiance, but their leader, a drow almost as large as Krall Katag, stated he and his crew were here as special reserve forces. Freya had no idea what that meant, but the Bulwark Commander seemed to know and respect him.


    Her father didn¡¯t seem to share such a sentiment. Zorn had tried to interrogate the drow leader when he had arrived, but all Zorn had managed to get out of him was his name, Atlas.


    Unlike the rest of the soldiers, Atlas and his battle mages did not cower in fear from the strange magical attack, no, instead their expression grew hard with steely resolve.


    As the minutes passed by, a scout came running up the wall, exclaiming how there had been a breach, a molten gate of sorts had formed at the western wall. Monsters of nightmares, each larger than a house, had attacked the wall and destroyed the city¡¯s defensive enchantments.


    As if on cue, thousands of torches in the dark grasslands began to move closer. The valley army was on the march.


    ¡°Gods dammit all!¡± Zorn shouted angrily. He tossed on his helmet, that reached low and covered his long blonde beard, and hefted his war hammer onto his shoulder. ¡°Archers! Line up!¡±


    Zorn began firing out orders quicker than the Bulwark Commander. Archers hurried to their positions, while mages prepared their spells, and the remaining soldiers began to prepare a shield wall for incoming arrows.


    The only ones who did not listen nor move were the black-cloaked battle mages.


    Zorn snarled at them and marched over, ¡°Oi, you lot! What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±


    A few of the battle mages glanced at the dwarf and then at their leader, though none uttered a word.


    ¡°Fucking condescending bastards,¡± Zorn said and spat at Atlas¡¯ feet.


    Atlas slightly tilted his head down and looked at the dwarf calmly. ¡°Lord Goldelm, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Aye, there is a problem! Our city is under attack and you lot are content to just stand about and do nothing while the enemy storms our gates!¡± Zorn pointed to the large gate underneath them.


    ¡°...Rest assured, Lord Goldelm, we came to defend this city and that is what we will do,¡± said Atlas without breaking his still expression.


    ¡°Are you now? It seems to me that your mages aren¡¯t doing much of anything. What? Do they not know any long-distance spells? Or are they conserving their mana to save their own skins?¡±


    ¡°That is quite the hammer you have.¡± Atlas glanced pointedly at the war hammer on Zorn¡¯s shoulder.


    The head of the hammer was larger than a person¡¯s skull and made of some sort of golden alloy, covered in arcane sigil engravings. The grip was formed of black scales from a deep sea creature, long dead.


    ¡°Oginum is the greatest war hammer you¡¯ll ever see,¡± Zorn patted the hammer proudly, though his glare didn¡¯t dissipate.


    ¡°The Light of the North.¡±


    ¡°You know Oginum¡¯s true meaning?¡± Zorn asked, surprised.


    ¡°Oh, I know much more than that. Your ancestral weapon was forged by the realm¡¯s Unifier, the legendary Ebon Lord Koval himself. He was hailed as the greatest mage smith of the Ebon Realm and seeing Oginum up close, I am certain it was not a lie.¡±


    ¡°You know your history well, drow.¡± Zorn pointed Oginum menacingly at Atlas, ¡°So you should know what will happen when I swing my hammer at you for refusing to obey orders.¡±


    ¡°You do not command me, Lord Goldelm,¡± he said without a trace of anger.


    ¡°No, but everyone stationed on the northern wall must obey their Bulwark Commander, and seeing as she is barking out the same orders as me¡ª¡±


    ¡°I only answer to one and it is neither you nor the Commander.¡±


    Zorn lifted Oginum, ready to strike, ¡°Choose your next words carefully, drow.¡±


    The battlemages immediately turned to Zorn in unison, but Atlas raised his hand for them to stop.


    ¡°Dad, what are you doing?!¡± Freya called out worriedly. The last thing she wanted was a mutiny right before battle.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Cedric pulled his sister back by her shoulder. ¡°Do not embarrass our father by showing our men your lack of resolve,¡± he whispered harshly.


    Freya shook her head, ¡°But if we don¡¯t stop him, he¡¯ll¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Our father doesn¡¯t want to kill him. But he can¡¯t have the men feel like they can just disobey the Bulwark Commander¡¯s orders just because that drow and his mages do,¡± Cedric explained quietly.


    Freya frowned in confusion, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°If our soldiers see the mages behaving like cowards without any consequences, what do you think some of them will do when the enemy gets close?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°...They¡¯ll run away?¡± Freya mumbled in understanding.


    ¡°Exactly. Our father needs to make a point, one way or another. Now be quiet before you embarrass us any further,¡± Cedric chastised.


    Freya bit her lip but nodded.


    ¡°So, what¡¯ll it be, drow?¡± Zorn asked coldly.


    Atlas stared at the golden hammer pointed towards his balls with more calm than any man might. ¡°Oginum was a gift for Koval¡¯s apprentice, Lady Goldelm II. The only weapon that could rival Krikolm, or some say.¡±


    ¡°Another history lesson?¡± Zorn frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it¨C!¡±


    ¡°The Light of the North. ¡®A fitting title for this night it seems.¡¯ Don¡¯t you agree, Lord Goldelm?¡±


    Zorn froze mid-swing. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Do you recognize my words? Your ancestor, Lord Sylas Goldelm spoke them long ago.¡±


    ¡°I know his words,¡± Zorn growled. ¡°What I want to know is why they are coming out of your mouth!¡±


    Atlas glanced down at Oginum. ¡°When Lady Goldelm II wielded that hammer it reflected the light within her; they say Oginum shined like the sun with power; a beacon amidst the encroaching darkness. For almost seven hundred years Oginum carried the light and will of your ancestors. But not anymore¡­ not since Hollow Shade¡¯s civil war. Not since your House forgot its way. Not since the last true Goldelm, Sylas.¡±


    Zorn glared at him, ¡°How would you know¡­?¡±


    Atlas leaned down and whispered, ¡°Because I remember the day my friend, Sylas, passed away and his son picked up that hammer.¡±


    Zorn stiffened and his golden eyes widened in shock. ¡°No, you cannot be¡­! You¡¯re Atlas Thorn?¡±


    ¡°I gave up my father¡¯s surname long ago.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ How are you still alive after all these years?¡±


    Atlas leaned back and cracked a small smile. ¡°My mother¡¯s blood is strong.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that even mean?¡± Zorn furrowed his brow.


    ¡°That is all you need to know. I trust I have your cooperation, Lord Goldelm?¡±


    Zorn nodded begrudgingly, ¡°...Aye, Lord Atlas, aye.¡± He turned around and glared at all the onlookers, ¡°What are you all staring at!? Back to your positions!¡±


    ¡°Too late,¡± said Kaitlin, the Singing Willow troupe¡¯s healer, from among the battle mages. She glanced up at the dark clouds. ¡°Captain Atlas?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± The giant drow lifted his hands and channeled Yellow. A powerful gale swirled in front of the wall. Thousands of arrows fell down from the clouds and broke against the storm.


    Freya felt her jaw go slack. The sheer scale and power behind such a spell was frightening, it reminded her of the night she had witnessed Lord Elzri battle on Widow¡¯s Crag.


    She slowly turned her head to Atlas, a drow taller than any she had met. Where most drows were thin and lithe, his armor did little to hide the rippling muscles beneath.


    The shower of arrows died out against the wind. Atlas lowered his arms and the gale dissipated just as quickly as it had formed. Soldiers all across the Northern Wall stared at him in awe and fear.


    ¡°The next strike won¡¯t be long, Captain,¡± noted Kaitlyn.


    ¡°I am aware, lieutenant. Prepare to counterattack,¡± said Atlas.


    The battle mages nodded in unison and raised their arms, mana flowing into them. A sudden roar from above broke their concentration.


    ¡°TAKE COVER!¡± Atlas shouted.


    A dragonbane swooped down in a flash, its wings outstretched. It tore through the trebuchets with its claws and took to the sky once more. Freya felt a chill run through her body as the beast flew past.


    ¡°What in all the bloody realms was that!?¡± Zorn yelled.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t here for us,¡± Atlas muttered grimly. ¡°It¡¯s destroying the city¡¯s defenses¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain, another volley!¡± Kaitlyn pointed to the sky.


    Atlas turned back and channeled Yellow once more.


    ~~~


    Elzri flew above the Commoner District with haste. Clouds of dust covered the neighborhoods of the poor. Boulder after boulder had flown past the wall and crashed into the houses, destroying them in one fell swoop. If that wasn''t bad enough, golems made of stone emerged from the boulders and began to kill indiscriminately.


    Even from the air, Elzri could hear the wailing of his city¡¯s people in the distance.


    The enemy¡¯s army hasn¡¯t even breached the wall yet¡­ he thought bitterly.


    What sort of destruction would Marek and his savages release onto the city? And what of the dragonbanes? Would they stop after the commoners were all dead? The merchants? The nobles? How many would die before the night was over?


    The molten gate glowed red-hot in the distance, a testament to the city¡¯s failures.


    Elzri flew past the district and landed atop the western wall, several hundred paces from the western gate where the dragonbane had attacked them.


    Loh rushed to him as soon as he landed. ¡°Grandpa!¡± she shouted and hugged him fiercely.


    Elzri stood stock-still, uncertain of how to respond. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time Loh had held his hand, let alone hugged him. But he could feel the trembling in her shoulders. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°We saw dragonbane flying in the sky. We saw your blue flames and then you went down,¡± Loh mumbled through tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have worried you,¡± Elzri said softly.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± Una noted from a few paces away.


    ¡°Wha¨C?¡± Loh stepped back.


    Elzri glanced down at his bloodied torn pant leg. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re alright, brother?¡± Una asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I can walk, it¡¯ll do,¡± Elzri said.


    ¡°Please, tell me you killed that thing,¡± Una said uneasily.


    Elzri shook his head, ¡°No. Lady Holo saved me.¡±


    ¡°Good, she¡¯ll kill it then,¡± Una said with conviction.


    ¡°Those monsters¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like them,¡± Elzri muttered. ¡°I attacked it with the azure flames. It burned but it was able to endure the flames enough to strike me out of the sky. And then¡­ it just regenerated after a few moments. I saw the pack of them attack the wall. If I can¡¯t even stop one¡­ how are we supposed to win?¡±


    ¡°They are a mage¡¯s bane, we are not meant to stop them,¡± Una said.


    ¡°But Lady Holo said ordinary weapons don¡¯t work on them either,¡± added Loh.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t immune to magic, they just absorb it, but clearly they can only absorb so much at a time. That¡¯s why Riri¡¯s flames worked against it,¡± Una explained.


    ¡°There are very few mages capable of outputting the magical force of an archmage, especially one as strong as Grandfather,¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at one,¡± Una smirked.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Unalla called out. The small drow was walking towards them, dragging the giant sword, Votum, behind her.


    ¡°Unalla!? What are you doing over here!? You¡¯re supposed to be with your father at the northern wall!¡± Una yelled angrily.


    ¡°Um, well,¡± Unalla glanced around anxiously, ¡°Dad¡¯s got the north covered just fine, I bet. The main enemy forces will be pushing through the western and southern walls. I wanted to help¡­¡±


    Her mother shook her head and clicked her tongue, ¡°And I wanted you with Atlas for that very reason!¡±


    ¡°You wanted me away from the main battle? I can fight!¡± Una gripped Votum¡¯s handle.


    A familiar roar echoed in the night sky above them.


    Elzri looked up with wide eyes, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

 Chapter 481: Traveler

    Chapter 481: Traveler


    The ground shook every few minutes as jade boulders came hurling down from the night sky and crashed into the Commoner District. The valley army¡¯s trebuchets fired without fail from the safety of their backlines. The temple¡¯s walls shook with every volley and Karen wondered to herself if the temple¡¯s magical defenses would hold.


    She looked out the window and saw only chaos. Shattered homes, buildings on fire, and residents cramming the roads to the Trade District. The few guards left from the garrison that hadn¡¯t been stationed at the wall tried to usher the people through the roads and bridges in a somewhat makeshift order. Fear and tragedy had blinded the common folk and they pushed and even trampled over the guards to reach the Trade District.


    All the while, stone golems marched down the streets, picking off any straggler who had failed to escape the burning neighborhoods. The city¡¯s undead sentinels moved in small packs, clashing against the golems wherever they found them. But as the sentinels¡¯ numbers began to grow smaller and boulders kept falling from the sky, Karen worried that soon the district would be overrun entirely.


    A single golem had appeared at the temple¡¯s front gate and began striking it with its stone fist. The temple¡¯s brown and red sigils flared to life and formed a protective dome around the temple. The magical wards only made the golem¡¯s attacks more incessant.


    Karen knew little of magic, but she knew that spells did not last forever. She peeked her head into the main hall and saw the orphan children huddled in a group. Many had tears in their eyes, others were outright bawling. The other acolytes sat with them, trying to comfort them with hugs or stories. Witt had raided the pantry for any sweets he had picked up at the bakery and was passing them out to the children.


    The head priest, Elm, knelt down in front of the four large statues of the ebon gods situated at the front of the hall. Karen walked over and joined him in prayer. She prostrated herself to the gods and begged with silent whispers for their aid.


    She prayed to the Watcher, the goddess of the moon, Lunae, to watch over her children and to keep them safe if something were to befall her and the priests.


    She prayed to the Guardian, the goddess of war, Bellum, to aid their soldiers in battle and bring them victory over the invaders.


    She prayed to the Traveler, the god of stars, Stjerne, to lead Melfyn, Sandra, and the rest of the older children back to her safe and unharmed.


    Lastly, she prayed to the Mystery, the god of the deep earth, Caligo, to drag their enemies into the dark and smite them all.


    Karen clenched her eyes and prayed in fervent whispers, pleading for a miracle, if only to save her children.


    ~~~


    A few neighborhoods away a dragonbane barreled through the streets, crashing through houses and rubble with ease. The massive beast stood taller and wider than the small houses of the commoners. Oshnyr¡¯s spiked tails whipped around the air, occasionally smashing the random fleeing resident into a red smear on the cobblestone streets.


    Sparks of orange light flickered here and there between the Oshnyr¡¯s legs. He slammed his feet into the ground, trying to stomp out the small flickering figure to no avail. His brother, Eldrak, swooped down like a comet, claws outstretched towards Holo. She Flickered atop Eldrak¡¯s back and sliced the base of his right wing with her scythe, Lyrae.


    Eldrak shrieked a deep-pitched sound and crashed into a pair of houses, sending debris flying everywhere. Holo jumped away at the last minute and landed in a roll. Dust covered the air and she coughed as it filled her lungs. With a flick of her wrist, a breeze blew around her and pushed the dust away.


    The two dragonbanes stood amid the destroyed neighborhood. Black blood oozed from several deep gashes across their smoky-translucent flesh. Their grey muscles undulated in strange patterns as they tried to regenerate with little success. Little nubs of bone poked out of Eldrak¡¯s right wing stump. Holo smiled in satisfaction. It would take a long while for the wing to fully recover.


    Oshnyr and Eldrak growled a deep rumble and glared at Holo. She took a deep breath and tried her best to ignore her pain. Cuts and bruises covered her skin, even her dark hair was covered in dry blood.


    She clenched her teeth and grimaced as her flesh knitted itself back together. Her regeneration was slowing down, she could feel it in her bones. The longer she fought these beasts the more sluggish she became. Their mere presence drained her Orange mana and every time she Flickered the spell¡¯s strain became worse. The delay between each spell was already close to 8 seconds long. If she didn¡¯t stop Flickering, at this rate her Orange mana would give out.


    She needed to get back to the wall soon. By now the valley armies were practically at their gates. The Noirs needed her. The city needed her.


    Lyrae hummed in her hands with a trace of shared anxiety. Holo smiled reassuringly, ¡°I know, old friend. I know. Let¡¯s finish this.¡±


    The two dragonbanes were already breathing hard. Their wounds had slowed them significantly. All she needed was a single opening and she could take down one of them. At that point, the second would be much easier to deal with.


    Holo flourished Lyrae in a large arc and grinned defiantly, daring the beasts to attack.


    Oshnyr and Eldrak roared at her, the sound shaking the air itself. They sank their claws into the cobblestone and crouched low, ready to pounce.


    ¡°ENOUGH.¡± Came a booming voice from above.


    Holo glanced towards the night sky. A familiar figure cloaked in black feathers floated downwards and landed between the dragonbanes and Holo. The void beasts growled in submission and bowed their heads.


    ¡°Caligo,¡± Holo muttered. ¡°Come to save your pets?¡±


    The young man regarded her with opalescent eyes, the irises shifting colors every few moments. ¡°Indeed I have.¡±


    ¡°You think you can keep them from me?¡± she growled.


    His lips curled up in a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve missed your rage, traveler.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    She glared at him but quickly soothed her expression, unwilling to give him the satisfaction. He knew she hated it when he called her that. ¡°It¡¯s funny, they say you¡¯re the Mystery because no one truly knows who you are or what you stand for, but I think I finally figured it out.¡±


    Caligo cocked his head to the side, his eyes slightly narrowing in a smile. ¡°Oh? And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Keeper of Secrets. God of the deep earth. Patron of none. Monster in the Dark. Crow. You have so many names and titles. Yet deep down you and I both know the truth. You¡¯re just a fucking psychopath.¡±


    Holo Flickered behind him and swung Lyrae down on his head. Caligo spun around and drew a large glass-like black sword from underneath his feather cloak. The sword and scythe clashed in a reverberation of energy and sent ripples through the air.


    Caligo¡¯s smile widened, but there was no mirth in his eyes. ¡°For someone who has spent a vast amount of her life studying and researching the secrets of this world, you seem to know so little about the truth.¡±


    Holo jumped back and took up a defensive stance. She glanced at the dragonbanes, who hadn¡¯t moved since Caligo¡¯s arrival, then back at the man himself. ¡°Enlighten me then.¡±


    Caligo sighed and stabbed Honorem into the ground. ¡°Even if I explained it, you wouldn¡¯t understand, or more accurately you wouldn¡¯t want to. I suspect you¡¯d fight me until your last breath.¡±


    ¡°Gee, I wonder why. Maybe it''s because you released soul-devouring monsters into the world.¡±


    ¡°The dragonbanes are necessary. They have always been necessary, you simply can¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Then is all of this necessary? The destruction of my city? The deaths of thousands?!¡±


    ¡°I imagine you''re quite accustomed to death. And no, it wouldn¡¯t have been necessary had you simply given me Selyndra¡¯s Key.¡±


    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t have that damned orb! It was destroyed when Solis died.¡±


    ¡°STOP LYING!!¡± he screamed, his voice exploding in the air like a bomb, shaking the ground underneath them.


    Holo took another step back and gripped Lyrae¡¯s handle.


    Caligo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed his shoulders. ¡°...Despite the lies, Lunae, Bellum, and you concocted, I know what truly happened that night. I know Selyndra''s Key survived and I know where you¡¯re hiding it.¡±


    ¡°Even if that were true¡­ even if I had the orb, why would you want to cause a second Schism?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°The key did not cause the Schism, you fool.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you want Selyndra¡¯s Key?¡±


    ¡°Selyndra was my mother.¡±


    Holo frowned, ¡°The titan queen? But that would make you¡­¡± Her eyes widened in horrid realization.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re beginning to see the truth.¡±


    ¡°Ananta¡­ why¡­? You fought Unildyr! You fought the dragonbane! Why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°...I won¡¯t let you have it!¡± Holo clasped her hands together and a pillar of azure flames exploded underneath Caligo.


    The feathers of his cloak burned away in the heat, revealing the black scales underneath. As the fire died away and the smoke cleared, Caligo stood in the same spot he had been, unharmed. A faint golden sheen glimmered on the cloak¡¯s black scales.


    Caligo shook his head in disappointment. He grabbed Honorem and pulled the orichalcum sword out of the ground. ¡°I promise you, come dawn, I will have Selyndra¡¯s Key, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°I should have left you on that mountain all those centuries ago,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°I was grateful you found me that day. I had lost everything and I couldn¡¯t even remember it. If it wasn¡¯t for you I would never have regained my memories.¡± Caligo sighed, ¡°I would have let you live out your life in peace¡­ And then you betrayed Solis.¡±


    ¡°I always wondered why Solis acted so strange towards the end. He knew the truth about you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Caligo said nothing, but his silence said it all. Holo scoffed in disdain, ¡°You pretend like you¡¯re not a monster, but you destroy everything you touch.¡±


    ¡°Lin Lu doesn¡¯t wish for you to die. She still holds some sentiment for you after all these centuries.¡± He glanced at Eldrak and Oshnyr¡¯s wounds, even now they refused to heal properly, ¡°But I think we both know you¡¯re the only one in this city who poses a threat.¡±


    He suddenly spoke in a strange language and the two dragonbanes bowed their heads and left. Oshnyr took to the skies with a powerful beat of his wings and Eldrak ran off with heavy footsteps towards the wall.


    ¡°Just you and me then, hm?¡± Holo brandished Lyrae in front of her, the scythe slicing through the ground like paper.


    ¡°One last journey, hm, traveler?¡± he smiled.


    Holo clenched her jaw and tried to calm her rising anger. She forced herself to match his smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You¡¯ve tried to kill me several times before. Never quite worked out for you, did it?¡±


    His smile turned pitiful. ¡°Oh, Holo.¡±


    Caligo disappeared.


    A sharp pain stabbed into her back, right behind her heart. She flew forward and crashed through three houses. Her vision darkened at the edges. She gasped for breath. Blood filled her left lung; her broken ribs had punctured it.


    She gripped a broken plank and struggled to stand up.


    A figure flickered at the edge of her sight. ¡°You misunderstand me¡ª¡±


    Holo Flickered away in a panic and landed two streets away. She collapsed on the floor of an empty home and coughed up blood. Her mind rushed with thoughts.


    He wasn''t a True Orange, let alone a chromatic mage. How was he teleporting? Some sort of device maybe?


    Caligo appeared in the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to kill you¡ª¡±


    Holo Flickered to a nearby bridge that ran over the stream connecting both the Commoner and Trade Districts. Holo leaned on the bridge¡¯s railing for support and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. She grimaced as her broken ribs slowly slid out of her lung and reattached themselves.


    ¡°¡ªNot until now.¡±


    Caligo¡¯s figure flashed in front of her and for a brief moment Holo saw it. A chill ran down her back. There was no device. No spell. He wasn¡¯t teleporting. He was simply fast. Impossibly fast. Faster than she could¡ª


    His fist struck her chest. Her sternum cracked with a crunching noise. She flew back with a boom, smashing through the bridge railing and crashing into the stream in an explosion of water.


    ~~~


    ¡­The Western Wall¡­


    A familiar roar echoed in the night sky above them.


    Elzri looked up with wide eyes, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Oshnyr landed on the wall with a heavy thud. The nearby soldiers screamed in terror and tried to flee. His spiked tail lashed out and sent them all careening off the battlements.


    Elzri stared at the monster of the void in disbelief. The dragonbane¡¯s body was covered with deep gashes that oozed black blood, yet Elzri knew it was the same beast as before. Oshnyr¡¯s ebon eyes turned to him and reflected within was mutual recognition.


    The dragonbane bared its fangs and roared hungrily.

 Chapter 482: Song of the Forest

    Chapter 482: Song of the Forest


    ¡­3 days before the new moon¡­ 3 days before the siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    Vulture Woods was an expansive forest that stretched from the southern region of the Rupture Mountains, towards the south-west, where it met with its sister forest, Glimmer Grove. Ashen trees populated most of Vulture Woods, their scarlet leaves painting the canopy in hues of red, with the occasional oak and maple tree giving hints of green.


    The Sylvan army had stopped to rest for the evening and while they were busy setting up camp Stryg had slipped away, leaving Plum with a verbal message of his departure in case Elayne or the rest of his honor guard panicked.


    He felt somewhat bad for leaving without an announcement, his mother would surely have a fit, but he was keenly aware that had he stayed he would have been strapped down by war meetings and battle strategies. The days were already filled with martial planning, he didn¡¯t think he could bear it at night as well. Not that such talks were bad per se, but Tauri and the generals seemed much more suited to discussing the intricacies of warfare.


    It didn¡¯t help that he didn¡¯t know most of the terminology they spoke of. His mind would begin to wander and he found himself staring at Tauri. The way her amber eyes lit up as they spoke, she seemed in her element, and she wasn¡¯t just surviving in a room of skeptical grouchy old goblins, she was thriving.


    And though Stryg was the War Master, he had little experience with leading any group, let alone an army. He preferred if experts took charge in those matters, like noble daughters of Great Martial Houses, or warriors who had gained invaluable experience and survived countless battles through the years, like the War Elect Lykos or the Sylvan Guardian Arden.


    Stryg would be there when the time for battle came, at the front lines, fighting side by side with his Sylvan brothers and sisters, but until then he preferred to keep what little free time he had to himself.


    And so it was, Stryg had slipped out of the encampment with none the wiser and found himself a quiet alcove, tucked in a small clearing under the trees. He took off his boots and socks and sat down with his legs crossed in a meditating position Professor Ismene had taught him.


    Like other goblins, his pointed ears were at a horizontal angle, though his had a subtle droop. His ears occasionally twitched at a distant faint noise. The sound of a nearby stream he realized.


    Stryg closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath. Long grass tickled his bare feet and the scent of moss filled his nostrils. For a moment he forgot about the Marek and the valley armies, he forgot about Hollow Shade and the Sylvan folk. For a moment, the world of noise in his head fell away and the song of the forest whispered into his ear.


    A melody of nature, a poem of love to any who¡¯d listen. The notes, like the music of an instrument, whispered in the air, sang in the leaves, and spoke through the roots. The world around him grew and entwined itself within the song; the earth, the plants, the river, the animals running through the grass, they all carried their own unique notes, interspersed within a melody written by¡ªsomeone or something.


    A song. A song written long ago, before the Schism Age, before the Nexus Age, long before the Sylvan folk had first stepped into the Ebon Realm, when Vulture Woods belonged to no one but the land itself.


    The song called to him, like a long-lost friend. A voice, made not of vocal cords, but of something primal. It was born of love, joy, and fierce unapologetic will. As Stryg listened closely he couldn¡¯t help but feel as if there was pain, a sad discordant note that hadn¡¯t been there before, a crack that had grown with time. And within the pain, he felt it, he saw it, a familiar figure blurred under the veil.


    ¡°Stryg¡­?¡± the voice reached through the song, a soft whisper, mildly surprised.


    He knew that voice. She had sung to him so many times through the forest, a melody of nature, ever since he was a child. How could he have forgotten?


    ¡°You were there¡­¡± he mumbled.


    That night, when Rhian, Maeve, and he had escaped Mora Castle. When they had almost drowned in the icy Dire River. She was there. In his dream. Not Ann. Not Holo. Not Lunae. Something older. Something ancient.


    ¡°You were there¡­¡± he repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, aren¡¯t you?¡± the voice asked, though it did not sound like a question.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You are not ready.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I sent you the owl as a warning.¡±


    ¡°A warning?¡±


    ¡°Do not go to Holo¡¯s Shade, you are not ready,¡± the voice sounded further away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave, not again!¡±


    The blurred figure paused and glanced back at him. ¡°You found me. You¡¯ll find me again.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked desperately.


    The veil blurred her features, but Stryg could have sworn her lips curled in a smile. Her lips then parted and she whispered a name in silence. The veil darkened and the music began to fade.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go!¡± Stryg reached out with his hand and opened his eyes. He was alone in the clearing, no one in sight. The world was silent, the alcove was empty. The evening sun dyed the scarlet canopy a bright shade of red.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Stryg stared at his trembling hand. He curled his blue fingers into a fist. Just as how the song had slipped into his world, it now had slipped away, like a dream upon awakening.


    Her whisper had been silent and yet he had heard it, a name. ¡°Aleirune,¡± he spoke softly. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Stryg?¡± a worried voice called out.


    He glanced up in surprise. A massive snow-white wolf emerged from the woods and stepped into the clearing. The patch of tall grass was too small for the goddess and her wolfen black lips pulled back in a mild frown.


    ¡°Lunae?¡± Stryg mumbled. He immediately went to bow, but he stopped himself. Sensing she wouldn¡¯t approve of him bowing, he rose back up and inclined his head respectfully. ¡°Good evening, Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still here¡­¡± she noted.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°For a moment I lost sight of you. I came to make sure you were alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± he said abashedly. He hadn¡¯t realized that Lunae had been keeping an eye on him, though he supposed it made sense.


    So much for sneaking out¡­ he smiled wryly to himself.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hm? I¡¯m sorry, what was that?¡±


    The giant wolf blurred in a frosty mist and a young girl, as tall as him, walked out. Her long moon-white hair trailed behind her as she crossed the small clearing. Lunae appeared as young as some of the teenagers in the academy, but those careful thoughtful silver eyes betrayed her age.


    Stryg supposed she had taken this form to make him feel more comfortable around her. He wondered if this was what she looked like when she had been young, if gods were ever even children.


    Lunae stepped up next to him and sat down, their legs bumping into each other. ¡°I asked if you were having fun?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I was meditating, or at least trying to. And uh¡­¡± his voice trailed off. Would it sound crazy if he started spouting about hearing a song within the forest, a song he had heard ever since he had been a child?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, her eyes staring into him as if searching for the answer.


    Stryg forced himself to smile and he shook his head. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m still struggling to master the art of meditation.¡±


    ¡°You never could sit still for long,¡± she noted with a small smile of her own.


    Her words threw him off. Sometimes she would say things like that, as if they had known each other since forever.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± she asked.


    This time he smiled sincerely, a playful glint in his eye, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? You are the Watcher, the goddess of the moon, and all that.¡±


    ¡°Just because my sight is beyond that of mortals doesn¡¯t mean I can read your mind.¡± She nudged his shoulder, ¡°So, you came all the way out here just to master meditation?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever manage that. More like I¡¯m out here trying to learn how to control my mana flow.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the fundamentals of an Ebon Lord.¡±


    ¡°You know it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Every Ebon Lord struggles with the turbulent mixed jumble of chromatic Colors that is their mana flow. Without proper flow control, you¡¯ll never truly be able to bring out all your chromatic potential.¡±


    ¡°You know, I think that¡¯s actually kind of a relief. To know I¡¯m not the only one,¡± he admitted. ¡°Did my mother struggle with flow control?¡±


    ¡°Moreso than most. Your mother, like your old mentor Elohnoir, was an early bloomer mageborn. Her magic awakened several years earlier than others. But unlike Elohnoir, she had to deal with 10 Colors. It was disastrous at first.¡±


    ¡°How did she manage?¡± he asked, genuinely curious to hear of his mother¡¯s past.


    ¡°She focused on the colors she was most talented with, namely Green, and used it as a foundation, an anchor, to build upon and control the other Colors, one by one.¡±


    ¡°Is that what I should do?¡±


    ¡°Hm, possibly. Tell me, what Colors are you strongest with?¡±


    He straightened up. ¡°I¡¯ve mastered both Orange and Yellow¡¯s spell-forms, along with Grey¡¯s Curses, Green¡¯s Stone form, Blue¡¯s Torrent form, Red¡¯s Wards, White¡¯s Bright form, Black¡¯s Shadow form, and Brown¡¯s Vigor form,¡± he rattled off.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Lunae said with a proud smirk. ¡°What of the other spell-forms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m adept-ranked with the other spell-forms, for the most part.¡±


    ¡°For the most part?¡±


    ¡°There are a few spell-forms I have yet to learn¡­¡± he admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± she said, though there was no hint of malice or disappointment, she was genuinely curious and wanted to know more.


    Before Stryg might have felt uncomfortable admitting his weaknesses, but in front of her he felt like he could talk about them without being judged for it.


    ¡°...I never learned the enchantment spell-form. I mean, I know the sigils from the heart, better than any student at the academy, or professor for that matter. But engraving sigils into metal and rock, and then connecting them to magestones through mana pathways is just¡ª a lot. Not to mention the amount of time it would take to smith any enchanted objects. I preferred to spend my limited time mastering spell-forms that could provide me with a more immediate benefit.¡±


    ¡°Ever impatient, though such is youth,¡± Lunae noted warmly. ¡°Any other spell-forms?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, Red¡¯s Alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I take it you shared a similar opinion about its ¡®careful and long-winding¡¯ practices.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, b-but the smells were also terrible. My nose is very sensitive. I couldn¡¯t stop sneezing from some of the rare ingredients in the alchemy room.¡±


    ¡°There are masks for such things, but I imagine you had more ¡®practical¡¯ spell-forms to master first.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he admitted and formed a small flame over his open palm.


    ¡°Any more spell-forms?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡± He closed his fist and snuffed the flame. ¡°Black¡¯s Necromancy. It wasn¡¯t for a lack of trying, black was the first color I was ever taught. I could never quite get a single necromancy spell to work, no matter how hard I tried.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She cocked her head to the side, ¡°Hm, yes, I suppose it makes sense.¡±


    He looked up with a frown, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It goes against your nature.¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°What was the final spell-form?¡± she asked, switching topics.


    ¡°Storm magic,¡± he replied.


    Lunae nodded in understanding. ¡°The most destructive of the Chromatic spell-forms and also the most dangerous to its caster. Learning storm magic can be very dangerous, one misstep can cost you your life, it¡¯s why most Blues give up and simply stick with Torrent spells. For you storm magic would be especially difficult, I imagine.¡±


    ¡°Because of my nature?¡±


    ¡°No, because learning storm magic requires control of your emotions. And even now, I can sense there is great emotional turmoil within you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t read my mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to. I can feel it here,¡± she placed her hand over his heart. ¡°And here,¡± she shifted her hand slightly to the side, where his second heart beat.


    Stryg stared at her fingers. ¡°So I¡¯ll never learn storm magic then¡­¡±


    ¡°I never said that.¡± Lunae rose to her feet. ¡°Do you wish to learn the storm spell-form?¡±


    ¡°Yes? I mean, yes. Yes, I do,¡± he nodded, hope rising in his voice.


    She smirked, ¡°Then follow me.¡± Lunae turned around and walked back into the woods.

 Chapter 483: The Flow of Mana

    Chapter 483: The Flow of Mana


    ¡­3 days before the new moon¡­ 3 days before the siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    The pale moon was only a silver in the night sky, its fading light illuminating little of Vulture Woods. The scarlet canopy ate up most of the moonlight, leaving the forest floor dark. Yet Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes had no difficulty following Lunae in the dark. The goddess had shapeshifted into a young woman. Her long hair trailed behind her, somehow catching the moonlight, giving it a silver glow.


    The goddess led him away from the small clearing he had been meditating in and to a nearby stream. Even in the dark, the water was clear and Stryg could make out the pale rocks at the bottom. The river bank was covered in tall grass that brushed past his legs. The sound of the running stream echoed in his ears.


    Lunae glanced around and nodded to herself. ¡°This will do.¡± She patted Stryg¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Strip down to your undergarments.¡±


    His head shot up in surprise. ¡°Pardon?¡± he squeaked.


    ¡°Come on now, no need to be shy, hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, o-okay,¡± he blushed and nodded weakly.


    His people were comfortable with showing their bodies to one another, communal river showers were common. And yet, standing half-naked in front of a bonafide goddess made him feel exposed.


    Lunae stood next to him as he took off his jacket and shirt. There was no interest in her silver eyes, only a hint of impatience to get this over with. ¡°Child, I¡¯ve known you since you were a babe, there is nothing I haven¡¯t seen before.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Stryg mumbled. He wondered what she meant by her words. She had told him she had her eye on him for a long time, but he hadn¡¯t quite realized for how long. He knew his mother was one of Lunae¡¯s favored, so perhaps that was why.


    After he finished stripping down to his underwear he slipped out of his boots and took off his socks. The grass tickled his feet and the ground felt moist underneath his bare toes.


    ¡°Good, now go into the river,¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Was he taking a bath? Did she think he smelled? He resisted the urge to sniff his armpits.


    ¡°Little one, this will take a lot less time if you don¡¯t question my every word.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, sorry.¡± He dipped his head and hurried into the river. The water was icy cold to the touch and his skin prickled at the sensation. The cold didn¡¯t bother much, but his poor swimming abilities were always at the forefront of his mind whenever he waded into deep bodies of water.


    Fortunately, his feet touch the stream¡¯s bottom almost immediately. He gripped the smooth stones on the stream bed and waded deeper in until he was at the center of the running stream. The water reached a little below his waist. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.


    ¡°Now sit down,¡± Lunae said.


    This time, Stryg didn¡¯t hesitate. He lowered his body into the stream and sat on the smooth stones. The icy water reached his neck.


    ¡°Your tense. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and relax your muscles,¡± she added.


    Stryg closed his eyes and the world became dark. The sound of water running right by his ears sounded ever so clearer. He could feel the current pushing past him, trying to push him along.


    ¡°Very good, little one. Now, I want you to steady your breathing like when you''re meditating. Forget the world around you and look inward. Let yourself feel the chromatic mana beating within your heart.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re practicing flow meditation?¡± Stryg asked hesitantly. If that was the goal, then why did he have to sit in the water?


    As if reading his mind, Lunae answered, ¡°The river is the element of water. Blue mana has always been drawn to the water element. For a prime mage, learning how to control and steady one¡¯s mana flow can take years, and perfection can take a whole lifetime. Our goal tonight is not such mastery. No, what I want you to do is something more precise.¡±


    Lunae sat down at the riverbed and let her legs sink into the water. ¡°Instead of trying to control all the chromatic colors at once, I want you to isolate just a single color, Blue. All prime mages struggle with stabilizing their mana flow, but by isolating one color at a time you can make the task much easier. If you can do that, then you are on your way to learning the storm spell-form.¡±


    ¡°A steady flow is required for storm magic,¡± Stryg recalled Professor Isemene¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. Luckily for you, storm magic only needs a steady Blue flow. The river will help you find and isolate the color from the rest of the chromatic colors flowing within you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± Stryg took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and relaxed his muscles. If it wasn¡¯t for his heavy weight the river might have carried him away.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He pushed away thoughts of the looming war and his worries for his friends and family back at Hollow Shade. The forest¡¯s noises faded away, leaving only the sound of the river. He slowly leaned back and shifted his focus within.


    His heartbeat thrummed in his ears in a quiet steady beat.


    Ever so slightly, he coaxed the chromatic Blue mana from his heart and let it flow through his body as if he were going to cast a spell. The Blue mana responded and gradually seeped into his veins. At first, Stryg thought he had succeeded, but on closer inspection, he noticed there were traces of Green and Purple. The longer he concentrated on the mana, the more he noticed there were specks of each chromatic color within the Blue.


    This was what his mentors had referred to when they said prime mages struggled with mana flow more than any other mage. The colors were so interspersed within each other it was practically impossible to separate them.


    ¡°Take your time, I don¡¯t expect you to succeed on your first try. It¡¯s okay to fail,¡± Lunae said with a gentle tone.


    Her kindness was like a dagger in his chest. She didn¡¯t think he could do this. He had always been underestimated throughout his life, but somehow hearing it from her pained him more than the rest.


    Stryg clenched his jaw and tried again. He wasn¡¯t going to fail Lunae, not now, not ever. He willed his mana to retreat back into his heart and called forth Blue once more. As soon as it trickled into his veins he could feel traces of the others. He cursed silently and tried again. Again. And again.


    Each time felt slower than the last, the manipulation of his flow growing harder with every breath. His body¡¯s core began to warm up due to the energy manipulation and spread out to his extremities. He was suddenly glad to be in the icy water, though it did little to cool down his core.


    Lunae noticed his frustrated expression. ¡°Stryg,¡± she called out softly. ¡°You place too much importance on success. Failure is¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFailure is okay, I know.¡± But it¡¯s not. Not really.


    Several of his mentors had told him failure was okay, it was even to be expected, but that didn¡¯t make him feel any better. There were others who had succeeded before him, more quickly and efficiently.


    Lunae kicked her leg up and splashed water onto his face.


    He coughed and sat up with a jerk.


    ¡°I was going to say failure is necessary.¡± Lunae rested her elbow on her thigh and placed her hand on her chin. ¡°You see someone walking and you immediately try to run even though you can¡¯t even crawl yet. You¡¯ve always been like that. Stop comparing yourself to others. There is no one else here. Only you and me. If you want to learn how to do this you are going to have to fail, it is the path we all must walk.¡±


    Stryg stared at her uncertainly then nodded, ¡°...Okay¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now close your eyes and start over.¡±


    He did as she commanded and called forth Blue once more. Like every previous time, there were traces of other colors, though maybe it was a tad less, he wasn¡¯t certain.


    Perhaps the issue lay in the quantity?


    He tried again, this time with more mana. With it came more impurities. He tried summoning forth less mana with no significant difference in the ratio of colors.


    Disappointment began to settle within him, but instead of letting himself feel like a failure, he let the failure wash over him like the river and focused on the task at hand.


    Test after test, he tried all sorts of flow techniques to try and isolate the mana, but there was little success. Frustration bubbled at the pit of his stomach and rose with every attempt.


    He called Blue out once more, shouting in his mind with bouts of anger. The mana burst forth into his veins, but the color was different, no, not a color, something else. This was cold and it chilled the rising heat in his body¡¯s core. If the chromatics¡¯s flow was a quiet stream, then this was a violent roaring river. It surged through him and filled him with a strange feeling of¡ª power?


    Stryg recalled the feeling. He had felt it several times before; when he had fought Marek on Widow¡¯s Crag, when he helped lift the tree off Freya at the academy¡¯s grove, when he had defeated Sylvie at Undergrowth¡¯s coliseum. The feeling was strongest when he had collapsed on Shadow Lake.


    Holo¡¯s words that day echoed in his mind.


    Chaos mana.


    The one elemental mana that did not bind itself with any of the chromatic colors. In fact, Chaos did not bind itself with any element either. It was alone, always.


    So why do I feel it now?


    As the thought crossed his mind, he noticed the other chromatic colors were flowing through his body. The stream of colors was being pushed aside by the Chaos, its domineering force flowing within him without restraint. He tried to control it to no avail. He attempted to cut off the flow from its source, but the elemental energy did not come from his heart like the chromatic energies, no, this came from somewhere else, from the right side of his chest.


    ¡­My second heart¡­


    The thought seemed odd, but as he focused on his body, he could hear it, a second heartbeat interlaced with the first. He had always thought of them as one, but now he realized it was always two.


    The elemental flow slowed down and became a strange unpredictable pulsating force. It wasn¡¯t steady per se, but it wasn¡¯t causing havoc either. It was simply there. It had always been there, Stryg realized. Small, minute, flashes of Chaos throughout his entire body. It was a part of him. He had thought the elemental mana was going out of control, but it was only reacting to him, his frustration, his anger.


    Chaos wasn¡¯t uncontrollable, it was incredibly sensitive to him; his body, his thoughts, his will¡­ He opened his eyes and stared at his hand underneath the water. He wasn¡¯t a True Blue, he couldn¡¯t see the Chaos mana, but he knew it was there, flowing underneath his skin. The thought was somehow calming. The Chaos mana was like a quiet ambient sound, always there, never noticed, until the world had fallen silent.


    Ever since Shadow Lake it had grown stronger, more prevalent. Something within him had awakened that day. Vulture Woods had somehow reignited what had begun that day, as if the Chaos mana was helping him find a part of himself he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    The Chaos mana was louder now, louder than it had been most of the time. He knew it would eventually retreat back into his heart, but he didn¡¯t want to let it go, he didn¡¯t want to forget what it felt like, a fluctuating aura all around him, like a cold breeze hugging him close.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t blue mana,¡± Lunae noted.


    Stryg glanced up at her. He had forgotten she was there. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± he asked tentatively.


    ¡°...Yes and it is not what we came here to learn tonight.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he bowed apologetically.


    She sighed. ¡°In time, when you are ready and if you are still interested, I will teach you about the secrets of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said dryly. ¡°Now, enough with elemental energies. Focus on Blue and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± he said and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 484: Storm Magic

    Chapter 484: Storm Magic


    ¡­Vulture Woods¡­ 3 days before the new moon¡­ 3 days before the siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    The dark hours of the night slowly passed as Stryg sat neck-high in the stream. The cold water flowed past him, the noise rushing through his ears. After a while, all the noise fell away and Stryg was lost within the flow of his own mana. He didn¡¯t know how much time passed when he finally managed to isolate a thin thread of blue mana within his body.


    Stryg opened his eyes and grinned triumphantly, ¡°I did it!¡±


    Lunae smiled, pleased, ¡°Well done. Now, for the second step.¡± She stood up from the stone she had been sitting on and waded into the water. The current seemed to move around her small form instead of pushing it. She slipped through the water with ease and made her way behind Stryg.


    He glanced up at her expectantly.


    Lunae sat down behind him, the water rising right below her neck. Her long white hair floated up and around them, like a crescent moon. ¡°A common misconception of storm magic is that the caster must always be in control of their emotions. It isn¡¯t true. Once you¡¯ve learned how to cast storm magic, you¡¯ve learned how to control its current, you will be able to cast storm spells even under duress.¡±


    ¡°That explains a lot actually,¡± Stryg muttered. He had wondered how Nora had learned storm magic after everything she had gone through. He had always simply assumed she was a blue mage prodigy, which he guessed, she was, but it seemed to be more than that.


    ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®learning part¡¯ of storm magic that is tricky. Don¡¯t get me wrong, you can still lose control of your storm magic if your focus isn¡¯t iron. But that is why we¡¯re here. To forge your focus and will.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    ¡°You mustn''t let yourself falter because of your emotions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can do that?¡± he admitted with a whisper.


    ¡°No one begins being certain. It is something you learn with time. When casting storm spells you must remember, no matter what, to hold fast to your convictions. A weak will can prove fatal to any mage, especially a storm caster.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m really not sure I can do this,¡± he chuckled playfully, though there was a trace of worry in his voice.


    ¡°It takes a lot of willpower and concentration to cast storm spells, but unlike yourself, I believe in you, Stryg. It¡¯s time you do the same.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Okay¡­ Okay,¡± he nodded, this time more confidently. He raised his hands out of the water and paused, ¡°Um, in case this doesn¡¯t go well, shouldn¡¯t you be outside of the water? So you don¡¯t get electrocuted with me?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite.¡± She placed her hand on his back, between his shoulder blades. ¡°I¡¯m here, so you don¡¯t get electrocuted. Relax, Stryg. It¡¯s alright to make mistakes. You will make them, trust me. And at the end of this, you will come out that much stronger for it.¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath and nodded. Closing his eyes, he tried recalling the first and only storm spell his Blue magic teacher had ever taught. It was a simple electric current that ran through the hand and could potentially stun one¡¯s target on contact. Of course, without proper control, the caster would stun themselves. Which did happen. Multiple times. Until Ismene declared him unfit for storm magic entirely.


    Not the point. Focus¡­ focus¡­ focus¡­ he repeated to himself.


    He called forth the strand of Blue mana he had managed to isolate and began coaxing it into a thread, the beginnings of a spell. He imagined the spell¡¯s design and willed it into existence. The Blue thread flickered within his hand and a small electric current sparked to life. His forearm immediately began to spasm like so many times before. Stryg flinched instinctively, expecting the pain to run up his arm, but the pain never came.


    He turned his head and saw Lunae staring back at him with a calm smile. ¡°It was a good first try. Again.¡±


    Stryg nodded hesitantly and started from the beginning. He called forth another strand of Blue, careful to isolate it from the other chromatic colors, and began to form it into a thread.


    As the hours passed by, Stryg¡¯s patience and willpower began to dwindle. He had managed to form the correct spell form without a single mistake and yet, he couldn¡¯t get the electric current under control. Lunae didn¡¯t say much, she watched and waited patiently.


    Finally, his frustration got the best of him and he yelled, ¡°Gods dammit!¡± He stiffened, ¡°Uh. I mean, n-no dammit?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Lunae cracked a small grin. ¡°Stryg, take a deep breath. You¡¯re letting your anger get the better of you. Emotions are poison in storm spell training.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Everything is okay.¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Everything is okay. I told you, your failure to conjure a proper current is okay. No one here is judging you. This session does not determine your worth, not a single iota.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, I know,¡± he mumbled in a tight voice.


    ¡°Do you? Few people have said that to you before. Even now you still struggle to believe you are worthy.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t read minds? Am I that transparent?¡± he chuckled self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°...You grew up failing expectations so often that you began to believe you were unworthy to stand by your peers. And when your magic revealed itself people began to throw you on a pedestal, they said you were above your peers. But deep down you feel like it''s all a lie, that you¡¯re deceiving them all.¡±


    ¡°I guess I am transparent,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re just fallible, like everyone else. Simply because you fail doesn¡¯t mean any of those small-minded people were right about you. It¡¯s not about being above or below others. You are you, Stryg, mistakes, triumphs, and all. People love you for who you are. It¡¯s time you do the same.¡±


    ¡°The same¡­?¡± Stryg stared at his hand and slowly channeled Blue. A small current sparked into existence and jumped between his fingers in a steady flow. His eyes widened in excitement, ¡°I did it!¡± He turned and jumped to his feet, water splashing all around him. ¡°I did it!¡±


    His laughter was infectious and Lunae soon joined him. He threw his arms up triumphantly and let himself fall back into the water. His heavy limbs crashed into the stream and he sank like a stone. Channeling a bit of Blue, he willed the stream to push him to the surface. He spat out a bit of water and laughed.


    ¡°You did well, little one,¡± Lunae noted with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°This is a good time to take a break,¡± she glanced at the rising sun. ¡°Get some rest. We¡¯ll continue later.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been here all night.¡± He waded his way out of the stream. He picked up his dry clothes from the shore and looked back, ¡°Are you coming?¡±


    Lunae closed her eyes and let the warmth of the sun kiss her silver skin. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here for a bit. Go on without me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be going then. ¡­Thank you, for everything, Mother Moon,¡± he bowed and left quietly.


    ~~~


    Stryg stared at his hand as he snuck back into camp. Lunae¡¯s words still echoed in his mind. The little voice that whispered in his mind about how he wasn¡¯t enough was still there, but it was easier to ignore.


    People love you for who you are. It¡¯s time you do the same. He repeated her words in his mind once more.


    He curled his hand into a fist. The spell hadn¡¯t been much, a simple thing, but he had done it, after a hundred mistakes, he had done it, and for today, for the first time, it felt like it was enough.


    Stryg smiled to himself and headed towards his tent when he caught a whiff of a meat stew in the air. Pulling his cowl more tightly over his head, he made his way towards the smell. He passed by a few goblins on his way, he kept his head down and said nothing. The goblins walked by with barely a glance. Stryg was suddenly grateful he had opted to bring an ordinary cloak instead of Blossom with him, the flower cloak brought too much attention.


    Despite the early hour, the cooks were hard at work; chopping vegetables, skinning fresh meat, and stirring large iron pots over several fires. A few hunters, with their bows strapped on their backs, were already in line. Stryg got behind them and kept his head down. When his turn came, he walked up and held out his hand expectantly.


    The cook grabbed her ladle and poured a full serving into a wooden bowl, but just as she was about to hand it to Stryg she stopped and frowned. ¡°Oi, what are you doing here? Hunters and warriors have priority for meals. Go to the back and wait for them to finish first.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± It had slipped Stryg¡¯s mind. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll, uh, yeah¡­¡±


    He supposed he¡¯d go hungry. It was fine. He¡¯d have someone fetch him a meal later, probably after a long nap.


    As Stryg lowered his hand to leave the cook caught sight of his blue fingers. Her face scrunched up in confusion. She looked up at him and tried to peer through the hood of his cloak. Stryg looked away and pulled his cowl closer.


    The cook¡¯s eyes flickered between his hand and his hidden visage. Her yellow eyes widened in understanding. ¡°Ah-Ahem. Sorry, Chos¡ª, I mean, um.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Just a moment.¡± She grabbed her ladle and poured him an extra helping of stew, then with a small bow of her head, she very carefully handed him the bowl.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said awkwardly and grabbed the bowl.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome! I mean, not a problem, fellow Sylvan. We all must do our part for the good of our people.¡± She winked overtly then turned to the next hunter in waiting.


    Not waiting to see if others noticed the strange interaction, Stryg grabbed his bowl and hurried off. He soon noticed he had forgotten to grab a spoon, but he didn¡¯t mind and opted to sip the stew as if it were a drink.


    As he walked he noticed two of his honor guards slowly coming up on his flanks. Neither of them said anything and they opted to keep a bit of distance. Enough to not draw suspicion, but close enough to intervene if something happened.


    Stryg was grateful for their discretion, no doubt a product of their Captain Elayne¡¯s diligence to her duties.


    He had almost finished the stew by the time his tent came into sight. It was an overtly large scarlet tent, made of some silky yet tough fabric from the days of Lunis. Stryg preferred something smaller, but the Warrior Elect had insisted. It was tradition, or so Lykos had said. Stryg honestly had no idea.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± a familiar voice called out coldly.


    He stopped mid-stride and slowly looked up. Tauri stood there with her arms crossed and a slight scowl on her red cheeks.


    He swallowed the last of the soup in his mouth, ¡°...Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you done hiding from your responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡±


    ¡°Good. We need to talk.¡± She threw the tent flaps open and marched inside.


    He sighed. ¡°...Yes.¡±

 Chapter 485: PLUMELAAAA!!

    Chapter 485: PLUMELAAAA!!


    Stryg pushed the tent flaps open and strode inside. Tauri was already pacing around, her scarlet fingers tapping at her side, as if ready to draw her spiked mace at the slightest surprise.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said carefully.


    ¡°Where have you been the last few days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around, mostly here,¡± he said evasively.


    ¡°Plum and I stop by your tent every few hours but you¡¯re never here. The Shaman and War Elects don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve been either. Bloody Bellum, even your own honor guard loses track of you! And your mom? Pft, your mom would rather die than tell me anything about you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been busy¡ª¡±


    ¡°With what? We¡¯re about to head into war and I haven¡¯t seen you in a single war meeting. Where were you last night?¡±


    ¡°I was¡­¡± Stryg shrugged and walked around her, careful to give her a wide berth. He sat atop his travel chest, the wood creaking underneath his weight, and turned to face her. He thought walking over here to sit down would give him a chance to think up a good answer. It didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I was busy meditating with Lunae,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Meditating? You hate meditating.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You literally fell asleep while meditating.¡±


    ¡°That was one time.¡±


    She gave him a dry look.


    ¡°Okay, maybe more than once. But so what? It¡¯s not like I¡¯d be much help in any of those war meetings. I¡¯m not a general. I wasn¡¯t trained in the Sylvan warrior path. I didn¡¯t go to Hollow Shade¡¯s martial academy.¡± He gestured towards her, ¡°And I¡¯m not a scion of a martial Great House either.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow. ¡°Really? You could have fooled me, Veres.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°My point is, you¡¯ve proven yourself a warrior countless times.¡± She laughed with disbelief, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t have anything to offer ¡ªwhich you definitely do¡ª you could still learn a lot from the war meetings.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± he said dismissively.


    ¡°Stryg, this isn¡¯t a game or some stupid test. They expect you to lead them.¡±


    He stared down at the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose this. I didn¡¯t want to be their War Master. And neither do they. Not the Elects, nor the chieftains.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But Lunae does. The literal goddess of the moon chose you. So who gives a fuck if the Elects didn¡¯t pick you for the job. I mean, you¡¯re you, Stryg!¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You idolize the moon goddess. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re not jumping up to do everything she tells you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a figurehead, Tauri. I¡¯m not an actual general. And I¡¯m certainly not a War Master.¡±


    She narrowed her amber eyes, ¡°That really bothers you doesn¡¯t it? Being War Master? I see the way you wince and pull away every time someone calls you it. Why does it bother you so much? Isn¡¯t this what you always wanted? To have power? To be the leader of a tribe. To be respected by the Sylvan folk? Well, you got it. All of it. So why do you seem so unhappy?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want an army. I just wanted to save my friends back in Hollow Shade. I wanted the Sylvan¡¯s respect because I was tired of being an outsider in my own village; I wanted them to accept me, not this!¡± He gestured to the outside. ¡°Have you seen the way they look at me? They practically worship me!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking!?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I know many nobles who would love to be in your shoes right now.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    He rolled his lilac eyes, ¡°Yeah, until everyone is dying around you on the battlefield and they are all looking at you to save them. I¡¯m not a hero out of the legends, Tauri. I¡¯m just me¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that, Stryg,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°You wanted to know why I haven¡¯t been ¡®around¡¯? It¡¯s because I¡¯m not good with war meetings, any meetings really. I¡¯ve always done better alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not good with crowds, I get it.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t good at anything.¡± He stared at his hand and a flame sparked to life on his palm, ¡°But magic? I¡¯m good at magic, I understand it, instinctively. It comes easy to me. It always has, ever since it awoke within me.¡± He smiled wryly, ¡°It was the first time I was good at something. Even Blue storm magic, I can learn it, I can master it, I know I can! I¡¯m a prime mage. People dream of being talented in magic, but I actually am. I can do this.¡± He clenched his fist and snuffed the flame out.


    Stryg glanced at the tent flap, ¡°But that, out there, I have no idea what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°So what, you¡¯re gonna give up? Leave the people out there all on their own?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said resolutely. ¡°No, I¡¯ll be there. Fighting on the front lines like anyone else. Even if I don¡¯t know how to lead them, at least I can fight and bleed beside them.¡± He closed his eyes and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s all I can do.¡±


    Tauri walked over and sat on the chest with him, their backs to each other. ¡°...Maybe that¡¯s enough. Maybe they don¡¯t need a hero out of legends. Maybe all they need is to see you out there. To know that they aren¡¯t all alone. A little hope, you know? You can give that to them.¡±


    ¡°They have a goddess on their side, I don¡¯t think they need me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°They need someone who is one of them. Not a goddess they can¡¯t understand, or an orc outsider for that matter.¡±


    Stryg stayed quiet. He felt uncertain of what to say.


    Tauri groaned, ¡°Look, you don¡¯t need to attend the war meetings if you don¡¯t want to, but at least let the people see you. Let them know that you stand with them. They are marching to war because of you. You owe them that much.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She leaned her head back and touched the back of his own. ¡°You can make it up to me with a drink when we get back to the city. If we ever make it out alive from all this bullshit,¡± she muttered.


    Without turning around, Stryg reached out and grabbed her scarlet hand.


    She glanced down at his pale blue hand and slowly interlaced her fingers with his own. ¡°...So you learned to cast storm magic, huh?¡±


    ¡°A little bit,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°You still suck at swimming.¡±


    ¡°That says more about you as my swim teacher than it does about me.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. I walked into that one, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    He scoffed with a smirk. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°...You know, we might die in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Your hand is cold.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­?¡± he squeezed her hand ever so slightly. ¡°Yours is warm.¡±


    They both turned their heads and stared at each other from the corner of their eyes.


    ~~~


    Plum weaved her way through the tents and ashen trees without ever glancing up from her book. The pages entailed spell threads for complex mind spells she had never read about in the academy¡¯s library. She had borrowed the book from one of the shamans of the Frost Whisper tribe.


    The spells contained within the tome were fascinating, but there were several passages written in old arcana that she couldn¡¯t decipher. She hoped Stryg could shed some light on them.


    As Plum made her way to his residence, she spotted his honor guard standing in a wide perimeter around the crimson tent.


    Good, he¡¯s actually here for once.


    Elayne spotted Plum walking up and she quickly moved in her path. ¡°Miss Plumela, the War Master can¡¯t see you right now.¡±


    ¡°Stand down, Captain, I¡¯m on official business,¡± she lied without missing a beat and walked around the armored goblin.


    ¡°Really? Oh,¡± she stepped back in her way, ¡°Even still¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t chat. ~Very serious orders from the top~¡± Plum pointed at the book, ¡°They need Stryg¡¯s help.¡± She spun around Elayne and skipped her way to the tent.


    ¡°The War Master is busy! Please come back later,¡± Elayne called out, though her voice was faltering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll make time for me,¡± Plum winked back at her, before walking inside. She pushed the tent flaps open, ¡°Oi! Stryg, I need your help¡ª!¡± Plum stiffened and her eyes widened in surprise, ¡°¡ªwith this passage¡­¡± The book slipped out of her hands.


    Tauri atop the bedroll, naked and panting. Her scarlet skin was flushed and her short black was slick with sweat. Stryg laid above her in a naked embrace, his hands wrapped around her hips, and her legs wrapped around him.


    Stryg noticed Plum first and gave her a quick cursory glance before returning to his activities.


    Tauri looked up a second later and her face paled in horror. ¡°PLUM!? What are you¨C!? Get out¡ª! Augh! Stryg, stop!¡±


    Plum did a 180-degree turn and walked right out, forgetting her book on the ground.


    Elayne was waiting outside with a troubled expression. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Plum pretended she wasn¡¯t there and fiddled with her round glasses.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Plum answered tersely.


    ¡°Was the Chosen able to help with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± Elayne smiled sympathetically. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m good. Thanks.¡± Plum walked off but suddenly stopped in her tracks. ¡°Ah, actually. Do you know anywhere I could hide from a bloodthirsty orc hellbent on killing me? No?¡±


    ¡°PLUMELAAAA!!¡± Tauri roared from inside the tent.


    Plum smiled stiffly and nodded, ¡°You know what, I¡¯m just gonna go.¡± She channeled Purple and wrapped herself in a cloak of illusion.

 Chapter 486: The Sword Paragon Part 1

    Chapter 486: The Sword Paragon Part 1


    Hollow Shade¡­ The Western Wall¡­


    A familiar roar echoed in the night sky above them.


    Elzri Noir looked up with wide eyes, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Oshnyr landed on the wall with a heavy thud. The nearby soldiers screamed in terror and tried to flee. His spiked tail lashed out and sent them all careening off the battlements.


    Elzri stared at the monster of the void in disbelief. The dragonbane¡¯s body was covered with deep gashes, yet Elzri knew it was the same beast as before. Oshnyr¡¯s head swayed towards him, and within his jet-black eyes was a glint of recognition.


    The dragonbane bared its dozens of razor fangs and roared hungrily. Dark ichor dripped from the beast¡¯s wounds that did not seem to heal, yet it did not deter the beast¡¯s rage.


    Elzri felt a chill run up his spine. He had left the monster with Holo, before flying to the wall. Clearly the injuries on its body meant she had overpowered the monster and yet, if the dragonbane was here, then did that mean Holo was¡­?


    No, he couldn¡¯t think that way; he couldn¡¯t allow himself to. If anyone was capable of surviving these abominations it was the legendary mage who wielded Flicker magic.


    Elzri glanced around, hoping to catch some glimpse of Holo, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    Oshnyr opened his wings wide, the spikes at the ends dripping with scarlet blood, from the dead soldiers or Holo, Elzri did not know.


    The old archmage¡¯s expression turned stony with resolve. The last of the Noirs stood a few meters behind him. Caligo had haunted his family for the last 700 years. He would not let the dark god take one more Noir life, not while he still had breath.


    ¡°Sister, take Loh and Una and get out here,¡± he said without glancing back. Orange mana surged in his veins and blue flames sparked to life in his hands.


    Oshnyr suddenly leaped forward, claws, wings, and tail poised to strike. Azure flames exploded from Elzri¡¯s right and left and condensed in front of him in a pillar of fire that crashed into Oshnyr. The dragonbane roared in pain as it fell backwards, the flames burning the more vulnerable parts of his exposed wounds.


    Elzri stared at the sight in shock. He hadn¡¯t cast those flames¡­ Elzri turned and saw his sister walking up next to him, azure flames burning bright in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore, Riri,¡± Una said calmly. ¡°You do not fight this battle alone.¡±


    A small bittersweet smile crept up on Elzri¡¯s grey lips. How long had it been? How long had he fought alone to protect their House?


    ¡°Together¡­?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Together,¡± Una nodded.


    A sense of pride welled up within Elzri¡¯s chest.


    Oshnyr stood to his feet with a growl, smoke still sizzling from his wounds.


    Una narrowed her icy blue eyes. ¡°Those injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Lady Holo¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Good. The beast is weakened.¡±


    Loh, Unalla, and the few remaining soldiers watched in silence as the greatest mages of Hollow Shade summoned forth their power. Orange mana swelled within the archmages. The scent of smoke filled the air and azure flames blazed to life around Elzri and Una.


    ~~~


    Hollow Shade¡­ The Southern Gate¡­


    Elise, Seventh Lady of the Great House of Veres, commander of the first-class armies of Veres, and mistress of the legendary Gale blademasters, sat atop her centaur and listened to Lady Gale¡¯s news with utter silence. Elise had always felt confident in her control of words and hearts, she always knew what to say to sway the minds of the most stubborn souls and to calm even the angriest of lords. And yet as Lady Gale spoke of the enemy armies swarming towards the molten gate, for the first time in many years, Elise was at a loss of words.


    When she had first received news of the strange monsters in the sky and how they had struck down the armies of shades and the wall itself, Elise felt as if she was in a dream. None of this was real. But now, not half-an-hour later, she felt as if she was in a nightmare.


    ¡°We must reinforce the soldiers at the molten gate, we cannot let the enemy breach the city!¡± said Lynette in a valiant voice.


    Like every Veres, Elise was assigned a personal guardian of House Gale. For Elise, it was Lynette. The two of them had spent their entire lives together. Lynette had shadowed her every step of the way towards her climb to power. So long as Lynette was by her side, Elise felt safe, in control, like there was no challenge too great they could not overcome together.


    Elise felt no such sense of comfort as she looked upon her best friend.


    ¡°We cannot reinforce the soldiers at the molten gate,¡± Lady Gale said bitterly.


    ¡°Why not!?¡± Lynette asked indignantly. ¡°They need us!¡±


    ¡°The enemy numbers are too great. They won¡¯t just attack the molten gate. If we leave our post then the south gate will fall as well and everyone left here will die.¡±


    Lynette bit her lip. ¡°Lord Glaz¡¯s army is here, they can stay and defend the southern gate while we head to the molten gate.¡±


    ¡°The reason both our armies are here is because both House¡¯s soldiers were depleted in the skirmish in the valley. We do not have the numbers to defend both gates,¡± said Gale bitterly.


    ¡°So what? We just stand here and let them be overrun at the molten gate?!¡± Lynette cried out. She turned to Elise, ¡°There must be something we can do!¡±


    Elise blinked. ¡°...Something¡­ we can do¡­?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°My Lady, what are your orders?¡± Lady Gale asked grimly.


    Elise slowly stared between the two Gale women. She realized they were asking for her insight, for an answer that could somehow solve this bloody mess.


    Elise chuckled quietly to herself and balled her small gloved hands into fists. This realm, no, this entire world was ridiculous. She had no answers, the only thought coursing through her mind was sheer frustration.


    Her entire life, Elise had spent trying to survive in the House of Veres. She had struggled to thrive in the shadows of her own siblings. How many countless hours had she spent trying to master the black magic arts of her family? Only to be outshined by both her elder siblings again and again. Thanks to the personal tutors of House Gale, her sword skills were far above the average swordsman, and yet they paled in comparison to her younger sister, Ava.


    The late Lord Eldrin Veres had spent his time grooming his eldest child and heir, Carmilla, in the ways of martial warfare, for which their House was known for. He had spent little time teaching Elise any such knowledge. Elise expected nothing else, her whole life no one had expected anything from the 3rd child of Lord Veres. Carmilla¡¯s star was too bright, all eyes were focused on her.


    That was fine with Elise. She would grow in the shadows, greater than any of them. She had devoted her time and energy to learning and mastering the deadly political web of Hollow Shade. This was her domain and she ruled it well. When the opportunity finally arose, she hadn¡¯t hesitated to consolidate her power. Carmilla was dead, slain in battle. Ava and Feryd were both dead, poisoned by her own hand. Only Callum, her beloved younger brother, lived.


    The throne of the Great House of Veres was finally Elise¡¯s and only hers. After the deaths of her siblings, she had swiftly crushed any potential rebellion and took full control of her House. Her vassals and servants were loyal, the other lords and ladies feared her, and the power of House Veres was on the rise once more. She had worked her entire life for her ¡®seat at the table¡¯ and now everything she knew was on the verge of collapse because of some barbarian warlord and these monsters of forgotten legend?


    The world was ridiculous indeed.


    Lynette and Gale stared at her silently, a hint of worry building up in their expressions. Elise laughed. They wanted answers? She had none to give.


    An interesting sight in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A scout was giving Lord Lucius Glaz the news. The drow¡¯s face slowly turned dark as he no doubt realized the dire situation. As Elise watched him, she noticed a glimmer of light in his eyes, the cogs of his mind working to solve the problem.


    A small fire of hope sparked in Elise¡¯s heart. Lucius had been trained by his late mother, Lady Ayda Glaz, the only mage said to have rivaled Elzri in power and wit. If there was anyone here who might have an idea of how to get out of this clusterfuck it was him.


    Lucius suddenly met her gaze and with a determined expression, he turned his centaur around and trotted up towards her.


    Finally, Elise sighed in relief.


    A pale blur dived down from the sky and crashed into the middle of the stationed armies like a thundering meteor. Chunks of rock ripped out of the ground and flew outwards, ripping apart soldiers in chunks of viscera and steel. An explosion of dust and smoke blasted away anyone in a twenty-meter radius.


    Elise hadn¡¯t had a moment to react. Lynette jumped off her centaur and tackled Elise to the ground as the blast hit them. The world went dark, the soldiers¡¯ torches doused in an instant.


    A high-pitch noise rang in Elise¡¯s ears. She blinked blearily. Her scarlet vampiric eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness. Someone was saying something, but she couldn¡¯t quite make it out.


    ¡°...sive cir¡­ dy has¡­ llen¡­!¡±


    It was Lady Gale¡¯s voice she realized dimly. A warm liquid trickled down the side of Elise¡¯s forehead. The scent of blood pierced through the smoke and dust. She was bleeding, some small part of her mind whispered, but it didn¡¯t seem all that important. She tried to stand, but her legs felt weak. Lynette was suddenly there, lifting her up by the shoulders.


    ¡°...can y¡­ stand!?¡± Lynette called out.


    ¡°W-What¡­?¡± Elise blinked slowly.


    ¡°Can you stand!?¡± Lynette¡¯s voice sounded more clearly.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I think so¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Defensive circle! Our lady has fallen!¡± Gale¡¯s voice rang clear in the air.


    Several Gale warriors dressed in their icon blood-red cloaks had already formed a protective circle around Elise and Lynette, swords and shields at the ready. Lady Gale stood in front of them, shouting orders. Veres soldiers scrambled to their feet and hurried to form ranks.


    Elise glanced around in a daze, trying to capture the situation. Clouds of dust were slowly fading away, revealing hundreds of crushed bodies, many little more than scrapes of red on the shattered cobblestone.


    The deep blue armor of House Glaz¡¯s elite mage-guards caught her eye. They were in a small pile a ways away. Shards of rock had torn through their armor and flesh. At the center of the guards was Lucius. His centaur lay on top of him, his upper half gone, no more than viscera in the wind and earth. Lucius lay prone, a chunk of rock embedded in his chest.


    What sort of power did this¡­? she wondered in horror.


    As the smoke cleared, Elise saw her answer. A large silhouette amidst the dust clouds. A group of Glaz and Veres mages encircled the dragonbane, Nethlas. The monster stood as tall and as wide as a small house. Bolts of fire, lightning, and light struck her pale translucent flesh to no avail.


    It¡¯s immune to magic¡­!


    Nethlas whipped her tail around her. The spikes at the tail¡¯s end tore through the mages in the blink of an eye.


    Elise felt her body stiffen in terror. She hadn¡¯t seen it. The tail had moved in a blur. The mages had been there and were suddenly gone, only bits of bones and flesh remained in spatters of blood.


    ¡°FIRE!!¡± Lady Gale shouted.


    The Veres archers drew back their bows and loosed volley after volley of arrows. The wooden shafts broke apart as they clashed harmlessly off the beast. It was as if they were shooting at a stone wall.


    Weapons don¡¯t work either¡­!


    Nethlas laughed a deep dark rumble and eyed all her prey hungrily.


    ¡°RETREAT!¡± Gale called out. ¡°RETREAT!¡±


    Elise¡¯s knees gave out and she collapsed on the floor. It was hopeless. There was no killing this beast, this nightmare.


    ¡°My lady!¡± Lynette said panickedly and rushed to her side.


    The earth abruptly shook under their feet and a loud grating noise echoed behind them. Elise slowly turned around. A large boulder that had crashed into the garrison was shaking. Beams of wood and stone bricks shifted away as a lone man hefted the boulder off him. The elder vampire dusted off his clothes and his trimmed salt and pepper beard.


    As Glaz and Veres soldiers scrambled away from the dragonbane, the old man walked forward, and with each step, it seemed almost as if he was growing taller. Lightning crackled at his fingertips and with a quick snap of his wrist, bolts of lightning flew out and struck Nethlas.


    The lightning arced off her flesh in bright blue sparks before being absorbed into her body. Nethlas cocked her head to the side and stared at him, a curious look in her black eyes.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Gian blinked in surprise. It really is immune to magic, he thought. Among the city¡¯s archmages, his magical prowess was on the lower end of the spectrum, but he was still an archmage. For his magic to do nothing¡­


    Sensing his thoughts, Nethlas scrunched her snout and pulled her grey lips back in a horrid smile, black teeth slick with blood and saliva.


    ¡°Uncle, run away!¡± Gale shouted.


    Yet Gian Gale did not take a step back. He strode forward until he stood in front of Nethlas and stared her down without fear.


    Nethlas growled a gravelly noise and narrowed her eyes. Her spike tail swayed back and forth, slicing the cobblestone around her.


    Without breaking eye contact, Gian drew his sword, Primoria. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres, be it monster or man, here I stand¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gian!¡± Elise cried out panickedly. ¡°Steel doesn¡¯t work on it¡ª!¡±


    The dragonbane¡¯s tail whipped out in a blinding flash and struck Gian. Before he could even move, his body split in two in a spatter of blood. Nethlas pulled her tail back, blood dripping from its spikes.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± Elise cried out.


    Gale stayed silent, whether out of shock or horror, Elise did not know. She turned to see Lynette¡¯s expression, but Lynette¡¯s face held a similar expression to her cousin¡¯s. Elise slowly turned back to the gruesome scene. Her heart skipped a beat. Gian stood in the same spot, his body intact.


    ¡°I am the Shield of Veres,¡± Gian spoke coldly. ¡°Be it monster or man, here I stand, and I shall not falter.¡± He raised Primoria¡¯s golden blade, it was slick with black ichor.


    Nethlas furrowed her brow and glanced at her tail, a deep gash ran along its length and oozed black blood.

 Chapter 487: The Sword Paragon Part 2

    Chapter 487: The Sword Paragon Part 2


    ¡­3 centuries earlier¡­


    A young boy practiced his swordsmanship under a tree in the gardens of the Gale manor. Despite only having seen 11 summers, each strike was done with masterful skill. He moved underneath the winding branches of the yew tree with graceful precision, careful to not cut a single leaf.


    Gian stopped his arm mid-thrust and relaxed his muscles. The wind felt brisk as it blew over his sweat-covered skin. His breathing was heavy but steady. Deciding to take a break, he sheathed his sword and sat down underneath the tree, leaning on the trunk for support.


    It was here, a year ago, when his older sister had made him a promise the day she left. If he behaved well and studied hard in his classes and training, when Stryga returned she would take him to his favorite bakery and they¡¯d eat as much cake as he¡¯d like.


    Gian leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed.


    It had been a year, but she still hadn¡¯t returned. The adults whispered about where Lady Veres could be, but Gian wasn¡¯t worried. He knew Stryga would come back to him, all he had to do was wait under the yew tree for her just as they had promised.


    Until then¡­


    Gian drew his sword and raised it high.


    I¡¯ll protect both our Houses in your stead.


    ~~~


    ¡­Present Day¡­ Hollow Shade¡­ Southern Gate¡­


    The dragonbane Nethlas furrowed her brow and glanced at her tail, a deep gash ran along its length and oozed black blood. Gian stood across from her, Primoria in hand, the golden blade dripping with black blood.


    ¡°Hm, so you¡¯re not impervious after all,¡± Gian noted.


    Nethlas growled a deep rumble at the insolent man. The wound on her tail closed and the flesh knitted itself back together in front of his very eyes.


    Gian furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side, ¡°Interesting.¡± He raised Primoria and took a defensive stance.


    Nethlas roared, sending tremors through the ground, and charged him. The enormous beast barrelled through Veres and Glaz soldiers as if they were grass underneath her feet. She raised her tail and struck like a scorpion at Gian. The elder vampire¡¯s form blurred. The stinger seemed to stab into his chest, but a moment later his figure fell apart and shifted a few centimeters to the side.


    The dragonbane pushed forward, not giving him a chance to retreat. Gian ducked underneath her clawed swipe and channeled Orange. He coated Primoria in flames and slashed at Nethlas¡¯ forearm. The flames died even before the blade had struck her translucent-grey hide. Nethlas pulled back with a flinch and reflexively swung her tail out. Gian jumped away and landed softly on his feet.


    He stared at the shallow cut on the beast¡¯s forearm and frowned. In a matter of seconds, the wound had disappeared without a trace. Nethlas pulled her black lips back in a spiteful grin and leaped at him. Her spiked wing tips slashed out in wide arcs as she swiped the air with translucent claws.


    Gian¡¯s body blurred once more, dodging each strike. He channeled life force energy into his blade, coating the golden edge with green hues. Weaving through her stinger and claws, Gian ran his sword across her calf, before dashing between her legs.


    Nethlas spun around and stumbled as her wounded leg faltered underneath her massive weight. Gian stared at the wound carefully. This time the cut was deeper and it took a few more moments to heal. He glanced at Primoria; the life force coating on the blade was withered and breaking apart, but it was still there.


    I see¡­


    It was as he guessed. The void monster absorbed chromatic mana much more quickly than other kinds of energy. The beast couldn¡¯t break down the life force energy before it struck. And while the dragonbane¡¯s flesh was tougher than steel, Primoria could still penetrate it.


    Gian stared at Nethlas¡¯ leg. The deeper wounds seemed to take longer to heal as well. Still, its regeneration was remarkable, far greater than any white mage¡¯s capabilities. As he was considering a plan of action, Nethlas¡¯ tail swept up a giant boulder from the barrack¡¯s rubble and flung it at him. Gian looked up in surprise and his form blurred like smoke, narrowly evading the enormous rock. A sharp edge of the rock caught his cheek and tore a thin line below his scarlet eye.


    That was close¡­ Gian wiped the blood off his face with a small smirk.


    His Haze Dance made his visage blurred and allowed him to dodge attacks through small shifting movements, but an attack of that size was impossible to dodge with the technique. He hadn¡¯t expected her to throw a boulder.


    Despite her enormous size, the dragonbane boasted incredible speed and agility. If she managed to land a single strike it could prove fatal.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The scent of his blood invigorated Nethlas and she licked her snout with a long grey-blue tongue. Gian glanced at the remaining soldiers trying to form a makeshift line of defense. Even from this distance, he could feel his chromatic mana being drained from his body, weakening him with every breath. He could only imagine how much worse it was for the other mages among them.


    We won¡¯t win a war of attrition.


    Nethlas opened her wings wide and poured void mana into them. With a single beat of her wings, a cold gust blew across the gate courtyard, sending hundreds of soldiers flying. The Gale swordmasters hurried to Elise Veres¡¯ side and formed a defensive circle, blocking the brunt of the attack. Gian channeled life force energy and sliced through the biting cold winds in front of him.


    Through the wreckage and dust, Gian glanced at Elise huddled on the ground, her eyes closed tight. Her body trembled uncontrollably, out of fear or the cold, Gian didn¡¯t know, but the sight angered him.


    Nethlas got down on all fours and rushed him. Instead of taking a defensive stance as before, Gian dashed to meet her. Life force energy spilled out of him in waves of power. A sudden gust formed around him, trailing across his blade. Nethlas attacked in a flurry of claws and spikes, and each time they passed harmlessly through the vampire¡¯s smoky visage. Gian fell into a dance of blades, Primoria moving seamlessly in golden arcs. He moved with such speed that the onlookers only saw a golden tempest blooming over the dragonbane.


    Nethlas tried to catch the small figure in front of her, but with each second that passed more and more nicks and cuts appeared across her arms. She roared in frustration and doubled assault. The ground tore apart with every strike and yet Gian¡¯s speed only grew faster as the tempest around him reached its peak. His figure disappeared altogether and a blinding crashing light struck Nethlass and sent her massive body crashing into the wall.


    Gian landed on the ground, unharmed. His breath was heavy but paced. Black ichor dripped off his armor and scarlet cloak. Nethlas stumbled to her feet, her shoulders sagging with every breath. Deep sword cuts had been carved precisely between each of her ribs, slicing into her vital organs. Her abdomen had been torn open from the final slash. Her grey innards were spilling outwards in a pool of black blood. Strands of white flesh stretched outwards from the edges of her open abdomen, trying to knit her organs back in.


    Nethlas looked up at him tiredly, her black eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she roared and charged him. Her gait was unsteady but filled with rageful strength. Drawing his blade, Gian crouched low and prepared for another assault. But as the dragonbane grew close, she abruptly pivoted and barrelled past him.


    Gian followed her trajectory with his eyes to the Gale warriors huddled around Lady Veres.


    Elise!


    Gian desperately dashed towards them.


    ¡°Protect our Lady!¡± Gale yelled and drew her blade.


    Lynette and the other swordmasters drew their blades at her command and rushed Nethlas. Their swords slashed across the beast¡¯s exposed wounds, but she gritted her fangs and pushed through without slowing down. Elise opened her eyes and froze in fear at the sight of the massive horror looming over her. Nethlas opened her maw wide, black fangs glistening. Gian reached Elise and shoved her aside as the dragonbane¡¯s jaw clamped down on his arm instead.


    Gian shouted in pain as the sword-like fangs stabbed through his armor, flesh, and into the bone. Nethlas pulled her neck back and yanked Gian up. She shook her head around like a rabid dog, tearing apart his shoulder. With one final twist, she flung the ragged body into the wall. It crashed with a sickening crunch and tumbled to the ground.


    Gale stared in disbelief at her uncle¡¯s body lying in a broken heap in a pool of his own blood. Gian had been the greatest pillar of the Great Houses of Veres and Gale for the last three centuries, ever since Krikolm and its wielder had disappeared. He was a hero of legends, he was the hero of her childhood heroes, he was her teacher, and a second father to her. Gian Gale was the Sword Paragon of the realm. He had always seemed unshakable, invulnerable. And now¡­ now he was¡­


    Gale clenched her chest and doubled over in a painful cry.


    Nethlas munched on Gian¡¯s severed arm and swallowed with glee. She opened her jaws and muttered in a strange deep voice at Gian¡¯s corpse.


    What? Gale looked up in surprise. The monster was¡­ talking?


    A chill ran down her spine. This creature was intelligent?


    Then¡­


    Gale turned to Elise lying on the ground.


    It targeted her on purpose. That thing wanted Uncle Gian to come and save her. It was the only way to catch him¡­!


    The dragonbane¡¯s actions suddenly all made sense. The surprise ambush from the sky. Its change of tactics to throwing rocks and stormy winds when ordinary melee attacks hadn¡¯t worked.


    It was searching for a weakness.


    Elise groaned and opened her eyes blearily.


    And it found one.


    Elise spotted Gian¡¯s body ¡°Uncle¡­? No, no, no, NOOO!!¡± she screamed.


    Nethlas turned to Elise with a hungry look in her eyes.


    ¡°Lynette, get our Lady out of here!¡± Gale snapped.


    Lynette didn¡¯t hesitate. She rushed to Elise and threw her best friend over her shoulder.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Elise cried angrily and thrashed around. ¡°I¡¯ll kill that monster! I¡¯ll fucking kill that abomination!¡±


    Lynette bit her lip and ignored Elise¡¯s pleas and ran away from the gate.


    ¡°Archers, fire!¡± a Veres captain unexpectedly shouted.


    The Veres soldiers glanced at one another and quickly drew their bows. They knew their arrows would do nothing, but at the very least it would buy their Lady a bit of precious time. Glaz soldiers saw their efforts and quickly joined in.


    Nethlas laughed a deep rumble as the arrows broke apart harmlessly on her flesh. Her body was still riddled with wounds that were healing, but with each second that passed her strength slowly returned.


    As the soldiers fought the Gale swordmasters stared listlessly at Gian¡¯s body. He had known each and every one of them since birth. He had trained them all, mentored each one, from swordplay to daily advice. Gian had been a father to them all. A deep despair fell over them.


    If Lord Gian could not defeat such a fiend, then what hope did any of them stand?


    Gale picked up Primoria from the ground. It was still slick with blood. She tried to steady her trembling fingers. ¡°I-I am the Shield of Veres¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres¡­¡± she swallowed the lump in her throat.


    ¡°I am the Shield of Veres,¡± her cousin muttered.


    ¡°I am the Shield of Veres,¡± another cousin said.


    Slowly they all looked up at one another and saw the small ember of determination beneath the ocean of despair.


    Gale took a shaky breath and stared at each one of them with tears in her eyes, unashamed. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres.¡±


    ¡°Be it monster or man,¡± they spoke in unison. ¡°Here I stand, and I shall not falter.¡±


    Gale turned to the dragonbane stalking towards the firing archers and raised Primoria to the night sky. ¡°For Lord Gian.¡±


    The sword masters brandished their blades with a warcry and charged.

 Chapter 488: The Sword & Shield

    Chapter 488: The Sword & Shield


    The soft chirping of birds and a cool breeze swaying his hair into his eyes woke Gian up. The soft prickliness of grass tickled his neck. Gian slowly sat up. The sun was shining down from the bright blue skies.


    ¡°W-When¡­ did I¡­?¡± his voice trailed off.


    He glanced at his smooth palms and stubby fingers. These hands were too small to be his. They were the hands of a child who had yet to see his teenage years. He quickly touched his face and felt his smooth cheeks. Gone was his salt-and-pepper beard.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± He jumped to his feet in shock.


    When had he¡­? None of this made sense. He was standing under the yew tree in the manor¡¯s gardens as usual, but this wasn¡¯t his body, at least, it hadn¡¯t been for close to 300 years.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡± he muttered. The last thing he remembered was¡­


    Gian frowned. What was the last thing he remembered?


    He stared at the Gale manor in the distance. Had he come from his rooms? The training courtyard? The dining hall? He wasn¡¯t certain.


    ¡°Are you waiting for someone?¡± a friendly voice asked.


    Gian stiffened and he slowly turned around. A young woman in black garments and a scarlet cloak stood next to the yew tree, resting her shoulder on its bark. Her stray white strands of hair blew in the wind and blue lips curled in a smirk, eyebrow raised. Deep purple eyes stared at him with a glint of mirth.


    His chest tightened at the sight and a lump grew in his throat.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I should say something or just wait until you noticed me¡ª¡± her voice cut off as Gian rushed her in a tight embrace.


    He closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar scent. His little shoulders trembled and tears slipped down his pale cheeks.


    Stryga smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him, ¡°Hello, Gigi.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here, you¡¯re really here,¡± he whimpered.


    Her smile grew sad. ¡°I am,¡± she whispered.


    He didn¡¯t care if this was a dream or some illusion of his mind. His sister had returned to him and that was all that mattered.


    ¡°I promised you I¡¯d meet you under this tree,¡± said Stryga. ¡°Even in death I would find you.¡±


    ¡°Death¡­?¡± Gian looked up in shock, ¡°You¡¯re dead?¡±


    Stryga stared at him, her gaze steady.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± He stepped back, ¡°Am I¡­ dead?¡±


    She nodded gently.


    ¡°H-How?¡± Gian stumbled back. He tried recalling his last memory and then suddenly it flooded back to him. His battle with the dragonbane. Elise on the ground, terror in her eyes as the beast opened its maw wide to swallow her whole.


    Gian ran his hand through his dark hair. ¡°Elise, she¡ª I failed her.¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo,¡± Stryga shook her head. ¡°You saved her.¡±


    ¡°I was supposed to protect her.¡±


    ¡°You did. To the very end.¡± She placed her hands on his shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Gigi, you did what I could not, you held up House Veres and House Gale for all these years.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m tired,¡± he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t think I can do this anymore.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, you¡¯ve done enough, you can rest now.¡±


    Gian closed his eyes and leaned on his sister. A guttural roar echoed faintly in the distance amidst shouts and cries of familiar voices.


    ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They are the voices of our family, fighting the beast that invaded Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still fighting it?¡± he said in a horrid realization. ¡°They can¡¯t defeat that monster.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t trying to. They are the Shields of Veres, they are only trying to buy time for Elise to escape.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°But¡ª they¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are not strong enough to stop the dragonbane,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Such is the fate of the sons and daughters of House Gale.¡±


    ¡°Is there nothing we can do? I can do?¡± he asked anxiously.


    ¡°Such time has passed. Besides, Gales do not save one another, they are the Shield,¡± she said as if it was the most obvious concept.


    He bowed his head, ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Stryga knelt down on one knee. ¡°It is as you said, the Gales cannot defeat that monster,¡± she lifted his chin, ¡°But a Veres just might.¡±


    Gian frowned in confusion.


    ¡°As the Gales protect the Veres as Shields, the Veres protect their two Houses as Swords. That is the way it has been for the last 1,000 years, since the age of our founders.¡±


    Gian pulled back and looked away, ¡°That age is over. It ended the day you left. Ever since then the bloodline of Veres grew weak.¡± He curled his fists. ¡°You abandoned us. I tried to hold on as long as I could, but it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    She cocked her head to the side, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    He glared at her, angry tears burning down his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m saying there are no Veres left who can fight! And soon the strength of House Gale will fall as well!¡±


    ¡°Is that what you believe? That the strength of Veres has fallen?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come back?¡± he mumbled. ¡°Why did you leave me?¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he blinked.


    ¡°You believe the strength of Veres has fallen. I beg to differ.¡± She poked his chest with her finger, ¡°I see our greatest strength right here.¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± he scowled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Yes, the blood of your father runs through you, as strong as any Gale your House has ever seen. But the blood of our mother runs through your veins as well. You may have denied your birthright your whole life, but you are not only a Gale.¡±


    Gian shook his head bitterly, ¡°I never wanted to be your heir. I never wanted that legacy. All I ever wanted was for you to come back.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± she whispered shamefully. ¡°There are not enough words in all the realms to express how sorry I am. And even if there were, it still wouldn¡¯t make up for even an ounce of the pain I put you through. I am so sorry, my little brother.¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s okay,¡± he sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m just tired.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Stryga stood to her feet and offered the small boy her hand. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. You can rest now.¡±


    The dragonbane¡¯s roar echoed in the distance once more. Gian glanced around but he saw nothing, save the green bushes and verdant flowers of the gardens.


    ¡°Gian, you say there is no strength left in House Veres, but the choice is yours. Veres. Gale. Or both. You are who you choose to be. And whatever choice you make, I will always be proud of you.¡±


    Dark shadows rose out from the ground and began to swallow the gardens all around them, slowly encroaching towards the yew tree.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Stryga noted and offered her hand once more.


    Gian nodded slowly and wrapped his small fingers around her long pale blue fingers. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Stryga gave a slight nod and pulled him closer.


    ¡°Hold the line! Just a little longer! For House Veres! For Gian!¡± His niece''s shout resounded behind him.


    ¡°For Gian!¡± several other familiar voices pitched in.


    Gian turned around, but there was nothing there except pitch darkness. Still, he found himself taking a step towards the voices of his family. His hand slipped away from his sister¡¯s grip. He stopped and turned back, ¡°Stryga, I¡ª¡±


    He glanced down at himself and realized he was an adult once more.


    Stryga was smiling warmly at him, her figure fading into the darkness. ¡°I love you, always.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, sister,¡± Gian smiled tearfully. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, I promise.¡± He turned back to the voices and walked straight into the darkness.


    ~~~


    The ground shook as the dragonbane slammed her tail into the nearby barracks, sending showers of rocks and debris all over the gate courtyard. Dozens of soldiers were flattened in an instant, others weren¡¯t so lucky; their limbs and torsos were crushed, leaving their last moments in agony.


    Screams rang through the air as Gale danced through the falling debris, Primoria and her own longsword flashed with sparks as she blocked the stones that came too close. Her cousins encircled the dragonbane, trying their best to draw its attention from the rest of the soldiers.


    Gale dashed close to the beast and lunged for a strike, swords held high above her shoulders. Despite her deep wounds, Nethlas swiveled around in a flash and roared, and a cold wave of void mana blasted Gale away. She crashed into the cobblestone in a haphazard role, her elbow smacking into the stone.


    Gale grimaced and clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying out in pain. She glanced around, searching for her swords. Primoria lay a few paces away, the golden blade still slick with black ichor from her uncle¡¯s attacks.


    Tears burned at the edge of Gale¡¯s vision. She bit her trembling lip and forced the pain down. ¡°For Gian,¡± she whispered and staggered to her feet. A sharp pain shot up her side. Several broken ribs no doubt. There was no time to rest.


    Gale stumbled her way to the sword, holding her side with a grimace.


    ¡°May I?¡± A blood-covered figure stepped in her way, leaned down, and picked up Primoria.


    Gale gasped a hollow sound. ¡°Uncle¡­?¡± she whispered in a hoarse voice.


    Gian grinned tiredly. ¡°The day will come when our House¡¯s ancestral sword will be yours, but for now, I¡¯ll hold onto Primoria just a little longer.¡±


    She laughed with a tearful smile, ¡°You¡¯re alive! H-How¡­?¡± She glanced at his missing limb and cried out, ¡°You¡¯re arm!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that beast got my left arm,¡± he winked.


    ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°...I still have enough strength left in me,¡± Gian whispered and turned to the dragonbane fighting in the near distance. He walked slowly towards the monster, Primoria¡¯s edge dragging across the cobblestone.


    Nethlas noticed his approach and scrunched her eyes in a frown and growled. The other Gale swordmasters saw Gian and froze in shock and disbelief. They stepped back as he approached.


    Nethlas dug her claws into the ground and roared, the air itself vibrating with a biting cold edge.


    Gian did not falter and walked on. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres,¡± he spoke calmly. ¡°I am the Sword of our Blood and the bane of our enemies. Be it monster or man¡ª this shall be your end.¡±

 Chapter 489: The Children of Noir Part 1

    Chapter 489: The Children of Noir Part 1


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­Southern Gate¡­


    Nethlas dug her claws into the ground and roared, the air itself vibrating with a biting cold edge.


    Gian did not falter and walked on. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres,¡± he spoke calmly. ¡°I am the Sword of our Blood and the bane of our enemies. Be it monster or man¡ª this shall be your end.¡±


    The dragonbane charged, her every step ripping apart the cobblestone and shaking the ground. Gian leaned forward and ran at her. He shifted his feet as she drew close and jumped aside, running Primoria across the open wounds on her ribcage. Life energy coated the golden blade as it slipped between the ribs and sliced into her lung. Nethlas jerked back and tottered several paces away.


    As I thought¡­ Gian wiped the black ichor off Primoria¡¯s blade with a flick of his wrist. She¡¯s slower. Her deeper wounds haven¡¯t fully healed yet.


    Nethlas bared her black glistening teeth and muttered something in an alien language, her voice deep like the ocean.


    She¡¯s angry. Good.


    He poured more life force into the Primoria, sharpening the golden edge until the sword glowed with power. Despite the wounds covering his body, Gian stood up straight and grinned wide. ¡°Come on now, is that all you¡¯ve g¡ª?¡±


    Her tail whipped out in a flash. Gian swerved underneath the stinger and slashed Primoria between the tail¡¯s protruding spikes, slicing to the bone. Nethlas shrieked and pulled her tail back, its latter half hanging limp and dripping black ichor.


    Gian glanced at his blade. It had taken all the life force energy coating the blade to cut through the flesh and still Primoria was unable to cut entirely through the bone.


    He smiled bitterly to himself. Greatest sword and swordsman in all of Hollow Shade and we still can¡¯t cut through that beast.


    He could feel his strength fading. His legs were ever so slightly trembling. He wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this up for long.


    His slight lapse in focus was all Nethlas was waiting for. She leaped at him, surging into the air. Gian noticed a moment too late, but instead of running, he held his ground. Just as she landed atop him, he dashed across her underside and fell into a dance of steel, slicing the exposed muscles on each of her limbs, before narrowingly escaping between her legs.


    The dragonbane spun around, but her limbs crumpled underneath her and she collapsed in a heavy crash. Gian jumped atop her and sprinted across her back. Nethlas turned her neck and snapped her jaws at him. This time, he was prepared, and he jumped atop her snout. Nethlas widened her eyes in surprise and pulled her back. Gian pushed forward and drove Primoria through her pitch-black eye, driving the blade deep.


    Nethlas jerked and shook her head from side to side, Gian held on tightly and drove Primoria deeper. She stiffened and her head fell over with a sharp gasp. Her body spasmed for a few moments and then the white light in her eyes faded away. Ichor leaked out from the eyeball.


    Gian felt the last of his strength leave his body and he fell over. Gale dashed and caught him as he was about to hit the ground. He winced, the pain of his missing arm suddenly becoming very apparent.


    ¡°Uncle! Are you alright!?¡± Gale asked desperately.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± his voice trailed off. His eyes wandered over to Nethlas¡¯ corpse. Her wounds were still trying to heal, albeit slowly and failing. Perhaps it would be best to leave Primoria in her skull for a little longer.


    ¡°Elise¡­ Where is Elise?¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Lady Veres is fine. Lynette took her away, most likely to the manor. You should head there now. We have several healers on standby there. I¡¯ll have one of my cousins take you.¡±


    ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gale frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? Uncle, you¡¯re missing an arm and you¡¯re covered in blood!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve stopped my bleeding,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Even still.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Even with all your life force skills, you need proper medical attention!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave. If the southern gate falls then the enemy will breach the city and then there will be nowhere safe for Elise.¡±


    ¡°And what of the molten breach? Those monsters burned through a section of the wall between this gate and the western gate. There is no way to stop the breach now.¡±


    Gian glanced at the remaining Glaz soldiers helping each other up and out of the wreckage left behind by the dragonbane. The few noble guards left, the elite battle mages of House Glaz, cradled Lord Lucius¡¯ body in their arms. They said nothing, but it was clear their will had been broken. They had failed to protect their Lord, just as their predecessors had failed to protect Lucius¡¯ mother, Lady Ayda, in the battle of the valley.


    ¡°...We can¡¯t leave them,¡± Gian said. ¡°The Glaz army cannot defend the gate alone.¡±


    Gale bit her lip and thought quietly for a moment. ¡°...I¡¯ll have our soldiers stay with them to defend the gate, while our House¡¯s swordmasters and I head over to the molten breach and aid the defense.¡±


    ¡°It will not be enough. If another one of those beasts shows up, they will need the strength of the Gale swordmasters.¡±


    ¡°And what of the breach? Surely Marek¡¯s armies are rushing there now. It will be overrun if we do nothing.¡±


    ¡°The warlord¡¯s armies are great, larger than any we have ever seen. They have the entire city surrounded. Yes, they will rush to the breach, but they will also attack the southern gate as well. We must stay and fight.¡±


    ¡°And the breach?¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°...I believe there is still some strength left in the people of this city. We must do what we can here and trust our allies to do the same at the molten breach.¡±


    ¡°House Noir and House Katag¡¯s armies are stationed at the western gate¡­¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we should trust the two Houses whose scions were responsible for the death of Clypeus?¡±


    Gian opened his scarlet eyes and looked at her steadily. ¡°I am. The deaths of our loved ones should not outweigh the living we still hold dear.¡±


    Gale licked her lips and nodded anxiously, ¡°Then we will fight. For Elise, for our family, and all the ones we¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Gian nodded with what little strength he had left. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Only if you go now to the manor and have healers look after you.¡±


    He furrowed his brow, ¡°Gale, I can still¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t budge on this, uncle.¡± She glanced around the wreckage and corpses lying on the ground, ¡°I¡¯ve lost too many already.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Gian smiled tiredly, ¡°You are growing into an excellent leader, my lady.¡±


    Gale cracked a small smirk. ¡°I have to. We are the Shield.¡±


    ¡°We are the Shield,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Lawrence!¡± Gale shouted at one of her cousins. ¡°Carry our uncle safely back to the Gale and Veres manor.¡±


    Lawrence rushed over. ¡°Yes, my lady. But¡ª There has been trebuchet fire from our enemy falling onto the Commoner District. The place is surely in chaos right now.¡±


    ¡°Then you will ensure to make a path through, no matter what. Understood?¡± Gale said severely.


    Lawrence bowed. ¡°Understood, my lady!¡±


    Gian closed his eyes. It seems his sister was right after all. There was still strength left in their Houses.


    ~~~


    ¡­Shade Wall¡­ Near the Western Gate¡­


    The dragonbane Oshnyr sat atop the wall, his massive body barely contained within between the wall¡¯s battlements. He huddled closely, his head tucked in, and his wings curled around the various wounds Holo had given him. Azure flames sprayed over his flesh in a torrent of heat and light.


    Elzri and Una channeled Orange and focused their mind and will into the azure flames. But even as they channeled magical might greater than any mage in the city, the dragonbane¡¯s flesh burned slowly, the pale grey muscles underneath the hide were practically untouched, save for the open slash wounds across his body.


    The flames died out after a few seconds. Elzri and Una panted heavily and stared at their work in disbelief. Oshnyr unfurled his body and opened his black eyes, the inner eyelid blinking. The flames had seared most of his hide off, but it was already healing right in front of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible,¡± Una muttered, shaken.


    Elzri said nothing. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to the wounds they had given Oshnyr. He had already seen their regenerative prowess when he had fought the same beast earlier. No, his attention was focused on his other wounds, the ones dealt by Holo. Even now they were leaking black ichor.


    They¡¯re not healing.


    Not a single wound Holo had dealt, from a shallow cut to the deep gash across Oshnyr¡¯s abdomen, none of them were healing. She had done something to the dragonbane, but whatever it was it didn¡¯t seem to apply to any of Una¡¯s and his attacks.


    ¡°Our flames aren¡¯t enough to kill it¡­¡± he muttered.


    Una glanced at her brother, annoyed, ¡°Oh, really? I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    The semi-translucent grey flesh finished regenerating, leaving Oshnyr somewhat whole, save for Holo¡¯s injuries. He tried to stand and walk on the wall, but the wall was too narrow for proper movement. Oshnyr glared at the siblings and the dozens of men and women behind them, before turning away. He spread his wings and prepared to take to the sky.


    ¡°He¡¯s fleeing?¡± Una muttered in surprise. ¡°Lady Holo¡¯s wounds are more grave than I thought.¡±


    His sister may have been right, but Elzri¡¯s instincts were screaming at him to kill the beast now. If they let the weakened dragonbane go it would heal and come back stronger.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let it escape. We have to kill it,¡± he said resolutely.


    ¡°Wait, what are you¡ª?¡±


    Elzri channeled Black. This time he condensed his mana into deep weaves, more than even he was accustomed to. His shadow deepened and dark tendrils shot out as Oshnyr leaped into the sky. The tendrils wrapped around his massive body, especially his wings. This time, the shadow tendrils did not fizzle away on contact with the beast¡¯s flesh, though they still began to fray and deteriorate immediately.


    Oshnyr roared in anger and started to rip apart the tendrils with ease. Elzri threw his arms up and channeled even more chromatic energies. Dozens of more shadow tendrils caught Oshnyr, but he was ripping them apart faster than Elzri could create them.


    Una realized her brother¡¯s plan and did not waste a moment. She channeled Orange once more and copied her brother¡¯s idea. She condensed as much mana as she could into a small sphere of azure flames. The orb of fire burned brightly in the night. Struggling to contain such condensed power, she worried it would spill over. Una gritted her teeth and molded the sphere into a flaming spear. Grabbing it with one hand, she pulled her shoulder back, then stepped forward and hurled the spear.


    The condensed flames struck true and exploded on Oshnyr¡¯s wing, burning the membrane away in a surge of infernal heat. The dragonbane shrieked and fell back down onto the wall with a heavy crash, sending small cracks into the wall underneath him.


    Elzri looked at his sister in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a spell like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I just made it,¡± she winked while panting heavily.


    Oshnyr stared at his wing. The limb¡¯s flesh was seared and the entire membrane had been burned away. His snout pulled back in a scowl and he charged at them without restraint.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Loh shouted.


    Elzri and Una looked up and channeled Orange. They threw their hands up and blasted a torrent of blue flames at the beast, pushing Oshnyr back, if only slightly.


    A sudden roar below caught their attention. The dragonbane Eldrak was charging through the streets of the Commoner District and heading right to them. His right wing had been completely cut off, preventing flight, but it did little to prevent him from hurling right into the wall. The magestone beneath them shook, sending a couple of soldiers screaming and plummeting to their deaths.


    Invigorated by his brother¡¯s arrival, Oshnyr roared and slowly pushed forward through the flames. Eldrak dug his claws into the pale magestone and began to scale the wall at a surprisingly rapid pace.


    Loh cursed under her breath and commanded the remaining soldiers to attack. They drew their bows and let loose. Maximus grabbed a few javelins from his side and hurled them down. Loh, atop the centaur¡¯s back, channeled Orange and shot bolts of flame at the beast.


    The steel arrows and javelins broke apart on impact and didn¡¯t even scratch the hide. Loh¡¯s flames were absorbed as soon as they touched his flesh. Eldrak growled in delight and his climb unhindered.


    Una and Elzri glanced at each other as they continued to blast flames at Oshnyr. Their will and magic were focused on the dragonbane before them; they couldn¡¯t face two of the beasts at once, even if they were wounded. Not while protecting the ones they cherished most.


    ¡°Elohnoir!¡± Elzri shouted.


    ¡°Unalla!¡± Una shouted.


    ¡°RUN!¡± they yelled in unison.


    Unalla quietly watched Loh, Maximus, and the rest of the soldiers attack Eldrak to no avail. The monster¡¯s physiology was impervious to every attack, even her mother and uncle were unable to burn the beasts to ash. Making up her mind, she picked up Votum and dragged the giant sword across the wall right to the very edge. A few soldiers caught sight of her and stopped, puzzled by the sight of a girl hauling around a sword almost as large as she.


    Unalla paid them no mind. ¡°Heed my call¡­ Votum,¡± she whispered. The orichalcum sword hummed with power, growing lighter. She lifted Votum in front of her.


    Una spotted her daughter from the corner of her and frowned incredulously. ¡°Unalla! What are you¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°Cousin, cover me!¡± Unalla said without glancing at Loh, then she leaned forward and stepped off the ledge.

 Chapter 490: Children of Noir Part 2

    Chapter 490: Children of Noir Part 2


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Western Wall¡­


    Blue flames lit the darkness in short bright bursts. Elzri and his sister, Una, battle the dragonbane Oshnyr atop the wall, slowly pushing the creature back, though they were struggling to deal any permanent damage.


    Meanwhile, Unalla quietly watched Loh, Maximus, and the rest of the soldiers attack a second dragonbane that was climbing up the wall to no avail. The monster¡¯s physiology was impervious to every attack, even her mother and uncle were unable to burn the first dragonbane to ash.


    Making up her mind, Unalla picked up Votum and dragged the giant sword across the wall right to the very edge. A few soldiers caught sight of her and stopped, puzzled by the sight of a girl hauling around a sword almost as large as she.


    Unalla paid them no mind. ¡°Heed my call¡­ Votum,¡± she whispered. The orichalcum sword hummed with power, growing lighter. She lifted Votum in front of her.


    Una spotted her daughter from the corner of her and frowned incredulously. ¡°Unalla! What are you¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°Cousin, cover me!¡± Unalla said without glancing at Loh, then she leaned forward and stepped off the ledge. For a moment, she was weightless, free from gravity, and as it took her, she leaned into the fall, placed her feet on the wall, and kicked off it. Using her descending momentum, she dashed down the wall straight at the dragonbane Eldrak.


    The void creature saw the small figure charging down at him and he curled his snout and lips back in a hungry smile. His tail swayed behind him and it pulled back to strike, stinger glistening with a clear liquid. Maximus hurled a javelin with silent precision. The projectile flew true and stabbed Eldrak¡¯s eye. The javelin glanced off the black sclera, the metal tip chipping on hit. Eldrak flinched in surprise, his tail stiffening in mid-strike.


    Swiveling past the outstretched tail, Unalla shouted a warcry and swung Votum in a large downwards arc. The blade sliced cleanly through the thick corded muscles of Eldrak, spewing ichor into the air. The dragonbane shrieked in pain, releasing its grip on the wall, and tumbled down. Arms flailing about, his claws reached for Unalla plummeting beside him. Shadow tendrils in the shape of a hand shot out from the wall and snatched Unalla¡¯s waist and pulled her up.


    She jerked at the sudden pull and coughed as the wind was knocked out of her. Her grip slipped and Votum dropped to the ground, dozens of meters below. Eldrak crashed into the cobblestone in a plume of dust and shattered rock.


    Unalla landed safely atop the ledge, next to Loh. The shadow tendrils faded away at Loh¡¯s command. The soldiers cheered at the cousins¡¯ victory.


    Loh grabbed Unalla¡¯s shoulder and shook her carefully, ¡°Are you alright?!¡±


    Unalla stared at the faint silhouette of the dragonbane amidst the cloud of dust. She clicked her tongue and frowned. ¡°I was aiming for its head¡­¡±


    ¡°Unalla!¡± Loh pressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she answered, then glanced at her with a small grin, ¡°Thanks for covering me.¡±


    She sighed, relieved. ¡°Next time just tell me before you jump off the wall.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Unalla turned to the centaur standing next to them, his imposing height looming over every soldier there. ¡°Thank you, Maximus, your shot was perfectly timed.¡±


    Maximus inclined his head, ¡°I try.¡±


    Unalla laughed at that, but her laughter was cut short as the sound of scuffling resounded below. They all rushed to the edge and glanced down.


    The dragonbane was standing back up. His wounds from his battle with Holo still decorated his body, but no new wounds had appeared despite the fall, not even a scratch, save for the deep gash on his neck.


    Eldrak held his neck with his paw-like hand, keeping the black ichor from leaking, while the wound sealed itself.


    ¡°You really managed to injure it,¡± Loh muttered in surprise.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± Unalla replied grimly. She stretched her hand out from the ledge, ¡°Heed my call, Votum.¡±


    The giant sword flew off the ground in a twirling spin and landed in her hand in the blink of an eye. The soldiers and Maximus backed off in surprise.


    Loh thoughtfully stared at the black glass-like blade. ¡°That sword¡­ orichalcum, right?¡±


    Unalla nodded faintly.


    Loh glanced back at the wounds covering Eldrak. Lady Holo had an orichalcum weapon too. A scythe¡­ Lyrae.


    The wounds given by Holo weren¡¯t healing, including the dragonbane¡¯s missing right wing. Whereas the neck injury was slowly healing, still, there was no doubt Votum had been responsible for delivering their first true blow against the dragonbanes.


    Loh glanced at Unalla. We can kill them, with that sword of hers we can actually do it.


    Eldrak stared up at Votum and growled.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    He realizes it too.


    The ichor stopped flowing from his neck. Eldrak leaped back onto the wall, sending tremors up to the battlements. The soldiers shouted in a panic and some stumbled. Loh¡¯s injured leg gave out underneath her and she fell towards the ledge, but Maximus caught her and pulled her back up.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said gratefully.


    Maximus nodded without a word.


    A few dozen paces away, Una and Elzri fought off Oshnyr, their azure flames slowly burning its flesh. Una jumped away for a moment and shouted back at them, ¡°Dammit! Unalla, Elohnoir! Get away from here, run, NOW!¡± Without waiting for a reply, she ran back into the fray with her brother.


    Unalla and Loh stared at Eldrak, scaling the wall towards them.


    ¡°You can hurt it, it knows that now,¡± Loh said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Unalla replied.


    ¡°It won¡¯t stop until it kills you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We should listen to your mother and retreat to the north gate where your father¡¯s at.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But.¡± Loh clenched her fists, ¡°If we leave¡ª¡±


    ¡°My mom and Uncle can¡¯t fight them both off.¡±


    Loh recalled the duel between her cousin and Stryg back at Undergrowth¡¯s tournament. ¡°How long can you hold out before you can¡¯t bear the pain of that sword?¡±


    Unalla smiled bravely at her, but she could already see the pain in her expression. ¡°My body will give out long before my will.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she replied wryly.


    Unalla didn¡¯t respond and walked back to the ledge. ¡°I¡¯m jumping.¡±


    Loh stared at her back. ¡°Soldiers! Ready your bows!¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Between the Southern and Western Gates¡­The Molten Breach¡­


    The red-hot magestone was flowing down the sides of the breached wall in cascades of lava. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd divisions of the valley armies marched to the molten breach, weapons at the ready, voices strong with battle-hungry excitement.


    As they neared, Nokti stared up at the towering walls on each side of her, the lava magestone still flowing hot from dragonbanes¡¯ flames. The once impenetrable ebon wall, the might and pride of Hollow Shade, had been destroyed.


    Notki smirked to herself, how their people must cower in their homes now.


    Her Master, Caligo, had told her the magestone would have cooled down by the time they had arrived, though only the bottom, where the mage stone pooled, seemed to have reverted to its usual cold transparent form. She supposed they had rushed here too quickly.


    ¡°We¡¯re making good time,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Not good enough,¡± said Marek walking up beside her.


    ¡°Lord Marek,¡± she bowed somewhat stiffly. Her Master had entrusted her with the 1st and 2nd divisions, so when she saw the 3rd marching up beside them she had guessed it was the warlord himself.


    Marek ignored her gaze and pointed to the darkness beyond the molten breach, ¡°The enemy is waiting for us,¡±


    Hundreds of dark silhouettes in a half-circle barricaded the breach. A wall of men and women, ready to fight off the invaders. Though Marek¡¯s human eyes could not see more than silhouettes, Nokti¡¯s vampiric vision could make out the faces and expressions within the darkness.


    These were not the eyes of brave soldiers, no. The trembling. The sweat-covered skin.


    Nokti¡¯s lips curled in a grin.


    These eyes were the eyes of cowards.


    ¡°They will fall like their precious wall,¡± said Nokti in satisfaction. She raised her hand, signaling her soldiers to stop about a hundred paces from the breach.


    The soldiers halted their march and waited for her command.


    Marek grabbed his orichalcum spear from his back and gripped it tight. He wasn¡¯t certain before, but now there was no doubt, he could feel the faint energy humming within the weapon as if the weapon was stirring awake for the first time in millennia. Dawn had told him of the signs; the time when the spear would finally reveal its name to him.


    How ironic, he thought bitterly. He had needed the power of the spear to change his fate, the fate of Dawn and her twin brother Vaughn. To change Notki¡¯s fate¡­


    But it was only at the end, when everything that mattered to him was lost, did the spear choose to acknowledge him.


    ¡°Marek, are you alright,¡± Nokti said softly.


    He glared at her. ¡°Oh, now you suddenly care if I¡¯m alright? Right before we charge into battle?¡±


    She bit her lip. ¡°Marek¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°...I never stopped caring about you,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Really?¡± he laughed coldly. ¡°Did you care about me when you were fucking that beloved master of yours?¡±


    Nokti frowned, ¡°We never had sex.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He ¡ªif they even are a he¡ª is a god. I don¡¯t think my Master has any interest in sexual matters, at least not with me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Marek shook his head, ¡°You slept in the same tent. Many times!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we slept. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°But he made me think¡ª¡± Marek clenched his jaw. ¡°That fucking bastard! Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me?¡±


    ¡°It was your punishment. After what happened at Widow¡¯s Crag. He wanted to take away what was most precious to you.¡± She smiled weakly, ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still went along with him?¡±


    ¡°I was at death¡¯s door. He gave me a second chance. He showed me things I never thought possible, you have no idea. I am forever grateful to my Master. I will follow him until the day I die.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡ª Do you love him?¡±


    ¡°I am devoted to him, body and soul. So yes,¡± she admitted. ¡°But not in the way I loved you.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ I see. None of that matters anymore,¡± he said tiredly and walked towards the breach.


    ¡°Marek, wait¡ª!¡± she called out.


    He stopped and glanced back at her, ¡°You waited this long to tell me any of this¡­ Why now?¡±


    ¡°Because¡ª¡± she glanced at Alessandra Helene¡¯s head, hanging from a banner at the front of her soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re going to do something stupid, right when we¡¯re so close to the end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only here to do one thing; end the line of the Great House of Helene.¡±


    ¡°But the nobles are no doubt hiding in the Villa District, that¡¯s near the center of the city. Lord Caligo gave me explicit orders to destroy the barracks lining the western wall, and then attack the medical encampments behind the northern gate. I cannot spare my warriors to charge blindly all the way into the Villa District.¡±


    ¡°No need, I have enough warriors of my own,¡± Marek raised his hand and gave the signal. The 3rd division shouted in acknowledgment and charged the molten gate.

 Chapter 491: Children of Noir Part 3

    Chapter 491: Children of Noir Part 3


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­Western Wall¡­


    In the dark hours of the evening, plumes of blue flames flickered across the wall. Elzri and Una channeled Yellow and Orange. Currents of wind swirled underneath them as they flew around Oshnyr, blasting the dragonbane with azure flames. The beast swung his spiked tail through the air, trying to strike at them to no avail. He was slowing down, little by little.


    Despite the dragonbane¡¯s natural magical resistance and mana absorption, the open wounds given by Holo seemed to leave it vulnerable to magical attacks. The sibling archmages did not hold back and focused their firepower on the exposed flesh. Oshnyr¡¯s painful groans were evidence of that. And yet the anger in his black eyes was almost palpable. His hide was mostly melted, the exposed muscles charred, and still, he fought with an almost rabid fury.


    Una glanced at her daughter¡¯s battle, a few dozen meters away. She tried to fly over, but Oshnyr jumped in her way, refusing to let her pass. As soon as he drew too close, her wind spell crumbled apart and she fell back onto the battlements.


    She cursed under her breath and dashed back towards her brother with an agility spell. Even now, both of them could feel their mana seeping away into the dragonbane, strengthening him. Oshnyr¡¯s shoulders heaved up and down, his ribs opening rapidly as he gulped breaths of air. There was no doubt, he was exhausted, on the brink of collapse, but their mana and his rage kept him standing.


    Elzri and Una shared a glance. They needed to finish this fast.


    Not far away, Loh held her hands up in strain as if puppeteering several puppets at once. Shadow tendrils stretched out from her fingers and dangled over the inner side of the wall. Unalla, Votum in hand, ran across the wall, battling Eldrak in a dance of steel and fangs. One of Loh¡¯s shadows wrapped around her waist, holding her from falling.


    For each strike Unalla gave, Eldrak attacked five more. His spiked wings and barbed tail lashed out in a flurry of deadly strikes, all the while his claws dug into the magestone, slowly scaling the wall. His wounds slowed him, but the sheer onslaught of attacks was overwhelming.


    At first, Unalla held the advantage. Her strikes were precise, the strength behind her swings powerful. But as the battle progressed, Votum¡¯s power weighed on her body; her movements grew sluggish.


    Unalla slipped and stumbled forward into Eldrak¡¯s stinger. Loh yanked the shadow around Unalla¡¯s waist back, sending her careening backwards. Eldrak thrust his neck and snapped the black tendril in half. Unalla tumbled down with a gasp. Loh commanded the rest of her waiting tendrils with a snap of her wrist and snatched Unalla up.


    Instead of trying to reach out and attack Unalla, Eldrak scrambled up the wall. Maximus and the soldiers fired their arrows and javelins at the dragonbane. The metal projectiles broke and bounced off his translucent flesh. The grey muscles underneath tightened with exertion and with a leap, Eldrak landed heavily on the battlements.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Loh exclaimed.


    The soldiers fell back on each other panickedly as they ran away. Eldrak¡¯s tail lashed out in a flash, leaving behind only a scattering of bloodstains. Loh froze at the sight. The soldiers were silenced before they had a chance to scream. One moment they had been running, the next they were gone.


    ¡°Loh!¡± Maximus picked her up and threw her onto his back.


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Unalla shouted and got between them and Eldrak. She felt exhausted. Pain emanated from her hands and only grew the longer she held the orichalcum sword. Her breath was ragged and her vision was beginning to blur. She could taste the blood on her lips.


    Eldrak pulled his lips back in a vicious smile and growled.


    Unalla narrowed her eyes. With trembling fingers, she raised Votum and faced the beast. ¡°I won¡¯t let you¡­ take one step closer¡­¡± Her vision suddenly darkened and her eyes rolled up. Votum slipped out of her hands in a clatter and she collapsed on the ground.


    Eldrak swiped his claw down at her without hesitation.


    ¡°No!¡± Loh screamed.


    Maximus leaped forward, shield raised. Loh weaved her shadow tendrils into a dome above the three of them. Eldrak¡¯s claws ripped through the dome and his paw-like hand bashed Maximus and Loh. Their bodies slammed into the battlements with a sharp crack.


    Loh groaned. She was pinned underneath the centaur. ¡°Get up, Maximus¡­¡± she mumbled.


    There was no response. He lay limp atop her. Blood flowed down his head and dyed his grey locks red.


    Eldrak roared in triumph and moved towards the unconscious Unalla.


    Una caught sight of her daughter from across the battlements. Her heart stopped in her chest and her heartbeat thrummed in her ears. ¡°UNALLA!!¡± a terror-stricken scream escaped her lips.


    The scream pulled Elzri¡¯s mind back in time.


    He was a young man once more, standing alone in the city¡¯s coliseum. Melted sand burned red-hot at his feet and the surrounding area. Black smoke rose from the scorched ground. The crowd of onlookers were silently staring in shock.


    A guttural scream that ripped at his very soul, pulled his attention to the noble boxes above the commoner seats. His little sister, Una, was standing there. Staring down at him in horror at the sight. Elzri felt a painful lump swell in his throat.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to. It had all happened so fast. Aiden. Esletha. His siblings. He had taken their lives in an explosion of flame and anger. And there was Una, watching her brother whom she trusted most, with the blood of his family on their hands.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was the scream, not a word, not a voice, but a hoarse screeching noise born out of sheer horror and pain; it was the scream that had haunted Elzri all these years.


    The same scream echoed across the battlements as the dragonbane reached out for Unalla.


    Not again¡­ not ever again! Elzri gritted his teeth and threw his arms out. An explosion of black mana surged through his body, burning his veins irreparably from the sheer volume he demanded all at once. Shadowy tendrils, thick as his waist, shot out from his silhouette in a crashing wave of darkness. Dozens of tendrils wrapped around the two dragonbanes.


    The shadows frayed at the edges. Eldrak roared angrily and tried to pull away and reach Unalla, but the tendrils held tight.


    Una turned to him, surprised. ¡°Riri!?¡±


    He channeled Yellow. Protective scales formed across his body and a powerful gust coalesced around him. He jumped into the night sky, pulling the dragonbanes up with a long trailing cloak of shadows.


    Eldrak and Oshnyr dug their claws into the wall, trying to hold on, but the shadows dragged them into the sky, a hundred paces above the battlements. They raged against their chains, tearing at the tendrils with their claws, fangs, and winged spikes. But for each tendril they ripped apart, Elzri summoned two more.


    Una stared in shock at the impossible sight of magical might.


    ¡°Now!¡± Elzri screamed with exertion and channeled Orange. Sapphire flames burst from his hands a seed of blinding light.


    ¡°Riri¡­!¡± Una bit her lip and channeled Orange. She threw the power she could muster into a similar seed of sapphire flames and shot the spell upwards.


    The two seeds of flames crashed into the dragonbanes from above and below and bloomed into infernal petals of azure fire. The dragonbanes shrieked in agony as the flames grew in intensity. They thrashed in the sky, trying to escape their shadowy restraints. They stabbed their winged spikes and barbed tails at Elzri¡¯s small form hanging above them. The razor-sharp bones and stingers scraped across his protective scales, puncturing through several, and ripped through his flesh. Still, Elzri held on, his jaw clenched tight and his grey eyes filled with determination.


    The Azure Flowers blossomed into their full might, trapping the void monsters in their center. The infernal heat seared their hide and made their way into their wounds, scorching the underlying flesh and organs. Even from the battlements, the sweltering heat was suffocating.


    The blue flames burned brightly above the western wall, like a beacon in the night, a symbol of defiance against the enemy at their doorstep. Eldrak and Oshnyr shrieked one last horrifying noise before the flames consumed them.


    As the Azure Flowers wilted and smoke filled the air, two charred bodies fell from the sky and crashed on the grass outside the city. The dragonbanes¡¯ bodies were little more than bone and bits of charred sinew.


    Elzri descended slowly onto the battlements. He collapsed as his feet touched the ground. His white robes had been torn to shreds and were soaked red.


    ¡°Riri!¡± Una screamed and rushed to his side.


    He glanced up at her feebly, his vision swimming in and out.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± she cried and gently helped him to sit up, but he couldn¡¯t hold up his own weight and tottered to the side. Carefully, she propped him up on the merlons. His shoulders sagged down and his neck sunk into his chest.


    ¡°Riri, stay with me!¡± she cried.


    He slowly glanced up at her and his bloody lips formed a faint smile. ¡°...Y-Your daughter¡­ is safe¡­?¡±


    Una sniffed and smiled weakly. ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°...Good.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak, we need to find you a healer.¡± Una glanced around desperately, searching for someone in sight, anyone, but the battlements were filled with corpses, ruin, and little else.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Loh cried out. She had managed to pull herself out from underneath Maximus. Her injured leg seemed worse than before. Refusing to give up, she dragged herself across the battlements. Her face was flushed and her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Grandfather!¡± she cried out again, straining to pull herself forward.


    ¡°...Elohnoir¡­¡± Elzri mumbled, blood dripping from his lips.


    Una gripped his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go bring her.¡±


    But he squeezed her hand softly. She turned back and looked at him, confused.


    He swallowed the blood in his mouth and whispered, ¡°...Prot-tect¡­¡±


    Una placed both her hands on top of his own. ¡°I¡¯ll guard Elohnoir with my life, I swear it, I will not leave her,¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°...Mm.¡± He nodded faintly.


    Una glanced down, blood was pooling underneath him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she burst into tears. ¡°I should have never left you alone all this time. I shouldn¡¯t have left you with all the guilt and responsibility.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°...But¡­ you came back¡­¡±


    Una bit her trembling lip. ¡°Hold¡ª hold on, let me bring Elohnoir. Just hold on!¡± She jumped to her feet, sprinted over to Loh, and helped her up.


    Elzri stared at them making their way over. Loh was shouting something, but their voices had faded away into silence. She was screaming, her eyes glistening. It reminded him of the day she was born; she was covered in blood, crying as he held her tiny body in his hands.


    My little Elohnoir¡­


    He wished he had more time. He wished he hadn¡¯t driven her away all those years ago. He wished¡­ she was happy.


    I¡¯m sorry.


    Elzri smiled softly and closed his eyes one last time.


    ~~~


    Ismene rode atop a small wave as the water flowed through the battlements. She reached the western wall and found only broken bodies and shattered magestone. Worry grew in her chest like a poison burning through her heart.


    She caught sight of the largest centaur she had ever met, Maximus, sitting at the edge of the wall in grim silence. A small sat across from him, sitting next to a giant sword with a blade like black glass.


    ¡°Unalla!¡± Ismene shouted, relieved. The wave crumbled underneath her. She grabbed her cane and hobbled towards the young drow. ¡°I saw the azure flames in the sky. I came as fast as I could. Are you two alright? Are you unharmed?¡±


    Unalla sat with her knees to her chest, her head buried between them.


    ¡°Unalla¡­?¡± Ismene said anxiously and touched her shoulder.


    She glanced up at the old woman, her eyes were red from crying.


    Ismene stepped back, startled. ¡°Where is¡ª?¡± She glanced past Maximus and her voice caught in her throat.


    Elzri sat slumped over, his back resting against the merlons. Una knelt next to him, her head bowed. Loh was atop him, her arms wrapped around him tightly. She wailed quietly, her body shaking with each breath.


    The cane slipped out of Ismene¡¯s numb fingers. ¡°Elz¡­ri¡­?¡± she mumbled, eyes wide.


    A flicker of torchlight caught Ismene¡¯s attention. In the distance, the valley armies were marching to the western gate, they¡¯d arrive in a matter of minutes. Even from here, Ismene could see there were no soldiers left at the gate; slain by the monsters that had breached the wall.


    Rage burned in her chest and blue mana surged to life within. Droplets of water spun into existence around the old woman and swirled around her, carrying her into the air in a storm of magic. Lightning crackled through her body as the current swirled faster and faster.


    The Tempest Archmage flew over the battlements and headed to the western gate alone.

 Chapter 492: Thunderous Roar

    Chapter 492: Thunderous Roar


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­The City Outskirts¡­


    The Dusk Queen, Ophelia Thorn, watched from afar as her armies marched towards the city that rightfully belonged to her family. The shade wall had fallen, all that was left was to claim her prize.


    Battalions had already been sent to the Northern, Western, and Southern Gates. But the gates served as a bottleneck, forcing them to battle in small numbers.


    Messengers had told her that the Western Gate was still holding strong without any signs of breaking.


    Word was that the Western Gate had been decimated by the dragonbanes and would soon be overrun by her men and yet even from here, Ophelia could see constant flashes of lightning above the gate. Try as her soldiers might, they weren¡¯t breaking through.


    Something felt off, especially after having witnessed the azure flames blooming into flowers in the night sky. Powerful archmages were near that gate. Had the dragonbanes just left the area in search of other prey?


    ¡°General Loch,¡± Ophelia called out to the masked drow standing next to her palanquin.


    For many years Alwin Loch had served as her right-hand and most loyal servant. The azure fires that had seared his flesh a few weeks ago had not weakened that resolve, in fact, it had done quite the opposite.


    Loch stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°It seems some of the dragonbanes have been sloppy. Take a battalion of our finest and go crush whatever resistance is left at the Western Gate.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty. Shall I send more battalions to the Northern and Southern Gates as well?¡±


    ¡°There is no need. We¡¯ll leave the North to the dragonbanes; after they finish destroying the wall¡¯s defenses I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll come back and destroy the Northern Gate. As for the Southern Gate, my messengers tell me the Veres and Glaz soldiers are dwindling, they¡¯ll break soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Your Majesty,¡± he bowed and turned to leave.


    ¡°Oh, and General Loch.¡±


    He stopped and glanced back, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Do not fail me this time. I will not tolerate a repeat of the Tourney.¡±


    Loch ran his hand across his mask unconsciously, then bowed once more, ¡°I assure you, Your Majesty, I will not fail you.¡±


    Ophelia looked at the molten breach standing brazenly between the Southern and Western Gates. Her husband would have arrived there by now with his army, along with that deadly vampiress her Master kept around. Soon the entire city would be overrun with Valley warriors and Undergrowth soldiers.


    The only potential problem is¡­


    She looked at the wall standing between the breach and the Southern Gate. While the west had already been dealt with, there still seemed to be a battalion of soldiers atop that wall.


    For now, at least.


    Two thousand torchlights hurried down the grasslands towards the southern wall. Two entire battalions worth of soldiers.


    She smirked.


    Her husband¡¯s barbarians would deal with the breach¡¯s final resistance soon enough and then they¡¯d move on the Southern Gate.


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­Southern Wall¡­


    Melfyn notched an arrow and pulled his bow back, ¡°FIRE!¡±


    The Cinder Brood teenagers loosed their arrows into the oncoming horde of warriors. Several soldiers, including the vampiress Captain Talia, stood beside them on the merlons, firing their arrows at his command.


    Another volley of thirty-odd arrows flew down into the grasslands. A few torchlights fell to the ground and disappeared into the darkness of the trampling horde.


    Melfyn reached for his quiver but found it empty. ¡°I¡¯m out of arrows!¡±


    Many of his tribemates glanced at each other with troubled looks. ¡°So are we!¡±


    Captain Talia turned to her soldiers, ¡°Give them some of your arrows!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain! But, we only have four or five left each,¡± a soldier admitted panickedly.


    Bulwark Commander Stonehand strode up behind them and placed a large hand on Melfyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, lad. But we''ve run out of time.¡± He hefted his hammer and shield. ¡°Prepare for close engagement!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡± the soldiers shouted in unison.


    Melfyn glanced at his tribemates worriedly, his gaze lingering on his closest friends; Sandra, Jack, and Rowan.


    ¡°Dear sweet gods, save me,¡± Captain Rorik whispered pitifully.


    ¡°There are thousands of enemies out there. We aren¡¯t making it out of this, Rorik,¡± Captain Talia said grimly.


    Rorik ignored her words and kneeled behind the merlons in prayer.


    Talia shook her head in disgust.


    ¡°Mel?¡± Jack said anxiously. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    Melfyn breathed in deeply and nodded to himself. ¡°You heard the Commander, prepare for melee combat. Anyone who has arrows left, give them to Sandra, she is our best shot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chieftain!¡± The orphans pooled together their remaining arrows and handed them to the short goblin girl.


    Jack stretched his lanky limbs and picked up his spear. Rowan quietly drew his daggers and hid behind the merlons, waiting for the enemy. Captain Talia stared at the human and drow respectively, they seemed so comfortable with the goblins, there was no distrust, only complete confidence in their leader and tribemates.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Talia bit her lip and looked down in shame. ¡°Chieftain Melfyn!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Melfyn glanced at her.


    She bowed deeply, ¡°As a captain of the wall I must apologize to you. I underestimated you for being a goblin and being so young. ¡­I was wrong about you and your¡ª tribe. You have more courage than I¡¯ve seen in men twice your size,¡± she glanced pointedly at Rorik. ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, I am honored to die by your side, Melfyn, First of the Cinder Brood.¡±


    He felt a lump grow in his throat. ¡°The honor is mine. I am honored to be here, next to all of you,¡± he glanced at his friends and Talia. ¡°If I may, Captain?¡±


    Taila cocked her head to the side, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Our banner¡­¡± Melfyn began.


    ¡°Kid, I told you, your tribe isn¡¯t a noble House,¡± Rorik interrupted. ¡°You can¡¯t hang your banner on the wall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Melfyn, but he¡¯s right,¡± Talia said reluctantly. ¡°Not that it matters anymore.¡±


    The valley warriors crashed into the wall. Their angered voices echoing upwards to the battlements. Sandra pulled her bow back and shot at the ones trying to raise ladders to scale the wall.


    Commander Stonehand channeled Blue and began firing bolts of lightning down at the barbarians, even as they fired back magical bolts of their own.


    Melfyn stared at their banner lying on the ground; a black fabric served as the background, and at the center was a shining sapphire with a silver crescent moon surrounding it, the Sapphire of the East, Lunis.


    I¡¯m sorry, Witt. You worked so hard to make it for us¡­


    Melfyn wondered if Stryg would have been proud of him. Stryg had trusted him with the safety of the tribe until his return.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t keep my promise,¡± Melyfn whispered, teary-eyed.


    ¡°Mel!¡± Jack yelled as a pair of ladders lodged onto the wall on both sides of them.


    Melfyn wiped his eyes and hefted his spear and shield. ¡°For Cinder Brood.¡±


    ~~~


    The Commoner District was the outermost section of Hollow Shade, shaped like a ring around the rest of the city; and separated from the other districts by a man-made stream that stretched across all the districts and directly fed by the Dire River outside the city.


    Trebuchet fire hurled boulders of a jade-like material through the night sky, crashing into the Commoner District in periodic barrages. The south and west sides were riddled with wreckage and rubble. Fires had broken out on several streets, quickly overtaking the old wooden houses.


    Stone golems emerged from the jade boulders like insects from a cocoon. They chased after the survivors of the trebuchet fire, smashing them into bloody smears on the ground. Patrolling sentinels marched to the fleeing people¡¯s defense, but as the trebuchet fire continued, the undead sentinels¡¯ numbers began to dwindle.


    The entire region had fallen into chaos and the surviving commoners rushed towards the bridges that connected to the Trade District. Thousands of panic-stricken survivors crowded the bridges, pushing and even trampling over one another, trying to get across. Many fell into the stream below and the rushing current pulled them under.


    Numerous merchants, worried about their wares being raided amidst the chaos, ordered their guards to barricade their stores. Some merchants even had their guards block some of the bridges in hopes that the commoners wouldn¡¯t get through.


    But as the guards struggled against the terrified commoners fleeing for their lives, a small figure crashed into one of the markets, burrowing right through two stores. The nearby guards jumped back and shouted in surprise before rushing to the smoking crater.


    A woman, her olive skin covered in dust, coughed and staggered out from the crater. She brushed her long dark curls and glanced at the suspicious soldiers slowly surrounding her. Holo stumbled to her knees and held her side, blood seeped from her cracked armor and drenched her hand red.


    A guard raised his spear and pointed it at her, ¡°Wh-Who are you!?¡±


    Holo ignored him and looked up. ¡°Get *cough* back!¡±


    A second figure leaped into the sky from a distance and landed at the center of the marketplace, a few dozen paces away. He was a young man, a teen really. Pristine white hair and warm brown skin, eyes glowing different colors that changed every few seconds.


    Caligo brushed a bit of dust from his black-feathered cloak and walked towards Holo. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d last this long. Your regenerative capabilities are quite something.¡±


    The guards turned to him and shouted in alarm.


    ¡°Run!¡± Holo screamed at them.


    Caligo raised his arms. Eight grey tails as thick as an arm and with sharp steel-like points, emerged from his back and stabbed out in a flash, piercing right through the guards¡¯ armor and chests. The guards spurted blood and fell limp as the tails raised their corpses into the air. With a simple twist of the tails, Caligo flicked their bodies away.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Holo cursed under her breath.


    Caligo glanced at the blood dripping down her armor and running down her leg. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re at your limit,¡± he said disappointedly. His tails withered away and he casually walked up to her. He leaned down and narrowed his eyes, ¡°But you and I both know you¡¯re not done yet.¡±


    Holo glared at him and Flickered. He spun around and kicked her in the abdomen as soon as she reappeared. Holo gasped an empty breath and crashed into a building.


    Caligo clicked his tongue. ¡°Why are you so stubbornly staying in that form? Why hold yourself back?¡±


    Holo coughed up blood and with trembling arms, pushed herself up.


    ¡°Is it for these people?¡± Caligo gestured to the city around them. ¡°Do you not want to show them all what you really look like? You don¡¯t wish for them to be scared of you? Hm?¡± he laughed. ¡°Oh, Holo, you¡¯ve gotten soft.¡±


    ¡°¡­Heed my call¡­ Lyrae.¡± The black scythe flew through the air and landed in front of her, the curved blade jabbed into the ground.


    Caligo raised his arm and Honorem flew straight into his hand, the black sword pulsating with power. ¡°Or is it maybe that you already know even if you shapeshifted back into your true form it wouldn¡¯t make a difference? That deep down you know, you are going to die tonight.¡±


    Holo spat a glob of blood at his feet, ¡°For someone who wants to kill me, you certainly talk a lot.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Are you afraid to die, traveler?¡±


    Holo scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve already made peace with that. You on the other hand,¡± she smirked, ¡°I think we both know that deep down, you are the one afraid of death.¡±


    His expression turned cold. ¡°I fear no one and nothing.¡±


    Caligo swung Honorem down. Jade lightning crackled out from his blade and burst in a torrent of bright green thunder, ripping through the cobblestone street and the brick buildings. Holo held Lyrae tight, bowed her head, and braced herself.


    Her world exploded in flashes of white and green. Lightning tendrils melted through her armor and burned her flesh. She tumbled through the air, waves of energy battering her. She hit the ground and skidded across the marketplace, stopping when she crashed into a merchant¡¯s home in the distance.


    There was nothing left of the marketplace, save for scorched rock and a red-hot epicenter where Caligo stood. He leaped into the air and landed heavily next to Holo. She opened her eyes blearily and looked around in a daze. He slammed his foot on her chest and she cried out in pain as her sternum caved in with a loud crack.


    Caligo leaned his arm on his knee, pushing his full weight over her. She groaned and sputtered blood. He looked down at her dispassionately, ¡°After all your lies, tricks, and antics, here you lie, broken. Your precious wall has fallen, your champions have been slaughtered, your armies are being butchered as we speak, and soon your city shall fall.¡±


    Holo glared at him defiantly and grabbed his leg with trembling fingers.


    ¡°Had you just given me Selyndra¡¯s Key I would have spared your city,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Goodbye, Holo.¡±


    Caligo raised Honorem. Holo panted and stared up at him, her brown eyes tired. Her gaze shifted, looking up past him, and her lips curled in a faint bloody smile. He furrowed his brow.


    A thunderous roar boomed across the city. Caligo snapped his head up. The dark grey clouds trembled in the night sky. An emerald dragon burst from the clouds, wings outstretched, maw aglow with flame. A silver dragon shot out from the clouds behind him. Then a scarlet dragon, a bronze, and an amethyst. Dragon after dragon flew down.


    The clouds parted, streams of mist pulling apart as a dragon twice as large as any other emerged. His sapphire scales glowed with power. Wings spread, stretching out thrice his size, eclipsing several dragons whole. His chest swelled and he roared once more, the thunderous noise booming across the city, sending vibrations through the ground itself.


    Caligo stared up in quiet surprise. ¡°The Azure Sky¡­ Kaleidrog,¡± he whispered. ¡°After all these years you finally decided to fight¡­ You bastard.¡±


    Holo clenched her teeth and Flickered away from underneath him. Caligo looked back down, but it was too late, she was gone, for now.


    Scarlet feathered wings sprang from Caligo¡¯s back. They spread open wide and with a single beat, he shot up into the sky.

 Chapter 493: What Do You Say?

    Chapter 493: What Do You Say?


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­The Molten Breach¡­


    ¡°RETREAT!!¡± cried a captain of the guard. He cried out as the horde of barbarians rushed the Breach and clashed against his fellow soldiers.


    The majority of the city¡¯s soldiers had been stationed at the city gates and the wall. When the wall had been breached by those flying abominations, the commanders of the barracks had quickly mustered together a little over 500 soldiers to defend the Molten Breach. They just had to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive from the gates and the wall.


    It wasn¡¯t enough.


    Plumes of flames, stone hail, funnels of wind, bolts of lightning, encroaching vines, and all manners of spells engulfed the soldiers, ripping apart their vanguard. The guard captain watched in horror as his commanding officer was caught by thorny vines, growing right beneath her. She yelled in a panic, but her voice was quickly cut off as the vines coiled around her and the thorns pierced her throat.


    The barbarian mages cast barrages of spells at full force, intent on breaking their defensive lines, and when they had, then their warriors fell upon them; wading into their midst, striking down the disoriented and fleeing with ease.


    ¡°RETREAT!!¡± the guard captain cried out once more. ¡°RETREA¡ª!¡± A black spear flew out of the crashing of warriors and ran through his chest, pinning him to the ground. He gasped a raspy noise.


    A giant, veiled in dark armor strode up to him. He glanced down at the guard captain and his cold blue eyes met the dying drow¡¯s. Without hesitation, the Dusk King reached down and ripped the orichalcum spear from the guard¡¯s chest. The drow captain grimaced and choked on his own blood. The King raised his foot and slammed it over his head, breaking the neck with a loud crack.


    ~~~


    The battle hadn¡¯t lasted long. In less than five minutes, the valley warriors decimated the pathetic excuse for a city guard. Marek watched his warriors scour the bodies lying on the bloodstained cobblestone, stabbing any that even twitched.


    ¡°These people are weak,¡± Nokti said in disgust. ¡°Without their wall they are nothing. They do not deserve these lands. Tonight we avenge all the horrors they¡¯ve set on our people.¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± Marek muttered. That was how it started, wasn¡¯t it? Vengeance for his people and freedom from the oppressive city of shades. None of it seemed important anymore. After all, Caligo had promised that come dawn, he¡¯d slaughter all the adults of the Cairn tribe. There was nothing Marek could do to stop it.


    But there was something he could do. Finish what he had started, the end of House Helene¡¯s bloodline. ¡°Nokti, I take it you and your warriors can take care of things from here?¡±


    ¡°I have two battalions under my command, 2,000 of our bravest warriors. I am quite certain I can ¡®take care of things.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± he grunted and walked off.


    ¡°Are you really going to go? Kill them all?¡± she called out.


    ¡°They are Helenes,¡± he said calmly, his mind made up.


    ¡°They did not kill your mother. The woman that did is dead, by your own hands.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you care about the city rabble?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But those people are your family, the only family you have left.¡±


    Marek clenched his spear, ¡°No, they are her family.¡±


    ¡°The city¡¯s Commoner District is being bombarded by our trebuchet fire. The people must be fleeing inwards, they¡¯re probably blocking all the roads leading to the Villa District. How do you even plan on reaching the Helene Manor?¡±


    He glanced at his elite warriors forming rank. ¡°I have my own battalion under my command. It will be enough.¡±


    ¡°Marek!¡±


    He stopped and looked back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, not as long as a single Helene breathes.¡± He turned around and raised his orichalcum spear into the air. His warriors shouted a war chant and followed him down the street.


    ~~~


    ¡°General, the area is clear,¡± said the battalion commander.


    Nokti glanced at the hundreds of bodies lying on the blood-stained cobblestone. The scent of blood was intoxication. She nodded, satisfied. ¡°Very good. Take your warriors and deal with the barracks to the west, I¡¯ll lead the other battalion and deal with the barracks to the south. When you have finished, we will head to the medical encampments in the north.¡±


    ¡°Understood, General!¡± he saluted.


    ¡°The rest of you, with me!¡± Nokti shouted.


    A thunderous roar echoed through the night sky. Nokti and the rest of the warriors grimaced and held their ears.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± a warrior yelled.


    Nokti turned to the sky. She narrowed her scarlet eyes, searching for the source. Dragons burst from the clouds above the city and dived.


    ¡°Oh, dear gods¡­!¡± Nokti mumbled, wide-eyed.


    Two dragons, emerald in color, broke off from their brood and flew straight towards them.


    ¡°Archers! Mages! Fire at will!¡± Nokti screamed.


    Hundreds of archers drew their bows back and fired a volley of arrows into the sky. Dozens of mages channeled their chromatic magics and hurled various spells. The dragons opened their wings wide and channeled True Yellow. A radiant sphere of light formed around each dragon. The magical and physical projectiles crashed into the yellow spheres, sending small ripples through the Radiant magic.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Nokti yelled and threw herself to the ground. She channeled Yellow and created defensive scales over her body.


    The warriors cried out in a panic and raised their shields, but the emerald dragons swooped right past them, their wind wake knocking hundreds to the ground. The dragons landed atop the wall¡¯s breach, one on each side of the molten rock. Their chests swelled as they took deep breaths and channeled True White.


    The dragons opened their mouths and breathed out a thick haze. The haze crashed into the bottom of the breach and quickly began to solidify into a white stone. The stone grew before their very eyes, climbing up the breach until it formed a whole section of wall.


    Nokti rose to her feet and stared at the strip of white stone, fifty paces across and twice as tall. It stood in stark contrast to the now frosty-translucent magestone on either side. ¡°What in the¡­?¡±


    A valley warrior hefted his spear and hurled it at the newly formed wall. The spearhead struck true but glanced off the white stone harmlessly.


    ¡°We¡¯re cut off¡­!¡± Nokti muttered anxiously.


    The dragons looked down and glared at them. They unfurled their wings and channeled True Grey. Silver halos spun into existence above between their wings, growing steadily larger.


    Nokti felt a chill run through her body. She had seen her Master battle dragons before, and she had seen the destructive nature of Halo magic.


    ¡°RUUUUN!!!¡± she screamed and dashed away as fast as she could.


    Her warriors glanced at each for a brief confused moment then ran away in all directions. The halos flew down and exploded on impact. Waves of destructive energy erupted, ripping apart dozens of soldiers in an instant.


    The dragons roared and began forming another set of silver halos. Nokti didn¡¯t look back and kept running, her warriors following not far behind.


    ~~~


    Caligo soared into the night sky on scarlet feathered wings. The city quickly grew smaller underneath him. He spotted a pair of emerald dragons cast a Manifest spell over the wall¡¯s breach in the far-off distance.


    Things have grown complicated¡­ he thought.


    He focused his mind and whispered in the tongue of the void, his voice carrying across to all the dragonbanes.


    ¡°Find the vampiress, Maeve Mora.¡± He pictured the young vampiress¡¯ face in his mind; her pale skin, high cheekbones, silver-blonde hair, and large crimson eyes. The image of the girl and her scent were conveyed to the dragonbanes.


    ¡°Krylkos. Lyrak. You two have a different task. Fly to the Ebon Tower and tear it asunder.¡± Caligo glanced at the colossal tower looming at the center of the city; a large black obelisk, split in two as if by a giant sword.


    He conveyed both the image of the tower and Maeve to the dragonbanes¡¯ minds, but thoughts of them quickly faded away as the creatures caught a distinct scent in the air, it was unfamiliar to them, but they knew it all too well. Dragons.


    Caligo could feel the rabid hunger quickly take over their minds. All across the city the dragonbanes roared excitedly and took to the sky to hunt their mortal enemies.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Caligo commanded, but his voice was lost in their bloodlust. He sighed, annoyed.


    No matter. After feeding on a few dragon souls, some of them would come back to their senses.


    As if in defiance of his morbid thought, a bronze dragon roared from the clouds and dived straight at him. She channeled True Grey. She created a halo above her wings, and with a flick, she tossed it.


    Caligo pulled his wings in clothes, forming a cocoon over himself. The halo crashed into his wings and exploded in a burst of silvery light. Like an arrow, Caligo pierced through unharmed. He unfurled his wings and darted at the bronze dragon. She pulled back in surprise and ignited the chromatic mana within her body; her ribs swelled as she took a deep breath and spewed chromatic fire¡ª


    Honorem slashed outwards in a wide arc as Caligo flew past her in a blur. The orichalcum blade sliced through her bronze scales and severed her neck. The dragon¡¯s body seized up and went limp. Her head fell away in a splatter of blood as her body fell to the earth.


    Caligo opened his jaw wide and sucked in the essence of her soul, tearing it out from her body as she fell.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± a black dragon screamed in rage and swooped at him.


    Caligo stretched out his hand, jade lightning crackling between his fingertips. The black dragon channeled True Yellow and a radiant sphere formed around him. A lance of jade lightning scattered through the air and pierced the radiant shield. The black dragon flinched back and cried out in pain as the lance bore a massive hole through his chest. His serpentine eyes glazed over and he tumbled out of the sky in a smoking heap.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± a deafening voice boomed.


    Caligo turned around with a cold smile and faced the sapphire dragon flying above him. The dragon towered over the others. Caligo himself seemed but a small bird in front of a lion.  He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the elder dragon god himself! The lord of the Rupture Mountains, come out of hiding after all these centuries. Welcome back to the war, Kaleidrog!¡±


    The dragon lord fanned his wings in place, sending powerful gusts through the air. He narrowed his deep blue eyes and stared hard at the small winged figure smiling at him. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, old friend,¡± Caligo smirked. His body warped in a blur of light and shapeshifted back into his original form. A titaness, five meters tall. Long, pallid green hair cascaded down past her wings. Her warm brown skin seemed to glow with an inner light. A dress of shadows wrapped around her body, trailing at her feet. It was only her ever-changing eyes that stayed the same.


    Honorem, once seeming an absurdly large sword, now fit comfortably in her hand, as a war dagger. Her cloak formed a shawl over her bareback and shoulders, its black feathers had burned away, revealing scorched ebon scales underneath.


    ¡°Ananta¡­¡± Kaleidrog muttered softly.


    She cocked her head to the side, ¡°You hardly seem surprised.¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions ever since ¡®Caligo¡¯ appeared in the realm. But it was only after I heard about a god hunting down dragons recently that I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad my little hunting trip worked.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to draw me out,¡± he surmised.


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± she smiled. ¡°And here you are, finally.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on now, is that all you have to say? After all this time?¡± Her smile turned into a spiteful scowl, ¡°Is that all you have to say to an old friend?¡±


    He stared at her, sorrow in his eyes. ¡°What would you like me to say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. What do you say to the woman who saved your life? Whom you betrayed. Whose husband you murdered. Whose queendom you destroyed. Whose world you poisoned.¡± She glared at him, ¡°What do you say to the woman you failed to kill, Kaleidrog?¡±

 Chapter 494: Kaleidrog

    Chapter 494: Kaleidrog


    ¡­Above the city of Hollow Shade¡­


    ¡°Oh, come on now, is that all you have to say? After all this time?¡± Ananta¡¯s smile turned into a spiteful scowl, ¡°Is that all you have to say to an old friend?¡±


    Kaleidrog stared at her, sorrow in his eyes. ¡°What would you like me to say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. What do you say to the woman who saved your life? Whom you betrayed. Whose husband you murdered. Whose queendom you destroyed. Whose world you poisoned.¡± She glared at him, ¡°What do you say to the woman you failed to kill, Kaleidrog?¡±


    ¡°Ann, what happened to Vismarya¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say his name! The dragon lords murdered him, your own king!¡± She clenched her jaw, ¡°Why?¡±


    Kaleidrog looked away. ¡°He loved you, Ann. The dragon king would have sided with you over his own people. That¡¯s why we¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not because of me, he¡¯d have sided against the dragon lords because unlike all of you bastards, he was good. Vismarya valued all life, he¡¯d never have turned around and attacked his own allies!¡±


    ¡°At the time we thought we had no choice. We were afraid the Vesir Queendom might discover our existence was too dangerous to be left alive¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean I would have discovered the truth about your draconic nature?¡± Ananta spat. ¡°Did Vismarya know? Did he know¡ª?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. Only a few of us dragonlords had learned the truth. We thought it best not to inform him, since he had already married you. We¡­ We had to strike first, it was the only way to ensure our survival.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you justify murdering your king? Or is this simply you trying to console his widow?¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to justify my past.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here, Kaleidrog? Why have you come to interfere?¡± she hissed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Ann.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you brought your entire brood with you? To not fight?¡±


    ¡°...I know you¡¯ll never forgive me, how could anyone? But it¡¯s been over six thousand years, the war is over, Ann. We don¡¯t have to fight each other.¡±


    ¡°Over¡­?¡± she broke into laughter, her eyes full of rage. ¡°Over!? The war never ended. I am still here! I am still fighting for my world!¡±


    Kaleidrog faced her angered gaze solemnly, ¡°Ananta, the reason I brought my brood was to stop the dragonbanes you unleashed back into the world. But I did not come to fight you, only to talk because you know as well as I what¡¯s truly at stake. If we do not work together¡­ we could all die.¡±


    Her eyes grew cold. ¡°I died long ago.¡±


    ¡°Ann,¡± the dragon lord sighed bitterly. ¡°What happened after Unildyr left. I regret everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that!¡± she shouted. ¡°You don¡¯t get to feel sorry!¡±


    He bowed his head. ¡°What we did to you and your husband was unforgivable. It is the greatest mistake of my existence and I carry that with me every day.¡±


    ¡°Mistake¡­? Mistake!?¡± her voice cracked painfully.


    Storm clouds began to brew in the night sky, jade lightning crackling throughout them.


    ¡°You think stabbing Vismarya and me in the back was your greatest mistake?¡± Ananta asked in a still voice. ¡°Tell that to the children of my people! They were sleeping in their beds when your dragons attacked our cities! They were asleep when you laid fire to their homes!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°What do you think they felt when they awoke screaming in agony as they burned alive engulfed in your dragonfire!¡±


    ¡°...It was a surprise attack, it was only meant to destroy your cities¡¯ defenses. The fire was never meant to spread to¡ª The children¡­ they were never the target, they were¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThey were innocent!¡± she screamed.


    Shame filled Kaleidrog¡¯s blue eyes.


    Ananta scowled at him. ¡°Tell me, how did it feel to betray the titans, your king, your friends, the world? Did it feel good when you succeeded in destroying everything they fought and died to protect? I can only imagine how the dragonlords must have felt, basking in their own glory.¡±


    Kaleidrog stared at her in silence, unwilling to justify his actions.


    She smiled venomously, ¡°I wish I had been there; at the height of your glory, just so I could see what happened next. Tell me, Kaleidrog, how did it feel? When Calamity after Calamity DECIMATED your people, until the few that were left scattered into the winds, hiding in the dark! Tell me, Kaleidrog, HOW DID IT FEEL!?¡±


    The dragonlord stayed silent, but he refused to look away, to avoid his part in all of this. And yet, his willingness to accept her anger only infuriated her more.


    She sneered. ¡°I wish I could have seen it, the day death took your wife from you. To see your face the moment you lost the person you loved most.¡±


    Anger flared in Kaleidrog¡¯s expression, but he forced himself to bury it.


    ¡°I may not be able to kill your spouse, but I can still avenge mine,¡± she snarled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ My crimes are unforgivable. But my people, the younglings born into this new world are not at fault, they are innocent.¡±


    ¡°Innocent¡­?¡± she repeated the word as if it were poison on her lips.


    ¡°Yes. You once fought against your own father to save dragonkind for that very same reason. So if killing me alone will end this, if my death will avenge the dragon king and all the others, if it will give you some sort of closure, then I will not resist.¡± Kaleidrog exposed his neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± she asked in quiet surprise.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said without wavering. ¡°As I said before, you and I know what¡¯s truly at stake here. We are running out of time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the toll it''s taken on the new generations of dragons,¡± she noted. ¡°They¡¯re growing weaker, their powers are deteriorating.¡±


    ¡°They are not the only ones who¡¯ve been affected. Things will only grow worse. I know I am in no position to ask anything of you, but I beg of you, my queen,¡± he bowed, ¡°Please, save my people. I cannot do it alone, but perhaps you can.¡±


    ¡°Kaleidrog, you¡ª?¡± she laughed hysterically. ¡°You misunderstand me. You think you¡¯re choosing to sacrifice yourself? For your brood? No, old friend. You are going to die today because I willed it so and then I will slaughter your precious people, every single last one of them!¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Lightning erupted from the clouds in branches of jade light and struck Kaleidrog. A radiant sphere materialized around the elder dragon god¡¯s body. The branches of lightning crackled around the golden shield, sending small cracks through it, but they were unable to break through.


    Ananta¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    Kaleidrog stared at her through the radiant shield. ¡°So this is your choice¡­? Very well. If war is the only way to stop you, then I will fight. Not for myself, but for the innocents still left in this world.¡±


    ¡°Innocents? You keep saying that word, as if by repeating it will somehow make it true,¡± Ananta growled.


    ¡°What of the people down there? You saw your own city and its people burned alive. What of the innocent children down there in Hollow Shade? Do they not deserve a chance?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even see it, can you, Kaleidrog? There are no innocents here. Your people are the reason for the Schism! None of you chromatics are innocent, not the dragon lords of old, not the younglings in your brood, and not the thousands down there with their mixed chromatic blood,¡± she pointed to Hollow Shade below them. ¡°They all deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°...Maybe we¡¯re not innocent,¡± he admitted. ¡°But for their sake, I will fight you just the same.¡±


    Ananta cocked her head to the side, ¡°Who said I was going to fight you?¡±


    Kaleidrog frowned, ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±


    A grey halo shot down from the clouds and exploded in brilliant destructive energies atop his radiant shield. The cracks in the shield gave way and the entire magical sphere shattered. Kaleidrog threw his wings over himself for protection as the blast sent him flying back.


    A sapphire dragon swooped down from the clouds and flew up next to Ananta. She was smaller than Kaleidrog, but her appearance was similar.


    ¡°Zavinti¡­!?¡± Kaleidrog gasped.


    Ananta smiled wide, ¡°Allow me to introduce you to my loyal slave, the dragon goddess, The Azure Serenity, Zavinti.¡±


    ¡°What have you done to my daughter!?¡± Kaleidrog roared.


    ¡°I told you, death took your wife before I could. So I settled for what you have left.¡± Ananta patted the dragon goddess¡¯ neck, ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Zavinti, her eyes glazed over, dashed forward without hesitation. She channeled True Brown; berserker magic flowed through her veins, empowering her body.


    ¡°Wait, Zavinti, stop, it¡¯s me!¡± Kaleidrog shouted.


    His daughter slammed into him and sank her fangs into his shoulder. Kaleidrog roared in pain and tried to shake her off, but her claws dug into his side and refused to let go.


    ¡°How does it feel, to die at the hands of a person you trusted?¡± Ananta called out.


    Kaleidrog grimaced and tried to pry his daughter off him. ¡°My precious¡­ Sapphire¡­ stop¡­! I don¡¯t want¡­ to hurt you!¡±


    ¡°If you want to stop her, you¡¯ll have to kill her!¡± Ananta taunted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be hard for someone like you, right?¡±


    Kaleidrog ignored her words and channeled True Purple. Mind-Binding tendrils wrapped around his daughter¡¯s body. ¡°Wake up, Zavinti! Please!¡±


    She slowly released her jaw and looked up at her father.


    He smiled softly, ¡°My Sapphire.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ Die.¡± Zavinti held him tight and opened her maw wide, dragon flames igniting at the back of her throat.


    Kaleidrog closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Sapphire.¡± He had failed her. He had let her go out of the Rupture Mountains by herself. It was his fault she had been captured and her mind broken by Ananta. He deserved this.


    A scarlet dragon broke through the clouds like a blazing comet and crashed into Zavinti, knocking her away from her father. She roared angrily and breathed dragonfire at the scarlet dragon, but he held her tight and refused to let go. She thrashed about, spewing dragonfire out chaotically into the night sky.


    ¡°Reldros!?¡± Kaleidrog shouted in surprise.


    ¡°Father!¡± the scarlet dragon yelled as he battled Zavinti, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with my sister! You kill the monster that did this to her!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my son,¡± Kaleidrog whispered gratefully. He glanced up at Ananta and growled in a deep rumble. ¡°I am done trying to reason with you.¡± Three grey halos formed around him, spinning larger and larger.


    The titan queen bared her teeth, ¡°There he is. Finally.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Commoner District¡­


    Dragonfire burned across the streets. The valley warriors had split off in every direction, running for their lives. Two emerald dragons split off and chased after them, breathing flames wherever the warriors went.


    One of the dragons swooped low and her chest swelled as she took a deep breath. Nokti glanced back at the dragon in a panic. ¡°Get down!¡± she screamed.


    Black mana flowed through her veins. Shadow tendrils surged outwards, latched onto the corner of a building, and yanked Nokti forward. The dragonfire erupted behind where she had just been.


    Nokti staggered to her feet and saw her fellow warriors thrashing in the flames, before falling still. ¡°No¡­¡± she mumbled.


    The emerald dragon turned to the vampiress and opened her mouth. Nokti channeled Yellow and threw her arms in front of herself. Yellow protective scales formed across her brown skin.


    The dragon¡¯s chest swelled, flames igniting in her throat, and breathed out, blood? The emerald dragon choked as a barbed tail penetrated its chest from the back. A dragonbane, twice her size, roared from behind and slammed her into the ground.


    ¡°Vorphyrux¡­?!¡± said Nokti. She recognized the dragonbane, he was by far the largest of his clutch. The one blessed by Unildyr, her Master had said.


    With the barbed tail still inside her chest, the emerald dragon tried standing up. Vorphyrux stuck its hand into her mouth and ripped off her lower jaw in one quick motion.


    A painful screech echoed from above. The second emerald dragon swooped in and fired a grey halo. Vorphyrux snatched the halo in his hand and crushed it. The destructive energy exploded into his clenched fist, smoke sizzling from between his fingers.


    The emerald dragon gasped in surprise and turned away. Vorphyrux lifted the dead dragon with his tail still embedded in her chest, and flung it at her fleeing brother. The dragon cried out and tumbled out of the sky. Vorphyrux dashed at him in a blur and reached him before he landed.


    The dragonbane snatched him out of the air and body-slammed him into the ground. Before the stunned dragon had a chance to react, Vorphyrux clamped his jaw over the dragon¡¯s head and crushed the skull, spraying blood and brain matter everywhere.


    Vorphyrux breathed in deeply and drained the souls from the two corpses. Silvery wisps flowed out from the dragons and into his awaiting maw. White stars burned brightly at the core of his oily black eyes.


    ¡°Vorphyrux?¡± Nokti called out hesitantly.


    Whether he didn¡¯t hear her or simply didn¡¯t care, the dragonbane did not react to her words and finished his meal. He then spread his wings and took to the sky, sending a wave of dust everywhere.


    Nokti coughed and cleared the dust around her with a simple Yellow wind spell. She looked up at the night sky and her jaw went slack in terror and awe. The dragonbanes were flying over the city, battling twice as many dragons in a storm of magic.


    Flashes of jade lightning flickered in the dark clouds above. ¡°Master¡­¡± Nokti muttered. Caligo was fighting too.


    She wouldn¡¯t fail him. Nokti glanced around the flaming wreckage. As the dust was beginning to settle, she spotted a few warriors jogging towards her. The dragons had dealt a devastating blow to her battalions, they had probably killed several hundred of them in a matter of minutes. And even though the majority remained, they had been scattered across the district.


    They needed to regroup if they had any hope of accomplishing their goals. If the battalion commanders were still alive they¡¯d gather their men and women and finish destroying the barracks before heading to the enemy¡¯s medical encampment.


    ¡°General Nokti, are you alright!?¡± a warrior called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Search for any survivors in the area. If they¡¯re too wounded, leave them. We can¡¯t afford to stay out in the open like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General¡ª Argh!¡± A bolt of lightning struck the warrior in the chest and ripped his torso apart.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± yelled another warrior.


    ¡°Protect the General!¡± a third screamed and ran towards Nokti, but just as she reached her, a lightning bolt struck the warrior in the neck, severing her head from the body.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Nokti dove to the ground.


    Several more bolts hurled out from the cloud of dust and struck down her remaining soldiers.


    Nokti cursed under her breath and reinforced her protective scales with more yellow mana. Just her luck, to come across an enemy blue mage capable of storm magic. She scrambled to a nearby ruined house and glanced out from behind the corner. Her scarlet eyes searched the wreckage for the attacker.


    As the dust and smoke settled, she spotted a silhouette walking towards her. It was a young woman, she realized, barely older than a teen if even that.


    Nokti frowned, drew her ax, and stepped out from behind the house. Shadows darkened under her feet and formed several tendrils.


    The folly of youth. The young girl should have stayed hidden, waiting for a chance to strike. But out here in the open, Nokti could easily react to her storm spellcasting and evade.


    The young mage spotted the vampiress closing in on her and gasped. Nokti bared her fangs and rushed her. The girl stared at her, unmoving, but there was no fear in her eyes, there was¡­ excitement?


    Something was off.


    Nokti stopped her charge and took a step back.


    ¡°I found you¡­¡± the girl muttered.


    Nokti frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    Nora Azol narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly, ¡°I found you, murderer.¡±

 Chapter 495: For Clypeus

    Chapter 495: For Clypeus


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Commoner District¡­


    Nora Azol narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly, ¡°I found you, murderer.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Nokti circled the young woman, eyeing her up and down.


    ¡°I had heard the rumors that the warlord¡¯s right-hand was alive, but I wasn¡¯t certain it was really you. I thought Stryg had torn your throat out.¡±


    The memory of that blue demon¡¯s claws shredding through her Yellow protective scales and tearing into her neck flashed vividly in Nokti¡¯s mind. ¡°Have we met?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t remember me,¡± Nora snarled. ¡°We were just another group of bodies in your long campaign of war. But we weren¡¯t warriors, we were students!¡±


    ¡°Students?¡± Nokti furrowed her brow. Why did that sound familiar¡ª?


    ¡°I was there, at Widow¡¯s Creek!¡±


    ¡°So you were one of those kids,¡± Nokti muttered in confirmation.


    Nora glared at her. ¡°And you¡¯re the one who intervened in your precious warlord¡¯s duel, you backstabbing bitch.¡±


    ¡°My duty was to protect my warlord¡¯s life at any cost. I am not ashamed of what I did. Wait¡ª¡± Nokti cocked her head to the side and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, was that vampire boy someone important to you?¡±


    Blue mana flared in Nora¡¯s veins. Water formed around her arms and formed long-winding whips.


    Water materialization? Nokti looked on, surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Nora¡¯s water whips lashed out. Black tendrils emerged from Nokti¡¯s shadow in a flash and blocked the whips with deft precision, outmaneuvering every attack the blue mage made.


    With a flick of her wrist, Notki channeled Yellow and blasted Nora away with a powerful gust. The small woman yelped and crashed into the ground, rolling several times before stopping.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to remember that night. There was a pathetic girl that couldn¡¯t stop crying until the blue one ¡®silenced¡¯ her,¡± Nokti made a gesture of her hand, open flat palm, chopping the back of her neck.


    Nora glared at the vampiress. She really is a high-master. Nokti was still covered in Yellow protective scales, but she had no problem casting a shadow and wind spell at the same time. Then there was the sheer fluidity of her shadow spell. Nora hadn¡¯t been able to get a single strike in.


    Torrent spells won¡¯t be enough, Nora thought.


    ¡°Come on, now, surely you¡¯ve grown stronger ever since that night. Or are you still just a coward who will run away given the first chance?¡± Nokti taunted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to kill me, a ¡®murderer¡¯? Don¡¯t you want to avenge your precious vampire boy?¡±


    Nora scowled at her with a spite-filled gaze. Electricity crackled at her fingertips.


    Good, Nokti thought, pleased. An angry mage was an unfocused mage. Spellcasting required a focused will, especially storm magic. One single mistake and a storm spell could easily backfire.


    The electricity flared over Nora¡¯s trembling arms.


    Yes, there it is! Nokti smiled triumphantly.


    Nora glared and raised her arms, hands outstretched.


    Wait, what is she¡ª? ¡°Shit!¡± Nokti jumped to the side, narrowingly dodging a bolt of lightning.


    Nora diffused the electricity across her fingers and cast again. This time the lightning scattered across the street. There was nowhere to run. Nokti covered her face with her arms and was flung back into a wall from the web of lightning.


    The vampiress grunted in pain. Smoke arose from her armor, but the protective scales had held.


    Nora smiled shakily at the sight. Even if her spell had been diffused, storm magic was the most destructive of the spell forms. The barbarian should have still been hurt at least somewhat. The protective scales of a high-master were more durable than she had imagined.


    I¡¯ll need to concentrate my power, Nora thought grimly.


    Nokti dusted herself off with an angry laugh. ¡°You have incredible spell control. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever meet a master so young in this stagnant, sorry excuse of a city. Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Nora poured her mana into a single spell weave and fired a powerful beam of lightning. The air ruptured in a deafening crack.


    Nokti condensed her mana into the protective scales in her right hand. The scales flared with power as she blocked the jagged pillar of scorching energy. Lightning crackled across her scales, spreading in glowing veins all around her. Nokti clenched her jaw and was slowly pushed back.


    The lightning screeched to an end, but Nokti remained standing, her yellow scales untouched. She slowly clenched her right hand into a fist, smoke rising between her fingers. She turned to a stunned Nora with a deadly gaze and hissed.


    Nora immediately turned around and sprinted away.


    ¡°Run, little human,¡± Nokti chuckled under her breath and chased after her. The vampiress¡¯ legs kicked off the ground with each step, quickly closing the distance.


    Nora turned the corner and ran desperately down the dark street. The glow of burning homes in the distance was the only light. She glanced back and gasped in fear when she saw two scarlet eyes right behind her. Nora tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground in a painful heap.


    Nokti hefted her two-handed ax and swung. A blue glint and yellow sparks flashed in the dark. Nokti reeled back and fell on her bottom. Pain blossomed in her left shoulder. She slowly looked down and noticed an arrow protruding from her shoulder.  It had somehow pierced through her protective scales.


    She¡¯d been hit, but from where? There was no one around. Nokti grimaced and plucked the arrow out. The arrowhead was made of a metal with a strange swirling pattern, enchanted steel. It gave off a faint blue glue glow. Arcane sigils had been carved into the steel. A small magestone had been embedded at the base of the arrowhead.


    This was more than some enchanted arrow. These were carefully forged, designed, and enchanted. A single arrow like this would have taken weeks to make. They were incredibly expensive and time-consuming to create.


    Where in all the bloody Realms did this come from? Nokti wondered, a chill creeping up her spine. The crackling of lighting caught her attention. Glancing up, she saw the human girl smirking maliciously, lightning flowing through her hands.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    This was her plan all along! Nokti looked around anxiously for the assassin. The girl had wanted to be chased. She had lured her here.


    Nokti tossed the arrow to the ground. ¡°You think an arrow can kill me!?¡± she growled.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Nora hurled the ball of lightning.


    Nokti charged her scales with more Yellow mana and threw her arms up to block. Needles of pain shot up her left shoulder and she flinched. The lightning splashed over her, blue tendrils burning her scales. The sound of lightning roaring in her ears was deafening. The bright glow blinded her.


    A sharp pain stabbed Nokti¡¯s right thigh. She cried out in pain and fell to one knee. The lightning dissipated and her world grew dark once more. Nokti stared down at her thigh and saw another arrow protruding right through the muscle. It had pierced through her protective scales again, even after she had reinforced them.


    Her warm brown skin was covered in cold sweat. Nora was already forming another storm spell. Nokti hissed at her and channeled Black. Her shadow darkened and exploded, covering the entire block.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Nora cursed and released the storm spell. She quickly formed a torrent weave and a protective dome of water emerged around her.


    Nokti took a deep slow breath. She needed to finish this quickly, a shadow dome of this size would drain her Black mana reserves very soon. Her hands were slick with her own blood, she could feel the warm liquid seeping into her clothes. She was losing too much blood, if she didn¡¯t patch herself up she wouldn¡¯t be cast any spell at all.


    Using what little Black mana she still had, she formed another weave into her eyes. The mana flowed into her irises and bestowed her ¡®dark vision.¡¯ She spotted the human girl hiding in her watery shield not far from her. It didn¡¯t matter. Nokti ignored the girl and quickly searched the area for the real threat.


    All the buildings on the street were single-story, except for a garrison at the end of the street. The four-story garrison seemed to have been emptied, the soldiers were most likely stationed at the wall or one of the four gates. Nokti¡¯s eyes flitted through the dark empty windows. A small glint of blue in one of the fourth-story windowsills caught her sight.


    There you are. Nokti smiled viciously. She broke off the arrow lodged in her thigh and staggered to her feet. She released her protective spell and the scale crumbled into yellow dust. Yellow mana flowed around her, manipulating the wind and forming a powerful gust beneath her. She soared into the air and flew straight towards the garrison.


    ~~~


    In the dark alcove of the garrison, Kegrog sat crouched patiently. His amber eyes were focused, his red fingertips holding the enchanted arrow over his bow. Brown mana flowed through his arms, covering his skin in a thin metallic bronze sheen. The dome of shadows had abruptly formed before he had gotten a chance to fire the 3rd arrow.


    He kept his eyes peeled, searching the corners of the black dome. The moment he¡¯d spot her making a run for it he¡¯d shoot her in the heart. This time he wouldn¡¯t miss, he¡¯d make sure of it.


    The vampiress suddenly burst from the darkness like a bird, soaring straight at him. He jumped back in surprise as she flew right through the window.


    ¡°Hello, big boy,¡± Nokti grinned.


    Kegrog didn¡¯t hesitate. He notched his arrow, aimed at her, and fired. Shadow tendrils snapped out from her wrist and knocked his bow away mid-fire. The arrow missed her and tore through the wall behind.


    Kegrog drew his dagger. Brown mana surged through his body, strengthening his muscles. He shouted a war chant and charged at Nokti. She looked at him pathetically and blasted him away with a powerful burst of wind. He slammed into the wall and fell with a heavy thud.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kegrog groaned and spat a glob of blood and spit on the ground. He wiped the blood off his mouth and glared at her with deadly determination.


    Nokti licked her lips, smiled, and stalked towards him.


    ~~~


    The shadow dome slowly fell apart in tatters, like black tapestries falling from the ceiling. Nora looked around anxiously, searching for the vampiress, but she was gone.


    Had she run away?


    A crash in the distance echoed in the empty street. She turned to the direction of the source, the garrison.


    She gasped in horrid realization. ¡°Kegrog!¡±


    The water dome splashed to the ground around her and she sprinted to the garrison.


    ~~~


    Nora ran up the stairs with desperate breath and burst through the door. ¡°Kegrog!¡± she yelled.


    Her friend was lying on the ground, the collar of his shirt stained red. Nokti stood over him, her mouth covered in blood.


    ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Nora cried.


    Nokti turned to her and licked the blood off her lips. ¡°You know, orc blood is too sweet for my taste. I much prefer humans.¡±


    ¡°DIE!¡± Nora screamed and flooded her arms with Blue. Lightning surged across her body, her veins glowing with energy.


    Without warning, black shadows gripped her ankles and pulled her feet from underneath her. Nora yelped in surprise and fell back, hitting her head. She lost focus and the spell weaves crumbled. The lightning forked out and scraped across the room, burning the walls, floor, and ceiling. Nora spasmed as her body was hit with the backlash.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong,¡± Nokti noted and picked up her ax with her good arm. ¡°But you lack true control. Even with all that power, it means nothing if you can¡¯t anticipate your opponent.¡±


    Nora¡¯s head lolled to the side. She looked around, dazed. The world was a blur. Nokti dragged the ax across the floor and made her way over. The few protective scales left over her skin were cracked and falling apart. Her shoulder and thigh kept dripping blood. Her breath was ragged with exhaustion, but her scarlet eyes were filled with burning rage.


    ¡°I admired that vampire boy,¡± Nokti recounted. ¡°He was skillful and brave. Marek foolishly underestimated him and that blue demon. There was a chance they¡¯d actually overwhelm Marek. I couldn¡¯t take that chance. So I did what was necessary. I struck that vampire down with my ax.¡±


    Nora groaned and tried to get up, but her limbs were sluggish and she barely managed to get on all four.


    Nokti stood over her and kicked her down. ¡°I do not blame you for seeking revenge, in fact, I respect it. We all do what we must.¡±


    Nora moaned weakly as she saw Nokti raise the ax. All she could think of was the smile of her baby boy and the sound of his laughter. ¡°Kamilo,¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°AHHHH!¡± Kegrog appeared behind Nokti and wrapped her in a bear hug.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Nokti dropped her ax and thrashed around.


    But Kegrog¡¯s grip did not budge. Brown vigor magic surged through his body. He squeezed tightly. Nokti howled in pain as her remaining scales cracked and crumbled apart. She channeled Black and summoned shadow tendrils to rip his arms away. He gritted his teeth and held on, and slowly walked backwards.


    Nora struggled to her feet. ¡°Kegrog,¡± she called out weakly.


    He glanced at Nora and nodded with a small strained smile.


    Nora¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°No, don¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    ¡°For Clypeus!¡± he roared and jumped out the window with Nokti in his grip. She screamed in terror and disappeared off the ledge.


    ~~~


    Pain radiated across Nokti¡¯s entire body. She clenched her jaw with determination and used her good arm to drag herself across the cobblestone, away from the body of that damned orc.


    She needed to get up, she needed to regroup with her battalion. But her right leg had lost all feeling and her left ankle was twisted in the wrong direction.


    The front door of the garrison swung open and Nora emerged from the darkness. Her movements were sluggish and she swayed from side to side, but she put one foot in front of another, and kept walking. The sound of metal grating on the ground echoed loudly in the air.


    Nokti turned and saw Nora dragging her ax across the cobblestone. The vampiress¡¯ eyes widened in despair. ¡°No¡­ no, no!¡± she gritted her teeth and tried to stand.


    Nora reached and stared down at her with cold blue eyes. ¡°For Kegrog.¡± She swung the ax down and cut off her foot at the ankle.


    Nokti screamed and collapsed. ¡°Stop!¡± she held her hand out, in a futile warding.


    ¡°For Clypeus.¡± Nora swung the ax down and cleaved her hand down the middle.


    ¡°GAAAAGH!¡± Nokti thrashed on the ground and held her wrist as it gushed blood. ¡°My lord, save me! Smite her!¡± she shrieked frantically.


    ¡°For my classmates, for my professors, for the caravaneers¡­ for all the lives lost at Widow¡¯s Crag!¡±


    ¡°CALIGO!!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡± Nora screamed and swung the ax down over and over. Nokti¡¯s screams died out, but Nora didn¡¯t stop until the ax got lodged in Notki¡¯s ribs.


    Nora panted heavily and pried her fingers off the ax. She fell to the ground and cried, her voice raw with bitter catharsis.


    A weak groan sounded behind her. Nora spun around, ¡°Kegrog!¡± She scrambled over to him.


    A long gash ran across his shoulder from where the vampiress had torn into him with her fangs. Blood dripped from his forehead and various gashes and scrapes across his body. Nora placed her ear over his chest. It was faint, but there was a heartbeat.


    She gasped and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Hold on, my friend. Hold on. I¡¯m going to get you help.¡± She threw his arm over her small shoulders and slowly stood to her feet, but she collapsed immediately from the weight.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡± Nora bit her lip. She wasn¡¯t going to let him die, not now. She channeled what little Blue mana she had left and wrapped a narrow water whip around his torso.


    ¡°Stay with me, Kegrog. Freya¡­ she¡­ We¡¯re going to see her. She¡¯s probably at the medical encampment waiting for us right now.¡± Nora smiled weakly, ¡°She¡¯ll kill me if you die, so please, please,¡± her voice broke, ¡°don¡¯t die.¡±

 Chapter 496: Northern Gate

    Chapter 496: Northern Gate


    ¡­Hollow Shade Outskirts¡­ Grasslands¡­


    Thunder echoed across the night sky. The clouds lit up with flashes of green lightning, followed by deafening thunder. In the small moments of light, the silhouettes of dragons and dragonbanes were illuminated among the clouds.


    Ophelia watched the battle in the sky unfold with great trepidation. There was only one being she knew that could create lightning of the color, her master, her dark patron, Caligo. Her master enjoyed playing with his food, but the fact that the storm had been going on for close to half-an-hour now alluded to something entirely else. Caligo was battling against a god of great power. And if the dragon brood of the Rupture Mountains was here, then that could only point to one foe. The Azure Sky, Kaleidrog. The one opponent who actually posed a threat to her master.


    The thought sent a shiver down her spine.


    ¡°Your majesty?¡± Sylaril asked carefully.


    Ophelia blinked and turned to the Adder Tribe chieftess. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to know what our next move is.¡±


    ¡°Our next move?¡± she asked slowly.


    ¡°The dragons have somehow managed to barricade the molten breach. Our three battalions that went in have been effectively cut off from support. We have managed to get some men on the walls, but the gates have been holding strong, especially the Northern Gate. Should we have the troops stationed in the east relocate somewhere else, perhaps to the southern or western gates?¡±


    ¡°No, if we move the eastern troops the enemy may try to escape through the Eastern Gate.¡±


    ¡°But if we do nothing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯ll take too long for the troops to move around the entire city.¡±


    Sylaril furrowed her brow. ¡°Too long?¡±


    Ophelia stared at the sky with a troubled gaze. ¡°Our Master is engaged in battle, he may need our help. We need to break through the city¡¯s defenses as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°What would you have us do?¡±


    ¡°Forget about bombarding the city districts. Aim the trebuchets to gates, starting with the north.¡±


    Sylaril frowned. ¡°But Your Majesty, our warriors are battling at the gates.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°The trebuchet¡¯s boulders, they¡¯ll shatter on impact. It will kill our people too¡ª¡±


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Your point?¡±


    Sylaril licked her lips and gripped her cane tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll order the engineer to change the trebuchets'' trajectory.¡±


    ¡°Be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Northern Gate¡­


    To the right and left of the Northern Gate, over twenty ladders were attached to the shade wall. Valley warriors swarmed up the ladders and rushed the gate. They clambered over countless bodies strewn across the magestone walkway. A small group of Hollow Shade soldiers stood atop the gatehouse, fighting off the seemingly endless enemies.


    Freya Goldelm stood side by side with her older brother, Cedric. The floor was slippery with blood. She could taste iron in the air. Her breath was ragged. Her mana was spent and her mind was waning in and out. The sound of steel clashing against steel and the cries of dying men filled her ears.


    ¡°Fire! Freya, FIRE!¡± Cedric shouted above the cacophony.


    As if by instinct, Freya felt orange mana filled her veins. She leaned over the merlons and poured fire down on the horde of barbarians cramming their way past the gate. The fire scorched their skin and their fur. They screamed horrifying sounds before falling to the ground in a thrashing fit.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. Where ten had died, twenty more took their place. The gate had already been destroyed by a few blue mage barbarians. The majority of the Goldelm troops stood below the wall, fighting off the hundreds of warriors trying to break through.


    ¡°Freya!¡± Cedric shoved her to the ground.


    An arrow whirred right past her and struck a Goldelm soldier standing behind her. He gasped a gurgling sound and collapsed.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°No!¡± Freya cried out.


    A pair of barbarians rushed towards her, axes held high. Cedric channeled Yellow and with a wave of his arm, slammed a gust of wind into them. The barbarians screamed as they tumbled off the wall.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Cedric shouted and pulled her up by the arm.


    ¡°T-Thanks,¡± Freya said breathlessly.


    ¡°Shut up and fight!¡± Cedric raised his war hammer and fell into a defensive stance as several more enemies sprinted towards them.


    ¡°AAAHH!¡± Zorn Goldelm roared and pushed past his soldiers.


    ¡°My lord!¡± shouted Commander Randall worriedly.


    But the words fell on deaf ears. Zorn lifted the golden war hammer Oginum and swung it down. The spiked head crashed into a warrior¡¯s shield. A blast of energy exploded on impact and crushed the shield and the man behind it. Zorn spun in a circle and swiped Oginum in a wide arc. Bursts of energy detonated with each strike, crushing bones and sending men flying.


    Freya stared in awe as her father became a one-man army, like a berserker, cutting through the enemies like chaff. She had never seen her father in battle before nor had she witnessed the might of Oginum, though she had stories; how short those stories fell from the truth.


    Lord Goldelm was single-handedly pushing back the eastern front. Warriors tried to swarm him, but with every strike of Oginum, their bodies flattened under the hammer and were blasted away in sparks of golden light.


    A dark shadow flitted over the entire gatehouse. Freya turned to look up when a boulder the size of a wagon crashed right in front of her. She was hurled backwards into her own soldiers. Her head smacked into an armor plate and her vision went dark.


    A high-pitch screech rang in her ears. Freya blinked repeatedly, her vision gradually returning. Blood trickled down her forehead and her cheek. With trembling limbs, she got on all fours and looked around.


    The boulder had shattered on impact, sending shrapnel and dust flying everywhere. Goldelm soldiers and valley warriors lay dead around her. Viscera was torn out of them in long streaks of blood. Limbs and entire torsos had been ripped off on impact.


    Cedric was leaning on the merlons next to her, his Yellow scales were cracked, but he seemed alright. Her father was¡ª


    ¡°Dad!¡± Freya screamed and scrambled towards him.


    Zorn was slumped over a shattered section of the battlement. A large chunk of rock was sticking out of his stomach and coming out his back. Freya slipped on a puddle of blood and fell hard on the ground, but she crawled her way to him.


    Her father¡¯s golden eyes drifted in her direction and a quiet groan escaped his lips.


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Freya cried. White mana flowed into her hands and she pressed her fingers over his wound, weaving healing spells into his flesh.


    ¡°Father!¡± Cedric shouted. He was next to Zorn¡¯s side in a moment, lifting him to an upright position. ¡°Hold on, father! Freya, do something!¡± he cried out panickedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±


    Blood seeped between Freya¡¯s fingers and flowed down Zorn¡¯s armor plate. His once bright blonde beard was dyed red. His carefully groomed hair was in disarray.


    A second boulder crashed into the wall, ten paces away. Cedric through himself between Freya, their father, and the shrapnel. The shower of rocks broke several of his protective scales, chipping his armor and slicing into his flesh. He grunted in pain and grit his teeth.


    ¡°Cedric!¡± Freya shouted worriedly.


    ¡°Forget about me! Save our father!¡± he yelled.


    From among the second boulder¡¯s remains a dark silhouette emerged. A stone golem stepped out of its shell and stomped towards them.


    ¡°Cedric, look out!¡± Freya said.


    Her brother turned around and blasted the golem with a funnel of wind. The golem was pushed back a few paces, but its heavy weight kept its feet on the ground.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Cedric cursed under his breath anxiously.


    Atlas vaulted over his head and rushed the golem. It swung its heavy fist in a surprisingly quick punch, but Atlas was faster. The giant drow caught its arm and channeled Green. Stone spell weaves swirled into the golem¡¯s body. Atlas snarled and ripped the magestone core out with a flick of his wrist. The golem crumbled apart at his feet.


    Atlas turned back to the dwarves and frowned sympathetically. ¡°We need to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Not without my dad!¡± Freya said.


    ¡°...It¡¯s too late for him,¡± Atlas muttered. ¡°The enemy won¡¯t stop until they take the gate, even if it means bombarding their own warriors. We all need to pull back.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him!¡± Freya screamed.


    ¡°...Ce¡­dric¡­¡± Zorn mumbled.


    ¡°Father! I¡¯m here!¡± Cedric rushed to his side and held his hand.


    Zorn gazed at the golden war hammer lying next to him.


    ¡°Oginum?¡± Cedric asked. He carefully picked up the ancestral hammer and placed it in his father¡¯s hand.


    ¡°...No¡­¡± Zorn mumbled. ¡°Take it¡­ to¡­ Aric¡­¡±


    Freya and Cedric¡¯s faces paled at the implications of his words. To give Oginum to Aric, Zorn¡¯s firstborn, meant the passing of leadership.


    Cedric bit his trembling lip and nodded, ¡°...I¡¯ll do as you command, Father. I swear it.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Zorn closed his eyes and his head drifted to the side.


    ¡°No! Dad, NO!¡± Freya cried.


    ¡°Get up, Freya,¡± Cedric said quietly.


    ¡°Captain, they¡¯re launching more!¡± shouted Kaitlin, healer of the Singing Willow Troupe.


    ¡°Lieutenant, take our people and cover the soldiers¡¯ retreat. I¡¯ll cover the sky,¡± said Atlas resolutely.


    ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± Kaitlin nodded and drew her sword.


    Powerful winds swirled around Atlas and levitated him off the ground. He soared into the air and held his arms to his sides. Azure flames ignited in his palms. As the boulders flew towards them he hurled bolts of blue fire at them, knocking them out of the sky in bursts of flames and smoke. Some boulders went through and crashed into the wall, sending tremors through the magestone.


    ¡°Freya, we need to go!¡± Cedric yelled.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave him!¡± Freya screamed.


    ¡°Then I will carry him,¡± said Randall solemnly.


    Freya looked at the old dwarf. Blood speckled his grey beard and sweat covered his brow. Yet his brown eyes were unwavering.


    ¡°Commander Randall¡­¡± Freya swallowed hard. ¡°You¡¯ve served under my father for many years.¡±


    ¡°Aye, since he was a young lad,¡± Randall said softly.


    Freya sniffed and nodded, ¡°Then serve him one last time.¡±


    ¡°One last time,¡± Randall nodded and carefully picked up Zorn¡¯s body in his arms.


    ¡°RETREAT!¡± shouted Atlas from above.


    ¡°What are your orders?¡± Randall asked Cedric.


    ¡°Aric is leading the medical encampment,¡± added Freya.


    ¡°And that is where we shall go,¡± said Cedric.

 Chapter 497: Trail of Light

    Chapter 497: Trail of Light


    Drip¡­ Drip¡­ Drip¡­


    Drops of water dripped down between the old wooden planks of the ceiling. A storm had begun to brew outside. Flashes of green lightning flickered across the dark clouds every few seconds. Powerful winds howled out and shook the rickety windows. The sound of rain pelting above them drowned out the whispers and painful moans of the wounded soldiers.


    The barracks Cedric had led them to was old and had seen better days, perhaps a century ago. After retreating from the Northern Gate their goal had been to reach the medical encampment several neighborhoods away, but the streets were filled with monstrous golems and undead sentinels fighting with abandon.


    To make matters worse, the Northern Gate had fallen and Valley tribal warriors had rushed into the city, cutting down any soldier too slow to escape. The Goldelm forces had been scattered. Lord Atlas¡¯ and his small elite group of battle mages had stayed behind to give their allies time to escape, a few precious moments.


    How little it seemed to matter now. The valley warriors had ripped through Goldelm''s army and the soldiers had scattered across the streets into the darkness. What little forces Cedric and Commander Randall had managed to save, they led to this small abandoned barracks.


    Perhaps there had been some soldiers stationed at the barracks, but there were none here now. The scouts Cedric had sent out to assess the situation hadn¡¯t returned. Nor had anyone spotted Lord Atlas after the gate fell.


    Drip¡­ Drip¡­ Drip¡­


    Freya sat crouched in the corner of the room, knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. She stared numbly at the small puddle forming at her feet. Water droplets fell in a quiet expected rhythm.


    Her father¡¯s body lay on a cot the next room over. One of the soldiers had found a spare blanket in one of the closets and had carefully covered Lord Zorn Goldelm. Freya had stayed with her father¡¯s body until his blood began to bloom across the sheet. Feeling sick to her stomach she had left and found herself a corner where no one would bother her.


    Cedric stood alone at the other end of the room, pacing back and forth while holding Oginum in a white knuckle grip. He hadn¡¯t let go of the golden hammer since the moment their father had entrusted it to him.


    A faint knock rasped on the door.


    The rusty hinges turned with a creek and Commander Randall walked into the room. The old dwarf glanced at Freya and smiled sympathetically. She didn¡¯t respond and kept staring at the puddle on the ground.


    ¡°Commander! Any news?¡± Cedric asked impatiently.


    Randall¡¯s smile fell and his face contorted into a painful expression. ¡°A scout just returned, but I¡¯m afraid she only carries bad news, young master.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said resolutely.


    ¡°Most of our forces are lost, dispersed among the various surrounding streets. Small skirmishes are occurring across the entire northern half of the district. Our soldiers don¡¯t know where we are and we have no way of communicating with them without risking alerting the enemy of our location.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying our army is scattered with no hope of regrouping?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°For now,¡± Randall admitted.


    ¡°How many do we still have with us?¡±


    ¡°About two hundred.¡±


    ¡°How many wounded?¡±


    Randall slumped his shoulders and sighed tiredly. ¡°Most have some scrapes, cuts, and bruises. We were forced to leave behind the rest of the wounded.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re still out there?¡± Freya spoke up.


    ¡°...I¡¯m afraid not, young mistress,¡± Randall admitted.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead, sister. Or do you think the valley savages are kind enough to spare our wounded stragglers?¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, Freya,¡± Cedric sighed. ¡°So, Commander. 200 abled men and women?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± said Randall.


    ¡°What¡¯s the landscape outside like?¡± asked Cedric.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve managed to gather, the Commoner District is in ruins. The common folk are being killed by the hundreds, whether from trebuchet bombardment, golem attacks, or valley savages. It¡¯s chaos out there. The magestone lanterns lining the streets have almost all been destroyed. It¡¯s dark. It¡¯s raining.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be fighting blind out there?¡± Cedric surmised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Randall agreed grimly.


    ¡°What of the medical encampment?¡±


    ¡°Our scout managed to make contact with them. The encampment still stands, mostly thanks to their red mages¡¯ wards.¡±


    ¡°And my brother?¡± Cedric whispered anxiously.


    Freya¡¯s heart clenched at his words. She looked at Randall, worry filled her golden eyes.


    The old dwarf cleared his throat and wrung his hands at his side. ¡°Lord Aric is still in charge of the encampment, but he¡¯s unconscious¡­¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about!?¡± Cedric yelled.


    ¡°It seems Lord Aric has been injured. Nothing life-threatening, but¡­ it¡¯s his back. He can¡¯t be moved, not for another few hours, until the healing magic has done its work.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be moved? On whose authority?¡± Cedric growled.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Lady Celica Skeller.¡±


    ¡°Skeller? That¡¯s a minor House. Orcs, was it?¡± Cedric recalled.


    ¡°Yes. Lady Celica is a powerful white mage and the most skilled healer in the district. If she says your brother cannot be moved, then she means it.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. How on earth did he even get injured?¡±


    ¡°Stray boulder shrapnel from a trebuchet bombardment,¡± Randall said quietly.


    Cedric¡¯s anger drained from his face. He stared at the golden hammer in his hands, blood still staining the weapon.


    ¡°First our father and now our brother? The gods hate our family,¡± Freya whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get Aric out of there,¡± said Cerdic resolutely. ¡°Commander, rally the men. We¡¯re heading to the encampment now.¡±


    ¡°Young master, the roads leading to the encampment are riddled with the enemy¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll fight them off.¡±


    ¡°There is more,¡± Randall said hurriedly. ¡°The scout said she saw a large force moving towards the direction of the medical encampment. I think they mean to murder our healers and cripple our army¡¯s support.¡±


    ¡°How could a scout see this? You said the streets were in darkness?¡±


    ¡°She is a vampire and a black mage at that. I trust her word,¡± Randall answered.


    ¡°Is the encampment aware of the threat?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are moving the ones they can. Lady Celica and a few of the other healers are staying behind to care for the ones that cannot be moved.¡±


    ¡°Like my brother¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Young master?¡±


    ¡°How many barbarians did the scout see?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°Around half a battalion¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Freya gasped.


    ¡°How long do we have?¡± Cedric whispered.


    ¡°Not long, young master.¡± Randall bowed, ¡°Whatever you decide, the men and I will be with you.¡±


    Cedric licked his lips and swallowed hard. He stared at the ancestral hammer in his hands. ¡°...If we go to the encampment, we will die.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Freya frowned.


    Cedric glanced at her. There was a glimpse of shame in his golden eyes, but he quickly buried it. ¡°Commander, gather the men. We head to the Goldelm Manor in the Villa District. We will fortify what we can at the manor, until daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Cedric, you can¡¯t be serious!¡± Freya shouted.


    ¡°And Commander, send another scout to my brother. If he has any last wishes, have him tell the scout.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, young master,¡± said Randall.


    Freya jumped to her feet. ¡°Cedric¡ª!¡±


    ¡°What would you have me do, sister?!¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Save Aric! Honor Dad¡¯s last wish! He entrusted Oginum to you so that you could deliver it to his firstborn, his heir, our brother!¡±


    ¡°You think that was Father¡¯s last wish?¡± Cedric shook his head. ¡°Father''s last wish was the same wish he always had. The prosperity and continuation of the Great House of Goldelm. Aric is the most fit to lead us. He is Father¡¯s heir. That¡¯s why he wanted me to deliver Oginum to Aric. But if we go to the encampment now, it won¡¯t just be Aric that dies. It¡¯ll be all of us. Father wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°So what, you¡¯re just going to keep Oginum to yourself? Is that it?¡± Freya sneered.


    ¡°You think I care about ruling? I never wanted the Goldelm Lordship! ¡± Cedric hefted Oginum, ¡°My duty isn¡¯t to our father or this hammer, it¡¯s to our House! Our family!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you abandoning it?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not! Think, sister! Our mothers and younger siblings are hiding at the manor.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the Villa District. They¡¯re safe!¡±


    ¡°For now. But the city has been breached. We need to get to the manor and protect what we can. Not throw our lives away for something we cannot stop. ¡­We can¡¯t save Aric.¡±


    Freya bit her lip. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Half a battalion is marching to the encampment right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only around 500 men. We can fight that.¡±


    ¡°Only 500? Gods, listen to yourself! Our soldiers are wounded and tired. The enemy is over twice our size! Even in the best of circumstances, it would be a losing battle.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to give up on everyone at the medical encampment? Let them all die, without even a fight?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± Aric said coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯re just scared,¡± Freya spat.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m scared!¡± Cedric yelled, his voice shaky. ¡°We almost died out there, Freya! If we had just been a few steps closer to Father when that boulder hit we wouldn¡¯t even be here!¡±


    Freya stared at him in stunned silence. She had never seen her brother like this. Cedric had always been calm, collected, and unwavering. He had always been strict with her and though she resented him for it, she had always looked up to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m afraid. But my fears don¡¯t change the truth; We can¡¯t save Aric,¡± Cedric admitted.


    ¡°...We could try,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll die. If Aric was here, he¡¯d tell us to leave him behind.¡±


    Freya balled her fists. The sight of the soldiers at the wall being cut down as they fled the gate flashed in her mind. And then for a moment, she was back there, not at the gate, but far from the city, on a lonely cliffside, surrounded by valley barbarians. Stryg and Clypeus stood alone in front of her and her classmates.


    ¡°...I¡¯m done leaving people behind,¡± Freya whispered. ¡°If you won¡¯t come with me, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡±


    ¡°Stop being stubborn, little sister.¡±


    Freya ignored him and walked to the door.


    Cedric sighed and stepped in front of the doorway. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but you¡¯ll thank me after this is all over.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± she said in a strangely calm voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to stay, Freya. I¡¯m ordering you.¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°Get out of my way. I won¡¯t say it again.¡±


    Cedric lifted Oginum and pressed it against her chest. ¡°Neither will I¡ª¡±


    With a deft hand, Freya pushed Oginum aside and socked him in the gut. Cedric gasped and doubled over, dropping the hammer with a heavy clang.


    ¡°Young master!¡± Randall called out.


    Freya grabbed the golden hammer and lifted it. She stumbled back a step, it was heavier than she thought.


    Her brother staggered to his feet. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Cedric spat through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deliver Oginum to Aric myself.¡±


    ¡°You insolent, little¡ª!¡± Cedric channeled Orange and conjured flames over his hand.


    Freya hefted Oginum and pointed it at him without hesitation.


    Cedric stiffened and frowned, ¡°This won¡¯t end well for you. If you go out there alone, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she smiled weakly. ¡°But I won¡¯t let that stop me from protecting those who need it most, not again. Not ever again.¡± She bowed her head, ¡°Thank you for everything. Goodbye.¡±


    Freya turned on her heel and walked out.


    ¡°Commander, stop her! Get our men and stop her!¡± Cedric ordered angrily.


    ¡°Yes, young master!¡± Randall rushed out of the room and followed after Freya.


    Cedric grabbed his sister¡¯s hammer that she had left behind and hurried after them. Walking outside, he spotted Randall and several soldiers standing in the rain.


    Cedric frowned. ¡°Why are you all just standing there¡ª!?¡± his voice trailed off.


    Freya walked alone through the courtyard. Her back was straight, her stride was filled with purpose, and her eyes were focused on the dark street in front of her. The soldiers stared at her wide-eyed and gave way as she drew near.


    ¡°The stories are true.¡± Tears welled up in Randall¡¯s eyes. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d live to see it.¡±


    Freya walked unimpeded through the crowd of soldiers and into the dark. She hadn¡¯t noticed; small motes of golden light trailed behind Oginum.


    ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± Cedric mumbled. ¡°The Light of the North¡­?¡±

 Chapter 498: Light of the North

    Chapter 498: Light of the North


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Northern Commoner District¡­


    The storm raged on in the middle of the night. What fires had spread across the city in the wake of the dragons and dragonbanes had all been extinguished by the pelting rain. The winds howled in the darkness and sent a chill through Freya¡¯s soaked clothes. The light armor assigned to battle mages did little to protect her from the freezing rain.


    Flashes of bright green lightning ignited the dark streets for brief moments, revealing glimpses of corpses and wreckage spread across the ground. Freya squinted and held one hand over her brow to prevent the rain from blinding her. It was a new moon and a storm had covered the skies, but there was still the rare magestone light post still working. A single enchanted magestone offered little light, a dim fraction of the well-lit streets of the Villa and Night Districts, but it would have to do.


    Freya ran against the wind and sprinted across the streets, relying on her memory to lead her to the medical encampment. Her eldest brother, Aric, was there lying helpless. House Goldelm needed him and right now he needed her. She wouldn¡¯t abandon him.


    Kegrog¡¯s uncertain smile flashed in her mind¡¯s eye. The gentle giant of an orc always had trouble speaking up about his opinions, but earlier tonight he had never appeared so resolute. The solemn expression on his face was like nothing she had ever seen. There was something off about him and Nora, though both pretended as if everything was fine.


    Freya had told them both to come to the medical encampment if anything went wrong. She wondered if they were there now, waiting for her to appear. Waiting like a deer in the sights of a wolf ready to pounce. The valley army was marching to the encampment. She needed to hurry.


    A small shriek caught her attention. Freya skidded to a stop, water splashing at her feet. She took a turn past a half-collapsed house and rushed towards the noise. A human mother and her child sat shivering and huddling underneath a wagon. A stone golem roamed around them, searching for its next prey.


    The mother covered her child¡¯s mouth with her hand and whispered for the little boy to stop crying. The toddler trembled in her embrace and closed his eyes tight.


    Orange mana filled Freya¡¯s legs. She dashed to the golem¡¯s flank and hefted Oginum. Gripping the war hammer tight she leaped into the air and swung Oginum down on the golem¡¯s shoulder as it turned around. A wave of energy surged out from the hammer and ripped apart the golem in an explosion of rock, and sent Freya flying backwards.


    She fell on her back with a hard thud and groaned quietly. The hammer delivered far more power than she thought. Rubbing her back, she winced and slowly got up.


    Small bits and chunks of rock were all that was left of the 2-meter golem. Freya glanced at the golden hammer in her hands with newfound awe. She hadn¡¯t channeled any mana into the weapon, this was simply its raw power.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± the mother called out hesitantly.


    Freya glanced up and saw the two were still hiding underneath the wagon. She tried her best to put on a brave smile, though she doubted they could make out any distinct features in the darkness and rain. ¡°It¡¯s safe to come out. Take your son and head towards the Central District. Lady Ashe has opened up the Central gates for refuge to all the city¡¯s people.¡±


    The mother glanced out in the direction of the Central District; the street was dark and the occasional faint scream echoed throughout the neighborhood. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can make it.¡±


    ¡°You have to try,¡± Freya said and offered her a hand.


    The mother stared at her hesitantly, then grabbed her hand, and stood up. ¡°Are you a mage?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I am.¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering about the light,¡± she pointed a finger at the hammer.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What light?¡± Freya glanced at Oginum and furrowed her brow.


    ¡°O-Oh, n-nothing¡­ never mind.¡±


    ¡°Momma¡­?¡± the little boy mumbled.


    ¡°You two should get going,¡± Freya said and sprinted away. Some part of her wanted to take the woman and child with her and keep them safe, but where she was going was far more dangerous.


    The streets passed by in a dark blur as Freya ran. The fear of death rose in her chest every step she took, but she refused to stop. It felt as if she were to stop, she¡¯d be unable to keep going.


    Suddenly, the soft blue light of magestone lanterns caught her eye. She looked up and spotted an array of white tents crowded together in the middle of the district square.


    ¡°I made it,¡± she gasped with a relieved smile. She took a step forward and stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. The battle atop the Northern Gate and the chill of the unnatural storm had taken their toll on her body. Her breathing was rough, her muscles ached, and she couldn¡¯t stop shivering from the cold, but she had made it.


    Freya took a deep breath and slowly got back up. ¡°I¡¯m coming, Aric. Just wait for me.¡±


    She took a step forward and then she heard it, above the sounds of the howling winds and pelting rain. The clanging of metal on cobblestone. She slowly turned around and saw a wave of torches burning in the night. Hundreds of valley warriors marched up the street in blood-soaked fur armor.


    Whether her body trembled from the cold or her fear, Freya didn¡¯t know. She wanted to run. She wanted to flee to her home and hide from the horrors of war.


    Freya glanced back once at the tents and imagined the countless patients lying in cots, helpless to escape. And then the thought of death truly sunk in.


    She was going to die tonight.


    A fool.


    Perhaps her brother was right.


    Perhaps¡­


    One of the valley warriors spotted her in the middle of the dark street, alone, and shouted in alarm. The others quickly drew their weapons and began advancing on her.


    This was her last chance, Freya thought. The last chance to run away and live another day.


    Her lips curled in a shaky defiant smile. She gripped Oginum with both hands and turned to face the enemy. ¡°For my friends¡­ for my city¡­ for my people!¡±


    Freya screamed a war cry and charged straight into the horde of warriors. Orange mana filled her limbs and she leaped into the air, hammer held high. It grew warm in her chilled hands and like a spark falling on a pyre, Oginum ignited in blazing golden light.


    She swung the hammer down on the front line of warriors as she landed. Waves of golden light echoed outwards in destructive ripples and sent the men flying.


    Freya raised Oginum for another strike. A torrent of water burst through the crowd and slammed into her chest, hurling her back. She crashed into the wet cobblestone and rolled several times before slowing to a stop. Freya gasped a painful shallow breath, it felt as if her chest had been crushed by a boulder. Cold rain showered her skin, sapping what little warmth she had left. Yet Oginum felt like a fire in her hand.


    ¡°Kill the dwarf!¡± yelled the valley blue mage.


    Freya gritted her teeth, leaned on the hammer for support, and tried to catch her breath. The barbarians roared and charged her. A sudden arrow flew past her and struck one of the barbarians in the chest. Freya spun around and saw a dwarf holding a bow in the distance.


    ¡°Cedric¡­!?¡± Freya cried out in surprise.


    Her brother ran to her side, bow at the ready. ¡°Get up!¡±


    ¡°You came back¡­¡± she mumbled.


    Cedric grabbed her shoulder and helped her to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m not alone.¡±


    Goldelm soldiers poured in from every street, a few at first, then dozens, and in a matter of seconds, hundreds had gathered in front of the medical encampment.


    Freya looked on in disbelief. This was far more than the 200 soldiers they had back at the barracks. This was twice as many men. ¡°H-How¡­? How did you gather all of them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Cedric answered. ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, confused.


    ¡°They saw your trail of light. Oginum¡¯s light found them.¡±


    ¡°Oginum¡¯s¡­ light?¡± Freya glanced down at the golden hammer and as if a spell had been lifted from her eyes, she suddenly noticed the blazing aura emitting from the weapon. Like golden strings, motes of light trailed outwards across every street, all leading back towards Oginum.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Freya muttered.


    Cedric smiled wryly. ¡°The Light of the North called and they followed.¡±


    ¡°When we are lost in the dark, the Light of the North shines the way,¡± recited Commander Randall as he walked up to them.


    ¡°Light of the North¡­?¡± Freya stared at her family¡¯s ancestral hammer. She had heard the legends of a time long ago when Oginum would shine like the sun in the hands of Goldelm¡¯s lord. ¡°But I¡¯m not the lord¡ª¡±


    ¡°My Lady, there is no time! What are your orders?!¡± shouted Commander Randall.


    Freya looked up and saw the valley warriors preparing to charge once more. She took a deep shaky breath, hefted Oginum, and pointed it at the enemy, ¡°...Prepare for battle!¡±

 Chapter 499: The Cinder Brood’s Stand

    Chapter 499: The Cinder Brood¡¯s Stand


    As the mystical storm raged over Hollow Shade warriors of the Valley Tribes continued to rush towards the Western Gate in droves, weapons raised, battle cries on their lips. But as they neared the gate a lone figure floated above. A mage in deep blue robes, standing atop a swirling disk of water. Her grey hair drifted wildly in the raging winds. Electricity crackled throughout her body. The warriors stared up at the Tempest Archmage with fear in their eyes, but bloodlust filled their hearts and pushed them forward.


    With a snap of her wrists, Ismene called lightning down on the incoming warriors. She weaved her hands through the rain, forming dozens of liquid spears, and hurled them through the battalions, slicing through men and women without mercy.


    The warriors shot arrows and javelins at her relentlessly. Shields of water swirled to life around her, blocking every attack. Valley mages cast bolts of flame, beams of light, shards of rock, and more. Ismene weaved torrent spells into existence and struck down each magical blast.


    The daughters of House Noir watched from the wall as the small lone figure held off the entire battalion.


    ¡°You used to tell me stories of how powerful Ismene was but this is¡­ she¡¯s terrifying,¡± Unalla said in awe.


    ¡°She¡¯s pushing herself too far,¡± Una muttered. ¡°She¡¯s in pain, she¡¯s angry¡­¡±


    Unalla glanced at her uncle¡¯s body, lying slumped on the wall. Loh knelt next to Elzri, holding his hand. Her head was bowed and she hadn¡¯t moved nor spoken since Elzri had fallen, save for her shuddering cries and trembling shoulders.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Una whispered in dismay.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Unalla asked. She followed her mother¡¯s gaze and spotted a small group of centaurs galloping towards the gate. One of the riders carried a black banner depicting a green serpent wrapped around a vine, the crest of the Undergrowth House of Loch. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ he¡¯s alive!?¡± she gasped.


    ¡°So it would seem.¡± Una clenched her teeth and slowly pushed herself to her feet with a heavy groan.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ismene can¡¯t keep this up by herself for long. She needs help, especially if Alwin Loch still lives.¡±


    Unalla frowned. ¡°But you¡¯re injured. And you exhausted most of your mana reserves in the battle with the dragonbanes. You can¡¯t fight an archmage like Loch in your condition!¡±


    ¡°I cannot let Ismene fight alone,¡± Una replied, her voice was tired, but her blue eyes were resolute.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll fight together.¡± She picked up Votum and hefted it up with a grimace. The orichalcum weapon had taken its toll on her body, though she tried her best to hide it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming,¡± said Una.


    ¡°What? What are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are going to your father at the Northern Gate.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s safe over there! For all we know the Northern Gate has fallen as well and Dad is coming to find us.¡±


    ¡°Either way, your father is a powerful mage, he will keep you safe no matter where he is. Leave this place and find him.¡±


    Unalla shook her head. ¡°But Mom, Ismene and you can¡¯t fight them all off. I can help¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough!¡± Una snapped at her. ¡°If you had just listened to me and run away when I told you to then Elzri wouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡± She stopped and held her tongue at the sight of horror and shame on her daughter¡¯s face.


    Una sighed and turned her back. ¡°You and Elohnoir will travel to the Northern Gate immediately, that is an order. Maximus, carry them both as swiftly as you can.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done, my lady,¡± the gruff centaur bowed.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Unalla whispered shakily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no time. Go now.¡± Una leaped off the wall without glancing back. Orange mana filled her veins and lessened her body¡¯s weight by half. She landed in a roll and got back up sprinting. She ignored the warriors rushing the gate and headed straight towards the incoming centaurs.


    The beastmen slowed to a halt at the behest of their leader; a man cloaked in dark gilded armor. His face was hidden behind a black helm, but Ismene recognized his eyes just the same.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Lord Loch laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one surprised,¡± Una said tersely.


    Loch gave a signal to his men with a quick hand gesture. The centaurs and riders slowly surrounded Una. ¡°Oh, I knew I would find you eventually, even if I had to hunt you down across the entire realm, I would make you pay for what you did to me back at Undergrowth, Una Noir.¡±


    She furrowed her brow. ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    ¡°The legendary azure flames of House Noir are hard to forget. It was easy enough to deduce your identity after that.¡± He drew his sword and pointed it at her, ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how little a white mage can do for burns caused by such flames. I wonder, can you imagine the pain? As your skin melts and your muscles sizzle in the heat. The white mages didn¡¯t think I¡¯d make it.¡±


    ¡°Yet here you are,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Yet here I am. And I have you to thank for that. I¡¯m grateful to the gods for the chance to repay the favor.¡± Lightning crackled across his blade. He glanced at his men, ¡°Kill her.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Come now, Miss Noir,¡± Maximus said with a rare trace of warmth. He gently picked up Una and put her on his saddle. She didn¡¯t fight him.


    ¡°Young mistress?¡± Maximus glanced at Loh.


    With stiff movements, Loh wrapped her arms around her grandfather and picked him up. She stumbled for a moment, her injured leg buckled, but she held on and found her footing.


    Maximus bent down and helped her onto the saddle in front of Unalla. He offered to carry Elzri¡¯s body, but Loh silently refused to let go.


    Maximus nodded sympathetically. ¡°Hold on.¡± He stood to his feet, ignoring his own injuries, and galloped across the wall towards the Northern Gate.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Unalla numbly stared out towards the ruined Commoner District. The sudden storm¡¯s rain had put out most of the fires, but a few still burned across the wreckage of the homes destroyed by trebuchet boulders. Jade lightning flashed in the night sky, illuminating the whole city. Valley tribal banners shone bright in the darkness for the briefest of moments.


    Tears welled in Unalla¡¯s eyes. Despite their sacrifices and struggles, the enemy had already breached the city. Soon, they would reach the Trade District and the rest of the city. Hollow Shade would fall and there was nothing she could do about it. Elzri had died for nothing and it was all her¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Unalla sniffed.


    ¡°Your mother is in pain,¡± Loh spoke slowly, ¡°But she is wrong, my grandfather, he¡ª He would have fought to protect all of us no matter what. Whether you had stayed and fought or not, it isn¡¯t your fault for what happened. Don¡¯t blame yourself.¡±


    Unalla bit her trembling bottom lip. You should hate me. You should blame me. You¡¯re the one hurting the most.


    ¡°We need to get to safety,¡± Loh went on quietly.


    ¡°What we need to do is help,¡± Unalla whispered.


    ¡°There is nothing we can do by ourselves against all of that,¡± Loh pointed to the storms brewing above the city. They caught small glimpses of dragons flying in and out of the clouds struggling against the dragonbanes.


    ¡°How do we stop them¡­?¡± Unalla mumbled hopelessly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t. Maximus and I are taking you to Atlas. Your father and Holo will know what to do next.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t stop this either¡­¡± Another flash of lightning illuminated the night and Unalla spotted the Ebon Tower standing tall at the center of the city. Her eyes widened with a glimmer of hope. ¡°But maybe Nell can.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, what are you¡ª? Stop!¡±


    Unalla leaped off Maximus and ran to the edge of the wall.


    ¡°Where are you going!?¡± Loh shouted.


    Unalla looked back at her and gripped Votum¡¯s handle with both her hands, ¡°To find help.¡± She jumped off the edge and plummeted towards the ground. She spun Votum into a reverse grip and stabbed it into the wall. The orichalcum blade sunk into the magestone in a burst of sparks and slowed her descent to a halt a couple of meters above the ground. She planted her feet on the wall and kicked off it, yanking the sword out of the magestone.


    Unalla landed on her back. Scrambling to her feet, she glanced up to see Loh watching her from above the wall. With a silent resolute nod, Unalla dashed off towards the Ebon Tower.


    ¡°Should we follow?¡± Maximus asked.


    Loh shook her head, ¡°No. She¡¯s made her decision. Whatever it may be, I trust her to see it through.¡±


    ¡°Should we find Atlas then?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± Loh pulled Elzri¡¯s body close in her arms. ¡°Head for my family¡¯s manor.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ South-West wall¡­


    The Cinder Brood tribe leaned over the wall¡¯s merlons and stabbed their spears down at the valley warriors climbing up their siege ladders. The warriors did their best to block the attacks, but a spear would find its way through their defenses. The men and women cried out in pain as the spear slid into their ribs. Yet for every warrior that fell a hundred more were already climbing up the ladders behind them.


    The entire wall as far as Melfyn could see was lined with siege ladders. Warriors had already reached the top of the wall and were rushing towards them from both sides. Commander Stonehand and some of Hollow Shade¡¯s guards defended the western side, while Captains Talia and Rorick, and the rest of the guards defended the southern side.


    Little by little the valley warriors were gaining ground and the guards and Cinder Brood were being crushed in the middle.


    Sandra, the best archer among the orphans, fired what little arrows they had left at the warriors trying to push into them. Her slit pupil eyes glanced around anxiously. ¡°They¡¯re too many!¡± she yelled.


    Jack, the tallest of the Cinder Brood, and a human, did his best to shield Sandra¡¯s smaller frame with his shield as the enemy shot arrows from the ground. ¡°Just keep firing!¡±


    Rowan, the only drow among the Cinder Brood and the quietest of them, grabbed his sword and shield, broke off from the rest of the tribe, and joined the fight alongside Rorik and Talia.


    ¡°Rowan, come back!¡± Melfyn shouted worriedly.


    A trebuchet¡¯s boulder suddenly hurtled towards the wall and crashed into the southern side. It ripped an enormous chunk of magestone with it and shattered into hundreds of fragments, killing dozens of guards and valley warriors in an instant, and sending more tumbling to their deaths.


    The impact shook the wall and Melfyn and the others stumbled. As the dust cleared Rorick¡¯s agonizing cries pierced the air. ¡°AGH! FUCK! OH GODS! MY LEG!¡±


    Melfyn rubbed the dust from his eyes and spotted Rorick lying on the ground next to the giant missing chunk of magestone. His right leg was a bloody stump below the knee.


    ¡°Rowan! Rowan, where are you!?¡± Melfyn yelled out frantically.


    A valley warrior clambered up one of the remaining siege ladders and landed heavily on the wall. He stood to his feet and a chill ran down Melfyn¡¯s back. The man was a vampire, almost 3 meters tall, a dire. He pulled out his hammer hanging from his back and stalked towards maimed Rorik.


    The drow captain spotted the giant and paled in fear. ¡°Oh, shit! No! Get away from me! Fuck! Somebody help me! Somebody!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Captain Talia barked and stood in front of him.


    The dire vampire snarled at the small vampiress, ¡°Do you think you can¡ª¡±


    Talia dashed forward and slashed her sword at his knees. The dire parried the strike with his hammer and swung it at her face. She raised her shield to block and it caved in on impact. The blow knocked her straight into the ground.


    The dire vampire raised his hammer to deliver the final strike when Melfyn ran at him. The goblin vaulted into the air, crossing over Rorik and Talia in a single leap like a hero from legends, arm held back, spear in hand.


    ¡°FOR LUNIS!¡± Melfyn shouted and jabbed the spear into the giant¡¯s chest. The spearhead glanced off the giant¡¯s armor and slipped into his shoulder. The dire vampire roared in pain and kicked Melfyn in the chest as he landed.


    The goblin flew back like a ragdoll, crashed into the wall, and crumpled to the ground. Melfyn sucked in a deep breath and gulped for air like a fish out of water.


    ¡°You little shit,¡± the dire growled and ripped the spear out of his shoulder. Hefting his hammer, he ignored Talia and went straight for the stunned goblin.


    Sandra spotted the giant and reached for her quiver, ¡°Get away from Mel!¡± But her hand found only air. Her yellow eyes went wide in terror. There were no arrows left. ¡°No¡­!¡± she gasped. ¡°Mel!¡±


    Sandra pushed past her friends and ran towards Melfyn. But she was too far, there were too many in her way. The giant raised his hammer.


    ¡°NO!!¡± she screamed and stretched out her hand.


    A burning sensation bloomed across her chest. A flame erupted from her fingertips and engulfed the giant in a blaze of fiery orange. The dire vampire cried out and danced around maniacally, until he slipped and fell off the wall in a heap of flames.


    Sandra¡¯s vision swam and her knees buckled underneath her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± Rowan said from behind. He slipped his arm under her shoulders and carried her.


    Several other Cinder Broods broke away and rushed over to Melfyn, Rorik, and Talia. In pairs of two, they picked them up and dragged them back. They carefully placed them down at the center of the small shield wall the Cinder Brood had formed.


    Melfyn spotted Sandra lying on the ground, the light in her eyes dim. Jack held her head in his lap.


    ¡°Mel, what¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Jack asked worriedly.


    Melfyn wanted to say he didn¡¯t know but his voice was raw and he couldn¡¯t seem to catch his breath, it was as if an anvil was sitting atop his chest. He didn¡¯t have to take off his armor to know the giant had broken half his ribs.


    ¡°She¡¯s experiencing backlash from her spell-casting,¡± Talia answered. ¡°It¡¯s common among mageborns when they awaken their powers.¡±


    ¡°Mageborns¡­? You¡¯re saying Sandra¡¯s a mage?¡± Jack asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never seen an ordinary person hurl fire from their hands before. I¡¯ve never seen a goblin cast a spell before either¡­¡± Talia added as an afterthought.


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to help her?¡± Jack asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a mage. I don¡¯t know,¡± Talia admitted.


    ¡°We have bigger problems to worry about,¡± interrupted Rowan.


    The valley warriors were overwhelming the soldiers on the wall from the southern side.


    ¡°Bellum, save us,¡± Talia muttered.


    ¡°Wait, what is that?¡± Rorik pointed with shaky grey fingers. Past the valley armies, at the back of their forces, behind their trebuchets, at the very edge of the grasslands, a pale white haze was slowly creeping up on the horizon.


    Talia narrowed her scarlet eyes. ¡°Fog¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Melfyn whispered in a raspy voice. ¡°Frost-mist¡­?¡±

 Chapter 500: Howl

    Chapter 500: Howl


    ¡­Dusk Valley Grasslands¡­ Near the Great City of Hollow Shade¡­


    In the dark hours of the night, the army of the Sylvan marched through the tall grass in solemn silence. Four battalions, comprising a total of about 4,200 Sylvan warriors, marched in formation. They were divided into small groups, mostly of their own tribes. Many of the 63 Sylvan tribes had their differences, but every single one of them would follow without hesitation the word of the Warrior Elect.


    A little ahead of the 4 battalions marched the 5th battalion, the cavalry of Sylvan. 800 deep forest wolves, twice the size of the wolves roaming across the realm; And their bonded riders, the elite of the Sylvan warriors and hunters.


    Ahead of the cavalry was a small pack of frost wolves, each standing a little over 3 meters tall. The frost wolves walked in solitude, save for four who carried riders of their own.


    At the very front, leading the army, was the goddess of the moon. Her wolfen form towered over even the frost wolves. Stryg sat atop her head, in a small nook of white fur. He felt like a squirrel nesting atop a bear¡¯s head, but it felt strangely familiar.


    Stryg sat cross-legged, Krikolm resting atop his legs. He tried to meditate, to prepare for what was coming, but his nerves felt frayed, ready to explode at the slightest touch.


    Hoping Lunae could shed some wisdom on the matter, he threw Krikolm over his back and crawled over towards Lunae¡¯s brow. Grabbing tufts of fur on each hand, he leaned over her brow and looked directly into her face.


    Her wolfen face was a still calm, impossible to read, yet somehow the minute expressions in her silver eyes told him she was troubled by something.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the new moon. He knew her powers were at their weakest on such nights. But maybe it was more than just her powers that were affected. Her fur usually glowed brightly under the moonlight, yet tonight her fur seemed a dull grey.


    Lunae¡¯s large silver eyes focused on the tiny figure hanging over her face. ¡°What is it, little one?¡±


    It suddenly felt petty to speak about one¡¯s own problems when the goddess carrying him had problems of her own. ¡°Nothing,¡± Stryg hastily replied. ¡°Just¡­ Are you alright?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°You need not worry about me, little one. I will be fine. You should focus on the battle ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are we near?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Stryg sighed in relief and fell back on her fur. ¡°We made it. We can help reinforce the wall before the valley armies attack the city.¡±


    ¡°They are already there.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The forces of Caligo arrived at dusk. His army is waging battle as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Has the wall been breached?¡± he asked anxiously.


    ¡°...Yes, but all is not lost. The dragon brood of the Azure Sky has arrived at the city. Even now they battle the dragonbane above the clouds.¡±


    ¡°Dragons? Really? Who is the Azure Sky? Why have they come?¡±


    ¡°The Azure Sky is one of the few remaining dragonlords left in the world and the only one who calls the Ebon Realm his home. Truthfully, I find it strange he has involved himself at all in this battle. Lord Kaleidrog has always kept his brood out of the realm¡¯s problems for all the years I¡¯ve known him.¡±


    ¡°But now he fights for us? That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm. The fact that he is willing to fight means the situation is more dire than I anticipated. Still, Kaleidrog is more powerful than I. If anyone can stop Caligo, it is him.¡±


    ¡°Is he fighting Caligo now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I cannot see them. A dark storm brews over the city. My vision cannot seem to penetrate it.¡±


    ¡°Are my friends safe? Is my tribe safe? What of the orphans at the temple?¡± he asked in quick succession.


    ¡°Now is not the time to worry. It is the time for strength. Our people will be looking at both of us for assurance. We cannot afford to have a single crack of doubt in our visage.¡±


    Stryg nodded reluctantly in understanding. Steeling his thoughts he glanced back at the army marching behind them.


    His honor guard followed from a respectful distance atop their wolves. Their captain, Elayne, was coating her spear, in what he assumed was some sort of poison.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    His mother, Aurelia, the chosen of the Moon, rode on a frost wolf, as did the Warrior and Shaman Elects. Plum and Tauri shared a saddle atop a single frost wolf. The creature was more than large enough to carry both of them, but there was little that could be done to save Plum from Tauri¡¯s cold anger.


    Ever since Plum had walked in on Stryg and Tauri having sex, the orc warrior had been livid with her. Still, when Lunae offered one of her own frost wolves to serve as a mount for their protection, neither drow nor orc dared to decline.


    Stryg wondered if the anxious look on Plum¡¯s face as she sat in front of Tauri was for fear of the upcoming battle or fear the orc might just snap and kill her.


    The rest of the frost wolves walked silently behind Lunae, without a single noise. It always amazed Stryg how such large creatures could be so quiet.


    At the very end of the pack, Stryg spotted a dark coat of fur hiding in the shadows. Blueberry stalked low to the ground behind the rest. Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. His childhood friend had decided to follow them after all.


    Lunae climbed up to the top of the hill overlooking the grasslands and turned to face her army. She lowered her head and Stryg hopped off. He walked up next to her giant paw and waited as the rest of the army slowed to a halt.


    ¡°My children,¡± Lunae spoke in a soft voice, yet it carried clearly over the wind.


    The Sylvan goblins stood at attention and stared at their Mother Moon in awe, hanging at her every word.


    ¡°Beyond these hills lies the greatest battle of this century,¡± said Lunae somberly. ¡°None of you are strangers to death, it has been a constant companion in the very forest you grew up in. Struggle and strife are all you have ever known. But I still remember a time when the Sapphire City was full of life and promise.¡±


    Lunae¡¯s eyes grew sad. ¡°In many ways, I had given up on our city, our people, on myself, long ago¡­ But I was wrong to do so.¡± She glanced down at Stryg, ¡°This little one reminded me of why we must fight. Why we risk everything for the things we believe in.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, many will die. Our enemies¡­ and our own. But for all the death tonight brings, something else will be born. Something that hasn¡¯t been seen in the last 300 years.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, we remind the people of the Ebon Realm that darkness came to the lands, and Lunis did not fade into the shadows. We ran into the storm and we howled for the world to hear. LUNIS LIVES ONCE MORE!¡±


    The Sylvan people broke into a storm of cheers and the wolves howled at the night sky in agreement.


    ~~~


    ¡­Grasslands Outskirts¡­ The Great City of Hollow Shade¡­


    The Adder Tribe¡¯s chieftess, the vampiress, Sylaril stood in silent consternation and watched the unnatural storm gathering over the city in the distance.


    The Undergrowth engineer commander walked up to her and looked at her questioningly, ¡°My Lady?¡±


    ¡°I am not a Lady,¡± she said coldly.


    ¡°Yes, of course, forgive me, chieftess,¡± he bowed. ¡°We are ready to fire.¡±


    Sylaril gripped the golden snake cap of her cane tightly and sighed in defeat. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Fire.¡±


    The commander bowed and waved his torch in the air. The rest of the engineers saw the signal and released the trebuchets. With a crack like a whip, the trebuchets fired massive boulders.


    Sylaril watched grimly as they crashed into the city gates, not only on the enemy but on their own warriors; men and women who had lived their lives and given all for the Valley Tribes. To have a foreign queen command Sylaril to have the trebuchets fire upon them, all the while her own Undergrowth soldiers stood in reserves not 40 paces away¡­


    Sylaril squeezed her cane until her knuckles were stark white. Someday she would find a way to avenge her people. Someday she would make Queen Ophelia pay.


    The voices of panicked engineers broke Sylaril from her thoughts. She turned around at their words. A thick fog was rising behind them as far and wide as the eye could see.


    ¡°Wait, is this¡­?¡± Sylaril muttered. She stretched out her hand and a snowflake fell on her palm. Her eyes widened in fear. She spun around and sprinted towards the drow commanders relaxing next to their battalions. ¡°We¡¯re under attack! We¡¯re under attack!¡± she screamed.


    The drow commanders glanced at each other uncertainly, but in the army of the Dusk King and Queen, Sylaril was still their commanding officer. Without waiting for their disagreements, she ordered them to move their battalions and form a line behind the trebuchets.


    ¡°The battle is that way, you stupid barbarian,¡± a commander muttered and pointed his thumb behind him.


    Sylaril hissed at him, ¡°You fucking pointy-eared imbecile¡ª!¡±


    An arrow whizzed through the frost-mist and pierced the commander in his neck. The soldiers around him jumped back as he clutched at his throat and collapsed.


    The soldiers turned to each other, panic in their eyes. A volley of arrows riddled the line of drows in an instant. A hundred soldiers fell to the ground, dead.


    ¡°Shields up, shields up!¡± Sylaril shouted.


    Small shadows moved through the mist, shifting through the tall grass in a blur.


    ¡°What is that¡ª!?¡± a drow soldier screamed.


    Spears slipped out from the tall grass below the drows¡¯ shields and pierced their shins. Other shadows moved in close and slashed across the drow¡¯s ankles with short shadows. All around soldiers cried out in pain and collapsed, only to be jumped upon by shadowy figures and silenced by several quick stabbings.


    ¡°Hold the line!¡± Sylaril screamed.


    ¡°Hold the line! Hold the line!¡± echoed several commanders.


    The frost-mist flowed past and swept over the soldiers, bathing them in a sudden winter. They could hardly see past their chilled breath. The soldiers clumped together, shivering from the cold.


    Drows gasped and cried out here and there as small shadows flitted through the mist, cutting them down like wheat.


    ¡°Where are they!? I can¡¯t see anything!¡± a drow commander yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make an opening!¡± Sylaril raised her cane and channeled White. A brilliant light burst from the golden snake head of her cane and illuminated the frost-mist. ¡°Now attack¡ª!?¡± her voice caught in her throat.


    The light reflected across a sea of bloodthirsty yellow eyes throughout the frost-mist. Warriors wrapped in dark green armor. Steel spears and blades in hand. And above them flew banners of a sapphire city.


    ¡°Lunis¡­!?¡± Sylaril gasped in disbelief.


    The bright spell died out and her world was bathed in darkness once more.

 Chapter 501: Mist & Blood

    Chapter 501: Mist & Blood


    From her palanquin, Queen Ophelia Thorn watched chaos unfold in the backlines of her army. A few hundred drow soldiers hurried to form a line behind the trebuchets and engineers as frost-mist crept over the hills and swept them up in its thick fog.


    Agonizing and terrified screams could be heard from inside the mist but they were quickly silenced one by one. All around, Undergrowth commanders were ordering thousands of soldiers towards the mist.


    A sick feeling turned Ophelia¡¯s stomach. There was something terribly wrong about that mist. She stepped out of her palanquin and gripped one of her generals by the scruff of his neck, ¡°Why are they all rushing into the fog!?¡±


    ¡°A b-battalion was caught in the mist,¡± the general stammered.


    ¡°So you¡¯d send several more battalions!? Are you mad!? We don¡¯t know what is even in there!¡±


    ¡°But your majesty, we must support our men and protect the trebuchets.¡±


    ¡°By going into the mist? You imbecile!¡±


    The general bowed, ¡°With all due respect, my queen, no matter what reinforcements have come to Hollow Shade¡¯s aid, no matter what spells they¡¯ve conjured to create such thick fog, our forces are the most elite in all the Realm. We will not lose.¡±


    ¡°Pull our men back. Prepare the archers to fire immediately!¡± Ophelia snapped.


    ¡°But the first battalion is still in there, they¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, for the love of¡ª¡± Ophelia thrust her hand in his face and blasted him with a bolt of lightning. The headless corpse flew back in a smoking heap. Ophelia turned to the rest of the stunned commanders, ¡°Order the battalions to pull back and have the archer battalion fire upon the enemy! NOW!!!¡±


    The commanders bowed repeatedly and hurried to spread the word. Horns blared in the wind as thousands of drow soldiers slowed to a halt and with confused expressions, began to retreat, leaving their fellow drows caught in the mist to fend for themselves. All the while the mist continued to creep around grasslands, slowly encroaching them from the sides.


    A battalion of archers lined up, drew their bows, and prepared to fire. A massive white wolf emerged from the mist, far to the west of the initial drow engagement. As the archers let loose their arrows the wolf howled a glacial storm into existence. The twister of ice crashed into the volley of arrows and sent them awry.


    Without hesitation, the white wolf charged forward. A pack of frost wolves followed, leaving a trail of icy fog behind them. The archers barely had time to turn around when the frost wolves flanked them. The frost-mist went up like a sea wave splashing into the rocks as the wolves crashed into the archers, trampling over them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap, we¡¯re being flanked!¡± screamed a commander, while the other commanders rushed to direct their battalions towards the newfound enemy.


    The frost wolves clashed against them and the drows witnessed the true extent of the hidden force. Hundreds of Sylvan wolves the size of horses, leaped out of the mist and ran past their larger cousins. Small cloaked figures rode atop the wild beasts, wielding spears and bows. Trampling over the fleeing drow archers, they charged the other battalions without breaking their stride.


    The drow soldiers stumbled over each other as they desperately tried to escape the wolves.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± shouted one of the drow commanders. But there was nowhere to go, save back into the frost-mist.


    Ophelia watched in disbelief. Her army was being pushed back, corralled into the enemy¡¯s trap. ¡°NO!¡± she screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t go into the fog! Stand your ground! We can¡¯t defeat them in the fog!¡±


    But her voice fell on deaf ears. As their flank was crushed underneath the Sylvan wolves, the other nearby soldiers broke into a full run, causing a ripple effect across the entire tightly packed army.


    The pack of frost wolves made short work of the archers, their enormous size made it simple to crush the screaming soldiers underneath their paws. Led by the alpha white wolf, they turned and made a beeline straight towards the royal palanquin.


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the realization that they were coming for her. ¡°You want to kill me?¡± she muttered and channeled Blue. ¡°Come then! Face me!¡± Lightning crackled over her arms and she fired thundering bolts at the alpha wolf.


    The lightning skidded off the wolf¡¯s white fur like splashes of water. Witnessing the ineffectiveness of the queen¡¯s magic, her royal guards broke formation and ran away.


    Ophelia spun around indignantly, ¡°Get back here, you cowards!¡± She cursed under her breath and prepared to fly away, but she recalled the twister of ice and what had happened to the arrows.


    Before she could make up her mind, the frost-wolves crashed into the palanquin and pushed forward, chasing after each of the fleeing royal guards. Only the white wolf, the largest of the pack, slowed to a halt in front of the queen.


    Ophelia glared at the beast and channeled Green. Gigantic vines emerged from the ground and curled around the wolf¡¯s legs, but the vines froze as they drew near and crumpled into brittle chunks.


    The wolf loomed above the queen and stared down at her. Ophelia stiffened, it was as if the beast¡¯s deep silver eyes were penetrating right through her, stripping her down to her bare soul. She recognized that gaze, those eyes, she had seen the same eyes in one other being, her master.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This wasn¡¯t a beast. This wasn¡¯t a frost-wolf. This was a god. The goddess of the moon.


    Ophelia felt her legs grow weak. She stumbled backwards and fell on her bottom. The air itself seemed to freeze and she could see her own breath as her lungs burned with the cold.


    ¡°W-Why¡­? Why are you here, Ancient One?¡± Ophelia shivered. She looked up at the goddess slowly, careful to not cause any more disrespect. ¡°I am the servant of another member of the pantheon. Spare me and I assure you my master will¡ª¡±


    Then Ophelia saw it. A figure sitting atop Lunae¡¯s head, like a little bird. A warrior of blue skin, covered in silver war paint and wrapped in an all-too-familiar cloak of white flowers.


    Ophelia frowned in bewilderment, ¡°You¡­!?¡±


    Stryg stared down at her apathetically. He bared his fangs. ¡°Death.¡±


    Lunae lunged forward and clamped her jaws over Ophelia¡¯s upper body, snapping her spine in a splatter of blood. Ophelia¡¯s legs spasmed for a moment, and then Lunae swallowed her in two bites.


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ South-West Wall¡­


    Melfyn held Sandra¡¯s hand as the enemy slowly closed in on both sides. His tribemates held their shield wall on both sides, pushing the valley warriors back with spear and shield tactics as best they could, but even Rowan, their deadliest warrior, was tiring.


    Rowan glanced back at Melfyn, and the drow and goblin shared a mutual look of grim acceptance.


    ¡°M-Mel¡­¡± Sandra mumbled, her voice faint.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he smiled weakly.


    Whatever magic Sandra conjured had left her as frail as a sickly newborn. She could hardly keep her eyes open, let alone move.


    Surprised shouts began to spread through the valley warriors and they slowly backed away.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± muttered Captain Rorick between grimaces as one of the goblins patched his leg¡¯s bloody stump.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to get past the wall,¡± said the vampiress, Captain Talia. ¡°They don¡¯t even care to finish us off¡­¡±


    Melfyn furrowed his brow. ¡°Why?¡±


    They could have tried to cross over the wall this entire time, but they had wanted to first eliminate all resistance. After all the bodies strewn across the wall, why give up now?


    ¡°Hey, guys, I see something!¡± Jack pointed to the outskirts of the city.


    The group turned and looked at the grasslands and a spark of confusion and hope burned to life within them.


    Though it was dark, the goblins, drows, and the vampiress could see the frost-mist had spread and enclosed around the grasslands. A cavalry of wolves was wreaking havoc across the enemy lines, pushing the Undergrowth battalions into the mist.


    ¡°Guys¡­? What is it?¡± asked Jack again. He was the only human among them, and his night vision was terrible compared to the Ebon species.


    ¡°Reinforcements, I think?¡± guessed Rowan.


    ¡°From Murkton?¡± Captain Rorick said hopefully. The orcs of Murkton were said to be fierce warriors. Perhaps, Murkton¡¯s Royal House, the Morrigans, had come to the aid of their cousins, House Katag?


    Talia shook her head. ¡°No, those wolves are enormous, they must be from the Rupture Mountains. They have to be soldiers from Frost Rim. Right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Melfyn muttered quietly. He slowly stood to his feet and leaned over the wall¡¯s merlons. It was far away and faint, but he could make out the blue banners carried by the wolf riders. ¡°It¡¯s Lunis,¡± he whispered.


    Tears welled up in Melfyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°They came, they really came.¡±


    Gasps of anticipation spread through the Cinder Brood at his words. Rorick and Talia shared a glance of doubt.


    ¡°Lunis¡­?¡± Sandra mumbled.


    Melfyn knelt next to her and grabbed her hand. He smiled tearfully and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the Lunisian army. They¡¯re really here,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Our people haven¡¯t forgotten us,¡± Jack said proudly in agreement, though he still couldn¡¯t see anything in the darkness.


    ¡°You¡¯re human,¡± said Talia dryly.


    ¡°And?¡± Jack frowned. ¡°I am Cinder Brood. I am Lunisian.¡±


    ¡°Mel, the banner!¡± Rowan spoke up.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Melfyn wiped the tears from his face and nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Melfyn, what are you doing? You¡¯re not a nobleman,¡± Rorick reminded him. ¡°You know you¡¯re not allowed to display a banner¡ª¡±


    Melfyn ignored him and grabbed the banner lying on the ground. With Rowan¡¯s help, the two of them lifted the Cinder Brood banner etched with the image of the Sapphire City, and held it aloft proudly.


    ~~~


    Stryg gripped strands of Lunae¡¯s thick white fur with his left hand as she led the charge through the undergrowth soldiers. It took almost all his strength to not fall off amidst her rapid stride. He stood atop her head, legs bent, leaning forward against the rushing wind threatening to push him back. With his free hand, he channeled Orange and tossed lobs of fire at the drows.


    As soon as they broke free from the Undergrowth soldiers, they raced through the grasslands, heading straight for Hollow Shade.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Lunae called out as she ran. ¡°The enemy has breached the city.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± he shouted over the wind.


    ¡°Several battalions. The Northern Gate has already fallen. The Western and Southern Gates are barely holding on. We need to spread our forces if we hope to stop them.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Stryg drew Krikolm from his side, careful to not knick Blossom¡¯s petals, and waved the sword in a sharp signal.


    The frost wolves carrying the two Elects noticed and ran up beside Lunae.


    ¡°War Master!?¡± called out the Warrior Elect, Lykos.


    ¡°Take your riders and head to the Western Gate! Shaman Elect, head to the Northern Gate!¡± yelled Stryg.


    ¡°Aye, War Master!¡± shouted Lykos.


    ¡°It shall be done, War Master,¡± Lumi bowed her head and sprinted away on her frost wolf.


    ¡°I¡¯m staying with you,¡± Aurelia called out to Stryg in a resolute tone.


    Knowing she wouldn¡¯t listen to him even if he said no, Stryg simply nodded.


    Tauri rode up beside them. Plum sat at the front of their saddle, face pale with panic.


    ¡°We¡¯re with you to the end!¡± nodded Tauri confidently.


    ¡°Y-Yeah!¡± Plum grinned forcefully, trying her best not to throw up.


    Stryg smiled at his friends, then glanced over his back. Elayne followed close behind on her wolf, as did the rest of his honor guard. He felt grateful to have them all by his side as he looked upon the thousands of valley warriors lining the shade wall.


    Though fear touched his heart, it did not grip him. Courage and anger on behalf of his friends burned in his chest.


    Stryg raised Krikolm high, the scarlet blade aglow with blood, and pointed it to the Southern Gate. ¡°With me!¡±


    Lunae roared in agreement and spurred onward. The wolves howled and followed.

 Chapter 502: Southern Gate

    Chapter 502: Southern Gate


    The army of the valley tribes rushed into the remains of the southern gate. The portcullis had been destroyed by their battle mages and the gateway was open to their forces, save for the small forces of Houses Glaz and Veres. The Hollow Shade soldiers formed a semicircular blockade around the inner side of the gateway.


    Valley warriors clashed against the soldiers and tried to force themselves through, while their battle mages launched spells at the Hollow Shaders from their backlines.


    The air was hot and humid. The ground was slick with blood, sweat, and urine. Screams of dying men and women filled the ears. Mortals clashed with each other, slashing with blades, stabbing with spears, and hammering at anyone in the darkness. Few still held torches in their hands, but it did nothing to avail the chaotic nature of the clashing horde.


    The soldiers could hardly breathe as they swung their weapons around haphazardly. Their training did little to protect them from the battle as they were squeezed together around the gateway.


    House Gale swordmasters danced through the packed battle, slashing away at their enemies while trying to break through the enemy lines and reach the battle mages at the back. But the enemy seemed endless and for every one that fell, several more valley warriors rushed in to take their place.


    Lady Gale found herself in the thick of battle. Her steel blade spun in quick arcs around her as she ran through the enemy, blocking enemy blades and spears, and slicing at exposed flesh underneath their armor. Her world was drowned out by a mist of blood and flickers of torchlight.


    Life force energy flowed through her burning muscles as her limbs fell into rhythmic patterns she had practiced thousands of times before. Her mind raced with each moment, scarlet eyes dashing back and forth as she fought enemies on every side.


    A sword slash to the leg. A spear thrust to the heart. An arrow to the wrist. Gale blocked every strike with breathless focus. She ducked low and slashed a woman¡¯s waist in two when a man swung a hammer down at her head from behind. Gale shifted her weight to dodge, but she was a moment too slow and the hammer struck her shoulder.


    Pain spiked across her arm as the shoulder pad collapsed from the strike. She rolled with the blow and slashed her sword across the man¡¯s shins. He fell with a cry and one of his fellow warriors trampled over his head without even noticing.


    There was so little space to move, Gale had been forced to carve every inch, but her fall had changed the fight. Her arm radiated with sharp pain and her every swing was off by a second. The enemy quickly closed the space she had made and she found herself being swarmed.


    A sudden steel blade pierced a warrior¡¯s chest and he gasped a hollow sound then collapsed in front of her. Gale barely had a moment to frown in confusion when three more men charged her. Another longsword appeared through the throng and slashed all three men. This time Gale saw it, a familiar face in the torchlight. Pale cheeks covered in blood, bright scarlet eyes, and an overly-confident grin.


    ¡°Sister! We found you!¡± shouted Willow.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got your back!¡± yelled Stellan as he hurried to take over Gale¡¯s flank.


    Gale smiled tiredly at her cousins and exhaled a short breath of relief. The three swordmasters quickly stood back-to-back and parried the oncoming attacks.


    ¡°There¡¯s too many! We need to retreat to the shield line!¡± shouted Stellan over the clashing of steel and battle cries.


    ¡°No!¡± Gale blocked a spear and stabbed her blade into a drow¡¯s gut. ¡°We have to stop their battlemages! We¡¯ll never hold the gate if their spells keep ripping through our men!¡±


    Willow kicked a man in the chest and slashed her sword out in a wide defensive arc. ¡°We¡¯ll never reach them!¡±


    ¡°We have to try, we¡¯re sitting ducks otherwise!¡± Gale replied frustratedly.


    But try as they might, the valley warriors surged through the gateway and began to push them back.


    Gale clenched her teeth and tried to focus on the men in front of her, but her shoulder burned and her arms felt like lead. The dragonbane Nethlas had battered all of them with ease. It had taken everything she had to just survive against the beast.


    She was already beyond her limit before the gate had even been broken. But with every step she took and every strike she parried, she remembered her oath, she reminded herself why she fought. For her House. For her cousins. For Uncle Gian. For House Veres. For Elise and Callum.


    ¡°Sister! We need to retreat!¡± shouted Stellan.


    ¡°My brother is an idiot, but he¡¯s right, Sister! We can¡¯t hold them off much longer! The gate¡¯s fallen!¡± said Willow.


    ¡°We are the Shield¡­¡± Gale muttered under her breath. ¡°We are the Shield,¡± she repeated, with more strength in her voice. ¡°We are the Shield!¡±


    Willow and Stellan glanced at each other and nodded grimly.


    ¡°Be it Monster or Man,¡± Stellan began.


    ¡°Here we stand,¡± Willow replied.


    ¡°And we shall not falter!¡± the three finished together.


    Several high-pitched screams abruptly broke the cacophony of clanging steel.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°The magic¡­ it''s stopped,¡± muttered Willow.


    Gale looked up. She was right. No chromatic spells were flying over their heads and falling upon the Veres and Glaz shield line behind them. Gale narrowed her eyes and looked past the valley warriors towards their backlines.


    The valley battle mages were still there, surrounded by hundreds of their warriors, but there was something off. Their focus wasn¡¯t on the gate, they were looking to the west¡ª


    A thunderous howl deafened the battlefield and every man and woman stumbled back and grimaced at the earsplitting sound. The valley battle mages looked up in surprise and terror, and stumbled over one another trying to get away, but from what Gale couldn¡¯t tell.


    She frowned in confusion, ¡°What is happeni¡ª?¡±


    A host of the largest wolves Gale had ever seen crashed into the enemy backlines like an avalanche, swallowing and trampling everyone whole. The valley warriors standing under the gateway looked back, bewildered.


    Frost wolves leaped over their smaller cousins'' assault and charged straight at the gateway, led by a white wolf larger than the rest.


    Lunae leaped into the fray and the world slowed down to a crawl for Gale as she stood frozen in shock, eyes wide. The wolf¡¯s maw opened in mid-roar, fangs bared, claws outstretched, and a familiar yet almost unrecognizable figure atop her head.


    A cloak of snow-pale flowers flowed behind Stryg as he stood, legs bent forward, one hand holding strands of white fur like reigns, the other hand outstretched wielding a scarlet blade wrapped in swirling ribbons of blood. He pointed Krikolm forward towards victory, his lilac eyes unwavering, like a hero born straight from the tales and myths of old.


    And just as the white wolf, his expression was fierce, fangs bared and mouth wide open. A single word on his lips, ¡°CHAAARGE!¡±


    A shiver of awe ran through Gale¡¯s body and then the world fell into focus once more. The valley warriors broke into a panic and tried to run but the frost wolves were upon them, ripping them apart with their fangs and claws.


    Lunae barreled through the valley warriors in a living storm of fang and frost. The Veres and Glaz soldiers panicked as she went straight towards their shield line. Then she leaped over them, landed a dozen paces behind, and kept running into the dark streets of the city. Several more wolves leaped over the Veres shield line and followed after her, while the rest tore through the valley warriors like squealing rabbits underneath their paws.


    ¡°Was that¡­ Krikolm?¡± whispered Stellan.


    ¡°The wolves are eating those bastards!¡± Willow broke into laughter. ¡°We can actually win!¡±


    Stellan¡¯s gaze lingered on the white wolf, then he shook his head and glanced at Gale, ¡°Sister! What are your orders? Sister¡­?¡±


    Gale blinked slowly, as if waking from a dream. She turned to her cousins and raised her blood-stained sword aloft, ¡°Brothers! Sisters! With me!¡±


    The swordmasters wading through the chaotic battlefield recognized their Lady¡¯s voice and rushed to her side, wordlessly.


    Gale glanced at each of her family one by one. ¡°I know we are all exhausted, but tonight is the most important of our lives. Gather your strength and your steel. Hold fast and follow me. Our lord has returned and he shall not battle alone.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg tried his best to hold onto Lunae as she sprinted past the neighborhoods. She took a turn and slowed to a halt. The other wolves stopped beside her and whined curiously.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Lunae muttered. ¡°The dark storm above the city, it''s Caligo¡¯s doing. My sight, it¡¯s¡­ obscured. I cannot see your friends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We know the way,¡± Stryg said reassuringly. ¡°Tauri, Plum! Go to the academy dorms. Feli and Rhian should be there. Find them and get them somewhere safe.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s wolf trotted up to them and the orc nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take them to my family¡¯s manor. House Katag will keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stryg smiled.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d ever see the Commoner District in these shambles¡­¡± Plum muttered in dismay from behind Tauri.


    ¡°...I know,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°There are still many enemies in the area, we need to be careful. Mother, go with Tauri and Plum.¡±


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Aurelia said without hesitation.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not safe. You¡¯re an Ebon Lord, if anyone can keep them safe, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m staying by your side, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection, the Mother Moon is with me.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m staying by your side,¡± said Aurelia without budging.


    Stryg sighed. ¡°Elayne.¡±


    ¡°Yes, War Master!¡±


    ¡°Take the rest of the honor guard and go with Tauri and Plum.¡±


    Elayne furrowed her brow, ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order,¡± Stryg said in the same unyielding tone his mother used with him.


    Elyane bowed her head, ¡°As you wish.¡± She signaled to the honor guard, and their wolves followed after Tauri and Plum.


    ¡°Where are we going next, Mother Moon?¡± Aurelia asked after the rest had left.


    Lunae glanced up at Stryg. ¡°The little one knows the way.¡±


    Stryg glanced around the streets and reoriented himself. ¡°This way. The temple is this way.¡±


    ¡°Temple? What temple?¡± asked a silky voice.


    Lunae stiffened at the sound.


    ¡°Mother Moon?¡± Stryg asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Little one, you and Aurelia will have to go on without me,¡± Lunae muttered grimly.


    ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°She¡¯s saying she should have never come to this city,¡± taunted the unfamiliar silky voice.


    Stryg looked around suspiciously, searching for the speaker. He spotted a small white fox lounging atop the edge of a nearby roof. He turned away, paying no heed, but then he did a double take. The fox¡¯s tail was moving behind it playfully. No, it wasn¡¯t a mere tail, 8 tails were swaying in the air in a mesmerizing pattern.


    The fox pulled her black lips back in a taunting spiteful smile, ¡°Caligo is too soft on you, Lunae. She wanted to spare you, but I knew you would be a problem. I have nothing personally against a fellow goddess like you, truly. But we are so close to fixing everything and yet here you are, trying to intervene and only making things worse, just like three centuries ago. And the worst part of it is, I bet you still don¡¯t even understand the damage your actions are causing.¡±


    Lunae narrowed her silver eyes. ¡°What do you want, Lin Lu?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to do with what I want. It¡¯s just what¡¯s necessary.¡±


    She growled, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most definitely not on a full moon, at the height of your power.¡± The fox jumped down and landed softly on the cobblestone. Her form blurred and she grew until she stood as tall as a frost wolf, though still smaller than Lunae. Lin Lu circled around her slowly. ¡°Perhaps not even on a half moon, but tonight of all nights? A new moon? Well, let¡¯s find out.¡±

 Chapter 503: The Sylvan Temple

    Chapter 503: The Sylvan Temple


    Lunae narrowed her silver eyes. ¡°What do you want, Lin Lu?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to do with what I want. It¡¯s just what¡¯s necessary,¡± the fox replied.


    Lunae growled, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most definitely not on a full moon, at the height of your power.¡± Lin Lu jumped down and landed softly on the cobblestone. Her form blurred and she grew until she stood as tall as Aurelia¡¯s frost wolf, though still smaller than Lunae. She circled the moon goddess slowly. ¡°Perhaps not even on a half moon, but tonight of all nights? A new moon? Well, let¡¯s find out.¡±


    Indigo flames ignited over the tips of each of Lin Lu¡¯s eight tails.


    Lunae shook her head and flung Stryg off. He yelped in surprise and landed with a roll on the wet cobblestone. She glanced at the frost wolf standing behind her and snapped in a sharp voice, ¡°Get him out of here!¡±


    Stryg jumped to his feet, ¡°Wait, I can fight¡ª!¡±


    The frost wolf snapped Stryg up by Blossom¡¯s cowl and threw him over her back, right next to Aurelia. The First Mother wrapped her arms around her son¡¯s waist tightly, ¡°I¡¯ve got him, go!¡±


    Spinning around, the frost wolf sprinted away from the two goddesses with all the speed she could muster. Lin Lu pulled her black lips back in a snarl and cracked her tails forward like a whip. Eight orbs of fox fire zipped through the air straight at the frost wolf.


    Lunae leaped in the way and took the brunt of the blasts. Fox fire splashed over her and burned bright for a moment, before sputtering out, leaving soot and scorch marks on her thick fur.


    A flame orb flew past her and hit the frost wolf. The fox fire surged to life like a torch in a barrel of oil. Aurelia grabbed Stryg and leaped off the saddle as the indigo flames consumed the frost wolf in the blink of an eye. The wolf cried out in agony and writhed on the ground. The fox fire ate through her fur and flesh in seconds and left her little more than a scorched carcass and charred bones.


    Stryg stood in shock at the scene. It had all happened so fast. A creature as mighty as a frost wolf, towering over humanoids and beasts alike, was now... Only a few minutes earlier he had seen her charge through hundreds of drows without breaking her stride. Now¡­ now she was gone. The power of a goddess had ended her in a single moment.


    Fear crept up Stryg¡¯s back and a shiver ran through his body.


    ¡°What are you doing!? Take the boy and run!¡± Lunae roared and charged at Lin Lu.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Aurelia snatched Stryg¡¯s wrist and dragged him away.


    His mother¡¯s voice snapped him back to the present and he sped up his pace. Ruined houses blurred by as the duo ran away from the scene. They reached a crossroad and Aurelia slowed to a stop. She glanced around, searching for the way, but the houses were all unfamiliar and the night was dark and pouring with rain.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia grabbed him by the shoulders. ¡°We need to get out of the open. Where is the temple you speak of?¡±


    He stared past his mother to the far end of the street and licked his lips, ¡°It¡¯s that way, but¡­ There is a crowd of valley warriors blockading the pass.¡±


    Aurelia looked at the direction he spoke about, but there was nothing there save darkness. ¡°You can see that far? Through the rain? Without any light?¡±


    He nodded silently.


    ¡°How many?¡± she asked.


    ¡°From what I can tell, at least 50. We can handle them.¡±


    ¡°...No,¡± she shook her head after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s too risky.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I can fend for myself and you¡¯re an Ebon Lord!¡±


    ¡°And if we cast any flashy spells we¡¯ll draw the attention of the delusory fox. The Mother Moon took a great risk coming here on a new moon. She is at a fraction of her power. It¡¯s already difficult enough fighting off another goddess, how do you think the Mother Moon will fare if she has to protect you at the same time?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think of it that way¡­¡± he admitted.


    ¡°We need to avoid any conflict we can until we¡¯re far from this place. Surely you know some other way to get to that temple of yours.¡±


    ¡°I do, but,¡± Stryg glanced down the opposing street. ¡°It¡¯s far. It¡¯ll take us twice as long and we could easily come across other enemies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a risk we¡¯ll have to take. Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s this¡­ way¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    ¡°What is it? Is someone coming?¡± Aurelia drew her sword and looked around guardedly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Stryg tilted his head up, letting the rain kiss his face. He stared beyond the streets, ruined homes, and up to the night sky. ¡°I think¡­ I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Stryg, this isn¡¯t the time to be playing games,¡± she hissed.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Do you remember what Lunae said at the Celestial Shrine?¡±


    Aurelia cocked her head to the side and frowned. ¡°Do you mean when she pushed you off the cliff?¡±


    ¡°She was teaching me how to fly.¡±


    ¡°She pushed you off a cliff,¡± Aurelia said in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± he smiled half-heartedly and closed his eyes. ¡°Lunae said that in time, it¡¯ll come to me. I can feel it. Something¡¯s different. In the rain. The air. I can almost taste it.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­? No. Don¡¯t try it. Now is not the time,¡± Aurelia warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s the fastest way to the temple and we¡¯ll avoid any enemies. And you can follow me with your own flight spell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, Stryg, you need to think this through¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lunae said I was taught to cast magic by forming spells through thought and will alone. She said it was time I stopped thinking about casting magic and started trying to feel the magic coursing through me.¡± He took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders.


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    Lunae¡¯s words echoed in his mind, ¡®As for flying, I am certain that in time it¡¯ll come to you.¡¯


    Stryg kept his eyes closed and focused on the feeling of the rain pelting over his blue skin, the water soaking into Blossom and his clothes, and the wind coursing through his pale hair. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The howling wind softened in his ears and the quiet pitter patter of the rain felt like an old friend. Eyes still closed, he loosened his clenched fists and with a relaxed step, he jumped.


    The wind flowed past him as he soared into the air. His body was weightless and it felt as if the rain was lifting him into the sky. Then his neck snapped back as he faceplanted into the cobblestone and landed in a painful sprawl.


    Stryg blinked hazily and groaned a deep regretful noise. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    Aurelia walked over and stood over him. She crossed her arms and looked down at him with a look of tired disdain. ¡°You know, when you said you were going to fly, I thought you were at least going to channel Yellow and cast a wind spell. Not jump a few paces into the air and dive face first into the ground like a flopping fish.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ow¡­¡± he mumbled weakly.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± she sighed in disappointment. Aurelia knelt, channeled White mana, and soothed the worst of the pain around his neck.


    After a few moments, Stryg sat up and rubbed his hands over his neck. ¡°Thanks,¡± he smiled gratefully, if a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Mm,¡± she grunted. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time, let¡¯s move.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°How long did you say it¡¯ll take to get there?¡±


    ¡°On foot? Half an hour, I think.¡±


    ¡°And what about on wolf-back?¡± she asked carefully.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve been followed.¡±


    Stryg turned around and spotted a pair of icy blue eyes staring at them from the shadows of an alleyway. He broke into a smile, ¡°Blueberry! You came!¡±


    The black frost wolf snorted at his name and shook his head as if to deny all accusations.


    Stryg rushed over to his side and hugged his leg. ¡°I knew I could count on you, bud.¡±


    The giant wolf whined at the hug, but he did little to pull away.


    Without letting go, Stryg looked up at him, ¡°We need your help. Can you carry us to some of my friends?¡±


    Blueberry snorted once more and this time he pulled back without hesitation.


    ¡°Oh, come on, I promise I¡¯ll bring you all kinds of meat and berries. They have tasty food here you wouldn¡¯t dream of.¡±


    Blueberry cracked an eye open at the proposal and sniffed the air.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anything on me right now, but when this is all over you can eat as much as you want, I swear it,¡± Stryg said sincerely.


    With a happy grunt, Blueberry bent his legs and lowered his head.


    ¡°Thanks, bud. I owe you one.¡± Stryg clambered up his back and settled between his neck and shoulders.


    ¡°You do realize frost wolves are very intelligent creatures,¡± Aurelia noted. ¡°It is demeaning to try and bribe such a noble being with something as mundane as¡ª food.¡±


    ¡°He seems to be happy with the deal, isn¡¯t that right, bud?¡± Stryg patted his back.


    ¡°Woof!¡± Blueberry barked in approval.


    ¡°See.¡± Stryg turned to his mother and grinned, ¡°Are you coming?¡±


    Blueberry glanced at Aurelia with a smile of his own, tongue lolling out, head cocked to the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re both idiots,¡± she sighed and climbed up the wolf¡¯s back.


    ~~~


    The ride to the temple was quick. The giant frost wolf crossed the ground quickly, making short work of the winding streets. He leaped over entire houses with ease and avoided enemy patrols without difficulty. Despite his enormous size, Blueberry¡¯s footsteps were those of a dangerous predator, almost entirely silent.


    As soon as the temple came into sight, Stryg felt his stomach drop. The enchanted front doors he had commissioned had been ripped off the hinges. A pair of shattered golems lay on the ground outside.


    ¡°No¡­!¡± Stryg leaped off Blueberry and dashed into the temple. He ran through the courtyard, his lilac eyes darting across the area, noting torn chunks of dirt and cracked walls.


    ¡°Kaitlin, Witt, Elm, it¡¯s me, Stryg!¡± he called out as he burst inside. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    But there was no response. The halls were dark, the candles and lamplight dead. Only the faint blue glow of magestone light flickered in the corners. Stryg ran through the halls, searching each room for signs of life.


    Bed covers had been thrown around haphazardly, the kitchen¡¯s pots were still cooking over the fires, and toys were strewn on the ground in the main hall. Karen would never have approved of the children leaving their toys in the main hall where the statues of the gods were.


    They left in a hurry, he guessed.


    Which meant.


    They might still be alive.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Aurelia called his name from afar.


    He hurried back to the entrance, ¡°What is it? What happened?¡±


    Aurelia stood crouched over a shattered golem. ¡°This spearhead,¡± she pointed to the steel blade embedded in the golem¡¯s core. ¡°It seems like Sylvan make, but I don¡¯t recognize the tribe¡¯s markings.¡±


    ¡°I do¡­¡± Stryg walked over, his eyes never leaving the blade. ¡°I designed the spear and had one of the Brown mage-smiths forge it. The spear was a gift¡­¡±


    ¡°For whom?¡±


    ¡°...Rhiannon, daughter of the Ebon Tribe.¡±

 Chapter 504: A True Red

    Chapter 504: A True Red


    30 minutes before the arrival of the Frost Mist¡­


    A loud crashing noise resounded through the old temple¡¯s walls. The orphans trembled at the shrieking sound of stone grating on metal. They sat on the floor of the main hall and whimpered quietly. Some hugged each other for solace, while others knelt in front of the statues of the Ebon gods and prayed for salvation.


    Witt went around and gave what little consolement he could, sharing forced but bright smiles, and giving hugs to the children that needed it the most while swearing everything was going to be alright.


    Karen¡¯s little sister, Sophi sat next to their mother, her little fingers grasping Shirleen¡¯s bandaged hand tightly. Shirleen lay on a cot, the wounds from trebuchet bombardment and the collapse of their house evident across her bandaged body. She could barely keep her eyes open, but her gaze was fixed on her eldest daughter, standing under the doorway.


    Karen held her bow, arrow notched. The door was wide open, giving her a clear view of the worn pathway through the small courtyard that led straight to the temple¡¯s gate. A year ago, the gate had simply been a few rusty metal bars that had seen a better century. It was replaced with a large set of steel doors, enchanted with protective sigils by Brown magesmiths on the directive of their client, Stryg.


    The gate and the enchanted walls surrounding the temple were meant to stop any more thieves and lowlifes that prowled the Commoner streets at night. It wasn¡¯t meant to stop whatever was banging on the door now.


    The screeching noise was almost deafening.


    Elm walked over to Karen, leaning on his ceremonial staff. ¡°Who are they? What¡¯s out there¡­?¡± he asked, with a rare trace of fear in his voice.


    Karen glanced at the staff in the head priest¡¯s hand. It was more of a lightweight rod than anything. Perfect for teaching dogma and carrying out religious practices, but it could hardly be called a weapon. ¡°Whoever or whatever it is, you should stay behind me.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Right, you are,¡± he nodded sheepishly.


    With a loud crack, the iron hinges on the gate ripped off the cinder blocks, and the steel doors swung open, slamming into the wall with a bang.


    A stone golem stepped out of the shadows and lumbered into the courtyard, its feet sinking slightly into the wet mud pathway. Karen drew her bow and fired. The arrow flew true and sliced through the rain. Steel arrowhead met stone flesh and the arrow shaft broke on impact, falling harmlessly on the ground.


    The golem turned to the goblin woman in the doorway and it quickened its pace. Karen drew another arrow, ignoring the fearful cries from the children behind her. Though she couldn¡¯t help but hear the whispering prayers of the head priest next to her, ¡°Bellum, O goddess of war, bless your servant¡¯s arrow, and let it smite down this abomination.¡±


    Karen preferred a blessing from her people¡¯s patron deity, but war was Bellum¡¯s realm, and she hoped the Guardian of the Realm was listening, if only once. She raised her bow, narrowed her eyes, and stared through the heavy rain, at the small green gem embedded in the golem¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Strike true,¡± she whispered with a plea and released the bowstring.


    The arrow shot out in a whir and hit the gem. The sharp arrowhead glanced off the gem¡¯s hard surface and flew off into the grass, leaving only a minor scratch on the gemstone.


    ¡°Gods dammit!¡± Elm cursed under his breath.


    Karen would have stared in mirthful, yet scandalous shock at his outburst at any other time, but she found herself scrambling to notch another arrow as the golem rushed at her.


    ¡°Oi! Stone demon! Face someone your own size!¡± yelled a familiar brazen voice.


    At the broken gateway, standing proud in the pouring rain, was Rhian, smiling without fear. The golem slowly turned around, looked at the centaur, and tilted its head as if questioning her appearance.


    Rhian raised her Sylvan spear in front of her face with a solemn expression. ¡°Who am I, you ask? I am Rhiannon, Right Hand of the Ebon Prince, Defender of the Dusk Valley, and the greatest damn centaur of the century! Face me and die!¡±


    The golem stared at her in silence, clearly unable to understand her words. It raised its arms and charged at her.


    Rhian pulled her spear back and hurled it with all her might. ¡°Hiyaaah!¡±


    The spear pierced the gem and the stone flesh underneath it. The golem stumbled to a halt and fell over with a heavy thud. Rhian trotted over and placed her hoof atop its broken body, ¡°I am the Spear of the Ebon Hollow Tribe and I will not be broken!¡±


    She grabbed her spear from the golem¡¯s chest and yanked it out in one smooth motion. Rhian turned to Karen and spoke in a regal voice, ¡°Are all of you alright¡ª?¡± She did a double take and stared at the weapon in her hand. The enchanted spearhead had broken off and was lying rooted in the golem¡¯s gem. ¡°Oh, shit! Stryg is gonna kill me!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to do the whole ¡®cool entrance¡¯ thing,¡± Feli chastised.


    Only then, did Karen notice the purple-haired woman sitting on Rhian¡¯s saddle.


    ¡°But¡ª but, it was awesome,¡± Rhian mumbled tearfully as she stared at her broken spear.


    ¡°For a moment there you looked really cool,¡± said Karen wryly.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I know right!¡± Rhian¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯ve arrived!¡± Elm rushed over and bowed in a flourish. He looked up and glanced around, ¡°Where is the rest of your army?¡±


    Rhian crossed her arms. ¡°Army? I am the army.¡±


    ¡°What? Just you two?¡± Elm asked in disbelief.


    Rhian shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re a small tribe.¡±


    ¡°But only two people?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a very small tribe?¡± Rhian corrected.


    ¡°What? Feli isn¡¯t even a fighter! No offense, I¡¯ve seen you break up your fair share of bar fights, but this is hardly a bar fight,¡± Elm added hastily.


    ¡°There are no men to spare. The soldiers are all fighting as we speak,¡± Feli explained.


    ¡°Surely the city guard can lend a hand to defend one of Hollow Shade¡¯s sacred temples,¡± Elm said.


    Feli shook her head. ¡°Hollow Shade is under attack, not just the wall. The enemy has breached the city. Our streets are riddled with enemies. The Commoner District is on fire, literally. Rhian and I came here to take you to House Mora¡¯s Manor for shelter.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª Then our city has truly fallen,¡± Elm said hopelessly.


    ¡°Not yet, our people are still fighting. Our mages are some of the greatest in the Realm, we won¡¯t lose,¡± said Feli, though there was a slight tremble to her voice.


    Karen realized that Feli was scared, like the rest of them, she was only better at hiding it. ¡°...Is Mora Manor safe?¡± Karen asked.


    ¡°Pfft. Safer than this place,¡± Rhian said.


    ¡°Rhiannon,¡± Feli frowned. ¡°The Villa District hasn¡¯t been breached by the enemy.¡±


    ¡°But it might be,¡± Elm said anxiously.


    ¡°The manor is small compared to the manors of Great Houses, but it is well defended by Lady Mora¡¯s guards,¡± Feli replied. ¡°She and her staff are waiting for us. We must hurry before all the streets are overrun.¡±


    Karen nodded in understanding. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get the children ready.¡±


    ¡°What? Karen, as head priest of this temple, I think we should consult this a little longer¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Feli? There is no time. The gate is broken. The defensive enchantments Stryg left won¡¯t protect us any longer. We need to get the kids somewhere safe. Do you have any better ideas?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Elm stammered.


    Karen turned around without another thought and headed straight back into the temple. ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re moving! Throw on your cloaks and prepare to move out!¡±


    ¡°Yes, First Mother!¡± some of the children answered and hurried to obey.


    The others looked at each other and began to follow the others¡¯ lead.


    Witt cradled Shirleen into his arms and carefully picked her up. All the while, Sophi refused to let go of her hand. Witt turned to Karen and nodded, his gaze conveying his utter and deep trust in her words.


    Karen couldn¡¯t help but smile. It wasn¡¯t long ago that no one save her little sister dared place such trust in her. She wouldn¡¯t let them down. Not ever again.


    ~~~


    A maelstrom of magic swirled over the night skies of Hollow Shade as the Queen of Titans and the ancient Dragon Lord battled above the city. Rain poured down on the dark streets, giving cover to the temple refugees.


    Rhian took the lead, with Feli giving directions. The latter had given up her spot on the saddle in favor of having Rhian carry the wounded Shirleen. Karen guarded their flank, bow in hand, eyes darting cautiously in every direction. The children walked in between them. The youngest, babies and toddlers, were carried by the older children, though even the eldest were barely 11 or 12. Witt held Sophi¡¯s hand reassuringly. He had insisted on being given a sword, not that it would do much good, they had all seen him fight.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Feli called out anxiously. ¡°Hide!¡±


    The children looked around in a panic.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Witt pointed to a small alleyway.


    They crammed into the small space as fast as possible. A few of the smaller children complained, but Elm and Witt were quick to cover their mouths. Moments later, a retinue of men and women wrapped in hide armor marched through the street, followed by a couple of lumbering golems.


    They waited with held breaths until the valley warriors before Elm spoke up, ¡°What was that!? I thought you said you knew a safe way back to the Villa District?¡±


    ¡°I do, I mean, I did,¡± Feli faltered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d move so fast. We can¡¯t go back to the manor the way we came¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the temple either,¡± Karen noted. ¡°If one golem broke through our gates, there are sure to be more nearby.¡±


    ¡°So what now? We just stand here and wait for those savages to find and kill us?¡± Elm whispered fearfully.


    Feli and Karen shared a silent worried look.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±


    They all looked up and saw a petite vampiress standing in front of the alleyway. Silver-blonde hair flowed down over her black cloak and drifted slowly in the wind. Scarlet eyes seemed to almost shine in the darkness. Her scarlet lips were curled in a smirk.


    ¡°Maeve!¡± Rhian beamed.


    ¡°Lady Mora?! What are you doing here? It¡¯s not safe out here!¡± Feli said hurriedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine,¡± Maeve said reassuringly.


    ¡°But¡ª You came alone?¡± Feli glanced around. ¡°How did you even get this far? The streets are covered with valley warriors.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, not exactly,¡± Maeve said awkwardly.


    ¡°Feli, look, her clothes!¡± Karen pointed at Maeve¡¯s cloak and her crimson dress underneath. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of rain on them.


    Feli furrowed her brow, ¡°You aren¡¯t here, are you¡­?¡±


    Stryg had told Feli of illusion magic before. Purple mages could create intricate life-like appearances out of thin air and give them commands. Though only powerful masters could cast such spells from long distances, and even if Maeve had, how was she able to respond to their every word as if she was standing right next to them?


    ¡°My body isn¡¯t here,¡± Maeve answered. ¡°But I am.¡±


    ~~~


    In the master bedroom of the Mora Manor, Maeve lay in a large bed. Maidservants stood around her anxiously. Some held buckets of cold water, others dry towels. Their mistress was stock-still, save for the rising of her chest and the occasional grimace. Her breath was ragged and quiet whimpers escaped her lips from the sheer exertion of the true red magic channeling through her.


    The head maid grabbed one of the towels, dipped it in the cold water, and gently dabbed it over Maeve¡¯s forehead and neck. ¡°Her temperature is rising,¡± she noted.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± another asked worriedly.


    ¡°We keep performing the task we¡¯ve been given. And we trust in our Lady as she has in us.¡±


    ¡°But what if something happens¡ª¡±


    ¡°She has the grit of Mora and the strength of Veres flowing through her veins. If anyone can guide all those people back here safely it is her.¡±


    ¡°¡­g¡­¡± Maeve mumbled in a quiet whisper.


    ¡°What was that, my Lady?¡± the head maid leaned down next to her and listened closely. ¡°We¡¯re right here. Tell us, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see¡­ you¡­ Stryg¡­¡±

 Chapter 505: What Took You So Long?

    Chapter 505: What Took You So Long?


    Maeve looked at her friends and the children hiding in the small cramped alleyway. They were all shivering, whether from fear or the cold rain of the raging storm above, she did not know.


    She tried her best to smile reassuringly, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Feli reached out to grab her hand, ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    But Maeve had already walked off into the dark street. Rhian trotted after her without hesitation, a wounded Shirleen still atop her saddle, barely holding onto consciousness. Muttering under her breath, Feli ran after them.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, everyone. Follow Lady Mora,¡± Karen said to the children and grabbed her younger sister¡¯s hand, before hurried after their mother and the centaur.


    Witt and the high priest Elm pushed the children along with soft words of encouragement.


    ~~~


    Maeve¡¯s movements were erratic. She was leading them down an empty street, then she¡¯d turn the corner and disappear. Feli looked around, anxiously calling out to her in a quiet voice, only for Maeve to be standing all the way at the end of the street.


    ¡°This way!¡± Maeve waved them on.


    And so it went, the petite vampiress guided them through various streets and back alleyways. She would order the group to stop and hide inside an abandoned home every few minutes to avoid an approaching band of Valley warriors.


    How Maeve knew they were even coming, Feli had no idea. After half an hour of wandering through what seemed an almost endless maze of dark streets, Maeve raised her hands and signaled for them to stop.


    ¡°Quickly, hide!¡± Maeve whispered.


    She pointed to a lopsided wreckage of wood that Feli assumed was once a home. Stone shrapnel from a trebuchet boulder had ripped apart the house¡¯s structural beams and caused it to collapse. Fortunately, the door was still somewhat working, if being cracked in half counted as working.


    Rhian was too big to get inside. She rushed to the back of the house and knelt down, hoping none would notice. The children crouched and crawled into the house, careful to not get too close to any of the splintered sharp wooden planks protruding from all around. Maeve ushered them all inside while keeping an eye on the edge of the street. There was a troubled expression on her pale face.


    ¡°Maeve¡­? Are you coming inside?¡± Feli called out uncertainly.


    ¡°¡­They¡¯re stopping to rest. We won¡¯t be able to get past them,¡± she replied.


    Karen had gotten over how Maeve knew such things and instead asked, ¡°If we can¡¯t get past them, then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°¡­A diversion,¡± Maeve concluded after a moment.


    Karen glanced at the children and nodded, making up her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go,¡± said Maeve.


    ¡°What? No! You are a Lady of a noble House! You can¡¯t!¡± said Karen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, my real body isn¡¯t here remember?¡± Maeve winked. And before anyone could stop her, she ran down the street and turned the corner. A group of thirty-some warriors were coming up the street, torches and weapons in hand.


    Maeve stood there, stock-still, her porcelain face frozen in shock and fear. The warriors spotted the petite vampiress in a scarlet cloak and shouted in alarm, before rushing at her. Maeve turned around and bolted.


    Feli watched from a small hole between two planks as Maeve led the warriors past the ruined house and down another nearby street.


    ¡°That should keep them occupied for a while I think,¡± said Maeve from behind them.


    Feli spun around in shock. ¡°Maeve!? How did you¡ª? I thought you were¡ª¡± She looked outside, then back at the blonde vampiress sitting behind her. ¡°H-How!?¡±


    ¡°Synchrony magic allows me to cast a spell of astral projection,¡± Maeve explained as she crawled outside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Feli and followed her back into the cold rain.


    ¡°No one understands magic, save mages,¡± said Karen as if it were perfectly natural.


    ¡°It¡¯s true red magic. This astral projection doesn¡¯t have the same physical limits like a body does,¡± added Maeve.


    ¡°But, how did you even know the enemy was coming?¡± Feli asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s the core of Synchrony magic. I can sense everything around myself and my astral projection.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t really get it¡­¡± Feli admitted. Was this what Stryg was teaching her the last 2 years? She had never Stryg cast such magic before.


    Rhian trotted over, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s the might of our Ebon Tribe. Maeve is our tribe¡¯s shaman, of course, she would be incredible. What more is there to understand?


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Feli said wryly.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll explain more later,¡± said Maeve with a tired smile. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve projected my consciousness this far from my body and for this long. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep this up. We need to hurry to my home.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, of course,¡± said Feli. She turned and saw the last of the children crawl out from the broken doorway.


    ~~~


    ¡°Just a little farther!¡± Maeve called out.


    It had been some time since they had crossed one of the few bridges leading into the Trade District. The merchant area had already been run over by battle. Valley warriors had raided their shops and set fire to many of them. Maeve had guided them around the marauders and had led them into the Villa District and away from the war.


    Feli was beginning to recognize some of the streets. They were close to the Mora Manor now.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The children were all breathing hard and shivering uncontrollably now. The younger children were struggling to even walk. The long walk in the freezing rain and howling winds had taken its toll on their small bodies.


    ¡°There it is!¡± Rhian pointed excitedly to the manor in the distance.


    Two vampire guards stood at the gate, spears crossed, eyeing the area for anyone who might dare enter. One of them spotted their Lady leading the small group and hailed her.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, children,¡± Karen smiled.


    The kids looked up at the mansion looming behind the stone-chiseled walls. Their eyes widened to saucers and their mouths hung slack. It occurred to Karen that most of them had probably never been to the Villa District before.


    As if the thought of visiting such a home empowered them, the children gathered what remaining strength they had and made a run towards the gate.


    ¡°Open the gate!¡± Maeve ordered.


    The guards outside bowed and repeated her words to the guards standing on the other side of the wall. With a screech of iron, the steel gate swung open.


    ¡°Over there!¡± yelled a Valley scout from the corner of the street.


    A retinue of warriors answered his voice and poured into the street. They spotted the open gate and charged with a warcry.


    The children cried out in terror and ran towards the gate.


    ¡°They¡¯ve already reached this far into the city¡­?¡± Feli mumbled, shocked.


    ¡°Karen!¡± Sophi yelled worriedly.


    ¡°Everything is going to be alright, go with Witt, now!¡± Karen stood her ground and drew her bow. ¡°Witt, get all the kids inside!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡± The young man nodded and gazed at her with a look of worry before he grabbed two of the youngest children in his arms and ran to the gate. As he ran past Rhian, she snatched up his sword from his sheath.


    Rhian strode up beside Karen, sword at the ready, as the latter drew an arrow and fired into the charging warriors. The Mora guards filed in front of them and formed a small shield wall.


    Feli drew her dagger, tried to steady her cold trembling fingers, and whispered a prayer to the gods.


    Maeve glanced away from the battle and stared down the other end of the street. Her red lips slowly curled into a smirk. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    A looming shadow barreled into view. Blueberry sprinted through the street, a sleek shadow in the darkness, his muscles rippling underneath his black fur as he surged forward, his icy eyes fixed on the enemy.


    A roar broke loose from his wide-open maw and he leaped into the midst of the valley warriors. They screamed and stumbled back in alarm as the giant beast smacked one away with his heavy paw and clamped his jaws down on another.


    From atop the frost wolf¡¯s back, orange mana filled Stryg¡¯s arms and he thrust his hands out. Jets of flame erupted from his palms and engulfed the warriors. They cried out in agony as their flesh melted, the rain did nothing to spare them.


    Aurelia channeled Green and waved her arm in the air. Four stone walls erupted from the ground, enclosing the fleeing warriors in a box. With a snap of her fingers, two opposing walls slammed into each other, squashing the terrified warriors into a bloody paste.


    The children spotted Stryg and cheered at his appearance. Karen lowered her bow and laughed and cried in sheer relief.


    Maeve smiled and relaxed her shoulders. She swayed from side to side, her focus waning. She closed her eyes and let go of her spell. The astral projection faded into red motes of light in the rain.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Rhian yelled happily and waved at him.


    Feli stood stock-still and stared at him in disbelief.


    Stryg hopped off Blueberry and landed in a run. He rushed Feli and hugged her tightly.


    Feli breathed in his familiar scent mixed in with the smell of rain. She took a shuddering breath and mumbled shakily, ¡°It¡¯s really you. You came back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took so long,¡± he whispered.


    Tears burned in Feli¡¯s eyes and she buried her head in his shoulder and hugged him in return.


    Rhian bent down and wrapped her arms around both of them in a warm embrace. ¡°Good to have you back, boss.¡±


    ¡°Who are these people, Stryg?¡± Aurelia asked suspiciously.


    He looked up and saw his mother standing a few paces away, arms crossed, yellow eyes staring at him intently.


    Stryg hugged Feli and Rhian one last time, then slowly stepped back and faced Aurelia. ¡°The children over there are members of the Cinder Brood tribe, the second Sylvan tribe of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Aurelia looked over the children, noting several human and drow faces, and even the scarlet eyes of a vampire. After a long look at them, she nodded, satisfied. ¡°They seem weak, but there is strength in their eyes. Good. Now, where is their Sylvan Mother? Younglings should not be left alone, unguarded.¡±


    ¡°Um, that would be me,¡± Karen raised her hand hesitantly.


    ¡°You?¡± Aurelia asked skeptically.


    ¡°I am their¡ª First Mother, yes,¡± Karen said anxiously.


    Aurelia looked her over, noting the way she held her bow and the scars across her exposed arms. ¡°Hm, yes, I see. The younglings will be in good care.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you,¡± Karen smiled abashedly. She didn¡¯t know who this woman was, but the way she dealt with those valley warriors and how she carried herself left no doubt in Karen¡¯s mind she was someone of great repute.


    ¡°Where is your chieftain?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°He is¡­ Melfyn is fighting the enemy,¡± Karen muttered. She was unable to hide the look of worry in her eyes.


    Aurelia placed a hand on her shoulder, ¡°As it should be. A chieftain¡¯s job is to fight and defend his tribe. You did well protecting your younglings this long, First Mother. Trust your chieftain to do the same.¡±


    ¡°...Mm,¡± Karen nodded tentatively.


    Aurelia turned and glanced coldly at the two standing behind Stryg. ¡°Who is this centaur and strange-colored-hair woman?¡±


    Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°They are¡ª¡±


    The centaur stood at attention and spoke firmly. ¡°I am Rhiannon, daughter of the Ebon Hollow tribe.¡±


    ¡°What is your path, Rhiannon?¡± asked Aurelia.


    ¡°I follow the warrior path. I serve as the Spear of the Ebon Hollow tribe.¡±


    ¡°I see, you must be the one who shattered the stone golem at the temple.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! That was me!¡± Rhian smiled wide. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°We found the broken spearhead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, that¡ª I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, warrior. It is not your fault my son commissioned a poorly designed Sylvan spear. It was bound to break.¡±


    ¡°Wait, son?¡± Rhian blinked and her grey eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re Stryg¡¯s MOM!?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Aurelia inclined her head.


    Rhian bowed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Miss¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I am the First Mother of the Blood Fang tribe, but you may call me Aurelia, warrior.¡±


    ¡°Miss Aurelia, ma¡¯am, it is an honor to meet you,¡± Rhian smiled respectfully.


    She nodded in approval and glanced at Feli, ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°H-Hello, I¡¯m Feli,¡± she bowed and nervously pushed purple strands of wet hair away from her face.


    ¡°Feli.¡± Aurelia narrowed her yellow eyes.


    Stryg stepped forward. ¡°Mother, I¡ª¡±


    Aurelia raised her hand, ¡°Silence.¡±


    Stryg clamped his mouth shut, but he did not leave Feli¡¯s side.


    ¡°What path do you follow, Feli?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t follow a particular Sylvan path.¡±


    ¡°Unchosen, at your age? You¡¯d have been fed to the wild beasts of Vulture Woods long ago,¡± she said disapprovingly.


    ¡°She is a merchant, Mother,¡± Stryg tried to explain. ¡°She buys and sells goods, and she¡¯s quite good at it. She¡¯s turned our coin into a decent fortune.¡±


    ¡°So your mate barters for a living?¡± Aurelia glanced at Feli, ¡°Can you hunt?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Gather? Cook? Fight? Heal? Construct? Forge? Cast spells?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a chef, but I can cook. And I¡¯ve been in my fair share of bar fights.¡±


    Aurelia shook her head, ¡°We have a lot of work to do, child.¡± Then she walked past them into the manor.


    ¡°Am I in trouble¡­?¡± Feli whispered.


    ¡°That depends,¡± Stryg replied.


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°Your tolerance for pain.¡±


    Blueberry bent his head down and licked Feli¡¯s face, his lolling tongue licking half her body in one swipe. She jumped back in surprise and yelped.


    ¡°Who is this magnificent beast?¡± Rhian asked excitedly.


    ¡°His name is Blueberry,¡± said Stryg. ¡°He likes you, Feli.¡±


    She broke into a smile, ¡°Nice to meet you, Blueberry.¡±


    The giant frost wolf cocked his head to the side and barked a response.


    ¡°He says your head looks like a berry,¡± Stryg added.

 Chapter 506: Mora Manor

    Chapter 506: Mora Manor


    A pair of guards stood outside the Lady¡¯s room. When they spotted Stryg, they stood upright at attention and saluted.


    ¡°Aspirant Stryg!? You¡¯ve returned!¡± one of the guards said. He tried to keep his expression calm, but his cadence betrayed him.


    It seemed word of his magical exploits had spread. He¡¯d have to ask Maeve how far. ¡°Is she in there?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Aspirant,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Um, Aspirant. I must ask, who is she?¡± asked the other guard, pointing at Aurelia standing behind Stryg.


    Her yellow eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth in a silent hiss.


    ¡°She is none of your concern,¡± replied Stryg. ¡°Open the door.¡±


    The guards glanced at each other and then at the goblins hesitantly. ¡°Aspirant, we know our lady has made it very clear that you are welcome here at any time, but she also made it very clear not to be disturbed by anyone.¡±


    ¡°Unless it was an emergency,¡± the other guard added.


    ¡°This is an emergency, we are at war. Now open the door,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Um¡ª¡± the guard swallowed nervously.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± came a stern voice from inside the room. ¡°Our lady commands it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, ma¡¯am,¡± the guard answered and opened the door right away.


    Without waiting for the guards to step aside, Aurelia pushed past them and walked into the bedroom. She quickly glanced around, taking note of the five handmaidens and their empty hands, the small woman on the bed, the windows, and any other possible exits.


    ¡°Relax, no one will hurt us here,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Aurelia hummed skeptically.


    ¡°That will be all,¡± the head handmaiden said to the guards. They nodded and silently closed the door behind them. She glanced questioningly at Aurelia, then turned to Stryg and bowed deeply, ¡°Forgive me for not welcoming you at the gate, we did not wish to leave our lady¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How is she?¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡± Maeve mumbled faintly.


    He rushed to her bedside and held her hand. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked worriedly.


    Her skin was paler than usual, a pallid tone, covered in dabs of sweat. Maeve tried to smile, but there was little strength in her expression. ¡°Feli and Rhian were lost¡­ They needed a way back¡­¡±


    ¡°You used your magic,¡± Stryg muttered. It wasn¡¯t a question so much as a confirmation.


    ¡°I had no choice,¡± she smiled faintly.


    Aurelia walked over to the other side of the bed and snatched Maeve¡¯s wrist without a word. She checked her pulse, then placed her fingers over the vampire¡¯s forehead. ¡°She¡¯s overheating, severely. Whatever spell she cast was beyond her abilities.¡±


    ¡°I just held the astral projection spell a little too long.¡±


    ¡°An astral projection? Synchrony magic? Impressive,¡± Aurelia mused. ¡°When Stryg mentioned he had a friend who was the Lady of this House, I didn¡¯t expect to meet a True Red mage.¡±


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t expect to meet an infirm, either,¡± she laughed softly. She used her elbows to push herself up into a sitting position.


    ¡°My lady!¡± the head handmaiden exclaimed anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Could you give us the room, please?¡±


    ¡°My lady¡­ As you wish.¡± The older woman bowed and left the room with the rest of the handmaidens.


    Maeve waited until the door was closed before addressing the two guests. ¡°I saw, well, more like sensed, both of you from afar. Along with that enormous wolf,¡± she added almost as an afterthought. ¡°I didn¡¯t know goblins rode giant wolves.¡±


    ¡°We usually don¡¯t, well, at least not ones that large. A bit of an exception,¡± Stryg explained.


    ¡°I see¡ª¡± Maeve coughed.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± Aurelia ordered. She placed her hands over the vampiress¡¯ sternum. A soft white light flowed from her palms into Maeve¡¯s chest.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The vampiress gasped softly and took a deep breath. ¡°Thank you¡­ I saw your green magic outside, but I didn¡¯t know you were a white mage as well.¡±


    ¡°I am many things,¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°Um,¡± Maeve glanced at the woman and Stryg. ¡°Are you going to introduce me?¡± she whispered pointedly.


    ¡°Oh! Right, sorry. Maeve, this is the First Mother of the Blood Fang tribe. She also happens to be the only living Ebon Lord.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!?¡± Maeve¡¯s eyes widened. She inclined her head as much as she could while sitting in bed. ¡°My L-L-Lady, I had no idea, please forgive me for not bowing sooner.¡±


    ¡°Tch. I told you to stay still,¡± Aurelia admonished.


    ¡°Right! Sorry!¡± Maeve flinched.


    ¡°You really had to go ahead and tell her I was an Ebon Lady right from the get-go?¡± Aurelia glared at Stryg.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, what was I supposed to say? Hey, Maeve, this is my tribe¡¯s First Mother, who also happens to be my birth mother, a fact that she hid from me my entire life until I figured it out a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°I told you I had my reasons,¡± Aurelia growled.


    ¡°Which you still refuse to tell me,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re his mother!?¡± Maeve squeaked.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, I know,¡± he said.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Maeve glanced at the two goblins baring their small but sharp fangs. Their pale white hair seemed to almost glow in the lamplight and their button noses matched perfectly, as did their frustrated glares. ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Wha? How?¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You mean besides appearance, temperament, and prime magical talents?¡± Maeve asked dryly.


    Stryg opened his mouth, but he had no response.


    Aurelia sighed impatiently. ¡°Since my son has clearly failed in the most basic of introductions, I shall ask the obvious. Who exactly are you? I assume from the way he looks at you, you¡¯re not simply a ¡®friend¡¯ like the centaur or the priestess out there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m, uh¡­ Ahem,¡± Maeve straightened her back and patted down her bed hair. ¡°I am Lady Maeve of the House of Mora; Daughter of the late Lord Roland Mora and Lady Alice Veres. A pleasure to make your formal acquaintance, Ebon Lady¡ª um, actually, I don¡¯t think I caught your name?¡±


    Aurelia blinked and she slowly turned to her son. ¡°She is a Veres? Stryg, nobles marrying relatives isn¡¯t unheard of, especially for marriage alliances, but marrying too closely in the family can lead to problematic situations, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°House Mora and the Great House Veres aren¡¯t related,¡± Maeve said, uncertain why the Ebon Lady was even speaking of such things.


    ¡°Did you sleep with this woman?¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not inbred,¡± Maeve frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Mother,¡± Stryg raised his hands. ¡°Well, technically, yes, it is, but not really.¡±


    Aurelia crossed her arms. ¡°Explain. Now.¡±


    Stryg sighed and slumped his shoulders. ¡°After the Blue Rose disappeared, the other Veres members of the main family vied for the throne. War ensued between them and they dragged the branch families into it as well. In the end, none survived¡­¡±


    ¡°No one?¡± Aurelia mumbled in shock. ¡°The Great House of Veres is dead?¡±


    ¡°Well, there was one survivor. The Blue Rose¡¯s younger brother who had renounced all claims to the Veres throne.¡±


    ¡°I see. So Gian survived,¡± Aurelia said softly with a smile.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked, startled.


    ¡°Gian Gale. He was her younger brother. My grandmother used to tell stories about him, so much so that my mother named Jahn after him. I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t die needlessly in a bid for power.¡±


    ¡°Gian Gale is the Blue Rose¡¯s brother¡­?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Is? He¡¯s alive?!¡± Aurelia asked excitedly.


    ¡°He is,¡± Maeve spoke up. ¡°After the rest of the Veres perished, Lord Gian was the one who searched the family records for any trace of Veres left. He found a distant branch family whose founder had left the family over 200 years earlier. Her descendants were living as a small merchant family in the Northern Lands. Lord Gian convinced them to return and assume the Veres throne. As the story goes, it didn¡¯t take much convincing,¡± Maeve smiled wryly.


    Stryg nodded, ¡°So, yes, she¡¯s a Veres¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªOn my mother¡¯s side. If that makes any difference?¡± Maeve added hastily.


    ¡°But our closest shared ancestor was born 600 years ago. The only thing we really share is our name,¡± Stryg finished.


    ¡°Wait, ancestor?¡± Maeve cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°I see, then I worried for nothing,¡± Aurelia nodded.


    Maeve shook her head. ¡°Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about? Ancestor? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°You asked for my name. It¡¯s Aurelia.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia? Huh, that was my aunt¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a common name among our House. I believe it was Lady Veres III who first bore it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand,¡± Maeve furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I am Aurelia Veres, granddaughter of the Blue Rose, Stryga Veres.¡±


    Somehow Maeve¡¯s pallid skin grew paler at her words. She pointed a shaky finger at her, ¡°Y-You¡¯re Aurelia V-Veres? But that would make you¡ª¡± she glanced at Stryg.


    He shrugged and the edge of his flower cloak shifted to the side, revealing Krikolm¡¯s scarlet blade hanging at his hip.


    Maeve stiffened. ¡°Bloody Bellum, that¡¯s Krikolm, isn¡¯t it? I saw you wielding it earlier, but I didn¡¯t think it was actually¡­¡±


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly, ¡°We have a lot to talk about. But it¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± she guessed.


    ¡°I only came to make sure you were alright. I¡¯ve already stayed too long. The battle is still raging outside.¡± Stryg stood up and placed his hand over Krikolm¡¯s white grip. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll make sure the enemy is thoroughly cleared out from the surrounding streets.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to move quick and regroup with the War and Shaman Elects,¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Stryg nodded and the two headed for the door. He glanced at Maeve one last time and smiled, a trace of warmth in his lilac eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Be safe,¡± Maeve smiled.


    ¡°Yes, farewell, cousin, try not to die,¡± Aurelia said off-handedly and walked out.


    Her smile stiffened, ¡°Ah¡­ right¡­ farewell¡­¡±

 Chapter 507: Desperate Hope

    Chapter 507: Desperate Hope


    Amidst the dark storm clouds raging above Hollow Shade branches of jade lightning burst forth and converged on Kaleidrog. The dragon lord roared as the lightning crackled through his scales and erupted in an explosion of magic.


    A small figure broke through the clouds and flew past the explosion. Ananta, Queen of the Titans, and Goddess of the Deep Earth, kept flying until she had made a considerable distance from the dragon.


    Her breath was heavy and her skin was slick with sweat. Her right arm was missing from above the elbow, leaving only a mangled stump behind, courtesy of Kaleidrog¡¯s fangs. His chromatic magic was burrowing into her flesh, hindering her body¡¯s regeneration. It felt like poison burning through her veins.


    Kaleidrog had grown stronger. Far stronger than he had been 6,000 years ago. She hadn¡¯t expected this, even for a dragon lord. His power was beginning to reach the heights of Vismarya the Dragon King.


    The thought of what Kaleidrog and the other dragon lords had done to her late husband curled her blood and made her body burn with an inner fire. The oily sensation of void mana surged out from her heart and filled her body. Her skin faded into a pale grey and her muscles began to undulate beneath the skin. The sheen of her pale jade almost-white hair dimmed and grew dark. The corroding flesh on her stump burned away and a new arm grew back in mere moments.


    Newfound void power flowed through her veins. Ananta swayed in the air from side to side. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw.


    Not like this. Calm down. Calm down. Calm¡­


    She couldn¡¯t let her emotions get the best of her now, not when she was exhausted and injured. If she did, even for a moment, her void nature could take over. She would lose control and the blood of her sire, Unildyr, would consume her consciousness.


    A memory of the first day she awoke a thousand years ago flickered in her dimming mind. The horror in the newborn Lin Lu¡¯s eyes when she gazed upon her Void nature in its truest form.


    Ananta couldn¡¯t lose control, not like that. Not when they were this close to achieving their plans.


    She needed control.


    For Lin Lu. For the titans of old. For the World Soul.


    She repeated her mantra over and over in her mind. Her heartbeat slowed down, the muscles ceased to shake, the glowing sheen of her pale hair returned, and her grey skin regained its warm brown color.


    A silver wave of mist curling around the city¡¯s wall caught her eye. Ananta looked at the world below with a wry grin.


    ¡°My oh my, Lunae, you surprise me¡­ You really made a move, despite knowing what would happen.¡± She glanced down at the purple flashes of fox fire burning bright in the dark streets. Lin Lu was fighting against the moon goddess and slowly overwhelming her.


    Had Lunae waited until the full moon or even only a sliver of the moon, then perhaps things would have been different. But this was precisely why Ananta had chosen this moonless night to invade. She would tolerate the interference of others no longer.


    A flicker of red magic drew Ananta¡¯s notice. A bright beacon of magic in the swirling darkness of the battlefield. True Chromatic Red magic.


    Ananta¡¯s lips curled into a wide smile.


    I found you¡­ Maeve Mora.


    She opened her mind and called out to her dragonbanes.


    Bring the True Red mageborn to me and destroy the Ebon Tower.


    Oshnyr, the greatest of the dragonbane, heard her call, but he was engaged against half a dozen dragons alone. He would need some time before he finished them off.


    Ananta repeated her commands once more. And this time, three other dragonbanes answered her call. They had already killed and consumed a dragon or two each and their bloodthirst had been satiated, for now.


    With a quick mental command, Ananta ordered Xyloth to go after the girl, he alone would be enough. The Ebon Tower was more important and she sent Lyrak and Krylkos to destroy it.


    The three dragonbanes roared in acquiescence and flew out from the storm clouds and straight towards their destinations.


    A fourth roar, deeper and filled with rage, echoed above the clouds. The azure dragon lord emerged from the smoke and lightning. Blood seeped from several burned scales, but his eyes were bright with power.


    Ananta took a tired breath and faced the massive dragon swooping down at her. ¡°Kaleidrog, old friend¡­ Die already!¡±


    Emerald lightning erupted from the clouds and clashed against chromatic dragon fire.


    ~~~


    Lady Calantha, leader of House Ashe and High Priestess of Hollow Shade, watched the city guards stand by the gates of the Central District and usher the fleeing citizens of her city inside the small, but mostly empty area.


    Where other districts held numerous homes, shops, academies, or other buildings, the Central District had few buildings. It was the smallest of the districts, nestled right at the very center of the city, and it was more of a large plaza than anything. Besides the Ebon Tower, there were only a few structures; the city council chambers, the high temple of the Ebon Pantheon, and a couple of government buildings. The cobblestone streets were usually kept empty for city officials, priests, and petitioners; except on festivals, where the district was open to all.


    On Lady Calantha¡¯s command, tonight the gates were open to every citizen, though it was not for any merry festival. People, wounded and bleeding, stumbled and staggered into the district. Their homes had been destroyed by trebuchet fire, barbarian attacks, or something entirely worse. Beasts of an unnatural nature Calantha did not understand.


    She stood below the Ebon Tower and watched her people pour into the plaza weak, exhausted, and scared. Contrary to its name, the Ebon Tower wasn¡¯t truly a tower, but an obelisk, two obelisks, in fact. The two ebon-black spires sat atop a large round podium of marble, opposing one another, side-by-side, reaching towards the sky for all to see. Strange markings were etched into the smooth black stone that not even she could read. Similar markings decorated the marble floor underneath, each sigil inlaid with gold.


    Calantha stood alone at the top of the marble steps leading up to the Tower. A spire on both sides of her, a burning city looming behind her, and the broken people of the plaza standing in front of her. It was from this vantage point that she would ordinarily give a rousing speech of hope, loyalty, and faith on the Festival of the Gods. Yet now she found herself grateful for the dim lights of the magestone light posts decorating the plaza. None could see her troubled expression in the darkness.


    Her personal House Guards stood at the base of steps of the marble platform, pushing anyone who dared draw too close. Even during festivals ordinary citizens weren¡¯t allowed near the Ebon Tower. That didn¡¯t stop them from trying, their hands reaching out towards their High Priestess hoping she had the answers to their plight.


    Where was Bellum?


    Calantha had prayed to her goddess without sleep for the last several days, but there had been no answer. Perhaps it was because her cousin, the daughter of the War Goddess herself, had failed to return from Undergrowth. Perhaps Bellum was angry with them and this was her way of punishment.


    Calantha looked up at the night sky covered in dark storm clouds, and the dragons and monsters fighting above.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Perhaps the gods had abandoned them.


    ~~~


    Unalla Noir walked with determination into the Central District. Though most drows were tall, she was not, even among human and vampire women she was small. She slipped past the taller folks and where groups of men and women were tightly packed she channeled Brown, and pushed them apart with her empowered strength.


    The rainfall wasn¡¯t as strong here at the center of the city, the eye of the storm. Yet the sound of the thunder cracking above them was as clear here as anywhere else.


    As Unalla moved, she tried her best to ignore the dust and ash-smeared faces, the cries of the injured and mourning, and the smell of sweat and blood thick in the air. She kept her head down and focused on each step.


    Unalla pushed aside a particularly burly orc who refused to move, then she abruptly staggered forward. There was no one else in front of her. She had broken through the crowd of refugees. Looking up, she saw the Ebon Tower looming above her.


    Her limbs ached and her muscles burned, but she smiled, a small almost imperceptible curl of her lips. She had made it.


    Dragging one foot in front of another, she walked to the marble steps leading up to the black spires.


    A group of guards in silver and white armor blocked her path with a line of shields and swords.


    ¡°Get back!¡± shouted one of the guards. ¡°All of you, get back!¡±


    All of you¡­?


    Unalla turned around and noticed the throng of refugees surging forward, trying to get up the marble steps.


    ¡°I said get back!¡± the guard brandished his sword in a wide arc.


    Unalla stumbled back, barely evading the attack. Her reflexes were slow, her body felt sluggish. What little mana was left in her burned like a candle in the dark, flickering every second, and easily snuffed out by a strong wind.


    Her mind was drifting¡­


    No.


    She shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I need to get up those stairs.¡±


    ¡°You need to back off,¡± a guard growled.


    ¡°Stay your blade, soldier,¡± called out a vampiress from atop the steps.


    She was dressed in long white robes with silver lining, contrasting her dark skin, and bright scarlet eyes. Her gaze froze the guards in place and her commanding presence seemed to swallow the storm and darkness all around them, leaving her almost like a guardian statue watching over them all.


    ¡°My lady!¡± the guards inclined their heads all at once.


    ¡°And which lady are you?¡± Unalla asked warily.


    ¡°I am Calantha Ashe, High Priestess of Hollow Shade. More importantly, that sword¡­ is it¡­?¡± Her eyes lingered on Votum hanging on Unalla¡¯s back. ¡°Who are you, girl?¡±


    ¡°Nalla¡ª No, I am Unalla of the House of Noir. I need to get to the Ebon Tower.¡±


    ¡°I am friends with House Noir and there is no one by that name.¡± Calantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who are you and what are you planning to do with that sword?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain¡­ You wouldn¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. Whoever you really are, I cannot let you destroy the tower with that blade.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to destroy the tower! I¡¯m trying to save this city!¡±


    Calantha stared at her, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. ¡°...Guards, arrest that woman and seize her sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Unalla drew Votum and the orichalcum blade hummed in her hands.


    ¡°You can actually wield it¡­?!¡± Calantha whispered. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I told you already. I only want to help. Please, let me pass.¡±


    Calantha bit her lip. ¡° I¡ª¡±


    A deep guttural roar sundered the shouts and pleas of the crowd. The dragonbanes Lyrak and Krylkos swooped down and crashed into the plaza. Their spiked tails whipped through the crowd, crushing bodies and sending them flying. The people screamed in terror and tried to run, but there was nowhere to flee.


    ¡°They¡¯re here¡­!¡± Unalla gasped.


    ¡°Guards, defend the people!¡± Calantha shouted.


    The captain of the guard blared his war horn, signaling all the Ashe soldiers in the district to battle. They drew their blades and rushed the dragonbanes from every side of the plaza, but the fleeing crowds pushed them back, trampling over several of the guards in sheer terror.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop those monsters!¡± Unalla yelled.


    ¡°And you can!?¡± Calantha snapped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she admitted. ¡°But there is still hope, one last hope. Please, let me try.¡±


    Calantha stared at the young woman and then at Votum, her expression indeterminable. The deafening roar of the Krylkos drew back her attention. Calantha gripped her staff tightly, ¡°Let her through, Captain. And you three, protect her at whatever costs. The rest of you, with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± The guards nodded and rushed to Calantha¡¯s side as she rushed down the stairs, into the crowd, and straight at Krylkos.


    The guard captain and two of his men hurried over to Unalla¡¯s side and nodded in grim understanding. ¡°For our Lady¡¯s sake, we will protect you to the end.¡±


    Unalla nodded gratefully and ran up the marble steps. Her legs were lead and fire burned in the soles of her feet with each step, but she pushed one step at a time until she reached the top.


    She made her way to the very center of the platform, right in between both obelisks. Unalla closed her eyes and tried her best to ignore the blood curdling screams of the dying all around her.


    It had only been a few days since she had sat here with Holo, though it seemed so long ago now. Holo had held her orichalcum scythe, Lyrae, in her hands. The edge of the scythe had burned with a ghostly flame. A beacon, Holo had called it. A beacon in the darkness for another to find their way here.


    Holo had waited days for the one she called Nell. A last hope, she said.


    ¡°One last hope,¡± Unalla muttered. ¡°Please, if you¡¯re out there, Nell¡­ please, we need you.¡±


    Unalla took a deep heavy breath and raised Votum high above her head. She channeled her mana into the sword the way Holo had taught her and the sharp edge of the black blade ignited with white flames.


    Pain tore through her flesh like serrated nails being hammered into her muscles and bone. Unalla cried out in shock and agony.


    How had Holo managed this for hours on end?


    The pain spread from Votum¡¯s handle, burning through her veins and sinking into her chest. It splintered into thousands of sharp needles, small piercing points of fire burning through her entire body.


    Tears slipped down her grey cheeks and she fell to one knee. Still, she held the blade aloft.


    Lyrak spotted the drow girl and her strange sword, so similar to his master¡¯s own weapon. The dragonbane barreled through the crowd at her, crushing countless beneath his paws. The captain of the guard and his two soldiers stood at the base of the steps and met the beast with a warcry.


    Blood flowed freely from Unalla¡¯s trembling fingertips now. The veins around her arms had darkened to a sickly black. Her eyes burned and it felt as if her heart was about to burst.


    Unalla thought of her mother and her uncle, Elzri. She remembered the moment Elzri had made up his mind, the sheer certainty in his eyes as he made the ultimate sacrifice. Not for himself, but for her.


    Unalla wouldn¡¯t let his sacrifice be in vain.


    She clenched her teeth and screamed in defiance. The ghostly flames of her blade flickered in and out as the last of her strength gave way. She collapsed. Her hands clenched around Votum in a deathly grip. The fire flickered one last time and died out, leaving behind only a wisp of smoke.


    The smoke curled above the sword in a loose trail. A mote of blue light sparked to life at its tip and sliced down the wisp in a straight line. The light split apart and tore the space wide open, revealing a whirling mass of darkness and turbulent energies inside.


    A warrior clad in armor stepped out from the scar as it closed behind her. She wore no helmet, but a simple golden circlet with a single emerald at its center. Long chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her skin was pale with faint freckles and her lips were thin. A shield rested atop her back and a longsword hung from her hip, both glistening with the glassy black sheen of orichalcum.


    The warrior stared at the bloody scene unfolding across the plaza with a troubled expression. ¡°Holo, what have you gotten yourself into?¡± she muttered.


    Unalla looked up blearily and whispered, ¡°Nell¡­?¡±


    The woman glanced down and cocked her head to the side. ¡°Did Holo send you?¡±


    Unalla nodded weakly. ¡°Are you Nell?¡±


    ¡°Is Holo still calling me that?¡± She sighed and shook her head, ¡°Holo and her stupid games. It¡¯s Mel.¡±


    ¡°Mel?¡±


    Lyrak roared hungrily from the bottom of the steps. The guard captain and his men were little more than smears of blood and viscera now. The dragonbane stared at the two women and charged them, his claws tearing at the steps.


    ¡°Well, actually¡ª it¡¯s Melantha.¡± She calmly raised her outstretched hand as Lyrak leaped at her.


    The world quieted and the air took on a distinct metallic scent. With a blinding flash of light, a shower of lightning rained down from the sky and struck Lyrak, sending him flying backward like a skipping stone. The sky roared with thunder as lightning hurled down in an endless pillar of blue light as if tens of thousands of spears fell upon a single point.


    Lyrak roared and tried to stand, but the shower of lightning slammed him into the ground. The onslaught of lightning tore through his magical resistance, and scorched through flesh and bone, until all that was left was a crater of hot-red melted rock and charred shattered bones.


    Unalla stared in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth agape. She could practically taste the chromatic mana filling the air. To possess let alone control such sheer amounts of chromatic energies all at once¡­ It made her uncle and mother¡¯s magic seem trifling in comparison.


    ¡°Melantha¡­?¡± Unalla whispered. A shiver ran up her spine as recognition dawned on her. ¡°You¡¯re Melantha the Blue?!¡±


    She turned to Unalla, her lilac eyes bright with power, and smiled confidently. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

 Chapter 508: Blue

    Chapter 508: Blue


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Central District¡­


    ¡°Melantha¡­?¡± Unalla whispered. A shiver ran up her spine as recognition dawned on her. ¡°You¡¯re Melantha the Blue?!¡±


    She turned to Unalla, her lilac eyes bright with power, and smiled confidently. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Unalla stared in disbelief at the woman clad in silver armor. The greatest blue mage to have ever lived, the Paramount Knight of the Jade Realm. Unalla assumed she had passed away centuries ago, but here she was, standing in front of her, a living legend stepping out from the myths and stories.


    The dragonbane Krylkos looked up from his bloody carnage and saw the charred remains of his sibling buried in the red-hot melted stone of Melantha¡¯s storm magic. He roared angrily and charged her.


    ¡°Lack of emotional control, hm¡­¡± Melantha noted quietly. She grabbed the orichalcum shield hanging from her back and walked down the marble steps of the Ebon Tower¡¯s round podium.


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t fight that thing head-on!¡± Unalla shouted weakly. She tried to get up and hold the blue mage back, but her legs were limp, and refused to answer.


    Melantha ignored her warnings and kept walking. In two breaths, the dragonbane was upon her, a colossal beast the size of a house. Krylkos swung his claws down on her, swatting her like a fly. Melantha held up her ebon-black shield and stopped the strike in its tracks. Krylkos¡¯ arm flinched back as if he had struck an impenetrable wall.


    He growled, outraged, and swung his arms down at her in a storm of claws, tearing up the cobblestone and the ground underneath. And yet, there Melantha stood, without budging a step. Unmoved. Untouched.


    ¡°Massive strength, coupled with unbridled rage and an aura that seems to drain my chromatic mana¡­¡± she muttered and stared at the giant creature quizzically.


    Krylkos growled a deep guttural noise and pulled back his lips in a snarl.


    ¡°You understand me? So, intelligent then.¡±


    Krylkos stood to his full towering height, raised his arms, clasped his fingers together, and slammed his fists down. Melantha jumped forward in a flash and bashed his chest with her shield. His sternum caved in with a loud crack and he flew back to the edge of the plaza.


    Black ichor leaked from the scraped skin across the dragonbane¡¯s cracked sternum. He looked down at his own wound in confusion; the pale translucent flesh was refusing to heal.


    ¡°More durable than I thought,¡± Melantha nodded to herself.


    Unalla stared at Melantha and furrowed her brow. That strength¡­ These weren¡¯t any of Blue¡¯s spell-forms, not storm, nor torrent, or even clarity. Such raw strength. From a human?


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how fast you are.¡± Melantha jogged towards Krylkos, slowly speeding up until she finally broke into a run.


    His tail swayed from side to side, in an almost hypnotic pattern. The black barb at its tip glistened with venom. The tail pulled back and striked in a flash. Melantha disappeared and the barb struck only cobblestone. Krylkos swerved around and spotted her behind him, then she was at his right, atop his shoulder, behind his hind leg, she Flickered around him like Holo, dodging his every strike.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Unalla mumbled. This wasn¡¯t True Orange magic. There was no Flicker spell. This was sheer blinding speed.


    The dragonbanes were monsters out of nightmares. Immune to magic, invulnerable to mundane weapons, larger than any beast they had ever encountered, with the strength to easily crush steel. Even with the power of Votum and the aid of Loh, Unalla had barely been able to keep up with one for a brief clash.


    Yet there was Melantha, dodging every single one of his strikes as if toying with the monster.


    Melantha suddenly jumped back and made a sizable distance from Krylkos. She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. ¡°I think that should suffice. I¡¯ve learned your kind¡¯s movements well enough.¡±


    Krylkos growled at her, but he didn¡¯t immediately charge her as usual. He unfurled his wings and took to the sky. His chest swelled and he opened his maw wide, black and white flames building up at the back of his throat.


    The refugees across the plaza began to collapse. Unalla grimaced and gasped. She felt as if her chest was being crushed by an anvil. What little remained of her mana was being sapped away.


    Melantha glanced around at the people fainting all around her, ¡°Well, that¡¯s unexpected.¡± She raised her hand and stretched her fingers towards the sky.


    Blazing crackling bolts of blue arced out from the clouds and struck Krylkos in the back. He shrieked and tumbled from the sky and crashed into the plaza. Stumbling to his feet, he swerved his neck towards Melantha and breathed out fire in a torrent of white and black.


    Melantha drew her blade and dashed forward. In a blast of lightning and steel, she burst through the flames and cleaved his head in two. Krylkos lurched forward and fell with a heavy thud, dead.


    Unalla stared at the gruesome sight with her mouth agape. Melantha was a legendary knight, said to be blessed with magical talents seen only once in a thousand years, the likes of ¡®The Great Artificer¡¯ Parathyan himself, but this¡­ This was more than just chromatic magic and life force energies.


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Unalla whispered.


    At her words, Melantha glanced back at her, despite being across the plaza. Melantha¡¯s figure blurred and she appeared back at the Ebon Tower in a burst of speed. Unalla flinched but tried her best to stay calm.


    ¡°The creature was young. From the message Holo sent me, I can only imagine they grow stronger with age.¡± Melantha stared at the countless dead left in the dragonbanes¡¯ wake. ¡°We need to move quickly. Can you stand?¡± she offered her hand.


    Unalla shook her head hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to apologize, child. What is your name?¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°U-Unalla. Unalla of the Great House of Noir.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to meet you, Unalla of the Great House of Noir.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s my honor to meet you!¡± She blushed nervously and bowed.


    Melantha smiled, ¡°You look like her, you know.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Like whom?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lady Ashe abruptly called out. She staggered up the marble stairs and stopped at a respectable distance. ¡°I mean no offense, but who are you, stranger?¡±


    ¡°I might ask the same, vampire,¡± said Melantha calmly.


    Lady Ashe bowed, ¡°I am the High Priestess of Hollow Shade, Calantha of the Great House of Ashe. This tower and plaza are under my protection. I am grateful for your help, truly. Are you a divine servant sent by the gods?¡±


    ¡°Hah?!¡± Melantha laughed, a silvery light sound that somehow calmed Unalla¡¯s nerves. ¡°No. No, High Priestess, I am not. But I can see traces of Bellum¡¯s magic within you. You are her chosen, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You can see it?¡± Calantha took a step back in surprise. ¡°Are you a True Blue?¡±


    Melantha narrowed her lilac eyes and smirked. ¡°I have no interest in conversing with Bellum¡¯s pet.¡±


    Calantha glanced at the orichalcum sword and shield, then slowly inclined her head in understanding, ¡°As you wish¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Melantha sheathed her sword and glanced at Unalla, ¡°Can you lead me to Holo?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, um, I don¡¯t know where she is¡­¡±


    ¡°What about little Atlas? Is he here?¡±


    Unalla wrinkled her brow. ¡°You mean my father? Y-Yeah, he¡¯s at the Northern Gate, but I wouldn¡¯t call him little.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine not anymore,¡± she smiled wryly. ¡°He was hardly older than a newborn last I saw him. Can you lead me to him?¡±


    ¡°I think so, agh¡ª!¡±


    Melantha scooped Unalla into her arms and threw her over her back. ¡°Well then, lead the way.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Commoner District¡­Medical Encampment¡­


    It took every drop of focus Freya had left to put one foot in front of another and not topple over to the side. The rain had robbed her of what little warmth she had, though she was grateful it washed the blood of her enemies off her. Or at least, she should have been. She used to care about such things, she thought. Right now, none of it seemed all too important.


    The Goldelm soldiers she passed by stared at her with quiet reverence as if she were some saint or lady too delicate to touch. Gods, all she wanted was to drop to the ground, curl into a ball, and sleep. But that wasn¡¯t smart, right? One would get sick staying out in the rain. Such things mattered, or at least, that was what some faint part of her mind whispered.


    She walked through the crowd of soldiers and tried her best to not trip on any of the corpses covering the street. A few voices called out to her, but she ignored them and made her way to the nearest white tent. Pushing the tent flap aside, she stumbled inside and found herself face to face with several patients lying in cots, a couple of healers, and a white mage.


    ¡°Sweet Stjerne, are you alright?!¡± one of the healers ran up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.


    Freya looked up with drooping eyes and nodded faintly. ¡°...I¡¯m fine. My brother, where is he?¡±


    ¡°Your brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a Goldelm.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± the healer pulled his hand away and hastily bowed, ¡°Forgive me, young mistress. Master Aric is resting in another tent.¡±


    ¡°Which tent?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ª¡± he glanced at the other healer and the white mage. ¡°We¡¯re not certain. There have been so many wounded. I lost track of anyone who isn¡¯t one of my patients¡­¡±


    Freya sighed and closed her eyes. She could feel herself begin to teeter from side to side. She leaned on Oginum for support and tried her best to not fall.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡ª How do I find my brother?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is, but I can lead you to someone who does.¡± The healer bowed, ¡°This way.¡±


    Without a word, Freya followed him back outside and to the largest of the tents. Dozens of men and women were running back and forth, carrying bandages, ointments, and medical instruments.


    A single orc woman was leading them, shouting out orders at breathtaking speeds, while operating on a patient. White magic flowed through her red fingers and into the recesses of a soldier¡¯s torn abdomen.


    ¡°Ahem, my lady!¡± the healer said anxiously.


    The orc mage looked up, ¡°What is it!?¡±


    ¡°Um, this is a Goldelm scion, she is looking for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is she dying?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    ¡°Then send her to someone else, I¡¯m too busy for this.¡±


    The healer raised his hand, ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry, Lady Skeller,¡± he bowed.


    ¡°Skeller?¡± Freya muttered. They were a minor House, known for their white magic, particularly their healing spells. She knew that and yet somehow it seemed like new information popping into her mind. Gods, she needed sleep.


    Blinking away the exhaustion she glanced at the man who led her here, ¡°Is there anyone else I can speak to?¡±


    ¡°Freya? Is that you?¡± asked a familiar voice.


    She turned around and saw a young woman with round glasses. ¡°Poppy¡­ Skeller?¡±


    ¡°I thought that was you!¡± the orc smiled. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine. Why do people keep asking me that?¡± Freya muttered.


    ¡°Um, because it looks like you¡¯re bleeding from your side,¡± Poppy pointed at the gash below Freya¡¯s ribs.


    She blinked. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Come over here.¡± Poppy grabbed her hand and led her to a nearby empty cot and sat her down. ¡°Lift up your shirt and lie down.¡±


    Freya slowly complied, her mind beginning to wander in and out of consciousness.


    ¡°This is going to hurt a bit.¡± Poppy uncorked a small bottle of amber liquid and poured it over her open wound.


    ¡°AAGH!!¡± Freya screamed.


    ¡°Stay still, please.¡±


    The pain dragged her out of the sleeping world and back to reality. Freya looked around, taking in the whole situation. ¡°The battle¡­! What happened to the barbarians!?¡±


    ¡°We won. It seems you and the rest of the soldiers killed the valley warriors who came to kill us, so, that¡¯s a win, right?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Poppy bit her lower lip. ¡°We¡¯ve lost a lot of people. The soldiers are still outside, catching their breaths. At least, the wounded are.¡±


    ¡°And the uninjured?¡±


    ¡°There are none. Just wounded and dead.¡±


    Freya closed her eyes. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Was Sylvie with you?¡±


    ¡°Sylvie? N-No. I haven¡¯t seen her since she left after the tourney at Undergrowth.¡±


    ¡°So she isn¡¯t here? That¡¯s good,¡± Poppy sighed in relief.


    ¡°You two were close friends, right?¡±


    ¡°I thought so, but I fucked it up,¡± Poppy said weakly.


    ¡°...Friends are complicated, I¡¯m sure when you see her things will be alright.¡± What was she doing? Comforting this girl? It wasn¡¯t like her to care about such things, right? It¡¯s not like they were friends, right?


    The more Freya thought about it, the more quickly she realized this soft-faced, wide-rimmed-glasses-wearing girl was her friend.


    When did I get so soft?


    Her mind wandered to Kegrog¡¯s stupid goofy smile.


    ¡°Have you seen Kegrog? Or Nora?¡± Freya found herself asking aloud.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°No, neither of them have come through the encampment.¡±


    ¡°And my brother?¡±


    ¡°Lord Aric? He¡¯s recovering in one of the other tents. I can bring you to him, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±

 Chapter 509: Oginum

    Chapter 509: Oginum


    Poppy led Freya through the rain at a brisk pace. Dozens of stretchers carrying wounded soldiers passed by them and entered the white tents all around, whether they ever come out alive was beginning to seem more and more certain. There were plenty of doctors in Hollow Shade, but there were far fewer white mage healers. A mage could only push themselves so far before their mana reserves ran empty or their bodies collapsed due to overexertion.


    Freya wondered to herself how far mundane medicine could save these people, her people. These were the soldiers who had just fought by her side. Who had died protecting this place.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said Poppy.


    Freya turned to her voice and saw the orc girl standing in front of a lone tent. A sigil of a golden hammer striking an anvil was etched above the tent¡¯s opening. The heraldic symbol of House Goldelm. Oginum.


    She glanced at Oginum hanging loosely in her grip. The hammer was no longer glowing with a dazzling light. It had returned to its ordinary golden sheen, save for the mud covering the bottom half. Freya realized she had been dragging the legendary hammer in the mud.


    Shit, she sighed tiredly.


    Poppy pulled the tent flap open and gestured her inside, ¡°This way.¡±


    Freya wiped Oginum off with the hem of her shirt the best she could, and hid the hammer behind her back before she walked into the tent. A pair of dwarf guards, clad in golden armor, stood at her brother¡¯s bedside. Aric was sitting up in bed while his personal healer was casting a White healing spell over his back.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Freya gasped. Her voice choked up at the sight of him. ¡°You¡¯re alright!¡±


    ¡°Somehow,¡± Aric replied. His skin was pallid and his golden beard was frayed, its usual grooming nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°If you need anything just let me know,¡± Poppy bowed and left.


    Freya stepped forward hesitantly, scared that she somehow might hinder her brother¡¯s healer with the faintest movement. ¡°Can you move? Our scouts told us your back was injured badly.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Aric admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t see the boulder until it was too late. It crashed into one of the tents and a shard of rocks splintered and hit me from behind. Lady Celica Skeller said I was lucky, a centimeter deeper and I¡¯d be dead.¡± He clenched his fists, ¡°I can¡¯t feel my legs, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d consider myself lucky¡­¡±


    Her face paled at the implication. ¡°B-But you¡¯re alive! We¡¯ll find a way to heal your legs. We¡¯ll hire the best healer gold can buy. You¡¯ll be alright, I promise!¡±


    ¡°Freya¡­¡± Aric stared at her with a tired gaze. ¡°We¡¯re both white mages, so you know as well as I how difficult it can be to heal spinal nerve damage. I appreciate the sentiment, but there is no need to comfort me.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°If there is a way to heal my injuries I¡¯ll find it, but if there isn¡¯t¡­ Well, I¡¯m prepared for that outcome.¡±


    ¡°Aric¡­¡±


    He sniffed and tried his best to smile bright. ¡°I¡¯m alive, that¡¯s what matters, and it¡¯s thanks to all of you. My guard was just briefing me on the battle outside. Father led our warriors to victory and crushed those damn savages. They say there was a bright golden light on the battlefield. It had to have been Oginum, right!? I wish I could have been there with you and seen Father fight.¡± His smile broke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have been there for you and Cedric.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡± Freya bit her bottom lip. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Aric, dad, he¡ª Our father, he¡­ he¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Aric laughed a small crack in his voice. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Freya looked away, her golden eyes filled with shame.


    Aric frowned and turned to his servants. ¡°Leave us,¡± he said in a tone that bade no questioning. The guards and the healer bowed deeply and left without a word.


    ¡°Now, what is this about? We won the battle outside. The corpses of those filthy barbarians cover the street. There¡¯s no way one of those savages could have cut down Zorn Goldelm, especially with the power of Oginum at his side.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t¡­ It was a boulder¡­ at the wall. It crushed him before anyone could react,¡± Freya mumbled and revealed Oginum from behind her back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he shook his head from side to side slowly. ¡°No. It cannot be.¡±


    The tent flap flung open and Cedric strode inside, ¡°Aric! Freya? You¡¯re here. Thank the gods, you¡¯re both alright.¡±


    ¡°Cedric, is it true? Is Father¡­ Is Father gone?¡±


    Cedric bowed his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aric. I couldn¡¯t save him.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­¡± Aric mumbled. He closed his eyes. Tears flowed down his cheeks and he took a shaky breath. ¡°Did he have any final words?¡±


    Cedric glanced at Freya questioningly as if waiting for her to speak first. Freya cleared her throat and raised the golden war hammer, ¡°Father wanted you to have Oginum.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Aric nodded bitterly. ¡°I will carry it with the pride of our House, until the day I die, I shall protect our family.¡±


    Freya stepped forward.


    ¡°Wait, Freya, don¡¯t do it!¡± Cedric shouted and stepped in her way.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She halted, mid-stride, confused.


    Aric furrowed his brow, ¡°Brother, what are you doing?¡±


    Cedric turned to him, ¡°With Father¡¯s last breath he entrusted me to bring Oginum to you. And I was going to. You are Father¡¯s chosen heir. You were raised to lead our House. But then we received a scout¡¯s report that a large force of valley warriors, twice the size of our own, were moving on the medical encampment. The report also said that you had been injured and couldn¡¯t be moved.¡±


    ¡°Twice the size¡­? That isn¡¯t what my guards witnessed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget what your guards said. Tell me, brother. In my situation, what would you have done? Our forces were small, scattered, and wounded. And the enemy was almost upon the encampment. There was no time to evacuate. What would you have done in my situation?¡±


    Aric narrowed his eyes in thought. ¡°If it was really like you say, hypothetically, then there¡¯d be little to no chance to save me. Worse, Oginum could be lost to the enemy. I¡¯d have taken what forces I had and gone to our manor to strengthen our position. Gather more soldiers and launch a retaliation, but by then it¡¯d most likely be too late.¡±


    Cedric sighed in relief, ¡°As I thought. We are both in agreement.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Father taught us well. But I don¡¯t see how any of this has to do with the current situation,¡± said Aric.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s exactly what happened. Our forces were too few, we couldn¡¯t stand up against 500 barbarians. I was prepared to leave you behind,¡± Cedric admitted in a quiet voice. ¡°But our younger sister isn¡¯t like us. She refused to abandon you. She decided to fight, even if it meant fighting alone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Aric frowned. ¡°Freya?¡±


    Freya glanced at her brothers, uncertain of what to say. ¡°I¡­ I couldn''t abandon you.¡±


    Cedric gestured at his sister, ¡°She isn¡¯t like us, brother. She is a fool, who¡¯d rather face off an entire army alone than abandon her family. That¡¯s why Oginum¡¯s light ignited for her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aric turned to Freya, his eyes filled with disbelief and confusion.


    ¡°Freya led the battle, she was the one who gathered our soldiers when they were lost in the darkness.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Aric asked Freya.


    She shrugged uncomfortably.


    ¡°She¡¯s different from us, brother, a fool perhaps,¡± Cedric said wryly. ¡°But she¡¯s more selfless and brave than you or I. Maybe that¡¯s why Oginum chose her. To me, it makes no difference why she was chosen. Tonight I saw the Light of the North.¡± Cedric knelt down in front of Freya and bowed his head, ¡°And I will follow that light until the day I die, Lady Goldelm.¡±


    Freya¡¯s eyes widened and she stepped back. ¡°W-What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Cedric, I don¡¯t know what game you¡¯re trying to get at, but this is ludicrous!¡± snapped Aric.


    ¡°This is no game,¡± said Cedric solemnly, still kneeling, head bowed. ¡°Lady Freya Goldelm, I pledge my loyalty to you and your House, until the day I die.¡±


    ¡°Cedric¡­ I¡­¡± Freya licked her lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±


    ¡°I accept your loyalty, is the usual response,¡± said Cedric.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Aric yelled. ¡°I am Father¡¯s heir. Not Freya. Not you. Not any of our siblings! I am the one who was groomed and trained to lead and protect our House!¡±


    ¡°Our father chose you, but Oginum chose her,¡± answered Cedric.


    ¡°I said enough! Freya, hand me Oginum!¡± demanded Aric.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Oginum chose you,¡± said Cedric.


    ¡°Oginum is my birthright,¡± said Aric. ¡°I am your brother, for Stjerne¡¯s sake! Freya, Cedric, I have always had your back. So why now must you stab me in mine? Is this what you want, sister? Was this your plan? To wait until I could not even stand and then steal my birthright from under me?¡±


    Freya shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯d never¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Stop with the nonsense, Aric! She protected you. She is the only one who stood for you! There is no secret plan to backstab you. By Lady Goldelm II¡¯s decree, the chosen of her war hammer shall lead our House.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why Father entrusted the hammer to me,¡± Aric snarled.


    ¡°Oginum chose Freya, that supersedes our father¡¯s wishes.¡±


    Aric glared at him, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what our brothers and sisters have to say,¡± said Cedric.


    ¡°We shall,¡± said Aric.


    A servant rushed into the tent, breathless and soaked from the rain. ¡°Miss Goldelm!¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Freya asked, eager for any respite from this conversation.


    ¡°A noblewoman has just arrived and the encampment is asking for you.¡±


    ¡°Noblewoman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nora of the Minor House of Azol. She claims to know you personally.¡±


    Freya grabbed the servant¡¯s shoulders tightly, ¡°Is she alright!? Is she injured!?¡±


    ¡°Her wounds don¡¯t seem severe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods¡ª¡±


    ¡°But her companion is barely holding on.¡±


    ¡°Companion¡­?¡±


    ¡°An orc, I didn¡¯t catch his name, but¡ª Agh!¡±


    Freya shoved the servant away and ran outside. She looked around desperately, searching for Kegrog and Nora. Oginum glowed softly in her hand. Golden motes of light fluttered out from the hammer and formed a trail leading towards a tent in the distance.


    Freya stared at the hammer in surprise, ¡°Oginum¡­?¡± Making up her mind, she sprinted down the trail.


    Bursting into the tent she spotted Kegrog lying in a cot too small for the orc. A white mage was channeling a healing spell over the two holes on his neck while her assistant was trying to stop the bleeding from the various scrapes and cuts riddled over his scarlet flesh.


    There was so much blood. He wasn¡¯t moving, save for the faint rise of his chest. Nora was sitting by his side. She was covered in bruises and her left eye was swollen shut. Her bottom lip was busted with a bloody split down the middle.


    She looked up at Freya¡¯s entrance and stood up shakily. ¡°Freya¡­?¡±


    The rain had washed off most of the blood in the dwarf¡¯s blonde hair, but her armor was still drenched in the blood of her enemies and her fellow soldiers. Such things would usually bother her, but right now she couldn¡¯t care less about her appearance.


    Freya knelt next to Kegrog and held his hand. It was cold. ¡°Nora¡­ What happened?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± Nora¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°So you carried Kegrog halfway across the city by yourself?¡± Freya surmised grimly.


    ¡°Kegrog, he¡ª He saved me. I had to do the same,¡± Nora whispered. ¡°Freya, I¡¯m sorry. I should never have let him come with me.¡±


    Freya shook her head and sighed, ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t have, but it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. Kegrog knew what you were up to. He would have followed you no matter what. He¡¯s stupid like that.¡± She held his hand between her own. She had never noticed how much larger his fingers were than hers. But there was no warmth in his fingers and his wrist was stiff.


    The healers said his wounds were great. They weren¡¯t sure he would make it. But he was strong. He had to make it. He had to¡­


    ¡°Did you make Nokti pay?¡± Freya asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nora nodded with an intense gaze.


    ¡°Then you and Kegrog did what I dreamed about for the last 2 years.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said bittersweetly.


    ¡°You should have asked for help. I¡¯d have helped you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t want to put you in danger.¡±


    ¡°Put me in danger? That wasn¡¯t your choice to make. Or have you forgotten what it felt like when Stryg and Clypeus made that choice for you?¡±


    Nora bowed her head in shame. ¡°No. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°...Where are you going now?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You keep glancing outside. I know you¡¯re worried about Kegrog, so whatever is making you want to go back out there must be even more important. What is it?¡±


    Nora smiled wryly, ¡°You¡¯re more perceptive than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Never underestimate a Goldelm, we¡¯re a different breed than the rest of you,¡± she grinned. ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°...My son. Kamilo is with my mom at our manor in the Villa District. I thought they would be safe there, but valley armies have broken into the city. I need to make sure my family is okay.¡±


    Freya nodded to herself and got up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to fight.¡±


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°At least I don¡¯t look like someone beat me to a pulp.¡±


    ¡°No, you just look exhausted, like you¡¯re running on the last traces of your mana.¡±


    ¡°Look, I already lost someone I love tonight, and now Kegrog¡ª¡± Freya gripped Oginum. ¡°I¡¯m not about to just stand by and lose someone else I care about.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t one of us stay with him?¡± Nora whispered.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do for him that the healers here haven¡¯t already done. ¡­All I can do now is fight, it¡¯s what I¡¯m good at. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. Besides, if we¡¯re going to the Villa District I can go check on my family too.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just send some of your soldiers to do that?¡±


    ¡°I told you, my father is gone. The leadership of my House is in question right now. I don¡¯t know if I can rely on any of my family¡¯s soldiers right now.¡±


    ¡°Freya¡­¡±


    ¡°My presence in this camp is a threat to its peace. I can¡¯t stay here. I can¡¯t risk Kegrog falling into the midst of my family¡¯s problems.¡±


    ¡°I get that, I do, but you¡¯re family. Surely it can¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a part of a Great House, so you don¡¯t know how bad things can really get when it comes to inheriting a family throne, especially when it¡¯s a Ruling House like mine.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Nora mumbled.


    Freya leaned over Kegrog and kissed him softly on the lips, ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± she whispered, then strode out of the tent.


    Nora followed after her. ¡°If we really are going, then maybe we can check on one more person.¡±


    ¡°Whom?¡±


    ¡°Feli told me she was staying at Mora Manor.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡¯s wife? Mm. We owe it to Stryg, at least that much. Fine.¡±

 Chapter 510: Lady Noir

    Chapter 510: Lady Noir


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Villa District¡­


    Loh rode up to the gates of the Noir Manor atop Maximus¡¯ back. Despite the heavy rains and darkness, the guards immediately recognized her and the centaur.


    ¡°Open the gates!¡± shouted one guard. ¡°Welcome back! Young mistress¡­?¡± his voice trailed off as he noticed Elzri¡¯s body curled in her arms. The guard paled and his sword fell from his grip. After a stunned moment, he quickly removed his helmet and bowed, as did the other guards, save one who ran off to alert the seneschal.


    Maximus trotted around the mansion and headed to the back. The flowers in the gardens were in full bloom. He picked up a few as he walked through the gardens. Beyond the well-cared bushes and trees, at the very end, lay a small plot of grass. It was carefully trimmed and unblemished, save for a few polished stone slabs. Maximus stopped a few paces from the family graveyard and knelt.


    Loh slid down off his saddle and her injured knee buckled under her weight. She stumbled forward and pulled her grandfather¡¯s body close in a panic, but Maximus caught her by the shoulders. He lifted her up and made sure she could walk before letting go. She nodded gratefully, then limped onto the wet grass and made her way to her grandmother¡¯s gravestone.


    Loh took a deep breath and slowly knelt down. She tried her best to hold her weight with her uninjured leg, but her knee still buckled. This time she was ready and she fell on her knees with a painful thud. Baring the pain in a silent grimace, she gently placed Elzri¡¯s body next to his late wife¡¯s grave.


    Tears flowed down Loh¡¯s cheeks. Her insides twisted in a painful burning knot. Her chest felt hollow, save for a throbbing pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandfather¡­¡± her voice cracked. ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t strong enough¡­ I thought¡ª I thought you didn¡¯t care¡­ about me,¡± she mumbled. ¡°All you cared about was ¡®House Noir.¡¯ You cared more about the honor and prestige of the damn Noir name than you did about any Noir¡­ I hated you for that. You didn¡¯t care about my happiness, you didn¡¯t care what happened to me so long as I lived up to your legacy. So why¡­? Why did you have to die?¡±


    ¡°Why did you sacrifice yourself for us!?¡± she screamed and broke down in tears. ¡°...Why did you have to leave me behind?¡±


    Loh buried her face in his chest and gripped his tunic. ¡°You were the only one who cared; even with all my fuckups, you were always there. You were the only real family I had¡­ And now you¡¯re gone. But I¡¯m not like you. I can¡¯t just bear the pain and move on. I can¡¯t carry the weight of the Noir legacy alone. I can¡¯t lead House Noir.¡±


    Loh sat up and stared at Elzri¡¯s still face. It was the first time she had ever seen him seem so relaxed. She smiled bittersweetly at the thought. She wiped her tears and caressed his pale grey cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I could never make you proud, but at the very least I can try and make this right. I won¡¯t let House Noir fall, not tonight, not to these monsters. I swear it.¡±


    She pulled the ring out from her pocket and stared at it in the palm of her hand. She had given its twin to Louise before the battle had begun. She had dreamed of spending a life with the commoner girl. Living in a small home in the Trade District with a baker¡¯s apprentice seemed like a blissful dream. Now all it felt like was a disdainful mockery. A cowardly escape from everything her grandfather had fought for.


    ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Louise.


    Loh kissed the ring, then slipped it into Elzri¡¯s pocket.


    Maximus trotted over silently and offered her the flowers he had picked. She grabbed them and placed them gently on Elzri¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡­¡± she whispered and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Elohnoir!¡± Dolores shouted.


    Loh didn¡¯t bother to respond as her mother ran out from the house and into the gardens, barefooted.


    Dolores spotted Elzri¡¯s body and slowed to a halt. ¡°Dad¡­?¡±


    Even from here, Loh could smell the alcohol wafting from her. She was surprised her mother could even recognize him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maximus,¡± Loh muttered.


    The burly centaur nodded and helped her up onto his saddle. She ignored her mother¡¯s cries as Dolores rushed over to her father¡¯s body.


    The servants poured out of the manor¡¯s back door, but when they spotted Dolores and Elzri their worst fears were confirmed. Quiet gasps escaped their lips and they looked at one another, fear clear in their eyes.


    ¡°Loh! Where are you going?¡± George called out.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Loh glanced at her father and an acrid taste filled her mouth. Her father wasn''t a powerful archmage, far from it, but he was still an archmage, and yet, here he was, hiding from the war.


    ¡°We needed you, Dad,¡± Loh said in a hollow voice.


    George winced at her words. ¡°I needed to stay with your mother, in case something hap¡ª¡±


    ¡°We needed you!¡± she screamed. ¡°If you¡¯d been there¡ª If you¡¯d been there then maybe none of this would have happened.¡±


    George bowed his head. ¡°Please,¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t go back out there. I can¡¯t lose you. Your mother and I¡­ Aizel is gone. And now they took your grandfather. We can¡¯t lose you too, Elohnoir.¡±


    Her lips curled in a faint bitter smile, ¡°Your daughter Elohnoir died with Aizel.¡±


    ¡°Loh, wait¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Loh died with her grandfather. I¡¯m all that¡¯s left.¡± She turned her back to him and Maximus trotted away.


    A cloaked figure waited at the front gate. Her dark blue cowl obscured her face, but the golden band on her pale wrist denoted her as the House¡¯s seneschal. Lily pulled down her cowl and her scarlet hair fell down her shoulders. She bowed deeply as Maximus neared.


    Loh narrowed her eyes at the beautiful vampiress, her grandfather¡¯s secretary, right-hand, and occasional lover. ¡°Have you come to stop me as well?¡±


    ¡°No, my lady.¡± Lily suddenly kneeled on the wet ground. ¡°I am here to wish you fortune in battle.¡±


    ¡°I am not my grandfather. I am not your lord. You owe me nothing, not your allegiance, and certainly not your best wishes.¡±


    Lily kept her head bowed and spoke in her usual calm voice. ¡°...You¡¯re right, you are not Elzri. You are not my lord. You are my lady and I gladly give you my allegiance.¡±


    Loh scoffed, ¡°You won¡¯t win anything by pledging yourself to me. I have nothing to offer.¡±


    ¡°Lord Elzri thought differently. He believed in you.¡±


    ¡°And what do you believe?¡±


    ¡°I believed in Lord Elzri and so I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll come to regret it, everyone does.¡±


    ¡°I respectfully disagree, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Loh turned to the guards, ¡°Open the gates.¡±


    The man cleared his throat and bowed, ¡°My lady, the guard captain is forming a personal squad to accompany you from among the manor¡¯s best soldiers. If you could only wait a little¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said open the gates, I won¡¯t say it again.¡±


    The guard bowed. ¡°O-Of course, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Loh!¡±


    She froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Loh turned back and saw Louise running towards her from the manor, the golden ring wrapped around her finger.


    A fresh pain blossomed in Loh¡¯s chest but it was quickly drowned out by the memory of Elzri lying atop the shade wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maximus,¡± she muttered.


    Maximus nodded and walked out the gate.


    Lily watched her leave with a smile, ¡°You are everything Lord Elzri hoped you would be.¡± She turned to one of the guards, ¡°Inform the captain to hurry, our Lady has already left without them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mistress!¡± the drow guard nodded and ran off.


    Louise reached the gate, breathless. She placed her hand over her brow and narrowed her eyes as she searched through the rain, hoping to catch a glimpse of Loh.


    ¡°Do not bother, a human¡¯s eyes cannot penetrate the darkness. She is gone,¡± said Lily.


    ¡°Why¡­? Why did Loh go without saying anything?¡± Louise mumbled.


    ¡°She is not ¡®Loh.¡¯ She is Lady Noir and the burden she now carries is great.¡± Lily glanced at the ring on Louise¡¯s finger, ¡°You must adapt to what that entails. If you cannot, you will only hold her back.¡±


    Louise frowned. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°In time you will come to understand.¡± Lily inclined her head slightly, then left.


    ~~~


    Stryg glanced at Maeve lying in bed one last time then closed the door behind him. He headed back downstairs with a quick pace, his mother right beside him.


    ¡°We need to regroup with the War Elect. We¡¯ve already stayed here too long,¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± He walked out into the courtyard and spotted Rhian speaking to Blueberry.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Ah, boss!¡± Rhian smiled warmly and waved at him.


    Stryg walked over and glanced at Rhian, searching for any injuries. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt you?¡±


    The frost wolf huffed at the implication and raised his snout in disdain.


    ¡°Blueberry? No, not at all,¡± said Rhian. ¡°He was just telling me about his time with you back in Vulture Woods. He was quite helpful.¡±


    ¡°Blueberry? Helpful?¡± Stryg stared at the wolf skeptically. ¡°Wait,¡± he blinked. ¡°You understand him?!¡±


    Rhian cocked her head to the side, ¡°Of course. Can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, yes but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia called out sternly.


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± he nodded. ¡°Rhian, take care of Feli and the others while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me,¡± the centaur grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± asked Feli from the doorway. ¡°You just got here not 10 minutes ago!¡±


    Stryg smiled half-heartedly. ¡°I¡¯ve already stayed too long.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Our people are fighting out there. I can¡¯t leave them.¡± He walked over to Feli and embraced her.


    She buried her head in his shoulder and hugged him tightly. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°AL¡­WAYS¡­?¡± a deep gravelly voice rumbled.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped up at the sound. A dragonbane¡¯s head poked out from above the manor¡¯s walls. Xyloth peeled his lips back in a wide smile, revealing a long row of sharp ebon-black fangs.

 Chapter 511: The Great House of Helene

    Chapter 511: The Great House of Helene


    Two hundred warriors of the Cairn tribe, led by their Dusk King marched into the Villa District. Marek glanced at his warriors standing in the rain. They were covered in blood, some their own, most their enemies¡¯. They had crossed several districts and fought hundreds of Hollow Shade soldiers and battle mages to get here. Most of his warriors had perished, but every life sacrificed was worth it.


    They stood in front of the silver gates of an enormous manor, far larger than the neighboring manors.


    Of course, it had to be, thought Marek.


    This was after all the manor of the Helenes, one of the wealthiest merchant families in the entire Ebon Realm. They were not just a Great House, they were a Ruling House.


    Once, long ago, after the fall of the Ebon Lords, the Helenes were only a Minor House, but their leader at the time betrayed their liege, the Royal House of Thorn. It was thanks to that betrayal that the current Ruling Houses were able to defeat House Thorn in the civil war. Thanks to their contribution, House Helene was elevated not only to a Great House, but they also managed to claim a seat of power in the newly formed City Council, earning the title of one of seven Ruling Houses.


    Tamora had told her son Marek the story many times as a child. He should have learned back then the true meaning of her stories; to never trust his aunt, Alessandra, or any Helene for that matter. Their family¡¯s power was formed from betraying others. His mother had paid the ultimate price for trusting her sister. His entire tribe paid that price when Alessandra had sent a small army of mercenaries to slaughter Tamora and leave no witnesses.


    Alessandra hadn¡¯t known about Marek. He survived the slaughter and for the last decade, he had done everything to reach this gate.


    Marek glanced at Alessandra¡¯s decapitated head hanging from a banner pole carried by one of his men. He had killed his aunt, he had avenged his parents¡¯ deaths, but not the deaths of the countless Cairn people who had been murdered by Alessandra¡¯s soldiers. If he simply left things here, his Helene cousins would one day seek revenge. And the Cairn tribe might suffer again.


    The words of Caligo haunted him. Whichever Cairn adults survive tonight¡¯s battle will die by my hand tomorrow.


    Marek shook his head. It was too late to turn back now. He needed to end this tonight. The bloodline of Helene would end with him. He raised his hand in a signal, ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my king.¡± A battle mage stepped forward and channeled Green. Stone spires burst from underneath the silver gates and ripped them off the hinges with a screeching of steel.


    A small retinue of guards stood on the stone pathway leading towards the manor, a final line of defense. They wore gilded armor emblazoned with the sigil of Helene, a horse in mid-stride. Their swords practically shined under the magestone light, unblemished by battle. The guards hid their expressions behind their gilded helms, but Marek could see it; the faint trembling, the shifting of the feet, and the way their eyes flitted back and forth. They were afraid.


    These weren¡¯t soldiers. These were men who had never had to fight a battle in their lives. Ornaments to look pretty and impressive when other nobles came to visit.


    Marek couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. He knew the Helenes had no standing army, but he still had expected more. He supposed they never expected a war, they never expected anyone would dare tread on the doorstep of the Great House of Helene.


    He raised his orichalcum spear and pointed at the guards. ¡°Kill them.¡±


    The valley warriors roared in response and charged past him. The guards broke formation as the warriors neared and tried to run, but it was too late. These valley men and women had known battle since childhood. They were upon the guards in an instant, cutting them down from behind.


    By the time Marek reached the manor¡¯s front door his men had already finished. He channeled a Brown strengthening spell and kicked the door open. The wood cracked and shattered in a burst of splinters.


    The front hallway was empty, but he could hear the sounds of footsteps from within. Marek turned around and gestured to half his men, ¡°Go around and cut off any exits. There is only one gate, but they still might try to jump over the wall. The rest of you, search the house.¡±


    ¡°What shall we do when we find them? Bring them to you?¡± asked one of his battle mages.


    ¡°Bring the Helenes to me. Kill the rest.¡±


    ~~~


    Terrified shrieks and painful cries echoed throughout the hallways of the Helene manor. Marek walked from room to room, the planks underneath him creaking with every step. His warriors dragged out maids and servants from closets and underneath beds. They kicked and screamed, begging for their lives, but the warriors drew their blades and stabbed them without any remorse.


    Marek shook his head. These people were innocent, but so were the parents of his warriors. They were all only children when Helene¡¯s soldiers had attacked. The only crime they had committed was belonging to the losing side.


    ¡°Get back!¡± shouted a man from another room.


    Marek walked in and ducked underneath the doorway. The man was waving a dagger around as two warriors slowly closed in on him. The man stiffened at the sight of the giant dire human. Marek¡¯s presence seemed to swallow the entire room.


    The man paled and gripped the dagger with both hands. ¡°Y-You¡­ S-Stay back! All of you stay back!¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Marek.


    The two warriors glanced at their king questioningly.


    ¡°Your clothes, they¡¯re nicer than the others outside. Who are you?¡± asked Marek.


    The man licked his lips and swallowed. ¡°I am Henry of House Helene, and I¡ª¡±


    Marek hurled his spear. The glassy black spearhead skewered Henry and pinned him to the wall. He choked blood and spasmed for a few heartbeats, then fell limp. Marek walked over and yanked the spear out. The body fell over unceremoniously.


    ¡°That¡¯s three cousins. There should still be one more. Rose, I think. Keep searching for her,¡± said Marek.


    The warriors glanced at the unnaturally giant gaping hole in Henry¡¯s chest before nodding and sprinting away. Marek didn¡¯t blame them. The spear had blasted a hole through his cousin¡¯s chest almost as if an explosion had erupted in his heart. The spear had flared with power right before he struck. It wasn¡¯t the first time it had happened tonight either.


    The spear was growing stronger, he could feel it humming with energy in his hand. It resonated with his desire for revenge. Ever since he had entered the city he could feel the spear awakening from its slumber, soon it would whisper its true name to him.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    A warrior rushed into the room. ¡°My king! We found her!¡±


    Marek gripped the spear tightly. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    The warrior nodded and led him to a small storage room hidden behind the kitchens. A woman and man were kneeling in front of a few valley warriors. The man¡¯s lip was split open from when no doubt he had been punched for fighting back.


    The two said not a word, but the defiant anger in their gaze was clear. Marek looked them over and spotted a silver horse medallion lying around the woman¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Leave us. Go search for any other stragglers,¡± ordered Marek.


    His warriors bowed and walked out.


    The man and woman wore nothing, save a pair of fine silken night clothes.


    ¡°You two were sleeping? You two were sleeping as your city burned and your soldiers died defending the wall¡­¡± Marek looked down at them, ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Neither spoke, but the man spat blood at his feet in defiance. Marek ignored him and glanced at the woman, ¡°Is this your husband, Rose?¡±


    She glared at him but still said nothing.


    Marek nodded with a smile and hovered his spear right underneath the man¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Wait, no! Stop! Please!¡± yelled Rose.


    Marek pulled the spear back slightly. ¡°So is he your husband, hm?¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± she admitted.


    The man swallowed hard and glanced at his wife, ¡°Rose, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Marek smacked him across the face with the back of his hand. His head snapped back and he tumbled over. He groaned in a daze, a pair of bloody teeth lying a few paces away.


    ¡°Tom!¡± Rose cried out.


    ¡°Tom, is it? Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in Tom,¡± said Marek dispassionately.


    ¡°What do you want!? I¡¯ll give you anything! Just please, spare him!¡± Rose begged.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± asked Marek.


    Rose narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re valley-born. And a dire human¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re Marek, the war lord of the Cairn tribe. You¡¯re the one who killed my mother during the parley.¡±


    He leaned in close, ¡°Yes, but do you know who I am?¡±


    Rose frowned. ¡°What? I don¡¯t¡ª I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at. What do you want!?¡±


    ¡°What do I want¡­?¡± He stepped back and stared at the wall in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even know anymore¡­ I¡¯ve given up so much to get here. I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s enough left of me to want anything anymore.¡±


    Rose looked at him, confused, but she thought it best to not say anything.


    Marek noticed her gaze and sighed. He reached underneath his tunic¡¯s collar and pulled out a silver medallion. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡±


    Rose¡¯s eyes lit in recognition, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She glanced at her own medallion hanging from her neck.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same as yours. But it is not your mother¡¯s, is it?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Nor is it your brother¡¯s or sister¡¯s. No, this medallion once belonged to my mother, Tamora Helene.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ mother?¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He held the medallion between two fingers, ¡°This was hers until she reached out to your mother with a letter. When Alessandra found out her twin older sister was alive, well, she couldn¡¯t have my mother return home as heir of this family. And so, she had my mother murdered.¡±


    Rose¡¯s eyes widened in understanding and horror. ¡°You¡ª You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the son your mother failed to kill.¡±


    ¡°Then this¡ª All of this, it¡¯s because of Tamora,¡± she whispered.


    Tears slipped down Rose¡¯s cheeks. She bit her lip, ¡°You already killed my mother. Your revenge is over.¡±


    Marek scoffed softly. ¡°Revenge¡­? Revenge is a strange thing. It never ends with only one death. It always comes back to haunt us. If I let you go, you will come back to finish what your mother started.¡±


    ¡°No, no I won¡¯t! I swear it!¡±


    ¡°Only a fool would trust a Helene.¡±


    ¡°Gods, I¡¯ll do anything. Please, what can I say to make you believe me?¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°Even if I did believe you, the Helene line has been a blight on this world for too long. I know because I¡¯m one of you. So, I¡¯m here to end it. Once and for all.¡±


    Rose bowed her head and closed her eyes. ¡°...Then spare my husband, please, he has done nothing to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, he¡¯s done nothing¡­ Neither had I, when your mother¡¯s mercenaries came to my tribe.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Please, for Stjerne¡¯s sake, wait!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± Tom smiled shakily at her. He looked away and stared at the stacked crates in the corner of the room. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Marek slammed the butt of the spear into Tom¡¯s temple. His head cracked open in a burst of blood and brain matter.


    ¡°NO!!¡± Rose shrieked.


    A stifled cry escaped an empty crate. Marek frowned. He drew close and slowly opened the wooden lid. A small boy was crouched inside. His blue eyes were filled with tears. The child looked up at him and Marek saw the terror in his face.


    Marek froze at the sight and shame gripped his heart.


    Rose tackled him from behind. ¡°Tristan, run away!¡±


    Marek stumbled back a step. He yanked the woman¡¯s hair and flung her aside. She grunted in pain but she staggered to her feet and rushed him again. He pulled his arm back and thrust the spear into her chest. She gasped a hollow raspy sound and her legs buckled underneath her. He tried to pull the spear away, but she grabbed his arm with her trembling hands.


    ¡°R¡­ Run¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Marek pushed her away and she fell haphazardly next to her husband¡¯s body. He turned back to the crate, but the boy was already gone.


    ~~~


    Nora smiled sympathetically, ¡°Just a little further.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right¡­ behind you,¡± said Freya between ragged breaths. The battles at the shade wall and medical encampment had taken their toll on her body. Even with the cold rain falling over her, she could feel her insides burning up. She was at her limit.


    ¡°We can rest once we get to my home,¡± said Nora.


    Freya scoffed. ¡°You know you don¡¯t look much better than me, either.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I know. I can barely walk straight,¡± she admitted softly.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Freya abruptly tackled her to the ground.


    ¡°Ow! What are you¡ª?¡±


    A dragonbane flew overhead and passed by.


    Nora felt a chill run through her body at the sight of the monster. ¡°W-What¡­ What in all the bloody realms was that thing!?¡±


    ¡°The creatures that destroyed the wall,¡± Freya muttered grimly. ¡°What is it doing in the Villa District? None of our main forces are anywhere near here.¡±


    ¡°It was flying towards the district¡¯s north side¡­¡±


    ¡°North Side? Do you know anyone over there?¡±


    ¡°House Mora¡¯s manor. Feli¡¯s there¡­ You don¡¯t think¡­?¡±


    Freya shook her head. ¡°Relax. There¡¯s no way a monster like that would be going after an ordinary human like Feli.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you''re right, I¡¯m just being paranoid,¡± Nora mumbled.


    Freya leaned on Oginum and pushed herself to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then¡ª¡±


    A small boy turned the corner and slammed into her.


    Freya frowned, ¡°Hey, kid, what are you¡ª?¡±


    The boy looked up at her, breathless. His cheeks were burning red and his eyes were pink from tears.


    ¡°Tristan Helene¡­?¡± Freya muttered in recognition. ¡°What are you doing here? Where are your guards? Where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°What is a Helene doing here?¡± Nora whispered.


    He tried to speak but he couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°...It¡¯s okay.¡± Freya hugged him and glanced around warily, ¡°Everything is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad, they¡­¡± Tristan buried his head into her chest and sobbed quietly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Freya whispered.


    ¡°Get away from the boy!¡± shouted a valley warrior. Several more warriors rushed into the street.


    Freya grabbed Tristan and pushed him behind her. Nora stepped up next to them and raised her hands, ready to cast at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Freya hefted Oginum and tried her best to hide her exhaustion. She snarled at the warriors, ¡°I¡¯ve killed plenty of you tonight, what¡¯s a dozen more?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t find any victory here, dwarf.¡±


    Freya and Nora stiffened at the voice that had haunted their dreams for the last year. Marek stepped out from behind his warriors, orichalcum spear in hand. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once, hand over the child.¡±

 Chapter 512: It’s Not Here For Us…

    Chapter 512: It¡¯s Not Here For Us¡­


    ¡°Get away from the boy!¡± shouted a valley warrior as several more warriors rushed into the street.


    Freya grabbed Tristan and pushed him behind her. Nora stepped up next to them and raised her hands, ready to cast at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Hefting Oginum, Freya tried her best to hide her exhaustion and snarled at the warriors, ¡°I¡¯ve killed plenty of you tonight, what¡¯s a dozen more?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t find any victory here, dwarf.¡±


    Nora and Freya stiffened at the voice that had haunted their dreams for the last year. Marek stepped out from behind his warriors, orichalcum spear in hand. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once, hand over the child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Freya muttered. ¡°The warlord of the Cairn.¡±


    ¡°He is the Dusk King,¡± corrected one of Marek¡¯s battle mages.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a cowardly backstabbing murderer,¡± sneered Nora.


    Marek stared at them and tilted his head to the side. They seemed oddly familiar. ¡°Have we met?¡±


    Nora¡¯s expression filled with rage at the mere question.


    ¡°We were there, at Widow¡¯s Crag last year,¡± Freya answered grimly.


    Marek nodded in recollection. ¡°Oh, the students. I remember now. So then you both know how this will play out. Leave the boy behind and I¡¯ll spare your lives.¡±


    Tristan gripped the hem of Freya¡¯s tunic and hid behind her, his small body trembling.


    ¡°Spare our lives?¡± Nora muttered. ¡°Is that what you did to Clypeus? Did you spare his life?¡±


    ¡°The son of Gale? No, I killed him,¡± Marek answered calmly. ¡°But he did not run away like most, he fought to the end, and not once did he falter. I respected him and honored his death, a feat I rarely have made for an enemy. He was a true warrior. You should be proud to have had such a comrade.¡±


    ¡°He was my fianc¨¦ and the father of our child.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Then there really is no reasoning with you is there?¡± he asked wryly.


    ¡°There was no reasoning with the vampiress Nokti either,¡± Nora spat.


    Marek frowned, ¡°What are you talking about? Where is Nokti?


    She smiled maliciously. ¡°I¡¯m here aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°What did you do to Nokti?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did she mean something to you?¡±


    ¡°What did you do!?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Marek roared, pulled back his spear, and aimed at her.


    ¡°Now!¡± Nora shouted. Lightning sparked at her fingertips and erupted in a wide arc.


    A valley mage stepped forward and wrote a quick scarlet sigil in the air. A red translucent shield formed in front of Marek. The lightning struck the Red ward spell and scattered. Before anyone could react, Freya was already running straight at the valley warriors. She leaped into the air and swung Oginum down on the ward shield.


    The golden hammer flashed in brilliant light and shattered the shield with a blast of energy. Freya pushed through with her swing and Oginum slammed down on the valley mage¡¯s head. The hammer flared on impact and his skull burst like an apple.


    Freya landed on her feet, spun with the momentum of Oginum, and raised the hammer for another swing. Marek waved his spear in a wide arc, catching Freya by the chest, and sent her flying. She landed on her back and gasped for air. Her ribs burned with every breath.


    ¡°Freya!¡± Nora rushed to her side.


    Marek pointed the spear at them, ¡°You both look exhausted, and yet you still try to kill me? You were smarter back on that Crag.¡± He channeled Orange and flames ignited in his palm.


    Freya sat up with a grimace and tried to channel Yellow, but there was so little mana left in her body she couldn¡¯t even weave a single spell. Nora jumped in front of her and spread her arms wide. Water swirled to life around her wrists. Nora slammed her hands together and a whirling shield of water formed in front of them.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough!¡± Marek shouted. The flames rumbled to life in his hand and grew to a towering pillar above him. He swung his hand down and sent the fiery pillar crashing down on them.


    A snake of flames lashed out from the end of the street and clashed with the pillar, exploding in a fiery plume of orange. The rain sizzled and evaporated all around, leaving a cloud of steam in the middle of the street.


    Freya looked up and saw a massive silhouette in the steam looming over her. A pair of hardened grey eyes stared back at her. As the steam cleared, she could make out a grey beard, burly muscles, and the lower side of a horse.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Maximus¡­?¡± she muttered.


    He grunted with a nod.


    ¡°Are you two alright?¡± asked Loh from atop his back.


    ¡°Professor!¡± Nora exclaimed.


    ¡°And who in all the bloody Realms are you supposed to be?¡± asked Marek.


    The steam cleared away amidst the rain, leaving Loh¡¯s arrival clear to all. She glanced at the two dozen or so warriors standing at the dire human¡¯s side. ¡°Maximus, there are more than I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± he said dryly.


    Loh dismounted, careful to not put weight on her injured leg. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the giant, you take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Maximus nodded and hefted his ax.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Freya.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come to save them?¡± Marek shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve come so far to get here, and right when I¡¯m this close to ending it all, people like you keep getting in my way.¡±


    ¡°Am I an obstacle to you, Marek?¡± Loh asked coldly.


    He sighed, ¡°Am I supposed to know you as well? Were you at Widow¡¯s Crag too?¡±


    ¡°I was, but last time I failed to protect my students,¡± she admitted softly. ¡°This time I won¡¯t fail them.¡±


    Freya glanced at Nora and nodded, ¡°Together.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Loh. ¡°You two take the child and head to my family¡¯s manor.¡±


    Freya shook her head, ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    Loh silenced her with a look. ¡°You can barely stand,¡± she whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll be more of a liability than anything.¡± She eyed the warriors slowly surrounding them. ¡°Take the boy and run, that is an order.¡±


    Freya glanced at the warriors and gripped Oginum tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not running away, not again.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Nora.


    ¡°If you die, then none of this matters. Don¡¯t let your son grow up an orphan, Nora¡± said Loh.


    Nora stiffened at her words. She glanced down the street in the direction of her home and Kamilo.


    ¡°Go, Nora, I¡¯ll stay behind,¡± said Freya.


    ¡°She can¡¯t protect the child alone, go with Nora,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you and Maximus to fight alone!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect any of you that night,¡± Loh smiled sadly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect anyone tonight either. Not my friends, not my soldiers, not my family¡­ Let me make it right, please, Miss Goldelm.¡±


    Freya bit her lip and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll come back for you, I promise.¡± She grabbed Tristan¡¯s hand and turned to leave, but they were already surrounded.


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d sit back and let you all just go?¡± said Marek.


    ¡°No.¡± Loh channeled Black. Her shadow darkened and tendrils shot out and grabbed Nora, Freya, and Tristan. With a flick of her wrist, the shadows picked them up and carried them past the street walls and over to the next block in the blink of an eye.


    Marek stared in mute surprise at the speed, range, and deftness of the spell. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am just like you,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡± Orange flames burst from her hands and shot forward.


    ~~~


    Feli buried her head in Stryg¡¯s shoulder and hugged him tightly. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°AL¡­WAYS¡­?¡± a deep gravelly voice rumbled.


    Stryg¡¯s eyes snapped up at the sound. A dragonbane¡¯s head poked out from above the manor¡¯s walls. Xyloth peeled his lips back in a wide smile, revealing a long row of sharp ebon-black fangs.


    The air suddenly felt cold and Stryg couldn¡¯t breathe. It was as if he was in the Dark Fringe once more, separated from both the Realms and the Null itself.


    A barbed tail rose behind Xyloth, swaying from side to side. Feli screamed in terror. A stone wall erupted from the ground between them and the beast. Vines shot out from the ground and yanked Feli and Stryg back.


    ¡°Get up, you two!¡± Aurelia yelled. ¡°That wall won¡¯t hold it for long!¡±


    As if to prove her point, Xyloth¡¯s tail thwacked the wall and smashed it apart in a single strike. Stryg sucked in a deep breath and blinked hard. The feeling of being swallowed by darkness disappeared. It had been years since shadows had held secrets from him. His eyes could penetrate the dark with no effort at all, but in front of that monster, it felt as if he was as blind as a newborn.


    ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡± Feli asked shakily.


    He looked at her and nodded hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay.¡± The chromatic energies in his body roiled within him as they were slowly drained and pulled into the beast standing at the edge of the estate.


    ¡°It¡¯s absorbing our mana,¡± Aurelia noted grimly. She glanced at Rhian, ¡°Centaur! Get this woman and the Sylvan children out of here! Have their First Mother guide them somewhere safe, NOW!¡±


    Rhian tore her gaze away from the dragonbane and nodded and saluted, ¡°Understood!¡± She threw Feli over her back, before dashing towards the house. She didn¡¯t care if the door wasn¡¯t made for beastkin, she kicked through it and ran inside.


    ¡°Stryg, we need to retreat and regroup with the rest of the Sylvan army,¡± said Aurelia.


    He stood to his feet and shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave, Mother.¡±


    She clicked her tongue and smacked him across the back of his head with the scabbard of her sword. ¡°Now is not the time to be brave! A lone goblin will be picked off by the wolves.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said while rubbing his head. ¡°But we can¡¯t run, not yet. We need to buy time for the others to escape first. We need to fight.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t your tribe, Stryg.¡±


    He looked at her with a steady gaze. ¡°They¡¯re everything to me.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he conjured a flame bolt and hurled it at Xyltoh. The flames splashed on his translucent hide harmlessly.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work¡­?¡± Stryg muttered in surprise.


    Aurelia hit him again. ¡°What are you doing!? We don¡¯t want to draw its attention!¡±


    This creature¡­ Stryg narrowed his eyes. It was resistant to his magic, more like immune. He recalled Plum¡¯s vision she had seen through the memories of the valley tribesman they had captured. This was the beast that had terrified her, the monster that had murdered half the chieftains of the Valley tribes.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Aurelia furrowed her brow, ¡°It¡¯s not attacking us¡­¡±


    Xyloth had glanced at Stryg briefly after the flame bolt, but he quickly lost interest and began to tear down the walls of the manor, poking his head through a room, before moving on to the next.


    ¡°It¡¯s searching for something?¡± Aurelia muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here for us¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Maeve!¡±


    ¡°Stryg, wait!¡±


    But he had already dashed off towards the beast.

 Chapter 513: Xyloth, The Dragonbane

    Chapter 513: Xyloth, The Dragonbane


    The warriors of the Cairn tribe had seen countless battles through the last decade. From open field skirmishes in the grasslands of Dusk Valley to raids on Hollow Shade garrisons. They had fought all manners of enemies, guardsmen, mercenaries, battle mages, beastkin. Yet they had never seen anyone like Maximus.


    He stood a head taller than any centaur, with muscles that rippled underneath his skin. His arms were wider than a woman¡¯s waist and his reach was twice as long as any man¡¯s. He wore heavy armor, though it did nothing to slow him down as he waded through the Cairn¡¯s warriors.


    Maximus slashed his ax across their shields, tearing them in half through brute force. With his free hand, he snatched a warrior¡¯s throat and snapped it like a twig. A vampire dashed behind him and stabbed him with a spear in the leg. Maximus grunted and kicked him with his hind legs. The vampire¡¯s chest caved in with a crack and he went flying across the street.


    A battle mage channeled Orange and doused the centaur in flames. Maximus grimaced from the heat as the flames licked parts of his exposed grey coat. He bowed his head, his helmet shielding his face from the worst of the heat, and charged the mage. She summoned for more chromatic energies and widened the plume of fire, slowing the centaur, but Maximus pushed on, one step at a time. Her eyes went round in horror as he loomed over her.


    She turned to run, but Maximus grabbed her by the back of the head and slammed her into the ground. She cried out in pain before he silenced her with a hoof to the skull.


    The centaur panted heavily. He unhooked and ripped off his armor. Several plates were already melting together from the heat. He patted the spots of his coat still on fire, then jumped back and dodged a sword strike.


    A battle mage and over a dozen warriors remained between him and Loh and Marek. Maximus took a deep breath and stood up straight, though it sent a sharp pain up his back. The battle with the dragonbane atop the wall had left him worse than he had let on, but it didn¡¯t matter. He needed to buy Loh time to deal with the dire human.


    Hefting his ax, Maximus snarled and charged the warriors.


    Orange flames lit up the night street of the Villa District as two high master mages dueled in the rain. Marek called upon his vast reserves of mana to fuel his flame spells while increasing their power through Yellow wind magic. His opponent was skilled that was certain, but Loh was exhausted that much was clear. Countless small cuts and scrapes decorated her pale grey skin and the swelling over her left eye was becoming obvious. Most obvious of all, was the way she favored her right leg.


    She was heavily injured, it was a surprise she was standing, let alone able to spell cast through the pain. And yet somehow Loh was holding him off. Marek tried to get in close and take advantage of his strength and his unscathed body. But Loh kept her distance, constantly evading him by using shadow tendrils to pull herself in one direction or another. She did it so naturally it was as if they were extra limbs across her back.


    If he couldn¡¯t get close, then Marek would try to overwhelm her with firepower, but she matched his augmented flame and wind spells with sheer proficiency. Her flames were smaller yet the heat and force behind them kept destroying his spells. Marek had prided himself in his overwhelming magical talent and power as a dire, but this was more than power, it was tremendous skill, complex weaves formed in a split second and without a single iota of waste.


    A sudden cry caught Marek¡¯s attention and he glanced towards the sound. That damned centaur had caught one of his warriors by the waist. Maximus squeezed the man¡¯s rib cage until it collapsed. The warrior coughed up blood and his face went red, and with one final crack his expression went slack, and Maximus dropped him beside the rest of the dead warriors.


    Marek frowned in disbelief at the sight; all his men and women, the elite soldiers of his tribe lay dead and scattered around the centaur. Several deep cuts covered the centaur¡¯s legs and there was a deep slash over his upper chest. Maximus turned to him with a tired glare, then collapsed.


    A shadowy hand grabbed Marek by the ankle.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He swung his orichalcum spear down at the shadow, but it snapped forward and yanked off his feet. His head banged into the cobblestone and his vision swam. Loh was atop him before he sat up, dagger poised to strike.


    A panicked instinct to survive kicked in and Marek slapped the dagger away reflexively. His hands shot out and wrapped around Loh¡¯s throat. She coughed and tried to pry his hands off, but he channeled Brown and invigorated his dire muscles with even greater strength.


    Loh made a painful expression as her fingers scratched at his wrists.


    ¡°Did you think I would die to someone like you? After everything!?¡± Marek snarled and stood to his feet. ¡°I won¡¯t die here. I will fight. Until the Helenes are dead and my people are free, I will fight!¡±


    Loh kicked the air helplessly and gasped for air. Marek squeezed his hands tightly around her throat. He frowned, confused. Try as he might, her neck didn¡¯t snap. He squeezed harder and still, he couldn¡¯t crush her throat. Was she¡­ heavier?


    Marek felt his arms begin to burn from holding her up in the air. His wrists began to tremble and his skin was growing¡­ pale?


    His eyebrows shot up in shock, ¡°Drain magic!?¡±


    Loh curled her bloodied lips in a defiant smile. Her hands gripped his wrists tight. He tried to pull away, but he couldn¡¯t. As he grew weaker she grew stronger. Gasping for breath, he fell to his knees, and she landed on her feet.


    Loh pried his hands off her neck but did not let go of his wrists until his skin grew pale as snow. He toppled over and wheezed.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A retinue of Noir guards rushed into the street, led by the House¡¯s seneschal, the vampiress Lily.


    Loh panted heavily and tilted her head up to the rain. She closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed, before turning back to Marek lying on the ground. He reached for his spear with trembling fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± She conjured an orb of fire in her hand and pointed it at his head.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s over,¡± he muttered through clenched teeth. ¡°I refuse to die here, not after everything I¡¯ve sacrificed to get here.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to die here, as much as I¡¯d like to end your wretched life. No, you won¡¯t escape your fate that easily. You will face our council for your crimes and they will feed you to the shades.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No!!¡± Marek screamed and slammed the spear into the ground. It surged with power and exploded in a blast of energy, and sent Loh and the Noir guards flying back.


    ~~~


    Stryg shot a flame bolt at the dragonbane to no effect. Xyloth glanced at him, but quickly lost interest and began to tear down the walls of the manor, poking his head through a room, before moving on to the next.


    ¡°It¡¯s searching for something?¡± Aurelia muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here for us¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Maeve!¡±


    ¡°Stryg, wait!¡±


    But he had already dashed off towards the beast. He called upon Orange and White. Stryg tossed more bolts of flames and cast rays of light, but the spell crashed harmlessly against the dragonbane¡¯s hide and dissipated.


    The giant beast didn¡¯t even bother turning around and focused on tearing apart the mansion. Stryg drew Krikolm and leaped at him. He stabbed the scarlet blade into the monster¡¯s leg. Krikolm sank into the translucent, yet thick hide with ease and hungrily drank the black ichor within.


    Xyloth jerked back and sent Stryg crashing back. He glanced at the ichor seeping from his calf and then at the scarlet sword covered in the same black liquid. Xyloth narrowed his eyes and growled.


    Stryg grinned wryly, ¡°Finally got your attention, huh?¡± He shifted his feet and took a sword stance, but his step faltered and he swayed and almost tipped over. His vision swam and he suddenly felt dizzy. He could feel his mana being drained far more rapidly this close up to the beast, his void aura was overwhelming.


    Xyloth noticed the sudden lapse in focus and swiped his claws down on him.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Aurelia yelled and channeled Green.


    Vines bloomed from the earth and wrapped around the dragonbane¡¯s limbs, only to start withering at his touch. Xyloth pulled against the vines and lashed out with his claws. Stryg leaped to the side as the giant paw slammed into the ground behind him, sending debris everywhere.


    Stryg rolled and staggered to his feet. His heartbeat bellowed in his ears and a cold sweat ran down his back. The dragonbane was fast, faster than any opponent he had ever fought. He barely managed to dodge. If it hadn¡¯t been for the few remaining vines, then he would have¡­


    ¡°Move!¡± his mother screamed.


    Xyloth ripped through the last of the vines. Stryg¡¯s hands scribbled across nothingness with deft muscle memory. Red sigils burned in the air and formed a red dome around him. Xyloth raised both his arms and brought his fists down on the dome. The Red wards shattered and Stryg fell back, barely escaping the strike.


    The dragonbane raised his outstretched hand, claws glistening in the night, and raked his claws down. Blueberry jumped him from behind and sank his teeth into his shoulder. Xyloth flinched and his claws missed Stryg. He roared angrily and tried to brush off the frost wolf, but Blueberry dug his teeth in and shook his head rabidly, tearing at the flesh. Xyloth reached out with his free arm and managed to grab the wolf by the scruff of his neck. With a deep grunt, he yanked the wolf off and hurled him away.


    The frost wolf flew up into the air and crashed into the stables.


    ¡°Blueberry!¡± Stryg screamed and scrambled towards him.


    Blueberry tried to stand shakily but he collapsed with a whimper. Stryg reached his side and spotted a beam from the stables that had lodged into his underbelly. The wolf looked at him, fear in his pale blue eyes, and whined softly.


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg whispered. A hand grabbed his shoulder, he jerked at the gentle touch and looked up to see his mother standing beside him.


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t leave him!¡± cried Stryg in a broken voice.


    ¡°Blueberry is strong he¡¯ll survive, that monster doesn¡¯t care about him,¡± she pointed at the dragonbane.


    Xyloth had already lost interest and gone back to tearing through the mansion. Many servants tried to escape, but several were caught underneath the collapsing rubble, while others were caught by Xyloth, inspected, and then tossed away, flying fifty paces into the air before crashing to their deaths.


    ¡°We can come back for Blueberry after that monster gets whatever it came for,¡± said Aurelia.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let it have Maeve,¡± muttered Stryg.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop it. Look, its wounds are already healed!¡±


    Stryg stared at Blueberry and clenched his fists, ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­ I¡¯m going to kill it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even fight it. It¡¯s somehow draining our mana. I can feel our chromatic colors being ripped out from our bodies. I think it¡¯s worse because we¡¯re prime mages.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­¡±


    ¡°Even still what? Your magic can¡¯t hurt it! Stop thinking emotionally and think about your survival!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he muttered and glanced at Krikolm, the scarlet blade still drinking the last of the black ichor. ¡°My magic can¡¯t hurt it. But this can.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get close, the beast is too fast. You only managed the first time because it didn¡¯t see you as a threat. If you go in with that sword again it¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°If you can slow it down, even for a bit I can kill it.¡± He stood to his feet and took a deep breath.


    She furrowed her brow, ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and called forth Orange, Brown, and Yellow mana. The chromatic energies surged out from his heart and flowed through his body. A metallic bronze sheen wrapped over his muscles. Yellow outlines of protective scales formed across his blue skin. Orange mana dyed his veins a dark shade.


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°The three enhancement magics, you¡¯re using them all at once¡­? That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Stryg panted and grimaced as the conflicting energies burned through his body. His muscles constricted and his bones began to crack.


    ¡°Stop, it¡¯s killing you!¡± she said in a panic.


    He shook his head, ¡°I can take it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done this before?¡±


    ¡°For a few seconds,¡± he admitted.


    Aurelia grabbed his shoulders, ¡°My son, you need to stop this now before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Stryg glanced at his friend, whimpering softly beside him. He placed a comforting hand on the wolf¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯ll hold on, for as long as I have to.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    He glanced at Xyloth and gripped Krikolm tightly. ¡°I am the Sword of our Blood, I am the Bane of our Enemies, be it Monster or Man, I shall end them all.¡±

 Chapter 514: The Call

    Chapter 514: The Call


    Stryg glanced at Xyloth and gripped Krikolm tightly. ¡°I am the Sword of our Blood, I am the Bane of our Enemies, be it Monster or Man, I shall end them all.¡±


    Orange, Yellow, and Brown chromatic energies flowed through his body in a tenuous synchrony. He ran at the dragonbane tearing through the Mora mansion. Chunks of brick walls and broken wooden beams fell from the sky as Xyloth tossed the wreckage over his back.


    With deft steps, Stryg danced around the falling ruins and closed the gap. Xyloth glanced at him and swatted him with a backhand. Stryg clenched his teeth tight and ducked underneath and dashed in close. Krikolm lashed out in a wide red arc and sliced the dragonbane¡¯s ankle. Xyloth grunted in surprise and fell to one knee. In one quick swoop, he jabbed his fist down at the small blue creature.


    Stryg swirled to the side and barely dodged the massive fist as it bore a small crate into the ground. Xyloth¡¯s widened in surprise. Stryg couldn¡¯t help but grin in triumph. The beast was absurdly fast, but with the tri-spell enhancements, he could hold his own.


    His pointed floppy ears twitched at a slight whir in the air. Stryg snapped his eyes up and saw the barbed tail coming down at him. It was too close, he couldn¡¯t dodge it.


    A spear of pure lighting struck the tail and it recoiled in pain. ¡°Focus!¡± Aurelia yelled.


    ¡°R-Right!¡± Stryg yelled and jumped back a few steps. He glanced at the charred skin on Xyloth¡¯s tail. She actually hurt it¡­!


    His magic wasn¡¯t powerful enough to pierce its flesh, but his mother was an Ebon Lord, her magic had. The small but vital discovery gave him hope.


    As if to deny him that hope, Xyloth growled and his flesh knit itself back together in front of their very eyes.


    Stryg flourished Krikolm and fell into a Gale stance. ¡°Aim for its eyes!¡±


    ~~~


    Pain reverberated through Loh¡¯s body. Her limbs felt like broken branches, pushed too far until they snapped. She could hardly hear anything, save for a sharp ringing in her ears. The cold rain stung her open wounds in a pitter-patter of pain.


    Loh opened her eyes blearily and sat up with a grimace. Seneschal Lily and the Noir guards were strewn across the street. The shockwave had knocked them all down in the blink of an eye.


    It¡¯s my fault¡­


    She had noticed the black spear Marek carried, but she hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at it in the rain. The damn thing was made of orichalcum, just like Unalla¡¯s Votum.


    A sharp yelp and then a choked cry caught Loh¡¯s attention. Marek stood over one of her guards, his spear impaled on the young drow¡¯s chest. Marek dug the spear in a little deeper with a wild look in his eyes. The drow stiffened with a groan and suddenly went limp as blood pooled underneath him.


    ¡°One more¡­ that¡¯s one more¡­¡± Marek ripped the spear out of the corpse and moved to another guard when his eyes met Loh¡¯s. He stopped and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re still alive. Good. I wanted to thank you.¡±


    Loh stood up but her left leg buckled underneath her. A sharp pain shot up from her shin all the way up her spine. She cursed under her breath and tried her best not to cry out. Her grandfather had warned her that even with the healing spell, she needed to rest if her leg was to recover.


    Not now, she thought. Not yet!


    ¡°You know,¡± Marek said casually as he ran his fingers across the orichalcum spear. ¡°It feels like fire is boring into my veins every time I pick it up. I¡¯d say you get used to it, but I can hardly hold it for more than a few minutes at a time.¡± He scoffed, ¡°Who carries a weapon they can¡¯t even wield? I didn¡¯t think I needed a faulty weapon like this. If it wasn¡¯t for Dawn I would have left it behind. But she always insisted I carry the spear around; practice with it, train to wield it, that sort of thing.¡±


    He chuckled to himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would work. Until I came into your city. Ever since then, I¡¯ve been feeling the spear begin to stir. Small bursts of power here and there. And then you came, with that look of anger in your eyes. I know it well, I carry that same anger within myself, the anger of loss and hatred, not just at the one who took it all from you, but hatred towards yourself. I think it''s because of you that the spear has truly begun to awaken from its eon-long slumber.¡±


    He closed his eyes and held the spar shaft to his ear, ¡°It¡¯s whispering to me now. I can almost hear its name, but first, it wants, no, it yearns for¡­¡± He opened his blue eyes and smiled, ¡°Death.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± she spat.


    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ve lost everything, perhaps my sanity as well.¡±


    Orange mana ignited in Loh¡¯s hand and she hurled a ball of fire at him. He casually swatted it away with a Yellow gust of wind. ¡°I¡¯ve already recovered from your drain spell. Whereas it seems you¡¯ve lost whatever little strength left in that broken body of yours.¡±


    Loh tried to stand up once more, but she just fell over into a puddle of water.


    ¡°Still trying? Perhaps I¡¯m not the only one who''s lost their sanity,¡± Marek shook his head in disdain and closed in on her.


    ~~~


    The ground shook as Xyloth rushed at Stryg. He weaved around the dragonbane¡¯s attacks, narrowly avoiding each strike. Searing flames rained down from the sky in a torrent of orange light and splashed over the monster¡¯s face. The heat scorched Xyloth¡¯s eyes and he roared in pain.


    ¡°Now!¡± Aurelia yelled.


    Stryg silently thanked her and leaped at Xyloth, Krikolm held high. The dragonbane fell on all fours and lashed his tail out in a wide circle, thrashing all about. Stryg tried to dodge in midair, but the tail caught his leg. The sheer force sent him crashing into the ground like a fly under a giant¡¯s swing. His Yellow protective scales shattered on impact. Stryg coughed and sucked in a deep painful breath.


    ¡°No! Leave them be!¡± Maeve shouted desperately.


    Stryg flinched at her voice. He turned and saw the vampiress standing in the manor¡¯s doorway. She was leaning heavily on the wall and her breath was short. Her pale blonde hair was drenched with sweat and her skin was sickly pale. The True Red magic had taken its toll on her body.


    And still, Maeve stood tall, her scarlet eyes unwavering. ¡°Your Master sent you here for me, right!? Then leave them be! I¡¯m here.¡±


    Xyloth¡¯s eyes snapped open, his oily-black eyes healed. He glanced at the vampiress in recognition and bared his fangs in a wide smile.


    ¡°Take me and go,¡± she said.


    ¡°Maeve, no¡­¡± Stryg called out weakly. The tri-enhancements were falling apart and the dragonbane¡¯s aura was causing him to feel sick.


    Vines as thick as tree trunks lurched out from the cobblestone and latched onto Xyloth. He roared and tore at them. Dozens of shadow tendrils swirled around him and held him back while the vines regrew as quickly as they withered away at his touch.


    ¡°Stryg, get her out of here!¡± yelled Aurelia, hands outstretched and shaking. ¡°Stryg!¡±


    He faintly registered her words. His eyes were drawn to the black mass pulsating between the dragonbane¡¯s ribs. Stryg stood shakily and wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his hand. ¡°I see it now, you bastard.¡±


    With a snarl, Xyloth pulled against the magical restraints and raked his claws at Stryg. He whirled past the dragonbane¡¯s hand and lunged forward with Krikolm. The scarlet blade slid through two ribs and sank deep into the black heart. The sword eagerly drank the black ichor and ripped apart the organ from within.


    Xyloth shrieked a thundering screeching sound and Stryg yanked the sword out as they both fell back. The last of the spell weaves broke and Stryg collapsed with an exhausted gasp.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Aurelia rushed to his side. ¡°Stryg, are you alright!?¡± she asked desperately.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine,¡± he grinned with a wince.


    Aurelia sighed in relief, then covered her hand in protective scales and slapped him across the face. ¡°What were you thinking!? I told you to get out of here!¡±


    Stryg rubbed his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I got it. I got its heart.¡±


    ¡°...HEART¡­¡± a deep voice rumbled. Xyloth lurched back up. Black ichor oozed from the wound between his ribs. From the center and right of his chest, beneath the translucent flesh, two black masses pulsated more heavily at the loss of their third.


    A cold shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s back. ¡°It has three hearts¡­!?¡±


    The wound sealed itself and the last heart began to beat steadily. Xyloth snarled and spread his wings. He opened his jaw wide and his ribs swelled.


    Stryg, Maeve, and Aurelia fell to their knees in a coughing fit. It felt as if the dragonbane¡¯s aura had grown several times in intensity. The chromatic mana within them was leached out like an icy hand ripping through their chests.


    Pinpricks of light grew in the depths of the dragonbane¡¯s eyes. White and black flames ignited in the back of his throat. Xyloth turned his head to Stryg and breathed in deeply.


    Aurelia staggered to her feet and stood in front of her son. Protective scales wrapped around her skin. Her fingers burned red sigils into the air. She threw her hands forward as if holding back a storm and channeled with all her might. Several layers of wards appeared before her. Slabs of compressed stone shot up from the ground. A web of vines surged to life around them in a dense shield.


    Xyloth pulled his head back and spewed scorching flames from the void and the world went up in an inferno of black and white fire.


    ~~~


    Stryg awoke to the noise of bricks collapsing and the shattering of lumber. Xyloth was rummaging through the wreckage of the Mora estate, searching for Maeve. He hadn¡¯t aimed the void flames at her, but the destructive energies had destroyed the manor and its walls had collapsed on top of everyone still inside.


    Stryg looked around in a daze for Krikolm. The edge of the scarlet sword was poking out from a slab of a broken wall. He then glanced about and searched for Maeve. But, he spotted Aurelia lying a few paces behind him. Dark red blood seeped from beneath her shattered breastplate.


    A wordless choking noise escaped Stryg¡¯s mouth. He stumbled over to her on his hands and knees. He gripped the edges of her breastplate and tore it off. A deep bloody gash ran from her ribs all the way down her waist.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Stryg cried out. He tried to channel a healing spell, but there was no white mana left in his veins. He thought desperately for any spell that might help.


    Searing the wound perhaps?


    He searched for Orange, but there was none left within him. He reached anxiously for any of the chromatic colors, but none answered.


    ¡°No,¡± he cried softly and placed his hands over the wound, but it was too large. The warm forest-green skin around the gash had lost all color and the veins had turned sickly dark. This wasn¡¯t a cut, nor a burn, Stryg realized in despair. It was some sort of wound caused by the exposure of the void energies.


    Aurelia opened her eyes faintly. ¡°Stryg¡­¡± she whispered.


    He looked at her, his eyes full of tears. ¡°Mom! It¡¯s going to be okay. I¡¯m not¡ªI¡¯m not going to let you¡­¡± He grit his teeth and tried to channel anything, any color that might answer. He reached out to the air, trying to draw mana into himself, but the dragonbane had absorbed all the chromatic energy in the area.


    Stryg noticed the flower cloak on his shoulders. Blossom wasn¡¯t made from chromatic energies, but elemental life magic weaved by the fairies of Glimmer Grove.


    Perhaps the elemental power had proven resilient against the dragonbane? He tore off Blossom and wrapped it around his mother. ¡°Please, work, please,¡± he pleaded with a whisper.


    Blood soaked into the white petals but he did not sense any magic. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working? Why isn¡¯t it working!?¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m right here,¡± he grabbed her hand. ¡°Stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Our village¡­ underneath the planks¡­ in my room¡­ Find the book¡­¡±


    Stryg remembered the owl¡¯s omen and the words Aurelia had imparted to him if something were to happen. He shook his head, ¡°No. No, you¡¯re not going to die!¡± He tried to smile bravely, ¡°You¡¯re not dying, I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    Aurelia placed her trembling hand over his cheek and smiled, ¡°My beautiful son¡­ it¡¯s going to be okay¡­ you are going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± he swallowed hard and leaned his head onto her palm.


    ¡°You need to run now¡­ live.¡±


    He smiled weakly. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± His smile broke, ¡°Mom¡­? Mom!?¡± He placed his ear over her chest and listened closely for a pulse. Tears welled up in his eyes and his heart clenched tightly. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ You can¡¯t¡­¡±


    He broke down in tears and sobbed over his mother¡¯s body, his cries muffled by the rain and wind. The droplets of water fell unceasingly, until a few slowed to a trembling halt and began to swirl around him silently.


    ~~~


    Fox fire and whirlwinds of frost tore through the Commoner District¡¯s streets as two goddesses clashed against one another.


    Scorch marks and burnt fur riddled Lunae¡¯s body. Dark purple blood seeped from a few of the wounds, but bright red fox blood stained her fangs.


    Claw marks covered Lin Lu¡¯s white fur. She limped from a deep bite on her hind leg. ¡°Even without the moon, you¡¯re still a threat,¡± Lin Lu muttered with a slight smile to her lips.


    Lunae said nothing and only growled.


    The two goddesses circled one another, searching for an opening, when the rain all around them began to vibrate and fall upwards. Droplets of their purple and scarlet blood rose in turn and fell into the night sky.


    Lin Lu frowned. ¡°What is this?¡±


    Lunae¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ~~~


    Marek kicked Loh in the gut and sneered as she fell back gasping for breath. He placed the point of the spear over her back. ¡°What was that you said? When you got in my way? You are just like me? Because we¡¯re both dead?¡±


    Loh glared up at him with a swollen eye and spat blood at his feet.


    Marek smiled, ¡°I suppose you were half right.¡± He raised the spear with both hands and aimed at her neck, then paused. The rain droplets on his arms were¡­ rising?


    ~~~


    Holo sat hidden in an abandoned home in the Trade District. Her wounds were taking much longer to heal than normal. Caligo had maimed her over and over until even her body was struggling to regenerate.


    Kaleidrog¡¯s appearance had given her a chance to escape. She hoped the dragon lord would buy her enough time to heal herself and aid in the fight.


    The dust on the windowsill suddenly began to shake, then float towards the glass. Holo stared, taken aback, at the sight, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    She rushed outside. All around her, the rain was being pulled towards an unknown epicenter.


    Her face paled in fear and she began to quiver uncontrollably. ¡°No, no¡­! He can¡¯t be here! Why is he here!?¡± She stopped and furrowed her brow, ¡°Unless¡­ It isn¡¯t¡­?¡± Her head snapped up. ¡°Stryg!?¡±


    Orange mana filled her veins and she Flickered towards the epicenter.


    ~~~


    Melantha dashed across the rooftops at breakneck speeds. It took all of Unalla¡¯s strength to hold on and not be torn off by the winds. The rain slammed into her face and made it hard to breathe, but then it suddenly stopped. Melantha slowed down and landed on the street.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Unalla asked.


    Melantha narrowed her lilac eyes and stared at the rising rain. ¡°You need to go.¡± She lowered Unalla off her back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s happening? Are you doing this? Is it some kind of torrent spell?¡±


    Melantha raised her hand, palm open, and watched as the water droplets floated off her fingertips, ¡°No. This is no spell. It¡¯s gravity.¡± She curled her fingers into a fist. ¡°Get as far away from the city as you can.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe anymore.¡±


    ¡°Not safe?¡± Unalla laughed incredulously, ¡°When was it ever safe?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t protect you from this. Once it¡¯s begun, nothing can.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s smile fell at her words. ¡°Melantha¡­¡±


    ¡°You need to run away.¡± She glanced at the direction the rain was flowing and dashed towards it in a burst of speed.


    ~~~


    Rain swirled around the remnants of the Mora estate and began to undulate in a rhythmic pulse. Stryg sat at its center, kneeling next to his mother¡¯s body. He leaned over her, his head bowed, hands wrapped around hers.


    Xyloth pulled a large slab of brick off the manor¡¯s wreckage and found Maeve underneath. A shard of wood was lodged into her calf. She looked up at the monster and cried out in fear.


    Her voice echoed in the air. Stryg heard it as if it was a distant memory, a dream. He didn¡¯t move; only stared at his mother¡¯s pale face.


    This wasn¡¯t a dream. It was a nightmare.


    Maeve tried to drag herself away from the wreckage. Xyloth leaned forward and picked her up. She screamed and thrashed in his grip, but his fingers were like steel bars.


    Her screams seemed further away now, fading at the edge of the nightmare.


    ¡°MAV¡­ MAEVE¡­¡± said Xyloth.


    Stryg twitched at the voice. Head bowed, shoulders still slumped, he slowly let go of his mother¡¯s hand and breathed in softly, ¡°¡­Heed my call ¡­Svartna.¡±


    ~~~


    Svartna sang with metallic glee at its master¡¯s call. The orichalcum spear surged with power and ripped out of Marek¡¯s hand, sending him careening backwards.


    The spear shot into the air and flew across the Villa District, ripping through buildings in a high-pitched whistling noise. Svartna tore past the Mora estate and lanced straight through Xyloth¡¯s elbow. The dragonbane flinched back and dropped Maeve. He roared in pain and held his limp bleeding arm.


    Svartna landed in the mud two paces in front of its master, proudly standing tall covered in black ichor.


    Faint, cold light leaked from Stryg¡¯s blue skin. He slowly stood up and opened his eyes. His slit pupils were narrow and the lilac irises had expanded, covering the sclera. His vision had fallen into a world of black shades and silver rippling outlines. But there was only one figure in his sight, one being who held his attention.


    The dragonbane.


    Stryg reached out and seized Svartna.

 Chapter 515: Monsters

    Chapter 515: Monsters


    The spear shot into the air and flew across the Villa District, ripping through buildings in a high-pitched whistling noise. Svartna tore past the Mora estate and lanced straight through Xyloth¡¯s elbow. The dragonbane flinched back and dropped Maeve. He roared in pain and held his limp bleeding arm.


    Svartna landed in the mud two paces in front of its master, standing tall and proud, and covered in black ichor.


    Faint, cold light leaked from Stryg¡¯s blue skin. He slowly stood up and opened his eyes. His slit pupils were narrow and the lilac irises had expanded, covering the sclera. His vision had fallen into a world of black shades and silver rippling outlines. There was only one he saw, one being who held his attention.


    The dragonbane.


    Stryg reached out and seized Svartna. The cold touch of chaos mana flowed through his body and into the spear, bathing Svartna in a faint blue glow.


    Translucent flesh and grey muscles knitted themselves back together over Xyloth¡¯s elbow. The black ichor covering his arm pulled back into the wound until there was nothing left, not even a blemish. He turned on Stryg and he swiped his tail at the mansion¡¯s wreckage, sending debris flying everywhere.


    Maeve threw her hands over her head and curled in a ball as bricks and broken wood fell all around her. The sight of the vampiress cowering sent a pang of worry through Stryg, but it was drowned out by the cold primal sensation consuming him.


    Xyloth stared at the small blue creature in mild confusion. He tried to draw in the goblin¡¯s mana, but there was nothing left to feed upon, and yet there the goblin stood, overflowing with strange energies. The spear was somehow feeding him power. An instinctual hunger filled Xyloth and he snarled at his prey in envious greed.


    Spreading his feet apart, the dragonbane planted his hands on the ground and roared. The ground shook from the deep below and sent tremors across the entire estate. Stryg glared at him and screamed an unnatural noise of unbridled rage. Maeve flinched at the ear-splitting sound and cried out in pain.


    Xyloth charged him like a boulder hurtling down a hill with unstoppable force. Stryg didn¡¯t turn, he dashed forward and met him head-on. Xyloth opened his maw wide, fangs glistening, and snapped his jaws out. At the last moment, Stryg rolled underneath, landed on one knee, and thrust Svartna upwards.


    The spear pierced through the dragonbane¡¯s thick flesh and hardened ebon ribs. The spearhead buried itself deep into his pulsating heart.


    Xyloth shouted a guttural shriek and smacked Stryg away with the back of his giant hand. Stryg went flying like a trebuchet boulder and crashed into the ground. He tore through the cobblestone and left a deep groove in the ground.


    The dragonbane prowled towards him and stretched out his claws. Stryg snapped open his eyes and leaped at him. His fist met Xyloth¡¯s chest with an audible crack and sent the dragonbane tumbling back.


    Xyloth gasped for air and looked up in surprise.


    How had such a small creature managed to push him back?


    ¡°Svartna,¡± said Stryg calmly. The spear flew back into his hand without missing a beat.


    Xyloth took a step forward and grimaced in pain. He glanced at the small fist-sized imprint on his chest where his sternum had caved in. Something was wrong. The pain wasn¡¯t dissipating. The bones and muscles weren¡¯t regenerating, nor was the stab wound; his heart wasn¡¯t healing its injuries and remained lifeless. Black ichor oozed out from the spear wound without any sign of coagulation.


    Xyloth glanced at his prey with newfound caution. The aura of light around Stryg was growing brighter and the silver light was leaking through his clothes now. The swirling rain around the estate was pulsating in a strange rhythm and was slowly picking up speed.


    The dragonbane took a step back and narrowed his ebon-black eyes. The spear wasn¡¯t feeding his prey power, it was the other way around. There was something off about this creature.


    ¡°What are you waiting for!?¡± Stryg bared his teeth and hissed.


    Xyloth growled and lashed out with his barbed tail in a flashing strike. Stryg dodged the stinger and snatched the tail mid-strike. He gritted his teeth and pulled. Xyloth shouted in surprise as Stryg yanked him forward and threw him across the estate.


    The massive beast flew through the air, his wings flailing about, and crashed into the manor¡¯s wreckage in an explosion of debris. Stryg kicked off the ground and dashed at him with blinding speed.


    He was atop Xyloth before he had a chance to get up. Stryg grabbed Svartna with both hands and sank the spear into the dragonbane¡¯s back. Xyloth roared in pain and snatched Stryg in his hand and tossed him away, his talons raking all over the goblin¡¯s body.


    Stryg skidded off the rubble like a skipping stone and landed near the stables. Blueberry called out to him in a worried whine, but the injured wolf¡¯s voice fell on deaf ears.


    Stryg staggered to his feet. His skin had been torn across his body, exposing muscle and bone underneath. Dark purple blood seeped from the wounds. He cracked his neck with a grimace.


    The light leaking from within flared and his skin began to writhe. Severed muscle fibers intertwined back with one another and broken bones reaffixed themselves seamlessly. Blood vessels reconnected and blue skin knit itself together.


    Stryg closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled coolly. ¡°Svartna.¡±


    The spear whizzed through the air and into his palm.


    Xyloth circled him warily. The prey was not only fast, he was strong, and his regeneration seemed on par with his own. His Master had never spoken of a prey like this.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Stryg opened his eyes and his slit pupils constricted at the sight of the dragonbane. He gripped his spear and attacked, but this time Xyloth was ready. The dragonbane jumped back, evading the spear thrust, and slammed his hand down in an open-palm strike. Instead of dodging, Stryg held his ground and stabbed the spear straight into the giant palm. Black blood gushed over him as the spear severed tendons and veins even as the palm crushed him underneath its weight.


    The dragonbane yanked his hand away, ripping the spear clean off. Stryg jumped to his feet and lunged at Xyloth. He landed on the beast and shoved Svartna into his second heart. Xyloth roared a primal shriek and lashed out in a frenzy, tearing the cobblestone all around. Stryg jumped away and landed calmly on his feet.


    Xyloth staggered back and clutched at his bleeding chest. Ichor poured profusely out from the two wounds across his ribs. Neither heart was healing, nor were his ribs or the stab on his shoulder, whereas the small creature¡¯s wounds were regenerating in front of his eyes. Xyloth held his hand protectively over his last heart and stared at Stryg cagily.


    The small creature was practically brimming with silver-blue light now, like a bonfire in the dark. The prey was not like the others he had encountered in these lands, Xyloth realized. It was not a prey, it was another predator.


    And it needed to die.


    Xyloth inhaled deeply and his rib cage expanded. He opened his maw wide. Black and white void flames burned at the back of his throat. Without hesitation, Stryg pulled his arm back and hurled Svartna. The spear whirred past in a blur and tore through the dragonbane¡¯s neck.


    Xyloth jerked back and coughed up ichor. He stumbled to the side and wheezed while choking on his own blood. If he hadn¡¯t moved at the last moment, the spear would have severed his spinal cord.


    ¡°Svartna.¡±


    The word made Xyloth stiffen. His wounds weren¡¯t healing and he was beginning to feel faint by the loss of blood. He wheezed for breath, but blood kept filling his throat. For the first time in his life, panic rose within him. He needed to retreat, he needed to find his siblings.


    Spreading his wings, Xyloth bent his legs, and leaped into the air.


    ¡°Get back here!¡± Stryg screamed and threw the spear after him.


    Xyloth twisted his body, but the orichalcum spear still sliced his leg.


    ¡°Svartna!¡±


    The spear spun around as it fell and flew to its master¡¯s side. Stryg pulled Svartna back for another throw but Xyloth was already a grey speck in the night sky. Stryg ran after him. He jumped atop the last remnants of the Mora mansion and leaped into the air.


    The ground fell behind him for a moment, then he fell and crashed.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Stryg roared in frustration.


    Lunae had promised that he¡¯d learn to fly.


    She had lied.


    Her words echoed faintly in his mind.


    Not all magic is spell-casting. Spell weaves require concentration and precision, magic does not. Will. That is the only thing in magic that truly matters. The will to change that which you see, that which you feel¡­ the will to change oneself.


    She had lied.


    There was only one thing he wanted and he couldn¡¯t have it. The thought consumed his very consciousness.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Lunae had lied. It didn¡¯t matter if there was no chromatic Yellow mana left in his body. It didn¡¯t matter if it felt as if his body was being pulled apart, being scorched from within.


    Insignificant pain was drowned out by the thought of his mother lying there in the rain, blood seeping into her clothes.


    There was only one thing Stryg wanted, only one he willed to change.


    He leaped into the air and soared above the mansion for a single breath. Then he felt the pull of gravity and he began to fall.


    Not yet! NOT YET!!


    He reached his hand out to the clouds, to the rain, to the darkness beyond. An icy fire surged across his back. Silver feathers burst from his shoulder blades.


    The pair of wings unfurled and slammed the air down in a blast of wind. Stryg shot into the sky in an arrow of light and the rain followed like a robe of storms.


    He spotted the fleeing dragonbane among the clouds and crashed into his back. Xyloth shouted in surprise and spun around mid-air in a panic. Stryg screamed and stabbed Svartna into his back. Xyloth shrieked and tried to rip him away, but the silver wings curled around Stryg in a protective dome.


    Strength surged through Stryg as the light within him grew brighter and brighter. His claws elongated to ivory talons and he dug them into Xyloth¡¯s flesh.


    Another dragonbane noticed the struggle and she swooped down from the clouds to help her sibling. A dragon followed behind her, flames trailing out of his mouth.


    Stryg raked his talons across Xyloth¡¯s back as he thrashed in the air. Stryg spotted the second dragonbane hurtling down from above and a primal roar of defiance escaped his lips. His lilac eyes burned bright and the light within him erupted.


    The swirling rain contracted around Stryg and the silver-blue glow surged outwards and exploded in a mass of blinding light, swallowing clouds and the nearby dragons and dragonbanes.


    The sky lit up as if a second sun had materialized above the city. The sphere of light expanded, devouring the night, then it suddenly retracted and imploded, sending roiling shockwaves throughout the sky and the city below.


    The blast left behind a massive hole among the clouds, like the eye of a storm. And at its center, a small trail of smoke plummeted to the earth. Stryg crashed into a merchant¡¯s home in the Bourge District, destroying the house in a thundering blast.


    His wings took the brunt of the impact. They were bent at odd angles from where the bones had broken. The silver feathers were mangled and covered in specks of dark purple blood.


    A quiet wet squelching noise echoed in the ruins of the house as the broken wings slowly retracted into his back. The inner light had faded away.


    Stryg opened his eyes weakly. He tried to stand but his legs buckled underneath him and he fell over on his side. He breathed heavily and slowly sat up. He glanced down and realized he was naked.


    What happened¡­?


    Was he¡ª flying?


    The thought of wings seemed ludicrous and he would have dismissed it as a concussion¡¯s hallucination if it weren¡¯t for the silver feathers lying around. He stared at his hands; there were no talons, only his ordinary claws.


    He¡¯d been fighting, the memory returned to him in fragments. He had been fighting a monster like none he had ever seen. His mother, she¡ª


    Stryg paled at the thought. ¡°Mom¡­¡± he whispered in a broken voice.


    ¡°My, oh my. Lin-Lu¡¯s worries were right after all. You really are more than any of us could have imagined.¡±


    Stryg turned to the voice. A pair of iridescent eyes were watching him from the shadows of the wreckage. A woman, no, a giant, stepped out from the shadows. Jade hair, almost as pale as snow. Warm brown skin. And curling pink lips.


    A capelet of black feathers hugged her shoulders and a dress of darkness wrapped around her body.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but stare in mute surprise. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified at her presence. He recognized those eyes, irises constantly shifting through infinite colors.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Monster.¡±


    She smiled wryly, ¡°Oh, child. We are both Monsters.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°You¡¯re The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    She took off her capelet and tossed it over him. On his small frame, the capelet of black feathers was more of a cloak. ¡°I am Ananta. I believe you and I are due for a talk.¡±

 Chapter 516: Love

    Chapter 516: Love


    ¡°My, oh my. Lin-Lu¡¯s worries were right after all. You really are more than any of us could have imagined.¡±


    Stryg turned to the voice. A pair of iridescent eyes were watching him from the shadows of the wreckage. A woman, no, a giant, stepped out from the shadows. Jade hair, almost as pale as snow. Warm brown skin. And curling pink lips


    A capelet of black feathers hugged her shoulders and a dress of darkness was wrapped around her body.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but stare in mute surprise. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified at her presence. He recognized those eyes, irises constantly shifting through infinite colors.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Monster.¡±


    She smiled wryly, ¡°Oh, child. We are both Monsters.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°You¡¯re The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    She took off her capelet and tossed it over him. On his small frame, the capelet of feathers was more of a cloak. ¡°I am Ananta. I believe you and I are due for a talk.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked warily.


    She ignored the question and looked around at the wreckage of the merchant¡¯s house. ¡°You certainly made quite the entrance. Though, I imagine if your powers hadn¡¯t exploded in the sky the destruction down here would have been far more drastic.¡± She laughed, ¡°You would have obliterated half the Villa District I reckon.¡±


    Her words brought back mental fragments, flashes of silver-blue light, and a freezing inferno threatening to swallow him whole. He held his head in his hands and grimaced. ¡°I¡­ did that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, it was quite the sight. You killed several dragons. Of course, you also killed three of my precious dragonbane in the process,¡± she muttered, then shrugged, ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining. Kaleidrog was so stunned by your eruption that I was able to deal a fatal blow to him.¡±


    ¡°Kaleidrog?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he would have hated you, believe me. But you don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore. All thanks to you. You and I make a good team, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    As she spoke, Stryg¡¯s eyes darted around and searched the wreckage for Svartna. He spotted the orichalcum spear lying underneath a broken limestone column.


    ¡°Svartna,¡± he whispered.


    Nothing happened. He repeated the words. The ebon spear did not answer.


    Ananta followed his troubled gaze. ¡°There is no need for that. Did you think I was going to hurt you?¡± She laughed lightly, ¡°How many times must I tell you, I am your friend.¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Did you not get the letter I sent to you at Undergrowth?¡±


    Stryg looked down and recalled the words. ¡°If you are ever in need of a true friend, you need only look into the shadows,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Signed, Your dear friend, Ann.¡± She grinned, ¡°You do remember.¡±


    ¡°Why did you send me that?¡± he asked cautiously.


    ¡°Because I am your friend, of course. Though, I¡¯m not certain you are mine,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Nonetheless, I have been your friend ever since we met 4 years ago.¡±


    ¡°F-Four? The first time we met was in the Dark Fringe, that was two years ago.¡±


    ¡°So you do remember the Dark Fringe, that¡¯s good, I wasn¡¯t certain you would. That place devours everything, even such ethereal things as memories if you¡¯re not careful. I hoped the awakening of your powers would restore your broken memories.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°What do you know of my memories?¡±


    ¡°But it seems not,¡± she said wryly. ¡°Ah well, no matter.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here? Why are you attacking Hollow Shade?¡± He struggled to his feet. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°All important questions. I¡¯m not certain you are ready for all those answers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d answer them if you¡¯re really my friend.¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Well spoken. Hmm, I suppose we have some time. Very well.¡± Ananta walked up to him.


    Stryg unconsciously took a step back. She towered over him, he didn¡¯t even reach her hip. Her mere presence reminded him of the dragonbane. Her aura was cold, almost lifeless, but it did not devour the magic in the air like the dragonbane, it was self-contained, like a predator watching its prey.


    Ananta tossed her dagger aside. Votum clattered to the floor near Svartna and the two orichalcum weapons hummed with resonating power. Ananta lowered herself and sat in front of Stryg with crossed legs, even then she still was taller than him.


    ¡°You wish to know why I¡¯m here? Why I kill these¡ª people you deem friends?¡± she asked quietly, her iridescent eyes alight with interest.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Are you certain? You may not like what you hear.¡±


    ¡°...Yes,¡± he nodded somewhat hesitantly.


    ¡°Hm,¡± she smiled knowingly. ¡°Our story begins before the Schism shattered the Realm Bridges, before the Nexus Age when the mortal Parathyan created the Realm Gates, before the scholars of old tried to put back the world in the Age of Memory¡­¡± Her eyes darkened for a moment, ¡°Before the Sundering shattered the Realm into ten. Our story begins long ago, when the realm¡¯s World Soul was still young.¡±


    ¡°Back then only elemental species and animals roamed the land. Conflict was common. The younger elemental species fought against one another for the small bits of land they had carved out and called their own. As for most of the land, well, it was claimed by the wilds, and the rest belonged to the elder elementals and they rarely shared anything.¡±


    ¡°Among the 11 elder elemental species, first of the World Soul¡¯s creations, there was one that was different from the rest. One species who was not beholden to their nature, for their nature was ever-changing. Not even the World Soul could predict their motives, desires, and aspirations. They were wonderfully unique and the World Soul fell in love with these people, the titans.¡±


    ¡°She loved them so much that she imparted a fragment of her own essence into an unborn titan child. And so the World Soul¡¯s first and only child was born into the Realm. Her name was Love, for the fragment her mother imparted into her was the culmination of her love.¡±


    ¡°She sounds¡­ powerful,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°She was,¡± Ananta said warmly. ¡°Love was the only being in the entire world gifted with the powers of the World Soul, powers far greater than any of her kindred. The titans considered her birth a divine blessing and they were most proud. Some of the other elder elementals were not so welcoming of Love. The Behemoths were distrustful. The Phoenixes outright hated her. While others such as the Sea Serpents did not care whatsoever and preferred the solitude of their oceans.¡±


    ¡°None of this stopped Love, of course. Like her mother, she cared for the titans, in fact, Love cared about all elemental species, not only the elder kind, but the younger and mortal species as well. Even as a child, she set out to protect them, fighting any beast or monster that tried to harm the mortals or their settlements. She inspired many titans in the wake of her achievements and soon enough, many began to follow her, not just titans but mortal elementals as well.¡±


    ¡°In time, Love would build her own territory around their lands, a bulwark to protect all who lived inside, mortal or immortal, it did not matter to her. And it was for that very reason that they adored her and crowned her their queen. From that day forward, she would be known to her people as the Titan Queen, Selyndra.¡±


    Ananta opened her arms wide and smiled softly, ¡°And so the Age of Titans began. For over a thousand years, the Vesir Queendom prospered under Love¡¯s reign. They grew and developed, not only as a people, but in various fields; engineering, agriculture, architecture¡­ magic. One day, her greatest scholars developed a way to pierce the Dark Fringe that separated our world from the Null and peer into the Null¡¯s endless expanse.¡±


    ¡°Spurred by curiosity and the desire to connect, Love sent out a call into the Null, and she sent one out every day hence, for several decades. Until, one day, someone answered. His voice traveled across the Null, curious and soft-spoken.¡±


    ¡°Love was ecstatic and with the help of her scholars and her own immense power they managed to build a gate, a doorway for this strange visitor to arrive through the darkness of the Null. When he stepped through the gate the Titans were surprised; he was a primordial being like the World Soul, but unlike her, he was not bound to a planet. He had a corporeal form that could roam from one world to another. He was a quiet, curious¡ª wanderer. He called himself Unildyr.¡±


    ¡°Like all primordials, Unildyr was the progenitor of his own unique ethereal energy, or mana. It was far more aggressive than most, for his energy devoured all others. We called it the Dark, though scholars nowadays would refer to it as void.¡±


    ¡°Void mana¡­?¡± Stryg whispered in realization.


    ¡°Indeed. As its progenitor, Unildyr¡¯s natural aura was so great that it was like poison to anyone who came too close. As you can imagine, many in the Vesir Queendom feared this power. Some held more resistance to his aura than others, but none could stay in his presence for long, save one, Love.¡±


    ¡°Love wasn¡¯t scared of Unildyr, in fact, she was drawn to him. She wanted to know more about the vast sea of darkness that was the Null and the worlds beyond her own. Unildyr happily obliged, for he found her company soothing.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, he could not stay for long. He may not have been a bound primordial like the World Soul, but he was a primordial nonetheless, and he had obligations in other worlds. So, after a time, Unildyr left. He returned every so often, sometimes after a few days, other times after several years. And every time he returned, Love was there waiting for him.¡±


    ¡°The two quickly became friends and soon something more. One day, after Unildyr had left, Love discovered she was pregnant.¡± Ananta clasped her hands together and bowed her head, ¡°Unfortunately, the blood of Unildyr ran through her unborn child and it carried not only her own power but her lover¡¯s. The unborn child¡¯s void aura was poisoning Love from the inside, and not even she was immune to its effects.¡±


    ¡°Her council urged her to not have the baby. But Love refused to give up on her unborn child. She desperately waited for Unildyr to return, but the Null was a place of boundless darkness, the fact that she had even managed to reach Unildyr the first time was nothing short of a miracle. Trying to send a direct message to him through the gate without some sort of direction was practically impossible. And so the months passed by and Love¡¯s condition grew worse. Still, she did not give up, even when her own mother, the World Soul, advised her to save her own life. In the end, the Titan Queen passed away as she gave birth to her daughter¡­¡± Ananta smiled sadly, ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Love¡¯s daughter?¡± Stryg whispered in surprise.


    ¡°I am.¡± She inclined her head,  ¡°I am Ananta, last Queen of the Titans. Daughter of the first Titan Queen, Selyndra, and the Dark Visitor, Unildyr. Like you, I am a hybrid.¡±


    Despite her imposing appearance and the nature of her tale, her words somehow brought comfort to Stryg. He shook his head at the thought. ¡°Why are you attacking Hollow Shade? What does a story about your family have to do with any of this?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    The look of sincerity in her eyes gave Stryg pause. Her gaze was deep, almost unfathomable, but he could see something at the end, for he recognized it within himself, pain. A pain that would not disappear, no matter how many years passed. ¡°You lost your mother.¡±


    ¡°It seems so have you.¡±


    He glared at her. ¡°Because of your monsters.¡±


    ¡°It was never my intention to hurt your mother. I am sorry, Stryg,¡± her words were quiet, but they held no malice or mockery. ¡°You must see me as a monster. I suppose I am, but this world sees me as nothing else. I only ask that you give me a chance to show you otherwise.¡±


    Stryg tried to awaken the burning rage that had been consuming him a few minutes earlier, but whatever power within him had erupted in the sky had stolen what little feelings he had left. He was exhausted and he could hardly muster an ember of anger. If he struck her now, he¡¯d fail.


    ¡°Someday I am going to kill you,¡± he muttered angrily.


    ¡°I am certain you will try.¡±


    Stryg sighed and sat down. ¡°Your father¡­ Did he ever return?¡±


    ¡°He did, though I was already a teenager by then. I was raised by my aunt, my mother¡¯s younger sister, an ordinary titan, untouched by the World Soul. However, long before my father¡¯s arrival, when I was still but a toddler, there was another visitor to our realm, in fact, several, all at once.¡±


    ¡°You see, after my mother¡¯s death, my people did not send any more messages into the Null, my aunt forbade it. But the gate was to remain open, as per my mother¡¯s last wishes. My people did not call for these new visitors, no, they found us on their own. They burst from the Null gate in a colorful display of fire. They shot into the sky and scattered across the land, like meteors crashing into the earth.¡±


    ¡°Some of our best warriors were sent out to investigate. After a week, they discovered a crash. But what they found was not what anyone expected. It was an egg. And from it hatched the first of the chromatic species in our world, a dragon.¡±

 Future Of Realm of Monsters Announcement

    Hello!


    I wanted to be transparent and give you some info about my future works and plans for the Null Realms. With the 5th book of RoM ¡°The Valley War¡± having concluded this week (on Patreon), we are entering the 6th and last book of the Ebon Realm Saga, ¡°The Ebon Prince¡± (tentative title). Now, to be clear, this will NOT be the last book about our favorite blue goblin. His journey will continue into a different saga whose name will be revealed at a later time.


    Onto the second important piece of news. Once ¡°The Ebon Prince¡± is completed I will shift my focus onto rewriting the first book, ¡°Realm of Monsters.¡±


    I have been wanting to work on the rewrite for a while now in order to make it into a proper e-book, however my priority has always been focused on the current latest chapters, and it has been difficult to give the 1st book the care it needs. As such, I have decided to put aside all rewriting until ¡°The Ebon Prince¡± is finished.


    I have learned and grown a lot as a writer these past 5 years and it¡¯s time RoM gets the proper rewrite it deserves. The rewrite will keep all the core elements of the story and characters, while polishing old chapters and adding new chapters expanding on the world, characters, and lore of the Null Realms.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    After rewriting the ¡°Realm of Monsters¡± I will continue with Stryg¡¯s journey. You can also expect to see other stories in the Null Realms and perhaps beyond.


    As for the last piece of news, I will be taking a week-long break to focus on polishing and finalizing the details on The Ebon Prince¡¯s outline. I have always developed detailed and precise outlines for every single one of my books (you¡¯d be surprised at the hundreds of pages I have stored), to deliver the story to the best of my ability. This new book¡¯s outline is not where I¡¯d like it to be yet and so I¡¯ll be taking some time to remedy that and bring you a satisfying conclusion to the Ebon Realm Saga.


    Thank you to all my readers for joining me on this journey so far, and a special thank you to my Patrons who have supported me not only financially, but have always been a ray of support in my life, especially when my mental state was suffering.


    Even when I made mistakes in my writings and I felt that I was failing to meet my own expectations, your kind and supporting comments helped me through difficult times. Seeing your excitement and love for RoM made those dark days brighter.


    With the deepest sincerity, thank you.


    ~Frostbird.

 Chapter 517: The Sundering

    Chapter 517:  The Sundering


    In the wreckage of a ruined merchant house, Ananta sat crossed-legged across from Stryg who listened warily to her tale.


    ¡°After my mother¡¯s death,¡± said Ananta, ¡°My people did not send any more messages into the Null, my aunt forbade it. But the Vesir gate was to remain open, as per my mother¡¯s last wishes. My people did not call for these new visitors, no, they found us on their own. They burst from the Null gate in a colorful display of fire. They shot into the sky and scattered across the land, like meteors crashing into the earth.¡±


    ¡°Some of our best warriors were sent out to investigate. After a week, they discovered a crash. But what they found was not what anyone expected. It was an egg. And from it hatched the first of the chromatic species in our world, a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t from our world¡­?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Ananta nodded. ¡°Though the dragon was a newborn hatchling, she could already speak and she wielded various strange powers; she even had the ability to shape-shift into a humanoid form that mimicked the warriors. When they asked her about her origins, she did not know anything, save the name of her father, or rather, her creator; Drakith.¡±


    ¡°And so dragons began to hatch all across the world from the eggs that had burst through the Vesir Gate. My aunt did not trust these dragons, but they were innocent, they had committed no crime, and so they were given refuge in our queendom. Among these dragons, there were a few who were more powerful and wiser than the rest. The other hatchlings referred to them as their lords.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the rest of their kind, these dragon lords had ingrained memories of their origins. They told us that their creator Drakith was a primordial being like our World Soul, but unlike her, Drakith wasn¡¯t bound to a world, just like Unildyr. The dragon lords told us that Drakith would send his creations, these eggs, hurtling through the darkness of the Null searching for worlds to connect with.¡±


    ¡°The royal council were intrigued by the dragons and Drakith, and they were eager to learn more. One day, a young boy came to our palace. The moment he arrived the dragons rushed to his side and bowed.¡± Ananta smiled to herself, ¡°His name was Vismarya and he was unique. Like my mother he was an actual child of a primordial. His father, Drakith, had sent him here to lead the dragons and build a bridge of peace between this world¡¯s primordial and Drakith himself.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is not easy to commune with the World Soul. The only one known to be able to was my mother, Love. Still, Vismarya was not one to give up. He vowed to remain and help the people of this realm until the World Soul would give him an audience.¡±


    ¡°It was at this time that I met Vismarya. We were both children, I was a couple of years older, but he somehow was always the wiser; I suppose it¡¯s because he possessed ingrained memories from before his hatching. In any case, we became friends, and as the years passed by we grew closer.¡±


    Ananta chuckled, ¡°And against my aunt¡¯s wishes, when I grew up and took my place as queen of Vesir, I married Vismarya. Many in the royal council disapproved, but love isn¡¯t the sort of thing you give up on, even if others disapprove. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Stryg?¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy,¡± Ananta smirked. ¡°You are in love with three women and you have no interest in parting with any one of them.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I can see it, in you.¡± She poked him in the chest, ¡°Your love for them. The love you have for your tribe, the love you have for your friends and those children of the temple. I can see what you hold most dear. To me it is as clear as day.¡±


    Stryg cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow, ¡°Your mother was Love,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just her name¡­ was it?¡±


    ¡°No, it was not. Her powers were born from her mother¡¯s love, the World Soul. Love wasn¡¯t simply her name, it was her essence, she was the goddess of Love.¡±


    ¡°And you inherited that essence?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Titans are strange beings. Each one is different, their souls are born with their own unique essence, some more unique than others. However, something happens when a child is born between a titan and another species, say for example, a primordial like Unildyr,¡± Ananta pointed at herself. ¡°The child¡¯s soul is grounded, unable to change. That child does not have their own unique ¡®essence.¡¯ They simply inherit their titan parent¡¯s. Though I have many names and Aspects of power as a goddess, I only have one true essence, my mother¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Then you are a goddess of love,¡± Stryg said in understanding.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    He glared at her, ¡°What sort of goddess of love attacks a city and sends her monsters to slaughter thousands.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Love comes in many forms; friendship, romantic, familial. And yet, no matter what kind, you¡¯d be surprised what people are willing to do for the ones they love. How many of the Cairn tribe would you kill to avenge the one called Clypeus?¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say his name,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯d wager you¡¯d kill them all, even the children, if it meant killing Marek. Some people might call that monstrous, but we are monsters, Stryg, and this place belongs to us, not them.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Ananta leaned back and tapped her fingers on her knees. ¡°One day, after more than two decades, my father finally returned to our world. I had never met him before. Some part of me never thought he¡¯d return. When he did, he was surprised to see me in place of my mother and in the moment our eyes met, he knew. He knew she was gone and it was because of him.¡±


    ¡°I had imagined how that meeting would play out thousands of times in my head. He¡¯d apologize profusely and somehow he¡¯d make things alright¡­.¡± Ananta smiled bittersweetly, ¡°But no. Unildyr¡¯s apology was short, brief, curt even. He was more stricken by my mother¡¯s death than the fact that I even existed. I knew it was petty, he hadn¡¯t even known about me, but I hated him for that.¡±


    ¡°When I asked him why it took him so long to return, he explained that he would have come sooner, but he had been in battle with his life-long enemy; a primordial by the name of Drakith. It seemed that the appearance of the dragons in our world was no coincidence. Drakith had sent them here after sensing traces of Unildyr¡¯s power in this realm. Me.¡±


    ¡°Ordinarily, Drakith wouldn¡¯t be able to trace Unildyr¡¯s whereabouts, because he never stayed for long in our world. But with my existence and the Vesir Gate, Drakith was able to locate and send dragon eggs to our world.¡±


    ¡°Why exactly did Drakith send them?¡± Stryg asked, though he had already made a guess.


    ¡°My father claimed that dragons were sent to worlds to destroy them. I didn¡¯t believe him, after all, I could see the love Vismarya and the others had within them. They didn¡¯t hate our world, this was their home, and they had spent the last two decades protecting it. When my father realized the dragons had arrived on our world he vowed to destroy them all.¡±


    ¡°Unildyr would have killed Vismarya if I hadn¡¯t intervened and helped him escape. I rejected Unildyr as did my people. But my father is not a man to relent. He left our world and returned soon after with an army of dragonbanes, the creature you fought.¡±


    ¡°Your father sired those monsters?¡± Stryg whispered, shocked.


    ¡°He is their progenitor, yes, though they aren¡¯t his children, rather his creations. And they were created for one purpose; the destruction of the chromatic species, and they would stop at nothing to achieve their goal. When I realized this, I rallied my queendom, our allied nations, and the dragons, in order to fight Unildyr and his forces.¡±


    Ananta closed her iridescent eyes in recollection. ¡°It was a losing battle¡­ Can you imagine it? Millions of dead. They were no match for the horde of dragonbanes that ravaged the land. Even with all our power, for every skirmish we won, my father claimed three more. On the cusp of defeat, when our forces were depleted, Vismarya came to a dawning realization. The only person my father loved in this world, my mother, was gone. So why was he fighting? I had always thought it was because Drakith was his enemy, but Vismarya suggested that I was wrong. He came up with a proposal. One night, I went to my father alone and unarmed. I told him to kill me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg blinked in confusion.


    Ananta grinned softly, ¡°My father had a similar reaction. I told him to kill me because I was never going to stop fighting him, not until the day I died. So if all he wanted was to eliminate the dragons then he¡¯d have to kill me right there and then.¡±


    ¡°It was at that moment, for the first time, I was able to see my father¡¯s heart. I saw his love for me. He hadn¡¯t started this war to fight Drakith, he had started it to protect me and this world. I swore to him that if he gave me the chance, I would protect this world myself. And if he didn¡¯t give me that chance, then I¡¯d take my own life.¡±


    ¡°To my surprise, my father relented. My gamble worked. He gave me the chance to ¡®protect¡¯ this world. Unildyr took his dragonbanes and left, but not before giving me a way to contact him if I ever needed his help. Afterwards, I went to find Vismarya to tell him the good news.¡±


    Ananta stared at her hands. ¡°We had won,¡± she whispered. ¡°It was over. Vismarya held me in his arms and we cried in relief, we mourned the lives of all the friends and family we had lost. It was then, when we were at our most vulnerable, that the dragon lords ambushed us.¡±


    ¡°Kaleidrog and the other lords tried to kill me, but Vismarya fought against them, he fought against his own people¡­ He died protecting me. I barely escaped. I could hardly stand, let alone warn my people when the dragons attacked our cities.¡±


    ¡°They betrayed you¡­?¡± Stryg whispered.


    Ananta curled her fingers into fists. ¡°I had called them my friends. I had seen the love they held for my people and me. I had never imagined they¡¯d burn down our cities; men, women, children, none were spared. My people¡¯s forces had already been decimated by the war, we were helpless to stop the dragons. So, I did the only thing I thought I could. I went to the Vesir Gate to try and contact my father.¡±


    ¡°...But I was too late. A few of the dragonlords were waiting for me. I used my mother¡¯s key and tried to activate the gate, but the dragons attacked, and in the midst of our battle, something happened. An influx of power through the leylines of the realm, coupled with strange energies of the Null. The gate overloaded and the Dark Fringe breached our world. Space and time fractured. The sky burned and the land fell apart like the waves in a storm. The realm was Sundered.¡±


    ¡°The Sundering Age,¡± Stryg muttered grimly.


    ¡°...Yes. The World Soul managed to push the destructive powers of the Dark Fringe back, but the damage was already done. The Realm had fractured into ten. Few people survived, sparse groups here and there. Even the elder elementals had lost many, especially the titans. The only ones who seemed to have truly thrived were the dragons. Unchallenged, they conquered the lesser elementals and slaughtered the elder elementals wherever they could find them.¡±


    ¡°And you? What happened to you¡­?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Me?¡± she scoffed bitterly. ¡°I only survived because my father¡¯s powers awoke within my blood and even then I was condemned into a comatose state for millennia, buried deep under a newly formed mountain range in a place you now know as the Violet Realm.¡±


    ¡°You were trapped?¡± he whispered in shock.


    Ananta clenched her trembling fists and bowed her head. ¡°I could not stop the dragons, there was no one left who could. I was entrusted by my father and my queendom to protect the people of this world and I failed them. Countless elementals died. The world was broken and the dragons claimed their sweet victory.¡± Ananta looked up and smiled maliciously, ¡°But it was not to last.¡±

 Chapter 518: When The Nights Are Darkest

    Chapter 518: When The Nights Are Darkest


    ¡°I could not stop the dragons, there was no one left who could. I was entrusted by my father and my queendom to protect the people of this world and I failed. Countless elementals died, and after the world was broken, the dragons claimed their sweet victory.¡± Ananta smiled maliciously, ¡°But it was not to last.¡±


    ¡°You see, the World Soul is bound to this realm, and when the realm was Sundered, fractured into ten, she felt it, all of it. Her pain was so great that for the first time, ever since Love, her own essence fractured. And she poured all of her pain and loss into that one moment and gave birth to the Calamities.¡±


    ¡°The Calamities?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ananta nodded. ¡°Five titans, the sons and daughters of the World Soul. They were born through ordinary titan mothers, yet they¡¯re essence was forged from the fires of the Sundering. Unlike Love, each was born for a single-minded purpose; the eradication of the dragons.¡± Ananta¡¯s cold smile widened. ¡°The dragons were at the height of their power, yet the Five were walking Calamities, more powerful than anything the dragons had encountered.¡±


    ¡°Love was born from the brightest Aspect of the World Soul, but the Calamities were born from her darkest Aspects and when they came of age, each one sought to fulfill their purpose. Fear found the dragon lords¡¯ weaknesses and she used it to tear down their defenses. Whereas Hatred resorted to more direct tactics and attacked their lairs, slaughtering those he encountered. Agony sought out the dragons¡¯ nests and snuffed the life of every unborn hatchling.¡±


    ¡°They killed the children?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°They killed everyone. The Calamities were relentless, it didn¡¯t matter who or what stood in their way, they massacred the dragons and tore down their newfound kingdoms until there was nothing left. The few remaining dragons were forced into hiding, and even then the Calamities hunted them down, one by one.¡±


    Ananta¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Until one day, after many years, the Calamities suddenly stopped. You see, it was no longer enough to kill the dragons, for they had mated with the lesser elemental species, and their hybrid offspring, what you call ¡®chromatic species,¡¯ had spread into all ten Realms.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why does that matter? They wanted revenge on the dragons, not others.¡±


    ¡°Revenge was not the goal. The Sundering did more than shatter our realm. It wounded the World Soul irreparably. My father was right. Drakith sends dragons into worlds to destroy them, but they don¡¯t do it with magic or fire. Chromatic mana itself is poisonous to primordial beings. A world¡¯s leylines mirror the energies of its inhabitants. Chromatic mana has infected the leylines and is poisoning the World Soul, and wounded as she is, she can¡¯t stop it.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°The Schism was the first sign of the end. So long as chromatic energies permeate the leylines the problem will only worsen. In time, the Realms will shatter into infinite fragments and our world will be devoured by the Dark Fringe and the Null.¡±


    ¡°How¡ª How can we stop it?¡± he asked anxiously.


    ¡°So long as any chromatic species exists in this world, so will chromatic mana.¡±


    His eyes widened. ¡°Then¡ª?¡±


    ¡°The only way to save this world is to finish what my father started.¡±


    Stryg shook his head and took a step back. ¡°No, you can¡¯t be serious. You can¡¯t eradicate every chromatic species! It¡¯s madness!¡±


    ¡°You think this is easy for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! You hate them! You hate them all for what the dragons did to you and your people.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! The goblins, the drows, vampires, orcs, everyone, they¡¯re innocent!¡±


    ¡°In your eyes perhaps¡­ That doesn¡¯t change reality. They are killing this world, just by living in it.¡±


    ¡°And what of me? I¡¯m a goblin. I¡¯m a chromatic species just like any of them. Why aren¡¯t you killing me?¡±


    ¡°Your chaotic mana counteracts whatever chromatic poison your soul would create within the leylines, you pose no threat to this world. But the others¡­ Stryg, believe me, if there were easier ways to stop all of this, I¡¯d have done it. The scope of what I want to accomplish is astronomical. I¡¯ve searched the last thousand years for any other answer. This is the only way and we are running out of time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­ You¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°I have no need to lie to you, I never have.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he hissed.


    Ananta glared at him, ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Stryg. Don¡¯t you get it? We are running out of time. The World Soul is dying. Aleirune is dying!¡±


    He froze. ¡°Aleirune¡­?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ananta narrowed her eyes. ¡°You really don¡¯t know, do you?¡± She laughed incredulously, ¡°You keep trying to convince me to spare these chromatic species without even knowing what you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a goblin,¡± Stryg said with a trace of hesitance.


    She leaned forward, ¡°Are you? Do you know who your father is? Would you like to?¡±


    Stryg swallowed, ¡°I¡­¡±


    She smirked at his hesitation. ¡°He goes by many names and possesses many Aspects. In the Aurous Realm he is revered as the Pale Owl. In the Azure Realm the sailors honor him as the Navigator. In the Scarlet Realm he is feared as the Blood Sovereign, Mortem. Of course, you might know him by a different name; the Traveler, Stjerne.¡±


    A shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s back at her words. The world seemed to grow small and his chest tightened with every shallow breath. He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Stjerne is my¡ª father¡­?¡±


    ¡°The god of stars is only one of his many Aspects. Your father is the most dangerous of his siblings. The firstborn son of Aleirune, the Calamity Titan, Death.¡±


    ¡°Death¡­?¡±


    ¡°He was born from the deaths of millions on the day of the Sundering, even his own natural parents died as he came into this world.¡± Ananta spread her arms open in admiration, ¡°No other Calamity has taken the lives of so many dragon lords and their broods. Death was born for one purpose alone, to end the lives of every chromatic species in this world. And you are no different, little traveler.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª I¡¯m not like him,¡± Stryg said shakily. ¡°I¡ª I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    ¡°Goblin? Your lineage is tainted, that much is true. The sacred blood of a Calamity, mixed with vile chromatic blood. An abomination. But goblin? Even your mother isn¡¯t purely a goblin, you certainly aren¡¯t. The blood that dominates your veins¡ª is a titan¡¯s. Why do you think that orichalcum spear answered your call? Greater mortals can hold such a weapon, but only a titan can truly wield one and call upon its name.¡±


    Stryg shook his head slowly and stumbled back, ¡°I¡¯m not a titan. I¡¯m a goblin¡­¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Since when have you ever seen a blue goblin? You are taller than even a dire goblin and far stronger; because the truth is you aren¡¯t like any of them. You are the son of Death and you are more like him than you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even met him! How can I be anything like him!?¡±


    ¡°Is that why killing comes so easily to you?¡±


    Stryg paused at her words. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± she smirked. ¡°You feel nothing when you take a life; for you that must come naturally. And in your Sylvan culture, such apathy would be celebrated, but you¡¯ve also spent time among others. I know you¡¯ve noticed the way they look at you, the shock in their eyes when you so casually kill.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°That is the Sylvan way,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°No, even among the Sylvan they thought you strange. Even as a child, they knew there was something ¡®wrong¡¯ with you. But there is nothing wrong with you. You are exactly who you were always meant to be. A son of Death. A Star in this lost Realm.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he hissed. ¡°I am Stryg, a son of Blood Fang. I am a Sylvan goblin!¡±


    ¡°Deny it if you¡¯d like. But death follows you everywhere you go. You can¡¯t help it, it is your nature. Ever since the day your blood awakened.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he whispered, confused.


    ¡°That night, three years ago, in the cave of snakes. It was the first time you began to change, yes?¡±


    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°What happened that night? You and your tribemates had gone down to search the burrow for treasure. It should have been easy, right? After all, Mortem¡¯s blood runs through your veins, the lamias posed no threat. But instead, almost everyone died that night. Thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°They were only there because of you! Or do you think Lunae would have led your shaman into that cave so he himself could wield Krikolm? You are the Veres heir. No one besides you would have been able to hold Krikolm. The lamias would have recognized Mortem within your blood. Can¡¯t you see? It was always meant to be you and yet somehow you still managed to cause the deaths of almost everyone there.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that!¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, tell me, who was it that convinced Lunae to gather the Sylvan warriors and bring them to this city? She would not have made such a reckless decision on her own.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    Ananta laughed, ¡°Thanks to you, thousands of more people will die tonight, on both sides.¡±


    ¡°If the Sylvan hadn¡¯t come then you would have killed thousands in Hollow Shade all on your own!¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in this city or killing its people. All I wanted was my mother¡¯s key. Your sister was the one who refused to give it up. If it wasn¡¯t for her my armies and I wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just like you, she has caused the deaths of all these people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Surely, you¡¯ve figured it out by now. You¡¯ve met her before. The other little traveler. You''re standing in her city.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡­ Holo?¡±


    ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t understand the true dire scope of the situation. She acts recklessly without understanding the true extent of her actions.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you explain it to her? If you know so much then why aren¡¯t you working with her to find some other solution!?¡±


    ¡°Your sister has proven to be untrustworthy. She betrayed not only me, but Solis, and even your father. But you, Stryg, you are different. You¡¯ve proven your loyalty over and over again. I underestimated your potential, but tonight you¡¯ve shown everyone they were wrong about you. They were wrong about the misfit of the Blood Fang.¡±


    Stryg tried to recall the battle with the dragonbane, even now it was all in fragments. A mixture of pain and rage. He glanced at his hands and the silver feathers lying scattered across the rubble. It all seemed like a dream, a terrible nightmare. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Your help. Like Maeve, I believe you can play a crucial part in saving our world.¡±


    ¡°Maeve knows about this?¡±


    ¡°Some of it, yes. I wanted to share more with her, such as the solution to our crisis and how she could help, but someone forbade her from contacting me,¡± Ananta said pointedly.


    ¡°You said you wanted to kill all the chromatic races, that includes Maeve. But I guess you left that part out when you spoke to her.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of hurting Maeve. If only a handful of chromatics are left, their effect on the leylines would be minimal. So long as they don¡¯t have any offspring, the situation wouldn¡¯t worsen. Maeve and a few chosen others could live out the rest of their lives unharmed.¡±


    ¡°And how would you pick these ¡®few chosen¡¯?¡± Stryg asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t choose them.¡± She smiled, ¡°You would.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°We could spare all your loved ones; your tribe, friends, anyone you care about. There is no need for you to lose anyone else. We could save them all.¡±


    ¡°And condemn the rest?¡±


    ¡°If you spare all the chromatics, you are damning not only them but all elementals as well. Our grandmother will perish and so will this world. Surely, you of all people would understand the sacrifice we must make to prevent that.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t sacrificing anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sacrificed EVERYTHING!!¡± she roared.


    Her voice boomed across the ruined home and pushed Stryg back. He fell over and tried to scramble to his feet, but his exhausted muscles refused to answer. His arms and legs shook and he hardly managed to sit up.


    Ananta noticed his ragged appearance and softened her expression. ¡°Forgive me. You and I are alike in many ways, but you have yet to experience so much of this world. You are still so young. I wish we had the time to let you live out the life of a mortal. In a few centuries, you¡¯d come to understand how different you are from them. You¡¯d understand how to let go of them¡­ But we don¡¯t have the luxury of time. You must make your decision now.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Because I am the only one who hasn¡¯t lied to you.¡±


    ¡°You attacked my home.¡±


    ¡°This city isn¡¯t your home. They don''t deserve your help. But I understand you still care about this place, so I¡¯ll make you a proposition.¡±


    ¡°...What sort of proposition?¡±


    ¡°Come with me and I¡¯ll spare Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°...Your beast killed my mother,¡± he hissed bitterly.


    ¡°Then will you kill me? Right here and now? You and I both know you cannot. But if I leave now you will never get the chance, I promise you that. A shame, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You want me to kill you?¡±


    ¡°I want you to help me save this world and all those you love. Then if you still wish to kill me, you may try. Though I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll succeed.¡±


    He bared his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not certain about that.¡±


    She smiled and offered her hand, ¡°So, do we have a deal?¡±


    Stryg stared at her outstretched fingers. This woman, no, this goddess, was far more powerful than him. She was right, he couldn¡¯t kill her. He could barely even move. If she disappeared, would he ever find her? And even if he did, even if he managed to somehow kill her, would he be dooming everyone he knew to their deaths? Would Aleirune die without Ananta¡¯s help?


    ¡°How long¡­?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How long can the World Soul endure?¡±


    ¡°Not long enough.¡± Ananta¡¯s eyes shifted and she glanced behind. ¡°And it seems our time is up as well.¡±


    A giant white wolf leaped across the nearby houses and pounced on Ananta. With a casual swipe of her hand, bright green lighting arced out from Ananta¡¯s fingertips and struck the wolf in the chest, sending her crashing into the rubble.


    ¡°Come now, Lunae, there is no need to fight,¡± she said casually.


    The wolf stood shakily and her form faded into a white mist, before reforming into the silver-skinned goddess of the moon.


    ¡°Stryg,¡± said Lunae, though she kept her eyes on Ananta. ¡°I need you to run. Find Aurelia and take her as far from this place as you can.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°...My mom, she¡ª¡±


    ¡°She lives. You were smart to wrap Blossom around her. The cloak¡¯s power is keeping her alive, but only by a thread.¡±


    Tears welled up in Stryg¡¯s eyes. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ alive?¡±


    ¡°You need to find and help her. The elemental life energy imbued in Blossom¡¯s petals will not last much longer,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°I can save her, you know. It would only take a moment,¡± offered Ananta.


    ¡°You stay away from them,¡± Lunae growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to fight you,¡± said Ananta. ¡°Despite your betrayal and lies, I don¡¯t want to kill you. You are one of the last pure-blooded titans. You might just be the future of our people.¡±


    Lunae glared at her, ¡°I can¡¯t have children, but you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. You suffered terrible wounds as a child when you and Solis wandered into a monster¡¯s cave. He told me the story long ago. Your injuries may have healed, yet the damage was already done. But what if I told you I could heal you? Restore that piece of your body? What if I could give you back the chance to have children? What would you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I am the Mother Moon. All Sylvan are my children, I need no more.¡±


    Ananta glanced at Stryg, ¡°Or perhaps one child is enough?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you need to go. Now,¡± warned Lunae in a low voice.


    ¡°R-Right,¡± he nodded and climbed out of the rubble. His muscles ached with every motion, but he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain and exhaustion.


    Ananta sighed, ¡°Look at the sky, Lunae. There is no silver moon hanging above us. Only darkness. Your powers are at their weakest. Even at your strongest, your victory would be doubtful. You cannot win this battle.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not alone,¡± said another.


    Ananta spun around and broke into a grin. ¡°Well, hello, Holo the Tall. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have the courage to come face me again.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint, Monster.¡± Holo stood in the shadows with her scythe, Lyrae.


    ¡°Holo¡­?¡± Stryg whispered. He met her gaze and she winked at him.


    ¡°Do you think her arrival makes a difference, Lunae?¡± said Ananta. ¡°There is still no moon to aid you, only darkness. You cannot win.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± mused an unfamiliar voice. ¡°I quite like the dark.¡±


    Stryg looked up and spotted a knight clad in silver armor sitting atop the last remaining pillar in the ruined house. An orichalcum sword and shield hung on her waist and back respectively. Her chestnut hair was tied in a ponytail and a golden circlet sat snugly on her brow. Faint freckles dappled her pale cheeks. Her lilac eyes glowed in the shadows.


    ¡°Tell me, sister, when do stars shine brightest?¡± asked Melantha.


    Holo gripped Lyrae and fell into a warrior¡¯s stance. ¡°When the nights are darkest.¡±


    Holo¡¯s olive eyes burned into a bright lilac. Azure flames danced across her arms as tendrils of lightning arced over Melantha¡¯s armor. The women closed around Ananta, weapons at the ready.


    Ananta broke into an angry defiant smile, ¡°So be it.¡±

 Chapter 519: Late Arrival

    Chapter 519: Late Arrival


    The ruined remains of the merchant house began to shake from the sheer amounts of mana pulsating from the four titans. Lunae glanced at Holo and Melantha and the three shared a subtle nod. The Queen of the Titans, Ananta loomed even over Lunae. Ananta shook her head in disappointment and whispered under her breath in an obscure voice.


    Stryg stared at Holo and Melantha¡¯s lilac irises. Their pupils were round, but the resemblance was undeniable.


    A warm, uncertain feeling bloomed in his chest. He had always felt different, alone among those he called a tribe. He had tried desperately to be one of them, to have what they all took for granted. After many years, he had found his own tribe, painstakingly, but he had found it. Different as he was, he was accepted among them. Yet as he stared at the two women he didn¡¯t feel different, he felt¡ª


    ¡°Little one, run!¡± Lunae shouted as she charged Ananta, shapeshifting into a massive wolf.


    Ananta snatched her by the throat mid-leap. Lunae tried clawing at her chest, but Ananta held her at arm¡¯s length and squeezed her throat. She choked with a grimace.


    Holo Flickered behind them in a burst of orange sparks, her scythe poised to strike. Ananta moved in a blur. Her leg shot out and kicked Holo in the chest, sending her crashing into the wall.


    Melantha dashed forward and swung her sword down on Ananta¡¯s wrist. She released Lunae and pulled her hand back, evading the strike. Ananta drew Honorem and thrust the dagger into Melantha¡¯s chest, but she caught the queen¡¯s wrist mid-thrust.


    Ananta tried to push the dagger in, but the blade refused to move. Their hands shook from the effort, but neither one budged.


    ¡°Who¡ª are you?¡± asked Ananta, surprised.


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing.¡± Melantha headbutted her. Ananta stumbled back and Melantha blasted her away with a bolt of lightning to the face.


    Stryg stared wide-eyed at the warrior knight as she turned and looked him over curiously, ¡°Hello, little brother.¡±


    Ananta jumped out of the rubble, wisps of smoke rising from her face, though she seemed unharmed. ¡°I see, you must be Death¡¯s favored child, Melantha.¡±


    She cocked her head to the side, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I am Ananta, your rightful queen, and the only one here trying to save Aleirune.¡±


    ¡°Ananta¡­? The goddess of love,¡± she recalled.


    ¡°You know me? Good. Then I¡¯ll make this simple; I have no desire to kill you, rather the opposite.¡±


    ¡°You can see my heart then?¡± Melantha noted. ¡°Everything I love and hold dear laid bare. So, that¡¯s how you manipulate people into making deals. Or am I wrong, Caligo?¡±


    Ananta narrowed her iridescent eyes, ¡°You aren¡¯t like your siblings, but if you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re right, I¡¯m not like them. I have no interest in hearing you out.¡±


    ¡°...Very well.¡± Ananta raised her outstretched hand, ¡°Heed my call, Votum.¡±


    From across the city, the giant orichalcum dagger flew into her palm. Honorem hummed excitedly at the return of its other half and the two daggers resonated with power in her hands.


    Melantha drew her orichalcum shield and banged it against her blade. ¡°Stryg, is it? I suggest you heed the wolf¡¯s warning. Run.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He scrambled over to Svartna and used the spear to help him to his feet.


    ¡°Oi! Lunae! Holo! How long are you two gonna stay down?¡± Melantha called out.


    Stryg glanced back one last time, then limped away as fast as his tired legs could.


    ~~~


    The streets blurred by. Stryg leaned on Svartna like a walking staff. His legs were rock, every step creaked painfully, his muscles spasming without pause. His vision swam and he swayed from side to side. Every breath was labored and short. He wanted to fall over and close his eyes, if even only for a moment. But the hope of his mother kept him awake.


    The cloak of black feathers Ananta had thrown upon him hugged his body closely and seemed to conceal him in darkness. He hid in the shadows as people ran past. Valley warriors, fleeing citizens, or goblins, Stryg couldn¡¯t tell. He was too tired. He used what little focus he had to put one foot in front of another.


    His mind wandered from dream to reality. He didn¡¯t know how long had passed when he found himself in front of the ruined gates of the Mora Manor. He looked up slowly and spotted Blueberry curled around his mother. She lay unmoving, Blossom wrapped tightly around her. Vines had grown out from the flower cloak and embedded themselves into the grass.


    ¡°M-Mom!¡± Stryg shouted weakly. He ran to them, but his knees buckled underneath him and he fell. Whatever strength had kept his legs moving was gone.


    He gritted his teeth and dragged himself forward. Blueberry opened his eyes and whined as he neared. His tail uncurled and brushed Stryg close. He smiled gratefully at the frost wolf and crawled over to Aurelia.


    She wasn¡¯t moving. Her warm forest-green skin had become sickly pale. Stryg placed his ear over her mouth. It was faint, but he could feel her breath on his cheek.


    ¡°Mom,¡± he whispered. Stryg sniffed and cried softly over her.


    ¡°Oh, wow, you were actually right. Gods dammit,¡± cursed Kyriil.


    Stryg looked up and spotted the elf standing next to a creature he had never seen before. It was taller than even a dire human. Its grey skin was hairless and seemed almost slick. Its nose was flat, save for a small bump. The eyes were pupiless, a milky blue.


    ¡°Of course, I was right,¡± said Grim. ¡°I heard my master¡¯s command as if she were whispering right into my ear. She told us we¡¯d find him here and so he is here.¡±


    Behind the two strangers followed a retinue of valley warriors, weapons at hand. Blueberry growled at their appearance and tried to stand, but blood poured from his side where a broken wooden beam was protruding. He whined painfully and collapsed.


    ¡°Blueberry!¡± Stryg said anxiously.


    ¡°Looks like the beast still has some fight left in it,¡± Kyriil smirked. ¡°Try not to resist, we¡¯d rather not kill you.¡±


    ¡°Our commands were clear, Kyriil,¡± warned Grim.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, capture, don¡¯t kill. But Crow didn¡¯t say anything about the giant wolf did he?¡± Kyrill raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°...No,¡± Grim shrugged. ¡°Do what you wish.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡± Kyriil channeled White. An orb of light spun into existence above him, a meter in diameter. It gave off sparks of light as if barely containing the power within.


    ¡°N-No!¡± Stryg leaned on Blueberry and tried his best to stand. ¡°Touch him and I¡¯ll rip out your throat,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Oooh, scary. I like it,¡± Kyriil grinned. He snapped his fingers and a radiant beam shot out from the orb.


    Stryg raised his arms and braced himself.


    A vampiress leaped between them and met the beam with her sword. The spell dispersed in ribbons of white light at the edge of her blade.


    Stryg looked up in surprise at the woman. Her soaked golden hair billowed in the rain and wind. Her tattered scarlet cloak was stained with blood and mud. But her crimson eyes were clear and steely with purpose.


    ¡°Gale?¡± he whispered.


    She glanced at him and inclined her head, ¡°Apologies for our late arrival, my lord.¡±


    ¡°It took us some time to find you,¡± said Willow. She appeared next to Stryg and gently helped him to his feet, ¡°Can you stand, my lord?¡±


    He shook his head awkwardly, uncertain of who she was. ¡°N-Not really.¡±


    ¡°Are you injured?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡ª I don¡¯t think so,¡± he admitted.


    Willow looked over his weary appearance and frowned sympathetically. ¡°We¡¯ll still take you to our healers.¡±


    ¡°This one too,¡± said her brother, Stellan. He knelt next to Aurelia and checked her pulse. ¡°She is alive.¡±


    ¡°And who the fuck are they?!¡± Kyriil glared at Grim.


    The axlean frowned, ¡°My master didn¡¯t mention there would be anyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°So we can kill them, yeah?¡± Kyriil asked.


    ¡°...I suppose so,¡± Grim nodded.


    Kyriil rolled his shoulders and smiled, ¡°Three dead bloodsuckers coming right up.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± said Gale calmly.


    A dozen scarlet-cloaked vampires emerged from around the manor¡¯s wreckage. Gale took a sword stance as did the others. ¡°We are the Shield of Veres,¡± they said in unison. ¡°Be it Monster or Man, here we stand, and we shall not falter.¡±

 Chapter 520: Wrath of Gale

    Chapter 520: Wrath of Gale


    A dozen scarlet-cloaked vampires emerged from around the manor¡¯s wreckage and loosely encircled Grim, Kyriil, and the retinue of valley warriors.


    Gale took a sword stance as did her cousins. ¡°We are the Shield of Veres,¡± they said in unison. ¡°Be it Monster or Man, here we stand, and we shall not falter.¡±


    ¡°The House of Gale¡­¡± muttered Grim in recognition.


    ¡°You know these vampires?¡± Kyriil asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of their exploits,¡± replied Grim. ¡°They are the greatest sword masters in the Realm.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Kyriil shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ve clearly never met a sword master from the Ivory Glade.¡± He turned to Gale with a wide grin, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as a man of honor, I take it easy on pretty women.¡±


    ¡°Willow,¡± Gale said coolly.


    ¡°Yes, Sister?¡± answered her cousin with a nod.


    ¡°Take our lord away from this rabble. Stellan, accompany her.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied the siblings.


    Stellan reached down and gently scooped Aurelia into his arms.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Stryg said anxiously.


    Stellan paused and looked at him curiously.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother, I¡­ I can¡¯t lose her.¡±


    He glanced down at the woman in his arms with newfound reverence. ¡°Your mother¡­? Then she is¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia, her name is Aurelia,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°Aurelia Veres¡­ These bastards dare hurt our lady like this?¡± Willow snarled.


    The dozen vampires stiffened at her words. Their eyes snapped towards Aurelia and their expressions broke with worry. Gripping their swords tightly, they turned to Grim and Kyriil, indignant rage burning in their scarlet eyes.


    ¡°Our lord and lady¡¯s safety is our priority. Get them away from here. We¡¯ll deal with these savages,¡± said Gale in an icy voice.


    ¡°Of course. Pardon the intrusion, my lord,¡± Willow grabbed Stryg and picked him up.


    He frowned. ¡°What are you doing¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Or at least Willow tried to, but she fell to her knees instead. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª heavier than I thought,¡± she grinned awkwardly.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, so they tell me.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry, my lord.¡± Willow channeled Brown and hefted him into her arms. ¡°You can rest now.¡±


    Rest? The word seemed foreign to Stryg. It had taken every ounce of strength he had left to make it to his mother and Blueberry. He could already feel his mind wandering into unconsciousness. His vision was fading at the edges. He glanced at Aurelia¡¯s still face. ¡°Mom¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    Stryg¡¯s head slumped over and he knew no more.


    Willow¡¯s cheerful expression broke. ¡°You fought alone to the end. Forgive us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± shouted Grim.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Kyriil smiled hungrily. A second radiant orb of light spun into existence above him. The orbs stood above his shoulders, leaking light as if two wings were trailing behind him.


    Blueberry raised his head and growled feebly.


    Gale glanced at him and smiled. She gently placed her hand on his snout, ¡°Thank you for protecting our lord and lady until now, Brother. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Blueberry stared at her for a moment, then lowered his head in acquiescence.


    Kyriil waited until the precise moment Gale turned her back before he threw his hands forward. The radiant orbs surged with power and shot twin beams of light at her.


    A red ward appeared behind Gale¡¯s back and blocked the beams in a diffusion of light. ¡°Shields!¡± she shouted before turning on her heel. ¡°Attack!¡±


    The vampires yelled in acknowledgement. Shadows swallowed them and they rushed forward in trails of darkness. Kyriil turned to face them, but Gale appeared before him in the blink of an eye.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Kyriil!¡± Grim yelled out.


    Steel flashed. Crimson blood sprayed into the air. The elf screamed and stumbled back, and held his bloody stump where his right hand had been.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Kyriil screamed.


    ¡°You dare threaten the Veres,¡± she hissed, fangs glinting in the light of his bright spells.


    ¡°G-Get back!¡± he shouted in a panic. The orbs sprayed small missiles of light.


    Gale¡¯s sword blurred in a rhythmic pattern, swirling around her in a sphere of steel, cutting down each missile in bursts of light.


    The valley warriors shouted war cries as the vampires leaped into their midst. The warriors attacked with blades, axes, and spears, and were met with the Gales¡¯ swords in sparks of steel. The sword masters strode through them, their blades slipping through their defenses and finding the soft flesh underneath.


    The war cries of the valley warriors turned into cries of horror and pain as the Gales ripped through their lines in a bloody dance of steel and sinew.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Grim summoned forth a pair of serpents of water from the rain and aimed at the Gales. But two more vampires leaped at him from both sides. The serpents turned and lashed out with long fangs of ice. The vampires shifted past in blurs of darkness. Their swords slashed at the snakes, but their blades sliced through the water harmlessly.


    Grim sneered at them, ¡°Your steel is useless!¡± He raised his arms and channeled elemental water energies through his body. Shards of ice spun around him, forming an enormous snake of frost and water. The green gem embedded in his sternum flared with power. Grim laughed in maniacal delight, ¡°Now, die¡ª!¡±


    A steel blade pierced his back and jutted out the front of his chest, cleaving the gem in two. Grim turned his neck, eyes wide. ¡°W-When¡­?¡± he gasped a raspy noise.


    ¡°For Lord Eldrin,¡± hissed a third vampire.


    Grim spun around and lashed out at her with a sickle of ice. She drew the blade out in a clean swipe and jumped back. As soon as she moved, the other two vampires drew close in silent coordination. They danced around the serpents with almost liquid movements. Their swords slashed out in quick precise strikes, slicing the axlean¡¯s muscles and tendons.


    Grim cried out in pain and collapsed to his knees. He growled at them, blood slipping out of his mouth. ¡°My master shall kill¡ª¡±


    Three blades simultaneously stabbed his lungs and heart respectively. Grim coughed out blood and stared up at the three vampires, their scarlet eyes cold with anger.


    Kyriil turned in time to see one of the vampires decapitate the axlean with a single strike. ¡°Shit! Grim!¡± He clenched his remaining hand and channeled all the white mana in his body into his spell. The radiant orbs above his shoulders crashed into one another and exploded in a brilliant blaze of light.


    The vampires flinched back and threw their scarlet cloaks over themselves. Gale threw her arm over her face as the intense light singed her skin. Smoke wafted from her pale flesh, but she held her ground.


    Lightning coated Gale¡¯s sword in crackling blue tendrils. Brown mana filled her limbs and strengthened her muscles. She leaned forward and took a step, then another, pushing against the searing bright spell.


    Kyriil¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°N-No! Stay back!¡±


    ¡°I am the Shield,¡± she said through clenched teeth. ¡°Here. I. Stand.¡± She pulled her sword back. ¡°And I shall not falter!¡± Gale dashed at Kyriil and swung her blade in a wide arc, and sliced through the elf¡¯s waist.


    Kyriil¡¯s face went stiff and the radiant orbs sputtered out. He fell over without a word, his upper half slipping free from his legs in a bloody puddle.


    ~~~


    ¡­20 minutes earlier¡­


    Marek kicked Loh in the gut and sneered as she fell back gasping for breath. He placed the point of the spear over her back. ¡°What was that you said? When you got in my way? You are just like me? Because we¡¯re both dead.¡±


    Loh glared up at him with a swollen eye and spat blood at his feet.


    Marek smiled, ¡°I suppose you were half right.¡± He raised the spear with both hands and aimed at her neck, then paused. The rain droplets on his arms were¡­ rising?


    Svartna suddenly ripped out from his grip and went flying, sending him stumbling backwards. Without missing a beat, Loh thrust her hand between his legs and gripped his crotch.


    The two met each other¡¯s gaze for a single breath. Marek¡¯s eyes widened in stunned fear. Loh glared at him and channeled Orange. Flames burst from her fingers and exploded, burning through the cloth and scorching the fragile flesh underneath.


    A howling scream ripped out from Marek¡¯s throat. He flailed back and fell over, shrieking in agony. Loh collapsed on her side, her injuries too great to even sit up. Her fingers, still covered in flames, moved in quick succession, scrawling out Grey sigils in the air.


    The sigils curled together and formed a chain. The curse spell lashed out and wrapped around Marek¡¯s neck. His thick muscles bulged out as the chain tightened. Marek scratched at the chain weakly. He looked over at Loh, eyes red with angry painful tears.


    The two glared at one another in silence, the last of their strength slipping away. Marek¡¯s face reddened and began to turn blue. The curse sigils crumbled at the edges but held tight to his neck.


    ¡°Y-You, bitch,¡± he choked out.


    Loh bared her teeth and hissed in reminiscence of her student.


    Marek¡¯s face went pale and his eyes rolled up. His arms fell slack at his side and his body went limp as he fell unconscious.


    The curse sigils broke apart and faded into grey dust. Loh gasped a deep breath and rolled over onto her back. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears. She could feel her body overheating from the overuse of her magic. Her leg throbbed with pain as if a rusty knife was digging into her shin.


    She would have welcomed the cold touch of the rain, but strangely enough, it was falling upwards. Droplets of blood from her leg rose with the rain in a strange vibrating pattern.


    This wasn¡¯t real, she thought to herself. She had lost too much blood, she could hardly breathe, let alone move.


    Lily, her family¡¯s Seneschal and her grandfather¡¯s secretary, was lying a few paces away. The vampiress wasn¡¯t moving, but she seemed relatively unharmed. As did a few other remaining guards.


    Loh couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly at the thought. She had managed to save them. At least this once, she had saved a life.


    A sharp light drew her attention. A brilliant star shot into the night sky on silvery wings. She caught a glimpse as the star flew past her. It seemed almost like a man, almost like¡ª


    Stryg¡­?


    Now she knew she was hallucinating.

 Chapter 521: Lunis Lives

    Chapter 521: Lunis Lives


    ¡­Earlier¡­ Siege of Hollow Shade¡­


    Valley warriors rushed the western gate. There were no city guards or soldiers left manning the gatehouse. Only a single old woman stood in the warriors¡¯ way. The Tempest Archmage flew high above the gate, pillars of water swirling around her in the rain.


    Valley archers drew their bows and mages conjured bolts of magic, and fired up at her. The pillars of water formed layers of shields blocking every attack. Electricity crackled over Ismene¡¯s and she called down lightning onto her foes. Yet for every dozen she smote, twice as many rushed to the gate, hoping to bypass her power or strike her down in a moment of weakness.


    By order of his queen, General Alwin Loch had brought his own personal squadron of battlemages to deal with the archmage, but he had found a prey far more worthy of his ire. His mages and their centaurs surrounded Una Noir.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to ever come across him again. He should have been burned to ash back in their assault on Undergrowth. Yet here he stood, leading the assault on Hollow Shade.


    Worry for her daughter Unalla trickled into her mind, but Una ignored it and focused on the enemies at hand. She needed to deal with them before helping Ismene.


    The Tempest Archmage was powerful, but she was alone. She couldn¡¯t hold off the horde of enemies forever. Una needed to somehow reach her and get her to retreat before it was too late.


    Lightning crackled across Loch¡¯s blade, drawing her attention back. He glanced at his men. ¡°Kill her.¡±


    Without hesitation, Una reacted first. She channeled Orange and threw her hands out to her side. Azure fire burst from her palms and in jets of flames. The Undergrowth mages were ready. Red wards sprang to life in front of them and formed wide shields. The flames crashed into the wards with roaring force, but the shields held and dispersed the flames to their sides.


    Three centaurs charged Una from her front and back. Their riders channeled Brown Vigor spells. A bronze sheen covered their muscles as they raised their swords to strike.


    Yellow mana surged in Una¡¯s veins. She released her flame spell and spun on her heel, then kicked outwards with her other leg. A gust trailed across the tip of her boot and formed a powerful gust around her. The three centaurs and riders cried out in surprise as the winds pulled them up into the air.


    Una threw her hands up, fingers outstretched, and hurled fire into the swirling mass of wind. The flames hungrily ate up the wind and exploded in a blast of infernal blue. Chunks of charred body parts fell down around her in smoking trails.


    She glared at the other mages surrounding her. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±


    The mages glanced at each other uncertainly and their centaurs backed a few steps. Loch stared at her cautiously through his mask, then broke into a laugh. ¡°For someone who killed three of my best battlemages with seeming ease, you seem awfully reluctant to continue with your little display of power.¡±


    ¡°And you seem awfully reluctant to personally attack,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Oh, I know what you''re capable of. I personally carry the scars of the day you appeared in my city. Which is why I can tell,¡± he leaned forward, ¡°You¡¯re not the same person. Not really. You¡¯ve grown weak.¡±


    Una grinned viciously, ¡°You think I can¡¯t kill you?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re bluffing,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Your grey complexion is paler than usual, almost white. I can see the way your shoulders tremble slightly. You¡¯re struggling to breathe. You¡¯re already at your limit.¡±


    Una twitched at his words. She quickly smothered any surprise on her face, but it was too late.


    Loch shook his head and clicked his tongue, ¡°Oh, Una. I was hoping for a proper rematch. Let me guess, you encountered a dragonbane, and it took everything you had just to survive its assault.¡±


    She spat at his feet. ¡°Actually, it was two, and I helped kill them both.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he laughed skeptically.


    Realizing the futility of hiding her exhaustion, Una rested her hands on her knees, took deep breaths, and tried to steady her breathing. She refused to admit it out loud, but he was right, the battle with the dragonbanes had taken everything she had. That last spell had exhausted most of the mana she had left. She needed to get Ismene¡¯s attention quickly.


    ¡°Is it hard?¡± taunted Loch. ¡°The heat generated by casting magic slowly builds up in the body. Too much of it at once will cause the body to go into shock and the heart to stop. I¡¯m sure you can feel it now, the burning sensation flowing through your veins.¡±


    Loch slowly removed his mask, revealing the burn scars across his face. ¡°Believe me, you have no idea what fire can truly feel like. But you will. I will make sure you feel every single lick of flames as your skin melts, just as I did. Then when your lungs are burned from the heat of the air, I¡¯ll send you off just like Elzri did to the rest of your siblings.¡±


    Una¡¯s expression twisted with rage, ¡°Even if it¡¯s the last thing I do, I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°There she is,¡± Loch smiled. He raised his hand in a short signal to his men, ¡°Hold her down.¡±


    ¡°General, what is that?¡± A battlemage pointed to the curtain of white fog encroaching on them from behind.


    Loch turned around and frowned. ¡°What in the¡ª?¡±


    The frost-mist swallowed them whole, blotting out the night sky. The mist was so thick Una could hardly see a few paces in front of her. The freezing air burned her throat, but she welcomed the cold touch.


    Summoning the last traces of mana within her, she turned to run when a giant beast swept past her in a flash. Una stumbled back. A wolf the size of a horse pounced on one of the centaurs. A goblin rider lanced his spear straight through the battlemage¡¯s chest as his wolf sank his fangs into the centaur¡¯s chest.


    All around Una, giant wolves rushed past her in a stampede of claws and fangs. The battlemages shouted in panic. They tried to defend themselves with spells and steel, but the wolves overran them in an instant.


    Una cast Yellow protective scales over her body and hid behind a dead centaur. She curled into a ball as the wolves ran above her.


    ~~~


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡­South-West Wall¡­


    The Cinder Brood tribe aimed the last of their arrows at the fleeing valley warriors scrambling back down their ladders. The valley captains blew their horns to retreat and regroup with the rest of their warriors before the frost-mist reached the wall.


    More than half their warriors had already been on the ground, and now were preparing a shield wall against the coming mist, ignoring the last few enemy archers left on the wall.


    ¡°We need more arrows!¡± said Rowan, the only drow among the Cinder Brood.


    ¡°There are none!¡± replied the vampiress, Captain Talia. ¡°My soldiers are out as well!¡±


    ¡°We have to do something! If the valley tribes can hold off the mist, then they¡¯ll come back for us! We need to help Lunis!¡± said Melfyn as he held his tribe¡¯s banner aloft.


    Sandra struggled to sit up and offered Rowan her quiver. ¡°I have a few arrows left.¡±


    ¡°Sandra, don¡¯t move. You need to rest,¡± said Jack worriedly.


    She shook off his hand from her shoulder and staggered to her feet. ¡°I can fight.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a newborn mage, not an invalid, Jack. If she says she can stand, then let her,¡± said Captain Talia.


    Sandra took a step forward and her knees buckled underneath her. A hand caught her by the waist and helped her up. She looked up in surprise, ¡°Jack¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I disagree, we are Cinder Brood, we help each other, Sister,¡± he nodded. ¡°If you want to fight, then I¡¯ll be by your side.¡±


    Sandra nodded in silent thanks.


    ¡°A human and a goblin helping each other, huh¡­¡± Captain Talia muttered under her breath in quiet admiration. Even now, it was odd to see these teenagers working together, entrusting their lives to one another.


    ¡°I¡¯m out! I need more arrows!¡± said Rowan once more.


    ¡°Dammit, find whatever you can then! Shoot those bastards down!¡± yelled Melfyn.


    A cacophony of howls drowned out his voice. A cavalry of wolves broke through the mist and charged the valley warriors from their flank. A massive wolf, far larger than the rest, led their charge. The Warrior Elect Lykos broke through the enemy lines atop his frost wolf.


    The valley warriors stumbled back on each other as they tried to escape, but the wolves trampled over them and pushed forward, ripping through their ranks.


    ¡°They don¡¯t need our help¡­¡± mumbled Jack in awe.


    As Lykos charged he glanced up and spotted the Cinder Brood banner flying above the wall, the Sapphire City of Lunis displayed proudly on its crest. The Warrior Elect broke into a smile for his people were alive and they had not forgotten who they were. He raised his spear high and roared at the top of his lungs, ¡°LUNIS LIVES!!¡±


    ~~~


    The last of the cavalry of wolves passed over Una, leaving behind crushed grass and the torn remains of the battlemages and their centaurs. Her protective scales were cracked, but she had somehow managed to avoid the worst of the charge.


    Una opened her eyes, slowly stood up, and looked around at the gruesome scene. She had no idea why goblins were here, but this was her chance to escape with Ismene and regroup with her family.


    ¡°*Huff* Where do you think, *huff*, you¡¯re going!?¡± yelled Loch.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­!?¡± Una turned around in surprise.


    Blood trickled down from his temple, his armor was cracked or outright torn in several areas, and his centaur was nowhere to be seen, but Loch stood tall, without any visible serious injuries.


    ¡°Did you think *huff* I¡¯d die while you still breathe?¡± he sneered.


    Una narrowed her eyes and drew the dagger from her side.


    Loch stared at the weapon and laughed, ¡°Do you think a measly dagger is enough to kill an archmage!?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± said Una coldly.


    ¡°Lykos missed you two, typical, I¡¯m always left to clean up his mistakes,¡± spoke an unfamiliar voice.


    A frost wolf stepped out from the mist. The beast towered over them. She lowered her head and growled, revealing the rider atop her neck. A small woman, even by goblin standards. Unlike the other riders, she wore no armor, but a vivid deep blue cloak and robes. ¡°Ugh, drows,¡± she said in disgust.


    ¡°And who the fuck are you?¡± snarled Loch, lightning crackling at his fingertips.


    She looked down her nose at him. ¡°The Eyes of the Watcher, Shaman Elect of the Sylvan. I am Lumi, daughter of the Frost Whisper tribe. And you¡ª¡± she stared at his Undergrowthian armor, ¡°Are my enemy.¡±


    Loch threw his arms out and fired bolts of lightning from his hands. Lumi¡¯s hand shot out from under her robes, red sigils already written on her palms. Red wards spiraled around her frost wolf and her, diffusing the lightning in a storm of crackling light.


    Without missing a beat, Lumi shot a jet of searing orange flames at Loch. He met her spell with a swirling pillar of water and the two spells clashed in the air. Clouds of steam erupted from the clash only to be cooled by the frost mist in a cloud of white.


    Loch gritted his teeth and channeled more Blue into the spell. His arm shook uncontrollably and he realized in dismay that the goblin was overpowering him. With his free hand, he quickly wrote a series of Grey sigils in the form of a chain. As his torrent spell fell apart to Lumi¡¯s flames, he lashed the cursed chain from the side at the shaman.


    Lumi snapped her fingers and a cocoon of water surrounded her. The chains wrapped harmlessly around the cocoon and with another snap of her fingers, the water expanded in a burst, shattering the Grey sigils.


    She flicked her hand in Loch¡¯s direction and the grass underneath his feet grew into thick vines that latched onto his limbs. He shouted in surprise and tried to move to no avail.


    Yellow mana swirled around Lumi. She jumped off her frost wolf and the wind carried her to Loch. She landed softly in front of him and she watched him with her yellow eyes. ¡°Is that all a drow archmage is capable of?¡±


    Loch broke into a malicious smile. ¡°Hardly.¡± Brown mana surged into his body. He ripped through the vines and threw his hands around her throat.


    Without flinching, Lumi caught his wrists, Brown magic surging through her arms as well. ¡°Is this it?¡± she leaned forward with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The limit of your kind?¡±


    More vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around his limbs. Her shadow darkened and reinforced the vines in a series of black tendrils. Even with the strength of the Brown magic, Loch was pulled down to his knees. A shadow grabbed his neck and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up at Lumi.


    ¡°My, you are ugly.¡±


    He snarled, ¡°You little¡ª!¡±


    She slapped her hand on his forehead and channeled Purple. Ethereal mind tendrils stabbed his skull. He stiffened with a small grunt. His eyes rolled up and his head sank as his body went slack.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Lumi said dismissively. She waved her hand and the vines carried Loch¡¯s unconscious body over to her wolf¡¯s saddle, hooking him to its side like a satchel.


    Lumi glanced at Una who took a step back warily. ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am Una, daughter of the Great House of Noir,¡± she said. Una knew little of the Sylvan folk, save that they kept to themselves, and any outsider who dared enter their lands was quickly killed.


    Lumi walked over, looking her up and down. ¡°Noir, hm? You¡¯re an archmage, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Una wanted to escape, but the frost wolf had kept its eyes on her the entire time. ¡°...Yes,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I hope you prove more able than the other drow. Though you seem like you can barely even walk.¡± Lumi stood in front of her, yellow eyes locked into her blue. ¡°Our War Master spoke of your House, he said you were allies.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­? I didn¡¯t know we had allies among the Sylvan, let alone an 8-manifold archmage,¡± she answered carefully.


    Lumi reached up and unceremoniously placed her hand on Una¡¯s sternum. A soft white glow emanated from her green fingertips and flowed into Una¡¯s grey skin, slowly knitting her flesh back together.


    ¡°9-manifold archmage,¡± Una corrected.


    ¡°Stop staring,¡± said Lumi, annoyed.


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Lumi scoffed. ¡°I have no need for your apologies.¡± She stepped back, ¡°I took care of the worst of your wounds. The rest I leave up to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank my War Master.¡± Lumi leaped onto her wolf¡¯s back with a simple agility spell.


    ¡°Your War Master? I¡¯m not quite sure who that is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you people seem to know very little.¡± Lumi turned to leave, ¡°You have forgotten who the true masters of this Realm are. We¡¯ve come to rectify that.¡±

 Chapter 522: The Titan Queen

    Chapter 522: The Titan Queen


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Bourge District¡­


    Melantha dashed at the titan queen in a burst of lightning and slashed her sword in a downward arc. Ananta met the sword with her two daggers, Honorem and Votum. The three orichalcum blades clashed in a storm of sparks and resonated chaos mana outwards in undulating waves.


    The neighborhood air seemed to shine with silver-blue and jade-green motes of light. Each mote glowed for a brief moment before sputtering out.


    Merchants and their families hid in their homes, hoping the horrors of the war raging outside wouldn¡¯t reach them. From their windows, they furtively watched the motes¡¯ dazzling display, like a snowfall of light. Gradually, the motes began to flow into their homes right through the windows and walls.


    The particles flowed freely through one nearby household but disappeared as they touched the frightened drow family within.


    The father held his wife closely and glanced around anxiously. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± he muttered.


    His daughter, no older than 5, watched with mouth agape, and reached out to snatch a mote from the air. The condensed chaos particle seeped into her pudgy grey hand and disappeared. She suddenly started coughing violently.


    Her mother picked her up into her arms. ¡°Sweetie, what¡¯s wrong?!¡±


    The toddler¡¯s face went pale and her eyes grew bloodshot. Muscles seized up. Blood frothed at the edge of her lips. And then her body went slack.


    ¡°No! No, no, no!¡± the mother screamed in horror. She shook her daughter, but the light in her eyes was gone.


    A cold sickening pain seared through the mother¡¯s chest and she began to cough uncontrollably. Her husband reached out to grab her, but he abruptly bent over and coughed. Their vision darkened and the two collapsed next to their daughter, all the while the chaos motes flowed above them, shining in a toxic display of concentrated chaotic energies.


    Outside the home, the titans¡¯ battle raged on. Melantha lunged forward with her sword in a blur, but Ann managed to move even quicker. She evaded the thrust and slashed out with a quick riposte. Melantha raised her orichalcum shield and blocked, though the daggers¡¯ force sent her careening back.


    Holo Flickered from behind and brought Lyra down in a diagonal blow. Ananta spun around and blocked the scythe with Honorem. Lunae leaped from above, a spear of glowing ice in her hands. Ananta raised Votum and the spear clashed in a cloud of frost.


    Lightning erupted from Melantha¡¯s sword and struck Ananta in the back. The queen went flying into a nearby house. Her body crashed through the central beam and the roof collapsed on the family inside.


    By a stroke of luck, a teenage boy managed to avoid being crushed and he crawled out from the rubble with only a few scrapes. He looked around in disbelief and cried out for his family.


    Ananta staggered to her feet, smoke rising from the small spot between her shoulder blades. She glanced in disgust at the boy and snatched his head in the palm of her giant hand. He kicked and screamed in horror before she crushed his skull in a splattering of blood.


    Holo Flickered from below and sliced her thigh. Ananta grimaced and kicked her in the chest. Holo crashed into the wall, sending the last of the foundations crumbling down. A white spear of ice flew through the crumbling wall and pierced Ananta¡¯s shoulder. She cried out and staggered back.


    Ananta yelled angrily and a storm of jade lightning erupted out from her body, incinerating the frost spear and the wreckage all around her. Melantha charged into the storm, her shield held in front; bearing the brunt of the lightning.


    The two clashed their blades in an explosion of chaotic mana. Condensed particles of chaos burst to life, raging against one another, with every strike of the orichalcum blades.


    Ananta channeled Chaos and slammed her foot down. The ground trembled underneath them and exploded. Hundreds of jagged rocks ripped out from the earth all around them, tearing through every home in the vicinity.


    Melantha grimaced and parried the countless projectiles, but despite her speed, she was overwhelmed by the cascade of stones and was swallowed by the storm of swirling dust and stones rising into the air.


    A giant white wolf broke through the dust cloud and snapped her jaws on Ananta¡¯s shoulder. She jerked back, barely avoiding Lunae¡¯s fangs. Pale leathery wings sprouted from Ananta¡¯s back and she took the sky.


    Holo Flickered past the dust cloud and hurled a torrent of azure flames at her. Votum reverberated with power and summoned a sphere of wind around its wielder. The flames splashed across the powerful gale in a roaring clash.


    A massive owl dived from high above in a steep stoop, her figure a silver blur. Like a meteor, the owl pierced Votum¡¯s whirling sphere and crashed into Ananta. Without losing momentum, her talons wide open, the owl grabbed the queen¡¯s wing and tore it clean off. Ananta screamed and tumbled out from the sky, crashing hard into a ruined home.


    Lunae stared at the wreckage and growled. Holo Flickered next to the giant wolf, her scythe, Lyra at the ready. The silver owl swooped down and landed next to them, transforming back into Melantha in a silver twirl of light.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°You alright?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied her sister. ¡°She¡¯s slower than I thought.¡±


    ¡°She was much faster when I clashed with her earlier. Her battle with Kaleidrog must have weakened her,¡± guessed Holo.


    Melantha smiled ruefully. ¡°She killed a dragon lord and she still has this much strength left?¡±


    ¡°Keep sharp. This battle isn¡¯t over,¡± growled Lunae.


    The rubble shifted aside and Ananta emerged with staggering steps. Her breath was heavy but her wounds were closing up before their very eyes, leaving only a smear of blood behind.


    Lunae glanced at the two sisters. ¡°She¡¯s healing from the wounds of Death so easily...¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be able to, but she¡¯s the titan queen, I¡¯d expect no less.¡±


    ¡°We need to finish her off in one strike,¡± said Melantha. She shared a knowing glance with her sister.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± said Holo grimly.


    ¡°It¡¯s our best bet,¡± replied Melantha. ¡°Besides, I can handle much more of it than you.¡±


    ¡°...Fine,¡± Holo sighed. ¡°How much time do you need?¡±


    ¡°How much can you two give me?¡±


    Ananta strode towards them, her wounds already gone. Votum and Honorem hummed violently in her hands.


    Lunae stepped between the sisters and the queen. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you time. Hurry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Melantha tilted her head back, slowly spread her arms, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.


    Holo followed in her sister¡¯s steps, closed her eyes and focused on the earth deep below. She reached out with her soul and touched the ever-flowing river of the world¡¯s leylines. The Crosspoint, the very center where the leylines all met lay underneath the city of Hollow Shade.


    Holo focused on a single aspect of her soul, the true chromatic facet, and aligned her attunement to it. With a tinge of hesitance, she opened herself to the leylines. It felt as if she had been dropped into a roaring ocean of liquid light flooding every one of her senses and threatening to drown her.


    She could feel the leylines trying to drag her soul into its ephemeral eternity, but she focused on her soul¡¯s unique facet, and with a deep breath, she reached through the endless stream of energy and grabbed hold of the limitless ocean of Orange.


    The mana rushed through her soul and into her heart and her blood. Her body began to burn from within as if molten metal swam through her veins. Holo doubled over and grimaced. At this rate, the hurricane of energy would incinerate her insides. Reaching for the cold touch of chaotic energy, her body reverted to its true form. Her body shifted and grew ten paces tall. Her hair drained of color until it was as pale as the silver moon and her skin bloomed a brilliant soft blue.


    Opening her lilac eyes, Holo spotted Lunae facing off against Ananta. Several fresh bright red gashes coated the wolf goddess¡¯ white fur. Holo looked back at her sister. Melantha hadn¡¯t moved, she was standing still, eyes closed, head tilted to the sky, but her pale skin had also returned into a pastel blue.


    Holo knew her sister could draw far more power from the leylines than her, but that meant it would take more time. ¡°I¡¯ll hold on as long as I can,¡± she whispered.


    Taking a deep breath, Holo could feel the overwhelming surge of Orange flowing through her veins. With a confident grin she Flickered in front of Ananta, their eyes locked in to each other. ¡°You miss me?¡±


    Without hesitation, the titan queen swung Votum with a quick flick of the wrist. Holo disappeared in a burst of Orange sparks and reappeared to her right. Then she was at her left. Above. Below. Holo Flickered in a dozen spots in a single breath, the usual downtime between each Flicker gone.


    Ananta snarled and swung her daggers out in a spin.


    Holo Flickered in front of her, grabbed her shoulders, and smiled defiantly. ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Orange mana surged into Holo¡¯s hands and overpowered Ananta¡¯s nullifying void aura. Holo Flickered them both into a neighboring street, straight into a house. Ananta crashed into the solid limestone before Holo Flickered them into the next-door house, and then another. Ananta clenched her eyes shut and tried to retaliate, but the teleportations were happening so quickly; her head kept smashing into rock before she had a chance to breathe.


    From across the district, a visible aura of Blue began to grow over Melantha¡¯s body from the sheer massive quantity of mana flowing into her.


    Holo Flickered from one building into the next, shattering through homes with abandon. ¡°LEAVE. MY. CITY!¡±


    Ananta snapped her eyes open and stabbed Votum into Holo¡¯s stomach. She gasped a raspy sound and stiffened.


    ¡°This world was my home first,¡± Ananta whispered into her ear.


    Holo Flickered away, only a few meters, before stumbling to the ground, coughing up blood.


    Ananta stood to her feet, shook her head with a grimace, and dusted herself off. ¡°It¡¯s impressive what a hybrid like you can do with the corrupted energies of the leylines, but even your body has its limits. Or did you not notice your Flickers were growing slower?¡±


    Holo held her stomach and curled her lips in a bloody smile. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one with limits.¡±


    Ananta dashed over in a blink and snatched her up by the throat. ¡°You have no idea of my limits,¡± she sneered and tightened her grip.


    Holo tried to Flicker away but Ananta¡¯s void aura had suddenly increased several fold. Her eyes widened in panic and she tried to pry Ananta¡¯s fingers off helplessly.


    Ananta met her panicked gaze and faltered. The burning anger in the queen¡¯s iridescent eyes cooled. Holo stopped her flailing and stared at her uncertainly. She softened her grip. ¡°Why¡­ fight me, Holo? I¡­ I swore to protect my people, our people! Can¡¯t you see it? I¡¯m trying to save us all¡ª!¡±


    Lunae crashed through the house behind them. Ananta spun around, but the wolf was upon her. She sank her fangs into the queen¡¯s arm and shook her head violently from side to side, until she tore the arm from her shoulder in a bloody spray of dark purple blood.


    Ananta cried out in pain and stumbled back. Holo fell unceremoniously and scrambled to her feet, and coughed and rubbed her neck. Lunae spat the arm to the ground and bared her bloody teeth in a growl.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Ananta roared. A fresh pair of wings sprouted from her back and she shot into the sky. Bone slowly grew from her bloody shoulder as the flesh knit itself back together. In a matter of moments her arm had regenerated fully. ¡°Heed my call, Votum! Honorem!¡±


    The twin daggers flew up and into her awaiting hands. Ananta crossed the blades and channeled all the Chaos raging within her heart. The daggers shined with brilliant jade light and the sky darkened with storm clouds. An emerald tree of lightning manifested down from the clouds, like roots slowly stretching to the earth.


    Holo and Lunae watched in disbelief as the lightning spanned over the district, poised to smite the queen¡¯s foes in a flash of brilliant thunder. But Ananta¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t focused on either of them. She stared at Melantha, standing still with eyes closed at the other end of the district.

 Chapter 523: The Night’s End

    Chapter 523: The Night¡¯s End


    ¡°Heed my call, Votum! Honorem!¡± shouted Ananta from the sky.


    The twin daggers flew up and into her awaiting hands. She crossed the blades and channeled all the Chaos raging within her heart. The daggers shined with brilliant jade light and the sky darkened with storm clouds. An emerald tree of lightning manifested down from the clouds, like roots stretching to the earth.


    Lunae and Holo watched in disbelief as the lightning spanned over the district, poised to smite the queen¡¯s foes in a flash of brilliant thunder. But Ananta¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t focused on either of them. No, Ananta stared at Melantha, standing still with eyes closed at the other end of the district.


    Holo¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Nel!¡± She Flickered away in the direction of her sister. She disappeared and reappeared in a flash every 30 meters, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    With cold iridescent eyes, Ananta aimed her blades at Melantha¡¯s still form. The emerald tree flared brightly, new branches of lightning sprouting downwards, when a blast of orange light and black smoke ignited in the night sky. In its wake, Kaleidrog emerged in a massive Flicker spell.


    The dragon lord¡¯s pristine azure scales had been scorched black from the chaotic lightning. His hide was split all across his body, oozing fresh scarlet blood. The pale cerulean wings were torn from where Honorem¡¯s edge had found him. But his eyes¡ª his sapphire eyes burned with an inner storm like never before.


    ¡°ANANTA!!¡± Kaleidrog roared in a mighty voice that boomed over the sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive!?¡± Ananta¡¯s face twisted with anger and surprise. She turned her daggers on him and the emerald tree answered. Jagged roots of lightning thundered down on the dragon, but he spread his wings and channeled True Yellow.


    Three spheres of Radiant magic coalesced around him, each brighter and larger than the last. The emerald fire wrapped around the spheres, crackling with the sound of thunder as it squeezed and burned over the chromatic spell.


    Kaleidrog dove straight for Ananta, even as the lightning shattered his magic. He reached out and caught her in his claws. She screamed in defiance and stabbed his hand with Honorem and Votum, but he refused to let go and drew her close to his chest with both arms.


    The emerald tree swirled around them, its roots eager to strike but unable to with its master so close. Ananta pulled Honorem back and sank the blade into the dragon¡¯s chest, sliding through two ribs. Kaleidrog wracked blood and wheezed for air. His grip weakened and Ananta began to pull away.


    Melantha¡¯s lilac eyes snapped open. Blue mana surged to life around her, the air itself so thick with the ethereal energy that it glowed a cobalt blue. She stretched her hands out towards the sky and called down the power surging within the leylines.


    A pillar of cerulean light erupted from the ground and shot upwards, and swallowed both the titan queen and dragon lord. The lightning ripped through the emerald tree¡¯s branches and the dark storm clouds, piercing the night sky in an unending tower of brilliant blue.


    The sky roared with thunder and the ground shook as if it was falling apart. Lunae dug her claws into the ground, crouched low, and held fast. Holo tried to Flicker away but was sent flying back from a shockwave.


    Suddenly, as quick as it had appeared, the pillar of lightning was gone, leaving behind a round chasm in the middle of the Bourge District. The air was filled with smoke and a distinct metallic scent. The titan queen and the dragon lord were gone.


    Melantha collapsed to her knees and gasped for breath. Sweat covered her deep blue skin and her silver hair was soaked. Her shoulders heaved with every ragged breath. Holo stumbled towards Melantha, her appearance not much better.


    ¡°And here I thought you were holding out on me,¡± Holo smiled half-heartedly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Meteoric Pillar even half that magnitude.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± Melantha noted grimly.


    An enormous shadow rose from the smoke of the chasm. Two sets of arms stretched towards its feet. Three spindly tails swayed in the smoke, each with a long sharp point. A pair of wings unfurled behind its back, stretching 10 meters across. Dark veins pulsated through the leathery wings with a strange undulating pattern.


    A lifeless aura exploded outwards from the smoke like a whirlpool and swallowed the chromatic and elemental mana nearby.


    Three lidless ebon black eyes stared out from the smoke, watching Melantha with cold interest.


    Holo took a fearful step back. ¡°Unildyr¡­?¡± she whispered.


    Melantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°Unildyr¡¯s heir¡­ She¡¯s been withholding her primordial powers until now. Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Nel.¡± Holo stared at her hands, ¡°Is it just me or can you not feel any chromatic mana within you either?¡±


    ¡°I doubt you¡¯d find any sort of energy left in the district.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    ¡°The queen is swallowing all mana¡ª well, most of it.¡± Melantha glanced at the motes of chaotic light in the air vibrating against the void aura, choosing to float around erratically instead. She couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, ¡°Unyielding as always.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°You¡¯re both alright!?¡± said Lunae as she rushed into the street.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Holo admitted.


    ¡°As is she,¡± added Melantha pointedly.


    Ananta rose to her full height in the darkness of the smoke. Her silhouette loomed over the titanesses. ¡°H-Hungry¡­¡±


    Holo stepped forward, ¡°Lunae, throw Nel on your back and get ready to run.¡±


    ¡°Holo? Whaaat are you doing?¡± asked Melantha.


    ¡°Lunae has a son to look after. Mine is already grown,¡± said Holo.


    Melantha shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot¡ª¡±


    ¡°Remember our promise.¡±


    ¡°Holo¡ª Seren, don¡¯t do this,¡± Melantha whispered.


    She glanced back at her younger sister and grinned warmly, ¡°Remember our promise. Find Hope.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡± groaned Ananta through the smoke. ¡°N-NO!¡± She stumbled back and held her head in her hands. ¡°N-no¡­ NOOOOO!!¡± she shrieked. Ananta¡¯s silhouette fluctuated, growing extra limbs and retracting them within a second. Different parts of her body grew disproportionately while others shrunk.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°Caligo, she¡¯s¡ª rejecting her own power?¡± mumbled Lunae in surprise.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Melantha.


    Holo narrowed her eyes in realization. ¡°Because she can¡¯t control it. That¡¯s why she¡¯s always limited her void abilities.¡±


    Ananta¡¯s body began to tremble all over and shrunk to her original form. She fell down on all fours and vomited bile. She panted heavily and glanced at the others silently. She turned away, sprouted scarlet wings, and shot into the sky.


    Holo followed the direction of her flight with her eyes. ¡°Oh, shit! She¡¯s heading to the Ebon Tower!¡±


    Lunae snapped her head up, ¡°We can¡¯t let her reach the tower!¡± Without hesitation, she grabbed each sister with her jaws and tossed them on her back, before dashing off towards the twin black spires.


    ¡°We have to kill her before she has a chance to do anything!¡± growled Lunae.


    Melantha gripped her sword. ¡°She¡¯s refusing to rely on her void abilities. She¡¯s exhausted and heavily injured. I just need one opening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you have it,¡± said Lunae adamantly.


    ¡°What if we¡¯re wrong?¡± mumbled Holo.


    Lunae faltered a step, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What if¡­¡± Holo took a deep breath, ¡°What if killing her isn¡¯t the answer? ¡­I think we should capture her.¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°Are you fucking insane?¡±


    ¡°Hear me out. Earlier, Caligo¡ª no, Ananta, had me by the throat. She could have easily killed me, but she didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t think she wants to kill any of us. It¡¯s why she¡¯s refusing to lose control of her void powers. Because if she does, she could kill any one of us.¡±


    ¡°Why would that even matter to her? She wants revenge,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°For her people. She wants revenge for her people, the titans.¡± said Holo. ¡°Don¡¯t you two get it? She doesn¡¯t want to kill the last remnants of her kind, our kind.¡±


    ¡°But she will if she has to,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Why are you defending her?¡± growled Lunae.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. We¡¯re missing something crucial, I¡¯m not sure what it is, but we need to know what¡¯s really going on. We need answers! And she can give them to us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll never give up her secrets,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°But if we capture her¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Lunae¡¯s right,¡± Melantha shook her head. ¡°There is no capturing her. That woman is the daughter of a Primordial. There is no prison strong enough to hold her. Kaleidrog died just to weaken her. If we don¡¯t kill her now, we won¡¯t get another chance!¡± Silver feathery wings sprang from her shoulders and she leaped into the air.


    ¡°Nel, wait!¡± Holo yelled but she was already gone.


    ~~~


    Ananta flew towards the Central District, to the very center of Hollow Shade, where the Ebon Tower stood. She flew down between both black spires and landed on the smooth stone platform at their center. She lost her footing and almost collapsed. Her vision was faint and her head felt light. She could feel the void blood in her veins trying to usurp control, to heal her wounds, to save her life, and to devour all other life. But Ananta refused. She couldn¡¯t lose focus, not now, not when she was so close.


    Ananta bit her tongue until it bled. The pain brought her focus back, if only for a moment. She glanced down at her own wounds riddled over her body and the dark purple blood trickled down her legs. The blood dripped on the engraved floor and it ran through the strange sigils all over the round platform until each sigil began to glow with a faint light.


    Summoning the last of her chaotic mana, she fell to her knees, clasped her hands together above her head, and slammed her fists into the stone floor. The sigils flared to life and shattered in a blast of green light.


    Melantha spotted the explosion from the night sky and swooped down into the plaza. Ananta lay on the floor at the top of the tower¡¯s stairs. Melantha drew her sword and approached cautiously.


    The Central District was filled with citizens who had fled the enemies at the gates. Yet none dared come close to the tower looming over them nor the frightening winged titaness.


    The dark storm clouds of Ananta¡¯s magic had faded away, leaving behind a clear night sky filled with stars. Past the city walls, beyond the valley¡¯s green hills, at the edge of the horizon, peeked the golden rays of dawn. The storm had lifted and the dark night of battle had ended.


    A tall figure emerged from beneath the shattered stone platform. His skin was burnished silver. His body bare, save for a black bracelet and a tattered white silken cloth wrapped around his waist. Locks of wispy black hair swayed in the breeze. A long scar ran down his wide back to his waist. Rippling muscles shifted at Melantha¡¯s approach. His head turned in her direction for a moment, but he ignored her and knelt next to Ananta.


    ¡°Ann,¡± he whispered softly and brushed her warm brown cheek.


    She gazed up at him, her eyes tired. ¡°Solis¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I took so long.¡±


    He smiled bitterly, ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, my friend. You¡¯ve done enough¡­ I¡¯ll deal with the rest.¡±


    Ananta nodded faintly and closed her eyes.


    The Ebon Wolf stood to his feet and turned to Melantha, his deep golden eyes ablaze with power. The sun rose behind him on the horizon, its light stretching across the sky.


    ¡°You did this to her?¡± he asked in a deadly voice.

 Chapter 524: Defeat

    Chapter 524: Defeat


    A tall figure emerged from beneath the shattered stone platform. His skin was burnished silver. His body bare, save for a black bracelet and a tattered white silken cloth wrapped around his waist. Locks of wispy black hair swayed in the breeze. A long scar ran down his wide back to his waist. Rippling muscles shifted at Melantha¡¯s approach. His head turned in her direction for a moment, but he ignored her and knelt next to Ananta.


    ¡°Ann,¡± he whispered softly and brushed her warm brown cheek.


    She gazed up at him, her eyes tired. ¡°Solis¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I took so long.¡±


    He smiled bitterly, ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, my friend. You¡¯ve done enough¡­ I¡¯ll deal with the rest.¡±


    Ananta nodded faintly and closed her eyes.


    The Ebon Wolf stood to his feet and turned to Melantha, his deep golden eyes ablaze with power. The sun rose behind him on the horizon, its light stretching across the sky.


    ¡°You did this to her?¡± he asked in a deadly voice.


    ¡°Solis¡­ Holo, what did you do¡­?¡± Melantha whispered.


    ¡°I asked you a question, daughter of Death.¡±


    She gripped her sword and shield, and looked at him head-on. ¡°I am Melantha and I am here to kill Ananta.¡±


    ¡°Melantha¡­?¡± he muttered. ¡°You¡¯re the leader of the Mortem Order¡¯s uprising. Is that why you¡¯re here? Some sick part of your war?¡±


    ¡°Uprising?¡± She narrowed her eyes, ¡°The uprising was three centuries ago. How long were you sealed in that tower?¡±


    He stared up at the twin black spires to his right and left. ¡°Three centuries¡­?¡± he whispered. ¡°There was no tower.¡±


    ¡°Solis!¡± Lunae cried out as she arrived at the plaza. Holo hopped off her back and her wolfen form shimmered away and transformed into a silver titaness, a reflection of her twin, pale white hair and silver eyes.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Solis growled. ¡°I see. You¡¯re here with them, Melantha.¡± Golden flames sparked to life around him, growing with his every breath. ¡°So, you stand against me once more, sister.¡±


    ¡°Brother,¡± Lunae whispered painfully.


    He held up his hand, a faint white scar stretched across his palm. ¡°Did the Sigte bond truly mean nothing to you?¡±


    ¡°It meant everything!¡± she yelled hoarsely.


    ¡°Then why? Why did you betray ME?!¡±


    ¡°You were going to destroy the Realm!¡±


    ¡°I was trying to save it!¡± he snarled. ¡°The Realms¡¯ bridges were falling apart, if I didn¡¯t do anything they would be destroyed!¡±


    ¡°You were messing with powers you didn¡¯t understand!¡± said Lunae desperately. ¡°The backlash of tampering with the leylines and the boundaries of the Dark Fringe would have killed countless of thousands.¡±


    ¡°And what happened in my absence?¡± He glanced at Holo, ¡°Did you save the realm bridges?¡±


    ¡°Nothing could have saved them,¡± she admitted softly.


    ¡°I could have. I would have, had you not convinced my own sister and daughter to turn against me,¡± said Solis.


    Holo shook her head, ¡°I did no such thing. They knew the risks of what you were trying to accomplish. They chose to save the lives of the realm¡¯s people instead.¡±


    Solis snarled. ¡°You chose the wrong side. Tell me, how many people died after the realm bridges fell? What sort of chaos ensued in the wake of their demise? Thousands? Millions? You¡¯re not even sure, are you?¡±


    ¡°There was nothing you or anyone else could have done to prevent the Schism, it was madness to even try,¡± said Holo. ¡°You would have only hurt more people.¡±


    ¡°Schism? Is that what you call it? The greatest failure of our kind since the world was Sundered?¡± he laughed bitterly. ¡°And now here you stand, poised to kill our queen, the last hope of our people.¡±


    The golden flames roared and the sheer heat burned the air, setting aflame the nearby corpses strewn around the tower. Holo and Melantha stepped back and grimaced in the sweltering heat.


    Lunae stepped forward, even as the edge of her white robes caught flames. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, brother.¡±


    Solis faltered at the pain in her voice. His glare softened. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m doing this for us.¡± He reached into his tattered robe and drew a black crown. It reverberated with power as he placed it on his brow. ¡°This time, I won¡¯t turn my back to you. I¡¯ll face what must be done with eyes wide open.¡±


    ¡°Lunae, get back!¡± yelled Melantha. She jumped in front of her and raised her shield.


    A white fox abruptly crashed into the plaza like a comet¡¯s flash.


    Solis furrowed his brow. ¡°Lin Lu?¡±


    Purple flames shielded the fox goddess from the golden inferno as she limped towards his side. Traces of her battle with Lunae covered her fur in bloody patches. She stood over Ananta and nuzzled her face with her nose. ¡°...I¡¯m glad Ann made it to you. You have no idea what we¡¯ve gone through to get you back.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± whispered Solis. He glared at his sister, Holo, and Melantha. ¡°I won¡¯t let her suffering go unanswered.¡±


    ¡°Now is not the time to fight. Ann needs time to recover. We need to retreat,¡± urged Lin Lu.


    The sun god growled at the thought, but he glanced at the queen¡¯s face and the anger drained from his expression. He knelt next to Ann, gently picked her up, then climbed atop Lin Lu¡¯s back.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them get away!¡± Melantha yelled and dashed forward.


    Solis stretched out his hand, the golden flames surged to life and blasted her away. He glanced at Lunae¡¯s broken expression one last time, then turned away. Lin Lu leaped into the sky, small bursts of icy clouds forming underneath her paws with every step.


    Vorphyrux, largest and strongest of the dragonbanes, spotted his Mistress flying above. He pushed aside the mound of dragon corpses around him and took flight. The dragonbanes soaring over the city followed his lead and trailed behind them.


    The dragons gave no chase and instead flew down to the smoking chasm where their lord had fallen. A few flew towards their lord¡¯s son, Reldros, and joined the battle against his enthralled sister.


    Solis watched the destruction of Hollow Shade from above. He saw the frost-mist of his sister¡¯s wolves scattered across the valley and her goblins attacking a retreating army of valley warriors, his chosen people.


    ¡°They fought for our queen?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They fought for a better future for the Realm,¡± replied Lin Lu. ¡°They¡¯ve lost. ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°...It doesn¡¯t matter. Not anymore. All that matters is saving the World Soul.¡±


    ~~~


    Holo rushed to Melantha¡¯s side, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She opened her eyes and looked up at her sister, though she didn¡¯t get up. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just exhausted. I drew too much power from the leylines.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both lucky, Solis is incredibly dangerous, especially when the sun is at his back,¡± said Lunae. ¡°In your current weakened state, you¡¯d have both died in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Holo sighed.


    Melantha closed her eyes. ¡°I just need a nap.¡±


    ¡°That may be a bit difficult,¡± Holo said dryly.


    The crowds of citizens stared at the three women from at the edge of the plaza, while pointing fingers and exclaiming in excitement and fear.


    A vampiress in silken clothes broke from the crowds, crossed the empty plaza, and bowed deeply. ¡°Good morning, dear goddesses. Please, forgive my intrusion, I am Lady Calantha of the Great House of Ashe, High Priestess of Hollow Shade¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHolo¡¯s Shade,¡± Holo corrected.


    ¡°Right, of course, forgive me,¡± Calantha bowed once more. ¡°I am the High Priestess of Holo¡¯s Shade. And I am here to serve you in whatever way I can.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, not this one again,¡± Melantha rolled over and turned her back on Calantha.


    ¡°You¡¯re my niece''s chosen?¡± asked Lunae.


    ¡°Indeed, I have the privilege of serving Mistress Bellum, but my duty is to the Ebon Pantheon as a whole,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°Well, two of your Pantheon just flew off after threatening to kill everyone here. Actually, one of them did kill a whole lot of you,¡± added Melantha as an afterthought.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Well,¡± Calantha winced, ¡°A war is still raging in our city. If there is anything we can do¡ª¡±


    ¡°You want our help,¡± said Holo. ¡°There is no need to ask, it is already given freely.¡±


    Calantha sighed with relief and bowed again, ¡°Thank you, Mistress¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Holo.¡±


    Her scarlet eyes widened at the realization. ¡°Y-You? You¡¯re¡­? Of course. Thank you, Mistress Holo. Thank you, Mistress Lunae.¡±


    Lunae bared her teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to save your city, mortal. I came to save my people.¡± She shifted into her wolf form and tossed Melantha on her back, before leaping over the crowds and then the walls of the Central District.


    As if on cue, Holo Flickered away, leaving Calantha alone in the middle of the plaza.


    ~~~


    Late in the evening¡­


    Vorphyrux stood watch on a hill in the middle of Dusk Valley, far from any settlement. The other dragonbanes flew around the perimeter, searching for any prey to satisfy their never ending hunger.


    Solis sat at the base of the hill, next to a campfire crackling with golden flames. Lin Lu sat around the fire, licking her wounds. Ananta rested on her side, her back leaning on the fox¡¯s soft fur.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± noted Solis without looking up.


    Lin Lu¡¯s ears perked up at his words.


    Ananta slowly opened her iridescent eyes. ¡°The siege¡­¡± she asked with a parched voice.


    Solis took out a water skin and held it to her lips. She nodded faintly in gratitude and took a sip.


    ¡°The siege is over,¡± answered Lin Lu. ¡°Lunae¡¯s Sylvan warriors managed to surprise the Undergrowth army and destroy the majority of their forces before they had a chance to rally together. Ophelia Thorn is dead. As for the valley¡¯s army, they were cut off from both sides and were forced to retreat. I don¡¯t know Marek¡¯s whereabouts. Without anyone to lead the tribes, I¡¯m sure the valley army will break apart and the tribes will be exposed to retaliation from Holo¡¯s Shade. The dragonbanes failed to capture Maeve Mora; she is still against us, for now. We¡¯ve lost some of the dragonbanes, but over half have returned just fine. Unfortunately, the city is lost.¡±


    ¡°Lost? The Shade City is meaningless. We¡¯ve already won. I would have preferred if we had brought Maeve to our side, but Solis was all that mattered,¡± said Ananta. ¡°...Tell me, my friend, was it difficult to face your sister?¡±


    Solis stared into the fire in contemplation. ¡°She seemed¡ª different. Changed. I thought she would have regretted her decision. Lunae always had a soft heart, but I thought surely she would come to her senses after seeing the destruction of this ¡®Schism.¡¯ But she stood by it, as if betraying our Sigte bond wasn¡¯t betraying everything we had gone through the last 2,000 years.¡± He shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand how she could do it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ananta held his hand sympathetically. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised, however. After all, she has made a Sigte bond with another.¡±


    His eyes grew cold. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She made the bond with a titan child, a baby, barely two decades old.¡± Ananta glanced up at the stars, ¡°A son of Stjerne¡ª His name is Stryg.¡±


    Solis bared his fangs. ¡°Another child of Death.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have a way of destroying everything they touch, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Holo, Melantha, and now this¡ª Stryg,¡± he growled.


    Ananta¡¯s lips curled in a small smile.


    Solis reached into his pocket and held up a smooth white gemstone, it glowed softly with an inner light.


    Her smile widened. ¡°Even after being sealed, you managed to hold on to it. I knew you would.¡±


    He handed the gemstone to her gently. ¡°As promised, I kept it safe.¡±


    Ananta carefully grasped the gemstone and marveled at its sight. ¡°Selyndra¡¯s Key¡­ With this Key, my mother opened our world to the vast infinite Null. And with this Key, I shall do the same. My father will return and this time we will finish what he started.¡±

 Chapter 525: Chrome Gate

    Chapter 525: Chrome Gate


    ¡­Northern Region of the Ebon Realm¡­ Hoarfrost Bay¡­


    In the early hours of the morning, the Lazy Lady sailed out from the Bay¡¯s mystical fog. Its mind-inducing properties had left the crew addled and paranoid, save for the three who had been shielded behind a small red dome of ward sigils. Callum, Lysaila, and Kithina walked around the ship, untying the ropes on every sailor who had strapped themselves to the boat.


    Happy to be out from their ropes and the cursed fog the sailors were oddly quiet. Callum didn¡¯t blame them. The things he had seen in the fog had left him shaken and none too eager to share.


    ¡°First the fog and then the sirens. The gods must really not like you and your friends, hybrid,¡± noted Captain Greyson.


    Callum glanced up at the vampire. His scarlet eyes were sunken and the scraggly beard seemed more rugged than usual. Whatever he had seen in the fog and what songs the sirens had lulled his mind had been worse than he¡¯d ever admit.


    ¡°Thank you, for bringing us this deep into the Bay,¡± Callum said sincerely. ¡°I know most sailors wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    The captain blinked and cleared his throat. ¡°Part of the job, you¡¯re paying us handsomely, especially on the way back, aye?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am a man of my word.¡± He jingled the coin pouch on his belt.


    ¡°Good, well, I¡¯ll keep you to it.¡± Greyson pointed past the ship¡¯s railings, to the small grey smudge on the blue horizon.


    ¡°Is that¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Aye, if your map is right. Your island. What you want to do on a hidden island this deep in these cursed waters is beyond me. We¡¯ll get you there, but none of my men will set foot on that beach.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Callum nodded. ¡°Thank you, captain.¡±


    Greyson nodded gruffly and walked off.


    Lysaila slithered over to the bow, next to Callum, though she didn¡¯t look at him. Her slit eyes stared at the island in the distance.


    ¡°Recognize it?¡± Callum asked.


    ¡°...Yes. The chrome gate lies on that isle,¡± she said grimly.


    Callum searched the waters with his eyes, ¡°Then that other ship and her crew must be nearby.¡±


    ¡°They may have already landed.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°I know, I was just¡ª never mind.¡±


    Lysaila tore her gaze away from the island and glanced at the red-headed dwarf stopping next to each sailor, making sure they were all alright. ¡°She¡¯s too good for you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°If anything goes wrong out there, I want you to take her and run back to the ship.¡±


    Callum smiled wryly, ¡°If you know anything about Kitty, then you know you can¡¯t make her change her mind once she¡¯s made it up.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    ~~~


    The Lazy Lady neared the island and dropped her anchor. Kithina, Callum, and Lysaila got onto a small rowboat attached to the Lazy Lady¡¯s side and lowered it down into the cold water.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back by tomorrow morning at the latest,¡± shouted Lysaila.


    ¡°Wait for us if you want the rest of your gold!¡± said Callum.


    ¡°Aye! Good luck, you three,¡± Captain Greyson shouted back.


    The short ride to the shore was spent in ruminating silence. Callum and Lysaila rowed the boat while Kithina sat at the center, legs crossed, eyes closed in meditation. Snow covered the shore in a thin blanket of white and a chill breeze swept the beach.


    Kithina opened her eyes with a frown and rubbed her hands for warmth. ¡°You¡¯d think it was winter, not summer.¡±


    ¡°There is no summer this far north, not really,¡± said Callum. ¡°But trust me, the winters are much worse here.¡±


    ¡°This is why I hate the Ebon Realm,¡± grumbled Lysaila. ¡°Even your warmest summers down south are still cold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± said Callum.


    ¡°Speak for yourself, vampire,¡± said Lysaila. ¡°Your people are from this ice rock of a land, the cold does little to you or other ebon-kin for that matter. As for the rest of us, we hate the cold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Kitty, you¡¯re alright, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if it was warmer,¡± Kithina said with rosy cheeks.


    Callum furrowed his brow, ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t realize that.¡±


    ¡°Just because she is a dwarf doesn¡¯t mean she likes the cold,¡± said Lysaila.


    ¡°Dwarves are originally from the Bronze Realm. There are many mountains there. Mountains are cold,¡± said Callum defensively.


    ¡°And they have many volcanoes as well. Not to mention, unlike the Ebon Realm, not all mountains are cold,¡± said Lysaila. ¡°If you knew anything about the Bronze dwarves you¡¯d know that they prefer the warmth at the heart of the mountains and the fires of the volcanoes.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Point taken,¡± Callum said abashedly. He made a mental note to himself to read a book about the Bronze Realm¡¯s topography when he had the chance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really seen much of the world, haven¡¯t you?¡± asked Kithina, admiration clear in her voice.


    Lysaila shrugged. ¡°The other realms didn¡¯t destroy their chrome gates when nature¡¯s realm bridges fell at the Schism. There are still ways to travel across realms so long as you have a prime archmage by your side. I¡¯ve learned much throughout my travels and one thing I know for certain is that the Ebon Realm is the coldest of the Null Realms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read that the grey deserts of the Ashen Realm are quite cold at night too,¡± muttered Callum.


    ¡°Are their deserts covered in snow?¡± asked Lysaila.


    ¡°Well¡ª no,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that settles that,¡± said Lysaila dryly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your home like? The Amber Realm?¡± asked Kithina.


    Lysaila closed her eyes and a small smile curled on her lips in recollection. ¡°Warm. It isn¡¯t scorching hot like the golden deserts of the Aurus Realm. We have grasslands, like your Dusk Valley, but we also have great jungles that span the horizon. Our beaches are as beautiful as any you¡¯d find in the Azure Realm. Sweet fruits are abundant and they don¡¯t require green mages to sustain them throughout the year like here. Our land is lush and filled with life, famines are practically unheard of. The cold does not touch my home. There is no snow and even when it rains, the water isn¡¯t cold, but refreshing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever live in a place without any snow,¡± said Callum with a small frown.


    ¡°It sounds beautiful,¡± smiled Kithina. ¡°I wish I could see it for myself one day.¡±


    ¡°If we succeed today, then neither of us will,¡± said Lysaila.


    The rowboat landed on the snowy beach and halted to a grinding stop on the ice. The little warmth that their conversation had brought was snuffed out by the lamia¡¯s words and the frozen island ahead of them.


    ¡°...We¡¯ll need to move quickly. Our enemy is sure to be nearby.¡± Lysaila hopped off the ship and slithered through the snow, straight to the treeline.


    Callum and Kithina shared a worried glance then hurried after her.


    ~~~


    The walk through the forest was uneventful. There were no growls of beasts or songs of birds, only the soft crunch of snow underneath their boots. Lysaila and Kithina drew the fur cloaks tightly around themselves, but even then they couldn¡¯t stop shivering.


    Callum looked at them sympathetically and began to think of the simple things he had taken for granted. It was cold for him, he could only imagine how cold it was for them.


    Even as a hybrid, or perhaps because he was a hybrid, he had never worried about nature¡¯s ¡®difficulties.¡¯ As a half-vampire, the cold had never really bothered him too much. When the temperature dropped heavily he could always just toss on a coat and he¡¯d be fine more or less, so long as he wasn¡¯t deep into the north.


    As for sunlight, he didn¡¯t have to wear special cloaks or try to stay indoors when the sun was shining brightly outside. Most vampires would suffer sunburns after only a few minutes without protection. He could stay out all day and be fine.


    ¡°I recognize these trees, we¡¯re almost there,¡± said Lysaila.


    Her words snapped him out of his thoughts. He glanced around the trees and snow-covered brush. There was nothing in sight.


    ¡°Huh, this was easier than I thought. I thought there were plenty of dangerous beasts on this island, but I guess we got lucky,¡± said Kithina.


    ¡°There are. The fauna left¡­¡± said Lysaila guardedly.


    ¡°And why would they do that?¡± asked Kithina.


    ¡°Even predators tend to run when a larger, more dangerous predator arrives,¡± noted Callum.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said Lysaila. She gestured to a bush, then crouched and slowly drew near.


    Kithina and Callum followed her lead and peered past the bush. A large snow-covered clearing lay beyond. A large round platform stood at the center of the clearing, untouched by the snow. The platform was made of polished silver metal. Ten chrome spires stood evenly around the platform¡¯s edges, each one curling inwards, almost like giant fangs in the maw of a sea beast.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the Chrome Gate!¡± Kithina said excitedly and rushed towards it.


    But Lysaila grabbed her shoulder and held her back. ¡°We¡¯re too late¡­¡±


    At her words, an entourage of men and women, clad in the furs of the Cairn Tribe¡¯s warriors, walked into the clearing from the other edge of the forest. Behind them, were a dozen centaurs, pulling a massive wagon with a cage spanning two dozen paces atop it. A dragonbane sat curled inside its steel bars, sleeping with a deep rumble.


    Lysaila narrowed her indigo eyes. ¡°It¡¯s grown bigger.¡±


    ¡°You know what that thing is?!¡± whispered Callum.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you were scared of¡­?¡± Kithina swallowed hard. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted to stop from getting through the gate.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes,¡± Lysaila whispered grimly.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Kithina.


    ¡°You see the two on centaur-back at the head of the warriors? That¡¯s Dawn and Vaughn. Marek¡¯s two greatest battle mages. They¡¯re both archmages.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re familiar,¡± muttered Callum.


    ¡°Mm,¡± said Kithina.


    Neither of them had forgotten the night they had met on Widow¡¯s crag a year ago.


    ¡°If there was only one of them, then maybe I could try to ambush and catch them off guard, but with both of them¡­¡± Lysaila¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°We can¡¯t reach the gate unnoticed either with so many warriors out there,¡± said Callum.


    ¡°So how are we supposed to destroy the chrome gate? Shoot it with arrows?¡± Kithina said sarcastically.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any arrows, not that either of you are a good shot,¡± said Callum.


    ¡°And you are?¡± Lysaila raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I had an extensive education growing up,¡± he shrugged.


    Lysaila rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, if our Master Archer over here had magical arrows capable of destroying an ancient structure forged by some of the greatest mage smiths in the entire history of our world, then this would all be solved easily, but seeing as he doesn¡¯t, we should come up with another plan.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a diversion?¡± said Kithina. ¡°If we had a way to distract them all, then we could sneak past and you could use your enchanted swords to destroy the chrome gate. So long as you at least damage one of the spires it should be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°A diversion would most likely cause a ruckus, a lot of noise. We can¡¯t risk the Unildyr waking up. Believe me when I say we can¡¯t kill it,¡± said Lysaila.


    ¡°So what then?¡± asked Kithina. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°What if we sneak up on the Unildyr?¡± mused Callum. ¡°Those warriors are keeping a pretty good distance from that monster anyway. If it¡¯s asleep, we might just be able to sneak up on it and kill it before anyone is the wiser. That would be a good enough distraction to keep both archmages¡¯ attention long enough for Lysaila to damage the chrome gate and escape.¡±


    ¡°That might just work!¡± said Kithina.


    ¡°Were you two not listening to a word I said? We can¡¯t kill it. The Unildyr sleep heavily, but if any living creature nears it, it¡¯ll sense their life aura. If there is any killing intent within that aura the Unildyr will no doubt wake up.¡±


    ¡°It can sense killing intent?¡± asked Callum, surprised.


    ¡°There are many things you can sense from someone¡¯s life aura with the right training,¡± replied Lysaila. ¡°Or in that monster¡¯s case, simply be born with otherworldly senses. No one can sneak up on an Unildyr, awake or asleep. No one.¡±


    ¡°What if you masked your aura? A grand swordmaster like you can do that easily, right?¡± asked Callum.


    ¡°I can manipulate my life force and suppress its presence, yes, but not even I can fully hide my aura. It won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?!¡± Kithina whispered in frustration.


    Lysaila stared silently at the clearing for a long tense moment. ¡°...I have an idea.¡±

 Chapter 526: Stand, Brave One

    Chapter 526: Stand, Brave One


    ¡°I can manipulate my life force and suppress my aura¡¯s presence, yes, but not even I can fully hide my aura. The Unildyr beasts are heavy sleepers, but we can¡¯t sneak up on them. The beast will sense the aura of anyone who draws too close. It won¡¯t work,¡± explained Lysaila.


    ¡°So what do we do?!¡± Kithina whispered in frustration.


    Lysaila stared silently at the clearing for a long tense moment. ¡°...I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Which is¡­?¡±


    ¡°When I tell you to, run back to the ship as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°An ambush won¡¯t work, even if we manage to kill a few, the Unildyr will wake up and it will kill us. But that doesn¡¯t mean our quest will fail,¡± Lysaila said slowly.


    Kithina wrinkled her brow. ¡°What? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s saying our quest does not hinge on our survival, only on the destruction of the chrome gate,¡± Callum said grimly.


    Kithina crossed her arms. ¡°Wait, so you want us to¡ª what exactly? Run in there, destroy the gate then get eaten by that monster?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s why she told us to run¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± muttered Callum.


    Kithina¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Lysaila!? I¡¯m not going to abandon you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way any of us make it out alive,¡± she replied. ¡°We won¡¯t win a drawn-out battle, but we still have the element of surprise. I can damage the gate before they can stop me.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª they¡¯ll kill you,¡± Kithina said hoarsely.


    Lysaila drew her blades and ran her hand across her belt, and the magestone sigils on the centerpiece flickered to life. ¡°If my life can save the lives of thousands across that gate, then it is a price I will happily pay.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kithina choked. ¡°Wait, please. We can figure something out. It¡¯s almost sunset, if we wait for the sun to fall, when it¡¯s dark, maybe we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no time. The twins won¡¯t wait that long. They¡¯ll cross the chrome gate soon and our last chance to stop the Unildyr from leaving this realm will be gone.¡± She glanced at Kithina and smiled reassuringly, ¡°You¡¯re strong, Kitty, you¡¯ll get through this. ¡­Callum.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he straightened his back and nodded.


    ¡°Tell Stryg I held up my end of the bargain; I brought Feli and Rhian home safely. It¡¯s his turn to keep his promise. He¡¯ll know what it means.¡±


    ¡°I will. You have my word.¡±


    Kithina shook her head, tears in her eyes, and grabbed Lysaila¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t do this! Please!¡± she whispered.


    Lysaila smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m glad we met. You¡¯re the only person in this damn realm who didn¡¯t see a monstrous lamia¡­ but me. I am honored to call you my friend, Kithina of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Lysaila leaped out of the bush and dashed to the chrome gate downhill. As she neared, a valley warrior caught a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye and shouted in alarm. His comrades looked up with surprise and drew their weapons. The archers pulled back their bows and aimed at the lamia.


    Purple light flared over Lysaila¡¯s belt and her image shimmered and fractured, splitting into four Lysailas. The arrows wooshed through the air but found only snow. Each Lysaila moved with a serpent¡¯s grace and agility, dodging every missile with ease, all the while rushing towards the gate.


    ¡°Lysaila!?¡± Vaughn shouted.


    Dawn channeled Blue. Electricity crackled at her fingertips and she hurled a lightning bolt at the lamias. They shifted around the spell, but the lightning branched out and struck one of them in the stomach. The Lysaila burst in purple strands of light before fading into the wind.


    The dragonbane in its cage grumbled sleepily and shifted its arm, but it did not wake.


    Vaughn conjured orbs of fire over his head and loosed them. The orbs all focused on a single lamia, and despite her deft movements, an orb caught her tail and exploded in a wave of flames. Her body melted away in violet light with a cry of pain.


    The dragonbane snorted and grimaced, eyes still closed.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The archers drew their bows once more and the twins channeled mana into their hands, and prepared to fire when a searing light flashed the clearing in pure white. They all flinched and staggered back at the sheer brightness.


    Callum stood at the edge of the trees, hands held over his head, a ball of blazing white light in his hands.


    Lysaial glanced back in surprise. What are you doing!?


    Wind magic swirled over Kithina¡¯s feet and she leaped high into the air. She shot out from the trees and landed in the midst of the archers. Before they even had a chance to turn around, Kithina thrust her hands out, palms flat, and blasted them away in bursts of wind. ¡°GO!¡± she yelled.


    Lysaila clenched her jaw and sprinted through the snow as fast as she could. The last of her illusions and she reached the chrome platform. She raised her swords and infused the blades with her life force, and swung the blades down at one of the chrome spires. The blades rang sharply at the strike, sending shivers up her arms. But only faint scratches were left on the spire.


    Lysaila screamed and struck again.


    Orange mana flowed into Vaughn¡¯s veins and he charged Callum and smacked him into a tree. The bright orb in Callum¡¯s hands shattered and he wheezed for breath while clutching his chest.


    The valley warriors rushed Kithina from all sides and overwhelmed her. She formed yellow protective scales over her body when they knocked her to the ground. Curling into a ball with a grimace, she poured mana into the scales as they piled on her with swords and axes.


    A bolt of blue struck both lamias at the gate. Lysaila collapsed as her muscles seized up. Her last illusion evaporated in sizzling smoke.


    Dawn calmly walked over and clicked her tongue. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be at the side of your new master, by now. Did the son of Mortem put you up to this?¡±


    Lysaila gritted her teeth and rose with a hiss. ¡°I have no master and I chose to be here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you send that beast into other realms to kill countless innocent people.¡±


    Dawn couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°So you fought for money as a mercenary and you¡¯d kill the enemies of your employer, but you draw the line at people you¡¯ve never known, let alone seen, because they¡¯re¡ª innocent?¡±


    ¡°You find that amusing? To give a shit about others, besides yourself and your twin?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I find it amusing that you care about people who would sooner kill a lamia on sight than even give you a simple greeting. You¡¯re fighting for people who despise your kind.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fighting for my people, for all beast-kin. And if it means saving every other bastard along the way then so be it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lysaila. What happened to the cold-hearted monster I found in the Amber Realm?¡±


    She glared at Dawn, ¡°I am no monster.¡±


    Dawn narrowed her purple eyes, ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± Shadow tendrils sprung out from the floor and wrapped around Lysaila. The lamia tried to resist but the shadow¡¯s grip only tightened. Dawn sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not a monster. Just a beast, a dangerous animal who needs to be put down¡ª¡±


    Dawn stopped and frowned. She tilted her head, before suddenly throwing her arms up and shielding herself with yellow protective scales as an arrow cracked into her chest.


    A small army of black-cloaked figures rushed out from the treeline and clashed against the valley warriors.


    Still, curled in the snow, Kithina opened her eyes hesitantly and spotted a familiar face underneath one of the dark cowls. ¡°Mary!?¡±


    The spy from the port town glanced at her and locked eyes. She nodded in solidarity and continued to fight.


    Vaughn turned to the newfound enemies. He conjured a massive fireball and hurled it at the cloaked figures, but a warrior cowled in golden flames leaped into the fray and met his spell with her own fire.


    The scarlet red hair flowing in her swirling flames made Callum freeze. He knew those crimson eyes, the warm olive skin, and that terrifying scowl. ¡°Sylvie¡­?¡± he whispered in disbelief.


    The dragonbane¡¯s eyes snapped open at the sound of the unfolding battle. It roared angrily and ripped apart the metal bars of its cage. The centaurs tied to the wagon screamed in panic and tried to run, but the dragonbane raked his claws through them, slicing them apart in a bloody mess.


    The void beast turned to the terrified men and women in the clearing and roared hungrily. It abruptly stopped mid-roar as a sword plunged into its throat from behind. It shrieked a gurgled noise and reached behind its back, but the figure atop its shoulders pulled out her blade and in one smooth rapid motion, sliced off its head.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Dawn gasped.


    The dragonbane collapsed heavily, dark ichor flowing loosely from its open neck down into the snow. The warrior stood over its shoulders and rose to her full towering height. Golden flames wreathed her ebon armor and turned black as they touched her orichalcum greatsword. Strands of scarlet hair escaped the edges of her helmet and her golden eyes blazed with the light of the sun. Bellum, the goddess of war, turned her gaze upon the mortal fighting her daughter.


    Vaughn¡¯s eyes widened in panic. He channeled the greatest of his agility spells, the black amber. His veins darkened and his muscles burned from the exertion. The world seemed to slow around him and he sprinted away at blinding speed. But Bellum was on him in an instant. She raised her blade and struck him down, her greatsword cleaving him in two.


    ¡°NO!!¡± Dawn screamed. With tears in her eyes, she channeled Yellow, and shot up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.


    The valley warriors scattered at the sight of their fallen leaders and ran into the forest.


    ¡°With me!¡± Sylvie shouted and gave chase.


    The cloaked figures nodded in silent agreement and followed her, leaving the snowy clearing a blood-stained battlefield of corpses.


    Callum and Kithina slowly turned around and stared in awe at Bellum, standing over her enemies, blade drawn, eyes ablaze.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Kithina mumbled, eyes wide. It was her. The Guardian of the Realm. Patron of the Vampires. She was real.


    Callum swallowed hard and fell to his knees and bowed as his goddess walked past. Kithina noticed his reaction and she anxiously got on her knees and emulated him. Bellum passed by them both and walked onto the chrome platform.


    Lysaila stared at her fearfully. She wanted to run, but her muscles were frozen with terror. This was the Guardian. She protected the realm from threats and outsiders. And Lysaial knew more than anyone that she did not belong in this Realm, her kind belonged in no Realm.


    Bellum looked down on the lamia with a stern gaze, then raised her blade, and sheathed it over her back. She leaned forward and offered her hand, ¡°Stand, brave one. We have much to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 527: Family is Complicated

    Chapter 527: Family is Complicated


    ¡­A century before the Schism¡­


    The halls of the Viridian Keep stood tall, the limestone pillars reached two dozen meters high. Cold light filtered from the high glass-stained windows depicting heroic acts of Paragons of old. The Keep had been built not only as the greatest stronghold of the knight¡¯s order but as a symbol of their power.


    Every knight who walked down the grey halls would feel like a child in the halls of giants. Each of them would look up at the Paragons of past ages and dream of one day earning the right to stand among their legends.


    Melantha had forgotten how many times she had passed by these halls and dreamt the same dream. And yet now, as she walked past, she couldn¡¯t help but feel as if the walls of the Keep no longer felt grand nor daunting. They felt¡ª small.


    She reached the end of the hall and took a brief moment to gaze at the giant marble statues in front of her; saints standing proud in all their glory. Sighing to herself, she took a sharp turn down another hall, without bothering to offer a small prayer to the saints as was customary.


    Her secretary stood pacing anxiously around outside her office quarters, an empty sheath in his hands. Melantha raised her eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing in front of my door?¡±


    ¡°My Lady, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the council¡¯s meeting finished early. Now, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh, you have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    He averted his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s already inside your office¡­¡±


    ¡°Kaelen, what have I said about letting the princess into my quarters without my presence? You can¡¯t keep letting her go wherever she pleases.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the princess,¡± he said with a shaky smile.


    ¡°What? Then who¡ª?¡±


    ¡°A traveler.¡±


    ¡°Her name, Kaelen.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, she didn¡¯t say¡­ Um, I tried to stop her, really I did. But she took my sword and, well¡­¡±


    Melantha groaned to herself. ¡°Right. Step aside, I¡¯ll deal with this.¡±


    Kaelen scurried away without another word.


    Melantha slammed her door open and walked into the chamber. ¡°Who are you and what are you doing in my chambers?¡±


    A young woman with bright brown curls and olive skin sat on the windowsill, staring at the verdant courtyard below. She wore the green cloak of the knight¡¯s order, but it wasn¡¯t Kaelen¡¯s.


    ¡°Where did you get that cloak?¡± Melantha growled.


    The woman glanced away from the window and looked her up and down with warm brown eyes. She smiled casually. ¡°So, you¡¯re Nel the Blue, Knight Paragon of the Viridian Keep, Slayer of Archmages, Protector of the Commonfolk, etcetera, etcetera. You know, you¡¯re much shorter than I imagined. I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be as tall as a giant from the stories people sing about you.¡±


    She glared at the smiling woman. ¡°It¡¯s Mel. And it¡¯s Melantha to you. Where did you get that cloak?¡±


    The stranger shrugged. ¡°Nel, Mel, what difference does it make? Neither is your true name.¡±


    ¡°Melantha is the only name I have.¡± She grabbed the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it an inch. ¡°Where did you get that cloak? I won¡¯t ask again.¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Paragon. I got it off a lad patrolling the halls. He was very insistent I wasn¡¯t allowed in the castle. So I took the cloak after I bonked him on the head,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°You dare¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine. Just sleeping it off.¡±


    ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± she growled.


    ¡°What do I want or what am I doing here?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with your name,¡± Melantha drew her blade a little more.


    The woman eyed the sword with a smirk. ¡°Do all knights attack their guests before even offering them a drink? Not very chivalrous of you. I have traveled a long way.¡±


    ¡°You are no guest of mine.¡±


    ¡°Hm, fair. I suppose introductions are in order first then.¡± She hopped off the windowsill and bowed with a grand flourish, ¡°I have many names and many titles; Holo, Yara, Nereida¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Sea Nymph?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a religious knight? Or have you been to the Azure Realm?¡±


    ¡°Once or twice,¡± she answered cautiously. ¡°And I¡¯d say I¡¯m more well-read than religious. Though I doubt there is any knight who¡¯d not recognize the name. It¡¯s not every day you meet a crazy woman claiming to be the beautiful Azure goddess.¡±


    ¡°If it makes it any easier for you, the folks on the Azure islands know me as a demigoddess,¡± she added lightly.


    ¡°A goddess all the same.¡± Melantha sheathed her blade and sized her up and down with a skeptical look, ¡°And for a goddess, you hardly seem like the divine beauty of the stories, Nereida.¡±


    The woman smiled softly. ¡°Seren, please. My true name¡ª is Seren. You deserve to know that. It¡¯s customary among us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored,¡± she replied sarcastically. ¡°Why are you here, Seren?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve answered your question.¡± She raised her empty hand, ¡°How about you offer me a drink first before I answer anymore? My throat is parched.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you conjure yourself up a glass of water, o¡¯ goddess?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± And as if to prove her point, a bubble of water manifested around her hand, hopping from one finger to another in a playful gesture. ¡°But not wine, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Melantha stiffened and her hand immediately went back to her sword.


    Seren narrowed her eyes and smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve never seen a bit of water magic before?¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use chromatic blue mana¡­ nor elemental water¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot, you¡¯re a True Blue, right? Have you been watching me with your Clarity magic this entire time? Tell me, what do you see within me?¡±


    ¡°...Chromatic orange mana.¡±


    ¡°What else? Just now. What did you see?¡±


    ¡°...Something different, for a moment. I¡¯ve never seen it before, except¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    ¡°Except within yourself.¡±


    Melantha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Before, you asked me what I came here for. I¡¯m here for you, Nel. Your recent exploits have caught your father¡¯s attention. He sent me to fetch you.¡±


    ¡°My father?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your real father, not the peasant couple who adopted you after your human mother died.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? My father and mother are my true blood parents,¡± Melantha said with an edge to her voice.


    ¡°Oh, little sister, we both know that isn¡¯t true.¡± Seren¡¯s brown eyes shifted into a pale glowing lilac. She gestured to the door, ¡°You may hide what you are in front of all of them, but you cannot hide from me. Those freckles and rosy white skin may as well be makeup.¡±


    Melantha took a shaky step back and swallowed hard. ¡°You¡ª You¡¯re like me?¡±


    ¡°That is what tends to happen amongst family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really my sister¡­?¡±


    ¡°Half-sister, but yes. We share the same father. And he wishes to meet you.¡±


    ¡°A father who never once deigned to visit me my entire life wants to meet me now? After all these years?¡± Tears welled up in the corners of her blue eyes. ¡°He¡¯s alive then¡­? Did he know I existed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn''t he write? He could have told me I wasn''t an orphan! That I wasn¡¯t alone!¡±


    ¡°...I know, it¡¯s hard. But don¡¯t take it personally. It¡¯s Father¡¯s way. Happens to most of us.¡±


    Melantha blinked her tears away. ¡°Most of us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My mother was a northern drow from the Ebon Realm. Fortunately, she was still alive while I was growing up, but I didn¡¯t know of Father¡¯s existence until I was a teenager.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already 21 and at least you had your mother.¡±


    ¡°Point taken. But did you not have mortal parents who took you in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I had¡ª questions.¡±


    ¡°Like why your skin is blue? Yes. Many of us went through the same thing. Not me, of course. Northern drows have natural blue complexions.¡±


    ¡°Does your father have blue skin?¡±


    ¡°Our father. And yes, as dark blue as the midnight sky and as bright blue as the sky at noon.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°His complexion changes based on the time of day.¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°That¡ª still doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he prefers to use a false appearance for everyday occasions, much like you. But for different reasons.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°People find his true appearance¡ª distracting.¡±


    ¡°Distracting? Doesn¡¯t sound like a very different reason than mine.¡±


    ¡°Mm, debatable.¡±


    ¡°What, is he disfigured or something?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite. I suppose you could say he is the most beautiful of the gods.¡± She smirked, ¡°A fact that many goddesses envy.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What?¡± Melantha shook her head.


    Seren shrugged, ¡°What? Have you never heard? Death is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Death? As in the three Aurum gods of death?¡±


    ¡°You catch on quick,¡± she nodded. ¡°And yes. In the Aurous realm he is known as the Eldest Death.¡±


    ¡°...Death is my father?¡±


    ¡°Our father.¡±


    ¡°Our father is a god!?¡±


    ¡°I did say I was Nereida, did I not?¡± Seren yawned, ¡°Look, this is all getting a bit tedious. Everything will be explained to you once we reach the Mortem Sanctum.¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°The Mortem Sanctum? You mean the castle owned by the notoriously dangerous Mortem Order?¡±


    ¡°You ask a lot of questions. The Sanctum is the Order¡¯s headquarters. It lies in the Scarlet Realm. And it¡¯s not dangerous, at least, not for us. The castle is similar enough to your ¡®Viridian Keep,¡¯ except far larger and far more grand. Imagine a castle the size of a small city. A place not just for knights, but for scholars, mages, scientists, engineers, and so much more.¡±


    ¡°I heard the stories, rumors really. I never thought¡­¡± Melantha¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°The Sanctum was built by Father for the single goal of consolidating and growing the knowledge of the Realms. And as his children we have access to all of it. Imagine, the greatest treasure trove of knowledge in all the Null Realms at your fingertips. You had questions? The Sanctum has all the answers and more.¡±


    ¡°And you can take me there?¡±


    ¡°That is why I¡¯m here.¡± She offered her hand, ¡°So, are you coming, Nel?¡±


    Melantha stared at Seren¡¯s hand uncertainly, but after a moment she grasped it. ¡°It¡¯s Mel.¡±


    ¡°Yea, sure thing. Now, where is my drink?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Present Day¡­ Hollow Shade¡­ Gale Manor¡­


    Melantha sat on a tree branch outside the manor. She watched Stryg through the window, sitting at the bedside of his mother. Melantha had returned to her human form and wore a green cloak so as to not draw attention.


    ¡°How¡¯s the weather up there, Nel?¡±


    Melantha glanced at her sister standing below the tree. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me? You¡¯re the one who inherited Father¡¯s Aspect of the Navigator.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Holo Flickered up next to her and sat on the branch casually. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s going to rain tomorrow. Not much, but enough to slow down the city¡¯s restoration process.¡±


    ¡°Charming.¡±


    ¡°All things considered, it could have been worse.¡±


    ¡°Worse than losing Selyndra¡¯s Key and releasing a vengeful immortal titan back into the world? Which by the way, what the fuck were you thinking sealing the Titan of the Sun inside a prison of leylines?¡±


    ¡°Not my finest hour,¡± Holo admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have an option. We had barely stopped Solis, but Lunae refused to let her brother die and Bellum wasn¡¯t going to kill her father either.¡±


    ¡°And now that he¡¯s free he might just end up killing both of them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Family is complicated.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of family, how is your son?¡±


    ¡°Atlas is fine, a bit scathed, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°And your granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Her orichalcum weapon took its toll on her, but Unalla is strong. She¡¯ll be alright after some rest and several strong healing sessions.¡±


    ¡°She should refrain from using such a weapon. Even if she carries titan blood, it''s thin. Unalla is mortal, it¡¯s dangerous to meddle with titan magic.¡±


    ¡°It seems Ananta took Votum with her anyway. I doubt Unalla will be getting it back.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Melantha grunted.


    Holo rested her head on her sister¡¯s shoulder, ¡°...Thank you for answering when I needed you. I don¡¯t think any of us would have survived without your help.¡±


    ¡°I promised, didn¡¯t I? Besides, there is someone quite interesting here,¡± Melantha spoke as she stared at Stryg from a distance. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Father hasn¡¯t sent one of our siblings to find him.¡±


    ¡°There are very few of us left.¡±


    ¡°Even still. Our Aurum sister and brother have always been loyal to him. They would have happily done it.¡±


    ¡°...Truth be told, I¡¯m not sure Father even knows about Stryg.¡±


    Melantha frowned, ¡°What? How could he not?¡±


    ¡°When I first met Stryg we traveled together for a while and I spoke to him at length about his childhood. He grew up normal, well, as normal as one of us can. He didn¡¯t exhibit any of a titan¡¯s abilities.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? He was a failure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And now he¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Holo sighed, ¡°I have a working theory, but I need Stryg present and a little more time to confirm it.¡±


    ¡°Time is a luxury we may have little of. Word will reach Father¡¯s ears sooner rather than later, even with the Ebon Realm¡¯s chrome gates shattered. It¡¯s not every day people witness the Astral Light obliterating dragons and dragonbanes right above their city.¡±


    Holo closed her eyes and tried to forget the scene. ¡°In any case, we need to speak to Stryg about his predicament.¡±


    Melantha raised her eyebrow. ¡°Like the way you spoke to me all those years ago?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Careful. He must feel very lost right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Holo whispered.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve made up my mind. I''m going to stay in this realm for a while.¡±


    Holo smirked. ¡°How very unlike you.¡±


    Melantha tilted her head up and stared at the stars in the night sky. ¡°I suppose so.¡±

 Chapter 528: Price of Victory

    Chapter 528: Price of Victory


    The Gale manor had the entire south wing dedicated to their infirmary. As a martial House sworn to the mastery of the blade, the infirmary took care of many aspiring swordmasters and their numerous injuries throughout the year. Stryg had been here on more than one occasion with Clypeus after a bout of sparring with his older sister, Gale.


    The Veres would also be taken to the infirmary if they were ever injured. Both the Veres and Gale manors stood proudly next to each other, with only their gardens serving as a barrier. The Houses had been bonded by blood and loyalty for the last thousand years and neither family would have it any other way.


    Stryg had always admired their loyalty to one another. They were a tribe like no other, forged through fires of countless battles and sacrifices. He had always wanted to be a part of the Gales, to have such shared camaraderie, though he had never told anyone.


    And now as he sat in one such infirmary room, with clean swept floors and pale beige walls, he was reminded once more that he wasn¡¯t one of them. He glanced at the scarlet blade resting on a sword rack in the corner of the room.


    Leave it to the Gales to have a sword rack in every room, he thought wryly.


    A plate of food sat untouched on the small table next to his chair. Usually, a servant would bring the food to the room at the regular meal times, but it was one of the Gales themselves ¡ªWillow was her name, he thought¡ª who came to the room in the middle of the night and asked if there was anything he wanted to eat.


    He had declined, but she had brought him food and a glass of bloodwine anyway. Her brother, Stellan, had stopped by and gently reminded him that they had prepared a room for him in the private apartments of the north wing.


    Stryg had declined once more. Like Willow, Stellan had left with a bow and a polite ¡®Goodnight, my lord.¡¯


    My lord.


    The words felt odd in his ears. He glanced at the scarlet blade hanging on the sword rack. Stryga Veres¡¯ legacy. He had witnessed her grand investiture ceremony through the memories of Krikolm. He had heard the words she and every Veres Lord and Lady before her, had whispered. The same words he had whispered under Grimstone Mountain.


    I will be the sword of our blood and the bane of our enemies. Be it monster or man, I shall end them all.


    It was an oath to protect the Houses of Veres and Gale. Stryga¡¯s House. His House. Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes wandered to his mother lying in the infirmary bed. Aurelia had protected him from the dragonbane¡¯s fire. She could have escaped, but she chose to stand in the way, between him and the void flames. She was lying comatose because of him. Because he hadn¡¯t been able to protect his family.


    After the Gale¡¯s healers had cast their spells over Aurelia, her forest green complexion had regained its warmth, but she still did not stir. Even now, the white mages weren¡¯t certain when she¡¯d awaken.


    Stryg had sent a message to Jahn about his sister¡¯s condition, but instead of rushing to her side, the Blood Fang chieftain had left Hollow Shade altogether and gone to retrieve the book underneath the Moon Hall.


    Even Jahn had given up on his sister¡¯s recovery, thought Stryg bitterly.


    He reached over the bed, grasped his mother¡¯s hand, and breathed in shakily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered. ¡°I killed it. The monster. I killed it, I avenged you¡­ but, it¡¯s not enough is it¡­? Please, wake up¡­ Please.¡±


    His eyes wandered once more to Krikolm hanging on the sword rack. He lingered on the crimson ripples worked into the blade for a long moment, then he shifted his focus to the black spear hanging next to it. The glass-like metal was unblemished with intricate designs across the long spear-head. He didn¡¯t know how exactly the spear came to him, his memory of the battle with the dragonbane was hazy at best.


    He remembered a voice, in the back of his mind, whispering to him. It answered his call of pain and anguish and whispered to him its name. Svartna. If Ananta was to be believed, the spear was a weapon of the Age of Titans, and it only answered a titan¡¯s call.


    Stryg stared at his palm, his fingers trembling slightly. ¡°Did you know?¡± he muttered and glanced at Aurelia. ¡°Did you know? About my father? About me?¡±


    A knock on the door silenced his questions.


    ¡°...Come in,¡± he said.


    The door creaked open and a vampire with a black speckled beard stepped inside. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion,¡± he bowed his head. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not bothering.¡±


    ¡°Gian!¡± Stryg jumped to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re alright¡ª! Your arm¡­ What happened to your arm?¡±


    A rolled-up sleeve hung where Gian¡¯s left arm should have been. The old vampire shrugged with a grin, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. As will the rest of my family, thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Me? They¡¯re the ones who saved my mother and I.¡±


    ¡°After you saved them at the Southern Gate. They would have been overwhelmed by the valley warriors and their mages had it not been for the Sylvan wolves you led in your charge through the gate.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I was just trying to reach my home.¡±


    ¡°And yet you saved the sons and daughters of House Gale and the soldiers of House Veres.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but grin at his words, albeit a small one. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive, Gian.¡±


    ¡°As I am for you, my lord.¡±


    My lord¡­ Those words again. Stryg sighed and glanced at Krikolm, ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    Gian followed his gaze. ¡°About the Bloodfang sword? Or about your heritage?¡±


    ¡°You know the meaning of Krikolm?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was my sister¡¯s sword.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°Your sister?¡±


    Gian nodded. ¡°Stryga Veres was my older half-sister.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª Wait, you already knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°A boy carrying the name Stryg and claiming to hail from the Blood Fang tribe¡­¡± Gian smiled light-heartedly, ¡°I had my suspicions.¡±


    Stryg clasped his hands together, ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°You seem troubled.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ When I grabbed Krikolm, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You swore the oath and bound the sword to your blood. I know. Every wielder before you has done the same.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do. I swore to protect my bloodline, our bloodline. How am I supposed to protect our Houses if I can¡¯t even protect my mother?¡±


    Gian placed his hand on Stryg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are not meant to protect our Houses alone. You are the Sword of Veres. But we are the Shields. We are here to support you. You will not be alone in your struggles, that I swear.¡±


    Stryg reached into his pocket and pulled out an orichalcum ring with an etched ruby set at the top, the signet ring of House Veres Aurelia left him. ¡°And what if I can¡¯t?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Two nights ago, this city was on fire. Thousands of valley tribal warriors were in our streets, murdering any person in their sight. I reckon most of our citizens believed it was the end of Hollow Shade. They would have been right, if a Sylvan army hadn¡¯t come to our aid. And I¡¯m willing to bet that if it hadn¡¯t been for a certain someone, those Sylvan warriors would have never marched out from Vulture Woods and across Dusk Valley. You saved this city, Stryg. If that isn¡¯t worthy of the title Sword of Veres, then no one is.¡±


    Stryg smiled softly, ¡°Thank you¡ª uncle.¡±


    Gian grinned, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°...How is Maeve?¡±


    ¡°Our healers managed to remove the wooden shards from her calf and mend her flesh. Lady Mora is expected to make a full recovery. She is sleeping down the hall if you wish to speak to her.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d rather let her sleep.¡±


    ¡°Feli and the rest of your tribe are staying in one of our apartments in the north wing. They¡¯re eager to see you.¡±


    ¡°So I heard¡­ I just¡ª I just need some time. To process¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. Should I leave you be then?¡±


    ¡°No. No, I could use a bit of company.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Gian nodded and pulled up a chair.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Do the others know? The Gales and Veres, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Most of my House is aware of your heritage. Though even I¡¯m not quite certain what your exact relation to my sister is.¡±


    ¡°Stryga was my great-grandmother. My mother is her granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°And what of my sister and her child?¡±


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°Stryga passed away when my mother was still a child. My grandmother passed away when I was still an infant.¡±


    Gian bowed his head and closed his eyes. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gian cleared his throat. ¡°No, I, uh¡­ I¡¯m not surprised by my sister¡¯s passing, I just¡­ I held hope, I suppose. Did she have any other children? Any other descendants?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge. Only two grandchildren and me.¡±


    ¡°Two grandchildren?¡±


    ¡°My mom and my uncle.¡±


    ¡°Is your uncle¡ª?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t in the city right now, but he will be, in a week or so, I¡¯d wager.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯d like to meet this new Veres,¡± said Gian eagerly.


    Stryg shared his enthusiasm but his smile fell at the thought of Veres. ¡°Do¡­ Do the other Veres know about me?¡±


    Gian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°There are few Veres left, besides your side of the family. After Eldrin and Carmilla fell in the valley Elise seized her opportunity and killed her siblings.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then, Cal is¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Callum is fine. I helped him escape the city. As to his exact whereabouts, I¡¯m not certain. Elise is still not aware of your existence. Though I imagine it is only a matter of time, a rather short amount at that.¡±


    ¡°I take it she won¡¯t be happy¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she will be. But you are Stryga¡¯s heir, wielder of Krikolm, and the Sword of Veres. You are Lord Veres and there is nothing anyone can do to change that, not even you.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°The burden of leadership is never easy, but you are not alone. The House of Gale recognizes you as their lord.¡±


    ¡°Their lord¡­ what does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°It means you will have to rise to be more than what you already are. Can you do that? For your family? For your friends? For your people?¡±


    ¡°Would it be wrong if I said I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. But I believe you can, Stryg Veres.¡±


    A second knock rang on the door. Gale walked inside without waiting for an answer. She made a quick bow to Stryg, then looked at Gian, ¡°Is he ready?¡±


    Stryg glanced at the two of them and frowned. ¡°Ready for what?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade¡­ Central District¡­ City Council Chambers¡­


    A somber silence filled the chamber of leadership. Seven seats stood around a wide marble table. Seven lords and ladies. The leaders of the Ruling Houses, the most powerful of Hollow Shade¡¯s noble families, to which every other House within the city owed their fealty. These were the men and women who wielded the greatest power within the greatest city-state of the entire Ebon Realm.


    And yet, Calantha Ashe only recognized one familiar face. Lord Krall Katag sat in his chair; scarlet skin scraped and bruised, his right arm in a sling, and his left eye swollen. Even then, the bear of a man did not seem perturbed.


    ¡°Are you alright, Krall?¡± asked Calantha with a troubled expression. ¡°We can postpone the meeting until tomorrow¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he growled. ¡°*Ahem* But thank you for asking, High Priestess.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to postpone the meeting,¡± said Loh. ¡°The valley armies may have left, but our city is still in chaos. We need a plan and we need one now.¡±


    ¡°Lady Noir is correct,¡± said Krall.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± nodded Calantha slowly.


    ¡°Lady Veres isn¡¯t here yet,¡± said Vayu Glaz in a raspy voice. Fresh bandages were clearly visible underneath his silken shirt.


    From what Calantha had heard, the young Lord Glaz had only woken up from his coma early this morning. To have awoken from such wounds only to find a reality where your mother and brother were both killed¡­ She was surprised he had even shown up.


    ¡°Elise sent a message earlier to the council guards,¡± Freya Goldelm raised the small slip of paper in her hands. ¡°She is still getting her family¡¯s affairs in order. She¡¯ll be late, but she will be here.¡±


    ¡°Usually, we¡¯d wait. But in light of recent events, I motion for us to begin,¡± said Krall. ¡°All in favor?¡±


    Loh, Vayu, and Krall raised their hands. Freya crossed her arms and said nothing. Calantha glanced at the little human boy sitting in his grandmother¡¯s chair. Tristan Helene looked around the table, uncertain of what to say. His advisor leaned down and whispered into his ear. Tristan nodded and slowly raised his hand.


    ¡°Very well then,¡± said Calantha. ¡°As de-facto leader of the city council of Hollow Shade, I declare this meeting to be in session. As you all are keenly aware, we¡¯ve lost many of our members these past few days. Most of you have never sat on this council before.¡±


    Calantha glanced at Freya and the golden hammer resting next to her chair, then at Tristan Helene. ¡°I will not question the current leadership of your House, such matters will be decided between your family. I will take the appearance of each one of you today as recognition of your family¡¯s leadership.¡±


    Freya, Tristan, Loh, and Vayu nodded somberly at her words.


    Calantha went on, ¡°Usually, the council¡¯s leader would hold a ceremony to induct new members into our ranks, but in light of recent events and the death of our last council leader, Lady Ayda Glaz, I motion we forego the usual ceremonies until a later date. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said the council unanimously.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming there are various matters you all wish to discuss. You may now voice your petitions and we will discuss them afterwards,¡± explained Calantha.


    ¡°Thank you, High Priestess,¡± said Krall. ¡°Even though our enemies have retreated from our city walls, they are still out there. We cannot let them rest and regroup in large forces. Right now they are fractured. What¡¯s left of the Undergrowth army is already on their way back to their city. Our scouts are following the valley tribe¡¯s forces. They are more split than their allies. As the city¡¯s War Master, I suggest we take our forces and finish them off while we can.¡±


    ¡°Our forces are also weak and fractured,¡± said Freya. ¡°We need to recuperate just as much as they do, if not more.¡±


    ¡°If we let them go now, we may not get the chance to strike back later,¡± said Krall angrily.


    Vayu shook his head. ¡°Are you seriously suggesting we take our forces and leave our citizens while a goblin army the likes of which hasn¡¯t been seen in 300 years sits at our doorstep?¡±


    ¡°We don''t know if those goblins are our enemy,¡± said Freya.


    ¡°Maybe we would if any of their leaders stopped refusing to speak to any of our messengers!¡± yelled Vayu hoarsely. ¡°So far their armies camp in the Commoner District and refuse to go anywhere. What are we supposed to do? Wait until they attack us!?¡±


    ¡°Those goblins saved your army¡¯s soldiers,¡± noted Loh.


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t save Lucius, did they?¡± snarled Vayu.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Vayu. I understand your anger and pain, but you are not the only one who lost family that night,¡± said Loh in a steady voice.


    Vayu frowned but said nothing more.


    Freya spoke up, ¡°The goblins have proven to be allies so far¡ª¡±


    ¡°So far,¡± grumbled Vayu.


    ¡°Lord Katag is correct,¡± Freya pushed on. ¡°The valley tribes are a threat. As is Undergrowth. We still don¡¯t know their queen¡¯s whereabouts. For all we know Ophelia Thorn is planning to mount another attack in a few weeks or months. We must prepare for that potential outcome.¡±


    ¡°What of the other two Great Cities?¡± pondered Loh. ¡°Frost Rim and Murkton¡¯s forces are fresh and ready for battle if they so wish. Our forces are depleted and our wall has fallen. What¡¯s to stop them from thinking that now is the time to plunder Hollow Shade for all its wealth and take control of our city¡¯s trade routes?¡±


    ¡°Frost Rim is known for their defensive stance towards war. I do not believe they will begin a war without provocation,¡± said Calantha. She glanced at Krall, ¡°Lord Katag. Your House is close to House Morrigan, is it not? Do you think the warlord Morrigan will launch an attack on our city?¡±


    Krall sighed tiredly. ¡°Lord Morrigan is my cousin, our families have been close since the founding of our Houses in this Realm. Which is why I know it¡¯s very possible for Murkton to attack. It all depends on what Morrigan thinks will benefit his city most. Perhaps it is attacking, perhaps not.¡±


    ¡°I fucking hate Morrigans,¡± muttered Freya. ¡°No offense,¡± she added with a wince.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Krall grumbled.


    ¡°And what of Marek?¡± said Vayu.


    Tristan paled at the name and his advisor gently grabbed his small trembling hand.


    Loh glanced at Tristan and her expression broke with sympathy. ¡°Your parents¡¯ murderer is locked up in my family¡¯s dungeon. He will be tried in front of this council and receive justice for his crimes, I promise you.¡±


    ¡°Are you really suggesting a trial? Why haven¡¯t we fed him to the shades already?¡± said Vayu indignantly.


    ¡°Besides the fact that the shade wall is broken? Marek has taken lives from every single one of our families and our subjects. His sentence must be handled properly by the entire council, not just one House,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°How very wise of you, Lady Noir,¡± Calantha bowed her head respectfully.


    Vayu calmed his breathing and nodded reluctantly, ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°I recognize that our city now faces more threats than we have in many years,¡± said Calantha as she looked at everyone around the table. ¡°But our first priority should be to our people. Hundreds of homes have been burned and destroyed in the Commoner Districts. Entire neighborhoods wiped out. Let alone the Trade and Bourge Districts. Even the Night and Villa Districts have suffered significant damage. Not to mention the Ebon Tower and the shade wall. Before we can face the threats outside, we must first heal the wounds inside our walls.¡±


    ¡°And how do you propose we do that with a goblin army roaming our city?¡± asked Vayu.


    The chamber¡¯s large double doors abruptly swung open with a heavy creak. The afternoon sunlight bled into the room and blinded them for a moment. Gian and Gale walked inside; their black armor was covered in battle marks, but their fresh scarlet cloaks were pristine.


    Calantha smiled at their appearance. They were alive and well. ¡°Lord Gian, Lady Gale, we¡¯ve only just begun.¡±


    Gian bowed with a flourish, ¡°Apologies for our late arrival, High Priestess.¡±


    Gale went straight to the empty council chair and pulled it out, ¡°My lord.¡±


    A familiar figure stepped out of the sunlight and into the council chamber. He wore a loose white tunic and black trousers. An ebon cape with a blood-red lining hung over his shoulders snugly. His silver hair was slicked back in a traditional noble style. A black signet ring was wrapped over his blue index finger and an unsheathed scarlet blade hung from his waist.


    Loh furrowed her brow at his appearance. ¡°Stryg¡­?¡±


    Vayu blinked several times, uncertain of what he was seeing.


    Freya¡¯s jaw went slack at the sight of Krikolm. ¡°What the fuuuck¡ª¡±


    Krall frowned, then slowly broke into a curious smile.


    Tristan looked around the council and his stunned advisor, uncertain of what was happening.


    Calantha looked the blue goblin over, lingering on his lilac eyes. ¡°And you are¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is the Ebon Prince, Lord Stryg of the Great House of Veres, first of his name, and you will address him as such,¡± said Gale with a no-nonsense tone.


    ¡°Lord Veres?¡± Calantha mused wryly. ¡°I take it Lady Elise will not be joining us today?¡±


    ¡°Elise is not the Lady of House Veres, so she will not be appearing here any longer,¡± answered Gale.


    ¡°I see,¡± Calantha nodded in understanding. ¡°Please, take your seat, my lord.¡±


    Stryg inclined his head and sat down on the last empty chair. Gale and Gian stood to his right and left respectively. The entire council stared at him without a word.


    Lord Veres placed his elbows on the marble table and clasped his fingers together. ¡°Where were we?¡±


    Book 5 End

 Chapter 529: Lord Veres

    Chapter 529: Lord Veres


    In the Central District of Hollow Shade, the great seven lords and ladies of the city-state had gathered in the council chambers. The siege had left their city wounded with scars that would never heal, yet the only thought on their mind was about the young blue goblin standing before them.


    Calantha looked him over, lingering on his lilac eyes. His complexion and eyes were the same as the two she had met at the Ebon Tower. ¡°And you are¡­?¡± she asked inquisitively.


    ¡°This is the Ebon Prince, Lord Stryg of the Great House of Veres, first of his name, and you will address him as such,¡± answered Gale with a no-nonsense tone.


    ¡°Lord Veres?¡± Calantha mused wryly. ¡°I take it Lady Elise will not be joining us today?¡±


    ¡°Elise is not the Lady of House Veres. You will not be seeing her on the Veres council seat any longer,¡± answered Gale.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Calantha nodded in understanding. ¡°Please, take your seat, my lord.¡±


    Stryg inclined his head and sat down on the last empty chair. Gale and Gian stood to his right and left respectively. The entire council stared at him without a word.


    Lord Veres placed his elbows on the marble table and clasped his fingers together. ¡°Where were we?¡±


    Calantha silently searched his expression for any minute detail, anything to denote his motives, but his face was calm, eyes confident, posture relaxed. She had heard of this ¡®Stryg¡¯ before. A drow hybrid who had seized victory for Hollow Shade in the Mage Tourney at Undergrowth. There were rumors he was some sort of goblin, but the only goblin-like features Calantha saw in him were his slit pupils. He was far too tall for a goblin and instead of the long horizontal pointed ears of goblin-kin, he had long ears that drooped downwards, a trait she had never seen in anyone.


    A hybrid then. But none like she had ever seen. Her spies had confirmed that rumors of his Ebon Aspirant status were true. He was a prime mage with the talents to become one of the most powerful spell-casters in the realm. Some day he would become an Ebon Lord.


    Ebon Prince. That was the title Lady Gale had introduced him as. A prince denoted royalty. Was this simply some sort of sobriquet like how merchant lords stylized themselves as merchant princes? Or was this something more?


    The Thorns were the last and only Royal House of Hollow Shade. They had claimed the royal title after the rest of the Ebon Lords had died out, save one, their own, Atreus Thorn, ¡®The Last Ebon Lord.¡¯


    Last no longer, or at least, soon to be, Calantha thought.


    Was this the Veres and Gale¡¯s ploy to situate House Veres as the new Royal House? Was this prince their key to seizing power over their fellow Ruling Houses? He was already engaged to a daughter of House Katag. And had he not been adopted by Elzri of House Noir, an honorary title no doubt, but it still held weight.


    Even worse were those eyes. Her goddess Bellum had warned her of those eyes before. This was the third person with mesmerizing lilac irises she had seen in the last two days. It was no coincidence.


    When it came to gods, Calantha was certain of one thing. Wherever they meddled, it did not bode well for mortals.


    She narrowed her scarlet eyes. What are you planning? Stryg ¡®Veres¡¯?


    ~~~


    Stryg tried his best to not squirm under the gazes of everyone around the council table.


    Gale and Gian had promised to teach him the ways of the Veres, but he had never expected to have so little time. An hour ago a messenger had arrived informing them of an emergency council meeting. Gale had immediately ordered some servants to dress him in the customary garb of a great lord and in the colors of House Veres, his House, he had to get used to that.


    On the carriage ride over, Gian had given him a quick guide on noble etiquette. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had heard such things, one of Elzri¡¯s servants had tried to do the same. Stryg had never cared much for it, he still didn¡¯t, but if he was to be Lord Veres then he would have to rise above what he was.


    Such thoughts proved little help as he sat in the council chambers. Unable to meet the gazes of the others, he looked at the boy sitting across the table. ¡°Hello. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Gale winced at his straightforward words but she quickly smoothed her features.


    ¡°H-Hello. I¡¯m Tristan,¡± the 10-year-old said meekly.


    ¡°He is Lord Tristan of the Great House of Helene,¡± said the boy¡¯s advisor defensively.


    ¡°Lord?¡± Stryg muttered. Was the lord of House Helene not Lady Tamora Helene? Or at least, that was what Gale had told him on the way over. If not her, then surely it would be someone else from the family, someone¡ª older?


    The advisor noticed the confused expression on his face. ¡°Lord Tristan¡¯s family was murdered by the monstrous warlord Marek. He is the last surviving member of his House.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Tristan looked away, his eyes watering at the reminder of the tragedy.


    ¡°Marek¡­¡± Stryg clenched his fist, his claws scratching the marble table underneath. ¡°Your loss does not go unfelt. I lost a brother to that man as well.¡±


    Freya stiffened at his words and her golden eyes went wide with a strange gleam in her expression.


    Tristan hesitantly looked up at Stryg and sniffed. ¡°My mom. Dad. They¡ª¡± He bit his trembling lip and tried his best to not cry.


    His advisor placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.


    This wasn¡¯t going well, thought Stryg. He glanced at the other council members and settled on the elegant vampiress sitting directly across from him. ¡°Well met, High Priestess, Calandra.¡±


    She smiled and brushed her long brown fingers over her chin. Perhaps the boy wasn¡¯t as insightful as she thought. ¡°It¡¯s Calantha. Calantha Ashe.¡±


    Shit. Stryg tried his best to not grimace in shame.


    Gale clenched her eyes shut and Gian made a small smile.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, Stryg thought to himself. There were too many names, too many relations he had to remember for a single carriage ride.


    Resolving himself, Stryg smiled confidently and tried his best to smooth over the situation. ¡°Is it? Huh.¡±


    Calantha¡¯s smile fell and her eye twitched in annoyance. That confident smirk. Is he saying my name isn¡¯t worth remembering? Is this his way of demeaning me and my House? Or is he saying that even the High Priestess is just another mere mortal in front of him?


    Stryg leaned back in his chair and said nothing more, waiting for her to respond. If the noble etiquette was anything like Gian had explained, then she would hopefully take the lead of the conversation, brush off his words with a laugh and a witty response¡­ Hopefully?


    But she said nothing for a long tense moment. ¡°...Are you not going to introduce yourself to the rest of the council?¡± Calantha asked in a sharp tone.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, no need. I know them well enough,¡± Stryg said while glancing at Vayu, Freya, Loh, and Krall.


    Is he trying to isolate me from the rest of the council? thought Calantha. Is it because I am the de-facto leader of the council? Or the Chosen of Bellum? Why is he throwing me in the same group as Tristan, a child!? Is that what we all are to you, helpless children?


    Now that Calantha thought about it, she actually had no idea how old Stryg was. For all she knew, his youthful visage was merely hiding the mind of a thousand-year-old deity. If so, then what sort of complex mind games was he playing at? What did he want from her? No matter how she peered into his eyes, she could not read anything from his expression¡­


    Stryg had no idea what Calantha was thinking and was simply waiting for her response while tapping his thigh underneath the table.


    Loh wanted to say something, but every time she opened her mouth she was at a loss for words.


    Freya broke the silence. ¡°Stryg¡­ Is that really you?¡±


    He glanced at her and his expression softened, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m glad you made it back from Undergrowth safely.¡±


    Freya ignored his words and pointed at the unsheathed scarlet blade hanging from his hip. ¡°That sword, is that really¡­ Krikolm?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he glanced down and ran his fingers across the blade. ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± he admitted.


    She bit her lip. ¡°Are you really Stryg?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Who else do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then you are a Veres. All this time, was everything some sort of trick? A goblin from nowhere. Acting like you didn¡¯t know anything? While still somehow being this incredibly powerful mage?¡± Freya laughed to herself, ¡°Of course, it all makes sense now. Only a noble could possess such talent. Are you even a Sylvan?¡±


    ¡°I am Sylvan,¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Clypeus,¡± Freya added.


    Gale tensed at her brother¡¯s name.


    Freya pushed on, ¡°It makes sense when you think about it. The Gales protect House Veres, but beyond that every Veres child is assigned a Gale to protect them at birth. The Gale and Veres grow up together, close as siblings. I always thought it strange how Clypeus and Callum never got along, but now I see that Clypeus was never Callum¡¯s Shield, he was yours. You said it yourself, Clypeus was your brother.¡±


    ¡°You know little of what you speak, Goldelm,¡± Gale hissed.


    ¡°Clearly. You¡¯ve had this little plan set up for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Freya laughed, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t be defeated by some commoner country bumpkin.¡± She clapped slowly, ¡°Well played, Veres.¡±


    Stryg shook his head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what was it like, Stryg?¡± Loh spoke up shakily. ¡°I¡ª I know I don¡¯t have the right to ask you anything, not after everything that¡¯s happened, but¡­ Who are you really? What is going on?¡±


    He leaned back in his chair and sighed, ¡°I am Stryg, great-grandson of Lady Stryga, the Blue Rose of the Great House of Veres.¡±


    ¡°The Blue Rose¡­? The Bane of Lunis?¡± Krall Katag raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything later,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°You are a Veres, yes?¡± asked Vayu calmly.


    ¡°I am,¡± Stryg nodded slowly.


    ¡°Then that is all that matters. You have a seat here, like the rest of us. So, now that introductions are over, might I remind everyone why we are here,¡± said Vayu pointedly.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Calantha nodded. ¡°Regarding the matters of the siege, our first priority should be dealing with the self-proclaimed ¡®Dusk King and Queen¡¯ and any more potential attacks.¡±


    ¡°As I said earlier Marek is currently in my family¡¯s dungeon,¡± said Loh. ¡°He is under heavy guard. He will not escape.¡±


    ¡°You have Marek?¡± Stryg asked, wide-eyed.


    Loh nodded. ¡°I await the council¡¯s decision on how to proceed with his sentence.¡±


    ¡°Death, obviously. Preferably slow. Very slow,¡± said Vayu.


    ¡°Quickly or slowly, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Krall. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before someone else of the Cairn Tribe takes up his mantle and rallies the valley tribes once more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we need to crush them all before that happens?¡± asked Freya.


    ¡°Ideally, but it¡¯s not so simple,¡± replied Krall. ¡°Ophelia Thorn is still out there. Her armies are retreating, but she¡¯ll regroup her soldiers soon enough. If we chase after the valley tribes, we leave the city exposed to Undergrowth¡¯s swords.¡±


    ¡°Ophelia won¡¯t be a problem,¡± said Stryg.


    The entire council turned to him questioningly.


    ¡°And why is that exactly?¡± asked Krall.


    Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°I killed her.¡±

 Chapter 530: War Master

    Chapter 530: War Master


    ¡°You killed Ophelia Thorn? The archmage? The Queen of Undergrowth?¡± asked Loh skeptically.


    Technically Lunae ate her. ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg answered.


    Loh looked at him doubtfully, but said nothing more on the matter.


    Of course, he killed Ophelia. What mortal can stand up to a god and live? thought Calantha Ashe grimly.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious¡­¡± Krall muttered then broke into a grin. ¡°I wish I had been there. The conniving bitch deserved it.¡±


    ¡°If Ophelia is dead, then their army is without a head,¡± said Loh. ¡°They will retreat.¡±


    ¡°For now, but her House will want revenge. They will retaliate soon,¡± warned Vayu.


    ¡°Calex or Lerdea Thorn will first have to solidify their position as the head of the family and ruler of Undergrowth,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°Calex is strong and he has built close relationships with the other noble Houses of the city. They¡¯ll support his claim, as will his sister. My spies tell me Lerdea has no interest in the throne,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°Even still, the city¡¯s lords will no doubt be unruly after the failed siege. It¡¯ll take time for Calex to appease and rally them to battle again,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve bought ourselves some time. A few months, a year at best. Where does that leave us, War Master?¡± asked Calantha.


    Kralla leaned forward, wincing as his bandaged body shifted in the wrong way. ¡°Our most immediate threat is the Valley Tribes. Marek unified dozens of tribes under his banner. With his capture, they are divided, vulnerable, exposed to attack. But it won¡¯t last forever. It is only a matter of time before someone else takes up the mantle. Probably another Cairn warrior, perhaps Marek¡¯s brother or son, who knows. The point is, the tribes won¡¯t be divided for long.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we should attack them?¡± Freya asked. ¡°With what forces? Every single one of our armies took heavy losses. The ones who survived are still injured and recovering.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Lord Krall,¡± Vayu said coldly. ¡°We should kill them all while we still have the chance.¡±


    Krall shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should attack the Valley Tribes¡ª¡±


    ¡°What? So we should just let them regroup their forces?¡± Vayu frowned.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we need to be aware of the bigger picture,¡± said Krall. ¡°The Valley Tribes are a threat that must be dealt with, but we cannot send our armies out without first ensuring the safety of our city¡¯s people. And that cannot happen until we deal with the Sylvan armies at our doorstep.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if they are our enemies,¡± said Loh. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for their help, the city would have fallen.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they are our friends,¡± said Calantha. ¡°The reason the Valley Tribes united as one to attack us in the first place was because for the last three centuries, the lords and ladies of Hollow Shade have encroached more and more on their tribes¡¯ lands and riches. Dusk Valley once belonged to them, before the Ebon Lords claimed it as their own.¡±


    Vayu scowled. ¡°The strong devour the weak, that is the way of the Ebon Realm. The problem is right now we appear as the weak ones. We need to change that.¡±


    ¡°I understand what both of you are saying, but what does any of that have to do with the Sylvan Tribes?¡± asked Freya.


    ¡°It matters, young Lady Goldelm, because Hollow Shade destroyed Lunis, the ancestral city of the Sylvan Tribes; they have as much if not more reason to despise us as the Valley Tribes,¡± explained Calantha.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡± Freya mumbled.


    She hadn¡¯t known, thought Stryg. So few seemed to remember Lunis or at the very least who was responsible for its destruction. The old lord of Hollow Shade had made an effort to bury the history of his people. The thought angered him more than he let on.


    ¡°Even if we aren¡¯t certain if the Sylvan armies are our enemy, we can¡¯t attack them either,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°Why not?¡± said Vayu callously. ¡°They are invaders. If we don¡¯t strike first, they may very well destroy all that we have left. Why shouldn¡¯t we attack?¡±


    Loh frowned, ¡°You mean besides the fact that they saved us? ¡­Vayu, I know you¡¯ve lost people you loved, I know you¡¯re hurting. So am I. But in case you didn¡¯t realize it, we lost the siege. Freya is right, our armies are exhausted, their forces depleted. We can¡¯t defeat the Sylvan!¡±


    Vayu¡¯s lips formed a thin line. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. There was pain in his teal eyes, but he held back the poison from escaping his tongue.


    ¡°I agree, Lady Noir, but we still can¡¯t rule them out as enemies,¡± said Calantha calmly. ¡°The Sylvan have an army stationed in the Commoner District and they refuse to speak with anyone.¡±


    Krall nodded in agreement, ¡°For all we know they are discussing what to do with us right now. We are exposed and as you said, Lord Glaz, the strong devour the weak, that is the way of the Realm of Monsters.¡±


    ¡°The Sylvan will not attack you,¡± Stryg said softly. ¡°We didn¡¯t march across the valley to save this city just to then destroy it.¡±


    Calantha raised her eyebrow. ¡°We¡­?¡±


    Everyone turned and stared at Stryg curiously.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He cleared his throat, ¡°I asked for my people¡¯s aid on behalf of all the goblins in this city and they answered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they are in the Commoner District¡­¡± muttered Calantha. ¡°Hollow Shade¡¯s goblins all reside in the outer ring of the city.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± Stryg glared at her, his anger boiling over. ¡°Why is it that goblins are the only ones in this city who seem forever trapped in the Commoner District, unable to seek better prospects no matter how hard they work? Why is it that before I came not a single goblin had ever set foot in the Mage Academy? Or any of the four academies for that matter.¡±


    ¡°You blame this council and its past leadership for the transgressions wrought on your people, I understand,¡± said Calantha, meeting his gaze. ¡°If you wish to address that I am certain the council would be open to such discussions, after we deal with the problems threatening all our people. Starting with the Sylvan armies. How can you guarantee they won¡¯t turn us? Can you arrange an audience with their leaders?¡±


    ¡°...I will arrange a meeting with the Lunar Elects,¡± said Stryg begrudgingly.


    ¡°The Elects are here? In the city?¡± asked Calantha, surprised.


    ¡°Two of them,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Who are the Elects, exactly?¡± asked Freya.


    ¡°They are the three sacred leaders of all Sylvan people, chosen by the goddess of the moon herself,¡± said Calantha. ¡°I did not think they would have ever left Evenfall.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes, ¡°You know quite a bit about my people.¡±


    ¡°No more than is required for a High Priestess,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Are you certain these Lunar Elects will listen to you, Stryg?¡± Loh asked worriedly.


    Stryg was about to answer yes, after all, he had convinced them to come to Hollow Shade, but then he thought about it. Actually, he hadn¡¯t; they had outright refused his plea. It was Lunae who had done the convincing.


    The hesitation in his expression wasn¡¯t lost on the council.


    ¡°The Lunar Elects answer to no one but the goddess of the moon. If they are here it makes sense that they refused any and all negotiations with us,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°They will speak with me,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I am the Sylvan¡¯s War Master.¡±


    Calantha¡¯s expression sank at his words.


    Vayu frowned. ¡°You¡­? Lord ¡®Veres¡¯? Am I missing something here?¡±


    ¡°Not more than any of us,¡± said Freya wryly. ¡°Well, maybe except him,¡± she glanced at Tristan.


    The boy was sitting silently, staring at the marble table, while half listening to his advisor whispering in his ear.


    ¡°I believe you, Stryg,¡± said Krall thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯ve never struck me as one to lie.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s actually quite bad at it,¡± added Loh.


    Stryg wasn¡¯t certain if he should be happy about her words or not. ¡°I will arrange the meeting and we will discuss our terms.¡±


    ¡°Again with this ¡®we.¡¯ Are you a part of this council or are you with the Lunar Elects?¡± asked Calantha.


    ¡°I am both,¡± Stryg admitted shamelessly.


    ¡°And you should be grateful for that,¡± Gale spoke up. ¡°If my lord wasn¡¯t, then you¡¯d have no hope of ever speaking to the Lunar Elects.¡±


    ¡°If two Elects are here, then it is only customary that two leaders of our side attend the meeting as well,¡± said Calantha. ¡°As de facto leader of the council, I shall go, but we still must decide on the other.¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± said Stryg. ¡°I will be attending on the side of the Sylvan.¡± He knew that wouldn¡¯t make the council happy, but he didn¡¯t care. He was a Veres by blood, but he was still a Sylvan at heart.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Calantha. ¡°If their War Master will be there, then so shall ours.¡±


    Krall glanced at her confusedly, ¡°The orcs and Sylvan have a bad history. I am not certain my presence will be welcome.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of the history. But I will need your battle experience and insight at my side,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°I will go,¡± Vayu volunteered.


    ¡°No, your mental state isn¡¯t well enough,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°And has yours ever been?¡± he spat.


    Loh frowned, but she let it go. ¡°Freya is too inexperienced to attend, as is Tristan, no offense, you two.¡±


    Freya shrugged, ¡°I have more pressing matters to deal with anyway.¡±


    Tristan looked up at the mention of his name, but his advisor shook his head subtly.


    ¡°Stryg already said he is attending on behalf of the Sylvan. That leaves only you or me, Vayu,¡± said Loh.


    ¡°Then I propose a vote be held,¡± said Vayu.


    Loh nodded. ¡°Agreed. All in favor of Vayu¡¯s attendance?¡±


    Vayu held up his hand. No one else did. He glanced around, his expression full of betrayal.


    ¡°Lady Noir is right. You are too full of pain and anger to make calculated decisions that will be required of you in that meeting,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°I¡¯d do what is right for our city,¡± Vayu growled.


    ¡°You suggested we attack the Sylvan, repeatedly. These are peace negotiations, with the goal of enlisting the Sylvan¡¯s help,¡± said Krall.


    ¡°All in favor of my attendance?¡± asked Loh as she raised her own hand.


    Krall, Calantha, and Freya raised their hands. Tristan abstained altogether from. With a pang of guilt, Loh noticed Stryg hadn¡¯t raised his hand either.


    Calantha nodded, ¡°That settles it. Lord Veres will arrange the meeting. In the meantime, we must oversee the reconstruction of the Districts.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to deal with the massive hole in the Bourge District,¡± Krall added.


    ¡°Have some men barricade the edges. The dragons were flying over that chasm before they left. The last thing we want is for them to return because we messed with it,¡± said Calantha.


    ¡°So what? We just leave a giant hole in the middle of our city and pretend it doesn¡¯t exist?¡± asked Vayu.


    ¡°We leave it alone until we can figure out what exactly it is,¡± said Calantha.


    Freya laughed dryly, ¡°That¡¯s easy. A giant blinding pillar of lighting came down from the sky like a fucking hammer of the gods and obliterated the entire block. Everyone saw it.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly caused that ¡®hammer¡¯?¡± asked Calantha pointedly.


    Everyone looked around at each other, but no one seemed to have the answer.


    ¡°My point exactly,¡± said Calantha. ¡°Until we figure out what exactly caused it, we leave it alone. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± the rest of the council said in unison.


    Vayu nodded reluctantly, ¡°Agreed¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll adjourn the meeting for today. Once we¡¯ve spoken with the Lunar Elects I believe we¡¯ll have a far better picture on how to proceed,¡± said Calantha.


    The air was filled with a grim tone as Calantha stood and walked out of the chambers. The others slowly followed. Loh tried to speak with Vayu, but he brushed her off and marched away.


    Gale and Gian followed behind Stryg silently as he got up.


    ¡°Freya,¡± Stryg called out.


    She glanced up at him, a glimmer of distrust in her golden eyes, ¡°Yea?¡±


    ¡°Can we talk later, about¡ª all of this, I guess.¡±


    ¡°..Yeah,¡± she nodded after a moment and hefted Oginum. ¡°We have a lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Clearly.¡±


    Freya¡¯s lips curled into a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Stryg smiled in turn. ¡°Thanks,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Lord Veres, a moment of your time.¡±


    Stryg sighed under his breath, then turned around and came face to face with a chest plate. He looked up and saw Lord Krall Katag looking down at him with an unnerving grin from ear to ear. ¡°Tonight, dinner at my home. We have a lot to discuss, you and I.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± he said dryly.

 Chapter 531: Unsteady Beginnings

    Chapter 531: Unsteady Beginnings


    The gilded black carriage of House Veres rode down the pristine cobblestone streets of the Central District. It was pulled by a pair of centaurs who deftly moved around the cracks and craters that had been made during the battle two nights ago. Even now, as Stryg stared outside the window he could see the scars left behind by the siege. This was the heart of the city and yet the enemy had managed to breach it. The greatest symbol of the Hollow Shade, the Ebon Tower still stood, but its foundation had been destroyed. Large cracks ran through the black stone, as if something had ripped through the insides and broken free like a beast from an egg.


    A shift in the carriage¡¯s direction pulled the window¡¯s perspective away from the tower and to a large scar running across the district¡¯s central plaza. A battle had happened here, a terrible battle wrought by monsters and powerful magic by the looks of it. The carriage rode right past the scar, careful to not get too close while still keeping its momentum, thanks to the deftness of the centaurs. Stryg made a mental note to have the Gales and Veres free any beastkin they had under their control. If the centaurs wanted to stay in their service they would be paid well, otherwise they would be given a pouch of coins before leaving to whatever lands they desired.


    It was a paltry gesture for what had been done to all the beastkin in the realm but it was the first step. He had made a promise to Lysaila to help the beastkin and he intended to keep it.


    ¡°That went well. Sorta.¡±


    Stryg tore his gaze from the window and glanced at Gale. He could practically see the frustration oozing out from her scarlet eyes.


    ¡°All things considered, I think Stryg handled himself adequately,¡± replied Gian.


    ¡°Adequate isn¡¯t good enough, Uncle. House Veres isn¡¯t what it was since Lord Eldrin¡¯s death. Every House has been damaged from this war, the Ruling Families are searching for weaknesses within one another. The same goes for all the minor Houses and other Great Houses who¡¯ve sworn fealty to House Veres. They ask themselves are the Veres weak? Are they exposed? Is this my moment to strike them down and rise above?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as you said, Gale. Every House has been marred by this war. Their focus isn¡¯t on the Veres but on trying to keep their own Houses intact.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate the greed and stupidity of others, Uncle. We¡¯ve lost the entire Veres family, save Elise.¡±


    ¡°Callum still lives,¡± Stryg spoke up.


    ¡°But the people believe he is dead,¡± she replied. ¡°House Veres appears vulnerable. Especially because our new lord looks nothing like a traditional vampire.¡±


    Stryg sighed and slumped in his leather stuffed chair, ¡°I know I¡¯m not really a Veres¡­ I¡¯m only here because of this sword.¡± He brushed his fingers across Krikolm hanging from his hip.


    ¡°What?¡± Gale frowned, ¡°No. You are here because you are Lord Veres.¡±


    He smiled wryly and raised his blue hand, palm facing towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly strike the image of a Veres do I?¡±


    ¡°So what? The last wielder of that sword was one of the greatest mage warriors our families have ever known. Stryga Veres was admired by all and she did not strike the ¡®image¡¯ of a Veres either, she struck the image of a leader. Other vampire lords might see you as an outsider, but give them time, and they¡¯ll come to see the real you, my lord.¡±


    The real me¡­? Stryg thought of the words Ananta had spoken to him. If what she said was true, he wasn¡¯t a vampire, he wasn¡¯t even a goblin. He was a titan, the son of the Calamity, Death.


    ¡°So far things are going fine,¡± noted Gian. ¡°You appeared in front of the council and conducted yourself as any noble might, albeit with a few lapses. Though I don¡¯t fault you, half the council has changed since the last time I was there. No one was quite certain what was happening. You¡¯ve taken your first public step as a lord and you made it count. Well done.¡±


    ¡°I mean, the whole thing about killing Ophelia was a bit surprising. I wish you had told us about it beforehand. News about her death will spread like wildfire.¡± Gale shrugged, ¡°If the people didn¡¯t fear you before, they will now, my lord Ebon Aspirant¡±


    ¡°Fear?¡± Stryg said curiously. He always wanted to be feared, it was a common dream among Sylvan children.


    Gian nodded. ¡°Fear is a good start, it¡¯ll stop the more cautious lords from trying anything stupid. But we¡¯ll need to inspire loyalty and strength if we are to solidify our standing within the city.¡±


    ¡°And how do we do that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Alliances are a good start.¡±


    ¡°You of course have the loyalty of our House,¡± said Gale with a small bow of her head.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll need more. From what occurred in the council chambers today, it seems you already are on your way to just that. Tell me, Stryg, what is your relationship with Freya Goldelm?¡±


    ¡°She is a friend. Overconfident, rude, but loyal and trustworthy. I¡¯d be glad to have her by my side on any battlefield.¡±


    Gian nodded. ¡°Good. The friendship between Veres and Goldelm stretches back a thousand years, since Goldelm II and Veres I. What about Vayu Glaz?¡±


    ¡°He was my instructor in the Purple Chromatics. We get along fine, I suppose. But he seemed off today.¡±


    Gale¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t blame him. I was there when Vayu¡¯s brother died during the siege at the Western Gate. His mother fell a few weeks ago in battle along with my father, Lord Veres¡­ and his daughter, Carmilla.¡±


    Her shift in tone troubled Stryg. Freya¡¯s words rang in his ears. Every Veres scion was assigned a Gale warrior from young. They grew up together, close as siblings. Carmilla Veres had been the same age as Gale.


    ¡°Was Carmilla¡­?¡± Stryg let the words hang in the air.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°...She was like my sister. She was my Ward and I was her Guardian,¡± Gale admitted quietly. ¡°I should have been there with her on that battlefield.¡±


    ¡°But you were with me, in Undergrowth,¡± Stryg muttered in realization. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault. If anyone is to blame it is me,¡± said Gian. ¡°I asked Gale to accompany you.¡±


    Gale smiled bittersweetly and shook her head, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. The entire army was wiped out. For all my power, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Carmilla. At least, that¡¯s what I tell myself.¡±


    ¡°Gale¡­¡±


    She cleared her throat and straightened her back, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Stryg. I¡¯ll mourn our dead when the war is over. Until then, I will fight.¡±


    Gian glanced between the two of them and spoke in a soft but clear voice. ¡°It is customary that a child of House Gale is chosen to be the guardian to a child of House Veres until death. It has been that way for centuries, yes. But such a bond does not always begin at childhood.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at, Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Both of you have suffered losses, but it seems to me that you¡¯ve already found each other. The Guardian and her Ward,¡± Gian¡¯s lips curled into a small smile.


    Gale and Stryg glanced at each other uncertainly. He knew Gale somewhat blamed him for the death of Clypeus. And now he had inadvertently taken Carmilla from her as well. A brother and sister, gone. Gale followed him out of loyalty to House Veres, not him.


    She turned her scarlet eyes on him and swallowed hard, before bowing deeply, ¡°If you¡¯ll have me, I¡¯d be honored to serve as your Guardian.¡±


    ¡°...Huh? W-Why? You don¡¯t have to, you know?¡± Stryg said anxiously. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Gale shot a glare at him, ¡°What?¡±


    He looked away. ¡°I have only taken from you and your family. You¡¯ve already had to pledge your loyalty to me because of Krikolm. You don¡¯t need to bind your life to mine as well.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pledge my loyalty to you because of a sword. I pledged it to you, because it is you. ¡­I felt lost after Clypeus. But when my father, Eldrin, and Carmilla fell¡ª I fell apart. I didn¡¯t know what the future of our Houses would be. Especially with Elise, a woman who murdered her own siblings, at the head of House Veres.¡± Gale¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°But when I saw you breaking through the gates, carrying Kirkolm while riding a giant wolf, a war cry on your lips, your eyes ablaze with righteous fury, I knew I had found someone worth following.¡±


    Gale shifted in her seat, ¡°I know things have been difficult, but if you¡¯re willing to stand for our Houses then I swear to you, I will not abandon you at your weakest. I will stand by your side through it all, if you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d be honored,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°The honor is mine, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Very good, very good,¡± Gian nodded, satisfied. ¡°Now, you said your relationship with lord Vayu Glaz is amicable. I am aware that your relationship with Lady Noir has fallen.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you could say that,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve clearly never met Tristan Helene or Calantha Ashe before today, though the same cannot be said about Lord Krall. Gale tells me you are to be married to his daughter, Elena.¡±


    Stryg felt his ear twitch. He chuckled nervously, ¡°About that¡ª¡±


    ¡°The marriage alliance will strengthen both House Veres and Katag¡¯s standing,¡± continued Gian.


    ¡°More importantly, it will take power away from House Noir,¡± said Gale. ¡°Lord Elzri was close friends with Lord Krall, that friendship will undoubtedly be carried onto Elohnoir. But once you marry his daughter, Krall will no doubt side with you on the council.¡±


    Stryg hadn¡¯t forgotten the words of vengeance Gale had sworn at Loh for Clypeus¡¯ death beneath Undergrowth¡¯s coliseum, and clearly neither had she.


    ¡°And with the friendship of Lady Goldelm we¡¯ll have three of the Seven Ruling Families on our side,¡± added Gian.


    Stryg parted his lips to speak but he didn¡¯t know what to say. How did one say they had no interest in marrying their fianc¨¦ but wanted to marry her sister instead?


    Gian took his silence as nervousness. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Wait, is this about Feli?¡± asked Gale. ¡°I know you care for her deeply, but she is a commoner, which is fine, but it is expected from someone of your position to marry a noble of similar standing as well.¡±


    ¡°Feli is aware of that and I don''t think she really minds.¡± Feli had said as much to him in the past, although her reactions when she saw him drinking from Maeve¡¯s neck weren¡¯t particularly pleasant. Stryg wasn¡¯t certain if that was due to all the blood or from Maeve having her hands underneath his tunic.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± asked Gale.


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the problem? Is it your fianc¨¦?¡±


    Stryg winced.


    ¡°It is!¡± yelled Gale.


    ¡°Stryg, Elena Katag is a very suitable match. The alliance born from this marriage is a necessity at this point. Breaking off the engagement could cause an internal feud between both families that I guarantee you will not wish for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to break off the engagement, not exactly.¡±


    Gian cocked his head to the side, ¡°Meaning¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our Houses will marry,¡± said Stryg with a half-smile.


    ¡°Gods help us,¡± Gale sighed.


    Her words struck a painful chord in him, but he buried it. ¡°I¡¯m to meet with Lord Krall tonight, I¡¯ll finalize the engagement¡¯s details then.¡±


    ¡°Gale will accompany you when you do.¡±


    ¡°I was already planning on it, Uncle. I am my Ward¡¯s shadow. It¡¯s my job to keep him from doing anything stupid.¡±


    Stryg crossed his arms. ¡°As much as I love your vote of confidence, when it comes to the Lunar Elects, I¡¯ll need to go speak with them alone.¡±


    Gale frowned, ¡°Did you not hear anything I just said?¡±


    ¡°The whole reason I¡¯m going to speak with the Elects is to convince them to speak with outsiders. Your presence as an outsider will not help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I am the Sylvan War Master.¡±


    Gale sighed, ¡°This better not become a habit.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°When do you plan to go?¡± asked Gian.


    ¡°Today. I know my people and they don¡¯t take orders from authorities they don¡¯t recognize. It¡¯s only a matter of time before some idiot city guard tries to take matters into their own hands and ¡®liberate¡¯ the Commoner District from the Sylvan army.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see how that would be¡ª troublesome,¡± said Gian dryly.


    Stryg glanced at Gale, ¡°I¡¯ll finish speaking with the Elects before nightfall, then you and I can head over to the Katag manor and deal with this whole engagement.¡± He lifted the edge of his scarlet and black cape, ¡°First, I¡¯ll need to stop by the manor and get a change of clothes. I can¡¯t walk into the Sylvan encampment dressed up as a city lord.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like all of this will be harder than it sounds?¡± she muttered.


    ~~~


    Lynette Gale stood with her arms behind her back and looked straight into her Ward¡¯s crimson eyes before relaying the urgent news that had just arrived from the council chambers¡¯ messenger.


    Elise Veres jumped to her feet, knocking her desk¡¯s chair to the ground. ¡°Gian and Gale did what!?¡±


    ¡°They denied your authority and introduced the council to a pretender, a new ¡®Lord Veres.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t your brother, Callum,¡± replied Lynette calmly.


    Elise bared her fangs and hissed, ¡°Then who was it?¡±


    ¡°A young drow hybrid it seems, by the name of¡ª Stryg.¡±


    ¡°The fucking Aspirant!?¡±

 Chapter 532: Star Child

    Chapter 532: Star Child


    A pair of servants waited at the Gale Manor¡¯s front door as the carriage arrived. They bowed as Stryg walked out and fell into line behind him.


    He glanced at the servants then at Gale and Gian, ¡°Is this really necessary?¡±


    ¡°Your life will only become busier, not simpler,¡± said Gale. ¡°Delegating is the name of the game. Trust me, having people to take care of your everyday mundane tasks will save you a lot of time and stress.¡±


    ¡°Like changing my clothes?¡± he asked dryly. Having a pair of older women dressing him this morning had been anything but pleasant. He felt like an invalid. The Sylvan had no room for invalids.


    ¡°Yes, precisely. Our lord is in need of a change of clothes, preferably something more plebeian so as to not stand out even in the Commoner District.¡±


    ¡°At once, Lady Gale,¡± the two nodded and hurried off down a different corridor.


    ¡°See? Wasn¡¯t that easy?¡± Gale gestured with a flick of her fingers. ¡°They¡¯ll be in your rooms in a few minutes. You can have some tea or bloodwine while we wait.¡±


    ¡°No bloodwine, we don¡¯t want Stryg getting drunk before meeting with the Lunar Elects,¡± said Gian.


    ¡°Right, some tea then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine with just water. Actually¡­¡± Stryg paused in his steps. He had been avoiding them long enough. His thoughts on the events the last few days were still a jumble, but he couldn¡¯t avoid his family any longer. ¡°Can you point me to Feli and Rhian¡¯s rooms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to them, my lord,¡± offered Gian.


    Gale stepped back and inclined her head in a small bow. ¡°I¡¯ll go and prepare an honor guard for the journey.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need an honor guard just to go to the Commoner District,¡± said Stryg with a frown.


    ¡°You are the lord of a Ruling House, it is customary, especially in a time of war.¡±


    ¡°Gale is right, Stryg. Appearances matter more than one might think, especially when in a position of power.¡±


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s my point. I don¡¯t want to be seen flanked by vampires clad in platemail when I go to speak with the Lunar Elects.¡±


    ¡°Very well, but at least allow me to accompany you until we reach the edge of the Sylvan camp. The streets outside are still chaotic, the last thing we want is for a fight to break out amongst desperate citizens hoping to overwhelm a lone traveler.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied reluctantly.


    Gale nodded and left without another word.


    ~~~


    Gian led Stryg down two flights of stairs and down several corridors before finally arriving at the North Wing of the manor. A dozen heavy oak doors line the halls. Each doorway was carved with interweaving vines covered in sigils and nestling small magestones. Protective enchantments to ensure the occupants¡¯ safety and privacy.


    Stryg marveled at the sheer complexity of each doorway. The craftsmanship alone would have left any Sylvan carpenter impressed. And the intricate sigil work denoted the work of a Brown archmage. The whole place was a small fortress and must have cost a fortune.


    Pulling out a key, Gian gestured to a door down the hall. ¡°Mistress Feli and Rhiannon are staying behind that door. I¡¯ll leave you to your reunion. When you are ready, Gale will be waiting for you in the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡±


    ¡°I have other matters to attend to. If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Gian bowed and walked off.


    Stryg watched the elder vampire disappear down the corridor. A part of Stryg told him to keep on walking and speak to Feli, but another part of him just wanted to stay there. It was easier than finding the words that could somehow encapsulate everything he felt. He sighed to himself and dragged his feet forward.


    ¡°Hello, star child.¡±


    Stryg jumped and whirled around, his hand instinctively reaching to Krikolm at his waist. Holo sat on the windowsill, overlooking the gardens between the Gale and Veres manors. He hadn¡¯t noticed her. Usually, he¡¯d pick up the scents of anyone nearby at the very least, but somehow he had completely missed her.


    ¡°Relax, little brother.¡± She shifted her gaze and looked him over. A lazy smirk crossed her lips. ¡°If I wanted to harm you I would have done so long ago.¡±


    He suddenly felt silly standing there while gripping Krikolm half-unsheathed. He relaxed his stiff muscles and sheathed the blade. ¡°You¡¯re still here¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did you think I¡¯d be?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere else? You usually don¡¯t stay in one place for very long.¡±


    ¡°True enough, it¡¯s our nature.¡± Holo shrugged, ¡°As Travelers we tend to wander from one place to another.¡±


    ¡°Travelers¡­? As in¡ª?¡±


    ¡°The sons and daughters of Stjerne, yes.¡±


    Stryg scowled. ¡°Stjerne isn¡¯t my father and you¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    ¡°Semantics, ey?¡± she grinned. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m your half-sister. And our father¡¯s true name is the Calamity, Death. Stjerne is simply one of his divine aspects. An aspect that you and I both inherited.¡±


    ¡°Inherited?¡± he muttered skeptically.


    ¡°You may not consider him your father, I don¡¯t blame you, but Death¡¯s blood runs through your veins. It¡¯s clear you have inherited the divine aspect of the Traveler, just like me. That is not an opinion, that is fact. Not surprising, really. We were both born in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°Aspect of the Traveler¡­ What exactly is an aspect?¡±


    ¡°Divine aspect,¡± she corrected.


    ¡°What is a divine aspect? And how is it ¡®clear¡¯ to you that I somehow have it?¡±


    ¡°Look, star child¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°When we first met you and I journeyed across the valley together. You told me stories about yourself and though the details may have meant little to you, to me they spoke true about your nature. Ever since a child you¡¯ve never been able to sit still in one place, wandering out from your village on a daily basis. That is no mere coincidence. Divine aspects are a part of you as much as your arm or leg. And in our case, whether we wish to or not we find ourselves wandering from one place to another.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He crossed his arms. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s not my choice? That it¡¯s out of my control?¡±


    ¡°Do you control your hand? How it moves? What it touches?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± she smiled. ¡°But did you choose for your hand to be attached to your body? Or was it simply there? Always a part of you, just like your eyes or your mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°There is much you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s why Melantha and I have decided to stay here awhile. I don¡¯t mean to sound condescending, but Stryg you are still so young and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have passed the trials of adulthood in the Sylvan way.¡±


    ¡°You and I both know you failed them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve proven myself since, even the Lunar Elects have acknowledged me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re a ¡®mighty adult warrior¡¯ in the eyes of goblinkin, but in the eyes of your true kin,¡± her eyes shifted into a brilliant lilac, ¡°You are but a baby stumbling in the dark, an owlet who cannot even spread his wings.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Sylvan are my true kin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been raised in their culture and in that sense you are Sylvan, certainly. But deep down, you and I both know they are not your kin. They will never truly understand your struggles, your desires, your pain¡­¡± She placed her hand on his shoulder, ¡°Melantha and I, we are your kin, your family. And we are here for you.¡±


    He shrugged her off and bared his teeth. ¡°I have a family and they were here when I needed them.¡±


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you spoken to them in the last two days? Why do you hesitate to walk into that room?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± his voice trailed off and he found himself staring at his feet.


    Holo¡¯s expression softened. ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to tell them who you really are. It¡¯s okay. You will, in time, I¡¯m sure of it. But they won¡¯t understand, not really. That part of you will always remain an enigma to mortals.¡± She laughed bittersweetly, ¡°How can a mortal understand the struggles of immortality?¡±


    ¡°So what? You¡¯re saying I shouldn¡¯t speak to them?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Family is important, no matter where or whom you find it in. But there are some burdens that can only be shared with a few, little owlet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an owl.¡±


    ¡°Clearly. I¡¯d hardly call you more than a hatchling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a hatchling either.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow. ¡°Then why are there feathers sprouting from your back?¡±


    Stryg spun around and ran his hands over his upper and lower back in a panic, but he found nothing but his cape and tunic. He turned to Holo with a silent glare.


    She grinned, ¡°See? You don¡¯t even know what you are. But I do.¡± Her expression turned grim, ¡°Make no mistake, you are the son of Death, Stryg Veres. Whether you like it or not, death will follow you wherever you go. And if you are not careful, who you are can bring tragedy to those closest to you.¡±


    ¡°...Ananta said something similar.¡±


    ¡°In that, our cousin was right.¡± Holo pushed open the window and leaned out, ¡°I¡¯m going to be around for a while. When you are ready, come find me. I¡¯ll introduce you to our family.¡±


    She leaped out the window. Stryg rushed over and looked down, but she was gone. The door behind him creaked open.


    ¡°Stryg¡­? It is you!¡±


    He turned just in time to be wrapped up in a bear hug. ¡°Good to see you too, Rhiannon.¡±


    The centaur looked down at him with a grin from ear to ear. ¡°You¡¯re alright. The vampires said you were fine, but we never saw and we thought maybe¡­¡± She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Guilt burned in his chest and Stryg suddenly regretted not having come sooner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just¡ª¡± He had no good excuse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Rhian shook her head and released him. She sniffed and rolled her shoulders, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m the Spear of Ebon Hollow, nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± he said warmly.


    She smiled at his words. ¡°Well, come in. Feli has been worried sick.¡± She trotted back into the apartments, ducking her head as she walked underneath the doorway.


    Stryg followed after her. He marveled at the size of the interior, the waiting room alone was larger than the entire apartment he had shared with Feli back when he was at the academy.


    Rhian caught him staring and smirked. ¡°Pretty nice, ey? You think we can get a place like this later?¡±


    Stryg glanced at Krikolm¡¯s blade, the red sheen glinting in the sunlight of the window. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Rhian did a little dance in the waiting room, the flooring shaking with every step. ¡°I knew it! That¡¯s the boss for you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chieftain, not boss.¡±


    ¡°Meh, same thing.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? They both give orders don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, sometimes, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And you pay me for my work, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t really pay you. The three of us share the funds of our tribe. You¡¯re welcome to take whatever coin you need.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Coin you need. And before you ask, five barrels of that dwarven mead you like is not something you need.¡±


    Rhian puffed her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s your opinion. And you¡¯ve only got one stomach, I¡¯ve got two.¡±


    Stryg laughed, it was good to be back with his family. ¡°You know, I think I can ask one of the servants to bring us a couple of barrels. This place has to have a cellar, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? This is the Gale manor, I bet they¡¯ve got tons of cellars!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably, they¡¯re rich.¡± Rhian shrugged.


    ¡°And so are we now,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Wait? Seriously!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± If what Gian and Gale had told him was true, then his ancestral family was quite rich indeed.


    ¡°Are we rich enough to get us a new spear, like a fancy spear?¡±


    ¡°Like the one you broke?¡± he asked flatly.


    ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Gales¡¯ smith to commission you two.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks, boss.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chief¡ª you know what, never mind.¡± Stryg didn¡¯t feel like correcting her, he was just happy to see her happy. ¡°Oh, by the way, I changed the name of the tribe.¡±


    ¡°What!? But I already came up with an awesome speech to go with it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still pretty similar.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just Ebon now.¡±


    ¡°Like the Ebon Tribe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±


    ¡°I hate it¡­¡±


    Stryg hissed and jumped at her, his small fangs glistening. Rhian ran across the room shouting in a playful panic.


    A bedroom door opened and Feli walked out, ¡°What are you two idiots doing?¡±


    ¡°Feli! I was just¡ª argh! Shit, that hurts!¡± Rhian howled and hopped on her hooves, while rubbing her foreleg with two fresh red pinpricks.


    Stryg licked his bloodied lips and smiled, ¡°Hey, Feli.¡±


    She crossed her arms and leaned on the doorway, with an angry raised eyebrow, ¡°And where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Would you like a truth or a lie?¡±


    ¡°The former.¡±


    Stryg exhaled loudly and released all the pent up thoughts colliding in his mind. ¡°I spent the morning convincing the city lords that I was the son of a long-dead legendary vampiress who, by the way, destroyed the ancestral city of the Sylvan.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°I also just talked to a goddess, I think? I don¡¯t know if I can trust anything she says, but if what she says is true then maybe I¡¯m like her¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a god?¡± Feli asked dryly.


    ¡°Well, not a god, at least I don¡¯t think so. Just a titan.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°A titan. I don¡¯t know much about them, only the stories a dark goddess told me.¡±


    ¡°A dark goddess?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s ancient, like more ancient than the literal Ebon Realm.¡±


    Feli sighed, ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You could have just told me you were with your mom. One of the servants already let me know earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°I was, but then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on, Feli, why are you acting so cold?¡± Rhian teased. ¡°We both know you were ~super~ worried about Stryg.¡±


    Feli blushed, ¡°Rhian, don¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    ¡°She was praying to Stjerne all morning, asking her patron deity to keep you safe and that¡¯d you find your way back to her unharmed. It¡¯s quite sweet if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°No one asked you anything Rhian,¡± Feli growled.


    ¡°You were praying to Stjerne¡­?¡± Stryg muttered.


    Feli noticed the change in his voice and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I was worried about you, especially because you refused to see anyone¡­ But Stjerne brought you back to us safely, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and buried his face in her shoulder. Wrapping his arms around her smaller frame, he took in a deep breath and simply enjoyed her warmth. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry I was late.¡±

 Chapter 533: The Usurper

    Chapter 533: The Usurper


    Grabbing hold of the strange cloak of flowers, Feli brushed her hand across its white petals, before wrapping Blossom over her husband¡¯s shoulders. She stared at Stryg¡¯s reflection in the mirror in front of them. He seemed so different from the wide-eyed goblin she had first met in the Merry Crescent three years ago. He was hardly recognizable, save for his lilac eyes; they still seemed to draw her in if she stared too long.


    Some part of her mourned the loss of the small Sylvan goblin who had walked into her life. Now he was even a tad taller than her and whatever starry-eyed innocence he once carried had been buried by a mountain of grim responsibility. Though she supposed he was always like that. Always taking on more responsibility than he had to.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Nothing.¡± Feli leaned her head on his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª you¡¯ve grown¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you not like it?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Your height never bothered me, Stryg. Your ego on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an ego.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has an ego. Yours is just hidden behind a quiet pretty face and only comes out with a pair of fangs and claws.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Stryg gazed at himself in the mirror, his eyes wandering away, deep in thought. ¡°Do you think¡ª Would it bother you if I was taller?¡±


    ¡°No one resents a little more height,¡± she smirked playfully.


    ¡°What if I was like, I don¡¯t know, twice as tall?¡±


    ¡°Twice as¡ª Stryg, you¡¯re not a giant.¡±


    ¡°Right, of course not, but if I was something like a giant.¡±


    ¡°Is this one of those stupid questions I hear at the tavern? Like if I was turned into a toad by an evil mage would you still love me?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. ¡­But say I was turned into an owl¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, yeah, forget about it.¡±


    ¡°...Are we safe here?¡± Feli whispered, her expression turning somber. ¡°Those savages are still out there and Undergrowth¡¯s armies too¡­ Are we going to be alright?¡±


    He turned around and caressed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it, even if I have to kill every single Valley tribesman and Undergrowth soldier to do it.¡±


    Feli closed her eyes and kissed him on the lips, ¡°Just stay alive, promise me that.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± he whispered. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°When will you be back?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°Should I wait for you for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Lord Katag invited me to have dinner at his place tonight.¡±


    Feli stepped back from his embrace, ¡°Is this about your ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯ Miss Elena Katag?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I¡¯d invite you, but I get the feeling you¡¯d rather not go.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You¡¯d be right, I think it¡¯d be best if your first wife doesn¡¯t interfere with the plans of the Lord of a Great House and his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought you¡¯d be a lot more angry.¡±


    ¡°Why would I be angry? You are an Ebon Aspirant. These things are to be expected. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t caught you with your tongue in another¡¯s woman¡¯s mouth before.¡±


    ¡°I feel like you''re angry.¡±


    Feli crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m understanding of high society¡¯s expectations, not that I like them. And I¡¯m aware of your people¡¯s proclivity to ¡®open relationships.¡¯ You should be grateful to have a wife like me.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do well to remind me of it once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I will. Once this is all over let¡¯s go somewhere, just you and me.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me out on a date?¡±


    ¡°If I did, would you say yes?¡±


    ¡°Mm, you¡¯ll have to be convincing.¡±


    ¡°Watch me.¡± He smirked and walked out of the bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± she laughed.


    Stryg found Rhian drinking a glass of wine next to the fire. ¡°Rhian, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, Captain!¡± said the centaur before downing the rest of the glass.


    At the mention of Captain, Holo¡¯s confident grin flitted through his mind¡¯s eye. Stryg sighed, ¡°It¡¯s chieftain.¡±


    Rhian followed him out the door. ¡°What difference does it make? Stryg is Stryg.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I guess I am,¡± he said thoughtfully.


    ~~~


    Elise Veres strode down the garden paths connecting the Veres and Gale manors. Lynette Gale walked beside her and a retinue of loyal battlemages followed behind them.


    A pair of guardsmen stood relaxed at the Gales¡¯ front door. They spotted Elise from a distance and jumped to their feet. One of the two scrambled to open the door and ran inside.


    The remaining guardsman stood at attention and bowed his head as Elise and her retinue neared. ¡°L-Lady Veres, good afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Move out of the way,¡± ordered Elise.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that,¡± the guard said shakily.


    Lynette drew her sword. ¡°Are you disobeying our Lady¡¯s direct command?¡±


    The soldier paled, ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Lynette rushed forward in a flash. The tip of her blade hovered over the guardsman''s throat. ¡°Speak up.¡±


    The man swallowed hard, blood trickling down his neck.


    The front door suddenly creaked open and the previous guard who had run inside walked out. Behind him stood an imposing vampire, tall, broad shouldered, and with a trimmed salt-and-pepper beard.


    ¡°My doorsman is not disobeying Lady Elise¡¯s command, he is simply obeying mine,¡± said Gian.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you ordered your guards to bar me from entering the Gale Manor?¡± asked Elise with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Not at all, I ordered them to bar anyone from entering, on account of recent events. We can¡¯t be too safe, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Elise narrowed her scarlet eyes. ¡°I would not, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°The guard meant no offense, you may let him go, Lynette,¡± said Gian.


    Lynette glanced at Elise for approval. She gave a subtle nod and Lynette withdrew her blade.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gian ordered his men to leave with a small wave of his hand. ¡°Now, how may I be of service, Lady Elise?¡±


    ¡°Do not play coy with me, Uncle,¡± she growled. ¡°There was a city council meeting this morning. I informed the council by porter that I was going to arrive late, so imagine my surprise when I heard that not only did you and Gale appear in my stead, you brought a false claimant with you. The boy sat in my seat! You desecrated the seat of House Veres! The seat of my father, and my grandfather!¡±


    ¡°And the seat of your great-grandfather and his father,¡± Gian added without missing a beat. ¡°And before them a slew of others vying to control the Veres throne, each barely managing to hold it for a few years before they were slain by another usurper, until none were left of the main line. I remember well, I was there, child.¡±


    He stepped forward, his stance shifting ever so slightly, and turned his gaze on Elise and Lynette. Despite all her years of training, Lynette felt fear of the one-armed man. But Elise held no fear, only anger.


    ¡°And yet even after all that spilt blood, you choose to prop up a false claimant to usurp my throne?¡± Elise hissed. ¡°All because he is an Ebon Aspirant. I heard what Gale called him, the Ebon Prince. Is this your plan, Uncle? To prop this backwater hybrid as ¡®Lord Veres¡¯ so that he may one day rule Hollow Shade as the Ebon Lords of the past? Even though he is clearly not one of us!?¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°Or do you plan on marrying me off to him? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Is that the conclusion you¡¯ve come to?¡± Gian asked calmly.


    ¡°Is it? Perhaps. It¡¯s difficult to tell what you¡¯re thinking anymore,¡± Elise scowled ¡°You once told me that you would always be loyal to the rightful ruler of House Veres. I trusted you, despite your betrayal. I accepted that you went against my orders and helped Callum escape because he too was a Veres, he was family, as were you.¡±


    Elise balled her fists and looked him over with pain in her eyes. ¡°I trusted you against my instincts, because I believed you would always put family first. And yet you stand here so brazenly after stabbing me in the back. Is this how the honorable Gian of House Gale, Sword Paragon of the Realm, honors his oaths? By proclaiming a false claimant?¡±


    Gian glanced up at the sun and squinted, pulling his thick hood over his pale skin. ¡°...I have lived over 300 summers. I was there when the Schism destroyed the Realm Bridges. I was here when Hollow Shade was little more than the Ebon Tower and the walls that protected it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is that before I found your great-great grandfather in a ¡®backwater¡¯ village, before the last of the Veres main bloodline died out due to infighting, there was a woman; the greatest leader our Houses had seen in centuries. The Blue Rose of Veres.¡±


    Elise wrinkled her brow, then her eyes widened in dreaded realization.


    Lynette didn¡¯t notice the change in her ward¡¯s demeanor. ¡°What does the Bane of Lunis have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°She had a name,¡± said Gian, a hint of steel in his voice.


    ¡°Stryga,¡± Elise whispered.


    ¡°And does that name sound familiar to you?¡± he asked.


    Lynette frowned, ¡°Stryga¡­?¡±


    Elise looked up slowly and met the old vampire¡¯s gaze, ¡°She was your sister¡­¡±


    ¡°She was, though we did not share the same father. Mine was the Lord of the Great House of Gale. Whereas hers was a mageborn drow from the Northern Lands.¡±


    ¡°She was a hybrid. A vampire-drow hybrid.¡± Elise shook her head with a small scoff, ¡°I should have noticed it sooner. The last wielder of Krikolm and the one who suddenly disappeared, throwing our Houses into chaos. Stryga Veres.¡±


    Lynette abruptly stiffened in comprehension, ¡°Wait! Stryga? As in¡ª!? Then that boy is¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Stryg is the heir of the Blue Rose and the rightful ruler of House Veres,¡± said Gian.


    Elise scoffed with a bittersweet smile, ¡°I guess you always were loyal to your family. It¡¯s just that I was never truly a part of it in your eyes. The lesser blood of a cadet branch could never compete with the pristine main bloodline. It all makes sense now. Why Gale wasn¡¯t with Carmilla at the valley, but with the Hollow Shade students at Undergrowth. Not even Carmilla mattered. No one did in your eyes.¡±


    Lynette slowly looked around and stepped closer to Elise. ¡°My lady, we¡¯re surrounded,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Elise glanced pointedly at the Gale swordmasters creeping up from the garden¡¯s shadows, slowly surrounding her and her retinue. ¡°How long, Uncle? How long did you know about this Stryg? How long were you planning to betray me?¡±


    ¡°¡­When your father passed away, I was going to announce Stryg¡¯s identity when he returned to Hollow Shade, but you in your desire for power took matters into your own hands and murdered your siblings. You left me no choice but to act behind your back.¡±


    ¡°So what now? Are you going to kill me here in broad daylight?¡± Elise scoffed, ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t stoop so low. But I guess that¡¯s all I have ever been to you, a lowly pretender.¡±


    ¡°I loved you, Elise,¡± Gian whispered, his gaze softening. ¡°As I loved your father and your siblings. As I still love you. I would never harm you.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Elise gestured to the other Gales, ¡°Why are they all here? Why stand in my way? To protect the true heir from me? Is he not an Ebon Aspirant? The greatest magical prodigy of our generation? Victor of the Undergrowth Tourney of Mages? What does he have to fear of me? Why doesn¡¯t he face me himself?¡±


    ¡°...Your anger is justifiable, but it is dangerous to all those around you. I suggest you go back to your chambers and take time to reflect on the paths that lie before you. You still have a bright future ahead of you and a place here, if you so desire.¡±


    Elise furrowed her brow, ¡°He¡¯s not here, is he? Stryg isn¡¯t even in that mansion! Then why are you¡ª?¡± She narrowed her eyes, ¡°There is another, isn¡¯t there? Why else would so many Gale swordsmen be left behind when their lord has left? Who are you hiding, Uncle?¡±


    Gale¡¯s expression remained as unreadable as stone. ¡°When you have calmed down and come to terms with your new position, come speak with me. Until then, leave Gale Manor.¡±


    Elise clenched her jaw then gradually relaxed her posture and brushed her dark hair back. She turned to leave, but paused, ¡°I look forward to speaking with my distant cousin and whomever else you are hiding behind those doors.¡±

 Chapter 534: A Sylvan Welcome

    Chapter 534: A Sylvan Welcome


    Six vampires dressed in thick red cloaks walked in a loose circle around a centaur and her rider. Each vampire had their hood up, their enchanted cloaks designed to block out the sun¡¯s light. Even though the day was somewhat cloudy, a vampire¡¯s skin would sunburn quicker than others, a few minutes was all it would take. Yet, such a danger hadn¡¯t crossed any of their minds. The vampires of House Gale were all focused on the danger all around the neighborhood or lack thereof.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here,¡± noted Willow.


    Stellan nodded at his sister¡¯s comment. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the Commoner District. Whoever lived here was either killed during the siege or ran away when the golems and valley savages attacked.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe it was the goblins¡­¡± whispered Willow. She couldn¡¯t help but glance up at their lord, sitting astride the most graceful centaur she had ever seen. When her cousin and leader of their House, Gale had told them of Stryg¡¯s origins she could hardly believe it after seeing him. This man clad in a cloak of pristine white flowers, hair as silver as the moon, eyes that seemed to almost glow, skin as blue as the Ebon Sea, and sharp ears that drooped like teardrops, this¡ª was a goblin?


    Sure, she had seen his mother. She was a goblin, through and through, save for the same pale hair as her son. But even as she slept in the infirmary back at the manor there was something different about her. Willow couldn¡¯t quite place what it was, but she knew Aurelia Veres was different.


    As for her son, Stryg seemed more like a drow than any vampire or goblin, though the slits in his eyes and his sharp, albeit small, fangs said there was something more. Lord Veres was more beautiful than he was handsome. A prince like in the stories her father used to read to her as a child. Willow thought such stories were just that, stories nothing more. Yet here he was, the Ebon Prince. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the heir of the Blue Rose.


    Which made it even harder for her to imagine that their prince was somehow related to the ruthless Sylvan that had taken over the Commoner District.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Stellan drew his sword and turned towards an alleyway to their right.


    The other five vampires drew their blades in unison and hurried to form a wall in front of Rhian. She glanced up at Stryg who shook his head subtly. A rustling noise echoed from the alleyway and a moment later a small dog stepped out from the shadows. His fur was rugged and he favored his right paw. He whined at the vampires¡¯ appearance, his large dark eyes looking at them uncertainly.


    Gale sighed and sheathed her blade. ¡°Someone give him some water.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Willow grabbed her waterskin and knelt next to the frightened dog. ¡°It¡¯s okay, lil¡¯ guy,¡± she cooed softly.


    Stellan withdrew his sword as did the others. ¡°My mistake,¡± he said. ¡°I thought it was a goblin warrior.¡±


    ¡°Hunter,¡± Stryg corrected.


    ¡°Pardon, my lord?¡± asked Stellan.


    ¡°Traditional Sylvan warriors fight as the vanguard of our people,¡± said Stryg without shifting his gaze from the roofs of the ruined houses. ¡°They usually act in a unit of a shield wall at the front and spearmen at the back. Whereas hunters climb trees to gain a vantage point. They hide in the shadows waiting to strike down their prey with a single poison-tipped arrow.¡±


    Stellan bowed his head, ¡°You¡¯re well versed, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did train to become one,¡± said Stryg distractedly.


    Gale furrowed her brow. Even from underneath the hood of petals, she could see the odd expression on his face. Head cocked slightly to the side, lips in a thin line, eyes staring seemingly into nowhere. She knew that look. It was the same look he always made when trying to assess a threat. She glanced at the surroundings. There was nothing there, only empty half-burned-down buildings and a thirsty dog. But Clypeus had always implicitly trusted Stryg¡¯s senses, even if they seemed wrong.


    Gale drew her sword once more and edged closer to the centaur. ¡°Rhiannon, when I say run, run as fast you can. Don¡¯t look back. Keep our lord safe.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Rhian glanced at Gale and back at Stryg in confusion.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Gale, I think it¡¯s time you and the others head back to the manor,¡± said Stryg quietly.


    Gale frowned, ¡°My lord, I swore an oath to protect you. I am your Shield, you are my ward. I will not abandon you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they see it that way,¡± he said.


    A blur moved at the edge of her vision. Gale spun around and saw as a dozen goblins in mottled red and grey cloaks emerged from the shadows of the houses and their rooftops. Each held a bow taut, arrows pointed at the outsiders.


    The vampires stepped backwards towards Stryg, their eyes never leaving the enemy. Willow hefted the dog up with one hand and held her sword in front of her.


    ¡°Stellan, cover Rhiannon¡¯s retreat,¡± said Gale under her breath.


    ¡°My lady,¡± he nodded faintly.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± said Stryg.


    A green light flickered from one of the houses behind them and a colossal sabertooth emerged, breaking the last remnants of the roof. The beast dwarfed even Rhian. He bared his fangs and growled in a deep rumble as he cut off their escape.


    Gale spun around and stiffened at the sight of the creature. She clenched her jaw and gripped her sword in an offensive stance. ¡°I¡¯ll make an opening, the rest of you make sure our lord gets through.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Stryg sighed and pulled down his hood, ¡°Meet he Guardian of the Sylvan, and chieftain of the Frost Whisper Tribe, Arden¡±


    The giant sabertooth growled.


    ¡°You know this¡ª creature¡­?¡± Gale whispered.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°He is the greatest warrior of my people and the protector of the Lunar Elects. I imagine he is here to escort me to them,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°How did he know we were here?¡± asked Willow.


    ¡°They¡¯ve known we were here for a while now. Their scouts spotted us coming over an hour ago,¡± replied Stryg. ¡°Arden, these people are under my protection. Do not harm them.¡±


    The sabertooth crouched forward as if preparing to pounce. Rhian took a nervous step back.


    Arden breathed in deeply, sniffing the air, then scowled. ¡°Vampires,¡± he said in a gravelly voice. ¡°Are these the tribemates you spoke of, War Master?¡±


    Stryg glanced at each of the vampires, their expressions grim but determined. They would fight to the last Shield before seeing a drop of blood escape his flesh. ¡°Yes. They are mine, sons and daughters of the Ebon Tribe.¡±


    Arden shook his head and stepped back. ¡°You sleep with an orc and share your food with a drow. Now you call these vampires your tribe? And what of this horse-woman? All I see is a man who surrounds himself with everyone but his own people. What even happened to the Frost Wolf that followed you like a brother?¡±


    ¡°Blueberry is resting from the wounds he suffered in battle,¡± said Stryg evenly.


    Arden narrowed his yellow-golden eyes. ¡°Is that so¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI am not a horse-woman.¡± Rhian walked up to the giant sabertooth, her gaze unshaken. ¡°I am Rhiannon, Daughter of the Ebon Tribe, Right Hand of the Ebon Prince, Defender of Hollow Shade, and the greatest damn centaur you have ever seen.¡±


    Arden bared his teeth, each fang the size of Rhian¡¯s arm. ¡°Careful with your next words, horse.¡±


    She leaned forward and bared her teeth as well. ¡°I am the Spear of my tribe. Face me and die.¡±


    Arden stared into her eyes, their glares matching one another, until finally, Arden nodded, satisfied. ¡°You will do, Rhiannon, daughter of Ebon.¡± His fur became alight with Green mana and the sabertooth burned away, leaving behind a goblin that was barely half Rhian¡¯s height. Yet his eyes were the same; sharp and unwavering. Arden shifted his grey cloak over his shoulders and walked past her, ¡°Come, I will bring you to the Lunar Elects.¡±


    Rhian inclined her head and followed. Stryg swore he saw a small smile on her lips, if only for a moment.


    He hopped off her saddle and landed with a heavy thud. ¡°Chieftain Arden, there is a place I must stop by first.¡±


    The gruff goblin glanced back at him with a frown. ¡°Where?¡±


    ~~~


    Captain Talia of Hollow Shade stirred her wooden spoon through her bowl of stew. Scents of unfamiliar spices and venison wafted upwards. A classic Sylvan recipe or so Jack had claimed.


    Talia sighed, picked up her bowl, and left the temple¡¯s kitchen. One of the goblin teenagers looked up as she left, but he didn¡¯t bother to say anything. Walking through the halls, it was impossible to ignore the strewn about clothes and furniture. Whoever had been here had left in a hurry. They were trying to escape.


    Glancing out the window, Talia saw the ruined yard; shattered stone pathway, ripped up chunks of dirt and grass. The gate had been ripped off its hinges and a broken stone golem lay in the middle of the pathway, leaving no doubt what had happened here.


    Golems had attacked this place. The priests had managed to take down one, but more had come. There was no blood inside the temple, which had given hope to Melfyn and the others, but after two days of searching, there was still no sign of a single child.


    The Sylvan armies had claimed the entire area and no one was allowed to leave. If the children had made it, they would have been here. Talia walked to the backyard and spotted a lone goblin sitting on the remains of a stone bench.


    She walked over and offered him her bowl of stew. ¡°You need to eat something.¡±


    Melfyn¡¯s pointy ear twitched, but he didn¡¯t bother to look up. The fiery spirit that had filled his eyes during the siege and inspired courage in all those around was gone.


    Talia hovered the food in front of his face, ¡°It¡¯s been 2 days. Eat. Your wounds won¡¯t heal otherwise.¡±


    Melfyn¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t shift. Taking a closer look, Talia noticed dark bags under his eyes. He still hadn¡¯t slept.


    She sighed heavily and sat next to him. ¡°The stew¡¯s pretty good. Supposedly the Ebon Aspirant taught Jack the recipe. But I have a hard time believing that. Jack¡¯s a human, so it¡¯s probably just some human soup the commoners eat, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I mean, why would someone as powerful and talented as the Ebon Aspirant waste his time teaching orphans how to cook? The Aspirant no doubt has a line of cooks preparing his every meal. He probably hasn¡¯t seen a kitchen in years.¡±


    Jack clasped his hands together in a white-knuckle grip at her words, but still, he refused to raise his head.


    Talia set down her bowl and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. The Cinder Brood were a strange group, the whole lot of them. She had never seen goblins, humans, and even a drow so close to one another before. They treated each other as family and were willing to bleed and die for one another. It was definitely strange, but Talia couldn¡¯t help but admire them.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Cinder Brood she would have died on the Shade Wall. Not just her, the tribe of teenagers had saved dozens of soldiers on the wall. The tribe had saved thousands of civilians from being slaughtered by keeping the valley savages at bay.


    This small ragtag group of orphans had saved the south-west side of the city and no one even knew. They should have been hailed as heroes, but it would have fallen on deaf ears. They had fought until the bitter end for the sake of their family, a family that hadn¡¯t made it. Not a single one of them. Even now Talia could hear the faint cries of some of the teenagers from inside the temple.


    Their children, they don¡¯t deserve this, she thought bitterly.


    Melfyn hadn¡¯t shed a single tear, not once. When the hours had turned to days and none of the young orphans had been found his demeanor had darkened and he had secluded himself out here without sleep or food. Melfyn was only 16, but here he was, holding the weight and guilt of leadership over his small shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Talia whispered.


    He trembled at her words and looked away.


    ¡°You and the others fought with everything you had. This¡ª Nothing could have stopped this. I¡¯m so sorry for what you¡¯re going through, Melfyn, but you need to know it¡¯s not your fault. There¡¯s nothing you could have done, nothing anyone could have done.¡±


    ¡°...Stryg could have.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Stryg could have stopped this. He could do anything. He would have saved them. All of them.¡±


    ¡°Melfyn, you don¡¯t know that.¡±


    He bit his trembling lip. ¡°I promised¡­ The day Stryg left he told me to ¡®keep our people and the temple safe.¡¯ I promised him. He trusted me and I¡­¡± Melfyn buried his face in his hands and heaved quietly.


    Talia wrapped her arms around him and whispered gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to hold it in.¡±


    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t cry,¡± he sniffed.


    ¡°The others cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like them. I¡¯m the chieftain of the Cinder Brood. I need to be strong, for them. For all of them.¡±


    She pulled him close and hugged him tight. ¡°Crying is not a sign of weakness. It¡¯s a way to show we cared, that we loved, and that we will never forget those we¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°Why do you even care? You¡¯re not one of us,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°...You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not one of you, but when I was up on that wall thinking I was going to die¡ª when I looked all around and saw my comrades running for their lives, it was you and your tribe that stayed by my side, even though I wasn¡¯t one of you. You did not abandon me and I will not abandon you, Melfyn, son of Cinder Brood.¡±


    ¡°...I lost them, Talia. I lost all of them,¡± he whimpered.


    She stroked his back and held him close, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we forget them.¡±


    Melfyn buried his face into her shoulder and broke down quietly.

 Chapter 535: Pride Of The Sylvan

    Chapter 535: Pride Of The Sylvan


    The Commoner District¡¯s southwest streets had been ravaged by the valley tribe¡¯s attack. A mixture of anger and pity burned in the pit of Stryg¡¯s stomach as he walked across the old familiar neighborhoods.


    Only one in every three homes was still standing and most of them were in ruin. Unlike most of the city¡¯s structures, the houses in the Commoner District had been built with wood. They had been constructed centuries ago from the logs of Undergrowth when Hollow Shade and its sister city were still on good terms.


    The old wood and disrepair of many commoner¡¯s homes had left them ripe for the fires set by the valley warriors. The homes had been swallowed by the flames in a matter of minutes. Had it not been for the rain and the winding river that separated the district from the rest, half the city would have burned down that night.


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone¡­¡± Rhian mumbled.


    Stryg glanced up at the centaur walking next to him and felt a pang of guilt. Had he arrived only a little sooner would he have been able to prevent it? Could he have saved all the people that had perished in the flames?


    He shook his head at the thought. Such ideas only led to madness.


    Small tents of civilians gathered around the houses that still stood, searching for what little shelter they could. Many of them were covered in half-burnt clothes and soot, though Stryg did notice they had fresh bandages.


    He glanced at Arden. ¡°Did you do this?¡±


    The goblin scratched his beard alongside his jaw. ¡°The Elects ordered our healers to provide medical treatment to all under our care, kin or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°And the Commoner District is under Sylvan care now?¡±


    ¡°For now. We¡¯ve decided to make our encampment where our distant goblin-kin have lived all these years.¡± Arden paused in his steps and stared at him with a cold glint in his eyes, ¡°We won¡¯t leave until we¡¯ve ascertained their safety. My warriors have spoken with a few of them already. Many of the goblin-kin of this city have been treated little better than slaves. Did you know this?¡±


    ¡°I was aware,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°And you did nothing to stop it?¡±


    He stared at his empty palms. ¡°I lacked the strength.¡± Stryg clenched his fists, ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°We shall see.¡± Arden turned around and kept walking.


    ~~~


    As Stryg neared his old temple, he spotted the captain of his honor guard, Elayne of the Storm Howlers, rush down a nearby street. She was breathless but when her yellow eyes met his she broke into a smile of relief. As quick as her smile had appeared it was replaced by a rigid composed expression, reminiscent of her father¡¯s, Lykos.


    Several more goblins clad in blood-stained armor rushed in behind her. They were the rest of his honor guard. Stryg felt his lips curl into a smile at their sight. They had all made it out alive. He had sent them with Tauri and Plum when they had all rushed through the city gates. If they were all here it meant that Tauri and Plum were safe as well. He had hoped as much, but he hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to send a message to House Katag yet.


    Elayne and the rest of the honor guard silently took point in front of Stryg, forming a vanguard as he walked. Gale and the other vampires following from behind glanced at Stryg questioningly. He gave a small nod of approval and the vampires relaxed, though they kept their hands near their swords¡¯ grips.


    Stryg quickened his pace and reached Elayne¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    She nodded though she kept her eyes on the street, searching for any threats. ¡°War Master.¡±


    ¡°Plum and Tauri, did they¡ª?¡±


    ¡°The drow and orc shamans were escorted safely to the orc¡¯s home, just as requested.¡± Elayne bit her lip, ¡°We failed to secure the centaur and human. We searched the academy, but we never found them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they weren¡¯t there. We couldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    ¡°Are they safe?¡±


    Stryg glanced at Rhian trotting behind them.


    ¡°Safe and sound.¡±


    Elayne followed his gaze and her shoulders relaxed with relief. ¡°And the human? The one you call your ¡®wife¡¯?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s safe too.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°And what of the Mother Moon¡¯s Chosen? I do not see her with your party.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression darkened and he struggled to keep his voice steady. ¡°...First Mother Aurelia was wounded in the battle. She is resting now, but I¡­ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll¡­¡±


    A gentle hand fell on his shoulder.


    ¡°The Moon¡¯s Chosen is one of the strongest goblins I have ever had the honor of meeting. She has faced many battles, some that seemed impossible to win, yet she came out the victor every time. She will overcome this battle as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elayne,¡± he whispered.


    She nodded and walked on ahead. Stryg could see the Southside temple in the distance. Jack was at the front gate, or what was left of it. The young human was fiddling with the torn metal hinges. Stryg hastened his pace and broke into a run.


    ¡°War Master!¡± ¡°My lord!¡±


    Gale¡¯s and Elayne¡¯s voices rang behind him, but he didn¡¯t care. Stryg ran as fast as he could, quickly overtaking them all. Blossom billowed in the wind behind him, Krikolm shaking at his waist. Jack looked up and jumped back in surprise before recognition crossed his face.


    ¡°Master Stryg¡­?!¡± Jack broke into a wide smile. ¡°Master Stryg!¡±


    Stryg slammed into him and wrapped him in a bear hug. The pain and guilt that had been burning in his chest were washed away by a sense of joy and relief. He broke into laughter, ¡°You¡¯re alright. You¡¯re really alright!¡±


    ¡°Mas¡ª Can¡¯t¡ª breathe!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Shit, sorry!¡± Stryg released him and stepped back.


    Jack winced as he rubbed his shoulders but he was still smiling. ¡°You came back.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did. I¡¯d never abandon my sister tribe.¡±


    Jack glanced behind him at the goblins and vampires rushing towards them, though they slowed down as they neared the temple gate. ¡°Those are Sylvan Warriors, are they¡ª?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re with me.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡ª At the battle, you were there?¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°As I said, I¡¯d never abandon my sister tribe. Where are the others? Are they safe?¡±


    Jack¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Melfyn led us to victory, but we¡­ we lost brothers and sisters.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Stryg whispered in a hollow voice. He thought he had prepared himself for the worst, but the stark reality gripped his chest tightly. ¡°Karen said that you and the older teenagers had gone to the wall, but still, I had hoped¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait. You spoke to Mother Karen? Is she safe?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, she and everyone else who was here is fine. They¡¯re staying in some apartments in the Bourge District for now.¡±


    Jack glanced back at the temple excitedly. ¡°We need to tell the others. We need to tell Melfyn!¡±


    Stryg cursed silently. They didn¡¯t know. Of course, they didn¡¯t know Karen and the children were safe. So much had happened in the last couple of days that Stryg had forgotten what Jack and the others might be thinking.


    No, that wasn¡¯t true. Stryg was simply too focused on his own feelings that he had failed to consider those of others. He should have been better than this. His selfishness had caused this.


    ¡°Master Stryg, follow me!¡± Jack grabbed his hand and dragged him into the temple.


    Rowan was sitting in the kitchen eating a bowl of stew when Stryg walked in. ¡°Master Stryg!?¡± yelled the drow, spilling his soup all over the table.


    ¡°Where is Mel?¡± asked Jack impatiently.


    ¡°Last I saw he was still in the backyard, but what is going on¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Jack ran off.


    Stryg gave Rowan a quick nod and followed after Jack. He found him standing in the back doorway, his excitement nowhere to be seen.


    Jack glanced back at Stryg. ¡°I think you should talk to Mel, he¡ª He hasn¡¯t been the same since coming back here.¡±


    Stryg looked outside and saw Melfyn sitting on a broken stone bench, shoulders bowed. A vampiress sat next to him, her expression filled with worry.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Stryg said soberly.


    Jack nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell the others the good news.¡±


    Stryg walked outside with heavy steps. The vampiress looked up at his approach and stiffened. She jumped to her feet as if she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°M-Melfyn!¡± she stuttered.


    But the boy didn¡¯t bother to look up.


    ¡°Hello, Mel,¡± Stryg said softly.


    Melfyn raised his head and slowly turned around. His reddened eyes widened at the sight. He gasped quietly and staggered to his feet. ¡°Master Stryg¡­? Are you real?¡±


    Guilt squeezed Stryg¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m real,¡± he smiled weakly.


    The boy bit his trembling lip and looked away in shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You trusted me to protect our people and I¡­¡± His voice caught in his throat.


    The vampiress stepped forward. ¡°Lord Aspirant, forgive me for interrupting, but I am Captain Talia of the wall¡¯s garrison. I fought with Melfyn and the rest of the Cinder Brood warriors atop the wall. They were under my watch and if it wasn¡¯t for them the wall would have fallen and countless more people would have died. If you wish to blame anyone for what happened here, then blame me. Do not blame the boy.¡±


    ¡°If anyone is to blame it is me,¡± said Stryg bitterly. ¡°Melfyn, Karen and the others are alive. They managed to escape thanks to Rhian and Feli.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The boy looked up, confused.


    ¡°They¡¯re all safe. Every single one of them made it out okay. Thanks to you and your warriors.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ so¡­?¡± Melfyn fell to his knees and whimpered softly, tears running unabashedly down his green cheeks. He wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered.


    Stryg knelt down, grabbed his shoulder, and looked him in the eyes. ¡°You kept your promise, Melfyn. You did what I could not. You protected your family.¡±


    Melfyn shook his head and mumbled through his tears, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Kael. Aina. Sara. Damon. Lea. They protected the family. My brothers and sisters did not surrender. They stood against the enemies of Lunis and they did not waver, they fought. They¡ª¡± he gasped a shuddering breath and cried. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save them.¡±


    Stryg hugged him and closed his eyes in silent solidarity. He had almost forgotten. This was what he was fighting for. This was who he was trying to protect. This was why he needed to grow stronger. He pushed down whatever hesitation he felt towards the Veres throne. He needed all the power he could muster. There was no room for reluctance. Not anymore.

 Chapter 536: A Guardian’s Observations

    Chapter 536: A Guardian¡¯s Observations


    The Guardian of the Sylvan was a man of few words. Since young he had shown prowess in the paths of steel and hunting. When he came of age his magic awakened and it was made clear that he had inherited his mother¡¯s prodigious talent. Although many showered Arden with praise and gifts, he spent little time with such people, or with any people for that matter. There was little they could offer that held his interest.


    The Sylvan paths came easy to him, whether it was the path of the Hunter, the Warrior, or the Shaman, he excelled in every single one of them. As a youth the Mothers of the tribe were already preparing him to be the next chieftain of the Frost Whisper Tribe, there were even talks about him becoming the next Guardian.


    To any other goblin such a title would be the greatest honor any of them could dream of, but to Arden it had only seemed to be expected. The only two who could hope to match his rising power were Aurelia of the Blood Fang and his fellow tribemate, Lumi. Aurelia ¡®The Blooded¡¯ in particular had piqued his interest. She was a prime mage and apprenticed to Sabina, the First Mother of the Celestial. Even more, she was favored by the Mother Moon.


    If anyone could understand what it felt like to be set apart, regarded as the greatest of talents, mounted with a sea of expectations, it was Aurelia. If anyone knew how it felt to be so alone at the peak of power, it had to be her. Or so he thought.


    That day, 21 years ago, Arden had met true power. A pale youth with a mirthful smirk. He had waltzed into Evenfall without a care in the world and defeated the guards and warriors with barely so much as a glance. Arden had rushed to the aid of his brothers and sisters, but no matter what spell or technique he used, they all fell short. Not a single attack had reached the stranger.


    Arden had been left bewildered. For a prodigy who had never once struggled, to have been brought so low would have bruised his ego, but it was the look in the stranger¡¯s eyes that broke him. Not once had those lilac eyes glanced at him. Arden was in line to be named the Guardian of the Sylvan and yet this stranger had not once considered him worthy of his attention.


    This was a man¡ª no, this was no man, but a harbinger sent by fate to humble Arden. He wanted another chance, a chance to learn more about the power wielded by this stranger to who even the Lunar Elect paid deference. But the stranger only had eyes for Aurelia and soon enough he even had the young priestess wrapped around his finger. And then just like a storm, he disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.


    When Arden asked around no one knew of his departure. Even the Lunar Elect refused to approach the matter. Aurelia had left Evenfall soon after, leaving Arden with nothing to go off.


    A bitter defeat was the only memory left to him, until the day the son of Ivory and Aurelia had walked into Evenfall. He was as arrogant as his father, but where Ivory was aloof, Stryg had the short temper of his mother. Arden felt like he was in a waking dream as he watched this boy bend the will of the Elects to his side. And then the impossible, Lunae had emerged from her seclusion and had declared him her Chosen.


    The boy had come in like a storm and had dragged everyone into his wake. Even someone like Arden could only watch as this¡ª this creature, had changed the fate of the Sylvan in a matter of days. The tribes, even his own, whispered Stryg¡¯s name as if it were sacred, and they bowed in reverence whenever the War Master walked by. But Arden knew better, he knew Stryg was no hero to be worshiped.


    A goblin¡¯s eyes were sharper than most species. When Arden shapeshifted into a giant sabertooth his eyes became even keener. The night of the siege, Arden had seen the silver comet that had shot into the sky and recognized it for what it was. A silver-winged being with skin that burned like the sun. It was Stryg who had blotted out the night sky with a silver brilliance that had consumed the clouds and dragons.


    And now that same baleful existence was sitting in a small garden at the back of a ruined temple, surrounded by a group of children who looked up at him with a starry-eyed gaze. Stryg smiled at their hundred questions and answered them without a glimmer of impatience, like an older brother indulging his younger siblings. Arden knew better, this was a monster hiding behind a beautiful smile.


    ~~~


    ¡°And then the vampire lifted his hammer and I thought Melfyn was done for,¡± said Jack with a look of exaggerated fear.


    ¡°Jack and I couldn¡¯t do anything, we were too far.¡± Rowan grinned, ¡°But then Sandra rushed past us and stretched out her hand, and then woosh!¡±


    ¡°Fire poured out from her palm and slammed into the vampire like an arrow,¡± said Melfyn.


    Stryg widened his eyes and turned to a blushing Sandra, ¡°You cast a spell?¡±


    She squirmed under his gaze and shrugged stiffly. ¡°I¡ª I don¡¯t know what I did. I just¡­ I saw Mel on the ground and the vampire lifting his hammer and I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You felt a desperation to do the impossible and your body answered. A burning sensation ran through your chest and down through your hand,¡± Stryg said in understanding.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Sandra looked up at him in surprise. ¡°Y-Yeah, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°It happens to a lot of mageborns. Some of us are tested first and are taught by masters to channel our powers safely, but others accidentally awaken their powers; usually in a moment of desperation. It can be dangerous,¡± Stryg placed his hand on her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m glad you''re safe. You have a long path ahead of you, Shaman Sandra.¡±


    ¡°S-Shaman?¡± she whispered, a smile slowly creeping over her face.


    Stryg nodded with a proud grin. ¡°You are the first Hollow Shade mageborn goblin this city has ever seen. I¡¯m certain there will be more, but you will set an example. They will follow your path.¡±


    ¡°But we can follow you, can¡¯t we?¡± she asked.


    Stryg¡¯s grin faltered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He had said it without even thinking. He wasn¡¯t born in Hollow Shade. But had he said it for that reason or because some part of him didn¡¯t consider himself a goblin any longer?


    Ananta¡¯s words echoed in his mind tauntingly. You are the son of Death and you are more like him than you know.


    Stryg pushed down the thoughts and forced himself to smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I studied at the Magic Academy and learned spell¨Ccasting from the teachers. They can be difficult, the students even more so. They aren¡¯t used to seeing goblins.¡±


    Sandra bit her lip and wrung her hands anxiously, ¡°I heard the academy is expensive.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about expenses. I¡¯ll cover your tuition and anything else you need, books, food and boarding, you name it. That goes for all of you. If any of you wish to study at any of the four academies, just tell me. I¡¯ll have some tutors assigned to you to help pass the entrance exams.¡± Stryg glanced at Gale standing a few paces behind him, ¡°I can do that, right?¡± he whispered.


    Gale nodded. ¡°You¡¯re one of the wealthiest lords of the wealthiest city in the realm. Paying for a few teenagers to go to the Martial or Merchant Academy is nothing.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Perfect!¡±


    ¡°I can really go to the Magic Academy?¡± whispered Sandra carefully.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a lord?¡± asked Melfyn.


    Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a long story¡­¡±


    ¡°War Master,¡± Arden called out. ¡°We¡¯ve lingered here long enough. The Lunar Elects and the chieftains are waiting for us.¡±


    The captain of his honor guard, Elayne, nodded in silent agreement.


    ¡°Right. Yes, of course.¡± Stryg glanced at the teenagers apologetically, ¡°I need to go, but we¡¯ll talk more later. When Captain Rorik wakes up, tell him I¡¯ll buy him a drink at the Merry Crescent one of these days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a few weeks before Rorik can drink,¡± said Rowan. ¡°A shaman healer came by the neighborhood yesterday and looked at his leg. She told him he can¡¯t drink for an entire month.¡±


    Jack laughed. ¡°You should have seen the look on his face!¡±


    ¡°It seems like we have a lot to catch up on when I get back,¡± said Stryg as he dusted off his pants and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone lead you all to the Villa District. We¡¯ll get you better accommodations with Karen and the others. I¡¯ll stop by when I get the chance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Stryg,¡± Melfyn bowed his head.


    Stryg glanced at Captain Talia, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to join them if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°M-Me?¡± the vampiress blinked.


    ¡°You helped Cinder Brood. My House¡¯s hospitality is yours if you¡¯d have it.¡±


    ¡°Your House?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The Great House of Veres,¡± answered Gale.


    Talia frowned in confusion. ¡°House Veres¡­?¡±


    ¡°Willow can explain more. Stellan, please lead the Cinder Brood back to the manor,¡± said Stryg as he left the backyard.


    ¡°As you wish, my lord,¡± the siblings nodded.


    Gale raised her eyebrow.


    Stryg caught her look. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This morning you were reluctant to even have one of the maids serve you breakfast and now you¡¯re ordering others around without a second thought.¡±


    ¡°You told me to delegate,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Gale smiled, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re embracing your position as lord.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping the Lunar Elects are as understanding.¡± Stryg abruptly stopped walking and glanced back at the teens, ¡°Melfyn, come on.¡±


    Melfyn pointed at himself, ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Today a meeting between the Lunar Elects and the chieftains is being held. You are the chieftain of Cinder Brood. So hurry up.¡± Stryg walked off.


    Melfyn scrambled to his feet. ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    ~~~


    Eyes of the Watcher, the Shaman Elect, Lumi of the Frost Whisper Tribe looked across the tavern hall at the several dozen goblin chieftains sitting around the tables. They were all bickering amongst one another, debating what their next course of action would be. Some wanted to go home, others wanted to take the goblins of the city back home with them. Many argued to help rebuild the goblin homes that were lost during the siege. Others wanted revenge for their fallen comrades and preferred to chase after the drows and valley tribes that had escaped after the battle.


    Their voices clashed against one another, but the only constant they could all agree on was that the goblins of this place had been treated worse than they had expected.


    Lumi made a face of disgust just remembering the faces of the city goblins she had seen as she walked down the streets. Their faces were filled with fear and apprehension. The city life had made them weak. They were Lunisian but they were not Sylvan.


    We need to rectify that, thought Lumi.


    ¡°They¡¯re like a bunch of children fighting for the best scrap of meat,¡± muttered Lykos.


    Lumi glanced at the dire goblin sitting next to her. Even though the battle was over he refused to take off his armor.


    ¡®This place isn¡¯t safe,¡¯ he had told her.


    On that, Lumi agreed.


    Lykos glanced at her brooding expression. ¡°Any thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Only one.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°This city needs to answer for their crimes against Lunis and her people. We should level the whole damn place to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lykos nodded slowly. ¡°So we¡¯re in agreement.¡±

 Chapter 537: The Warrior and Shaman

    Chapter 537: The Warrior and Shaman


    The tavern doors swung open and a blue goblin wrapped in a cloak of white petals walked in, silencing the cacophony of voices. The goblin chieftains all stared at him as he walked past their tables. Some had pride in their eyes, others reverence, while a few had nothing but distrust and skepticism. Stryg held his head high as he walked past, ignoring all their glances, and focused his gaze on the two sitting at the head table at the back of the room. A dire goblin and a woman dressed in the blue silks of an arch-shaman, the Lunar Elects.


    Behind Stryg walked three others, Arden, Elayne, and Melfyn. Not a single chieftain dared meet the Guardian of the Sylvan¡¯s gaze. Melfyn kept close to Stryg, hoping not to draw the attention of the chieftains. Elayne followed behind the others, serving like a shadow.


    Stopping a few paces from the Lunar Elects, Stryg bowed with a small flourish, careful to not bow too low. ¡°The chieftain of the Ebon Tribe greets the Eyes and the Hands of the Watcher.¡±


    ¡°The Ebon Tribe?¡± asked Lumi with a slight frown. ¡°Are you not a son of Blood Fang?¡±


    ¡°I am, but I am also the father of the Ebon Tribe, the first Sylvan tribe of Hollow Shade.¡±


    Lumi leaned back on her chair and tapped her hand on the table thoughtfully. ¡°A Sylvan tribe only becomes a tribe when recognized by the Lunar Elects.¡±


    ¡°And I recognize the Ebon Tribe. Enough with the games, Lumi.¡± Lykos stood up from his chair, walked around the table, and patted Stryg¡¯s shoulders. The dire goblin met his gaze with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are safe, War Master.¡±


    Stryg matched his grin. ¡°As I am of you, Warrior Elect.¡±


    Lykos glanced at Elayne who stood straight with her arms behind her back, her stern expression reminiscent of his own.


    ¡°Elayne. The War Master seems to not have a scratch on him¡­ well done.¡±


    ¡°I was only following my path, Father. As is expected of every Sylvan.¡±


    Lykos¡¯ gaze softened. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for bringing them to us, my chieftain,¡± interrupted Lumi.


    Arden inclined his head slightly, ¡°Shaman Elect.¡± He walked off to the bar and a goblin offered him a mug of ale, but he ignored her and grabbed an entire bottle. He sat in the corner of the room where the shadows cast were darkest and watched the scene unfold.


    Lumi couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. Arden had always been this way, ever since they were children in the Frost Whisper tribe. Very little held any interest to him, though as Guardian he still made sure to be aware of the Elects¡¯ affairs.


    ¡°So, who is this youngling you brought with you?¡± asked Lumi.


    ¡°This is Melfyn, father of the Cinder Brood Tribe,¡± answered Stryg.


    Lumi frowned. ¡°A youngling founded his own tribe? I can accept that you founded your own tribe, War Master, but this¡ª this is unprecedented. How can a youngling act as chieftain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen,¡± said Melfyn defensively.


    Stryg gleaned at him and shook his head subtly.


    ¡°Exactly, a youngling,¡± snapped Lumi.


    ¡°Hollow Shade isn¡¯t like Vulture Woods. The goblins here do not know our ways. And yet, Melfyn carries the heart of the Sylvan. From the day I met him, he stood in the defense of his fellow goblins against a creature twice his size. Melfyn and the Cinderbrood¡¯s warriors were on the Shade Wall two nights ago, defending this city and their goblin-kin from the invaders.¡± Stryg met Lumi¡¯s gaze without shying away, ¡°I may not have grown up in Evenfall, but in my tribe risking one¡¯s life to defend your own against all odds is a symbol of honor.¡±


    ¡°That it may be¡­¡± said Lumi. ¡°Where is Aurelia? I¡¯d like to hear her opinion on this matter of Cinder Brood.¡±


    ¡°First Mother Aurelia was injured during the battle. She is currently resting and will not join us tonight,¡± said Stryg. He tried to keep his voice calm, but a trace of pain slipped out.


    ¡°¡®The Blooded¡¯ was injured? What sort of monster could have done that?¡± asked Lykos with surprise.


    ¡°The kind that killed dragons,¡± Stryg replied.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Did she kill it?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± said Stryg darkly.


    Lykos saw the anger smoldering in his eyes and nodded. ¡°A good kill.¡±


    Lumi smirked. ¡°I¡¯d expect no less from the Mother Moon¡¯s ¡®Chosen.¡¯ Now that you¡¯re here, we can finally begin today¡¯s meeting¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop! You can¡¯t go in there!¡± yelled a muffled voice.


    The tavern¡¯s door slammed open with a bang and Gale barged in, two fellow scarlet-cloaked vampires at her side. They took in the room with a glance, and zone in on a stunned Stryg.


    Even as the chieftains drew their weapons, the vampires strode forward and quickly surrounded Stryg in a loose circle.


    Elayne¡¯s face turned bright red with anger. ¡°What are you doing!? I told you to stay outside!¡± she whispered harshly.


    ¡°Apologies for the intrusion,¡± said Gale. ¡°Some of the guards thought a couple of vampires standing outside was too dangerous to let slide by. They threatened to remove us from the premises. So we did what we had to.¡±


    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t kill them,¡± Stryg whispered. Those guards no doubt belonged to one of the Elects. The last thing he needed right now was to anger the Sylvan council.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°We merely incapacitated them, my lord,¡± said one of the vampires.


    Stryg glanced at their swords still sheathed at their waists. At least the goblins weren¡¯t dead. That was something. A vampire killing a goblin would look very bad in front of the gathering of chieftains.


    Lumi pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to even ask¡­ War Master, who in the blazes are these three vampires?¡±


    ¡°We are the Shield of Veres,¡± Gale replied proudly without missing a beat.


    ¡°The Shield of¡ª? What the fuck are you talking about? Am I supposed to know what that even means?¡±


    Gale blinked. ¡°Um, usually our name precedes itself¡­¡±


    Lumi sighed, ¡°If it was anyone else I¡¯d already have ripped these idiots apart with a spell, but they seem to be with you, War Master. What is this?¡±


    ¡°They are my bodyguards and they are no threat to anyone here, especially the Elects,¡± said Stryg while glancing at Arden in the corner.


    The Sylvan Guardian sipped his bottle of spirits, but his yellow eyes had already turned a feline bright green.


    ¡°I thought Elayne is the captain of your honor guard? Did she approve of these vampires?¡± said Lykos with a disapproving glance at his daughter.


    Elayne frowned, ¡°They are not mine. It seems our War Master had his own guards from his time in Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°Vampires aren¡¯t particularly intelligent, but they are physically stronger than any chromatic species in the realm.¡± Lykos stroked his chin, ¡°Overall I can see why you chose them, War Master.¡±


    ¡°Did he just call us stupid?¡± muttered Gale.


    Her cousin leaned towards her and whispered, ¡°I think he called us the ¡®muscle.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The surprises don¡¯t seem to stop with you, do they, War Master? You are lucky I find you¡ª interesting.¡± Lumi gestured towards Melfyn, ¡°I¡¯ll let the youngling stand as a chieftain tonight, though he will have to prove himself in a trial of adulthood if he is to continue being chieftain of his tribe.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Lykos.


    ¡°Thank you, Lunar Elects, I will strive to meet your expectations,¡± Melfyn bowed deeply. ¡°May the Mother Moon¡¯s silver light always bless you both.¡±


    ¡°At least this one has proper manners.¡± Lumi glanced at the vampires, ¡°Unlike these¡­ what are they exactly?¡±


    ¡°Shields of Veres¡­¡± said Gale dryly.


    ¡°Yes, a couple of bloody shields, who as I can see, aren¡¯t carrying any shields, only swords. You are right, Lykos, they aren¡¯t very bright.¡±


    Gale took a deep breath and wiped her blonde hair back before looking at Stryg, a single question on her gaze. ¡°Permission to duel her?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You¡¯d lose, vampire,¡± said Lumi with calm confidence.


    Gale narrowed her scarlet eyes but did not respond.


    ¡°Well,¡± Lumi clapped her hands. ¡°Enough with introductions. Onto the main matter at hand. War Master, when you spoke to us in the Silver Hall about the state of affairs for our goblin-kin cousins in Holo¡¯s Shade I did not believe you. But now that we are here, I realize it is even worse than your story.¡±


    ¡°The goblins here are treated as bad as the Nameless,¡± said Lykos.


    ¡°The lords of the city have no honor. Goblins have no future here and yet many of the ones we¡¯ve spoken to do not wish to leave the city. It is their home, or so they say.¡±


    Stryg was inclined to agree with the latter statement. The goblins of this city knew little to nothing about Lunis, the only home they and their ancestors had known was Hollow Shade.


    ¡°Which brings us to our main point.¡± Lumi leaned forward, hands clasped, ¡°We cannot ignore the plight of our goblin-kin and since they do not wish to leave, the Warrior Elect and I have decided.¡±


    ¡°We will liberate the city,¡± said Lykos.


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Lykos raised his clenched fist. ¡°Whether out of malice or sheer incompetence, the lords of this city have failed to protect our goblin cousins. Even after they slaughtered our ancestors and razed Lunis, and dragged our people here to work like chattel. Even after three centuries, goblins are still mistreated. We will not stand by and let it continue.¡±


    The chieftains roared in agreement.


    Stryg laughed indignantly. ¡°This is ridiculous! We just fought a battle and now you want to wage a new one?¡±


    ¡°We fought to protect our kin and we find out now they are still in danger. Did you not just say protecting our own was the symbol of a Sylvan¡¯s honor?¡± Lykos stood to his feet, ¡°We failed to protect our kin for three hundred years! But not anymore!¡±


    The chieftains all stood up with him and shouted war cries.


    Gale and the others looked at Stryg worriedly.


    Lykos smiled wide, his eyes filled with fire. ¡°What say you, War Master!?¡±


    ¡°I say we can¡¯t go to war. We didn¡¯t save this city just to destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Save this city?¡± Lykos frowned. ¡°We came here to save our goblin-kin.¡±


    Lumi narrowed her eyes, ¡°War Master, did you bring the entire Sylvan army here to save these¡ª others?¡±


    Stryg shook his head. ¡°I came here to save the goblins of Hollow Shade, my tribe, and my friends¡­ It¡¯s true, there are bad people in this city, people who¡¯d rather see a goblin below their heel than standing next to them, but there are also good people here.¡± He glanced at Gale, ¡°I have found kindness in this city where I¡¯ve been undeserving of it.¡± He turned back to the Elects, ¡°If you go to war against this city good people will die. Innocent goblins and others alike.¡±


    Lykos slammed his fist on the table, ¡°Did our ancestors not die when Lunis was attacked? Were they not innocent? What had they done to deserve all-out slaughter?¡±


    Lumi sighed, ¡°I understand your concerns, Stryg. But these people, these Holo¡¯s Shaders have treated our goblin cousins like mongrels. Three centuries! They had three hundred years to change their ways, but they did no such thing. This city doesn¡¯t deserve our mercy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, some lords treat goblins like mongrels, but they also treat everyone else like mongrels, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a goblin or not. The strong rule the weak. The predator hunts the prey, that is the way of the forest.¡±


    ¡°And just like in Vulture Woods, we will protect our own, we will protect Lunis and her people,¡± said Lykos.


    ¡°I have personally spoken to the goblins who have lived in these homes,¡± said Lumi, her voice somber. ¡°Every single one of them had a story of how they had been treated. Even though some people have shown them respect, and kindness, many others see them as lesser beings. Even humans are treated better in this place, and they aren¡¯t even from this realm!¡±


    ¡°Not a single noble in this city is a goblin, our people have no voice here, no one to protect them,¡± said Lykos. ¡°The lords of Holo¡¯s Shade have taken advantage of goblins for far too long. We cannot let their crimes go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°Our people have a voice on the city council now,¡± admitted Stryg. ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Lumi narrowed her eyes. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I am a son of House Veres, one of the Seven Ruling Families of Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°From your father¡¯s side?¡± Lykos guessed. ¡°You have placed yourself in ranks with the damn lords of this place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is this¡­?! You are the son of Blood Fang and Ebon!¡± growled Lumi. ¡°You are our War Master, you are to lead the Sylvan people in times of strife. Tell me you have not chosen to side with our enemies! Tell me you did not bring us to this city for the sake of these traitorous lords and their people!?¡± she pointed an accusing finger at Gale.


    Stryg swallowed hard, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°He did not bring anyone here. I did,¡± spoke a voice as cold as the winter night.


    A sense of dread and relief filled Stryg¡¯s chest as he slowly turned around and saw Lunae.

 Chapter 538: Favored of the Moon

    Chapter 538: Favored of the Moon


    The Shaman Elect growled and bared her teeth. ¡°What is this¡­?! You are the son of Blood Fang and Ebon! You are our War Master, you are to lead the Sylvan people in times of strife. Tell me you have not chosen to side with our enemies! Tell me you did not bring us to this city for the sake of these traitorous lords and their people!?¡± Lumi pointed an accusing finger at Gale.


    Stryg swallowed hard, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°He did not bring anyone here. I did,¡± spoke a voice as cold as the winter night.


    A sense of dread and relief filled Stryg¡¯s chest as he slowly turned around and saw Lunae. The goddess of the moon appeared not as a massive wolf that would have ripped through the ceiling, nor did she appear as a towering titan. The one who stood in front of the tavern full of chieftains was a young teenager. Her cheeks were round with the baby fat of youth, but her skin held the same sheen and her long snow-white hair draped across her back and shimmied above her ankles.


    She hardly seemed a threat but as her pale white-blue eyes glanced across the room, every chieftain shrunk back in fear and reverence. Lumi and Lykos fell to their knees and bowed and the rest of the goblins quickly followed. Melfyn, Gale, and her two fellow vampires glanced at Stryg questioningly, but his gaze was stuck on the silver stranger. Unsure what to do, the four stayed standing alongside him.


    ¡°Lumi, my Eyes within the Tribunal, tell me¡ª¡± the goddess called out in a voice that sent shivers down the goblin. ¡°Whom do you serve?¡±


    The Shaman Elect licked her lips nervously, but she did not dare to look up. ¡°I have sworn my life to you, Mother Moon. I live to serve you.¡±


    ¡°And who was it that commanded you to leave Evenfall and march across the Realm to this place?¡±


    ¡°Y-You did, Divine Mother.¡±


    ¡°Then do tell why you stood there arrogantly accusing my Chosen of matters he had no part in? Or do you hope to question my decisions through my Chosen in front of the assembly of chieftains? Do you believe yourself wiser than I?¡±


    Lumi threw herself to the ground and prostrated her face on the floor. ¡°I misspoke! Please forgive your foolish servant for her arrogance!¡±


    The assembly of chieftains widened their eyes at the sight of their sacred Shaman Elect lying on the floor, but none dared speak in her favor. Gale and her cousins glanced at each other in confusion.


    ¡°As for the rest of you, to whom did you all swear your oaths? Where do your loyalties lie?¡± Lunae turned in a slow circle glancing at the goblins in the room. Her pale eyes landed on the vampires, ¡°You three hold no oaths to me. You do not belong here.¡±


    ¡°Our oaths are not so freely given,¡± said Gale cautiously, her hand drifting to her sword¡¯s hilt.


    Elayne looked up at Gale, shocked. She yanked the vampire¡¯s cloak. ¡°What are you doing!? Get down!¡± she hissed in outrage.


    Lunae cocked her head to the side. ¡°You did not tell them about me, Stryg?¡±


    Gale glanced at Stryg and saw the anxiety ridden in his expression. Something was terribly wrong. She stepped in front of him and drew her blade an inch out from its sheath. ¡°I may not know who you are, but if you wish to take your anger out on someone then take it up with me.¡±


    Elayne sucked in a deep breath of sheer horror. Stryg glanced at Gale in dismay but before he could speak Lunae parted her silver lips. ¡°Anger? You do not know anger, vampire.¡±


    Lunae sauntered towards them.


    ¡°Not one step closer,¡± Gale drew her blade and the other vampires followed her lead.


    ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡± asked Lunae, amused.


    ¡°I will if I must.¡±


    ¡°Gale, stop! She¡¯s Lunae!¡± Stryg shouted.


    But his words fell on deaf ears. Gale¡¯s focus was entirely on the threat in front of her. She took a defensive stance and raised her sword. ¡°We are the Shield of Veres, be it Monster or Man, here we stand and we shall not falter.¡±


    Lunae smiled coldly. ¡°I am no Monster nor Man.¡±


    The wood underneath the vampires creaked as the air around them suddenly grew frigid. Gale and her cousins bent over and coughed vehemently for breath as their lips turned a pale blue. Hoarfrost formed on their blades and the edge of their clothing. Their limbs grew stiff and they fell to their knees.


    Lunae stood over them and looked down with mild interest. ¡°It has been a long time since a mortal has drawn their blade against me.¡±


    ¡°Mother Moon, please stop!¡± Stryg pleaded.


    Melfyn stared at the scene and hurriedly went down on one knee, head bowed.


    Gale watched in panic as her companions fell to the ground, unconscious. Anger flared within her chest. She reached out and grabbed her sword with cold stiff fingers, and slowly aimed the blade at the goddess in defiance.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Lunae smiled. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Please, stop! Mother!¡±


    Lunae glanced at Stryg, a glint of surprise passing through her eyes. The air returned to its normal state and the vampires gulped down breaths of fresh warm air.


    ¡°You¡¯ve chosen brave companions, Little One,¡± said Lunae. ¡°The three of them are willing to die for you. But this one, she would face Death sword in hand before letting you be hurt. She is of noble heart, even if that heart is broken.¡±


    Lunae turned to the chieftains kneeling stock-still, too afraid to speak. ¡°Stryg of Ebon and Blood Fang was born a Sylvan, he has lived his entire life as a Sylvan, but these vampire nobles are willing to die for him. Why do you think that is?¡±


    The chieftains glanced at each other, none knew what to say.


    ¡°Um,¡± whispered Melfyn hesitantly.


    Lunae looked down at him warmly, ¡°Speak, child.¡±


    Melfyn swallowed nervously. ¡°It¡¯s because Master Stryg is brave and protects his own. He inspires loyalty. People follow him because he doesn¡¯t hesitate, no matter the situation, he always knows what path to follow.¡±


    Mel¡­ If only that were true¡­ thought Stryg bittersweetly. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he knew what path to follow.


    Lunae nodded at Melfyn¡¯s words. ¡°You are wiser than your years, chieftain of Cinder Brood. This young man speaks truthfully. Stryg holds the heart of a true Sylvan. So before any of you question the War Master¡¯s words, whether they are grounded in my orders or not, you¡¯d do well to not question his loyalty. Do I make myself clear, Lumi, Lykos?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother Moon.¡± The Warrior and Shaman Elects said desperately, though Lumi did not dare to get up from the floor.


    ¡°My chieftains, you followed me into this valley without hesitation for the glory of Lunis. Trust me once more. Go to your tents and attend to your tribes. You will receive your orders soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother Moon!¡± shouted the chieftains in agreement.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± she ordered.


    The chieftains quickly got up, bowed deeply once more, then filed out of the room. Melfyn and Elyane glanced at Stryg worriedly, but reluctantly left with the others, leaving Lunae with the Elects, the vampires, Stryg, and Arden.


    ¡°Lykos, prepare an honor guard for Lumi and yourself. In a few days time, the two of you will meet with the council of Holo¡¯s Shade as my Hands and Eyes. The War Master will act as a mediator between both parties.¡±


    Lykos bowed, ¡°As you wish, Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°It is my honor to serve, your divinity,¡± mumbled Lumi, her face still planted on the wooden planks.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± she said dismissively.


    Lumi scrambled to her feet and followed Lykos out the door. Stryg watched her go with a slight pang of pity. He had never seen the prideful Shaman Elect so terrified. She genuinely seemed ashamed after Lunae¡¯s chastisement. He hadn¡¯t thought it possible.


    ¡°Are you really the goddess¡­?¡± whispered Gale cautiously.


    Lunae¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°¡®If any of the Four of you are really there, then you see the dangers that lie ahead for my lord. Please, if you truly care for us, then I humbly ask, please give me the strength to protect him. I do not care if it costs me my life, help me keep him safe.¡¯ That was your prayer this morning, was it not?¡±


    Tears formed at the edge of Gale¡¯s wide eyes. ¡°You were watching? You were listening? To me?¡±


    ¡°I was. I cannot see all places or people at once, but you, the one close to Stryg, you I saw.¡±


    Gale glanced at Stryg uncertainly. Who was he that even a goddess seemed to care for him?


    ¡°This morning you asked me for the strength to protect Stryg. So now I ask, why do you wish to protect him? The other members of your family do it out of loyalty to House Veres and their own House. But there is more to you, a desperation that lies in your heart. A wound that does not heal. Tell me, why do you fight, daughter of Gale?¡±


    She stared down at her hands, her blond hair obscuring her sharp features. ¡°My brother, Clypeus¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect him. He died protecting those he cared for and I¡ª I wasn¡¯t there, I couldn¡¯t save him. Carmilla Veres, my ward¡­ I was chosen to be her protector, we were born only a few months apart. She was the sister I never had. The bond between a Gale protector and their Veres ward is sacred, it matters more than any friend or lover. We are meant to be together from birth to death. Two halves of one whole, entrusted with the leadership of our Houses and all the Houses sworn to us. When Carmilla was attacked in the valley I was supposed to have been there¡­ but I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You were in Undergrowth¡­ because of me,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Gale did not answer his words and instead looked up at Lunae, her eyes red with tears. ¡°Clypeus was Stryg¡¯s protector, he died to save him. Carmilla was my ward and she died because I was with Stryg. Their deaths couldn¡¯t have been for nothing.¡±


    ¡°People die every day in every realm,¡± said Lunae calmly.


    ¡°But not Stryg. He isn¡¯t like anyone I¡¯ve ever met. He is different. I know he is! I see it even in the way that you look at him. I should have died with Carmilla on that battlefield, Stryg should have died on that cliff with Cly, but fate did not deem it to be. Their deaths¡ª they couldn¡¯t have been for nothing. So I will protect Stryg, no matter what it costs. It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m still alive while they are not.¡±


    ¡°You truly believe that?¡± asked Lunae.


    Gale smiled bitterly and nodded, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°...I see. You will do, yes, you will do.¡± She reached out her hand, traced Gale¡¯s cheek, and spoke, though no words escaped her lips. A voice only Gale could hear echoed in her mind. ¡°I entrust you with the safety of my son, protect him well.¡±


    Gale¡¯s eyes rolled up and she collapsed, unconscious. A blonde lock of hair which ran across her face lost its golden sheen and turned a stark silver.


    Stryg knelt next to her and listened anxiously for her heartbeat. It was erratic but it was still there. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I showed her my Favor,¡± said Lunae. ¡°Arden, take the vampires back to their manor. The three of them will wake up before the night is over.¡±


    ¡°Mother Moon,¡± Arden bowed respectfully. Green mana flowed over his arms and vines sprouted from the green bracelets on his wrists. The vines gently wrapped around the vampires and lifted them a pace off the ground. With a single more bow, Arden left the room, vampires in tow.


    Lunae turned to Stryg with a warm smile, ¡°Finally, we¡¯re alone. I was hoping to have spoken to you earlier, but I¡¯ve been busy with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you know?¡±


    Her smile faltered. ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°Did you know I was the son of Stjerne?¡±


    Her gaze grew solemn. ¡°...I did.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    ¡°You deserve to know the truth about the day you were born¡­¡±

 Chapter 539: Child of the Moon

    Chapter 539: Child of the Moon


    Lunae turned to Stryg with a warm smile, ¡°Finally, we¡¯re alone. I was hoping we could speak earlier, but I¡¯ve been busy with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you know?¡± Stryg asked curtly.


    Her smile faltered. ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°Did you know I was the son of Stjerne?¡±


    Her gaze grew solemn. ¡°...I did. You deserve to know the truth about the day you were born.¡±


    ¡°The day I was born¡­?¡± Stryg¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the story.¡±


    Lunae grabbed his hand and gently pulled him onto a chair. ¡°Not the full story. You¡¯ve never really understood its significance.¡±


    ¡°That I was born under a moonless sky? A bad omen among any tribe,¡± he said with an edge to his voice.


    ¡°Do you know when stars shine brightest?¡±


    He looked at her uncertainly.


    Lunae smiled softly. ¡°When the sky is darkest, when the moon is nowhere to be seen. The night sky welcomed your birth. An omen certainly, but not the kind you¡¯ve been led to believe.¡±


    Ever since Ananta had told him about his heritage he felt as if everything he had ever known had been thrown into question. He had hoped the Mother Moon would have put those worries to rest but her words only made him question even more.


    ¡°Why did no one ever tell me?¡± he whispered. ¡°If I was the son of Stjerne, the son of a god, why not tell me anything?¡±


    Lunae sat next to him, across the table. ¡°The night you were born Stjerne snuck into your village, without any goblin the wiser. I watched him from afar. He was aware of my presence, but he did not care. ¡­8 seconds. That¡¯s how long it took for him to look at you and deem you unworthy. He abandoned you, Stryg, as he¡¯s done with many of his children through the ages.¡±


    Stryg swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. ¡°I¡ª I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    She sighed quietly. ¡°You need to understand what it means to be a titan, what makes us different. When the World Soul created the elven elder elemental species, the elder kindred, she imbued them each with a facet of her own magic, the eleven elements. As time went on she created other elementals, a new generation, what some call the lesser or younger elementals. Unlike the elders, they were mortal.¡±


    ¡°Mortal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, think of species like the fairies and trolls of this realm. They are the lesser elementals; they¡¯ve inherited a smaller fragment of magic from the World Soul.¡±


    ¡°And what does this have to do with Stjerne or me?¡±


    Lunae extended a claw and scratched ten deep lines into the wooden table. ¡°The sea serpents are the first water elementals, the elder kin. There are several lesser elemental species with the gift of water, such as the frost giants, or the sirens who inherited both the gifts of water and wind. Phoenixes are the elder fire elementals, but now the fire giants carry the gift of fire as well, albeit to a minor extent. Every elemental gift bestowed upon the elder kindred was inherited by lesser elementals, all except for one. Care to guess which?¡±


    ¡°Chaos¡­ My professors told me chaos does not bond to any living creature.¡±


    ¡°Mostly true, with one exception. Titans. We are the only species to have ever possessed the power of chaos.¡±


    Stryg scratched an eleventh line into the table. ¡°Why? Why are titans different?¡±


    ¡°Because chaos is the element of change. Chaotic energy is incredibly unstable and volatile. In large concentrations it can prove fatal to others, rather it is fatal. Titans are special in this matter. You see, our species is¡ª unique. Of all the elder kindred, we are the closest to the World Soul, and like her, our existence is deeply entwined with the nature of all the Null Realms. When the Realms prosper so do we and when the world was Sundered¡­ so were we.¡±


    Stryg knew little about the Sundering, but he had grown up around nature. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt particularly close to any of the other Null Realms,¡± he added off-handedly.


    ¡°And yet death pervades in every single one of those lands.¡±


    ¡°I am not Death.¡±


    ¡°Half of you is. Can you separate half your existence from the other?¡±


    Stryg frowned, but thought it better to not argue against a goddess.


    Lunae saw the mental battle happening behind his eyes and smirked sympathetically, ¡°Titans share little with each other in terms of appearance. We are the sons and daughters of chaos and it is reflected in our bodies. Some of us are born blue, others silver. Some with three eyes, some with none at all. Some with wings, others with claws and fangs.¡±


    Lunae went on, ¡°Unlike other elder kindred whose children are all born with powerful gifts, a titan¡¯s gifts can range widely. It is common for titans to be born with powers inferior to other elder kindred. However, sometimes a titan is born with special gifts, powers so great that people have worshiped them through the ages.¡±


    ¡°The gods,¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been called as such, yes. In our culture, the talents you were born with oftentimes determined your value in the eyes of society. Every single titan is born unique, save for hybrids who seem to inherit the appearance of their titan parent.¡± Lunae¡¯s expression grew solemn, ¡°Which brings us to your father. Our species has a very low birth rate, even worse than other elder kindred. There are few of us left now. Your father sought to rectify this, for his own reasons.¡±


    ¡°You mean people like me and Holo? Hybrids,¡± he guessed.


    Lunae nodded. ¡°The problem with titan hybrids is the same reason why there are no other chaotic species.¡±


    Stryg thought of Ananta and the story she had told him of her birth. ¡°Chaos mana. It¡¯s fatal, like void mana,¡± he guessed.


    ¡°Not exactly. Void mana drains energy from its surroundings, it could prove fatal to the mother, but the newborn would be safe enough so long as the mother could endure the pregnancy. Chaos on the other hand is actually unstable, constantly changing, resulting in destructive energies. A hybrid¡¯s body can¡¯t adapt to the constant changes and simply dies, usually in the first month of pregnancy. The mothers don¡¯t tend to fare well either.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A shiver ran down Stryg¡¯s spine at her words. His face paled as her words sunk in. ¡°Wait, are you saying if I get someone pregnant I could kill them?¡±


    ¡°In small quantities, chaotic energy is harmless, but seeing as you are half-titan, and the son of one of the most powerful titans to have ever lived, your chaotic energy is as potent as any pure-blooded titan.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± he whispered anxiously.


    ¡°Yes, if you impregnate a woman the unborn child would most likely die and there¡¯s about a 50/50 chance that she would as well.¡±


    Stryg sank into his chair, ¡°Oh gods¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that you have to worry about such things.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lunae looked at him flatly. ¡°Stryg, titans aren¡¯t like goblins. Sexual and reproductive maturity do not occur at the same time. Your body may have sexually matured, but you won¡¯t be able to actually reproduce for a long time still.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°What exactly is a long time?¡±


    ¡°It could be decades.¡±


    ¡°Decades?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Or centuries.¡±


    ¡°Centuries!?¡±


    He had never thought much about children, Feli had brought up the topic on occasion. Supposedly hybrids couldn¡¯t have any, though he heard rumors to the contrary. And with the existence of his mother, he had confirmed those rumors to be true. What was he supposed to tell Feli now?


    Lunae smiled, ¡°Oh, Little One, in the eyes of a titan you are a hatchling, a pup. You are immortal, you will live thousands of years. I know that may be difficult to wrap your mind around now, but when you look back someday you will truly understand how young you are.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m a baby then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you still have a lot of growing to do.¡± She patted his head, ¡°You¡¯ve clearly gone through your first growth spurt, but titans keep growing for centuries. Someday you¡¯ll be as tall as me, I wager.¡±


    Stryg looked over her short teenage appearance with a raised eyebrow. He wanted to say she was hardly taller than any goblin at the moment, but he had seen Lunae in her true form. She towered over anyone, save Ananta.


    He looked down at his hands, they shook with a slight tremble. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to be different,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°To whom?¡±


    Stryg cleared his throat. ¡°The night I was born. My father. What exactly happened?¡±


    Lunae sighed. ¡°Your father has sired several children in the past. You have to understand, most pregnancies between titans and others never make it far; the unborn child is unable to handle the elemental chaos coursing through their own veins. The pregnancies that do reach full term often result in stillbirths.¡±


    ¡°I clearly survived.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. Rarely, a few hybrids do survive, but that is only because the newborn did not inherit the chaotic bloodline of their titan parent whatsoever. They do not possess chaos mana, they are mortal, no different than say any goblin from your tribe. Or in your father¡¯s eyes, a failure. Rarely, very rarely, a hybrid child is born having inherited the element of chaos.¡±


    ¡°And I was one of them.¡±


    ¡°You were not. That is why your father found you unworthy. The moment he set eyes on you he realized you possessed no traces of chaotic mana. He lost interest and left. Your mother didn¡¯t even know he had been there.¡± Lunae glanced away and stared at the ceiling, ¡°As for me¡­ Well, as far as I was concerned a hybrid like you should not have existed. Gods do not enjoy when other gods meddle in their people¡¯s affairs, especially when the woman in question happens to be your Favored.¡±


    ¡°My mother¡­¡±


    She nodded stiffly. ¡°Your father had abandoned you, I saw no reason to hold back my Favored¡¯s life.¡±


    His eyes widened slowly. ¡°You were going to kill me¡­ So my mother could keep her oaths as your priestess.¡±


    ¡°...I was, but I was wrong,¡± she corrected hastily. ¡°I was wrong, Stryg. About you. About everything.¡±


    ¡°Because I inherited the element of chaos after all?¡± he said grimly. ¡°Is that why you made me your Chosen? Because I am the son of Stjerne? The son of Death?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She jumped up from her seat, gripped his shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. ¡°I chose you because you are worthy even without all of it. You may never understand what I¡¯m about to tell you, but please believe me; you saved me, Stryg. I¡ª I was lost in a pit of despair, but you found me in that darkness and you saved me.¡±


    Stryg wrinkled his brow, ¡°What? I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± she caressed his cheek. ¡°You, a mere child, saved a goddess. And it wasn¡¯t through your magic or skill with a weapon. It was because of your heart.¡±


    ¡°My heart¡­?¡± His expression darkened and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh bitterly. ¡°What do you know of my heart? Did you hear Melfyn? He said I have the heart of a Sylvan. But that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t. Because you never had to prove to anyone that you were a Sylvan, that you belonged right there with them. My whole life I fought with everything I had to prove, no, to earn a spot among my tribe; that I was Sylvan, even if I didn¡¯t look like it.¡±


    ¡°Little One¡­¡±


    He got up from his chair and stepped back. ¡°When I came to Hollow Shade people didn¡¯t even know what a Sylvan was, to them I was just a freak. So I had to prove myself again, to show them what it meant to be Sylvan, that I was Sylvan.¡±


    His shoulders trembled and a tear slipped down his cheek.


    ¡°All I ever wanted was to be one of them. A goblin. A Sylvan. I¡¯ve been fighting to prove to everyone, to all of them¡­ to myself, that I belong. And I thought I had finally done it. I found where I belonged. I am the War Master. I am Sylvan¡­ But it turns out I¡¯m not.¡± He laughed brokenly, ¡°I am exactly what they said. I¡¯m different. An outsider. I¡¯m¡ª I¡¯m not a goblin. Gale says I¡¯m a Veres, but I¡¯m not a vampire, not like Callum or Elise. I¡¯m not even mortal!¡±


    He ran his hands across his drooping pointed ears and bit his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t belong with any of them. Ananta was right, I¡¯m a monster. Just like her. And you.¡±


    Lunae walked over and wiped the tears from his cheek. ¡°In the eyes of the sheep, the wolf will always be a monster. Though goblin, vampire, and drow blood flow through your veins, you may not feel as if you are any one of them, but make no mistake, Stryg, you are Sylvan, and no one, no one, can take that from you, not even me.¡±


    He leaned into her embrace and mumbled weakly, ¡°I feel so lost. They¡¯re all counting on me to lead them. But I don¡¯t know how to save them. If the World Soul is dying what am I supposed to do? I couldn¡¯t even save my mother. How can I save all the Null Realms?¡±


    ¡°By opening your eyes and seeing that you are not alone. You may feel lost, but I am here, your sisters are here; people who understand what you are going through. This burden was never yours alone to bear. Taking on all the problems around yourself is a flaw you¡¯ve had since you were a child. Stryg, you may have been born into this war of titans but we¡¯ve been fighting it for thousands of years. We will not let the Realms fall. And no matter what happens, no matter how many centuries pass us by, I will not abandon you, I promise you that. You will never be alone, you will always have a place you belong.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he whispered.


    She smiled wryly. ¡°My Little One, that¡¯s what it means to be a Mother.¡±


    He had so many questions but he felt so at ease simply resting in her arms. It felt familiar. His worries ebbed away as he leaned his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. ¡°Thank you, Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°...Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I know you wish to know more about your father, but may I suggest you clean yourself up first and head to the Villa District. Your lover may need help with her dinner guests.¡±


    He stiffened. ¡°The Katag¡¯s dinner! Shit, I¡¯m late!¡±

 Chapter 540: The Great House of Katag

    Chapter 540: The Great House of Katag


    The crescent moon shined in the clear night sky, filtering faint silver light into Tauri¡¯s bedroom. She could have lit the magestone lantern hanging from her ceiling but ever since traveling through Vulture Woods she had gotten used to little light, in fact, she had grown to prefer it.


    She closed her eyes and for a moment it felt as if she was somewhere else, far away from Hollow Shade and her family¡¯s manor. The slight breeze whisked past the window and through the room and she caught the faint scent of rain.


    Then she opened her amber eyes and came face to face with the mirror and the reflection of a noblewoman. It wasn¡¯t her. A tight-fitting dress of a soft shade of pearl. The neckline ran low, but instead of pushing her modest bust up tightly, it opened down the middle, letting her breasts hang naturally to the sides, hugging them snugly. The dress had a long slit that ran up to her hip. A thin semi-transparent gold fabric covered her scarlet voluptuous legs, tantalizing the eyes of any onlooker of what lay underneath. As a final touch, she wore a pair of tall heels, pushing her hips upward and accenting her most proud quality. Even from the front, it was hard not to notice the way her bottom curved around her hips.


    The pearl dress was made especially for her, created to seduce any who glanced at her, all for the sake of potentially attracting a potential suitor. No doubt her mother had set this all up. Tauri would have chosen any other dress for tonight¡¯s dinner party but it seemed as if someone had raided her wardrobe and left her only with the pearl dress. Her mother¡¯s handiwork.


    Tauri sighed and fidgeted with her short black hair. ¡°Thanks, mom¡­¡± she muttered.


    She had always enjoyed the parties the nobility threw, especially the ones thrown by the Noir family. Lady Dolores went all out without sparing any expense. Tauri enjoyed socializing with her peers and was eager to hear the latest gossip among the mageborns and merchant princes. She had even enjoyed the occasional gaze of certain suitors who caught her fancy. But after Aizel¡¯s death, she had withdrawn from the courting circles.


    Evelyn Katag was a wise and shrewd woman, but patience was not one of her virtues. She had given her daughter what she considered enough time to mourn and was now trying to push Tauri back into what she called, ¡®a young lady¡¯s most important duty.¡¯ Marrying well.


    Tauri understood her mother¡¯s words, noble Houses rose and fell by alliances amongst each other. And the most secure alliance was marriage. Tauri had been raised her entire life knowing she would marry a noble lord someday, the thought had never bothered her, after all, her parents had found her a great match. But Aizel was gone. And now the idea of dinner parties and engagements seemed like a faded dream.


    Their city had just been under attack a few nights ago. Countless people had died on both sides. The entire idea of celebrating in the Villa district while the commoners rebuilt their homes at the edge of the city seemed ludicrous.


    And now she would soon have to go and greet guests with a pleasant smile as if she hadn¡¯t been fighting for her life only a few days earlier, as if her father hadn¡¯t almost been killed by a dragonbane atop the shade wall, as if she hadn¡¯t slept with Str¡ª


    Tauri sighed deeply and stared at her reflection in the mirror. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she muttered.


    A seductive whistle answered. ¡°Just enjoying the nice view.¡±


    Tauri spun around in surprise. ¡°Plum!? What are you doing?¡±


    The drow leaned on the doorway with a lewd smirk and pushed her glasses up, ¡°I came to make sure you were okay, but I didn¡¯t expect to find you like this.¡±


    Tauri curled her lips in a wry grin. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this old thing?¡± Plum glanced down at her blue dress. ¡°I had it lying around.¡± She leaned in, looked around as if they were being spied on, and whispered, ¡°Some maids dropped it off on my bed, I¡¯m pretty certain they got the wrong room.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift. From my mother.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought she didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    Plum had been staying with them ever since she had arrived with Tauri on wolf-back a few nights ago. They had fended off a few valley warriors from the manor¡¯s gates, though in truth it was the goblin honor guard that had dispatched most of them. Tauri had tried to fight but it had taken almost everything she had just to not fall off her frost wolf.


    Not her most glorious moment. Tauri couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the memory. ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t dislike you, she appreciates your help during the siege. The dress is her sign of approval. It means she wants you at the party tonight.¡±


    ¡°Parties aren¡¯t really my thing, but someone needs to watch your back.¡±


    Tauri raised her eyebrow. ¡°Oh, is that right? Last I checked, I was the master battle mage here.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked, I also flunked your class, but my point still stands.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    Plum grinned proudly. ¡°I can say whatever I want in front of those nobles without ruining my non-existent House¡¯s reputation. Like, if someone you don¡¯t like starts hitting on you, I can just tell him to go fuck himself.¡±


    ¡°Point taken.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be happy.¡±


    ¡°Happy, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°You okay?¡± Plum asked worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told your sister yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°Elena can be¡ª delicate. Every Katag is trained in the martial ways as well as magic if they are mageborn. When we graduate from one of the academies we are sent to one of my House¡¯s armies to learn the way of the soldier. It helps us get a good grip on what this realm can really be like, but Elena is still in the mage academy. She hasn¡¯t been tested under pressure and we all know she doesn¡¯t cope well in stressful situations.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone copes well with their sister sleeping with their fianc¨¦,¡± Plum said off-handedly.


    Tauri slammed the door shut and hissed at her. ¡°Shh! Be careful where you say that!¡±


    Plum shrugged. ¡°Look, all I¡¯m trying to say is that no matter how you try and put it, no one will react well to the good old ¡®cuckold.¡¯ Or cuckquean, I think? Look, doesn¡¯t matter. My point is, you should just tell your sister the truth before things go too far. Besides, I think you underestimate your sister. If she is anything like the Katags I¡¯ve met, she¡¯s stronger than you know.¡±


    Tauri bit her lip. ¡°Maybe I just don¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t have to tell Elena I slept with Stryg. In fact, Stryg will probably speak with my parents tonight and we can sort things out with them, no need to mention the sex.¡±


    Plum crossed her arms. ¡°Uh, leaving it up to Stryg to handle any kind of ¡®talking situation¡¯ is a recipe for someone ending up dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there to guide him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want your secret coming out from him. It¡¯s best if you tell it to your family yourself. You really don¡¯t want Stryg talking over dinner about how he clapped your cheeks.¡±


    Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°Right, and you¡¯d know all about that because you''re such an expert.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I did get a pretty good view of you two going at it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Plumela, if you say another goddamn word about that day I swear I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±


    She held up her hands in surrender. ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me, I bruise easily.¡±


    Tauri sighed, ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything better to say just leave, please.¡±


    ¡°Just one more thing.¡± Plum scratched her cheek and the usual mirthfulness in her eyes was nowhere to be seen. ¡°My mom¡­ she hated goblins. She blamed one for my father¡¯s death. So when I became friends with Stryg I didn¡¯t know how to tell her about him. I didn¡¯t know how to tell Stryg about her either. It was easier just to pretend like I didn¡¯t know anything. So that¡¯s what I did¡­¡± She took a shaky breath, ¡°If I had the courage to tell them the truth, then maybe my mom would still be here.¡±


    ¡°Plum¡­¡±


    She shook her head and cleared her throat. ¡°You should tell your sister the truth, especially if it has anything to do with Stryg. Even if it hurts, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be better if it comes from you than someone else.¡±


    Tauri nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Plum wiped the corner of her eyes and forced herself to smile. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll take my leave, Lady Katag.¡± She bowed with a haphazard curtsy and walked out of the room.


    ¡°Plum?¡±


    She paused and glanced back. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Plum shrugged with a soft grin. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ~~~


    Tauri went searching for Elena but her sister was nowhere to be found. She wasn¡¯t in her bedroom or her favorite spot in one of the parlors. The manor was one of the largest in the city and Tauri felt like a mouse within a labyrinth. As she walked through the seemingly endless halls she spotted two of her brothers sparring in the courtyard under the soft blue light of magestone lanterns.


    Niko rushed his older brother with the fervor of a battle-hungry warrior. Lucas deflected the wooden sword with minimal effort from his shield. Before Niko could pull back for another swing Lucas stepped forward and lightly poked him in the chest.


    ¡°Dead, again,¡± said Lucas, satisfied.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. One more time,¡± grumbled Niko.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± asked Tauri.


    Niko smiled abashedly, ¡°Hey, Sis, you look radiant.¡±


    ¡°Save the flattery, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We were just sparring a bit,¡± Niko admitted.


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°The guests will be arriving any minute now, and your sparring?¡±


    Lucas smiled. ¡°Just a short round. Niko loses quickly.¡±


    ¡°You got lucky,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Why are you two even sparring to begin with?¡± Tauri snapped. ¡°Niko, I understand, he¡¯s an idiot¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still your older brother.¡±


    ¡°By two months. But you, Lucas, you¡¯re the eldest of us all. Your Father¡¯s heir, the future of House Katag. You should be there next to Father and Mother when the guests arrive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lucas hung his practice sword on the weapons rack. ¡°Which is why I sparred with Niko. He promised to keep the women off me tonight if I won.¡±


    Niko shrugged and tossed his arms in the air. ¡°Gods, I love how your mother wants both her eldest children to get married but both of you refuse.¡±


    ¡°Whereas your mother is struggling to keep your sexual escapades from reaching the gossip mongers,¡± said Tauri flatly.


    Niko winked. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m the second son of the second wife. I don¡¯t have to worry about stuff like the marriage duties of the heirs.¡±


    ¡°For now,¡± said Lucas in a grave tone.


    ¡°Oh, come on, knock it off,¡± Niko pushed his shoulder.


    Lucas grabbed his arm, ¡°I could have died in the siege. If I had, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then Tauri would have taken over the House, she is the second eldest child of Lady Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°You are Father¡¯s second son,¡± replied Lucas. ¡°You would be heir. The leader of House Katag has always been traditionally male. You need to prepare yourself for that possible outcome.¡±


    Niko shrugged. ¡°Maybe, traditions change.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but when Tauri gets married to the lord of another House then any chance of her taking up the mantle of leadership disappears.¡±


    ¡°If she gets married.¡±


    ¡°Are you two done yet?¡± said Tauri impatiently. ¡°Hurry up and get ready, the guests will be arriving soon.¡±


    Niko broke into a wide grin. ¡°I heard the Ebon Aspirant will be coming tonight. What¡¯s he like?¡±


    Tauri blinked and felt her cheeks grow hot. ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°The Aspirant. You were his teacher at the academy, right? What was he like?¡± asked Niko excitedly.


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±

 Chapter 541: Dinner Guests

    Chapter 541: Dinner Guests


    Tauri looked at her brothers impatiently. ¡°Are you two done yet? Hurry up and get ready, the guests will be arriving soon.¡±


    Niko broke into a wide grin. ¡°I heard the Ebon Aspirant will be coming tonight. What¡¯s he like?¡±


    Tauri blinked and felt her cheeks grow hot. ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°The Aspirant. You were his teacher at the academy, right? What was he like?¡± asked Niko excitedly.


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°Well, I mean, I taught physical conditioning. I was really just whipping a bunch of scrawny noble brats into shape. I wouldn¡¯t say I really taught Stryg much, he was already in shape and he knew how to fight¡­¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on, you¡¯re not telling me you didn¡¯t interact with him whatsoever? Surely, you have some remarks about him, hm?¡±


    Her brother¡¯s words broke a gate in her mind and a hundred memories came flooding in. ¡°Remarks?¡± she scoffed. ¡°I had more than a few, not that Lord Elzri ever heeded any of my reports. I don¡¯t even think Stryg got in trouble once, not once! The Noirs played favorites that¡¯s for certain.¡±


    ¡°Oh-hoh-hoh! So, the Aspirant was a problem student, ey?¡± Niko leaned in, eager for more.


    Tauri was happy to oblige. ¡°He was always running late to class. Actually, no, he never ran to class, he just walked as if he didn¡¯t even care to be late. And that¡¯s saying a lot, since he was the fastest student in the academy. He could have made it to class if he just ran, but ~nooo~, our classes were beneath him.¡±


    ¡°Our classes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he got late to most of his classes! A lot of professors had problems with him, but he was Loh¡¯s apprentice and the adopted child of House Noir. He didn¡¯t just get late, he skipped most of his classes his 3rd year.¡±


    ¡°And yet,¡± Lucas spoke up, ¡°The Ebon Aspirant Stryg managed to graduate top of his class. It sounds to me like he didn¡¯t need his classes.¡±


    Niko nodded excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s like what the rumors said; a prodigy mageborn, only 20 years old, but more skilled than most of his teachers. No offense, sis.¡±


    Tauri crossed her arms, ¡°I could take him.¡± She very much doubted it, but the words had slipped out of her mouth before she had even thought about it. There was a time she toyed with him in sparring, but now he had become something else.


    ¡°I hear the Aspirant is already a master mage. If the rumors of what happened at Undergrowth Tourney are true, then he¡¯d put up quite a fight, no?¡± asked Lucas curiously.


    Tauri thought back to the tourney¡¯s matches and Stryg¡¯s battle at the Midnight Mirror. So often, Stryg appeared harmless, his pretty face, large eyes, and short stature made him seem soft. She thought of the night when they had encountered the drow encampment at the edge of Vulture Woods. Stryg had ripped them all apart limb from limb. Covered in blood and viscera with glowing eyes that seemed to pierce into one¡¯s soul, that was the Stryg she had met; the true face behind the curious simpleton mask he so often wore. Even now that night sent chills down her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Tauri, but I bet I could take him,¡± said Niko proudly.


    ¡°You¡¯d die,¡± said Tauri in a serious tone.


    Niko frowned, ¡°Father says I¡¯m practically a high-master. Are you saying the Aspirant has already achieved the rank of high-master? Is the prodigy truly so great?¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± she admitted. ¡°But his talents aren¡¯t only in spell-casting.¡±


    ¡°So he wasn¡¯t a bookworm then?¡± asked Lucas thoughtfully. ¡°I assumed he would be if he graduated top of his class.¡±


    ¡°He spent a lot of time in the library reading up on magical theory,¡± said Tauri.


    Lucas raised an eyebrow. ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Plum is close friends with him. She was the librarian¡¯s assistant,¡± said Tauri without missing a beat. Her eldest brother had always been astute, he could tell something was off about her. He was searching for information. And she¡¯d gladly give it to him if it kept him from learning the truth about her relationship with Stryg.


    ¡°Oh, the drow friend you brought with you?¡± Niko rubbed his chin, ¡°She¡¯s pretty cute. Maybe I should talk to her later¡­¡±


    Lucas ignored his brother. ¡°So the Aspirant spent a lot of time in the library? Is that why he didn¡¯t enjoy your class? He preferred less rigorous training?¡±


    ¡°I never said he didn¡¯t enjoy my class,¡± said Tauri carefully. ¡°And the training was nothing compared to what he was used to.¡±


    ¡°What training?¡± asked Lucas.


    ¡°Stryg is a Sylvan. He grew up in Vulture Woods. You think we had it tough growing up? Sylvan training is brutal. There is no room for the weak. You either meet the challenge or you die.¡±


    Lucas nodded slowly. ¡°So, not a bookworm.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong? Physically? Could he take one of our guards in a fight?¡± asked Niko as he jabbed the air a few times.


    Tauri¡¯s lips curled in a faint smile. ¡°Physically? He¡¯s stronger than a dire. Everyone in my class refused to fight him, except one girl who actually was a dire and in the end she lost against him in the tourney. Simply put, he¡¯d rip apart any guard we put against him.¡±


    ¡°And what about me?¡± Lucas flourished his sword.


    Tauri looked at him flatly. ¡°Stryg went toe to toe with Father when he fell into his berserker magic. You tell me.¡±


    Lucas and Niko¡¯s expressions turned to disbelief at her words.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± said Lucas.


    She shrugged. ¡°Go ask Father.¡±


    The bravado in Niko¡¯s amber eyes died out at her nonchalant words.


    ¡°There may be more truth to the rumors than I thought¡­¡± Lucas muttered.


    ¡°What rumors?¡± asked Tauri.


    ¡°They say the Ebon Aspirant is a terrifying individual with very little patience for anyone.¡±


    Niko nodded, ¡°My mother says he wears an expression of a simpleton to fool others, but he¡¯s actually always two steps ahead.¡±


    No, he is a simpleton, thought Tauri wryly.


    ¡°They say he¡¯s ruthless. One wrong look and you could be dead,¡± added Lucas.


    ¡°I heard he bit off some guy¡¯s cheek for accidentally bumping into him in a hallway at the academy.¡± Niko laughed shakily, ¡°But that can¡¯t be true, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because the student ate his muffin, I think,¡± said Tauri without thinking.


    Niko stiffened. ¡°What? Holy shit, if I accidentally grab his bread roll at dinner is he gonna jump across the table and tear out my throat?¡±


    Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°No, of course not. Just don¡¯t go taking his bread rolls.¡±


    ¡°That¡ª That doesn¡¯t make me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Does he have a problem with people taking his food? Or is it something else?¡± asked Lucas. ¡°A fragile ego?¡±


    ¡°No, but he is prideful, or at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve observed. He regards honor highly.¡±


    ¡°A warrior then?¡±


    ¡°All Sylvan are warriors,¡± she replied. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think Stryg would agree with that statement.¡±


    Niko elbowed his brother playfully, ¡°Well, it seems like he¡¯ll fit right in with you and Dad.¡±


    Lucas broke into a smile. ¡°Not with you though. You¡¯ll be playing pranks with our future brother-in-law sooner rather than later I imagine.¡±


    Niko shrugged, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know about pranks, but I¡¯ll definitely tease him a bit.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she snapped.


    Lucas and Niko looked at Tauri curiously.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°I mean, don¡¯t do that. Like seriously. Stryg doesn¡¯t do well with jokes. He takes everything quite literally.¡±


    ¡°Everyone likes a joke from time to time,¡± said Niko.


    ¡°His family doesn¡¯t. Don¡¯t go and piss him off, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°It sounds almost like you¡¯re scared of him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. But you should be.¡± Tauri was only trying to keep them safe, but as she spoke she realized it was true. She knew Stryg would never hurt her or his tribe but the same couldn¡¯t be said about anyone else. She didn¡¯t know how she felt about that.


    ¡°I should get going,¡± she muttered.


    Lucas nodded. ¡°Yeah, so should we. Father said there was something about House Veres he wanted to talk to us about tonight over dinner. It seemed important.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to go find Elena,¡± said Tauri quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all the questions,¡± said Lucas genuinely. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you, it¡¯s just our job to worry about our younger sisters. We can¡¯t let Elena marry a psychopath, you know?¡±


    Niko crossed his arms and nodded sagely, ¡°What kind of assholes would we be if we let that guy break her heart?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, I get it,¡± Tauri muttered and walked off. Stryg wasn¡¯t the asshole who would break Elena¡¯s heart. She was.


    ¡°Tauri was just messing with us about the whole cheek-biting-thing, right?¡± asked Niko once she was out of earshot.


    Lucas didn¡¯t respond.


    ~~~


    Tauri meandered through the halls, her mind filled with guilty thoughts. Servants and scullery maids rushed past her, running one errand or another before the dinner party, but she paid them no heed.


    A pastel blue dress with frills and precious stones caught her attention. Elena stood at the indoor balcony looking down on the main hall. Her long black hair had been stylized in a long cascading pattern that fell across her shoulder. She seemed like a queen, her expression calm, serene, thoughtful. The candlelight of the chandelier brought a bright warmth to her scarlet skin, giving it almost a glow.


    Her amber eyes caught sight of Tauri and that serene calmness fell apart into a gushing smile of nervousness. ¡°Tauri!¡± She ran over as best she could in her heels and hugged her older sister.


    Tauri returned the hug with a smile. ¡°Wow, you look¡ª beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I can barely breathe,¡± she wheezed playfully. ¡°Mom wanted me to go and greet the guests with her, but it¡¯s weird. They¡¯re all probably already in the dining hall, only a few walls between us and them. It should be easy to walk over, but whenever I think of the guests my legs lock up. What will they think when they see me? ¡­What will Stryg think?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll think the same as everyone else when they see you. That you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    Elena laughed nervously. ¡°You think so? He doesn¡¯t seem like the type to say that. He seems cool, calm, reserved, ya know?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to marry him?¡± she asked softly.


    Elena blinked. ¡°Huh? It doesn¡¯t really matter what I want. We are nobles. We are expected to marry for the betterment of our House. Especially since Lucas, Niko, and you haven¡¯t gotten married yet. Someone had to. It¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Tauri grabbed her hands. ¡°And for that I¡¯m sorry, but do you want to marry him?¡±


    Elena glanced at the wall in thought. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I dislike the idea. He¡¯s really cute, so there¡¯s nothing wrong there. He¡¯s also kinda stand-offish, but he¡¯s got this air around him, like he¡¯s carrying this huge burden on his back. I guess that¡¯s what it means to be an Ebon Lord. I¡¯d like to help him if I could.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Elena didn¡¯t notice the change in her sister¡¯s expression and continued, spilling out her thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s also got this look in his eyes, like ¡®don¡¯t get close to me because I¡¯ll end up hurting you.¡¯ But you get the feeling that if you were ever in danger he¡¯d be the first to come to your defense, all cool and silent like, you know what I mean?¡±


    Tauri forced herself to smile. ¡°So you really want to marry him?¡±


    Elena bit her lip in thought, ¡°I know we¡¯re not in love like you and Aizel were, but we can fall in love, right? Oh, uh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bring up Aizel like that.¡±


    Tauri thought of Aizel and the smirk he always wore, playful and relaxed always. Then her mind wandered to thoughts of Stryg and his rare but genuine smile that seemed to make the whole world stop for a moment. She looked at Elena and her heart clenched with guilt.


    ¡°Tauri¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I slept with Stryg!¡± The words burst from her lips before she had even considered them.


    Elena¡¯s smile slowly fell. She chuckled at first, but then she saw the look in her sister¡¯s eyes and genuine shock filled her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tauri said with a tight voice and tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened. I didn¡¯t plan it. If I knew you had feelings for him I¡¯d never have¡ª¡± Tauri hung her head, ¡°No, I can¡¯t make any excuse. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°...Do you love him?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tauri swallowed hard. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elena sniffed and cleared her throat. ¡°...I need to go.¡± She turned around and walked down the stairs.


    ¡°Elena, wait, please!¡± Tauri chased after her.


    She refused to turn at Tauri¡¯s voice and kept walking, down the stairs and into the hallway towards the dining hall. Evelyn was waiting at the end of the hall, wine glass in hand, laughing and chatting with a guest.


    Evelyn spotted her daughters and her eyes took in the situation in a single moment. Elena bowed curtly to her mother and walked off.


    ¡°Tauri,¡± said Evelyn in a knowing tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother, but I need to go¡ª¡± Tauri bowed and turned to leave, but Evelyn grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Where are your manners? Don¡¯t be rude to our guests,¡± said Evelyn in a calm, collected voice.


    Tauri glanced at her sister fleeing down the hall and the vampire beside her mother. Making up her mind, she sighed to herself, turned to the vampire and curtsied, ¡°Please, forgive my lack of manners, I was distracted. Thank you for coming to our home, Lady Veres.¡±


    Elise¡¯s red lips curled in a smile, ¡°I¡¯m glad to be here, Miss Katag.¡±

 Chapter 542: The Light & Shadow

    Chapter 542: The Light & Shadow


    ¡°Where are your manners? Don¡¯t be rude to our guests,¡± said Evelyn in a calm, collected voice.


    Tauri glanced at Elena fleeing down the hall and then at her mother and the vampire standing beside her. Making up her mind, Tauri sighed to herself, turned to the vampire, and curtsied, ¡°Please, forgive my lack of manners, I was distracted. Thank you for coming to our home, Lady Veres.¡±


    Elise¡¯s red lips curled in a smile, revealing her fangs. ¡°I¡¯m glad to be here, Miss Katag.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have an urgent matter to attend to.¡± Tauri bowed and walked off without waiting for a response.


    Elise sipped her wine. ¡°Your daughter seems troubled, old friend.¡±


    Evelyn watched as her daughter¡¯s figure disappeared amidst the throng of guests in the main hall. ¡°...The woes of motherhood, perhaps someday you will be so lucky.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°I practically raised my brother alone and what thanks do I get? He runs off when I need him most. No, I think I¡¯ve had enough of motherhood.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at her friend, surprised. In all the years she had known Elise, the vampiress had rarely ever been so blunt. ¡°I¡¯m curious¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°My husband told me about what happened at the council meeting this morning.¡±


    Elise rolled her scarlet eyes, ¡°I¡¯m certain the whole city will know what happened at that meeting come the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°Does it not bother you¡ª?¡±


    Elise gave her a flat look.


    ¡°What I mean to say is, well, as much as I always enjoy your company, I am curious as to why you are here and my soon-to-be son is not.¡±


    ¡°You mean why is Lady Veres here without this ¡®Lord Veres¡¯?¡± Elise spoke the last words as if it was poison on her lips.


    ¡°Something to that accord.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so would I.¡±


    ¡°You do not know where he is?¡±


    Her lips twisted in a faint, tired smile. ¡°Until this morning I didn''t even know we were related. Funny that. You might have learned the truth before I did.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you here, Elise?¡±


    ¡°Do you tire of my company?¡±


    ¡°Never. You are one of the few in this city whose mind is actually as sharp as she appears,¡± said Evelyn sincerely. ¡°Most of these nobles are boring with such vapid thoughts you¡¯d think them addled. But you, you¡¯ve never done anything without thought, without purpose. The only one who held you back was your brother and now he¡¯s gone¡­ Usually, I¡¯d revel in the mind behind your eyes, the way you pull others into your web so flawlessly, it¡¯s terrifying as it is awe-inspiring.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me.¡±


    ¡°I do not. You did not rise to be Lady of your House out of sheer luck, nor did you manage to forge friendships and alliances in every single Ruling House and cultivate your influence throughout all the Great Houses by simply being ordinary. The other Ruling Houses may be foolish enough to not fear you because of their magic or military might, but I am not so naive. You are dangerous, Elise, a spider queen whose power does not reside within herself, rather in everyone around her. You know their intimate secrets as well as they do. With but a word you could have half my guests fighting the other without either side realizing you were the instigator. So I find myself having to ask, is this part of your plan? Am I a part of your web tonight?¡±


    Elise scoffed wryly, ¡°You and I are both women who know what it¡¯s like to be underestimated. When people hear the name Katag they think of the terrifying mountain of an orc that is your lord husband. He inspires fear and awe in others and everyone simply nods along, because why wouldn¡¯t they? He is Lord Katag and House Katag is a Ruling House to be respected, not only feared. But it was not Krall who made it so, it was you.¡±


    ¡°House Katag has sat on the ruling council for three centuries,¡± said Evelyn defensively.


    ¡°And the Katags ruled through martial might, holding their stringent honor so closely to their heart that it almost suffocated them. But now the Katags aren¡¯t simple-minded brutes who¡¯d challenge to a duel any who might have glanced at them wrongly. They don¡¯t simply rule by fear but by loyalty. You cultivated that loyalty. All the while your lord husband was focused on skirmishes and far-off battles.¡± Elise¡¯s scarlet eyes softened, ¡°I am envious of such loyalty. Not born out of fear but of love. A spider queen you called me, perhaps that is all I am.¡±


    ¡°Elise¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    The vampire raised her glass in a toast. ¡°And yet for all your loyalty, for all your beauty, grace, and wit, when historians speak of the Great House of Katag, they will not mention you first. They will not see you. They never will.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Such is the way of small-minded men,¡± said Eveylyn, unfettered. ¡°Be grateful you and I do not bear the weight of our Houses¡¯ leadership. No leader can rule alone, yet rulers often fail to see the threats standing right before them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather be the watcher, the guard in the night? Searching for threats against Krall?¡±


    ¡°Threats against my family. I don¡¯t need the throne of Katag, I don¡¯t need to be remembered by history. I¡¯d rather be in the shadows.¡±


    Elise sipped her drink. ¡°How¡ª humble of you, to willingly step into the shadow and support another¡¯s greatness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather have power than protect your family, protect Callum?¡±


    ¡°Your problem is that you think you cannot do both. Power is protection. But I understand why you might fail to see that. You come from more humble beginnings. You married into greatness but unlike you, I was born into it.¡±


    Evelyn inclined her head in acknowledgement. ¡°Do you know why our city was named Holo¡¯s Shade?¡±


    ¡°It was named after the legendary mage ¡®Holo The Tall.¡¯ It seems many Ebon Lords admired her or him.¡±


    ¡°Some historians say it was named for how the city walls protected us from the power of Solis, the sun god. Sometimes, the shadows protect us from the searing light of others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the shadows have served you well, Evelyn, but I¡¯ve had enough of them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, or perhaps the shadows can still serve you better than they did me.¡±


    ¡°You think I need their protection? To step aside from my throne? For him? An Aspirant of Vulture Woods? Whose vampiric blood is so diluted no one even recognized him as a vampire?¡±


    ¡°He wields Krikolm, does he not?¡±


    Elise laughed softly. ¡°You think him as bright as the sun? A torch may seem hot when it¡¯s thrust in your face, but that does not make it the sun.¡±


    Evelyn stared out the window at the night sky. ¡°A sun? No. I think the Ebon Prince¡¯s light is more like a star. People admire it, chase after it, and lay down their wishes at its feet. But any who try to pull a star down from the sky will burn from its fire.¡±


    ¡°Then I will burn like the phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Lady Veres,¡± said a voice calmly from behind them.


    Evelyn turned and saw Lynette Gale standing beside Elise. Evelyn stifled a shout, she hadn¡¯t heard Lynette coming, the Gale woman was like a ghost. A tall, dark-haired, deadly sword-wielding ghost who could decapitate someone in a single flash. Warriors trained from birth with absolute loyalty to their wards, the Gales inspired fear across the Realm. And Evelyn was reminded once more as to why.


    Elise noted the surprised look in her friend¡¯s eyes and turned to leave. ¡°I will see for myself the brightness of this star.¡±


    Lynette silently followed two steps behind her.


    Evelyn raised her glass as they walked away. ¡°I pray you are reborn from the ashes.¡±


    ~~~


    The moon was already hanging in the night sky when Stryg arrived at the Villa District. He spotted the Katag manor rising above the limestone walls surrounding it.  Stryg stopped at the corner street and peered at the mansion. Blue mage light and orange candlelight flickered from the tall windows. Dozens of carriages were parked in front of the manor.


    The party had already started.


    And he was late.


    Stryg could practically hear Gale¡¯s admonishing voice in his head, being late was considered rude among nobles.


    He sighed. Great, my first day as a lord and I¡¯m already offending one of the Ruling Families of the city.


    Not that he much ever cared for what the nobility thought of him, but he was trying to be a worthy lord for House Veres. To make matters worse, the one who had invited him was Krall. He¡¯d rather not make enemies with Tauri¡¯s father. He needed this night to go well.


    If he walked in now the guards would immediately announce his entrance and everyone would all know he was late.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°What if I don¡¯t walk in?¡±


    Black mana flowed over his skin and shadows swirled around him like a cloak and blended into the darkness of the night. He dashed across the street and made a beeline towards the manor¡¯s walls.


    Every Great House had enchanted their walls with Brown sigils to signal any intruders who dared cross. But how far up did those sigils actually work? The sigils didn¡¯t flare in alarm whenever a bird flew over the manors. There had to be a certain height where such sigils no longer mattered.


    Stryg channeled orange into his body and cast an agility spell to lessen his weight. He leaped and cast a Yellow wind spell to push him further into the air. Stryg shot into the sky and for a brief moment he remembered chasing the dragonbane across the city, wings spread over his back.


    He felt weightless in the sky and as he looked up at the clouds he felt like he belonged here, flying above it all. Then gravity came calling and he fell like a comet down into the ground. He aimed for the gardens and channeled wind to slow his fall. It did little to help.


    He crashed into a bush and tore it from its roots as he skidded off the grass. He rolled to his feet without missing a beat and brushed off the leaves from Blossom¡¯s white petals. Adjusting the cloak over his shoulders, he walked towards the servant¡¯s entrance at the back of the manor.


    A group of guards were waiting for him between the gardens and the manor. The orcs were wrapped in heavy enchanted steel armor, save for one who wore the traditional black robes of mages.


    Lightning crackled at the mage¡¯s fingertips as he aimed his hand at Stryg. ¡°Identify yourself intrud¡ª Lord Aspirant¡­?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Hello?¡± Stryg made a little wave.


    The mage¡¯s confused expression melted away and he quickly turned on his men. ¡°Look away! Look away! You saw nothing!¡±


    The guards nodded and hurriedly turned around.


    The mage cleared his throat and pointedly looked up at the night sky, ¡°Hm, must have been a squirrel. The wall¡¯s protective sigils seemed to have made a mistake, right, captain?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, yes, clearly,¡± the guard captain nodded and coughed. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone look at it in the morning. In the meantime, we¡¯ll go patrol over¡ª there.¡±


    The guards marched off in the direction their captain pointed. The mage and the captain left a moment later in the opposite direction, leaving Stryg alone with his embarrassed thoughts.


    Magic sigils definitely worked even if someone leaped high that much was for certain. He supposed it made sense, how else would they protect against Yellow mage assassins who simply flew over the walls?


    The only question left on Stryg¡¯s mind was how many times had guards caught the Katag heirs sneaking in and out of the manor?

 Chapter 543: Katag’s Dinner Party Part 1

    Chapter 543: Katag¡¯s Dinner Party Part 1


    The orcs standing watch at the Katag manor¡¯s back door watched Stryg approach from the gardens.


    ¡°Lord Aspirant¡­?¡± asked one of two guards.


    Stryg grinned uneasily, ¡°So I¡¯ve been called. Look, I know we don¡¯t know each other, but I was hoping you could let me through?¡±


    The orcs looked at one another. ¡°But, m¡¯lord. You¡¯re the guest of honor.¡±


    They stepped aside with a slight and opened the door.


    ¡°Oh, well, um. Thanks?¡± Stryg hopped up the stairs. ¡°Oh, and one last thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, m¡¯lord?¡±


    ¡°Could you, um, not tell anyone I was here?¡±


    ¡°Of course, m¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Stryg nodded in gratitude and walked inside.


    The guard closed the door and resumed his post.


    His comrade glanced at him with a frown, ¡°What do you think all that was about? Couldn¡¯t he have just gone through the front entrance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned not to ask questions about what lords and ladies get up to. Believe me, none of it would make sense to us.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Nobles, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Nobles.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg walked down the hall and found himself in the largest set of kitchens he had ever seen. Dozens of servants bustled around, chopping vegetables, stirring boiling pots, seasoning fish, turning the spit of sizzling meat over the fire. The whole room seemed chaotic and yet no one bumped into one another. They moved with an efficiency Stryg had only seen in Sylvan hunting parties. He smiled in admiration at the sight of the cooks.


    One heavyset woman, an orc with short brown hair and dark red skin, shouted orders at the rest of them without missing a beat. She turned, caught sight of Stryg, and frowned.


    ¡°Oi! What are you doing in my kitchen!? Wait, you¡¯re¡­?¡± She noticed the color of his eyes and his down-slanted pointed ears. This wasn¡¯t a drunk drow noble who had wandered in, this was the one everyone had been gossiping about. ¡°Oh sweet Stjerne, help me!¡± she gasped.


    Stryg glanced at her, the name of his father had caught his attention. ¡°Are you the one in charge?¡±


    The head cook paled and began to shake uncontrollably, ¡°F-F-Forgive me, m¡¯lord, I¡ª¡±


    He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. ¡°This is incredible! You¡¯re incredible! How do you manage to lead them all at once?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°And the scents! It all smells so delicious! You could feed an army with all this food!¡± Stryg spun around and hovered over a steaming dish of meat drizzled with an orange glaze and decorated with an array of cooked vegetables. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± She ran her hands across her apron and swallowed nervously, ¡°That¡¯s a rare type of eel caught deep in the Ebon Sea on the western coast.¡±


    ¡°Did you make it?¡± he asked excitedly.


    ¡°I had a hand in it. I mostly made sure the glaze was on point. I have too many dishes to oversee, I cannot spend my time cooking only one.¡±


    ¡°You must be a master of your path then,¡± he nodded in understanding. ¡°What masters of the culinary path did you train under? Are they here?¡±


    ¡°I learned from my mum when I was a girl. Everyone calls her Nana, she¡¯s not here tonight. She usually only works in the mornings.¡±


    ¡°Nana¡­? You mean the old woman who makes those delicious pies?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°We met in Undergrowth at the Katag¡¯s villa. She¡¯s a true master of the culinary path. I see now why you lead the kitchen and its cooks.¡± He took a deep breath and sighed in satisfaction, ¡°This is incredible.¡±


    She straightened her back and stood a little taller. ¡°T-Thank you, m¡¯lord.¡±


    A couple of other cooks had noticed Stryg now and had stopped what they were doing and openly stared while whispering amongst each other fervently.


    Stryg noticed and grimaced slightly, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to stop your working patterns.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m glad you enjoy our food. Please, have some, i-if you¡¯d like, that is.¡±


    ¡°I would very much like that.¡±


    ¡°Great! Sorry, I meant I¡¯d be honored. M¡¯lord.¡± She turned to a pair of cooks and snapped her fingers, ¡°Bring the Lord Aspirant our finest glass of wine and a sampling of tonight¡¯s finest dishes.¡±


    The cooks nodded and scurried off.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°It is my pleasure, m¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if you could help me with one other thing?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me where the party is?¡±


    ~~~


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The main hall was filled with the music and song of minstrels playing at the coroner of the hall. Servants brought platters of appetizers and drinks to nobles as they meandered across the polished marble floor, greeting one another.


    Lady Evelyn Katag stood with one circle of nobility as they spoke about the recent siege. She paid little mind to their words and instead searched the crowd for Elise, but the Veres vampire was elusive. One moment she was laughing and chatting with notoriously stoic nobles and then another moment she was speaking in hushed tones to terrible gossip mongers.


    What are you doing, Elise? thought Evelyn with a frown. When it came to the deadly political webs of nobles Elise was one of its deadliest spiders.


    ¡°What do you think, Lady Katag?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Evelyn glanced back at Lady Winderlyn, an old drow who had been speaking for the last five minutes.


    ¡°About the dragons? They suddenly left after the siege. Do you think they¡¯ll be back? What about the savages? I heard Marek escaped with the rest of his army. Are they planning another attack?¡±


    The others¡¯ expressions grew more worried as the old woman spoke.


    Evelyn smiled, ¡°I can assure you, Lord Marek did not escape.¡±


    ¡°Then where is he?¡± asked Winderlyn anxiously.


    ¡°Yes, Lady Katag.¡± A burly human, only half a head shorter than Krall, walked into the small circle of nobles. A black bear covered his face, though it did little to hide the small scars etched across his skin. ¡°Where is the monster who slaughtered my friend¡¯s entire family?¡±


    Evelyn inclined her head, ¡°Lord Blackmere.¡±


    Various nobles had been invited to tonight¡¯s party. Many belonged to vassal Houses of House Katag and House Veres. Others were potential prospects, Minor and Great Houses that had lost much in the war and were searching to strengthen their ties. Tonight would be the birth of a new era for Hollow Shade and there was no House Evelyn wanted on their side more than House Blackmere.


    They were a human Great House hailing from Frost Rim. The Blackmeres were known as one of the largest iron providers in the entire realm thanks to their mines in the Rupture Mountains. House Helene had exclusive trading rights with the Blackmeres for decades, but with the obliteration of all the Helenes save a child, the Blackmeres would need a new intermediary to sell their goods to within Hollow Shade.


    Evelyn raised her glass, ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it, my lord.¡±


    Blackmere¡¯s grim expression did not budge. ¡°I only came here tonight because I heard that the council has Marek in custody, is that true?¡±


    Evelyn sipped her glass calmly. ¡°And if it is?¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you killed that fucking bastard yet? He murdered thousands.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we must think carefully on how to proceed. Or must I remind you that his army still lives?¡±


    ¡°There is only one way to proceed. Kill that son of a bitch.¡±


    She swirled her glass. ¡°Possibly. Though if you think growling at me will get you what you want then you are sorely mistaken.¡±


    Blackmere crossed his arms. ¡°If you want something from my House then you¡¯ll be disappointed. Lady Ashe has already offered me a very lucrative mercantile contract.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s calm exterior cracked at the mention of Calantha Ashe, but she quickly smothered it away. ¡°I¡¯m certain Lady Ashe¡¯s offer is sweet, but my House can offer you more than simply wealth.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± he asked gruffly.


    ¡°Power.¡±


    ¡°You speak of the Ebon Aspirant,¡± interjected Lady Winderlyn excitedly.


    ¡°The so-called Lord Veres?¡± said Blackmere.


    ¡°Oh my, word gets around quickly, I see,¡± said Evelyn lightly.


    ¡°You¡¯d have to be a fool to not have already heard the rumors. And you¡¯d have to be even a bigger fool to think them true.¡±


    ¡°You doubt Lord Stryg¡¯s validity, Lord Blackmere?¡± asked Evelyn.


    He scoffed. ¡°The way they speak about him makes it sound as if he is more than a man, but Parathyan born anew. A god among men, slaying dragons and monsters alike. Is that the validity you speak of?¡±


    ¡°I admit stories become embellished the more they are shared, but there is more to Lord Veres than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a vague way of talking him up without making yourself seem a fool.¡±


    She was about to retort when she spotted a cloak of white flowers behind Blackmere in the distance. Stryg stood at the hall¡¯s doorway cluelessly, an empty glass of wine in hand. He turned and they made eye contact. With a subtle nod, she bid him over.


    Evelyn returned her gaze to Blackmere and smirked, ¡°You speak so casually of fools so allow me to share a bit of wisdom. The Ebon Aspirant is power. House Veres and House Katag are well suited to fund and protect your vested interests.¡±


    Blackmere shook his head. ¡°If he is so well suited, then where is this mysterious Aspirant? So many stories about one single man and yet no one has ever seen him. Do you not find that strange, Lady Winderlyn? Have you seen him? Is he not the guest of honor?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say that I have seen the Ebon Aspirant,¡± admitted Winderlyn.


    ¡°Odd, no?¡± Blackmere raised his eyebrow. ¡°Anything else to add about this ¡®power¡¯, Lady Evelyn? Perhaps another vague embellishment?¡±


    Evelyn sipped her drink slowly before answering. ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. What say you, Lord Veres?¡±


    Blackmere frowned, then turned around and jumped as he came face to face with Stryg. ¡°Y-You¡¯re him!¡± he muttered in shock.


    The other nobles stepped back as if by an invisible force and stared wide-eyed at the silent visitor.


    Stryg didn¡¯t react to their surprise, he had grown used to it by now, and glanced at Evelyn with his usual unruffled demeanor. ¡°The food was delicious, but the wine¡­¡±


    ¡°Unsatisfying?¡± she guessed with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer something¡ª more fresh.¡±


    ¡°I understand completely, food can be found everywhere but we aren¡¯t here simply for food, but¡ª wine.¡± Evelyn looked at Blackmere, ¡°Unfortunately not every bottle ages well with change.¡±


    Stryg nodded absentmindedly, ¡°Yes, some are lacking. Not strong enough.¡±


    Blackmere scowled. ¡°I assure you, my House possesses the greatest iron mines in the entire Realm.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Blackmere blinked and laughed nervously, ¡°I mean isn¡¯t that what matters¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree, Lord Veres. And?¡± said Evelyn. ¡°So what if your House possesses mines? You aren¡¯t the only one with access to iron. There are other Houses eager to offer their wares and they¡¯d be lucky to have allies as powerful as us. I¡¯m certain I can find Lord Veres a new, better wine, if he so desires. One more fresh and open to ideas.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Something stronger then?¡± asked Evelyn.


    ¡°Always.¡± Stryg suddenly spotted Tauri talking with her sister on the other side of the hall, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Lady Katag.¡±


    ¡°Now hold on just one moment¡ª!¡± Blackmere reached out but Stryg had already disappeared into the crowd.


    Evelyn smirked and sipped at her glass. ¡°Lord Blackmere, it seems you are under a misconception. We don¡¯t need you. You need us. So, let us hope your House is¡ª strong enough.¡±


    The confidence in Blackmere¡¯s eyes dissipated as he shifted his feet and swallowed hard.


    Stryg walked through the crowd, slipping past chatting guests and rushing servants, his eyes locked in on Tauri. Elena stood next to her but something was off about her expression. She seemed¡ª angry? Sad? Conflicted? He couldn¡¯t tell.


    A large hand suddenly fell on his shoulder and Stryg resisted the urge to bite off its fingers when he saw who it belonged to.


    Krall Katag smiled wide, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, my boy.¡±


    ¡°Lord Krall,¡± he started. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Straight to business, ey? Not to worry, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk about our plans later tonight. But for now,¡± Krall clapped his hands together loudly.


    The minstrels noticed their cue and stopped playing and singing. The guests all turned to Krall as he shouted, ¡°May I have your attention! Thank you all for coming this evening. These last few days have been difficult for all of us. I''m grateful you¡¯ve set aside time to come here, but I know you all came for the same reason,¡± he laughed. ¡°Yes, the rumors are true. So, allow me to introduce to you, my soon-to-be son-in-law, Lord Aspirant Stryg of the Great House of Veres, the Ebon Prince of Hollow Shade!¡±

 Chapter 544: Katag’s Dinner Party Part 2

    Chapter 544: Katag¡¯s Dinner Party Part 2


    Krall smiled wide, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, my boy.¡±


    ¡°Lord Katag,¡± Stryg started. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Straight to business, ey? Not to worry, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk about our plans later tonight. But for now,¡± Krall clapped his hands together loudly.


    The minstrels noticed their cue and stopped playing and singing. The guests all turned to Krall as he shouted, ¡°May I have your attention! Thank you all for coming this evening. These last few days have been difficult for all of us. I''m grateful you¡¯ve set aside time to come here, but I know you all came for the same reason,¡± he laughed. ¡°Yes, the rumors are true. So, allow me to introduce to you, my soon-to-be son-in-law, Lord Aspirant Stryg of the Great House of Veres, the Ebon Prince of Hollow Shade!¡±


    The ladies¡¯ and lords¡¯ gazes all shifted from the giant orc strapped with muscles that seemed to almost burst from his jacket, to the short unassuming blue youth standing next to him, wrapped in a pale cloak of petals.


    Stryg felt his shoulders slowly stiffen as he felt their eyes upon him. His hands twitched, clawed fingers rising from underneath his cloak, Blossom.


    Many of the nobles seemed excited, eager to finally see the rumored Ebon Aspirant. Others seemed skeptical, they looked him up and down as if sizing up a deer in a hunter¡¯s sights. Fear crossed the eyes of a few and they instinctively took a step back as Stryg met their eyes.


    There was a time when all Stryg wanted was to be feared, to be the apex predator in the food chain of the Realm. But he had seen a glimpse of how vast this world truly was, he had witnessed the power of old gods bend and destroy the laws that governed the chain. There was no apex predator here, they were all small prey dancing on the branches of a tree while the rest of the forest raged about them. Stryg knew this, he felt he should have been above all this posturing, but it didn¡¯t stop the nobles¡¯ gazes from bothering him.


    The sound of a clap caught his attention. The another. Soon everyone began to clap and raise a glass in Stryg¡¯s honor. He blinked and looked around. They were cheering him on¡­? A small warm feeling bloomed in the pit of his stomach.


    Krall grinned, ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m starving!¡±


    ~~~


    Eleven tables lined the main hall of the manor. Each was covered in platter after platter of food. Servants walked back and forth filling the glasses of every man and woman, while others brought fresh dishes from the kitchen. It was a seemingly endless supply of food.


    The Katags sat a little ways off, at the principal table; a long ornate slab of wood carved by famed artisans a hundred years ago. Lady Evelyn had arranged the seating of each member. Her lord husband sat at the center of the table, giving a clear view down the entire hall. She sat to his right and their eldest son, Lucas, sat to his father¡¯s left. Krall¡¯s second oldest, Niko, sat next to his older half-brother. Across from Krall sat their main guest of honor, Stryg.


    Evelyn placed his fianc¨¦, Elena, to his right. Evelyn would have preferred to have had Elise Veres far from their table, but she was a Veres and it would look poor on the Katag family if she sat anywhere far from Stryg. Nonetheless, Evelyn made sure to have Tauri sit between Stryg and Elise. The latter seemed unbothered by it and she ate with silent grace and little conversation.


    The vampiress¡¯ behavior bothered Evelyn, though she made no hint across her face. Nonetheless, she couldn¡¯t help glancing at her every now and then. What are you up to, Elise?


    Plum was considered an honored guest and had been placed with Krall¡¯s two lesser wives and their younger children at the end of the table. The youngest of the children were toddlers who kept playing with their food despite their mother¡¯s insistence to stop.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile at the children. Among the Sylvan tribes, food was oftentimes scarce. Wasting food, let alone playing with one¡¯s meal was reviled. People died hunting down the beast the goblins ate. But here, no one seemed bothered by where their food came, or what sacrifices were made to put such an abundance onto their table. There was something incredibly bittersweet about the whole thing.


    Niko grinned and leaned forward. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Stryg turned his neck. ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Tauri told us you¡¯re a pretty serious guy, no-nonsense and all. When my father said you were a Veres I thought for sure she was right, but look at you, smiling at the kids throwing food at each other. I knew you had a light-hearted side to you. Does this all bring back good ol¡¯ memories from home?¡±


    ¡°Memories?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Niko,¡± Tauri hissed.


    He ignored her and wagged his scarlet finger in the air. ¡°I get the whole serious persona, I do. We all need to keep up appearances for the sake of our Houses, but every now and then we have to let loose a bit, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Memories¡­¡± Stryg repeated to himself. ¡°I can¡¯t say I have many good memories from my home. There is no space for ¡®letting loose¡¯ in Vulture Woods.¡±


    Niko chuckled. ¡°Surely there is a little, yeah?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stryg replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Do you see those children? Where I¡¯m from the Sylvan Mothers would have beaten them until they couldn¡¯t hold their spoons for ¡®playing¡¯ with their food.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± Niko¡¯s grin slowly fell apart. ¡°Ahem, well, that¡¯s uhm, dark.¡±


    ¡°Dark? Do you believe training and preparing the younglings to survive in the world they are born into is dark? I think the opposite is true. Leaving your children unprepared for the dangers of this world would be far more cruel.¡±


    ¡°Um, y-yeah, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°I could not agree more, Stryg.¡± Krall spoke between mouthfuls of food. ¡°It¡¯s why I send my children to train with my soldiers when they reach adulthood.¡±


    If a goblin failed to master the basics of the Sylvan Paths before reaching adulthood they would be deemed unfit to live within the tribe and be exiled as Nameless. Stryg thought it best to not comment on Krall¡¯s words. He¡¯d rather not have to explain how he failed his own First Challenge.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The truth was Stryg didn¡¯t know how much to share about his past with these people. What was considered acceptable in high society¡¯s conversation? He had no idea. He wished Gale or Gian were here.


    Stryg glanced at Tauri sitting next to him and reached his hand underneath the table and grabbed her fingers gently. She pulled away without looking at him.


    Something was wrong. Ever since he had spotted her earlier, there was something off about her and Elena, but he didn¡¯t know what. Had Tauri already spoken to her sister about their relationship? Or was this something else?


    ¡°So the stories of the Sylvan being a warrior culture is true, how interesting,¡± added Lucas thoughtfully.


    Stryg glanced at Tauri¡¯s eldest brother. He had the physique of a warrior and seemed to take the most after his father. He was almost as tall as Krall, though his shoulders weren¡¯t as broad.


    Elise abruptly laughed at Lucas¡¯ words. She hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since they had sat down.


    ¡°Is something funny?¡± asked Evelyn warily.


    Elise covered a small grin with her delicate hands. ¡°Apologies, I meant no offense. It¡¯s just¡ª the way your son speaks about the Sylvan, as if it¡¯s some grand mystery that they may just be a warrior culture.¡±


    ¡°You disagree?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Outside of Lord Veres, there are hardly any well-established records of any encounters with Sylvan goblins in the last century. The way I see it, anything about them is a mystery.¡±


    Elise shrugged, ¡°Well, the way I see it, is that the Sylvan are descended from the Lunisian armies that fled into Vulture Woods after the fall of Lunis. I mean, a bunch of soldiers stranded in the most dangerous unforgiving land in the Ebon Realm, not only surviving but clearly thriving for three hundred years, I¡¯d be surprised if they were anything but a warrior culture.¡±


    Evelyn narrowed her eyes. ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°You know about my people¡¯s history?¡± asked Stryg.


    Elise nodded. ¡°That I do, cousin.¡±


    Stryg blinked. Cousin? He supposed she was, in some distant manner. She was Callum¡¯s sister. They all shared the blood of House Veres, which meant that they were family, a realization that was still sinking in. A sense of kinship with Elise formed in his heart at the sight of her. She had once slandered Clypeus, a slight he had never forgotten, but she was a part of his tribe now, as was Callum, and he felt an urge to protect both of them.


    Of course, the last woman who had called Stryg cousin was an ancient goddess determined to wipe out all chromatic-kin. But Elise wasn¡¯t a powerful and vengeful goddess, she was just a powerful, possibly vengeful vampire whose throne he had just usurped.


    On second thought, perhaps natural urges were sometimes best ignored.


    ¡°What do you know about Sylvan culture?¡± asked Elena quietly. She had hardly spoken a word since the party had started. Even when Stryg sat down next to her she had only given a simple nod.


    Stryg had guessed she was just nervous but now she was staring at Elise with an odd icy calmness he hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Elise was only too happy to oblige. ¡°The history of the war with Lunis has been obscured by the Houses of Hollow Shade for centuries. We wanted to portray ourselves as noble heroes fending off the vicious goblins, but the truth is Hollow Shade was the instigator, the traitorous city-state that betrayed their ally. Your own House¡¯s founder, Katag, and his elder sister, Morrigan, grew rich from the unjust war and solidified their positions as nobility thanks to Lunis¡¯ fall.¡±


    Elise turned to Stryg with a lazy smile, ¡°But it was your great-grandmother who stood at the forefront. Our family¡¯s Blue Rose was the War Master of Hollow Shade¡¯s armies, she led the sacking of Lunis and personally slaughtered hundreds with the scarlet sword hanging from your hip now. Ironic, isn¡¯t it? Your ancestor helped cause the fall of your people and yet she is also the cause of your rise to power.¡±


    Stryg stared down at his food. He didn¡¯t know what to say. She was right. He wondered if the guilt worming in his chest now was how his mother felt every day when she trained in Evenfall. Was this what drove her to be better? To be better than her grandmother?


    ¡°Yes, well, we cannot linger on the past actions of our ancestors,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°We can only choose to overcome their mistakes. We decide our own fate.¡±


    ¡°I could not agree more, old friend.¡± Elise raised her glass and looked at Elena and Stryg, ¡°To the present and to the lovely couple¡¯s future.¡±


    Everyone raised their glasses and toasted. All save Elena. Tauri raised her own glass, though she did not cheer at the toast.


    Stryg leaned to Elena and whispered, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She glared daggers at him with the same fiery amber eyes he had seen on Tauri¡¯s face so many times.


    She knows. Stryg realized. She was Tauri¡¯s sister and he had hurt her. Yet he found it difficult to sympathize with her. They had hardly spoken before. It was hard trying to feel guilt over loving Tauri, especially compared to the sickening guilt he felt for being Stryga¡¯s heir.


    Even so, he knew it was wrong to have broken his vows with the Katag family. Some part of him thought he should feel guilty. And yet, there was nothing. As the painful reminder of Stryga¡¯s actions tore at his insides, a cold feeling slowly seeped out from his second heart. He felt as if he was sinking into the sea until he was in its dark depths, but he didn¡¯t drown. No, in fact, he felt calm, as if nothing in the world could harm him. He looked at his own hand and marveled at the sight, he could see something dark pulsating within his veins.


    Something was off. Or perhaps everything had always been off until now. If the night at Shadow Lake had cracked open the door to something deep within him, then the night he took flight had ripped the door off its hinges.


    Was this what it felt like? Was this chaos? Lunae had described it as dangerous, volatile. She was wrong. It was liberating. Was this what his father felt when he looked upon the world?


    ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡± asked Evelyn.


    He looked up and met her gaze. She seemed¡­ small. They all seemed so small. Why was he here again? Why did any of this matter? Why was he pandering for an alliance? He wanted Tauri and that was enough. Wasn¡¯t it? Who cared what any of them wanted?


    No, that was wrong. He came here because it did matter, right¡­?


    Why wasn¡¯t he just taking Tauri and leaving? And if any of them tried to stop him he¡¯d simply kill them.


    Wait. No. That was wrong too, wasn¡¯t it? It didn¡¯t feel wrong.


    He glanced at Krall¡¯s wives, they were all beautiful women. Some part of him told him he shouldn¡¯t stare, but his eyes wandered from one to another.


    ¡°Stryg, are you alright?¡± asked Evelyn once more.


    He glanced at her, his eyes slightly hazed over. She was beautiful. It was obvious where Tauri had inherited her voluptuous looks.


    Something was wrong¡­


    Evelyn stared at him, a glimmer of worry in her gaze, but the longer she stared the more she slowly lost herself in his strange lilac eyes. Ever since she had met him she had been curious about the first Ebon Aspirant in two centuries, but now that curiosity was gone and filled with a strange terror that gripped her heart. She felt like she was standing atop the shade wall, teetering at the edge, an inch from falling into an endless chasm, but she couldn¡¯t look away. She tried to move her body. Her muscles did not respond. Fear filled her chest. Was this some sort of curse spell? She tried to speak but she could not.


    A warm hand gently pulled at Stryg¡¯s ear. ¡°Stop staring, you¡¯re making people uncomfortable,¡± whispered a voice from behind.


    He blinked slowly and looked up. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Plum wrapped her arm around his shoulder playfully and laughed. ¡°Apologies, everyone. Sylvan etiquette is quite different from our own.¡±


    Evelyn shivered and with a shaky hand, took a sip of her wine. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Krall raised his eyebrow, uncertain of what was happening. ¡°Yes¡­ Understandable.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m feeling a little light-headed. Stryg, do you mind accompanying me for some fresh air for a moment?¡± asked Plum.


    ¡°...Okay¡­¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Great.¡± Plum grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the balcony.


    Elise glanced at her guardian, Lynette Gale, standing in the corner of the room and silently ordered her to follow.

 Chapter 545: Katag’s Dinner Party Part 3

    Chapter 545: Katag¡¯s Dinner Party Part 3


    A noblewoman noticed Plum dragging Stryg to the balcony by the edge of his cloak. She straightened her back and sauntered over with a sultry smile, ¡°My Lord Aspirant, good evening¡ª¡±


    Lynette abruptly stepped in between the noblewoman and the balcony.


    She frowned and stepped past the vampiress. ¡°Excuse me, I was just speaking to the Aspirant.¡±


    Lynette blocked her path once more. ¡°The balcony is off-limits. I suggest you find somewhere else to dally.¡±


    The woman glanced down at the blade hanging at Lynette¡¯s hip and the sigil engraved on the sword¡¯s pommel. She paled and smiled shakily, ¡°R-Right. Goodbye.¡±


    Lynette said nothing and only eyed her coldly as she scurried away.


    Plum noticed the interaction from a distance. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Stryg glanced back at the vampiress as they stepped out onto the balcony. The breath of fresh air helped him think a bit clearer. ¡°She¡¯s a Gale¡­ I¡¯ve seen her before.¡±


    ¡°Of course she is. You Veres never go anywhere without a Gale shadowing you, do you?¡± said Plum.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my shadow¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    ¡°Stryg¡­? Oi.¡± Plum snapped her fingers in front of his face, ¡°You in there? Stryg? Snap out of it!¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine, I just¡­¡± He stumbled towards the balcony¡¯s railing. ¡°I just need some air.¡± He leaned on the handrail and looked out over the gardens. His body felt like it was burning and freezing from within at the same time.


    Plum rubbed his back. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, Stryg? You were looking at Krall¡¯s wives like a dog in heat. I know they¡¯re hot but I really don¡¯t think you should be eyeing the wives of a berserker.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I just¡ª I don¡¯t know.¡± He clenched his teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with me!¡± The marble handrail cracked and crumbled underneath his grip.


    Plum eyed the handrail. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s um, new.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the chaos¡­ It¡¯s messing with my head.¡±


    ¡°Chaos? Like chaos mana?¡± Plum recalled the night at Shadow Lake a few weeks back. The lake had affected Stryg more strongly than others. ¡°There¡¯s chaos mana here? Where?¡±


    ¡°Within my heart,¡± he said between heavy breaths.


    ¡°Your heart? Stryg, mageborns can¡¯t possess chaos.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a mageborn. I¡¯m¡ª¡± he hesitated, but as if he was holding his breath, he bowed his head and relaxed his shoulders. ¡°I¡­ Stjerne, he¡­ He¡¯s my father.¡±


    Plum blinked and adjusted her glasses. ¡°Stjerne?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°As in the Traveler?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°The Ebon god?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°The one who wears a mask of gold and black split down the middle? A smile on one side, a frown on the other? The god who abandoned my people in favor of humans? The capricious god? The god of stars? That Stjerne?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± he sighed.


    Plum tapped her fingers over the handrail, deep in thought. ¡°Huh¡­ Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡±


    He frowned and looked up at her. ¡°What?¡±


    She gave him a deadpan look. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re not normal. You literally just shattered marble as if it was a ball of snow. I saw your body get crushed under a mountain of rocks and then I saw your wounds heal in a matter of hours. Plus, there¡¯s the whole thing with Lunae; she talks to you. A literal goddess hangs out with you. Oh! And that whole thing about Sigte. When I tried to read your mind about him I couldn¡¯t, your divine nature probably had something to do with that.¡±


    ¡°So you believe me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯ve read quite a few old books about godlings from different realms back in Undergrowth. My mentor, Gregor Sientia, had a lot of books about the topic in his study. There are a lot of different kinds of goldings or demigods, but they all had one thing in common.¡±


    ¡°And what was that?¡±


    ¡°People were drawn to them. Somehow. Even if they didn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the stars, they seemed somehow brighter than usual. ¡°Did any of your books talk about a godling of the Stars?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    ¡°What about Death?¡±


    ¡°Death? No, well, not about godlings. Though there are three gods of death in the Aurous Realm.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Three?¡±


    Plum nodded. ¡°The principal gods of the realm. There are many gods in the Aurous Realm, but the gods of death are the most sacred. The concept of death is seen differently in the Aurous realm. It is admired, worshiped, to die well is the greatest honor of their people. Or at least, that¡¯s what the books I read say. They¡¯re a couple of centuries old so I¡¯m not really sure.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Why the question?¡±


    He looked away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I know you, Stryg. Don¡¯t push it away. Don¡¯t try to ignore all of this. Don¡¯t reject who you are.¡±


    ¡°What do you know of what I am?¡± he hissed.


    She stared at him without batting an eye. Plum had never been shaken by his anger or afraid of his rage. ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about your true nature, but I know you, Stryg, and there is no one more proud to be Sylvan than you.¡±


    The anger drained from his face and a deep sadness took root in its place. ¡°And what if I¡¯m not?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re Sylvan or not isn¡¯t really important right now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There are consequences to godlings that ignore their divine nature.¡±


    He narrowed his lilac eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°In the stories I read there were godlings who didn¡¯t want to be gods, they just wanted to be normal and in every single story their divine nature always got out and it was always violent.¡± Plum put a finger to her chin, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s happening now? If you¡¯re pushing away your nature then maybe your body is rejecting you?¡±


    Stryg stared at his hand, there was a slight tremble to his fingers. ¡°I did this?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that you can¡¯t ignore this.¡±


    He clenched his fist. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this later.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡ª¡±


    ¡°We need to get through the night first.¡± Stryg turned around, opened the balcony doors, and walked back into the main hall.


    Lynette stood a respectable distance from the balcony and followed him silently back to the table. Plum followed a few steps behind.


    Krall eyed him as he sat back down. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Stryg tried his best to hide his lightheadedness and spoke in a firm voice, ¡°Yes, everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Krall nodded. ¡°You know, when you walked in this morning as Lord Veres I was quite surprised, but when Lady Gale announced as the Ebon Prince, well, that¡¯s when I understood the true extent of your plan. It was a very bold stroke, even for someone like me, but I¡¯m eager to know about your plans.¡±


    ¡°My plans?¡±


    Krall laughed. ¡°Come now, don¡¯t be modest. The age when the Ebon Lords ruled Hollow Shade has long passed, but none have forgotten. This city is a monument to their power. After the others fell, the last Ebon Lord, Atreus Thorn, proclaimed his family the Royal House and ruled as king over Hollow Shade.¡±


    Evelyn placed her narrow fingers over her husband¡¯s massive palm. ¡°After Lord Atreus died, the current Ruling Houses rebelled and established the city council. And like my lord husband said, even though it''s been over 200 years, none have forgotten the Ebon Lords.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Why did any of this matter? What were they trying to get at? He didn¡¯t know. All he wanted was to go back to the Gale manor and lay down in bed.


    ¡°The Ruling Houses will not be eager to share power,¡± said Krall. ¡°But you already knew that, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you accepted our offer to marry our daughter. If you wish to establish the Veres family as the Royal House of Hollow Shade you will need the support of other Ruling houses.¡± The giant orc grinned, ¡°The alliance between our two families will be the cornerstone to your ascension, provided our House rises with your glory.¡±


    ¡°House Katag will become the right hand of the royal family,¡± said Evelyn.


    King? Stryg furrowed his brow. Is that why Gale had introduced him as a prince? Did Gian and she plan to make him king? He hadn¡¯t given Gale¡¯s words much thought until now.


    Of course, it had to be now of all times. He couldn¡¯t be confronted with such political matters at any other time. He felt as if fate was toying with him.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Evelyn added, ¡°A single Ruling House won¡¯t be enough to help you ascend the city¡¯s throne.¡± She smiled amusedly, ¡°But you¡¯ve been busy, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve already made friends with Lady Freya. It¡¯s to be expected, I suppose, the Goldelms and Veres have always been close since the age of their founders. But I¡¯ve heard rumors that even Lord Vayu had a hand in your training of the magical arts. Then of course, there is House Noir. I know Lord Noir was fond of you, and with his passing Lady Loh has taken his place and¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Stryg¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Lord Elzri, is he¡­?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face softened, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Lord Noir fell in battle atop the wall.¡±


    ¡°But not without a fight,¡± said Krall somberly. ¡°He took two of those fucking monsters down with him.¡± He smiled bittersweetly, ¡°The old man was never one to give up.¡±


    Elzri¡­ was gone? Everything else seemed to grow dull at the thought. He had noticed Loh was sitting on the Noir throne in the council meeting but he had just assumed Elzri had been busy. For a mage as powerful as Elzri to have fallen, it didn¡¯t seem real.


    Lord Noir had never treated Stryg particularly kind, but he was never cruel. He had pushed Stryg to his limits, often, and he expected him to rise to the challenge each time. It was all too similar to his Sylvan training. Elzri had been a stern but fair teacher. The thought that the archmage was gone pained him.


    Whatever his problems with Loh were, Stryg felt an urge to go see her. She must have been hurting. He knew Elzri was the only family she cared about. Despite their problems, she had loved him. Stryg remembered the pain of seeing his mother lying in a pool of blood. Even now that pain reached deep into his chest and threatened to choke him.


    ¡°...ryg¡­ Stryg¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stryg looked up to see Evelyn eyeing him thoughtfully.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± Stryg swallowed hard and tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat.


    ¡°You look pale,¡± said Tauri worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the nerves. Everyone gets a bit nervous before their wedding, my cousin is no exception,¡± interjected Elise. ¡°Neither is your daughter, it seems.¡±


    Evelyn glanced at Elena. There was something off about her daughter, but she wasn¡¯t sure what it was, yet. Maybe I should take her away from here for a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who should be nervous,¡± muttered Elena.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Elise curiously.


    Kall clicked his tongue, ¡°What have I told you about all that muttering, Elena?¡±


    Evelyn touched her husband¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Krall¡ª¡±


    But he pushed on, ¡°You¡¯ve hardly said a word all night and now you¡¯re going to make our guests uncomfortable with all your muttering. Sit up and look people in the eye when you speak to them.¡± Krall turned to Stryg and Elise, ¡°Apologies, she is usually much more sociable.¡±


    ¡°You want me to be more sociable?¡± snapped Elena. ¡°I think Tauri has been sociable enough for the both of us.¡±


    Krall wrinkled his brow, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Did I mutter, Father?¡±


    Evelyn stared at the anger oozing out of Elena, then she glanced at Tauri¡¯s guilt-ridden face, and Stryg¡¯s consigned expression. ¡°Tauri¡­?¡±


    Her daughter stiffened at her name but she couldn¡¯t meet her mother¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Gods, what have you done, child?¡± whispered Evelyn.

 Chapter 546: The Honor of Nobles

    Chapter 546: The Honor of Nobles


    Evelyn stared at the anger oozing out of Elena, then she glanced at Tauri¡¯s guilt-ridden face, and Stryg¡¯s consigned expression. ¡°Tauri¡­?¡±


    Her daughter stiffened at her name but she couldn¡¯t meet her mother¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Gods, what have you done, child?¡± whispered Evelyn.


    Tauri slowly raised her eyes and met Evelyn¡¯s stern glare. She licked her lips and swallowed hard, ¡°...I¡­¡±


    Elise Veres sipped her wine and gave the couple a wide side glance.


    Stryg¡¯s ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton. Everything sounded distant, as if behind a blurred glass wall. He could hardly grasp all the emotions running through the table, but when he saw Tauri everything else fell silent. The guilt in her amber eyes, the way her scarlet lip trembled, her pained expression¡­ Stryg mustered what little focus he had and grabbed her hand. He turned to her parents, eyes resolute. ¡°If you wish to brandish your anger, aim it at me.¡±


    Tauri flinched at his touch and she tried to pull her hand from underneath his, but his grip was steadfast. Anxiously glancing between her stunned family members and her lover, she whispered harshly, ¡°Stryg, no, this isn¡¯t the time¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Tauri,¡± said Evelyn in an icy voice. ¡°We should take this somewhere else.¡±


    The nobles sitting at the other tables in the main hall were drinking and eating merrily, for now. The last thing Evelyn wanted was to cause a scene and show them all a chink in their armor. The Katag and Veres Houses needed to appear united, a strong alliance that they could all rally behind.


    Krall lowered his fork and knife, though his grip tightened around them until his knuckles were white. ¡°...What are your intentions for my daughter, Aspirant?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± asked Stryg.


    Everyone at the table stiffened at his question, save for Plum who sighed and covered her face in disappointment.


    Elena glared at Stryg sitting next to her, tears in her eyes. He looked at her, a question on his lips, but he stopped, and really looked at her. His mind still felt like a haze had been thrown over it, but even in his unfocused state, he could see the pain in her expression.


    He realized for the first time that he had hurt Elena. Stryg had never given much thought to her before. At first, she only had been a part of the Katag alliance, a woman he had to marry so that he could protect himself and his tribe from those who would seek to take advantage of a budding Ebon Aspirant. He supposed they would eventually get to know one another, but that seemed relatively unimportant at the time.


    Then he found Tauri at the pool on that lonely morning. It was only the two of them, no longer student and teacher, but colleagues far from home. She had been different. One thing led to another and Stryg found himself opening up to her, as had she. After that morning, Elena had become an afterthought, nothing more. His eyes had been settled on Tauri. He¡¯d be lying if lust hadn¡¯t played a large part in his pursuit of Tauri, but it was true that he loved her, and that had seemed enough until tonight.


    Now, Stryg was beginning to understand the worries that had plagued Tauri during their journey in Vulture Woods. He had assumed Elena wouldn¡¯t care whom he married, rather, she would be happy if he canceled their engagement. He was wrong.


    He should have felt guilt, empathy for her tears. But as the chaos mana flowed through his veins in streams of fiery cold and chilling heat, all he could feel for the girl was a dull note of sympathy.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± The curious words slipped out of his mouth like an afterthought.


    Elena looked at him, confused. And for the first time that night, she saw the man behind the beguiling eyes. He looked at her as if she was different, as if her entire existence was something new to him. He didn¡¯t understand the pain, anger, and shame she felt. It was foreign to him. Like a heartless puppet trying to understand mortal emotions. But she had seen the way he looked at Tauri, the way his lilac eyes lit up when she sat next to him. He loved her. So why? Why now did it seem as if she was staring into the eyes of a darkness that reflected nothing back?


    Lucas laughed incredulously. ¡°Why are you crying? Are you serious!? You sleep with my sister like her purity doesn¡¯t even matter. Then you have the gall to ask my even younger sister, your fianc¨¦, why she¡¯s crying? Is that what you do in Vulture Woods? Stab someone in the back and then ask them why they bleed?¡±


    Krall closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. ¡°Lucas, hold your tongue. Lord Aspirant, I ask you once more; What are your intentions with both my daughters?¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Stryg looked at Tauri¡¯s parents, at the suspense on their faces. He felt he was saying the wrong words all night, but he didn¡¯t know what else to do. He slowly realized that no matter how this night played out, someone was going to be hurt. ¡°...I value our alliance, Lord and Lady Katag, and I do not wish to break it. So with your permission, I¡¯d like to cancel my engagement to Elena and marry Tauri.¡±


    Elena bit her lip and looked away, tears streaming down her red cheeks. Tauri bowed her head in shame but said nothing. Krall and Evelyn glanced at each other uncertainly.


    Lucas jumped to his feet. ¡°Unbelievable! Have you no shame!?¡±


    Evelyn grabbed his forearm, ¡°Son, sit down.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± He shook her off. ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is, Aspirant, Ebon Lord, it does not matter! I¡¯m not just going to sit here while he brazenly dishonors our family! We had a sacred agreement and he defiles it as if it¡¯s nothing more than a drunkard¡¯s promise! A lord must abide by the laws of nobility, if we cannot do that then we are nothing better than animals! Father, you know it¡¯s true!¡±


    Krall frowned in consternation at his son¡¯s words.


    Evelyn scowled, her beautiful features marred in anger. ¡°Lucas, sit down.¡±


    Niko shook his head and stood up beside Lucas, ¡°No, my brother is right. If we ignore our laws and let the powerful rule by their lust and hunger we are left with only chaos.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s so wrong with chaos?¡± Stryg accidentally spoke his thoughts aloud. He found it harder and harder not to. Whatever filter held his words back before seemed to have been lost in his own chaos.


    Lucas rounded on him, rage practically glowing from his amber eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± his voice dripped with venom.


    Elise hastily raised her hands, ¡°I¡¯m certain my cousin meant no disrespect. Right, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Disrespect?¡± growled Lucas. ¡°Your cousin doesn¡¯t know the meaning of respect. He sullies the name of House Katag without a shred of remorse!¡±


    Plum glanced at Stryg worriedly. He wanted to reassure her that everything would be alright, but even he knew he had overstepped. He didn¡¯t know what to do. His whole life he had been trained to fight monsters, not a political dispute.


    Tauri stood to her feet and raised her free hand in front of Stryg. ¡°If anyone is to blame it is me. For the sake of our family¡¯s alliance, leave Stryg out of this.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± snapped Lucas. ¡°You have done enough to tarnish our family¡¯s honor tonight, little sister. As for you, Aspirant, mark my words, my House will not take this dishonor lying down.¡±


    Several nobles¡¯ heads began to turn at the commotion from the Katag table.


    Elise laughed shakily, ¡°Why don¡¯t we all calm down before half your guests see two Ruling Houses squabbling in front of all? Surely this will not benefit anyone.¡±


    Lucas placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. ¡°It is your cousin who offended us first. Honor dictates a duel to the death.¡±


    ¡°And if your champion dies? What then? How will the alliance between both our Houses flourish if it¡¯s built on the bodies of Stryg or your kin?¡± asked Elise.


    ¡°You should have told that to your cousin before he stole my sister¡¯s innocence.¡±


    Elise inclined her head. ¡°That may be, but surely you don¡¯t think you can deliver punishment to a member of House Veres under your own roof? Even if honor dictates it to be so. We are scions of Ruling Houses, we are above such petty squabbles of honor.¡±


    ¡°My House was built on honor,¡± Lucas growled.


    ¡°No, your House was built on bloodshed like mine own,¡± said Elise. ¡°I understand my cousin is at fault, I do. But haven¡¯t we seen enough bloodshed these last few days? I certainly have.¡±


    ¡°Krall, say something,¡± whispered Evelyn harshly, but her husband¡¯s stern expression did not change.


    ¡°...Let our son speak first,¡± muttered Krall.


    ¡°I understand your position, Lady Elise,¡± said Lucas. ¡°And I thank you for your wisdom, but we have rules for a reason. Dishonor must be met with reasonable punishment, that being said, our House has no quarrel with you. I do not blame you for your cousin¡¯s actions. On my honor as heir of House Katag, I give you my word; you may leave safely, we will not stop you.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯d let me go, just like that?¡± asked Elise, surprise in her voice.


    Lucas bowed his head, ¡°You have my word.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Elise smiled with relief. She glanced at Stryg, ¡°Cousin, I wish it hadn¡¯t come to this.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Elise rose from her chair, walked over to Stryg, and placed her hand on his shoulder. She turned to Lucas and her smile melted into apathy. ¡°Lynette, if Lucas or any orc attacks Lord Veres, slice their throat.¡±


    The Gale warrior appeared by Stryg and Elise¡¯s side and drew her blade in one smooth motion. ¡°Gladly, my lady.¡±


    Lucas¡¯ eyes went wide in shock. Elena squeaked in fear at the sword mere inches from away and fell off her chair.


    Krall jumped to his feet and slammed his fist on the table. ¡°Sheathe your weapon! This is my home!¡±


    Guards from all across the main hall rushed over to the head table, weapons at the ready.


    Lynette did not waver. She pulled Stryg to his feet and kept him behind her, while her other hand aimed her sword at the guards. ¡°I am the Shield of Veres, be it Monster or Man, here I stand, and I shall not falter.¡±


    Every noble from every table was now looking in confusion at the Katags and their guests. Plum and Tauri looked at Stryg anxiously.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± muttered Lucas, stunned.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± yelled Evelyn.


    Elise looked her dead in the eye. ¡°Protecting my family.¡± She turned to Stryg and offered him her hand, ¡°Are you with me, cousin?¡±


    Stryg looked at her and the way her lips curled in a confident, half-smirk, the same way as Callum¡¯s. He nodded hesitantly and grabbed her hand.

 Chapter 547: A Red Blizzard

    Chapter 547: A Red Blizzard


    Every noble sitting in the main hall looked on in confusion as Lynette pointed her at the Katag family and their guards.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± yelled Evelyn.


    Elise Veres looked her dead in the eye. ¡°Protecting my family.¡± She turned to Stryg and offered him her hand, ¡°Are you with me, cousin?¡±


    Stryg looked at her and the way her lips curled in a confident, half-smirk, the same way as Callum¡¯s. He nodded hesitantly and grabbed her hand.


    She tried to pull him up from his chair, but he didn¡¯t budge. Stryg stood up on his own and yanked her to him with a simple jerk. Elise stumbled into his embrace.


    He leaned into her ear and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    The wine rippled in their glasses as he spoke and the air grew still.


    Elise wrapped her arms around his back, embracing him in front of everyone. ¡°You don¡¯t need to trust me,¡± she whispered. ¡°You just need to trust that I will do everything to protect House Veres from ruin. And right now that means getting your womanizing rear out of here.¡±


    The haze around his mind was getting worse, he could feel his chest burning with an icy heat that only kept growing. Stryg wasn¡¯t sure what to think, but he couldn¡¯t see what options he had left. Elise was family, but she was also someone who had reasons to hate him. Then there was Cly¡­


    ¡°Stryg¡­? I think we should go,¡± said Plum anxiously.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded slowly and released Elise¡¯s hand.


    Elise inclined her head and stepped back. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said lightly. ¡°If you two could follow me, Lynette will cover our backs.¡±


    Plum didn¡¯t waste a moment and hurried to her side.


    ¡°Not without Tauri,¡± said Stryg.


    Tauri shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. This is my House. I must stay.¡±


    Her words sounded sad. Stryg should have comforted her but all he wanted to do was tell her how beautiful she looked and kiss her red lips.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time. That much he knew, even through the haze.


    ¡°...Do you hear me?¡± asked Tauri. ¡°I said go.¡±


    The wine glasses began to shake slightly, though none noticed.


    Stryg frowned at her words. ¡°No.¡±


    Tauri squeaked in surprise as he easily tossed her over his shoulder. ¡°Stryg, let me down!¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re not safe here.¡±


    ¡°This is my House! I¡¯ll face my consequences, now let me go, you insufferable¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let them hurt you.¡±


    Tauri faltered. ¡°Stryg¡­ this isn¡¯t the time!¡±


    ¡°Unhand my sister!¡± yelled Lucas.


    Tauri tried to roll off him, but Stryg gripped her bottom and held her from squirming.


    ¡°Where are you grabbing!?¡± She shouted angrily and kicked his side with all her strength. It felt like kicking a stone wall but she refused to stop.


    Stryg grimaced faintly, the tip of her sharp shoes kept digging between his ribs. He sighed and channeled Grey mana.


    Tauri¡¯s eyes widened as she felt her energy being sapped away. ¡°You bast¡ªard¡­¡± her voice grew sluggish and she fell limp over his shoulder.


    ¡°Kidnapping a daughter from a Ruling House and threatening her family, what could go wrong? Oh, I don¡¯t know, getting sent to the fucking shade wall,¡± Plum mumbled to herself.


    ¡°If you two are quite done, follow me,¡± said Elise.


    ¡°Veres!¡± Krall¡¯s voice boomed across the main hall.


    Elise, Plum, and Stryg stopped in their tracks and slowly looked back at the giant of an orc. His shoulders heaved with every breath. His expression was hardened and his amber eyes were steel. Brown magic curled through his veins, the berserker within only a breath away.


    ¡°Do not do this,¡± said Krall coldly. ¡°Whatever slights have been dealt can be sorted out. Come back and sit down.¡±


    Stryg hadn¡¯t expected the man to act so rationally. He glanced at Tauri¡¯s pale face hanging over his shoulder. What am I doing?


    The burning sensation in his chest was only getting worse. His irises had widened and expanded across the whites of his eyes, leaving his eyes more like a cat¡¯s than a goblin¡¯s. The world was dyed in hues of black and outlines made of silver strings of light.


    Before Stryg could open his mouth, Elise spoke, ¡°I¡¯m certain we will, but not here, Lord Krall. Somewhere neutral that benefits both Houses. We will see each other soon, farewell.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Stop,¡± said Krall. ¡°I cannot let you leave with my daughter.¡±


    Elise glanced at Stryg with a mildly troubled expression, ¡°Cousin. If you¡¯d be so kind, please put the damsel down.¡±


    Stryg shifted Tauri off his shoulder and carried her in his arms, nestling her head on the crook of his neck. She was sleeping soundly, or at least, unconsciously. ¡°They¡¯ll hurt her¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably, but they won¡¯t kill her. She¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Elise reassuringly.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to protect my tribe,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°What if you¡¯re the one hurting them?¡± said Plum quietly.


    Stryg looked at her in surprise. Hurt¡­ Tauri¡­? He would never. Well, he had bitten her butt and drawn blood that first night together. Actually, ever since that first time, he had bitten her in all sorts of places. Her blood was the sweetest he had tasted. But he always healed her afterwards as she rested in his arms. That wasn¡¯t really hurting her, was it¡­? He would never hurt her¡­


    The fire in his chest blazed to life and sent icy needles through his veins. The voices ringing in his ears faded away. His mind was in a jumble, he tried to focus but all he could think of was blood.


    He¡¯d heal the wounds. The bleeding would stop...


    Stryg was suddenly in the ruined courtyard of Mora Manor, rain pouring over him, wind howling in his ears, his mother lying on the ground, blood seeping from her chest. He tried. He had tried to stop the bleeding. But no matter how much he tried, the bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop.


    His mother was dying. Aurelia was dying.


    Queen Ananta¡¯s voice shrieked in his ears like the clap of thunder, ¡°The World Soul is dying! Aleirune is dying!¡±


    ¡°Cousin¡­?¡± Elise asked slowly.


    ¡°Shit, he¡¯s not all there,¡± Plum muttered. ¡°Stryg, focus!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Lucas drew his sword. ¡°Guards, save my sister!¡±


    Lynette bared her fangs and hissed, ¡°You will try.¡±


    Krall grabbed his son¡¯s shoulder and shook him hard, ¡°No! Stand down!¡±


    ¡°But Father¡ª!¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯ve said enough.¡± Krall turned to his guards, ¡°Stand down! I said stand¡ª down¡­?¡±


    Drops of wine rose from the glasses of everyone present, a scarlet snow dancing to a silent melody. A blizzard of red, the wine flowed through the main hall like a storm, and at its center stood Stryg, eyes burning with an inner light.


    ~~~


    Holo stood atop the shade wall, where the dragonbanes had breathed black and white flames and burned through the city¡¯s protective spells and melted a chasm through the ebon wall. Now the ebon color was gone, the soul magic that had bound the shades broken, leaving the magestone wall a hazy grey with white fractures, like ice cut from a frozen lake.


    Where the chasm had been now sat a hundred feet of pearly white stone. Even in the moonlight, it seemed to shine with an otherworldly luster. Holo crouched and ran her hand across the white stone, it was warm and smooth to the touch, like glass.


    ¡°The dragons did a decent job fixing your wall, all things considered,¡± said Melantha.


    Holo glanced at her sister, leaning on the parapet behind her. ¡°Manifestation magic has its uses, but it doesn¡¯t work well with the ethereal nature of soul magic.¡±


    ¡°You mean you won¡¯t be able to imbue the city¡¯s wall with thousands of shades again so long as this piece of dragon work stands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a gross simplification of the hundreds of spells weaved into these walls, but yes. My city¡¯s wall might as well just be a hunk of stone¡­ for now.¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, it¡¯s not like you have an Ebon Lord to help cast the shade spell anyway.¡±


    Holo sighed. She hated to admit it, but Melantha was right. Even though she had a dedicated circle of true black mages ready and waiting, she still needed an Ebon Lord to help lead the spellcasting with her.


    ¡°So long as the shade wall is inactive this city is unprotected,¡± muttered Holo.


    ¡°From whom?¡±


    Holo stood to her feet and looked out to the dark horizon. ¡°Everyone.¡±


    ¡°Can you two stop talking for one moment?¡± growled Lunae. The goddess of the moon was in her humanoid shape, sitting cross-legged, head tilted up. Her long silver hair floated around her, forming a crescent shape reminiscent of the moon in the night sky.


    ¡°Apologies, Watcher,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Have you found anything yet?¡± asked Melantha impatiently.


    ¡°If you mean have I found Ananta, then no,¡± replied Lunae. ¡°The titan queen has ways of hiding in the shadows, even from my sight. And it seems she¡¯s cloaked those near her as well.¡±


    ¡°What about the dragonbanes? Surely, Ananta can¡¯t hide them all,¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°She can¡¯t, but she doesn¡¯t need to. A dragonbane¡¯s void aura obscures my sight. For some of them, I can sense their general area, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Melantha nodded. ¡°Then we go to where they are congregated and¡ª¡±


    ¡°The dragonbanes are spread out. And even then they are slowly disappearing from my sight.¡±


    ¡°Dammit all,¡± Melantha cursed under her breath.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± asked Holo.


    Lunae opened her silver eyes and stared at her palm. ¡°Ananta can use her shadows to hide from my sight, however my bond with Solis runs far deeper.¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t want to be found?¡± asked Melantha.


    ¡°It would hinder my sight, but even then I should be able to locate Solis, the fact that I can¡¯t see him even now means¡­ he isn¡¯t in the Ebon Realm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Solis found another way to travel through the realms?¡± asked Holo. ¡°You said Bellum protected the last chrome gate, you saw it yourself.¡±


    ¡°I did. The gate has remained unopened,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°But if they didn¡¯t use the chrome gate nor the Ebon Tower, then how?¡± muttered Holo.


    ¡°There are other ways to travel, sister.¡±


    ¡°The Branches?¡± Holo shook her head, ¡°No, they¡¯d get lost. Unless¡ª Unless they had one of us to guide them. But why would one of our siblings help them?¡±


    Melantha shrugged, ¡°Who knows? For all we know it could have been Father himself.¡±


    ¡°A Traveler¡¯s abilities are powerful in the darkness of the Branches, but there are other ways to navigate through them,¡± noted Lunae. ¡°Ananta is the daughter of the titan queen Love and the primordial Unildyr. If anyone can find a way through the Branches it is her.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± muttered Holo.


    ¡°Shit indeed,¡± agreed Melantha.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°We wait,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°For what?¡± asked both sisters in unison.


    ¡°The full moon. My powers will be at their greatest. I¡¯ll be able to widen my sight far enough to reach the other Null Realms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to locate Solis?¡± said Holo with a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t want to be found, but I should at least be able to see which Realm he resides in. Beyond that? I¡¯m not so certain.¡±


    Holo sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a start I guess. Thank you, Lunae.¡±


    Lunae suddenly jerked her neck and frowned.


    Melantha was at her side in an instant. ¡°What is it? Did you find them?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s Stryg. Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Her silver eyes went wide, ¡°The Astral Light¡­!¡±


    The sisters glanced at each other, Holo paling at Lunae¡¯s words. Melantha¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Where?¡±

 Chapter 548: Scion

    Chapter 548: Scion


    Drops of wine rose from the glasses of everyone present in the main hall. The wine fell upwards, scarlet snow dancing to a silent melody. A blizzard of red flowed through the main hall like a storm, and at its center stood Stryg, eyes burning with an inner light.


    Everyone stood still in a mixture of awe and fear until a scream rang amongst the guests. Confusion broke out as nobles stumbled back and trampled over each other trying to run. The guards rushed to the Katag family¡¯s side and formed a protective wall. Lynette hurried to Elise¡¯s side and shielded her ward with her own body.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Plum yelled through the noise, but her voice fell on deaf ears.


    Stryg could hear nothing save the thumping heartbeat in his ears. He opened his mouth to breathe but his lungs drew no air. He couldn¡¯t breathe. A searing pain stretched across his chest. He doubled over and grimaced. Tauri slipped off his shoulder. He caught her as she fell and laid her carefully on the ground. It was all he could do before the icy pain took him.


    A storm of orange sparks exploded in the hall. Melantha and Holo landed atop one of the tables. Melantha dashed at Stryg in a blur. She tackled him and slammed her hand over his chest. Blue mana flowed inside his body and splintered the searing cold.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him, go!¡± yelled Melantha.


    Holo Flickered behind the two, grabbed them by the shoulders, and Flickered away in a burst of sparks. The wine fell in a cascade of scarlet rain. Krall rushed to his daughter¡¯s side and cradled Tauri in his arms.


    ¡°What the fuck was that¡­?¡± Elise muttered shakily.


    ¡°Lady Veres.¡± Evelyn wiped the wine from her face. ¡°A word, if you please.¡±


    Elise stepped out from behind Lynette and broke into a confident smile. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    ~~~


    The world blurred past Stryg in flashes of orange light. Building after building faded in a haphazard display as Holo flickered him through the city. All the while Melantha kept her hand over his chest, channeling Blue into his heart.


    Stryg clenched his eyes shut and tried his best to bear the pain stretching across his body. Ice was burning through his veins. Needles were stabbing his lungs. Suddenly, the world froze. He crashed into the ground. Grass tickled his skin.


    Stryg opened his eyes. He was looking up at the night sky. The stars seemed a blur, swirling together and forming an incomprehensible pattern. Stryg slowly reached his hand out towards the stars, he could almost touch them.


    Then Melantha was in front of him. ¡°Breathe, little brother. Just breathe.¡±


    Her voice sounded distant but he could make out the words. He parted his lips and took in a soft breath. Wind rushed into his burning lungs and he flinched in pain.


    ¡°Breathe, good, keep breathing,¡± she said steadily.


    He didn¡¯t want to, but he did so anyway. It hurt. It felt liberating. The thrumming in his ears faded away and the cool wind flowed into his aching lungs. The light in his eyes went dark.


    Melantha sighed in relief and sat back. ¡°We made it.¡±


    ¡°Somehow.¡± Holo laughed shakily and fell back on the grass.


    Stryg blinked several times and sat up slowly, every breath sent was like breathing in ice water. He glanced around, they were on a grassy hill. The pale walls of Hollow Shade sat in the distance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think your clarity magic would work,¡± Holo admitted dryly.


    ¡°It almost didn¡¯t.¡± Melantha turned to Stryg sitting next to her. ¡°You were lucky, had we gotten to you a little later¡ª Even now, we barely stopped your light before it ignited.¡±


    ¡°My light¡­?¡± Stryg coughed. ¡°Ugh.¡± He fell back on the grass and groaned. ¡°Why do I feel like this? What¡¯s happening to me¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Astral Light. You could have killed hundreds of innocent people if not more had we not stopped it from igniting within you. How do you not know this?¡± Melantha glared at her sister, ¡°Holo!¡±


    She threw her hands up, ¡°I offered to speak with him, but he didn¡¯t want to. I thought it best to give him some time, respect his wishes. Let him come to grips with it all. A different approach than the one I had with you. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d up and ignite himself.¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°Clearly, he almost did. There is no time to coddle him. He needs to learn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything you¡¯re talking about,¡± mumbled Stryg, though he refused to sit up. His muscles ached with every breath.


    ¡°Divine Aspects,¡± said Holo. ¡°Titan gods have at least one, it¡¯s our connection with the natural world. Our father has several Aspects, each with their own divine abilities. The most destructive ability by far is his Astral Light. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Dangerous to everyone, including you, Stryg,¡± noted Melantha.


    Holo nodded grimly. ¡°Few of Death¡¯s scions have ever inherited the Astral Light. Their bodies couldn¡¯t handle its destructive force. They were incinerated from the inside out.¡±


    ¡°They died and killed countless others in the explosion. The fact that you survived your own obliteration against the dragonbane is a miracle.¡± Melantha tapped him on the chest.


    Stryg jerked at the painful touch.


    ¡°Judging from your wounds, if we hadn¡¯t arrived when we did, you¡¯d already be dead,¡± said Melantha. ¡°If the Astral Light had ignited there would have been nothing we could have done to stop it, short of killing you.¡±


    ¡°You lost complete control, Stryg,¡± said Holo.


    He didn¡¯t respond and simply stared at the sky. The stars had returned to their usual appearance. He should have felt relieved to still be alive, but all he could think was of Plum and Tauri. ¡°...You¡¯re saying I could have accidentally killed everyone in that manor¡­?¡±


    Holo nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    Melantha laughed incredulously. ¡°This has nothing to do with what you ¡®want.¡¯ Don¡¯t you get it? It is you. You are a creature of chaos, it¡¯s a part of you as much as your hands or feet. The chaos flowing within your veins reacted to you.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, especially not Plum, Tauri, or her family.¡±


    Melantha looked at him carefully, ¡°What about when you fought the dragonbane?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened that night. It didn¡¯t feel like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you had a purpose back then,¡± said Holo. ¡°You were filled with rage, you wanted vengeance for your mother. The chaos within you reacted to your emotions.¡±


    ¡°My emotions? Like a botched spell?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°No, chaos magic is not a spell. You don¡¯t cast chaos, there are no spell weaves. Like many elemental powers, chaos expresses itself through magical abilities, like a siren¡¯s song or a root bison¡¯s touch. The power of chaos comes naturally, it reacts to you. Your emotions, your mental state, your instinct. Like Nel said, this isn¡¯t about wanting or not wanting chaos, chaos is quite literally you.¡±


    Melantha sighed loudly, ¡°But since you¡¯re trying to reject your own power, in other words yourself, the chaos reacted accordingly and you guessed it, rejected you. I¡¯m guessing you probably lost more than just control over your powers, right?¡±


    Stryg licked his dry lips, ¡°I¡­ I felt like I was drunk, but it was worse. I didn¡¯t feel like myself. I wanted to hurt people. I wanted to kill them. All of them. But they¡¯re Tauri¡¯s family. She¡¯d hate me¡­ Why? Why would I even want to hurt them? What wrong have they done to me?¡± He clenched his eyes shut and mumbled, ¡°How do I stop this¡­? I don¡¯t want to feel like this.¡±


    Holo touched his shoulder, ¡°For starters, you have to stop running away from who you are. You have to accept the truth.¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡± he asked bitterly.


    ¡°I think you know.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°That Stjerne is my father.¡±


    ¡°And you are his son. Whether you like it or not, you are an extension of all death, just like him. Our relationship with death as a concept is tangible, we are drawn to it as much as we are part of it. You need to stop thinking of yourself as just a goblin, you are a titan of death.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you want, little brother,¡± said Melantha. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, the people you care about could die. If you really are a chieftain of a tribe, then you should know that a leader is nothing without his people. You need to start learning how to accept help from those around you. Stop trying to carry the burden of all of this on your own.¡±


    Stryg glanced down at his trembling hand, blue as the sea. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Melantha cocked her eyebrow. ¡°They? I¡¯m not talking about mortals. You think you¡¯re the only one who wasn¡¯t ecstatic about being a child of Death?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not your enemies Stryg, we¡¯re your family. And we can help you, if you let us,¡± said Holo.


    Stryg looked at her uncertainly. ¡°If you''re my sister then why didn¡¯t you tell me the first time we met?¡±


    Holo pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin between them. ¡°Names are sacred among titan kind. Not the names we use every day, but the names given to us by our parents when we come of age. To give someone that name is to expose your truest self to them. It is only given to the closest of lovers and friends, or family.¡± She looked at Stryg and smiled softly, ¡°I have many names stretched across the realms, but my true name¡ª is Seren.¡±


    ¡°My name is Melantha, it is the only name I carry, it was given to me by my birth mother the day I was born¡­ the day she died. I rejected the name our father gave me, as I think Holo should have, but she is far older than you or I. Holo is from a time when such traditions mattered far more.¡±


    Holo clicked her tongue, ¡°Traditions always mattered, Nel.¡±


    Stryg smiled wryly, ¡°I take it you don¡¯t like Stjerne, Melantha?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°It isn¡¯t about liking or disliking. The day you meet Father you¡¯ll understand, nothing is simple with Death.¡±


    ¡°There were once many of us, almost twenty,¡± said Holo. ¡°The immortal children of Death. We led the Mortem Order in the pursuit of knowledge. We helped Father create the beast-kin. He would have used them to wage war against the entire world. Nel and I disagreed, as did a few others. ¡­War broke out and in the end, most of our family perished.¡±


    ¡°Everyone died?¡± Stryg whispered.


    ¡°The Mortem castle, the grounds, and its people no longer exist. Ruins are all that remain.¡± Holo glanced at Stryg, ¡°So when I met you, I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Either you hadn¡¯t met Father, which at first seemed possible, since your chaotic aura was so dim; Father usually rejects his mortal children and lets them live out their finite lives. Or, you were an agent of Father sent to spy on me. After all, what were the chances we just coincidentally met?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say just enough since it was by chance,¡± Stryg replied defensively. ¡°If you suspected me, why not just kill me?¡±


    ¡°Kill a potential innocent? A little brother, albeit a mortal one, who knew nothing? After we lost so much of our family? How could I? Our father is cunning, I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to use someone like you. It¡¯s why I asked you for your true name, but you refused to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any other name! If I didn¡¯t know anything, how could I even know about some second name?¡±


    Holo nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, if you hadn¡¯t met Father then you wouldn¡¯t have been given one either way. However, I knew you had met him, or at least I thought you had.¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 549: The Twin-Heart Hybrid

    Chapter 549: The Twin-Heart Hybrid


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any other name! If I didn¡¯t know anything, how could I even know about some second name?¡± Stryg muttered in frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Holo. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t met Father then you wouldn¡¯t have been given a name either way. However, I knew you had met him, or at least I thought you had.¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Holo looked into Stryg¡¯s eyes, her own lilac eyes reflected in his own, her expression thoughtful. ¡°When we first met, though faint, I could sense another divine aura mixed in with your own. I thought it was Father¡¯s, but now I realize it was Lunae¡¯s. But because of that, when we met I thought you knew exactly who I was, and the fact that you were unwilling to share your true name told me you couldn¡¯t be trusted. I had hoped at some point you¡¯d at least be willing to drop the act and be a bit honest with me, but you refused. Then again, you could have just lied and given me a false name to try and earn my trust, but you didn¡¯t do that either. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±


    Holo sighed, ¡°I wanted to trust you, but I couldn¡¯t. So I gave you my orichalcum coin, in case you needed to contact me. If you were Father¡¯s spy, I knew you would, in time. But you never did and then one night I sensed Caligo through the coin.¡±


    ¡°...The night at Widow¡¯s Crag,¡± he whispered.


    Holo nodded solemnly. ¡°I decided to help you. After that, things became complicated. Your presence with Caligo threw all my theories out. So I kept an eye on you, especially in Undergrowth. After Shadow Lake, when you almost drowned in a lake of chaos mana, I realized you really didn¡¯t know your true name or your lineage, otherwise you would never been so stupid as to get that close to a chaos lake with a heart so undeveloped.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because you are an anomaly. And the fact that you didn¡¯t even know your own constitution was more than just improbable. Father would never have let you go alone for so long. Which meant someone wanted you to be in the dark. I didn¡¯t know why¡­ so I decided to keep observing you.¡±


    ¡°Until you had no choice, it seems,¡± noted Melantha.


    Holo ignored her comment. ¡°Stryg, Ananta told you of your origins back during the siege, which means she probably wasn¡¯t the one who kept the truth hidden from you.¡±


    ¡°Then who did?¡± he asked.


    Holo shook her head. ¡°My best guess? Lunae.¡±


    ¡°The Mother Moon?¡± Stryg frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure, but seeing as she is probably watching us right this very moment, I think that conversation should be left for another time.¡±


    ¡°A more private time, one where even Lunae cannot see,¡± added Melantha.


    ¡°You can do that?¡± he asked.


    Melantha nodded. ¡°There are ways.¡±


    Stryg sat up with a grimace. His chest still ached and every breath still stung, but he was already starting to feel somewhat better. ¡°You said I was an anomaly. How?¡±


    Holo looked him up and down pensively. ¡°The first time we met you had only the smallest traces of chaos mana in your aura. It¡¯s common among failures.¡±


    ¡°Failures?¡±


    ¡°Hybrid children who didn¡¯t inherit the power of chaos from their titan parents,¡± explained Holo. ¡°Simply put, they are mortals, not much different than any other mortal. They do not carry the spark of a titan, nor will their children or any of their descendants.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the outcome of most titan hybrids. At least, the ones that survive,¡± said Melantha with a trace of sadness.


    ¡°Lunae told me something like that,¡± Stryg whispered.


    Melantha placed her hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know it seems cruel.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s the way of our kind,¡± added Holo. ¡°Believe me, it¡¯s better if immortals don¡¯t associate with mortal offspring. In the long run, it saves a lot of pain for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Everyone? Because I think a child would want to know who their parents were. To know where they come from.¡± Stryg swallowed, ¡°Or at least, I think they would¡­¡±


    ¡°They?¡± asked Melantha with a cocked eyebrow. ¡°So, you wouldn¡¯t be bothered then?¡±


    ¡°You said the practice seems cruel. It doesn¡¯t, not to me,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯s cold, maybe, but so is the world. A Sylvan tribe must be cold in order to survive, even if it means abandoning the weak.¡±


    ¡°From what Holo has told me, you were going to be exiled from your own tribe for being ¡®weak.¡¯ Does that not bother you?¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°Such is the way of nature.¡±


    Melantha scoffed softly with a wry smile. ¡°You believe in the Sylvan way so strongly, I almost admire it. But I can tell the rejections pains you. I know that you protected the forgotten and destitute orphans of this city and raised them into a tribe. That is not the way of the Sylvan. So tell me. Why help them?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He stared at his own hands, the blue skin seemed to almost glow under the moonlight. The dark veins underneath pulsated with more than just blood. ¡°...I know what it¡¯s like to be weak.¡±


    Melantha smiled, ¡°Holo¡¯s right, you really are an anomaly.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± he asked once more.


    Holo spread her hands, ¡°As I said, the first time we met you only had small traces of chaos in your aura. But the second time we met in Widow¡¯s Crag I could have sworn you had more and by the time we met in Undergrowth I was certain of it. Chaos flows freely from your aura. That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°Our powers grow stronger as we train and grow older, but the density of chaos flowing within us does not change,¡± Holo continued. ¡°It¡¯s why we can tell if a newborn hybrid has inherited the power of chaos or not. The first time we met you were only mortal with a hint of our father¡¯s power. Now you¡¯re a full-fledged titan. A baby titan, but a titan nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I grew into my powers,¡± muttered Stryg. He supposed it made sense. Feli had noted it many times, his unusual growth and strength. He never felt the gradual change, but he knew it was there. Like when a youth¡¯s voice grew deeper as they entered adulthood. He remembered there was a time when he struggled to pull his bowstring back. Now he wagered he could snap a bow in two if he wanted.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Melantha nodded. ¡°So the question is, how?¡±


    ¡°I have a theory, but I need a bit of confirmation. Nel, can you look into Stryg¡¯s chest, tell me what you see.¡±


    A blue band of light glimmered off Melantha¡¯s lilac irises. She looked at Stryg and narrowed her eyes. ¡°He has two hearts, but all the chaos mana seems to be flowing from only one. The other is¡­ chromatic? He really does have all ten colors¡­ Father had his theories about the twin-heart model but it had never worked.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± asked Stryg anxiously.


    ¡°Titans are creatures of chaos, titan hybrids can possess chromatic mana but only so much. At most, a titan hybrid can possess three colors.¡± Holo raised her index finger, ¡°A quarter-titan could possess so much as six, but no more. Chaos may be an elemental energy but it does not play well with others. The titan hybrids who can develop their chromatic magic to the best of their ability are the ones who only possess a single color.¡±


    Melantha summoned a spark of lighting between her thumb and index finger. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to have a hybrid who only has a single chromatic color then you¡¯d be better off having a child who is a true chromatic.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then, both of you being true chromatics isn¡¯t a coincidence.¡±


    Melantha stared at him, her eyes unblinking. ¡°Our Father may seem lackadaisical and nonchalant to a fault, but nothing he does is without purpose. Not even your existence. For centuries he wanted to create a being with the full powers of chaos and chroma, he was obsessed with the idea, but it was impossible. A heart could not balance both ethereal energies together. So Death proposed an alternative idea, the twin-heart model; having a child born with not one but two hearts. He believed that if each heart only had to possess one energy then the body would naturally balance the flow.¡±


    Holo sighed heavily. ¡°Of course, it all ended in complete failure. Every single experiment. Whether it was a natural birth or magical alterations done to the mother¡¯s womb. He even had a baby develop outside the mother¡¯s womb, within an enchanted glass chamber filled with carefully curated liquids and surrounded by numerous enchantments that he¡¯d constantly tweak daily. Nothing worked.¡±


    ¡°Although,¡± said Melantha, ¡°He was able to create two hearts in the newborns and he even managed to have a few newborns have one heart absorb chaotic energy and the other chromatic energy. The problem was that the body could not reconcile two energies and it would cause the tissue to degrade.¡±


    ¡°Degrade?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°The body would destroy itself. The babies would die mere hours after birth,¡± Melantha replied grimly.


    ¡°...How many experiments? How many children?¡± Stryg whispered.


    The sisters looked away.


    ¡°Too many,¡± Melantha muttered.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± he mumbled.


    Holo cleared her throat. ¡°When I met you in Undergrowth, Stryg, your chaotic heart seemed infantile, it was barely able to keep up with the amount of chaos mana it had eagerly absorbed from Shadow Lake. But now your heart seems as strong as its twin. Perhaps that was the key. Perhaps having a chaotic heart lay dormant for years until it grew strong enough to slowly absorb chaos mana could help stabilize the body?¡±


    Melantha shook her head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fix the true problem. The body has to balance both chromatic and chaotic mana all at once. It was an issue that required more than just the twin hearts. It requires the entire body to work in a unique balance.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Chaos is volatile. There would be too many complex permutations to account for. Not even Father could account for them all, unless¡­¡± Holo¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Unless what?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Unless he didn¡¯t account for them at all.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°What if¡­ What if Stryg¡¯s body wasn¡¯t magically altered? What if it was natural?¡±


    ¡°A natural mutation?¡±


    ¡°The body creating its own unique set of permutations capable of balancing both chromatic and chaotic elemental energies within itself,¡± said Holo.


    Melantha frowned. ¡°The likelihood of a mutation like that happening is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Practically impossible, I know. But it would explain why Father never returned for Stryg. He wasn¡¯t trying to create a twin-heart hybrid.¡±


    Melantha raised her eyebrow. ¡°And that¡¯s why he slept with a prime mageborn?¡± she asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Strange, sure, but it wouldn¡¯t be the first time. Think about it, if Death thought Stryg was a simple hybrid failure then he¡¯d have no reason to return or keep an eye on him.¡±


    Melantha nodded slowly. ¡°If Father had known, he would have never let Stryg out of his sight.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Mutations are common among hybrids, but Stryg¡¯s mutation is unique. One in which chaos wasn¡¯t present at birth unlike the rest of us, and instead developed later in life alongside its chromatic heart counterpart. Father would have never noticed it at his birth.¡±


    ¡°A natural mutation would make sense but¡­ the likelihood of that happening still seems impossible. And besides, Father never does anything out of a whim, especially sleeping with someone like a prime mage.¡±


    ¡°But even Father couldn¡¯t have designed such a unique mutation,¡± replied Holo.


    Melantha furrowed her brow. ¡°So it really is just what, a miracle then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Um?¡± Stryg spoke up hesitantly. ¡°Why does this even matter? So what if I have chromatic and chaos energies? So do the both of you.¡±


    Melantha gave him a dry look. ¡°You have a full spectrum of chromatic colors and you seem to have inherited our Father¡¯s power to such an intense degree that you are capable of igniting the Astral Light without dying.¡±


    ¡°And? I¡¯ve seen what you''re capable of. I can¡¯t even channel a tenth of that power,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You can¡¯t channel it deliberately, at least for now,¡± noted Melantha. ¡°Who knows what you might be capable of in the future? Someday your powers may equal mine in strength. But the strength of your powers was never why Father wanted a twin-heart hybrid. After all, neither of us will ever be as powerful as a Calamity.¡±


    ¡°Then why? What does it even matter if I have two hearts?¡±


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Holo placed her hand on top of his. ¡°Our Father has been looking for someone like you for a thousand years. Creating someone like you was one of the main reasons for why he founded the Morterm Order.¡±


    ¡°Why? ¡­What does he want from me?¡± Stryg whispered.


    Melantha and Holo shared a troubled look. ¡°Everything.¡±

 Chapter 550: Last Hope

    Chapter 550: Last Hope


    ¡°Then why? What does it even matter if I have two hearts?¡±


    ¡°Stryg,¡± Holo placed her hand on top of his. ¡°Our Father has been looking for someone like you for a thousand years. Someone like you was one of the main goals for why he founded the Morterm Order.¡±


    ¡°Why? ¡­What does he want from me?¡± he whispered.


    Melantha and Holo shared a troubled look. ¡°Everything.¡±


    Holo glanced out at the city of Hollow Shade in the distance, even in the darkness of night its presence loomed on the horizon. ¡°Do you know why I built the City of Shades there?¡±


    ¡°Because it was a strategic location?¡± Stryg guessed.


    Holo inclined her head, ¡°Explain.¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s because the city is built next to the Dire River that runs across the entire Realm. The merchants of Frost Rim can head down from their mountains and have their goods shipped down the river instead of having to sail around the continent through Hoarfrost Bay¡ª which I¡¯m told can be quite dangerous¡ª to the Ebon Sea. Thanks to the river, Frost Rim can ship precious ores to Murkton.¡±


    ¡°And with a little help from their blue mages, Murkton can send large shipments of crops from their fertile lands to the barren homes of Frost Rim,¡± finished Holo. ¡°It is a very symbiotic relationship. However, what part does Hollow Shade play in all of this? What needs do Great Cities have for our own city?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Holo smiled patiently. ¡°Hollow Shade provides a central marketplace for all of the countless small villages and towns sprawled across the land. They can have their goods put on the river boats, which work for Hollow Shade, and have them sent to the city, where they will more easily find customers who will pay a better price.¡±


    ¡°A strategic location,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. Our city¡¯s lords also provide soldiers who patrol for bandits that once used to prey on the Dire River. Now those bandits and pirates have moved on to the Ebon Sea, making the sea route more dangerous and expensive, which in turn makes merchants prefer the use of the river trade routes instead.¡±


    ¡°Which makes them rely on us,¡± Holo continued. ¡°We want the other Great Cities to rely on our trade power. It keeps them from trying to do anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Plus it keeps gold flowing through the city,¡± Melantha noted.


    ¡°And yet all of that pales in comparison to the main reason why I had the city built exactly where it is,¡± said Holo. ¡°You see, Stryg, I convinced the Ebon Lords to help me build this city right where it was for the reasons we¡¯ve just mentioned. But I could not care less for the gold. I had Hollow Shade built here because of what lies underneath the city, the greatest convergence of leylines in the entire Realm. I call it the Crosspoint.¡±


    ¡°Leylines¡­¡± Stryg muttered. He had read about them in advanced magical theory books at the academy. Details around them were vague with little grounded information to go off of. ¡°They¡¯re like rivers of mana?¡±


    Holo nodded. ¡°If Aleirune is the heart of this world, then the Null Realms are her body, and the leylines are the veins. Mana flows from Aleirune into the leylines and permeates the ground, slowly rising into the air.¡±


    ¡°Where mageborns slowly absorb the mana,¡± Stryg said in understanding.


    ¡°Yes. Leylines are pure concentrated streams of power, a power that almost no mage can ever sense, let alone touch. Only the greatest of mages can potentially tap into a leyline and only in a place like the Crosspoint where the leylines converge. But if they do manage to connect to the leylines they will be capable of wonders. It was through the leylines that the Ebon Lords and I built the Shade Wall.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Melantha interrupted, ¡°Such a power comes at a cost. A mortal body was never meant to hold such levels of mana. It destroys them, even tapping into the leylines for a few seconds could cut a mortal¡¯s lifespan in half.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°But then how did the Ebon Lords build the wall¡ª?¡± His eyes widened in realization. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a reason none of them survived long after the city¡¯s founding. It was a heavy price they paid. Of course, fear of the sun god¡¯s wrath helped them pay it easily,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a forbidden power then,¡± muttered Stryg.


    ¡°It is a divine power, it was never meant to be touched by mortals. Unfortunately, not even gods can truly wield the leylines¡¯ might anymore,¡± said Holo. ¡°At some point after the dragons arrived in the Null Realms, the leylines were tainted with chromatic mana, empowering them in a sense, but sealing their power from elemental creatures.¡±


    Melantha planted her hand on the grass, ¡°Only species descended from both dragons and elementals can access a leyline¡¯s power now. In other words, a chromatic species.¡±


    ¡°Like vampires or drows,¡± whispered Stryg.


    ¡°Or goblins,¡± added Melantha.


    ¡°Only the greatest of their mages can tap into a leyline,¡± noted Holo. ¡°But the leylines are like hurricanes of magic, it¡¯s almost impossible to find yourself within it. To make matters worse, there are too many chromatic colors permeating the leylines, you could easily lose yourself within it.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Leylines are storms of unpredictable magic, where your mind can easily be torn apart with one mistake.¡± Melantha winked, ¡°But that is where beings of chaos thrive. Among all the elemental species, a titan¡¯s chaotic nature gives them a unique edge in the leylines. In ancient times, before the leylines were tainted, titans used the leylines to create great cities and even built gates that stretched across our world and into the Null.¡±


    ¡°But after chromatic mana intermixed with the leylines, titans can no longer touch its power,¡± said Holo. ¡°Hybrids like us are the exception. What¡¯s more, our father discovered that true chromatic mageborns can focus in on their singular color amidst the storm and find some level of sense of self within the leylines and therefore draw upon its power more easily.¡±


    Stryg glanced at both of them curiously, ¡°Then you two¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Another reason why our father preferred to sire true chromatic hybrids,¡± said Melantha bitterly.


    Holo looked at Stryg with a troubled expression. ¡°The only chromatic mages who have an easier time accessing the leylines are prime mages. They wield all ten colors and can therefore sift through all the colors within the storm of magic. The Ebon Lords could access the leylines because of this, though they were all mortals, incapable of handling the power for long. I helped guide them as best I could, directing their power into the massive and complex enchantments that created the Shade Wall.¡±


    ¡°And yet they still died,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°And yet they still died,¡± Holo said softly.


    Melantha poked Stryg lightly in the chest, ¡°There has never been a first-generation titan hybrid with the powers of a prime mage. Even second-generations at best can wield six colors. And by the third generation, titan blood is so thin it hardly has any effect on them. You are unique, little brother.¡±


    Holo¡¯s expression grew solemn, ¡°With your abilities and enough time and training, you could potentially wield the full might of the leylines.¡±


    Stryg stretched his hand out to the stars. ¡°You¡¯re saying I could be like the titans of old?¡±


    ¡°Even more,¡± said Holo. ¡°The leylines have been empowered by chromatic mana. You¡¯d only be able to touch the leylines for brief moments, but who knows what you¡¯d be capable of during that time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why our Father wants you,¡± said Melantha. ¡°For all his power, there are things outside his realm of control. He would use you. For what exactly? Well, there are many secrets he kept to himself, but knowing Death, I doubt any of them will bode well for mortals.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll use the leylines to stop him,¡± said Stryg.


    Melantha sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°For one, you can only access a leyline¡¯s power while you are directly above one. Secondly, even with the powers of the leylines, you wouldn¡¯t be powerful enough to defeat a Calamity.¡±


    Stryg frowned, ¡°But I thought you said Stjerne wants this power for himself?¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s powers are great but that doesn¡¯t mean he can do anything. For example, he can¡¯t heal a cut on someone¡¯s finger, not without concocting an elixir of some sort. Whereas a simple white mage acolyte could do so with a simple spell, does that mean the acolyte is stronger than the god of death?¡±


    Stryg hung his head, ¡°I see your point¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do. If Father finds you, he could use your powers to accomplish things far worse than what Ananta did here and you couldn¡¯t do anything to stop him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not me, but you could. And Holo. And Lunae. You¡¯re titans too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, little one,¡± Holo lamented.


    Melantha shook her head, ¡°Titans are not born equal, neither are gods. Father is the strongest of the Calamities, the only titan who could ever challenge him is¡ª¡± She threw her hands up in frustration and looked away.


    ¡°Who?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°...Hope. His sister,¡± Melantha whispered.


    ¡°A Calamity?¡±


    ¡°The only Calamity who was not born from the pain and rage of the World Soul, but from the love Aleirune still held for this world,¡± whispered Holo. ¡°The Calamities were born on the day of the Sundering. They were born all throughout the Realm. When they were children, their true powers were still unknown to them, it was Death and Hope who found each other. They survived the wastelands together and found the others. They led the crusade against the dragons. And they ended the Sundering Age. If there is anyone who Death will listen to you, anyone who can save you, it¡¯s Hope.¡±


    ¡°But no one¡¯s seen Hope in a very long time,¡± muttered Melantha.


    ¡°So how do we find her?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°Holo and I have been looking for her for many years. I have some leads, traces of where she¡¯s been, but nothing solid, not yet. In any case, word will reach Father about your Astral Light incident. He will come searching for you, in time.¡±


    ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡± asked Stryg quietly.


    ¡°Hide,¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°What? This isn¡¯t what you think, it won¡¯t be some long-lost parent-child bonding moment. I know what it¡¯s like to grow up not knowing who he is, but believe me, Death isn¡¯t someone you want to get to know, he¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ But if Stjerne is as powerful as you say, then couldn¡¯t he help stop Ananta? Couldn¡¯t he find a way to stop the World Soul from dying?¡±


    ¡°Our Father had many encounters with Caligo,¡± said Holo. ¡°If anyone knew who Caligo really was it¡¯s him. And yet in all these years, Father didn¡¯t do anything to stop Caligo.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t help Caligo either, did he? Why?¡± whispered Stryg.


    Holo sighed. ¡°Who knows? We haven¡¯t really spoken much in 300 years. Even back then no one knew why Father did what he did. Sometimes it was just a game to him, other times it was a plan he had set in motion centuries beforehand.¡±


    ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea, but who else knows how to stop the Realms from fracturing?¡±


    ¡°There are others. Elemental gods more ancient than the Calamities, they were old even before the Sundering,¡± said Holo grimly. ¡°They are powerful, some even as powerful as the Calamities, some even wiser, but they answer to no one, save Aleirune herself. They will not help us.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just ask Aleirune for help?¡± said Stryg.


    Holo chuckled, ¡°Gods, I wish it were that easy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°The World Soul¡¯s voice has been silent since the Nexus Age when Lunis was nothing more than an idea. A thousand years of silence. Not even her own children have been able to commune with her.¡± Holo closed her eyes in reminiscence, ¡°Father tried, many times, but she never answered. One day, he just stopped. That¡¯s when he founded the Mortem Order.¡±


    ¡°When the Mother of Gods is silent, the Calamity will rain ruin on the land,¡± Melantha recited quietly.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Um, so is it weird if I spoke to her a few days back?¡±


    Melantha and Holo stared at him wide-eyed. ¡°What?¡±

 What If? Chapter: Halloween

    What If? Chapter: Halloween


    In the twilight hours of the town of Hallow Shade a blood-red sedan drove down a neighborhood street, passing by countless houses decorated in a myriad of Halloween decorations.


    ¡°They really went all out this year¡­¡± Aurelia muttered behind the steering wheel.


    ¡°You think that means they¡¯ll have more candy?¡± Stryg said with wide eyes as he stared out the passenger seat.


    Aurelia clicked her tongue, ¡°Is that all you think about?¡±


    ¡°You should have seen him at Valentine¡¯s,¡± Feli giggled from the backseat.


    Aurelia sighed, ¡°At this rate, you¡¯re going to get fat.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not. Look at my sister, she literally drinks enough to kill a pair of elephants and she doesn¡¯t gain an ounce. Besides, I haven¡¯t eaten today. I¡¯m just hungry.¡± Stryg crossed his arms.


    ¡°I feel like he¡¯s always hungry,¡± muttered Tauri.


    ¡°Especially in bed,¡± Maeve whispered to the girls in the back.


    The sedan slowed down and stopped on a corner street.


    ¡°Thanks for the ride, Mom,¡± Stryg said as he jumped out. ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t need it.¡±


    Aurelia scoffed. ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to let you drive back home drunk from Noir¡¯s party then you really are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even going to get drunk, Mom,¡± Stryg groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯s Dolores Noir¡¯s party, who knows what kind of weird alcohol she¡¯s got.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the drive, Ms.Veres.¡± Maeve climbed out from the back.


    Feli and Tauri did the same and echoed their gratitude.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him talk you into doing anything stupid,¡± Aurelia warned the girls. ¡°I¡¯m going to be busy tonight, call Lunae to pick you up.¡± And with that, she drove off.


    ¡°Finally, she¡¯s gone,¡± Stryg sighed in relief.


    ¡°She¡¯s nice. I like her,¡± said Maeve.


    ¡°Says the vampire.¡± Feli shivered, ¡°That woman is terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tauri winced and nodded.


    ¡°There you guys are!¡± Nora waved from a distance and jogged over.


    A white bedsheet with two holes for eyes ran beside her.


    Feli looked over Nora¡¯s costume. She wore tight black shorts, a crop top, puffy black paws, and cat ears. Long black whiskers were painted over her cheeks. ¡°Sexy black cat, nice,¡± she smirked.


    Nora blushed, ¡°It¡¯s not my style, but when Cly saw it at the store he really wanted to see me wear it.¡±


    Stryg glanced at the white bedsheet. ¡°A ghost? Very original.¡±


    Clypeus¡¯ scarlet eyes squinted as he smiled underneath the sheet. ¡°You know you like it.¡±


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t get stained with blood by the end of the night I¡¯ll be disappointed,¡± said Stryg.


    Clypeus reached out and flicked Stryg¡¯s popped-up red and black collar. ¡°Dracula, huh? Who¡¯s original now?¡±


    Stryg grinned and pulled his three girlfriends into his embrace, ¡°And the Count¡¯s three brides. We vant to drink your blood!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the blood part,¡± Feli said dryly.


    ¡°Same.¡± Tauri extracted herself from his embrace.


    ¡°I think you all look great,¡± said a cheerful voice from behind.


    They all turned and smiled.


    ¡°Cal, Kitty, you made it!¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Knights of the round always honor their oaths!¡± Callum bowed, his shining armor squeaking with the movement.


    Kithina groaned and pulled up her Guy Fawkes mask. ¡°How did you know it was me!?¡±


    ¡°Your real hair is sticking out,¡± Stryg pointed at the orange strands slipping between the black locks.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Kithina quickly tucked the orange strands underneath her black Puritan hat.


    ¡°Well, Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor, you should remember that next time you ask someone out on prom,¡± Kithina frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re never gonna let me live that down, are you?¡± Callum sighed.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she smiled.


    A white limousine drove up to the curb and the backdoor swung wide open.


    ¡°Your queen has arrived, bitches!¡± Freya strutted out, her scantily white robes billowing behind her.


    ¡°Oh, look who finally showed up,¡± said Clypeus flatly.


    Kitty cocked her eyebrow. ¡°And who are you supposed to be? Queen of the sluts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Eris, Greek goddess of strife, duh,¡± Freya growled and held up a golden apple.


    Kegrog stepped out of the limo behind her, his massive height made even more evident as he stood next to the dwarf.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re both late,¡± said Kithina.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Kegrog slammed his wooden staff into the ground and stroked his grey bush beard. ¡°A wizard arrives precisely when he means to.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± asked Maeve.


    ¡°A little,¡± Freya admitted, then smirked, ¡°Not as cold as Miss Kitty Cat though. Rawr.¡±


    Nora stepped behind Cly in embarrassment.


    ¡°Hey, where is Sylvie?¡± asked Callum.


    ¡°Her mom grounded her after she played hookie yesterday,¡± Stryg explained.


    Callum¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°Oh, that sucks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the horror,¡± Kithina waved her hands sarcastically. ¡°Whatever shall Ms. Perfect do while grounded in her mansion.¡±


    Clypeus cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, we should hurry and start trick-or-treating. We still need to visit Plum¡¯s haunted house before hitting up the Noir¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Callum said, eager to leave their conversation behind.


    The first house they went to was painted black, the walls and roof. Even the grass seemed a little grey. Giant cobwebs stretched across the yard and house. Blue light flickered in the pumpkins sitting on the porch.


    Stryg walked up first and knocked on the door. It swung open after the first knock. Louise, dressed up as a witch, stood in the doorway with an excited smile. ¡°~Whoooo do we have here~?¡±


    ¡°Trick-or-treat!¡± yelled the group of college students.


    Loh stepped out from behind the door and wrapped her arm around her lover. A black silk dress hugged her long legs and a pair of fake spider legs hung over her back. ¡°Look what we have here, the students who skipped my class yesterday and the professor who helped them.¡±


    Tauri sheepishly tried to hide behind Stryg to no avail.


    ¡°It was all Kitty¡¯s fault,¡± Stryg said without hesitation.


    Kithina twirled around, plastic daggers in hand, ¡°You lying son of a¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Are you guys gonna be at the party later?¡± interrupted Louise with a smile. ¡°My mother-in-law throws the best parties.¡±


    ¡°You mean the most drunk parties,¡± Loh rolled her eyes as she handed out mini candy bars to each of them.


    ¡°Yeah, we definitely won¡¯t miss it,¡± Callum nodded politely.


    ¡°Thanks for the candy!¡± Feli waved them goodbye.


    The next house looked ordinary enough, if one ignored the countless trimmed rose bushes and the pair of marble horse statues displayed proudly in front of the home. There were no Halloween decorations, though Stryg had a feeling that they still had candy.


    Freya strutted forward and knocked on the door.


    Marek opened the door, dressed as an 80¡¯s barbarian, a giant sword strapped to his shirtless back. He put on his best glower and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Who dares come to my home?¡±


    Freya looked up with wide fearful eyes. ¡°U-Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave her be, dear.¡± Ophelia walked over, dressed in a flowery vibrant green dress, a bright red wig, and emerald lipstick. Her lips curled in a sultry smile, ¡°She clearly knows how to dress for the occasion.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Marek grunted and pulled out a weathered cloth sack. He swung it forward and a wave of candy fell out on the porch. Ophelia slammed the door shut.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Freya asked. ¡°What assholes!¡±


    A shadow hand came out from underneath Stryg¡¯s cape and swept up the candy into his jack-o-lantern bucket without hesitation.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± Nora yelled and tried to grab some.


    Stryg yanked his bucked back and hissed. ¡°Mine!¡± Then he ran off down the street.


    ¡°Did he really just take all the candy?¡± Nora blinked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Clypeus chuckled with a shake of his head. ¡°Come on, if we don¡¯t hurry he¡¯s gonna clean out the entire neighborhood.¡± He grabbed his girlfriend¡¯s hand and threw her on his back. She yelped, then giggled as he chased after Stryg.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with those two?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°Stryg gets like this every Halloween,¡± Feli sighed.


    ¡°Imagine what he¡¯s like on Christmas.¡± Maeve felt goosebumps crawl up her arms.


    ~~~


    The last house on their route seemed actually abandoned. The windows were broken in, the walls were stained, the roof seemed in disrepair, and the grass was dead. There were no decorations, unless the entire house was a decoration.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re skipping this house, right?¡± asked Maeve.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s my cousin¡¯s. She just likes to go all out on Halloween,¡± Stryg sighed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is the right place?¡± whispered Feli.


    The front door swung open with a loud creak as they stepped up on the porch.


    Callum glanced around conspicuously. ¡°I¡¯ll wait on the sidewalk.¡±


    ¡°Pussy!¡± Freya shouted.


    ¡°Fuck you too.¡± Callum gave her the finger as he walked away.


    ¡°Coward,¡± Freya scoffed and walked inside, Kegrog close behind her.


    The house was empty, not a single light on. The dusty wooden floors creaked with every step. And a quiet child¡¯s laugh echoed through the house.


    ¡°Are you sure this is safe?¡± Nora mumbled to her boyfriend.


    Clypeus glanced at Stryg who just shrugged. ¡°Probably.¡±


    A white fox sat on the ruined kitchen table staring at them with wide cold eyes. The fridge screeched open and a scrunched-up clown emerged, her limbs bent all around her at strange broken angles.


    ¡°Welcome home, kids,¡± the Monster in the Dark giggled and bared her sharp yellow teeth in a too-wide smile.


    Freya tensed for a moment, then shook her head and stepped forward, holding out her bucket. ¡°Trick-or-treat.¡±


    ¡°Trick¡­ or¡­ treat¡­?¡± The clown¡¯s limbs began to untangle with a horrid creaking of bones.


    Kegrog cleared his throat, ¡°Babe, I don¡¯t think we should¡ª¡±


    Freya stomped her foot. ¡°Just give us the candy you raggedy creepy-ass clown!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she giggled. ¡°One question¡­ Do you want to float?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Freya frowned.


    ¡°Yeah, I see where this is going. I¡¯m out.¡± Stryg turned around, tossed Tauri on his back, and picked up Feli and Maeve in his arms, then dashed out of the house.


    Clypeus glanced at Stryg once then followed, after carrying Nora princess-style.


    ¡°Hey, guys, wait up¡ª Oh, what the fuck!?¡± Freya screamed as her feet left the ground and she began floating towards an unending ceiling.


    ¡°Freya!¡± Kegrog yanked her back and threw her out the door. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Kegrog, noo!¡± Freya screamed as Kegrog floated away.


    Kithina scrambled outside but a pale grey arm shot out from Ananta¡¯s back and pulled her back into the shadows. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, pretties, don¡¯t you want candies?¡±


    Callum watched his friends all run out as if their lives depended on it. ¡°What the fuck happened? Where¡¯s Kitty and Kegrog?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine, probably,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°I think that concludes our trick-or-treating for the evening,¡± Clypeus said dryly.


    Nora pushed herself out of his arms and dusted herself off. ¡°Come on, Plum¡¯s waiting for us at her haunted house.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Nice job, Ann,¡± Lin Lu said sarcastically.


    Ananta stared out the window as the kids ran out. A dozen arms stood out her back, each holding a handful of candy. ¡°Was I too much?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, full-size candy bars!¡± Kithina yelled excitedly.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m flying! I¡¯m flying!¡± Kegrog shouted as he flapped his arms around in the air and laughed.


    ~~~


    The group of friends found themselves in front of an ¡®abandoned house¡¯ with colorful lights shining out from the windows. A hundred different Halloween decorations hung from the walls and stuck out from the bright green grass.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look nearly as scary as the last place,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°Might as well get this over with,¡± Stryg sighed and walked in. The others followed.


    Flickering fake candles lit the hallway. A door slammed open and an ogre jumped out, a chainsaw aimed at Feli. She flinched, just as Clypeus socked the ogre in the face.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± The ogre dropped the chainsaw and collapsed, rolling on the ground.


    ¡°Rorik, is that you?¡± Stryg asked.


    Clypeus shifted in his ghost blanket. ¡°Apologies. Reflex.¡±


    ¡°You broke my fucking nose!¡± Rorik groaned.


    Clypeus looked around awkwardly, ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Tauri stared at Rorik for a moment and scrunched her nose. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be fine. Just put some ice on it.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll buy you a drink later.¡± Stryg walked over Rorik¡¯s prone form.


    The others followed suit and walked over him.


    ¡°I hope you feel better, Captain Rorik,¡± Feli apologized before hurrying after Stryg.


    ¡°T-thanks Fe¡ª ugh!¡± Rorik gasped as Freya stepped on his gut as she walked past.


    The group saw a few more jump scares, but no one really reacted, leaving the actors standing there uncomfortably.


    Tauri sighed, ¡°Man, after your cousin¡¯s place, this doesn¡¯t seem scary at all.¡±


    ¡°I know, right!? I was thinking the same!¡± agreed Nora.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go find Plum so she knows we came to support her and then we can split,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Yeah, for sure,¡± Nora nodded.


    Carnival music suddenly began blaring through the next room and Vayu jumped out of a crate dressed as a clown. He laughed like a psycho while he juggled daggers, and tossed one at them.


    Maeve squeaked as the dagger sailed way above her head. Stryg reached up and snatched the blade from the air. Twirling the dagger in his hand he glanced at Vayu, ¡°My turn.¡± He aimed the dagger at Vayu¡¯s absurdly large hat, pulled his arm back, and threw it. The blade spun through the air and landed cleanly through his thigh.


    Vayu stared at it for a moment and the other two daggers slipped out of his hands and stabbed straight into his feet. ¡°Argghhh!?¡±


    ¡°Oooh, I missed,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°You both are menaces,¡± Maeve glared at Clypeus and Stryg.


    Callum sighed and began to channel White. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s alright. You guys go on ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, cousin?¡± asked Maeve.


    ¡°Yeah, Halloween has never been my thing. Drinking on the other hand,¡± Callum grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the party.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you will,¡± Maeve rolled her eyes.


    ~~~


    They finally came across a giant pair of freshly painted black double doors. Stryg pushed them open and was faced with a massive throne room. A black throne sat at the end, and a succubus lounged atop it.


    Plum smiled seductively. ¡°Well, well, well, it seems a group of adventurers have made it all the way to me. Welcome to hell.¡±


    Pillars of fire shot out from the corners of the room and ghosts floated downwards, wailing and screeching.


    Plum snarled. ¡°Bow to your demon queen or die.¡±


    They all looked around the throne room in disappointment. Tauri yawned.


    ¡°W-Wh-What are you doing!?¡± Plum shouted, her voice losing momentum. ¡°I said BOW!¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just not very scary, ya know?¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Plum furrowed her brow. ¡°But there¡¯s ghosts! And fire!¡±


    Freya waved her hand and channeled Yellow. A powerful gust of wind swept through the chamber and the illusionary ghosts broke apart in clouds of purple dust.


    ¡°Your illusions aren¡¯t even strong,¡± Freya clicked her tongue.


    ¡°W-Well, what about the fire! It¡¯s real fucking fire!¡± Plum shouted and stood from her throne.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s cool, but like, it does really move. It just sits there, might as well be a fireplace. Not really scary,¡± Feli observed.


    ¡°Well, fuck you guys! I worked hard on this!¡± Plum said, teary-eyed. ¡°If you hate it so much why don¡¯t you try and be scary!¡±


    ¡°Plum, that¡¯s not what we meant,¡± Nora began apologetically. ¡°Really, it¡¯s nice¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Stryg rolled his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m up to the challenge.¡±


    Feli frowned. ¡°Babe, what are you doing?¡±


    Plum pointed her pitchfork at him. ¡°~Ooh look at me, I¡¯m DisCount Dracula, I¡¯m so scary~¡±


    Stryg leaped across the throne room in a flash and pounced on Plum. Her scream was cut short as Stryg bit down on her neck. She gasped for breath but none came. Her eyes rolled up and she went limp.


    ¡°Oh shit, he actually bit her!¡± Freya gasped.


    Stryg pulled off her horned hairband before unceremoniously dropping Plum¡¯s unconscious body. With a flick of his foot, he kicked her pitchfork up, snatched it, and sat down on the throne. He slipped the headband on, the black horns settling nicely on his pale hair. He crossed his feed, leaned back, and smiled sinisterly. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the demon king now.¡±


    Nora frowned. ¡°Stryg, this isn¡¯t funny. Plum is literally twitching. You should heal her before anything happens¡ª¡±


    Stryg snapped his fingers. ¡°Cly.¡±


    Clypeus jumped Nora from behind. She yelled in shock as he wrapped his arms around her. His fangs poked out from the bedsheet and sang into her pale neck. She stiffened and gasped as blood poured down the sheet, staining it red.


    Feli, Maeve, Tauri, and Freya looked at each other, fear in their eyes. They slowly began to walk backwards while keeping an eye on Stryg.


    ¡°Stryg, this isn¡¯t funny,¡± Feli said shakily.


    Maeve immediately knelt and bowed her head, ¡°I shall gladly serve you, your infernal majesty.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Tauri snapped.


    ¡°I know how hungry he gets when he starts drinking, I don¡¯t want to be a blood bag all damn night!¡±


    ¡°You traitorous bitch!¡± Freya sneered.


    Stryg dragged his finger across his throat. ¡°Maeve, take her out.¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you dare¡ª¡± Freya turned, but it was too late. Maeve jumped her before she could channel her mana and bit down on her shoulder. Maeve was petite, but she was still about the same height as the dwarf and her vampiric strength quickly overwhelmed Freya.


    Feli watched in stunned silence as Freya looked up at her pleadingly, her golden eyes glazing over as she blacked out.


    ¡°Stryg, this isn¡¯t funny!¡± Feli yelled.


    ¡°I know.¡± Shadow tendrils shot out from his throne and grabbed her by her ankles and wrists. She screamed as he yanked her forward and caught her by the throat. He bit her wrist and watched as the last of her breath left her and her body went limp.


    Stryg cradled Feli¡¯s unconscious body like a demon cradling his prey. He licked her cheek, leaving a slick blood trail. His eyes glowed in the dark as he swept across the throne, finally settling his gaze on Tauri. Maeve and Clypeus stood to their feet, leaving their prey on the floor, and followed their king¡¯s gaze, their scarlet eyes gleaming with hunger.


    Stryg leaned forward and bared his bloodied fangs. ¡°Run.¡±


    Tauri sprinted away as fast as she could.


    ~~~


    Callum stood on the sidewalk, an arm hooked under Vayu¡¯s shoulder, holding him up. With his free hand, he held his phone and called an ambulance. ¡°I did what I could, the healers will take care of the rest. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Vayu mumbled weakly.


    Dozens of wretched screams suddenly began ringing through the haunted house.


    ¡°Huh, it looks like your team is doing a good job scaring visitors,¡± Callum smiled.


    Vayu furrowed his brow. ¡°No¡­ Those are my team¡¯s voices.¡±


    Tauri burst through the front door, covered in sweat and gasping for breath. She spotted Callum and ran towards him when a blue hand yanked her back by the hair. Tauri slammed into the porch hard and groaned in a daze.


    ¡°Professor?¡± Callum called out warily. He could have sworn he saw Stryg¡¯s hand but the blue goblin was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°H-help,¡± she managed to spit out. ¡°HELP!¡± she screamed as something dragged her back into the house. Her nails dug across the wooden planks and her voice was suddenly cut short as the door slammed shut.


    Vayu glanced at Callum. ¡°Wanna get a drink?¡±


    ¡°...Yup.¡±

 Chapter 551: Aleirune

    Chapter 551: Aleirune


    Holo closed her eyes in reminiscence, ¡°Father tried, many times, but Aleirune never answered. One day, he just stopped. That¡¯s when he founded the Mortem Order.¡±


    ¡°When the Mother of Gods is silent, the Calamity will rain ruin on the land,¡± Melantha recited quietly.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side, ¡°Um, so is it weird if I spoke to her a few days back?¡±


    Melantha and Holo stared at him wide-eyed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Melantha shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Stryg shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°It was only for a moment, but she told me her name was Aleirune.¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes curiously. ¡°Tell us exactly what happened.¡±


    ¡°Well, I uh, I was walking through the trees in Vulture Woods and I sat down to meditate. I closed my eyes and then I heard the music.¡±


    ¡°Music? What music?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, a song, I guess.¡±


    Melantha furrowed her brow. ¡°A song in the middle of the forest?¡±


    ¡°The song of the forest. You know, the notes whispered in the air, spoken through the roots of the trees.¡± Stryg ran his fingers across the grassy hill underneath him, ¡°I can barely hear it here and only when I focus.¡±


    Melantha and Holo glanced at each other and shared a pensive look.


    Holo cleared her throat, ¡°Tell me, Stryg, what else did you hear?¡±


    He closed his eyes and lay down on the grass, arms stretched wide. ¡°Everything. The river. The earth. The wind. It all felt natural, like it belonged, except for the people.¡±


    ¡°The people?¡± Holo asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Their notes are different, they don¡¯t belong in the melody. They¡¯re all dissonant. Except for hers. Her melody was there before the rest; the base of the song, as if all the other notes were built upon it. Her voice was beautiful, but it felt¡­¡±


    ¡°Felt like what?¡±


    ¡°It felt like she was in pain. And when I realized that I saw her. She was hiding behind a veil, like a window shattered into a thousand colorful shards. She told me I wasn¡¯t ready, that I shouldn¡¯t go to Hollow Shade.¡±


    ¡°She warned you not to come here?¡± Melantha whispered. ¡°She actually spoke to you¡­¡±


    ¡°I barely spoke to her, her song faded away quickly,¡± he sighed. ¡°She told me I¡¯d find her again, then she was gone¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard this song before?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°Yeah. It felt so familiar. It¡¯s harder to hear within the city, but when I¡¯m here, it¡¯s a little easier.¡±


    ¡°And in Vulture Woods?¡±


    ¡°I can close my eyes and it¡¯s right there. Can¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    Holo smiled bittersweetly, ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Melantha cocked her eyebrow. ¡°You never thought to question the fact that you can hear a song that others cannot?¡±


    Stryg shrugged, ¡°I dunno, it just felt like I wasn¡¯t supposed to?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Melantha asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I think someone told me not to, but I can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s like a dream, where you have a feeling but you just can¡¯t picture it.¡±


    Holo sighed deeply, ¡°What you heard is the Song of the World Soul. It is the voice of Aleirune, the song she sang when she brought life into the land. Its notes still echo throughout nature to this day. Or so the legends say.¡±


    ¡°There have been few beings in existence who could hear the song,¡± said Melantha. ¡°It¡¯s not a skill you learn, it¡¯s a blessing you''re born with.¡±


    ¡°A blessing from whom?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°Aleirune herself,¡± replied Holo. ¡°She hasn¡¯t bestowed such a blessing on anyone in over a thousand years. There are none left who can hear her song, save you. I wonder¡­ Perhaps your twin hearts aren¡¯t a fluke after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Aleirune had something to do with his hearts?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a coincidence that the one being who has managed to possess not only chaotic elemental energy and a full range of chromatic colors happens to also be blessed by Aleirune?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s true, then the implications alone¡­ hm, I have a lot to think about,¡± muttered Melantha.


    ¡°Agreed. In the meanwhile,¡± Holo smiled, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you properly meet our family.¡±


    ¡°Your family?¡± asked Stryg uncertainly.


    ¡°No, our family.¡± Holo grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.


    ~~~


    ¡­Hollow Shade, Central District, Katag Manor¡­


    ¡°Lady Veres. A word, if you please,¡± said Evelyn Katag.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Elise stepped out from behind Lynette Gale and broke into a confident smile. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    Evelyn whispered a few words to her husband before leading Elise and Lynette out of the main hall. Lord Krall turned his attention to calming down his guests and ordering the guards to stand down. Lucas carried Tauri to the infirmary, Niko trailing behind.


    Elise found herself in Evelyn¡¯s private chambers, the walls lined with enchantments to prevent eavesdropping. She took a seat at a small table and watched calmly as Evelyn paced across the room. Lynette stood in the corner, silently watching their exchange.


    ¡°Something on your mind, old friend?¡± asked Elise with a languid posture.


    ¡°Friend?¡± Evelyn turned on her with a snarl. ¡°What was that out there!? You told me you were going to tear Stryg down. But instead, you have your hound point her sword at my son! What''s worse, you did publicly it in front of dozens of nobles. You may have just caused a war between both our houses, all for the sake of ¡®protecting¡¯ Stryg. You escalated a situation that we could have resolved peacefully. What were you thinking!?¡± She threw her hands up in frustration, ¡°What happened to the woman who said she would stop at nothing to regain her place on the Veres Throne.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± she asked innocently.


    Evelyn stopped in her steps. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what you called me earlier tonight?¡±


    ¡°...I said you are a spider queen.¡± Her amber eyes widened, ¡°I asked you if I was a part of your web tonight¡­ you never gave me an answer.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems now you have it.¡±


    ¡°This was your plan all along¡­?¡± Evelyn muttered shakily. ¡°You lied to me. You manipulated me. You wanted me to be on my guard, no, you wanted me to be against you. Why?¡±


    ¡°Not everything is a lie, old friend. Was I angry when I discovered that an outsider had taken my place as head of my family? Did I feel betrayed by the ones I held close? Of course, I did. Who wouldn¡¯t?¡± Elise leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, ¡°But then I had some time to myself to think this afternoon. It allowed me to set aside my emotions, and see things with a different perspective.¡±


    ¡°And what perspective was that?¡±


    ¡°That to survive in our world, women like us must be willing and able to adapt.¡± Elise chuckled to herself, ¡°It¡¯s funny, years ago Callum came to me talking about a blue goblin he had met at the academy. I told my brother to befriend the talented blossoming mage, he¡¯d serve as a powerful ally in the future. But Callum is too soft you see, he didn¡¯t have the steel in his heart to ¡®use¡¯ his friend. I am not my brother.¡±


    ¡°You plan to use Stryg? And then what? You¡¯ll strike  him down like you did your family?¡±


    ¡°My family? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she replied casually. ¡°As for Stryg, no. Why would I want to hurt him?¡±


    Evelyn narrowed her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re content to let him just take the Veres Throne; all your power and glory, all of it?¡±


    Elise¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°I have no interest in something as self-damning as glory. Did you really think I grew tired of the obscurity of shadows? I have lived my entire life in the shadows, why would I want to leave now? The shadows have always served me well.¡±


    ¡°You seemed eager enough to take the position of Lady of your House,¡± she noted skeptically.


    ¡°You think I wanted to be Lady Veres so I could have a target painted on my back? What sort of imbecile would want that? It was simply a necessary risk that comes with the power, but now thanks to Stryg I don¡¯t have to take that risk. He can take it for me.¡±


    ¡°You plan to use him then? He¡¯ll find out soon enough and then he¡¯ll kill you. It¡¯s common practice among your family, isn¡¯t it?¡± Evelyn taunted.


    Elise laughed. ¡°Only sometimes. But Stryg won¡¯t ¡®find out¡¯ I plan to use him. I intend to tell him myself.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked warily.


    ¡°I believe you have a very gross misunderstanding of me. You think I am Stryg¡¯s enemy, where in fact I am his most loyal ally. I want him to succeed, he must succeed.¡±


    ¡°Then why sabotage the dinner?¡±


    Elise leaned back in her chair with a sly grin. ¡°Like you, I have spies in many places, except mine are far better.¡±


    She smirked wryly. ¡°Is that right¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your House is young, whereas House Veres has stood for a thousand years and some. Our shadows stretch deeper in these lands than you know. Ever since Undergrowth, there were whispers of Tauri¡¯s ¡®closeness¡¯ with Stryg. When I saw the way Elena looked at the pair at dinner I had confirmed it, as had Elena it seemed. At which point it was easy enough to prod at their insecurities with innocent questions. Honestly, I thought I would have to do so much more, but Elena made it easy.¡±


    ¡°You used my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Says the mother who forced her daughter into her engagement.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do all of this? You wanted Elena to oust Stryg in front of everyone? Embarrass him? Break up their betrothal?¡±


    Elise smiled. ¡°Nonsense. The engagement will continue, I will make sure of it. As for your House, I¡¯m certain you and Krall will do the same.¡±


    Evelyn crossed her arms. ¡°Why would we?¡±


    ¡°Because you just announced your public support to the ¡®Ebon Prince¡¯ in front of an army of nobles. With only a few words, you¡¯ve made enemies with so many other powers that be, that now you need our House as much as we need yours.¡±


    ¡°If you need us, then why antagonize Stryg and my daughters at all?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, not really. I just couldn¡¯t have you as Stryg¡¯s confidante,¡± she answered calmly. ¡°You see, perception is key. The way we perceive our allies and especially our¡ª ¡®enemies.¡¯ Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Evelyn frowned. ¡°Our Houses are allies now. We are his confidantes¡ª¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened slowly in dawning realization. ¡°That¡¯s why you spoke to me before dinner. You wanted me to have my guard up¡­ because if I did, then you would seem like my enemy¡­ And if you came to Stryg¡¯s aid then I would seem like his enemy.¡±


    Elise rose to her feet, ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not truly enemies, my dear friend. Our families will soon be joined by marriage. But whereas before, Stryg may have relied on you and left himself open to your manipulations, now he will be more wary.¡±


    ¡°I was never going to manipulate him,¡± Evelyn frowned.


    Elise rolled her scarlet eyes. ¡°Oh, really? So you just happened to offer your most loyal daughter, Elena, to be his wife? It couldn¡¯t have been because you wanted to have Elena whisper your plans into Stryg¡¯s ear.¡±


    Evelyn clenched her jaw, ¡°You are wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t have any problem arranging for Tauri to marry Stryg instead then, hm? It¡¯s not like Tauri loves Stryg enough to stand up against her own family and that she would put his well-being before your will and machinations.¡± Elise chuckled, ¡°I mean, clearly Tauri and you haven¡¯t had a difficult relationship over the years, right?¡±


    ¡°You think this is all so simple, huh?¡± Evelyn growled. ¡°You think now that you have pushed my plans aside that you¡¯ll be able to manipulate Stryg in whatever way you want?¡±


    Elise shook her head. ¡°There is no need to manipulate Stryg. We are family. I am of his blood. I will give him full support and in turn, he will do the same. I will guide his rise to power and help him take the royal throne of this city. And when he wields power over every House in Hollow Shade, who will he have to thank? Me.¡± Elise stretched her arms wide, ¡°I will have the ear of the Ebon King, while still ruling as Lady of House Veres. No need for subterfuge.¡±


    ¡°You really thought this through. And here I thought we were friends,¡± Evelyn said dryly.


    ¡°Oh come now, of course we are friends. In the end, your family benefits from this as well. Your daughter will be the queen consort. I¡¯m sure you and I will work well together in the coming days.¡±


    Elise walked to the door.


    ¡°What do you want? What are you really after?¡± asked Evelyn.


    ¡°I have only ever wanted one thing. The power for Callum and I to live our lives in peace, without the threat of others hanging over me. Stryg will allow us to do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°Believe what you will.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this? Why tell me your plans?¡±


    ¡°Because you asked me, of course.¡±


    ¡°...Am I still on your web? Are you only telling me these things to manipulate how I react in the future?¡±


    Elise smiled warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to you to decide.¡± She opened the door and walked out. Lynette gave a curt nod to Evelyn and followed after her mistress.

 Chapter 552: Tea

    Chapter 552: Tea


    The walk back to Hollow Shade was filled with silence. Though Holo had carried them outside the city through various Flicker spells she had decided to withhold her Orange magic and let them walk through the grassy hills of the valley, all the way back to the city.


    Stryg had dozens of questions for his sisters but he held them back and tried to face the problems he had been avoiding ever since Ananta had told him the truth of his nature. If he kept ignoring them, if he kept rejecting who he was, then tonight¡¯s incident would repeat itself.


    He was a titan, a hybrid of mixed descent, but predominantly a titan. He hated that, it felt as if fate itself had taken away the part of him that made him a goblin, that made him Sylvan. But he supposed Lunae was a titan and who was more Sylvan than the Mother of the Sylvan Tribes? The thought gave him some comfort.


    As they reached the gates Stryg got his first good look at the shade wall since the siege. The once ebon black stone was now a semi-translucent grey like glass covered by a thick layer of dust.


    ¡°Someday I¡¯ll restore it,¡± said Holo, determined.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a prime archmage to help you and last I checked, the Ebon Realm is lacking them,¡± said Melantha.


    Holo glanced at Stryg. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find one, in time.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hear her, his mind was elsewhere.


    The gates were closed, as usual. Hollow Shade always closed its gates at night, on account of the shades. Now the shades were gone, but looking up at the giant wall looming over them still made Stryg feel small.


    ¡°How long do we have to wait until one of the guards notices us?¡± asked Melantha.


    ¡°Not long,¡± replied Holo.


    Stryg stared at the wall¡¯s design with a new perspective. A black marble statue of a skull and a sun stood on the sides of the gates respectively. He had always wondered why the city¡¯s banner was a black sun with a skull at its center.


    The dead god of the sun. It was as if they were gloating about Solis¡¯ supposed death. No wonder the Sylvan and Valley Tribes despised the Ebon Lords.


    Above the gates, a line of ancient sigils were etched into the magestone. ¡®Protection of Death.¡¯


    Stryg hadn¡¯t understood what those words meant the day he first entered Hollow Shade. He imagined it must have been some kind of warning about the shades. Now he knew better.


    ¡°This place, these walls. Why does it speak about Stjerne? It¡¯s your city, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.


    Holo scratched her cheek. ¡°I built the city, yes. But Father helped me design the shade walls.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When the walls were built the Schism disaster had yet to destroy the Realm Bridges. The Ebon Lords hadn¡¯t ordered the destruction of the realm¡¯s chrome gates. The Mortem Order still stood.¡±


    ¡°Then everything began to fall apart not a year later. Three centuries after that and things look even worse,¡± Melantha chuckled sardonically.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Holo replied dryly. ¡°This is taking too long.¡± She grabbed them each by the shoulder and Flickered them across the wall and into the streets.


    The night streets were empty save for an undead sentinel that bowed in their presence before walking on.


    Stryg glanced at the two women, his sisters he reminded himself, a strange concept, yet one he needed to get used to. ¡°How old are you two?¡±


    ¡°412,¡± answered Melantha without hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ old,¡± Stryg muttered, stunned. He thought Gian was old, but even the elder vampire was only a little over 300.


    ¡°To titan-kind she is relatively quite young,¡± noted Holo.


    Melantha laughed, ¡°If you think I¡¯m old, then Holo may as well be a pile of bones. She is well over a thousand.¡±


    ¡°A thousand!?¡± Stryg stared at Holo with wide eyes.


    She shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°Why do you look so surprised? Lunae is over twice as old. I don¡¯t see you freaking out whenever she walks by.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, she¡¯s a goddess. Gods are supposed to be old. But you¡¯re, well, you¡¯re my sister. I guess¡­ It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°You do realize both of us are worshiped as deities in other Realms, right?¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg stared at his sisters as if he had never seen them before. If they were gods then what did that mean for him¡­?


    He shook his head. ¡°I have so many questions.¡±


    Holo¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Go right ahead.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a thousand years old then did you ever meet Veres I?¡±


    ¡°I did and his partner Gale. We were on opposite sides of the wars, though.¡±


    ¡°Opposite sides? What war?¡±


    ¡°Wars. As in several. I¡¯m half-drow. Back then the drows and vampires fought for control over the lands of Frost Rim. Bellum wanted to get involved, but with Father in her way, she was forced to stay back. As for Father himself, he was content to mostly just watch, so I didn¡¯t really involve myself either, but suffice it to say Veres and Gale still weren¡¯t very fond of me. Koval was different. I met Koval when he was still just an apprentice in the Bronze Realm. We were friends.¡±


    ¡°You were friends with Koval the Unifier¡­?¡± Stryg found himself smiling excitedly. ¡°What was he like? What was Veres like?¡±


    ¡°Hm, Veres was never much of a talker. He was cold, brooding. It only got worse after Gale died. Koval was much more tempered. He aspired to be like his master, Parathyan. Now there was a man whose work spoke for him.¡±


    Stryg stopped in his steps. ¡°Wait. You knew Parathyan? The Great Artificer?¡±


    Holo smiled in reminiscence. ¡°I still remember when Parathyan forged the first chrome gate. He changed the world.¡±


    ¡°Parathyan was one of the rare few outside of the dragon race whose chromatic magic transcended the power of an archmage and became something entirely else,¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± Holo smirked. ¡°Our dear Nel is one of those rare few as well, though her talents lie in more¡ª destructive forces.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Melantha shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m immortal. I¡¯ve had time to develop and grow my powers. Parathyan was a mere mortal. He didn¡¯t have the powers of a titan and yet he saw more than any of us. Even gods admired his work.¡±


    ¡°Did¡­ Did our Father admire him?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°Death was fascinated by Parathyan¡¯s work,¡± replied Holo. ¡°Parathyan was one of the few beings in the entire world whose magical intellectual prowess matched Father¡¯s. He actually understood the complex arcane designs and equations Father had created. The two of them were close.¡±


    ¡°Together they could have accomplished anything,¡± added Melantha quietly.


    ¡°They had plans, Parathyan and Father. Plans that would change everything, or so they used to say on quiet nights atop the mountains of the Bronze Realm,¡± said Holo bittersweetly. ¡°...But it all fell apart.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± whispered Stryg.


    ¡°A story for another time. We should hurry; don¡¯t want to be late for midnight tea.¡±


    ¡°Midnight tea?¡±


    Holo winked, ¡°The strong stuff.¡±


    ~~~


    Evelyn found her lord husband sitting alone in his study next to the crackling fireplace. A tea set sat on the table, along with two small ceramic pots, filled to the brim with tea leaves. The tea set was custom made by a potter in Murkton, said to be the greatest living potter in all the Realm. Krall had been so excited that he personally had traveled all the way to Murkton and picked up the tea set himself.


    She could still remember the big dumb smile he had worn the day he got back. That smile was nowhere to be seen now. A pang of worry struck her heart. When people looked at Krall all they could see was the giant walking mass of muscle that crushed their skull with a simple grip of his hand. They saw the berserker delighting in bloodlust. They saw the lord of the Great House of Katag. Krall was all these things but none of them were him.


    Her husband never enjoyed fighting, though he was the most skilled general the city had seen in decades. In this Lord Elzri Noir and he were alike. Kindred souls, powerful in their own right, yet neither had interest in wielding such power. They did it out of necessity and duty to their Houses. Now Elzri was gone and Evelyn could see the way it weighed heavily on Krall. A shadow rested on his face that hadn¡¯t been there before. It was in the way he moved just a little slower and the way his voice trailed off sometimes.


    Krall had seemed so happy and full of life at the dinner party, but Evelyn knew he had been forcing himself for the sake of appearances. He was still recovering from the battle injuries. She knew underneath his shirt lay a field of bandages. He had probably opened some of the wounds tonight.


    Evelyn closed the door behind herself softly. ¡°The guests have all left.¡±


    He stirred slightly at her voice. ¡°...That¡¯s good.¡±


    She walked over to him. ¡°You should get some rest and have one of the healers look at you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe later¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t finish your tea?¡±


    ¡°...I was trying a new strain of tea leaves.¡±


    She gently pried his fingers off the teacup and took it from him. It was cold. How long had he been sitting here staring at the fire?


    ¡°Was the blend good?¡±


    ¡°...Terrible.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± She smiled coyly, ¡°I was hoping I could try some.¡±


    His expression slowly brightened at her words. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°H-Hold on. Just one sec!¡± Krall lumbered to his feet and hurried over to his desk.


    ¡°Be careful, you¡¯ll tear your stitches.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Are you even listening?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± He opened one of the drawers and carefully pulled out a third ceramic jar. This one had a little ribbon tied around it, with a note attached that simply said #241. He opened it with a giant¡¯s gentle touch and poured out the dried leaves into a fresh hot cup of water.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this particular blend for a few months now.¡± He handed her the cup and held up his hands before she took a sip, ¡°You should wait a little while. Let the water really absorb the flavor.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Do you want some honey?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°The blend still needs a bit of adjustment. I need to talk to Gram to have him adjust it tomorrow morning.¡±


    Evelyn smirked. She loved his childish eagerness. ¡°You know, I think you¡¯re the only person I know who hired a master green mage for the sake of caretaking your tea bushes.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because most people don¡¯t have a taste for the finer things in life.¡±


    Her smile slowly faded and her expression grew solemn. ¡°...How is Tauri?¡±


    Krall sighed deeply and sank into his chair. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. The healers said she had been simply drained of her energy. The head healer said whoever used the drain spell on her was a very skilled master of Grey magic; they drained her lifeforce in a burst quick enough to knock her unconscious, but not a drop more, preventing any sort of damage. She¡¯ll wake up soon enough. All in all, things worked out alright.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem angry that our daughter was almost kidnapped by a dangerous, possibly mad, battle mage.¡±


    ¡°That ¡®mage¡¯ is our future son-in-law and he obviously loves her. Not just anyone would dare kidnap his love in front of her whole family. The kid¡¯s brave.¡±


    ¡°The word you''re looking for is arrogant, insane, or tyrannical.¡±


    ¡°The boy clearly wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡±


    ¡°Really, what gave you that idea? The glowing eyes or the several barrels¡¯ worth of wine floating above our heads? Do you have any idea what sort of magic that even was?¡±


    ¡°Not the slightest clue. Perhaps some sort of combination of chromatic spells? He is a prime mage.¡±


    ¡°And who were those two women!? One of them is a True Orange and a very powerful one at that. But I¡¯ve never heard of her before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain we can ask Stryg when we see him.¡±


    ¡°Why do you look so calm? Our home was just invaded. Our family was just threatened by the Veres! I know you don¡¯t like to fight, but surely you have something to say?¡±


    Krall shrugged as best he could given his injuries. ¡°Did you make up with Elise?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a spider. We shouldn¡¯t trust her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need her if we are to win the throne for our young Aspirant.¡±


    ¡°...I take it you¡¯re still for Stryg then?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Despite him trying to kidnap our daughter?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s young and in love. It¡¯s a recipe for stupidity. Tauri, it seems, is not much different. After Aizel I thought she might never open herself up to love again. I¡¯m glad I was wrong.¡± He laughed, ¡°Still, she¡¯ll be furious when she wakes. Hah, I don¡¯t envy that boy.¡±


    ¡°If you are so ready to accept the Aspirant then why did you let Lucas run his mouth at dinner?¡±


    Krall looked at the crackling fire. ¡°I still see it. I saw those monsters hurl down from the clouds and destroy the wall. I couldn¡¯t stop them. One of them almost killed me¡­ When I was lying there, blood filling my punctured lung, all I could think of was what I was leaving behind. Lucas isn¡¯t ready to rule, none of them are. I was leaving our House exposed.¡±


    ¡°But you lived. Our House still stands strong.¡±


    ¡°For now. If I learned anything from that battle it is how fragile our lives are. The war isn¡¯t over. And there very well may be more rivers of blood on our path to be kingmaker. I could die tomorrow and our children wouldn¡¯t be ready to lead House Katag. I¡¯ve been too soft on them, Evelyn. I¡¯ve let them live their lives in whatever way they pleased so long as it didn¡¯t bring dishonor to our family. I did so because my own father never gave me that chance.¡±


    Evelyn reached out and grabbed his hand. ¡°So that whole thing at dinner¡­?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was a perfect opportunity to see how Lucas would react, how he would lead our House in a moment of diplomatic crisis. He needs real experience as a lord.¡±


    ¡°And then he botched it spectacularly.¡±


    ¡°That he did,¡± Krall scoffed with a small grin. ¡°I thought things would turn out fine even if he did; I would simply step in and soothe things over.¡±


    ¡°And then Elise stepped in instead and threatened to kill us all.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s unpredictable. I¡¯ll give her that.¡±


    ¡°...What are we going to do about our daughters? Elena is still in a dark mood.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s young. Crushes come and go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really plan on having Tauri marry Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Would it be so bad? Stryg can¡¯t have children. The only thing we have to solidify our alliance is a strong marriage. Love is the foundation of any strong relationship.¡±


    ¡°And Elena and Stryg will come to love each other.¡±


    ¡°That future was poisoned the moment Stryg and Tauri fell for each other. Our best recourse now is marrying Tauri. Besides, she is the elder daughter, it is customary.¡±


    ¡°Tauri doesn¡¯t listen to us.¡±


    ¡°To you maybe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you always let her do whatever she wants. Even now.¡±


    Krall sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve got me there. Times like this I would have asked Elzri for advice. He always knew what to do, no matter the cost.¡±


    Evelyn blew on the tea and took a sip. She exhaled in contentment. ¡°...It¡¯s good.¡±

 Chapter 553: Family Part 1

    Chapter 553: Family Part 1


    Even now the scent of smoke and blood was thick in the air. A quarter of the Commoner District had burned to the ground during the siege, and another half had been ransacked or reduced to rubble by the trebuchet bombardments. By the time Stryg and his sisters had made it past the bridge and into the Trade District, he could practically taste the ash and blood on his tongue.


    The faint voices of the mourning carried on the wind and Stryg¡¯s sharp ears picked it up. From the grim looks on Melantha and Holo, so had they.


    ¡°This was the sort of thing we wanted to avoid when we founded the Mortem Order, needless violence,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Mortem Order found in the Realm of War?¡± recalled Stryg.


    ¡°Precisely. It was one of the reasons he chose the Scarlet Realm.¡±


    ¡°But the Mortem Order was feared by all?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes fear is the best tool to end wars. Fear of losing what you love. Fear of death. You¡¯d be surprised how quickly angry warlords calm down when they realize they are about to die.¡±


    Stryg nodded in understanding. ¡°The power of mages and the family of Death. It must have been terrifying. Not to mention the army of beastkin.¡±


    ¡°The beastkin weren¡¯t an army, they weren¡¯t warriors,¡± Holo said with an edge to her voice.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a beastkin?¡± he laughed. ¡°I mean, even Rhiannon, who never had any formal combat training before could easily crush any of this city¡¯s guards without much effort.¡±


    ¡°And you think that makes them warriors? You think they¡¯re just weapons to be thrown at your enemies so casually?¡± Holo hissed. ¡°I spoke to your centaur friend at the Gale manor. She calls herself the Spear of the Ebon Tribe. Why is that?¡±


    Stryg stopped in his steps, confused at her sudden change in attitude. ¡°No, I mean, Rhian is my friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend¡ª?¡± Holo stopped herself and shook her head. ¡°You know what? Nevermind. I don¡¯t even care. Ride into her battle and get her killed. It¡¯s the only thing they¡¯re good for.¡± She turned on her heel and marched on ahead of them.


    Stryg frowned. ¡°...I¡¯ve never seen her angry before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally,¡± Melantha said quietly. ¡°The beastkin are a sensitive topic with her.¡±


    ¡°Why? One second she is saying they aren''t weapons and the next she¡¯s saying all they¡¯re good for is dying in battle. I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Melantha held up a ring on her forefinger. The bronze gemstone flickered with light and a faint shimmering bubble formed around Stryg and her.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he glanced around warily.


    ¡°It¡¯ll keep our voices from escaping.¡±


    ¡°Silencing wards¡­? I didn¡¯t know you could move these kinds of enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t. But it tends to be quite useful when dealing with those who can hear whispers from a hundred paces away.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Stryg muttered. He was still getting used to the fact that they were titans, himself included. ¡°So why the wards?¡±


    Melantha sighed. ¡°I suppose I should explain some things to you before you cause more problems with Holo. ¡­You¡¯ll find out sooner or later anyway.¡±


    ¡°Find out what exactly?¡± he asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Bit of advice, try not to bring up the beastkin with Holo. She doesn¡¯t handle it well.¡±


    ¡°She hates them because they betrayed the Mortem Order,¡± Stryg guessed.


    Melantha scoffed. ¡°No, quite the opposite. The Order is known to have created the beastkin, but it was Death and Holo that actually created them. It was Holo¡¯s designs and Death¡¯s power. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, our Father would never have succeeded.¡±


    ¡°Holo is the creator of the beastkin¡­?¡± he whispered, surprised.


    ¡°She was much more than that. The first beastkin were created in specialized, enchanted glass chambers, filled with a hundred different liquids each with unique properties. At first, the beastkin were no larger than your nail, but after a year they were the size of ordinary babies. And when they came out from the chambers it was Holo who took care of them.¡±


    Stryg¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. ¡°She was their Mother.¡±


    Melantha nodded. ¡°She raised them as her own. She taught them how to walk, how to speak¡­ how to live. The first generation called her mother, and the others called her grandmother. Holo loved them more than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­?¡±


    Melantha¡¯s expression grew sad. ¡°One day, an orc warlord by the name of Agrin ordered his army to raid a pair of innocent villages at the border of another local lord. Agrin had broken a peace treaty that had stood for over two decades, but he didn¡¯t care. He wanted the rich lands of others. Death went with Holo and a small battalion of beastkin to speak with the warlord. The beastkin were only for show, an intimidation tactic. Or so Holo thought.¡±


    Melantha clenched her fists. ¡°But the truth was Death wanted to test the beastkin¡¯s capabilities. He knew the warlord wasn¡¯t going to back down, Agrin had grown drunk with power and without knowing the true identity of Death, he defied our Father without hesitation. Father could have simply revealed himself or deposed Agrin, but he did something no one could have guessed.¡±


    ¡°You see, unbeknownst to others, Death had weaved his own spells into Holo¡¯s designs. He had cursed them with ancient spells of obedience. And with a single word in the elder tongue, he awakened the curse. Holo watched as her children¡¯s personalities disappeared entirely and they became tools of battle.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Melantha closed her eyes in bitter memory. ¡°At first, the beastkin dispatched Agrin¡¯s guards and then the warlord himself. But they didn¡¯t stop. The beastkin killed everyone in his castle, soldiers, servants, anyone they could find. ¡­Then the beastkin turned on the surrounding city. Holo pleaded with them to stop, but she may as well have been talking to statues. Whoever her children were before was gone. They were apathetic weapons of war now. All Holo could do was watch in horror as they slaughtered thousands of innocents, men, women, children.¡±


    ¡°Our Father called it a success. ¡®One moment of pain to show the entire Realm what they were capable of. A true deterrent,¡¯ he said. But that wasn¡¯t what Holo saw. Even if it was only for a few hours, he had turned her children into weapons. The light in their eyes was gone. ¡­They were hollow shells of their former selves.¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°Hollow¡­?¡±


    Melantha stared at her sister¡¯s back in the distance, her eyes full of sympathy. ¡°Seren chooses to bear the name Holo as penance, to remind herself of the part she played in the bloodshed that ensued¡­ When I started the rebellion I believed it was the only way to stop all of it¡­ but the Realm burned anyway. Holo wanted nothing to do with the war, she is a scholar at heart, but I forced her hand. She joined the rebellion to save me¡­ She was forced to fight her own children, to kill them on the battlefield. The beastkin don¡¯t have true souls, they are not reborn when they die. They¡¯re gone forever.¡±


    Melantha stared Stryg in the eyes. ¡°Do you have any idea what that does to a person? To have to kill the ones that you call your own? To remember what it was like to hold them in your arms as they slept, while you drive your blade into their chest?¡±


    Stryg cast his gaze to the ground. He thought of Kamilo. The child wasn¡¯t his, but he would fight the entire world before he let anyone hurt him. ¡°I¡­ How does one go on living like that?¡±


    ¡°You harden your heart. You tell yourself that you don¡¯t care about them, that the beastkin are just weapons waiting to be awakened into monsters of slaughter. You treat them harshly, because one moment of kindness might break you.¡± Melantha¡¯s shoulders sagged and she sighed deeply. ¡°And yet¡­ Holo always found ways to help. Even now she still searches for a way to undo the curse on the beastkin. You think Holo hates the beastkin? She is the mother of all beastkin. No one loves them more. You¡¯d do well to remember that before you casually mention them in her presence.¡±


    With a flick of the wrist, Melantha dispelled the silence wards and continued on her way. Stryg stayed in place, watching his sisters disappear down the street. There was so much he didn¡¯t know about them. He had made assumptions about them, about what it meant to be a titan, about how they saw others. Now he wondered how many things he was wrong about them.


    Whatever mixed feelings he held for Holo in his hearts was now interlaced with somberness and sympathy. What had she gone through in the thousand years she had lived? What pain had she witnessed? How did one go on after losing so much?


    Stryg didn¡¯t know. But he was determined to find out. He ran down the street and followed after the two women.


    ~~~


    The familiar black gates of the Noir manor were the last place Stryg thought he would end up. ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°Meeting our family,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Who exactly are we meeting?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    The guards noticed her approach and opened the gates. Stryg pulled his cloak up to hide his face as they walked into the grounds. No one bothered to stop them as the trio walked up to the front doors. Holo swung the door open without hesitation.


    Despite the late hour, the main hall was filled with soft blue light from magestones lanterns hanging on the walls.


    ¡°Why is the meeting place here?¡± whispered Stryg uncertainly.


    ¡°Because I happen to be staying here. House Noir and I have had close relations since their founding. ¡®Noir I¡¯ was my student,¡± said Holo somewhat proudly.


    ¡°I almost forgot you¡¯re super old,¡± said Stryg dryly.


    ¡°Depends who you ask.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± It was difficult to wrap his mind around how old she really was.


    ¡°The older you grow, the more time holds less weight over you,¡± said an unknown deep voice.


    Stryg turned to see the largest drow he had ever met walk into the hall. The giant of a drow had to dip his head underneath the doorway just to get by. His shoulders were broader than Krall and even with the loose tunic he wore, Stryg could see the muscles rippling underneath with every step.


    His skin was a light grey with hues of blue mixed in. Mirthful eyes as blue as ice watched Stryg. The giant drow smiled, ¡°At least, that¡¯s how time feels for our kind.¡±


    ¡°Our kind? Then you¡¯re¡ª?¡±


    He bowed deeply. ¡°I am Atlas Holoson-Thorn. A pleasure to meet you, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Stryg blinked and looked the giant up and down. ¡°Wait, wait. Did you just say, Thorn?¡±


    ¡°My father was a Thorn, yes, though I left behind my House almost two centuries ago. You have nothing to fear from me.¡±


    Melantha smiled wide, reached up and grabbed the giant by his arms. ¡°Look at you! My little Altas is all grown up.¡±


    Atlas looked at her, confusion crossing his face as he noticed her lilac eyes. ¡°You must be Lady Nel. Have we met before?¡±


    Melantha¡¯s smile fell. ¡°We met when you were just a babe. I spent time at your home. You used to follow me around and cry whenever I put you down. I know we haven¡¯t had a chance to meet in all these years, time passes differently for us. It feels like you blink for one moment and decades have passed.¡± She glared at her sister, ¡°I thought your mother would have told you about me.¡±


    ¡°My mother respects you too much to divulge your secrets. She tells me you are a very private individual,¡± said Atlas.


    ¡°You could have at least told him a little about me,¡± said Melantha.


    Holo shrugged. ¡°Well, you could have visited me in my city at least once in the last two centuries.¡±


    Melantha crossed her arms, ¡°I visited you in other places.¡±


    ¡°No, I visited you all across the Realms. Which was quite the task seeing you as you never stay in the same place for more than a week.¡±


    ¡°I was searching for Hope and trying to avoid Father, you know that. And last I checked, unlike other gods, Father can enter this city without any trouble. Not that any of that matters anymore thanks to our oh-so-friendly queen!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the ruckus?¡± Una stood in the doorway in her nightgown. ¡°Is Lady Holo fighting?¡±


    ¡°I may have not mentioned all the stories my mother used to tell me about my aunt,¡± said Atlas playfully.


    ¡°Wait, so you did talk about me!?¡± shouted Melantha.


    ¡°Of course, I did. You¡¯re my sister!¡± yelled Holo.


    ¡°Are they usually this loud?¡± asked Stryg curiously.


    ¡°They are simply having fun. Though you strike me as different, more quiet,¡± noticed Atlas curiously.


    Una glanced at Stryg and curtsied, ¡°Forgive me for not noticing your presence earlier.¡±


    Stryg bowed in an awkward replication of Gian¡¯s teachings. ¡°H-Hello I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know who you are, Lord Stryg Stjerneson.¡±


    Stjerneson? It felt odd hearing those words. Stryg cleared his throat, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I am Lady Una of the Great House of Noir and the wife of your nephew. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Noir?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°I carry that honor, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Una, why does that sound familiar?¡± Stryg muttered.


    She smiled sadly. ¡°Elzri was my older brother. Though I believe you have also met our daughter,¡± she wrapped her arm around Atlas¡¯ waist. ¡°Unalla.¡±


    The memory of the short drow rushing Stryg with a giant sword and an angry warcry on her lips flashed through his mind. His face went blank. ¡°Pardon?¡±

 Chapter 554: Family Part 2

    Chapter 554: Family Part 2


    ¡°I am Lady Una of the Great House of Noir and the wife of your nephew. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Noir?¡± asked Stryg, surprised.


    ¡°I carry that honor, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Una, why does that sound familiar?¡±


    She smiled sadly. ¡°Elzri was my older brother. Though I believe you have also met our daughter,¡± she wrapped her arm around Atlas¡¯ waist. ¡°Unalla.¡±


    The memory of the short drow rushing Stryg with a giant sword and an angry warcry on her lips flashed through his mind. His face went blank. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Unalla, our daughter. I believe you two met during the Magic Tourney of Undergrowth?¡± said Una.


    Met was an understatement. Stryg had come a hair¡¯s breadth from killing her. She had hated his association with Elzri. He had hated Unalla for bearing the name of Noir. And now he was being told he shared blood ties with House Noir?


    How¡­? How? HOW!?


    Stryg wanted to scream in frustration. He had pushed down his feelings about Loh for weeks. She had been his mentor, his friend, his family¡­ And she had lied to him. He knew it had been by Elzri¡¯s design, but she had still let him believe that Clypeus¡¯ death had been his fault.


    Some part of him knew that Loh would have done anything to make things right, even stand alone against the army of Undergrowth as he fled the city. But it did little to numb the pain that stabbed his chest whenever he thought about her.


    Where did Loh and him stand? Stryg didn¡¯t know anymore.


    And now? Now the drow who had shattered Nameless, Clypeus¡¯ legacy, was his¡­ His family? How in bloody Bellum¡¯s name was that tiny, little, petite drow the descendant of titans? Atlas was as tall as a dire and he seemed small compared to Holo and Melantha¡¯s true forms, Stryg could only guess his father was even taller. So how did she¡ª?


    Stryg looked down at himself. W-Well, he supposed he wasn¡¯t much different. Compared to his sisters he was a pup. Lunae had told him he would grow in time. Perhaps in a few centuries, he would be as big as her. Until then, he was hardly as tall as Feli.


    The more he thought about it, the more it started to make sense. Unalla¡¯s skin was a bluish-grey, not too dissimilar to his own blue complexion. She had hauled around a giant¡¯s sword, or, he realized, a titan¡¯s. An orichalcum weapon, like the spear that now sat in his chambers back at the Gale manor.


    Svartna.


    Even now, he could faintly sense the spear¡¯s presence across the villa district; a small tug at his mind, like the tug at the edge of one¡¯s cloak. It was an odd sensation. He had never seen the strange spear before that night but he felt like he had known it for ten lifetimes.


    Svartna¡­ Somehow he knew its name. The spear had whispered the name to him when he needed it most.


    ¡°Um, are you alright, my lord?¡± asked Una hesitantly.


    Stryg blinked back to reality and looked around the curious faces staring at him. ¡°Oh, um,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little surprised.¡±


    Una smiled reassuringly. ¡°I witnessed your duel back at Undergrowth. My daughter does not hold a grudge against you, and neither do we.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Atlas nodded.


    ¡°Unalla knows who I am?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°That you¡¯re her grand-uncle? No, I do not believe so,¡± replied Una.


    Stryg glanced at Holo, ¡°Even though we look alike?¡±


    Una looked Holo up and down. Her human form, warm brown skin, and a long mane of black ringlets did nothing to instill a sense of familiarity between the two.


    Stryg quickly realized the same thing and held his hands up, ¡°I mean, her true form.¡±


    ¡°Unalla¡¯s never seen my true form,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± asked Stryg.


    Holo looked away. ¡°She doesn¡¯t exactly know about our father¡­¡±


    Stryg stared at her flatly. ¡°Wait, are you telling me Unalla doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re the daughter of Stjerne? That you¡¯re a literal scion of Death?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t really gotten around to that conversation yet,¡± said Holo with a wry grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± admitted Una. ¡°I did not wish to burden Unalla with that truth until she was prepared to handle it.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°You see, when our daughter found out my father was Atreus, she did not take it very well, not well at all actually,¡± explained Atlas. ¡°We did not think it best to share with her the true heritage of my mother yet.¡±


    ¡°Did you just say Atreus? As in Atreus Thorn, the Last Ebon Lord?¡± asked Stryg, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Stryg thought Stjerne was the only one who selectively had children with particularly powerful mageborns, but it seemed the practice ran through the family. Leave it to the gods to meddle with the noble Houses of the realm. He turned on Holo, ¡°So you and the Atreus Thorn¡­?¡±


    She cocked her eyebrow, ¡°And? What of it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just, he¡¯s a Thorn.¡± Stryg glanced at Atlas, ¡°No offense.¡±


    Atlas chuckled. ¡°None taken, I left behind my father¡¯s House long ago.¡±


    ¡°The Great House of Thorn is not the same as it once was,¡± said Holo with a trace of disappointment.


    ¡°Wait, a sec,¡± Stryg wrinkled his brow. ¡°If you¡¯re the son of Atreus, the first and last King of Hollow Shade, would that not make you a prince?¡±


    Atlas shook his head. ¡°As I said, I left behind my father¡¯s House long ago. The bloodline of House Thorn is carried on through my brother¡¯s descendants. Besides,¡± he smiled, ¡°It¡¯d be a bit strange if I cared about such things as the Thorn¡¯s ¡®royal¡¯ heritage while being married to a woman whose House helped depose the Thorn family.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°In any case, after everything that has happened these last few days, I think we can no longer afford to keep Unalla in the dark,¡± said Una.


    ¡°Which is one of the reasons I brought Stryg here,¡± Holo patted his shoulder. ¡°I think having another person going through the same revelations as him will help both of them.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Elohonoir should be here as well,¡± noted Melantha. ¡°She is the leader of House Noir, is she not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± nodded Una. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch a servant to wake her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be necessary, I¡¯m sure Loh and Una must be tired,¡± said Stryg hastily.


    ¡°Not to worry, my daughter has spent most of her life traveling through the Realms. She is no stranger to waking up at odd times. And I have an inkling that neither is Elohnoir,¡± said Una.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Stryg feigned a yawn, ¡°It¡¯s gotten pretty late. I should probably head home.¡±


    Holo smiled wryly, ¡°Since when do children of the stars care about the late hour of the night?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he said and realized it was true. ¡°But the Gale family will be wondering where I am.¡±


    ¡°I can have a servant bring them a message, explaining your whereabouts,¡± offered Atlas.


    Stryg politely shook his head. ¡°My wife is waiting for me. I haven¡¯t really spoken with her since I left Undergrowth.¡±


    Una nodded in understanding and placed her hand on her husband¡¯s forearm. ¡°You two deserve some time alone. Please, do not let us keep you. I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll have a chance to speak again.¡±


    Atlas took her cue and inclined his head, ¡°I hope we can meet again soon. Farewell, Uncle.¡±


    Una bowed deeply. ¡°It was an honor meeting you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°The honor is mine, may the light of the moon watch over you,¡± Stryg said respectfully, then turned on his heel and headed to the door.


    Holo went after him, ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    Melantha grabbed her sister¡¯s arm and held her back. ¡°Let him go.¡±


    ¡°What? But he just got here.¡±


    Melantha sighed. ¡°Sometimes I forget how old you are.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten how it feels to be a mortal.¡±


    ¡°I was never a mortal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you weren¡¯t always old either. Stryg is young. Give him some time. This is all pretty new to him. He needs time to acclimate.¡±


    ¡°And what about his powers? He can¡¯t keep running from who he is.¡±


    ¡°He just needs some time. You grew up knowing exactly who you were, he did not. Stryg will come around.¡±


    ¡°By running away?¡±


    ¡°Our brother is strong. He will overcome this. He will come to us when he is ready.¡±


    Holo glanced at her son and daughter-in-law, whom both nodded in agreement. She sighed. ¡°Very well, but you and I are going to keep an eye on him.¡±


    ~~~


    The path to the Gale Manor was short. The Villa District had remained relatively unscathed from the siege. Undead sentinels patrolled the streets but none of them bothered the district¡¯s residents. The manor¡¯s guards opened the gates to Stryg and welcomed their lord home.


    Stellan Gale rushed to his side and asked him half-a-dozen questions in a single breath. Stryg lied and assured him everything was fine and that he would tell him and his sister Willow all about it tomorrow. All Stryg wanted right now was to sleep. Stellan respected his words without a fight and escorted him to his rooms before leaving with a silent bow.


    A simple note hung from a ribbon tied around his doorknob. Stryg grabbed the note and glimpsed over it.


    The paper had only three lines.


    ¡®I enjoyed dinner.


    Hope to speak soon.


    ~Your cousin, Elise.¡¯


    ¡°Well, at least she¡¯s alive,¡± thought Stryg.


    The Katag dinner had been a complete disaster. He hoped Elise and Lynette got out safely. Despite whatever mixed feelings he had for Elise, she was still a Veres. It was his job as lord to keep her alive, or at least that¡¯s how it would be if he was a chieftain. He still wasn¡¯t sure how much noble Houses and Sylvan tribes differed.


    Sighing to himself, Stryg opened the door and stepped inside his chambers. The magestone lanterns were dark, without a flicker of blue light. He walked through the room without hesitation, the darkness was as clear as day to his lilac eyes. A trait from the god of stars he guessed.


    Making his way to the bedroom, he found Feli asleep. Her arm was stretched over her head and her silky purple hair was sprawled across the bed. The blanket haphazardly covered her waist. Her bare chest rose with each quiet breath.


    Stryg watched her in silence and smiled softly. He had missed her. They had barely spoken since his return, but just being close to her brought him comfort.


    He took off his clothes and slipped into the blankets. The bed creaked at his weight and he winced as she stirred.


    Feli opened her eyes blearily and met his gaze. ¡°¡­Stryg¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±


    She snuggled towards him and rested her arm in the crook of his shoulder.


    ¡°Feli?¡±


    She mumbled something unintelligible and went back to sleep.


    Stryg gently wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 555: Dawn Light

    Chapter 555: Dawn Light


    The dawn light peeked through the curtains but did little to brighten the bedroom. The Gale manor¡¯s windows had been enchanted to filter sunlight to a minimum. A vampire¡¯s skin burned easily. Without the proper gear, a mere half hour in direct sunlight could leave their skin a blistering red.


    Sunlight always bothered Stryg¡¯s eyes, but he had never experienced a sunburn. He glanced curiously at the beam of light shining through the curtains as lay in bed. He stretched out his hand and tried to grasp it, to no avail.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Feli through panted breaths. She was sprawled on top of him, her beautiful olive skin bare and slick with sweat.


    He looked her over, tracing his other hand down her back and finding her soft bottom cheeks. ¡°Just enjoying the moment.¡±


    Feli smirked and kissed his chest before rolling off him. She exhaled deeply in satisfaction, ¡°I waited too long for that.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡±


    She cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Are you telling me you didn¡¯t find a goblin wench to bury your desires in the last few months? Or perhaps a drow barmaid from Undergrowth?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, you¡¯re a terrible liar.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a goblin or drow¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Besides the fact that your people don¡¯t believe in marriage and can be quite¡ª ¡®tolerant¡¯ of sexual encounters? Easy. You are terrible at holding back your desires. Another one of your many flaws~.¡±


    ¡°Flaws?¡± Stryg glanced down at himself.


    ¡°Not that. I¡¯m talking about up here,¡± she poked his forehead.


    Her words sparked memories from last night. If Melantha and Holo¡¯s words were true, then he had almost killed everyone at the Katag manor. All because he had lost control of himself.


    Feli noticed the slight shift in his demeanor. She scooted closer and looked him directly in his lilac eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The dinner party last night.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ difficult.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I may have ruined the marriage alliance.¡±


    ¡°You what? Did you bite someone? Please, tell me you didn¡¯t bite Lord Katag.¡±


    ¡°No, but Elise threatened to kill him and his entire family. And I knocked Tauri unconscious to save her, which I failed to do, so that didn¡¯t help either.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Sterjne, how do you get yourself into these situations?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a demigod of chaos?¡±


    Feli rolled her eyes. ¡°Uh-huh. More like a bumpkin of dumbassery. You need to fix this.¡±


    ¡°How? What would you have me do?¡±


    ¡°Arrange a meeting, talk to them, apologize. Whatever you do, make sure the engagement still stands.¡±


    ¡°You want me to marry Elena? I thought you hated the idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the lord of a powerful House now. You need allies because you¡¯ll certainly have enemies. Everyone knows marriage is the greatest way to bond two families together.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re for it now?¡±


    ¡°I never said I was against it, I¡¯m just not particularly enthusiastic either,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°So you think I should marry a Katag then?¡±


    ¡°You already have a mistress, a political marriage is hardly any worse. Besides, I knew you¡¯d always find a noble wife to marry.¡± She forced herself to smile, ¡°Even if I¡¯m married to an Aspirant of a legendary bloodline, I am still commonborn. I will always be a secondary wife.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing secondary about you.¡±


    She smiled genuinely. ¡°So long as you see me that way, then that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°¡­How do you feel about me? As a Veres?¡±


    Feli glanced at the unsheathed scarlet hanging on the sword rack in the corner of the room. ¡°...It¡¯s difficult to believe if I¡¯m being honest, but I¡¯ve seen you wield Krikolm, so I know it¡¯s true.¡± She smirked, ¡°I guess it explains your biting ¡®habits¡¯ and your penchant for drinking a certain pretty blonde¡¯s blood.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°What if it was more¡­?¡±


    ¡°You drink other women¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°What? No. I mean, not usually, unless I¡¯m tearing out their throat. What I meant to say is what if I was more? More than just a vampire-goblin hybrid. What if I was different?¡± He swallowed, ¡°How would you feel about me then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a blue goblin who tears people¡¯s throats out with his teeth. You¡¯ve always been different.¡±


    ¡°Feli, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    She caressed his face, tracing his features with her slender fingers. Her lips curled in a wry smile. ¡°When I look at you, I don¡¯t see a Sylvan goblin, an Ebon Aspirant, or a noble vampire, all I see¡ª is the brooding, ignorant, beautiful man I fell in love with.¡±


    Stryg frowned. ¡°You just insulted me three ways.¡±


    She giggled and kissed his button nose. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true.¡± Feli smirked bewitchingly, ¡°What are you gonna do about it, little Veres?¡±


    She squeaked in playful surprise as he pulled her close with a single tug. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder and sank his small fangs into her neck. She grimaced, but only for a moment. Feli welcomed the familiar pain and wrapped her limbs around him in a warm embrace. The feeling was intoxicating. Instead of resisting, she closed her eyes and moaned softly, letting it wash over her.


    ~~~


    Tauri woke up to the chirping noise of a bird on the windowsill. She squinted her eyes at the dawnlight piercing the window unapologetically. She felt exhausted, as if she hadn¡¯t slept in days, and decided to run around the city¡¯s perimeter.


    The white ceiling was unfamiliar.


    Where am I¡­?


    She looked around and recognized the engraved wooden patterns on the walls. This was her family manor, but this wasn¡¯t her bedroom, it was¡ª


    The healers¡¯ room?


    With a wince, she slowly sat up and spotted her two older brothers sleeping in a pair of chairs. Their bodies slumped against one another, heads tilted to the side.


    What are they doing here¡ª?


    Suddenly, the events of last night rushed back to her. Tauri grimaced and held her stomach. She wanted to throw up from the sheer horror of how badly things had turned out.


    Tauri threw off her blankets and got off the bed. The world spun around but she held the bedpost and waited until the feeling disappeared.


    ¡°Tauri¡­? You¡¯re awake!¡± Lucas jumped to his feet and rushed to her side, ¡°Are you alright? Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Niko jolted awake at her voice and almost fell out of his chair. ¡°Huh? Wha¨C? Tauri? You¡¯re awake! Are you okay?¡±


    She voiced each word through gritted teeth. ¡°I. Am. Fine.¡±


    ¡°We just want to help,¡± said Lucas in a pained voice.


    Tauri laughed angrily. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve already helped enough.¡±


    Lucas furrowed his brow, ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡¯


    ¡°I mean what the FUCK was all that knight-in-shining-armor bullshit at dinner!?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I was protecting our House¡¯s honor, your honor. That cad of an Aspirant dishonored our sister and you.¡±


    ¡°Dishonored me?¡± her voice dripped with venom.


    ¡°Yes, he defiled your purity,¡± he said as if it was obvious.


    She groaned loudly, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m not some virgin in need of your protection!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not a virgin?¡± interrupted Niko. ¡°Like, even before the whole fling with Lord Stryg?¡±


    She looked at her brothers pointedly. ¡°I¡¯m 31 years old. What do you think?¡±


    Niko whistled and broke into a laugh.


    ¡°But, that¡¯s¡ª unseemly,¡± blurted Lucas.


    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m a woman?¡±


    Lucas cleared his throat, ¡°W-Well, noble ladies are expected to behave in certain honorable ways¡ª¡±


    She groaned. ¡°Ugh, as are noble lords, but I don¡¯t see either of you protecting your chastity.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, she¡¯s got you there, brother,¡± piped in Niko.


    ¡°Why did you never tell us?¡± whispered Lucas.


    ¡°Because, unlike you two idiots, I don¡¯t want to brag about my sex life with my damned brothers!¡± she screamed.


    Niko grinned slyly. ¡°Well, I say good for you, sis. Get that dick wherever you can, even if it¡¯s blue.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± yelled Tauri.


    Niko raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Hey, I was just trying to be supportive.¡±


    ¡°Tauri. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know,¡± Lucas muttered. ¡°I was¡ª I was only trying to protect you. I¡¯m supposed to protect my little sister.¡±


    Tauri sighed lamentingly. ¡°I¡¯m not little anymore. I don¡¯t need protection. Especially from a man who puts honor above everything else.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± he admitted. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter how strong you are. In war, no soldier can stand alone, Father taught us that. If you don¡¯t accept our help then whose will you? Our parents?¡±


    ¡°Nah, after last night she probably needs protection from those two,¡± Niko laughed.


    Brown mana surged into Tauri¡¯s hand, covering her scarlet skin in a bronze sheen. ¡°Niko, I swear to Bellum if you so much as utter a single more syllable I will break your nose.¡±


    Niko covered his nose instinctively and closed his mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± said Lucas. ¡°Our parents must be furious at you right now, especially Mother. And Elena, she didn¡¯t even bother to come visit you once the entire night. You need allies. I¡¯m sorry for last night, I am, but if we hadn¡¯t stepped in then that Aspirant would have kidnapped you. Who knows what he would have done to you then.¡±


    ¡°What have you done with him?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    Lucas frowned, ¡°Are you serious? Even now, you worry about the Aspirant?¡± He shook his head and scoffed, ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Lucas.¡±


    ¡°If you must know, your lover escaped. With a pair of intruders. Two women. One was a True Orange mageborn. I didn¡¯t get a good look at either woman, it happened so fast, but I don¡¯t think they were Gales.¡±


    Tauri nodded to herself, ¡°I see¡­ Thank you.¡± She turned on her heel and made a beeline to the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t need your protection.¡±


    ¡°...What will you do when you see him?¡±


    ¡°Pay him back for last night.¡± She slammed the door behind her.


    ¡°She¡¯s a violent one,¡± Niko shook his head. ¡°I think she takes after our grandfather.¡±


    Lucas hung his head and sighed.

 Chapter 556: A Dangerous Ally

    Chapter 556: A Dangerous Ally


    The smell of blood and berries wafted into Stryg¡¯s nostrils. He inhaled deeply and caught another familiar scent carried on the wind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Feli.


    He glanced at his wife standing next to him, arm locked with his. The morning rays filtered through her purple locks and cast a warm shadow over her face.


    Her chestnut brown eyes stared at him curiously, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said without thinking.


    Her lips curled in a small smile. ¡°Who are you and what have you done to my husband?¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    She leaned into him playfully. ¡°You don¡¯t compliment others often, but you haven¡¯t stopped saying nice things ever since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just happy to have you with me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s nice to go on a walk, just the two of us.¡± Feli glanced at the pair of Gale warriors following twenty paces away. ¡°Well, almost.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± he noted.


    ¡°I know, right!¡± she exclaimed, then furtively glanced around before whispering, ¡°There is always one of them close by. The other day I went to the bathroom and I thought I was alone, but when I came out a vampire was waiting right by the door!¡±


    ¡°The Gales take their guard duties very seriously.¡± Especially after he had somewhat ditched them last night, though he left out that last part.


    ¡°I know that. The Shields of Veres are legendary, but that¡¯s just it. I grew up hearing stories about them, about their dangerous battles and famous escapades. But back then it was just stories, now it¡¯s real, and I feel like I really shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°Where else would you like to be?¡± Stryg stopped by one of the countless bushes planted across the gardens and plucked a pink flower.


    Autumn would soon be upon them, most of these flowers should have wilted by now, but he knew one of the Gales infused their Green flora magic into these plants. Clypeus had told him as such. The gardens were vast and connected both the Veres and Gale manors. Even from here, he could see the dark imposing mansion of the Veres in the distance.


    Stryg hadn¡¯t stepped into the Veres manor ever since Clypeus¡¯ passing. Callum would invite Stryg and their friends to his home and sometimes they¡¯d spend their entire afternoons there. Not anymore.


    The mansion was now Stryg¡¯s home. His scarlet and ebon throne sat in its hall. Someday he would have to set foot in that place once more, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be the same, it would never be the same.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. Off somewhere else. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Feli asked.


    Stryg nodded and slipped the pink flower into her violet hair. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry, really. I think for the first time in a long time I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± He grabbed her hand and led her through the gardens. He didn¡¯t stop until they found themselves in front of the stables.


    Though Rhian had her own rooms next to their own, she had been spending plenty of her time at the stables, chatting with the other centaurs. Stryg had given them their freedom, but the centaurs had nowhere to go. No land or home would welcome them in the Ebon Realm. They were more than welcome to stay in the Gale Manor if they wished and with nowhere else to go, they did, for now.


    Carpenters had been hired to build a proper set of homes for the centaurs on the grounds, but with the ruined state of the Commoner and Trade Districts, their homes would have to wait until the reconstruction was complete, or at least habitable. Until then, servants had done their best to make the stables more accommodating.


    Rhian couldn¡¯t have been more excited to be able to talk to other centaurs, especially the warrior mounts of House Gale. Even now she was immersed in one of their stories as a male centaur demonstrated a combat maneuver he had used against a troll. For a moment, Stryg half-smiled at the glimmer of enthusiasm in her eyes, before he turned to the real reason he had come here.


    A large clearing had been set aside next to the stables. Though the centaurs had been told of the beast it did little to calm their nerves from the giant frost wolf crunching bone in his maw.


    The clearing was covered in red, some of it was crushed berries and other fruits, most of it was blood. The giant wolf¡¯s black paws and lips were stained red. Not that he noticed. He was too busy gorging himself with another cart full of food when Stryg and Feli arrived.


    ¡°This is your pet¡­?¡± Feli asked dubiously.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t a pet. He¡¯s my friend. His name is Blueberry.¡±


    At his name, Blueberry looked up and he barked happily before trotting up to Stryg. The goblin laughed as the wolf nudged his massive head into Stryg¡¯s chest playfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    The frost wolf barked.


    ¡°I know, I told you, didn''t I? All the food you¡¯d want. Leave some for me.¡±


    Blueberry growled in a pout.


    ¡°I¡¯m just joking, I have my own food.¡±


    He barked in a low pitch.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my food, you can¡¯t have any.¡±


    Blueberry grumbled in a voice that sounded more like gravel.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not food. She¡¯s my mate.¡± Stryg laughed and patted the wolf¡¯s snout, ¡°No you can¡¯t eat her. Or the centaurs. What did I just say? No. ¡­Fine, I¡¯ll bring you a few casks of wine later, but don¡¯t eat the servants. It¡¯s already bad enough that you ate one of them.¡±


    Feli glanced between the two with a mixture of fear and curiosity. ¡°Can you¡­ understand him?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Stryg looked at her as if it was obvious. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Is that like a mage-thing?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Mage-thing? What? No. It¡¯s just a normal-thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t know talking to giant wolves was normal among goblins,¡± she said dryly.


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± When had he learned to talk with Blueberry? He remembered the first time they met and the shock he felt when he realized the wolf cub could understand him. After that, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Good morning, cousin.¡±


    Stryg whirled around and saw Elise walking over, Lynette in tow. He instinctively stepped in front of Feli. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to make sure you were alright, of course,¡± Elise smiled. She glanced at the black frost wolf, his icy blue eyes staring right back at her. Lynette silently moved closer to her side, hand hovering over her pommel.


    Stryg hissed at the warrior¡¯s action. Elise touched Lynette¡¯s shoulder and the Gale reluctantly shifted her hand away from her sword. Blueberry ignored the entire interaction and stepped closer to Elise. She took a trembling step back, but only one. The frost wolf leaned close until his cold breath was on her skin, then he opened his jaw, fangs glistening with blood, and ran his tongue across her body in one giant lick. Satisfied with how she tasted, he turned back and continued devouring his food.


    ¡°My lady, are you alright?¡± Lynette asked urgently.


    Elise looked herself over, her black dress now covered in bloody slime. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her face, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡±


    Stryg had never seen Elise as anything but pristine, she had always taken care of appearing as a regal noble befitting her station, until now. He thought she¡¯d be furious, but her eyes were filled with admiration as she stared at Blueberry. ¡°The rumors don¡¯t do them justice. He is magnificent.¡±


    ¡°He is a glutton,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°He is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Blueberry?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow. Lunae was amazing. Her white fur glowed in the moonlight like burnished silver and her looming presence inspired anyone who saw her. In comparison, Blueberry was a bumbling idiot.


    ¡°Blueberry? Is that his name?¡± Elise whispered. ¡°It seems underwhelming for a creature so great.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I was only a kid,¡± Stryg huffed.


    ¡°You named him? Apologies, I meant no disrespect.¡±


    ¡°Like last night at the banquet?¡±


    Elise broke into a smirk, ¡°Last night was different. I meant disrespect. The Katags were overstepping their boundaries, I was protecting our interests.¡±


    ¡°Our interests?¡± Stryg cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m gonna go talk with Rhian.¡± Feli bowed to Elise and Lynette, before squeezing Stryg¡¯s hand and walking off.


    ¡°She¡¯s a pretty one, even for a human,¡± Elise noted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Stryg growled. He knew what most vampires thought of humans. Their blood was particularly tasty to them. In the eyes of a vampire, humans were just food or playthings, nothing more.


    As if Elise could read his mind she smiled reassuringly and raised her hands, ¡°Please, I¡¯d never dream of it. I am not averse to your relationship with her. My father took a secondary wife who was human as well. How do you think Callum was born?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Elise walked over to a nearby stone bench, sat down, and gestured for him to join her. With some reluctance, he did.


    Elise kept her scarlet eyes on Blueberry, admiring the giant beast. ¡°Many vampire Houses that have sworn fealty to us will disapprove of your relationship with ¡®Feli¡¯ as they did with my father and Callum¡¯s mother. But I am not one of them.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Elise tore her eyes away from Blueberry and met Stryg¡¯s gaze. ¡°I know you are sleeping with my cousin, Maeve.¡±


    ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. I think in time you¡¯ll find I am quite the advantageous ally. It¡¯s good, by the way, your relationship with Maeve. Noble Houses often marry with one another to strengthen alliances and the power of the magic within their bloodline. Maeve is not only the head of House Mora, she is also the daughter of a Veres but distantly enough related that you two don¡¯t have to worry about inbreeding, while still ensuring the loyalty of family. A good match.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to Feli who wasn¡¯t born from a noble House whatsoever,¡± Stryg guessed.


    Elise chuckled, ¡°Many vampire nobles would see it that way. But unlike them, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Understand what?¡±


    She raised her thumb, middle, and index fingers. ¡°They say the Ashen queens marry three husbands. One out of duty. One out of love. And one out of lust. Only then will a queen¡¯s mind not wander and fall into dangerous predicaments.¡±


    Dangerous predicaments? ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°My point is that the pressures of ruling are greater than most realize. Everyone wants power, few know what it takes to wield it. Having those whom you can trust close to you can help ease that burden.¡±


    ¡°You mean someone like you?¡±


    ¡°I meant your lovers,¡± she chuckled. ¡°But yes, having me by your side will also help.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want someone who insulted Clypeus¡¯ memory by my side?¡± he growled.


    ¡°I am sorry for that, truly. I did not know your relationship with him,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Not good enough.¡±


    ¡°I was never great at apologies,¡± she said wryly. ¡°Though, neither it seems are you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°You stole my throne and had practically the entire Gale family betray me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    Elise smiled smugly, ¡°Fortunately for both of us, we don¡¯t need each other for our abilities to apologize. You want to know why you want someone like me by your side? What do you know of the fate of Callum¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°She died in childbirth. It¡¯s common among hybrids,¡± he said slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the common story. The truth is she was murdered in childbirth, by a Gale no less.¡±


    Stryg narrowed his eyes. How much did she know?


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, I do,¡± said Elise. ¡°Gales would never betray a Veres, but you¡¯d be surprised what someone might do under the right circumstances. Marcus Gale was loyal to my father, but he despised humans. Regina n¨¦e Lilith, my father¡¯s principal wife, and mother of his firstborn, was in agreement. She convinced Marcus to assassinate Callum¡¯s mother to ¡®help¡¯ my father. You see, there were many who opposed my father¡¯s marriage to a human. Marcus worried about what might happen to my father, so he did what Regina asked. After the deed was done, Regina had Marcus assassinated to cover up her crimes. That is what happens when you surround yourself with the wrong kind of people.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this¡­?¡±


    ¡°For the same reason I told Callum. You see, when I discovered Regina¡¯s treachery I took care of it.¡±


    ¡°You killed her?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°No, even better,¡± Elise smiled in satisfaction. ¡°She is in my dungeon, waiting for her punishment. Just give the word and I¡¯ll have her executed, or tortured, or her blood drawn for all days so that you can feed on her, I hear you enjoy drinking vampire blood. Whatever you prefer, really.¡±


    ¡°And how did you manage that?¡± he asked suspiciously. If she was the daughter of House Lilith and the wife of Lord Eldrin Veres, then she must have had power, moreso than any other Veres besides Eldrin.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at what I can manage. As I said, you¡¯re going to want someone like me by your side. Someone willing to do anything to protect you and your own, and I do mean anything.¡±


    ¡°And why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Because whether you and I like it or not, our fates are now intertwined. Your mere existence as an Ebon Aspirant creates a threat to the power of others. Your enemies will stop at nothing to see House Veres destroyed. Your failure means the fall of House Veres, our House. In simplest of terms, if you¡¯re fucked then so am I.¡± She grabbed his forearm, ¡°I need you to succeed. And I won¡¯t stop at anything to ensure that you do, cousin.¡±


    ¡°Lord Veres.¡±


    Stryg looked up and saw a blonde vampire in her red cloak standing at the edge of the clearing. A long silver lock of hair ran across her face. ¡°Gale?¡±


    The last time he had seen her Lunae had knocked her unconscious. Now Gale seemed¡ª different? Somehow. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    Gale bowed to him and stepped aside, ¡°You have visitors.¡± Behind her stood Nora and in her arms, a toddler, Kamilo.

 Chapter 557: Entrustment

    Chapter 557: Entrustment


    The sun shined down on the scarlet leaves of Vulture Woods, casting the grass in a warm shade of red. A cool breeze ran over the gurgling sound of the river. The titan of the moon, Lunae, sat on a giant boulder next to the river bed. Her arms were splayed to the sides, supporting her weight as she leaned back, head tilted up, eyes closed, her chest rising in quiet slow breaths.


    A blue goblin no older than 10 sat on her lap, he was small for his age, but next to her stature, he seemed like a newborn. He held a fishing rod between his tiny clawed fingers as he waited, patiently¡ª


    ¡°AURAAGGGH!¡± Stryg threw his arms up into the air in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t catch anything! These fish are cursed!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Lunae grunted.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been at this since dawn! Why can¡¯t I catch a stupid fish!?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Lunae?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Are you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    Stryg frowned and scrambled up to his feet, careful to not lose his balance. He grabbed a fistful of her silver strands in each hand for leverage and began to climb up her chest, imagining himself a brave Sylvan warrior scaling the cliff sides of the Rupture Mountains. It only took a moment before he reached her sternum and he quickly maneuvered to the side and sat on her shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, are you listening? Lunae? Mom?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    He frowned and poked her cheek. ¡°Mom. Wake up. Mooom. ~Waaaake uuup~¡± He poked her face incessantly to no effect. Finally, he leaned over and peeled back her eyelid. A silver eye rolled down and stared right at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    Opening both her eyes in a half-lidded gaze and a tired frown, Lunae pinched the scruff of his neck and lifted him up, inspecting him like a pesky mouse.


    Stryg dangled in midair, swaying from side to side, and smiled sheepishly. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I was never asleep. I was simply resting my eyes.¡± She put him back down onto her lap. ¡°Now, what is the problem, my fastidious child?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s uh, fasta¡­ Fuste¡ªdee¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fastidious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It is what you are, Little One. Now, speak.¡± She poked his cheek.


    Stryg picked up his fishing rod from her lap. ¡°I can¡¯t catch a fish. We¡¯ve been here for hoouurs but I can¡¯t catch anything! Are the fish cursed!?¡±


    Lunae glanced at the river. She could see the occasional fish darting across the water. ¡°The fish are fine.¡±


    ¡°Then curse them!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°For refusing to get caught!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be quite a petty goddess to do so.¡± She furrowed her brow, none of the fish seemed to gravitate towards the fishing hook. Lunae leaned over and pulled the fishing line out of the water. The steel hook glistened with water and nothing more. ¡°¡­Stryg, my dear sweet stupid son, where is the bait?¡±


    ¡°The bait?¡±


    ¡°The worms I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I put it on the hook¡ª¡± He glanced at the bare hook. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Did you tie the worms on the hook?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked up at her with clueless puppy eyes.


    Lunae stared at him flatly. ¡°Did you tie a worm to the hook? Like how I instructed? Yes or no?¡±


    He grinned sheepishly. ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°You are a terrible liar.¡± Lunae pointed a silver finger at the river and a patch of water froze under her aim. With a flick of her finger, a block of ice shot up into the air, a large frozen fish within.


    ¡°Yes! Dinner!¡± Stryg threw his hand up in triumph.


    ¡°You mean my dinner,¡± she taunted.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°What!? But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I am the huntress who caught it. Therefore it is mine by right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! You used magic!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Like this?¡± She twirled her finger in a circle and Stryg yelped as he floated into the air on a chilly breeze.


    ¡°Mom, stop!¡± He flapped his arms from side to side like a baby bird.


    She laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡±


    She laughed even harder. ¡°It really is.¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but crack a tiny smile and soon he began to giggle, her laughter was infectious. Lunae leaned forward and touched her forehead to his as they both giggled, a light mirthful sound.


    The world fell apart into the shadows of nothingness. Suddenly, the world fell back into focus, but it was no longer the same. The sky was dark, the moon nowhere to be seen. The ashen trees of the forest no longer seemed warm and welcoming, but foreboding and eerie.


    A blue goblin, a young teenager now, was crying, his voice broken amidst the sniffling. Lunae stood over him, looking down with a gaze full of pity and pain.


    Stryg held up his hand, and a thin silver line of a scar ran down his palm. ¡°I won¡¯t! We''re Sigte! We¡¯re bonded forever! I won¡¯t¡ª!¡± he sucked in a shaky breath and looked up at her boldly, ¡°I won¡¯t forget you. I promise.¡±


    Lunae fell to her knees and cupped his face between her hands. Tears flowed freely down her silver skin. ¡°I love you, my son.¡±


    I entrust you with the safety of my son. Protect him well. The goddess¡¯ voice echoed in the air, like thunder in the clouds.


    Protect him well.


    Protect him.


    PROTECT HIM!


    Gale shouted in a panic and sat up in her bed, covered in sweat. She clutched at her chest, it felt cold as if a shard of ice had slipped between her ribs. The vampiress looked around anxiously, she was in her bed chambers.


    Why was she¡­?


    She tried to remember where she had last been, but the memories, no, the dream was still so vivid in her mind. It hadn¡¯t been real. It couldn¡¯t have been. It felt as if she lived it; carried a small blue child in her lap as he fished and looked up at her with an innocent smile that could level mountains.


    Gale shook her head. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was escorting her ward into the meeting of the Sylvan Tribes. And then, there had been a girl, a teenager really, with dark silver skin, hair as white as starlight, and silver-white eyes that seemed to shine with an inner fiery glow.


    ¡°I need to find Stryg¡­¡± she muttered.


    Her ward was all that mattered right now.


    She threw off her blankets, opened her closet, and threw on the first pair of garments she could find. Her sword rested on the sword rack next to her bedside and she grabbed its hilt with a comforting sigh, before heading out the door.


    As she walked down the stairs, Gale considered looking for her uncle first. Gian usually spent his time sitting under the old yew tree in the gardens, but recently he had been spending more and more time at Lady Aurelia¡¯s bedside.


    Despite their white mages¡¯ finest treatment, Lord Veres¡¯ mother had yet to awaken. Whatever wounds the dragonbane had inflicted upon her had been worse than any of them had realized.


    The sounds of the front doors opening pulled Gale away from her thoughts. Besides the guards, under the doorway stood a young human woman. Though her arms were covered in bandages she still carried her one-year-old son in her arms.


    Gale¡¯s throat tightened at the sight of her nephew, he looked so much like her brother, Clypeus.


    Nora met her eyes and she smiled hesitantly, ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Lady Gale.¡±


    Gale rushed her and embraced them both. ¡°Never.¡±


    ~~~


    Gale found Stryg at the stables, sitting on a bench near the giant beast that was quickly devouring their food stores. Lady Feli stood not far away, though Gale found it odd that she wasn¡¯t sitting next to her husband, until she spotted Elise on the bench as well.


    ¡°Lord Veres!¡± Gale called out without hesitation.


    Stryg looked up, surprised. ¡°Gale?¡±


    She bowed and stepped aside, ¡°You have visitors.¡± Behind her stood Nora and in her arms, Kamilo.


    ¡°We¡¯ll finish this talk later,¡± Stryg said to Elise without even glancing at her.


    Kamilo noticed Stryg as he slowly approached and his tiny hands stretched out restlessly. ¡°A-ba!¡±


    Stryg broke into a sprint and picked Kamilo up into his arms.


    ¡°A-ba!¡± the toddler cried happily.


    ¡°Kamilo!¡± Stryg held him up and twirled him in the air, smiling brightly as the child giggled.


    Nora smiled at the sight. Feli walked over and hugged her, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°As I am of you,¡± Nora replied warmly.


    Gale looked over at the bench, but Elise was already gone. She caught the edge of her black cloak disappearing back into the gardens that connected both their manors. Gale would deal with her later, for now she needed to speak to her ward about what had happened last night.


    And her dreams¡­ No. Gale shook her head. Her dreams were her own, just apparitions of a difficult night¡¯s sleep. None of it was real. Stryg had no scar on either of his palms. Sure, his hands would swelter and even sometimes bleed during their sword training sessions, but the next morning they were always perfectly fine. Her ward didn¡¯t even have calluses, let alone a scar.


    ¡°Kamilo¡¯s missed you,¡± said Nora.


    But Stryg did not hear her. His attention had been entirely taken by the toddler.


    ¡°It seems Stryg has missed him dearly as well,¡± Nora said wryly.


    Feli chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain there is no distance nor danger that would keep Stryg from getting back to Kamilo.¡± Her gaze softened, ¡°He¡¯s Clypeus¡¯ legacy.¡±


    Kamilo tried to reach into Stryg¡¯s pocket with his pudgy little hands. Stryg smiled and pulled out a yellow muffin he had stuffed into his jacket pocket at breakfast. ¡°You have a sharp nose too, huh?¡±


    The little hybrid stared at the muffin with hungry dark purple eyes.


    Stryg grinned. ¡°Too bad, it¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Auuagh!¡± Kamilo cried.


    Stryg channeled Yellow and flicked his wrist. A wind spell wrapped around Kamilo and floated him into the air. It seemed simple, but the fact that he was holding the child up without creating a turbulent blast spoke volumes of the control behind the spell. His control over his magic had grown significantly since Gale had last seen him battle in Undergrowth.


    Kamilo cried out in surprise as he floated and reached out for the muffin longingly. Stryg laughed and broke the muffin in two, before giving one half to the baby.


    Nora¡¯s jaw went slack in surprise. ¡°My gods, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Stryg share his food with anyone.¡±


    ¡°He usually doesn¡¯t,¡± Feli chuckled.


    Stryg smiled as he shared the muffin with the babbling baby. He drew Kamilo close and touched his forehead to Kamilo¡¯s, then closed his eyes with a shared laugh.


    The icy feeling in Gale¡¯s heart clenched and a shiver ran down her spine. It had all been a dream¡­ hadn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 558: The Ward & Shadow Part 1

    Chapter 558: The Ward & Shadow Part 1


    The morning in House Gale¡¯s manor passed by without any incident. Stryg played with Kamilo, refusing to put the toddler down even as he walked through the gardens with Nora and Feli. Gale stood at a respectful distance, along with one of her cousins, the two of them keeping sight of their lord and his family at all times.


    Nora tried to drag Gale into the conversation, but she politely declined. Usually, she¡¯d be happy to spend time with Cly¡¯s lover and her nephew, but right now she needed time to reconcile her dreams with the blue goblin-vampire hybrid walking ahead of her. Goblin-vampire-drow hybrid, she corrected herself.


    Stryg was Lady Stryga Veres¡¯ heir. The blood of the three Ebon chromatic races ran through his blood. Such a union of bloodlines hadn¡¯t been seen since the Sapphire of the East still stood. But Lunis had fallen long ago now and its power had faded away for the last three hundred years, until her ward and lord had brought them out of the shadows of Vulture Woods.


    Even now the city¡¯s nobility was abuzz with how to deal with the Sylvan army lying behind their walls. Hollow Shade¡¯s forces had been depleted. They were exhausted and still licking their wounds. Whereas the Sylvan army seemed as strong as ever, or at least those were the best estimates from their scouts¡¯ reports. No one had managed to get close enough to actually see their full numbers.


    It was times like these that Gale wished they had a powerful True Red on their side. Such a mage could search through their numbers with ease. But Synchrony magic was rare and a True Red with enough power to achieve such a feat hadn¡¯t been seen in a long time in Hollow Shade.


    She wondered if she could ask Stryg for more details about the Sylvan army. Would he tell the truth or would he make up some paltry lie? Her ward was a poor liar. Then again, knowing Stryg, he may not even know the true numbers of the army he led to battle.


    Stryg was one of the strangest individuals she had ever met. In many ways he seemed like a fool, a country bumpkin who was more interested in a flower on the side of the road than the jewelry wrapped around a lord¡¯s neck. He could be entranced by a simple pastry and forget whatever important sword lesson she had been teaching. Some would call him a fool, but she had seen the way he acted around magic. He took in the lessons like a fish to water. His control over the arcana language alone was daunting, no matter how complex the sigil patterns in a book were, Stryg could replicate it with ease.


    The new Lord Veres would rise to great heights among the mageborn, perhaps his magical prowess would one day rival even Elzri Noir. Even if he didn¡¯t, Stryg¡¯s swordsmanship would cover any limitations.


    If one only considered martial and magical prowess, then Stryg was an ideal candidate for the Veres throne. Though ever since this morning, Gale couldn¡¯t help but feel as if something was off. Lunae¡¯s words echoed in her mind even now.


    It couldn¡¯t be true, of course. The goddess of the moon could not be Stryg¡¯s mother. His mother was Aurelia Veres. Gale had met her. The goblin hybrid was resting in bed at the manor right at this very moment. If Gale disregarded her skin complexion, then Aurelia looked more like the portraits of Lady Stryga than Stryg did.


    Gale had no doubt in her mind that Aurelia was indeed the granddaughter of the infamous Blue Rose.


    So why¡­? Why did she feel this way?


    Gale shook her head. There were more important matters at hand. The city was still reeling from the recent siege. Half the council had been replaced. The power balance had shifted and every political move they made now would decide which families would end up on top.


    She knew that House Veres needed allies now more than ever. The Katag family would serve to shore up their defenses. The Goldelms had always shared close ties with the Veres families and judging by the way Lady Freya had reacted to Stryg¡¯s appearance at the council meeting, Gale was confident that their relationship would continue. Still, it was odd that the young Freya was the one sitting on the Goldelm throne. To Gale¡¯s knowledge, her older brothers still lived. It was something she needed to look into.


    In the meantime, garnering the support of the House Glaz would be imperative. The drow family had stood proudly as the most powerful of the Seven Ruling Houses, but now with the loss of their matriarch and heir, along with half their forces, they were exposed. Forging some sort of alliance with the Glaz would serve well for House Veres. Lord Vayu Glaz had trained Stryg, so perhaps such an alliance wouldn¡¯t be too far-fetched.


    House Helene was in ruin, their entire family completely wiped out, save for a child who was too traumatized to even grasp the weight of his newfound position. House Ashe had always preferred to keep the powers of the council at bay, shifting their support to whichever would keep one House from rising above another. Lady Calantha Ashe would be an obstacle, Gale was certain of it.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    As for the Noirs¡­


    Gale could practically taste the bile in her mouth at the thought of Loh Noir. She had abandoned her post at Widow¡¯s Crag and in doing so had abandoned Clypeus and Stryg. And then Elzir Noir had covered up the truth and blamed her new ward. Stryg had suffered greatly and even now Gale felt guilty over how she had treated him the days following Cly¡¯s death.


    Gale had sworn revenge on House Noir and she had secured her uncle¡¯s support in the matter. But now Stryg was her lord, and his relationship with Loh was murky at best. She needed to act carefully and ascertain Stryg¡¯s feelings before she made any moves on that traitorous bitch. There would be a reckoning for House Noir, Gale swore it.


    Until then, Gale would focus on her role as the Shield of Veres and the shadow of Stryg, keeping her ward safe and solidifying his position and power amongst the city¡¯s oligarchy.


    Before Gale realized it, noon had arrived and Nora was taking her leave. Little Kamilo cried as she pried her son from Stryg¡¯s arms. For a moment there, Stryg seemed as if he wouldn¡¯t let go of the child either, until with a forlorn look he finally did, but not before making Nora promise to visit more often. He even offered to prepare rooms for the two of them in the Gale manor.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay? We have the space, trust me,¡± Stryg said with a pleading tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Nora smiled wryly. She stared at the manor looming behind them. ¡°This was Cly¡¯s home. Someday I know Kamilo will come here to learn about his father. Someday he may even choose to live as a Gale, but until that day, I¡¯d rather have him grow as a human, away from the cold nature of this place.¡± She glanced back at Gale apologetically, ¡°No offense, my lady.¡±


    Gale smiled half-heartedly. ¡°I understand, I do. But I suspect Kamilo will find his way here in time. A vampire¡¯s life is long, even a hybrid¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°And if he studies the Gale Style¡¯s swordsmanship then he¡¯ll live even longer,¡± Stryg said with an odd fervor.


    ¡°Yes, well, that will be his choice,¡± Nora hefted Kamilo into her arms and patted his back. The one-year-old wasn¡¯t listening and instead had his arms outstretched towards his uncle. ¡°We should be off now. I¡¯ll see you all later this week?¡±


    ¡°We look forward to it, Lady Azol,¡± Feli said with a bow.


    ¡°Bye¡­¡± Stryg waved weakly to them as they left.


    Kamilo cried and kicked, only stopping for small gasps of air, as Nora left the gardens. Gale couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    Feli looked at her husband with a gaze of sympathy then hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°Cheer up, you¡¯ll see them again soon.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s just¡­ A prolonged life seems lonely,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Feli gave him an odd look. ¡°Where did this come from?¡±


    He shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯m not human like you, Feli. I¡¯m not really a goblin either. I will outlive all of you¡­¡±


    Feli bit her lip in thought. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Lady Noir has mentioned your mutations on many occasions. You heal quicker than others, which would extend your lifespan significantly. And now that you¡¯re training in the Gale Style you will live even longer.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother you?¡±


    Feli shrugged, ¡°I made my peace with it. Humans have never lived particularly long lives compared to other species. I had always assumed you were a drow hybrid, so I guessed you¡¯d live longer than me anyway.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re alright with that? Just like that?¡±


    Feli furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? This never really seemed to bother you before. Are you worried that I¡¯ll be old and grey while you¡¯re still young and grey?¡± She mocked as she played with his silver-white hair.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really think about that,¡± he admitted.


    Feli rolled her eyes, ¡°Vampires and drows who marry partners with shorter lifespans often times bring in a third member to their marriage, when their first partner grows very old.¡±


    ¡°There is a reason polygamy is more common among our kind,¡± Gale nodded.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± he sighed in frustration and his shoulders sank. ¡°You¡¯ll be gone and I¡¯ll still be here. ¡­I wanted power so that I could protect my tribe, protect the people I care about. But no matter what I do, someday, you will all be gone.¡±


    ¡°Stryg¡­¡±


    Gale cleared her throat. ¡°You will not be alone. Your lifespan may be long, but so is mine. I will be your Shield, your shadow, for as long as we live. Whether that is two or three centuries, I shall be by your side.¡±


    Stryg smiled sadly. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± He turned to the woman in his arms and kissed her softly, before pulling away. ¡°I have to go train.¡±


    Feli reached for his hand but he had already walked away at a brisk pace. Gale bowed to her, ¡°I¡¯ll look after the lord while he trains. May I suggest you have some lunch in the meantime, Lady Feli?¡±


    ¡°He does this sometimes, you know,¡± Feli said quietly. ¡°Whenever he struggles with something he always pushes everyone else away, as if he somehow needs to bear the weight of the entire realm over his shoulders.¡±


    That sounds terribly unhealthy. ¡°How do you help him manage?¡±


    ¡°I let him be for a bit, he¡¯s too stubborn to listen to reason at first. Let him work out his frustration and anger with his magic and steel.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Feli looked her in the eye, ¡°You remind him that he is not alone in our Realm of Monsters. Even if that means smacking him across the head with a mallet.¡±


    ¡°A mallet?¡± Gale wrinkled her nose at the thought. She¡¯d die before seeing her ward come to serious injury.


    Feli shrugged, ¡°Despite his pretty looks and dainty face, his body is quite tough. Anything softer than a mallet and he wouldn¡¯t feel it. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Well, I¡¯ll go oversee his training now. Lady Feli,¡± Gale bowed her head, then walked off.

 Chapter 559: The Ward & Shadow Part 2

    Chapter 559: The Ward & Shadow Part 2


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to find Stryg. Though there were several walled-off courtyards set aside for training on the shared Gale and Veres estates, there was only one that had a pair of Gale warriors guarding the gate. And unless Lady Elise had suddenly discovered a new love for swordsmanship after two decades then it was quite obvious who was causing the loud scraping noises of metal on metal.


    The guards stepped aside as Gale neared. ¡°My lady.¡± They bowed and unlocked the gate.


    Gale gave them a silent nod and stepped inside. Stryg stood alone. A pair of training dummies lay on the floor, their armor crumpled on several points. Gale sighed and closed the gate behind her. She pulled her scarlet hood over to shield her from the noon sun before she leaned on the wall and silently watched Stryg beat the last standing armoured dummy with abandon.


    The steel plate armor was perfect for simple training lessons against the dull practice swords but it fell under the weight of the hybrid¡¯s attacks. Stryg¡¯s lilac eyes were hard as he slashed over and over, the steel plate cracking underneath the pressure.


    Finally, with a splash of sparks and an ear-screeching noise, the dull sword cracked the plate armor in two and cleaved the straw dummy in half. Stryg stood over his opponent, his shoulders heaving, as he took ragged breaths.


    ¡°You¡¯re angry,¡± Gale said.


    As if finally noticing her presence, Stryg stiffened for a moment, but he didn¡¯t bother looking back at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You could have fooled me.¡± She placed her hand over a magestone embedded in the wall and poured a trickle of mana into it. Sigils flared across the courtyard walls and faint red sigils floated above, providing a sound dampener. ¡°Maybe next time remember to activate wards before you decide to murder the dummies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Your form was somewhat poor. Have you been slacking off ever since I left you at Undergrowth?¡±


    He smiled half-heartedly. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Show me the Cascade Stance.¡±


    He glanced at the blunt sword in his hand. The training weapon had been pushed far beyond its purpose. The blade was bent at two points and a single crack ran through the entire body.


    Stryg tossed aside the sword and drew Krikolm from his belt. Even now he still didn¡¯t have a sheath for the legendary weapon. The sword had cut any sheath they had tried. It was already difficult enough for Stryg to not cut his own pants while walking. Gale made a note to herself, she would need to find a solution for that at some point.


    Whatever thoughts she had running through her mind evaporated as Stryg fell into the Cascade Stance, his footwork shifting in smooth motions as he slowly advanced forward in a series of small, yet quick cuts. The blade shined a brilliant scarlet red in the sunlight and with every strike Gale could feel his aura pour into the blade, culminating in a final strike that sent a powerful gust straight to his would-be enemy.


    ¡°Thoughts?¡± Stryg turned to her with a grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re relying too much on Krikolm. It not only channels your lifeforce energy but amplifies it. The goal of the Cascade Stance is to simulate precise control of our family¡¯s sword style. You are meant to control your aura, building up your energy into a single powerful point before releasing it. Instead, you¡¯re simply tossing Krikolm¡¯s amplified power outwards. If you had done it properly, that final strike would have been thrice as strong. You know better. Do not let your emotions stain our swordsmanship. Again.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Apologies, Master.¡±


    He fell back into the first steps of the Cascade Stance just as Gale spoke up once more. ¡°This time do not use any lifeforce energy. Revert to the basics and the basics alone.¡±


    The blue hybrid went through the steps, Krikolm swinging out in flashing strikes. He wasn¡¯t relying on his aura and yet he was somehow faster. More focused. His foot faltered in the second to final step and the last strike failed miserably. Stryg gritted his teeth but said nothing, simply returning back to the first position. He knew what she was going to say.


    ¡°Again.¡± She said it anyway.


    It was clear his emotions were affecting his mental state, but that didn¡¯t stop Stryg from trying over and over. On the 8th attempt, he finally managed a perfect stance that even Gian would find acceptable.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Gale nodded. ¡°Now show me the Granite Stance.¡± She would take him through all five of the fundamental nature stances if it meant clearing his head.


    Stryg shifted his feet and relaxed his muscles, preparing to enter the second stance, then he stopped and glanced at the dagger hanging on his belt. No, a dagger wasn¡¯t the right word. It was once a sword, now shattered, and left with only the hilt and about a third of the blade.


    Nameless. Gale recalled the name or lack thereof. She could never forget the swirling pattern of that particular sword, even broken as it was.


    ¡°I have all the fragments,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you?¡± She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice but failed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy ever since I¡¯ve come back with one problem or another, but I¡¯ll have Cly¡¯s sword reforged soon enough.¡±


    Gale nodded and winced as soon as she had. Her lack of denial had been telling enough. ¡°How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°I never forgot the pattern of Cly¡¯s swords. Even if the metal is reforged, the original pattern of spell weaves on the enchanted steel remains. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, a trace of pain in his eyes, ¡°I plan to gift it to Kamilo. It belongs to him.¡±


    Gale shook her head. ¡°Uncle Gian gave the sword to you.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kamilo can barely hold a spoon. He has no need for a sword, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I, it seems.¡± He raised Krikolm.


    ¡°Then keep Nameless as is. It¡¯ll serve as a dagger well enough,¡± Gale pushed.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Stryg swallowed hard as he stared down at Nameless. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect his sword.¡±


    ¡°Just because something breaks doesn¡¯t mean it is broken,¡± she whispered.


    Stryg smiled wryly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Nameless is a weapon. Do you believe it¡¯s broken? Or can one still do their job, even while not whole?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re not talking about Nameless.¡±


    ¡°I failed as a Shield of Veres. I couldn¡¯t protect Carmilla, my ward. But you still saw me fit to become your personal Shield, your Shadow until death.¡± She placed a hand over her heart, ¡°Ever since Widow Crag I don¡¯t feel whole, but you still saw me worthy to stand by your side. So at the risk of having you recoil and run away from your problems, I think, no, I believe that you and I can both heal and be stronger for it. We can be the people our family needs.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. A single tear slipped down his cheek. He fell into Granite Stance but it was different, there were small shifts in his footwork and his non-dominant arm. Gale hadn¡¯t taught him this. No, this was¡ª


    Her crimson eyes widened in realization.


    With a slow breath, Stryg opened his eyes in determination and fell into a dual weapon stance, Krikolm in one hand, Nameless in the other. The blades skimmed through the air, blocking imaginary arrows and sword strikes. Krikolm compensated for the shorter length of Nameless and moved in wider arcs as the latter twirled in swift abrupt motions.


    Gale watched with mouth slightly agape in fascination. The form was raw, somewhat crude even. It certainly wasn¡¯t as fluid as when Clypeus had demonstrated the reformed stance to her, but it was his. Cly¡¯s unique take on the Gale Style. He had been a prodigy swordsman and had followed his own path; he would have formed an entirely new derivative style if he lived long enough. Gale thought the dual style was lost forever, but she hadn¡¯t realized how close Stryg and Cly had been. This wasn¡¯t a simple imitation like she had seen Stryg do before, no, this was Cly¡¯s sword, through and through.


    She couldn¡¯t help but cry as she watched a part of her brother return to life.


    Stryg finished the Granite Stance and looked at her worriedly. ¡°How was that? I know I¡¯m not as talented as Cly was, but I thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± she whispered.


    He nodded and fell back into the Granite Stance. He repeated the movements over and over, each time growing faster despite the lack of lifeforce. His lilac eyes became more focused and they began to glow with an inner light.


    Gale wrinkled her brow. What was that? There were no traces of the darkened veins of Orange¡¯s agility magic, or the bronze sheen of Brown¡¯s vigor. Nor could she sense any use of his aura. This was something different.


    The words of Lunae echoed in her mind once more. Gale shook her head, that didn¡¯t matter right now. She needed to focus on the present. Gale motioned for Stryg to stop. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You did well.¡±


    He slowed his movements, beads of sweat on his forehead. ¡°Next stance?¡±


    ¡°In a moment. It occurs to me I am still not fully aware of what transpired last night. Our servants tell me of rumors flitting about the Katag¡¯s party. Care to enlighten me?¡±


    Stryg sheathed Nameless and looked at her sheepishly. ¡°Um¡­ Where to start?¡±


    ¡°How about the part where Lynette drew her blade on the Katags?¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°And then I sort of walked home¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Stryg shrugged.


    Gale sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°So two random women kidnapped you right as you, what? Almost lost control of your magic? Some sort of torrent spell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it was a torrent spell,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Any idea of who the women were?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡± She looked at him flatly.


    He withered under her gaze and looked away.


    ¡°I am your sworn Shield, your guardian, your shadow. I cannot protect you if you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s really going on. You and I are in this together forever. If you die, I die. Do you understand?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s shoulder slumped and he nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you know about these women?¡±


    ¡°¡­They¡¯re my sisters.¡±


    Gale coughed and stumbled forward. ¡°Sisters!?¡±


    ¡°Half-sisters technically.¡±


    ¡°Bloody Bellum, why do you always keep such important information to yourself!? Are they Veres?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re from my father¡¯s side of the family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re father¡¯s side?¡± Gale cocked her head to the side. She knew nothing of Stryg¡¯s paternal family. She already knew so painfully little of Stryga¡¯s line and what had happened to them in the last few centuries.


    ¡°We¡¯re partners, right?¡±


    Gale¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Our bond goes beyond that of friendship or lovers. We are Shield and Sword, Ward and Shadow. Trust is what binds us,¡± she recited, determination clear in her voice.


    Stryg cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah, well, about my father¡­¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen Stryg this nervous since Cly and he had first fought her.


    ¡°He¡¯s Stjerne,¡± Stryg said with a wince.


    Gale looked at him as if he was an idiot. ¡°Stryg, I take my oaths very seriously. I thought we were past lies¡ª¡±


    In a single breath, Stryg drew his arm back and punched the ground, driving his fist through the reinforced cobblestone. The enchanted rock cracked and caved in, leaving a small crater on the floor.


    Stryg drew his bare arm back. There were no yellow scales, nor bronze sheen over his skin. Gale still didn¡¯t sense any lifeforce channeling either. She stared at the scene, her eyes slowly widening as her brow wrinkled in confusion.


    ¡°What did you just¡ª H-How¡­?¡± Gale stammered.


    Stryg opened his hand wide. There were no cuts or scrapes. His blue flesh was untouched. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. ¡°I am Stryg Veres, son of the Traveler, Stjerne, the Calamity of Death. And I could really use some help.¡±


    Gale gulped loudly.

 Chapter 560: The Ward & Shadow Part 3

    Chapter 560: The Ward & Shadow Part 3


    Stryg opened his hand wide. There were no cuts or scrapes. His blue flesh was untouched. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. ¡°I am Stryg Veres, son of the Traveler, Stjerne, the Calamity of Death. And I could really use some help.¡±


    Gale gulped loudly. With shaky steps, she slowly walked to him and inspected his arm carefully. ¡°There¡¯s nothing, not even a scratch,¡± she marveled in quiet wonder.


    ¡°The bodies of titans are tough, or so I¡¯m told,¡± Stryg added with a trace of uncertainty.


    Gale recalled her dream and Lunae¡¯s words. Suddenly, the idea that Stryg was the child of a god did not seem so far-fetched. ¡°It¡¯s really true, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    ¡°I noticed I was becoming stronger and more durable the last few years, but after the siege the difference was obvious.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to explain it. It¡¯s like something inside me woke up. Everything feels different since then. Are you alright?¡± He seemed tense, almost as if was worried he¡¯d scare her away.


    Gale shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just¡ª A lot to process. I have questions.¡±


    ¡°So do I,¡± he said wryly. ¡°I still don¡¯t really know who I am. If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m a little scared.¡±


    She looked up at him and saw his troubled expression. It was difficult for him to admit his fears. Gale grabbed his hand and knelt, placing her forehead atop his fingers. ¡°I swore to protect you and stay by your side, this changes nothing. If anything it only serves to strengthen my loyalty.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± he whispered.


    She looked up at him, scarlet eyes filled with determination. ¡°I knew there was a reason you survived when Clypeus did not. I knew there was a reason why I survived when Carmilla did not. Fate placed me by your side for a reason. And now I finally see it.¡±


    The weight of her weights hung over Stryg¡¯s shoulders and his expression grew solemn with her words. ¡°I will try to live up to the Veres and Gale legacy.¡±


    ¡°I know you will.¡± Gale bowed once more before standing to her feet. She bit her lip in consternation, ¡°I do have a few questions if you¡¯ll indulge me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What happened after I was unconscious¡­ Was that really the goddess of the moon at the tavern?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± he nodded without an ounce of guile.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Gale grabbed the silver lock of hair hanging in front of her. ¡°She said something to me. She did something to me.¡±


    ¡°She favoured you with her blessing.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the greatest honors among my people, but as to the specifics, I¡¯m not really sure. The Mother Moon has set you aside from others and blessed you with her power.¡±


    ¡°What sort of power?¡± she asked skeptically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. My mother is a favoured as well. If anyone would know, it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°But Lady Veres has yet to awaken... Are you favoured?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Stryg scratched his cheek, ¡°I¡¯m the Mother Moon¡¯s Chosen, or so I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°Her Chosen?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I don¡¯t know what it means either.¡±


    ¡°You must be special to her,¡± Gale pressed.


    ¡°Maybe. I think more than anything it has to do with the fact that I am a demigod.¡± Stryg stopped and blinked. ¡°Huh, it feels weird saying that out loud.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is your relationship with the ebon goddess?¡±


    Stryg shrugged. ¡°She talks to me, sometimes. She¡¯s the Mother Moon of my people. What more is there to say?¡±


    He was holding back, Gale could tell. ¡°Is she¡­ Is she your mother?¡±


    ¡°I just told you she¡¯s the Mother Moon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, but is she your actual mother?¡±


    Stryg furrowed his brow. ¡°What? My birth mother is Aurelia Veres. You know, the woman who you saved a few days ago. She¡¯s lying in bed in the house right behind us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, but, I don¡¯t know,¡± she grumbled in frustration. ¡°Could Lunae somehow be your step-mother or something? Like, is Lunae married to Stjerne?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Lunae isn¡¯t my mother¡ª¡± Stryg grimaced and held his head between his hands.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Gale grabbed his shoulders, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine,¡± he muttered with a wince. ¡°It¡¯s just a headache, I think I¡¯m still recovering from whatever happened last night.¡± He stared at his hand and clenched his fingers, opened and closed repeatedly. ¡°It hurts¡­ Maybe I punched the floor too hard,¡± he chuckled weakly.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Gale remembered the scar that was on his palm in her dream. There was not a blemish on his pale blue skin now.


    Something was wrong. She was certain of it. Whatever it was, it was hurting her ward. Gale decided to not push him any further. There was only one being who would truly have the answers for her. She needed to find Lunae.


    A knock banged on the steel grate of the gate. Gale glanced back, the red arcane sigils engraved into the steel prevented anyone from looking into or out of the training courtyard, but she could still make out the blurred red silhouette of a woman.


    ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Gale asked Stryg.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he nodded.


    She let him go and walked over to the gate. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Tauri of House Katag, now open the fucking door.¡±


    Gale glanced at her lord, a question on her lips. He nodded awkwardly. Why was he hesitating? Last she checked, Stryg and Tauri were on decent enough terms, she was one of his professors back at the academy and now Elena Katag was marrying House Veres. Then again, from the story Stryg had half-heartedly told her about last night¡¯s incident, it sounded as if their engagement was in danger. As to why, Stryg had skirted on the details of that particular interaction. Gale suspected something was missing from the story, but at the moment she didn¡¯t think it best to push him on the matter.


    The steel gate shook loudly with another knock. ¡°Oi! Vampire! Open the damn gate!¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°Open it.¡±


    Gale unlatched the lock and went to open the door, but Tauri kicked it in first and strode into the courtyard.


    He smiled weakly. ¡°Hey, Tauri.¡±


    The beautiful orc ignored him, brought her arm back, and swung her fist in a right hook. Stryg cocked his head to the side in a flash without taking a step.


    His lilac eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Wait a sec!¡±


    Tauri curled her fist but before she could strike again she froze. Gale¡¯s sword hovered below her jaw. ¡°Take one more step towards my lord and I will sever your head and parade it through the streets all the way to the Katag manor.¡±


    ¡°Gale, stop.¡±


    Tauri glanced at the vampire, careful not to move, and bared her teeth in a snarl. ¡°You were always a cold bitch, even back when we were students, glad you haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°And you were always friendly with the Noir kids. I wonder if that¡¯s going to be a problem now.¡± Gale pushed the tip of her sword into Tauri¡¯s neck, drawing a pinprick of blood.


    ¡°You¡¯d really kill the daughter of House Katag and start a war between our Houses?¡± Tauri glared at her defiantly. ¡°Have you no honor or brains behind that pretty face?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand my devotion to my family or the lengths I¡¯d go to protect House Veres, but if you keep talking I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°Gale, put the sword down!¡± Stryg growled.


    ¡°...As you wish, my lord.¡± She stared a moment longer at Tauri before she sheathed the blade and took a step back, though her hand never wandered far from her sword¡¯s hilt. She sent Stryg a questioning glance and he silently mouthed, ¡®Talk later.¡¯


    Tauri rubbed her neck and came away with a trickle of blood. She frowned.


    ¡°So, I can see that you''re mad,¡± Stryg began.


    Tauri glared at him, ¡°Oh, really? Why would I be mad?¡±


    He looked at her uncertainly, ¡°Am I supposed to answer that or¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you tried to kidnap me in front of my entire family!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought that might be it,¡± he admitted quietly.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I told you not to and just let me go! Or I dunno, maybe it¡¯s because you fucking knocked me unconscious with magic!¡±


    Gale made an ¡®o¡¯ with her lips and looked at Stryg with a hint of shame and disappointment.


    He sighed and nodded. ¡°I get it, you want payback. If you need to take your anger out on me, so be it.¡± He put his hands behind his back, ¡°I won¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Angry?¡± Tauri laughed, ¡°You think I¡¯m angry? I¡¯m furious!¡± She kicked him between his legs. Her foot scraped against something hard and she yelped in pain and hopped backwards on one leg.


    Yellow translucent scales peeked out from underneath Stryg¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Motherfucker, you used magic again!?¡± Tauri roared.


    Stryg winced, ¡°Sorry, it was reflex. Self-preservation. Ahem,¡± he coughed loudly, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t use magic this time.¡± He closed his eyes and stood still.


    Gale crossed her arms and only watched, the corners of her lips faintly curling in anticipation.


    Tauri scowled and channeled brown mana. A bronze sheen wrapped around her fist. She pulled back her arm and punched him in his dainty face. Her fist landed on his cheek in a satisfying crunch as his head snapped back. Pain suddenly shot up her arm and she cried out.


    Gale smiled smugly. ¡°Brown magic strengthens your muscles, it doesn¡¯t do much to toughen your bones though.¡±


    Stryg opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly and working his jaw open and closed for a few moments, before turning to Tauri, concern in his voice. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She groaned as she gingerly held her broken hand. ¡°Since when did your body become a damn anvil!?¡±


    ¡°My body¡¯s natural abilities may have grown quite a bit these last few days,¡± he said hesitantly.


    ¡°Wait, you knew this was going to happen?¡± Tauri hissed and showed him her broken fingers.


    ¡°¡­No?¡±


    ¡°Why do I even bother?¡± She sighed and tried to hop away.


    ¡°Wait, please.¡±


    Stryg picked her up into his arms as she yelled at him angrily. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    With a flick of Green magic, he molded a stone bench from the ground and plopped her down on it. ¡°Just hold still for a moment so I can heal you. I promise you can stab me with Krikolm all you like after I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°You little shit. We both know I can¡¯t pick up that sword and it¡¯d never hurt you even if I could,¡± she growled with a small laugh.


    Stryg smiled at her words but said nothing as he channeled White mana and ran his glowing fingers over her injuries.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gale¡¯s eyes widened in realization. The final piece of the dinner party¡¯s puzzle suddenly fell into place. ¡°Oooooh. You fucked up. You both fucked up royally.¡±


    Stryg and Tauri looked away sheepishly.


    Gale laughed at their embarrassment. ¡°I guess it¡¯s more like you fucked up each other. Gods, Lord and Lady Katag must be outraged right about now.¡±


    Tauri glared at the vampire. ¡°Since when were you a jokester?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. ¡°It¡¯s just surprising to imagine the ¡®perfect¡¯ and ¡®honorable¡¯ daughter of the Great House of Katag sleeping with her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦. So much for all that family honor, huh?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Tauri tensed at her words.


    ¡°Gale,¡± Stryg said tiredly.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Apologies, my lord.¡± Gale bowed to him, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you and your¡ª mistress alone for some ¡®private time.¡¯ In the meantime, I¡¯ll speak with Uncle Gian on how we can salvage this mess.¡± She winked at Tauri, ¡°Enjoy betraying your family¡¯s honor.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t betray my family!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try saying that while you¡¯re¡ª¡± Gale made an obscene oral gesture with her hand and mouth before she walked out the gate.


    ¡°Fucking asshole,¡± Tauri grumbled.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re not friends,¡± Stryg guessed.


    ¡°We have history.¡±


    ¡°...Sooo, can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Keep healing.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±

 Chapter 561: Gods & Faith

    Chapter 561: Gods & Faith


    The training courtyard was silent, the usual din of steel clashing was gone. With a bit of Green, Stryg molded the stone bench he had created into an open egg-shaped chair with enough room for two. He sat next to Tauri and held her scarlet hand as he channeled White mana into a healing spell.


    Tauri winced slightly as the bones in her hand cracked underneath her skin, the connective tissues rearranging themselves back into place. The swelling over her fingers diminished in front of her amber eyes. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at this,¡± she noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not particularly flashy, but you never know when you need it.¡±


    ¡°Except you don¡¯t really need it, do you?¡± she said quietly and looked him over. The blue hybrid had always been an enigma to her. Visiting his home in Vulture Woods and meeting his mother had only made things worse. The son of the Last Ebon Lady and the heir of House Veres were two traits she had never thought to find.


    With her free hand, she traced her fingers across his face. ¡°I saw when your mother brought you out of the troll king¡¯s palace. Your body was broken. You were covered in blood. I thought¡­¡± she swallowed hard. ¡°No one thought you¡¯d make it, except Aurelia. I helped carry you down the mountain¡­ I saw your flesh slowly knit itself back together.¡±


    ¡°Lord Noir believed my mutations would keep me healthy for centuries,¡± Stryg said. It felt like a weak excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a mutation that can bring you back from the brink of death.¡±


    ¡°Death, huh?¡± he chuckled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°Stryg.¡± She grabbed his chin and gently turned his gaze to her. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°If I told you¡­ I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d stay.¡±


    She gave him a flat stare. ¡°You attacked me with magic yesterday¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not an attack, only a restraint.¡±


    ¡°You cast a drain spell on me.¡±


    ¡°Because you were trying to hit me, which in retrospect would have only hurt you.¡± Stryg lifted her injured hand as evidence.


    ¡°After you tried kidnapping me!¡±


    ¡°...Fair.¡±


    She groaned to herself. ¡°Look, my point is, even after all that, against my better judgment, I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I? There is nothing you could tell me about yourself that would make me just up and leave you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the son of Stjerne and the Monster in the Dark is an ancient goddess bent on eradicating all chromatic species from all ten realms,¡± he blurted out. ¡°Oh, and she¡¯s also my cousin.¡± He breathed out heavily and relaxed his shoulders. Stryg hadn¡¯t realized how tense he had been holding the secrets within.


    Tauri furrowed her brow and gently turned his head to the side. ¡°I think I hit you harder than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Why does no one believe me?¡± he grumbled.


    She laughed. ¡°Come on, Stryg. You can¡¯t really think I¡¯m going to believe you¡¯re the son of the Traveler just because you say so.¡±


    ¡°You know my body is tougher than steel and that I heal faster than anyone you¡¯ve seen. What else can I do to prove it to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still trying to figure out why you can do those things in the first place,¡± she wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°I like it when you do that.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Scrunch up your nose, yeah, just like that. It¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, focus.¡±


    He straightened up. ¡°Understood. What do you want to know?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    He leaned forward and kissed her in a flash.


    She blinked in surprise. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I love you, Tauri Katag. I don¡¯t want to lose you. No, I¡¯m not going to lose you. I want you to know who I am. Who I really am. So ask me whatever you want, let me prove it to you.¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Okay, as much as I like your confession, I¡¯m still mad at you. You''re not off the hook about what happened last night.¡±


    ¡°I thought that¡¯s why you punched me?¡±


    ¡°You broke my hand.¡±


    ¡°No, you broke your hand.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I swear to the gods if you don¡¯t stop with that bullshit I¡¯ll¡ª¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should swear about the gods like that.¡± Stryg looked around conspicuously, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure how much they can hear.¡±


    She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You think the gods can hear us?¡±


    ¡°When we call their names? I think so? How else do they hear prayers?¡±


    ¡°Prayers aren¡¯t the same as swearing.¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s probably worse, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said exasperatedly, ¡°I¡¯m not a priestess. And since when have you been so pious?¡±


    ¡°Since I found out I¡¯m related to an ebon god.¡±


    ¡°Look, even if the gods could hear when we invoke their names, there are countless people praying to them all the time. I¡¯m sure they block out most of them anyway. That¡¯s why we give them offerings at the temples, right? So they¡¯ll actually pay attention to us when we pray.¡±


    ¡°So you are a priestess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a priestess. I just have an education,¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°So did I, but our offerings to the Mother Moon aren¡¯t exactly like the ones I saw Karen make at her temple.¡±


    ¡°And what sort of offerings did you make back in Vulture Woods?¡±


    ¡°Blood sacrifices. Usually, those of our enemies or mighty beasts the hunters have captured.¡±


    Tauri swallowed with a grimace. ¡°Right, yeah, I don¡¯t know how much of that the priests do here in the city. You¡¯d have to ask Lady Ashe.¡±


    ¡°Calantha Ashe?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the High Priestess of Hollow Shade. If anyone knows about offerings to the gods it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but what can I do right now to prove to you that I¡¯m telling you the truth?¡±


    Tauri rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do some god stuff, I guess.¡±


    ¡°God stuff?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who said it first. If you¡¯re really the son of the Traveler then move the stars or something.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the clear blue skies and then at her with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s noon. And I don¡¯t even know if my father can do something like that.¡±


    Tauri shrugged, ¡°Well, what else is the god of stars supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re his ¡®son¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I never met the man!¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know you¡¯re his son?¡±


    ¡°Ananta told me.¡±


    ¡°Who in the world is Ananta?¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    Tauri narrowed her eyes. ¡°The Monster of legends who deceives people into terrible magical-binding deals told you you¡¯re the son of a god and you believed it?¡±


    ¡°And Lunae confirmed it,¡± Stryg nodded.


    ¡°The goddess of the moon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ I know she declared you her Chosen in front of all those goblins back at Evenfall, but Lady Ashe is said to be Chosen of Bellum and you don¡¯t see her strutting around like a demigod.¡±


    Stryg leaned back. ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Tauri crossed her arms. ¡°Are you sure the goddess of the moon said you were Stjerne¡¯s son? Because it seems pretty weird to me that a god would choose another god¡¯s child as their Chosen. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    He lowered his head in contemplation, ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess you''re right. That is weird. But she had her reasons. My mother is Lunae¡¯s favoured.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s another thing! Why would a priestess of Lunae sleep with the god of stars? That doesn¡¯t even make sense. Actually, a deity sleeping with any mortal doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±


    Why did Stjerne choose his mother? Stryg didn¡¯t have the answer for that and just thinking about it opened the door to a dozen more questions. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Tauri leaned back and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve played your game long enough. Wanna tell me what¡¯s really going on now?¡±


    Stryg took a deep breath, clenched his hands together, and bowed his head. ¡°Lunae, if you¡¯re watching, if I really am Stjerne¡¯s son, then give me a sign. Please.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Tauri deadpanned.


    He shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s the Watcher, right? And I¡¯m her Chosen, maybe she¡¯ll listen?¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m fine playing along, but I don¡¯t think gods take kindly to being dragged into our games.¡± Tauri got up from the stone chair and walked towards the gate, ¡°This isn¡¯t funny anymore. The gods aren¡¯t to be messed with.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Gods don¡¯t like to be bothered, even worse they hate it when mortals like you don¡¯t listen to them.¡±


    Tauri spun around, ¡°Who said that?!¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Tauri looked up at the sound of the cold voice. A pale owl sat perched atop the courtyard wall, watching her with large lilac eyes. She opened her wings and flew down in front of the orc, her body shifting in a mirage of light, before reforming into a beautiful woman clad in armor, save for her face, which was framed with long brown locks. Her lilac eyes looked the stunned orc up and down, assessing her. ¡°This is your partner, Stryg? Huh.¡±


    Tauri took a step back and instinctively reached for her mace, but she had left it at home. ¡°Who are you? How did you get past the barrier?¡±


    ¡°Melantha!¡± Stryg jumped to his feet. ¡°Did Lunae send you?¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡± Melantha shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you all morning. After last night, Holo and I decided that until you gain some semblance of control over your powers, we¡¯d take shifts babysitting you. We can¡¯t have you accidentally igniting yourself again.¡±


    ¡°Igniting?¡± Tauri glanced at Stryg.


    ¡°Igniting the Astral Light, I¡¯ll tell you about it later,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tauri stared at the woman warily.


    Stryg walked over and gestured, ¡°This is Melantha the Blue, Paragon Knight of the Jade Realm, and my sister.¡±


    ¡°You have a sister? Wait, did you just say Melantha? As in the Saintess Melantha?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°I have been called as such, yes. Though I haven¡¯t heard anyone in this realm refer to me as a saint in over two hundred years.¡±


    Tauri laughed, ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re a warrior saint of the Jade Realm? The Saintess of Heroes herself? Stryg, seriously, who is she? A True Green? She doesn¡¯t look like a vampire. Does she work for House Gale?¡±


    Before Stryg could answer, Melantha¡¯s pale freckled skin darkened to an angry shade of blue and her dark hair blossomed into a pale silver-white. Her armor plates expanded as her body grew taller until she loomed over Tauri¡¯s small form. ¡°I am Melantha, goddess of death, and you would be wise to stop ignoring my brother¡¯s words, mortal.¡±


    Tauri chocked a terrified noise and nodded repeatedly.


    Melantha smiled, satisfied. ¡°Good.¡± Her form shifted back to the young dashing knight. ¡°Now, little brother, where can one find a good drink around here? Preferably one without blood.¡±


    Stryg wrapped his arm around Tauri¡¯s waist protectively and tried his best to appear fearless. ¡°...I know a place.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± Melantha walked behind the couple and wrapped her arms around their shoulders, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 562: Merry Crescent

    Chapter 562: Merry Crescent


    The tavern was bustling with life. Every table was crowded with five too many customers. There was no music, the usual minstrels were nowhere to be seen. Stryg supposed it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, no one would have been able to hear them over the hundred voices clamoring for another beer.


    When the barmaster spotted Stryg he immediately straightened up and shouted a set of orders to a pair of helping hands. The two young men hurried into the kitchens and came back with a small round table that was noticeably more polished than the rest. They placed it into an empty corner, then one began to wipe it down with a clean rag while the other jogged over to Stryg. ¡°This way please, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Stryg as he led Tauri and Melantha over to the table.


    ¡°Special treatment?¡± Melantha noted with a playful smirk.


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sort of a benefactor to this place.¡±


    Before Melantha could push him on the subject, a barmaid skipped over to the table. She was pretty, for a human, Tauri conceded silently. There was a fresh cut across her cheek, not two days old, but it didn¡¯t stop her from smiling wide. ¡°Sir Stryg, you¡¯re back! I didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d see you again.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Carla, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re in one piece.¡± Stryg reached up without much thought, placed a hand over her cheek, and cast a simple healing spell.


    The barmaid tensed in surprise, but did not move. ¡°H-How has Feli been?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine, thankfully. I¡¯m glad this place is still standing after the siege.¡±


    ¡°We got lucky. The savages only broke in and smashed a few barrels and bottles. I think they were too drunk after drinking our ale to do much else.¡±


    ¡°No casualties?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh. The boss had us hide in the cellar.¡±


    ¡°Smart man.¡±


    Tauri pulled her cloak a little closer, ¡°I¡¯m surprised there are so many people here this early in the day, it¡¯s barely noon.¡±


    ¡°People oftentimes drink to forget their horrid circumstances,¡± said Melantha.


    Carla bit her bottom lip and Stryg saw a flash of pain cross her eyes, but she quickly buried it as he channeled soothing White mana into her skin.


    Tauri grimaced at her own thoughtless words. The Commoner District had been hit the hardest. These people were suffering. How many had lost loved ones in the attack? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°We get by,¡± Carla replied.


    Stryg lowered his hand. ¡°There, that¡¯s better.¡±


    Carla tentatively touched her cheek and her eyes widened when she felt the unblemished skin. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Um, what can I get you?¡± she asked eagerly.


    ¡°Fire-breath,¡± Stryg said without missing a beat.


    ¡°Always going for the strongest stuff,¡± Carla grinned. ¡°Would you like a glass or the decanter?¡±


    ¡°Decanter.¡±


    ¡°And your companions?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any wines from Murkton?¡± Tauri asked.


    ¡°The barbarians smashed a lot of our bottles but I think we should have at least a few left, I¡¯ll go check. And what about you, Miss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever all these fine men and women are having.¡± Melantha gestured to the rest of the tavern-goers.


    ¡°It¡¯s just simple ale. Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t want something better?¡± asked Carla carefully. ¡°Master Stryg and his companions drink for free.¡±


    ¡°Well in that case,¡± Melantha leaned forward and grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll take two mugs of ale.¡±


    That earned her a smile from Carla. ¡°I¡¯ll have them brought right away.¡± She bowed and hurried off.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a ¡®benefactor,¡¯ huh?¡± Melantha glanced at the retreating barmaid.


    ¡°Not that kind,¡± Stryg shook his head. ¡°Taverns can get pretty rowdy in this district, but thugs tend not to cause any trouble when they know the barmaster is acquainted with a mage.¡±


    ¡°Magic has its perks.¡± Melantha¡¯s lilac eyes darted around the tavern, examining its wooden beams and several exits as if it were second nature. ¡°The Merry Crescent, hm? It seems you''ve always had a fondness for the Mother Moon. Though, I¡¯m not certain that sign hanging outside this place is flattering.¡±


    ¡°Outright blasphemous,¡± Tauri muttered under her breath while sending a nervous side-glance to Melantha. She had a distinct feeling that Lunae would not approve of the sign¡¯s painting depicting a crescent moon with two shapely feminine legs scantily clad.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± said Stryg, ignoring Tauri¡¯s words. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose this place because of its name.¡±


    ¡°Then why is this your favoured tavern?¡± asked his sister.


    ¡°I met Feli here, she was working here as a barmaid.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a romantic. Feli is your human wife, yes?¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know what a romantic was. He made a mental note to himself to ask Feli about it later. ¡°Yeah. I think you¡¯d like her.¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s human?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°...Maybe?¡±


    Melantha couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Another shiver of discomfort ran through Tauri. It was bad enough that she was standing next to a literal bonafide goddess of death disguised as an ordinary human woman, but now she was reminded of Stryg¡¯s other lover. At some point, she¡¯d need to speak to Feli about her relationship with Stryg. Just one more conversation she wasn¡¯t looking forward to having.


    Thankfully, Carla returned before the conversation could continue. She handed them all their drinks with the deftness of an expert barmaid. ¡°Anything else I can get you?¡±


    ¡°No, this is fine, thanks,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hesitate to wave me down if you need anything.¡± Carla bowed and walked off.


    Tauri sipped her wine cautiously. It was cheap compared to what she was used to, but it would do fine for a bit of day drinking.


    The glass decanter swished with a fiery orange liquid. Stryg popped it open and took a large swig. He grimaced at the usual burning taste of Fire-Breath, then his frown deepened after a moment. He glanced at the decanter as if something was wrong with it.


    ¡°Not giving the kick you expected, huh?¡± Melantha smirked.


    ¡°Something is off with this one,¡± Stryg muttered and shook the decanter a bit.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Melantha asked before downing an entire mug of ale in a single chug. She slammed the empty mug down on the table and sighed in satisfaction. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the stuff.¡±


    ¡°You actually like cheap ale?¡± Tauri mumbled in disbelief.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with cheap ale?¡± she cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°N-Nothing!¡± Tauri panicked. ¡°I just, um, I thought you would want something more¡ª refined?¡±


    ¡°Refined?¡±


    ¡°I mean, something stronger?¡± Tauri asked hesitantly.


    Melantha crossed her arms behind her head and leaned back in her chair. ¡°Due to our nature, poisons are too slow-acting to have any effect on my body.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I may as well be drinking water. And I wager at the rate Stryg¡¯s body is developing, alcohol no longer has much effect on him either, if any.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg¡¯s head snapped in his sister¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Then why even bother coming here?¡± Tauri asked.


    Melantha looked around the busy tavern and smiled to herself. ¡°To remind myself.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like to be human.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Tauri looked around conspicuously and leaned forward before whispering, ¡°You¡¯re a goddess.¡±


    ¡°My birth mother was mortal. She was as human as that barmaid.¡±


    ¡°What was she like?¡± Tauri asked without thinking. What kind of woman had managed to catch the eye of a god like Stjerne? She glanced at Stryg. When she turned her gaze back she almost jumped out of her chair, Melantha was staring right at her. The same lilac eyes as Stryg¡¯s. Tauri felt as if the goddess was staring into her soul, reading every single thought like an open book.


    Melantha took one arm from behind her head, grabbed her ale, and sipped it while retaining her laid-back posture. ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t know, she died giving birth to me.¡±


    Tauri blanched in horror. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I meant no offense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My adoptive parents and my mentor were close to her. From what they tell me she was kind, selfless to a fault, and without a lick of magical talent to her name. Nothing like the women my father would usually prefer.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°Our father is very selective about his women. My mother should never have been considered, but then again, I was born from the union, so maybe my father knew exactly what he was doing,¡± she said in a heavy tone that left no room for speculation.


    Tauri cleared her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Stjerne was so¡­ calculating.¡±


    Melantha chuckled. ¡°Did you think he was a whimsical, carefree Traveler?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the priests say¡­¡±


    ¡°In a way he is, only if you don¡¯t know him. He has a dozen different thoughts coursing through his mind at a time though you¡¯d never know it by looking at him.¡±


    ¡°He sounds¡­ complicated?¡± said Tauri.


    Stryg stared at the table, his eyes not really focused on anything. Something was clearly bothering him, that much Tauri could tell. Did he not want to hear about his father?


    ¡°Unhand me, woman!?¡± a slurred voice shouted nearby.


    Stryg¡¯s pointed downward ears perked up. His eyes searched the crowd and spotted a drunk Rorik futilely trying to shake a drow woman off him.


    ¡°The healers said you¡¯re supposed to rest in bed for another two weeks!¡± The woman slapped his shoulder. ¡°What are you doing in this place!?¡± she growled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Disah,¡± Rorik grumbled.


    ¡°Captain Rorik Polamtal,¡± said Stryg, walking up to them, a smile forming on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you alive and well¡ª Your leg! What happened?¡±


    The guard captain was sitting. Stryg hadn¡¯t noticed the injury until he had come closer. His right leg was missing from below the knee.


    The drow, Disah, stepped protectively in front of Rorik and stared Stryg down, she was taller than him by almost two hands. ¡°My husband gave up his leg defending the wall from those damned savages. He fought bravely to the end. What do you want with him?¡± she asked warily.


    Rorik finally looked up and recognized the familiar stranger. His grey lips broke in a loose grin, ¡°~Stryg, where¡¯ve ya been, ya beautiful bastard?~¡±


    Disah stiffened at his words and her blue eyes widened to saucers. She glanced down at Stryg¡¯s hand and finally noticed the Veres signet ring on his index finger. She hastily curtsied, ¡°M-My apologies, my lord, I didn¡¯t recognize you. And may I say, congratulations on your ascension to the city council.¡±


    ¡°You must be Lady Disah.¡±


    ¡°You know me, my lord?¡± she asked with a mixture of surprise and fear.


    ¡°Rorik has told me stories, but clearly he has downplayed your beauty,¡± Stryg recited the words Gian had coached him to say while among noble ladies.


    Disah blushed in sheer embarrassment and fidgeted with her dress.


    Tauri rolled her eyes at the display and kept sipping her wine from her table.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Melantha asked calmly.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°That woman clearly loves her husband and Stryg has no interest in her outside of exchanging pleasantries.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°If he did, Stryg wouldn¡¯t simply be complimenting her beauty and giving her that fake smile.¡±


    ¡°What would he be doing then?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d tell her exactly how he felt about her, beauty, faults, and all. What he is doing over there is just flattery. I bet Gale put him up to it so he doesn¡¯t say something stupid like usual.¡±


    ¡°My, you seem to know my brother well. You really love him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Tauri coughed into her drink. ¡°W-What? I¡­¡± She laughed forcefully and felt her cheeks grow warm.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t love him?¡±


    Tauri swallowed and steadied her breath. She looked Mel in the eyes and spoke in a soft but resolute voice. ¡°I do¡­¡± Despite everything that had happened the last few days, she realized that whatever happened next, gods or monsters, she had no doubt of the answer in her heart. ¡°I love him.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Mel downed the rest of her second ale. And wiped her lips with the back of her sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I find myself with few kin left in this world; fewer even that aren¡¯t enemies. Although I¡¯ve only known Stryg for a few days, his existence is important to me. He¡¯s a good lad, rough around the edges, but he cares. I¡¯m relieved to know he has someone like you by his side.¡±


    Tauri relaxed her shoulders and realized she¡¯d been holding her breath. When she had met Melantha all she could feel was terror, but now, she realized that perhaps a goddess of death wasn¡¯t as scary as she thought.


    ¡°That being said,¡± Melantha¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°I am not as lenient as my sister. If you and your kin betray Stryg I will murder every single one of you. I will burn House Katag to the ground and not even the foundations will be left to remember your family. Then I will take your souls and trap them in darkness for eternity, and even madness shall not be your escape.¡± Her expression abruptly turned warm and she smiled, ¡°Have I made myself clear?¡±


    Tauri swallowed hard, ¡°Perfectly.¡±

 Chapter 563: A Student Of Magic

    Chapter 563: A Student Of Magic


    Stryg stared disconcertedly at the decanter in his hand. The bright amber liquid sloshed around inside the glass, taunting him with a good time that would forever be out of his grasp. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t get drunk?¡±


    ¡°Alcohol is a poison and a weak one at that. Your body will have rendered it useless in a matter of seconds.¡± Melantha took a swig of her ale, ¡°You can still enjoy the taste though.¡±


    ¡°Who drinks for the taste?¡± Stryg grumbled.


    Melantha stared at him with a sympathetic wry smile. ¡°Those who have forgotten what it tastes like.¡±


    He raised the decanter, the firelight refracting through the glass. ¡°I find it hard to believe I¡¯ll ever forget the taste of Dragonbreath.¡±


    ¡°I imagine there are many things you''ll find hard to believe, you¡¯re still very young.¡±


    ¡°So people keep telling me.¡±


    Tauri furrowed her brow but said nothing.


    Stryg noticed. ¡°What is it? You¡¯ve been quiet the last few minutes.¡±


    Tauri couldn¡¯t help but shoot a glance at Melantha. Her conversation with the goddess still lingered in her mind. She cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just, um, I know you¡¯re sort of young, but you¡¯re not that young.¡±


    Stryg nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll be 21 in¡ª huh,¡± he blinked, ¡°In a few days, I guess¡­¡± Had so much time already passed by? The day he first stepped into Hollow Shade felt like yesterday.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± Tauri raised her wine glass.


    Melantha planted her elbows on the table, leaned forward, and stared at Stryg, examining him. ¡°When I was your age I thought no one would have dared call me a child, but in the eyes of our kindred you aren¡¯t even a child, you¡¯re just a baby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a baby,¡± Stryg said dryly.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t grasp the concept of how long we live, do you? Stryg, every single person you know will be long dead before you¡¯re old enough to be considered an adult in our people¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°My people are Sylvan kind, the Ebon Tribe, Hollow Shade,¡± Stryg replied with an edge to his voice.


    A hint of a smile played at the edge of Melantha¡¯s lips. ¡°I understand. And I¡¯m not trying to dispute that, I¡¯m just trying to give you perspective. You are not mortal and if you keep trying to pretend that you are, incidents like last night will keep on repeating.¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡± Tauri perked up.


    Stryg looked sheepishly away.


    ¡°He lost control of his emotions. He rejected the blood in his veins and in doing so his body rejected him. If my sister and I hadn¡¯t arrived when we did then Stryg would have obliterated half the Villa District.¡±


    ¡°Half¡ª!?¡± Tauri¡¯s eyes bulged and she coughed up her wine. ¡°T-That¡¯s not possible. Not even Lord Elzri could¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stryg could never achieve such destruction with his chromatic magic. But we are talking about a godling, not a mageborn.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Tauri mumbled.


    Stryg lowered his eyes. ¡°I wanted to become powerful to protect the people I care about. I never wanted¡ª this.¡±


    Melantha reached over the table and grabbed his hand. ¡°I know. Believe me, I know. You¡¯re not the only one who grew up different. But ignoring this will not help. You need training if you want to learn how to control your powers, the kind of training only a god of death can give.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll help me?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The word escaped his lips before he thought about it.


    ¡°Stryg, don¡¯t be rude,¡± Tauri hissed.


    He meant no disrespect, but after everything that had happened, he had grown wary of those who offered their help.


    ¡°Because, Stryg,¡± Melantha raised her hand and he watched as her pale freckled skin turned a pale blue. ¡°You and I are one of the last of our kind. And though you may not realize it, this existence, our existence is a very long and lonely one. Someday you¡¯ll understand that.¡± She stood up and tossed a couple of coins on the table. ¡°Thanks for the drinks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought you were supposed to watch over me.¡±


    ¡°I am. Our sister is here to take the next shift.¡±


    Stryg looked around. He couldn¡¯t spot Holo among the crowded tables of merry drunks.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find Holo unless she wants to be found.¡± Melantha pulled her cowl down, obscuring her lilac eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll speak more later, little brother. Tauri, a pleasure meeting you.¡±


    ¡°The p-pleasure is mine,¡± Tauri smiled strainedly.


    Stryg watched Melantha walk out the tavern doors. She nodded to the pair of cloaked Gale guards standing conspicuously outside, before disappearing into the bustling streets.


    ¡°They really did follow me¡­¡± Stryg frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re the lord of one of the most powerful Houses in all of Hollow Shade, they¡¯re not going to let you go anywhere alone.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he groaned sarcastically.


    ¡°At least they¡¯re keeping a respectful distance.¡±


    He raised the decanter to his lips and downed the entire glass before setting it on the table. ¡°...This sucks.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, Stryg?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°About last night, did you really lose control?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± he admitted softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She grabbed his hand underneath the table. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Actually, I feel better about the whole thing after your sister explained what happened.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Kind of? I¡¯m more mad at myself than anyone,¡± she sighed. ¡°My parents and sister must hate me right now.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she squeezed his hand. ¡°But I will be.¡±


    ~~~


    The line of hopefuls was longer than Sandra had imagined. Even with the recent attacks, it did little to halt the mageborn applicants. The hallway was crowded with teenagers, half of them dressed in noble garbs worth more coin than she¡¯d ever seen in her entire life. The other half had more subtle garments, though the quality of the fabric was still clear to see. Merchant sons and daughters from the Bourge District no doubt.


    Some were vampires, most were drows, though there were some orcs, dwarves, and even humans as well. The only thing they all had in common was that they were dressed better than her. She tugged at her plain blue tunic and cloth spun skirt. They were a gift from First Mother Karen for her birthday. She was so happy when she first wore them, now she couldn¡¯t help but feel self-conscious standing among all of these people.


    They looked at her as if she was a pariah, an almost repugnant marvel, the only goblin among all the applicants. Her pointed ears twitched from their horizontal position as she caught whispers of those around her.


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t be serious, right?¡±


    ¡°Look at those claws!¡±


    Sandra buried her hands in her pockets and clenched her fingers tight. She wished Melfyn was here, but only potential mageborns were allowed past this point at the academy. Maybe it was for the best. Who knew what Melfyn would have done if he had heard what they were saying?


    She thought of Jack, he was skinny for a human, but he still towered over almost everyone here, no one would have messed with him. Rowan reminded her of Master Stryg, quiet until he suddenly sprung and attacked.


    The thoughts of her tribe sparked warmth in her chest and she smiled, straightened her back, and held her head high.


    What did it matter what these people thought? They didn¡¯t belong to a tribe. They didn¡¯t have a group of brothers and sisters who would stand by her side even in the face of monsters, in the face of a horde of savages bearing down on the shade wall. Sandra was a daughter of Cinder Brood and she wasn¡¯t about to let an exam stop her.


    ¡°Sandra¡­ Cinder Brood?¡± a nasally voice called out.


    She tensed at the call of her name. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s me! I¡¯m Sandra!¡± She hurried over to the front desk where a drow with thick-rimmed glasses sat with a ledger.


    The drow adjusted his glasses and frowned as he looked down on her, ¡°Is this a joke?¡±


    ¡°Um, n-no, sir. I¡¯m here to take the Magestone Test,¡± she stammered and wrung her hands at her side.


    ¡°You do realize if the proctors find you¡¯re wasting your time with a prank you won¡¯t just be escorted off academy grounds. The guards will probably beat you to a bloody pulp.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing some prank, sir. I¡¯m here to take the exam, just like everyone else. I am a mageborn.¡±


    ¡°...Uh-huh.¡± He glanced down at his ledger and saw that she had indeed been sponsored by House Veres to take the exam. He sighed with a mutter, ¡°I¡¯m too tired for this.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He pointed to the doorway behind him, ¡°Go down that hall, walk into whichever room has an open door. The proctor inside will test your magic.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± She nodded and headed down the hall.


    A dozen doors lined the white-painted hallway, most were closed, busy giving exams no doubt, but she did spot an open one, the third door on her right. She poked her head inside and spotted a pale middle-aged woman carefully dusting off ten clear crystal balls lying on a long table. She looked up at Sandra and her scarlet eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she snapped with an irate ire. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you? Entrance exams start today. You and the others will have to start cleaning after the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a servant, ma¡¯am.¡± Sandra stepped into the room and cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯m here to take the Magestone Test.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± the woman burst into laughter.


    When Sandra didn¡¯t laugh and just stood there fidgeting, the vampire¡¯s smile fell and was replaced with a scowl. ¡°Get out of my room.¡±


    Sandra frowned. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said get out!¡±


    Sandra stumbled back a step but steadied herself and planted her feet. She had faced down monsters far more terrifying than this woman. ¡°I am here for the Magestone Test and I am not leaving until you test me.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± she smiled maliciously. ¡°Do you know who I am, girl?¡± When Sandra didn¡¯t respond she continued, ¡°I am Professor Myril of the Necromancy Order. Do you know what that means? It means that for the last hundred years, I have created the undead sentinels that have defended this city since before you were even born. The only reason I am here today is because we are short-staffed thanks to the goddamned bloody siege. I am giving up my precious time to help raise the next generation of mages for our Great City. I did not come here today to waste my time with a goblin brat who is clearly too stupid to know when she was this close to being flogged!¡±


    ¡°You helped build the sentinels?¡± Sandra whispered.


    ¡°I did,¡± the woman tapped her hand on the table impatiently.


    ¡°Your sentinels don¡¯t protect anyone. They hunt every commoner who stayed out too late and forgot their nameplate at home. They hunt orphans who¡¯ve lost everything and are just trying to survive!¡±


    Myril glared at her. ¡°My sentinels protected this city when the Warlord Marek brought his armies down upon us.¡±


    ¡°And I stood atop the wall and fought Marek¡¯s armies. Where were you, Professor Myril?¡±


    ¡°You? A little goblin girl fought the valley savages?¡± Myril chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, brat, lying to me that is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You want to play this game, let¡¯s see how it plays out.¡± Myril pointed at one of the crystal balls. ¡°Step forward and place your hand on the magestone.¡±


    Sandra swallowed nervously and walked over. She carefully touched the clear glass-like orb. The stone was cold to the touch. Recalling Master Stryg¡¯s words, she stared at the stone intently and willed it to glow. Nothing happened.


    ¡°And you see, right about now if you were actually a mageborn the probe would be glowing a bright blue at the very least.¡± She leaned forward with a vindictive smile, ¡°But as we can both see, it¡¯s still crystal clear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a blue mage,¡± Sandra admitted hastily. ¡°B-But I know I¡¯m a chromatic Orange at least!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve wasted enough of my time with this farce, get out of my sight,¡± Myril waved her away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Please, just test me with the Orange one and I¡¯ll show you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said get out! Guards!¡±


    Sandra paled. ¡°Please, give me a chance.¡±


    ¡°Guards!¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem, Professor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this goblin was¡­¡± Myril¡¯s voice died in her throat as she noticed the drow standing at the door. ¡°Principal Elohnoir.¡±


    ¡°Interim Principal,¡± Loh corrected.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Myril bowed her head.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Loh asked as she walked inside and glanced at Sandra. ¡°You look familiar.¡±


    ¡°Lady Noir,¡± she bowed low. ¡°My name is Sandra. We met when you visited my temple with Master Stryg once.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Loh¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°You¡¯re one of Stryg¡¯s orphans.¡±


    ¡°I am a daughter of Cinder Brood,¡± she replied defiantly.


    ¡°Hush, girl!¡± Myril hissed.


    Loh raised her hand and silenced the vampire, before turning back to Sandra. ¡°Yes, of course. My mistake. So, are you here to test your magic then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sandra nodded meekly.


    Loh glanced at Myril, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Test the girl.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± Myril conceded.

 Chapter 564: Last Will

    Chapter 564: Last Will


    Professor Myril watched in consternation as the last of the crystal balls sparked with grey motes of lights before filling the entire orb in a storm cloud of grey, then finally deepening to dark charcoal.


    ¡°...Her talent in chromatic grey runs deep, it seems,¡± Myril admitted begrudgingly. She scribbled a note down on her ledger.


    ¡°Is that good?¡± Sandra asked, glancing between Myril and Loh.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite good,¡± Loh forced herself to smile.


    ¡°A tri-manifold goblin mageborn,¡± Myril shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Loh asked coldly.


    Myril sat up and shook her head, ¡°Not at all, my lady! I will inform the counselors of her arrival. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have her academic schedule set up soon.¡±


    ¡°I believe they will.¡± Loh smiled at Sandra, this time it was genuine. ¡°Tri-manifold mages of your talents are quite rare. Especially when she is an early bloomer like you.¡±


    ¡°Early bloomer?¡± Sandra asked.


    ¡°You are 16, yes?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Sandra nodded hesitantly. ¡°Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°Depends how you look at it. People will expect a lot more from you because you will be considered ¡®advanced¡¯ for your age. Some will be envious, others hostile; hoping to prove themselves against you. I would know, I was just like you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Lady Noir even possesses the same three colors as you,¡± Myril noted.


    ¡°You do?¡± Sandra asked, wide-eyed.


    Loh glared at the old vampire. ¡°...Yes, I do. Professor Myril, since you seem so inclined to share your opinions with dear Sandra, I will entrust you to make sure that her stay at our academy is quite comfortable. If I find out she has been harassed by any of the staff or the students the consequences will fall upon your head, do I make myself clear?¡±


    Myril paled. ¡°Y-Yes, Principal Noir,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Good.¡± Loh placed a comforting hand on Sandra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will be keeping an eye on you. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. And I do mean anything. I hope you enjoy your time here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Loh!¡± Sandra smiled brightly and bowed.


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Loh nodded once then strode out of the room.


    The gods were cruel. Or perhaps fate was? To have placed her in the same room as a girl who was so much like her. Was this a third chance? To have a protege that she could truly impart all her skills to? One last chance to do better? No.


    Loh had failed Aizel, she had gotten him killed. Even if the Monster in the Dark had taken his life, even if she knew she couldn¡¯t have stopped the Monster, it didn¡¯t alleviate her guilt.


    Loh had failed Stryg. If she hadn¡¯t let her guilt and need for redemption and revenge blind her, she would have saved Clypeus and Stryg at Widow¡¯s Crag. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if she¡¯d died in the process. Her death would have had meaning.


    Instead, Loh had failed everyone she was meant to protect. She wasn¡¯t fit to be anyone¡¯s master. She wasn¡¯t fit to be anyone¡¯s friend. Or anyone¡¯s lover. Even now Louise waited for her at the Noir manor, hoping she¡¯d return.


    But Loh couldn¡¯t find it in her to return to the manor after she had brought Elzri¡¯s body back the night of the siege. Every time she thought of Louise¡¯s pained expression she was reminded of that night in Dullwater. Stryg had murdered her uncle and Loh had helped him hide the secret. Before she hadn¡¯t cared, it was just another commoner, but now guilt wracked her chest at the very thought.


    Before long, Loh found herself in front of the principal¡¯s chambers. Her grandfather¡¯s secretary, Lily, sat at her desk, working through a stack of papers. The redheaded vampiress glanced up at her arrival. ¡°My lady, welcome back.¡±


    Loh ignored her words. Lily always seemed devoted, almost eager to please, her grandfather. And in front of those with power, like Ismene, she seemed flustered, unsure of what to say. But ever since Elzri¡¯s passing, ever since Loh found herself for the first time alone with the beautiful vampire, Lily showed little emotion beyond politeness. It felt almost as if Lily was judging her silently in her own way. It felt as if everyone was judging the failure that was Loh of House Noir.


    Walking past Lily¡¯s desk, Loh opened the doors to the principal¡¯s office and walked inside. Even now, it smelled like Elzri. She sighed to herself and sat down at his desk. It was strange to be back here, without him.


    She stared at the small black chest atop the desk. It was lined with gold and the sides were all covered in small magestones and heavily enchanted sigils. The chest was sealed shut with a golden locked clasp. Loh reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key.


    Her grandfather¡¯s last will had been simple. He had left everything to her; the Noir throne, the manor in the city, their lands in Dusk Valley, the family¡¯s trade businesses, the Noir armies, everything. There were only two noted additions in the will. Number one, Lily was to serve Loh as her seneschal and personal assistant just as she had with Elzri; Loh could not fire her under any reason. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Number two, Loh was to be directly handed the black chest and key. For what reason, no one knew. Not even Lily seemed to know what was inside or at the very least, she pretended not to when Loh asked.


    Loh slumped in her chair and hung her head. She didn¡¯t want to be here, in this office, in this academy. She didn¡¯t want to be principal, even an interim one. But her grandfather had left several tasks unfinished at the academy before the start of the new school year. She had sworn over Elzri¡¯s body to be the lord that her House needed and right now that meant wrapping up his final tasks at the academy. As for the nobles¡¯ desires and expectations that she take over as principal, Loh had no intention of such a thing.


    Being head of House Noir was difficult enough. She¡¯d leave the academy to someone else far more qualified and invested. Perhaps Ismene would appreciate the position? Or maybe not. She could never read the old woman. Either way, it would have to wait. Ismene was still recovering in the infirmary. The archmage had pushed herself too far in battle and her old body couldn¡¯t take it.


    Just one more incident that could have been avoided had Loh been better, stronger, wiser. She stared at the black chest, anxiety filling her every moment. Images of the siege flashed through her mind. Elzri¡¯s body in her arms as she cried out in a hoarse voice. He didn¡¯t deserve this. Elzri had envisioned she would be the family leader he wanted. But she wasn¡¯t. She was his greatest failure.


    Loh clenched the key in a white knuckle grip, its sharp edges sending pangs of pain up her arm. She had failed Elzri in life, but she would be damned if she failed him in death. Worthy or not, she wouldn¡¯t let this family fall into ruin.


    A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts. Lily stood in the doorway. ¡°Am I interrupting, my lady?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She pocketed the key.


    Lily eyed the chest but said nothing. ¡°You have bags under your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept well. I doubt anyone has.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept at all the last three nights.¡±


    Loh cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re watching me now?¡±


    ¡°I am sworn to you body and soul. I live to serve you.¡±


    ¡°Are you a slave? An enemy captured by my grandfather? Bound to my family? If so, I set you free. I¡¯ll give you a pouch full of gold, and you can go wherever you wish.¡±


    ¡°I am not a slave. I serve you out of my own free will.¡±


    ¡°Why? You do know I don¡¯t want you, right?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then why not just fuck off?¡±


    ¡°Because I believe in you, I daresay more than your grandfather did.¡±


    Loh laughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t amount to much. My grandfather lost all faith in me long ago.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    She tapped her desk and stared daggers at the secretary but Lily was content to stare back with a serene, unperturbed expression.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Loh asked impatiently.


    ¡°Might I suggest a sleeping tonic for this evening? It would do wonders for your ailing health.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. And I am not a child, I don¡¯t need you hovering over me.¡±


    ¡°You need your rest, my lady.¡±


    ¡°What do you know of what I need? You don¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°I was Elzri¡¯s confidante. He used to tell me many things, including stories about you. After spending the last few days with you, I can confidently say he was right about many things regarding you, my lady.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly. ¡°Like what? What sort of stories did my dear old grandfather tell you? Did he tell you I was a talented mage? That I squandered all that talent? Or maybe he told you about how I fucking hated this family, oh, and especially his little vampire slut!¡±


    Loh didn¡¯t know why she was talking. She didn¡¯t want to say anything, she didn¡¯t even want to have this damned conversation. But Lily¡¯s words stirred something ugly within her and only bile poured out.


    Lily listened to her carefully, without giving away a hint of emotion. ¡°He told me that you don¡¯t love yourself.¡±


    Loh blinked. Whatever realtor she had left her in the dead silence that filled the room.


    ¡°He also said that you blamed yourself for your brother¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°He told you about that?¡± Loh tensed.


    ¡°He told me that Aizel¡¯s death was not your fault. It was his. Lord Elzri should have never left you with Aizel.¡±


    ¡°STOP!¡± Loh jumped to her feet, the chair falling behind. Her shoulders were heaving and her face was flushed with anger. ¡°You weren¡¯t there. What do you know? Nothing! You know absolutely nothing of what happened! Don¡¯t pretend like you''re my friend or ally, we both know that you¡¯re stuck with me because of my grandfather¡¯s will. But I swear to all the gods that if you say one more damn word I will rip your heart out and feed it to the dogs!¡±


    Lily walked over without hesitation, tilted her head away, and pulled down her blouse, exposing her heart and ample pale breasts.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Loh asked, stunned.


    ¡°If you wish to rip out my heart I will not resist.¡±


    Loh stared at her breasts, her eyes lingering on the occasional freckle, before she forced herself to look away. ¡°Pull your dress back up.¡±


    Lily nodded and did so as if it was the most natural of exchanges.


    Pulling the chair back up, Loh plopped down and sighed. ¡°What are you after, Lily? Why did my grandfather have you at his side the last decade? And why did he insist that you stay with me?¡±


    ¡°For all his power your grandfather was a lonely man. He was not the only one who felt that way. We kept each other company. As for why he insisted that I stay with you¡­ He didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What? But his last will said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Loh furrowed her brow. ¡°You insisted on staying with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious¡­¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to lie, avert the question?¡± She scoffed, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll bite. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because what Elzri and I had was a simple, but mutual understanding. You on the other hand,¡± she leaned forward, and despite the vampiress¡¯ shorter stature, Loh found herself leaning back nervously. There was a primal hunger in Lily¡¯s scarlet eyes, ¡°I believe you and I have something far more¡ª profound.¡±


    Loh cleared her throat. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Lily pulled back and was once more the simple demure secretary. ¡°To stay by your side, my lady. But on a more pressing matter, I came to inform you that Lady Holo has sent a letter of invitation. She wishes you back to the manor tonight for a family gathering.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± It didn''t matter if it was the legendary mage Holo or the damned Ebon Pantheon, she didn¡¯t want to see her parents, not now, not after everything that had happened.


    ¡°Lord Stryg Veres will be there.¡±


    Loh whipped around. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 565: The Shadow of Stryg

    Chapter 565: The Shadow of Stryg


    Gale bowed to Stryg, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you and your¡ª mistress alone for some ¡®private time.¡¯ In the meantime, I¡¯ll speak with Uncle Gian on how we can salvage this mess.¡± She winked at Tauri, ¡°Enjoy betraying your family¡¯s honor.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t betray my family!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try saying that while you¡¯re¡ª¡± Gale made an obscene oral gesture with her hand and mouth before she walked out the gate.


    The gate slammed shut behind her and the pair of guards posted outside jumped a tad at the sudden noise.


    ¡°L-Lady Gale? Is everything alright?¡± one of the guards asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Fine. Do not disturb Lord Veres unless he calls you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± The guards saluted as she walked away.


    The manor loomed over her right, its dark windows enchanted to keep the sunlight out. Gale doubted Gian would be there. It was a beautiful day and it was a little past noon. He¡¯d no doubt be sitting below his favorite tree in the gardens having a bit of lunch by himself.


    Yet, instead of heading to the gardens or the manor, Gale headed to the estate¡¯s gates. Stepping out into the Villa streets she made a beeline towards the Commoner District. She needed answers and there was only one place she would find them.


    ~~~


    The commoner houses had been left in ruin after the siege. Some were raided by the barbarians, others were crushed by trebuchet boulders, most had been caught in the fires. There was no living soul in sight. The bustling sounds of the district had died that night.


    Most of the nobility cared little for what happened to the commoners. Even now, it was the Sylvan army that had relocated the commoners to survivor camps deeper in the district. There was no one left here at the edge. Or at least that was what Gale¡¯s senses told her. She knew better.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re out there,¡± she called out to nobody in particular. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight. I came here yesterday in the company of Lor¨C Chieftain Veres, er, Chieftain Stryg of the Ebon Tribe.¡±


    Movement caught at the edge of her vision. Grey-cloaked figures emerged atop the roofs, bows pulled taut and aimed at her lone figure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight,¡± she repeated. ¡°I only seek an audience.¡±


    ¡°I know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Gale spun around and saw a familiar goblin leaning on the charred wall of a burnt-down hovel.


    ¡°Lord Arden,¡± Gale inclined her head. ¡°I did not expect you to be here.¡±


    ¡°If you think I have better things to do than patrol this simple perimeter then you would be right. Today is an exception.¡±


    ¡°Like yesterday?¡±


    Arden narrowed his yellow slit eyes. ¡°Moreso. Follow me.¡± He turned and walked away without waiting for a response.


    Gale hurried to catch up. It wasn¡¯t difficult. The goblin was over a head shorter than her and he walked with a calm but steady pace. Arden seemed a tad taller than any goblin she had met, save Stryg, but she was tall for a vampire, even amongst the men. She had found that sort of stature intimidated most people she came across, but Arden didn¡¯t bat an eye.


    It was odd. And it didn¡¯t help that her nerves seemed to grow more uncomfortable the longer they walked in silence through the ruined streets.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking a different path from yesterday,¡± she noted.


    ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We are not going to the same place.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going then?¡±


    ¡°Why did you come here, vampire?¡±


    ¡°...I came looking for answers,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Without knowing where you might find them.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, more a simple observation.


    ¡°Yes. Sort of. I guess I did.¡±


    ¡°Then the where does not matter, only what you find.¡±


    ¡°And what will I find?¡±


    He stopped and glanced at her. ¡°Do I look like the Silver Mother to you? A First Mother? A priestess?¡±


    The tarnished blood-stained cloak, leather armor, scruffy beard, and piercing eyes did little to convince her of any of them. ¡°No,¡± she replied dryly. ¡°You look to me like a warrior. Though, I must admit my knowledge regarding Sylvan ways is lacking. Are not all your priestesses warriors?¡± she added with the slightest of smirks.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± he shrugged and kept walking. ¡°They are not.¡±


    Gale followed at his side.


    After a few minutes he broke the silence. ¡°Sylvan culture demands strength, it is the only way to survive in the scarlet forest of monsters. Our people are all trained to fight, we must all pass the coming-of-age challenge, but that does not make one a warrior. Those who lack the strength of the claw pick up different Paths; gatherers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, whatever the tribe may need.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°And what if they aren¡¯t particularly good at any of those vocations either?¡±


    ¡°The ones who prove unable to walk down any Path or pass the coming-of-age challenge become Nameless and are exiled from the tribes,¡± he answered if it was obvious.


    ¡°There is no room for the weak.¡±


    ¡°Does your tribe leave room for the weak?¡±


    ¡°...No. My House demands strength, we are trained from a very young age to excel in combat, strategy, politics, whatever is deemed necessary of us.¡±


    ¡°And the ones that cannot rise to call?¡±


    ¡°We all rise to the expectations of our family.¡± There was no Gale spared from the duties of their bloodline. She supposed it helped that there weren¡¯t too many family members to begin with, each one had several teachers dedicated to ensuring their success.


    Arden scoffed at her words. ¡°Am I to believe that in all the centuries your tribe has existed there has never been a failure?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Gale furrowed her brow. ¡°There are those who never awaken magic, but they still serve the House in what ways they can. They are still more than capable swordsmen.¡±


    ¡°The Path of the Shaman is rare enough,¡± Arden nodded. ¡°Although I suspect there were those who did not meet expectations of the sword either.¡±


    Gale thought of one of her older cousins, a kind elderly vampire. ¡°My cousin was born with a twisted leg. He could never walk upright on his own. Suffice it to say the way of the blade was blocked for him. Instead, he found his purpose managing the family¡¯s library.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Arden frowned.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°...Huh. The Sylvan Tribes would never accept a born cripple.¡±


    ¡°Born? What if someone is crippled later in life?¡±


    ¡°There are many warriors and hunters who are crippled while fighting beasts in the forest. They at least can show others how to avoid their mistakes and teach the younglings how to fight. Those that cannot, walk out into the forest alone, without weapon or food.¡±


    ¡°You force them to their deaths?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°They cannot live with their own shame. Rare is the warrior that must be forced by others to walk out.¡±


    ¡°So what do you do if a child is born cripple?¡±


    ¡°Simple. The tribe¡¯s Mothers take the newborn and leave them in the woods.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯d just abandon a baby to die?¡± she asked in disbelief and anger.


    ¡°A newborn has no knowledge to give, no skills to impart. They are of no benefit to the tribe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Neither are ordinary babies!¡±


    ¡°¡ªNor will they ever be. A Sylvan tribe¡¯s life is difficult enough without feeding useless mouths.¡±


    Gale thought of her cousin, always with a kind smile and a patience with others that even surpassed Gian¡¯s. What would have become of him had they just thrown him off the wall? ¡°I see now why people call the Sylvan savages,¡± Gale muttered.


    Arden glanced at her curiously, examining her expression, his eyes lingering on the sword at her waist. ¡°It is easy for nobility to hold lofty ideals when it costs them nothing. But it was your nobility that forced my people¡¯s ancestors, the armies of Lunis, into Vulture Woods. They were cut off from food, water, and medicine. They had to make the difficult choices to survive. Do you think they¡¯d have survived with your lofty ideals?¡±


    Gale hated to admit it, but she suspected he was right. She could only imagine what horrors they must have endured, but the thought of sacrificing newborns broke something inside her. ¡°They¡¯re just children,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Do you think the Lunisian soldiers did not have children of their own? When word of Holo Shade¡¯s betrayal reached the Lunisian armies out in the field, of how the Ebon Lords¡¯ armies ransacked and razed Lunis to the ground, do you think they did not mourn? Their children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, every single person they knew was either killed or captured.¡± Arden narrowed his eyes, ¡°I serve the Mother Moon and I am escorting you on her orders, but make no mistake, vampire. What trust my ancestors extended to yours has long been broken. I am the Guardian of the Sylvan, and I will protect my own from the likes of yours no matter the cost.¡±


    He stopped in front of one of the district''s garrisons. The building seemed mostly intact, the walls had only a few cracks and a single shattered window. ¡°We¡¯re here. She is waiting for you, do not make her wait any longer.¡± And with that, he turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ and I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gale said.


    Arden ignored her and walked off without breaking his stride.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Gale sighed. She had let her anger get the best of her, again. Gian had trained her since little to control her emotions, but ever since Widow¡¯s Crag, she found that control slipping away more each day.


    With another sigh, she knocked on the garrison¡¯s door and after a moment of no response, she opened it and stepped inside. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Her voice echoed slightly in the large empty room. She caught a glimpse of a woman passing through a corridor. Gale went after her and was surprised to find a dozen different women walking back and forth through the halls. Each one was dressed in white robes and had scarlet wreaths atop their heads.


    Priestesses, Gale realized.


    They sent her an occasional glance but ignored her when she tried speaking to them. They didn¡¯t want to be bothered, she guessed. Gale shook her head and walked deeper into the abandoned garrison, noting fallen tables and scattered papers. The guards had left this place in a hurry.


    She came across the jail cells. They were all empty save for one. A naked drow hung from his shackled wrists. His grey skin was horribly disfigured by old burn scars. He had fresh bloody lacerations and bruises all over, particularly around his genitals.


    A woman sat on a chair in front of him, relaxed, almost as if lounging at home in bed. In one hand she held a bloody knife and in the other an open book with a quill nestled between the pages. Her robes were a staggering deep blue. Gold and silver laces were intertwined in her black hair.


    Gale recognized the woman from yesterday.


    The Shaman Elect noticed her entrance. ¡°She is waiting for you in the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, I see. Thanks,¡± Gale nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Now, Lord Loch, where were we? Ah, yes, you were telling me about the defenses of your city¡­¡±


    Lumi¡¯s voice faded away as Gale left. She found a young woman sitting outside in the small training courtyard. She had a dark silver complexion, with hair as pale as the moon and longer than any Gale had seen, its sleek locks stretched to the ground and wrapped around her in a loose circle.


    The young woman, more of a teenager really, sat cross-legged on the grass, her head tilted up, eyes closed. She seemed like a painting, frozen in a perfect moment of time.


    ¡°Lady Lunae¡­?¡± Gale called out uncertainly.


    ¡°The sun is beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Even when I close my eyes I can feel its warmth.¡±


    Gale squinted at the golden orb of light in the blue sky. She pulled her cloak closer to herself. ¡°We vampires have never been very fond of it.¡±


    ¡°There were once many vampires among the Keepers of the Dawn. They worshiped the sun god with fervor. A sunburn to them was a mark of Solis, a reminder of his power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the Keepers of the Dawn,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Really? They attacked your city only a few nights ago.¡±


    ¡°The valley tribes?¡±


    ¡°They were peaceful once. Before the Ebon Lords became greedy and turned their sights on their lands. Before Lunis was ransacked. Before Solis¡¯ fall. There was a time when the Keepers of the Dawn were a safe haven to all those fleeing from the vampire and drow wars of the Northern Lands. Solis welcomed them all, he cared for them no matter who they were. My brother was kind, far more kind than I ever was.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d have liked to have met him.¡±


    Lunae opened her eyes and looked at her. ¡°No, I do not think you would want that. Not anymore.¡±

 Chapter 566: Secrets of the Moon

    Chapter 566: Secrets of the Moon


    ¡°The valley tribes were peaceful once. Before the Ebon Lords became greedy and turned their sights on their lands. Before Lunis was ransacked. Before Solis¡¯ fall. There was a time when the Keepers of the Dawn were a safe haven to all those fleeing from the vampire and drow wars of the Northern Lands. Solis welcomed them all, he cared for them no matter who they were.¡± Lunae scoffed to herself, a small smile on her lips. ¡°My brother was kind, far more kind than I ever was.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d have liked to have met him,¡± said Gale.


    Lunae opened her eyes and looked at her. ¡°No, I do not think you would want that. Not anymore.¡±


    The look in Lunae¡¯s silver gaze brooked no questions, but Gale couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°W-Why?¡±


    ¡°...He is angry, hurt, in a way few people can ever understand. Truth be told, I wouldn¡¯t fault him if he wanted to kill me, he definitely wants to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why?¡± Her voice came out stronger and more anxious than she¡¯d have liked.


    ¡°Are you a daughter of House Gale?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the god of the sun wants to kill me just because I¡¯m part of House Gale?¡±


    ¡°My brother wants to kill all the Houses that swore allegiance to the Ebon Lords, or Holo, for that matter. I would too, if I had been trapped in a prison that the Ebon Lords helped build.¡±


    ¡°The sun god was imprisoned? Wait, so Solis really is alive, then?¡± Gale shivered at the thought. Hollow Shade had so proudly used the dead god of the sun as their city¡¯s banner for centuries. The thought of him wanting revenge suddenly became all too real.


    ¡°He is. Although, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why you came, is it?¡± Lunae cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± she admitted. ¡°I wanted answers regarding what happened last night, more specifically what you did to me. But you already knew that, didn¡¯t you? Why else would you have the Guardian of the Sylvan waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°My children do not take kindly to a vampire dressed in fine garments strutting about their encampment. Arden¡¯s escort was meant to prevent potential altercations.¡±


    ¡°Your children?¡±


    ¡°I am the Mother Moon, the Sylvan are all my children.¡±


    ¡°So when you whispered to me, ¡®I entrust you with the safety of my son, protect him well,¡¯ you were speaking figuratively?¡±


    Lunae shifted her crossed legs and stood up, her long white hair pooling around her. For all the grass and torn-up soil in the courtyard, her lustrous hair did not attract a speck of dirt. ¡°I was not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Gale furrowed her brow. ¡°Lady Aurelia is the mother of my lord.¡±


    ¡°She gave birth to Stryg, yes. But he is mine, since the day Aurelia swore her life to me as my priestess. She was forbidden to have any children, by breaking her oaths she relinquished any right to her child. The boy is mine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d take away a child from his mother because of an oath?¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡± Lunae walked right up to her. The goddess¡¯ teenage form was short, over a head shorter than the tall vampire. And yet, Gale couldn¡¯t help but feel as if she was standing in front of a giant. ¡°I asked you a question.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± Gale took a step back, ¡°I swore to protect the Veres family and here you are telling me you took Aurelia¡¯s child from her.¡±


    ¡°So oaths matter when they''re yours, but when they are the oaths of others, then they lose all value?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I am saying I am the Shield of Veres and you hurt their family, my family.¡±


    ¡°Hurt your family? I have shown your family far more mercy than they¡¯ve ever deserved.¡±


    ¡°How is this mercy?¡±


    ¡°I should have slaughtered your entire lineage for what Stryga Veres did to my people,¡± Lunae growled. ¡°The day she stood in front of me I should have snapped her neck with my hands and crushed her body between my fangs. But that day I showed her more mercy than I ever have to anyone who has wronged me.¡±


    ¡°You met Lady Stryga?¡± Gale whispered.


    ¡°The Bane of Lunis,¡± Lunae spoke each word as if it were poison on her lips.


    ¡°And you spared her? ¡­Why?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Luna cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯d rather I hadn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just,¡± Gale bit her lip. ¡°If someone had led the razing and slaughter of my city, I don¡¯t think anything would have stopped me from murdering them.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I would have, but a friend persuaded me otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I find it hard to imagine anyone can persuade you of anything.¡±


    ¡°I owed him.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but who could a goddess possibly owe?¡±


    ¡°A god, far older than me.¡±


    ¡°A god?¡±


    ¡°The one you call Stjerne.¡±


    Gale¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Stryg¡¯s father? I thought you were the eldest among the Ebon Pantheon?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°In the stories your priests tell, yes. The persona of Stjerne came long after Solis and I roamed these lands, but Stjerne is only one of Death¡¯s many aspects. He was here when the Null Realms were born, when the Ebon Realm had no name.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Caligo joined our pantheon only a handful of centuries ago, yet she is older than any of us.¡± Lunae clicked her tongue, ¡°Though I suppose she was asleep for most of that time. In that regard, she may still be the youngest of us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Caligo is a woman?¡±


    ¡°There is much you do not know. And Caligo is whatever she desires to be. A shapeshifter of her power can appear to you as a child, a broken old man, a monster¡­ You¡¯d do well to keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°That''s why I¡¯m here. I was trained to fight mages, maneuver against nobles, defend against assassins, but this¡­ Gods? Dragons? Monsters of myth? I¡¯m out of my depth. I need answers.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here? Or do you think a goddess has nothing better to do than indulge a little vampire?¡±


    Gale bowed. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to speak to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you have manners, hm?¡±


    Gale kept her head down. ¡°Stryg told me you chose me as your Favoured. I know you did that for a reason.¡±


    ¡°And what reason do you think that is?¡±


    Gale licked her lips and swallowed. ¡°I think that despite whatever oaths Lady Aurelia forsook, Stryg isn¡¯t just some thing to you. I think you care about him, more than he knows.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Gale peeked up from her bowed position. ¡°Last night I dreamed, no, I saw, clear as I see you now, I saw you. Stryg was just a child, he should have been no one of consequence back then, but there you were. Fishing on a riverbed. He was laughing as you played with him. And you¡­ You seemed happy. You were happy.¡± Gale¡¯s voice grew more certain as she recalled more and more from that night. ¡°He called you mom, didn¡¯t he? Yes, and you called him ¡®my dear sweet stupid son.¡¯ I remember.¡±


    ¡°He never was the brightest child,¡± Lunae chuckled softly. ¡°But he is smart, in other ways. He memorized the entire Arcana language in only a few years.¡±


    ¡°So it really did happen? All of it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Gale frowned. ¡°If you are his mother, if not by blood, then by love, why does he act so, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Broken?¡± Lunae muttered.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say that.¡±


    ¡°He is. He lost his memories of his life with me. ¡­And it¡¯s my fault,¡± Lunae¡¯s voice shook with every word and she turned her back to Gale.


    ¡°...You taught him the Arcana?¡±


    Lunae shrugged half-heartedly. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Stryg told me that a hunter named Sigte taught him.¡± Gale stared at her palm, ¡°But Sigte isn¡¯t real, is he? Sigte is some kind of bond. I saw it, in my dream. Your memory.¡±


    ¡°A side effect, a few of my memories were imprinted upon your mind when I instilled you with a drop of my power.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the same thing with Stryg? A side effect.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t imbue him with any of my power that night.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s his own? He is a god, right? Or a demigod, at least? I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, but what if Stryg¡¯s own power kept his memories? What if that night, he kept his promise? ¡®I won¡¯t forget you.¡¯ Those were his words, I remember.¡±


    ¡°We remember. Stryg does not¡­ He lost his memories.¡±


    ¡°Sure, they¡¯re twisted, but they¡¯re still there. Some part of him remembers you. Maybe there¡¯s a way¡ª¡±


    Lunae shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the past. His memories are broken, simply trying to recall the past causes him pain. You must never tell him about his past.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°All I care about now is keeping him alive, keeping him safe.¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I chose you.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what I need to know. Please, tell me what I need to protect Stryg.¡±


    ¡°Are you prepared to give up everything to keep your ward safe?¡±


    Gale straightened her back and held her head high. ¡°I am his shadow, I am prepared to die.¡±


    ¡°No, you must be prepared to live. A corpse will not protect him. The first Veres¡¯ mind fell to ruin after he lost your namesake. You must be better than her. Gian understood this, it is why he has clung to life though everyone from his youth is gone. He understands that the greatest sacrifices take more than a defining moment. It takes a lifetime.¡±


    Lunae¡¯s form shifted in a silver mist and in a single breath Gale found herself standing in front of a titan, a goddess who loomed over her. Piercing glowing eyes stared down at her. ¡°Tell me, little vampire, are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°My brother¡¯s death wasn¡¯t for nothing. Even if it takes me a lifetime to discover why I¡¯m still here and he isn¡¯t, I will gladly pay that price.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Lunae narrowed her eyes. ¡°Let us begin.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg stood in front of the Noir manor once more. He thought he might feel a little less uncomfortable about coming back here, but standing here, now, he realized how wrong he had been. Gods, he wished he could be drunk right now. ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be fun.¡± Holo clapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Your first lesson, you need to start learning to face these things head-on,¡± said Melantha.


    Stryg glanced at her. ¡°And when you say these things do you mean my family or¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Our family and the difficult problems in life.¡±


    ¡°Did you face your difficult problems when you were my age?¡±


    ¡°No, and my entire kingdom paid the price. Thousands died because I let a prime archmage ¡®handle¡¯ my problems instead of facing them myself.¡±


    ¡°...Point taken,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    Tauri slipped her hand into his. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He smiled nervously, ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I told you it was a good idea to bring her,¡± Holo whispered to Melantha with a smirk.

 Chapter 567: Tea, Anyone?

    Chapter 567: Tea, Anyone?


    The parlor room was filled with silence save for the occasional noise as someone drank their tea. Holo and Melantha sat on a sofa. Melantha sat upright, her lilac eyes occasionally glancing at the windows and the doors, checking for any weaknesses or perhaps for intruders. Holo was far more relaxed, she lounged on her side of the sofa, foot propped atop the low wooden table.


    Her son, Atlas, and his wife, Una Noir, sat across from the sisters. Atlas had a smile on his face, reminiscent of Holo¡¯s notorious smirk. Una sat with her legs closed, her hands on her lap, fingers laced together. Her expression was calm, polite, only taking a sip of tea when Holo or Melantha did.


    On the third sofa, at the end of the table, facing the others, sat Stryg and Tauri. Stryg shook his leg incessantly subconsciously. Tauri placed a calming hand on his lap and he stopped. Still, her touch did little to calm his nerves.


    He didn¡¯t want to be here. There were too many emotions attached to this place. After Widow¡¯s Crag, he had spent most of the next year in the Noir manor. Training with Lord Elzri, or one of his personal teachers, Professor Ismene, Vayu Glaz, Cornelius Rotrusk¡­ He had just been informed a few minutes earlier that Cornelius had died in battle.


    The dwarf was strange, always talking about some nonsense or another, Stryg never really understood what he meant. But Cornelius was a good man. He had taught Stryg chromatic Green and for that, Stryg would always be grateful. Now he was gone, like so many others and the only one who supposedly knew what had happened was Loh.


    His former mentor and the first person in Hollow Shade to truly give a shit about him wasn¡¯t even here. Holo had told him she had invited Loh, but he doubted she¡¯d even show up. This place carried too many memories, not just for himself, but her.


    ¡°Thank you for having me, Lady Holo,¡± said a meek voice.


    Stryg glanced at the last person in the room, sitting by herself. Dolores Noir had always been admired by noble society. Though she had no magic she was still the first daughter of House Noir. A socialite known for throwing some of the most extravagant parties in all of Hollow Shade.


    The few times Stryg had seen her she seemed confident, a tall lithe beauty that would catch the eye of anyone who she passed by. But now she seemed withdrawn and though before she was lean, now she seemed emaciated. Dark bags hung under her grey eyes. Her right hand trembled ever so slightly as she held her tea cup.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Holo said nonchalantly. ¡°You are part of this family, it is your right to be here.¡±


    Dolores bowed her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know if my father would have agreed with you on that¡­¡±


    ¡°Elzri was a troubled man, part of that blame lies in me,¡± Holo admitted. ¡°I should have been more attentive, but I let my focus stray to other Realms, to matters I thought more important. I was wrong and in my absence, Elzri grew bitter. Had I done more, I would have learned what really happened back then, Una would have returned long ago, and perhaps Elzri would still be here today.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Lady Holo, but it is not your fault,¡± Una interrupted. ¡°For most of my life I never wanted to come back here, I didn¡¯t want to look back. For years I told you to leave the Noirs alone. If anyone is to blame it is me.¡±


    ¡°That is very kind of you to say, but I should have still done more, if not for your sake, then for hers,¡± Holo glanced at Dolores.


    ¡°I do not deserve your help,¡± Dolores bowed her head and mumbled quietly. ¡°I am not even worthy to be a Noir.¡±


    ¡°Your father neglected you because you weren¡¯t a mageborn, he was wrong to do that. The fault is not yours,¡± said Holo adamantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t titans do the same to the children that aren¡¯t born like them?¡± Stryg muttered.


    Holo cocked an eyebrow, but before she could respond Melantha shot him a glare. ¡°It is not the same, not even close,¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°How is it not the same?¡± Stryg chuckled bitterly.


    Tauri grabbed his hand, ¡°Stryg¡ª¡±


    ¡°A titan is chaos,¡± Melantha cut her off. ¡°The world warps around us in ways we do not fully understand, and we never will. That is what chaos means. It is dangerous, it always has been, especially for the children of a Calamity. What do you think would happen to an ordinary child with no inherited abilities, if they were to stay by Death¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Stryg¡¯s voice faltered. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    As if to answer his question, Holo spoke up. ¡°They¡¯d be put in danger. Or rather, they¡¯d most likely die.¡±


    Was that why his father had abandoned him the day he was born? Stryg didn¡¯t know, but the thought of it troubled him.


    ¡°Um, titans¡­?¡± asked Dolores uncertainly.


    Holo smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll talk more about it when everyone is here.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Lady Holo, for my husband¡¯s absence,¡± Dolores bowed her head. ¡°Ever since the siege, as the last arch-mage of House Noir, George has taken it upon himself to muster our armies. In any case, he is running late, but hopefully, he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Your husband¡¯s efforts are admirable,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°He feels the same as I,¡± Dolores whispered. ¡°We have failed our House and our family for years. We¡¯re just trying to do our part to ease our daughter¡¯s new burdens in any way we can.¡±


    ¡°Do not be too hard on yourself, Dolores. You were isolated, disparaged by your father,¡± said Holo.


    Dolores shook her head with a sad smile. ¡°Like you, I should have done more, if not for myself then for my children. I endured my father¡¯s disappointment my entire life. When I saw Aizel was just like me and the way my father looked at him, I¡­¡± She bit her trembling lip, ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t let him do the same to my son. I swore I¡¯d be there for Aizel in any way I could.¡±


    ¡°You were trying to protect him.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to protect myself,¡± Dolores scoffed in self-derision. ¡°I saw myself in Aizel. I hated how my father made me feel so small. I hated the thought of it happening again¡­ But Loh¡­ I thought Loh was different. She was everything I wasn¡¯t. Loh was talented. Strong. I thought she¡¯d be fine, even when my father turned his attention to her. I knew he was strict, harsh, sometimes even cruel. But I thought¡­ I thought she could endure it.¡± Dolores lowered her head, ¡°It didn¡¯t matter how strong she was. She was still a child, my child. I should have been there for her. But I wasn¡¯t. Especially after Aizel was gone, I should have been the mother she needed, instead, all she got was a drunk trying to drown her pain away.¡±


    Una stood up, walked over, and embraced her niece. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Dolores shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t be sorry for me.¡±


    Holo sighed and looked away. Melantha placed a hand on her shoulder, ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, you know. Caligo cursed the Noirs long ago. Things like this were bound to happen.¡±


    ¡°Cursed?¡± Stryg¡¯s droopy ears perked up.


    ¡°Chaos,¡± Holo shrugged tiredly. ¡°Unpredictable. Dangerous. The element of change. The first Noir made a deal with the Monster in the Dark and broke it. Ever since then, his bloodline has been cursed to endure pain and hardship. Even so, I should have done more.¡±


    ¡°We all should have,¡± said Una, her arms still wrapped around Dolores.


    ¡°Are we cursed?¡± Stryg asked.


    Melantha smiled wryly, ¡°No, we¡¯re just walking fountains of chaos. Children of Calamities never have¡ª uneventful lives.¡±


    Stryg stared at her for a long moment. ¡°So we are cursed.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the family,¡± Atlas whispered.


    A knock on the door pulled everyone¡¯s attention. With a creak, it opened, and the family¡¯s seneschal walked in. The vampiress Lily bowed, ¡°Forgive the intrusion, my lords and ladies. I have brought my mistress, as requested.¡±


    Loh stepped out of the hallway, breathless. She glanced at her mother, then frowned when she noticed Dolores¡¯ tear-stained mascara and the black streaks left on her grey cheeks. ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain once Unalla arrives,¡± Holo sipped her tea. She glanced at Melantha¡¯s hand hanging at her side, the fingers shifted with the slightest of movements. ¡°Loh, are you not going to greet your mother?¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Loh said stiffly.


    ¡°H-Hello,¡± Dolores wiped her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t want you to see me like this.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, this is nothing. I¡¯ve seen you sprawled half-naked on the grass, drunk out of your mind,¡± said Loh coldly.


    Dolores looked away in shame. ¡°Yes, I¡­ I deserve that.¡±


    Una frowned. ¡°Elohnoir. She came here for you, she does not deserve your spitefulness.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± Loh chuckled. ¡°When has my mother ever cared to do anything for me¡­¡± her voice caught in her throat when she saw the pained and embarrassed look in Dolores¡¯ eyes. She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak when she noticed Stryg and Tauri both sitting together across the room, holding hands. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, Loh,¡± said Tauri without a hint of expression.


    This was a bad idea. Stryg reminded himself for the umpteeth time. He could already feel his heart grow cold, the feeling oozing across his chest.


    ¡°Tea, anyone?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°We¡¯d offer sweets to go with, but my siblings seem to have devoured the last of them,¡± added Melantha.


    ¡°They were tasty,¡± Holo said defensively.


    ¡°You ate seven muffins.¡±


    ¡°Look, if you want more just go to the kitchens. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll feed you as many as you want,¡± Holo huffed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know the way,¡± Melantha rolled her lilac eyes.


    Holo glanced at Lily, ¡°You there. You¡¯re a servant, yes?¡±


    ¡°I am the House¡¯s seneschal, my lady,¡± she bowed.


    ¡°So head servant. Can you lead my sister to the kitchens?¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Melantha hopped to her feet. ¡°I needed to stretch my legs anyway. Lead the way.¡±


    Lily bowed to Loh, then the others, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Now, Loh, why don¡¯t you take a seat,¡± Holo smiled and patted the spot next to her.


    Loh glanced at Stryg and Tauri, her eyes troubled, but she quickly buried the expression and sat down.


    ~~~


    ¡°Wow, for being inside a city this place sure is big,¡± Melantha whistled as she walked through what seemed through a series of corridors.


    ¡°The Seven Ruling families have the largest allotted grounds among the nobility of the city,¡± Lily explained in a polite tone. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can give you and the other guests a tour after your meeting. As seneschal, I was taught the history of this manor down to its very foundations.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.¡±


    ¡°I just have one.¡± Melantha stopped in her steps. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Lily turned around, red hair swishing about her. She cocked her head to the side and frowned, her beautiful features scrunching in confusion. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Melantha smiled coldly, a soft blue glow around her lilac irises. ¡°You may have gone unnoticed by the others, but I see you bright as day.¡± Electricity crackled at her fingertips. ¡°So, I¡¯ll only ask once more. What are you doing here?¡±


    Lily¡¯s frown melted away and her red lips broke into a smirk.

 Chapter 568: Lily

    Chapter 568: Lily


    Melantha smiled coldly, lilac eyes glowing with a bright blue light. ¡°You may have gone unnoticed by the others, but I see you bright as day.¡± Electricity crackled at her fingertips. ¡°So, I¡¯ll only ask once more. What are you doing here?¡±


    Lily¡¯s frown melted away and her red lips broke into a smirk. ¡°What gave me away?¡±


    ¡°You were never hidden. The moment you walked in with the Noir girl was enough.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re a True Blue. I see¡­ you must be Melantha. I should have made the connection when I heard Lady Holo say you were her sibling.¡± Lily put a finger to her chin and cocked her head to the side, as if in deep thought, ¡°The little hand gesture you made when I first entered the room¡ª You informed Lady Holo immediately. Then this whole little trip to the kitchen was a ruse from the beginning? Clever.¡±


    ¡°Clever enough to wonder why one of your kind is traipsing around in the hall of the Noirs.¡±


    ¡°My kind? The perception of Clarity magic is keen, but I¡¯ve never known a True Blue to be capable of discerning an entire ¡®kind¡¯ with a simple glance.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you are.¡±


    ¡°You are aware of my kindred¡¯s history,¡± Lily said somberly.


    ¡°I am. As to how one of you survived or how you ended up in the Ebon Realm is a mystery you will answer.¡± Lightning crackled across Melantha¡¯s arms.


    Lily raised her hands in a light-hearted surrender. ¡°I¡¯d never dare presume to fight a goddess. You know as well as I that I have no power. Ask and I will tell you what you wish to know.¡±


    Melantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°I knew your kind was problematic. Your existence here, explain, now.¡±


    She lowered her hands. ¡°That question is a little more complex than it sounds. How much do you precisely know about my kindred?¡±


    ¡°Enough to know your kind warranted Agony¡¯s attention. I thought she slaughtered all of you.¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°A Calamity is not something you fight, it is something you flee from. ¡­A few of us survived the extinction of our species. I was fortunate enough to not be on the Ashen Realm when it happened. I hid in the jungles of the Amber Realm for some time; I had hoped the presence of the dragonlords¡¯ broods there would take away any attention from myself.¡± Lily touched the window with the tips of her fingers, ¡°Eventually, I made my way through a realm bridge and arrived here, in the Ebon Realm. Not long after, the bridges collapsed and I found myself stranded.¡±


    ¡°How many of your kind are left? Are there any others here in the city or in this realm?¡±


    ¡°A handful at most survived, I¡¯d wager, that is, if Agony never found them. I am the only one in the Ebon Realm to my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Why here? Of all the places in the realm you could have gone, why the House of Noir? Are you working for Caligo?¡±


    ¡°I mean no offense, but I have no interest in working for a titan,¡± she bowed. ¡°I serve no master, yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re searching for a host,¡± Melantha guessed.


    ¡°You¡¯d think I¡¯d be able to find one in the Realm of Monsters,¡± she smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯ve wandered these lands for three centuries. I thought the Ebon Lords would be promising, they held power, sure, but their souls¡­ they were lacking what I sought.¡±


    ¡°Pain.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has pain, but true deep pain, that is much more rare, let alone finding the right taste. We all have preferences, you know. Not to mention the soul, every single one is different, to find one that even somewhat resembles our unique resonance is¡ª difficult to say the least.¡±


    ¡°How delightful,¡± she said in disgust.


    ¡°You find my kind deplorable, but there was a time when kings and queens sought our kinship above all else. We were revered.¡±


    ¡°And then your kind inevitably brought those kingdoms to ruin.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± she shrugged wistfully. Her scarlet eyes grew reminiscent, ¡°...One day, after many years of wandering from one backwater to another, I heard of a drow said to be the greatest archmage in recent living memory. I was curious, of course. Power is a quality we find necessary, but it is not the most important factor. ¡­It was his pain that drew me to him. A man who killed his own family and yet consigned himself to a lonely life for the sake of his family.¡±


    ¡°Elzri Noir¡­¡±


    ¡°He was a suitable host, one worthy of bonding to.¡± A small smile crept on her red lips, ¡°He refused. Or rather, he never let me in enough to even consider a bond. There was always another in his heart, a love he never could let go, even to the end.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you stay?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Lily sighed. ¡°I thought you of all people might understand, one gets tired of wandering after so many years. In Elzri I found a kindred soul. We had both suffered, we were both tired. We found comfort in one another, if only in a physical relationship.¡±


    ¡°Did he know what you were?¡±


    ¡°He knew only a little. He told me the rest didn¡¯t matter,¡± she chuckled to herself. ¡°Arrogant bastard. He always did what he wanted, even to the end. As for me, I was content to simply have found some interesting company. Even if his pain couldn¡¯t be mine, I could still taste it in the air, it was¡ª filling enough. We shared in each other¡¯s pain in what little ways we could.¡±


    ¡°So you played the seneschal all these years.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking me if I was content to play the role of his pretty yet dim secretary in front of others, then yes,¡± she gave a sultry wink.


    ¡°Then why are you still here? Elzri is dead.¡±


    Lily nodded, ¡°True. In any other situation, I would already have left. Except, a few years ago I discovered someone. A young woman with talents almost as great as Elzri¡¯s, but with wounds so deep that not even Elzri¡¯s pain could compare.¡± Lily smiled, unable to hide the hunger and desire in her scarlet eyes, ¡°What¡¯s more, her pain and soul, they were both distinctly suited to me. After the siege, she¡¯s only grown more excellent. Elzri was a suitable host, but Loh,¡± Lily licked her lips, ¡°She is an Affinity, my Affinity.¡±


    ¡°A perfect bond,¡± Melantha muttered.


    ¡°With me by her side, Loh¡¯s power could surpass even her grandfather¡¯s.¡±


    Melantha slowly began to close the distance. ¡°You haven¡¯t bonded with her yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°I cannot bond with a heart that is already filled. Like Elzri, her heart is occupied by another, a human. Though that love is doomed to fail. That human cannot handle Loh¡¯s true self.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate the strength of humans.¡±


    ¡°And you underestimate the flawed nature of mortals. Elzri and Ismene loved each other until the end, yet they ended up alone. Loh will be no different.¡±


    ¡°She is not her grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Loh is so much more.¡±


    Melantha clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re just a monster who wants to feed off her pain.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re the monster who incited a war that wiped out half the Scarlet Realm¡¯s people. Comparisons seem hardly productive.¡±


    Melantha¡¯s form suddenly blurred, and she slammed Lily into the wall, her hand gripped tightly around the vampire¡¯s throat. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid, ever since we started talking. Why?¡±


    ¡°Call it a gamble,¡± she choked out with a grin.


    ¡°You¡¯d gamble your life?¡± Melantha loosened her grip.


    ¡°A calculated risk. You care about the Noirs.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me. You don¡¯t know who I care about.¡±


    ¡°If not you, then your sister, Holo. She has watched over the Noirs for centuries.¡±


    ¡°And you think that somehow will protect you? The way I see it, you are a threat to the Noirs.¡±


    Lily laughed. ¡°Please, spare me the guile. I¡¯d never harm Loh.¡±


    Melantha scoffed. ¡°Is that what you call your bond? Harmless?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d call it reciprocal. If you want to protect this broken House you¡¯ll need my help.¡±


    ¡°Holo and I can protect this House just fine.¡±


    ¡°Neither of you will stay here, not forever, Traveler. You will need someone to watch over the Ebon Tower. Loh is the Lady of this House, yet she won¡¯t be able to protect this place alone. It¡¯s why you haven¡¯t killed me.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had no interest in working for a titan?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but if the only other option is to have my body burned to ash by vivid electrocution and then my soul ripped out by a goddess of death, well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m quite confident I can make an exception.¡±


    Melantha leaned forward and hissed in her face, ¡°You will not touch Stryg or his tribe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never dream of it.¡±


    Melantha shook her head and released her grip. ¡°Do not test me on this, wraith.¡±


    Lily smiled and rubbed her neck. ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡±


    ~~~


    Holo glanced around the room. If silence filled the room before, now the air itself was saturated with it. Her little brother was practically shaking in his seat. The only thing keeping him from bolting out the door was Tauri¡¯s hand on his lap. A fact that Loh seemed keenly aware of.


    Holo stared at the drow sitting next to her. Loh¡¯s blue eyes were a swirl of emotions. Something had clearly happened between the three of them. Holo wondered if it was best to deal with it now or after they spoke about her family¡¯s history.


    ¡°Tauri¡­ Stryg,¡± Loh spoke softly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Tauri replied, with a trace of wariness.


    ¡°Cornelius, he¡­¡±


    ¡°We just heard,¡± Tauri nodded grimly. ¡°He was an odd dwarf, but he was a good man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stryg mumbled.


    ¡°I was there when Cornelius¡­ He was brave to the end, Tauri. Worthy of the name Rotrusk.¡± Loh glanced at her former pupil, ¡°Stryg, he wanted me to tell you that you were a pain in his ass, but it was an honor to teach you.¡±


    Stryg clenched his fists at his sides and bowed his head. ¡°The honor was mine.¡±


    The door opened once more and Melantha walked in, ¡°We¡¯re back.¡±


    Lily followed in after her, carrying a platter full of muffins. Melantha plopped down on the couch to the right of Holo while Lily placed the platter on the table then silently went and stood behind Loh.


    Holo shared a look with her sister, before taking a sip of her tea.


    ~~~


    ¡°...I think we¡¯ll call it there for today,¡± said Lunae.


    Gale collapsed to her knees and gasped for breath. Her sword clattered to the ground. She was covered in cold sweat and her hands trembled from an inner chill.


    ¡°Deep breaths.¡±


    ¡°I can keep going,¡± Gale huffed.


    ¡°Do not push yourself. Your body has its limits, even with my blessing.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but if I am to be his Shield, I need to break through those limits.¡±


    ¡°Admirable. Still, you should take a break.¡±


    Gale frowned, there was something odd about the goddess¡¯ eyes. ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have somewhere to be.¡± Lunae stood up from the boulder she was sitting on. ¡°My son seems to be in a family meeting with his sisters and they failed to invite me.¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Gale asked. ¡°I know the city well, I can guide you there without attracting attention.¡±


    ¡°They''re in the Noir Manor.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±

 Chapter 569: Family Meeting

    Chapter 569: Family Meeting


    Stryg bowed his head and took long steadying breaths. He cursed silently to himself. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from shaking. The cold sensation of chaos spread from his twin heart and seeped into his bones. Confronting his heritage and Loh was difficult enough without his elemental mana reacting violently. The last thing he needed right now was for the chaos to cloud his mind and repeat the incident at the Katag¡¯s manor.


    Why was this so hard?


    Holo had warned him that his body had reached a critical point of sorts; his heart had grown strong enough to contain an ocean of chaos comparable to the titans of old. Apparently, that included the chaos being attuned to his damn mental state. Chromatic mana was nothing like this, it required a lack of emotion to produce the greatest of spellcasting. Emotions like anger could amplify chromatic spellcasting, but it could only go so far.


    Stryg couldn¡¯t even rely on anger for his chaos, it was too volatile, he¡¯d lose what little control he had managed to grasp.


    He clenched his fist tightly. He needed to get this under control.


    Narrow scarlet fingers reached out and wrapped around his hand. He looked up to see Tauri staring at him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she whispered.


    Trying not to let my own chaos accidentally kill someone, he wanted to say, but the worried look in her eye gave him pause. He did his best to try and smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Stryg caught Loh¡¯s concerned gaze past Tauri¡¯s silhouette. Loh looked away as soon as their eyes met.


    A plethora of emotions surged within him. Some part of him was bitter, angry from all the lies. But another part of him wanted to rush over to Loh and hug her. He was relieved she had survived the attacks at Undergrowth and Hollow Shade. Ever since he had seen her in the council meeting he had wanted to speak to her.


    There were so many things he wanted to share with her about his journey ever since he left Undergrowth. He wanted to know how she was holding up after the death of Elzri. But their relationship had changed. And the bitter taste in his mouth reminded him of that.


    He was reminded of his mother. Aurelia had kept secrets from his entire life. He held resentment for what she had done. And yet all he wanted to do now was tell her that he loved her, but he couldn¡¯t. She hadn¡¯t awoken from her coma. All he could do was watch her sleep and think of all the things he wished he had said.


    Stryg took a deep breath and instead of holding on to his anger and pain, he forced himself to look at his own heart. The truth was he didn¡¯t want Loh to feel alone. She had hurt him, but despite his anger he still cared for her.


    How could feelings be so complicated? How could a person hate someone and worry about them at the same time? How could someone be such a contradiction?


    Stryg sighed to himself. He didn¡¯t know if he could forgive Loh, but he knew he cared for her. And maybe for right now, that was enough.


    The roiling chaos within him slowed its erratic flow and retreated back into his heart.


    The doors to the room swung open and Unalla rushed in, breathing hard. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late. I got here as quickly as I could.¡± She bowed, ¡°Lady Holo. Lady Melantha.¡±


    Holo waved her off. ¡°Enough with the formalities, you may call me grandmother, we are among friends and family.¡±


    Unalla noticed the strange gathering of people and faltered in her step.


    ¡°Take a seat, child,¡± said Holo.


    Unalla nodded uncertainly and sat between her parents.


    Holo clapped her hands together and smiled. ¡°George isn¡¯t here yet, but I¡¯m sure Dolores can fill him in later.¡±


    Loh¡¯s mother ardently, ¡°Of course, Lady Holo.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, I think we are ready to begin.¡± Holo looked around the room, her gaze growing serious. ¡°I¡¯m sure we are all still recovering from the attack on our city, but the true enemy is not Marek nor the Valley Tribes. Our enemy is someone far older and more powerful. You may know our enemy as the Monster in the Dark. The realm knows him as Caligo. But her real name¡ª is Ananta, daughter of Love, Queen of the Titans.¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg watches as his sister divulged the secrets of the ancient goddess to the room. At first, Dolores seemed confused, then with every word Holo spoke her face paled more in terror.


    Loh seemed like she wanted to speak up on multiple occasions, but every time the scarlet-haired vampiress standing behind her touched Loh¡¯s shoulder and shook her head subtly. Loh glanced at her with a furrowed brow, but in the end, she relented and held her tongue.


    After Holo finished it was Unalla who spoke first. ¡°So Lunae is with us, Bellum is at least not against us, though we don¡¯t know even where the war goddess has been the last decade. And Stjerne? Where is the god of stars? Shouldn¡¯t he care about what¡¯s happening in the realm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little more complicated than that,¡± said Holo wryly.


    ¡°I know he abandoned our people the drows, but surely he wouldn¡¯t abandon the entire Ebon Realm. He is still the patron of humans living in this realm, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Unalla.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know where Stjerne is or where his allegiance lies,¡± admitted Holo.


    ¡°Stjerne is my father.¡± Melantha smacked Holo¡¯s arm with the back of her hand, ¡°He is our father, the Calamity of Death.¡±


    Unalla swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Death goes by many names; the Traveler, Stjerne. The Blood Sovereign, Mortem¡­ After the Mortem Order fell, let¡¯s just say we haven¡¯t been on speaking terms,¡± said Melantha.


    Holo scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s putting it lightly.¡±


    ¡°The point is we can¡¯t rely on Stjerne for any help,¡± said Melantha.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­¡± Unalla jumped to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±


    Melantha cocked her head to the side. ¡°What part would I be lying about?¡±


    Unalla ran her hands through her hair. ¡°Grandmother¡­ I knew you were a titan, I knew you were a goddess, but you never told me¡­ all of this.¡±


    Una grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    She shook her off. ¡°No! You and Dad always skirted around Grandma¡¯s true nature. I never understood why. But now I do.¡± Unalla pointed an accusing finger at Holo, ¡°We¡¯ve traveled across the Null Realms ever since I can remember, and in all that time the few stories about the Calamities we heard across the world were all the same. They are walking Calamities! Wide-scale destruction is always left in their wake!¡±


    ¡°You know little of what you speak, child. The Calamities are far more complex than that,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°Am I wrong?! We¡¯ve walked through entire cities left in nothing but ruin. Even centuries after their destruction I could still taste the twisted energies in the air. You once told me the Calamities were Aleriune¡¯s vengeance let loose upon the world. Was that a lie?¡±


    Holo said nothing, only stared at her with the calm expression of age.


    Unalla shook her head angrily. ¡°This is why you never told me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Stryg couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself. At least there was someone here who understood what he had felt when they had told him the truth. Anger. Betrayal. The desire to claw out someone¡¯s face.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t tell you because you would react poorly,¡± sighed Una.


    Unalla glared at her mother. ¡°Father was born a Thorn. His family ruled Hollow Shade with an iron fist, they killed thousands who stood against them! Was I supposed to feel happy about that!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Atlas whispered sympathetically.


    Unalla shook her head, ¡°At least I knew that my mother was a Noir, they helped overthrow the Thorns.¡±


    ¡°The Noir and Thorns both have the blood of countless on their hands, innocents and guilty alike. No House can avoid that if they wish to stay in power for centuries,¡± said Holo coldly. ¡°That is the way of the world. I know you desire to do well, and that fire burns deep within you, but you must be able to look past it and see the world for what it truly is if you wish to help more than those in front of you.¡±


    ¡°So this is our legacy¡­?¡± Unalla muttered. ¡°I am the descendant of a Calamity. How much blood is on your hands, grandmother?¡¯


    ¡°More than I¡¯d like,¡± Holo¡¯s voice broke. ¡°But that does not define you.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Unalla whispered in a broken voice. ¡°The nature of titan hybrids is hereditary, right? Dad is like you. So aren¡¯t you like your own father as well? Doesn¡¯t that make me like him too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Stryg. ¡°No matter what you do, Death¡¯s blood will always flow through your veins. It affects you¡­ Even if you don¡¯t want to admit it to yourself.¡± He brushed the Veres signet ring on his index finger, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you are him. You are Unalla of the Great House of Noir, you get to choose who that person will be.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Unalla said skeptically.


    He met her gaze calmly. ¡°Because I am Stjerne¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± she scoffed.


    When no one responded, Unalla''s expression slowly gave way to unbridled disbelief, a look shared by Loh.


    Unalla glanced between Stryg and Holo, ¡°So you and my grandmother¡­?¡±


    ¡°She is my sister, or so I am told.¡±


    Holo grinned, ¡°Believe it or not, you and your uncle Stryg are more alike than you think.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that,¡± Unalla frowned.


    Holo walked over and held her hands. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m only telling you all of this because I trust you¡¯re strong enough to handle it. Show me I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± Unalla nodded hesitantly and sat back down.


    Holo looked around the group, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break for dinner, hm?¡±


    ~~~


    Stryg leaned over the balcony, watching the sunset over the horizon. The breeze wisped past his hair and pointed ears. It carried the taste of ash. He wondered how many houses had burned down in the siege.


    A knock on the wall behind caught his attention. He didn¡¯t bother to turn around, her familiar footsteps had given her away.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± asked Loh.


    ¡°Mm,¡± he grunted softly.


    Loh walked over and rested her elbows on the balcony, a few inches beside him. She glanced at him, looked away, glanced again, and finally settled her gaze over the city. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat much at dinner.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a first,¡± she laughed weakly.


    ¡°...Yeah, it¡¯s becoming more common I suppose.¡± He wondered if it was just his appetite or if titans simply ate less. Did gods even need to eat? He didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for everything,¡± Loh whispered.


    Stryg sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I know I can never make up for what I did to you, but¡ª¡±


    Stryg held up his hand. ¡°Can we just¡­ stay here like this? Just for a little while?¡±


    Loh nodded and smiled hesitantly.


    The city sprawled over the horizon, the now-pale walls of the city lined the horizon. What once was a symbol of fear and power had become a symbol of their defeat. And yet as the sun¡¯s rays leaked through the magestone, Stryg couldn¡¯t help but think it was beautiful.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Loh broke the silence. ¡°You and Tauri I mean.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought you¡¯d be angry.¡±


    ¡°What gave you that idea?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d always get pissed whenever you caught me staring at Tauri¡¯s ass.¡±


    ¡°Okay, maybe I¡¯m a little angry,¡± she chuckled, then exhaled softly. ¡°There is so little happiness in this world. We need to hold onto what little we have.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°When I saw the way Tauri looked at you back there¡­ it was the same way she used to look at my brother. She loves you, Stryg, even if she¡¯ll never say it.¡± Loh closed her eyes and let the breeze sweep over her. ¡°...I already got in the way of her happiness once, I¡¯m not going to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Loh, I¡ª¡± Stryg frowned and leaned over the balcony. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± He narrowed his eyes.


    Gale was marching over to the manor. A cloaked figure by her side, though the long silver hair trailing behind her gave her away.

 Chapter 570: Mother & Daughter

    Chapter 570: Mother & Daughter


    Loh sat anxiously in the parlor room, trying her best to stay calm. It was hard enough being in a room full of people who shared her surname, but it was Stryg and Tauri sitting across from her that rattled her insides. They were right there. Two of the three people she held closest in her heart were sitting only a few paces away. She wanted to rush over and hug them tightly. She wanted to tell them she was so relieved to see them alive and safe.


    It had been only a couple of days since she had seen Stryg at the council meeting and she hadn¡¯t been able to talk to him about anything. Not about her grandfather, not about their hasty departure at Undergrowth, or about the emptiness that lay between them.


    Then there was Tauri, her best friend. A woman whose fianc¨¦ she had let die, a fianc¨¦ who also happened to be Loh¡¯s own brother. The last conversation they had really had involved Tauri wanting to kill her.


    And now those two people were sitting next to each other, hands clasped. There was a strange discomfort seeing Tauri and Stryg together, but it was different than it had been with Aizel. Loh examined the feeling, understood the envy for what it was, and let it go. If Tauri and Stryg were happy, then that was all that mattered.


    Nonetheless, though Loh didn¡¯t want to admit it, she was dying to know more about how the relationship had transpired. The rumors of the scandal at the Katag¡¯s dinner party were all any of the nobles were talking about. The first Ebon Aspirant in centuries, somehow turned out to be the heir of House Veres, and was now engaged to a daughter of House Katag, only to reveal in front of the nobility that he was sleeping with the elder daughter?


    Loh smiled wryly to herself. Stryg¡¯s notorious surprises seemed to never end.


    Then again, Stryg had always surprised her, ever since the first day she had met him. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he still had a few more secrets up his sleeve.


    As Loh glanced around the room she noticed her mother staring at her. Dolores quickly looked away as soon as their eyes made contact. It felt like opening the stitches of another festering wound. Guilt filled Loh¡¯s heart. This woman was a failure of a mother, but it was Loh who had taken her son away and left her a broken husk. She didn¡¯t deserve the way Dolores watched her, eyes full of worry.


    Another pair of eyes came to mind, one Loh dreaded to see, yet yeared to every day. The woman she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Loh was glad Louise was out at the bakery today. Lily had informed her that the young woman was baking bread for the refugees of the city who had lost their homes in the siege. Louise was a genuinely good person, one of the few in this messed up world.


    After everything that had happened, Loh didn¡¯t know how to face her. Louise represented her dreams of a better future away from all of this, but Loh knew she didn¡¯t deserve it.


    She looked at Stryg and Tauri once more. Loh didn¡¯t deserve such happiness. She deserved to be here, in the foreground of her cursed House, leading them through the wake of Elzri¡¯s death. Whatever dangers the future held, she would bear them alone for the Noirs, for the sake of her grandfather¡¯s memory. Loh swore to herself she would be the leader he had always wanted, even if it meant giving up the life she had always wanted.


    Soon after, Lily returned with a human Loh had yet to catch the name of. All Loh knew was that she was stunningly beautiful with lilac eyes as charming as Stryg¡¯s. Nel, was her name, or so Holo called her.


    There were few women Loh considered almost too beautiful to be true. Beauty came in many ways, Loh knew this. Many would consider Tauri¡¯s bust modest, though they¡¯d all be fools if they failed to notice her shapely legs and a wide bottom that seemed carved by the gods.


    Queen Ophelia had been a different sort of beauty; tall, lithe, and with a face that seemed almost ethereal and fey-like in nature. Loh knew her own looks were similar, but she also knew she fell short. It would be hard-pressed to find any woman whose visage was refined as Ophelia Thorn.


    Loh glanced at Lily standing beside her, who had politely declined to sit down. And yet somehow, this vampiress stood apart. A sultry hourglass figure, scarlet eyes as charming as Nel, and a visage as enticing as Opehelia¡¯s was ethereal.


    If Loh had learned anything about women who seemed almost too beautiful to be true, it was that she had to be very careful around them. Especially this vampiress who seemed a little too friendly.


    She remembered Louise¡¯s smile, simple yet heartwarming, a small scar on her lip from when she had fallen as a child. There was a beauty in her imperfections and Loh found herself missing her all the more.


    Unalla opened the door, breathlessly, and bowed to Nel and Holo. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late. I got here as quickly as I could. Lady Holo. Lady Melantha.¡±


    Lady Melantha?


    Loh did a double take. She couldn¡¯t be the Melantha. Could she?


    As if reading her thoughts, the woman in question glanced at her and her lips curled in the faintest of smirks.


    A shiver ran down Loh¡¯s spine.


    Holo clapped her hands together. ¡°George isn¡¯t here yet, but I¡¯m sure Dolores can fill him in later.¡±


    And with that Holo began her story.


    ~~~


    Holo spoke of an enemy that had been unknown to them, an enemy that lay behind the warlord Marek and the valley armies. But to Loh, the Monster in the Dark wasn¡¯t unknown. Thoughts of the creature had tormented Loh¡¯s dreams and not a day had gone by that she didn¡¯t recall the night at Widow¡¯s Crag.


    The creature had haunted the first Noir and had been a plague on her family ever since. Loh had let her envy consume her and she had abandoned her brother to this Monster. It had devoured his soul, never to be reborn. Aizel was gone and though she had once hated her brother, he had never deserved such a fate.


    The fact that Holo was now telling them the Monster was a god made little difference to Loh. The Monster was already a baleful god in her eyes. Seemingly limitless power. Impervious to all harm. And a hunger to devour souls. Loh had fought the creature with a force of elite mages and they had been slaughtered.


    Now this Monster, the god of the deep earth, had attacked their city and had taken the lives of thousands. What more would it take from them? How would they stop Caligo? Was it even possible to kill a god?


    As if to make matters worse, Holo began talking about the god¡¯s true nature. A monarch of an ancient queendom, a people long forgotten by most. Titans. The more Holo spoke, the more insurmountable Loh¡¯s enemy became.


    And then Holo said something Loh had begun to suspect. Holo herself was a goddess, not only that, but so was Melantha, the Jade Saintess of Heroes.


    Holo wasn¡¯t sure which was more shocking. That she was sitting in the same room as her favorite heroine from the stories her grandfather used to tell her or that said heroine was a bonafide goddess.


    A glimmer of hope sparked in Loh¡¯s heart. If Melantha the Blue was on her side, then there was a chance they could defeat the ancient monster that was Queen Ananta.


    Loh had so many questions, but every time she wanted to speak up, Lily touched her shoulder and gently shook her head. Loh wanted to tell her off, but the look in Lily¡¯s scarlet eyes told her to wait.


    For what?


    Loh didn¡¯t know, but she thought it prudent to stay quiet rather than interrupt the gods. Her cousin, Unalla, did not share such a sentiment. She immediately began to question Holo about the other gods of the Ebon Pantheon and how they might help in the battles to come.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Stjerne is my father,¡± replied Holo. Melantha smacked her arm with the back of her hand. ¡°He is our father, the Calamity of Death,¡± Holo corrected herself.


    Wait.


    The old patron god of the drows was Lady Holo¡¯s father!?


    Even now there were many drows who still worshipped him, in the hopes that Stjerne may someday answer their prayers. If what Holo said was true, then was she and Melantha the answer to those prayers?


    ¡°Grandmother.¡±


    Unalla¡¯s voice broke Loh out of her thoughts.


    Had she just called Holo her grandmother?


    Loh opened her mouth to speak, but Lily leaned down and whispered into her ear, ¡°Wait. You will have time to ask all your questions later.¡±


    Loh tried her best not to shiver as Lily¡¯s warm breath touched her neck. She tilted her head and glared at the vampiress. ¡°How do you know?¡± she asked in the calmest voice she could muster.


    ¡°The gods of death are not to be trifled with. Your cousin is only spared because she is Lady Holo¡¯s granddaughter.¡±


    Melantha looked at Lily and Loh as if she could hear everything they were whispering. If she was a god then maybe she could. Loh closed her mouth and hoped she hadn¡¯t offended the goddess.


    Then Stryg spoke and shattered any semblance of calmness Loh had left. ¡°Because I am Stjerne¡¯s son,¡± he answered Unalla¡¯s angry voice.


    Loh sat stunned and for the first time, she truly had no idea what to say. She thought she was ready for whatever secrets Stryg might still have. She was wrong. So very wrong.


    If Stryg was the son of Stjerne and the brother of Holo, then he wasn¡¯t only related to the gods. He was Unalla¡¯s uncle. He was her family. And in some way, Loh was part of that family.


    The thought of being whole, a family at peace with one another, drifted in Loh¡¯s mind for a brief moment, before the gravity of his words began to settle in. What were the implications of a demigod standing on the Veres throne? The proclamation of House Katag¡¯s support suddenly became very dangerous. Were they really going to make him king of Hollow Shade?


    There were many nobles opposed to the thought, Great and Minor Houses alike. The current Seven Ruling Houses had overthrown the last Royal House of Hollow Shade. The nobility had not forgotten the dangerous power that was the Ebon Lords. They would most likely fight if Stryg tried to proclaim himself king.


    But what if his sister goddesses aided him? Many would die either way. A civil war, the likes of which the city hadn¡¯t seen since the fall of House Thorn. Hollow Shade was still recovering from the siege, it couldn¡¯t bear another war.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break for dinner, hm?¡± said Holo.


    ~~~


    Holo chewed another slice of steak and groaned as it practically melted in her mouth. ¡°Lorenz, I don¡¯t know how you do it, but your skills are godly.¡±


    The chef grinned abashedly, ¡°Thank you, my lady. Might I offer you another glass of wine to go with?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be lovely,¡± Holo nodded and held up her empty glass.


    ¡°Um, Lady Holo, might I have a word?¡± asked Dolores quietly.


    Holo glanced at the woman sitting across from her. She hadn¡¯t touched her wine at all. Everyone else had already finished their food and had wandered off, save for Dolores. Holo let them be, she was still enjoying her meal. ¡°Lorenz, please give us the room.¡±


    Lorenz bowed and left, while silently ushering the rest of the staff out of the dining room.


    Holo sipped her wine. ¡°So, what would you like to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Why did you really invite me tonight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    Dolores scoffed self-deprecatingly. ¡°You spoke of gods and ancient wars, magics so powerful that they changed the realms. I am not a mageborn. I am not a general. I am not a scholar. I am hardly even a noble these days. I didn¡¯t belong in that room.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so certain about that. You were there for the same reason the others were.¡± Holo reached over and grabbed her hand. ¡°You are family.¡±


    ¡°Family?¡± she chuckled bitterly. ¡°What have I done that is worthy of being family?¡±


    ¡°I do not judge you on your past, only what you do now in the present. If there is anyone who can help your daughter through what she is going through, I believe it is you.¡±


    ¡°I am not so certain. She hasn¡¯t needed my help in a long time,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It is the job of a parent to believe in their child. That does not mean we cease being there for them, even when they stand on their own.¡±


    ¡°Holo, we need to talk,¡± said Melantha from the doorway.


    ¡°Of course, we do, right when I was about to get my third plate of food,¡± Holo sighed and stood to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to continue this conversation later, Dolores.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m sorry for being a burden. Thank you for your time,¡± Dolores bowed.


    Holo walked around the table and hugged her. ¡°You are no burden, child. Your father may have made you believe you were weak and unworthy of his attention, but he was wrong.¡± She cupped Dolores¡¯ face in her hands, ¡°You are every bit the Noir that he was. There is strength in you, Dolores.¡±


    And with that, Holo let her go and walked away with her sister, leaving Dolores alone, stunned into silence.


    ~~~


    Loh finished her dinner quickly, then split away from Lily, and went in search of Stryg. The vampire secretary seemed to always be nearby these days. She knew it was a habit of seneschals and the right hands of powerful lords, but it was still an odd feeling.


    After a few minutes, Loh spotted Stryg standing out on the balcony. She paused in the hallway and went into a side room to gather her thoughts. She wanted to ask him about his father, of how much he knew about his titan blood.


    Loh suspected he hadn¡¯t known until recently. Stryg was terrible at keeping secrets and she could see how it weighed on him when he had spoken about Stjerne. Then again, Loh hadn¡¯t known that Stryg was a Veres. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t known either, but if he had then it would explain his close relationship with Clypeus Gale.


    Veres I had riddled the Northern Lands of the realm in blood to avenge the death of Gale I. She shivered to think what Stryg might do. Questions for another time. For now, all she wanted to know was that he was okay.


    ¡°Elohnoir?¡±


    She turned and came face to face with her mother.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± asked Dolores anxiously.


    ¡°...What do you want to talk about?¡± she replied in a cold, despondent voice.


    She wrung her hands. ¡°I stopped drinking.¡±


    ¡°Lily informed me.¡±


    ¡°She seems to know everything, that one,¡± Dolores smiled feebly.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°How long will you stop drinking for? Just for the mourning period? Or do you plan on being sober only until Lady Holo leaves?¡±


    Dolores gently shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m not drinking ever again.¡±


    Loh scoffed. ¡°Says the woman who¡¯s been drunk every day for the last several years.¡±


    Dolores stared at the ground in shame. ¡°I lost myself after Aizel¡­ You¡¯re right, there wasn¡¯t a day that went by when I didn''t wake up hungover. Until I saw you carrying my father¡¯s body in your arms. I saw the pain in your eyes and I saw myself. You were hurting and I wasn¡¯t there for you¡­ I never was there for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Dolores took a deep shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I was selfish. I was a coward. I¡¯ve always run away from my problems. I wasn¡¯t born with magic, like you. And I somehow convinced myself that your magic made you strong. That you could somehow bear all of my father¡¯s impossible expectations all alone. I thought¡­ I thought you were better off without¡ª this,¡± she gestured to herself.


    ¡°But I realize now that I was only trying to protect myself. I can¡¯t keep running away.¡± Dolores looked up and forced herself to meet Loh¡¯s gaze. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me around, I know you don¡¯t need my help. I know that, but¡­ I want you to know that even if you hate me for the rest of your life, I will be here for you. I am not going anywhere.¡±


    Loh swallowed the lump in her throat. ¡°Mom¡­ I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡± Dolores rubbed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to put you on the spot. I just wanted you to know.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t keep running away¡­¡± Loh mumbled in a hollow voice.


    She sniffed. ¡°Elohnoir?¡±


    ¡°The night Aizel ran away from the military encampment, I found out and sent Vayu Glaz to find him with his hawk. Vayu found him before the enemy had enclosed on Aizel and the caravan.¡± Loh¡¯s voice trembled with every word, ¡°I had a chance to send a battalion of soldiers to save him.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± she whispered in a fearful voice.


    Loh closed her as tears slipped down her cheeks. ¡°I hated him. I hated that you and Dad loved him more than you could ever love me. I hated that Tauri chose him over me. I thought that if he was gone then maybe¡­¡± She smiled weakly, ¡°Then maybe you all might love me. But all I did was break your hearts.¡±


    Dolores stared at her, eyes wide, her eyes full of tears and confusion. ¡°Elohnoir¡­¡±


    ¡°The Monster in the Dark was with Marek when it happened. Ananta killed my brother and devoured his soul. Aizel is gone. Forever. If I had gone to help nothing would have changed, but I didn¡¯t know that at the time¡­ I chose to let my brother die.¡± Loh walked past her mother and stopped without turning around. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to be there for me. You can just hate me. I deserve nothing else.¡±


    Loh hurried away and wiped her tears.


    It had to be done, she told herself.


    She was done hiding behind lies. Even if it cost her everyone she cared about, she was done.


    Loh walked down the hallway and knocked on the balcony¡¯s stone doorway.


    Stryg turned around, his eyes curious.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡±

 Chapter 571: A Calculated Risk

    Chapter 571: A Calculated Risk


    ¡°I like what you¡¯ve done with the place.¡± Holo glanced around the office. The walls were covered with various maps of the realms. Several books written in ancient languages were scattered over the desk.


    The office had once belonged to Elzri¡¯s grandfather. It hadn¡¯t remained relatively untouched until Melantha had moved into the manor and claimed the office as her own.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± Holo asked as she closed the door behind her.


    Melantha turned around and gave her a flat look.


    Holo sighed, ¡°Lily, huh? What is it? Is she sleeping with Loh?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet at least, I think.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Holo made a funny face. ¡°Because that vampire was giving Loh these really strong ¡®fuck me¡¯ eyes. Like she would do anything Loh wanted her to, like anything. I find it hard to believe that someone like Loh could resist that. I mean, I only flirted with Loh a couple of times when we first met and she was already trying to bed me.¡±


    ¡°You really enjoy fucking with people, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Only when they¡¯re interesting,¡± Holo winked and sipped at her wine.


    ¡°You sound just like Father.¡±


    ¡°I do, don¡¯t I? Huh. Either way, Loh struck me as the assertive type when it came to relationships. I¡¯m surprised she is playing hard to get.¡±


    ¡°The girl is clearly going through a difficult time. She just lost her grandfather, the only real parental figure in her life. She is still processing that. Do you remember what that¡¯s like? The shock of death?¡±


    ¡°Gods of death don¡¯t shy from such things, it doesn¡¯t affect us, rather we often delight in it. Our mortal half on the other hand,¡± Holo finished her wine in one swig. ¡°The mortal half bleeds every so often.¡±


    Melantha sat down next to the fireplace and stared at the fire for a long moment. ¡°Loh is in pain. I believe she is punishing herself. For what, I¡¯m not quite certain yet. People grieve differently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I know Loh. She is the kind of person to drown her pain in booze and women. The fact that she isn¡¯t¡­¡± Holo tapped her fingers on the wall behind her, deep in thought. ¡°She is changing.¡±


    ¡°For the better or worse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain yet. What I do know is that denying one¡¯s own needs leads to people doing stupid things. Do you have any wine in here?¡±


    Melantha nodded towards her desk. ¡°I have some Azurian rum in the second drawer.¡±


    Holo walked over and pulled out a bottle with a deep amber hue. She filled her glass and sighed in deep satisfaction. ¡°Ah, you really have shit tastes.¡±


    ¡°I like the cheap stuff,¡± Melantha shrugged unapologetically.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s what you grew up drinking, yes, I know. Humans and their taverns,¡± Holo shook her head. ¡°I really need to visit the Azure Realm soon.¡±


    ¡°Is that the Navigator Aspect within you talking or your penchant for drinking?¡±


    ¡°Both. I¡¯ll bring you back some real spirits, not this sorry excuse for alcohol.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? Neither of us can get drunk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about getting drunk or drinking whatever passes as piss beer these days. It¡¯s about enjoying what you drink.¡±


    ¡°I do enjoy what I drink.¡±


    Holo groaned. ¡°You¡¯re helpless. Speaking of which, where is Louise?¡±


    ¡°The human girl with sad eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And she doesn¡¯t have sad eyes, she¡¯s just worried about Loh. The girl is helplessly in love with her.¡±


    ¡°And Loh loves her too,¡± noted Melantha.


    ¡°Are you certain? Loh has been avoiding the manor for days. I wouldn¡¯t leave my lover alone after a large battle, would you?¡±


    ¡°As I said, people grieve differently. Loh doesn¡¯t want to allow herself the comfort of those close to her.¡±


    Holo narrowed her eyes. ¡°And yet she¡¯s been awfully close with Lily these last few days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you as the kind of person who¡¯d take any real interest in the Noir¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°For Stryg. You find him interesting. If the rest burned down, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d mind too terribly. In that sense, you are more like Father than I.¡±


    ¡°I care.¡±


    Holo gave her a deadpan look.


    ¡°I care enough that I¡¯m here talking to you about Lily, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lily. What exactly is the problem again?¡±


    ¡°She is a wraith.¡±


    Holo spat out her drink in a coughing fit. ¡°Wh-What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Lily is not a vampire, she is a wraith.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to mention that earlier!?¡±


    ¡°Is she really that dangerous?¡± Melantha glanced at the door thoughtfully.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go and kill her. She isn¡¯t dangerous per se, well she is, actually. But without her host nearby she may as well be an ordinary vampire, excluding her eternal beauty. If her host was in the manor even I would have sensed it.¡±


    ¡°Then what exactly is the problem?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Have you met a wraith before?¡±


    ¡°No, this is a first.¡±


    ¡°Right, you were too young to have met them when they ruled the Ashen Realm. For a long time, the Ashen Queens and many of the nobility were all Bonded. King consorts, Dukes, various minor nobles, you name it.¡±


    ¡°And it eventually led to their ruin, yes, I know the stories.¡±


    ¡°But you weren¡¯t there. You didn¡¯t see how the wraiths toyed with their hosts. Wraiths are cruel and insatiable. They promise power and eternal youth, but they will feed off their host until they are nothing but husks.¡±


    ¡°So we should kill Lily?¡±


    ¡°No. Wraiths are old. They don¡¯t procreate. They were created by ancient gods with a very unique combination of elemental life and death magic.¡±


    ¡°Blood magic,¡± Melantha guessed.


    ¡°The blood gods are long dead, courtesy of crossing the Calamities. Which means there are no new wraiths. If Lily truly is a wraith then it would do well to know exactly how old she is. Most of them were created in the Nexus Age, sometime in the last 1500 years, but she could be older, much older. The Age of Memory, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying she might have information that is useful to us.¡± Melantha¡¯s tone rose somewhat in interest.


    ¡°Yes, wraiths were notorious for hoarding secrets and knowledge. And it is well known they held no fondness for the Calamities. Unfortunately, they rarely revealed any secrets to anyone except their host.¡± Holo caught the look in her sister¡¯s eyes and added, ¡°Even under the threat of death.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should let her bond to Loh?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not, she¡¯ll feed off Loh until she¡¯s a husk. No, we have to find her current host and ¡®persuade¡¯ them. They should be somewhere in the city. Wraiths never stray far from their host.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Lily has a host.¡±


    ¡°What? Of course, she does.¡±


    ¡°Then why would she be after Loh?¡±


    ¡°Before the host dies, the wraith is already searching for their next prey.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, except I didn¡¯t see any tethers around Lily.¡±


    ¡°You examined her with your Clarity magic?¡±


    ¡°Of course. My eyes didn¡¯t catch anything.¡±


    Holo furrowed her brow. ¡°That is very odd. A wraith without a bond is almost unheard of.¡±


    ¡°From what Lily told me it sounded as if she hasn¡¯t had a host in years, perhaps longer. She¡¯s been feeding off the pain from those around her. Particularly Elzri¡¯s.¡±


    Holo shook her head. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have been bonded to Elzri. He wouldn¡¯t have aged if they had been. And his health would have already started showing signs of decline from her feeding after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Lily said Elzri had another in his heart. He couldn¡¯t bond with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that tracks. For a bond to first form, the host must not be in love.¡± Holo placed her hand over her chin, ¡°If Lily really hasn¡¯t bonded with anyone since meeting Elzri then she must be very weak. I didn¡¯t even know it was possible for a wraith to go so long without a host.¡±


    Melantha shrugged. ¡°She sounded picky to me. Talking about worthy hosts and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°So after all this time, she suddenly finds Loh to be suitable?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she called Loh her Affinity.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±


    ¡°Affinities are rare, very rare.¡±


    ¡°A perfect bond, yes, I remember reading about it back at the Order. What exactly does it mean?¡±


    ¡°A wraith¡¯s soul is twisted, broken. An Affinity is a person whose soul¡¯s shape fits just the right way into the wraith¡¯s broken bits, kind of like a puzzle piece. A wraith would do anything to bond with their Affinity. This is good, possibly.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Melantha curiously.


    ¡°If we let Lily bond to Loh I¡¯m certain she¡¯ll be more than willing to cooperate with us.¡±


    ¡°And why would we let Loh bond with her? Didn¡¯t you say wraiths kill their hosts?¡±


    ¡°Affinities have perfect bonds. A wraith can feed off their Affinity host endlessly without killing them. An endless supply of food so to speak.¡±


    ¡°...So we¡¯d be condemning Loh to an eternity being fed off that monster. Last I recall, you can¡¯t break the bond unless you kill the wraith, and if the wraith dies, then the host¡¯s soul is irreparably damaged,¡± noted Melantha quietly.


    ¡°Which is why we should let the decision be Loh¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Decision?¡± Melantha scoffed. ¡°You see the way she looks at Lily, even if she doesn¡¯t want to bed her, she clearly lusts after the woman.¡±


    ¡°Wraiths were created to be persuasively alluring, especially towards mortals. It¡¯s only normal for Loh to feel that way. But as you said, Loh hasn¡¯t acted on her primal instincts.¡±


    ¡°Because she is in pain.¡±


    ¡°Because she is changing. Loh can make the decision for herself once she is aware of the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°When do we tell her?¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Holo laughed. ¡°Loh hates to be controlled or manipulated, you can thank Elzri for that. If we tell her anything she¡¯ll see it as just that, manipulation. No. For now we simply watch. If I¡¯m right, Lily will reveal herself soon enough.¡±


    ¡°What if Lily tries to force the bond on Loh? You said it yourself, a wraith will do anything to bond with their host.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t. Lily is aware that she has to play by our rules, otherwise she dies.¡±


    ¡°And so long as she does play, we let her live¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm. I think Lily told you everything she did because she was counting on the fact that we would come to this conclusion.¡±


    ¡°A calculated risk¡­ shit,¡± Melantha cursed. ¡°She wanted this.¡±


    ¡°A wraith indeed. Manipulative fuckers.¡±


    ¡°There must be another way to get what we need out of her.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. It will take time to find it, but I¡¯m inclined to agree with you.¡±


    The hairs on the back of their necks suddenly bristled. They glanced at the window and then ran out the door.


    ~~~


    ¡°When I saw the way Tauri looked at you back there¡­ it was the same way she used to look at my brother. She loves you, Stryg, even if she¡¯ll never say it.¡± Loh closed her eyes and let the breeze sweep over her. ¡°...I already got in the way of her happiness once, I¡¯m not going to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Loh, I¡ª¡± Stryg frowned and leaned over the balcony. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Gale?¡±


    Loh followed his gaze and saw the aforementioned vampire walking beside a cloaked figure. ¡°Stryg, what are you¡ª wait!¡±


    He vaulted off the balcony and landed with a heavy thud, before breaking out into a run.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Loh muttered. Black mana filled her veins and shadowy limbs sprung from her back, latching onto the balcony railing. She jumped off and the dark tendrils softly dropped her to the ground.


    ~~~


    As Gale neared the gate the guards blocked her path with a crossed pair of spears. ¡°No further. State your name and purpose.¡±


    ¡°I am Lady Gale and I demand to see Lord Veres.¡±


    ¡°We will inform Lady Noir of your arrival. If she grants you an audience, we will let you inside. Until then, you must wait out here,¡± said one of the guards, while his partner turned to inform another pair of guards standing behind the gate.


    ¡°Enough,¡± said the cloaked figure beside Gale. The cloak fell away as the goddess shifted in a swirl of silver light and emerged as a massive wolf that towered over frost wolves.


    The guards shouted in panic as Lunae crushed the gate underneath her paw, the steel bending, and the hinges screeching as they were ripped off the stone wall. Defensive wards flared to life and exploded in colorful sparks, unable to handle the strain.


    The guards didn¡¯t try to run and instead attacked Lunae. Their spears and swords skidded off her white fur harmlessly. The air dropped to a cold chill around the wolf goddess and the guards abruptly collapsed as frost-mist rose.


    ¡°Mother Moon, stop!¡± Stryg called out.


    Lunae rounded on him, her teeth bared.


    Stryg paled. ¡°Please stop?¡±


    She strode to him with a low growl, her every step shaking the ground.


    ¡°Lunae¡­?¡± Stryg stumbled back.


    She stood over him, silver eyes narrowed to slits. He looked up at her and swallowed. Lunae opened her maw in one quick motion and picked him up by the scruff of his neck, careful not to pierce his skin.


    Loh arrived in time to watch in a mixture of astonishment and confusion as Lunae carried Stryg away. All he could do was dangle helplessly, eyes wide in panic.


    Melantha and Holo rushed out and spotted Lunae in the distance. They glanced at each other and dashed after her.


    ¡°Loh!¡± Gale shouted angrily.


    She turned and smiled weakly. ¡°Hello¡ª¡±


    Gale struck her across the face.

 Chapter 572: A Mother’s Love

    Chapter 572: A Mother¡¯s Love


    Loh arrived in time to watch in a mixture of astonishment and confusion as Lunae carried Stryg away. All he could do was dangle helplessly, eyes wide in panic.


    Melantha and Holo rushed out and spotted Lunae in the distance. They glanced at each other and dashed after her.


    ¡°Loh!¡± Gale shouted angrily.


    Loh turned to her and smiled weakly. ¡°Hello¡ª¡±


    Gale struck her across the face. ¡°Stay away from Stryg.¡±


    Loh staggered back a step, then straightened herself. ¡°I deserved that,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Deserve?¡± Gale laughed bitterly. ¡°You were entrusted with the protection of an entire class of young mageborns and the caravan they were guarding. They placed their trust in you. You were the contingency, you were supposed to keep them safe! Where were you, Loh? Where were you when Marek attacked!? Where were you when he killed my brother!¡±


    Gale stepped forward and leaned in as she threw a punch. Her fist sank into Loh¡¯s stomach and lifted the drow off her feet. Loh doubled over and collapsed, coughing up bile and gasping for breath.


    ¡°Deserve?¡± Gale spat at Loh¡¯s feet. ¡°You deserve to die.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡± Loh looked up at her while holding her stomach. Her eyes were red and tears formed at the corners. ¡°I know,¡± she repeated, exhaustion coating her voice.


    Gale stared down at her in disdain.


    ¡°I know I deserve nothing better, but¡­¡± Loh swallowed the blood and bile in her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t die, not yet. I made a promise to my grandfather. I can¡¯t run away anymore¡­ And I can¡¯t bring back Clypeus¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fucking say his name!¡± Gale kicked her in the chest, without holding back.


    Her vampiric strength sent Loh flying back, skidding off the frozen floor. Loh grimaced in pain but forced herself to sit up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know that means nothing. There is nothing I can do to bring him back. ¡­But I can¡¯t die, not yet. So hit me if you want,¡± Loh bowed her head. ¡°I won¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re some kind of martyr? You are a murderer.¡± Gale hissed, her eyes filled with bloodlust. She kicked Loh to the ground. ¡°You let your own brother die! And then in your fucked-up head you decided to let mine die too!¡± She kicked her again and again.


    Loh¡¯s head bounced off the ground with a painful snap. Blood trickled down her forehead. Pain stabbed into her body, a thousand needles seeping through her skin and muscles. The world grew foggy. She could hardly breathe. Every breath burned. She heard the wet crunch as her ribs broke.


    She was going to die, some fading part of her mind told her. Loh thought she¡¯d be afraid to die, but as death came for her she realized she didn¡¯t mind. Only a single thought ran through her mind.


    I deserve this.


    Something heavy fell over her and she heard a sudden painful cry.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Gale hissed.


    Loh opened her swelling eyes and saw Dolores lying on top of her. ¡°M-Mom¡­?¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Get out of the way,¡± Gale growled.


    Dolores grimaced and held her side where Gale had accidentally kicked her. She looked up at the vampire, her grey eyes calm with determination. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I said move!¡± Gale kicked her, deliberately this time.


    Dolores flinched and cried in pain, but still, she held and shielded her daughter.


    ¡°Mom, stop,¡± Loh whispered weakly.


    Dolores exhaled and steadied her breath. ¡°...Whatever harm my daughter has done to you, I bear the responsibility. If you wish to hurt someone, then hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Stand aside, Lady Noir,¡± Gale drew her sword.


    Dolores staggered to her feet and faced Gale. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Angry tears burned down Gale¡¯s cheeks. ¡°She killed my brother. She killed your son!¡±


    ¡°I killed my son¡­ His death is my fault as much as it is hers. If you want someone to blame for your loss, then blame me.¡±


    Gale aimed her blade at Dolores¡¯ chest. ¡°Move! I will not ask again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was never there when Loh needed me. I never truly saw her¡­ until now. So, please understand, Lady Gale,¡± Dolores took a step forward, the sword¡¯s tip cutting her pale skin as it pressed into her sternum. ¡°Whether it be you or your sword¡­ here I stand and I shall not falter.¡±


    Gale narrowed her eyes. ¡°She is a monster.¡±


    ¡°Then so am I.¡±


    Gale clenched her teeth in frustration, ¡°You damn¡ª!¡±


    ¡°That is enough,¡± called out a deep voice.


    Gale and Dolores turned to see Atlas standing at the manor¡¯s front door, a scarlet-haired vampiress standing behind him with a satisfied expression.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Drop the sword, trespasser,¡± said Atlas. ¡°Whatever vengeance you came for today you will not find here.¡± He walked over with heavy calm steps.


    ¡°And who might you be, giant?¡± Gale asked without lowering her blade.


    ¡°Atlas Holoson. And you are?¡±


    Her eyes widened briefly, then she reluctantly sheathed her sword and took a step back. ¡°Lady Gale of the Great House of Gale.¡±


    ¡°Gale Gale?¡± he asked wryly.


    ¡°Gale VIII,¡± she scowled. ¡°I am the Shield & Shadow of your uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ve heard. You are here for my uncle then, I take it?¡±


    ¡°...Not anymore,¡± Gale glanced at Loh, then bowed stiffly to Atlas and walked away.


    ¡°She¡¯s a dangerous one,¡± Atlas mused. He turned and found Dolores and Lily at Loh¡¯s side.


    Lily cradled Loh in her arms and stood to her feet. It seemed odd, a short vampire cradling in her arms a drow over a head taller.


    Loh¡¯s blue eyes drifted in and out of consciousness. ¡°M-Mom¡­?¡±


    Dolores brushed the back of her fingers across her daughter¡¯s cheek, ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°She needs immediate medical attention,¡± noted Lily.


    Atlas glanced at the dozen guards lying unconscious on the frozen grass. ¡°As do they it seems.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to deal with the others,¡± Lily turned around and carried Loh back into the manor.


    Dolores followed, a limp to her steps.


    ~~~


    Holo and Melantha found Lunae in the Commoner District, in an abandoned street, where trebuchet boulders had flattened the area. Despite the late summer weather, snow and ice covered the ground, and a thick layer of frost-mist encircled the air.


    The moon goddess was lying on the snow in her wolfen form, her body curled around Stryg. The young godling was asleep, or unconscious, Holo wasn¡¯t certain. Though he seemed unharmed.


    Holo cleared her throat and smiled, ¡°~Lunae~ What a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Lunae cracked an eye open and said nothing. She gently nudged Stryg¡¯s head, ruffling his silver-white hair. He mumbled something in his sleep and leaned deeper into her snow-white fur.


    ¡°Did you put him to sleep?¡± asked Melantha calmly, though there was an edge to her voice.


    Lunae regarded her with a silver eye for a long moment before answering, ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to be a part of this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Conversation? We don¡¯t need a conversation,¡± Holo laughed awkwardly. ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s something serious.¡±


    ¡°It is. We need to clarify boundaries,¡± said Lunae coldly.


    ¡°Boundaries? It¡¯s funny that you mention that,¡± Holo clasped her hands behind her back and spun in a low circle, avoiding eye contact with the goddess. ¡°Because I was wondering, just perchance ya know, whyyy you might have dragged Stryg here?¡±


    ¡°Mine.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Stryg is mine,¡± Lunae growled.


    Holo cleared her throat, ¡°Ah, yes. I have heard that his mother is one of your priestesses. By ancient law, Aurelia should not have had any children, and therefore Stryg is yours.¡± Holo raised her hands ¡°However, surely my father¡¯s interference changes things. He seduced Aurelia without your knowledge; the events surrounding my brother¡¯s birth are complex. You can¡¯t just claim a godling as your own¡­ unless¡­¡±


    Lunae stared at her coldly as she spoke, her gaze not changing in the slightest.


    Holo slowly lowered her hands. ¡°Unless¡­ You already knew. You always knew¡­ I had wondered how Stjerne slipped into Evenfall without your notice. He didn¡¯t. You let him in.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let him into my city. No one tells the Traveler where he cannot go. I simply permitted him to stay.¡±


    Holo shook her head and laughed softly to herself. ¡°Of course¡­ You two are old friends. I just never thought you wouldn¡¯t protect your own Favoured from him.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak of things you do not understand,¡± Lunae growled, a deep rumble from her chest.


    ¡°But you did know his intentions for Aurelia? Your priestess,¡± Holo pushed.


    ¡°Aurelia¡¯s fate was sealed long before she was born. She just happened to be the one to pay the price.¡±


    ¡°The price for what?¡±


    ¡°For what her grandmother started.¡±


    Holo waited for Lunae to elaborate but when she didn¡¯t, Holo changed focus. ¡°Either way, Stryg is a godling. You can¡¯t just¡ª¡±


    ¡°He is a baby, he can hardly protect himself from mortals, let alone everything else that would seek to devour a titan.¡±


    ¡°He is still a godling, he deserves his freedom. You can¡¯t just drag him away whenever you like.¡±


    ¡°Freedom?¡± Lunae frowned.


    Holo swallowed. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯ve grown fond of him and you may claim him as yours by ancient rights, but he is still my brother and a son of a Calamity. Just because you¡¯ve named him your Chosen does not mean you can own him.¡±


    ¡°Own him?¡± Lunae bared her fangs, ¡°He is not some pet or slave. He is my son!¡±


    Holo furrowed her brow and shared a confused look with Melantha. ¡°As in you¡¯re the Mother Moon and the Sylvan are your children?¡±


    ¡°As in I raised him from a cub! When he cried I was the one who comforted him. When he stumbled I was the one who caught him. When he triumphed I was the one who cheered him. I am his Mother. So before you choose to defend him as his sister, remember whom you speak to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Sigte¡­? You¡¯re the one from his fractured memories¡­¡± Holo whispered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡±


    Lunae scoffed in derision. ¡°I told you, do not speak of things you do not understand.¡±


    Holo¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°We understand.¡± Melantha stepped forward and put a hand on her sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are not the only one to have children who are not of your blood. Holo is the mother of the beastkin. And I¡­¡± Melantha lifted a necklace from underneath her tunic. It was simple wrought iron, worn out over the years. ¡°I know what it is like to have found family, not of blood, but of love.¡±


    Melantha looked up at Lunae, a quiet understanding in her lilac gaze. ¡°You are his mother and yet we did not invite you to a meeting of his family. I¡¯d imagine that must have angered you. If it had been me, I would have been furious.¡±


    Lunae grumbled a silent response.


    ¡°I understand that you have your own circumstances and wish to keep the true nature of your relationship with your son secret. Nonetheless, you should have been there today. And for that, I am sorry,¡± Melantha bowed her head. ¡°From now on, I will make sure you are included.¡±


    Holo bowed, deeper. ¡°Apologies, Lunae. You and I have been through so much over the years, the last thing I want is to strain our friendship.¡±


    ¡°You''re 300 years too late for that,¡± said Lunae.


    ¡°Right,¡± Holo said weakly. She stood up and stretched out her hand, ¡°Then may I be the first to invite you to our family meeting.¡±


    ¡°...You were not aware of my relationship with Stryg, so I will let it go this once,¡± Lunae muttered. ¡°There will not be a second.¡±


    Holo grinned. ¡°Well, then, shall we get going?¡±

 Chapter 573: The Lies That Cut Deepest

    Chapter 573: The Lies That Cut Deepest


    Stryg awoke to the smell of bloodwine, tickling his nostrils. His eyes snapped open, his pupils narrowing to slits, a sudden hunger itching at the back of his throat. He was back in the Noir¡¯s parlor. Melantha and Holo were at a table, pouring over an old yellowed map. Unalla and her parents were sipping tea and talking amongst each other, all the while eyeing Gale who sat across from them, a goblet of bloodwine in her hand.


    Stryg tried to move, but a soft hand kept his head still. He was lying on someone¡¯s lap. He glanced up to find a human woman looking down at him, gently playing with his hair. At least she looked human, save for her silver eyes. Stryg recognized those eyes anywhere.


    ¡°Mother Moon,¡± Stryg gasped and sat up with a jolt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember how I got here.¡±


    Stryg wasn¡¯t sure, but he could have sworn he saw a pang of pain in Lunae¡¯s eyes, but it was gone in a flash.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said softly. ¡°I put you to sleep so I could have a talk with your sisters.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± he blinked and glanced at the two women in question. He knew their ears were as sharp as his if not sharper, but Melantha and Holo seemed too preoccupied to pay attention.


    ¡°Welcome back, my lord,¡± said Gale with an inclination of her head.


    Stryg ran his hand across his face and yawned. ¡°What is happening?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really. We¡¯ve been chatting for the last hour or so,¡± said Gale.


    ¡°And they¡¯ve been oh so enlightening. Such as how this one almost killed my grand-niece,¡± Una stared at Gale coldly.


    ¡°What? Is Loh¡ª?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll live, Stryg,¡± Gale sighed into her goblet. ¡°I have since found out that you have blood relatives within House Noir. While this doesn¡¯t change anything between Loh and me, out of respect for your blood, I will withhold from any further¡ª actions, for now¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I be grateful? Thank you for not killing my grand-niece?¡± Una scowled. ¡°Or should I even believe the words of a woman who¡¯d attack an opponent who won¡¯t fight back?¡±


    ¡°Do not question my honor, drow,¡± hissed Gale. ¡°I know who you are and I am not afraid of you.¡±


    Gale would keep her word, Stryg knew that, though it was her ¡®for now¡¯ that Stryg was concerned about. How long would it last? He didn¡¯t know. He wasn¡¯t certain if Gale knew either. It could be a year, it could be a day. She could be patient, Stryg knew that, but he was also aware how anything regarding Clypeus could set her off. He wasn¡¯t much different in that regard.


    Una glared at the vampire. ¡°You are lucky my husband was the one who found you. I would not have been so merciful.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps it is best that I found her,¡± Atlas said coolly.


    ¡°We were also talking about other things,¡± Unalla cleared her throat, eager to change the topic. ¡°The damage to the city and the reconstruction. The valley tribes are regrouping. Lady Ismene is still recovering from her injuries. Oh, and the prisoner Loh captured is being kept in the cells downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ the prisoner,¡± Stryg¡¯s voice fell. He had been putting it off. He wasn¡¯t sure what he would do when he finally came face to face with the man he despised. For the last year, he had dreamed of killing Marek every night. And now here Marek was, right at his fingertips. But Stryg wasn¡¯t allowed to kill him, not if he didn¡¯t want to piss off half the city council. There was a way to these things, or so Gian had said.


    Stryg clenched his fists and tried his best to steady his breathing. He exhaled slowly.


    Not yet. Soon. But not yet.


    ¡°Gods, I hate politics,¡± he muttered.


    Lunae offered him a goblet of bloodwine. ¡°Drink this. I¡¯ll have Holo order the cooks to prepare something to eat as well.¡±


    He took the wine and sipped it. ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an offer. Godlings need to eat, you''re still growing, your divine-half burns through energy quickly,¡± admonished Lunae.


    Stryg nodded hesitantly and looked around, uncertain of how others might react, but no one did. He could have sworn that the room might explode in uncertain shouts of confusion at the word godling, or at the very least strange glances thrown his way, but no.


    The truth was that no one found it strange. The realization was odd yet comforting. Stryg relaxed his shoulders and took a deeper drink from the goblet. A strange warm feeling budded in the pit of his stomach.


    Ever since he discovered his lineage he had worried those close to him would be afraid of him. That they would reject him for being different. But these people didn¡¯t fear him, to them he wasn¡¯t different. He carried the blood of a titan, yes, but so did almost everyone in the room. They didn¡¯t see him as the odd goblin, the frightening student, or the Ebon Aspirant. He was just¡­ himself. And he belonged.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ~~~


    Pain.


    It was only the thought on Loh¡¯s mind when she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had slept in this place.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Dolores said, relief flooding her voice.


    Loh craned her neck and saw her mother sitting at her bedside. The edge of a white bandage poked out from her dress¡¯ neckline. ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Dolores tried her best to smile, even if the motion pained her. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you. Your father was here earlier too, but¡­ Well, I told him about Aizel and he needed¡ª time. To process everything, I mean.¡±


    ¡°You told him?¡± Loh sat up with a grimace.


    ¡°Wait, take it slow. The healers just finished patching up a few minutes ago. White magic can only do so much, your body needs time to rest.¡±


    Loh stared down at herself. She was topless. Fresh bandages covered her chest and abdomen almost entirely. Her hands hadn¡¯t escaped the same treatment either. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°He?¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°George would never do such a thing. He is your father,¡± said Dolores indignantly.


    ¡°And I killed his son.¡±


    Dolores sighed. ¡°Your father¡­ He never felt at home here, he didn¡¯t feel like he was part of this family. Not that I blame him, your grandfather made it clear that George was only here because of his talents as an archmage.¡±


    A small smile tugged at the corner of Loh¡¯s lips. Elzri had never been one to beat around the bush.


    ¡°You have to understand, your father was born a commoner. His abilities made him a target for the Great Houses; either join them or be crushed underneath them. George could have tried to start his own minor House, he wouldn¡¯t be the first archmage to do so, but your father has never been the kind of person to desire conflict, rather he runs from it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like him,¡± Loh said bitterly.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t wrong to not desire violence. George took my father¡¯s deal. Marry into the family, and never have to worry about wealth or danger ever again.¡±


    ¡°All he had to do was strengthen the Noir¡¯s magical bloodline,¡± Loh gestured to herself. ¡°I know the story, mom.¡±


    ¡°Then you know that your father loves this family, but he would never have stood up against your grandfather.¡± She wrung her hands tightly, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d stand up against you now either.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be comforting? Oh, my dad won¡¯t kill me because he is too much of a coward to avenge his son.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Loh scoffed and shook her head. She always knew her father was a coward. If he hadn¡¯t been then he might have helped in the siege instead of hiding away here at the manor.


    ¡°Why are you still here, mom?¡± Loh muttered.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°I told you what happened to Aizel.¡± Loh tried to keep her voice steady, but it broke with every word. ¡°So why¡­? Why did you get in the way? It¡¯s my fault¡­ Aizel¡¯s death¡­ Why did you stop Gale?¡±


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t kill Aizel. The Monster did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who let him die!¡±


    ¡°So did I,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°I neglected you. I made you feel small, the same way my father made me feel. The same way I swore I¡¯d never make my own children feel.¡± Dolores smiled weakly, tears in her eyes. ¡°But I was a coward. I let the world drive you into a corner and made you feel like you were alone. I should have stood up against my father. I should have protected my children from him. But I didn¡¯t. And all this tragedy that has come from it is my fault.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse what I did,¡± Loh whispered.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, but it isn¡¯t your burden to bear alone.¡± Dolores reached and grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand.


    Loh bowed her head, her shoulders trembled, and she cried quietly. ¡°You should hate me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Elohnoir, know that whatever happens, I could never hate you.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    The door swung open and Louise burst into the room, breathless. Her orange hair was a mess, and stray strands clung to her face. She took in the scene and abruptly bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. I heard from one of the servants that Loh was injured and I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Loh said. ¡°Mom¡­ you should go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back later,¡± Dolores offered.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Dolores seemed hurt, but she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be here. When you need me. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± She gave her daughter¡¯s hand one last squeeze, then walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.


    Louise rushed to Loh¡¯s bedside, taking her mother¡¯s seat. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Loh turned her back to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about someone like me. Not anymore.¡±


    Louise frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? ¡­I know you lost your grandfather. I know you¡¯re hurting, but that doesn¡¯t mean you need to shut me out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    Louise brushed her hand over the back of Loh¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m the one who chooses that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Loh pulled away. ¡°I¡¯m tired of all the lies. I can¡¯t keep going on like this.¡±


    ¡°What lies? What are you so afraid to tell me?¡± Louise hugged her from behind. ¡°I promise you, whatever it is, it won¡¯t change anything between us. I love you.¡±


    A weary look settled on Loh¡¯s face. ¡°...Your uncle, the morning I left Dullwater you asked me if I had seen him.¡±


    ¡°My uncle? What about him? Loh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Stryg killed him that night before and hid his body. He thought your uncle was a threat, but I wasn¡¯t there, I don¡¯t know what actually happened. Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference to me why Stryg killed him. To me, he was just some drunk asshole. So, I lied to you.¡±


    Louise pulled away, horror dawning on her face. ¡°All this time¡­ You knew?¡± she whispered.


    Loh didn¡¯t look back, only shrugged. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Louise bit her trembling lip, eyes watering. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather I had never told you?¡±


    Silence filled the room. Louise inhaled shakily and walked away in a stumble. She took the ring off her finger and let it drop to the ground. Loh didn¡¯t watch her leave, she listened to the door click open and Louise¡¯s erratic footsteps fade into the hallway.


    Loh closed her eyes and let the tears run down. The door suddenly closed shut. She turned around and saw Lily standing there. The vampiress held the ring in her hand and examined it with feigned interest.

 Chapter 574: An Affinity

    Chapter 574: An Affinity


    Loh closed her eyes and let the tears run down. The door suddenly closed shut. She turned around and saw Lily standing there. The vampiress held Louise¡¯s ring and examined it with feigned interest.


    ¡°Get out,¡± Loh muttered as she wiped her eyes. ¡°I said get out!¡±


    Lily placed the ring atop the dresser. ¡°You¡¯re in pain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Loh scoffed and held up her bandaged arm. ¡°Did they teach you that in the harlot academy?¡±


    ¡°I am not a harlot.¡± She sauntered over with casual steps.


    Loh gasped dramatically, ¡°No way? You could have fooled me when I found you in my grandfather¡¯s bed. Or is it normal for young beautiful women to enjoy the company of old bitter men where you¡¯re from?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m not from here?¡±


    ¡°Your accent,¡± Loh sneered. ¡°It¡¯s faint, you¡¯re good at hiding it, but I hear it sometimes at the end of your words. If you¡¯re from Hollow Shade then I¡¯m a goddamn dragon.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Fair.¡± Lily ignored the chair at Loh¡¯s bedside and sat at the edge of the bed instead. ¡°Elzri was bitter, but he was not old. He was a little past his prime for a drow, but he wasn¡¯t even a hundred.¡±


    ¡°Still old for a vampire as young as you.¡±


    ¡°Aw, thank you,¡± Lily covered her mouth and batted her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s always nice to hear. Despite my looks, I was actually the elder in the relationship.¡±


    ¡°You? You¡¯re older than my grandfather?¡± Loh frowned. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Lily wiggled her finger. ¡°Tsk. Tsk. You know better than to ask a woman that.¡±


    Loh stared at her flatly. ¡°Got it, not a young harlot, just an old cunt who liked to fuck my grandfather. Much better imagery.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to hurt me you will be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Loh glared.


    Lily held up a finger. ¡°For one, you already called me young and beautiful, calling me an old cunt a moment later holds little sting.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª I didn¡¯t¡ª Ugh, that doesn¡¯t count,¡± Loh grumbled.


    Lily raised another finger. ¡°Secondly, when you live as long as I have, you¡¯re bound to have slept with various people throughout the years. This is true for any elder vampire.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but other vampires weren¡¯t my grandfather¡¯s lover, you were,¡± she said in disgust.


    ¡°Not a lover, never that,¡± Lily said adamantly. ¡°To be a lover implies we were in love, which neither of us were. We enjoyed each other¡¯s company, but Elzri only ever held one woman in his heart, and it wasn¡¯t even his late wife.¡±


    Loh thought of Ismene and the way she and Elzri sometimes looked at each other forlornly, even when their words were cold and detached.


    ¡°As for me, well, I never found a worthy¡ª partner. Even Elzri was just one in a long boring line, albeit more interesting than most.¡± Lily tapped Loh¡¯s leg, ¡°Compared to you though, they all fall short.¡±


    Loh pulled her leg back. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Lily held up a third finger. ¡°Lastly, if you¡¯re trying to hurt me, whether out of spite or for your own satisfaction, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be deeply disappointed.¡± Her red lips curled in a smug smile, ¡°I like pain.¡±


    Loh rolled her eyes. ¡°Get out, I¡¯ve had enough of your bullshit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve pushed everyone who cares about you away.¡±


    ¡°I said get out.¡±


    ¡°Even now you feel as if you need to punish yourself, that¡¯s why you just broke your lover¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything,¡± she snarled. ¡°You¡¯re just a little weasel who somehow wormed her way into my House.¡±


    ¡°There it is again. Trying to push others away. That may work on them, but not me.¡±


    ¡°And why the fuck not!?¡± Loh screamed. ¡°Tell me, what do you really want, huh!? You¡¯re certainly not here because you care about me, you don¡¯t even know me. And don¡¯t tell me some bullshit like ¡®to stay by my side¡¯ again! My grandfather is dead. So why the FUCK are you still here!? Is it money? Is that what you want? Land? Power? Tell me so I can finally get rid of you!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Lily looked her in the eyes. ¡°You. I want you.¡±


    ¡°I told you no more bullshit,¡± she seethed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you.¡±


    ¡°You really are something else¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re angry, but not at me.¡±


    Loh snorted, ¡°Trust me, I hate you the most.¡±


    ¡°No, we both know you hate yourself more than anyone, more than you ever hated Aizel.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say his name,¡± Loh whispered in a broken voice.


    Lily¡¯s scarlet eyes widened. ¡°Ah, I see it now. You¡¯re afraid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°No, not of me. You believe you deserve to be alone, to be punished for your past, but you don¡¯t want to be alone. Deep down, it¡¯s what you fear most, to be left alone; it¡¯s why you clung to Elzri even when he mistreated you and pushed you beyond your limits, because he was the only one who stayed by your side.¡±


    ¡°Y-You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Loh said dismissively.


    ¡°You were just a child, it was your birthday. You had trained so hard to pass Elzri¡¯s test, just so you could make it back to the manor in time for your party. But it wasn¡¯t your party, was it? Your parents had forgotten that it was your birthday, and instead they were celebrating your brother for one useless accomplishment or another, as per usual. Only Elzri remembered your birthday, he was the only one who gave you a gift.¡±


    Loh stared at her warily. ¡°How do you know that?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Your fear of being left alone is what drove you to kill Aizel in the first place. If he was gone, then the others would see you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Loh slapped her across the face.


    Lily touched the corner of her lip and pulled her hand back, fingertips stained red. She held Loh¡¯s gaze and licked the blood off her fingers. ¡°I told you, if you want to hurt me, you will be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Just get out¡­ please.¡± Loh fell back in bed and turned her back to Lily.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to push me away¡­ You don¡¯t have to be afraid. I see you, Elohnoir. All the ugly parts you wish to hide. And it makes you all the more¡ª interesting.¡±


    ¡°Interesting?¡± Loh furrowed her brow and glanced back at her.


    Lily licked her lips hungrily and narrowed her eyes in a smile. ¡°Is that so wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking weird.¡±


    ¡°And yet I¡¯m perfect for you.¡±


    Loh groaned. ¡°And why is that, huh?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a contradiction. You don¡¯t want to be alone and you worry that others will reject you for who you truly are. Yet at the same, you know what you are, a monster. You want to be reminded of your faults, because you feel like you deserve it. You deserve to be despised. And you hate it when someone like your mother comes along and tries to say it¡¯s not your fault, because you know it is. Dolores trying to say it¡¯s not only makes you feel worse about yourself.¡± Lily¡¯s smile widened, ¡°The truth is, you want to feel the pain, it¡¯s the only way to make up for the pain you caused others. And that¡¯s where I come in.¡±


    ¡°You¡­?¡± Loh muttered hoarsely, refusing to look at her.


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lily lay down next to her in bed. ¡°Because I¡¯m not going to tell you it isn¡¯t your fault, it is. You let Aizel die. You let all those students and the caravan die at Widow¡¯s Crag. You led your colleagues and fellow mages to their deaths against Caligo. You¡¯ve lied, manipulated, and hurt so many with your actions. You deserve your pain, I won¡¯t say you don¡¯t. But unlike everyone else, I won¡¯t reject you for it. I see you, Loh, and I accept you with all your faults. I¡¯m not running away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you here,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I have literally told you to get out several times.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a powerful mage. If you wanted to throw me out all you have to do is cast a spell, but you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m injured.¡±


    Lily traced a finger over Loh¡¯s arm. ¡°Not as injured as when you fought Marek and still, you defeated him.¡±


    Loh tensed at the touch, though she didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Then rest, I¡¯ll be right here.¡± She gently placed an arm around Loh¡¯s waist and drew closer, her breasts pushing into Loh¡¯s back.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡±


    Lily inhaled deeply and sighed, satisfied. ¡°Feeding.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be some sexual innuendo?¡±


    Lily slipped her leg between Loh¡¯s. ¡°If you want it to.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just want to sleep.¡±


    Lily pulled her leg back but stayed close. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you if the need arises.¡±


    ¡°...If you¡¯re still here when I wake up I¡¯m throwing you out the window.¡± Loh closed her eyes and relaxed her body.


    ¡°I look forward to proving you wrong.¡±


    ~~~


    Marek woke in darkness, as he had the last few days. Or weeks. Maybe hours? Time had blurred for him inside the dungeon. There was no light down here, only damp air and the occasional sound of water dripping from the ceiling.


    A pair of men, or were they women, Marek wasn¡¯t certain, had come in at some point and treated his wounds, though they did not heal them fully. Marek could still feel the pain whenever he shifted in his chains. There had been something else. Some sort of elixir the healers had forced him to drink; he was too weak to stop them and whatever they were feeding him kept him weak.


    He tried to channel magic to break through the chains, but it was pointless. Marek could feel the sigils around his shackles. No doubt enchantments to reinforce the steel. Who knew what else they had prepared to stop him from breaking free.


    Not that it mattered. Even if he did escape this place, what good would it do? He had failed to kill all the Helenes. That human girl had killed Nokti. He didn¡¯t want to believe it, but he knew it was true from the satisfied look in her eyes.


    Even worse, Caligo had promised to kill every adult in the Cairn Tribe by sunrise for his defiance against the god. By now, they were dead, and it was Marek¡¯s fault. He had lost everything and everyone he had fought for. And for what?


    He chuckled bitterly to himself. ¡°Is this what you wanted, Caligo? Is this my punishment?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Marek jerked his head up, the chains rattling at the motion. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    A pair of faintly glowing eyes stared at him from the corner of the cell, a pale lavender. Marek knew those eyes, he had never forgotten them since that night. His lips curled in a half-hearted, wry smile. ¡°Hello, Stryg.¡±

 Chapter 575: A Monster in the Dark

    Chapter 575: A Monster in the Dark


    Caligo had promised to kill every adult in the Cairn Tribe by sunrise for Marek¡¯s defiance against the god. By now, they were dead, and it was his fault. Marek had lost everything and everyone he fought for.


    He chuckled bitterly to himself. ¡°Is this what you wanted, Caligo? Is this my punishment?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Marek jerked his head up, the chains rattling at the motion. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    A pair of faintly glowing eyes stared at him from the corner of the cell, the irises a pale lavender. Marek knew those eyes, he had never forgotten them since that night. His lips curled in a half-hearted, wry smile. ¡°Hello, Stryg.¡±


    ¡°You remember me,¡± Stryg noted.


    ¡°A boy chieftain who almost killed me. It¡¯s hard to forget. I thought I killed you.¡±


    ¡°You almost did, if it wasn¡¯t for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Clypeus. I remember him too. He had my respect. He was brave to the end.¡±


    ¡°He was my friend. And you killed him,¡± Stryg growled, a deep guttural sound no goblin could make.


    Marek stared at the darkness, two glowing eyes staring at him with murder. He sighed, the chains keeping him from moving much. ¡°At first I thought you were dead, even though Crow told me otherwise. Still, it was hard to believe you could have survived the spear wound and the fall¡­ Then whispers spoke about an Ebon Aspirant appearing in Undergrowth. When I heard the Aspirant was a blue goblin I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°...Do you know why I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°I can take a guess.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you smile when you saw me?¡±


    Marek stared into the shadows, try as he might he could only make out the eyes and the faintest of silhouettes. ¡°I thought you were someone else. I guess I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t him.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Marek thought about answering for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°The Monster in the Dark.¡±


    ¡°You think whatever that monster would do to you is worse than what I will?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve thought of interesting ways to exact revenge¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what I think.¡±


    Marek inclined his head, ¡°But the Monster is something else entirely. It isn¡¯t mortal. It isn¡¯t a man, it cannot be killed. It¡¯s ancient, a god from before our time. It doesn¡¯t just kill, it twists people until you can¡¯t recognize them anymore¡­ you can¡¯t even recognize yourself. So yeah, I guess you could say I am glad it¡¯s you and not a dark god.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of Caligo¡¯s nature. She is my cousin.¡±


    Marek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You? Then you¡¯re¡­?¡± He shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Of course, no wonder Caligo warned me to stay away from you. I suppose you¡¯re quite young, a dark godling barely coming into his own.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive. If you were older I would have died on that cliff rather than your friend.¡±


    ¡°You are going to die.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Marek said softly.


    ¡°I thought of this day, so many times¡­ There wasn¡¯t a day that went by I didn¡¯t think of that night. I thought of what I¡¯d do to you in this moment.¡± Stryg scoffed lightly, ¡°Did you know the Sylvan are very different from Hollow Shade? We don¡¯t torture, nor do we take slaves, we simply kill our enemies. And we only imprison someone so that we can decide whether to execute or let them go. It¡¯s efficient. Resources are scarce in the forest, and we wouldn¡¯t waste them feeding our enemies.¡±


    ¡°But you,¡± Stryg stepped closer, ¡°You, I wanted to hurt. More than anyone I¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    Marek looked him in the eyes, his gaze tired but steely. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°You are going to die, Marek¡­ But not today. That moment will be saved for all the city to see.¡±


    ¡°A public execution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather take your life right here and now. But it seems the entire council wants your blood.¡± Stryg glanced down between Marek¡¯s legs, ¡°I just came down here because I heard Loh destroyed your groin with a flame spell. Not what I would have done, but I suppose it¡¯s painful enough¡­ for now.¡±


    ¡°How generous,¡± Marek spat at his feet. ¡°Torture me if you want, there is nothing more you can take from me.¡±


    Stryg dug his claws into Marek¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It won¡¯t end with you.¡±


    Marek clenched his jaw and huffed quietly in pain. ¡°Everyone I love is dead. Like I told you, there is nothing more you can take,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°What of your tribe?¡±


    ¡°They live?¡±


    ¡°They escaped, like most of your army. They are scattered across the valley, trying to regroup. It won¡¯t matter. I made a promise when Clypeus died, I intend to keep it.¡±


    Marek thought of Caligo and his promise, he couldn¡¯t help but grin spitefully. ¡°You really are Crow¡¯s kin. A monster just like him.¡±


    Stryg released his grip and pulled his claws out. ¡°I am told you are the heir of House Helene and that you eradicated your own House. Are you not a monster to your own kin?¡±


    ¡°My kin? My mother¡¯s sister killed her and half my tribe. I avenged them. You would have done the same.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you and I are different.¡± Stryg walked away. ¡°Tristan Helene lives. You failed. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Just wait. Wait!¡±


    The iron bars closed with a heavy screech.


    ~~~


    Aurelia¡¯s room smelled like the rest of the infirmary, elixirs, herbs, and the faint metallic scent of blood. Stryg sat at her bedside, watching his mother¡¯s chest move faintly up and down. He had visited her a few hours each day for the past few days.


    The light filtering through the window was dim, despite it being early. All the windows in the Gale and Veres manors were enchanted to filter most of the sunlight outside. The light wasn¡¯t deadly to vampires, but they were sensitive to it, particularly their eyes and skin.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Stryg had never been bothered by the sunlight, or rather, his skin wasn¡¯t. His eyes, on the other hand, were very sensitive. Too much light and the ring around his irises would snap and expand in a rather painful transition. He didn¡¯t know how much of that pain was related to his Veres blood or his father¡¯s.


    His mother would probably know. But Aurelia hadn¡¯t woken up. The white mages employed by House Gale had sworn that her wounds had fully recovered, still, she showed no signs of waking. Melantha had taken a look with her Blue clarity magic and noted that her wounds extended beyond the external. The void mana from the dragonbane¡¯s flames had poisoned her flesh.


    The truth was neither Melantha nor Holo knew when she would wake up. Both of them were working on a solution, but neither sister had ever come across void magic like this before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom.¡± Stryg grabbed her limp hand and pressed his forehead on the back of it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll get you out of here, I promise.¡±


    Someone knocked on the door and after a moment it opened slightly and a familiar face popped in. ¡°My lord, we have a¡ª situation,¡± said Lawrence Gale.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°Someone was causing quite a fuss at the gates, a goblin. He refused to say much, except that he claims to know you and will only speak to you.¡±


    Stryg jumped to his feet. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ~~~


    The room was empty save for Gian and Gale who were standing around a goblin sitting on the only chair in the room. His lip was split, blood trickling into his dark beard. His clothes were somewhat roughed up, but there were no visible cuts. He held a large cloth sack in his arms and guarded it with a fierce look in his yellow slit eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only ask one more time, what¡¯s in the sack?¡± asked Gale.


    ¡°Bite me,¡± the goblin hissed.


    ¡°Keep wasting our time and I¡¯ll do more than just that, I¡¯ll rip your throat out,¡± she bared her fangs.


    Gian raised his hand and Gale took a reluctant step back. ¡°Why do you want to speak with our lord, Stryg? How do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°How do you know him?¡± the goblin asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°He is our Lord Veres.¡± Gian frowned, ¡°Do you not know whose House you are in?¡±


    The goblin shrugged, ¡°The wolf dropped me off here. That¡¯s all I needed to know.¡±


    ¡°Wait, a wolf carried you here and you decided what, to just waltz up to our manor?¡±


    ¡°I trust my wolf¡¯s judgment.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she scoffed indignantly.


    ¡°Is this where Stryg is at?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Lord Veres to you. And yes,¡± she added at the end, a little annoyed.


    ¡°Then I was right to come here,¡± the goblin nodded.


    ¡°You mean you were right to try and break through our gates?¡± Gale asked.


    ¡°I tried to knock, but your idiotic guards refused to speak to me, let alone open the gates.¡±


    ¡°Our House is on edge after the siege, everyone is. You¡¯re lucky my family¡¯s sword masters didn¡¯t cut you down the moment you crossed our manor¡¯s threshold,¡± said Gale.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t have a spear on me,¡± the goblin growled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all just calm down for a moment, hm?¡± offered Gian. ¡°I assume you are Sylvan, yes?¡±


    Stryg burst through the doors and slid to a halt in front of the three of them, his eyes alight with eagerness. ¡°Jahn! You¡¯re here!¡±


    Gian turned. ¡°That I am.¡±


    ¡°There you are!¡± Jahn broke into a grin.


    Stryg tackled him with a hug. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, my boy!¡± Jahn laughed. ¡°You¡¯re squeezing too much. Too much!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Stryg let go but stayed close.


    Gian furrowed his brow. ¡°I feel as if I¡¯m missing something. Who is this person?¡±


    ¡°This is my uncle, chieftain of the Blood Fang Tribe,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Your uncle?¡± Gale frowned. ¡°As in¡ª?¡±


    He straightened his back. ¡°I am his mother¡¯s younger brother, Jahn.¡±


    Gale paled, mortified. ¡°Then you are a Veres?¡±


    Jahn glanced over at Stryg uncertainly. Stryg nodded reassuringly, ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Jahn, was it?¡± Gian asked slowly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. What about it?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°Nothing, really. I just¡ª Your name, it¡¯s somewhat¡­ uncanny?¡±


    ¡°You have a problem with my name,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Gian said weakly.


    ¡°I was named after my grandmother¡¯s younger brother. She said he was the most talented swordsman she had ever seen. It is a name of strength and a legacy I carry proudly, so if you have a problem with my name then you have a problem with me.¡±


    ¡°She said that?¡± Gian whispered.


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±


    Stryg grinned, ¡°Jahn, allow me to introduce you to the Sword Paragon of the Ebon Realm, Gian Gale, brother of Stryga Veres.¡±


    Jahn glanced up at Gian, then did a double take, before his eyes widened slowly into saucers. ¡°You¡¯re him¡­?¡± Jahn swallowed and tried his best to keep his voice from breaking, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you lived.¡±


    A tear slipped down the old vampire¡¯s cheek and he smiled unabashedly, ¡°Neither did I of you.¡±


    Jahn cleared his throat and sniffed, his eyes darting around everywhere save Gian, and finally settled on Gale, ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°A Shield of Veres. Lady Gale VIII. On behalf of my men, please forgive us for our actions earlier,¡± Gale bowed deeply. ¡°Rest assured, you don¡¯t have to be on guard any longer. You are home, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Lord? That feels weird,¡± Jahn said wryly.


    ¡°Trust me, you never get used to it,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re right?¡±


    Stryg patted his shoulder. ¡°You look tired, you should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept much these last few nights,¡± Jahn admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the servants prepare a room for you right away,¡± said Gale.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, not yet. How is my sister?¡±


    ¡°Alive, but my mother still hasn¡¯t awoken,¡± Stryg muttered.


    ¡°I see.¡± Jahn clenched the leather sack in his arms tighter. ¡°Before the battle, Aurelia asked me for a favor in case something happened to her. After the siege, I rushed to the village and back as quickly as I could.¡±


    ¡°The book¡­¡± Stryg whispered.


    Jahn nodded and undid the drawstring. ¡°There was also something else buried with it.¡± He reached into the leather sack and pulled out a snow-white sheath, emblazoned with black steel. ¡°I figured you might need it.¡±


    Stryg stared at it, ¡°Is that¡ª?¡±


    Gian stepped forward and traced his finger over the scabbard, ¡°It¡¯s my sister¡¯s. It¡¯s Krikolm¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°The women of our family have kept it safe all these years,¡± said Jahn. ¡°Now it belongs to you.¡±


    Stryg drew Krikolm from his waist. It had been difficult to keep the blade from clipping his pants the last few weeks. Gingerly, he grabbed the white scabbard and slid the scarlet blade inside. A small part of him expected the blade to cut right through the scabbard but it held taut without any damage.


    ¡°Lord Koval crafted that scabbard for Krikolm. It will not break,¡± said Gian.


    ¡°This, on the other hand, is not nearly as durable,¡± Jahn grabbed an old leather-bound tome from the sack and carefully handed it to Stryg. ¡°It is our family¡¯s book of memories. Stryga, Nalindra, and Aurelia¡¯s memories are imprinted within.¡±


    Stryg received it gratefully and stared at the book with a quiet reverence. The cover was made of some kind of thick animal leather. A thousand small arcane sigils were carved into every space across the cover. Tiny magestones were embedded in the corners and spine.


    Gian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Books of memories were made forbidden by the Ebon Lords of old.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± asked Stryg.


    ¡°Besides the difficulty and risks necessary to create one, imprinting one¡¯s own memories inside requires interacting with one¡¯s own soul. The slightest mistake could irreparably damage the soul. Why would my sister and the others risk imprinting on such a thing?¡±


    ¡°For the same reason my grandmother crafted the book in the first place,¡± said Jahn.


    ¡°My sister made this?¡± Gian said, surprised.


    Jahn looked at Stryg solemnly, ¡°The book has been passed down from one generation to the next. Aurelia said that if something happened to her she wanted me to make sure the book reached your hands. She wanted you to see their memories.¡±


    Stryg stared at the book, his hands shaking slightly. ¡°My mother told me she saw only a few parts of it. When I asked her why, she said the book was never meant for her¡­ it was meant for me. How could she know that? What exactly is inside of this thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Jahn quietly. ¡°We never will until you use it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Stryg. This magic was made forbidden for a reason,¡± said Gale.


    ¡°She¡¯s right¡­ But Stryga wouldn¡¯t have crafted such an object if she thought she didn¡¯t have to,¡± noted Gian.


    Stryg traced the book¡¯s spine. ¡°If there¡¯s even a small chance it has anything that can help my mother then it¡¯s worth the risk.¡± He channeled his mana into the magestones.


    Gale reached out to stop him. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t just¡ª!¡±


    Stryg¡¯s world went dark.

 Chapter 576: Book of Memories

    Chapter 576: Book of Memories


    Stryg awoke in a world of darkness. The ground was soft like sand, almost as if he would sink into it. Small tendrils of shadow clung to his feet. He looked about, yet there was nothing but endlessness in every direction. He was alone.


    ¡°You came. I hoped you would.¡±


    He spun around and came face to face with a woman. Her skin was a shade or two bluer than his own. Hair as silver as his was white. Deep purple eyes that stared into his own. He knew her. He had seen her once in the memories of Krikolm, kneeling at the throne of Veres.


    ¡°Stryga¡­¡±


    A small smile crept on her blue lips. ¡°I know this is a lot for you to take in. I promise, I¡¯ll explain everything, Nalindra.¡±


    ¡°Nalindra?¡± Stryg furrowed his brow.


    She wasn¡¯t talking to him. No, Stryga Veres wasn¡¯t here. This was a memory, similar to the ones in Krikolm.


    Her smile fell and her expression grew sad. ¡°I know you have so many questions, my sweet daughter. I never wanted to answer them. You will hate the answers you find. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll ever forgive me. I only hope that you come to understand why I did it and what you must do.¡±


    Stryga¡¯s eyes shifted away as if looking beyond Stryg. ¡°Aurelia, right now you¡¯re too young to understand any of this. I imagine if you¡¯re seeing this, then you are now old enough to understand. I¡¯m sorry my burden has fallen upon you. You and your brother remind me so much of Gian. Willful, powerful, and loving¡­ You will need all three to protect this family.¡±


    ¡°To those who follow, if you are seeing this, it is because you are of my blood. An engraved memory in this book can only be experienced by the memory creator¡¯s descendants. You are here because you have been burdened with what I began. I have done what little I can to prepare the way. This is my legacy to you.¡±


    The shadows began to swallow Stryga¡¯s body. Her gaze shifted and she was looking down at Stryg, her eyes soft. ¡°And if you are the one we¡¯ve been waiting for¡­ Forgive me.¡±


    The shadows swallowed her entirely and Stryg felt himself fall. He landed on his feet in a world of smoke. In the distance, he could make out the silhouette of a figure. He pushed through the smoke and made his way to them.


    Finally, he stepped through the edge of the smoke and came to a halt in front of Stryga. She was clad in black armor and a scarlet cape, fresh stains of blood all over her body. Ash and dirt covered her face and hair. Krikolm sat snugly in her grasp, its crimson blade happy with its fill of blood.


    He could feel Stryga¡¯s exhaustion, the slick sweat underneath her armor, the blood dripping down her forearm. He could hear her thoughts as if they were his own.


    Stryga¡¯s eyes were full of horror as they stared out at the scene before her. A city with brilliant sapphire walls and soaring spires was on fire. The inferno swallowed half the city. Pillars of smoke rose from ruined buildings. Wailing cries of the dying echoed in the distance. Clanging of steel rang in her ears. Her soldiers swarmed the few city guards standing between them and the fleeing goblins.


    Lunis had fallen.


    ¡°What have we done¡­?¡± Stryga mumbled.


    ¡°You should be proud, War Master. You have done what no one thought possible. The Sapphire of the East lies in ruin.¡±


    Stryga glared at the drow walking towards her, flanked by a retinue of heavily armoured guards. He wore a cloak of snow white and golden armor underneath that gleamed in the firelight. He gave her that charming smile that had won over so many before, the smile that made one believe in themselves, the smile that had inspired thousands. Now it seemed false, a mockery of what had once been.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± Stryga said in a broken spiteful voice.


    Ravellan cocked his head to the side. ¡°I told you we were going to war. I told you Holo¡¯s Shade was counting on us to eliminate Lunis¡¯ defenses.¡±


    ¡°You told me the Lunar Elects had an army gathering in the city! You told me to gather our armies and fight them with everything we had to save our own soldiers marching in the west!¡±


    ¡°And you did wonderful,¡± Ravellan gestured to the city burning all around them. ¡°Lunis lies in ruins. The Lunisian armies in the west will be crippled.¡±


    ¡°But there was no army here! Only civilians!¡±


    ¡°Then who are the goblins our soldiers fight even now?¡±


    ¡°The city guards aren¡¯t soldiers! They are only trying to protect their own!¡± Stryga shouted and stepped towards them, her grip tight on Krikolm.


    Ravellan¡¯s retinue closed in around him and stared at Stryga, ready to defend their lord. Ravellan smiled, this time with a calm demeanor. ¡°I understand you are angry, Lady Veres, but be careful to whom you direct it at. We may be engaged, but I am still your liege first and foremost. Do not forget your place, Blue Rose.¡±


    Stryga exhaled in a slow, loud breath, then bowed. ¡°My House and I stand loyal and ready to serve House Lutharik and you, Ebon Lord.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I know,¡± he patted her pauldron. ¡°It¡¯s why I made you the city¡¯s War Master.¡±


    ¡°General!¡± A vampire mage in black robes burst into the street, running towards them.


    ¡°Syrak?¡± Stryga called out. He was supposed to be stationed at the east side of the city. What was he doing here?


    Her captain¡¯s usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Syrak¡¯s eyes were hard. Blue battle mages were trained to control their emotions even under the most stressful of situations, it was necessary to cast storm magic, but the worry in Syrak¡¯s voice betrayed him. ¡°General, it¡¯s Lana! Her company has fallen under attack by battle mages!¡±


    ¡°Were their battle mages not defending the moon temple?¡± Ravellan muttered.


    ¡°It seems the temple¡¯s priestesses have already managed to flee the city,¡± said Stryga grimly. ¡°Syrak, how bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Half of Lana¡¯s company is dead. They¡¯re surrounded, she can¡¯t hold them off much longer.¡±


    Stryga nodded and began to channel Purple. ¡°Gather what battle mages you can and meet me there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, general.¡±


    ¡°Going off to protect our own?¡± Ravellan smiled playfully.


    For a moment, Stryga was back in Holo¡¯s Shade, dancing in his arms across the ballroom, laughing as he whispered a joke into her ear. Then the moment was gone and Ravellan was an Ebon Lord once more.


    Stryga ignored him and turned to Syrak, placing her hand on his forehead. ¡°Show me where they are.¡±


    Syrak nodded and closed his eyes. Purple light glowed at the edge of her fingertips.


    ¡°Found them.¡± She stepped away and shifted into Orange. Her body grew lighter and she sprinted away, vaulting over fires and ruined houses with ease.


    A small group of vampire and drow soldiers were huddled in a tavern, shooting arrows from the windows, and using their shields as a barricade at the door. A lone drow stood outside, dancing across the enemy battle mages and soldiers. Lana shifted from Orange¡¯s agility to dodge a bolt of lightning, into Brown¡¯s might to snap a goblin¡¯s neck with a single kick, before shifting into Yellow¡¯s defensive scales to block a sword strike, and finally returning into an agility spell.


    There was not a mage in all the Realm who could switch between enhancement spells so quickly. Yet Stryga spotted several gashes between Lana¡¯s leather armor. She was tiring, and quickly.


    Blue and Orange surged out from Stryga¡¯s heart and into her arms. Lightning crackled at her fingertips as she dashed across the street in a blur, Krikolm singing eagerly with every goblin she cut down.


    ~~~


    The smell of charred flesh and ash filled her nostrils. The morning sun did little to wash away the dark smoke clouds that plagued the city. Stryga walked through the ruins, goblins lay scattered across the bloodstained streets. Men, women, elderly¡­ children. They had been cut down by her own soldiers, by her commands, she had sentenced thousands to their deaths.


    She stared down at Krikolm, drops of blood swirling hypnotically around the blade. ¡°I did this,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Ravellan called out from above. He floated down next to her, the wind carrying him gently to the ground. ¡°After you dealt with the battle mages Lana informed me you disappeared.¡±


    ¡°...There were a few that tried to escape.¡±


    Ravellan glanced around at the countless bodies that riddled the street. ¡°You¡¯re quite effective.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± What was the point? Even if she hadn¡¯t cut these particular people down, she had given the order to her soldiers. These innocents were dead because of her. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    His gaze softened. ¡°I know this is hard, Stryga, but it is necessary for the future we wish to build. The world will remember us for this difficult but pivotal moment. We will go down in history as the ones who toppled the Great City of Lunis and ushered in a unified era of peace.¡±


    ¡°The world will remember us as monsters,¡± she said angrily.


    ¡°Victors write history and I say they will remember us as heroes.¡±


    ¡°Heroes?¡± she scoffed. ¡°There is no honor in this war. Lunis was our ally, we betrayed them.¡±


    Ravellan laughed, a lighthearted melodic sound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to laugh, it¡¯s just, honor? Really? There is no honor in war, I thought you of all people would have understood that by now. Lunis was our ally, yes, but they were a threat to the growing power of the Ebon Lords. They would have eventually attacked us and then where would we be?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for certain.¡±


    ¡°They refused to acknowledge our sovereignty! Even their own prime archmages refused the title of Ebon Lord. Instead, they preferred to serve at the whims of their Elects and a goddess who does not even exist. Never before have all the Ebon Lords been unified for a greater purpose. For the first time since your ancestor, Lord Koval, we have a chance to truly bring peace to the Ebon Realm, one that will survive even after our deaths. Lunis threatened that dream. They would never bow to the will of the Ebon Lords, you know this. They¡¯d rather pray to their goddess for guidance.¡±


    Ravellan threw his arms to the side and gestured to the destruction all around them, ¡°Well, where is she? Hm? Where is the great and powerful Lunae? Nowhere. Do you want to know why? Because she is not real. There is no god who will lead Lunis to a better future for the Realm. Only we can do that.¡±


    ¡°You never did believe in the gods,¡± Stryga muttered.


    He cocked an eyebrow, ¡°And neither did you, or so I thought.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore¡­ My mother believes.¡±


    ¡°And your father believed the gods were just stories created by the powerful to control the masses, I remember. He was a wise man.¡±


    ¡°Leave my father out of this.¡±


    Ravellan raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Look, if the gods were real, then where is Lunae? Where was Solis when several of the other Ebon Lords claimed he was dead, that they had killed him?¡± He laughed at that last part, but then his expression grew dark. ¡°There are dangerous creatures in this world, Stryga. Monsters you don¡¯t ever wish to come across. I¡¯ve met the one who claims to be Holo, she is only a young woman, though I admit her powers are greater than even my own. But do I believe her claim that she is an immortal? Do I believe my colleagues and I were being hunted down by some ¡®dark monster¡¯? Do I believe in gods? Not a chance. I refuse to believe that there are immortals we have never seen somewhere out there influencing our decisions throughout history.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it sounds ridiculous when you put it like that,¡± she admitted. ¡°But¡­ what if we¡¯re wrong, Ravellan? What if the gods are real?¡±


    ¡°No point in debating that now, is there?¡± He extended his hand to her, ¡°Come, it¡¯s time to leave this place. You and I are needed in the West. The orcs and their warlords will finish what is left of this city.¡±


    ¡°What are our orders?¡±


    ¡°A pincer maneuver. We will take our army and strike the Lunisian forces from the back as our allies attack from the front. It is time we put an end to this war before it truly even begins.¡±


    Stryga sighed and stared for a long moment at the destruction she had wrought on these people. ¡°Understood, my lord.¡± She sheathed Krikolm and followed Ravellan into the sky.

 Chapter 577: Reckoning

    Chapter 577: Reckoning


    The grassy hills of Dusk Valley stretched out all around them. Stryga and her army had marched out from Lunis yesterday at noon. They had only stopped to rest for the night. The sun was already beginning to dip over the horizon and yet, when Stryga looked behind her she could still see the faint pillars of smoke in the distance.


    Her soldiers had burned half of Lunis to the ground and ransacked the rest. They had razed the oldest city in the Ebon Realm to the ground. They had left the beautiful Sapphire of the East in ruins.


    Anger boiled inside her as she stared at the back of the man walking ahead of her, his feet almost gliding off the grass thanks to Orange magic. Ravellan was her liege and her soon-to-be husband. He was the man she had fallen in love with and it made his betrayal sting that much more. He knew she would never have given the orders to attack the city if she thought there wasn¡¯t an army gathering inside its walls.


    Instead, Stryga had believed his lie and had ordered her soldiers to fight without quarter. She had tried to squash the rising army before it was too late. By the time she realized the truth, her soldiers were already engaged in battle all across the city. What could she have done¡­?


    Excuses, she thought bitterly.


    At the end of the day, it was her decision. She was the War Master of Holo¡¯s Shade. The final decision to attack was hers. War was already and she would continue to fight, for her House, for her friends, and for the soldiers who placed their trust in her.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine,¡± Lana yelled from behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± said Syrak insistently.


    Lana pulled her arm away and hid it underneath her cloak. ¡°It¡¯s just a scrape.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gash. Let me see it. Please,¡± he said with worried scarlet eyes.


    Lana tried to ignore him. It only took a few seconds before she caved. ¡°...Fine,¡± she grumbled and lifted her arm.


    He smirked. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Without hesitation, she socked him in the gut.


    He gasped and doubled over with a grimace.


    ¡°Call me that again and it¡¯ll be your balls.¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± he wheezed.


    Syrak stumbled the next few steps but quickly gathered himself and grabbed her hand, carefully pulling back her red-dyed sleeve. A long gash ran up her forearm.


    He channeled Blue and rinsed off her arm with a splash of water, then switched into White, a soft healing glowing around his fingertips. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were this hurt?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you fussing over me like a damn hen,¡± Lana huffed.


    ¡°You may be the fastest battle mage in our battalion but even you can still get injured. This is war. You can show off later.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t showing off. One of our men was shot in the shoulder. I was covering his retreat.¡±


    ¡°Did you manage to save him?¡±


    ¡°No, he died before help arrived.¡±


    ¡°...We can¡¯t save everyone, but if we rely on each other we can get through this damn war.¡± Syrak ended his spell and let her arm go. ¡°Done. It¡¯ll leave a bit of a scar on your pretty grey skin, but what can you do? Healing spells aren¡¯t my forte.¡±


    ¡°No shit.¡± She clenched her hand open and closed. ¡°At least I can move it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you better treatment once we stop for the night.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he beamed.


    ¡°And it¡¯s Holo¡¯s Shade.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the fastest battle mage in Holo¡¯s Shade, not just the battalion.¡±


    ¡°I think our War Master might have something to say about that,¡± he inclined his head.


    Lana followed his gaze and noticed Stryga looking back at them. She grinned, ¡°What do you say, general? Up for a spar?¡±


    ¡°Maybe later. We still have ground to cover,¡± Stryga replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re stopping early for the day,¡± Ravellan called out from atop the hill.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not the only one who wants to see this fight,¡± said Lana.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to postpone your sparring match, Captain Lana,¡± said Ravellan solemnly.


    Stryga walked up next to him and spotted a village lying at the foot of the hill. ¡°A tribal settlement?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s one of our own. I sent a messenger up ahead. The villagers were supposed to welcome us with supplies. Captain Syrak!¡±


    The vampire jogged up to them. ¡°Yes, my lord?¡±


    ¡°What do you smell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too far to smell anything,¡± Syrak said as if it were obvious.


    Ravellan glanced at Stryga. ¡°General?¡±


    She inhaled deeply. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­ I smell blood. Lots of it.¡±


    ¡°Too far, hm?¡± Ravellan cocked an eyebrow at Syrak. ¡°Inform the men to follow us and be ready for combat. We¡¯re going down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I thought you vampires could smell blood from far away? Or is it just your nose that¡¯s broken?¡± Lana teased.


    Syrak rolled his eyes. ¡°Shut up, the general is more than just a vampire. She¡¯s a Veres.¡±


    Stryga smiled to herself. Many people believed an ancient and famous lineage like the Veres carried some sort of power in their bloodline. She was content to let people continue to think so.


    ~~~


    As they drew closer to the village the scent of blood grew more pungent. Lana spotted the first body, a leg protruding from the corner of a small house. The drow woman''s corpse was bisected above the waist. Her upper half lay a few meters away. A long smear of blood between the two.


    They found more drow bodies strewn about the ground the more they walked. Some had long gashes, others broken bones, a few had been ripped apart like the first woman. And then there were some who were burned or mutilated beyond recognition.


    ¡°This was a work of magic, dozens of mages and spells by the looks of it,¡± noted Ravellan in a tone bereft of his usual charm.


    ¡°By the state of the bodies they¡¯ve only been dead for a few hours,¡± noted Stryga.


    ¡°Then they can¡¯t be too far,¡± said Ravellan.


    ¡°No, it was a small company of mages. They¡¯ll be moving twice as fast as us at least.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°If it had been a larger battalion they would have flattened the grass, but all these hills seem relatively untouched. It must have been a small group of mages who escaped Lunis ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°I see. We were too late,¡± he said despondently.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably hoping to meet up with the Lunisian army and warn them about what happened to Lunis.¡±


    ¡°Then why waste time here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why,¡± Stryga pointed at the bonfire in the distance.


    The village square was a mess of bodies. It seemed as if most of the villagers had gathered here. ¡°They were preparing the supplies for our army,¡± Stryga guessed.


    ¡°I take it, those are our supplies?¡± Ravellan glanced at the bonfire.


    The smell of burning food and wood filled the air.


    ¡°I imagine so¡­¡±


    Lana stood over a little girl¡¯s corpse, her limbs crumpled in painful angles. She clenched her fists tight, ¡°They could have subdued these people easily, they have magic. But this, this is¡­ They died horribly.¡±


    ¡°Those fucking savages,¡± Syrak cursed.


    ¡°They wanted revenge,¡± muttered Stryga.


    ¡°There¡¯s a survivor!¡± A soldier shouted and pointed to a small boy at the other side of the bonfire.


    Lana pushed past the soldiers beginning gawking at the sight and knelt next to the boy. He was huddled over an older woman lying on the ground, a large bloody hole where her heart had once been. His eyes shifted, barely registering Lana¡¯s presence, before falling back over the dead woman who could only be his mother.


    Stryga¡¯s heart broke at the sight. He was a child, no older than her little brother. Now he was alone, ripped away from everyone he loved, for a war he didn¡¯t know, started by people who would never know him.


    Lana coughed to the side, before reaching out and placing her hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay now,¡± she whispered gently.


    The boy said nothing. Didn¡¯t move. He simply sat there, staring at his mother with dull eyes.


    ¡°My name is Lana. I grew up in a village just like this one,¡± she forced herself to smile. ¡°Can you¡ª Can you tell me what happened here?¡±


    The boy didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious what happened here,¡± said Ravellan coldly. ¡°The Lunisians were trying to hurt us, to shake our resolve. It will not work.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± the boy muttered. ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­ Because of people like you.¡±


    ¡°Careful with your words, boy,¡± said one of the soldiers, his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    Lana sent the man a glare that made his jaw snap shut. ¡°Leave him be.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, let the boy speak,¡± said Ravellan. ¡°What is your name, child? And what precisely transpired in this village?¡±


    ¡°...Everyone died. They didn''t do anything wrong,¡± he whispered. ¡°They were innocent, but they were killed anyway.¡± He brushed the hair from his mother¡¯s face. ¡°They were killed because of people like you.¡±


    Lana coughed, but Ravellan raised his hand for silence. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°I will not pretend to explain to you why they died, just as I do not expect a child to understand the grim reality of the world. Unfortunately, you now understand that reality better than most. But take comfort in knowing that your village¡¯s sacrifice today will help shape a greater future for the Realm. Their deaths were a necessary loss in the war we will end. And I swear to you, we will end it. We will avenge your mother and your people.¡±


    ¡°Necessary?¡± The boy furrowed his brow and looked up at him. ¡°No one here asked for this, they didn¡¯t want a war. But your greed drove you to reach beyond what¡¯s yours. This village paid the price. This is your fault.¡±


    Ravellan narrowed his eyes, ¡°Careful with your next words. I have been lenient on account of your loss, but do not forget your place, boy.¡±


    ¡°It is you who has forgotten your place, Ravellan Lutharik.¡±


    Lana coughed heavily and covered her mouth. She drew back her hand, her fingers were covered in blood.


    Ravellan frowned and took a step back. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The boy stood to his feet as Lana collapsed, her coughs turning into ragged gasps. He spoke in a calm unfamiliar voice, it was deep and quiet, yet it reached across the entire village, and sent a shiver through every man and woman.


    ¡°I am your Reckoning.¡±


    ¡°Lana! Get away from him!¡± shouted Syrak. He threw his hands up and aimed at the boy, but his snarl melted into confusion, ¡°M-My magic¡­ It isn¡¯t working!¡±


    Stryga channeled her Colors. She felt the mana answer her call before it abruptly diffused out of her body as if ink droplets in the sea. A cold sensation suddenly filled her veins where her mana had once been. Her head swayed with vertigo and she fell to one knee.


    ¡°I am your Calamity.¡±


    All around Stryga, soldiers bent over in fits of hoarse coughing, retching up blood. They fell to the ground, gasping for breath, as blood seeped from their eyes and ears.


    Ravellan stood alone, he stared in fear at the boy whose eyes glowed with cold light.


    ¡°I am your Death.¡±

 Chapter 578: Futility

    Chapter 578: Futility


    Ravellan stood alone, he stared in fear at the boy whose eyes glowed with cold light.


    ¡°I am your Death.¡±


    Lana convulsed on the ground next to the boy, her eyes wide in panic as she gasped for breath, blood leaking out of her eyes and ears. Syrak stumbled towards her and fell to his knees. He reached out and yelled weakly, ¡°Lana!¡±


    Death glanced at Syrak and Lana, then flicked his finger. The air condensed into a sharp blade and sliced Syrak¡¯s neck clean off. The vampire¡¯s body collapsed, blood spouting from the headless neck.


    ¡°No!¡± Lana cried out hoarsely.


    A pinprick of silver-blue light condensed at Death¡¯s fingertip. He pointed at Lana and the light exploded in a flash, searing a giant hole in her chest. Lana¡¯s voice caught in her throat and she went limp. Stryga stared in mute shock at the sight. Lana¡¯s wound was the same as the dead woman lying next to her, the drow they had assumed was the boy¡¯s mother.


    No, Stryga realized as terror filled her veins. The woman wasn¡¯t this creature¡¯s mother. He was never a part of this village. He had slaughtered the entire village.


    Stryga looked around desperately. Every one of her soldiers near the village square was on their knees, struggling to breathe. The rest of the army standing further away seemed less affected by the monster¡¯s power. They were still standing, their swords drawn but they were unsure of what to do at the sight of their downed comrades.


    She wanted to yell for them to retreat, but Stryga could hardly form a whisper. Death ignored the cries of the dying and closed the distance to Ravellan. The Ebon Lord was on his knees, struggling to stand.


    ¡°W-What are you!?¡± Ravellan gasped angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s futile,¡± the boy said in a voice far older and deeper than a child¡¯s. ¡°You cannot stand in my presence, just as a mortal cannot withstand that which is inevitable.¡± His hand reached out towards the drow¡¯s face.


    A scarlet blade cut in between them and Stryga jumped in the way, standing tall in a warrior¡¯s stance, Krikolm in her grasp. ¡°Get away from him,¡± she said steely.


    Death cocked his head to the side, eyeing her unknelt position. ¡°Interesting.¡± He flicked his wrist and a heavy wind slammed into her like a wall of iron and sent her flying across the square.


    Ravellan watched, eyes wide, as Stryga disappeared over the crowd of his dying soldiers. He turned back to the boy, anger blazed within him. ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± He gritted his teeth and summoned forth all ten Colors, prime magic flowing through his veins. Something cold pushed into him, trying to diffuse the mana flow, but he held the chromatic energies with a fiery will, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Your kind overstepped, mortal,¡± said Death and he placed his fingertips on the Ebon Lord¡¯s forehead. Ravellan gasped a hollow breath as his eyes sank into his sockets and his skin sagged. His hair grew thin and his mouth went slack with a last agonizing moan.


    Ravellan¡¯s body deteriorated into dust until only his bones and armour remained and clattered to the ground. Death stood alone, his fingers clasped around Ravellan¡¯s skull.


    A furious scream broke through the dyings¡¯ cries.


    Death glanced at Stryga, standing in the distance, blood dripping down her forehead, dark purple eyes burning with rage. ¡°Still standing, are you?¡± He tossed the skull aside.


    Stryga gripped Krikolm with both hands and held the blade to her chest, sword pointed to the sky. ¡°I will be the Sword of our Blood¡­¡± she huffed and gritted her teeth, ¡°And the Bane of our enemies¡­¡±


    Krikolm glowed a bright sheen of red, blood rose from around the ground and swirled around her, scarlet ribbons in a small hurricane. ¡°Be it Monster or Man, I shall end them all!¡± She screamed a warcry and charged at him, a scarlet storm rushing through the village square.


    Death flicked his wrist and an overwhelming wall of compact air slammed down on her, but this time she was ready. Stryga braced for the impact and held her ground, her knees bending underneath as her feet sank into the dirt and grass. She glared in defiance at the monster, refusing to kneel.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The soldiers in the distance saw their general standing against the enemy and a righteous anger overtook them. They raised their weapons and shouted their own warcries, before charging into battle.


    Death glanced at the men and women rushing towards him, a sea of warriors like few he had seen. He snapped his fingers calmly and a wave of invisible energy echoed across the village. The bodies of the dead villagers and soldiers rose to their feet and turned in unison towards the rushing soldiers. The living faltered at the sight, before being swarmed by the dead.


    ¡°No¡­!¡± Stryga watched in horror as Lana shambled to her feet and Syrak reattached his head, small black tendrils of energy holding his head to his neck. They charged her with a low groan, eyes glazed over.


    Despite their lack of magic, Lana and Syrak moved with a speed and strength they hadn¡¯t had in life. Stryga cried as she dodged their strikes and blocked with Krikolm. With burning tears, she closed her eyes and struck them down in a swirl of red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± she muttered, head bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± She leaped backwards and slashed down at Death. The boy disappeared and reappeared a centimeter from her blade. She hadn¡¯t seen him move, almost as if he had teleported.


    It didn¡¯t matter. She didn¡¯t care. All she saw was red. Krikolm flew in a flurry as she fell into the Cascade Stance, her sword moving faster with every strike. The boy didn¡¯t move, his body simply appeared in one spot, then the next, each time narrowly dodging her assault, almost as if taunting her.


    ¡°Mutations, is it?¡± he muttered curiously between her strikes. ¡°A strengthening of your skeletal structure and muscles. And you possess some form of natural resistance to chaos, an accelerated healing, perhaps.¡±


    A hoarse hateful scream ripped out from Stryga¡¯s throat. Krikolm shined with glee and battle hunger, it glowed like a scarlet fire. She swung down in a final strike, all her energy focused on the edge of the blade. Death stood still and simply watched as the blade slashed into his neck, but it didn¡¯t cut.


    Stryga felt all the force of the attack reverberate back into her arms as if she had swung a club into a steel wall. Krikolm slipped from her numb hands and clattered to the ground. She stared at her bloody, chafed palms.


    This couldn¡¯t be real.


    He couldn¡¯t be real.


    The boy grasped a strand of cut hair from his shoulder and held it between his index and thumb. ¡°Koval¡¯s weapon is quite remarkable.¡±


    Death dropped the strand but it did not fall. It floated into the air as did droplets of blood and small nearby debris. Stryga watched, confused, as the tall grass flattened around them.


    Inner silver light began to leak from the boy¡¯s body as his eyes glowed a brilliant lilac. He raised his hand into the air, fingers outstretched. ¡°Heed my call, Ruin.¡±


    A black staff flew out from the bonfire and landed in his palm. The staff inhaled the light from his body, igniting strange sigils all across the orichalcum. With a single fluid motion, Death slammed the staff into the ground and Ruin flared like the sun.


    Stryga fell back as the silver-blue light consumed her vision and a thunderous roar deafened her hearing. The world shook like the sea in a storm and her consciousness teetered close to oblivion. Then it suddenly fell silent. The cries of the living, the shambles of the dead, the clash of steel, and the crackling of the bonfire.


    An unsettling fear fell over Stryga. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Everywhere she looked there was nothing but scorched earth. The village was gone. Her soldiers and friends were gone. There was nothing but the hills in the far-off distance and the patch of grass underneath her feet.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone¡­¡± she mumbled in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± said the boy. He turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Why!?¡± she cried out. ¡°Why did you spare me?¡± she whimpered.


    The boy looked back and his visage fell away like sand and shadow. A figure rose in his place, higher and higher, until he loomed over her. Corded chiseled muscles wrapped in deep blue skin like the sky above. Silver white hair that shone like starlight. He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen and her words left her mind at his sight.


    His eyes undulated with an inner light, but where one might lose themselves in their warm gaze she only found cold apathy. His indifference broke her from her captivation and she found herself staring at the ground, at her trembling blue hands.


    She¡¯d never dare compare her looks to his own, but she had never seen someone else with purple eyes like her own, let alone one that had azure skin and silver hair like herself. ¡°You¡¯re eyes, they¡¯re the same. Why?¡± she whispered, uncertainty and fear heavy in her voice.


    Death cracked a small amused smile, ¡°You mortals, always trying to equate yourselves to the divine. No, we are not the same. I was here long before the first of your species came to be.¡±


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°You already know. You simply refuse to believe it.¡±


    Stryga dared to look up and stared at the black staff and at the man holding it. ¡°Y-You¡¯re the Traveler¡­ The ebon god of the stars, Stjerne,¡± she whispered slowly. As soon as she spoke the words she knew them to be true.


    The gods were real, her mother was right.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°If you are angry about Lunis then why let it happen in the first place? Why? Why did you kill my friends? My lover¡­ My soldiers¡­ Why spare me?¡±


    ¡°A life for a life.¡±


    ¡°Whose life? I don¡¯t understand. The gods are meant to guide mortalkind, aren¡¯t they? If so, was this part of your plan? Was letting us destroy Lunis what the gods desired? Is this war, all these countless deaths, what you want?¡±


    ¡°You desire answers. You will not find them here.¡± He raised his open palm to her eyes, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Her vision swam and darkened, then she knew no more.

 Chapter 579: Blue Rose

    Chapter 579: Blue Rose


    The scent of ash filled her nostrils. Stryga sat up in a fitful cough. Sweat covered her skin and her lungs burned with every breath. She looked around, confused. Save for the small patch of flattened grass underneath her, the ground was scorched black up to the nearby grassy hills.


    The village was gone. Her army was gone. Ravellan was dead. Lana and Syrak. They were all dead.


    A memory of lilac eyes staring down at her flashed in her mind. She grimaced and shook her head. It felt like a nightmare, but here she was, alone, in the ruins of her own people.


    She picked up Krikolm and examined the sword. The scarlet sheen was as bright as always, but its sharp edge was blunt where it had failed to cut a god¡¯s neck. The sword had been passed down through the Veres line for the last seven centuries. It was forged by the legendary Ebon Lord Koval himself.


    Krikolm was his will forged in steel. His greatest masterpiece. The red blade could cut through steel and enchanted metal as if it were wheat. The Bloodfang was the representation of Veres¡¯ might, a promise to be the Sword that would cut down any danger to the family. And the sword held true. Stryga had never met any foe or obstacle she could not cut down. Until now.


    The Ebon gods were real.


    All her life she had done everything in the name of her House, for the honor and glory of Veres. She was the heir of Lady Alice, her mother. Stryga made the difficult choices, even when they seemed wrong, because she knew it was necessary for the good of their future. But now¡­ Now she didn¡¯t know.


    The Ebon gods walked among them and they were ruthless.


    Why was she spared when everyone else was slaughtered?


    ¡°You desire answers. You will not find them here,¡± Stjerne¡¯s words echoed in her mind.


    ¡°I need to get back¡­¡± Stryga mumbled to herself and sheathed Krikolm.


    Her muscles ached and she could have sworn a few of her ribs were cracked if not outright broken. Every breath stung. What she would give to have White mana right now.


    The sun was already rising in the sky. She had been asleep for ten or so hours, that or several days. Either way, she needed to move. Stryga held her breath and called forth her magic. Yellow mana slipped into her veins and she sighed in relief.


    After the encounter with Stjerne, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could cast magic anymore. He had somehow stopped them all from casting in his presence. It seemed impossible, but so had everything else the god had done.


    A gust of wind swirled around her body and lifted her into the sky. She stared at the horizon and made her way home.


    ~~~


    The guards atop the wall spotted her small figure flying towards the Shade Wall. They shouted in alarm and readied their bows. As Stryga drew close, she slowed her flight and descended to the gate.


    Soldiers rushed her, but quickly stumbled back. Even with the blood and soot covering her cracked armour, they recognized the city¡¯s War Master.


    ¡°Lady Veres¡­?!¡± the guard captain saluted, uncertain of what to do.


    Stryga released the wind spell and landed on the dirt road. It was meant to be elegant, but her knees buckled underneath her and she collapsed. Her mana was drained after the long flight and it took all she had to stay conscious.


    ¡°Water¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Get the War Master inside and bring her some water!¡± snapped the guard captain.


    The next few minutes were a blur. Stryga felt hands gently wrap around her shoulders and carry her through the gates. She closed her eyes and the next thing she knew she was lying in a simple cotton bed in a barracks.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± noted a familiar warm voice.


    Stryga glanced to her right. A vampiress clad in armor and a scarlet cloak stood in the corner, arms crossed. ¡°Gwyn¡­ How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°A half an hour or so? I rushed over as soon as a guard informed me of your arrival.¡±


    Stryga sat up with a grimace. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°You look terrible, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Stryga muttered and gingerly touched the bandages wrapped around her ribcage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I did them myself. I¡¯d never let any of these simpleton healers touch you and botch up the job.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± she answered tiredly.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have had to. It¡¯s my brother¡¯s job to keep you safe in the first place. Where is Syrak? Your Shadow should always be by your side.¡±


    Stryga lowered her head and hid her pained expression. ¡°Syrak¡­¡± her voice trembled. She swallowed the lump in her throat. ¡°Syrak of the Great House of Gale fulfilled his duty as the Shield of Veres honorably.¡±


    Gwyn¡¯s face paled as the words sunk in. ¡°...Who?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Gwyn¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who did it? Who killed him!?¡± she screamed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop him, Gwyn.¡±


    ¡°Then Sryak''s murderer lives? Where? Where are they? I¡¯ll hunt the bastard down to the ends of the world. Just tell me where I can find them.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that. Not even you,¡± Gwyn seethed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t lose anyone else,¡± Stryga whispered.


    ¡°Syrak was your Shadow. He was your bonded.¡± Gwyn broke down in tears, ¡°My brother deserves more than this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Gwyn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our Sword, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re supposed to cut down our enemies! Not protect them!¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m protecting you from him.¡±


    ¡°Since when were you a coward?¡± she cried angrily.


    Stryga let the insult go, a person she loved was in pain, and she couldn¡¯t help her. Not alone. ¡°¡­I need to speak to my mother.¡±


    Gwyn sniffed and spoke reluctantly. ¡°Lady Veres is with Lord Gale. They led our armies outside the city and went to join the city¡¯s main forces in the valley yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Stryga staggered out of bed. ¡°They¡¯re in danger. They¡¯re all in danger! We need to fall back to the city.¡±


    ¡°There are four Ebon Lords leading the main force. Ten thousand soldiers. I¡¯m sure whatever danger is out there will run from them.¡±


    Stryga shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The thing that killed Syrak, didn¡¯t just kill him. He killed Lana. He killed Ravellan. He killed everyone. Our entire army. Dead. We couldn¡¯t stop him.¡±


    Gwyn furrowed her brow. ¡°A single person did all of that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was a person¡­ I need to go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to travel.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I have to warn them.¡±


    Gwyn stared at her pensively for a long moment, then nodded. ¡°Okay. We still have those horses your mother bought from those Aurous merchants.¡±


    ¡°Horses?¡± Stryga said skeptically.


    ¡°They¡¯re the fastest way to travel across the golden deserts. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just as fast galloping across Dusk Valley. They¡¯ll get us wherever we need to go.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you and don¡¯t you dare command me otherwise,¡± Gwyn glared at her.


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°The horses are back at the manor. The maids can get you a fresh set of clothes and I¡¯ll have the cooks prepare us some food for the road, while I get the horses ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gwyn,¡± she said softly.


    The Gale warrior grunted without looking back and walked out the door.


    ~~~


    Stryga stood in the gardens of her home. The bushes were trimmed and the flowers were in eternal bloom thanks to a little help from Green magic. She had always come here to relax, her own little quiet haven in the center of the city.


    She thought coming here would help calm her emotions while she waited for Gwyn to bring the horses to the manor¡¯s gate, but all she could think about as she stood in this verdant paradise were the burning houses of Lunis. The screams of the dying. Children crying for their mothers.


    ¡°Gigi!¡± a servant called out from a window.


    ¡°Try to keep up!¡± a little mischievous boy laughed and ran through the gardens.


    ¡°And what do we have here?¡± Stryga called out.


    The boy froze in his steps and slowly turned to her. His face lit up and he ran over to her. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back!¡±


    She expected him to tackle her, instead, he skidded to a halt and knelt down, presenting her with his training sword.


    Master? Stryga cracked a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far.¡±


    Gian tilted his head up, ¡°But isn¡¯t this the formal greeting for¨C¡±


    ¡°Maybe for the servants, but not for my little brother.¡±


    Gian smiled and blushed. ¡°Hehe.¡±


    And for a moment, Stryga was no longer the War Master, the Blue Rose of House Veres, or the sole survivor of a massacre. She was just an older sister, listening to her younger brother excitedly telling her about his day.


    ¡°...I can help!¡± Gian insisted, tears welling up in his eyes, as he tried to convince her to join him in the war effort.


    ¡°I know you can, Gigi,¡± she leaned down and kissed his forehead, ¡°But I won¡¯t risk your life out there, especially after today.¡±


    Gian rubbed his forehead with a bashful grin, and then he frowned. ¡°Wait. After today? What happened?¡±


    Stryga silently cursed at her own slip-up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She needed to change the topic and fast. Her little brother was young, but he had an uncanny instinct for picking up the subtle things. ¡°How¡¯s your dad?¡±


    She regretted her words as soon as they came out. Gian¡¯s expression fell and he looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡¯s always busy with his duties as family leader.¡± His tiny shoulders shrugged, ¡°You probably see him more than I do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Stryga grimaced. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve mastered all five nature stances, huh? Wanna show me?¡±


    And that was clearly the right topic. The little boy beamed as he began talking to her about his sword skills. She didn¡¯t blame him. Everyone in the manor knew he was a sword prodigy, the greatest in generations.


    As they talked, Stryga spotted Gwyn pulling the horses towards the front of the manor. Stryga glanced down at her brother and told him that she had to leave, even though it pained her to do so.


    The boy¡¯s eyes welled with tears, but he did his best to appear tough. ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered.


    Gian was his half-brother and the only other child of their mother, Alice. He was second in line to the Veres throne. Even more, Gian¡¯s father was the leader of House Gale. The boy was inheriting power; another Veres might have been wary to have such a sibling, but all Stryga felt towards the child was love.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± she crouched down and extended her pinky. ¡°You behave well and attend your classes while I¡¯m gone and when I get back, we¡¯ll meet up here under this tree. I¡¯ll take you to that favorite bakery you love so much and we¡¯ll get all the cake we can eat.¡±


    Gian¡¯s eyes went wide, his mouth practically salivating at the thought. ¡°Promise!?¡±


    She grabbed his small hand and wrapped her pinky around his own. ¡°Pinky promise. So, do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She ruffled his hair and walked away.


    ¡°See you later!¡± Her little brother waved at her back as she disappeared through the gardens.


    ¡°Are the horses ready?¡± asked Stryga.


    ¡°Yes, they are¡ª¡± Gwyn looked up and saw the tears in Stryga¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure about this? Only the two of us? There are more horses.¡±


    ¡°No, just us is fine. The fewer people the faster we¡¯ll get there.¡±


    ¡°We could always get a few Yellow mages to fly us across the Valley.¡±


    ¡°There are none left here strong enough to make it that far in a single trip, let alone any who could carry us at the same time. No,¡± Stryga shook her head. ¡°This will do. It has to.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Stryg¡­ Stryg¡­ STRYG!¡±


    Someone was shaking him. Stryg opened his eyes blearily and looked around. He was lying on the wooden floor, several faces staring down at him worriedly.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods, he¡¯s awake,¡± Gale sighed, the tension slipping from her voice.


    Stryg glanced down at the book clenched in his grasp. He was in Stryga¡¯s memories, he could still feel the connection between her mind within the book and his own mind. He had barely scratched the surface of what she had imprinted on its pages.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re crying,¡± noted Jahn.


    Slowly, Stryg reached up and touched his cheeks. They were wet.


    A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and helped him to his feet. ¡°Can you stand?¡± asked Gian.


    Stryg stared at the old vampire¡¯s hands, then looked up and studied his features. Gone was the child¡¯s button nose; His nose was long and straight. The salt and pepper beard was cut short, well-oiled and groomed. He had crow¡¯s feet and deep set lines on his forehead. But his scarlet eyes were the same.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Gian asked uncertainly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gigi. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 580: A Broken Goddess

    Chapter 580: A Broken Goddess


    A pair of hands grabbed Stryg by the shoulders and helped him to his feet. ¡°Can you stand?¡± asked Gian.


    Stryg stared at the old vampire¡¯s hands, then looked up and studied his features. Gone was the child¡¯s button nose; His nose was long and straight. The salt and pepper beard was cut short, well-oiled, and groomed. He had crow¡¯s feet and deep set lines on his forehead. But his scarlet eyes were the same.


    ¡°Stryg?¡± Gian asked uncertainly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gigi. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered.


    Gian furrowed his brow and fell back a step. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Who told you that name?¡±


    Stryg frowned and held his head. ¡°I did? No. It wasn¡¯t me. It was¡­ I¡­ I was there. I saw Lunis burn, with Stryga. It was like I was watching her and at the same time, I was her. You were so young¡­ That was the day she left, wasn¡¯t it? She never came back¡­ did she?¡±


    The old vampire¡¯s expression grew tired. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡±


    Stryg wiped the tears from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Gian reassured him. ¡°My sister saw something that day, it changed her. I never knew what it was, no one did. Did you¡ª Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°It was Death¡­¡±


    ¡°Whose death?¡± Gian asked. ¡°Ravellan¡¯s? Uncle Syrak¡¯s? They never found their bodies or anyone from her battalion.¡±


    Stryg closed his eyes and grimaced at the memory. He could still feel Stryga¡¯s terror gripping his chest.


    ¡°Leave the questions for later, Uncle. He needs rest.¡± Gale helped Stryg down to a chair and rubbed his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s that book, I told you to wait.¡±


    Stryg stared at the book in his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it¡¯d feel so real. I didn¡¯t just see her, I was there. I lived it, through her.¡±


    ¡°Well, it certainly was an experience. You tipped over and fell on your head like a damn rock,¡± Jahn chuckled. ¡°Look,¡± he pointed to the skull-sized crack on the floor¡¯s wooden planks.


    ¡°You should get some rest, my lord.¡± Gale reached over and grabbed the book of memories.


    Stryg pulled the book back and jumped to his feet, stumbling for a moment before he gathered himself. ¡°No. Not yet. I need to speak with someone.¡±


    Gale sighed, ¡°Fine. I know how stubborn you can be. I will not stop you. But you are not the only stubborn one here.¡± She stood in his way and looked down at him with a glare. ¡°You¡¯re not going alone. Understood?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I get it,¡± Stryg relented.


    Gale nodded and stepped aside, falling in behind him as he walked out.


    ¡°I only ditched the guards a few times,¡± Stryg grumbled.


    ¡°You are the lord of a Ruling House, you don¡¯t get to do that anymore.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m the lord shouldn¡¯t I be able to refuse guards?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°It¡¯s odd. Kaleidrog¡¯s brood haven¡¯t returned to the Rupture Mountains,¡± said Lunae, her silver eyes glazed over with an inner light.


    ¡°Well, Kaleidrog is dead. They may be fighting for leadership before returning to their home,¡± guessed Holo.


    ¡°If Caligo really did something to Zavinti¡¯s mind then the only worthy heir is her brother, Reldros,¡± said Melantha. ¡°Where are they now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been traveling around the Valley. Right now they¡¯re somewhere in the hills a few dozen leagues to the west. I¡¯ll see if I can¡ª¡± Lunae stopped and blinked, her eyes returning to their normal silver hue.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Holo.


    As if to answer her question, the doors opened, and Stryg walked inside, Gale right beside him. His eyes lit up at the sight of the three goddesses, ¡°Perfect, you¡¯re all here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, child?¡± Lunae asked patiently and patted the empty pillow next to her.


    Stryg nodded and plopped down next to her.


    It was a little odd seeing the titan goddess in the form of a woman barely taller than himself. He knew she couldn¡¯t walk around in her true form inside the barracks the Sylvan had turned into her temporary residence. The ceiling was too low, her upper body would have ripped right through.


    Despite her stature, Lunae held the same features as always. A dark silver complexion, long snow-white hair that trailed on the floor, and silver gleaming eyes that seemed to look right through him.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Stryg squirmed under her warm gaze but met it with conviction. ¡°I need to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Little One.¡±


    ¡°My mother left me with this book,¡± he pulled it out from under his jacket.


    A look of recognition crossed Lunae¡¯s eyes but she quickly buried it.


    ¡°A book of memories,¡± Holo recognized it. ¡°That¡¯s old, powerful magic. I didn¡¯t know Aurelia knew the spells to make such complex enchantments.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make it. My great-grandmother did. Stryga Veres. Her memories are stored inside.¡± Stryg took a deep, shaky breath. ¡°I saw our father.¡±


    Melantha perked up at his words. ¡°You saw Death? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°He was attacking Stryga and her soldiers. He killed everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like him,¡± Holo said dryly.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. I don¡¯t know why,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°Lunis had fallen. My grandmother was marching to meet up with Hollow Shade¡¯s main forces when Stjerne appeared. Why was he even there in some random village?¡±


    Melantha and Holo shared a silent troubled look before pointedly looking at Lunae, who shook her head subtly. Stryg didn¡¯t notice, his mind elsewhere.


    ¡°If my father was angry about Lunis, why didn¡¯t he just stop them before the city was destroyed? Better yet, why didn¡¯t you?¡± Stryg asked Lunae. ¡°In all the stories, the Traveler is said to be carefree, even fickle at times. I understand why he wouldn¡¯t care about goblin-kind, it¡¯s not as if he is the patron of goblin-kin. But you are.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t listen to the mortals¡¯ stories about immortals. However, in this particular case, there is some truth to the tales.¡± Lunae stood to her feet, her long white hair trailing behind her. ¡°Your father is a complex man, few ever know what he is truly thinking. He always does what he pleases, no one can stop him, not even me.¡±


    ¡°Then what about you? You''re the patron of the Sylvan, of Lunis. Where were you when the city burned?¡±


    Lunae caressed his face and smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you someday, but not tonight.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I have questions¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Not tonight, Little One. I¡¯m tired.¡± Lunae gave him an apologetic look, then walked out of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, stay here,¡± Gale whispered and hurried after her goddess.


    ¡°She could have at least answered one question,¡± Stryg muttered, confused.


    Holo shrugged, ¡°Lunae gives everyone a cold shoulder, you¡¯re lucky she likes you.¡±


    Stryg glanced at his sisters, ¡°Do either of you know what that¡¯s all about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not our story to share,¡± said Melantha. ¡°Give your Mother Moon some time, she¡¯ll tell you when she¡¯s ready.¡±


    Holo placed her hand on her sister¡¯s shoulder and looked at Stryg, ¡°If you want to know more, why don¡¯t you look into that book of yours.¡±


    Melantha cocked an eyebrow, ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Bye, Stryg,¡± Holo raised her free hand and wiggled her fingers. The sisters disappeared in a cloud of orange sparks, Flickering away.


    Stryg glared at the spot they had just been. ¡°Damn you, Holo.¡± They were clearly avoiding whatever had happened 300 years ago and he didn¡¯t know why. Stryg stared down at the book in his hands. Maybe Holo was right. If he wanted answers, he¡¯d need to find them himself.


    ~~~


    Lunae lay face-up on the rooftop of the barracks, her hair spread out like a halo around her. The moon was only a sliver in the night sky. How she missed seeing its face.


    ¡°My lady?¡± Gale called out cautiously. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You need not worry about me. Instead, look after the Little One before he does something stupid. He¡¯s quite prone to such things.¡±


    Gale bowed and headed back downstairs.


    Lunae sighed and closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to remember, but try as she might, memories of that night floated back into her mind¡¯s eye.


    ~~~


    Silvana ran through the halls of the temple, her ornate white robes slowing her down. A pair of guards ran by her side, spears at the ready, their eyes scanning the marble halls for threats. They came upon a pair of massive ebonwood doors and Silvana pushed them open. ¡°My lady!¡±


    The room was dark. Whatever candles had been lit were now long dead. The magestone lanterns had been deactivated. The only light filtering into the room was from the sconces in the hallway. A giant woman lay on the floor, curled in a fetal position.


    ¡°My lady!¡± Silvana rushed to Lunae¡¯s side and grabbed the woman¡¯s hand. Her small fingers barely gripped around the goddess¡¯ pinky.


    Lunae slowly opened her eyes, they were bloodshot and swollen from hours of crying. She stared at the goblin, but there was no light behind her eyes.


    ¡°My lady¡­? It¡¯s me,¡± Silvana said worriedly. ¡°Your loyal servant, your high priestess.¡±


    ¡°...Mm.¡± Lunae turned her back to her and curled deeper into the fetal position.


    ¡°I know you demanded to not be disturbed, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then what are you still doing here?¡±


    Silvana bit her lip, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the pain you must be feeling after Solis¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°The city is under attack! Please,¡± Silvana pleaded. ¡°After the Realm Bridges fell, the orc warlords declared war upon us. You told me to deal with it, that you didn¡¯t wish to be disturbed. And I¡¯ve tried, I have my lady. The Lunar council and I sent the city¡¯s armies to face our enemies, but our allies have betrayed us! Holo¡¯s Shade army is at our door! What¡¯s more the Warrior Elect is siding with them; they say he opened the city¡¯s gates for the Ebon Lords.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t care,¡± Lunae muttered.


    Silvana¡¯s heart sank at the pitiful sight of her goddess. ¡°My lady¡­ The city is on fire. We need you. Please.¡±


    Lunae closed her eyes, ¡°...I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t save anyone¡­ Run, save yourselves.¡±


    Silvana bowed her head, shoulders trembling, and clenched her fists. She turned to her two guards standing at the doorway, ¡°You,¡± she pointed, ¡°Unblock all the protective lock enchantments in the underground tunnel and prepare it for travel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Silver Mother!¡± the guard nodded and dashed away.


    ¡°And you, gather all the warriors and mages you can find, do not let a single orc, drow, or vampire through the temple gates, no matter what.¡±


    The guard¡¯s expression hardened at the implication of her words. He slammed his fist into his chest and spoke solemnly, ¡°We will fight to our last breath, Silver Mother. It was an honor to serve you, my goddess.¡± He bowed his head, then he ran off to meet his death.


    Silvana turned back to Lunae and took a deep breath, Brown and Black mana flowing into her veins. ¡°¡­I know you¡¯ve lost your Sigte and how the pain suffocates you. I know it feels as if nothing matters anymore. ¡­I know all you want is to lay down and die. But you saved me when no one else wanted to even look at me. I¡¯ll be damned if I let you burn in this place!¡±


    Dark tendrils shot out from Silvana¡¯s shadow and wrapped around Lunae¡¯s giant body and held her close. Brown mana surged through Silvana¡¯s muscles and a bronze metallic sheen covered her limbs. She reached under Lunae¡¯s back and with a heavy grunt, she gritted her teeth and lifted Lunae onto her back. The small goblin trembled underneath the weight, but her yellow eyes were hard with resolve. She took a trembling step forward, then another, and marched to the tunnel.

 Chapter 581: A God’s Wrath

    Chapter 581: A God¡¯s Wrath


    Silvana muttered to herself and paced in a circle. Her feet had made a small path in the powdery snow after countless steps. The cold winds of the mountain blew past her, sending a chill through her body. She shivered and pulled her fur cloak closer over herself.


    She yearned for the warmth of a crackling fire and a steaming cup of tea. The Celestial Shrine was only a short walk away, the acolytes would have happily accommodated the high priestess¡¯ needs, but Silvana did not dare leave her goddess alone, not at a time like this.


    Evenfall lay sprawled on the mountainside below, the fortress¡¯ walls were well fortified, and Vulture Woods acted as a powerful natural barrier. The Ebon Lords would find the fortress hard to breach. Still, as Silvana peeked out from the cliff¡¯s edge, she could see small crowds of refugees trickling into Evenfall. The fortress was erected to protect their people¡¯s most sacred temple, the Celestial Shrine. It was never meant to be a functioning city, at this rate, Evenfall wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain everyone seeking refuge.


    The fall of Lunis had displaced the goblin people and cut off all supply lines to their armies still fighting in the hills of Dusk Valley. Silvana had been trying to figure out a way to get supplies to their armies, but now she worried if they had enough for all the refugees.


    Silvana, Lunae, and a few others had barely escaped Lunis as the Ebon Lords burned her people¡¯s home to the ground. The Shaman and Mother Elects hadn¡¯t chosen to stay and fight to their last breaths.


    If rumors from the refugees were true, then the Warrior Elect had been killed by Ebon Lord Ravellan soon after he opened the city gates.


    Good riddance, traitorous bastard, Silvana sneered at the thought.


    But the Warrior¡¯s death brought her little comfort. The Elects were all dead and the people now looked to the Silver Mother and their goddess for help.


    The goblin¡¯s eyes were drawn back to the hot springs behind her, hidden in an alcove, near the mountain¡¯s top. A plume of steam floated out from the small cave. Lunae had sat in the hot waters for hours, without moving or saying a word.


    Silvana¡¯s heart broke at the thought of her goddess. Lunae had been practically comatose since they had fled the city. The Mother Moon couldn¡¯t help them. Silvana felt as if she was floundering in the Ebon Sea, struggling to stay aloft.


    The winds suddenly howled as a crack ripped through the air. Silvana stumbled back and fell on her backside. The air warped around the spatial fracture as it expanded, revealing utter darkness from the other side. Silvana narrowed her yellow eyes and tried to peer past the darkness. Giant translucent branches stretched across the dark horizon, each filled with swirling shadows and small streams of color.


    A tall figure emerged and stepped out of the darkness and into the snowy cliffside. The spatial fracture screeched like a thunderstorm and abruptly snapped shut, leaving Silvana alone with the dark stranger.


    The ethereal shadows receded from the stranger and revealed a familiar face. In one hand he held a staff and with the other, he reached down and offered her a hand. ¡°Are you alright, Silvana?¡±


    Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. ¡°My lord, you¡¯ve returned!¡± she cried out in relief.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Stjerne gave her a light-hearted smile. He grabbed her shoulders and gently pulled the goblin to her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy,¡± she cried.


    ¡°Heh, is that right?¡± He dusted the snow off her cloak and gave a cursory glance at his surroundings. ¡°Evenfall? I tracked Lunae¡¯s soul here, but why are you two in this place anyways? I thought you both would be in Lunis at this time of the year.¡±


    ¡°A lot has happened since you left,¡± Silvana mumbled.


    Stjerne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Silvana pointed a clawed finger to the hot springs behind them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure everything will be alright,¡± he gave her a wink, then walked into the alcove. The steam gave way and Stjerne found Lunae half-submerged in the hotspring, knees pulled up to her chest, arms curled around her legs. Her silver skin was bare, her long white hair the only thing covering her. ¡°This looks nice. Mind if I join?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°...Where have you been?¡± Lunae muttered without looking up.


    ¡°Busy.¡± He placed his orichalcum staff down, then sat at the edge of the springs and dipped his bare feet in the water. ¡°...My mother is weakening. A few days ago the Realm Bridges fell apart. It¡¯s chaos out there.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    ¡°Little escape¡¯s your sight.¡± He leaned back on his hands. ¡°Did you look at what¡¯s happening beyond these lands? It¡¯s not just the Ebon Realm, the Null Realms are all in utter turmoil.¡±


    ¡°...And?¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Stjerne cocked his head to the side. ¡°There has never been anything like this since the Sundering. The rebellion has left the Scarlet Realm in ruins. The collapse of the Realm Bridges only amplified the damage by severalfold.¡±


    ¡°So you just stayed there, putting out fires? Good for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s harsh, did you miss me that much?¡± he winked.


    ¡°...Why are you here now?¡±


    ¡°Do I need a reason to come visit my lovely wife?¡±


    She scoffed but said nothing, her head still bowed.


    Stjerne furrowed his brow. ¡°Lunae, look at me.¡±


    After a long moment, she slowly looked up. There were dark bags under her red-rimmed eyes. Stjerne waded into the water, not bothering to remove his clothes. He scooped Lunae into his embrace and sat in the water, pulling her close to his chest. ¡°What happened? Tell me.¡±


    Lunae swallowed the lump in her throat. ¡°Solis¡­ he¡­ He tried to stop all of this from happening,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling with every word. ¡°But he¡­ He used an ancient artifact¡­ it was dangerous, he could have killed thousands¡­ I needed you. You could have stopped him.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Lun¡ª¡±


    She looked at him and her broken expression made his voice trail off. Even now he could sense the sun god¡¯s soul among the living. He was alive, that much Stjerne knew. But Lunae¡¯s eyes told a different story.


    ¡°Where is Solis¡­?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We imprisoned him,¡± she broke into tears. ¡°I betrayed him. He was my Sigte and I betrayed him.¡± Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.


    Stjerne held her close in his embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, until her cries died down and her voice became raw.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± she whimpered. ¡°I needed you.¡±


    He sighed softly into her hair. ¡°Melantha¡¯s rebellion has spread across the Scarlet Realm. ¡­It¡¯s grown beyond my control. I cannot be in every battle at once.¡±


    She growled at his words. ¡°I have been tolerant of your bastards all these years. I cannot bear you any children, so I have let it be. But this¡ª Melantha is different. You favor her.¡±


    ¡°She is the most powerful of my children.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You actually loved her mother,¡± Lunae snarled. ¡°And your love for the daughter has made you hesitate. You could have ended the rebellion before it began. If any of your other bastards had done what she did, you would have ended them. Yet you let Melantha live.¡±


    ¡°And now the Realm is burning, I am aware,¡± he said, with a rare trace of weariness in his voice. He kissed her forehead, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter right now, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Nothing matters anymore,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Um, pardon the intrusion, my lord and lady?¡± Silvana called out hesitantly from the edge of the alcove.


    Stjerne waited for Lunae to respond, but when she didn¡¯t, he spoke up. ¡°Silvana, what is it?¡±


    ¡°A messenger just arrived. He says that the Ebon Lord Ravellan¡¯s army has left Lunis and is now marching to we know not where,¡± said Silvana.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stjerne asked. ¡°Lunis? There was an army at Lunis?¡±


    ¡°My lady didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    Stjerne glanced at Lunae, her silver eyes were dim, and whatever strength she had once held in her gaze had been smothered. ¡°Silvana, tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°After the Realm Bridges stopped working the orc warlords that were stranded attacked our villages in the outskirts. When we sent out our army to stop them, Holo¡¯s Shade betrayed us. The Ebon Lords sent an army to attack Lunis while the city was exposed.¡±


    Stjerne¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Lunae, do me a small favor. Conjure an orb of ice for me.¡±


    The goddess sighed and slowly lifted her hands out of the water. Trickles of water rose up between her hands for a moment then fell back into the pool.


    Stjerne narrowed his eyes at the sight. A titan¡¯s power was directly connected to their emotional state. How broken did she feel to be unable to manifest even a sliver of her magic? ¡°Lunae couldn¡¯t defend them, could she?¡±


    Silvana shook her head sadly. ¡°No, my lord.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Lunis?¡±


    ¡°The city is gone.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Stjerne said quietly. He leaned down and kissed Lunae. ¡°Forgive me, I¡¯ll be back.¡± He gently slipped from underneath her and stood up. ¡°Silvana, keep my wife company until I return.¡±


    She bowed. ¡°Always, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Ruin,¡± said Stjerne, and the staff flew into his hand.


    ¡°Where will you go, Death?¡± whispered Lunae.


    He paused in his steps. ¡°They dare attack my wife in her home. There is nowhere I will not go to find them.¡±

 Chapter 582: Goblin Encampment

    Chapter 582: Goblin Encampment


    The master bedroom of House Veres was more opulent than Stryg had expected. The servants of House Gale had just moved Feli¡¯s and his things from their guest room at the Gale manor. Which wasn¡¯t a lot, at least for Stryg. Feli had bought him many clothes throughout the last few years, but he had outgrown almost all of them.


    As for personal effects, Stryg had little that he didn¡¯t already carry with him on an everyday basis. Save for the book he had now inherited. The leatherbound book sat on the corner of a bed twice the size of any he had slept in before. It contained the memories of his ancestors, secrets he had long wanted to know.


    ¡°This place is incredible!¡± Feli gushed and ran from one room to another. ¡°They have two balconies, two!¡±


    The lord¡¯s chambers had several rooms connected to the master bedroom and Feli was excited to explore them all.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice,¡± Stryg responded, not really paying attention.


    He had never cared much for opulence. People in this city marveled at the giant pillars holding up the marble structures in the Central District, Stryg preferred the towering ashen trees of Vulture Woods.


    Not that he was complaining. The silk sheets were soft, he supposed.


    Feli poked her head out from the doorway. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He eyed the book of memories. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to stay?¡±


    Stryg looked up and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Positive. The Gales have guards stationed right outside day in and day out.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be safe. That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She walked over and brushed her hand through his pale hair. ¡°I want to know if you¡¯ll be okay. Everything¡¯s happened so fast. I need to know that the Stryg I know doesn¡¯t feel overwhelmed and lost through all of this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Feli.¡± He kissed her hand and closed his eyes, enjoying her warmth.


    A knock rang at the front door. ¡°Lord Veres? Lady Katag is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Let her in,¡± Stryg called out.


    The door creaked open and Stryg heard the soft familiar footsteps walk through the chambers. Tauri whistled, ¡°Nice place.¡± She sauntered into the room with a grin, ¡°Lots of black and red. Oh! Feli, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    Feli bowed, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, Lady Katag.¡±


    ¡°Please, Tauri is just fine,¡± she raised her hands pleadingly.


    ¡°Black and red are the colors of my House,¡± Stryg said. He glanced at Krikolm lying on his hip, now secured in its original white sheathe.


    ¡°In that case, Tauri, are you ready for our date?¡± Feli asked.


    ¡°Wait, me?¡± Tauri asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I called you over,¡± Feli nodded.


    ¡°You sent the messenger?¡± Tauri blinked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Feli wrapped her arm around Tauri¡¯s. ¡°We have a lot to talk about. After all, you¡¯ll be living here with us.¡±


    ¡°I-I mean, I guess¡­¡± Tauri looked to Stryg for help but his attention was on the book of memories.


    ¡°See ya later, honey,¡± Feli waved at Stryg as she pulled a panicking Tauri away.


    When he heard the door click shut, Stryg grabbed the book and stared at it hard. ¡°None of them want to give me answers of what happened. Not Lunae, not my sisters¡­ I need your help, grandmother.¡±


    Gale and Gian had warned him not to use the book until they knew more about it and especially not without either of them watching over him.


    Fortunately, Stryg never really listened to his elders. He channeled mana into the book and the embedded magestones flickered to life. Stryg felt himself falling onto the bed as the world went dark.


    ~~~


    Stryg looked around the grassy field. He expected to find Stryga riding next to Gwyn but neither of them were here. Instead, he was surrounded by a field of dark blue tents. The half-moon hung in the late night sky.


    Stryg frowned. ¡°Where am I¡ª?¡±


    A pair of goblins strode past him. One was a man in blue armour, and the other was a woman in her later years of life, dressed in the same greys he had seen the priests wearing at Lunis¡¯ temple.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just send one of the cadets to fetch a healer?¡± the man stifled a yawn.


    ¡°He¡¯s your pony. If he¡¯ll carry you into battle the least you can do is fetch a healer yourself,¡± said the woman.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for this shit,¡± he muttered to himself.


    Curious, Stryg followed them. The duo marched up to the largest tent and threw the tent flaps open. ¡°Sev? What are you doing here?¡±


    The goblin in question sat on one of the many cots that lined the giant tent. A young woman, dressed in the same ivory robes as him, sat next to him. They were holding hands, but pulled away as soon as the armored goblin walked in.


    Sev hastily stood up and saluted, ¡°Captain Nalindor! Mistress Lenore, always nice to see you.¡±


    Nalindor smirked, ¡°Sev, I didn¡¯t know you had the midnight shift.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The goblin shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the woman next to him, ¡°Esme has been working through the night. I just thought I¡¯d bring her some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Only breakfast?¡± Nalindor cocked an eyebrow.


    Esme blushed and pretended to be interested in the tent¡¯s canopy.


    Lenore smacked Nalindor¡¯s arm. ¡°Enough with the games. Sev, Nalindor¡¯s steed was injured in the last battle. If your captain paid more attention he¡¯d have noticed her hind leg had been cut. In any case, we need you to go check on her.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Sev nodded. He gave Esme an apologizing look and headed out.


    ¡°No need to get sappy, you¡¯ll see each other soon enough,¡± Lenore shooed him away.


    ¡°Healers, am I right?¡± Nalindor whispered to Lenore. ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡± He rubbed his arm where she had smacked him a second time.


    ¡°You could learn a thing or two from those lovebirds. At least they actually care about somebody instead of going whoring every other night,¡± snapped Lenore.


    ¡°Hey, they prefer to be called ladies, thank you very much,¡± Nalindor held his head up high as he walked out of the medical tent and followed after Sev.


    ¡°You¡¯re the captain of our company, two hundred men and women look to you to lead them. The least you can do is give them a proper example of a soldier,¡± said Lenore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the perfect soldier the day your prayers give me a good night¡¯s sleep. Isn¡¯t that why you priests are here? To make the soldiers believe in a ¡®higher power¡¯ and help them relax, instead of being scared shitless because they might not see tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do not mock our Mother Moon,¡± the old woman chastised. ¡°Our job as priests of the goddess is to inspire her children and bless their weapons and armour as they wade into battle. It is a sacred task that has been performed for centuries. You¡¯d do well to respect us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, tell that to all the dead, because your blessings did little to stop the arrows from puncturing their armor.¡±


    Lenore shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Are you really so devoid of faith?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯ve been in as many battles as I have, when you¡¯ve seen the things I have¡­ you don¡¯t know what to believe in anymore,¡± Nalindor muttered.


    She touched his shoulder, ¡°Still can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°The nightmares have only been getting worse. I¡¯m lucky to get a few hours of shut-eye. Sev brews a few concoctions that help.¡±


    Lenore glared at the healer walking ahead of them, ¡°Sevryn! Have you been selling illicit potions again!¡±


    Sev stumbled at her words and turned around sheepishly, ¡°Technically, they are alchemical elixirs that I have personally concocted from rare ingredients. A Red mystical art, really. I¡¯d hardly call them elicit.¡±


    ¡°Do they addle a goblin¡¯s mind?¡± Lenore marched up to him, hand raised at the ready.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sev glanced at his friend.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nalindor replied without hesitation.


    Lenore smacked the alchemist across the head.


    ¡°Ow! Do you have to be such a violent priestess!?¡± Sev rubbed his head and channeled a bit of healing magic. ¡°I heard the 4th company¡¯s priestess brews the soldiers tea.¡±


    ¡°I think we have enough brewing in our company thanks to your buffoonery,¡± Lenore said.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m cutting you off, Captain. No more elixirs for you,¡± said Sev.


    ¡°What? Wait, what did I do?¡± Nalindor asked.


    A sudden horn blared across the encampment. The three goblins stiffened.


    Nalindor drew his shortsword, ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    A giant ball of fire fell from the sky and crashed into one of the tents before several more followed all around them.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking from the East!¡± said Nalindor.


    Lenore gripped the crescent talisman hanging over her neck. ¡°Captain¡ª¡±


    Nalindor grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Head back to your tent, stay out of sight.¡±


    A volley of blazing arrows fell from the sky and littered a dozen tents. Screams echoed throughout the encampment as soldiers stumbled out of their tents, half-asleep and dazed.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking us on multiple fronts,¡± said Nalindor in horrid realization.


    ¡°Those arrows came from the west¡­¡± Sev¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Esme!¡± He dashed off back to the medical tent.


    Nalindor reached for him, ¡°Sev, wait!¡±


    A fireball exploded nearby. Nalindor threw himself over Lenore, as the blast sent the goblins flying.


    ~~~


    ¡°...ain¡­ Nal¡­ Captain¡­ dor¡­ Captain Nalindor!¡± Sev shouted.


    He grimaced, ¡°Sev?¡±


    The healer was hunched over him, White chromatic energies flowing over the captain¡¯s chest. The blue amour had been pulled off, revealing blistered, burned skin over his ribs and back.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± Sev smiled shakily with relief.


    Nalindor looked around at what little he could. The sky was filled with smoke. Fires covered every tent in sight. Lenore knelt next to him, holding his hand in between both of hers. Her face was covered in soot and her grey and black hair was disheveled. Blood and tears trickled down her face. She whispered a prayer, her voice trembling with every word.


    ¡°Lenore¡­ Stop,¡± Nalindor mumbled. ¡°You need to run.¡±


    She ignored him and redoubled her prayers.


    ¡°Sev, you both need to run. The Ebon Lords are attacking. Save yourselves, find Esme,¡± Nalindor urged them weakly.


    Sev clenched his teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ She¡­ I won¡¯t leave you here to die like the rest.¡±


    Nalindor took a closer look and spotted dozens of Hollow Shade and Lunisian soldiers strewn about the bloodstained ground.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold out much longer. The Ebon Lords¡¯ armies have us surrounded,¡± said Sev. ¡°Lenore, when he can breathe without my help I need you to hide him among the dead.¡±


    ¡°No, Sev, don¡¯t,¡± Nalindor winced with every word.


    Lenore opened her eyes and nodded. ¡°I will¡ª¡±


    The fires screeched as a sudden gust swept through and smothered them, dousing the area with more smoke.


    ¡°Who do we have here?¡± asked a playful voice.


    A young woman wandered out of the smoke and cinders. She was scantily clad and had a magenta-red complexion, with long rose-gold hair that was vibrant with an unnatural volume that flowed around her, almost as if floating. She glanced around at the wreckage of the encampment, golden eyes alight, and a playful smirk on her lips.


    Lenore looked up warily. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    The woman ignored Lenore and crouched next to Nalindor. ¡°Ooh, darling, are you dying? Does it hurt?¡± She poked him in the ribs.


    He winced, ¡°Yes, it hurts. Please, stop.¡±


    Sev stared at the strange woman, uncertain of what to do, but he kept his healing spell going.


    ¡°Are you scared to die?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Nalindor mumbled.


    ¡°Hm, this won¡¯t do.¡± She slapped Sev¡¯s hands out of the way.


    Sev glared at her. ¡°Hey, what are you¡ª!¡±


    The woman flicked Nalindor¡¯s nose. A cold chill ran down his back and he sucked in a deep breath. His black and blistered skin knit itself back together in an instant. ¡°Does that feel better, handsome?¡± she winked.


    Nalindor ran his hands across his chest in disbelief. ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    Sev stared at the woman, wide-eyed. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Enough playing, sister,¡± said another. A giant had stepped up behind the goblins without their notice. Her dark green cloak obscured her features. ¡°We¡¯re late as it is.¡±


    ¡°Relax, Agony, it¡¯s not every day the eldest invites us for a bit of fun.¡± The scarlet woman glanced down at the goblins, ¡°You mortals must have really messed up.¡±


    A massive plume of dark energy exploded in the far distance and a few seconds later the shockwave swept through the encampment with a howling roar.


    ¡°Aw, Des started without us.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Try not to kill the Lunisians,¡± said Agony.


    ¡°~No promises~¡±


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡± whispered Nalindor.


    The scarlet woman paused and looked down at him with a smile, revealing glistening fangs. The smile was too wide, the edges pulling unnaturally far. Her irises seemed to shrink as the sclera turned black. ¡°I am your nightmares, little Nalindor. I am the Fear that keeps you up at night.¡± She leaned closer, her hot breath on his face. ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    The three goblins collapsed as their world went dark.

 Chapter 583: Calamity

    Chapter 583: Calamity


    The smell of smoke and the stench of the dead permeated the air, even before Stryga and Gwyn crested the hill. They couldn¡¯t help but inhale the damning scent with every breath. The battlefield stretched across the small valley. Where once there was vibrant grass, there were now only ugly patches of yellow withered grass. The rest of the land had been scorched black if not outright ripped apart as if a massive hand had clawed through the earth. Thousands of bodies from both sides littered the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯re too late,¡± Stryga whispered.


    ¡°This¡­ This was what you wanted to stop?¡± Gwyn asked in morbid horror. ¡°My lady, your mother, she¡ª If she was here then¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Stryga muttered. She pulled on her reins and urged her horse forward. The steed neighed and refused to go down the hill until Stryga cast a simple mind spell on her horse and Gwyn¡¯s.


    As they moved through the battlefield they spotted bodies skewered by spears or swords. Others had arrows lodged in their chests. Many, however, were little more than charred broken skeletons.


    Gwyn held back the urge to vomit as she spotted a group of dead soldiers whose flesh seemed to have melted into a bloody viscous puddle underneath them. Stryga spotted a group of men and women dressed in the black robes of Holo¡¯s Shade¡¯s mages. They had been impaled by dark crystalline structures rising from the earth. The crystals had skewered them from their bottom all the way up and out their mouths.


    Cracked statues of goblins fleeing some unknown horror stood in front of Stryga¡¯s way. She and Gwyn walked around them, grimly staring at the statues. Gwyn reached out hesitantly and touched one, only for it to crumble into small chunks of rock and a pile of dust.


    Gwyn swallowed hard and inhaled shakily. ¡°I have seen all manners of magic. I have witnessed the Ebon Lords do the impossible. But this¡­ all of this. There is no magic in all the Realms that could cause such horror.¡± She turned to Stryga, desperation in her eyes. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Stryga slid off her horse and knelt down. She brushed her fingers across the scorched dirt and soot. ¡°The wrath of gods.¡±


    ¡°Gods? They did this?¡± Gwyn hopped off her horse with a lithe step.


    ¡°We have angered them. I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Gwyn frowned. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Stjerne told Ravellan our kind had overstepped,¡± she muttered in a defeated tone. ¡°Right before he killed him.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying,¡± Gwyn swallowed, ¡°You saw the Traveler kill Lord Ravellan?¡±


    Stryga looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears. ¡°He killed everyone. Syrak, he¡ª¡± she gasped through her sobbing, ¡°Your brother tried to save Lana. I watched as Stjerne murdered them. And I couldn¡¯t do anything. I tried. I tried, Gwyn. And now my mom¡ª¡±


    Gwyn wrapped her arms around Stryga and pulled her in close. ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault. None of this is your fault.¡±


    ¡°But it is. I attacked Lunis, the gods are angry because of me.¡±


    ¡°You attacked the city on the commands of Ebon Lords, many of whom are now dead in this cursed place. The gods have had their revenge.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t end, Gwyn. They won¡¯t stop until everyone is dead.¡± Stryga bit her lip. ¡°I have been thinking about this. The gods are said to guide mortal-kind throughout the millennia. But if that was the case, then why let any of this happen in the first place? And then I remembered Solis. Some of the Ebon Lords claimed they killed him. What if this is their revenge?¡±


    Gwyn looked around the scorched wasteland. ¡°You think the Ebon Lords could have fought something like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe together? Maybe they did kill Solis. Maybe they only hurt him. Either way, the gods are done with us. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to stop.¡±


    ¡°Then why come here in the first place? Why not evacuate everyone from both our Houses and flee to the Northern Lands? We still have our territories and castles in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m still alive,¡± Stryga admitted. ¡°Stjerne spared my life. I don¡¯t know why, but he must have had a reason. I am the War Master of Holo¡¯s Shade. If I can just find him and talk to him, I think I can make some sort of truce.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. For all we know he might just kill you the moment he sees you.¡±


    ¡°...I have to hope.¡±


    ¡°My lady, it is my duty to protect you. I cannot let you just¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is your duty to protect House Veres. If the gods¡¯ rampage continues, then there will be nothing left. House Veres and House Gale will die.¡± Stryga gripped Gwyn¡¯s hands, ¡°If you want to protect the Veres family, then help me save them. Please.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Gwyn closed her eyes shut and her shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°Where do we even find the gods?¡±


    Stryga looked to the south where ashen trees lined the horizon and the mountains that loomed behind them. ¡°Evenfall is said to hold the Celestial Shrine. The great temple of Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Evenfall is a sacred fortress. No one but the goblins have ever set foot behind its walls.¡±


    Stryga¡¯s expression grew determined. ¡°If there is anywhere that I can find an audience with the gods, it is there.¡±


    Gwyn shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how to get there.¡±


    ¡°We know it¡¯s on the mountain of Moon Fang.¡± She pointed to the mountain that vaguely resembled a fang jutting towards the sky.


    ¡°Yes, behind an entire forest of monsters. And you know, a fortress.¡±


    Stryga stood to her feet and brushed off the ash and dirt. ¡°Then we don¡¯t have time to waste.¡±


    ~~~


    The red leaves of the canopy filtered the last light of the sunset, dyeing the entire area in hues of red. Nalindor sat on the grass, his back resting on an ashen tree. He watched the hundred or so men and women huddled around a couple of campfires. The nights were growing colder and the appearance of the frost wolves earlier hadn¡¯t helped.


    Nalindor tried his best to remember what had happened. The battle had been a blur after he had awoken a second time. Explosions hurled all around them. He thought he was going to die as the clashing of soldiers all around rang in his ears. Frost-mist suddenly poured into the battlefield and then the frost wolves emerged. The heralds of Lunae led the Lunisians away from the battlefield and into the safety of Vulture Woods, before disappearing as quickly as they had arrived.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle wryly at the thought. There was little safety in Vulture Woods, monsters of all manner stalked the forest. Even still, it had been better than staying on that cursed battlefield.


    Lenore and Sev had carried him with a handful of soldiers into the mist and the woods beyond. The army, or at least what was left of it, had been split. Nalindor had no idea how many had survived and made it into the woods. Let alone how many might survive the night in this damned forest. Thankfully, Sev and Lenore were still with him, but the rest of the company was lost to them. He hoped they had made it out, but that was all he had, a hope.


    The hundred or so survivors that stood in this makeshift camp came from various companies and battalions. Few knew each other, but they were all well acquainted with the chain of command. Nalindor was the only captain among them and they all looked to him for leadership, unfortunately.


    Nalindor didn¡¯t know what was going on more than anyone else. They had been ambushed by the Ebon Lords and their armies. Now they were stuck in a forest known for harboring the most dangerous beasts in all the Null Realms.


    Fucking brilliant.


    Sev walked through the small huddled groups of goblins. Checking for the wounded with the worst injuries. He channeled White and did his best to heal them. Nalindor knew his friend was tired, the signs of mana exhaustion were clear. Ragged breathing, heavy sweating, and a faint tremble in the hands. Still, Nalindor let him work. He knew it helped the healer keep his mind off the deaths of so many others.


    Yesterday morning there had been rumors of how Lunis had been ransacked. Nalindor, like so many others, had dismissed them as hearsay. But now many began to wonder. Their army had been attacked from several sides, including the back. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible to have struck from behind, there were several small outposts and supply lines leading directly from Lunis. But if the city had fallen, then¡­


    A deep pit of anger burned in Nalindor¡¯s chest. He clenched his hand over his sword¡¯s hilt.


    ¡°Here,¡± Lenore walked up to him and handed him a piece of bread. ¡°Some of the soldiers had some rations on them when they escaped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Give it to someone else who needs it more,¡± Nalindor waved her away.


    Lenore snatched his hand and placed the bread in his palm. ¡°You¡¯re the captain. We need you on your feet. Eat.¡±


    He nodded reluctantly and began nibbling on the dried old bread. Satisfied, Lenore sat next to him with a pained groan.


    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Fine. Just my old knees. I¡¯m not as spry as the rest of you.¡± She cupped her hands together and exhaled warm air between them. ¡°So, any plans on how to get us out of here?¡±


    ¡°That depends. Do you know how to get to Evenfall from here?¡±


    ¡°There is only one path our people use to reach the fortress. It is well-guarded and its location is a secret.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve been, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°All Lunisian acolytes make the journey to the Celestial Shrine to be trained.¡±


    ¡°So you know the way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no pathfinder.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything? Anything at all?


    ¡°I know that we are far from the path.¡±


    ¡°Great, that helps,¡± he muttered sarcastically.


    The soldiers talked amongst themselves around the campfires. They spoke of the battle, or rather how little they understood of what happened during the battle. It had been chaos. What little they could agree upon was that they were all alive because of Lunae¡¯s intervention.


    ¡°We are alive because Lunae deemed it so,¡± said a woman, and her fellow soldiers nodded in fervent agreement.


    Lenore and Nalindor shared a look. They had both seen another party on the battlefield. They were not vampires, drows, or goblins. They were something else entirely. A pair of women as tall as any troll, more beautiful than the finest ladies at a ball, and more terrifying than anything they had ever seen.


    Even now, the scarlet woman¡¯s frightening visage haunted his mind. He had never felt so utterly helpless than at the moment she stood in front of him. Had the strangers been there to help? Or to wreak havoc? Nalindor didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much food,¡± Lenore broke him out of his thoughts. ¡°Certainly not enough food to last us to Evenfall.¡±


    Nalindor glanced at the way they came, even here, a league deep into the forest he could still smell the charred bodies. ¡°We can¡¯t go back either. We don¡¯t know if the battle is still going or who won.¡±


    The old woman tapped her staff, it was a habit Nalindor noticed she did whenever she was pondering something. ¡°I can read the stars well enough,¡± she admitted. ¡°If we can survive the next few days, I think I can get us on the path to Evenfall. Maybe.¡±


    Nalindor nodded in understanding. ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. In the morning I¡¯ll arrange for a hunting party. Until then, we should get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain.¡± Lenore closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

 Chapter 584: Hunting Party

    Chapter 584: Hunting Party


    A low raspy screech echoed through the ashen trees, sending the hunting party on edge. The dozen goblins lifted up their spears and swords and huddled in a circle, eyeing the trees and bushes warily. Only two of them had bows, they had somehow managed to grab them in the midst of yesterday¡¯s ambush on the Lunisian war encampment.


    After a few moments of silence, Nalindor raised his fist. ¡°It¡¯s clear. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    The group nodded reluctantly and followed him deeper into the eerie woods.


    ¡°What was that?¡± a woman with one of the bows asked. Her name was Mynda, Myndel, or something like that. Nalindor couldn¡¯t remember and simply decided to call her by her nickname, Myn.


    ¡°I think it was a vulture, or maybe a dire Vulture, who knows,¡± Sev happily answered the woman¡¯s question.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Dire?¡± Myn gulped.


    ¡°They say that there are far more dire animals in this forest than in the rest of the Ebon Realm. But then again, the creatures here are much larger than their cousins anywhere else. So who knows?¡± Sev rattled off as Myn''s face grew more and more spooked.


    Despite the gravity of their situation and their dwindling supplies, Sev was a curious lad, always eager to learn more about nature. If only to improve his own potions and elixirs that he could sell to his fellow soldiers.


    Nalindor smiled wryly to himself. He had known Sev since they were kids. Sev had always gotten himself into trouble, but the healer always looked after his own. Nalindor couldn¡¯t recall the amount of times Sev had patched him up after a drunken brawl.


    He was counting on Sev as the only White-Red mage, or the only mage they had for that matter, to get them through this place. Nalindor had grown up hearing horror tales of the scarlet forest. Parents would chide their children and threaten to send them to Vulture Woods if they did not behave. The path to Evenfall was fraught with dangers, only acolytes and the most pious of goblins would usually make the trip.


    Now Nalindor had to lead a small company of soldiers through the forest that gave children nightmares. He silently whispered a frustrated prayer to Lunae.


    ¡°You know, I always wanted to visit Evenfall someday,¡± another hunter spoke up. ¡°Just never thought I¡¯d be doing it like this.¡±


    ¡°If we make it,¡± another added grimly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. A few days of hunting like this and we¡¯ll be at Evenfall,¡± Nalindor assured them, even if he didn¡¯t really believe it himself. The truth was they had a hundred mouths to feed and even with several hunting parties, he doubted they¡¯d all find enough food. There were only two kinds of fauna in these woods. The kind that killed everything they came across and the kind that was skilled enough to evade and hide from the former.


    Either one wasn¡¯t going to make easy prey. The likelihood that they¡¯d all make it out of the forest was slim. But they didn¡¯t need to hear that right now. They needed their captain to be strong, calm¡ª


    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± A soldier tilted his head to the side.


    The whole party stopped to listen, glancing around, searching the treeline.


    Myn furrowed her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anythi¡ª¡±


    A large shadow leaped out of the trees and with one swipe of its giant paw sent Myn flying through the trees. The hunting party stumbled back in shock as the massive bear stood up on its hind legs. The beast towered over them, easily four times their size.


    Nalindor was the first act. He hefted a spear and chucked it. The spearhead landed straight into the bear¡¯s chest, only to skid off with a mild scratch. The bear roared angrily and swung his paw. Nalindor rolled away and another goblin was hit instead, the giant paw crushing her head with a sickening crunch of bone and viscera.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± screamed another. The goblin, bigger than most, leaped onto the bear¡¯s back and repeatedly stabbed at it with his daggers. The blades barely sank a centimeter into the thick hide.


    Without hesitation, the bear leaped backwards and flattened the goblin underneath it in a burst of blood. The beast rolled back to its feet and turned to the rest with a hungry growl.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Nalindor yelled.


    The others scrambled away and followed Nalindor in a mad dash through the ashen trees. They only stopped when their lungs burned and they stumbled with each step.


    ¡°I think we lost it,¡± said one of the goblins between gasps.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± wheezed another.


    Nalindor glanced around the party, just happy that they were alive. ¡°Wait,¡± he froze. ¡°Where¡¯s Sev?¡±


    The group looked at each other, the morbid truth dawning on their faces. ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    Nalindor shook his head. ¡°No. No. He was alive. Did any of you see him get hit?¡±


    ¡°Well, not at the time. But if he¡¯s not here, then he¡¯s dead.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nalindor clenched his jaw and turned around. ¡°We¡¯re going back for him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    Nalindor ignored them and marched back the way they came.


    ¡°Captain,¡± one of the goblins hurried to his side. ¡°I know he¡¯s your friend, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that!¡± Nalindor rounded on him and slammed the goblin into a tree. ¡°Sevryn is the only healer we have! How long do you think we¡¯ll make it out here without a goddamn healer, huh!?¡±


    The party fell silent.


    ¡°So if any of you don¡¯t want to die out here from an infected cut, follow me,¡± Nalindor snapped.


    ~~~


    Sev crawled through the brush, trying his best to not crunch the scarlet leaves around him. He heard Nalindor yell retreat in the distance, but Sev had already left the clearing. The moment he had seen Myn go flying he had rushed after her.


    For all his magic, he was no warrior. His Bright spells were subpar, he could conjure orbs of light to guide them in the dark, but he couldn¡¯t shoot concentrated beams of light like the battle mages.


    If he was back home he could make some explosive potions from all his shelves of alchemical ingredients. But he wasn¡¯t home. He was stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere, on the ground, crawling like a terrified squirrel.


    What would Esme say if she could see him now?


    Memories of yesterday flooded his mind. The Ebon Lords¡¯ soldiers rushing through the Lunisian encampment. The screams of the dying ringing through the valley as steel clashed against one another. Esme¡¯s broken body lying in a pool of her own blood.


    Sev¡¯s chest clenched tightly in pain. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried his best to control his breathing. He couldn¡¯t save her. He was no warrior. He was a coward. He had only joined the army because Esme had volunteered. She wanted to help the sick and wounded. She¡ª


    No. Sev wiped the tears from his eyes. He couldn¡¯t think about her, not now. Putting one hand in front of another, Sev made his way through the trees.


    A weak moan caught his attention. Sev pushed past a few bushes and found Myn lying on the grass, blood pooling underneath her. Esme¡¯s broken body flashed in his mind¡¯s eye. Sev shook his head, banishing the thought, and scurried to Myn¡¯s side.


    ¡°Myn!¡± he whispered, relieved when he saw her eyes flicker towards him.


    She groaned in panic and tried to move to little avail. Four deep gashes had torn through her platemail and dug into her chest.


    ¡°Shh, shh. It¡¯s me. It¡¯s Sev,¡± he whispered in a soothing voice.


    ¡°Gh¡­ ev¡­?¡± she mumbled through a mouthful of blood. The panic in her yellow eyes receded just a little.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± he smiled shakily. ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re gonna be okay.¡± White mana flowed into his hands as he placed his hands over her and channeled his healing magic.


    The wound looked bad. His professors back at the healer¡¯s academy would have told him she was a lost cause on the battlefield and advised him to search for others he could actually help.


    ¡°I¡­ on¡¯t.. wa¡­ to d¡­¡± she choked.


    Well, he had never listened to any of his professors anyway. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die. I won¡¯t let you,¡± Sev swore to himself more than to her.


    He poured more mana into the spell, adjusting the spell weaves as he went. Sev closed his eyes and focused on her wounds, stemming the bleeding and knitting the flesh back together little by little.


    A deep growl from behind broke his focus. Sev slowly turned around and looked up to the giant bear looming over him. Its golden eyes were filled with a starving rage.


    Terror filled Sev¡¯s body. His heartbeat thumped in his pointed ears. He wanted to run. And yet he found himself slowly standing to his feet, standing between Myn and the beast.


    The bear pulled its black lips back in a sneer, angered at the small creature¡¯s defiance. It inhaled and bellowed a powerful roar that shook the nearby trees. Its roar was suddenly cut short as a spurt of blood flashed across its neck. Sev didn¡¯t understand what happened before the bear¡¯s head tumbled off its neck and it collapsed at the goblin¡¯s feet.


    Sev stumbled back a step and stared at the giant beast. Blood poured from its neck almost like a spout from a keg of ale. The dark red liquid poured over the grass but then slowed to a halt and began floating away.


    Sev¡¯s eyes slowly followed the blood and landed on a figure standing a few paces behind him. A northern drow woman, clothed in azure armor. The blood coalesced her around, no, rather around her scarlet blade.


    A cold chill ran down his spine in recognition of the famed sword. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the Blue Rose.¡±


    The War Master of Holo¡¯s Shade had found them. A hundred questions ran through his mind, but with a bitter realization, he knew none of it mattered. He was going to die.


    A shorter woman, a vampire by the looks of her scarlet eyes, stepped out from behind the Blue Rose. ¡°Allow me, my lady.¡± She drew her sword and stalked towards Sev.


    ¡°No. Wait,¡± Stryga said after a moment.


    The vampire frowned. ¡°My lady, there are no doubt others of his kind in this place. He¡¯ll alert them if we don¡¯t deal with him now.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Sev interrupted. He raised his bloodstained hands and glanced at Myn lying on the ground. ¡°Please, just let me save her.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re a healer?¡± Stryga asked.


    He licked his lips and swallowed. ¡°I am.¡±


    Myn coughed, blood spilling out from her lips, and falling down the sides of her cheeks.


    ¡°Please, she¡¯s dying.¡±


    ¡°Are there others?¡± asked Stryga, eyeing the trees.


    Sev balled his fists, a glint of determination in his eyes. He dropped to his knees and began casting a healing spell over Myn.


    ¡°My lady asked you a question, goblin,¡± the vampire drew the blade to his neck.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me then Myn is already dead,¡± Sev muttered as he kept healing. ¡°But if I don¡¯t help her now, then she will die anyway. So, if you¡¯re going to kill me just get it over with. If not, then let me focus.¡±


    ¡°Shall I?¡± The vampire glanced at her mistress for approval to kill him.


    Stryga stared at him thoughtfully, ¡°You care for this woman? Is she someone important?¡±


    ¡°I met her yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Then why stand in the way of a rabid bear to save her?¡±


    ¡°Because enough people have already died,¡± he snapped at her. His shoulders slumped as he sighed and focused once more on Myn. ¡°This war has taken enough lives. It¡¯s taken enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Sevryn!¡± Nalindor called out in the distance. ¡°Sevryn!¡±


    The vampire turned towards the sound and hissed. She moved in front of the Blue Rose and held her sword in a fighting stance.


    ¡°...Put your sword away, Gwyn.¡±


    The vampire did a double take. ¡°My lady?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Stryga turned and walked away.


    ¡°But, the goblin! If we let him live he¡¯ll inform the rest of them!¡±


    Stryga ignored Gwyn¡¯s words and looked back at Sev huddled over Myn. ¡°I hope you succeed.¡± She turned and disappeared into the treeline.


    ¡°My lady,¡± Gwyn called out to her and glanced at Sev, caught between indecision. She cursed under her breath and chased after Stryga.

 Chapter 585: Starvation

    Chapter 585: Starvation


    ¡°Sev, there you are!¡± Nalindor rushed out from the trees and stopped himself from embracing his friend.


    Sev was crouched over a wounded Myn. His hands glowed with white mana as he channeled a healing spell into her body. Her armor had been torn from several large claw marks, leaving behind deep gaping wounds.


    The rest of the hunting party slowly trickled into the clearing, their eyes glancing warily around for the giant bear until they spotted its headless corpse just a few paces away.


    The goblins muttered to each other, confused. They stared at Sev with almost the same wariness they had given the bear. ¡°I thought he was just a healer?¡± ¡°Is he a high master?¡± ¡°A battle mage for certain.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell us?¡±


    Their voices kept growing in intensity until Nalindor gave them a silencing glare. The mage in question needed to focus, though it seemed as if Sev hadn¡¯t even heard a single word. His intention was consumed by the dying Myn.


    When the dire bear had first ambushed the group, Myn had been sent flying into the trees. Nalindor thought she was dead on the spot. And if he was being honest, by the looks of her wounds, Nalindor didn¡¯t think she¡¯d make it.


    And yet, as the minutes trickled by her green flesh slowly knitted itself back together and Myn¡¯s breathing became less ragged. Throughout his years of service, Nalindor had seen countless dying soldiers on the battlefield, and rarely did any with such grave injuries survive, even with the aid of a skilled white mage.


    Nalindor looked at Sev in a new light, perhaps the young goblin was more powerful than he let on or maybe he simply didn¡¯t realize it.


    For Sev, it was neither. His sheer desperation and determination to save at least this one life burned through his pain and exhaustion. His magic flowed through him with a singular purpose that silenced all the voices around him.


    A soft groan escaped Myn¡¯s bloodstained lips and she opened her eyes slowly. ¡°S-Sev¡­?¡±


    The healer¡¯s eyes slowly regained clarity and he looked up at her with a smile of relief. ¡°Myn! You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ alive?¡± she mumbled.


    Sev wiped the tears from his eyes with the crook of his arm. ¡°Yeah,¡± he grinned, ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡±


    As relief filled Sev¡¯s body, he felt the last iotas of mana leave his heart. A deep wariness filled him and he sagged forward. He almost toppled over Myn before Nalindor caught him.


    ¡°Captain?¡± Sev muttered, a slight look of confusion on his face. He glanced past the captain and spotted the rest of the party. ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡±


    ¡°Sev, I need you to focus for a moment. What happened here?¡± asked Nalindor.


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°The bear, Sevryn, what happened to the bear?¡±


    Sev glanced at the bear¡¯s head lying in a bloody smear across the grass and fallen leaves. ¡°...Another beast appeared. It moved so fast. I didn¡¯t get a good look. It was big, fast. The bear fought it and died.¡±


    ¡°And this beast left you and Myn alone?¡± Nalindor asked.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. I don¡¯t think it really cared to eat something as small as us.¡±


    ¡°And what about the bear? It didn¡¯t eat the bear either.¡±


    Sev shrugged awkwardly. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t hungry. Maybe the bear was intruding on its territory?¡±


    Nalindor glanced at the bear¡¯s corpse. It was unharmed, save for a singular clean cut across its neck. He knew of no monster that could deliver such a strike, save the one called cold sharpened steel. Even stranger, there was hardly any blood pooling over the body. With a wound like that on a beast of such size, the ground should have been soaked red.


    ¡°Myn, did you see anything?¡± Nalindor asked quietly.


    Myn glanced at Sev¡¯s anxious face for a moment then replied with a parched voice, ¡°Nothing, besides the same beast that Sev saw.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get a good look?¡±


    ¡°No, Captain. Like Sev said, it moved too fast.¡±


    Nalindor stared at the two for a long moment. ¡°Right¡­¡± He dusted off his pants and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re both alright. We need to move. If this is the territory of an even more dangerous beast, we shouldn¡¯t linger. Can you stand, Sev?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Nalindor pointed at a pair of soldiers standing idly, ¡°You two, carry Myn back to camp.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± ¡°On it, boss.¡±


    ¡°Sev, with me. If something happens, stay by my side, I¡¯ll protect you. The rest of you, keep an eye out for any more threats,¡± said Nalindor.


    The group nodded and started to make their way back to camp. Hopefully, some of the other groups had been luckier on their hunts.


    Sev was oddly quiet and reserved on the trip back. Usually, he was chatty, and always looking out for herbs or flowers he could use for one of his elixirs. Instead, his eyes were glued to the ground, his gaze unfocused. It wasn¡¯t until one of the soldiers walked up to him that he looked up.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re alright, Sev. Even gladder that damn dire bear is dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dire bear.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dire bear.¡±


    The soldier frowned. ¡°That thing was fucking enormous.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Sev shrugged. ¡°The beasts in the forest are big. If it had actually been a dire bear we¡¯d all be dead I think.¡±


    The soldier paled at his words.


    ~~~


    The next few days were uneventful. Every day a few of the hunting parties returned with some food, smaller prey that they had managed to take down. One party had never returned, though Nalindor and his party had tracked down a few bloody remains.


    Their food supply was dwindling, but thankfully their priestess, Lenore, had managed to find them the secret path to Evenfall. With food running low, Nalindor decided to push his small battalion forward, only stopping when night fell.


    After two more days, they found themselves at the base of the mountain. As they walked out of Vulture Woods and up the mountain, familiar Lunisian tents came into view. It seemed that they were not the only ones who had managed to find their way to Evenfall.


    The more they walked, the more people they found camping on the mountainside. The goblin soldiers looked spent and ragged. Some had tents, but most slept on nothing more than a bedroll. A few of Nalindor¡¯s battalion shouted in exclamation when they spotted a familiar face and requested permission from him to see their comrades. The word ¡®yes¡¯ had barely left his mouth before they were running off.


    When they reached the end of the haphazard encampment, Nalindor spotted a soldier, dressed in far finer armor than the rest. Her golden and blue platemail was polished without a scratch on them. This soldier hadn¡¯t been to war.


    ¡°Drale, you¡¯re in charge while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± The stocky goblin nodded and planted his battle axe on the ground.


    ¡°Sev, Lenore, with me.¡± Nalindor didn¡¯t wait to see if they were following. He walked up to the gilded soldier standing atop a flat boulder as if overlooking the entire mountainside.


    ¡°Are you in charge?¡± asked Nalindor.


    The gilded soldier glanced at him and her face broke into sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Just a messenger.¡±


    ¡°From Evenfall?¡± Nalindor guessed.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± she nodded.


    Nalindor glanced at Lenore standing behind him. The old woman took his cue and stepped forward, ¡°I am priestess Lenore.¡±


    ¡°Well met, priestess,¡± the soldier bowed her head.


    ¡°Where are the wayfinders?¡± Lenore looked around pointedly. ¡°Are they all leading groups into Evenfall as we speak? Surely there must be one still here. I¡¯d very much like to speak to them.¡±


    The gilded soldier grimaced, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The wayfinders have been all recalled into the fortress.¡±


    ¡°For what possible reason?¡± Lenore crossed her arms.


    ¡°Evenfall is currently at full capacity due to the refugees.¡±


    ¡°Refugees? What refugees?¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t told you?¡± the soldier blinked in surprise.


    ¡°We have only just arrived,¡± Nalindor interrupted.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The soldier¡¯s expression fell. ¡°I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but while our armies were fighting the Ebon Lords in the valley, it seems that the Ebon Lords sent another force to attack Lunis. Word has it, the Warrior Elect betrayed us and opened the gates to the city.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Sev muttered in disbelief.


    The soldier nodded sadly, ¡°Lunis has fallen. The orc warlords and the Blue Rose¡¯s army ransacked the city. Some of the refugees that managed to escape were led by a few priestesses from the Moon Temple; they led them here a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°The fortress was never meant to handle so many people at once,¡± Lenore said in understanding.


    ¡°We can¡¯t take anyone else in,¡± the soldier admitted. ¡°I was sent here just to give the message.¡±


    ¡°What of the survivors?¡± Nalindor¡¯s voice choked.


    ¡°Some of the acolyte scribes in the Celestial Shrine are currently writing a list of every person who has entered Evenfall. They¡¯ll be bringing a scroll with all their names soon enough. A day or two at most.¡±


    Nalindor swallowed a lump in his throat. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°How many refugees entered Evenfall?¡±


    ¡°...A few hundred.¡±


    ¡°Only a few hundred?¡± Sev whispered. ¡°What of the rest!?¡±


    Nalindor took a few short breaths and clenched his eyes closed. The world felt as if it were spinning. Lenore hugged him tightly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Nalindor steadied his breath and stepped back. He turned to the guard and nodded, ¡°Thank you for the information. Have the remaining Elects issued any orders for us soldiers?¡±


    ¡°The Lunar Elects are all dead. Only the Silver Mother remains. She has decided to withhold from making any major decisions until she has more information on the situation. For now, she has only given one order. Survive.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    The gilded soldier bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t do more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nalindor saluted curtly, then marched away.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡± Sev frowned. He hurried to catch up, Lenore in tow. ¡°Captain, where are you going?¡±


    Nalindor said nothing until they reached their battalion who were starting to set up camp. ¡°Drale.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Captain, you¡¯re back,¡± the broad-shouldered goblin smiled.


    ¡°Tell everyone to pack up, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°To Evenfall?¡± asked Drale excitedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain on the way,¡± replied Nalindor. ¡°Drale, after you¡¯ve given the announcement, I want you to gather a small party and round up the rest of our battalion that went to see their comrades. If they wish to stay with their original battalions let them, otherwise bring them back here immediately.¡±


    Drale¡¯s expression grew bleak, but he nodded. ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Nal, what are you doing?¡± Sev pulled Nalindor aside. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave. What about your daughter?¡±


    Nalindor spun around and grabbed him by the shoulders tightly. ¡°If my daughter is in Evenfall, then I¡¯m not about to let her become an orphan,¡± he growled.


    ¡°What?¡± Sev furrowed his brow, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Look around you, what do you see?¡± Nalindor said under his breath.


    Sev glanced about the encampment, ¡°I see our fellow soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I see hungry folks,¡± answered Lenore in grim understanding.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have enough food to last for long,¡± said Nalindor.


    ¡°Evenfall can send down some food,¡± said Sev uncertainly.


    Nalindor shook his head. ¡°Evenfall is a fortress, it was never equipped to handle so many people at once.¡±


    ¡°Even under the best circumstances, it would take several years to be able to accommodate the amount of people on this mountain. And without the help from Lunis¡­¡± Lenore¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°What are you both getting at?¡± Sev whispered.


    Nalindor eyed the tents lining the mountainside. ¡°When the food runs out, all these soldiers we¡¯ll grow desperate. And when that happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Chaos,¡± Lenore finished.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Sev frowned. ¡°These are the trained men and women of Lunis. They are honor-bound. They would never turn on their own.¡±


    ¡°Lunis is gone. The honor they fought and sacrificed so much for means nothing if the people they did it for are dead. Why do you think they aren¡¯t letting any of us into Evenfall? There is not a single wayfinder here to even show us the cave path into the fortress. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the fortress¡¯ guards can deal with hungry and tired refugees, but an army of desperate starving soldiers?¡± Lenore shook her head.


    ¡°So if they can¡¯t get into the city and they can¡¯t get food¡­¡± Fear bloomed in Sev¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°We need to move quickly,¡± replied Nalindor. ¡°All these people are in shock, but it won¡¯t be long until the rest of the battalions come to the same conclusion. This place is a battlefield, they just don¡¯t know it yet. We need to find somewhere in the forest to hide. We can hunt for food and wait out the storm.¡±


    ¡°What of the monsters that lurk in the woods? We¡¯ve already lost a dozen soldiers,¡± said Sev.


    Nalindor glanced up at the mountain and for a brief moment, his eyes were filled with desperate hope. ¡°We¡¯ll lose everyone if we stay.¡±


    Lenore nodded and stared at Vulture Woods behind them, ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances with the monsters.¡±

 Chapter 586: Lost In The Woods

    Chapter 586: Lost In The Woods


    The screeching call of the dire vultures echoed through the scarlet canopy. Stryga winced at the incessant noise. The damn birds had kept her up all night. She had tried hunting them down but they seemed to sense her approach and flew away whenever she got too close.


    Then the screeching would start all over again as if taunting her. It was her armour, it had to be. The blue plates shifted and creaked with her every step.


    ¡°When we get back I¡¯m going to have the blacksmith adjust the enchants on my damn suit of armour,¡± Stryga growled.


    Gwyn nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the best brown mage in the city and have them enchant my boots to be extra padded. I swear I¡¯m getting blisters on my feet.¡±


    ¡°We should take a break.¡±


    ¡°My lady, I can go on.¡±


    ¡°I insist.¡± Stryga sat down on a large root protruding from the ground and patted the spot next to her.


    With a reluctant twist of her mouth, Gwyn sat down, but kept her eyes peeled for any threats.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for days¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lost for days,¡± Gwyn corrected.


    ¡°We¡¯ve barely slept between hunting for food, searching for Evenfall, and those fucking vultures at night. The least we can do is sit down and relax for a bit.¡±


    ¡°If the lady needs rest, I shall accompany her.¡±


    Stryga gave her a side-eye. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need any rest yourself?¡±


    ¡°Positive.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Stryga groaned and stretched her arms. She turned her neck to each side and it cracked with a satisfying pop. ¡°Gods, what I¡¯d give to have white magic right about now.¡±


    Gwyn snorted, but said nothing.


    Stryga cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Come on, tell me. I swear I won¡¯t get angry. ~Please~¡±


    ¡°...Very well. Sometimes my lady can be quite spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Spoiled? How am I spoiled? All I¡¯ve done my entire life is work and train to be the heir my mother wanted.¡±


    ¡°And there it is. You see your life as some kind of burden. Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your position? To be trained and tutored by some of the greatest scholars, warriors, and mages in the entire world? You have never wanted for anything, not food, shelter, wealth, power, prestige, shall I go on?¡±


    ¡°Not everything is as grand as you make it out to be. A gilded cage is still a cage. I was never given a choice of who I wanted to be. I was always the daughter of Lady Veres, I could never be anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Is that so bad?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe not to a Gale. Your family¡¯s devotion to mine is somewhat extreme,¡± Stryga quickly raised her arms just as Gale opened her mouth to object, ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining. I will forever be grateful for your loyalty.¡±


    And that, at least, seemed to pacify the swordswoman.


    Gwyn crossed her arms, ¡°You''re still spoiled.¡±


    Stryga laughed. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You were blessed with nine chromatic colors, nine, and still you lament not having a tenth. Being Lady Veres is not enough for you, now you must be an Ebon Lady as well?¡± Gwyn clicked her tongue, ¡°Spoiled.¡±


    Stryga smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just saying, it¡¯d be nice to heal our sore muscles and blisters, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°And have you be a chromatic white? Never.¡±


    ¡°Come on, white magic is not that bad. We have healers back home.¡±


    ¡°Servants who are healers. And they¡¯d never dare cast White¡¯s other aspect in front of us.¡± Gwyn made a face of disgust, ¡°Bright magic. Ugh. Can you imagine? A Veres tossing out orbs of light like some damn Ivory elf? Blinding all their fellow vampire nobles by accident. The scandal alone¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but you have to admit, that would be kind of funny.¡± Stryga imagined shooting a beam of light across one of her family¡¯s balls and seeing all the guests scrambling to cover their eyes.


    Vampires were always sensitive to light, though it had never bothered her. Stryga smirked to herself, being a hybrid had its perks.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, my lady. A Veres¡¯ magic has always lied in our home Realm¡¯s color, always. Several of your prominent ancestors were even true black mages.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯d rather be a true chromatic Red right about now. We could use synchrony magic to find a way out of this damn forest.¡±


    ¡°You could always just fly us out of here with a wind spell.¡±


    ¡°And have whatever gods that wiped out the Lunisian and Shade armies spot us?¡± Stryga shook her head. ¡°We need to find the Lunisian leaders first and talk to them. The Mother Elect and Silver Mother might have a chance to calm down the gods before we speak to them.¡±


    ¡°If the Lunisian leaders even survived the fall of their city,¡± Gwyn muttered.


    The conversation had suddenly fallen back to the topic Stryga had been trying to not think about the last few days. Memories of her friends lying broken on the ground flooded back into her mind. The thought of her mother sharing the same fate crushed her heart. Stryga clenched her eyes shut and tried to bury the thoughts.


    A familiar noise caught her attention. She stopped and jumped to her feet. ¡°Hey, do you hear that?¡±


    Gwyn drew her blade. ¡°I do not. My ears are not as sharp as yours, my lady. No one¡¯s are.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°...Running water. There¡¯s a river nearby. Come on, let¡¯s go. I could use a bath.¡±


    ¡°Aye, you could.¡±


    ¡°This is why you never became a Shadow.¡±


    ~~~


    Drale heard the goblin before he saw him. Sev hummed a common marching tune as he carried a small sack across his shoulder. Drale stopped walking and turned at his approach.


    Drale saluted. ¡°Ah, sir mage, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    He raised the sack, ¡°I brought you lunch.¡±


    ¡°The captain¡¯s got you delivering food?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯d rather be out with one of the hunting parties, but Nalindor doesn¡¯t dare risk my safety.¡± He sighed dramatically, ¡°I almost got killed once by a giant bear and now everyone thinks I¡¯m made of glass.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Drale took the sack of food. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯d love to be out there hunting as well, instead of patrolling the stream, but we all have our place. If someone gets hurt, there is no one else who can heal our injuries except you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but there is no one to heal for today,¡± Sev wrinkled his nose, ¡°At least for now. The hunting parties have yet to return.¡±


    ¡°So the captain made you deliver food to the patrols?¡±


    ¡°Well, more like I begged him to. It¡¯s the farthest he¡¯ll let me leave the camp. I don¡¯t even know why he bothers,¡± Sev kicked a pebble into the stream as they walked. ¡°Last I checked there are no animals, let alone predators anywhere near the encampment.¡±


    ¡°It is odd, isn¡¯t it? The hunting parties have to keep ranging farther and farther every day just to search for any game. Not that I¡¯m complaining, I¡¯d rather not come across a dire bear.¡±


    ¡°It was just a normal bear, at least normal for this forest.¡±


    ¡°Are there dire bears in Vulture Woods?¡±


    ¡°Oh, definitely.¡±


    ¡°Then my point still stands.¡±


    Sev chuckled. ¡°You know, Lenore thinks it¡¯s an act of providence. The lack of monsters nearby.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the priestess is right. I mean, what are the chances that we found a spot in the entire forest that isn¡¯t teeming with beasts wanting to eat us?¡±


    ¡°You forget, there aren¡¯t any deer or rabbits around here either. No animals of prey at all. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s really a blessing.¡±


    Drale shrugged, ¡°At least we can sleep comfortably at night.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Sev stopped in his steps and sat down cross-legged atop a particularly large, flat rock right on the river bank. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you head back and have your lunch with the others. I¡¯ll take care of the rest of today¡¯s patrol.¡±


    ¡°Sev, the captain said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who cares what Nalindor said? I¡¯m still in the ¡®safe area¡¯ am I not? Come on, I just want to be free for a little bit, away from it all, just for a day. ¡­I need some time to myself.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I do, but there are rules. We are still part of the Lunisian army. The captain¡¯s orders are absolute.¡±


    ¡°Drale, I admire your loyalty to Nalindor and the Lunisian hierarchy, I really do. But we¡¯ve all potentially lost everyone we¡¯ve ever known back in Lunis. So, I think I¡¯d rather have some time alone to mourn them, if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Drale, I swear to Lunae, if you don¡¯t leave me be I will never heal another one of your injuries again. No matter what Captain Nalindor says, do you understand me?¡±


    He swallowed and nodded, ¡°Understood, sir mage. If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± He bowed and walked off.


    Sev waited until Drale was out of sight before speaking up. ¡°You can come out now. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    A long moment passed, the stream¡¯s sounds his only companion. He sighed and stared at the stream, ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re in the river. I can sense the illusion wrapped around you.¡±


    A blade suddenly pressed against his neck. ¡°Do you sense my cold steel on your throat?¡± a threatening voice whispered from behind.


    Sev swallowed, ¡°Um, now I do.¡± He wanted to turn around, but the blade¡¯s point wasn¡¯t budging.


    Slowly, the water in front of him shifted and a head of wet hair emerged. The Blue Rose stared at him with a wary gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­!¡± Sev muttered, eyes wide. He had expected a fellow goblin mage, not the woman responsible for attacking Lunis.


    ¡°Have we met?¡± Stryga asked cautiously.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. A few days ago. You killed a bear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were the healer.¡±


    ¡°The white mage,¡± the woman behind Sev said in disgust.


    ¡°Gwyn, let him go.¡±


    ¡°Very well, my lady.¡±


    Sev breathed a sigh of relief as the sword withdrew from his neck. He turned around and almost stumbled back as he came face to face with a pair of sharp fangs and a deadly glare.


    ¡°If you try anything, I will sever your head before you can blink,¡± Gwyn hissed.


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Sev nodded stiffly. He glanced at Stryga, who was still submerged from the neck down. ¡°So, care to tell me why you¡¯re naked in the water or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fucking Lunisians,¡± Gwyn muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Sorry, I talk a lot when I¡¯m nervous. Or when I¡¯m about to die. Or a vampire is breathing down my neck. Or¡ª You know what, I¡¯ll shut up now,¡± Sev hastily added.


    ¡°...I was taking a bath while my companion kept watch,¡± Stryga admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there was anyone nearby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have killed you and your goblin friend before you even realized it, if it wasn¡¯t for my lady advocating against it,¡± Gwyn growled.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to kill goblins,¡± Stryga said to Sev, though it sounded more like she was trying to remind the vampiress instead.


    The enemy¡¯s War Master wasn¡¯t here to kill them? That sounded odd, but Sev wasn¡¯t about to dispute it. ¡°So you¡¯re not following us, then?¡±


    ¡°Why would we be following you?¡± Stryga asked.


    ¡°Well, you let me live. I thought you might have changed your mind and come to kill me and my comrades.¡±


    Stryga¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Funny, here I thought you had come searching to kill me and my companion.¡±


    ¡°You would have failed,¡± added Gwyn.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even know you¡¯re in Vulture Woods. Actually, why are you here? Not every day you see a War Master without her army,¡± said Sev.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, goblin,¡± Gwyn snapped.


    ¡°Right, of course,¡± he nodded hastily.


    ¡°How did you sense my illusion?¡± asked Stryga.


    ¡°I¡¯m more sensitive to magic than others. Always have been.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Turn around.¡±


    ¡°You heard my lady, turn around.¡±


    Sev did as he was told. He heard Stryga emerge from the water. A part of him wanted to peek at the blue beauty but he clamped the suicidal urge down.


    ¡°You can turn back now,¡± said Stryga.


    He turned slowly, very much aware of the deadly vampire standing next to him, and then he forgot all about her, lost at the sight of the Blue Rose. She wore a tight-fitting pair of black pants and a loose black tunic that showed ample cleavage. Her wet pale hair was tied in a simple ponytail. A sword with a white sheathe hung from her belt.


    As he gazed at her in mute surprise, Stryga looked him up and down in turn, appraising him with her dark purple eyes. ¡°You¡¯re different.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When I last saw you, you didn¡¯t care if I was going to kill you or not. You were fearless. But now¡­ something¡¯s off.¡±


    Sev stared at his hands, he could almost feel the blood coating his fingers from that day. ¡°...I wasn¡¯t fearless. I just knew it didn¡¯t matter. Myn was dying. And I¡­ I couldn¡¯t let one more person die.¡±


    ¡°To face death is a mark of true bravery,¡± now Stryga.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid any more bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered.


    Stryga cocked her head to the side. ¡°You don¡¯t seem particularly happy. Do you not want to live?¡±


    Sev thought of the orphanage back in Lunis. He thought of his friends who were probably still drinking at their local tavern when the Ebon Lords and their armies attacked. He thought of Esme, he remembered holding her as she coughed up blood, an arrow protruding from her chest. She had looked him in the eyes, fear-stricken.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± he answered. ¡°Maybe dying isn¡¯t the worst thing, if it means seeing the people you love again.¡±


    Gwyn¡¯s anger faltered at his words and she lowered her sword slightly.


    ¡°Maybe you are right,¡± said Stryga slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not what I expected,¡± replied Sev.


    ¡°What did you expect?¡±


    Sev met her gaze, her eyes were tired, but there was a strength, a determination behind them. It angered him. What did it matter if she wanted to spare his life, if she had condemned tens of thousands of his people to death?  ¡°Did you really attack Lunis?¡±

 Chapter 587: Chromatic Fire

    Chapter 587: Chromatic Fire


    Sev met her gaze, her eyes were tired, but there was a strength, a determination behind them. It angered him. What did it matter if Stryga wanted to spare his life, if she had condemned tens of thousands of his people to death?  ¡°Did you really attack Lunis?¡±


    Stryga¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°I did,¡± she replied after a long moment.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true what they say? You razed the city to the ground? You slaughtered tens of thousands? Women? Children?¡±


    She swallowed the lump in her throat, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Gwyn jumped in front of Stryga and parried an arrow as it whizzed through the air. ¡°My lady, stay behind me!¡±


    ¡°Sev, get away from them!¡± yelled Drale from a distance. He notched another arrow and aimed at the two vampires.


    ¡°Drale, wait!¡± said Sev.


    But it was too late, Gwyn came up behind him and held her fangs at his neck. ¡°Put the bow down or I rip out your friend¡¯s throat.¡±


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Drale pointed the arrow straight at Gwyn¡¯s head.


    ¡°Drale, don¡¯t. She¡¯s a Gale, you can¡¯t win. Just drop the bow,¡± said Sev in a panic.


    The archer frowned at Sev¡¯s words. Drale examined Gale¡¯s features for a moment, then the blue woman behind her. ¡°Is that¡­ Stryga Veres?¡±


    ¡°Gwyn, stop this, we''re leaving,¡± said Stryga quietly.


    ¡°Should I kill them first?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No. Leave them be. We are leaving.¡±


    ¡°...Very well, my lady.¡± Gwyn leaned forward and whispered into Sev¡¯s ear, ¡°You are lucky, little healer.¡± She then shoved him forward and dashed off into the trees with Stryga before Drale could react.


    Sev stumbled and fell on the smooth stones of the riverbank.


    ¡°Are you alright, sir mage?¡± The broad-shouldered goblin rushed over and helped Sev to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What are you doing here? I told you to leave.¡±


    ¡°I did, sir mage. But then I got to thinking, it was odd how you urged me to just go like that. And then I realized something must have been wrong. So I rushed back and I¡¯m glad I did. Imagine what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t gotten here when I did.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± Sev admitted. What had he been thinking? Talking to the Blue Rose as if she wasn¡¯t a monster that could easily tear him apart limb from limb. They were enemies, it was only natural that she¡¯d want to kill him.


    And yet¡­ She hadn¡¯t. The infamous Blue Rose hadn¡¯t ripped the blood right out from his body or electrocuted him into a charred husk. He¡¯d have thought she¡¯d be bloodthirsty. If anything she seemed¡ª sad?


    ¡°Imagine what the captain will say? The Blue Rose is prowling through the woods. We should hurry back to the camp, sir mage.¡±


    Sev grimaced at the thought.


    ~~~


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me kill them?¡± asked Gwyn with a twist of her lips.


    ¡°The healer didn¡¯t tell his comrades about our presence within the forest,¡± answered Stryga.


    ¡°And do you think that archer will share the sentiment? He clearly wanted to shoot us.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Stryga sighed.


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Because the healer did not deserve to die, neither of them did.¡±


    ¡°But the archer¡ª¡±


    ¡°Was only trying to protect his comrade, a mage at that. Last I recalled, soldiers are supposed to protect their mages from unknown threats.¡±


    Gwyn bowed her head, ¡°...I will adhere to your commands, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°So long as they don¡¯t put your life at risk. Your survival is my top priority.¡±


    Stryga shook her head, the Gales were all the same. She really hoped Gian didn¡¯t grow up like the rest of them. He was a Veres, just as much as she was.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Clarice, wait up!¡± a faint voice echoed in the distance.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Stryga paused.


    ¡°No, my lady? Were we followed?¡± Gwyn drew her sword and went back to back with Stryga.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think so. Follow me,¡± Stryga dashed off into the woods and Gwyn hurried after her.


    They both channeled Orange and cast an agility spell, lessening their weight and amplifying their speed. They ran through the woods, vaulting over bushes and underbrush, and landing with soft steps.


    After a minute Stryga led Gwyn to hide behind a pair of trees. A small party of goblins were making their way through the ashen woods. From the looks of it, they had been coming from the same direction as the healer and archer.


    ¡°Clarice, come on, we can¡¯t keep up!¡± a goblin wheezed between breaths.


    A goblin, far in the lead, turned around and marched back to the others with a scowl on her face. ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t speak so loud, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there. And that¡¯s lieutenant to you, Will.¡±


    The goblin in question raised his hand in a salute, his shoulders heaving with every breath. ¡°Sorry, Lieutenant. It¡¯s just, not all of us were part of the rangers. We¡¯re not used to traveling through these woods. If we could just slow down a bit, then¡ª¡±


    Clarice held her hand up for silence. ¡°I understand you¡¯re all tired. It¡¯s the third time we¡¯re going out today. We haven¡¯t found any food yet, but if we don¡¯t bring anything back, sooner or later we¡¯ll run out of food. We have to do our part, do you understand, soldier?¡±


    Will nodded reluctantly, ¡°Understood, lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll try to take it slower.¡± Clarice waved everyone forward, ¡°Come on. None of the hunting parties have gone this way yet. Hopefully, we¡¯ll find some tracks at least.¡±


    Gwyn and Stryga shared a look and the former urged her lady to leave, but Stryga shook her head and followed after the goblins instead.


    If this Clarice really was a ranger then perhaps she could lead them to Evenfall. The difficult part would be trying to convince the ranger to help them. Perhaps if Stryga hunted down plenty of deer and other fauna then she could trade the food for the woman¡¯s guidance through the woods.


    Maybe she could even get the healer to act as a mediator and broker the deal, he at least seemed willing to speak with Gwyn and her. Though, his questions about her attack on Lunis made her doubt such a hope. The healer undoubtedly had family back in Lunis. If they were dead, then¡­ Stryga wouldn¡¯t fault him if he wanted to see her head mounted on a spike.


    ¡°Deer tracks!¡± Clarice said excitedly and crouched down on the floor. ¡°There are lots of them.¡± She pointed to a large disarray of tracks on the crushed grass and mud.


    ¡°Which way did they go?¡± asked one of the hunters.


    ¡°They were running from something.¡±


    ¡°Something? Like a predator?¡±


    Clarice nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t find any clear footprints, the deers¡¯ tracks stomped over everything. But a bear or wolf if I had to guess, anything larger would have left too big of a mark.¡±


    ¡°Should we go find some help, lieutenant? If it¡¯s like the bear Captain Nalindor found then¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. Whatever beast was after these deer found its prey. Let¡¯s move, there should still be other deer in the area,¡± Clarice stood up and kept walking.


    Stryga kept an eye on them from a distance. Following them while dampening her own footsteps with magic. Gwyn had somewhat calmed down. The thought of eating venison tonight no doubt had put her in a better mood or so Stryga hoped.


    After another half an hour of walking, the hunting party came across a large clearing. Where there had once been ashen trees now there was nothing but scorched black dirt. Charred skeletons of deer were scattered haphazardly over the ground. A lone naked woman lay curled in a fetal position at the center of the clearing.


    ¡°What in bloody Bellum happened here?¡± whispered Gwyn.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Stryga narrowed her eyes and watched from the treeline as the hunters cautiously approached.


    Clarice led the group, her bow in hand, arrow notched, ready to be pulled at a moment¡¯s notice. The others followed behind her, their expressions darkening as they walked through the clearing.


    The lone woman stirred and slowly sat up at their approach. She wore no clothes and her pale skin was covered in patches of soot. She furrowed her brow and scrambled to her feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Clarice said quickly. ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt you. I just want to know what happened in this place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ goblins?¡± she mumbled.


    Clarice nodded. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re soldiers from Lunis. Are you¡ª human?¡±


    ¡°Human?¡± The girl frowned and stared at her own hands. ¡°Ah, right¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Clarice asked again.


    ¡°You can get me out of here? Just you five?¡± the woman asked skeptically.


    ¡°There are more of us. I promise we can help, okay? You have nothing to worry about, just tell us what happened here.¡±


    The woman¡¯s lips formed a thin disapproving line. ¡°Why are you still pointing your bow at me?¡±


    Clarice forced a smile, ¡°Why are you all alone in a forest of monsters?¡±


    ¡°My, you are cheeky¡ª¡±


    Clarice pulled her bowstring and fired before the woman could finish her sentence. But she caught the arrow in mid-flight just as it was about to pierce her neck.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Clarice yelled and fired arrow after arrow.


    The strange woman swatted each projectile with little effort, while the rest of the goblin party ran back to the treeline. The woman suddenly burst into bright green flames, her body melting away into the fire as it grew into an inferno. The blaze died out just as quickly as it had appeared, and from the smoke emerged a black dragon.


    The dragon¡¯s rib cage swelled as she ignited her own chromatic mana. She breathed out flames of all colors, devouring Clarice, before aiming her open maw forward. The flames burned a path through the clearing, catching all the fleeing goblins in one fell swoop.


    Without a second thought, Gwyn threw Stryga to the ground and cast a Green flora spell. The underbrush quickly covered the two of them while Stryga scribbled a few concealment wards over the leaves and roots.


    The black dragon pulled her lips back in what Stryga could only assume was a sneer, revealing a row of sharp fangs. Smoke drifted out of her nostrils and she roared in anger and dominance. Her wings stretched outwards and she took to the sky with a powerful wingbeat.


    ¡°Now I know why there aren¡¯t any animals around here,¡± Gwyn chuckled nervously. ¡°Dragon territory.¡±


    Stryga sat up. ¡°That thing was flying towards the Lunisian camp.¡±


    ¡°Then may the gods have mercy on them. My lady? My lady, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°We have to warn them.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, are you serious? We won¡¯t make it on time!¡±


    ¡°We have to try.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking dragon. What are we supposed to try and do exactly?¡±


    ¡°What I should have done back at Lunis. Save lives.¡± Stryga sprinted away without another word.

 Chapter 588: Dragon

    Chapter 588: Dragon


    ¡°So, help me understand this, please,¡± said Nalindor with a glare. ¡°You encountered the Blue Rose, not once, but twice, and you said nothing!?¡±


    Sev looked at the tent canopy¡¯s walls, rather than meet the captain¡¯s glare. ¡°Well, technically I¡¯m here telling you now after encountering her for a second time, so I think that invalidates your ¡®twice¡¯ argument.¡±


    Nalindor scoffed. ¡°Is that right? Then tell me, would you have said anything if Drale hadn¡¯t caught you?¡±


    ¡°Caught me? You act as if I was in the middle of some crime.¡±


    ¡°Consorting with the enemy is a crime! Punishable by death, you know this.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t consorting with anyone. The first time we met I was about to get mauled by a bear. She killed the bear, then she left. Why? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°And the second time?¡±


    ¡°I sensed her magic in the river and I spoke with her to understand what her intentions were. If she was going to kill us or was she seeking someone else. Either way, I¡¯d have information to work off from.¡±


    ¡°Then why have Drale leave?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Sev laughed incredulously. ¡°So he wouldn¡¯t immediately attack a renowned dangerous archmage and her Gale swordmaster, who could both easily kill Drale and I. Which, might I remind you, is exactly what Drale did the moment he saw them. We could have both ended up dead and antagonized the Blue Rose.¡±


    ¡°Antagonize?¡± Nalindor frowned. ¡°Do you hear yourself? The Blue Rose is our enemy.¡±


    ¡°One that hadn¡¯t killed us yet. Think of what might have happened had she changed her mind. She would have attacked this entire encampment. We¡¯d all be dead.¡±


    ¡°She could still attack our group. Don¡¯t you get that? She¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I was trying to assess the situation carefully and not run in shooting a damn arrow at her.¡±


    Nalindor exhaled in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll head back to Evenfall when things have calmed down and alert them to the Blue Rose¡¯s presence in the forest. Until then, I want you to stay in the encampment. And if for some reason you encounter her again, I want you to run away. The last thing we need is for her to kill our one mage and healer.¡±


    ¡°I doubt she¡¯d try to kill me if I don¡¯t give her a reason to.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s killed plenty of us before. This is war.¡±


    ¡°I know, but for whatever reason she saved my life. I want to know.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®why¡¯ doesn¡¯t matter! How many of us do you think she¡¯s killed? Lunis is gone! Thousands dead, the rest captured or worse! Don¡¯t you fucking understand!? We lost everyone! Our families might all be dead¡­¡± Nalindor¡¯s screams died down by the end of his words. He seemed broken, the pain and worry in his eyes a haunting sight.


    Sev reached out and touched his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know,¡± he said softly.


    Nalindor slapped his hand away. ¡°Do you? Every moment I¡¯m awake I worry if my daughter is even alive, if she¡¯s safe. And here you are justifying talking with the woman who destroyed our home.¡±


    ¡°You know it¡¯s not like that, Nal.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s it like? Hm? Maybe it¡¯s easier for you to deal with that fucking monster because you didn¡¯t have a family to worry about to begin with. The rest of us can¡¯t be so forgiving.¡±


    Sev¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°I am well aware I¡¯m an orphan; you don¡¯t have to remind me of what I¡¯ve lost. I haven¡¯t forgiven the Blue Rose for anything, either. And for what it¡¯s worth, I thought you were my family.¡±


    ¡°Sev¡­ I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. If there¡¯s nothing else, Captain, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Nalindor sighed. ¡°¡­You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Sev turned to leave, but he stopped as he pulled the tent flap back. ¡°¡­Amira is a smart kid. She¡¯s resourceful. If anyone made it out of Lunis, it¡¯s her.¡±


    His lips curled in a tired smile. ¡°Thank you, Sevryn.¡±


    ¡°DRAGON!¡± a goblin shouted from outside, right before a thunderous roar drowned out the goblin¡¯s cry.


    Nalindor and Sevryn dashed out from the tent at once. A black dragon flew low over the camp in wide circles, breathing down chromatic flames that consumed all in its wake. The soldiers were already scrambling to grab whatever bows they had. The archers fired at the dragon, but the arrows skidded off her scales harmlessly.


    ¡°Aim for the wings!¡± Nalindor shouted as he grabbed his own bow and began firing.


    But the archers didn¡¯t hear him over the dragon¡¯s roars. They shot their arrows in a panic, with no regard for where they might hit the massive draconic body. The dragon did another pass and rained down fire where several of the archers were standing. Their screams were cut short as the flames consumed them.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Lenore shouted and ran up to him, the best she could. She stumbled as the dragon flew right above and past her, its wingbeats blowing the old woman off her feet.


    Nalindor reached her side and helped her up. ¡°Lenore, are you alright?¡±


    She nodded with a groan. ¡°These old bones can still walk.¡±


    ¡°I need you to run into the forest, the tree canopy will hide you.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Captain?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some time.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Sev. ¡°Nal, get everyone you can out of here. I¡¯ll buy you all time.¡±


    Nalindor shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re our healer, I can¡¯t risk you¡ª¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only mage in our camp. And I wasn¡¯t asking.¡± Sev channeled White and an orb of light formed above each of his palms. Without warning he thrust his arms forward and the orbs shot out in beams of light crashing into the dragon¡¯s wings.


    The dragon roared in annoyance. She turned her wings and headed towards him.


    Sev glanced back once at his friends. ¡°Go!¡± Then he ran in the opposite direction, firing off beams of light at the dragon''s face. She shook her head and closed her eyes shut as the light blinded her.


    Nalindor didn¡¯t wait for another chance. He ran through the camp, shouting orders, and rallying his people into the trees.


    The dragon used one of her wings to block the light beams and her pupils narrowed to slits as her vision grew accustomed. Her serpentine neck twisted away and she spotted the goblins fleeing. She roared angrily and flew towards them.


    ¡°No!¡± Sev shouted. Red mana exploded within him like never before. His hands moved in a blur. Crimson wards flared to life all around the dragon and formed a cage, trapping her in the sky. She slammed into the wall, but it held.


    The dragon raked its claws across the cage and the wards shook. Sev screamed in exertion and fell to his knees, arms held up as he continued to channel the spell. Suddenly the dragon exploded in a burst of orange sparks and reappeared in front of Sev. The explosion of wind from her Flicker blasted him back and he crashed into a half-collapsed tent. The red ward cage fell apart into particles of light and faded away.


    The dragon stomped towards, her every step shaking the ground beneath them. She narrowed her eyes and stared down at him. ¡°Do you have any idea how much mana it takes to Flicker my body when it¡¯s this size? I¡¯ve wasted practically all my orange mana and for what? A goblin vermin.¡±


    Sev grimaced as he sat up. His arms felt like noodles and his lungs burned with every breath. Before he could say a word, he found himself staring at the dragon¡¯s visage, her glistening fangs mere centimeters from his face.


    ¡°I can sense your aura,¡± the dragon hissed. ¡°You are no archmage, and yet your spell was just as powerful. How did a mere goblin like you surpass your own mortal limits?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    She pulled her neck back up and then dropped her paw over his chest, slamming him to the ground. ¡°Answer my question, mortal.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª don¡¯t¡ª know,¡± he gasped between strained breaths.


    ¡°Why did your spell behave differently? Are you some sort of prodigy? Or is it some other secret you hide?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª don¡¯t know.¡±


    She snarled. ¡°You seem to know very little, vermin. No matter, I¡¯ll find the answers myself.¡± Purple light flared between her scales and ran down her arm and into the tip of her claw. ¡°Once I have bonded you to my will, you¡¯ll have no secrets left to hide from me.¡±


    Sev struggled and tried to escape, but her giant paw felt like a boulder sitting atop his chest. ¡°Please, stop!¡±


    ¡°Vermin do not speak unless asked to.¡±


    The ground abruptly sank underneath him and he fell into the earth before the dirt swallowed him up entirely. The dragon frowned in confusion for a moment before she sensed the Green spellcaster crouched atop a branch in a nearby tree. The dragon roared at the vampire and breathed out fire. Gwyn leaped aside and narrowly evaded the flames.


    A sudden blur caught the corner of the dragon¡¯s eye and she turned in time to feel a chain of lighting arc through her body, slamming her across the encampment.


    ¡°Hold her down!¡± Stryga yelled, electricity still crackling at her fingertips.


    Gwyn threw her hands into the soft earth. Giant vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the dragon, holding her in place. The vines began to tear almost immediately as the dragon thrashed around.


    Several colors surged through Stryga. She cast spell after spell without pause. Storm, Bright, and Flame magic arced through the air in a swirling storm of magic. The dragon threw a Radiant Shield over her body, but the spell cracked and shattered under the magical onslaught.


    Blue mana flowed into the dragon and she used Clarity magic to try and tear apart the weaves of Stryga¡¯s spells, but the magic held strong without being disrupted.


    As her scales cracked against the magical barrage, the dragon channeled Brown and her body fell into a berserker state. She ripped through the vines entangling her and stood tall, even as the spells cut through her.


    Ignoring the pain, she poured mana into her throat and ignited it, and breathed chromatic fire at Stryga. The flames exploded in a plume of flames twice as large as before. Before Stryga even had a chance to react, Gwyn was there, a stone shield in hand. She stepped between Stryga and the fire, and planted the shield in front of herself.


    The fires roared over them, the colors shifting through the spectrum of light in a beautiful deadly display. Gwyn screamed with clenched eyes as she held the shield together even as the flames threatened to break it apart. Stryga channeled her own Green and threw her hands on the shield as well. The roar of the flames drowned out their screams of exertion, and all they knew was heat and pain.


    Suddenly the fires died out. Gwyn¡¯s shield crumbled to ash amidst the smoke. A giant draconic paw swept up from the smoke and slammed Gwyn away in a broken bloody mess.


    ¡°No!¡± Stryga screamed.


    The dragon laughed maniacally, a deep guttural roar. Then her head snapped forward like a snake and bit down on Stryga. She tried to dodge, but the fangs clamped down over her left arm and shoulder.


    Stryga cried out in pain as the fangs sank into her flesh. Her mind darkened with agony. Pain was all she knew. Her other hand suddenly found Krikolm in its grip and as her own blood splashed onto the blood, memories of her ancestors flowed into her. A promise she had once made to those who came before her and to the ones who would come after.


    I am the Sword of our Blood.


    Muscle memory suddenly took over as life force energy swept through Stryga. She clenched her teeth hard and pulled away from the dragon¡¯s fangs, her left arm tearing away in the process. Stryga spun around and stabbed Krikolm into the serpentine neck.


    The dragon flinched backwards and screeched. She scrabbled at the blade in her neck but couldn¡¯t pull Krikolm out. She thrashed on the ground, coughing up blood, and wheezing. Her eyes were full of panic and she suddenly took off to the sky. The flight was unsteady and she crashed into several trees before she disappeared altogether.


    Stryga stood alone, breath short, her purple eyes hard. The adrenaline slowly faded away and she collapsed in a pool of the dragon¡¯s blood and her own.


    ¡°My lady¡­¡± Gwyn called out weakly and dragged herself towards Stryga. Channeling what little mana she had left, she pulled Sev out from the earth.


    He coughed up dirt and sat up with a grimace. Sev looked around, uncertain of what had happened, but he quickly spotted Stryga¡¯s body and Gwyn. He froze.


    ¡°Save her,¡± Gwyn whispered, even as her own consciousness faded. ¡°Save¡­ her¡­ please.¡±


    Sev scrambled to his feet and ran over. At that moment it didn¡¯t matter if she was the Blue Rose or just another vampire or drow. She was dying in a pool of her own blood. Esme¡¯s broken body flashed in his mind¡¯s eye, the sight of her dead in her own blood haunted his waking and sleeping moments.


    Not again. This time, he¡¯d save her.


    White mana flowed into his hands. Sev knelt down next to Stryga and focused on closing the bloody stump where her left arm had once been.


    ~~~


    ¡°Boss¡­? Stryg, are you alright¡ª? Gah!?¡±


    Stryg opened his eyes. It took him a moment to orient himself. He was lying in his bed. His left arm was clenched over Rhian¡¯s leg. He let go in an instant and jumped up in bed, landing crouched on all fours. ¡°Rhian? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    Rhian winced and nursed her leg. ¡°Gods dammit, I think you broke it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Stryg rushed over to her and quickly began to cast a healing spell.


    ¡°What were you doing? You didn¡¯t exactly look asleep or awake.¡±


    ¡°I was¡­¡± He glanced at the book of memories lying on the bed. ¡°Busy.¡±


    ¡°Meditating?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I¡¯ll tell you more about it later. I¡¯m a little disoriented right now.¡±


    Rhian stared at her leg. ¡°Yeah, I caught that,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°I really am sorry, I¡¯ll make it up to you later, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Hey, so, um. I came here to tell you that the council sent an envoy to the manor, they want to hold a meeting today.¡±


    Stryg stopped and looked up at her. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The execution date for Marek.¡±


    ¡°How soon do they want to have it?¡±


    ¡°Soon. Like really soon. The council wants to boost the city¡¯s morale or something. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. Truth be told, Gale should be the one talking to you about this stuff, but she told me that she was off to talk to her patron, whatever that¡¯s supposed to mean. Anyways, Gian is with the envoy right now.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let me finish healing you up here and I¡¯ll get ready.¡±

 Chapter 589: Execution Part 1

    Chapter 589: Execution Part 1


    The sky was a clear cerulean blue and the sun shone brightly the day Marek Helene was chosen to die. Summer was fading and a cool brisk wind of Autumn swept through the plaza of the Central District.


    The council¡¯s decision to execute Marek had passed rather easily. Then they had all unanimously decided to hold the execution as soon as possible, which meant the very next day. Some on the council were eager to see Marek die, others like the de facto leader of the council, Lady Ashe, simply wanted to get it over and done with.


    A crowd of a few thousand had gathered at the plaza, eager to see the event. Workers and mages had erected an execution scaffold the night before at the center of the plaza, along with a tall crescent-shaped stone structure. The latter held seven booths with balconies, one for each of the Ruling Families to view from. The whole crescent structure wrapped around the back side of the scaffold, giving a perfect of the execution to the seven families, without blocking the view of the crowd.


    The entire viewing platform was to give the Ruling Families an air of nobility and power as they looked down from above at the guilty, sentencing them to die. Stryg found the whole thing somewhat pompous and it was annoyingly reminiscent of the Lunar Elect¡¯s chambers where the Elects had denounced his mother. Nonetheless, Stryg had promised Gale and Gian to not comment on the matter. Today he was to play the part of the Lord of House Veres and a lord was not bothered by such things.


    The execution scaffold itself was a simple affair made of wood, a resource not common nor cheap in Hollow Shade. The prisoners, Marek and several of his high-ranking commanders stood in chains behind the scaffold. There was no chopping block or gallows, none of these men and women would die in such a manner.


    A pair of true black mages served as the executioners. They stood at the side in black robes and polished ebony wood masks. In their hands, they held a crystalline orb each. Even from his viewing balcony, Stryg could make out the soul of a shade swirling within the orb.


    Gian and Gale stood behind Stryg, on his right and left respectively. They were his bodyguards and closest advisors, they were his Shields and they radiated power to any who looked at the Veres balcony.


    Stryg had invited his tribe to come and watch, but they all seemed to have their own opinions on the matter. Feli held little interest in watching any public execution and had opted to stay home at the Veres manor. Rhian was much the same and had decided to spend the day with Maximus. Ever since Loh had granted freedom to all the Noir¡¯s beastkins and given them a sack of coins each, the beastkin had looked towards Maximus for leadership, something the giant centaur was not used to.


    Rhian had told Stryg Maximus needed help and support, and while he was inclined to agree, it was difficult for Stryg to read the warrior centaur¡¯s stoic expression. Stryg wasn¡¯t sure if the centaur was pensive or simply wanted to be left alone, either way, Rhian seemed to have a crush on him, so he didn¡¯t voice any of his doubts and let her be.


    It was somewhat odd seeing the chipper Rhian gushing to the quiet, cold Maximus about one mundane thing or another, but he seemed to enjoy her company, or at least he tolerated her enough to not trample her on the spot, which was more than most people could say when it came to Maximus.


    Nora had declined to come. He didn¡¯t blame her. Stryg would much rather spend the day playing with Kamilo too. Maeve, on the other hand, was too busy trying to rebuild her House. Her manor had been destroyed by the dragonbane¡¯s attack and like so many merchant Houses, her businesses had been left in disarray.


    As for Plum, when Stryg told her about the execution she didn¡¯t bother to respond and simply gave him a cold look before walking away. He supposed he deserved that.


    What Stryg didn¡¯t expect was Elise not making an appearance. When he asked Gale about his cousin¡¯s whereabouts, she had told him that she had last seen Elise bringing treats to Blueberry. Stryg didn¡¯t trust Elise much, but he trusted her to not hurt the wolf. She was smart enough to know what would happen if she ever harmed Blueberry.


    For some reason, Elise had become captivated by the frost wolf, or so Gale claimed. Stryg could not for the life of him understand why; all the giant wolf did was eat and sleep all day. He thought Blueberry might miss the forest and long for home, but so far the wolf was content to eat all he could want every day.


    Tauri was the only one who had accepted his invitation. She stood next to him on the balcony. Gian said it was a good show of strength to have both of them side by side in a public appearance. After the fiasco at the dinner party last week there had been many rumors about House Veres and House Katag having a falling out. Their appearance today would help quell those rumors.


    Of course, it would only fan the flames of the other rumors floating about, of how Tauri and Stryg had shared an affair. Not that Stryg really thought it was an affair. He had never really been in a relationship with Elena. The public had different opinions on the matter.


    Krall and Evelyn Katag stood across from Stryg, their viewing balconies were at opposite ends of the crescent structure. Evelyn was giving them a contained, but icy glare, whether it was aimed at Stryg or Tauri he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Judging from the troubled expression on Tauri¡¯s face, she clearly felt the glare too. Stryg wrapped his arm around her waist with a sense of protectiveness and possessiveness.


    She tensed for a moment and glanced at her parents, then back at him, ¡°Stryg what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Let them talk about us, it doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    At that, she lowered her chin in a subtle nod and relaxed into his embrace.


    The Noir¡¯s balcony was next to the Veres¡¯. Loh, Dolores, and Unalla were in attendance. Holo¡¯s son, Atlas, and her granddaughter, Una, were nowhere to be seen. Nor was Loh¡¯s father. Holo or Melantha weren¡¯t there either. Stryg would have guessed his sisters would have appeared, but they were nowhere in sight. Curiously, Lily, the Noir¡¯s seneschal, was standing behind Loh, eyeing the execution scaffold with barely hidden excitement.


    Freya stood at the Goldelm¡¯s balcony alongside a blonde dwarf who sat in a wheelchair. The two looked alike, Stryg guessed they were siblings or perhaps a niece and uncle. Either way, the man didn¡¯t look like he wanted to be here. Nor did Freya. Stryg had barely gotten a chance to talk to her after yesterday¡¯s council meeting. They had promised to have dinner and catch up sometime in the next few days.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    It seemed as if Freya wanted to talk to him about something urgent. He didn¡¯t mind, if he could help his friend he would. Gian also approved of their friendship. The friendship of the Veres and Goldelms had lasted for the last thousand years and the continued relationship would only serve to strengthen both their positions on the council.


    Vayu Glaz stood alone on his balcony. Stryg¡¯s Purple chromatic mentor had seemed to have aged a decade since the last time he had seen him. The drow¡¯s cheeks were sallow and his eyes gaunt. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t slept in days. Vayu had pushed for the execution more than any other council member, yet there was no happiness or even satisfaction in his expression, only grim determination.


    ¡°My lord, you have a visitor,¡± said Gale.


    Stryg turned and to his pleasant surprise saw a familiar face in the doorway of the viewing booth. ¡°Plum, you made it!¡±


    Plum eyed Stryg¡¯s arm around the voluptuous orc¡¯s waist. ¡°Romance in the public eye? What happened to your sense of propriety?¡± she taunted, but there was none of the usual mirth in her voice.


    ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t my favorite troublesome drow. You always did have a way of walking in on us at the most unexpected times,¡± said Tauri with a smirk.


    Stryg stepped over and hugged his friend before stepping back with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Plumela. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come. Is everything alright?¡±


    Plum cracked a small smile. ¡°Look at you, being all empathic. I guess people can change.¡±


    ¡°Just a little,¡± Tauri teased.


    ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think I was going to come, I don¡¯t agree with these sorts of things,¡± said Plum.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think people should be executed for their crimes?¡± interrupted Gale, her voice was taut and her glare dared Plum to disagree with her.


    Plum sighed, ¡°People should pay for their crimes if they are guilty, but no one should be executed by shade devouring. No one.¡±


    ¡°Marek killed my brother, he deserves to die the most painful of deaths. Are you saying he should be spared such a death?¡± asked Gale angrily.


    Stryg looked at his Shadow and gave her a subtle shake of his head. This was not a fight Gale wanted. Plum had lost her mother partly because of Stryg, the last thing he needed was to bring that all back to the forefront. Plum and he were finally in a good place, he didn¡¯t want to ruin that.


    Thankfully, Gale caught his look and relented.


    Stryg turned to Plum and smiled weakly, ¡°It won¡¯t be a shade-devouring this time. Well, at least not for Marek.¡±


    Plum furrowed her brow and glanced at the two mage executioners standing on the scaffold platform. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The council decided that the warlord deserved a more ¡®fitting¡¯ end. He hurt a lot of people, Plum.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better,¡± she sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m only here because I heard something strange. Is it true that you¡¯re sending the Veres army to attack the Cairn Tribe?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. Yeah, it is,¡± he replied.


    ¡°The Valley Tribes have already retreated. Don¡¯t you think attacking the Cairn will only antagonize the other tribes? The city is barely recovering, the last thing we need is another siege,¡± said Plum.


    ¡°Perhaps, but Marek needs to pay for the lives he¡¯s taken,¡± said Stryg.


    Gale nodded silently in approval.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what today¡¯s all about? Making him pay? You¡¯re literally about to watch him be executed,¡± said Plum.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t enough,¡± he replied.


    ¡°How isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Stryg¡¯s voice grew solemn, ¡°Clypeus Gale was a brother to me. And when Marek was about to kill me, Cly saved my life by sacrificing his own. I swore that night that I¡¯d avenge him, I would destroy everything Marek loved. I intend to keep that promise.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know whom Marek loves?¡±


    ¡°His tribemates, of course.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to¡ª what? Kill them all?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    Plum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my gods, you are. Are you insane? You can¡¯t just kill all of them.¡±


    ¡°They are our enemies, they had no problem killing all of us. So long as they live they are a threat to Hollow Shade and those I care about.¡±


    ¡°And if you kill all their warriors, the ones who attacked the city, then what happens to their children?¡±


    ¡°If we let the children live they will grow up with resentment and hatred towards us. They will become a threat even worse than their parents; they will be the heirs of the Cairn Tribe. People will flock to them and this whole war will begin again. But, if we wipe their entire tribe out now, we will send a message to any who would dare threaten us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about killing children, Stryg,¡± Plum whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°How many children do you think died in the siege? How many of my orphans died protecting this city against our enemies?¡± Stryg¡¯s voice broke into a deep growl. ¡°Those children were mine to protect and they died, Plum. Because of Marek and his tribe.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m not sure what orphans you¡¯re speaking about and I¡¯m sorry for your loss, I really am, but this isn¡¯t the way.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re a good person, Plum, perhaps one of the truly few good people in this city. But people in this Realm aren¡¯t like you. They don¡¯t respect mercy, they respect power. If we show mercy to our enemies, the other Great Cities will see us as weak. It¡¯s like you said, Hollow Shade is barely recovering. We can¡¯t afford to seem weak or Murkton, Frost Rim, and Undergrowth will attack us. Even if I hadn¡¯t made my promise to Cly, I have people now who look to me to keep them safe. They are my responsibility. If I have to choose their lives over the Cairn¡¯s, I¡¯ll choose my tribe¡¯s every time.¡±


    Plum clenched her fists tight and tried her best to calm her breathing. ¡°Stryg¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°You wanted us to be friends again, even after everything that happened between us. You wanted me by your side. After the siege, I didn¡¯t plan to stay in Hollow Shade, but you asked me to support you to help rebuild this city. And I stayed, because I thought you could make a difference here. But this isn¡¯t how you do it.¡± She grabbed his hand between her own, ¡°Please, Stryg, don¡¯t do this, I¡¯m begging you. Tauri, tell him.¡±


    Tauri gave her an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Stryg is right. We need to show the Realm that we are strong, that we¡¯re dangerous. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll be the ones in danger. That¡¯s just the way of the Realm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the way of monsters,¡± Plum scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? We can be better than our predecessors. We can choose to show mercy. If you destroy the Cairn Tribe, the Valley Tribes will never forgive us. There will never be peace.¡±


    ¡°Marek worked closely with Caligo; we don¡¯t know if there are others in the Cairn who also made deals with Caligo. I don¡¯t like it either, but we can¡¯t take the risk of letting them live,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°Then at least spare the children, please. They didn¡¯t ask for any of this.¡± Plum leaned in close to Stryg and whispered quietly, ¡°I know you¡¯re a demigod of Death and maybe killing others doesn¡¯t bother you, but you¡¯re still half mortal. Have some empathy for the people who were born like you, powerless. They didn¡¯t ask to be born in the Cairn. If you kill these children, you will be just repeating the mistakes of all the Ebon Lords before you.¡±


    Her final words struck a chord in Stryg and he was reminded of the Ebon Lord Ravellan Lutharik and the others who had waged war on Lunis. He thought of his father and the destruction he wrought upon Ravellan¡¯s army.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your discussion, my lord, but it seems we have company,¡± said Gian.


    Stryg glanced up and spotted small dark silhouettes in the sky, circling around the plaza. He narrowed his eyes, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Dragons?¡±

 Chapter 590: Execution Part 2

    Chapter 590: Execution Part 2


    ¡°What are dragons doing here¡­?¡± Stryg mumbled.


    The mention of the mythological beasts caught Plum and Tauri¡¯s attention. The two of them leaned over the balcony and craned their necks up to try and get a better view.


    The dragons were small colorful shapes in the sky. The sun refracted off their glittering scales as they flew in a circle high up over the plaza. It was not long until the crowds noticed the dragons as well. Many of them began pointing upwards and then the shouting began. Some were curious or excited, most were in terror. The people of Hollow Shade had yet to recover from the attack of the dragonbanes.


    ¡°My lord, we should get you somewhere safe,¡± advised Gale as she gripped the hilt of her sheathed sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree, young master,¡± said Gian.


    Stryg narrowed his eyes and stared up at the dragons. The direct sunlight blinded his sight until the rings of his irises squirmed and suddenly broke. The rings expanded until his purple irises covered the sclera in reminiscence of an owl.


    His world was bathed in a world of black with silver threads outlining every object. Light filtered through the darkened world in the shape of ribbons, the rays of sunlight weaving through the black sky in a dream-like pattern.


    The dragons appeared clear in his altered sight. They were flying in slow circles, staring down at the execution scaffold. They weren¡¯t happy or angry, they looked¡­ somber? Stryg wasn¡¯t sure. He was never particularly good at reading people¡¯s emotions and certainly not those of dragons.


    He really wished his sisters were here. They would know what to do.


    ¡°Young master, we should leave,¡± said Gian.


    Stryg slowly shook his head. ¡°No, let¡¯s stay for now. The dragons aren¡¯t doing anything. They¡¯re just watching. We¡¯ll proceed with the execution as planned.¡±


    Gian stroked his trimmed beard. ¡°Ah, we¡¯ll show a strong front then. Let the people know that we are not afraid of such beasts.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ that too,¡± Stryg added.


    ¡°But if they do get too close I¡¯ll make sure that you escape and you won¡¯t fight me on that, understood?¡± Gale grabbed Stryg¡¯s shoulder in reinforcement.


    Stryg smiled wryly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if it comes down to that I¡¯ll heed your every word.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Gale nodded, satisfied.


    As the voices of the crowds grew in panic, Lady Calantha Ashe leaped off her balcony booth and floated down to the scaffold with an air of grace and a touch of magic.


    The crowds grew quiet at the entrance of the High Priestess and they watched her with a gaze of hope.


    ¡°My people,¡± Calantha began. A yellow spell wrapped around her voice and carried it over the wind and to the crowds all around the plaza. ¡°Do not fret, for the dragons are here only to bear witness.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t know if that was true or not, but at least the crowds were calming down.


    ¡°The dragons were sent by the gods to aid our city and they fought alongside us during the dark night of the siege. Now they have come as omens once more to observe and judge the guilty.¡± Calantha gestured to the line of prisoners in question.


    Now Stryg was certain she was lying. Sure, the dragons had joined their side during the siege, but they had come to fight their eternal enemies, the dragonbanes. They hadn¡¯t come to save the people or on the commands of gods. From what he knew, the dragons and the ebon god titans were on tenuous terms at best and wanted to kill each other at worst. His own father had killed countless dragons throughout the millennia. If Stjerne were here right now, he¡¯d probably fly up there and slaughter every single last one of them.


    Memories from his great-grandmother¡¯s book flooded his mind once more. He was reminded of the carnage Stjerne had left in the wake of Lunis¡¯ destruction.


    ¡°...And so let us begin with the warlord himself,¡± Calantha ended her speech and directed the guards to bring the prisoner forward.


    The guards yanked Marek¡¯s chains and dragged him up the stairs and onto the scaffold. He looked worse than when Stryg had visited him a few days prior. Marek was dressed in what was once a simple white tunic. Now it was stained with blood and dirt, torn and frayed from where he had been beaten and tortured. His beard had grown unkempt and the blonde hairs had dried blood on them. His left eye was swollen shut and his face was gaunt as if he hadn¡¯t eaten in days, which Stryg guessed he probably hadn¡¯t.


    The crowd booed at Marek and cursed his name. When he reached the front of the scaffold, the guards grabbed his shoulders and forced him onto his knees.


    Calantha raised her arms to the sides. ¡°My people, I give you the Dusk King himself. The warlord of the valley. The chieftain of the Cairn. The man who dared defy the gods and our Great City of Shades.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s voices grew louder with spite and anger.


    Plum furrowed her brow. ¡°Stryg¡­ You said the council decided that Marek should have a more ¡®fitting end.¡¯ What exactly did you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°There are many people Marek hurt. Many on the council wanted his head. I certainly wanted to rip his throat out,¡± Stryg admitted. ¡°But in the end, we decided that there was one person who Marek took more from than any one of us. He has claims over Marek¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡± asked Plum.


    ¡°I call upon the Great House of Helene to lead us in the first and most vital of the executions,¡± said Calantha.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    A young boy, no older than 10 walked up scaffold steps. An older woman, his advisor and caretaker walked beside him, pushing him along with a gentle hand on his back.


    ¡°Stryg, you cannot be serious,¡± Plum said in horror. ¡°He is just a child.¡±


    ¡°And Marek murdered his family right in front of him,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let the boy do this. You¡¯ll scar him for life!¡±


    ¡°Plum¡¯s right, Stryg. This is wrong,¡± said Tauri.


    Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°Why?¡±


    Plum stared at his curious expression and realized he actually didn¡¯t understand the implications of having a child kill another human being. ¡°You really aren¡¯t like us, are you?¡± she whispered. ¡°Does your kind hold so little value for our small short lives? Is that why the Ebon Realm is so broken, because its rulers are coldhearted gods who care nothing for mortal kind?¡±


    ¡°I care for your life, Plumela,¡± said Stryg sincerely.


    ¡°And theirs? The people outside your tribe?¡± She pointed to the people down on the plaza.


    He glanced at the thousands of unfamiliar faces. ¡°Should I?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you have to ask that question is the problem,¡± Plum sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Lord Tristan Helene, may you avenge your House with dignity and honor.¡± Calantha drew her ceremonial dagger from within her sleeve and offered it to him.


    Tristan grabbed the gilded dagger with shaky hands and tried his best to put on a brave face for the crowds. His advisor leaned into his ear and whispered, ¡°Hold your head up high and do not hesitate, young master.¡±


    ¡°R-Right,¡± Tristan swallowed. He turned and stepped up to Marek.


    The warlord looked up in surprise with his one good eye. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°So you got away after all¡­ good for you.¡±


    ¡°I am going to kill you,¡± said Tristan anxiously, though it sounded more as if he was trying to convince himself.


    Marek bowed his head in resignation. ¡°Do what you must.¡±


    ¡°Y-You killed my mom and dad.¡± The boy bit his lip, ¡°Why?¡±


    Marek glanced up and for a moment there was shock in his expression, but then it turned bitter. ¡°...Your grandmother, Alessandra, was my mother¡¯s younger sister. My mother was the firstborn, she was to inherit the Helene throne. But Alessandra was envious, she betrayed her. Your grandmother killed my parents and slaughtered half my tribe.¡±


    ¡°So you wanted revenge?¡± the boy asked, but there was no anger in his voice.


    Marek licked his cracked bloody lips and swallowed. ¡°I wanted to cause her the same pain she wrought upon me. I thought if I avenged my tribe, then it would somehow all be worth it. All the destruction, all the death, and pain¡­ I thought¡­ I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± he scoffed softly. ¡°It all seems so worthless now. Just kill me and be done with it. I deserve nothing more. A fitting end for the legacy of the Helenes, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Tristan slowly raised the dagger to Marek¡¯s chest, right above his heart. The boy¡¯s hands shook. Tears fell down his cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Tristan dropped the dagger and ran into his caretaker¡¯s arms. He cried and buried his face into her side.


    Calantha smiled stiffly at the crowd and walked over to Tristan. ¡°What is happening?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°My lord does not wish to take the man¡¯s life,¡± said the caretaker sympathetically.


    Calantha sighed, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m afraid. The council decided that House Helene has the rightful claim over Marek¡¯s life. If the young lord does not wish to kill the prisoner, then one of his servants must complete the task.¡±


    ¡°I will do it then,¡± said the caretaker. ¡°But I don¡¯t want my lord to have to watch.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tristan stepped back. He sniffed, rubbed his eyes, and looked up at the high priestess, head held high. ¡°If my House has claims over Marek¡¯s life, then I choose to spare him.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Calantha frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Tristan glanced at his caretaker.


    The older woman nodded slowly, ¡°The council gave House Helene the claim over Marek¡¯s life. As lord of House Helene, you can do what you want with him.¡±


    ¡°Then I choose to spare him,¡± said Tristan.


    ¡°Why?¡± Calantha asked incredulously.


    ¡°...My mom hated all this fighting, she always told me I needed to be better than those before us. She wanted me to be better¡­¡± Tristan balled his tiny fists and glanced at Marek. ¡°I won¡¯t let this be my family¡¯s legacy.¡±


    ¡°If you do this the Ruling Houses will turn on you,¡± warned Calantha.


    He glanced up at his caretaker. ¡°Will you turn on me?¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± she smiled.


    Tristan nodded, turned to the crowd, and took a deep breath, ¡°House Helene will spare the prisoner¡¯s life! He will serve his sentence as a prisoner in my House.¡±


    The crowd broke out in boos and angry shouts, and cursed the Helene name.


    ¡°He can¡¯t really do that, can he?¡± asked Stryg from his balcony.


    ¡°You and the rest of the council gave him the claim over Marek¡¯s life,¡± replied Gale. She bared her fangs in displeasure. ¡°Do not worry. I swear to you, I will find a way to rectify this. Marek will not escape.¡±


    ¡°Marek must die, but I must admit the boy has more courage than men twice his age,¡± mused Gian. ¡°It seems that the House of Helene may still have a future yet, if they can survive the coming storm.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Plum said, a trace of pride in her voice.


    ¡°MAREK HELENE,¡± a voice boomed over the plaza.


    The crowd shouted and pointed at a mysterious cloaked figure that had suddenly appeared on the execution scaffold. Stryg didn¡¯t need to see underneath the stranger¡¯s hood, he recognized his sister¡¯s voice.


    Calantha Ashe stepped between Tristan and the stranger. ¡°Who are you¡ª?¡± She froze as she peered underneath the hood. ¡°Y-You¡­¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± said Melantha. She walked past the stunned High Priestess and made her way to Marek.


    ¡°H-Hey stop!¡± shouted Tristan, but his caretaker quickly pulled him back.


    ¡°Halt!¡± The guards holding Marek down rushed at Melantha.


    She slapped them away with what seemed to be a gentle flick of the wrist, but the guards went flying off the scaffold and crashed into the crowd.


    The two executioners on standby summoned forth their shades, a pair of ghostly black souls that screeched as they emerged from their orbs. Melantha glanced at the shades and they cowered underneath her cold gaze, before quickly slipping back into their orbs, much to the shock of their mages.


    The crowd broke out into a thousand different voices, all shouting various opinions. Confusion about Marek¡¯s relation to House Helene and the stranger¡¯s appearance echoed throughout.


    Marek stared at Melantha¡¯s approach grimly. ¡°Are you one of Caligo¡¯s servants?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I tried to kill Caligo.¡±


    ¡°So did I,¡± Marek admitted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change my question.¡±


    ¡°I am no god¡¯s servant, nor shall I ever be.¡±


    ¡°Then who are you?¡±


    ¡°Your reckoning.¡± Melantha raised her hand and held it over his face. ¡°MAREK HELENE, FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST YOUR OWN KIN AND THE EBON REALM, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH AND ETERNAL DESPAIR.¡±


    Her pale hand turned into its original blue shade and her fingers began to glow a faint indigo. Marek suddenly began screaming in agony and tried to escape but he could not move as if an invisible grip was holding him in place. His eyes rolled up and the white wisp of his soul was dragged out of his mouth and into her open palm. Marek¡¯s body went slack.


    The wisp of his soul coalesced into a small marble of light and disappeared as Melantha closed her hand over it. The goddess of death turned to the crowd and then in a flash of blue light she disappeared.

 Chapter 591: Divine Magic

    Chapter 591: Divine Magic


    The goddess of death turned to the crowd and then in a flash of blue light she disappeared. The people broke out into shouts of confusion and terror at Melantha¡¯s display of power.


    Calantha Ashe raised her arms for quiet and when that didn¡¯t work she channeled Yellow and cast a wind spell. Her voice suddenly carried through the entire plaza, ¡°The gods have spoken!¡±


    At the mention of the gods, the crowd¡¯s cacophony stifled to a quiet whisper. Stryg was impressed at how quickly Lady Ashe calmed down the people. Her position as the city¡¯s High Priestess carried more weight than he had realized.


    ¡°The gods have spoken and have carried out their sentence on our enemy¡¯s leader,¡± Calantha gestured to Marek¡¯s slumped body. Though her words had pacified the crowd¡¯s confusion it had incited their angry fervor in its wake.


    Stryg narrowed his owl-like eyes and stared at Marek. Calantha was right. He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but he was certain that whatever magic his sister had cast had ripped the soul out of Marek. Melantha the Blue hadn¡¯t touched him but she had killed Marek.


    A knot of anger burned in the pit of Stryg¡¯s stomach. He felt cheated. For more than a year he had trained harder than ever before for a single purpose. Vengeance. He had begrudgingly given up that honor to Tristan on account of the boy¡¯s loss, but if Tristan was going to spare Marek then Stryg would have seized the chance to avenge Clypeus, but now his sister had taken it away.


    Melantha¡¯s flash of magic had blinded the onlookers, but Stryg¡¯s divine sight had seen her just fine. In his world of darkness and silver outlines he saw his sister slip into the crowd. Even now she was still moving away from the execution scaffold.


    ¡°The gods have cast their judgment and we shall oblige!¡± Calantha gestured for the guards to bring up the next prisoner.


    The mage executions resummoned their shades and to their relief, the shades answered, instead of cowering as they had before in Melantha¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I can¡¯t watch this,¡± Plum mumbled, wide-eyed. She paled at the sight of the shades and began to tremble uncontrollably.


    Tauri noticed and quickly held up her cloak and wrapped Plum in a hug, obscuring her vision. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Plum nodded with a whimper and buried her face in Tauri¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Stryg, I¡¯m going to take Plum to the manor,¡± Tauri whispered.


    He nodded distractedly. ¡°Take the carriage, I¡¯ll meet you there in a while.¡±


    Tauri gave him an appreciative look and headed down the stairs. Stryg turned away from the balcony and followed after them.


    ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Gale crossed her arms and stared at Stryg pointedly.


    ¡°My sister just killed Marek. I intend to find out why,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Uh uh, you¡¯re not going off on your own again. I am your Shadow.¡± Gale grabbed the edge of Blossom and yanked the flower cloak, causing Stryg to stumble back a step.


    ¡°She is right,¡± said Gian.


    ¡°Then come with me, Gale. Hurry, before Melantha gets away,¡± said Stryg. As if sensing his will, Blossom¡¯s petals bristled at Gale¡¯s touch and slipped out of her grasp.


    ¡°Stryg, this execution is important, it is a show of power to the rest of the city and its nobles. A Veres must stay and show their presence, it represents their will and approval of the execution,¡± explained Gian.


    ¡°Lucky for me I¡¯m not the only Veres here, am I?¡± Stryg grinned at the old vampire.


    Gian frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°I think we both know you do, uncle. Come on, Gale, let¡¯s go.¡± Stryg didn¡¯t wait for an answer and hurried down the stairs.


    ¡°That boy is going to get me killed,¡± Gale grumbled under her breath, before following him anyway.


    Gian sighed, but his lips curled in a slight grin.


    ~~~


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Gale.


    Stryg and she had been walking for the past half-hour. They had already left the Central District and were currently making their way through the edge of the Trade and Bourge Districts.


    The beautiful duo attracted attention, particularly Stryg¡¯s unique appearance and his white flower cloak. Gale¡¯s hand hovered over her sword and warded off anyone who drew too close. Stryg didn¡¯t notice, he was too busy searching for his sister.


    Stryg abruptly stopped walking and cocked his head to the side as he had done multiple times already. ¡°Melantha went this way,¡± he said, then took a turn down the street.


    ¡°How do you know that? We lost sight of her ten minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just do.¡±


    ¡°Is this like one of those bluffs, where you hope your gut feeling is right? Or is this more like your Traveler senses kicking in?¡±


    ¡°Traveler¡ª? I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s a thing. Is it?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ask me, you¡¯re the demigod, or god. I¡¯m still not quite sure about the nomenclature.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Neither do I. I don¡¯t feel like a god.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel mortal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just feel like¡ª me. I guess.¡±


    ¡°Okay, not much to go off of.¡± Gale tapped her chin. ¡°Let¡¯s see, Stjerne is the Traveler, people pray to him to keep them safe and guide them in their travels. Maybe you can do the same?¡±


    Stryg faltered a step. ¡°I failed to protect the people I traveled with,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Clypeus¡¯ death wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Stryg stopped and smiled back at her, albeit weakly. ¡°...Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.¡±


    She nodded stiffly and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. ¡°Right, let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°So, the Traveler is supposed to be the ultimate wayfinder, yes? He leads people wherever they need to go.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°So, can you do that?¡¯


    ¡°I led people to war and we won, does that count?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, you were unconscious for the latter half of that night.¡±


    ¡°You try and kill a dragonbane and be fine afterwards,¡± he grumbled.


    She chuckled. ¡°Look, there¡¯s gotta be some other time you¡¯ve guided people, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything. I usually get lost.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This city is huge, several times bigger than Evenfall. It¡¯s easy to get lost in all its streets and corners. Ever since the first day I came to Hollow Shade, I got lost.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that very first day I escaped a slaver and just ran off into the streets, not really knowing where I was going,¡± he said absentmindedly.


    ¡°And yet you somehow managed to become a student at the mage academy?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it wasn¡¯t exactly that simple.¡±


    ¡°But you did it anyway. Maybe you can navigate through this.¡±


    ¡°And what is ¡®this¡¯ supposed to be in your context?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, all of this,¡± she gestured wildly around herself.


    ¡°Yeah, that definitely clears things up,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°Okay, um, what else¡­ Oh! What about the stars? Can you read the stars, read the future?¡±


    ¡°You know, you seem oddly excited about ¡®all of this.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re the son of an ancient cataclysmic deity. Tell me you aren¡¯t even a little curious about what sort of powers are running through your veins.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a little curious,¡± he admitted quietly.


    She nudged his shoulder, ¡°Alright then. So, can you read the future in the stars or not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can read the future like that, otherwise Caligo wouldn¡¯t have been so interested in capturing Maeve.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you at least read the stars? I mean not right now, of course. It¡¯s barely noon.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Stryg glanced up at the sky, his irises still large enough to cover the whites of his eyes. ¡°I can see the stars.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, everything sort of gets dark when my irises break open wide.¡±


    ¡°That sounds painful.¡±


    ¡°It is when it happens, but the pain disappears quickly. My eyes just go back to normal after a few hours if I don¡¯t stare at anything too bright.¡± He blinked. ¡°Right now everything sort of looks dark and is covered in silver outlines. But the stars¡­ they¡¯re perfectly clear in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Can you read them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a sailor. I¡¯m a Sylvan. We don¡¯t get trained in how to read stars.¡±


    ¡°But your father is the Navigator in the Azure Realm, right? He is the patron of sailors. That has to count for something.¡±


    ¡°If that was the case then I¡¯d be able to swim instead of sinking into the water like a rock. I don¡¯t think my father¡¯s blood helps me read some stars either.¡±


    ¡°Well, have you ever tried?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re stars. What am I supposed to do¡ª?¡± He furrowed his brow.


    ¡°What? What is it? Can you see something?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°Not like that. It¡¯s the dragons. They¡¯re flying towards the Sylvan encampment. Actually¡­ my sister is headed that way too.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can see them?¡± Gale squinted up at the sky. What had once been a clear blue sky was now mostly shrouded in cloud cover. ¡°Can you see through the clouds?¡±


    ¡°There are clouds¡­?¡±


    ¡°So your divine magic lets you see through the clouds? That¡¯s¡­ interesting,¡± Gale mused thoughtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s elemental chaos magic, actually.¡±


    ¡°Same thing in this case.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t argue with that. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hurry. If I¡¯m right, they¡¯re heading to find Lunae.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Did your divine senses tell you that?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡ª why else would the dragons and Melantha be heading to the Commoner District? It¡¯s just common sense.¡±


    Gale smiled and cupped her hands over her mouth, ¡°~Divine magic~¡±


    He rolled his eyes.


    ~~~


    Stryg found Lunae in an abandoned temple she had taken residence in. The Sylvan priestesses had cleaned it up and dedicated it to the Mother Moon. The guards had let Stryg and Gale in as they approached and led them to an open-air pavilion.


    As he guessed, Melantha was with Lunae, as was Holo. There were others also in the room. Unfamiliar faces with sharp features, dressed in strange fine garments. They turned and glanced at Stryg¡¯s entrance.


    He noticed their slit pupils and immediately recognized them for what they were; dragons. Like Lunae, they had somehow shapeshifted into humanoid form. Though, as Stryg thought about it, he wasn¡¯t certain which was Lunae¡¯s true form, the towering wolf or the silver woman smiling at him right now.


    ¡°Stryg, come,¡± she gestured to him.


    He walked over without a word, occasionally glancing at the draconic visitors. He caught Melantha¡¯s eye for a moment but she was more focused on the dragons. He was beginning to realize his talk with her would have to wait.


    Gale didn¡¯t follow him and instead, stepped to the side and walked over to the corner of the room, and joined Arden in keeping watch over the rest. The gruff goblin glanced at her with a cocked eyebrow.


    ¡°Lord Guardian,¡± Gale nodded calmly and resumed her watchful post.


    Arden grunted, but said nothing more.


    ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on?¡± Stryg whispered to Lunae, which he quickly realized was probably pointless. The dragons probably had sharp ears.


    ¡°Another child of Death?¡± asked one of the dragon humanoids. His hair was a stark magenta-red and his eyes were a brilliant amber that seemed to burn with an inner fire.


    Lunae wrapped her arm around Stryg and growled deeply. ¡°My child. Mine.¡±


    The man glanced at the two of them skeptically but nodded in acquiescence. ¡°Of course, my mistake.¡±


    ¡°Our draconic guests have just arrived,¡± explained Lunae. ¡°We were exchanging pleasantries before you walked in, Little One. Now, I assume you have come for your sister¡¯s sake, Reldros.¡±


    ¡°Your sight is as sharp as ever,¡± the dragon noted. ¡°We hoped to speak to you and the daughters of Death.¡± He gestured to one of his people who then walked forward, carrying in his arms an unconscious woman.


    ¡°Zavinti,¡± Holo whispered in recognition. She hovered over her old friend and stroked her hair. Zavinti breathed softly but showed no signs of waking up. ¡°When I saw Caligo riding her into battle I hoped I had seen wrong¡­ But it really was her, wasn¡¯t it? What did Caligo do to your sister?¡±


    ¡°We were hoping you could tell us,¡± said Reldros.

 Chapter 592: Broken Soul

    Chapter 592: Broken Soul


    ¡°Zavinti,¡± Holo whispered.


    Holo stood over her old friend and stroked her hair. Zavinti breathed softly but showed no signs of waking up. ¡°When I saw Caligo riding her into battle I hoped I had seen wrong¡­ But it really was her, wasn¡¯t it? What did Caligo do to your sister?¡±


    ¡°We were hoping you could tell us,¡± said Reldros.


    Now Holo understood why Reldros was being so polite. The red dragon was usually short-tempered. He was proud to be the son of a dragon lord and it showed in the way he spoke down to others. Zavinti was the more reasonable of the two and she often was left in charge when Kaleidrog was away.


    But Kaleidrog was dead, Zavinti was in some sort of coma, and half of the dragon lord¡¯s brood was killed in their battle against the dragonbanes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Holo muttered.


    Reldros glared at her. ¡°My sister is not dead.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡ª What I meant to say is, I¡¯m sorry for your losses during the siege.¡±


    Reldros nodded stiffly, somewhat mollified. ¡°My father knew his enemy, he knew what he would face when he ordered us to fly into battle. ¡­I just don¡¯t know why he never told me about Caligo or her true identity.¡±


    ¡°Because Kaleidrgo was ashamed,¡± said Stryg.


    The retinue of humanoid dragons all turned to Stryg at once, their eyes full of skepticism. Anger burned in Reldros¡¯ eyes and he struggled to swallow his temper. After a long, tense breath, he spoke, ¡°And what would you know about my father, godling?¡±


    Holo shook her head subtly, but Stryg ignored her warning and answered, ¡°Ananta fought to protect Kaleidrog and the other dragons from her father, the primordial Unildyr. It was Ananta and her mate, the dragon king Vismarya that ended the war and saved your dragon-kin. And how did Kaleidrog and the other dragon lords repay them? They betrayed Ananta and tried to kill her. She only survived because Vismarya sacrificed himself. Everything that¡¯s happened since, the Sundering, the Schism, the culling of your species by the Calamities, this entire war and the war that will surely follow, it¡¯s all because of your parents and the other dragon lords. That¡¯s why Kaleidrog was ashamed.¡±


    The dragons growled as Stryg spoke, but only Reldros replied. ¡°And how would you, an infant, know of such matters?¡±


    ¡°Ananta told me,¡± said Stryg without thinking.


    ¡°And you expect us to believe the words of that manipulator? Over our own dragon lord?¡±


    ¡°She had no reason to lie. I saw the pain and rage in her eyes.¡± Stryg shook his head, ¡°She wasn¡¯t lying. Not about that.¡±


    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s settled then, hm? We¡¯ll just take the judgment of an infant as truth,¡± Reldros scoffed.


    ¡°Leave him alone, Reldros. Before I rip out your throat with my fangs,¡± Lunae growled and stepped in front of Stryg. Even in her humanoid form, she towered over the others. Reldros stood taller than the rest and even he barely reached her hip. Only Holo and Melantha in their true forms came close, but both of them had opted for their human appearances.


    Yet Lunae¡¯s threat did not quell the brood¡¯s anger. ¡°You are but three titans and a baby, you¡¯d stand no chance,¡± said one of the dragons.


    ¡°Maybe. But for that,¡± Melantha and she pointed at the dragon, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first.¡±


    The dragon paled and took a step back.


    Stryg glanced around anxiously. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a battle between gods and dragons. From what little Holo had told him, Kaleidrog¡¯s son and daughter were gods in their own right.


    Holo stepped in between the two groups and raised her hands placatingly. ¡°There is no need for us to fight.¡±


    ¡°...She is right.¡± Reldros glared at his dragons into silence, ¡°We are here for their help, not a battle.¡± He bowed his head to Lunae, earning a few quiet gasps from his brood. ¡°Forgive my own for their disrespect. They are¡ª on edge, after the battle. We have lost many. I only hope you can help us save one.¡±


    ¡°Make your ask, but stay away from Stryg,¡± Lunae replied.


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Stryg looked up at the Mother Moon. ¡°Thanks, ah¡ª!¡±


    Lunae picked Stryg up by the scruff of his neck and planted him behind her. ¡°Stay quiet and only listen. If you cannot do that, then Arden will escort you outside until this is all over.¡±


    Chastised, Stryg nodded mutely, his pointed ears drooping more than usual. Lunae gestured to Reldros to continue.


    ¡°We know Caligo and my sister fought in the valley a few weeks ago. I saw the wreckage and aftermath of their battle, but I couldn¡¯t find her, until the night of the siege. Caligo somehow was controlling Zavinti, I¡¯m just not sure how. After Caligo and the dragonbanes retreated, my brood and I were able to subdue my sister. She resisted and struggled, but in the end, she reverted to this form and hasn¡¯t woken up since. I believe Caligo did something to her dragon bond.¡± Reldros looked at Holo and Melantha, ¡°We were hoping the daughters of Death might know more, given your nature and abilities to do with souls.¡±


    Holo winced in understanding. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Reldros.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, as half-titans, we¡¯ve inherited the blood and nature of our father. All his children are inextricably connected to his Core Aspect, death. But we can also inherit some of his other Aspects. I myself inherited his Traveler and Navigator Aspects, my connection to those two is stronger than with the Core Aspect.¡±


    Reldros frowned. ¡°So you cannot help us?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, but she can,¡± Holo gestured to her sister.


    Melantha stepped forward and gently ran the back of her hand over Zavinti¡¯s cheek. ¡°I am closest to my father¡¯s Core Aspect. And you¡¯re right. There is something wrong with Zavinti¡¯s bond.¡±


    ¡°A dragon¡¯s bond is sacred, unique. We can only bond once in our entire lives and most of us never do. It¡¯s dangerous and finite. If that bastard somehow forced the bond on her, then¡ª¡± Reldros clenched his fists and tried his best to contain his fury.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the bond that Caligo changed, well, not directly. It was her soul.¡± Melantha narrowed her eyes, ¡°It seems that Caligo broke Zavinti¡¯s soul into fragments and then held them together with his own power. I think it¡¯s how he was able to force her into a bond. And when Caligo left, the power holding her fragmented soul left as well. It¡¯s amazing her soul is even still intact, it speaks volumes of her power and will.¡±


    ¡°Can you fix it? Her soul?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Melantha admitted. ¡°Our power is over the souls of the dead. I could try and repair her soul but I would kill her in the process.¡±


    ¡°What good would that do?¡± he scowled.


    ¡°Your sister is living on borrowed time. Her fragmented soul can only hold on for so long. Eventually, sooner rather than later, her soul will break entirely and she will not go to the Soul Chasm, instead, she¡¯ll simply cease to exist entirely.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he whispered softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a great plan, but if I repair your sister¡¯s soul, though she¡¯ll die, Zavinti will go to the Soul Chasm and join your father. The Chasm¡¯s gates have been shut ever since the Schism, so Zavinti nor any other soul will be reborn into the world, but there is still hope. Someday the Soul Chasm¡¯s gates will reopen and the cycle of rebirth will continue. You may see your sister again.¡±


    ¡°Would she even be a dragon in her new life?¡±


    ¡°Souls each have their own peculiar shape. They are reborn in the same kind of body from their previous life. A drow will still be a drow. However, dragons are not native to this world, I¡¯m not sure a dragon¡¯s soul can even be reborn, let alone into a dragon.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ she¡¯ll be gone forever?¡±


    Melantha sighed, ¡°I can make an exception.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I am a goddess of death. I could travel to Soul Chasm and locate your sister¡¯s soul and guide her into the Chasm¡¯s gates myself, and ensure she is reborn. I can¡¯t make any promise that she¡¯d still be a dragon and the gates are still closed as we speak.¡±


    Stryg stared at his sister wide-eyed. Not only was the Soul Chasm real, but his sister could actually visit it?


    ¡°What of my father?¡± asked Reldros suddenly. ¡°And my mother?¡±


    Melantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°You are asking for a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to pay. Anything. A favor for a favor.¡±


    Melantha shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s out of my control.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you were a goddess of death? How is the realm of the dead out of your control?¡±


    ¡°I am a goddess of death, I am not Death himself. Need I remind you, it was my father who killed your mother? Who knows what happened to your mother¡¯s soul? If it wasn¡¯t completely obliterated by Death, then he probably buried her somewhere deep in the Chasm where she could never be found. Or worse, he¡¯s using her soul for one of his experiments, or he¡¯s simply torturing her soul for all eternity. There are a thousand different things that could have happened to her, none of them are good. Need I say more?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Reldros swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°No. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    The pride and anger in the dragon brood¡¯s faces died out as Melantha spoke and was replaced with a deep sadness and bitterness.


    ¡°¡­What of my father?¡± asked Reldros.


    ¡°Kaleidrog was also a dragon lord, just like your mother. Even if Death didn¡¯t kill him, I¡¯m certain he was waiting for Kaliedrog¡¯s soul in the Chasm. My father isn¡¯t a merciful being. The Calamities were born for one purpose. Kaleidrog¡¯s fate was sealed long ago. He knew that. I suspect it¡¯s one of the reasons why he avoided confronting Caligo in the first place.¡±


    ¡°So when my father sacrificed himself to stop the titan queen¡­ he knew what would happen to him?¡±


    Melantha nodded. ¡°Kaliedrog wanted you and your sister to live. He chose your future over his own.¡±


    ¡°And now my sister is going to die, no matter what I do,¡± he mumbled in a broken voice.


    ¡°There may be another way,¡± said Holo.


    Reldros¡¯ head snapped up. ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s risky,¡± admitted Holo.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If there is some way to save my sister I need to try.¡±


    Holo paced in a circle, speaking her thoughts aloud. ¡°The greatest of chromatic mages have powers that surpass an arch mage. I myself am one of them, but my chromatic abilities come from countless years of training and my titan¡¯s physiology allowing me to handle spells of incredible amounts of mana at once without burning myself up from the inside. And yes, I am talented in magic, moreso than practically anyone alive, I was born to be so, the result of countless generations of selective breeding.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± asked Reldros impatiently.


    ¡°My point is, that despite all of those things, there are beings whose chromatic magic surpasses even my own, even yours. A select few were born throughout the ages whose chromatic abilities came naturally to them, even more easily than it did to dragons. Parathyan was one of them. My sister is another,¡± Holo gestured to Melantha. ¡°She was casting Blue spells when she was still just a toddler.¡±


    ¡°And yet her chromatic powers only account for half her strength, and even she cannot save Zavinti,¡± said Reldros.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t only about raw power. Parathyan was not a warrior and yet his creations marveled even the gods. He changed everything when he created the Realm Gates. The chromatic abilities of people like Parathyan defied all limits of what was once thought possible. There is another, one who could save your sister. Wren the Black.¡±


    ¡°Wren¡­?¡± Reldros muttered.


    ¡°The greatest black mage alive. Wren is a true mage, a master of soul magic. No one knows how old they are, all I know is that Wren is a mortal who has lived for thousands of years by migrating their soul from one body to another.¡±


    Reldros wrinkled his brow. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°As I said, people like Wren defy all limits of what was once thought possible. If anyone could heal your sister¡¯s soul it is Wren.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Where do I find this Wren the Black?¡±


    Holo grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Wren is elusive. They usually never reveal their identity. I don¡¯t know what body they¡¯re inhabiting. I¡¯m not even sure which of the ten Realms they¡¯re in right now.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that it¡¯ll be difficult to find Wren¡­ and my sister is running out of time,¡± Reldros muttered.


    ¡°Melantha can heal your sister¡¯s soul right now, but Zavinti will die in the process.¡±


    ¡°Or I can try and find Wren the Black, but if I¡¯m too late, then my sister¡¯s soul will break entirely and she¡¯ll be gone forever¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you it was risky.¡±

 Chapter 593: Children of Gods

    Chapter 593: Children of Gods


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that it¡¯ll be difficult to find Wren¡­ and my sister is running out of time,¡± Reldros muttered.


    ¡°Melantha can heal your sister¡¯s soul right now, but Zavinti will die in the process,¡± noted Holo.


    ¡°Or I can try and find Wren the Black, but if I¡¯m too late, then my sister¡¯s soul will break entirely and she¡¯ll be gone forever¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you it was risky.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no other way?¡± Reldros asked, a trace of hope in his voice.


    Holo, Melantha, and Lunae glanced at each other.


    ¡°None that we know of,¡± admitted Holo.


    ¡°Then I will search for the black mage. If I cannot find Wren, will this city be a good place to find you, Melantha?¡± asked Reldros.


    ¡°I only plan to stay here for a few months at best. I don¡¯t usually stay in one place for more than a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°And if you are not here, then where might I find you?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± replied Melantha.


    ¡°Is there no way I could persuade you to¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s clarify something. I am willing to help you out here at this very moment, as a favor to Holo, nothing more. I owe you and your kin nothing.¡±


    Reldros frowned. ¡°I am aware, but that does not mean we cannot come to some trade or agreement.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in any such agreement. I may not side with my father, but what he and the Calamities did to your kind was not wrong.¡±


    ¡°Nel!¡± Holo said in disbelief.


    The dragons growled, outraged. Green fire wrapped around them as their humanoid shapes prepared to change. Only Reldros stayed still, though his eyes burned with a deep inner fire.


    Lunae watched on in silence and took a few steps back, closer to Stryg. The blue goblin glanced around anxiously, he hadn¡¯t come here prepared to fight a dozen dragons. Arden and Gale quietly walked over to Lunae and Stryg, ready to defend them at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°You may have some friends among the dragons, but I hold no love for their kind,¡± said Melantha unrepentantly. ¡°The dragonlords murdered our people, Holo. Thousands upon thousands of innocent titans dead. We were their allies and they betrayed us. The dragonlords would have happily hunted down the last of us and ruled over this world without anyone to oppose them. They would have if the Calamities didn¡¯t strike first.¡±


    ¡°That was a long time ago, Reldros and the others weren¡¯t born yet. They aren¡¯t responsible for any of that,¡± said Holo.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t any different. I have seen what dragons did to the humans of the Jade Realm. Entire villages turned to ash by dragon fire. Dragons look down upon mortal-kind, they always have. If it wasn¡¯t for their help in the siege I wouldn¡¯t be speaking to any of them.¡±


    ¡°My lord, just give the order,¡± muttered one of the dragons.


    Reldros held up his hand for them to stand down. ¡°You are half-human, yes?¡± he asked.


    Melantha crossed her arms. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then I understand why the destruction of human villages would bother you so much. But I hope you understand that humanity is descended from the blood of dragons, just like all the other chromatic species. Does that not make you guilty of your ancestors'' crimes as well?¡± asked Reldros.


    Melantha smiled wryly at him. ¡°Oh, dragons made it very clear that their mortal descendants are nothing like them. Do not try to manipulate me into thinking we are the same. And I do not judge you based on your parents¡¯ crimes. I judge you based on your own. You have lived for thousands of years. How many titans did you kill during that time? Most titans had little power, they could not defend themselves against dragon attacks. And what of humans? Did you kill them too? How many? If the answer is none, then I will travel with you and help you find Wren the Black right now.¡±


    Reldros tensed his jaw. ¡°I have killed more than I¡¯d like to admit, but perhaps we can look past that¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no looking past what is obviously staring in front of me. I know of your reputation. Your sister was the tempered one, not you, Reldros the Amaranth Fury. You are playing nice only because your sister¡¯s life is at risk. We are both monsters, Reldros. The difference is I fight for mortal-kind and you fight only for your own. So no, there will be no agreement. If you leave now, I will not help you later on.¡±


    ¡°...I was afraid you might say that. I never expected much from titans, especially the daughter of a Calamity,¡± Reldros sighed deeply and the fire burning in his eyes died a little. ¡°I will seek out Wren the Black and if I cannot find him soon, I will try to make it back here.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°If you do this, you¡¯re risking Zavinti¡¯s,¡± said Lunae. ¡°Risking your sibling¡¯s life is not something you should take lightly. Think on it, at least for the evening.¡±


    ¡°No, I have made my decision.¡±


    Lunae glanced at Zavinti¡¯s sleeping face. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°If Melantha repairs my sister¡¯s soul now she¡¯ll die in the process. Zavinti¡¯s soul will leave this world and enter the Soul Chasm. Who is to say Death isn¡¯t waiting for her, just like he was with my parents?¡±


    ¡°Nel could protect her,¡± offered Holo.


    ¡°She is a goddess of death, she is not Death himself. Could she stop Death from taking my sister?¡±


    Holo lowered her head in silence.


    ¡°Then my decision is made.¡± Reldros bowed his head to Lunae, ¡°Thank you for hosting this meeting. My father¡¯s relationship with you was tenuous, but he respected you. As do I. Farewell.¡±


    Holo tried to say something, but Melantha grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. Stryg and the others watched the dragons leave the temple and revert to their draconic forms before taking flight. After only a few moments they had disappeared over the clouds.


    ¡°You know, Nel. You can be a real bitch sometimes,¡± said Holo off-handedly.


    Melantha rolled her eyes and walked away. ¡°And you¡¯re too soft-hearted. The dragons are not to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°They helped us against Caligo.¡±


    ¡°They helped themselves. Kaleidrog understood the threat that is the Queen of the Titans. Yet he told no one until it was too late. Who knows if he would have even come to our aid if his daughter hadn¡¯t been captured.¡±


    ¡°If Kaleidrog hadn¡¯t sacrificed himself none of us might be standing here.¡±


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for Kaleidrog and the other dragon lords the world would not have been Sundered. Our people would not be on the brink of extinction.¡±


    Holo¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°...I know. But Zavinti wasn¡¯t like her father. She was kind. She was my friend.¡±


    ¡°Only after the Mortem Order fell to infighting. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Who better to befriend than the traitorous daughter of a Calamity?¡±


    ¡°A friend nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Melantha said, clearly done with the conversation.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve lived another few hundred years perhaps you¡¯ll understand that you can only hold a grudge for so long, even against immortals.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Father.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Lunae pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I had forgotten what it was like to have you two bickering all the time. Holo, try to be understanding.¡±


    ¡°What? Me?¡± Holo said incredulously.


    ¡°Yes, you. You¡¯re the adult. Melantha is an adolescent, she¡¯s barely 400 years old. She¡¯s still too headstrong and idealistic to understand that not all dragons are distasteful.¡±


    Melantha frowned. ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°And you, Melantha, let your sister be,¡± snapped Lunae. ¡°Holo is clearly worried about her friend. Don¡¯t be callous to the woman who once gave up everything to save your life.¡±


    Melantha sighed and nodded begrudgingly. ¡°Forgive me, Holo, I may have gotten worked up. It was unbecoming of me.¡±


    ¡°You''re fine, I¡¯m sorry too. More importantly,¡± Holo turned to Stryg. ¡°What are you doing here anyway? I thought you¡¯d be at the execution all afternoon.¡±


    Lunae scooped up Stryg, holding him up from under his arms. ¡°Yes, why are you here? You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Her lips curled in a small, begrudging grin, ¡°Not that such things ever stopped you.¡±


    Stryg tried to wiggle out of her grasp but it was useless. Her arms didn¡¯t budge whatsoever. ¡°Well, um. Melantha killed Marek¡­ He was mine to kill.¡± It felt stupid to say it aloud while being held like a toddler.


    ¡°Oh, so the baby is angry that Nel took his toy,¡± Holo teased.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, it¡¯s revenge,¡± Stryg said, but even he knew it sounded weak. Nothing sounded serious when one was being carried like an infant.


    ¡°Apologies, little brother," said Melantha. "I wasn¡¯t originally planning to interfere, but it seemed as if the nobles were going to spare Marek¡¯s life.¡± She made a fist and then slowly opened her hand, revealing a glowing white marble. ¡°I was going to imprison his soul for eternity but if you wish to be Marek¡¯s warden you may have him.¡±


    ¡°Uh, is that¡­ his soul?¡± asked Stryg.


    Lunae put him down and he hurried over to get a closer look at the shining marble.


    ¡°It is. Take it,¡± Melantha offered it to him.


    Stryg hesitantly reached out and grabbed it, only for the orb to slip through his fingers like smoke. He frowned and tried again to no avail. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t mastered any of your Aspect powers, particularly the Aspect of Death.¡± Melantha closed her fist and the marble disappeared. She poked a finger at his chest. ¡°When you¡¯ve learned to control that power then I will give you Marek¡¯s soul.¡±


    ¡°And how am I supposed to master it?¡±


    ¡°For starters, accept what you really are. When you¡¯ve stopped rejecting your own power it will come to you. When you¡¯re ready, I will train you.¡±


    ¡°What I really am¡­?¡± Stryg stared at his hand, ¡°I¡¯m a tita¡ª¡±


    ¡°A baby titan,¡± finished Holo. ¡°Which makes you doubly dangerous since you can¡¯t control your powers.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me.¡± Gale walked over. ¡°I hate to interrupt but my lord has an urgent meeting to attend to soon.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, right. I¡¯m having dinner with Tauri and her parents.¡± Stryg glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set. ¡°Dammit, we¡¯re going to be late.¡±


    ¡°Careful with that. You don¡¯t want to accidentally be cursing people or things by damning them,¡± said Holo.


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Wait, I can curse people?¡±


    ¡°Father can. We''re not sure what Aspects of his powers you¡¯ve inherited or how strongly for that matter. Your powers were slowly developing the last few years, but they¡¯ve finally awakened, we¡¯ve yet to see their true capabilities.¡±


    Melantha raised a finger, ¡°Holo¡¯s right, but judging by your display against the dragonbane, it¡¯s a pretty good wager that they are very powerful. And while a curse is usually not as simple as saying a few words, seeing as your powers are incredibly volatile right now and you have the emotional control of an infant, I¡¯d be careful with your words.¡±


    Stryg nodded slowly as the meaning of their words sunk in. ¡°Let¡¯s um, not bring any of this up to Tauri, yeah?¡±


    ¡°The pretty orc? Why?¡± asked Holo.


    ¡°Because if her parents end up randomly cursed I really don¡¯t want her to hate me,¡± Stryg winced.


    ¡°Kill you,¡± Gale corrected. ¡°Because Tauri will definitely try to kill you if you curse her parents and they end up dying.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted.¡±

 Chapter 594: Dinner with the Katags Part 1

    Chapter 594: Dinner with the Katags Part 1


    The garden pavilion was set on the 4th floor of one of Hollow Shade¡¯s premier restaurants. There was no ceiling, leaving an open-air venue. A single table lay on the floor, reserved for the most elite of guests. The elevated height gave the pavilion a beautiful view of the city and the setting sun. At least, it was supposed to. The sun had already set and the darkness of the night obscured most of the city¡¯s landscape.


    The servants had already lit the candles on the table and served the guests wine, but none had yet to order their meal. Tauri fidgeted in her seat and sipped her wine, trying her best not to look at her parents who sat across from her.


    ¡°Are we still waiting?¡± asked one of the servants politely as they came back with another bottle of wine.


    ¡°Stryg will be here soon,¡± Tauri said with as much confidence as she could muster.


    He would be here, she knew he would. If he wasn¡¯t, then she¡¯d hunt him down and¡ª


    Evelyn tapped the table impatiently. ¡°Where exactly is your lover, Tauri?¡±


    ¡°Honey, we agreed we wouldn¡¯t talk about their relationship until both of them were here,¡± Krall reminded her with a sweet voice.


    People always found it strange when Tauri told them that her berserker father was in fact the kind parent. It always seemed obvious to her, all anyone had to do was spend a few minutes with her parents to realize it too.


    ¡°I¡¯m simply inquiring about the obscene tardiness of the man our daughter decided to betray her family for,¡± said Evelyn innocently.


    Tauri frowned and met her gaze. She knew her mother was baiting her, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I didn¡¯t betray the family, I just stopped obeying your every command. You know? Actually being your daughter, instead of your servant.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t raise my daughter to sleep with her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦,¡± Evelyn noted calmly. ¡°Did you, Krall?¡±


    Her husband looked away and sipped his wine, ¡°My, this is a nice vintage, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know either? It is a wonder,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Enlighten us, daughter, of where you learned such ¡®honorable¡¯ tactics.¡±


    Tauri clenched her jaw and tried her best not to get up and walk away. This meeting needed to happen, for the sake of House Katag and House Veres. She knew that and yet all she wanted to do was flip the table over. Stryg had promised that they would face her parents together. So where in all the bloody Null Realms was he!?


    A blur caught the corner of her eye. She turned in time to see Stryg and Gale shooting just past the edge of the parapet before landing on the rooftop. Gale¡¯s landing was elegant, her feet graced the floor softly, one step at a time. Stryg¡¯s was heavier, his feet hit the ground hard with a heavy thud, his knees bending slightly.


    Evelyn¡¯s calm expression cracked.


    ¡°Stryg!¡± Tauri smiled briefly before her lips twisted into a scowl.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± Krall muttered. He stood to his feet, smiled wide, and offered his hand, ¡°If it isn''t our resident war hero, welcome!¡±


    ¡°Lord Krall, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Stryg reached out and grabbed his forearm, or at least tried to. The orc¡¯s forearm was massive. Stryg barely managed to wrap his fingers around half of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being late,¡± he said and glanced at the two ladies.


    ¡°Sit, sit, please,¡± Krall gestured.


    Stryg took him up on his offer and sat next to Tauri. He glanced at Gale and was surprised she didn¡¯t do the same. He gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°I have already eaten; besides, my services are better used inspecting the perimeter. If you¡¯ll excuse me, my lord,¡± Gale bowed, then slipped away.


    Gale hadn¡¯t eaten, Stryg had been with her all day. He had a sneaking suspicion she just didn¡¯t want to wade into the mess that dinner was bound to be, but he let it go. He had already dragged her into a deadly meeting with gods and dragons.


    Stryg turned his attention to Tauri and reached for her hand under the table mantle. His fingers brushed her hand but she pulled away, not deigning to look at him. That was odd. Usually, she¡¯d hit him when she was angry.


    ¡°Quite the entrance, Lord Veres. You couldn¡¯t take the stairs?¡± asked Evelyn.


    ¡°I was already late, I¡¯d rather not have you wait any longer,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°And what, pray tell, was so important that you had us waiting almost an entire hour?¡± asked Evelyn.


    ¡°I was speaking with the dragons that were flying over the city,¡± said Stryg casually.


    Evelyn stiffened at his words, Krall coughed up mid-sip of his wine, and Tauri turned to him. All three had their eyes wide open, staring at him with shock.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You¡ª what?!¡± Tauri said.


    ¡°What?¡± Stryg asked innocently, unsure why they were all panicking.


    ¡°You spoke with the dragons¡­? How? Why?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°What did they want?¡± said Krall, all warmth gone from his voice. Gone was the cheerful lord and its place was Hollow Shade¡¯s War Master.


    ¡°They wanted to talk to Lunae and some of the other gods¡ª¡± Stryg stopped in mid-sentence. The latter had slipped out. The people of Hollow Shade weren¡¯t supposed to know about his sisters¡¯ presence, were they? Now that he thought about it, he wasn¡¯t really sure. Both of them were living legends throughout the Realms. People knew about them, but they didn¡¯t necessarily know they were alive or in the city.


    ¡°Lunae is here? In Hollow Shade?¡± Evelyn leaned forward, her voice shaking.


    ¡°Uh. Yes,¡± Stryg nodded slowly. He supposed it didn¡¯t hurt if people knew at least that much.


    ¡°You are certain of this?¡± Evelyn pressed.


    ¡°Yup. I rode with her into battle the night of the siege.¡±


    ¡°You? Rode into battle with the Watcher herself?¡± Evelyn said skeptically. Now she knew he was lying.


    ¡°Well, actually I rode on top of her head. She was a giant white wolf and I sort of just gripped onto her fur and held on as best I could. Not really easy if I¡¯m being honest,¡± Stryg said.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I was there,¡± said Tauri.


    Krall stroked his beard, ¡°That seems¡­¡±


    ¡°Ludicrous. Do you actually expect us to believe that your lover rode into battle atop a goddess as if she were just some steed?¡± said Evelyn, almost shouting with derision.


    Stryg glared at her, ¡°The Mother Moon is not a steed. I rode with her because she thought it¡¯s where I¡¯d be safest since as War Master of the Sylvan, it was my duty to lead my warriors into battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did mention you were the Sylvan''s War Master before,¡± nodded Krall in understanding.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be, but as Lunae¡¯s Chosen I didn¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°And now you claim to be the goddess¡¯ Chosen?¡± Evelyn tried to keep her voice and expression calm, but her twitching eyebrow betrayed her. ¡°Surely, you must understand how absurd your story sounds?¡±


    ¡°How do you think I managed to bring the entire Sylvan army to Hollow Shade? I come from a small tribe with little influence among my people. The army arose to fight because Lunae deemed it so because of my request. If you still don¡¯t believe me, then why don¡¯t you just go meet her?¡±


    Tauri grabbed his hand, ¡°Stryg¡ª¡±


    ¡°Meet her?¡± Evelyn scoffed playfully.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the Commoner District. If you want to talk to her, I¡¯ll introduce you,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Evelyn cocked her eyebrow.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Stryg, don¡¯t,¡± Tauri whispered.


    ¡°And why not? If you both are telling the truth then what¡¯s the problem?¡± Evelyn taunted.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because gods are not to be trifled with?¡± snapped Tauri. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s because Lunae is protective of her Chosen, very protective. So when an orc who clearly does not believe her Chosen and is outright disrespectful to him, arrives at her doorstep denying the goddess¡¯ own existence I¡¯m quite certain Lunae will outright kill you.¡±


    Evelyn tapped the table in thought, ¡°You¡¯re saying if I want to confirm Stryg is telling the truth I¡¯ll die? So I just have to take your word for it? How convenient.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Tauri threw her arms up in frustration. ¡°Why are you being so difficult!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to trust my daughter after she¡¯s been lying to me,¡± said Evelyn.


    Tauri had told Stryg her mother had a way of getting under her skin, it was one of the main reasons she wanted him to accompany her to dinner. Stryg hadn¡¯t really understood what Tauri had meant until now.


    ¡°You said there were other gods in this meeting, who were they?¡± It was Krall who spoke and pushed through the tension.


    ¡°You believe him?¡± asked Evelyn.


    Krall ran his hand across the scars over his neck and chest. ¡°A week ago our city was besieged by monsters as big as a house, with impenetrable skin and an immunity to magic. They broke through the wall¡¯s enchantments and slaughtered our soldiers. Even Elzri was only able to defeat two of them before he fell. Then the Sylvan army suddenly came to save us and not long after the dragons came to our aid as well. I don¡¯t believe that was a coincidence. Today we all saw dragons flying over our city and now the young Lord Veres, who led the Sylvan army, tells me he was at a meeting with the dragons and the gods. Do you still think that was a coincidence, honey?¡±


    Evelyn stared at her husband, a hint of pride in her eyes. ¡°I suppose not,¡± she said begrudgingly. ¡°So, what other gods were at this meeting?¡±


    Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°Two daughters of Stjerne.¡±


    ¡°Stjerne has children?¡± Evelyn perked up at his words.


    Tauri glanced at Stryg questioningly. He had thought about what to say or how much to tell, but in the end, he decided these two people would soon be a part of his tribe, and he didn¡¯t want Tauri having to lie to her parents for his sake.


    ¡°He does. They have different names in different Realms. You¡¯ve heard of one of them. Holo The Tall,¡± said Stryg.


    Evelyn furrowed her brow. ¡°The founder of Hollow Shade?¡±


    ¡°There have been legends surrounding Holo for almost a millennia. I always thought it was different powerful mages taking up the mantle through the years. But if what you say is true, then Holo¡¯s legend becomes more understandable,¡± said Krall.


    ¡°Her sister is the Jade¡¯s Saintess of Heroes, Melantha,¡± said Tauri.


    ¡°Really?¡± Krall perked up. ¡°She is here? In the city? You met her?¡±


    ¡°She is the one who killed Marek at the execution,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°That was her!?¡± Krall laughed, ¡°I was wondering how she somehow managed to stop the shades. A goddess¡¯ powers are something else. No wonder the High Priestess remained so calm. She must have known who Melantha was.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess she did¡­¡± Stryg muttered. He hadn¡¯t thought about it before. Now he wondered just how much the Chosen of Bellum really knew.


    ¡°Could you arrange a meeting? I¡¯d love to meet her,¡± said Krall excitedly.


    Evelyn smiled wryly, ¡°Darling, if he is telling the truth, then these two women are goddesses. They may be willing to speak to dragons, but we are mortals, I do not think it wise to cross paths with such beings.¡±


    ¡°I can arrange a meeting,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You can?¡± Krall smiled, undeterred.


    ¡°Really? Just like that?¡± asked Evelyn skeptically.


    ¡°Well, Melantha is my sister, so yeah, I guess I can.¡±


    Evelyn and Krall glanced at each other and shared an unconvinced look.

 Chapter 595: Dinner with the Katags Part 2

    Chapter 595: Dinner with the Katags Part 2


    ¡°I can arrange a meeting,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°You can?¡± Krall smiled, undeterred.


    ¡°Really? Just like that?¡± asked Evelyn skeptically.


    ¡°Well, Melantha is my sister, so yeah, I guess I can.¡±


    Evelyn and Krall glanced at each other and shared an unconvinced look.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that you are the son of Stjerne?¡± Krall chuckled forcefully. He was giving Stryg a chance to explain and correct himself, but when Stryg showed no sign of doing so, he turned to his wife.


    Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. ¡°If anything you have said is in fact true, then are you perhaps saying that you and Melantha the Saintess share a birth mother?¡±


    ¡°No, Melantha¡¯s mother was a human as far as I know. Stjerne is our father. ¡­It feels weird when I say it out loud. Stjerne is my¡ª father,¡± Stryg repeated the last word, tasting the sound of it on his tongue, oblivious to the odd looks Evelyn and Krall were giving him.


    Evelyn glanced at her daughter disapprovingly. ¡°I think these games have gone on long enough. What are you two getting at? Spit it out.¡±


    But before Tauri could say anything a servant had returned. ¡°Are we ready to order?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stryg said casually and grabbed the offered menu. He glanced at it briefly and pointed at every venison dish. Tauri only ordered a bottle of wine, stating she had little appetite. Evelyn and Krall ordered as well, though the former seemed rather impatient.


    Once the servant had left, Evelyn spoke up. ¡°We have indulged you two enough with your antics¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stryg is telling the truth,¡± Tauri whispered.


    Evelyn frowned. ¡°What was that?¡± she said in an icy tone, daring her daughter to continue.


    ¡°I said, Stryg is telling the truth. I don¡¯t expect either of you two to believe him, I didn¡¯t at first. In fact, I asked him to prove it to me through various methods. He couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± said Evelyn dryly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds,¡± Stryg muttered.


    Tauri¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Which is why, I looked for a way that you could. It took a while, I wracked my mind trying to figure it out, but it wasn¡¯t until I spoke with Holo that I figured it out.¡±


    Evelyn cocked her eyebrow and crossed her arms. ¡°Are you seriously trying to tell us that the goblin hybrid sitting next to you is in fact a god?¡±


    ¡°Or a demigod. And I can prove it.¡± Tauri glanced at Krall, ¡°Dad. Our House has worshiped the goddess of war, Bellum, for centuries, yes?¡±


    ¡°As any respectable Martial House would,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Right. And growing up, you used to tell me stories about Bellum.¡±


    Krall smiled at the memory. ¡°You and your brothers and sisters used to sit with me next to the fire. You always wanted to sit on my lap.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what Niko¡¯s favorite story was?¡±


    ¡°How could I forget? The Serpent of the Ebon Depths.¡±


    Tauri nodded. ¡°An old sea serpent was terrorizing an island deep in the heart of the Ebon Sea. The villagers prayed to Bellum to save them and one day, when the serpent attacked their port, Bellum appeared. She fought with the creature all night and by sunrise, she had slain it.¡±


    ¡°The goddess sliced the serpent¡¯s head off with her sword wreathed in black flames. After its death the village was free,¡± said Krall approvingly.


    ¡°Right, Bellum killed the serpent, but it wasn¡¯t easy for her. It was an old serpent from a past age.¡±


    ¡°The largest serpent in the Ebon Realm, though from the legends I¡¯ve heard, it was small compared to some of the sea serpents in the Azure Realm,¡± added Krall, almost as if an afterthought.


    ¡°What does any of this have to do with Stryg¡¯s supposed divinity?¡± asked Evelyn impatiently.


    ¡°The serpent was powerful. Old. Bellum slew it, but not before sustaining her own injuries. Dad, you told me that when she cut the serpent¡¯s head off, its bright red blood fell into the ocean, as did her own blood, dark and purple as deep as¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAs the sea, yes. I remember.¡±


    ¡°Bellum¡¯s blood wasn¡¯t red like ours.¡±


    ¡°A god is not mortal. Why should their blood be like ours?¡± said Krall.


    ¡°Exactly! Stryg, give me your hand,¡± said Tauri.


    Stryg furrowed his brow, ¡°Um, Tauri?¡±


    ¡°Just do it,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°This should be interesting,¡± Evelyn smiled.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Stryg glanced at his lover, uncertain of what to say, so instead, he simply put his arm on the table, palm face-up. Everyone here had seen him battle Sylvie during the finals of the Undergrowth Tourney. They had all seen him bleed red. He was the son of Stjerne but that didn¡¯t mean he bled like him.


    Tauri ignored his anxious look and grabbed the knife on the table, before slicing it across his palm. Or at least, she tried to. A faint welt, a shade darker than his blue skin, appeared over his palm, but there was no cut. Evelyn and Krall gave her an odd look.


    ¡°His skin¡¯s gotten tougher than I remember,¡± Tauri laughed awkwardly. ¡°Stryg, let me see your other hand.¡±


    He reluctantly lifted his right hand and offered it to her. Tauri grabbed his forefinger and pressed the claw down hard onto his left palm until the skin broke. She slowly and painfully ran the foreclaw across his palm, leaving a thin but bloody line.


    ¡°Ow,¡± said Stryg.


    Tauri¡¯s parents stared at his hand, Krall somewhat pitifully, Evelyn clearly annoyed. Then their expressions suddenly changed into confusion. They leaned across the table, their eyebrows wrinkling at the sight. Stryg glanced down and to his own surprise, he saw his own blood; it was almost black, but in the candle light one could clearly make out the tones of deep purple.


    ¡°Dear gods,¡± Krall whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡ª possible,¡± Evelyn mumbled.


    Tauri dipped her finger in the blood and rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger. ¡°Now, does that seem ¡®mortal¡¯ to you?¡± She showed her bloody fingers to her parents.


    ¡°It must be some sort of trick. An elixir or something¡­¡± said Evelyn, though there wasn¡¯t much strength in her words.


    As she spoke, the dark blood on Stryg¡¯s palm slowly trickled back into the cut, before the wound knitted itself back together in front of their eyes. After a few moments, there was nothing left, only unblemished soft blue skin.


    Tauri poked Stryg¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh, look at that. I don¡¯t know of any elixir that can mimic powerful White healing spells of elemental life magic. Actually, I don¡¯t know of any healing magic that reabsorbs lost blood either.¡±


    ¡°How¡­?¡± asked Evelyn, with a tremble in her voice.


    Tauri smiled smugly. ¡°Dad already told you. ¡®A god is not mortal. Why should their blood be like ours?¡¯¡±


    Evelyn said nothing and only stared at Stryg, a trace of fear in her eyes.


    ¡°It is an honor to have you in our presence, son of Stjerne,¡± Krall said meekly and bowed his head.


    Stryg didn¡¯t know how to answer that. He didn¡¯t even know why his blood was purple. Since when had that been? And though he knew he healed faster than most, this level of healing was unbelievable. The only time his body had healed anywhere remotely as fast was when he had fought the¡ª


    ¡°¡ªThe dragonbane,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was that?¡± Krall hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Stryg glanced at Tauri, who was still bathing in her triumph over her mother. ¡°Um, I came here tonight to discuss my relationship with your daughter and the incident the other night at your home.¡± He bowed his head, ¡°I am sorry for the trouble I caused. I wasn¡¯t exactly myself.¡±


    Krall raised his hands and shook his head frantically. ¡°No, the fault was ours, please think nothing of it. I was trying to teach my heir how to handle unexpected situations. I should have stopped him before things got out of hand.¡±


    Evelyn nodded and swallowed hard, ¡°Yes. My husband is correct. House Katag takes full responsibility for that night. We would not dare blame you for such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± said Stryg slowly. ¡°Well, as to my relationship with Tauri; I know you think she lied to you about us, but she never did. We only began sleeping with each other after we left Undergrowth.¡±


    Tauri snapped back into reality at his words and blushed in mortification. ¡°Stryg, don¡¯t say that to my parents.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s the truth,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t talk about those kinds of things in front of your parents.¡±


    ¡°What? Sex?¡± Stryg cocked his head to the side. ¡°They¡¯re not children, they had sex to have you. Literally half the Night District is dedicated to men and women offering sex for coin, but talking about sex itself is somehow problematic? Your people are weird about the strangest things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re differe¡ª Ow!¡± Tauri winced as her mother reached over the table and slapped her across the head.


    ¡°Please, ignore my daughter¡¯s ignorance. Cultures are different, but ours must seem quite barbaric to the culture of the gods. Only a fool,¡± Evelyn glared pointedly at her daughter, ¡°Would dare tell a god what is and what is not forbidden to say, lest they wish to be smited off the face of the Realm.¡±


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not what Stryg meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be quiet. Who are we to judge how gods view the world?¡± said Evelyn.


    Krall nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Stryg didn¡¯t really understand what they were getting at, but they seemed amicable enough, at least more so than a few minutes ago. ¡°I mean no disrespect, but I was hoping you could annul my engagement to Elena and accept my counter-proposal to marry Tauri instead.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± said Krall hastily. ¡°We came here tonight with such an intention.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Tauri asked, surprised.


    ¡°Your father believed it was the best course forward, for both our Houses,¡± replied Evelyn. She stopped and looked at Stryg uncertainly, ¡°Forgive me if I am being disrespectful, but are you actually a part of House Veres or simply their patron?¡±


    ¡°Patron?¡± Stryg asked.


    ¡°Their patron deity,¡± she clarified.


    ¡°Oh, no. My mother is a Veres. I am Stryga Veres¡¯ heir by blood.¡±


    ¡°Then you are young? Not an ancient deity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost 21. Among the Sylvan I am considered an adult,¡± he said proudly, but then his expression turned sour. ¡°Lunae and my sisters call me a baby, it is¡ª annoying.¡±


    Evelyn held her hand under her chin and narrowed her eyes in thought. ¡°I suppose it makes sense, gods are ancient. To them, you must seem like a ba¡ª Ahem. Young.¡±


    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± said Krall.


    Stryg sighed. ¡°So do I.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be grateful for whatever answers you could give us,¡± said Evelyn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡±


    Evelyn and Krall shared a look before the former spoke up, ¡°I suppose the most important question is as an Ebon Aspirant and demigod, do you intend to become the god-king of Hollow Shade?¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°God-king?¡±


    ¡°Because if so, House Katag will gladly pledge their allegiance to the cause,¡± added Krall.


    ¡°I never really thought about it,¡± Stryg admitted.


    ¡°We were already prepared to support you through our alliance, but your divine blood changes everything,¡± Evelyn muttered. ¡°A new god of the Ebon Pantheon has been born.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not part of the pantheon¡ª¡±


    ¡°A god who is an Ebon Lord and the War Master of the Sylvan. How many Houses would pledge their allegiance to such a being? The one who would lead the Realm to a new age. Hollow¡¯s Shade would rise in power. Even the other Great Cities would bow to such power.¡± Evelyn was beginning to understand why Elise Veres had decided to support Stryg instead of trying to usurp him. He wasn¡¯t an obstacle in her way, he was the path towards power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to reveal my heritage to others,¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Of course, not until the time is right,¡± Evelyn said understandingly. ¡°Do not worry, my lord. We would never reveal your secrets.¡±


    Stryg wanted to say more but then the food arrived and his stomach rumbled as he lost himself in the delicious scent of venison.

 Chapter 596: Dinner with the Katags Part 3

    Chapter 596: Dinner with the Katags Part 3


    Dinner was a quick affair, or at least it felt that way to Stryg. The night passed in a blur as he ate and let Tauri do most of the talking. Her parents had an endless amount of questions about his heritage, his purpose in Hollow Shade, and his plans for the future. Tauri shielded him from most of their interrogation and evaded their questions, only giving the minimum of information.


    Stryg didn¡¯t have to say anything for Tauri to catch on that he was somewhat out of his depth. He wasn¡¯t used to being asked so many personal questions, by anyone really. Especially when it came to his parents. The more he learned about those two the more he realized how little he knew about them.


    As midnight rolled around, Tauri announced it was getting late and that Stryg needed his rest. It was a lie. Stryg preferred being awake at night, whether it was because of his vampiric blood, being a child of the Stars, or simply being a night owl he didn¡¯t know. Either way, he wasn¡¯t going to bother correcting her.


    Evelyn clearly didn¡¯t believe her daughter either, judging by the skeptical expression on her face, but when Stryg didn¡¯t speak up, she reluctantly agreed with Tauri. Dinner finally ended with several promises on both sides, most importantly the Katag¡¯s support in the upcoming political bid for power among the nobles that everyone but Stryg seemed so certain would happen.


    Various names of noble Houses were flung about, some that would be loyal to their cause, others that would no doubt be enemies and a list of twice as many whose loyalties had yet to be decided. Stryg recognized only a few, the rest he doubted he¡¯d recall. He made a mental note to have one of the Veres scribes bring him a list of these Houses and their allegiances.


    His attention was brought back to the orcs lord and lady in front of him when they stood up from the table.


    ¡°Thank you for accepting our invitation to join us for dinner, it was truly a pleasure, Lord Veres,¡± said Evelyn with a curtsy.


    Stryg hastily stood to his feet and bowed his head, hand over his chest, as Gian had taught him was expected of noblemen. ¡°The pleasure was mine, Lady Katag. Thank you for the invitation.¡±


    Evelyn stared at him for a long moment, her expression thoughtful. ¡°I hope we can meet again like this soon, we have much to discuss.¡± She glanced at her daughter, ¡°Such as a proper wedding date.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Krall laughed and picked his daughter up in a bear hug. ¡°You had us worried there for a while, but you¡¯re finally getting married, and to an Ebon Aspirant no less! Well done!¡±


    ¡°Dad, stop,¡± Tauri managed to gasp before he finally let her down. Her red cheeks grew a shade deeper and she sent a furtive glance at Stryg before hurriedly looking away.


    Krall placed his massive hand on Stryg¡¯s shoulder and grinned, ¡°I look forward to the wedding, it¡¯ll be the greatest one of the century. Soon our two Great Houses will be united in the most sacred of alliances. Until then, know that you still have House Katag¡¯s support.¡±


    Stryg tilted his head up, practically to the sky, to look straight up at the giant orc. How this man wasn¡¯t a dire, Stryg would never understand. ¡°Thank you, Lord Katag. On behalf of House Veres, I appreciate your sincere support.¡± And that time, Stryg knew he had recited Gian¡¯s teachings perfectly.


    ¡°If you need House Katag¡¯s aid, just let us know, we will be there,¡± Krall winked.


    ¡°I may need it sooner than you think,¡± he admitted wryly.


    ¡°Oh, you have something in mind?¡± Krall whispered conspiratorially.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, honey, I think it¡¯s time we call it a night before we get into another set of plans,¡± said Evelyn as she grabbed her husband¡¯s arm and pulled him away. She glanced at her daughter with a no-nonsense look, ¡°Treat him well.¡±


    Tauri stood her ground and crossed her arms but waited until her parents were out of sight before muttering to herself, ¡°I¡¯m the one who needs to be treated well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t treat you well?¡± Stryg said off-handedly as he grabbed his fifth slice of pie from the table.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how irritating it was to sit here for three hours?¡±


    ¡°If you hate your parents that much you don¡¯t have to eat with them, but if you do, I¡¯ll still be here. See? I¡¯m nice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not nice. And I wasn¡¯t talking about eating dinner with them, I meant literally sitting down for three hours.¡± She rubbed her backside with a wince, ¡°It¡¯s still sore from last night. You¡¯d think with titanic strength you¡¯d hold back a bit more.¡±


    Stryg blinked. ¡°Oh, I forgot to heal you afterwards.¡±


    She gave him a deadpan look. ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I was a bit distracted.¡± His gaze wandered down to her wide hips and her voluptuous butt that she kept massaging.


    ¡°Oi, eyes up here! And how are you still eating? Is your stomach an endless pit?¡±


    ¡°Lunae says it¡¯s normal for titans to eat a lot and with my powers awakening recently, my body is still adjusting to its new¡ª body?¡±


    ¡°It must be nice, having a body that heals in minutes or hours at most. Must. Be. Nice.¡±


    Stryg grimaced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am. I¡¯ll heal you right now.¡±


    ¡°Here? Are you kidding me? We¡¯re in a restaurant.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the roof and all the servants have already left.¡±


    ¡°And what if they come back up? You know? To clean up?¡± she said as if it was obvious.


    Stryg waved his right hand and channeled Green. The flower pots standing near the wall sprouted giant vines and wrapped around the door handle. With his left hand, he channeled Purple and the air shimmered around the edge of the roof.


    He smiled. ¡°There, now no one can get up here and anyone who tries to look up from below won¡¯t see us.¡±


    ¡°Multicasting comes so easily to you now, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have been told I am a magical prodigy,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you you¡¯re a dumbass?¡±


    His smirk cracked. ¡°...Once or twice.¡±


    Tauri¡¯s eyes went alight with interest. ¡°Oh? By whom?¡±


    ¡°You, for one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡±


    ¡°Loh.¡±


    ¡°Not surprised.¡±


    ¡°My mother.¡±


    ¡°Seen it.¡±


    ¡°Plum, many, many times.¡±


    ¡°It takes one to know one.¡±


    Stryg scratched his cheek. ¡°Sigte used to always call me his sweet, stupid child.¡±


    ¡°Sigte?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It never really bothered me. He wasn¡¯t being mean about it, not really.¡± Stryg shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, when he called me that it felt like I was his son. It was nice, I guess¡­¡±


    Tauri stayed silent and instead of responding, she glanced at the illusion wall that was wrapped around the entire roof. ¡°You can just keep the illusion up, without concentrating? It won¡¯t fall apart?¡±


    ¡°It takes some concentration, but it¡¯s like holding a cup. You don¡¯t really think about it, but you¡¯re not going to drop it either.¡±


    ¡°You really have grown more powerful.¡±


    Stryg sighed, ¡°And it¡¯s somehow never enough for when I need it.¡±


    ¡°...Fine, you can cast your healing magic, but don¡¯t try anything.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    It was one simple, sincere word, and yet she doubted it very much. Tauri turned her back to him and slid down her pants and undergarments. Stryg admired her plump bottom for a moment before channeling White and casting a healing spell.


    Tauri glanced back at him and frowned, ¡°Do you really have to touch?¡±


    ¡°Healing spells are more effective with physical contact, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but when did that include fondling my ass?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s very effective?¡±


    She rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were in pain. I didn¡¯t realize it,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem sorry when you were biting my ass last night.¡±


    ¡°You were biting me too.¡±


    ¡°Not the same. I don¡¯t bite through your skin. I woke up to find bloody bite marks all over my ass and thighs!¡±


    Stryg smiled sheepishly, ¡°Your blood is tasty.¡±


    ¡°Fucking vampires,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a vampire.¡±


    ¡°You bite like one. You do realize your fangs secrete venom, right? It makes the minds of those you bite hazy. We don¡¯t feel the pain until afterwards. You can¡¯t just keep on biting someone over and over.¡±


    Stryg touched his canines, the points were small but sharp. ¡°I see¡­ So what you¡¯re saying is I should heal you afterwards before you start feeling pain.¡±


    Tauri turned her waist around and flicked his droopy pointed ear. ¡°Are you even listening?¡±


    Stryg stared at his hands plastered over her bottom, before meeting her amber eyes. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough healing.¡± She stepped forward and pulled her pants up. She couldn¡¯t help but smirk at his disappointed expression.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°You already are.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Tauri sat on his lap, eliciting a smile from him. ¡°So, what¡¯s the question?¡±


    ¡°When you cut my palm earlier in front of your parents, how did you know my blood would be purple? I didn¡¯t even know that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I had a chance to talk to Holo when she visited the Veres manor a few days ago. I asked her a bunch of questions about titans and you. She told me that, unlike other titan hybrids who inherited chaos, you didn¡¯t have any chaos at birth. Your body was essentially ¡®mortal¡¯ growing up. You didn¡¯t really begin to exhibit a titan physiology until your chromatic magic awakened, which isn¡¯t normal, since a titan¡¯s power is present since birth. Anyways, Holo said that your powers fully manifested the night of the siege and that your body was no longer mortal.¡±


    ¡°So you thought my blood would have changed too?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re immortal now, so it¡¯d make sense.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that not all immortals are titans, right? In fact, most of them aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Meh, I took an educated gamble.¡±


    ¡°By cutting my hand with my own claw?¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d heal, you big baby.¡± She leaned into him and yawned. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Chromatic healing spells recover your wounds by accelerating your body¡¯s own regeneration. It takes a lot out of someone.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you can learn to heal with your elemental chaos then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain gods of death don¡¯t do much healing.¡± Stryg cradled her in his arms and stood up. ¡°Shall we go home?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± She closed her eyes and snuggled into him.


    A sword suddenly stabbed through the door and sliced downwards, cleaving the wood and the vines covering it in half. Gale jumped through, sword in hand. Her scarlet eyes darted around the rooftop, searching for enemies.


    ¡°Hi, Gale,¡± said Stryg nonchalantly.


    The vampire warrior stopped at the sight of her ward carrying the Katag woman. ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°Just sleepy.¡±


    Gale sheathed her sword. ¡°I take it dinner went well?¡±


    ¡°No thanks to you, my oh so ¡®loyal¡¯ Shield.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I am the Shield against your enemies, not your future in-laws. Besides, I¡¯ve never had much taste for politics.¡± Gale made a sour expression at the mere thought.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± He gestured at the several untouched dishes on the table.


    ¡°No, I got a drink earlier.¡± She licked her lips.


    Stryg noticed a few drops of blood on her shirt and nodded in understanding. ¡°Hey, by the way, why does orc blood always taste so sweet?¡±


    Tauri twitched but pretended to be asleep.


    ¡°I take it you''re talking from experience?¡± Gale said pointedly. ¡°I never thought orcs were particularly sweet.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Stryg.


    ¡°Blood tastes somewhat different for each vampire and we all have our preferences. Man. Woman. Old. Young. Orc, human, dwarf, etc. While Veres blood runs strongly through you, you¡¯re only part vampire at the end of the day. Your tastes are definitely skewed compared to the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Right. Hybrids,¡± Stryg muttered thoughtfully. Just one more thing that made him different from the rest. He was used to being different, but he never wanted to be.


    Gale shrugged. ¡°Callum always preferred human blood, a bit cannibalistic if you ask me.¡±


    Stryg cracked a smile at that.